don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第176部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　　Where；　tracing　mystic　lines　and　characters；
　　My　soul　abideth　now；　there　came　to　me
　　The　sorrow…laden　plaint　of　her；　the　fair；
　　The　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso。
　　I　knew　of　her　enchantment　and　her　fate；
　　From　high…born　dame　to　peasant　wench　transformed
　　And　touched　with　pity；　first　I　turned　the　leaves
　　Of　countless　volumes　of　my　devilish　craft；
　　And　then；　in　this　grim　grisly　skeleton
　　Myself　encasing；　hither　have　I　come
　　To　show　where　lies　the　fitting　remedy
　　To　give　relief　in　such　a　piteous　case。
　　　　O　thou；　the　pride　and　pink　of　all　that　wear
　　The　adamantine　steel！　O　shining　light；
　　O　beacon；　polestar；　path　and　guide　of　all
　　Who；　scorning　slumber　and　the　lazy　down；
　　Adopt　the　toilsome　life　of　bloodstained　arms！
　　To　thee；　great　hero　who　all　praise　transcends；
　　La　Mancha's　lustre　and　Iberia's　star；
　　Don　Quixote；　wise　as　brave；　to　thee　I　say…
　　For　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso
　　Her　pristine　form　and　beauty　to　regain；
　　'T　is　needful　that　thy　esquire　Sancho　shall；
　　On　his　own　sturdy　buttocks　bared　to　heaven；
　　Three　thousand　and　three　hundred　lashes　lay；
　　And　that　they　smart　and　sting　and　hurt　him　well。
　　Thus　have　the　authors　of　her　woe　resolved。
　　And　this　is；　gentles；　wherefore　I　have　come。

　　〃By　all　that's　good；〃　exclaimed　Sancho　at　this；　〃I'll　just　as　soon
give　myself　three　stabs　with　a　dagger　as　three；　not　to　say　three
thousand；　lashes。　The　devil　take　such　a　way　of　disenchanting！　I
don't　see　what　my　backside　has　got　to　do　with　enchantments。　By　God；　if
Senor　Merlin　has　not　found　out　some　other　way　of　disenchanting　the
lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　she　may　go　to　her　grave　enchanted。〃
　　〃But　I'll　take　you；　Don　Clown　stuffed　with　garlic；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃and　tie　you　to　a　tree　as　naked　as　when　your　mother　brought
you　forth；　and　give　you；　not　to　say　three　thousand　three　hundred；
but　six　thousand　six　hundred　lashes；　and　so　well　laid　on　that　they
won't　be　got　rid　of　if　you　try　three　thousand　three　hundred　times；
don't　answer　me　a　word　or　I'll　tear　your　soul　out。〃
　　On　hearing　this　Merlin　said；　〃That　will　not　do；　for　the　lashes
worthy　Sancho　has　to　receive　must　be　given　of　his　own　free　will　and
not　by　force；　and　at　whatever　time　he　pleases；　for　there　is　no　fixed
limit　assigned　to　him；　but　it　is　permitted　him；　if　he　likes　to　commute
by　half　the　pain　of　this　whipping；　to　let　them　be　given　by　the　hand　of
another；　though　it　may　be　somewhat　weighty。〃
　　〃Not　a　hand；　my　own　or　anybody　else's；　weighty　or　weighable；　shall
touch　me；〃　said　Sancho。　〃Was　it　I　that　gave　birth　to　the　lady　Dulcinea
del　Toboso；　that　my　backside　is　to　pay　for　the　sins　of　her　eyes？　My
master；　indeed；　that's　a　part　of　her…　for；he's　always　calling　her
'my　life'　and　'my　soul；'　and　his　stay　and　prop…　may　and　ought　to
whip　himself　for　her　and　take　all　the　trouble　required　for　her
disenchantment。　But　for　me　to　whip　myself！　Abernuncio！〃
　　As　soon　as　Sancho　had　done　speaking　the　nymph　in　silver　that　was
