发布时间 : 星期一 文章项链（英汉互译）更新完毕开始阅读cfa402d5b9f3f90f76c61ba1
“I'll go back all over the road and try to find it．”
He hurried out．She flung herself down in a chair，and remained there blankly，the very picture of despair．About seven o'clock he re- turned，empty-handed．Then he reported to the police and made inquiries among the cab companies，but all in vain．Madame Forestier's di- amond necklace seemed to have vanished into thin air．
“Write to your friend，”the husband said，“that you have injured the clasp of her necklace and that you are having it mended．We must have time to think over the matter．”
* * *
A week had passed without bringing them any spark of hope．Loisel，who now looked five years older，said，
“We'll have to replace the necklace．”
The next day they took the empty case to the jeweller's whose name they found inside the lid．He consulted his books．
“We did not sell the necklace．We only supplied the case．” They went from jeweller to jeweller，searching for a necklace like the one they had lost．At last，in a shop at the Palais Royal they found a diamond necklace exactly like Madame Forestier's．The price was forty thousand francs．The jeweller agreed to sell it for thirty-six． They begged him not to sell it for three days， and they got him to promise that he would buy it back for thirty-four thousand francs，in case they should find the lost necklace by the end of February．
He rushed for a loan to everybody， asking a thousand francs from one man，five hundred from another，five louis here，three louis there．He blindly signed promissory notes，agreed to unreasonable terms，even called on professional money- lenders．
At last he obtained the thirty-six thousand francs，but at the risk of his whole future．How could he hope to return so much money？And when？Crushing despair gnawed at his heart．
* * *
Madame Forestier received the necklace with an air of displeasure．
“You should have returned it sooner．I might need it at any moment．” Madame Loisel feared lest her friend should examine the necklace and notice the difference．However，Madame Forestier carelessly put the case away without looking at the contents?
* * *
Then came to the couple days，weeks and years of drudgery．They heroically resolved to pay the appalling debt by working hard．They quitted the flat and moved into a garret．They bought nothing except daily necessaries，which they tried to do without often enough．She learned to bargain with tradesmen，ready to quarrel for every son．Her daydreaming was replaced by a constant endeavour to pay her way．
Each month some of the promissory notes had to be renewed，only to gain time．The husband worked after office hours，keeping accounts for a tradesman，and late at night copying manuscripts at five sons a page． A new year came，followed by another andanother，and still they grubbed on，until ten years had flowed on．Their efforts were not in vain．At the end of that time they had managed to pay off everything，including interest at high rate．
Madame Loisel now looked older than her age．Her hair disheveled，her skirt turned to one side， her hands rough and hardened，the former sentimental，romantic woman had turned into a stout- hearted matron who had tasted the bitters of life．Now and then，however，when her husband was away at the office，she would sit by the window and think of the glory of that dance．What sort of woman would she be now，if she had not lost the necklace？Who knows？
One Sunday she went for a stroll in the Champs-Elysées to divert her mind from the labours of the week，when she caught sight of a lady with a child．It was Madame restier！
Madame Forestier looked as young，as beautiful， and as charming as ten years before．Madame Loisel felt her heart beat hard．Should she speak to her？Yes，of course．The debt had all been paid； she might tell her all about it．Why not？She went up to Madame Forestier．
“Hello，Jeanne！”
Her friend looked mystified，addressed by a poorly－dressed stranger：She had not recognized Madame Loisel．
“I'm afraid you've made a mistake．Sorry，but I don't know you，she said．
Jeanne！It's me—Mathilde Loisel．”
Madame Forestier uttered a cry of surprise．
“Oh，my poor Mathild！What's happened to you？You're quite a stranger！ “Yes， I've had a very hard time since then—and all through you！ “Through me！How can that be？”
“You remember the diamond necklace I borrowed from you to attend the dance at the Educa-10tion Office？”
“Yes，Well？” “Well，I lost it．”
“What makes you say so？You returned it to me．”
“What I returned to you was another one，exactly like it．And for the last ten years my husband and I have been working hard to pay for it．You know，it is hard for us poor people to pay thirty－six thousand francs．But don't worry！It's all over now．We've paid it in full．”
Madame Forestier stopped short．
“You say that you lost my necklace and bought a diamond necklace like mine to replace it？
“Yes．You've never noticed it，then！They were exactly alike．” Madame Forestier， deeply moved，seized bothher hands． “Oh， my poor Mathilde！What have you done？Why， mine was only imitation， not genuine！
* * *
“Then you don't think our ten years' labour wasted？”the husband asked．
“Wasted？Oh，no！ When you were at the office，I often sat by the window and wondered what sortof person I should be if I had not lost the necklace．Now I know my answer．”
“ I know your answer， my dear，the husbandsaid．
“Yes，it was the lost necklace that inspired us with courage，endurance and perseverance．But for that incident，I'd have remained a selfish，graceless， thankless person．Wasted？Oh，no！”
At that moment there came a knock at the door．Madame Loisel opened it，and found Madame Forestier standing there， her face radiant with smiles．
“Madame Forestier！”
“My dear Mathilde，I'm going on a tour tomorrow，”Madame Forestier hastily said．“Before I start，I want to make you a present of this necklace．Please accept it．”
Before Mathilde could say anything，Madame Forestier was gone．
项链
世上有些贫穷人家的姑娘，身段漂亮，相貌迷人，而且充满罗曼蒂克的想法。然而，尽管她们做着美丽浪漫的梦，却嫁给了平民百姓为妻。玛蒂尔德·卢瓦泽尔便是其中之一，她的丈夫只是教育部里的一名小职员。
一天晚上，她丈夫神采飞扬地回到家里。
“我有样好东西送给你，”他说道，递给她一个大信封。 她拆开信封，里面装着一张请柬，上面印着：
“教育部长乔治·朗蓬诺夫人敬请卢瓦泽尔先生及夫人光临1月18日星期一晚上在本部大楼举行的晚会。”
她似乎一点也不高兴，反而把请柬扔在桌上，没好气地说： “那跟我有啥关系？”