【原神双语阅读】千夜故事集（1~6）

2023-02-26 23:12 作者:Eiria 0人读过 | 我要投稿

【仅搬运整理供学习之用】

（用了文字识别工具，如有错字请指出~；故事后面附的故事未经严谨考据，不一定有关，只是正好想到或者查到了觉得挺有趣就顺便分享一下hhh 事实上这六个故事感觉也就像梦和镜子的碎片一样，是诸多文字和思想光影的反射吧）

=====千夜故事集=====

=====A Thousand Nights=====

===第一卷===

===无影人的故事===

===The Tale of Those Without Shadows===

曾经在大陆上生活着一群没有影子的人。

Once, this land was home to a group of a people without shadows.

他们过着素朴的生活，对栖居地以外的世界一无所知。

They led simple lives, knowing nothing about the world outside the place where they lived.

直到某一天，迷途的冒险家发现了他们。无影人惊奇地发现这名冒险家有一个亦步亦趋的追随者，寡言且忠实。冒险家同样感到惊奇，大陆的一隅竟有这样确实存在但又不因日光而留下投影的族群。

This lasted until one day, when a lost adventurer discovered them. The shadowless folk were shocked to find that the adventurer had a lockstep attendant, silent and loyal. The adventurer, too, was shocked to see that people lived in the world who would not cast a shadow because of the sunlight.

lockstep = showing complete agreement with someone or something and doing exactly what someone wants you to do

「我做梦也没有想到会有这样的发现。」冒险家说。

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would make such a discovery," said the adventurer.

「梦？我们的人已经很久不会做梦。」无影人中的一人说，「老人说过，所有的梦已经被梦过了。」

"Dreams? We have not had those in a long time," said one of the shadowless people. "Our elders tell us that all dreams have already been dreamed."

"梦是魔鬼的花园，在这个世界上，所有的梦早已被梦过了。现在，它们只是在和现实交换，正像钱币转手换成票据，然而世上的一切也早已都被使用过了……"（米洛拉德·帕维奇《哈扎尔辞典》上海译文出版社南山、戴骢、石枕川译本）

「影子里藏着灵魂的秘密。你没有影子，所以也没有梦。」冒险家说，「也许你们曾经有影子，就像你们曾经做梦。」

"Shadows hide the secrets of the soul. You have no shadows, and that is why you do not dream," said the adventurer. "Perhaps you did once have shadows, just like you once did dream."

「既然如此，我该去哪里寻找我所失去的东西？」

"If that is so, where shall l go to find that which I have lost?"

「到密林里去吧，那里有很多梦，捕梦者或许有多余的梦分给你。」

"Go to the secret forest. Many dreams dwell there, and perhaps those who capture dreams there may have some extras to share with you."

年轻的无影人将故土抛在身后，长途跋涉来到了冒险家所说的密林。密林深处有着层层叠叠的影子。云的影子，树冠的影子，甚至不足道的飞鸟也能在松软的土地上留下一大片投影。

And so, the young shadowless person left his homeland behind, traveling far off to visit the secret forest the adventurer had spoken of. This forest was filled with layers of shadows: the shadows of the clouds, tree canopies... Even the tiny birds cast large shadows over the soft soil.

日复一日，他在层层叠叠的影子之间穿梭。影子里藏着灵魂的秘密，他想，在这许许多多的秘密之中，唯有他是没有秘密的人。于是某一天他发现，所有的梦境都向他敞开，他没有自己的梦，却因此得以进入他者的梦。

Day after day, he passed between the crisscrossed shadows. Shadows hide the soul's secrets, he thought, and perhaps he was the only one here without any secrets. And so, one day, he discovered that all dreamscapes were open to him, for he had no dreams, but it was because of this that he could enter the dreams of others.

在他经历的许多梦境中，鸟的梦色彩斑斓，虎的梦气息芬芳，但他并没有见到捕梦者，也没有找到所谓多余的梦。梦与影子与此在的实存一一对应，他想，或许冒险家欺骗了他，或许根本没有无主的梦，就像不会有无主的影子。

In the many dreams he witnessed, the birds dreamed of vivid colors, the tiger of fragrant scents, but he did not see those who capture dreams, nor did he discover the excess dreams that were spoken of. The dreams, the shadows, and the beings that dwelt here could be matched one for one... and so he wondered if the adventurer had cheated him, and if there really was no such thing as a masterless dream, just as there was no such thing as a shadow without a source.

在他几乎要承认自己的失败时，捕梦者找到了他。邂逅发生在海螺的梦中。他闯入了尾声的时刻，试图在其中寻找白浪与盐风，但在略显伤感的余韵中，他一无所获。

But just as he was about to admit defeat, the one who captures dreams found him. Their encounter happened within the dream of a seashell. He barged into its ending, searching for the white waves and the salty wind, but neither was to be found in its saddened aftertaste.

「你同这枚海螺一样，不属于这片密林。」

"Just like this shell, you do not belong to this forest."

说话的是一个女人。他很快意识到，她就是冒险家所说的捕梦者，因为女人的影子像缀满宝石的帷幔，有着奇异的斑驳质感。

The speaker was a woman, and he quickly realized that she was the dream-captor spoken the adventurer spoke of, for her shadow had a strange, mottled texture, like drapery encrusted with gems.

captor = a person who captures (someone or something) or holds captive

（碎碎念：英文是不是多了个"spoken"？）

「我一直在找你。」他说，「或许你有多余的梦……」

"I have been looking for you," he said. "Perhaps you have some extra dreams..."

「那是如朝露般易逝的……」捕梦者的话语中并没有悲哀，「无主的梦无法长久保存。我尝试过很多方法，它们最终都消散了。」

"They pass like the morning dew..." She said, and there was no sadness in her voice. "Masterless dreams cannot last long. I have tried many times, but they always dissipate in the end."

「……你瞧，就像这枚海螺……我们该离开了。」捕梦者拉起他的手，带他离开了这个已经没有白浪与盐风的将逝的梦。

"...See, just like this seashell... We must both leave. "Taking his hand, she led him from this fading dream bereft of white waves and salty winds.

bereft = deprived of or lacking (something)

在潺潺的溪流边，女人给他讲了许多故事，并传授他入梦的诀窍。之后，女人又再三警告他，关于捕梦者的禁忌，诸如不可回看他者的梦，因为他者的隐秘就像无底的深井。

Beside a murmuring brook, she told him a great many stories, and taught him how to enter dreams. After that, she warned him multiple times concerning the taboos of the dream-captors, such as how they should never gaze repeatedly into another's dream, for their secrets are like a bottomless well.

「梦魇比你所想象的更狡猾。当它们发现你的所为，就会蜂拥而起，将你拖入无光之境。在那里没有影子的边界，你无法离开。如果待得够久，你将能够从它们的窸窣声中分辨出有意义的语词，那是已不存在于任何一处，只在渐淡的回忆中萦留的旧名。你知道，不可提起死者的名讳，否则他们会找上你……」

"The nightmares are more cunning than you can imagine. Once they discover what you have done, they will arise like a swarm and drag you into the darkness. You will not be able to leave that place, the boundary where no shadows are. If you wait long enough, you will be able to make out meaningful words, names that linger in faded memories that no longer belong anywhere. And you know that you must not speak the names of the dead, or they will seek you out..."

