试译 | 狐狸与山羊——海杜克《美杜莎的面具》

THE FOX AND THE GOAT

The Fox had fallen into a well, and had casting about for a long time how he should get out again, when at length a Goat came to the place, and wanting to drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good, and if there was plenty of it. The Fox, dissembling the real danger of his case, replied, “Come down, my friend, the water is so good that I can not drink enough of it, and so abundant that it cannot be exhausted. ” Upon the Goat without any more ado leaped in, The Fox, taking advantage of his friend’s horns, as nimbly leaped out and coolly remarked to the poor deluded Goat, “if you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped. ”

以下为尝试翻译稿，请谨慎阅读。如有误导，概不负责。

狐狸与山羊

狐狸掉进了井里，想了很久怎么出来。正好，有一只山羊来到这里找水喝。山羊问狐狸这里的水好不好喝？水多吗？狐狸掩饰着自己处境的危险，回答道：“下来吧，朋友，这水太好喝了，我根本停不下来，水量太足了，怎么喝都喝不完。”等山羊不再疑虑跳了下来，狐狸立马踩着他“山羊朋友”的角，敏捷地跳了出来，然后冷冷地对这可怜的受了骗的山羊说道：“但凡你的脑子有你胡子的一半多，你也会在跳下来之前先看一看。”

1. 《美杜莎的面具》是建筑家海杜克（John Hejduk）最重要的一本书。不出意外的话，我将持续摘录并尝试翻译。

2. Reynard,中世纪法国讽刺故事中狐狸的名字，后代指狐狸。