哀怨的養女湖
Sad Yangnu Lake
據說在很久以前 , 在今天的高雄市燕巢區金山里 , 有一位叫蓮妹的女孩 , 因為家境貧困 , 從小就被賣給村裡的張員外當養女 . It is said that a long time ago, in what is now Jinshan Village, in Kaohsiung's Yanchao District, there was a girl named Lienmei. Because her family was poor, she was sold as a child to an official by the name of Zhang, who lived in the same village, to be his adopted daughter.
然而 , 張員外並沒有把蓮妹當親生女兒看待 , 整天支使她做僕人的工作 . 蓮妹知道自己的身分 , 總是逆來順受 , 從不抗拒或埋怨 . The official Zhang, however, didn't treat Lienmei like a daughter, but rather kept her busy with servants' work all day long. Lienmei knew her place, and always obeyed him in this without resisting or complaining.
張員外有一位獨生子 , 小名叫阿寶 , 他仗著父親有錢有勢 , 不僅揮霍無度 , 還時常欺壓善良的村民 , 所以除了他的狐群狗黨外 , 大家對他都避之唯恐不及 . The official Zhang had only one son, whose name was Abao. He was well aware of his father's wealth and power. He not only spent money extravagantly, but also oppressed the kind hearted villagers. Aside from the members of his gang, everyone else avoided him.
有一天 , 阿寶經過溪邊 , 看到蓮妹在洗衣 , 他覺得蓮妹美得像仙女下凡一般 , 竟起了非分之想 , 走過去 , 嘻皮笑臉的說 : "我的小美人兒 , 妳每天這麼辛苦的工作 , 不如嫁給我 , 做個少奶奶吧 !" One day Abao was walking along the river and saw Lienmei washing clothes. He thought that she was as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven, and just then a strange thought occurred to him. He walked over and said with a smile: "Lovely girl, you work so hard every day, why not marry me and become a young grandmother?"
蓮妹對這位哥哥的放蕩行為非常鄙視 , 平日見到他 , 能躲就躲 ; 躲不掉時 , 也不曾給他好臉色 . 沒想到今天阿寶竟提出這種要求 , 令她又驚又怕 . 她見四下無人 , 擔心阿寶亂來 , 就敷衍的說 : "阿寶 , 我們還小 , 再過幾年再說 , 好不好 ?" Lienmei hated her step-brother's bad behavior. Every day she saw him she hid if she could, and if she couldn't she would meet him with indifference. She never expected that Abao would make such a proposal to her that day, and it both scared and amazed her. Seeing that no one else was around, she worried that he would molest her in some way, so to divert him she said: "Abao, we are still young. Let several years pass, and then we'll see, OK?"
阿寶以為蓮妹已經答應將來要嫁給他 , 就興高采烈的回去告訴父親 . 其實張員外早有這個打算 , 因此把蓮妹叫來 , 說 : "蓮妹 , 聽說妳答應嫁給阿寶了 . 我想 , 不用再等幾年 , 今年年底 , 我就替你們完婚 ." Abao thought that Lienmei had just consented to marry him, and he went back and ecstatically told his father the news. In truth the official Zhang had planned on this from the beginning, and for this reason he called Lienmei to him, saying: "Lienmei, I hear you have consented to marry Abao. I think you need not wait several years. By the end of the year I'll have the two of you married."
蓮妹聽了 , 宛如晴天霹靂 , 連忙說 : "我不要 ." After Lienmei heard this she blurted: "I don't want to."
張員外根本不理會蓮妹的話 , 說 : "我說了算 , 妳願意也好 , 不願意也好 , 年底你們一定要完婚 ." The official Zhang didn't listen to what Lienmei had said, replying: "I have decided. Whether you are willing or not doesn't matter. The two of you will be married by the end of the year."
蓮妹心想 : "如果我嫁給這個放蕩成性的敗家子 , 以後肯定沒好日子過 . 我該怎麼辦呢 ?" Lienmei thought to herself: "If I marry this dissolute, profligate son, all of my days after that point will be bad. What should I do?"
