彼得罗·德·阿拉尔贡/Pedro de Alarcon

　　彼得罗·德·阿拉尔贡（1838—1891），出生在西班牙的安达卢西亚，那里曾出过许多知名的西班牙作家。阿拉尔贡早年学习法律，后投笔从戎，立下战功，被授予圣菲尔南多十字勋章。之后，他又开始了写作生涯，曾经写过剧本、小说和诗歌，其作品深受人们喜爱。

　　Old Buscabeatas' back began to curve during the period of which I am going to tell, and the reason was that he was sixty years old, forty of which had been spent working a piece of ground on the banks of the River Costilla. That year he had cultivated on his farm a crop of enormous pumpkins, and these pumpkins had attained an orange color both inside and out, which showed that it was now the month of June. Buscabeatas knew each one of them perfectly by its form, its state of ripeness, and even by its name, especially the forty which were fattest and richest in colour. He spent all his days gazing at them tenderly, and sadly exclaiming, "Soon we shall have to part!"

　　One afternoon he decided on the sacrifice. He pointed to the ripest of his beloved pumpkins, which had cost him so much effort, and said the terrible words, "Tomorrow I will cut these forty and take them to the Cadiz market. Happy is the man who will eat them!" And he walked back to the house with slow steps, and spent the night with the agony of a father who is going to marry off his daughter on the following day. "My poor dear pumpkins!" He sighed again and again, unable to fall asleep. But then he thought, "What else can I do but sell them? I cultivated them for that purpose. At least I will receive fifteen duros for them."

　　Imagine then his extreme astonishment, fury and desperation when, going the following morning to the farm, he discovered that he had been robbed during the night of his forty pumpkins. To save time I will merely say that he was filled with tragic fury and that he repeated again and again the terrible words, "Oh, if I catch you, if I catch you!"

　　Then he began to reflect, coldly, and he decided that his beloved pumpkins could not be in Rota, his native village. It would be impossible to put them on sale there because they would be recognized. Besides, pumpkins fetched a very low price there.

　　"They are in Cadiz!" He decided after much thought. "That rascal, the robber, robbed me last night at nine or ten o'clock and escaped with them at midnight in the cargo boat. I will take the boat this very morning for Cadiz, and I will be very much surprised if I do not catch the robber and recover the daughters of my labour." So saying, he yet remained about twenty minutes near the scene of the disaster as if counting the missing pumpkins or planning terrible punishments for the robber, until it was eight o'clock and he left in the direction of the boat.

　　It was almost ready to sail. It leaves for Cadiz every morning at nine o'clock, carrying passengers, just as the cargo boat leaves every night at midnight carrying fruit and vegetables.

　　That morning at half past ten Buscabeatas paused in front of a vegetable stall in the Cadiz market-place, and said to a bored policeman who was standing by. "Those are my pumpkins. Arrest that man!" And he pointed to the merchant.

　　"Arrest me!" exclaimed the merchant, surprised and furious."Those pumpkins are mine. I bought them..."

　　"You'll be able to tell that to the judge," answered Buscabeatas.

　　"I won't."

　　"You will."

　　"You're a rascal."

　　"You're a thief."

　　"You should speak with more politeness. Men should not talk to each other in this fashion," the policeman said with extreme calm, hitting each of them in the chest. Meanwhile a crowd had collected, and it was not long before there appeared the police inspector of the public market, the inspector of food.

　　The policeman told this great man what was happening. He questioned the merchant.

　　"From whom did you buy these pumpkins?" the inspector asked importantly.

　　"From Fulano, the old man from Rota," the merchant replied.

　　"That would be the man!" cried Buscabeatas. "That's the fellow I suspected! His farm is poor, and when it produces little, he begins to rob his neighbours."

　　"But if we admit that you were robbed last night of forty pumpkins," said the inspector, "how can we prove that these are not others, are yours?"

