Summary of works
Ball of Suet is a ***. During the Franco-Prussian War, the German army occupied the city of Rouen. Like many others, Ball-of-Fat decided to leave Rouen in a carriage. Also leaving with her were Mr. Bird, the owner of the wine wholesale shop, and his wife, the cotton mill owners Carre-Lamadon and his wife, Count Breville and his wife. Mrs., two nuns, and Democrat Cornyday. On the way, Ball of Suif shared his food with the hungry crowd. Later, when the carriage passed by a hotel, a German officer fell in love with Ball Suet, who flatly rejected him out of patriotic sentiments. At first, everyone expressed sympathy for Ball of Suif's experience and condemned the German officers. And when they later found out that the German officers had ordered everyone in the car to be detained in order to get her, they all racked their brains, tried every means, and coaxed her to sacrifice herself. Afterwards, these self-proclaimed "gentlemen" avoided Ball of Suet like the plague. Ball of Suet was ashamed and angry, but there was nothing he could do about it. Finally, the carriage moved on amid the cries of Ball-of-Fat.
Selected Works
During the meal, when everyone was about to take their seats, the hotel owner came again. He announced in a spitting voice: "The Prussian officer asked me to ask Elizabeth Russell "Miss, has she not changed her mind yet?"
Ball of Suet stood there, his face turned pale, then suddenly turned red, he was so angry that he couldn't speak, and it took a long time before he finally broke out: " Go tell that scoundrel, that scoundrel, that Prussian bastard, I never agree, listen clearly, never, never, never agree."
Fatty. The boss is out. Everyone gathered around, asking what was going on with Ball-of-Fat, and begging her to reveal the secret of their last conversation with the officer. She refused to say anything at first, but she was so angry that she couldn't control herself and shouted: "What is he going to do? What is he going to do? He wants to sleep with me!"
Everyone was furious, listen. I didn't feel harsh at all after hearing this swear word. Cornidet suddenly threw the wine glass on the table, and the glass immediately broke into pieces. Everyone swore at the *** soldier with one voice, sharing the same hatred and anger, and vented their anger like a storm. It seemed that the obscene request that the guy made to Ball of Suif would also hurt everyone's skin and make them Everyone also makes a sacrifice. The count said with disgust that the Prussian officers behaved just like the barbarians of ancient times. Several ladies showed strong sympathy and deep concern for Ball of Suif. The two nuns only appeared during meals, and then they kept their heads down and remained silent.
After the first burst of anger subsided, everyone had dinner as usual; however, they rarely talked and were all thinking about problems and their own concerns.
The ladies went back to their rooms to rest early. The men remained in the dining room, smoking and playing cards, and invited the hotelier to join them. They were intent on interrogating the gentleman tactfully to see if there was any way to eliminate the officer's obstructionist ideas. However, the fat boss was focused on the card game. He didn't listen to anything or answer anything. He just kept repeating: "Play cards, gentlemen, play cards." He was so focused on playing that he didn't even care about spitting, which caused him to There are some long-lasting sounds coming from the chest, the lungs are flapping, and there are all kinds of asthmatic sounds in various scales, from deep and muddy breathing to hoarse and screaming breathing like a little cock learning to crow. have.
His wife was sleepy and came to tell him to go to bed. He refused. The woman had to go alone, because she had to "work the morning shift" and always got up at dawn, while he was the "night shift" and was always ready to stay up late with his friends. He shouted to his wife: "Put my egg yolk sweet milk on the stove to heat it." Then he continued to play cards. Everyone saw that nothing could be said from his mouth, so they said it was late and went back to their rooms to sleep.
The next day, everyone still got up early, with a vague hope in their hearts, and their desire to leave became stronger, lest they spend another day in this disgusting little hotel.
Alas, the stagecoach is still tied in the stable, and the coachman is still missing. Everyone had nothing to do and was extremely bored, so they walked around the carriage.
Everyone was lifeless at lunch. After a night of thinking, people had an idea in their minds, their opinions changed, and their attitude towards Ball of Suet also became cold.
They were almost complaining about this woman now, wondering why she didn't secretly go find the Prussian officer last night, so that her traveling companions would be overjoyed when they woke up. Isn't this the easiest way? Besides, who would know the inside story? She herself could have saved face by letting the officer know that she had submitted only out of pity for the plight of her traveling companions. For a girl like her, this kind of thing is nothing!
