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It was market—day,and from all the country round Goderville the peasants and their wives were coming toward the town.The men walked slowly,throwing the whole body forward at every step of their long,crooked legs.They were deformed from pushing the plough which makes the left—shoulder higher,and bends their figures side—ways;from reaping the grain,when they have to spread their legs so as to keep on their feet.Their starched blue blouses,glossy as though varnished,ornamented at collar and cuffs with a little embroidered design and blown out around their bony bodies,looked very much like balloons about to soar,whence issued two arms and two feet.
赶集的日子到了，戈代维尔镇各个村子的农夫和他们的妻子都朝镇上赶来。男人们走得很慢，他们的长腿每前进一步，整个身体就向前一倾，因为他们的腿都有些弯曲变形。因为犁地时耸起左肩、身体向一边倾斜才能推着犁头往前走，割麦时必须两腿分开才能站稳，所以他们的身体变得有些畸形。他们上了浆的蓝布罩衫亮得像上了一层清漆一样，领口和袖口点缀着小小的绣花图案。罩衫在他们骨瘦如柴的身体周围鼓起来，简直就像一只要飘起来的气球，里面冒出两只胳膊和两只脚。
Some of these fellows dragged a cow or a calf at the end of a rope.And just behind the animal followed their wives beating it over the back with a leaf—covered branch to hasten its pace,and carrying large baskets out of which protruded the heads of chickens or ducks.These women walked more quickly and energetically than the men,with their erect,dried—up figures,adorned with scanty little shawls pinned over their flat bosoms,and their heads wrapped round with a white cloth,enclosing the hair and surmounted by a cap.
一些男人用绳索牵着一头母牛或一只小牛崽。紧跟在牲口后面的是他们的女人，她们用一枝长满绿叶的树枝鞭打着牲口，以加快它们的步伐。她们的胳膊上都挎着一些大篮子，篮子里的鸡和鸭露出头来。她们的步伐比男人们快而且有力，身躯干瘦而挺拔，裹在一条用别针别在平坦胸部上的窄小围巾里，头上裹着的白布包住了头发，头上还戴着一顶帽子。
Now a char—a—banc passed by,jogging along behind a nag and shaking up strangely the two men on the seat,and the woman at the bottom of the cart who held fast to its sides to lessen the hard jolting.
这时，一匹老马拉着一辆敞篷大马车慢慢驶过。坐在前排的两个男人和坐在车尾的那个女人都不可思议地摇晃个不停。女人紧紧地抓住了车边，好让自己颠得没那么厉害。
In the market—place at Goderville was a great crowd,a mingled multitude of men and beasts.The horns of cattle,the high,long—napped hats of wealthy peasants,the headdresses of the women came to the surface of that sea.And the sharp,shrill,barking voices made a continuous,wild din,while above it occasionally rose a huge burst of laughter from the sturdy lungs of a merry peasant or a prolonged bellow from a cow tied fast to the wall of a house.
戈代维尔镇的集市上挤满了乱哄哄的人群和牲畜。牛角、乡下土财主的长绒高帽子和女人头巾之类的东西，在人海的表面上浮现。种种尖锐刺耳的大叫声汇成了一阵阵持续不断的、野蛮的嘈杂声，而其中偶尔会响起快活的乡下人从他那健壮的胸膛里爆发出的大笑声，或者是被紧紧地拴在墙边的一头母牛发出的长长的厮吼声。
It all smelled of the stable,of milk,of hay and of perspiration,giving off that half—human,half—animal odor which is peculiar to country folks.
