本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-5-4 17:34 编辑
魔马（四） 荷叶/译 出于基本礼貌，王子无法拒绝这个请求，公主着手为他安排各种消遣活动。她酷爱舞会，盛大的场面，没有危险的打猎。不知不觉，两个月过去了。但终于有一天，他严肃地声明他再也不能无视自己的责任了，请求她不要再设置任何障碍，同时答应她自己会尽快回来，并带着配得上他俩的辉煌。 “公主”，他接着说：“也许在你心里，我被归为薄情寡义的爱人，对你的忠诚经不起分别的考验。如果你这样想的话，那就冤枉我了。如果不是怕冒犯你，我会请求你和我一起回去，因为只有和你在一起，我的生活才会开心。至于在波斯受到的接待，一定会配得上你的美德。至于孟加拉国国王的担心，你已使我相信，如果他不同意咱们的婚事，他就不在乎你的幸福。” 公主无言以对，但她的沉默和低垂的眼睛说明了问题，表示她不反对伴他同行。 她想到的唯一的困难是菲鲁王子不会操控这匹马，害怕他们会遇到以前遇到过的困境。但王子成功地打消了他的恐惧，很快她就没有别的心思，只是秘密地准备他们的飞行，在宫殿里没有引起一个人怀疑。 一切就绪，第二天清晨，当整个宫殿还沉浸在梦乡的时候，她悄悄地爬上屋顶，王子已经在那里等她，他的马头面向波斯方向。他先上马，帮公主坐在他后面，当她双手抓住他的腰带坐稳后，他按下了机关，马迅速飞升，把地球甩在了后面。 他以惯常的速度飞行，菲鲁王子操控得法，动身后两个半小时，他看见了下面的波斯都城。他决定既不降落在他起飞的大广场上，也不降落在王宫，而是降落在离城距离不远的一所乡间的房子里。他把公主领进一所漂亮的小房子，请她休息一会儿，自己去向父王通报他们的到来，并准备一个配得上她身份的接待。然后，他命令备好一匹马，就出发了。 一路上，他得到了热烈的欢呼，人们早就认为再也见不到他了。一到王宫，他发现父王被一群大臣围着，所有人都穿着最高等级的丧服。一听到儿子的声音，他父王惊喜若狂。当他冷静下来时，便请求王子讲述他的奇遇。 王子立刻抓住给他的这个机会，讲述了孟加拉国公主对他的接待，甚至没有掩盖她对自己的爱慕之情。“陛下，”王子最后说道：“您金口玉言说过不会反对我的婚事，我说服了她乘印度人的魔马和我一起回来。我把她安排在您在乡下的一所房子里，她正焦急地等着我兑现诺言呢。” 说到这儿，王子正要跪拜在父王脚下，但他父亲阻止了他，再次拥抱他，说道：
“儿子，我不仅同意你娶孟加拉国公主，而且我想立刻就去向她表示敬意，亲自谢谢她对你的帮助。我会把她带回来，今天就给你们筹备婚礼。” 于是，国王命令大家脱下丧服，准备一个由鼓，喇叭和铙钹演奏的音乐会。那个印度人也被从狱里放出来，带到他面前。 按照他的命令，印度人被带到他面前，被卫兵团团包围着。“我把你关起来，”国王说：“是为了如果我失去儿子，你就要偿命。现在我儿子回来了，因此，骑上你的马，再也不要回来了。” 印度人迅速离开了国王，出来后，他问放他出狱的人这些天王子去哪儿了，做了些什么。他们告诉了他所有的经过，甚至告诉他孟加拉国公主正在乡下的宫殿里等着国王的批准，这立刻使印度人头脑中形成了一个复仇计划，以报复这些天来受到的对待。他径直来到这所乡下宫殿，通知守门人国王和王子派他来用魔马把公主送到王宫去。 守门人认识印度人，当然知道三个月前他被国王投入了监狱，看到他重获自由，想当然地认为他说的是实话，并没有提出异议就把他领到公主面前。公主听说他从王子那里来，很愿意按他的意愿去做。 印度人计划得逞了，他非常开心，他乘上魔马，帮公主坐在身后，转动了机关。而此时，王子正离开王宫朝这里赶来，身后紧跟着国王和所有王室成员。印度了得知这一切后，故意操纵着魔马在城市上空飞行，使他对自己不公正监禁的报复更加立竿见影，酣畅淋漓。 当国王看到魔马和马上的人时，他惊恐地停下了，破口大骂。印度人听到了，但是无动于衷。他知道自己绝对安全，没有人能追上。但无论国王多么羞愧，都无法与王子相比，他眼睁睁看着自己挚爱的对象被带走。他惊得目瞪口呆，悲伤后悔没能更好地保护她，任她从自己眼前迅速消失。他该怎么办？他该跟父王回王宫，倾泄自己的绝望之情吗？他的爱和他的勇气都不允许他这样做，他继续朝那所房子走去。 守门人一见到王子，立刻意识到自己有多么愚蠢。他跪倒在王子脚下，请求原谅。“起来，”王子说：“这个不幸是我造成的，不怪你。去给我找一身托钵僧的衣服来，但别说是给我找的。” 距这所房子不远处座落着一个苦行僧的修道院，方丈是守门人的朋友。他随便编了个故事，很容易就弄到了一身僧人的衣服，王子脱下自己的衣服，把僧人的衣服换上。如此乔装打扮，身上藏了一盒准备送给公主的珍珠和钻石，他在夜幕下离去了，不知道要到哪里去，但他决心找不到公主决不回来。 附：原文 The Enchanted Horse 4 In common politeness the prince could hardly refuse this request, and the princess set about inventing every kind of amusement for him, and succeeded so well that twomonths slipped by almost unnoticed, in balls, spectacles and in hunting, ofwhich, when unattended by danger, the princess was passionately fond. But atlast, one day, he declared seriously that he could neglect his duty no longer,and entreated her to put no further obstacles in his way, promising at the sametime to return, as soon as he could, with all the magnificence due both to herand to himself. "Princess,"he added, "it may be that in your heart you class me with those falselovers whose devotion cannot stand the test of absence. If you do, you wrongme; and were it not for fear of offending you, I would beseech you to come with me, formy life can only be happy when passed with you. As for your reception at the Persian Court, it will be as warm as your merits deserve; and as for what concerns the King of Bengal, he must be much more indifferent to your welfare than you have led meto believe if he does not give his consent to our marriage." The princess could not find words in which to reply to the arguments of the Prince of Persia, buther silence