The Language of the Birds

In a certain city there was a merchant and his wife and their son, who was wise beyond his years; he was called Vasíli. Once all three were lunching together, and in a cage there was a Nightingale singing over the table, singing so woefully that the merchant could not bear it, and he said, “If there ever were a man who could really tell me what that Nightingale is saying and the doom he is foreboding, I should like to meet him: I would give him in my life half of my possessions, and after my death I would bequeath him many goods.”

从前在某座城市里，住着一个商人，还有他的妻子和儿子，这孩子聪慧过人，远超他的年纪，名叫瓦西里。有一天，一家三口正在一起用午饭，桌子上方笼子里的一只夜莺正在歌唱，唱得那样哀伤，商人实在听不下去了，便说道：“若真有人能告诉我这只夜莺究竟在唱些什么、预示着怎样的灾祸，我倒真想见见他：我愿在有生之年送他我一半的家产，死后再留给他许多财物。”

Then the little boy, who was only six years old, looked his father and mother fixedly in the eyes and said, “I know what the Nightingale is singing, only I am frightened of saying it.”

这时，那个只有六岁的小男孩，直直地盯着父母的眼睛说道：“我知道夜莺在唱什么，只是我害怕说出来。”

“Speak out openly,” said the mother and father.

“尽管明说吧，”父母齐声说道。

And then Vasíli said with tears, “The Nightingale is foretelling that a time and season is coming when you will be my servants, when father will draw me water and mother will give me the towel to wipe my face and hands.”

于是瓦西里含泪说道：“夜莺在预言，将来总有一天，你们会成为我的仆人，到那时父亲要为我打水，母亲要为我递毛巾擦脸擦手。”

These words made the merchant and his wife very angry, so they decided to get rid of their child; they built a little boat, and in the dark of night, put the sleeping boy into it and let it sail into the open sea.

这番话把商人和他的妻子气坏了，他们于是决定除掉这个孩子；他们造了一只小船，趁着夜色，把熟睡中的孩子放进船里，任它漂向茫茫大海。

Just then the prophetic Nightingale flew out of its cage into the boat and sat on the boy’s shoulder. Then the boat came to the seashore, and a ship came to meet it with all its sails spread. The master of the ship saw the boy, pitied him, adopted him, asked him questions, promised to keep and love him as if he were his own son.

正在这时，那只有预言之能的夜莺从笼子里飞了出来，飞进了小船，落在男孩的肩头上。小船漂到了海岸边，一艘扬帆而来的大船正好迎面驶来。船长看见了这孩子，心生怜悯，便收养了他，问他一些问题，还许诺要像疼爱亲生儿子一样疼爱他、照顾他。

Next day the boy said to his new father, “The Nightingale foretells that a storm is brewing which will break the masts and shatter the sails. You must go back to the haven.”

第二天，男孩对他的新父亲说：“夜莺预言，一场风暴就要来了，会打断桅杆，撕裂船帆。您必须马上返回港湾。”

But the master of the ship would not go. And a storm arose at once, and the masts were shattered, and the sails torn down. It was no good, what is ended cannot be mended, so new masts were built and new sails were rigged. And they sailed on further.

可是船长不肯回去。果然，风暴顷刻间就起来了，桅杆断了，船帆也被撕碎了。可事已至此，无可挽回，只得重新造起桅杆，重新挂上船帆，继续向前航行。

Again Vásya said, “The Nightingale sings that there are twelve ships coming to meet us, all pirate ships, and they will take us prisoner.”

瓦夏又说道：“夜莺唱道，前方有十二艘船正朝我们驶来，全是海盗船，他们会把我们抓去当俘虏。”

This time the master of the ship believed him, and returned to the island, and he saw the twelve bold pirates go sailing by. So the master of the ship waited as long as need be, and then sailed further.

