四个木偶 第7期

Once there was a puppet maker who had a son named Aung.

"Father," said Aung one day, "I''''ve decided to leave home and seek my fortune."

The puppet maker looked up sadly from his work. "I wish you would stay, my son. The life of a puppet maker is an honorable one.1) But if you must go, let me give you companions for your journey."

He showed his son four wooden puppets. "Each puppet," he said, "has its own virtue and value. The king''''s virtue is wisdom. The ogre''''s2) virtue is strength. The sorcerer''''s3) virtue is knowledge. The hermit''''s4) virtue is goodness. Each of these virtues can help you on your way. But remember, strength and knowledge must always serve wisdom and goodness."

Danger in the Jungle丛林险境

Aung started off the next day. When night came, Aung found himself deep in the jungle. He stopped beneath a tree.

"This looks like a good place to sleep," he said. "But I wonder if it''''s safe."

Then Aung had a funny idea. "I think I''''ll ask one of the puppets!" He turned to the king. "Tell me, is it safe here?"

To his amazement, the puppet came alive.

"Aung," said the king, "open your eyes and look around you. That is the first step to wisdom. If you fail to see what is right before you, how easy it will be for others to misguide you!"

Aung looked carefully all around the tree. There in the soft earth were the tracks of a tiger! That night he slept not on the ground but in the branches above. And he was glad he did, for in the middle of the night he saw a tiger come prowling5) below him.

Seeking Fortune寻找财富

The next day took Aung into the mountains. He saw a caravan6) coming along the road below. A dozen carts were piled high with costly goods.

"That caravan must belong to some rich merchant," Aung told himself. "I wish I had wealth like that."

Then he turned to the green-faced ogre. "Tell me, how can I gain such riches?"

"If you have strength," boomed7) the ogre, "you can take whatever you like. Watch this!" He stamped his foot and the earth shook.

"Wait!" said Aung. But it was too late. Just below them, dirt and rocks broke loose8) in a landslide. It rushed down the mountain and blocked the road. The terrified drivers jumped from their carts and ran off.

"You see?" said the ogre.

"Is it really that easy?" said Aung in a daze9).

He hurried down to the carts and rushed from one to another, gaping10) at the heaps of rich fabrics and piles of precious metals. "And all of them are mine!" he cried.

Just then, Aung heard a sob. Lying huddled11) in one of the carts was a lovely young woman at his own age. She cried and shivered in fear.

"I won''''t hurt you," said Aung gently. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mala," she said in a small voice. "My father is the owner of this caravan. We were on our way to meet him."

All at once, Aung knew he was in love. He wanted to keep Mala with him forever. "Don''''t worry," he said. "I''''ll take you with me and care for you."

Mala sat up angrily. "Go ahead! Take me, like you''''re taking everything else! But you''''re just a thief, and I''''ll never, ever speak to you!"

The ogre came up beside him then. "Don''''t listen to her. She''''ll change her mind—and anyway, the important thing is you got what you wanted. Now, let''''s go."

Aung turned to the mystic sorcerer. "What should I do, now that I have all these riches?"

"If you want your wealth to grow, you must learn the secrets of nature." said the sorcerer.

Loss of Love失去挚爱

Then they came to the capital city. Aung became a merchant, and with the help of the ogre and the sorcerer, he grew many times richer.

But Aung was not happy, for Mala still would not speak to him.

One day, he placed before her a headdress fit for a queen. Mala took one look and pushed it away.

Aung was heartbroken. The next morning, he went to the puppets'''' room and spoke to the ogre and the sorcerer. "Mala''''s father must now be very poor, while I have more than I need. I''''ll help Mala find him so I can pay him for what I took. Maybe then she''''ll speak to me, and even learn to love me."

"A terrible idea!" said the ogre. "You should never give up what is yours."

"Besides," the sorcerer told him, "you''''re too late. Mala ran away last night."

"What?" cried Aung. "What good is all my wealth if I''''ve lost what I care for most?"

For once, the ogre and the sorcerer were silent and still.

Then Aung remembered there was one puppet he had never called on. He turned to the holy hermit. "Tell me, why has everything gone wrong?"

"You forgot what your father told you, Aung. Strength and knowledge are useful, but they must always serve wisdom and goodness."

New Life开始新生活

From that day on, Aung used his wealth and his talents to do good. He built a splendid holy pagoda12), and offered food and shelter to those who visited the shrine13).

One day among the visitors, Aung saw a young woman with an old man standing beside her.

"Mala!" cried Aung. He rushed over to the young woman and knelt before her father.

"Sir, I have done you great wrong. I beg your forgiveness. All I have is yours, and I give it up gladly. I will be content to return to my village and make puppets."

"Father," said Mala softly, "this is Aung. But he has changed!"

"So it would seem!" said her father. "And if so, it would be a shame to let go of a young man of such talent. Perhaps he would like to work for me, and live with us in the palace."

So Aung became the merchant''''s assistant, and before long his partner.And, when Mala''''s heart was won, his son-in-law.

As for the puppets, Aung still called on them as needed. But though he was helped often by strength and knowledge, he was guided always by wisdom and goodness.

1. 本文是缅甸的一个民间传说。早在15世纪缅甸就有了木偶戏表演，到18世纪木偶戏剧院正式由皇家赞助和管理，使得木偶戏声望剧增。19世纪初木偶戏得到空前发展，成为当时最受欢迎的一种娱乐艺术。因而，木偶制作在当时的缅甸是一个很受人尊重的行业。

2. ogre [???ɡ?(r)] n. (民间传说、神话中的)吃人妖魔

3. sorcerer [?s??s?r?(r)] n. 男巫；术士，魔法师

4. hermit [?h??m?t] n. 隐士，遁世者

5. prowl [pra?l] vi. (为觅食、偷窃等)潜行

6. caravan [?k?r?v?n] n. (旧时由商人、香客或移民等组成往返于沙漠等地带的)旅行队

7. boom [bu?m] vt. (人)吼叫

8. break loose: 迸发；(从整体中)强行分离出来

9. daze [de?z] n. 迷乱；茫然；恍惚

10. gape [ɡe?p] vi. 目瞪口呆地凝视(at)

11. huddle [?h?dl] vt. 使蜷缩，使缩成一团

12. pagoda [p??ɡ??d?] n. (中国、日本等东方国家的)塔式寺庙；宝塔

13. shrine [?ra?n] n. 神祠；神殿；圣地