33.9 你是 teh kap ka-tī 做對

33.9 Lí sī teh kap ka-tī chò-tùi

Ut-būn, chhián-kiàn ê Anselmo, lí sī teh chhòng-siáⁿ? piàn siáⁿ báng? pìⁿ siáⁿ chhut-thâu? Siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi, lí sī teh kap ka-tī chò-tùi, pìⁿ pháiⁿ ka-tī ê êng-ū, chhòng-khang húi-bia̍t ka-tī. Lín bó͘ Camilla kài chiàⁿ-ti̍t, lí an-an ún-ún tit-tio̍h yi, bô-lâng táⁿ-jiáu lí ê hēng-hok. Yi kui-sim kò͘-ke, bē o͘-pe̍h siūⁿ, lí sī yi chāi-sè ê thian-tông, hi-bāng ê tùi-siōng, io̍k-bōng ê si̍t-hiān, sī yi niû chì-goān ê niû-chhioh, hō͘ he ta̍k-hāng hû-ha̍p lí ê, mā hû-ha̍p Thiⁿ-ì. Kì-jiân án-ne, yi he êng-ū, bí-māu, bí-tek, khiam-hi ê khòng-tiûⁿ, bián óe tō thê-kiong hō͘ lí it-chhè chiah-ê lí só͘ hi-bāng ê châi-hù, sī án-chóaⁿ lí boeh óe thô͘-kha, boeh chhōe sin ê khòng-me̍h, chhōe bī-ti ê sin pó-chōng? Án-ne chò, lí sī teh mō͘ it-chhè pang-lo̍h ê hong-hiám, in-ūi chiah-ê chí-sī kiàn-li̍p tī yi chhùi-jio̍k pún-sèng ê ki-chhó͘ siōng. Siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi, cháu-chhōe bô khó-lêng ê lâng, tong-jiân chhōe bē-tio̍h khó-lêng. Ū chi̍t-ê si-jîn kā che kóng kah chiâⁿ hó:

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Góa tī sí-bông chhōe sèⁿ-miā,

   Tī phòa-pēⁿ chhōe khong-kiān,

Góa tī kàm-ga̍k chhōe chū-iû,

   Tī poān-tô͘ chhōe tiong-sêng.

Só͘-tì, Miā-ūn chóng-sī bē-giàn

   Hō͘ góa un-tián a̍h un-hūi,

In-ūi góa chhōe ê, bô chûn-chāi,

   Kī-choa̍t góa it-chhè ê khó-lêng.

=

Keh-kang, Anselmo chhut-hoat khì chng-kha, kā Camilla kau-tài kóng, i bô tī-leh ê sî, Lothario ē lâi tàu kò͘ chhù, kap yi chò-hóe chia̍h-pn̄g, kiò yi tio̍h ná ka-tī lâng án-ne tùi-thāi i. Camilla sī chi̍t-ê kín-sīn, chiàⁿ-phài ê cha-bó͘, tùi ang-sài ê kau-tài kám-kak put-an, thê-chhéⁿ i kóng, tī i bô tī-leh ê sî, siōng-hó siáng to mài lâi. Ká-sú i án-ne chò, sī in-ūi kiaⁿ yi chhù kò͘ bē-hó, chit-pái tio̍h hō͘ yi chhì khòaⁿ-māi, tō ē si̍t-tē hoat-hiān yi ē-kham-tit khah tōa ê chek-jīm. Anselmo ìn kóng, che sī i ê ì-goān, yi chí-iàu thiaⁿ-ōe chiàu chò tō hó. Camilla kóng yi ē chiàu chò, sui-bóng bô chêng-goān.

Anselmo khì ah. Keh-ji̍t Lothario lâi-kàu in chhù, siū-tio̍h Camilla jia̍t-chêng koh sek-tòng ê chiap-thāi. Tān yi m̄-bat tan-to̍k kap Lothario chò-hóe, in-ūi yi sin-piⁿ chóng-sī ū lâm/lú po̍k-jîn, iû-kî ū chi̍t-ê tah-sin chă-kán, kiò-chò Leonela, nn̄g-lâng chin chhin, in-ūi chū sè-hàn tō kap yi tâng-chê tōa, kè hō͘ Anselmo liáu, iû-goân lâu yi tī sin-piⁿ. Thâu-chêng 3-kang, Lothario bô kap yi kóng-ōe, sui-bóng i ū ki-hōe án-ne chò: tī toh-téng siu-hó, po̍k-jîn ji̍p-khì kóaⁿ chia̍h-pn̄g ê sî, che lóng sī chiàu Camilla ê bēng-lēng. Iáu-ū, Leonela ê kui-kí sī tio̍h pí Camilla seng chia̍h-pá, koh it-tit pôe tī Camilla sin-piⁿ.

M̄-koh, Leonela siūⁿ ê sī ka-tī ê tāi-chì, hi-bāng ū sî-kan chò ka-tī ê hoaⁿ-hí tāi, bô chóng-sī thiaⁿ chú-lâng ê bēng-lēng, tian-tò lâu in tan-to̍k chò-hóe, bē-su sī in bēng-lēng yi án-ne chò. Tān Camilla toan-chong kí-chí, léng-chēng bīn-māu, í-ki̍p tìn-tēng sîn-thài, ū-kàu hō͘ Lothario ê chi̍h phah-kat.

Tān, Camilla ê tāi-toān éng-hióng Lothario ê chi̍h, che tùi in nn̄g-lâng mā ū bô hó ê hiō-kó. In-ūi i nā bô-ōe, i ê thâu-náu tō bô-êng, tō siūⁿ lâi siūⁿ khì, siūⁿ Camilla ê oân-bí sī hó kap súi, bī-le̍k ū-kàu tiám-to̍h tāi-lí-chio̍h tiau-siōng ê ài-chêng hóe-iām, koh-khah bián kóng bah chò ê sim. Lothario tī goân-pún ē-tit tùi yi kóng-ōe ê to͘-ha̍p kim-kim siòng i, siūⁿ kóng, yi chin-chiàⁿ sī ta̍t-tit ài, chŏaⁿ chiām-chiām chhim-si̍h i tùi Anselmo ê tiong-sêng, ū chē-chē pái, i siūⁿ boeh cháu-lī chit-ê siâⁿ-chhī, khì chi̍t-ê Anselmo bē khòaⁿ tio̍h i, i mā bē khòaⁿ tio̍h Camilla ê só͘-chāi.

Tān-sī, taⁿ i í-keng hō͘ hit-chióng kim-kim siòng Camilla só͘ tit-tio̍h ê khoài-lo̍k lia̍h tiâu-tiâu ah. I piàⁿ-miā khek-chè ka-tī, phah-piàⁿ póe-khui koh ah-chè ùi siòng Camilla só͘ tit-tio̍h ê lo̍k-thiòng. To̍k-chū chi̍t-lâng ê sî, i chek-pī ka-tī ê loán-jio̍k, kóng ka-tī sī bái pêng-iú, sīm-chì sī chi̍t-ê bái Kitok-tô͘. Jiân-āu i su-khó chit-ê būn-tê, kā ka-tī kap Anselmo chò pí-kàu, tit-tio̍h ê kiat-lūn chóng-sī án-ne, Anselmo ê gû-gōng, chho͘-ló͘ pí i ê pōe-sìn koh-khah hāi. Jû-kó i ē-tàng chhiūⁿ tùi lâng án-ne, khin-sang tùi Sîn piān-kái ka-tī ê ì-tô͘, i tō bô siáⁿ lí-iû kiaⁿ in-ūi chōe-kò siū jīm-hô chhú-hoa̍t ah.

Chóng-kóng, Camilla ê súi kap hó, í-ki̍p hit-ê chheⁿ-mê ang-sài thê-kiong ê ki-hōe, phah-pāi Lothario ê tiong-hō͘. I bô koh koán-kò͘ pa̍t-hāng, kan-ta chun-chiàu ka-tī sim-ì só͘ kí-ín ê bo̍k-piau. Tī Anselmo lī-khui ê tē-3 kang, tī liân-sòa kúi-kang kap ka-tī ê kek-chêng chhia-piàⁿ liáu-āu, i khai-sí kō͘ giân-gí hiòng Camilla jia̍t-chêng piáu-pe̍k, hō͘ yi tōa-tōa tio̍h-kiaⁿ, kan-ta ē-tàng kín lī-khui chē-ūi, tńg-khì ka-tī pâng-keng, bô kóng kah chi̍t-kù ōe.

Put-jî-kò, Lothario ùi ài só͘ seⁿ ê hi-bāng, bô in-ūi Camilla ê kī-choa̍t lâi kiám-khin. Tian-tò-péng, i tùi Camilla ê jia̍t-chêng oa̍t-lú ōng. Yi hoat-hiān Lothario ê chit-chióng ì-gōa piáu-hiān, m̄-chai boeh án-chóaⁿ chiah hó. Yi jīn-ûi bô an-choân, mā bô sek-ha̍p koh hō͘ i ū ki-hōe tùi yi kóng-ōe, tō koat-tēng chek-khek hêng-tōng, tō tī hit-àm phài chi̍t-ê po̍k-jîn sàng chi̍t-tiuⁿ phe khì hō͘ Anselmo. Phe ê lāi-bīn sī án-ne siá... 

[2024-8-3]

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33.9 你是 teh kap ka-tī 做對

鬱悶, 淺見 ê Anselmo, 你是 teh 創啥? 變啥 báng? pìⁿ 啥齣頭? 想看覓, 你是 teh kap ka-tī 做對, pìⁿ 歹 ka-tī ê 榮譽, 創空毀滅 ka-tī. 恁某 Camilla kài 正直, 你安安穩穩得著她, 無人打擾你 ê 幸福. 她規心顧家, 袂烏白想, 你是她在世 ê 天堂, 希望 ê 對象, 慾望 ê 實現, 是她量志願 ê 量尺, hō͘ he 逐項符合你 ê, mā 符合天意. 既然 án-ne, 她 he 榮譽, 美貌, 美德, 謙虛 ê 礦場, 免挖 tō 提供 hō͘ 你一切 chiah-ê 你所希望 ê 財富, 是按怎你欲挖塗跤, 欲揣新 ê 礦脈, 揣未知 ê 新寶藏? Án-ne 做, 你是 teh 冒一切崩落 ê 風險, 因為 chiah-ê 只是建立 tī 她脆弱本性 ê 基礎上. 想看覓, 走揣無可能 ê 人, 當然揣袂著可能. 有一个詩人 kā che 講 kah 誠好:

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我 tī 死亡揣性命,

   Tī 破病揣康健,

我 tī 監獄揣自由,

   Tī 叛徒揣忠誠.

所致, 命運總是袂 giàn

   Hō͘ 我恩典 a̍h 恩惠,

因為我揣 ê, 無存在,

   拒絕我一切 ê 可能.

=

隔工, Anselmo 出發去庄跤, kā Camilla 交代講, 伊無 tī-leh ê 時, Lothario ē 來 tàu 顧厝, kap 她做伙食飯, 叫她著 ná ka-tī 人 án-ne 對待伊. Camilla 是一个謹慎, 正派 ê 查某, 對翁婿 ê 交代感覺不安, 提醒伊講, tī 伊無 tī-leh ê 時, 上好 siáng to 莫來. 假使伊 án-ne 做, 是因為驚她厝顧袂好, 這擺著 hō͘ 她試看覓, tō ē 實地發現她會堪得 khah 大 ê 責任. Anselmo 應講, che 是伊 ê 意願, 她只要聽話照做 tō 好. Camilla 講她 ē 照做, 雖罔無情願.

Anselmo 去 ah. 隔日 Lothario 來到 in 厝, 受著 Camilla 熱情 koh 適當 ê 接待. 但她 m̄-bat 單獨 kap Lothario 做伙, 因為她身邊總是有男女僕人, 尤其有一个貼身 chă 𡢃, 叫做 Leonela, 兩人真親, 因為自細漢 tō kap 她同齊大, 嫁 hō͘ Anselmo 了, 猶原留她 tī 身邊. 頭前 3 工, Lothario 無 kap 她講話, 雖罔伊有機會 án-ne 做: tī 桌頂收好, 僕人入去趕食飯 ê 時, che lóng 是照 Camilla ê 命令. 猶有, Leonela ê 規矩是著比 Camilla 先食飽, koh 一直陪 tī Camilla 身邊.

M̄-koh, Leonela 想 ê 是 ka-tī ê 代誌, 希望有時間做 ka-tī ê 歡喜代, 無總是聽主人 ê 命令, 顛倒留 in 單獨做伙, 袂輸是 in 命令她 án-ne 做. 但 Camilla 端莊舉止, 冷靜面貌, 以及鎮定神態, 有夠 hō͘ Lothario ê 舌拍結.

但, Camilla ê tāi-toān 影響 Lothario ê 舌, che 對 in 兩人 mā 有無好 ê 後果. 因為伊若無話, 伊 ê 頭腦 tō 無閒, tō 想來想去, 想 Camilla ê 完美是好 kap 媠, 魅力有夠點 to̍h 大理石雕像 ê 愛情火焰, koh-khah 免講肉做 ê 心. Lothario tī 原本會得對她講話 ê 都合 kim-kim 相伊, 想講, 她真正是值得愛, chŏaⁿ 漸漸侵蝕伊對 Anselmo ê 忠誠, 有濟濟擺, 伊想欲走離這个城市, 去一个 Anselmo 袂看著伊, 伊 mā 袂看著 Camilla ê 所在.

但是, 今伊已經 hō͘ 彼種 kim-kim 相 Camilla 所得著 ê 快樂掠 tiâu-tiâu ah. 伊拚命克制 ka-tī, 拍拚掰開 koh 壓制 ùi 相 Camilla 所得著 ê 樂暢. 獨自一人 ê 時, 伊責備 ka-tī ê 軟弱, 講 ka-tī 是䆀朋友, 甚至是一个䆀 Kitok 徒. 然後伊思考這个問題, kā ka-tī kap Anselmo 做比較, 得著 ê 結論總是 án-ne, Anselmo ê 愚戇, 粗魯比伊 ê 背信 koh-khah 害. 如果伊 ē-tàng 像對人 án-ne, 輕鬆對神辯解 ka-tī ê 意圖, 伊 tō 無啥理由驚因為罪過受任何處罰 ah.

總講, Camilla ê 媠 kap 好, 以及彼个青盲翁婿提供 ê 機會, 拍敗 Lothario ê 忠厚. 伊無 koh 管顧別項, kan-ta 遵照 ka-tī 心意所指引 ê 目標. Tī Anselmo 離開 ê 第3 工, tī 連紲幾工 kap ka-tī ê 激情捙拚了後, 伊開始 kō͘ 言語向 Camilla 熱情表白, hō͘ 她大大著驚, kan-ta ē-tàng 緊離開坐位, 轉去 ka-tī 房間, 無講 kah 一句話.

不而過, Lothario ùi 愛所生 ê 希望, 無因為 Camilla ê 拒絕來減輕. 顛倒反, 伊對 Camilla ê 熱情 oa̍t-lú 旺. 她發現 Lothario ê 這種意外表現, 毋知欲按怎才好. 她認為無安全, mā 無適合 koh hō͘ 伊有機會對她講話, tō 決定即刻行動, tō tī hit 暗派一个僕人送一張批去 hō͘ Anselmo. 批 ê 內面是 án-ne 寫... 

[2024-8-3]

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33.9

Unhappy, shortsighted Anselmo, what art thou doing, what art thou plotting, what art thou devising? Bethink thee thou art working against thyself, plotting thine own dishonour, devising thine own ruin. Thy wife Camilla is virtuous, thou dost possess her in peace and quietness, no one assails thy happiness, her thoughts wander not beyond the walls of thy house, thou art her heaven on earth, the object of her wishes, the fulfilment of her desires, the measure wherewith she measures her will, making it conform in all things to thine and Heaven’s. If, then, the mine of her honour, beauty, virtue, and modesty yields thee without labour all the wealth it contains and thou canst wish for, why wilt thou dig the earth in search of fresh veins, of new unknown treasure, risking the collapse of all, since it but rests on the feeble props of her weak nature? Bethink thee that from him who seeks impossibilities that which is possible may with justice be withheld, as was better expressed by a poet who said:

’Tis mine to seek for life in death,

    Health in disease seek I,

I seek in prison freedom’s breath,

    In traitors loyalty.

So Fate that ever scorns to grant

    Or grace or boon to me,

Since what can never be I want,

    Denies me what might be./

The next day Anselmo took his departure for the village, leaving instructions with Camilla that during his absence Lothario would come to look after his house and to dine with her, and that she was to treat him as she would himself. Camilla was distressed, as a discreet and right-minded woman would be, at the orders her husband left her, and bade him remember that it was not becoming that anyone should occupy his seat at the table during his absence, and if he acted thus from not feeling confidence that she would be able to manage his house, let him try her this time, and he would find by experience that she was equal to greater responsibilities. Anselmo replied that it was his pleasure to have it so, and that she had only to submit and obey. Camilla said she would do so, though against her will.

Anselmo went, and the next day Lothario came to his house, where he was received by Camilla with a friendly and modest welcome; but she never suffered Lothario to see her alone, for she was always attended by her men and women servants, especially by a handmaid of hers, Leonela by name, to whom she was much attached (for they had been brought up together from childhood in her father’s house), and whom she had kept with her after her marriage with Anselmo. The first three days Lothario did not speak to her, though he might have done so when they removed the cloth and the servants retired to dine hastily; for such were Camilla’s orders; nay more, Leonela had directions to dine earlier than Camilla and never to leave her side. /

She, however, having her thoughts fixed upon other things more to her taste, and wanting that time and opportunity for her own pleasures, did not always obey her mistress’s commands, but on the contrary left them alone, as if they had ordered her to do so; but the modest bearing of Camilla, the calmness of her countenance, the composure of her aspect were enough to bridle the tongue of Lothario. /

But the influence which the many virtues of Camilla exerted in imposing silence on Lothario’s tongue proved mischievous for both of them, for if his tongue was silent his thoughts were busy, and could dwell at leisure upon the perfections of Camilla’s goodness and beauty one by one, charms enough to warm with love a marble statue, not to say a heart of flesh. Lothario gazed upon her when he might have been speaking to her, and thought how worthy of being loved she was; and thus reflection began little by little to assail his allegiance to Anselmo, and a thousand times he thought of withdrawing from the city and going where Anselmo should never see him nor he see Camilla. /

But already the delight he found in gazing on her interposed and held him fast. He put a constraint upon himself, and struggled to repel and repress the pleasure he found in contemplating Camilla; when alone he blamed himself for his weakness, called himself a bad friend, nay a bad Christian; then he argued the matter and compared himself with Anselmo; always coming to the conclusion that the folly and rashness of Anselmo had been worse than his faithlessness, and that if he could excuse his intentions as easily before God as with man, he had no reason to fear any punishment for his offence.

