don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第174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！


that　which　she　holds　in　her　hand　perpetually；　and　which　recalls　and
brings　back　to　her　memory　the　sad　fate　of　her　lost　lover；　were　it
not　for　this；　hardly　would　the　great　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　so
celebrated　in　all　these　parts；　and　even　in　the　world；　come　up　to　her
for　beauty；　grace；　and　gaiety。'
　　〃'Hold　hard！'　said　I　at　this；　'tell　your　story　as　you　ought；　Senor
Don　Montesinos；　for　you　know　very　well　that　all　comparisons　are
odious；　and　there　is　no　occasion　to　compare　one　person　with　another；
the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　is　what　she　is；　and　the　lady　Dona
Belerma　is　what　she　is　and　has　been；　and　that's　enough。'　To　which　he
made　answer；　'Forgive　me；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　I　own　I　was　wrong　and
spoke　unadvisedly　in　saying　that　the　lady　Dulcinea　could　scarcely　come
up　to　the　lady　Belerma；　for　it　were　enough　for　me　to　have　learned；
by　what　means　I　know　not；　that　youare　her　knight；　to　make　me　bite　my
tongue　out　before　I　compared　her　to　anything　save　heaven　itself。'
After　this　apology　which　the　great　Montesinos　made　me；　my　heart
recovered　itself　from　the　shock　I　had　received　in　hearing　my　lady
compared　with　Belerma。〃
　　〃Still　I　wonder；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　did　not　get　upon
the　old　fellow　and　bruise　every　bone　of　him　with　kicks；　and　pluck
his　beard　until　you　didn't　leave　a　hair　in　it。〃
　　〃Nay；　Sancho；　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃it　would　not　have
been　right　in　me　to　do　that；　for　we　are　all　bound　to　pay　respect　to
the　aged；　even　though　they　be　not　knights；　but　especially　to　those　who
are；　and　who　are　enchanted；　I　only　know　I　gave　him　as　good　as　he
brought　in　the　many　other　questions　and　answers　we　exchanged。〃
　　〃I　cannot　understand；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　remarked　the　cousin
here；　〃how　it　is　that　your　worship；　in　such　a　short　space　of　time　as
you　have　been　below　there；　could　have　seen　so　many　things；　and　said
and　answered　so　much。〃
　　〃How　long　is　it　since　I　went　down？〃　asked　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Little　better　than　an　hour；〃　replied　Sancho。
　　〃That　cannot　be；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃because　night　overtook　me
while　I　was　there；　and　day　came；　and　it　was　night　again　and　day
again　three　times；　so　that；　by　my　reckoning；　I　have　been　three　days　in
those　remote　regions　beyond　our　ken。〃
　　〃My　master　must　be　right；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃for　as　everything　that
has　happened　to　him　is　by　enchantment；　maybe　what　seems　to　us　an
hour　would　seem　three　days　and　nights　there。〃
　　〃That's　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃And　did　your　worship　eat　anything　all　that　time；　senor？〃　asked
the　cousin。
　　〃I　never　touched　a　morsel；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃nor　did　I　feel
hunger；　or　think　of　it。〃
　　〃And　do　the　enchanted　eat？〃　said　the　cousin。
　　〃They　neither　eat；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃nor　are　they　subject　to　the
greater　excrements；　though　it　is　thought　that　their　nails；　beards；　and
hair　grow。〃
　　〃And　do　the　enchanted　sleep；　now；　senor？〃　asked　Sancho。
　　〃Certainly　not；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃at　least；　during　those
three　days　I　was　with　them　not　one　of　them　closed　an　eye；　nor　did　I
either。〃
　　〃The　proverb；　'Tell　me　what　company　thou　keepest　and　I'll　tell
thee　what　thou　art；'　is　to　the　point　here；〃　said　Sancho；　〃your　worship
keeps　company　with　enchanted　people　that　are　always　fasting　and
watching；　what　wonder　is　it；　then；　that　you　neither　eat　nor　sleep
while　you　are　with　them？　But　forgive　me；　senor；　if　I　say　that　of　all
this　you　have　told　us　now；　may　God　take　me…　I　was　just　going　to　say
the　devil…　if　I　believe　a　single　particle。〃
　　〃What！〃　said　the　cousin；　〃has　Senor　Don　Quixote；　then；　been　lying？
Why；　even　if　he　wished　it　he　has　not　had　time　to　imagine　and　put
together　such　a　host　of　lies。〃
　　〃I　don't　believe　my　master　lies；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃If　not；　what　dost　thou　believe？〃　asked　Don　Quixote。
　　〃I　believe；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃that　this　Merlin；　or　those
enchanters　who　enchanted　the　whole　crew　your　worship　says　you　saw
and　discoursed　with　down　there；　stuffed　your　imagination　or　your
