7.3 簡單講, 是趁食 ê

7.3 Kán-tan kóng, sī thàn-chia̍h--ê

Hoâiⁿ-ti̍t góa siūⁿ boeh bat i; che sī góa chai i sī chóaⁿ-iūⁿ ê ûi-it hong-hoat. Chū án-ne góa kā goán pêng-iú kóng, it-tēng ài seng ū Marguerite ín-chún, chiah ē-sái kā góa kài-siāu ho͘ i. Góa khì cháu-lông, ka-tī tī hia kiâⁿ-lâi kiâⁿ-khì, sim siūⁿ, i liâm-mi tō boeh kìⁿ góa ah, góa boeh án-chóaⁿ piáu-hiān khah hó. Góa tī hia siūⁿ hó tán-leh boeh kóng ê ōe, gōa-nī-á sûn-kiat, thian-chin ê ài-chêng ah!

Bô gōa kú, goán pêng-iú tńg lâi ah. "I teh tán lán," i kǎ kóng.

"I ka-tī chi̍t ê, sī m̄?" góa mn̄g.

"Iáu ū pa̍t ê cha-bó͘."

"Bô cha-po͘-lâng?"

"Bô."

"Lán lâi-khì."

Goán pêng-iú kiâⁿ tùi kio̍k-tiûⁿ ê mn̂g khì.

"M̄-sī tī hia lah," góa kóng.

"Lán seng khì bé kóa kiām-sng-tiⁿ. I kǎ thó boeh chia̍h kiām-sng-tiⁿ."

Goán khì-kàu kio̍k-tiûⁿ lō͘-kháu ê thn̂g-á tiàm. Góa ē-sái kā kui keng tiàm lóng bé lo̍h-lâi, tng teh khòaⁿ boeh soán siáⁿ-khoán thn̂g-á, goán pêng-iú tō khui-chhùi bé pòaⁿ kong-kin ê phû-tô-koaⁿ.

"Lí kám chai i ài chia̍h che?"

"I kan-ta ài chia̍h che; che ta̍k-ê lóng chai."

"Eh," goán lī-khui tiàm ê sî, i mn̄g góa, "lí chai góa boeh kài-siāu ê sī siáⁿ-khoán cha-bó͘ bô? M̄-thang siūⁿ kóng he sī kong-chiok hu-jîn neh. He sī chi̍t ê hông pau-chhī--ê, kan-tan kóng, tō sī thàn-chia̍h--ê lah. Hiaⁿ-tī ah, bián sè-jī, kap i siáⁿ-hòe lóng ē-sái kóng."

"Hó lah, hó lah," góa chhìn-chhái ìn, ná tòe i kiâⁿ ná siūⁿ, tán-leh góa ê jia̍t-chêng tō boeh hoa-khì lah.

Góa kiâⁿ ji̍p pau-siuⁿ ê sî, Marguerite tú teh tōa siaⁿ chhiò. Góa lêng-khó khòaⁿ i iu-thâu-kat-bīn. Goán pêng-iú kài-siāu góa; Marguerite khin-khin tìm-thâu, kóng, "A̍h góa ê kiām-sng-tiⁿ neh?"

"Tī chia."

I ná the̍h kiām-sng-tiⁿ ná khòaⁿ góa. Góa ba̍k-chiu hiòng ē, bīn âng khí-lâi.

I àⁿ-sin óa piⁿ-á ê cha-bó͘, tī i ê hīⁿ-piⁿ kóng siáⁿ, nn̄g lâng chū án-ne tōa siaⁿ chhiò. Chin bêng-hián, in sī teh chhiò góa, án-ne hō͘ góa koh-khah m̄-chai án-chóaⁿ hó. Hit tong-sî góa ū chi̍t ê chêng-hū, sī chi̍t ê un-jiû koh to-chêng ê sè-hàn cha-bó͘, i siá hō͘ góa ê chhiong-móa siong-kám ê phe chhiâng-chāi hō͘ góa ài-chhiò. Ùi taⁿ ê keng-giām, góa chóng-sǹg bêng-pe̍k, góa kòe-khì só͘ hō͘ i ê thòng-khó͘. Chū án-ne, ū gō͘ hun-cheng, góa tùi i ê ài sī bô lâng ū ê lah.

Marguerite ná chia̍h phû-tô-koaⁿ, bô koh chhap góa. Kài-siāu góa ê hit ê pêng-iú bô ài hō͘ góa bīn-tùi chit chióng chìn-thè lióng-lân ê chêng-hêng.

"Marguerite," i tō kóng, "lí m̄-thang kám-kak kî-koài, sī án-chóaⁿ Duval Ss bô kóng siáⁿ: lí kui-ê kā i bê tio̍h, i soah m̄-chai boeh kóng siáⁿ."

"Góa khòaⁿ sī tian-tò péng, i tòe lí lâi, sī kiaⁿ lí ka-tī lâi ē bô-liâu."

