The Goblin of Adachigahara

Long, long ago there was a large plain called Adachigahara, in the province of Mutsu in Japan. This place was said to be haunted by a cannibal goblin who took the form of an old woman. From time to time many travelers disappeared and were never heard of more, and the old women round the charcoal braziers in the evenings, and the girls washing the household rice at the wells in the mornings, whispered dreadful stories of how the missing folk had been lured to the goblin’s cottage and devoured, for the goblin lived only on human flesh.

很久很久以前，在日本陆奥国，有一片名叫安达原的大平原。据说这个地方闹鬼，有一个化身为老妇人的食人妖怪常年出没于此。时常有旅人在此失踪，从此杳无音讯，晚上围坐在炭火盆边的老妇人们，还有清晨在井边淘米的姑娘们，都低声流传着可怕的传闻，说那些失踪的人是被引诱到了妖怪的小屋，被吃掉了，因为这个妖怪只以人肉为食。

No one dared to venture near the haunted spot after sunset, and all those who could, avoided it in the daytime, and travelers were warned of the dreaded place.

日落之后，没有人敢靠近这片闹鬼的地方，凡是能避开的人，白天也都绕道而行，旅人们也都被告诫要提防这个可怕的地方。

One day as the sun was setting, a priest came to the plain. He was a belated traveler, and his robe showed that he was a Buddhist pilgrim walking from shrine to shrine to pray for some blessing or to crave for forgiveness of sins. He had apparently lost his way, and as it was late he met no one who could show him the road or warn him of the haunted spot.

有一天，太阳快要落山的时候，一个僧人来到了这片平原。他是个赶路晚了的旅人，从他的僧袍可以看出，他是个佛教香客，正四处朝拜各座神社佛寺，为的是祈求某种福佑，或是恳求赦免罪孽。他显然迷了路，加上天色已晚，路上遇不到任何人给他指路，也没人警告他这片闹鬼之地。

He had walked the whole day and was now tired and hungry, and the evenings were chilly, for it was late autumn, and he began to be very anxious to find some house where he could obtain a night’s lodging. He found himself lost in the midst of the large plain, and looked about in vain for some sign of human habitation.

他已经走了一整天，此刻又累又饿，夜里天气寒冷，因为已是深秋时节，他开始十分焦急地想找一处能借宿一晚的人家。他发觉自己迷失在这片辽阔的平原正中，四下张望，却怎么也找不到有人烟的迹象。

At last, after wandering about for some hours, he saw a clump of trees in the distance, and through the trees he caught sight of the glimmer of a single ray of light. He exclaimed with joy:

终于，在游荡了好几个钟头之后，他看见远处有一丛树木，透过树影，他瞥见了一道微弱的灯光。他不禁欣喜地喊道：

“Oh. surely that is some cottage where I can get a night’s lodging!”

“哦，那儿一定有间小屋，我可以在那里借宿一晚！”

Keeping the light before his eyes he dragged his weary, aching feet as quickly as he could towards the spot, and soon came to a miserable-looking little cottage. As he drew near he saw that it was in a tumble-down condition, the bamboo fence was broken and weeds and grass pushed their way through the gaps. The paper screens which serve as windows and doors in Japan were full of holes, and the posts of the house were bent with age and seemed scarcely able to support the old thatched roof. The hut was open, and by the light of an old lantern an old woman sat industriously spinning.

他的目光死死盯着那点亮光，拖着又酸又累的双脚，尽快朝那个方向走去，不久便来到一间破败不堪的小屋跟前。他走近一看，只见这屋子已经东倒西歪，竹篱笆也断裂了，杂草野草从缝隙间钻了出来。日本人家用作窗户和门的纸屏风上满是破洞，房子的柱子也因年久而弯曲了，看上去几乎撑不住那顶陈旧的茅草屋顶。屋门是敞开的，借着一盏旧灯笼的光亮，一位老妇人正勤快地纺着线。

The pilgrim called to her across the bamboo fence and said:

这位香客隔着竹篱笆朝她喊道：

“O Baa San (old woman), good evening! I am a traveler! Please excuse me, but I have lost my way and do not know what to do, for I have nowhere to rest to-night. I beg you to be good enough to let me spend the night under your roof.”

