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

譯者: Ann Chen 審譯者: H_L Au

In the sun-dappled streets of a small town,

在陽光普照的小鎮街道上，

a proud mother showed off her newborn son.

一位得意洋洋的媽媽 在炫燿她的新生男嬰。

Upon noticing his lucky birthmark,

村民注意到他的幸運胎記後，

townsfolk predicted he would marry a princess.

預言他將會娶一位公主。

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

但不久，謠言就傳到邪惡國王耳裡。

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

國王大怒，偷偷抱走孩子， 把他放入湍急河裡讓他漂走。

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

但嬰兒的幸運遠勝國王的計謀。

Years later, the king was traveling his realm,

多年後，國王在他國內旅遊時，

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

他看到一位魁梧的年輕人 有個不尋常的胎記。

After confirming the child’s origins,

在確認那孩子的身世後，

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

狡猾的國王委託他送信給皇后。

The youth eagerly set out to deliver the message—

年輕人急切地出發去遞信，

not knowing he was carrying his own death sentence.

渾然不知他攜帶的是自己的死刑令。

That night, roaming bandits stumbled upon his camp.

那晚，流寇無意間發現他的營地，

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

但當讀完那封殘忍的信後， 他們非常同情他，

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

反而決定找國王的麻煩， 便草草寫了個新的短箋。

As soon as the youth arrived at the palace,

年輕人一抵達王宮，

he locked eyes with the princess.

他與公主的目光就互不相離，

The two felt destined for each other.

倆人覺得對方就是命中注定的那位。

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

皇后讀完國王贊同這椿婚事的信後，

she joyfully organized a whirlwind wedding.

高興籌辦了兩人的閃婚。

When the king returned, he was furious.

當國王回來時，勃然大怒，

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

但他不能無故地處決女兒的愛人。

So he devised a diabolical trial.

於是他設計了一個惡毒的考驗，

He ordered the youth to travel to Hell itself,

他命令年輕人前往地獄，

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

帶回剛從惡魔頭上拔下的三根金髮。

Only upon succeeding could he return to his bride.

成功之後，他才能回到新娘身邊。

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

年輕人到處尋找通往地獄的入口，

until he finally reached an eerie village.

最後他來到了一個陰森的村落。

Here, he saw some villagers gathered around a well.

在這裡，他看到一些村民 聚在一口井邊，

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

他們包圍了年輕人，不讓他通過，

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

除非他能回答他們的問題： 為什麼這口井乾涸了？

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

年輕人回答說： 「我回來時會回答這問題。」

They directed him further into town,

村民指引他進入這村鎮的更深處，

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

在那裡，他遇到另一群村民 正在凝視著一棵扭曲的樹。

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

他們不讓他通過， 除非他能回答他們的問題：

why was the tree barren?

為什麼這棵樹光禿禿的？

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

年輕人又回答： 「我回來時會回答這問題。」

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

村民指引他到碼頭， 有位年老的船夫等在那兒。

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

當船夫划過黑水時， 嘶啞地問他第三個問題：

how can I escape my interminable task?

我如何才能擺脫這無止境的工作？

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

年輕人再次承諾： 「我回來時會回答這問題。」

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

最後，他們抵達了 一棟浸在地獄沼澤邊的小屋。

Reluctantly, the youth knocked on the rotting door.

年輕人很不情願地敲了敲腐朽的門，

The devil’s grandmother answered his call.

惡魔的祖母來應門。

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

眾所皆知，她會幫助或傷害 一些來訪的靈魂，

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

年輕人才剛說完他的故事， 他們就聽到惡魔的腳步聲。

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

毫無預警地，男孩整個身體縮小，

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

惡魔的祖母將他拿起來， 藏入袖子的折邊裡，

and welcomed her grandson.

然後去迎接她的孫子。

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

老太太開始工作， 給惡魔大吃大喝一頓。

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

當他睡著時，她很技巧地 從惡魔頭上拔了三根發亮的頭髮。

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

每拔一根，惡魔就會短暫醒來， 抱怨他所做的夢，

full of nearby villagers and their problems.

夢中盡是附近的一些村民 以及他們的問題。

The next morning, the youth departed—

隔天早上，年輕人啟程了──

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

帶著三根金頭髮和三條訊息。

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

他分享了惡魔的第一個夢給船夫，

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

如果船夫將船槳 遞給願意接收的乘客，

he would be free from his task.

他就能擺脫他的工作。

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

回到村落時，年輕人告訴大家， 有隻老鼠在啃那樹的樹根，

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

並且有隻巨大蟾蜍堵住了那口井。

The villagers rewarded him handsomely for his help.

村民們給他豐厚的獎賞 以感謝他的協助。

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

旅程歸來後，

年輕人將惡魔頭髮交給國王──

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

可是這位貪婪的岳父 只對黃金有興趣，

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

這淘氣的年輕人告訴國王， 河的對面有更多的財富在等著他。

across the river.

Immediately, the king hastened to the riverbank.

國王立即奔向岸邊，

Eager to claim his riches,

因為急於得到財富，

he held out his hands impatiently to the grinning ferryman—

他迫不及待地 對笑眯眯的船夫伸出雙手──

who happily handed over his oars.

船夫高興地將船槳交給了他。