Mr Fox

Lady Mary was young, and Lady Mary was fair. She had two brothers, and more lovers than she could count. But of them all, the bravest and most gallant, was a Mr. Fox, whom she met when she was down at her father's country-house. No one knew who Mr. Fox was; but he was certainly brave, and surely rich, and of all her lovers, Lady Mary cared for him alone. At last it was agreed upon between them that they should be married. Lady Mary asked Mr. Fox where they should live, and he described to her his castle, and where it was; but, strange to say, did not ask her, or her brothers to come and see it.

玛丽小姐年轻貌美。她有两个哥哥，还有多得数不清的追求者。但在所有人中，最勇敢、最风度翩翩的是一位名叫福克斯的先生，她是在父亲乡间别墅时认识他的。没有人知道福克斯先生究竟是谁；但他显然勇敢，显然富有，在她所有的追求者中，玛丽小姐唯独钟情于他。最终两人商定要结婚。玛丽小姐问福克斯先生他们将住在哪里，他向她描述了他的城堡，以及城堡的位置；但奇怪的是，他从未邀请她或她的哥哥们去看一看。

So one day, near the wedding-day, when her brothers were out, and Mr. Fox was away for a day or two on business, as he said, Lady Mary set out for Mr. Fox's castle. And after many searchings, she came at last to it, and a fine strong house it was, with high walls and a deep moat. And when she came up to the gateway she saw written on it:

于是有一天，离婚礼不远了，趁她的哥哥们外出，福克斯先生也按他所说的出门办一两天事，玛丽小姐便动身前往福克斯先生的城堡。经过一番寻找，她终于找到了那里，那是一座坚固美丽的房子，有高高的城墙和一条深深的护城河。她走到大门口时，看见门上写着：

BE BOLD, BE BOLD.

要大胆，要大胆。

But as the gate was open, she went through it, and found no one there. So she went up to the doorway, and over it she found written:

但大门是开着的，她便走了进去，里面一个人也没有。于是她走到正门前，又看见上面写着：

BE BOLD, BE BOLD, BUT NOT TOO BOLD.

要大胆，要大胆，但不要太大胆。

Still she went on, till she came into the hall, and went up the broad stairs till she came to a door in the gallery, over which was written:

她继续往前走，一直走进了大厅，又沿着宽阔的楼梯往上走，来到走廊里的一扇门前，门上写着：

BE BOLD, BE BOLD, BUT NOT TOO BOLD, LEST THAT YOUR HEART'S BLOOD SHOULD RUN COLD.

要大胆，要大胆，但不要太大胆，免得你心中的热血变得冰冷。

But Lady Mary was a brave one, she was, and she opened the door, and what do you think she saw? Why, bodies and skeletons of beautiful young ladies all stained with blood. So Lady Mary thought it was high time to get out of that horrid place, and she closed the door, went through the gallery, and was just going down the stairs, and out of the hall, when who should she see through the window, but Mr. Fox dragging a beautiful young lady along from the gateway to the door.

但玛丽小姐是个勇敢的姑娘，她推开了门，你猜她看见了什么？竟是一具具美丽年轻女子的尸体和骸骨，全都沾满了鲜血。玛丽小姐心想，是时候离开这个可怕的地方了，于是她关上门，穿过走廊，正要下楼走出大厅时，忽然从窗外看见福克斯先生正把一位美丽的年轻女子从大门拖向屋门。

Lady Mary rushed downstairs, and hid herself behind a cask, just in time, as Mr. Fox came in with the poor young lady who seemed to have fainted. Just as he got near Lady Mary, Mr. Fox saw a diamond ring glittering on the finger of the young lady he was dragging, and he tried to pull it off. But it was tightly fixed, and would not come off, so Mr. Fox cursed and swore, and drew his sword, raised it, and brought it down upon the hand of the poor lady.

玛丽小姐急忙跑下楼梯，躲到一只大桶后面，躲得正是时候，福克斯先生拖着那位似乎已经昏迷的可怜姑娘走了进来。他快要走近玛丽小姐时，福克斯先生看见那姑娘手指上戴着一枚闪闪发光的钻戒，便想把它取下来。但戒指卡得很紧，怎么也取不下来，福克斯先生便咒骂发誓，拔出剑来，举起剑，朝那可怜姑娘的手砍了下去。

The sword cut off the hand, which jumped up into the air, and fell of all places in the world into Lady Mary's lap. Mr. Fox looked about a bit, but did not think of looking behind the cask, so at last he went on dragging the young lady up the stairs into the Bloody Chamber.

剑砍断了那只手，那只手飞到空中，竟不偏不倚，恰好落在了玛丽小姐的膝上。福克斯先生四下张望了一番，却没想到去看看大桶后面，于是他继续把那姑娘拖上楼梯，进了那间血腥的房间。

As soon as she heard him pass through the gallery, Lady Mary crept out of the door, down through the gateway, and ran home as fast as she could.

