Frank R. Stockton(1834—1902)，美國作家，擅長(zhǎng)撰寫幽默故事，從事寫作前是一名木頭雕刻師。他曾出版多部小說，如Rudder Grange(《魯?shù)隆じ裉m奇》)、The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine(《雷克斯太太與阿雷申太太的流亡記》)、The Adventures of Captain(《船長(zhǎng)歷險(xiǎn)記》)等，然而其最為人津津樂道的作品還是這篇于1882年出版的短篇小說——The Lady， or the Tiger?(《美女，還是老虎?》)。

古往今來，公主與平民的愛情注定充滿險(xiǎn)阻，讓深陷其中的人飽受煎熬，正如文中的這對(duì)苦命鴛鴦。公主深愛著他，卻無法得到他;她不希望他死，卻又不想別人得到他。處在這樣兩難的境地里，換了你，又會(huì)做出什么樣的選擇?故事看似簡(jiǎn)單，卻飽含著對(duì)人性的拷問。

“The Lady， or the Tiger?”這個(gè)句子如今已成為一個(gè)習(xí)語，表示“兩難境地”的意思。

本期刊登的該故事的英文版本是VOA電臺(tái)的簡(jiǎn)化版。

——Lavender

Long ago， in a very olden time， there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caused people to suffer.

One of the king’s ideas was a public 1)arena as an agent of 2)poetic justice. Crime was punished， or innocence was decided， by the result of chance. When a person was accused of a crime， his future would be judged in the public arena.

All the people would gather in this building. The king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accused person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side， exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he pleased.

If the accused man opened one door， out came a hungry tiger， the fiercest in the land. The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The case of the suspect was thus decided. Iron bells rang sadly. Great cries went up from the paid mourners. And the people， with heads hanging low and sad hearts， slowly made their way home. They mourned greatly that one so young and fair， or so old and respected， should have died this way.

But， if the accused opened the other door， there came forth from it a woman， chosen especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married， in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family， or that he might have chosen to marry another woman. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward. Another door opened under the king， and a 3)clergyman， singers， dancers and musicians joined the man and the lady. The marriage ceremony was quickly completed. Then the bells made cheerful noises. The people shouted happily. And the innocent man led the new wife to his home， following children who threw flowers on their path.

This was the king’s method of carrying out justice. Its fairness appeared perfect. The accused person could not know which door was hiding the lady. He opened either as he pleased， without knowing whether， in the next minute， he was to be killed or married. Sometimes the fierce animal came out of one door. Sometimes it came out of the other.

This method was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days， they never knew whether they would see a bloody killing or a happy ending. So everyone was always interested. And 4)the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan. Did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?

The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best looking and bravest in the land. But he was a 5)commoner， not part of an important family.

One day， the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man. The man was immediately put in prison. A day was set for his trial in the king’s public arena. This， of course， was an especially important event. Never before had a common 6)subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king.

The king knew that the young man would be punished， even if he opened the right door. And the king would take pleasure in watching the series of events， which would judge whether or not the man had done wrong in loving the princess.

The day of the trial arrived. From far and near the people gathered in the arena and outside its walls. The king and his advisers were in their places， opposite the two doors. All was ready. The sign was given. The door under the king opened and the lover of the princess entered the arena. Tall， beautiful and fair， his appearance was met with a sound of approval and tension. Half the people had not known so perfect a young man lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!

As the young man entered the public arena， he turned to bend to the king. But he did not at all think of the great ruler. The young man’s eyes instead were fixed on the princess， who sat to the right of her father. From the day it was decided that the sentence of her lover should be decided in the arena， she had thought of nothing but this event.

The princess had more power， influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a case. She had done what no other person had done. She had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew behind which door stood the tiger， and behind which waited the lady. Gold， and the power of a woman’s will， had brought the secret to the princess.

She also knew who the lady was. The lady was one of the loveliest in the kingdom. Now and then the princess had seen her looking at and talking to the young man. The princess hated the woman behind that silent door. She hated her with all the intensity of the blood passed to her through long lines of cruel ancestors.

Her lover turned to look at the princess. His eyes met hers as she sat there， paler and whiter than anyone in the large ocean of tense faces around her. He saw that she knew behind which door waited the tiger， and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it.

The only hope for the young man was based on the success of the princess in discovering this mystery. When he looked at her， he saw that she had been successful， as he knew she would succeed. Then his quick and tense look asked the question: “Which?” It was as clear to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not time to be lost.

The princess raised her hand， and made a short， quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw it. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena. He turned， and with a firm and quick step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating. Every breath was held. Every eye was fixed upon that man. He went to the door on the right and opened it.

Now， the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door， or did the lady?

