無畏的小喬萬尼&意大利童話
從前，有一個小夥子，天不怕地不怕，被人稱作無畏的小喬萬尼。他遊曆世界，有一次來到一家小店過夜。店主說：“這裏沒有空房了，不過，你要是不怕，我帶你去一幢樓住。”
“我為什麽要怕，沒有一個人能從哪裏活著出來。每到早晨，修道士就帶著棺材去給敢於在樓裏過夜的人收屍。”
好小子！帶著一盞燈、一瓶酒和一根香腸就去了。
半夜，他正坐在桌子旁吃著，從煙囪裏傳來了一個聲音：“我下來？”
小喬萬尼回答：“下來吧！”
從煙囪上掉下來一條人腿。小喬萬尼喝了一杯酒。
隨後那個聲音又說：“我下來？”
小喬萬尼說：“下來吧！”另一條腿也掉下來了。小喬萬尼咬了一口香腸。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”掉下來一隻胳膊。小喬萬尼吹起口哨。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”掉下來另一隻胳膊。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”
掉下來一個身子，與胳膊、腿接在一起，連成一個沒有腦袋的人站立起來。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”
腦袋掉了下來，蹦到了身子上。這是一個巨人，小喬萬尼舉起酒杯說：“為你的健康幹杯！”
巨人道“拿著燈，來。”
小喬萬尼拿起燈，但沒動。
“你在前邊走！”巨人說。
“你先走。”小喬萬尼說。
“你先走！”巨人說。
“你先走。”小喬萬尼說。
於是，巨人先動了，一間屋挨一間屋地穿過這幢樓，小喬萬尼跟在後邊照著亮。來到樓梯下的一間小屋，麵前出現一扇小門。
“打開！”巨人對小喬萬尼說。
小喬萬尼說：“你去開！”
巨人對肩膀撞開門。裏邊有一個盤旋式的小樓梯。
“下去。”巨人說。
“你先下。”小喬萬尼說。
來到地下室，巨人指著地上的一塊石板：“搬起來！”
“你搬！”小喬萬尼說。巨人像捏小石子一樣搬走了石板。
下邊是三罐金幣。巨人說：“抬起來！”
“你抬！”小喬萬尼說。巨人一次一個地把它們抬了上來。
他們回到那個有煙囪的客廳，巨人說：“小喬萬尼，我的法力失靈了！”說著，一條腿卸了下來，踢上了煙囪。“這三罐金幣中的一罐給你，”說著，卸下來一隻胳膊，胳膊爬上了煙囪。“另一罐給那些來替你收屍的修道士，”另一隻胳膊卸了下來，跟著前邊那隻爬上了煙囪。“第三罐金幣送給從這裏經過的第一個窮人，”另一條腿也卸了下來，巨人的身子坐在了地上。“這幢樓就歸你了，”巨人的身子也卸了下來，隻剩下腦袋立在地上。“因為擁有這幢樓的那個家族的人永遠地消失了。”說完，巨人的腦袋升了起來，升上煙囪裏了。
天剛亮，就聽到有人在唱：上帝憐憫我們，上帝憐憫我們。正是那群教士帶著棺材來收小喬萬尼的屍首。他們看見小夥子正在窗口抽煙鬥呢。
無畏的小喬萬尼有了那些金幣成了富人，他快樂地住在那幢樓裏。直到有一天，他僅僅因為一轉身，看見了自己的影子，被嚇死了。
dauntlesslittlejohn
therewasoncedwhomeveryonecalleddauntlesslittlejohn,sincehewasafraidofnothing.travelingabouttheworld,hecametoaninn,whereheaskedforlodgings."wehavenoroomhere,"saidtheinnkeeper,"butifyourenotafraid,iwilldirectyoutoacertainpcewhereyoucanstay."
"whyshouldibeafraid?"
"peopleshudderatthethoughtofthatpce,sincenobodywhosgoneinhaeoutalive.inthemorningthefriarsgoupwiththebierforanyonebraveenoughtospendthenightinside."
sowhatdidlittlejohndobutpickupmp,abottle,andasausage,andmarchstraighttothepce.
atmidnighthewassittingatthetableeating,whenheheardavoiceinthechimney."shallithrowitdown?"
