don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第11章

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own　house　instead　of　roaming　the　world　looking　for　better　bread　than
ever　came　of　wheat；　never　reflecting　that　many　go　for　wool　and　come
back　shorn？〃
　　〃Oh；　niece　of　mine；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃how　much　astray　art
thou　in　thy　reckoning：　ere　they　shear　me　I　shall　have　plucked　away　and
stripped　off　the　beards　of　all　who　dare　to　touch　only　the　tip　of　a
hair　of　mine。〃
　　The　two　were　unwilling　to　make　any　further　answer；　as　they　saw
that　his　anger　was　kindling。
　　In　short；　then；　he　remained　at　home　fifteen　days　very　quietly
without　showing　any　signs　of　a　desire　to　take　up　with　his　former
delusions；　and　during　this　time　he　held　lively　discussions　with　his
two　gossips；　the　curate　and　the　barber；　on　the　point　he　maintained；
that　knights…errant　were　what　the　world　stood　most　in　need　of；　and
that　in　him　was　to　be　accomplished　the　revival　of　knight…errantry。　The
curate　sometimes　contradicted　him；　sometimes　agreed　with　him；　for　if
he　had　not　observed　this　precaution　he　would　have　been　unable　to　bring
him　to　reason。
　　Meanwhile　Don　Quixote　worked　upon　a　farm　labourer；　a　neighbour　of
his；　an　honest　man　（if　indeed　that　title　can　be　given　to　him　who　is
poor）；　but　with　very　little　wit　in　his　pate。　In　a　word；　he　so　talked
him　over；　and　with　such　persuasions　and　promises；　that　the　poor
clown　made　up　his　mind　to　sally　forth　with　him　and　serve　him　as
esquire。　Don　Quixote；　among　other　things；　told　him　he　ought　to　be
ready　to　go　with　him　gladly；　because　any　moment　an　adventure　might
occur　that　might　win　an　island　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　and　leave
him　governor　of　it。　On　these　and　the　like　promises　Sancho　Panza　（for
so　the　labourer　was　called）　left　wife　and　children；　and　engaged
himself　as　esquire　to　his　neighbour。　Don　Quixote　next　set　about
getting　some　money；　and　selling　one　thing　and　pawning　another；　and
making　a　bad　bargain　in　every　case；　he　got　together　a　fair　sum。　He
provided　himself　with　a　buckler；　which　he　begged　as　a　loan　from　a
friend；　and；　restoring　his　battered　helmet　as　best　he　could；　he　warned
his　squire　Sancho　of　the　day　and　hour　he　meant　to　set　out；　that　he
might　provide　himself　with　what　he　thought　most　needful。　Above　all；　he
charged　him　to　take　alforjas　with　him。　The　other　said　he　would；　and
that　he　meant　to　take　also　a　very　good　ass　he　had；　as　he　was　not
much　given　to　going　on　foot。　About　the　ass；　Don　Quixote　hesitated　a
little；　trying　whether　he　could　call　to　mind　any　knight…errant
taking　with　him　an　esquire　mounted　on　ass…back；　but　no　instance
occurred　to　his　memory。　For　all　that；　however；　he　determined　to　take
him；　intending　to　furnish　him　with　a　more　honourable　mount　when　a
chance　of　it　presented　itself；　by　appropriating　the　horse　of　the　first
discourteous　knight　he　encountered。　Himself　he　provided　with　shirts
and　such　other　things　as　he　could；　according　to　the　advice　the　host
had　given　him；　all　which　being　done；　without　taking　leave；　Sancho
Panza　of　his　wife　and　children；　or　Don　Quixote　of　his　housekeeper
and　niece；　they　sallied　forth　unseen　by　anybody　from　the　village　one
night；　and　made　such　good　way　in　the　course　of　it　that　by　daylight
they　held　themselves　safe　from　discovery；　even　should　search　be　made
for　them。
　　Sancho　rode　on　his　ass　like　a　patriarch；　with　his　alforjas　and　bota；
and　longing　to　see　himself　soon　governor　of　the　island　his　master
had　promised　him。　Don　Quixote　decided　upon　taking　the　same　route　and
road　he　had　taken　on　his　first　journey；　that　over　the　Campo　de
Montiel；　which　he　travelled　with　less　discomfort　than　on　the　last
occasion；　for；　as　it　was　early　morning　and　the　rays　of　the　sun　fell　on
them　obliquely；　the　heat　did　not　distress　them。
　　And　now　said　Sancho　Panza　to　his　master；　〃Your　worship　will　take
care；　Senor　Knight…errant；　not　to　forget　about　the　island　you　have
promised　me；　for　be　it　ever　so　big　I'll　be　equal　to　governing　it。〃
　　To　which　Don　Quixote　replied；　〃Thou　must　know；　friend　Sancho
Panza；　that　it　was　a　practice　very　much　in　vogue　with　the
knights…errant　of　old　to　make　their　squires　governors　of　the　islands
or　kingdoms　they　won；　and　I　am　determined　that　there　shall　be　no
failure　on　my　part　in　so　liberal　a　custom；　on　the　contrary；　I　mean
to　improve　upon　it；　for　they　sometimes；　and　perhaps　most　frequently；
waited　until　their　squires　were　old；　and　then　when　they　had　had　enough
of　service　and　hard　days　and　worse　nights；　they　gave　them　some　title
or　other；　of　count；　or　at　the　most　marquis；　of　some　valley　or　province
more　or　less；　but　if　thou　livest　and　I　live；　it　may　well　be　that
before　six　days　are　over；　I　may　have　won　some　kingdom　that　has
others　dependent　upon　it；　which　will　be　just　the　thing　to　enable
thee　to　be　crowned　king　of　one　of　them。　Nor　needst　thou　count　this
wonderful；　for　things　and　chances　fall　to　the　lot　of　such　knights　in
ways　so　unexampled　and　unexpected　that　I　might　easily　give　thee　even
more　than　I　promise　thee。〃
　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　Sancho　Panza；　〃if　I　should　become　a　king　by　one
of　those　miracles　your　worship　speaks　of；　even　Juana　Gutierrez；　my　old
woman；　would　come　to　be　queen　and　my　children　infantes。〃
　　〃Well；　who　doubts　it？〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃I　doubt　it；〃　replied　Sancho　Panza；　〃because　for　my　part　I　am
persuaded　that　though　God　should　shower　down　kingdoms　upon　earth；
not　one　of　them　would　fit　the　head　of　Mari　Gutierrez。　Let　me　tell　you；
senor；　she　is　not　worth　two　maravedis　for　a　queen；　countess　will　fit
her　better；　and　that　only　with　God's　help。〃
　　〃Leave　it　to　God；　Sancho；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃for　he　will　give
her　what　suits　her　best；　but　do　not　undervalue　thyself　so　much　as　to
come　to　be　content　with　anything　less　than　being　governor　of　a
province。〃
　　〃I　will　not；　senor；〃　answered　Sancho；　〃specially　as　I　have　a　man
of　such　quality　for　a　master　in　your　worship；　who　will　know　how　to
give　me　all　that　will　be　suitable　for　me　and　that　I　can　bear。〃

