Tyr and the Wolf

Odin, the Allfather, sat one day on his high air-throne, and looking around him, far and wide, saw three fierce monsters. They were the children of the mischievous fire-god Loki, and Odin began to feel anxious, for they had grown so fast and were getting so strong that he feared they might do harm to the sacred city of Asgard. The wise father knew Loki had given strength to these dreadful creatures, and he saw that all this danger had come upon the Aesir from Loki's wickedness.

众神之父奥丁有一天坐在他那高高的天界宝座上，举目四望，看见了三只凶猛的怪物。它们是淘气的火神洛基的孩子，奥丁开始感到不安，因为它们长得太快、变得太过强壮，他担心它们会伤害阿斯加德这座神圣的城池。这位睿智的父亲知道，是洛基给了这些可怕的生灵以力量，他明白这一切降临在阿萨神族身上的危险，都源于洛基的邪恶。

One of these monsters was a huge serpent, that Odin sent down into the ocean, where he grew so fast that his body was coiled around the whole world, and his tail grew into his own mouth. He was called the Midgard serpent.

这几只怪物中，有一只是巨蛇，奥丁把它送进了大海，它在那里长得极快，身体盘绕住了整个世界，尾巴一直伸进了自己的嘴里。它被称为米德加尔特巨蛇。

The second monster was sent to Niflheim, the home of darkness, and shut up there.

第二只怪物被送去了黑暗之乡尼福尔海姆，关在了那里。

The third, a fierce wolf, named Fenrir, was brought to Asgard, where Odin hoped he might be tamed by living among the Aesir, and seeing their good deeds, and hearing their kind words; but he grew more and more fierce, until only one of all the gods dared to feed him. This was the brave god, Tyr. He was a war-god, like Thor, and is sometimes called the Sword-god. Tyr was loved by all because he was so true and faithful.

第三只是一头凶猛的狼，名叫芬里尔，被带到了阿斯加德，奥丁希望它能通过生活在阿萨神族中间、看着他们的善行、听着他们的善言而被驯服；可它却变得越来越凶猛，以致众神之中只有一位敢喂养它。这便是勇敢的神提尔。他和托尔一样是位战神，有时也被称为剑之神。提尔因忠诚正直而受到众人的爱戴。

Each day the dreadful wolf grew larger and stronger, till all at once, before the Aesir thought about it, he had become a very dangerous beast.

这只可怕的狼日复一日地长得更大、更强壮，直到有一天，阿萨神族还没来得及反应过来，它已经变成了一头极度危险的野兽。

Father Odin always looked troubled when he saw Fenrir, the wolf, come to get his evening meal of meat from Tyr's hand, and at last one night, after the wolf had gone growling away to his lair, Odin called a meeting of the Aesir. He told them of his fears, saying they must find some plan for guarding themselves and their home against this monster. They could not slay him, for no one must ever be killed, and no blood must be shed, within the walls of the sacred city.

每当奥丁父神看见芬里尔这只狼从提尔手中前来讨要晚间的肉食时，他脸上总是浮现出忧色；终于有一天夜里，那狼咆哮着回到自己的巢穴之后，奥丁召集了阿萨神族开会。他向众神说出了自己的忧虑，说他们必须想出办法来保护自己和家园不受这怪物的伤害。他们不能杀了它，因为在这座圣城之内，绝不能杀生，也绝不能流血。

Thor was the first to speak: "Do not fear, Father Odin, for by to-morrow night we shall have Fenrir so safely bound that he cannot do us any harm. I will make a mighty chain, with the help of my hammer, Miölnir, and with it we will bind him fast!"

托尔第一个开口说道：“不要害怕，奥丁父神，到明天晚上，我们就能把芬里尔牢牢地锁住，让它再也伤不了我们。我会借助我的锤子妙尔尼尔打造一条坚固无比的锁链，用它把它捆住！”

When the Aesir heard these words of Thor, they were glad, and all went home rejoicing—all save the Allfather, who was still troubled, for he well knew the danger, and feared that even the mighty Thor would find this task too much for him. But Thor seized his hammer, and strode off to his forge. There he worked the whole night long, and all through Asgard were heard the blows of Miölnir and the roaring of the bellows.

