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It was winter and the chill was bitter on the Mount of Olives.
時已冬季，橄欖山上寒風凜冽。
From Jerusalem, across the narrow cleft of the Kidron Valley,
耶路撒冷廟堂里
came the smell of smoke,
傳來一股燒香熏煙的氣味，
incense, and binning flesh from the Temple and its foulness mixed
焚燒尸體時發(fā)出的臭味，
with the turpentine odor of terebinth trees on the mountain.
以及山上樹林里松脂的清香，混雜在一起，穿過金倫山谷，裊裊飄來。
On an open slope, only a short descent from the village of Bethpage,
離貝斯村不遠的斜坡上，
slumbered the immense trade caravan of Pathros of Palmyra.
歇息著帕爾邁拉島的柏薩羅商隊。
The hour was late
夜深了，
and even the great merchant's favorite stallion had ceased munching on the low pistachio bushes
主人最寵愛的種馬也不再咀嚼低矮的阿月渾子樹叢，
and settled down against a soft hedge of laurel
靠在月桂樹旁，安靜下來。
Beyond the long row of silent tents,
長長的一列帳篷旁，
strands of thick hemp curled around four ancient olive trees.
粗大的麻繩圍住四棵古老的橄欖樹，
They formed a square corral
麻繩圍的圈里面可以看見
enclosing shapeless forms of camels and asses huddled together
駱駝和騾子擠在一起，
to draw warmth from each other’s body.
互相取暖。
Except for two guards, patrolling near the baggage wagons,
除了兩個警衛(wèi)來回巡邏外，
the only movement in the camp
方圓一片寂靜，
was the tall and moving shadow outlined against the goafs hair wall of Pathros' great tent.
只有柏薩羅的帳篷現(xiàn)出走動的人影。
Inside, Pathros paced angrily back and forth,
帳篷里，柏薩羅面帶慍色，來回踱著步子，
pausing occasionally to frown
時而皺眉，
and shake his head at the youth
時而搖頭。
kneeling timidly near the tent opening.
看著跪在門邊的那個怯生生的少年
Finally he lowered his ailing body to the gold-woven rug
最后，他在金縷交織的地毯上坐下來。
and beckoned the lad to move closer.
招手示意少年過來。
"Hafid, you have always been as my own.
“海菲，我一直當你是自己的親生兒子。
I am perplexed and puzzled by your strange request
我不明白你怎么會提出這種奇怪的要求。
Are you not content with your work?"
你對現(xiàn)在干的活兒不滿意嗎?”
The boy's eyes were fixed on the rug.
少年眼望地毯說道，
"No sire."
“不是，老爺。”
"Perhaps the ever increasing size of our caravans has made your task of tending to all our animals too great?"
“是不是篷車多了，你喂養(yǎng)不了那么多駱駝?
"No, sire."
“也不是，老爺。”
"Then kindly repeat your request.
“那么，再把你的請求說一遍吧，
Include also, in thy words,
慢慢地說，
the reasoning behind such an unusual request."
告訴我你的理由。”
