carmen(卡门)-第9章
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dumfounded； my heart full of rage。
〃 'What are you doing here？' said the lieutenant to me。 'Take yourself
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offget out of this。'
〃I couldn't move a step。 I felt paralyzed。 The officer grew angry； and
seeing I did not go out； and had not even taken off my forage cap； he
caught me by the collar and shook me roughly。 I don't know what I said to
him。 He drew his sword； and I unsheathed mine。 The old woman caught
hold of my arm； and the lieutenant gave me a wound on the forehead； of
which I still bear the scar。 I made a step backward； and with one jerk of
my elbow I threw old Dorotea down。 Then； as the lieutenant still pressed
me； I turned the point of my sword against his body and he ran upon it。
Then Carmen put out the lamp and told Dorotea； in her own language； to
take to flight。 I fled into the street myself； and began running along； I
knew not whither。 It seemed to me that some one was following me。 When
I came to myself I discovered that Carmen had never left me。
〃 'Great stupid of a canary…bird！' she said； 'you never make anything
but blunders。 And； indeed； you know I told you I should bring you bad
luck。 But come； there's a cure for everything when you have a Fleming
from Rome* for your love。 Begin by rolling this handkerchief round your
head； and throw me over that belt of yours。 Wait for me in this alleyI'll
be back in two minutes。
* /Flamenco de Roma/； a slang term for the gipsies。 Roma does not
stand for the Eternal City； but for the nation of the /romi/； or the
married folka name applied by the gipsies to themselves。 The first
gipsies seen in Spain probably came from the Low Countries； hence
their name of /Flemings/。
〃She disappeared； and soon came back bringing me a striped cloak
which she had gone to fetch； I knew not whence。 She made me take off my
uniform； and put on the cloak over my shirt。 Thus dressed； and with the
wound on my head bound round with the handkerchief； I was tolerably
like a Valencian peasant； many of whom come to Seville to sell a drink
they make out of '/chufas/。'* Then she took me to a house very much like
Dorotea's； at the bottom of a little lane。 Here she and another gipsy woman
washed and dressed my wounds； better than any army surgeon could have
done； gave me something； I know not what； to drink； and finally made me
lie down on a mattress； on which I went to sleep。
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* A bulbous root； out of which rather a pleasant beverage is
manufactured。
〃Probably the woman had mixed one of the soporific drugs of which
they know the secret in my drink； for I did not wake up till very late the
next day。 I was rather feverish； and had a violent headache。 It was some
time before the memory of the terrible scene in which I had taken part on
the previous night came back to me。 After having dressed my wound；
Carmen and her friend； squatting on their heels beside my mattress；
exchanged a few words of '/chipe calli/；' which appeared to me to be
something in the nature of a medical consultation。 Then they both of them
assured me that I should soon be cured； but that I must get out of Seville at
the earliest possible moment； for that； if I was caught there； I should most
undoubtedly be shot。
〃 'My boy；' said Carmen to me； 'you'll have to do something。 Now that
the king won't give you either rice or haddock* you'll have to think of
earning your livelihood。 You're too stupid for stealing /a pastesas/。** But
you are brave and active。 If you have the pluck； take yourself off to the
coast and turn smuggler。 Haven't I promised to get you hanged？ That's
better than being shot； and besides； if you set about it properly； you'll live
like a prince as long as the /minons/*** and the coast…guard don't lay their
hands on your collar。'
* The ordinary food of a Spanish soldier。
** /Ustilar a pastesas/； to steal cleverly； to purloin without
violence。
*** A sort of volunteer corps。
〃In this attractive guise did this fiend of a girl describe the new career
she was suggesting to me；the only one； indeed； remaining； now I had
incurred the penalty of death。 Shall I confess it； sir？ She persuaded me
without much difficulty。 This wild and dangerous life； it seemed to me；
would bind her and me more closely together。 In future； I thought； I should
be able to make sure of her love。
〃I had often heard talk of certain smugglers who travelled about
Andalusia； each riding a good horse； with his mistress behind him and his
blunderbuss in his fist。 Already I saw myself trotting up and down the
