目 录 上一节 下一节 
两大滴泪珠顺着病人的脸颊滚落下来，他转过头去避开我，我装着没有看见，试着把话岔开，换一件别的事情谈谈。 'You've been away three weeks, ' I said. “您出门已经有三个星期了吧，”我对他说。 Armand passed his hand over his eyes and answered: 阿尔芒用手擦擦眼睛，回答我说： 'Three weeks exactly.' “整整三个星期。” 'It was a long journey, then.' “您的旅程很长哪。” 
“啊，我并不是一直在路上，我病了两个星期，否则我早就回来了，可是我一到那里就发起烧来，只好呆在房间里。” 'And you set off again without being fully fit.' “您病还没有完全好就回来啦。” 'If I'd stayed another week in that place, I would have died there.' “如果再在那儿多待上一个星期，没准我就要死在那儿了。” 'But now you're back, you must look after yourself. Your friends will call to see you. And I shall be the first among them, if you'll allow me.' “不过现在您已经回来了，那就应该好好保重身体，您的朋友们会来看望您的。如果您同意的话，我就算是第一个来看您的朋友吧。” 'In two hours I shall get up.' “再过两小时，我就要起床。” 
“那您太冒失啦！” 'I must.' “我一定得起来。” 'What have you to do that's so urgent?' “您有什么急事要办？” 'I have a call to pay on the superintendent of police.' “我必须到警长那儿去一次。” 'Why not let someone else see to a matter that may well make you more ill than you are now?' “为什么您不委托别人去办这件事呢？您亲自去办会加重您的病的。” 
卽nless you'd find it too tiresome?' “只有办了这件事才能治好我的病，我非要见她一面不可。从我知道她死了以后，尤其是看到她的坟墓以后，我再也睡不着了。我不能想象在我们分离的时候还那么年轻、那么漂亮的姑娘竟然已经不在人世。我一定要亲眼看见才能相信。我一定要看看天主把我这么心爱的人弄成了什么样子，也许这个使人恐惧的景象会治愈我那悲痛的思念之情。您陪我一起去，好不好？……如果您不太讨厌这类事的话。” 'What did her sister tell you?' “她姐姐对您说了些什么？” 'Nothing. She seemed very surprised that a stranger should wish to buy a burial plot and have a headstone put up to Marguerite, and she signed the authorization I asked her for at once.' “什么也没有说，她听到有一个陌生人要买一块地替玛格丽特造一座坟墓，感到非常惊奇，她马上就同意了我的要求，在授权书上签了名。” 'Take my advice: wait until you are properly fit before having the body transferred.' “听我的话，等您病完全好了以后再去办这件迁葬的事吧。” 'Oh! Don't worry: I shall be strong. Anyway I should go mad if I didn't get what I've decided over and done with as quickly as possible: the need to see it through has become part of my grief. I swear to you that I shall not rest easy until I've seen Marguerite. It may be a craving of the fever which burns in me, a dream born of sleepless nights, an effect of my ravings; but even if I have to become a Trappist monk first to manage it, then like Monsieur de Rance, once I have seen, I shall see.' “唉，请放心吧，我会好起来的。再说，如果我不趁现在有决心的时候，赶紧把这件事情办了，我可能会发疯的，办了这件事才能治愈我的痛苦。我向您发誓，只有在看一眼玛格丽特以后，我才会平静下来。这可能是发高烧时的渴念，不眠之夜的幻梦，谵妄发作时的反应；至于在看到她之后，我是不是会像朗塞①先生那样成为一个苦修士，那要等到以后再说了。” 
“这我懂得，”我对阿尔芒说，“愿为您效劳；您看到朱利·迪普拉没有？” 'Yes. Oh, I saw her the day I got back, the first time I returned.' “看见了。啊！就在我上次回来的那一天看见她的。” 'Did she hand over the papers which Marguerite had left for you?' “她把玛格丽特留在她那儿的日记交给您了吗？” 'They're here.' “这就是。” Armand pulled a roll of papers from beneath his pillow, then put it back immediately. 'I know what these papers contain by heart, ' he said. 'These last three weeks, I have re-read them ten times each day. You shall read them too, but later, when I'm calmer and can make you understand how much feeling and love this confession reveals. For the moment, I have a favour to ask you.' 阿尔芒从枕头下面取出一卷纸，但立刻又把它放了回去。“这些日记里写的东西我都能背下来了，”他对我说，“三个星期以来，我每天都要把这些日记念上十来遍。您以后也可以看看，但要再过几天，等我稍微平静一些，等我能够把这些日记里面写的有关爱情和内心的表白都解释给您听时，您再看吧。 “现在，我要请您办一件事。” 
“什么事？” 'You have a carriage downstairs?' “您有一辆车子停在下面吧？” 'Yes.' “是啊。” 'Well, would you be so good as to take my passport, call at the bureau and ask if they are holding any letters for me poste restante? My father and my sister must have written to me here in Paris, and I left in such a hurry that I didn't take time to see before I set off. When you get back, we'll go together to inform the police superintendent of tomorrow's ceremony.' “那么，能不能请您拿了我的护照到邮局去一次，问问有没有寄给我的留局待领的信件？我的父亲和妹妹给我的信一定都寄到巴黎来了，上次我离开巴黎的时候那么仓促，抽不出空在动身之前去打听一下。等您去邮局回来以后，我们再一起去把明天迁葬的事通知警长。” Armand handed me his passport and I went round to the rue Jean- Jacques-Roussear. 阿尔芒把护照交给我，我就到让－雅克－卢梭大街去了。 
那里有两封给迪瓦尔先生的信，我拿了就回来了。 When I reappeared, Armand was fully dressed and ready to go out. 我回到他家里的时候，阿尔芒已经穿着整齐，准备出门了。 'Thank you, 'he said, taking the letters. 'Yes, ' he added, after glancing at the addresses, 'yes, they are from my father and my sister. They must have been totally mystified by my silence.' “谢谢，”他接过信对我说，“是啊，”他看了看信封上的地址又接着说，“是啊，这是我父亲和我妹妹寄给我的。他们一定弄不懂我为什么没有回信。” He opened the letters and guessed at, rather than read their contents, for each was four pages long, and after a moment he folded them up again. 他打开了信，几乎没有看，只是匆匆扫了一眼，每封信都有四页，一会儿他就把信折了起来。 'Let's be off, ' he said, 'I'll reply tomorrow.' “我们走吧，”他对我说，“我明天再写回信。” 
我们到了警长那儿，阿尔芒把玛格丽特姐姐的委托书交给了他。 In return, the superintendent gave him an advice note for the cemetery keeper; it was agreed that the transfer of the remains should take place the following day at ten in the morning, that I should come and collect him an hour beforehand and that we would drive to the cemetery together. 警长收下委托书，换了一张给公墓看守人的通知书交给他；约定次日上午十点迁葬。我在事前一个小时去找阿尔芒，然后一起去公墓。 I too was curious to be present at the spectacle, and I confess I did not sleep that night. 我对参加这样一次迁葬也很感兴趣，老实说，我一夜都没睡好。 Judging by the thoughts which assailed me, it must have been a long night for Armand. 连我的脑子里都是乱糟糟的，可想而知这一夜对阿尔芒来说是多么漫长啊！
| 
