The tale of the doctor who defied Death - Iseult Gillespie

Translator: Dawny Tsoi Reviewer: C iff

In their ramshackle hut on the edge of the woods,

喺森林邊緣一間就快冧嘅木屋仔

a husband and wife were in despair.

住喺裡面嘅兩公婆頭痕緊

The woman had just given birth to their thirteenth child,

老婆啱啱生咗第十三個細路

and the growing family was quickly running out of food and money.

本來生活已經掹掹緊 而家多咗件都唔知點養

The father walked into the woods to ponder their problem.

老豆去森林散吓步 度度今次點搞好

After hours spent wandering through the trees,

就喺森林入面遊咗幾個鐘嘅時候

he encountered two shadowy silhouettes.

佢見到兩個黑麻麻既影子

The first figure appeared to be the man’s God,

第一個似佢信嘅神

while the second resembled the Devil.

而第二個就魔鬼咁款

Both figures offered to lighten the man’s burden,

兩個影都話可以幫輕吓老豆

and act as Godfather to his most recent child.

條件係要收佢啱啱出世嘅細路做契仔

But the man refused their offer—

但係老豆就話唔制

he wouldn’t entrust his son to those who passed judgment on human life.

佢唔想將自己個仔交畀 呢兩個草菅人命嘅神靈

He ventured deeper into the tangled thicket.

佢繼續走入森林深處

Here in the darkest part of the woods, the father made out a third figure.

就喺森林最幽秘嘅地方 老豆遇到第三個影子

Sunken eyes stared out of its gaunt face, which broke into a crooked smile.

骷髏骨頭嘅面孔 正喺度凝望遠方

忽然露出詭異嘅笑容

This was Death himself, come to offer his services as Godfather.

佢就係傳說中嘅死神喇 同老豆講佢都要收契仔

He promised to return when the child came of age,

死神答應老豆 仔仔成年之後會返嚟

to bring him happiness and prosperity.

帶比佢快樂同富足

The father— knowing that all people are equal in the eyes of Death—

老豆覺得喺生死面前人人平等

accepted his offer.

就答應咗死神

Years later, when the child had grown into an ambitious young man,

幾年之後，仔仔大個咗 成為一個胸懷大志嘅年輕人

his skeletal Godfather came for his promised visit.

死神契爸都依照約定嚟搵佢

In his gnarled hand he held a flask containing the cure

佢瘦骨嶙峋嘅手揸住一個樽仔

話樽仔入面嘅藥水 係人類疾病嘅終極解藥

for all human ailments.

Death had brought this flask for his Godson,

死神將呢個解藥送畀契仔

promising to make him a successful doctor.

同佢講揸住呢個終極解藥 你會成為一個成功嘅醫生

But the powerful potion came with very strict rules.

但係死神有個條件⋯⋯

If his Godson encountered a sick person

如果契仔喺醫病人嘅時候

and Death was hovering at the top of their bed,

死神喺病床上面浮下浮下

the doctor could heal them with just a waft of the antidote’s fumes.

佢只要畀病人聞吓解藥 病人就會即刻好返晒

But if Death lingered at the foot of the bed,

但係如果死神坐咗喺床尾

he’d already claimed the patient as his own—

就代表佢要咗呢個病人

and the doctor could do nothing for them.

而契仔只可以就手旁觀

In time, the doctor’s potent potion and uncanny instincts

憑住呢樽藥水同神奇嘅直覺

became known throughout the land.

契仔好快就成為 遠近聞名嘅神醫

He grew rich and famous, casting off the hardships of his early life.

佢成功脫貧 成為咗人生贏家

When the king fell ill, he summoned the famous physician to treat him.

有一日，國王病咗 召喚神醫去醫好佢

The doctor swept into the palace, ready to show off his skills.

神醫嗱嗱聲粉墨登場 準備施展佢嘅神醫之手

But when he entered the king’s chamber,

點知一入到去寢宮嘅時候

he was dismayed to see Death settled at the foot of the bed.

就見到死神喺床尾托住個腮⋯⋯佢頹咗

The doctor desperately wanted the glory of saving the king—

神醫想醫好國王 攞返個頭彩

就算要呃契爸 都在所不惜

even if it meant deceiving his Godfather.

And so, he swiftly spun the bed around and reversed Death’s position,

佢一嘢調轉張床 死神就變咗對住床頭

leaving the doctor free to administer the antidote.

咁樣佢就可以醫好國王喇

Death was livid.

死神好嬲 佢警告自以為是嘅契仔

He warned his arrogant Godson that if he ever cheated Death again,

如果佢再搞搞震呃契爸 就要賠返條命畀佢

he would pay for it with his life.

Death and the doctor continued their travels.

死神同神醫繼續拍檔

After some time, the king’s messengers came to collect the doctor yet again.

過咗無耐 國王又派信差嚟搵神醫

The princess was gravely ill,

今次輪到公主病咗

and the king had promised incredible riches to anyone who could cure her.

國王不惜工本 都要醫返好公主

The doctor approached the princesses’ chamber with gold in his eyes.

聽到個錢字 神醫擒擒青衝入去公主嘅閨房

But upon seeing the sleeping princess, his greed fell away.

但係一見到沈睡中嘅公主 佢立刻墮入愛河

He was so struck by her grace,

佢畀公主嘅仙氣迷住

that he failed to notice Death lurking by her feet.

而見唔到死神一路纏著公主隻腳

He swiftly healed the princess,

神醫好快就醫好咗公主

but before she could even utter her thanks,

但就喺公主打算多謝佢嘅時候⋯⋯

Death had dragged his lovesick Godson away.

死神已經帶走咗墮入愛河嘅契仔

In an instant, the palace dissolved around them.

霎時間 皇宮唔見咗

The doctor found himself in an immense cave

神醫發現自己身處喺 一望無際嘅黑洞入面

lined with countless quivering candles, each representing the duration of a life.

身邊一排排嘅蠟燭 代表住人類嘅壽命

As punishment for his Godson’s foolish attempt to master mortality,

為咗教訓契仔傻更更 以為自己可以打敗死亡

死神削短佢嘅蠟燭 到剩返個燈芯

Death whittled his candle down to its wick.

Seeing his own dwindling light,

見到自己嘅燭光越來越微弱

the doctor felt the fear he’d often glimpsed in his patients’ eyes.

神醫感受到喺醫病人嘅時候 病人恐懼死亡嘅眼光

Desperately, he begged Death to transfer his dying light onto a new candle.

佢跪喺地下搏命哀求死神 將自己嘅燭光換去一個新嘅蠟燭

His Godfather considered the request— but the doctor’s betrayal was too great.

契爸諗咗一陣⋯⋯ 但係神醫今次真係玩大咗

He loosened his bony grip, and his Godson’s candle fell to the floor.

佢鬆開瘦骨嶙峋嘅手 契仔嘅蠟燭跌咗落地下

Death stood motionless,

死神木無表情咁企喺度

his inscrutable face fixed on the sputtering flame—

望住地下就快熄滅嘅燭光⋯⋯

until all that was left of the doctor was a wisp of smoke.

直到神醫化為一縷青煙