这里闻起来全是牛棚、牛乳、干草，以及汗的味道，还散发着庄稼人所特有的、人畜混杂的气味。
Maitre Hauchecorne,of Breaute,had just arrived at Goderville and was making his way toward the square when he perceived on the ground a little piece of string.Maitre Hauchecorne,economical as are all true Normans,reflected that everything was worth picking up which could be of any use,and he stooped down,but painfully,because he suffered from rheumatism.He took the bit of thin string from the ground and was carefully preparing to roll it up when he saw Maitre Malandain,the harness maker,on his doorstep staring at him.They had once had a quarrel about a halter,and they had borne each other malice ever since.Maitre Hauchecorne was overcome with a sort of shame at being seen by his enemy picking up a bit of string in the road.He quickly hid it beneath his blouse and then slipped it into his breeches pocket,then pretended to be still looking for something on the ground which he did not discover and finally went off toward the market—place,his head bent forward and his body almost doubled in two by rheumatic pains.
布雷欧特村的奥舍科尔纳老板一到戈代维尔镇就往广场走去，这时他发现地上有一小段绳子。奥舍科尔纳老板如同所有地道的诺曼人一样节俭，他认为不论什么东西都有用，都值得捡起来。他吃力地俯下身子，因为他患有风湿病。他从地上捡起这一小段细绳，正准备仔细地把它卷起来，这时他看见马具店老板马朗丹正在自家的门阶处盯着他。他们俩曾经为一副马笼头争吵过，从那以后一直对对方怀有敌意。自已在路上拾起一段绳子的举动被敌人看见了，奥舍科尔纳老板不免觉得有些丢脸。于是他迅速地把这点绳子藏到自已的布罩衫里，随后又把它移到屁股后面的口袋里，然后假装还在地上寻找没找到的东西，最后他向前探着头，离开了这里向集市走去，风湿痛使得他的身体几乎弯成了两段。
He was at once lost in the crowd,which kept moving about slowly and noisily as it chaffered and bargained.The peasants examined the cows,went off,came back,always in doubt for fear of being cheated,never quite daring to decide,looking the seller square in the eye in the effort to discover the tricks of the man and the defect in the beast.
他立刻消失在了人群中，那些人正在讨价还价，所以移动得很慢，闹哄哄的。农夫们仔细地检查着那些待售的母牛，犹豫不决地去了又回，总是害怕上当受骗，一直不敢做决定，反而直直地盯着卖主们的眼睛，想识破他们的花招，挑出牲口的毛病。
The women,having placed their great baskets at their feet,had taken out the poultry,which lay upon the ground,their legs tied together,with terrified eyes and scarlet combs.
女人们把那些大篮子放在自已脚边，从篮子里取出鸡来搁在地上。它们两脚被拴在一起，露出惊恐的眼睛和鲜红的冠子。
They listened to propositions,maintaining their prices in a decided manner with an impassive face or perhaps deciding to accept the smaller price offered,suddenly calling out to the customer who was starting to go away:
她们听着买家出价，面无表情，一副坚定的样子，坚持着自已的要价，或者决定在价格上让一小步，突然叫住那个正欲走开的顾客：
"All right,I'll let you have them,Mait'Anthime."
“好吧，我卖给您了，安汀老板。”
Then,little by little,the square became empty,and when the Angelus struck midday those who lived at a distance poured into the inns.
后来，广场上渐渐地空了起来。当教堂里正午的奉告祈祷钟声敲响以后，住在远处的人们都纷纷涌进各家客店里。
At Jourdain's the great room was filled with eaters,just as the vast court was filled with vehicles of every sort—wagons,gigs,chars—a—bancs,tilburies,innumerable vehicles which have no name,yellow with mud,misshapen,pieced together,raising their shafts to heaven like two arms,or it may be with their nose on the ground and their rear in the air.
在茹尔丹客店里，大厅里坐满了用餐的人。宽阔的院子里也停满了各种车辆——有四轮马车，两轮皮篷车，敞篷大马车，两轮轻便马车，还有无数说不出名字的车辆，那都是些沾满了黄泥、拼凑在一起而且变了形的旧家伙。一些车的两个辕子像两只胳膊一样冲向天空，一些车扑倒在地，车尾朝天。
Just opposite to where the diners were at table the huge fireplace,with its bright flame,gave out a burning heat on the backs of those who sat at the right.Three spits were turning,loaded with chickens,with pigeons and with joints of mutton,and a delectable odor of roast meat and of gravy flowing over crisp brown skin arose from the hearth,kindled merriment,caused mouths to water.
