泰西50軼事(三十)達蒙克利斯之劍 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(三十)達蒙克利斯之劍
原文及翻譯如下：
The Sword of Damocles
達摩克利斯
THERE was once a king whose name was Dionysius. He was so unjust and cruel that he won for himself the name of tyrant. He knew that almost everybody hated him, and so he was always in dread lest some one should take his life.
從前，有個國王叫狄奥尼修斯，他是如此殘忍和不公正，以至獲得了暴君的稱號。他知道幾乎人人都恨他，所以總是處於極端恐懼之中，害怕有人來取他的性命。
But he was very rich, and he lived in a fine palace where there were many beautiful and costly things, and he was waited upon by a host o f
servants who were always ready to do his bidding.
他非常富有，住在一座豪的宮殿裡，那兒有許多美麗和昂貴的東西，還有一大群僕人在身旁等候他的命令。
One day a friend of his whose name was Damocles, said to him, —
“How happy you must be! You have here everything that any man could wish.”
“Perhaps you would like to change places with me,”said the tyrant.
一天，他的一個叫做達蒙克利斯(圖1)的朋友對他說：
“你一定非常快活吧！你擁有每個人都想要的東西。”
“也許你想和我交換一下地位，”這位暴君說。
圖1：達蒙克利斯
“No, not that, O king! ”said Damocles; “but I think, that, if I could only have your riches and your pleasures for one day, I should not want any greater happiness.”
“不，不是那個意思，國王陛下啊！”達蒙克利斯說，“但是我想，如果我真能擁有你的財富和歡樂，哪怕只有一天，我再也不想其他更大的快樂。”
“Very well,”said the tyrant.“You shall have them.”
And so, the next day, Damocles was led into the palace, and all the servants were bidden to treat him as their master. He sat down at a table in the banquet hall, and rich foods were placed before him. Nothing was wanting that could give him pleasure. There were costly wines, and beautiful flowers, and rare perfumes and delightful music. He rested himself among soft cushions, and felt that he was the happiest man in all the world.
“好吧！”暴君說，“你將可擁有它們。”
於是，第二天，達蒙克利斯被帶到了宮裡，所有的僕人都被吩咐要像自己的主人那樣服侍他。他坐在宴會大廳的一張餐桌旁，面前擺放著豐富的食物。使他快樂的東西一樣都不缺少，名貴的美酒、美麗的鮮花、稀有的香水，還有悅耳的音樂。他靠在柔軟的墊子上，覺得自己是世界上最快樂的人。
Then he chanced to raise his eyes towards the ceiling.
What was it that was dangling above him, with its point almost touching his head? It was a sharp sword, and it was hung by only a single horsehair. What if the hair should break?There was danger every moment that it would do so.
忽然，他無意中把目光朝天花板上望了一下。
是什麼東西在他的上面晃來晃去，它的尖端已幾乎碰到了他的頭。那是一把銳利的劍，僅靠一根馬鬃懸吊著。如果那馬鬃斷了將會怎樣？它隨時都有可能發生斷裂掉下來的危險。(圖2)
圖2：達蒙克利斯無意中把目光朝天花板上望了一下，發現他的頭。有一把銳利的劍，隨時會掉下來。
The smile faded from the lips of Damocles. His face became ashy pale.
His hands trembled. He wanted no more food; he could drink no more wine; he took no more delight in the music. He longed to be out of the palace,and away, he cared not where.
微笑從達蒙克利斯的唇邊消失了。他的臉變得蒼白，雙手開始顫抖。他不再想再要食物，也不再想要喝酒，不再欣賞音樂。
他一心一意想離開這個宮殿，跑得遠遠的，不管到哪個地方。
“What is the matter?”said the tyrant.
“That sword! That sword! ”cried Damocles. He was so badly frightened that he dared not move.
“什麼事情阿？”暴君問。
“那把劍！那把劍！”達蒙克利斯大叫。他是如此的懼怕，以至於動都不敢動了。
“Yes,”said Dionysius, “I know there is a sword above your head, and that it may fall at any moment. But why should that trouble you? I have a sword over my head all the time. I am every moment in dread lest something may cause me to lose my life.”
“是啊！”狄奧尼修斯說，“我知道你頭上有一把劍，它可能隨時都會掉下來。但你為何如此煩惱不安呢？我的頭上任何時候都有一把劍。我每時每刻都害怕擔心有什麼東西會使我丟掉性命呢。”
“Let me go,”said Damocles.“I now see that I was mistaken, and that the rich and powerful are not so happy as they seem. Let me go back to my old home in the poor little cottage among the mountains.”
And so long as he lived, he never again wanted to be rich, or to change places, even for a moment, with the king.
“讓我走吧！”達蒙克利斯說，“現在我知道我錯了，有權有錢的人並不像看見的那樣快活。我還是回到我那山中破舊的小木屋去吧。”
在他有生之年，他再也不想變成富翁或是和國王交換地位了，哪怕是一分一秒。
達蒙克利的劍的簡介
達蒙克利的劍特點是在一個道德軼聞，暗指當權者面臨逼近眼前和無時不在的危險。這是晚期增加的古典希臘文化，正確的說法是屬傳說，而不是希臘神話。
它顯然是歷史學家塔洛尼(Tauromenium)的蒂邁歐斯(Timaeus)（西元前356年-260年）杜撰的西西里島失去的歷史軼事。羅馬雄辯家西塞羅(Cicero)有可能讀過它。並使用它。因此使這個傳聞進入歐洲的主流文化。
軼事的達蒙克利斯是一個諂媚的大臣，故事發生在西元前第4紀，西西里島錫拉庫斯 (Syracuse)的暴君狄奧尼修斯二世的宮廷。為迎合他的國王，達蒙克利斯(Damocles)高呼狄奧尼修斯是非常的幸運，因為他是一個偉大的人物，擁有至高的權力和財富。
狄奧尼修斯然後與達摩克利斯互換地位，讓達蒙克利斯也可以親自品嚐這非常幸運的滋味。達蒙克利斯迅速，熱切地接受了國王的提議。達蒙克利斯坐在國王的寶座享受每一種豪華的待遇，但迪奧尼修斯佈置了一隻巨大的劍，吊在寶座的上面，劍的頭部，只用馬尾巴的一根鬃毛綁著。
達蒙克利斯最後懇求暴君讓他離開，因為他不敢再享受這麼幸運的生活，雖然有巨大的財富和權力，但也帶來極大的危險和恐懼。
狄奧尼修斯成功地傳達了偉大的人經常生活在恐懼感之中。西塞羅最後把這個故事作一系列鮮明的對比，達成一個結論，他一直朝著一個爭論，這個爭論的主題是美德是足夠過著幸福快樂的生活，西塞羅問：狄奧尼修斯不是似乎已經足夠明確證明了嗎？
達蒙克利斯之劍這個故事經常暗指，是對當權者即將或無時不在危險的縮影。更一般地，它是用來表示不確定因素造成的預感，特別是悲劇的發生僅僅是由一個微妙的觸發，或偶然的機會。莎士比亞的亨利四世擴展了這一論題：他說：“頭上戴著皇冠，內心忐忑不安”。
羅馬西元前1世紀的詩人賀拉斯(Horace)也在第三本書的29篇提到了達蒙克利斯，他讚揚過著簡單，質樸的生活，可以克服高權力帶來無數危機和焦慮的人。
達蒙克利斯之劍經常出現在大眾的文化裡，包括小說，電影，電視劇，電腦遊戲，和音樂，它敘述，世界上不可能再有朦朧的危險更可怕的事情了？