Although they all thought so in their hearts, no one said it out loud.
In the afternoon, everyone was terribly bored. The Count proposed to take a walk around the town. Everyone wrapped themselves up tightly and the group set off, except Cornidei and the two nuns. Cornidet preferred to sit by the hearth. The two nuns spent their time in church or at the priest's house.
The weather was getting colder and colder day by day. It was so cold that my nose and ears felt like needles were pricking me. My feet were so cold that it was unbearable, making it difficult to walk. When facing the fields, looking at the boundless white snow covering the earth, everyone couldn't help but feel desolate and solemn. They only felt that their hearts were cold, their spirits were shattered, and they had no intention of leaving anymore, so they immediately turned back.
The four ladies walked in front, followed by three men, not far behind.
Mr. Bird had a clear understanding of the current situation. He suddenly asked, is this "***" going to implicate them and make everyone stay in such a ghost place for a long time? The count always maintained a gentle demeanor, saying that this kind of thing could only be done willingly, and that a woman could not be forced to make such a painful sacrifice. Mr. Carret-Lamadon pointed out that if the French army were to launch a counterattack from Dieppe, as the rumors said, then the two armies must meet here in Toth. When the other two gentlemen heard this, they became even more worried. Mr. Bird asked: "Can we escape on foot?" The Earl shrugged his shoulders and said: "You can imagine it? In this ice and snow, with the female family members, the soldiers will chase them immediately, and they can chase them in ten minutes. Come on, take us back as prisoners and let them do whatever they want." He was reasonable, and everyone stopped talking.
Several ladies were talking about dressing up, but they were all worried about something, and the conversation was not so focused and enthusiastic.
Suddenly, a Prussian officer appeared at the other end of the street. On the endless snow, his tall, slender figure in military uniform was outlined in the distance. When he walked, he put his knees to the sides. This was a unique walking posture for soldiers, because he was afraid of staining his carefully polished leather boots.
When passing by the ladies, he bowed slightly to greet, and glanced contemptuously at a few men; these men also had some dignity and did not take off their hats. Only Mr. Bird made a gesture. Made a move to take off his hat.
Ball-of-Fat's face was red all the way to his ears. The three married women felt that it was a great shame and humiliation for them to walk with this woman and meet the officer who wanted to sleep with her.
So, they talked about the officer, his figure, and his appearance. Madame Carret-Lamadon had made friends with many officers and had a good taste. She thought this officer was very good, and she even regretted that he was not French. Otherwise, he would have become a handsome young man who would fascinate all women. cavalry.
Once we got back to the hotel, everyone didn’t know what to do, and even spoke very harshly over trivial things. During dinner, everyone was silent. They ate in a hurry and went back to their rooms to go to bed, hoping to pass the time in their sleep.
When I came downstairs the next morning, everyone looked haggard and in a bad mood. The ladies almost all stopped talking to Ball-of-Fat.
The church bell rang to baptize a child. This fat lady also has a child who is fostered in a farmhouse in Ifdo. She doesn’t see him even once a year, but she never misses him. Now I heard that a child was going to be baptized, and I suddenly felt a strong love for my own child, so I wanted to attend the baptism ceremony, and I had to go.
As soon as Ball-of-Fat was gone, everyone looked at each other and then moved their chairs closer together, because everyone felt that a decision had to be made. Mr. Bird suddenly had an idea and came up with an idea: He suggested to the Prussian officer that one person should detain the suet ball and let the others go.
They still asked the hotel owner to be the messenger, but as soon as he went upstairs to see the officer, he came down immediately.
The German, who knew human nature well, drove him out of the room, declaring that as long as his desires were not satisfied, all the passengers would be held captive.
In response to this, Mrs. Bird's temperament of a market scoundrel exploded: "We can't just die here. Since this little whore's job is to do that kind of thing with all men, I think , she has no right to be picky. I want to ask, why didn't this bastard just go with anyone who wanted her in Rouen, even the coachman! That's right, madam, the coachman of the Prefecture. I know this very well. The coachman often buys wine in my store. But today, when we asked her to help us get out of trouble, this little *** acted serious and put on airs... From my perspective, this one The officer's behavior is quite decent. He may not have had anything to do with a woman for a long time. Of course, we three ladies are more to his taste, but no, he is willing to make do with it as long as he can get the one everyone plays with. Women, that's enough. He knows how to respect married women. Think about it, he is the master here. He can just say "I want" and he can take the three of us with the help of his soldiers. All fucked."
