“The dinners are better at Edon’s than at Bombarda’s,” exclaimed Zephine.
“泽芬娜惊叹道：“在埃登家的晚餐比邦巴达家的好。”

“I prefer Bombarda to Edon,” declared Blachevelle. “There is more luxury. It is more Asiatic. —
布拉沙维尔坚持说：“我更喜欢邦巴达。那里更豪华。更亚洲化。” —

Look at the room downstairs; there are mirrors [glaces] on the walls.”
“看看楼下的房间；墙上镶嵌了镜子。”

“I prefer them [glaces, ices] on my plate,” said Favourite.
“我更喜欢把冰淇淋放在盘子里。” 法沙维笑道。

Blachevelle persisted:–
布拉沙维尔坚持道：-

“Look at the knives. The handles are of silver at Bombarda’s and of bone at Edon’s. —
“看看刀柄。邦巴达家的是银质刀柄，埃登家的是骨刀柄。 —

Now, silver is more valuable than bone.”
现在，银比骨更有价值。”

“Except for those who have a silver chin,” observed Tholomyes.
“除非是那些拥有银色下巴的人，“托洛米斯说。

He was looking at the dome of the Invalides, which was visible from Bombarda’s windows.
他正望着能从邦巴达家窗户看到的残军院圆顶。

A pause ensued.
一阵寂静降临。

“Tholomyes,” exclaimed Fameuil, “Listolier and I were having a discussion just now.”
“托洛米斯，” 法梅伊喊道，“里斯托利埃和我刚才在讨论一个问题。”

“A discussion is a good thing,” replied Tholomyes; “a quarrel is better.”
“讨论是个好事，” 托洛米斯回答。“争吵更好。”

“We were disputing about philosophy.”
“我们在争论哲学。”

“Well?”
“嗯？”

“Which do you prefer, Descartes or Spinoza?”
“你更喜欢笛卡尔还是斯宾诺莎？””

“Desaugiers,” said Tholomyes.
“托洛密斯说：’德索吉埃尔’。

This decree pronounced, he took a drink, and went on:–
颁布了这个法令后，他喝了一口酒，然后说道：–

“I consent to live. All is not at an end on earth since we can still talk nonsense. —
“我同意活下去。自从我们还能胡扯八道，地球上的一切还没有结束。 —

For that I return thanks to the immortal gods. We lie. One lies, but one laughs. —
我要感谢那些不朽的神灵。我们说谎。有人说谎，但有人笑。 —

One affirms, but one doubts. The unexpected bursts forth from the syllogism. That is fine. —
有人肯定，但有人怀疑。意想不到的事情从演绎推理中冒出来。这太好了。 —

There are still human beings here below who know how to open and close the surprise box of the paradox merrily. —
地球上仍然有人能开开心心地打开和关闭悖论的惊喜盒子。 —

This, ladies, which you are drinking with so tranquil an air is Madeira wine, you must know, from the vineyard of Coural das Freiras, which is three hundred and seventeen fathoms above the level of the sea. —
各位女士，你们正以如此宁静的神情喝的是马德拉酒，你们必须知道，这是从海拔三百一十七英寻的库拉尔达斐雷拉斯葡萄园酿制而成。 —

Attention while you drink! three hundred and seventeen fathoms! —
喝的时候要小心！三百一十七英寻！ —

and Monsieur Bombarda, the magnificent eating-house keeper, gives you those three hundred and seventeen fathoms for four francs and fifty centimes.”
那位伟大的餐馆老板邦巴尔达先生，以四法郎五十锭分给你们这三百一十七英寻。”

Again Fameuil interrupted him:–
法梅伊尔再次打断他说：–

“Tholomyes, your opinions fix the law. Who is your favorite author?”
“托洛密斯，你的观点定下了法则。谁是你最喜欢的作家？

“Ber–”
“贝–”

“Quin?”
“尔?”

“No; Choux.”
“不，休。”

And Tholomyes continued:–
接着，托洛密斯继续说道：–”

“Honor to Bombarda! He would equal Munophis of Elephanta if he could but get me an Indian dancing-girl, and Thygelion of Chaeronea if he could bring me a Greek courtesan; —
“向邦巴达致敬！如果他能给我找到一位印度舞女，他将能够与埃莱坎塔的穆诺菲斯相提并论； —

for, oh, ladies! There were Bombardas in Greece and in Egypt. Apuleius tells us of them. Alas! —
因为哦，各位女士！在希腊和埃及都有邦巴达。阿普莱罗斯告诉了我们。唉！ —

always the same, and nothing new; nothing more unpublished by the creator in creation! —
一成不变，没有新鲜事物；创造者在创作中没有更多的未公开之物！ —

Nil sub sole novum, says Solomon; amor omnibus idem, says Virgil; —
所罗门说：日落无新事；维吉尔说：爱情对所有人来说都一样； —

and Carabine mounts with Carabin into the bark at Saint-Cloud, as Aspasia embarked with Pericles upon the fleet at Samos. One last word. —
卡拉宾和卡拉宾在圣克卢的船上登船，正如阿斯帕西亚与伯里克里士一起登上萨摩斯的舰队。最后一句话。 —