或许还是《哈扎尔辞典》："别提起死人的名字！……不能读出他们的名字，否则他们会出现的！"

「我曾以为你们都没有影子。」他诚实地发问，「我曾以为捕梦者也没有自己的梦，所以才要去收集他者的梦。」

"I once believed that none of you had shadows," he said honestly. "I once believed that dream-captors did not have their own dreams, which is why they collected those that belong to others."

女人没有回答，她斑驳的影子如草叶般随晚风摇曳。

The woman did not reply, her mottled shadow swaying in the night wind like a leaf.

可是年轻的无影人太想知道答案，尽管捕梦者将影子保护得很好，他还是找到了机会。不像在密林中漫游的生灵，其梦境之门大开，通向捕梦者的梦境的是一条崎岖的小路。

But the young shadowless man was too eager for the answer, and though the dream-captor defended the shadows well, he found his chance nonetheless. Unlike the dreams of the forest beings, whose dream-gates were wide open, it was a rugged path that led to the dream-captor's dreamscape.

显然，她将自己的秘密藏在他者的梦中，他想，可她的秘密是什么？这又是何人的梦？

lt seemed evident to him that she had hidden her secrets in others' dreams, he thought, but what were her secrets? And whose dreams were these?

捕梦者的梦也如密林一般层层叠叠，他很快迷失了方向，不知不觉间，梦魇已经要缠上他。

The dream-captor's dream was many-layered, just like the secret forest, and so he lost his way, and before he knew it, the nightmares were upon him.

「我触犯了捕梦者的禁忌，但即便凝视无底的深井，也没能找到答案。」他想，「她说过，如果待得够久，就能从它们的声响中分辨出名字，只要这样，或许至少能知道这是谁的梦。」

"I have broken the dream-captor's taboo, but even if I can see that bottomless well, I cannot find my answer," he thought. " She said that if l stayed long enough, I might able to make out a name from their voices. At least that way, I will know whose dream this is."

于是他放任梦魇将他带入至深处，那里一如女人所告诫的，是没有边界的无光之境。他谛听一切细微声响，期望从中寻出代表名称的语词。

And so he allowed himself to be led into the depths, and just as the woman had warned him, it was a boundless, lightless realm. He listened then for the tiny sounds, hoping to find words that could point to a name.

不知道过去了多久，他终于从零碎的音节中拼凑出一个名字。这个名字似乎具有某种特别的引力，让他不由诵念出来。

An unknown period of time passed before he finally heard a name amidst the scattered sounds. This sound had a strange, special attraction to him, and he could not help but recite it.

然后他睁开了双眼。

Then he opened his eyes.

「我看到了奇怪的景象。」他说，「我看到一个女人进到了我的梦里，她偷走了我的梦，偷走了我不曾知晓的灵魂的秘密，从此我便没有了影子。我听到了她这样称呼我，她说……」

"I saw a strange sight," he said. "I saw that a woman had entered my dreams and stolen them, stolen secrets of my soul that I didn't know existed, and since that day, I no longer had a shadow. And I heard her say this, and she called me..."

「你知道，」女人打断了他，「不可提起死者的名讳，否则他们会找上你……」

"You know," she said, interrupting him, "that one should not speak the names of the dead, or they will seek you out..."

捕梦者坐在潺潺的溪流边，斑驳的影子如草叶般随晚风摇曳。

The dream-captor sat by the murmuring brook, her mottled shadow swaying in the night wind like a leaf.

「那只是一个关于死者的故事。这样的故事我为你讲述了许多，但仍有更多未被讲述的。」

"That is but a tale about the dead. I have told you such tales before, but there are many more that have yet to be told."

于是捕梦者继续为年轻的无影人讲述未曾被人听过的故事…………

And so the dream-captor continued to tell the young man with no shadow a story that none have yet heard...

《哈扎尔辞典》中的捕梦者：

《哈扎尔辞典》
作者：[塞尔维亚] 米洛拉德·帕维奇
译者：南山、戴骢、石枕川
出版社：上海译文

===第二卷===

===陀裟多的故事===

===The Tale of the Dastur===

从前，有位来自伐护末那学院的陀裟多，独自前往沙漠深处、调查古国遗迹，却不幸遇上了沙暴，迷失了方向。就在他奄奄一息时，一位琥珀色眼瞳的年轻女人出现在他面前，用手杖分开了肆啸的沙尘，引他走出了沙漠。

Once upon a time, there was a Vahumana Dastur who traveled alone into the desert depths to investigate the ruins of ancient realms. Unfortunately, he encountered a sandstorm and lost his way. But just as he was about to breathe his last, a young woman with amber eyes appeared before him. She parted the howling sands with the staff in her hand, and led him out of the desert.

dastur = [Persian] a high priest（来源：avesta.org - GLOSSARY and Standardized spelling of Zoroastrian terms）

他们抵达村子的时候，已经是晌午了。她招待他在家里吃了午饭，并说下午护送他回喀万驿。然而，见证了年轻的魔法师如何分开风沙、又如何驱走路上那些漆黑的兽群，陀裟多不愿离开，而是希望能够拜她为师，教授他学习古国的秘法。

lt was already noon by the time they reached the village. She treated him to lunch at her home and offered to escort him back to Caravan Ribat. But, having seen her part the sands as if by some spell, and how she had chased the dark beasts along their path away, the Dastur refused to leave, instead asking if she could teach him the secret arts of ancient lands.

魔法师回答说，她那双琥珀色的眼瞳能够洞悉死者见过和生者见到的一切。没有影子的人，依托想象摆荡的铜钟，从未离开陆地的鲸鱼，只在银镜折返的月光下存在的城市，被囚禁在永恒中的学者，悬落在七根弦上的高塔。她可以看出，他有着无可比拟的天赋和无比远大的前途，她愿意将自己知晓的一切倾囊相授，只不过，她有些担心，待他学会这一切后，便会见利忘义，不认自己。

The mage replied that her amber eyes could see all that the living and the dead had seen. People without shadows, a bronze clock whose pendulum swings by the power of imagination, whales that have never left land, a city that only exists by the reflected moonlight upon a silver mirror, a scholar imprisoned within eternity, a high tower hanging upon seven strings. She could see that he had infinite potential and a boundless future ahead of him, and she was indeed willing to teach him all she knew. She had but one worry — that after learning all, he would seek his own profit and come to deny her.

陀裟多当即跪倒在地，吻她的鞋尖，向她保证，无论发生什么，他都不会忘记她的恩情，就是要与她同死，他也不会不认她。他的诚恳打动了年轻的魔法师，她轻柔地笑了笑，将他从地上扶起来，又牵着他的手，带他来到地下室的门前，对他说，她愿意将他收为徒弟，而她知晓的一切秘密，都藏在地下的书库里。

The Dastur knelt to the ground and kissed the tip of her shoes, promising that he would never forget what she had done for him no matter what, and that he would never deny her, even if they should then die together. His earnestness touched the young mage, and smiling gently, she helped him up. Holding his hand, she brought him to the door to her basement, saying that she would indeed take him as her disciple, and that all her secrets were hidden in her underground library.

