天下第一洞/张孝成(赵金基译）

程思良

天下第一洞/张孝成
　　
　　不知道从哪年哪月，偌大的山林成了猴子们的王国。
　　第一代猴王住在一个山洞里，不用说，这个洞就成了山林中最神圣的地方。
　　“大王，山林中山洞无数，陛下是山林之主，住的洞绝对要有别于其它的洞才是。”疤脸猴宰相进言道。
　　“此话怎讲？”猴王捻须而笑。
　　“依微臣之见，大王的山洞就叫天下第一洞如何？”
　　“好！就按你说的办。”猴王大笑。
　　第二天，猴王的洞府前就树起了大石碑，碑上刻有几个遒劲的大字：天下第一洞。
　　猴王老了，没多久就退位了。
　　新猴王上任后的第一件事就是把自己住的洞封为天下第一洞。并且在洞府前立石刻碑：天下第一洞。
　　至于前任老猴王洞前的碑嘛，当然不好砸掉了。
　　后来的猴王纷纷仿效……
　　好多年好多年过去了。猴王国的一切都被埋没在岁月的风霜里。
　　再后来，当人类看到这种现象时，不禁疑虑重重：第一是唯一的，怎么到处都是天下第一洞？
　　
　　FIRST CAVERN ON EARTH
　　
　　By Zhang Xiaocheng
　　
　　No one knows when monkeys got to reign over mountains and forests.
　　The first Monkey King lived in a cavern, which, needless to say, was the holiest place of mountains and forests.
　　“Your Majesty, there are countless caverns in mountains and forests; since you are King, the cavern you live in should be absolutely different from any other.” One scar-faced monkey suggested.
　　“What do you mean by that?” Twisting his beard, Monkey King asked smilingly.
　　“In my view, yours should be named First Cavern on Earth. What do you say, Your Majesty?”
　　“Good! Just do as you say it.” Monkey King laughed.
　　The following day saw a huge stele rising in front of Monkey King’s cavern, with large characters firmly carved: FIRST CAVERN ON EARTH.
　　Monkey King grew aged and had to give up his throne before long.
　　The foremost business for the new Monkey King who came to the throne was to confer a title to his cavern. Similarly a stele would be erected: FIRST CAVERN ON EARTH.
　　The stele in front of the cavern of former old Monkey King was certainly conserved where it used to be.
　　Succeeding Monkey Kings followed suit.
　　Generations after generations have passed. Everything in monkeys’ kingdom has been disappearing into winds and frosts of Time.
　　As time goes on, men can’t help wondering about this: “The first should have been the only one; how come there has been FIRST CAVERN ON EARTH everywhere?”
　　

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