The tale of the doctor who defied Death - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

In their ramshackle hut on the edge of the woods,

在樹林邊緣有一間搖搖欲墜的小屋，

a husband and wife were in despair.

屋中的夫妻十分絕望。

The woman had just given birth to their thirteenth child,

這名女子剛生出了 他們的第十三個孩子，

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

越來越大的家庭很快就會 吃光食物、用光金錢。

The father walked into the woods to ponder their problem.

這位父親走進樹林中 去思索他們的問題。

After hours spent wandering through the trees,

花了數小時在林中徘徊之後，

he encountered two shadowy silhouettes.

他遇到了兩個黑色形體。

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

第一個顯然是他的神，

while the second resembled the Devil.

第二個則像是魔鬼。

Both figures offered to lighten the man’s burden,

兩個形體都說它們 可以幫他減輕負擔，

and act as Godfather to his most recent child.

並當他剛生下的孩子的教父。

But the man refused their offer—

但這名男子拒絕了它們的提議——

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

他不願把他的兒子托付給 這些評斷人類生命的神或魔鬼。

He ventured deeper into the tangled thicket.

他冒險更深入雜亂的灌林叢中。

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

在林中這塊最黑暗的區域裡， 這位父親碰到了第三個形體。

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

它憔悴臉孔上的凹陷雙眼向外凝視，

突然露出扭曲的微笑。

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

這就是死神本尊， 來提出當教父的提議。

He promised to return when the child came of age,

死神保證，在孩子成年後會再來，

to bring him happiness and prosperity.

帶給他快樂和成功。

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

這位父親——知道所有人 在死神眼中都是平等的——

accepted his offer.

接受了這項提議。

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

數年後，這個孩子長大 成為胸懷大志的年輕人，

his skeletal Godfather came for his promised visit.

他的骸骨教父依約定前來造訪。

In his gnarled hand he held a flask containing the cure

死神用粗糙的手拿著一個瓶子，

裝著可治癒所有人類病痛的解藥。

for all human ailments.

Death had brought this flask for his Godson,

死神把這瓶解藥帶來給它的教子，

promising to make him a successful doctor.

保證會讓他成為成功的醫生。

But the powerful potion came with very strict rules.

但，必須遵照非常嚴格的規則 來使用這強大的藥水。

If his Godson encountered a sick person

如果死神的教子遇到生病的人，

and Death was hovering at the top of their bed,

而死神在這個人的病床上頭盤旋，

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

醫生只要把解藥的氣味吹過去， 就可以治癒病人。

But if Death lingered at the foot of the bed,

但如果死神逗留在床尾，

he’d already claimed the patient as his own—

表示它已經要奪走 這名病人的性命——

and the doctor could do nothing for them.

醫生也幫不了這名病人。

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

隨著時間，這位醫生的神效藥水

和不可思議的直覺已經無人不知。

became known throughout the land.

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

他變得很富有、出名， 脫離了人生早期的困苦。

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

當國王生病時，便召喚了 這位有名的醫生來治療他。

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

醫生趕去宮殿，準備大顯身手。

But when he entered the king’s chamber,

但，當他進入國王的房間，

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

他看見床尾的死神，感到很沮喪。

The doctor desperately wanted the glory of saving the king—

醫生很渴望能拯救國王， 得到這份榮耀——

even if it meant deceiving his Godfather.

即使這意味著要欺騙他的教父。

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

所以，醫生很快地把床轉過來， 翻轉了死神的位置，

leaving the doctor free to administer the antidote.

這樣他便能施展身手使用解藥。

Death was livid.

死神非常生氣。

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

它警告這位自大的教子， 如果敢再欺騙死神一次，

he would pay for it with his life.

就要拿命來償還。

Death and the doctor continued their travels.

死神和醫生繼續他們的旅程。

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

一段時間後，國王的信差 又來請醫生過去了。

The princess was gravely ill,

公主病得很重，

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

國王答應會讓治好她的人 變得非常富有。

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

醫生前往公主的房間時， 眼中盡是黃金。

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

但，看見睡夢中的公主時， 他的貪婪消失了。

He was so struck by her grace,

公主的優雅讓他驚呆了，

that he failed to notice Death lurking by her feet.

因而沒有注意到死神 就潛伏在公主的腳邊。

He swiftly healed the princess,

他很快就治好了公主，

but before she could even utter her thanks,

但在公主有機會能表達感激之前，

Death had dragged his lovesick Godson away.

死神就把這個 單戀的教子給拖走了。

In an instant, the palace dissolved around them.

一瞬間，他們周圍的宮殿消失了。

The doctor found himself in an immense cave

醫生發現他身處在 一個巨大的洞穴中，

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

洞裡有數不清蠟燭，燭光搖曳，

每支蠟燭都代表一個生命的長度。

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

死神的教子蠢到去嘗試 掌控生死，為了懲罰他，

Death whittled his candle down to its wick.

死神把他的蠟燭削到只剩下芯。

Seeing his own dwindling light,

看著他自己的燭火漸漸變小，

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

醫生感受到了他通常會在 他的病人眼中瞥見的恐懼。

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

絕望之際，他請求死神將他那即將 熄滅的燭火移到一支新的蠟燭上。

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

他的教父考量了這個請求—— 但醫生的背叛太過火了。

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

死神鬆開它那隻瘦削的手， 讓教子的蠟燭落在地上。

Death stood motionless,

死神站著一動也不動，

his inscrutable face fixed on the sputtering flame—

它那神秘莫測的面孔注視著 發出劈啪聲的火焰——

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

直到醫生只剩下一縷輕煙。