They reached their beasts in low spirits and bad humour enough, knight and squire, Sancho particularly, for with him what touched the stock of money touched his heart, and when any was taken from him he felt as if he was robbed of the apples of his eyes. —
他们心情低落，脾气暴躁地赶到了他们的坐骑跟前，骑士和侍从，尤其是圣乔，因为对他来说，涉及钱财就涉及到他的心，每当有钱被拿走时，他就感觉自己被抢走了心爱的东西。 —

In fine, without exchanging a word, they mounted and quitted the famous river, Don Quixote absorbed in thoughts of his love, Sancho in thinking of his advancement, which just then, it seemed to him, he was very far from securing; —
总而言之，无言地上了马，离开了著名的河流，唐吉柯德陷入了对爱情的思考，而圣乔则在考虑自己的晋升，看起来，他离实现这个目标还很遥远。 —

for, fool as he was, he saw clearly enough that his master’s acts were all or most of them utterly senseless; —
因为，即便他是个傻瓜，也很清楚地看到他的主人的行为无比愚蠢，或者说大多数时候都是如此。 —

and he began to cast about for an opportunity of retiring from his service and going home some day, without entering into any explanations or taking any farewell of him. —
于是他开始考虑有没有机会退出他的服务，某一天悄悄回家，不做任何解释或告别。 —

Fortune, however, ordered matters after a fashion very much the opposite of what he contemplated.
然而，命运恰好安排了一种与他预想截然相反的方式。

It so happened that the next day towards sunset, on coming out of a wood, Don Quixote cast his eyes over a green meadow, and at the far end of it observed some people, and as he drew nearer saw that it was a hawking party. —
接着的一天傍晚，唐吉柯德走出树林，眺望一片绿草地，远处看到一些人影，走近一看，原来是一队打鹰的人。 —

Coming closer, he distinguished among them a lady of graceful mien, on a pure white palfrey or hackney caparisoned with green trappings and a silver-mounted side-saddle. —
走近时，他看到其中有一位身姿优美的女士，骑着一匹纯白色的轻骏马，骑具上带着绿色的装饰和银镶嵌的边鞍。 —

The lady was also in green, and so richly and splendidly dressed that splendour itself seemed personified in her. —
女士也穿着绿色，衣着华丽富丽，光彩夺目，仿佛光辉本身在她身上化为人形。 —

On her left hand she bore a hawk, a proof to Don Quixote’s mind that she must be some great lady and the mistress of the whole hunting party, which was the fact; —
她左手抱着一只鹰，这让唐吉柯德相信她一定是某位贵妇人，也是整个打猎队伍的女主人，事实证明他是对的； —

so he said to Sancho, “Run Sancho, my son, and say to that lady on the palfrey with the hawk that I, the Knight of the Lions, kiss the hands of her exalted beauty, and if her excellence will grant me leave I will go and kiss them in person and place myself at her service for aught that may be in my power and her highness may command; —
于是他对圣乔说：“去，圣乔，我的儿子，告诉那位骑着鹰的白马女士，我，狮子骑士，亲吻她高贵美丽的手，如果她愿意，我会亲自前去亲吻她的手，竭诚为她效劳，不遗余力，尽管她高贵的命令是什么； —

and mind, Sancho, how thou speakest, and take care not to thrust in any of thy proverbs into thy message.”
记住，圣乔，说话要小心，不要在传话时插入任何谚语。”

“You’ve got a likely one here to thrust any in!” said Sancho; “leave me alone for that! —
“你这里可别插进任何谚语！”圣乔说，“这方面交给我吧！ —

Why, this is not the first time in my life I have carried messages to high and exalted ladies.”
哪，我这辈子可不是第一次给高贵的女士传话。”

“Except that thou didst carry to the lady Dulcinea,” said Don Quixote, “I know not that thou hast carried any other, at least in my service.”
“除了你给杜尔西尼亚送传话以外，”唐吉柯德说，“我不知道你还给谁传过话，至少在我的服务中是这样。”

“That is true,” replied Sancho; “but pledges don’t distress a good payer, and in a house where there’s plenty supper is soon cooked; —
“没错，”圣乔回答，“但是对于一个守时付款的好家伙，不需要找他的还款保证，家里有充足食物，晚餐很快就做好了； —

I mean there’s no need of telling or warning me about anything; —
我的意思是没有必要告诉或警告我任何事情； —

for I’m ready for everything and know a little of everything.”
因为我已经准备好应对一切并对一切略知一二。”