"Nā sī án-ne," góa kóng, "góa si̍t-chāi m̄-bián chhiáⁿ Ernest lâi teng-kiû lí ê tông-ì chiah kài-siāu góa hō͘ lí."

"Che mā ū khó-lêng sī ūi-tio̍h thoa-iân hit ê put-hēng ê sî-chūn."

M̄-koán lí tùi chhiūⁿ Margoerite chit-khoán cha-bó͘ chai gōa chió, lí lóng ē chai in chin ài kek-gâu, hoaⁿ-hí pìⁿ-lāng chho͘ kìⁿ-bīn ê lâng. Chit chióng hêng-ûi tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī in-ūi in siū tio̍h hiah-ê múi-kang kìⁿ-bīn ê lâng ê bú-jio̍k só͘ ín-khí ê chi̍t chióng pò-ho̍k.

Lí ài iōng te̍k-pia̍t ê ki-su̍t chiah ē-tàng chèng-khak tùi-hù in, m̄-koh góa bô ki-hōe tit-tio̍h hit chióng ki-su̍t; koh-kóng, góa tùi Marguerite ê khòaⁿ-hoat koh-khah ka-kiông i tùi góa ê chok-lōng. M̄-koán i chhòng siáⁿ, góa lóng ē chiok bín-kám. Góa khiā khí-lâi, iōng chi̍t chióng bô hoat-tō͘ khòng-chè ê siaⁿ-tiāu kóng:

"Lí nā siūⁿ-kóng góa sī chit-khoán lâng, hu-jîn, góa chhiáⁿ lí goân-liōng góa ê sit-lé, taⁿ góa ài lī-khui lí, mā pó-chèng he bē koh hoat-seng ah."

Chū án-ne, góa kiâⁿ chi̍t ē lé, lī-khui pau-siuⁿ. Góa iáu-bōe kā mn̂g koaiⁿ hó, tō koh thiaⁿ tio̍h tē-saⁿ kái ê tōa chhiò. Hit sî-chūn nā ū lâng lâi kă jiá, it-tēng ē hôa kā cheng.

Góa tńg-khì góa ê chē-ūi. Chit sî khai-bō͘ ê cheng hiáng ah. Ernest mā tńg-lâi góa keh-piah ê ūi.

--

7.3 簡單講, 是趁食 ê

橫直我想欲捌伊; 這是我知伊是怎樣 ê 唯一方法. 自 án-ne 我 kā 阮朋友講, 一定愛先有 Marguerite 允准, 才會使 kā 我介紹予伊. 我去走廊, 家己 tī 遐行來行去, 心想, 伊 liâm-mi tō 欲見我 ah, 我欲按怎表現較好. 我 tī 遐想好等 leh 欲講 ê 話, gōa-nī-á 純潔, 天真 ê 愛情 ah!

無偌久, 阮朋友轉來 ah. "伊 teh 等咱," 伊 kǎ 講.

"伊家己一个, 是毋?" 我問.

"猶有別个查某."

"無查埔人?"

"無."

"咱來去."

阮朋友行對劇場 ê 門去.

"毋是 tī 遐 lah," 我講.

"咱先去買寡鹹酸甜. 伊 kǎ 討欲食鹹酸甜."

阮去到劇場路口 ê 糖仔店. 我會使 kā 規間店攏買落來, 當 teh 看欲選啥款糖仔, 阮朋友 tō 開喙買半公斤 ê 葡萄乾.

"你敢知伊愛食這?"

"伊干焦愛食這; 這逐个攏知."

"Eh," 阮離開店 ê 時, 伊問我, "你知我欲介紹 ê 是啥款查某無? 毋通想講彼是公爵夫人 neh. 彼是一个 hông 包飼 ê, 簡單講, tō 是趁食 ê lah. 兄弟 ah, 免細膩, kap 伊啥貨攏會使講."

"好 lah, 好 lah," 我凊彩應, ná 綴伊行 ná 想, 等 leh 我 ê 熱情 tō 欲 hoa 去 lah.

我行入包廂 ê 時, Marguerite 拄 teh 大聲笑. 我寧可看伊憂頭結面. 阮朋友介紹我; Marguerite 輕輕 tìm 頭, 講, "A̍h 我 ê 鹹酸甜 neh?"

"Tī 遮."

伊 ná 提鹹酸甜 ná 看我. 我目睭向下, 面紅起來.

伊 àⁿ 身倚邊仔 ê 查某, tī 伊 ê 耳邊講啥, 兩人自 án-ne 大聲笑. 真明顯, in 是 teh 笑我, án-ne 予我 koh 較毋知按怎好. 彼當時我有一个情婦, 是一个溫柔 koh 多情 ê 細漢查某, 伊寫予我 ê 充滿傷感 ê 批常在予我愛笑. Ùi 今 ê 經驗, 我總算明白, 我過去所予伊 ê 痛苦. 自 án-ne, 有五分鐘, 我對伊 ê 愛是無人有 ê lah.

