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第39章

the zincali-第39章

小说: the zincali 字数: 每页4000字

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unfrequently have recourse to foul play; doing the animal some 



covert injury; in hope that the proprietor will dispose of it to 



themselves at an inconsiderable price; in which event they soon 



restore it to health; for knowing how to inflict the harm; they 



know likewise how to remove it。







Religion they have none; they never attend mass; nor did I ever 



hear them employ the names of God; Christ; and the Virgin; but in 



execration and blasphemy。  From what I could learn; it appeared 



that their fathers had entertained some belief in metempsychosis; 



but they themselves laughed at the idea; and were of opinion that 



the soul perished when the body ceased to breathe; and the argument 



which they used was rational enough; so far as it impugned 



metempsychosis:  'We have been wicked and miserable enough in this 



life;' they said; 'why should we live again?'







I translated certain portions of Scripture into their dialect; 



which I frequently read to them; especially the parable of Lazarus 



and the Prodigal Son; and told them that the latter had been as 



wicked as themselves; and both had suffered as much or more; but 



that the sufferings of the former; who always looked forward to a 



blessed resurrection; were recompensed by admission; in the life to 



come; to the society of Abraham and the Prophets; and that the 



latter; when he repented of his sins; was forgiven; and received 



into as much favour as the just son。







They listened with admiration; but; alas! not of the truths; the 



eternal truths; I was telling them; but to find that their broken 



jargon could be written and read。  The only words denoting anything 



like assent to my doctrine which I ever obtained; were the 



following from the mouth of a woman:  'Brother; you tell us strange 



things; though perhaps you do not lie; a month since I would sooner 



have believed these tales; than that this day I should see one who 



could write Rommany。'







Two or three days after my arrival; I was again visited by the 



Gypsy of the withered arm; who I found was generally termed Paco; 



which is the diminutive of Francisco; he was accompanied by his 



wife; a rather good…looking young woman with sharp intelligent 



features; and who appeared in every respect to be what her husband 



had represented her on the former visit。  She was very poorly clad; 



and notwithstanding the extreme sharpness of the weather; carried 



no mantle to protect herself from its inclemency; … her raven black 



hair depended behind as far down as her hips。  Another Gypsy came 



with them; but not the old fellow whom I had before seen。  This was 



a man about forty…five; dressed in a zamarra of sheep…skin; with a 



high…crowned Andalusian hat; his complexion was dark as pepper; and 



his eyes were full of sullen fire。  In his appearance he exhibited 



a goodly compound of Gypsy and bandit。







PACO。 … 'Laches chibeses te dinele Undebel (May God grant you good 



days; brother)。  This is my wife; and this is my wife's father。'







MYSELF。 … 'I am glad to see them。  What are their names?'







PACO。 … 'Maria and Antonio; their other name is Lopez。'







MYSELF。 … 'Have they no Gypsy names?'







PACO。 … 'They have no other names than these。'







MYSELF。 … 'Then in this respect the Gitanos of Spain are unlike 



those of my country。  Every family there has two names; one by 



which they are known to the Busne; and another which they use 



amongst themselves。'







ANTONIO。 … 'Give me your hand; brother!  I should have come to see 



you before; but I have been to Olivenzas in search of a horse。  



What I have heard of you has filled me with much desire to know 



you; and I now see that you can tell me many things which I am 



ignorant of。  I am Zincalo by the four sides … I love our blood; 



and I hate that of the Busne。  Had I my will I would wash my face 



every day in the blood of the Busne; for the Busne are made only to 



be robbed and to be slaughtered; but I love the Calore; and I love 



to hear of things of the Calore; especially from those of foreign 



lands; for the Calore of foreign lands know more than we of Spain; 



and more resemble our fathers of old。'







MYSELF。 … 'Have you ever met before with Calore who were not 



Spaniards?'







ANTONIO。 … 'I will tell you; brother。  I served as a soldier in the 



war of the independence against the French。  War; it is true; is 



not the proper occupation of a Gitano; but those were strange 



times; and all those who could bear arms were compelled to go forth 



to fight:  so I went with the English armies; and we chased the 



Gabine unto the frontier of France; and it happened once that we 



joined in desperate battle; and there was a confusion; and the two 



parties became intermingled and fought sword to sword and bayonet 



to bayonet; and a French soldier singled me out; and we fought for 



a long time; cutting; goring; and cursing each other; till at last 



we flung down our arms and grappled; long we wrestled; body to 



body; but I found that I was the weaker; and I fell。  The French 



soldier's knee was on my breast; and his grasp was on my throat; 



and he seized his bayonet; and he raised it to thrust me through 



the jaws; and his cap had fallen off; and I lifted up my eyes 



wildly to his face; and our eyes met; and I gave a loud shriek; and 



cried Zincalo; Zincalo! and I felt him shudder; and he relaxed his 



grasp and started up; and he smote his forehead and wept; and then 



he came to me and knelt down by my side; for I was almost dead; and 



he took my hand and called me Brother and Zincalo; and he produced 



his flask and poured wine into my mouth; and I revived; and he 



raised me up; and led me from the concourse; and we sat down on a 



knoll; and the two parties were fighting all around; and he said; 



〃Let the dogs fight; and tear each others' throats till they are 



all destroyed; what matters it to the Zincali? they are not of our 



blood; and shall that be shed for them?〃  So we sat for hours on 



the knoll and discoursed on matters pertaining to our people; and I 



could have listened for years; for he told me secrets which made my 



ears tingle; and I soon found that I knew nothing; though I had 



before considered myself quite Zincalo; but as for him; he knew the 



whole cuenta; the Bengui Lango (43) himself could have told him 



nothing but what he knew。  So we sat till the sun went down and the 



battle was over; and he proposed that we should both flee to his 



own country and live there with the Zincali; but my heart failed 



me; so we embraced; and he departed to the Gabine; whilst I 



returned to our own battalions。'







MYSELF。 … 'Do you know from what country he came?'







ANTONIO。 … 'He told me that he was a Mayoro。'







MYSELF。 … 'You mean a Magyar or Hungarian。'







ANTONIO。 … 'Just so; and I have repented ever since that I did not 



follow him。'







MYSELF。 … 'Why so?'







ANTONIO。 … 'I will tell you:  the king has destroyed the law of the 



Cales; and has put disunion amongst us。  There was a time when the 



house of every Zincalo; however rich; was open to his brother; 



though he came to him naked; and it was then the custom to boast of 



the 〃errate。〃  It is no longer so now:  those who are rich keep 



aloof from the rest; will not speak in Calo; and will have no 



dealings but with the Busne。  Is there not a false brother in this 



foros; the only rich man among us; the swine; the balichow? he is 



married to a Busnee and he would fain appear as a Busno!  Tell me 



one thing; has he been to see you?  The white blood; I know he has 



not; he was afraid to see you; for he knew that by Gypsy law he was 



bound to take you to his house and feast you; whilst you remained

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