“ ‘The remark fell so calmly and so unexpectedly that we almost forgot to jump. Then there was a wild chorus of advice again—medical advice—for the help of Carls brain， but he waited patiently for the hilarityhilarity n.欢闹 to calm down， and then went on again with his project：‘Yes， one of us must die， to save the others—and himself. We will cast lots. The one chosen shall be illustrious， all of us shall be rich. Hold still， now—hold still， dont interrupt—I tell you I know what I am talking about. Here is the idea. During the next three months the one who is to die shall paint with all his might， enlarge his stock all he can—not pictures， no！ skeleton sketches， studies， parts of studies， fragments of studies， a dozen dabs of the brush on each—meaningless， of course， but his， with his cipher on them， turn out fifty a day， each to contain some peculiaritypeculiarity n.特性， 怪癖 or mannerism easily detectable as his—theyre the things that sell， you know， and are collected at fabulous prices for the worlds museums， after the great man is gone， well have a ton of them ready—a ton！ And all that time the rest of us will be busy supporting the moribundmoribund adj.垂死的 n.垂死的人， and working Paris and the dealers—preparations for the coming event， you know， and when everything is hot and just right， well spring the death on them and have the notorious funeral. You get the idea？’”
“他的话说得满不在乎，也完全出人意外，所以我们几乎忘记惊跳起来。随后，大家又大声叫嚷，纷纷提出办法——治病的办法——帮卡尔治他的脑子；可是他耐心地等着大家这一场穷开心平静下来，然后才继续说他的计划：‘是呀，我们反正得死一个人，为的是救其余的几个——也救他自己。我们可以抽签。抽中的一个就会一举成名，我们大家都会发财。好好儿听着嘛，喂——好好儿听着嘛；别插嘴——我敢说我并不是在这儿胡说八道。我的主意是这样的：在今后这三个月里，被选定要死的那一位就拼命地画，尽量积存画稿——并不要正式的画，不用！只要画些写生的草稿就行，随便弄些习作，没有画完的习作，随便勾几笔的习作也行，每张上面用彩色画笔涂它几下——当然是毫无意义的，反正总是他画的，要题上作者的名字；每天画它五十来张，每张上面都叫它带上点儿特点或是派头，让人容易看出是他的作品……你们都知道，就是这些东西最能卖钱。在这位伟大画家去世之后，大家就会出大得叫人不相信的价钱来替世界各地的博物馆搜购这些杰作；我们就给准备一大堆这样的作品——一大堆！在这段时间里，我们其余的人就要忙着给这位将死的画家拼命鼓吹，并且在巴黎和在那些商人身上下一番工夫——这是给那桩未来的事件做的准备工夫，知道吧；等到一切都布置就绪，趁着热火朝天的时候，我们就向他们突然宣布画家的死讯，举行一个热闹的丧礼。你们明白这个主意吗？’”
“ ‘No， at least， not qu—’”
“‘不——大明白；至少是还不十分……’”
“ ‘Not quite？ Dont you see？ The man doesnt really die， he changes his name and vanishes， we bury a dummydummy n.哑巴， 傀儡， 假人， 假货 adj.虚拟的， 假的，虚构的 n.[计］ 哑元， and cry over it， with all the world to help. And I—’”
“‘还不十分明白？这还不懂？那个人并不要真的死去；他只要改名换姓，销声匿迹就行了；我们弄个假人一埋，大家假装哭一场，叫全世界的人也陪着哭吧。我……’”
“But he wasnt allowed to finish. Everybody broke out into a rousing hurrah of applause， and all jumped up and capered about the room and fell on each others necks in transports of gratitude and joy. For hours we talked over the great plan， without ever feeling hungry， and at last， when all the details had been arranged satisfactorily， we cast lots and Millet was elected—elected to die， as we called it. Then we scraped together those things which one never parts with until he is betting them against future wealth—keepsake trinkets and suchlikesuchlike pron.这样的人或物 adj.像这样的， 诸如此类的—and these we pawned for enough to furnish us a frugal farewell supper and breakfast， and leave us a few francs over for travel， and a stake of turnips and such for Millet to live on for a few days.”
