泰西50轶事(二十二之一)：阿特里的钟 江铭辉 五梦网
泰西50轶事(Fifty Famous Stories Retold)，是永恒的短篇故事，它收集的故事：包括浩瀚历史的著名英雄和他们的罗曼史，故事内容有勇气、毅力和情感。故事人物包括拿破仑、罗宾汉，乔治华盛顿、成吉思汗等人。这些故事都是老少咸宜的故事，我将它逐篇翻译，并配合图画，供大家欣赏。
泰西50轶事(二十二)：阿特里的钟
原文及翻译如下：
THE BELL OF ATRI
阿特里的钟
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.
阿特里是意大利一个小城镇的名字，那是个非常古老的城镇，坐落在一座陡峭的半山腰边。
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，阿特里的国王买了一座精美的大钟，把它挂在市场内的塔楼上。一条几乎及地的长绳牢牢地系在大钟上。就连最小的孩子都能拉着这条绳子摇响这口钟(图1)。
图1：一座精美的大钟，挂在市场的塔楼上。一条长绳系在大钟上，连小孩子都能拉到。
“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.
“这是一座正义之钟，”国王说。
最后，一切准备就绪，阿特里的民众有一个盛大的假日。所有男女老少都到市场上来看这座正义之钟。那是一座非常漂亮的钟，被擦得像太阳一样金光闪亮。
“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.
我们是多么喜欢听到那钟响啊！”他们说。
这时，国王走到街上。
“也许他将摇响它，”人民说。每个人都安静地站着，等着看他的动作。
但国王并没有摇响这钟，甚至没有用手去拉那根绳子。他走到塔楼底下，停下来举起手。
“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.”
“我的人民们，”他说，“你们看过这座漂亮的钟了吗？它是你们的钟，但是如果没有需要，就不要去打响它。如果你们之中有人任何时候受了冤屈，他可以来打响这座钟。然后法官会立刻一起来到，听审他的案件，给他公道。无论贫富老少，都同样可以来做。但是，除非他认为自己受了委屈，否则任何人都不允许碰那根绳子。”
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.
此后，经过许多年。很多次，市场的钟声响起，召来法官一起赶来，许多冤屈得到昭雪，许多坏人受到惩罚。最后，那麻绳差不多已经破裂，下端已经散开了，有几股神绳已经断了。它变得很短，只有个子高的人才够拉到。
“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.”
“这可不是永远的办法啊，”一天，法官们说，“要是一个小孩受到委屈怎么办？那他就不能打钟让我们知道了。”
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.
他们下令，必须立刻给大钟换上一根新绳子，那绳子要能垂到地上，即使最小的孩子也够拉到它。
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样一根绳子。他们只好派人翻过山去买这样的一条绳子，但要买到，需要好几天。万一在绳子买来之前有大的冤屈发生怎么办呢？如果那受害的人不能拉到那条旧绳子，那么法官又如何能够知道呢？
“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.
他跑到离这里不远处的自己花园里，很快手上拿着一根长长的葡萄藤回来了。
“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.”
“这个可以代替一条绳子，”他说。然后他爬上去，把藤牢牢地系
在钟的上面。这条还带着叶子和卷须的葡萄藤，还垂到地上。
“好的，”法官们说，“真是一根很好的绳子，就这样做吧。”
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.
那时，在村庄的半山腰上，住着一个人，他曾是一名勇敢的骑士。在年轻的时候，他曾骑马到过许多地方，参加过许多次打战。那些日子一直陪伴着他的最好的朋友，就是他的马，一匹强壮而高贵的骏马。这匹马曾载着他平安地度过了许多危险(图2)。
图2：骑士在年轻的时候，曾骑马参加许多次打战，这匹马曾载着他平安地度过了许多危险。
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，当这个骑士老了的时候，他不再担心要骑马到战场上，也不再想做那些英勇的功业，他只想到金子，其他，他什么也不关心。他变成了一个守财奴。最后，除了那匹马，他变卖了所有的东西，住到山腰的一间小木屋里。
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.
日复一日，他坐在钱袋中间，盘算着怎样才能获得更多的金子。而他的马却一天过一天，站在露天的马厩里，半饱半饿的过日子，在寒冬中，冷得发抖。
“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.”
“留着这匹懒惰的马有什么用呢？”一个早晨，这个守财奴
对自己说道，“每个星期，它所花费我的要比它所值的更多哩。我要把它卖掉，可是没有人会要它。我甚至也送不出去。我就把它赶走，让它自己想办法吃路边的草来度日吧。如果它饿死了，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.”
“留着这匹懒惰的马有什么用呢？”一个早晨，这个守财奴对自己说道，“每个星期，它所花费我的要比牠的价值更多哩。”
我要把它卖掉，可是没有人会要牠。我甚至也送不出去。我就把它赶走，让它自己想办法吃路边的草来度日吧。如果它饿死了，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.
于是这匹勇敢的老马被赶到贫瘠的山坡上、在乱石间找食吃。它又瘸又病地流浪在尘土飞扬的路上，有时找到一根草或是一片蓟叶都会觉得很高兴。孩子们向它扔石头，狗冲着它吠叫，这世上没有一个人怜悯它。
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.
一个炎热的下午，没有一人到街上，这匹老马碰巧流浪到那市场上。现在那儿既没有大人，也没有小孩，火热的太阳都把他们赶进了屋里。
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!
城门敞开着，这可怜的畜生可以任意地乱逛。它看到了挂在正义之钟上的葡萄藤。由于挂在那儿的时间不长，上面的叶子和卷须仍然新鲜碧绿。对一匹饥饿的马来说，那将是多好的一餐啊！
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，用嘴去吃那诱人的佳肴。要把藤咬断是很困难的，牠用力地拉着，于是牠上面的大钟响起来了(图3)。阿特里所有的人都听到了那钟声，好像在说：
“有人冤枉了我！
有人冤枉了我！
啊！来审判我的案件吧！
啊！来审判我的案件吧！
因为我被冤枉了！
图3：马伸出瘦削的脖子，用嘴去吃那诱人的佳肴。于是大钟响起来了。
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.
法官们听见了，穿上他们的长袍，出门穿过大街来到市场。他们奇怪是谁在这时敲响了钟。当他们穿过城门，看到一匹老马正在啃那葡萄藤。
“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！”一个人叫道，“是那守财奴的马。牠是来要求正义的。因为每个人都知道，牠的主人最可耻地的对待牠。”
“它像任何不会说话的畜生一样，来申诉自己的冤屈。”另一个人说。
“牠应该获得公道！”第三个人又说。
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.
“那时，男女老少都拥到市场，急切地想知道法官将会审理什么案件。
当他们看到了那匹马，都很疑惑地站在那儿，每个人都准备说，他们是怎样看见牠在山坡上流浪，没有东西吃，没有人照料，而它的主人却坐在家里数着成袋成袋的金币。
“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.”
“去把那个守财奴带到我们的前面，”法官们说。
当他被带来之后，他们命令他站在那儿听取他们的判决。
“这匹马为你服务了许多年，”法官说，“它曾在许多危难关头救了你，为你赢得了财富。因此我们命令你拿出一半的金币来为牠安排栖身的地方和食物，要有一片绿色的牧场供它吃草，一间温暖的马厩供它安度晚年。”
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.
守财奴垂下了头，为将失去金币而伤心。而人们都欢呼起来，那匹马被带领到新的马厩，吃上了许久年没有吃过的丰盛餐食。