THE NECKLACE项链(中英对照).docx

1、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 mediocrityHer husband was a clerk in the Ministry of Education One evening her husband came home with an air of triumph “I have something nice for you，”he sa

2、id，giving her a large envelope She tore open the envelope，which contained the following printed card： “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” She did no

3、t seem delightedOn the contrary，she flung the invitation card on the table，and said spitefully： “Whats that to me？” “Why，my dear，I thought youd be pleasedYou like a dance，dont you？You hardly ever go out，and this is really a good chance for youI had no end of trouble to get itEvery one wants it，you k

4、nowAll the officials will be there，but only a few clerks are invited” She looked at him ruefully and exclaimed： “What do you expect me to wear at a party like that？” It never occurred to him that she had no pretty dresses nor jewelsHe replied hesitatingly： “Why，the dress you wear when you go to the

5、theatre looks very nice to me” She burst into tearsWhy did she marry such a dull，stupid fellow？Only because she was born into a poor familyOh，cruel trick of destiny！ “Whats the matter？”he asked anxiously “Nothing，”she answered with an effort“Its only that I havent a suitable dress，and so I cant go t

6、o the ballGive this card to a friend of yours whose wife has a better wardrobe than I” It was a heart-breaking confession “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 occasio

7、ns after- wards？” She thought for a moment，busy with her calculationsHow much could she ask without shocking the thrifty husband and provoking a flat refusal？ “Im not sure， but I think I could manage with four hundred francs” The husband turned a little paleShe had named the exact sum he had saved t

8、o buy a gun to enjoy shooting on the plain of Nanterre next summer with a few friendsBut he replied： “All rightYou shall have four hundred francsMind you get a really nice dress” * * * The day of the ball drew nearAlthough Madame Loisel had got her coveted dress， she seemed far from pleased “What is

9、 the matter？”her husband asked “You look out of sorts these days” “Its quite annoying to think that I havent a single piece of jewellery to wearI might as well stay at home as cut a miserable figure at the party，”she answered “How about wearing natural flowers，then？”her husband suggested“They are no

10、w quite in fashionFor ten francs you can get two or three splendid roses” “Where did you get such a silly idea？”she replied“Cant you see how miserable Id look among rich women？” “Well then，”her husband said“Why dont you go and ask your friend，Madame Forestier，to lend you some jewels？She is a good fr

11、iend of yours，and has a lot of jewellery，hasnt she？” “Yes，of course，”she exclaimed in delight“Why didnt I think of it？” The next day she called on Madame Forestier and explained her troubleMadame Forestier went to her wardrobe，took out a large jewel case，and placed it open in front of her friend “Ta

12、ke what you want，my dear，”she said Madame Loisel first saw some bracelets，then a pearl necklace，then a Venetian gold cross set with jewels，an exquisite piece of magnificent workmanshipShe tried them on，one after another，before the mirror，uncertain which to choose “Have you any more？”she asked “Oh，ye

13、s，look for yourselfI dont know what you would like best” Suddenly Madame Loisel discovered a black satin case，in which lay a superb diamond neck-laceHer heart beat fastWith trembling hands， she took it out，fastened it round her neck，and stood gazing at herself in the mirror，lost in admiration She as

14、ked fearfully： “Would you lend me this？I dont think I need anything else” “Why，yes，certainly” Madame Loisel threw her arms round her friends neck， kissed her，and hurried out，lest her friend should change her mindThe night of the ball came at lastMadame Loisel was a brilliant successShe looked more b

15、eautiful than any other woman presentTriumphantly，full of grace and joy，she danced admirably，aware of the rapt eyes of the companyAll the men inquired her name，wanted to be introduced，asked her for waltzesShe attracted the attention of even the minister him- self She felt as if she were in a beautif

16、ul dream，intoxicated with happinessOh，how long she had been yearning for such a moment！ It was about four in the morning before she could tear herself away from the ballHer husband had been dozing since midnight in a little deserted drawing room with three other gentlemen whose wives were enjoying t

17、he dance 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 No cab was to be seen in the street，and，shivering with cold，they trudged on t

18、owards the SeineAt last，on the quay，they found an old，rickety cab rarely seen in Paris in the daytimeOn reaching their dwelling，they climbed the stairs to their flat in gloomy silence She took off her garment before the mirrorShe wanted to enjoy one more glance at herself， decked in all her glorySud

19、denly she cried out in horror “What is the matter？”her husband askedHe was already half undressed；he had to be at the office by ten the next day She turned to him，like one mad “The diamond necklace is gone！” “What？How？Impossible！” They searched the folds of her skirt and cloak， her pockets，everywher