“That I believe, Sancho,” said Don Quixote; “go and good luck to thee, and God speed thee.”
“我相信你，桑丘，”唐·吉诃德说，“去吧，祝你好运，上帝保佑你。”

Sancho went off at top speed, forcing Dapple out of his regular pace, and came to where the fair huntress was standing, and dismounting knelt before her and said, “Fair lady, that knight that you see there, the Knight of the Lions by name, is my master, and I am a squire of his, and at home they call me Sancho Panza. This same Knight of the Lions, who was called not long since the Knight of the Rueful Countenance, sends by me to say may it please your highness to give him leave that, with your permission, approbation, and consent, he may come and carry out his wishes, which are, as he says and I believe, to serve your exalted loftiness and beauty; —
桑丘飞驰而去，迫使多比尔离开常规步伐，来到那位美丽的女猎手跟前，下马跪在她面前说：“美丽的女士，你看到的那位骑士，即名为狮子骑士，是我的主人，我是他的侍从，家里称我为桑丘·潘萨。就是这位曾不久被称为悲观容貌骑士的狮子骑士，现在通过我向贵宫传达一个消息，希望贵宫允许他获准并得到你的批准和同意，前来实现他的心愿，他说，我也相信，他的心愿是为你的高尚和美丽效劳； —

and if you give it, your ladyship will do a thing which will redound to your honour, and he will receive a most distinguished favour and happiness.”
如果你允许，贵夫人将为你荣誉而行提一个忠诚的服务，他将收到极其尊贵的恩宠和幸福。”

“You have indeed, squire,” said the lady, “delivered your message with all the formalities such messages require; —
“你确实，侍从，”贵夫人说，“用所有这些消息所需的形式递交了你的消息； —

rise up, for it is not right that the squire of a knight so great as he of the Rueful Countenance, of whom we have heard a great deal here, should remain on his knees; —
起来，因为作为被称为悲观容貌骑士的如此伟大骑士的侍从，我们这里也听说过不少关于他的事情，你留在半跪状态下是不对的； —

rise, my friend, and bid your master welcome to the services of myself and the duke my husband, in a country house we have here.”
起来吧，我的朋友，带上你的主人，欢迎他来到我和我丈夫公爵在这里的乡间别墅为我们效劳。”

Sancho got up, charmed as much by the beauty of the good lady as by her high-bred air and her courtesy, but, above all, by what she had said about having heard of his master, the Knight of the Rueful Countenance; —
桑丘站起来，不仅被这位良好夫人的美貌、高贵气质和礼貌所吸引，而且被她对他的主人，悲观容貌骑士的称赞所感动； —

for if she did not call him Knight of the Lions it was no doubt because he had so lately taken the name. —
因为她并没有称他为狮子骑士，这无疑是因为他最近才换了这个名字。 —

“Tell me, brother squire,” asked the duchess (whose title, however, is not known), “this master of yours, is he not one of whom there is a history extant in print, called ‘The Ingenious Gentleman, Don Quixote of La Mancha,’ who has for the lady of his heart a certain Dulcinea del Toboso?”
“告诉我，兄弟侍从，”这位公爵夫人（她的头衔并不为人所知）问道，“你的主人，难道不是被人们印成名为‘唐·吉诃德’的历史人物之一，他心目中的女士是某位来自托博索的杜尔西奈亚？”

“He is the same, senora,” replied Sancho; —
“是的，夫人，”桑丘回答； —

“and that squire of his who figures, or ought to figure, in the said history under the name of Sancho Panza, is myself, unless they have changed me in the cradle, I mean in the press.”
“他的那位侍从，按照历史书中的说法应该是桑丘·潘萨，就是我，除非他们在摇篮里，我是说在出版上将我换了。”

“I am rejoiced at all this,” said the duchess; —
“我为此感到高兴，”公爵夫人说； —

“go, brother Panza, and tell your master that he is welcome to my estate, and that nothing could happen me that could give me greater pleasure.”
“去吧，潘萨兄弟，告诉你的主人，他对我的财产表示欢迎，对我没有比这更令我开心的事情了。”

Sancho returned to his master mightily pleased with this gratifying answer, and told him all the great lady had said to him, lauding to the skies, in his rustic phrase, her rare beauty, her graceful gaiety, and her courtesy. —
桑丘非常高兴地回到主人身边，告诉他那位贵夫人对他说的一切，赞美她难得的美貌、优雅的风度和亲切礼仪。 —

