第一百五十五章 九 高卢的古老灵魂
鱼市场的儿子波克兰身上，有那种孩子的影子；博马舍身上也有一点。街头顽童是高卢精神的一种色调。掺和在理智里，它有时会增强后者的力量，如同酒精增强酒的力量一样。有时它是一种缺陷。荷马不断地重复自己，这可以理解；有人可以说伏尔泰在扮演顽童。卡米耶·德穆兰是郊区的子弟。尚皮奥内粗暴地对待奇迹，他来自巴黎的街石；他小时候曾淹没圣让-德-博韦和圣艾蒂安-杜-蒙的门廊；他曾经对圣热讷维耶芙的神龛熟不拘礼，向圣雅努阿里乌斯的圣瓶下命令。
巴黎的顽童恭敬、讥讽、无礼。他牙齿难看，因为吃得差，胃不舒服，但眼睛漂亮，因为他有智慧。即使耶和华本人当面，他也会单脚跳着上天堂的台阶。他擅长拳击。对他来说，任何信仰都是可能的。他在阴沟里玩耍，却因反抗而挺直腰杆；他的厚颜无耻即使在葡萄弹面前也依然存在；他曾是个捣蛋鬼，却成了英雄；像那个底比斯的小伙子，他抖掉狮子的皮；鼓手巴拉是巴黎的顽童；他高喊：“前进！”就像经文里的马说“哇！”一样，转眼间他就从小顽童变成了巨人。
这个水坑里的孩子也是理想的孩子。丈量从莫里哀到巴拉的那对翅膀的跨度吧。
总而言之，一言以蔽之，顽童是一个自娱自乐的生物，因为他不幸。
There was something of that boy in Poquelin, the son of the
fish-market; Beaumarchais had something of it. Gaminerie is a shade of
the Gallic spirit. Mingled with good sense, it sometimes adds force to
the latter, as alcohol does to wine. Sometimes it is a defect. Homer
repeats himself eternally, granted; one may say that Voltaire plays the
gamin. Camille Desmoulins was a native of the faubourgs. Championnet,
who treated miracles brutally, rose from the pavements of Paris; he
had, when a small lad, inundated the porticos of Saint-Jean de
Beauvais, and of Saint-Étienne du Mont; he had addressed the shrine of
Sainte-Geneviève familiarly to give orders to the phial of Saint
Januarius.
The gamin of Paris is respectful, ironical, and insolent. He has
villainous teeth, because he is badly fed and his stomach suffers, and
handsome eyes because he has wit. If Jehovah himself were present, he
would go hopping up the steps of paradise on one foot. He is strong on
boxing. All beliefs are possible to him. He plays in the gutter, and
straightens himself up with a revolt; his effrontery persists even in
the presence of grape-shot; he was a scapegrace, he is a hero; like the
little Theban, he shakes the skin from the lion; Barra the drummer-boy
was a gamin of Paris; he Shouts: “Forward!” as the horse of Scripture
says “Vah!” and in a moment he has passed from the small brat to the
giant.
This child of the puddle is also the child of the ideal. Measure that
spread of wings which reaches from Molière to Barra.
To sum up the whole, and in one word, the gamin is a being who amuses
himself, because he is unhappy.
