章节正文
Phellion [bridling up]. "I should say so!"
Bixiou. "And history?"
Phellion [affecting modesty]. "Possibly."
Bixiou [looking fixedly at him]. "Your diamond pin is loose, it is
coming out. Well, you may know all that, but you don't know the human
heart; you have gone no further in the geography and history of that
organ than you have in the environs of the city of Paris."
Poiret [to Vimeux]. "Environs of Paris? I thought they were talking of
Monsieur Rabourdin."
Bixiou. "About that bet? Does the entire bureau Rabourdin bet against
me?"
All. "Yes."
Bixiou. "Du Bruel, do you count in?"
Du Bruel. "Of course I do. We want Rabourdin to go up a step and make
room for others."
Bixiou. "Well, I accept the bet,--for this reason; you can hardly
understand it, but I'll tell it to you all the same. It would be right
and just to appoint Monsieur Rabourdin" [looking full at Dutocq],
"because, in that case, long and faithful service, honor, and talent
would be recognized, appreciated, and properlyrewarded. Such an
appointment is in the best interests of the administration."
[Phellion, Poiret, and Thuillier listen stupidly, with the look of
those who try to peer before them in the darkness.] "Well, it is just
because the promotion would be so fitting, and because the man has
such merit, and because the measure is so eminently wise and equitable
that I bet Rabourdin will not be appointed. Yes, you'll see, that
appointment will slip up, just like the invasion from Boulogne, and
the march to Russia, for the success of which a great genius has
gathered together all the chances. It will fail as all good and just
things do fail in this low world. I am only backing the devil's game."
Du Bruel. "Who do you think will be appointed?"
Bixiou. "The more I think about Baudoyer, the more sure I feel that he
unites all the opposite qualities; therefore I think he will be the
next head of this division."
Dutocq. "But Monsieur des Lupeaulx, who sent for me to borrow my
Charlet, told me positively that Monsieur Rabourdin was appointed, and
that the little La Billardiere would be made Clerk of the Seals."
Bixiou. "Appointed, indeed! The appointment can't be made and signed
under ten days. It will certainly not be known before New-Year's day.
There he goes now across the courtyard; look at him, and say if the
virtuous Rabourdin looks like a man in the sunshine of favor. I should
say he knows he's dismissed." [Fleury rushes to the window.]
"Gentlemen, adieu; I'll go and tell Monsieur Baudoyer that I hear from
you that Rabourdin is appointed; it will make him furious, the pious
creature! Then I'll tell him of our wager, to cool him down,--a
process we call at the theatre turning the Wheel of Fortune, don't we,
du Bruel? Why do I care who gets the place? simply because if Baudoyer
does he will make me under-head-clerk" [goes out].
Poiret. "Everybody says that man is clever, but as for me, I can never
understand a word he says" [goes on copying]. "I listen and listen; I
hear words, but I never get at any meaning; he talks about the
environs of Paris when he discusses the human heart and" [lays down
his pen and goes to the stove] "declares he backs the devil's game
when it is a question of Russia and Boulogne; now what is there so
clever in that, I'd like to know? We must first admit that the devil
plays any game at all, and then find out what game; possibly dominoes"
[blows his nose].
Fleury [interrupting]. "Pere Poiret is blowing his nose; it must be
eleven o'clock."
Du Bruel. "So it is! Goodness! I'm off to the secretary; he wants to
read the obituary."
Poiret. "What was I saying?"
Thuillier. "Dominoes,--perhaps the devil plays dominoes." [Sebastien
enters to gather up the different papers and circulars for signature.]
Vimeux. "Ah! there you are, my fine young man. Your days of hardship
are nearly over; you'll get a post. Monsieur Rabourdin will be
appointed. Weren't you at Madame Rabourdin's last night? Lucky fellow!
they say that really superb women go there."
Sebastien. "Do they? I didn't know."
Fleury. "Are you blind?"
Sebastien. "I don't like to look at what I ought not to see."
Phellion [delighted]. "Well said, young man!"