Don Quixote drew himself up briskly in his saddle, fixed himself in his stirrups, settled his visor, gave Rocinante the spur, and with an easy bearing advanced to kiss the hands of the duchess, who, having sent to summon the duke her husband, told him while Don Quixote was approaching all about the message; —
堂吉诃德挺直了身子在鞍上，固定了脚镫，调整了面甲，用轻松的姿态走近去亲吻公爵夫人的手，当她在堂吉诃德走来时告诉她的公爵丈夫所有关于消息的情况； —

and as both of them had read the First Part of this history, and from it were aware of Don Quixote’s crazy turn, they awaited him with the greatest delight and anxiety to make his acquaintance, meaning to fall in with his humour and agree with everything he said, and, so long as he stayed with them, to treat him as a knight-errant, with all the ceremonies usual in the books of chivalry they had read, for they themselves were very fond of them.
两人都已经阅读过这部小说的第一部分，因此他们清楚堂吉诃德的疯狂倾向，他们满怀喜悦和焦虑地等待着他们与他相识，他们意味着遵循他的幽默，赞同他说的一切，并且只要他与他们同在，就要像骑士一样对待他，遵循骑士小说中通常的仪式，因为他们自己也非常喜欢这些故事。

Don Quixote now came up with his visor raised, and as he seemed about to dismount Sancho made haste to go and hold his stirrup for him; —
现在堂吉诃德解开面甲走近，看起来准备下马，桑丘急忙过去为他扶脚镫； —

but in getting down off Dapple he was so unlucky as to hitch his foot in one of the ropes of the pack-saddle in such a way that he was unable to free it, and was left hanging by it with his face and breast on the ground. —
但在从毛驴上下来时，桑丘不走运地将脚绊在驮鞍绳索之一，以致无法解脱开来，只能脸朝下胸膛着地。 —

Don Quixote, who was not used to dismount without having the stirrup held, fancying that Sancho had by this time come to hold it for him, threw himself off with a lurch and brought Rocinante’s saddle after him, which was no doubt badly girthed, and saddle and he both came to the ground; —
堂吉诃德不习惯不让人扶脚镫就下马，认为桑丘此时已经过来扶脚镫，于是他猛地翻身下来，把洛辛安特的鞍跟一起摔到地上，这无疑是因为鞍固定得不牢，座下的他都摔倒了； —

not without discomfiture to him and abundant curses muttered between his teeth against the unlucky Sancho, who had his foot still in the shackles. —
这时，他痛骂着那个倒霉的桑丘，因为桑丘的脚还被继续裹在脚镣里。 —

The duke ordered his huntsmen to go to the help of knight and squire, and they raised Don Quixote, sorely shaken by his fall; —
公爵命令他的猎人去帮助骑士和侍从，他们把摔倒的唐吉诃德扶了起来，身上已经受伤； —

and he, limping, advanced as best he could to kneel before the noble pair. —
他蹒跚前行，尽力向高贵的一对人跪拜； —

This, however, the duke would by no means permit; —
然而，公爵却绝不允许这样做； —

on the contrary, dismounting from his horse, he went and embraced Don Quixote, saying, “I am grieved, Sir Knight of the Rueful Countenance, that your first experience on my ground should have been such an unfortunate one as we have seen; —
相反，他下马，走过去拥抱唐吉诃德，说：“我为你在我的领地上的第一次经历感到遗憾，忧郁表情的骑士，因为我们见到了这么不幸的事； —

but the carelessness of squires is often the cause of worse accidents.”
但是很多时候，侍从的疏忽往往是更严重事故的原因。”

“That which has happened me in meeting you, mighty prince,” replied Don Quixote, “cannot be unfortunate, even if my fall had not stopped short of the depths of the bottomless pit, for the glory of having seen you would have lifted me up and delivered me from it. —
“无论在您面前发生了些什么，威严的王子，”唐吉诃德回答说，“即使我的跌倒没有停在无底深渊的深处，见到您的荣耀也会让我振作起来，让我从中解脱出来。 —

My squire, God’s curse upon him, is better at unloosing his tongue in talking impertinence than in tightening the girths of a saddle to keep it steady; —
我的侍从，被上帝诅咒，较比紧固马鞍的固定，更喜欢在说无礼的话中解开他的舌头； —

but however I may be, allen or raised up, on foot or on horseback, I shall always be at your service and that of my lady the duchess, your worthy consort, worthy queen of beauty and paramount princess of courtesy.”
但是，无论我如何，倒下或站起，步行或骑马，我将永远效劳于您以及我的女士，您尊敬的公爵夫人，羞耻的皇后和有礼的首位公主。”

