吳銓高 英譯中[散文]兄弟妙計戲國王

二觉陀

吳銓高 英譯中 [散文]

The Brothers Who Tricked A King
兄弟妙計戲國王
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THE BROTHERS WHO TRICKED A KING (a tale from China)
adapted by Amy Friedman and illustrated by Jillian Gilliland
兄弟妙計戲國王 (一個來自中國的故事)
由 [安米-弗里德曼] 摘錄 , [基利安-吉利蘭] 說明

Once upon a time there lived a farmer who was poor in material wealth but rich in love, for he had six devoted sons.
從前 , 有一位農夫 , 雖然貧窮 , 但是很有愛心 , 並且有六個孝順的兒子。

The boys looked exactly alike, but each of them was possessed of an extraordinary and unique gift.
他每個兒子的相貌 , 都極之相似 , 而且每個人都擁有獨特的才能。

The eldest son was the cleverest young man in the land; he could outsmart anyone. The second son could stretch his arms so far he could reach the ends of the world. The third son's head was hard as steel, and the fourth son's skin was tough as iron. The fifth son could not reach the ends of the world, and he wasn't particularly clever, and his head was soft, his skin mere flesh, but he could withstand bone-chilling cold. And then there was the sixth son, who looked normal most of the time, but when he wanted to, he could stretch his legs for miles and miles.
大哥機智過人 , 是全球最聰明的年輕人。二弟能伸展他的手臂 , 到達世界任何地方。三弟的頭堅硬如鋼，四弟的皮膚比鐵還堅韌。五弟既不能伸手達世界任何地方，不太聰明，頭也柔軟，皮膚肉造，但他卻能抵受嚴寒。說到六弟 , 他大多數時間 , 看起來是正常人 , 但是當他變身時，能伸展他的雙腿 , 至無限遠。

As the boys grew, they learned to appreciate their gifts. The eldest son promised his father that one day he would reap the benefits of his sons' wondrous skills.
農夫的六位兒子逐漸成長，他們開始珍惜自己的特異功能。老大向他的父親許下諾言 , 終有一天 , 他們會運用各自的特異功能 , 令父親獲益。

Years passed, and one day the farmer came down with a mysterious illness that none of the doctors could cure. Near death, the farmer called his clever son to his side. "I'm afraid I am dying, son," he said.
數年後 , 有一天 , 農夫患了一種怪病 , 群醫束手無策。彌留之際，農夫叫聰明的老大到他的身邊。對他說 , "我恐怕不久人世了，老大 !"

"I know how to cure you," said the eldest son. And then he called his second brother to the room. "Stretch your arms and steal the giant pearl from the king's palace," he said.
"我知道怎樣治愈你"，老大說。
然后 , 他叫老二進來。對他說 , "伸展你的手臂 ,  從皇宮內 , 偷取那最大的夜明珠 !"

That's precisely what the second son did, for he trusted that his clever brother's ideas always were the best ideas. When he had the pearl, the eldest son called his brothers to the room.
老二依照老大的吩咐偷了夜明珠 , 因為他相信 , 聰明的老大 , 想到的方法 , 總是最好的。
當老大取得夜明珠後，他叫其餘的弟弟 , 都進入房間。

"We will boil this pearl, and when our father drinks the boiled water, he will be well again."
"我們將這顆夜明珠煮湯，父親喝了夜明珠湯，自會痊癒。"

They crowded round and watched the water boil for hours, and afterward they poured the water into a glass.
他們圍在一起 , 並且 , 看著夜明珠湯沸騰了幾小時，然後將湯倒進玻璃杯內。

When the farmer drank the glass of water, he was instantly well again, perfectly healthy and strong.
農夫喝了這杯夜明珠湯後，怪病霍然而癒，容光煥發。

There was just one problem. Before the second son had time to replace the pearl, the king discovered it missing. He sent his soldiers to find the thief.
問題來了。當老二還未及物歸原主 , 國王已經發現丟失了夜明珠。馬上派他的士兵捉拿竊賊。

"We saw a pair of arms stretching across the land," the villagers told the soldiers, and before long they learned that only one young man in the land had arms that could stretch that far.
"我們看見一雙長長的手臂橫跨地面 ! " 附近的村民告訴那些士兵。
不久 , 士兵獲悉 , 只有一個住在這裡的年輕人 , 有能那樣本領。

They burst into the farmer's house and when they saw the eldest son, believing him to be the thief, they chained him and marched him to the palace.
士兵衝入農夫家中，看見老大，相信他就是那位竊賊，他們用鏈拴住老大 , 並且押送他到皇宮。

