don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第37章

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looking…glass　and　a　piece　of　a　comb　and　some　little　pot　or　other　of
paint　for　her　face；　but　let　her　carry　what　she　did；　I　am　not　going
to　trouble　myself　to　prove　it；　all　I　say　is；　that　the　shepherd；　they
say；　came　with　his　flock　to　cross　over　the　river　Guadiana；　which　was
at　that　time　swollen　and　almost　overflowing　its　banks；　and　at　the　spot
he　came　to　there　was　neither　ferry　nor　boat　nor　anyone　to　carry　him　or
his　flock　to　the　other　side；　at　which　he　was　much　vexed；　for　he
perceived　that　Torralva　was　approaching　and　would　give　him　great
annoyance　with　her　tears　and　entreaties；　however；　he　went　looking
about　so　closely　that　he　discovered　a　fisherman　who　had　alongside　of
him　a　boat　so　small　that　it　could　only　hold　one　person　and　one　goat；
but　for　all　that　he　spoke　to　him　and　agreed　with　him　to　carry
himself　and　his　three　hundred　goats　across。　The　fisherman　got　into　the
boat　and　carried　one　goat　over；　he　came　back　and　carried　another　over；
he　came　back　again；　and　again　brought　over　another…　let　your　worship
keep　count　of　the　goats　the　fisherman　is　taking　across；　for　if　one
escapes　the　memory　there　will　be　an　end　of　the　story；　and　it　will　be
impossible　to　tell　another　word　of　it。　To　proceed；　I　must　tell　you　the
landing　place　on　the　other　side　was　miry　and　slippery；　and　the
fisherman　lost　a　great　deal　of　time　in　going　and　coming；　still　he
returned　for　another　goat；　and　another；　and　another。〃
　　〃Take　it　for　granted　he　brought　them　all　across；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃and　don't　keep　going　and　coming　in　this　way；　or　thou　wilt
not　make　an　end　of　bringing　them　over　this　twelvemonth。〃
　　〃How　many　have　gone　across　so　far？〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃How　the　devil　do　I　know？〃　replied　Don　Quixote。
　　〃There　it　is；〃　said　Sancho；　〃what　I　told　you；　that　you　must　keep　a
good　count；　well　then；　by　God；　there　is　an　end　of　the　story；　for　there
is　no　going　any　farther。〃
　　〃How　can　that　be？〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃is　it　so　essential　to　the
story　to　know　to　a　nicety　the　goats　that　have　crossed　over；　that　if
there　be　a　mistake　of　one　in　the　reckoning；　thou　canst　not　go　on
with　it？〃
　　〃No；　senor；　not　a　bit；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃for　when　I　asked　your
worship　to　tell　me　how　many　goats　had　crossed；　and　you　answered　you
did　not　know；　at　that　very　instant　all　I　had　to　say　passed　away　out　of
my　memory；　and；　faith；　there　was　much　virtue　in　it；　and
entertainment。〃
　　〃So；　then；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃the　story　has　come　to　an　end？〃
　　〃As　much　as　my　mother　has；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃In　truth；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃thou　hast　told　one　of　the　rarest
stories；　tales；　or　histories；　that　anyone　in　the　world　could　have
imagined；　and　such　a　way　of　telling　it　and　ending　it　was　never　seen
nor　will　be　in　a　lifetime；　though　I　expected　nothing　else　from　thy
excellent　understanding。　But　I　do　not　wonder；　for　perhaps　those
ceaseless　strokes　may　have　confused　thy　wits。〃
　　〃All　that　may　be；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃but　I　know　that　as　to　my
story；　all　that　can　be　said　is　that　it　ends　there　where　the　mistake　in
the　count　of　the　passage　of　the　goats　begins。〃
　　〃Let　it　end　where　it　will；　well　and　good；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and
let　us　see　if　Rocinante　can　go；〃　and　again　he　spurred　him；　and　again
Rocinante　made　jumps　and　remained　where　he　was；　so　well　tied　was　he。
　　Just　then；　whether　it　was　the　cold　of　the　morning　that　was　now
approaching；　or　that　he　had　eaten　something　laxative　at　supper；　or
that　it　was　only　natural　（as　is　most　likely）；　Sancho　felt　a　desire
to　do　what　no　one　could　do　for　him；　but　so　great　was　the　fear　that　had
penetrated　his　heart；　he　dared　not　separate　himself　from　his　master　by
as　much　as　the　black　of　his　nail；　to　escape　doing　what　he　wanted
was；　however；　also　impossible；　so　what　he　did　for　peace's　sake　was
to　remove　his　right　hand；　which　held　the　back　of　the　saddle；　and
with　it　to　untie　gently　and　silently　the　running　string　which　alone
held　up　his　breeches；　so　that　on　loosening　it　they　at　once　fell　down
round　his　feet　like　fetters；　he　then　raised　his　shirt　as　well　as　he
