本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-5-7 12:02 编辑
魔马（六） 荷叶/译 王子看见公主斜躺在沙发上，眼含泪水，轻声哼唱着一首哀歌，悲叹着自己悲惨命运,觉着可能会永远失去了自己深爱着的心上人。听着听着，年轻人的心跳加快了，因为无需进一步证明，他就知道公主在装疯，是由于对自己的爱导致她在使用这种把戏。他轻轻地离开隐蔽的地方，回到国王面前，报告说从某些迹象看，公主的病是可以治愈的，但他必须见见公主，和她单独谈谈。 国王没有反对，同意了让他们见面，并命令把他领进公主的房间。公主一看见医生的长袍，就愤怒地跳了起来，骂声不断。王子没有在意她的行为，为了他的话不被别人听到，他径直走到她身边，低声说：“公主，请看我一眼，你就会明白我不是医生，而是波斯王子，我来救你了。” 一听到他的声音，公主突然就安静下来，欣喜的表情弥漫了她整张脸，只有当她最想得到却又最意想不到的事情突然发生时，才会有这种表情。她一时惊喜地说不出话来。王子利用这个机会向她解释了发生的一切，他眼睁睁地看着她从自己眼前消失的绝望，他许下追随她到天涯海角的誓言，以及最后发现她在克什米尔王宫时的惊喜。当他讲完时，他请求公主讲讲她是怎么到这里来的，他才能更好地设计一下如何把她从暴君手中营救出来。 只需几句话公主就使他熟悉了整个情形，以及她如何装疯来逃避与国王的婚姻，国王甚至没有起码的礼貌，征求一下自己的同意。她继续说，如果必要的话，她宁愿一死，也不会允许自己失信于所爱的王子，而被迫落入这样一段婚姻。 随后，王子询问她是否知道印度人死后，那匹魔马的下落，但公主只说她没有听说关于魔马的任何消息。她仍然认为国王不可能忘记魔马，她毕竟告诉过他魔马的价值。 王子同意这种说法，随后两人一起商量了怎样才能营救公主，两人一起返回波斯的计划。第一步就是，当第二天再来看她时，她必须精心打扮自己，很礼貌地接待国王。 得知与公主见面的结果，国王转忧为喜，他对医生的医术评价更高了。第二天，公主的表现足以让他信服她的完全康复为时不会太远。他心满意足地向她保证见到她恢复得这样快心里非常高兴，劝勉她要好好利用这样聪明的医生，对他充满完全的信任。然后，他没有等公主答复，就离开了。 波斯王子和国王同时离去，他谦卑地问是否可以问问孟加拉国公主用什么方法来的克什米尔，她父亲的王国离此那样遥远，她是如何孤身一人来到这里的。国王认为这个问题很自然，把公主讲述的故事又重述了一遍，并且说他命令将魔马作为一件稀罕物送到了宝库，虽然他对如何使用魔马一无所知。 “陛下，”医生回答道：“您的故事给公主的完全康复提供了必要的线索。在她骑着魔马来此的旅途中，一部分魔法通过某种方法传到了她身上，这种魔法只有我配的香水才能消除。如果您同意，请命令把魔马带到宫殿外面的大广场上来，然后把其它的事交给我来做，我会整个宫廷和臣民看到一个他们从来没有目睹过的最惊人的场面。我保证过不了多长时间，在众目睽睽之下，你会见到公主像平常一样身心健康。为了让这个场面尽可能让人难忘，我建议公主应该穿上华丽的服装，戴满宫廷里最贵重的珠宝。 国王欣然接受了王子提出的所有要求。第二天早晨，他要求把魔马从宝库牵到王宫的广场上。很快，消息就传遍全城，一件非同寻常的事情即将发生。许多人聚集起来，卫兵被叫来维持秩序，给魔马让路。 当一切准备就绪时，国王出现了，他在平台上就坐，身边环绕着他宫廷里的首席贵族和高级官员。他们刚坐下，就看见孟加拉国公主在国王指派的一群侍女的簇拥下，走出了宫殿。她慢慢接近魔马，在侍女的帮助下，她上了马。直接坐在马鞍上，把脚伸进马蹬，手里抓住僵绳。医生在魔马周围放上几大盆腾腾燃烧的炭火，每一盆里都撒下混合各种香味的香水。然后他双手合十交叉在胸前，双目低垂，绕魔马三圈，口中念念有词。很快，燃烧的炭火中升腾起一团浓浓的烟雾，挡位了魔马和公主，这是他一直在盼望的时刻。他轻盈地跳上马背，坐在公主后边，俯身按下机关，当马跃上高空时，他高声喊道：“克什米尔国王，当你想娶一个寻求你保护的公主为妻时，请先学会要赢得她同意。”在场的每个人都听到了他的话。 就这样波斯王子救出了孟加拉国公主，和她一起回到了波斯，他们降落在他父王的王宫前。当辉煌的仪式一准备好时，婚礼就不再推迟。庆祝活动一结束，就派大使去孟加拉国，通知国王所发生的一切，并请求两国结为盟国，孟加拉国国王兴高采烈地批准了这一请求。 附：原文 The prince looked, and beheld the princess reclining on a sofa with tearsin her eyes, singing softly to herself a song bewailing her sad destiny, which had deprived her, perhaps forever, of a being she so tenderly loved. The young man's heart beat fast as helistened, for he needed no further proof that her madness was feigned, and that it was love ofhim which had caused her to resort to this species of trick. He softly left hishiding-place, and returned to the Sultan, to whom he reported that he was surefrom certain signs that the princess's malady was not incurable, but that he must see her and speak withher alone. The Sultan made no difficulty in consenting to this, and commanded that heshould be ushered in to the princess's apartment. The moment she caught sightof his physician's robe, she sprang from her seat in a fury, and heaped insultsupon him. The prince took no notice of her behaviour, and approaching quite close, so that his words might be heard by her alone, he said in a low whisper,"Look at me, princess, and you will see that I am no doctor, but the Prince of Persia, who has come to set you free." At the sound of his voice, the Princess of Bengalsuddenly grew calm, and an expression of joy overspread her face, such as only comes when what we wish for most and expect the least suddenly happens to us.For some time she was too enchanted to speak, and Prince Firouz Schah tookadvantage of her silence to explain to her all that had occurred, his despairat watching her disappear before his very eyes, the oath he had sworn to followher over the world, and his rapture at finally discovering her in the palace atCashmere. When he had finished, he begged in his turn that the princess would tell him how she had come there, so that he might the better devise some means of rescuing her fromthe tyranny of the Sultan. It needed but a few words from the princess to make him acquainted withthe whole situation, and how she had been forced to play the part of a mad woman in order to escape from a marriage with the Sultan, who had not hadsufficient politeness even to ask her consent. If necessary, she added, she hadresolved to die sooner than permit herself to be forced into such a union, andbreak faith with a prince whom she loved. The prince then inquired if she knew what had become of the enchanted horse since the Indian's death, but the princess could only reply that she hadheard nothing about it. Still she did not suppose that the horse could havebeen forgotten by the Sultan, after all she had told him of its value. To this