The Black Bull of Norroway

And many a hunting song they sung, And song of game and glee; Then tuned to plaintive strains their tongue, “Of Scotland’s luve and lee.” To wilder measures next they turn “The Black, Black Bull of Norroway!” Sudden the tapers cease to burn, The minstrels cease to play.

他们唱起了许多打猎的歌谣， 还有那游戏与欢庆之曲； 随后又转为哀婉的调子， 唱起“苏格兰的爱恋与哀愁”。 接着他们又换上更狂野的曲调， 唱起“那诺罗威的黑牛，黑黑的公牛！” 忽然间烛火熄灭， 吟游诗人也停止了弹唱。

“The Cout of Keeldar,” by J. Leyden.

“基尔达之骏”，J·雷登著。

In Norroway, langsyne, there lived a certain lady, and she had three dochters. The auldest o’ them said to her mither: “Mither, bake me a bannock, and roast me a collop, for I’m gaun awa’ to seek my fortune.” Her mither did sae; and the dochter gaed awa’ to an auld witch washerwife and telled her purpose.

从前，在诺罗威，很久很久以前，住着一位夫人，她有三个女儿。最大的女儿对母亲说：“母亲，给我烤个面饼，再给我烤块肉排，因为我要出去闯闯自己的运气了。”她母亲照办了；女儿便去了一个当洗衣妇的老巫婆那里，把自己的打算告诉了她。

The auld wife bade her stay that day, and gang and look out o’ her back door, and see what she could see. She saw nocht the first day. The second day she did the same, and saw nocht. On the third day she looked again, and saw a coach-and-six coming along the road. She ran in and telled the auld wife what she saw. “Aweel,” quo’ the auld wife, “yon’s for you.” Sae they took her into the coach, and galloped aff.

老妇人叫她当天先住下，去后门那儿看看能看见什么。第一天她什么也没看见。第二天她又照做了一遍，还是什么也没看见。到了第三天，她再去看时，看见一辆六马拉的马车沿着大路驶来。她跑回去，把看到的告诉了老妇人。“好啊，”老妇人说，“那是来接你的。”于是她们把她扶上了马车，飞驰而去。

The second dochter next says to her mither: “Mither, bake me a bannock, and roast me a collop, fur I’m gaun awa’ to seek my fortune.” Her mither did sae; and awa’ she gaed to the auld wife, as her sister had dune. On the third day she looked out o’ the back door, and saw a coach-and-four coming along the road. “Aweel,” quo’ the auld wife, “yon’s for you.” Sae they took her in, and aff they set.

二女儿接着也对母亲说：“母亲，给我烤个面饼，再给我烤块肉排，因为我也要出去闯闯自己的运气了。”她母亲照办了；她也像姐姐一样去了老妇人那里。到了第三天，她朝后门望去，看见一辆四马拉的马车沿着大路驶来。“好啊，”老妇人说，“那是来接你的。”于是她们把她扶了上去，动身出发了。

The third dochter says to her mither: “Mither, bake me a bannock, and roast me a collop, for I’m gaun awa’ to seek my fortune.” Her mither did sae; and awa’ she gaed to the auld witch-wife. She bade her look out o’ her back door, and see what she could see. She did sae; and when she came back said she saw nocht. The second day she did the same, and saw nocht.

三女儿对母亲说：“母亲，给我烤个面饼，再给我烤块肉排，因为我也要出去闯闯自己的运气了。”她母亲照办了；她也去了那个老巫婆那儿。老妇人叫她去后门那儿看看能看见什么。她照做了；回来时说她什么也没看见。第二天她又照做了一遍，还是什么也没看见。

The third day she looked again, and on coming back said to the auld wife she saw nocht but a muckle Black Bull coming roaring alang the road. “Aweel,” quo’ the auld wife, “yon’s for you.” On hearing this she was next to distracted wi’ grief and terror; but she was lifted up and set on his back, and awa’ they went.

