婚约(外研社双语读库)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：Honoré de Balzac 巴尔扎克

出版社：外语教学与研究出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

婚约(外研社双语读库)试读：

CHAPTER I PRO AND CON

第一章 利与弊

Monsieur de Manerville, the father, was a worthy Norman gentleman, well known to the Marechael de Richelieu, who married him to one of the richest heiresses of Bordeaux in the days when the old duke reigned in Guienne as governor. The Norman then sold the estate he owned in Bessin, and became a Gascon, allured by the beauty of the chateau de Lanstrac, a delightful residence owned by his wife. During the last days of the reign of Louis XV., he bought the post of major of the Gate Guards, and lived till 1813, having by great good luck escaped the dangers of the Revolution in the following manner.

老德马内维尔先生是诺曼地区的一位受人尊重的贵族，与马雷夏尔·德黎塞留有很深的交情。老黎塞留公爵在吉耶纳做总督的时候，为德马内维尔做媒，让他娶了波尔多地区一位最富有的女继承人为妻。老德马内维尔的妻子在朗斯特拉克有一座庄园，庄园景色宜人，老德马内维尔被深深地吸引了，于是这个诺曼人将自己在贝桑地区的房产卖了，做起加斯科涅的居民来。在路易十五统治末期，他花钱买了个宫廷卫队副官的职位，后来又非常幸运地在法国大革命中以下面的方法逃过了一劫，一直活到了1813年。

Toward the close of the year, 1790, he went to Martinque, where his wife had interests, leaving the management of his property in Gascogne to an honest man, a notary's clerk, named Mathias, who was inclined to—or at any rate did—give into the new ideas. On his return the Comte de Manerville found his possessions intact and well-managed. This sound result was the fruit produced by grafting the Gascon on the Norman.

在1790年底，他去了马提尼克——他妻子在那里有些产业，并将加斯科涅的产业交由一位诚实的公证人去打理。这位名叫马蒂亚斯的公证人对新思想或多或少有些着迷。德马内维尔伯爵回来后，发现他的产业不仅完好无损，甚至还运营良好。这样的佳绩是加斯科涅人和诺曼人合作的结果。

Madame de Manerville died in 1810. Having learned the importance of worldly goods through the dissipations of his youth, and, giving them, like many another old man, a higher place than they really hold in life, Monsieur de Manerville became increasingly economical, miserly, and sordid. Without reflecting that the avarice of parents prepares the way for the prodigalities of children, he allowed almost nothing to his son, although that son was an only child.

德马内维尔夫人于1810年逝世。经历过年轻时大肆挥霍的生活，老德马内维尔先生明白钱财的重要性。像其他很多老头一样，他高估了钱财在实际生活中的作用，渐渐地变得十分节俭和吝啬，甚至视财如命。他似乎从没考虑过父母吝财儿挥霍的道理，他对自己的儿子也几乎一毛不拔，何况这还是他的独生儿子。

Paul de Manerville, coming home from the college of Vendome in 1810, lived under close paternal discipline for three years. The tyranny by which the old man of seventy oppressed his heir influenced, necessarily, a heart and a character which were not yet formed. Paul, the son, without lacking the physical courage which is vital in the air of Gascony, dared not struggle against his father, and consequently lost that faculty of resistance which begets moral courage. His thwarted feelings were driven to the depths of his heart, where they remained without expression; later, when he felt them to be out of harmony with the maxims of the world, he could only think rightly and act mistakenly. He was capable of fighting for a mere word or look, yet he trembled at the thought of dismissing a servant,—his timidity showing itself in those contests only which required a persistent will. Capable of doing great things to fly from persecution, he would never have prevented it by systematic opposition, nor have faced it with the steady employment of force of will. Timid in thought, bold in actions, he long preserved that inward simplicity which makes a man the dupe and the voluntary victim of things against which certain souls hesitate to revolt, preferring to endure them rather than complain. He was, in point of fact, imprisoned by his father's old mansion, for he had not enough money to consort with young men; he envied their pleasures while unable to share them.

保尔·德马内维尔1810年从旺多姆大学回到父亲身边，在父亲的严格管教下度过了三年时光。一个七十多岁的老人对自己的接班人实行的暴政，肯定会对他尚未成形的心灵和性格产生影响。在加斯科涅的空气中充斥的勇敢精神，保尔身上并不缺乏。但他不敢与父亲抗争，最终失去了能激发道义勇气的反抗力。他受到压抑的情感被驱逐到内心深处，久久得不到抒发。后来，当他感觉到自己的情感与人世间的准则不符合的时候，他成了一个仅仅在思想上正确、在行为上却会犯错误的人。为了一句话或一个眼神，他就可以和人动武。但是一想到要辞退一个家仆，他就会浑身颤抖——在那些需要顽强意志的斗争中，他的懦弱就会显露出来了。他本来具备做大事以逃脱迫害的能力，但是他既不曾有步骤、有计划地反抗过，也不曾坚持不懈地运用自己的意志力去面对。他是思想上的懦夫，却是行动上的莽夫。长久以来，他保持着内心的单纯，情愿在很多事情上吃亏上当。对于这些事情，那些优柔寡断、不敢反抗的人往往宁愿默默忍受，也不愿诉苦抱怨。事实上，他是父亲那古老宅院中的一个囚徒，因为他没有足够的钱和别的年轻人交往；他羡慕那些人的快乐，却无法分享。

The old gentleman took him every evening, in an old carriage drawn by ill-harnessed old horses, attended by ill-dressed old servants, to royalist houses, where he met a society composed of the relics of the parliamentary nobility and the martial nobility. 注：穿袍贵族不是世袭贵族，他们出身于资产阶级，用钱买到贵族头衔，又称“新贵族”。佩剑贵族是指行伍起家，世袭的贵族，又称“旧贵族”。These two nobilities coalescing after the Revolution, had now transformed themselves into a landed aristocracy. Crushed by the vast and swelling fortunes of the maritime cities, this Faubourg Saint–Germain of Bordeaux responded by lofty disdain to the sumptuous displays of commerce, government administrations, and the military. Too young to understand social distinctions and the necessities underlying the apparent assumption which they create, Paul was bored to death among these ancients, unaware that the connections of his youth would eventually secure to him that aristocratic preeminence which Frenchmen will forever desire.

这位老绅士每天晚上带着他儿子去拜访保皇党人的家。他们乘坐一辆旧马车，由几匹套着破烂马具的老马拉着。随行的老仆人衣衫不整。在那里，他会遇到穿袍贵族和佩剑贵族的遗老遗少。自大革命之后，这两派贵族联合起来，如今他们已经转变成拥有土地的贵族了。沿海大城市不断膨胀的财富将波尔多的圣日耳曼地区压得喘不过气来。对于当时商界、政界和军界的大肆铺张浪费，那里的人们表示不屑和蔑视。保尔还太年轻了，无法理解在他们创造的表象设想下潜藏的这些社会差异和必然的社会现象。他觉得呆在一群老古董中枯燥得要命。殊不知，正是他年轻时期建立的关系保证了他最终优越的贵族地位，而这正是法国人永恒的渴望。

He found some slight compensations for the dulness of these evenings in certain manual exercises which always delight young men, and which his father enjoined upon him. The old gentleman considered that to know the art of fencing and the use of arms, to ride well on horseback, to play tennis, to acquire good manners,—in short, to possess all the frivolous accomplishments of the old nobility,—made a young man of the present day a finished gentleman. Accordingly, Paul took a fencing-lesson every morning, went to the riding-school, and practised in a pistol-gallery. The rest of his time was spent in reading novels, for his father would never have allowed the more abstruse studies now considered necessary to finish an education.

在那些枯燥的晚间聚会上，他找到了些小小的补偿，那是年轻人喜欢的事情，也是他父亲命令他练就的一些本领。这位老绅士认为，在这个世道上，一个年轻人要成为一名完美的绅士，就必须通晓剑术，会用武器，马术精湛，会打网球，礼数周到——总而言之，就是要将老贵族那一套无聊琐碎的东西都学会。于是，保尔每天上午练习击剑，然后练骑术或者室内手枪射击。剩下的时间，他便用来阅读小说，因为他父亲从来就不认可那些在现在看来对教育必不可少的更深奥的学科。

So monotonous a life would soon have killed the poor youth if the death of the old man had not delivered him from this tyranny at the moment when it was becoming intolerable. Paul found himself in possession of considerable capital, accumulated by his father's avarice, together with landed estates in the best possible condition. But he now held Bordeaux in horror; neither did he like Lanstrac, where his father had taken him to spend the summers, employing his whole time from morning till night in hunting.

正当这种单调的生活变得越来越无法忍受的时候，他父亲离开了人世。父亲的去世代表着暴政的终结，否则说不定这种生活就会把这个可怜的年轻人给毁了。父亲死后，保尔继承了父亲守财奴般积攒下来的大量财产和打理得井井有条的土地庄园。但是他现在非常讨厌波尔多，也不喜欢朗斯特拉克，以前他父亲每年夏天就带着他从早到晚地在朗斯特拉克打猎。

As soon as the estate was fairly settled, the young heir, eager for enjoyment, bought consols with his capital, left the management of the landed property to old Mathias, his father's notary, and spent the next six years away from Bordeaux. At first he was attached to the French embassy at Naples; after that he was secretary of legation at Madrid, and then in London,—making in this way the tour of Europe.

财产的事情一妥善处理好，这个渴望享受的年轻继承人就用自己的资金买了公债，将土地庄园交由父亲的公证人老马蒂亚斯打理，自己到远离波尔多的一个地方呆了六年。起先他在法国驻那不勒斯的大使馆当差，之后又先后到马德里和伦敦的公使馆当秘书——就这样走遍了整个欧洲。

After seeing the world and life, after losing several illusions, after dissipating all the loose capital which his father had amassed, there came a time when, in order to continue his way of life, Paul was forced to draw upon the territorial revenues which his notary was laying by. At this critical moment, seized by one of the so-called virtuous impulses, he determined to leave Paris, return to Bordeaux, regulate his affairs, lead the life of a country gentleman at Lanstrac, improve his property, marry, and become, in the end, a deputy.

在经历了诸多世面以后，在失去了许多幻想以后，在他父亲留给他的闲散资金被他挥霍一空以后，有一段时间，为了继续过那种生活，他不得已动用了他的公证人靠不动产积攒起来的收入。就在这个关键时刻，他突然在一个所谓的良性冲动的推动下，决定离开巴黎，回到波尔多来打理自己的事务。他在朗斯特拉克开始了贵族生活，经营自己的地产，结婚成家，并最终当上了众议员。

Paul was a count; nobility was once more of matrimonial value; he could, and he ought to make a good marriage. While many women desire a title, many others like to marry a man to whom a knowledge of life is familiar. Now Paul had acquired, in exchange for the sum of seven hundred thousand francs squandered in six years, that possession, which cannot be bought and is practically of more value than gold and silver; a knowledge which exacts long study, probation, examinations, friends, enemies, acquaintances, certain manners, elegance of form and demeanor, a graceful and euphonious name,—a knowledge, moreover, which means many love-affairs, duels, bets lost on a race-course, disillusions, deceptions, annoyances, toils, and a vast variety of undigested pleasures. In short, he had become what is called elegant. But in spite of his mad extravagance he had never made himself a mere fashionable man. In the burlesque army of men of the world, the man of fashion holds the place of a marshal of France, the man of elegance is the equivalent of a lieutenant-general. Paul enjoyed his lesser reputation, of elegance, and knew well how to sustain it. His servants were well-dressed, his equipages were cited, his suppers had a certain vogue; in short, his bachelor establishment was counted among the seven or eight whose splendor equalled that of the finest houses in Paris.

保尔当时是伯爵；那时贵族的称号对婚姻有重大的作用；他能够而且应该有个好婚事。虽然许多女子渴望嫁一个拥有贵族头衔的男人，但是也有很多女子想嫁一个有生活阅历的男人。如今，保尔在六年的时间里挥霍掉了七十万法郎，终于得到了一个官职。这个职务是买不到的，其实际价值也是无法用金银来衡量的。这个官职要求从事这个职务的人要经过长期的学习、见习和各种考试，要有朋友，有敌人，有熟人，要举止得体、风度翩翩，名号也要优雅悦耳——而且，还要懂得人情世故，这就意味着各种风流韵事、决斗、赛马场上赌输，要有失望、欺骗、烦闷、辛苦，以及许许多多难以消受的各种享乐。总而言之，他终于成为了一名所谓的“风雅之士”。不过，即使他生活奢侈，也从来未能跻身时髦人士之列。在当时荒诞可笑的上层人群中，时髦人士就相当于法国的元帅，而风雅之士只不过是少将的级别而已。保尔享受着他风雅的小名气，也知道如何保持这个名声。他的仆人衣着不俗，他的随行马车也颇为人称道，他的晚宴也很有排场。总而言之，在巴黎家产能与大户人家相比的也就只有七八个人，而保尔的单身汉别墅就名列其中。

But—he had not caused the wretchedness of any woman; he gambled without losing; his luck was not notorious; he was far too upright to deceive or mislead any one, no matter who, even a wanton; never did he leave his billets-doux lying about, and he possessed no coffer or desk for love-letters which his friends were at liberty to read while he tied his cravat or trimmed his beard. Moreover, not willing to dip into his Guienne property, he had not that bold extravagance which leads to great strokes and calls attention at any cost to the proceedings of a young man. Neither did he borrow money, but he had the folly to lend to friends, who then deserted him and spoke of him no more either for good or evil. He seemed to have regulated his dissipations methodically. The secret of his character lay in his father's tyranny, which had made him, as it were, a social mongrel.

但是——他从来不招惹任何女人；他赌博从不输钱；他的好运也不是众人皆知；他为人太过正直，绝不会去欺骗或误导任何人，哪怕一个荡妇。他从来不把自己收到的情书乱摆乱放，也没有专门装此类信件的小盒子或是抽屉，以避免他的朋友一边等他系领带或刮胡子的时候，一边从小盒子里随意翻看那些信。另外，他不打算动用他在吉耶纳的地产，因此他没有年轻人那种用肆无忌惮的挥霍和浪费来引人注目的行为。他从不向人借账，却糊涂地把钱借给一些狐朋狗友。那些人后来不再搭理他，不再提及他，而且既不赞美他，也不诽谤他。这种杂乱的生活似乎是他特意规划出来的。他父亲以前对他的暴政是他养成这种性格的原因，而这种性格，在某种程度上，又使他成为了一个社会杂交品种。

So, one morning, he said to a friend named de Marsay, who afterwards became celebrated:—"My dear fellow, life has a meaning."

于是有一天清晨，他对一个朋友说：“亲爱的伙计，生活总得有点儿意义吧。”这位名叫德马尔赛的朋友后来成了一个名人。

"You must be twenty-seven years of age before you can find it out," replied de Marsay, laughing.“你至少得活到二十七岁才能找到生活的意义。”马尔赛笑着答道。

"Well, I am twenty-seven; and precisely because I am twenty-seven I mean to live the life of a country gentleman at Lanstrac. I'll transport my belongings to Bordeaux into my father's old mansion, and I'll spend three months of the year in Paris in this house, which I shall keep.”“瞧，我已经二十七岁，而且正因为我二十七岁了，我才打算到朗斯特拉克去过乡村贵族的生活。我想把东西搬到波尔多我父亲那所老房子里去。而这所房子我还是留着，每年我回巴黎在这里住三个月。”

"Will you marry?"“你要结婚吗？”

"I will marry."“是呀，我要结婚。”

