An ancient English Cathedral town? How can the ancient English Cathedral town be here! The well-known massive grey square tower of its old Cathedral? How can that be here! There is no spike of rusty iron in the air, between the eye and it, from any point of the real prospect. What IS the spike that intervenes, and who has set it up? Maybe, it is set up by the Sultan’s orders for the impaling of a horde of Turkish robbers, one by one. It is so, for cymbals clash, and the Sultan goes by to his palace in long procession. Ten thousand scimitars flash in the sunlight, and thrice ten thousand dancing-girls strew flowers. Then, follow white elephants caparisoned in countless gorgeous colors, and infinite in number and attendants. Still, the Cathedral Tower rises in the background, where it cannot be, and still no writhing figure is on the grim spike. Stay! Is the spike so low a thing as the rusty spike on the top of a post of an old bedstead that has tumbled all awry? Some vague period of drowsy laughter must be devoted to the consideration of this possibility. (7; ch. 1)

中文翻译：

---

狄更斯与绍西：埃德温·德鲁德之谜与凯哈马的诅咒

一个古老的英国大教堂小镇？古老的英国大教堂小镇怎么会在这里！其旧大教堂著名的巨大灰色方形塔楼？怎么会在这里！从真实前景的任何一点来看，在眼睛和眼睛之间的空气中都没有生锈的铁钉。干预的尖峰是什么，是谁设置的？也许，它是苏丹下令刺杀一群土耳其强盗的，一个一个。就是这样，因为钹碰撞，苏丹排着长队经过他的宫殿。一万把弯刀在阳光下闪烁，三万个舞女撒花。然后，跟随白象化身为无数绚丽的色彩，数量和随从数不胜数的白象。尽管如此，大教堂塔在背景中升起，它不可能出现在那里，而且严峻的尖峰上仍然没有扭动的身影。停留！钉子是否像旧床架柱子顶部生锈的钉子那么低，它已经全部摔坏了？必须用一段模糊的昏昏欲睡的笑声来考虑这种可能性。（7；第 1 章）