Another Ghost Story印度鬼故事



(Originally in Chinese)





There was once an Indian woman named Devi. Indian people usually have sacred and great names related to God. A "Devi" is a female Deva (Heavenly being), and the name bears great meaning. Sometimes, Indians name their children after Indra (the mythological king of the abode of the gods) in hopes that they will be better humans.



有一个印度女人，她的名字叫黛菲（Devi）。印度人的名字都很神圣，都是取跟上帝有关、很伟大的那些名字，「黛菲」是指天女，很伟大的意思。有时候他们会用像帝释天之类的名字来称呼他们的孩子，希望他们更好。



This Indian woman Devi had a young son named Lahuve. The mother and child had to flee their home, which was occupied by an evil spirit that had killed many members of their family, including Devi's parents-in-law and Lahuve's six uncles. Therefore, she decided to take her teenage son away from the haunted house for they were the sole survivors in their family. Devi took her son to another place, where she ran a business for a living.



　这个叫黛菲的印度女人有一个小儿子，名叫拉忽维（Lahuve），他和他的母亲两人一起离家出走，因为有一个不好的鬼魂占住了他们的房子，杀害许多他们的家人，拉忽维的祖父母和他父亲的六个兄弟全都被这个鬼害死，所以她决定带她的儿子离开那个有魔的房子。那时候她的家人都死了，只剩下他们两个人，她的小孩大概十几岁而已，她带他到别的地方去，做生意赚钱生活。



Several years later, Lahuve, now grown up, asked his mother: "Mom! Where did we come from? My friends always ask me this question and I don't know how to answer them. They want to know why we left our ancestral house." Indian people, like the Chinese, the Aulacese and other people in Asia, highly treasure their ancestral homes.

　

过了几年以后，那个小孩长大了。有一天他问他的妈妈说：「妈妈，我们是从哪里来的呢？我的朋友都问我这个问题，不过我不知道怎么回答，他们都问，为什么我们离开我们祖先的房子到这里来呢？」因为印度人、中国人或是悠乐人这些属于亚洲地区的人，比较重视祖先的房子。



Thus, his mother told him this story: "In our old abode, eight members of our family were killed by a ghost. Fearing that we would be his next victims, I decided that we shouldn't live there anymore for it would bring us harm." And Lahuve said, "Well! What's so strange about people dying in a house? Where there is birth, there will be death. People die when their time comes. They have already died. Why should we leave our ancestral home? We should return; nothing will happen to us!" His bravery was so convincing that his mother finally consented. They then packed their luggage and went home.



他的妈妈就告诉他说：「因为在以前住的地方，我们已经有八个亲人被鬼害死了，我怕后来轮到我们也会死掉，所以我们不应再住在那个地方，那对我们不好。」儿子说：「哎呀！如果有人死在房子里面，又有什么奇怪呢？人有生就有死，时间到了就会死，死了就死了，我们为什么要离开我们祖先的房子呢？我们应该回去，不会有事的！」那个儿子一直用很勇敢的话来说服他妈妈、逼她回去，他妈妈只好同意了，所以他们两个就打包回家。



Nevertheless, fear dwelled in Devi's heart. Every day, she would make offerings to the ghost before each meal, and Lahuve was very curious about her behavior.



不过他妈妈内心的恐惧感还在，所以她每天都会拿一点食物来供养鬼；在还没有供养鬼以前，他们不会先吃。那个儿子就觉得很好奇，很想知道为什么。



One day, Devi prepared one of her son's favorite dishes, and he wanted to have the ghost's share as well. Of course, his mother forbade him. So he asked, "Why? For whom is this food reserved? I like this dish very much and I didn't have enough." Devi said, "This is an offering to the ghost. He has already killed eight of our kin. If we don't offer him food, he will kill us, too."



有一天，他妈妈煮了一样他最喜欢吃的菜，然后他想要把供养鬼的那一份也吃下去，不想给鬼吃，但是他妈妈不允许。儿子就问：「为什么？这是给谁吃的呢？我很喜欢吃这样菜，我还吃不够。」他妈妈说：「这个是要供养鬼的，它已经害死了我们八个亲人，不给它吃的话，它会害死我们。」



Lahuve was unconvinced by his mother's explanation, and said, "How could this be? Why do you pay so much attention to the ghost? He might not have been responsible for our relatives' deaths." Devi firmly believed that the ghost was behind the family tragedy, for her eight relatives had died one after another. But she had never seen the ghost; she just imagined everything. Her disbelieving son insisted: "Just let me eat it! There is no ghost!" He wanted the food very much, despite his mother's disapproval. She then said, "Please! Don't eat it, don't! Let the ghost have it. If you eat it, the ghost will kill you. What will I do then?"



　可是，那个儿子不接受妈妈的说法，他说：「哪里有这种事！你为什么一直强调那个鬼？杀我们亲人的不一定是它。」因为突然间，八个亲人接连死去，他妈妈就认为一定是鬼在作祟，事实上她也没看到鬼，她只是认为是这样子。可是那个儿子不相信，他说：「拿给我吃好了，哪有什么鬼！」他很想把它吃下去，不过他妈妈一直挡，她说：「唉呀！不要吃、不要吃！让给鬼吃，你吃下去，它要是杀你的话，那该怎么办？」



That day, the ghost really came to enjoy the food. Lahuve sat there waiting for him to appear. When he did, Lahuve asked, "Hey! Ghost! Who are you?" and the ghost told him, "Young man, I am the third brother of your grandfather. After I died, I killed your grandfather and your uncles, because they robbed me of my wealth and let me die in poverty and pain. Therefore, I took my vengeance by killing them all."



