艾玛·沃森 | 朗读《三兄弟传说》

There were once three brothers, who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too treacherous to pass. But being learned in the magical arts, the three brothers simply waved their wands and made a bridge.

从前有三兄弟,在一条偏僻羊肠小路道赶路。暮色降临，他们到了一条河边。河水太急，他们趟不过去，但三兄弟都学过魔法。他们挥了挥手中的魔杖，一座桥就建起来了。

Before they could cross however, they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. It was Death, and he felt cheated. Cheated because travelers would normally drown in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.
但就在他们要过桥的时候，一个披斗篷的人挡住了他们，那是死神。它觉得被戏弄了，因为平时路人都会淹死在这条河里。不过死神很狡猾，他假装夸赞兄弟三人的魔法，说他们凭着聪明逃过了死神，每人都该得到奖励。

The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. So Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby. The second brother decided he wanted to humiliate Death even further, and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave. So Death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him. Finally, Death turned to the third brother. A humble man, he asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.
老大想要一根天底下最有威力的魔杖，死神就用身边的接骨木给他做了一根。老二想进一步戏弄死神，他说他想要让心上人起死回生的能力，于是死神就从河里拣了块石头赠送给他。最后，死神转向了老三。老三是个谦逊的人，他说他想要一样东西，能帮他离开那个地方而不被死神跟随。于是死神很不情愿地将自己的隐形衣给了他。

The first brother traveled to a distant village where with the Elder Wand in hand, he killed a wizard with whom he had once quarreled. Drunk with the power that the Elder Wand had given him, he bragged of his invincibility. But that night, another wizard stole the wand, and slit the brother's throat for good measure. And so Death took the first brother for his own.
老大来到一个偏僻的山村。在那儿，他用死神给他的接骨木魔杖杀死了一名与他有过争执的巫师。魔杖巨大威力让他欣喜若狂，他见人就吹嘘自己的本事。但那天晚上，另一名巫师偷走了他的魔杖，然后割断了他的喉咙。就这样，死神取走了老大的命。

The second brother journeyed to his home, where he took the stone and turned it thrice in hand. To his delight, the girl he'd once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. Yet, soon she turned sad and cold for she did not belong in the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing, the second brother killed himself so as to join her. And so Death took the second brother.
老二回到了他独自居住的家，他拿出那块石头在手里转了三圈。让他惊喜的是，那个他想娶但不幸早逝的女孩出现在他面前。可不久她便悲伤起来，冷冰冰的，因为她不属于这个世界。无望的爱把老二逼疯了，为了跟心上人在一起，他自杀了。就这样，死神取走了老二的命。

As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him. Only when he attained a great age the youngest brother, shed the Cloak of Invisibility and give it to his son. He then greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly departing this life as equals.
至于老三，死神找了他很多年，却始终没找到。老三一直活到很老才脱下隐形衣，将它交给了他的儿子。然后，他像老朋友一样向死神致意，欣然随他而去，他们一道离开了人间。