Odin's Reward

One night when all was quiet in Asgard and the Aesir had gone to rest, Odin, the Allfather, sat awake on his high throne, troubled with many thoughts. At his feet crouched his two faithful wolves, and upon his shoulders perched the two ravens of thought and memory, who flew far abroad every day, through the nine worlds, as Odin's messengers.

一天夜里，阿斯加德一片静谧，众阿萨神都已安歇，唯有众神之父奥丁独自坐在他那高高的王座上，未曾入睡，心事重重。他脚边蹲伏着两只忠心耿耿的狼，肩头则栖着那两只象征思维与记忆的乌鸦，它们每日都要飞遍九大世界，充当奥丁的信使。

The Allfather had need of great wisdom in ruling the worlds; after thinking a long time on the matters which needed his care, he suddenly started up, and went forth with long strides from his palace of Gladsheim into the night. He soon returned, leading his beautiful, eight-footed steed, Sleipnir, and it was plain that Odin was going on a journey. He quickly mounted Sleipnir, and rode swiftly away toward Bifröst, the rainbow bridge, which reached from Asgard, the city of the gods, down through the air to the lower worlds.

众神之父要治理这诸多世界，实在需要莫大的智慧；他久久思索着诸般需要操心的大事，忽然一跃而起，迈着大步走出格拉德斯海姆宫殿，走进了夜色之中。不一会儿，他便牵着自己那匹俊美的八足神驹斯莱普尼尔回来了，看样子奥丁是要出门远行。他迅速跨上斯莱普尼尔，疾驰而去，直奔比夫罗斯特——那座连接众神之城阿斯加德与下界诸国的彩虹桥。

When Sleipnir stepped upon the bridge it trembled, and seemed hardly strong enough to bear the horse and his rider; but they had no fear of its giving way, and Sleipnir galloped swiftly onward.

斯莱普尼尔一踏上桥面，桥身便微微颤动起来，看似难以承受这匹骏马与骑士的重量；不过他们并不担心桥会塌陷，斯莱普尼尔只管疾驰向前。

Soon Odin saw Heimdall, the watchman of the bridge, riding toward him on a fine horse, with a golden mane that reflected light upon the noble face of his rider.

不一会儿，奥丁便望见桥的守护者海姆达尔正骑着一匹骏马朝他迎面而来，那马的金色鬃毛映照着骑士那张高贵的脸庞，熠熠生辉。

"You must be bound on some important errand, Father Odin, to be riding forth from Asgard so late at night," said Heimdall.

“奥丁父神啊，您深夜出行，想必是身负什么要紧的差事吧，”海姆达尔说道。

"It is indeed a most important errand, and I must hasten on," replied Odin. "It is well for us that we have such a faithful guardian of the 'trembling bridge'; if it were not for you, Heimdall, our enemies might long ago have taken Asgard by storm. You are so watchful, you can hear the grass grow in the fields, and the wool gather on the backs of the sheep, and you need less sleep than a bird. I myself stand in great need of wisdom, in order to take care of such faithful servants, and to drive back such wicked enemies!"

“确实是件极为要紧的差事，我得赶紧上路了，”奥丁答道。“幸亏我们有你这样忠心耿耿的‘颤桥’守护者；海姆达尔啊，若不是有你在，我们的敌人恐怕早就攻破阿斯加德了。你警觉得很，连田野里的草长高、羊背上的羊毛聚拢的声响，你都能听得见，你需要的睡眠比一只鸟还要少。而我自己呢，正急需智慧，才能好好照顾这样忠心的臣仆，抵御这样凶恶的敌人！”

They hurried over the bridge until they came to Heimdall's far-shining castle, at the farther end of it. This was a lofty tower which was placed so as to guard the bridge, and it sent forth into the land of the giant enemies such a wonderful, clear light, that Heimdall could see, even in the darkest night, any one who came toward the bridge. Here Odin stopped a few moments to drink the mead which the good Heimdall offered him.

他们匆匆越过大桥，来到海姆达尔那座远远闪耀着光芒的城堡，那城堡就矗立在桥的另一端。这是一座高耸的塔楼，专为守护这座大桥而建，它向巨人敌人所居住的国度射出一道奇妙而清澈的光芒，即便在最漆黑的夜里，海姆达尔也能看见任何朝大桥走来的人。奥丁在这儿停留了片刻，喝了几口善良的海姆达尔敬上的蜜酒。

Then said Odin, "As I am journeying into the land of our enemies, I shall leave my good horse with you; there are not many with whom I would trust him, but I know that you, my faithful Heimdall, will take good care of him. I can best hide myself from the giants by going on as a wanderer."

随后奥丁说道：“既然我要前往我们敌人所在的国度，我便把我这匹良驹留在你这儿吧；能托付它的人本就不多，可我知道你，我忠实的海姆达尔，一定会好好照料它的。我要装扮成一个流浪汉，这样才能最好地躲开巨人们的耳目。”

With these words the Allfather quitted Heimdall's castle, and started off toward the north, through the land of the fierce giants.

说完这番话，众神之父便离开了海姆达尔的城堡，动身向北，踏入了那片凶猛巨人所居住的国度。

During all the first day there was nothing to be seen but ice and snow; several times Odin was nearly crushed as the frost giants hurled huge blocks of ice after him.

第一天，他一路上除了冰雪，什么也看不见；好几次，霜巨人朝他掷来巨大的冰块，他都险些被砸中。

The second day he came to mountains and broad rivers. Often when he had just crossed over a stream, the mountain giants would come after him to the other bank, and when they found that Odin had escaped them, they would send forth such a fierce yell, that the echoes sounded from hill to hill.

