本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-6-8 20:43 编辑
诺瑞丁和波斯美人（5） 荷叶/译 这时，波斯美人发现屋子里只点着一只可怜兮兮地牛脂蜡，她请求易卜拉辛点上几只银手臂擎着的漂亮蜡烛。 “你自己去点吧，”这位老人说：“你比我年轻，点上五、六只就够了。” 然而，她没有停下来，直到把八十只蜡烛全部点亮，但易卜拉辛没有意识到这些。此后不久，诺瑞丁提议点几盏灯，易卜拉辛答道： “你比我更有能力点灯，但不要超过三盏。” 三盏灯远远不能满足诺瑞丁，他点亮了所有灯，并打开了八十扇窗。 哈里发哈伦拉西德此时碰巧打开了宫殿的窗子，正朝花园方向张望，见到亭阁里灯火通明，他非常惊讶，找来大元老吉尔发，对他说： “疏忽的元老，看看那个亭子，告诉我为什么我不再那儿，却亮着灯。” 元老看到的情形正如哈里发所说，吓得浑身发抖，立刻编造了一个借口。 “陛下，”他说：“我必须告诉您，四、五天前，易卜拉辛告诉我清真寺的牧师们要开个会，请求在亭子里召开。我批准了，但忘了和陛下提这件事。” “吉尔发，”哈里说答：“你犯了三个错误。第一，不该批准。第二，不该不告诉我。第三，不该不仔细调查此事。作为惩罚我判你花一夜时间和我一起去陪伴这些可敬之人。我要化妆成一个平民，你也要去化下妆，然后，随我来。” 到花园时，他们发现门开着，这让哈里发勃然大怒。亭阁的门也开着，他轻轻地上楼，透过半开半掩的沙龙的门向里望。看到他一向信任十分清醒的易卜拉辛正在和一个少男和一个美女在喝酒唱歌，他大吃一惊。哈里发刚要发火，但他决定先观察一下，看看这俩人是谁，他们在干什么。 此时，易卜拉辛问波斯美人还有什么需要，能使她尽情享受这一夜。 “要是有个乐器可以演奏就好了。”她说。 易卜拉辛从壁橱里取出琵琶，递给波斯美人，她开始演奏，边弹边唱，技法之娴熟，品味之高雅，让哈里发着魔。一曲过后，哈里发轻轻下楼，对元老说： “我从没听过比这更好的嗓音，也没欣赏过比这更好的琵琶演奏。我决定进去，让她为我演奏一曲。” “陛下，”元老说；“如果易卜拉辛认出您来，他会被吓死。” “那样我会很难过，”哈里发答道：“我采取点措施避免这件事发生。你在这里等我回来。” 哈里发从河里引来一股清泉，在这个花园里造了个湖。可以在这里捕到底格里斯河里最美味的鱼，但这里严禁捕鱼。然而，那一夜碰巧有个渔夫见花园的门开着，就进来撒下了网。他刚要收网，看到哈里发走了过来。虽然哈里发化了妆，他还是一眼就认出了他，他跪倒在哈里发脚下，请求宽恕。 “别怕，”哈里发说：“起来，收你的网。”渔夫照要求去做，打上来五、六条漂亮的鱼。哈里发挑了两条最大的。然后，他要求渔夫和他换衣服，几分钟后，哈里发就变成了一个渔夫，甚至连鞋子和头巾都换了。哈里发手里提着两条鱼，回到元老这里，元老没有认出他来，打发他走。哈里发把元老丢在楼梯脚下，他上楼去敲沙龙的门。诺瑞丁打开了门，哈里发站在门口，说： “易卜拉辛，我是渔夫克里姆，见你和朋友举行宴会，给你送来两条鱼。” 诺瑞丁和波斯美人说等鱼被处理好，做熟时，他们会很乐意享用。随后，哈里发回到元老那里。他们开始在易卜拉辛的屋子里做鱼，鱼做得相当诱人，诺瑞丁和波斯美人吃得津津有味。吃完后，诺瑞丁取出三十个金币（桑吉尔给他的金币就剩这些了），递给哈里发。哈里发谢过他，请求美人为他弹奏一曲琵琶，做为额外的奖赏。波斯美人欣然同意，为了取悦哈里发，她弹起了琵琶，唱起了歌。 习惯了成人之美的诺瑞丁说：“渔夫，既然她如此让你开心，带她走吧，她是你的了。” 波斯美人见他竟然想与自己分手，非常震惊，她眼含热泪，把责备之情谱成唱词，伴着音乐唱了出来。 仍然扮演渔夫的哈里发说：“阁下，我能看出这位美女是你的奴隶。劳驾，我请求你讲一下你们的来历。” 诺瑞丁很乐意接受这一请求，他从购买奴隶一直到现在，原原本本讲了一遍。 “现在你们要去哪里？”哈里发问。 “真主把我们引到哪儿，就去哪儿。”诺瑞丁答道。 “那么，如果你听我的，”哈里发说：“你立刻就回巴索拉去，我这一封信，你交给国王，我敢保证他一定会好好接待你。” “这是闻所未闻的事，”诺瑞丁说：“一个渔夫竟然与国王有通信往来。” “别吃惊，”哈里发说：“我俩一起学习过，一直都是好朋友。虽然命运让他作了国王，却让我做了个卑微的渔夫。” 然后，哈里发拿出一张纸，写了下面的信，信的开头他用很小的字体写下了这句套话“以最仁慈的上帝的名义”，来表示必须绝对服从他。 “哈里发哈伦拉西德给巴索拉国王的一封信， “马赫迪的儿子哈里发哈伦拉西德发这封信给他表兄穆罕默德兹耐比。持信人卡坎元老的儿子诺瑞丁，他一把这封信交给你，你务必立刻阅读，脱下你的皇家披风，披在这个人肩上，让他坐在你的位置上。再见。” 接着，哈里发把这封信递给诺瑞丁，他立刻就动身了，身上的钱已所剩无几，那还是桑吉尔来时给他的。见他离开，波斯美人伤心欲绝，扑到沙发上，哭成了泪人。 当诺瑞丁离开后，一直保持沉默的易卜拉辛说：“克里姆，只是两条可怜的鱼，你就得到了一个钱包和一个奴隶。告诉你吧，我要这个奴隶。至于钱包嘛，如果里面装的是银币，你可以留下一个；如果是金币，你就得都给我，我把我钱包里的铜板都给你。” 附：原文 Noureddin and the Fair Persian 5 About that time the Persian, perceiving that the room was lit by only one miserable tallow candle, asked Scheih Ibrahim to light some of the beautiful candles in the silver arms. "Light them yourself," answered the old man; "you are younger than I, but letfive or six be enough." She did not stop,however, till she had lit all the eighty, but Scheih Ibrahim was not consciousof this, and when, soon after that, Noureddin proposed to have some of the lustres lit, heanswered: "You are more capable of lighting them than I, but not more than three." Noureddin, far from contenting himself with three, lit all, and opened all the eightywindows. The CaliphHaroun-al-Raschid, chancing at that moment to open a window in the saloon ofhis palace looking on the garden, was surprised to see the pavilion brilliantly illuminated.Calling the grand-vizir, Giafar, he said to him: "Negligent vizir, look at the pavilion, and tell me why it is lit up