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world； with a pretty gipsy behind me。 When I mentioned that notion to her；
she laughed till she had to hold her sides； and vowed there was nothing in
the world so delightful as a night spent camping in the open air； when each
/rom/ retired with his /romi/ beneath their little tent； made of three hoops
with a blanket thrown across them。
〃 'If I take to the mountains；' said I to her； 'I shall be sure of you。
There'll be no lieutenant there to go shares with me。'
〃 'Ha！ ha！ you're jealous！' she retorted； 'so much the worse for you。
How can you be such a fool as that？ Don't you see I must love you；
because I have never asked you for money？'
〃When she said that sort to thing I could have strangled her。
〃To shorten the story； sir； Carmen procured me civilian clothes；
disguised in which I got out of Seville without being recognised。 I went to
Jerez； with a letter from Pastia to a dealer in anisette whose house was the
smugglers' meeting…place。 I was introduced to them； and their leader；
surnamed /El Dancaire/； enrolled me in his gang。 We started for Gaucin；
where I found Carmen； who had told me she would meet me there。 In all
these expeditions she acted as spy for our gang； and she was the best that
ever was seen。 She had now just returned from Gibraltar； and had already
arranged with the captain of a ship for a cargo of English goods which we
were to receive on the coast。 We went to meet it near Estepona。 We hid
part in the mountains； and laden with the rest； we proceeded to Ronda。
Carmen had gone there before us。 It was she again who warned us when
we had better enter the town。 This first journey； and several subsequent
ones； turned out well。 I found the smuggler's life pleasanter than a soldier's：
I could give presents to Carmen； I had money； and I had a mistress。 I felt
little or no remorse； for； as the gipsies say； 'The happy man never longs to
scratch his itch。' We were made welcome everywhere； my comrades
treated me well； and even showed me a certain respect。 The reason of this
was that I had killed my man； and that some of them had no exploit of that
description on their conscience。 But what I valued most in my new life
was that I often saw Carmen。 She showed me more affection than ever；
nevertheless； she would never admit； before my comrades； that she was
my mistress； and she had even made me swear all sorts of oaths that I
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would not say anything about her to them。 I was so weak in that creature's
hands； that I obeyed all her whims。 And besides； this was the first time she
had revealed herself as possessing any of the reserve of a well…conducted
woman； and I was simple enough to believe she had really cast off her
former habits。
〃Our gang； which consisted of eight or ten men； was hardly ever
together except at decisive moments； and we were usually scattered by
twos and threes about the towns and villages。 Each one of us pretended to
have some trade。 One was a tinker； another was a groom； I was supposed
to peddle haberdashery； but I hardly ever showed myself in large places；
on account of my unlucky business at Seville。 One day； or rather one night；
we were to meet below Veger。 /El Dancaire/ and I got there before the
others。
〃 'We shall soon have a new comrade；' said he。 'Carmen has just
managed one of her best tricks。 She has contrived the escape of her /rom/；
who was in the /presidio/ at Tarifa。'
〃I was already beginning to understand the gipsy language； which
nearly all my comrades spoke； and this word /rom/ startled me。
〃What！ her husband？ Is she married； then？' said I to the captain。
〃 'Yes！' he replied； 'married to Garcia /el Tuerto/*as cunning a gipsy
as she is herself。 The poor fellow has been at the galleys。 Carmen has
wheedled the surgeon of the /presidio/ to such good purpose that she has
managed to get her /rom/ out of prison。 Faith！ that girl's worth her weight
in gold。 For two years she has been trying to contrive his escape； but she
could do nothing until the authorities took it into their heads to change the
surgeon。 She soon managed to come to an understanding with this new
one。'
* One…eyed man。
〃You may imagine how pleasant this news was for me。 I soon saw
Garcia /el Tuerto/。 He was the very ugliest brute that was ever nursed in
gipsydom。 His skin was black； his soul was blacker； and he was altogether
the most thorough…paced ruffian I ever came across in my life。 Carmen
arrived with him； and when she called him her /rom/ in my presence； you
should have seen the eyes she made at me； and the faces she pulled
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