In short the beauty and goodness of Camilla, joined with the opportunity which the blind husband had placed in his hands, overthrew the loyalty of Lothario; and giving heed to nothing save the object towards which his inclinations led him, after Anselmo had been three days absent, during which he had been carrying on a continual struggle with his passion, he began to make love to Camilla with so much vehemence and warmth of language that she was overwhelmed with amazement, and could only rise from her place and retire to her room without answering him a word. /

But the hope which always springs up with love was not weakened in Lothario by this repelling demeanour; on the contrary his passion for Camilla increased, and she discovering in him what she had never expected, knew not what to do; and considering it neither safe nor right to give him the chance or opportunity of speaking to her again, she resolved to send, as she did that very night, one of her servants with a letter to Anselmo, in which she addressed the following words to him.

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33.8 伊決定欲無 tī 厝 8 工

33.8 I koat-tēng boeh bô tī-chhù 8-kang

Tāi-chì chiàu i ê ì-sù án-ne kiâⁿ. Tán Lothario chi̍t-ē chhéⁿ, in tō chhut-mn̂g, Anselmo tō kā mn̄g i kip boeh chai ê tāi-chì. Lothario ìn kóng, i jīn-ûi chho͘-chhù bô sek-ha̍p piáu-pe̍k, só͘-tì kan-ta o-ló Camilla seⁿ-chò chin súi, kui-siâⁿ ê lâng lóng teh tâm-lūn yi ê bí-māu kap tì-hūi. In-ūi i jīn-ûi che sī chin hó ê khai-sí, ē-tit hō͘ yi hó-kám, āu-pái goān-ì koh khai-sim thiaⁿ i kóng-ōe. Che pún sī ok-mô͘ ín-iú pó-siú ê lâng ê chhiú-tōaⁿ. Taⁿ i sī o͘-àm ê mô͘-kúi, tio̍h seng kā ka-tī chng-pān chò kong-bêng thiⁿ-sài, hián-sī hó ê gōa-piáu. Chit-ê kúi-kè nā bô hō͘ thiah-phòa, kàu-sî i chiah po̍k-lō͘ ka-tī, ta̍t-sêng bo̍k-tek. It-chhè chiah-ê hō͘ Anselmo chin móa-ì, kóng ta̍k-kang i lóng ē thê-kiong kāng-khoán ê ki-hōe, tān i bô boeh chhut-mn̂g, in-ūi i ē tī chhù chhōe tāi-chì chò, án-ne Camilla tō bē kak-chhat tio̍h chit-ê kè-bô͘.

Jiân-āu, kòe kúi-ā kang, Lothario chi̍t-kù ōe to bô kap Camilla kóng, soah phiàn Anselmo kóng, i ū kap yi kóng-ōe, tān lóng bô tit-tio̍h yi jīm-hô ê oai-ko hoán-èng, liân sió-khóa àm-sī a̍h iáⁿ-jiah to bô. Yi tian-tò kóng, boeh tâu hō͘ yin ang chai.

"Kàu chia lóng hó," Anselmo kóng, "Camilla ē kham-tit ōe-gí, taⁿ lán tio̍h chhì yi kám ē kham-tit hêng-tōng. Bîn-á-chài góa thê-kiong 2,000 kim-pè, hō͘ lí sàng hō͘ yi, koh pêⁿ-chē ê chîⁿ, hō͘ lí bé chu-pó siâⁿ yi. Cha-bó͘ lóng ài chhēng hó-saⁿ, chng kah súi tang-tang. Súi cha-bó͘ koh-khah sī án-ne, m̄-koán yi gōa chèng-keng. Yi nā ē kham-tit chit-ê ín-iú, góa tō móa-ì ah, tō bē koh kiáu-jiáu lí ah lah."

Lothario ìn kóng, kì-jiân í-keng khai-sí, i ē kā chò kàu bóe, sui-bóng i kám-kak lo̍h-bóe i ē thiám koh su. Keh-kang i tit-tio̍h hit 4,000 kim-pè, he mā sī 4,000 hoân-ló, in-ūi i m̄-chai boeh án-chóaⁿ kè-sio̍k kóng pe̍h-chha̍t. Chòe-āu, i koat-tēng koh phiàn Anselmo kóng, Camilla bīn-tùi lé-bu̍t kap iok-sok kap bīn-tùi ōe-gí kāng-khoán kian-tēng, kin-pún bô-hāu, m̄-bián koh pe̍h-liáu sî-kan ah lah.

Tān-sī ki-iân kā tāi-chì tńg-se̍h, Anselmo chhiūⁿ chá-chêng án-ne, lâu Lothario kap Camilla tan-to̍k chò-hóe, kā ka-tī koaiⁿ tī lēng-gōa pâng-keng, thàng-kòe só-sî khang khòaⁿ in ê kí-tōng. I hoat-hiān, keng-kòe pòaⁿ tiám-cheng khah ke, Lothario bô tùi Camilla kóng kah chi̍t-kù ōe, koh chi̍t sì-lâng i mā bē kóng-ōe. I tit-tio̍h kiat-lūn, in pêng-iú chá-chêng kā i kóng iú-koan Camilla ê hoán-èng lóng sī pian chhut-lâi ê, sī ké ê. Ūi-tio̍h boeh khak-tēng sī m̄-sī án-ne, i kiâⁿ chhut-lâi, kā Lothario kiò kàu piⁿ-á, mn̄g i ū siáⁿ sin siau-sit, Camilla ê sim-chêng án-chóaⁿ. Lothario hôe-tap kóng, i bô phah-sǹg koh kè-sio̍k, in-ūi Camilla ê hoán-èng chin hùn-nō͘ koh giâm-lē, i bô táⁿ koh kap yi kóng-ōe ah.

"Ah, Lothario, Lothario," Anselmo kóng, "lí si̍t-chāi sit-chit, tùi put-khí góa tùi lí ê sìn-jīm! Góa tú-tú ùi só-sî khang khòaⁿ, hoat-hiān lí bô kap Camilla kóng pòaⁿ-kù ōe. Góa ê kiat-lūn sī, chá-chêng lí mā bô kap yi kóng-ōe, nā án-ne, tek-khak sī án-ne, sī án-chóaⁿ lí phiàn góa? ná boeh chhòng-khang chó͘-chí góa ta̍t-sêng goān-bōng?"

Anselmo bô koh kóng siáⁿ, tān án-ne í-keng ū-kàu hō͘ Lothario kiàn-siàu kah bē chū-chāi. Hông lia̍h pe̍h-chha̍t, Lothario kám-kak kài bô bīn-chú, tō hiòng Anselmo li̍p-sè, chū hit-sî khí ē boán-chiok i, bô sio-môa, i nā hòⁿ-kî khì khòaⁿ, tō ē-sái khak-jīn, sui-bóng m̄-bián koh chhau-sim, in-ūi i ē chīn-sim boán-chiok i, bián koh hoâi-gî lah. Anselmo siong-sìn i, ūi-tio̍h thê-kiong chi̍t-ê khah chū-iû, khah bē khí-gî ê ki-hōe, i koat-tēng boeh bô tī-chhù 8-kang, khì chi̍t-ê tòa tī chng-kha, lī siâⁿ bô hn̄g ê pêng-iú in tau. Ūi-tio̍h tùi Camilla ū khah hó ê kau-tài, i liân-lo̍k hit-ê pêng-iú hoat chi̍t-hūn kín-kip ê iau-chhiáⁿ-hâm lâi.

--

33.8 伊決定欲無 tī 厝 8 工

代誌照伊 ê 意思 án-ne 行. 等 Lothario 一下醒, in tō 出門, Anselmo tō kā 問伊急欲知 ê 代誌. Lothario 應講, 伊認為初次無適合表白, 所致 kan-ta o-ló Camilla 生做真媠, 規城 ê人 lóng teh 談論她 ê 美貌 kap 智慧. 因為伊認為 che 是真好 ê 開始, 會得 hō͘ 她好感, 後擺願意 koh 開心聽伊講話. Che 本是惡魔引誘保守 ê 人 ê 手段. 今伊是烏暗 ê 魔鬼, 著先 kā ka-tī 裝扮做光明天使, 顯示好 ê 外表. 這个詭計若無 hō͘ 拆破, 到時伊才暴露 ka-tī, 達成目的. 一切 chiah-ê hō͘ Anselmo 真滿意, 講逐工伊 lóng ē 提供仝款 ê 機會, 但伊無欲出門, 因為伊 ē tī 厝揣代誌做, án-ne Camilla tō 袂覺察著這个計謀.

然後, 過幾若工, Lothario 一句話 to 無 kap Camilla 講, soah 騙 Anselmo 講, 伊有 kap 她講話, 但 lóng 無得著她任何 ê 歪哥反應, 連小可暗示 a̍h 影跡 to 無. 她顛倒講, 欲投 hō͘ 姻翁知.

"到 chia lóng 好," Anselmo 講, "Camilla 會堪得話語, 今咱著試她敢會堪得行動. 明仔載我提供 2,000 金幣, hō͘ 你送 hō͘ 她, koh 平濟 ê 錢, hō͘ 你買珠寶唌她. 查某 lóng 愛穿好衫, 妝 kah 媠 tang-tang. 媠查某 koh-khah 是 án-ne, 毋管她偌正經. 她若會堪得這个引誘, 我 tō 滿意 ah, tō 袂 koh 攪擾你 ah lah."

Lothario 應講, 既然已經開始, 伊 ē kā 做到尾, 雖罔伊感覺落尾伊 ē 忝 koh 輸. 隔工伊得著 hit 4,000 金幣, he mā 是 4,000 煩惱, 因為伊毋知欲按怎繼續講白賊. 最後, 伊決定 koh 騙 Anselmo 講, Camilla 面對禮物 kap 約束 kap 面對話語仝款堅定, 根本無效, 毋免 koh 白了時間 ah lah.

但是機緣 kā 代誌轉踅, Anselmo 像早前 án-ne, 留 Lothario kap Camilla 單獨做伙, kā ka-tī 關 tī 另外房間, 迵過鎖匙空看 in ê 舉動. 伊發現, 經過半點鐘較加, Lothario 無對 Camilla 講 kah 一句話, koh 一世人伊 mā 袂講話. 伊得著結論, in 朋友早前 kā 伊講有關 Camilla ê 反應 lóng 是編出來 ê, sī 假 ê. 為著欲確定是毋是 án-ne, 伊行出來, kā Lothario 叫到邊仔, 問伊有啥新消息, Camilla ê 心情按怎. Lothario 回答講, 伊無拍算 koh 繼續, 因為 Camilla ê 反應真憤怒 koh 嚴厲, 伊無膽 koh kap 她講話 ah.

"Ah, Lothario, Lothario," Anselmo 講, "你實在失職, 對不起我對你 ê 信任! 我 tú-tú ùi 鎖匙空看, 發現你無 kap Camilla 講半句話. 我 ê 結論是, 早前你 mā 無 kap 她講話, 若 án-ne, 的確是 án-ne, 是按怎你騙我? 那欲創空阻止我達成願望?"

Anselmo 無 koh 講啥, 但 án-ne 已經有夠 hō͘ Lothario 見笑 kah 袂自在. Hông 掠白賊, Lothario 感覺 kài 無面子, tō 向 Anselmo 立誓, 自彼時起 ē 滿足伊, 無相瞞, 伊若好奇去看, tō ē-sái 確認, 雖罔毋免 koh 操心, 因為伊 ē 盡心滿足伊, 免 koh 懷疑 lah. Anselmo 相信伊, 為著提供一个較自由, 較袂起疑 ê 機會, 伊決定欲無 tī 厝 8 工, 去一个蹛 tī 庄跤, 離城無遠 ê 朋友 in tau. 為著對 Camilla 有較好 ê 交代, 伊連絡彼个朋友發一份緊急 ê 邀請函來.

--

33.8

Everything fell out as he wished; Lothario awoke, and the two at once left the house, and Anselmo asked what he was anxious to know, and Lothario in answer told him that he had not thought it advisable to declare himself entirely the first time, and therefore had only extolled the charms of Camilla, telling her that all the city spoke of nothing else but her beauty and wit, for this seemed to him an excellent way of beginning to gain her good-will and render her disposed to listen to him with pleasure the next time, thus availing himself of the device the devil has recourse to when he would deceive one who is on the watch; for he being the angel of darkness transforms himself into an angel of light, and, under cover of a fair seeming, discloses himself at length, and effects his purpose if at the beginning his wiles are not discovered. All this gave great satisfaction to Anselmo, and he said he would afford the same opportunity every day, but without leaving the house, for he would find things to do at home so that Camilla should not detect the plot.

Thus, then, several days went by, and Lothario, without uttering a word to Camilla, reported to Anselmo that he had talked with her and that he had never been able to draw from her the slightest indication of consent to anything dishonourable, nor even a sign or shadow of hope; on the contrary, he said she would inform her husband of it.

“So far well,” said Anselmo; “Camilla has thus far resisted words; we must now see how she will resist deeds. I will give you to-morrow two thousand crowns in gold for you to offer or even present, and as many more to buy jewels to lure her, for women are fond of being becomingly attired and going gaily dressed, and all the more so if they are beautiful, however chaste they may be; and if she resists this temptation, I will rest satisfied and will give you no more trouble.”

Lothario replied that now he had begun he would carry on the undertaking to the end, though he perceived he was to come out of it wearied and vanquished. The next day he received the four thousand crowns, and with them four thousand perplexities, for he knew not what to say by way of a new falsehood; but in the end he made up his mind to tell him that Camilla stood as firm against gifts and promises as against words, and that there was no use in taking any further trouble, for the time was all spent to no purpose.

But chance, directing things in a different manner, so ordered it that Anselmo, having left Lothario and Camilla alone as on other occasions, shut himself into a chamber and posted himself to watch and listen through the keyhole to what passed between them, and perceived that for more than half an hour Lothario did not utter a word to Camilla, nor would utter a word though he were to be there for an age; and he came to the conclusion that what his friend had told him about the replies of Camilla was all invention and falsehood, and to ascertain if it were so, he came out, and calling Lothario aside asked him what news he had and in what humour Camilla was. Lothario replied that he was not disposed to go on with the business, for she had answered him so angrily and harshly that he had no heart to say anything more to her.

“Ah, Lothario, Lothario,” said Anselmo, “how ill dost thou meet thy obligations to me, and the great confidence I repose in thee! I have been just now watching through this keyhole, and I have seen that thou hast not said a word to Camilla, whence I conclude that on the former occasions thou hast not spoken to her either, and if this be so, as no doubt it is, why dost thou deceive me, or wherefore seekest thou by craft to deprive me of the means I might find of attaining my desire?”

Anselmo said no more, but he had said enough to cover Lothario with shame and confusion, and he, feeling as it were his honour touched by having been detected in a lie, swore to Anselmo that he would from that moment devote himself to satisfying him without any deception, as he would see if he had the curiosity to watch; though he need not take the trouble, for the pains he would take to satisfy him would remove all suspicions from his mind. Anselmo believed him, and to afford him an opportunity more free and less liable to surprise, he resolved to absent himself from his house for eight days, betaking himself to that of a friend of his who lived in a village not far from the city; and, the better to account for his departure to Camilla, he so arranged it that the friend should send him a very pressing invitation.

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33.7 提供機會 hō͘ in 單獨做伙

33.7 Thê-kiong ki-hōe hō͘ in tan-to̍k chò-hóe

Kóng liáu che, khiáu koh chiàⁿ-ti̍t ê Lothario tiām lo̍h-lâi, á Anselmo sim-chêng ho̍k-cha̍p, hām-lo̍h chhim-su, ū chi̍t-khùn kóng bē-chhut ōe kā ìn, kàu chòe-āu i án-ne kóng:

"Lí ū khòaⁿ tio̍h, Lothario góa ê pêng-iú, góa chin chù-ì thiaⁿ lí tùi góa kóng ê ōe. Lí ê lūn-tiám, kí-lē, kap pí-kàu, góa khòaⁿ chhut lí ū koân ê tì-hūi, í-ki̍p lí ê iú-chêng í-keng ta̍t-kàu oân-bí. Kāng-khoán, góa liáu-kái mā sêng-jīn, góa nā bô chiàu lí ê ì-kiàn, jî kian-chhî ka-tī ê, góa tō sī pàng-sak siān-liông, tui-kiû siâ-ok.

"Kì-jiân án-ne, m̄-koh lí tio̍h lí-kái, góa taⁿ tng-teh hoān cha-bó͘ lâng ū-sî hoān ê pēⁿ-kiáⁿ, giàn boeh chia̍h thô͘, chio̍h-ko, chhâ-thòaⁿ, sīm-chì koh-khah òⁿ ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ, khòaⁿ to ià, bián kóng chia̍h. Só͘-í, tio̍h kō͘ siáⁿ kè-bô͘ lâi kā góa i, lí nā khéng khí-thâu tō ē-sái, sīm-chì kō͘ la-lun, ké-pâu ê hong-sek hiòng Camilla piáu-sī ài-ì. Yi bē hiah làu-khùi, chi̍t-ē chìn-kong he bí-tek tō tâu-hâng. Tan-tan kō͘ chit-chióng chhì-giām, góa tō boán-chiok, á lí mā chīn lán iú-gî ê gī-bū, m̄-nā hō͘ góa sèⁿ-miā, mā soeh-ho̍k góa mài hòng-khì êng-ū.

"Lí tio̍h ài án-ne chò, kan-ta chi̍t-ê lí-iû. Kì-jiân góa koat-tēng boeh chìn-hêng chit-ê chhì-giām, lí eng-kai bē ín-chún góa hiòng pa̍t-lâng hián-sī góa ê loán-jio̍k, tì-sú siong-tio̍h lí phah-piàⁿ teh ūi góa ûi-hō͘ ê êng-ū. Á nā lí ê êng-ū, tī lí tui-kiû Camilla ê sî, tī yi sim-bo̍k tiong khó-lêng ē sió-khóa siū éng-hióng, m̄-koh che bô siáⁿ iàu-kín, in-ūi chin kín, tán lí hoat-hiān yi ū lán só͘ kî-thāi ê hiah kian-tēng, lí tō ē-sái chiàu-si̍t kā yi kóng lán ê kè-bô͘, án-ne tō ē koh tit-tio̍h yi tùi lí ê chun-kèng. Che tùi lí ê hong-hiám kài sè, tān mō͘ chit-ê hong-hiám hō͘ góa ê boán-chiok ke̍k tōa, chhiáⁿ m̄-thang kī-choa̍t góa, tō-kóng lí ū chìn chi̍t-pō͘ ê khùn-lân. In-ūi góa kóng-kòe, chí-iàu lí khéng khí-thâu, tāi-chì tō tiāⁿ-tio̍h ah lah."

