巴斯妇的故事.docx

巴斯妇的故事.docx

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巴斯妇的故事

（TheWifeofBath’sTale）

Intheolddays,thedaysofKingArthur10,

HewhomtheBritonsholdingreathonour,

Allofthislandwasfullofmagicthen.

Andwithherjoyouscompanytheelf-queen

Dancedmanyatimeonmanyagreenmead.

Thatwastheoldbelief,asifhaveread:

Ispeakofmanyhundredyearsago.

Butnowelvescanbeseenbymennomore,

FornowtheChristiancharityandprayers

Oflimiters11andothersaintlyfriars12

Whohaunteachnookandcorner,fieldandstream,

Thickasthemotesofdustinasunbeam,

Blessingthebedrooms,kitchens,halls,andbowers,

Citiesandtowns,castlesandhightowers,

Villages,barns,cattle-shedsanddairies,

Haveseentoitthattherearenownofairies.

Thoseplaceswhereyouoncewouldseeanelf

Areplaceswherethelimiterhimself

Walksintheafternoonsandearlymornings,

Singinghisholyofficesandmartins,

Whilegoingontheroundsofhisdistrict.

Womenmaynowgosafelywheretheylike:

Ineverybush,andundereverytree,

They’llfindnoothersatyr13therebuthe:

Andhe’lldonothingworsethantaketheirhonour.

NowitsohappenedthatthisKingArthur

Hadinhiscourtaboldknight-bachelor

Whoonedaywashawkingbytheriver,

Anditsochanced,ashewasridinghome,

Hemetamaidenwalkingallalone,

Andthereupon,thoughshefoughtlongandhard,

Theknighttookbymainforcehermaidenhood;

Andthisoutrageoccasionedagreatstir,

SomuchpetitioningofKingArthur,

Thattheknightwas,induecourseoflaw,

Condemnedtodeath,andwouldhavelosthishead

Accordingtothelawasitthenstood,

Hadnotthequeenandmanyanotherlady

Importunedthekingsolongformercy

Thatintheendhegrantedhimhislife

Andgavehimtothequeentodisposeof:

Eithertoexecute,orsparehislife.

Thequeengavethekingthankswithallherheart,

Andsometimeafterwardsspoketotheknight

Onedaywhenshesawopportunity:

‘Yourfateisinthebalancestill,’saidshe,

‘Youcannotyetbecertainofyourlife,

Butyoushallliveifyoucananswerme,

Whatisthethingthatwomenmostdesire?

Yourneckisforfeittotheaxe—beware!

Andifyoucannottellmehereandnow

Ishall,however,giveyouleavetogo

Atwelvemonthandaday,toseekandfind

Ananswerthatwillsatisfymymind.

Andyoumustpledge,beforeyoucandepart,

Dulytoyieldyourselfupinthiscourt.’

Sadwastheknight;sorrowfullyhesighed;

Butthere!

It’snotasifhe’danychoice.

Andsoatlonglasthemadeuphismind

Togo,andtocomebackattheyear’send,

Withwhateveranswerheavenmightprovide;

Andsohetookhisleave,andoffherode.

Hevisitedeveryhouse,andeveryspot

Wherehemighthavethelucktofindoutwhat

Thethingisthatwewomenmostdesire;

Butcouldfindinnocountryanywhere

Twopeopletoagreewithoneanother

Uponthissubject.

巴斯妇人插叙Somesaidwelovebest

Richesandwealth;andotherssaid,honour;

Somesaiditisthepleasuresofthebed,

Andtobeoftenwidowed,oftenwed.

Andotherssaidwe’rehappiestatheart

Whencomplimentedandwellcosseted14.

Whichisprettynearthetruth,andthat’snolie.

Amancanwinusbestbyflattery;

Andwithattentiveness,assiduity15,

We’reensnared,oneandall.

Somesaythatwe

Lovebesttohaveourownwayandbefree,

Tohavenoonereproveusforourfollies,

Butsayhowwiseweare,howfarfromfoolish.

Ifsomeonetouchesonatenderspot,

Thereisn’toneofus—indeedthere’snot—

Whowon’tkick,justforbeingtoldthetruth!

Justtryit,andyou’llfindoutsoonenough.

Howeverfaultywemaybewithin,

Wewanttobethoughtwise,andfreefromsin.

Andotherssaythatwetakegreatdelight

Inbeingthoughtdependableanddiscreet,

Abletoholdsteadfastlytoonepurpose,

Neverrevealingwhatapersontellsus.

Asforthatnotion,it’snotworthabutton,

Becausewewomencankeepnothinghidden.

WitnessKingMidas16—wouldyouhearofhim?

Ovid17,amongsomeothertrifles,said

ThatunderhislonghairKingMidashad

Twoasses’earsgrowinguponhishead,

Whichblemishhekepthid,asbesthemight,

Mostartfullyfromeverybody’ssight,

Sothat,butforhiswife,noneknewofit.

Aboveallthingshelovedandtrustedher;

Andheimploredhernevertomakemention

Ofhisdeformitytoanyone.

No,notforanythingintheworld,sheswore,

Wouldshedosuchameanandsinfulthing,

Andbringdiscredittoherhusband’sname.

Ifonlyforhershame’ssake,she’dnottell.

Butnonetheless,shethoughtthatshewoulddie

Ifshehadtokeepasecretforsolong;

Sohardagainstherheartitseemedtoswell,

Thatshemustspeakorburst;tillfinally

Asshedaredtellthesecrettonoman,

Downtoamarshclosebyherhomesheran—

Tillshegotthere,herheartwasallafire—

And,likeabitternwhenitmakesitsboom,

Placinghermouthbeneaththewater’ssurface,

‘Donotbetrayme,water,withyournoise,’

Saidshe,‘toyouItellit,nooneelse:

Myhusbandhasgottwolongasses’ears!

