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雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第30部分

小说: 雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1 字数: 每页4000字

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  A smoky tap…room presented itself; they entered; and the remainder of their confidential colloquy was lost in shadow。
  The result of these shades was a dazzling pleasure party which took place on the following Sunday; the four young men inviting the four young girls。


BOOK THIRD。IN THE YEAR 1817
CHAPTER III 
  FOUR AND FOUR
  It is hard nowadays to picture to one's self what a pleasure…trip of students and grisettes to the country was like; forty…five years ago。The suburbs of Paris are no longer the same; the physiognomy of what may be called circumparisian life has changed pletely in the last half…century; where there was the cuckoo; there is the railway car; where there was a tender…boat; there is now the steamboat; people speak of Fecamp nowadays as they spoke of Saint…Cloud in those days。The Paris of 1862 is a city which has France for its outskirts。
  The four couples conscientiously went through with all the country follies possible at that time。
  The vacation was beginning; and it was a warm; bright; summer day。
  On the preceding day; Favourite; the only one who knew how to write; had written the following to Tholomyes in the name of the four:
  〃It is a good hour to emerge from happiness。〃
  That is why they rose at five o'clock in the morning。Then they went to Saint…Cloud by the coach; looked at the dry cascade and exclaimed; 〃This must be very beautiful when there is water!〃They breakfasted at the Tete…Noir; where Castaing had not yet been; they treated themselves to a game of ring…throwing under the quincunx of trees of the grand fountain; they ascended Diogenes' lantern; they gambled for macaroons at the roulette establishment of the Pont de Sevres; picked bouquets at Pateaux; bought reed…pipes at Neuilly; ate apple tarts everywhere; and were perfectly happy。
  The young girls rustled and chatted like warblers escaped from their cage。
  It was a perfect delirium。
  From time to time they bestowed little taps on the young men。
  Matutinal intoxication of life! adorable years! the wings of the dragonfly quiver。
  Oh; whoever you may be; do you not remember?
  Have you rambled through the brushwood; holding aside the branches; on account of the charming head which is ing on behind you?
  Have you slid; laughing; down a slope all wet with rain; with a beloved woman holding your hand; and crying; 〃Ah; my new boots! what a state they are in!〃
  Let us say at once that that merry obstacle; a shower; was lacking in the case of this good…humored party; although Favourite had said as they set out; with a magisterial and maternal tone; 〃The slugs are crawling in the paths;a sign of rain; children。〃
  All four were madly pretty。
  A good old classic poet; then famous; a good fellow who had an Eleonore; M。 le Chevalier de Labouisse; as he strolled that day beneath the chestnut…trees of Saint…Cloud; saw them pass about ten o'clock in the morning; and exclaimed; 〃There is one too many of them;〃 as he thought of the Graces。Favourite; Blachevelle's friend; the one aged three and twenty; the old one; ran on in front under the great green boughs; jumped the ditches; stalked distractedly over bushes; and presided over this merry…making with the spirit of a young female faun。Zephine and Dahlia; whom chance had made beautiful in such a way that they set each off when they were together; and pleted each other; never left each other; more from an instinct of coquetry than from friendship; and clinging to each other; they assumed English poses; the first keepsakes had just made their appearance; melancholy was dawning for women; as later on; Byronism dawned for men; and the hair of the tender sex began to droop dolefully。
  Zephine and Dahlia had their hair dressed in rolls。
  Listolier and Fameuil; who were engaged in discussing their professors; explained to Fantine the difference that existed between M。 Delvincourt and M。 Blondeau。
  Blachevelle seemed to have been created expressly to carry Favourite's single…bordered; imitation India shawl of Ternaux's manufacture; on his arm on Sundays。
  Tholomyes followed; dominating the group。
  He was very gay; but one felt the force of government in him; there was dictation in his joviality; his principal ornament was a pair of trousers of elephant…leg pattern of nankeen; with straps of braided copper wire; he carried a stout rattan worth two hundred francs in his hand; and; as he treated himself to everything; a strange thing called a cigar in his mouth。Nothing was sacred to him; he smoked。
  〃That Tholomyes is astounding!〃 said the others; with veneration。〃What trousers!
  What energy!〃
  As for Fantine; she was a joy to behold。
  Her splendid teeth had evidently received an office from God;laughter。
  She preferred to carry her little hat of sewed straw; with its long white strings; in her hand rather than on her head。
  Her thick blond hair; which was inclined to wave; and which easily uncoiled; and which it was necessary to fasten up incessantly; seemed made for the flight of Galatea under the willows。
