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雙語(yǔ)·老實(shí)人 第十七章 老實(shí)人和他的隨從怎樣到了黃金國(guó),見(jiàn)到些什么[34]

所屬教程:譯林版·老實(shí)人

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2022年06月03日

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Chapter 17 Candide and His Valet Arrive in the Country of El Dorado—What They Saw There

When to the frontiers of the Oreillons, said Cacambo to Candide,“You see, this hemisphere is not better than the other;now take my advice and let us return to Europe by the shortest way possible.”

“But how can we get back?”said Candide;“and whither shall we go?To my own country?The Bulgarians and the Abares are laying that waste with fre and sword. Or shall we go to Portugal?There I shall be burned;and if we abide here we are every moment in danger of being spitted.But how can I bring myself to quit that part of the world where my dear Miss Cunegund has her residence?”

“Let us return towards Cayenne,”said Cacambo.“There we shall meet with some Frenchmen, for you know those gentry ramble all over the world. Perhaps they will assist us, and God will look with pity on our distress.”

It was not so easy to get to Cayenne. They knew pretty nearly whereabouts it lay;but the mountains, rivers, precipices, robbers, savages, were dreadful obstacles in the way.Their horses died with fatigue and their provisions were at an end.They subsisted a whole month on wild fruit, till at length they came to a little river bordered with cocoa trees;the sight of which at once revived their drooping spirits and furnished nourishment for their enfeebled bodies.

Cacambo, who was always giving as good advice as the old woman herself, said to Candide,“You see there is no holding out any longer;we have traveled enough on foot. I spy an empty canoe near the river side;let us fll it with cocoanuts, get into it, and go down with the stream;a river always leads to some inhabited place.If we do not meet with agreeable things, we shall at least meet with something new.”

“Agreed,”replied Candide;“l(fā)et us recommend ourselves to Providence.”

They rowed a few leagues down the river, the banks of which were in some places covered with fowers;in others barren;in some parts smooth and level, and in others steep and rugged. The stream widened as they went further on, till at length it passed under one of the frightful rocks, whose summits seemed to reach the clouds.Here our two travelers had the courage to commit themselves to the stream, which, contracting in this part, hurried them along with a dreadful noise and rapidity.

At the end of four and twenty hours they saw daylight again;but their canoe was dashed to pieces against the rocks. They were obliged to creep along, from rock to rock, for the space of a league, till at length a spacious plain presented itself to their sight.This place was bounded by a chain of inaccessible mountains.The country appeared cultivated equally for pleasure and to produce the necessaries of life.The useful and agreeable were here equally blended.The roads were covered, or rather adorned, with carriages formed of glittering materials, in which were men and women of a surprising beauty, drawn with great rapidity by red sheep of a very large size;which far surpassed the fnest coursers of Andalusian Tetuan, or Mecquinez.

“Here is a country, however,”said Candide,“preferable to Westphalia.”

He and Cacambo landed near the first village they saw, at the entrance of which they perceived some children covered with tattered garments of the richest brocade, playing at quoits. Our two inhabitants of the other hemisphere amused themselves greatly with what they saw.The quoits were large, round pieces, yellow, red, and green, which cast a most glorious luster.Our travelers picked some of them up, and they proved to be gold, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds;the least of which would have been the greatest ornament to the superb throne of the Great Mogul.

“Without doubt,”said Cacambo,“those children must be the King's sons that are playing at quoits.”

As he was uttering these words the schoolmaster of the village appeared, who came to call the children to school.

“There,”said Candide,“is the preceptor of the royal family.”

The little ragamuffins immediately quitted their diversion, leaving the quoits on the ground with all their other playthings. Candide gathered them up, ran to the schoolmaster, and, with a most respectful bow, presented them to him, giving him to understand by signs that their Royal Highnesses had forgot their gold and precious stones.The schoolmaster, with a smile, fung them upon the ground, then examining Candide from head to foot with an air of admiration, he turned his back and went on his way.

Our travelers took care, however, to gather up the gold, the rubies, and the emeralds.

“Where are we?”cried Candide.“The King's children in this country must have an excellent education, since they are taught to show such a contempt for gold and precious stones.”

Cacambo was as much surprised as his master. They then drew near the frst house in the village, which was built after the manner of a European palace.There was a crowd of people about the door, and a still greater number in the house.The sound of the most delightful instruments of music was heard, and the most agreeable smell came from the kitchen.Cacambo went up to the door and heard those within talking in the Peruvian language, which was his mother tongue;for everyone knows that Cacambo was born in a village of Tucuman, where no other language is spoken.

“I will be your interpreter here,”said he to Candide.“Let us go in;this is an eating house.”