at　the　side　of　Merlin's　ghost　stood　up；　and　removing　the　thin　veil
from　her　face　disclosed　one　that　seemed　to　all　something　more　than
exceedingly　beautiful；　and　with　a　masculine　freedom　from　embarrassment
and　in　a　voice　not　very　like　a　lady's；　addressing　Sancho　directly；
said；　〃Thou　wretched　squire；　soul　of　a　pitcher；　heart　of　a　cork
tree；　with　bowels　of　flint　and　pebbles；　if；　thou　impudent　thief；
they　bade　thee　throw　thyself　down　from　some　lofty　tower；　if；　enemy
of　mankind；　they　asked　thee　to　swallow　a　dozen　of　toads；　two　of
lizards；　and　three　of　adders；　if　they　wanted　thee　to　slay　thy　wife　and
children　with　a　sharp　murderous　scimitar；　it　would　be　no　wonder　for
thee　to　show　thyself　stubborn　and　squeamish。　But　to　make　a　piece　of
work　about　three　thousand　three　hundred　lashes；　what　every　poor　little
charity…boy　gets　every　month…　it　is　enough　to　amaze；　astonish；　astound
the　compassionate　bowels　of　all　who　hear　it；　nay；　all　who　come　to　hear
it　in　the　course　of　time。　Turn；　O　miserable；　hard…hearted　animal；
turn；　I　say；　those　timorous　owl's　eyes　upon　these　of　mine　that　are
compared　to　radiant　stars；　and　thou　wilt　see　them　weeping　trickling
streams　and　rills；　and　tracing　furrows；　tracks；　and　paths　over　the
fair　fields　of　my　cheeks。　Let　it　move　thee；　crafty；　ill…conditioned
monster；　to　see　my　blooming　youth…　still　in　its　teens；　for　I　am　not
yet　twenty…　wasting　and　withering　away　beneath　the　husk　of　a　rude
peasant　wench；　and　if　I　do　not　appear　in　that　shape　now；　it　is　a
special　favour　Senor　Merlin　here　has　granted　me；　to　the　sole　end
that　my　beauty　may　soften　thee；　for　the　tears　of　beauty　in　distress
turn　rocks　into　cotton　and　tigers　into　ewes。　Lay　on　to　that　hide　of
thine；　thou　great　untamed　brute；　rouse　up　thy　lusty　vigour　that　only
urges　thee　to　eat　and　eat；　and　set　free　the　softness　of　my　flesh；
the　gentleness　of　my　nature；　and　the　fairness　of　my　face。　And　if
thou　wilt　not　relent　or　come　to　reason　for　me；　do　so　for　the　sake　of
that　poor　knight　thou　hast　beside　thee；　thy　master　I　mean；　whose
soul　I　can　this　moment　see；　how　he　has　it　stuck　in　his　throat　not
ten　fingers　from　his　lips；　and　only　waiting　for　thy　inflexible　or
yielding　reply　to　make　its　escape　by　his　mouth　or　go　back　again　into
his　stomach。〃
　　Don　Quixote　on　hearing　this　felt　his　throat；　and　turning　to　the　duke
he　said；　〃By　God；　senor；　Dulcinea　says　true；　I　have　my　soul　stuck　here
in　my　throat　like　the　nut　of　a　crossbow。〃
　　〃What　say　you　to　this；　Sancho？〃　said　the　duchess。
　　〃I　say；　senora；〃　returned　Sancho；　〃what　I　said　before；　as　for　the
lashes；　abernuncio！〃
　　〃Abrenuncio；　you　should　say；　Sancho；　and　not　as　you　do；〃　said　the
duke。
　　〃Let　me　alone；　your　highness；〃　said　Sancho。　〃I'm　not　in　a　humour　now
to　look　into　niceties　or　a　letter　more　or　less；　for　these　lashes
that　are　to　be　given　me；　or　I'm　to　give　myself；　have　so　upset　me；　that
I　don't　know　what　I'm　saying　or　doing。　But　I'd　like　to　know　of　this
lady；　my　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　where　she　learned　this　way　she
has　of　asking　favours。　She　comes　to　ask　me　to　score　my　flesh　with
lashes；　and　she　calls　me　soul　of　a　pitcher；　and　great　untamed　brute；
