26 “What’s the matter with you？”she said。“What have you taken it into your head to imagine？”
27 I saw that I must speak bluntly and openly。“Do you think this is the way to use an orphan？”I said。“You have born a bastard。”
28 She answered，“Drive this foolishness out of your head。This child is yours。”
29 “How can he be mine？”I argued。“He was born seventeen weeks after the wedding。”
30 She told me then that he was premature。I said，“Isn’t he a little too premature？”She said，she had had a grandmother who carried just as short a time and she resembled this grandmother of hers as one drop of water does another。She swore to it with such oaths that you would have believed a peasant at the fair if he has used them。To tell the plain truth，I didn’t believe herbut when I talked it over next day with the schoolmaster he told me that the very same thing happened to Adam and Eve。Two they went up to bed and four they descended。
31 “There isn’t a woman in the world who is not the granddaughter of Eve，”he said。
32 That was how it wasthey argued me dumb。But then，who really knows howsuch things are？
33 I began to forget my sorrow。I loved the child madly，and he loved me too。As soon as he saw me he’d wave his little hands and wanted me to pick him up，andwhen he was colicky I was the only one who could pacify him。I bought him a little bone teething ring and a little gilded cap。He was forever catching the evileye from someone，and then I had to run to get one of those abracadabras for him that would get him out of it。I worked likean ox。You know how expenses go upwhen there’s an infant in the house。I don’t want to lie about itI didn’t dislike Elka either，for that matter。She swore at me and cursed，and I couldn’t get enough of her。What strength she had！One of her looks could rob you of the power of speech。And her orations！Pitch and sulphur，that’s what they were fullof，and yet somehow also full of charm。I adored her every word。She gave me bloody wounds though。
34 In the evening I brought her a white loaf as well as a dark one，and also poppy seed rolls I baked myself。I thieved because of her and swiped everything Icould lay hands on：macaroons，raisins，almonds，cakes。I hope I may be forgiven for stealing from the Saturday pots the women left to warm in the baker’s oven。I would take out scraps of meat，a chunk of pudding，a chicken leg or head，a piece of tripe，whatever I could nip quickly。She ate and becamefat and handsome。
35 I had to sleep away from home all during the week，at the bakery。On Fridaynights when I got home she always made an excuse of some sort。Either she had heartburn，or a stitch in the side，or hiccups，or headaches。You know what women’s excuses are。I had a bitter time of it。It was rough。To add to it，this little brother of hers，the bastard，was growing bigger。He’d put lumps on me，and when I wanted to hit back she’d open her mouth and curse so powerfully I saw a green haze floating before my eyes。Ten times a day she threatenedto divorce me。Another man in my place would have taken French leave and disappeared。But I’m the type that bears it and says nothing。What’s one to do？Shoulders are from God and burdens too。
fair：n。集市
descend：vi。下來
colicky：adj。腹痛的
pacify：v。鎮定，撫慰
catch the evil eye from sb。：受到惡人的詛咒
abracadabra：n。驅病符，符咒，咒文
oration：n。演說
pitch：n。瀝青
sulphur：n。硫磺
poppy：n。罌粟
scrap：n。碎片，廢料
chunk：n。（厚）塊
nip：vt。夾，掐，捏，咬
stitch：n。突然劇痛
hiccup：n。（打嗝兒的）嗝
lump：n。腫塊
haze：n。薄霧36One night there was a calamity in the bakerythe oven burst，and we almosthad a fire。There was nothing to do but go home，so I went home。Let me，I thought，also taste the joy of sleeping in bed in midweek。I didn’t want to wake the sleeping mite and tiptoed into the house。Coming in，it seemed to me that I heard not the snoring of one but，as it were，a double snore，one a thin enough snore and the other like the snoring of a slaughtered ox。Oh I didn’t like that！I didn’t like it as at all。I went up to the bed，and things suddenly turned black。Next to Elka lay a man’s form。Another in my place would have made an uproar，and enough noise to rouse the whole town，but the thought occurred to me that I might wake the child。A little thing like that—why frighten a little swallow，I thought。All right then，I went back to the bakery and stretched out on a sack of flour and till morning I never shut an eye。I shivered as if I had had malaria。“Enough of being a donkey，”I said to myself。“Gimpel isn’t going to be asucker all his life。There’s a limit even to the foolishness of a fool like Gimpel。”
37 In the morning I went to the rabbi to get advice，and it made a great commotion in the town。They sent the beadle for Elka right away。She came，carrying the child。And what do you think she did？She denied it，denied everything，boneand stone！“He’s out of his head，”she said。“I know nothing of dreams of divinations。”They yelled at her，warned her，hammered on the table，but she stuck toher guns：it was a false accusation，she said。
評注：在看到妻子的不忠後，吉姆佩爾去拉比那兒告狀，反映了他忍讓中偶有反抗的心理。文中幾次提到拉比，事實上吉姆佩爾一生所躬行的是拉比的告誡，拉比相當於基督教的牧師。
38 The butchers and the horse-traders took her part。One of the lads from the slaughterhouse came by and said to me，“We’ve got our eye on you，you’re a marked man。”Meanwhile the child started to bear down and soiled itself。In the rabbinical court there was an Ark of the Covenant，and they couldn’t allow that，so they sent Elka away。
39 I said to the rabbi，“What shall I do？”
40 “You must divorce her at once，”said he。
calamity：n。災害
mite：n。極小的東西
malaria：n。瘧疾
commotion：n。動亂
beadle：n。牧師助理
divination：n。預言，先知
Ark of the Covenant：約櫃，存放經書的地方41“And what if she refuses？”I asked。
