“The Lady, or the Tiger?”这个句子如今已成为一个习语,表示“两难境地”的意思。

Frank R. Stockton(1834—1902),美国作家,擅长撰写幽默故事,从事写作前是一名木头雕刻师。他曾出版多部小说,如Rudder Grange(《鲁德·格兰奇》)、The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine(《雷克斯太太与阿雷申太太的流亡记》)、The Adventures of Captain(《船长历险记》)等,然而其最为人津津乐道的作品还是这篇于1882年出版的短篇小说——The Lady, or the Tiger?(《美女,还是老虎?》)。

古往今来,公主与平民的爱情注定充满险阻,让深陷其中的人饱受煎熬,正如文中的这对苦命鸳鸯。公主深爱着他,却无法得到他;她不希望他死,却又不想别人得到他。处在这样两难的境地里,换了你,又会做出什么样的选择?故事看似简单,却饱含着对人性的拷问。

Long ago, in a very olden time, there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caused people to suffer.

One of the king’s ideas was a public 1)arena as an agent of 2)poetic justice. Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance. When a person was accused of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena.

All the people would gather in this building. The king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accused person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side, exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he pleased.

If the accused man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land. The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The case of the suspect was thus decided. Iron bells rang sadly. Great cries went up from the paid mourners. And the people, with heads hanging low and sad hearts, slowly made their way home. They mourned greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have died this way.

古时候,有一个非常有权势的国王。他有些想法颇有远见,有些却让他的国民受罪。

他的其中一个想法是设立一个公审场,作赏罚判定之用。是定罪受罚还是还其清白,全看被告的运气。当有人被指控犯罪,就会被推到那个公审场接受审判,一切听天由命。

所有人将聚集在那里。国王高踞宝座,他稍稍示意,宝座之下的一扇门就会打开,被告从那儿走出来,走进公审场。国王正对着两扇门,它们紧紧相邻,外观一模一样。受审的被告必须径直走向这两扇门,打开其中一扇。当然,选哪扇全凭其意愿。

如果被告打开的那扇门跳出的是一只王国里最凶猛的饿虎,饿虎就会立即扑向他,把他撕咬个粉碎,作为对其罪行的惩罚。于是,嫌疑犯的罪名就这么定下了。接着,丧钟悲鸣,雇来的哭丧人嚎哭,围观的群众则垂头伤心,缓步而归,为这么一个帅气小伙或那么一位可敬长者如此惨死而悲痛万分。

不过,要是被告打开另一扇门,走出来的是一位专门为其挑选的女子,那么,为了庆贺被告获得“清白”,即使被告已有家室或已选定结婚对象,他也得立刻和这女子成婚。国王不容许自己这个“伟大的”赏善惩恶方式受到任何阻碍。王座之下的另一扇门会走出一位牧师、一些歌手、舞者和乐师,为被告和那女子举行婚礼。婚礼迅速完成。接着,喜钟欢响,人群欢呼。这位“清白的”被告带着新妻回家,尾随的孩童把鲜花撒了一路。

But, if the accused opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chosen especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chosen to marry another woman. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward. Another door opened under the king, and a 3)clergyman, singers, dancers and musicians joined the man and the lady. The marriage ceremony was quickly completed. Then the bells made cheerful noises. The people shouted happily. And the innocent man led the new wife to his home, following children who threw flowers on their path.

This was the king’s method of carrying out justice. Its fairness appeared perfect. The accused person could not know which door was hiding the lady. He opened either as he pleased, without knowing whether, in the next minute, he was to be killed or married. Sometimes the fierce animal came out of one door. Sometimes it came out of the other.

This method was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they would see a bloody killing or a happy ending. So everyone was always interested. And 4)the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan. Did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?

The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best looking and bravest in the land. But he was a 5)commoner, not part of an important family.

One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man. The man was immediately put in prison. A day was set for his trial in the king’s public arena. This, of course, was an especially important event. Never before had a common 6)subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king.

这就是国王维护正义的方法,其公正性看上去无懈可击。被告无法知道哪扇门后是女子,他按照自己的意愿选择,全然不知下一刻自己的命运是惨死还是与他人成婚。有时,猛兽是从这扇门冲出来,有时是从另一扇门出来。

这个方法很受欢迎。人们在这样一个大审之日聚集在一起,他们决不知道自己看到的将是一场血腥的残杀还是欢乐的婚礼,这就使所有人总是兴致勃勃。连王国里有“思考”权的上层阶级也不会指责其有欠公允。被告的命运不是掌握在他自己手里吗?

国王有一个漂亮的女儿,她在很多方面都像极了她父亲。国王把她视若掌上明珠。公主偷偷爱着王国里那个最英俊最勇敢的小伙子。但他是一介平民,而非生于权贵之家。

一天,国王发现了女儿和那小伙子相爱的事,马上就把他关进了监狱,并选好日子在国王的公审场决定其生死。这当然是一件特别重大的事。在此之前,还从未有哪个平民胆敢爱上国王的女儿。