Vimeux. "The devil! well, you looked at Madame Rabourdin enough, any
how; a charming woman."
Fleury. "Pooh! thin as a rail. I saw her in the Tuileries, and I much
prefer Percilliee, the ballet-mistress, Castaing's victim."
Phellion. "What has an actress to do with the wife of a government
official?"
Dutocq. "They both play comedy."
Fleury [looking askance at Dutocq]. "The physical has nothing to do
with the moral, and if you mean--"
Dutocq. "I mean nothing."
Fleury. "Do you all want to know which of us will really be made head
of this bureau?"
All. "Yes, tell us."
Fleury. "Colleville."
Thuillier. "Why?"
Fleury. "Because Madame Colleville has taken the shortest way to it--
through the sacristy."
Thuillier. "I am too much Colleville's friend not to beg you, Monsieur
Fleury, to speak respectfully of his wife."
Phellion. "A defenceless woman should never be made the subject of
conversation here--"
Vimeux. "All the more because the charming Madame Colleville won't
invite Fleury to her house. He backbites her in revenge."
Fleury. "She may not receive me on the same footing that she does
Thuillier, but I go there--"
Thuillier. "When? how?--under her windows?"
Though Fleury was dreaded as a bully in all the offices, he received
Thuillier's speech in silence. This meekness, which surprised the
other clerks, was owing to a certain note for two hundred francs, of
doubtful value, which Thuillier agreed to pass over to his sister.
After this skirmish dead silence prevailed. They all wrote steadily
from one to three o'clock. Du Bruel did not return.
About half-past three the usual preparations for departure, the
brushing of hats, the changing of coats, went on in all the
ministerial offices. That precious thirty minutes thus employed served
to shorten by just so much the day's labor. At this hour the over-
heated rooms cool off; the peculiar odor that hangs about the bureaus
evaporates; silence is restored. By four o'clock none but a few clerks
who do their duty conscientiously remain. A minister may know who are
the real workers under him if he will take the trouble to walk through
the divisions after four o'clock,--a species of prying, however, that
no one of his dignity would condescend to.
The various heads of divisions and bureaus usually encountered each
other in the courtyards at this hour and exchanged opinions on the
events of the day. On this occasion they departed by twos and threes,
most of them agreeing in favor of Rabourdin; while the old stagers,
like Monsieur Clergeot, shook their heads and said, "Habent sua sidera
lites." Saillard and Baudoyer were politely avoided, for nobody knew
what to say to them about La Billardiere's death, it being fully
understood that Baudoyer wanted the place, though it was certainly not
due to him.
When Saillard and his son-in-law had gone a certain distance from the
ministry the former broke silence and said: "Things look badly for
you, my poor Baudoyer."
"I can't understand," replied the other, "what Elisabeth was dreaming
of when she sent Godard in such a hurry to get a passport for Falleix;
Godard tells me she hired a post-chaise by the advice of my uncle
Mitral, and that Falleix has already started for his own part of the
country."
"Some matter connected with our business," suggested Saillard.
"Our most pressing business just now is to look after Monsieur La
Billardiere's place," returned Baudoyer, crossly.
They were just then near the entrance of the Palais-Royal on the rue
Saint-Honore. Dutocq came up, bowing, and joined them.
"Monsieur," he said to Baudoyer, "if I can be useful to you in any way
under the circumstances in which you find yourself, pray command me,
for I am not less devoted to your interests than Monsieur Godard."
"Such an assurance is at least consoling," replied Baudoyer; "it makes
me aware that I have the confidence of honest men."
"If you would kindly employ your influence to get me placed in your
division, taking Bixiou as head of the bureau and me as under-head-
clerk, you will secure the future of two men who are ready to do
anything for your advancement."
"Are you making fun of us, monsieur?" asked Saillard, staring at him
stupidly.
"Far be it from me to do that," said Dutocq. "I have just come from
the printing-office of the ministerial journal (where I carried from
the general-secretary an obituary notice of Monsieur de la
Billardiere), and I there read an article which will appear to-night
about you, which has given me the highest opinion of your character
and talents. If it is necessary to crush Rabourdin, I'm in a position
to give him the final blow; please to remember that."