阿萨神族听了托尔这番话，都十分高兴，大家便都欢欢喜喜地回家去了——只有众神之父除外，他依旧忧心忡忡，因为他深知其中的危险，担心即便是强大的托尔，恐怕也难以胜任这项任务。可托尔抓起他的锤子，大步走向他的锻炉。他在那里彻夜劳作，整个阿斯加德都听得见妙尔尼尔敲打的声音和风箱的轰鸣。

The next night, when the Aesir were gathered together, Thor brought forth his new-made chain, to test it. In came Fenrir, the wolf, and every one was surprised to see how willingly he let himself be bound with the chain. When Thor had riveted the last links together, the gods smiled, and began to praise him for his wonderful work; but all at once the wolf gave one bound forward, broke the great chain, and walked off to his lair as if nothing had happened.

第二天夜里，阿萨神族聚在一起时，托尔拿出了他新打造的锁链，要试上一试。芬里尔这只狼走了进来，大家都惊讶地看到它竟如此心甘情愿地让人用锁链捆住。托尔把最后几个链环铆好之后，众神都笑了起来，开始称赞他这精巧绝伦的手艺；可就在这时，那狼猛地向前一跃，挣断了那条粗大的锁链，若无其事地走回了自己的巢穴。

Thor was much disappointed, still he did not lose courage. He said to the Aesir that he would make another chain, yet stronger. Again he set to work, and for three nights and three days the great Thor worked at his forge without resting.

托尔十分失望，但他并没有因此失去勇气。他对阿萨神族说，他要再打造一条更结实的锁链。他又重新动起手来，伟大的托尔一连三天三夜不曾歇息地在锻炉边劳作。

While he worked his friends did not forget him. They came and looked on while he was busy, and, as they watched the mighty hammer falling with quick blows upon the metal, they talked to Thor or sang noble songs to cheer him; sometimes they brought him food and drink. One visitor, who was no friend, fierce Fenrir, the wolf, sometimes put his nose in at the door for a moment, and watched Thor at work; then, as he went away, Thor heard a strange sound like a wicked laugh.

在他劳作的时候，朋友们也没有忘记他。他们前来看他忙碌，一边看着那把巨锤快速地落在金属上，一边同托尔说话，或唱起高昂的歌来给他鼓劲；有时他们还给他送来食物和饮水。有一位来访者却不是朋友，那便是凶猛的芬里尔，它有时会把鼻子探进门里张望片刻，看托尔干活；然后，就在它离开的时候，托尔听见了一阵仿佛邪恶笑声般的怪响。

At last the chain was finished, and Thor dragged it to the place of meeting. It was so heavy that even the mighty Thor could hardly lift it, or drag it as far as Odin's palace of Gladsheim. This time Fenrir was not so willing to be bound; but the gods coaxed him, and talked of his great strength, and told him they were sure he would easily break this chain also. After a while he agreed to let them put it around his neck.

锁链终于打好了，托尔把它拖到了聚会的地方。它是那么沉重，即便是强壮的托尔也几乎抬不动它，更是费了好大力气才把它拖到奥丁的格拉兹海姆宫殿。这一次，芬里尔不太愿意再被捆住了；可众神哄着它，谈起它的巨大力量，告诉它说，他们相信它一定能轻而易举地挣断这条锁链。过了一会儿，它便同意让他们把锁链套在自己的脖子上。

This time Thor was sure the chain would hold firm, for never before had such a strong one been made. But soon, with a great shake and a fierce bound, the wolf broke away, and went off to his lair, snarling and showing his wicked teeth, while the broken chain lay on the ground.

这一次托尔十分确信这条锁链一定会牢牢固定住，因为从来没有打造过这么结实的一条。可没过多久，那狼猛地一震、又是一跃，便挣脱开来，咆哮着、龇着凶恶的牙齿回到了自己的巢穴，断掉的锁链丢在了地上。

Sadly the Aesir came together that night in Odin's palace, and this time Thor was not the first to speak; he sat apart and was silent.

那天夜里，阿萨神族神情沮丧地聚在奥丁的宫殿里，这一次托尔没有第一个开口；他独自坐在一旁，一言不发。

First spoke Frey, the god of summer and king of the fairies. "Hearken to me, O lords of Asgard!" he said. "I have not won a brave name in battle, like the noble Tyr, neither have I done such mighty deeds as the great Thor and others of our heroes. Instead of fighting giants and monsters, I have spent most of my life in the woods, among the flowers, listening for hours to the birds. Many things have I watched, some perhaps that my brothers thought too small to be worthy of notice.