第二天 , 蓮妹做完家事 , 跑到一座小湖邊 , 坐在大石頭上痛哭失聲 . On the second day Lienmei ran to a small lake after finishing her housework, and there she sat on a big rock and cried bitterly.
她的哭聲把在附近田裡工作的青年阿德吸引了過來 . 阿德看到淚流滿面的蓮妹 , 問 : "蓮妹 , 是誰欺負妳 ? 告訴我 , 我替妳出氣 ." The sound of her crying drew the attention of the young A-de, who was at work in a nearby field. He saw her face full of tears and asked: "Lienmei, who has been tormenting you? Tell me and I will stand up for you."
其實 , 阿德和蓮妹早就認識 , 而且情投意合 , 只是因為保密到家 , 這段變情沒有人知道 . In truth, A-de and Lienmei had known each other for a long time, and were already deeply in love. It was only because they kept it secret that no one else knew about their love for each other.
蓮妹把事情經過說了一遍 . 阿德廳了 , 也不知道如何是好 . 蓮妹狠狠的咬著嘴唇 , 說 : "阿德 , 既然我養父這麼說 , 他肯定會逼我嫁給阿寶 . 我看 , 我們只好私奔了 " Lienmei told him what had happened. As A-de listened he couldn't figure out what to do. Lienmei bit her lip and said: "A-de, my adoptive father has decreed that I will marry Abao. I think we'll have to run away."
阿德嚇了一大跳 , 說 : "蓮妹 , 我非常愛妳 , 即使海枯石爛 , 我對妳的感情也不會改變 . 但是我還有父母要奉養 , 而且我現在耕的田是向張員外租的 . 如果我們私奔 , 張員外一定會遷怒我的父母 , 這樣 , 他們的生活會陷入絕境 . 所以我們還是從長計議吧 !" A-de was very frightened to hear this, and he said: "Lienmei, I love you very much. I will love you until the seas dry up and the mountains come tumbling down. My feelings toward you will never change. But I still need to take care of my parents and the fields I'm plowing are rented from the official Zhang. If we run away he will certainly blame my parents, and their lives will become desperate. Let's try to take a longer view of the situation!"
蓮妹了解阿德的難處 , 兩人默默無語坐在湖邊 . 過了好半天 , 阿德說 : "蓮妹 , 不如我找人去向張員外提親 , 也許還有點希望 ." Lienmei understood A-de's difficulty. The two sat together silently near the lake. After a while A-de said: "Lienmei, how about I find someone to propose to the official Zhang on my behalf? There's still hope."
蓮妹知道張員外一定不會答應的 , 不過 , 現在只能死馬當活馬醫 , 也就同意了 . 阿德立刻回去和父母親商量 . 阿德的父母也很喜歡蓮妹 , 於是把村裡最有名的媒婆阿來嬸找來 , 請她去張家提親 . 阿來嬸並不知道張員外已經有了打算 , 就欣然答應 . Lienmei was certain that the official Zhang would not agree to this, but there was no other option. A-de immediately went back to discuss the matter with his parents, who also liked Lienmei very much. They asked Auntie Laishen, the most famous matchmaker in the village, to visit the official Zhang's home and propose the match. Auntie Laishen didn't know that the official Zhang already had plans [for Lienmei], and so she readily agreed to the request.
阿來嬸帶著禮物去見張員外 , 沒想到她剛提起這件事 , 張員外就勃然大怒 , 把她趕出門外 . Auntie Laishen brought gifts to the official Zhang, and never expected that once she raised the issue the official Zhang would grow furious, and cast her out of his house.
阿來嬸回到阿德家 , 將經過說了一遍 , 她畢竟閱歷豐富 , 勸阿德的父母說 : "你們不要再提這門親事了 , 我想 , 蓮妹賢淑端莊 , 張員外一定是打算把她嫁給自己的寶貝兒子阿寶 , 不可能把她嫁給別人的 ." After Auntie Laishen returned to A-de's house she told them what had happened. She had a lot of experience in such matters, and she advised A-de's parents thusly: "You shouldn't propose this marriage again. Lienmei is both virtuous and dignified, and the official Zhang certainly plans to marry her to his beloved son Abao. There is no way he'll allow her to marry anyone else."
