Stave Five - The End of It - Part 1

STAVE  FIVE.

THE END OF IT.

Yes! and the bedpost was his own. et le montant du lit était le sien. The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in!

“I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!” Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. « Je vivrai dans le passé, le présent et le futur ! » répéta Scrooge en se précipitant hors du lit. “The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. « Les Esprits de tous les Trois lutteront en moi. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! Le ciel, et le temps de Noël soit loué pour cela ! I say it on my knees, old Jacob; on my knees!”

He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call. Il était si agité et si rayonnant de ses bonnes intentions, que sa voix brisée répondrait à peine à son appel. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears. Il avait sangloté violemment dans son conflit avec l'Esprit, et son visage était trempé de larmes.

“They are not torn down,” cried Scrooge, folding one of his bed-curtains in his arms, “they are not torn down, rings and all. « Ils ne sont pas arrachés, s'écria Scrooge en repliant un des rideaux de son lit dans ses bras, ils ne sont pas arrachés, bagues et tout. They are here—I am here—the shadows of the things that would have been, may be dispelled. Ils sont ici – je suis ici – les ombres des choses qui auraient été, peuvent être dissipées. They will be. I know they will!”

His hands were busy with his garments all this time; turning them inside out, putting them on upside down, tearing them, mislaying them, making them parties to every kind of extravagance. Ses mains s'occupaient de ses vêtements pendant tout ce temps ; les retourner, les mettre à l'envers, les déchirer, les égarer, les faire participer à toutes sortes d'extravagances.

“I don't know what to do!” cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoön of himself with his stockings. « Je ne sais pas quoi faire ! » cria Scrooge en riant et en pleurant dans le même souffle ; et se faisant un Laocoon parfait avec ses bas. “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. « Je suis léger comme une plume, je suis heureux comme un ange, je suis joyeux comme un écolier. I am as giddy as a drunken man. Je suis aussi étourdi qu'un homme ivre. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world. Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!”

He had frisked into the sitting-room, and was now standing there: perfectly winded. Il avait fouillé dans le salon et s'y tenait maintenant : parfaitement essoufflé.

“There's the saucepan that the gruel was in!” cried Scrooge, starting off again, and going round the fireplace. « Voilà la casserole dans laquelle se trouvait le gruau ! » cria Scrooge en repartant et en faisant le tour de la cheminée. “There's the door, by which the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered! There's the corner where the Ghost of Christmas Present, sat! There's the window where I saw the wandering Spirits! It's all right, it's all true, it all happened. Ha ha ha!”

Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. Vraiment, pour un homme qui avait manqué d'entraînement depuis tant d'années, c'était un rire splendide, un rire des plus illustres. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs! Le père d'une longue, longue lignée de rires brillants !

“I don't know what day of the month it is!” said Scrooge. “I don't know how long I've been among the Spirits. I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Never mind. I don't care. I'd rather be a baby. Hallo! Whoop! Hallo here!”

He was checked in his transports by the churches ringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. Il fut stoppé dans ses transports par les églises qui sonnaient les carillons les plus vigoureux qu'il eût jamais entendus. Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Choc, cliquetis, marteau ; ding, dong, cloche. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash! Oh, glorious, glorious!

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Pas de brouillard, pas de brume ; clair, brillant, jovial, émouvant, froid; froid, sifflant pour que le sang danse; Soleil doré; Ciel céleste; air frais et doux; joyeuses cloches. Oh, glorious! Glorious!

“What's to-day!” cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him. "Quel jour sommes-nous!" s'écria Scrooge en appelant de haut en bas un garçon en habits du dimanche, qui s'était peut-être traîné pour regarder autour de lui. “Eh?” returned the boy, with all his might of wonder. «                                                                                                                                   . reprit le garçon, de toute sa puissance d'émerveillement.

“What's to-day, my fine fellow?” said Scrooge. “To-day!” replied the boy. “Why, Christmas Day.”

“It's Christmas Day!” said Scrooge to himself. “I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!”

“Hallo!” returned the boy.

“Do you know the Poulterer's, in the next street but one, at the corner?” Scrooge inquired. “I should hope I did,” replied the lad.

“An intelligent boy!” said Scrooge. “A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there?—Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?” Savez-vous s'ils ont vendu le prix Turquie qui était accroché là ? — Pas le petit prix Turquie : le grand ? “What, the one as big as me?” returned the boy.

“What a delightful boy!” said Scrooge. “It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!” Oui, mon argent !

“It's hanging there now,” replied the boy. “Is it?” said Scrooge. “Go and buy it.”

“Walk-er!” exclaimed the boy. "Marcheur!" s'exclama le garçon.