Dutocq disappeared.
"May I be shot if I understand a single word of it," said Saillard,
looking at Baudoyer, whose little eyes were expressive of stupid
bewilderment. "I must buy the newspaper to-night."
When the two reached home and entered the salon on the ground-floor,
they found a large fire lighted, and Madame Saillard, Elisabeth,
Monsieur Gaudron and the curate of Saint-Paul's sitting by it. The
curate turned at once to Monsieur Baudoyer, to whom Elisabeth made a
sign which he failed to understand.
"Monsieur," said the curate, "I have lost no time in coming in person
to thank you for the magnificent gift with which you have adorned my
poor church. I dared not run in debt to buy that beautiful monstrance,
worthy of a cathedral. You, who are one of our most pious and faithful
parishioners, must have keenly felt the bareness of the high altar. I
am on my way to see Monseigneur the coadjutor, and he will, I am sure,
send you his own thanks later."
"I have done nothing as yet--" began Baudoyer.
"Monsieur le cure," interposed his wife, cutting him short. "I see I
am forced to betray the whole secret. Monsieur Baudoyer hopes to
complete the gift by sending you a dais for the coming Fete-Dieu. But
the purchase must depend on the state of our finances, and our
finances depend on my husband's promotion."
"God will reward those who honor him," said Monsieur Gaudron,
preparing, with the curate, to take leave.
"But will you not," said Saillard to the two ecclesiastics, "do us the
honor to take pot luck with us?"
"You can stay, my dear vicar," said the curate to Gaudron; "you know I
am engaged to dine with the curate of Saint-Roch, who, by the bye, is
to bury Monsieur de la Billardiere to-morrow."
"Monsieur le cure de Saint-Roch might say a word for us," began
Baudoyer. His wife pulled the skirt of his coat violently.
"Do hold your tongue, Baudoyer," she said, leading him aside and
whispering in his ear. "You have given a monstrance to the church,
that cost five thousand francs. I'll explain it all later."
The miserly Baudoyer make a sulky grimace, and continued gloomy and
cross for the rest of the day.
"What did you busy yourself about Falleix's passport for? Why do you
meddle in other people's affairs?" he presently asked her.
"I must say, I think Falleix's affairs are as much ours as his,"
returned Elisabeth, dryly, glancing at her husband to make him notice
Monsieur Gaudron, before whom he ought to be silent.
"Certainly, certainly," said old Saillard, thinking of his co-
partnership.
"I hope you reached the newspaper office in time?" remarked Elisabeth
to Monsieur Gaudron, as she helped him to soup.
"Yes, my dear lady," answered the vicar; "when the editor read the
little article I gave him, written by the secretary of the Grand
Bixiou. "And history?"
Phellion [affecting modesty]. "Possibly."
Bixiou [looking fixedly at him]. "Your diamond pin is loose, it is
coming out. Well, you may know all that, but you don't know the human
heart; you have gone no further in the geography and history of that
organ than you have in the environs of the city of Paris."
Poiret [to Vimeux]. "Environs of Paris? I thought they were talking of
Monsieur Rabourdin."
Bixiou. "About that bet? Does the entire bureau Rabourdin bet against
me?"
All. "Yes."
Bixiou. "Du Bruel, do you count in?"
Du Bruel. "Of course I do. We want Rabourdin to go up a step and make
room for others."
Bixiou. "Well, I accept the bet,--for this reason; you can hardly
understand it, but I'll tell it to you all the same. It would be right
and just to appoint Monsieur Rabourdin" [looking full at Dutocq],
"because, in that case, long and faithful service, honor, and talent
would be recognized, appreciated, and properlyrewarded. Such an
appointment is in the best interests of the administration."
