The Sprightly Tailor（敏捷的裁缝）

It’s set in Saddell Castle, which you can still see today on the Kintyre peninsular. In fact, even if you can’t go there, you can look up the video of Paul McCartney's song, The Mull of Kintyre, because the castle is featured in it. (In the distance at the end of the beach).

故事背景设定在萨德尔城堡，如今在金蒂尔半岛上仍能看到这座城堡。事实上，即便你无法亲临此地，也可以搜索保罗・麦卡特尼《金蒂尔的岬角》这首歌的视频，因为城堡会出现在视频中（在海滩尽头的远处）。

This part of Scotland is where the MacDonald clan came from, and of course the “laird” of the castle was its lord.

苏格兰的这片区域是麦克唐纳家族的发源地，当然，城堡的“领主”就是这片领地的主人。

There is an abbey nearby with some fine examples of celtic grave stones, which might be like the one mentioned in the story.

附近有一座修道院，里面有一些精美的凯尔特墓碑，或许与故事中提到的那块类似。

A SPRIGHTLY TAILOR worked for great MacDonald, in his castle at Saddell. The laird needed a new pair of trews, which were like a shirt and trousers all-in-one piece. They made a fine and comfortable item of clothing for either walking or dancing. But the new pair of trews was not all that the laird had in mind for the tailor. There was a ruined church not far from the castle, and had heard an old tale that it was haunted, and that fearsome things were to be seen there at night. He was curious to know if the story was true or not, and he promised the tailor a fine reward if he sat among the ruins of the church all night while he worked at sewing the trews.

有个身手敏捷的裁缝，在萨德尔城堡为伟大的麦克唐纳家族效力。领主需要一条新的连身裤装，那是一种集衬衫和长裤于一体的服饰，无论是散步还是跳舞，穿着都既美观又舒适。但领主对裁缝的要求可不止这一条新连身裤装。城堡不远处有一座废弃的教堂，领主听闻一个古老传说，说那地方闹鬼，夜里能看到可怕的东西。他很好奇这个传说是不是真的，于是承诺裁缝，要是他能在废弃教堂的废墟里，一边缝制连身裤装，一边待上一整晚，就会给他一笔丰厚的报酬。

The tailor was well aware of the tale of the haunted ruins; but he was a swift footed and sprightly man, and was not daunted. He resolved to accept the dare and to gain the prize. So, when night came, away he went up the glen, about half a mile distance from the castle, until he came to the old church. Then he chose him a nice gravestone for a seat, lighted his candle, put on his thimble, and set to work at the trews, plying his needle nimbly and thinking about the gold that the laird would have to give him.

裁缝对这座闹鬼废墟的传说也早有耳闻，但他腿脚轻快、精力充沛，并不畏惧。他决定接受这个挑战，赢得奖赏。于是，夜幕降临后，他沿着山谷出发，离城堡大概走了半英里，来到了那座老教堂。接着，他挑了块不错的墓碑当座位，点亮蜡烛，戴上顶针，开始缝制连身裤装，手指灵活地穿梭着针线，心里盘算着领主肯定会给他的金币。

For some time he got on pretty well, until he felt the floor all of a sudden, tremble under his feet; and looking about him, but keeping his fingers at work, he saw the appearance of a great human head rising up through the stone pavement of the church. When the head had risen above the surface, there came from it a great, great voice. The voice said, "Do you see this great head of mine?"

起初，一切进展顺利，直到他突然感觉脚下的地面开始颤抖。他一边继续手中的活计，一边环顾四周，只见一个巨大的人头从教堂的石板地面下冒了出来。等脑袋完全露出地面，便传出一个极其洪亮的声音。那声音问道：“你看到我这颗大脑袋了吗？”

“I see that, but I’ll sew this!” Replied the sprightly tailor, and he stitched away at the trews.

“我看到了，但我还要缝我的衣服！” 敏捷的裁缝回应道，接着继续缝着他的连身裤。

Then the head rose higher up through the pavement, until its neck appeared. When its neck was shown, the thundering voice came again and said, “Do you see this great neck of mine?”

随后，那颗脑袋从地面冒得更高了，直到脖子也露了出来。脖子一出现，那如雷般的声音又响起来：“你看到我这粗壮的脖子了吗？”

“I see that, but I’ll sew this!” Said the sprightly tailor, and he stitched away at his trews.