The two ladies next to me shivered slightly. The beautiful Mrs. Carret-Lamadon had bright eyes and a slightly pale face, as if she already felt possessed by the officer.
Several men were discussing countermeasures on the sidelines, but now they also came over. Mr. Bird was filled with indignation and wanted to tie "that ***"'s hands and feet and sacrifice her to the officer. However, after all, the Earl comes from a diplomatic family, and three generations of his ancestors have served as ambassadors. He is born with a diplomat temperament, so he still advocates using clever means and outsmarting him: "She must make her own decision."
So, they conducted a conspiracy.
The ladies also gathered closely together, whispering in low voices, each expressing their own opinions and discussing big plans. What they said was very measured. When discussing these extremely obscene things, the ladies use elegant words, tactful expressions, careful words and subtleties, which an outsider would never understand. However, the thin fig leaf worn by all the women in the upper class can only hide their appearance; as soon as they encounter the romantic affair between men and women, they become elated, involuntarily, and feel ecstasy in their hearts, as if they have scratched their own itch. Here, they are full of love and matchmaking for others, just like greedy cooks cooking dinner for others.
Later on, this group of people felt that this incident was very funny, and they couldn't help but become more relaxed and unrestrained as they talked. The count made some crude jokes, but they were clever enough to make everyone laugh. As soon as Mr. Bird spoke, he spoke out loud and obscene words, but no one found them offensive. His wife, on the other hand, said whatever she wanted without any cover-up, which everyone present readily agreed with. She said: "Since this *** is in this line of work, why did she refuse this officer when she had done it with others?" ? "Mrs. Carré-Lamadon, who was of noble birth and elegant taste, still seemed to have this idea: If she were Ball-of-Fat, she would rather accept this officer than reject others.
They spent a lot of time discussing specific combat plans as if they were about to capture a besieged fortress. Everyone agreed on the role that everyone would play, the principles to be based on, and the methods to be used. They also devised plans of attack, strategies to be used, and ways to catch them unawares, in order to force the living fortress to open to the enemy.
However, Kornidai hid aside, keeping his distance from them, and ignored them.
They were so engrossed in their deliberations that they did not hear Ball-of-Fat return. Fortunately, the count shushed slightly, and everyone looked up and saw that Ball of Suet had arrived. Everyone suddenly shut up, feeling embarrassed and not knowing how to talk. After all, the Countess was well versed in the art of bluffing and maneuvering in social circles, and was more flexible and changeable than others. She asked Ball-of-Fat: "Is this baptism interesting?"
Fat Sister's mood Excited, and before the aftermath subsided, she described the baptism from beginning to end, such as who she saw, their appearance and demeanor, and even the appearance of the church, etc. Finally, she added: "Sometimes It’s really nice to go to church and pray.”
Until lunch, these ladies were very close and kind to her, of course, in order to gain her trust first so that she could go through the meeting. Children can listen to their advice.
As soon as they sat down at the dinner table, the group became aggressive. They began by talking in general terms about devotion, enumerating ancient precedents, first of all Judith and Holofernes, then by force of arms Lucretia and Sextus, and then It was Cleopatra, who said that she seduced the enemy generals into bed one by one, making them all obey like slaves. So, at the dinner table, an absurd story came into being. It was completely imagined by these ignorant millionaires. It said that the female citizens of Rome rushed to the city of Gabe to hug Hannibal, his lieutenants and mercenary officers and soldiers, and let them Sleeping in the jade arms. These lobbyists also listed all the women who stood up and stood in the way of the conquerors. They used their beautiful bodies as battlefields, as means and weapons to subdue the enemy. They defeated the ugly and hateful opponents with caress and kisses that concealed needles. , sacrificing one's chastity for the noble purpose of revenge and serving the country.
These gentlemen even talked tactfully about a well-born lady in England who deliberately contracted a terrible infectious disease in the hope that Napoleon would also be infected, but there was a hidden fatality in that case. During the dangerous tryst, Napoleon suddenly felt weak and exhausted, so he had to give up and miraculously avoided the plot.
