The myth of Gawain and the Green Knight - Dan Kwartler

翻译人员: Elena W 校对人员: Helen Chang

It was Christmas time in Camelot and King Arthur was throwing a party.

卡米洛特的圣诞节， 亚瑟王在城堡开派对。

The entire court was invited— save the wicked sorceress Morgan le Fay—

除了邪恶的女巫摩根勒菲之外 全宫廷的人都被邀请，

and food and drink flowed freely.

自由畅饮和进食。

But in the midst of the revelry, the castle doors split open.

但狂欢之际 城堡的门突然敞开，

A towering knight riding an emerald steed burst into the room,

一位骑着翡翠骏马的 骑士冲进房间，

stunning the court into silence.

令宫廷陷入沉默。

Then, in a deep bellowing voice, he proposed a game.

接着，他提议玩一个游戏。

The Green Knight declared he would allow

绿衣骑士宣布，

the bravest warrior present to attack him with his own axe.

他将允许在场最勇敢的战士 用他自己的斧头攻击他。

If they could strike him down, they would win his powerful weapon.

如果能打倒他，那位战士 可以赢得他的斧头。

However, the knight would be allowed to return that blow

但是，绿衣骑士会在

in one year and one day.

一年零一天后还击。

Arthur and his knights were baffled.

亚瑟和他的骑士们十分困惑。

No man could survive such a strike.

没有人能从这样的 袭击中存活下来。

The Green Knight began to mock their leader’s hesitance,

绿衣骑士嘲笑 亚瑟的犹豫不决。

and Arthur stood to defend his honor.

正当亚瑟站起来 捍卫他的荣誉时，

But as soon as he gripped the axe, another leapt to take his place.

另一个人跳起来 代替了他的位置。

Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain, took the weapon instead.

亚瑟的侄子加文爵士 拿起了的武器。

And with one swift strike, he beheaded the grinning knight.

他迅速一击，砍掉了 绿衣骑士的头。

But the moment his skull met the ground, it began to laugh.

绿衣骑士的脑袋 落地时大笑起来。

The Green Knight collected his head and mounted his horse.

他捡起自己的头颅，骑上马。

As he rode off, his severed head reminded Gawain of their contract

离开时，他提醒加文，

and told him to seek the Green Chapel one year hence.

一年后去寻找绿色教堂。

In the months that followed, Gawain tried to forget this bizarre vision.

接下来的几个月里，加文 试图忘记那奇怪的经历。

But despite the strangeness of the knight’s game,

尽管绿衣骑士的游戏很奇怪，

he was determined to act honorably.

加文决定遵守诺言。

When the following winter approached, he set out—

第二年的冬天，他出发了，

enduring foul weather and beastly encounters

忍受着恶劣的天气和遭遇，

in his quest to find the mysterious Green Chapel.

去寻找神秘的绿色教堂。

Finally, on Christmas Eve, he saw a shimmering castle on the horizon.

平安夜，他来到了 一座闪闪发光的城堡。

The castle’s lord and lady were thrilled to help such an honorable guest,

城堡的勋爵夫妇很高兴 帮助加文这样尊贵的客人，

and informed him that the Green Chapel was only a short ride away.

并告诉他绿色教堂离城堡很近。

They implored Gawain to rest at their home until his meeting with the Green Knight.

他们恳求加文在与绿衣骑士 会面之前留在城堡休息。

Thrilled at this news, Gawain happily accepted their offer.

加文也高兴地 接受了他们的好意。

However, in exchange for their hospitality,

然而，作为对他们 热情好客的交换，

the lord made a strange request.

勋爵提出了一个奇怪的要求。

Over the next three days, he would go hunting and share his spoils every night.

接下来的三天里，他会 与加文分享打猎的战利品。

In return, Gawain must give him whatever he’d gained during his day at the castle.

作为回报，加文必须给他 在城堡里得到的一切。

At first, Gawain was perplexed by these strange terms.

起初，加文对这奇怪的 条件感到十分不解。

But the lord’s meaning became quite clear the next day,

但当勋爵夫人 试图勾引加文时，

when his wife tried to seduce Gawain.

他明白了勋爵的意思。

To rebuff the lady’s advances without offending her honor,

为了委婉的拒绝她的追求，

Gawain allowed one kiss—

加文允许夫人吻他一下。

which he then passed on to her husband in exchange for a slain dear.

当晚，加文把这个吻给了勋爵， 换取了一头鹿。

The next day, Gawain allowed two kisses, which he gave to the lord for a dead boar.

第二天，加文得到了两个吻， 用来和勋爵换取一头野猪。

But on the third day, the lady offered more than just three kisses.

但在第三天，勋爵夫人

She presented a magical sash that would protect Gawain

给了加文一条魔法腰带，

可以保护他免受 绿衣骑士的攻击。

from the Green Knight’s blade.

Gawain accepted immediately, but that evening, when the lord returned,

加文立即接受了这份礼物， 但当晚上勋爵返回后，

the knight offered only three kisses with no mention of his enchanted gift.

他只亲吻了勋爵三下， 并没有向提到那条魔法腰带。

The next morning, Gawain rode out to the Green Chapel—

第二天早上，加文 来到绿色教堂——

a simple mound of earth

一处简陋的土堆，

where the Green Knight ominously sharpened an axe.

绿衣骑士在这里磨着斧头。

With the sash’s protection, Gawain approached stoically—

在腰带的保护下， 加文走向前，

determined to honor his agreement.

决心履行自己的协议。

He bowed his head for the deadly blow, and with a massive swing,

他低下头等待致命的一击， 绿衣骑士挥舞着巨大的刀剑，

the Green Knight cut Gawain’s neck—

斩向加文的脖子，

inflicting nothing more than a flesh wound.

只造成了一道伤痕。

Once more, Gawain was bewildered.

加文再次震惊了。

Why hadn’t the sash protected him?

为什么腰带没有保护自己？

And why hadn’t the knight killed him?

为什么绿衣骑士没有杀死自己？

Bursting into laughter, the Green Knight revealed himself to be the castle’s lord,

绿衣骑士大笑起来， 表示自己就是那位勋爵，

and he’d been working with Morgan Le Fay

他与摩根勒菲一起

to test the honor and bravery of Arthur’s knights.

想测试亚瑟骑士们的荣誉和英勇。

He was impressed with Gawain’s behavior,

他很赞赏加文的表现。

and he’d planned to spare his neck entirely—

他本来打算完全不伤害加文，

until Gawain concealed the sash.

直到他把腰带藏起来。

Filled with shame, Gawain returned to Camelot.

加文羞愧地回到了卡米洛特。

But to his surprise, his companions absolved him of blame

但令他惊讶的是， 他的同伴们并没有责怪他，

and celebrated his valor.

而是赞扬了他的英勇。

Struggling to understand this strange journey,

加文无法理解 这段奇怪的旅程。

it seemed to Gawain that perhaps the whole world was playing a game—

他想，也许整个世界正如一场戏，

with rules more wild and bewildering than any man could understand.

而游戏的规则疯狂、 混乱到无人能理解。