罗宾汉

罗宾汉与玛丽安小姐 大家好，我是娜塔莎，今天要讲述的是史上最著名的强盗如何遇到了他的对手——一位名叫玛丽安小姐的年轻女子。八百多年前，一辆马车正穿越舍伍德森林。车厢里的乘客是一个富有显赫的家庭，由四名骑马的士兵护卫，前后各两名。即便如此，当他们来到被称为格林伍德的森林地带时，父亲变得非常紧张，因为他知道这里盗匪横行。

Robin Hood and Maid Marian Hello, this is Natasha and this is the story of how the most famous robber who ever lived met his match. And his match was a young woman called Maid Marian. More than eight hundred years ago a coach and horses was passing through Sherwood Forest. The passengers inside the carriage were a rich and important family, and they were guarded by four soldiers riding on horseback, two out in front and two behind. Even so, when they came to the part of the forest known as Greenwood, the father became very nervous because he knew it was thick with thieves and bandits.

妻子注意到他的手指在膝盖上轻叩，便把手覆在他的手上安抚他。他们美丽的女儿玛丽安则闭上眼睛，随着马车的摇晃睡着了。父亲心想：若强盗来袭，我愿交出黄金，只求他们别碰我亲爱的玛丽安一根头发。然而他担心的事还是发生了。起初这家人甚至没意识到自己正遭袭击。

His wife noticed that his finger was tapping on his knee, and she put her hand on top of his to calm his nerves. His beautiful daughter, whose name was Marion, closed her eyes and managed to fall asleep to the rocking of the carriage. If the bandits attack, thought the father, I will give up my gold, but I only pray that they do not touch her hair on the head of my dear Marian. And then what he feared happened. At first the family did not even realise that they were being attacked.

强盗们从树上跃下，将士兵拽落马背。计划如此精妙，守卫们不到一分钟就被制服。车夫试图扬鞭催马疾驰，但横亘路中的树干迫使马车急停——他们落入了陷阱。父亲预料会听到那句古老的劫匪口号：'站住，交出财物！'

The robbers jumped down from the trees above and pulled the soldiers off their horses and onto the ground. It was all so skilfully planned that the guards were overpowered in less than a minute. The coach driver tried to whip up the horses to make them fly forward But it was useless, for a tree lay across the road and he had to pull them up with a sharp jolt. They were caught in a trap. The father expected to hear the age old cry of the highwayman Stand and deliver!

这意味着他们得下车交出贵重物品。但出乎意料的是，车厢门被礼貌地轻叩，一个声音说道：'亲爱的先生，请您移步车外。'父亲对妻子说：'他们在戏弄我。'当他踏上路面时，发现自己的膝盖在发抖。眼前站着一位身着绿衣的年轻人。

Which meant that they were to get out of their carriage and hand over their valuables. But instead, there was a polite tap on the door of the carriage, and a voice said, dear sir, be so kind as to step outside. Oh, they mock me, the father said to his wife. As his foot set down on the road, he noticed that his knee was wobbling. He found himself facing a young man dressed in green.

年轻人身后是六个同样绿衣装束的男子，手持长剑和长弓。'给，'父亲递出钱袋，'拿走这些金子，只求你别伤害我的妻女。我以圣母玛利亚和一切神圣之名起誓，她们身上绝无珠宝财物。'

Behind him stood six men, dressed in the same color and armed with swords and long bows. Here, said the father. Take this purse of gold. Only I beg you, do not touch my wife or daughter. I swear by Saint Mary and all that is sacred that they have no jewels or valuables on their persons.

其实他在说谎——此刻他妻子正忙着把珠宝塞进裙襟。'天哪，'强盗首领说，'你把我看成什么了？我岂会伤害淑女。'

In fact, this was not true. His wife at that moment was busy stuffing the jewels down the front of her dress. Good gracious, said the leader of the bandits. What do you take me for? I would do no harm to a lady.

这时玛丽安小姐突然跳下马车。'你在干什么？'父亲惊呼，'快回来，立刻！'但玛丽安小姐是个性情刚烈、充满活力的年轻姑娘。

At that moment, Maid Marian jumped down out of the carriage. What are you doing? Cried the father. Get back, dear, this instant! But Maid Marian was a high spirited young lady with a fiery temper.