"I'm your friend, as you know, my old Paul," said de Marsay, after a moment's silence, "and I say to you: settle down into a worthy father and husband and you'll be ridiculous for the rest of your days. If you could be happy and ridiculous, the thing might be thought of; but you will not be happy. You haven't a strong enough wrist to drive a household. I'll do you justice and say you are a perfect horseman; no one knows as well as you how to pick up or thrown down the reins, and make a horse prance, and sit firm to the saddle. But, my dear fellow, marriage is another thing. I see you now, led along at a slapping pace by Madame la Comtesse de Manerville, going whither you would not, oftener at a gallop than a trot, and presently unhorsed!—yes, unhorsed into a ditch and your legs broken. Listen to me. You still have some forty-odd thousand francs a year from your property in the Gironde. Good. Take your horses and servants and furnish your house in Bordeaux; you can be king of Bordeaux, you can promulgate there the edicts that we put forth in Paris; you can be the correspondent of our stupidities. Very good. Play the rake in the provinces; better still, commit follies; follies may win you celebrity. But—don't marry. Who marries nowadays? Only merchants, for the sake of their capital, or to be two to drag the cart; only peasants who want to produce children to work for them; only brokers and notaries who want a wife's 'dot' to pay for their practice; only miserable kings who are forced to continue their miserable dynasties. But we are exempt from the pack, and you want to shoulder it! And why DO you want to marry? You ought to give your best friend your reasons. In the first place, if you marry an heiress as rich as yourself, eighty thousand francs a year for two is not the same thing as forty thousand francs a year for one, because the two are soon three or four when the children come. You haven't surely any love for that silly race of Manerville which would only hamper you? Are you ignorant of what a father and mother have to be? Marriage, my old Paul, is the silliest of all the social immolations; our children alone profit by it, and don't know its price until their horses are nibbling the flowers on our grave. Do you regret your father, that old tyrant who made your first years wretched? How can you be sure that your children will love you? The very care you take of their education, your precautions for their happiness, your necessary sternness will lessen their affection. Children love a weak or a prodigal father, whom they will despise in after years. You'll live betwixt fear and contempt. No man is a good head of a family merely because he wants to be. Look round on all our friends and name to me one whom you would like to have for a son. We have known a good many who dishonor their names. Children, my dear Paul, are the most difficult kind of merchandise to take care of. Yours, you think, will be angels; well, so be it! Have you ever sounded the gulf which lies between the lives of a bachelor and a married man? Listen. As a bachelor you can say to yourself: 'I shall never exhibit more than a certain amount of the ridiculous; the public will think of me what I choose it to think.'Married, you'll drop into the infinitude of the ridiculous! Bachelor, you can make your own happiness; you enjoy some today, you do without it tomorrow; married, you must take it as it comes; and the day you want it you will have to go without it. Marry, and you'll grow a blockhead; you'll calculate dowries; you'll talk morality, public and religious; you'll think young men immoral and dangerous; in short, you'll become a social academician. ？It's pitiable! The old bachelor whose property the heirs are waiting for, who fights to his last breath with his nurse for a spoonful of drink, is blest in comparison with a married man. I'm not speaking of all that will happen to annoy, bore, irritate, coerce, oppose, tyrannize, narcotize, paralyze, and idiotize a man in marriage, in that struggle of two beings always in one another's presence, bound forever, who have coupled each other under the strange impression that they were suited. No, to tell you those things would be merely a repetition of Boileau, and we know him by heart. Still, I'll forgive your absurd idea if you will promise me to marry "en grand seigneur"; to entail your property; to have two legitimate children, to give your wife a house and household absolutely distinct from yours; to meet her only in society, and never to return from a journey without sending her a courier to announce it. Two hundred thousand francs a year will suffice for such a life and your antecedents will enable you to marry some rich English woman hungry for a title. That's an aristocratic life which seems to me thoroughly French; the only life in which we can retain the respect and friendship of a woman; the only life which distinguishes a man from the present crowd,—in short, the only life for which a young man should even think of resigning his bachelor blessings. Thus established, the Comte de Manerville may advise his epoch, place himself above the world, and be nothing less than a minister or an ambassador. Ridicule can never touch him; he has gained the social advantages of marriage while keeping all the privileges of a bachelor.”“我是你的朋友，你知道的，我的老伙计保尔，”德马尔赛沉默了一会儿说道，“我跟你说，你要是想安顿下来做一个好父亲、好丈夫的话，这辈子你肯定就成了别人的笑柄。如果你被人笑话，却能够幸福也就罢了，问题是你不会幸福的。你没有足以驾驭一个家庭的强有力的手腕。为你说句公道话：你是个完美的骑手；如何放送缰绳，如何拉紧缰绳，牢牢地驾驭一匹马，没人比你更在行了。但是我亲爱的兄弟，婚姻却是另外一码子事。依我看来，你会被德马内维尔伯爵夫人牵着鼻子走，即使不愿意也得快步前行，时常是飞奔而不是迈着小碎步，不一会儿就会坠下马来——是的，从马背上坠下来跌进阴沟，摔断你的双腿。听我的话。你在吉伦特河的产业每年会给你带来四万多法郎的收入。这很好。带上你的马匹和仆人，给你在波尔多的房子配上家具，你就是波尔多的国王了。你可以在那里颁布我们在巴黎实行的法令，把我们的那些蠢事传播出去。这非常好。你在外省纵情酒色，甚至有更蠢的行为，这都没关系，蠢事或许能让你成为一个名人。但是——不要结婚。今日的社会，有谁还去结婚呢？要么是商人，想扩充资本，或是想双双拉货有干劲；要么是农民，想多生几个孩子帮忙干活；要么是经纪人或公证人想要妻子的“嫁妆”来一起出钱买个职务；要么是那可怜的国王，要传宗接代来延续他们可怜的王朝。但是，我们没必要去钻这个套，你竟然要去趟这浑水！为什么你要去结婚呢？你应该把你的理由给你最好的朋友讲一讲。首先，如果你娶一个像你一样富有的女继承人，两个人每年八万法郎的收入可并不等于一个人四万法郎。因为生了孩子后，马上会变成三个人，四个人。你确定会爱上这个只会束缚你的愚蠢的德马内维尔家族吗？为人父母意味着什么，你难道一无所知吗？我的老保尔啊，婚姻是现在社会最愚蠢的自我牺牲。只有我们的子女能从中获利，只有等到他们的马儿啃着我们坟头的花儿，他们才会明白婚姻的代价。你哀思你的父亲吗？这个糟蹋了你的青春年华的暴君。你如何做才能确保你的儿女爱你呢？你为他们的教育操心，为他们的幸福铺路，你在必要的时候态度严厉，却会减少他们对你的好感。小孩们喜欢管教不严或花钱慷慨的父亲，后来他们又瞧不起这样的父亲。你会活在担心与藐视的夹缝中。一家之主不是想当好就能当好的。看看我们身边的朋友，告诉我，你希望哪一个做你的儿子。我们甚至见过不少子女使家门蒙羞。我亲爱的保尔，子女好比是最难看管的商品。你认为你的孩子会是天使。那好，就算是吧！你可曾听说过，单身汉与已婚男人的生活之间有条多么深的沟壑？听我说。作为一个单身汉，你可以对自己说：“发生在我身上的可笑的事也就那么一些，我不会再出丑了。别人怎么看我在于我自己的想法。”一旦结婚了，你就会陷入无限的可笑境地！作为一个单身汉，你的幸快乐掌握在自己手中，今天愿意享乐就享乐，明日没有它也可以。可如果你结婚了，就不能随心所欲了，快乐来了就必须接受，而哪天等你想要的时候，没有它你也得将就。如果结婚了，你就会变成一个蠢蛋，你会开始计算你的彩礼，你会开始与人谈论道德、公众利益和宗教信仰，你会认为年轻人毫无道德感而且十分危险。总而言之，你将会成为一个社会学者。真可悲！一个老光棍在临断气前挣扎着却喝不下女看护喂的一勺水，一边还有人等着继承他的遗产。可是比起已婚男人，他可要幸福得多。我就不列举所有在婚姻中还会发生的那些惹人心烦、令人无聊、让人烦躁、控制人、压迫人、迷惑人、让人麻木瘫痪的事情了。在婚姻的围城中挣扎的两个人朝夕相对，命运永远相连。他们有这样古怪的念头，自以为彼此相配。不说了，布瓦洛的话就不用再重复了，我们早就熟记于心。但是，你要是答应我下面的成姻方式，我就原谅你那荒唐的想法：“俨如王侯”地成婚；把你的财产限定继承；生两个法律意义上的子女，给你妻子留一栋房子，而且与你的房子完全分离；只在外出交际的时候才带上她，并且每次从外面旅行回来时提前寄信通知她。每年只要两万法郎就足够过上这样的生活。加上你的生活经历，就可以去娶一个渴望得到贵族头衔的富裕的英国女子。这种生活对于我来说才是真正的法国生活方式，是唯一可以得到一个女性尊重和友谊的生活，也是唯一把我们与普通大众区分开来的生活——总之，只有为了这样的生活，年轻人才应该放弃他的单身福祉。只有这样，德马内维尔伯爵才能为这个时代作出表率，超越凡人，至少也能当个内阁部长或驻外大使之类的。他不会被别人所笑话，既得到了婚姻所带来的社会利益，又享受了单身的特权。”

"But, my good friend, I am not de Marsay; I am plainly, as you yourself do me the honor to say, Paul de Manerville, worthy father and husband, deputy of the Centre, possibly peer of France,—a destiny extremely commonplace; but I am modest and I resign myself.”“可是，好伙计，我不是德马尔赛。正如你费心对我所说的这番话，我只不过是保尔·德马内维尔，一个好父亲和好丈夫，中间派议员，还可能是法国的贵族议员——非常普通的命运，但我本性谦恭，我听从命运的安排。”

"Yes, but your wife," said the pitiless de Marsay, "will she resign herself?"“好吧，那你的妻子呢？”德马尔赛不留情面地说道，“她会听天由命吗？”

"My wife, my dear fellow, will do as I wish."“我亲爱的老弟，我的妻子嘛，当然要听我的。”

"Ah! my poor friend, is that where you are? Adieu, Paul. Henceforth, I refuse to respect you. One word more, however, for I cannot agree coldly to your abdication. Look and see in what the strength of our position lies. A bachelor with only six thousand francs a year remaining to him has at least his reputation for elegance and the memory of success. Well, even that fantastic shadow has enormous value in it. Life still offers many chances to the unmarried man. Yes, he can aim at anything. But marriage, Paul, is the social 'Thus far shalt thou go and no farther.'Once married you can never be anything but what you then are—unless your wife should deign to care for you.”“哈哈！可怜的家伙，你还是原来的立场吗？别了，保尔。从此以后，我不再敬重你了。再多说一句，因为我无法冷漠地看着你自我放弃。好好看看，我们能有这样的地位，其力量源自哪里。一个单身汉，即使每年只有六千法郎的收入，到最后至少还有优雅的名声和成功的回忆。哎，即使那个神奇的阴影仍然具有巨大的价值。对一个单身汉来说，生活还有很多机会。是的，他还可以有目标。但是，保尔，婚姻将会让你在社会上‘止步于此，前行无路’。一旦结婚了，你就不再会取得什么成就——除非你的妻子屈尊支持你。”

"But," said Paul, "you are crushing me down with exceptional theories. I am tired of living for others; of having horses merely to exhibit them; of doing all things for the sake of what may be said of them; of wasting my substance to keep fools from crying out: 'Dear, dear! Paul is still driving the same carriage. What has he done with his fortune? Does he squander it? Does he gamble at the Bourse? No, he's a millionaire. Madame such a one is mad about him. He sent to England for a harness which is certainly the handsomest in all Paris. The four-horse equipages of Messieurs de Marsay and de Manerville were much noticed at Longchamps; the harness was perfect’—in short, the thousand silly things with which a crowd of idiots lead us by the nose.”“但是，”保尔说道，“你总是用与众不同的理论来压倒我。我厌烦了为别人而活；厌烦了骑马只是为了炫耀马匹；厌烦了做所有的事情都是为了别人怎么看你；厌烦了浪费家财只是为了不让那些傻瓜大喊：‘哎呀，哎呀！保尔总是坐一辆马车。他的钱到哪儿去了？是不是都挥霍掉了？他是不是到交易所赌博去了？不会啊，他可是个百万富翁。某某夫人对他非常着迷呢。他从英国运来的马车设备肯定是全巴黎最豪华的。德马尔赛和德马内维尔先生的那辆四头马拉的马车在长野跑马车可是出尽了风头；他们的马具真是完美至极’——总之，我们就被一群蠢人的蠢话牵着鼻子走。”

"Believe me, my dear Henri, I admire your power, but I don't envy it. You know how to judge of life; you think and act as a statesman; you are able to place yourself above all ordinary laws, received ideas, adopted conventions, and acknowledged prejudices; in short, you can grasp the profits of a situation in which I should find nothing but ill-luck. Your cool, systematic, possibly true deductions are, to the eyes of the masses, shockingly immoral. I belong to the masses. I must play my game of life according to the rules of the society in which I am forced to live. While putting yourself above all human things on peaks of ice, you still have feelings; but as for me, I should freeze to death. The life of that great majority, to which I belong in my commonplace way, is made up of emotions of which I now have need. Often a man coquets with a dozen women and obtains none. Then, whatever be his strength, his cleverness, his knowledge of the world, he undergoes convulsions, in which he is crushed as between two gates. For my part, I like the peaceful chances and changes of life; I want that wholesome existence in which we find a woman always at our side.”“相信我，我亲爱的亨利，我很欣赏你的力量，但是我并不羡慕。你知道怎样决断人生；你像政治家一样思考和行动；你超脱于一般法典之上，超脱陈规旧律和繁文缛节、以及一切固执偏见；总之，你总能从某种处境下获利不少，换作我则厄运连连。你的推断冷静而有条理，可能也很正确，但是在大众眼里，却极度不道德。而我就是平民大众。既然生活在这个社会中，我就不得不按社会的规则来行事。你超脱于凡尘俗事，处于那冰雪之巅，仍能找到一些寄托。但若是换作我，我非冻死不可。我普通的人生与大部分人的生活一样，由感情组成。而这种感情，也正是我现在所需要的。一个男人经常与一打女人调情，最终却一无所获。无论他力量多强，头脑多聪明，知识多么丰富，他也会遇到困境，犹如被两扇门夹在当中。对于我来说，我喜欢波澜不惊的生活，我想要那种健康的生活，有个女人总是陪伴在我左右。”

"A trifle indecorous, your marriage!" exclaimed de Marsay.“太轻率了，你的婚姻！”德马尔赛大声说道。

Paul was not to be put out of countenance, and continued: "Laugh if you like; I shall feel myself a happy man when my valet enters my room in the morning and says: 'Madame is awaiting monsieur for breakfast'; happier still at night, when I return to find a heart—”

保尔面不改色地继续说下去：“你想笑我就笑吧。将来我的男仆走进房间说：‘夫人正等着您用早餐。’那时我将感觉自己是一个幸福的男人。更幸福的是，晚上回到家，我还能找到一颗心——”

"Altogether indecorous, my dear Paul. You are not yet moral enough to marry."“亲爱的保尔，这实在是太轻率了。你还没为婚姻做好充足的思想准备。”

“—a heart in which to confide my interests and my secrets. I wish to live in such close union with a woman that our affection shall not depend upon a yes or a no, or be open to the disillusions of love. In short, I have the necessary courage to become, as you say, a worthy husband and father. I feel myself fitted for family joys; I wish to put myself under the conditions prescribed by society; I desire to have a wife and children.”“——一颗心，我可以向其倾诉自己的兴趣和秘密。我希望能和一个女子心心相印，彼此间的感情不会被一句简单的‘行’或‘不行’所影响，更不会带来爱情幻灭的结局。总之，我有必要的勇气成为你说的那种好丈夫、好父亲。我觉得自己适合那种家庭的天伦之乐；我愿意去创造社会所要求的条件；我想过妻儿绕膝的生活。”

"You remind me of a hive of honey-bees! But go your way, you'll be a dupe all your life. Ha, ha! you wish to marry to have a wife! In other words, you wish to solve satisfactorily to your own profit the most difficult problem invented by those bourgeois morals which were created by the French Revolution; and, what is more, you mean to begin your attempt by a life of retirement. Do you think your wife won't crave the life you say you despise? Will she be disgusted with it, as you are? If you won't accept the noble conjugality just formulated for your benefit by your friend de Marsay, listen, at any rate, to his final advice. Remain a bachelor for the next thirteen years; amuse yourself like a lost soul; then, at forty, on your first attack of gout, marry a widow of thirty-six. Then you may possibly be happy. If you now take a young girl to wife, you'll die a madman.”“你使我想起了一窝嗡嗡叫的蜜蜂！可是你这样走下去的话，迟早要一辈子都亏在上面的。哈哈！你结婚的目的就只是找个妻子而已。换句话说，法国大革命所创造的资产阶级道德造成了最大的问题，你希望能满意地解决它并从中获利。而且，你还希望能过上与世无争的生活来开始这一切。你妻子难道就不会渴望你所瞧不起的那种生活？她也会如同你一样厌恶那种生活吗？你的朋友马尔赛为你着想提出的这个完美婚姻方式，如果你不愿接受，那么，无论如何，请听最后一条建议。再过十三年单身生活吧，纵情忘我地大玩一场。然后，到了四十岁，当你第一次痛风发作的时候，娶一个三十六的寡妇。那样你也许会幸福的。如果你现在跟一个年轻女孩结婚，你肯定要发疯致死的。”

"Ah ca! Tell me why!" cried Paul, somewhat piqued.“啊哈！那告诉为什么！”保尔有点烦躁，高声说道。

"My dear fellow," replied de Marsay, "Boileau's satire against women is a tissue of poetical commonplaces. Why shouldn't women have defects? Why condemn them for having the most obvious thing in human nature? To my mind, the problem of marriage is not at all at the point where Boileau puts it. Do you suppose that marriage is the same thing as love, and that being a man suffices to make a wife love you? Have you gathered nothing in your boudoir experience but pleasant memories? I tell you that everything in our bachelor life leads to fatal errors in the married man unless he is a profound observer of the human heart. In the happy days of his youth a man, by the caprice of our customs, is always lucky; he triumphs over women who are all ready to be triumphed over and who obey their own desires. One thing after another—the obstacles created by the laws, the sentiments and natural defences of women—all engender a mutuality of sensations which deceives superficial persons as to their future relations in marriage, where obstacles no longer exist, where the wife submits to love instead of permitting it, and frequently repulses pleasure instead of desiring it. Then, the whole aspect of a man's life changes. The bachelor, who is free and without a care, need never fear repulsion; in marriage, repulsion is almost certain and irreparable. It may be possible for a lover to make a woman reverse an unfavorable decision, but such a change, my dear Paul, is the Waterloo of husbands. Like Napoleon, the husband is thenceforth condemned to victories which, in spite of their number, do not prevent the first defeat from crushing him. The woman, so flattered by the perseverance, so delighted with the ardor of a lover, calls the same things brutality in a husband. You, who talk of marrying, and who will marry, have you ever meditated on the Civil Code? I myself have never muddied my feet in that hovel of commentators, that garret of gossip, called the Law-school. I have never so much as opened the Code; but I see its application on the vitals of society. The Code, my dear Paul, makes woman a ward; it considers her a child, a minor. Now how must we govern children? By fear. In that one word, Paul, is the curb of the beast. Now, feel your own pulse! Have you the strength to play the tyrant,—you, so gentle, so kind a friend, so confiding; you, at whom I have laughed, but whom I love, and love enough to reveal to you my science? For this is science. Yes, it proceeds from a science which the Germans are already calling Anthropology. Ah! if I had not already solved the mystery of life by pleasure, if I had not a profound antipathy for those who think instead of act, if I did not despise the ninnies who are silly enough to believe in the truth of a book, when the sands of the African deserts are made of the ashes of I know not how many unknown and pulverized Londons, Romes, Venices, and Parises, I would write a book on modern marriages made under the influence of the Christian system, and I'd stick a lantern on that heap of sharp stones among which lie the votaries of the social 'multiplicamini.'But the question is, Does humanity require even an hour of my time? And besides, isn't the more reasonable use of ink that of snaring hearts by writing love-letters?—Well, shall you bring the Comtesse de Manerville here, and let us see her?”“亲爱的伙计，”德马尔赛答道，“布瓦洛对女人的讽刺诗也只是人云亦云。为什么女性就没有缺陷呢？为什么仅仅因为她们拥有人类最普通的天性就谴责她们呢？依我来看，布瓦洛根本没有看到婚姻问题的真谛。难道你认为婚姻就是爱情，做一个男人就足以让妻子爱他吗？难道从女子的闺房中带来的就只有愉悦的回忆吗？我跟你说，我们单身生活中的一切都会导致男人婚后犯下致命的错误，除非他对人心有着深刻的洞察。由于我们奇异的风俗，一个处于无忧无虑青春年华的男子总是幸运的。他能捕获那些自愿被征服以及追随自我欲望的女子的心。一桩接一桩的事情——法律带来的阻碍，女人的感情和天生的提防心理——都会使双方产生类似的感受，使那些肤浅的人们会对他们未来的婚姻关系产生错觉，以为在婚姻中，障碍不复存在，女子屈从于爱情而不是纵容爱情，要频繁地拒绝欢愉，而不是向往。那时，对于一个男人来说，生活就全变了样。单身汉无拘无束、无忧无虑，永远都无需害怕被拒绝。然而在婚姻中，嫌弃是注定的，并且无法修复。也许一个情人可以使女人回心转意，但是这样的转变，我亲爱的保尔，对一个丈夫来说就如同兵败滑铁卢。就像拿破仑一样，丈夫从此就注定获胜，但尽管获胜无数，可第一次失败就能彻底将他打垮。情人的穷追猛打会使女人感到受宠若惊，情人的热情奔放会使女人心花怒放。但是如果丈夫也这么做，女人就称为野蛮。你谈论着结婚，也准备去结婚，你可曾思考过《民事法典》？我本人从未染指那个叫“法律学校”——那个评论员汇集的茅舍，那个流言蜚语的阁楼。我是从来没有打开过《民事法典》这本书，但是我看见过它在社会上的应用。我亲爱的保尔，这部法律专门保护女人的；它将女人视为孩童，视为未成年人。那现在我们怎么管制小孩呢？吓唬他们。这个词语，保尔，是限制牲口的意思。现在，摸摸你自己的脉搏！你拥有做一个暴君的力量吗？——你为人温顺和蔼，平易近人，容易相信别人。我刚才嘲笑你，但是我也很喜欢你，所以我要把我的学识都传授给你。因为这就是一门学问。是的，它源于一门学问，德国人早已把它称之为‘人类学’。啊！如果我没有用享乐来解决生活中的谜题，如果我不是非常反感那些只动脑不动手的人，如果我不是藐视那些只相信书本上的真理的呆子，那么，等到无数未知的伦敦城、罗马城、威尼斯城和巴黎城坍塌成灰，变成非洲沙漠中的沙子时，我也会写一本书，谈谈基督教对现代婚姻的影响。我会在那尖利的石头堆上挂一盏灯，让那些相信社会‘繁衍生息’的信徒们躺在石堆上。但是问题在于：人性问题是否值得我为此花上哪怕是一个小时的时间呢？再说，难道用墨汁来写情书以打动人心不是更合乎情理吗？——噢，对了，你会把德马内维尔伯爵夫人带来给我们瞧瞧吧？”