"Chop off his head !" the king demanded.
"推出去 , 斬首 ! " 國王下了聖旨。

The soldiers moved forward to seize the prisoner, but the eldest son cried out, "Just one wish before I die. Please let me see my father one last time. I want to tell him how his son is to die."
那些士兵立刻上前 , 正要押走老大，千鈞一髮之際 , 老大高聲呼喊 :
"皇上開恩 ! 求皇上恩淮我在受刑之前 , 見嚴親最後一面。我要向他稟明 , 不肖子因何事被處死。"

The king was not a terribly cruel man, and so he granted the wish, adding, "but you must come back tomorrow." The eldest son hurried home.
國王不是一個絕情的人，因此他恩准了老大的請求，跟著說，"你明天必須回來服刑。" 於是 , 老大匆忙趕返家中。

The next day, in his place, the third son went to the palace, and no one was the wiser because the boys looked exactly alike.
第二天，老三代替老大 , 進入皇宮，因為老三和老大 , 相貌非常相似 , 所以 , 沒有被人識破。

When the ax fell on the young man's head, nothing happened.
當劊子手揮斧猛斬老三，他的頭居然毫無損傷。

"Your head is hard as steel," the king said, puzzled. "Guards, thrust a sword through him."
"奇怪 ! 你的頭怎麼會堅硬如鋼 !" 國王迷惑地說，。 "士衛，用劍刺死他。”

"That is fine," said the third son, "but let me first go to see my poor father to tell him the news. He deserves to know the truth about how his son will die."
老三馬上求情 : "皇上開恩 ! 小民願意服刑 , 請皇上恩淮小民先回家 , 將此事稟明嚴親 , 不肖子如何被處死。"

"Go then, but return tomorrow," said the king, and the next day the fourth son arrived in his brother's stead.
"去罷 ! 那你明天必須回來服刑 !" 國王淮奏。
第二天 , 老四代老三服刑。

When the soldiers tried to thrust the sword through his skin that was like iron, the sword crumpled. The guards were mystified.
那些士兵用劍 , 企圖剌穿老四堅硬如鐵的皮膚時，劍也剌彎了。
衛士們大惑不解。

"Throw him into the ice box," the king said, "and let him freeze!"
"把他關在冰櫃內 , 讓他凍死 !" 國王再下旨。

And again the son pleaded to allow him to go home to tell his father, and once more the king was generous enough to let him go. "You'll be back tomorrow at dawn."
老四又懇求國王 , 恩淮他服刑前回家稟明嚴親 , 國王再一次慷慨地讓他歸去。 "明天早上 , 你一定要回來服刑。"

When the next day the fifth son appeared at the palace, the guards threw him into the ice box, but the next morning when they opened the door, the young man was sleeping peacefully, for he had not felt a bit of the cold.
第二天 , 老五到皇宮服刑，衛士把他扔進冰櫃，隔了一天 , 他們打開冰櫃門，看見老五睡得很安詳，因為老五一點也不感到寒冷。

The king was distraught. "We must throw you into the sea and drown you then!" he said, and again the young man pleaded for mercy. "I must tell my father." "Go," said the king, "one more day with your father is nothing to me."
國王無奈地再下旨 :  "把犯人丟進大海 , 把他淹死 !”
老五亦懇求國王開恩 : "請皇上恩淮我 , 服刑前回家稟明嚴親。"
"好罷 !" 國王說，"讓你父子多聚一天 , 無妨。"

Of course the sixth son appeared the next day, and when the soldiers tossed him into the sea, he disappeared under the waves.
第二天 , 出現的當然是老六。士兵把他扔進大海，老六在波濤洶湧中消失了。

The guards turned their backs, but only moments later they were astonished to see the young man's head rising above the waves.
那些士兵正欲轉身返回皇宮，不到幾秒鐘 , 他們驚訝地看見 , 老六的頭升到水面上。

He had stretched his legs to reach the floor of the sea, and he brought up with him dozens of beautiful shells and dazzling pearls.
老六將雙腿伸長至海底，並且 , 撈了許多美麗的貝殼和耀眼的珍珠。

The king called the young man to his chambers. When he saw the pearls, he said, "I don't know how you've done this, but I'll set you free in exchange for those pearls."
國王傳老六進朝面聖。當國王見到這些珍珠時，他說，"我不知道你如何尋獲這些寶物，我願意釋放你 , 來交換這些珍珠。"

So the sixth son returned home, where the family gathered in celebration.
終於 , 老六回家了，一家人團聚慶祝。

They lived happily ever after, too, for the sixth son, under the guidance of his eldest brother, had saved a few of the sea's treasures for his beloved family.
自此以後 , 他們一家人生活得很愉快 ! 因為 , 老六在老大的指導下，暗中收藏好幾件寶物 , 和家人一起享用。

The Brothers Who Tricked A King 兄弟妙計戲國王 [完] [中譯 : 二覺陀]
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