don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第2节

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described　accurately　his　origin　and　country；　and　did　honour　to　it　in
taking　his　surname　from　it。
　　So　then；　his　armour　being　furbished；　his　morion　turned　into　a
helmet；　his　hack　christened；　and　he　himself　confirmed；　he　came　to
the　conclusion　that　nothing　more　was　needed　now　but　to　look　out　for
a　lady　to　be　in　love　with；　for　a　knight…errant　without　love　was　like　a
tree　without　leaves　or　fruit；　or　a　body　without　a　soul。　As　he　said
to　himself；　〃If；　for　my　sins；　or　by　my　good　fortune；　I　come　across
some　giant　hereabouts；　a　common　occurrence　with　knights…errant；　and
overthrow　him　in　one　onslaught；　or　cleave　him　asunder　to　the　waist；
or；　in　short；　vanquish　and　subdue　him；　will　it　not　be　well　to　have
some　one　I　may　send　him　to　as　a　present；　that　he　may　come　in　and
fall　on　his　knees　before　my　sweet　lady；　and　in　a　humble；　submissive
voice　say；　'I　am　the　giant　Caraculiambro；　lord　of　the　island　of
Malindrania；　vanquished　in　single　combat　by　the　never　sufficiently
extolled　knight　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　who　has　commanded　me　to
present　myself　before　your　Grace；　that　your　Highness　dispose　of　me
at　your　pleasure'？〃　Oh；　how　our　good　gentleman　enjoyed　the　delivery　of
this　speech；　especially　when　he　had　thought　of　some　one　to　call　his
Lady！　There　was；　so　the　story　goes；　in　a　village　near　his　own　a　very
good…looking　farm…girl　with　whom　he　had　been　at　one　time　in　love；
though；　so　far　as　is　known；　she　never　knew　it　nor　gave　a　thought　to
the　matter。　Her　name　was　Aldonza　Lorenzo；　and　upon　her　he　thought
fit　to　confer　the　title　of　Lady　of　his　Thoughts；　and　after　some　search
for　a　name　which　should　not　be　out　of　harmony　with　her　own；　and　should
suggest　and　indicate　that　of　a　princess　and　great　lady；　he　decided
upon　calling　her　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　…she　being　of　El　Toboso…　a
name；　to　his　mind；　musical；　uncommon；　and　significant；　like　all
those　he　had　already　bestowed　upon　himself　and　the　things　belonging　to
him。

