13. Night 22

终于，两兄弟还是有了各自的后代，一男一女。那么，这两兄弟的命运将如何发展？他们的子女呢？

"Sister," called Dinarzad.

"You needn't say more," answered Scheherazade.

Ja'far wanted to save his servant — the apple thief — and resumed the tale of the vizier's two sons, who had battled and separated.

WHILE NUR AL-DIN ALI WAS IN BASRA, HIS ELDER BROTHER Shams al-Din Muhammad, visited the pyramids with the King of Egypt. When they returned home, Shams al-Din Muhammad planned to make up with his dear brother. But Nur al-Din Ali was gone. Shams al-Din Muhammad sent couriers to find him. To no avail. He moaned. And gave up.

Basra，现伊拉克第二大城市

no avail，没有效果

Shams al-Din Muhammad decided to marry a merchant's daughter. By chance, their wedding day in Cairo was the same as the wedding day of Nur al-Din Ali to the vizier's daughter in Basra. Nine moons later, a daughter was born to Shams al-Din Muhammad and a son to Nur al-Din Ali.

The boy was radiant as the sun, calm as the moon. A mole on his right cheek set off the polished-marble smoothness of the rest of him. His name was Badr al-Din Hasan. Soon after his birth, his grandfather, the vizier, brought his son-in-law before the King of Basra and persuaded him to make Nur al-Din Ali the vizier in his place.

mole，痣

in one's place，代替某人

By the time Badr al-Din Hasan was 12, he could read and write in Arabic, he knew mathematics and jurisprudence, he was skilled at calligraphy. One day, Nur al-Din Ali took his son into the city. The people's eyes widened at the grace of the youth.

jurisprudence，审判

calligraphy，书法

His speech was honey; his smile put the sun to shame. After that, father and son went together everywhere, for Nur al-Din Ali felt himself growing feeble. He had to prepare his son to become vizier.

feeble，虚弱的

As the years passed, Nur al-Din Ali missed Egypt and his big brother more and more. One day, he sat down and wept. He told his son of his uncle, the vizier in Egypt. Then he wrote down the story of his departure from Egypt and recorded his wedding date. He rolled up the papyrus and told his son to keep this scroll. 

papyrus，纸莎草纸

Badr al-Din Hasan, who was now 20 years old, sewed the scroll into the skullcap of his turban for safekeeping. By this time Nur al-Din Ali writhed with the pains of imminent death. "Son, listen well. I have five pieces of advice for you.

writhe，扭动

"First, live alone. None can be trusted.

"Second, be good to all, or you will incur evil.

"Third, speak rarely, so you don't rue your words.

rue，后悔

"Fourth, avoid wine. It will lead you astray.

"Fifth, protect your wealth. It is your safety."

The vizier died. For two cycles of the moon Badr al-Din Hasan mourned his father.

mourn，悼念

Meanwhile, the king was without a vizier. He wanted Badr al-Din Hasan's counsel. When the young man didn't come to him, he appointed another as vizier, and in a fit of anger he ordered his envoys to seize Badr al-Din Hasan's belongings and lock him out of his home.

a fit of anger，一阵恼怒

But a man raced to warn Badr al-Din Hasan. In the chaos of the moment, the young man covered his head with his robe and ran to visit his father's tomb. On the way there he met a merchant, traveling to the city.

Scheherazade sighed with the morning light and fell back into the pillows. "Tell more in the coming night," begged Dinarzad.

"Yes," said Shah Rayar. "Nur al-Din Ali gave his son good advice. I must know if he will follow it now that he has so much trouble."

Good advice? Did the king truly believe you should trust no one?

Scheherazade had put her trust in her sister, and her life continued because of that. What a sad man was this king. Against her will, Scheherazade felt sorry for him. 

He needed to learn to trust. And he needed to laugh.

He needed both very badly.

To be continued...

英俊的Badr al-Din Hasan在父亲死后，有什么遭遇呢？

Scheherazade怎样令国王重新学会信任呢？