Chapter 76 Volume Two (5)

If I relived the night of Doncier when we went downstairs, then when we came to the street, we saw that the night was so dark that we could hardly stretch our fingers, and the fog was so thick that it seemed to cover the street lamps. When I was distinguishing the faint light, I suddenly saw the scene when I arrived at Combray one night: at that time, there was only one street light in the streets of Combray, and I was in a night as humid, warm and holy as a manger. Fumbling forward in the middle of the road, it is rare to see a street lamp, but it is only as bright as a large candle.What a difference there was between the night view of Combray at that time (my memory is dim) and the twilight of Riverbell which I had just seen again from over the curtain!When I became aware of these gaps, I felt a surge of excitement, which, if I was alone, would have led me to many enlightenments in finding my invisible gift-my book is A history of searching for endowment-before, how many detours were avoided.If I can find my gift tonight, then this carriage will be more memorable to me than Dr. Besbyer's carriage (I wrote a description of Madanville on that time The short article on the church tower, which happened to be found not long ago, changed, sent to the newspaper "Le Figaro", but there was no news of it).Why is there such a gap?Because our memory recalls the past years not continuously, day after day, but fixed in some cool or sunlit morning or evening, accepting some isolated, remote, closed and static landscape Asylum, forgetting everything else?Is it because the gradual changes not only in the outside world but in our dreams and characters--the ever-changing changes of dreams and characters that carry us imperceptibly into different stages of life--have been eliminated?If we recall a past event in different years, because there is a gap in memory, separated by a high wall of forgetting, we feel that there is an abyss between this past event and other past events, like two incomparable Things, one is the breathable air, the other is the surrounding colors, incompatible and irreconcilable.But I now feel that between the memories of Combray, Doncières, and Riverbell that I have just recalled successively, there is not only a gap in time, but also a gap between different worlds, their composition Substances vary.If I want to use in a work the substance that seems to me to engrave all my memories of Riverbell, I must add roses to a substance that has hitherto resembled the gray stoneware of Combray. ingredients, making it suddenly transparent, dense, clank, and pleasing to the eye.