第三天她再去看时，回来后对老妇人说，她什么也没看见，只看见一头大黑牛沿着大路吼叫着走来。“好啊，”老妇人说，“那是来接你的。”她听了这话，几乎又是悲痛又是恐惧，快要发狂了；可她还是被抱了起来，安放到牛背上，二人便一同上路了。

Aye they traveled, and on they traveled, till the lady grew faint wi’ hunger. “Eat out o’ my right lug,” says the Black Bull, “and drink out o’ my left lug, and set by your leavings.” Sae she did as he said, and was wonderfully refreshed.

他们走啊走，走了又走，直到这位姑娘饿得头晕眼花。“从我右耳朵里吃点东西，”黑牛说，“再从我左耳朵里喝点东西，剩下的留着。”于是她照他说的做了，顿时精神焕发起来。

And lang they gaed, and sair they rade, till they came in sight o’ a very big and bonny castle. “Yonder we maun be this night,” quo’ the bull; “for my auld brither lives yonder”; and presently they were at the place. They lifted her aff his back, and took her in, and sent him away to a park for the night. In the morning, when they brought the bull hame, they took the lady into a fine shining parlor, and gave her a beautiful apple, telling her no to break it till she was in the greatest strait ever mortal was in in the world, and that wad bring her o’t.

他们走了很久，骑了很远，终于望见了一座又大又漂亮的城堡。“今晚我们得在那儿过夜了，”公牛说，“因为我大哥就住在那儿。”不一会儿，他们便到了那个地方。人们把她从牛背上扶下来，领她进去，把牛送到一片草场里过夜。第二天早晨，他们把牛牵回来时，先把这位姑娘领进一间光洁明亮的客厅，给了她一个美丽的苹果，叮嘱她千万不要弄破它，除非有朝一日她陷入了世上最大的困境，那样这苹果便能救她脱身。

Again she was lifted on the bull’s back, and after she had ridden far, and farer than I can tell, they came in sight o’ a far bonnier castle, and far farther awa’ than the last. Says the bull till her: “Yonder we maun be the night, for my second brither lives yonder”; and they were at the place directly. They lifted her down and took her in, and sent the bull to the field for the night.

她又被抱起来，放到牛背上，骑了很远很远，比我能说得清的还要远，终于望见了一座比先前那座还要漂亮得多的城堡，而且比上一座还要远得多。公牛对她说：“今晚我们得在那儿过夜了，因为我二哥就住在那儿。”不一会儿，他们便到了那里。人们把她扶下来，领她进去，把公牛送到田野里过夜。

In the morning they took the lady into a fine and rich room, and gave her the finest pear she had ever seen, bidding her no to break it till she was in the greatest strait ever mortal could be in, and that wad get her out o’t.

第二天早晨，他们把这位姑娘领进一间富丽堂皇的房间，给了她她这辈子见过的最漂亮的一个梨子，嘱咐她千万不要弄破它，除非她陷入了世上最大的困境，那样这梨子便能救她脱身。

Again she was lifted and set on his back, and awa’ they went. And lang they gaed, and sair they rade, till they came in sight o’ the far biggest castle, and far farthest aff, they had yet seen. “We maun be yonder the night,” says the bull, “for my young brither lives yonder”; and they were there directly. They lifted her down, took her in, and sent the bull to the field for the night.

她又被抱起来，放到牛背上，二人又上路了。他们走了很久，骑了很远，终于望见了一座迄今为止见过的最大、也最遥远的城堡。“今晚我们得在那儿过夜了，”公牛说，“因为我小弟就住在那儿。”不一会儿，他们便到了那里。人们把她扶下来，领她进去，把公牛送到田野里过夜。

In the morning they took her into a room, the finest of a’, and gied her a plum, telling her no to break it till she was in the greatest strait mortal could be in, and that wad get her out o’t. Presently they brought hame the bull, set the lady on his back, and awa’ they went.

第二天早晨，他们把她领进一间最为华美的房间，给了她一颗李子，叮嘱她千万不要弄破它，除非她陷入了世上最大的困境，那样这李子便能救她脱身。不多时，他们把公牛牵了回来，把这位姑娘扶上牛背，二人便又上路了。

And aye they gaed, and on they rade, till they came to a dark and ugsome glen, where they stopped, and the lady lighted down. Says the bull to her: “Here ye maun stay till I gang and fight the deil. Ye maun seat yoursel’ on that stane, and move neither hand nor fit till I come back, else I’ll never find ye again. And if everything round about ye turns blue I hae beated the deil; but should a’ things turn red he’ll hae conquered me.”

