泰西50軼事(二十二之一)：阿特里的鐘 江銘輝 五夢網
泰西50軼事(Fifty Famous Stories Retold)，是永恆的短篇故事，它收集的故事：包括浩瀚歷史的著名英雄和他們的羅曼史，故事內容有勇氣、毅力和情感。故事人物包括拿破崙、羅賓漢，喬治華盛頓、成吉思汗等人。這些故事都是老少咸宜的故事，我將它逐篇翻譯，並配合圖畫，供大家欣賞。
泰西50軼事(二十二)：阿特里的鐘
原文及翻譯如下：
THE BELL OF ATRI
阿特里的鐘
ATRI is the name of a little town in Italy. It is a very old town, and is built half-way up the side of a steep hill.
阿特里是義大利一個小城鎮的名字，那是個非常古老的城鎮，坐落在一座陡峭的半山腰邊。
A long time ago, the King of Atri bought a fine large bell, and had it hung up in a tower in the market place. A long rope that reached almost to the ground was fastened to the bell. The smallest child could ring the bell by pulling upon this rope.
很久以前，阿特里的國王買了一座精美的大鐘，把它掛在市場內的塔樓上。一條幾乎及地的長繩牢牢地繫在大鐘上。就連最小的孩子都能拉著這條繩子搖響這口鐘(圖1)。
圖1：一座精美的大鐘，掛在市場的塔樓上。一條長繩繫在大鐘上，連小孩子都能拉到。
“It is the bell of justice,”said the king.
When at last everything was ready, the people of Atri had a great holiday. All the men and women and children came down to the market place to look at the bell of justice. It was a very pretty bell, and was polished until it looked almost as bright and yellow as the sun.
“這是一座正義之鐘，”國王說。
最後，一切準備就緒，阿特里的民眾有一個盛大的假日。所有男女老少都到市場上來看這座正義之鐘。那是一座非常漂亮的鐘，被擦得像太陽一樣金光閃亮。
“How we should like to hear it ring! ”they said.
Then the king came down the street.
“Perhaps he will ring it,”said the people; and everybody stood very still, and waited to see what he would do.
But he did not ring the bell. He did not even take the rope in his hands. When he came to the foot of the tower, he stopped and raised his hand.
我們是多麼喜歡聽到那鐘響啊！”他們說。
這時，國王走到街上。
“也許他將搖響它，”人民說。每個人都安靜地站著，等著看他的動作。
但國王並沒有搖響這鐘，甚至沒有用手去拉那根繩子。他走到塔樓底下，停下來舉起手。
“My people,”he said, “do you see this beautiful bell? It is your bell; but it must never be rung except in case of need. If any one of you is wronged at any time, he may come and ring the bell; and then the judges shall come together at once, and hear his case, and give him justice. Rich and poor, old and young, all alike may come; but no one must touch the rope unless he knows that he has been wronged.”
“我的人民們，”他說，“你們看過這座漂亮的鐘了嗎？它是你們的鐘，但是如果沒有需要，就不要去打響它。如果你們之中有人任何時候受了冤屈，他可以來打響這座鐘。然後法官會立刻一起來到，聽審他的案件，給他公道。無論貧富老少，都同樣可以來做。但是，除非他認為自己受了委屈，否則任何人都不允許碰那根繩子。”
Many years passed by after this. Many times did the bell in the market place ring out to call the judges together. Many wrongs were righted, many“Ill-doers were punished. At last the hempen rope was almost worn out. The lower part of it was untwisted; some of the strands were broken; it became so short that only a tall man could reach it.
此後，經過許多年。很多次，市場的鐘聲響起，召來法官一起趕來，許多冤屈得到昭雪，許多壞人受到懲罰。最後，那麻繩差不多已經破裂，下端已經散開了，有幾股神繩已經斷了。它變得很短，只有個子高的人才夠拉到。
“This will never do,”said the judges one day.“What if a child should be wronged? It could not ring the bell to let us know it.”
“這可不是永遠的辦法啊，”一天，法官們說，“要是一個小孩受到委屈怎麼辦？那他就不能打鐘讓我們知道了。”
They gave orders that a new rope should be put upon the bell at once, —a rope that should hang down to the ground, so that the smallest child could reach it.
他們下令，必須立刻給大鐘換上一根新繩子，那繩子要能垂到地上，即使最小的孩子也夠拉到它。
But there was not a rope to be found in all Atri. They would have to send across the mountains for one, and it would be many days before it could be brought. What if some great wrong should be done before it came?
