The boulevard, that river of humanity, was alive with people in the golden light of the setting sun.
这条人流似江河般的林荫大道在金色的夕阳中熠熠生辉。 —

The whole sky was red, blinding, and behind the Madeleine an immense bank of flaming clouds cast a shower of light the whole length of the boulevard, vibrant as the heat from a brazier.
整个天空都是红色的，刺眼的，而在马德莱娜教堂后面，一片巨大的燃烧的云朵投下一道光芒，在整条大道上闪耀着，炽热得仿佛火盆一般。

The gay, animated crowd went by in this golden mist and seemed to be glorified.
热闹而活跃的人群穿行在这金色的雾气中，似乎被荣耀所笼罩。 —

Their faces were gilded, their black hats and clothes took on purple tints, the patent leather of their shoes cast bright reflections on the asphalt of the sidewalk.
他们的脸被镀上金色，他们的黑色帽子和衣服泛出紫红色，镀铬皮鞋在人行道的柏油上映出明亮的反射。

Before the cafes a mass of men were drinking opalescent liquids that looked like precious stones dissolved in the glasses.
在咖啡馆前，一群人在喝着如宝石溶入杯中的蓝白色液体。

In the midst of the drinkers two officers in full uniform dazzled all eyes with their glittering gold lace.
在那些喝酒的人中间，两名身着齐全军服的军官用他们闪亮的金色金丝装点着傲人的形象，吸引了所有人的目光。 —

They chatted, happy without asking why, in this glory of life, in this radiant light of sunset, and they looked at the crowd, the leisurely men and the hurrying women who left a bewildering odor of perfume as they passed by.
他们欢快地聊着天，无需理由，享受着这生活的辉煌，沐浴在黄昏的阳光中，他们注视着人群，那悠闲的男人和匆忙的女人们路过时，留下令人眩晕的香水气息。

All at once an enormous negro, dressed in black, with a paunch beneath his jean waistcoat, which was covered with charms, his face shining as if it had been polished, passed before them with a triumphant air.
一个身穿黑色衣服、黑色牛仔背心下肚腩微凸的巨大黑人突然出现在他们面前，胸前挂满各种护身符，他脸上光亮如镜，并且带着胜利的气息。 —

He laughed at the passers-by, at the news venders, at the dazzling sky, at the whole of Paris. He was so tall that he overtopped everyone else, and when he passed all the loungers turned round to look at his back.
他嘲笑路人、报刊贩子、耀眼的天空，整个巴黎都成了他的笑料。他身高超出所有人，当他走过时，所有的懒散人都会转身看他的背影。

But he suddenly perceived the officers and darted towards them, jostling the drinkers in his path.
但他突然看到了这些军官，向他们冲去，撞倒了身旁的酒客。 —

As soon as he reached their table he fixed his gleaming and delighted eyes upon them and the corners of his mouth expanded to his ears, showing his dazzling white teeth like a crescent moon in a black sky.
当他走到他们的桌子旁时，他那闪亮而欢喜的眼睛盯住他们，嘴角伸展到耳朵附近，露出洁白如新月的牙齿，在漆黑的天空下闪耀。 —

The two men looked in astonishment at this ebony giant, unable to understand his delight.
这两个人惊讶地看着这个乌木巨人，无法理解他的喜悦。

With a voice that made all the guests laugh, he said:
用一个让所有客人都笑的声音，他说：“你好，我的中尉。”

“Good-day, my lieutenant.”
其中一个军官是一个营的指挥官，另一个是一个团长。前者说：

One of the officers was commander of a battalion, the other was a colonel.
“你好，我的中尉。 —

The former said:
”

“I do not know you, sir.
“先生，我不认识您。 —

I am at a loss to know what you want of me.”
我不知道您想要什么。”

“Me like you much, Lieutenant Vedie, siege of Bezi, much grapes, find me.”
“我喜欢您，维迪中尉，贝济围城战，很多葡萄，找到我。”

The officer, utterly bewildered, looked at the man intently, trying to refresh his memory.
这名军官完全迷惑了，专注地盯着那个人，试图让自己的记忆恢复。 —

Then he cried abruptly:
然后他突然大叫起来：

“Timbuctoo?”
“廷巴克图？”

