羊脂球英文版.docx

羊脂球英文版.docx

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羊脂球英文版

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．”

Whyhaditnotoccurredtothem？

Theyrushedforthecoach．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．TheyhadintendedtohavelunchatTtes，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，butpresently，throught