42 He said，“You must serve the divorce。That’s all you’ll have to do。”
43 I said，“Well，all right Rabbi。Let me think about it。”
44 “There’s nothing to think about，”said he。“You mustn’t remain under thesame roof with her。”
45 “And if I want to see the child？”I asked。
46 “Let her go，the harlot，”said he，“and her brood of bastards with her。”
47 The verdict he gave was that I mustn’t even cross her threshold—never again，as long as I should live。
48 During the day it didn’t bother me so much。I thought：It was bound to happen，the abscess had to burst。But at night when I stretched outupon the sacks I felt it all very bitterly。A longing took me，for her and for the child。I wanted to be angry，but that’s my misfortune exactly，I don’t have it in me to bereally angry。In the first place—this was how my thoughts went—there’s bound to be a slip sometimes。You can’t live without errors。Probably that lad who waswith her led her on and gave her presents and what not，and women are often long on hair and short on sense，and so he got around her。And then since she denies it so，maybe I was only seeing things？Hallucinations do happen。You see a figure or a manikin or something，but when you come up closer it’s nothing，there’s not a thing there。And if that’s so，I’m doing her an injustice。And when I got so far in my thoughts I started to weep。I sobbed so that I wet the flour where I lay。In the morning I went to the rabbi and told him that I had made a mistake。The rabbi wrote on with his quill，and he said that if that were so he wouldhave to reconsider the whole case。Until he had finished I wasn’t to go near my wife，but I might send her bread and money by messenger。
49 Nine months passed before all the rabbis could come to an agreement。Letters went back and forth。I hadn’t realized that there could be so much erudition about a matter like this。
50 Meanwhile Elka gave birth to still another child，a girl this time。On the Sabbath I went to the synagogue and invoked a blessing on her。They called me upto the Torah，and I named the child for my mother-in-law—mayshe rest in peace。The louts and loudmouths of the town who cameinto the bakery gave me a goingover。All Frampol refreshed its spirits because of my trouble and grief。However，I resolved that I would always believe what I was told。What’s the good of not believing？Today it’s your wife you don’t believetomorrow it’s God Himself you won’t take stock in。
評注：“今天你不相信你的妻子，明天你就會不相信上帝。”“信”（belief）在吉姆佩爾的身上已經成為一種“意誌”（will），一種對上帝忠誠的決心。我們也可以把這個故事理解成一個寓言，一個關於“受難記”的寓言。
51 By an apprentice who was her neighbour I sent her daily a corn or a wheat loaf，or a piece of pastry，rolls or bagels，or，when I got the chance，a slab ofpudding，a slice of honey cake，or wedding strudel—whatever came my way。The apprentice was a good-hearted lad，and more than once he added something on his own。He had formerly annoyed me a lot，plucking my nose and digging me in the ribs，but when he started to be a visitor to my house he became kind and friendly，“Hey，you，Gimpel，”he said to me，“you have a very decent little wife and two fine kids。You don’t deserve them。”
harlot：n。婊子
verdict：n。判決
abscess：n。膿腫
hallucination：n。幻覺
quill：n。翎毛筆
erudition：n。博學
invoke：vt。懇求
Torah：《摩西五書》
lout：n。粗人，鄉下佬
loudmouth：n。高聲談論的人
take stock in：相信
pluck：vt。采，摘，拉下52“But the things people say about her，”I said。
53 “Well，they have long tongues，”he said，“and nothing to do with them but babble。Ignore it as you ignore the cold of last winter。”
54 One day the rabbi sent for me and said，“Are you certain，Gimpel，that you were wrong about your wife？”
55 I said，“I’m certain。”
56 “Why，but look here！You yourself saw it。”
57 “It must have been a shadow，”I said。
58 “That shadow of what？”
59 “Just of one of the beams，I think。”
60 “You can go home then。You owe thanks to the Yanover rabbi。He found an obscure reference in Maimonides that favoured you。”
61 I seized the rabbi’s hand and kissed it。
62 I wanted to run home immediately。It’s no small think to be separated for so long a time from wife and child。Then I reflected：I’d better go back to work now，and go home in the evening。I said nothing to anyone，although as far as myheart was concerned it was like one of the Holy Days。The women teased and twitted me as they did every day，but my thought was：Go on，with your loose talk。The truth is out，like the oil upon the water。Maimonides says it’s right，and therefore it is right！
63 At night，when I had covered the dough to let it rise，I took my share of bread and a little sack of flour and started homeward。The moon was full and the stars were glistening，something to terrify the soul。I hurried onward，and before me started a long shadow。It was winter，and fresh snow had fallen。I had a mind to sing，but it was growing late and I didn’t want to wake the householders。Then I felt like whistling，but I remembered that you don’t whistle at night because it brings the demons out。So I was silent and walked as fast as I could。
64 Dogs in the Christian yards barked at me when I passed，but I thought：Barkyour teeth out！What are you but mere dogs？Whereas I am a man，the husband ofa fine wife，the father of promising children。
65 As I approached the house my heart started to pound as though it were the heart of a criminal。I felt no fear，but my heart went thump！Thump！Well，no drawing back。I quietly lifted the latch and went in。Elka was asleep。I looked atthe infant’s cradle。The shutter was closed，but the moon forced its way through the cracks。I saw the newborn child’s face and loved it as soon as I saw it—immediately—each tiny bone。