don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第125节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


are　ill…conditioned　scoundrels；　nor　is　it　everyone　that　calls
himself　a　gentleman；　that　is　so　in　all　respects；　some　are　gold；　others
pinchbeck；　and　all　look　like　gentlemen；　but　not　all　can　stand　the
touchstone　of　truth。　There　are　men　of　low　rank　who　strain　themselves
to　bursting　to　pass　for　gentlemen；　and　high　gentlemen　who；　one　would
fancy；　were　dying　to　pass　for　men　of　low　rank；　the　former　raise
themselves　by　their　ambition　or　by　their　virtues；　the　latter　debase
themselves　by　their　lack　of　spirit　or　by　their　vices；　and　one　has　need
of　experience　and　discernment　to　distinguish　these　two　kinds　of
gentlemen；　so　much　alike　in　name　and　so　different　in　conduct。〃
　　〃God　bless　me！〃　said　the　niece；　〃that　you　should　know　so　much；
uncle…　enough；　if　need　be；　to　get　up　into　a　pulpit　and　go　preach　in
the　streets　…and　yet　that　you　should　fall　into　a　delusion　so　great　and
a　folly　so　manifest　as　to　try　to　make　yourself　out　vigorous　when　you
are　old；　strong　when　you　are　sickly；　able　to　put　straight　what　is
crooked　when　you　yourself　are　bent　by　age；　and；　above　all；　a　caballero
when　you　are　not　one；　for　though　gentlefolk　may　he　so；　poor　men　are
nothing　of　the　kind！〃
　　〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　what　you　say；　niece；〃　returned
Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　could　tell　you　somewhat　about　birth　that　would
astonish　you；　but；　not　to　mix　up　things　human　and　divine；　I　refrain。
Look　you；　my　dears；　all　the　lineages　in　the　world　（attend　to　what　I　am
saying）　can　be　reduced　to　four　sorts；　which　are　these：　those　that
had　humble　beginnings；　and　went　on　spreading　and　extending
themselves　until　they　attained　surpassing　greatness；　those　that　had
great　beginnings　and　maintained　them；　and　still　maintain　and　uphold
the　greatness　of　their　origin；　those；　again；　that　from　a　great
beginning　have　ended　in　a　point　like　a　pyramid；　having　reduced　and
lessened　their　original　greatness　till　it　has　come　to　nought；　like　the
point　of　a　pyramid；　which；　relatively　to　its　base　or　foundation；　is
nothing；　and　then　there　are　those…　and　it　is　they　that　are　the　most
numerous…　that　have　had　neither　an　illustrious　beginning　nor　a
remarkable　mid…course；　and　so　will　have　an　end　without　a　name；　like　an
ordinary　plebeian　line。　Of　the　first；　those　that　had　an　humble
origin　and　rose　to　the　greatness　they　still　preserve；　the　Ottoman
house　may　serve　as　an　example；　which　from　an　humble　and　lowly
shepherd；　its　founder；　has　reached　the　height　at　which　we　now　see
it。　For　examples　of　the　second　sort　of　lineage；　that　began　with
greatness　and　maintains　it　still　without　adding　to　it；　there　are　the
many　princes　who　have　inherited　the　dignity；　and　maintain　themselves
in　their　inheritance；　without　increasing　or　diminishing　it；　keeping
peacefully　within　the　limits　of　their　states。　Of　those　that　began
