项链英汉互译.docx

项链英汉互译.docx

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项链英汉互译

THENECKLACE

MathildeLoiselwasoneofthosepoorgirls，pretty，charmingandromantic，who，inspiteoftheirromanticdreams，aremarriedtoamediocrity．HerhusbandwasaclerkintheMinistryofEducation．

Oneeveningherhusbandcamehomewithanairoftriumph．

“Ihavesomethingniceforyou，”hesaid，givingheralargeenvelope．

Shetoreopentheenvelope，whichcontainedthefollowingprintedcard：

“TheMinisterofEducationandMadameGeorgesRamponneauhavethehonourtorequestthecompanyofMonsieurandMadameLoiselattheofficeoftheMinistryonMondayevening，January18th．”

Shedidnotseemdelighted．Onthecontrary，sheflungtheinvitationcardonthetable，andsaidspitefully：

“What'sthattome？

”

“Why，mydear，Ithoughtyou'dbepleased．Youlikeadance，don'tyou？

Youhardlyevergoout，andthisisreallyagoodchanceforyou．Ihadnoendoftroubletogetit．Everyonewantsit，youknow．Alltheofficialswillbethere，butonlyafewclerksareinvited．”

Shelookedathimruefullyandexclaimed：

“Whatdoyouexpectmetowearatapartylikethat？

”

Itneveroccurredtohimthatshehadnoprettydressesnorjewels．Herepliedhesitatingly：

“Why，thedressyouwearwhenyougotothetheatrelooksverynicetome．”

Sheburstintotears．Whydidshemarrysuchadull，stupidfellow？

Onlybecauseshewasbornintoapoorfamily．Oh，crueltrickofdestiny！

“What'sthematter？

”heaskedanxiously．

“Nothing，”sheansweredwithaneffort．“It'sonlythatIhaven'tasuitabledress，andsoIcan'tgototheball．GivethiscardtoafriendofyourswhosewifehasabetterwardrobethanI．”

Itwasaheart-breakingconfession．

“Come，Mathilde，mydearest，”thedistressedhusbandsaid，“howmuchdoyouthinkitwouldcosttohaveaproperdress，somethingrathersimplewhichwouldbeusefulforotheroccasionsafter-wards？

”

Shethoughtforamoment，busywithhercalculations．Howmuchcouldsheaskwithoutshockingthethriftyhusbandandprovokingaflatrefusal？

“I'mnotsure，butIthinkIcouldmanagewithfourhundredfrancs．”

Thehusbandturnedalittlepale．ShehadnamedtheexactsumhehadsavedtobuyaguntoenjoyshootingontheplainofNanterrenextsummerwithafewfriends．

Buthereplied：

“Allright．Youshallhavefourhundredfrancs．Mindyougetareallynicedress．”

*     *     *

Thedayoftheballdrewnear．AlthoughMadameLoiselhadgothercoveteddress，sheseemedfarfrompleased．

“Whatisthematter？

”herhusbandasked．

“Youlookoutofsortsthesedays．”

“It'squiteannoyingtothinkthatIhaven'tasinglepieceofjewellerytowear．Imightaswellstayathomeascutamiserablefigureattheparty，”sheanswered．

“Howaboutwearingnaturalflowers，then？

”herhusbandsuggested．“Theyarenowquiteinfashion．Fortenfrancsyoucangettwoorthreesplendidroses．”

“Wheredidyougetsuchasillyidea？

”shereplied．“Can'tyouseehowmiserableI'dlookamongrichwomen？

”

“Wellthen，”herhusbandsaid．“Whydon'tyougoandaskyourfriend，MadameForestier，tolendyousomejewels？

Sheisagoodfriendofyours，andhasalotofjewellery，hasn'tshe？

”

“Yes，ofcourse，”sheexclaimedindelight．“Whydidn'tIthinkofit？

”

ThenextdayshecalledonMadameForestierandexplainedhertrouble．MadameForestierwenttoherwardrobe，tookoutalargejewelcase，andplaceditopeninfrontofherfriend．

“Takewhatyouwant，mydear，”shesaid．

MadameLoiselfirstsawsomebracelets，thenapearlnecklace，thenaVenetiangoldcrosssetwithjewels，anexquisitepieceofmagnificentworkmanship．Shetriedthemon，oneafteranother，beforethemirror，uncertainwhichtochoose．

“Haveyouanymore？

”sheasked．

“Oh，yes，lookforyourself．Idon'tknowwhatyouwouldlikebest．”

SuddenlyMadameLoiseldiscoveredablacksatincase，inwhichlayasuperbdiamondneck-lace．Herheartbeatfast．Withtremblinghands，shetookitout，fasteneditroundherneck，andstoodgazingatherselfinthemirror，lostinadmiration．

Sheaskedfearfully：

“Wouldyoulendmethis？

Idon'tthinkIneedanythingelse．”

“Why，yes，certainly．”

MadameLoiselthrewherarmsroundherfriend'sneck，kissedher，andhurriedout，lestherfriendshouldchangehermind．

*     *    *

Thenightoftheballcameatlast．MadameLoiselwasabrilliantsuccess．Shelookedmorebeautifulthananyotherwomanpresent．Triumphantly，fullofgraceandjoy，shedancedadmirably，awareoftherapteyesofthecompany．Allthemeninquiredhername，wantedtobeintroduced，askedherforwaltzes．Sheattractedtheattentionofeventheministerhim-self．

Shefeltasifshewereinabeautifuldream，intoxicatedwithhappiness．Oh，howlongshehadbeenyearningforsuchamoment！

