第36章 魯思夫人

從前，有三個人遙望一所白房子，那白房子孤零零地坐落在一座綠色山頭上。第一個人說："那是魯思夫人的房子，她是個老醜巫婆。" 第二個人說："你錯了。魯思夫人是個美麗婦女，她住在那兒沉而於夢幻之中。" 第三個人說："你們倆都錯了。魯思夫人是這一大片土地的大地主，她吸她的農奴們的血。" 他們且走且議論著魯思夫人。 他們走到十字路口時，遇見一個老翁，有一個人問老翁道："請你把那位住在山頭上白房子裡的魯思夫人的情況告訴我們好嗎？"老翁抬起頭來，向他們微笑，然後說道："我現在九十歲了；我記得魯思夫人時，還不過是個孩子哩。不過，魯思夫人八十年前早就死掉了，如今那所白房子是空關著的。鴟梟有時在那裡嗚嗚地號叫，人家說，那所房子裡鬧鬼。

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."