JANUARY
一月
The Assistant Master.
助教师
Wednesday, 4th.
星期三，4日。
MY father was right; the master was in a bad humor because he was not well; for the last three days, in fact, the assistant has been coming in his stead,--that little man, without a beard, who seems like a youth. A shameful thing happened this morning. There had been an uproar on the first and second days, in the school, because the assistant is very patient and does nothing but say, "Be quiet, be quiet, I beg of you."
父亲的话不错，先生的不高兴，果然是病了的缘故。这三天来，先生告假，另外有一位助教师来代课。那是一个没有胡须的像孩子似的先生。今天，学校里发生了一件可耻的事：这位助教师，无论学生怎样说他，他总不动怒，只说：“诸位！请规矩些！”前两日，教室中已扰乱不堪，今天竟弄得无可收拾了。

But this morning they passed all bounds. Such a noise arose, that his words were no longer audible, and he admonished and besought; but it was a mere waste of breath. Twice the headmaster appeared at the door and looked in; but the moment he disappeared the murmur increased as in a market. It was in vain that Derossi and Garrone turned round and made signs to their comrades to be good, so that it was a shame. No one paid any heed to them. Stardi alone remained quiet, with his elbows on the bench, and his fists to his temples, meditating, perhaps, on his famous library; and Garoffi, that boy with the hooked nose and the postage-stamps, who was wholly occupied in making a catalogue of the subscribers at two centesimi each, for a lottery for a pocket inkstand. The rest chattered and laughed, pounded on the points of pens fixed in the benches, and snapped pellets of paper at each other with the elastics of their garters.
那真是稀有的骚扰。先生的话声全然听不清了，无论怎样晓谕，怎样劝诱，学生都当做耳边风一样。校长先生曾到门口来探看过两次，校长一转背，骚扰就依然如故。代洛西和卡隆在前面回过头来，向大家使眼色叫他们静些，他们哪里肯静。斯带地独自用手托了头凭着桌子沉思，那个钩鼻的旧邮票商人卡洛斐呢，他向大家各索铜元一枚，用墨水瓶为彩品，做着彩票。其余有的笑，有的说，有的用钢笔尖钻着课桌，有的用了吊裤带上的橡皮弹纸团。