"Perhaps," said Paul.“也许吧。”保尔答道。

"We shall still be friends," said de Marsay.“我们永远都是朋友！”德马尔赛说道。

"If—” replied Paul.“要是——”保尔回答道。

"Don't be uneasy; we will treat you politely, as Maison–Rouge treated the English at Fontenoy.”“放心！我们会友善地对待你们的，就像法国皇家部队在丰特努瓦对英国人那样。”

CHAPTER II THE PINK OF FASHION

第二章 时尚之尊

Though the foregoing conversation affected the Comte de Manerville somewhat, he made it a point of duty to carry out his intentions, and he returned to Bordeaux during the winter of the year 1821.

虽然上述这一席谈话对德马内维尔伯爵略微产生了一些影响，但他仍将执行自己的这些计划当成是一种责任。于是，他在1821年冬天回到了波尔多。

The expenses he incurred in restoring and furnishing his family mansion sustained the reputation for elegance which had preceded him. Introduced through his former connections to the royalist society of Bordeaux, to which he belonged as much by his personal opinions as by his name and fortune, he soon obtained a fashionable preeminence. His knowledge of life, his manners, his Parisian acquirements enchanted the Faubourg Saint–Germain of Bordeaux. An old marquise made use of a term formerly in vogue at court to express the flowery beauty of the fops and beaux of the olden time, whose language and demeanor were social laws: she called him "the pink of fashion."The liberal clique caught up the word and used it satirically as a nickname, while the royalist party continued to employ it in good faith.

他投入大量钱财修整和装饰自己的公馆，继续保持了他之前就享有的优雅名声。他之前的朋友把他引进了波尔多的保皇党社交圈。不论是个人观点、姓氏还是财产，他都属于保皇党。很快，他就成为了时髦的佼佼者了。他懂得人情世故，举止得体，又接受过巴黎式的教育，这一切使他在波尔多的圣日尔曼地区深受爱戴。曾经在宫廷中流行用“时尚之尊”形容俊俏风流的美男子，他们的言行举止都会成为社交准则。如今一位上了年纪的伯爵夫人也这样称呼德马内维尔。自由派用这个词作为讽刺的绰号，而保皇党则继续把这个词用作褒义。

Paul de Manerville acquitted himself gloriously of the obligations imposed by his flowery title. It happened to him, as to many a mediocre actor, that the day when the public granted him their full attention he became, one may almost say, superior. Feeling at his ease, he displayed the fine qualities which accompanied his defects. His wit had nothing sharp or bitter in it; his manners were not supercilious; his intercourse with women expressed the respect they like,—it was neither too deferential, nor too familiar; his foppery went no farther than a care for his personal appearance which made him agreeable; he showed consideration for rank; he allowed young men a certain freedom, to which his Parisian experience assigned due limits; though skilful with sword and pistol, he was noted for a feminine gentleness for which others were grateful. His medium height and plumpness (which had not yet increased into obesity, an obstacle to personal elegance) did not prevent his outer man from playing the part of a Bordelais Brummell. A white skin tinged with the hues of health, handsome hands and feet, blue eyes with long lashes, black hair, graceful motions, a chest voice which kept to its middle tones and vibrated in the listener's heart, harmonized well with his sobriquet. Paul was indeed that delicate flower which needs such careful culture, the qualities of which display themselves only in a moist and suitable soil,—a flower which rough treatment dwarfs, which the hot sun burns, and a frost lays low. He was one of those men made to receive happiness, rather than to give it; who have something of the woman in their nature, wishing to be divined, understood, encouraged; in short, a man to whom conjugal love ought to come as a providence.

保尔·德马内维尔对于这个华丽称号所带来的义务尽心竭力。正如一些原本平庸的演员一样，一旦观众开始注意他，他一下就差不多变成了一个优秀的演员。他感觉如鱼得水，即使是他的缺点，他也展示出了其中包含的优点。他的机智既不尖酸也不刻薄；他的举止也没有表现出盛气凌人；他与女性交往也会表现出她们喜欢的尊重——既不会太冷漠，也不会太随意；他的纨绔习气也只是对他外表的一种修饰，使他更加随和；他对门第表现出关注；他给予年轻人一定自由，但不能超过他的巴黎经历的尺度；他精通剑术和手枪，却以女性般的温柔而闻名，大家因此都很喜欢他。他中等身高，有点微胖，（倒也还没达到肥胖的程度，这本来是个人风度的一个障碍，）不过也不妨碍他扮演波尔多的布鲁梅尔这个纨绔子弟的角色。他皮肤白皙，透着健康的色泽，他有着漂亮的双手和双脚，碧蓝的眼睛配上长长的睫毛，黝黑的头发，优雅的举止，气沉于胸、波澜不惊的嗓音总是给听众留下深刻的印象，这一切都与他的绰号十分协调。保尔的确就是那娇嫩的花儿，需要细心地培育，只有在潮湿松软的土壤上才能茁壮成长——这朵花不尽心培植就会长不高，日照过多就会烤焦，霜冻来临就会凋零。他生来就是那种享福而不是赐福的人，与女性的天性相近，希望被揣测、被理解、被鼓励。总之，对这种人来说，夫妻恩爱是一种理所当然的天意。

If such a character creates difficulties in private life, it is gracious and full of attraction for the world. Consequently, Paul had great success in the narrow social circle of the provinces, where his mind, always, so to speak, in half-tints, was better appreciated than in Paris.

虽然这种性格在个人生活中会酿成一些困难，但在社会交际中却是优雅和极富吸引力的。所以保尔在外省这个狭小的社交圈子里非常成功。他的思想属于中间派，可以说，他在那里比在巴黎更受人欣赏。

The arrangement of his house and the restoration of the chateau de Lanstrac, where he introduced the comfort and luxury of an English country-house, absorbed the capital saved by the notary during the preceding six years. Reduced now to his strict income of forty-odd thousand a year, he thought himself wise and prudent in so regulating his household as not to exceed it.

在对房屋的修缮和重修朗斯特拉古堡中，他引进了英国乡村风格的舒适和豪华，把他的公证人之前替他存了六年的资金消耗殆尽。如今他只剩下每年四万法郎多一点儿的固定收入，再无盈余，他想应该是时候整顿一下财政了，不要入不敷出才算明智。

After publicly exhibiting his equipages, entertaining the most distinguished young men of the place, and giving various hunting parties on the estate at Lanstrac, Paul saw very plainly that provincial life would never do without marriage. Too young to employ his time in miserly occupations, or in trying to interest himself in the speculative improvements in which provincials sooner or later engage (compelled thereto by the necessity of establishing their children), he soon felt the need of that variety of distractions a habit of which becomes at last the very life of a Parisian. A name to preserve, property to transmit to heirs, social relations to be created by a household where the principal families of the neighborhood could assemble, and a weariness of all irregular connections, were not, however, the determining reasons of his matrimonial desires. From the time he first returned to the provinces he had been secretly in love with the queen of Bordeaux, the great beauty, Mademoiselle Evangelista.

待他公开地驾着他的马车出行了一番，款待了一下当地最杰出的年轻人，并在朗斯特拉举行了几次狩猎集会以后，保尔非常清楚地了解到，外省的生活是不能没有婚姻的。保尔还太年轻了，不愿把他的时间用在一些贪婪敛财的职业上，或者试图从事投资生意，这是外省人迫于为了子女日后的福祉着想，迟早都会做的事。很快他就感觉到娱乐消遣需要多样化，这一习惯最终成为了巴黎人的生活方式。但是，传承姓氏，把遗产传给继承人，组建一个家庭好让邻里中的重要家庭能到自家集会，从而建立社会关系，以及厌倦了不长久的男女关系，这些都不算是他渴望婚姻关系的决定性因素。他第一次回到外省就偷偷地爱上了波尔多的王后，著名的美人埃旺热利斯塔女士。

About the beginning of the century, a rich Spaniard, named Evangelista, established himself in Bordeaux, where his letters of recommendation, as well as his large fortune, gave him an entrance to the salons of the nobility. His wife contributed greatly to maintain him in the good graces of an aristocracy which may perhaps have adopted him in the first instance merely to pique the society of the class below them. Madame Evangelista, who belonged to the Casa–Reale, an illustrious family of Spain, was a Creole, and, like all women served by slaves, she lived as a great lady, knew nothing of the value of money, repressed no whims, even the most expensive, finding them ever satisfied by an adoring husband who generously concealed from her knowledge the running-gear of the financial machine. Happy in finding her pleased with Bordeaux, where his interests obliged him to live, the Spaniard bought a house, set up a household, received in much style, and gave many proofs of possessing a fine taste in all things. Thus, from 1800 to 1812, Monsieur and Madame Evangelista were objects of great interest to the community of Bordeaux.

大约在本世纪初，一个叫埃旺热利斯塔的西班牙富人来到波尔多，并在这里安顿下来。由于他有人引荐，并且非常有钱，所以很快就进入了贵族名流聚会的社交沙龙。他的妻子对他保持贵族阶层的魅力贡献不小。而贵族阶级一开始就接纳了他，仅仅是为了激怒位居他们之下的社会阶层。埃旺热利斯塔夫人是克里奥尔人，是西班牙一个著名家族的一员。像许多由奴隶伺候的贵妇一样，她对金钱的价值一无所知，也从不压抑任何购物的冲动，即使是价值颇为昂贵的东西也不例外。而对她痴情的丈夫总会慷慨地满足她，甚至向她隐瞒家中财物方面的运行状况。他发现妻子乐于住在波尔多，自己也很高兴，正好他的生意也需要他定居在波尔多。这个西班牙人便购置了一套房产，安了家，非常气派地款待宾友来客，在各方面都体现出了高雅的品味。于是，从1800年至1812年，埃旺热利斯塔先生和夫人在波尔多成了家喻户晓的人物。

The Spaniard died in 1813, leaving his wife a widow at thirty-two years of age, with an immense fortune and the prettiest little girl in the world, a child of eleven, who promised to be, and did actually become, a most accomplished young woman. Clever as Madame Evangelista was, the Restoration altered her position; the royalist party cleared its ranks and several of the old families left Bordeaux. Though the head and hand of her husband were lacking in the direction of her affairs, for which she had hitherto shown the indifference of a Creole and the inaptitude of a lackadaisical woman, she was determined to make no change in her manner of living. At the period when Paul resolved to return to his native town, Mademoiselle Natalie Evangelista was a remarkably beautiful young girl, and, apparently, the richest match in Bordeaux, where the steady diminution of her mother's capital was unknown. In order to prolong her reign, Madame Evangelista had squandered enormous sums. Brilliant fetes and the continuation of an almost regal style of living kept the public in its past belief as to the wealth of the Spanish family.

这个西班牙人死于1813年，留下三十二岁的妻子、巨大的财富和一个全世界最漂亮的女儿。这个女孩当时十一岁，必将成为一个最有教养的年轻女子，事实也证明正是如此。虽然埃旺热利斯塔夫人非常聪明，但是王室的复辟还是影响了她的地位。保皇党清理了贵族阶层，有几户老贵族家庭由此离开了波尔多。以前家中的事务都是有丈夫一手打理的，如今丈夫去世了，而埃旺热利斯塔夫人对这些事情仍然表现出克里奥尔人的漫不关心，以及一个无精打采的女人的无能为力。她决定不去改变自己的生活方式。当保尔下定决心回到家乡的时候，纳塔莉·埃旺热利斯塔小姐已经长成了一个远近闻名的美人，而且显然也是他在波尔多能找到的最富有的结婚对象，只是人们还不知道她母亲的资金正在慢慢地减少。她母亲为了延长自己的奢侈生活，已经挥霍掉了数目巨大的钱财。她照常举行豪华的宴会，继续过着皇室般的生活，使大家认为这个西班牙家庭仍然家财万贯。

Natalie was now in her nineteenth year, but no proposal of marriage had as yet reached her mother's ear. Accustomed to gratify her fancies, Mademoiselle Evangelista wore cashmeres and jewels, and lived in a style of luxury which alarmed all speculative suitors in a region and at a period when sons were as calculating as their parents. The fatal remark, "None but a prince can afford to marry Mademoiselle Evangelista," circulated among the salons and the cliques. Mothers of families, dowagers who had granddaughters to establish, young girls jealous of Natalie, whose elegance and tyrannical beauty annoyed them, took pains to envenom this opinion with treacherous remarks. When they heard a possible suitor say with ecstatic admiration, as Natalie entered a ball-room, "Heavens, how beautiful she is!""Yes," the mammas would answer, "but expensive."If some newcomer thought Mademoiselle Evangelista bewitching and said to a marriageable man that he couldn't do it better, "Who would be bold enough," some woman would reply, "to marry a girl whose mother gives her a thousand francs a month for her toilet,—a girl who has horses and a maid of her own, and wears laces? Yes, her 'peignoirs' are trimmed with mechlin. The price of her washing would support the household of a clerk. She wears pelerines in the morning which actually cost six francs to get up.”

纳塔莉如今已经十九岁了，还没有任何人到她母亲那里去提亲。埃旺热利斯塔小姐习惯于所有的要求都被满足，她身着开司米衣衫、戴着各色首饰，过着奢华的生活。在一个无论父母还是儿子都精于算计的地区和时代中，这种奢侈的生活方式使所有精明的求婚者都望而却步。“只有王子才娶得起埃旺热利斯塔小姐！”这句致命的评价在沙龙和各个小圈子中被传得邻里皆知。家中做母亲的、有孙女要出嫁的贵妇遗孀，以及那些嫉妒纳塔莉的优雅气质和绝世美貌的姑娘们都用恶毒的言语渲染着这种观点。当纳塔莉莉走进舞会，他们听到一个打算求婚的人如痴如醉地赞叹道：“天啊，她真是太漂亮了！” “是啊，但是却代价昂贵！”这些女人会如此作答。若是一个初来乍到的人被埃旺热利斯塔小姐深深迷住，并且说她是一个男人的最佳配偶时，一些女士会回答道：“谁敢娶她？她母亲每月光花在她妆饰上就要一千法郎——给她配有私人的马匹和贴身女佣，还穿着镶有花边的衣服。是的，连她的“化妆衣”上都镶有马林产的花边。她每月洗衣裳的钱都够养活一个普通职员的全家了。她早上披在身上的披肩都值六法郎呢。”

These, and other speeches said occasionally in the form of praise extinguished the desires that some men might have had to marry the beautiful Spanish girl. Queen of every ball, accustomed to flattery, "blasee" with the smiles and the admiration which followed her every step, Natalie, nevertheless, knew nothing of life. She lived as the bird which flies, as the flower that blooms, finding every one about her eager to do her will. She was ignorant of the price of things; she knew neither the value of money, nor whence it came, how it should be managed, and how spent. Possibly she thought that every household had cooks and coachmen, lady's-maids and footmen, as the fields have hay and the trees their fruits. To her, beggars and paupers, fallen trees and waste lands seemed in the same category. Pampered and petted as her mother's hope, no fatigue was allowed to spoil her pleasure. Thus she bounded through life as a courser on his steppe, unbridled and unshod.

这些话，加上其他偶尔以恭维的方式说出的话，熄灭了那些曾经想娶这个西班牙姑娘为妻的男人的欲望。纳塔莉是她出席的所有舞会的王后，她已经习惯了赞美之辞，“厌烦”了如影随形的笑脸相陪和恭维之情。尽管如此，她对生活却一无所知。她活得像鸟儿飞翔、花儿绽放一般，她发现身边的每个人都迫切地希望满足她的愿望。她对于各种物品的价格一无所知；她不懂金钱的价值，也不知道怎么挣钱、怎么管理钱、怎么花钱。她可能认为每家每户都有自己的厨师、马倌、贴身女仆和其他打杂的，就像草地都长草、果树都结果一样天经地义。对于她来说，乞丐和贫民与倒塌的树木和荒废的土地似乎是一码子事。她是她母亲一切希望的寄托，母亲对她也百般溺爱，从不让她在享乐中感到疲倦。因此，她就像一匹没绑缰绳、没安蹄铁的骏马一样，在生活的草原上纵情驰骋。

Six month's after Paul's arrival the Pink of Fashion and the Queen of Balls met in presence of the highest society of the town of Bordeaux. The two flowers looked at each other with apparent coldness, and mutually thought each other charming. Interested in watching the effects of the meeting, Madame Evangelista divined in the expression of Paul's eyes the feelings within him, and she muttered to herself, "He will be my son-inlaw.”Paul, on the other hand, said to himself, as he looked at Natalie, "She will be my wife."