great　and　ended　in　a　point；　there　are　thousands　of　examples；　for　all
the　Pharaohs　and　Ptolemies　of　Egypt；　the　Caesars　of　Rome；　and　the
whole　herd　（if　I　may　such　a　word　to　them）　of　countless　princes；
monarchs；　lords；　Medes；　Assyrians；　Persians；　Greeks；　and　barbarians；
all　these　lineages　and　lordships　have　ended　in　a　point　and　come　to
nothing；　they　themselves　as　well　as　their　founders；　for　it　would　be
impossible　now　to　find　one　of　their　descendants；　and；　even　should　we
find　one；　it　would　be　in　some　lowly　and　humble　condition。　Of
plebeian　lineages　I　have　nothing　to　say；　save　that　they　merely　serve
to　swell　the　number　of　those　that　live；　without　any　eminence　to
entitle　them　to　any　fame　or　praise　beyond　this。　From　all　I　have　said　I
would　have　you　gather；　my　poor　innocents；　that　great　is　the
confusion　among　lineages；　and　that　only　those　are　seen　to　be　great　and
illustrious　that　show　themselves　so　by　the　virtue；　wealth；　and
generosity　of　their　possessors。　I　have　said　virtue；　wealth；　and
generosity；　because　a　great　man　who　is　vicious　will　be　a　great　example
of　vice；　and　a　rich　man　who　is　not　generous　will　be　merely　a　miserly
beggar；　for　the　possessor　of　wealth　is　not　made　happy　by　possessing
it；　but　by　spending　it；　and　not　by　spending　as　he　pleases；　but　by
knowing　how　to　spend　it　well。　The　poor　gentleman　has　no　way　of　showing
that　he　is　a　gentleman　but　by　virtue；　by　being　affable；　well…bred；
courteous；　gentle…mannered；　and　kindly；　not　haughty；　arrogant；　or
censorious；　but　above　all　by　being　charitable；　for　by　two　maravedis
given　with　a　cheerful　heart　to　the　poor；　he　will　show　himself　as
generous　as　he　who　distributes　alms　with　bell…ringing；　and　no　one　that
perceives　him　to　be　endowed　with　the　virtues　I　have　named；　even　though
he　know　him　not；　will　fail　to　recognise　and　set　him　down　as　one　of
good　blood；　and　it　would　be　strange　were　it　not　so；　praise　has　ever
been　the　reward　of　virtue；　and　those　who　are　virtuous　cannot　fail　to
receive　commendation。　There　are　two　roads；　my　daughters；　by　which
men　may　reach　wealth　and　honours；　one　is　that　of　letters；　the　other
that　of　arms。　I　have　more　of　arms　than　of　letters　in　my　composition；
and；　judging　by　my　inclination　to　arms；　was　born　under　the　influence
of　the　planet　Mars。　I　am；　therefore；　in　a　measure　constrained　to
follow　that　road；　and　by　it　I　must　travel　in　spite　of　all　the　world；
and　it　will　be　labour　in　vain　for　you　to　urge　me　to　resist　what　heaven
wills；　fate　ordains；　reason　requires；　and；　above　all；　my　own
inclination　favours；　for　knowing　as　I　do　the　countless　toils　that
are　the　accompaniments　of　knight…errantry；　I　know；　too；　the　infinite
blessings　that　are　attained　by　it；　I　know　that　the　path　of　virtue　is
very　narrow；　and　the　road　of　vice　broad　and　spacious；　I　know　their
ends　and　goals　are　different；　for　the　broad　and　easy　road　of　vice　ends
in　death；　and　the　narrow　and　toilsome　one　of　virtue　in　life；　and　not
transitory　life；　but　in　that　which　has　no　end；　I　know；　as　our　great
Castilian　poet　says；　that…