The negro, radiant, slapped his thigh as he uttered a tremendous laugh and roared:
这个黑人兴奋地拍打大腿，发出一声巨大的笑声，咆哮着说：

“Yes, yes, my lieutenant;
“是的，是的，我的中尉； —

you remember Timbuctoo, ya.
您还记得廷巴克图，呀。 —

How do you do?”
您好吗？”

The commandant held out his hand, laughing heartily as he did so.
指挥官伸出手，笑得哈哈大笑。 —

Then Timbuctoo became serious.
然后廷巴克图变得严肃起来。 —

He seized the officer’s hand and, before the other could prevent it, he kissed it, according to negro and Arab custom.
他抓住军官的手，在对方反应过来之前，按照黑人和阿拉伯人的习俗亲吻了它。 —

The officer embarrassed, said in a severe tone:
这名军官窘迫地以严厉的口吻说：

“Come now, Timbuctoo, we are not in Africa.
“来吧，廷巴克图，我们不在非洲。 —

Sit down there and tell me how it is I find you here.”
在那边坐下，告诉我你为什么会在这里。”

Timbuctoo swelled himself out and, his words falling over one another, replied hurriedly:
廷巴克图胀得满满的，他的话语匆忙地喷涌而出，回答道：

“Make much money, much, big restaurant, good food;
“赚很多钱，很多，开大餐厅，做好吃的食物； —

Prussians, me, much steal, much, French cooking;
普鲁士人，我，偷很多，很多，法国菜；” —

Timbuctoo cook to the emperor;
我是提姆布图的厨师， —

two thousand francs mine.
给皇帝做菜；两千法郎是我的。 —

Ha, ha, ha, ha!”
哈哈哈哈！”

And he laughed, doubling himself up, roaring, with wild delight in his glances.
他大笑起来，双眼放光，疯狂的喜悦使他痛快地翻转身子。

When the officer, who understood his strange manner of expressing himself, had questioned him he said:
当这位军官，能理解他奇怪的表达方式的人，向他询问后，他回答说：

“Well, au revoir, Timbuctoo. I will see you again.”
“好的，再见，提姆布图。我会再见到你的。”

The negro rose, this time shaking the hand that was extended to him and, smiling still, cried:
这个黑人站起来，这次他握住伸过来的手，笑着喊道：

“Good-day, good-day, my lieutenant!”
“您好，您好，我的中尉！”

He went off so happy that he gesticulated as he walked, and people thought he was crazy.
他离开的时候非常开心，一边走还一边做手势，人们以为他疯了。

“Who is that brute?” asked the colonel.
“那个野兽是谁？”上校问道。

“A fine fellow and a brave soldier.
“一个好人和勇敢的士兵。 —

I will tell you what I know about him.
我告诉您我知道的关于他的事情。 —

It is funny enough.
真够有趣的。

“You know that at the commencement of the war of 1870 I was shut up in Bezieres, that this negro calls Bezi. We were not besieged, but blockaded.
“你知道在1870年战争开始的时候，我被困在贝齐埃，这个黑人叫贝齐。我们不是被围困，而是被封锁了。” —

The Prussian lines surrounded us on all sides, outside the reach of cannon, not firing on us, but slowly starving us out.
普鲁士军队把我们围得严严实实，四面逼近，超出了炮火的射程，他们不向我们开炮，却用饥饿慢慢逼迫着我们。

“I was then lieutenant.
“那时我是中尉。 —

Our garrison consisted of soldier of all descriptions, fragments of slaughtered regiments, some that had run away, freebooters separated from the main army, etc.
我们的驻军由各种各样的士兵组成，是被屠杀的部队的残余，逃跑的人，与主力军分开的掠夺者等等。 —

We had all kinds, in fact even eleven Turcos [Algerian soldiers in the service of France], who arrived one evening no one knew whence or how.
实际上我们有各种各样的人，甚至有11名图阿雷格（法国雇佣的阿尔及利亚士兵），他们一个晚上从不知道哪里不知道怎么来到了这里。 —

They appeared at the gates of the city, exhausted, in rags, starving and dirty. They were handed over to me.
他们筋疲力尽，穿得破破烂烂，饥肠辘辘，满身污秽，来到城门口，被交给了我。

“I saw very soon that they were absolutely undisciplined, always in the street and always drunk.
“很快我就发现他们绝对不守纪律，总是在街上闲逛，总是喝醉酒。 —