The more we think about this question， the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of the human heart. Think of it not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself. But as if it depended upon that hot-blooded princess， her soul 7)at a white heat under the fires of sadness and jealousy. She had lost him， but who should have him?

How often， in her waking hours and in her dreams， had she started in wild terror， and covered her face with her hands? She thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the sharp teeth of the tiger!

But how much oftener had she seen him open the other door? How she had ground her teeth， and torn her hair， when she had seen his happy face as he opened the door of the lady!How her soul had burned in pain when she had seen him run to meet that woman， with her look of victory. When she had seen the two of them get married. And when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers， followed by the happy shouts of the crowd， in which her one sad cry was lost!

Would it not be better for him to die quickly， and go to wait for her in that blessed place of the future? And yet， that tiger， those cries， that blood!

Her decision had been shown quickly. But it had been made after days and nights of thought.She had known she would be asked. And she had decided what she would answer. And she had moved her hand to the right.

The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered. And it is not for me to 8)set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you:

Which came out of the open door—the lady， or the tiger?

古時(shí)候，有一個(gè)非常有權(quán)勢(shì)的國王。他有些想法頗有遠(yuǎn)見，有些卻讓他的國民受罪。

他的其中一個(gè)想法是設(shè)立一個(gè)公審場(chǎng)，作賞罰判定之用。是定罪受罰還是還其清白，全看被告的運(yùn)氣。當(dāng)有人被指控犯罪，就會(huì)被推到那個(gè)公審場(chǎng)接受審判，一切聽天由命。

所有人將聚集在那里。國王高踞寶座，他稍稍示意，寶座之下的一扇門就會(huì)打開，被告從那兒走出來，走進(jìn)公審場(chǎng)。國王正對(duì)著兩扇門，它們緊緊相鄰，外觀一模一樣。受審的被告必須徑直走向這兩扇門，打開其中一扇。當(dāng)然，選哪扇全憑其意愿。

如果被告打開的那扇門跳出的是一只王國里最兇猛的餓虎，餓虎就會(huì)立即撲向他，把他撕咬個(gè)粉碎，作為對(duì)其罪行的懲罰。于是，嫌疑犯的罪名就這么定下了。接著，喪鐘悲鳴，雇來的哭喪人嚎哭，圍觀的群眾則垂頭傷心，緩步而歸，為這么一個(gè)帥氣小伙或那么一位可敬長(zhǎng)者如此慘死而悲痛萬分。

不過，要是被告打開另一扇門，走出來的是一位專門為其挑選的女子，那么，為了慶賀被告獲得“清白”，即使被告已有家室或已選定結(jié)婚對(duì)象，他也得立刻和這女子成婚。國王不容許自己這個(gè)“偉大的”賞善懲惡方式受到任何阻礙。王座之下的另一扇門會(huì)走出一位牧師、一些歌手、舞者和樂師，為被告和那女子舉行婚禮?；槎Y迅速完成。接著，喜鐘歡響，人群歡呼。這位“清白的”被告帶著新妻回家，尾隨的孩童把鮮花撒了一路。

這就是國王維護(hù)正義的方法，其公正性看上去無懈可擊。被告無法知道哪扇門后是女子，他按照自己的意愿選擇，全然不知下一刻自己的命運(yùn)是慘死還是與他人成婚。有時(shí)，猛獸是從這扇門沖出來，有時(shí)是從另一扇門出來。

這個(gè)方法很受歡迎。人們?cè)谶@樣一個(gè)大審之日聚集在一起，他們決不知道自己看到的將是一場(chǎng)血腥的殘殺還是歡樂的婚禮，這就使所有人總是興致勃勃。連王國里有“思考”權(quán)的上層階級(jí)也不會(huì)指責(zé)其有欠公允。被告的命運(yùn)不是掌握在他自己手里嗎?

國王有一個(gè)漂亮的女兒，她在很多方面都像極了她父親。國王把她視若掌上明珠。公主偷偷愛著王國里那個(gè)最英俊最勇敢的小伙子。但他是一介平民，而非生于權(quán)貴之家。

一天，國王發(fā)現(xiàn)了女兒和那小伙子相愛的事，馬上就把他關(guān)進(jìn)了監(jiān)獄，并選好日子在國王的公審場(chǎng)決定其生死。這當(dāng)然是一件特別重大的事。在此之前，還從未有哪個(gè)平民膽敢愛上國王的女兒。

即使小伙子選對(duì)門活了下來，國王知道他也將受到懲罰。而國王將饒有興味地觀看即將發(fā)生的一系列事件，它們將判定他愛上公主是否有錯(cuò)。

審判日到了，遠(yuǎn)近的民眾紛紛聚集在那里，塞滿了公審場(chǎng)的里里外外。國王和他的臣子站在兩扇門對(duì)面，已經(jīng)就位。一切都準(zhǔn)備好了。國王發(fā)出指令，王座之下的門打開了，公主的情人走進(jìn)了公審場(chǎng)。高大英俊、白膚金發(fā)，小伙子的相貌引起了人群中的一陣贊許和焦慮。有一半人不知道這么一位如此完美的小伙子就生活在他們之間。怪不得公主會(huì)愛上他!他落得這般田地，真是太糟糕了!