How could the judges know about it, if the injured one could not reach the old rope?
但是全阿特里城都找不出那樣一根繩子。他們只好派人翻過山去買這樣的一條繩子，但要買到，需要好幾天。萬一在繩子買來之前有大的冤屈發生怎麼辦呢？如果那受害的人不能拉到那條舊繩子，那麼法官又如何能夠知道呢？
“Let me fix it for you,”said a man who stood by.
He ran into his garden, which was not for away, and soon came back with a long grapevine in his hands.
他跑到離這裡不遠處的自己花園裡，很快手上拿著一根長長的葡萄藤回來了。
“This will do for a rope,”he said; and he climbed up, and fastened it to the bell. The slender vine, with its leaves and tendrils still upon it, trailedto the ground.
“Yes,”said the judges,“it is a very good rope. Let it be as it is.”
“這個可以代替一條繩子，”他說。然後他爬上去，把藤牢牢地繫
在鐘的上面。這條還帶著葉子和捲鬚的葡萄藤，還垂到地上。
“好的，”法官們說，“真是一根很好的繩子，就這樣做吧。”
Now, on the hillside above the village, there lived a man who had once been a brave knight. In his youth he had ridden through many lands, and he had fought in many a battle. His best friend through all that time had been his horse, —a strong, noble steed that had borne him safe through many a danger.
那時，在村莊的半山腰上，住著一個人，他曾是一名勇敢的騎士。在年輕的時候，他曾騎馬到過許多地方，參加過許多次打戰。那些日子一直陪伴著他的最好的朋友，就是他的馬，一匹強壯而高貴的駿馬。這匹馬曾載著他平安地度過了許多危險(圖2)。
圖2：騎士在年輕的時候，曾騎馬參加許多次打戰，這匹馬曾載著他平安地度過了許多危險。
But the knight, when he grew older, cared no more to ride into battle; he cared no more to do brave deeds; he thought of nothing but gold; he be came a miser. At last he sold all that he had, except his horse, and went to live in a little hut on the hillside.
但是，當這個騎士老了的時候，他不再擔心要騎馬到戰場上，也不再想做那些英勇的功業，他只想到金子，其他，他什麼也不關心。他變成了一個守財奴。最後，除了那匹馬，他變賣了所有的東西，住到山腰的一間小木屋裡。
Day after day he sat among his money bags, and planned how he might get more gold; and day after day his horse stood in his bare stall, half-starved, and shivering with cold.
日復一日，他坐在錢袋中間，盤算著怎樣才能獲得更多的金子。而他的馬卻一天過一天，站在露天的馬廄裡，半飽半餓的過日子，在寒冬中，冷得發抖。
“What is the use of keeping that lazy steed?”said the miser to himself one morning.“Every week it costs me more to keep him than he is worth. I might sell him; but there is not a man that wants him. I cannot even give him away. I will turn him out to shift for himself, and pick grass by the roadside. If he starves to death, so much the better.”
“留著這匹懶惰的馬有什麼用呢？”一個早晨，這個守財奴
對自己說道，“每個星期，它所花費我的要比它所值的更多哩。我要把它賣掉，可是沒有人會要它。我甚至也送不出去。我就把它趕走，讓它自己想辦法吃路邊的草來度日吧。如果它餓死了，那就更好。”
“What is the use of keeping that lazy steed?”said the miser to himself one morning.“Every week it costs me more to keep him than he is worth. I might sell him; but there is not a man that wants him. I cannot even give him away. I will turn him out to shift for himself, and pick grass by the roadside. If he starves to death, so much the better.”
“留著這匹懶惰的馬有什麼用呢？”一個早晨，這個守財奴對自己說道，“每個星期，它所花費我的要比牠的價值更多哩。”
我要把它賣掉，可是沒有人會要牠。我甚至也送不出去。我就把它趕走，讓它自己想辦法吃路邊的草來度日吧。如果它餓死了，那就更好。”
So the brave old horse was turned out to find what he could among the rocks on the barren hillside. Lame and sick, he strolled along the dusty roads, glad to find a blade of grass or a thistle. The boys threw stones at him, the dogs barked at him, and in all the world there was no one to pity him.