他们走啊走，骑了又骑，终于来到一处阴暗可怖的幽谷，在那里停了下来，姑娘也下了牛背。公牛对她说：“你得在这儿等着，等我去和魔鬼打一场。你得坐在那块石头上，我回来之前，手也不能动，脚也不能动，不然我就再也找不到你了。要是你周围的一切都变成了蓝色，那就是我打赢了魔鬼；可要是一切都变成了红色，那就是他打赢了我。”

She set hersel’ down on the stane, and by-and-by a’ round her turned blue. O’ercome wi’ joy, she lifted the ae fit and crossed it owre the ither, sae glad was she that her companion was victorious. The bull returned and sought for but never could find her.

她坐在那块石头上，不一会儿，她周围的一切果然都变成了蓝色。她欣喜若狂，便抬起一只脚，交叠到另一只脚上，因为她太高兴自己的同伴打了胜仗了。公牛回来后四处寻找，却怎么也找不到她了。

Lang she sat, and aye she grat, till she wearied. At last she rase and gaed awa’, she kedna whaur till. On she wandered till she came to a great hill o’ glass, that she tried a’ she could to climb, bat wasna able.

她坐了很久，一直哭泣，直到疲惫不堪。最后她站起身来，走了开去，也不知走向了何方。她一路流浪，来到一座玻璃做的大山前，她想尽办法要爬上去，却怎么也爬不上去。

Round the bottom o’ the hill she gaed, sabbing and seeking a passage owre, till at last she came to a smith’s house; and the smith promised, if she wad serve him seven years, he wad make her iron shoon, wherewi’ she could climb owre the glassy hill. At seven years’ end she got her iron shoon, clamb the glassy hill, and chanced to come to the auld washerwife’s habitation. There she was telled of a gallant young knight that had given in some bluidy sarks to wash, and whaever washed thae sarks was to be his wife.

她绕着山脚走去，一边抽泣一边寻找一条越过去的路，终于来到一户铁匠的家；铁匠答应她，只要她给他做工七年，他就给她打一双铁鞋，好让她能爬过那座玻璃山。七年期满，她得到了铁鞋，爬过了玻璃山，恰巧来到了一位老洗衣妇居住的地方。在那里，她听说有一位英俊的年轻骑士，送来了几件沾着血的衬衫要人洗，谁能把这些衬衫洗干净，谁就能做他的妻子。

The auld wife had washed till she was tired, and then she set to her dochter, and baith washed, and they washed, and they better washed, in hopes of getting the young knight; but a’ they could do they couldna bring out a stain. At length they set the stranger damosel to wark; and whenever she began the stains came out pure and clean, but the auld wife made the knight believe it was her dochter had washed the sarks. So the knight and the eldest dochter were to be married, and the stranger damosel was distracted at the thought of it, for she was deeply in love wi’ him.

老妇人洗啊洗，洗到累了，便叫来自己的女儿，母女俩一起洗，洗了又洗，越洗越卖力，盼着能因此嫁给这位年轻骑士；可她们无论怎么洗，也洗不掉那血迹。最后，她们只得叫这位陌生的姑娘来干这活；她一开始洗，血迹便被洗得干干净净，可老妇人却让骑士相信是自己的女儿洗好了这些衬衫。于是这位骑士便要和大女儿成婚，这位陌生姑娘一想到这事便心如刀绞，因为她早已深深爱上了他。

So she bethought her of her apple, and breaking it, found it filled with gold and precious jewelry, the richest she had ever seen. “All these,” she said to the eldest dochter, “I will give you, on condition that you put off your marriage for ae day, and allow me to go into his room alone at night.” So the lady consented; but meanwhile the auld wife had prepared a sleeping-drink, and given it to the knight, wha drank it, and never wakened till next morning. The lee-lang night ther damosel sabbed and sang:

