(中英)現(xiàn)代散文:聰明人和傻子和奴才 The Wise Man, the Fool and the Slave

The Wise Man, the Fool and the Slave

聰明人和傻子和奴才

◎ Lu Xun

◎　魯　迅

What a slave did was just to look for someone to listen to his own grievances. That was the only thing he wanted to do and also the only thing he could do. One day he came across a wise man.

奴才總不過是尋人訴苦。只要這樣，也只能這樣。有一日，他遇到一個(gè)聰明人。

Sir! said he sadly, tears trickling down from the corners of his eyes. "As you can see, I lead a subhuman life. I'm not even assured of a single meal a day. If I have one, it's only a small bowl of kaoliang husks, which even a pig or dog would disdain to eat ..."

“先生！”他悲哀地說，眼淚聯(lián)成一線，就從眼角上直流下來①。“你知道的。我所過的簡(jiǎn)直不是人的生活②。吃的是一天未必有一餐，這一餐又不過是高粱皮，連豬狗都不要吃的，尚且只有一小碗……”

What a wretched life you lead! the wise man replied with pity.

“這實(shí)在令人同情。”聰明人也慘然③說。

Isn't it? the slave followed up with exaltation. "And I toil day and night without rest. I carry water at dawn and cook dinner at dusk. I run errands all morning and grind wheat at night. I wash the clothes when it's fine and hold an umbrella for my master when it's rainy. I take care of the heating stove in winter and keep cooling my master with a fan in summer. I boil white fungus for him late at night. I wait on him at his gambling table without ever getting a tip. Instead I sometimes get a good thrashing ..."

“可不是么！”他高興了。“可是做工是晝夜無休息的：清早擔(dān)水晚燒飯，上午跑街夜磨面，晴洗衣裳雨張傘，冬燒汽爐夏打扇。半夜要煨銀耳，侍候主人耍錢④；頭錢從來沒分，有時(shí)還挨皮鞭……”

Oh, dear! the wise man said with a sigh, the rims of his eyes looking somewhat red as if he were about to shed tears.

“唉唉……”聰明人嘆息著，眼圈有些發(fā)紅，似乎要下淚。

Sir! I can't put up with it any more. I've got to find a way out. But what can I do?...

“先生！我這樣是敷衍不下去的⑤。我總得另外想法子?？墒鞘裁捶ㄗ幽兀?hellip;…”

I'm sure you'll pull through sooner or later ...

“我想，你總會(huì)好起來……⑥”

Really? I hope so. But, sir, I already feel much better now as you've given me sympathy and encouragement after listening to my grievances. It's thus clear that Heaven always upholds justice ...

“是么？但愿如此?？墒俏覍?duì)先生訴了冤苦，又得你的同情和慰安，已經(jīng)舒坦得不少了?？梢娞炖頉]有滅絕……”

A few days later, however, he again began to grumble and look for somebody to listen to his complaints.

但是，不幾日，他又不平起來了，仍然尋人去訴苦。

Sir! he cried out tearfully. "You know, I live in a place even lousier than a pigsty. My master treats me like dirt. He treats his Pekinese ten thousand times better ..."

“先生！”他流著眼淚說，“你知道的。我住的簡(jiǎn)直比豬窠還不如。主人并不將我當(dāng)人⑦；他對(duì)他的叭兒狗還要好到幾萬倍……”

Damn it! the listener swore in such a loud voice as to make the slave start. This man was a fool.

“混賬！”那人大叫起來，使他吃驚了。那人是一個(gè)傻子。

Sir, I live in a run-down small hut which is wet, dingy, stinking and full of bedbugs. They bite me all over when I lie down to sleep. And the place doesn't even have a single window ...

“先生，我住的只是一間破小屋，又濕，又陰，滿是臭蟲，睡下去就咬得真可以⑧。穢氣沖著鼻子，四面又沒有一個(gè)窗……”

Why not ask your master to have a window made?

“你不會(huì)要你的主人開一個(gè)窗的么？”

How can I do that? ...

“這怎么行？……”

OK, you show me around!

“那么，你帶我去看去！”

As soon as they came to the slave's dwelling, the fool started to pound its mud wall.

傻子跟奴才到他屋外，動(dòng)手就砸那泥墻。

What the hell are you doing, sir? the slave yelled with alarm.

“先生！你干什么？”他大驚地說。

I'm trying to knock a hole to make a window for you.

“我給你打開一個(gè)窗洞來。”

No, you can't do that! The master will be mad at me!

“這不行！主人要罵的⑨！”

To hell with your master! The fool continued pounding away.

“管他呢！”他仍然砸。

Help! A robber is breaking down our house! Hurry up, or he'll knock a big hole in the wall! ... Sobbing and shouting at the top of his voice, the slave rolled round and round on the ground.

“來人呀！強(qiáng)盜在毀咱們的屋子了！快來呀！遲一點(diǎn)可要打出窟窿來了！……”他哭嚷著，在地上團(tuán)團(tuán)地打滾。

Thereupon, a whole troop of slaves arrived on the scene and drove away the fool.

一群奴才都出來了⑩，將傻子趕走。

The last one that came out unhurriedly on hearing the commotion was the master.

聽到了喊聲，慢慢地最后出來的是主人。

A robber came to smash up our house, the slave spoke respectfully and smugly. "I was the first to shout the alarm. We together drove him away."

“有強(qiáng)盜要來毀咱們的屋子，我首先叫喊起來，大家一同把他趕走了。”他恭敬而得勝地說?。

You did well, the master praised him.

“你不錯(cuò)。”主人這樣夸獎(jiǎng)他。

A great many people came that day to express their solicitude, among them the wise man.

這一天就來了許多慰問的人，聰明人也在內(nèi)。

Sir, I've just been praised by my master for my meritorious service, the slave said to the wise man very happily and hopefully. "I remember you said the other day that I would pull through sooner or later. So you're really a man of foresight ..."

“先生。這回因?yàn)槲矣泄?，主人夸?jiǎng)了我了。你先前說我總會(huì)好起來，實(shí)在是有先見之明……”他大有希望似的高興地說。

Oh, yeah ... replied the wise man as if he, too, were happy for the sake of the slave.

“可不是么……”聰明人也代為高興似的回答他。

《聰明人和傻子和奴才》是魯迅（1881—1936）寫于1925年12月的一篇短文，選自他的散文詩集《野草》。正如該書其他一些篇章，此文也以揭露和冷諷社會(huì)相為特點(diǎn)，刻畫聰明人的刁巧與奴才之不可救藥。