評論
打印
Hafid flinched.
海菲欲言又止，
'This night I shall never forget either, master."
終于還是說道：“我也永遠不會忘記今夜，老爺。”
"Oh, ho, then something did indeed happen this evening.
“喔，那一定是發生過什么事了。
How is it that you returned at such a late hour?"
你怎么這么晚趕回來呢？”
Hafid was silent as the old man turned and prodded at the pack on Hafids mule.
海菲一言不發地看著主人檢查著他的行李。
"It is empty! Success at last.
“空了。終于成功了！
Come into my tent and tell me of your experiences.
來，好好把這次的經歷跟我說說。
Since the gods have turned night into day I cannot sleep
看來今晚睡不成是天意了。
and perhaps your words will furnish some clue
你就好好地講給我聽，說不定我可以聽出些眉目來，
as to why a star should follow a camel boy."
看看這顆星星為什么跟著一個喂駱駝的男孩。”
Pathros reclined on his cot
柏薩羅斜靠在帆布床上，
and listened with closed eyes to Hafid's long tale of endless refusals,
閉著眼睛傾聽海菲描述
rebuffs, and insults which had been encountered in Bethlehem.
在伯利恒遇到的無數次拒絕、挫折和侮辱。
Occasionally he would nod
他點了點頭
as when Hafid described the pottery merchant who had thrown him bodily from his shop
當聽到有個陶器店老板連推帶搡地把海菲攆出店門時，
and he smiled when told of the Roman soldier
老人微微一笑當
who had flung the robe back in Hafid's face
聽到由于海菲不肯降價，
when the young seller had refused to reduce his price.
那些羅馬士兵把袍子扔到他臉上時，
Finally Hafid, his voice hoarse and muffled,
最后，海菲的聲音都說啞了，
was describing all the doubts that had beset him in the inn this very evening.
終于說到傍晚在客棧里的種種疑慮。
Pathros interrupted him,
柏薩羅打斷他的話，
"Hafid, as well as you can recall,
“海菲，盡量說詳細些，
relate to me every doubt that passed through your mind as you sat feeling sorry for yourself."
你坐在客棧里，心灰意冷的時候，心里有哪些疑慮來著？”
When Hafid had named them all to the best of his recollection,
海菲盡量把想得起來的都說了一遍。
the old man asked,
老人又道：
"Now, what thought finally entered your mind
“好，現在告訴我，
which drove away the doubts
最后是什么念頭使你打消這些疑慮，
and gave you new courage to decide to try again to sell the robe on the morrow?"
重新鼓起勇氣，打算第二天拿著袍子再去試銷？”
Hafid considered his reply for a moment and then said,
海菲想了一會兒，然后答道：
"I thought only of the daughter of Calneh.
“我只是想到卡奈家的女兒，
Even in that foul inn
我知道，
I knew that I could never face her again if I failed."
要是失敗了，就永遠沒臉見她了。”
Then Hafid's voice broke,
說著，他突然失聲道：
"But I failed her, anyway."
“可我還是失敗了！”
"You failed? I do not understand.
“你失敗了？我不明白，
The robe did not return with thee."
你并沒有帶著袍子回來呀？”
In a voice so low that Pathros found it necessary to lean forward in order to hear,
由于聲音太低，柏薩羅只好向前傾著身子。
Hafid related the incident of the cave, the infant, and the robe.
海菲將洞穴、嬰兒、以及長袍的故事說了一遍。
As the youth spoke,
他一邊聽，
