don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第187节

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ill…conditioned　that　neither　good　company　nor　good　teaching　could　make
any　impression　on　him。　It　is　a　great　defect　that　thou　labourest　under；
and　therefore　I　would　have　thee　learn　at　any　rate　to　sign　thy　name。〃
　〃I　can　sign　my　name　well　enough；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　when　I　was
steward　of　the　brotherhood　in　my　village　I　learned　to　make　certain
letters；　like　the　marks　on　bales　of　goods；　which　they　told　me　made　out
my　name。　Besides　I　can　pretend　my　right　hand　is　disabled　and　make　some
one　else　sign　for　me；　for　'there's　a　remedy　for　everything　except
death；'　and　as　I　shall　be　in　command　and　hold　the　staff；　I　can　do　as　I
like；　moreover；　'he　who　has　the　alcalde　for　his　father…；'　and　I'll
be　governor；　and　that's　higher　than　alcalde。　Only　come　and　see！　Let
them　make　light　of　me　and　abuse　me；　'they'll　come　for　wool　and　go　back
shorn；'　'whom　God　loves；　his　house　is　known　to　Him；'　'the　silly
sayings　of　the　rich　pass　for　saws　in　the　world；'　and　as　I'll　be
rich；　being　a　governor；　and　at　the　same　time　generous；　as　I　mean　to
be；　no　fault　will　he　seen　in　me。　'Only　make　yourself　honey　and　the
flies　will　suck　you；'　'as　much　as　thou　hast　so　much　art　thou　worth；'
as　my　grandmother　used　to　say；　and　'thou　canst　have　no　revenge　of　a
man　of　substance。'〃
　　〃Oh；　God's　curse　upon　thee；　Sancho！〃　here　exclaimed　Don　Quixote；
〃sixty　thousand　devils　fly　away　with　thee　and　thy　proverbs！　For　the
last　hour　thou　hast　been　stringing　them　together　and　inflicting　the
pangs　of　torture　on　me　with　every　one　of　them。　Those　proverbs　will
bring　thee　to　the　gallows　one　day；　I　promise　thee；　thy　subjects　will
take　the　government　from　thee；　or　there　will　be　revolts　among　them。
Tell　me；　where　dost　thou　pick　them　up；　thou　booby？　How　dost　thou　apply
them；　thou　blockhead？　For　with　me；　to　utter　one　and　make　it　apply
properly；　I　have　to　sweat　and　labour　as　if　I　were　digging。〃
　　〃By　God；　master　mine；〃　said　Sancho；　〃your　worship　is　making　a　fuss
about　very　little。　Why　the　devil　should　you　be　vexed　if　I　make　use
of　what　is　my　own？　And　I　have　got　nothing　else；　nor　any　other　stock　in
trade　except　proverbs　and　more　proverbs；　and　here　are　three　just
this　instant　come　into　my　head；　pat　to　the　purpose　and　like　pears　in　a
basket；　but　I　won't　repeat　them；　for　'sage　silence　is　called　Sancho。'〃
　　〃That；　Sancho；　thou　art　not；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　not　only　art
thou　not　sage　silence；　but　thou　art　pestilent　prate　and　perversity；
still　I　would　like　to　know　what　three　proverbs　have　just　now　come　into
thy　memory；　for　I　have　been　turning　over　mine　own…　and　it　is　a　good
one…　and　none　occurs　to　me。〃
　　〃What　can　be　better；〃　said　Sancho；　〃than　'never　put　thy　thumbs
between　two　back　teeth；'　and　'to　〃get　out　of　my　house〃　and　〃what　do
you　want　with　my　wife？〃　there　is　no　answer；'　and　'whether　the
pitcher　hits　the　stove；　or　the　stove　the　pitcher；　it's　a　bad
business　for　the　pitcher；'　all　which　fit　to　a　hair？　For　no　one
should　quarrel　with　his　governor；　or　him　in　authority　over　him；
