【微信公众号：为你读英语美文，查看原文，垫乐，拓展资料】
【节目编号：第193期】
主播：Zac
坐标：北京
The Tale of the Three Brothers
三兄弟的故事
作者：J.K.罗琳
There were once three brothers who weretraveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight.
从前，有三兄弟在一条僻静的羊肠小道上赶路，天色已近黄昏。
In time, the brothers reached a river toodeep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brotherswere learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and madea bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it whenthey found their path blocked by a hooded figure.
他们走着走着，来到了一条河边，水太深了，无法蹚过，游过去也太危险。但是，这三兄弟会魔法，他们仅仅挥动魔杖，就造出了跨越这条河流的大桥。然而，当他们走到一半的时候，他们发现一个戴着兜帽的人挡住了他们的去路。
And Death spoke to them.
死神对他们说话了。
He was angry that he had been cheated outof three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death wascunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, andsaid that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.
他生气自己被这三个新的牺牲品愚弄了，因为旅者们通常会溺死在这条河里。但是死神很狡猾。他装作赞扬三兄弟的魔法，而且因为聪明地避开了他，每人都将赢得一件奖品。
So the oldest brother, who was a combativeman, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that mustalways win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conqueredDeath! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned awand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.
三兄弟中的老大是个好战的人，他索求一根比任何现存的都要强大的魔杖：一根总能帮助它的主人赢得决斗的魔杖，一根战胜了死神的巫师所应得的魔杖！死神砍下河岸边一棵老树上的枝条，做成了一根魔杖，递给了老大。
Then the second brother, who was anarrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, andasked for the power to recall other from Death. So Death picked up a stone fromthe river bank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stonewould have the power to bring back the dead.
然后三兄弟中的老二，一个傲慢的人，想要让死神更加丢脸，就要求拥有能把其他人从死神那召唤回来的力量。死神从河岸上捡起一块石头给了老二，告诉他这块石头有着使死者复生的力量。
And then Death asked the third and youngestbrother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also thewisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for somethingthat 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.
死神又问最小的那个想要的是什么。老三最谦虚而且最聪明，他并不打算信任死神，于是他要求死神给他一件东西使他能够到死神管辖范围之外的地方去。死神只好非常不情愿地把自己的隐形斗篷给了他。
Then Death stood aside and allowed thethree brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonderof the adventure they had had, and admiring Death’s gifts.
然后死神站在一边，让这三个兄弟继续谈论他们的历险故事和死神的礼物。
In due course the brothers separated, eachfor his own destination.
为了各自的目的地，三个兄弟分开了。
The first brother traveled on for a week ormore, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom hehad a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not failto win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, theoldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerfulwand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.
大哥旅行了一个多星期后，到达了一个偏远的村庄，寻找一位曾经和他吵过架的男巫，自然，以长老魔杖作为武器，他不可能输掉接下来的任何一场决斗。他的敌人倒在了地上，大哥继续前行到达了一个旅店，在那儿他大声底炫耀着自己从死神那得到的这支强有力的魔杖以及这支魔杖怎样使得他天下无敌
That very night, another wizard crept uponthe oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took thewand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother’s throat.
就在那个夜晚，当大哥躺下后，另外一个男巫悄悄地潜入他的房间，用酒浸透他的床，这个贼偷走了魔杖。为了保险起见，他割断了大哥的喉咙。
And so Death took the first brother for hisown.
就这样，死神取走了老大的命。
Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed tohis own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had thepower to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazementand his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before heruntimely death, appeared at once before him.
与此同时，二哥回到了他自己独居的家。在那儿他拿出那块可以召唤死者的石头，把它放在手上转了三次。让他又惊又喜的是，他曾经想要与之成婚却不幸死亡的女孩立刻出现在他的面前。
Yet she was sad and cold, separated fromhim as by a veil. Though, she had returned to the normal world, she did nottruly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad withhopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her.
然而她既悲伤又冷漠，还用面纱和他分隔起来。尽管她重回人世，但她并不真正属于那，她在那遭受着痛苦。最终，二哥在无尽的绝望中疯掉了，为了真正地融入她的世界，他自杀了。
And so Death took the second brother forhis own.
就这样，死神取走了老二的命。
But though Death searched for the thirdbrother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he hadattained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Clock ofInvisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an oldfriend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.
但是，死神找了很多年，却总也找不到三弟。一直到他老得不行了，他才脱下隐形衣，把衣服留给他的儿子。他像对待老朋友一样地向死神打招呼，并以平等的身份，很高兴地同他一道，离开了人间。
【主播介绍】
Zac: 毕业于西安外国语大学，除了中文和英语，还会说日语和法语，喜欢语言，音乐，美术，旅行
主播：Zac , 制作 | 编辑: 永清
图片源于网络
文字，音乐版权归作者或版权方所有
微信公众号：为你读英语美文
官方新浪微博：@为你读英语美文
