双语格林童话:忠实的约翰 Faithful Johannes(2)
When the mourning was over, faithful Johannes said to the young king, "It is now time for you to see your inheritance. I will show you your father's castle." Then he took him everywhere, up and down, and let him see all the riches and the magnificent chambers. But there was one chamber which he did not open, the one that contained the dangerous portrait. Now the portrait was so placed that when the door was opened one looked straight at it. It was so masterfully painted that it seemed to live and breathe and to be the most charming beautiful thing in the whole world.
丧事办完以后,忠实的约翰对他的小主人说:「现在你应该看看你所继承的财产了,我带你去你父亲的宫殿里看看吧。」接着他引导小主人在王宫上上下下的各个地方都巡视了一遍,让他看过了所有的财富和豪华的房厅,唯独挂着图像的那间房子没有打开。因为,那里面挂着的画像只要门一打开就看得见。那画像画得实在是太美了,让人看了会有种呼之欲出的感觉,世界上再也没有甚么东西比画上的女子更可爱、更美丽了。
The young king noticed that faithful Johannes always walked past this one door, and said, "Why do you never open this one for me?"
年青的国王发现忠实的约翰总是直接走过这间房子,却并不打开房门,就问道:「你为甚么不打开这间房子呢?」
He replied, "There is something in there that would frighten you."
他回答说:「里面有会使你感到恐惧的东西。」
The king answered "I have seen the entire castle, and I want to know what is in this room as well." And he was about to break open the door by force.
但国王说:「我已把整个王宫看完了,也想知道这里面是甚么。」说完,他走上去用力要打开那扇房门。
Faithful Johannes held him back, saying, "I promised your father before his death that you should not see inside this chamber. It could bring great misfortune on you and on me."
可忠实的约翰拉着他的后背说:「在你父亲临终前我发过誓,无论如何也不能让你走进这间房子,否则你和我都会大难临头的。」
"Oh, no!" replied the young king. "If I do not go in, it will be my certain downfall. I shall have no rest day or night until I have seen inside with my own eyes. I shall not leave here until you have unlocked the door."
年青的国王固执地说道:「对我来说,最大的不幸就是不能进去看看,只要没有进去看,我就会日夜不得安宁,所以你不打开它,我就不走。」
Faithful Johannes saw that there was no other way. With a heavy heart and many sighs, he took the key from the large ring. After opening the door, he went in first, thinking that he could block king's view of the portrait, that the king would not see it in front of him. But what good did it do? The king stood on tiptoes and saw the portrait over faithful Johannes's shoulder. After seeing the girl's portrait, which was so magnificent and glistened with gold and precious stones, he fell unconscious to the ground.
忠实的约翰看到他再怎么劝说,年青的国王就是不肯离去,心里有了不祥的预感,沉重地歎了歎气,从一大串钥匙中找出一片钥匙,打开了这个房子的门。门一打开,约翰便先走了进去,站在了国王和画像之间,希望能挡着画像不让国王看见,但年青的国王却踮着脚尖从他的肩头看过去,一下子就看到了公主的肖像。目睹画上穿金戴银的少女如此美丽动人、娇艳妩媚的容貌,他心情激动极了,竟马上倒在楼板上昏了过去。
(编辑:joice)