don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第249章

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know　thee；　thou　art　Don　Pedro　Noriz；〃　was　the　reply。
　　〃I　do　not　seek　to　know　more；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃for　this　is
enough　to　convince　me；　O　Head；　that　thou　knowest　everything；〃　and　as
he　retired　the　other　friend　came　forward　and　asked　it；　〃Tell　me；　Head；
what　are　the　wishes　of　my　eldest　son？〃
　　〃I　have　said　already；〃　was　the　answer；　〃that　I　cannot　judge　of
wishes；　however；　I　can　tell　thee　the　wish　of　thy　son　is　to　bury　thee。〃
　　〃That's　'what　I　see　with　my　eyes　I　point　out　with　my　finger；'〃
said　the　gentleman；　〃so　I　ask　no　more。〃
　　Don　Antonio's　wife　came　up　and　said；　〃I　know　not　what　to　ask　thee；
Head；　I　would　only　seek　to　know　of　thee　if　I　shall　have　many　years
of　enjoyment　of　my　good　husband；〃　and　the　answer　she　received　was；
〃Thou　shalt；　for　his　vigour　and　his　temperate　habits　promise　many
years　of　life；　which　by　their　intemperance　others　so　often　cut　short。〃
　　Then　Don　Quixote　came　forward　and　said；　〃Tell　me；　thou　that
answerest；　was　that　which　I　describe　as　having　happened　to　me　in　the
cave　of　Montesinos　the　truth　or　a　dream？　Will　Sancho's　whipping　be
accomplished　without　fail？　Will　the　disenchantment　of　Dulcinea　be
brought　about？〃
　　〃As　to　the　question　of　the　cave；〃　was　the　reply；　〃there　is　much　to
be　said；　there　is　something　of　both　in　it。　Sancho's　whipping　will
proceed　leisurely。　The　disenchantment　of　Dulcinea　will　attain　its
due　consummation。〃
　　〃I　seek　to　know　no　more；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃let　me　but　see　Dulcinea
disenchanted；　and　I　will　consider　that　all　the　good　fortune　I　could
wish　for　has　come　upon　me　all　at　once。〃
　　The　last　questioner　was　Sancho；　and　his　questions　were；　〃Head；　shall
I　by　any　chance　have　another　government？　Shall　I　ever　escape　from
the　hard　life　of　a　squire？　Shall　I　get　back　to　see　my　wife　and
children？〃　To　which　the　answer　came；　〃Thou　shalt　govern　in　thy
house；　and　if　thou　returnest　to　it　thou　shalt　see　thy　wife　and
children；　and　on　ceasing　to　serve　thou　shalt　cease　to　be　a　squire。〃
　　〃Good；　by　God！〃　said　Sancho　Panza；　〃I　could　have　told　myself　that；
the　prophet　Perogrullo　could　have　said　no　more。〃
　　〃What　answer　wouldst　thou　have；　beast？〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃is　it　not
enough　that　the　replies　this　head　has　given　suit　the　questions　put
to　it？〃
　　〃Yes；　it　is　enough；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　should　have　liked　it　to
have　made　itself　plainer　and　told　me　more。〃
　　The　questions　and　answers　came　to　an　end　here；　but　not　the　wonder
with　which　all　were　filled；　except　Don　Antonio's　two　friends　who
were　in　the　secret。　This　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli　thought　fit　to　reveal
at　once；　not　to　keep　the　world　in　suspense；　fancying　that　the　head　had
some　strange　magical　mystery　in　it。　He　says；　therefore；　that　on　the
model　of　another　head；　the　work　of　an　image　maker；　which　he　had　seen
at　Madrid；　Don　Antonio　made　this　one　at　home　for　his　own　amusement　and
to　astonish　ignorant　people；　and　its　mechanism　was　as　follows。　The
table　was　of　wood　painted　and　varnished　to　imitate　jasper；　and　the
pedestal　on　which　it　stood　was　of　the　same　material；　with　four　eagles'
claws　projecting　from　it　to　support　the　weight　more　steadily。　The
head；　which　resembled　a　bust　or　figure　of　a　Roman　emperor；　and　was
coloured　like　bronze；　was　hollow　throughout；　as　was　the　table；　into
which　it　was　fitted　so　exactly　that　no　trace　of　the　joining　was
visible。　The　pedestal　of　the　table　was　also　hollow　and　communicated
with　the　throat　and　neck　of　the　head；　and　the　whole　was　in
communication　with　another　room　underneath　the　chamber　in　which　the
head　stood。　Through　the　entire　cavity　in　the　pedestal；　table；　throat
and　neck　of　the　bust　or　figure；　there　passed　a　tube　of　tin　carefully
adjusted　and　concealed　from　sight。　In　the　room　below　corresponding
to　the　one　above　was　placed　the　person　who　was　to　answer；　with　his
mouth　to　the　tube；　and　the　voice；　as　in　an　ear…trumpet；　passed　from
above　downwards；　and　from　below　upwards；　the　words　coming　clearly
and　distinctly；　it　was　impossible；　thus；　to　detect　the　trick。　A　nephew