Itwasaboutfourinthemorningbeforeshecouldtearherselfawayfromtheball．Herhusbandhadbeendozingsincemidnightinalittledeserteddrawingroomwiththreeothergentlemenwhosewiveswereenjoyingthedance．

Hethrewroundhershouldershercloakforeverydaywear，whichlookedstrangelyincongruouswithherelegantballdress，andanxioustoescapetheeyesoftheotherwomeninrichfurs，shehurrieddownthestaircase．

Nocabwastobeseeninthestreet，and，shiveringwithcold，theytrudgedontowardstheSeine．Atlast，onthequay，theyfoundanold，ricketycabrarelyseeninParisinthedaytime．Onreachingtheirdwelling，theyclimbedthestairstotheirflatingloomysilence．

Shetookoffhergarmentbeforethemirror．Shewantedtoenjoyonemoreglanceatherself，deckedinallherglory．Suddenlyshecriedoutinhorror．

“Whatisthematter？

”herhusbandasked．Hewasalreadyhalfundressed；hehadtobeattheofficebytenthenextday．

Sheturnedtohim，likeonemad．

“Thediamondnecklaceisgone！

”

“What？

How？

Impossible！

”

Theysearchedthefoldsofherskirtandcloak，herpockets，everywhere；butthenecklacewasnowheretobeseen．

“Youhaditonwhenyoulefttheball？

”

“Yes，Irememberfingeringitinthevestibule．”

“Ifyouhaddroppeditinthestreet，weshouldhaveheardthesound．Youmusthavelostitinthecab．”

“Probably，didyounoticethenumber？

”

“No，Ididn't．”

Theygazedateachotherinconsternation．

“I'llgobackallovertheroadandtrytofindit．”

Hehurriedout．Sheflungherselfdowninachair，andremainedthereblankly，theverypictureofdespair．Aboutseveno'clockhere-turned，empty-handed．Thenhereportedtothepoliceandmadeinquiriesamongthecabcompanies，butallinvain．MadameForestier'sdi-amondnecklaceseemedtohavevanishedintothinair．

“Writetoyourfriend，”thehusbandsaid，“thatyouhaveinjuredtheclaspofhernecklaceandthatyouarehavingitmended．Wemusthavetimetothinkoverthematter．”

*    *     *

Aweekhadpassedwithoutbringingthemanysparkofhope．Loisel，whonowlookedfiveyearsolder，said，

“We'llhavetoreplacethenecklace．”

Thenextdaytheytooktheemptycasetothejeweller'swhosenametheyfoundinsidethelid．Heconsultedhisbooks．

“Wedidnotsellthenecklace．Weonlysuppliedthecase．”

Theywentfromjewellertojeweller，searchingforanecklaceliketheonetheyhadlost．Atlast，inashopatthePalaisRoyaltheyfoundadiamondnecklaceexactlylikeMadameForestier's．Thepricewasfortythousandfrancs．Thejewelleragreedtosellitforthirty-six．

Theybeggedhimnottosellitforthreedays，andtheygothimtopromisethathewouldbuyitbackforthirty-fourthousandfrancs，incasetheyshouldfindthelostnecklacebytheendofFebruary．

Herushedforaloantoeverybody，askingathousandfrancsfromoneman，fivehundredfromanother，fivelouishere，threelouisthere．Heblindlysignedpromissorynotes，agreedtounreasonableterms，evencalledonprofessionalmoney-lenders．

Atlastheobtainedthethirty-sixthousandfrancs，butattheriskofhiswholefuture．Howcouldhehopetoreturnsomuchmoney？

Andwhen？

Crushingdespairgnawedathisheart．

*     *    *

MadameForestierreceivedthenecklacewithanairofdispleasure．

“Youshouldhavereturneditsooner．Imightneeditatanymoment．”

MadameLoiselfearedlestherfriendshouldexaminethenecklaceandnoticethedifference．However，MadameForestiercarelesslyputthecaseawaywithoutlookingatthecontents…

*    *    *

Thencametothecoupledays，weeksandyears ofdrudgery．Theyheroicallyresolvedtopaytheappallingdebtbyworkinghard．Theyquittedtheflatandmovedintoagarret．Theyboughtnothingexceptdailynecessaries，whichtheytriedtodowithoutoftenenough．Shelearnedtobargainwithtradesmen，readytoquarrelforeveryson．Herdaydreamingwasreplacedbyaconstantendeavourtopayherway．

Eachmonthsomeofthepromissorynoteshadtoberenewed，onlytogaintime．Thehusbandworkedafterofficehours，keepingaccountsforatradesman，andlateatnightcopyingmanuscriptsatfivesonsapage．

Anewyearcame，followedbyanotherandanother，andstilltheygrubbedon，untiltenyearshadflowedon．Theireffortswerenotinvain．Attheendofthattimetheyhadmanagedtopayoffeverything，includinginterestathighrate．

MadameLoiselnowlookedolderthanherage．Herhairdisheveled，herskirtturnedtooneside，herhandsroughandhardened，theformersentimental，romanticwomanhadturnedintoastout-heartedmatronwhohadtastedthebittersoflife．Nowandthen，however，whenherhusbandwasawayattheoffice，shewouldsitbythewindowandthinkofthegloryofthatdance．Whatsortofwomanwouldshebenow，ifshehadnotlostthenecklace？

Whoknows？

OneSundayshewentforastrollintheChamps-Elyséestodiverthermindfromthelaboursoftheweek，whenshecaughtsightofaladywithachild．ItwasMadamerestier！

MadameForestierlookedasyoung，asbeautiful，andascharmingastenyearsbefore．MadameLoiselfeltherheartbeathard．Shouldshespeaktoher？

Yes，ofcourse．Thedebthadallbeenpaid；shemighttellheral