The tale of the doctor who defied Death - Iseult Gillespie

7,284,364 views ・ 2020-03-12

TED-Ed


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翻译人员: Isabella Lu 校对人员: Yanyan Hong
00:10
In their ramshackle hut on the edge of the woods,
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在树林边有一个摇摇欲坠的小屋,
00:13
a husband and wife were in despair.
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屋中的夫妻俩深陷绝望。
00:15
The woman had just given birth to their thirteenth child,
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这位女子刚刚生下了 他们的第十三个孩子,
00:19
and the growing family was quickly running out of food and money.
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这个越来越大的家庭 很快就会吃光食物,花光金钱。
00:25
The father walked into the woods to ponder their problem.
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这位父亲走进森林, 思考如何摆脱这个处境。
00:30
After hours spent wandering through the trees,
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在树林里游荡了数小时之后,
00:32
he encountered two shadowy silhouettes.
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他遇到了两个阴暗的侧影。
00:37
The first figure appeared to be the man’s God,
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第一个似乎是他的神灵;
00:42
while the second resembled the Devil.
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然而第二个则像是魔鬼。
00:47
Both figures offered to lighten the man’s burden,
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他们都号称能帮助 男人减轻肩上的负担,
00:49
and act as Godfather to his most recent child.
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并成为他的新生子的教父。
00:54
But the man refused their offer—
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但是,男人拒绝了他们的提议——
00:56
he wouldn’t entrust his son to those who passed judgment on human life.
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他不会将自己的儿子托付给 那些为人类命运下判决的存在。
01:02
He ventured deeper into the tangled thicket.
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他向树枝纠缠的灌木林更深处走去。
01:05
Here in the darkest part of the woods, the father made out a third figure.
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在这最阴暗的丛林深处, 这位父亲见到了第三个身影。
01:10
Sunken eyes stared out of its gaunt face, which broke into a crooked smile.
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它憔悴面容上深陷的眼窝向外凝视, 突然露出一个悚然的笑容。
01:16
This was Death himself, come to offer his services as Godfather.
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这就是死神本尊, 来提出要当孩子的教父。
01:21
He promised to return when the child came of age,
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他允诺在孩子成年之时返回,
01:24
to bring him happiness and prosperity.
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来带给他幸福和成功。
01:27
The father— knowing that all people are equal in the eyes of Death—
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这位父亲明白,在死亡之前人人平等,
01:31
accepted his offer.
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于是他接受了死神的提议。
01:36
Years later, when the child had grown into an ambitious young man,
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多年后,当这个孩子已经 长成一个胸怀大志的青年,
01:41
his skeletal Godfather came for his promised visit.
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他那枯骨般的教父信守承诺来造访。
01:45
In his gnarled hand he held a flask containing the cure
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他粗糙的手中握着一个细颈瓶,
01:49
for all human ailments.
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里面是能治愈一切人类疾病的解药。
01:52
Death had brought this flask for his Godson,
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死亡为他的教子带来这个小瓶,
01:55
promising to make him a successful doctor.
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承诺让他成为一位名医。
01:58
But the powerful potion came with very strict rules.
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但这个强大的药剂 有严格的使用条件。
02:02
If his Godson encountered a sick person
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如果这位教子碰到一位病人,
02:05
and Death was hovering at the top of their bed,
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而死神盘旋于他的床榻之上,
02:08
the doctor could heal them with just a waft of the antidote’s fumes.
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医生只需让患者轻嗅解药的气味, 疾病就能完全治愈。
02:13
But if Death lingered at the foot of the bed,
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但是如果死神徘徊在他们的床脚,
02:16
he’d already claimed the patient as his own—
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那么它已经夺走了 这位病人的性命——
02:19
and the doctor could do nothing for them.
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医生将无能为力。
02:25
In time, the doctor’s potent potion and uncanny instincts
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不久,这位医生神效药水 和令人惊异的直觉
02:28
became known throughout the land.
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已经在全国闻名遐迩。
02:31