他们沿着螺旋阶梯向下走去，一层又一层，每一层的墙上都挂着一面镜子，镜子里映着火炬的微光和他的面容。他不知道自己走了多久，也许是几个小时，也许是几分钟，黑暗模糊了他对时间的感知。阶梯的尽头是一扇窄门，门后是一间六角形的书房。他看不到天花板，也没有办法估测房间的高度，但这里的书籍种类依然远远超过他对知识的一切想象。

And so they walked down the winding stairs, level after level, with a mirror hung on the wall of each level, reflecting their faces and the feeble light of lit sconces. They walked for who knows how long — perhaps several hours, perhaps several minutes — for the darkness had obscured their sense of time. At the end of the stairs was a narrow gate, and behind the gate was a hexagonal library. He could not see the ceiling, nor could he estimate the height of this room, but the books in here nonetheless far surpassed all he imagined was possible for knowledge.

在魔法师的指导下，他学得很顺利。然而，过了几个星期，缄默之殿的使者来到村子里，告诉陀裟多，他的导师不幸病逝，考虑到他先前提交的论文已经通过了评审，教令院决定将他破格拔擢为诃般荼，接任他的导师，继续培养学生。

He learned well under her tutelage, but after a few weeks, envoys from the Temple of Silence would come to the Dastur and tell him that his mentor had passed on due to illness and that owing to his thesis passing review, the Akademiya had decided to make an exception for him and promote him to Herbad, that he might take over from his mentor and continue to educate more students.

tutelage = help, advice, or teaching about how to do something

herbad：ervad [Parsi Gujarati] = a priest, originally a title used for higher ecclesiastics, currently used to refer to a priest who has undergone the first stage of initiation into priesthood (nawar). (Var: Middle Persian "erbad", "herbad").（来源：avesta.org - GLOSSARY and Standardized spelling of Zoroastrian terms）

诃般荼大喜过望，却又不舍得就此离开，便小心翼翼地询问魔法师，能不能带上一些书籍，和他一起返回教令院，指导他继续学习。年轻的魔法师回答说，她接受他的邀请，不过，她有一个妹妹，一直渴望进入教令院学习，却由于出身沙漠的缘故，始终不被接纳。她希望诃般荼能够将她妹妹收为旁听生。诃般荼回答说，教令院招收学生，有着严格的考核流程，他没有办法为她破例，哪怕是旁听生也不行。魔法师便也不再多说什么，简单收拾了一下行李，与他一同回到了须弥。

The newly-appointed Herbad was greatly pleased, and yet he was unwilling to leave yet, and so he carefully asked the mage if she could bring some of her books and come with him to the Akademiya, and there continue to teach him. She agreed to his invitation, but said that she had a sister who had always longed to learn at the Akademiya but was ultimately not accepted due to her desert heritage. She thus asked if the Herbad could take her own as an auditing pupil. The Herbad replied that the Akademiya had a strict testing process and that he could not make exceptions, not even to take someone on as an auditing pupil. The mage for her part said nothing more, simply packing her bags and following him to Sumeru.

几年后，伐护末那学院的贤者逝世。凭借那些在魔法师帮助下完成的、惊世绝俗的论文，不出所料，诃般荼被推举为新任贤者。魔法师前去祝贺他，并希望他能够以贤者的身份，将自己的妹妹收为旁听生。新上任的贤者拒绝了她，表示他没有义务做这种事情，他也不再需要她的指导，因为他已经不再需要撰写论文。她应该回到她的村子里，安心养老。魔法师便也不再多说什么，简单收拾了一下行李，独自返回了沙漠。

Several years later, the sage of Vahumana passed on. Thanks to the earth-shaking theses he had been able to write and complete with the aid of the mage, it was unsurprising that the Herbad was recommended to become the new sage. The mage went to congratulate him, and asked if he might take her sister on as an auditing student now that he had his position as a sage. The newly-appointed sage rejected her, saying that he had no duty to do this, for he no longer needed her guidance, being someone who no longer needed to write theses. He advised her to return to her village and live out the rest of her days in peace. The mage said nothing more, and packing her bags, she returned to the desert.

又过了几年，大贤者逝世，伐护末那学院的贤者被选为新任大贤者。听到这消息，魔法师从沙漠中匆匆赶来，找到大贤者，跪倒在地，吻他的鞋尖，提醒他过去向她许下的承诺，哀求他接纳自己因沙暴流离失所的族人，让他们进入雨林避难。大贤者怒不可遏，说要把她丢进青铜锻造的囚牢里，让她因饥渴而死，因为他根本不认识这个来自沙漠的江湖骗子，她却敢胡言乱语，要挟教令院。已经不再年轻的魔法师抬起头来，轻轻拭去面颊上的泪水，最后一次用那双浑浊的、琥珀色的眼瞳望向大贤者，希望他能够开恩，放她回到村子里、救助自己的族人。大贤者拒绝了她，让卫兵把她绑起来。于是，年轻的魔法师便也不再多说什么，只是回答说：

Several years later, the Grand Sage too passed, and the Vahumana sage was selected to take the post. Hearing this news, the mage came hurriedly from the desert. Finding him, she knelt at his feet and kissed the tip of his shoe, reminding him of the promise he had made her and begging him to take those of her tribe who had been displaced by the sandstorms in and allow them to have refuge beneath the rainforest bower. The Grand Sage was furious and threatened to hurl her into a jail of bronze and leave her to die of starvation and thirst, for he did not know this charlatan of the desert wastes, and who was she, anyway, to coerce the Akademiya? The mage, no longer young, lifted her head, wiping the tears from her cheeks, and looked upon the Grand Sage one last time with her turbid amber eyes. She begged that she might be allowed to return to her village and help her tribespeople. Refusing, the Grand Sage had his soldiers bind her. And so the mage said little more to him save only this:

charlatan = a person who pretends to have skills or knowledge that they do not have, esp. in medicine

「既然如此，就请您回到自己的村子吧。」

"In that case, I must ask you, sir, to return to your own village."

大贤者一怔，抬起头来，发现自己正站在喀万驿前。夜已经深了，远方的村落被笼罩在飞扬的沙尘与夜色里，无法看得真切。年轻的女人站在他面前，莞尔一笑，琥珀色的眼瞳中倒映着他此刻的模样，那个尚未通过论文评审的、来自伐护末那学院的陀裟多。

The Grand Sage was startled, and when he had lifted his head, he found himself standing before Caravan Ribat. The night had grown long, and the distant village could no longer be seen clearly, shrouded as it now was in flying dust and sand and night's own cloak. The young woman stood before him, smiling, and her amber eyes reflected how he appeared at this moment: the Dastur of Vahumana, whose thesis had yet to pass review.

「好啦，时候已经不早了，您也该回教令院了。毕竟，就像故事里说的那样……」

"Well then, the hour is late, and you should return to the Akademiya now. After all, just as the stories say..."

或许是原型的一个故事（英文译名是"The Wizard that was Made to Wait"，感觉更好理解一点hhh）：

===第三卷===

===王子与驮兽的故事===

===The Tale of the Prince and the Sumpter Beast===

很久很久以前，在奥摩斯港还由远航诸海的代伊们统治的年代，曾有一位勇武的代伊，征服了无数的岛屿与秘境，也因此获得了许多奇珍异宝，成为了奥摩斯港首屈一指的豪富。然而，由于长年游弋于茫茫海上，直到晚年这位代伊才终于得到了一位独子，结果未及等到王子成年便撒手人寰。

Long, long ago, when Port Ormos was still ruled by the seafaring Deys, there was one valiant Dey amongst their number. He was the subjugator of countless isles and domains, thus obtaining many curious treasures and becoming second to none in wealth throughout the port. Yet the mariner's life had left him time for but a single son in his latter years, and (he?) passed away before the prince would reach adulthood.

