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第23节

man and superman-第23节

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therefore; in a land of cloaks and sombreros; they mostly wear
seedy overcoats; woollen mufflers; hard hemispherical hats; and
dirty brown gloves。 Only a very few dress after their leader;
whose broad sombrero with a cock's feather in the band; and
voluminous cloak descending to his high boots; are as un…English
as possible。 None of them are armed; and the ungloved ones keep
their hands in their pockets because it is their national belief
that it must be dangerously cold in the open air with the night
coming on。 (It is as warm an evening as any reasonable man could
desire)。

Except the bullfighting inebriate there is only one person in the
company who looks more than; say; thirty…three。 He is a small man
with reddish whiskers; weak eyes; and the anxious look of a
small tradesman in difficulties。 He wears the only tall hat
visible: it shines in the sunset with the sticky glow of some
sixpenny patent hat reviver; often applied and constantly tending
to produce a worse state of the original surface than the ruin it
was applied to remedy。 He has a collar and cuff of celluloid; and
his brown Chesterfield overcoat; with velvet collar; is still
presentable。 He is pre…eminently the respectable man of the
party; and is certainly over forty; possibly over fifty。 He is
the corner man on the leader's right; opposite three men in
scarlet ties on his left。 One of these three is the Frenchman。 Of
the remaining two; who are both English; one is argumentative;
solemn; and obstinate; the other rowdy and mischievious。

The chief; with a magnificent fling of the end of his cloak
across his left shoulder; rises to address them。 The applause
which greets him shows that he is a favorite orator。

THE CHIEF。 Friends and fellow brigands。 I have a proposal to make
to this meeting。 We have now spent three evenings in discussing
the question Have Anarchists or Social…Democrats the most
personal courage? We have gone into the principles of Anarchism
and Social…Democracy at great length。 The cause of Anarchy has
been ably represented by our one Anarchist; who doesn't know what
Anarchism means 'laughter'

THE ANARCHIST。 'rising' A point of order; Mendoza

MENDOZA。 'forcibly' No; by thunder: your last point of order took
half an hour。 Besides; Anarchists don't believe in order。

THE ANARCHIST。 'mild; polite but persistent: he is; in fact; the
respectable looking elderly man in the celluloid collar and
cuffs' That is a vulgar error。 I can prove

MENDOZA。 Order; order。

THE OTHERS 'shouting' Order; order。 Sit down。 Chair! Shut up。

The Anarchist is suppressed。

MENDOZA。 On the other hand we have three Social…Democrats among
us。 They are not on speaking terms; and they have put before us
three distinct and incompatible views of Social…Democracy。

THE MAJORITY。 'shouting assent' Hear; hear! So we are。 Right。

THE ROWDY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 'smarting under oppression' You ain't
no Christian。 You're a Sheeny; you are。

MENDOZA。 'with crushing magnanimity' My friend; I am an exception
to all rules。 It is true that I have the honor to be a Jew; and;
when the Zionists need a leader to reassemble our race on its
historic soil of Palestine; Mendoza will not be the last to
volunteer 'sympathetic applausehear; hear; etc。'。 But I am not
a slave to any superstition。 I have swallowed all the formulas;
even that of Socialism; though; in a sense; once a Socialist;
always a Socialist。

THE SOCIAL…DEMOCRATS。 Hear; hear!

MENDOZA。 But I am well aware that the ordinary maneven the
ordinary brigand; who can scarcely be called an ordinary man
'Hear; hear!'is not a philosopher。 Common sense is good enough
for him; and in our business affairs common sense is good enough
for me。 Well; what is our business here in the Sierra Nevada;
chosen by the Moors as the fairest spot in Spain? Is it to
discuss abstruse questions of political economy? No: it is to
hold up motor cars and secure a more equitable distribution of
wealth。

THE SULKY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 All made by labor; mind you。

MENDOZA。 'urbanely' Undoubtedly。 All made by labor; and on its
way to be squandered by wealthy vagabonds in the dens of vice
that disfigure the sunny shores of the Mediterranean。 We
intercept that wealth。 We restore it to circulation among the
class that produced it and that chiefly needs itthe working
class。 We do this at the risk of our lives and liberties; by the
exercise of the virtues of courage; endurance; foresight; and
abstinenceespecially abstinence。 I myself have eaten nothing
but prickly pears and broiled rabbit for three days。

THE SULKY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 (Stubbornly' No more ain't we。

MENDOZA。 'indignantly' Have I taken more than my share?

THE SULKY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 'unmoved' Why should you?

THE ANARCHIST。 Why should he not? To each according to his needs:
from each according to his means。

THE FRENCHMAN。 'shaking his fist at the anarchist' Fumiste!

