美文——A Nose for the King

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A Nose for the King
　　
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　　In the morning calm of Korea, when its peace truly 1)merited its 2)ancient name, “Cho sen,”there lived a politician by the name of Yi Chin Ho. He was a 3)complicated man. But, unlike his brothers in other lands, Yi Chin Ho was in prison. Not that he had 4)diverted to himself public moneys, but that he had diverted too much.
　　He owed the government ten thousand 5)strings of cash, and he was in prison under sentence of death. There was one 6)advantage to the situation he had plenty of time to think. And he thought well.
　He asked the jailer to let him go free for one short hour that night. And he promised he would help him become the 7)directorship of all the prisons of Cho sen.
　　“How, now? How foolish is this! What can you do with one short hour?”laughed the jailer.
　　“In this country, there is no place for me to hide,”Yi Chin Ho replied. “I am a man of wisdom, but of what worth is my wisdom here in prison” If I were free, I know well I could 8)obtain the money to 9)repay the government. I know of a nose that will save me from all my difficulties.
　　“A nose?! What a 10)wag you are!”The jailer laughed and went away. But in the end, being a man soft of head and heart, he allowed Yi Chin Ho to go.
　　
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　　So, Yi Chin Ho went straight to the Governor, 11)arousing him from his sleep.
　　“Why are you here” You should be in prison waiting for the 12)chopping block!?cried the Governor.
　　“Please listen to me, Your 13)Excellency,”said Yi Chin Ho. “A dead man is without value. I am as a dead man, without value to the government, to Your Excellency, or to myself. But if Your Excellency would give me my freedom——”
　　“Iossible!”
　　“Your Excellency well knows that if I can repay the ten thousand strings of cash, the government will 14)pardon me,”Yi Chin Ho went on. “So, if Your Excellency would give me my freedom for a few days, I should then repay the government and be in 15)position to serve Your Excellency.”
　　Hearing that, the Governor asked Yi Chin Ho to bring him his plan the next night, and took up his snore where it had been 16)interrupted.
　　On the following night, having again obtained 17)leave from the jailer, Yi Chin Ho came to the Governor’s bedside.
　　“Your Excellency,”said Yi Chin Ho, “The plan is here in my hand.”
　　The Governor sat up and opened his eyes. Yi Chin Ho 18)proffered in his hand a piece of paper. The Governor held it to the light.
　　“Nothing but a nose,”he said.
　　“It is an 19)exceedingly big nose. And there is a 20)wart upon it. Your excellency would seek far and wide and many days for that nose and find it not.”
　　“An unusual nose, a most unusual nose.”admitted the Governor. “I have never seen the like. But what do you do with this nose, Yi Chin Ho?”
　　“I seek it to repay the money to the government. I seek it to be of service to Your Excellency, and I seek it to save my own worthless head. Further, I need Your Excellency’s 21)seal of the state upon this picture.”
　　The Governor laughed and 22)affixed the seal.
　　
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　　For a month, Yi Chin Ho traveled and traveled. Finally he came to the Eastern Sea; and there, one night, at the gate of the largest house of a wealthy city he knocked loudly.
　　“I will see no one but the master of the house,”he said 23)fiercely to the servants. “I travel upon the King’s business!?He was immediately led to an inner room, where the master of the house was 24)roused from his sleep.
　　“You are Pak Chung Chang, head man of this city,”said Yi Chin Ho in tones that were all 25)accusing. “I came upon the King’s business.”Pak Chung Chang trembled. He knew well that the King’s business was a terrible business.
“It is late. I am afraid ——”
　　“The King’s business never waits!”hundered Yi Chin Ho. “Come with me, now! I have an affair to discuss with you. It is the King’s affair!”he added with even greater fierceness, so that Pak Chung Chang’s silver pipe dropped from his fingers and fell onto the floor.
　　When they were alone, Yi Chin Ho said, “The King is troubled with an 26)affliction, a very terrible affliction. Because he failed to cure, the 27)Court 28)physician had his head 29)chopped off. Physicians from all over the country have come to wait upon the King, and they have decided that the 30)remedy for the King’s affliction is nothing else but a nose, a certain kind of nose.
　　“The prime minister 31)summoned me and gave me a paper. On this paper was the very 32)peculiar kind of nose drawn by the physicians, with the seal of state on it. He ordered me to seek out this nose, 33)strike it off and bring it in all 34)haste to the Court wherever I find this nose. I”ve been searching and searching. And here I am.”