第一个开口的是弗雷，夏之神、精灵之王。“听我说，阿斯加德的众位大人！”他说道，“我没有像高贵的提尔那样在战场上赢得英名，也没有像伟大的托尔和其他英雄那样建立过丰功伟绩。我并没有去与巨人和怪物搏斗，而是把大半生的时光都花在了树林里，在繁花之间，一连数小时地听鸟儿歌唱。我看到过许多事情，有些也许连我的兄弟们都觉得太过微不足道，不值一提。

"I have learned many lessons, and the greatest of them all is to know how much power there is in little things, and to see how often the work, done quietly, and hidden from the eyes of men, is the finest and the most wonderful. Since we cannot make a chain strong enough to bind Fenrir, let us go to the little dwarfs, who work in silence and in darkness, and ask them to make us a chain!"

“我学到了许多道理，而其中最重要的一条，便是明白小事之中蕴藏着多大的力量，也明白那些悄然进行、不为世人所见的工作，常常才是最精妙、最了不起的。既然我们造不出一条足够坚固、能捆住芬里尔的锁链，那就让我们去求助那些在寂静与黑暗中劳作的小矮人，请他们为我们打造一条锁链吧！”

The Allfather's troubled face grew brighter as he heard Frey speak, and he bade him send a messenger quickly to the dwarfs, to order a chain made as soon as possible.

众神之父听了弗雷这番话，原本忧愁的脸色顿时开朗起来，他吩咐弗雷立刻派一名使者前往矮人那里，尽快订做一条锁链。

So Frey went out, leaving the Aesir in their trouble, and came to his own lovely home, Alfheim. There everything was bright and peaceful, and the little elves were busy and happy. Frey found a trusty messenger, and sent him with all speed to the dwarfs underground, to order the new chain, and to return as soon as he could bring it. The faithful servant found the funny little dwarf workmen all busy in their dark rock chambers, far down inside the earth, while at one side, in a lighter place, sat their king. The messenger bowed before him, and told him his errand.

于是弗雷出发了，把阿萨神族留在忧虑之中，自己回到了他那可爱的家园，阿尔夫海姆。那里的一切都明亮而宁静，小精灵们个个忙碌又快乐。弗雷找来一名可靠的信使，让他火速前往地下的矮人那里，订做那条新锁链，并要求尽快带回来。这位忠心的仆人来到矮人们的地方，只见那些滑稽的小矮人工匠们都在昏暗的岩洞深处忙碌着，而在旁边一处光线较亮的地方，坐着他们的国王。信使在国王面前躬身行礼，说明了来意。

The dwarfs were a wicked race, but they were afraid of Odin, for they had not forgotten the talk he once had with them, when he sent them down to work in darkness underground, and since that time they never had dared disobey him. The dwarf king said it would take two days and two nights to make the chain, but it would be so strong that no one could break it.

矮人们本是狡诈邪恶的一族，但他们惧怕奥丁，因为他们没有忘记当年奥丁把他们打发到地下黑暗中劳作时对他们说过的那番话，自那以后，他们再也不敢违抗他。矮人王说，打造这条锁链需要两天两夜的时间，但打造出来的锁链将坚固无比，任谁也无法挣断。

While the busy dwarfs were at work, the messenger looked about at the many wonderful things: the great central fire which burns always in the middle of the earth, watched and fed with coal by the dwarfs; above this, the beds of coal, and bright precious diamonds, which the dwarfs took from the ashes of the fire. In another place he watched them putting gold and silver, tin and copper, into the cracks in the rocks, and he drank of the pure, underground water, which gives the Midgard people fresh springs.

矮人们忙着干活的时候，信使四处观看着许多奇妙的东西：那团始终燃烧在大地正中央的巨大炉火，由矮人们看守着、添着煤；炉火之上，是一层层的煤床，还有从炉火余烬中取出的璀璨钻石。在另一处，他看到矮人们把金银、锡铜嵌进岩石的缝隙里，他还喝了那纯净的地下水，那水正是米德加尔特人间清泉的源头。

After two days this messenger returned to the dwarf king. The king, holding out in his hand a fine, small chain, said to the messenger: "This may seem to you to be small and weak; but it is a most wonderful piece of work, for we have used in it all the strongest stuff we could find. It is made of six kinds of things: the noise made by the footfall of cats, the roots of stones, the beards of women, the voice of fishes, the spittle of birds, the sinews of bears. This chain can never be broken; and if you can once put it on Fenrir, he will never be able to throw it off."