  Her rosy lips babbled enchantingly。The corners of her mouth voluptuously turned up; as in the antique masks of Erigone; had an air of encouraging the audacious; but her long; shadowy lashes drooped discreetly over the jollity of the lower part of the face as though to call a halt。
  There was something indescribably harmonious and striking about her entire dress。She wore a gown of mauve barege; little reddish brown buskins; whose ribbons traced an X on her fine; white; open…worked stockings; and that sort of muslin spencer; a Marseilles invention; whose name; canezou; a corruption of the words quinze aout; pronounced after the fashion of the Canebiere; signifies fine weather; heat; and midday。The three others; less timid; as we have already said; wore low…necked dresses without disguise; which in summer; beneath flower…adorned hats; are very graceful and enticing; but by the side of these audacious outfits; blond Fantine's canezou; with its transparencies; its indiscretion; and its reticence; concealing and displaying at one and the same time; seemed an alluring godsend of decency; and the famous Court of Love; presided over by the Vitesse de Cette; with the sea…green eyes; would; perhaps; have awarded the prize for coquetry to this canezou; in the contest for the prize of modesty。The most ingenious is; at times; the wisest。
  This does happen。
  Brilliant of face; delicate of profile; with eyes of a deep blue; heavy lids; feet arched and small; wrists and ankles admirably formed; a white skin which; here and there allowed the azure branching of the veins to be seen; joy; a cheek that was young and fresh; the robust throat of the Juno of AEgina; a strong and supple nape of the neck; shoulders modelled as though by Coustou; with a voluptuous dimple in the middle; visible through the muslin; a gayety cooled by dreaminess; sculptural and exquisitesuch was Fantine; and beneath these feminine adornments and these ribbons one could divine a statue; and in that statue a soul。
  Fantine was beautiful; without being too conscious of it。Those rare dreamers; mysterious priests of the beautiful who silently confront everything with perfection; would have caught a glimpse in this little working…woman; through the transparency of her Parisian grace; of the ancient sacred euphony。
  This daughter of the shadows was thoroughbred。
  She was beautiful in the two ways style and rhythm。
  Style is the form of the ideal; rhythm is its movement。
  We have said that Fantine was joy; she was also modesty。
  To an observer who studied her attentively; that which breathed from her athwart all the intoxication of her age; the season; and her love affair; was an invincible expression of reserve and modesty。She remained a little astonished。
  This chaste astonishment is the shade of difference which separates Psyche from Venus。Fantine had the long; white; fine fingers of the vestal virgin who stirs the ashes of the sacred fire with a golden pin。
  Although she would have refused nothing to Tholomyes; as we shall have more than ample opportunity to see; her face in repose was supremely virginal; a sort of serious and almost austere dignity suddenly overwhelmed her at certain times; and there was nothing more singular and disturbing than to see gayety bee so suddenly extinct there; and meditation succeed to cheerfulness without any transition state。This sudden and sometimes severely accentuated gravity resembled the disdain of a goddess。
  Her brow; her nose; her chin; presented that equilibrium of outline which is quite distinct from equilibrium of proportion; and from which harmony of countenance results; in the very characteristic interval which separates the base of the nose from the upper lip; she had that imperceptible and charming fold; a mysterious sign of chastity; which makes Barberousse fall in love with a Diana found in the treasures of Iconia。
  Love is a fault; so be it。
  Fantine was innocence floating high over fault。


BOOK THIRD。IN THE YEAR 1817
CHAPTER IV 
  THOLOMYES IS SO MERRY THAT HE SINGS A SPANISH DITTY
  That day was posed of dawn; from one end to the other。All nature seemed to be having a holiday; and to be laughing。The flower…beds of Saint…Cloud perfumed the air; the breath of the Seine rustled the leaves vaguely; the branches gesticulated in the wind; bees pillaged the jasmines; a whole bohemia of butterflies swooped down upon the yarrow; the clover; and the sterile oats; in the august park of the King of France there was a pack of vagabonds; the birds。
  The four merry couples; mingled with the sun; the fields; the flowers; the trees; were resplendent。
  And in this munity of Paradise; talking; singing; running; dancing; chasing butterflies; plucking convolvulus; wetting their pink; open…work stockings in the tall grass; fresh; wild; without malice; all received; to some extent; the kisses of all; with the exception of Fantine; who was hedged about with that vague resistance of hers posed of dreaminess and wildness; and who was in love。〃You always have a queer look about you;〃 said Favourite to her。
  Such things are joys。
  These passages of h

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