“婆婆，晚上好！我是个赶路的旅人！请您原谅，我迷了路，不知该怎么办才好，因为今晚我无处安身。恳求您行行好，容我在您的屋檐下过一夜。”

The old woman as soon as she heard herself spoken to stopped spinning, rose from her seat and approached the intruder.

老妇人一听有人跟她说话，便停下手中的纺线活儿，从座位上站起身来，走近这位不速之客。

“I am very sorry for you. You must indeed be distressed to have lost your way in such a lonely spot so late at night. Unfortunately I cannot put you up, for I have no bed to offer you, and no accommodation whatsoever for a guest in this poor place!”

“真是难为你了。这么晚了，又迷失在这样一处荒僻的地方，你想必十分为难吧。可惜我这里没法留你过夜，因为我没有床铺可以给你睡，这寒酸的地方实在没什么招待客人的条件！”

“Oh, that does not matter,” said the priest; “all I want is a shelter under some roof for the night, and if you will be good enough just to let me lie on the kitchen floor I shall be grateful. I am too tired to walk further to-night, so I hope you will not refuse me, otherwise I shall have to sleep out on the cold plain.” And in this way he pressed the old woman to let him stay.

“哦，那没关系，”僧人说道，“我只求有个屋顶能遮风避雨过一夜，您若肯让我在厨房的地板上躺一躺，我就感激不尽了。今晚我实在太累了，走不动了，还望您别拒绝我，不然我今晚就只能露宿在这寒冷的荒原上了。”他就这样恳切地央求老妇人让他留下。

She seemed very reluctant, but at last she said:

老妇人似乎颇为为难，可最终还是说道：

“Very well, I will let you stay here. I can offer you a very poor welcome only, but come in now and I will make a fire, for the night is cold.”

“好吧，我就让你留下来。我只能怠慢你了，不过你先进来吧，我这就生个火，夜里冷得很。”

The pilgrim was only too glad to do as he was told. He took off his sandals and entered the hut. The old woman then brought some sticks of wood and lit the fire, and bade her guest draw near and warm himself.

僧人巴不得能照她说的做。他脱下草鞋，走进了小屋。老妇人随后拿来几根柴火，生起了火，招呼客人靠近取暖。

“You must be hungry after your long tramp,” said the old woman. “I will go and cook some supper for you.” She then went to the kitchen to cook some rice.

“你走了这么远的路，想必饿坏了吧，”老妇人说道。“我这就去给你煮点晚饭。”说完便到厨房去煮米饭了。

After the priest had finished his supper the old woman sat down by the fire-place, and they talked together for a long time. The pilgrim thought to himself that he had been very lucky to come across such a kind, hospitable old woman. At last the wood gave out, and as the fire died slowly down he began to shiver with cold just as he had done when he arrived.

僧人吃完晚饭之后，老妇人便坐在炉火旁，两人聊了很久。这位香客心想，自己何等幸运，竟遇上了这样一位善良好客的老妇人。终于，柴火用尽了，炉火渐渐熄灭，他又像刚到时那样开始瑟瑟发抖。

“I see you are cold,” said the old woman; “I will go out and gather some wood, for we have used it all. You must stay and take care of the house while I am gone.”

“我看你冷了，”老妇人说道，“我出去捡些柴火来，我们的柴都用完了。我不在的时候，你就留下来看看家。”

“No, no,” said the pilgrim, “let me go instead, for you are old, and I cannot think of letting you go out to get wood for me this cold night!”

