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don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第159章

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home; and to he busy at something is a virtuous damsel's holiday; be
off to your adventures along with your Don Quixote; and leave us to
our misadventures; for God will mend them for us according as we
deserve it。 I don't know; I'm sure; who fixed the 'Don' to him; what
neither his father nor grandfather ever had。〃
  〃I declare thou hast a devil of some sort in thy body!〃 said Sancho。
〃God help thee; what a lot of things thou hast strung together; one
after the other; without head or tail! What have Cascajo; and the
broaches and the proverbs and the airs; to do with what I say? Look
here; fool and dolt (for so I may call you; when you don't
understand my words; and run away from good fortune); if I had said
that my daughter was to throw herself down from a tower; or go roaming
the world; as the Infanta Dona Urraca wanted to do; you would be right
in not giving way to my will; but if in an instant; in less than the
twinkling of an eye; I put the 'Don' and 'my lady' on her back; and
take her out of the stubble; and place her under a canopy; on a
dais; and on a couch; with more velvet cushions than all the Almohades
of Morocco ever had in their family; why won't you consent and fall in
with my wishes?〃
  〃Do you know why; husband?〃 replied Teresa; 〃because of the
proverb that says 'who covers thee; discovers thee。' At the poor man
people only throw a hasty glance; on the rich man they fix their eyes;
and if the said rich man was once on a time poor; it is then there
is the sneering and the tattle and spite of backbiters; and in the
streets here they swarm as thick as bees。〃
  〃Look here; Teresa;〃 said Sancho; 〃and listen to what I am now going
to say to you; maybe you never heard it in all your life; and I do not
give my own notions; for what I am about to say are the opinions of
his reverence the preacher; who preached in this town last Lent; and
who said; if I remember rightly; that all things present that our eyes
behold; bring themselves before us; and remain and fix themselves on
our memory much better and more forcibly than things past。〃
  These observations which Sancho makes here are the other ones on
account of which the translator says he regards this chapter as
apocryphal; inasmuch as they are beyond Sancho's capacity。
  〃Whence it arises;〃 he continued; 〃that when we see any person
well dressed and making a figure with rich garments and retinue of
servants; it seems to lead and impel us perforce to respect him;
though memory may at the same moment recall to us some lowly condition
in which we have seen him; but which; whether it may have been poverty
or low birth; being now a thing of the past; has no existence; while
the only thing that has any existence is what we see before us; and if
this person whom fortune has raised from his original lowly state
(these were the very words the padre used) to his present height of
prosperity; be well bred; generous; courteous to all; without
seeking to vie with those whose nobility is of ancient date; depend
upon it; Teresa; no one will remember what he was; and everyone will
respect what he is; except indeed the envious; from whom no fair
fortune is safe。〃
  〃I do not understand you; husband;〃 replied Teresa; 〃do as you like;
and don't break my head with any more speechifying and rethoric; and
if you have revolved to do what you say…〃
  〃Resolved; you should say; woman;〃 said Sancho; 〃not revolved。〃
  〃Don't set yourself to wrangle with me; husband;〃 said Teresa; 〃I
speak as God pleases; and don't deal in out…of…the…way phrases; and
I say if you are bent upon having a government; take your son Sancho
with you; and teach him from this time on how to hold a government;
for sons ought to inherit and learn the trades of their fathers。〃
  〃As soon as I have the government;〃 said Sancho; 〃I will send for
him by post; and I will send thee money; of which I shall have no
lack; for there is never any want of people to lend it to governors
when they have not got it; and do thou dress him so as to hide what he
is and make him look what he is to be。〃
  〃You send the money;〃 said Teresa; 〃and I'll dress him up for you as
fine as you please。〃
  〃Then we are agreed that our daughter is to be a countess;〃 said
Sancho。
  〃The day that I see her a countess;〃 replied Teresa; 〃it will be the
same to me as if I was burying her; but once more I say do as you
please; for we women are born to this burden of being obedient to
our husbands; though they be dogs;〃 and with this she began to weep in
earnest; as if she already saw Sanchica dead and buried。
  Sancho consoled her by saying that though he must make her a
countess; he would put it off as long as possible。 Here their
conversation came to an end; and Sancho went back to see Don
Quixote; and make arrangements for their departure。

  CHAPTER VI
  OF WHAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN DON QUIXOTE AND HIS NIECE AND
HOUSEKEEPER; ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTERS IN THE WHOLE HISTORY

  WHILE Sancho Panza and his wife; Teresa Cascajo; held the above
irrelevant conversation; Don Quixote's niece and housekeeper were
not idle; for by a thousand signs they began to perceive that their
uncle and master meant to give them the slip the third time; and
once more betake himself to his; for them; ill…errant chivalry。 They
strove by all the means in their power to divert him from such an
unlucky scheme; but it was all preaching in the desert and hammering
cold iron。 Nevertheless; among many other representations made to him;
the housekeeper said to him; 〃In truth; master; if you do not keep
still and stay quiet at home; and give over roaming mountains and
valleys like a troubled spirit; looking for what they say are called
adventures; but what I call misfortunes; I shall have to make
complaint to God and the king with loud supplication to send some
remedy。〃
  To which Don Quixote replied; 〃What answer God will give to your
complaints; housekeeper; I know not; nor what his Majesty will
answer either; I only know that if I were king I should decline to
answer the numberless silly petitions they present every day; for
one of the greatest among the many troubles kings have is being
obliged to listen to all and answer all; and therefore I should be
sorry that any affairs of mine should worry him。〃
  Whereupon the housekeeper said; 〃Tell us; senor; at his Majesty's
court are there no knights?〃
  〃There are;〃 replied Don Quixote; 〃and plenty of them; and it is
right there should be; to set off the dignity of the prince; and for
the greater glory of the king's majesty。〃
  〃Then might not your worship;〃 said she; 〃be one of those that;
without stirring a step; serve their king and lord in his court?〃
  〃Recollect; my friend;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃all knights cannot be
courtiers; nor can all courtiers be knights…errant; nor need they
be。 There must be all sorts in the world; and though we may be all
knights; there is a great difference between one and another; for
the courtiers; without quitting their chambers; or the threshold of
the court; range the world over by looking at a map; without its
costing them a farthing; and without suffering heat or cold; hunger or
thirst; but
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