“The Lady, or the Tiger?”這個句子如今已成為一個習語,表示“兩難境地”的意思。

Frank R. Stockton(1834—1902),美國作家,擅長撰寫幽默故事,從事寫作前是一名木頭雕刻師。他曾出版多部小說,如Rudder Grange(《魯德·格蘭奇》)、The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine(《雷克斯太太與阿雷申太太的流亡記》)、The Adventures of Captain(《船長歷險記》)等,然而其最為人津津樂道的作品還是這篇于1882年出版的短篇小說——The Lady, or the Tiger?(《美女,還是老虎?》)。

古往今來,公主與平民的愛情注定充滿險阻,讓深陷其中的人飽受煎熬,正如文中的這對苦命鴛鴦。公主深愛著他,卻無法得到他;她不希望他死,卻又不想別人得到他。處在這樣兩難的境地里,換了你,又會做出什么樣的選擇?故事看似簡單,卻飽含著對人性的拷問。

Long ago, in a very olden time, there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caused people to suffer.

One of the king’s ideas was a public 1)arena as an agent of 2)poetic justice. Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance. When a person was accused of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena.

All the people would gather in this building. The king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accused person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side, exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he pleased.

If the accused man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land. The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The case of the suspect was thus decided. Iron bells rang sadly. Great cries went up from the paid mourners. And the people, with heads hanging low and sad hearts, slowly made their way home. They mourned greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have died this way.

古時候,有一個非常有權勢的國王。他有些想法頗有遠見,有些卻讓他的國民受罪。

他的其中一個想法是設立一個公審場,作賞罰判定之用。是定罪受罰還是還其清白,全看被告的運氣。當有人被指控犯罪,就會被推到那個公審場接受審判,一切聽天由命。

所有人將聚集在那里。國王高踞寶座,他稍稍示意,寶座之下的一扇門就會打開,被告從那兒走出來,走進公審場。國王正對著兩扇門,它們緊緊相鄰,外觀一模一樣。受審的被告必須徑直走向這兩扇門,打開其中一扇。當然,選哪扇全憑其意愿。

如果被告打開的那扇門跳出的是一只王國里最兇猛的餓虎,餓虎就會立即撲向他,把他撕咬個粉碎,作為對其罪行的懲罰。于是,嫌疑犯的罪名就這么定下了。接著,喪鐘悲鳴,雇來的哭喪人嚎哭,圍觀的群眾則垂頭傷心,緩步而歸,為這么一個帥氣小伙或那么一位可敬長者如此慘死而悲痛萬分。

不過,要是被告打開另一扇門,走出來的是一位專門為其挑選的女子,那么,為了慶賀被告獲得“清白”,即使被告已有家室或已選定結婚對象,他也得立刻和這女子成婚。國王不容許自己這個“偉大的”賞善懲惡方式受到任何阻礙。王座之下的另一扇門會走出一位牧師、一些歌手、舞者和樂師,為被告和那女子舉行婚禮。婚禮迅速完成。接著,喜鐘歡響,人群歡呼。這位“清白的”被告帶著新妻回家,尾隨的孩童把鮮花撒了一路。

But, if the accused opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chosen especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chosen to marry another woman. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward. Another door opened under the king, and a 3)clergyman, singers, dancers and musicians joined the man and the lady. The marriage ceremony was quickly completed. Then the bells made cheerful noises. The people shouted happily. And the innocent man led the new wife to his home, following children who threw flowers on their path.

This was the king’s method of carrying out justice. Its fairness appeared perfect. The accused person could not know which door was hiding the lady. He opened either as he pleased, without knowing whether, in the next minute, he was to be killed or married. Sometimes the fierce animal came out of one door. Sometimes it came out of the other.

This method was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they would see a bloody killing or a happy ending. So everyone was always interested. And 4)the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan. Did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?

The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best looking and bravest in the land. But he was a 5)commoner, not part of an important family.

One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man. The man was immediately put in prison. A day was set for his trial in the king’s public arena. This, of course, was an especially important event. Never before had a common 6)subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king.

這就是國王維護正義的方法,其公正性看上去無懈可擊。被告無法知道哪扇門后是女子,他按照自己的意愿選擇,全然不知下一刻自己的命運是慘死還是與他人成婚。有時,猛獸是從這扇門沖出來,有時是從另一扇門出來。

這個方法很受歡迎。人們在這樣一個大審之日聚集在一起,他們決不知道自己看到的將是一場血腥的殘殺還是歡樂的婚禮,這就使所有人總是興致勃勃。連王國里有“思考”權的上層階級也不會指責其有欠公允。被告的命運不是掌握在他自己手里嗎?

國王有一個漂亮的女兒,她在很多方面都像極了她父親。國王把她視若掌上明珠。公主偷偷愛著王國里那個最英俊最勇敢的小伙子。但他是一介平民,而非生于權貴之家。

一天,國王發現了女兒和那小伙子相愛的事,馬上就把他關進了監獄,并選好日子在國王的公審場決定其生死。這當然是一件特別重大的事。在此之前,還從未有哪個平民膽敢愛上國王的女兒。