“不，不，”僧人说道，“还是让我去吧，您年纪大了，这么冷的夜里，我可不忍心让您为我出去捡柴火！”

The old woman shook her head and said:

老妇人摇了摇头，说道：

“You must stay quietly here, for you are my guest.” Then she left him and went out.

“你只管安静地待在这儿，因为你是我的客人。”说完便离开屋子，出去了。

In a minute she came back and said:

不一会儿她又回来了，说道：

“You must sit where you are and not move, and whatever happens don’t go near or look into the inner room. Now mind what I tell you!”

“你就坐在原地，不要乱动，不管发生什么事，都不要靠近或是往里屋看。你可要牢牢记住我这句话！”

“If you tell me not to go near the back room, of course I won’t,” said the priest, rather bewildered.

“既然您嘱咐我不要靠近里屋，那我自然是不会去的，”僧人说道，心里颇有些疑惑不解。

The old woman then went out again, and the priest was left alone. The fire had died out, and the only light in the hut was that of a dim lantern. For the first time that night he began to feel that he was in a weird place, and the old woman’s words, “Whatever you do don’t peep into the back room,” aroused his curiosity and his fear.

老妇人说完便又出去了，僧人独自留在屋里。炉火已经熄灭，屋里唯一的光亮只剩下一盏昏暗的灯笼。这天晚上，他第一次感觉自己身处一个诡异的地方，老妇人那句“不管你做什么，都别偷看里屋”的话，勾起了他的好奇心，也勾起了他的恐惧。

What hidden thing could be in that room that she did not wish him to see? For some time the remembrance of his promise to the old woman kept him still, but at last he could no longer resist his curiosity to peep into the forbidden place.

那间屋子里究竟藏着什么，让她不愿意让他看见呢？有那么一段时间，想起自己对老妇人的承诺，他还能按捺住性子；可终究，他再也抵挡不住偷看那禁地的好奇心了。

He got up and began to move slowly towards the back room. Then the thought that the old woman would be very angry with him if he disobeyed her made him come back to his place by the fireside.

他站起身来，开始慢慢朝里屋走去。可一想到自己若是违背了老妇人的嘱咐，她一定会大发雷霆，他便又退回到炉火旁自己原来的位置上。

As the minutes went slowly by and the old woman did not return, he began to feel more and more frightened, and to wonder what dreadful secret was in the room behind him. He must find out.

时间一分一秒地过去，老妇人始终没有回来，他越来越感到害怕，越来越好奇，究竟是什么可怕的秘密藏在他身后的那间屋子里。他非得弄个明白不可。

“She will not know that I have looked unless I tell her. I will just have a peep before she comes back,” said the man to himself.

“只要我不告诉她，她就不会知道我看过了。趁她还没回来，我就偷偷看一眼吧，”这个人心里这样对自己说道。

With these words he got up on his feet (for he had been sitting all this time in Japanese fashion with his feet under him) and stealthily crept towards the forbidden spot. With trembling hands he pushed back the sliding door and looked in.

说完这话，他便站了起来（因为他一直是照日本人的坐法，跪坐在自己的脚上）悄悄地朝那处禁地爬了过去。他用颤抖的双手推开了拉门，朝里面望去。

What he saw froze the blood in his veins. The room was full of dead men’s bones and the walls were splashed and the floor was covered with human blood. In one corner skull upon skull rose to the ceiling, in another was a heap of arm bones, in another a heap of leg bones. The sickening smell made him faint.

他所看到的景象，让他血液都凝固了。屋子里堆满了死人的骸骨，墙上溅满了血迹，地板上也覆盖着一层人血。屋子的一个角落里，一具具头骨堆叠到了天花板那么高，另一个角落里堆着一堆手臂骨，再一个角落里堆着一堆腿骨。那股令人作呕的气味，几乎让他晕厥过去。

He fell backwards with horror, and for some time lay in a heap with fright on the floor, a pitiful sight. He trembled all over and his teeth chattered, and he could hardly crawl away from the dreadful spot.