when I am notthere." When the vizir saw that it was as the Caliph said, he trembled with fear, and immediately invented an excuse. "Commander ofthe Faithful," he said, "I must tell you that four or five days agoScheih Ibrahim told me that he wished to have an assembly of the ministers ofhis mosque, and asked permission to hold it in the pavilion. I granted his request, but forgot since to mention it to your Majesty." "Giafar,"replied the Caliph, "you have committed three faults-- first, in givingthe permission; second, in not mentioning it to me; and third, in notinvestigating the matter more closely. For punishment I condemn you to spend the rest of the night with me in company of these worthy people. While I dress myselfas a citizen, go and disguise yourself, and then come with me." When they reached the garden gate they found it open, to the great indignation of the Caliph. The door of the pavilion being also open, he went softly upstairs, and looked in atthe half-closed door of the saloon. Great was his surprise to see Scheih Ibrahim, whose sobriety he had never doubted, drinking and singing with a youngman and a beautiful lady. The Caliph, before giving way to his anger,determined to watch and see who the people were and what they did. Presently Scheih Ibrahim asked the beautiful Persian if anything were wanting to complete her enjoyment of the evening. "If only," she said, "I had an instrument upon which I might play." Scheih Ibrahimimmediately took a lute from a cup-board and gave it to the Persian, who began to play on it, singing the while with such skill and taste that the Caliph wasenchanted. When she ceased he went softly downstairs and said to thevizir: "Never have I heard a finer voice, nor the lute better played. I am determined to go in and make her play to me." "Commander of the Faithful," said the vizir, "if Scheih Ibrahim recognises you he will die of fright." "I should be sorry for that," answered the Caliph, "and I am going to take stepsto prevent it. Wait here till I return." Now the Caliph had caused a bend in the river to form a lake in his garden. There the finest fishin the Tigris were to be found, but fishing was strictly forbidden. It happened that night, however, that a fisherman had taken advantage of the gate being open to go in and cast his nets. He was just about to draw them when he saw the Caliph approaching. Recognising him at oncein spite of his disguise, he threw himself at his feet imploring forgiveness. "Fear nothing," said the Caliph, "only rise up and draw thy nets." The fisherman did as he was told, and produced five or six fine fish, of which the Caliph took the two largest. Then he desired the fisherman to change clothes with him, andin a few minutes the Caliph was transformed into a fisherman, even to the shoes and the turban. Taking the two fish in his hand, he returned to the vizir, who,not recognising him, would have sent him about his business. Leaving the vizirat the foot of the stairs, the Caliph went up and knocked at the door of the saloon. Noureddin opened it, and the Caliph, standing on the threshold,said: "Scheih Ibrahim, I am the