三兄弟的傳說

There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight.

很久很久以前的一個傍晚，有三兄弟在一條僻靜荒涼的小路上趕路。

In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.

這時，他們發現眼前有一條河擋住了去路。河水深不可測，如果游泳到對岸去的話十分危險。但三兄弟都學過魔法，於是他們掏出魔杖，在河面上造出了一座橋。當他們走到橋中央的時候，一個穿黑色斗篷的人擋住了他們的去路。

And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.

那人正是死神。他非常生氣，因為他覺得三兄弟戲弄了他，因為以往的過路者全部都溺死在河裡。但死神非常狡猾，他假裝讚賞三兄弟的魔法，并許諾會給他們每人一個獎勵。

So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.

老大是一個爭強好勝的人，他希望可以得到一根擁有無邊法力，戰無不勝的魔杖。於是死神從河邊一顆老樹上折下枝幹，做了一隻魔杖送給老大。

Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.

老二非常自大，他希望可以得到長生不老，並可使人起死回生的法寶。於是死神從河岸邊撿起一塊石頭遞給老二，告訴他這塊石頭便可令人起死回生。

And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.

最後，輪到了老三。老三為人十分謙遜，並且是三兄弟里面最為聰明的一個。他並不信任死神，於是他希望得到一樣可以令死神永遠無法找到他的東西。於是死神十分不情願的將自己的隱形斗篷送給了他。

Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts.

接著，死神讓到一邊，請三兄弟過河。他們邊走邊談論這次的奇遇，並對死神的禮物非常滿意。

In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.

而當三兄弟分道揚鑣時，他們各自的命運也漸漸展開。

The first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.

老大在經歷了一周的旅途后，來到一個村莊，找到之前和自己有仇的巫師並殺死了他。接著他來到一個旅館，到處吹噓死神贈給他的那隻魔杖是如何的所向無敵。

That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat.

而就在當晚，另一個巫師悄悄來到已經爛醉如泥的老大床前，割開了他的喉嚨，偷走了魔杖。

And so Death took the first brother for his own.

於是死神輕易地得到了老大的生命。

Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.

與此同時，老二回到了家鄉，拿出那塊起死回生的魔法石，在手裡翻轉了三次。於是，他驚訝的發現，自己早逝的未婚妻奇跡般的出現在他的眼前。

Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as to truly join her.

但是她非常悲傷，並用面紗將自己隔絕在裏面。雖然她已經回到人世，但她卻不是真正屬於這個世界，她所存在的每一刻都是煎熬。最終，老二被無邊的絕望逼瘋，他結束自己的生命以求和她生存在同一世界。

And so Death took the second brother from his own.

於是死神又得到了老二的生命。

But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And the he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.

但對於老三，死神找了他很多年，但從未找到。直到老三年事已高，他把隱形斗篷送給自己的兒子，像迎接老朋友一樣迎接死神並同他離開。至此，三人都以各自不同的方式結束了在人間的命運。