[夏蓓尔上校].Colonel.Chabert.

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1、COLONELCHABERTCOLONELCHABERTbyHonoredeBalzacTranslatedbyEllenMarriageandClaraBell1COLONELCHABERTCOLONELCHABERT"HULLO!ThereisthatoldBox-coatagain!"Thisexclamationwasmadebyalawyer'sclerkoftheclasscalledinFrenchofficesagutter-jumper--amessengerinfact--whoatthismomentwaseatingapieceofdrybreadwithahea

2、rtyappetite.Hepulledoffamorselofcrumbtomakeintoabullet,andfireditgleefullythroughtheopenpaneofthewindowagainstwhichhewasleaning.Thepellet,wellaimed,reboundedalmostashighasthewindow,afterhittingthehatofastrangerwhowascrossingthecourtyardofahouseintheRueVivienne,wheredweltMaitreDerville,attorney-at

3、-law."Come,Simonnin,don'tplaytricksonpeople,orIwillturnyououtofdoors.Howeverpooraclientmaybe,heisstillaman,hangitall!"saidtheheadclerk,pausingintheadditionofabillofcosts.Thelawyer'smessengeriscommonly,aswasSimonnin,aladofthirteenorfourteen,who,ineveryoffice,isunderthespecialjurisdictionofthemanag

4、ingclerk,whoseerrandsand/billets-doux/keephimemployedonhiswaytocarrywritstothebailiffsandpetitionstotheCourts.Heisakintothestreetboyinhishabits,andtothepettifoggerbyfate.Theboyisalmostalwaysruthless,unbroken,unmanageable,aribaldrhymester,impudent,greedy,andidle.Andyet,almostalltheseclerklingshave

5、anoldmotherlodgingonsomefifthfloorwithwhomtheysharetheirpittanceofthirtyorfortyfrancsamonth."Ifheisaman,whydoyoucallhimoldBox-coat?"askedSimonnin,withtheairofaschoolboywhohascaughtouthismaster.Andhewentoneatinghisbreadandcheese,leaninghisshoulderagainstthewindowjamb;forherestedstandinglikeacab-ho

6、rse,oneofhislegsraisedandproppedagainsttheother,onthetoeofhisshoe."Whattrickcanweplaythatcove?"saidthethirdclerk,whosenamewasGodeschal,inalowvoice,pausinginthemiddleofadiscoursehewasextemporizinginanappealengrossedbythefourthclerk,ofwhichcopieswerebeingmadebytwoneophytesfromtheprovinces.Thenhewen

7、tonimprovising:2COLONELCHABERT"/But,inhisnobleandbeneficentwisdom,hisMajesty,LouistheEighteenth/--(writeitatfulllength,heh!Desrochesthelearned--you,asyouengrossit!)--/whenheresumedthereinsofGovernment,understood/--(wha