　　He drew a paper from his 35)girdle, and 36)thrust it before the face of Pak Chung Chang. Upon the paper was the picture of the nose. Pak Chung Chang stared upon it.
　　“I have never seen such a nose,”he said.
　　“Look carefully, there is a wart upon it,”said Yi Chin Ho. “Bring your father before me! You know it is your father’s nose. Bring him before me that I may strike it off and leave. Hurry, or I will make bad report of you.”
　　“37)Mercy!”cried Pak Chung Chang, falling on his knees. “It is impossible! It is impossible! You can’t strike off my father’s nose. He cannot go down without his nose to the grave. He will become a 38)byword, and all my days and nights will be filled with 39)woe. Oh, tell the King that you have seen no such nose. You, too, have a father.
　　“My heart softens strangely at your tears,”said Yi Chin Ho. “I, too, know 40)filial piety. But —it is as much as my head is worth.”
　　“How much is your head worth?”sked Pak Chung Chang in a thin, small voice.
　　“A not 41)remarkable head,”aid Yi Chin Ho. “But, I value it at nothing less than one hundred thousand strings of cash.”
　　“So be it. It shall be as you wish, so long as my 42)respected father’s nose 43)abide in its appointed place.”said Pak Chung Chang, sadly.
　　“Say nothing to anyone,”said Yi Chin Ho, “The other servants will report to the King.”
　　
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　　There is little more to tell. Yi Chin Ho 44)prospered through the years. By his efforts the jailer 45)attained 46)at length to the directorship of all the prisons of Cho sen; the Governor finally became the prime minister, while Yi Chin Ho became the King’s 47)boon companion and sat at table with him to the end of his life. But Pak Chung Chang fell into a 48)melancholy. And whenever he regarded the expensive nose of his old and respected father, he shook his head sadly, with tears in his eyes.
　高丽国宁静的清晨时分平静而安详，与她的古名“朝鲜”名副其实。这片土地上住着一个政客，名叫叶清和。他为人虽世故，却不像他在其它地方的弟兄一样，现在他被囚在监牢里。不是因为他侵吞了公款，而是因为他侵吞得太多了。
　　叶清和欠下政府一万贯钱，此时正在牢中等待接受死刑。这种境况有一个好处—能让他有充足的时间思考，而他确实彻底地想好了。
　　那天晚上，他请求狱卒释放他一个小时，并许诺他会帮助这个狱卒成为朝鲜所有监牢的总管。
　　“这会儿你怎么可能做到呢？这件事多愚蠢啊！你能用短短的一个小时干些什么呢？”狱卒讥笑道。
　　“这个国家已经没有我的藏身之处了，”叶清和答道，“我有智慧，可是身处牢狱，智慧又有什么用呢？但是，如果我自由了，我肯定可以拿到那笔钱偿还给朝廷。我知道有一个鼻子可以救我于危难之中。”
