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"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (full novel), Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits - Part 5

Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits - Part 5

In came a fiddler with a music-book, and went up to the lofty desk, and made an orchestra of it, and tuned like fifty stomach-aches. In came Mrs. Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile. In came the three Miss Fezziwigs, beaming and lovable. In came the six young followers whose hearts they broke. In came all the young men and women employed in the business. In came the housemaid, with her cousin, the baker. In came the cook, with her brother's particular friend, the milkman. In came the boy from over the way, who was suspected of not having board enough from his master; trying to hide himself behind the girl from next door but one, who was proved to have had her ears pulled by her mistress. In they all came, one after another; some shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow. Away they all went, twenty couple at once; hands half round and back again the other way; down the middle and up again; round and round in various stages of affectionate grouping; old top couple always turning up in the wrong place; new top couple starting off again, as soon as they got there; all top couples at last, and not a bottom one to help them! When this result was brought about, old Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop the dance, cried out, “Well done!” and the fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot of porter, especially provided for that purpose. But scorning rest, upon his reappearance, he instantly began again, though there were no dancers yet, as if the other fiddler had been carried home, exhausted, on a shutter, and he were a bran-new man resolved to beat him out of sight, or perish.

There were more dances, and there were forfeits, and more dances, and there was cake, and there was negus, and there was a great piece of Cold Roast, and there was a great piece of Cold Boiled, and there were mince-pies, and plenty of beer. But the great effect of the evening came after the Roast and Boiled, when the fiddler (an artful dog, mind! The sort of man who knew his business better than you or I could have told it him!) struck up “Sir Roger de Coverley.” Then old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. Top couple, too; with a good stiff piece of work cut out for them; three or four and twenty pair of partners; people who were not to be trifled with; people who would dance, and had no notion of walking.

But if they had been twice as many—ah, four times—old Fezziwig would have been a match for them, and so would Mrs. Fezziwig. As to her, she was worthy to be his partner in every sense of the term. If that's not high praise, tell me higher, and I'll use it. A positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwig's calves. They shone in every part of the dance like moons. You couldn't have predicted, at any given time, what would have become of them next. And when old Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all through the dance; advance and retire, both hands to your partner, bow and curtsey, corkscrew, thread-the-needle, and back again to your place; Fezziwig “cut”—cut so deftly, that he appeared to wink with his legs, and came upon his feet again without a stagger.

When the clock struck eleven, this domestic ball broke up. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig took their stations, one on either side of the door, and shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas. When everybody had retired but the two 'prentices, they did the same to them; and thus the cheerful voices died away, and the lads were left to their beds; which were under a counter in the back-shop. During the whole of this time, Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits. His heart and soul were in the scene, and with his former self. He corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. It was not until now, when the bright faces of his former self and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered the Ghost, and became conscious that it was looking full upon him, while the light upon its head burnt very clear.

“A small matter,” said the Ghost, “to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.”

“Small!” echoed Scrooge.

The Spirit signed to him to listen to the two apprentices, who were pouring out their hearts in praise of Fezziwig: and when he had done so, said,

“Why! Is it not? He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?”

“It isn't that,” said Scrooge, heated by the remark, and speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter, self. “It isn't that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count 'em up: what then? The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

He felt the Spirit's glance, and stopped.


Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits - Part 5 Pauta Dois. O primeiro dos três Espíritos - Parte 5

