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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第3部分
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atthesightofthelamp;thestove;andthevisitor;whostandstherelikeamagicianinthemidstofthesewonders;theydrawbackalmostfrightened。pauletteisthefirsttoprehendit;andthearrivalofthegrandmother;whoismoreslowlymountingthestairs;finishestheexplanation。thenetears;ecstasies;thanks!
butthewondersarenotyetended。thelittlesisteropenstheoven;anddiscoverssomechestnutsjustroasted;thegrandmotherputsherhandonthebottlesofciderarrangedonthedresser;andidrawforthfromthebasketthatihavehiddenacoldtongue;apotofbutter;andsomefreshrolls。
nowtheirwonderturnsintoadmiration;thelittlefamilyhaveneverseensuchafeast!theylaythecloth;theysitdown;theyeat;itisapletebanquetforall;andeachcontributeshissharetoit。ihadbroughtonlythesupper:andthebandbox…makerandherchildrensuppliedtheenjoyment。
whatburstsoflaughteratnothing!whatahubbubofquestionswhichwaitedfornoreply;ofreplieswhichanswerednoquestion!theoldwomanherselfsharedinthewildmerrimentofthelittleones!ihavealwaysbeenstruckattheeasewithwhichthepoorforgettheirwretchedness。beingusedtoliveonlyforthepresent;theymakeagainofeverypleasureassoonasitoffersitself。butthesurfeitedricharemoredifficulttosatisfy:theyrequiretimeandeverythingtosuitbeforetheywillconsenttobehappy。
theeveninghaspassedlikeamoment。theoldwomantoldmethehistoryofherlife;sometimessmiling;sometimesdryinghereyes。perrinesanganoldballadwithherfreshyoungvoice。henrytolduswhatheknowsofthegreatwritersoftheday;towhomhehastocarrytheirproofs。atlastwewereobligedtoseparate;notwithoutfreshthanksonthepartofthehappyfamily。
ihaveehomeslowly;ruminatingwithafullheart;andpureenjoyment;onthesimpleeventsofmyevening。ithasgivenmemuchfortandmuchinstruction。now;nonew…yearsdaywilleamisstome;iknowthatnooneissounhappyastohavenothingtogiveandnothingtoreceive。
asicamein;imetmyrichneighborsnewequipage。she;too;hadjustreturnedfromhereveningsparty;and;asshesprangfromthecarriage…stepwithfeverishimpatience;iheardhermurmur〃atlast!〃
i;whenileftpaulettesfamily;said〃sosoon!〃
CHAPTER II
thecarnival
february20th
whatanoiseoutofdoors!whatisthemeaningoftheseshoutsandcries?ah!irecollect:thisisthelastdayofthecarnival;andthemaskersarepassing。
christianityhasnotbeenabletoabolishthenoisybacchanalianfestivalsofthepagantimes;butithaschangedthenames。thatwhichithasgiventothese〃daysofliberty〃announcestheendingofthefeasts;andthemonthoffastingwhichshouldfollow;carn…ivalmeans;literally;〃farewelltoflesh!〃itisafortydaysfarewelltothe〃blessedpulletsandfathams;〃socelebratedbypantagruelsminstrel。
manpreparesforprivationbysatiety;andfinisheshissinthoroughlybeforehebeginstorepent。
why;inallagesandamongeverypeople;dowemeetwithsomeoneofthesemadfestivals?mustwebelievethatitrequiressuchaneffortformentobereasonable;thattheweakeroneshaveneedofrestatintervals?themonksoflatrappe;whoarecondemnedtosilencebytheirrule;areallowedtospeakonceinamonth;andonthisdaytheyalltalkatoncefromtherisingtothesettingofthesun。
perhapsitisthesameintheworld。asweareobligedalltheyeartobedecent;orderly;andreasonable;wemakeupforsuchalongrestraintduringthecarnival。itisadooropenedtotheincongruousfanciesandwishesthathavehithertobeencrowdedbackintoacornerofourbrain。
foramomenttheslavesbeethemasters;asinthedaysofthesaturnalia;andallisgivenuptothe〃foolsofthefamily。〃
theshoutsinthesquareredouble;thetroopsofmasksincrease鈥斺�攐nfoot;incarriages;andonhorseback。itisnowwhocanattractthemostattentionbymakingafigureforafewhours;orbyexcitingcuriosityorenvy;to…morrowtheywillallreturn;dullandexhausted;totheemploymentsandtroublesofyesterday。
