-
THE NECKLACE
项链
Mathilde Loisel was one of those poor girls
，
pretty
，
charming and
romantic
，
who
，
in spite of their romantic dreams
，
are married to a
mediocrity
．
Her husband was a clerk in the Ministry of Education
．
世上有些贫穷人家的姑娘 ，身段漂亮，相貌迷人，而且充满罗曼蒂克的想法。然
而，尽管她们做着美丽浪漫的梦，却嫁给了平民百 姓为妻。玛蒂尔德·卢瓦泽尔便
是其中之一，她的丈夫只是教育部里的一名小职员。
One evening her husband came home with an air of triumph
．
一天晚上，她丈夫神采飞扬地回到家里。
“I have something nice for you，”he said，
giving her a large
envelope
．
“我有样好东西送给你，”他说道，递给她一个大信封。
She tore open the envelope
，
which contained the following printed card
：
她拆开信封，里面装着一张请柬，上面印着：
“The Minister of Education and Madame Georges Ramponneau have the
honour to request the company of Monsieur and Madame Loisel at the
office of the Ministry on Monday evening
，
January 18th
．”
“教育部长乔治 ·朗蓬诺夫人敬请卢瓦泽尔先生及夫人光临
1
月
18
日星期一晚上
在 本部大楼举行的晚会。”
She did not seem delighted
．
On the contrary
，
she flung the invitation
card on the table
，
and said spitefully
：
她似乎一点也不高兴，反而把请柬扔在桌上，没好气地说：
“What's that to me？”
“那跟我有啥关系？”
“Why，
my dear
，
I thought you'd be pleased
．
You like a dance
，
don't
you
？
You hardly ever go out
，
and this is really a good chance for you
．
I
had no end of trouble to get it
．
Every one wants it
，
you know
．
All the
officials will be there
，
but only a few clerks are invited
．”
“嗨，亲爱的，我原以为你会高兴的。 你喜欢跳舞，不是吗？你几乎从不出门，这
次对你来说可真是一次极好的机会呀。我费了九牛二虎之力才 弄到这张请柬。所有
的官员都要到场。你知道，每个人都想要，但只邀请了极少数的职员。”
She looked at him ruefully and exclaimed
：
她悲戚地望着他，叫喊道：
“What do you expect me to wear at a party like that？”
“在那种聚会上你叫我穿什么嘛？”
It never occurred to him that she had no pretty dresses nor jewels
．
He
replied hesitatingly
：
他从未想过，她既没有漂亮衣服，也没有珠宝首饰。他吞吞吐吐地说道：
“Why，
the dress you wear when you go to the theatre looks very nice to
me
．”
“嗯，呃，我看，你上剧院穿的那套就挺不错。”
She burst into tears
．
Why did she marry such a dull
，
stupid fellow
？
Only
because she was born into a poor family
．
Oh
，
cruel trick of destiny
！
她的眼泪不禁夺眶而出。她为什么要嫁给这样一个木讷、愚笨的家 伙？只因为她生
在贫寒人家。唉，命运是多么残酷啊！
“What's the matter？”he asked anxiously．
“干嘛哭啊？”他焦急地问道。
“Nothing，”she answered with an effort．“It's only
that I haven't a
suitable dress
，
and so I can't go to the ball
．
Give this card to a
friend of yours whose wife has a better wardrobe than I
．”
“没什么，”她费力地说道，“只是我没有合 适的衣服，因此我不能去参加舞会。
你哪位朋友的夫人有比我更漂亮的衣服，就把请柬送给他好了。”< br>
It was a heart-breaking confession
．
这是令人心碎的自白。
“Come，
Mathilde
，
my dearest
，”the distressed husband said，“how much
do you think it would cost to have a proper dress
，
something rather
simple which would be useful for other occasions after- wards
？”
“得啦，玛蒂尔德，亲爱的，”窘迫之极的丈夫说，“你认为买一件 合适的，就是
说简单些并且以后在其他场合还能穿的衣服要花多少钱？”
She thought for a moment
，
busy with her calculations
．
How much could she
ask without shocking the thrifty husband and provoking a flat refusal