[Phellion, Poiret, and Thuillier listen stupidly, with the look of
those who try to peer before them in the darkness.] "Well, it is just
because the promotion would be so fitting, and because the man has
such merit, and because the measure is so eminently wise and equitable
that I bet Rabourdin will not be appointed. Yes, you'll see, that
appointment will slip up, just like the invasion from Boulogne, and
the march to Russia, for the success of which a great genius has
gathered together all the chances. It will fail as all good and just
things do fail in this low world. I am only backing the devil's game."
Du Bruel. "Who do you think will be appointed?"
Bixiou. "The more I think about Baudoyer, the more sure I feel that he
unites all the opposite qualities; therefore I think he will be the
next head of this division."
Dutocq. "But Monsieur des Lupeaulx, who sent for me to borrow my
Charlet, told me positively that Monsieur Rabourdin was appointed, and
that the little La Billardiere would be made Clerk of the Seals."
Bixiou. "Appointed, indeed! The appointment can't be made and signed
under ten days. It will certainly not be known before New-Year's day.
There he goes now across the courtyard; look at him, and say if the
virtuous Rabourdin looks like a man in the sunshine of favor. I should
say he knows he's dismissed." [Fleury rushes to the window.]
"Gentlemen, adieu; I'll go and tell Monsieur Baudoyer that I hear from
you that Rabourdin is appointed; it will make him furious, the pious
creature! Then I'll tell him of our wager, to cool him down,--a
process we call at the theatre turning the Wheel of Fortune, don't we,
du Bruel? Why do I care who gets the place? simply because if Baudoyer
does he will make me under-head-clerk" [goes out].
Poiret. "Everybody says that man is clever, but as for me, I can never
understand a word he says" [goes on copying]. "I listen and listen; I
hear words, but I never get at any meaning; he talks about the
environs of Paris when he discusses the human heart and" [lays down
his pen and goes to the stove] "declares he backs the devil's game
when it is a question of Russia and Boulogne; now what is there so
clever in that, I'd like to know? We must first admit that the devil
plays any game at all, and then find out what game; possibly dominoes"
[blows his nose].
Fleury [interrupting]. "Pere Poiret is blowing his nose; it must be
eleven o'clock."
Du Bruel. "So it is! Goodness! I'm off to the secretary; he wants to
read the obituary."
Poiret. "What was I saying?"
Thuillier. "Dominoes,--perhaps the devil plays dominoes." [Sebastien
enters to gather up the different papers and circulars for signature.]
Vimeux. "Ah! there you are, my fine young man. Your days of hardship
are nearly over; you'll get a post. Monsieur Rabourdin will be
appointed. Weren't you at Madame Rabourdin's last night? Lucky fellow!
they say that really superb women go there."
Sebastien. "Do they? I didn't know."
Fleury. "Are you blind?"
Sebastien. "I don't like to look at what I ought not to see."
Phellion [delighted]. "Well said, young man!"
Vimeux. "The devil! well, you looked at Madame Rabourdin enough, any
how; a charming woman."
Fleury. "Pooh! thin as a rail. I saw her in the Tuileries, and I much
prefer Percilliee, the ballet-mistress, Castaing's victim."
Phellion. "What has an actress to do with the wife of a government
official?"
Dutocq. "They both play comedy."
Fleury [looking askance at Dutocq]. "The physical has nothing to do
with the moral, and if you mean--"
Dutocq. "I mean nothing."
Fleury. "Do you all want to know which of us will really be made head
of this bureau?"
All. "Yes, tell us."
Fleury. "Colleville."
Thuillier. "Why?"
Fleury. "Because Madame Colleville has taken the shortest way to it--
through the sacristy."
Thuillier. "I am too much Colleville's friend not to beg you, Monsieur
Fleury, to speak respectfully of his wife."
Phellion. "A defenceless woman should never be made the subject of
conversation here--"
Vimeux. "All the more because the charming Madame Colleville won't
invite Fleury to her house. He backbites her in revenge."
Fleury. "She may not receive me on the same footing that she does
Thuillier, but I go there--"
Thuillier. "When? how?--under her windows?"