保尔来到波尔多六个月之后，这位时尚之尊和舞会皇后曾在最上流的聚会中碰过面。这两朵花表面上冷面相对，实际上却暗自觉得对方魅力迷人。埃旺热利斯塔夫人热衷于看到这种结果，从保尔的眼神里推断出他内心的感情，暗自寻思道：“他将成为我的女婿。”另一方面，保尔看到纳塔莉时也心中暗想：“她将成为我的妻子。”

The wealth of the Evangelistas, proverbial in Bordeaux, had remained in Paul's mind as a memory of his childhood. Thus the pecuniary conditions were known to him from the start, without necessitating those discussions and inquiries which are as repugnant to a timid mind as to a proud one. When some persons attempting to say to Paul a few flattering phrases as to Natalie's manner, language, and beauty, ending by remarks, cruelly calculated to deter him, on the lavish extravagance of the Evangelistas, the Pink of Fashion replied with a disdain that was well-deserved by such provincial pettiness. This method of receiving such speeches soon silenced them; for he now set the tone to the ideas and language as well as to the manners of those about him. He had imported from his travels a certain development of the Britannic personality with its icy barriers, also a tone of Byronic pessimism as to life, together with English plate, boot-polish, ponies, yellow gloves, cigars, and the habit of galloping.

埃旺热利斯塔家世显贵，人尽皆知，这种印象自从童年起就一直留存在他的头脑里。因此，他一开始就了解对方的财产状况，在此不必讨论和调查财产问题。无论是胆小的人还是傲慢的人都不愿意做这种事。有些人会试图向保尔好心进言，首先当然对纳塔莉的言谈举止和如花美貌说上一些褒扬之词，最后才对埃旺热利斯塔家那奢侈的排场颇有微词，进而通过精打细算阻止他，而时尚之尊对此总是回答得不屑一顾，觉得这些当地人斤斤计较，善于算计真是名不虚传。保尔这种接受意见的做法很快就使他们无话可说了。因为无论在思想、语言和举止上，周围的人都效仿他。他把那种不列颠式的个性和人际间冰冷的隔阂，还有对生活的拜伦式悲观主义，连同英国的餐碟、鞋油、马犊子、黄手套、雪茄和马背疾驰的习惯等等，一并带进了波尔多。

It thus happened that Paul escaped the discouragements hitherto presented to marriageable men by dowagers and young girls. Madame Evangelista began by asking him to formal dinners on various occasions. The Pink of Fashion would not, of course, miss festivities to which none but the most distinguished young men of the town were bidden. In spite of the coldness that Paul assumed, which deceived neither mother nor daughter, he was drawn, step by step, into the path of marriage. Sometimes as he passed in his tilbury, or rode by on his fine English horse, he heard the young men of his acquaintance say to one another:—

所以那些年老遗孀和姑娘们对适婚年龄的年轻人说的那些有关纳塔莉的泄气话都传不到保尔的耳朵里。埃旺热利斯塔夫人开始邀请他出席不同场合的正式宴会。时尚之尊当然不会缺席这种当地年轻精英汇聚一堂的欢宴。尽管保尔表面装得冷淡，但这骗不了母亲，也骗不了女儿，他被一步一步地拖上了婚姻的道路。有时，他坐在敞篷的二轮轻便马车里，或者骑着他的英式骏马路过时，他能听到与他相识的年轻男子互相议论：

"There's a lucky man. He is rich and handsome, and is to marry, so they say, Mademoiselle Evangelista. There are some men for whom the world seems made.”“这个家伙真是幸运。既有钱又英俊，而且听说他要娶埃旺热利斯塔作妻子了。对于他们这样的人来说，世界就像是为他们而存在一样。”

When he met the Evangelistas he felt proud of the particular distinction which mother and daughter imparted to their bows. If Paul had not secretly, within his heart, fallen in love with Mademoiselle Natalie, society would certainly have married him to her in spite of himself. Society, which never causes good, is the accomplice of much evil; then when it beholds the evil it has hatched maternally, it rejects and revenges it. Society in Bordeaux, attributing a "dot" of a million to Mademoiselle Evangelista, bestowed it upon Paul without awaiting the consent of either party. Their fortunes, so it was said, agreed as well as their persons. Paul had the same habits of luxury and elegance in the midst of which Natalie had been brought up. He had just arranged for himself a house such as no other man in Bordeaux could have offered her. Accustomed to Parisian expenses and the caprices of Parisian women, he alone was fitted to meet the pecuniary difficulties which were likely to follow this marriage with a girl who was as much of a Creole and a great lady as her mother. Where they themselves, remarked the marriageable men, would have been ruined, the Comte de Manerville, rich as he was, could evade disaster. In short, the marriage was made. Persons in the highest royalist circles said a few engaging words to Paul which flattered his vanity:—

当他遇到埃旺热利斯塔一家时，母女两人会非常客气跟他打招呼，使他很受用，也以此为傲。即使保尔没有偷偷地倾心于埃旺热利斯塔小姐，社交圈肯定也会不等他同意就把他们两人凑成一对。社交圈从没做过好事，却是很多坏事的帮凶。然后，当眼看着他们一手孵化出的恶果时，社交圈又会拒绝它并且报复它。波尔多的上流社会认为埃旺热利斯塔小姐有百万“嫁妆”，没等双方同意就会赠送给保尔了。在众人看来，他们财貌相配、门当户对。保尔和纳塔莉都习惯于从小到大奢华、高雅的生活。他刚刚为自己安置了一套公馆，在波尔多没有别人会为纳塔莉这么做。他已经习惯了巴黎人的大手大脚和巴黎女人的反复无常。一个克里奥尔女孩和她贵妇人一般的母亲，必然让人婚后陷入金钱困境，而只有他适合应付这种困境。适婚男人都说自己娶了埃旺热利斯塔小姐会倾家荡产，但德马内维尔伯爵非常富裕，可以避免这种灾难。总之，这桩婚事是定下来了。保皇党的上流社会在谈论这桩婚事时，对保尔说了一些迎合他虚荣心的动听的话：

"Every one gives you Mademoiselle Evangelista. If you marry her you will do well. You could not find, even in Paris, a more delightful girl. She is beautiful, graceful, elegant, and takes after the Casa–Reales through her mother. You will make a charming couple; you have the same tastes, the same desires in life, and you will certainly have the most agreeable house in Bordeaux. Your wife need only bring her night-cap; all is ready for her. You are fortunate indeed in such a mother-inlaw. A woman of intelligence, and very adroit, she will be a great help to you in public life, to which you ought to aspire. Besides, she has sacrificed everything to her daughter, whom she adores, and Natalie will, no doubt, prove a good wife, for she loves her mother. You must soon bring the matter to a conclusion.”“每个人都想把埃旺热利斯塔小姐送给你，如果你跟她结婚，那你就对了。甚至在巴黎，你都找不到比她更讨人喜欢的女孩了。她美丽动人、优雅妩媚，而且从她母亲那儿继承了卡萨－雷阿尔人的长相。你们将是最般配的一对。你们志趣相投，对生活的要求也类似，而且你们将肯定拥有波尔多最惬意的住宅。你妻子只需将睡帽带过来就可以，其他的都已经准备妥当了。能有埃旺热利斯塔夫人这样的岳母也算是你幸运。她头脑聪明、善于钻营，对你所向往的仕途发展也将很有帮助。而且，她视自己的女儿为心肝宝贝，并为之牺牲了一切。纳塔莉也肯定将是一个好妻子，因为她钟爱自己的母亲。你要快点作出决定。”

"That is all very well," replied Paul, who, in spite of his love, was desirous of keeping his freedom of action, "but I must be sure that the conclusion shall be a happy one."“这种想法是很好，”保尔答复道，他虽然也爱上了纳塔莉小姐，但仍然向往自由的行动权，“可是我必须保证有一个美满的结局。”

He now went frequently to Madame Evangelista's, partly to occupy his vacant hours, which were harder for him to employ than for most men. There alone he breathed the atmosphere of grandeur and luxury to which he was accustomed.

保尔频繁地到埃旺热利斯塔夫人家走动，有时只是想打发时间，他的空暇时间比大部分人都难以打发。只有在那里他才能闻到熟悉的气派和豪华的气息。

At forty years of age, Madame Evangelista was beautiful, with the beauty of those glorious summer sunsets which crown a cloudless day. Her spotless reputation had given an endless topic of conversation to the Bordeaux cliques; the curiosity of the women was all the more lively because the widow gave signs of the temperament which makes a Spanish woman and a Creole particularly noted. She had black eyes and hair, the feet and form of a Spanish woman,—that swaying form the movements of which have a name in Spain. Her face, still beautiful, was particularly seductive for its Creole complexion, the vividness of which can be described only by comparing it to muslin overlying crimson, so equally is the whiteness suffused with color. Her figure, which was full and rounded, attracted the eye by a grace which united nonchalance with vivacity, strength with ease. She attracted and she imposed, she seduced, but promised nothing. She was tall, which gave her at times the air and carriage of a queen. Men were taken by her conversation like birds in a snare; for she had by nature that genius; she advanced from concession to concession, strengthening herself with what she gained to ask for more, knowing well how to retreat with rapid steps when concessions were demanded in return. Though ignorant of facts, she had known the courts of Spain and Naples, the celebrated men of the two Americas, many illustrious families of England and the continent, all of which gave her so extensive an education superficially that it seemed immense. She received her society with the grace and dignity which are never learned, but which come to certain naturally fine spirits like a second nature; assimilating choice things wherever they are met. If her reputation for virtue was unexplained, it gave at any rate much authority to her actions, her conversation, and her character.

埃旺热利斯塔夫人年届四十，长得非常漂亮，她的美就像夏日傍晚落日的余晖笼罩着万里无云的天空一般。她那无可挑剔的名声给波尔多的各个小圈子提供了无尽的谈资。她身上体现出的西班牙女人，尤其是克里奥尔女人闻名的气质，更是激起了其他女人的好奇心。她有着深色的眼珠、黝黑的头发、西班牙女人的双脚和身材——她婀娜多姿的身段即使在西班牙也是极为出众的。她的脸庞风韵犹存，特别是那诱人的克里奥尔人的肌肤，犹如薄纱笼罩下的深红色，白里透红，分外动人。她身材丰满圆润，那冷漠中夹杂着活泼、随意中蕴含着力量的优雅气质引人注目。她迷人而又不怒自威，她诱人而又不给出任何许诺。她身材高挑，有时从神情和姿态看起来，就像一个女王。她的谈话很容易让男人们像落入陷阱的鸟儿一样上当，她生来就有这种天赋。她以退为进，得寸进尺，一旦别人反过来要求她作出让步时，她都能躲得远远的，这是她的拿手好戏。她虽然对现实很无知，但却懂得西班牙和那不勒斯的宫廷礼节，认识南美和北美的名人，还有英格兰以及欧洲的许多显赫家族。所有这一切都使得她至少看上去见多识广、知识渊博。她就用这种优雅和高贵的气质款待来宾，这种优雅和高贵是学不到的，只有那些生来美好的心灵，通过吸收所遇到的美好事物，将其变成自己的第二本能，才能形成这样的气质。如果她品德高尚的美名一直无法解释的话，它却赋予她行动、言语和性格上巨大的权威。

Mother and daughter had a true friendship for each other, beyond the filial and maternal sentiment. They suited one another, and their perpetual contact had never produced the slightest jar. Consequently many persons explained Madame Evangelista's actions by maternal love. But although Natalie consoled her mother's persistent widowhood, she may not have been the only motive for it. Madame Evangelista had been, it was said, in love with a man who recovered his titles and property under the Restoration. This man, desirous of marrying her in 1814 had discreetly severed the connection in 1816. Madame Evangelista, to all appearance the best-hearted woman in the world, had, in the depths of her nature, a fearful quality, explainable only by Catherine de Medici's device: "Odiate e aspettate"—"Hate and wait."Accustomed to rule, having always been obeyed, she was like other royalties, amiable, gentle, easy and pleasant in ordinary life, but terrible, implacable, if the pride of the woman, the Spaniard, and the Casa–Reale was touched. She never forgave. This woman believed in the power of her hatred; she made an evil fate of it and bade it hover above her enemy. This fatal power she employed against the man who had jilted her. Events which seemed to prove the influence of her "jettatura"—the casting of an evil eye—confirmed her superstitious faith in herself. Though a minister and peer of France, this man began to ruin himself, and soon came to total ruin. His property, his personal and public honor were doomed to perish. At this crisis Madame Evangelista in her brilliant equipage passed her faithless lover walking on foot in the Champes Elysees, and crushed him with a look which flamed with triumph. This misadventure, which occupied her mind for two years, was the original cause of her not remarrying. Later, her pride had drawn comparisons between the suitors who presented themselves and the husband who had loved her so sincerely and so well.

这对母女间除了母女亲情以外，两人还有着一种真正的友谊。她们相互适应，形影不离，也从没发生过哪怕最轻微的冲突。因此许多人用母爱来解释埃旺热利斯塔夫人的行为。虽然纳塔莉对母亲的寡妇生活是个慰藉，但并不是唯一的慰藉。有传言说埃旺热利斯塔夫人曾经爱上过一个男人，这个男人在法国复辟时，恢复了贵族的称号和财产。这个男人在1814年有意迎娶埃旺热利斯塔夫人，却在1816年慎重地斩断了这段关系。从表面上看，埃旺热利斯塔夫人是全世界最好心肠的女人，但是在她内心深处却有一种令人恐惧的天性。这种天性用卡特琳·德梅迪契的座右铭来诠释就是：“仇恨在心，耐心等待。”她习惯于统治，让别人听命于她。在生活中，她像其他的皇室成员一样：在日常生活中和蔼亲切、温柔文雅、平易近人、讨人喜爱。但是作为一个女人，作为一个西班牙人，或是说作为卡萨—雷阿尔家族的成员，一旦尊严受到冒犯，她就会变得令人可怕、冷血无情。她从不原谅他人。这个女人相信仇恨的力量；她使仇恨变成一种厄运，并命令它在她的敌人的上空盘旋。她利用这种致命的威力来对付那个抛弃了她的男人。很多事都证明了她那“巫术”——用目光将厄运抛给对方——的魔力，使她更加坚定了自己对迷信的信仰。虽然贵为内阁大臣和贵族议员，那个男人却开始走霉运，后来竟彻底地倒了大霉。他的产业，他个人和公众的威望都毁于一旦。在这个紧要关头，埃旺热利斯塔夫人坐着她那豪华马车经过爱丽舍田园大道时，遇到那个男人在街边踽踽独行。她用闪耀着幸灾乐祸的目光将他彻底击败。这一不幸的经历在她的内心占据了两年的时间，成为她没有再结婚的最初原因。后来，她的傲气又让她把那些向她求婚的人和已逝的曾深爱她的丈夫作比较。

She had thus reached, through mistaken calculations and disappointed hopes, that period of life when women have no other part to take in life than that of mother; a part which involves the sacrifice of themselves to their children, the placing of their interests outside of self upon another household,—the last refuge of human affections.

经过这一系列失算和失望以后，她青春老去，年华不再，到了这个年龄的女人除了尽母亲的职责之外没有别的事可以做；这时女人只能将自己全部贡献给子女，心思都不在自己身上，而是放在为儿女找个好人家上——这也是人类情感的最后寄托。

Madame Evangelista divined Paul's nature intuitively, and hid her own from his perception. Paul was the very man she desired for a son-inlaw, for the responsible editor of her future power. He belonged, through his mother, to the family of Maulincour, and the old Baronne de Maulincour, the friend of the Vidame de Pamiers, was then living in the centre of the Faubourg Saint–Germain. The grandson of the baroness, Auguste de Maulincour, held a fine position in the army. Paul would therefore be an excellent introducer for the Evangelistas into Parisian society. The widow had known something of the Paris of the Empire, she now desired to shine in the Paris of the Restoration. There alone were the elements of political fortune, the only business in which women of the world could decently cooperate. Madame Evangelista, compelled by her husband's affairs to reside in Bordeaux, disliked the place. She desired a wider field, as gamblers rush to higher stakes. For her own personal ends, therefore, she looked to Paul as a means of destiny, she proposed to employ the resources of her own talent and knowledge of life to advance her son-inlaw, in order to enjoy through him the delights of power. Many men are thus made the screens of secret feminine ambitions. Madame Evangelista had, however, more than one interest, as we shall see, in laying hold of her daughter's husband.

埃旺热利斯塔夫人凭直觉很快摸透了保尔的性格，并在保尔面前掩藏了自己的性格。保尔是她所期望的乘龙快婿，也是她未来权势的主要谋划人。保尔和他母亲一样，属于莫冷古家族，而德莫冷古老男爵夫人是德帕米埃主教的朋友，住在圣日耳曼地区的中心。男爵夫人有个孙子叫奥古斯特·德莫冷古，在军队中身居要职。因此，保尔就是将埃旺热利斯塔家引荐到巴黎社交圈最恰当的人选。对于帝国时代的巴黎，这位寡妇以前也略知一二，如今她很想到已经复辟的巴黎去出出风头。只有在那里，才可能在政治上有所作为，也只有在那里，女子可以堂而皇之地成为助手。埃旺热利斯塔夫人以前是因为丈夫的事才被迫定居波尔多，她并不喜欢这里。她向往一个更大的舞台，正如赌徒们急着奔向更大的赌注。因此，为了她自己的切身利益，她指望保尔能改变她的宿命。她打算利用自己的才能和本事去帮助她的女婿，最终通过女婿来享受权势的快乐。许多男人都是这样被垂帘后面的女人隐秘的野心所造就。不过，我们会看到，对于埃旺热利斯塔夫人来说，完全地掌控女婿可不止这一样好处。

Paul was naturally captivated by this woman, who charmed him all the more because she seemed to seek no influence over him. In reality she was using her ascendancy to magnify herself, her daughter, and all her surroundings in his eyes, for the purpose of ruling from the start the man in whom she saw a means of gratifying her social longings. Paul, on the other hand, began to value himself more highly when he felt himself appreciated by the mother and daughter. He thought himself much cleverer than he really was when he found his reflections and sayings accepted and understood by Mademoiselle Natalie—who raised her head and smiled in response to them—and by the mother, whose flattery always seemed involuntary. The two women were so kind and friendly to him, he was so sure of pleasing them, they ruled him so delightfully by holding the thread of his self-love, that he soon passed all his time at the hotel Evangelista.