年幼的王子虽然继承了代伊留下的财富，却无力统率父亲的部众，又无德高望众的长者加以引导，很快便过上了声色犬马的生活。奥摩斯港的繁华街巷宛如吞金之兽，代伊的遗产在数年间就被王子挥霍一空，还欠下了一大笔的债务。等到王子回过头来时，早已是家徒四壁，就连一个摩拉也找不出来了。在变卖宅邸遣散了最后一名奴仆后，走投无路的王子只能前往城中的灵庙，这里供奉着庇佑水手们的古神，得益于王子父亲的布施才有如今这般的巍峨庄严。

The Dey's son had inherited his great wealth, but had no power over those his father had administered. Guided by elders who lacked moral fiber, he quickly began to live the life of a sensuous animal. The prosperous streets of Port Ormos were like a beast that swallowed gold, and so the Dey's inheritance was emptied by the princeling within a few years, even saddling him with a massive debt in the process. By the time the prince came to his senses, the walls of his home were bare, with not a single Mora to be found within. After selling his estates and dismissing the servants, the prince, with nowhere to go, sought refuge at a shrine to an ancient patron god of mariners, which through the patronage of his father in turn had attained its current august stature.

moral fiber/fibre = strength and ability to do what is right

princeling = [贬] a young prince

王子向灵庙的司祭求助，「多智的长老，我本是征服七海的代伊之子，却因为挥霍无度而落得这般光景，求您发发慈悲，为我指一条明路，让我能够还清债款，赎回我的家宅。我发誓从此改过自新，当一个安分守己的人。」

The prince asked the shrine's priest for aid thusly: "Wise elder, I was once the son of a Dey who conquered the seven seas, but see, I have fallen this far due to my unconstrained extravagance. I beg that you have mercy upon me and show me a swift way through which I might clear my debts and ransom my estates. I promise that l will change for the better and become a man who knows his place."

change for the better = to improve

know one's place = behave suitably for one's position, rank, or status

「年轻的王子，」司祭说道，「凡人的命运虽然早已被诸神写定，却也是由他们自身所成就。如今你既然发愿要改过自新，便应该从此勤奋劳作，又怎能再想些投机取巧的方法呢？」

"Young prince," the priest said, "the fates of mortals have long been ordained by the gods, but they must accomplish those fates themselves. Since you desire to turn over a new leaf, should you not begin through hard work rather than relying on opportunism?"

在《一千零一夜》中，航海家辛巴达的故事里有一句相似的话，辛巴达第六次出海冒险时不幸流落荒岛，他给自己挖好了坑准备等死，但突然又醒悟过来决定放手一搏，在这个故事里他吟唱道："命运虽有定数，自己努力才是唯一真谛"。（姜浦译本）

王子怏怏道，「我的父亲曾为灵庙布施众多，若真要说起来，这些金装的神像，乃至你们的用度有一半都要归属于我，而我正是为了讨回这些欠款而来呢！」

The prince quickly replied, "my father was a great patron of this shrine, so if we must argue, half of the golden statues and indeed, your expenses, should belong to me by right. And am I not here to claim this debt I am owed?"

（碎碎念：英文是把"怏"看成了"快"？2333）

「傲慢的王子，你怎能与神明为市？司祭叹道，「不过看在你父亲的份上，倘若你能答应我从此安分守己、善加经营，我便告诉你可以重新变得富有的办法。」

"Arrogant prince, will you make an enemy of the gods?" The priest said with a sigh. "Yet on your father's account, if you shall promise to keep to your place and manage your finances well, I shall tell you how to become wealthy."

为市：进行交易（英文是理解成"为敌"了？）

finances = the money that a person or company has

王子向神像起誓，于是司祭便指点他前往外港的街市。王子来到市场，迎面见到一位穿着艳丽贵妇模样的妇人正看守着一头瘦弱的驮兽。

And so the prince swore to upon the divine statue, and the priest directed him to a street market at the outport. Coming to said market, the prince met a woman dressed in great finery tending to an emaciated Sumpter Beast.

王子上前问道，「尊贵的夫人，有什么是我能为您效劳的吗？」

"Esteemed lady," the prince asked, "is there anything I might do for you?"

「你来的正好。」那妇人答道，「我有急事将要出海远行，正苦于无人替我照看这头畜生，你若能帮我这个忙，等三个月后我从海外归来，便付你一千万摩拉作为报酬。」

"You've come at a good time," the woman replied. "l must go out to sea on an urgent errand, and I fear that there is no one who can help me take care of this beast. But if you will aid me, I shall return in three months and pay you ten million Mora."

王子听完满心欢喜。

The prince was overjoyed at this.

「但是，」妇人接着说道，「你切不可将这只畜生喂饱，也不可同它说话，如若不然，你就连现在所拥有的都将一并失去。」

"But," the woman continued, "you must not feed this beast till it is full, nor can you speak to it. Otherwise, even that which you own now, you shall lose."

「我还有什么可失去的呢？」王子心想，于是满口答应了下来，妇人便将驮兽交予了他。三个月很快过去，王子也依照妇人的吩咐，从不将驮兽喂饱，也未同它说过一句话，直到最后一天的晚上。

"And what have I to lose?" The prince thought to himself, and thus agreed readily. The woman then entrusted the Sumpter Beast to him. Three months passed quickly, and as the woman requested, not once did he completely fill the Sumpter Beast's stomach, nor did he speak one word to it, until the final day.

这天，王子正在篝火前畅想着拿到报酬之后的生活，一时兴起，便对着驮兽说道，「驮兽啊驮兽，都是多亏了你我才能重新变得富有，你若有什么要求，我一定会满足你的。」

On this day, the prince, excited at the thought of his soon-to-be reward as he sat before a fire, spoke to the Sumpter Beast, "O good Sumpter Beast, it is thanks to you that I shall be rich again. If you have a request, name it, and I shall satisfy you."

听到这话，那只驮兽竟哭了起来，「尊敬的王子，我别无所求，只求在最后一日能够吃上一顿饱饭。」

Hearing these words, the Sumpter Beast cried, "O honored prince, I have no other wish but to have a full stomach on this last day."

听到驮兽竟然开口说话，王子大为震惊，在好奇心的驱使下很快将妇人的叮嘱置之脑后，转身从畜栏里取来了水草。

Hearing the Sumpter Beast speak, the prince was greatly shocked and allowed his curiosity to take over, forgetting all about the woman's instruction. Turning around, he brought water and hay from the feeding trough.

「我善良的王子。」饱餐一顿的驮兽悠悠道，「我本是侍奉高天的神明，统御沙海中诸多藩国的王，却被那个恶毒的女巫诓骗，变成了现在这副摸样。若您能大发慈悲，将我放归沙海，我向烈日的王起誓，可以许你无穷的财富，远比那个女巫所给的要多。」

"My most gentle prince," the now-full Sumpter Beast said slowly, "I was once a god who served the heavens and ruled over many vassal kings of the desert, but I was cheated by that venomous witch and forced into this form. If you will have mercy upon me and release me into the desert, I swear upon the king of the blazing sun that l will grant you riches beyond counting, more by far than what that witch can give."

