don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第18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！

Quixote　replied；　〃The　pursuit　of　my　calling　does　not　allow　or　permit
me　to　go　in　any　other　fashion；　easy　life；　enjoyment；　and　repose　were
invented　for　soft　courtiers；　but　toil；　unrest；　and　arms　were
invented　and　made　for　those　alone　whom　the　world　calls　knights…errant；
of　whom　I；　though　unworthy；　am　the　least　of　all。〃
　　The　instant　they　heard　this　all　set　him　down　as　mad；　and　the
better　to　settle　the　point　and　discover　what　kind　of　madness　his
was；　Vivaldo　proceeded　to　ask　him　what　knights…errant　meant。
　　〃Have　not　your　worships；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃read　the　annals
and　histories　of　England；　in　which　are　recorded　the　famous　deeds　of
King　Arthur；　whom　we　in　our　popular　Castilian　invariably　call　King
Artus；　with　regard　to　whom　it　is　an　ancient　tradition；　and　commonly
received　all　over　that　kingdom　of　Great　Britain；　that　this　king　did
not　die；　but　was　changed　by　magic　art　into　a　raven；　and　that　in
process　of　time　he　is　to　return　to　reign　and　recover　his　kingdom　and
sceptre；　for　which　reason　it　cannot　be　proved　that　from　that　time　to
this　any　Englishman　ever　killed　a　raven？　Well；　then；　in　the　time　of
this　good　king　that　famous　order　of　chivalry　of　the　Knights　of　the
Round　Table　was　instituted；　and　the　amour　of　Don　Lancelot　of　the
Lake　with　the　Queen　Guinevere　occurred；　precisely　as　is　there　related；
the　go…between　and　confidante　therein　being　the　highly　honourable　dame
Quintanona；　whence　came　that　ballad　so　well　known　and　widely　spread　in
our　Spain…

　　　　　　　O　never　surely　was　there　knight
　　　　　　　　　So　served　by　hand　of　dame；
　　　　　　　As　served　was　he　Sir　Lancelot　hight
　　　　　　　　　When　he　from　Britain　came…

