国王和音乐家的故事:音乐家的故事
时间：2018-12-27 03:35:31 来源：柠檬阅读网 本文已影响 人 
It happened in Lucknow1 in the time of Vajid Ali Shah. He was the king of Lucknow, a very crazy man,a drunkard, but a lover of music, art, sculpture, painting, a lover of beauty. He used to invite all kinds of dancers, singers, musicians, poets, to his court.
One musician was constantly refusing to come. Vajid Ali Shah went to him -- that was a rare gesture from him, he had never gone to anybody. His invitation was enough, and he was ready to pay as much as demanded or more. But the musician was reluctant2 to come.
When Vajid Ali Shah went to him he said, "I can come, but you will have to fulfill3 my condition. I have only one single condition and that is: when I am playing or singing, nobody can move his head."
Vajid Ali Shah said, "That is not a difficult thing, don"t be worried. I will inform the people who are going to come to listen that "If you move your head, your head will be chopped4 off!""He was a crazy man -- he could have done that,and he actually prepared for it. He informed the whole capital of Lucknow: "Those who want to come, they should be aware that it is risky. Soldiers will be standing with naked swords５ and whoever moves his head, nods his head in appreciation6， his head will be chopped off!"
Lucknow had at least ten thousand music lovers -- only one hundred people turned up.It was dangerous!You may be simply moving your head because a mosquito has been torturing7 you, or for some other reason...you may forget because the musician is great and to remember it continuously will be difficult. Even snakes start moving, dancing -- it will be difficult. So people avoided, but ahu-ndred people came. Theywere real lovers of music,they risked their lives -- it was worth it. And the people were standing with naked swords. It was a strange gathering!
The musician started playing, and he was such a great musician that within fifteen minutes" time a few heads started moving.Vajid Ali Shah became very much worried because it was not only one head: a few heads, then a few more joined in, then a few more. Then he became very much concerned: "Is he going to kill all these one hundred people? And these are the most appreciative people in the whole capital!" He knew them: they were lovers of music.
By the time the musician finished in the middle of the night, all the hundred people were swaying８. Vajid Ali asked,"Now what do you say? Should I cut these people"s heads? My soldiers are ready, anti because I have given you my promise I am ready to fulfill it."
The musician laughed and he said,"Don"t be worried!This condition was made only so that people who are real lovers would come. One who is ready to risk his life must be a passionate9 lover. Now these are the people I would like to sing and play for. Withdraw10 your soldiers! I was waiting: if there had been a few people whose heads had not moved, then those people would have had to be removed11 from the gathering. Now is the right gathering I have waited for my whole life. These are the people who forgot completely, forgot even the question of life -- it was a question of life and death."
注释
１. Ｌｕｃｋnow 勒克瑙[印度北部城市] （北方邦首府）
2. reluctant ａｄｊ. 不情愿的，勉强的
３. fulfill ｖｔ. 满足
４. ｃｈｏｐ ｖｔ. 砍，劈，斩，剁
５.naked sword 出鞘的剑
６. appreciation ｎ. 欣赏、鉴赏
７. torture ｖｔ. 折磨，使痛苦
８. sway ｖｉ. 摇摆，摆动
９. passionate ａｄｊ. 出自强烈感情的，情绪激昂的
１０. withｄｒａｗ ｖｔ. 撤退，撤离，使退出
１１. remove ｖｔ. 逐出，开除
故事发生在印度北方邦首府勒克瑙城，正值瓦吉德・阿里・沙当政的时代。
瓦吉德・阿里・沙是勒克瑙的国王，是 一个非常疯狂的人，嗜酒如命。但是他爱好音乐、艺术、雕刻、绘画，热爱美的事物。他曾经把各种各样的舞蹈家、歌唱家、音乐家、诗人邀请到他的宫廷。
有一位音乐家却一直拒绝露面。瓦吉德・阿里・沙亲自去请音乐家――这是他少有的举动，他从未求过任何人。他的邀请足够盛情，除了满足对方的要求外，还愿意多付报酬。但是，这位音乐家还是不情愿去宫廷。
当瓦吉德・阿里・沙去见他时，他说：“我可以去，但是您将不得不满足我的条件。我只有一个条件，就是当我演奏或歌唱时，谁也不能晃动他的头。”
瓦吉德・阿里・沙说：“这件事情不难办，不必担心。我将通告那些来听演奏的人们，‘如果你们晃动头，你们的头将被砍掉!’”他是一个疯狂的人，说到就会做到，并真的做了准备。他通告整个勒克瑙城：“那些想来听演奏的人们务必请注意，他们将冒生命的危险。士兵将会宝剑出鞘，侍立一旁。凡因欣赏之兴而摇头、点头者，头将被砍掉!”
勒克瑙至少有一万名音乐爱好者，却只有一百人出席音乐会。那多危险啊!从们会仅仅因为一只蚊子的骚扰或其他什么原因而晃头……也许会由于音乐家的出色表演而忘乎所以，时刻都记住这个条件并不容易。甚至蛇都会应声摇摆起舞――要想不动简直太难了。所以，除这一百人外，别的人都避开不来。他们是真正的音乐爱好者，不惜以生命为代价――那是值得的，加上手持利刃的人们在一旁站立，这真是一次奇异的聚会啊!
音乐家开始演奏。他演奏的音乐出神入化，15分钟内就有几个头开始晃动。瓦吉德・阿里・沙开始忧心忡忡，因为不只有一个头在动：先是几个在动，接着多了几个，然后更多的头开始动。后来，他变得焦虑不安：“他要杀掉所有这一百人吗?他们可是整个首府最有欣赏力的人啊!”他了解他们，他们都酷爱音乐。
午夜时分，音乐家结束了演奏，所有一百人都在摆动。瓦吉德・阿里问道： “现在你还有什么要说的吗?是不是我要砍下这些人的头?我的士兵做好了准备，因为我许下诺言，我就要说话算数。”音乐家笑了，他说：“用不着担心!我之所以提出这个条件，就是想要召来那些真正爱好音乐的人们。愿意冒着生命危险而来的人，必定是感情最投入的音乐爱好者。现在这些人正是我愿意为之歌唱和演奏的人们。撤去你的士兵吧!我一直等待着，如果有几个人的头没有晃动，就把这些人从聚会中请出去。这正是我一生都在等待的聚会。这些人是完全忘我的人们，甚至忘记了性命，那可是生死攸关的考验啊！”