保尔很自然地被这个女人牢牢地俘虏；她的魅力在于她欲擒故纵，她看起来似乎根本不想影响保尔。而实际上，她在利用自己的统治力量使自己、女儿，以及周围一切的形象在他眼中都更加光鲜。这些都是为了在一开始就制服这个男人，通过这个男人，她对社会的渴望才能得到满足。另一方面，保尔感到自己受到母女二人的欣赏，也开始自视甚高。保尔发现自己的任何想法和说法都会被纳塔莉小姐所接受和理解——她会抬起头来莞尔一笑回应他——她的母亲也总是会在似乎无意间说出些恭维保尔的话来，因而他自认为自己很聪明，远高于他的实际情况。这两个女人对他如此友好和善，他非常确信自己讨她们喜爱。保尔的自恋之心就像一根线，被她们欣然地牵在手中。不久之后，保尔就把自己的所有时间都泡在埃旺热利斯塔公馆了。

A year after his return to Bordeaux, Comte Paul, without having declared himself, was so attentive to Natalie that the world considered him as courting her. Neither mother nor daughter appeared to be thinking of marriage. Mademoiselle Evangelista preserved towards Paul the reserve of a great lady who can make herself charming and converse agreeably without permitting a single step into intimacy. This reserve, so little customary among provincials, pleased Paul immensely. Timid men are shy; sudden proposals alarm them. They retreat from happiness when it comes with a rush, and accept misfortune if it presents itself mildly with gentle shadows. Paul therefore committed himself in his own mind all the more because he saw no effort on Madame Evangelista's part to bind him. She fairly seduced him one evening by remarking that to superior women as well as men there came a period of life when ambition superseded all the earlier emotions of life.

保尔到波尔多已经一年了，虽然没有对外宣称，但是外人看到他对纳塔莉是如此殷勤，已经想当然地认为他是在追求纳塔莉了。不过无论是母亲还是女儿都没有表现出在考虑联姻的样子。埃旺热利斯塔小姐对保尔总是保持着一副贵妇人的模样，让自己散发出迷人的魅力，与保尔愉快地聊天，却又不允许他有更进一步的亲密行为。这种保守的行为外省人是不太习惯的，但是却很讨保尔欢心。胆小的人很害羞，唐突的求婚会吓到他们。如果幸福迎面冲来，他们会转身逃走；但是如果灾祸带着柔和的阴影悄悄地来临，他们反而乐于接受。于是，当保尔看到埃旺热利斯塔夫人并没有作出两家联姻的努力时，便在自己的头脑中更主动地进行策划。一天晚上，她恰到好处地怂恿他说，一个优秀的女人和男人一样，在生命中的某一个时期，雄心壮志会超越之前生活中的种种情感。

"That woman is fitted," thought Paul, as he left her, "to advance me in diplomacy before I am even made a deputy."“那个女人若在政治社交上能帮助我，我就能当个议员。”保尔离开她家时寻思。

If, in all the circumstances of life a man does not turn over and over both things and ideas in order to examine them thoroughly under their different aspects before taking action, that man is weak and incomplete and in danger of fatal failure. At this moment Paul was an optimist; he saw everything to advantage, and did not tell himself than an ambitious mother-inlaw might prove a tyrant. So, every evening as he left the house, he fancied himself a married man, allured his mind with its own thought, and slipped on the slippers of wedlock cheerfully. In the first place, he had enjoyed his freedom too long to regret the loss of it; he was tired of a bachelor's life, which offered him nothing new; he now saw only its annoyances; whereas if he thought at times of the difficulties of marriage, its pleasures, in which lay novelty, came far more prominently before his mind.

如果一个男人在采取行动前不对身边的各种事物和各种想法的方方面面都进行仔细地端详和分析，那么这个男人就是一个弱者，一个不完整的人，而且面临着致命的失败。此时的保尔是个乐观主义者；他看所有事物都只看到了好的方面，而没有想到一个野心勃勃的岳母也许会成为另外一个暴君。每天晚上走出公馆的时候，他都幻想自己是个已婚的男人，这种思想已经左右了他的思维，让他兴高采烈地滑入了婚姻之鞋。首先，他享受自由的生活已经太久了，毫不在意失去这种生活；他对单身生活厌倦了，这种生活不能给他任何新鲜感，只会让他烦躁；虽然有时他也会想到婚姻所带来的困难，但婚姻的乐趣和新鲜感会更显著地进入到他的脑海。

"Marriage," he said to himself, "is disagreeable for people without means, but half its troubles disappear before wealth."“婚姻，”他自语道，“对于穷人来说是令人不快的，但是只要有财富，婚姻所带来的麻烦一般都会迎刃而解。”

Every day some favorable consideration swelled the advantages which he now saw in this particular alliance.

每一天，这种婚姻是有利的想法都会在他脑海中膨胀，如今他只看到这种特殊联盟的好处了。

"No matter to what position I attain, Natalie will always be on the level of her part," thought he, "and that is no small merit in a woman. How many of the Empire men I've seen who suffered horribly through their wives! It is a great condition of happiness not to feel one's pride or one's vanity wounded by the companion we have chosen. A man can never be really unhappy with a well-bred wife; she will never make him ridiculous; such a woman is certain to be useful to him. Natalie will receive in her own house admirably.”“日后不管我会坐上什么位置，纳塔莉都会扮演好自己的角色，”他想道，“那对一个女子来说可是莫大的优点。我看过这个帝国里有多少男人因为他们的妻子而遭罪啊！自己选择的配偶不会去伤害自己的尊严和傲气，这是幸福的一个重要条件。和一个教养良好的妻子一起生活的话，男人肯定会很幸福的；她不会让他变得可笑；这样的女人对丈夫肯定是有所裨益的。纳塔莉将在自己的公馆里优雅地款待四方来客。”

So thinking, he taxed his memory as to the most distinguished women of the Faubourg Saint–Germain, in order to convince himself that Natalie could, if not eclipse them, at any rate stand among them on a footing of perfect equality. All comparisons were to her advantage, for they rested on his own imagination, which followed his desires. Paris would have shown him daily other natures, young girls of other styles of beauty and charm, and the multiplicity of impressions would have balanced his mind; whereas in Bordeaux Natalie had no rivals, she was the solitary flower; moreover, she appeared to him at a moment when Paul was under the tyranny of an idea to which most men succumb at his age.

他又想到了圣日耳曼地区那些最杰出的女性，他相信纳塔莉在她们中即使算不上鹤立鸡群，也至少能平分秋色。不管怎么比，纳塔莉都占优势。因为保尔做的这些比较都取决于他的想象，而保尔的想象又只是他的欲望而已。如果保尔住在巴黎，他每天还能见到其他个性和不同类型的美丽少女，丰富的阅历或许会让他保持心理平衡。然而在波尔多，纳塔莉根本没有对手，她是唯一的鲜花。更何况她来到保尔面前时，保尔只有一种想法，而大部分这个年龄段的男人都会臣服于这种想法。

Thus these reasons of propinquity, joined to reasons of self-love and a real passion which had no means of satisfaction except by marriage, led Paul on to an irrational love, which he had, however, the good sense to keep to himself. He even endeavored to study Mademoiselle Evangelista as a man should who desires not to compromise his future life; for the words of his friend de Marsay did sometimes rumble in his ears like a warning. But, in the first place, persons accustomed to luxury have a certain indifference to it which misleads them. They despise it, they use it; it is an instrument, and not the object of their existence. Paul never imagined, as he observed the habits of life of the two ladies, that they covered a gulf of ruin. Then, though there may exist some general rules to soften the asperities of marriage, there are none by which they can be accurately foreseen and evaded. When trouble arises between two persons who have undertaken to render life agreeable and easy to each other, it comes from the contact of continual intimacy, which, of course, does not exist between young people before they marry, and will never exist so long as our present social laws and customs prevail in France. All is more or less deception between the two young persons about to take each other for life,—an innocent and involuntary deception, it is true. Each endeavors to appear in a favorable light; both take a tone and attitude conveying a more favorable idea of their nature than they are able to maintain in after years. Real life, like the weather, is made up of gray and cloudy days alternating with those when the sun shines and the fields are gay. Young people, however, exhibit fine weather and no clouds. Later they attribute to marriage the evils inherent in life itself; for there is in man a disposition to lay the blame of his own misery on the persons and things that surround him.

由于他自恋，而且的确对纳塔莉充满爱意，还有一些类似的原因，除了结婚已经没有其他办法可以满足他的爱情了。保尔的爱情已经变得不理智了，好在他的良知使得他只将这种感情埋在心底。保尔也不想毁了自己的终生幸福，他甚至努力研究埃旺热利斯塔小姐的性格，因为有时他朋友德马尔赛的话还会像警报一样在他耳边回响。但是首先，习惯于奢华的人在某种程度上并不在意奢华，这是极具欺骗性的。他们蔑视奢华，他们利用奢华。奢华只是一种手段，并不是他们存在的目标。保尔观察着母女两人的生活习惯时，他绝对没想到这母女两人掩藏着一个毁灭的深渊。其次，虽然有几条普遍规律可以缓解婚姻所带来的烦恼，但是这些烦恼却无法提前被预测和预防。对于两个认为婚后生活将轻松愉快的人来说，麻烦也会在日积月累的相处中出现。而对于在婚前的年轻人，这个问题显然是不存在的。只要法国现行的法律和风俗依旧，这个问题也就永远不会存在。对于两个准备终身相依的年轻人来说，所有这一切或多或少都具有欺骗性——虽然这种欺骗并无恶意，也并不是故意造成，但是事实却是如此。无论从生活情调还是生活态度上，双方都努力展示自己优越的一面，而在以后的年月里，他们却无法维持自己优越的形象。真实的生活就像日常天气一样，有时灰暗、阴沉，有时阳光灿烂、田野美丽。但是，年轻人只看到晴空万里，却看不到阴云密布。婚后，他们又把生活本身的灾难归咎于婚姻。因为人有一种性情，总认为自身的不幸是身边的人和物造成的。

To discover in the demeanor, or the countenance, or the words, or the gestures of Mademoiselle Evangelista any indication that revealed the imperfections of her character, Paul must have possessed not only the knowledge of Lavater and Gall, but also a science in which there exists no formula of doctrine,—the individual and personal science of an observer, which, for its perfection, requires an almost universal knowledge. Natalie's face, like that of most young girls, was impenetrable. The deep, serene peace given by sculptors to the virgin faces of Justice and Innocence, divinities aloof from all earthly agitations, is the greatest charm of a young girl, the sign of her purity. Nothing, as yet, has stirred her; no shattered passion, no hope betrayed has clouded the placid expression of that pure face. Is that expression assumed? If so, there is no young girl behind it.

要想从埃旺热利斯塔小姐的举止、外表、言谈或姿态中找到她性格中的缺点，保尔就必须不仅懂得拉瓦特和加尔的知识，还要懂另外一门学问，这门学问没有教义的定式——这就是洞察细微的能力，而要学好这门学问，就要求几乎包罗万象的知识。像其他女孩一样，纳塔莉的脸庞也从不表露自己的内心世界。雕刻家雕刻出的处女雕像面庞平和安详，以此来代表正义、纯洁和超越世间所有骚动的神明。这是一个少女最大的魅力，也是她纯洁的标志。迄今为止，没有任何事情使她激动过，也没有什么破裂的感情和失去的希望使她那纯洁面庞上的表情发生过变化。这种表情是装出来的吗？如果是的话，那么她的内心就不再是一个少女了。

Natalie, closely held to the heart of her mother, had received, like other Spanish women, an education that was solely religious, together with a few instructions from her mother as to the part in life she was called upon to play. Consequently, the calm, untroubled expression of her face was natural. And yet it formed a casing in which the woman was wrapped as the moth in its cocoon. Nevertheless, any man clever at handling the scalpel of analysis might have detected in Natalie certain indications of the difficulties her character would present when brought into contact with conjugal or social life. Her beauty, which was really marvellous, came from extreme regularity of feature harmonizing with the proportions of the head and the body. This species of perfection augurs ill for the mind; and there are few exceptions to the rule. All superior nature is found to have certain slight imperfections of form which become irresistible attractions, luminous points from which shine vivid sentiments, and on which the eye rests gladly. Perfect harmony expresses usually the coldness of a mixed organization.

纳塔莉从小到大一直伴在母亲左右，像其他的西班牙女子一样，只接受过纯宗教教育和母亲的一些教诲，主要是教导她日后如何扮演好自己在生活中的角色。因此她面部那平静而不谙世事的表情很自然。但是这种表情是戴在女子脸上的一层面纱，将她层层包裹，如同茧中之蛾。不过，任何一个善于分析的男人都能在纳塔莉的身上找到一些迹象，表明一旦她面临婚姻生活或社会生活时，她的性格会造成一些麻烦。她的确美艳不可方物，面容匀称，头部与身体的比例也十分协调。外表完美无缺的人内心却未必如此，这条规律鲜有例外。所有高等生物在外形上都会有轻微的缺陷，而这些缺陷又会成为难以抗拒的吸引力和闪光点，情感在那里闪耀，目光在那里停留。完美的和谐通常表达了一种混合的冷淡。

Natalie's waist was round,—a sign of strength, but also the infallible indication of a will which becomes obstinacy in persons whose mind is neither keen nor broad. Her hands, like those of a Greek statue, confirmed the predictions of face and figure by revealing an inclination for illogical domination, of willing for will's sake only. Her eyebrows met,—a sign, according to some observers, which indicates jealousy. The jealousy of superior minds becomes emulation and leads to great things; that of small minds turns to hatred. The "hate and wait" of her mother was in her nature, without disguise. Her eyes were black apparently, though really brown with orange streaks, contrasting with her hair, of the ruddy tint so prized by the Romans, called auburn in England, a color which often appears in the offspring of persons of jet black hair, like that of Monsieur and Madame Evangelista. The whiteness and delicacy of Natalie's complexion gave to the contrast of color in her eyes and hair an inexpressible charm; and yet it was a charm that was purely external; for whenever the lines of a face are lacking in a certain soft roundness, whatever may be the finish and grace of the details, the beauty therein expressed is not of the soul. These roses of deceptive youth will drop their leaves, and you will be surprised in a few years to see hardness and dryness where you once admired what seemed to be the beauty of noble qualities.

纳塔莉腰围圆润——那是力量的象征，但也意味着她永不妥协的意志。在一个思想上既不尖锐也不豁达的人身上，这种意志会变成性格上的固执。她的双手犹如希腊雕像的手一样，也证实了她脸庞和身形所预测的一切，同时表明了她有一种不符合逻辑的控制欲，仅仅是为了满足自己的欲望。她双眉相连，按照某些善于观察面相的人说法，表明她妒忌心强。对于心胸开阔的人来说，妒忌会变成好胜心，造就伟大的事业；而对于心胸狭隘的人，妒忌则会变成憎恨。她母亲“仇恨在心，耐心等待”的座右铭毫不掩饰地体现在她的性格当中。她那看上去黑色的眼睛实际上是带点橘红的棕色，与她淡黄褐色的头发形成了鲜明的对比。罗马人对这种颜色非常喜欢，在英格兰这种颜色被称为金褐色。如果父母都是深黑色的发质，后代的头发往往就是这种颜色，埃旺热利斯塔夫妇就是此例。纳塔莉面容白皙，肌肤柔嫩，加之头发与眼睛的颜色完美搭配，这一切都有着难以形容的魅力，但是这种魅力只是纯粹从外形上来说的，因为当面部的线条缺乏某种柔和的圆润时，无论细部多么完美、多么风韵，都不是内心的美丽。这种欺骗就犹如玫瑰一样，迟早要凋零萎谢。几年之后，你会惊讶地发现那些曾经令你魂牵梦萦的看似高贵的美丽特质都将变成僵硬和呆板。

Though the outlines of Natalie's face had something august about them, her chin was slightly "empate,"—a painter's expression which will serve to show the existence of sentiments, the violence of which would only become manifest in after life. Her mouth, a trifle drawn in, expressed a haughty pride in keeping with her hand, her chin, her brows, and her beautiful figure. And—as a last diagnostic to guide the judgment of a connoisseur—Natalie's pure voice, a most seductive voice, had certain metallic tones. Softly as that brassy ring was managed, and in spite of the grace with which its sounds ran through the compass of the voice, that organ revealed the character of the Duke of Alba, from whom the Casa–Reales were collaterally descended. These indications were those of violent passions without tenderness, sudden devotions, irreconcilable dislikes, a mind without intelligence, and the desire to rule natural to persons who feel themselves inferior to their pretensions.

虽然纳塔莉的面部轮廓有些尊贵的气息，但是她的下巴却稍显“臃肿”——这是画家用来表述某种情感存在的语言，这种情感将随着人年龄的增大而越来越强烈。她的嘴稍微有点凹进，表明她有一种与她的手、下巴、眉毛及美丽的身段相匹配的高傲。还有——作为指导鉴赏家给出判断的最后一个因素——纳塔莉那纯正、具有诱惑力的嗓音中带有某种金属的铿锵。无论多么柔和地拿捏那奏鸣声，也不管那声音是多么优雅地在说话声中流淌，这一特点都展现出阿尔巴公爵的性格。无论从父系方面，还是母系方面，阿尔伯公爵都是卡萨－雷阿尔家族的先人。这些特征都预示着暴烈而不温顺的激情、无法持久的忠诚、无法调和的厌恶、没有智慧的头脑以及统治他人的欲望。那些无法达成所愿的人自然就有这种驾驭他人的欲望。

These defects, born of temperament and constitution, were buried in Natalie like ore in a mine, and would only appear under the shocks and harsh treatment to which all characters are subjected in this world. Meantime the grace and freshness of her youth, the distinction of her manners, her sacred ignorance, and the sweetness of a young girl, gave a delicate glamour to her features which could not fail to mislead an unthinking or superficial mind. Her mother had early taught her the trick of agreeable talk which appears to imply superiority, replying to arguments by clever jests, and attracting by the graceful volubility beneath which a woman hides the subsoil of her mind, as Nature disguises her barren strata beneath a wealth of ephemeral vegetation. Natalie had the charm of children who have never known what it is to suffer. She charmed by her frankness, and had none of that solemn air which mothers impose on their daughters by laying down a programme of behavior and language until the time comes when they marry and are emancipated. She was gay and natural, like any young girl who knows nothing of marriage, expects only pleasure from it, replies to all objections with a jest, foresees no troubles, and thinks she is acquiring the right to have her own way.