I tried putting them in the police station, even in prison, but nothing was of any use.
我试图把他们关进警察局，甚至是监狱，但都毫无用处。 —

They would disappear, sometimes for days at a time, as if they had been swallowed up by the earth, and then come back staggering drunk.
他们会消失，有时甚至消失数日，好像被大地吞噬一样，然后喝醉酒回来。 —

They had no money. Where did they buy drink and how and with what?
他们没有钱。他们从哪里买酒？又用什么买？

“This began to worry me greatly, all the more as these savages interested me with their everlasting laugh and their characteristics of overgrown frolicsome children.
“这让我非常担忧，尤其是因为这些野蛮人以他们永恒的笑声和像长大的活泼孩子一样的特点引起了我的兴趣。

“I then noticed that they blindly obeyed the largest among them, the one you have just seen.
“我随后注意到他们盲目地听从他们中最大的那个人，也就是你刚才见到的那个人。 —

He made them do as he pleased, planned their mysterious expeditions with the all-powerful and undisputed authority of a leader.
他让他们按照他的意愿行事，用一个领导者的全能和无可争议的权威来计划他们神秘的探险活动。 —

I sent for him and questioned him.
我派人去找他并询问他。 —

Our conversation lasted fully three hours, for it was hard for me to understand his remarkable gibberish.
我们的谈话持续了整整三个小时，因为我很难理解他那奇特的胡言乱语。 —

As for him, poor devil, he made unheard-of efforts to make himself intelligible, invented words, gesticulated, perspired in his anxiety, mopping his forehead, puffing, stopping and abruptly beginning again when he thought he had found a new method of explaining what he wanted to say.
至于他，可怜的家伙，他竭尽所能地让自己变得可理解，发明了一些词语，做了手势，在焦虑中出汗，擦着额头，喘着气，在他认为找到了新的解释方法时，突然停下来又开始。

“I gathered finally that he was the son of a big chief, a sort of negro king of the region around Timbuctoo.
“我最终了解到他是一个大首领的儿子，一种像尼日尔河流域周围的黑人国王一样的人。 —

I asked him his name.
我问他叫什么名字。” —

He repeated something like ‘Chavaharibouhalikranafotapolara.’ It seemed simpler to me to give him the name of his native place, ‘Timbuctoo.’ And a week later he was known by no other name in the garrison.
他重复了像“Chavaharibouhalikranafotapolara”这样的话。对我来说，给他一个他的故乡的名字“廷布克图”似乎更简单。一周后，整个驻军都以他的故乡命名来称呼他。

“But we were all wildly anxious to find out where this African ex-prince procured his drinks.
“但我们都非常渴望知道这位非洲前王子是从哪里获取酒的。 —

I discovered it in a singular manner.
我以一种奇怪的方式发现了答案。

“I was on the ramparts one morning, watching the horizon, when I perceived something moving about in a vineyard.
有一天早晨，我站在城墙上望着地平线，看见一个葡萄园里有东西在动。 —

It was near the time of vintage, the grapes were ripe, but I was not thinking of that.
那时正值葡萄成熟的时候，但我没有想到这一点。 —

I thought that a spy was approaching the town, and I organized a complete expedition to catch the prowler.
我认为有一个间谍正接近城镇，于是我组织了一次完整的追捕行动。 —

I took command myself, after obtaining permission from the general.
我经过得到将军的许可后，亲自指挥了这次行动。

“I sent out by three different gates three little companies, which were to meet at the suspected vineyard and form a cordon round it.
我通过三个不同的城门派出三个小队，它们将在怀疑的葡萄园会合并围住它。 —

In order to cut off the spy’s retreat, one of these detachments had to make at least an hour’s march.
为了切断间谍的退路，其中一个小队至少要行军一个小时才能到达。 —

A watch on the walls signalled to me that the person I had seen had not left the place.
墙上的钟表向我示意，我刚才看到的那个人没有离开这个地方。 —

We went along in profound silence, creeping, almost crawling, along the ditches.
我们静静地沿着沟渠爬行，几乎是匍匐前进。 —