and　a　string　of　foul　names　that　the　devil　is　welcome　to。　Is　my　flesh
brass？　or　is　it　anything　to　me　whether　she　is　enchanted　or　not？　Does
she　bring　with　her　a　basket　of　fair　linen；　shirts；　kerchiefs；　socks…
not　that　wear　any…　to　coax　me？　No；　nothing　but　one　piece　of　abuse
after　another；　though　she　knows　the　proverb　they　have　here　that　'an
ass　loaded　with　gold　goes　lightly　up　a　mountain；'　and　that　'gifts
break　rocks；'　and　'praying　to　God　and　plying　the　hammer；'　and　that
'one　〃take〃　is　better　than　two　〃I'll　give　thee's。〃'　Then　there's　my
master；　who　ought　to　stroke　me　down　and　pet　me　to　make　me　turn　wool
and　carded　cotton；　he　says　if　he　gets　hold　of　me　he'll　tie　me　naked　to
a　tree　and　double　the　tale　of　lashes　on　me。　These　tender…hearted
gentry　should　consider　that　it's　not　merely　a　squire；　but　a　governor
they　are　asking　to　whip　himself；　just　as　if　it　was　'drink　with
cherries。'　Let　them　learn；　plague　take　them；　the　right　way　to　ask；　and
beg；　and　behave　themselves；　for　all　times　are　not　alike；　nor　are
people　always　in　good　humour。　I'm　now　ready　to　burst　with　grief　at
seeing　my　green　coat　torn；　and　they　come　to　ask　me　to　whip　myself　of
my　own　free　will；　I　having　as　little　fancy　for　it　as　for　turning
cacique。〃
　　〃Well　then；　the　fact　is；　friend　Sancho；〃　said　the　duke；　〃that　unless
you　become　softer　than　a　ripe　fig；　you　shall　not　get　hold　of　the
government。　It　would　be　a　nice　thing　for　me　to　send　my　islanders　a
cruel　governor　with　flinty　bowels；　who　won't　yield　to　the　tears　of
afflicted　damsels　or　to　the　prayers　of　wise；　magisterial；　ancient
enchanters　and　sages。　In　short；　Sancho；　either　you　must　be　whipped
by　yourself；　or　they　must　whip　you；　or　you　shan't　be　governor。〃
　　〃Senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃won't　two　days'　grace　be　given　me　in　which　to
consider　what　is　best　for　me？〃
　　〃No；　certainly　not；〃　said　Merlin；　〃here；　this　minute；　and　on　the
spot；　the　matter　must　be　settled；　either　Dulcinea　will　return　to　the
cave　of　Montesinos　and　to　her　former　condition　of　peasant　wench；　or
else　in　her　present　form　shall　be　carried　to　the　Elysian　fields；　where
she　will　remain　waiting　until　the　number　of　stripes　is　completed。〃
　　〃Now　then；　Sancho！〃　said　the　duchess；　〃show　courage；　and　gratitude
for　your　master　Don　Quixote's　bread　that　you　have　eaten；　we　are　all
bound　to　oblige　and　please　him　for　his　benevolent　disposition　and
lofty　chivalry。　Consent　to　this　whipping；　my　son；　to　the　devil　with
the　devil；　and　leave　fear　to　milksops；　for　'a　stout　heart　breaks　bad
luck；'　as　you　very　well　know。〃
　　To　this　Sancho　replied　with　an　irrelevant　remark；　which；
addressing　Merlin；　he　made　to　him；　〃Will　your　worship　tell　me；　Senor
Merlin…　when　that　courier　devil　came　up　he　gave　my　master　a　message
from　Senor　Montesinos；　charging　him　to　wait　for　him　here；　as　he　was
coming　to　arrange　how　the　lady　Dona　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　was　to　be
disenchanted；　but　up　to　the　present　we　have　not　seen　Montesinos；　nor
anything　like　him。〃
　　To　which　Merlin　made　answer；　〃The　devil；　Sancho；　is　a　blockhead
and　a　great　scoundrel；　I　sent　him　to　look　for　your　master；　but　not
with　a　message　from　Montesinos　but　from　myself；　for　Montesinos