"goahead!"repliedlittlejohn.
downthechimneyintothefirecefemansleg.littlejohndrankassofwine.
thenthevoicespokeagain."shallithrowitdown?"
"goahead!"soanotherlegdroppedintothefirece.littlejohnbitintothesausage.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"goahead!"sodowncameanarm.littlejohnbeganwhistlingatune.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"byallmeans!"andtherewasanotherarm.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"yes!"
thencamethetrunkofabody,andthearmsandlegsstuckontoit,andtherestoodamanwithoutahead.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"throwitdown!"
downcametheheadandsprangintoceatopthetrunk.hewastrulyagiant,andlittlejohnraisedhisssandsaid,"toyourhealth!"
thegiantsaid,"takethmpanewithme."
littlejohnpickedupthmp,butdidntbudge.
"yougofirst!"saidthegiant.
"no,afteryou,"insistedlittlejohn.
"afteryou!"thunderedthegiant.
"youleadtheway!"yelledlittlejohn.
sothegiantwentfirst,withlittlejohnbehindhimlightingtheway,andtheywentthroughroomafterroomuntiltheyhadwalkedthewholelengthofthepce.beneathoneofthestaircaseswasasmalldoor.
"openit!"orderedthegiant.
"youopenit!"repliedlittlejohn.
sothegiantshoveditopenwithhisshoulder.therewasaspiralstaircase.
"goondown,"directedthegiant.
"afteryou,"answeredlittlejohn.
theywentdownthestepsintoacer,andthegiantpointedtoastonebontheground."raisethat!"
"youraiseit!"repliedlittlejohn,andthegiantlifteditasthoughitwereamerepebble.
beneaththebtherewerethreepotsofgold."carrythoseupstairs!"orderedthegiant.
"youcarrythemup!"answeredlittlejohn.andthegiantcarriedthemuponebyone.
whentheywerebackinthehallwherethegreatfirecewas,thegiantsaid,"littlejohn,thespellhasbeenbroken!"atthat,oneofhislegcameoffandkickeditswayupthechimney."oneofthesepotsofgoldisforyou."anarmcamelooseandclimbedupthechimney."thesecondpotofgoldisforthefriarswhetocarryawayyourbody,believingyouperished."theotherarmcameoffandfollowedthefirst."thethirdpotofgoldisforthefirstpoormanwhesby."thentheotherlegdroppedoff,leavingthegiantseatedonthefloor."keepthepceforyourself."thetrunkseparatedfromtheheadandvanished."theownersofthepceandtheirchildrenarenowgoneforever."atthat,theheaddisappearedupthechimney.
assoonasitwaslight,adirgearose:"misereremei,misereremei."thefriarshaewiththebiertocarryofflittlejohnsbody.buttherehestood,atthewindow,smokinghispipe!
dauntlesslittlejohnwasawealthyyouthindeedwithallthosegoldpieces,andhelivedhappilyinhispce.thenonedaywhatshouldhedobutlookbehindhimandseehisshadow:hewassofrightenedhedied.
notes:
"dauntlesslittlejohn"(giovanninsenzapaura)
ibeginwithafolktaleforwhichidonotindicate,incontrasttomyprocedureinalltheothertales,theparticrversionifollowed.astheversionsofitfromthevariousregionsofitalyareallquitesimr,iletmyselfbefreelyguidedbmontradition.notonlyforthatreasonhaveiputthistalefirst,butalsobecauseitisoneofthesimplestand,inmyview,oneofthemostbeautifulfolktales.
italiantraditionsharplydivergesfromthegrimms"taleofaboywhosetouttolearnfear"(grimmno.4)whichisnodoubtclosertomyno.80.thetypeoftaleisofeuropeanoriginandnotfoundinasia.
thedisappearanceofthemanlimbbylimbisnottraditional,butapersonaltouchofmyown,tobncehisarrivalpiecebypiece.itookthefinishingstrokeoftheshadowfromasieneseversion(degubernatis,22),anditismerelyasimplificationofthemormonending,wherelittlejohnisgivenasalveforfasteningheadsbackon.hecutshisheadoffandputsitonagain——backward;thesightofhisrearendsohorrifieshimthathedropsdead.
