don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第147章

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flocks　of　sheep　armies　of　enemies；　and　much　more　to　the　same　tune；
it　will　not　be　very　hard　to　make　him　believe　that　some　country　girl；
the　first　I　come　across　here；　is　the　lady　Dulcinea；　and　if　he　does　not
believe　it；　I'll　swear　it；　and　if　he　should　swear；　I'll　swear　again；
and　if　he　persists　I'll　persist　still　more；　so　as；　come　what　may；　to
have　my　quoit　always　over　the　peg。　Maybe；　by　holding　out　in　this
way；　I　may　put　a　stop　to　his　sending　me　on　messages　of　this　kind
another　time；　or　maybe　he　will　think；　as　I　suspect　he　will；　that　one
of　those　wicked　enchanters；　who　he　says　have　a　spite　against　him；
has　changed　her　form　for　the　sake　of　doing　him　an　ill　turn　and
injuring　him。〃
　　With　this　reflection　Sancho　made　his　mind　easy；　counting　the
business　as　good　as　settled；　and　stayed　there　till　the　afternoon　so　as
to　make　Don　Quixote　think　he　had　time　enough　to　go　to　El　Toboso　and
return；　and　things　turned　out　so　luckily　for　him　that　as　he　got　up
to　mount　Dapple；　he　spied；　coming　from　El　Toboso　towards　the　spot
where　he　stood；　three　peasant　girls　on　three　colts；　or　fillies…　for
the　author　does　not　make　the　point　clear；　though　it　is　more　likely
they　were　she…asses；　the　usual　mount　with　village　girls；　but　as　it
is　of　no　great　consequence；　we　need　not　stop　to　prove　it。
　　To　be　brief；　the　instant　Sancho　saw　the　peasant　girls；　he　returned
full　speed　to　seek　his　master；　and　found　him　sighing　and　uttering　a
thousand　passionate　lamentations。　When　Don　Quixote　saw　him　he
exclaimed；　〃What　news；　Sancho；　my　friend？　Am　I　to　mark　this　day　with　a
white　stone　or　a　black？〃
　　〃Your　worship；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃had　better　mark　it　with　ruddle；
like　the　inscriptions　on　the　walls　of　class　rooms；　that　those　who
see　it　may　see　it　plain。〃
　　〃Then　thou　bringest　good　news；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃So　good；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　bas　only　to　spur
Rocinante　and　get　out　into　the　open　field　to　see　the　lady　Dulcinea　del
Toboso；　who；　with　two　others；　damsels　of　hers；　is　coming　to　see　your
worship。〃
　　〃Holy　God！　what　art　thou　saying；　Sancho；　my　friend？〃　exclaimed　Don
Quixote。　〃Take　care　thou　art　not　deceiving　me；　or　seeking　by　false　joy
to　cheer　my　real　sadness。〃
　　〃What　could　I　get　by　deceiving　your　worship；〃　returned　Sancho；
〃especially　when　it　will　so　soon　be　shown　whether　I　tell　the　truth
or　not？　Come；　senor；　push　on；　and　you　will　see　the　princess　our
mistress　coming；　robed　and　adorned…　in　fact；　like　what　she　is。　Her
damsels　and　she　are　all　one　glow　of　gold；　all　bunches　of　pearls；　all
diamonds；　all　rubies；　all　cloth　of　brocade　of　more　than　ten　borders；
with　their　hair　loose　on　their　shoulders　like　so　many　sunbeams　playing
with　the　wind；　and　moreover；　they　come　mounted　on　three　piebald
cackneys；　the　finest　sight　ever　you　saw。〃
　　〃Hackneys；　you　mean；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃There　is　not　much　difference　between　cackneys　and　hackneys；〃　said
Sancho；　〃but　no　matter　what　they　come　on；　there　they　are；　the　finest
ladies　one　could　wish　for；　especially　my　lady　the　princess　Dulcinea；
who　staggers　one's　senses。〃
　　〃Let　us　go；　Sancho；　my　son；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　in　guerdon　of
this　news；　as　unexpected　as　it　is　good；　I　bestow　upon　thee　the　best
spoil　I　shall　win　in　the　first　adventure　I　may　have；　or　if　that　does
not　satisfy　thee；　I　promise　thee　the　foals　I　shall　have　this　year　from
my　three　mares　that　thou　knowest　are　in　foal　on　our　village　common。〃
　　〃I'll　take　the　foals；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　it　is　not　quite　certain
that　the　spoils　of　the　first　adventure　will　be　good　ones。〃
　　By　this　time　they　had　cleared　the　wood；　and　saw　the　three　village
lasses　close　at　hand。　Don　Quixote　looked　all　along　the　road　to　El
Toboso；　and　as　he　could　see　nobody　except　the　three　peasant　girls；
he　was　completely　puzzled；　and　asked　Sancho　if　it　was　outside　the　city
he　had　left　them。
　　〃How　outside　the　city？〃　returned　Sancho。　〃Are　your　worship's　eyes　in
the　back　of　your　head；　that　you　can't　see　that　they　are　these　who
are　coming　here；　shining　like　the　very　sun　at　noonday？〃
　　〃I　see　nothing；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　three　country
