The drawing-room curtains at Windy Corner had been pulled to meet, for the carpet was new and deserved protection from the August sun. They were heavy curtains, reaching almost to the ground, and the light that filtered through them was subdued and varied. A poet--none was present--might have quoted, "Life like a dome of many coloured glass," or might have compared the curtains to sluice-gates, lowered against the intolerable tides of heaven. Without was poured a sea of radiance; within, the glory, though visible, was tempered to the capacities of man. 客廳有個(gè)角落經(jīng)常刮風(fēng)，那兒的窗簾已經(jīng)合上了，因?yàn)榈靥菏切落伒?，需要抵御八月驕?yáng)。窗簾很重，快要垂到地面，而被窗簾過(guò)濾后的光線緩和且多變。一個(gè)不在世的詩(shī)人可能會(huì)引用一句，“生活就像各色玻璃砌成的穹頂”，或者將窗簾同水閘門比較，抗衡天堂難以忍受的潮水的水閘門。沒(méi)有窗簾將傾瀉出一片光的海洋，有了窗簾，內(nèi)部雖有可見(jiàn)的光芒，卻剛好適用于人的才能。