Desirees Diary.docx

Desirees Diary.docx

《Desirees Diary.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Desirees Diary.docx（65页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

DesireesDiary

Desiree’sDiary

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BookOne

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Desiree,WifeofMarshalBernadotte

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Introduction

ThisbookisthedairyofaFrenchgirlwholivedinthetimeofNapoleonBonaparte.Shewasarealperson.Sowereotherswhocomeintoherstory.TheirnamesappearinthehistorybooksofEurope;buttheretheyaredeadpeople-----andinDesiree’sdiarytheyarealive.

Herewecansee,throughawoman’seyes,howhistorywasmade.Shewasthere.Sheknewthemenandwomenwhomadeit.ShealmostmarriedNapoleonhimself.Noonereallyunderstoodhim.NotevenDesiree.Shehatedhiswars;butsheneverhatedtheman.“Hehasnoheart,”shesaid.Andshewassorryforhim,becauseloveandpeacehadnoplaceinhislife.Inherownlifeshefoundtruelove,withJeanBernadotte.Butinthosedaysasoldier’swifehadlittlepeace,especiallyifherhusbanddaredtoquarrelwithNapoleon.

Somepeoplewritetheirdiarieseveryday.Othersonlywritethenwhensomethingimportanthappens.Desiree’sdiaryisofthesecondkind.Itonlycoversthemostimportanttimesinherlife.

Thefirsthalfofherstoryistoldinthisbook.ThesecondhalffollowsinDesiree,QueenofSweden.

Chapter1March1794:

thePoliceHaveArrestedMyBrother

Whenawomanwantstopleaseaman,sheneedsagoodfigure.Iamtoothin.SotomorrowIshallfillthefrondofmydresswithsomething.ThenIshalllookreallygrownup.Ofcourse,Iamgrownupalready;butnobodyelseseemstoknowthat.

LastNovemberIwasfourteen.Papagavemethisdiarythenforabirthdaypresent.

“WhatshallIwriteinit?

”Iaskedhim.It’sabeautifuldiary,butthepagesareratherlarge.

Papasmiledandkissedme.“WritethestoryofMademoiselleDesireeClary,”hesaid.Thenaworriedlookcameintohisface.Sinceourgreatrevolutionhehasoftenhadthatlook.

Afewdaysaftermybirthday.Papasuddenlydied.SoIhaven’tbeenwritingmydiary;I’vebeentoosad.ButI’mstartingittonightbecauseI’mtooworriedtosleep.ThepolicearrestedmybrotherEtiennetoday.TomorrowImustgototheTownHallwithhiswife,Suzanne.Wemusttrytosavehim.Ifwefail,perhapshe’llbeguillotined.It’saterriblethought.

Therevolutionbeganfiveyearsago,andithasn’tfinishedyet.Thepoliceoftenarrestpeople.Theyeventakewomenandchildren.SomeareguillotinedeverydayoutsidetheTownHall.Mostofthemhavedonenothingwrong;theyjustbelongtonoblefamilies.ButPapawasonlyasilkmerchant.SowhyhavetheyarrestedEtienne?

Papa’sfatherwasn’trich.Hehadalittleshopandhesoldcheapcloth.SoPapahadtoworkveryhard.ButhebecamethebestsilkmerchantinMarseilles（马赛---法国第二大城市）.HesuppliedsometoQueenMarieAntoinette.Butthenthequeenwasguillotined.Noonehadpaidusforhersilk.

WhenthepolicearrestedEtienne,Mariesaidtome:

“Albitteisintown.Suzannemustaskhimtofreeyourbrother.”

Marieisourcook.WhenanythinghappenshereinMarseillesshealwaysknows.

I’lltellthefamilyduringdinner,Ireplied.

Atdinnerwewereallveryquietandsad.Etienne’schairwasempty.SowasPapa’s,ofcourse,Mamawon’tallowanyoneelsetositonit.IwasthinkingaboutAlbitte.ImadelittleballswithmybreadwhileIwasthinking.

