don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第135章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


knees　before　him　and　saying；　〃Let　me　kiss　your　mightiness's　hand；
Senor　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　for；　by　the　habit　of　St。　Peter　that
I　wear；　though　I　have　no　more　than　the　first　four　orders；　your　worship
is　one　of　the　most　famous　knights…errant　that　have　ever　been；　or
will　be；　all　the　world　over。　A　blessing　on　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli；
who　has　written　the　history　of　your　great　deeds；　and　a　double　blessing
on　that　connoisseur　who　took　the　trouble　of　having　it　translated　out
of　the　Arabic　into　our　Castilian　vulgar　tongue　for　the　universal
entertainment　of　the　people！〃
　　Don　Quixote　made　him　rise；　and　said；　〃So；　then；　it　is　true　that
there　is　a　history　of　me；　and　that　it　was　a　Moor　and　a　sage　who
wrote　it？〃
　　〃So　true　is　it；　senor；〃　said　Samson；　〃that　my　belief　is　there　are
more　than　twelve　thousand　volumes　of　the　said　history　in　print　this
very　day。　Only　ask　Portugal；　Barcelona；　and　Valencia；　where　they
have　been　printed；　and　moreover　there　is　a　report　that　it　is　being
printed　at　Antwerp；　and　I　am　persuaded　there　will　not　be　a　country
or　language　in　which　there　will　not　be　a　translation　of　it。〃
　　〃One　of　the　things；〃　here　observed　Don　Quixote；　〃that　ought　to
give　most　pleasure　to　a　virtuous　and　eminent　man　is　to　find　himself　in
his　lifetime　in　print　and　in　type；　familiar　in　people's　mouths　with
a　good　name；　I　say　with　a　good　name；　for　if　it　be　the　opposite；　then
there　is　no　death　to　be　compared　to　it。〃
　　〃If　it　goes　by　good　name　and　fame；〃　said　the　bachelor；　〃your　worship
alone　bears　away　the　palm　from　all　the　knights…errant；　for　the　Moor　in
his　own　language；　and　the　Christian　in　his；　have　taken　care　to　set
before　us　your　gallantry；　your　high　courage　in　encountering　dangers；
your　fortitude　in　adversity；　your　patience　under　misfortunes　as　well
as　wounds；　the　purity　and　continence　of　the　platonic　loves　of　your
worship　and　my　lady　Dona　Dulcinea　del　Toboso…〃
　　〃I　never　heard　my　lady　Dulcinea　called　Dona；〃　observed　Sancho
here；　〃nothing　more　than　the　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　so　here　already
the　history　is　wrong。〃
　　〃That　is　not　an　objection　of　any　importance；〃　replied　Carrasco。
　　〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　tell　me；　senor　bachelor；
what　deeds　of　mine　are　they　that　are　made　most　of　in　this　history？〃
　　〃On　that　point；〃　replied　the　bachelor；　〃opinions　differ；　as　tastes
do；　some　swear　by　the　adventure　of　the　windmills　that　your　worship
took　to　be　Briareuses　and　giants；　others　by　that　of　the　fulling　mills；
one　cries　up　the　description　of　the　two　armies　that　afterwards　took
the　appearance　of　two　droves　of　sheep；　another　that　of　the　dead　body
on　its　way　to　be　buried　at　Segovia；　a　third　says　the　liberation　of　the
galley　slaves　is　the　best　of　all；　and　a　fourth　that　nothing　comes　up
to　the　affair　with　the　Benedictine　giants；　and　the　battle　with　the
valiant　Biscayan。〃
　　〃Tell　me；　senor　bachelor；〃　said　Sancho　at　this　point；　〃does　the
adventure　with　the　Yanguesans　come　in；　when　our　good　Rocinante　went
hankering　after　dainties？〃
　　〃The　sage　has　left　nothing　in　the　ink…bottle；〃　replied　Samson；　〃he
tells　all　and　sets　down　everything；　even　to　the　capers　that　worthy
Sancho　cut　in　the　blanket。〃
　　〃I　cut　no　capers　in　the　blanket；〃　returned　Sancho；　〃in　the　air　I
did；　and　more　of　them　than　I　liked。〃
　　〃There　is　no　human　history　in　the　world；　I　suppose；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃that　has　not　its　ups　and　downs；　but　more　than　others　such　as
deal　with　chivalry；　for　they　can　never　be　entirely　made　up　of
prosperous　adventures。〃
　　〃For　all　that；〃　replied　the　bachelor；　〃there　are　those　who　have　read
the　history　who　say　they　would　have　been　glad　if　the　author　had　left
out　some　of　the　countless　cudgellings　that　were　inflicted　on　Senor　Don
Quixote　in　various　encounters。〃
　　〃That's　where　the　truth　of　the　history　comes　in；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃At　the　same　time　they　might　fairly　have　passed　them　over　in
silence；〃　observed　Don　Quixote；　〃for　there　is　no　need　of　recording
events　which　do　not　change　or　affect　the　truth　of　a　history；　if　they
tend　to　bring　the　hero　of　it　into　contempt。　AEneas　was　not　in　truth
and　earnest　so　pious　as　Virgil　represents　him；　nor　Ulysses　so　wise
