第 70 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 15:31      字数:9320
  with silver buckles。  On his head he wore a high…peaked hat; he was
  tall; had a hooked nose; and in age was about fifty。
  'Welcome; Rabbi Manasseh;' said the Armenian。  'I know your knock …
  you are welcome; sit down。'
  'I am welcome;' said Manasseh; sitting down; 'he … he … he! you
  know my knock … I bring you money … BUENO!'
  There was something very peculiar in the sound of that bueno … I
  never forgot it。
  Thereupon a conversation ensued between Rabbi Manasseh and the
  Armenian; in a language which I knew to be Spanish; though a
  peculiar dialect。  It related to a mercantile transaction。  The
  Rabbi sighed heavily as he delivered to the other a considerable
  sum of money。
  'It is right;' said the Armenian; handing a receipt。  'It is right;
  and I am quite satisfied。'
  'You are satisfied … you have taken money。  BUENO; I have nothing
  to say against your being satisfied。'
  'Come; Rabbi;' said the Armenian; 'do not despond; it may be your
  turn next to take money; in the meantime; can't you be persuaded to
  taste my Cyprus?'
  'He … he … he! senor; you know I do not love wine。  I love Noah
  when he is himself; but; as Janus; I love him not。  But you are
  merry; BUENO; you have a right to be so。'
  'Excuse me;' said I; 'but does Noah ever appear as Janus?'
  'He … he … he!' said the Rabbi; 'he only appeared as Janus once …
  una vez quando estuvo borracho; which means … '
  'I understand;' said I; 'when he was 。 。 。' and I drew the side of
  my right hand sharply across my left wrist。
  'Are you one of our people?' said the Rabbi。
  'No;' said I; 'I am one of the Goyim; but I am only half
  enlightened。  Why should Noah be Janus when he was in that state?'
  'He … he … he! you must know that in Lasan akhades wine is janin。'
  'In Armenian; kini;' said I; 'in Welsh; gwin; Latin; vinum; but do
  you think that Janus and janin are one?'
  'Do I think?  Don't the commentators say so?  Does not Master Leo
  Abarbenel say so in his DIALOGUES OF DIVINE LOVE'?
  'But;' said I; 'I always thought that Janus was a god of the
  ancient Romans; who stood in a temple open in time of war; and shut
  in time of peace; he was represented with two faces; which … which
  … '
  'He … he … he!' said the Rabbi; rising from his seat; 'he had two
  faces; had he?  And what did those two faces typify?  You do not
  know; no; nor did the Romans who carved him with two faces know why
  they did so; for they were only half enlightened; like you and the
  rest of the Goyim。  Yet they were right in carving him with two
  faces looking from each other … they were right; though they knew
  not why; there was a tradition among them that the Janinoso had two
  faces; but they knew not that one was for the world which was gone
  and the other for the world before him … for the drowned world and
  for the present; as Master Leo Abarbenel says in his DIALOGUES OF
  DIVINE LOVE。  He … he … he!' continued the Rabbi; who had by this
  time advanced to the door; and; turning round; waved the two
  forefingers of his right hand in our faces; 'the Goyims and
  Epicouraiyim are clever men; they know how to make money better
  than we of Israel。  My good friend there is a clever man; I bring
  him money; he never brought me any; BUENO; I do not blame him; he
  knows much; very much; but one thing there is my friend does not
  know; nor any of the Epicureans; he does not know the sacred thing
  … he has never received the gift of interpretation which God alone
  gives to the seed … he has his gift; I have mine … he is satisfied;
  I don't blame him; BUENO。'
  And; with this last word in his mouth; he departed。
  'Is that man a native of Spain?' I demanded。
  'Not a native of Spain;' said the Armenian; 'though he is one of
  those who call themselves Spanish Jews; and who are to be found
  scattered throughout Europe; speaking the Spanish language
  transmitted to them by their ancestors; who were expelled from
  Spain in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella。'
  'The Jews are a singular people;' said I。
  'A race of cowards and dastards;' said the Armenian; 'without a
  home or country; servants to servants; persecuted and despised by
  all。'
  'And what are the Haiks?' I demanded。
  'Very different from the Jews;' replied the Armenian; 'the Haiks
  have a home … a country; and can occasionally use a good sword;
  though it is true they are not what they might be。'
  'Then it is a shame that they do not become so;' said I; 'but they
  are too fond of money。  There is yourself; with two hundred
  thousand pounds in your pocket; craving for more; whilst you might
  be turning your wealth to the service of your country。'
  'In what manner?' said the Armenian。
  'I have heard you say that the grand oppressor of your country is
  the Persian; why not attempt to free your country from his
  oppression … you have two hundred thousand pounds; and money is the
  sinew of war?'