Ifeeleversomuchbetternowit’sout.

Icouldn’tkeepitinanotherminute!

’

Whichshowsthatthoughwemayholdonabit,

Yetoutitmust;wecankeepnothingsecret.

Ifyou’dliketoheartheendingofthistale,

ReadOvid’sbook:

andthereyou’llfinditall.以上讲MIDAS的故事

Nowwhentheknight,thesubjectofmystory,

Foundthathewasnonearerthediscovery

Ofwhatitisthatwomenlovethebest,

Howheavywastheheartwithinhisbreast!

Andhomehewent,forhecouldnotremain;

Thedaywascomewhenhehadtoreturn.

Onhiswayhomeithappenedthatherode,

Muchtroubled,bythebordersofawood

Wherehe,allofasudden,caughtaglimpse

Offour-and-twentyladiesinadance;

Andeagerlydrewnearer,onthechance

Thathewouldhearofsomethinghecoulduse.

Loandbehold!

Beforehequitegotthere,

Thedancevanished,hecouldnottellwhere.

Nolivingcreaturewastheretobeseen

Saveforawomansittingonthegreen—

Youcouldn’timagineanuglier.

Attheknight’scoming,thisoldwomanrose.

‘There’snoroadonfromhere,SirKnight,’shesays,

‘Buttellmewhatyou’relookingfor.Whoknows,

You’lldoyourselfagoodturn,itmaybe;

Weoldfolksknowsomanythings,’saysshe.

‘Mydeargoodmother,’saidtheknight,‘forsure,

Iamasgoodasdead,ifIcan’ttell

Whatthethingisthatwomenmostdesire.

Ifyoucouldtellmethat,I’dpayyouwell.’

‘Putyourhandinmineandpledgeyourword,’saidshe,

‘ThatyouwilldothefirstthingIrequire

Ofyou,sobethatitliesinyourpower,

AndIshalltellittoyoubeforenight.’

‘Agreed:

youhavemypromise,’saidtheknight.

‘Then,’saidshe,‘I’llgosofarastosay

Yourlifeissafe:

forIwillstakemyhead

ThatwhatIsayiswhatthequeenwillsay.

Nowlet’sseeiftheproudestofthemall

Thatwearsaheadkerchieforjeweledsnood

Willhavethefacetodenyorrefute

WhatI’llteachyou.Saynomore;let’sgoon.’

Then,whisperingafewwordsinhisear,

Shetoldhimtocheerupandhavenofear.

Theknight,onhisarrivalatthecourt,

Saidhehadkept,accordingtohisword,

Hisday,andthathehadhisanswerready.

Manyamaiden,manyanoblelady,

Andmanyawidow（widowsaresowise）,

Thequeenherselfinthechairofjustice,

Hadallassembledinthecourttohear;

Andthentheknightwasorderedtoappear.

Allwerecommandedtoobservesilence,

Andtheknighttotell,informalaudience,

Whatitismortalwomenlovethemost.

Insteadofstandingtheredumbasanox,

Theknightresolvedtheriddlethereandthen

Inringingtones,sothewholecourtheardhim:

‘Ingeneral,myliegelady,’hebegan,

‘Womendesiretohavedominion

Overtheirhusbands,andtheirloverstoo;

Theywanttohavemasteryoverthem.

That’swhatyoumostdesire—evenifmylife

Isforfeit.Iamhere;dowhatyoulike.’

Inthewholecourttherewasnowifenormaid

Norwidowwho’dcontradictwhathesaid,

Butalldeclaredthathedeservedhislife.

Uponthis,theoldwomanwhomtheknight

Encounteredsittingontheforestgreen,

Jumpedupandcried:

‘Mysovereignladyqueen,

Beforethecourtdisperses,domeright!

ItwasIwhotaughthisanswertotheknight.

Forwhichhegavehispromiseonthespot

ThathewoulddothefirstthingthatIasked,

Ifsobethatitlaywithinhismight.

AndsobeforethecourtIask,SirKnight,’

Saidshe,‘thatyoutakemetobeyourwife.

ForwellyouknowthatIhavesavedyourlife.

Ifthisbefalse,denyituponoath!

’

‘Alas!

’repliedtheknight,‘alack,alas!

Iknowtoowellthatsuchwasmypromise.

SofortheloveofGod,choosesomethingelse!

Takeallmygoodsandletmybodygo.’

‘Never!

AcurseonusbothifIdo!

ForthoughImaybeugly,oldandpoor,

I’dnot,forallthegoldandmetalore

That’sburiedunderground,orliesabove,

Beotherthanyourwife,andyourtruelove!

’

‘Mylove?

’criedhe.‘Youmeanmydamnation!

Alas!

Thateveranyofmyfamily

Shouldundergosuchfouldegradation!

’

Butitwasallfornothing;finally

Hewascompelledtoseeheneedsmustwed;

And,takinghisagedwife,goesofftobed.

Nowsomeofyouwillsayofme,perhaps,

ThatIdon’ttrouble,outoflaziness,

Totellofallthegaietyandjoy

Seenatthefeatuponthatmarriage-day:

TowhichI’llgiveashortandsimpleanswer,

Therewasnofeastingandnofunwhatever,

Nothingatallbutmiseryandmourning,

Forhemarriedherinsecretinthemorning,

Andallthatdayhidhimselflikeanowl,

Mopingbecausehisnewwifelookedsofoul.

Andnowwhatbitterthoughtsoppressedknight

Whenhewasbroughttobedwithhisagedwife!

Hetossedandtwistedbackandforth,thewhile

Hiswifelaythereandneverceasedtosmile,

Butsaid,‘Mydearesthusband!

Blessme!

Do

Allk