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At the end of ten years everything was paid off. Madame Loisel looked old now.
十年之末，他俩居然还清了全部债务。骆塞尔太太像是老了。
She had become like all the other strong, hard, coarse women of poor households.
她已经变成了贫苦人家的强健粗硬而且耐苦的妇人了。
Sometimes, she thought of that evening long ago, of the ball at which she had been so beautiful and so much admired.
有时她回想从前的那个晚会，那个跳舞会，在那里，她当时是那样美貌，那样快活。
What would have happened if she had never lost those jewels? Who knows?
倘若当时没有失掉那件首饰，她现在会走到什么样的境界？谁知道？谁知道？
One Sunday, as she was out for a walk, she caught sight of Madame Forestier still young and beautiful.
某一个星期日，她正出门上街，这时候忽然看见了伏来士洁太太，她始终是年轻的，始终是美貌的。
She went up to her. 'Good morning, Jeanne.'
她向伏来士洁太太走去：“早安，约翰妮。”
Madame Forestier no longer recognized her.
伏来士洁太太竟一点儿也不认识她了。
'But... Madame ...' she stammered. 'I don't know you ... you must be making a mistake.'
她支支吾吾地说：“不过……这位太太！……我不知道……大概应当是您弄错了。”
'No ... I am Mathilde Loisel.'
“没有错。我是玛蒂尔德·骆塞尔呀。”
Her friend uttered a cry. 'Oh!... my poor Mathilde, how you have changed!...'
她朋友狂叫了一声：“噢！……可怜的玛蒂尔蒂·骆塞尔，你真变了样子！……”
'Yes, I've had some hard times since I saw you last... all on your account?.'
“对呀，我过了许多很艰苦的日子，自从我上一次见过你以后；并且种种苦楚都是为了你！……”
'On my account!... How was that?'
为了我……这是怎样一回事？”
'You remember the diamond necklace you lent me for the ball at the Ministry?'
“从前，你不是借了一串金刚钻项链给我到部里参加晚会，现在，你可还记得？”
'Yes. Well?'
“记得，怎样呢？”
'Well, I lost it, so I bought you another one just like it.
“怎样，我丢了那串东西，我给你买了另外一串完全相同的项链。
And for the last ten years we have been paying for it. You realize it wasn't easy for us; we had no money...'
到现在，我们花了十年工夫才付清这笔钱。像我们什么也没有的人，你明白这件事是不容易的，我们没有钱……”
Madame Forestier had halted. 'You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?'
伏来士洁太太停住了脚步：“你可是说从前买了一串金刚钻项链来赔偿我的那一串？”
'Yes. You hadn't noticed it? They were very much alike.' She smiled in happiness.
“对呀，你从前简直没有看出来，是吗？那两串东西原是完全相同的。”
Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took her two hands.
伏来士洁太太很受感动，抓住了她两只手。
'Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs!...'
“唉，可怜的玛蒂尔蒂，不过我那一串本是假的，顶多值得五百法郎！……”