玛丽小姐一听见他走过走廊的声音，便悄悄溜出门去，穿过大门，拼命跑回了家。

Now it happened that the very next day the marriage contract of Lady Mary and Mr. Fox was to be signed, and there was a splendid breakfast before that. And when Mr. Fox was seated at table opposite Lady Mary, he looked at her. “How pale you are this morning, my dear.” “Yes,” said she, “I had a bad night's rest last night. I had horrible dreams.” “Dreams go by contraries,” said Mr. Fox; “but tell us your dream, and your sweet voice will make the time pass till the happy hour comes.”

后来事情是这样的：第二天，玛丽小姐和福克斯先生的婚约就要签订了，在此之前有一顿丰盛的早餐。福克斯先生在餐桌旁坐在玛丽小姐对面，望着她说：“亲爱的，你今早怎么这么苍白。”“是啊，”她说，“我昨晚睡得不好，做了些可怕的梦。”“梦都是反的，”福克斯先生说，“不过说说你的梦给我们听吧，你甜美的声音会让时间过得快一些，直到那幸福的时刻到来。”

“I dreamed,” said Lady Mary, “that I went yestermorn to your castle, and I found it in the woods, with high walls, and a deep moat, and over the gateway was written:

“我梦见，”玛丽小姐说，“昨天我去了你的城堡，发现它坐落在树林中，有高高的城墙和一条深深的护城河，大门上写着：

BE BOLD, BE BOLD.

要大胆，要大胆。

“But it is not so, nor it was not so,” said Mr. Fox.

“可事情并非如此，也从来不曾如此，”福克斯先生说。

“And when I came to the doorway over it was written:

“我走到正门前，上面写着：

BE BOLD, BE BOLD, BUT NOT TOO BOLD.

要大胆，要大胆，但不要太大胆。

“It is not so, nor it was not so,” said Mr. Fox.

“并非如此，也从来不曾如此，”福克斯先生说。

“And then I went upstairs, and came to a gallery, at the end of which was a door, on which was written:

“然后我上了楼，来到一条走廊，走廊尽头有一扇门，门上写着：

BE BOLD, BE BOLD, BUT NOT TOO BOLD, LEST THAT YOUR HEART'S BLOOD SHOULD RUN COLD.

要大胆，要大胆，但不要太大胆，免得你心中的热血变得冰冷。

“It is not so, nor it was not so,” said Mr. Fox.

“并非如此，也从来不曾如此，”福克斯先生说。

“And then—and then I opened the door, and the room was filled with bodies and skeletons of poor dead women, all stained with their blood.”

“然后——然后我推开了门，房间里满是可怜死去女子的尸体和骸骨，全都沾满了她们自己的鲜血。”

“It is not so, nor it was not so. And God forbid it should be so,” said Mr. Fox.

“并非如此，也从来不曾如此。愿上帝保佑不要如此，”福克斯先生说。

“I then dreamed that I rushed down the gallery, and just as I was going down the stairs, I saw you, Mr. Fox, coming up to the hall door, dragging after you a poor young lady, rich and beautiful.”

“接着我梦见自己沿着走廊跑，正要下楼梯时，我看见你，福克斯先生，正朝大厅门口走来，身后拖着一位可怜的姑娘，又富有又美丽。”

“It is not so, nor it was not so. And God forbid it should be so,” said Mr. Fox.

“并非如此，也从来不曾如此。愿上帝保佑不要如此，”福克斯先生说。

“I rushed downstairs, just in time to hide myself behind a cask, when you, Mr. Fox, came in dragging the young lady by the arm. And, as you passed me, Mr. Fox, I thought I saw you try and get off her diamond ring, and when you could not, Mr. Fox, it seemed to me in my dream, that you out with your sword and hacked off the poor lady's hand to get the ring.”

“我跑下楼梯，刚好躲到一只大桶后面，这时你，福克斯先生，拖着那姑娘的手臂走了进来。而且，你从我身边经过时，福克斯先生，我似乎看见你想取下她的钻戒，取不下来的时候，福克斯先生，在我梦里，你好像拔出剑来，砍下了那可怜姑娘的手，为了拿到那枚戒指。”

“It is not so, nor it was not so. And God forbid it should be so,” said Mr. Fox, and was going to say something else as he rose from his seat, when Lady Mary cried out:

“并非如此，也从来不曾如此。愿上帝保佑不要如此，”福克斯先生说着，正要从座位上站起来说些别的什么，这时玛丽小姐喊道：

“But it is so, and it was so. Here's hand and ring I have to show,” and pulled out the lady's hand from her dress, and pointed it straight at Mr. Fox.

“可事情就是如此，而且确实发生过。这就是那只手和戒指，我可以证明，”她从衣裙里掏出那姑娘的手，直直地指向福克斯先生。

At once her brothers and her friends drew their swords and cut Mr. Fox into a thousand pieces.

她的哥哥们和朋友们立刻拔出剑来，把福克斯先生砍成了千万块。