盲人巴巴阿卜杜拉的故事（2）
荷叶/译
“兄弟，”我说：“在没有指出你不了解的事以前，我不想和你分手，要想把三十头骆驼聚拢在一处，需要很多驾驭经验。为了你好，我很确信你再委托给我十头，你会开心很多，因为对我来说两头和一百头没什么两样。”
和上次一样，苦行僧没有提出任何异议。我胜利地又赶走了十头骆驼，只给他剩下二十头。现在我有了六十头，任何人都会认为我应该满足了。
但是，有句谚语说得好，欲壑难填，我正是这样。苦行僧只要有一头骆驼，我都无法安宁。我又一次回去，祈祷，拥抱，甜言蜜语地说会对他永远感激，直到最后二十只骆驼落入我的手里。
这位圣人说：“兄弟，好好利用这些财富。谨记：财富如果不和人分享，有时它会长出翅膀。我们可以帮助那些有意逗留在我们门口的人。”
我的双眼被金子蒙蔽了，没有在意他明智的忠告，我只是在寻找，一心想攫取别的东西。我想起了苦行僧之前藏的那一小盒药膏，这里面很可能有比所有其它的东西都贵重的财宝。我最后拥抱了他一下，不经意地说：“你拿那一小盒药膏有什么用？你带着它好像没有什么必要，你最好把它给我。真的，一个身外无物的僧人，根本不需要药膏。”
噢，如果他拒绝了我，会有多好！但假设那时他拒绝了我，我也会用暴力占有它，因为那时，我已疯狂。然而，苦行僧根本没有拒绝我，他立刻把药膏递给我，优雅地说：“朋友，拿走吧。如果我还能做些什么让你开心，请务必告诉我。”
这个盒子一落入我手，我立刻拧掉盖子。我说：“既然你这么好，我求求你，请告诉我这些药膏有什么用途？”
“这些药膏非常古怪有趣，如果你涂在左眼睛上一点，你立刻就能看到地底下所藏的所有财宝。但当心不能碰到你的右眼，否则你就会永远失明。”
他的话把我的好奇心激发到了极点。“请让我试试，我恳求你。”我喊道，把药膏举给苦行僧。“你比我更知道怎样用，我迫不及待地想试试它的魅力。”
苦行僧接过我递过去的盒子，让我闭上左眼，轻轻地在上面涂了一点药膏。当我再睁开眼时，各种各样，不计其数的珍宝展现在我面前。但这段时间，我必须闭上右眼，这很累人。我乞求苦行僧再给我的右眼涂上一点。
“如果你坚持要涂，我会照做，”苦行僧答道：“但你必须记住我刚才说过的话，如果药膏碰到你的右眼，你会立刻失明。”
不幸的是，尽管苦行僧的话被多次验证是正确的，但我坚信此时此刻他正在隐瞒药膏的神秘而珍贵的价值。因此，我对他的话充耳不闻。
“兄弟，”我笑着回答：“我知道你在开玩笑。同一种药膏竟然会有这样完全相反的效果很不正常。”
“这同样是真的，”苦行僧答道：“你如果相信我的话，会对你大有好处。”
但是被贪婪所迷惑，我没相信他的话，我想：如果一只眼能看见财富，另一只眼可能会教我如何获取财富。我继续催促苦行僧给我的右眼涂药膏，但他坚定地拒绝。
“给了你这么多好处后，”他说：“我真的不愿意对你做恶事。想想失明了会怎么样，不要强迫我做让你终生忏悔的事。”
这些话已毫无用处，“兄弟，”我坚定地说：“请不要再说了，照我请求的去做。到现在为止，你已经很慷慨地满足了我所有愿望，不要让这样一件微不足道的小事毁了我对你的印象。无论发生什么，都算在我自己头上，我绝不怪你。”
“既然你如此坚决，”苦行僧叹了口气，答道：“再说也无益。”他拿起药膏往我紧闭着的右眼上涂了一点。当我试图睁开右眼时，厚厚的黑云飘在我眼前，正如你现在看到的，我成了盲人。
“悲惨的苦行僧！”我尖声叫道：“这的确是真的。我对金子的渴望使我陷入了如此深的无底洞。现在我的眼失明了，但我的眼界被打开了。我知道我所有的苦难都是咎由自取。但好兄弟，你如此善良，如此仁慈，你有如此广博的学识，你有没有办法让我复明？”
“不开心的人，”苦行僧回答：“这一切降临到你身上，不是我的过错，但这是公正的惩罚。你迷失的心导致了你身体的失明。是的，我懂些秘诀，这你在我们认识不长的时间内已经看到，但我没有办法使你复明。你已经证明你不配得到我给你的财富。现在这些财富回到了我手里，我会把它们送给那些不像你这样贪婪和忘恩负义的人。”
苦行僧丢下我，不再说话。我羞愧难当，不知怎么做才好，一言不发，凄惨地站在原地。此时，苦行僧赶上八十头骆驼，朝巴索拉前进。我恳求他不要丢下我，至少把我带到第一个旅馆附近，但是徒劳无益。他对我的乞求和哭喊充耳不闻。要不是第二天有几个商人路过，好心地把我带回巴格达，我很快就会因饥饿和悲惨死去。
我一下子从一个有钱人变成了乞丐。直到现在，我一直在靠别人的施舍度日。但为了赎掉导致我毁灭的罪恶---贪婪，我请求每个过路人打我一拳。
这就是我的故事。
当盲人讲完故事，哈里发对他说：“巴巴阿卜杜拉，你的罪恶确实很深重，但你已遭受了足够的痛苦。此后，你要私下里忏悔，我会看到你所需要的钱一天天回到你的手里。”
听到这些话，巴巴阿卜杜拉扑到哈里发的脚下，祈祷荣誉和幸福永远属于他。
附：原文
"My brother," I said, "I am unwilling to part from you without pointing out what I think you scarcely grasp, that large experience ofcamel-driving is necessary to anybody who intends to keep together a troop of thirty. In your own interest, I feel sure you would be much happier if you entrusted ten more of them to me, for with my practice it is all one to me if Itake two or a hundred."