could　and　bared　his　hind　quarters；　no　slim　ones。　But；　this
accomplished；　which　he　fancied　was　all　he　had　to　do　to　get　out　of　this
terrible　strait　and　embarrassment；　another　still　greater　difficulty
presented　itself；　for　it　seemed　to　him　impossible　to　relieve　himself
without　making　some　noise；　and　he　ground　his　teeth　and　squeezed　his
shoulders　together；　holding　his　breath　as　much　as　he　could；　but　in
spite　of　his　precautions　he　was　unlucky　enough　after　all　to　make　a
little　noise；　very　different　from　that　which　was　causing　him　so　much
fear。
　　Don　Quixote；　hearing　it；　said；　〃What　noise　is　that；　Sancho？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　senor；〃　said　he；　〃it　must　be　something　new；　for
adventures　and　misadventures　never　begin　with　a　trifle。〃　Once　more
he　tried　his　luck；　and　succeeded　so　well；　that　without　any　further
noise　or　disturbance　he　found　himself　relieved　of　the　burden　that
had　given　him　so　much　discomfort。　But　as　Don　Quixote's　sense　of
smell　was　as　acute　as　his　hearing；　and　as　Sancho　was　so　closely　linked
with　him　that　the　fumes　rose　almost　in　a　straight　line；　it　could　not
be　but　that　some　should　reach　his　nose；　and　as　soon　as　they　did　he
came　to　its　relief　by　compressing　it　between　his　fingers；　saying　in
a　rather　snuffing　tone；　〃Sancho；　it　strikes　me　thou　art　in　great
fear。〃
　　〃I　am；〃　answered　Sancho；　〃but　how　does　your　worship　perceive　it
now　more　than　ever？〃
　　〃Because　just　now　thou　smellest　stronger　than　ever；　and　not　of
ambergris；〃　answered　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Very　likely；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　that's　not　my　fault；　but　your
worship's；　for　leading　me　about　at　unseasonable　hours　and　at　such
unwonted　paces。〃
　　〃Then　go　back　three　or　four；　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　all　the
time　with　his　fingers　to　his　nose；　〃and　for　the　future　pay　more
attention　to　thy　person　and　to　what　thou　owest　to　mine；　for　it　is　my
great　familiarity　with　thee　that　has　bred　this　contempt。〃
　　〃I'll　bet；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　thinks　I　have　done
something　I　ought　not　with　my　person。〃
　　〃It　makes　it　worse　to　stir　it；　friend　Sancho；〃　returned　Don　Quixote。
　　With　this　and　other　talk　of　the　same　sort　master　and　man　passed
the　night；　till　Sancho；　perceiving　that　daybreak　was　coming　on
apace；　very　cautiously　untied　Rocinante　and　tied　up　his　breeches。　As
soon　as　Rocinante　found　himself　free；　though　by　nature　he　was　not　at
all　mettlesome；　he　seemed　to　feel　lively　and　began　pawing…　for　as　to
capering；　begging　his　pardon；　he　knew　not　what　it　meant。　Don
Quixote；　then；　observing　that　Rocinante　could　move；　took　it　as　a
good　sign　and　a　signal　that　he　should　attempt　the　dread　adventure。
By　this　time　day　had　fully　broken　and　everything　showed　distinctly；
and　Don　Quixote　saw　that　he　was　among　some　tall　trees；　chestnuts；
which　cast　a　very　deep　shade；　he　perceived　likewise　that　the　sound
of　the　strokes　did　not　cease；　but　could　not　discover　what　caused　it；
and　so　without　any　further　delay　he　let　Rocinante　feel　the　spur；　and
once　more　taking　leave　of　Sancho；　he　told　him　to　wait　for　him　there
three　days　at　most；　as　he　had　said　before；　and　if　he　should　not　have
returned　by　that　time；　he　might　feel　sure　it　had　been　God's　will
that　he　should　end　his　days　in　that　perilous　adventure。　He　again
repeated　the　message　and　commission　with　which　he　was　to　go　on　his
behalf　to　his　lady　Dulcinea；　and　said　he　was　not　to　be　uneasy　as　to
the　payment　of　his　services；　for　before　leaving　home　he　had　made　his
will；　in　which　he　would　find　himself　fully　recompensed　in　the　matter
of　wages　in　due　proportion　to　the　time　he　had　served；　but　if　God
delivered　him　safe；　sound；　and　unhurt　out　of　that　danger；　he　might
look　upon　the　promised　island　as　much　more　than　certain。　Sancho
began　to　weep　afresh　on　again　hearing　the　affecting　words　of　his
good　master；　and　resolved　to　stay　with　him　until　the　final　issue　and
end　of　the　business。　From　these　tears　and　this　honourable　resolve　of
Sancho　Panza's　the　author　of　this　history　infers　that　he　must　have
been　of　good　birth　and　at　least　an　old　Christian；　and　the　feeling　he
displayed　touched　his　but　not　so　much　as　to　make　him　show　any
weakness；　on　the　contrary；　hiding　what　he　felt　as　well　as　he　could；　he
began　to　move　towards　that　quarter　whence　the　sound　of　the　water　and