这些由性情和体质造成的缺点在纳塔莉身上被掩藏起来了，就如同埋藏在金矿里面的黄金，只有经过重重打击和严酷锤炼才能为世人所见。与此同时，青春的美丽与新鲜、与众不同的举止、神圣的无邪和少女的甜蜜都给她平添了一种微妙的魅力。那些肤浅而不善于思考的人们一定会被误导的。她的母亲早就教过她怎样交谈才能讨人欢心，同时显得高人一等。用玩笑话来回应别人的争辩之辞，用优雅流畅的话语吸引听众，而在此之下，一个女人却藏着自己不为人知的内心，正如大自然用那昙花一现的茂盛植被来掩盖它那贫瘠的土地。纳塔莉从小娇生惯养，没有吃过苦，有着富家千金的风度。她为人坦率，受人喜爱，也没有那种一副高高在上的神态。母亲们总是制定一套言行举止的规矩，要女儿摆出这么一副神态，直到把她们嫁出去，才能脱离这套规矩。纳塔莉天真快乐，像其他少女一样，对婚姻一无所知，只期待着结婚能带来快乐，对争执一笑了之，也预见不到任何麻烦。她以为婚姻将给她带来我行我素的权利。

How could Paul, who loved as men love when desire increases love, perceive in a girl of this nature whose beauty dazzled him, the woman, such as she would probably be at thirty, when observers themselves have been misled by these appearances? Besides, if happiness might prove difficult to find in a marriage with such a girl, it was not impossible. Through these embryo defects shone several fine qualities. There is no good quality which, if properly developed by the hand of an able master, will not stifle defects, especially in a young girl who loves him. But to render ductile so intractable a woman, the iron wrist, about which de Marsay had preached to Paul, was needful. The Parisian dandy was right. Fear, inspired by love is an infallible instrument by which to manage the minds of women. Whoso loves, fears; whoso fears is nearer to affection than to hatred.

连那些善于观察的人也会被外表所迷惑，更何况一个坠入爱河的男人，一个被对方美貌完全迷昏的男人，保尔又怎能看到她三十岁将会是什么样子呢？再说，和这样的女孩结婚或许很难找到幸福，这一点是很可能的。透过这些尚未体现的缺点，也有一些优良的品质在发光。在一个善于掌控的能人手上，没有哪种优点充分表现之后不会盖过缺点的，在一个钟爱他的女孩身上更是如此。要使一个如此倔强的女子变得温顺，必须得有德马尔塞对保尔所宣扬的那种铁腕才行。那个巴黎的花花公子说得很对。爱情所激发出的恐惧是掌控女人思维的有力工具。谁爱了，谁就会有恐惧；谁恐惧了，谁就更接近于爱情，而非仇恨。

Had Paul the coolness, firmness, and judgment required for this struggle, which an able husband ought not to let the wife suspect? Did Natalie love Paul? Like most young girls, Natalie mistook for love the first emotions of instinct and the pleasure she felt in Paul's external appearance; but she knew nothing of the things of marriage nor the demands of a home. To her, the Comte de Manerville, a rising diplomatist, to whom the courts of Europe were known, and one of the most elegant young men in Paris, could not seem, what perhaps he was, an ordinary man, without moral force, timid, though brave in some ways, energetic perhaps in adversity, but helpless against the vexations and annoyances that hinder happiness. Would she, in after years, have sufficient tact and insight to distinguish Paul's noble qualities in the midst of his minor defects? Would she not magnify the latter and forget the former, after the manner of young wives who know nothing of life? There comes a time when wives will pardon defects in the husband who spares her annoyances, considering annoyances in the same category as misfortunes. What conciliating power, what wise experience would uphold and enlighten the home of this young pair? Paul and his wife would doubtless think they loved when they had really not advanced beyond the endearments and compliments of the honeymoon. Would Paul in that early period yield to the tyranny of his wife, instead of establishing his empire? Could Paul say, "No?"All was peril to a man so weak where even a strong man ran some risks.

一个深谙此道的丈夫是不应该让妻子觉察到这种争斗的。保尔是否具备这场争斗所需要的冷静、坚定和判断力呢？另外，纳塔莉爱保尔吗？像大多数女孩一样，纳塔莉把本能的原始冲动和对保尔外在的欣赏当成了爱情，而对婚姻和家庭这一码子事一无所知。在她眼中，德马内维尔伯爵是位见识过欧洲宫廷的前途无量的外交官，是巴黎最优雅的青年。然而她看不到，保尔或许只是个普通的、没有什么精神力量的男子，为人羞怯。虽然在某些方面勇敢，在逆境中精力充沛，但他对阻碍幸福的烦恼和麻烦却无能为力。在日后的年月里，她是否有足够的敏感和洞察力能从保尔的小毛病中洞悉出他高贵的品质呢？她会不会像其他那些对生活无知的少妇一样，只知道夸大丈夫的缺点，而忽视他的优点呢？妻子到了一定的时候，会原谅丈夫的缺点，只要他不会引起她的不快。她将生活中的不快定义为不幸。什么样的协调力量，什么样的明智的体验才能启发这对年轻的夫妇，才能维持这个年轻的家庭呢？两人蜜月之时，相互钟爱，互相恭维，保尔和妻子坚定地相信这就是爱情。在婚姻初期的时候，保尔会屈服于妻子的专横，而不去建立自己的独立王国吗？保尔会说“不”吗？对一个强悍的男子来说尚且有冒险的地方，对一个孱弱的男子来说则是危机四伏了。

The subject of this Study is not the transition of a bachelor into a married man,—a picture which, if broadly composed, would not lack the attraction which the inner struggles of our nature and feelings give to the commonest situations in life. The events and the ideas which led to the marriage of Paul with Natalie Evangelista are an introduction to our real subject, which is to sketch the great comedy that precedes, in France, all conjugal pairing. This Scene, until now singularly neglected by our dramatic authors, although it offers novel resources to their wit, controlled Paul's future life and was now awaited by Madame Evangelista with feelings of terror. We mean the discussion which takes place on the subject of the marriage contract in all families, whether noble or bourgeois, for human passions are as keenly excited by small interests as by large ones. These comedies, played before a notary, all resemble, more or less, the one we shall now relate, the interest of which will be far less in the pages of this book than in the memories of married persons.

这里讨论的主题并不是如何从一个光棍过渡到一个已婚男人——这幅图景若包罗万象，也不乏吸引力。这种吸引力是我们的天性和感情在生活中最普通的事情上所产生的内心的纠结。这一系列引领保尔和纳塔莉踏入婚姻的事件和想法是这篇文章的前言，其目的在于勾勒出法国所有夫妻生活真正开始之前的伟大喜剧。下面这一幕经常为作者们所忽视，也是作者们智慧的源泉，它将决定着保尔的未来生活。埃旺热利斯塔夫人正满心恐惧地等待着这一幕。我们所说的这一幕就是有关婚约的争论，无论是贵族家庭还是中产阶级家庭，都要经历的一个过程。因为人类的激情不但为大利所迷，也为小利所趋。在公证人面前反复演出的这些闹剧或多或少都与我们即将讲到的这出相似。与其说这些闹剧的趣味留在书中的字里行间，不如说留在已婚人们的记忆当中。

CHAPTER III THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT—FIRST DAY

第三章 婚约——第一日

At the beginning of the winter of 1822, Paul de Manerville made a formal request, through his great-aunt, the Baronne de Maulincour, for the hand of Mademoiselle Natalie Evangelista. Though the baroness never stayed more than two months in Medoc, she remained on this occasion till the last of October, in order to assist her nephew through the affair and play the part of a mother to him. After conveying the first suggestions to Madame Evangelista the experienced old woman returned to inform Paul of the results of the overture.

在1822年初冬的时候，保尔·德马内维尔通过他的姑婆，德摩冷古男爵夫人正式向埃旺热利斯塔小姐求婚。以前男爵夫人从没在梅多克呆超过两个月，但这次她一直住到十月底，就是为了帮助侄孙办好这件事，起到母亲的作用。在跟埃旺热利斯塔夫人碰过几次头以后，这个经验丰富的姑婆回到保尔处，告诉他此次提婚的结果。

"My child," she said, "the affair is won. In talking of property, I found that Madame Evangelista gives nothing of her own to her daughter. Mademoiselle Natalie's dowry is her patrimony. Marry her, my dear boy. Men who have a name and an estate to transmit, a family to continue, must, sooner or later, end in marriage. I wish I could see my dear Auguste taking that course. You can now carry on the marriage without me; I have nothing to give you but my blessing, and women as old as I are out of place at a wedding. I leave for Paris tomorrow. When you present your wife in society I shall be able to see her and assist her far more to the purpose than now. If you had had no house in Paris I would gladly have arranged the second floor of mine for you.”“我的孩子，”她说道，“这事是没问题了。谈到财产问题时，我发现埃旺热利斯塔夫人不想把自己的财产给她女儿。纳塔莉的嫁妆就是她自己那份遗产。娶她吧，亲爱的小伙子。男人们要传宗接代，房产要传下去，家族要延续下去，所以迟早都是要结婚的。我希望能看到我亲爱的奥古斯特也沿着这条路走。现在，没有我，你们可以举办婚礼了。我给不了你们什么，就只有我真诚的祝福了。像我这种上了年纪的老妇女在婚礼上是格格不入的。明天我就回巴黎。以后你把妻子介绍给社交圈的时候，我会去看她，到时我能比现在帮到更多的忙。如果你们在巴黎没有住处，我会很高兴地把我家的二楼腾出来给你们居住。”

"Dear aunt," said Paul, "I thank you heartily. But what do you mean when you say that the mother gives nothing of her own, and that the daughter's dowry is her patrimony?”“亲爱的姑婆，”保尔说，“我真心地感谢您！但是您说，她母亲不把财产给她，她的嫁妆就是自己那份遗产，是什么意思啊？”

"The mother, my dear boy, is a sly cat, who takes advantage of her daughter's beauty to impose conditions and allow you only that which she cannot prevent you from having; namely, the daughter's fortune from her father. We old people know the importance of inquiring closely, What has he? What has she? I advise you therefore to give particular instructions to your notary. The marriage contract, my dear child, is the most sacred of all duties. If your father and your mother had not made their bed properly you might now be sleeping without sheets. You will have children, they are the commonest result of marriage, and you must think of them. Consult Maitre Mathias our old notary.”“我亲爱的孩子，她母亲是个狡猾的狐狸，仗着女儿的美貌，将一些条件强加于人，只给你纳塔莉老父亲留给她的那份遗产，这部分钱是她母亲无法从你这里剥夺的。我们老年人，知道这个的重要性。父亲有什么财产？母亲有什么财产？我建议你一定要跟你的公证人把这个说清楚。我亲爱的孩子，婚约是所有义务中最神圣的。如果你父母事先没有铺好床，现今恐怕你睡觉时连床单被套都没有。你也会养儿育女的，他们是婚姻中最常见的结果，你必须考虑到他们。咨询一下我们的老公证人马蒂亚斯总管去吧。”

Madame de Maulincour departed, having plunged Paul into a state of extreme perplexity. His mother-inlaw a sly cat! Must he struggle for his interests in the marriage contract? Was it necessary to defend them? Who was likely to attack them?

留下这番话，德摩冷古夫人离开了，却使保尔陷入了极端的迷惑当中。他的岳母是个狡猾的狐狸！他是否必须为自己谋得在婚姻中的利益呢？是否真的需要这么做呢？谁可能去侵犯他婚姻中的利益呢？

He followed the advice of his aunt and confided the drawing-up of the marriage contract to Maitre Mathias. But these threatened discussions oppressed him, and he went to see Madame Evangelista and announce his intentions in a state of rather lively agitation. Like all timid men, he shrank from allowing the distrust his aunt had put into his mind to be seen; in fact, he considered it insulting. To avoid even a slight jar with a person so imposing to his mind as his future mother-inlaw, he proceeded to state his intentions with the circumlocution natural to persons who dare not face a difficulty.

他听从了姑婆的建议，把起草婚约的重任交给了马蒂亚斯总管。长辈的警告还是使他有所压抑，他忐忑不安地来到埃旺热利斯塔夫人家说明了自己的来意。像所有胆小的人一样，他生怕表露出姑婆教他的那种防人之心不可无的心机，事实上他甚至觉得这是一种侮辱。保尔是个不敢直面困难的人，为了避免与这位令他肃然起敬的未来丈母娘产生哪怕最轻微的冲突，他拐弯抹角地陈述了他的来意。这种做法，对于他来说是很自然的。

"Madame," he said, choosing a moment when Natalie was absent from the room, "you know, of course, what a family notary is. Mine is a worthy old man, to whom it would be a sincere grief if he were not entrusted with the drawing of my marriage contract."“夫人，”趁着纳塔莉不在房间里，他说道，“您知道，家庭公证人这回事吧。我家的那位是位令人尊重的老头，如果没有把起草婚约这回事委托给他做，他肯定会很难过的。”

"Why, of course!" said Madame Evangelista, interrupting him, "but are not marriage contracts always made by agreement of the notaries of both families?"“这个啊，那是当然的！”埃旺热利斯塔夫人打断他说道，“但是婚约难道不是历来由双方家庭的公证人共同制定的吗？”

The time that Paul took to reply to this question was occupied by Madame Evangelista in asking herself, "What is he thinking of?" for women possess in an eminent degree the art of reading thoughts from the play of countenance. She divined the instigations of the great-aunt in the embarrassed glance and the agitated tone of voice which betrayed an inward struggle in Paul's mind.

保尔正在思考着如何对这个问题作答时，埃旺热利斯塔夫人盘算着：“他在想什么呢？”因为女人拥有一种杰出的本事，那就是从别人的面容中阅读出他人的内心。她从保尔尴尬的目光和不安的腔调中猜到了他内心的争斗，也猜到了肯定是保尔姑婆教唆他这么做的。

"At last," she thought to herself, "the fatal day has come; the crisis begins—how will it end? My notary is Monsieur Solonet," she said, after a pause. "Yours, I think you said, is Monsieur Mathias; I will invite them to dinner tomorrow, and they can come to an understanding then. It is their business to conciliate our interests without our interference; just as good cooks are expected to furnish good food without instructions."“这至关重要的日子终于来了！”她想道，“危机已经开始了——结局会怎样呢？”片刻停顿之后，她说道：“我的公证人是索洛内先生。我记得你说过你的公证人是马蒂亚斯先生。明天我将邀请他们两位来我家用餐，那时好让他们达成共识。他们要做的就是在我们不干涉的前提下调和我们的利益，如同厨师在没有指导的前提下给我们烹饪出美味的食物。”

"Yes, you are right," said Paul, letting a faint sigh of relief escape from him.“是啊，说得很对。”保尔一边答道，一边轻轻地缓了一口气。

By a singular transposition of parts, Paul, innocent of all wrong-doing, trembled, while Madame Evangelista, though a prey to the utmost anxiety, was outwardly calm.

奇怪的是，两人似乎调换了角色。清白无辜的保尔怕得浑身颤抖，而埃旺热利斯塔夫人虽为忧虑所折磨，却表现得很是镇静。

The widow owed her daughter one-third of the fortune left by Monsieur Evangelista,—namely, nearly twelve hundred thousand francs,—and she knew herself unable to pay it, even by taking the whole of her property to do so. She would therefore be placed at the mercy of a son-inlaw. Though she might be able to control Paul if left to himself, would he, when enlightened by his notary, agree to release her from rendering her account as guardian of her daughter's patrimony? If Paul withdrew his proposals all Bordeaux would know the reason and Natalie's future marriage would be made impossible. This mother, who desired the happiness of her daughter, this woman, who from infancy had lived honorably, was aware that on the morrow she must become dishonest. Like those great warriors who fain would blot from their lives the moment when they had felt a secret cowardice, she ardently desired to cut this inevitable day from the record of hers. Most assuredly some hairs on her head must have whitened during the night, when, face to face with facts, she bitterly regretted her extravagance as she felt the hard necessities of the situation.

埃旺热利斯塔先生留给女儿三分之一的财产，即一百二十万法郎，被这寡妇占有了，而且就算把她全部身家算上，她也还不起这些钱。这样的话，她就得完全受女婿摆布了。虽然单对单，她也许能把保尔握在手心当中，但是当保尔带着公证人来，会不会要求她交出作为她女儿监护人的账户明细呢？如果保尔撤回了自己的建议，那么整个波尔多的人都会知道原因，纳塔莉未来的婚姻也将毁于一旦。这个希望自己女儿生活幸福的母亲，这个从孩提时代起就活得光明正大的女人知道，明天她必须撒谎了。英勇的武士也曾在生命中的某个时候偷偷地有过胆怯，他们希望能将这个时刻从生命中抹去。就像这些武士一样，埃旺热利斯塔夫人也希望能将这一天从她生命中抹掉。那一晚，面对着这些既成事实，她肯定愁白了几缕头发，同时也悔恨过去奢侈的生活。她觉得她必须对此有所行动了。

Among these necessities was that of confiding the truth to her notary, for whom she sent in the morning as soon as she rose. She was forced to reveal to him a secret defaulting she had never been willing to admit to herself, for she had steadily advanced to the abyss, relying on some chance accident, which never happened, to relieve her. There rose in her soul a feeling against Paul, that was neither dislike, nor aversion, nor anything, as yet, unkind; but HE was the cause of this crisis; the opposing party in this secret suit; he became, without knowing it, an innocent enemy she was forced to conquer. What human being did ever yet love his or her dupe? Compelled to deceive and trick him if she could, the Spanish woman resolved, like other women, to put her whole force of character into the struggle, the dishonor of which could be absolved by victory only.