In came a fiddler with a music-book, and went up to the lofty desk, and made an orchestra of it, and tuned like fifty stomach-aches. Entra un violoniste avec un livre de musique, et monta au bureau élevé, et en fit un orchestre, et accorda comme cinquante maux d'estomac. In came Mrs. Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile. Entra Mme Fezziwig, un vaste sourire substantiel. In came the three Miss Fezziwigs, beaming and lovable. Entrèrent les trois Miss Fezziwigs, rayonnantes et aimables. In came the six young followers whose hearts they broke. Entrèrent les six jeunes disciples dont ils brisèrent le cœur. In came all the young men and women employed in the business. In came the housemaid, with her cousin, the baker. Entra la femme de chambre, avec son cousin le boulanger. In came the cook, with her brother's particular friend, the milkman. Entra la cuisinière, avec l'ami particulier de son frère, le laitier. In came the boy from over the way, who was suspected of not having board enough from his master; trying to hide himself behind the girl from next door but one, who was proved to have had her ears pulled by her mistress. Entra le garçon d'en face, qu'on soupçonnait de ne pas avoir assez de pension de son maître ; essayant de se cacher derrière la fille d'à côté, mais une, dont il a été prouvé qu'elle s'était fait tirer les oreilles par sa maîtresse. In they all came, one after another; some shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow. Ils arrivèrent tous, l'un après l'autre ; certains timidement, certains hardiment, certains avec grâce, certains maladroitement, certains poussant, certains tirant ; ils sont tous venus, n'importe comment et n'importe comment. Away they all went, twenty couple at once; hands half round and back again the other way; down the middle and up again; round and round in various stages of affectionate grouping; old top couple always turning up in the wrong place; new top couple starting off again, as soon as they got there; all top couples at last, and not a bottom one to help them! Ils s'en allèrent tous, vingt couples à la fois ; les mains à moitié rondes et de nouveau dans l'autre sens; au milieu et en haut à nouveau ; rond et rond à divers stades de groupement affectueux; un vieux couple de premier plan qui arrive toujours au mauvais endroit ; nouveau top couple repartant, dès leur arrivée ; enfin tous les meilleurs couples, et pas un dernier pour les aider ! When this result was brought about, old Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop the dance, cried out, “Well done!” and the fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot of porter, especially provided for that purpose. Lorsque ce résultat fut obtenu, le vieux Fezziwig, frappant dans ses mains pour arrêter la danse, s'écria : « Bravo ! » et le violoneux plongeait son visage brûlant dans une marmite de porter, spécialement prévue à cet effet. But scorning rest, upon his reappearance, he instantly began again, though there were no dancers yet, as if the other fiddler had been carried home, exhausted, on a shutter, and he were a bran-new man resolved to beat him out of sight, or perish. Mais méprisant le repos, à sa réapparition, il reprit instantanément, bien qu'il n'y ait pas encore de danseurs, comme si l'autre violoniste avait été ramené à la maison, épuisé, sur un volet, et qu'il était un homme tout neuf résolu à le battre hors de vue ou périr.

There were more dances, and there were forfeits, and more dances, and there was cake, and there was negus, and there was a great piece of Cold Roast, and there was a great piece of Cold Boiled, and there were mince-pies, and plenty of beer. Il y avait plus de danses, et il y avait des forfaits, et plus de danses, et il y avait du gâteau, et il y avait du négus, et il y avait un grand morceau de Cold Roast, et il y avait un grand morceau de Cold Boiled, et il y avait des tartelettes , et beaucoup de bière. But the great effect of the evening came after the Roast and Boiled, when the fiddler (an artful dog, mind! Mais le grand effet de la soirée est venu après le Rôti et Bouilli, quand le violoneux (un chien astucieux, attention ! The sort of man who knew his business better than you or I could have told it him!) Le genre d'homme qui connaissait son affaire mieux que toi ou que j'aurais pu lui dire !) struck up “Sir Roger de Coverley.” Then old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. entonna « Sir Roger de Coverley ». Puis le vieux Fezziwig s'est distingué pour danser avec Mme Fezziwig. Top couple, too; with a good stiff piece of work cut out for them; three or four and twenty pair of partners; people who were not to be trifled with; people who would dance, and had no notion of walking. Top couple, aussi; avec un bon travail raide taillé pour eux; trois ou quatre et vingt paires de partenaires; des gens qu'il ne fallait pas prendre à la légère ; des gens qui dansaient et n'avaient aucune idée de la marche.

