03-01-04-曾达的囚徒 [1]
什么就能买什么，再说我哥哥罗伯特又是一位贵族——伯利斯顿勋爵，我挺幸福。”
“可你都29岁了，你还什么都没干，除了……”
“除了胡闹？你说对了，我们拉森狄尔家的人又有钱又有名，而且我们什么也不用做。”
我这么说让罗丝生气了。“又有钱又有名的人家通常比那些普通人家更不规矩！”
听了她的话，我用手摸摸我的深红色头发。我懂她的意思。
“我真高兴罗伯特的头发是黑色的！”她说道。
正在此时，我哥哥罗伯特走了进来，他一看罗丝，就看出有些不对头。
“怎么了，亲爱的？”他问道。
“她生气了，因为我从没做过什么有用的事儿，而且我还长着红头发。”我说。
“当然，我知道他对他的头发和鼻子无能为力……”罗丝说。
“是的，这样的鼻子和这样的头发是祖传的，”我哥哥同意她的话，“而且鲁道夫两样都占了。”
房间里有很多家族成员的画像，其中一幅画着一位非常美丽的女人，阿米莉亚夫人，她生活在150年以前。我站了起来，转身去看她。
“如果你把那画像拿走，罗伯特，”罗丝说，“我们就可以把这件事忘掉。”
“哦，可是我并不想忘掉它。”我回答。“我喜欢做艾尔弗伯格家族的一员。”
也许我应该停下来一会儿，解释一下为什么罗丝对我的鼻子和头发那么生气，究竟又为什么，我，一个姓拉森狄尔的，会说我自己是艾尔弗伯格家族的一员。毕竟艾尔弗伯格家族是卢里塔尼亚的王族，而且，几百年来一直如此。
这个故事在一本关于拉森狄尔家族史的书里是这么描述的：
1733年卢里塔尼亚王子鲁道夫前来英国访问，他逗留了几个月。像艾尔弗伯格王室的许多人一样，他长着蓝色的眼睛，一只不寻常的又长又挺的鼻子和很多深红色的头发。他个子很高，相貌英俊。
他在此地停留期间，与伯利斯顿勋爵美丽的妻子阿米莉亚夫人结识，事实上，他俩成了十分亲密的好友，这当然不会让伯利斯顿勋爵愉快。因此，在一个寒冷潮湿的早晨，两位男士决斗了。王子负了伤，但很快好转并且匆匆返回卢里塔尼亚。在那里他结了婚，成了国王鲁道夫三世。但是伯利斯顿勋爵病了，六个月以后去世。他辞世之后两个月，阿米莉亚夫人生了一个儿子，这个男孩即成为新的伯利斯顿勋爵以及拉森狄尔家族的首领。他成人以后有着蓝色的眼睛，长而挺直的鼻子和深红色的头发。
这一类的事情可能在最上流的家庭发生。在拉森狄尔府上的许多画像中，你能看见五六个人长着同样的蓝眼睛，同样的鼻子，同样的红头发。
因此，由于我的头发是红的，而且我长着艾尔弗伯格家的鼻子，罗丝为我发愁。结果，为了让她高兴，我保证六个月以内找到一份工作。这样起码我能在六个月的时间里过得快快乐乐的。
我有了一个主意——我要去卢里塔尼亚。我的家族从来没有一个人去过那里。他们更愿意忘记跟阿米莉亚夫人有关的事情。可是我看到报纸上说，在三周之内，卢里塔尼亚的年轻的新国王，鲁道夫五世，将会举行加冕典礼。这时候去这个国家看看一定很有意思。
我知道家里的人一定不喜欢让我去，所以我告诉他们我要去奥地利走走。
■ 2 The colour of men's hair
On the way to Ruritania I decided to spend a night in Paris with a friend．The next morning he came with me to the station，and as we waited for the train，we watched the crowds．We noticed a tall，dark，very fashionable lady，and my friend told me who she was．
'That's Madame Antoinette de Mauban．She's travelling on the same train as you，but don't fall in love with her．'
'Why not？'I asked，amused．
'Ah，'said my friend，'all Paris knows that she's in love with Duke Michael of Strelsau．And he，as you know，is the half-brother of the new King of Ruritania．Although he's only the second son and will never be king himself，he's still an important man and very popular，I hear，with many Ruritanians．The lovely Madame Antoinette won't look twice at you，Rudolf．'
I laughed，but he had woken my interest in the lady．I did not speak to her during the journey，and when we arrived in Ruritania，I left the train at Zenda，a small town outside the capital．But I noticed that Madame de Mauban went on to Strelsau，the capital．
I was welcomed very kindly at my hotel．It belonged to a fat old lady and her pretty daughter．From them I learned that the coronation was to be on the day after next，and not in three weeks．
The old lady was more interested in Duke Michael of Strelsau than in the new King．The Castle of Zenda and all the land around it belonged to the Duke，but the old lady said，'It's not enough．Duke Michael should be king．He spends all his time with us．Every Ruritanian knows him，but we never see the new King．'