20、e；but the necklace was nowhere to be seen “You had it on when you left the ball？” “Yes，I remember fingering it in the vestibule” “If you had dropped it in the street，we should have heard the soundYou must have lost it in the cab” “Probably，did you notice the number？” “No，I didnt” They gazed at each

21、other in consternation “Ill go back all over the road and try to find it” He hurried outShe flung herself down in a chair，and remained there blankly，the very picture of despairAbout seven oclock he re- turned，empty-handedThen he reported to the police and made inquiries among the cab companies，but a

22、ll in vainMadame Forestiers di- amond necklace seemed to have vanished into thin air“Write to your friend，”the husband said，“that you have injured the clasp of her necklace and that you are having it mendedWe must have time to think over the matter” * * * A week had passed without bringing them any

23、spark of hopeLoisel，who now looked five years older，said， “Well have to replace the necklace” The next day they took the empty case to the jewellers whose name they found inside the lidHe consulted his books “We did not sell the necklaceWe only supplied the case” They went from jeweller to jeweller，

24、searching for a necklace like the one they had lostAt last，in a shop at the Palais Royal they found a diamond necklace exactly like Madame ForestiersThe price was forty thousand francsThe jeweller agreed to sell it for thirty-six They begged him not to sell it for three days， and they got him to pro

25、mise that he would buy it back for thirty-four thousand francs，in case they should find the lost necklace by the end of February He rushed for a loan to everybody， asking a thousand francs from one man，five hundred from another，five louis here，three louis thereHe blindly signed promissory notes，agre

26、ed to unreasonable terms，even called on professional money- lenders At last he obtained the thirty-six thousand francs，but at the risk of his whole futureHow could he hope to return so much money？And when？Crushing despair gnawed at his heart * * * Madame Forestier received the necklace with an air o

27、f displeasure “You should have returned it soonerI might need it at any moment” Madame Loisel feared lest her friend should examine the necklace and notice the differenceHowever，Madame Forestier carelessly put the case away without looking at the contents * * * Then came to the couple days，weeks and

28、 years of drudgeryThey heroically resolved to pay the appalling debt by working hardThey quitted the flat and moved into a garretThey bought nothing except daily necessaries，which they tried to do without often enoughShe learned to bargain with tradesmen，ready to quarrel for every sonHer daydreaming

29、 was replaced by a constant endeavour to pay her way Each month some of the promissory notes had to be renewed，only to gain timeThe husband worked after office hours，keeping accounts for a tradesman，and late at night copying manuscripts at five sons a page A new year came，followed by another andanot

30、her，and still they grubbed on，until ten years had flowed onTheir efforts were not in vainAt the end of that time they had managed to pay off everything，including interest at high rate Madame Loisel now looked older than her ageHer hair disheveled，her skirt turned to one side， her hands rough and har

31、dened，the former sentimental，romantic woman had turned into a stout- hearted matron who had tasted the bitters of lifeNow and then，however，when her husband was away at the office，she would sit by the window and think of the glory of that danceWhat sort of woman would she be now，if she had not lost t

32、he necklace？Who knows？One Sunday she went for a stroll in the Champs-Elyses to divert her mind from the labours of the week，when she caught sight of a lady with a childIt was Madame restier！ Madame Forestier looked as young，as beautiful， and as charming as ten years beforeMadame Loisel felt her hear

33、t beat hardShould she speak to her？Yes，of courseThe debt had all been paid； she might tell her all about itWhy not？She went up to Madame Forestier “Hello，Jeanne！” Her friend looked mystified，addressed by a poorlydressed stranger：She had not recognized Madame Loisel “Im afraid youve made a mistakeSor

34、ry，but I dont know you，she said Jeanne！Its meMathilde Loisel” Madame Forestier uttered a cry of surprise “Oh，my poor Mathild！Whats happened to you？Youre quite a stranger！ “Yes， Ive had a very hard time since thenand all through you！ “Through me！How can that be？” “You remember the diamond necklace I

35、borrowed from you to attend the dance at the Educa-10tion Office？” “Yes，Well？” “Well，I lost it” “What makes you say so？You returned it to me” “What I returned to you was another one，exactly like itAnd for the last ten years my husband and I have been working hard to pay for itYou know，it is hard for

36、 us poor people to pay thirtysix thousand francsBut dont worry！Its all over nowWeve paid it in full” Madame Forestier stopped short “You say that you lost my necklace and bought a diamond necklace like mine to replace it？ “YesYouve never noticed it，then！They were exactly alike” Madame Forestier， dee