顾客们正在桌旁进餐，对面正好有一个很大的壁炉，熊熊的火光炙烤着右边那些顾客的后背。三把叉着鸡肉、鸽肉和大块羊肉的铁叉在火上翻动着，烤肉的香味和那松脆的棕色肉皮上流淌的油汁的香味从炉膛里散发出来，使得大家兴奋不已，馋涎欲滴。
All the aristocracy of the plough were eating there at Mait'Jourdain's,the innkeeper's,a dealer in horses also and a sharp fellow who had made a great deal of money in his day.
那些庄稼人中的阔佬们都在茹尔丹老板的店里吃饭，他既是旅店老板，也是个马贩子，一个赚了很多钱、狡猾的家伙。
The dishes were passed round,were emptied,as were the jugs of yellow cider.Every one told of his affairs,of his purchases and his sales.They exchanged news about the crops.The weather was good for greens,but too wet for grain.
菜一盘一盘地上来了，盘子一会儿就空了，就像盛黄色苹果酒的罐子一样。各人都谈起了自已的生意，买进、卖出的事情。他们交流着庄稼的信息。天气对于蔬菜来说有利，但是对谷物来说则有些过于潮湿。
Suddenly the drum began to beat in the courtyard before the house.Every one,except some of the most indifferent,was on their feet at once and ran to the door,to the windows,their mouths full and napkins in their hand.
突然，客店门前的院子里响起了鼓声。除了几个最无动于衷的人外，其他人都立刻站了起来，嘴里塞满食物，手中拿着餐巾，跑到门口或窗边去看个究竟。
When the public crier had finished his tattoo he called forth in a jerky voice,pausing in the wrong places:
击完鼓之后，镇上的公告传报员便用急促的声音喊话，他总是在不该停顿的地方停顿：
"Be it known to the inhabitants of Goderville and in general to all persons present at the market that there has been lost this morning on the Beuzeville road,between nine and ten o'clock,a black leather pocketbook containing five hundred francs and business papers.You are requested to return it to the mayor's office at once or to Maitre Fortune Houlbreque,of Manneville.There will be twenty francs reward.'
“请戈代维尔镇的所有居民和所有在集市上的人注意，今天早上九点至十点之间，有人在伯兹维尔马路上丢失一个黑皮夹子，装有五百法郎和一些买卖单据。若有拾到者，请立刻送到镇长办公室或曼维尔村的福蒂纳·乌尔布雷克老板家。归还者可得到二十法郎的酬金。”
Then the man went away.They heard once more at a distance the dull beating of the drum and the faint voice of the crier.Then they all began to talk of this incident,reckoning up the chances which Maitre Houlbreque had of finding or of not finding his pocketbook again.
随后，这个人就离开了。他们又听见远处传来沉闷的鼓声和传报员无力的叫喊声。这时他们开始谈论起这件事，都在推测乌尔布雷克老板找回或者找不回皮夹子的可能性。
The meal went on.They were finishing their coffee when the corporal of gendarmes appeared on the threshold.
大家继续用餐。当骑兵班长出现在客店门口的时候，他们已经喝过咖啡了。
He asked:
他问：
"Is Maitre Hauchecorne,of Breaute,here?"
“布雷欧特村的奥舍科尔纳老板在这儿吗？”
Maitre Hauchecorne,seated at the other end of the table answered:
奥舍科尔纳老板坐在餐桌的另一头，他回答道：
"Here I am,here I am."
“我在这儿，我在这儿。”
And he followed the corporal.
然后他跟着骑兵班长走了。
The mayor was waiting for him,seated in an armchair.He was the notary of the place,a tall,grave man of pompous speech.
镇长坐在扶手椅上，正在等他。他就是当地的公证员，是一个身材高大、严肃而且自负的人。
"Maitre Hauchecorne,"said he,"this morning on the Beuzeville road,you were seen to pick up the pocketbook lost by Maitre Houlbreque,of Manneville."