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
trantedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980
從前，有一個小夥子，天不怕地不怕，被人稱作無畏的小喬萬尼。他遊曆世界，有一次來到一家小店過夜。店主說：“這裏沒有空房了，不過，你要是不怕，我帶你去一幢樓住。”
“我為什麽要怕，沒有一個人能從哪裏活著出來。每到早晨，修道士就帶著棺材去給敢於在樓裏過夜的人收屍。”
好小子！帶著一盞燈、一瓶酒和一根香腸就去了。
半夜，他正坐在桌子旁吃著，從煙囪裏傳來了一個聲音：“我下來？”
小喬萬尼回答：“下來吧！”
從煙囪上掉下來一條人腿。小喬萬尼喝了一杯酒。
隨後那個聲音又說：“我下來？”
小喬萬尼說：“下來吧！”另一條腿也掉下來了。小喬萬尼咬了一口香腸。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”掉下來一隻胳膊。小喬萬尼吹起口哨。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”掉下來另一隻胳膊。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”
掉下來一個身子，與胳膊、腿接在一起，連成一個沒有腦袋的人站立起來。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”
腦袋掉了下來，蹦到了身子上。這是一個巨人，小喬萬尼舉起酒杯說：“為你的健康幹杯！”
巨人道“拿著燈，來。”
小喬萬尼拿起燈，但沒動。
“你在前邊走！”巨人說。
“你先走。”小喬萬尼說。
“你先走！”巨人說。
“你先走。”小喬萬尼說。
於是，巨人先動了，一間屋挨一間屋地穿過這幢樓，小喬萬尼跟在後邊照著亮。來到樓梯下的一間小屋，麵前出現一扇小門。
“打開！”巨人對小喬萬尼說。
小喬萬尼說：“你去開！”
巨人對肩膀撞開門。裏邊有一個盤旋式的小樓梯。
“下去。”巨人說。
“你先下。”小喬萬尼說。
來到地下室，巨人指著地上的一塊石板：“搬起來！”
“你搬！”小喬萬尼說。巨人像捏小石子一樣搬走了石板。
下邊是三罐金幣。巨人說：“抬起來！”
“你抬！”小喬萬尼說。巨人一次一個地把它們抬了上來。
他們回到那個有煙囪的客廳，巨人說：“小喬萬尼，我的法力失靈了！”說著，一條腿卸了下來，踢上了煙囪。“這三罐金幣中的一罐給你，”說著，卸下來一隻胳膊，胳膊爬上了煙囪。“另一罐給那些來替你收屍的修道士，”另一隻胳膊卸了下來，跟著前邊那隻爬上了煙囪。“第三罐金幣送給從這裏經過的第一個窮人，”另一條腿也卸了下來，巨人的身子坐在了地上。“這幢樓就歸你了，”巨人的身子也卸了下來，隻剩下腦袋立在地上。“因為擁有這幢樓的那個家族的人永遠地消失了。”說完，巨人的腦袋升了起來，升上煙囪裏了。
天剛亮，就聽到有人在唱：上帝憐憫我們，上帝憐憫我們。正是那群教士帶著棺材來收小喬萬尼的屍首。他們看見小夥子正在窗口抽煙鬥呢。
無畏的小喬萬尼有了那些金幣成了富人，他快樂地住在那幢樓裏。直到有一天，他僅僅因為一轉身，看見了自己的影子，被嚇死了。
dauntlesslittlejohn
therewasoncedwhomeveryonecalleddauntlesslittlejohn,sincehewasafraidofnothing.travelingabouttheworld,hecametoaninn,whereheaskedforlodgings."wehavenoroomhere,"saidtheinnkeeper,"butifyourenotafraid,iwilldirectyoutoacertainpcewhereyoucanstay."
"whyshouldibeafraid?"
"peopleshudderatthethoughtofthatpce,sincenobodywhosgoneinhaeoutalive.inthemorningthefriarsgoupwiththebierforanyonebraveenoughtospendthenightinside."
sowhatdidlittlejohndobutpickupmp,abottle,andasausage,andmarchstraighttothepce.
atmidnighthewassittingatthetableeating,whenheheardavoiceinthechimney."shallithrowitdown?"
