居伊·德·莫泊桑/Guy de Maupassant
居伊·德·莫泊桑（1850—1893），19世紀末法國著名小說家，生於法國諾曼底一個沒落貴族家庭。他曾參加普法戰爭，他的成名作《羊脂球》反映了他的愛國熱情。莫泊桑富於創造性，描繪真切，筆法靈活多樣；富有情趣，諷刺深刻，幽默生動；結構嚴謹，語言優美。其代表作有《俊友》《一生》等。
As the mayor was about to sit down to breakfast, word was brought to him that the rural policeman, with two prisoners, was awaiting him at the Hotel de Ville. He went there at once and found old Hochedur standing guard before a middle-class couple whom he was regarding with a severe expression on his face.
The man, a fat old fellow with a red nose and white hair, seemed utterly dejected; while the woman, a little roundabout individual with shining cheeks, looked at the official who had arrested them, with defiant eyes.
"What is it? What is it, Hochedur?"
The rural policeman made his deposition.
He had gone out that morning at his usual time, in order to patrol his beat from the forest of Champioux as far as the boundaries of Argenteuil. He had not noticed anything unusual in the country except that it was a fine day, and that the wheat was doing well, when the son of old Bredel, who was going over his vines, called out to him:
"Here, Daddy Hochedur, go and have a look at the outskirts of the wood. In the first thicket you will find a pair of pigeons who must be a hundred and thirty years old between them!"
He went in the direction indicated, entered the thicket, and there he heard words which made him suspect a flagrant breach of morality. Advancing, therefore, on his hands and knees as if to surprise a poacher, he had arrested the couple whom he found there.
The mayor looked at the culprits in astonishment, for the man was certainly sixty, and the woman fifty-five at least, and he began to question them, beginning with the man, who replied in such a weak voice that he could scarcely be heard.