阿德立刻把這件事告訴蓮妹 . 蓮妹並沒有太激動 , 因為她早就知道會有這樣的結果 . 蓮妹雖然暗自悲傷 , 卻反過來安慰阿德 , 並且天天到湖邊和阿德見面 , 說些貼心的話 . 當然 , 兩個人都明白 , 他們是不可能有圓滿結局了 , 不過他們寧可一廂情願的期盼著 , 在蓮妹嫁給阿寶前 , 事情能出現轉機 . A-de left immediately to share the news with Lienmei. She wasn't very disturbed by what he told her, because she'd anticipated this outcome long before. She was secretly heartbroken, but she comforted A-de and visited him every day at the lake, where sweet words passed between them. Of course both of them knew that there was no happy ending in store, but they remained hopeful that things would somehow change for the better before Lienmei had to marry Abao.
阿寶知道父親的心意以後 , 喜出望外 , 時常騷擾蓮妹 , 說些不堪入耳的話 . 蓮妹實在不堪其擾 , 而且結婚的日子愈來愈接近 , 這讓她整天愁眉不展 , 甚至有了殉情的念頭 . Once Abao knew his father's intentions he was overjoyed, and he began regularly harassing Lienmei, using harsh words to taunt her. Lienmei found this unbearable, and as the wedding date drew closer and closer she grew very downcast. She even considered forsaking A-de altogether.
夏天很快的過去 , 秋天來了 , 距離年底已經不遠 , 蓮妹和阿德眼看時間逐漸流逝 , 卻一點辦法也沒有 , 只能相擁而泣 . Summer passed quickly, and then fall arrived. The end of the year was not far away. Lienmei and A-de saw the time slowly passing away, and there was nothing to be done about it. They could only hold one another and cry.
冬天來臨時 , 寒冷的北風呼呼的颳著 , 兩個真心相愛卻無法結成連理的情侶 , 又來到湖邊 , 兩個人默默相對 , 一句話也說不出口 , 心情非常悲傷 . Winter arrived, and the chilly north wind blew through the village. The two lovers, whose feelings for one another would never be requited through marriage, came to the lake again. They faced each other silently, so saddened that they couldn't speak.
突然 , 兩個人像心有靈犀一般 , 相視一笑 , 手牽著手 , 躍入湖中殉情自盡 , 從此 , 天荒地老 , 永不分離 . Suddenly the two of them looked at one another lovingly, and with a smile they both jumped into the lake and killed themselves. From that point on they would be together forever, never to be parted.
當村人發現他們的屍體後 , 就把這座湖稱作 "養女湖 " After the villagers discovered the bodies they began calling the lake "Yangnu ["Adopted Daughter"] Lake."
關於 "養女湖" , 另外還有一則淒美的傳說 : Concerning Yangnu Lake, there is another, equally moving legend:
據說 "養女湖" 原本稱作 "滾水湖" , 水非常清澈 , 後來竟然變成一個冒著泡的泥漿湖 , 不斷噴出黏稠的泥漿 , 就像煮開的沸水一樣 . It's said that "Yangnu Lake" was originally called "Boiling Water Lake." The water was originally very clear, but it later became a lake of boiling mud which bubbled continuously, just like boiling water.
為什麼清澈的湖水會變成滾燙的泥漿呢 ? Why did the clear lake water become boiling mud?
這就要追溯到很久很久以前了 . 那時候 , 湖邊住著一戶人家 , 由於主人沒有生女兒 , 於是收養了一個貧窮人家的女孩當女兒 . 這個女孩叫作阿蘭 , 人如其名 , 長的像蘭花一樣漂亮 , 也做得一手好家事 , 鄰居都很喜歡她 . The answer is to be found a long, long time ago. During that time a couple lived near the lake. They had no daughter of their own, so they adopted a girl from a poor family. This girl was named A-lan [the "lan" meaning "orchid"], and as her name suggests she was as beautiful as an orchid. She was very diligent about doing work around the house, and her neighbors all liked her very much.
