【赫临译笔】三个托钵僧的故事（12.2） - 心云驛站

其中一个年轻人回答我说：“我们不同意你的请求，是为了你自己的缘故，这是为了保护你远离我们的不幸命运。然而，如果你想分享我们的命运，我们将不再犹豫。”

我回答道，无论可能出现什么结果，我都想满足自己的好奇心，我会自负后果。然后，他向我说明，即使我失去了眼睛，也不可能和他们留在一起，因为他们已经满员，不可能再增加了。但我对此做出的答复是，虽然要与如此诚实的先生们分手，我很伤心，但我不会因此而改变我的决定。

听到我的决心后，我的十位主人牵来一只羊，杀死它，递给我一把刀，告诉我迟早会用得上。“我们必须把你缝到羊皮里，”他们说：“然后离开你。一只叫罗克的大鸟会出现在空中，它会误以为你是一只羊。它会抓起你，飞到空中。但不要惊慌，因为它会带你安全地降落在一座山顶。你脚一落地，就用这把刀割开羊皮，把它扔掉。罗克一见到你，就会惊慌地飞走。但你要不停地走，直到来到一个镶嵌着宝石的镀金城堡。城堡的门一直开着，大胆地走进去，但不要指望我们告诉你，我们在那看到了什么，什么样的命运降临到了我们身上。因为你会自己知道的。我们只能说，代价是我们每个人都失去了右眼，并且被强迫夜夜忏悔。”

年轻人费神把羊皮缝到我身上后，就离开我，回到了大厅。几分钟后，大鸟出现了，把我带到山顶。在它巨大的爪子下，我轻得像一片羽毛。大家知道，它甚至能把大象带回它山里的巢中。

我转悠了半天时间，才找到这个城堡。我从没想过会有如此辉煌的地方。大门通向一个方形院子，一百扇门通向这个院子。其中九十九扇是稀有的木门，一扇是金门。透过每一扇门，可以瞥见里面或是锦绣花园，或是丰富的宝藏。

"It is for your own sake," replied one of the young men,"that we have not granted your request, and to preserve you from our unfortunate fate. If, however, you wish to share our destiny we will delay no longer."

I answered that whatever might be the consequence I wished to have my curiosity satisfied, and that I would take the result on my own head. He then assured me that, even when I had lost my eye, I should be unable to remain with them, as their number was complete, and could not be added to. But to this I replied that, though I should be grieved to part company with such honest gentlemen, I would not be turned from my resolution on that account.

On hearing my determination my ten hosts then took a sheep and killed it,and handed me a knife, which they said I should by-and-by find useful. "We must sew you into this sheep-skin," said they, "and then leave you. Afowl of monstrous size, called a roc, will appear in the air, taking you to bea sheep. He will snatch you up and carry you into the sky, but be not alarmed,for he will bring you safely down and lay you on the top of a mountain. When you are on the ground cut the skin with the knife and throw it off. As soon asthe roc sees you he will fly away from fear, but you must walk on till you come to a castle covered with plates of gold, studded with jewels. Enter boldly at the gate, which always stands open, but do not ask us to tell you what we saw or what befell us there, for that you will learn for yourself. This only we may say, that it cost us each our right eye, and has imposed upon us our nightly penance."

After the young gentlemen had been at the trouble of sewing the sheep-skin on me they left me, and retired to the hall. In a few minutes the roc appeared,and bore me off to the top of the mountain in his huge claws as lightly as if Ihad been a feather, for this great white bird is so strong that he has been known to carry even an elephant to his nest in the hills.

The moment my feet touched the ground I took out my knife and cut the threads that bound me, and the sight of me in my proper clothes so alarmed the roc that he spread his wings and flew away. Then I set out to seek the castle.

I found it after wandering about for half a day, and never could I have imagined anything so glorious. The gate led into a square court, into which opened a hundred doors, ninety-nine of them being of rare woods and one of gold. Through each of these doors I caught glimpses of splendid gardens or of rich storehouses.