Marguerite ná 食葡萄乾, 無 koh chhap 我. 介紹我 ê 彼个朋友無愛予我面對這種進退兩難 ê 情形.

"Marguerite," 伊 tō 講, "你毋通感覺奇怪, 是按怎 Duval Ss 無講啥: 你規个 kā 伊迷著, 伊煞毋知欲講啥."

"我看是顛倒反, 伊綴你來, 是驚你家己來會無聊."

"Nā 是 án-ne," 我講, "我實在毋免請 Ernest 來徵求你 ê 同意才介紹我予你."

"這 mā 有可能是為著拖延彼个不幸 ê 時陣."

毋管你對像 Margoerite 這款查某知偌少, 你攏會知 in 真愛激 gâu, 歡喜變弄初見面 ê 人. 這種行為定著是因為 in 受著 hiah-ê 每工見面 ê 人 ê 侮辱所引起 ê 一種報復.

你愛用特別 ê 技術才會當正確對付 in, 毋過我無機會得著彼種技術; koh 講, 我對 Marguerite ê 看法 koh 較加強伊對我 ê 作弄. 毋管伊創啥, 我攏會足敏感. 我徛起來, 用一種無法度控制 ê 聲調講:

"你 nā 想講我是這款人, 夫人, 我請你原諒我 ê 失禮, 今我愛離開你, mā 保證彼袂 koh 發生 ah."

自 án-ne, 我行一下禮, 離開包廂. 我猶未 kā 門關好, tō koh 聽著第三改 ê 大笑. 彼時陣 nā 有人來 kă 惹, 一定會 hôa kā cheng.

我轉去我 ê 坐位. 這時開幕 ê 鐘響 ah. Ernest mā 轉來我隔壁 ê 位.

--

7.3

All the same, I wished to know her; it was my only means of making up my mind about her. I therefore said to my friend that I insisted on having her permission to be introduced to her, and I wandered to and fro in the corridors, saying to myself that in a moment's time she was going to see me, and that I should not know which way to look. I tried (sublime childishness of love!) to string together the words I should say to her. 

A moment after my friend returned. "She is expecting us," he said. 

"Is she alone?" I asked.


"With another woman."


"There are no men?" 

"No."


"Come, then."


My friend went toward the door of the theatre.


"That is not the way," I said.


"We must go and get some sweets. She asked me for some." 

We went into a confectioner's in the passage de l'Opera. I would have bought the whole shop, and I was looking about to see what sweets to choose, when my friend asked for a pound of raisins glaces.  

"Do you know if she likes them?" 

"She eats no other kind of sweets; everybody knows it."

"Ah," he went on when we had left the shop, "do you know what kind of woman it is that I am going to introduce you to? Don't imagine it is a duchess. It is simply a kept woman, very much kept, my dear fellow; don't be shy, say anything that comes into your head." 

"Yes, yes," I stammered, and I followed him, saying to myself that I should soon cure myself of my passion. 

When I entered the box Marguerite was in fits of laughter. I would rather that she had been sad. My friend introduced me; Marguerite gave me a little nod, and said, "And my sweets?" 

"Here they are."


She looked at me as she took them. I dropped my eyes and blushed. 

She leaned across to her neighbour and said something in her ear, at which both laughed. Evidently I was the cause of their mirth, and my embarrassment increased. At that time I had as mistress a very affectionate and sentimental little person, whose sentiment and whose melancholy letters amused me greatly. I realized the pain I must have given her by what I now experienced, and for five minutes I loved her as no woman was ever loved. 

Marguerite ate her raisins glaces without taking any more notice of me. The friend who had introduced me did not wish to let me remain in so ridiculous a position. 

"Marguerite," he said, "you must not be surprised if M. Duval says nothing: you overwhelm him to such a degree that he can not find a word to say." 

"I should say, on the contrary, that he has only come with you because it would have bored you to come here by yourself." 

"If that were true," I said, "I should not have begged Ernest to ask your permission to introduce me." 

"Perhaps that was only in order to put off the fatal moment." 

However little one may have known women like Marguerite, one can not but know the delight they take in pretending to be witty and in teasing the people whom they meet for the first time. It is no doubt a return for the humiliations which they often have to submit to on the part of those whom they see every day. 

To answer them properly, one requires a certain knack, and I had not had the opportunity of acquiring it; besides, the idea that I had formed of Marguerite accentuated the effects of her mockery. Nothing that came from her was indifferent to me. I rose to my feet, saying in an altered voice, which I could not entirely control: 

"If that is what you think of me, madame, I have only to ask your pardon for my indiscretion, and to take leave of you with the assurance that it shall not occur again." 

Thereupon I bowed and quitted the box. I had scarcely closed the door when I heard a third peal of laughter. It would not have been well for anybody who had elbowed me at that moment. 

I returned to my seat. The signal for raising the curtain was given. Ernest came back to his place beside me. 

--