don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第128节

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off　that　I　am　to　be　envied；　to　be　sure；　I　am　rather　sly；　and　I　have
a　certain　spice　of　the　rogue　in　me；　but　all　is　covered　by　the　great
cloak　of　my　simplicity；　always　natural　and　never　acted；　and　if　I　had
no　other　merit　save　that　I　believe；　as　I　always　do；　firmly　and　truly
in　God；　and　all　the　holy　Roman　Catholic　Church　holds　and　believes；　and
that　I　am　a　mortal　enemy　of　the　Jews；　the　historians　ought　to　have
mercy　on　me　and　treat　me　well　in　their　writings。　But　let　them　say　what
they　like；　naked　was　I　born；　naked　I　find　myself；　I　neither　lose　nor
gain；　nay；　while　I　see　myself　put　into　a　book　and　passed　on　from
hand　to　hand　over　the　world；　I　don't　care　a　fig；　let　them　say　what
they　like　of　me。〃
　　〃That；　Sancho；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃reminds　me　of　what　happened
to　a　famous　poet　of　our　own　day；　who；　having　written　a　bitter　satire
against　all　the　courtesan　ladies；　did　not　insert　or　name　in　it　a
certain　lady　of　whom　it　was　questionable　whether　she　was　one　or　not。
She；　seeing　she　was　not　in　the　list　of　the　poet；　asked　him　what　he　had
seen　in　her　that　he　did　not　include　her　in　the　number　of　the　others；
telling　him　he　must　add　to　his　satire　and　put　her　in　the　new　part；
or　else　look　out　for　the　consequences。　The　poet　did　as　she　bade　him；
and　left　her　without　a　shred　of　reputation；　and　she　was　satisfied　by
getting　fame　though　it　was　infamy。　In　keeping　with　this　is　what　they
relate　of　that　shepherd　who　set　fire　to　the　famous　temple　of　Diana；　by
repute　one　of　the　seven　wonders　of　the　world；　and　burned　it　with　the
sole　object　of　making　his　name　live　in　after　ages；　and；　though　it
was　forbidden　to　name　him；　or　mention　his　name　by　word　of　mouth　or
in　writing；　lest　the　object　of　his　ambition　should　be　attained；
nevertheless　it　became　known　that　he　was　called　Erostratus。　And
something　of　the　same　sort　is　what　happened　in　the　case　of　the　great
emperor　Charles　V　and　a　gentleman　in　Rome。　The　emperor　was　anxious
to　see　that　famous　temple　of　the　Rotunda；　called　in　ancient　times
the　temple　'of　all　the　gods；'　but　now…a…days；　by　a　better
nomenclature；　'of　all　the　saints；'　which　is　the　best　preserved
building　of　all　those　of　pagan　construction　in　Rome；　and　the　one　which
best　sustains　the　reputation　of　mighty　works　and　magnificence　of　its
founders。　It　is　in　the　form　of　a　half　orange；　of　enormous
dimensions；　and　well　lighted；　though　no　light　penetrates　it　save
that　which　is　admitted　by　a　window；　or　rather　round　skylight；　at　the
top；　and　it　was　from　this　that　the　emperor　examined　the　building。　A
Roman　gentleman　stood　by　his　side　and　explained　to　him　the　skilful
construction　and　ingenuity　of　the　vast　fabric　and　its　wonderful
architecture；　and　when　they　had　left　the　skylight　he　said　to　the
emperor；　'A　thousand　times；　your　Sacred　Majesty；　the　impulse　came　upon
me　to　seize　your　Majesty　in　my　arms　and　fling　myself　down　from
yonder　skylight；　so　as　to　leave　behind　me　in　the　world　a　name　that
would　last　for　ever。'　'I　am　thankful　to　you　for　not　carrying　such　an
evil　thought　into　effect；'　said　the　emperor；　'and　I　shall　give　you
no　opportunity　in　future　of　again　putting　your　loyalty　to　the　test；
and　I　therefore　forbid　you　ever　to　speak　to　me　or　to　be　where　I　am；
and　he　followed　up　these　words　by　bestowing　a　liberal　bounty　upon　him。
My　meaning　is；　Sancho；　that　the　desire　of　acquiring　fame　is　a　very
powerful　motive。　What；　thinkest　thou；　was　it　that　flung　Horatius　in
full　armour　down　from　the　bridge　into　the　depths　of　the　Tiber？　What
burned　the　hand　and　arm　of　Mutius？　What　impelled　Curtius　to　plunge
into　the　deep　burning　gulf　that　opened　in　the　midst　of　Rome？　What；
in　opposition　to　all　the　omens　that　declared　against　him；　made
Julius　Caesar　cross　the　Rubicon？　And　to　come　to　more　modern
examples；　what　scuttled　the　ships；　and　left　stranded　and　cut　off　the
gallant　Spaniards　under　the　command　of　the　most　courteous　Cortes　in
the　New　World？　All　these　and　a　variety　of　other　great　exploits　are；
were　and　will　be；　the　work　of　fame　that　mortals　desire　as　a　reward　and
a　portion　of　the　immortality　their　famous　deeds　deserve；　though　we
Catholic　Christians　and　knights…errant　look　more　to　that　future
glory　that　is　everlasting　in　the　ethereal　regions　of　heaven　than　to
the　vanity　of　the　fame　that　is　to　be　acquired　in　this　present
transitory　life；　a　fame　that；　however　long　it　may　last；　must　after　all
end　with　the　world　itself；　which　has　its　own　appointed　end。　So　that；　O
Sancho；　in　what　we　do　we　must　not　overpass　the　bounds　which　the
Christian　religion　we　profess　has　assigned　to　us。　We　have　to　slay
pride　in　giants；　envy　by　generosity　and　nobleness　of　heart；　anger　by
calmness　of　demeanour　and　equanimity；　gluttony　and　sloth　by　the