But if they had been twice as many—ah, four times—old Fezziwig would have been a match for them, and so would Mrs. Fezziwig. Mais s'ils avaient été deux fois plus nombreux – ah, quatre fois – le vieux Fezziwig aurait été un match pour eux, et Mme Fezziwig aussi. As to her, she was worthy to be his partner in every sense of the term. Quant à elle, elle était digne d'être sa compagne dans tous les sens du terme. If that's not high praise, tell me higher, and I'll use it. Si ce n'est pas un éloge, dis-le-moi plus haut et je l'utiliserai. A positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwig's calves. Une lumière positive semblait sortir des mollets de Fezziwig. They shone in every part of the dance like moons. Ils brillaient dans chaque partie de la danse comme des lunes. You couldn't have predicted, at any given time, what would have become of them next. Vous n'auriez pu prédire, à aucun moment, ce qu'ils seraient devenus ensuite. And when old Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all through the dance; advance and retire, both hands to your partner, bow and curtsey, corkscrew, thread-the-needle, and back again to your place; Fezziwig “cut”—cut so deftly, that he appeared to wink with his legs, and came upon his feet again without a stagger. Et quand le vieux Fezziwig et Mme Fezziwig avaient fait tout le bal ; avancez et retirez-vous, les deux mains à votre partenaire, salut et révérence, tire-bouchon, enfilez l'aiguille et revenez à votre place ; Fezziwig «coupa»—coupa si habilement qu'il parut faire un clin d'œil avec ses jambes et se remit sur ses pieds sans chanceler.

When the clock struck eleven, this domestic ball broke up. Lorsque l'horloge sonna onze heures, ce bal domestique s'effondra. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig took their stations, one on either side of the door, and shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas. M. et Mme Fezziwig ont pris leurs postes, un de chaque côté de la porte, et serrant la main de chaque personne individuellement en sortant, lui ont souhaité un joyeux Noël. When everybody had retired but the two 'prentices, they did the same to them; and thus the cheerful voices died away, and the lads were left to their beds; which were under a counter in the back-shop. Quand tout le monde fut à la retraite, sauf les deux apprentis, ils leur firent de même ; et ainsi les voix gaies moururent, et les garçons restèrent au lit ; qui étaient sous un comptoir dans l'arrière-boutique. During the whole of this time, Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits. Pendant tout ce temps, Scrooge avait agi comme un homme fou. His heart and soul were in the scene, and with his former self. Son cœur et son âme étaient dans la scène, et avec son ancien moi. He corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. Il corroborait tout, se souvenait de tout, savourait tout et subissait la plus étrange agitation. It was not until now, when the bright faces of his former self and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered the Ghost, and became conscious that it was looking full upon him, while the light upon its head burnt very clear. Ce n'est que maintenant, lorsque les visages brillants de son ancien moi et de Dick s'étaient détournés d'eux, qu'il se souvint du fantôme et devint conscient qu'il le regardait complètement, tandis que la lumière sur sa tête brûlait très clairement.

“A small matter,” said the Ghost, “to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.” « Une petite affaire », dit le fantôme, « de rendre ces gens stupides si pleins de gratitude. »

“Small!” echoed Scrooge.

The Spirit signed to him to listen to the two apprentices, who were pouring out their hearts in praise of Fezziwig: and when he had done so, said, L'Esprit lui fit signe d'écouter les deux apprentis, qui répandaient leur cœur à la louange de Fezziwig : et quand il l'eut fait, dit :

“Why! Is it not? He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four perhaps. Il n'a dépensé que quelques livres de votre argent mortel : trois ou quatre peut-être. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?” Est-ce à ce point qu'il mérite cet éloge ? »

“It isn't that,” said Scrooge, heated by the remark, and speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter, self. "Ce n'est pas ça", a déclaré Scrooge, chauffé par la remarque, et parlant inconsciemment comme son ancien, pas son dernier, lui-même. “It isn't that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Il a le pouvoir de nous rendre heureux ou malheureux ; pour rendre notre service léger ou lourd ; un plaisir ou un labeur. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count 'em up: what then? Dites que son pouvoir réside dans les mots et les regards ; dans des choses si légères et insignifiantes qu'il est impossible de les additionner et de les compter : quoi alors ? The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.” Le bonheur qu'il donne est aussi grand que s'il coûtait une fortune.

He felt the Spirit's glance, and stopped. Il sentit le regard de l'Esprit et s'arrêta.