because　he　will　come　off　the　worst；　as　he　does　who　puts　his　finger
between　two　back　and　if　they　are　not　back　teeth　it　makes　no
difference；　so　long　as　they　are　teeth；　and　to　whatever　the　governor
may　say　there's　no　answer；　any　more　than　to　'get　out　of　my　house'
and　'what　do　you　want　with　my　wife？'　and　then；　as　for　that　about　the
stone　and　the　pitcher；　a　blind　man　could　see　that。　So　that　he　'who
sees　the　mote　in　another's　eye　had　need　to　see　the　beam　in　his　own；'
that　it　be　not　said　of　himself；　'the　dead　woman　was　frightened　at
the　one　with　her　throat　cut；'　and　your　worship　knows　well　that　'the
fool　knows　more　in　his　own　house　than　the　wise　man　in　another's。'〃
　　〃Nay；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃the　fool　knows　nothing；　either
in　his　own　house　or　in　anybody　else's；　for　no　wise　structure　of　any
sort　can　stand　on　a　foundation　of　folly；　but　let　us　say　no　more
about　it；　Sancho；　for　if　thou　governest　badly；　thine　will　he　the　fault
and　mine　the　shame；　but　I　comfort　myself　with　having　done　my　duty　in
advising　thee　as　earnestly　and　as　wisely　as　I　could；　and　thus　I　am
released　from　my　obligations　and　my　promise。　God　guide　thee；　Sancho；
and　govern　thee　in　thy　government；　and　deliver　me　from　the　misgiving　I
have　that　thou　wilt　turn　the　whole　island　upside　down；　a　thing　I　might
easily　prevent　by　explaining　to　the　duke　what　thou　art　and　telling　him
that　all　that　fat　little　person　of　thine　is　nothing　else　but　a　sack
full　of　proverbs　and　sauciness。〃
　　〃Senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃if　your　worship　thinks　I'm　not　fit　for　this
government；　I　give　it　up　on　the　spot；　for　the　mere　black　of　the　nail
of　my　soul　is　dearer　to　me　than　my　whole　body；　and　I　can　live　just
as　well；　simple　Sancho；　on　bread　and　onions；　as　governor；　on
partridges　and　capons；　and　what's　more；　while　we're　asleep　we're　all
equal；　great　and　small；　rich　and　poor。　But　if　your　worship　looks
into　it；　you　will　see　it　was　your　worship　alone　that　put　me　on　to　this
business　of　governing；　for　I　know　no　more　about　the　government　of
islands　than　a　buzzard；　and　if　there's　any　reason　to　think　that
because　of　my　being　a　governor　the　devil　will　get　hold　of　me；　I'd
rather　go　Sancho　to　heaven　than　governor　to　hell。〃
　　〃By　God；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　those　last　words　thou
hast　uttered　alone；　I　consider　thou　deservest　to　be　governor　of　a
thousand　islands。　Thou　hast　good　natural　instincts；　without　which　no
knowledge　is　worth　anything；　commend　thyself　to　God；　and　try　not　to
swerve　in　the　pursuit　of　thy　main　object；　I　mean；　always　make　it　thy
aim　and　fixed　purpose　to　do　right　in　all　matters　that　come　before
thee；　for　heaven　always　helps　good　intentions；　and　now　let　us　go　to
dinner；　for　I　think　my　lord　and　lady　are　waiting　for　us。〃


　　CHAPTER　XLIV
　　HOW　SANCHO　PANZA　WAS　CONDUCTED　TO　HIS　GOVERNMENT；　AND　OF　THE　STRANGE
ADVENTURE　THAT　BEFELL　DON　QUIXOTE　IN　THE　CASTLE

　　IT　iS　stated；　they　say；　in　the　true　original　of　this　history；　that
when　Cide　Hamete　came　to　write　this　chapter；　his　interpreter　did　not
translate　it　as　he　wrote　it…　that　is；　as　a　kind　of　complaint　the
Moor　made　against　himself　for　having　taken　in　hand　a　story　so　dry