“奥舍科尔纳老板，”他说，“有人看见您今天早上在伯兹维尔路上拾到了曼维尔村乌尔布雷克老板丢失的那个皮夹子。”
The countryman looked at the mayor in amazement frightened already at this suspicion which rested on him,he knew not why.
这个乡下人惊奇地望着镇长，已经被这个落在他身上的嫌疑吓昏了，不知道发生了什么事情。
"I—I picked up that pocketbook?'
"我……我拾到了那个皮夹子？"
"Yes,YOU."
“是的，是你。”
"I swear I don't even know anything about it.'
"我发誓，对于这件事我一无所知。"
"You were seen."
“有人看见您了。”
"I was seen—I?Who saw me?'
"有人看见我了……我？谁看见我了？"
"M.Malandain,the harness—maker."
“马朗丹先生，马具店的老板。”
Then the old man remembered,understood,and,reddening with anger,said:
于是这个老头想起来了，明白过来了，气得满脸通红，说道：
"Ah!he saw me,did he,the rascal?He saw me picking up this string here,M'sieu le Maire."
“哈！他看见我了，是吗？这个坏蛋！他看见我捡起了这段绳子，您瞧，镇长。”
And fumbling at the bottom of his pocket,he pulled out of it the little end of string.
于是，他在口袋底下摸索了一番，拉出了那一小段绳子的一端。
But the mayor incredulously shook his head:
但是镇长不相信，摇了摇头说：
"You will not make me believe,Maitre Hauchecorne,that M.Malandain,who is a man whose word can be relied on,has mistaken this string for a pocketbook."
“奥舍科尔纳老板，马朗丹先生是一个诚实可信的人，你无法让我相信他会把这段绳子错看成一个皮夹子。”
The peasant,furious,raised his hand and spat on the ground beside him as if to attest his good faith,repeating:
这个乡下人已经怒不可遏了，他举起手，往旁边的地上吐了一口唾沫，好像要证明自已的清白，重复地说：
"For all that,it is God's truth,M'sieu le Maire.There!On my soul's salvation,I repeat it."
“尽管如此，可这些是上帝见证的事实，镇长先生。在这件事上……我再说一遍，我发誓没有半句假话，否则就让我的灵魂得不到救赎。”
The mayor continued:
镇长接着说：
"After you picked up the object in question,you even looked about for some time in the mud to see if a piece of money had not dropped out of it."
“当捡起我们谈的那个东西之后，您甚至还在泥地里找了一会儿，看是否有钱从皮夹子里面掉了出来。”
The good man was choking with indignation and fear.
这个善良的老头听了又气又怕，差点儿喘不过气来。
"How can they tell—how can they tell such lies as that to slander an honest man!How can they?"
“他们怎么可以说出……他们怎么可以说出这样的谎话来诽谤一个老实人！他们怎么可以？”
His protestations were in vain;he was not believed.
他的辩解全是徒劳，镇长根本不相信他。
He was confronted with M.Malandain,who repeated and sustained his testimony.They railed at one another for an hour.At his own request Maitre Hauchecorne was searched.Nothing was found on him.
他和马朗丹先生当面对质，马朗丹口口声声坚持说有那么回事。他们对骂了一个钟头。出于奥舍科尔纳老板自已的请求，有人过来搜身了。在他身上什么也没找到。
At last the mayor,much perplexed,sent him away,warning him that he would inform the public prosecutor and ask for orders.
最后，镇长左右为难，便放了他，但是警告他说，将会告知公诉人并且请示解决办法。
The news had spread.When he left the mayor's office the old man was surrounded,interrogated with a curiosity which was serious or mocking,as the case might be,but into which no indignation entered.And he began to tell the story of the string.They did not believe him.They laughed.