Lothario khòaⁿ Anselmo ì-chì kian-tēng, m̄-chai ū siáⁿ lē a̍h lūn-tiám thang soeh-ho̍k i hòng-khì kè-ōe, koh kám-kak i teh ui-hia̍p boeh kā chit-ê kè-bô͘ kóng hō͘ pa̍t-lâng chai. Ūi-tio̍h pī-bián tāi-chì ok-hòa, tō koat-tēng boeh sūn i, chiàu i ì-sù chò, àn-sǹg án-ne lâi boán-chiok Anselmo, koh koán-chè hó mài pāi-hoāi Camilla ê sim. Tī hôe-tap ê sî, i kiò i m̄-thang kā kè-ōe kóng hō͘ pa̍t-lâng chai, in-ūi i boeh chhin-sin chhú-lí, ē chīn chá khai-sí. Anselmo un-loán koh jia̍t-chêng kā i lám leh, kám-siā i tah-èng, bē-su che sī gōa tōa ê un-chêng. Jiân-āu nn̄g-lâng tông-ì, keh-kang tō khai-sí, iû Anselmo thê-kiong ki-hōe kap sî-kan, hō͘ Lothario tan-to̍k kap Camilla kau-tâm, koh chún-pī chîⁿ kap chu-pó, hō͘ i sàng hō͘ Camilla.

Anselmo mā kiàn-gī Lothario chiau-thāi Camilla khì im-ga̍k hōe, koh siá si kā yi o-ló. Ká-sú Lothario kiaⁿ mâ-hoân, bē-giàn siá, i ē-tàng thè i siá. Lothario it-chhè lóng tah-èng, tān i ê ì-tô͘ kap Anselmo siūⁿ--ê kài bô kāng. Hō͘-siong lí-kái liáu-āu, in tńg Anselmo ê chhù, hoat-hiān Camilla tng tio̍h-kip, put-an teh tán yin ang, in-ūi i hit-kang pí pêng-sî khah òaⁿ tńg-lâi. Jiân-āu, Lothario tńg-khì ka-tī chhù, Anselmo lâu tī in tau, sim-lāi móa-ì. Tān Lothario sim-lāi kún-ká, in-ūi i khòaⁿ bô boeh án-chóaⁿ móa-ì kái-koat chit-chân hàm-kó͘ tāi. Ka-chài, hit-àm i siūⁿ chhut chi̍t-ê kè-ōe, ē-sái mài siong-hāi Camilla koh phiàn-kòe Anselmo. 

Keh-kang, i khì pêng-iú tau chia̍h-pn̄g, siū tio̍h Camilla jia̍t-chêng chiap-thāi, in-ūi chai-iáⁿ yin ang kap i ê kám-chêng. Chiàⁿ-tǹg chia̍h pá, toh-téng siu hó, Anselmo kiò Lothario lâu lo̍h-lâi pôe Camilla, á i ū iàu-kín tāi-chì chhut-khì, kòe tiám-pòaⁿ cheng tō ē tńg-lâi. Camilla kiû i mài chhut-khì, á Lothario thê-gī boeh pôe i chhut-khì, tān Anselmo lóng m̄-khéng, tian-tò kian-chhî Lothario lâu lo̍h-lâi tán i, in-ūi ū iàu-kín tāi-chì boeh chham-siông. Tông-sî, i iū kau-tài Camilla, tī i tńg-lâi chìn-chêng m̄-thang léng-lo̍h Lothario. Kán-tan kóng, i ūi lī-khui chhōe chi̍t-ê hó lí-iû, bô-lâng hoâi-gî he sī ké-sian ê.

Anselmo chhut-khì ah, toh-piⁿ kan-ta chhun Camilla kap Lothario, kî-thaⁿ po̍k-jîn lóng ji̍p-khì chia̍h àm ah. Lothario hoat-hiān ka-tī chiàu pêng-iú ê ì-sù chiūⁿ lûi-tâi ah, bīn-chêng tō sī tùi-chhiú, he pîn bí-sek tō ū-kàu cheng-ho̍k chi̍t-tūi bú-chong khî-sū ah. Siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi, i kám ū kiaⁿ ê lí-iû? Tān, i chí-sī kā chhiú-khiau khòe tī í-á hû-chhiú, chhiú thuh chhùi-phé, kiû Camilla goân-liōng i chho͘-ló͘, kóng i siūⁿ boeh tuh-ku chi̍t-ē, tán Anselmo tńg-lâi.

Camilla ìn kóng, i ē-sái khì kheh-thiaⁿ hioh-khùn, pí chē tī í-á khah sù-sī, koh chhiáⁿ i sóa-pō͘ ji̍p-khì hia khùn. Tān Lothario bô sóa-tāng, lâu tī hia khùn kàu Anselmo tńg-lâi. Anselmo hoat-hiān Camilla tī ka-tī pâng-keng, á Lothario tī teh khùn, kiò-sī ka-tī chhut-khì siuⁿ kú, hō͘ in ū-kàu sî-kan khai-káng, sīm-chì ū sî-kan khùn. I kip-chhiat tán Lothario chhéⁿ, chiah boeh kap i chhut-khì, mn̄g i tāi-chì ū sêng-kong a̍h bô.

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33.7 提供機會 hō͘ in 單獨做伙

講了 che, 巧 koh 正直 ê Lothario 恬落來, á Anselmo 心情複雜, 陷落深思, 有一睏講袂出話 kā 應, 到最後伊 án-ne 講:

"你有看著, Lothario 我 ê 朋友, 我真注意聽你對我講 ê 話. 你 ê 論點, 舉例, kap 比較, 我看出你有懸 ê 智慧, 以及你 ê 友情已經達到完美. 仝款, 我了解 mā 承認, 我若無照你 ê 意見, 而堅持 ka-tī ê, 我 tō 是放捒善良, 追求邪惡.

"既然 án-ne, 毋過你著理解, 我今 tng-teh 患查某人有時患 ê 病囝, giàn 欲食塗, 石膏, 柴炭, 甚至 koh-khah 噁 ê 物件, 看 to 厭, 免講食. 所以, 著 kō͘ 啥計謀來 kā 我醫, 你若肯起頭 tō ē-sái, 甚至 kō͘ la-lun, ké-pâu ê 方式向 Camilla 表示愛意. 她袂 hiah làu-khùi, 一下進攻 he 美德 tō 投降. 單單 kō͘ 這種試驗, 我 tō 滿足, á 你 mā 盡咱友誼 ê 義務, 毋但 hō͘ 我性命, mā 說服我莫放棄榮譽.

"你著愛 án-ne 做, kan-ta 一个理由. 既然我決定欲進行這个試驗, 你應該袂允准我向別人顯示我 ê 軟弱, 致使傷著你拍拚 teh 為我維護 ê 榮譽. Á 若你 ê 榮譽, tī 你追求 Camilla ê 時, tī 她心目中可能 ē 小可受影響, 毋過 che 無啥要緊, 因為真緊, 等你發現她有咱所期待 ê hiah 堅定, 你 tō ē-sái 照實 kā 她講咱 ê 計謀, án-ne tō ē koh 得著她對你 ê 尊敬. Che 對你 ê 風險 kài 細, 但冒這个風險 hō͘ 我 ê 滿足極大, 請毋通拒絕我, tō 講你有進一步 ê 困難. 因為我講過, 只要你肯起頭, 代誌 tō 定著 ah lah."

Lothario 看 Anselmo 意志堅定, 毋知有啥例 a̍h 論點 thang 說服伊放棄計畫, koh 感覺伊 teh 威脅欲 kā 這个計謀講 hō͘ 別人知. 為著避免代誌惡化, tō 決定欲順伊, 照伊意思做, 按算 án-ne 來滿足 Anselmo, koh 管制好莫敗壞 Camilla ê 心. Tī 回答 ê 時, 伊叫伊毋通 kā 計畫講 hō͘ 別人知, 因為伊欲親身處理, ē 盡早開始. Anselmo 溫暖 koh 熱情 kā 伊攬 leh, 感謝伊答應, 袂輸 che 是偌大 ê 恩情. 然後兩人同意, 隔工 tō 開始, 由 Anselmo 提供機會 kap 時間, hō͘ Lothario 單獨 kap Camilla 交談, koh 準備錢 kap 珠寶, hō͘ 伊送 hō͘ Camilla.

Anselmo mā 建議 Lothario 招待 Camilla 去音樂會, koh 寫詩 kā 她 o-ló. 假使 Lothario 驚麻煩, 袂 giàn 寫, 伊 ē-tàng 替伊寫. Lothario 一切 lóng 答應, 但伊 ê 意圖 kap Anselmo 想 ê kài 無仝. 互相理解了後, in 轉 Anselmo ê 厝, 發現 Camilla tng 著急, 不安 teh 等姻翁, 因為伊彼工比平時 khah 晏轉來. 然後, Lothario 轉去 ka-tī 厝, Anselmo 留 tī in tau, 心內滿意. 但 Lothario 心內滾絞, 因為伊看無欲按怎滿意解決 chit 層譀古代. 佳哉, hit 暗伊想出一个計畫, ē-sái 莫傷害 Camilla koh 騙過 Anselmo. 

隔工, 伊去朋友 tau 食飯, 受著 Camilla 熱情接待, 因為知影姻尪 kap 伊 ê 感情. 正頓食飽, 桌頂收好, Anselmo 叫 Lothario 留落來陪 Camilla, á 伊有要緊代誌出去, 過點半鐘 tō ē 轉來. Camilla 求伊莫出去, á Lothario 提議欲陪伊出去, 但 Anselmo lóng 毋肯, 顛倒堅持 Lothario 留落來等伊, 因為有要緊代誌欲參詳. 同時, 伊又交代 Camilla, tī 伊轉來進前毋通冷落 Lothario. 簡單講, 伊為離開揣一个好理由, 無人懷疑 he 是假仙 ê.

Anselmo 出去 ah, 桌邊 kan-ta 賰 Camilla kap Lothario, 其他僕人 lóng 入去食暗 ah. Lothario 發現 ka-tī 照朋友 ê 意思上擂台 ah, 面前 tō 是對手, he 憑美色 tō 有夠征服一隊武裝騎士 ah. 想看覓, 伊敢有驚 ê 理由? 但, 伊只是 kā 手曲 khòe tī 椅仔扶手, 手托喙 phé, 求 Camilla 原諒伊粗魯, 講伊想欲 tuh-ku 一下, 等 Anselmo 轉來.

Camilla 應講, 伊 ē-sái 去客廳歇睏, 比坐 tī 椅仔 khah 四序, koh 請伊徙步入去 hia 睏. 但 Lothario 無徙動, 留 tī hia 睏到 Anselmo 轉來. Anselmo 發現 Camilla tī ka-tī 房間, á Lothario tī teh 睏, 叫是 ka-tī 出去 siuⁿ 久, hō͘ in 有夠時間開講, 甚至有時間睏. 伊急切等 Lothario 醒, 才欲 kap 伊出去, 問伊代誌有成功 a̍h 無.

--

33.7

Having said this, the wise and virtuous Lothario was silent, and Anselmo, troubled in mind and deep in thought, was unable for a while to utter a word in reply; but at length he said, /

“I have listened, Lothario my friend, attentively, as thou hast seen, to what thou hast chosen to say to me, and in thy arguments, examples, and comparisons I have seen that high intelligence thou dost possess, and the perfection of true friendship thou hast reached; and likewise I see and confess that if I am not guided by thy opinion, but follow my own, I am flying from the good and pursuing the evil. /

This being so, thou must remember that I am now labouring under that infirmity which women sometimes suffer from, when the craving seizes them to eat clay, plaster, charcoal, and things even worse, disgusting to look at, much more to eat; so that it will be necessary to have recourse to some artifice to cure me; and this can be easily effected if only thou wilt make a beginning, even though it be in a lukewarm and make-believe fashion, to pay court to Camilla, who will not be so yielding that her virtue will give way at the first attack: with this mere attempt I shall rest satisfied, and thou wilt have done what our friendship binds thee to do, not only in giving me life, but in persuading me not to discard my honour. /

And this thou art bound to do for one reason alone, that, being, as I am, resolved to apply this test, it is not for thee to permit me to reveal my weakness to another, and so imperil that honour thou art striving to keep me from losing; and if thine may not stand as high as it ought in the estimation of Camilla while thou art paying court to her, that is of little or no importance, because ere long, on finding in her that constancy which we expect, thou canst tell her the plain truth as regards our stratagem, and so regain thy place in her esteem; and as thou art venturing so little, and by the venture canst afford me so much satisfaction, refuse not to undertake it, even if further difficulties present themselves to thee; for, as I have said, if thou wilt only make a beginning I will acknowledge the issue decided.”

Lothario seeing the fixed determination of Anselmo, and not knowing what further examples to offer or arguments to urge in order to dissuade him from it, and perceiving that he threatened to confide his pernicious scheme to someone else, to avoid a greater evil resolved to gratify him and do what he asked, intending to manage the business so as to satisfy Anselmo without corrupting the mind of Camilla; so in reply he told him not to communicate his purpose to any other, for he would undertake the task himself, and would begin it as soon as he pleased. Anselmo embraced him warmly and affectionately, and thanked him for his offer as if he had bestowed some great favour upon him; and it was agreed between them to set about it the next day, Anselmo affording opportunity and time to Lothario to converse alone with Camilla, and furnishing him with money and jewels to offer and present to her. /

He suggested, too, that he should treat her to music, and write verses in her praise, and if he was unwilling to take the trouble of composing them, he offered to do it himself. Lothario agreed to all with an intention very different from what Anselmo supposed, and with this understanding they returned to Anselmo’s house, where they found Camilla awaiting her husband anxiously and uneasily, for he was later than usual in returning that day. Lothario repaired to his own house, and Anselmo remained in his, as well satisfied as Lothario was troubled in mind; for he could see no satisfactory way out of this ill-advised business. That night, however, he thought of a plan by which he might deceive Anselmo without any injury to Camilla. /

The next day he went to dine with his friend, and was welcomed by Camilla, who received and treated him with great cordiality, knowing the affection her husband felt for him. When dinner was over and the cloth removed, Anselmo told Lothario to stay there with Camilla while he attended to some pressing business, as he would return in an hour and a half. Camilla begged him not to go, and Lothario offered to accompany him, but nothing could persuade Anselmo, who on the contrary pressed Lothario to remain waiting for him as he had a matter of great importance to discuss with him. At the same time he bade Camilla not to leave Lothario alone until he came back. In short he contrived to put so good a face on the reason, or the folly, of his absence that no one could have suspected it was a pretence.

Anselmo took his departure, and Camilla and Lothario were left alone at the table, for the rest of the household had gone to dinner. Lothario saw himself in the lists according to his friend’s wish, and facing an enemy that could by her beauty alone vanquish a squadron of armed knights; judge whether he had good reason to fear; but what he did was to lean his elbow on the arm of the chair, and his cheek upon his hand, and, asking Camilla’s pardon for his ill manners, he said he wished to take a little sleep until Anselmo returned. /

Camilla in reply said he could repose more at his ease in the reception-room than in his chair, and begged of him to go in and sleep there; but Lothario declined, and there he remained asleep until the return of Anselmo, who finding Camilla in her own room, and Lothario asleep, imagined that he had stayed away so long as to have afforded them time enough for conversation and even for sleep, and was all impatience until Lothario should wake up, that he might go out with him and question him as to his success. /

--

33.6 我無同意做你 ê 家私

33.6 Góa bô tông-ì chò lí ê ke-si

=

Cha-bó͘ ná-chhiūⁿ sī po-lê;

  Tān he chhùi-jio̍k, siōng hó

  Mài hòⁿ-kî boeh kā chhì:

Siáng chai kiat-kó ē án-chóaⁿ?

Phah-phòa chin kán-tan,

  Gōng-á chiah ē po̍k-lō͘ he

  Bē-tit siu-pó͘ ê, hō͘ kòng phòa;

Bē-tit tàu tò-tńg ê, chhe̍k sòaⁿ.

Che, lán tio̍h chai sī sū-si̍t,

  Lí-iû chin chhián-hiān;

  Nā Danaës ū chûn-chāi

Tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē lo̍h n̂g-kim hō͘.

=

"Kàu-chia góa tùi lí kóng ê it-chhè, Anselmo, lóng sī iú-koan lí ê tāi-chì. Taⁿ, góa boeh kóng kóa góa ka-tī ê tāi-chì. Góa nā siuⁿ lô-so, chhiáⁿ goân-liōng, in-ūi lí í-keng ji̍p tī bê-kiong, góa tio̍h ùi hia kā lí kiù chhut-lâi.

"Lí ū kā góa tòng-chò pêng-iú, tān lí boeh toa̍t góa ê êng-ū, che bô hû-ha̍p iú-gî. M̄-nā án-ne, lí mā ài-boeh góa toa̍t lí ê êng-ū. Lí boeh toa̍t góa ê êng-ū, che kài chheng-chhó, in-ūi tī Camilla khòaⁿ tio̍h góa chiàu lí ê iau-kiû hiòng yi kiû-ài ê sî, yi tek-khak jīn-tēng góa sī bô êng-ū, bô chèng-keng ê lâng, in-ūi án-ne chò, bô ha̍h góa ê tē-ūi, bô ha̍h lán ê iú-gî.

"Lí ài-boeh góa toa̍t lí ê êng-ū, che mā bô gî-būn, in-ūi Camilla khòaⁿ góa teh tui-kiû yi, ē jīn-ûi góa hoat-hiān yi khin-phû, chiah ē tùi yi piáu-ta̍t chit-chióng pi-phí ê io̍k-bōng. Yi nā jīn-ûi ka-tī khin-phû, he khin-phû ē ta̍t-kàu lí, in-ūi lín nn̄g-lâng kat sio-liân. Só͘-tì, tō ē hoat-seng kài sù-siông ê tāi-chì: thó khè-hiaⁿ ê cha-bó͘, yin ang khó-lêng m̄-chai, khó-lêng m̄-sī in-ūi i ê in-toaⁿ bó͘ chiah put-tiong, a̍h khó-lêng in-ūi so͘-hut, sit chù-ì, chiah bô hoat-tō͘ kò͘ hó ka-tī ê bêng-ū, chiong-kî-bóe iáu-sī hông tah pi-phí, hā-chiān ê phiau-thâu, hō͘ só͘-ū chai in bó͘ chōe-hêng ê lâng khòaⁿ-bô, tian-tò m̄-sī tông-chêng, sui-bóng in chai he put-hēng m̄-sī i ê kòe-chhò, sī in-ūi in bó͘ hiâu kha-chhng.

