【赫临译笔】三个托钵僧的故事（12.1） - 心云驛站

我刚做完这些，往大海上一望，看见一艘大船正朝这个岛屿驶来。我觉得无论怎么申辩自己无辜都不会有用，就又一次藏身于附近的一棵大树上。

船一靠岸，老人和他的奴隶推开小船，直奔地下洞穴的入口。当他们走近时，发现土被动过，他们停了一下，脸色变了。他们默默地向下走，喊着少年的名字。有一会儿，我什么也听不见。突然，一声恐怖的尖叫划破了天空。接下来，奴隶们上了台阶，抬着老人的身体，他已过度悲伤，昏了过去。把老人放在我藏身的树下，他们尽最大努力使他恢复过来，但这花了很长时间。当他终于苏醒过来时，他们丢下他去挖了个坟墓。他们把少年的尸体放在里面，填上了土。

做完这些，奴隶们把下面的家俱搬上来，装到船上，又折了些树枝，编了个担架，把老人放在上面，抬到船上，扬帆起航，朝大海缓缓驶去。

于是，我再一次成了孤家寡人。整整一个月，我每天在小岛上转悠，寻找离开的机会。最后，有一天，我突然想到，我的监牢好像大了许多，陆地似乎离这儿并不远。一想到这，我的心狂跳不止，这太好了，简直令人难以置信。我又观察了一会儿，没错，很快，我就只剩下了条小溪需要穿过。

虽说我安全地来到对岸，还有很长的一段泥沙路要走，才能到达干地。我非常疲劳，远远望到前面有一个赤铜城堡。乍一看，我还以为是一团火呢。我全速前进，又艰难地行进了几英里路，就站到了城堡面前，惊奇地打量着它，因为这似乎是我见过的最漂亮的建筑。我正盯着城堡看时，一位高个子老人朝我走来，有十个青年相伴，他们个个英俊，并且都瞎了右眼。

这样十个瞎了右眼的人一起走着，和一个赤铜城堡一样，非同寻常。我反复思考着这到底是什么意思，怎么这样奇怪。这时，他们热情地向我问候，问我怎么会到这里来。我回答我的故事有点长，但如果他们不怕麻烦坐下来的话，我很乐意讲给他听听。当我讲完时，年轻人请我和他们一起回城堡，我欣然接受。我们好像穿过了数不清的屋子，最后来到了一个大厅。里面有十个蓝色小沙发，十个年轻人每人一个，既当床又当椅子。大厅中间有另外一个沙发，这是老人的。由于所有的沙发只能容纳一个人，他们请我躺在地毯上，并且见到什么也不要提问。

过了一会儿，老人起身端来了晚餐。我很饿，吃得津津有味。然后，一个年轻人请我再讲一遍我的故事，听后他们都非常震惊。我讲完时，我们吩咐老人“尽自己的职责”。由于天晚了，他们都想睡觉。听到这话，老人站起来，走向壁橱。从里面端出十个脸盆，盆上都盖着蓝色的东西。他在每一个年轻人面前放了个脸盆和一支点燃的小蜡烛。

当盆上的盖子被揭开时，我看见里面满是烟灰，煤灰和灯灰。这些年轻把它们混合在一起，涂了满头满脸，然后低声啜泣，捶胸顿足，大叫道：“这就是我们无所事事，邪恶一生的恶果。”

我一直控制着自己，什么也不问。虽然我的好奇心差不多控制不住了。第二天，当我们出去散步时，我对他们说：“先生们，我必须违背你们的意愿，因为我再也不能保持沉默了。你们看上去不缺心眼，但为什么要做只有疯子才做的事情。不论什么降临到我头上，我都忍不住要问：“你们为什么把脸涂黑？又怎么都瞎了一只眼？”但他们只说这些与我无关，我最好住嘴。

Scarcely had I finished when, looking out to sea, I saw the vessel heading for the island, and, feeling that it would be useless for me to protest my innocence, I again concealed myself among the branches of a tree that grew nearby.

The old man and his slaves pushed off in a boat directly the ship touched land, and walked quickly towards the entrance to the underground chamber; butwhen they were near enough to see that the earth had been disturbed, they paused and changed colour. In silence they all went down and called to theyouth by name; then for a moment I heard no more. Suddenly a fearful scream rent the air, and the next instant the slaves came up the steps, carrying with them the body of the old man, who had fainted from sorrow! Laying him down at the foot of the tree in which I had taken shelter, they did their best to recover him, but it took a long while. When at last he revived, they left him to dig a grave, and then laying the young man's body in it, they threw in the earth.

This ended, the slaves brought up all the furniture that remained below,and put it on the vessel, and breaking some boughs to weave a litter, they laid the old man on it, and carried him to the ship, which spread its sails and stood out to sea.

So once more I was quite alone, and for a whole month I walked daily over the island, seeking for some chance of escape. At length one day it struck me that my prison had grown much larger, and that the mainland seemed to be nearer. My heart beat at this thought, which was almost too good to be true. I watched a little longer: there was no doubt about it, and soon there was only a tiny stream for me to cross.

Even when I was safe on the other side I had a long distance to go on themud and sand before I reached dry ground, and very tired I was, when far in front of me I caught sight of a castle of red copper, which, at first sight, I took to be a fire. I made all the haste I could, and after some miles of hard walking stood before it, and gazed at it in astonishment, for it seemed to methe most wonderful building I had ever beheld. While I was still staring at it,there came towards me a tall old man, accompanied by ten young men, all handsome, and all blind of the right eye.

Now in its way, the spectacle of ten men walking together, all blind ofthe right eye, is as uncommon as that of a copper castle, and I was turning over in my mind what could be the meaning of this strange fact, when they greeted me warmly, and inquired what had brought me there. I replied that my story was somewhat long, but that if they would take the trouble to sit down, I should be happy to tell it them. When I had finished, the young men begged that I would go with them to the castle, and I joyfully accepted their offer. We passed through what seemed to me an endless number of rooms, and came at length into a large hall, furnished with ten small blue sofas for the ten young men, which served as beds as well as chairs, and with another sofa in the middle for theold man. As none of the sofas could hold more than one person, they bade meplace myself on the carpet, and to ask no questions about anything I should see.

After a little while the old man rose and brought in supper, which I ate heartily, for I was very hungry. Then one of the young men begged me to repeat my story, which had struck them all with astonishment, and when I had ended,the old man was bidden to "do his duty," as it was late, and they wished to go to bed. At these words he rose, and went to a closet, from which he brought out ten basins, all covered with blue stuff. He set one before eachof the young men, together with a lighted taper.

When the covers were taken off the basins, I saw they were filled with ashes, coal-dust, and lamp-black. The young men mixed these all together, and smeared the whole over their heads and faces. They then wept and beat their breasts, crying, "This is the fruit of idleness, and of our wicked lives."

All this while I had refrained from questions, though my curiosity almost seemed to burn a hole in me, but the following day, when we went out to walk, Isaid to them, "Gentlemen, I must disobey your wishes, for I can keep silence no more. You do not appear to lack wit, yet you do such actions as none but madmen could be capable of. Whatever befalls me I cannot forbear asking,'Why you daub your faces with black, and how it is you are all blind of one eye?'" But they only answered that such questions were none of my business, and that I should do well to hold my peace.