Though Fleury was dreaded as a bully in all the offices, he received
Thuillier's speech in silence. This meekness, which surprised the
other clerks, was owing to a certain note for two hundred francs, of
doubtful value, which Thuillier agreed to pass over to his sister.
After this skirmish dead silence prevailed. They all wrote steadily
from one to three o'clock. Du Bruel did not return.
About half-past three the usual preparations for departure, the
brushing of hats, the changing of coats, went on in all the
ministerial offices. That precious thirty minutes thus employed served
to shorten by just so much the day's labor. At this hour the over-
heated rooms cool off; the peculiar odor that hangs about the bureaus
evaporates; silence is restored. By four o'clock none but a few clerks
who do their duty conscientiously remain. A minister may know who are
the real workers under him if he will take the trouble to walk through
the divisions after four o'clock,--a species of prying, however, that
no one of his dignity would condescend to.
The various heads of divisions and bureaus usually encountered each
other in the courtyards at this hour and exchanged opinions on the
events of the day. On this occasion they departed by twos and threes,
most of them agreeing in favor of Rabourdin; while the old stagers,
like Monsieur Clergeot, shook their heads and said, "Habent sua sidera
lites." Saillard and Baudoyer were politely avoided, for nobody knew
what to say to them about La Billardiere's death, it being fully
understood that Baudoyer wanted the place, though it was certainly not
due to him.
When Saillard and his son-in-law had gone a certain distance from the
ministry the former broke silence and said: "Things look badly for
you, my poor Baudoyer."
"I can't understand," replied the other, "what Elisabeth was dreaming
of when she sent Godard in such a hurry to get a passport for Falleix;
Godard tells me she hired a post-chaise by the advice of my uncle
Mitral, and that Falleix has already started for his own part of the
country."
"Some matter connected with our business," suggested Saillard.
"Our most pressing business just now is to look after Monsieur La
Billardiere's place," returned Baudoyer, crossly.
They were just then near the entrance of the Palais-Royal on the rue
Saint-Honore. Dutocq came up, bowing, and joined them.
"Monsieur," he said to Baudoyer, "if I can be useful to you in any way
under the circumstances in which you find yourself, pray command me,
for I am not less devoted to your interests than Monsieur Godard."
"Such an assurance is at least consoling," replied Baudoyer; "it makes
me aware that I have the confidence of honest men."
"If you would kindly employ your influence to get me placed in your
division, taking Bixiou as head of the bureau and me as under-head-
clerk, you will secure the future of two men who are ready to do
anything for your advancement."
"Are you making fun of us, monsieur?" asked Saillard, staring at him
stupidly.
"Far be it from me to do that," said Dutocq. "I have just come from
the printing-office of the ministerial journal (where I carried from
the general-secretary an obituary notice of Monsieur de la
Billardiere), and I there read an article which will appear to-night
about you, which has given me the highest opinion of your character
and talents. If it is necessary to crush Rabourdin, I'm in a position
to give him the final blow; please to remember that."
Dutocq disappeared.
"May I be shot if I understand a single word of it," said Saillard,
looking at Baudoyer, whose little eyes were expressive of stupid
bewilderment. "I must buy the newspaper to-night."
When the two reached home and entered the salon on the ground-floor,
they found a large fire lighted, and Madame Saillard, Elisabeth,
Monsieur Gaudron and the curate of Saint-Paul's sitting by it. The
curate turned at once to Monsieur Baudoyer, to whom Elisabeth made a
sign which he failed to understand.
"Monsieur," said the curate, "I have lost no time in coming in person
to thank you for the magnificent gift with which you have adorned my
poor church. I dared not run in debt to buy that beautiful monstrance,
worthy of a cathedral. You, who are one of our most pious and faithful
parishioners, must have keenly felt the bareness of the high altar. I
am on my way to see Monseigneur the coadjutor, and he will, I am sure,
send you his own thanks later."
"I have done nothing as yet--" began Baudoyer.