她走到强盗首领面前，扇了他一记耳光。'接招吧，你这个懦夫，'她说。'给我一把剑，我会让你见识真正的战斗。'父亲惊恐万分，因为他不知道女儿一直与兄弟们练习击剑，剑术比他们任何一人都要精湛。她的长弓射术也相当了得，但父亲对此同样一无所知。

She went up to the bandit leader and slapped him around the face. Take that, you coward, she said. Give me a sword, and I'll show you how to fight. The father was horrified, for he had no idea that his daughter practiced fencing with her brothers, and was more skilled with a sword than any of them. She was no mean shot with a long bow and arrow, too, but he had no inkling of that either.

强盗摸了摸被她扇过的脸颊。'我倒希望这是个吻，'他说。'不过你的手同样甜蜜地刺痛了我。现在，我美丽的亚马逊女战士，请平息你的怒火。作为你父亲刚给我的黄金——对此我真心感激——的回报，我的人马会护送你们的马车到森林边缘，确保没有歹徒袭击你们。'

The robber touched the side of his face where she had swiped him. I would that that were a kiss, he said. But your hands sting sweetly all the same. Now, my beautiful Amazon, spare your temper. In return for the gold your father has just given me and for which I am truly grateful, my men shall ride behind your carriage to the edge of the forest and ensure that no criminals attack you.

'因为很遗憾，这片森林里充斥着最恶劣的人。'玛丽安小姐又扇了他一耳光，然后含着热泪回到马车里。但强盗们信守承诺，护送这家人安全抵达森林边缘。分别前，强盗首领再次轻叩马车门，祝愿受害者们平安归家。

For I am sorry to say that this forest is full of the worst sort of people. Maid Marian slapped him again around the face, and then got back into the carriage with hot tears in her eyes. But the bandits were true to their word, and gave the family their protection to the edge of the forest. Before they parted, the leader of the robbers once more tapped on the door of the carriage. He wished his victims a safe journey to their home.

'还有，小姐，'他对玛丽安说，'我如此渴望能再次有幸见到您。恳请您告诉我您的名字。'起初她不愿回答，但随后轻声说：'玛丽安。'强盗说道：'那么，亲爱的玛丽安，今晚在绿林，你赢得了罗宾汉的心。'说罢，他跃上马背疾驰而去。

And, my lady, he said to Maid Marian, I so desire to have the pleasure of setting eyes on you once again. Pray, do tell me your name. At first she did not want to reply, but then she said softly, Marian. And the robber said, Well, dear Marion, this evening in Greenwood, you have won the heart of Robin Hood. And with that, he jumped on his horse and sped away.

'太放肆了，太放肆了，'母亲说。但父亲几乎松了口气，因为通常强盗对旅人的伤害远不止于此。两个月后，玛丽安的父母决定该让她出嫁了，他们开始与一位富有的领主商谈，对方的长子相貌英俊却极度傲慢。

The cheek of it, the cheek of it, said the mother. But the father was almost relieved. But the father was almost relieved, for often bandits did far more harm to travellers than they had received. Two months went past, and Marian's father and mother decided that it was time for her to wed. They began talks with a rich lord whose eldest son was good looking but extremely arrogant.

当被告知必须嫁给这个年轻人时，玛丽安勃然大怒：'难道我没有发言权吗？''亲爱的，'父亲说，'你还年轻，不知道什么对你好。'但玛丽安的性格绝非能被强迫做任何违背意愿之事，于是她决心离家出走。

When they told Marian that she must marry him, she was furious. Do not I have any say in the matter? She said. My dear, said her father, you are young and do not know what is best for you. But Marian's character was not the sort that could be forced to do anything unless she wanted it herself, and so she resolved to run away.

她知道当地许多贫苦人家的男孩都去了舍伍德森林成为亡命之徒。有些是强盗，有些靠猎杀国王的鹿群为生——这同样违法。她剪短头发，装扮成侍童模样，佩上长剑和长弓，骑着父亲马厩里最快的马离去。没人比她更清楚独自穿越森林的危险，但她毫不在乎，因为想到要嫁给一个既不爱也不喜欢的男人，她就怒火中烧。

She knew that many of the local boys from poor families had gone to Sherwood Forest and become outlaws. Some were robbers, but others lived by hunting the king's deer, which was against the law. She cut her own hair, dressed herself as a pageboy, armed herself with a sword and long bow, and rode off on the fastest horse in her father's stable. Nobody knew better than her that it was dangerous to ride through the forest, especially alone. But she did not care because she was so angry at the thought of marrying a man that she did not love or even like.

