Justine 淑女的眼泪 Chapter 38

Then the Count rose to his feet and came up to examine me. While he makes a detailed ¹ investigation ² I can describe him to you: the portrait's singularity merits an instant's attention. Monsieur de Gernande was at that time a man of fifty, almost six feet tall and monstrously ³ fat. Nothing could be more terrifying than his face, the length of his nose, his wicked black eyes, his large ill-furnished mouth, his formidable high forehead, the sound of his fearful raucous ⁵ voice, his enormous hands; all combined to make a gigantic individual whose presence inspired much more fear than reassurance ⁶. We will soon be able to decide whether the morals and actions of this species of centaur ⁷ were in keeping with his awesome ⁸ looks. After the most abrupt ⁹ and cavalier scrutiny ¹⁰, the Count demanded to Know my age., ,"I am twenty-three, Monsieur," I replied., ,And to this first question he added some others of a personal nature. I made him privy ¹¹ to everything that concerned me; I did not even omit the brand I had received from Rodin, and when I had represented my misery ¹² to him, when I had proven to him that unhappiness had constantly dogged my footsteps:, , ,"But, Monsieur, I told you that I am not of mean birth.", ,"Yes, yes, I have heard that before, they always pass themselves off for all kinds of things when in fact they are nothing or miserable ²². Oh indeed, pride's illusions are of the highest usefulness to console fortune's ills, and then, you see, it is up to us to believe what we please about these lofty estates beaten down by the blows of destiny. Pish, d'ye know, it's all the same to me if you fancy yourself a princess. To my consideration you have the look and more or less the costume of a servant, and as such you may enter my hire, if it suits you. However," the hard-hearted man continued, "your welfare, your happiness they are your concern, they depend on your performance: a little patience, some discretion ²³, and in a few years you will be sent forth ²⁴ in a way to avoid further service.", ,A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索
。,In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。