跟你們分享我在英文文學課的功課。老師本來說要寫 ‘哈比人’ (The Hobbit) 這本書裡當 Smaug 這隻龍毀壞了小矮人以前的家時,小矮人的孩子會有什麼感受。但我不想寫小孩充滿恐懼的故事,所以我用 Smaug 這隻龍的角度來寫這個故事。
Yesterday I destroyed an entire mountain, had a good meal, and won a bunch of shiny gold from a bunch of stinky dwarves. I feel very good about myself. I think I shall compose a poem. It shall be sung by other bored, gold-loving dragons throughout the ages. Yes, I think that’s a good idea. I shall start writing now. Here I go:
昨天我毀壞了一整座山,吃的一頓好餐,也偷了一大堆珠寶、金幣、銀幣。我很滿意。我覺得我應該創作一首詩來紀念這麼好的一天。這首詩會被其他喜愛黃金的龍在無聊的時候吟唱著,流傳千古。是的,我覺得這是個好主意。那我就開始寫了:
The earth quakes beneath my feet,
地在我的雙腳下震動,
Trees are charred by the searing heat.
樹全都被灼熱的火給燒焦了。
Bells are tolling in the distance,
鐘在遠方響著,
The only sign of their resistance.
他們唯一反抗的象徵。
Screams and shouts ring in my ears,
尖叫、吶喊聲在我的耳裡響著,
I feel the touch of pointed spears.
我感覺到尖銳的矛牴觸著我。
Yet they shall never pierce my hide,
但是它們永遠不會刺穿我的皮,
The foolish wielders slowly died.
那些愚蠢、拿著矛的小矮人慢慢的死去。
Puny bars shield the gold,
微不足道的鐵柵欄護衛著黃金,
Gold more precious than any other by tenfold.
這黃金比任何其他的黃金價值十倍以上。
As thick and strong these bars may be,
這些鐵柵欄可能是很粗壯的,
They shall not hold before mighty me.
他們抵擋不住強大威武的我。
And so, with a sickening, fiendish delight,
所以,帶著令人憤怒、兇猛的樂趣,
I did not prolong the dwarves’ startled flight.
我沒有讓小矮人驚恐逃離太久
I chased them from low to extreme heights,
我追趕著他們,從低處到高處,
Gobbling up children left and right.
到處吞食著孩子們。
Till the dwarves were left to roam,
直到留下小矮人遊蕩著,
Hundreds of miles away from their home.
離他們家鄉幾百里。
So, I returned to the mountain feeling old,
所以,我回到山裡,覺得老去。
And slept, surrounded by MY gleaming gold.
然後,睡著了,圍繞著我的是閃閃發光的金幣。