"Tān góa kā lí kóng, sī án-chóaⁿ put-tiong ê bó͘ ē khan-liân tio̍h ang-sài ê kiàn-siàu, sui-bóng ang m̄-chai bó͘ án-ne, mā m̄-sī i ê kòe-chhò, mā bô chhòng-siáⁿ jiá yi án-ne chò. Tio̍h nāi-sim thiaⁿ góa kóng, in-ūi che sī ūi lí hó.

"Sîn tī sè-kan chhòng-chō lán ê tē-it ūi chó͘-sian ê sî, Sèng-keng kóng, i hō͘ Adam khùn-khì, tī i khùn ê sî ùi i ê tò-pêng heng-khám chhú chi̍t-ki pín-á kut, kō͘ he chō chhut lán ê chó͘-sian lāu-bú Eve. Tán Adam chhéⁿ-lâi, khòaⁿ tio̍h yi, i kóng, ‘Che sī góa bah ê bah, góa kut ê kut,’  Sîn kóng, ‘Só͘-í, lâng tio̍h lī-khui pē-bú, ang-bó͘ nn̄g-lâng kat chò chi̍t-thé.’ Chū án-ne, kiàn-li̍p sîn-sèng ê hun-in, he liân-kiat kàu sí chiah ē-tit tháu-khui. Chit-chióng sîn-kî sèng-lé ê le̍k-liōng kap bí-tek, hō͘ nn̄g-ê bô kāng ê lâng kat chò chi̍t-thé, tùi ū tek-hēng ê ang-bó͘ koh-khah put-chí án-ne, sui-bóng ū nn̄g-ê lêng-hûn, in kan-ta ū chi̍t-ê ì-chì.

"Só͘-tì, kì-jiân khan-chhiú kap ang-sài kāng chi̍t-ê bah-thé, khan-chhiú sin-khu ê o͘-tiám a̍h siong-hāi mā ē lak tī ang-sài ê sin-khu, sui-bóng téng-bīn kóng-kòe, he in-toaⁿ m̄-sī tī i. Che tō ná kha a̍h sin-khu jīm-hô pō͘-ūi ê thiàⁿ, lóng hō͘ kui sin-khu kám-kak tio̍h kāng-khoán. In-ūi lóng sī kāng sin-khu, tō ná chhiūⁿ thâu kám-kak tio̍h kha-ba̍k teh thiàⁿ, sui-bóng m̄-sī i chō-sêng ê. Só͘-í, ang-sài kap khan-chhiú sī it-thé, tio̍h hun-tam khan-chhiú ê thí-jio̍k. In-ūi sè-kan ê êng-ū a̍h thí-jio̍k lóng lâi chū bah-thé kap hoeh-iân, khan-chhiú hoān-chhò tō sī sio̍k chit-chióng, ang-sài mā tio̍h taⁿ chi̍t pō͘-hūn. Tō kóng i m̄-chai, lâng mā khòaⁿ i bē kiàn-siàu.

"Lí tio̍h khòaⁿ chheng, Anselmo, lí án-ne phah-phòa lín hó bó͘ ê pêng-chēng só͘ bīn-tùi ê hûi-hiám, kō͘ he khang-khak, gû-gōng ê hòⁿ-kî, hō͘ lín koai bó͘ pêng-chēng ê sim tiám-to̍h jia̍t-chêng. Siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi, lí ê mō͘-hiám, iâⁿ bô chē, su chhi-chhám, góa bē-hiáu piáu-ta̍t, m̄-chai án-chóaⁿ kóng chiah hó. Ká-sú góa só͘ kóng ê it-chhè iáu bô-kàu hō͘ lí hòng-khì lí ê pi-phí bo̍k-tek, lí tio̍h khì chhōe pa̍t-khoán hō͘ lí kiàn-siàu, lo̍k-phek ê ke-si. Góa bô tông-ì chò lí ê ke-si, sui-bóng án-ne góa ē sit-khì lí ê iú-gî, che sī góa chòe tōa ê sún-sit."

--

33.6 我無同意做你 ê 家私

=

查某 ná 像是玻璃;

  但 he 脆弱, 上好

  莫好奇欲 kā 試:

Siáng 知結果 ē 按怎?

拍破真簡單,

  戇仔才 ē 暴露 he

  袂得修補 ê, hō͘ 摃破;

袂得鬥倒轉 ê, chhe̍k 散.

Che, 咱著知是事實,

  理由真淺現;

  若 Danaës 有存在

定著 ē 落黃金雨.

=

"到 chia 我對你講 ê 一切, Anselmo, lóng 是有關你 ê 代誌. 今, 我欲講寡我 ka-tī ê 代誌. 我若 siuⁿ lô-so, 請原諒, 因為你已經入 tī 迷宮, 我著 ùi hia kā 你救出來.

"你有 kā 我當做朋友, 但你欲奪我 ê 榮譽, che 無符合友誼. 毋但 án-ne, 你 mā 愛欲我奪你 ê 榮譽. 你欲奪我 ê 榮譽, che kài 清楚, 因為 tī Camilla 看著我照你 ê 要求向她求愛 ê 時, 她的確認定我是無榮譽, 無正經 ê 人, 因為 án-ne 做, 無 ha̍h 我 ê 地位, 無 ha̍h 咱 ê 友誼.

"你愛欲我奪你 ê 榮譽, che mā 無疑問, 因為 Camilla 看我 teh 追求她, ē 認為我發現她輕浮, 才 ē 對她表達這種卑鄙 ê 慾望. 她若認為 ka-tī 輕浮, he 輕浮 ē 達到你, 因為恁兩人結相連. 所致, tō ē 發生 kài 四常 ê 代誌: 討契兄 ê 查某, 姻翁可能毋知, 可能毋是因為伊 ê 因端某才不忠, a̍h 可能因為疏忽, 失注意, 才無法度顧好 ka-tī ê 名譽, 終其尾猶是 hông 貼卑鄙, 下賤 ê 標頭, hō͘ 所有知 in 某罪行 ê 人看無, 顛倒毋是同情, 雖罔 in 知 he 不幸毋是伊 ê 過錯, 是因為 in 某嬈尻川.

"但我 kā 你講, 是按怎不忠 ê 某 ē 牽連著翁婿 ê 見笑, 雖罔翁毋知某 án-ne, mā 毋是伊 ê 過錯, mā 無創啥惹她 án-ne 做. 著耐心聽我講, 因為 che 是為你好.

"神 tī 世間創造咱 ê 第一位祖先 ê 時, 聖經講, 伊 hō͘ Adam 睏去, tī 伊睏 ê 時 ùi 伊 ê 倒爿胸坎取一支箅仔骨, kō͘ he造出咱 ê 祖先老母 Eve. 等 Adam 醒來, 看著她, 伊講, ‘Che 是我肉 ê 肉, 我骨 ê 骨,’  神講, ‘所以, 人著離開爸母, 翁某兩人結做一體.’ 自 án-ne, 建立神聖 ê 婚姻, he 連結到死才會得敨開. 這種神奇聖禮 ê 力量 kap 美德, hō͘ 兩个無仝 ê 人結做一體, 對有德行 ê 翁某 koh-khah 不止 án-ne, 雖罔有兩个靈魂, in kan-ta 有一个意志.

"所致, 既然牽手 kap 翁婿仝一个肉體, 牽手身軀 ê 烏點 a̍h 傷害 mā ē lak tī 翁婿 ê 身軀, 雖罔頂面講過, he 因端毋是 tī 伊. Che tō ná 跤 a̍h 身軀任何部位 ê 疼, lóng hō͘ 規身軀感覺著仝款. 因為 lóng 是仝身軀, tō ná 像頭感覺著跤目 teh 疼, 雖罔毋是伊造成 ê. 所以, 翁婿 kap 牽手是一體, 著分擔牽手 ê 恥辱. 因為世間 ê 榮譽 a̍h 恥辱 lóng 來自肉體 kap 血緣, 牽手犯錯 tō 是屬這種, 翁婿 mā 著擔一部份. Tō 講伊毋知, 人 mā 看伊袂見笑.

"你著看清, Anselmo, 你 án-ne 拍破恁好某 ê 平靜所面對 ê 危險, kō͘ he 空殼, 愚戇 ê 好奇, hō͘ 恁乖某平靜 ê 心點 to̍h 熱情. 想看覓, 你 ê 冒險, 贏無濟, 輸悽慘, 我袂曉表達, 毋知按怎講才好. 假使我所講 ê 一切猶無夠 hō͘ 你放棄你 ê 卑鄙目的, 你著去揣別款 hō͘ 你見笑, 落魄 ê 家私. 我無同意做你 ê 家私, 雖罔 án-ne 我 ē 失去你 ê 友誼, che 是我最大 ê 損失."

--

33.6

Woman is a thing of glass;

    But her brittleness ’tis best

    Not too curiously to test:

Who knows what may come to pass?

Breaking is an easy matter,

    And it’s folly to expose

    What you cannot mend to blows;

What you can’t make whole to shatter.

This, then, all may hold as true,

    And the reason’s plain to see;

    For if Danaës there be,

There are golden showers too.

“All that I have said to thee so far, Anselmo, has had reference to what concerns thee; now it is right that I should say something of what regards myself; and if I be prolix, pardon me, for the labyrinth into which thou hast entered and from which thou wouldst have me extricate thee makes it necessary.

“Thou dost reckon me thy friend, and thou wouldst rob me of honour, a thing wholly inconsistent with friendship; and not only dost thou aim at this, but thou wouldst have me rob thee of it also. That thou wouldst rob me of it is clear, for when Camilla sees that I pay court to her as thou requirest, she will certainly regard me as a man without honour or right feeling, since I attempt and do a thing so much opposed to what I owe to my own position and thy friendship. /

That thou wouldst have me rob thee of it is beyond a doubt, for Camilla, seeing that I press my suit upon her, will suppose that I have perceived in her something light that has encouraged me to make known to her my base desire; and if she holds herself dishonoured, her dishonour touches thee as belonging to her; and hence arises what so commonly takes place, that the husband of the adulterous woman, though he may not be aware of or have given any cause for his wife’s failure in her duty, or (being careless or negligent) have had it in his power to prevent his dishonour, nevertheless is stigmatised by a vile and reproachful name, and in a manner regarded with eyes of contempt instead of pity by all who know of his wife’s guilt, though they see that he is unfortunate not by his own fault, but by the lust of a vicious consort. /

But I will tell thee why with good reason dishonour attaches to the husband of the unchaste wife, though he know not that she is so, nor be to blame, nor have done anything, or given any provocation to make her so; and be not weary with listening to me, for it will be for thy good.

“When God created our first parent in the earthly paradise, the Holy Scripture says that he infused sleep into Adam and while he slept took a rib from his left side of which he formed our mother Eve, and when Adam awoke and beheld her he said, ‘This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone.’ And God said ‘For this shall a man leave his father and his mother, and they shall be two in one flesh; and then was instituted the divine sacrament of marriage, with such ties that death alone can loose them. And such is the force and virtue of this miraculous sacrament that it makes two different persons one and the same flesh; and even more than this when the virtuous are married; for though they have two souls they have but one will. /

And hence it follows that as the flesh of the wife is one and the same with that of her husband the stains that may come upon it, or the injuries it incurs fall upon the husband’s flesh, though he, as has been said, may have given no cause for them; for as the pain of the foot or any member of the body is felt by the whole body, because all is one flesh, as the head feels the hurt to the ankle without having caused it, so the husband, being one with her, shares the dishonour of the wife; and as all worldly honour or dishonour comes of flesh and blood, and the erring wife’s is of that kind, the husband must needs bear his part of it and be held dishonoured without knowing it. /

See, then, Anselmo, the peril thou art encountering in seeking to disturb the peace of thy virtuous consort; see for what an empty and ill-advised curiosity thou wouldst rouse up passions that now repose in quiet in the breast of thy chaste wife; reflect that what thou art staking all to win is little, and what thou wilt lose so much that I leave it undescribed, not having the words to express it. But if all I have said be not enough to turn thee from thy vile purpose, thou must seek some other instrument for thy dishonour and misfortune; for such I will not consent to be, though I lose thy friendship, the greatest loss that I can conceive.”

--

33.5 堪得考驗, mā 袂增加價值

33.5 Kham-tit khó-giām, mā bē cheng-ka kè-ta̍t

"... Só͘-í kóng, pó-bi̍t lí mā siám bē-khui sim-sng, tian-tò ē ba̍k-sái lâu bē-lī, nā m̄-sī lâu ba̍k-sái, tō sī lâu sim-koaⁿ ê hoeh, ná-chhiūⁿ si-jîn kóng ê, chhì kō͘ mô͘-poe lim-chiú hit-ê tan-sûn i-seng só͘ lâu ê hit-khoán. Hit-chióng khó-giām, chhong-bêng ê Rinaldo, tī tit-tio̍h hó ê khǹg-kái liáu-āu, kī-choa̍t khì chhì. Sui-bóng che khó-lêng sī si-jîn hi-kò͘ ê kò͘-sū, tān i pau-hâm ū tō-tek ê kà-sī, ta̍t-tit chù-ì, ha̍k-si̍p, bô͘-hóng. Lēng-gōa, góa koh boeh kā lí kóng, hō͘ lí khòaⁿ-chhut lí khó-lêng hoān ê tōa chhò-gō͘.

"Góa mn̄g lí, Anselmo, ká-sú Thiⁿ-kong a̍h hó-ūn hō͘ lí ha̍p-hoat tit-tio̍h chi̍t-lia̍p chòe-ko phín-chit ê soān-chio̍h, chán koh sûn, só͘-ū soān-chio̍h ta̍t-jîn lóng chi̍t khòaⁿ tō kah-ì, kāng-siaⁿ tông-ì he sûn-tō͘, phín-chit, kang-gē lóng ta̍t-kàu pó-chio̍h ê chòe-ko, lí ka-tī mā án-ne siong-sìn, in-ūi m̄-chai ū siáⁿ hoán-bīn ê lí-iû. Lí nā siūⁿ boeh kā che soān-chio̍h khǹg tī thih-tiam, kō͘ hám-á khò chhiú-kut chhut tōa-la̍t kā kòng, chhì-giām i kám ū in só͘ kóng ê hiah tēng, hiah iù-tì, án-ne kám ha̍p-lí?

"Lí nā án-ne chò, jî-chhiáⁿ soān-chio̍h ē-kham-tit chit-chióng hàm-kó͘ khó-giām, án-ne mā bô cheng-ka i ê kè-ta̍t a̍h miâ-siaⁿ. á i nā phòa-khì, che ū khó-lêng, án-ne kám m̄-sī khì liáu-liáu ah? Bô-gî, hit-ê chú-lâng tiāⁿ-tio̍h hō͘ chèng-lâng khòaⁿ chò gōng-tai.

"Lí siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi,  Anselmo, góa ê pêng-iú, Camilla tī lí kap pa̍t-lâng ê gán-tiong lóng sī phín-chit chòe-ko ê soān-chio̍h, lí kā yi khǹg tī ū phòa-khì ê hong-hiám tang-tiong, he ûi-hoán lí-sèng. In-ūi yi nā bô sún-hāi, yi ê kè-ta̍t bē pí taⁿ khah koân, yi nā khut-ho̍k koh bē kham-tit, siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi, lí chiong sit-khì yi, ūi-tio̍h che, lí ū siáⁿ lí-iû hiō-hóe lí húi-bia̍t yi, húi-bia̍t lí ka-tī?

"Kì hō͘ hó, sè-kài bô siáⁿ chu-pó pí cheng-chiat, bí-tek ê cha-bó͘ khah pó-kùi, á cha-bó͘ ê êng-ū chāi-tī hó miâ-siaⁿ. Kì-jiân lí chai lín bó͘ ê miâ-siaⁿ hiah-nī hó, sī án-chóaⁿ lí boeh hoâi-gî chit-ê sū-si̍t? Kì hō͘ hó, góa ê pêng-iú, cha-bó͘ m̄-sī oân-bí ê tōng-bu̍t, m̄-thang tī yi kiâⁿ ê lō͘ siat chiòng-gāi, pōaⁿ yi ê kha, hō͘ yi poa̍h-tó, tio̍h chheng-tî chiòng-gāi, hō͘ lō͘ thang-thàu, bô tîⁿ-pōaⁿ, yi tō ē-tit chū-iû cháu-chông, tit-tio̍h lí-sióng ê oân-bí, iā tō-sī hó ê lú-tek. 

"Chū-jiân ha̍k-ka kóng, tiau sī mo͘-phôe sûn-pe̍h ê sió tōng-bu̍t, la̍h-jîn lī-iōng chit-ê te̍k-sèng lâi kā lia̍h. Thàm-chai tiau chhut-ji̍p keng-kòe ê só͘-chāi, la̍h-jîn kō͘ thô͘-môe kā he lō͘ cha̍h khí-lâi, jiân-āu kā tiau kóaⁿ hiòng hia. Chi̍t-ē kàu thô͘-môe ê só͘-chāi, tiau tō tòng-tiām, lêng-khó hông lia̍h, mā m̄-goān liâu-kòe thô͘-môe, poān lah-sap i ê pe̍h-mo͘, kā ka-tī ê sûn-kiat pí sèⁿ-miā kap chū-iû koh-khah khòaⁿ-tāng.

"Ū lú-tek, siú cheng-chiat ê cha-bó͘, tō ná chhiūⁿ tiau. Lú-tek sī pí seh koh-khah pe̍h, koh-khah sûn. Hi-bāng yi mài sit-khì he, tio̍h pó-chûn koh ûi-hō͘ he ê lâng, tek-khak m̄-thang iōng lia̍h tiau ê pō͘-sò͘. I tek-khak m̄-thang tī yi bīn-chêng khǹg mî-nōa tui-kiû chiá ê lé-mi̍h kap hí-lāng, he bē-su thô͘-môe, in-ūi ū khó-lêng - sīm-chì tiāⁿ-tio̍h - yi pún-sin ê bí-tek kap thian-seng ê khùi-la̍t bô kàu-gia̍h hō͘ yi khek-ho̍k koh kiâⁿ-kòe chit-chióng chiòng-gāi. Chit-chióng chiòng-gāi su-iàu chheng-tî, hō͘ bí-tek ê kong-hui kap hó miâ-siaⁿ ê súi tián-hiān tī yi bīn-chêng.

