本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2014-3-23 16:31 编辑
忠诚的约翰（2）
文/荷叶
国王命令把所有的金匠抓来，日夜不停，直到把最精美的东西赶制出来。他们把所有的东西装上船，忠诚的约翰穿上商人的服装，为了不让人认出来，国王也不得不这样做。然后，他们飘洋过海，忠诚的约翰吩咐国王留在船上等他。“也许我会把公主带回来，”他说：“那样，等一切就绪后，把金船开走，把整个船只装饰起来。”说完，他把各色金货聚拢来，装进围裙，上了岸，径直去了王宫。当他走进王宫后院时，看见一个漂亮姑娘站在水井边，手里提着两只金桶，正在汲水。她正要转身，提走这两桶光芒闪烁的水时，看到了这个不速之客，问他是谁。于是，他答道：“我是个商人。”并撩开围裙，让她往里面看。她大叫：“噢，多美的金货！”她放下金桶，一件件地看着这些金质器皿。然后说：“一定要让公主看看，金货会带给她极大的快乐，她会买下所有的东西。”她拉着他的手，带他上楼，因为她是公主的侍女。当公主见到这些器皿时，非常高兴，说：“它们做工太精美了，我全买下了。”但忠诚的约翰却说：“我只是一个富商的仆人，我带来的东西没法和我主人船上的相比，它们是有史以来最精美最有价值的黄金制品。”她要求把所有东西都给她送来，但约翰说：“东西太多，要送来得需要好几天时间，而且需要许多房间来陈列这些东西，你的房子装不下。”公主的好奇心和渴望被强烈地刺激了，最后她说：“带我去那条船，我要亲自去看看你主人的财宝。” 听到这些，忠诚的约翰非常高兴，他把公主领上船，国王一见，他认为公主比画像上的更美，只觉得自己的心裂为了两半。她一上船，国王就把她带到了里面。然而，忠诚的约翰却留下来，他命令水手立刻启航，说：“张起所有的帆，直到船像鸟在空中飞一样。”船舱里，国王正在一件件地让公主看金制器皿，接下来是珍禽异兽。她一样样地看，几个小时过去了，沉浸在快乐中，没有注意船已开走。她看完最后一件，谢过商人，准备回家，但当她来到船舷时，发现大船已远离陆地，驶入深海，并且张开所有的帆，全速向前行驶。“啊，”她惊恐地说：“我上当了！我被人骗了，落入了你这个商人的圈套，我宁愿去死！”然而，国王抓住了她的手，说：“我不是什么商人，我是个国王，我的血统一点也不比你卑微，如果我设计把你骗来，这全是因为我太爱你了。当我第一次看到你的画像时，我昏倒在地。”当金宅公主听到这些时，她感到很欣慰，芳心开始向他倾斜，她欣然同意做她的妻子。 然而，当他们穿过深海一路向前航行时，坐在船头奏乐的忠诚的约翰碰巧看到空中有三只乌鸦，正朝他们飞来。他停止演奏，想听听它们在说些什么，因为他深谙鸟语。一只乌鸦说：“噢，他把金宅公主带回来了。”“是的，”第二只乌鸦说：“可还没有得到她。”第三只乌鸦说：“他已经得到她了，瞧，她就坐在他身边。”接下来第一只乌鸦又说：“那对他有什么用？只要他们一上岸，一匹栗色的马就会冲过来接他，国王就会想骑马，只要他骑上去，马就会把他带走，一直飞上天去。他将再也见不到他的姑娘了。”第二只乌鸦说：“有什么办法化解吗？”“噢，有，如果别人迅速地上马，并从皮套里掏出那把手枪把马打死，新王就得救了。但谁知道这些呢？就算有人知道，只要他说出去，就会从膝盖到脚趾化为石头。”接着，第二只乌鸦说：“我还知道即使这匹马被杀死，新王还是不能和新娘在一起。当他们一起步入城堡时，托盘上会出现一件做好的结婚礼服，好像是用金银锻造而成，实际上却是由硫磺和沥青制成，如果他穿上，就会烧坏骨头直至骨髓。”第三只乌鸦问：“难道就没法化解吗？” 附：原文 The King ordered all the goldsmiths to be brought to him, and they had to work night and day until at last the most splendid things were prepared. When everything was stowed on board a ship, Faithful John put on the dress of a merchant, and the King was forced to do the same in order to make himself quite unrecognizable. Then they sailed across the sea, and sailed on until they cameto the town wherein dwelt the princess of the Golden Dwelling. Faithful John bade the King stay behind on the ship, and wait for him."Perhaps I shall bring the princess with me," said he,"therefore see that everything is in order; have the golden vessels set out and the whole ship decorated." Then he gathered together in his apron all kinds of gold things, went on shore and walked straight to the royal palace. When he entered the courtyard of the palace, a beautiful girl was standing there by the well with two golden buckets in her hand, drawing water with them. And when she was just turning round to carry away the sparkling water she saw the stranger, and asked who he was. So he answered, "I am a merchant," and opened his apron,and let her look in. Then she cried, "Oh, what beautiful gold things!" and put her pails down and looked at the golden wares one after the other. Then said the girl, "The princess must see these, she has such great pleasure in golden things, that she will buy all you have." She took him by the hand and led him upstairs, for she was the waiting-maid. When theKing's daughter saw the wares, she was quite delighted and said, "They areso beautifully worked, that I will buy them all of thee." But Faithful John said, "I am only the servant of a rich merchant. The things I havehere are not to be compared with those my master has in his ship. They are themost beautiful and valuable things that have ever been made in gold." Shewanted to have everything brought to her there, but he said, "There are so many of them that it would