All these stories are told with great propriety and propriety, and sometimes these noble people burst into enthusiastic exclamations of admiration, intending to inspire someone present to follow suit.
After listening to it, you will believe that a woman’s only mission in this world is to endlessly dedicate her body and let the soldiers play with her endlessly.
The two nuns seemed to turn a deaf ear and fell into deep thought. Ball-of-Fat said nothing.
Throughout the afternoon, everyone left her alone to think slowly. However, they had always called her "Madam", but now they called her "Miss". No one could explain why they changed the title. It seemed that they were deliberately lowering her one level to move her from the respected level she had climbed to. Come down to remind her not to forget her original humble status.
It was time for dinner again. As soon as the soup was served, the hotel owner came again and still repeated the question from last night: "The Prussian officer sent me to ask Miss Elizabeth Russell , Has she not changed her mind yet?"
Ball of Suet replied stiffly: "No, sir."
During the dinner, the Allied offensive was significantly weakened. Mr. Bird said two or three sentences, but the effect was very bad. Everyone was searching for new examples, but nothing was found. It was the countess who had no idea or thought beforehand. She just vaguely felt that she should pay respect to religion, so she casually asked the older nun what great things the saints had done. Little do we know that many saints have done things that we regard as sins, but as long as those sins were committed to glorify God or to help others, the church has no difficulty in forgiving and pardoning them. This was a strong argument, and the countess immediately took advantage of it. In this question and answer, whether it is the tacit understanding and mutual understanding between the two parties, or whether the person wearing the robe is good at trying to please; whether the answerer is stupid and stupid, or is stupid and helpful, anyway, this is An elderly nun was a great help to the gentry in their plot. Everyone thought that she was timid and not good at talking, but at this time, she behaved very boldly and spoke eloquently, sometimes even in extreme words. Discussions of casuistry in theology have never affected her. The principles she pursues are as hard as an iron rod; her views have never wavered, and her conscience has no scruples. She thought it was extremely simple and normal for Abraham to sacrifice his son to God. As long as God gave an order asking her to kill her parents, she would immediately execute it. In her opinion, as long as the intention is aboveboard, nothing can offend God. She was a God-given accomplice and a divine authority, which the countess could exploit to give a moving sermon on the moral motto: "Seek the end, not the means."
The countess asked her:
"So, Mammy, do you think that God will allow men to act in various ways, and will forgive any act in itself, so long as the motive is pure? ”
“What is there to doubt? Madam, there are many actions that are reprehensible in themselves, but because the original intention is pure and good, they often end up being praiseworthy. ” < /p>
The two of them chatted like this, asking questions and answering questions. They jointly judged God’s will, predicted God’s decisions, played with God, and forced God to worry about things that had nothing to do with them. , take responsibility.
These words were spoken quite implicitly, cleverly and prudently. However, every word of this saint wearing a nun's hat broke a gap in the ***'s defense line of angry resistance. Then the conversation veered slightly off topic, and the lady with the rosary spoke of the monastery of her sect, of the abbot of her monastery, of herself and of her little companion, her dear Saint Nise. Sister Fore. Both of them were ordered to Le Havre to care for hundreds of soldiers infected with smallpox in the hospital. She described the patient with that disease and introduced the patient's condition in detail. Now, the two of them were intercepted halfway by this ruthless Prussian officer, and a large number of patients who could have received their help were about to die before their eyes. Nursing soldiers is her specialty, and she has been to Crimea, Italy, and Austria. As soon as she talked about the battles she had experienced, she immediately showed the heroic appearance of a battle-hardened nun. It seemed that she was born to accompany the army to fight and rescue the wounded in the hail of bullets. At that moment, she was more authoritative than the military commander. , often a word can calm those lawless soldiers. She is indeed a veritable nun with the army. Her face was disfigured by smallpox and covered with scars. Isn't it a portrayal of the war that is riddled with holes?
Her speech was very effective. When she finished, no one had anything more to say.
As soon as dinner was finished, everyone quickly went back to the room to rest, and did not go downstairs until late the next morning.
The atmosphere at lunch was very calm. Everyone intentionally leaves some time to allow the seeds sown at dinner the night before to germinate and bloom.
