翻譯練習：【第201個故事：兩個極相似的】

有鑒於半個月前面試發現自己英翻中尚可、但中翻英變弱（呃…有強過嗎？），從這週開始，督促自己每週練習翻譯，一方面是累積日後面試的作品集，二來也可以持續英文閱讀和書寫的習慣。暫不挑戰平日喜歡閱讀的歐美影劇新聞，打算先從以前大學時讀過的極短篇故事下手。（謎之音：不要過幾天就偷懶只翻食譜啊…）

從小我就喜歡怪力亂神的閱讀和影視。讓我愛上電影的入門是【大蟒蛇神出鬼沒】和【咒怨】，而讓我愛上閱讀的入門，是兒童版的中國民間故事（小時候讀到年獸吃人只覺得興奮，不覺得恐怖，於是長大後變成Hannibal的死忠粉絲…）。

大學時就讀東亞研究，拿過最喜歡、收穫最多的課，是最後一個學期一堂探討日本怪力亂神的電影文學課：每個禮拜都有大量的閱讀和影視需要消化，怪物和怨靈其實不可怕，可怕的往往是psycho和A.I.！讓我充實又愉快地度過大學最後兩個半月的時光～啊～真想念大學生活～（懷念mode）

底下這則故事是譯自Royall Tyler於1987年初版的Japanese Tales。他亦是將故事從日文翻譯成英文（而我再翻成中文）。英文原文我逐字打在中文翻譯底下。

－April 11, 2014

【第201個故事：兩個極相似的】

翻譯：國鳳

從前有位名叫源正道的大名，他住在京都第四大道以南、室町街以西。某天，他那未滿兩歲的兒子獨自一人在外玩耍，這時正道大人突然聽見男孩嚎啕大哭，以及保母的高喊聲。

正道大人拿起他的武士刀，跑到房子的另一側一探究竟。在他眼前的，不是一位、而是兩位一模一樣的保母，同時使勁拽男孩不放：一人抓住他的胳臂，一人抓住他的腳。很明顯的，其中一人定是妖狐所變，但正道大人無從辨別何人才是妖狐。就在他揮舞著武士刀往前衝的那一剎那，其中一位保母消失了。

另一位保母和男孩同時癱軟在地上。正道大人讓侍從找來了有能力的療癒者，就在療癒者的儀式結束後不久，保母來找正道大人。大人終於能好好詢問她。

「我只想讓小主人自己玩個一會兒，大人，結果突然有個我從未見過的女人從屋內跑出來，然後說小主人是她的。事實上，她企圖帶走小主人，而我則緊抓著小主人，試圖阻止她。在您帶著刀衝過來的那一瞬間，她便鬆手跑回屋內了。」

正道大人認真地感到驚恐。事後他還是不知道那酷似保母的女人是狐狸精還是某種惡靈。但人們說，你還是不應該讓小孩子落單一人玩耍。

【譯註】

大名（Lord, i.e. Daimyo）：日本土地或莊園的領主，地位僅次將軍。

紅色部分我不太確定這樣翻譯是否正確，總覺得healer可以是醫者、也可能是術士／道士／和尚之類的人物，rites可能是治療儀式、也可能是收驚或是除去穢氣之類的法術。有誤還請指教。

image via amazon.ca

The following story is an excerpt from Japanese Tales by Royall Tyler, page 294 (1987, first edition).  I first read the story when I was in a Japanese film class in 2011, and love the anecdote ever since.  I still possess the textbook, and occasionally re-read the stories at leisure.  I will remove the following paragraphs if there’s any copyright issue. Thanks!

#201

The Double

Lord Minamoto no Masamichi lived south of Fourth Avenue and west of Muromachi Street in Kyoto.  His son, not yet two years old, was playing by himself outside when suddenly Masamichi heard him howl, and there were loud shouts from the nurse looking after him.

Masamichi picked up his sword and ran from the other side of the house to investigate.  He found not one but two identical nurses struggling for possession of the boy.  Each had hold of an arm and a leg.  Clearly one of them must be a fox, though he had no idea which.  As he charged, brandishing his sword, one of the nurses vanished.

The other nurse and the boy collapsed on the ground.  Masamichi had his servants call in a healer of proven power, and after the healer had worked his rites awhile the nurse came to.  At last Masamichi was able to question her.

“I was letting the young master play a little by himself, sir, when a woman I’d never seen before came out of the house and claimed the young master was hers.   In fact she tried to take the young master away, and I held on to him to stop her.  When you ran up with your sword, she let go and rushed back into the house.”

Masamichi was seriously frightened.  He never found out whether the double had actually been a fox or some sort of angry spirit.  People commented, though, that you just shouldn’t let little children play by themselves.