However, after explaining to the coachman, Robert got into the carriage and sat beside me.All the thoughts that had popped up in my head just now disappeared in a blink of an eye.Like goddesses, they occasionally appear condescendingly at the bend of a road, and manifest themselves to a solitary mortal, or even come to his bedroom while he sleeps, and stand at the door to announce his good news.But as long as the second person comes, the goddess will disappear immediately, because the people who gather together cannot see the goddess.I was wrapped up in friendship again. When Robert came to my house, he told me that there was a lot of fog outside, but as we talked, the fog was getting bigger and bigger.I had hoped for a light fog to envelop us—me and Mrs. de Stemaria—on the Isle of Bologna Bologna, but what I saw was far from being a light fog.The street lamps two steps away became dim, so that, in the darkness of the night, it seemed to me that I had come to a field, a forest, or to be more precise, to a wet island in Brittany that I had just longed for.I felt as if I were lost on a northern coast, and had to go through countless trials of life and death to find a deserted inn; the fog was no longer the mirage we were looking for, it The danger of wrestling.We shall go through all kinds of hardships, and experience the sorrows of the world, till we find our way and arrive safely in Hong Kong, until at last we find safety, and taste the joy that safety brings to a wanderer in a foreign country and in straitened circumstances.Those who are in safety do not know the pain of losing safety.During our adventurous run to the hotel, there was only one incident that nearly spoiled our enjoyment, because it surprised and angered me. "You know," Saint-Loup said to me, "I told Bloch that you don't like him that much, you think he's vulgar. That's the kind of person I am, I like simplicity," he said triumphantly and irrefutably. make a conclusion.I froze for a moment.Because I have always trusted Saint-Loup, and I have always believed in his friendship, but he betrayed our friendship by saying such things to Brock; Considering the advantages, he shouldn't have said that. He is well-educated and pays great attention to politeness. Normally, he shouldn't speak so bluntly.Was this smug look of his trying to hide his embarrassment at admitting to something he knew he hadn't done?Is it an unconscious expression, or is it a foolish act to regard as a virtue in one of his defects that I have not yet recognized?Was he angry with me and said something bad about me, or was he suddenly angry with Brock and wanted to say something unpleasant to him, even at the expense of me?Besides, when he said these vulgar words to me, there were many crooked lines in his face, such a terrible expression that he rarely had, and I only saw him once or twice in my life.The lines stretched first from the middle of the face to the mouth, distorting the lips so that there flashed a vile and ugly, almost animal expression, no doubt inherited from the ancestors.At such times (such moments occur only once every two years), part of his ego may disappear, and the personality of an ancestor manifests in him for a while.Robert's "I like it dry" remark, like his complacency, aroused suspicion and condemnation.I want to say to him, if you like to be straightforward, you should be frank and sincere when it comes to yourself, instead of self-serving at the expense of others and putting gold on your face.But the carriage had already stopped at the entrance of the hotel.The big shiny glass facade of the hotel finally broke through the darkness, bringing a little light into the night.Because of the comfortable light from the store, the fog seems to be a servant who follows the master's joys and sorrows, and comes to the sidewalk with a spring breeze to show you the entrance; it presents a delicate iridescent halo, as if showing the way to the Hebrews beam of light, pointing out where is the gate.Moreover, some of the customers were Hebrews.Because for a long time Bullock and his friends have come here to meet every night, as if fasting--the fasting period only comes once a year--dizzy with hunger, drinking coffee, and talking extravagantly. Politics to satisfy one's own curiosity.Mental stimulation of any kind endows habits with a highest value and quality.Habit is so closely related to mental stimulation, that there is no more intense inclination which does not form around itself a little society, whose members are united by common inclinations, each striving in life to be respected by the others.Here, even in a small town in the provinces, you'll find some serious music lovers; they spend their best hours and most of their money on chamber concerts, music talks, cafés and Music lovers meet and meet musicians.Others love flying and want to win the praise of the old waiter in the glass-walled bar on the top floor of the airport building; Accompanied by pilots who are not flying, watch one pilot somersaulting in the air, while the other pilot, who had just disappeared without a trace, suddenly landed at this moment and fell to the ground, like a mythical roc, rumbling and shaking its wings .Those interested in Zola's lawsuit also like to visit this café.In order to prolong and deepen the excitement of hearing the trial as long as possible, they often meet here.But they were discriminated against by another group of customers, those noble children.The nobles gathered in the second coffee shop, separated from the first coffee shop only by a low wall decorated with landscape tapestries.They regarded Dreyfus and his supporters as traitors, and although twenty-five years later—during which time they had had time to clarify their own ideas and the Retrials had become a respected faction in history—their son, regardless of Bolsheviks, or waltzers, in answer to questions put to them by "literatures," may openly declare that, had they lived in those days, they would have certainly sided with Dreyfus, despite their sympathy for Dreyfus. They knew almost nothing about the circumstances of the Smith case, just as they knew nothing about the Countess Edmund de Budapons or the Marchioness of Galifer, who had once been prominent but had lost their glory on the day they came into the world. Same.The aristocrats gathered in this café on this foggy night, the fathers of young literati who would later become retrospectives, were young men.Of course, their families would have liked their son to marry a rich lady, but that hasn't happened for either of the couples yet.Such an object is pursued by several people at the same time (there are also several "noble ladies" to choose from, but after all, there are far fewer people with rich dowries than the suitors), and it is still in the gestation stage at the moment, and it is only satisfied with letting These young people compete with each other.

I've had a lot of unpleasant things today.In order to explain to the coachman that he would pick us up after we had finished eating, Saint-Loup was delayed for a few minutes, and I had to go in alone.However, as a start to bad luck, I walked into the turnstile and thought I couldn't get out, because I was not used to this kind of door. (By the way, for those who like to use precise words, this peaceful revolving door is called a revolving door, which is translated from the English revolving door.) That night, the boss was afraid of getting wet in the fog. He didn't dare to leave his customers when he went outside, so he stood by the door and listened with great interest to the pleasant complaints of the new customers.The faces of the customers shone with joy as they arrived at the cafe at last, after fear and difficulty along the way.However, when he saw a stranger come in who couldn't get out of the glass door wing, his friendly and sincere smile disappeared from his face.This obvious ignorance of the stranger made the examiner frown, and he really wanted not to say the word "dignusestintrare".To make matters worse, I went to a coffee shop reserved for nobles, and the boss came over aggressively and kicked me out, and rudely asked me to sit in another hall, and all the waiters immediately imitated their master and became rude to me .The upholstered bench where I sat was full of people, and it happened to be facing the special door for the Hebrews to come in and out. Therefore, I feel more disappointed.I offered to change a seat, but the boss flatly refused, saying to me: "No, sir, I can't bother everyone for you." Forgot, because he was attracted by the new customers.As told in old novels, newcomers pay their share when they enter this warm and safe haven before they ask for beer, cold chicken wings, or treacle wine (it's long after dinner is served) , Tell me about your adventures.The warmth and safety of the refuge contrasted so sharply with the environment they had just escaped from. Therefore, the atmosphere of joking with each other and friendship that only existed before the campfire shrouded it.

