Chapter 11 Eleven learned Spanish wrong

Little Robert escaped the vulture's greedy kisses, but was kissed by his companions: they were eager to swallow him up.Although he was still very weak, no one did not come to pull him into his arms and hug him tightly.This display of love will not exhaust the patient, on the contrary, it will only benefit the patient. The child's life was saved, and everyone thought of the life-saving benefactor.Naturally, it was the major who remembered first.He looked around in search of it.Fifty paces from the river, a tall man stood motionless on a high hill at the foot of the mountain.There was a spear at the man's feet, his shoulders were broad, his hair was tied with a leather rope, and he was over two meters tall.Bronze face, painted red between the eyes and mouth, black on the lower eyelid, and white on the forehead.It was a local native, imitating the Patagonian costumes of the frontiers, wearing a beautiful coat embroidered with red arabesques, the coat was sewn with ostrich sinew from the neck and legs of guanacos. When he got up, the fine hair was turned outside.Inside the coat was a tight-fitting fox fur jacket with a pointed front.From his belt hung a pouch containing face paint.The boots were of cowhide, fastened across the calf with leather straps.

The Patagonian, in spite of his colorful face, was majestic and indeed intelligent.He waited there with great dignity.Seeing him standing on the stone rock, motionless, so solemn, one would almost mistake it for a statue of a calm god. The Major pointed him out as soon as he caught sight of him.Glenarvan immediately ran towards the man, who took two steps forward to meet him.Glenarvan's two hands clasped his hand tightly.There was so much gratitude in his eyes, in his smile, and in his whole countenance, that the native could not have misunderstood anything.He nodded slightly and said something that neither the major nor Glenarvan could understand.

After studying the foreigners carefully, the Patagonian changed his language.But, no matter how hard he tried, the new language was as incomprehensible as the original one.There were, however, a few phrases in the native's utterance which caught his attention.Glenarvan knew a few words commonly used in Spain and thought the native spoke Spanish. Is it Spanish?he asked in Spanish. The Patagonian nodded, this up and down movement expresses affirmative meaning in any nation. Well, this is about our friend Paganel.Good thing he remembered to learn Spanish! They called Paganel.Paganel came running at once, and greeted the Patagonian with that French refinement which the Patagonians might not have experienced at all.As soon as he heard that he was asked to speak Spanish with others, he replied: This is not a problem.

So, in order to pronounce clearly, he deliberately opened his mouth wide and yelled: Wu Si Suo Yi Si Weng good door to run! [Note: You are a good person! 】 The native listened attentively and did not answer. He doesn't understand.said the geographer. Maybe you have the wrong pitch?The major reminded him. Yes, that ghost tone! He repeated the compliment and got the same result.Let me put it another way.He said, then gnawed his teeth, paused one sound at a time, and called out these words again: Sun Mu Duwei Da Weng Batago! [Note: You are undoubtedly a Patagonian! 】 The other party remained silent.

Di Zeyi buys it! [Note: Answer! ] Paganel added another sentence. The Patagonian still didn't answer. What does Wusi Gongbu mean? [Note: Do you understand? ] Paganel wished he could yell out his throat. It was all too obvious that the Indian did not understand, for he replied in Spanish: Noble Nao. [Note: I don’t understand. 】 Now it was Paganel's turn to wonder.He pushed the glasses on his forehead to his eyes, looking impatient. It's no wonder I know a single word of the nonsense he said!That must be Aroganian, he said! No, the man must have answered in Spanish.Greenarvan said, then turned to the Patagonian and asked in Spanish:

Spanish? West!West! [Note: Yes!yes! ] The native replied. Paganel's surprise turned to horror.The major and Greenarvan glanced sideways at each other. aha!My learned friend, said the major, with a little smile on his lips, you are a specialist in carelessness, and are you not careless again this time? Um!The geographer listened and made a suspicious sound. yes!Apparently this Patagonian speaks Spanish He speaks Spanish? ! yes!Didn't you learn another language, and you thought it was the major who didn't finish speaking, so the scholar shrugged his shoulders, sternly!With a sound, he interrupted his conversation.