首先，她早上一起床就召唤了她的公证人，并将事实一五一十告诉了他。之前连她自己都不愿面对的内心苦恼，现在必须面对了。以前她一步一步地迈向深渊，总指望着有偶然的机遇来救她，这种机遇却从没发生过。她心中渐渐对保尔产生了一股微妙的情绪，这情绪既不是讨厌，也不是憎恨，或者说不上反感。但是无论如何，保尔是这场危机的源头，是秘密对决的反方。保尔不知不觉地变成了她必须要征服的一个无辜的敌人。谁又会喜欢自己欺骗的对象呢？像其他女人一样，这个西班牙女人决定她必须在这场战斗中竭尽全力。如果可以的话，去欺骗和蒙蔽保尔，只有胜利才能使她免受耻辱。

In the stillness of the night she excused her conduct to her own mind by a tissue of arguments in which her pride predominated. Natalie had shared the benefit of her extravagance. There was not a single base or ignoble motive in what she had done. She was no accountant, but was that a crime, a delinquency? A man was only too lucky to obtain a wife like Natalie without a penny. Such a treasure bestowed upon him might surely release her from a guardianship account. How many men had bought the women they loved by greater sacrifices? Why should a man do less for a wife than for a mistress? Besides, Paul was a nullity, a man of no force, incapable; she would spend the best resources of her mind upon him and open to him a fine career; he should owe his future power and position to her influence; in that way she could pay her debt. He would indeed be a fool to refuse such a future; and for what? a few paltry thousands, more or less. He would be infamous if he withdrew for such a reason.

在寂静的深夜里，她用诸多的理由给自己的行为开脱，这诸多理由都是由她的傲气主导。她奢华的生活，纳塔莉也享受了啊。她的所作所为，没有一丝卑鄙可耻的动机。她不善打理钱财，这难道是犯罪，是罪过？一个男人要有多幸运才能一文不掏地娶到像纳塔莉这样的姑娘。赐予他这样的珍宝自然可以让她不出具监护人的账户明细单。多少男人不是以巨大的牺牲才换得他们心爱的女子吗？为什么男人对妻子还没有对情人付出的多呢？而且保尔无德无才，泛泛之辈。她要为他殚精竭虑，使他事业有成。他应该把今后的权势和地位归功于她的影响；那样的话，她也就还清了自己的债务。只要他不是傻子，就不会拒绝这样的未来，而且凭什么拒绝呢？就为了区区几千法郎？为了这样的理由而退却的话，他可就臭名远扬了。

"But," she added, to herself, "if the negotiation does not succeed at once, I shall leave Bordeaux. I can still find a good marriage for Natalie by investing the proceeds of what is left, house and diamonds and furniture,—keeping only a small income for myself.”

她又想道：“但是，如果协商不能立刻达成共识的话，我可以离开波尔多。把剩下的房产、珠宝、家具都拿去投资，只留一小份收入给自己，那样的话，也可以给纳塔莉找到一门好亲事。”

When a strong soul constructs a way of ultimate escape,—as Richelieu did at Brouage,—and holds in reserve a vigorous end, the resolution becomes a lever which strengthens its immediate way. The thought of this finale in case of failure comforted Madame Evangelista, who fell asleep with all the more confidence as she remembered her assistance in the coming duel.

即使是一个强人也会为自己的最终退路做好打算，就像黎塞留退到布鲁阿日一样，打造一个坚不可摧的根据地，以此来增强自己的力量。想到这些结局，倒使她宽慰不少，而且她对即将到来的这场恶斗中的援手信心满怀，慢慢地也就安心入睡了。

This was a young man named Solonet, considered the ablest notary in Bordeaux; now twenty-seven years of age and decorated with the Legion of honor for having actively contributed to the second return of the Bourbons. Proud and happy to be received in the home of Madame Evangelista, less as a notary than as belonging to the royalist society of Bordeaux, Solonet had conceived for that fine setting sun one of those passions which women like Madame Evangelista repulse, although flattered and graciously allowing them to exist upon the surface. Solonet remained therefore in a self-satisfied condition of hope and becoming respect. Being sent for, he arrived the next morning with the promptitude of a slave and was received by the coquettish widow in her bedroom, where she allowed him to find her in a very becoming dishabille.

这个援手就是年轻的索洛内先生，被认为是波尔多地区最能干的公证人；今年二十七岁，因为对波旁王室二次复辟作出了积极贡献而被授予荣誉勋章。索洛内为能被埃旺热利斯塔夫人家所接受而骄傲和兴奋。与其说他是公证人，不如说他是保皇派。索洛内爱上了风韵犹存的埃旺热利斯塔夫人，虽然她理所当然地拒绝了，但私底下也感到非常得意。索洛内先生一直以来都是一副满怀希望和充满尊敬的自满态度。他第二天上午像个奴隶一般，兴冲冲地来了，这个惯于卖弄风情的寡妇在卧室里衣着随意地接待了他。

"Can I," she said, "count upon your discretion and your entire devotion in a discussion which will take place in my house this evening? You will readily understand that it relates to the marriage of my daughter."

她说道：“今天在我家将有一场重要的讨论，我能指望你谨慎小心、尽心竭力吗？你应该也明白，和我女儿的婚事有关。”

The young man expended himself in gallant protestations.

这个年轻人郑重地说了一堆殷勤效忠的话。

"Now to the point," she said.“现在谈正题吧。”她说。

"I am listening," he replied, checking his ardor.“我听着呢，”他答道，摆出一副热情的样子。

Madame Evangelista then stated her position baldly.

埃旺热利斯塔夫人坦白地向他讲述了目前的窘境。

"My dear lady, that is nothing to be troubled about," said Maitre Solonet, assuming a confident air as soon as his client had given him the exact figures. "The question is how have you conducted yourself toward Monsieur de Manerville? In this matter questions of manner and deportment are of greater importance than those of law and finance."“亲爱的女士，这没什么大不了的。”听完埃旺热利斯塔夫人给出确切的数目后，索洛内总管摆出一副胸有成竹的样子说道。“问题在于你与德马内维尔先生如何相处？在这件事上，态度和举止远比法律和钱财重要得多。”

Madame Evangelista wrapped herself in dignity. The notary learned to his satisfaction that until the present moment his client's relations to Paul had been distant and reserved, and that partly from native pride and partly from involuntary shrewdness she had treated the Comte de Manerville as in some sense her inferior and as though it were an honor for him to be allowed to marry Mademoiselle Evangelista. She assured Solonet that neither she nor her daughter could be suspected of any mercenary interests in the marriage; that they had the right, should Paul make any financial difficulties, to retreat from the affair to an illimitable distance; and finally, that she had already acquired over her future son-inlaw a very remarkable ascendancy.

埃旺热利斯塔夫人摆出一副高高在上的样子。公证人满意地发现，迄今为止，他的客户与保尔的关系一直是比较疏远和保守的。由于骄傲自负和精于算计，她总是摆出德马内维尔伯爵低她一等的样子，似乎他能娶到埃旺热利斯塔小姐是光耀门楣的事情。她告诉索洛内，她和她女儿都不想被人认为是想通过婚姻谋得金钱利益。只要保尔提出金钱方面的争端，她们就有权离开。总之就是，她已经获得了对这个未来女婿施以巨大影响的支配权。

"If that is so," said Solonet, "tell me what are the utmost concessions you are willing to make."“如果情况是那样的话，”索洛内说道，“告诉我，你愿意做的最大让步是什么？”

"I wish to make as few as possible," she answered, laughing.“我希望尽可能少让步。”她边笑边回答。

"A woman's answer," cried Solonet. "Madame, are you anxious to marry Mademoiselle Natalie?"“妇人之见。”索洛内高声道，“夫人，你是不是急着想把纳塔莉小姐嫁出去？”

"Yes."“是的。”

"And you want a receipt for the eleven hundred and fifty-six thousand francs, for which you are responsible on the guardianship account which the law obliges you to render to your son-inlaw?”“您想要一张结清收据，按照法律，作为监护人的您本该给女婿的一百一十五万六千法郎就不用给了，是吗？”

"Yes."“是的。”

"How much do you want to keep back?"“您打算留下多少？”

"Thirty thousand a year, at least."“至少每年三万法郎。”

"It is a question of conquer or die, is it?"“那是不是谈不成就不谈了？”

"It is."“对。”

"Well, then, I must reflect on the necessary means to that end; it will need all our cleverness to manage our forces. I will give you some instructions on my arrival this evening; follow them carefully, and I think I may promise you a successful issue. Is the Comte de Manerville in love with Mademoiselle Natalie?" he asked as he rose to take leave.“好的，那我必须考虑要用哪些方式才能达到那个目的。因为我们必须非常巧妙地运用力量。今晚我来时会给你提些意见，按我的意见做，我相信你一定会马到功成的。保尔伯爵爱纳塔莉小姐吗？”他起身离开时问道。

"He adores her."“他深爱着纳塔莉。”

"That is not enough. Does he desire her to the point of disregarding all pecuniary difficulties?"“那还不够。他对她的爱是否超越所有对金钱的顾及？”

"Yes."“是的。”

"That's what I call having a lien upon a daughter's property," cried the notary. "Make her look her best to-night," he added with a sly glance.“那才是我所说的一个女儿真正的财产。”公证人大声说道。“今晚把她打扮得漂亮点儿！”他狡猾地又加了一句。

"She has a most charming dress for the occasion."“她有适合这种场合穿的最漂亮的衣服。”

"The marriage-contract dress is, in my opinion, half the battle," said Solonet.“依我来看，订婚约时穿的衣服就决定了谈判胜负的一半。”索洛内说道。

This last argument seemed so cogent to Madame Evangelista that she superintended Natalie's toilet herself, as much perhaps to watch her daughter as to make her the innocent accomplice of her financial conspiracy.

这最后一个观点，埃旺热利斯塔夫人觉得很有必要。她亲自打理纳塔莉的梳妆打扮，这样的监督只是为了在女儿毫不知觉地情况下变成这桩财政阴谋的同谋。

With her hair dressed as de Sevigne and wearing a gown of white tulle adorned with pink ribbons, Natalie seemed to her mother so beautiful as to guarantee victory. When the lady's-maid left the room and Madame Evangelista was certain that no one could overhear her, she arranged a few curls on her daughter's head by way of exordium.

头发梳成德塞维尼侯爵夫人的式样，纳塔莉穿着一件缀着粉红丝带的白色薄纱长裙。在母亲眼里，纳塔莉是如此漂亮，必然能保证胜利。当贴身女仆离开房间，埃旺热利斯塔夫人确信谁也偷听不到她们说话时，她整理了一下女儿头上的发卷，顺便引出了自己的开场白。

"Dear child," she said, in a voice that was firm apparently, "do you sincerely love the Comte de Manerville?"“亲爱的孩子，”她的声音听上去很坚定，“你真心爱着德马内维尔先生吗？”

Mother and daughter cast strange looks at each other.

母亲和女儿各自以异样的眼光看着对方。

"Why do you ask that question, little mother? and today more than yesterday? Why have you thrown me with him?"“妈妈，为什么问这个问题呢？为什么偏要选在今天而不是昨天呢？为什么你又安排我和他见面呢？”

"If you and I had to part forever would you still persist in the marriage?"“如果你结婚后，我们就再也见不了面，你还会坚持这桩婚事吗？”

"I should give it up—and I should not die of grief.”“我会放弃这个婚姻——而且我也不会为此寻死觅活。”

"You do not love him, my dear," said the mother, kissing her daughter's forehead.“你还不爱他，亲爱的。”母亲吻着女儿的前额说道。

"But why, my dear mother, are you playing the Grand Inquisitor?"“但是，亲爱的妈妈，为什么你今天表现得像个法庭上的审讯官一样呢？”

"I wished to know if you desired the marriage without being madly in love with the husband."“我想知道你是否只是一心想要婚姻，而并没有爱上你的丈夫。”

"I love him."“我爱他。”

"And you are right. He is a count; we will make him a peer of France between us; nevertheless, there are certain difficulties."“你说得对。他现在还只是一个伯爵。我们将使他成为法国贵族院议员。但还是有些难题要解决。”

"Difficulties between persons who love each other? Oh, no. The heart of the Pink of Fashion is too firmly planted here," she said, with a pretty gesture, "to make the very slightest objection. I am sure of that."“两个相爱的人之间会有难题吗？噢，不会的。时尚之尊的心已经牢牢地长在这里了。”她边说边可爱地指了指自己的心窝，“他不会提出任何哪怕最轻微的拒绝的。我对这一点非常有把握。”

"But suppose it were otherwise?" persisted Madame Evangelista.“但是如果事实不是这样呢？”埃旺热利斯塔夫人追问道。

"He would be profoundly and forever forgotten," replied Natalie.“那他将被彻底地永远遗忘。”纳塔莉回答道。

"Good! You are a Casa–Reale. But suppose, though he madly loves you, suppose certain discussions and difficulties should arise, not of his own making, but which he must decide in your interests as well as in mine—hey, Natalie, what then? Without lowering your dignity, perhaps a little softness in your manner might decide him—a word, a tone, a mere nothing. Men are so made; they resist a serious argument, but they yield to a tender look.”“好！你不愧是卡萨－雷阿尔家族的人。可是想想吧，虽然他疯狂地爱着你，假如出现一些并非他造成的争论和困难，为了你的利益也为了我，纳塔莉，那时你将怎么办呢？你无需丢失自己的颜面，或许只需要举止温柔一些就能左右他——一两句柔言顺语之类的事。男人生来就是如此，严厉的争辩未必能说服他们，但是温柔的一瞥，他们就甘愿俯首了。”

"I understand! a little touch to make my Favori leap the barrier," said Natalie, making the gesture of striking a horse with her whip.“我明白了！轻轻地抽一鞭让自己的马越过障碍，”纳塔莉边说边作出抽打坐下马匹的样子。

"My darling! I ask nothing that resembles seduction. You and I have sentiments of the old Castilian honor which will never permit us to pass certain limits. Count Paul shall know our situation."“我的宝贝！我并不是要求你做引诱之类的事。你和我都有老卡斯蒂利亚的荣誉感，有些界限是不能逾越的。保尔伯爵将了解我们的处境。”

"What situation?"“什么处境？”

"You would not understand it. But I tell you now that if after seeing you in all your glory his look betrays the slightest hesitation,—and I shall watch him,—on that instant I shall break off the marriage; I will liquidate my property, leave Bordeaux, and go to Douai, to be near the Claes. Madame Claes is our relation through the Temnincks. Then I'll marry you to a peer of France, and take refuge in a convent myself, that I may give up to you my whole fortune.”“你不会明白的。但是，跟你说吧，你打扮得这么漂亮，如果我还能从他眼中看到一丝犹豫——我会好好观察他的——我将即刻终止这项婚事，清算我的财产，离开波尔多到杜埃的克莱斯家附近去。 克莱斯夫人是我们的亲戚，因为我们都是唐南克家的亲戚。我把我全部的财产给你，把你嫁给一个法国贵族院的议员，然后到修道院去隐居。”

"Mother, what am I to do to prevent such misfortunes?" cried Natalie.“母亲，那我应该怎么做才能避免这样的不幸呢？”纳塔莉哭道。

"I have never seen you so beautiful as you are now," replied her mother. "Be a little coquettish, and all is well."“我从没见过你像现在这么漂亮，”母亲答道，“只要稍微撒点儿娇，一切都会顺利的。”

Madame Evangelista left Natalie to her thoughts, and went to arrange her own toilet in such a way that would bear comparison with that of her daughter. If Natalie ought to make herself attractive to Paul she ought, none the less, to inflame the ardor of her champion Solonet. The mother and daughter were therefore under arms when Paul arrived, bearing the bouquet which for the last few months he had daily offered to his love. All three conversed pleasantly while awaiting the arrival of the notaries.

埃旺热利斯塔夫人走了，留下纳塔莉思绪万千。埃旺热利斯塔夫人打扮自己去了，她得打扮得跟女儿交相辉映。如果纳塔莉要吸引保尔，那么她仍旧应该点燃她的拥护者索洛内的激情。当保尔捧着一束鲜花到来的时候，母女两人已经梳妆完毕。近几个月来，保尔每天都给他的爱人献上一束花儿。三人愉快地交谈着，等着公证人的到来。

This day brought to Paul the first skirmish of that long and wearisome warfare called marriage. It is therefore necessary to state the forces on both sides, the position of the belligerent bodies, and the ground on which they are about to manoeuvre.

对于婚姻这场令人疲倦的持久战来说，这天就开始了第一次遭遇战。因此就有必要陈述一下双方的兵力、布阵和他们用兵的位置。

To maintain a struggle, the importance of which had wholly escaped him, Paul's only auxiliary was the old notary, Mathias. Both were about to be confronted, unaware and defenceless, by a most unexpected circumstance; to be pressed by an enemy whose strategy was planned, and driven to decide on a course without having time to reflect upon it. Where is the man who would not have succumbed, even though assisted by Cujas and Barthole? How should he look for deceit and treachery where all seemed compliant and natural? What could old Mathias do alone against Madame Evangelista, against Solonet, against Natalie, especially when a client in love goes over to the enemy as soon as the rising conflict threatens his happiness? Already Paul was damaging his cause by making the customary lover's speeches, to which his passion gave excessive value in the ears of Madame Evangelista, whose object it was to drive him to commit himself.

保尔对这场战斗的重要性一无所知，他唯一的助手只是他的老公证人马蒂亚斯。两人都毫无防备、手无寸铁，却即将面对难以预测的局面。敌人计划周全，逼迫他们在没有时间考虑的前提下，拿定自己的主意。即使是居雅和巴尔托洛来援手，谁又能不败下阵来？他又怎么会想到在一个看上去顺风顺水、很自然的地方，居然会有欺骗和虚伪呢？当一个人独身面对埃旺热利斯塔夫人，面对索洛内，面对纳塔莉，老马蒂亚斯能怎么抵抗？特别是当他那多情的主顾，一旦出现什么纷争威胁到他的幸福，他就叛逃了，老马蒂亚斯又能如何？保尔说出情人之间那段客套话时，就已经伤害了自己的利益。埃旺热利斯塔夫人听了以后，觉得正好可以利用他的激情，好给他下套。

The matrimonial condottieri now about to fight for their clients, whose personal powers were to be so vitally important in this solemn encounter, the two notaries, on short, represent individually the old and the new systems,—old fashioned notarial usage, and the new-fangled modern procedure.