可是 , 也許是八字不合吧 ! 人人喜歡的阿蘭卻和養父母格格不入 . 養父母總是用仇恨的眼光 , 嚴厲的語氣命令她做許多粗重的工作 . 除了睡覺時間外 , 阿蘭總是忙得不可開交 . But maybe A-lan was destined for misfortune. Everyone except her adoptive parents liked A-lan. Her adoptive parents always looked at her with hate in their eyes, and they commanded her in stern tones to do many difficult tasks. Aside from sleeping hours A-lan was always very busy.
每天一大早 , 阿蘭就起床掃地 , 然後挑水 , 撿柴 , 生火煮飯 . 吃過早飯後 , 就得到湖邊洗衣 , 再到田裡幫忙 . 雖然生活過得很辛苦 , 阿蘭心中卻很明白自己是養女 , 多做些事也不計較 . Early every morning A-lan had to get out of bed and sweep the floor, bring back water, collect firewood, start a fire and cook food. After breakfast she had to go to the lake to wash clothes, and then she had to go help in the fields. Although her life was very hard, A-lan reminded herself that she was an adopted daughter, and that working harder was her lot in life.
即使這樣 , 養父母還是不滿意 , 動不動就對她又打又罵 , 阿蘭投訴無門 , 只好忍氣吞聲 , 逆來順受 . 她唯一能做的 , 就是對著湖 , 喃喃的述說自己的委屈 . 而湖水回報她的 , 卻只有被風吹動的水波而已 . Despite [her hard work], her adoptive parents were never satisfied with her. Whatever she did they beat her and scolded her, and A-lan had no one to complain to. She could only submit to this treatment in silence. She could only utter her grievances to the lake, which answered her with the sound of waves blown by the wind.
有一天 , 下著傾盆大雨 , 阿蘭平日撿回家來 , 堆放在屋簷下的乾柴被雨水打溼了 , 怎麼點都點不著 . 沒有火 , 既不能煮飯燒菜 , 也無法燒開水 . One day it was pouring down rain, and after A-lan returned with firewood she piled it under the eaves of the house, where it grew so wet that she couldn't light it. Without fire there was no way to cook food or boil water.
養父母吃不到飯 , 也喝不到開水 , 怒火中燒 , 拿起扁擔 , 不分青紅皂白的把阿蘭打得遍體鱗傷 . The adoptive parents had neither food to eat nor water to drink. Consumed by rage, they picked up a pole and beat A-lan until she was bruised all over.
阿蘭跑出家門 , 站在湖邊大聲哭泣 , 她心裡想著 : "與其每天這樣痛苦的過日子 , 倒不如死去還好些 ." A-lan then ran out of the house, and stood by the lake, crying inconsolably. She thought to herself: "It would be better to die that suffer days like this."
於是她縱身跳入湖水中 , 淹死了 . 附近的人們知道阿蘭跳湖自盡 , 都覺得很難過 , 就把這座湖稱為 "養女湖 " . She then jumped into the lake and drowned herself. Those living nearby all knew that A-lan had committed suicide, they were all saddened, and they began calling this lake "Yangnu ["Adopted Daughter"] Lake.
人們也傳說著 : 湖神為了教訓這對狠心的養父母 , 就把清澈的湖水變成泥漿 , 從此以後 , 他們要用水 , 就必須到很遠的地方去提 . People also tell stories of how a lake spirit turned the clear waters into mud to teach the cruel adoptive parents a lesson. After the water was turned to mud, they had to travel very far to get water.
而湖神很同情阿蘭的遭遇 , 將泥漿變得熱騰騰的 . 這樣一來 , 阿蘭在天之靈就再也不會因燒不出開水而煩惱了 . The lake spirit was, moreover, sympathetic to A-lan's plight. It made the mud very hot, and in this way A-lan's spirit, looking down from heaven, would no longer be troubled by an inability to boil water.
Related Entries 相關的文章:
NOTE 1: This will be the last of these entries this semester. There are three more place name stories for Kaohsiung in the book, and I'll be posting those next semester.
NOTE 2: Taiwan being a volcanic island, there are many pools of bubbling mud to be found all over the country. The story about Wandan's Liyu Mountain refers to a similar geographic feature.
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