as　Homer　describes　him。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Samson；　〃but　it　is　one　thing　to　write　as　a
poet；　another　to　write　as　a　historian；　the　poet　may　describe　or　sing
things；　not　as　they　were；　but　as　they　ought　to　have　been；　but　the
historian　has　to　write　them　down；　not　as　they　ought　to　have　been；
but　as　they　were；　without　adding　anything　to　the　truth　or　taking
anything　from　it。〃
　　〃Well　then；〃　said　Sancho；　〃if　this　senor　Moor　goes　in　for　telling
the　truth；　no　doubt　among　my　master's　drubbings　mine　are　to　be
found；　for　they　never　took　the　measure　of　his　worship's　shoulders
without　doing　the　same　for　my　whole　body；　but　I　have　no　right　to
wonder　at　that；　for；　as　my　master　himself　says；　the　members　must　share
the　pain　of　the　head。〃
　　〃You　are　a　sly　dog；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃i'　faith；　you　have
no　want　of　memory　when　you　choose　to　remember。〃
　　〃If　I　were　to　try　to　forget　the　thwacks　they　gave　me；〃　said
Sancho；　〃my　weals　would　not　let　me；　for　they　are　still　fresh　on　my
ribs。〃
　　〃Hush；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　don't　interrupt　the　bachelor；
whom　I　entreat　to　go　on　and　tell　all　that　is　said　about　me　in　this
history。〃
　　〃And　about　me；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　they　say；　too；　that　I　am　one　of
the　principal　presonages　in　it。〃
　　〃Personages；　not　presonages；　friend　Sancho；〃　said　Samson。
　　〃What！　Another　word…catcher！〃　said　Sancho；　〃if　that's　to　be　the
way　we　shall　not　make　an　end　in　a　lifetime。〃
　　〃May　God　shorten　mine；　Sancho；〃　returned　the　bachelor；　〃if　you　are
not　the　second　person　in　the　history；　and　there　are　even　some　who
would　rather　hear　you　talk　than　the　cleverest　in　the　whole　book；
though　there　are　some；　too；　who　say　you　showed　yourself　over…credulous
in　believing　there　was　any　possibility　in　the　government　of　that
island　offered　you　by　Senor　Don　Quixote。〃
　　〃There　is　still　sunshine　on　the　wall；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　when
Sancho　is　somewhat　more　advanced　in　life；　with　the　experience　that
years　bring；　he　will　be　fitter　and　better　qualified　for　being　a
governor　than　he　is　at　present。〃
　　〃By　God；　master；〃　said　Sancho；　〃the　island　that　I　cannot　govern　with
the　years　I　have；　I'll　not　be　able　to　govern　with　the　years　of
Methuselah；　the　difficulty　is　that　the　said　island　keeps　its
distance　somewhere；　I　know　not　where；　and　not　that　there　is　any　want
of　head　in　me　to　govern　it。〃
　　〃Leave　it　to　God；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　all　will　be　and
perhaps　better　than　you　think；　no　leaf　on　the　tree　stirs　but　by
God's　will。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Samson；　〃and　if　it　be　God's　will；　there　will
not　be　any　want　of　a　thousand　islands；　much　less　one；　for　Sancho　to
govern。〃
　　〃I　have　seen　governors　in　these　parts；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　are　not
to　be　compared　to　my　shoe…sole；　and　for　all　that　they　are　called　'your
lordship'　and　served　on　silver。〃
　　〃Those　are　not　governors　of　islands；〃　observed　Samson；　〃but　of　other
governments　of　an　easier　kind：　those　that　govern　islands　must　at　least
know　grammar。〃
　　〃I　could　manage　the　gram　well　enough；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　for　the　mar
I　have　neither　leaning　nor　liking；　for　I　don't　know　what　it　is；　but
leaving　this　matter　of　the　government　in　God's　hands；　to　send　me
wherever　it　may　be　most　to　his　service；　I　may　tell　you；　senor　bachelor
Samson　Carrasco；　it　has　pleased　me　beyond　measure　that　the　author　of
this　history　should　have　spoken　of　me　in　such　a　way　that　what　is
said　of　me　gives　no　offence；　for；　on　the　faith　of　a　true　squire；　if　he
had　said　anything　about　me　that　was　at　all　unbecoming　an　old
Christian；　such　as　I　am；　the　deaf　would　have　heard　of　it。〃
　　〃That　would　be　working　miracles；〃　said　Samson。
　　〃Miracles　or　no　miracles；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　everyone　mind　how　he
speaks　or　writes　about　people；　and　not　set　down　at　random　the　first
thing　that　comes　into　his　head。〃
　　〃One　of　the　faults　they　find　with　this　history；〃　said　the
bachelor；　〃is　that　its　author　inserted　in　it　a　novel　called　'The
Ill…advised　Curiosity；'　not　that　it　is　bad　or　ill…told；　but　that　it　is
out　of　place　and　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　history　of　his　worship
Senor　Don　Quixote。〃
　　〃I　will　bet　the　so