於是這匹勇敢的老馬被趕到貧瘠的山坡上、在亂石間找食吃。它又瘸又病地流浪在塵土飛揚的路上，有時找到一根草或是一片薊葉都會覺得很高興。孩子們向它扔石頭，狗沖著它吠叫，這世上沒有一個人憐憫它。
One hot afternoon, when no one was upon the street, the horse chanced to wander into the market place. Not a man nor child was there, for the heat of the sun had driven them all indoors.
一個炎熱的下午，沒有一人到街上，這匹老馬碰巧流浪到那市場上。現在那兒既沒有大人，也沒有小孩，火熱的太陽都把他們趕進了屋裡。
The gates were wide open; the poor beast could roam where he pleased. He saw the grape-vine rope that hung from the bell of justice. The leaves and tendrils upon it were still fresh and green, for it had not been there long. What a fine dinner they would be for a starving horse!
城門敞開著，這可憐的畜生可以任意地亂逛。它看到了掛在正義之鐘上的葡萄藤。由於掛在那兒的時間不長，上面的葉子和卷鬚仍然新鮮碧綠。對一匹饑餓的馬來說，那將是多好的一餐啊！
He stretched his thin neck, and took one of the tempting morsels in his mouth. It was hard to break it from the vine. He pulled at it, and the great bell above him began to ring. All the people in Atri heard it. It seemed to
say, —
“Some one has done me wrong!
Some one has done me wrong!
Oh! come and judge my case!
Oh! come and judge my case!
For I’ve been wronged! ”
牠伸出瘦削的脖子，用嘴去吃那誘人的佳餚。要把藤咬斷是很困難的，牠用力地拉著，於是牠上面的大鐘響起來了(圖3)。阿特里所有的人都聽到了那鐘聲，好像在說：
“有人冤枉了我！
有人冤枉了我！
啊！來審判我的案件吧！
啊！來審判我的案件吧！
因為我被冤枉了！
圖3：馬伸出瘦削的脖子，用嘴去吃那誘人的佳餚。於是大鐘響起來了。
The judges heard it. They put on their robes, and went out through thehot streets to the market place. They wondered who it could be who would ring the bell at such a time. When they passed through the gate, they saw the old horse nibbling at the vine.
法官們聽見了，穿上他們的長袍，出門穿過大街來到市場。他們奇怪是誰在這時敲響了鐘。當他們穿過城門，看到一匹老馬正在啃那葡萄藤。
“Ha!”cried one,“it is the miser’s steed. He has come to call for justice; for his master, as everybody knows, has treated him most shamefully.”
“He pleads his cause as well as any dumb brute can,”said another.
“And he shall have justice! ”said the third.
哈！”一個人叫道，“是那守財奴的馬。牠是來要求正義的。因為每個人都知道，牠的主人最可恥地的對待牠。”
“它像任何不會說話的畜生一樣，來申訴自己的冤屈。”另一個人說。
“牠應該獲得公道！”第三個人又說。
Meanwhile a crowd of men and women and children had come into the market place, eager to learn what cause the judges were about to try. When they saw the horse, all stood still in wonder. Then every one was ready to tell how they had seen him wandering on the hills, unfed, uncared for, while his master sat at home counting his bags of gold.
“那時，男女老少都擁到市場，急切地想知道法官將會審理什麼案件。
當他們看到了那匹馬，都很疑惑地站在那兒，每個人都準備說，他們是怎樣看見牠在山坡上流浪，沒有東西吃，沒有人照料，而它的主人卻坐在家裡數著成袋成袋的金幣。
“Go bring the miser before us,”said the judges.
And when he came, they bade him stand and hear their judgment.
“This horse has served you well for many a year,”they said. “He has saved you from many a peril. He has helped you gain your wealth. There fore we order that one half of all your gold shall be set aside to buy him” shelter and food, a green pasture where he may graze and a warm stall to comfort him in his old age.”
“去把那個守財奴帶到我們的前面，”法官們說。
當他被帶來之後，他們命令他站在那兒聽取他們的判決。
“這匹馬為你服務了許多年，”法官說，“它曾在許多危難關頭救了你，為你贏得了財富。因此我們命令你拿出一半的金幣來為牠安排棲身的地方和食物，要有一片綠色的牧場供它吃草，一間溫暖的馬廄供它安度晚年。”
The miser hung his head, and grieved to lose his gold; but the people shouted with joy, and the horse was led away to his new stall and a dinner such as he had not had in many a day.
守財奴垂下了頭，為將失去金幣而傷心。而人們都歡呼起來，那匹馬被帶領到新的馬廄，吃上了許久年沒有吃過的豐盛餐食。