　　CHAPTER　VIII
　　OF　THE　GOOD　FORTUNE　WHICH　THE　VALIANT　DON　QUIXOTE　HAD　IN　THE
TERRIBLE　AND　UNDREAMT…OF　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　WINDMILLS；　WITH　OTHER
OCCURRENCES　WORTHY　TO　BE　FITLY　RECORDED

　　AT　THIS　point　they　came　in　sight　of　thirty　forty　windmills　that
there　are　on　plain；　and　as　soon　as　Don　Quixote　saw　them　he　said　to　his
squire；　〃Fortune　is　arranging　matters　for　us　better　than　we　could　have
shaped　our　desires　ourselves；　for　look　there；　friend　Sancho　Panza；
where　thirty　or　more　monstrous　giants　present　themselves；　all　of
whom　I　mean　to　engage　in　battle　and　slay；　and　with　whose　spoils　we
shall　begin　to　make　our　fortunes；　for　this　is　righteous　warfare；　and
it　is　God's　good　service　to　sweep　so　evil　a　breed　from　off　the　face　of
the　earth。〃
　　〃What　giants？〃　said　Sancho　Panza。
　　〃Those　thou　seest　there；〃　answered　his　master；　〃with　the　long
arms；　and　some　have　them　nearly　two　leagues　long。〃
　　〃Look；　your　worship；〃　said　Sancho；　〃what　we　see　there　are　not　giants
but　windmills；　and　what　seem　to　be　their　arms　are　the　sails　that
turned　by　the　wind　make　the　millstone　go。〃
　　〃It　is　easy　to　see；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃that　thou　art　not　used　to
this　business　of　adventures；　those　are　giants；　and　if　thou　art　afraid；
away　with　thee　out　of　this　and　betake　thyself　to　prayer　while　I　engage
them　in　fierce　and　unequal　combat。〃
　　So　saying；　he　gave　the　spur　to　his　steed　Rocinante；　heedless　of
the　cries　his　squire　Sancho　sent　after　him；　warning　him　that　most
certainly　they　were　windmills　and　not　giants　he　was　going　to　attack。
He；　however；　was　so　positive　they　were　giants　that　he　neither　heard
the　cries　of　Sancho；　nor　perceived；　near　as　he　was；　what　they　were；
but　made　at　them　shouting；　〃Fly　not；　cowards　and　vile　beings；　for　a
single　knight　attacks　you。〃
　　A　slight　breeze　at　this　moment　sprang　up；　and　the　great　sails
began　to　move；　seeing　which　Don　Quixote　exclaimed；　〃Though　ye　flourish
more　arms　than　the　giant　Briareus；　ye　have　to　reckon　with　me。〃
　　So　saying；　and　commending　himself　with　all　his　heart　to　his　lady
Dulcinea；　imploring　her　to　support　him　in　such　a　peril；　with　lance
in　rest　and　covered　by　his　buckler；　he　charged　at　Rocinante's
fullest　gallop　and　fell　upon　the　first　mill　that　stood　in　front　of
him；　but　as　he　drove　his　lance…point　into　the　sail　the　wind　whirled　it
round　with　such　force　that　it　shivered　the　lance