The Necklace-項鏈-莫泊桑-Chap 2

最新 04-20

"The Necklace" (French:La Parure) is an 1884 short story by French writer Guy de Maupassant. It is known for its twist ending (Ironic ending), which was a hallmark of de Maupassant"s style. The story was first published on 17 February 1884 in the French newspaperLe Gaulois.

The story has been adapted to film and television several times.

The Necklace

項鏈

Chapter 2

She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt that she was made for them. She had longed so eagerly to charm, to be desired, to be wildly attractive and sought after.

她沒有漂亮服裝，沒有珠寶，什麼也沒有。然而她偏偏只喜愛這些，她覺得自己生在世上就是為了這些。她一向就想望著得人歡心，被人艷羨，具有誘惑力而被人追求。

She had a rich friend, an old school friend whom she refused to visit, because she suffered so keenly when she returned home. She would weep whole days, with grief, regret, despair, and misery.

One evening her husband came home with an exultant air, holding a large envelope in his hand.

她有一位富有的朋友，是教會女校的同學，可是她再也不想去看望她了，因為看望回來就會感到十分痛苦。由於傷心、悔恨、失望、困苦，她常常整天整天地哭泣。

然而，有一天傍晚，她丈夫得意揚揚地回家來，手裡拿著一個大信封。

"Here"s something for you," he said.

Swiftly she tore the paper and drew out a printed card on which were these words:

"The Minister of Education and Madame Ramponneau request the pleasure of the company of Monsieur and Madame Loisel at the Ministry on the evening of Monday, January the 18th."

「看呀，」他說，「這裡有點東西給你。」

她高高興興地拆開信封，抽出一張請柬，上面印著這些字：

「教育部部長喬治·郎伯諾及夫人，恭請路瓦栽先生與夫人於一月十八日（星期一）光臨教育部禮堂，參加夜會。」

Instead of being delighted, as her husband hoped, she flung the invitation petulantly across the table, murmuring:

"What do you want me to do with this?"

她不像她丈夫預料的那樣高興，她懊惱地把請柬丟在桌上，咕噥著：

「你叫我拿著這東西怎麼辦呢？」

"Why, darling, I thought you"d be pleased. You never go out, and this is a great occasion. I had tremendous trouble to get it. Every one wants one; it"s very select, and very few go to the clerks. You"ll see all the really big people there."

「但是，親愛的，我原以為你一定很喜歡的。你從來不出門，這是一個機會，這個，一個好機會！我費了多大力氣才弄到手。大家都希望得到，可是很難得到，一向很少發給職員。你在那兒可以看見所有的官員。」

She looked at him out of furious eyes, and said impatiently: "And what do you suppose I am to wear at such an affair?"

He had not thought about it; he stammered:

"Why, the dress you go to the theatre in. It looks very nice, to me . . ."

她用惱怒的眼睛瞧著他，不耐煩地大聲說：

「你打算讓我穿什麼去呢？」

他沒有料到這個，結結巴巴地說：

「你上劇院穿的那套衣服，我覺得挺好，依我看……」

He stopped, stupefied and utterly at a loss when he saw that his wife was beginning to cry. Two large tears ran slowly down from the corners of her eyes towards the corners of her mouth.

"What"s the matter with you? What"s the matter with you?" he faltered.

他住了口，驚惶失措，因為看見妻子哭起來了，兩顆大大的淚珠慢慢地順著眼角流到嘴角來了。他吃吃地說：

「你怎麼了？你怎麼了？」

But with a violent effort she overcame her grief and replied in a calm voice, wiping her wet cheeks:

"Nothing. Only I haven"t a dress and so I can"t go to this party. Give your invitation to some friend of yours whose wife will be turned out better than I shall."

她費了很大力氣才抑制住悲痛，擦乾她那潤濕的兩腮，用平靜的聲音回答：

「沒有什麼。只是，沒有件像樣的衣服，我不能去參加這個夜會。你的同事，誰的妻子打扮得比我好，就把這請柬送給誰去吧。」

He was heart-broken.

"Look here, Mathilde," he persisted. "What would be the cost of a suitable dress, which you could use on other occasions as well, something very simple?"

She thought for several seconds, reckoning up prices and also wondering for how large a sum she could ask without bringing upon herself an immediate refusal and an exclamation of horror from the careful-minded clerk.

他難受了，接著說：

「好吧，瑪蒂爾德。做一身合適的衣服，你在別的場合也能穿，很樸素的，得多少錢呢？」

她想了幾秒鐘，合計出一個數目，考慮到這個數目可以提出來，不會招致這個儉省的書記立刻的拒絕和驚駭的叫聲。

At last she replied with some hesitation:

"I don"t know exactly, but I think I could do it on four hundred francs."

He grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun, intending to get a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre with some friends who went lark-shooting there on Sundays.

末了，她遲疑地答道：

「准數呢，我不知道，不過我想，有四百法郎就可以辦到。」

他臉色有點發白了。他恰好存著這麼一筆款子，預備買一桿獵槍，好在夏季的星期天，跟幾個朋友到南代爾平原去打雲雀。

Nevertheless he said: "Very well. I"ll give you four hundred francs. But try and get a really nice dress with the money."

The day of the party drew near, and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy and anxious. Her dress was ready, however. One evening her husband said to her:

"What"s the matter with you? You"ve been very odd for the last three days."

然而他說：

「就這樣吧，我給你四百法郎。不過你得把這件長衣裙做得好看些。」

夜會的日子近了，但是路瓦栽夫人顯得鬱悶、不安、憂愁。她的衣服卻做好了。她丈夫有一天晚上對她說：

「你怎麼了？看看，這三天來你非常奇怪。」

"I"m utterly miserable at not having any jewels, not a single stone, to wear," she replied. "I shall look absolutely no one. I would almost rather not go to the party."

她回答說：「叫我發愁的是一粒珍珠、一塊寶石都沒有，沒有什麼戴的。我處處帶著窮酸氣，很不想去參加這個夜會。」

To be continued

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