这一回船长相信了他的话，便返回小岛，果然看见十二艘凶悍的海盗船扬帆而过。船长便耐心等到该等的时候，这才继续向前航行。

Some time went by, not too much, not too little, and the ship arrived at the city of Khvalynsk; and, for very many years, in front of the palace of the King of Khvalynsk, a Crow, with his wife and child, had been flying and screeching, giving no rest either by day or night. Whatever they did, whatever gins they might set, they could not drive them off from the window. Small shot was not any good. And so that King ordained that at every cross-road and at all the harbours this notice should be exhibited:

又过了些日子，不长也不短，大船终于抵达了赫瓦伦斯克城；多年以来，在赫瓦伦斯克国王的宫殿前，一只乌鸦带着妻儿终日盘旋鸣叫，昼夜不得安宁。无论他们想尽什么办法，设下什么机关，都赶不走窗前的这几只乌鸦。放枪打鸟也毫无用处。于是国王下令，在每个十字路口、每个港口都张贴出这样一张告示：

“IF ANY MAN CAN DRIVE AWAY THE CROW, WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILD, FROM THE ROYAL WINDOWS, THE KING WILL GRANT HIM AS A REWARD HALF OF HIS KINGDOM, AND HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER AS WIFE—BUT IF ANY SHALL UNDERTAKE THE WORK AND SHALL NOT FULFIL IT HE SHALL FORFEIT HIS HEAD.”

“若有人能将窗前的乌鸦连同其妻儿一并赶走，国王将以半壁江山作为赏赐，并将幼女许配给他为妻——但若有人应承此事却未能办成，便要献上自己的项上人头。”

Very many were the hunters eager to become kinsmen of the King, and all of their heads had been hewn off and hung on stakes.

有许多猎手都渴望成为国王的亲眷，纷纷前来一试身手，结果一个个都被砍下了脑袋，挂在木桩上示众。

Now Vasíli heard of this, went up and asked the master of the ship, “Let me go to the King; possibly I can chase away the Crow and his wife.”

瓦西里听闻此事，便走上前去，请求船长道：“请让我去见国王吧，说不定我能把那乌鸦和他的妻子赶走。”

They endeavoured to deter him, but failed. “Very well, go. And if you come by any harm, put the blame on yourself!”

众人极力劝阻，却都无济于事。“好吧，去吧。倘若你遭遇什么不测，那也怪不得旁人，只能怪你自己！”

So Vasíli came into the palace, told the King, and ordered the windows to be opened in front of which the Crows were flying. He then listened to what the birds were saying, and told the King, “Your Majesty, you see that there are three flying here, the Crow, Madam Crow, and Master Crow: the Crow is disputing with his wife as to which of them the son belongs, whether to the father or to the mother; and they are asking for a decision. Your Majesty, decide to whom it is the son belongs.”

于是瓦西里来到宫殿，禀告国王，请求打开乌鸦们盘旋的那扇窗户。他侧耳倾听那几只鸟儿在说些什么，随后禀告国王道：“陛下，您瞧，这里正飞着三只鸟儿：乌鸦先生、乌鸦夫人，还有小乌鸦。乌鸦先生正跟妻子争执，这个儿子究竟该归谁，是归父亲还是归母亲，他们正请求裁断呢。陛下，请您裁定这孩子该归谁。”

The King answered, “To the father.”

国王答道：“归父亲。”

As soon as the King had said this, the Crow with Master Crow sailed to the right, but Madam Crow to the left.

国王话音刚落，乌鸦先生便带着小乌鸦向右飞去，乌鸦夫人则向左飞去了。

After this the King took the youth unto himself, and he lived at the royal court and received the greatest kindness and honour, grew up and became a youth of youths, married the Princess, and received half of the kingdom as a dowry.

自此以后，国王便将这少年收留在身边，让他住在王宫之中，备受恩宠礼遇，渐渐长大成人，仪表堂堂，后来娶了公主为妻，还得了半壁江山作为嫁妆。

One day he thought he would like to journey to foreign parts and see strange lands, view the folks of the world, and show himself. So he set out to roam through the world. In one city he stayed for a night, passed the night there, got up in the morning and said he wished to wash. So the master brought him water and the mistress brought him the towel. The King’s son spoke with them, and then saw that they were his father and mother, wept for joy, and fell at the feet of his parents. Afterwards he took them with him to his own city of Khvalynsk, and they lived together long, and lived to enjoy good.

有一天，他忽然想到外邦游历一番，见识见识陌生的国度，看看世间的人们，也让世人见见自己。于是他便动身周游天下。途中他在一座城市里投宿一夜，第二天清晨起来，说想要洗漱。于是那家的主人给他端来了水，女主人给他递来了毛巾。国王的这位女婿与他们攀谈起来，这才发现他们竟是自己的父母，顿时喜极而泣，扑倒在父母膝前。此后，他便把父母接到自己的赫瓦伦斯克城中同住，一家人从此长长久久地生活在一起，安享天伦之乐。