don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第20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！


it　cannot　but　be　judging　by　the　strange　things　these　shepherds　have
told　us；　of　both　the　dead　shepherd　and　homicide　shepherdess。〃
　　〃So　I　think　too；〃　replied　Vivaldo；　〃and　I　would　delay　not　to　say　a
day；　but　four；　for　the　sake　of　seeing　it。〃
　　Don　Quixote　asked　them　what　it　was　they　had　heard　of　Marcela　and
Chrysostom。　The　traveller　answered　that　the　same　morning　they　had
met　these　shepherds；　and　seeing　them　dressed　in　this　mournful
fashion　they　had　asked　them　the　reason　of　their　appearing　in　such　a
guise；　which　one　of　them　gave；　describing　the　strange　behaviour　and
beauty　of　a　shepherdess　called　Marcela；　and　the　loves　of　many　who
courted　her；　together　with　the　death　of　that　Chrysostom　to　whose
burial　they　were　going。　In　short；　he　repeated　all　that　Pedro　had
related　to　Don　Quixote。
　　This　conversation　dropped；　and　another　was　commenced　by　him　who
was　called　Vivaldo　asking　Don　Quixote　what　was　the　reason　that　led　him
to　go　armed　in　that　fashion　in　a　country　so　peaceful。　To　which　Don
Quixote　replied；　〃The　pursuit　of　my　calling　does　not　allow　or　permit
me　to　go　in　any　other　fashion；　easy　life；　enjoyment；　and　repose　were
invented　for　soft　courtiers；　but　toil；　unrest；　and　arms　were
invented　and　made　for　those　alone　whom　the　world　calls　knights…errant；
of　whom　I；　though　unworthy；　am　the　least　of　all。〃
　　The　instant　they　heard　this　all　set　him　down　as　mad；　and　the
better　to　settle　the　point　and　discover　what　kind　of　madness　his
was；　Vivaldo　proceeded　to　ask　him　what　knights…errant　meant。
　　〃Have　not　your　worships；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃read　the　annals
and　histories　of　England；　in　which　are　recorded　the　famous　deeds　of
King　Arthur；　whom　we　in　our　popular　Castilian　invariably　call　King
Artus；　with　regard　to　whom　it　is　an　ancient　tradition；　and　commonly
received　all　over　that　kingdom　of　Great　Britain；　that　this　king　did
not　die；　but　was　changed　by　magic　art　into　a　raven；　and　that　in
process　of　time　he　is　to　return　to　reign　and　recover　his　kingdom　and
sceptre；　for　which　reason　it　cannot　be　proved　that　from　that　time　to
this　any　Englishman　ever　killed　a　raven？　Well；　then；　in　the　time　of
this　good　king　that　famous　order　of　chivalry　of　the　Knights　of　the
Round　Table　was　instituted；　and　the　amour　of　Don　Lancelot　of　the
Lake　with　the　Queen　Guinevere　occurred；　precisely　as　is　there　related；
the　go…between　and　confidante　therein　being　the　highly　honourable　dame
Quintanona；　whence　came　that　ballad　so　well　known　and　widely　spread　in
our　Spain…

　　　　　　　O　never　surely　was　there　knight
　　　　　　　　　So　served　by　hand　of　dame；
　　　　　　　As　served　was　he　Sir　Lancelot　hight
　　　　　　　　　When　he　from　Britain　came…