fisher Kerim. Seeing that you are feasting with your friends,I bring you these fish." Noureddin and the Persian said that when the fishes were properly cooked and dressed they would gladly eat of them. The Caliph then returned to the vizir, and they set to work in Scheih Ibrahim's house to cook the fish, of which they made so tempting adish that Noureddin and the fair Persian ate of it with great relish. When theyhad finished Noureddin took thirty gold pieces (all that remained of what Sangiar had given him) and presented them to the Caliph, who, thanking him,asked as a further favour if the lady would play him one piece on the lute. The Persian gladly consented, and sang and played so as to delight the Caliph. Noureddin, in the habit of giving to others whatever they admired, said, "Fisherman, as shepleases you so much, take her; she is yours." The fair Persian,astounded that he should wish to part from her, took her lute, and with tears in her eyes sang her reproaches to its music. The Caliph (stillin the character of fisherman) said to him, "Sir, I perceive that this fair lady is your slave. Oblige me, I beg you, by relating yourhistory." Noureddin willingly granted this request, and recounted everything from the purchase of the slave down to the present moment. "And where do you go now?" asked the Caliph. "Wherever the hand of Allah leads me," said Noureddin. "Then, if you will listen to me," said the Caliph, "you will immediately return to Balsora. I will give you a letter to the king, which will ensure you a good reception from him." "It is an unheard-of thing," said Noureddin, "that a fisherman should be in correspondence with a king." "Let not that astonish you," answered the Caliph; "we studied together, and have always remained the best of friends, though fortune, while making him a king,left me a humble fisherman." The Caliph then took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following letter, at the top of which heput in very small characters this formula to show that he must be implicitly obeyed:--"In the name of the Most Merciful God. "Letter of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid to the King of Balsora. "Haroun-al-Raschid,son of Mahdi, sends this letter to Mohammed Zinebi, his cousin. As soon as Noureddin, son of the Vizir Khacan, bearer of this letter, has given it to thee, and thou hast read it, take off thy royal mantle, put it on his shoulders, and seat him in thy place without fail. Farewell." The Caliph then gave this letter to Noureddin, who immediately set off, with only what little money he possessed when Sangiar came to his assistance. The beautiful Persian, inconsolable at his departure, sank on a sofa bathed in tears. When Noureddin had left the room, Scheih Ibrahim, who had hitherto kept silence, said:"Kerim, for two miserable fish thou hast received a purse and a slave. I tell thee I will take the slave, and as to the purse, if it contains silver thou mayst keep one piece, if gold then I will take all and give thee what copper pieces I have in my purse." | 
发表于 2014-6-8 16:39:32
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