那天，那个鬼真的又来吃东西了，所以那个男孩子就坐在那边等它出现。鬼来的时候，男孩说：「嘿！鬼，你是谁？」那个鬼就跟他说：「小孩子，我就是你的爷爷的第三个兄弟，我死掉了以后，我杀了你的爷爷还有你的叔叔们，因为他们把我的财产抢走，让我死得很贫穷、很痛苦，所以我回来报仇，把他们全都杀光了。」



Lahuve then asked, "What power do you possess?" The ghost said, "I am extremely powerful. I killed your uncles and grandfather as easily as you swat flies. No problem at all! I could have killed your mother as well, but she fled. Though she has come back, she offers me food every day, so I spare the two of you. Listen carefully. I can fly to Heaven, the abode of the angels, in an instant. I can also fly to the abode of the ghosts. Don't you think that I am terrific?"



然后，那个男孩问：「你有什么力量？」鬼说：「我非常、非常有力量！我杀你那几个叔叔和你的爷爷，像你杀苍蝇一样，没问题！我也可以杀你的妈妈，不过她逃走了；虽然她现在回来了，不过每天有给我东西吃，所以我不会伤害你们两个。还有，你听著，我可以从这边一刹那就飞到天堂，到天使住的地方去，也可以飞到鬼住的地方去，你是不是觉得我很了不起？」



Lahuve said, "If you are really so powerful, can you take me to the deities and angels?" The ghost said, "No, I can't." Lahuve said, "Then, can you convey a message to them for me?" The ghost said, "Sure! What do you want to say to them?" The young man said, "Please ask the angels how long I will live here? How old can I live to be?" The ghost said, "Okay, I will." Then he left.



　那个男孩就说：「如果你这么有力量的话，能不能带我到神仙、天使那边去？」鬼说：「不行，我不能带你去。」男孩又说：「那不然的话，你替我带一个讯息给他们好不好？」鬼说：「好，你要我帮你传什么话？」男孩就跟鬼说：「拜托你问那些天使，我能住在这边多久？我的寿命多长？」鬼说：「好，我会替你问。」然后鬼就走了。



The ghost came again the next day and said to Lahuve, "The angels said that you can live to the age of sixty." Lahuve asked, "Please ask them again if it is possible for me to die earlier, say around forty to fifty? Can I be killed earlier? If this is not possible, then can they let me live longer until I am a hundred years old?" The ghost said, "Okay, I will ask again for you." He then departed again to ask the angels.



　隔天，鬼又来了，它跟那个男孩讲：「那些天使说，你可以活到六十岁。」男孩说：「拜托你再问他们，能不能让我早一点死？大概四、五十岁就死可以吗？能不能把我早一点杀掉？如果这样子不行的话，能不能让我活久一点，活到一百岁啊？」那个鬼就说：「好，我会替你问。」它就再上去问天使了。



The next day, the ghost came back and said to Lahuve: "I have conveyed your request to the angels, but they wanted me to tell you that it is not possible. You can die neither a moment earlier nor later, because the length of human life is predestined."



隔天，鬼又回来，它跟男孩说：「我已经把你的要求告诉那些天使了，不过，他们要我跟你讲，这是不可能的，不可能早一点死，也不可能晚一点才往生，因为人的寿命都是命中注定好的。」



Upon hearing these words, Lahuve immediately swallowed the offerings set aside for the ghost and rushed into the kitchen. He picked up a big piece of wood, lit it, and used it to beat and chase the ghost away. He said: "If you do not get out, I will kill you; I will continue to beat you." The ghost displayed his deadly fangs and claws trying to scare them. Devi implored her son to stop doing that. But Lahuve said, "Mom! Don't you worry! The angels told me that we can't die any earlier or later. So, why are you still afraid of the ghost?" The ghost threatened to kill them both if they did not offer him food. However, he had also heard with his own ears the angels say that it is impossible to die earlier or later. Therefore, he had nothing more to say, and was beaten out of the house by Lahuve. After Lahuve had learned the truth, the ghost could not threaten him anymore, and the ghost was aware of that, too.



　那个男孩听完了之后，就马上把要供养鬼的东西吃下去。接著，他就跑到厨房那边拿一块很大的木材，点燃以后，用来打那个鬼、要把鬼赶出去，他说：「如果你不出去的话，我会杀你，我会继续打你。」那个鬼在那边就张牙舞爪地恐吓他们。男孩的妈妈恳求男孩不要这样做，那个男孩说：「妈妈，你不懂！天使已经说过，我们不能早一点死，也不能晚一点死。既然这样，你怕它什么？」那个鬼虽然刚才恐吓说，如果他们没有给它东西吃的话，它会杀他们母子两人，但是它自己也听到天使说不能晚一点走，也不能早一点死，所以它也没办法再讲什么，后来那个鬼就被男孩打出去了。因为那个男孩了解事实了以后，鬼也没办法再恐吓他，而且，鬼自己也了解.
关键字:双语故事
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