　　CHAPTER　II
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　FIRST　SALLY　THE　INGENIOUS　DON　QUIXOTE　MADE
FROM　HOME

　　THESE　preliminaries　settled；　he　did　not　care　to　put　off　any　longer
the　execution　of　his　design；　urged　on　to　it　by　the　thought　of　all
the　world　was　losing　by　his　delay；　seeing　what　wrongs　he　intended　to
right；　grievances　to　redress；　injustices　to　repair；　abuses　to
remove；　and　duties　to　discharge。　So；　without　giving　notice　of　his
intention　to　anyone；　and　without　anybody　seeing　him；　one　morning
before　the　dawning　of　the　day　（which　was　one　of　the　hottest　of　the
month　of　July）　he　donned　his　suit　of　armour；　mounted　Rocinante　with
his　patched…up　helmet　on；　braced　his　buckler；　took　his　lance；　and　by
the　back　door　of　the　yard　sallied　forth　upon　the　plain　in　the
highest　contentment　and　satisfaction　at　seeing　with　what　ease　he　had
made　a　beginning　with　his　grand　purpose。　But　scarcely　did　he　find
himself　upon　the　open　plain；　when　a　terrible　thought　struck　him；　one
all　but　enough　to　make　him　abandon　the　enterprise　at　the　very
outset。　It　occurred　to　him　that　he　had　not　been　dubbed　a　knight；　and
that　according　to　the　law　of　chivalry　he　neither　could　nor　ought　to
bear　arms　against　any　knight；　and　that　even　if　he　had　been；　still　he
ought；　as　a　novice　knight；　to　wear　white　armour；　without　a　device　upon
the　shield　until　by　his　prowess　he　had　earned　one。　These　reflections
made　him　waver　in　his　purpose；　but　his　craze　being　stronger　than　any
reasoning；　he　made　up　his　mind　to　have　himself　dubbed　a　knight　by
the　first　one　he　came　across；　following　the　example　of　others　in　the
same　case；　as　he　had　read　in　the　books　that　brought　him　to　this
pass。　As　for　white　armour；　he　resolved；　on　the　first　opportunity；　to
scour　his　until　it　was　whiter　than　an　ermine；　and　so　comforting
himself　he　pursued　his　way；　taking　that　which　his　horse　chose；　for
in　this　he　believed　lay　the　essence　of　adventures。
　　Thus　setting　out；　our　new…fledged　adventurer　paced　along；　talking　to
himself　and　saying；　〃Who　knows　but　that　in　time　to　come；　when　the
veracious　history　of　my　famous　deeds　is　made　known；　the　sage　who
writes　it；　when　he　has　to　set　forth　my　first　sally　in　the　early
morning；　will　do　it　after　this　fashion？　'Scarce　had　the　rubicund
Apollo　spread　o'er　the　face　of　the　broad　spacious　earth　the　golden
threads　of　his　bright　hair；　scarce　had　the　little　birds　of　painted
plumage　attuned　their　notes　to　hail　with　dulcet　and　mellifluous
harmony　the　coming　of　the　rosy　Dawn；　that；　deserting　the　soft　couch　of
her　jealous　spouse；　was　appearing　to　mortals　at　the　gates　and
balconies　of　the　Manchegan　horizon；　when　the　renowned　knight　Don
Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　quitting　the　lazy　down；　mounted　his　celebrated
steed　Rocinante　and　began　to　traverse　the　ancient　and　famous　Campo
de　Montiel；'〃　which　in　fact　he　was　actually　traversing。　〃Happy　the
age；　happy　the　time；〃　he　continued；　〃in　which　shall　be　made　known　my
deeds　of　fame；　worthy　to　be　moulded　in　brass；　carved　in　marble；　limned
in　pictures；　for　a　memorial　for　ever。　And　thou；　O　sage　magician；
whoever　thou　art；　to　whom　it　shall　fall　to　be　the　chronicler　of　this
wondrous　history；　forget　not；　I　entreat　thee；　my　good　Rocinante；　the
constant　companion　of　my　ways　and　wanderings。〃　Presently　he　broke
out　again；　as　if　he　were　love…stricken　in　earnest；　〃O　Princess
Dulcinea；　lady　of　this　captive　heart；　a　grievous　wrong　hast　thou
done　me　to　drive　me　forth　with　scorn；　and　with　inexorable　obduracy
banish　me　from　the　presence　of　thy　beauty。　O　lady；　deign　to　hold　in
remembrance　this　heart；　thy　vassal；　that　thus　in　anguish　pines　for
love　of　thee。〃
　　So　he　went　on　stringing　together　these　and　other　absurdities；　all　in
the　style　of　those　his　books　had　taught　him；　imitating　their
language　as　well　as　he　could；　and　all　the　while　he　rode　so　slowly
and　the　sun　mounted　so　rapidly　and　with　such　fervour　that　it　was
enough　to　melt　his　brains　if　he　had　any。　Nearly　all　day　he　travelled
without　anything　remarkable　happening　to　him；　at　which　he　was　in
despair；　for　he　was　anxious　to　encounter　some　one　at　once　upon　whom　to
try　the　might　of　his　strong　arm。
　　Writers　there　are　who　say　the　first　adventure　he　met　with　was　that
of　Puerto　Lapice；　others　say　it　was　that　of　the　windmills；　but　what
I　have　ascertained　on　this　point；　and　what　I　have　found　written　in　the
annals　of　La　Mancha；　is　that　he　was　on　the　road　all　day；　and　towards
nightfall　his　hack　and　he　found　themselves　dead　tired　and　hungry；
when；　looking　all　around　to　see　if　he　could　discover　any　castle　or
shepherd's　shanty　where　he　might　refresh　himself　and　relieve　his
sore　wants；　he　perceived　not　far　out　of　his　road　an　inn；　which　was
as　welcome　as　a　star　guiding　him　to　the　portals；　if　not　the　palaces；
of　his　redemption；　and　quickening　his　pace　he　reached　it　just　as　night
was　setting　in。　At　the　door　were　standing　two　young　women；　girls　of
the　district　as　they　call　them；　on　their　way　to　Seville　with　some
carriers　who　had　chanced　to　halt　that　night　at　the　inn；　and　as；　happen
what　might　to　our　adventurer；　everything　he　saw　or　imaged　seemed　to
him　to　be　and　to　happen　after　the　fashion　of　what　he　read　of；　the
moment　he　saw　the　inn　he　pictured　it　to　himself　as　a　castle　with　its
four　turrets　and　pinnacles　of　shining　silver；　not　forgetting　the
drawbridge　and　moat　and　all　the　belongings　usually　ascribed　to　castles
of　the　sort。　To　this　inn；　which　to　him　seemed　a　castle；　he　advanced；
and　at　a　short　distance　from　it　he　checked　Rocinante；　hoping　that　some
dwarf　would　show　himself　upon　the　battlements；　and　by　sound　of　trumpet
give　notice　that　a　knight　was　approaching　the　castle。　But　seeing
that　they　were　slow　about　it；　and　that　Rocinante　was　in　a　hurry　to
reach　the　stable；　he　made　for　the　inn　door；　and　perceived　the　two
gay　damsels　who　were　standing　there；　and　who　seemed　to　him　to　be　two
fair　maidens　or　lovely　ladies　taking　their　ease　at　the　castle　gate。
　　At　this　moment　it　so　happened　that　a　swineherd　who　was　going　through
the　stubbles　collecting　a　drove　of　pigs　（for；　without　any　apology；
that　is　what　they　are　called）　gave　a　blast　of　his　horn　to　bring　them
together；　and　forthwith　it　seemed　to　Don　Quixote　to　be　what　he　was
expecting；　the　signal　of　some　dwarf　announcing　his　arrival；　and　so
with　prodigious　satisfaction　he　rode　up　to　the　inn　and　to　the
ladies；　who；　seeing　a　man　of　this　sort　approaching　in　full　armour
and　with　lance　and　buckler；　were　turning　in　dismay　into　the　inn；
when　Don　Quixote；　guessing　their　fear　by　their　flight；　raising　his
pasteboard　visor；　disclosed　his　dry　dusty　visage；　and　with　courteous
bearing　and　gentle　voice　addressed　them；　〃Your　ladyships　need　not
fly　or　fear　any　rudeness；　for　that　it　belongs　not　to　the　order　of
knighthood　which　I　profess　to　offer　to　anyone；　much　less　to　highborn
maidens　as　your　appearance　proclaims　you　to　be。〃　The　girls　were
looking　at　him　and　straining　their　eyes　to　make　out　the　features　which
the　clumsy　visor　obscured；　but　when　they　heard　themselves　called
maidens；　a　thing　so　much　out　of　their　line；　they　could　not　restrain
their　laughter；　which　made　Don　Quixote　wax　indignant；　and　say；
〃Modesty　becomes　the　fair；　and　moreover　laughter　that　has　little　cause
is　great　silliness；　this；　however；　I　say　not　to　pain　or　anger　you；　for
my　desire　is　none　other　than　to　serve　you。〃
　　The　incomprehensible