But the daughter cried，'Oh no，I hate Black Michael．I want a red Elphberg-and the King，our friend Johann says，is very red．Johann works for the Duke and he's seen the King．In fact，the King's staying just outside Zenda now，'she added．'He's resting at the Duke's house in the forest before going on to Strelsau on Wednesday for his coronation．The Duke's already in Strelsau，getting everything ready．'
'They're friends？'I asked．
'Friends who want the same place and the same wife，'the pretty girl replied．'The Duke wants to marry his cousin，Princess Flavia，but people say she's going to be King Rudolf's wife and the Queen．'
Just then their friend，Johann，entered the room．
'We have a visitor，Johann，'the girl's mother said，and Johann turned towards me．But when he saw me，he stepped back，with a look of wonder on his face．
'What's the matter，Johann？'the daughter asked．
'Good evening，sir，'Johann said，still staring at me．He did not seem to like what he saw．
The girl began to laugh．'It's the colour of your hair，sir，'she explained．'We don't often see that colour here． It's the Elphberg red-not Johann's favourite colour．'
* * *
The next day I decided to walk through the forest for a few miles and take the train to Strelsau from a little station along the road
“可你都29岁了，你还什么都没干，除了……”
“除了胡闹？你说对了，我们拉森狄尔家的人又有钱又有名，而且我们什么也不用做。”
我这么说让罗丝生气了。“又有钱又有名的人家通常比那些普通人家更不规矩！”
听了她的话，我用手摸摸我的深红色头发。我懂她的意思。
“我真高兴罗伯特的头发是黑色的！”她说道。
正在此时，我哥哥罗伯特走了进来，他一看罗丝，就看出有些不对头。
“怎么了，亲爱的？”他问道。
“她生气了，因为我从没做过什么有用的事儿，而且我还长着红头发。”我说。
“当然，我知道他对他的头发和鼻子无能为力……”罗丝说。
“是的，这样的鼻子和这样的头发是祖传的，”我哥哥同意她的话，“而且鲁道夫两样都占了。”
房间里有很多家族成员的画像，其中一幅画着一位非常美丽的女人，阿米莉亚夫人，她生活在150年以前。我站了起来，转身去看她。
“如果你把那画像拿走，罗伯特，”罗丝说，“我们就可以把这件事忘掉。”
“哦，可是我并不想忘掉它。”我回答。“我喜欢做艾尔弗伯格家族的一员。”
也许我应该停下来一会儿，解释一下为什么罗丝对我的鼻子和头发那么生气，究竟又为什么，我，一个姓拉森狄尔的，会说我自己是艾尔弗伯格家族的一员。毕竟艾尔弗伯格家族是卢里塔尼亚的王族，而且，几百年来一直如此。
这个故事在一本关于拉森狄尔家族史的书里是这么描述的：
1733年卢里塔尼亚王子鲁道夫前来英国访问，他逗留了几个月。像艾尔弗伯格王室的许多人一样，他长着蓝色的眼睛，一只不寻常的又长又挺的鼻子和很多深红色的头发。他个子很高，相貌英俊。
他在此地停留期间，与伯利斯顿勋爵美丽的妻子阿米莉亚夫人结识，事实上，他俩成了十分亲密的好友，这当然不会让伯利斯顿勋爵愉快。因此，在一个寒冷潮湿的早晨，两位男士决斗了。王子负了伤，但很快好转并且匆匆返回卢里塔尼亚。在那里他结了婚，成了国王鲁道夫三世。但是伯利斯顿勋爵病了，六个月以后去世。他辞世之后两个月，阿米莉亚夫人生了一个儿子，这个男孩即成为新的伯利斯顿勋爵以及拉森狄尔家族的首领。他成人以后有着蓝色的眼睛，长而挺直的鼻子和深红色的头发。
这一类的事情可能在最上流的家庭发生。在拉森狄尔府上的许多画像中，你能看见五六个人长着同样的蓝眼睛，同样的鼻子，同样的红头发。
因此，由于我的头发是红的，而且我长着艾尔弗伯格家的鼻子，罗丝为我发愁。结果，为了让她高兴，我保证六个月以内找到一份工作。这样起码我能在六个月的时间里过得快快乐乐的。
我有了一个主意——我要去卢里塔尼亚。我的家族从来没有一个人去过那里。他们更愿意忘记跟阿米莉亚夫人有关的事情。可是我看到报纸上说，在三周之内，卢里塔尼亚的年轻的新国王，鲁道夫五世，将会举行加冕典礼。这时候去这个国家看看一定很有意思。
我知道家里的人一定不喜欢让我去，所以我告诉他们我要去奥地利走走。
■ 2 The colour of men's hair
