泰西50軼事(三十一) 達蒙和皮西亞斯 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)達蒙和皮西亞斯
原文及翻譯如下：
Damon and Pythias
達蒙和皮西亞斯(圖1)
圖1：達蒙和皮西亞斯
A young man whose name was Pythias had done something which the tyrant Dionysius did not like. For this offence he was dragged to prison,
and a day was set when he should be put to death. His home was far away, and he wanted very much to see his fatherand mother and friends before he died.
有一個年輕人名叫皮西亞斯，他曾經做了一些讓暴君狄奧尼修斯(圖2)討厭的事情。因為這個罪名他被抓進了監獄，處死的日子也被定下了。他的家離這裡很遠，他很想在臨死之前見一見他的父母和朋友們。
圖2：狄奧尼修斯一世
“Only give me leave to go home and say good bye to those whom I love,”he said,“and then I will come back and give up my life.”
“我唯一的希望是讓我回去和那些親愛的人告個別，”他說，“然後我會回來送命的。”
The tyrant laughed at him.
“How can I know that you will keep your promise?”he said.“You only want to cheat me, and save yourself.”
Then a young man whose name was Damon spoke and said,“O king! Put me in prison in place of my friend Pythias, and let him go to his own country to put his affairs in order, and to bid his friends farewell. I know that he will come back as he promised, for he is a man who has never broken his word. But if he is not here on the day which you have set, then I will die in his stead.
暴君對他大笑起來。
“我怎麼知道你會遵守諾言呢？”他說，“你只是想欺騙我，來救自己罷了。”
後來有一個叫達蒙的年輕人請求道：
“國王啊！把我關進監獄來代替我的朋友皮西亞斯，讓他回家安排後事，向他的朋友們告別吧。我知道他會遵守諾言回來的，因為他是一個從不食言的人。如果到了國王你定下的那個死刑的日子還沒有回到這裡，那麼我就替他去死。”
The tyrant was surprised that anybody should make such an offer. He at last agreed to let Pythias go, and gave orders that the young man Damon should be shut up in prison.
暴君非常驚訝竟然有人會提出這樣的請求。他終於同意讓皮西亞斯回去，並下令將這個年輕人達蒙關進監獄。
Time passed, and by and by the day drew near which had been set for Pythias to die; and he had not come back.
時光飛逝，皮西亞斯的死期一天天接近了，可他還沒有回來。
The tyrant ordered the jailer to keep close watch upon Damon, and not let him escape. But Damon did not try to escape. He still had faith in the truth and honour of his friend. Hesaid, “If Pythias does not come back in time, it will not be his fault. It will be because he is hindered against his will.”
暴君命令獄卒對達蒙嚴加看守，不要給他逃跑了。但是達蒙並不試圖逃走。他仍然信任朋友的誠實和道義。他說：“如果皮西亞斯沒有及時趕回來，那不是他的錯。一定是他的意願受到了阻礙。”
At last the day came, and then the very hour. Damon was ready to die.
His trust in his friend was as firm as ever, and he said that he did not grieve at having to suffer for one whom he loved so much.
死刑的那一天終於來到了，那是關鍵的時刻也到了，達蒙已準備去死了。他仍然像從前那樣堅信著他的朋友，說要為一個他深愛的人去送死，他並不感到悲痛。
Then the jailer came to lead him to his death; but at the same moment Pythias stood in the door. He had been delayed by storms and shipwreck, and he had feared that he was too late. He greeted Damon kindly, and then gave himself into the hands of the jailer. He was happy because he thought that he had come in time, even though it was at the last moment.
於是，獄卒押他去受死刑了(圖3)。但就在這個時候，皮西亞斯站在了門口。他被暴風雨把船隻打破而耽誤了，他深怕自己來晚了。他親切地向達蒙打招呼，然後把自己交到獄卒手裡。他很高興，因為他及時趕到，雖然這是最後的一刻。
圖3：獄卒押達蒙去受死刑時，皮西亞斯匆匆趕到。
The tyrant was not so bad but that he could see good in others. He felt that men who loved and trusted each other, as did Damon and Pythias, ought not to suffer unjustly. And so he set them both free.