Immediately two waiters and two servant-girls, dressed in cloth of gold, and their hair braided with ribbons of tissue, accosted the strangers and invited them to sit down to the ordinary. Their dinner consisted of four dishes of different soups, each garnished with two young paroquets, a large dish of bouille that weighed two hundred weight, two roasted monkeys of a delicious favor, three hundred hummingbirds in one dish, and six hundred fybirds in another;some excellent ragouts, delicate tarts, and the whole served up in dishes of rock-crystal.Several sorts of liquors, extracted from the sugarcane, were handed about by the servants who attended.

Most of the company were chapmen and wagoners, all extremely polite;they asked Cacambo a few questions with the utmost discretion and circumspection;and replied to his in a most obliging and satisfactory manner.

As soon as dinner was over, both Candide and Cacambo thought they should pay very handsomely for their entertainment by laying down two of those large gold pieces which they had picked off the ground;but the landlord and landlady burst into a ft of laughing and held their sides for some time.

When the fit was over, the landlord said,“Gentlemen, I plainly perceive you are strangers, and such we are not accustomed to charge;pardon us, therefore, for laughing when you offered us the common pebbles of our highways for payment of your reckoning. To be sure, you have none of the coin of this kingdom;but there is no necessity of having any money at all to dine in this house.All the inns, which are established for the convenience of those who carry on the trade of this nation, are maintained by the government.You have found but very indifferent entertainment here, because this is only a poor village;but in almost every other of these public houses you will meet with a reception worthy of persons of your merit.”

Cacambo explained the whole of this speech of the landlord to Candide, who listened to it with the same astonishment with which his friend communicated it.

“What sort of a country is this,”said the one to the other,“that is unknown to all the world;and in which Nature has everywhere so different an appearance to what she has in ours?Possibly this is that part of the globe where everywhere is right, for there must certainly be some such place. And, for all that Master Pangloss could say, I often perceived that things went very ill in Westphalia.”

第十七章 老實(shí)人和他的隨從怎樣到了黃金國(guó),見(jiàn)到些什么[34]

到了大耳人的邊境,加剛菩和老實(shí)人說(shuō):“東半球并不勝過(guò)西半球,聽(tīng)我的話(huà),咱們還是抄一條最近的路回歐洲去吧。”

“怎么回去呢?”老實(shí)人道,“又回哪兒去呢?回到我本鄉(xiāng)吧,保加利亞人和阿伐爾人正在那里見(jiàn)一個(gè)殺一個(gè);回葡萄牙吧,要給人活活燒死;留在這兒吧,隨時(shí)都有被燒烤的危險(xiǎn)??墒蔷觾?nèi)貢小姐住在地球的這一邊,我怎有心腸離開(kāi)呢?”

加剛菩道:“還是往開(kāi)顏[35]那方面走。那兒可以遇到法國(guó)人,世界上到處都有他們的蹤跡;他們會(huì)幫助我們,說(shuō)不定上帝也會(huì)哀憐我們?!?/p>

到開(kāi)顏去可不容易:他們知道大概的方向;可是山嶺、河流、懸崖絕壁、強(qiáng)盜、野蠻人,遍地都是兇險(xiǎn)的關(guān)口。他們的馬走得筋疲力盡,死了;干糧吃完了;整整一個(gè)月全靠野果充饑;后來(lái)到了一條小河旁邊,兩旁長(zhǎng)滿(mǎn)椰子樹(shù),這才把他們的性命和希望支持了一下。

加剛菩出計(jì)劃策的本領(lǐng)一向不亞于老婆子;他對(duì)老實(shí)人道:“咱們撐不下去了,兩條腿也走得夠了;我瞧見(jiàn)河邊有一條小船,不如把它裝滿(mǎn)椰子,坐在里面順流而去;既有河道,早晚必有人煙。便是遇不到愉快的事,至少也能看到些新鮮事兒?!?/p>

老實(shí)人道:“好,但愿上帝保佑我們。”

他們?cè)诤又衅髁耸嗬?,兩岸忽而野花遍地,忽而荒瘠不毛;忽而平坦開(kāi)朗,忽而危崖高聳。河道越來(lái)越闊,終于進(jìn)入一個(gè)險(xiǎn)峻可怖、巖石參天的環(huán)洞底下。兩人大著膽子,讓小艇往洞中駛?cè)?。河身忽然狹小,水勢(shì)的湍急與轟轟的巨響令人心驚膽戰(zhàn)。過(guò)了一晝夜,他們重見(jiàn)天日;可是小艇觸著暗礁,撞壞了,只得在巖石上爬,直爬了三四里地。最后,兩人看到一片平原,極目無(wú)際,四周都是崇山峻嶺,高不可攀。土地的種植,是生計(jì)與美觀同時(shí)兼顧的;沒(méi)有一樣實(shí)用的東西不是賞心悅目的。車(chē)輛賽過(guò)大路上的裝飾品,式樣新奇,構(gòu)造的材料也燦爛奪目;車(chē)中男女都長(zhǎng)得異樣的俊美;駕車(chē)的是一些高大的紅綿羊,奔馳迅速,便是安達(dá)魯齊、泰圖安、美基內(nèi)斯的第一等駿馬,也望塵莫及。

