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LESSON 22 The glove and the lions
第二十二课 狮子和手套的故事
King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport; and one day, as his lions fought, sat looking on the court. The nobles filled the benches round, the ladies by their side; and amongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed: and truly it was a gallant thing to see that crowning show—valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.
弗朗西斯国王十分健壮并热爱皇室运动。有一天，国王坐在角斗场上观看狮子大战，贵族成员们则挨着自己的夫人围坐在长凳上，其中就有罗基伯爵，他不禁感叹道：能看到如此精彩的比赛真是大快人心啊——有勇敢和爱的交织，有高高在上观看比赛的国王，有赛场上凶猛对决的皇室驯兽。
Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws. They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws. With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another, till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother. The bloody foam above the bars came whizzing through the air; said Francis then, "Truth, gentlemen, we are better here than there!"
狮子们后脚蹬着地不停咆哮、大张着血嘴极其恐怖。它们相互撕咬着、怒视着对方，出爪如电光火石般迅速，利爪一出，猛地带动一阵旋风。它们缠在一起撕咬着，使尽全身翻滚的力气并发出令人窒息的咆哮，直到连所有堆着沙子和狮毛的深坑都感到了雷鸣般的窒息。血腥逐渐越过护栏在空气中弥漫着，弗朗西斯国王说道，“先生们，坐在这里的我们确实比角斗场上的它们文明多了！”
De Lorge's love o'erheard the king—a beauteous lively dame, with smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same. She thought, "The count, my lover, is as brave as brave can be: he surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me. —King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine! I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine!"
罗基伯爵身旁的女子无意中听到国王的话——那是一个美丽活泼的贵妇人，一张笑唇总是如眼睛般尖锐明亮。她说道，“我的伯爵，我的爱人，也是同样骁勇无比的，他愿意做任何事情来彰显对我的爱。国王殿下，伯爵们，夫人们，大家看好了，这将会是神圣的一刻！我将丢出我的手套来一试伯爵对我的爱，全世界最大的荣耀都尽归于我！”
She dropped her glove to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled: he bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild. The leap was quick, return was quick; he had regained his place: then threw the glove—but not with love—right in the lady's face!
她向角斗场中抛出自己的手套，之后转过头微笑着盯着她的伯爵：只见伯爵鞠了一躬，随即纵身跃入狮子群当中。他动作很快，转瞬间已经回到原地。之后，只见伯爵将手套无情地甩到了妇人脸上。
"In truth," cried Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat. "Not love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that!"
“不错”弗朗西斯国王大声叫喊着，“做得好！”国王从座位上站起来。“不是爱，”他接着说道，“而是虚荣心，给爱施加了此种测试！”
