don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第185章

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made　answer；　〃Thou　must　know；　Sancho；　that　this　bark　is　plainly；　and
without　the　possibility　of　any　alternative；　calling　and　inviting　me　to
enter　it；　and　in　it　go　to　give　aid　to　some　knight　or　other　person　of
distinction　in　need　of　it；　who　is　no　doubt　in　some　sore　strait；　for
this　is　the　way　of　the　books　of　chivalry　and　of　the　enchanters　who
figure　and　speak　in　them。　When　a　knight　is　involved　in　some　difficulty
from　which　he　cannot　be　delivered　save　by　the　hand　of　another
knight；　though　they　may　be　at　a　distance　of　two　or　three　thousand
leagues　or　more　one　from　the　other；　they　either　take　him　up　on　a
cloud；　or　they　provide　a　bark　for　him　to　get　into；　and　in　less　than
the　twinkling　of　an　eye　they　carry　him　where　they　will　and　where　his
help　is　required；　and　so；　Sancho；　this　bark　is　placed　here　for　the
same　purpose；　this　is　as　true　as　that　it　is　now　day；　and　ere　this
one　passes　tie　Dapple　and　Rocinante　together；　and　then　in　God's　hand
be　it　to　guide　us；　for　I　would　not　hold　back　from　embarking；　though
barefooted　friars　were　to　beg　me。〃
　　〃As　that's　the　case；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　your　worship　chooses　to　give
in　to　these…　I　don't　know　if　I　may　call　them　absurdities…　at　every
turn；　there's　nothing　for　it　but　to　obey　and　bow　the　head；　bearing
in　mind　the　proverb；　'Do　as　thy　master　bids　thee；　and　sit　down　to
table　with　him；'　but　for　all　that；　for　the　sake　of　easing　my
conscience；　I　warn　your　worship　that　it　is　my　opinion　this　bark　is
no　enchanted　one；　but　belongs　to　some　of　the　fishermen　of　the　river；
for　they　catch　the　best　shad　in　the　world　here。〃
　　As　Sancho　said　this；　he　tied　the　beasts；　leaving　them　to　the　care
and　protection　of　the　enchanters　with　sorrow　enough　in　his　heart。
Don　Quixote　bade　him　not　be　uneasy　about　deserting　the　animals；　〃for
he　who　would　carry　themselves　over　such　longinquous　roads　and
regions　would　take　care　to　feed　them。〃
　　〃I　don't　understand　that　logiquous；〃　said　Sancho；　〃nor　have　I　ever
heard　the　word　all　the　days　of　my　life。〃
　　〃Longinquous；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃means　far　off；　but　it　is　no
wonder　thou　dost　not　understand　it；　for　thou　art　not　bound　to　know
Latin；　like　some　who　pretend　to　know　it　and　don't。〃
　　〃Now　they　are　tied；〃　said　Sancho；　〃what　are　we　to　do　next？〃
　　〃What？〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃cross　ourselves　and　weigh　anchor；　I　mean；
embark　and　cut　the　moorings　by　which　the　bark　is　held；〃　and　the　bark
began　to　drift　away　slowly　from　the　bank。　But　when　Sancho　saw
himself　somewhere　about　two　yards　out　in　the　river；　he　began　to
tremble　and　give　himself　up　for　lost；　but　nothing　distressed　him
more　than　hearing　Dapple　bray　and　seeing　Rocinante　struggling　to　get
loose；　and　said　he　to　his　master；　〃Dapple　is　braying　in　grief　at　our
leaving　him；　and　Rocinante　is　trying　to　escape　and　plunge　in　after　us。
O　dear　friends；　peace　be　with　you；　and　may　this　madness　that　is　taking
us　away　from　you；　turned　into　sober　sense；　bring　us　back　to　you。〃
And　with　this　he　fell　weeping　so　bitterly；　that　Don　Quixote　said　to
him；　sharply　and　angrily；　〃What　art　thou　afraid　of；　cowardly　creature？
What　art　thou　weeping　at；　heart　of　butter…paste？　Who　pursues　or
molests　thee；　thou　soul　of　a　tame　mouse？　What　dost　thou　want；
unsatisfied　in　the　very　heart　of　abundance？　Art　thou；　perchance；
tramping　barefoot　over　the　Riphaean　mountains；　instead　of　being　seated
on　a　bench　like　an　archduke　on　the　tranquil　stream　of　this　pleasant
river；　from　which　in　a　short　space　we　shall　come　out　upon　the　broad
sea？　But　we　must　have　already　emerged　and　gone　seven　hundred　or
eight　hundred　leagues；　and　if　I　had　here　an　astrolabe　to　take　the
altitude　of　the　pole；　I　could　tell　thee　how　many　we　have　travelled；
though　either　I　know　little；　or　we　have　already　crossed　or　shall
shortly　cross　the　equinoctial　line　which　parts　the　two　opposite
poles　midway。〃
　　〃And　when　we　come　to　that　line　your　worship　speaks　of；〃　said　Sancho；
〃how　far　shall　we　have　gone？〃
　　〃Very　far；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　of　the　three　hundred　and　sixty
degrees　that　this　terraqueous　globe　contains；　as　computed　by