　　　　　　　It　is　by　rugged　paths　like　these　they　go
　　　　　　　That　scale　the　heights　of　immortality；
　　　　　　　Unreached　by　those　that　falter　here　below。〃

　　〃Woe　is　me！〃　exclaimed　the　niece；　〃my　lord　is　a　poet；　too！　He
knows　everything；　and　he　can　do　everything；　I　will　bet；　if　he　chose　to
turn　mason；　he　could　make　a　house　as　easily　as　a　cage。〃
　　〃I　can　tell　you；　niece；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃if　these　chivalrous
thoughts　did　not　engage　all　my　faculties；　there　would　be　nothing
that　I　could　not　do；　nor　any　sort　of　knickknack　that　would　not　come
from　my　hands；　particularly　cages　and　tooth…picks。〃
　　At　this　moment　there　came　a　knocking　at　the　door；　and　when　they
asked　who　was　there；　Sancho　Panza　made　answer　that　it　was　he。　The
instant　the　housekeeper　knew　who　it　was；　she　ran　to　hide　herself　so　as
not　to　see　him；　in　such　abhorrence　did　she　hold　him。　The　niece　let　him
in；　and　his　master　Don　Quixote　came　forward　to　receive　him　with　open
arms；　and　the　pair　shut　themselves　up　in　his　room；　where　they　had
another　conversation　not　inferior　to　the　previous　one。
　　

CHAPTER　VII
　　OF　WHAT　PASSED　BETWEEN　DON　QUIXOTE　AND　HIS　SQUIRE；　TOGETHER　WITH
OTHER　VERY　NOTABLE　INCIDENTS

　　THE　instant　the　housekeeper　saw　Sancho　Panza　shut　himself　in　with
her　master；　she　guessed　what　they　were　about；　and　suspecting　that
the　result　of　the　consultation　would　be　a　resolve　to　undertake　a　third
sally；　she　seized　her　mantle；　and　in　deep　anxiety　and　distress；　ran　to
find　the　bachelor　Samson　Carrasco；　as　she　thought　that；　being　a
well…spoken　man；　and　a　new　friend　of　her　master's；　he　might　be　able　to
persuade　him　to　give　up　any　such　crazy　notion。　She　found　him　pacing
the　patio　of　his　house；　and；　perspiring　and　flurried；　she　fell　at
his　feet　the　moment　she　saw　him。
　　Carrasco；　seeing　how　distressed　and　overcome　she　was；　said　to　her；
〃What　is　this；　mistress　housekeeper？　What　has　happened　to　you？　One
would　think　you　heart…broken。〃
　　〃Nothing；　Senor　Samson；〃　said　she；　〃only　that　my　master　is
breaking　out；　plainly　breaking　out。〃
　　〃Whereabouts　is　he　breaking　out；　senora？〃　asked　Samson；　〃has　any
part　of　his　body　burst？〃
　　〃He　is　only　breaking　out　at　the　door　of　his　madness；〃　she　replied；
〃I　mean；　dear　senor　bachelor；　that　he　is　going　to　break　out　again　（and
this　will　be　the　third　time）　to　hunt　all　over　the　world　for　what　he
calls　ventures；　though　I　can't　make　out　why　he　gives　them　that　name。
The　first　time　he　was　brought　back　to　us　slung　across　the　back　of　an
ass；　and　belaboured　all　over；　and　the　second　time　he　came　in　an
ox…cart；　shut　up　in　a　cage；　in　which　he　persuaded　himself　he　was
enchanted；　and　the　poor　creature　was　in　such　a　state　that　the　mother
that　bore　him　would　not　have　known　him；　lean；　yellow；　with　his　eyes
sunk　deep　in　the　cells　of　his　skull；　so　that　to　bring　him　round　again；
ever　so　little；　cost　me　more　than　six　hundred　eggs；　as　God　knows；
and　all　the　world；　and　my　hens　too；　that　won't　let　me　tell　a　lie。〃
　　〃That　I　can　well　believe；〃　replied　the　bachelor；　〃for　they　are　so
good　and　so　fat；　and　so　well…bred；　that　they　would　not　say　one　thing
for　another；　though　they　were　to　burst　for　it。　In　short　then；　mistress
housekeeper；　that　is　all；　and　there　is　nothing　the　matter；　except　what
it　is　feared　Don　Quixote　may　do？〃
　　〃No；　senor；〃　said　she。
　　〃Well　then；〃　returned　the　bachelor；　〃don't　be　uneasy；　but　go　home　in
peace；　get　me　ready　something　hot　for　breakfast；　and　while　you　are
on　the　w