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carmen(卡门)-第12章

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                                          CARMEN 



whenever Garcia turned his head away。 

     〃I   was   disgusted;   and   never   spoke   a   word   to   her   all   night。 The  next 

morning   we   had   made   up   our   packs;   and   had   already   started;   when   we 

became aware that we had a dozen horsemen on our heels。 The braggart 

Andalusians;  who   had   been   boasting   they  would   murder   every  one   who 

came near them; cut a pitiful figure at once。 There was a general rout。 /El 

Dancaire/; Garcia; a good…looking fellow from Ecija; who was called /El 

Remendado/;   and   Carmen   herself;   kept   their   wits   about   them。   The   rest 

forsook   the   mules   and   took   to   the   gorges;   where   the   horses   could   not 

follow     them。    There   was    no   hope   of   saving    the  mules;    so  we    hastily 

unstrapped the best part of our booty; and taking it on our shoulders; we 

tried   to   escape   through   the   rocks   down   the   steepest   of   the   slopes。   We 

threw our packs down in front of us and followed them as best we could; 

slipping along on our heels。 Meanwhile the enemy fired at us。 It was the 

first time I had ever heard bullets whistling around me and I didn't mind it 

very much。 When there's a woman looking on; there's no particular merit 

in   snapping      one's   fingers   at  death。    We    all  escaped    except    the   poor 

/Remendado/; who received a bullet wound in the loins。 I threw away my 

pack and tried to lift him up。 

     〃 'Idiot!' shouted Garcia; 'what do we want with offal! Finish him off; 

and don't lose the cotton stockings!' 

     〃 'Drop him!' cried Carmen。 

     〃I was so exhausted that I was obliged to lay him down for a moment 

under a rock。 Garcia came up; and fired his blunderbuss full into his face。 

'He'd be a clever fellow who recognised him now!' said he; as he looked at 

the face; cut to pieces by a dozen slugs。 

     〃There;   sir;   that's   the   delightful   sort   of   life   I've   led!   That   night   we 

found ourselves   in   a  thicket;  worn out with   fatigue;  with   nothing   to  eat; 

and ruined by the loss of our mules。 What do you think that devil Garcia 

did? He pulled a pack of cards out of his pocket and began playing games 

with   /El   Dancaire/   by  the   light   of   a   fire   they  kindled。   Meanwhile   I   was 

lying down; staring at the stars; thinking of /El Remendado/; and   telling 

myself   I   would   just   as lief   be   in   his place。   Carmen   was   squatting   down 

near me; and every now and then she would rattle her castanets and hum a 



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                                         CARMEN 



tune。 Then; drawing close to me; as if she would have whispered in my ear; 

she kissed me two or three times over almost against my will。 

     〃 'You are a devil;' said I to her。 

     〃 'Yes;' she replied。 

     〃After a few hours' rest; she departed to Gaucin; and the next morning 

a little goatherd brought us some food。 We stayed there all that day; and in 

the   evening   we   moved   close   to   Gaucin。   We   were   expecting   news   from 

Carmen; but none came。 After daylight broke we saw a muleteer attending 

a well…dressed woman with a parasol; and a little girl who seemed to be 

her servant。 Said Garcia; 'There go two mules and two women whom St。 

Nicholas has sent us。 I would rather have had four mules; but no matter。 

I'll do the best I can with these。' 

     〃He took his blunderbuss; and went down the pathway; hiding himself 

among the brushwood。 

     〃We followed him; /El Dancaire/ and I keeping a little way behind。 As 

soon   as   the   woman   saw   us;   instead   of   being   frightenedand   our   dress 

would have been enough to frighten any oneshe burst into a fit of loud 

laughter。 'Ah! the /lillipendi/! They take me for an /erani/!'* 

     *     〃The idiots; they take me for a smart lady!〃 

     〃It was Carmen; but so well disguised that if she had spoken any other 

language I should never have recognised her。 She sprang off her mule; and 

talked some time in an undertone with /El Dancaire/ and Garcia。 Then she 

said to me: 

     〃   'Canary…bird;   we   shall   meet   again   before   you're   hanged。   I'm  off   to 