两天之后，信使回到矮人王那里。国王手里托着一条精巧而细小的锁链，对信使说道：“这在你看来也许显得又小又弱；可它却是一件极为了不起的作品，因为我们用尽了所能找到的最坚韧的材料。它由六种东西打造而成：猫脚步的声响、石头的根须、女人的胡须、鱼的嗓音、鸟儿的唾沫、熊的筋腱。这条锁链永远无法挣断；只要你能把它套在芬里尔身上，它便再也无法挣脱。”

Odin's messenger was glad to hear this, so he thanked the dwarf king, and promising him a large reward, he went on his way back to Asgard, where the Aesir were longing for his return, and were all rejoiced to see him with the magic chain.

奥丁的信使听了这话十分高兴，便向矮人王道了谢，许诺给他丰厚的酬劳，随即启程返回阿斯加德，阿萨神族早已盼着他归来，如今见他带回了这条神奇的锁链，无不欢欣鼓舞。

Now Father Odin feared that Fenrir would not let them bind him a third time, so he proposed they should all take a holiday, and go out to a beautiful lake to the north of Asgard, where they would have games and trials of strength. The other gods were pleased with this plan, and all set out in Frey's wonderful ship, which was large enough to hold all the Aesir with their horses, and yet could be folded up small enough to go in one's pocket.

这时，奥丁父神担心芬里尔不会再让他们第三次将它捆住，于是提议大家不妨都去休息一天，前往阿斯加德以北一处美丽的湖泊，举行比赛和角力。其他众神都很赞同这个计划，于是大家一起乘着弗雷那艘神奇的船出发了，那船大得能装下所有阿萨神族连同他们的马匹，却又能折叠得小到可以放进口袋里。

They landed on a lovely island in the lake, and after the races and games were over, Frey brought out the little chain, and asked them all to try to break it. Thor and Tyr tried in vain; then Thor said, "I do not believe any one but Fenrir can break it."

他们在湖中一座美丽的小岛上登陆，赛跑和比赛都结束之后，弗雷拿出了那条小锁链，请大家都来试试挣断它。托尔和提尔都试了，却都是徒劳；于是托尔说道：“我不相信除了芬里尔，还有谁能挣断这条锁链。”

Now the wolf did not want to be bound again; but he was very proud of his strength, and, for fear of being called a coward, said at last he would let them do it, if he might hold the right hand of one of the Aesir in his mouth while they bound him, as a sign that the gods did not mean to play any tricks.

这只狼并不想再被捆住；可它对自己的力量十分自负，又怕被人叫作懦夫，便终于说，只要能让它把阿萨神族中某一位的右手含在嘴里，作为众神并非要耍花招的凭证，它便愿意让大家捆它。

When the gods heard this, they looked at each other, and all but one of them drew back. Only the brave, good Tyr stepping forward, quietly put his hand into Fenrir's mouth. The other gods then put the chain around the beast, and fastened it to a great rock. The fierce creature gave a leap to free himself, but the more he struggled the tighter grew the chain. The Aesir gathered about him in joy to see this, but their hearts were filled with sorrow when they saw that their noble Tyr had lost his right hand; the dreadful wolf had shut his teeth together in his rage, when he found he could not get free.

众神听了这话，面面相觑，除了一位之外，其余都退缩了。只有勇敢善良的提尔挺身而出，静静地把手伸进了芬里尔的嘴里。其余众神便把锁链套在这怪兽身上，拴在一块巨石上。这凶猛的生灵猛地一跃，想挣脱束缚，可它越是挣扎，锁链就勒得越紧。阿萨神族见状，心中欢喜地围拢过来，可当他们看见高贵的提尔失去了右手时，心里又都充满了悲伤；原来那可怕的狼发现自己无法挣脱时，愤怒之下咬紧了牙关。

Thus the brave Tyr dared to risk danger for the sake of saving others, and gave up even his right hand to gain peace and happiness for Asgard.

就这样，勇敢的提尔为了拯救他人甘冒危险，甚至不惜献出自己的右手，只为阿斯加德换来和平与幸福。