At last we reached the spot assigned.
最后我们来到了指定的地点。

“I abruptly disbanded my soldiers, who darted into the vineyard and found Timbuctoo on hands and knees travelling around among the vines and eating grapes, or rather devouring them as a dog eats his sop, snatching them in mouthfuls from the vine with his teeth.
“我猛然解散了我的士兵，他们纷纷闯入葡萄园，发现蒂姆布克图正在爬行于葡萄藤之间，一边吃葡萄，或者说是狗一样地把葡萄从藤上叼下来，用牙齿大口地咬食。

“I wanted him to get up, but he could not think of it.
“我想让他站起来，但他不行。 —

I then understood why he was crawling on his hands and knees.
我随即明白了为什么他要爬在大地上。 —

As soon as we stood him on his feet he began to wabble, then stretched out his arms and fell down on his nose.
当我们让他站起来后，他开始晃晃悠悠，然后伸出双臂，扑通一声摔到了地上。 —

He was more drunk than I have ever seen anyone.
他比我见过的任何人都要喝醉。

“They brought him home on two poles.
“他们用两根杆子把他抬回了家。 —

He never stopped laughing all the way back, gesticulating with his arms and legs.
他一路上都在笑个不停，用手脚做出各种手势。

“This explained the mystery.
“这解释了谜。 —

My men also drank the juice of the grapes, and when they were so intoxicated they could not stir they went to sleep in the vineyard.
”我的人也喝了葡萄汁，当他们喝醉了动弹不得时，他们就在葡萄园里睡觉了。 —

As for Timbuctoo, his love of the vineyard was beyond all belief and all bounds.
“至于提姆布克图，他对葡萄园的热爱是无法置信的，也是无法束缚的。 —

He lived in it as did the thrushes, whom he hated with the jealous hate of a rival.
“他像画眉鸟一样生活在其中，他对这些画眉鸟充满了嫉妒的仇恨，就像对手一样。 —

He repeated incessantly: ‘The thrushes eat all the grapes, captain!’
“他不停地重复着：“画眉鸟都吃了葡萄，船长！”

“One evening I was sent for.
“一个晚上，我被叫去了。 —

Something had been seen on the plain coming in our direction.
在平原上有什么东西出现在我们的方向上。 —

I had not brought my field-glass and I could not distinguish things clearly.
“我没有带望远镜，也看不清楚。 —

It looked like a great serpent uncoiling itself—a convoy.
“它看起来像一条正在展开的大蛇——一个车队。 —

How could I tell?
我怎么能知道呢？

“I sent some men to meet this strange caravan, which presently made its triumphal entry.
“我派了一些人去迎接这个奇怪的车队，很快它就进行了凯旋入场。 —

Timbuctoo and nine of his comrades were carrying on a sort of altar made of camp stools eight severed, grinning and bleeding heads.
“提姆布克图和他的九个同伴正拿着一种由营地凳子制成的一种像祭坛一样的东西，上面放着八个被砍下来、露出狰狞而流血的头。” —

The African was dragging along a horse to whose tail another head was fastened, and six other animals followed, adorned in the same manner.
那个非洲人牵着一匹马，马尾上绑着另一颗头，后面还跟着六只其他装饰相同的动物。

“This is what I learned:
“这是我学到的： —

Having started out to the vineyard, my Africans had suddenly perceived a detachment of Prussians approaching a village.
当我的非洲人开始前往葡萄园时，他们突然看到一支普鲁士军队正在接近一个村庄。 —

Instead of taking to their heels, they hid themselves, and as soon as the Prussian officers dismounted at an inn to refresh themselves, the eleven rascals rushed on them, put to flight the lancers, who thought they were being attacked by the main army, killed the two sentries, then the colonel and the five officers of his escort.
他们没有逃跑，而是躲了起来，当普鲁士军官们在一个小酒馆下马休息时，这十一个混子向他们冲了过去，击退了认为自己正在遭受主力军袭击的枪骑兵，杀死了两名哨兵，然后又杀死了上校和他护卫的五名军官。

“That day I kissed Timbuctoo. I saw, however, that he walked with difficulty and thought he was wounded.
“那一天，我亲吻了廷巴克图。然而，我注意到他走路困难，以为他受伤了。 —

He laughed and said:
他笑着说：

“’Me provisions for my country.’
“‘我给我国带回来的补给。’

