1、自考英语阅读一10THENECKLACE10. The Necklace After Guy De Maupassant TEXT She was one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes，as if （似乎，好像） by a mistake of destiny，born into a family of clerks. she had no dowry，no expectations，no means of being known , understood，loved，or wedded by any rich and
2、 distinguished man and she let herself be married to a little clerk at the Ministry of Public Instruction. She dressed plainly because she could not dress well，but her unhappiness seemed to be deeper than one might expect . She seemed to feel that she had fallen from her proper station in life as a
3、woman of wealth，beauty，grace，and charm . She valued these above all else in life， yet she could not attain them . she cared nothing for caste or rank but only for a natural fineness，an instinct for what is elegant，and a suppleness of wit . these would have made her the equal of the greatest ladies o
4、f the land . If only she could attain them. She suffered， feeling born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries . She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the wretched look of the walls，from the worn-out chairs , from the ugliness of the curtains . All those things，of which another wom
5、an of her rank would never even have been conscious，tortured her and made her angry . The sight of the little Breton peasant who did her humble housework aroused in her despairing regrets and distracted dreams. She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry，lit by tall bronze candela
6、bra，and of two great footmen in knee breaches sleeping in big armchairs，made drowsy by the heavy warmth of the hot-air stove . She thought of long salons fitted up with ancient silk，of delicate furniture carrying priceless curiosities，and of coquettish perfumed boudoirs made for talks at five oclock
7、 with intimate friends，with men famous and sought after，whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire. When she sat down to dinner before the round table covered with a tablecloth three days old, opposite her hushand, who declared with an enchanted air .”Ah，the good pot-au-feu！I dont know
8、anything better than that ,”she thought of best dinners，of shining silverware of tapestry which peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fairy forest；and she thought of delicious dishes served on marvelous plates，and of the whispered gallantries which
9、 you listened to with a sphinx-like smile while you are eating the ink flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail. She had no dresses,no jewels,nothing.And she loved nothing but that;she felt made for that.She would have liked to be envied,to be charming,to be sought after. She had a friend,a former s
10、choolmate at the convent,who was rich,and whom she did not like to go and see anymore because she suffered so much when she came back. But one evening,her husband returned home with a triumphant air and holding a large envelope in his hand. “There,”said he.”Here is something for you.” She tore the p
11、aper sharply and drew out a printed card which bore these words: “The Miniser of Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau request the honor of Monsieur and Madame Loisels company at the palace of the Ministry on Monday evening,January eighteenth.” Instead of being delighted, as her husband h
12、oped, she threw the invitation on the table with disdain, murmuring,”what do you want me to do with that?” “But ,my dear,I thought you would be glad.You never go out,and this is such a fine opportunity.Everyonne wants to go;it is very select,and they are not giving many invitations to clerks.The who
13、le official world will be there.” She looked at him with an irritated glance and said,impatiently,”And what do you want me to put on my back?” He had not thought of that;he stammered,”Why,the dress you go to the theater in.It looks very well to me.” He stopped,distracted,seeing his wife was cring.Tw
14、o great tears descended slowly from the corners of her eyes toward the corners of her mouth.He stuttered,”Whats the matter:whats the matter:” But by violent effort she had conquered her grief,and she replied with a calm voice while she wiped her wet cheeks,”Nothing.Only I have no dress and therefore
15、 I cant go to this ball.Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I.” He was in despair. He resumed,”Come,let us see,Mathilde.How much would it cost,a suitable dress which you could use on othe occasions,something very simple?” She reflected several seconds,making her calcu
16、lations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk. Finally,she replied,hesitatingly,”I dont know exactly,but I think I could manage it with four thousand francs.” He had grown a little pale,because
17、 he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer on th plain of Nanterre with several friends who went to shoot larks down there. But he said,”All right.I will give you four thousand francs.And try to have a pretty dress.” The day of the ball drew