He grew rich and famous, casting off the hardships of his early life.
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他变得富有而出名, 走出了童年艰辛的阴影。
02:36
When the king fell ill, he summoned the famous physician to treat him.
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国王生病时,他传唤了 这位著名的医生来治愈他。
02:40
The doctor swept into the palace, ready to show off his skills.
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医生迫不及待地 赶去皇宫,准备大显身手。
02:45
But when he entered the king’s chamber,
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但当他步入国王的寝宫时,
02:47
he was dismayed to see Death settled at the foot of the bed.
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他沮丧地看到死神 已经静静地等在床尾。
02:51
The doctor desperately wanted the glory of saving the king—
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医生不顾一切地想拥有 拯救国王的无上荣光——
02:55
even if it meant deceiving his Godfather.
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尽管这意味着他要欺骗教父。
02:57
And so, he swiftly spun the bed around and reversed Death’s position,
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因此,他迅速地把床转向, 改变了死神的位置,
03:03
leaving the doctor free to administer the antidote.
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那么这样他就可以使用解药。
03:07
Death was livid.
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死神非常生气,
03:08
He warned his arrogant Godson that if he ever cheated Death again,
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他警告这位自大的教子, 如果他胆敢再一次愚弄死神,
03:13
he would pay for it with his life.
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代价会是他自己的性命。
03:17
Death and the doctor continued their travels.
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死神和医生继续着他们的旅程。
03:20
After some time, the king’s messengers came to collect the doctor yet again.
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一段时间之后, 国王的信使又来请医生前往。
03:26
The princess was gravely ill,
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公主身患重病,
03:28
and the king had promised incredible riches to anyone who could cure her.
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国王答应会让任何 能治愈她的人变得非常富有。
03:33
The doctor approached the princesses’ chamber with gold in his eyes.
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医生两眼放金光地进入了公主的寝宫。
03:37
But upon seeing the sleeping princess, his greed fell away.
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但在他看到睡梦中公主时, 他对金钱的欲望消失了,
03:43
He was so struck by her grace,
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公主的美貌彻底击中了他,
03:45
that he failed to notice Death lurking by her feet.
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以至于他未能注意到 死神正在她脚边徘徊。
03:50
He swiftly healed the princess,
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他很快治愈了公主,
03:55
but before she could even utter her thanks,
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但她还没来及传达自己的谢意,
03:59
Death had dragged his lovesick Godson away.
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死神就带走了他那深陷相思的教子。
04:03
In an instant, the palace dissolved around them.
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一瞬间,宫殿在他们的面前消失了,
04:07
The doctor found himself in an immense cave
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医生发现自己身处于 一个巨大的洞穴中,
04:10
lined with countless quivering candles, each representing the duration of a life.
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排满了无数颤动着火焰的蜡烛, 每个都代表着一个生命的长短。
04:16
As punishment for his Godson’s foolish attempt to master mortality,
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作为对教子愚蠢地 想要控制生死的惩罚,
04:21
Death whittled his candle down to its wick.
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死亡削短了他的蜡烛,直至灯芯。
04:26
Seeing his own dwindling light,
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目视着自己逐渐微弱的烛光,
04:28
the doctor felt the fear he’d often glimpsed in his patients’ eyes.
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医生感受到了他时常 在自己的病人眼中瞥见的恐惧。
04:33
Desperately, he begged Death to transfer his dying light onto a new candle.
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他拼命地恳求死神将他即将 熄灭的微光转移至一个新的蜡烛。
04:39
His Godfather considered the request— but the doctor’s betrayal was too great.
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他的教父考虑了他的请求—— 但是医生的背叛越过了底线。
04:44
He loosened his bony grip, and his Godson’s candle fell to the floor.
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他松开了自己骷髅般的双手, 让他教子的烛火落在了地上。
04:49
Death stood motionless,
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死神一动不动地站着,
04:51
his inscrutable face fixed on the sputtering flame—
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他难以捉摸的面庞紧盯着 苟延残喘的火苗——
04:55
until all that was left of the doctor was a wisp of smoke.
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直到医生化为一缕青烟。
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