the prince agreed, and they consulted together over a plan by which she might be able to make her escape and return with him into Persia. And asthe first step, she was to dress herself with care, and receive the Sultan with civility when he visited hernext morning. The Sultan was transported with delight on learning the result of theinterview, and his opinion of the doctor's skill was raised still higher when,on the following day, the princess behaved towards him in such a way as topersuade him that her complete cure would not be long delayed. However he contented himself with assuring her how happy he was to see her health so much improved, and exhorted her to make every use of so clever a physician, and torepose entire confidence in him. Then he retired, without awaiting any replyfrom the princess. The Prince of Persia left the room at the same time, and asked if he mightbe allowed humbly to inquire by what means the Princess of Bengal had reachedCashmere, which was so far distant from her father's kingdom, and how she came to be there alone. The Sultan thought the question very natural, and told himthe same story that the Princess of Bengal had done, adding that he had orderedthe enchanted horse to be taken to his treasury as a curiosity, though he wasquite ignorant how it could be used. "Sire," replied the physician, "your Highness's tale hassupplied me with the clue I needed to complete the recovery of the princess.During her voyage hither on an enchanted horse, a portion of its enchantmenthas by some means been communicated to her person, and it can only be dissipated by certain perfumes of which I possess the secret. If your Highness will deign to consent, and to givethe court and the people one of the most astonishing spectacles they have ever witnessed, command the horse to be brought into the big square outside thepalace, and leave the rest to me. I promise that in a very few moments, inpresence of all the assembled multitude, you shall see the princess as healthyboth in mind and body as ever she was in her life. And in order to make thespectacle as impressive as possible, I would suggest that she should be richly dressed and covered with the noblest jewels of the crown." The Sultan readily agreed to all that the prince proposed, and thefollowing morning he desired that the enchanted horse should be taken from the treasury, and brought into the great square of the palace. Soon the rumour began to spread through the town, that something extraordinary was about to happen, and such a crowd began to collect that theguards had to be called out to keep order, and to make a way for the enchanted horse. When all was ready, the Sultan appeared, and took his place on a platform,surrounded by the chief nobles and officers of his court. When they were seated, the Princess of Bengal was seenleaving the palace, accompanied by the ladies who had been assigned to her bythe Sultan. She slowly approached the enchanted horse, and with the help of her ladies, she mounted on its back. Directly she was in the saddle, with her feetin the stirrups and the bridle in her hand, the physician placed around thehorse some large braziers full of burning coals, into each of which he threw a perfume composed of all sorts of delicious scents. Then he crossed his hands over his breast, and with lowered eyes walked three times round the horse,muttering the while certain words. Soon there arose from the burning braziers athick smoke which almost concealed both the horse and princess, and this wasthe moment for which he had been waiting. Springing lightly up behind the lady,he leaned forward and turned the peg, and as the horse darted up into the air,he cried aloud so that his words were heard by all present, "Sultan of Cashmere, when you wish to marry princesses who have sought your protection,learn first to gain their consent." It was in this way that the Prince of Persia rescued the Princess of Bengal, and returned with her to Persia, wherethey descended this time before the palace of the King himself. The marriagewas only delayed just long enough to make the ceremony as brilliant aspossible, and, as soon as the rejoicings were over, an ambassador was sent tothe King of Bengal, to inform him of what had passed, and to ask his approbation of the alliance between the two countries, which he heartily gave. | 
发表于 2014-5-7 11:55:07
QQ空间
腾讯微博
腾讯朋友
转播
分享
收藏