Gibraltar on gipsy businessyou'll soon have news of me。' 

     〃We   parted;   after   she   had   told   us   of   a   place   where   we   should   find 

shelter for some days。 That girl was the providence of our gang。 We soon 

received   some   money   sent   by   her;   and   a   piece   of   news   which   was   still 

more   useful   to   usto   the   effect   that   on   a   certain   day   two   English   lords 

would travel from Gibraltar to Granada by a road she mentioned。 This was 

a word to the wise。 They had plenty of good guineas。 Garcia would have 

killed   them;   but   /El   Dancaire/   and   I   objected。   All   we   took   from   them; 

besides their shirts; which we greatly needed; was their money and their 

watches。 



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     〃Sir;   a   man   may   turn   rogue   in   sheer   thoughtlessness。 You   lose   your 

head     over   a  pretty   girl;  you   fight  another    man    about    her;  there   is  a 

catastrophe;   you      have   to  take   to   the   mountains;   and   you   turn   from   a 

smuggler into a robber before you have time to think about it。 After this 

matter     of  the  English    lords;   we   concluded     that  the   neighbourhood       of 

Gibraltar would not be healthy for us; and we plunged into the /Sierra de 

Ronda/。 You once mentioned Jose…Maria to me。 Well; it was there I made 

acquaintance   with       him。   He   always   took    his   mistress   with   him   on   his 

expeditions。   She   was   a   pretty   girl;   quiet;   modest;   well…   mannered;   you 

never heard a vulgar word from her; and she was quite devoted to him。 He; 

on his side; led her a very unhappy life。 He was always running after other 

women;   he   ill…treated   her;   and   then   sometimes   he   would   take   it   into   his 

head   to   be   jealous。  One day  he   slashed   her   with   a   knife。 Well; she only 

doted on him the more! That's the way with women; and especially with 

Andalusians。   This   girl      was   proud   of   the   scar   on  her   arm;   and  would 

display it as though it were the most beautiful thing in the world。 And then 

Jose…Maria was   the  worst   of comrades in the bargain。  In one  expedition 

we made with him; he managed so that he kept all the profits; and we had 

all the trouble and the blows。 But I must go back to my story。 We had no 

sign at all from Carmen。 /El Dancaire/ said: 'One of us will have to go to 

Gibraltar to get news of her。 She must have planned some business。 I'd go 

at once; only I'm too well known at Gibraltar。' /El Tuerto/ said: 

     〃   'I'm  well   known      there   too。  I've  played    so   many     tricks  on   the 

crayfish*and as I've only one eye; it is not overeasy for me to disguise 

myself。' 

     *     Name applied by the Spanish populace to the British soldiers; on 

account of the colour of their uniform。 

     〃 'Then I suppose I must go;' said I; delighted at the very idea of seeing 

Carmen again。 'Well; how am I to set about it?' 

     〃The others answered: 

     〃 'You must either go by sea; or you must get through by San Rocco; 

whichever you like the best; once you are in Gibraltar; inquire in the port 

where a chocolate…seller called /La Rollona/ lives。 When you've found her; 

she'll tell you everything that's happening。' 



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     〃It   was   settled   that   we   were   all   to   start   for   the   Sierra;   that   I   was   to 

leave   my   two   companions   there;   and   take   my   way   to   Gibraltar;   in   the 

character     of  a  fruit…seller。   At  Ronda     one   of   our  men    procured     me   a 

passport; at Gaucin I was provided with a donkey。 I loaded it with oranges 

and melons; and started forth。 When I reached Gibraltar I found that many 

people knew /La   Rollona/; but   that she   was either   dead or   had gone /ad 

finibus terroe/;* and; to my mind; her disappearance explained the failure 

of   our   correspondence   with   Carmen。  I   stabled   my  donkey;  and   began   to 

move about the town; carrying my oranges as though to sell them; but in 

reality looking to see whether I could not come across any face I   knew。 

The place is full of ragamuffins from every country in the world; and it 

really is like the Tower of Babel; for you can't go ten paces along a street 

without hearing as many languages。 I did see some gipsies; but I  
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