　　"Why?" replied Buscabeatas. "Because I know them as well as you know your daughters, if you have any, don't you see that I have raised them? Look here! This one is called 'the round one', that one is 'the fat fellow', this one is 'the red one', that is 'Manuela', because she resembles my youngest daughter." And the poor old man began to cry bitterly.

　　"All this is very good," answered the inspector. "But the law does not rest satisfied with the fact you recognize your pumpkins. It is necessary that authority should be convinced that the thing already existed and that you should identify it with absolute proofs. Senores, you needn't smile. I am a lawyer."

　　"Well, you will soon see the proofs that the pumpkins came from my farm; and you will see them without moving from this place."

　　Buscabeatas' words astonished the spectators, but he dropped on the ground a package which he had been carrying in his hand. Then he knelt down and calmly began to untie the knots in the handkerchief which was round the package.

　　"What is he going to take out?" everybody asked with astonishment. At the same time another curious spectator joined the crowd, and seeing him, the merchant exclaimed, "I am glad you are here, Fulano! This man says that these pumpkins, which you sold me last night, were stolen. You can explain..."

　　The newcomer turned yellow and tried to escape. But he was prevented, and in addition the inspector suggested that he should remain. "I grew these pumpkins on my farm," he said, "and no one can prove the contrary."

　　"Now you will see," said Buscabeatas, opening the handkerchief. He scattered on the ground a quantity of pumpkin stalks, still green and fresh. Then, sitting on his feet and half dead with laughter, he said,"Gentlemen, have you ever paid taxes? If so, have you seen that green book which the tax-collector carries? Receipts are cut from it, and they leave a stub by which it can be proved whether a receipt is false or not."

　　"What you are talking about is the stub-book," said the inspector gravely.

　　"That is what I am carrying with me; it is the stub-book of my garden. These are the stalks that were attached to my pumpkins before they were stolen from me. And if you do not believe me, look at them. This stalk belonged to this pumpkin. Nobody can doubt it. This other one, as you can easily see, belonged to this one. This one, which is wider, must belong to this other one. Exactly! And this one...and that one!"

　　As he said these words, he fitted a stalk to the hollow remaining in the pumpkin when it was plucked, and with astonishment the spectators saw that the stalk exactly fitted the shape of the hole. Then they all, including the policemen and the inspector himself, bent down low and began to assist Buscabeatas in this strange proof, all saying with childish pleasure, "Yes, yes! It is certainly so! This one belongs here! Do you see?"

　　The old farmer's eyes filled with tears of happiness, and the policemen showed themselves ready to take the robber off to prison.

　　It is unnecessary to say that this pleasure was granted them, and that Fulano was obliged to return to the merchant the fifteen duros he had received.

　　Buscabeatas returned to Rota with deep satisfaction, but he kept saying on the way, "How beautiful they looked in the market-place! I should have brought back Manuela, so that I might eat her tonight and keep the seeds."

　　我要说的这个老布斯卡伯阿塔斯，已经年届六旬，后背已经有些驼了，他整整四十年都在自家的科斯蒂拉河畔的土地上辛苦劳作。那年，他在地里种了很多大南瓜，这些瓜从瓤到皮儿里里外外都泛着金灿灿的光，似乎在告诉人们，现在已是六月份了。布斯卡伯阿塔斯对于每只南瓜的形状、长势，甚至芳名都了如指掌，他尤其喜爱那四十只长得最饱满、颜色最润泽的南瓜。每天，他都用慈爱的目光凝视着这些南瓜，并为它们惋惜：“要不了多久，我们就得分开了！”

　　终于，一天下午，他决心和它们说再见了。他指着那些精心栽培的、熟透了的宝贝，心痛地说：“明天我要把你们摘下来拉到加迪斯市场上去了。谁吃到你们，谁就掉进了蜜窝里！”然后，他就晃悠悠地回家了。当晚，他彻夜未眠，就好像女儿待嫁的前夜，做父亲的心如刀割。他不时叹息道：“可怜的宝贝啊！”但是转念一想，“除了卖掉它们，我还能怎么办呢？种不就是为了卖吗？至少，我还能拿到十五个银币啊。”

