3 The Porter’s Tale

CHAPTER 3 The Porter's Tale THE EIGHTH NIGHT The following night, when Scheherazade was in bed, her sister Dinarzad said, "Please, sister, tell us another one of your lovely tales." The king added, "Let it be even more amazing than the story of the demon and the fisherman."

第三章看门人的故事第八天晚上第二天晚上，谢赫拉扎德躺在床上，她的妹妹迪娜扎德说：“姐姐，请你再给我们讲一个你的可爱的故事吧。” 国王又说：“要比魔鬼和渔夫的故事更精彩。”

Scheherazade replied, "With the greatest pleasure!" I heard, O happy King, there once lived in the city of Baghdad a young man who worked as a porter, carrying goods and delivering them. One day he was standing in the market, leaning on his basket, when a woman came up to him. She wore a silk veil and a fine gold scarf. When she lifted her face, the young man saw that she had beautiful dark eyes. Then with a soft voice, she said "Porter, take your basket and follow me." The porter took his basket and hurried behind her, saying, "O lucky day, O happy day." She walked in front of him until she came to a house. When she knocked, an old woman came out and gave her a heavy jug. She placed the jug in the basket and said, "Porter, take your basket and follow me." The porter followed her to the fruit seller, where she bought red and yellow apples,

山鲁佐德回答说：“非常乐意！”我听说，快乐的国王啊，从前在巴格达城里住着一个年轻人，他是一个搬运工，负责搬运货物和送货。 一天，他站在市场上，靠着他的篮子，这时一个女人向他走来。 她戴着丝绸面纱，围着一条精美的金围巾。 当她抬起脸时，年轻人看到她有一双美丽的黑眼睛。 然后，她温柔地说：“搬运工，拿着你的篮子跟我走。” 看门人提着篮子匆匆跟在她后面，说：“啊，幸运的一天，快乐的一天。” 她走在他前面，一直走到一所房子前。 当她敲门时，一个老妇人走了出来，给了她一个沉重的罐子。 她把罐子放在篮子里，说：“搬运工，拿着你的篮子跟我来。” 搬运工跟着她来到卖水果的地方，她在那里买了红苹果和黄苹果，

peaches, lemons, and oranges. She put all of this into the porter's basket and asked him to follow her. He did, crying, "O lucky day, O happy day." Then she stopped at the butcher's and ordered ten pounds of fresh lamb. She placed this in the basket and said, "Porter, follow me." The porter marveled at all the wonderful things she was buying. Then he placed his basket on his head and followed her to the grocer's, to the bakery, and to the drugstore. She put all of her goods in the basket, turned to the porter, and said, "Take your basket and follow me." The porter carried the basket and walked behind her until she got to a large house with great pillars and a double door covered with ivory and shining gold. The woman stopped at the door and knocked softly. But morning drew near Scheherazade, and she fell silent. Dinarzad said to her sister, "Sister, what a strange and amazing story!" Scheherazade replied, "This is nothing

桃子，柠檬和橙子。 她把所有这些都放进看门人的篮子里，让他跟她走。 他照做了，哭着说：“啊，幸运的一天，快乐的一天。” 然后她在肉店前停了下来，点了十磅新鲜羊肉。 她把这个放在篮子里，说：“搬运工，跟我来。” 搬运工对她买的那些好东西感到惊奇。 然后他把篮子顶在头上，跟着她去了杂货店、面包店和药店。 她把所有的东西都放在篮子里，转身对看门人说：“拿着你的篮子跟我走。” 看门人提着篮子跟在她后面，一直走到一幢大房子前，房子里有几根大柱子，有一扇双层门，门上镶着象牙和闪闪发光的金子。 女人在门口停了下来，轻轻地敲了敲门。 可是，天快亮了，舍赫拉扎德沉默了。 迪娜扎德对妹妹说：“姐姐，这真是一个奇怪而神奇的故事！”山鲁佐德回答说：“这没什么

compared with what I will tell you tomorrow." THE NINTH NIGHT The following night, when Scheherazade was in bed, her sister Dinarzad said, "Please, sister, tell us another of your amazing tales." The king added, "Let it be the end of the porter's story." Scheherazade replied, "With the greatest pleasure!" I heard, O happy King, that as the porter stood with the basket, the door swung open. The porter looked to see who opened the door, and there was another beautiful woman, with a high forehead like the new moon and teeth as white as a row of pearls. When the porter saw her, he cried, "I have never seen a more blessed day than this!" Then

