“For a little over two years this went on. At last， one day， Claude said： ‘Boys， weve come to the end. Do you understand that？—absolutely to the end. Everybody has struck—theres a league formed against us. Ive been all around the village and its just as I tell you. They refuse to credit us for another centime until all the odds and ends are paid up.’”
“我们就这样熬过了两年多点时光。最后有一天，克劳德说：‘伙计们，我们已经山穷水尽了。你们明白不明白？——十足地山穷水尽。谁都不干了——简直是大家联合起来给我们过不去哩。我把整个村子都跑遍了，结果就是我说的那样。他们根本不肯再赊给我们一分钱的东西了，非叫我们先还清旧账不可。’”
“This struck us as cold. Every face was blank with dismaydismay n.沮丧， 惊慌 v.使沮丧， 使惊慌。 We realised that our circumstances were desperate， now. There was a long silence. Finally Millet said with a sigh： ‘Nothing occurs to me—nothing. Suggest something， lads.’”
“这可真叫我们垂头丧气。每个人都满脸发白，一副狼狈相。这下子我们可知道自己的处境实在是糟糕透了。大家很久没有作声。最后米勒叹了一口气说道：‘我也想不出什么主意来——一筹莫展。伙计们，想个办法吧。’”
“There was no response， unless a mournful silence may be called a response. Carl got up， and walked nervously up and down a while， then said： ‘Its a shame！ Look at these canvasescanvas v.彻底讨论探究 n.帆布： stacks and stacks of as good pictures as anybody in Europe paints—I dont care who he is. Yes， and plenty of lounging strangers have said the same—or nearly that， anyway.’”
“没有回答，除非凄惨的沉默也可以叫做回答。卡尔站起来，神经紧张地来回走了一阵，然后说道：‘真是丢人！你看这些画：一堆一堆的，都是些好画，比得上欧洲任何一个人的作品——不管他是谁。是呀，并且还有许多闲逛的陌生人都是这么说——反正意思总差不多是这样。’”
“ ‘But didnt buy。’ Millet said.”
“‘可就是不买。’米勒说。”
“ ‘No matter， they said it， and its true， too. Look at your ‘Angelus’ there！ Will anybody tell me—’”
“‘那倒没关系，反正他们这么说了；而且这是真话。就看你那幅《晚祷》吧！难道会有人对我说……’”
“ ‘Pah， Carl—My ‘Angelus！’ I was offered five francs for it.’”
“‘哼，卡尔——我那幅《晚祷》吗！有人出过五法郎要买它。’”
“ ‘When？’”
“‘什么时候？’”
“ ‘Who offered it？’”
“‘谁出这价钱？’”
“ ‘Where is he？’”
“‘他在哪儿？’”
“ ‘Why didnt you take it？’”
“‘你怎么不答应他？’”
“‘come—dont all speak at once. I thought he would give more—I was sure of it—he looked it—so I asked him eight.’”
“‘得了——别这么大伙儿一齐说话呀。我以为他会多出几个钱——我觉得很有把握——看他那神气是要多出的——所以我就讨价八法郎。’”
“ ‘Well—and then？’”
“‘得——那么后来呢？’”
“ ‘He said he would call again.’”
“‘他说他再来找我。’”
“ ‘Thunder and lightning！ Why， Francois—’”
“‘真是糟糕透顶！哎，法朗斯瓦——’”
“ ‘Oh， I know—I know！ It was a mistake， and I was a fool. Boys， I meant for the best. Youll grant me that， and I—’”
“‘啊，我知道——我知道！不该那样，我简直是个大傻瓜。伙计们，我本意是很好的，你们也会承认这一点，我……’”
“ ‘Why， certainly， we know that， bless your dear heart， but dont you be a fool again.’”
“‘嗐，那还用说，我们也明白，老天爷保佑你这好心肠的人吧；可是下次你可千万别再这么傻呀。’”
“‘ I wish somebody would come along and offer us a cabbage for it—youd see！’”
“‘我？我但愿有人来拿一棵大白菜给我们换就好了——你瞧着吧！’”
“ ‘A cabbage！ Oh， dont name it—it makes my mouth water. Talk of things less trying.’”
“‘大白菜吗！啊，别提这个——提起来真叫我淌口水。说点儿别的不那么叫人难受的事情吧。’”
“ ‘Boys，’ said Carl， ‘do these pictures lack merit？ Answer me that.’”
“‘伙计们，’卡尔说，‘难道这些画没有价值吗？你们说呀。’”
“ ‘No！’”
“‘谁说没价值！’”
“ ‘Arent they of very great and high merit？ Answer me that.’”
“‘难道不是有很大很高的价值吗？你们说吧。’”
“ ‘Yes.’”