-------- ①The meaning of "revolving door". ②Latin, meaning: "please come in". One said that his carriage had circled the Invalides three times, but he thought he had reached the bridge at the Place de la Concorde.Another said that his car wanted to drive along the Champs-Elysées, but unexpectedly drove into a flower bush in the Élysée Circus, and it took three quarters of an hour to get out of it.What follows is a lament over the fog, over the cold, over the deathly silence of the street, enraptured by the speaker and delighted by the listener, thanks to the warm and cozy atmosphere of the café (except my seat), to the squinting Bright lights that squint their eyes (accustomed to the dark) and voices that revive their ears.

It is difficult for visitors to remain silent.They think that the twists and turns encountered on the road are weird and unheard of, and they feel uneasy if they don’t tell them, so they look around for someone they can talk to with their eyes.The proprietor also put aside notions of hierarchy: "The Prince de Foix lost his way three times on his way here from the Porte Saint-Martin," he said without hesitation, laughing and introducing the man The famous aristocrat pointed it out to an Israeli lawyer.But in normal times, there is an obstacle more insurmountable between the lawyer and the prince than the landscape tapestry that spans the two halls. "Three times! Look at it," said the lawyer, touching his hat with his hand.The prince did not appreciate such familiarity.He belonged to that class of nobles for whom insolence (even with nobles, unless they were of the first rank) seemed to be their only pastime.These young men, especially the Prince de Foix, never answered the greetings of others, and if the other party politely repeated the mistake and greeted him again, they responded with a sneer, or raised their heads angrily; The old man they had worked for pretended not to know him; he shook hands and greeted no one except the duke or the relatives and friends whom the duke introduced them to.Their youth and dissoluteness fostered their arrogance (even youths of bourgeois origin are ungrateful and ill-bred, forgetting to write a letter to a widowed benefactor for months on end, only to see him later) He simply didn't even say hello).But this arrogance was inspired by a fashionistism that exalted the privileged classes.In fact, just as some neurotic people become less symptomatic as they enter adulthood, so these ultra-fashionable young people will gradually cool down as adults.Once the youth is past, few people are insolent anymore.They always thought that arrogance was everything, but they suddenly discovered (the prince is no exception), in addition to arrogance, there is also music, literature, and even a member of parliament.The value scale of people changes suddenly, and people they previously dismissed can now talk to each other.Good luck (if it should be called so) to those who are easy-tempered and enduring, and receive at forty the favors and privileges they were denied at twenty!

As for the Prince de Foix, since he has already been mentioned, let me explain: he was a member of a small circle composed of twelve to fifteen people, and he belonged to a narrower group of four.This small circle of twelve to fifteen people had one characteristic in common (but we do not think that the Prince de Foix did not), that is, each person had two faces.They are so in debt that they seem a shameless bunch to their suppliers, although they are more than happy to call them: "Mr. "marriages" (aka "big pocket marriages") get out of the woods, but since only four or five have the lucrative dowries they covet, several people vie for a fiancée.They kept each other secret, and when one of them announced in the cafe: "My distinguished friends, I love you too much to fail to announce to you that I am engaged to Mademoiselle de Amblesac", several Individuals would utter exclamations at the same time, and many of them, thinking that their marriage to Mademoiselle de Ambrose was a sure thing, lost their composure upon hearing the news, and could not help uttering an angry and startled cry: " So, Bibi, do you think marriage is a pleasure?" exclaimed the Prince Châteleau, dropping his fork in astonishment and despair, for he thought that the news of Mademoiselle de Ambrose's engagement was imminent. Announced, but not with anyone else, but with him, the Prince of Chateauroux.God knows, however, that his father had subtly spoken ill of Bibi's mother to the Umbresacks. "Marriage makes you happy?" he couldn't help asking again.Bibi was fully prepared, because after he made the marriage "semi-public", he had enough time to decide the attitude he should adopt. He said with a smile on his face: "I am not happy for getting married, I am happy for getting married." I'm not very interested, I'm happy to marry Daisy de Amblesac, I find her very charming." At this time, M. Turning to the second and third rich and powerful candidates, Mlle. de Raganouk or Mlle. Wait, he has to explain to those who have heard him say that Mademoiselle de Amblesac is very attractive, and tell them that this marriage is more suitable, and if he marries her, he may have trouble with his family. .He added that Madame de Soleon had said that if they were married she would not receive them.

