“Eccellenza， miserabili！” they exclaimed， stretching forth their diseased limbs. The hostess received the travellers with bare feet， untidy hair， and a dirty blouse. The doors were fastened together with string， the floors of the rooms were of brick， broken in many places， bats flew about under the roof， and as to the odor within —
“老爷，可怜可怜穷人吧！”他们叹息着，同时伸出残废的手来。 旅店的老板娘，打着一双赤脚，头发乱蓬蓬的，只穿着一件很脏的紧身上衣，来接待这些客人进来。门是用绳子系住的，房间的地上铺着砖，可是有一半已经被翻起来了。蝙蝠在屋顶下面飞，而且还有一股气味——
“Let us have supper laid in the stable，” said one of the travellers， “then we shall know what we are breathing.”
“好吧，请在马厩里开饭吧！”旅客中有一位说，“那儿人们起码可以知道他所呼吸的是什么东西。”
The windows were opened to let in a little fresh air， but quicker than air came in the withered arms and the continual whiningwhine vi.报怨声， 哭诉， 发牢骚， 发呜呜声vt.哀诉n.抱怨， 牢骚， 哀鸣 sounds， “Miserabili， eccellenza. On the walls were inscriptions， half of them against “la bella Italia.”
窗子都大开着，好让新鲜空气流进来，不过，比空气还要快的是伸进来的一些残废的手臂和一个老不变的声音：“老爷，可怜可怜穷人吧！”墙上有许多题词，但一半以上是对“美丽的意大利”不利的。
The supper made its appearance at last. It consisted of watery soup， seasoned with pepper and rancid oil. This last delicacydelicacy n.微妙 played a principal part in the salad. Musty eggs and roasted cockscombs were the best dishes on the table， even the wine had a strange taste， it was certainly a mixture. At night， all the boxes were placed against the doors， and one of the travellers watched while the others slept. The students turn came to watch. How close the air felt in that room， the heat overpowered him. The gnats were buzzing about and stinging， while the miserabili， outside， moanedmoan vi.发出呻吟声， 抱怨， 哀悼vt.呻吟n.呻吟， 哀悼， 呼啸 in their dreams.
晚饭开出来了。这是一碗清水淡汤，加了一点调味的胡椒和发臭的油。凉拌生菜里也是这同样的油。发霉的鸡蛋和烤鸡冠算是两样最好的菜。就连酒都有一种怪味——它是一种可怕的混合物。晚间大家搬来一堆箱子放在门后挡着门，并且选出一个人来打更，好使其余的人能睡觉。那位神学学生就成了更夫。啊，这儿是多么沉闷啊！热气在威逼着人，蚊蚋在嗡嗡地叫，在刺着人。外边的穷人们在梦中哭泣。
“Travelling would be all very well，” said the student of divinity to himself， “if we had no bodies， or if the body could rest while the soul if flying. Wherever I go I feel a want which oppresses my heart， for something better presents itself at the moment， yes， something better， which shall be the best of all， but where is that to be found？ In fact， I fknow in my heart very well what I want. I wish to attain the greatest of all happiness.”
“是的，游历是很愉快的，”神学学生叹了一口气说，“我只希望一个人没有身躯！我希望身躯能躺着不动，让心灵去遨游！无论我到什么地方去，我总觉得缺乏一件什么东西，使我的心不快——我所希望的是一件比此刻还要好的什么东西。是的，某种更美好的东西——最好的东西。不过这在什么地方呢？这究竟是什么呢？在我心里，我知道我要的是什么东西：我想要达到一个幸运的目的——一个最幸运的目的！”
No sooner were the words spoken than he was at home. Long white curtains shaded the windows of his room， and in the middle of the floor stood a black coffin， in which he now lay in the still sleep of death， his wish was fulfilled， his body was at rest， and his spirit travelling.
他一说完这话，就回到自己的家里来了。长长的白窗帘挂在窗上，屋子中央停着一具漆黑的棺材。他是在死的睡眠中，在这棺材里面，他的愿望达到了：他的身躯在休息，他的精神在遨游。
“Esteem no man happy until he is in his grave，” were the words of Solon. Here was a strong fresh proof of their truth. Every corpse is a sphinx of immortalityimmortality n.不朽， 不朽的声名. The Sphinx in this sarcophagussarcophagus n.石棺 might unveil its own mystery in the words which the living had himself written two days before—
索龙曾说过：“任何人在还没有进棺材以前，不能算是快乐的。”这句话现在又重新得到了证实。 每具尸体是一个不灭的斯芬克斯。现在躺在我们面前这个黑棺材里的斯芬克斯所能讲的也不外乎活人在两天前所写下的这段话：
“Stern death， thy chilling silence waketh dread，
Yet in thy darkest hour there may be light.
Earths garden reaper！ from the graves cold bed
The soul on Jacobs ladder takes her flight.
“坚强的死神呵！你的沉默引起我们的害怕，
教堂墓地的坟墓是您留下的惟一记号。
难道我的灵魂已经从雅各的梯子跌下，
只能在死神的花园里变成荒草？
“Mans greatest sorrows often are a part
Of hidden griefs， concealed from human eyes，
Which press far heavier on the lonely heart
Than now the earth that on his coffin lies.”
“世人看不见我们最大的悲凄！
啊你！你是孤独的，一直到最后。
这颗心在世上所受到的压力，
超过堆在你的棺材上的泥土！”
Two figures were moving about the room， we know them both. One was the fairy named Care， the other the messenger of Fortune. They bent over the dead.
这屋子里有两个人影在活动。她们两人我们都认识：一位是忧虑的女神，一位是幸运的使者。她们在死人身上弯下腰来察看。
“Look！” said Care， “what happiness have your goloshes brought to mankind？”
“你看到没有？”忧虑的女神说，“你的套鞋带给了人间什么幸福？”
“They have at least brought lasting happiness to him who slumbersslumber n.睡眠v.睡眠 here.” She said.
“最低限度它把一项持久的好处带给在这儿睡着的人。”幸运的使者说。
“Not so，” said Care， “he went away of himself， he was not summoned. His mental powers were not strong enough to discern the treasures which he had been destined to discover. I will do him a favor now.” And she drew the goloshes from his feet.
“哦，你错了！”忧虑的女神说，“他是自动去的，死神并没有召他去。他还没有足够的精神力量去完成他命中注定要完成的任务！我现在要帮他一点忙。”
The sleep of death was ended， and the recovered man raised himself. Care vanished， and with her the goloshes， doubtless she looked upon them as her own propertyproperty n.财产， 所有物， 所有权， 性质， 特性， (小)道具.
于是她把他脚上的那双套鞋拉下来。死的睡眠因而也就中止了。这位复苏的人站起来。忧虑的女神走了，那双套鞋也不见了。无疑地，她认为这双套鞋是她自己的财产。
钟渊
