登陆注册
45076000000020

第20章 Is He Living orIs He Dead?(5)

“Then we figured up and found that among us we had sold eighty—five small pictures and studies, and had sixtynine thousand francs to show for it. Carl had made the last sale and the most brilliant one of all. He sold the ‘Angelus’ for twentytwo hundred francs. How we did glorify him!—not foreseeing that a day was coming byandby when France would struggle to own it and a stranger would capture it for five hundred and fifty thousand, cash.”

“我们计算了一下,成绩很不错,三个人一共卖了八十五张画和习作,得了六万九千法郎。最后一张画是卡尔卖出去的,价钱卖得最大。他把《晚祷》卖了两千二百法郎。我们把他夸奖得好凶呀——可没有想到后来会有一天,整个法国都抢着要把这张画据为己有,居然会有一位无名人士花了五十五万法郎的现款把它抢购去了。”

“We had a windup champagne supper that night, and next day Claude and I packed up and went off to nurse Millet through his last days and keep busybodiesbusybody n.爱管闲事的人, 好事的人 out of the house and send daily bulletins to Carl in Paris for publication in the papers of several continents for the information of a waiting world. The sad end came at last, and Carl was there in time to help in the final mournful rites.”

“那天晚上我们预备了香槟酒,举行了庆祝胜利结束的晚餐,第二天克劳德和我就收拾行李,回去招呼米勒度过他临终的几天,一面谢绝那些探听消息的闲人,同时每天发出病况报告,寄到巴黎给卡尔拿去在几大洲的报上发表,把消息报道给全世界关怀的人们。最后终于宣布了噩耗,卡尔也及时赶回来帮忙料理最后的丧礼。”

“You remember that great funeral, and what a stir it made all over the globe, and how the illustrious of two worlds came to attend it and testifytestify v.证明, 证实, 作证 their sorrow. We four—still inseparable—carried the coffincoffin n.棺材, and would allow none to help. And we were right about that, because it hadnt anything in it but a wax figure, and any other coffinbearers would have found fault with the weight. Yes, we same old four, who had lovingly shared privation together in the old hard times now gone for ever, carried the cof—”

“你想必还记得吧,那次的出殡真是盛况空前,轰动全球,新旧世界的上流人物都来参加了,大家都表示哀悼。我们四个——还是那么难分难舍的——抬着棺材,不让别人帮忙。我们这么做是很对的,因为棺材里根本就只装着一个蜡做的假人,如果让别人去抬,重量就成问题,难免要露马脚。是的,我们当初曾经相亲相爱地在一起共过患难的四个老朋友抬着棺……”

“Which four?”

“哪四个人?”

“We four—for Millet helped to carry his own coffin. In disguise, you know. Disguised as a relative—distant relative.”

“我们四个嘛——米勒也帮忙抬着他自己的棺材哩。不用说,是化装的。化装成一位亲戚——一位远房的亲戚。”

“Astonishing!”

“妙不可言!”

“But true just the same. Well, you remember how the pictures went up. Money? We didnt know what to do with it. theres a man in Paris today who owns seventy Millet pictures. He paid us two million francs for them. And as for the bushelsbushel n.蒲式耳(容量等于八加仑) v.修补 of sketches and studies which Millet shovelled out during the six weeks that we were on the road, well, it would astonish you to know the figure we sell them at nowadays—that is, when we consent to let one go!”

“我可是说的真话,那还不是一样吗。嗐,你还记得他的画卖价怎么往上涨吧。钱吗?我们简直不知如何处置才好,现在巴黎还有一个人收藏着七十张米勒的画。他给了我们二百万法郎买去的。至于我们当初在路上那六个星期里米勒赶出来的那许许多多的写生和习作呢,哈,你听听我们现在卖的价钱简直会大吃一惊——并且那还得我们愿意卖的时候才行!”

“It is a wonderful history, perfectly wonderful!”

“这真是个稀奇的故事,简直稀奇透了!”

“Yes—it amounts to that.”

“是呀——可以那么说。”

“Whatever became of Millet?”

“米勒后来究竟怎么样呢?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“你能保守秘密吗?”

“I can.”

“可以。”

“Do you remember the man I called your attention to in the dining room today? That was Francois Millet.”

“你记得今天在餐厅里我叫你注意看的那个人吗?那就是法朗斯瓦·米勒。”

“Great—”

“我的天哪,原来——”

“Scott! Yes. For once they didnt starve a genius to death and then put into other pockets the rewards he should have had himself. This songbird was not allowed to pipe out its heart unheard and then be paid with the cold pomp of a big funeral. We looked out for that.”

“如此!是呀,总算这一次他们没有把一个天才饿死,然后把他应得的报酬装到别人的荷包里去。这一只能唱的鸟儿可没有白唱一阵,没有人听,只落得死了之后的一场无谓的盛大丧礼。我们原来是等着遭这种命运的哩。”

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 以你为名的救赎

    以你为名的救赎

    她是陆家千金和寒门子弟的产物,是后妈眼中跟鱼一样能卖了换钱的赔钱货,他是陆家四公子的替代品,是陆家老爷子为了完成自己宏伟大业而培养的一条走狗,他与她的遇见,是利益的使然?还是命运的救赎?(甜文甜文有点小虐的甜文!)
  • 网游之幸运全满

    网游之幸运全满

    书友群建立啦!1061121380……主角天生幸运全满,因为是天生幸运全满,主角获得百分百暴击,百分百闪避,百分百强化成功,合成百分百成功
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 超牛杂货铺

    超牛杂货铺

    进入异界的他被系统绑定他的杂货铺无所不能想要神器吗?想要请帮忙。想要神兽吗?嘿嘿,交钱他就是李超牛。
  • 盛世妖后:暴君,别来无恙

    盛世妖后:暴君,别来无恙

    【穿越+重生】上一世,她放弃皇后之位笑饮毒酒,一代战神就此陨落,千乘将军之名变成大陆上的传说。醒来时,却成了妖颜倾城软弱可欺的侯府小姐,自此废物变天才,于乱世中翻云覆雨,誓要夺回一切。他是世上唯一与她平分秋色的男子,对她百般纵容,“若你此生注定是朕的皇后,你逃到何处?”【本文双洁双强,结局1v1,放心入坑】
  • 许你野在我心上

    许你野在我心上

    小王子说:有些事要流浪过才会懂喜欢上一个人可能仅仅是因为那天阳光明媚,而他恰巧穿了一件你喜欢的白衬衫,洋溢着自信和朝气的微笑,逆着光向你走来。而爱上一个人却是经过时间的沉淀,细水长流,日积月累的越来越能从他身上感受到某些力量,那些力量我们称之为:安定与陪伴……
  • 灵芷

    灵芷

    她九重天上尊贵无比的神女他英勇战神绝代无双她抗拒着他心中的那一个她直到那一天狂风大作魔发飞舞他终究为她发了狂他说宁愿毁了这个世界也不愿见她离去
  • 白一刀

    白一刀

    一个懵懂无知的少年成长为一方霸主的热血故事。
  • 命运捉弄

    命运捉弄

    本文主要讲述一位平凡的女孩曲折的人生经历!
  • 横纵九天

    横纵九天

    浩渺极,聚断魂。凡超脱,齐天地。举凝形,夺生气,参造化。分心化神乃浴火,九九归一始涅槃。