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An outburst of shouts interrupted him; thousands of hats rose in the air; four gentlemen dressed in black got into the first carriage.
歡呼的聲音自四方起來，數干的帽子高高舉起了。著黑眼的四個紳士乘人最前列的馬車。
Then he said softly, "Madonna mia, how gray he has grown!"
。過了一會兒，才徐徐地重新開口說：“呀！頭發白了！”
We all three uncovered our heads; the carriage advanced slowly through the crowd, who shouted and waved their hats. I looked at the elder Coretti. He seemed to me another man; he seemed to have become taller, graver, rather pale, and fastened bolt upright against the pillar.
我們三人除了帽子，馬車徐徐地在群眾的歡呼聲中前進。我看那柴店主人時，他好像全然換了一個人了，身體伸得長長的，臉色凝重而帶蒼白，柱子似的直立著。
The carriage arrived in front of us, a pace distant from the pillar. "Hurrah!" shouted many voices.
馬車行近我們，到了離那柱子一步的距離了。“萬歲！”群眾歡呼。
"Hurrah!" shouted Coretti, after the others.
“萬歲！”柴店主人在群眾歡呼以后，獨自叫喊。
The King glanced at his face, and his eye dwelt for a moment on his three medals.
國王向他看，眼睛在他那三個勛章上注視了一會。
Then Coretti lost his head, and roared, "The fourth battalion of the forty-ninth!"
柴店主人忘了一切！“四十九聯隊四大隊！”他這樣叫。
The King, who had turned away, turned towards us again, and looking Coretti straight in the eye, reached his hand out of the carriage.
國王原已向了別處了的，重新回向我們，注視著老可萊諦，從馬車里伸出手來。
Coretti gave one leap forwards and clasped it. The carriage passed on; the crowd broke in and separated us; we lost sight of the elder Coretti. But it was only for a moment. We found him again directly, panting, with wet eyes, calling for his son by name, and holding his hand on high. His son flew towards him, and he said, "Here, little one, while my hand is still warm!" and he passed his hand over the boy's face, saying, "This is a caress from the King."
老可萊諦飛跑過去，緊握國王的手。馬車過去了，群眾擁攏來把我們擠散。老可萊諦一時不見了。可是這不過是剎那間的事，稍過了一會兒，又看見他了。他喘著氣，眼睛紅紅地，舉起手，在喊他兒子。兒子就跑近他去。“快！趁我手還熱著的時候！”他說著將手按在兒子臉上，“國王握過了我的手呢！”
And there he stood, as though in a dream, with his eyes fixed on the distant carriage, smiling, with his pipe in his hand, in the centre of a group of curious people, who were staring at him. "He's one of the fourth battalion of the forty-ninth!" they said. "He is a soldier that knows the King." "And the King recognized him." "And he offered him his hand." "He gave the King a petition," said one, more loudly.
他夢也似的茫然目送那已走遠了的馬車，站在驚異地向他瞠視的群眾中。群眾紛紛在說：“這人是在四十九聯隊四大隊待過的。”“他是軍人，和國王認識的。”“國王還沒忘記他呢，所以向他伸出手來。”最后有一人高聲地說：“他把不知什么的請愿書遞給了國王哩。”
"No," replied Coretti, whirling round abruptly; "I did not give him any petition. There is something else that I would give him, if he were to ask it of me."
“不！”老可萊諦不覺回頭來說，“我并不提出什么請愿書。國王有用得到我的時候，無論何時，我另外預備著可以貢獻的東西哩！”
They all stared at him·.
大家都張了眼看他。
And he said simply, "My blood."
“那就是這熱血啊！”他自豪地說。