"Monsieur le cure," interposed his wife, cutting him short. "I see I
am forced to betray the whole secret. Monsieur Baudoyer hopes to
complete the gift by sending you a dais for the coming Fete-Dieu. But
the purchase must depend on the state of our finances, and our
finances depend on my husband's promotion."
"God will reward those who honor him," said Monsieur Gaudron,
preparing, with the curate, to take leave.
"But will you not," said Saillard to the two ecclesiastics, "do us the
honor to take pot luck with us?"
"You can stay, my dear vicar," said the curate to Gaudron; "you know I
am engaged to dine with the curate of Saint-Roch, who, by the bye, is
to bury Monsieur de la Billardiere to-morrow."
"Monsieur le cure de Saint-Roch might say a word for us," began
Baudoyer. His wife pulled the skirt of his coat violently.
"Do hold your tongue, Baudoyer," she said, leading him aside and
whispering in his ear. "You have given a monstrance to the church,
that cost five thousand francs. I'll explain it all later."
The miserly Baudoyer make a sulky grimace, and continued gloomy and
cross for the rest of the day.
"What did you busy yourself about Falleix's passport for? Why do you
meddle in other people's affairs?" he presently asked her.
"I must say, I think Falleix's affairs are as much ours as his,"
returned Elisabeth, dryly, glancing at her husband to make him notice
Monsieur Gaudron, before whom he ought to be silent.
"Certainly, certainly," said old Saillard, thinking of his co-
partnership.
"I hope you reached the newspaper office in time?" remarked Elisabeth
to Monsieur Gaudron, as she helped him to soup.
"Yes, my dear lady," answered the vicar; "when the editor read the
little article I gave him, written by the secretary of the Grand
- bureau [´bjuərəu]
n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词) - appoint [ə´pɔint] vt.安排；委派；任命 (初中英语单词)
- monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)
- faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
- properly [´prɔpəli] ad.适当地；严格地 (初中英语单词)
- measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)
- genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)
- furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
- charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)
- physical [´fizikəl] a.物质的；有形的 (初中英语单词)
- departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)
- peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)
- minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
- dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)
- passport [´pɑ:spɔ:t] n.护照；通行证；执照 (初中英语单词)
- journal [´dʒə:nəl] n.日记；日报；杂志 (初中英语单词)
- magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)
- cathedral [kə´θi:drəl] n.大教堂 (初中英语单词)
- keenly [´ki:nli] ad.敏锐地；强烈地 (初中英语单词)
- betray [bi´trei] vt.背叛；辜负；暴露 (初中英语单词)
- reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- geography [dʒi´ɔgrəfi] n.地理(学) (高中英语单词)
- promotion [prə´məuʃən] n.促进；提升；倡仪 (高中英语单词)
- invasion [in´veiʒən] n.入侵；侵害；侵犯 (高中英语单词)
- positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)
- courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)
- actress [´æktris] n.女演员 (高中英语单词)
- species [´spi:ʃi:z] n.(生物的)种，类 (高中英语单词)
- politely [pə´laitli] ad.温和地；文雅地 (高中英语单词)
- assurance [ə´ʃuərəns] n.保证；自信；信任 (高中英语单词)
- gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)
- superb [su:´pə:b, sju:-] a.宏伟的；极好的 (英语四级单词)
- respectfully [ris´pektfuli] ad.恭敬地 (英语四级单词)
- skirmish [´skə:miʃ] n.小战斗 vi.打小仗 (英语四级单词)
- shorten [´ʃɔ:tn] v.缩短，变短 (英语四级单词)
- devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身...的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)
- fitting [´fitiŋ] a.适当的 n.试衣 (英语六级单词)
- footing [´futiŋ] n.立脚点；基础；地位 (英语六级单词)
- meekness [´mi:knis] n.温顺；卑恭屈节 (英语六级单词)
- condescend [,kɔndi´send] vi.屈尊；堕落 (英语六级单词)
- departed [di´pɑ:tid] a.已往的；已故的 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- expressive [ik´spresiv] a.有表现力的 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:翻译 译文 翻译文
章节正文
京公网安备 11011202003401号
