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He rushed through the opening in the limestone ready to overcome
想到這兒，他加快了腳步，
the criminal and recover his possessions.
一個箭步?jīng)_進了洞口。
Instead, the tenseness immediately left his body
誰知眼前的畫面倒讓他松了口氣，
at the sight that confronted him.
擒賊的念頭化為烏有。
A small candle, forced between a cleft in the cave wall,
一支蠟燭勉強插在石壁的縫隙中。
shone faintly on a bearded man
微弱的燭光下，
and a young woman huddled closely together.
一個滿臉胡子的男人和一個年輕女人緊緊靠在一起。
At their feet, in a hollowed-out stone that usually held cattle fodder,
他們腳邊放草料的石槽里，
slept an infant.
睡著一個嬰兒。
Hafid knew little of such things
海菲雖然不大懂，
but he sensed that the baby was newborn
不過由嬰兒皺巴巴的深紅膚色看來，
from the child's wrinkled and crimson skin.
這孩子才生下來不久，
To protect the sleeping infant from the cold,
年輕夫婦伯嬰兒受涼，
both the man's and the woman's cloaks
兩個人身上的斗篷全蓋在他身上，
covered all but the small head.
只露出睡得香甜的小臉蛋。
The man nodded in Hafid's direction
男人朝海菲點了點頭，
while the woman moved closer to the child.
一旁的女人挪動了一下身子，靠近旁邊的孩子。
No one spoke.
沒人說話。
Then the woman trembled and Hafid saw that her thin garment
海菲注意到女人在瑟瑟發(fā)抖，
offered little protection against the dampness of the cave.
這才發(fā)現(xiàn)她衣衫單薄，難以抵御洞里的濕寒，
Hafid looked again at the infant.
他又看了看孩子，
He watched, fascinated,
看著看著
as the small mouth opened and closed,
他的小嘴一張一象，
almost in a smile,
好像在對他笑。
and a strange sensation passed through him.
看著看著，一種奇妙的感覺流人海菲體內(nèi)，
For some unknown reason he thought of Lisha.
也不曉得為什么，他突然想起麗莎。
The woman trembled again from the cold
女人又在發(fā)抖，
and her sudden movement returned Hafid from his daydreaming.
把他從夢中拉了回來。
After painful moments of indecision
就這樣，經(jīng)過一番痛苦掙扎，
the would- be seller of goods walked to his animal
這個未來的大企業(yè)家，
He carefully untied the knots,
走到驢子面前，
opened his pack,
小心地解開包裹，
and withdrew the robe.
取出袍子。
He unrolled it and rubbed his hands, over the material
他把它展開，愛惜地撫摩著它。
The red dye glowed in the candlelight
袍子的紅色在燭光下像燃燒的火。
and he could see the mark of Pathros
他看到袍子上繡著的兩個公司的標志：
and the mark of Tola on its underside.
方框框里一個圓圈，
The circle in the square and the star.
還有一顆小星星。
How many times had he held this robe in his tired arms in the past three days?
三天來，這袍子在他累得酸痛手臂上不知掛過多少次了，
It seemed as if he knew every weave and fiber of it.
他甚至認得出袍子上的每一根纖維。
This was indeed a robe of quality.
這確是一襲上等長袍，
With care it would last a lifetime.
小心保養(yǎng)的話，可以穿上一輩子。
Hafid closed his eyes and sighed.
海菲閉上眼睛，嘆了口氣。
Then he walked swiftly toward the small family,
然后，他快步走向眼前的小家庭，
knelt on the straw beside the infant,
在孩子身邊的稻草上跪下來，
and gently removed
輕輕地
first the father's tattered cloak
把蓋在他身上的破斗篷拿開，
and then the mother's from the manger. He handed each back to its owner.
還給了孩子的父母
Both were too shocked at Hafid's boldness to react
這對夫婦對海菲自作主張的舉動不知所措，
Then Hafid opened his precious red robe
看著他張開珍愛的紅袍子，
and wrapped it gently around the sleeping child.
充滿柔情地包在熟睡的嬰兒身上。
Moisture from the young mother's kiss
孩子母親
was still on Hafid's cheek
在他臉上留下的親吻還濕著的時候。
as he led his animal out of the cave.
海菲便牽著他的小驢，走出了洞穴。
Directly above him
在他頭頂正上方的夜空中，
was the brightest star Hafid had ever seen.
高掛著一顆明亮的星星，他從未見過這么亮的星星。
He stared up at it until his eyes filled with tears
他目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地望著它，直到眼眶盈滿了淚水，
and then he headed his animal through the path that led toward the main road
才騎著小驢，
back to Jerusalem and the caravan on the mountain.
踏上耶路撒冷的歸途。