On the way to Ruritania I decided to spend a night in Paris with a friend．The next morning he came with me to the station，and as we waited for the train，we watched the crowds．We noticed a tall，dark，very fashionable lady，and my friend told me who she was．
'That's Madame Antoinette de Mauban．She's travelling on the same train as you，but don't fall in love with her．'
'Why not？'I asked，amused．
'Ah，'said my friend，'all Paris knows that she's in love with Duke Michael of Strelsau．And he，as you know，is the half-brother of the new King of Ruritania．Although he's only the second son and will never be king himself，he's still an important man and very popular，I hear，with many Ruritanians．The lovely Madame Antoinette won't look twice at you，Rudolf．'
I laughed，but he had woken my interest in the lady．I did not speak to her during the journey，and when we arrived in Ruritania，I left the train at Zenda，a small town outside the capital．But I noticed that Madame de Mauban went on to Strelsau，the capital．
I was welcomed very kindly at my hotel．It belonged to a fat old lady and her pretty daughter．From them I learned that the coronation was to be on the day after next，and not in three weeks．
The old lady was more interested in Duke Michael of Strelsau than in the new King．The Castle of Zenda and all the land around it belonged to the Duke，but the old lady said，'It's not enough．Duke Michael should be king．He spends all his time with us．Every Ruritanian knows him，but we never see the new King．'
But the daughter cried，'Oh no，I hate Black Michael．I want a red Elphberg-and the King，our friend Johann says，is very red．Johann works for the Duke and he's seen the King．In fact，the King's staying just outside Zenda now，'she added．'He's resting at the Duke's house in the forest before going on to Strelsau on Wednesday for his coronation．The Duke's already in Strelsau，getting everything ready．'
'They're friends？'I asked．
'Friends who want the same place and the same wife，'the pretty girl replied．'The Duke wants to marry his cousin，Princess Flavia，but people say she's going to be King Rudolf's wife and the Queen．'
Just then their friend，Johann，entered the room．
'We have a visitor，Johann，'the girl's mother said，and Johann turned towards me．But when he saw me，he stepped back，with a look of wonder on his face．
'What's the matter，Johann？'the daughter asked．
'Good evening，sir，'Johann said，still staring at me．He did not seem to like what he saw．
The girl began to laugh．'It's the colour of your hair，sir，'she explained．'We don't often see that colour here． It's the Elphberg red-not Johann's favourite colour．'
* * *
The next day I decided to walk through the forest for a few miles and take the train to Strelsau from a little station along the road