1 The Tale of the Merchant and His Wife

CHAPTER 1 The Tale of the Merchant and His Wife THE FIRST NIGHT It is said, O wise and happy King, that there once was a rich merchant who planned a visit to another country. He filled his bags with bread and dates and mounted his horse. For many nights, he traveled under God's care until he

第一章商人和他妻子的故事第一个晚上据说，聪明而快乐的国王啊，从前有一个富有的商人，他打算到另一个国家去旅行。 他把袋子装满面包和枣子，骑上马。 许多个夜晚，他在上帝的照顾下旅行，直到他

reached his destination. When his visit was finished, he turned for home. He traveled for three days, and on the fourth day he found an orchard and went in to shade himself from the sun. He sat by a stream under a walnut tree, pulled out some loaves of bread and a handful of dates, and began to eat, throwing the date pits right and left until he'd had enough. Then he got up and said his prayers. He had hardly finished when he saw an old demon before him with a sword in his hand, standing with his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds. The demon screamed, "Get up, so that I may kill you with this sword, just as you have killed my son." The merchant was scared. He said, "By God, I did not kill your son. How could that have been?" The demon said, "Didn't you sit down, take out some dates from your bag, and eat, throwing the pits about you?" The merchant replied, "Yes, I did." The demon said, "As you

到达了目的地。访问结束后，他转身回家。 他走了三天，第四天他发现了一个果园，就走进去遮阳。 他坐在一棵核桃树下的小溪边，拿出几条面包和一把枣，开始吃起来，把枣核扔来扔去，直到吃饱为止。 然后他站起来做了祷告。 他还没说完，就看见一个老恶魔站在他面前，手里拿着一把剑，脚踩在地上，头伸在云里。 鬼就喊叫说、起来、我用这刀杀了你、像你杀了我的儿子一样。 商人吓坏了。他说：“以上帝的名义起誓，我没有杀你的儿子。 这怎么可能呢？”魔鬼说：“你没有坐下来，从你的口袋里拿出枣来吃，把核扔在你的周围吗？”商人回答说：“是的。” 魔鬼说：“和你一样

were throwing the pits, my son happened to be walking by and was struck and killed by one of them, and I must now kill you." The merchant said, "O my lord, please don't kill me." The demon replied, "By God, I must kill you, as you killed my son." The merchant said, "If I killed him, I did it by mistake. Please forgive me." The demon replied, "I must kill you," and he seized the merchant and threw him to the ground. The merchant began to weep for his wife and children. The demon raised his sword while the merchant was drenched in tears, saying, "There is no power or strength, save in God the Mighty." But morning drew near at this point in the story, and Scheherazade fell silent, leaving King Shahryar burning to hear the rest of the tale. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, "What a strange and lovely story!" Scheherazade replied, "This is nothing compared with what I will tell

我的儿子碰巧经过，被其中一个坑打死了，现在我必须杀了你。” 商人说：“哦，我的主人，请不要杀我。” 鬼回答说、我指着神起誓、我必要杀你、像你杀我儿子一样。 商人说：“如果我杀了他，那也是我的错。 请原谅我。”魔鬼回答说：“我必须杀了你。”就抓住那商人，把他摔在地上。 商人开始为他的妻子和孩子们哭泣。 恶魔举起剑，商人泪流满面，恶魔说：“除了万能的上帝，没有任何力量。” 故事讲到这里，天快亮了，沙赫拉扎德沉默了，留下沙赫拉亚尔国王等着听剩下的故事。 迪娜扎德对妹妹说：“这是一个多么奇怪而又可爱的故事啊！”山鲁佐德回答说：“这跟我要说的比起来根本不算什么

you tomorrow night, if the king spares me and lets me live. It will be even better and more entertaining." The king thought, "I will spare her until I hear the rest of the story. Then I will have her put to death the next day." THE SECOND NIGHT King Shahryar worked all the next day and returned home at night to Scheherazade. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, "Please, sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little stories." The king added, "Let it be the end of the story of the demon and the merchant." Scheherazade replied, "With the greatest pleasure, dear, happy King." It is said, O wise and happy King, that when the demon raised his sword, the merchant begged the

