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It was Christmas time in Camelot and King Arthur was throwing a party.
这是卡米洛特的圣诞节，亚瑟王在城堡开派对。
The entire court was invited -- save the wicked sorceress Morgan le Fay -- and food and drink flowed freely.
除了邪恶的女巫摩根勒菲之外，全宫廷的人都被邀请，自由畅饮和进食。
But in the midst of the revelry, the castle doors split open.
但狂欢之际，城堡的门突然敞开。
A towering knight riding an emerald steed burst into the room, stunning the court into silence.
一位骑着翡翠骏马的骑士冲进房间
Then, in a deep bellowing voice, he proposed a game.
宫廷陷入沉默，接着，他提议玩一个游戏。
The Green Knight declared he would allow the bravest warrior present to attack him with his own axe.
绿衣骑士宣布，他将允许在场最勇敢的战士用他自己的斧头攻击他。
If they could strike him down, they would win his powerful weapon.
如果能打倒他，那位战士可以赢得他的斧头。
However, the knight would be allowed to return that blow in one year and one day.
但是，绿衣骑士会在一年零一天后还击。
Arthur and his knights were baffled. No man could survive such a strike.
亚瑟和他的骑士们十分困惑。没有人能从这样的袭击中存活下来。
The Green Knight began to mock their leader's hesitance, and Arthur stood to defend his honor.
绿衣骑士嘲笑亚瑟的犹豫不决，于是亚瑟站起来捍卫他的荣誉。
But as soon as he gripped the axe, another leapt to take his place.
但当他抓住斧头时，另一个人跳起来取代了他的位置。
Arthur's nephew, Sir Gawain, took the weapon instead. And with one swift strike, he beheaded the grinning knight.
亚瑟的侄子加文爵士拿起了的武器。他迅速一击，砍掉了绿衣骑士的头。
But the moment his skull met the ground, it began to laugh. The Green Knight collected his head and mounted his horse.
绿衣骑士的脑袋落地时大笑起来。他捡起自己的头颅，骑上了马。
As he rode off, his severed head reminded Gawain of their contract and told him to seek the Green Chapel one year hence.
当他骑马离开时，他被砍下的头颅提醒了加文他们之间的约定，并告诉他一年后去寻找绿色教堂。
In the months that followed, Gawain tried to forget this bizarre vision.
接下来的几个月里，加文试图忘记那奇怪的经历。
But despite the strangeness of the knight's game, he was determined to act honorably.
尽管绿衣骑士的游戏很奇怪，加文还是决定遵守诺言。
When the following winter approached, he set out -- enduring foul weather and beastly encounters in his quest to find the mysterious Green Chapel.
第二年的冬天，他出发了，忍受着恶劣的天气和遭遇，去寻找神秘的绿色教堂。
Finally, on Christmas Eve, he saw a shimmering castle on the horizon.
最终，在平安夜，他来到了一座闪闪发光的城堡。
The castle's lord and lady were thrilled to help such an honorable guest, and informed him that the Green Chapel was only a short ride away.
城堡的勋爵夫妇很高兴可以帮助加文这样尊贵的客人，并告诉他绿色教堂离城堡很近。
They implored Gawain to rest at their home until his meeting with the Green Knight.
他们恳求加文在与绿衣骑士会面之前留在城堡休息。
Thrilled at this news, Gawain happily accepted their offer.
加文也高兴地接受了他们的好意。
However, in exchange for their hospitality, the lord made a strange request.
然而，作为对他们热情好客的交换，勋爵提出了一个奇怪的要求。
Over the next three days, he would go hunting and share his spoils every night.
接下来的三天里，他会与加文分享打猎的战利品。
In return, Gawain must give him whatever he'd gained during his day at the castle.
作为回报，加文必须给他在城堡里得到的一切。
At first, Gawain was perplexed by these strange terms.
起初，加文对这奇怪的条件感到十分不解。
But the lord's meaning became quite clear the next day, when his wife tried to seduce Gawain.
但当勋爵夫人试图勾引加文时，他明白了勋爵的意思。
To rebuff the lady's advances without offending her honor,
为了委婉的拒绝她的追求，
Gawain allowed one kiss -- which he then passed on to her husband in exchange for a slain dear.
加文允许夫人吻他一下，当晚，加文把这个吻给了勋爵，换取了一头鹿。
The next day, Gawain allowed two kisses, which he gave to the lord for a dead boar.
第二天，加文得到了两个吻，用来和勋爵换取一头野猪。
But on the third day, the lady offered more than just three kisses.
但在第三天，这位女士给出的不再是三个吻。
She presented a magical sash that would protect Gawain from the Green Knight's blade.
勋爵夫人给了加文一条魔法腰带，可以保护他免受绿衣骑士的攻击。
Gawain accepted immediately, but that evening, when the lord returned, the knight offered only three kisses with no mention of his enchanted gift.
加文立即接受了这份礼物，但当晚上勋爵返回后，他只亲吻了勋爵三下，并没有提到那条魔法腰带。
The next morning, Gawain rode out to the Green Chapel -- a simple mound of earth where the Green Knight ominously sharpened an axe.
第二天早上，加文来到绿色教堂--一处简陋的土堆，绿衣骑士在这里磨着斧头。
With the sash's protection, Gawain approached stoically -- determined to honor his agreement.
在腰带的保护下，加文走向前，决心履行自己的协议。
He bowed his head for the deadly blow, and with a massive swing, the Green Knight cut Gawain's neck -- inflicting nothing more than a flesh wound.
他低下头等待致命的一击，绿衣骑士挥舞着巨大的刀剑，斩向加文的脖子，只造成了一道伤痕。
Once more, Gawain was bewildered. Why hadn't the sash protected him? And why hadn't the knight killed him?
加文再次震惊了。为什么腰带没有保护自己？为什么绿衣骑士没有杀死自己？
Bursting into laughter, the Green Knight revealed himself to be the castle's lord,
绿衣骑士大笑起来，表示自己就是那位勋爵，
and he'd been working with Morgan Le Fay to test the honor and bravery of Arthur's knights.
他与摩根勒菲一起，想测试亚瑟骑士们的荣誉和英勇。
He was impressed with Gawain's behavior, and he'd planned to spare his neck entirely -- until Gawain concealed the sash.
他很赞赏加文的表现，他本来打算完全不伤害加文，直到他把腰带藏起来。
Filled with shame, Gawain returned to Camelot. But to his surprise, his companions absolved him of blame and celebrated his valor.
加文羞愧地回到了卡米洛特。但令他惊讶的是，他的同伴们并没有责怪他，而是赞扬了他的英勇。
Struggling to understand this strange journey, it seemed to Gawain that perhaps the whole world was playing a game
加文无法理解这段奇怪的旅程，他想，也许整个世界正如一场戏，
with rules more wild and bewildering than any man could understand.
而游戏的规则疯狂、混乱到无人能理解。
