2020年整理项链(英汉互译).pdf

THE NECKLACEMathilde Loisel was one of those poor girls， pretty，charming and romantic，who，in spite of their romantic dreams，are married to a mediocrity．Her husband was a clerk in the Ministry of Education．One evening her husband came home with an air of triumph．“I have something nice for you，”he said，giving her a large envelope．She tore open the envelope，which contained the following printed card：“The Minister of Education and Madame Georges Ramponneau have the honour to request the company of Monsieur and Madame Loisel at the office of the Ministry on Monday evening，January 18th．”She did not seem delighted．On the contrary，she flung the invitation card on the table，and said spitefully：“What's that to me？”“Why，my dear，I thought you'd be pleased．You like a dance，don't you？You hardly ever go out，and this is really a good chance for you．I had no end of trouble to get it．Every one wants it，you know．All the officials will be there，but only a few clerks are invited．”She looked at him ruefully and exclaimed：“What do you expect me to wear at a party like that？”It never occurred to him that she had no pretty dresses nor jewels．He replied hesitatingly：“Why，the dress you wear when you go to the theatre looks very nice to me．”She burst into tears．Why did she marry such a dull，stupid fellow？Only because she was born into a poor family．Oh，cruel trick of destiny！“What's the matter？”he asked anxiously．“Nothing，”she answered with an effort．“It's only that I haven't a suitable dress，and so I can't go to the ball．Give this card to a friend of yours whose wife has a better wardrobe than I．”It was a heart-breaking confession．“Come，Mathilde，my dearest，”the distressed husband said，“how much do you think it would cost to have a proper dress，something rather simple which would be useful for other occasions after- wards？”She thought for a moment，busy with her calculations．How much could she ask without shocking the thrifty husband and provoking a flat refusal？“I'm not sure， but I think I could manage with four hundred francs．”The husband turned a little pale．She had named the exact sum he had saved to buy a gun to enjoy shooting on the plain of Nanterre next summer with a few friends．But he replied：“All right．You shall have four hundred francs．Mind you get a really nice dress．”* * *The day of the ball drew near．Although Madame Loisel had got her coveted dress， she seemed far from pleased．“What is the matter？”her husband asked．“You look out of sorts these days．”“It's quite annoying to think that I haven't a single piece of jewellery to wear．I might as well stay at home as cut a miserable figure at the party，”she answered．“How about wearing natural flowers，then？”her husband suggested．“They are now quite in fashion．For ten francs you can get two or three splendid roses．”“Where did you get such a silly idea？”she replied．“Can't you see how miserable I'd look among rich women？”“Well then，”her husband said．“Why don't you go and ask your friend，Madame Forestier，to lend you some jewels？She is a good friend of yours，and has a lot of jewellery，hasn't she？”“Yes，of course，”she exclaimed in delight．“Why didn't I think of it？”The next day she called on Madame Forestier and explained her trouble．Madame Forestier went to her wardrobe，took out a large jewel case，and placed it open in front of her friend．“Take what you want，my dear，”she said．Madame Loisel first saw some bracelets，then a pearl necklace，then a Venetian gold cross set with jewels，an exquisite piece of magnificent workmanship．She tried them on，one after another，before the mirror，uncertain which to choose．“Have you any more？”she asked．“Oh，yes，look for yourself．I don't know what you would like best．”Suddenly Madame Loisel discovered a black satin case，in which lay a superb diamond neck-lace．Her heart beat fast．With trembling hands，she took it out，fastened it round her neck，and stood gazing at herself in the mirror，lost in admiration．She asked fearfully：“Would you lend me this？I don't think I need anything else．”“Why，yes，certainly．”Madame Loisel threw her arms round her friend's neck， kissed her，and hurried out，lest her friend should change her mind．* * *The night of the ball came at last．Madame Loisel was a brilliant success．She looked more beautiful than any other woman present．Triumphantly，full of grace and joy，she danced admirably，aware of the rapt eyes of the company．All the men inquired her name，wanted to be introduced，asked her for waltzes．She attracted the attention of even the minister him- self．She felt as if she were in a beautiful dream，intoxicated with happiness．Oh，how long she had been yearning for such a moment！It was about four in the morning before she could tear herself away from the ball．Her husband had been dozing since midnight in a little deserted drawing room with three other gentlemen whose wives were enjoying the dance．He threw round her shoulders her cloak for everyday wear，which looked strangely incongruous with her elegant ball dress，and anxious to escape the eyes of the other women in rich furs，she hurried down the staircase．No cab was to be seen in the street，and，shivering with cold，they trudged on towards the Seine．At last，on the quay，they found an old，rickety cab rarely seen in Paris in the daytime．On reaching their dwelling，they climbed the stairs to their flat in gloomy silence．She took off her garment before the mirror．She wanted to enjoy one more glance at herself， decked in all her glory．Suddenly she cried out in horror．“What is the matter？”her husband asked．He was already half undressed；he had to be at the office by ten the next day．She turned to him，like one mad．“The diamond necklace is gone！”“What？How？Impossible！”They searched the folds of her skirt and cloak， her pockets，everywhere；but the necklace was nowhere to be seen．“You had it on when you left the ball？”“Yes，I remember fingering it in the vestibule．”“If you had dropped it in the street，we should have heard the sound．