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第4章 我的家庭 (4)

Warsaw was then under Russian domination, and one of the worst aspects of this control was the oppression exerted on the school and the child. The private schools directed by Poles were closely watched by the police and overburdened with the necessity of teaching the Russian language even to children so young that they could scarcely speak their native Polish. Nevertheless, since the teachers were nearly all of Polish nationality, they endeavored in every possible way to mitigate the difficulties resulting from the national persecution. These schools, however, could not legally give diplomas, which were obtainable only in those of the government.

The latter, entirely Russian, were directly opposed to the Polish national spirit. All instruction was given in Russian, by Russian professors, who, being hostile to the Polish nation, treated their pupils as enemies. Men of moral and intellectual distinction could scarcely agree to teach in schools where an alien attitude was forced upon them. So what the pupils were taught was of questionable value, and the moral atmosphere was altogether unbearable. Constantly held in suspicion and spied upon, the children knew that a single conversation in Polish, or an imprudent word, might seriously harm, not only themselves, but also their families. Amidst these hostilities, they lost all the joy of life, and precocious feelings of distrust and indignation weighed upon their childhood. On the other side, this abnormal situation resulted in exciting the patriotic feeling of Polish youths to the highest degree.

Yet of this period of my early youth, darkened though it was by mourning and the sorrow of oppression, I still keep more than one pleasant remembrance. In our quiet but occupied life, reunions of relatives and friends of our family brought some joy. My father was very interested in literature and well acquainted with Polish and foreign poetry; he even composed poetry himself and was able to translate it from foreign languages into Polish in a very successful way. His little poems on family events were our delight. On Saturday evenings he used to recite or read to us the masterpieces of Polish prose and poetry. These evenings were for us a great pleasure and a source of renewed patriotic feelings.

Since my childhood I have had a strong taste for poetry, and I willingly learned by heart long passages from our great poets, the favorite ones being Mickiewecz, Krasinski and Slowacki. This taste was even more developed when I became acquainted with foreign literatures; my early studies included the knowledge of French, German, and Russian, and I soon became familiar with the fine works written in these languages. Later I felt the need of knowing English and succeeded in acquiring the knowledge of that language and its literature.

My musical studies have been very scarce. My mother was a musician and had a beautiful voice. She wanted us to have musical training. After her death, having no more encouragement from her, I soon abandoned this effort, which I often regretted afterwards.

I learned easily mathematics and physics, as far as these sciences were taken in consideration in the school. I found in this ready help from my father, who loved science and had to teach it himself. He enjoyed any explanation he could give us about Nature and her ways. Unhappily, he had no laboratory and could not perform experiments.

The periods of vacations were particularly comforting, when, escaping the strict watch of the police in the city, we took refuge with relatives or friends in the country. There we found the free life of the old-fashioned family estate; races in the woods and joyous participation in work in the far-stretching, level grain-fields. At other times we passed the border of our Russian-ruled division and went southwards into the mountain country of Galicia, where the Austrian political control was less oppressive than that which we suffered. There we could speak Polish in all freedom and sing patriotic songs without going to prison.

My first impression of the mountains was very vivid, because I had been brought up in the plains. So I enjoyed immensely our life in the Carpathian villages, the view of the pikes, the excursions to the valleys and to the high mountain lakes with picturesque names such as: "The Eye of the Sea. "However, I never lost my attachment to the open horizon and the gentle views of a plain hill country.

Later I had the opportunity to spend a vacation with my father far more south in Podolia, and to have the first view of the sea at Odessa, and afterwards at the Baltic shore. This was a thrilling experience. But it was in France that I become acquainted with the big waves of the ocean and the ever-changing tide. All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child.

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    男女通吃?荒淫好色?昏君的情趣能不能再变态些!与其失身给这样的禽兽,倒不如找个清秀俊逸的美男,献出自己宝贵的第一次。月黑风高夜,天雷勾地火。终于叫白染宁逮着了机会,化身野兽,将眼前柔中带怯,楚楚动人的绝色美男给霸王硬上弓了!“皇皇皇……皇上!”却不料,人有旦夕祸福,月有阴晴圆缺。望着身下被自己凌虐得气息奄奄,满身伤痕的美男子,白染宁刚飘上云端的心,就如那庐山大瀑布,飞流直下三千尺,一跌跌到深渊底。★☆★☆盯着男子俊美无匹的侧脸,以及刚毅性感的裸背,白染宁决定豁出去了,踏前一步,无比认真地说:“皇上,其实臣妾根本不是女人,而是人妖,原为男儿身。”停下脱衣的动作,萧祁夜转身,目光热切地看着她,“不管你是男是女,朕都爱你如命,此生不渝。”擦……你这大变态!★☆★☆白染宁:皇上,臣妾怕冷,不能脱衣睡觉。萧祁夜:来人,端十个火盆进来!囧……白染宁:“皇上,臣妾突感身子不适。萧祁夜:来人,传太医!我哭……白染宁:皇上,臣妾害羞。萧祁夜:害羞?你在捏朕屁股,摸朕龙鸟的时候,怎么不知道害羞?乖,快把衣服脱了。不要啊……★☆★☆“听说了吗?皇上下旨,大燕国所有臣民,从今以后都不许吃猪肉。”“为什么?”“因为彘妃娘娘说,猪是天底下最聪慧有灵性的动物,人们应该尊敬它。”……“看到了吗?最近上京开始流行一种花蝴蝶妆,女人们全都身着彩衣,面施白粉,口涂红唇,满头珠钗。”“为什么?”“因为这是彘妃娘娘最喜欢的装扮,皇上觉得非常漂亮。”