“可是大家根本没有让他把话说完。每个人都爆发出一阵欢呼，连声称妙；大家都跳起来，在屋子里蹦来蹦去，彼此互相拥抱，欢天喜地地表示感激和愉快。我们把这个伟大的计划一连谈了好几个钟头，简直连肚子都不觉得饿了。最后，一切详细办法都安排得很满意了的时候，我们就举行抽签，结果选定了米勒——选定他死，这是照我们的说法。于是我们大家把那些非到最后关头舍不得拿出来的小东西——作纪念的小装饰品之类——凑到一起，这些东西，只有一个人到了无可奈何的时候，才肯拿来做赌注，企图一本万利地发个财。我们把它们当掉，当来的钱勉强够我们俭省地吃一顿告别的晚餐和早餐，只留下了几个法郎作出门的用度，还给米勒买了一点萝卜之类，够他吃几天的。”
“Next morning， early， the three of us cleared out， straightway after breakfast—on foot， of course. Each of us carried a dozen of Millets small pictures， purposing to market them. Carl struck for Paris， where he would start the work of building up Millets name against the coming great day. Claude and I were to separate， and scatter abroad over France.”
“第二天一清早，我们三个人刚吃完早饭就分途出发——当然是靠两条腿喽。每人都带着十几张米勒的小画，打算把它们卖掉。卡尔朝着巴黎那边走，他要到那儿去开始下一番工夫，替米勒把名声鼓吹起来，好给后来的那个伟大的日子做好准备。克劳德和我决定各走一条路，都到法国各地乱跑一场。”
“Now， it will surprise you to know what an easy and comfortable thing we had. I walked two days before I began business. Then I began to sketch a villa in the outskirts of a big town—because I saw the proprietor standing on an upper verandaveranda n.阳台， 走廊。 He came down to look on—I thought he would. I worked swiftly， intending to keep him interested. Occasionally he fired off a little ejaculationejaculation n.突然说出， 射精， 射出 of approbationapprobation n.官方批准， 认可， 嘉许， and byandby he spoke up with enthusiasm， and said I was a master！”
“这以后，我们的遭遇之顺利和痛快，真要叫你听了大吃一惊。我走了两天，才开始干起来。我在一个大城市的郊外开始给一座别墅写生——因为我看见别墅的主人站在楼上的阳台上。于是他下来看我画——我也料到了他会来。我画得很快，故意吸引他的兴趣。他偶尔不由自主地说一两句称赞的话，后来就越说越带劲了，他简直说我是一位大画家！”
“I put down my brush， reached into my satchel， fetched out a Millet， and pointed to the cipher in the corner. I said， proudly， ‘I suppose you recognise that？ Well， he taught me！ I should think I ought to know my trade！’”
“我把画笔搁下，伸手到皮包里取出一张米勒的作品来，指着角上的签名，怪得意地说：‘我想你当然认识这个喽？嗨，他就是我的老师！所以你是应该懂得这一行的！’”
“The man looked guiltily embarrassed， and was silent. I said sorrowfully： ‘You dont mean to intimate that you dont know the cipher of Francois Millet！’”
“这位先生好像犯了什么罪似的，显得局促不安，没有作声。我很惋惜地说：‘你想必不是说连法朗斯瓦·米勒的签名都认不出来吧！’”
“Of course he didnt know that cipher， but he was the gratefullest man you ever saw， just the same， for being let out of an uncomfortable place on such easy terms.” He said.“‘No！ Why， it is Millets， sure enough！ I dont know what I could have been thinking of. Of course I recognise it now.’”
“他当然是不认得那个签名的；但是不管怎么样，他处在那样窘的境地，居然让我这么轻轻放过，他是感激不尽的。他说：“‘怎么会认不出来！嗨，的确是米勒的嘛，一点也不错！我刚才也不知想什么来着。现在我当然认出来了。’”
“Next， he wanted to buy it， but I said that although I wasnt rich I wasnt that poor. However， at last， I let him have it for eight hundred francs.”
“随后他就要买这张画；可是我说我虽然不怎么有钱，可也并没有穷到那个地步。不过后来我还是让他拿八百法郎买去了。”
“Eight hundred！”
“八百法郎！”
“Yes. Millet would have sold it for a pork choppork chop n.猪排。 Yes， I got eight hundred francs for that little thing. I wish I could get it back for eighty thousand. But that times gone by. I made a very nice picture of that mans house and I wanted to offer it to him for ten francs， but that wouldnt answer， seeing I was the pupil of such a master， so I sold it to him for a hundred. I sent the eight hundred francs straight to Millet from that town and struck out again next day.”