"goahead!"repliedlittlejohn.
downthechimneyintothefirecefemansleg.littlejohndrankassofwine.
thenthevoicespokeagain."shallithrowitdown?"
"goahead!"soanotherlegdroppedintothefirece.littlejohnbitintothesausage.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"goahead!"sodowncameanarm.littlejohnbeganwhistlingatune.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"byallmeans!"andtherewasanotherarm.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"yes!"
thencamethetrunkofabody,andthearmsandlegsstuckontoit,andtherestoodamanwithoutahead.
"shallithrowitdown?"
"throwitdown!"
downcametheheadandsprangintoceatopthetrunk.hewastrulyagiant,andlittlejohnraisedhisssandsaid,"toyourhealth!"
thegiantsaid,"takethmpanewithme."
littlejohnpickedupthmp,butdidntbudge.
"yougofirst!"saidthegiant.
"no,afteryou,"insistedlittlejohn.
"afteryou!"thunderedthegiant.
"youleadtheway!"yelledlittlejohn.
sothegiantwentfirst,withlittlejohnbehindhimlightingtheway,andtheywentthroughroomafterroomuntiltheyhadwalkedthewholelengthofthepce.beneathoneofthestaircaseswasasmalldoor.
"openit!"orderedthegiant.
"youopenit!"repliedlittlejohn.
sothegiantshoveditopenwithhisshoulder.therewasaspiralstaircase.
"goondown,"directedthegiant.
"afteryou,"answeredlittlejohn.
theywentdownthestepsintoacer,andthegiantpointedtoastonebontheground."raisethat!"
"youraiseit!"repliedlittlejohn,andthegiantlifteditasthoughitwereamerepebble.
beneaththebtherewerethreepotsofgold."carrythoseupstairs!"orderedthegiant.
"youcarrythemup!"answeredlittlejohn.andthegiantcarriedthemuponebyone.
whentheywerebackinthehallwherethegreatfirecewas,thegiantsaid,"littlejohn,thespellhasbeenbroken!"atthat,oneofhislegcameoffandkickeditswayupthechimney."oneofthesepotsofgoldisforyou."anarmcamelooseandclimbedupthechimney."thesecondpotofgoldisforthefriarswhetocarryawayyourbody,believingyouperished."theotherarmcameoffandfollowedthefirst."thethirdpotofgoldisforthefirstpoormanwhesby."thentheotherlegdroppedoff,leavingthegiantseatedonthefloor."keepthepceforyourself."thetrunkseparatedfromtheheadandvanished."theownersofthepceandtheirchildrenarenowgoneforever."atthat,theheaddisappearedupthechimney.
assoonasitwaslight,adirgearose:"misereremei,misereremei."thefriarshaewiththebiertocarryofflittlejohnsbody.buttherehestood,atthewindow,smokinghispipe!
dauntlesslittlejohnwasawealthyyouthindeedwithallthosegoldpieces,andhelivedhappilyinhispce.thenonedaywhatshouldhedobutlookbehindhimandseehisshadow:hewassofrightenedhedied.
notes:
"dauntlesslittlejohn"(giovanninsenzapaura)
ibeginwithafolktaleforwhichidonotindicate,incontrasttomyprocedureinalltheothertales,theparticrversionifollowed.astheversionsofitfromthevariousregionsofitalyareallquitesimr,iletmyselfbefreelyguidedbmontradition.notonlyforthatreasonhaveiputthistalefirst,butalsobecauseitisoneofthesimplestand,inmyview,oneofthemostbeautifulfolktales.
italiantraditionsharplydivergesfromthegrimms"taleofaboywhosetouttolearnfear"(grimmno.4)whichisnodoubtclosertomyno.80.thetypeoftaleisofeuropeanoriginandnotfoundinasia.
thedisappearanceofthemanlimbbylimbisnottraditional,butapersonaltouchofmyown,tobncehisarrivalpiecebypiece.itookthefinishingstrokeoftheshadowfromasieneseversion(degubernatis,22),anditismerelyasimplificationofthemormonending,wherelittlejohnisgivenasalveforfasteningheadsbackon.hecutshisheadoffandputsitonagain——backward;thesightofhisrearendsohorrifieshimthathedropsdead.
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
trantedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980