|
||||||||
Paris 2 The Translation Paris There was nobody in the box1 I was let into but a kindly old French officer: I love the character, not only because I honour the man whose manners are softened by a profession which makes bad men worse; but that I once knew onefor he is no moreand why should I not rescue one page from violation by writing his name in it, and telling the world it was Captain Tobias Shandy, the dearest of my flock and friends, whose philanthropy I never think of at this long distance from his deathbut my eyes gush out with tears. For his sake, I have a predilection for the whole corps of veterans; and so I strode over the two back rows of benches, and placed myself beside him. The old officer was reading attentively a small pamphlet, it might be the book of the opera, with a large pair of spectacles. As soon as I sat down, he took his spectacles off, and putting them into a shagreen case, returnd them and the book into his pocket together. I half rose up, and made him a bow. Translate this into any civilized language in the worldthe sense is this: Heres a poor stranger come into the boxhe seems as if he knew nobody; and is never likely, was he to be seven years in Paris, if every man he comes near keeps his spectacles on his nosetis shutting the door of conversation absolutely in his faceand using him worse than a German. The French officer might as well have said it all aloud; and if he had, I should in course have put the bow I made him into French too, and told him, I was sensible of his attention, and returnd him a thousand thanks for it. There is not a secret so aiding to the progress of sociality, as to get master of this short hand, and be quick in rendering the several turns of looks and limbs, with all their inflections and delineations, into plain words. For my own part, by long habitude, I do it so mechanically, that when I walk the streets of London, I go translating all the way; and have more than once stood behind in the circle, where not three words have been said, and have brought off twenty different dialogues with me, which I could have fairly wrote down and sworn to. I was going one evening to Martinis concert at Milan,2 and was just entering the door of the hall, when the Marquesina de F***3 was coming out in a sort of a hurryshe was almost upon me before I saw her, so I gave a spring to one side to let her passShe had done the same and on the same side too; so we ran our heads together: she instantly got to the other side to get out: I was just as unfortunate as she had been; for I had sprung to that side, and opposed her passage againWe both flew together to the other side, and then backand so onit was ridiculous; we both blushd intolerably; so I did at last the thing I should have done at firstI stood stock still, and the Marquesina had no more difficulty. I had no power to go into the room, till I had made her so much reparation as to wait and follow her with my eye to the end of the passageShe lookd back twice, and walkd along it rather side-ways, as if she would make room for any one coming up stairs to pass herNo, said Ithats a vile translation: the Marquesina has a right to the best apology I can make her; and that opening is left for me to do it inso I ran and beggd pardon for the embarrassment I had given her, saying, it was my intention to have made her way. She answered, she was guided by the same intention towards meso we reciprocally thankd each other. She was at the top of the stairs; and seeing no Chichesbeo4 near her, I beggd to hand her to her coachso we went down the stairs, stopping at every third step to talk of the concert and the adventureUpon my word, Madame, said I, when I had handed her in, I made six different efforts to let you go outAnd I made six efforts, replied she, to let you enterI wish to heaven you would make a seventh, said IWith all my heart, said she, making roomLife is too short to be long about the forms of itso I instantly steppd in, and she carried me home with herAnd what became of the concert, St Cecilia who I suppose was at it knows more than I. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||