“Timbuctoo was not fighting for glory, but for gain.
廷巴克图并不是为了荣耀而战斗， —

Everything he found that seemed to him to be of the slightest value, especially anything that glistened, he put in his pocket.
而是为了利益。他把一切他认为有丝毫价值的东西，尤其是闪闪发亮的东西，都放进口袋里。 —

What a pocket! An abyss that began at his hips and reached to his ankles.
这真是一个巨大的口袋！从他的腰际延伸到踝部，像一个深渊。 —

He had retained an old term used by the troopers and called it his ‘profonde,’ and it was his ‘profonde’ in fact.
他保留了士兵们曾使用过的一个古老术语，称其为他的“宝库”，而事实上就是他的“宝库”。

“He had taken the gold lace off the Prussian uniforms, the brass off their helmets, detached their buttons, etc., and had thrown them all into his ‘profonde,’ which was full to overflowing.
“他从普鲁士制服上拿下了金色花边，从他们的头盔上取下了黄铜，剥离了他们的纽扣等等，然后都扔进了他的“宝库”，这个宝库早已满溢。

“Each day he pocketed every glistening object that came beneath his observation, pieces of tin or pieces of silver, and sometimes his contour was very comical.
“他每天都会收纳到他视线范围内发亮的物体，无论是锡片还是银币，有时候他的外形看起来非常滑稽。

“He intended to carry all that back to the land of ostriches, whose brother he might have been, this son of a king, tormented with the longing to gobble up all objects that glistened.
“他打算带着这一切东西回到鸵鸟之地，他本可以成为它们的兄弟，他渴望把所有发亮的物品都吞下去。 —

If he had not had his ‘profonde’ what would he have done?
如果他没有他的“宝库”，他将会怎样？ —

He doubtless would have swallowed them.
他很有可能会把它们吞下去。

“Each morning his pocket was empty. He had, then, some general store where his riches were piled up. But where?
“每天早上他的口袋是空的。那么，他的财富肯定是储存在某个大商店里。但是在哪里呢？ —

I could not discover it.
我无法发现它。

“The general, on being informed of Timbuctoo’s mighty act of valor, had the headless bodies that had been left in the neighboring village interred at once, that it might not be discovered that they were decapitated.
“当将廷巴克图英勇行为的消息传达给将军时，他立即将留在附近村庄的无头尸体安葬，以免暴露他们被斩首的事实。 —

The Prussians returned thither the following day.
普鲁士人在第二天返回了那里。 —

The mayor and seven prominent inhabitants were shot on the spot, by way of reprisal, as having denounced the Prussians.
市长和七位显要居民因被指责谴责普鲁士人而当场被枪杀，作为报复。

“Winter was here. We were exhausted and desperate.
“冬天来了。我们筋疲力尽，绝望不已。 —

There were skirmishes now every day.
现在每天都发生小规模战斗。 —

The famished men could no longer march.
饥饿的人们再也无法行军。 —

The eight ‘Turcos’ alone (three had been killed) remained fat and shiny, vigorous and always ready to fight.
只剩下八个土耳其军人（已有三人被杀）仍然肥胖光亮，精力充沛，始终准备着战斗。 —

Timbuctoo was even getting fatter. He said to me one day:
廷巴克图甚至越来越胖。他有一天对我说：

“’You much hungry; me good meat.’
“’你很饿；我给你好肉。”

“And he brought me an excellent filet. But of what?
“然后他给我带来了一块非常好的牛排。 —

We had no more cattle, nor sheep, nor goats, nor donkeys, nor pigs.
但是用什么做的？我们已经没有牛、羊、山羊、驴和猪了。 —

It was impossible to get a horse.
无法获得马匹。在我吃完肉后， —

I thought of all this after I had devoured my meat. Then a horrible idea came to me.
我想到了这一切。然后，一个可怕的想法涌上心头。 —

These negroes were born close to a country where they eat human beings!
这些黑人出生在一个吃人肉的国家附近！ —

And each day such a number of soldiers were killed around the town!
每天都有大量的士兵在城市周围被杀！ —

I questioned Timbuctoo. He would not answer.
我询问了廷巴克图。他不回答。 —

I did not insist, but from that time on I declined his presents.
我没有坚持，但从那时起我拒绝了他的礼物。

“He worshipped me. One night snow took us by surprise at the outposts.
“他崇拜我。有一天晚上，雪突然袭击了我们的哨站。 —