and her downcast eyes spoke for her, and declared that she had no objection to accompanying him on his travels. The only difficultythat occurred to her was that Prince Firouz Schah did not know how to managethe horse, and she dreaded lest they might find themselves in the same plight as before. But the prince soothed herfears so successfully, that she soon had no other thought than to arrange for their flight so secretly, that no one in the palace should suspect it. This was done, andearly the following morning, when the whole palace was wrapped in sleep, she stole up on to the roof, where the prince was already awaiting her, with hishorse's head towards Persia.He mounted first and helped the princess up behind; then, when she was firmly seated, with her hands holding tightly to his belt, he touched the screw, and the horse began to leave the earth quickly behind him. He travelled withhis accustomed speed, and Prince Firouz Schah guided him so well that in twohours and a half from the time of starting, he saw the capital of Persia lying beneath him. He determined to alight neither in the great square from which he had started, nor in the Sultan's palace, but in a country house at a little distance from the town. Here he showed the princess a beautiful suite of rooms,and begged her to rest, while he informed his father of their arrival, and prepared a public reception worthy of her rank. Then he ordered a horse to besaddled, and set out. All the way throughthe streets he was welcomed with shouts of joy by the people, who had long lostall hope of seeing him again. On reaching the palace, he found the Sultansurrounded by his ministers, all cladin the deepest mourning, and his father almost went out of his mind with surprise and delight at the mere sound of his son's voice. When he had calmed down a little, he begged the prince to relate his adventures. The prince at onceseized the opening thus given him, and told the whole story of his treatment by the Princess of Bengal, not even concealing the fact that she had fallen in love with him. "And, Sire," ended the prince, "having given my royal word that you would not refuse your consent to our marriage, I persuaded her to return with me on the Indian's horse. I have left her in one of your Highness's country houses, where she is waiting anxiously to be assured that Ihave not promised in vain." As he said this the prince was about to throw himself at the feet of the Sultan, but his fatherprevented him, and embracing him again, said eagerly: "My son, notonly do I gladly consent to your marriage with the Princess of Bengal, but Iwill hasten to pay my respects to her, and to thank her in my own person for the benefits she has conferred on you. I will then bring her back with me, and make all arrangements for the wedding to be celebrated today." So the Sultan gave orders that the habits of mourning worn by the people should bethrown off and that there should be a concert of drums, trumpets and cymbals. Also that the Indian should be taken from prison, and brought before him. His commands were obeyed, and the Indian was led into his presence, surrounded by guards."I have kept you locked up," said the Sultan, "so that in case my son was