But while they may seem worthless in the eyes of purveyors and restaurateurs, there is another side to them, and once back in high society, they are no longer the ones who squandered their fortunes and tried to make up for it by any means necessary. up.They became Mr. Prince so-and-so, Duke so-and-so, and their fortunes were reckoned only by their coat of arms.A duke who has almost billions of dollars and can say that he has everything he needs must let them go ahead, because they are the heads of the clan. If in the past, they were the monarchs of a small country, they had the right to mint coins in their own territories, etc. .When one of them entered the café, the other bowed his head so as not to oblige the visitor to greet him.Because in order to continue his dream of chasing wealth, he invited a banker to dinner here.People in the upper class always lose hundreds of thousands of francs when dealing with bankers under such conditions, but he does not learn the lesson, and deals with another banker again, and continues to burn incense and worship Buddha.

But the Prince de Foix was rich, and he belonged not only to this circle of fourteen or five refined youths, but also to another, tighter and more inseparable group of four.Saint-Loup belongs to this group.People never miss one of them to dinner, they are called four misbehaving youths, they are always seen wandering together, they are guests in someone's castle, and their masters always arrange them in adjoining rooms. All of them are handsome and beautiful, so the relationship between them is rumored to be abnormal.For Saint-Loup, I can unequivocally refute the rumors for him.But the strange thing is that although everyone later learned that these rumors were true, they themselves knew nothing about what the other three were doing.However, each of them is doing everything possible to find out about the other three, perhaps to satisfy a desire, or more precisely, to avenge, to prevent a marriage, and to defeat the already fiancée in the contest for a fiancée. exposed friends.The group of four Platonists added a new member (groups of four were never more than four), the fifth more Platonist than the other four.But he remained bound by religion until the foursome broke up and he himself married.He became the head of the family and begged Lourdes to give him another boy or girl, but before that he would join the army.

Although Fovaux was such a man, his anger was not as great as it might have been, since what the lawyer said in his presence was not addressed directly to him.Moreover, tonight's situation is a bit special.Besides, it is impossible for the lawyer to establish contact with him, the Prince of Foix, in the future, just as it is impossible for the coachman who sent him to associate with him.Therefore, he thought that he could answer the other party's question. He felt that in this foggy day, the lawyer seemed to be his traveling companion who he encountered in the distant howling wind or on the beach shrouded in thick fog, but he put on a haughty demeanor, Pretending not to be addressing the lawyer, he said: "It's not a bad thing to get lost, and you can't find your way anyway." The boss admired the correctness of the prince's opinion, because he had heard it several times this evening.

In fact, he has a habit of comparing what he hears or reads with a verse he is familiar with, and feels sincere admiration if he finds no difference.This is a state of mind that cannot be ignored.If this state of mind is applied to political talks or the reading of newspapers, it can shape public opinion and lead to the most serious incidents.The Agadir ① incident is an example.If many German café owners, who only appreciate their customers or newspapers, say that France, Britain and Russia are "looking for" Germany's "trouble," then the incident in Agadir could turn into a war, even if no war breaks out.If historians have not unreasonably abandoned the will of the king to explain the actions of the people, then they should replace the will of the king with the psychology of the individual, the common man.