？
她想了一会，脑子里飞快地盘算开来。要不吓着她 那节俭的丈夫，使他不会断然拒
绝，说多少才好呢？
“I'm not sure，
but I think I could manage with four hundred francs
．”
“我也说不上来，不过我想
400
法郎就够开销了。”
The husband turned a little pale
．
She had named the exact sum he had
saved to buy a gun to enjoy shooting on the plain of Nanterre next
summer with a few friends
．
丈夫 脸色略微发白。她所报的数目正好是他存着买枪，准备和他的几个朋友到明年
夏天去南特尔平原打猎用的 。
But he replied
：
但他回答道：
“All right．
You shall have four hundred francs
．
Mind you get a really
nice dress
．”
“好吧，我给你
400
法郎。不过，一定得买一件漂漂亮亮的衣服。”
* * *
The day of the ball drew near
．
Although Madame Loisel had got her
coveted dress
，
she seemed far from pleased
．
舞会的日子愈来愈近了。虽然卢瓦泽尔太太得到了想要 的衣服，似乎她还是一点也
不高兴。
“What is the matter？”her husband asked．
“怎么啦？”她丈夫问道。
“You look out of sorts these days．”
“这些天你怎么没精打采的？”
“It's quite annoying to think that I haven't a single piece of
jewellery to wear
．
I might as well stay at home as cut a miserable
figure at the party
，”she answered．
“想起来就烦人，我连一件珠宝都没有戴的。我最好还是呆在家里，比在晚会上做
出一副可怜相强。” 她回答道。
“How about wearing natural flowers，
then
？”her husband
suggested
．“They are now quite in fashion．
For ten francs you can get
two or three splendid roses
．”
“那你认为戴鲜花怎样？”她丈夫 建议道。“现在很时兴。花
10
法郎就可以买两
三朵上等的玫瑰花。”
“Where did you get such a silly idea？”she replied．“Can't you see
how miserable I'd look among rich women
？”
“你如此愚蠢的念头是从哪里冒出来的？” 她答道，“你难道就想象不出站在一群
贵妇人中间我会显得多寒酸？”
“Well then，”her husband said．“Why
don't you go and ask your
friend
，
Madame Forestier
，
to lend you some jewels
？
She is a good friend
of yours
，
and has a lot of jewellery
，
hasn't she
？”
“呃，那么，” 她丈夫说，“你为什么不去找你的朋友福雷斯蒂埃夫人，向她借些
首饰呢？她是你的好朋友，她有许多珠 宝，不是吗？”
“Yes，
of course
，”she exclaimed in delight．“Why didn
't I think of
it
？”
“是啊！当然行，”她兴奋得高声说道，“我怎么就没想到这点呢？”
The next day she called on Madame Forestier and explained her
trouble
．
Madame Forestier went to her wardrobe
，
took out a large jewel
case
，
and placed it open in front of her friend
．
第二天，她就去拜访福雷斯蒂埃夫人， 给她讲了自己的难处。福雷斯蒂埃夫人走到
衣橱前，取出一只大珠宝箱，把它打开放在她朋友面前。
“Take what you want，
my dear
，”she said．
“亲爱的，看上哪件就挑哪件吧。”她说。
Madame Loisel first saw some bracelets
，
then a pearl necklace
，
then a
Venetian gold cross set with jewels
，
an exquisite piece of magnificent
workmanship
．
She tried them on
，
one after another
，
before the mirror
，
uncertain which to choose
．
卢瓦泽尔夫人首先看了一些手镯，然后看了一串珍珠项链，接着又看了一个威尼斯
式的镶宝石的 金十字架，这件精致的项链手工极棒。她站在镜子前面一件一件地试
戴，拿不准选哪件才好。
“Have you any more？”she asked．
“你还有没有别的？”她问道。
“Oh，
yes
，
look for yourself
．
I don't know what you would like best
．”
“啊，有，你自个儿挑吧。我不知道你最喜欢什么。”
Suddenly Madame Loisel discovered a black satin case
，
in which lay a
superb diamond neck-lace
．
Her heart beat fast
．
With trembling hands
，
she took it out
，
fastened it round her neck
，
and stood gazing at herself
in the mirror
，
