Don Quixote — Chapter 33 in French
By Miguel de Cervantes
À Florence, riche et fameuse ville d’Italie, dans la province qu’on appelle Toscane, vivaient deux gentilshommes d’illustre famille, Anselme et Lothaire, liés ensemble d’une si étroite amitié, que tous ceux dont ils étaient connus les appelaient, par excellence, les deux amis. In Florence, a rich and famous city of Italy in the province called Tuscany, there lived two gentlemen of wealth and quality, Anselmo and Lothario, such great friends that by way of distinction they were called by all that knew them "The Two Friends." Tous deux étaient jeunes et garçons ; tous deux avaient le même âge et les mêmes goûts, ce qui suffisait pour qu’ils répondissent l’un et l’autre à leur mutuelle affection. They were unmarried, young, of the same age and of the same tastes, which was enough to account for the reciprocal friendship between them. Il est bien vrai qu’Anselme était plus enclin aux passe-temps amoureux, et Lothaire plus emporté par les plaisirs de la chasse ; mais, à l’occasion, Anselme sacrifiait ses goûts pour suivre ceux de Lothaire, et Lothaire, à son tour, renonçait aux siens pour se livrer à ceux d’Anselme ; de cette façon, leurs volontés marchaient si parfaitement d’accord, qu’une horloge bien réglée n’offrait pas la même harmonie. Anselmo, it is true, was somewhat more inclined to seek pleasure in love than Lothario, for whom the pleasures of the chase had more attraction; but on occasion Anselmo would forego his own tastes to yield to those of Lothario, and Lothario would surrender his to fall in with those of Anselmo, and in this way their inclinations kept pace one with the other with a concord so perfect that the best regulated clock could not surpass it.
Anselme était éperdûment épris d’une noble et belle personne de la même ville, fille de parents si recommandables, et si digne elle-même d’estime, qu’il résolut, avec l’approbation de son ami Lothaire, sans l’avis duquel il ne faisait rien, de la demander en mariage. Ce projet fut aussitôt mis à exécution, et celui qui porta l’ambassade fut Lothaire, lequel conduisit la négociation tellement au gré de son ami, qu’en peu de temps Anselme se vit en possession de l’objet de ses désirs, et Camille si satisfaite de l’avoir obtenu pour époux qu’elle ne cessait de rendre grâce au ciel, ainsi qu’à Lothaire, par l’entremise duquel lui était venu tant de bonheur. Anselmo was deep in love with a high-born and beautiful maiden of the same city, the daughter of parents so estimable, and so estimable herself, that he resolved, with the approval of his friend Lothario, without whom he did nothing, to ask her of them in marriage, and did so, Lothario being the bearer of the demand, and conducting the negotiation so much to the satisfaction of his friend that in a short time he was in possession of the object of his desires, and Camilla so happy in having won Anselmo for her husband, that she gave thanks unceasingly to heaven and to Lothario, by whose means such good fortune had fallen to her. Dans les premiers jours (ceux des noces sont toujours brillants et joyeux), Lothaire continua comme d’habitude à fréquenter la maison de son ami, pour l’honorer et le fêter de son mieux ; mais dès qu’on eut achevé les noces, dès que les visites et les félicitations se furent calmées, Lothaire commença à ralentir peu à peu ses allées et venues dans la maison de son ami. Il lui semblait, et ce doit être l’opinion de tous les hommes sages et prudents, qu’il ne faut plus visiter un ami marié de la même manière qu’un ami garçon ; car, bien que la bonne et franche amitié ne puisse et ne doive concevoir aucun soupçon, l’honneur d’un mari est une chose si délicate, qu’il peut être blessé même par les frères, à plus forte raison par les amis. The first few days, those of a wedding being usually days of merry-making, Lothario frequented his friend Anselmo's house as he had been wont, striving to do honour to him and to the occasion, and to gratify him in every way he could; but when the wedding days were over and the succession of visits and congratulations had slackened, he began purposely to leave off going to the house of Anselmo, for it seemed to him, as it naturally would to all men of sense, that friends' houses ought not to be visited after marriage with the same frequency as in their masters' bachelor days: because, though true and genuine friendship cannot and should not be in any way suspicious, still a married man's honour is a thing of such delicacy that it is held liable to injury from brothers, much more from friends. Il lui en fit les plaintes les plus vives, disant que, s’il eût su que son mariage pouvait rompre leur habitude de se voir chaque jour, jamais il ne l’aurait conclu, et que, si la mutuelle affection qu’ils avaient l’un pour l’autre, tant qu’il était resté garçon, leur avait mérité ce doux surnom des deux amis, il ne fallait point permettre, par une circonspection mal entendue et sans objet, qu’un nom si rare et si précieux vînt à se perdre ; qu’il le suppliait donc, si ce mot pouvait s’employer entre eux, de redevenir maître de sa maison, d’y entrer et d’en sortir sans gêne comme auparavant, l’assurant que son épouse Camille n’avait d’autre volonté que celle qu’il voulait qu’elle eût, et que, sachant quelle tendre amitié les avait unis, elle était surprise et peinée de voir maintenant régner entre eux tant de froideur. Anselmo remarked the cessation of Lothario's visits, and complained of it to him, saying that if he had known that marriage was to keep him from enjoying his society as he used, he would have never married; and that, if by the thorough harmony that subsisted between them while he was a bachelor they had earned such a sweet name as that of "The Two Friends," he should not allow a title so rare and so delightful to be lost through a needless anxiety to act circumspectly; and so he entreated him, if such a phrase was allowable between them, to be once more master of his house and to come in and go out as formerly, assuring him that his wife Camilla had no other desire or inclination than that which he would wish her to have, and that knowing how sincerely they loved one another she was grieved to see such coldness in him.