spareness　of　our　diet　and　the　length　of　our　vigils；　lust　and
lewdness　by　the　loyalty　we　preserve　to　those　whom　we　have　made　the
mistresses　of　our　thoughts；　indolence　by　traversing　the　world　in　all
directions　seeking　opportunities　of　making　ourselves；　besides
Christians；　famous　knights。　Such；　Sancho；　are　the　means　by　which　we
reach　those　extremes　of　praise　that　fair　fame　carries　with　it。〃
　　〃All　that　your　worship　has　said　so　far；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　have
understood　quite　well；　but　still　I　would　be　glad　if　your　worship　would
dissolve　a　doubt　for　me；　which　has　just　this　minute　come　into　my
mind。〃
　　〃Solve；　thou　meanest；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃say　on；　in　God's
name；　and　I　will　answer　as　well　as　I　can。〃
　　〃Tell　me；　senor；〃　Sancho　went　on　to　say；　〃those　Julys　or　Augusts；
and　all　those　venturous　knights　that　you　say　are　now　dead…　where　are
they　now？〃
　　〃The　heathens；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃are；　no　doubt；　in　hell；　the
Christians；　if　they　were　good　Christians；　are　either　in　purgatory　or
in　heaven。〃
　　〃Very　good；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　now　I　want　to　know…　the　tombs　where
the　bodies　of　those　great　lords　are；　have　they　silver　lamps　before
them；　or　are　the　walls　of　their　chapels　ornamented　with　crutches；
winding…sheets；　tresses　of　hair；　legs　and　eyes　in　wax？　Or　what　are
they　ornamented　with？〃
　　To　which　Don　Quixote　made　answer：　〃The　tombs　of　the　heathens　were
generally　sumptuous　temples；　the　ashes　of　Julius　Caesar's　body　were
placed　on　the　top　of　a　stone　pyramid　of　vast　size；　which　they　now　call
in　Rome　Saint　Peter's　needle。　The　emperor　Hadrian　had　for　a　tomb　a
castle　as　large　as　a　good…sized　village；　which　they　called　the　Moles
Adriani；　and　is　now　the　castle　of　St。　Angelo　in　Rome。　The　queen
Artemisia　buried　her　husband　Mausolus　in　a　tomb　which　was　reckoned　one
of　the　seven　wonders　of　the　world；　but　none　of　these　tombs；　or　of
the　many　others　of　the　heathens；　were　ornamented　with　winding…sheets
or　any　of　those　other　offerings　and　tokens　that　show　that　they　who　are
buried　there　are　saints。〃
　　〃That's　the　point　I'm　coming　to；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　now　tell　me；
which　is　the　greater　work；　to　bring　a　dead　man　to　life　or　to　kill　a
giant？〃
　　〃The　answer　is　easy；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃it　is　a　greater　work
to　bring　to　life　a　dead　man。〃
　　〃Now　I　have　got　you；〃　said　Sancho；　〃in　that　case　the　fame　of　them
who　bring　the　dead　to　life；　who　give　sight　to　the　blind；　cure
cripples；　restore　health　to　the　sick；　and　before　whose　tombs　there　are
lamps　burning；　and　whose　chapels　are　filled　with　devout　folk　on
their　knees　adoring　their　relics　be　a　better　fame　in　this　life　and
in　the　other　than　that　which　all　the　heathen　emperors　and
knights…errant　that　have　ever　been　in　the　world　have　left　or　may　leave
behind　them？〃
　　〃That　I　grant；　too；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Then　this　fame；　these　favours；　these　privileges；　or　whatever　you
call　it；〃　said　Sancho；　〃belong　to　the　bodies　and　relics　of　the
saints　who；　with　the　approbation　and　permission　of　our　holy　mother
Church；　have　lamps；　tapers；　winding…sheets；　crutches；　pictures；　eyes
and　legs；　by　means　of　which　they　increase　devotion　and　add　to　their
own　Christian　reputation。　Kings　carry　the　bodies　or　relics　of　saints
on　their　shoulders；　and　kiss　bits　of　their　bones；　and　enrich　and　adorn
their　oratories　and　favourite　altars　with　them。〃
　　〃What　wouldst　thou　have　me　infer　from　all　thou　hast　said；　Sancho？〃
asked　Don　Quixote。
　　〃My　meaning　is；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　us　set　about　becoming　saints；　and
we　shall　obtain　more　quickly　the　fair　fame　we　are　striving　after；
for　you　know；　senor；　yesterday　or　the　day　before　yesterday　（for　it
is　so　lately　one　may　say　so）　they　canonised　and　beatified　two　little
barefoot　friars；　and　it　is　now　reckoned　the　greatest　good　luck　to　kiss
or　touch　the　iron　chains　with　which　they　girt　and　tortured　their
bodies；　and　they　are　held　in　greater　veneration；　so　it　is　said；　than
the　sword　of　Roland　in　the　armoury　of　our　lord　the　King；　whom　God
preserve。　So　that；　senor；　it　is　better　to　be　an　humble　little　friar　of
no　matter　what　order；　than　a　valiant　knight…errant；　with　God　a
couple　of　dozen　of　penance　lashings　are　of　more　avail　than　two
thousand　lance…thrusts；　be　they　given　to　giants；　or　monsters；　or
dragons。〃
　　〃All　that　is　true；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃but　we　cannot　all　be
friars；　and　many　are　the　ways　by　which　God　takes　his　own　to　heaven；
chivalry　is　a　religion；　there　are　sainted　knights　in　glory。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　have　heard　say　that　there　are　more　friars
in　heaven　than　knights…errant。〃
　　〃That；〃　said　Don　Quixot