Astarte was much more beautiful than that Semira who had such a strong aversion to one-eyed men, or that other woman who had resolved to cut off her husband’s nose. Her unreserved familiarity, her tender expressions, at which she began to blush; and her eyes, which, though she endeavored to divert them to other objects, were always fixed8 upon his, inspired Zadig with a passion that filled him with astonishment9. He struggled hard to get the better of it. He called to his aid the precepts10 of philosophy, which had always stood him in stead; but from thence, though he could derive11 the light of knowledge, he could procure12 no remedy to cure the disorders13 of his lovesick heart. Duty, gratitude14, and violated majesty15 presented themselves to his mind as so many avenging16 gods. He struggled; he conquered; but this victory, which he was obliged to purchase afresh every moment, cost him many sighs and tears. He no longer dared to speak to the queen with that sweet and charming familiarity which had been so agreeable to them both. His countenance17 was covered with a cloud. His conversation was constrained18 and incoherent. His eyes were fixed on the ground; and when, in spite of all his endeavors to the contrary, they encountered those of the queen, they found them bathed in tears and darting19 arrows of flame. They seemed to say, We adore each other and yet are afraid to love; we both burn with a fire which we both condemn20.
Zadig left the royal presence full of perplexity and despair, and having his heart oppressed with a burden which he was no longer able to bear. In the violence of his perturbation he involuntarily betrayed the secret to his friend Cador, in the same manner as a man who, having long supported the fits of a cruel disease, discovers his pain by a cry extorted21 from him by a more severe fit and by the cold sweat that covers his brow.
“I have already discovered,” said Cador, “the sentiments which thou wouldst fain conceal22 from thyself. The symptoms by which the passions show themselves are certain and infallible. Judge, my dear Zadig, since I have read thy heart, whether the king will not discover something in it that may give him offense23. He has no other fault but that of being the most jealous man in the world. Thou canst resist the violence of thy passion with greater fortitude24 than the queen because thou art a philosopher, and because thou art Zadig. Astarte is a woman: she suffers her eyes to speak with so much the more imprudence, as she does not as yet think herself guilty. Conscious of her innocence, she unhappily neglects those external appearances which are so necessary. I shall tremble for her so long as she has nothing wherewithal to reproach herself. Were ye both of one mind, ye might easily deceive the whole world. A growing passion, which we endeavor to suppress, discovers itself in spite of all our efforts to the contrary; but love, when gratified, is easily concealed25.”
Zadig trembled at the proposal of betraying the king, his benefactor26; and never was he more faithful to his prince than when guilty of an involuntary crime against him.
Meanwhile the queen mentioned the name of Zadig so frequently and with such a blushing and downcast look; she was sometimes so lively and sometimes so perplexed27 when she spoke28 to him in the king’s presence, and was seized with such deep thoughtfulness at his going away, that the king began to be troubled. He believed all that he saw and imagined all that he did not see. He particularly remarked that his wife’s shoes were blue and that Zadig’s shoes were blue; that his wife’s ribbons were yellow and that Zadig’s bonnet29 was yellow; and these were terrible symptoms to a prince of so much delicacy30. In his jealous mind suspicions were turned into certainty.
All the slaves of kings and queens are so many spies over their hearts. They soon observed that Astarte was tender and that Moabdar was jealous. The envious31 man brought false reports to the king. The monarch32 now thought of nothing but in what manner he might best execute his vengeance33. He one night resolved to poison the queen and in the morning to put Zadig to death by the bowstring. The orders were given to a merciless eunuch, who commonly executed his acts of vengeance. There happened at that time to be in the king’s chamber34 a little dwarf35, who, though dumb, was not deaf. He was allowed, on account of his insignificance36, to go wherever he pleased, and, as a domestic animal, was a witness of what passed in the most profound secrecy37. This little mute was strongly attached to the queen and Zadig. With equal horror and surprise he heard the cruel orders given. But how to prevent the fatal sentence that in a few hours was to be carried into execution! He could not write, but he could paint; and excelled particularly in drawing a striking resemblance. He employed a part of the night in sketching38 out with his pencil what he meant to impart to the queen. The piece represented the king in one corner, boiling with rage, and giving orders to the eunuch; a bowstring, and a bowl on a table; the queen in the middle of the picture, expiring in the arms of her woman, and Zadig strangled at her feet The horizon, represented a rising sun, to express that this shocking execution was to be performed in the morning. As soon as he had finished the picture he ran to one of Astarte’s women, awakened39 her, and made her understand that she must immediately carry it to the queen.
At midnight a messenger knocks at Zadig’s door, awakes him, and gives him a note from the queen. He doubts whether it is a dream; and opens the letter with a trembling hand. But how great was his surprise! and who can express the consternation40 and despair into which he was thrown upon reading these words: “Fly this instant, or thou art a dead man. Fly, Zadig, I conjure41 thee by our mutual42 love and my yellow ribbons. I have not been guilty, but I find I must die like a criminal.”
Zadig was hardly able to speak. He sent for Cador, and, without uttering a word, gave him the note. Cador forced him to obey, and forthwith to take the road to Memphis. “Shouldst thou dare,” said he, “to go in search of the queen, thou wilt43 hasten her death. Shouldst thou speak to the king, thou wilt infallibly ruin her. I will take upon me the charge of her destiny; follow thy own. I will spread a report that thou hast taken the road to India. I will soon follow thee, and inform thee of all that shall have passed in Babylon.” At that instant, Cador caused two of the swiftest dromedaries to be brought to a private gate of the palace. Upon one of these he mounted Zadig, whom he was obliged to carry to the door, and who was ready to expire with grief. He was accompanied by a single domestic; and Cador, plunged44 in sorrow and astonishment, soon lost sight of his friend.
This illustrious fugitive45 arriving on the side of a hill, from whence he could take a view of Babylon, turned his eyes toward the queen’s palace, and fainted away at the sight; nor did he recover his senses but to shed a torrent46 of tears and to wish for death. At length, after his thoughts had been long engrossed47 in lamenting48 the unhappy fate of the loveliest woman and the greatest queen in the world, he for a moment turned his views on himself and cried: “What then is human life? O virtue49, how hast thou served me! Two women have basely deceived me, and now a third, who is innocent, and more beautiful than both the others, is going to be put to death! Whatever good I have done hath been to me a continual source of calamity50 and affliction; and I have only been raised to the height of grandeur51, to be tumbled down the most horrid52 precipice53 of misfortune.” Filled with these gloomy reflections, his eyes overspread with the veil of grief, his countenance covered with the paleness of death, and his soul plunged in an abyss of the blackest despair, he continued his journey toward Egypt.
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1
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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9
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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11
derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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13
disorders
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| n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调 | |
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14
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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16
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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17
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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20
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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21
extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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22
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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24
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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28
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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29
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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30
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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32
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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33
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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34
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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36
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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38
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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39
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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40
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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41
conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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42
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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43
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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44
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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45
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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46
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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47
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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48
lamenting
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| adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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49
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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50
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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51
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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52
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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53
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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