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lavengro-第38部分

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'Ha; ha!' cried the woman; who had hitherto sat knitting; at the 

farther end of the tent; without saying a word; though not 

inattentive to our conversation; as I could perceive by certain 

glances which she occasionally cast upon us both。  'Ha; ha!' she 

screamed; fixing upon me two eyes; which shone like burning coals; 

and which were filled with an expression both of scorn and 

malignity; 'It is wonderful; is it; that we should have a language 

of our own?  What; you grudge the poor people the speech they talk 

among themselves?  That's just like you gorgios; you would have 

everybody stupid; single…tongued idiots; like yourselves。  We are 

taken before the Poknees of the gav; myself and sister; to give an 

account of ourselves。  So I says to my sister's little boy; 

speaking Rommany; I says to the little boy who is with us; Run to 

my son Jasper; and the rest; and tell them to be off; there are 

hawks abroad。  So the Poknees questions us; and lets us go; not 

being able to make anything of us; but; as we are going; he calls 

us back。  〃Good woman;〃 says the Poknees; 〃what was that I heard 

you say just now to the little boy?〃  〃I was telling him; your 

worship; to go and see the time of day; and to save trouble; I said 

it in our language。〃  〃Where did you get that language?〃 says the 

Poknees。  〃'Tis our own language; sir;〃 I tells him; 〃we did not 

steal it。〃  〃Shall I tell you what it is; my good woman?〃 says the 

Poknees。  〃I would thank you; sir;〃 says I; 〃for 'tis often we are 

asked about it。〃  〃Well; then;〃 says the Poknees; 〃it is no 

language at all; merely a made…up gibberish。〃  〃Oh; bless your 

wisdom;〃 says I; with a curtsey; 〃you can tell us what our language 

is; without understanding it!〃  Another time we meet a parson。  

〃Good woman;〃 says he; 〃what's that you are talking?  Is it broken 

language?〃  〃Of course; your reverence;〃 says I; 〃we are broken 

people; give a shilling; your reverence; to the poor broken woman。〃  

Oh; these gorgios! they grudge us our very language!'



'She called you her son; Jasper?'



'I am her son; brother。'



'I thought you said your parents were … '



'Bitchadey pawdel; you thought right; brother。  This is my wife's 

mother。'



'Then you are married; Jasper?'



'Ay; truly; I am husband and father。  You will see wife and chabo 

anon。'



'Where are they now?'



'In the gav; penning dukkerin。'



'We were talking of language; Jasper?'



'True; brother。'



'Yours must be a rum one?'



''Tis called Rommany。'



'I would gladly know it。'



'You need it sorely。'



'Would you teach it me?'



'None sooner。'



'Suppose we begin now?'



'Suppose we do; brother。'



'Not whilst I am here;' said the woman; flinging her knitting down; 

and starting upon her feet; 'not whilst I am here shall this gorgio 

learn Rommany。  A pretty manoeuvre; truly; and what would be the 

end of it?  I goes to the farming ker with my sister; to tell a 

fortune; and earn a few sixpences for the chabes。  I sees a jolly 

pig in the yard; and I says to my sister; speaking Rommany; 〃Do so 

and so;〃 says I; which the farming man hearing; asks what we are 

talking about。 〃Nothing at all; master;〃 says I; 〃something about 

the weather〃; when who should start up from behind a pale; where he 

has been listening; but this ugly gorgio; crying out; 〃They are 

after poisoning your pigs; neighbour!〃 so that we are glad to run; 

I and my sister; with perhaps the farm…engro shouting after us。  

Says my sister to me; when we have got fairly off; 〃How came that 

ugly one to know what you said to me?〃  Whereupon I answers; 〃It 

all comes of my son Jasper; who brings the gorgio to our fire; and 

must needs be teaching him。〃  〃Who was fool there?〃 says my sister。  

〃Who; indeed; but my son Jasper;〃 I answers。  And here should I be 

a greater fool to sit still and suffer it; which I will not do。  I 

do not like the look of him; he looks over…gorgeous。  An ill day to 

the Romans when he masters Rommany; and; when I says that; I pens a 

true dukkerin。'



'What do you call God; Jasper?'



'You had better be jawing;' said the woman; raising her voice to a 

terrible scream; 'you had better be moving off; my gorgio; hang you 

for a keen one; sitting there by the fire; and stealing my language 

before my face。  Do you know whom you have to deal with?  Do you 

know that I am dangerous?  My name is Herne; and I comes of the 

hairy ones!'



And a hairy one she looked!  She wore her hair clubbed upon her 

head; fastened with many strings and ligatures; but now; tearing 

these off; her locks; originally jet black; but now partially 

grizzled with age; fell down on every side of her; covering her 

face and back as far down as her knees。  No she…bear of Lapland 

ever looked more fierce and hairy than did that woman; as standing 

in the open part of the tent; with her head bent down; and her 

shoulders drawn up; seemingly about to precipitate herself upon me; 

she repeated; again and again; …



'My name is Herne; and I comes of the hairy ones! … '



'I call God Duvel; brother。'



'It sounds very like Devil。'



'It doth; brother; it doth。'



'And what do you call divine; I mean godly?'



'Oh!  I call that duvelskoe。'



'I am thinking of something; Jasper。'



'What are you thinking of; brother?'



'Would it not be a rum thing if divine and devilish were originally 

one and the same word?'



'It would; brother; it would … '



。 。 。



From this time I had frequent interviews with Jasper; sometimes in 

his tent; sometimes on the heath; about which we would roam for 

hours; discoursing on various matters。  Sometimes; mounted on one 

of his horses; of which he had several; I would accompany him to 

various fairs and markets in the neighbourhood; to which he went on 

his own affairs; or those of his tribe。  I soon found that I had 

become acquainted with a most singular people; whose habits and 

pursuits awakened within me the highest interest。  Of all connected 

with them; however; their language was doubtless that which 

exercised the greatest influence over my imagination。  I had at 

first some suspicion that it would prove a mere made…up gibberish; 

but I was soon undeceived。  Broken; corrupted; and half in ruins as 

it was; it was not long before I found that it was an original 

speech; far more so; indeed; than one or two others of high name 

and celebrity; which; up to that time; I had been in the habit of 

regarding with respect and veneration。  Indeed many obscure points 

connected with the vocabulary of these languages; and to which 

neither classic nor modern lore afforded any clue; I thought I 

could now clear up by means of this strange broken tongue; spoken 

by people who dwelt amongst thickets and furze bushes; in tents as 

tawny as their faces; and whom the generality of mankind 

designated; and with much semblance of just
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