Lady of the Camellias lll.docx

Lady of the Camellias lll.docx

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LadyoftheCamelliaslll

Onthe16th,atoneo’clock,Imademywaytotherued’Antin.

Theraisedvoicesoftheauctioneerscouldbeheardfromthecarriageentrance.

Theapartmentwasfilledwithinquisitivespectators.

Allthefamousnamesfromtheworldoffashionablevicewerethere.Theywerebeingslylyobservedbyanumberofladieswhohadagainusedthesaleasapretextforclaimingtherighttosee,atclosequarters,womeninwhosecompanytheywouldnototherwisehavehadoccasiontofindthemselves,andwhoseeasypleasurestheyperhapssecretlyenvied.

TheDuchessedeF***rubbedshoulderswithMademoiselleA***,oneofthesorriest（最卑鄙的）specimensofourmoderncourtesans;theMarquisedeT***shrankfrombuyinganitem（款）offurnitureforwhichthebiddingwasledbyMadameD***,themostelegantandmostcelebratedadulteressofourage;theDucd’Y***,whoisbelievedinMadridtoberuininghimselfinParis,andinParistoberuininghimselfinMadrid,andwho,whenallissaidanddone,cannoteven（实际上）spendallhisincome,whilecontinuingtochatwithMadameM***,oneofourwittiesttale-teller,whooccasionallyagreestowritedownwhatshesaysandtosignwhatshewrites,wasexchangingconfidentialglanceswithMadamedeN***,thebeautywhomayberegularlyseendrivingontheChampsElysees,dressedalmostinvariablyinpinkorblue,inacarriagedrawnbytwolargeblackhorsessoldtoherbyTonyfortenthousandfrancs…andpaidinfull;lastly,MademoiselleR***,whobysheer（absolute）talentmakestwicewhatladiesoffashionmakewiththeirdowries,andthreetimesasmuchaswhattherestmakeoutoftheirloveaffairs,hadcomeinspiteofthecoldtomakeafewpurchases,anditwasnotshewhoattractedthefewesteyes.

Wecouldgoonquotingtheinitialsofmanyofthosewhohadgatheredinthatdrawing-roomandwhowerenotalittleastonishedatthecompany（MargueriteGautierorcourtesans）theykept;butweshould,wefear,wearythereader.

Therewasmuchloudlaughter;theauctioneersshoutedatthetopsoftheirvoices;thedealers（商人）whohadcrowedontothebenchesplacedinfrontoftheauctiontablescalledvainlyforsilenceinwhichtoconducttheirbusinessinpeace.Neverwasagathering（聚会）morevariedandmoreuproarious.

Islippedunobtrusivelyintothemiddleofthedistressingtumult,saddenedtothinkthatallthiswastakingplacenexttotheroomwheretheunfortunatecreaturewhosefurniturewasbeingsolduptopayherdebts,hadbreathedherlast.Havingcometoobserveratherthantobuy,Iwatchedthefacesofthetradesmenwhohadforced（强力进行）thesale,andwhosefeatureslitupeachtimeanitemreachedapricetheyhadneverdaredhopefor.

Honestmenall,whohadspeculatedintheprostitutionofthiswoman,hadobtainedaone-hundredpercentreturnonher,haddoggedthelastmomentsofherlifewithwrits,andcameaftershewasdeadtoclaimboththefruitsoftheirhonourablecalculationsandtheinterestaccruingontheshamefulcredit（贷款）theyhadgivenher.

HowrightweretheAncientswhohadoneGodformerchantsandthieves!

Dresses,Indianshawls,jewels,cameunderthehammer（besoldatanauction）atanunbelievablerate（价格）.Noneofittookmyfancy,andIwaitedon.

SuddenlyIheardavoiceshout:

‘Abook,fullybound,gilt-edges,entitled:

ManonLescaut.There’ssomethingwrittenonthefirstpage:

tenfrancs!

’

‘Twelve,’saidavoice,afteralongishsilence.

‘Fifteen,’Isaid.

Why?

Ihadnoidea.Nodoubtforthat‘somethingwritten’.

‘Fifteen,’repeatedtheauctioneer.

‘Thirty-five!

’Icried,inthesametoneofvoice.

‘Forty.’

‘Fifty.’

‘Sixty.’

‘Ahundred.’

IconfessthatifIhadsentouttocauseastir,Iwouldhavesucceededcompletely,formylastbidwasfollowedbyagreatsilence,andpeoplestaredatmetoseewhothismanwaswhoseemedsointentonpossessingthevolume.

ApparentlythetoneinwhichIhadmademylatestbidwasenoughformyopponent:

hechosethereforetoabandonastrugglewhichwouldhaveserved（advancedEnglish）onlytocostmetentimeswhatthebookwasworthand,withabow,hesaidverygraciouslybutalittlelate:

‘It’syours,sir.’

Nootherbidswereforthcoming,andthebookwasknockeddown（atanauctionsellanarticletoabidderbyaknockwithahammer）tome.

SinceIfearedanewonsetofobstinacywhichmyvanitymightconceivablyhavebornebutwhichwouldhaveassuredlyprovedtoomuchformypurse,Igavemyname,askedforthevolumetobeputasideandleftbythestairs.Imusthavegreatlyintrigued（引起好奇心）theonlookerswho,havingwitnessedthisscene,doubtlesswonderedwhyonearthIhadgonetheretopayahundredfrancsforabookthatIcouldhavegotanywherefortenorfifteenatmost.

Anhourlater,Ihadsentfoundformypurchase.

