英語美文:在山巔
摘錄:你所能看到的，只有你自己，只有‘個人’被放在天地間的渺小感，只有想起千古英雄的悲激心情
Long, long ago, in a very, very faraway place, a tribal chief found himself terminally ill.
很久很久以前，在一個很遠很遠的地方，一位老酋長正病危。
He summoned three most promising you.g villager to his bedside and said, “As I’m leaving you soon, I hope you can do one thing more for me. Young men, you three are all unusually strong and resourceful, so I’d like you to strive to climb that high mountain which we’ve always been worshipping as a sacred place. Now do your best to reach the topmost and most forbidding part of it and then turn back to tell me about your findings.”
他找來村中最優秀的三個年輕人，對他們說：“這是我要離開你的時候了，我要你們爲我做最後一件事。你們三個都有是身強體壯而又智慧過人的好孩子，現在，請你們盡其可能的去攀登那座我們一向奉爲神聖的大山。你們要盡其可能爬到最高的、最凌越一切的地方，然後，折回頭來告訴我你們的見聞。”
Three days later, the first young man returned smartly dressed and said with smiling face,
三天後，第一個年輕人回來了，他笑生雙靨，衣履猶鮮：
“Lord, I’ve been to the mountaintop where I saw flowers of all sorts lining both sides of a path, babbling spring water and singing birds. That’s a real nice place.”
“酋長，我到達山頂了，我看到繁花夾道，流泉淙淙，鳥鳴嚶嚶，那地方真不壞啊!”
The old tribal chief replied smilingly,“Son, I’ve been there before. The place with singing birds and fragrant flowers, as you mentioned, is not the mountaintop. It’s the foot of the mountain. Now you can leave.”
老酋長笑笑說：“孩子，那條路我當年也走過，你說的鳥語花香的地方不是山頂，而是山麓。你回去吧!”
A week later, the second young man also returned. He looked terribly weary and his face was weather-beaten.
一週以後，第二年年輕人也回來了，他神情疲倦，滿臉風霜：
“Lord, I’ve been to the mountaintop where I saw groves of tall, solemn pine trees and vultures circling in the air. That’s a real nice place.”
“酋長，我到達山頂了。我看到高大肅穆的松樹林，我看到禿鷹盤旋，那是一個好地方。”
“What a pity!” said the tribal chief. “Son, you’ve been halfway up the mountain rather than to its summit. But you had a real tough time. Now you can leave.”
“可惜啊!孩子，地不是山頂，那是山腰。不過，也難爲你了，你回去吧!”
A month later, everybody began to worry about the safety of the third young man. However, he finally showed up, hobbling along in rags. His hair was off-colored and his lips parched, but his eyes were clear and bright.
一個月過去了，大家都開始爲第三位年輕人的安危擔心，他卻一步一蹭，衣不蔽體地回來了。他發枯脣燥，只剩下清炯的眼神：
“Lord, I succeeded in reaching the summit. Well, what shall I say to you about it? There was nothing there but the wailing highland wind and the blue sky hanging over the land.”
“酋長，我終於到達山頂。但是，我該怎麼說呢?那裏只有高風悲旋，藍天四垂。”
“So you saw nothing at all? Not even a butterfly?”
“你難道在那裏一無所見嗎?難道連蝴蝶也沒有一隻嗎?”
“No, lord, nothing. All you can see is yourself. You feel how insignificant you are in this infinite universe and how sorrowful and agitated you are at the thought of heroes through the ages.”
“是的，酋長，高處一無所有。你所能看到的，只有你自己，只有‘個人’被放在天地間的渺小感，只有想起千古英雄的悲激心情。”
“Son, you’ve reached the real mountaintop. According to our tradition, you’ll undoubtedly be made our new tribal chief. My best wishes to you.”
“孩子，你到的是真的山頂。按照我們的傳統，天意要立你做新酋長，祝福你。”
What makes a real hero? A real hero has cuts and bruises all over his body, he is all alone on a long journey and he feels with increasing sincerity how small he is.
真英雄何所遇?他遇到的是全身的傷痕，是孤單的長途，以及越來越真切的渺小感。
