《美女與野獸》節選Father in Trouble惹禍上身

作者： Charles Perrault

He had scarcely done so， when he heard a loud roar， and saw coming towards him a Beast， of such a horrible aspect， that he nearly fainted。

他剛摘下花朵，就聽到一聲震耳的咆哮，只見一頭野獸朝他走來。野獸長得十分可怕，嚇得他幾乎昏了過去。

“You are very ungrateful，” said the Beast in a terrible voice；

“你太沒有良心了！” 野獸用可怕的聲音說，

“I received you into my castle， and saved your life， and now you steal my roses， which I care for morethan anything else in the world。

“我在我的城堡裡接待了你，救了你的性命，而你卻偷走我的玫瑰花，這可是世上我最在乎的東西。

Death alone can make amends for what you have done； I give you a quarter of an hour， no more， in which to ask forgiveness of God。”

現在，你只有以死來彌補這一過錯。我給你一刻鐘時間， 你趕快向上帝祈禱吧。”

The merchant threw himself on his knees， and with clasped hands， said to the Beast，

商人雙膝跪地，合掌向野獸哀求說：

“I pray you， my lord， to forgive me。 I did not think to offend you by picking a rose for one of my daughters， who asked me to take it her。”

“主啊，求求你饒恕我吧！我出發前，我的一個女兒讓我給她摘回一朵玫瑰花，我真沒有想到會因此觸犯您。”

“I am not called my lord，” responded the monster， “but simply the Beast， I do not care for compliments；

“我不是主，” 野獸回答道，“我只是一頭野獸。我不喜歡別人的奉承，

I like people to say what they think； so do not think to mollify me with your flattery。

我喜歡你們說自己的真實想法，所以你別想用好話來安撫我。

But you tell me you have some daughters； I will pardon you on condition that one of your daughters will come of her own free will to die inyour place。

你剛才說你有女兒，那麼我可以饒恕你，前提是讓你的一個女兒自願到這裡來替你受死。

Do not stop to argue with me； go！ And if your daughter refuses to die for you， swear that you will return yourself in three months‘ time。”

不用多說了，你走吧！如果你的女兒們都不願替你死，那麼你發誓要在三個月以內親自再回到這裡來。”

The merchant had no intention of sacrificing one of his daughters to this hideous monster， but he thought， “At least I shall have the pleasure of embracing them once more。”

商人不願為惡魔犧牲自己的任何一個女兒。但是他又想：“至少我還可以再回去擁抱她們一次。”

He swore therefore to return， and the Beast told him that he might go when he liked； “but，” added he，

於是他向野獸發誓一定會重新回到這裡。野獸告訴他，他可以想什麼時候離開就什麼時候離開。“但是，” 他補充說

“I do not wish you to go from me with empty hands。Go back to the room in which you slept， there you will find a large empty trunk； you may fill it with whatever you please， and I will have it conveyed to your house。”

“我不想讓你空手回去，你到昨晚過夜的臥室裡去，那裡有一隻很大的空箱子，你可以把你想要的東西全裝在裡面，我會把它送到你的家裡。”

With these words the Beast withdrew， and the merchant said to himself， “If I must die， I shall at least have the consolation of leaving my children enough for their daily bread。”

野獸說完話就離去了。商人想：“如果我註定要死。那麼我也可以為可憐的女兒們留下一些麵包錢，我也能因此得到一點安慰。”

He returned to the room where he had passed the night， and finding there a great quantity of gold pieces，

他回到那間他過夜的臥室，發現那兒有很多的金幣。

he filled the trunk， of which the Beast had spoken， with these， closed it， and remounting his horse， which he found still in the stable， he rode out from the castle， his sadness now as great as had been his joy on entering it。

於是，他把野獸所說的那個大箱子裡裝滿了金幣，合上了它。然後，他到馬廄裡牽上馬，懷著悲傷的心情騎出了城堡，與來時的歡快心情截然相反。

His horse carried him of its own accord along one of the roads through the forest， and in a few hours the merchant was again in his own little house。

他的馬載著他穿過森林中的一條路，沒過幾個小時，他就回到了他的小房子。

His children gathered round him； but instead of finding pleasure in their caresses， he began to weep as he looked upon them。

孩子們圍在他身邊。商人對女兒們的親熱迎接非但無動於衷，而且竟看著她們哭了起來。

He held in his hand the branch of roses which he had brought for Beauty。 “Take them，” he said， as he gave them to her， “your unhappy father has paid dearly for them。”

他把手裡的玫瑰花遞給Beauty，說：“拿著這些花吧，你可憐的父親為它們付出了寶貴的代價。”

And then he told his family of the melancholy adventure that had befallen him。

接著他向全家講述了他的不幸遭遇。