with　all　the　sweet　and　delectable　course　of　his　achievements　in　love
and　war。　Handed　down　from　that　time；　then；　this　order　of　chivalry　went
on　extending　and　spreading　itself　over　many　and　various　parts　of　the
world；　and　in　it；　famous　and　renowned　for　their　deeds；　were　the　mighty
Amadis　of　Gaul　with　all　his　sons　and　descendants　to　the　fifth
generation；　and　the　valiant　Felixmarte　of　Hircania；　and　the　never
sufficiently　praised　Tirante　el　Blanco；　and　in　our　own　days　almost
we　have　seen　and　heard　and　talked　with　the　invincible　knight　Don
Belianis　of　Greece。　This；　then；　sirs；　is　to　be　a　knight…errant；　and
what　I　have　spoken　of　is　the　order　of　his　chivalry；　of　which；　as　I
have　already　said；　I；　though　a　sinner；　have　made　profession；　and
what　the　aforesaid　knights　professed　that　same　do　I　profess；　and　so
I　go　through　these　solitudes　and　wilds　seeking　adventures；　resolved　in
soul　to　oppose　my　arm　and　person　to　the　most　perilous　that　fortune　may
offer　me　in　aid　of　the　weak　and　needy。〃
　　By　these　words　of　his　the　travellers　were　able　to　satisfy　themselves
of　Don　Quixote's　being　out　of　his　senses　and　of　the　form　of　madness
that　overmastered　him；　at　which　they　felt　the　same　astonishment　that
all　felt　on　first　becoming　acquainted　with　it；　and　Vivaldo；　who　was
a　person　of　great　shrewdness　and　of　a　lively　temperament；　in　order
to　beguile　the　short　journey　which　they　said　was　required　to　reach　the
mountain；　the　scene　of　the　burial；　sought　to　give　him　an　opportunity
of　going　on　with　his　absurdities。　So　he　said　to　him；　〃It　seems　to
me；　Senor　Knight…errant；　that　your　worship　has　made　choice　of　one　of
the　most　austere　professions　in　the　world；　and　I　imagine　even　that
of　the　Carthusian　monks　is　not　so　austere。〃
　　〃As　austere　it　may　perhaps　be；〃　replied　our　Don　Quixote；　〃but　so
necessary　for　the　world　I　am　very　much　inclined　to　doubt。　For；　if
the　truth　is　to　be　told；　the　soldier　who　executes　what　his　captain
orders　does　no　less　than　the　captain　himself　who　gives　the　order。　My
meaning；　is；　that　churchmen　in　peace　and　quiet　pray　to　Heaven　for
the　welfare　of　the　world；　but　we　soldiers　and　knights　carry　into
effect　what　they　pray　for；　defending　it　with　the　might　of　our　arms　and
the　edge　of　our　swords；　not　under　shelter　but　in　the　open　air；　a
target　for　the　intolerable　rays　of　the　sun　in　summer　and　the
piercing　frosts　of　winter。　Thus　are　we　God's　ministers　on　earth　and
the　arms　by　which　his　justice　is　done　therein。　And　as　the　business
of　war　and　all　that　relates　and　belongs　to　it　cannot　be　conducted
without　exceeding　great　sweat；　toil；　and　exertion；　it　follows　that
those　who　make　it　their　profession　have　undoubtedly　more　labour　than
those　who　in　tranquil　peace　and　quiet　are　engaged　in　praying　to　God　to
help　the　weak。　I　do　not　mean　to　say；　nor　does　it　enter　into　my
thoughts；　that　the　knight…errant's　calling　is　as　good　as　that　of　the
monk　in　his　cell；　I　would　merely　infer　from　what　I　endure　myself
that　it　is　beyond　a　doubt　a　more　laborious　and　a　more　belaboured
one；　a　hungrier　and　thirstier；　a　wretcheder；　raggeder；　and　lousier；
for　there　is　no　reason　to　doubt　that　the　knights…errant　of　yore
endured　much　hardship　in　the　course　of　their　lives。　And　if　some　of
them　by　the　might　of　their　arms　did　rise　to　be　emperors；　in　faith　it
cost　them　dear　in　the　matter　of　blood　and　sweat；　and　if　those　who
attained　to　that　rank　had　not　had　magicians　and　sages　to　help　them
they　would　have　been　completely　baulked　in　their　ambition　and
disappointed　in　their　hopes。〃
　　〃That　is　my　own　opinion；〃　replied　the　traveller；　〃but　one　thing
among　many　others　seems　to　me　very　wrong　in　knights…errant；　and　that
is　that　when　they　find　themselves　about　to　engage　in　some　mighty　and
perilous　adventure　in　which　there　is　manifest　danger　of　losing　their
lives；　they　never　at　the　moment　of　engaging　in　it　think　of
commending　themselves　to　God；　as　is　the　duty　of　every　good　Christian
in　like　peril；　instead　of　which　they　commend　themselves　to　their
ladies　with　as　much　devotion　as　if　these　were　their　gods；　a　thing
which　seems　to　me　to　savour　somewhat　of　heathenism。〃
　　〃Sir；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃that　cannot　be　on　any　account　omitted；
and　the　knight…errant　would　be　disgraced　who　acted　otherwise：　for　it
is　usual　and　customary　in　knight…errantry　that　the　knight…errant；
who　on　engaging　in　any　great　feat　of　arms　has　his　lady　before　him；
should　turn　his　eyes　towards　her　softly　and　lovingly；　as　though　with
them　entreating　her　to　favour　and　protect　him　in　the　hazardous　venture
he　is　about　to　undertake；　and　even　though　no　one　hear　him；　he　is　bound
to　say　certain　words　between　his　teeth；　commending　himself　to　her　with
all　his　heart；　and　of　this　we　have　innumerable　instances　in　the
histories。　Nor　is　it　to　be　supposed　from　this　that　they　are　to　omit
commending　themselves　to　God；　for　there　will　be　time　and　opportunity
for　doing　so　while　they　are　engaged　in　their　task。〃
　　〃For　all　that；〃　answered　the　traveller；　〃I　feel　some　doubt　still；
because　often　I　have　read　how　words　will　arise　between　two
knights…errant；　and　from　one　thing　to　another　it　comes　about　that
their　anger　kindles　and　they　wheel　their　horses　round　and　take　a
good　stretch　of　field；　and　then　without　any　more　ado　at　the　top　of
their　speed　they　come　to　the　charge；　and　in　mid…career　they　are　wont
to　commend　themselves　to　their　ladies；　and　what　commonly　comes　of
the　encounter　is　that　one　falls　over　the　haunches　of　his　horse　pierced
through　and　through　by　his　antagonist's　lance；　and　as　for　the　other；
it　is　only　by　holding　on　to　the　mane　of　his　horse　that　he　can　help