Major!You've gone too far too!Rather unconvinced, Paganel said. Otherwise, why can't you understand what he said?The major retorted. I can't understand the native's words because he doesn't speak them well!The more the geographers argued, the more impatient they became. He didn't speak well because you didn't understand.The major pressed him calmly again. Major, Glenarvan came out to smooth things over and said, Your assumption doesn't make sense.Even if our friend Paganel had been careless, he would not have learned a whole wrong language! It is not that you have learned the wrong language, so I beg you, my dear Edward, or I beg you, my good Paganel, to explain to you that you and the native do not understand each other , what is the truth.

I will not explain, Paganel replied, I will confirm.This is the book where I study Spanish hard every day!Look, Major, what have you got to say! As he spoke, he fumbled here and there in his pocket for a few minutes, and found a very tattered book, which he handed to the major with peace of mind. The major took the book and read it: OK, what book is this?he asks. It's Lucha, replied Paganel, a beautiful epic, it Lu Xiage!cried Glenarvan. Yes, my friend, the Lu Xia song of the great poet Cammons is not bad at all! Cummens, repeats Glenarvan, O my unfortunate friend, Cummens is a Portuguese poet!You've been studying Portuguese for six weeks!

Cammons!Lu Xiage!Portuguese! Paganel could not continue, his eyes dazzled under his large spectacles, and at the same time there was a wild laugh in his ears, because all his traveling companions surrounded him. The Patagonian didn't even frown. He absolutely couldn't understand this extravagant scene, and just waited patiently for an explanation. ah!What a fool I am!What a madman I am!Paganel finally spoke, what, such a thing?Isn't this a random joke?I will do this kind of thing?This is simply the story of the Tower of Babel [Note: "Bible.The eleventh chapter of Genesis records that at that time, mankind united to build a tower with the top of the Tower of Hope reaching the sky.In order to stop the human plan, God made human beings speak different languages, making it impossible for human beings to communicate with each other. As a result, the plan failed, and human beings have been scattered since then. ], confusing all languages!ah!friends!friends!I went to India, but I came to Chile!I was going to learn Spanish, but I learned Portuguese instead!It's outrageous!If it goes on like this, one day when I throw a cigarette butt out the window, I'll throw myself out too!

No one, hearing Paganel say this, seeing him like that, could not help laughing.First he laughed himself. Laugh, friends!He said, try to laugh!I laugh at myself more than you laugh at me! Haha!Laughed for a while, no scholar had ever laughed like this. Laughing is enough.But we have no translators.said the major. ah!Don't worry, Spanish and Portuguese are too similar, that's why I got confused.But this closeness is just enough to allow me to make amends very quickly.This venerable Patagonian speaks Spanish so well that I promise to thank him in Spanish after a short stop. Paganel was right, and after a while he was able to exchange a few words with the native, and he also knew that the Patagonian's name was Tarcaf, which is a word in Arogania. The text means sharpshooter.