-------- ①Agadir is a port city in the southwest of Morocco. On October 1, 1911, the German government sent gunboats to protest the entry of French troops into the northern cities of Fez and Meknes in Morocco.As a result of the negotiations between the two parties, France maintained the right to move freely in Morocco, but in exchange, part of the Congo was ceded to Germany. In politics, of late, the proprietor of the café I have just arrived in has applied only to certain episodes of the Dreyfus case his Mr. Endorsement state of mind.If he did not find a familiar word in a customer's speech or in a newspaper article, he declared the article dull or the customer not forthright.It was precisely the Prince de Foix who impressed him so much that he took up the conversation before the prince finished speaking. "Well said, Prince, well said (meaning correctly recited), that's it, that's it," he exclaimed joyfully, and, in the words of Zhong, he was "excited with joy." .But the prince had already gone into the little café and disappeared.Then, as life always starts over, no matter what serious incident, some of those who emerged from the sea of ​​fog asked for drinks and others for dinner; among those who ordered dinner were several young people who were members of the Jockey Club , due to the abnormal weather, they did not hesitate to sit at two tables in the big cafe, very close to me, like a flood between the small restaurant and the big restaurant, after all these hardships to get out of the sea of ​​fog, to be The comfort of the restaurant stimulated the enthusiasm among the people, creating an atmosphere of intimacy comparable to the atmosphere in Noah's Ark, in which I was the only one excluded. Suddenly, I saw the boss bent over to salute, and all the foremen ran out, attracting the attention of customers. "Quickly, call Cyprian and prepare a table for the Marquis of Saint-Loup," the boss shouted.In his eyes, Robert is not only a great nobleman with high prestige, even the Prince of Foix respects him three points, but also a customer who lives a luxurious life and is willing to throw a lot of money to him.The customers in the big restaurant stared curiously, and the customers in the small restaurant rushed to say hello to their friend Saint-Loup, while Saint-Loup kept polishing the soles of his shoes.But, just as he was about to enter the small dining room, he found me in the big dining room. "My God," he exclaimed, "what are you doing there? Facing the gate, wide open," he said, giving the boss a hard look, who hurried to close the door, blaming the waiter. Body: "I keep telling them to close the door, but they don't remember." I wanted to go to his side, so I had to ask my deskmate and the customers at the previous tables to make way for me. "What are you up to do? You like it there, don't you like the bistro, don't you? But, my poor little one, you'll freeze. Please block the door for me," he told the boss. Say. "That's it, Mr. Marquis. From now on, if any customers come, they will enter the small dining room. It's easy." In order to appear more enthusiastic, he ordered a head waiter and several waiters to perform tasks, and at the same time threatened loudly that if If they don't finish well, they will be punished.In order to make me forget his attitude towards me at the beginning, he showed me too much respect, but he didn't want me to feel that his respect for me was because his rich noble customer was very warm to me, so he Smiled furtively at me to show that he seemed personally fond of me. There was a customer drinking behind me, and the boss turned his head away.Instead of: "Chicken wings, very good, and some more champagne, but with a little water", I heard: "I like glycerin. Yes, hot, very good." I want to see and impose on myself Who is the ascetic of such a menu, but I immediately turned my head back to Saint-Loup.Because I don't want this weird foodie to recognize me.I knew him only as a doctor.He was trapped in the cafe by thick fog, and a customer took the opportunity to seek medical attention from him.Doctors, like stock exchange brokers, cannot speak without an "I." My eyes were on Saint-Loup, but my thoughts were elsewhere.Among the customers of this café, among the people I have known in my life, were not a few foreigners, men of letters and painters of all kinds, who wore cloaks and ties of 1830, In addition, the movements are very inflexible, which makes people laugh out loud, but they are submissive and swallow their anger.In order to appear indifferent, some people even pretend to be crazy and stupid on purpose to make people laugh.They are people of high morals, real talents, and great sensitivity.These foreigners—mainly Jews, of course those who were not assimilated—discomfort those who have no tolerance for grotesques (just as Bloch repelled Albertine).In general, people are quick to admit that it is naive to judge them on the basis of their excessively long hair, their oversized noses and eyes, their artificially incoherent gestures, even if they are annoying, They are open-minded and honest, and you will fall in love with them in your association with them.Especially Jews.Most of their parents are generous, broad-minded, and sincere. Compared with these qualities, Saint-Loup's mother and the Duke of Gelmont pale in comparison. They are ruthless and have false religious feelings. The Tartar scandal, their vigorous defense of Christianity, must eventually lead (using their only highly regarded wisdom, by unexpected means) to a wealthy marriage based on pecuniary ties.But whatever the manner in which the faults of the parents compose new qualities in the offspring, in Saint-Loup the lovely qualities of openness of heart and frankness of heart still predominate.Therefore, a few words of praise should be said to France: if these qualities exist in a pure Frenchman (whether aristocrat or commoner), they will bloom gracefully (it may be a bit too much to describe it in various ways, because there are scales and restrictions), And a foreigner, however deserving of respect he may be, cannot have such grace.Of course, other people also have spiritual and moral qualities. Although some people's appearance is repulsive, unpleasant, and laughable, these qualities are still valuable.However, those things that are beautiful from the point of view of justice, and valued by spirit and heart, are not only pleasing to the eye, beautiful in color, finely crafted, but also perfectly unified inwardly and outwardly, which is a good thing after all, Maybe only the French can do it.I gazed at Saint-Loup and thought to myself, when a person has both a handsome appearance and a noble and elegant heart, and a dainty, exquisite workmanship, comparable to the wings of butterflies that rest on the flowers in the meadows around Combray. the nose, which is flattering after all; I think the real masterpiece of French art, whose secret has existed since the thirteenth century and which will not disappear with our church, is not the stone angel of Saint-André , but ordinary French people, regardless of nobles, bourgeois and peasants, their facial lines are exquisite and bright like magic, and they have the same history as the carvings on the famous porch of Saint-André Church, but they are still rich. creativity.