À toutes ces raisons et d’autres encore que fit valoir Anselme pour persuader à Lothaire de reprendre ses anciennes habitudes, Lothaire répondit avec tant de prudence et de discrétion, qu’Anselme demeura satisfait des bonnes intentions de son ami. Ils convinrent que, deux fois par semaine et les jours de fête, Lothaire irait dîner chez lui. To all this and much more that Anselmo said to Lothario to persuade him to come to his house as he had been in the habit of doing, Lothario replied with so much prudence, sense, and judgment, that Anselmo was satisfied of his friend's good intentions, and it was agreed that on two days in the week, and on holidays, Lothario should come to dine with him; but though this arrangement was made between them Lothario resolved to observe it no further than he considered to be in accordance with the honour of his friend, whose good name was more to him than his own. Il disait, et il disait bien, que le mari à qui le Ciel a donné une femme belle doit être aussi prudent sur le choix des amis qu’il reçoit dans sa maison, que sur celui des amies que fréquente sa femme ; car ce qui ne peut ni se faire ni se comploter dans les promenades, dans les temples, dans les stations dévotes et les fêtes publiques (chose que les maris ne doivent pas toujours refuser à leurs femmes), se complote et se facilite chez l’amie ou la parente dont on se croit le mieux assuré. He said, and justly, that a married man upon whom heaven had bestowed a beautiful wife should consider as carefully what friends he brought to his house as what female friends his wife associated with, for what cannot be done or arranged in the market-place, in church, at public festivals or at stations (opportunities that husbands cannot always deny their wives), may be easily managed in the house of the female friend or relative in whom most confidence is reposed. Lothaire disait aussi que les maris auraient besoin d’avoir chacun quelque ami qui les avertît des négligences qu’ils pourraient commettre ; car il arrive d’habitude que le grand amour qu’un mari porte à sa femme l’empêche, soit par aveuglement, soit par crainte de l’affliger, de lui recommander qu’elle fasse ou cesse de faire certaines choses qui méritent l’éloge ou le blâme ; défaut que corrigeraient aisément les conseils d’un ami. Lothario said, too, that every married man should have some friend who would point out to him any negligence he might be guilty of in his conduct, for it will sometimes happen that owing to the deep affection the husband bears his wife either he does not caution her, or, not to vex her, refrains from telling her to do or not to do certain things, doing or avoiding which may be a matter of honour or reproach to him; and errors of this kind he could easily correct if warned by a friend. Mais où se trouvera-t-il, cet ami, aussi discret, aussi loyal, aussi dévoué que le demande Lothaire ? But where is such a friend to be found as Lothario would have, so judicious, so loyal, and so true?
Lothaire seul pouvait l’être, lui qui veillait avec tous les soins de sa prudence sur l’honneur de son ami, lui qui s’efforçait d’éloigner par toutes sortes de prétextes les jours convenus pour ses visites, afin que les yeux oisifs et les langues malicieuses ne trouvassent point à redire sur la trop fréquente admission d’un jeune et riche gentilhomme, doué de toutes les qualités qu’il savait avoir, dans la maison d’une aussi belle personne que Camille ; car, bien que la vertu de celle-ci pût mettre frein à toute médisance, il ne voulait exposer ni sa bonne renommée, ni l’honneur de son mari. Of a truth I know not; Lothario alone was such a one, for with the utmost care and vigilance he watched over the honour of his friend, and strove to diminish, cut down, and reduce the number of days for going to his house according to their agreement, lest the visits of a young man, wealthy, high-born, and with the attractions he was conscious of possessing, at the house of a woman so beautiful as Camilla, should be regarded with suspicion by the inquisitive and malicious eyes of the idle public. En conséquence, la plupart des jours convenus, il les employait à d’autres choses qu’il disait être indispensables ; aussi les plaintes de l’un, les excuses de l’autre, prenaient-elles une grande partie de leur temps. For though his integrity and reputation might bridle slanderous tongues, still he was unwilling to hazard either his own good name or that of his friend; and for this reason most of the days agreed upon he devoted to some other business which he pretended was unavoidable; so that a great portion of the day was taken up with complaints on one side and excuses on the other. Un jour qu’ils se promenaient tous deux dans une prairie hors de la ville, Anselme prit Lothaire à part, et lui parla de la sorte : It happened, however, that on one occasion when the two were strolling together outside the city, Anselmo addressed the following words to Lothario.