don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第215节

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I　tell　him　I　have　neither　pullets　nor　hens；　and　he　wants　me　to　have
eggs！　Talk　of　other　dainties；　if　you　please；　and　don't　ask　for　hens
again。〃
　　〃Body　o'　me！〃　said　Sancho；　〃let's　settle　the　matter；　say　at　once
what　you　have　got；　and　let　us　have　no　more　words　about　it。〃
　　〃In　truth　and　earnest；　senor　guest；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃all　I
have　is　a　couple　of　cow…heels　like　calves'　feet；　or　a　couple　of
calves'　feet　like　cowheels；　they　are　boiled　with　chick…peas；　onions；
and　bacon；　and　at　this　moment　they　are　crying　'Come　eat　me；　come　eat
me。〃
　　〃I　mark　them　for　mine　on　the　spot；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　nobody　touch
them；　I'll　pay　better　for　them　than　anyone　else；　for　I　could　not
wish　for　anything　more　to　my　taste；　and　I　don't　care　a　pin　whether
they　are　feet　or　heels。〃
　　〃Nobody　shall　touch　them；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃for　the　other
guests　I　have；　being　persons　of　high　quality；　bring　their　own　cook　and
caterer　and　larder　with　them。〃
　　〃If　you　come　to　people　of　quality；〃　said　Sancho；　〃there's　nobody
more　so　than　my　master；　but　the　calling　he　follows　does　not　allow　of
larders　or　store…rooms；　we　lay　ourselves　down　in　the　middle　of　a
meadow；　and　fill　ourselves　with　acorns　or　medlars。〃
　　Here　ended　Sancho's　conversation　with　the　landlord；　Sancho　not
caring　to　carry　it　any　farther　by　answering　him；　for　he　had　already
asked　him　what　calling　or　what　profession　it　was　his　master　was　of。
　　Supper…time　having　come；　then；　Don　Quixote　betook　himself　to　his
room；　the　landlord　brought　in　the　stew…pan　just　as　it　was；　and　he
sat　himself　down　to　sup　very　resolutely。　It　seems　that　in　another
room；　which　was　next　to　Don　Quixote's；　with　nothing　but　a　thin
partition　to　separate　it；　he　overheard　these　words；　〃As　you　live；
Senor　Don　Jeronimo；　while　they　are　bringing　supper；　let　us　read
another　chapter　of　the　Second　Part　of　'Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha。'〃
　　The　instant　Don　Quixote　heard　his　own　name　be　started　to　his　feet
and　listened　with　open　ears　to　catch　what　they　said　about　him；　and
heard　the　Don　Jeronimo　who　had　been　addressed　say　in　reply；　〃Why　would
you　have　us　read　that　absurd　stuff；　Don　Juan；　when　it　is　impossible
for　anyone　who　has　read　the　First　Part　of　the　history　of　'Don
Quixote　of　La　Mancha'　to　take　any　pleasure　in　reading　this　Second
Part？〃
　　〃For　all　that；〃　said　he　who　was　addressed　as　Don　Juan；　〃we　shall
do　well　to　read　it；　for　there　is　no　book　so　bad　but　it　has　something
good　in　it。　What　displeases　me　most　in　it　is　that　it　represents　Don
Quixote　as　now　cured　of　his　love　for　Dulcinea　del　Toboso。〃
　　On　hearing　this　Don　Quixote；　full　of　wrath　and　indignation；　lifted
up　his　voice　and　said；　〃Whoever　he　may　be　who　says　that　Don　Quixote　of
La　Mancha　has　forgotten　or　can　forget　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　I　will
teach　him　with　equal　arms　that　what　he　says　is　very　far　from　the
truth；　for　neither　can　the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　be
forgotten；　nor　can　forgetfulness　have　a　place　in　Don　Quixote；　his
