《能言馬與男孩》第12期:在塔什班城門口(1)
Chapter 3 AT The Gates of Tashbaan
第3章 在塔什班城門口"Mr name," said the girl at once, "is Aravis Tarkheena and I am the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Ilsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god Tash. My father is the lord of the province of Calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of Tisroc himself (may he live for ever). My mother (on whom be the peace of the gods) is dead and my father has married another wife. One of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child. Now it came to pass that my father's wife, my step-mother, hated me, and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as I lived in my father's house. And so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to Ahoshta Tarkaan. Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these latter years he has won the favour of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) by flattery and evil counsels, and is nowmade a Tarkaan and the lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the Grand Vizier when the present Grand Vizier dies. Moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his back and his face resembles that of an ape. Nevertheless my father, because of the wealth and power of this Ahoshta, and being persuaded by his wife, sent messengers offering me in marriage, and the offer was favourably accepted and Ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer.
“我是泰克希娜阿拉維斯，”小姑娘立刻說道，”我是泰坎基特拉什的獨生女兒。基特扣什是泰坎裏什蒂的兒子，裏什蒂是泰坎老基特拉什的兒子，老基特拉什是蒂斯羅克伊爾鬆布勒的兒子，伊爾鬆布勒是蒂斯羅克阿爾地布的兒子，都是從塔什神一脈相承地繁衍下來的。我的父親是卡拉瓦爾省的省長，是個有權利穿着靴子站在蒂斯羅克(願他萬壽無疆)本人面前的官兒。被的母親死了(願衆神賜給她平安)，我的父親娶了另一個妻子。我的哥哥存遙遠的兩方討伐叛亂的戰爭中犧牲了，我的弟弟還是個小娃娃。卻說我父親的妻子，我那位後母，憎惡我，只要我住在我父親的家裏，她就覺得太陽也變得黑暗了。所以她就勸我的父親把我許給泰坎阿霍什塔爲妻。而這位阿霍什塔出身貧賤，這幾年他憑着諂媚阿諛和出壞主意，贏得了蒂斯羅克(願他萬壽無疆)的寵愛，現在被封爲泰坎，做了好幾個城市的父母官，將來現任大臣死了，他就很可能被選中爲大臣。而且，他至少已有六十歲了，還是個駝背，胎長得像無尾猿。儘管如此，一則由於這位阿霍什塔有財有勢，二則我後母竭力勸說，我的父親便派媒人去說親。一說即合，阿霍什塔叫人捎信來，說今年盛夏就要娶親成婚。"When this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and I laid myself on my bed and wept for a day. But on the second day I rose up and washed my face and caused my mare Hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone. And when my father's house was out of sight and I was come to a green open place in a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men, I dismounted from Hwin my mare and took out the dagger. Then I parted my clothes where I thought the readiest way lay to my heart and I prayed to all the gods that as soon as I was dead I might find myself with my brother. After that I shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart. But before I had done so, this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said, "O my mistress, do not by any means destroy yourself, for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike."
“這個消息傳到我耳朵裏時，我心目中的太陽變得漆黑了，我躺在牀上，哭了一天。但第二天我起了牀，洗了臉，關照人給母馬赫溫上了鞍子，我隨身帶了把鋒利的匕首(我哥哥在西部戰爭中帶在身邊的)，便獨自騎馬出去了。走得已經看不見我父親的府邸時，我來到一個森林中的片綠色空地上，那兒沒有人住家。我從母馬赫溫身上跨將下來，抽出匕首。我解開衣服，露出我認爲最便於刺中心臍的地方，我向衆砷禱告，但求我一死便可同我哥哥聚會。這之後，我就閉上眼睛，咬緊牙齒，準備把匕首剌進心臟。但我還沒有刺下去，這馬兒就用人類的女孩兒聲音說道：”我的女主人啊，無論如何不要毀滅你自己，因爲如果你活着，你還會有好運氣，但死人同樣都是死人。”
"I didn't say it half so well as that," muttered the mare.
“我說得還沒有這話一半巧妙啊。”母馬喃喃自語。"Hush, Ma'am, hush," said Bree, who was thoroughly enjoying the story. "She's telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc's court could do it better. Pray go on, Tarkheena."
“莫作聲，女士，莫作聲。”布里說道，它正在全身心地欣賞着這故事。”她正用卡樂門崇高的風格講故事，蒂斯羅克宮廷早沒有人能講得比她更好的了。請你講下去吧，泰克希娜。”
