目 录 上一节 下一节 
我不由自主地关心起这个年轻人来了。这种关心也许搀杂着某些私心，说不定在他这种痛苦下，我已揣测到有一个缠绵悱恻的爱情故事；也可能我正是因为急于想知道这个故事，所以才对阿尔芒的销声匿迹感到如此不安的。 Since Monsieur Duval did not return to see me, I resolved to go to him. A pretext was not difficult to find. Unfortunately, I did not know his address, and of all those I had questioned, no one had been able to tell me what it was. 既然迪瓦尔先生没有再来看我，我就决意到他家里去。要找一个拜访他的借口并不难，可惜我不知道他的住址。我到处打听，但谁都没法告诉我。 I went to the rue d'Antin. Perhaps Marguerite's porter knew where Armand lived. There had been a change of porter. He did not know any more than I did. I then asked in which cemetery Mademoiselle Gautier had been buried. It was Montmartre cemetery. 我就到昂坦街去打听。玛格丽特的看门人可能知道阿尔芒住在哪儿。看门人已经换了一个新的，他跟我一样不知道阿尔芒的住址。于是我就问戈蒂埃小姐葬在哪里。在蒙马特公墓。 April had come round again, the weather was fine, the graves would no longer have the mournful, desolate look which winter gives them; in a word, it was already warm enough for the living to remember the dead and visit them. I went to the cemetery, telling myself: 'One quick look at Marguerite's grave, and I shall know whether Armand is still grieving and perhaps discover what has become of him.' 已经是四月份了，天气晴朗，阳光明媚，坟墓不再像冬天时那样显得阴森凄凉了。总之，气候已经相当暖和，活着的人因此想起了死去的人，就到他们坟上去扫墓。我在去公墓的路上想着，我只要观察一下玛格丽特的坟墓，就可以看出阿尔芒是不是还在伤心，也许还会知道他现在究竟怎么样了。 I entered the keeper's lodge and asked him if, on the 22nd of the month of February, a woman named Marguerite Gautier had not been buried in Montmartre cemetery. 我走进公墓看守的房间，我问他在二月二十二日那天，是不是有一个名叫玛格丽特·戈蒂埃的女人葬在蒙马特公墓里。 
那个人翻阅一本厚厚的簿子，簿子上按号码顺序登记着所有来到这个最后归宿地的人的名字。接着他回答我说，二月二十二日中午，的确有一个叫这个名字的女人在这里下葬。 I asked if he could get someone to take me to the grave for, without a guide, there is no way of finding one's way around this city of the dead which has its streets like the cities of the living. The keeper called a gardener, to whom he gave the necessary details but who cut him short, saying: 'I know, I know 匫h! that grave is easy enough to pick out, ' he went on, turning to me. 我请他叫人把我带到她的坟上去，因为在这个死人的城市里，就像在活人的城市里一样，街道纵横交错，如果没有人指引，很难辨清方向。看守叫来一个园丁，并关照他一些必要的事情。园丁插嘴说：“我知道，我知道……”接着转身对我说，“啊！那个坟墓好认得很！” 'Why?' I said. “为什么呢？”我问他。 'Because it's got different flowers from all the others.' “因为那上面的花和别的坟上的花完全不同。” 'Are you the person who looks after it?' “那个坟墓是您照管的吗？” 
“是的，是一个年轻人托我照管的。先生，但愿所有死者的亲属都能像他一样惦念死者就好了。” Several turnings later, the gardener stopped and said: 拐了几个弯以后，园丁站住了，对我说： 'Here we are.' “我们到了。” And indeed, before my eyes, were flowers arranged in a square which no one would ever have taken for a grave if a white marble stone with a name on it had not proclaimed it to be so. 果然，一块方形花丛呈现在我眼前，如果没有一块刻着名字的白色大理石在那里作证的话，谁也认不出这是一个坟墓。 This marble block was set upright, iron railings marked the boundary of the plot that had been bought, and every inch of ground was covered with white camellias. 这块大理石笔直地竖在那儿，一圆铁栅栏把这块买下的坟地围了起来，坟地上铺满了白色的茶花。 
“您觉得怎么样？”园丁问我。 'It's very beautiful.' “美极了。” 'And every time a camellia withers, my orders are to put another one in its place.' “只要有一朵茶花枯萎了，我就按照吩咐另换新的。” 'And who gave you your orders?' “那么是谁吩咐您的呢？” 'A young chap who cried a lot the first time he came. An old gentleman friend of the departed, I'll be bound, because they do say she was a bit of a one, you know. I hear tell she was very bonny. Did you know her, sir?' “一个年轻人，他第一次来的时候哭得很伤心，大概是死者的老相好，因为那个女的好像不是个规矩人。据说她过去长得很标致。先生，您认得她吗？” 
“认得。” 'Like the other chap, ' the gardener said with a knowing grin. “跟那位先生一样吧，”园丁带着狡黠的微笑对我说。 'No, I never spike to her.' “不一样，我从来也没有跟她讲过话。” 'But you've come to see her here; that's very nice of you, because people who come to see the poor girl don't exactly clutter up the cemetery.' “而您倒来这里看她，那您心肠可真好！因为到这公墓里来看这个可怜的姑娘的可真是稀客呐！” 'So no one comes?' “您是说从来没有人来过？” 
“除了那位年轻先生来过一次以外，没有别人来过。” 'Just once?' “只来过一次？” 'Yes, sir.' “是的，先生。” 'And he never returned?' “后来他没有来过吗？” 'No, but he'll come as soon as he gets back.' “没有来过，但是他回来以后会来的。” 
“这么说他是出门去了？” 'Yes.' “是的。” 'And do you know where he is?' “您知道他上哪儿去了？” 'I do believe he's gone to see Mademoiselle Gautier's sister.' “我想他是到戈蒂埃小姐的姐姐那儿去了。” 'What's he doing there?' “他到那儿去干什么？” 
“他去请求玛格丽特的姐姐同意把死者挪个地方，他要把玛格丽特葬到别处去。” 'Why shouldn't he leave her here?' “为什么不让她葬在这儿呢？” 'You know, sir, people get queer ideas about the departed. See it all the time, we do. This plot was bought for five years only, and that young chap wants a plot in perpetuity and a larger bit of ground: in the new part would be best.' “您知道，先生，人们对死人有种种看法。这种事，我们这些人每天都看得到。这块坟地的租用期才五年，而这个年轻人想要有一块永久性出让的、面积更大一点的坟地，最好是新区里的地。” 'What do you call the new part?' “什么新区？” 'The new plots that are being sold just now, to your left. If the cemetery had always been kept like it is nowadays, there wouldn't have been another like it in the world; but there's still a lot to do before it's just like it should be. And then, folk are so queer.' “就是现在正在出售的，靠左面的那些新坟地。如果这个公墓以前一直像现在那样管理，那么很可能是世界上独一无二的了。但是要使一切都做得那么十全十美，那还差得远呢。 再说人们又是那么可笑。” 
“您这是什么意思？”
| 