王子听完驮兽的话将信将疑，便决定先将驮兽藏起来，自己则躲在角落等待妇人的归来。第二天，妇人果然如期来到了市场，结果却找不到王子和驮兽。

The prince felt dubious about the Sumpter Beast's words, and so he decided to hide it, and then conceal himself in a corner to await the woman's return. She did indeed return the next day, only to find both prince and Sumpter Beast missing.

「背誓的乞丐！」妇人咒骂起来，「若是被我抓到，我一定要将你关到最小的魔瓶里，永世受苦。」

"Faithless wretch!" The woman cursed. "If I catch you, I shall seal you in the smallest magic bottle I find, and there you shall face eternal torment!"

看到妇人的样子，王子终于相信了驮兽的话。等到妇人离去后，他便准备将那驮兽放走。临走前，驮兽对他说到，「仁慈的王子，愿沙漠诸神保佑你，我也将信守我的承诺，赐予你无穷的财富与无尽的快乐。不过只有一事，切不可追问它们的来源，如若不然，你就连现在所拥有的都将一并失去。」

Seeing her thus, the prince finally believed the Sumpter Beast's words. Once she had left, he prepared to release the poor animal. As it was about to leave, it said to him, "O merciful prince, may all the desert gods defend you — l shall fulfill my promise to grant you endless riches and happiness. I ask only that you do not ask where they came from, or else, you will lose even that which you have now."

依照驮兽的指示，王子来到了沙漠边缘的一处隐秘所在，果然找到了一座高大华美的宫殿，墙壁全由黄金与宝石装饰，大门更由纯金制成，一位俊美的男仆正领着如云的女郎站在门外迎接着他。

Following the Sumpter Beast's directions, the prince came to a hidden place at the edge of the desert, and there he did indeed discover a mighty and luxurious palace. Its walls were decorated with gold and gems, and its gates were made of pure gold, with a lovely male servant leading many lovely ladies out of those great doors to receive him.

从此，王子又过上了花天酒地的生活，每天男仆都会带来无数的金银珠宝、珍馐美酒供其取用，供其享乐的乐手舞女也日日不同，日子就这样过去了三年。

And thus did the prince once again lead an opulent life. Each day, the male servant would bring him silver, gold, pearls, and gems. Rare delicacies and fine wine were his to enjoy, and each day brought unique dancing girls to keep him company — and such was his life for three years.

须知再快乐的享受也终有厌倦之时，某日王子从数日的大醉中醒来，忽发奇想，「我已厌倦了如今的生活，必要寻找新的刺激。当年我正是没有听从女巫的叮嘱，才获得了现在这样美好的生活。那自称藩王的驮兽，定是怕我发现了他的秘密，才对我有所隐瞒。若是能打听到这无穷财富的源头，我一定能获得更多的快乐。」

But even in merriment and revelry could boredom be bred, and one day the prince woke from days of drunken stupor, and he thought to himself, "I tired now of my life today, and am in need of new thrills. Now, was it not because l refused the instruction of the witch that I gained this life of mine? Who then may say if that Sumpter Beast did not hide something from me for fear that I might discover his secret? If I can find the source of this limitless wealth, surely greater happiness still shall be mine."

于是王子召来了他的忠仆，问道，「我忠诚的仆人，你能告诉我你每日带来的金银珠宝、珍馐美酒，乃至这些乐手舞女，究竟是从何而来吗？」

And so the prince summoned his faithful servant, and said to him, "my most loyal servant. Could you tell me of the source of the gold and gems, wine and spirits, and even these musicians and courtesans, that you bring before me each day?"

「这是当然，我尊敬的主人。」男仆答道，「我每日往返于沙漠与宫殿之间，您所日用的一切都取自沙海。艳丽的舞女原是摇摆的沙鳗，耀眼的黄金则是沙漠中的无尽黄沙，百味的珍馐也皆由我亲自制成。」

"Of course, my respected master," the manservant replied. "Each day, I traverse the lands between the desert and this place, and all that you enjoy is drawn thereof. Your lovely dancers were once swaying desert eels, the glittering gold are the endless sands, and the gourmet meals you enjoy are of my own personal make."

「而我，您的忠仆。」男仆顿了一顿，「不过是一只谦卑的圣金虫罢了。」

"And I, your loyal servant," the manservant paused, "am naught but a humble scarab."

（碎碎念：圣甲虫做的饭……难道是…… Σ( ° △ °|||) ）

话音刚落，原本辉煌的宫殿霎时瓦解，转瞬间王子发现自己正坐在一处低矮的沙丘之上，四周除了虫子外已别无他物。

Just as he finished speaking, the glorious palace dissolved in an instant, and the prince found that he was seated upon a squat sand dune, and there was nothing around him apart from crawling insects.

squat = [adj.] short and wide, usually in a way that is not attractive

过了好久，王子才终于回过神来，又惊又恐间，却又忍不住伤心后悔。然而失去的东西要想再次得到又谈何容易，王子终于沦为了流浪之人，再也感受不到快乐。在那之后，他每遇到一个愿意听他说话的人，便会和他讲述这样的故事……

After a long while, he regained his senses, and even through his shock and terror he felt the hand of grief and regret. And yet, what he had now lost could not easily be regained, and the prince was at last reduced to wandering, never to feel happiness again. From then on, he would tell anyone who wished to hear him speak this story...

《一千零一夜》中有个教训类似的故事：

===第四卷===

===学者的故事===

===The Tale of the Researcher===

从前有这样一个学者，在他的身上你能看到通常能在文人身上发现的那种睥睨一切的特质，尽管就他本人而言，即便以恭维的话来说，也谈不上同侪之中出类拔萃的一辈。

Once upon a time, there lived a researcher, upon whom all the hallmarks of the haughty man of letters might be seen, though he himself — and we shall be generous to him here — was not the best amongst his peers.

man of letters = a writer , scholar , editor , etc., esp. one whose work is in the field of literature

学问就像水果，时间会很快带走它的鲜度。如果他不能在它还汁水饱满的时候将其吃透，余下的便是甜腻的腐败。

Knowledge is like a fruit, after all, and time quickly whittles its freshness away. If he cannot eat it all while it is still juicy and full, the rest shall taste like sweet decay.

或许依旧是《哈扎尔辞典》："……我在接下来的几个晚上注意到，随着秋天的渐渐远离，词语越发成熟，像一颗果实，其果肉一天比一天饱满多汁，鲜美甘甜。到了第七天晚上，我开始烦躁不安，似乎担心我的果实熟透坠地，继而变质腐烂。"（讲述者是一名拥有超常记忆的神甫）

「时间，我的仇敌。」年轻的学者想道，「可恶的程度更甚于我的同僚。」

"Time," the young researcher said, "you truly are my hated foe — even more so than I consider my colleagues."

无奈诸如怠惰与散漫之类与生俱来的性格，绝非轻易可以挪移的东西。于是，冬夏徒然地轮转，给「可恶的同僚」带来了受时人称颂的荣誉，给他留下的却是无益的岁月的刻痕。

Alas, innate characteristics such as laziness cannot be so easily shaken off. Thus did winters turn to summers and back again, bringing his "hated colleagues" glory and praise, while he was left with the scars of the bygone years.