小伙子一進(jìn)到公審場(chǎng)，便轉(zhuǎn)身向國王鞠躬，但他并沒把這位威嚴(yán)的統(tǒng)治者放在心上，而是把目光集中在公主身上，她就坐在國王右邊。自從國王決定在公審場(chǎng)審判她的情人那天起，公主就滿心掛慮著這件事。

公主比所有此前對(duì)這審判感興趣的人都擁有更大的權(quán)力、影響力和更強(qiáng)的個(gè)性，她也做過別人沒做過的事。她已經(jīng)掌握了兩扇門的秘密。她知道哪扇門后是老虎，哪扇門后有女子等著他。金錢以及一個(gè)女人強(qiáng)大的意志力，使她掌握了這秘密。

她同時(shí)也知道門后的女子是誰，那是王國里最嬌俏的美人之一。公主從前時(shí)不時(shí)就看到她一往情深地望著自己的情人，還跟他搭訕。公主恨透了寂靜的門后那個(gè)女人。公主的體內(nèi)流淌著她那些殘忍的祖先的血，她的恨如此強(qiáng)烈。

她的情人回頭注視著她。他們四目相接，她就坐在那里，在圍繞著她的那一大群焦慮的臉孔中，她的臉色愈顯蒼白。小伙子看出公主知道哪扇門后有老虎等著他，哪扇門后站著女子。他早料到她知道答案。

小伙子唯一的希望就在于公主能成功解開這個(gè)秘密。當(dāng)他看著她，他知道她成功了，如他所望。接著，他迅速而一臉焦慮地示意道:“哪一扇?”這對(duì)公主來說已經(jīng)問得足夠清楚了，仿佛他站在那里喊出來一樣。機(jī)不可失。

公主抬起手，向右短促而快速地指了一下。除了她的情人以外，誰都沒有看到，因?yàn)樗械难劬Χ级⒅珜張?chǎng)上的他。小伙子轉(zhuǎn)過身，邁著堅(jiān)定的步伐快速走過空曠的場(chǎng)地。每個(gè)人的心都提到嗓子眼兒，人們都屏住呼吸，密切注釋著小伙子的一舉一動(dòng)。只見他走向右邊的門，把它打開了。

現(xiàn)在，故事的關(guān)鍵點(diǎn)是:從那扇門出來的是老虎，還是美人?

關(guān)于這個(gè)疑問，我們想得越多就越難回答。它牽涉到對(duì)人心的探究。你不能從自己的角度考慮這個(gè)問題，而是要從那位熱血沸騰的公主的處境出發(fā)。她的心在悲傷和嫉妒的烈火中熾燒，飽受著煎熬。她失去了他，但誰又該得到他呢?

多少個(gè)日夜，不管是清醒時(shí)還是在夢(mèng)魘中，只要她一想到自己的情人打開對(duì)面的一扇門，而門后等待著他的是一只牙尖齒利的老虎，她就開始陷入強(qiáng)烈的恐懼中，兩手掩著臉。

而更多時(shí)候，她想到的是情人打開另一扇門后的情形。當(dāng)她看見他打開門后是美人的那扇門，他一臉歡欣雀躍時(shí)，她就咬牙切齒，撕扯自己的頭發(fā)。當(dāng)她看見他跑向那個(gè)女人，而那女人露出一臉勝利者的神色;當(dāng)她看見他倆成婚，一起踏著花徑離開，歡呼的人群尾隨其后，她獨(dú)自的悲泣被淹沒其中，想到這些，她的心就痛苦至極。

讓情人快點(diǎn)死去，讓他在天堂里等著將來與她重逢，這不是更好嗎?然而，一想到那只猛虎，那些喊叫，那些血，讓人怎么忍心!

她的決定，他很快看到了。那可是她經(jīng)過日夜思索而做出的決定。她知道情人一定會(huì)問她那個(gè)問題，而她也決定了該怎么回答。于是，她把手指向了右邊。

公主的決定不是你可以輕松猜出的，而我也不是那個(gè)能給出答案的人。所以，我把這個(gè)問題留給你們每個(gè)人:

那扇門打開后，出來的是美女，還是老虎?