In the afternoon the Countess proposed a walk. So, according to the originally agreed plan, the count took Ball of Suif's arm and walked at the back.
The count spoke to Ball-of-Fat in a friendly, caring tone, tinged with slight contempt, just as a man of distinction would speak to ***, calling her "my dear child." ", treated her condescendingly with his social status and undisputed reputation, and got to the point directly:
"It seems that you would rather let us stay here. If the Prussian army is on the battlefield If we fail, we will suffer all their atrocities just like you. Why don't you just be more accommodating and do what you used to do?"
Ball of Suet remained silent.
The Earl was kind and persuasive, and he used reason and affection. When necessary, he not only knew how to maintain his identity as "Mr. Earl", but he was also good at being attentive, flattering, and charming. He said that if she rescued them from their predicament, it would be a great act of kindness and they would all be grateful to her. Immediately, he suddenly smiled playfully, nicknamed Ball of Suet affectionately as "you", and said: "Dear, you have to know, he will definitely show off afterwards, saying that he has tasted the taste of beauty in the world, which is something that he cannot taste in his own country. "Arrived."
Ball of Suet still said nothing, and she quickly caught up with everyone.
As soon as he returned to the hotel, Ball de Suif immediately went upstairs to his room and never showed up again. Everyone was restless and worried. What is she going to do? If she still resists and refuses to comply, it will be extremely difficult!
When it was time to have dinner, everyone was waiting for her but did not wait. But the hotel owner walked into the dining room and told everyone that Miss Russell was not feeling well and that ladies and gentlemen could eat first. Everyone here pricked up their ears. The Count approached the innkeeper and asked in a low voice: "Is that all right?" Immediately, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, and smiled with relief.
Mr. Bird cheered: "Damn it! I'll treat you all to champagne, as long as this hotel has it!" When Mrs. Bird saw that the hotel owner had indeed arrived with four bottles of wine, she couldn't help but feel like a knife. At this time, everyone was jumping up and down, talking, laughing, noisy and noisy, and everyone's heart was filled with a kind of wanton joy. The count suddenly discovered that Madame Carret-Lamadon was very charming, and her husband, the cotton mill owner, was also beginning to court the countess. The conversation between this group of people was lively, lively, lively, and filled with witty remarks.
(Translated by Liu Mingjiu)
Notes:
Judith, an ancient Jewish heroine, entered the enemy camp and got drunk in order to save her city. Take the heads of enemy generals to cause the enemy to retreat.
Lucretia, a heroic daughter of ancient Rome, was raped by the son of a Roman tyrant. She committed suicide after asking her father and husband to avenge her. Her death sparked outrage and led to the overthrow of the tyrant's rule.
Cleopatra, the queen of ancient Egypt, conquered famous Roman generals such as Caesar and Antony with her beauty.
Gabe, a city near Rome.
Hannibal, the general of ancient Carthage, once led an army to attack Rome, but failed to defeat it for a long time. He garrisoned the city of Capricorn. Legend has it that he was obsessed with the beauty of Capricorn women.
Appreciation
For Maupassant, "Ball de Suif" is a landmark work in his literary career. It was this novel that made Maupassant famous overnight. The novel was published in 1880. At that time, several young writers who admired Zola met to write on the theme of the Franco-Prussian War, and published a collection of novels "A Night on the Plum Pond". Maupassant's "Ball of Suet" stands out from these works with its unique perspective of material selection and exquisite artistic conception, and has become a famous work handed down from generation to generation.
