Washington Irving ( b. 1783, d. 1859 ). This distinguished author, whose works have enriched American literature, was born in the city of New York. He had an ordinary school education, and began his literary career at the age of nineteen, by writing for a paper published by his brother. His first book, "Salmagundi," was published in 1807. Two years later he published "Knickerbocker's History of New York." In 1815 he sailed for Europe, and remained abroad seventeen years, during which time he wrote several of his works. From 1842 to 1846 he was minister to Spain. The last years of his life were passed at "Sunnyside," near Tarrytown, N.Y. He was never married. "The Life of Washington," his last work, was completed in the same year in which he died. Mr. Irving's works are characterized by humor, chaste sentiment, and elegance and correctness of expression. The following selection is from"Dolph" in "Bracehridge Hall."

In the second day of the voyage, they came to the Highlands. It was the latter part of a calm, sultry day, that they floated gently with the tide between these stern mountains. There was that perfect quiet which prevails over nature in the languor of summer heat. The turning of a plank, or the accidental falling of an oar, on deck, was echoed from the mountain side and reverberated along the shores; and, if by chance the captain gave a shout of command, there were airy tongues that mocked it from every cliff.

Dolph gazed about him, in mute delight and wonder, at these scenes of nature's magnificence. To the left, the Dunderberg reared its woody precipices, height over height, forest over forest, away into the deep summer sky. To the right, strutted forth the bold promontory of Antony's Nose, with a solitary eagle wheeling about it;while beyond, mountain succeeded to mountain, until they seemed to lock their arms together and confine this mighty rive in their embraces.

In the midst of this admiration, Dolph remarked a pile of bright, snowy clouds peering above the western heights. It was succeeded by another, and another, each seemingly pushing onward its predecessor, and towering, with dazzling brilliancy, in the deep blue atmosphere; and now muttering peals of thunder were faintly heard rolling behind the mountains. The river, hitherto still and glassy, reflecting pictures of the sky and land, now showed a dark ripple at a distance, as the wind came creeping up it. The fishhawks wheeled and screamed, and sought their nests on the high, dry trees; the crows flew clamorously to the crevices of the rocks; and all nature seemed conscious of the approaching thunder gust.

The clouds now rolled in volumes over the mountain tops; their summits still bright and snowy, but the lower parts of an inky blackness. The rain began to patter down in broad and scattered drops; the wind freshened, and curled up the waves; at length, it seemed as if the bellying clouds were torn open by the mountain tops, and complete torrents of rain came rattling down. The lightning leaped from cloud to cloud, and streamed quivering against the rocks, splitting and rending the stoutest forest trees. The thunder burst in tremendous explosions; the peals were echoed from mountain to mountain; they crashed upon Dunderberg, and then rolled up the long defile of the Highlands, each headland making a new echo, until old Bull Hill seemed to bellow back the storm.

For a time the scudding rack and mist and the sheeted rain almost hid the landscape from the sight. There was a fearful gloom, illumined still more fearfully by the streams of lightning which glittered among the raindrops. Never had Dolph beheld such an absolute warring of the elements; it seemed as if the storm was tearing and rending its way through the mountain defile, and had brought all the artillery of heaven into action.

Washington Irving

華盛頓·歐文（1783～1859年）是19世紀美國最著名的作家，號稱美國文學之父。他出生于紐約市，19歲的歐文在《早晨紀事報》上發表了幾篇書信體散文，嶄露頭角。他的第一部作品《大雜燴》出版于1807年。兩年后他出版了《紐約外史》。1842年再度赴馬德里，出任美國駐西班牙公使。1846年回國，晚年是在他曾經描寫過的“睡谷”塔里敦附近度過。他終生未婚，《華盛頓傳》是他最后的作品，在他去世的那年完成的。歐文先生的作品語言幽默、質樸、流暢而優美。本文選自《布雷斯布里奇莊園》。

旅程的第二天，他們來到高原地區。那是一個無風又悶熱的黃昏，他們在峻峭的群山之間順潮行駛。大自然中的一切事物在夏日的炙烤下都顯得無比倦怠。木板扭動，或是船槳落下時偶爾觸碰甲板發出的聲音，從山那邊傳來的回聲沿著海岸不斷地回蕩。只要船長大喊一聲口令，就仿佛在每一個峭壁上都有有好多張嘴在模仿他說的話。

道爾夫盯著他周圍這些大自然的奇觀，自得其樂，充滿了好奇。左邊，頓德斯堡高聳著樹木茂密的峭壁，一層高過一層，樹林層層疊疊，直抵高遠的夏日天際。右邊，矗立著安東尼，一只孤獨的雄鷹正展翅飛過。遠處，山巒疊嶂，綿延起伏。

這時，道爾夫注意到一堆明亮、雪白的云朵，在西山頂上向他窺望著。云朵一層壓著一層，每一層都好像將前面的一層用力往前推著，最上面的一層壘進茫茫的藍天里。隱約可以聽到群山后面雷聲滾滾。水面剛才還像鏡子一樣平靜光滑，倒映著藍天和高山，這時也被一陣風吹起暗色的波浪。魚鷹盤旋嗚叫著，飛上干燥的樹頂棲息。烏鴉亂作一團，飛向巖石的縫隙。自然界的萬物都意識到，一場暴風雨就要來臨了。

山頂的云朵這時聚做一團，雖然云尖還是明亮雪白的，但其余的地方已經是潑墨般烏黑。大顆雨點沒頭沒腦地砸下來，風兒清新，卷起浪花。不久，厚厚的云朵好像被尖聳的山峰刺穿了一樣，大雨傾瀉而下。閃電在云層之間滾來滾去，巖石都跟著顫抖起來，林中的樹木也東搖西擺。雷聲接踵而至，在群山中回響著。它們先來到頓德堡，又沿著山間隘路上了海蘭德，沿途在每個山頭都留下了新的回聲，老布爾山也向暴風雨吠叫著。

有一段時間，疾風、迷霧和傾盆大雨遮蔽了眼前的一切。四周是一片讓人恐懼的昏暗，大雨中不時閃耀的閃電更讓人心驚。道爾夫還從未見識過如此狂暴的自然界，就好像暴雨在山崖中撕開一道裂縫，并且匯集了所有天堂的武器開始作戰。

華盛頓·歐文