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三兄弟传说

There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, windingroad at twilight.

从前有三兄弟,在一条僻静的羊肠小道上赶路,天色已近黄昏。

In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and toodangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magicalarts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across thetreacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their pathblocked by a hoodedfigure.

他们走着走着,来到了一条河边,水太深了,无法蹚过,游过去也太危险。但是,这三兄弟会魔法,他们仅仅挥动魔杖,危险莫测的河流上就出现了一座大桥。然而,走到一半的时候,他们发现一个戴着兜帽的人挡住了他们的去路。

And Death spoke to them.

死神对他们说话了。

He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelersusually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended tocongratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earneda prize for having been clever enough to evadehim.

他生气自己被这三个新的牺牲品愚弄了,因为旅者们通常会溺死在这条河里。但是死神很狡猾。他装作赞扬三兄弟的魔法,而且因为聪明地避开了他,每人都将赢得一件奖品。

So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand morepowerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner,a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an eldertree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there,and gave it to the oldestbrother.

三兄弟中的老大是个好战的人,他索求一根比任何现存的都要强大的魔杖:一根总能帮助它的主人赢得决斗的魔杖,一根战胜了死神的巫师所应得的魔杖!死神砍下河岸边一棵老树上的枝条,做成了一根魔杖,递给了老大。

Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted tohumiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall other fromDeath. So Death picked up a stone from the river bank and gave it to the secondbrother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back thedead.

然后三兄弟中的老二,一个傲慢的人,想要让死神更加丢脸,就要求拥有能把其他人从死神那召唤回来的力量。死神从河岸上捡起一块石头给了老二,告诉他这块石头有着使死者复生的力量。

And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. Theyoungest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and hedid not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forthfrom that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly,handed over his own Cloak ofInvisibility.

死神又问最小的那个想要的是什么。老三是三兄弟中最谦虚而且最聪明的,他并不打算信任死神。于是他要求死神给他一件东西,使他能够到死神管辖范围之外的地方去。死神只好非常不情愿地把自己的隐形斗篷给了他。

Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on theirway, and they did so. Talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, andadmiring Death’s gifts.

然后死神站在一边让兄弟三人继续赶路。他们就谈论着刚才的奇妙经历,赞赏着死神的礼物,往前走去。

In due course the brothers separated, each for his owndestination.

为了各自的目的地,三个兄弟分开了。

The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distantvillage, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, withthe Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed.Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn,where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself,and of how it made himinvincible.

大哥旅行了一个多星期后,到达了一个偏远的村庄,寻找一位曾经和他吵过架的男巫。自然,以长老魔杖作为武器,他不可能输掉接下来的任何一场决斗。他的敌人倒在了地上,大哥继续前行到达了一个旅店,在那儿他大声地炫耀自己从死神那得到的这支强有力的魔杖以及这支魔杖怎样使得他天下无敌。

That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay,wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slitthe oldest brother’sthroat.

就在那个夜晚,当大哥躺下后,另外一个男巫悄悄地潜入他的房间,用酒浸透他的床。这个贼偷走了大哥的魔杖,为了保险起见,他割断了大哥的喉咙。

And so Death took the first brother for his own.

就这样,死神取走了老大的命。

Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he livedalone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, andturned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure ofthe girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at oncebeforehim.

与此同时,二哥回到了他自己独居的家。在那儿他拿出那块可以召唤死者的石头,把它放在手上转了三次。让他又惊又喜的是,他曾经想要与之成婚却不幸死亡的女孩立刻出现在他的面前。

Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though, she hadreturned to the normal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered.Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself soas truly to joinher.

然而她既悲伤又冷漠,还用面纱和他分隔起来。尽管她重回人世,但她并不真正属于那,且在那遭受着痛苦。最终,二哥在无尽的绝望中疯掉了,为了真正地融入她的世界,他自杀了。

And so Death took the second brother for his own.

就这样,死神取走了老二的命。

But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was neverable to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngestbrother finally took off the Clock of Invisibility and gave it to his son. Andthen he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals,they departed thislife.

但是,死神找了很多年,却无法找到三弟的下落。一直到他老得不行了,他才脱下隐形衣,把衣服留给他的儿子。然后他像对待老朋友一样向死神打招呼,并以平等的身份,很高兴地同他一道离开了人间。