motto　is　constancy；　and　his　profession　to　maintain　the　same　with　his
life　and　never　wrong　it。〃
　　〃Who　is　this　that　answers　us？〃　said　they　in　the　next　room。
　　〃Who　should　it　be；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha
himself；　who　will　make　good　all　he　has　said　and　all　he　will　say；　for
pledges　don't　trouble　a　good　payer。〃
　　Sancho　had　hardly　uttered　these　words　when　two　gentlemen；　for　such
they　seemed　to　be；　entered　the　room；　and　one　of　them；　throwing　his
arms　round　Don　Quixote's　neck；　said　to　him；　〃Your　appearance　cannot
leave　any　question　as　to　your　name；　nor　can　your　name　fail　to　identify
your　appearance；　unquestionably；　senor；　you　are　the　real　Don　Quixote
of　La　Mancha；　cynosure　and　morning　star　of　knight…errantry；　despite
and　in　defiance　of　him　who　has　sought　to　usurp　your　name　and　bring
to　naught　your　achievements；　as　the　author　of　this　book　which　I　here
present　to　you　has　done；〃　and　with　this　he　put　a　book　which　his
companion　carried　into　the　hands　of　Don　Quixote；　who　took　it；　and
without　replying　began　to　run　his　eye　over　it；　but　he　presently
returned　it　saying；　〃In　the　little　I　have　seen　I　have　discovered　three
things　in　this　author　that　deserve　to　be　censured。　The　first　is　some
words　that　I　have　read　in　the　preface；　the　next　that　the　language　is
Aragonese；　for　sometimes　he　writes　without　articles；　and　the　third；
which　above　all　stamps　him　as　ignorant；　is　that　he　goes　wrong　and
departs　from　the　truth　in　the　most　important　part　of　the　history；
for　here　he　says　that　my　squire　Sancho　Panza's　wife　is　called　Mari
Gutierrez；　when　she　is　called　nothing　of　the　sort；　but　Teresa　Panza；
and　when　a　man　errs　on　such　an　important　point　as　this　there　is　good
reason　to　fear　that　he　is　in　error　on　every　other　point　in　the
history。〃
　　〃A　nice　sort　of　historian；　indeed！〃　exclaimed　Sancho　at　this；　〃he
must　know　a　deal　about　our　affairs　when　he　calls　my　wife　Teresa　Panza；
Mari　Gutierrez；　take　the　book　again；　senor；　and　see　if　I　am　in　it
and　if　he　has　changed　my　name。〃
　　〃From　your　talk；　friend；〃　said　Don　Jeronimo；　〃no　doubt　you　are
Sancho　Panza；　Senor　Don　Quixote's　squire。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　am；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　I'm　proud　of　it。〃
　　〃Faith；　then；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃this　new　author　does　not
handle　you　with　the　decency　that　displays　itself　in　your　person；　he
makes　you　out　a　heavy　feeder　and　a　fool；　and　not　in　the　least　droll；
and　a　very　different　being　from　the　Sancho　described　in　the　First　Part
of　your　master's　history。〃
　　〃God　forgive　him；〃　said　Sancho；　〃he　might　have　left　me　in　my
corner　without　troubling　his　head　about　me；　'let　him　who　knows　how
ring　the　bells；　'Saint　Peter　is　very　well　in　Rome。'〃
　　The　two　gentlemen　pressed　Don　Quixote　to　come　into　their　room　and
have　supper　with　them；　as　they　knew　very　well　there　was　nothing　in
that　inn　fit　for　one　of　his　sort。　Don　Quixote；　who　was　always
polite；　yielded　to　their　request　and　supped　with　them。　Sancho　stayed
behind　with　the　stew。　and　invested　with　plenary　delegated　authority
seated　himself　at　the　head　of　the　table；　and　the　landlord　sat　down
with　him；　for　he　was　no　less　fond　of　cow…heel　and　calves'　feet　than
Sancho　was。