或许是命运的捉弄，我们的故事的主角意外得到了实现一个愿望的机会。

Perhaps this was some trick of fate, but our main character would indeed discover a way to make his wish reality — quite by accident, in fact.

「时间，看似公平，实则不然。我的思维不如他人敏捷，是时间对我太过严苛，而非我天资不如他人……」不再年轻的学者想道，「现在我有一个机会，要好好将它利用。」

"Time seems fair, though it is but a veneer. That l am not as quick-witted as others is not due to a lack of talent. Nay, 'tis but the cruelty of time..." So thought the researcher, now no longer young. "Now that my chance has come, l must use it well."

veneer = something that hides something unpleasant or unwanted

于是他对受伤的镇灵许下这样的愿望：「我要公平的时间……以便我能写出更好的论文。」

And so he made this wish to the injured Jinni: "I wish for time to be just... so that l might write better theses."

镇灵很快理解了他的意思。「凡事都有代价。」镇灵说。

The Jinni understood him quite easily, saying: "All things come with a price."

「显然，我已经支付了其中的一部分。」他耸耸肩，「青春年少的日子，都在无谓的追赶中蹉跎了。事到如今，我已不再希求常人所谓的幸福，我只想留下惊世的著作，让我的名字也一起被传颂。不是总有一日会褪色的墨水停留在速朽的纸页上，而是被刻进石头里。这样，千百年之后的世界，仍留有我的痕迹，可以说……只要能取回公平，我便战胜了时间。」

"Well, yes, and I have clearly paid part of that toll," he said, shrugging. "l have wasted my youth on pointless pursuits. Now that things have come to this point, I no longer desire common joys. I only wish to leave behind a work of stunning brilliance, that my name will be praised for generations. Nor do I wish for my work to be left on perishable ink and paper, but it shall instead be carved into stone. Thousands of years on, my marks shall still be left upon this world... and this way, I shall have my justice — I shall triumph over time."

「如果你执意如此。」镇灵不置可否，依言为学者实现了愿望。

"If that is your will," the Jinni replied noncommittally, fulfilling the researcher's wish nonetheless.

noncommittally = in a way that does not express an opinion or decision

可那究竟是镇灵，还是伪装了的魔鬼，现在想来，的确是值得商榷的问题。此事姑且按下不表，实现了愿望的学者惊奇地发现，相对于他的思维，周遭的一切似乎都变得迟缓。

But whether that was truly a Jinni or some demon in disguise was quite the matter of contention, especially in hindsight. Leaving this matter aside, the researcher whose wish was fulfilled found that everything had now become slow compared to his thinking.

in hindsight = considering or analyzing the past with consideration of the knowledge that one has now

「很好，很好。现在，思维的敏捷便不再是问题。」起初，学者非常满意。有了足够的余裕，就可以深思熟虑，他想。时计中一粒沙落下的时间，不足以让他抬起左手碰到自己的额发，却可以让他任思维驰骋，从密林到沙漠，从旷野到雪原。他恨书页不能平铺，而要一页一页翻过。不过，即便书页可以平铺，他的眼球也无法那样快速地移动。目光停驻在一个字上的时间，足够他穷尽与这个字有关的全部词汇，穷尽与这个词汇有关的所有想象。

"Good, good. Now then, my agility of mind shall not be a problem." At first, the researcher was most pleased. Now that he had ample slack, so to speak, there was much time for thoughtful consideration. The time it took for a sand grain to fall to the earth was not sufficient for him to raise his left hand to touch his forehead, but his mind could sprint during this time — from forest to desert, from vast plain to snowy tundra it could run indeed. He cursed that all the pages of a book could not be laid out flat, but had to be flipped one by one. But even had they been laid out before him, his eyeballs would have failed to move quickly enough. By the time his eyes had finished resting upon a single word, he would already have exhausted all vocabulary related to that word, and all imagination pertaining to that vocabulary.

「我想得太多，写得太少。」学者随后想道，「我应该用最华美的辞藻，记录下逻辑最严谨的论证。」可当他写完篇首的第一个字，他的思绪已然跃到了篇尾。因此他不得不反复默诵自己想要发表的篇章，而这篇章又在他的反复默诵中渐趋于完美。只是，一切的进程都只发生在他的脑海之中，在一切完成之时，他的右手甚至还没写完第七个字。

"I think too much and write too little," the researcher thought afterward. "I must use the most elegant words to write the most academically rigorous paper." But when he had penned the first word, his thoughts had already leaped to the conclusion. And so he had to constantly repeat the essay to himself, and as he silently dictated the text, it would become more and more refined. Yet, this could only happen in his mind — when all was said and done, his right hand had yet to even write seven words.

这篇原本应当有着最华美的辞藻和逻辑最严谨的论证的论文最终还是为学者的躯体所累，每一段都支离破碎，仿佛把书页撕碎了又胡乱聚拢起来。那些相连的字与字就像是从一本完整的书中随机选择的残片，常人根本无法掌握其中的关联。

And thus was this great work, comprised of the finest lexicon and the stoutest logic, compromised by the researcher's own body. Every passage came out tattered, as if someone had shredded every page and put them back together haphazardly. The words that were connected felt like fragments randomly selected from a complete text, and no one could really grasp the connection between them.

haphazardly = in a way that does not have an obvious order or plan

那是一个无星的夜晚，他费了一番力气，像是持续数百年的远征，终于离开书斋，来到了楼下的庭院。

lt was on a starless night when he, with all his strength, like one completing a centuries-long exodus, managed to leave his study, arriving at the courtyard downstairs.

「说出的语词比写下的语词更直接。」他仍抱有一丝希望。但显然，他的发声器官也无法及时响应思维的变化，被他吐出的音节与音节相连，像是语词说到途中又改换主意，如此反复，最终连成一串呜咽似的嘟哝。

"Perhaps speaking shall be more direct than writing," he said, a single bare thread of hope remaining in his heart. But his very voice seemed to stumble after the weave of his thoughts. His syllables came out disjointed and fragmentary — as if the intent behind the words had changed even as they were being said, and so they came out as mere mumbling and whimpering.

「可怜的老人！就像是突然着了魔。」衣着光鲜的青年男女对他投以同情的目光，「不过至少，他还有月亮。」

"Alas, poor old fellow! One might almost think he has been possessed!" So said the well-dressed young folk who looked upon him with sympathy. "But at least he still has the moon."

possess = (of a wish or an idea) to take control over a person's mind, making that person behave in a very strange way

人们说完便倏然离去了，只留下学者独自一人在月下的庭院，困在被称为躯体的囚笼。百无聊赖的他，开始回顾自己曾经读过的故事……

They left after saying these words, leaving the researcher alone in the moon-bathed courtyard, trapped in the prison he once called a body. Then the mere husk of a mortal man began to recall a story that he had once read...