　　因此，不难想象，第二天早上，当他来到地里，发现有人夜里洗劫了那四十只南瓜时，他是多么惊讶、愤怒和绝望！为节省时间，我长话短说，当时他极度恼怒，不停地重复着那些可怕的字眼：“啊，要是叫我抓到你，要是叫我抓到你！”

　　然后，他静下心来，再三思考，最终认定：小偷已经把可爱的宝贝们运出罗达村了，因为他是不可能在这儿出售的，大家都会认出来，而且在这儿卖也不划算啊。

　　“它们在加迪斯！”反复寻思后，他确定，“那个混蛋、强盗，肯定是在昨晚九点或者十点钟时抢走了我的宝贝，然后半夜装上货船，偷运走了。我今天早晨一定要坐船去趟加迪斯，我要抓到强盗，把我苦苦拉扯大的女儿们迎回家。”虽然他嘴里这么念叨着，但还是在那片被洗劫过的南瓜地周围转悠了大约二十多分钟，似乎在计算小偷洗劫了多少只南瓜，又好像是在琢磨怎么严惩那个强盗。直到八点钟，他才往码头走去。

　　船已经快开了。每晚午夜时分，货船会满载着水果和蔬菜出发，客船也是如此，每天上午九点钟开往加迪斯。

　　当天上午十点半，在加迪斯市场里，布斯卡伯阿塔斯走到一个蔬菜摊前，停了下来。这时旁边正好站着一个无聊的警察，张望，布斯卡伯阿塔斯指着一个商贩喊道：“那些是我的南瓜，抓住他！”。

　　“抓我！”商贩又惊又气地叫道，“那些南瓜是我的。我买的……”

　　“把这些鬼话讲给法官吧。”布斯卡伯阿塔斯答道。

　　“妄想！”

　　“你会的。”

　　“你是个流氓。”

　　“你是个贼。”

　　“你们两个是男人吗？怎么能这样讲话，说话客气点！”警察极为镇静地说道，并朝他们各自的胸膛擂了一拳。这时，周围已经涌了一大堆人。过了不久，公共市场的督察——食品督察也到了现场。

　　警察向这位大人物汇报了事情的经过。于是，督察开始审问商贩。

　　“你是从哪里采购的南瓜？”督察神气十足地问他。

　　“罗达村的富拉诺老人那里。”商贩答道。

　　“没错，是那个家伙，”布斯卡伯阿塔斯叫道，“我就觉得他鬼鬼祟祟的！他们家的地差得要命，收成也跟不上，他就开始抢邻居家的！”

　　“但是，即使我们可以确证有人昨晚偷了你四十个南瓜，”督察说，“那么你怎么能证明这些南瓜是你的，而非别人的呢？”

　　“为什么？”布斯卡伯阿塔斯答道，“我认识这些南瓜就像您认识您的女儿一样，如果您有的话。您不知道是我把他们拉扯大的吗？您看这个！是我的‘圆家伙’，那是我的‘胖妞’，这是我的‘红孩儿’，那是‘曼奴拉’，因为她和我的小女儿简直是亲生姐妹。”可怜的老汉顿时放声大哭。

　　“的确有点意思，”督察回答，“但是，法律上还不能单凭你的一面之词，就确定那些是你的南瓜。你必须让警察厅确信已发生的事实，还有，你必须出示可以证明此事的证据。大家不要笑，我可是个地道的律师。”

　　“没问题，我马上拿出证据，证明这些南瓜是在我的地里长出来的。你们站着别动，马上就能看到。”

　　周围的人听了布斯卡伯阿塔斯的话都非常惊讶，而后看到他把刚才拿在手上的小包裹放到了地上。他蹲下来，不慌不忙地将系在包裹上的手帕结解开。

　　“他要拿出什么东西来？”大家都感到很诧异。这时，又有个好奇之人挤到了人群里，商贩看到他便大声叫道：“富拉诺！你来得太及时了，这个家伙硬说你昨天晚上卖给我的南瓜是偷他的，你向他解释一下……”