于是她想起了自己的苹果，把它掰开，发现里面装满了金子和珠宝，都是她生平所见过的最贵重的。“这些东西，”她对大女儿说，“我都愿意给你，条件是你把婚期推迟一天，让我今晚独自到他房里去一趟。”大女儿答应了；可与此同时，老妇人早已配好了一杯安眠药水，给骑士喝了下去，他一喝下去，便一直睡到了第二天早晨，怎么也叫不醒。整整一夜，这位姑娘都在啜泣着，唱道：

“Seven lang years I served for thee, The glassy hill I clamb for thee, The bluidy shirt I wrang for thee; And wilt thou no wauken and turn to me?”

“我为你辛苦服侍了七个漫长的年头， 我为你爬过了那座玻璃山， 我为你拧干了那件血衣； 难道你还不肯醒来，转身面对我吗？”

Next day she kentna what to do for grief. She then brak the pear, and found it filled wi’ jewelry far richer than the contents o’ the apple. Wi’ thae jewels she bargained for permission to be a second night in the young knight’s chamber; but the auld wife gied him anither sleeping-drink, and he again sleepit till morning. A’ night she kept sighing and singing as before:

第二天，她伤心得不知如何是好。于是她掰开了那个梨子，发现里面装的珠宝比苹果里的还要贵重得多。她又用这些珠宝换来了在年轻骑士房里再待一夜的机会；可老妇人又给他喝了一杯安眠药水，他又一直睡到了天明。整整一夜，她仍旧像先前一样叹息、歌唱：

“Seven lang years I served for thee,” &c. Still he sleepit, and she nearly lost hope a’thegither. But that day when he was out at the hunting, somebody asked him what noise and moaning was yon they heard all last night in his bedchamber. He said he heardna ony noise. But they assured him there was sae; and he resolved to keep waking that night to try what he could hear.

“我为你辛苦服侍了七个漫长的年头，”如此等等。他依旧睡着，她几乎完全绝望了。可就在那一天，他外出打猎时，有人问他，昨夜整夜他卧室里传出的那种呻吟哭泣声是怎么回事。他说他什么声音也没听见。可他们向他保证确有此事；于是他决心当晚保持清醒，看看自己究竟能听到什么。

That being the third night, and the damosel being between hope and despair, she brak her plum, and it held far the richest jewelry of the three. She bargained as before; and the auld wife, as before, took in the sleeping-drink to the young knight’s chamber; but he telled her he couldna drink it that night without sweetening. And when she gaed awa’ for some honey to sweeten it wi’, he poured out the drink, and sae made the auld wife think he had drunk it. They a’ went to bed again, and the damosel began, as before, singing:

到了第三天夜里，这位姑娘正处在希望与绝望之间，她掰开了自己的李子，发现里面装着三样东西中最贵重的珠宝。她像先前一样用珠宝做了交易；老妇人也像先前一样把安眠药水端进了年轻骑士的房间；可他告诉她，今晚这药水不加点甜味他喝不下去。趁她出去取蜂蜜来加甜的工夫，他把药水倒掉了，就这样让老妇人以为他已经把药喝了下去。众人又都各自去睡了，这位姑娘也像先前一样，开始唱起：

“Seven lang years I served for thee, The glassy hill I clamb for thee, The bluidy shirt I wrang for thee; And wilt thou no wauken and turn to me?”

“我为你辛苦服侍了七个漫长的年头， 我为你爬过了那座玻璃山， 我为你拧干了那件血衣； 难道你还不肯醒来，转身面对我吗？”

He heard, and turned to her. And she telled him a’ that had befa’en her, and he telled her a’ that had happened to him. And he caused the auld washerwife and her dochter to be burned. And they were married, and he and she are living happy till this day, for aught I ken.(1)

他听见了，便转身朝向她。她把自己所经历的一切都告诉了他，他也把自己所经历的一切告诉了她。他便命人把那老洗衣妇和她的女儿烧死了。他们二人便结了婚，据我所知，他们二人至今仍幸福美满地生活着。（1）

(1) Chambers, Popular Traditions of Scotland.

（1）钱伯斯，《苏格兰民间传说》。