with　all　the　sweet　and　delectable　course　of　his　achievements　in　love
and　war。　Handed　down　from　that　time；　then；　this　order　of　chivalry　went
on　extending　and　spreading　itself　over　many　and　various　parts　of　the
world；　and　in　it；　famous　and　renowned　for　their　deeds；　were　the　mighty
Amadis　of　Gaul　with　all　his　sons　and　descendants　to　the　fifth
generation；　and　the　valiant　Felixmarte　of　Hircania；　and　the　never
sufficiently　praised　Tirante　el　Blanco；　and　in　our　own　days　almost
we　have　seen　and　heard　and　talked　with　the　invincible　knight　Don
Belianis　of　Greece。　This；　then；　sirs；　is　to　be　a　knight…errant；　and
what　I　have　spoken　of　is　the　order　of　his　chivalry；　of　which；　as　I
have　already　said；　I；　though　a　sinner；　have　made　profession；　and
what　the　aforesaid　knights　professed　that　same　do　I　profess；　and　so
I　go　through　these　solitudes　and　wilds　seeking　adventures；　resolved　in
soul　to　oppose　my　arm　and　person　to　the　most　perilous　that　fortune　may
offer　me　in　aid　of　the　weak　and　needy。〃
　　By　these　words　of　his　the　travellers　were　able　to　satisfy　themselves
of　Don　Quixote's　being　out　of　his　senses　and　of　the　form　of　madness
that　overmastered　him；　at　which　they　felt　the　same　astonishment　that
all　felt　on　first　becoming　acquainted　with　it；　and　Vivaldo；　who　was
a　person　of　great　shrewdness　and　of　a　lively　temperament；　in　order
to　beguile　the　short　journey　which　they　said　was　required　to　reach　the
mountain；　the　scene　of　the　burial；　sought　to　give　him　an　opportunity
of　going　on　with　his　absurdities。　So　he　said　to　him；　〃It　seems　to
me；　Senor　Knight…errant；　that　your　worship　has　made　choice　of　one　of
the　most　austere　professions　in　the　world；　and　I　imagine　even　that
of　the　Carthusian　monks　is　not　so　austere。〃
　　〃As　austere　it　may　perhaps　be；〃　replied　our　Don　Quixote；　〃but　so
necessary　for　the　world　I　am　very　much　inclined　to　doubt。　For；　if
the　truth　is　to　be　told；　the　soldier　who　executes　what　his　captain
orders　does　no　less　than　the　captain　himself　who　gives　the　order。　My
meaning；　is；　that　churchmen　in　peace　and　quiet　pray　to　Heaven　for
the　welfare　of　the　world；　but　we　soldiers　and　knights　carry　into
effect　what　they　pray　for；　defending　it　with　the　might　of　our　arms　and
the　edge　of　our　swords；　not　under　shelter　but　in　the　open　air；　a
target　for　the　intolerable　rays　of　the　sun　in　summer　and　the
piercing　frosts　of　winter。　Thus　are　we　God's　ministers　on　earth　and
the　arms　by　which　his　justice　is　done　therein。　And　as　the　business
of　war　and　all　that　relates　and　belongs　to　it　cannot　be　conducted
without　exceeding　great　sweat；　toil；　and　exertion；　it　follows　that
those　who　make　it　their　profession　have　undoubtedly　more　labour　than
those　who　in　tranquil　peace　and　quiet　are　engaged　in　praying　to　God　to
help　the　weak。　I　do　not　mean　to　say；　nor　does　it　enter　into　my
thoughts；　that　the　knight…errant's　calling　is　as　good　as　that　of　the
monk　in　his　cell；　I　would　merely　infer　from　what　I　endure　myself
that　it　is　beyond　a　doubt　a　more　laborious　and　a　more　belaboured
one；　a　hungrier　and　thirstier；　a　wretcheder；　raggeder；　and　lousier；
for　there　is　no　reason　to　doubt　that　the　knights…errant　of　yore
endured　much　hardship　in　the　course　of　their　lives。　And　if　some　of
them　by　the　might　of　their　arms　did　rise　to　be　emperors；　in　faith　it
cost　them　dear　in　the　matter　of　blood　and　sweat；　and　if　those　who
attained　to　that　rank　had　not　had　magicians　and　sages　to　help　them
they　would　have　been　completely　baulked　in　their　ambition　and
disappointed　in　their　hopes。〃
　　〃That　is　my　own　opinion；〃　replied　the　traveller；　〃but　one　thing
among　many　others　seems　to　me　very　wrong　in　knights…errant；　and　that
is　that　when　they　find　themselves　about　to　engage　in　some　mighty　and
perilous　adventure　in　which　there　is　manifest　danger　of　losing　their
lives；　they　never　at　the　moment　of　engaging　in　it　think　of
commending　themselves　to　God；　as　is　the　duty　of　every　good　Christian
in　like　peril；　instead　of　which　they　commend　themselves　to　their
ladies　with　as　much　devotion　as　if　these　were　their　gods；　a　thing
which　seems　to　me　to　savour　somewhat　of　heathenism。〃
　　〃Sir；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃that　cannot　be　on　any　account　omitted；
and　the　knight…errant　would　be　disgraced　who　acted　otherwise：　for　it
is　usual　and　customary　in　knight…errantry　that　the　knight…errant；
who　on　engaging　in　any　great　feat　of　arms　has　his　lady　before　him；
should　turn　his　eyes　towards　her　softly　and　lovingly；　as　though　with
them　entreating　her　to　favour　and　protect　him　in　the　hazardous　venture
he　is　about　to　undertake；　and　even　though　no　one　hear　him；　he　is　bound
to　say　certain　words　between　his　teeth；　commending　himself　to　her　with
all　his　heart；　and　of　this　we　have　innumerable　instances　in　the
histories。　Nor　is　it　to　be　supposed　from　this　that　they　are　to　omit
commending　themselves　to　God；　for　there　will　be　time　and　opportunity
for　doing　so　while　they　are　engaged　in　their　task。〃
　　〃For　all　that；〃　answered　the　traveller；　〃I　feel　some　doubt　still；
because　often　I　have　read　how　words　will　arise　between　two
knights…errant；　and　from　one　thing　to　another　it　comes　about　that
their　anger　kindles　and　they　wheel　their　horses　round　and　take　a
good　stretch　of　field；　and　then　without　any　more　ado　at　the　top　of
their　speed　they　come　to　the　charge；　and　in　mid…career　they　are　wont
to　commend　themselves　to　their　ladies；　and　what　commonly　comes　of
the　encounter　is　that　one　falls　over　the　haunches　of　his　horse　pierced
through　and　through　by　his　antagonist's　lance；　and　as　for　the　other；
it　is　only　by　holding　on　to　the　mane　of　his　horse　that　he　can　help
falling　to　the　ground；　but　I　know　not　how　the　dead　man　had　time　to
commend　himself　to　God　in　the　course　of　such　rapid　work　as　this；　it
would　have　been　better　if　those　words　which　he　spent　in　commending
himself　to　his　lady　in　the　midst　of　his　career　had　been　devoted　to　his
duty　and　obligation　as　a　Christian。　Moreover；　it　is　my　belief　that　all
knights…errant　have　not　ladies　to　commend　themselves　to；　for　they
are　not　all　in　love。〃
　　〃That　is　impossible；〃　said　Don　Quixote：　〃I　say　it　is　impossible　that
there　could　be　a　knight…errant　without　a　lady；　because　to　such　it　is
as　natural　and　proper　to　be　in　love　as　to　the　heavens　to　have　stars：
most　certainly　no　history　has　been　seen　in　which　there　is　to　be
found　a　knight…errant　without　an　amour；　and　for　the　simple　reason　that
without　one　he　would　be　held　no　legitimate　knight　but　a　bastard；　and
one　who　had　gained　entrance　into　the　stronghold　of　the　said
knighthood；　not　by　the　door；　but　over　the　wall　like　a　thief　and　a
robber。〃
　　〃Nevertheless；〃　said　the　traveller；　〃if　I　remember　rightly；　I
think　I　have　read　that　Don　Galaor；　the　brother　of　the　valiant　Amadis
of　Gaul；　never　had　any　special　lady　to　whom　he　might　commend
himself；　and　yet　he　was　not　the　less　esteemed；　and　was　a　very　stout
and　famous　knight。〃
　　To　which　our　Don　Quixote　made　answer；　〃Sir；　one　solitary　swallow
does　not　make　summer；　moreover；　I　know　that　knight　was　in　secret
very　deeply　in　love；　besides　which；　that　way　of　falling　in　love　with
all　that　took　his　fancy　was　a　natural　propensity　which　he　could　not
control。　But；　in　short；　it　is　very　manifest　that　he　had　one　alone　whom
he　made　mistress　of　his　will；　to　whom　he　commended　himself　very
frequently　and　very　secretly；　for　he　prided　himself　on　being　a
reticent　knight。〃
　　〃Then　if　it　be　essential　that　every　knight…errant　should　be　in
love；〃　said　the　traveller；　〃it　may　be　fairly　supposed　that　your
worship　is　so；　as　you　are　of　the　order；　and　if　you　do　not　pride
yourself　on　being　as　reticent　as　Don　Galaor；　I　entreat　you　as
e