老實(shí)人道:“啊,這地方可勝過(guò)威斯發(fā)里了?!?/p>

他和加剛菩遇到第一個(gè)村子就下了地。幾個(gè)村童,穿著稀爛的金銀鋪繡衣服,在村口玩著丟石片的游戲。從另一世界來(lái)的兩位旅客,一時(shí)高興,對(duì)他們瞧了一會(huì)兒:他們玩的石片又大又圓,光芒四射,顏色有黃的,有紅的,有綠的。兩位旅客心中一動(dòng),隨手撿了幾塊,原來(lái)是黃金,是碧玉,是紅寶石,最小的一塊也夠蒙古大皇帝做他寶座上最輝煌的裝飾。

加剛菩道:“這些孩子大概是本地國(guó)王的兒女,在這里丟著石塊玩兒?!?/p>

村塾的老師恰好出來(lái)喚兒童上學(xué)。

老實(shí)人道:“啊,這一定是內(nèi)廷教師了?!?/p>

那些頑童馬上停止游戲,把石片和別的玩具一齊留在地下。老實(shí)人趕緊撿起,奔到教師前面,恭恭敬敬地捧給他,用手勢(shì)說(shuō)明,王子和世子們忘了他們的金子與寶石。塾師微微一笑,接過(guò)來(lái)扔在地下,很詫異地對(duì)老實(shí)人的臉瞧了一會(huì)兒,徑自走了。

兩位旅客少不得把黃金、碧玉、寶石撿了許多。

老實(shí)人叫道:“這是什么地方呀?這些王子受的教育太好了,居然會(huì)瞧不起黃金寶石。”

加剛菩也和老實(shí)人一樣驚奇。他們走到村中第一家人家,建筑仿佛歐洲的宮殿。一大群人都向門(mén)口擁去,屋內(nèi)更擠得厲害,還傳出悠揚(yáng)悅耳的音樂(lè),一陣陣珍饈美饌的異香。加剛菩走近大門(mén),聽(tīng)講著秘魯話(huà);那是他家鄉(xiāng)的語(yǔ)言;早先交代過(guò),加剛菩是生在圖庫(kù)曼的,他的村子里只通秘魯話(huà)。他便對(duì)老實(shí)人說(shuō):“我來(lái)替你當(dāng)翻譯;咱們進(jìn)去吧,這是一家酒店?!?/p>

店里的侍者,兩男兩女,穿著金線織的衣服,用緞帶束著頭發(fā),邀他們?nèi)胂O榷藖?lái)四盤(pán)湯,每盤(pán)湯都有兩只鸚鵡;接著是一盤(pán)白煮神鷹,直有兩百磅重,然后是兩只香美異常的烤猴子;一個(gè)盤(pán)里盛著三百只蜂雀;另外一盤(pán)盛著六百只小雀;還有幾道燒烤,幾道精美的甜菜;食器全部是水晶盤(pán)子。男女侍者來(lái)斟了好幾種不同的甘蔗酒。

食客大半是商人和趕車(chē)的,全都彬彬有禮,非常婉轉(zhuǎn)地向加剛菩問(wèn)了幾句,又竭誠(chéng)回答加剛菩的問(wèn)話(huà),務(wù)必使他滿(mǎn)意。

吃過(guò)飯,加剛菩和老實(shí)人一樣,以為把撿來(lái)的大塊黃金丟幾枚在桌上,是盡夠付賬的了。不料鋪?zhàn)拥哪信魅艘?jiàn)了哈哈大笑,半天直不起腰來(lái)。

后來(lái)他們止住了笑。店主人開(kāi)言道:“你們兩位明明是外鄉(xiāng)人;我們卻是難得見(jiàn)到的。抱歉得很,你們拿大路上的石子付賬,我們見(jiàn)了不由得笑起來(lái)。想必你們沒(méi)有敝國(guó)的錢(qián),可是在這兒吃飯不用惠鈔。為了便利客商,我們開(kāi)了許多飯店,一律歸政府開(kāi)支。敝處是個(gè)小村子,地方上窮,沒(méi)有好菜敬客;可是別的地方,無(wú)論上哪兒你們都能受到應(yīng)有的款待?!?/p>

加剛菩把主人的話(huà)統(tǒng)統(tǒng)解釋給老實(shí)人聽(tīng),老實(shí)人聽(tīng)的時(shí)候,和加剛菩講的時(shí)候同樣的欽佩、驚奇。

兩人都說(shuō):“外邊都不知道有這個(gè)地方;究竟是什么國(guó)土呢?這兒的天地跟我們的完全不同!這大概是盡善盡美的樂(lè)土了,因?yàn)闊o(wú)論如何,世界上至少應(yīng)該有這樣一塊地方。不管邦葛羅斯怎么說(shuō),我總覺(jué)得威斯發(fā)里樣樣不行?!?/p>

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