本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-8-11 12:10 编辑
三个托钵僧的故事（8.2） 荷叶/译 航行了大约五十天，船在一个大镇上抛了锚。立刻有许多小船围了上来，有些人是来接朋友，有些人只是出于好奇。其中，一只小船上坐了几个官员。他们请求拜见船上的商人，通知商人苏丹王派他们来表示欢迎，并请求商人每人在一轴纸上写几行字。一个官员继续说：“为了解释这个奇怪的请求，你们有必要知道刚刚故去的大元老写得一手好字，苏丹王渴望找一个有同样才华的人接任他的职位。到目前为止，都没有结果，但苏丹王还没死心。” 商人们一个接一个地在那轴纸上写了几行字。等他们全写完了，我走上前去，从那个人手里抢过那轴纸。刚开始他们还以为我要把它扔到海里，可当他们看到我小心翼翼地捧着时，他们才安下心来。当我示意我也要写点东西时，他们大吃一惊。 “如果他想写，就让他写吧，”船长说：“如果他只想把这卷纸弄脏的话，你们放心我一定会惩罚他。但如果和我希望的一样，他真会写字，这可是我见过的最聪明的猴子，我将收养他做我儿子。我失去的儿子可没有他这样有见识。” 不再有人有异议，我拿起笔，写了阿拉伯通用的六种字体，每一种字体包含一句赞美苏丹王的原诗或对联。不仅我的书法使所有商人的作品黯然失色，就是说在这个国家里，从没有人见过这么漂亮的书法也不为过。当我写完时，官员拿起那卷纸，回到了苏丹王身边。 君王一看到我的书法，他连看都不看商人们写的，而是让他的官员们从马厩里挑选装饰最华丽的骏马，带上他们能找到的最华丽的服装，穿在写这些字的人身上，并把他带回王宫。 当官员们听到苏丹王的命令时，他们放声大笑。等他们笑够了，才说：“请陛下原谅我们的欢笑，但这些字不是人写的，而是一只猴子写的。” 附：原文 At the end of about fifty days we cast anchor before a large town, and the ship was immediately surrounded by a multitude of small boats filled with people, who had come either to meet their friends or from simple curiosity.Among others, one boat contained several officials, who asked to see the merchants on board, and informed them that they had been sent by the Sultan in token of welcome, and to beg them each to write a few lines on a roll of paper."In order to explain this strange request," continued the officers,"it is necessary that you should know that the grand-vizir, lately dead,was celebrated for his beautiful handwriting, and the Sultan is anxious to finda similar talent in his successor. Hitherto the search has been a failure, but his Highness has not yet given up hope." One after another the merchants set down a few lines upon the roll, and when they had all finished, I came forward, and snatched the paper from the manwho held it. At first they all thought I was going to throw it into the sea,but they were quieted when they saw I held it with great care, and great was their surprise when I made signs that I too wished to write something. "Let him do it if he wants to," said the captain. "If he only makes a mess of the paper, you may be sure I will punish him for it. But if, as I hope, he really can write, for he is the cleverest monkey I ever saw,I will adopt him as my son. The one I lost had not nearly so much sense!" No more was said, and I took the pen and wrote the six sorts of writing inuse among the Arabs, and each sort contained an original verse or couplet, in praise of the Sultan. And not only did my handwriting completely eclipse that of the merchants, but it is hardly too much to say that none so beautiful had ever before been seen in that country. When I had ended the officials took theroll and returned to the Sultan. As soon as the monarch saw my writing he did not so much as look at the samples of the merchants, but desired his officials to take the finest and most richly caparisoned horse in his stables, together with the most magnificent dress they could procure, and to put it on the person who had written thoselines, and bring him to court. The officials began to laugh when they heard the Sultan's command, but as soon as they could speak they said, "Deign, your highness, to excuse our mirth, but those lines were not written by a man but by a monkey." | 
发表于 2014-8-10 19:01:43
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