"Ū lú-tek ê cha-bó͘ mā ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t-bīn kiàⁿ, bêng-liāng ná chúi-chiⁿ, hah chi̍t-ê khùi tō ē sú i khí-bông. Tio̍h kā yi tòng-chò sèng-bu̍t chông-pài, m̄-thang kā bong. Yi tio̍h hông ná móa-móa mûi-kùi kap hoe-lúi ê súi hoe-hn̂g án-ne pó-hō͘, khioh-sioh, hn̂g-chú m̄-chún jīm-hô lâng kā thún-ta̍h, chhái-bán, pa̍t-lâng kan-ta ē-tàng thàng-kòe thih lân-kan hn̄g-hn̄g him-sióng hoe ê phang-bī kap bí-lē.

"Chòe-āu, góa lâi liām kúi-kù góa hut-jiân siūⁿ-tio̍h ê si-kù hō͘ lí thiaⁿ. Góa sī tī chi̍t-ê hiān-tāi hí-kio̍k lāi-bīn thiaⁿ-tio̍h che, góa kám-kak in kap lán tng-teh thó-lūn ê chú-tê ū koan. Chi̍t-ê kín-sīn ê lāu-lâng teh thê-kiong kiàn-gī hō͘ chi̍t-ê ko͘-niû ê lāu-pē. Hit-ê lāu-pē kā cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ koaiⁿ khí-lâi, kò͘ tiâu-tiâu, hō͘ yi pó-chhî ko͘-toaⁿ. I kiàn-gī ê lūn-tiám, kî-tiong ū ē-bīn kúi-kù:

--

33.5 堪得考驗, mā 袂增加價值

"... 所以講, 保密你 mā 閃袂開心酸, 顛倒 ē 目屎流袂離, 若毋是流目屎, tō 是流心肝 ê 血, ná 像詩人講 ê, 試 kō͘ 毛盃啉酒彼个單純醫生所流 ê 彼款. 彼種考驗, 聰明 ê Rinaldo, tī 得著好 ê 勸解了後, 拒絕去試. 雖罔 che 可能是詩人虛構 ê 故事, 但伊包含有道德 ê 教示, 值得注意, 學習, 模仿. 另外, 我 koh 欲 kā 你講, hō͘ 你看出你可能犯 ê 大錯誤.

"我問你, Anselmo, 假使天公 a̍h 好運 hō͘ 你合法得著一粒最高品質 ê 璇石, 讚 koh 純, 所有璇石達人 lóng 一看 tō 佮意, 仝聲同意 he 純度, 品質, 工藝 lóng 達到寶石 ê 最高, 你 ka-tī mā án-ne 相信, 因為毋知有啥反面 ê 理由. 你若想欲 kā che 璇石囥 tī 鐵砧, kō͘ hám-á 靠手骨出大力 kā 摃, 試驗伊敢有 in 所講 ê hiah 𠕇, hiah 幼致, án-ne 敢合理?

"你若 án-ne 做, 而且璇石會堪得這種譀古考驗, án-ne mā 無增加伊 ê 價值 a̍h 名聲. á 伊若破去, che 有可能, án-ne 敢毋是去了了 ah? 無疑, 彼个主人定著 hō͘ 眾人看做戇呆.

"你想看覓,  Anselmo, 我 ê 朋友, Camilla tī 你 kap 別人 ê 眼中 lóng 是品質最高 ê 璇石, 你 kā 她囥 tī 有破去 ê 風險當中, he 違反理性. 因為她若無損害, 她 ê 價值袂比今 khah 懸, 她若屈服 koh 袂堪得, 想看覓, 你將失去她, 為著 che, 你有啥理由後悔你毀滅她, 毀滅你 ka-tī?

"記 hō͘ 好, 世界無啥珠寶比貞節, 美德 ê 查某 khah 寶貴, á 查某 ê 榮譽在 tī 好名聲. 既然你知恁某 ê 名聲 hiah-nī 好, 是按怎你欲懷疑這个事實? 記 hō͘ 好, 我 ê 朋友, 查某毋是完美 ê 動物, 毋通 tī 她行 ê 路設障礙, 拌她 ê 跤, hō͘ 她跋倒, 著清除障礙, hō͘ 路 thang 透, 無纏拌, 她 tō 會得自由走傱, 得著理想 ê 完美, 也 tō 是好 ê 女德. 

"自然學家講, 貂是毛皮純白 ê 小動物, 獵人利用這个特性來 kā 掠. 探知貂出入經過 ê 所在, 獵人 kō͘ 塗糜 kā he 路閘起來, 然後 kā 貂趕向 hia. 一下到塗糜 ê 所在, 貂 tō 擋恬, 寧可 hông 掠, mā 毋願遼過塗糜, poān lah-sap 伊 ê 白毛, kā ka-tī ê 純潔比性命 kap 自由 koh-khah 看重.

"有女德, 守貞節 ê 查某, tō ná 像貂. 女德是比雪 koh-khah 白, koh-khah 純. 希望她莫失去 he, 著保存 koh 維護 he ê 人, 的確毋通用掠貂 ê 步數. 伊的確毋通 tī 她面前囥綿爛追求者 ê 禮 mi̍h kap 戲弄, he 袂輸塗糜, 因為有可能 - 甚至定著 - 她本身 ê 美德 kap 天生 ê 氣力無夠額 hō͘ 她克服 koh 行過這種障礙. 這種障礙需要清除, hō͘ 美德 ê 光輝 kap 好名聲 ê 媠展現 tī 她面前.

"有女德 ê 查某 mā ná 像一面鏡, 明亮 ná 水晶, 哈一个氣 tō ē 使伊起蒙. 著 kā 她當做聖物崇拜, 毋通 kā 摸. 她著 hông ná 滿滿玫瑰 kap 花蕊 ê 媠花園 án-ne 保護, 抾惜, 園主毋准任何人 kā 𧿬踏, 採挽, 別人 kan-ta ē-tàng 迵過鐵欄杆遠遠欣賞花 ê 芳味 kap 美麗.

"最後, 我來念幾句我忽然想著 ê 詩句 hō͘ 你聽. 我是 tī 一个現代喜劇內面聽著 che, 我感覺 in kap 咱 tng-teh 討論 ê 主題有關. 一个謹慎 ê 老人 teh 提供建議 hō͘ 一个姑娘 ê 老爸. 彼个老爸 kā 查某囝關起來, 顧 tiâu-tiâu, hō͘ 她保持孤單. 伊建議 ê 論點, 其中有下面幾句:

--

33.5

Thus by keeping it secret thou wilt not escape thy sorrow, but rather thou wilt shed tears unceasingly, if not tears of the eyes, tears of blood from the heart, like those shed by that simple doctor our poet tells us of, that tried the test of the cup, which the wise Rinaldo, better advised, refused to do; for though this may be a poetic fiction it contains a moral lesson worthy of attention and study and imitation. Moreover by what I am about to say to thee thou wilt be led to see the great error thou wouldst commit.

“Tell me, Anselmo, if Heaven or good fortune had made thee master and lawful owner of a diamond of the finest quality, with the excellence and purity of which all the lapidaries that had seen it had been satisfied, saying with one voice and common consent that in purity, quality, and fineness, it was all that a stone of the kind could possibly be, thou thyself too being of the same belief, as knowing nothing to the contrary, would it be reasonable in thee to desire to take that diamond and place it between an anvil and a hammer, and by mere force of blows and strength of arm try if it were as hard and as fine as they said? /

And if thou didst, and if the stone should resist so silly a test, that would add nothing to its value or reputation; and if it were broken, as it might be, would not all be lost? Undoubtedly it would, leaving its owner to be rated as a fool in the opinion of all. /

Consider, then, Anselmo my friend, that Camilla is a diamond of the finest quality as well in thy estimation as in that of others, and that it is contrary to reason to expose her to the risk of being broken; for if she remains intact she cannot rise to a higher value than she now possesses; and if she give way and be unable to resist, bethink thee now how thou wilt be deprived of her, and with what good reason thou wilt complain of thyself for having been the cause of her ruin and thine own. /

Remember there is no jewel in the world so precious as a chaste and virtuous woman, and that the whole honour of women consists in reputation; and since thy wife’s is of that high excellence that thou knowest, wherefore shouldst thou seek to call that truth in question? Remember, my friend, that woman is an imperfect animal, and that impediments are not to be placed in her way to make her trip and fall, but that they should be removed, and her path left clear of all obstacles, so that without hindrance she may run her course freely to attain the desired perfection, which consists in being virtuous. /

Naturalists tell us that the ermine is a little animal which has a fur of purest white, and that when the hunters wish to take it, they make use of this artifice. Having ascertained the places which it frequents and passes, they stop the way to them with mud, and then rousing it, drive it towards the spot, and as soon as the ermine comes to the mud it halts, and allows itself to be taken captive rather than pass through the mire, and spoil and sully its whiteness, which it values more than life and liberty. /

The virtuous and chaste woman is an ermine, and whiter and purer than snow is the virtue of modesty; and he who wishes her not to lose it, but to keep and preserve it, must adopt a course different from that employed with the ermine; he must not put before her the mire of the gifts and attentions of persevering lovers, because perhaps—and even without a perhaps—she may not have sufficient virtue and natural strength in herself to pass through and tread under foot these impediments; they must be removed, and the brightness of virtue and the beauty of a fair fame must be put before her. /

A virtuous woman, too, is like a mirror, of clear shining crystal, liable to be tarnished and dimmed by every breath that touches it. She must be treated as relics are; adored, not touched. She must be protected and prized as one protects and prizes a fair garden full of roses and flowers, the owner of which allows no one to trespass or pluck a blossom; enough for others that from afar and through the iron grating they may enjoy its fragrance and its beauty. /

Finally let me repeat to thee some verses that come to my mind; I heard them in a modern comedy, and it seems to me they bear upon the point we are discussing. A prudent old man was giving advice to another, the father of a young girl, to lock her up, watch over her and keep her in seclusion, and among other arguments he used these:

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33.4 你 ê 慾望 kài 愚戇

33.4 Lí ê io̍k-bōng kài gû-gōng

"Tùi lí, góa mā tio̍h kō͘ kāng-khoán hong-sek, in-ūi lí puh ê io̍k-bōng siuⁿ hàm, lī lí-tì siuⁿ hn̄g, góa kám-kak kap lí lí-lūn sī ke liáu sî-kan, kan-ta ē-tàng kóng he sī gōng. Góa sīm-chì siūⁿ boeh pàng lí tī hit-ê gû-gōng, án-ne lâi chhú-hoa̍t lí ê ok-to̍k io̍k-bōng. M̄-koh, góa tùi lí ê iú-gî, m̄-chún góa pàng lí tī chit-chióng hián-jiân ê húi-bia̍t tek hûi-hiám, sú góa bē-tit chiah-nī giâm-lē tùi-thāi lí. 

"Lí tio̍h khòaⁿ chheng-chhó ah, Anselmo, lí kám m̄-sī kiò góa tio̍h chhut-la̍t tui chi̍t-ê an-hūn siú-kí ê cha-bó͘, koái chi̍t-ê tō-tek chiàⁿ-ti̍t ê, phāⁿ chi̍t-ê su-sióng sûn-kiat ê, siâⁿ chi̍t-ê kín-sīn pó-siú ê? Tio̍h, lí ū án-ne kā góa kóng. Nā án-ne, lí í-keng chai, lín bó͘ an-hūn siú-kí, tō-tek chiàⁿ-ti̍t, su-sióng sûn-kiat, kín-sīn pó-siú, lí tàu-té boeh kiû siáⁿ? Lí nā siong-sìn yi ē ùi góa ê kong-kek tiong-kan tit-tio̍h sèng-lī, tong-jiân yi ē, lí jīn-ûi lí ē-tàng hong yi siáⁿ-mi̍h pí yi í-keng ū ê, koh-khah koân ê chheng-hō, iā tō sī, yi boeh án-chóaⁿ piàn-chiâⁿ pí taⁿ koh-khah hó? Nā m̄-sī lí bô jīn-ûi yi chhiūⁿ lí só͘ kóng ê án-ne, tō sī lí m̄-chai tàu-té lí sī teh kiû siáⁿ.

"Lí nā bô jīn-ûi yi chhiūⁿ lí só͘ kóng ê án-ne, sī án-chóaⁿ lí boeh khó-giām yi ê lú-tek, tian-tò m̄ kō͘ siōng sek-ha̍p ê hong-sek khì chhú-lí yi ê m̄-sī? Tān, ká-sú yi í-keng ū lí só͘ siong-sìn ê lú-tek, án-ne koh chò ê chhì-thàm tō sī ke-gia̍h ê, chhì-thàm liáu-āu tit-tio̍h ê phêng-kè put-kò sī kap chá-chêng kāng-khoán. Só͘-í, chin chheng-chhó, chhì he tùi lán ū-hāi bô-hó ê tāi-chì, sī bô lí-tì koh chho͘-ló͘ ê sim-thài. Iû-kî sī, tī bô siū-tio̍h ap-le̍k, bô kiông-pek ê sî khì chhì he, koh-khah sī cha̍p-chiok ê siáu-kông.

"Lán-lâng ē thiau-chiàn khùn-lân, nā m̄-sī ūi Sîn, tō sī ūi sè-kài, a̍h-sī nn̄g-hāng lóng ū. Ūi Sîn ê, ū sèng-jîn, in tui-kiû boeh hō͘ lâng ê sin-khu kòe thiⁿ-sài ê seng-oa̍h; ūi sè-kài ê, hâng-hêng khòng-khoah tōa-hái, jím-siū bô kāng khì-hāu, chō-hóng sin-kî kok-ka, án-ne khì tit-tio̍h só͘-ūi ê châi-hù ê hok-ūn. Ūi Sîn koh ūi sè-kài ê, sī ióng-kám ê sū-peng. Chi̍t-ē khòaⁿ-tio̍h te̍k-jîn ê siâⁿ-chhiûⁿ ū chi̍t-lia̍p phàu-tôaⁿ hiah tōa ê khang-khiah, in tō bô tiû-tû, bô kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ, bô kò͘ sèⁿ-miā ê hûi-hiám, ūi-tio̍h pó-ūi ka-tī ê sìn-gióng, ka-tī ê kok-ka, kap kok-ông, hiòng chêng khì, ióng-kám chìn-ji̍p chhian-chhian bān-bān ê tán tī hia ê sí-bông. 

"Che tō sī lán-lâng chhiâng-chāi teh khó-giām ê tāi-chì. M̄-koán gōa khùn-lân, gōa hûi-hiám, thiau-chiàn pún-sin tō ū bêng-ū, êng-iāu, lī-ek. Tān, lí só͘ siūⁿ boeh khó-giām, boeh si̍t-hiān ê tāi-chì, bē hō͘ lí tit-tio̍h Sîn ê êng-iāu, bô châi-hù ê hok-ūn, mā bô sè-kan ê bêng-ū. Sīm-chì, ká-sú tāi-chì ê kiat-kó chhiūⁿ lí só͘ liāu ê, lí mā bē pí chit-sî ê lí khah hēng-hok, khah hó-gia̍h, khah hó miâ-siaⁿ. Tān-sī, kiat-kó nā tian-tò-péng, lí tō ē hām-lo̍h siūⁿ bē-kàu ê pi-chhám. Kàu-sî, tō-kóng lí siūⁿ-kóng bô lâng chai-iáⁿ lí ê put-hēng, án-ne mā bô-hāu. Chí-iàu lí ka-tī chai-iáⁿ, án-ne tō ū-kàu hō͘ lí thòng-khó͘ koh thoa-bôa ah lah.

" Ūi-tio̍h chèng-si̍t góa kóng ê bô m̄-tio̍h, góa lâi liām chhut-miâ si-jîn Luigi Tansillo tī ‘Sèng Peter ê Ba̍k-sái’ tē-it pō͘-hūn kiat-bóe ê si-kù hō͘ lí thiaⁿ, he sī án-ne kóng:

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Thòng-khó͘ kap kiàn-siàu lú lâi lú tōa

    Tī Peter ê sim, hit-sî thiⁿ tit-boeh kng;

Bô-lâng tī hia khòaⁿ i, che i chai,

    M̄-koh i ka-tī kiàn-siàu kah boeh sí;

M̄-koán ū-lâng khòaⁿ a̍h bô-lâng chai,

    Ko-kùi ê sim kāng-khoán kám-kak ká-thiàⁿ;

Hoān-chōe ê lêng-hûn siám bē-kòe kiàn-siàu,

    Sui-bóng kan-ta thiⁿ kap tē chiah khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h.

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33.4 你 ê 慾望 kài 愚戇

"對你, 我 mā 著 kō͘ 仝款方式, 因為你 puh ê 慾望 siuⁿ 譀, 離理智 siuⁿ 遠, 我感覺 kap 你理論是加了時間, 干焦 ē-tàng 講 he 是戇. 我甚至想欲放你 tī 彼个愚戇, án-ne 來處罰你 ê 惡毒慾望. 毋過, 我對你 ê 友誼, 毋准我放你 tī 這種顯然 ê 毀滅 tek 危險, 使我袂得 chiah-nī 嚴厲對待你. 

"你著看清楚 ah, Anselmo, 你敢毋是叫我著出力追一个安份守己 ê 查某, 拐一个道德正直 ê, phāⁿ 一个思想純潔 ê, 唌一个謹慎保守 ê? 著, 你有 án-ne kā 我講. 若 án-ne, 你已經知, 恁某安份守己, 道德正直, 思想純潔, 謹慎保守, 你到底欲求啥? 你若相信她 ē ùi 我 ê 攻擊中間得著勝利, 當然她 ē, 你認為你 ē-tàng 封她啥物比她已經有 ê, koh-khah 懸 ê 稱號, 也 tō 是, 她欲按怎變成比今 koh-khah 好? 若毋是你無認為她像你所講 ê án-ne, tō 是你毋知到底你是 teh 求啥.