Do you know what Aspasia was, ladies? Although she lived at an epoch when women had, as yet, no soul, she was a soul; —
各位知道阿斯帕西亚是什么样的吗？尽管她生活在女人尚未有灵魂的时代，但她是灵魂； —

a soul of a rosy and purple hue, more ardent hued than fire, fresher than the dawn. —
一种玫瑰和紫色交织的灵魂，比火还要激烈，比黎明还要清新。 —

Aspasia was a creature in whom two extremes of womanhood met; she was the goddess prostitute; —
阿斯帕西亚是一个融合了女性两个极端的存在；她是女神妓女； —

Socrates plus Manon Lescaut. Aspasia was created in case a mistress should be needed for Prometheus.”
苏格拉底加上玛农·莱斯科。阿斯帕西亚是为普罗米修斯需要一位情妇而创造的。”

Tholomyes, once started, would have found some difficulty in stopping, had not a horse fallen down upon the quay just at that moment. —
托洛米斯一旦开始，就很难停下来，如果不是那一刻码头上的马摔倒，他可能会难以停止。 —

The shock caused the cart and the orator to come to a dead halt. —
这一冲击导致马车和演说者在码头上突然停了下来。 —

It was a Beauceron mare, old and thin, and one fit for the knacker, which was dragging a very heavy cart. —
那是一匹贝阿西隆牝马，又老又瘦，适合做屠夫，拉着一辆非常沉重的马车。 —

On arriving in front of Bombarda’s, the worn-out, exhausted beast had refused to proceed any further. —
到达邦巴达面前时，这匹疲惫不堪的老马拒绝继续前行。 —

This incident attracted a crowd. Hardly had the cursing and indignant carter had time to utter with proper energy the sacramental word, Matin (the jade), backed up with a pitiless cut of the whip, when the jade fell, never to rise again. —
这一事件吸引了一群人。就在骂骂咧咧、愤怒的车夫来得及用有力的语气喊出“畜生”的时候，配合着一鞭猛击，这匹老马倒下，再也无法站起来。 —

On hearing the hubbub made by the passersby, Tholomyes’ merry auditors turned their heads, and Tholomyes took advantage of the opportunity to bring his allocution to a close with this melancholy strophe:–
听到路人们引起的喧哗，托洛米斯快乐的听众们回头，这时托洛米斯趁机用这首悲伤的歌词结束他的演说：–

“Elle etait de ce monde ou coucous et carrosses[3]
“她属于那个世界，在那里布谷鸟和马车分享同样的命运；”

Ont le meme destin; Et, rosse, elle a vecu ce que vivant les rosses, L’espace d’un matin!”
“而她是一匹驽马，她过着如同驽马一样的生活，仅仅活了一天的时间！”

[3] She belonged to that circle where cuckoos and carriages share the same fate; —
“她属于那个圈子，在那里布谷鸟和马车分享同样的命运；” —

and a jade herself, she lived, as jades live, for the space of a morning (or jade).
她自己也是一块玉，犹如玉石一样，在一个上午的时间里存活着（或者说犹如玉一样存活）。

“Poor horse!” sighed Fantine.
“可怜的马啊！”芳汀叹了口气。

And Dahlia exclaimed:–
达莉娅惊叫道：–

“There is Fantine on the point of crying over horses. How can one be such a pitiful fool as that!”
“看芳汀快哭出来了。怎么会有人这么可怜又愚蠢呢！”

At that moment Favourite, folding her arms and throwing her head back, looked resolutely at Tholomyes and said:–
这时泰伦索米斯毫不畏怯地把双臂交叉在胸前，向着他看着，说：–

“Come, now! the surprise?”
“好了，惊喜呢？”

“Exactly. The moment has arrived,” replied Tholomyes. —
“对了。时机已经到了，”泰伦索米斯回答说。 —

“Gentlemen, the hour for giving these ladies a surprise has struck. —
“先生们，给这些女士们一个惊喜的时刻到了。 —

Wait for us a moment, ladies.”
女士们稍等片刻吧。”

“It begins with a kiss,” said Blachevelle.
“这个惊喜从一个吻开始，”布拉谢维尔说。

“On the brow,” added Tholomyes.
“在额头上，”泰伦索米斯补充道。

Each gravely bestowed a kiss on his mistress’s brow; —
每个人郑重地在心爱的女士的额头上亲了一下； —

then all four filed out through the door, with their fingers on their lips.
然后四人都手指捂着嘴唇走出门去。

Favourite clapped her hands on their departure.
法夫莉特为他们的离开鼓掌。

“It is beginning to be amusing already,” said she.
“这已经开始变得有趣了，”她说。

“Don’t be too long,” murmured Fantine; “we are waiting for you.”
“不要拖太久,” Fantine轻声说道; “我们在等着你。”

Mais elle était du monde où les plus belles cnoses
但她却生活在那个世界

Ont le pire destin，
其中最美丽的事物

Et，rose ell a vécu ce que vivent les roses，
却注定拥有最糟糕的命运，

L’espace d’un matin
像花朵一样她活过，像花朵一样幸运，只在一个早晨的存在。