As before, the dervish made no difficulties, and I drove off my ten camels in triumph, only leaving him with twenty for his share. I had now sixty, and anyone might have imagined that I should be content.
But, Commander of the Faithful, there is a proverb that says, "themore one has, the more one wants." So it was with me. I could not rest aslong as one solitary camel remained to the dervish; and returning to him I redoubled my prayers and embraces, and promises of eternal gratitude, till thelast twenty were in my hands.
"Make a good use of them, my brother," said the holy man."Remember riches sometimes have wings if we keep them for ourselves, andthe poor are at our gates expressly that we may help them."
My eyes were so blinded by gold that I paid no heed to his wise counsel,and only looked about for something else to grasp. Suddenly I remembered the little box of ointment thatthe dervish had hidden, and which most likely contained a treasure more precious than all the rest. Giving him one last embrace, I observed accidentally, "What are you going to do with that little box of ointment?It seems hardly worth taking with you; you might as well let me have it. Andreally, a dervish who has given up the world has no need ofointment!"
Oh, if he had only refused my request! But then, supposing he had, Ishould have got possession of it by force, so great was the madness that had laid hold upon me. However, far from refusing it, the dervish at once held it out, saying gracefully, "Take it, my friend, and if there is anything elseI can do to make you happy you must let me know."
Directly the box was in my hands I wrenched off the cover. "As youare so kind," I said, "tell me, I pray you, what are the virtues of this ointment?"
"They are most curious and interesting," replied the dervish."If you apply a little of it to your left eye you will behold in an instant all the treasures hidden in the bowels of the earth. But beware lestyou touch your right eye with it, or your sight will be destroyed forever."
His words excited my curiosity to the highest pitch. "Make trial onme, I implore you," I cried, holding out the box to the dervish. "Youwill know how to do it better than I! I am burning with impatience to test itscharms."
The dervish took the box I had extended to him, and, bidding me shutmy left eye, touched it gently with the ointment. When I opened it again I sawspread out, as it were before me, treasures of every kind and without number.But as all this time I had been obliged to keep my right eye closed, which was very fatiguing, I begged the dervish to apply the ointment to that eyealso.
"If you insist upon it I will do it," answered the dervish,"but you must remember what I told you just now--that if it touches your right eye you will become blind on the spot."
Unluckily, in spite of my having proved the truth of the dervish's words in so many instances, I was firmly convinced that he was now keeping concealed from me some hidden and precious virtue of the ointment. So I turned a deaf earto all he said.
"My brother," I replied smiling, "I see you are joking. Itis not natural that the same ointment should have two such exactly opposite effects."
"It is true all the same," answered the dervish, "and itwould be well for you if you believed my word."
But I would not believe, and, dazzled by the greed of avarice, I thought that if one eye could show me riches, the other might teach me how to getpossession of them. And I continued to press the dervish to anoint my righteye, but this he resolutely declined to do.
"After having conferred such benefits on you," said he, "Iam loth indeed to work you such evil. Think what it is to be blind, and do notforce me to do what you will repent as long as you live."
It was of no use. "My brother," I said firmly, "pray say no more, but do what I ask. You have most generously responded to my wishes up tothis time, do not spoil my recollection of you for a thing of such little consequence. Let what will happen I take it on my own head, and will neverreproach you."
"Since you are determined upon it," he answered with a sigh,"there is no use talking," and taking the ointment he laid some on my right eye, which was tight shut. When I tried to open it heavy clouds of darkness floated before me. I was as blind as you see me now!
"Miserable dervish!" I shrieked, "so it is true after all!Into what a bottomless pit has my lust after gold plunged me. Ah, now that my eyes are closed they are really opened. I know that all my sufferings arecaused by myself alone! But, good brother, you, who are so kind and charitable,and know the secrets of such vast learning, have you nothing that will give me back my sight?"
"Unhappy man," replied the dervish, "it is not my fault that this has befallen you, but it is a just chastisement. The blindness ofyour heart has wrought the blindness of your body. Yes, I have secrets; that you have seen in the short time that we have known each other. But I have none that will give you back your sight. You have proved yourself unworthy of theriches that were given you. Now they have passed into my hands, whence they will flow into the hands of others less greedy and ungrateful than you."
The dervish said no more and left me, speechless with shame and confusion,and so wretched that I stood rooted to the spot, while he collected the eighty camels and proceeded on his way to Balsora. It was in vain that I entreated himnot to leave me, but at least to take me within reach of the first passing caravan. He was deaf to my prayers and cries, and I should soon have been deadof hunger and misery if some merchants had not come along the track the following day and kindly brought me back to Bagdad.
From a rich man I had in one moment become a beggar; and up to this time Ihave lived solely on the alms that have been bestowed on me. But, in order to expiate the sin of avarice,which was my undoing, I oblige each passer-by to give me a blow.
This, Commander of the Faithful, is my story.
When the blind man had ended the Caliph addressed him: "Baba-Abdalla,truly your sin is great, but you have suffered enough. Henceforth repent inprivate, for I will see that enough money is given you day by day for all your wants."
At these words Baba-Abdalla flung himself at the Caliph's feet, and prayed that honour and happiness might be his portion for ever.
发表于 2014-6-2 21:48:16
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