Tarcaf is obviously famous for being good at shooting guns. But Glenarvan is most fortunate to hear that this Patagonian is a tour guide, and he specializes in leading tourists on trips in the grasslands.This coincidence was too wonderful to be said to be without providence.Therefore, this expedition will be successful, and the safety of Captain Lant can be said to be guaranteed.At this moment the travelers and the Patagonians returned to Robert.Robert held out his arms to the native, who, without a word, put his hand on his forehead.He examined the child's body, pinched his aching limbs.Then, smiling, he ran to the river to pick a few handfuls of wild celery, and wiped the little patient's whole body with wild celery.He wiped it very carefully, and the child felt gradually gaining strength after the massage.Apparently, a few more hours of rest will allow for a full recovery. Therefore, it was decided to remain in the makeshift tent that day and that night.However, the two serious problems of food and transportation must be solved.Because their rations and mules were gone.Fortunately, Tarcaf was there.He was used to guiding travelers along the borders of Patagonia, one of the wisest guides there, and he was responsible for supplying Glenarvan and his party with everything they needed.He volunteered to lead Glenarvan to the Indian Market, not more than four miles away, where everything needed for the journey could be found.The suggestion was expressed half in gesture, half in Spanish, and Paganel finally understood it.Glenarvan and his learned friend at once accepted the proposal, took leave of their traveling companions, and followed the Patagonian up the river. For an hour and a half they walked nervously, striding to keep up with the giant Tarcaf.This area of ​​the Andes is not only beautiful, but also fertile.The fertile grassland is one after another, even if there are 100,000 cattle and sheep here, there is no need to worry about food.The arrayed ponds and vertical and horizontal ditches provide green conditions for these plains. Black-headed swans swim in the ponds, ostriches prancing among the vines, and they share the scenery of the water country.The birds here are beautiful and noisy at the same time, and the variety is astonishing.There is a light gray dove with white stripes called Ithaca, which is very exquisite and lovely. They and many yellow warblers are dotted on the branches, as if they are some lively flowers. Wild pigeons fly across the sky in groups, countless The little sparrows, deep-singing sparrows, happy-growth sparrows, and Mengji sparrows spread their wings and compete to fly, chasing each other, and the sky is full of squeaky calls. Paganel walked all the way, admiring and full of admiration, which surprised the Patagonian.Because, in his view, there are birds in the sky, swans in the pond, and grass in the plain, which is nothing more than natural, what admiration!The scholar walked more and more energetically, and he didn't think the road was long. He thought he had just started not long ago, when the tents of those Indians appeared in front of him. The bazaar is located deep in a valley between two mountains.There, under a shed made of branches, lived some thirty nomadic Indians, grazing large herds of cattle, sheep, and horses.They wandered from meadow to meadow, and here and there a sumptuous feast was entertained for their throng of four-legged guests. These Indians are called Andean Peruvians, a mixed race of Aloganians, Baihuanshi people and Oca people, olive skin, medium build, thick body, low forehead, round Faces, thin lips, high cheekbones, effeminate features, and aloof expressions, an ethnographer could tell at a glance that they were not of pure blood.These natives do not arouse much interest in them.Glenarvan's purpose, however, is not the shepherd but the herd.As long as they have horses and oxen, that's all. Takaf was in charge of negotiating, and it was soon successful.Glenarvan bought seven Argentinian ponies complete with saddles and bridles, a hundred catties of dried meat, a few dendrobiums of rice, and several leather buckets for water.The Indians were tempted to offer wine or rum in exchange, for Glenarvan had no wine, and they accepted twenty taels of gold for what they knew perfectly well.Glenarvan wanted to buy another horse for Tarcave to ride, but he said he didn't need it. After the deal was done, Greenervan said goodbye to what Paganel called his suppliers and was back in their makeshift tent within half an hour.When he arrived there was a cheer, which he knew was not for him but for the provisions and horses he had brought.Everyone gets a good meal.Robert was also put on a little diet, and his strength was almost fully restored. The rest of the day was spent resting.Everyone chattered, talked about everybody: about dear Lady Helene and Mary, about John.Captain Menger and his crew talked about Harry.Grant is probably not far from here. As for Paganel, he kept his eyes on the Indian all day long and never left him.He had met a real Patagonian!I couldn't be happier.Compared with this Patagonian, he is almost a dwarf. He thinks Tarcaf is enough to compare with the ancient Roman emperor Maximin and scholar Fan.De.The black Congolese that Burrock saw was more beautiful, because both of them were more than two meters tall!Besides, he kept babbling in Spanish to the solemn Indian, who listened patiently to him.Our geographers are studying again, but not from books this time.People often heard him make many loud sounds with his throat, tongue, and jaws. Don't blame me if I can't master the pitch of Spanish in the future!Who would have thought, he used to say to the major, that a Patagonian would one day teach me Spanish?