第二天，他来到了群山和宽阔的河流之间。他刚刚渡过一条河流，山中巨人便常常追到对岸，等他们发现奥丁已经逃脱，便会发出一阵凶猛的怒吼，回声在山峦之间此起彼伏地回荡。

At the end of the third day, Odin came to a land where trees were green and flowers blooming. Here was one of the three fountains which watered the world tree, Yggdrasil, and near by sat the wise giant, Mimir, guarding the waters of this wonderful fountain, for whoever drank of it would have the gift of great wisdom.

到了第三天将尽的时候，奥丁来到了一片草木青翠、繁花盛开的土地。这里正是滋养世界之树尤克特拉希尔的三口泉眼之一，泉水旁坐着那位智慧的巨人密米尔，正守护着这奇妙泉水，因为凡是饮过此泉之水的人，都能获得无上的智慧。

Mimir was a giant in size, but he was not one of the fierce giant enemies of the gods, for he was kind, and wiser than the wisest.

密米尔虽是个巨人，身材魁梧，却并非那些凶恶的神族之敌，因为他心地善良，比最有智慧的人还要有智慧。

Mimir's well of wisdom was in the midst of a wonderful valley, filled with rare plants and bright flowers, and among the groves of beautiful trees were strange creatures, sleeping dragons, harmless serpents, and lizards, while birds with gay plumage flew and sang among the branches. Over all this quiet valley shone a lovely soft light, different from sunlight, and in the center grew one of the roots of the great world tree. Here the wise giant Mimir sat gazing down into his well.

密米尔的智慧之泉坐落在一处奇妙的山谷正中央，谷中长满了珍奇的植物和鲜艳的花朵，在那片美丽的树林之间，还栖息着一些奇异的生灵——沉睡的巨龙、无害的蛇类和蜥蜴，色彩斑斓的鸟儿则在枝头飞翔歌唱。这整片静谧的山谷之上，笼罩着一片柔和可爱的光芒，与阳光截然不同，谷中央生长着那棵巨大世界之树的一条根须。智慧的巨人密米尔便坐在这里，凝望着他的泉水。

Odin greeted the kind old giant, and said, "Oh, Mimir, I have come from far-away Asgard to ask a great boon!"

奥丁向这位和善的老巨人问好，说道：“哦，密米尔，我从遥远的阿斯加德赶来，是想向你求一件大恩惠！”

"Gladly will I help you if it is in my power," said Mimir.

“只要是我力所能及的，我一定乐意帮你，”密米尔说道。

"You know," replied Odin, "that as father of gods and men I need great wisdom, and I have come to beg for one drink of your precious water of knowledge. Trouble threatens us, even from one of the Aesir, for Loki, the fire-god, has lately been visiting the giants, and I fear he has been learning evil ways from them. The frost giants and the storm giants are always at work, trying to overthrow both gods and men; great is my need of wisdom, and even though no one ever before has dared ask so great a gift, I hope that since you know how deep is my trouble, you will grant my request."

“你知道，”奥丁答道，“我身为众神与人类之父，正需要莫大的智慧，我特来恳求你，让我饮一口你那珍贵的智慧之泉水。危险正威胁着我们，甚至连阿萨神族里也出了乱子，因为火神洛基近来一直在拜访巨人们，我担心他正在从他们那儿学些邪恶的伎俩。霜巨人和风暴巨人们一直图谋着要颠覆神族与人类；我实在急需智慧，虽说从来没有人敢求这么大的恩惠，但我希望，既然你知道我的忧患有多深重，你会答应我这个请求。”

Mimir sat silently, thinking for several moments, and then said, "You ask a great thing, indeed, Father Odin; are you ready to pay the price which I must demand?"

密米尔静静地坐着，沉思了好一会儿，随后说道：“你求的可真是件了不起的大事啊，奥丁父神；你准备好付出我必定要索取的代价了吗？”

"Yes," said Odin, cheerfully, "I will give you all the gold and silver of Asgard, and all the jeweled shields and swords of the Aesir. More than all, I will give up my eight-footed horse Sleipnir, if that is needed to win the reward."

“是的，”奥丁欣然说道，“我愿把阿斯加德所有的金银，还有阿萨众神所有镶嵌着宝石的盾牌和剑，统统送给你。不仅如此，倘若这是赢得这份恩惠所必需的，我甚至愿意舍弃我那八足神驹斯莱普尼尔。”

"And do you suppose that these things will buy wisdom?" said Mimir. "That can be gained only by bearing bravely, and giving up to others. Are you willing to give me a part of yourself? Will you give up one of your own eyes?"

“你以为这些东西就能买来智慧吗？”密米尔说道。“智慧只能通过勇敢承受、舍己为人才能获得。你愿意献出你自身的一部分吗？你愿意舍弃你的一只眼睛吗？”

At this Odin looked very sad; but after a few moments of deep thought, he looked up with a bright smile, and answered, "Yes, I will even give you one of my eyes, and I will suffer whatever else is asked, in order to gain the wisdom that I need!"

听到这话，奥丁面露十分哀伤的神色；可他沉思了片刻之后，抬起头来，脸上露出灿烂的笑容，答道：“好，我愿意献出我的一只眼睛，无论还要我承受什么，我都愿意忍受，只求能获得我所需要的智慧！”

We cannot know all that Odin bravely suffered in that strange, bright valley, before he was rewarded with a drink from that wonderful fountain; but we may be quite sure that never once was the good Allfather sorry for anything he had given up, or any suffering he had borne, for the sake of others.

我们无从得知，奥丁在那片奇异而明亮的山谷中，究竟勇敢地承受了怎样的苦难，才终于得到那泉水的一饮作为回报；但我们完全可以确信，这位善良的众神之父，从未为了他人的缘故所舍弃的一切，或所承受的一切苦难，感到过一丝一毫的懊悔。