MENDOZA。 'diplomatically' I agree with both of you。

THE GENUINELY ENGLISH BRIGANDS。 Hear; hear! Bravo; Mendoza!

MENDOZA。 What I say is; let us treat one another as gentlemen;
and strive to excel in personal courage only when we take the
field。

THE ROWDY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 'derisively' Shikespear。

A whistle comes from the goatherd on the hill。 He springs up and
points excitedly forward along the road to the north。

THE GOATHERD。 Automobile! Automobile! 'He rushes down the hill
and joins the rest; who all scramble to their feet'。

MENDOZA。 'in ringing tones' To arms! Who has the gun?

THE SULKY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 'handing a rifle to Mendoza' Here。

MENDOZA。 Have the nails been strewn in the road?

THE ROWDY SOCIAL…DEM0CRAT。 Two ahnces of em。

MENDOZA。 Good! 'To the Frenchman' With me; Duval。 If the nails
fail; puncture their tires with a bullet。 'He gives the rifle to
Duval; who follows him up the hill。 Mendoza produces an opera
glass。 The others hurry across to the road and disappear to the
north'。

MENDOZA。 'on the hill; using his glass' Two only; a capitalist
and his chauffeur。 They look English。

DUVAL。 Angliche! Aoh yess。 Cochons! 'Handling the rifle' Faut
tire; n'est…ce…pas?

MENDOZA。 No: the nails have gone home。 Their tire is down: they
stop。

DUVAL。 'shouting to the others' Fondez sur eux; nom de Dieu!

MENDOZA。 'rebuking his excitement' Du calme; Duval: keep your
hair on。 They take it quietly。 Let us descend and receive them。

Mendoza descends; passing behind the fire and coming forward;
whilst Tanner and Straker; in their motoring goggles; leather
coats; and caps; are led in from the road by brigands。

TANNER。 Is this the gentleman you describe as your boss? Does he
speak English?

THE ROWDY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 Course he does。 Y'don't suppowz we
Hinglishmen lets ahrselves be bossed by a bloomin Spenniard; do
you?

MENDOZA。 'with dignity' Allow me to introduce myself: Mendoza;
President of the League of the Sierra! 'Posing loftily' I am a
brigand: I live by robbing the rich。

TANNER。 'promptly' I am a gentleman: I live by robbing the poor。
Shake hands。

THE ENGLISH SOCIAL…DEMOCRATS。 Hear; hear!

General laughter and good humor。 Tanner and Mendoza shake hands。
The Brigands drop into their former places

STRAKER。 Ere! where do I come in?

TANNER。 'introducing' My friend and chauffeur。

THE SULKY SOCIAL…DEMOCRAT。 'suspiciously' Well; which is he?
friend or show…foor? It makes all the difference you know。

MENDOZA。 'explaining' We should expect ransom for a friend。 A
professional chauffeur is free of the mountains。 He even takes a
trifling percentage of his princpal's ransom if he will honor us
by accepting it。

STRAKER。 I see。 Just to encourage me to come this way again。
Well; I'll think about it。

DUVAL。 'impulsively rushing across to Straker' Mon frere! 'He
embraces him rapturously and kisses him on both cheeks'。

STRAKER。 'disguested' Ere; git out: don't be silly。 Who are you;
pray?

DUVAL。 Duval: Social…Democrat。

STRAKER。 Oh; you're a Social…Democrat; are you?

THE ANARCHIST。 He means that he has sold out to the parliamentary
humbugs and the bourgeoisie。 Compromise! that is his faith。

DUVAL。 'furiously' I understand what he say。 He say Bourgeois。 He
say Compromise。 Jamais de la vie! Miserable menteur

STRAKER。 See here; Captain Mendoza; ow much o this sort o thing
do you put up with here? Are we avin a pleasure trip in the
mountains; or are we at a Socialist meetin?

THE MAJORITY。 Hear; hear! Shut up。 Chuck it。 Sit down; etc。 etc。
'The Social…Democrats and the Anarchist are hurtled into the
background。 Straker; after superintending this proceeding with
satisfaction; places himself on Mendoza's left; Tanner being on
his right'。

MENDOZA。 Can we offer you anything? Broiled rabbit and prickly
pears

TANNER。 Thank you: we have dined。

MENDOZA。 'to his followers' Gentlemen: business is over for the
day。 Go as you please until morning。

The Brigands disperse into groups lazily。 Some go into the cave。
Others sit down or lie down to sleep in the open。 A few produce a
pack of cards and move off towards the road; for it is now
starlight; and they know that motor cars have lamps which can be
turned to account for lighting a card party。

STRAKER。 

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