鲁思夫人

鲁思夫人

从前，有三个人遥望一所白房子，那白房子孤零零地坐落在一座绿色山头上。第一个人说："那是鲁思夫人的房子，她是个老丑巫婆。"

第二个人说："你错了。鲁思夫人是个美丽妇女，她住在那儿沉而于梦幻之中。"

第三个人说："你们俩都错了。鲁思夫人是这一大片土地的大地主，她吸她的农奴们的血。"

他们且走且议论着鲁思夫人。

他们走到十字路口时，遇见一个老翁，有一个人问老翁道："请你把那位住在山头上白房子里的鲁思夫人的情况告诉我们好吗？"老翁抬起头来，向他们微笑，然后说道："我现在九十岁了；我记得鲁思夫人时，还不过是个孩子哩。不过，鲁思夫人八十年前早就死掉了，如今那所白房子是空关着的。鸱枭有时在那里呜呜地号叫，人家说，那所房子里闹鬼。

Lady Ruth

Three men once looked from afar upon a white house that stood alone on a green hill. One of them said, "That is the house of Lady Ruth. She is an old witch."

The second man said, "You are wrong. Lady Ruth is a beautiful woman who lives there consecrated unto her dreams."

The third man said, "You are both wrong. Lady Ruth is the holder of this vast land, and she draws blood from her serfs."

And they walked on discussing Lady Ruth. Then when they came to a crossroad they met an old man, and one of them asked him, saying, "Would you please tell us about the Lady Ruth who lives in that white house upon the hill?"

And the old man raised his head and smiled upon them, and said, "I am ninety of years, and I remember Lady Ruth when I was but a boy. But Lady Ruth died eighty years ago, and now the house is empty. The owls hoot therein, sometimes, and people say the place is haunted."