“‘是呀。’”
“ ‘Of such great and high merit that， if an illustriousillustrious adj.杰出的 name were attached to them they would sell at splendid prices. Isnt it so？’”
“‘价值确实是大得很、高得很，如果能给它们安上一个大名鼎鼎的作者，那一定能卖到了不得的价钱。是不是这么回事？’”
“ ‘Certainly it is. Nobody doubts that.’”
“‘当然是这样的。谁也不会怀疑你这个说法。’”
“ ‘But—Im not joking—isnt it so？”
“‘可是——我并不是开玩笑——究竟我这话对不对呀？’”
“ ‘Why， of course its so—and we are not joking. But what of it. What of it？ How does that concern us？’”
“‘嗐，那当然是不错的——我们也并不是在开玩笑。可是那又怎么样？那又怎么样？那与我们有什么相干？’”
“ ‘In this way， comrades—well attach an illustrious name to them！’”
“‘我想这么办，伙计们——我们就给这些画硬安上一个大名鼎鼎的画家的名字！’”
“The lively conversation stopped. The faces were turned inquiringly upon Carl. What sort of riddle might this be？ Where was an illustrious name to be borrowed？ And who was to borrow it？”
“活跃的谈话停止了。大家怀疑地转过脸来望着卡尔。他葫芦里究竟卖的什么药呢？上哪儿去借来一个鼎鼎大名呢？叫谁去借呢？”
“Carl sat down， and said： ‘Now， I have a perfectly serious thing to propose. I think it is the only way to keep us out of the almshousealmshouse n.私立济贫院或养老院， 公立救济院， and I believe it to be a perfectly sure way. I base this opinion upon certain multitudinousmultitudinous adj.大量的， 群集的， 多种多样的 and longestablished facts in human history. I believe my project will make us all rich.’”
“卡尔坐下来，说道：‘现在我要提出一个一本正经的办法来。我认为我们要想不进游民收容所，就惟有走这条路，并且我还相信这是个十分有把握的办法。我这个意见是以人类历史上各色各样的、早已是大家公认的事实为根据的。我相信我这个计划一定能使我们大伙儿都发财。’”
“ ‘Rich！ Youve lost your mind.’”
“‘发财！你简直是发神经病。’”
“ ‘No， I havent.’”
“‘不，我可没发神经病。’”
“ ‘Yes， you have—youve lost your mind. What do you call rich？’”
“‘哼，还说没有！——你明明是发神经病了。你说怎么叫做发财？’”
“ ‘A hundred thousand francs apiece.’”
“‘每人十万法郎吧。’”
“ ‘He has lost his mind. I knew it.’”
“‘他的确是害神经病，我早就知道了。’”
“ ‘Yes， he has. Carl， privationprivation n.缺乏， 穷困， 丧失， 被剥夺了某物的状态 has been too much for you， and—’”
“‘是呀，他是有神经病。卡尔，实在也是叫你穷得太难受了，所以就……’”
“‘Carl， you want to take a pill and get right to bed.’”
“‘卡尔，你应该吃个药丸，马上到床上去躺着。’”
“‘Bandage him first—bandage his head， and then—’”
“‘先拿绷带给他捆上吧——捆上他的头，然后……’”
“ ‘No， bandage his heels， his brains have been settling for weeks—Ive noticed it.’”
“‘不对，捆上他的脚跟才行；这几个星期，他的脑子老在往脚底下坠，直想开小差哩——我已经看出来了。’”
“‘Shut up！’ said Millet， with ostensibleostensible adj.可公开得， （指理由等）表面的， 虚假的 severity， ‘And let the boy have his say. Now， then—come out with your project， Carl. What is it？’”
“‘住嘴！’米勒装出一副庄严的样子说，‘且让这孩子把他的话说完嘛。那么，好吧——卡尔，把你的计划说出来吧。究竟是怎么个妙计？’”
“ ‘Well， then， by way of preamble I will ask you to note this fact in human history that the merit of many a great artist has never been acknowledged until after he was starved and dead. This has happened so often that I make bold to found a law upon it. This law that the merit of every great unknown and neglected artist must and will be recognised and his pictures climb to high prices after his death. My project is this， we must cast lots—one of us must die.’”
“‘好吧，那么，我先来个开场白，请你们注意人类历史上这么一个事实：那就是有许多艺术家的才华都是一直到他们饿死了之后才被人赏识的。这种事情发生的次数太多了，我简直敢于根据它来创出一条定律。这个定律就是：每个无名的、没人理会的艺术家在他死后总会被人赏识，而且一定要等他死后才行，那时候他的画也就声价百倍了。我的计划是这样：我们一定要抽签——几个人当中有一个要死去才行。’”