MysisterJuliewatchedmeforamoment.Thenshesaid:

“Desiree,don’tplaywithyourbread!

”She’sonlyfouryearsolderthanme,butsheoftentalkslikethat.Igettiredofhersometimes.

Iputabreadballinmysoup.ThenIsaid:

“Albitteisintown.”

Myfamilyweren’tlistening.TheyneverlistenwhenIsayanything.SoIsaiditagain:

“Albitteisintown.”Mamasaid:

“whoisAlbitte?

”

“MonsieurAlbitte,”Itoldher,“isamemberofparliament.He’sthememberforMarseilles.He’llbeinhisofficetomorrowinthetownHall.SuzannemustaskhimwhytheyarrestedEtienne.Ifitwasamistake,Albittecanfreehim.”

Suzannewascryingintohersoup.“Butperhapsthismemberofparliamentwon’tlistentome,”shesaid.

IturnedtoMama.“IfSuzanneisafraid,I’llgomyself,”Isaid.

“Youwillnot!

”Mamareplied.“You’reonlyachild.Eatyourdinner.We’lltalkthislater.PerhapsamanoughttoseeAlbitte.”

Aman?

Whatman?

Iwastooangrytosayanymore.IfEtienne’slifeisindanger,hisownfamilymusttrytosavehim.

AfterdinnertheywenttoSuzanne’sroom,butIhadtositwithMonsieurPersson.IgivehimaFrenchlessoneveryevening.He’saquietyoungman,andhecomesfromSweden.HisfatherisasilkmerchantinStockholm（斯德哥尔摩---瑞典首都）.Hecameheresoastolearnmoreaboutthesilkbusiness.

Mamacamein.Shewaslookingworried.Shedidn’tseemtonoticePersson.“Listen,Desiree,”shesaid.“SuzannehasdecidedtoseeAlbittetomorrow.Butshe’safraidtogoalone,soyoushallgowithher.”

Whyme?

WhynotJulie?

Iwassurprised.ButIwasexcitedtoo,soIdidn’tsayanything.

“tomorrowwillbeadifficultdayforusall,”Mamacontinued.“wemustgotobedearly.”Andshepickedupthelampfromthetableandcarrieditout.

PerssonandIwereleftaloneinthefirelight.“Ifyou’regoingtobed,Imustsaygoodnight,”hesaid.Buthedidn’tgetup,andhisvoiceseemedstrange.Thenheadded:

“Iwantedtotellyousomething.I’mgoinghomesoon.MyfatherneedsmeinStockholm.”

“I’msorry,”Isaid.“Butyou’llbegladtoseeyourhomeagain.”

“Yes.Stockholmisthemostbeautifulcityintheworld.Especiallyinwinter.Thenthereisgreeniceonthelake,andthecityiscoveredinsnow.WinterlastsalongtimeinSweden”

Thatdidn’tseemverybeautiful;butIwasn’treallylistening.Iwasthinking”Imustlookprettytomorrow.Thenperhapstheywillfreemybrother.

Perssonwasstilltalking.“Iwanttoaskyousomrthing,MademoiselleDesiree.Willyougivemeyourfather’scopyoftheRightsofMan?

”

Papausedtokeepthisdocumentbesidehisbed.Itcontainsalltheimportantideasofourrevolution.Papalikedtheideas.Buthedidn’tlikealltheresults;toomanypeoplehavebeenarrestedandguillotined.

Whenhedied,Itookthedocumentformyself.PerssonandIhavereadittogetherduringhisFrenchlessons.TheSwedeshavehadnorevolution;theystillhaveaking,andnoblefamilies.Sotheydon’tknowtheRightsofMan.

“Youmayhavethedocument,monsieur,”Isaid.“IwantyourfriendsinSwedentoreadit.”

Atthatmomentthedooropenedagain.Julie’svoicebehinduscried:

“Whenareyoucomingtobed,Desiree?

”ThenshenoticedPersson.“Oh!

