Candide and his valet had got beyond the barrier, before it was known in the camp that the German Jesuit was dead. The wary1 Cacambo had taken care to fill his wallet with bread, chocolate, bacon, fruit, and a few bottles of wine. With their Andalusian horses they penetrated2 into an unknown country, where they perceived no beaten track. At length they came to a beautiful meadow intersected with purling rills. Here our two adventurers fed their horses. Cacambo proposed to his master to take some food, and he set him an example.
"How can you ask me to eat ham," said Candide, "after killing4 the Baron5's son, and being doomed6 never more to see the beautiful Cunegonde? What will it avail me to spin out my wretched days and drag them far from her in remorse7 and despair? And what will the _Journal of Trevoux_[17] say?"
FOOTNOTE:
[17] P. 68. By the _Journal of Trevoux_ Voltaire
meant a critical periodical printed by the Jesuits at
Trevoux under the title of _Memoires pour servir a
l'Historie des Sciences et des Beaux-Arts_. It existed
from 1701 until 1767, during which period its title
underwent many changes.
While he was thus lamenting8 his fate, he went on eating. The sun went down. The two wanderers heard some little cries which seemed to be uttered by women. They did not know whether they were cries of pain or joy; but they started up precipitately9 with that inquietude and alarm which every little thing inspires in an unknown country. The noise was made by two naked girls, who tripped along the mead3, while two monkeys were pursuing them and biting their buttocks. Candide was moved with pity; he had learned to fire a gun in the Bulgarian service, and he was so clever at it, that he could hit a filbert in a hedge without touching10 a leaf of the tree. He took up his double-barrelled Spanish fusil, let it off, and killed the two monkeys.
"God be praised! My dear Cacambo, I have rescued those two poor creatures from a most perilous11 situation. If I have committed a sin in killing an Inquisitor and a Jesuit, I have made ample amends12 by saving the lives of these girls. Perhaps they are young ladies of family; and this adventure may procure13 us great advantages in this country."
He was continuing, but stopped short when he saw the two girls tenderly embracing the monkeys, bathing their bodies in tears, and rending14 the air with the most dismal15 lamentations.
"Little did I expect to see such good-nature," said he at length to Cacambo; who made answer:
"Master, you have done a fine thing now; you have slain16 the sweethearts of those two young ladies."
"The sweethearts! Is it possible? You are jesting, Cacambo, I can never believe it!"
"Dear master," replied Cacambo; "you are surprised at everything. Why should you think it so strange that in some countries there are monkeys which insinuate17 themselves into the good graces of the ladies; they are a fourth part human, as I am a fourth part Spaniard."
"Alas18!" replied Candide, "I remember to have heard Master Pangloss say, that formerly19 such accidents used to happen; that these mixtures were productive of Centaurs20, Fauns, and Satyrs; and that many of the ancients had seen such monsters, but I looked upon the whole as fabulous21."
"You ought now to be convinced," said Cacambo, "that it is the truth, and you see what use is made of those creatures, by persons that have not had a proper education; all I fear is that those ladies will play us some ugly trick."
These sound reflections induced Candide to leave the meadow and to plunge22 into a wood. He supped there with Cacambo; and after cursing the Portuguese23 inquisitor, the Governor of Buenos Ayres, and the Baron, they fell asleep on moss24. On awaking they felt that they could not move; for during the night the Oreillons, who inhabited that country, and to whom the ladies had denounced them, had bound them with cords made of the bark of trees. They were encompassed25 by fifty naked Oreillons, armed with bows and arrows, with clubs and flint hatchets26. Some were making a large cauldron boil, others were preparing spits, and all cried:
"A Jesuit! a Jesuit! we shall be revenged, we shall have excellent cheer, let us eat the Jesuit, let us eat him up!"
"I told you, my dear master," cried Cacambo sadly, "that those two girls would play us some ugly trick."
Candide seeing the cauldron and the spits, cried:
"We are certainly going to be either roasted or boiled. Ah! what would Master Pangloss say, were he to see how pure nature is formed? Everything is right, may be, but I declare it is very hard to have lost Miss Cunegonde and to be put upon a spit by Oreillons."
Cacambo never lost his head.
"Do not despair," said he to the disconsolate27 Candide, "I understand a little of the jargon28 of these people, I will speak to them."
"Be sure," said Candide, "to represent to them how frightfully inhuman29 it is to cook men, and how very un-Christian."
"Gentlemen," said Cacambo, "you reckon you are to-day going to feast upon a Jesuit. It is all very well, nothing is more unjust than thus to treat your enemies. Indeed, the law of nature teaches us to kill our neighbour, and such is the practice all over the world. If we do not accustom30 ourselves to eating them, it is because we have better fare. But you have not the same resources as we; certainly it is much better to devour31 your enemies than to resign to the crows and rooks the fruits of your victory. But, gentlemen, surely you would not choose to eat your friends. You believe that you are going to spit a Jesuit, and he is your defender32. It is the enemy of your enemies that you are going to roast. As for myself, I was born in your country; this gentleman is my master, and, far from being a Jesuit, he has just killed one, whose spoils he wears; and thence comes your mistake. To convince you of the truth of what I say, take his habit and carry it to the first barrier of the Jesuit kingdom, and inform yourselves whether my master did not kill a Jesuit officer. It will not take you long, and you can always eat us if you find that I have lied to you. But I have told you the truth. You are too well acquainted with the principles of public law, humanity, and justice not to pardon us."
The Oreillons found this speech very reasonable. They deputed two of their principal people with all expedition to inquire into the truth of the matter; these executed their commission like men of sense, and soon returned with good news. The Oreillons untied33 their prisoners, showed them all sorts of civilities, offered them girls, gave them refreshment34, and reconducted them to the confines of their territories, proclaiming with great joy:
"He is no Jesuit! He is no Jesuit!"
Candide could not help being surprised at the cause of his deliverance.
"What people!" said he; "what men! what manners! If I had not been so lucky as to run Miss Cunegonde's brother through the body, I should have been devoured35 without redemption. But, after all, pure nature is good, since these people, instead of feasting upon my flesh, have shown me a thousand civilities, when then I was not a Jesuit."
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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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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precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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insinuate
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| vt.含沙射影地说，暗示 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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centaurs
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| n.（希腊神话中）半人半马怪物( centaur的名词复数 ) | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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22
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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accustom
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| vt.使适应，使习惯 | |
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31
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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35
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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