羊脂球英文版.docx
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羊脂球英文版.docx
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羊脂球英文版
BOULEDESUIF
Itwashalfpastfourinthemorning.Thetravellers,whohadmetintheyardoftheNormandyHotel,wereshiveringwithcoldinthedarkness.
“Isn'tthecoachreadyyet”oneofthemsaid.
“No,notyet,”hiscompanionanswered.
“LuckywehavebeentogetapermitfromthePrussianarmytoleaveRouen,”anothersaid.
“IhaveanacquaintanceamongGermanofficers.”
“Isee.”
“DoyouthinkwecanrunabusinessatHavre”
“Perhapswecan.Ifnot,wecanmakeourwaytoEngland.Nothingventure,nothinggain.”
“Iagreewithyou.Wecandonothinginoccupied Rouen.”
“Ihavebroughtmywife.”
“SohaveI.”
“AndI,too.”
Horses’hoofswereheard,andthetinklingoflittlebellstoldthemthattheharnesswasbeinggotready.Snowwasfallingwithsomethinglikeavagueandindefinablewhisper.
Amanwithalanternappeared,draggingalongahorse.Hespentalongtimeadjustingtheharnesswithonehand,forheheldthelanternintheother.Ashewasgoingtofetchthesecondhorse,henoticedthetravellersstandinghelplesslyunderthefallingsnow.
“Don'tyoustandthere,”hesaid.“Getinsidethecoach,andyoucanatleasttakeshelterfromthe snow.”
WhyhaditnotoccurredtothemTheyrushedforthecoach.Thethreehusbandstooktheirseatsatthefarendwiththeirwives;theotherveiledand vagueformstooktheremainingplaces.
Atlastthecoachwasready.Itwasdrawnbyateamofsixhorsesinsteadoftheusualfour,becauseofthebadstateoftheroads.Theroadswereverybadindeed.Thehorsesslippedandpanted,andthedriverhadtousehiswhipincessantly.
Graduallythedaydawned.Abluish,leadenlightcameoverthedreary,whitelandscape.Insidethecarriagethepassengersnowlookedatoneanother inquisitively.
MonsieurandMadameLoiseauwerewholesalewinemerchantsoftheRueGrand-pont.Hehadstartedlifeasaclerkinanoffice,andwhenhisemployerfailedinbusiness,heboughtitandmadeafortunebysellingverybadwineatlowpricestosmallretailersinthecountry.Masterofeverytrickofmakingmoney,hewasnotoriousfor his sharp practice.
Nexttothemsat,withthedignityofahigherclass,MonsieurCarre-Lamadon,ownerofthreespinning-mills,officeroftheLegionofHonourandmemberoftheConseilGénéral.UndertheEmpireheposedasleaderofthemoderateopposition,whichhehopedwouldbeusefultohimshouldhewishtodeserttotheoppositeside.
MadameCarré-Lamadonwasmuchyounger20thanherhusband.Aladyofdelicatebeauty,shehadalwaysattractedtheattentionofofficersofgoodfamily,stationedatRouen.Muffledinfurs,shenowstaredsulkilyattheinteriorofthecoach.
TheirneighboursweretheCountandCountessHubertdeBréville,whobelongedtooneoftheoldestandmostaristocraticfamiliesinNormandy.TheCountboreanaturallikenesstoKingHenryⅣ,whichhetriedtoaccentuatebyelaboratemake-up.
Ithadlongbeenwhisperedamonghisfamily,notwithoutpride,thatthekinghadoncemadelovetoaMadamedeBréville,andinreturnforherattentions,hadmadeherhusbandacountandgovernorofaprovince.GodonlyknowswhyhewasmarriedtothedaughterofanunimportantshipownerofNantes.
Shewasstatelytolookat,veryhospitable,andtherumourthatshehadbeenafavouritewithoneofthesonsofLouisPhilippemadeherthemorepopularamongthelocalnobles.Hersalonwasconsideredthebestintheneighbourhood.Admittancetoitwasnoteasytoget,and herdrawingroomwastheonlyplacewherethegraciouspolitenessofbygonedaysremainedalive.TheBrévilleshadlandedestates,whichweresaidtoyieldanincomeofhalfamillionfrancs.
Thesesixwerethemostimportantoftheparty;theywereallwealthy,respectableandsolidmembersofsociety.
Itsohappenedthatallthewomenwereseatedonthesameside.NexttotheCountesssattwonuns.Oneofthemwasanoldwomanwithaskin5deeplypittedwithsmallpox;hercompanionwasasmall,sickly,evenconsumptive-lookingperson,butseeminglyfilledwithreligiousdevotion.
Oppositethetwonunssatamanandawoman.ThemanwasCornudet;hewaswellknownforhisdissolutehabitsandcrazypoliticalideas.Hehadinheritedarespectablefortunefromhisfather,buthadwasteditawayupondrinkanduselessambitions.NowhetookitintohisheadthathewouldbebetteremployedatHavre,wherehishelpwouldbeneeded.
Thewomanbesidehimwaswhatiscalledawomanofacertaintype.Whatwasmostnoticeableaboutherwasherexcessiveportliness.Short,roundandplumpasadumpling,shewasnicknamedBouledeSuif,thatis,suetdumpling.
Shehad,nevertheless,rosycheekssuggestingpeonybudsreadytoburstintoflowers,blackeyesshadedanddeepenedbylonglashes,anda25charming,poutingmouthrevealingnowandthenwhiterowsoftinyteeth.
Assoonastheladiesrecognizedher,theybegantowhisperamongthemselves.Byandbythewords“prostitute”and“shameful”andsimilar5wordsbecameaudibleandattractedtheattentionofthepoorwoman.
