Tahiti is alofty green island, with deep folds of a darker green, in which you divinesilent valleys; there is mystery in their sombre depths, down which murmur andplash cool streams, and you feel that in those umbrageous places life fromimmemorial times has been led according to immemorial ways. Even here issomething sad and terrible. But the impression is fleeting, and serves only togive a greater acuteness to the enjoyment of the moment. It is like the sadnesswhich you may see in the jester's eyes when a merry company is laughing at hissallies; his lips smile and his jokes are gayer because in the communion oflaughter he finds himself more intolerably alone. For Tahiti is smiling andfriendly; it is like a lovely woman graciously prodigal of her charm andbeauty; and nothing can be more conciliatory than the entrance into the harbourat Papeete. The schooners moored to the quay are trim and neat, the little townalong the bay is white and urbane, and the flamboyants, scarlet against theblue sky, flaunt their colour like a cry of passion. They are sensual with anunashamed violence that leaves you breathless. And the crowd that throngs thewharf as the steamer draws alongside is gay and debonair; it is a noisy,cheerful, gesticulating crowd. It is a sea of brown faces. You have animpression of coloured movement against the flaming blue of the sky. Everythingis done with a great deal of bustle, the unloading of the baggage, theexamination of the customs; and everyone seems to smile at you. It is very hot.The colour dazzles you.

塔希提却是另外一番景象，它是一个高耸海面的绿葱葱的岛屿，暗绿色的深褶使你猜到那是一条条寂静的峡谷。这些幽深的沟壑有一种神秘气氛，凄冷的溪流在它深处琤琤鸣溅，你会感到，在这些浓荫郁郁的地方，远自太古以来生活就一直按照古老的习俗绵绵不息地延续到现在。塔希提也存在着某些凄凉、可怖的东西。但这种印象并没有长久留在你的脑中，这只能使你更加敏锐地感到当前生活的欢乐。这就象一群兴高采烈的人在听一个小丑打浑，正在捧腹大笑时，会在小丑的眼睛里看到凄凉的眼神一样；小丑的嘴唇在微笑，他的笑话越来越滑稽，因为在他逗人发笑的时候他更加感到自己无法忍受的孤独。因为塔希提正在微笑，它一边微笑一边对你表现出无限的情谊，它象一个美丽的妇人，既娴雅又浪漫地向你展示她的全部美貌和魅力，特别是在船只刚刚进入帕皮提港口的时候，你简直感到心醉神驰。泊在码头边的双桅帆船每一艘都那么整齐、干净，海湾环抱着的这座小城洁白、文雅，而法国火焰式建筑物在蔚蓝的天空下却红得刺目，象激情的呼喊一般，极力炫示自己鲜艳的色彩。它们是肉感的，简直大胆到不顾廉耻的地步，叫你看了目瞪口呆。当轮船靠近码头时，蜂拥到岸边的人群兴高彩烈而又彬彬有礼。他们一片笑语喧哗，人人挥舞着手臂。从轮船上望去，这是一个棕色面孔的海洋。你会感到炎炎碧空下，色彩在炫目地旋转移动。不论从船上往下卸行李也好，海关检查也好，做任何事都伴随着大声喧闹，而每个人都象在向你微笑。天气非常热。绚烂的颜色耀得你睁不开眼睛。