The Japanese myth of the trickster raccoon - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

On the dusty roads of a small village,

在某個小村落的一條滿布塵土的路上，

a travelling salesman was having difficulty selling his wares.

一個旅行商人正因賣不出商品而煩惱。

He’d recently traversed the region just a few weeks ago,

他在幾個禮拜前才到這附近，

and most of the villagers had already seen his supply.

大多數的村民也已經看過他的商品。

So he wandered the outskirts of the town

所以他在村落的外圍晃蕩，

in the hopes of finding some new customers.

希望能找到一些新客人。

Unfortunately, the road was largely deserted,

不幸的是，這條路上空無一人，

and the salesman was about to turn back,

但當這位商人正要往回走的時候，

when he heard a high-pitched yelp coming from the edge of the forest.

卻聽見森林中傳來一聲尖叫。

Following the screams to their source, he discovered a trapped tanuki.

循著聲音，他發現了 一隻被陷阱捕獲的狸貓。

While these racoon-like creatures were known for their wily ways,

雖然這種長得像浣熊的生物 以詭計多端著稱，

this one appeared terrified and powerless.

這隻狸貓卻顯得相當害怕且無力。

The salesman freed the struggling creature,

商人放走了掙扎的狸貓，

but before he could tend to its wounds, it bolted into the undergrowth.

但在他有機會察看牠的傷口之前， 牠就已經竄進灌木叢中。

The next day, he set off on his usual route.

第二天，商人沿著走慣的路線出發，

As he trudged along, he spotted a discarded tea kettle.

在路上，他看見了一個被丟掉的茶壺。

It was rusty and old— but perhaps he could sell it to the local monks.

那是一個生鏽又老舊的茶壺， 但或許他能把它賣給當地的僧侶。

The salesman polished it until it sparkled and shone.

商人打磨起茶壺，直到它閃閃發光。

He carried the kettle to Morin-ji Temple and presented it to the solemn monks.

他帶著茶壺到茂林寺， 展示給莊嚴的和尚們看。

His timing was perfect—

他來的正是時候：

they were in need of a large kettle for an important service,

為了一場重要的儀式， 僧侶們正需要一個大茶壺，

and purchased his pot for a handsome price.

因此便以優渥的價格買下了它。

To open the ceremony, they began to pour cups of tea for each monk—

儀式開始後， 他們開始為每個和尚倒茶，

but the kettle cooled too quickly.

但茶壺冷卻的速度卻太快了，

It had to be reheated often throughout the long service,

所以在漫長的儀式中， 必須時常再度加熱，

and when it was hot, it seemed to squirm in the pourer’s hand.

而在茶壺很燙的時候， 拿的人似乎覺得它在手裡痛苦地扭動。

By the end of the ceremony, the monks felt cheated by their purchase,

在儀式要結束的時候， 僧侶們覺得他們被騙了，

and called for the salesman to return and explain himself.

因此將商人叫來，要他解釋。

The following morning, the salesman examined the pot,

第二天早上，商人檢查了茶壺，

but he couldn’t find anything unusual about it.

但找不到任何可疑之處。

Hoping a cup of tea would help them think,

他們希望一杯茶能幫助他們思考，

they set the kettle on the fire.

便開始用茶壺煮水。

Within moments, the metal began to sweat.

過沒多久，這個金屬茶壺就開始冒汗。

Suddenly, it sprouted a scrubby tail, furry paws and pointed nose.

突然，它長出了扁扁的尾巴、 毛茸茸的腳掌，和尖尖的鼻子。

With a yelp, the salesman recognized the tanuki he’d freed.

它叫了一聲，而商人認出 這就是他放走的狸貓。

The salesman was shocked.

商人相當震驚。

He’d heard tales of shape-shifting tanuki

他曾聽過狸貓化形的故事，

who transformed by pulling on their testicles.

牠們藉由拉扯自己的睪丸來變化。

But they were usually troublesome tricksters,

但牠們通常都是愛惹麻煩的搗蛋鬼，

who played embarrassing pranks on travellers,

會對旅人開難堪的玩笑，

or made it rain money that later dissolved into leaves.

或是讓天上降下錢雨， 但那些錢幣最後卻會變成葉子。

Some people even placed tanuki statues outside their homes and businesses

有些人甚至會把 狸貓雕像放在家門或店外，

to trick potential pranksters into taking their antics elsewhere.

以此糊弄潛在的惡作劇者， 讓牠們去他處展現牠們滑稽的技倆。

However, this tanuki only smiled sweetly.

但是，這隻狸貓只是甜甜地笑著。

為什麼牠會選擇這種毫無戒心的型態？

Why had he chosen this unsuspecting form?

The tanuki explained that he wanted to repay the salesman’s kindness.

狸貓解釋，牠想要報答商人的善心。

However, he’d grown too hot as a tea kettle,

但是，牠變成茶壺的時候實在太燙了，

and didn’t like being burned, scrubbed, or polished.

也不喜歡被燒、被擦，或是被打磨。

The monk and salesman laughed, both impressed by this honourable trickster.

和尚跟商人都笑了， 兩人都很欽佩這個有良心的搗蛋鬼。

From that day on, the tanuki became an esteemed guest of the temple.

從那天起，這隻狸貓 就成了這座寺廟的嘉賓。

He could frequently be found telling tales and performing tricks

常能看見牠說故事或雜耍的身影，

that amused even the most serious monks.

而就連最嚴肅的僧侶也會噗哧一笑。

Villagers came from far away to see the temple tanuki,

村民們大老遠地跑來看這座寺的狸貓，

and the salesman visited often to share tea made from an entirely normal kettle.

商人也時常來訪， 以普通的茶壺泡茶，跟牠一起品嚐。