Tarrou thought that the plague would and would not change the town; that, of course, the greatest desire of our fellow-citizens was and would be to behave as though nothing had happened, and that, consequently, in a sense nothing would have changed; but that, in another sense, one cannot forget everything, with the best will in the world, so the plague would leave its mark, at least on people's hearts.
Izurriak hiria aldatuko zuela eta ez zuela aldatuko pentsatzen zuen Tarrouk, jakina, gure hiritarrak hirian deus aldatu ez balitz bezala jokatuko zutela gogorik bizienez eta, beraz, alde batetik deus ez zela aldatuko, baina beste alde batetik ikusita, inola ere ezingo zela dena ahaztu, nahiz eta horretarako nahiko borondatea izan, eta, bihotzetan behinik behin, arrastoa utziko zuela izurriak.