We were seated, on the ground.
我们坐在地上。 —

I looked with pity at those poor negroes shivering beneath this white frozen shower.
我怜悯地看着那些在这白色冻雨中颤抖的可怜黑人。 —

I was very cold and began to cough.
我非常冷，开始咳嗽。 —

At once I felt something fall on me like a large warm quilt.
我立刻感觉到有东西像一条大暖和的被子落在我身上。 —

It was Timbuctoo’s cape that he had thrown on my shoulders.
那是廷巴克图扔在我肩上的披风。

“I rose and returned his garment, saying:
“我站起来还回他的衣物，说道：

“’Keep it, my boy; you need it more than I do.’
“‘留着吧，孩子，你比我更需要它。’

“’Non, my lieutenant, for you; me no need. Me hot, hot!’
“‘不，少尉，适合你的；我不需要。我热，热！’

“And he looked at me entreatingly.
“他祈求地看着我。

“’Come, obey orders. Keep your cape; I insist,’ I replied.
“‘走吧，听命令。留着你的披风；我坚持，’我回答道。

“He then stood up, drew his sword, which he had sharpened to an edge like a scythe, and holding in his other hand the large cape which I had refused, said:
“然后他站了起来，拔出了他剑，剑刃锋利如镰刀。他用另一只手拿着我拒绝的大披肩说道：

“’If you not keep cape, me cut. No one cape.’
“’如果你不保留披肩，我就割掉。没有人能有披肩。’

“And he would have done it. So I yielded.
“他准备着要这么做。所以我屈服了。

“Eight days later we capitulated.
“八天后我们投降了。 —

Some of us had been able to escape, the rest were to march out of the town and give themselves up to the conquerors.
我们中的一些人设法逃脱，其余的人要走出城镇向征服者投降。

“I went towards the exercising ground, where we were all to meet, when I was dumfounded at the sight of a gigantic negro dressed in white duck and wearing a straw hat.
“我朝着我们要集合的练习场走去，当我看到一个身穿白色鸭绒服，戴着草帽的巨大黑人时，我惊呆了。 —

It was Timbuctoo. He was beaming and was walking with his hands in his pockets in front of a little shop where two plates and two glasses were displayed.
那是蒂姆布克图。他笑容满面，双手插在口袋里，站在一个小商店前面，商店里摆着两个盘子和两个玻璃杯。

“’What are you doing?’ I said.
“’你在干什么？’我说。

“’Me not go. Me good cook;
“’我不走。我是个出色的厨师； —

me make food for Colonel Algeria.
我要给阿尔及利亚团长做饭。 —

Me eat Prussians; much steal, much.’
我吃普鲁士人；多偷多吃。’

“There were ten degrees of frost.
“当时是零下十度。 —

I shivered at sight of this negro in white duck.
看到这个黑人穿着白色鸭绒服，我感到寒冷。 —

He took me by the arm and made me go inside.
他拉着我的胳膊，让我进去。 —

I noticed an immense flag that he was going to place outside his door as soon as we had left, for he had some shame.”
我注意到他要在我们离开后立即在门外悬挂一面巨大的旗帜，因为他有点羞愧。

I read this sign, traced by the hand of some accomplice
我读到了这个标语，是由一名同谋的手迹书写的。

“’ARMY KITCHEN OF M. TIMBUCTOO,
“蒂姆布图的军用厨房，

“’Formerly Cook to H. M. the Emperor.
“曾经是皇帝的厨师。

“’A Parisian Artist. Moderate Prices.’
“一位巴黎艺术家。价格合理。”

“In spite of the despair that was gnawing at my heart, I could not help laughing, and I left my negro to his new enterprise.
尽管绝望正在侵蚀我的心，我还是忍不住笑了起来，然后离开了我的黑人朋友去从事他的新事业。

“Was not that better than taking him prisoner?
这不比把他俘虏更好吗？

“You have just seen that he made a success of it, the rascal.
你刚才看到他取得了成功，这个无赖。

“Bezieres to-day belongs to the Germans.
“今天的贝济耶已经属于德国人。 —

The ‘Restaurant Timbuctoo’ is the beginning of a retaliation.”
‘蒂姆布图餐厅’是一种报复的开始。”