“我看到了，但我还要缝我的衣服！” 敏捷的裁缝说道，手上继续忙着缝他的连身裤。

Then the head and neck rose higher still, until the great shoulders and chest were shown above the ground. Again the mighty voice thundered, “Do you see this great chest of mine?”

接着，脑袋和脖子继续往上冒，直到宽阔的肩膀和胸膛露出地面。那洪亮的声音再次如雷鸣般响起：“你看到我这宽阔的胸膛了吗？”

Again the sprightly tailor replied, “I see that, but I’ll sew this!” He stitched away at his trews.

敏捷的裁缝又一次回答：“我看到了，但我还要缝我的衣服！” 说着，他继续忙着缝连身裤。

Still it kept rising through the pavement, until it shook a great pair of arms in the tailor’s face, and said, "Do you see these great arms of mine?"

那东西还在不断地从地面往上冒，最后在裁缝面前挥舞着一双粗壮的手臂，大声吼道：“你看到我这粗壮的手臂了吗？”

“I see those, but I’ll sew this!” Answered the tailor, and he stitched hard at his trews, for he knew that he had no time to lose.

“我看到了，但我还要缝我的衣服！” 裁缝回应道，然后更加卖力地缝着连身裤，因为他知道自己不能浪费时间。

The sprightly tailor was making long stitches, when he saw it gradually rising and rising through the floor, until it lifted out a great leg, and stamping with it upon the pavement, said in a roaring voice, “Do you see this great leg of mine?”

敏捷的裁缝正飞快地缝着，这时他看到那东西还在慢慢地从地面往上冒，最后伸出了一条粗壮的腿，在地面上重重一跺，咆哮着说：“你看到我这粗壮的腿了吗？”

“Aye, aye. I see that, but I’ll sew this!” Cried the tailor; and his fingers flew with the needle, and he took such long stitches, that he was just coming to the end of the trews, when it was taking up its other leg. But before it could pull it out of the pavement, the sprightly tailor had finished his task; and blowing out his candle, and springing from off his gravestone, he buckled up, and ran out of the church with the trews under his arm. Then the fearsome thing gave a loud roar, and stamped with both his feet upon the pavement, and out of the church he went after the sprightly tailor.

“是，是。我看到了，但我还要缝完这个！” 裁缝喊道。他的手指飞速地穿针引线，缝得又快又长。就在那东西正要抽出另一条腿的时候，他差不多要缝完这条裤子了。但在那东西把腿从石板地面拔出来之前，敏捷的裁缝已经完成了任务。他吹灭蜡烛，从墓碑上一跃而起，把裤子夹在腋下，匆匆系好衣服，跑出了教堂。这时，那可怕的东西发出一声怒吼，用双脚猛跺地面，然后追着敏捷的裁缝出了教堂。

Down the glen they ran, faster than the stream when the flood rides it; but the tailor had got the start and a nimble pair of legs, and he did not choose to lose the laird’s reward. Though the thing roared to him to stop, the sprightly tailor was not the man to be beholden to a monster. So he held his trews tight, and let no darkness grow under his feet, until he had reached Saddell Castle. He had no sooner got inside the gate and shut it, than the apparition came up to it; and enraged at losing his prize, struck the wall above the gate, and left there the mark of his five great fingers. Youmay see them plainly to this day, if you’ll only peer close enough.

他们沿着山谷飞奔，速度比涨水时的溪流还快。但裁缝起步早，双腿又灵活，而且他可不想丢掉领主的奖赏。尽管那东西对着他怒吼，让他停下，可敏捷的裁缝才不会听一个怪物的话。于是，他紧紧夹着裤子，脚下生风，一刻不停，直到跑到了萨德尔城堡。他刚一进门，关上大门，那鬼怪就追了上来。因为没能抓住他而恼羞成怒，鬼怪猛击大门上方的墙壁，留下了他那五根粗大手指的印记。要是你凑近去看，直到今天还能清楚地看到那些印记。

The sprightly tailor gained his reward, for MacDonald paid him handsomely for the trews, and never discovered that a few of the stitches were somewhat long.

敏捷的裁缝得到了奖赏，因为麦克唐纳为这条裤子给他付了丰厚的报酬，而且一直都没发现有几针缝得有点长。