"你若無認為她像你所講 ê án-ne, 是按怎你欲考驗她 ê 女德, 顛倒毋 kō͘ 上適合 ê 方式去處理她 ê 毋是? 但, 假使她已經有你所相信 ê 女德, án-ne koh 做 ê 試探 tō 是加額 ê, 試探了後得著 ê 評價不過是 kap 早前仝款. 所以, 真清楚, 試 he 對咱有害無好 ê 代誌, 是無理智 koh 粗魯 ê 心態. 尤其是, tī 無受著壓力, 無強迫 ê 時去試 he, koh-khah 是十足 ê 痟狂.

"咱人 ē 挑戰困難, 若毋是為神, tō 是為世界, a̍h 是兩項 lóng 有. 為神 ê, 有聖人, in 追求欲 hō͘ 人 ê 身軀過天使 ê 生活; 為世界 ê, 航行曠闊大海, 忍受無仝氣候, 造訪新奇國家, án-ne 去得著所謂 ê 財富 ê 福運. 為神 koh 為世界 ê, 是勇敢 ê 士兵. 一下看著敵人 ê 城牆有一粒炮彈 hiah 大 ê 空隙, in tō 無躊躇, 無驚惶, 無顧性命 ê 危險, 為著保衛 ka-tī ê 信仰, ka-tī ê 國家, kap 國王, 向前去, 勇敢進入千千萬萬个等 tī hia ê 死亡. 

"Che tō 是咱人常在 teh 考驗 ê 代誌. 毋管偌困難, 偌危險, 挑戰本身 tō 有名譽, 榮耀, 利益. 但, 你所想欲考驗, 欲實現 ê 代誌, 袂 hō͘ 你得著神 ê 榮耀, 無財富 ê 福運, mā 無世間 ê 名譽. 甚至, 假使代誌 ê 結果像你所料 ê, 你 mā 袂比這時 ê 你 khah 幸福, khah 好額, khah 好名聲. 但是, 結果若顛倒反, 你 tō ē 陷落想袂到 ê 悲慘. 到時, tō 講你想講無人知影你 ê 不幸, án-ne mā 無效. 只要你 ka-tī 知影, án-ne tō 有夠 hō͘ 你痛苦 koh 拖磨 ah lah.

"為著證實我講 ê無毋著, 我來念出名詩人 Luigi Tansillo tī ‘聖 Peter ê 目屎’ 第一部份結尾 ê 詩句 hō͘ 你聽, he 是 án-ne 講:

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痛苦 kap 見笑 lú 來 lú 大

    Tī Peter ê 心, 彼時天得欲光;

無人 tī hia 看伊, 這伊知,

    毋過伊 ka-tī 見笑 kah 欲死;

毋管有人看 a̍h 無人知,

    高貴 ê 心仝款感覺絞疼;

犯罪 ê 靈魂閃袂過見笑,

    雖罔干焦天 kap 地才看 ē 著.

=

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33.4

This same mode of proceeding I shall have to adopt with thee, for the desire which has sprung up in thee is so absurd and remote from everything that has a semblance of reason, that I feel it would be a waste of time to employ it in reasoning with thy simplicity, for at present I will call it by no other name; and I am even tempted to leave thee in thy folly as a punishment for thy pernicious desire; but the friendship I bear thee, which will not allow me to desert thee in such manifest danger of destruction, keeps me from dealing so harshly by thee. /

And that thou mayest clearly see this, say, Anselmo, hast thou not told me that I must force my suit upon a modest woman, decoy one that is virtuous, make overtures to one that is pure-minded, pay court to one that is prudent? Yes, thou hast told me so. Then, if thou knowest that thou hast a wife, modest, virtuous, pure-minded and prudent, what is it that thou seekest? And if thou believest that she will come forth victorious from all my attacks—as doubtless she would—what higher titles than those she possesses now dost thou think thou canst bestow upon her then, or in what will she be better then than she is now? Either thou dost not hold her to be what thou sayest, or thou knowest not what thou dost demand. /

If thou dost not hold her to be what thou sayest, why dost thou seek to prove her instead of treating her as guilty in the way that may seem best to thee? but if she be as virtuous as thou believest, it is an uncalled-for proceeding to make trial of truth itself, for, after trial, it will but be in the same estimation as before. Thus, then, it is conclusive that to attempt things from which harm rather than advantage may come to us is the part of unreasoning and reckless minds, more especially when they are things which we are not forced or compelled to attempt, and which show from afar that it is plainly madness to attempt them.

“Difficulties are attempted either for the sake of God or for the sake of the world, or for both; those undertaken for God’s sake are those which the saints undertake when they attempt to live the lives of angels in human bodies; those undertaken for the sake of the world are those of the men who traverse such a vast expanse of water, such a variety of climates, so many strange countries, to acquire what are called the blessings of fortune; and those undertaken for the sake of God and the world together are those of brave soldiers, who no sooner do they see in the enemy’s wall a breach as wide as a cannon ball could make, than, casting aside all fear, without hesitating, or heeding the manifest peril that threatens them, borne onward by the desire of defending their faith, their country, and their king, they fling themselves dauntlessly into the midst of the thousand opposing deaths that await them. /

Such are the things that men are wont to attempt, and there is honour, glory, gain, in attempting them, however full of difficulty and peril they may be; but that which thou sayest it is thy wish to attempt and carry out will not win thee the glory of God nor the blessings of fortune nor fame among men; for even if the issue be as thou wouldst have it, thou wilt be no happier, richer, or more honoured than thou art this moment; and if it be otherwise thou wilt be reduced to misery greater than can be imagined, for then it will avail thee nothing to reflect that no one is aware of the misfortune that has befallen thee; it will suffice to torture and crush thee that thou knowest it thyself. /

And in confirmation of the truth of what I say, let me repeat to thee a stanza made by the famous poet Luigi Tansillo at the end of the first part of his ‘Tears of Saint Peter,’ which says thus:

The anguish and the shame but greater grew

    In Peter’s heart as morning slowly came;

No eye was there to see him, well he knew,

    Yet he himself was to himself a shame;

Exposed to all men’s gaze, or screened from view,

    A noble heart will feel the pang the same;

A prey to shame the sinning soul will be,

Though none but heaven and earth its shame can see.

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33.3 希望你做我達成目的 ê 家私

33.3 Hi-bāng lí chò góa ta̍t-sêng bo̍k-tek ê ke-si

"Koh-ū, bô-lūn lí án-chóaⁿ hoán-tùi góa án-ne chò, to bô hoat-tō͘ kā góa chó͘-chí, in-ūi che sī góa ê goān-bōng. Lothario pêng-iú, góa hi-bāng lí tông-ì chiâⁿ-chò góa ta̍t-sêng chit-ê bo̍k-tek ê ke-si, in-ūi góa ē thê-kiong lí ki-hōe, í-ki̍p kok-chióng pit-iàu ê tiâu-kiāⁿ, hō͘ lí khì tui-kiû chi̍t-ê chiàⁿ-ti̍t, chun-giâm, an-hūn, koh ko-sióng ê cha-bó͘.

"Góa kā chit-ê tōa jīm-bū kau-thok hō͘ lí, tî-liáu kî-thaⁿ lí-iû í-gōa, iáu ū khó-lī tio̍h, ká-sú Camilla pāi tī lí chhiú-thâu, lí m̄-thang kiâⁿ kàu chīn-pōng, kan-ta kiâⁿ kàu chi̍t-ê khám-chām, bô siong-hāi hong-sio̍k. Án-ne góa tō bē siū-tio̍h jīm-hô ì-tô͘ í-gōa ê khián-chek; chí-iàu lí mài kóng, góa ê kòe-sit mā éng-oán bô lâng chai. Góa chin chheng-chhó, tùi khan-sia̍p tio̍h góa ê tāi-chì, lí kàu sí to bē kóng chhut-lâi. Só͘-í, lí nā boeh hō͘ góa hiáng-siū só͘-ūi ê seng-oa̍h, lí tio̍h chek-sî lâi chìn-hêng chit-tiûⁿ ài-chêng chhia-piàⁿ, m̄-sī léng-léng, lán-lán, sī chiàu góa ê ì-goān só͘ iau-kiû, tio̍h mé-hóe koh jia̍t-kông, mā kò͘-lī lán íu-gî só͘ pó-chèng ê tiong-sêng."

Anselmo án-ne kā Lothario kóng chiah-ê ōe. Lothario thiaⁿ kah chin chù-sim, tî-liáu thâu-chêng kóng-kòe ê í-gōa, i bô khui-chhùi, it-ti̍t kàu tùi-hong kā ōe kóng soah. Jiân-āu, kám-kak i bô boeh koh kóng ah, Lothario kim-kim kā siòng chi̍t-khùn, bē-su khòaⁿ tio̍h siáⁿ m̄-bat khòaⁿ-kòe ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ, hòⁿ-kî koh tio̍h-kiaⁿ, tō án-ne kā i kóng:

"Góa bē-tàng siong-sìn, Anselmo pêng-iú, lí tú-chiah kā góa kóng ê ōe m̄-sī teh sńg-chhiò. Góa nā jīn-ûi lí sī kóng chèng-keng, góa tō bē hō͘ lí kóng chiah chē ah. Só͘-í, góa mài thiaⁿ, lí tō bē kóng kah lò-lò tn̂g. Góa chin-chiàⁿ hoâi-gî, nā m̄-sī lí bô liáu-kái góa, tō sī góa bô liáu-kái lí. Tān sū-si̍t sī, góa chin chheng-chhó chai-iáⁿ lí sī Anselmo, lí mā chai-iáⁿ góa sī Lothario. Put-jî-kò, chāi góa khòaⁿ, lí í-keng m̄-sī í-chêng ê Anselmo, mā siūⁿ-kóng góa m̄-sī góa kai-tong ê Lothario ah. In-ūi lí tùi góa só͘ kóng ê hiah-ê ōe, m̄-sī góa ê pêng-iú Anselmo ê ōe, lí tùi góa ê iau-kiû mā m̄-sī lí ē tùi lí só͘ bat ê Lothario thê-khí ê.

"Chin-chiàⁿ ê pêng-iú ē-tàng khó-giām in ê iú-gî, mā ē-tàng hō͘-siong lī-iōng. Ū chi̍t-ê si-jîn kóng ‘usque ad aras’ [ha̍h tī sîn-tôaⁿ], ì-sù sī kóng, pêng-iú tiong-kan bē-sái lī-iōng iú-gî chò ûi-pōe thiⁿ-lí ê tāi-chì. Ká-sú ī-pang lâng tùi iú-gî to án-ne kám-kak, Kitok-tô͘ koh-khah tio̍h án-ne, in-ūi Kitok-tô͘ chai-iáⁿ, bē-sái ūi-tio̍h iú-gî lâi ngó͘-ge̍k Sîn. Lâng nā ūi-tio̍h si̍t-hiān tùi pêng-iú ê gī-bū lâi hòng-khì tùi Thiⁿ ê gī-bū, che tiāⁿ-tio̍h m̄-sī ūi-tio̍h sió-khóa a̍h ta̍p-sap tāi-chì, pit-tēng sī éng-hióng pêng-iú ê sèⁿ-miā kap êng-ū ê tāi-chì.

"Taⁿ, chhiáⁿ kā góa kóng, Anselmo, lí tī chit nn̄g-hāng ê tó chi̍t-hāng siū-tio̍h ui-hia̍p, góa soah tio̍h mō͘-hiám kā lí an-tah, chò lí kiû góa khì chò ê chit-chióng khó-ò͘ ê tāi-chì? Sū-si̍t siōng, lí bô. Tian-tò sī, chiū góa só͘ chai, lí sī teh kiò góa chīn-la̍t húi-pāi lí ê êng-ū kap sèⁿ-miā, kāng-sî mā húi-pāi góa ka-tī ê. In-ūi góa nā húi-pāi lí ê êng-ū, he téng-î góa toa̍t-khì lí ê sèⁿ-miā, bô êng-ū ê lâng khah chhám kòe sí. Góa nā chhiūⁿ lí hi-bāng ê án-ne, chiâⁿ-chò lí chò-ok ê ke-si, góa kám m̄-sī mā bô êng-ū ah, kám m̄-sī ná sí-lâng ah? Chhiáⁿ thiaⁿ góa kóng, Anselmo góa ê pêng-iú, bián kip boeh ìn-ōe, seng thiaⁿ góa kóng chhut iú-koan góa tùi lí ê kî-bōng chit-chân tāi-chì ê siūⁿ-hoat. Lí ē ū chhiong-chiok ê sî-kan kā góa hôe-tap, kóng hō͘ góa thiaⁿ."

"Chiū án-ne hó," Anselmo kóng, "chò lí kóng."

Jiân-āu, Lothario tō kè-sio̍k kóng:

"Chāi góa khòaⁿ, Anselmo, lí taⁿ ê sim-su tō ná chhiūⁿ Moor lâng ê sim-su. In tùi ka-tī sìn-liām ê chhò-gō͘, éng-oán bô hoat-tō͘ óa-khò ín-iōng Sèng-keng lâi jīn-bat, bô khò thàu-kòe lí-kái ê kiám-tēng lâi thui-lí, mā bô hoat-tō͘ kin-kì sìn-gióng ê goân-chek lâi su-khó, tio̍h khò bêng-hián, kán-tan, hó bat, ē-tit chèng-bêng, bô gî-būn ê si̍t-lē, ū bē-tit hóⁿ-jīn ê sò͘-ha̍k chèng-bêng, chhin-chhiūⁿ kóng, ‘pêⁿ-chē the̍h-tiāu pêⁿ-chē, chhun-ê mā pêⁿ-chē.’ In nā bô hoat-tō͘ kō͘ giân-gí liáu-kái, sū-si̍t in mā chin-chiàⁿ bē liáu-kái, án-ne tio̍h kō͘ chhiú lâi pí hō͘ in khòaⁿ, khǹg tī in ê ba̍k-chiu chêng. Sīm-chì án-ne, mā bô-lâng ē-tit seng-kong soeh-ho̍k in siong-sìn lán sîn-sèng chong-kàu ê chin-lí...

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33.3 希望你做我達成目的 ê 家私

"Koh 有, 無論你按怎反對我 án-ne 做, to 無法度 kā 我阻止, 因為 che 是我 ê 願望. Lothario 朋友, 我希望你同意成做我達成這个目的 ê 家私, 因為我 ē 提供你機會, 以及各種必要 ê 條件, hō͘ 你去追求一个正直, 尊嚴, 安份, koh 高尚 ê 查某.

"我 kā 這个大任務交託 hō͘ 你, 除了其他理由以外, 猶有考慮著, 假使 Camilla 敗 tī 你手頭, 你毋通行到盡磅, kan-ta 行到一个坎站, 無傷害風俗. Án-ne 我 tō 袂受著任何意圖以外 ê 譴責; 只要你莫講, 我 ê 過失 mā 永遠無人知. 我真清楚, 對牽涉著我 ê 代誌, 你到死 to 袂講出來. 所以, 你若欲 hō͘ 我享受所謂 ê 生活, 你著即時來進行這場愛情捙拚, 毋是冷冷, 懶懶, 是照我 ê 意願所要求, 著猛火 koh 熱狂, mā 顧慮咱友誼所保證 ê 忠誠."

Anselmo án-ne kā Lothario 講 chiah-ê 話. Lothario 聽 kah 真注心, 除了頭前講過 ê 以外, 伊無開喙, 一直到對方 kā 話講 soah. 然後, 感覺伊無欲 koh 講 ah, Lothario 金金 kā 相一睏, 袂輸看著啥 m̄-bat 看過 ê 物件, 好奇 koh 著驚, tō án-ne kā 伊講:

"我袂當相信, Anselmo 朋友, 你拄才 kā 我講 ê 話毋是 teh 耍笑. 我若認為你是講正經, 我 tō 袂 hō͘ 你講 chiah 濟 ah. 所以, 我莫聽, 你 tō 袂講 kah lò-lò 長. 我真正懷疑, 若毋是你無了解我, tō 是我無了解你. 但事實是, 我真清楚知影你是 Anselmo, 你 mā 知影我是 Lothario. 不而過, 在我看, 你已經毋是以前 ê Anselmo, mā 想講我毋是我該當 ê Lothario ah. 因為你對我所講 ê hiah-ê 話, 毋是我 ê 朋友 Anselmo ê 話, 你對我 ê 要求 mā 毋是你 ē 對你所 bat ê Lothario 提起 ê.

"真正 ê 朋友 ē-tàng 考驗 in ê 友誼, mā ē-tàng 互相利用. 有一个詩人講 ‘usque ad aras’ [ha̍h tī 神壇], 意思是講, 朋友中間袂使利用友誼做違背天理 ê 代誌. 假使異邦人對友誼 to án-ne 感覺, Kitok 徒 koh-khah 著 án-ne, 因為 Kitok 徒知影, 袂使為著友誼來忤逆神. 人若為著實現對朋友 ê 義務來放棄對天 ê 義務, che 定著毋是為著小可 a̍h ta̍p-sap 代誌, 必定是影響朋友 ê 性命 kap 榮譽 ê 代誌.

"今, 請 kā 我講, Anselmo, 你 tī 這兩項 ê 佗一項受著威脅, 我 soah 著冒險 kā 你安搭, 做你求我去做 ê 這種可惡 ê 代誌? 事實上, 你無. 顛倒是, 就我所知, 你是 teh 叫我盡力毀敗你 ê 榮譽 kap 性命, 仝時 mā 毀敗我 ka-tī ê. 因為我若毀敗你 ê 榮譽, he 等於我奪去你 ê 性命, 無榮譽 ê 人 khah 慘過死. 我 nā 像你希望 ê án-ne, 成做你做惡 ê 家私, 我敢毋是 mā 無榮譽 ah, 敢毋是 ná 死人 ah? 請聽我講, Anselmo 我 ê 朋友, 免急欲應話, 先聽我講出有關我對你 ê 期望這層代誌 ê 想法. 你 ē 有充足 ê 時間 kā 我回答,  講 hō͘ 我聽."

"就 án-ne 好," Anselmo 講, "做你講."

然後, Lothario tō 繼續講:

"在我看, Anselmo, 你今 ê 心思 tō ná 像 Moor 人 ê 心思. In 對 ka-tī 信念 ê 錯誤, 永遠無法度倚靠引用聖經來認 bat, 無法度透過理解 ê 檢定來推理, mā 無法度根據信仰 ê 原則來思考, 著靠明顯, 簡單, 好 bat, ē-tit 證明, 無疑問 ê 實例, 有袂得否認 ê 數學證明, 親像講, ‘平濟提掉平濟, 賰 ê mā 平濟.’ In 若無法度 kō͘ 言語了解, 事實 in mā 真正袂了解, án-ne 著 kō͘ 手來比 hō͘ in 看, 囥 tī in ê 目睭前. 甚至 án-ne, mā 無人會得成功說服 in 相信咱神聖宗教 ê 真理...