lost in admiration
．
突然，卢瓦泽尔夫人发现了一个黑色缎面的首饰盒，里面装着一串上等的钻石项
链。她的心怦怦直跳。 她用哆嗦着的手取出项链，把它扣在脖子上，然后站在镜子
面前出神地欣赏着自己。
She asked fearfully
：
她犹犹豫豫地问道：
“Would you lend me this？
I don't think I need anything else
．”
“你能把这串借给我吗？其他的我就不用了。”
“Why，
yes
，
certainly
．”
“啊，当然可以。”
Madame Loisel threw her arms round her friend's neck
，
kissed her
，
and
hurried out
，
lest her friend should change her mind
．
卢瓦泽尔夫人一 把搂住她朋友的脖子，吻了她就急忙出门而去，惟恐她朋友会改变
主意。
* * *
The night of the ball came at last
．
Madame Loisel was a brilliant
success
．
She looked more beautiful than any other woman
present
．
Triumphantly
，
full of grace and joy
，
she danced admirably
，
aware of the rapt eyes of the company
．
All the men inquired her name
，
wanted to be introduced
，
asked her for waltzes
．
She attracted the
attention of even the minister him- self
．
舞会之夜终于来临。卢瓦泽尔太太非常成功。她看上去比所有在场的女人 都漂亮。
她满怀喜悦，温文尔雅，迈着令人赞叹的舞步，洋洋自得地瞟着舞伴投来的痴迷的
目光 。所有的男人都在打听她的姓名，求人介绍，请她跳华尔兹舞，甚至连部长本
人也注意到了她。
She felt as if she were in a beautiful dream
，
intoxicated with
happiness
．
Oh
，
how long she had been yearning for such a moment
！
她感到自己仿佛做着美丽的梦，陶醉在欢乐之中。啊，这一刻她已盼了多久了！
It was about four in the morning before she could tear herself away from
the ball
．
Her husband had been dozing since midnight in a little
deserted drawing room with three other gentlemen whose wives were
enjoying the dance
．
直到早晨大约
4
点钟，她才依依不舍地离开舞会。她丈夫自午夜起就在一间弃而未
用的小客厅里打瞌睡，另外还有三位 先生，他们的夫人也正尽情地跳着舞。
He threw round her shoulders her cloak for everyday wear
，
which looked
strangely incongruous with her elegant ball dress
，
and anxious to escape
the eyes of the other women in rich furs
，
she hurried down the
staircase
．
他把夫人日常 穿的披风披在她的肩头。与她在舞会上穿的那件体面的衣服相比，这
件披风显得格外地不相称。为急于逃 脱那些身着名贵裘衣的女人们的注意，她匆匆
忙忙地跑下楼梯。
No cab was to be seen in the street
，
and
，
shivering with cold
，
they
trudged on towards the Seine
．
At last
，
on the quay
，
they found an old
，
rickety cab rarely seen in Paris in the daytime
．
On reaching their
dwelling
，
they climbed the stairs to their flat in gloomy silence
．
街上一辆马车也找不着，他们冷得直打哆嗦，朝著塞纳河吃力地走 下去。在码头，
他们终于找到一辆破旧的摇摇晃晃的出租马车，这种车白天在巴黎街头是见不到
的。到了住所，在死一般的沉寂中，他们爬上楼梯回到家里。
She took off her garment before the mirror
．
She wanted to enjoy one more
glance at herself
，
decked in all her glory
．
Suddenly she cried out in
horror
．
她站在镜子前脱去外套。她想趁现在满身荣耀，把自己再多 瞧一眼。突然，她惊叫
起来。
“What is the matter？”her husband asked．
He was already half
undressed
；
he had to be at the office by ten the next day
．
“什么事？”她丈夫问道。他衣服已脱了一半，明天
10
点还得准时上班呢。
She turned to him
，
like one mad
．
她转身朝着他，活像个疯子。
“The diamond necklace is gone！”
“钻石项链丢了！”
“What？
How
？
Impossible
！”
“什么？怎么会？不可能！”
They searched the folds of her skirt and cloak
，
her pockets
，
everywhere
；
but the necklace was nowhere to be seen
．
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