这个消息传开了。刚离开镇长办公室，这个老人就被围住了，许多人上来问这问那，有的是真的好奇，有的是为了嘲弄他而故意打探。事情就是这样，但没有人打抱不平。他开始说起绳子的事情。大家都不相信他。大家笑了。
He passed on,buttonholed by every one,himself buttonholing his acquaintances,beginning over and over again his tale and his protestations,showing his pockets turned inside out to prove that he had nothing in them.
他继续向前走，每个人都拉住他问这件事，他也拉住他的熟人们，反反复复地开始讲述和辩解，并把他的口袋翻过来给大家看，以证明口袋里什么也没有。
They said to him:
他们对他说：
"You old rogue!"
“你个老滑头！”
He grew more and more angry,feverish,in despair at not being believed,and kept on telling his story.
因为得不到众人的信任，他很绝望，越来越生气，越来越激动，不停讲述着他的故事。
The night came.It was time to go home.He left with three of his neighbors,to whom he pointed out the place where he had picked up the string,and all the way he talked of his adventure.
天黑了。他应该回家了。他和三个邻居一起走，把那个他捡到绳子的地方指给他们看，而且一路上他都在谈论自己的经历。
That evening he made the round of the village of Breaute for the purpose of telling every one.He met only unbelievers.
那天晚上，他在布雷欧特村里走了一圈，想向每个人说明这件事。但是他碰见的人都不相信他。
He brooded over it all night long.
他为此事忧虑了一夜。
The next day,about one in the afternoon,Marius Paumelle,a farm hand of Maitre Breton,the market gardener at Ymauville,returned the pocketbook and its contents to Maitre Holbreque,of Manneville.
第二天，大概是下午一点钟，伊木村的蔬菜农场主布雷东老板家的长工马里于斯·波梅勒，把那个皮夹子和其中所装的物品归还给了曼维尔村的乌尔布雷克老板。
This man said,indeed,that he had found it on the road,but not knowing how to read,he had carried it home and given it to his master.
这个人说他的确是在马路上捡到皮夹子的，但是他不识字，便带回家交给了他的老板。
The news spread to the environs.Maitre Hauchecorne was informed.He started off at once and began to relate his story with the denouement.He was triumphant.
消息在周围传开了。奥舍科尔纳老板也得知了此事。他立刻跑开了，去讲述这个有了结局的故事。他得意洋洋的。
"What grieved me,"said he,"was not the thing itself,do you understand,but it was being accused of lying.Nothing does you so much harm as being in disgrace for lying."
“让我伤心的，”他说，“并不是事情本身，你明白吗，而是别人污蔑我说谎。最伤害人的事情，莫过于因说谎而遭到羞辱。”
All day he talked of his adventure.He told it on the roads to the people who passed,at the cabaret to the people who drank and next Sunday when they came out of church.He even stopped strangers to tell them about it.He was easy now,and yet something worried him without his knowing exactly what it was.People had a joking manner while they listened.They did not seem convinced.He seemed to feel their remarks behind his back.
他整日都在谈论他的这一经历。他谈给马路上过往的路人听，谈给酒馆里喝酒的人听。到了第二个礼拜日，他又谈给那些从教堂走出来的人们听。他甚至拦住陌生人讲给他们听。现在他安心了，然而却又有什么东西让他感到不安，但是他却不知道究竟是什么事情。因为听他谈起这事时，人们总是带着一种开玩笑的神情。他们似乎并不相信他。他觉得好像有人在背后议论纷纷。
On Tuesday of the following week he went to market at Goderville,prompted solely by the need of telling his story.
接下来的一个星期二，仅仅为了把自己这件事情说明白，他又去了戈代维尔镇的集市。
Malandain,standing on his doorstep,began to laugh as he saw him pass.Why?
马朗丹站在自家门阶上，看见他路过时便开始笑起来。为什么呢？
He accosted a farmer of Criquetot,who did not let him finish,and giving him a punch in the pit of the stomach cried in his face:"Oh,you great rogue!"Then he turned his heel upon him.
他遇见了克里克托村的一个农场主，便上前去和他搭话，这个人没等他说完，就在他胸口打了一拳，朝他喊道：“哦，你个老滑头！”随后他便转身走了。
Maitre Hauchecorne remained speechless and grew more and more uneasy.Why had they called him "great rogue"?
