don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第124节

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take　her　out　of　the　stubble；　and　place　her　under　a　canopy；　on　a
dais；　and　on　a　couch；　with　more　velvet　cushions　than　all　the　Almohades
of　Morocco　ever　had　in　their　family；　why　won't　you　consent　and　fall　in
with　my　wishes？〃
　　〃Do　you　know　why；　husband？〃　replied　Teresa；　〃because　of　the
proverb　that　says　'who　covers　thee；　discovers　thee。'　At　the　poor　man
people　only　throw　a　hasty　glance；　on　the　rich　man　they　fix　their　eyes；
and　if　the　said　rich　man　was　once　on　a　time　poor；　it　is　then　there
is　the　sneering　and　the　tattle　and　spite　of　backbiters；　and　in　the
streets　here　they　swarm　as　thick　as　bees。〃
　　〃Look　here；　Teresa；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　listen　to　what　I　am　now　going
to　say　to　you；　maybe　you　never　heard　it　in　all　your　life；　and　I　do　not
give　my　own　notions；　for　what　I　am　about　to　say　are　the　opinions　of
his　reverence　the　preacher；　who　preached　in　this　town　last　Lent；　and
who　said；　if　I　remember　rightly；　that　all　things　present　that　our　eyes
behold；　bring　themselves　before　us；　and　remain　and　fix　themselves　on
our　memory　much　better　and　more　forcibly　than　things　past。〃
　　These　observations　which　Sancho　makes　here　are　the　other　ones　on
account　of　which　the　translator　says　he　regards　this　chapter　as
apocryphal；　inasmuch　as　they　are　beyond　Sancho's　capacity。
　　〃Whence　it　arises；〃　he　continued；　〃that　when　we　see　any　person
well　dressed　and　making　a　figure　with　rich　garments　and　retinue　of
servants；　it　seems　to　lead　and　impel　us　perforce　to　respect　him；
though　memory　may　at　the　same　moment　recall　to　us　some　lowly　condition
in　which　we　have　seen　him；　but　which；　whether　it　may　have　been　poverty
or　low　birth；　being　now　a　thing　of　the　past；　has　no　existence；　while
the　only　thing　that　has　any　existence　is　what　we　see　before　us；　and　if
this　person　whom　fortune　has　raised　from　his　original　lowly　state
（these　were　the　very　words　the　padre　used）　to　his　present　height　of
prosperity；　be　well　bred；　generous；　courteous　to　all；　without
seeking　to　vie　with　those　whose　nobility　is　of　ancient　date；　depend
upon　it；　Teresa；　no　one　will　remember　what　he　was；　and　everyone　will
respect　what　he　is；　except　indeed　the　envious；　from　whom　no　fair
fortune　is　safe。〃
　　〃I　do　not　understand　you；　husband；〃　replied　Teresa；　〃do　as　you　like；
and　don't　break　my　head　with　any　more　speechifying　and　rethoric；　and
if　you　have　revolved　to　do　what　you　say…〃
　　〃Resolved；　you　should　say；　woman；〃　said　Sancho；　〃not　revolved。〃
　　〃Don't　set　yourself　to　wrangle　with　me；　husband；〃　said　Teresa；　〃I
speak　as　God　pleases；　and　don't　deal　in　out…of…the…way　phrases；　and
I　say　if　you　are　bent　upon　having　a　government；　take　your　son　Sancho
with　you；　and　teach　him　from　this　time　on　how　to　hold　a　government；
for　sons　ought　to　inherit　and　learn　the　trades　of　their　fathers。〃
　　〃As　soon　as　I　have　the　government；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　will　send　for
him　by　post；　and　I　will　send　thee　money；　of　which　I　shall　have　no
lack；　for　there　is　never　any　want　of　people　to　lend　it　to　governors