alas!thoughtiwithvexation;eachofusislikethesemasqueraders;ourwholelifeisoftenbutanunsightlycarnival!andyetmanhasneedofholidays;torelaxhismind;resthisbody;andopenhisheart。canhenothavethem;then;withthesecoarsepleasures?economistshavebeenlonginquiringwhatisthebestdisposaloftheindustryofthehumanrace。ah!ificouldonlydiscoverthebestdisposalofitsleisure!itiseasyenoughtofinditwork;butwhowillfinditrelaxation?worksuppliesthedailybread;butitischeerfulnessthatgivesitarelish。ophilosophers!goinquestofpleasure!findusamusementswithoutbrutality;enjoymentswithoutselfishness;inaword;inventacarnivalthatwillpleaseeverybody;andbringshametonoone。
threeoclock鈥斺�攊havejustshutmywindow;andstirredupmyfire。asthisisaholidayforeverybody;iwillmakeitoneformyself;too。soilightthelittlelampoverwhich;ongrandoccasions;imakeacupofthecoffeethatmyportressssonbroughtfromthelevant;andilookinmybookcaseforoneofmyfavoriteauthors。
first;hereistheamusingparsonofmeudon;buthischaractersaretoofondoftalkingslang:鈥斺�攙oltaire;buthedisheartensmenbyalwaysbanteringthem:鈥斺�攎oliere;buthehindersoneslaughterbymakingonethink:鈥斺�攍esage;letusstopathim。beingprofoundratherthangrave;hepreachesvirtuewhileridiculingvice;ifbitternessissometimestobefoundinhiswritings;itisalwaysinthegarbofmirth:heseesthemiseriesoftheworldwithoutdespisingit;andknowsitscowardlytrickswithouthatingit。
letuscallupalltheheroesofhisbookgilblas;fabrice;sangrado;thearchbishopofgranada;thedukeoflerma;aurora;scipio!
yegayorgracefulfigures;risebeforemyeyes;peoplemysolitude;bringhitherformyamusementtheworld…carnival;ofwhichyouarethebrilliantmaskers!
unfortunately;attheverymomentimadethisinvocation;irecollectedihadalettertowritewhichcouldnotbeputoff。oneofmyatticneighborscameyesterdaytoaskmetodoit。heisacheerfuloldman;andhasapassionforpicturesandprints。heeshomealmosteverydaywithadrawingorpainting鈥斺�攑robablyoflittlevalue;foriknowhelivespenuriously;andeventheletterthatiamtowriteforhimshowshispoverty。hisonlyson;whowasmarriedinengland;isjustdead;andhiswidow鈥斺�攍eftwithoutanymeans;andwithanoldmotherandachild鈥斺�攈adwrittentobegforahome。m。antoineaskedmefirsttotranslatetheletter;andthentowritearefusal。ihadpromisedthatheshouldhavethisanswerto…day:beforeeverything;letusfulfilourpromises。
thesheetof〃bath〃paperisbeforeme;ihavedippedmypenintotheink;andirubmyforeheadtoinviteforthasallyofideas;wheniperceivethatihavenotmydictionary。now;aparisianwhowouldspeakenglishwithoutadictionaryislikeachildwithoutleading…strings;thegroundtremblesunderhim;andhestumblesatthefirststep。irunthentothebookbinders;whereileftmyjohnson;wholivesclosebyinthesquare。
thedoorishalfopen;ihearlowgroans;ienterwithoutknocking;andiseethebookbinderbythebedsideofhisfellow…lodger。thislatterhasaviolentfeveranddelirium。pierrelooksathimperplexedandoutofhumor。ilearnfromhimthathisradewasnotabletogetupinthemorning;andthatsincethenhehasbeeworseeveryhour。
iaskwhethertheyhavesentforadoctor。
〃oh;yes;indeed!〃repliedpierre;roughly;〃onemusthavemoneyinonespocketforthat;andthisfellowhasonlydebtsinsteadofsavings。〃
〃butyou;〃saidi;ratherastonished;〃areyounothisfriend?〃
〃friend!〃interruptedthebookbinder。〃yes;asmuchastheshaft…horseisfriendtotheleader鈥斺�攐nconditionthateachwilltakehisshareofthedraught;andeathisfeedbyhimself。〃
〃youdonotintend;however;toleavehimwithoutanyhelp?〃
〃bah!hemaykeepinhisbedtillto…morrow;asimgoingtotheball。〃
〃youmeantoleavehimalone?〃
〃well!mustimissapartyofpleasureatcourtville鈥斺�敚parisiansummerresort。'鈥斺�攂ecausethisfellowislightheaded?〃askedpierre;sharply。
〃ihavepromisedtomeetsomefriendsatolddesnoyers。thosewhoaresickmaytaketheirbro
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