奥舍科尔纳老板一句话也没说出来，心里越来越不安了。大家为什么都叫他“老滑头”呢？
When seated at table in Jourdain's tavern he began again to explain the whole affair.
他在茹尔丹客店的餐桌边坐下来后，又开始解释整件事。
A horse dealer of Montivilliers shouted at him:
一个从蒙蒂维利耶来的马贩子向他喊道：
"Get out,get out,you old scamp!I know all about your old string."
“走开，走开，你这个老无赖！我对那绳子的破事儿知道得一清二楚。”
Hauchecorne stammered:
奥舍科尔纳结结巴巴地说：
"But since they found it again,the pocketbook!"
“但是后来又有人找着了它，那个皮夹子！”
But the other continued:
但是另一个人接着说：
"Hold your tongue,daddy;there's one who finds it and there's another who returns it.And no one the wiser."
“闭嘴吧，老头儿！有人捡到了那东西，又有另外一个人把它还了回去。没有比他更精明的人了。”
The farmer was speechless.He understood at last.They accused him of having had the pocketbook brought back by an accomplice,by a confederate.
这个农场主无语了。他终于明白了。他们指责他事后让一个同谋、一个同伙归还了那个皮夹子。
He tried to protest.The whole table began to laugh.
他试图为自已辩护。全桌的人都笑了起来。
He could not finish his dinner,and went away amid a chorus of jeers.
他无法用完餐，在一阵冷潮热讽中离开了。
He went home indignant,choking with rage,with confusion,the more cast down since with his Norman craftiness he was,perhaps,capable of having done what they accused him of and even of boasting of it as a good trick.He was dimly conscious that it was impossible to prove his innocence,his craftiness being so well known.He felt himself struck to the heart by the injustice of the suspicion.
他愤愤不平地回到家里，心里又气又乱，几乎说不出话来。仗着他那诺曼式小聪明，他或许可以去做旁人污蔑他的那件事，并且自夸高明，现在他本人并没有做，却感到更加沮丧。他隐约意识到，证明自己的清白是不可能了，因为他喜欢耍小聪明的个性已众所周知。他觉得自己的心因为不白之冤而深受打击。
He began anew to tell his tale,lengthening his recital every day,each day adding new proofs,more energetic declarations and more sacred oaths,which he thought of,which he prepared in his hours of solitude,for his mind was entirely occupied with the story of the string.The more he denied it,the more artful his arguments,the less he was believed.
所以他又开始重述他的那段经历了，每天都加长了叙述的内容，每天都增加一些新的证据，一些更强有力的辩解，一些他所想到的、在寂寥的时候准备的更为冠冕堂皇的誓言，因为他的心思完全被绳子这件事所占据。不过他否认得越多，辩解得越巧妙，得到的信任也就越少。
"Those are liars'proofs,"they said behind his back.
“那些都是骗人的伪证。”大家在背后说道。
He felt this.It preyed upon him and he exhausted himself in useless efforts.
他感觉到了。在这场徒劳的努力中，他饱受折磨，心力交瘁。
He was visibly wasting away.
眼看着他日益消瘦。
Jokers would make him tell the story of "the piece of string"to amuse them,just as you make a soldier who has been on a campaign tell his story of the battle.His mind kept growing weaker and about the end of December he took to his bed.
那些爱开玩笑的人会让他讲述“一段绳子”的故事供他们消遣，就如同让一个参加某场战役的士兵讲述他的战斗经历一样。他的大脑慢慢变得神智不清了。十二月底，他便卧床不起了。
He passed away early in January,and,in the ravings of death agony,he protested his innocence,repeating:
他是在一月初去世的。在临死时的痛苦中，他仍在胡言乱语，证明自己的清白，反复地说着：
"A little bit of string—a little bit of string.See,here it is,M'sieu le Maire."
“一小段绳子……一小段绳子。看，就在这儿，镇长。”