when　they　have　not　got　it；　and　do　thou　dress　him　so　as　to　hide　what　he
is　and　make　him　look　what　he　is　to　be。〃
　　〃You　send　the　money；〃　said　Teresa；　〃and　I'll　dress　him　up　for　you　as
fine　as　you　please。〃
　　〃Then　we　are　agreed　that　our　daughter　is　to　be　a　countess；〃　said
Sancho。
　　〃The　day　that　I　see　her　a　countess；〃　replied　Teresa；　〃it　will　be　the
same　to　me　as　if　I　was　burying　her；　but　once　more　I　say　do　as　you
please；　for　we　women　are　born　to　this　burden　of　being　obedient　to
our　husbands；　though　they　be　dogs；〃　and　with　this　she　began　to　weep　in
earnest；　as　if　she　already　saw　Sanchica　dead　and　buried。
　　Sancho　consoled　her　by　saying　that　though　he　must　make　her　a
countess；　he　would　put　it　off　as　long　as　possible。　Here　their
conversation　came　to　an　end；　and　Sancho　went　back　to　see　Don
Quixote；　and　make　arrangements　for　their　departure。

　　CHAPTER　VI
　　OF　WHAT　TOOK　PLACE　BETWEEN　DON　QUIXOTE　AND　HIS　NIECE　AND
HOUSEKEEPER；　ONE　OF　THE　MOST　IMPORTANT　CHAPTERS　IN　THE　WHOLE　HISTORY

　　WHILE　Sancho　Panza　and　his　wife；　Teresa　Cascajo；　held　the　above
irrelevant　conversation；　Don　Quixote's　niece　and　housekeeper　were
not　idle；　for　by　a　thousand　signs　they　began　to　perceive　that　their
uncle　and　master　meant　to　give　them　the　slip　the　third　time；　and
once　more　betake　himself　to　his；　for　them；　ill…errant　chivalry。　They
strove　by　all　the　means　in　their　power　to　divert　him　from　such　an
unlucky　scheme；　but　it　was　all　preaching　in　the　desert　and　hammering
cold　iron。　Nevertheless；　among　many　other　representations　made　to　him；
the　housekeeper　said　to　him；　〃In　truth；　master；　if　you　do　not　keep
still　and　stay　quiet　at　home；　and　give　over　roaming　mountains　and
valleys　like　a　troubled　spirit；　looking　for　what　they　say　are　called
adventures；　but　what　I　call　misfortunes；　I　shall　have　to　make
complaint　to　God　and　the　king　with　loud　supplication　to　send　some
remedy。〃
　　To　which　Don　Quixote　replied；　〃What　answer　God　will　give　to　your
complaints；　housekeeper；　I　know　not；　nor　what　his　Majesty　will
answer　either；　I　only　know　that　if　I　were　king　I　should　decline　to
answer　the　numberless　silly　petitions　they　present　every　day；　for
one　of　the　greatest　among　the　many　troubles　kings　have　is　being
obliged　to　listen　to　all　and　answer　all；　and　therefore　I　should　be
sorry　that　any　affairs　of　mine　should　worry　him。〃
　　Whereupon　the　housekeeper　said；　〃Tell　us；　senor；　at　his　Majesty's
court　are　there　no　knights？〃
　　〃There　are；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　plenty　of　them；　and　it　is
right　there　should　be；　to　set　off　the　dignity　of　the　prince；　and　for
the　greater　glory　of　the　king's　majesty。〃
　　〃Then　might　not　your　worship；〃　said　she；　〃be　one　of　those　that；
without　stirring　a　step；　serve　their　king　and　lord　in　his　court？〃
　　〃Recollect；　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃all　knights　cannot　be
courtiers；　nor　can　all　courtiers　be　knights…errant；　nor　need　they
be。　There　must　be　all　sorts　in　the　world；　and　though　we　may　be　all
knights；　there　is　a　great　difference　between　one　and　another；　for
the　courtiers；　without　quitting　their　chambers；　or　the　threshold　of
the　court；　range　the　world　over　by　looking　at　a　map；　without　its
