The tale of the boy who tricked the Devil - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Karen Xu 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

In the sun-dappled streets of a small town,

在一个日照斑驳的小镇街道上，

a proud mother showed off her newborn son.

一个骄傲的妈妈在炫耀 她刚出生的儿子。

Upon noticing his lucky birthmark,

乡亲们注意到了他的幸运胎记，

townsfolk predicted he would marry a princess.

并预言他将来会迎娶一位公主。

But soon, these rumors reached the ears of the wicked king.

但是不久之后，这些谣言 传到了邪恶的国王耳朵里。

Enraged, the king stole the child away, and sent him hurtling down the river.

他愤怒地把这个孩子偷走， 并让他顺着河流漂走了。

But the infant’s luck proved greater than the king’s plan.

但事实证明，这个婴儿的运气 比国王的计划更好。

Years later, the king was traveling his realm,

若干年后，国王在巡视他的领地时，

when he spotted a strapping young man with an uncanny birthmark.

见到了一位有着离奇胎记的 魁梧的年轻人。

After confirming the child’s origins,

在确认了这个孩子的由来之后，

the sly king entrusted the boy with a letter for the queen.

狡猾的国王于是委托他 给皇后送一封信。

The youth eagerly set out to deliver the message—

小伙急着出发去送信，

not knowing he was carrying his own death sentence.

却并不知道他手中拿着的， 其实是自己的死刑书。

That night, roaming bandits stumbled upon his camp.

那天晚上，游荡的土匪 偶然发现了他露宿的帐篷。

Yet when they read the brutal letter, they were filled with pity.

但当他们读了那封残忍的信， 心中却突然充满了怜悯。

Deciding to make trouble for the king instead, they scribbled a new note.

他们决定给国王找点麻烦， 于是随即伪造了一张新的纸条。

As soon as the youth arrived at the palace,

当小伙抵达王宫的时候，

he locked eyes with the princess.

他的目光锁定在了公主身上。

The two felt destined for each other.

他们两人都觉得 对方是自己命中注定的另一半。

And when the queen read that the king approved this union,

当皇后读到国王允许 这一对的结合之后，

she joyfully organized a whirlwind wedding.

她马上开心地组织了盛大的婚礼。

When the king returned, he was furious.

当国王回来后，简直怒不可遏。

But he couldn’t execute his daughter’s beloved without reason.

但他不能无理由地处决女儿的挚爱。

So he devised a diabolical trial.

所以他设计了一个邪恶的计划。

He ordered the youth to travel to Hell itself,

他命令小伙去地狱一趟，

and return with three golden hairs freshly plucked from the Devil’s head.

并且要拔下恶魔头上的 三根金头发带回来。

Only upon succeeding could he return to his bride.

只有成功了， 他才能回到他的新娘身边。

The youth searched across the land for the entrance to Hell,

小伙在大陆上寻遍了 进入地狱的入口，

until he finally reached an eerie village.

直到他终于到达了一个诡异的村庄。

Here, he saw some villagers gathered around a well.

在这里，他看见一些村民 聚集在一口水井旁。

They closed in on the youth, refusing to let him pass

他们把小伙拦住，不让他通过，

until he answered their question: why was the well dry?

直到回答出他们的问题： 为什么水井里没水？

The youth replied, “I will answer when I return.”

小伙回答道： “我会在回来时告诉你们。”

They directed him further into town,

于是他们指引他走进城里。

where he came across another set of villagers contemplating a gnarled tree.

小伙又遇到了另一些村民， 盯着一棵饱经风霜的树。

They refused to let him pass until he answered their question:

他们不让他通过， 直到回答出他们的问题：

why was the tree barren?

为什么这棵树死气沉沉？

Again, the youth responded, “I will answer when I return."

小伙同样回答道， “我会在回来时告诉你们。”

These villagers guided him to the dock, where an elderly ferryman awaited.

这些村民指引他到了码头， 那里等待着一个年老的摆渡人。

As he paddled through the black water, the ferryman rasped a third question:

在他划着桨度过这片黑水的时候， 摆渡人用刺耳的声音问出了第三个问题：

how can I escape my interminable task?

我怎么才能逃出这无休无止的工作？

Once more, the youth promised, “I will answer when I return.”

再一次，小伙承诺道： “我会在回来时告诉你。”

At last, they reached a hut sinking into the swampy banks of Hell.

最后，他们到达了 一间陷入地狱沼泽的小屋。

Reluctantly, the youth knocked on the rotting door.

小伙不情愿地敲了敲腐烂的门。

The devil’s grandmother answered his call.

恶魔的奶奶来应门了。

She was known to help some visiting souls, and harm others.

众所周知，她会帮助一些 前来拜访的灵魂，但也会伤害其他的。

The youth had just finished his story when they heard the devil’s footsteps.

当他们听到恶魔的脚步声时， 小伙刚讲完他的故事。

Without warning, the boy’s world appeared to shrink.

没有一点征兆，小伙的世界开始缩小。

The devil’s grandmother lifted him into the folds of her sleeve,

恶魔的奶奶把他提起， 放进她袖子的褶皱里，

and welcomed her grandson.

然后迎上了她的孙子。

The old woman set to work, lavishing the devil with food and drink.

这个老妇人开始行动了， 她塞给恶魔一大堆吃的喝的。

When he fell asleep, she deftly plucked three gleaming hairs from his head.

当他终于睡着时，她敏捷地 从他的脑袋上拔下了三根亮闪闪的头发。

With each plucked hair, the Devil briefly awoke and complained about his dreams,

每拔一根头发，恶魔便短暂地醒来， 抱怨起他做的梦，

full of nearby villagers and their problems.

都是关于附近的村民 和他们遇到的问题。

The next morning, the youth departed—

第二天早晨，小伙怀揣着

armed with three golden hairs, and three pieces of information.

三根金头发和三条信息离开了。

He shared the devil’s first dream with the ferryman.

他和摆渡人分享了恶魔的第一个梦。

If the boatman could hand his oars to a willing passenger,

如果他能把船桨递给一个 愿意接替他的乘客，

he would be free from his task.

那么他就能从工作中解脱了。

Back at the village, the youth declared that there was a mouse

回到村里，小伙宣称有一只老鼠

gnawing at the root of the tree, and an enormous toad blocking the well.

在不断地咬树根，并且还有 一只巨大的癞蛤蟆堵住了水井。

The villagers rewarded him handsomely for his help.

村民们慷慨地回报了他的帮助。

Back from his journey, the youth thrust the devil’s hairs at the king—

在结束了他的旅程后， 小伙把恶魔的头发献给了国王——

but his greedy father-in-law only had eyes for the gold.

但他贪婪的岳父 却死死盯着村民赠予的金子。

The sly youth told the king that even greater wealth awaited him

机智的小伙告诉他，

across the river.

在河对岸有更多的财富等着他。

Immediately, the king hastened to the riverbank.

于是国王急忙去了河边。

Eager to claim his riches,

他迫切地想得到他的财富，

he held out his hands impatiently to the grinning ferryman—

于是不耐烦地把手伸向了 笑嘻嘻的摆渡人——

who happily handed over his oars.

而摆渡人则开心地把桨递给了他。