他惊恐地向后跌倒，好一阵子瘫在地上，缩成一团，那模样十分可怜。他浑身发抖，牙齿也咯咯打颤，几乎无法从这可怕的地方爬开。

“How horrible!” he cried out. “What awful den have I come to in my travels? May Buddha help me or I am lost. Is it possible that that kind old woman is really the cannibal goblin? When she comes back she will show herself in her true character and eat me up at one mouthful!”

“太可怕了！”他喊道。“我这一路究竟走进了怎样一个可怕的巢穴？愿佛祖保佑我，不然我就要没命了。难道那位善良的老妇人，竟真的是那个食人的妖怪不成？等她回来，她一定会露出真面目，一口就把我吃掉！”

With these words his strength came back to him and, snatching up his hat and staff, he rushed out of the house as fast as his legs could carry him. Out into the night he ran, his one thought to get as far as he could from the goblin’s haunt. He had not gone far when he heard steps behind him and a voice crying: “Stop! stop!”

说完这话，他浑身又恢复了力气，一把抓起自己的斗笠和拐杖，拼命地跑出了屋子。他冲进了夜色之中，一心只想尽快远离这妖怪出没的地方。他还没跑出多远，就听见身后传来脚步声，还有一个声音喊道：“站住！站住！”

He ran on, redoubling his speed, pretending not to hear. As he ran he heard the steps behind him come nearer and nearer, and at last he recognized the old woman’s voice which grew louder and louder as she came nearer.

他继续跑着，脚步越来越快，装作没有听见。他跑着跑着，只觉身后的脚步声越来越近，最后他终于认出，那是老妇人的声音，随着她越靠越近，声音也越来越响。

“Stop! stop, you wicked man, why did you look into the forbidden room?”

“站住！站住，你这可恶的人，你为什么要偷看那间禁地？”

The priest quite forgot how tired he was and his feet flew over the ground faster than ever. Fear gave him strength, for he knew that if the goblin caught him he would soon be one of her victims. With all his heart he repeated the prayer to Buddha:

僧人早已把自己的疲惫抛到了九霄云外，双脚在地上飞奔得比先前更快。恐惧给了他力量，因为他知道，一旦被这妖怪追上，自己很快就会成为她的猎物之一。他心中一遍又一遍地念诵着对佛祖的祈祷：

“Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu.”

“南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛。”

And after him rushed the dreadful old hag, her hair flying in the wind, and her face changing with rage into the demon that she was. In her hand she carried a large blood-stained knife, and she still shrieked after him, “Stop! stop!”

那可怕的老妖婆在他身后紧追不舍，头发在风中飞扬，脸上也随着愤怒渐渐显出了她本来那副妖魔的模样。她手中握着一把沾满血迹的大刀，仍旧尖声嘶喊着追在他身后：“站住！站住！”

At last, when the priest felt he could run no more, the dawn broke, and with the darkness of night the goblin vanished and he was safe. The priest now knew that he had met the Goblin of Adachigahara, the story of whom he had often heard but never believed to be true. He felt that he owed his wonderful escape to the protection of Buddha to whom he had prayed for help, so he took out his rosary and bowing his head as the sun rose he said his prayers and made his thanksgiving earnestly. He then set forward for another part of the country, only too glad to leave the haunted plain behind him.

终于，就在这位僧人感到自己再也跑不动的时候，天边破晓了，随着夜色的消退，那妖怪也随之消失，他这才安然脱险。这位僧人这时才明白，自己方才遇上的正是安达原的妖怪，这个故事他早有耳闻，却从未相信是真的。他觉得自己这番奇迹般的脱险，全是仰仗佛祖的庇佑，因为他曾向佛祖祈求过救助，于是他取出念珠，在旭日升起之际低下头虔诚地祷告、诚心地感恩。随后他便动身前往这个国度的另一处地方，只盼着能尽快把这片闹鬼的平原甩在身后。