and　of　so　little　variety　as　this　of　Don　Quixote；　for　he　found
himself　forced　to　speak　perpetually　of　him　and　Sancho；　without
venturing　to　indulge　in　digressions　and　episodes　more　serious　and　more
interesting。　He　said；　too；　that　to　go　on；　mind；　hand；　pen　always
restricted　to　writing　upon　one　single　subject；　and　speaking　through
the　mouths　of　a　few　characters；　was　intolerable　drudgery；　the　result
of　which　was　never　equal　to　the　author's　labour；　and　that　to　avoid
this　he　had　in　the　First　Part　availed　himself　of　the　device　of　novels；
like　〃The　Ill…advised　Curiosity；〃　and　〃The　Captive　Captain；〃　which
stand；　as　it　were；　apart　from　the　story；　the　others　are　given　there
being　incidents　which　occurred　to　Don　Quixote　himself　and　could　not　be
omitted。　He　also　thought；　he　says；　that　many；　engrossed　by　the
interest　attaching　to　the　exploits　of　Don　Quixote；　would　take　none
in　the　novels；　and　pass　them　over　hastily　or　impatiently　without
noticing　the　elegance　and　art　of　their　composition；　which　would　be
very　manifest　were　they　published　by　themselves　and　not　as　mere
adjuncts　to　the　crazes　of　Don　Quixote　or　the　simplicities　of　Sancho。
Therefore　in　this　Second　Part　he　thought　it　best　not　to　insert　novels；
either　separate　or　interwoven；　but　only　episodes；　something　like　them；
arising　out　of　the　circumstances　the　facts　present；　and　even　these
sparingly；　and　with　no　more　words　than　suffice　to　make　them　plain；　and
as　he　confines　and　restricts　himself　to　the　narrow　limits　of　the
narrative；　though　he　has　ability；　capacity；　and　brains　enough　to
deal　with　the　whole　universe；　he　requests　that　his　labours　may　not
be　despised；　and　that　credit　be　given　him；　not　alone　for　what　he
writes；　but　for　what　he　has　refrained　from　writing。
　　And　so　he　goes　on　with　his　story；　saying　that　the　day　Don　Quixote
gave　the　counsels　to　Sancho；　the　same　afternoon　after　dinner　he　handed
them　to　him　in　writing　so　that　he　might　get　some　one　to　read　them　to
him。　They　had　scarcely；　however；　been　given　to　him　when　he　let　them
drop；　and　they　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　duke；　who　showed　them　to　the
duchess　and　they　were　both　amazed　afresh　at　the　madness　and　wit　of　Don
Quixote。　To　carry　on　the　joke；　then；　the　same　evening　they
despatched　Sancho　with　a　large　following　to　the　village　that　was　to
serve　him　for　an　island。　It　happened　that　the　person　who　had　him　in
charge　was　a　majordomo　of　the　duke's；　a　man　of　great　discretion　and
humour…　and　there　can　be　no　humour　without　discretion…　and　the　same
who　played　the　part　of　the　Countess　Trifaldi　in　the　comical　way　that
has　been　already　described；　and　thus　qualified；　and　instructed　by
his　master　and　mistress　as　to　how　to　deal　with　Sancho；　he　carried
out　their　scheme　admirably。　Now　it　came　to　pass　that　as　soon　as　Sancho
saw　this　majordomo　he　seemed　in　his　features　to　recognise　those　of　the
Trifaldi；　and　turning　to　his　master；　he　said　to　him；　〃Senor；　either
the　devil　will　carry　me　off；　here　on　this　spot；　righteous　and
believing；　or　your　worship　will　own　to　me　that　the　face　of　this
majordomo　of　the　duke's　here　is　the　very　face　of　the　Distressed　One。〃
　　Don　Quixote　regarded　the