37、ply moved，seized bothher hands “Oh， my poor Mathilde！What have you done？Why， mine was only imitation， not genuine！ * * * “Then you dont think our ten years labour wasted？”the husband asked “Wasted？Oh，no！ When you were at the office，I often sat by the window and wondered what sortof person I should b

38、e if I had not lost the necklaceNow I know my answer” “ I know your answer， my dear，the husbandsaid “Yes，it was the lost necklace that inspired us with courage，endurance and perseveranceBut for that incident，Id have remained a selfish，graceless， thankless personWasted？Oh，no！” At that moment there ca

39、me a knock at the doorMadame Loisel opened it，and found Madame Forestier standing there， her face radiant with smiles “Madame Forestier！” “My dear Mathilde，Im going on a tour tomorrow，”Madame Forestier hastily said“Before I start，I want to make you a present of this necklacePlease accept it” Before

40、Mathilde could say anything，Madame Forestier was gone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。 一天晚上，她丈夫神采飞扬地回到家里。 “我有样好东西送给你，”他说道，递给她一个大信封。 她拆开信封，里面装着一张请柬，上面印着： “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。” 她似乎一点也不高兴，反而把请柬扔在桌上，没好气地说： “那跟我有啥关系？” “

41、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。” 她悲戚地望着他，叫喊道： “在那种聚会上你叫我穿什么嘛？” 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： “嗯，呃，我看，你上剧院穿的那套就挺不错。” 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！ “干嘛哭啊？”他焦急地问道。 “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

42、的夫人有比我更漂亮的衣服，就把请柬送给他好了。” 这是令人心碎的自白。“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？” 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？ “我也说不上来，不过我想400法郎就够开销了。” 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。 但他回答道： “好吧，我给你400法郎。不过，一定得买一件漂漂亮亮的衣服。” 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。 “

43、怎么啦？”她丈夫问道。“这些天你怎么没精打采的？” “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。“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。” “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？” “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？” “是啊！当然行，”她兴奋得高声说道，“我怎么就没想到这点呢？” 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

44、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。 “亲爱的，看上哪件就挑哪件吧。”她说。 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。 “你还有没有别的？”她问道。 “啊，有，你自个儿挑吧。我不知道你最喜欢什么。” 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。 她犹犹豫豫地问道： “你能把这串借给我吗？其他的我就不用了。” “啊，当然可以。” 卢瓦

45、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。 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。 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！ 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。 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

46、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。 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。 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。 “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。 她转身朝着他，活像个疯子。 “钻石项链丢了！” “什么？怎么会？不可能！” 他们搜寻她的裙子和披风的折层，搜寻她的衣袋，搜寻每个地方，但那项链就是找不到。 “离开舞会时

47、你还戴着吗？”“是啊，我记得在门厅里还摸过。” “如果你把它掉在街上，我们该会听到声响。你肯定是在马车上丢掉的。” “也许。你注意到车号了吗？” “没有。” 他们惊恐万状地相互看着。 “我要把刚才走过的路回去重走一遍，设法把它找回来。” 他急匆匆地赶了出去。她猛地瘫坐在椅子上，眼前一片茫然，一幅完全绝望的情景。约摸7点，他回来了，两手空空。之后他去警察局报案，向出租马车的公司逐个打听，但全都白费劲。福雷斯蒂埃夫人的钻石项链就好像飞到了九霄云外。 “给你的朋友写信，”丈夫说道，“就说你把项链的扣环弄坏了，正在请人修。我们得有时间把这件事好好考虑一下。”一个星期过去了，并没有给他们带来丁点儿希望。卢瓦泽尔好像一下子老了5岁，他说： “我们只好买条项链来赔了。” 第二天，他们在那首饰盒的盖子里发现了珠宝店的店名，便拿着空盒子去找老板，他查了他的登记簿。 “我们没有卖过这条项链。我们只配了这个首饰盒。” 他们找了一家又一家珠宝店，想寻找一条与他们丢失的项链相仿的。终于在王宫街的一家店铺里发现一条与福雷斯蒂埃夫人那串一模一样的，标价4万法郎。店主后来答应以36 000法郎出手。 他们求他给他们保留3天，并且跟他讲妥，万一他们在2月底以前找到那串丢失的项链，店主愿意以34 000法郎的价格购回。 他上天入地到处借钱，向这个借1000法郎，向那个借500；这里