诗翁彼豆故事集 第24期:三兄弟的传说(1)

　　5. The Tale of the Three Brothers 5. 三兄弟的传说
　　There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding 1 road at twilight 2. 从前，在一个黎明时分，有三兄弟在一条僻静的羊肠小道上赶路。
　　In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade 3 through and too dangerous to swim across. 后来，他们来到了一条河边，水太深了无法蹚过，游过去也太危险。
　　However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous 4 water. 然而，三兄弟精通魔法，因此他们只是一挥魔杖，危险莫测的水上就出现了一座桥。
　　They were halfway 5 across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded 6 figure. 当他们走到桥中央时，一个戴兜帽的身影挡住了他们的去路。
　　And Death spoke 7 to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. 死神对他们说话了。他生气去了三个新的祭品——因为旅行者通常都会淹死在这条河里。
　　But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade 8 him. 但是死神很狡猾。他假装恭贺兄弟三人的魔法，说他们凭借着聪明而躲过了死神，每人可以获得一样东西作为奖励。
　　So the oldest brother, who was a combative 9 man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels 10 for its owner, a wand worthy 12 of a wizard who had conquered Death! 老大是一位好战的男子汉，因此他要了一根世间最强大的魔杖：一根在决斗中永远能帮主人获胜的魔杖，一根征服了死神的巫师值得拥有的魔杖！
　　So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother. 于是死神就走到岸边一棵接骨木树前，用悬垂的树枝做了一根魔杖，送给了老大。
　　Then the second brother, who was an arrogant 13 man, decided 14 that he wanted to humiliate 15 Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. 老二是一位傲慢的男子汉，他决定继续侮辱死神，想要的是能够让死人复活的能力。
　　So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead. 于是死神就从河堤上捡起一块石头给了老二，告诉他这块石头有起死回生的能力。
　　And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. 然后死神问最年轻的老三要什么。
　　The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. 老三是最谦虚也是最聪明的一个，而且他不相信死神。
　　So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth 16 from that place without being followed by Death. 因此他要一件东西，可以让他离开那里而不被死神跟随。
　　And Death, most unwillingly 17, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility. 于是死神极不情愿地把自己的隐形衣给了他。
　　Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts. 然后死神站在一边让兄弟三人继续赶路，他们就谈论着刚才的奇遇，赞赏着死神的礼物，往前走去。
　　In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination. 后来兄弟三人分了手，朝着各自的目的地前进。
　　The first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, he sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. 老大走了一个多星期，来到一个遥远的小山村，跟一位巫师争吵起来。
　　Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel 11 that followed. 自然，他用那根接骨木做成的“老魔杖”做武器，无疑任何决斗都会胜出。

　　Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible 18. 对手倒地而亡后，老大继续前行，走进了一个旅馆，大声夸耀自己从死神手上得来的强大魔杖如何战无不胜。