本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-8-7 19:02 编辑
三个托钵僧的故事（7.1） 荷叶/译 “唉，”公主回答说；“我已虚弱地握不住这把佩剑了。即使我有力气，我为什么要杀死一个无辜的人呢？“ “你拒绝就说明你心里有鬼，”魔鬼说，然后他转向我，接着说：“你，认识她吗？” “怎么会呢？”我回答道，决定仿效公主的忠贞。“我以前从没见过她，怎么会认识她？” “如果你不认识她，那么，砍下她的头。我就会相信你说的是真话，就会给你自由。” “当然可以，”我回答道，抓起佩剑，向公主示意不要害怕，因为我要牺牲的是自己的性命，而不是她的。但她眼里流露出的感激之情使我动摇了，我把佩剑扔在地上。 我对魔鬼说：“如果我如此懦弱，去杀害一个素不相识而且此时此刻已奄奄一息的女人，那我就不配活着。落到你的手里，你想怎么处置我由你，但我拒绝服从你残忍的命令。” “我看出来了，”魔鬼说：“你俩都下决心要冒犯我，我要让你们看看这样做的下场。”说着，他一挥佩剑，割下了公主的一根手指，公主只能挥动其他的手指向我做永久的道别。那时我失去了知觉达数分钟之久。 当我苏醒过来时，我恳求魔鬼不要这样折磨我了，我只求速死。但魔鬼不理会我的祈求。他坚决地说：“这就是魔鬼处置背叛他的女人的方法。如果愿意，我也可以杀死你。但我很仁慈，把你变成一条狗，一头驴，一只狮子或一只鸟，我就会很满足，这些你可以自选。” 我急切地从这几句话中感觉到一丝微弱的希望，他的愤怒有点减弱。“啊，魔鬼！”我哭喊道：“既然你想饶我一命，那就慷慨一点，彻底放过我吧。接受我的请求，宽恕我的罪过，正如世上最好的男人会原谅他被嫉妒之心所吞噬的邻居一样。”出乎我的意料之外，魔鬼对我的话很感兴趣，并说他想听听这两邻居的故事。我想，夫人，这个故事可能会令您高兴，我就讲给您们听听吧。 嫉妒与被嫉妒的人之间的故事 在一个中等大小的城镇，两个男人比邻而居。但没过多久，其中一个人就非常憎恨另一个人，并非常嫉妒他，这个可怜的人决定搬到别处去住。希望只要不天天见面，他的敌人就会把他彻底忘记。因此，他卖掉房子，和里面不多的家俱，搬到离家不远的首都去住。他在离城大约半英里的地方买了所漂亮的小房子，这里有一个很大的花园，和不小的院子，院子中央有一眼古井。 为了安静地生活，这个好人穿上托钵僧的长袍，把自己的家分成若干小单间。很快，他和其他托钵僧建立了联系。他的美德很快传到国外，许多人，包括一些很有品味的人都来拜访他，请他做祈祷。 当然没过多久，他的名声就传到了嫉妒他的人耳朵里。这个可恶的恶棍不给他所恨的人制造点麻烦是不会罢休的。因此，他离开家和自己的生意不去打理，只身来到这个新修道院里。可以想象，他受到了主人的热情接待。他给自己的出现编了个借口，他来向首席托钵僧请教一个重要的私人问题。“我要说的话不想让别人听到，”他小声说：“我请求你，命令他们留在自己房间里。当夜幕降临时，你到院子里来见我。” 托钵僧立刻按他说的做了。当他俩单独在一起时，嫉妒的人开始讲一个很长的故事。他们在院子里走过来走过去，总是围绕着井的边缘，越走越近。当他们离井非常近时，他抓住托钵僧，把他推了下井去。没有一个人看见，他得意扬扬地跑掉了，庆幸自己他所恨的人终于死了，再也不会来烦自己了。 附：原文 "Alas," answered the princess, "I am too weak even to holdthe sabre. And supposing that I had the strength, why should I put an innocent man to death?" "You condemn yourself by your refusal," said the genius; then turning to me, he added, "and you, do you not know her?" "How should I?" I replied, resolved to imitate the princess inher fidelity. "How should I, when I never saw her before?" "Cut her head off," then, "if she is a stranger to you, andI shall believe you are speaking the truth, and will set you at liberty." "Certainly," I answered, taking the sabre in my hands, and making a sign to the princess to fear nothing, as it was my own life that I was about to sacrifice, and not hers. But the look of gratitude she gave me shookmy courage, and I flung the sabre to the earth. "I should not deserve to live," I said to the genius, "if I were such a coward as to slay a lady who is not only unknown to me, but who isat this moment half dead herself. Do with me as you will-- I am in your power--but I refuse to obey your cruel command." "I see," said the genius, "that you have both made up your minds to brave me, but I will give you a sample of what you may expect."So saying, with one sweep of his sabre he cut off a hand of the princess, who was just able to lift the other to wave me an eternal farewell. Then I lost consciousness for several minutes. When I came to myself I implored the genius to keep me no longer in thisstate of suspense, but to lose no time in putting an end to my sufferings. The genius, however, paid no attention to my prayers, but said sternly, "That is the way in which a genius treats the woman who has betrayed him. If I chose,I could kill you also; but I will be merciful, and content myself with changing you into a dog, an ass, a lion, or a bird--whichever you prefer." I caught eagerly at these words, as giving me a faint hope of softening his wrath. "Ogenius!" I cried, "as you wish to spare my life, be generous, and spare it altogether. Grant my prayer, and pardon my crime, as the best man inthe whole world forgave his neighbour who was eaten up with envy of him."Contrary to my hopes, the genius seemed interested in my words, and said hewould like to hear the story of the two neighbours; and as I think, madam, itmay please you, I will tell it to you also. The Story of the Envious Man and of Him Who Was Envied In a town of moderate size, two men lived in neighbouring houses; but theyhad not been there very long before one man took such a hatred of the other,and envied him so bitterly, that the poor man determined to find another home,hoping that when they no longer met every day his enemy would forget all about him. So he sold his house and the little furniture it contained, and moved intothe capital of the country, which was luckily at no great distance. About half a mile from this city he bought a nice little place, with a large garden and a fair-sized court, in the centre of which stood an old well. In order to live a quieter life, the good man put on the robe of adervish, and divided his house into a quantity of small cells, where he soon established a number of other dervishes.The fame of his virtue gradually spread abroad, and many people, including several of the highest quality, came to visit him and ask his prayers. Of course it was not long before his reputation reached the ears of the man who envied him, and this wicked wretch resolved never to rest till he had in some way worked ill to the dervish whom he hated. So he left his house and his business to look after themselves, and betook himself to the new dervish monastery, where he was welcomed by the founder with all the warmth imaginable.The excuse he gave for his appearance was that he had come to consult the chief of the dervishes on a private matter of great importance. "What I have to say must not be overheard," he whispered; "command, I beg of you,that your dervishes retire into their cells, as night is approaching, and meetme in the court." The dervish did as he was asked without delay, and directly they were alone together the envious man began to tell a long story, edging, as theywalked to and fro, always nearer to the well, and when they were quite close,he seized the dervish and dropped him in. He then ran off triumphantly, without having been seen by anyone, and congratulating himself that the object of his hatred was dead, and would trouble him no more. | 
发表于 2014-8-7 18:57:51
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