Ididn’tseyouthereinthedark,monsieur.Thechildmustgotobednow.Comealong,Desiree.”

Juliewasangrywithmeagain.Shefollowedmeintomybedroom.“Yououghttobeashamed,”shesaid,whileIwasundressing.“Youmustneversitinthedarkwithayoungman.You’reFrancoisClare’sdaughter.AndPerssoncan’tevenspeakproperFrench.”

PoorJulie!

Sheneedsahusband.Ifshehadone,mylifewouldeasier.Ishallhavetofindoneforher.Butshemustn’tseethisdiary,soI’mhidingitundermybed.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（tobecontinued）

Chapter2Nextday:

AtTheTownHall

Todaytherehasbeenalotoftrouble.Afterlunch,Mamasaidtome:

“Youmustwearyourgreydress.Ithasahighneck.”

Ididn’twanttowearit.ButJulieshouted:

“You’regoingtoseeourmemberofparliament.Youcan’twearadresswithalowneck.Youwouldlooklike----likeasailor’sgirl!

”

SoIwentin.“Desiree!

Don’ttouchmythingsonyourlips.Andtakethosehandkerchiefsoutofthefrontofyourdress.Youcan’tgooutlikethat.”

Ididn’tanswer.Iwasreadytoleave,andMamawaswaitingformebelow.Mamadidn’tseemtonoticethehandkerchiefs.Shefilledtowglasseswithwine.ThenshegaveonetoSuzanneandonetome.

“Drinkitslowly,”shesaid.“Itwillgiveyoucourage.”

Mamahasnevergivenmewinebefore.Sheahsalwayssaid:

“waittillyou’regrownup.”NowevenJuliecan’tsaythatI’machild.Mamahasgivenmewine.

SuzanneandIwalkedveryfastthroughthestreets.InsidetheTownHall,amanstoppedus.“YouwanttoseeAlbitte?

”Writeyournameandyourreasonsonthispieceofpaper.Ifyoucan’twrite,I’lldoitforyou.Thatwillcost---Helookedatourclothes.Howmuchdidhedaretoask?

“Icanwrite.”Suzannesaidquickly.

Hetookourpieceofpaperintoanoffice.Whenhecameback,hesaid:

“Youmaywaitinthatroom.EveryonetherewantstoseeAlbitte.Yournamewillbecalled.”

Wewaitedforhours.SometimesIshutmyeyes.WhenIopenedthem,therewerealwaysfewerpeopleintheroom.AtlastIreallywenttosleep.

Thenavoicebrokethroughmydreams.“Wakeup,mademoiselle!

Youcan’tstayhereallnight.”Iopenedmyeyes.Iwasinadarkroom.Ayoungmanwithalampwasstandingbesideme.

“Don’tbeafraid,”thisstrangemansaid.Hisvoicewassoft,butithadaforeignsound.Itwasn’taFrenchman’svoice.WasIstillinadream?

“I’msorry,”hecontinuedpolitely.“ButI’mgoinghome,andI’mshuttingthisoffice.”

Office?

WhatwasIdoinginanoffice?

SuddenlyIremembered.IwasintheTownHall.ButwhywasIalonewiththisman?

“Whoareyou?

”Iasked.“AndwhereisSuzanne?

”

“MynameisJoesphBonaparte.I’mhelpingMonsieurAlbittewithhiswork.Idon’tknowSuzanne,butsheisn’there.Albitte’slastvisitorwenttwohoursago.AndnowI’mgoingtoo.Comealong,younglady.”

“ButImustwaitfirSuzanne,”Isaid.“IfIgohomewithouther,there’llbeterribletrouble.She’smybrotherEtienne’swife,EtienneClare.Thepolicearrestedhimyesterday.WewantedAlbittetofreehim.PeoplesaythatAlbitteisakindman.Hewon’tallowEtiennetobeguillotined.Etienneisn’tanobleman,youknow.”

Helookedatmestrangely.“PerhapsAlbitteistookind.MonsieurRobespierresentmewithhimforthatreason.Comeintoth