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33.3

And, as nothing of all thou wilt urge in opposition to my wish will avail to keep me from carrying it into effect, it is my desire, friend Lothario, that thou shouldst consent to become the instrument for effecting this purpose that I am bent upon, for I will afford thee opportunities to that end, and nothing shall be wanting that I may think necessary for the pursuit of a virtuous, honourable, modest and high-minded woman. /

And among other reasons, I am induced to entrust this arduous task to thee by the consideration that if Camilla be conquered by thee the conquest will not be pushed to extremes, but only far enough to account that accomplished which from a sense of honour will be left undone; thus I shall not be wronged in anything more than intention, and my wrong will remain buried in the integrity of thy silence, which I know well will be as lasting as that of death in what concerns me. If, therefore, thou wouldst have me enjoy what can be called life, thou wilt at once engage in this love struggle, not lukewarmly nor slothfully, but with the energy and zeal that my desire demands, and with the loyalty our friendship assures me of.”

Such were the words Anselmo addressed to Lothario, who listened to them with such attention that, except to say what has been already mentioned, he did not open his lips until the other had finished. Then perceiving that he had no more to say, after regarding him for a while, as one would regard something never before seen that excited wonder and amazement, he said to him, /

“I cannot persuade myself, Anselmo my friend, that what thou hast said to me is not in jest; if I thought that thou wert speaking seriously I would not have allowed thee to go so far; so as to put a stop to thy long harangue by not listening to thee I verily suspect that either thou dost not know me, or I do not know thee; but no, I know well thou art Anselmo, and thou knowest that I am Lothario; the misfortune is, it seems to me, that thou art not the Anselmo thou wert, and must have thought that I am not the Lothario I should be; for the things that thou hast said to me are not those of that Anselmo who was my friend, nor are those that thou demandest of me what should be asked of the Lothario thou knowest. /

True friends will prove their friends and make use of them, as a poet has said, usque ad aras; whereby he meant that they will not make use of their friendship in things that are contrary to God’s will. If this, then, was a heathen’s feeling about friendship, how much more should it be a Christian’s, who knows that the divine must not be forfeited for the sake of any human friendship? And if a friend should go so far as to put aside his duty to Heaven to fulfil his duty to his friend, it should not be in matters that are trifling or of little moment, but in such as affect the friend’s life and honour. /

Now tell me, Anselmo, in which of these two art thou imperilled, that I should hazard myself to gratify thee, and do a thing so detestable as that thou seekest of me? Neither forsooth; on the contrary, thou dost ask of me, so far as I understand, to strive and labour to rob thee of honour and life, and to rob myself of them at the same time; for if I take away thy honour it is plain I take away thy life, as a man without honour is worse than dead; and being the instrument, as thou wilt have it so, of so much wrong to thee, shall not I, too, be left without honour, and consequently without life? Listen to me, Anselmo my friend, and be not impatient to answer me until I have said what occurs to me touching the object of thy desire, for there will be time enough left for thee to reply and for me to hear.”

“Be it so,” said Anselmo, “say what thou wilt.”

Lothario then went on to say, /

“It seems to me, Anselmo, that thine is just now the temper of mind which is always that of the Moors, who can never be brought to see the error of their creed by quotations from the Holy Scriptures, or by reasons which depend upon the examination of the understanding or are founded upon the articles of faith, but must have examples that are palpable, easy, intelligible, capable of proof, not admitting of doubt, with mathematical demonstrations that cannot be denied, like, ‘If equals be taken from equals, the remainders are equal:’ and if they do not understand this in words, and indeed they do not, it has to be shown to them with the hands, and put before their eyes, and even with all this no one succeeds in convincing them of the truth of our holy religion. /

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33.2 想欲考驗阮某 ê 美德

33.2 Siūⁿ boeh khó-giām goán bó͘ ê bí-tek

Kóng si̍t-chāi, góa mā m̄-chai neh. To̍k-to̍k Lothario tō sī chit-khoán lâng. I kō͘ siōng tōa ê kín-sīn kap kéng-chhéⁿ koan-chiàu pêng-iú ê êng-ū, tō bô chiàu hia̍p-gī, chīn-liōng kiám-chió, sok-té, a̍h kàng-kē khì in tau ê chhù-sò͘. Bián-tit chi̍t-ê hó-gia̍h, ko-kùi, koh ian-tâu ê siàu-liân-ke, che iu-tiám i ka-tī ū tì-kak, chhut-ji̍p chhiūⁿ Camilla chit-chióng súi cha-bó͘ ê chhù, ē ín-khí êng-lâng ê hòⁿ-kî, ok-ì ba̍k-chiu ê hoâi-gî.

Sui-bóng i ê chiàⁿ-ti̍t kap hó miâ-siaⁿ kham ē-khí êng-á ōe ê khó-giām, m̄-koh i iáu-sī bē-giàn mō͘-hiám sún-hāi ka-tī ê miâ-siaⁿ a̍h pêng-iú ê. Chū án-ne, i kā iok-tēng ê tōa pō͘-hūn ji̍t-chí, lóng kō͘ to͘-ha̍p bô tú-hó chò chioh-kháu, khì bô-êng ki-thaⁿ tāi-chì. Só͘-tì, i só͘ kòe ê ji̍t-chí, tōa pō͘-hūn sī chi̍t-thâu ū lâng bâi-oàn, lēng chi̍t-thâu iū chīn-liōng chhōe chioh-kháu.

Put-jî-kò, tú-hó ū chi̍t-pái, in nn̄g-lâng tâng-chê tī siâⁿ-gōa sàn-pō͘, Anselmo tùi Lothario kóng chhut ē-bīn chiah-ê ōe:

"Lothario, góa ê pêng-iú, lí khó-lêng siūⁿ-kóng, góa án-chóaⁿ kám-siā Sîn ê un-hūi to bô-kàu, i hō͘ góa seⁿ-chò goán pē-bú ê kiáⁿ, hō͘ góa chhiú-thâu lēng, ū châi-chêng, ū ke-hóe, koh-khah iàu-kín ê sī, hō͘ góa ū lí chit-ê pêng-iú, ū Camilla chò khan-chhiú. Góa tùi chit nn̄g-hāng ê pó-sioh, sui-bóng m̄-sī pâi tē-it, siōng-bô sī pâi thâu-chêng ah.

"Sui-bóng ū chiah-ê hó mi̍h-kiāⁿ, ū hō͘ lâng seng-oa̍h hēng-hok só͘ su-iàu ê it-chhè, tān-sī góa soah bô móa-ì, sī sè-kài chòe m̄-chai boán-chiok ê lâng. In-ūi, m̄-chai gōa-kú í-lâi, góa hō͘ chi̍t-chióng kî-koài, ī-siông ê io̍k-bōng só͘ khùn-jiáu, só͘ ap-pek. Ta̍k-kái ko͘-to̍k chi̍t-lâng ê sî, góa kám-kak tio̍h-kiaⁿ, tō kiàn-koài koh chí-chek ka-tī, koh chīn-la̍t kā he ùi góa ê su-sióng ah-lo̍h, am-khàm. Tān-sī lóng bô-hāu, bē-su góa tio̍h kā che kong-khai hō͘ choân sè-kài chiah ē-sái-tit. Kán-tan kóng, he tio̍h kóng chhut-lâi. Góa boeh kā he hù-thok hō͘ lí pó-koán, in-ūi góa khak-tēng, góa án-ne chò, ū lí chit-ê chin-si̍t pêng-iú, ē-tàng hō͘ góa tit-tio̍h kái-thoat. Chin kín góa tō ē-tàng ùi he khùn-jiáu tit-tio̍h chū-iû. Lí ê chiàu-kò͘ ē hō͘ góa hēng-hok, oân-choân siau-tî góa ê gû-gōng só͘ tòe-lâi ê kan-khó͘."

Anselmo ê ōe hō͘ Lothario kiaⁿ-tio̍h, i ioh bē-chhut che tn̂g ló-ló ê ōe-thâu tàu-té sī siáⁿ ì-sù. Sui-bóng i phah-piàⁿ siūⁿ, sī siáⁿ-khoán ê io̍k-bōng hō͘ pêng-iú teh khùn-jiáu, só͘ ioh ê lóng lī chin-siòng hn̄g-hn̄g. Ūi-tio̍h kiám-khin chit-chióng khùn-he̍k só͘ tòa-lâi ê cho-sim, i kā Anselmo kóng: lí kō͘ chit-chióng oan-khiau hong-sek piáu-pe̍k sim-lāi ōe, si̍t-chāi tùi put-khí lán tiong-kan ê chin-sêng iú-gî, in-ūi lí chai-iáⁿ, lí ē-sái thiaⁿ góa ê ì-kiàn lâi siau-kái hoân-ló, góa ê pang-chān chin ū hāu-kó.

"Che sī chin-si̍t," Anselmo ìn, "tō sī óa-khò che, góa chiah kā lí kóng, Lothario pêng-iú, ín góa khùn-jiáu ê hit-ê io̍k-bōng tō sī, siūⁿ boeh chai-iáⁿ, goán-bó͘ Camilla sī m̄-sī ū góa só͘ siūⁿ ê hiah hó, hiah oân-bí. Góa bô hoat-tō͘ hō͘ ka-tī khak-sìn chit-tiám, tî-hui kō͘ chi̍t-chióng hong-sek kā yi khó-giām, chhin-chhiūⁿ kō͘ hóe khó-giām n̂g-kim án-ne lâi chèng-bêng yi ê sûn-kiat bí-tek. In-ūi góa khak-sìn, pêng-íu ah, lú-jîn bí-tek ê koân-kē chāi-tī yi sī m̄-sī ū-lâng kā ín-iú. Kan-ta he bô khut-ho̍k tī jia̍t-loân-chiá ê iok-sok, lé-mi̍h, ba̍k-sái, kap khó͘-kiû ê cha-bó͘ chiah sī kian-kiông. Nā bô-lâng siâⁿ yi chò-pháiⁿ, cha-bó͘ lâng ê hó ū siáⁿ hi-kî? Nā bô ki-hōe hoān-chhò, koh chai yin ang chi̍t-ē hoat-hiān yi kiâⁿ chha-chhò tō ē ti̍h yi ê miā, chit-chióng cha-bó͘ ê kín-sīn, pó-siú ū siáⁿ kî-koài ah? 

"Só͘-tì, góa tùi cha-bó͘ in-ūi kiaⁿ a̍h bô ki-hōe chiah siú bí-tek, kap thong-kòe ín-iú kap khó-giām, tit-tio̍h sèng-lī ê cha-bó͘ ê chun-kèng bô sio-kāng. In-ūi chiah-ê goân-in, í-ki̍p chióng-chióng góa ē-tàng iōng-lâi chèng-bêng kap chi-chhî góa ê ì-kiàn ê kî-thaⁿ lí-iû, góa ài-boeh goán bó͘ Camilla kiâⁿ-kòe chit-ê ûi-ki, koh thong-kòe hoat-hiān ka-tī siū-tio̍h chi̍t-ê ū kè-ta̍t ê lâng ê tui-kiû, án-ne lâi hō͘ yi tit-tio̍h hóe ê toàn-liān kap khó-giām. Yi nā ē-tit chhiūⁿ góa só͘ chai ê yi án-ne, sèng-lī kiâⁿ chhut chit-chióng chhì-liān, góa tō jīn-ûi góa ê hó-ūn bô-tè-pí, góa tō ē-sái kóng, góa io̍k-bōng ê au-á í-keng móa-móa, sio̍k-gí só͘ kóng ê ‘Chhian-kim lân chhōe’ ê hó tek-hēng cha-bó͘ í-keng lâi tī góa chia. Ká-sú kiat-kó kap góa ê kî-thāi tian-tò péng, góa mā ē boán-chiok, in-ūi chai-iáⁿ ka-tī ê koan-tiám chèng-khak. Góa mā bô bâi-oàn, kam-goān chiap-siū hù-chhut chiah-tōa tāi-kè bé-tio̍h ê keng-giām só͘ tòa-lâi ê thòng-khó͘...

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33.2 想欲考驗阮某 ê 美德

講實在, 我 mā 毋知 neh. 獨獨 Lothario tō 是這款人. 伊 kō͘ 上大 ê 謹慎 kap 警醒關照朋友 ê 榮譽, tō 無照協議, 盡量減少, 縮短, a̍h 降低去 in tau ê 次數. 免得一个好額, 高貴, koh 嫣投 ê 少年家, che 優點伊 ka-tī 有致覺, 出入像 Camilla 這種媠查某 ê 厝, ē 引起閒人 ê 好奇, 惡意目睭 ê 懷疑.

雖罔伊 ê 正直 kap 好名聲堪 ē 起閒仔話 ê 考驗, 毋過伊猶是 bē-giàn 冒險損害 ka-tī ê 名聲 a̍h 朋友 ê. 自 án-ne, 伊 kā 約定 ê 大部份日子, lóng kō͘ 都合無拄好做借口, 去無閒其他代誌. 所致, 伊所過 ê 日子, 大部份是一頭有人埋怨, 另一頭又盡量揣借口.

不而過, 拄好有一擺, in 兩人同齊 tī 城外散步, Anselmo 對 Lothario 講出下面 chiah-ê 話:

"Lothario, 我 ê 朋友, 你可能想講, 我按怎感謝神 ê 恩惠 to 無夠, 伊 hō͘ 我生做阮爸母 ê 囝, hō͘ 我手頭冗, 有才情, 有家伙, koh-khah 要緊 ê 是, hō͘ 我有你這个朋友, 有 Camilla 做牽手. 我對這兩項 ê 寶惜, 雖罔毋是排第一, 上無是排頭前 ah.

"雖罔有 chiah-ê 好物件, 有 hō͘ 人生活幸福所需要 ê 一切, 但是我 soah 無滿意, 是世界最毋知滿足 ê 人. 因為, 毋知偌久以來, 我 hō͘ 一種奇怪, 異常 ê 慾望所困擾, 所壓迫. 逐改孤獨一人 ê 時, 我感覺著驚, tō 見怪 koh 指責 ka-tī, koh 盡力 kā he ùi 我 ê 思想壓落, 掩崁. 但是 lóng 無效, 袂輸我著 kā che 公開 hō͘ 全世界才會使得. 簡單講, he 著講出來. 我欲 kā he 付託 hō͘ 你保管, 因為我確定, 我 án-ne 做, 有你這个真實朋友, ē-tàng hō͘ 我得著解脫. 真緊我 tō ē-tàng ùi he 困擾得著自由. 你 ê 照顧 ē hō͘ 我幸福, 完全消除我 ê 愚戇所綴來 ê 艱苦."

Anselmo ê 話 hō͘ Lothario 驚著, 伊臆袂出 che 長 ló-ló ê 話頭到底是啥意思. 雖罔伊拍拚想, 是啥款 ê 慾望 hō͘ 朋友 teh 困擾, 所臆 ê lóng 離真相遠遠. 為著減輕這種困惑所帶來 ê 慒心, 伊 kā Anselmo 講: 你 kō͘ 這種彎曲方式表白心內話, 實在對不起咱中間 ê 真誠友誼, 因為你知影, 你 ē-sái 聽我 ê 意見來消解煩惱, 我 ê 幫贊真有效果.

"Che 是真實," Anselmo 應, "tō 是倚靠 che, 我才 kā 你講, Lothario 朋友, 引我困擾 ê 彼个慾望 tō 是, 想欲知影, 阮某 Camilla 是毋是有我所想 ê hiah 好, hiah 完美. 我無法度 hō͘ ka-tī 確信這點, 除非 kō͘ 一種方式 kā 她考驗, 親像 kō͘ 火考驗黃金 án-ne 來證明她 ê 純潔美德. 因為我確信, 朋友 ah, 女人美德 ê 懸低在tī 她是毋是有人 kā 引誘. Kan-ta he 無屈服 tī 熱戀者 ê 約束, 禮物, 目屎, kap 苦求 ê 查某才是堅強. 若無人唌做歹, 查某人 ê 好有啥稀奇? 若無機會犯錯, koh 知姻翁一下發現她行差錯 tō ē ti̍h 她 ê 命, 這種查某 ê 謹慎, 保守有啥奇怪 ah? 

"所致, 我對查某因為驚 a̍h 無機會才守美德, kap 通過引誘 kap 考驗, 得著勝利 ê 查某 ê 尊敬無相仝. 因為 chiah-ê 原因, 以及種種我 ē-tàng 用來證明 kap 支持我 ê 意見 ê 其他理由, 我愛欲阮某 Camilla 行過這个危機, koh 通過發現 ka-tī 受著一个有價值 ê 人 ê 追求, án-ne 來 hō͘ 她得著火 ê 鍛鍊 kap 考驗. 她若 ē-tit 像我所知 ê 她 án-ne, 勝利行出這種試煉, 我 tō 認為我 ê 好運無地比, 我 tō 會使講, 我慾望 ê 甌仔已經滿滿, 俗語所講 ê ‘千金難揣’ ê 好德行查某已經來 tī 我 chia. 假使結果 kap 我 ê 期待顛倒反, 我 mā ē 滿足, 因為知影 ka-tī ê 觀點正確. 我 mā 無埋怨, 甘願接受付出 chiah 大代價買著 ê 經驗所帶來 ê 痛苦...

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33.2

Of a truth I know not; Lothario alone was such a one, for with the utmost care and vigilance he watched over the honour of his friend, and strove to diminish, cut down, and reduce the number of days for going to his house according to their agreement, lest the visits of a young man, wealthy, high-born, and with the attractions he was conscious of possessing, at the house of a woman so beautiful as Camilla, should be regarded with suspicion by the inquisitive and malicious eyes of the idle public. /

For though his integrity and reputation might bridle slanderous tongues, still he was unwilling to hazard either his own good name or that of his friend; and for this reason most of the days agreed upon he devoted to some other business which he pretended was unavoidable; so that a great portion of the day was taken up with complaints on one side and excuses on the other. /

It happened, however, that on one occasion when the two were strolling together outside the city, Anselmo addressed the following words to Lothario.