18、 near and Mme.Loisel seemed sad,uneasy,and anxious.Her dress was ready,however,Her husband said to her one evening,”What is the matter?Come,youve been so strange these last three days.” And she answered,”It annoys me to have not a single jewel, not a single stone,nothing to put on.I will look like d
19、istress.I would almost rather not go at all.” He resumed,”You might wear natural flowers.Its very stylish at this time of the year.For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses.” She was not convinced. “No;there is nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich
20、.” But her husband cried,”How stupid you are! Go look up your friend Mme.Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels.You are a close friend of hers.” She uttered a cry of joy,”Its true!I never thought of it.” The next day she went to her friend and told of her distress. Mme Forestier went to a war
21、drobe with a glass door, took out a large jewel box,brought it back,opened it,and said to Mme.Loisel,”Choose,my dear.” She saw first of all some bracelets then a pearl necklace,and then a Venetian cross, with gold and precious stones of admirable workmanship. She tried on the ornaments before the gl
22、ass, hesitated, and could not make her mind to depart with them or to give them back.She kept asking,”Havent you any more?” “Why,yes.Look.I dont know what you like” All of a sudden she discovered in a black satin box a superb necklace of diamonds,and her heart began to obeat with an immoderate desir
23、e.Her hands trembled as she took it.she fastened it around her throat,outside her high-necked dress,and remained lost in ecstasy at the sight of herself. Then she asked,hesitating,filled with anguish,”Can you lend me that,only that?” “Why,yes,certainly.” She sprang upon the neck of her friend, kisse
24、d her passionately,and then fled with her treasure. The day of the ball arrived.Mme.Loisel was a great success.She was prettier than them all,elegant, gracious, smiling,and crazy with joy.All the men looked at her and asked her name,wanting to be introduced.All the attaches of the Cabinet wanted to
25、waltz with her,even the minister himself. She danced with passion,made drunk by pleasure,forgetting all the triumph of her beauty,in the glory of her success,in a sort of cloud of happiness composed of all tis admiration,of all these awakened desires,and of that sense of complete victory which was s
26、o sweet to her heart.This was her ultimate moment. She left about four oclock in the morning.Her husband had been sleeping since midnight in a little deserted room with three other gentlemen whose wives were having a very good time.He threw over her shoulders the coat which he had bought.Its poverty
27、 contrasted witth the eleganve of the ball dress.She felt this and wanted to escape so as not to be seen by the other women,who were wrapped in cosly furs. Loised held her back. “Wait a bit.You will catch cold outside.I will go and call a cab.” But she did not listen to him and rapidly descended the
28、 stairs.When they were in the stree they did not find a carriage;and they begin to look for one,shouting after the cabmen whom they swa passing by at a distance. They went down toward the Seine in despair, shivering with cold .At last they found one of those ancient taxis which look as though they c
29、an carry only poor people. It took them to the Rue des Martyrs ,and once more,sadly, they climbed up homeward .All was ended for her .And he reflected that he must e at he Ministry at ten oclock. She removed the wraps which covered the shoulders before the glass so as once more to see herself in all
30、 her glory .But suddenly she uttered a cry.She no longer had the necklace around her neck! Her husband ,already half undressed,demanded,”What is the matter with you?” She turned madly towards him,” I haveI haveIve lost Mme. Forestiers necklace!” He stood up,distracted, ”What?_How?-Impossible!” Any t
31、hey looked in the folds of her dress ,in the folds of her cloak,in her pockets,everythere.They did not find it. He asked,”Youre sure you had it on when you left the ball?” “Yes,I felt it in the vestibule of the palace.” “But if you had lost it in the street, we would have heard it fall.It must be in
32、 the cab.” “Yes.Probably.Did you take his number?” “No.And you,didnt you notice it?” ”No.” They looked at one anoher,thunderstruck.At last Loisel put on his clothes. “I will go back on foot,”he said,”Over the whole route which we have taken to see if I can find it.” And he went out.She sat waiting on a chair in her ball dress,without strength to go to bed,overwhelmed,without fire,without a thought. Her husband came back about server oclock.He had found nothing. He went to Police Headquarters and to the newspaper offices to offer a reward;he w