Ptolemy；　the　greatest　cosmographer　known；　we　shall　have　travelled
one…half　when　we　come　to　the　line　I　spoke　of。〃
　　〃By　God；〃　said　Sancho；　〃your　worship　gives　me　a　nice　authority　for
what　you　say；　putrid　Dolly　something　transmogrified；　or　whatever　it
is。〃
　　Don　Quixote　laughed　at　the　interpretation　Sancho　put　upon
〃computed；〃　and　the　name　of　the　cosmographer　Ptolemy；　and　said　he；
〃Thou　must　know；　Sancho；　that　with　the　Spaniards　and　those　who
embark　at　Cadiz　for　the　East　Indies；　one　of　the　signs　they　have　to
show　them　when　they　have　passed　the　equinoctial　line　I　told　thee　of；
is；　that　the　lice　die　upon　everybody　on　board　the　ship；　and　not　a
single　one　is　left；　or　to　be　found　in　the　whole　vessel　if　they　gave
its　weight　in　gold　for　it；　so；　Sancho；　thou　mayest　as　well　pass　thy
hand　down　thy　thigh；　and　if　thou　comest　upon　anything　alive　we　shall
be　no　longer　in　doubt；　if　not；　then　we　have　crossed。〃
　　〃I　don't　believe　a　bit　of　it；〃　said　Sancho；　〃still；　I'll　do　as
your　worship　bids　me；　though　I　don't　know　what　need　there　is　for
trying　these　experiments；　for　I　can　see　with　my　own　eyes　that　we
have　not　moved　five　yards　away　from　the　bank；　or　shifted　two　yards
from　where　the　animals　stand；　for　there　are　Rocinante　and　Dapple　in
the　very　same　place　where　we　left　them；　and　watching　a　point；　as　I
do　now；　I　swear　by　all　that's　good；　we　are　not　stirring　or　moving　at
the　pace　of　an　ant。〃
　　〃Try　the　test　I　told　thee　of；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and
don't　mind　any　other；　for　thou　knowest　nothing　about　colures；　lines；
parallels；　zodiacs；　ecliptics；　poles；　solstices；　equinoxes；　planets；
signs；　bearings；　the　measures　of　which　the　celestial　and　terrestrial
spheres　are　composed；　if　thou　wert　acquainted　with　all　these　things；
or　any　portion　of　them；　thou　wouldst　see　clearly　how　many　parallels　we
have　cut；　what　signs　we　have　seen；　and　what　constellations　we　have
left　behind　and　are　now　leaving　behind。　But　again　I　tell　thee；　feel
and　hunt；　for　I　am　certain　thou　art　cleaner　than　a　sheet　of　smooth
white　paper。〃
　　Sancho　felt；　and　passing　his　hand　gently　and　carefully　down　to　the
hollow　of　his　left　knee；　he　looked　up　at　his　master　and　said；
〃Either　the　test　is　a　false　one；　or　we　have　not　come　to　where　your
worship　says；　nor　within　many　leagues　of　it。〃
　　〃Why；　how　so？〃　asked　Don　Quixote；　〃hast　thou　come　upon　aught？〃
　　〃Ay；　and　aughts；〃　replied　Sancho；　and　shaking　his　fingers　he
washed　his　whole　hand　in　the　river　along　which　the　boat　was　quietly
gliding　in　midstream；　not　moved　by　any　occult　intelligence　or
invisible　enchanter；　but　simply　by　the　current；　just　there　smooth
and　gentle。
　　They　now　came　in　sight　of　some　large　water　mills　that　stood　in　the
middle　of　the　river；　and　the　instant　Don　Quixote　saw　them　he　cried
out；　〃Seest　thou　there；　my　friend？　there　stands　the　castle　or
fortress；　where　there　is；　no　doubt；　some　knight　in　durance；　or
ill…used　queen；　or　infanta；　or　princess；　in　whose　aid　I　am　brought
hither。〃
　　〃What　the　devil　city；　fortress；　or　castle　is　your　worship　talking
about；　senor？〃　said　Sancho；　〃don't　you　see　that　those　are　mills　that
stand　in　the　river　to　grind　corn？〃
　　〃Hold　thy　peace；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃though　they　look　like
mills　they　are　not　so；　I　have　already　told　thee　that　enchantments
transform　things　and　change　their　proper　shapes；　I　do　not　mean　to
say　they　really　change　them　from　one　form　into　another；　but　that　it
seems　as　though　they　did；　as　experience　proved　in　the　transformation
of　Dulcinea；　sole　refuge　of　my　hopes。〃
　　By　this　time；　the　boat；　having　reached　the　middle　of　the　stream；
began　to　move　less　slowly　than　hitherto。　The　millers　belonging　to
the　mills；　when　they　saw　the　boat　coming　down　the　river；　and　on　the
point　of　being　sucked　in　by　the　draught　of　the　wheels；　ran　out　in
haste；　several　of　them；　with　long　poles　to　stop　it；　and　being　all
mealy；　with　faces　and　garments　covered　with　flour；　they　presented　a
sinister　appearance。　They　raised　loud　shouts；　crying；　〃Devils　of
men；　where　are　you　going　to？　Are　you　mad？　Do　you　want　to　drown
yourselves；　or　dash　yourselves　to　pieces　among　these　wheels？〃
　　〃Did　I　not　tell　thee；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote　at　this；　〃that　we
h