评论
打印
That first day, everyone slept from exhaustion, including the Englishman.
到达绿洲的第一天，由于疲劳，很多人很快睡着了，英国人也睡了。
The boy was assigned a place far from his friend, in a tent with five other young men of about his age.
男孩离英国人住的地方很远，和五个年龄与他相仿的小伙子睡在一个帐篷里。
They were people of the desert, and clamored to hear his stories about the great cities.
那五个小伙子都是沙漠里的人，很想听听大城市的故事。
The boy told them about his life as a shepherd, and was about to tell them of his experiences at the crystal shop when the Englishman came into the tent.
男孩谈起了他此前的生活，正讲到在水晶店的经历时，英国人走进了他们的帐篷。
"I've been looking for you all morning," he said, as he led the boy outside.
“我找了你整整一个上午。”英国人一边说，一边把男孩拉出帐篷，
"I need you to help me find out where the alchemist lives."
“我需要你帮我找那个炼金术士的住处。”
First, they tried to find him on their own.
一开始，他们想凭自己的力量去找。
An alchemist would probably live in a manner that was different from that of the rest of the people at the oasis,
炼金术士的生活方式应该与绿洲里的其他居民不同。
and it was likely that in his tent an oven was continuously burning.
在他的帐篷里，很可能会有一只熊熊燃烧的火炉。
They searched everywhere, and found that the oasis was much larger than they could have imagined; there were hundreds of tents.
他们走了很多地方，到最后不得不承认，绿洲比他们想象中要大得多，足以支好几百顶帐篷。
"We've wasted almost the entire day," said the Englishman, sitting down with the boy near one of the wells.
“我们差不多浪费了一整天。”英国人说着，同男孩在一口水井旁坐下。
"Maybe we'd better ask someone," the boy suggested.
“也许，最好的办法是找人打听一下。”男孩说。
The Englishman didn't want to tell others about his reasons for being at the oasis, and couldn't make up his mind.
英国人不想让别人知道他来绿洲的目的，所以犹豫了半天，
But, finally, he agreed that the boy, who spoke better Arabic than he, should do so.
不过，最后他还是同意了。他让男孩去打听，因为男孩的阿拉伯语讲得比他好。
The boy approached a woman who had come to the well to fill a goatskin with water.
于是，圣地亚哥便向一个正在井边用羊皮水襄取水的妇女打听。
"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm trying to find out where the alchemist lives here at the oasis."
“下午好，太太。您能告诉我绿洲里的那位炼金术士住在哪儿吗？”男孩问。
The woman said she had never heard of such a person, and hurried away.
那女人声称自己从未听说过什么炼金术士，说完拔腿就走。
But before she fled, she advised the boy that he had better not try to converse with women who were dressed in black, because they were married women.
临走之前，她告诫男孩不要与穿黑衣的女人说话，因为她们都是已婚女人。
He should respect tradition.
他必须尊重当地的风俗。
The Englishman was disappointed. It seemed he had made the long journey for nothing.
英国人大失所望，生怕他这趟旅行一无所获。
The boy was also saddened; his friend was in pursuit of his personal legend.
男孩也很难过，毕竟他这位同伴也在追寻自己的天命。
And, when someone was in such pursuit, the entire universe made an effort to help him succeed—that's what the old king had said.
撒冷王说过，当一个人在追寻自己的天命时，整个宇宙都会合力助他实现愿望。
He couldn't have been wrong.
老国王的话不会有错。