Sheraisedherheadandlookedatthemsodefiantlythattheybecamesilent,withtheireyescastdown;Loiseau,sensitivetofemininecharms,caststealthyglancesofcuriosityather.
However,thethreeladles,soonencouragedbytheirdislikeofthiscommonenemytohousewives,resumedtheirconversation.Thethreehusbands,ontheotherhand,discussedmoneymattersproudly,andmadecontemptuousremarksaboutpoorerfolk.
CountHuberttalkedaboutthelossofcattleandcropscausedbythePrussians,butwithanexpressionwhichshowedthathedidnotcareaboutitatall.
MonsieurCarré-LamadonsaidhehadbeenshrewdenoughtosendtoEnglandsixhundredthousandfrancsforsafekeeping.LoiseauspokeofthehugeamountofmoneytheStatewouldpayhimatHavreforthewineshehadsoldtotheFrenchCommissariat.
Thethreemanexchangedmeaningfulglances.Thoughofdifferentsocialstanding,theyallworshippedmoney.
Thecoachmovedonatasnail-likepace,andbyteno'clocktheyhadcoverednotmorethantenmiles.TheyhadintendedtohavelunchatT
tes,butitseemedimpossiblenowtoarrivetherebeforenightfall.
Theylookedforawaysideinn,buttherewasnosignofeventhemeanesttavernorwineshop.Theyweregrowinghungryandratherdepressed,fortheyhadnotbroughtanyfoodwiththem.Thementriedtogetfoodfrompeasantstheycameacrossbytheroadside,buttheycouldnotobtainevenplainbread.
Towardsoneo'clocktheyfeltmoreandmorehungry,andstoppedgossiping,pinchedwithhunger.
“Ifeelill,”theCountsaid.“Whydidn'tIthinkofbringingsomeprovisions
BouledeSuifstoopeddownnowandthen,asiftotakeoutsomethingfromunderherpetticoats,buteachtimeshehesitatedandsatupagain.Aboutthreeo'clock,whenthecoachwasgoingacrossadesolateplain,shebentdownagain,andthistimedrewfromundertheseatalargebasketcoveredwithanapkin.
Firstshetookoutofitalittleearthenplate,nextadaintysilvercup,andthenalargedishloadedwithtwocutfowlsflavouredwithjelly.Andfromthebasketpeepedothergoodthings-pies,fruit,dainties,evenbottles,seeminglysufficientforathreedaysjourney.
Theagreeablesmelloffoodfilledtheair,andrivetedtheattentionofthehungrypassengers.
Theladiescontemptforthehussyrosetoafury.Shewasmakingadisplayoffoodwhentheywerestarving!
Howtheywishedtheycouldkillher!
Loiseauwasthefirsttorisetotheoccasion.
“ThankGod!
”hesaid.Madame,you'vebeenverythoughtful.”
Bouledesuifturnedtowardshim.
“Wouldyoucareforsome,sir”shesaid.“Itishardtogowithoutfoodallday.”
Hebowed.
“well,”hereplied,tryingtobefacetious.
“Anyportinastorm.Wemustmakethebestofthings.”
Hespreadanewspaperonhislap,andusingaknifewhichhealwayscarriedinhispocket,spearedalegofchickenthicklycoatedwithjellyandbegantoeatitgreedily.
Theninalow,gentlevoiceBouledeSuifaskedthetwonunsiftheywouldsharehermeal.Thetwodevoteesreadilyacceptedtheoffer.Cornudetalsoacceptedherinvitation.Withnewspapersspreadontheirkneestheymadeasortoftableandfeverishlystartedstuffingtheirstomachs.
Loiseauquietlyurgedhiswifetofollowtheirexample.Atfirstsherefused,butherhungerwastoostrongtoresistforalongtime.HerhusbandaskedBouledeSuififhemightofferhiswifeasmallportion.
“Why,certainly,sir,”shereplied,ahappysmilespreadingacrossherface,andshehandedhimthedish.
ThenthebottleofBordeauxwinewasopened,andthoughtheyhadonlyonecup,theypasseditround,eachwipingitinturn.Cornudetalonegallantlyputhislipstothebrimofthecupstillwetfromthelipsofhisfaircompanion.
Withpeopleeatinganddrinkingallaroundthem,theCountandCountessdeBrévilleandMonsieurandMadameCarré-Lamadonsufferedtheagoniesofhungerandthirst.
Suddenlythemanufacturer'swifegrewghastlypale,closedhereyes,andfainted.Herhusbandcalledoutforhelp,andtheotherpassengerswerepanic-stricken.TheeldernunheldBouledeSuif'scuptothewoman'slipsandmadeherswallowafewdropsofwine.
Madameopenedhereyesandexpressedhergratitude,sayingthatshewasallright.
“Nothingserious,”thenunsaid.“Merehunger.”
BoulddeSuiftimidlylookedatthefourdignifiedladiesandgentlemenwhowerestillfastingandspokehaltingly;
“Oh,dear,mightIoffer…”
Shebrokeoff,forfearofbeingrebuffed.Loiseautookthecue.
“Weareinthesameboat,asthesayingis.”hesaid.“Weshouldhelponeanother.Come,ladiesandgentlemen,acceptheroffer.”
Theyhesitatedtobethefirsttoyieldtothenecessity.ItwastheCountwhomadethedecision.Hesaidwithasuperiorair,Madame,weacceptyourofferwiththanks.”
Theiceoncebroken,theytalkedtoBouledeSuif,atfirstwithsomereserve,butpresentl
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