　　“一个鼻子？！你真是一个怪人！”狱卒大笑着走开了。但是他是个心软头昏的人，他最终还是放叶清和走了。
　　
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　　于是，叶清和立即动身去找掌玺官，把他从睡梦中唤醒。
　　“你怎么在这里？你应该在牢里等着被斩首啊！”掌玺官惊叫起来。
　　“请听我说，尊敬的阁下，”叶清和说道，“死去的人是没有价值的。我就像一个死人，对于朝廷来说没有价值，对于阁下你或者对于我自己也都一样。但假如您愿意给予我自由—”
　　“那不可能！”
　　“阁下很清楚，只要我可以偿还朝廷那一万贯钱，朝廷就会赦免我。”叶清和继续说道，“所以，如果您愿意给我几天自由，我就可以把钱归还朝廷，还能为您效劳。”
　　听到这话，掌玺官叫叶清和第二天晚上把他的行动计划带过来见他，接着他便又进入先前被扰断的酣梦中。
　　第二天晚上，叶清和再一次说服了狱卒让他逃走，又来到了掌玺官的床边。
　　“尊敬的阁下，”叶清和说道，“计划正在我手中。”
　　掌玺官坐起身来，睁开眼睛。叶清和呈上一张纸，掌玺官把纸置于灯下。
　　“什么都没有，就只有一个鼻子啊。”他说。
　　“这可是一个非同寻常的大鼻子，上面还长着一个疣。您尽可以四方搜寻，历经时日，也必寻之不见。”
　　“确实是一个很奇特的鼻子，最非同一般的鼻子。”掌玺官承认道，“我还从来没有见过相似的鼻子。可是，你打算拿这个鼻子做什么呢，叶清和？”
　　“我要找到它来偿清我欠朝廷的债，也好为您效劳，还可以救一救我这没什么价值的脑袋。还有，我需要您的国玺，请在这张纸上盖个章。”
　　掌玺官笑了，把玉玺往纸上一压。
　　
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　　整整一个月的时间里，叶清和马不停蹄地赶路。最后，他来到了东海。终于有一天晚上，他找到了一座富庶城市中最大的一间房子，他站在大门前用力地敲门。
　　“除了房子的主人，我谁也不见。”他严肃地对仆人喝道。“我是奉圣旨而来的！”
　　叶清和马上被引入一间内室，屋子主人从梦中被唤醒。
　　“你是朴周昌吧，这所城市的首领。”叶清和说道，语气似是在诃责。“我为皇上的事而来。”
　　朴周昌不禁发起抖来，他明白皇帝的命令总是可怕的。
　　“现在时候不早了，我恐怕—”
　　“皇上的事不可怠慢！”叶清和声色俱厉地吼道。“跟我来，马上！我有件事情要和你说。是皇上的事务！”他的声气又加了一层力度，吓得朴周昌的银烟斗从他的指间滑落，掉在地上。
　　随后，两人单独面谈。叶清和说道：“现在有一种疾病正困扰着皇上，一种很严重的病。御医因为没能治愈皇上而被斩首。全国各地的医师云集首都，等候皇上召见。他们已拟出医治皇上所患固疾的药方，别的什么也不用，只需一个鼻子即可，某种特殊的鼻子。
　　“国务大臣召见我，给了我一张纸，纸上正是医师们所画的这种特别的鼻子，还盖着国玺。国务大臣让我找出这种鼻子，一旦找到就即刻把它摘下来，快马加鞭送到宫里。我一直在寻找着，寻找着。现在便是来到了这里。”
　　接着，叶清和从他的腰带里掏出一张纸，递到朴周昌眼前。纸上所画的是一个鼻子。朴周昌盯着图看了看。
　　“我从没见过这样的鼻子。”他说。
　　“看仔细了，鼻子上可有个疣。”叶清和道。“把你父亲带上来见我！你知道纸上所画的就是你父亲的鼻子。把他带上来，我好把他的鼻子摘下来回去复命。快，否则我可会奏上不美之辞。”
　　“饶命啊！”朴周昌哭喊起来，跪倒在地上。“这是不可能的！不可能！你不能摘掉我父亲的鼻子。他决不能没有鼻子而终老，他会成为一个笑柄，而我的日日夜夜也将永无安宁，充满哀愁。噢，告诉皇上说你没有见到这样的鼻子吧。你也一样有老父啊。”
　　“我的心竟被你的眼泪软化了。”叶清和说道。“我也一样，懂得孝道。只是—孝道的价值跟我这颗头一般轻重。”
　　“那么你的头颅价值多少呢？”朴周昌问道，声音单薄而轻细。
　　“并不是什么值得称道的脑袋，”叶清和说。“不过，在我看来它可不比十万贯钱要少啊。”
　　“那就这么说定吧。只要我父亲的鼻子安得其所，一切如你所愿。”朴周昌不无悲哀地说道。
　　“切勿告知任何人。”叶清和叮嘱道。“其他家奴会禀告皇上的。”
　　
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　　余事无庸多说。叶清和在几年间飞黄腾达。在他的努力下，那个狱卒最终成为朝鲜所有监牢的总管，而那位掌玺官也最终成为国务大臣。叶清和本人则成为皇帝的密友，终生伴其左右。然而，朴周昌却陷入愁眉不展中。每当他想起他尊敬的老父那昂贵的鼻子，都会悲伤地摇着头，眼里闪着泪光。
　　
　　杰克·伦敦（1876－1916）：美国著名小说家。杰克·伦敦年幼时家境困苦，但对文学的兴趣却十分强烈。年少时杰克·伦敦在奥克兰公共图书馆里大量阅读书籍，可以说他的知识大多来自于自学和个人经历。他是一位多产的小说家，在16年的创作生涯中写了150多篇短篇小说、19部长篇小说以及其它作品。
　　杰克·伦敦的生命很短暂，但人生体验却非常丰富，曾担任不同的角色：罐头工人、牡蛎采集者、流浪者、政治活跃人物、工会领袖、水手和矿工等。正是这些复杂的个人经历使他的作品带有独特的个性。本文情节紧凑，结局不同寻常，值得细加品味。