take a great many days to do that, and so many rooms would be required to exhibit them, that your house is not big enough."Then her curiosity and longing were still more excited, until at last she said,"Conduct me to the ship, I will go there myself, and behold the treasures of thine master." On this Faithful John was quite delighted, and led her to the ship,and when the King saw her, he perceived that her beauty was even greater than the picture had represented it to be, and thought no other than that his heart would burst in twain. Then she got into the ship, and the King led her within.Faithful John, however, remained behind with the pilot, and ordered the ship tobe pushed off, saying, "Set all sail, till it fly like a bird inair." Within, however, the King showed her the golden vessels, every one of them, also the wild beasts and strange animals. Many hours went by whilstshe was seeing everything, and in her delight she did not observe that the ship was sailing away. After she had looked at the last, she thanked the merchant and wanted togo home, but when she came to the side of the ship, she saw that it was on the deep sea far from land, and hurrying onwards with all sail set. "Ah,"cried she in her alarm, "I am betrayed! I am carried away and have fallen into the power of a merchant -- I would die rather!" The King, however,seized her hand, and said, "I am not a merchant. I am a king, and of no meaner origin than thou art, and if I have carried thee away with subtlety,that has come to pass because of my exceeding great love for thee. The first time that I looked on thy portrait, I fell fainting to the ground." When the princess of the Golden Dwelling heard that, she was comforted, and her heart was inclined unto him, so that she willingly consented to be his wife. It so happened, however, while they were sailing onwards over the deep sea, that Faithful John, who was sitting on the fore part of the vessel,making music, saw three ravens in the air, which came flying towards them. Onthis he stopped playing and listened to what they were saying to each other,for that he well understood. One cried, "Oh, there he is carrying home the princess of the Golden Dwelling." "Yes," replied the second,"but he has not got her yet." Said the third, "But he has gother, she is sitting beside him in the ship." Then the first began again,and cried, "What good will that do him? When they reach land a chestnut horse will leap forward to meet him, and the prince will want to mount it, but if he does that, it will run away with him, and rise up into the air with him,and he will never see his maiden more." Spake the second, "But isthere no escape?" "Oh, yes, if any one else gets on it swiftly, and takes out the pistol which must be in its holster, and shoots the horse dead with it, theyoung King is saved. But who knows that? And whosoever does know it, and tells it to him, will be turned to stone from the toe to the knee." Then said the second, "I know more than that; even if the horse be killed, the young King will still not keep his bride. When they go into the castle together, a wrought bridal garment will be lying there in a dish, andlooking as if it were woven of gold and silver; it is, however, nothing but sulphur and pitch, and if he put it on, it will burn him to the very bone and marrow." Said the third, "Is there no escape at all?" |
发表于 2014-3-22 07:33:18
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