一个感觉类似的故事：博尔赫斯的《博闻强记的富内斯》（仅摘取片段，微信读书可以免费阅读）

===第五卷===

===镜子、宫殿和做梦者的故事===

===The Tale of the Mirror, the Palace, and the Dreamer===

夜复一夜，她总是会梦到那座遥远的宫殿。无数转角、拱廊与过道构成了这座错综复杂的建到，每一条走廊的拐角处都悬挂着一面镀金镶边的银镜。据说，国王用了两百年的时间（按照当时的历法算，还要再加六年）设计了这座宫殿，只要坐在王座上，望向任何一面镜子，就可以沿着那精妙规划的、蜿蜒曲折的光路，窥见国家的每一个角落。然而，当她在梦中看向那些悬挂在走廊尽头的镜子时，却只能看到自己模糊的身影，一个戴着面具的年轻女人，身着华美服饰，走过装饰富丽的回廊，在白昼焕发的金焰中显得虚浮而朦胧。她知道自己的目的，尽管这显得有些异乎寻常：她要去觐见那位王，向那位王述说些什么，因为她清楚，那是她无法克服的意志迫使她必须讲出的话语，尽管每当她从梦中惊醒的时候，那些等待被讲述的话语总是会遗落在曲折的镜光中。

Night after night, she would always dream about that distant palace. Its intricate structure was formed of infinite corners, arcades, and passages, and at each corner would be hung a silver mirror with a gilded frame. It was said that the king spent 200 years (6 years more must be added if one wishes to follow the numbering of years in those days) to design this place, and when seated upon the throne, he could gaze into any mirror, and through its exquisitely planned and winding paths of light, one could glimpse any corner of his realm. Yet when she looked into the mirrors at the ends of the hallways in her dream, all she could see was a blurry image: that of a masked young woman garbed in fine raiment, wearing lovely ornaments, walking through the opulent corridors, like a heat haze in the flaming gold of day. She knew then her purpose, though it might seem strange — she wished to gain an audience with that king and tell him something, for these words had been put into her heart and were not hers to command, though she would always leave those words somewhere in the warping mirror-lights each time she awoke with a start.

年复一年，在晨曦般的梦里，她从未找到过通往王座的路，也从未目睹过那位王的面容。昔日迷失在镜中的少女，如今已是遐迩闻名的魔法师，即便如此，在那些夹在短暂的梦境之间、毫无意义的清醒中，那个魔幻般的想法，依然盘踞着她的全部心灵。终有一日，她寻得了那个遥远国度的线索，于是魔法师毫不犹豫地抛下了世人珍重的一切，独自踏上了旅途。越过斑驳的月光、沿着阴影的深谷，在最幽暗的密林深处，她最终找到了那个梦中的国度。只是城市早在几百年前的一场大火中焚毁，昔日繁盛的王国也早已倾覆。就像诗中所说的那样：

Year after year, in her dreams as clear as dawn, she would try — and fail — to find the way to the throne, nor would she ever witness that king in person. The young lady who was once lost amongst the mirrors was now a famed magician, and even so, in those stolen dreaming moments, in those flashes of unconscious lucidity, those fantastical thoughts still had her soul in their iron grip. One day, the great mage discovered clues to reaching that distant kingdom at last. Forsaking all that the worldly might hold dear, she set out on her journey alone. Across mottled moonlight she sailed, through the shadowed valleys she strode, and the darkest forests she braved, until she, at last, reached that realm of her dreams. But alas, alas! That city had been annihilated in a terrible fire a few hundred years ago, and the once-prosperous kingdom was now no more. It is just as the poets say:

消逝的晨风已被过去忘却，

如天穹将彩霞与歌声隐没。

唯有微光在塔尖悄然闪烁，

映着荒城苍白的漫漫长夜。

The morning breeze is forgotten by all,

Song and color have faded from sight.

Only the dim gleam of towers tall,

lights the ruined, barren night.

她走进那座倾圮的宫殿，断壁残垣间，那些镀金镶边的银镜早已破碎，残片散落在尘埃里，每一片都倒映着一个清冷的月亮。宫殿并不像她梦中那样诡异迷离，不过是几个转角、几条拱廊，不费吹灰之力，她便推开了通往王座间的大门。那是一个环形的大厅，几百面镜子悬挂在石砌的墙壁上，与走廊上的镜子一样，这些镜子中的绝大多数也已经毁坏。魔法师下意识地缓缓走向那张空置数百年的王座，坐了下来，望向一面依然完好的镜子。

She entered the devastated palace and walked amidst its ruins. The mirrors and their gilded frames had long been shattered, with naught but their shattered wrack remaining, each splinter reflecting a beam of chilling moonlight.The court was not as bizarre or strange as it had been in her dreams — in a few mere corners and a few corridors, she was knocking on the door of the throne room. It was a circular hall with hundreds of mirrors hanging from the stone walls — though like the mirrors in the hallways, these had also mostly been destroyed. The mage subconsciously walked towards that long-vacated throne and sat down, casting her gaze upon one of the still-whole mirrors.

镜子中，一个戴着面具的年轻女人，身着华美的服饰，正走过装饰富丽的回廊，而女人身后的镜子里，那些从未毁坏的镜子里，倒映着女人的一千个影子。

In that mirror, she beheld again that masked young woman garbed in fine raiment, walking amidst the opulent halls, and behind her, the mirrors — mirrors that had never been shattered — reflected a thousand reflections of her form.

她一怔，蓦然抬头，那个戴着面具的年轻女人正站在她面前，静静地望着她，眼里带着她从未想象过的悲哀。魔法师刚想说些什么，女人便将一把匕首刺入了她的心脏。蔷薇柔美的光泽在锋刃尖端悄无声息绽放，火焰在四周燃起，再度吞没了数百年前遭火焚的大厅。

She startled and raised her head, for that young woman now stood before her, silently watching, unimaginable pain in her eyes. The mage had only just thought of something to say when the woman drew a dagger — before stabbing her in the heart. A lustrous rose-bloom graced the silent tip of the blade as flames ignited all around them, consuming the hall that had once been destroyed by a great blaze once more.

她困惑地、错愕地、宽慰地笑了，女人摘下面具，露出魔法师的面容，干枯的双唇微微颤动。

She smiled in confusion, astonishment, and relief, for the woman then took her mask off, revealing the features of the mage herself, dry lips quivering ever so slightly.

这一次，她终于听清了对方的话语，数十年间、数百年间，始终遗落在难测的幻梦与凄迷的黄昏中的话语，那是一个故事，一个由她向她讲述的故事，折射在万千碎银间、永恒回响的故事……

This time, the mage could finally hear the other person's words — words that had become lost across the decades and centuries within this labyrinthine dream and its eventide bewilderment. It was a story, a story told by her to herself, a story reflected in thousands of shattered slivers of silver, echoing on and on, forever...

哈扎尔辞典里倒是有个关于镜子和自己杀死了自己的故事，不过游戏里这个故事，总觉得更有些博尔赫斯《环形废墟》的味道。以下是故事梗概，来自百度百科：

===第六卷===

===捕鸟者的故事===

===Tale of the Bird Chaser===

这是一个与捕鸟老者有关的故事。

This is a story of an old bird chaser.

在王国的北边有一片密林，密林中生长有一种学舌之鸟，它们翎羽炫丽，在晨光映照林野之时汇聚一处，如云一般在耸立的高树间飞行，聒噪不休。而在密林中有一位老者，形容枯槁，干瘦而黝黑，身着褴褛，如同野人，终日试图捉住学舌之鸟。

North of the kingdom lies a dense forest. It is home to a flock of birds that can mimic the words of humans. They often gather like a cloud by the break of the dawn. As they fly in the forest, iridescent hues dance on their spread wings, and their chatters echo round the tree crowns. But these creatures are not alone, for an old and frail man dressed in tattered rags always comes and spends all day chasing after them like a savage.

