don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第6节

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knighthood；　and　hath　to…day　righted　the　greatest　wrong　and　grievance
that　ever　injustice　conceived　and　cruelty　perpetrated：　who　hath　to…day
plucked　the　rod　from　the　hand　of　yonder　ruthless　oppressor　so　wantonly
lashing　that　tender　child。〃
　　He　now　came　to　a　road　branching　in　four　directions；　and
immediately　he　was　reminded　of　those　cross…roads　where
knights…errant　used　to　stop　to　consider　which　road　they　should　take。
In　imitation　of　them　he　halted　for　a　while；　and　after　having　deeply
considered　it；　he　gave　Rocinante　his　head；　submitting　his　own　will
to　that　of　his　hack；　who　followed　out　his　first　intention；　which　was
to　make　straight　for　his　own　stable。　After　he　had　gone　about　two　miles
Don　Quixote　perceived　a　large　party　of　people；　who；　as　afterwards
appeared；　were　some　Toledo　traders；　on　their　way　to　buy　silk　at
Murcia。　There　were　six　of　them　coming　along　under　their　sunshades；
with　four　servants　mounted；　and　three　muleteers　on　foot。　Scarcely
had　Don　Quixote　descried　them　when　the　fancy　possessed　him　that　this
must　be　some　new　adventure；　and　to　help　him　to　imitate　as　far　as　he
could　those　passages　he　had　read　of　in　his　books；　here　seemed　to
come　one　made　on　purpose；　which　he　resolved　to　attempt。　So　with　a
lofty　bearing　and　determination　he　fixed　himself　firmly　in　his
stirrups；　got　his　lance　ready；　brought　his　buckler　before　his
breast；　and　planting　himself　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　stood
waiting　the　approach　of　these　knights…errant；　for　such　he　now
considered　and　held　them　to　be；　and　when　they　had　come　near　enough
to　see　and　hear；　he　exclaimed　with　a　haughty　gesture；　〃All　the　world
stand；　unless　all　the　world　confess　that　in　all　the　world　there　is
no　maiden　fairer　than　the　Empress　of　La　Mancha；　the　peerless
Dulcinea　del　Toboso。〃
　　The　traders　halted　at　the　sound　of　this　language　and　the　sight　of
the　strange　figure　that　uttered　it；　and　from　both　figure　and
language　at　once　guessed　the　craze　of　their　owner；　they　wished；
however；　to　learn　quietly　what　was　the　object　of　this　confession
that　was　demanded　of　them；　and　one　of　them；　who　was　rather　fond　of　a
joke　and　was　very　sharp…witted；　said　to　him；　〃Sir　Knight；　we　do　not
know　who　this　good　lady　is　that　you　speak　of；　show　her　to　us；　for；
if　she　be　of　such　beauty　as　you　suggest；　with　all　our　hearts　and
without　any　pressure　we　will　confess　the　truth　that　is　on　your　part
required　of　us。〃
　　〃If　I　were　to　show　her　to　you；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃what　merit
would　you　have　in　confessing　a　truth　so　manifest？　The　essential
point　is　that　without　seeing　her　you　must　believe；　confess；　affirm；
swear；　and　defend　it；　else　ye　have　to　do　with　me　in　battle；
ill…conditioned；　arrogant　rabble　that　ye　are；　and　come　ye　on；　one　by
one　as　the　order　of　knighthood　requires；　or　all　together　as　is　the
custom　and　vile　usage　of　your　breed；　here　do　I　bide　and　await　you
relying　on　the　justice　of　the　cause　I　maintain。〃
　　〃Sir　Knight；〃　replied　the　trader；　〃I　entreat　your　worship　in　the