of　Don　Antonio's；　a　smart　sharp…witted　student；　was　the　answerer；
and　as　he　had　been　told　beforehand　by　his　uncle　who　the　persons　were
that　would　come　with　him　that　day　into　the　chamber　where　the　head　was；
it　was　an　easy　matter　for　him　to　answer　the　first　question　at　once　and
correctly；　the　others　he　answered　by　guess…work；　and；　being　clever；
cleverly。　Cide　Hamete　adds　that　this　marvellous　contrivance　stood
for　some　ten　or　twelve　days；　but　that；　as　it　became　noised　abroad
through　the　city　that　he　had　in　his　house　an　enchanted　head　that
answered　all　who　asked　questions　of　it；　Don　Antonio；　fearing　it
might　come　to　the　ears　of　the　watchful　sentinels　of　our　faith；
explained　the　matter　to　the　inquisitors；　who　commanded　him　to　break　it
up　and　have　done　with　it；　lest　the　ignorant　vulgar　should　be
scandalised。　By　Don　Quixote；　however；　and　by　Sancho　the　head　was　still
held　to　be　an　enchanted　one；　and　capable　of　answering　questions；
though　more　to　Don　Quixote's　satisfaction　than　Sancho's。
　　The　gentlemen　of　the　city；　to　gratify　Don　Antonio　and　also　to　do　the
honours　to　Don　Quixote；　and　give　him　an　opportunity　of　displaying
his　folly；　made　arrangements　for　a　tilting　at　the　ring　in　six　days
from　that　time；　which；　however；　for　reason　that　will　be　mentioned
hereafter；　did　not　take　place。
　　Don　Quixote　took　a　fancy　to　stroll　about　the　city　quietly　and　on
foot；　for　he　feared　that　if　he　went　on　horseback　the　boys　would　follow
him；　so　he　and　Sancho　and　two　servants　that　Don　Antonio　gave　him　set
out　for　a　walk。　Thus　it　came　to　pass　that　going　along　one　of　the
streets　Don　Quixote　lifted　up　his　eyes　and　saw　written　in　very　large
letters　over　a　door；　〃Books　printed　here；〃　at　which　he　was　vastly
pleased；　for　until　then　he　had　never　seen　a　printing　office；　and　he
was　curious　to　know　what　it　was　like。　He　entered　with　all　his
following；　and　saw　them　drawing　sheets　in　one　place；　correcting　in
another；　setting　up　type　here；　revising　there；　in　short　all　the　work
that　is　to　be　seen　in　great　printing　offices。　He　went　up　to　one　case
and　asked　what　they　were　about　there；　the　workmen　told　him；　he　watched
them　with　wonder；　and　passed　on。　He　approached　one　man；　among
others；　and　asked　him　what　he　was　doing。　The　workman　replied；
〃Senor；　this　gentleman　here〃　（pointing　to　a　man　of　prepossessing
appearance　and　a　certain　gravity　of　look）　〃has　translated　an　Italian
book　into　our　Spanish　tongue；　and　I　am　setting　it　up　in　type　for　the
press。〃
　　〃What　is　the　title　of　the　book？〃　asked　Don　Quixote；　to　which　the
author　replied；　〃Senor；　in　Italian　the　book　is　called　Le　Bagatelle。〃
　　〃And　what　does　Le　Bagatelle　import　in　our　Spanish？〃　asked　Don
Quixote。
　　〃Le　Bagatelle；〃　said　the　author；　〃is　as　though　we　should　say　in
Spanish　Los　Juguetes；　but　though　the　book　is　humble　in　name　it　has
good　solid　matter　in　it。〃
　　〃I；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃have　some　little　smattering　of　Italian；
and　I　plume　myself　on　singing　some　of　Ariosto's　stanzas；　but　tell
me；　senor…　I　do　not　say　this　to　test　your　ability；　but　merely　out　of
curiosity…　have　you　ever　met　with　the　word　pignatta　in　your　book？〃
　　〃Yes；　often；〃　said　the　author。
　　〃And　how　do　you　render　that　in　Spanish？〃
　　〃How　should　I　render　it；〃　returned　the　author；　〃but　by　olla？〃
　　〃Body　o'　me；〃　exclaimed　Don　Quixote；　〃what　a　proficient　you　are　in
the　Italian　language！　I　would　lay　a　good　wager　that　where　they　say
in　Italian　piace　you　say　in　Spanish　place；　and　where　they　say　piu
you　say　mas；　and　you　translate　su　by　arriba　and　giu　by　abajo。〃
　　〃I　translate　them　so　of　course；〃　said　the　author；　〃for　those　are
their　proper　equivalents。〃
　　〃I　would　venture　to　swear；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that　your　worship
is　not　known　in　the　world；　which　always　begrudges　their　reward　to　rare
wits　and　praiseworthy　labours。　What　talents　lie　wasted　there！　What
genius　thrust　away　into　corners！　What　worth　left　neglected！　Still　it
seems　to　me　that　translation　from　one　language　into　another；　if　it
be　not　from　the　queens　of　languages；　the　Greek　and　the　Latin；　is
like　looking　at　Flemish　tapestries　on　the　wrong　side；　for　though　the
figures　are　visible；　they　are　full　of　threads　that　make　them
indistinct；　and　they　do　not　show　with　the　smoothness　and　brightness　of
the　right　side；　and　translat