LESSON 74 DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND
第七十四课 砖石切砖石
Mansour, the Egyptian merchant, one day repaired to the cadi on account of a suit, the issue of which troubled him but little.
埃及商人曼苏尔由于一桩诉讼案子的缘故,去找地方法官,争论的问题多少令他感到棘手。
A private conversation with the judge had given him hopes of the justice of his cause.
与法官私下进行的谈话,给他带来了公正判决的希望。
The old man asked his son Omar to accompany him in order to accustom him early to deal with the law.
这位老人之所以让儿子奥马尔陪他去,是为了让他尽早养成运用法律的习惯。
The cadi was seated in the courtyard of the mosque.
那位下级法官坐在清真寺的院子里。
He was a fat, good-looking man, who never thought, and talked little,
他体态肥胖,不过相貌不错,此人从不动脑子,也很少开口说话,
which, added to his large turban and his air of perpetual astonishment, gave him a great reputation for justice and gravity.
使得他那块很大的包头巾和他的外表平添了一种始终令人惊愕的神情,赋予他公正和庄严的好名声。
The spectators were numerous; the principal merchants were seated on the ground on carpets, forming a semicircle around the magistrate.
旁观者为数甚众;商人们坐在四周的地毯上,成半圆形围着地方法官。
Mansour took his seat a little way from the sheik, and Omar placed himself between the two.
曼苏尔的座位离教长稍远,而奥马尔在两者之间。
his curiosity strongly excited to see how the law was obeyed, and how it was trifled with in case of need.
他的好奇心强烈地驱使着他凝神注视着,他想看看法律是如何得到遵守的,如果必要又是如何被轻视的。
The first case called was that of a young Banian, as yellow as an orange, with loose flowing robes and an effeminate air, who had lately landed from India,
审理的第一件案子是关于一位年轻的印度商人,此人肤色黄得如同柑橘,穿了一件宽松下垂的长袍,一副柔弱的样子。他不久前从印度来到此地,
and who complained of having been cheated by one of Mansour's rivals.
指控说被曼苏尔的一位竞争对手骗了。