和我明天要告诉你的事情比起来。” 第九个晚上第二天晚上，谢赫拉扎德躺在床上，她的妹妹迪娜扎德说：“姐姐，请你再给我们讲一个你的神奇故事吧。” 国王又说：“就让守门人的故事到此为止吧。” 山鲁佐德回答说：“非常乐意！”快乐的国王啊，我听说，当看门人提着篮子站在那里时，门开了。 看门人看了看是谁打开了门，又来了一个美丽的女人，额头高得像新月，牙齿白得像一排珍珠。 当看门人看到她时，他叫道：“我从来没有见过比今天更幸福的日子！”然后

the woman who had opened the door said to the one who had done the shopping, "Sister, what are you waiting for? Come in and let this poor man put down his basket." The shopper and the porter went in, and the doorkeeper followed them into a grand hall. In the middle stood a large pool of water with a fountain in the center, and at the end was a curtain of red silk. The curtain was pulled open, and from behind it came another dazzling woman with a face brighter than the sun. She walked over to them and said, "Why are you standing? Take the load off this poor man." The three sisters helped the porter lift the basket down and empty it out. They stacked everything in neat piles and gave the porter a tip. When the porter saw how charming and beautiful the women were and the many goods they had stacked around them, he did not want to leave. One of the women asked him, "Why don't you go? Is your tip too little?" Then she turned to

开门的女人对买东西的人说：“姐姐，你还在等什么？” 进来，让这个可怜的人放下他的篮子。” 顾客和搬运工走了进去，看门人跟着他们走进了一个大厅。 中间有一个大水池，水池的中央有一个喷泉，水池的尽头有一幅红色的绸帘。 帘子拉开了，从帘子后面走出来另一个光彩夺目的女人，她的脸比太阳还亮。 她走过去对他们说：“你们为什么站着？ 减轻这个可怜人的负担吧。” 三姐妹帮助搬运工把篮子拿下来，倒空了。 他们把所有东西整齐地堆放起来，给了搬运工小费。 当看门人看到这些女人是如此迷人和美丽，以及她们周围堆放的许多货物时，他不想离开。 其中一个女人问他：“你为什么不去？” 你的小费太少了吗？”然后她转向

her sister and said, "Give him more money." The porter replied, "By God, the money is not too little, but I notice there is no one here to entertain you. A table needs four legs to stand on, and you being three, surely you need a fourth." When the women heard what he said, they replied, "You are very welcome to join us." Then the three sisters set out all kinds of food and drink by the pool. The porter thought he was in dream. The porter and the women ate and drank and sang, then ate and drank and sang some more. The porter was full of joy. He began dancing and joking, and the three sisters began dancing and joking with him. They passed many hours like this, eating and singing and playing. But morning drew near Scheherazade, and she fell silent. Dinarzad said to her sister, "Sister, what a strange and lovely story!" Scheherazade replied, "This is nothing compared with what I will tell you tomorrow, if I am still alive."

她说：“给他更多的钱。” 看门人回答说：“天哪，钱还不算少，但我注意到这里没有人招待你。 一张桌子需要四条腿来支撑，你们三个人，肯定还需要第四条。” 妇女们听了这话，就回答说：“非常欢迎你加入我们。” 然后三姐妹在池塘边摆上了各种各样的食物和饮料。 看门人以为他是在做梦。 搬运工和女人们又吃又喝又唱，然后又吃又喝又唱。 看门人满心欢喜。 他开始又跳又开玩笑，三姐妹也跟着他又跳又开玩笑。 他们就这样度过了许多个小时，吃着、唱着、玩着。 可是，天快亮了，舍赫拉扎德沉默了。 迪娜扎德对妹妹说：“姐姐，这是一个多么奇怪而又可爱的故事啊！”山鲁佐德回答说：“如果明天我还活着的话，我要对你说的话，跟我说的比起来，这根本不算什么。”