Onthefirstpage,writtenininkinaneleganthand,wasthededicationofthepersonwhohadgiventhebook.Thisdedicationconsistedsimplyofthesewords:

‘ManontoMarguerite,

Humility.’

Itwassigned:

ArmandDuval.

Whatdidthisworld‘humility’mean?

WasitthatManon,intheopinionofthisMonsierArmandDuval,acknowledgedMargueriteashersuperiorindebaucheryorintruelove?

（MargueriteisbetterthanManonindebaucheryorinlove?

）

Thesecondinterpretationseemedthemorelikely,forthefirstwasimpertinentlyfrank,andMargueritecouldneverhaveacceptedit,whateveropinionshehadofherself.（Author’slogicalconjecture）

Iwentoutagainandthoughtnomoreofbookuntilthatnight,whenIretiredtobed.

Manonlescautisatrulytouchingstoryeverydetailofwhichisfamiliartomeandyet,wheneverIholdacopyinmyhand,aninstinctivefeelingforitdrawsmeon.IopenitandforthehundredtimeIliveagainwiththeabbeprevost’sheroine.Now,hisheroineissolifelikethatIfeelthatIhavemether.Inmynewcircumstances,thekindofcomparisondrawn（得到）betweenherandMargueriteaddedanunexpectededgetomyreading,andmyforbearancewasswelledwithpity,almostlove,forthepoorgirl,thedisposalofwhoseestateIcouldthankforpossessingthevolume.Manondiedinadesert,itistrue,butinthearmsofthemanwholovedherwithallthestrengthofhissoulandwho,whenshewasdead,dugagraveforher,watereditwithhistearsandburiedhisheartwithher;whereasMarguerite,asinnerlikeManon,andperhapsastrulyconvertedasshe,haddiedsurroundedbyfabulousluxury,ifIcouldbelievewhatIhadseen,onthebedofherownpast,butnoless（居然）lostinthedesertoftheheartwhichismuchmorearid,muchvasterandfarmorepitilessthantheoneinwhichManonhadbeeninterred.

IndeedMarguerite,asIhadlearnedfromfriendsinformedofthecircumstancesofherfinalmoments,hadseennotrueconsolationsettleatherbesideduringthetwomonthswhenshelayslowlyandpainfullydying.（从后面作者的叙述中，可以看到：

玛格丽特在最后的两个月里乎没有得到安慰）

Then,fromManonandMarguerite,mythoughtsturnedtothosewomenwhomIknewandwhomIcouldseerushinggailytowardsthesamealmostinvariabledeath.

Poorcreatures!

Ifitiswrongtolovethem,theleastonecandoistopitythem.Youpitytheblindmanwhohasneverseenthesightofday,thedeafmanwhohasneverheardtheharmoniesofnature,themutewhohasneverfoundavoiceforhissoul,andyet,underthespeciouspretextofdecency,youwillnotpitythatblindnessofheart,deafnessofsoulanddumbnessofconsciencewhichturnthebrainsofpoor,desperatewomenandpreventthem,despitethemselves,fromseeinggoodness,hearingtheLordandspeakingthepurelanguageofloveandreligion.

HugowroteMarionDelorme,MussetwroteBernerette,AlexandreDumaswroteFernande.Thinkersandpoetsthroughouttheageshaveofferedthecourtesantheoblationoftheirmercyand,onoccasion,somegreatmanhasbroughtthembacktothefoldthoughtthegiftofhisloveandevenhisname.IfIdwellonthispoint,itisbecauseamongthosewhowillreadthesepages,manymayalreadybeabouttothrowdownabookinwhichtheyfeartheywillseenothingbutanapologyforviceandprostitution,anddoubtlesstheyouthofthepresentauthorisacontributingfactorinprovidinggroundsfortheirfears.Letthosewhoareofsuchamindbeundeceived.Letthemreadon,ifsuchfearsalonegavethempause.

Iamquitesimplypersuadedofaprinciplewhichstatesthat:

Toanywomanwhoseeduationhasnotimpartedknowledgeofgoodness.Godalmostinvariablyopensuptwopathswhichwillleadherbacktoit;thesepathsaresufferingandlove.Theyarerockypaths;womenwhofollowthemwillcuttheirfeetandgrazetheirhands,butwillatthesametimeleavethegaudyragsofvicehangingonthebriarswhichlinetheroad,andshallreachtheirjourney’sendinthatnakedstateforwhichnooneneedfeelshameinthesightoftheLord.

Anywhoencounterthesebravewayfarersaredutyboundtocomfortthemandtosaytoalltheworldthattheyhaveencounteredthem,forbyproclaimingthenewstheyshowtheway.

Itisnotasimplematteroferectingtwosignpostsatthegatewaytolife,onebearingtheinscription:

‘TheWayofGoodness’andtheothercarryingthiswarning:

‘TheWayofEvil’,andofsayingtothosewhocome:

‘choose!

’Eachofus,likeChristhimself,mustpointtothosepathswhichwillredirectfromthesecondwaytothefirstthestepsofthosewhohaveallowedthemselvestobetemptedbytheapproachroads;andaboveallletnotthebeginningofthesepathsbetoopainful,norappeartoodifficultofaccess.

Christianityisever-present,withitswonderfulparableoftheprodigalson,tourge（advanced:

advocate）ustocounselsofforbearanceandforgiveness.Jesuswasfullofloveforsoulsofwomenwoundedbythepassionsofmen,andHelovedtobindtheirwounds,