lost, your life should pay the penalty. He has now returned; so take your horse, and be gone for ever." The Indian hastily quitted the presence of the Sultan, and when he was outside, he inquired of the man who had taken him out of prison where the prince had really been all this time, and what he had been doing. They told him the whole story, and how the Princess of Bengal was even then awaiting in the country palace the consent ofthe Sultan, which at once put into the Indian's head a plan of revenge for thetreatment he had experienced. Going straight to the country house, he informedthe doorkeeper who was left in charge that he had been sent by the Sultan andby the Prince of Persia to fetch the princess on the enchanted horse, and to bring her to the palace. The doorkeeper knewthe Indian by sight, and was of course aware that nearly three months before hehad been thrown into prison by the Sultan; and seeing him at liberty, the mantook for granted that he was speaking the truth, and made no difficulty about leading him before the Princess of Bengal; while on her side, hearing that hehad come from the prince, the lady gladly consented to do what he wished. The Indian,delighted with the success of his scheme, mounted the horse, assisted the princess to mount behind him, and turned the peg at the very moment that theprince was leaving the palace in Schiraz for the country house, followedclosely by the Sultan and all the court. Knowing this, the Indian deliberately steered the horse right above the city, in order that his revenge for hisunjust imprisonment might be all the quicker and sweeter. When the Sultan of Persia saw the horse and its riders, he stopped short with astonishment and horror, and broke out into oaths and curses, which the Indian heard quiteunmoved, knowing that he was perfectly safe from pursuit. But mortified and furious as the Sultan was, his feelings were nothing to those of Prince FirouzSchah, when he saw the object of his passionate devotion being borne rapidly away. And while he was struck speechless with grief and remorse at not having guarded her better, she vanished swiftly out of his sight. What was he to do?Should he follow his father into the palace, and there give reins to hisdespair? Both his love and his courage alike forbade it; and he continued hisway to the palace. The sight of the prince showed the doorkeeper of what folly he had been guilty, and flinging himself at his master's feet, implored his pardon. "Rise," said the prince, "I am the cause of this misfortune, and not you. Go and find me the dress of a dervish, but beware of saying it is for me." At a short distancefrom the country house, a convent of dervishes was situated, and the superior,or scheih, was the doorkeeper's friend. So by means of a false story made up onthe spur of the moment, it was easy enough to get hold of a dervish's dress,which the prince at once put on, instead of his own. Disguised like this and concealing about him a box of pearls and diamonds he had intended as a presentto the princess, he left the house at nightfall, uncertain where he should go,but firmly resolved not to return without her. | 
发表于 2014-5-4 17:29:06
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