　　While　at　supper　Don　Juan　asked　Don　Quixote　what　news　he　had　of　the
lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　was　she　married；　had　she　been　brought　to
bed；　or　was　she　with　child；　or　did　she　in　maidenhood；　still　preserving
her　modesty　and　delicacy；　cherish　the　remembrance　of　the　tender
passion　of　Senor　Don　Quixote？
　　To　this　he　replied；　〃Dulcinea　is　a　maiden　still；　and　my　passion　more
firmly　rooted　than　ever；　our　intercourse　unsatisfactory　as　before；　and
her　beauty　transformed　into　that　of　a　foul　country　wench；〃　and　then　he
proceeded　to　give　them　a　full　and　particular　account　of　the
enchantment　of　Dulcinea；　and　of　what　had　happened　him　in　the　cave　of
Montesinos；　together　with　what　the　sage　Merlin　had　prescribed　for
her　disenchantment；　namely　the　scourging　of　Sancho。
　　Exceedingly　great　was　the　amusement　the　two　gentlemen　derived　from
hearing　Don　Quixote　recount　the　strange　incidents　of　his　history；
and　if　they　were　amazed　by　his　absurdities　they　were　equally　amazed　by
the　elegant　style　in　which　he　delivered　them。　On　the　one　hand　they
regarded　him　as　a　man　of　wit　and　sense；　and　on　the　other　he　seemed
to　them　a　maundering　blockhead；　and　they　could　not　make　up　their　minds
whereabouts　between　wisdom　and　folly　they　ought　to　place　him。
　　Sancho　having　finished　his　supper；　and　left　the　landlord　in　the　X
condition；　repaired　to　the　room　where　his　master　was；　and　as　he　came
in　said；　〃May　I　die；　sirs；　if　the　author　of　this　book　your　worships
have　got　has　any　mind　that　we　should　agree；　as　he　calls　me　glutton
（according　to　what　your　worships　say）　I　wish　he　may　not　call　me
drunkard　too。〃
　　〃But　he　does；〃　said　Don　Jeronimo；　〃I　cannot　remember；　however；　in
what　way；　though　I　know　his　words　are　offensive；　and　what　is　more；
lying；　as　I　can　see　plainly　by　the　physiognomy　of　the　worthy　Sancho
before　me。〃
　　〃Believe　me；〃　said　Sancho；　〃the　Sancho　and　the　Don　Quixote　of　this
history　must　be　different　persons　from　those　that　appear　in　the　one
Cide　Hamete　Benengeli　wrote；　who　are　ourselves；　my　master　valiant；
wise；　and　true　in　love；　and　I　simple；　droll；　and　neither　glutton　nor
drunkard。〃
　　〃I　believe　it；〃　said　Don　Juan；　〃and　were　it　possible；　an　order
should　be　issued　that　no　one　should　have　the　presumption　to　deal
with　anything　relating　to　Don　Quixote；　save　his　original　author　Cide
Hamete；　just　as　Alexander　commanded　that　no　one　should　presume　to
paint　his　portrait　save　Apelles。〃
　　〃Let　him　who　will　paint　me；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　let　him　not
abuse　me；　for　patience　will　often　break　down　when　they　heap　insults
upon　it。〃
　　〃None　can　be　offered　to　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　said　Don　Juan；　〃that
he　himself　will　not　be　able　to　avenge；　if　he　does　not　ward　it　off　with
the　shield　of　his　patience；　which；　I　take　it；　is　great　and　strong。〃
　　A　considerable　portion　of　the　night　passed　in　conversation　of　this
sort；　and　though　Don　Juan　wished　Don　Quixote　to　read　more　of　the
book　to　see　what　it　was　all　about；　he　was　not　to　be　prevailed　upon；
saying　that　he　treated　it　as　read　and　pronounced　it　utterly　silly；
and；　if　by　any　chance　it　should　come　to　its　author's　ears　that　he
had　it　in　his　hand；　he　did　not　want　him　to　flatter　himself　with　the
i