“若我遇见强盗，定与他们搏斗，”她自言自语道。“即便他们杀了我，我的生命对我而言也无甚可惜，因我心中如此悲苦。”她策马深入森林，最终发现一片小空地，那里矗立着一座破旧的木屋。屋子已半倾颓，但她想着可以修葺一番，在此栖身。

If I meet the robbers, I shall fight them, she said to herself. And if they kill me, my life will be little lost to me, for I am so unhappy in my heart. She rode deep into the woods. Eventually she found a little clearing in which there stood an old log cabin. It was half fallen down, but she thought she would mend it and live there.

她打算靠打猎捕鱼为生。正感饥饿时，她坐下吃随身携带的面包和奶酪。正吃着，忽闻脚步声，她立刻跃起，执剑在手。一名身着绿衣的男子现身，她当即认出是曾袭击她家族的罗宾汉。“站住！”

She would survive by hunting and fishing. As she was hungry, she sat down to eat the bread and cheese that she had brought with her. While she was doing this, she heard footsteps, and she jumped to her feet, her sword in hand. A man appeared, dressed in green, and she recognized him right away as Robin Hood, who had attacked her family. Hold back!

她剑指对方喝道，“若想抢劫，我必取你性命。”罗宾对这下巴光洁却意气风发的少年颇感兴趣。“小伙子，”他说，“放下你的剑，我无意伤害你。我只是个无辜的樵夫，来修缮我的木屋。”

She called out, pointing her sword at him. For if you try and rob me, it will cost you your life. Robin was interested to find this spirited lad with no sign of any bristle on his chin. Young boy, he said, put down your sword, for I mean you no harm. I am just an innocent forester, and I came here to mend my cabin.

“不，你不是，”玛丽安小姐说，“你是恶名昭彰的逃犯罗宾汉。再上前一步，我就刺穿你。”事实上，令玛丽安愤怒的是他竟未认出自己。“那些赢得他芳心的甜言蜜语，”她暗自思忖，

No, you're not, said Maid Marian. You're Robin Hood, the notorious outlaw. Take one step closer, and I'll run you through. For in truth, what had made Marian so angry was that he had not recognised her. So much of his sweet words about winning his heart, she said to herself.

“全是毫无意义的空话。我要让他见识见识。”见剑锋直指自己，罗宾拔剑欲格开玛丽安的武器。但她识破意图，猛然突刺。他勉强挡开，剑锋险些削掉他的耳朵。

It was all meaningless hot air. I'll show him. Seeing the sword pointing dangerously towards him, Robin drew his own sword, meaning to use it to push Marian's aside. But she saw what was happening and thrust forward. He only just managed to deflect her sword from cutting his ear.

二人随即交锋，剑刃相击，进退周旋。玛丽安划破罗宾面颊，这激怒了他。他全力反击，但她步伐灵巧、技艺娴熟。即便如此，她眉骨上方仍中一剑。鲜血模糊了她的视线，她开始持剑胡乱挥砍。

And then they fought, they clashed, they thrust, they parried, they twirled. Marion drew blood from Robin's cheek, and that inflamed his anger. Then he fought back with all his strength, but she was nimble footed and skilled. Even so, she took a cut above her eye. Now she was blinded by her own blood, and she was cutting wildly about her with her sword.

罗宾绕至其身后将她摔倒在地。“轻点，轻点，”他说道，“冷静下来吧。该停战交个朋友了。我的队伍正需要你这样的少年。”

Robin managed to get behind her and wrestle her to the ground. Gently, gently, he was saying. Calm yourself now. Time to stop fighting and be friends. I could use a boy like you in the band of my followers.

他让玛丽安转过身来，此刻正凝视着她的脸庞。你这负心汉，她说道。你根本不了解我。但他确实了解，并亲吻了她的双唇。这就是少女玛丽安如何加入罗宾汉及其伙伴，在舍伍德森林中生活的故事。

He allowed Marian to turn round, and now he was looking into her face. You faithless man, she said. You do not know me. But he did, and he kissed her on the lips. And that's the story of how Maid Marian came to join Robin Hood and his men in Sherwood Forest.