公证人是婚姻雇佣军，正准备为他们的主顾殊死搏斗，在这庄严的搏斗中，个人的力量起着至关紧要的作用。两个公证人分别代表着新旧不同的习俗——旧式的公证惯例和新兴的现代程序。

Maitre Mathias was a worthy old gentleman sixty-nine years of age, who took great pride in his forty years' exercise of the profession. His huge gouty feet were encased in shoes with silver buckles, making a ridiculous termination to legs so spindling, with knees so bony, that when he crossed them they made you think of the emblems on a tombstone. His puny little thighs, lost in a pair of wide black breeches fastened with buckles, seemed to bend beneath the weight of a round stomach and a torso developed, like that of most sedentary persons, into a stout barrel, always buttoned into a green coat with square tails, which no man could remember to have ever seen new. His hair, well brushed and powdered, was tied in a rat's tail that lay between the collar of his coat and that of his waistcoat, which was white, with a pattern of flowers. With his round head, his face the color of a vine-leaf, his blue eyes, a trumpet nose, a thick-lipped mouth, and a double-chin, the dear old fellow excited, whenever he appeared among strangers who did not know him, that satirical laugh which Frenchmen so generously bestow on the ludicrous creations Dame Nature occasionally allows herself, which Art delights in exaggerating under the name of caricatures.

马蒂亚斯总管是一位令人尊重的六十九岁的老绅士，为自己从业四十年的经验而感到自豪。他那患了痛风的大脚套在一双配了银扣环的鞋中，显得十分滑稽。他的腿像麻杆那么细长，膝骨突出很多，以至于当他架起二郎腿，你会认为那就是墓碑上的两块骨头。他细瘦的大腿在宽大的裤子里空荡地晃着，他腰围圆鼓鼓的，上肢发达，就像那些久坐的人们一样，厚实的上肢似乎要把腿都压折了。他的上身就像一个炮筒一样，裹在一件方头的绿色燕尾服里面，从没有人记得这件衣服崭新的时候是什么样子。他头发梳理得一丝不乱，并且打了粉，扎成鼠尾的样子，夹在礼服和白色镶花马夹的当中。他脑袋圆滚滚的，脸色像葡萄叶一样的颜色，眼珠碧蓝，有着号角一样的鼻子，厚厚的嘴唇，双下巴。每当这个小老头在满是陌生人的地方出现，总会引起大家一片哄笑。对于自然创造出来的奇异，艺术喜欢对之继续夸张，并冠以漫画般的讽刺，法国人总会一笑了之。

But in Maitre Mathias, mind had triumphed over form; the qualities of his soul had vanquished the oddities of his body. The inhabitants of Bordeaux, as a rule, testified a friendly respect and a deference that was full of esteem for him. The old man's voice went to their hearts and sounded there with the eloquence of uprightness. His craft consisted in going straight to the fact, overturning all subterfuge and evil devices by plain questionings. His quick perception, his long training in his profession gave him that divining sense which goes to the depths of conscience and reads its secret thoughts. Though grave and deliberate in business, the patriarch could be gay with the gaiety of our ancestors. He could risk a song after dinner, enjoy all family festivities, celebrate the birthdays of grandmothers and children, and bury with due solemnity the Christmas log. He loved to send presents at New Year, and eggs at Easter; he believed in the duties of a godfather, and never deserted the customs which colored the life of the olden time. Maitre Mathias was a noble and venerable relic of the notaries, obscure great men, who gave no receipt for the millions entrusted to them, but returned those millions in the sacks they were delivered in, tied with the same twine; men who fulfilled their trusts to the letter, drew honest inventories, took fatherly interest in their clients, often barring the way to extravagance and dissipation,—men to whom families confided their secrets, and who felt so responsible for any error in their deeds that they meditated long and carefully over them. Never during his whole notarial life, had any client found reason to complain of a bad investment or an ill-placed mortgage. His own fortune, slowly but honorably acquired, had come to him as the result of a thirty years' practice and careful economy. He had established in life fourteen of his clerks. Religious, and generous in secret, Mathias was found whenever good was to be done without remuneration. An active member on hospital and other benevolent committees, he subscribed the largest sums to relieve all sudden misfortunes and emergencies, as well as to create certain useful permanent institutions; consequently, neither he nor his wife kept a carriage. Also his word was felt to be sacred, and his coffers held as much of the money of others as a bank; and also, we may add, he went by the name of "Our good Monsieur Mathias," and when he died, three thousand persons followed him to his grave.

但是对马蒂亚斯总管来说，思想已经压倒了外形，他高尚的灵魂已经战胜了他那奇异的躯壳。波尔多的居民大多对他表现出友好的尊重和充满敬畏的推崇。这位老人正直雄辩的声音深入人心。他的技能在于干净利落，直指事实。他通过简单的质询就能使阴谋诡计暴露无遗。他洞察秋毫，在职业技能方面训练有素，能看到人们良知的深处，看透他人私密的想法。虽然在正事上，这位老人庄重肃穆、一丝不苟，不过平时也像我们的祖上一样生活得很快乐。正餐之后，他会唱歌来给大家助兴，享受家庭节日，庆祝祖母和孩子们的节日，还郑重其事地把圣诞木柴给埋起来。他喜欢在新年之初送礼物，复活节的时候送彩蛋。他相信教父的义务，而且从不遗弃那些曾给旧日生活增添过光彩的风俗习惯。像马蒂亚斯总管这样高尚而值得尊重的公证人已经为数不多了。他们都是不为人知的英雄。他们收到上百万托付而来的法郎时没开收条，还回来时钱还是装在原来的麻袋中，还是用原来的绳索捆着。他们精确地履行委托馈赠，一五一十地列出财产清单，像父亲一样关注着自己主顾的利益。有时拦住主顾，不让他们去挥霍浪费——主顾也愿意把家中私密告诉他们。而且，一旦所立契约中有小小的错误，他们会把过错揽到自己身上，并为寻找对策苦思冥想。在他整个公证生涯当中，从没有主顾抱怨过他投资失误或抵押不当。他自己的财富是缓慢而正当地换得的，是他从业三十年勤俭节约攒下来的。他帮助过十四个他的手下职员自立门户。作为一个虔诚的教徒，马蒂亚斯喜欢匿名助人，任何义务帮助他人的场合，他都会参加。他还是救助医院和福利机构的积极分子；他总是登记认购最大数额的捐款，还参与创建一些公益机构，所以无论是他还是他妻子都没有马车随行。而且，他的话被人认为是神圣的，他的保险箱中有跟银行一样多的钱。他被称为“我们的好人马蒂亚斯先生”。他逝世时，有三千人为他送葬。

Solonet was the style of young notary who comes in humming a tune, affects light-heartedness, declares that business is better done with a laugh than seriously. He is the notary captain of the national guard, who dislikes to be taken for a notary, solicits the cross of the Legion of honor, keeps his cabriolet, and leaves the verification of his deeds to his clerks; he is the notary who goes to balls and theatres, buys pictures and plays at ecarte; he has coffers in which gold is received on deposit and is later returned in bank-bills,—a notary who follows his epoch, risks capital in doubtful investments, speculates with all he can lay his hands on, and expects to retire with an income of thirty thousand francs after ten years' practice; in short, the notary whose cleverness comes of his duplicity, whom many men fear as an accomplice possessing their secrets, and who sees in his practice a means of ultimately marrying some blue-stockinged heiress.

索洛内是那种喜欢嘴里哼着小曲的年轻公证人，摆出一副轻松愉快的样子，认为幽默比严肃更好处理事件。他曾经在国防卫队中当过上尉，不喜欢被人当作公证人看待，荣誉勋章也是自己申请来的。他有自己的马车，把契约的查证工作留给职员打理，自己则去参加舞会，去剧院看戏，买画，玩埃卡泰牌戏；他的保险箱接收存款，收到的是黄金，归还时却用银行货币——他与时俱进，冒险将资金投入到收益不稳的投机生意上，打算从业十年，到每年有三万法郎的收入时就退休。总之，他这个公证人的小聪明源自于欺骗，但是仍然有许多人对他心存恐惧，就像人们害怕那些捏着自己隐私的同谋一样；而他则把这个职业当作是一种手段，最终目的就是娶到一个有才情的女继承人。注：西方俗称有才情的女子或女学究为“穿蓝袜子的女人”。

When the slender, fair-haired Solonet, curled, perfumed, and booted like the leading gentleman at the Vaudeville, and dressed like a dandy whose most important business is a duel, entered Madame Evangelista's salon, preceding his brother notary, whose advance was delayed by a twinge of the gout, the two men presented to the life one of those famous caricatures entitled "Former Times and the Present Day," which had such eminent success under the Empire. If Madame and Mademoiselle Evangelista to whom the "good Monsieur Mathias," was personally unknown, felt, on first seeing him, a slight inclination to laugh, they were soon touched by the old-fashioned grace with which he greeted them. The words he used were full of that amenity which amiable old men convey as much by the ideas they suggest as by the manner in which they express them. The younger notary, with his flippant tone, seemed on a lower plane. Mathias showed his superior knowledge of life by the reserved manner with which he accosted Paul. Without compromising his white hairs, he showed that he respected the young man's nobility, while at the same time he claimed the honor due to old age, and made it felt that social rights are natural. Solonet's bow and greeting, on the contrary, expressed a sense of perfect equality, which would naturally affront the pretensions of a man of society and make the notary ridiculous in the eyes of a real noble. Solonet made a motion, somewhat too familiar, to Madame Evangelista, inviting her to a private conference in the recess of a window. For some minutes they talked to each other in a low voice, giving way now and then to laughter,—no doubt to lessen in the minds of others the importance of the conversation, in which Solonet was really communicating to his sovereign lady the plan of battle.

这晚，索洛内先到一步。他身材细长，金发卷曲，身上喷了香水，脚上蹬着一双剧院男主角才穿的长靴，打扮得像个即将参加决斗的花花公子一样走入了埃旺热利斯塔夫人的客厅。他的老同行马蒂亚斯先生痛风发作，迟了一会儿。在帝国时代，曾经有篇题为《往昔和今日》的漫画，当时名气很大，而今天这两位公证人就是那幅漫画的现实再现。埃旺热利斯塔夫人和小姐并不认识“好人马蒂亚斯先生”，刚见时觉得他有点好笑，但是很快就被他打招呼时那老派的优雅风度所打动。他谈吐令人愉悦，一般平易近人的老头们都善于通过思想和传递思想的举止来表现这种优雅风度。年轻的公证人轻佻无礼，相形见绌。马蒂亚斯对保尔礼貌矜持，显示出他丰富的生活经历。他对年轻的保尔表现出的尊重是对贵族阶层的尊重，他也没有辱没他的满头白发。与此同时，他拥有老年人所特有的荣耀，使人感觉所有的社会权利都是自然关联的。与此相反，索洛内的问好与招呼是完全平等的姿态，很自然地会受到上流社会人物的抵触，真正的贵族会觉得这个公证人荒诞可笑。索洛内随意地打了个手势，示意埃旺热利斯塔夫人到窗户旁边去私谈。他们低声耳语了几分钟，不时笑起来——无疑是想让别人觉得这谈话并不重要。其实，在谈话中，索洛内已经把作战详细方案向无上的女王进行了汇报。

"But," he said, as he ended, "will you have the courage to sell your house?"“但是，”他最后问道，“你真敢把房子卖了？”

"Undoubtedly," she replied.“毫无疑问。”她答道。

Madame Evangelista did not choose to tell her notary the motive of this heroism, which struck him greatly. Solonet's zeal might have cooled had he known that his client was really intending to leave Bordeaux. She had not as yet said anything about that intention to Paul, in order not to alarm him with the preliminary steps and circumlocutions which must be taken before he entered on the political life she planned for him.

埃旺热利斯塔夫人的英勇气概使她的公证人吃惊不小，但是她不愿意告诉他原因何在。如果他知道他的主顾正打算搬离波尔多的话，他的热情也许会冷却许多。她甚至都没有告诉过保尔她的这个打算，免得吓到他。这是她为保尔政治生涯计划的第一步。

After dinner the two plenipotentiaries left the loving pair with the mother, and betook themselves to an adjoining salon where their conference was arranged to take place. A dual scene then followed on this domestic stage: in the chimney-corner of the great salon a scene of love, in which to all appearances life was smiles and joy; in the other room, a scene of gravity and gloom, where selfish interests, baldly proclaimed, openly took the part they play in life under flowery disguises.

晚宴过后，两位全权代表让这一对情侣留在母亲身边，走进事先给他们预留的临近客厅开始商谈。随后，在这个家庭舞台上出现了两幕：大厅的炉火旁，爱意满溢，欢声笑语；另外一间房里，庄严肃穆，阴暗朦胧。在那里，个人利益已经抛弃了生活中美丽的伪装，被赤裸裸地摆放在了桌面上。

"My dear master," said Solonet, "the document can remain under your lock and key; I know very well what I owe to my old preceptor."Mathias bowed gravely. "But," continued Solonet, unfolding the rough copy of a deed he had made his clerk draw up, "as we are the oppressed party, I mean the daughter, I have written the contract—which will save you trouble. We marry with our rights under the rule of community of interests; with general donation of our property to each other in case of death without heirs; if not, donation of one-fourth as life interest, and one-fourth in fee; the sum placed in community of interests to be one-fourth of the respective property of each party; the survivor to possess the furniture without appraisal. It's all as simple as how d'ye do.”“亲爱的先生，”索洛内说道，“契约文件将由您保管，您是前辈，您所做的，我都感恩于心。”马蒂亚斯庄重地鞠了一躬。“但是，”索洛内接下去说道，一边打开一份手下人起草的契约，“作为弱势一方，也就是女方，我已经起草好了契约——免得你麻烦。双方都带着自己的财产进入婚姻，夫妻财产共同拥有；如果一方死亡，夫妻又没有继承人，则剩下一方拥有财产；否则，四分之一财产以终身权益形式，四分之一以世袭土地的形式赠予对方；双方所带财产的四分之一加入夫妻共同财产；活下去的一方在无需估价的前提下保留家具。操作起来很简单的。”

"Ta, ta, ta, ta," said Mathias, "I don't do business as one sings a tune. What are your claims?”“嗒、嗒、嗒、嗒，”马蒂亚斯说道，“我办这事可不能像哼小曲儿那么随意。你那一份多少？”

"What are yours?" said Solonet.“那你的一份又有多少呢？”索洛内问道。

"Our property," replied Mathias, "is: the estate of Lanstrac, which brings in a rental of twenty-three thousand francs a year, not counting the natural products. Item: the farms of Grassol and Guadet, each worth three thousand six hundred francs a year. Item: the vineyard of Belle–Rose, yielding in ordinary years sixteen thousand francs; total, forty-six thousand two hundred francs a year. Item: the patrimonial mansion at Bordeaux taxed for nine hundred francs. Item: a handsome house, between court and garden in Paris, rue de la Pepiniere, taxed for fifteen hundred francs. These pieces of property, the title-deeds of which I hold, are derived from our father and mother, except the house in Paris, which we bought ourselves. We must also reckon in the furniture of the two houses, and that of the chateau of Lanstrac, estimated at four hundred and fifty thousand francs. There's the table, the cloth, and the first course. What do you bring for the second course and the dessert?”“我们的财产，”马蒂亚斯答道，“包括郎斯特拉的不动产，租金收入为每年二万三千法郎，还不算实物佃租。又：格拉索尔和居阿尔的农田，每一处每年收入为三千六百法郎。又：美丽玫瑰葡萄园，一般情况下每年可带来一万六千法郎。总计每年四万六千两百法郎。又：波尔多有一处祖传公馆，可得九百法郎课税。又：巴黎苗圃街有一处自带庭院的漂亮住宅，可得一千五百法郎课税。除了巴黎那栋房产外，其他的都是从父母那里继承来的，所有这些的房契地契都由我保存。我们还得考虑两栋房子以及朗斯特拉克公馆里的家具等，估约为四十五万法郎。这就是餐桌、桌布和第一道菜肴。那么你们的第二道菜和甜点上什么呢？”

"Our rights," replied Solonet.“我们的财产。”索洛内答道。

"Specify them, my friend," said Mathias. "What do you bring us? Where is the inventory of the property left by Monsieur Evangelista? Show me the liquidation, the investment of the amount. Where is your capital? —if there is any capital. Where is your landed property?—if you have any. In short, let us see your guardianship account, and tell us what you bring and what your mother will secure to us.”“请详细列举出来，亲爱的朋友，”马蒂亚斯说，“你给我们带来了什么？埃旺热利斯塔先生的财产清单目录在哪儿？把清算结果、投资项目和数额拿给我看。资金存放在哪儿？——如果有资金的话。如果有不动产的话，不动产在哪里？总之，让我们看看监护人账户明细，告诉我们你带来了什么，我们这家的母亲能给我们什么？”

"Does Monsieur le Comte de Manerville love Mademoiselle Evangelista?"“马内维尔伯爵先生爱埃旺热利斯塔小姐吗？”

"He wishes to make her his wife if the marriage can be suitably arranged," said the old notary. "I am not a child; this matter concerns our business, and not our feelings."“如果能够妥善联姻的话，他希望能娶她过门，”老公证人说道。“我不是小孩，这件事关乎的是我们的产业，而不是我们的感情。”

"The marriage will be off unless you show generous feeling; and for this reason," continued Solonet. "No inventory was made at the death of our husband; we are Spaniards, Creoles, and know nothing of French laws. Besides, we were too deeply grieved at our loss to think at such a time of the miserable formalities which occupy cold hearts. It is publicly well known that our late husband adored us, and that we mourned for him sincerely. If we did have a settlement of accounts with a short inventory attached, made, as one may say, by common report, you can thank our surrogate guardian, who obliged us to establish a status and assign to our daughter a fortune, such as it is, at a time when we were forced to withdraw from London our English securities, the capital of which was immense, and re-invest the proceeds in Paris, where interests were doubled.”“除非你表现出宽宏大量的感情，否则这件婚姻就得泡汤。”索洛内接着说道，“我家男主人去世时，没有编写财产清单目录，我们是西班牙克里奥尔人，对法国法律知之甚少。而且，当时我们悲伤过度，没有冷静下来去执行这些冷规铁律。大家都知道，已逝的丈夫非常疼爱他的家人，她们也对他的去世感到哀痛。如果我们的确按照常规报表，也编造了财产清单目录，那么你得感激我们的监督监护人。我们得从伦敦提出数额巨大的英国股票，我们还想把这些钱改存到巴

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