如果国王饶了我，让我活下去。 它会更好，更有趣。” 国王想：“我还是饶了她吧，等我把故事讲完再说。 明日我就叫人把她治死。” 第二天晚上沙赫拉亚尔国王工作了一整天，晚上回到沙赫拉扎德的家。 迪娜扎德对妹妹说：“姐姐，如果你不困，请给我们讲一个可爱的小故事吧。” 国王又说：“让恶魔和商人的故事就此结束吧。” 山鲁佐德回答说：“非常高兴，亲爱的，快乐的国王。” 据说，聪明而快乐的国王啊，当恶魔举起他的剑时，商人请求

demon, "Please let me say good-bye to my family, and my wife and children, before you kill me." The demon asked, "Do you swear to God that if I let you go, you will come back one year from this day?" The merchant replied, "Yes, I swear to God." After the merchant swore this, the demon let him go, and he mounted his horse and went on his way. He finally reached his home and came to his wife and children. When he saw them, he wept bitterly. His wife asked him, "Husband, what is the matter with you? Why are you sad when we are happy, celebrating your return?" He replied, "Why not be sad when I have only one year to live?" Then he told her everything that had happened with the demon. When his family heard what he said, they began to cry. It was a day of sadness as all the children gathered around their father. The merchant spent the rest of the year this way. Then he said his prayers and bid his family good

恶魔说：“在你杀我之前，请让我跟我的家人、妻子和孩子道别吧。” 魔鬼问：“你能向上帝发誓，如果我让你去，一年后你会再来吗？”商人回答说：“是的，我向上帝发誓。” 商人骂了这句话后，魔鬼放了他，他骑上马上路了。 他终于回到了家，来到了他的妻子和孩子们身边。 他看见他们，就痛哭起来。 妻子问他说：“丈夫，你怎么啦？” 我们在高兴地庆祝你的归来，你为什么不高兴呢？”他回答说：“我的生命只有一年了，为什么不悲伤呢？”耶稣就把鬼所发生的事都告诉了她。 当他的家人听到他的话时，他们开始哭了起来。 这是一个悲伤的日子，因为所有的孩子都聚集在他们的父亲身边。 商人就这样度过了这一年剩下的时间。 然后他做了祷告，祝家人平安

bye. His sons hung around his neck, his daughters wept, and his wife wailed. He said to them, "Children, this is God's will." He turned away, got on his horse, and traveled until he reached the orchard. He sat at the place where he had eaten the dates, waiting with tearful eyes for the demon. As he waited, an old man, leading two dogs on a leash, approached and greeted him, and he returned the greeting. The old man asked, "Friend, why do you sit here in this place full of demons and devils? For in this haunted orchard, there is only sorrow." The merchant told him everything that had happened with the demon. The old man was amazed at the tale and said, "Your promise to return here is a brave one. By God, I will not leave you until I see what happens with the demon." Then he sat down beside him and they chatted. But morning drew near Scheherazade, and she

再见。他的儿子们围着他的脖子，他的女儿们哭了，他的妻子也哭了。 耶稣对他们说、孩子们、这是神的旨意。 他转过身，骑上马，一直走到果园。 他坐在吃枣子的地方，含泪等待魔鬼的到来。 就在他等待的时候，一位老人牵着两条拴着的狗向他走来打招呼，他也打招呼了。 老人问：“朋友，你为什么坐在这满是妖魔鬼怪的地方？ 因为在这闹鬼的果园里，只有悲伤。” 商人把发生在恶魔身上的一切都告诉了他。 老人听了这个故事很惊讶，说：“你答应要回到这里来，这是一个勇敢的承诺。 我指着神起誓，我总不离开你，直到我看见鬼怎样行。” 然后他坐在他旁边，他们聊了起来。 可是天快亮了，舍赫拉扎德，她