name　of　this　present　company　of　princes；　that；　to　save　us　from
charging　our　consciences　with　the　confession　of　a　thing　we　have
never　seen　or　heard　of；　and　one　moreover　so　much　to　the　prejudice　of
the　Empresses　and　Queens　of　the　Alcarria　and　Estremadura；　your　worship
will　be　pleased　to　show　us　some　portrait　of　this　lady；　though　it　be　no
bigger　than　a　grain　of　wheat；　for　by　the　thread　one　gets　at　the
ball；　and　in　this　way　we　shall　be　satisfied　and　easy；　and　you　will
be　content　and　pleased；　nay；　I　believe　we　are　already　so　far　agreed
with　you　that　even　though　her　portrait　should　show　her　blind　of　one
eye；　and　distilling　vermilion　and　sulphur　from　the　other；　we　would
nevertheless；　to　gratify　your　worship；　say　all　in　her　favour　that
you　desire。〃
　　〃She　distils　nothing　of　the　kind；　vile　rabble；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
burning　with　rage；　〃nothing　of　the　kind；　I　say；　only　ambergris　and
civet　in　cotton；　nor　is　she　one…eyed　or　humpbacked；　but　straighter
than　a　Guadarrama　spindle：　but　ye　must　pay　for　the　blasphemy　ye　have
uttered　against　beauty　like　that　of　my　lady。〃
　　And　so　saying；　he　charged　with　levelled　lance　against　the　one　who
had　spoken；　with　such　fury　and　fierceness　that；　if　luck　had　not
contrived　that　Rocinante　should　stumble　midway　and　come　down；　it　would
have　gone　hard　with　the　rash　trader。　Down　went　Rocinante；　and　over
went　his　master；　rolling　along　the　ground　for　some　distance；　and
when　he　tried　to　rise　he　was　unable；　so　encumbered　was　he　with
lance；　buckler；　spurs；　helmet；　and　the　weight　of　his　old　armour；　and
all　the　while　he　was　struggling　to　get　up　he　kept　saying；　〃Fly　not；
cowards　and　caitiffs！　stay；　for　not　by　my　fault；　but　my　horse's；　am
I　stretched　here。〃
　　One　of　the　muleteers　in　attendance；　who　could　not　have　had　much　good
nature　in　him；　hearing　the　poor　prostrate　man　blustering　in　this
style；　was　unable　to　refrain　from　giving　him　an　answer　on　his　ribs；
and　coming　up　to　him　he　seized　his　lance；　and　having　broken　it　in
pieces；　with　one　of　them　he　began　so　to　belabour　our　Don　Quixote　that；
notwithstanding　and　in　spite　of　his　armour；　he　milled　him　like　a
measure　of　wheat。　His　masters　called　out　not　to　lay　on　so　hard　and
to　leave　him　alone；　but　the　muleteers　blood　was　up；　and　he　did　not
care　to　drop　the　game　until　he　had　vented　the　rest　of　his　wrath；　and
gathering　up　the　remaining　fragments　of　the　lance　he　finished　with　a
discharge　upon　the　unhappy　victim；　who　all　through　the　storm　of　sticks
that　rained　on　him　never　ceased　threatening　heaven；　and　earth；　and　the
brigands；　for　such　they　seemed　to　him。　At　last　the　muleteer　was　tired；
and　the　traders　continued　their　journey；　taking　with　them　matter　for
talk　about　the　poor　fellow　who　had　been　cudgelled。　He　when　he　found
himself　alone　made　another　effort　to　rise；　but　if　he　was　unable　when
whole　and　sound；　how　was　he　to　rise　after　having　been　thrashed　and
well…nigh　knocked　to　pieces？　And　yet　he　esteemed　himself　fortunate；　as
it　seemed　to　him　that　this　was　a　regular　knight…errant's　mishap；　and
entirely；　he　considered；　the　fault　of　his　horse。　However；　battered
in　body　as　he　was；　to　rise　was　beyond　his　power。