　　刚挤进来的那人顿时变了脸，想溜走，但为时已晚，督察也要求他留下来。“这南瓜是我自己家地里产的，”他说，“没有人能拿出证据说这是他的。”

　　“好，我让你瞧瞧，”布斯卡伯阿塔斯边说边解开了手帕。那些鲜嫩的南瓜蒂撒到了地上。然后他蹲在地上，一阵阵大笑：“先生们，你们都交过税吧？如果那样，你们肯定看过收税员手里拿的绿册子吧？收据就是从那上面剪下来的，然后他们把存根留下，用来证明收据的真伪。”

　　“你说的那叫存根簿。”督察严肃地说。

　　“我带来的就是那东西——我菜园的存根簿。小偷偷我的南瓜之前，它们和南瓜是连着的。要是不信我说的，瞧瞧这些南瓜蒂吧。这个瓜蒂是这个南瓜的，压根儿没有人敢怀疑！看看那个，很明显嘛，是这个南瓜的。这个宽点儿的，肯定是那个的，千真万确！这个……还有那个！”

　　说着，他把一个瓜蒂放在了南瓜被摘下时留下的坑眼上。令人惊奇的是，瓜蒂和坑眼正好吻合。于是，人们，包括警察和督察，都蹲下身来，帮着布斯卡伯阿塔斯用这种奇特的方法来验证。大家都孩童般的欢呼道：“真的是这样，真的！的的确确！您看，这个应该是这只瓜的！”

　　老农夫的眼里溢出了欣喜的泪水，警察表示马上抓捕偷瓜贼。

　　毫无疑问，皆大欢喜。富拉诺不得不把他收下的十五个银币还给了商贩。

　　布斯卡伯阿塔斯得意洋洋地回到了罗达村，还一路上嘟噜着：“它们在市场上看起来多好看呐！要是把曼努拉带回来就好了，那样，今晚我就可以吃了它，再把瓜子留下来。”

　　心灵小语

　　这是一个生动有趣的故事。作者以幽默的风格、轻松的叙述表现了存根簿的凭证作用。老汉布斯卡伯阿塔斯先是因为心爱的南瓜被偷而痛心疾首，紧接着又因找到了南瓜而欣喜若狂，不管怎样，命运总是会垂青勤劳的人的。

　　W词汇笔记

　　perfectly ['p?:fiktli] adv. 完美地；完全地；无瑕疵地

　　例 We need to cooperate perfectly to win the game.

　　要想赢得比赛，我们需要密切配合。

　　pumpkin ['p?mpkin] n. 南瓜

　　例 The fairy waves her wand over the pumpkin.

　　仙女把魔棒在南瓜上面挥了一下。

　　rascal ['rɑ:sk?l] n. 流氓；坏蛋；淘气鬼

　　例 Look at this lovely little rascal.

　　你看这个小家伙多可爱啊！

　　inspector [in'spekt?] n. 检查员；巡视员

　　例 The customs inspector was on the watch for diamond smugglers.

　　海关检查员正密切注视着钻石走私犯的活动。

　　S小试身手

　　他尤其喜爱那四十只长得最饱满、颜色最润泽的南瓜。

　　译____________________________________________

　　当晚，他彻夜未眠，就好像女儿待嫁的前夜，做父亲的心如刀割。

　　译____________________________________________

　　老农夫的眼里溢出了欣喜的泪水，警察表示马上抓捕偷瓜贼。

　　译____________________________________________

　　P短语家族

　　Old Buscabeatas' back began to curve during the period of which I am going to tell.

　　the period of：在……时期

　　造____________________________________________

　　That morning at half past ten Buscabeatas paused in front of a vegetable stall in the Cadiz market-place, and said to a bored policeman who was standing by.

　　stand by：站在旁边；支持；准备

　　造____________________________________________