泰西50軼事(三十四之一)亞歷山大和布希法拉斯 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(三十四)亞歷山大和布希法拉斯
原文及翻譯如下:
Alexander and Bucephalus
亞歷山大和布希法拉斯
ONE day King Philip bought a fine horse called Bucephalus. He was a noble animal, and the king paid a very high price for him. But he was wild and savage, and no man could mount him, or do anything at all with him.
一天,菲力浦國王買了一匹好馬,叫做布希法拉斯。它是一頭高貴的動物,國王為買它花了相當高的價錢。但它狂野和兇暴,沒人能夠騎上它,或任何應付牠的方法。
They tried to whip him, but that only made him worse. At last the king bade his servants take him away.
他們試著用鞭子抽它,但這樣只是讓它變得更壞。最後國王只得命令他的僕人將牠牽走。
“It is a pity to ruin so fine a horse as that,”said Alexander, the king’s young son.“Those men do not know how to treat him.”
“真可惜,就這樣一匹好馬就給糟蹋了,”國王的小兒子亞歷山大(圖1)說,“那些人不懂得該怎樣對待它。”
圖1:亞歷山大
“Perhaps you can do better than they,”said his father scornfully.
“I know! ”said Alexander, “that, if you would only give me leave to try, I could manage this horse better than any one else.”
“也許你能做得比他們更好,”他的父親嘲笑地說。
“我知道!”亞歷山大說,“只要你放手讓我去做,我能把這匹馬管束的比任何人都好。”
“And if you fail to do so, what then?”asked Philip.
“I will pay you the price of the horse,”said the lad.
“如果你失敗了怎麼辦呢?”菲力浦問。
“我將賠給你這匹馬的價錢,”男孩說。
While everybody was laughing, Alexander ran up to Bucephalus, and turned his head towards the sun. He had noticed that the horse was afraid of his own shadow.
He then spoke gently to the horse, and patted him with his hand. When he had quieted him a little, he made a quick spring, and leaped upon the horse’s back.
在眾人的笑聲中,亞歷山大跑到布希法拉斯前面,把牠的頭轉向太陽(圖2)。他注意到這匹馬很害怕自己的影子。
然後他溫和地對馬說話,並用手輕輕地拍打著它。當他使它稍微安靜下來後,迅速地一跳,騎上了馬背。
圖2:亞歷山大跑到布希法拉斯前面,把牠的頭轉向太陽,這樣牠就看不到自己的影子了。
Everybody expected to see the boy killed outright. But he kept his place, and let the horse run as fast as he would. By and by, when Bucephalus had become tired, Alexander reined him in and rode back to the place where his father was standing.
所有的人都認為這男孩會被當場被摔死(圖3)。但他穩坐在馬背上,讓馬飛快地的馳騁。慢慢地,布希法拉斯跑累了,亞歷山大勒住了馬,把牠騎回到父親站著的地方。
圖3:所有的人都認為亞歷山大會被當場被摔死。
All the men who were there shouted when they saw that the boy had proved himself to be the master of the horse.
當看到這個男孩子證明自己已經成為馬的主人之後,所有人都歡呼起來。
He leaped to the ground, and his father ran and kissed him.
“My son,”said the king, “Macedon is too small a place for you. You must seek a larger kingdom that will be worthy of you.”
他跳到地上,他的父親跑過來吻他。
“我的兒子,”國王說,“馬其頓這個地方對你來說太小了。你應該去找一個更大的王國發揮你的才能。”
After that, Alexander and Bucephalus were the best of friends. They were said to be always together, for when one of them was seen, the other was sure to be not far away. But the horse would never allow any one to mount him but his master.
從此以後,亞歷山大和布希法拉斯成了最好的朋友。據說他們總是在一起,當看到其中一個時,另一個一定就在附近。但是除了它的主人,那匹馬從不允許任何人騎牠。
Alexander became the most famous king and warrior that was ever known; and for that reason he is always called Alexander the Great. Bucephalus carried him through many countries and in many fierce battles,and more than once did he save his master’s life.
亞歷山大後來成了舉世聞名的國王和武士,因此人們都稱他為亞歷山大大帝。布希法拉斯載著他走過許多國家,經歷過很多激烈的戰役,還不止一次地救了牠主人的生命。
布希法拉斯簡介
布希法拉斯(Bucephalas意思是“公牛”)(西元前355年至西元前326年六月)是的馬亞歷山大大帝的駿馬,和一個古代最著名的馬。牠在西元前326的希達斯皮斯戰役(Hydaspes Battle)後
死亡,希達斯皮斯在現在的巴基斯坦,被埋在杰拉勒布爾謝里夫(Jalalpur Sharif)。另一說法說牠被埋葬法里亞 (Phalia),在巴基斯坦曼迪伯哈汀(Mandi Bahauddin)區的一個小鎮叫布希法拉(Bucephala),這個小鎮是用牠的名字命名。
一、布希法拉斯的馴服
布希法拉斯有一個龐大的生物和巨大的頭,牠有一個黑色的外表,和星形額頭,
比塞弗勒斯被描述為具有黑色大衣搭配白色大明星在他的額頭。他像一座“牆”,有藍色的眼睛,牠由一個色薩利(Thessalian)養著。普魯塔克(Plutarch)講述了在西元前344 , 13歲的亞歷山大如何贏得了馬的故事。
一個叫菲隆尼卡斯(Philonicus)的色薩利馬販提將布希法拉斯以13個塔蘭特(talent)的銀幣賣給國王菲利普二世,但由於沒有人能馴服牠,菲利普不感興趣。然而,菲利普的兒子亞歷山大,他承諾如果沒有辦法馴服牠,他將支付買這匹馬的錢。
亞歷山大被賦予一個大好的機會,讓人驚訝的征服這匹馬。他溫和的安慰這匹馬,把牠朝著太陽,使牠再也無法看到自己的影子,這是一直困擾這匹馬的原因。然後他脫去他的飄飄的披風,亞歷山大成功地馴服這匹馬。
的神話。
二、布希法拉斯之死
作為亞歷山大的坐騎,布希法拉斯擔任亞歷山大在許多戰役中出生入死。而亞歷山大把布希法拉斯看成英雄,是來自他的祖先阿溪裡斯(Achilles),他說,他的馬不是普遍的馬,是神馬。海神波賽冬(Poseidon)交給我的父親珀琉斯(Peleus),他又將牠交給我。
布希法拉斯活了30年才死,對一隻馬而言是很老的,致命傷是西元前326六月的希達斯皮斯戰役(Hydaspes Battle),這個戰役亞歷山大的軍隊打敗了波魯斯(Porus)國王。亞歷山大迅速建立了一個城市叫布希法拉(Bucephala),以紀念他的馬。他躺在希達斯皮斯(Hydaspes)河的西岸(今傑赫勒姆巴基斯坦)。現代城鎮杰拉勒布爾謝里夫,據說是布希法拉斯埋葬之地。
普魯塔克說,這起事件使菲利普留下深刻的印象,他對男孩說,“阿!我兒,以能的才能看來,馬其頓對你是太小了。”
亞歷山大的傳奇提供許多布希法拉斯