　　CHAPTER　V
　　IN　WHICH　THE　NARRATIVE　OF　OUR　KNIGHT'S　MISHAP　IS　CONTINUED

　　FINDING；　then；　that；　in　fact　he　could　not　move；　he　thought　himself
of　having　recourse　to　his　usual　remedy；　which　was　to　think　of　some
passage　in　his　books；　and　his　craze　brought　to　his　mind　that　about
Baldwin　and　the　Marquis　of　Mantua；　when　Carloto　left　him　wounded　on
the　mountain　side；　a　story　known　by　heart　by　the　children；　not
forgotten　by　the　young　men；　and　lauded　and　even　believed　by　the　old
folk；　and　for　all　that　not　a　whit　truer　than　the　miracles　of
Mahomet。　This　seemed　to　him　to　fit　exactly　the　case　in　which　he
found　himself；　so；　making　a　show　of　severe　suffering；　he　began　to　roll
on　the　ground　and　with　feeble　breath　repeat　the　very　words　which　the
wounded　knight　of　the　wood　is　said　to　have　uttered：

　　　　　　　　　　Where　art　thou；　lady　mine；　that　thou
　　　　　　　　　　　　My　sorrow　dost　not　rue？
　　　　　　　　　　Thou　canst　not　know　it；　lady　mine；
　　　　　　　　　　　　Or　else　thou　art　untrue。

And　so　he　went　on　with　the　ballad　as　far　as　the　lines：

　　　　　　　　　　O　noble　Marquis　of　Mantua；
　　　　　　　　　　　　My　Uncle　and　liege　lord！

　　As　chance　would　have　it；　when　he　had　got　to　this　line　there　happened
to　come　by　a　peasant　from　his　own　village；　a　neighbour　of　his；　who　had
been　with　a　load　of　wheat　to　the　mill；　and　he；　seeing　the　man
stretched　there；　came　up　to　him　and　asked　him　who　he　was　and　what
was　the　matter　with　him　that　he　complained　so　dolefully。
　　Don　Quixote　was　firmly　persuaded　that　this　was　the　Marquis　of
Mantua；　his　uncle；　so　the　only　answer　he　made　was　to　go　on　with　his
ballad；　in　which　he　told　the　tale　of　his　misfortune；　and　of　the
loves　of　the　Emperor's　son　and　his　wife　all　exactly　as　the　ballad
sings　it。
　　The　peasant　stood　amazed　at　hearing　such　nonsense；　and　relieving　him
of　the　visor；　already　battered　to　pieces　by　blows；　he　wiped　his
face；　which　was　covered　with　dust；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　done　so　he
recognised　him　and　said；　〃Senor　Quixada〃　（for　so　he　appears　to　have
been　called　when　he　was　in　his　senses　and　had　not　yet　changed　from　a
quiet　country　gentleman　into　a　knight…errant）；　〃who　has　brought　your
worship　to　this　pass？〃　But　to　all　questions　the　other　only　went　on
with　his　ballad。
　　Seeing　this；　the　good　man　removed　as　well　as　he　could　his
breastplate　and　backpiece　to　see　if　he　had　any　wound；　but　he　could
perceive　no　blood　nor　any　mark　whatever。　He　then　contrived　to　raise
him　from　the　ground；　and　with　no　little　difficulty　hoisted　him　upon
his　ass；　which　seemed　to　him　to　be　the　easiest　mount　for　him；　and
collecting　the　arms；　even　to　the　splinters　of　the　lance；　he　tied
them　on　Rocinante；　and　leading　him　by　the　bridle　and　the　ass　by　the
halter　he　took　the　road　for　the　village；　very　sad　to　hear　what
absurd　stuff　Don　Quixote　was　talking。　Nor　was　Don　Quixote　less　so；　for
what　with　blows　and　bruises　he　could　not　sit　upright　on　the　ass；　and
from　time　to　time　he　sent　up　sighs　to　heaven；　so　that　once　more　he
drove　the　peasant　to　ask　what　ailed　him。　And　it　could　have　been　only
the　devil　himself　that　put　into　his　head　tales　to　match　his　own
adventures；　for　now；　forgetting　Baldwin；　he　bethought