costing　them　a　farthing；　and　without　suffering　heat　or　cold；　hunger　or
thirst；　but　we；　the　true　knights…errant；　measure　the　whole　earth
with　our　own　feet；　exposed　to　the　sun；　to　the　cold；　to　the　air；　to　the
inclemencies　of　heaven；　by　day　and　night；　on　foot　and　on　horseback；
nor　do　we　only　know　enemies　in　pictures；　but　in　their　own　real　shapes；
and　at　all　risks　and　on　all　occasions　we　attack　them；　without　any
regard　to　childish　points　or　rules　of　single　combat；　whether　one　has
or　has　not　a　shorter　lance　or　sword；　whether　one　carries　relics　or　any
secret　contrivance　about　him；　whether　or　not　the　sun　is　to　be
divided　and　portioned　out；　and　other　niceties　of　the　sort　that　are
observed　in　set　combats　of　man　to　man；　that　you　know　nothing　about；
but　I　do。　And　you　must　know　besides；　that　the　true　knight…errant；
though　he　may　see　ten　giants；　that　not　only　touch　the　clouds　with
their　heads　but　pierce　them；　and　that　go；　each　of　them；　on　two　tall
towers　by　way　of　legs；　and　whose　arms　are　like　the　masts　of　mighty
ships；　and　each　eye　like　a　great　mill…wheel；　and　glowing　brighter　than
a　glass　furnace；　must　not　on　any　account　be　dismayed　by　them。　On　the
contrary；　he　must　attack　and　fall　upon　them　with　a　gallant　bearing　and
a　fearless　heart；　and；　if　possible；　vanquish　and　destroy　them；　even
though　they　have　for　armour　the　shells　of　a　certain　fish；　that　they
say　are　harder　than　diamonds；　and　in　place　of　swords　wield　trenchant
blades　of　Damascus　steel；　or　clubs　studded　with　spikes　also　of
steel；　such　as　I　have　more　than　once　seen。　All　this　I　say；
housekeeper；　that　you　may　see　the　difference　there　is　between　the
one　sort　of　knight　and　the　other；　and　it　would　be　well　if　there　were
no　prince　who　did　not　set　a　higher　value　on　this　second；　or　more
properly　speaking　first；　kind　of　knights…errant；　for；　as　we　read　in
their　histories；　there　have　been　some　among　them　who　have　been　the
salvation；　not　merely　of　one　kingdom；　but　of　many。〃
　　〃Ah；　senor；〃　here　exclaimed　the　niece；　〃remember　that　all　this　you
are　saying　about　knights…errant　is　fable　and　fiction；　and　their
histories；　if　indeed　they　were　not　burned；　would　deserve；　each　of
them；　to　have　a　sambenito　put　on　it；　or　some　mark　by　which　it　might　be
known　as　infamous　and　a　corrupter　of　good　manners。〃
　　〃By　the　God　that　gives　me　life；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃if　thou　wert　not
my　full　niece；　being　daughter　of　my　own　sister；　I　would　inflict　a
chastisement　upon　thee　for　the　blasphemy　thou　hast　uttered　that　all
the　world　should　ring　with。　What！　can　it　be　that　a　young　hussy　that
hardly　knows　how　to　handle　a　dozen　lace…bobbins　dares　to　wag　her
tongue　and　criticise　the　histories　of　knights…errant？　What　would　Senor
Amadis　say　if　he　heard　of　such　a　thing？　He；　however；　no　doubt　would
forgive　thee；　for　he　was　the　most　humble…minded　and　courteous　knight
of　his　time；　and　moreover　a　great　protector　of　damsels；　but　some　there
are　that　might　have　heard　thee；　and　it　would　not　have　been　well　for
thee　in　that　case；　for　they　are　not　all　courteous　or　mannerly；　some
are　ill…conditioned　scoundrels；　nor　is　it　everyone　that　calls
himself　a　gentlema