介绍:
The tale of the Three Brothers《三兄弟传》The Tale of the Three Brothers (摘自"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"哈利波特与死亡圣器)
There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road, at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too treacherous to pass. But being learned in magical arts, the three brothers simply waved their wands and made a bridge. Before they could cross, however, they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. It was Death, and he felt cheated.
Cheated, because travellers would normally drown in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic, and said each earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him. The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence, so Death fashioned him one from the elder tree that stood nearby. The second brother decided he want to humiliate Death even further and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave. Death plucked a stone from the river and offered to him.
Finally, Death turned to the third brother. A humble man, he asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.
The first brother travelled to a distant village, where with the Elderwand in hand, he killed a wizard with whom he had once quarrelled. Drunk with the power the Elderwand had given him, he bragged (of) his invincibility. But that night, another wizard stole the wand and slit his throat for good measure. So Death took the first brother for his own.
The second brother journeyed his home where he took the stone and turned it thrice in his hand. To his delight the girl he had wanted to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. Yet soon she turned sad and cold for she didn&`&t belong to the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing the second brother killed himself so as to join her. And so death took the second brother.
As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him. Only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother shed the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. He then greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly departing this life as equals.
从前，有三兄弟在一条僻静的羊肠小道上赶路。天色已近黄昏，他们走着走着，来到了一条河边，水太深了，无法蹚过，游过去也太危险。然而，三兄弟精通魔法，一挥魔杖，危险莫测的水上就出现了一座桥。他们走到桥中央时，一个戴兜帽的身影挡住了他们的去路。死神对他们说话了。死神很生气，他失去了三个新的祭品——因为旅行者通常都会淹死在这条河里。但是死神很狡猾。他假装祝贺兄弟三人的魔法，说他们凭着聪明而躲过了死神，每人可以获得一样东西作为奖励。
老大是一位好战的男子汉，他要的是一根世间最强大的魔杖：一根在决斗中永远能帮主人获胜的魔杖，一根征服了死神的巫师值得拥有的魔杖！死神就走到岸边一棵接骨木树前，用悬垂的树枝做了一根魔杖，送给了老大。老二是一位傲慢的男子汉，他决定继续羞辱死神，想要的是能够让死人复活的能力。死神就从岸上捡起一块石头给了老二，告诉他这块石头有起死回生的能力。然后死神问最年轻的老三要什么。老三是最谦虚也是最聪明的一个，而且他不相信死神。因此他要一件东西，可以让他离开那里而不被死神跟随。死神极不情愿地把自己的隐形衣给了他。然后死神站在一边让兄弟三人继续赶路，他们就谈论着刚才的奇妙经历，赞赏着死神的礼物，往前走去。
后来兄弟三人分了手，朝着各自的目的地前进。老大走了一个多星期，来到一个遥远的小山村，跟一位巫师争吵起来。自然，他用那根接骨木做成的“老魔杖”作武器，无疑会获取决斗的胜利。对手倒地而亡后，他继续前行，走进了一个小酒馆，大声夸耀自己从死神手上得来的强大魔杖如何战无不胜。就在那天晚上，老大喝得酩酊大醉后，另一个巫师蹑手蹑脚地来到他的床边偷走了魔杖，并割断了他的喉咙。就这样，死神取走了老大的命。与此同时，老二回到了他独自居住的家，拿出可以起死回生的石头，在手里转了三次。让他惊喜交加的是，他想娶的但不幸早逝的女孩立刻出现在他面前。可是她悲伤而冷漠，他们之间似乎隔着一层沙幕。她尽管返回了人间，却并不真正属于这里，他很痛苦。最终，老二被没有希望的渴望折磨疯了，为了真正能和她在一起而自杀身亡。就这样，死神取走了老二的命。但是，死神找了老三好多年，却始终没能找到他。老三一直活到很老以后，才最终脱下隐形衣，交给了他的儿子，然后像老朋友见面一样迎接死神，并以平等的身份，高兴地同他一道，离开了人间。
邓布利多评《三兄弟的传说》： 我小时候，这个故事给我留下了深刻的印象。第一次我是听母亲讲的，很快，它就成为我睡觉前央求她讲得最多的一个故事。《三兄弟的传说》的寓意再明显不过：人类想要躲避货征服死神的努力注定不会成功。只有故事里的老三（“最谦虚也是最聪明的”）懂得，侥幸逃脱死神一次之后，他最多只能希望尽量延迟与死神的下一次见面。
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