mind　with　all　this　rigmarole　you　have　been　treating　us　to；　and　all
that　is　still　to　come。〃
　　〃All　that　might　be；　Sancho；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃but　it　is　not　so；
for　everything　that　I　have　told　you　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes；　and
touched　with　my　own　hands。　But　what　will　you　say　when　I　tell　you　now
how；　among　the　countless　other　marvellous　things　Montesinos　showed
me　（of　which　at　leisure　and　at　the　proper　time　I　will　give　thee　an
account　in　the　course　of　our　journey；　for　they　would　not　be　all　in
place　here）；　he　showed　me　three　country　girls　who　went　skipping　and
capering　like　goats　over　the　pleasant　fields　there；　and　the　instant
I　beheld　them　I　knew　one　to　be　the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　and
the　other　two　those　same　country　girls　that　were　with　her　and　that
we　spoke　to　on　the　road　from　El　Toboso！　I　asked　Montesinos　if　he
knew　them；　and　he　told　me　he　did　not；　but　he　thought　they　must　be　some
enchanted　ladies　of　distinction；　for　it　was　only　a　few　days　before
that　they　had　made　their　appearance　in　those　meadows；　but　I　was　not　to
be　surprised　at　that；　because　there　were　a　great　many　other　ladies
there　of　times　past　and　present；　enchanted　in　various　strange
shapes；　and　among　them　he　had　recognised　Queen　Guinevere　and　her
dame　Quintanona；　she　who　poured　out　the　wine　for　Lancelot　when　he　came
from　Britain。〃
　　When　Sancho　Panza　heard　his　master　say　this　he　was　ready　to　take
leave　of　his　senses；　or　die　with　laughter；　for；　as　he　knew　the　real
truth　about　the　pretended　enchantment　of　Dulcinea；　in　which　he　himself
had　been　the　enchanter　and　concocter　of　all　the　evidence；　he　made　up
his　mind　at　last　that；　beyond　all　doubt；　his　master　was　out　of　his
wits　and　stark　mad；　so　he　said　to　him；　〃It　was　an　evil　hour；　a　worse
season；　and　a　sorrowful　day；　when　your　worship；　dear　master　mine；　went
down　to　the　other　world；　and　an　unlucky　moment　when　you　met　with　Senor
Montesinos；　who　has　sent　you　back　to　us　like　this。　You　were　well
enough　here　above　in　your　full　senses；　such　as　God　had　given　you；
delivering　maxims　and　giving　advice　at　every　turn；　and　not　as　you
are　now；　talking　the　greatest　nonsense　that　can　be　imagined。〃
　　〃As　I　know　thee；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　heed　not　thy　words。〃
　　〃Nor　I　your　worship's；〃　said　Sancho；　〃whether　you　beat　me　or　kill　me
for　those　I　have　spoken；　and　will　speak　if　you　don't　correct　and
mend　your　own。　But　tell　me；　while　we　are　still　at　peace；　how　or　by
what　did　you　recognise　the　lady　our　mistress；　and　if　you　spoke　to　her；
what　did　you　say；　and　what　did　she　answer？〃
　　〃I　recognised　her；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃by　her　wearing　the　same
garments　she　wore　when　thou　didst　point　her　out　to　me。　I　spoke　to　her；
but　she　did　not　utter　a　word　in　reply；　on　the　contrary；　she　turned　her
back　on　me　and　took　to　flight；　at　such　a　pace　that　crossbow　bolt　could
not　have　overtaken　her。　I　wished　to　follow　her；　and　would　have　done　so
had　not　Montesinos　recommended　me　not　to　take　the　trouble　as　it
would　be　useless；　particularly　as　the　time　was　drawing　near　when　it
would　be　necessary　for　me　to　quit　the　cavern。　He　told　me；　moreover；
that　in　course　of　time　he　would　let　me　know　how　he　and　Belerma；　and
Durandarte；　and　all　who　were　there；　were　to　be　disenchanted。　But　of
all　I　saw　and　observed　down　there；　what　gave　me　most　pain　was；　that
while　Montesinos　was　speaking　to　me；　one　of　the　two　companions　of
the　hapless　Dulcinea　approached　me　on　one　without　my　having　seen　her
coming；　and　with　tears　in　her　eyes　said　to　me；　in　a　low；　agitated
voice；　'My　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　kisses　your　worship's　hands；　and
entreats　you　to　do　her　the　favour　of　letting　her　know　how　you　are；
and；　being　in　great　need；　she　also　entreats　your　worship　as
earnestly　as　she　can　to　be　so　good　as　to　lend　her　half　a　dozen
reals；　or　as　much　as　you　may　have　about　you；　on　this　new　dimity
petticoat　that　I　have　here；　and　she　promises　to　repay　them　very
speedily。'　I　was　amazed　and　taken　aback　by　such　a　message；　and　turning
to　Senor　Montesinos　I　asked　him；　'Is　it　possible；　Senor　Montesinos；
that　persons　of　distinction　under　enchantment　can　be　in　need？'　To
which　he　replied；　'Believe　me；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　that　which　is　called
need　is　to　be　met　with　everywhere；　and　penetrates　all　quarters　and
reaches　everyone；　and　does　not　spare　even　the　enchant