“Thou mayest suppose, Lothario my friend, that I am unable to give sufficient thanks for the favours God has rendered me in making me the son of such parents as mine were, and bestowing upon me with no niggard hand what are called the gifts of nature as well as those of fortune, and above all for what he has done in giving me thee for a friend and Camilla for a wife—two treasures that I value, if not as highly as I ought, at least as highly as I am able. /

And yet, with all these good things, which are commonly all that men need to enable them to live happily, I am the most discontented and dissatisfied man in the whole world; for, I know not how long since, I have been harassed and oppressed by a desire so strange and so unusual, that I wonder at myself and blame and chide myself when I am alone, and strive to stifle it and hide it from my own thoughts, and with no better success than if I were endeavouring deliberately to publish it to all the world; and as, in short, it must come out, I would confide it to thy safe keeping, feeling sure that by this means, and by thy readiness as a true friend to afford me relief, I shall soon find myself freed from the distress it causes me, and that thy care will give me happiness in the same degree as my own folly has caused me misery.”

The words of Anselmo struck Lothario with astonishment, unable as he was to conjecture the purport of such a lengthy preamble; and though he strove to imagine what desire it could be that so troubled his friend, his conjectures were all far from the truth, and to relieve the anxiety which this perplexity was causing him, he told him he was doing a flagrant injustice to their great friendship in seeking circuitous methods of confiding to him his most hidden thoughts, for he well knew he might reckon upon his counsel in diverting them, or his help in carrying them into effect.

“That is the truth,” replied Anselmo, “and relying upon that I will tell thee, friend Lothario, that the desire which harasses me is that of knowing whether my wife Camilla is as good and as perfect as I think her to be; and I cannot satisfy myself of the truth on this point except by testing her in such a way that the trial may prove the purity of her virtue as the fire proves that of gold; because I am persuaded, my friend, that a woman is virtuous only in proportion as she is or is not tempted; and that she alone is strong who does not yield to the promises, gifts, tears, and importunities of earnest lovers; for what thanks does a woman deserve for being good if no one urges her to be bad, and what wonder is it that she is reserved and circumspect to whom no opportunity is given of going wrong and who knows she has a husband that will take her life the first time he detects her in an impropriety? /

I do not therefore hold her who is virtuous through fear or want of opportunity in the same estimation as her who comes out of temptation and trial with a crown of victory; and so, for these reasons and many others that I could give thee to justify and support the opinion I hold, I am desirous that my wife Camilla should pass this crisis, and be refined and tested by the fire of finding herself wooed and by one worthy to set his affections upon her; and if she comes out, as I know she will, victorious from this struggle, I shall look upon my good fortune as unequalled, I shall be able to say that the cup of my desire is full, and that the virtuous woman of whom the sage says ‘Who shall find her?’ has fallen to my lot. And if the result be the contrary of what I expect, in the satisfaction of knowing that I have been right in my opinion, I shall bear without complaint the pain which my so dearly bought experience will naturally cause me. /

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33. 失策 ê 好奇/ 33.1 彼對朋友

33. Sit-chhek ê hòⁿ-kî

33.1 Hit-tùi pêng-iú

Tī Italia ê Tuscany Séng ê chhut-miâ hoân-hôa siâⁿ-chhī Florence, ū nn̄g-ūi hó-gia̍h koh ko-sióng ê sin-sū Anselmo kap Lothario. In sī thong lâng chai ê ōaⁿ-thiap hó pêng-iú, bat in ê lâng lóng kā in kiò chò "Hit Tùi Pêng-iú." In lóng bōe chhōa, siàu-liân, tâng-nî, hèng-chhù sio-kāng, che tō ū-kàu soeh-bêng in tiong-kan ê iú-gî. Sū-si̍t-siōng, Anselmo pí Lothario koh-khah hèng tui-kiû ài-chêng ê lo̍k-thiòng, á Lothario khah hèng ê sī phah-la̍h ê khoài-lo̍k. M̄-koh, ū sî-chūn, Anselmo ē hòng-khì ka-tī ê chhù-bī khì tòe Lothario, á Lothario mā ē ūi Anselmo hi-seng ka-tī ê chhù-bī. Chū án-ne, in nn̄g-lâng ê chhù-bī hō͘-siong tiâu-ha̍p kah bā-bā, siōng-hó ê sî-cheng to tòe in bē-tio̍h.

Anselmo chhim-chhim ài-tio̍h chi̍t-ūi kāng siâⁿ ê ko-kùi, bí-lē siàu-lú. Siàu-lú ê pē-bú sī ū thâu-bīn ê lâng, yi pún-sin mā kài iu-siù. Só͘-tì, i koat-tēng boeh kap hó pêng-iú Lothario chham-siâng, bô i, i chò bē lâi, i nā tông-ì, tō boeh khì hiòng yin pē-bú thê-chhin, mā khak-si̍t khì thê-chhin. Lothario hū-chek thê-chhin ê jīm-bū, i kā tiâu-kiāⁿ kóng kah kài ha̍h pêng-iú ê móa-ì. Chin kín, Anselmo tō chhōa tio̍h i kah-ì ê súi bó͘. Camilla mā hoaⁿ-hí kè hō͘ Anselmo chit-ê ang-sài, it-ti̍t kám-siā thiⁿ kap Lothario, sī in-ūi in, yi chiah ē-tit chiah-nī hó-ūn.

Hun-lé ê thâu kúi-kang, it-poaⁿ lóng sī lāu-jia̍t kún-kún, Lothario chiàu-siông chia̍p-chia̍p lâi pêng-iú Anselmo in tau, chīn-la̍t kā tàu lāu-jia̍t, hō͘ i cheng-ka kong-chhái. M̄-koh tī hun-lé kòe liáu, khèng-hō chiām-chiām chió, i mā thiau kò͘-ì khah chió lâi Anselmo in chhù, in-ūi chāi i khòaⁿ, tùi ū lí-tì ê lâng lâi kóng, pêng-iú tī kè-chhōa liáu, bô eng-kai chhiūⁿ tī to̍k-sin sî, hiah chia̍p khì pài-hóng. Sui-bóng iú-gî bô piàn, tān ū ke-āu cha-po͘ lâng ê êng-ū kài iàu-kín, kham bē-khí hiaⁿ-tī ê siong-hāi, koh-khah bián-kóng sī pêng-iú.

Anselmo chù-ì tio̍h Lothario bô koh lâi, tō tùi i piáu-sī put-boán, kóng, chá nā chai kiat-hun ē hō͘ i bē-tit chhiūⁿ kòe-khì án-ne hiáng-siū hō͘-siong kau-pôe, i lêng-khó mài kiat-hun. Koh kóng, tī i to̍k-sin ê sî nn̄g-lâng nā ū hit-chióng hô-hâi ê koan-hē, tit-tio̍h "Hit-tùi Pêng-iú" ê hó miâ-siaⁿ, i bē-giàn in-ūi kòe-tō͘ kín-sīn soah sit-khì chit-chióng hán-tit ê bí-hó miâ-hō. Só͘-tì, i khún-kiû i, kóng, ká-sú i ē-tàng kō͘ chit-lō kóng-hoat, kiû i kā chia tòng chò ka-tī ê chhù, chhiūⁿ kòe-khì án-ne lâi-lâi khì-khì, koh pó-chèng in bó͘ Camilla ê hi-bāng kap siūⁿ-hoat kap i ê oân-choân kāng-khoán, kóng, yi chai-iáⁿ in kòe-khì ê chin-sim kau-óng, khòaⁿ i taⁿ ê léng-tām, hō͘ yi kám-kak siong-sim.

Anselmo tùi Lothario só͘ kóng ê chiah-ê ōe, khǹg i chiàu-siông lâi in tau, Lothario ê hôe-tap kài kín-sīn, lí-tì, koh ū chām-chat. Anselmo tùi in pêng-iú ê hó-ì kám-kak móa-ì, siang-lâng tō iok-sok, chi̍t lé-pài nn̄g-kang, í-ki̍p cheh-ji̍t, Lothario tio̍h lâi in tau chia̍h-pn̄g. M̄-koh, sui-bóng nn̄g-lâng tiong-kan ū chit-ê hia̍p-gī, Lothario koat-tēng tio̍h seng ûi-hō͘ pêng-iú ê miâ-siaⁿ chiah chun-chiàu hia̍p-gī, pêng-iú ê miâ-siaⁿ khah iàu-kín kòe ka-tī ê.

I kóng liáu chin tio̍h, ū thiⁿ-kong siúⁿ-sù súi bó͘ ê cha-po͘ lâng, tio̍h khó-lī chhōa siáⁿ-khoán pêng-iú lâi chhù, tō ná chhiūⁿ i tio̍h khó-lī in bó͘ ē-sái kap siáⁿ-khoán cha-bó͘ kau-óng kāng-khoán. In-ūi tī chhī-tiûⁿ, kàu-tn̂g, kong-kiōng cheh-ji̍t a̍h tī chhia-chām (che lóng sī ang-sài bē-tit chó͘-chí in bó͘ khì ê só͘-chāi) tt só͘-chāi bē-tit chò a̍h an-pâi ê tāi-chì, khó-lêng chin kán-tan tō ē-tit tī siōng sìn-jīm ê cha-bó͘ pêng-iú a̍h chhin-chiâⁿ ê chhù kái-koat.

Lothario iū-koh kóng, múi chi̍t-ê ū-bó͘ ê cha-po͘ lâng, lóng eng-kai ū pêng-iú kí-chhut i tī hêng-ûi siōng só͘ hoān ê so͘-hut. In-ūi, ū-sî ang-sài kòe-thâu thiàⁿ bó͘, soah bô teh thê-chhéⁿ yi, a̍h kiaⁿ jiá yi bô hoaⁿ-hí, bô khì thê-tiám yi eng-kai chò a̍h mài chò siáⁿ. Chiah-ê tāi-chì chò a̍h bô chò ē khan-sia̍p tio̍h ang-sài ê bêng-ū a̍h bīn-chú. Chit-chióng sit-gō͘, nā ū pêng-iú kā thê-chhéⁿ, i chin kán-tan tō ē-tit kái-chèng. Tān, boeh khì tó-ūi chiah ē-tit chhōe-tio̍h chhiūⁿ Lothnario chit-chióng bêng-tì, tiong-sêng, koh chin-si̍t ê pêng-iú ah? 

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33. 失策 ê 好奇

33.1 彼對朋友

Tī Italia ê Tuscany 省 ê 出名繁華城市 Florence, 有兩位好額 koh 高尚 ê 紳士 Anselmo kap Lothario. In 是通人知 ê 換帖好朋友, bat in ê 人 lóng kā in 叫做 "彼對朋友." In lóng 未娶, 少年, 同年, 興趣相仝, che tō 有夠說明 in 中間 ê 友誼. 事實上, Anselmo 比 Lothario koh-khah hèng 追求愛情 ê 樂暢, á Lothario khah hèng ê 是拍獵 ê 快樂. M̄-koh, 有時陣, Anselmo ē 放棄 ka-tī ê 趣味去綴 Lothario, á Lothario mā ē 為 Anselmo 犧牲 ka-tī ê 趣味. 自 án-ne, in 兩人 ê 趣味互相調合 kah bā-bā, 上好 ê 時鐘 to 綴 in 袂著.

Anselmo 深深愛著一位仝城 ê 高貴, 美麗少女. 少女 ê 爸母是有頭面 ê 人, 她本身 mā kài 優秀. 所致, 伊決定欲 kap 好朋友 Lothario 參詳, 無伊, 伊做袂來, 伊若同意, tō 欲去向姻爸母提親, mā 確實去提親. Lothario 負責提親 ê 任務, 伊 kā 條件講 kah kài ha̍h 朋友 ê 滿意. 真緊, Anselmo tō 娶著伊佮意 ê 媠某. Camilla mā 歡喜嫁 hō͘ Anselmo 這个翁婿, 一直感謝天 kap Lothario, 是因為 in, 她才 ē-tit chiah-nī 好運.

婚禮 ê 頭幾工, 一般 lóng 是鬧熱滾滾, Lothario 照常 chia̍p-chia̍p 來朋友 Anselmo in tau, 盡力 kā 鬥鬧熱, hō͘ 伊增加光彩. M̄-koh tī 婚禮過了, 慶賀漸漸少, 伊 mā 刁故意 khah 少來 Anselmo in 厝, 因為在伊看, 對有理智 ê 人來講, 朋友 tī 嫁娶了, 無應該像 tī 獨身時, hiah chia̍p 去拜訪. 雖罔友誼無變, 但有家後查埔人 ê 榮譽 kài 要緊, 堪袂起兄弟 ê 傷害, koh-khah 免講是朋友.

Anselmo 注意著 Lothario 無 koh 來, tō 對伊表示不滿, 講, 早若知結婚 ē hō͘ 伊袂得像過去 án-ne 享受互相交陪, 伊寧可莫結婚. Koh 講, tī 伊獨身 ê 時兩人若有彼種和諧 ê 關係, 得著 "彼對朋友" ê 好名聲, 伊 bē-giàn 因為過度謹慎 soah 失去這種罕得 ê 美好名號. 所致, 伊懇求伊, 講, 假使伊 ē-tàng kō͘ chit-lō 講法, 求伊 kā chia 當做 ka-tī ê 厝, 像過去 án-ne 來來去去, koh 保證 in 某 Camilla ê 希望 kap 想法 kap 伊 ê 完全仝款, 講, 她知影 in 過去 ê 真心交往, 看伊今 ê 冷淡, hō͘ 她感覺傷心.

Anselmo 對 Lothario 所講 ê chiah-ê 話, 勸伊照常來 in tau, Lothario ê 回答 kài 謹慎, 理智, koh 有站節. Anselmo 對 in 朋友 ê 好意感覺滿意, 雙人 tō 約束, 一禮拜兩工, 以及節日, Lothario 著來 in tau 食飯. M̄-koh, 雖罔兩人中間有這个協議, Lothario 決定著先維護朋友 ê 名聲才遵照協議, 朋友 ê 名聲 khah 要緊過 ka-tī ê.

伊講了真著, 有天公賞賜媠某 ê 查埔人, 著考慮𤆬啥款朋友來厝, tō ná 像伊著考慮 in 某 ē-sái kap 啥款查某交往仝款. 因為 tī 市場, 教堂, 公共節日 a̍h tī 車站 (che lóng 是翁婿袂得阻止 in 某去 ê 所在) tt 所在袂得做 a̍h 安排 ê 代誌, 可能真簡單 tō ē-tit tī 上信任 ê 查某朋友 a̍h 親情 ê 厝解決.

Lothario 又koh 講, 每一个有某 ê 查埔人, lóng 應該有朋友指出伊 tī 行為上所犯 ê 疏忽. 因為, 有時翁婿過頭疼某, soah 無 teh 提醒她, a̍h 驚惹她無歡喜, 無去提點她應該做 a̍h 莫做啥. Chiah-ê 代誌做 a̍h 無做 ē 牽涉著翁婿 ê 名譽 a̍h 面子. 這種失誤, 若有朋友 kā 提醒, 伊真簡單 tō ē-tit 改正. 但, 欲去佗位才 ē-tit 揣著像 Lothario 這種明智, 忠誠, koh 真實 ê 朋友 ah? 

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33.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

IN WHICH IS RELATED THE NOVEL OF “THE ILL-ADVISED CURIOSITY”

33.1

In Florence, a rich and famous city of Italy in the province called Tuscany, there lived two gentlemen of wealth and quality, Anselmo and Lothario, such great friends that by way of distinction they were called by all that knew them “The Two Friends.” They were unmarried, young, of the same age and of the same tastes, which was enough to account for the reciprocal friendship between them. Anselmo, it is true, was somewhat more inclined to seek pleasure in love than Lothario, for whom the pleasures of the chase had more attraction; but on occasion Anselmo would forego his own tastes to yield to those of Lothario, and Lothario would surrender his to fall in with those of Anselmo, and in this way their inclinations kept pace one with the other with a concord so perfect that the best regulated clock could not surpass it.

Anselmo was deep in love with a high-born and beautiful maiden of the same city, the daughter of parents so estimable, and so estimable herself, that he resolved, with the approval of his friend Lothario, without whom he did nothing, to ask her of them in marriage, and did so, Lothario being the bearer of the demand, and conducting the negotiation so much to the satisfaction of his friend that in a short time he was in possession of the object of his desires, and Camilla so happy in having won Anselmo for her husband, that she gave thanks unceasingly to heaven and to Lothario, by whose means such good fortune had fallen to her. /

The first few days, those of a wedding being usually days of merry-making, Lothario frequented his friend Anselmo’s house as he had been wont, striving to do honour to him and to the occasion, and to gratify him in every way he could; but when the wedding days were over and the succession of visits and congratulations had slackened, he began purposely to leave off going to the house of Anselmo, for it seemed to him, as it naturally would to all men of sense, that friends’ houses ought not to be visited after marriage with the same frequency as in their masters’ bachelor days: because, though true and genuine friendship cannot and should not be in any way suspicious, still a married man’s honour is a thing of such delicacy that it is held liable to injury from brothers, much more from friends. /

Anselmo remarked the cessation of Lothario’s visits, and complained of it to him, saying that if he had known that marriage was to keep him from enjoying his society as he used, he would have never married; and that, if by the thorough harmony that subsisted between them while he was a bachelor they had earned such a sweet name as that of “The Two Friends,” he should not allow a title so rare and so delightful to be lost through a needless anxiety to act circumspectly; and so he entreated him, if such a phrase was allowable between them, to be once more master of his house and to come in and go out as formerly, assuring him that his wife Camilla had no other desire or inclination than that which he would wish her to have, and that knowing how sincerely they loved one another she was grieved to see such coldness in him.

To all this and much more that Anselmo said to Lothario to persuade him to come to his house as he had been in the habit of doing, Lothario replied with so much prudence, sense, and judgment, that Anselmo was satisfied of his friend’s good intentions, and it was agreed that on two days in the week, and on holidays, Lothario should come to dine with him; but though this arrangement was made between them Lothario resolved to observe it no further than he considered to be in accordance with the honour of his friend, whose good name was more to him than his own. /

He said, and justly, that a married man upon whom heaven had bestowed a beautiful wife should consider as carefully what friends he brought to his house as what female friends his wife associated with, for what cannot be done or arranged in the market-place, in church, at public festivals or at stations (opportunities that husbands cannot always deny their wives), may be easily managed in the house of the female friend or relative in whom most confidence is reposed. /

Lothario said, too, that every married man should have some friend who would point out to him any negligence he might be guilty of in his conduct, for it will sometimes happen that owing to the deep affection the husband bears his wife either he does not caution her, or, not to vex her, refrains from telling her to do or not to do certain things, doing or avoiding which may be a matter of honour or reproach to him; and errors of this kind he could easily correct if warned by a friend. But where is such a friend to be found as Lothario would have, so judicious, so loyal, and so true?

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