正如擎天的树木亦有枝芽娇嫩之时，老者从前也是年轻俊美的少年，他在密林之畔的村庄长大，因身手矫捷又心地善良而受到众人的喜爱，当时村庄里的女子没有不思慕他的。然而少年只钟情于自己的爱人，他的爱人是林中作祭司的少女，因受到森林的喜爱，能在他面前现出种种迷人的神异，少年往往对此惊叹不已。

Just as how a towering tree was once tender and delicate, the old man used to be fair and handsome. He grew up in a village by the forest. Agile and kind, he was much-loved by all. Every girl in the village adored him, but his heart fluttered only for his love, a young priestess serving in the forest who always fascinated him with miracles of the divine.

少年常想，若是能和作祭司的少女在一起，就这样到生命的尽头他也愿意。

The young man often thought that he would give up anything to be with the girl, until death did them part.

然而好景不长，王国要开始一场漫长的征战，所有年青人都要受到征召，少年也要远离故土前往战场。在临行的前夜，他第一次看到自己的情人哭泣，那泪水如同滚落青叶的露珠，落入少年的心底。他那时并不知道少女为何如此悲伤，只是以为对方感怀于即将到来的分离，于是匆忙对她说出未来的许诺，希望这能缓解少女的悲伤。

Alas, that which is sweet never lasts. A grueling war broke out, and the young were conscripted, including the man. Before he left for the battlefield, he saw his love weep for the first time. Teardrops rolled down her cheeks like dew falling from a green leaf — then down into his heart. Yet little did he know the actual reason behind the girl's melancholia. He made hasty promises, wishing to ease the girl's sorrow — one caused by departure, as he then naively believed.

少女形容悲戚，未对那些琳琅的诺言作出丝毫回应。只是在一段沉默之后，说，此后她将驱使学舌之鸟，让这些鸟儿飞到少年的身边，带给他在久远之外思念他的爱人的话语。这虽然有些奇怪，少年心想，但或许不过又是少女为牵系他的心而展示的力量。

With grief written all over her face, the girl gave no response to his beautiful vows. After a brief silence, she said she would send talking birds to relay her words of longing. It was an unusual use of power, but the young man took her act as a means to secure his love.

relay = If you relay something that has been said to you, you repeat it to another person

少年颔首应下。

So he nodded.

第二天，少年踏上征途，成为了王国的士兵，他原本以为很快便能回来。但是战争维持了太长的时间，太长的时间，直到少年的下巴长出胡茬，眼神变得凌厉而尖锐，双手因握持武器留有厚茧，这场战争才宣告结束。

The young man departed the next day to honor his duty to his kingdom. It would soon be over, he thought. But reality eventually proved him wrong — the war dragged on and on. It was not until stubble grew on his chin and his eyes and hands became battle-hardened that the dust finally settled.

而在残酷绝伦的战争之中，唯一能够给少年些许慰藉的，就是自故乡飞来的学舌之鸟。那些学舌之鸟也仿佛如有神助，总能在安静的深夜找到他，为他带来作祭司的少女的话，这样，少年就能听她讲述那些思念的蜜语，听她说村庄里一些微末的变化，或一些为他写下的短诗。

His only solace in this brutal war was the birds from his hometown. As if guided by the gods, they always managed to come to him on quiet nights, carrying her words — the whispers of her bitter-sweet longing, telling him of changes in the village, or of a few short verses she wrote him.

长久的分离并未让少年对少女的爱有半分减少，反而如同一块在他心间的碑石一般愈加深厚。

The sustained separation had not diminished his love for her. Instead, if love was a monument, it would be driven into his heart.

drive = to force sth into another material or substance by hitting it

战争结束后，他迫不及待地回到家乡，想要迎娶少女为妻，可却得知了少女因罹患暴疾，在少年离开后很短的时间就归于冰冷夜晚的消息。

When the war finally ended, he hurried home to propose to his beloved, only to find that she had died of an acute illness on a cold night shortly after his departure.

少年觉得十分荒谬，因为明明就在昨夜，他还从学舌之鸟的口中听到少女为他诵读的辞句。

The young man refused to accept it, for he had just been visited by a talking bird the previous day, when his young priestess read him beautiful prose through its mouth.

他闯入庭院，强行打开少女紧闭的房门，那个瞬间，无数受施秘法，在沉睡中等待被唤醒的学舌鸟，反而被门外射入的阳光惊动。于是那些醒来的鸟从他打开的门中，从他身侧，从他耳畔，扇动翅膀，在他回过神来之前，就如轻薄的流云一般向外飞尽，飞入它们本该栖身的密林。而之后出现在少年眼前的，是空无一物的闺房。

He broke into the girl's closed chamber. But as the sunlight filled the dim room, it stirred what was inside: countless enchanted birds waiting to be awakened from their rich slumber. In a single instant, the birds rushed past him, wings flapping by his ears, and flew through the open door into the sky like an ethereal cloud, returning to their home. At last, the young man stood alone, his love's empty room before him.

在那时他终于明白为何少女在那一夜如此悲伤，又作出那样古怪的安排。

It finally dawned on him why the girl had made that most unusual arrangement with that saddened expression on her face the night they parted.

也终于明白那些被他开门的动作惊走的学舌之鸟，是少女在临终之前，为了他的余生而筹备的，甚至筹备了太多的话语。

lt had been an arrangement for a lifetime — on her dying bed, she must have taught the birds countless words, more than enough to fill his every night since with a flicker of light.

鸟的寿命其实比人类想象得要长上许多，在那之后，少年追逐那些散入林间的学舌之鸟，追逐少女附于鸟喙的幽魂，想要赎清将爱人心意散落于整片密林的罪过，日以继夜，废寝忘食，状若疯癫。于是少年成为中年，中年成为老者。即使再也未曾听到过什么新的东西，即使仍然记得少女话语的学舌之鸟越来越少，但或许仍有一句，哪怕有一句自己未曾听过的话呢，仅为这样的执念，已再不是少年的捕鸟者不愿离开。

Birds live far longer than humans think. From that day on, the young man has been chasing the talking birds in the forest. In their voices, he seeks to catch her lingering soul, to repent for his sin of scattering her love in the woods. Maddened yet tireless, the young man has not stopped his chase for a single day as he turned into a middle-aged man, then aged into an old man. The talking birds now speak of nothing new, and their numbers have dwindled. But what if there is still one that he has not yet met — one with something from her that he has not yet known? The obsession traps the bird chaser in the forest, and upon his face is written the toll of years.

他会熟练地诱捕来那些鸟，将之放进笼子，他会温柔地抚摸它们的脖颈，逗弄它们，喂它们食用最好的谷物、饮用最清冽的水，然后对它们说，说吧说吧，学舌的鸟儿，说说我的爱人，说那受森林喜爱的少女究竟训练你，让你学会了些什么。

He skillfully sets up traps very catch the birds and keeps them in a cage, stroking their necks, playing with them, and giving them the best cereals and clearest water. Then, he will say to them, "Speak, Talking Birds, speak of my love, who the forest favored so dearly. Speak of what she taught you."

（...sets up traps to catch the birds?）

于是那学舌之鸟吃饱喝足，有时就会说出这样的故事……

And so, the generously-fed birds will tell such a story...

一个类似的故事：