這個暴君還不至於這樣壞，他也能看清，別人的好品德。他覺得像達蒙和皮西亞斯那麼互相愛護和信賴的人，不應該遭到這樣不公正的處決。於是他把他倆都釋放了。
“I would give all my wealth to have one such friend.”he said.
“我寧願用我所有的財富去換一個這樣的朋友。”他說。
達蒙和皮西亞斯的簡介
一、希臘傳說
關於亞里士多塞諾斯(Aristoxenus)，和在他之後的羅馬雄辯家西塞羅（Cicero）、西西里的歷史學家狄奧多羅斯(Diodorus Siculus)，和其他大約在西元前5世紀的人的說法，皮西亞斯和他的好朋友達蒙，二人跟隨希臘的哲學家畢達哥拉斯(Pythagoras)，前往昔拉庫斯(Syracuse)。皮西亞斯被指控密謀反抗昔拉庫斯的暴君狄奧尼修斯一世(Dionysius I)，狄奧尼修斯一世將皮西亞斯判死刑。
接受暴君的判決，皮西亞斯要求最後讓他回家一次，來處理自己的事務，並和他的家人告別。國王不想被看作是傻瓜，拒絕了，因為他相信一旦釋放皮西亞斯，他就會逃跑，不會再回來。
達蒙主動提出要代替皮西亞斯，而他回家。國王同意了，條件是達蒙承諾皮西亞斯如果沒有返回，達蒙將代替皮西亞斯被處死。
達蒙同意了，皮西亞斯被釋放。
狄奧尼修斯相信，皮西亞斯永遠不會回來，當皮西亞斯答應要回來的這一天，狄奧尼修斯準備執行達蒙死刑。但正當劊子手正要殺死達蒙時，皮西亞斯回來了。
皮西亞斯向達蒙道歉他延遲回來的原因，皮西亞斯告訴他：在回來昔拉庫斯的途中，海盜如何奪取了他的船和將他扔進海裡。
狄奧尼修斯傾聽皮西亞斯的敘述，他如何游到岸邊，並可能快速尋路回到昔拉庫斯，到達的時候，正好救他的朋友。
狄奧尼修斯對他們的友誼是如此的高興和驚訝，因此赦免了他們兩個。也有人說，狄奧尼修斯，後來想加入作為他們的第三個朋友，但被他們拒絕了。
另一個版本說：由狄奧尼修斯和他的臣子所擬訂的一個測試計劃。畢達哥拉斯學派以道德力量和優勢而聞名。昔拉庫斯的臣子認為這是假的。這個計劃的設計，是利用生死者關頭來測試畢達哥拉斯學派的道德力量。
二、根據傳說的著作
在1564年，這個傳說由英國詩人理查德·愛德華茲(Richard Edwards)做成一部叫「達蒙和皮西亞斯」的悲喜劇(tragicomic play)。
在日本，短篇小說“跑吧！美樂斯！ ”根據傳說1992年由東映公司，把它改編成動畫。
1821年，愛爾蘭詩人約翰‧巴尼 (John Banim)基於(達蒙和皮西亞斯) 寫了一個戲劇。
1962年的米高梅的電影「達蒙和皮西亞斯」仍然保存著古老的故事，它由蓋伊·威廉姆斯(Guy William)演達蒙，和唐‧伯內特(Don Burnett)飾演皮西亞斯。
三、成語的使用
“Damon and Pythias(達蒙和皮西亞斯)”是一個成語，意思是 “真正的友誼(true friendship)”。因此，狄德羅(Denis Diderot)的短篇小說，“從波旁(Bourbonne)來的兩個朋友”（1770），開始是“那二個波旁的人，被稱為達蒙和皮西亞斯。”
1895年傑克·倫敦(Jack London)用達蒙和皮西亞斯，作為“誰在鬼相信！(Who Believes in Ghosts!)書中的兩位主角的昵稱”。
在1940年的電影費城故事，特雷西主人(Tracy Lord)諷刺的說：德克斯特紐海文（C. K. Dexter Haven）和喬治·基特里奇（George Kittredge）就像達蒙和皮西亞斯是生死之交。