girls　on　three　jackasses。〃
　　〃Now；　may　God　deliver　me　from　the　devil！〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　can　it
be　that　your　worship　takes　three　hackneys…　or　whatever　they're　called…
as　white　as　the　driven　snow；　for　jackasses？　By　the　Lord；　I　could
tear　my　beard　if　that　was　the　case！〃
　　〃Well；　I　can　only　say；　Sancho；　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that
it　is　as　plain　they　are　jackasses…　or　jennyasses…　as　that　I　am　Don
Quixote；　and　thou　Sancho　Panza：　at　any　rate；　they　seem　to　me　to　be
so。〃
　　〃Hush；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃don't　talk　that　way；　but　open　your
eyes；　and　come　and　pay　your　respects　to　the　lady　of　your　thoughts；　who
is　close　upon　us　now；〃　and　with　these　words　he　advanced　to　receive　the
three　village　lasses；　and　dismounting　from　Dapple；　caught　hold　of
one　of　the　asses　of　the　three　country　girls　by　the　halter；　and
dropping　on　both　knees　on　the　ground；　he　said；　〃Queen　and　princess　and
duchess　of　beauty；　may　it　please　your　haughtiness　and　greatness　to
receive　into　your　favour　and　good…will　your　captive　knight　who
stands　there　turned　into　marble　stone；　and　quite　stupefied　and
benumbed　at　finding　himself　in　your　magnificent　presence。　I　am
Sancho　Panza；　his　squire；　and　he　the　vagabond　knight　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha；　otherwise　called　'The　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance。〃〃
　　Don　Quixote　had　by　this　time　placed　himself　on　his　knees　beside
Sancho；　and；　with　eyes　starting　out　of　his　head　and　a　puzzled　gaze；
was　regarding　her　whom　Sancho　called　queen　and　lady；　and　as　he　could
see　nothing　in　her　except　a　village　lass；　and　not　a　very　well…favoured
one；　for　she　was　platter…faced　and　snub…nosed；　he　was　perplexed　and
bewildered；　and　did　not　venture　to　open　his　lips。　The　country　girls；
at　the　same　time；　were　astonished　to　see　these　two　men；　so　different
in　appearance；　on　their　knees；　preventing　their　companion　from　going
on。　She；　however；　who　had　been　stopped；　breaking　silence；　said　angrily
and　testily；　〃Get　out　of　the　way；　bad　luck　to　you；　and　let　us　pass；
for　we　are　in　a　hurry。〃
　　To　which　Sancho　returned；　〃Oh；　princess　and　universal　lady　of　El
Toboso；　is　not　your　magnanimous　heart　softened　by　seeing　the　pillar
and　prop　of　knight…errantry　on　his　knees　before　your　sublimated
presence？〃
　　On　hearing　this；　one　of　the　others　exclaimed；　〃Woa　then！　why；　I'm
rubbing　thee　down；　she…ass　of　my　father…in…law！　See　how　the
lordlings　come　to　make　game　of　the　village　girls　now；　as　if　we　here
could　not　chaff　as　well　as　themselves。　Go　your　own　way；　and　let　us
go　ours；　and　it　will　be　better　for　you。〃
　　〃Get　up；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote　at　this；　〃I　see　that　fortune；
'with　evil　done　to　me　unsated　still；'　has　taken　possession　of　all
the　roads　by　which　any　comfort　may　reach　'this　wretched　soul'　that　I
carry　in　my　flesh。　And　thou；　highest　perfection　of　excellence　that　can
be　desired；　utmost　limit　of　grace　in　human　shape；　sole　relief　of
this　afflicted　heart　that　adores　thee；　though　the　malign　enchanter
that　persecutes　me　has　brought　clouds　and　cataracts　on　my　eyes；　and　to
them；　and　them　only；　transformed　thy　unparagoned　beauty　and　changed
thy　features　into　those　of　a　poor　peasant　girl；　if　so　be　he　has　not　at
the　same　time　changed　mine　into　those　of　some　monster　to　render　them
loathsome　in　thy　sight；　refuse　not　to　look　upon　me　with　tenderness　and
love；　seeing　in　this　submission　that　I　make　on　my　knees　to　thy
transformed　beauty　the　humility　with　which　my　soul　adores　thee。〃
　　〃Hey…day！　My　grandfather！〃　cried　the　girl；　〃much　I　care　for　your
love…making！　Get　out　of　the　way　and　let　us　pass；　and　we'll　thank　you。〃
　　Sancho　stood　aside　and　let　her　go；　very　well　pleased　to　have　got
so　well　out　of　the　hobble　he　was　in。　The　instant　the　village　lass
who　had　done　duty　for　Dulcinea　found　herself　free；　prodding　her
〃cackney〃　with　a　spike　she　had　at　the　end　of　a　stick；　she　set　off　at
full　speed　across　the　field。　The　she…ass；　however；　feeling　the　point
more　acutely　than　usual；　began　cutting　such　capers；　that　it　flung
the　lady　Dulcinea　to　the　ground；　seeing　which；　Don　Quixote　ran　to
raise　her　up；　and　Sancho　to　fix　and　girth　the　pack…saddle；　which
also　had　slipped　under　the　ass's　belly。　The　pack…sadd