The novel has a unique perspective. Although it is a war theme, it does not describe the war directly. Instead, it reveals the theme through a ***’s encounter in the war. Ball-of-Fat is a prostitute with no social status and is discriminated against everywhere, so much so that a group of people in the same car can talk about her face to face without any secret, calling her a "prostitute" and a "social disgrace". Knowing his low status, Ball Suet could only bear all this silently. Although she is a prostitute who hangs out in romantic places, she is pure and kind-hearted by nature. When she sees the gentlemen and ladies in the same car suffering from hunger due to unpreparedness, she even disregards her past grudges and selflessly devotes herself to own food. Although she is a humble person, she has simple and sincere feelings for her country and nation. Facing the enemy, she understood that "on such occasions, everyone more or less represents their own country." Therefore, she had to work hard to "maintain a little dignity." Seeing how her traveling companions were respectful and obedient to the Germans, she Even felt "very disgusted". She bravely refused the unreasonable demands of the German officers and showed no fear even if she was detained. Such a powerless, insulted and damaged lower-class woman has a beautiful heart full of justice and compassion. In contrast, there are those upper-class bourgeois people with noble social status. All their actions are based on safeguarding their own interests. There is a sharp contrast between their sanctimonious appearance and their despicable and dirty hearts. When they first learned about the German officer's request for Ball-of-Fat, everyone was filled with indignation. "They cursed the *** soldier with one voice and shared the same hatred," saying that his behavior was "simply like the barbarians of ancient times." "The ladies showed strong sympathy and deep concern for Ball of Suif." But after just one night, everyone's views changed, and "the attitude towards Ball of Suif also became cold", and they even "blamed her for why she didn't secretly go to find the Prussian officer last night." When they learned that everyone in the car had been detained because of Suif Ball, their attitude changed drastically, and some even suggested "tying the hands and feet of 'that ***' and dedicating her to the officer." In order to maintain their dignity and so-called morality, these gentlemen and ladies with high social status hypocritically say that "this kind of thing can only be done willingly, and a woman cannot be forced to make such a painful sacrifice", so they "advocate clever use "Wrist", "she must make her own decision". Those ladies who appear to be noble and elegant are actually full of obscene things.
Maupassant had a clear understanding of this, "The thin fig leaf worn by all the women in the upper class can only cover up their appearance; as soon as they encounter the romantic affairs between men and women, they become elated, involuntarily, and feel ecstasy in their hearts. , It’s like scratching one’s own itch.” Even the nuns who saved all sentient beings in the name of God became complicit and worked with them to deceive Ball of Suet. These people with noble status are so humble in their hearts. Maupassant deliberately compared them with Ball de Suif, who came from a humble background but had a noble heart, implying that their moral standards are not as good as that of a *** who was insulted and discriminated against by them. This is a wonderful irony for them. In the novel, the author does not have a word to directly praise Ball of Suif, but readers can clearly feel her beauty and kindness. This is the result of Maupassant's contrasting technique. Readers will naturally know who is good and who is evil. A fair assertion.
Maupassant's excellent satirical ability has also been fully demonstrated in this novel. He often expresses his satire and moral judgments about characters through obvious juxtapositions of antonyms. For example, he described the French army, "They are prone to arrogance and panic, always ready to charge into battle, and always ready to flee for their lives"; for example, when describing Cornidey's anger, "their face still maintains the arrogance and elegance, A disdainful smile. However, everyone feels that bad words are about to come out.” For another example, the ladies of the upper class “use their words elegantly, express their words tactfully, choose their words carefully, and be subtle and cautious”, but they discuss obscene topics. Maupassant is also good at "lifting a heavy weight as if it were light" or "lifting a light weight as if it were heavy". Putting two things with completely different meanings together also plays a satirical role. For example, "Democrats with big beards always monopolize the patent of patriotism, just like priests in cassocks always monopolize the patent of religion." This wonderful metaphor not only satirizes those so-called patriotic Democrats, but also Those nuns and priests who do evil things in the name of religion. For another example, when describing Cornedy's drinking, he said, "There are two great loves for which he devoted his life, namely, his love for light beer and his love for revolution." Comparing beer with revolution reveals his "hypocrisy." The true face of "revolution" is that Corny and others are just trying to gain profits in the name of revolution. Their essence is no different from those rulers who signed treaties that were humiliating and humiliating for their own selfish interests.
The novel "Ball of Suif" laid a good foundation for Maupassant's future creations. The novel expressed the author's sympathy for lower-class civilians who were insulted and damaged like Ball of Suif, and expressed his love for the assets. Criticism and satire of upper class society. The author is clearly aware that it is not just the war that causes the tragedy of civilians like Ball of Suif, but more of the selfishness and callousness of the bourgeois rulers. The structure of the novel is ingenious and rigorous, the language is concise and witty, the satire is pungent and sharp, and its ideological and artistic qualities have reached a considerable height. "Ball of Suif" is not only Maupassant's masterpiece, but also a masterpiece among short stories in the world.
(Yang Haiyan)