第41章 邪惡的王子 The Wicked Prince(第1/6 頁)

《邪惡的王子》，1840 年

the wicked prince, 1840

從前有一個邪惡的王子，他一心想要征服世界上所有的國家，並且恐嚇人民；他用火與劍蹂躪他們的國家，他計程車兵踐踏田野裡的莊稼，放火燒燬農民的茅屋，以至於火焰舔舐著樹枝上的綠葉，果實幹枯地掛在燒焦的黑樹上。

there lived once upon a time a wicked prince whose heart and mind were set upon conquering all the countries of the world, and on frightening the people; he devastated their countries with fire and sword, and his soldiers trod down the crops in the fields and destroyed the peasants’ huts by fire, so that the flames licked the green leaves off the branches, and the fruit hung dried up on the singed black trees.

許多可憐的母親懷裡抱著赤裸的嬰兒，逃到她那小屋仍在冒煙的牆壁後面；但士兵們也追到了那裡，當他們找到她時，她就成了他們惡魔般享樂的新養料；魔鬼也不可能比這些士兵幹出更壞的事了！而王子卻認為這一切都是對的，認為事情就該如此發展。

many a poor mother fled, her naked baby in her arms, behind the still smoking walls of her cottage; but also there the soldiers followed her, and when they found her, she served as new nourishment to their diabolical enjoyments; demons could not possibly have done worse things than these soldiers! the prince was of opinion that all this was right, and that it was only the natural course which things ought to take.

他的權勢與日俱增，所有人都懼怕他的名字，而且命運也眷顧他的所作所為。

his power increased day by day, his name was feared by all, and fortune favoured his deeds.

他從被征服的城鎮帶回了鉅額財富，逐漸在他的住所積累了別處無法比擬的財富。

he brought enormous wealth home from the conquered towns, and gradually accumulated in his residence riches which could nowhere be equalled.

他建造了宏偉的宮殿、教堂和大廳，所有看到這些壯麗建築和鉅額財寶的人都讚歎道