  'Would you; then; have me attack the Persian?'
  'I scarcely know what to say; fighting is a rough trade; and I am
  by no means certain that you are calculated for the scratch。  It is
  not every one who has been brought up in the school of Mr。
  Petulengro and Tawno Chikno。  All I can say is; that if I were an
  Armenian; and had two hundred thousand pounds to back me; I would
  attack the Persian。'
  'Hem!' said the Armenian。
  CHAPTER LI
  The one half…crown … Merit in patience … Cementer of friendship …
  Dreadful perplexity … The usual guttural … Armenian letters … Much
  indebted to you … Pure helplessness … Dumb people。
  ONE morning on getting up I discovered that my whole worldly wealth
  was reduced to one half…crown … throughout that day I walked about
  in considerable distress of mind; it was now requisite that I
  should come to a speedy decision with respect to what I was to do;
  I had not many alternatives; and; before I had retired to rest on
  the night of the day in question; I had determined that I could do
  no better than accept the first proposal of the Armenian; and
  translate under his superintendence the Haik Esop into English。
  I reflected; for I made a virtue of necessity; that; after all;
  such an employment would be an honest and honourable one; honest;
  inasmuch as by engaging in it I should do harm to nobody;
  honourable; inasmuch as it was a literary task; which not every one
  was capable of executing。 it was not every one of the booksellers'
  writers of London who was competent to translate the Haik Esop。  I
  determined to accept the offer of the Armenian。
  Once or twice the thought of what I might have to undergo in the
  translation from certain peculiarities of the Armenian's temper
  almost unsettled me; but a mechanical diving of my hand into my
  pocket; and the feeling of the solitary half…crown; confirmed me;
  after all; this was a life of trial and tribulation; and I had read
  somewhere or other that there was much merit in patience; so I
  determined to hold fast in my resolution of accepting the offer of
  the Armenian。
  But all of a sudden I remembered that the Armenian appeared to have
  altered his intentions towards me:  he appeared no longer desirous
  that I should render the Haik Esop into English for the benefit of
  the stock…jobbers on Exchange; but rather that I should acquire the
  rudiments of doing business in the Armenian fashion; and accumulate
  a fortune; which would enable me to make a figure upon 'Change with
  the best of the stock…jobbers。  'Well;' thought I; withdrawing my
  hand from my pocket; whither it had again mechanically dived;
  'after all; what would the world; what would this city; be without
  commerce?  I believe the world; and particularly this city; would
  cut a very poor figure without commerce; and then there is
  something poetical in the idea of doing business after the Armenian
  fashion; dealing with dark…faced Lascars and Rabbins of the
  Sephardim。  Yes; should the Armenian insist upon it; I will accept
  a seat at the desk; opposite the Moldavian clerk。  I do not like
  the idea of cuffs similar to those the Armenian bestowed upon the
  Moldavian clerk; whatever merit there may be in patience; I do not
  think that my estimation of the merit of patience would be
  sufficient to induce me to remain quietly sitting under the
  infliction of cuffs。  I think I should; in the event of his cuffing
  me; knock the Armenian down。  Well; I think I have heard it said
  somewhere; that a knock…down blow is a great cementer of
  friendship; I think I have heard of two people being better friends
  than ever after the one had received from the other a knock…down
  blow。'
  That night I dreamed I had acquired a colossal fortune; some four
  hundred thousand pounds; by the Armenian way of doing business; but
  suddenly awoke in dreadful perplexity as to how I should dispose of
  it。