中英双语阅读213 | What do women really want? 女人最想要的是什么？
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中英双语美文213
What do women really want?
女人最想要的是什么？
Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved by Arthur's youthful happiness. So he offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer; if, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be killed.
国王亚瑟被俘，本应被处死，但对方国王见他年轻乐观，十分欣赏，他要求亚瑟回答一个十分难的问题，答出来就可以得到自由。
The question was: What do women really want?
这个问题就是：“女人真正想要的是什么？”
Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and, to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. Well, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end. He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the princess, the prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, the court jester. In all, he spoke with everyone but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.
这样的问题甚至能难倒最有见识的男人。对年轻的阿瑟来说，这个问题似乎是不可解答的。但选择回答总比死好。于是阿瑟接受了君主的提议，答应一年后给出答案。于是，阿瑟回到自己的国家，并开始向每个人征询答案，他问了了公主、妓女、牧师、智者，还有法官和小丑。他问了每个人这个问题，但是没有人能给他一个满意的答案。
What most people did tell him was to consult the old witch, as only she would know the answer. The price would be high, since the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.
有人告诉亚瑟，郊外的阴森城堡里住着一个老女巫，据说她无所不知，但收费高昂，且要求离奇。
The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alter native but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price first: The old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!
期限马上就要到了，亚瑟别无选择，只好去找女巫。女巫答应回答他的问题，但条件是，要和亚瑟最高贵的圆桌骑士之一，他最亲近的朋友——嘉文——结婚。
Young Arthur was horrified: she was hunchbacked and awfully hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage water, often made obscene noises. He had never run across such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden. Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him that nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.
亚瑟惊骇极了，他看着女巫：驼背，丑陋不堪，只有一颗牙齿，身上散发着臭水沟般难闻的气味……而嘉文高大英俊、诚实善良，是最勇敢的骑士。亚瑟说：“不，我不能为了自由强迫我的朋友娶你这样的女人！否则我一辈子都不会原谅自己。”嘉文知道这个消息后，对亚瑟说：“我愿意娶她，为了你和我们的国家。”
Hence, their wedding was proclaimed, and the witch answered Arthur's question: What a woman really wants is to be able to be in charge of her own life.
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it went. The neighboring monarch spared Arthur's life and granted him total freedom.
于是婚事被公之于世，而女巫也遵守约定，回答了这个问题：“女人真正想要的，是主宰自己的命运。”每个人都知道女巫说出了一条伟大的真理，于是亚瑟自由了。
What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn between relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display. She ate with her hands, belched and farted, and made everyone uncomfortable.
婚礼上女巫用手抓东西吃、打嗝、说脏话，令所有的人都感到恶心，亚瑟也在极度痛苦中哭泣，嘉文却一如既往地谦和。
The wedding night approached: Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific night, entered the bedroom. What a sight waited! The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! Gawain was astounded and asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her (when she'd been a witch), half the time she would be her horrible, deformed self, and the other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self. She asked him which he would want her to be during the day and which during the night.
新婚之夜，嘉文不顾众人劝阻坚持走进新房，准备面对一切，然而一个从没见过面的绝世美女却躺在他的床上。女巫说：“我在一天的时间里，一半是丑陋的女巫，一半是倾城的美女。我亲爱的嘉文，你想我白天或是夜晚是哪一面呢？”
What a cruel question? Gawain began to think of his predicament: During the day a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his home, an old spooky witch? Or would he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman to enjoy many intimate moments?
多么难回答的问题！嘉文开始考虑所处的困境：白天他可以带着美丽的女人在朋友面前炫耀，但是晚上在自己家里，将面对一个老怪物女巫；反之，他会喜欢的白天和一个丑陋的女巫呆在一起，而晚上共度美好时光吗？
What would you do? What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read until you've made your own choice.
换作是你，你会怎么做？请先做出自己的决定后再往下看嘉文的选择。
Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her and had let her be in charge of her own life.
嘉文回答道：“既然你说女人真正想要的是主宰自己的命运，那么就由你自己决定吧！”女巫听完终于热泪盈眶：“我选择白天夜晚都是美丽的女人，因为我爱你！”
What is the moral of this story? The moral is that it doesn’t matter if your woman is pretty or ugly, smart or dumb. Underneath in all, she's still a witch.
这个故事主旨是什么？主旨是，无论你的女人是美丽还是丑陋，聪明还是笨拙，都不重要。实际上她仍然是一个想主宰自己命运的女巫。
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