“Gently, Senor Don Quixote of La Mancha,” said the duke; —
“温和一点，拉曼恰的唐吉诃德先生，”公爵说； —

“where my lady Dona Dulcinea del Toboso is, it is not right that other beauties should he praised.”
“在我夫人杜尔谷的地方，称赞其他美丽是不对的。”

Sancho, by this time released from his entanglement, was standing by, and before his master could answer he said, “There is no denying, and it must be maintained, that my lady Dulcinea del Toboso is very beautiful; —
此时已经脱离困境的桑丘站在一旁，在他的主人回答之前，他说，“不可否认，必须坚持认为我的主人杜尔谷德托博索很美； —

but the hare jumps up where one least expects it; —
但兔子跳起来总会在人们最不期待的地方； —

and I have heard say that what we call nature is like a potter that makes vessels of clay, and he who makes one fair vessel can as well make two, or three, or a hundred; —
我听说我们所谓的自然就像一个用黏土做器皿的陶工，谁做了一个好器皿，也可以做两个、三个或一百个； —

I say so because, by my faith, my lady the duchess is in no way behind my mistress the lady Dulcinea del Toboso.”
我这么说是因为，凭我的信仰，我夫人公爵夫人丝毫不逊色于我主人杜尔谷德托博索。”

Don Quixote turned to the duchess and said, “Your highness may conceive that never had knight-errant in this world a more talkative or a droller squire than I have, and he will prove the truth of what I say, if your highness is pleased to accept of my services for a few days.”
唐吉诃德转向公爵夫人说：“阁下可以想象，在这个世界上没有比我更健谈或更滑稽的侍从了，如果阁下愿意接受我的服务几天，他会证明我所说的是真的。”

To which the duchess made answer, “that worthy Sancho is droll I consider a very good thing, because it is a sign that he is shrewd; —
公爵夫人回答说，“我认为圣丘是个滑稽可笑的人很好，因为这表明他很机智； —

for drollery and sprightliness, Senor Don Quixote, as you very well know, do not take up their abode with dull wits; —
因为滑稽和灵动，唐吉诃德先生，你很清楚地知道，不会与愚蠢的人为伍； —

and as good Sancho is droll and sprightly I here set him down as shrewd.”
由于好圣丘是滑稽和灵动的，我认为他很聪明。”

“And talkative,” added Don Quixote.
“还健谈，”唐吉诃德补充道。

“So much the better,” said the duke, “for many droll things cannot be said in few words; —
“越健谈越好，”公爵说，“因为很多滑稽的事情不能用少言而言之； —

but not to lose time in talking, come, great Knight of the Rueful Countenance — ”
但是言谈中不浪费时间，大忧愁骑士——”

“Of the Lions, your highness must say,” said Sancho, “for there is no Rueful Countenance nor any such character now.”
“想狮子的骑士，阁下应该说，”圣丘说，“因为现在已经没有忧愁的骑士或这样的人物了。”

“He of the Lions be it,” continued the duke; —
“那就说狮子的骑士吧，”公爵继续说； —

“I say, let Sir Knight of the Lions come to a castle of mine close by, where he shall be given that reception which is due to so exalted a personage, and which the duchess and I are wont to give to all knights-errant who come there.”
“我说，让狮子骑士来到我附近的一座城堡，那里他将受到应有的接待，这是我们公爵夫人和我给那些到访的骑士的待遇。”

By this time Sancho had fixed and girthed Rocinante’s saddle, and Don Quixote having got on his back and the duke mounted a fine horse, they placed the duchess in the middle and set out for the castle. —
就在这时，桑丘已经安好和系好了洛辛安特的鞍座，唐吉诃德骑上他的马背，公爵骑上一匹好马，他们把公爵夫人安置在中间，然后动身前往城堡。 —

The duchess desired Sancho to come to her side, for she found infinite enjoyment in listening to his shrewd remarks. —
公爵夫人要求桑丘靠近她一侧，因为她很享受听他机智的言辞。 —

Sancho required no pressing, but pushed himself in between them and the duke, who thought it rare good fortune to receive such a knight-errant and such a homely squire in their castle.
桑丘毫不推脱，夹在他们和公爵之间，对于在他们的城堡里接待这样一个骑士和这样一个朴实的侍从，公爵感到非常幸运。