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第168章

don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第168章

小说: don quixote(堂·吉珂德) 字数: 每页4000字

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Poetry withdrew; and on the side of Interest Liberality advanced;
and after having gone through her figures; said:

       To give; while shunning each extreme;
         The sparing hand; the over…free;
       Therein consists; so wise men deem;
         The virtue Liberality。
       But thee; fair lady; to enrich;
         Myself a prodigal I'll prove;
       A vice not wholly shameful; which
         May find its fair excuse in love。

  In the same manner all the characters of the two bands advanced
and retired; and each executed its figures; and delivered its
verses; some of them graceful; some burlesque; but Don Quixote's
memory (though he had an excellent one) only carried away those that
have been just quoted。 All then mingled together; forming chains and
breaking off again with graceful; unconstrained gaiety; and whenever
Love passed in front of the castle he shot his arrows up at it;
while Interest broke gilded pellets against it。 At length; after
they had danced a good while; Interest drew out a great purse; made of
the skin of a large brindled cat and to all appearance full of
money; and flung it at the castle; and with the force of the blow
the boards fell asunder and tumbled down; leaving the damsel exposed
and unprotected。 Interest and the characters of his band advanced; and
throwing a great chain of gold over her neck pretended to take her and
lead her away captive; on seeing which; Love and his supporters made
as though they would release her; the whole action being to the
accompaniment of the tabors and in the form of a regular dance。 The
wild men made peace between them; and with great dexterity
readjusted and fixed the boards of the castle; and the damsel once
more ensconced herself within; and with this the dance wound up; to
the great enjoyment of the beholders。
  Don Quixote asked one of the nymphs who it was that had composed and
arranged it。 She replied that it was a beneficiary of the town who had
a nice taste in devising things of the sort。 〃I will lay a wager;〃
said Don Quixote; 〃that the same bachelor or beneficiary is a
greater friend of Camacho's than of Basilio's; and that he is better
at satire than at vespers; he has introduced the accomplishments of
Basilio and the riches of Camacho very neatly into the dance。〃
Sancho Panza; who was listening to all this; exclaimed; 〃The king is
my cock; I stick to Camacho。〃 〃It is easy to see thou art a clown;
Sancho;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃and one of that sort that cry 'Long life
to the conqueror。'〃
  〃I don't know of what sort I am;〃 returned Sancho; 〃but I know
very well I'll never get such elegant skimmings off Basilio's pots
as these I have got off Camacho's;〃 and he showed him the bucketful of
geese and hens; and seizing one began to eat with great gaiety and
appetite; saying; 〃A fig for the accomplishments of Basilio! As much
as thou hast so much art thou worth; and as much as thou art worth
so much hast thou。 As a grandmother of mine used to say; there are
only two families in the world; the Haves and the Haven'ts; and she
stuck to the Haves; and to this day; Senor Don Quixote; people would
sooner feel the pulse of 'Have;' than of 'Know;' an ass covered with
gold looks better than a horse with a pack…saddle。 So once more I
say I stick to Camacho; the bountiful skimmings of whose pots are
geese and hens; hares and rabbits; but of Basilio's; if any ever
come to hand; or even to foot; they'll be only rinsings。〃
  〃Hast thou finished thy harangue; Sancho?〃 said Don Quixote。 〃Of
course I have finished it;〃 replied Sancho; 〃because I see your
worship takes offence at it; but if it was not for that; there was
work enough cut out for three days。〃
  〃God grant I may see thee dumb before I die; Sancho;〃 said Don
Quixote。
  〃At the rate we are going;〃 said Sancho; 〃I'll be chewing clay
before your worship dies; and then; maybe; I'll be so dumb that I'll
not say a word until the end of the world; or; at least; till the
day of judgment。〃
  〃Even should that happen; O Sancho;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃thy
silence will never come up to all thou hast talked; art talking; and
wilt talk all thy life; moreover; it naturally stands to reason;
that my death will come before thine; so I never expect to see thee
dumb; not even when thou art drinking or sleeping; and that is the
utmost I can say。〃
  〃In good faith; senor;〃 replied Sancho; 〃there's no trusting that
fleshless one; I mean Death; who devours the lamb as soon as the
sheep; and; as I have heard our curate say; treads with equal foot
upon the lofty towers of kings and the lowly huts of the poor。 That
lady is more mighty than dainty; she is no way squeamish; she
devours all and is ready for all; and fills her alforjas with people
of all sorts; ages; and ranks。 She is no reaper that sleeps out the
noontide; at all times she is reaping and cutting down; as well the
dry grass as the green; she never seems to chew; but bolts and
swallows all that is put before her; for she has a canine appetite
that is never satisfied; and though she has no belly; she shows she
has a dropsy and is athirst to drink the lives of all that live; as
one would drink a jug of cold water。〃
  〃Say no more; Sancho;〃 said Don Quixote at this; 〃don't try to
better it; and risk a fall; for in truth what thou hast said about
death in thy rustic phrase is what a good preacher might have said。
I tell thee; Sancho; if thou hadst discretion equal to thy mother wit;
thou mightst take a pulpit in hand; and go about the world preaching
fine sermons。〃 〃He preaches well who lives well;〃 said Sancho; 〃and
I know no more theology than that。〃
  〃Nor needst thou;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃but I cannot conceive or
make out how it is that; the fear of God being the beginning of
wisdom; thou; who art more afraid of a lizard than of him; knowest
so much。〃
  〃Pass judgment on your chivalries; senor;〃 returned Sancho; 〃and
don't set yourself up to judge of other men's fears or braveries;
for I am as good a fearer of God as my neighbours; but leave me to
despatch these skimmings; for all the rest is only idle talk that we
shall be called to account for in the other world;〃 and so saying;
he began a fresh attack on the bucket; with such a hearty appetite
that he aroused Don Quixote's; who no doubt would have helped him
had he not been prevented by what must be told farther on。

  CHAPTER XXI
  IN WHICH CAMACHO'S WEDDING IS CONTINUED; WITH OTHER DELIGHTFUL
INCIDENTS

  WHILE Don Quixote and Sancho were engaged in the discussion set
forth the last chapter; they heard loud shouts and a great noise;
which were uttered and made by the men on the mares as they went at
full gallop; shouting; to receive the bride and bridegroom; who were
approaching with musical instruments and pageantry of all sorts around
them; and accompanied by the priest and the relatives of both; and all
the most distinguished people of the surrounding villages。 When Sancho
saw the bride; he exclaimed; 〃By my faith; she is not dressed like a
country girl; but like some fine court lady; egad; as well as I can
make out; the patena she wears rich coral; and her green Cuenca
stuff is thirty…pile velvet; and then the white linen trimming… by
my oath; but it's satin! Look at her hands… jet rings on them! May I
never have luck if they're not gold rings; and real gold; and set with
pearls as white as a curdled milk; and every one of them worth an
eye of one's head! Whoreson baggage; what hair she has! if it's not
a wig; I never saw longer or fairer all the days of my life。 See how
bravely she bears herself… and her shape! Wouldn't you say she was
like a walking palm tree loaded with clusters of dates? for the
trinkets she has hanging from her hair and neck look just like them。 I
swear in my heart she is a brave lass; and fit 'to pass over the banks
of Flanders。'〃
  Don Quixote laughed at Sancho's boorish eulogies and thought that;
saving his lady Dulcinea del Toboso; he had never seen a more
beautiful woman。 The fair Quiteria appeared somewhat pale; which
was; no doubt; because of the bad night brides always pass dressing
themselves out for their wedding on the morrow。 They advanced
towards a theatre

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