You must have lost it in the cab．”“Probably，did you notice the number？”“No，I didn't．”They gazed at each other in consternation．“I'll go back all over the road and try to find it．”He hurried out．She flung herself down in a chair，and remained there blankly，the very picture of despair．About seven o'clock he re- turned，empty-handed．Then he reported to the police and made inquiries among the cab companies，but all in vain．Madame Forestier's di- amond necklace seemed to have vanished into thin air．“Write to your friend，”the husband said，“that you have injured the clasp of her necklace and that you are having it mended．We must have time to think over the matter．”* * *A week had passed without bringing them any spark of hope．Loisel，who now looked five years older，said，“We'll have to replace the necklace．”The next day they took the empty case to the jeweller's whose name they found inside the lid．He consulted his books．“We did not sell the necklace．We only supplied the case．”They went from jeweller to jeweller，searching for a necklace like the one they had lost．At last，in a shop at the Palais Royal they found a diamond necklace exactly like Madame Forestier's．The price was forty thousand francs．The jeweller agreed to sell it for thirty-six．They begged him not to sell it for three days， and they got him to promise that he would buy it back for thirty-four thousand francs，in case they should find the lost necklace by the end of February．He rushed for a loan to everybody， asking a thousand francs from one man，five hundred from another，five louis here，three louis there．He blindly signed promissory notes，agreed to unreasonable terms，even called on professional money- lenders．At last he obtained the thirty-six thousand francs，but at the risk of his whole future．How could he hope to return so much money？And when？Crushing despair gnawed at his heart．* * *Madame Forestier received the necklace with an air of displeasure．“You should have returned it sooner．I might need it at any moment．”Madame Loisel feared lest her friend should examine the necklace and notice the difference．However，Madame Forestier carelessly put the case away without looking at the contents…* * *Then came to the couple days，weeks and years of drudgery．They heroically resolved to pay the appalling debt by working hard．They quitted the flat and moved into a garret．They bought nothing except daily necessaries，which they tried to do without often enough．She learned to bargain with tradesmen，ready to quarrel for every son．Her daydreaming was replaced by a constant endeavour to pay her way．Each month some of the promissory notes had to be renewed，only to gain time．The husband worked after office hours，keeping accounts for a tradesman，and late at night copying manuscripts at five sons a page．A new year came，followed by another andanother，and still they grubbed on，until ten years had flowed on．Their efforts were not in vain．At the end of that time they had managed to pay off everything，including interest at high rate．Madame Loisel now looked older than her age．Her hair disheveled，her skirt turned to one side， her hands rough and hardened，the former sentimental，romantic woman had turned into a stout- hearted matron who had tasted the bitters of life．Now and then，however，when her husband was away at the office，she would sit by the window and think of the glory of that dance．What sort of woman would she be now，if she had not lost the necklace？Who knows？One Sunday she went for a stroll in the Champs-Elysées to divert her mind from the labours of the week，when she caught sight of a lady with a child．It was Madame restier！Madame Forestier looked as young，as beautiful， and as charming as ten years before．Madame Loisel felt her heart beat hard．Should she speak to her？Yes，of course．The debt had all been paid； she might tell her all about it．Why not？She went up to Madame Forestier．“Hello，Jeanne！”Her friend looked mystified，addressed by a poorly－dressed stranger：She had not recognized Madame Loisel．“I'm afraid you've made a mistake．Sorry，but I don't know you，she said．Jeanne！It's me—Mathilde Loisel．”Madame Forestier uttered a cry of surprise．“Oh，my poor Mathild！What's happened to you？You're quite a stranger！“Yes， I've had a very hard time since then—and all through you！“Through me！How can that be？”“You remember the diamond necklace I borrowed from you to attend the dance at the Educa-10tion Office？”“Yes，Well？”“Well，I lost it．”“What makes you say so？You returned it to me．”“What I returned to you was another one，exactly like it．And for the last ten years my husband and I have been working hard to pay for it．You know，it is hard for us poor people to pay thirty－six thousand francs．But don't worry！It's all over now．We've paid it in full．”Madame Forestier stopped short．“You say that you lost my necklace and bought a diamond necklace like mine to replace it？“Yes．You've never noticed it，then！They were exactly alike．”Madame Forestier， deeply moved，seized bothher hands．“Oh， my poor Mathilde！What have you done？Why， mine was only imitation， not genuine！* * *“Then you don't think our ten years' labour wasted？”the husband asked．“Wasted？Oh，no！ When you were at the office，I often sat by the window and wondered what sortof person I should be if I had not lost the necklace．Now I know my answer．”“ I know your answer， my dear，the husbandsaid．“Yes，it was the lost necklace that inspired us with courage，endurance and perseverance．But for that incident，I'd have remained a selfish，graceless， thankless person．Wasted？Oh，no！”At that moment there came a knock at the door．Madame Loisel opened it，and found Madame Forestier standing there， her face radiant with smiles．“Madame Forestier！”“My dear Mathilde，I'm going on a tour tomorrow，”Madame Forestier hastily said．“Before I start，I want to make you a present of this necklace．Please accept it．”Before Mathilde could say anything，Madame Forestier was gone．项链世上有些贫穷人家的姑娘，身段漂亮，相貌迷人，而且充满罗曼蒂克的想法。