King Arthur was at Caerleon upon Usk; and one day he sat in his chamber1, and with him were Owain, the son of Urien, and Kynon, the son of Clydno, and Kay, the son of Kyner, and Guenever and her handmaidens at needlework by the window. In the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat, upon a seat of green rushes,[56] over which was spread a covering of flame-covered satin, and a cushion of red satin was under his elbow.
Then Arthur spoke3. “If I thought you would not disparage4 me,” said he, “I would sleep while I wait for my repast; and you can entertain one another with relating tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead5 and some meat from Kay.” And the king went to sleep. And Kynon the son of Clydno asked Kay for that which Arthur had promised them. “I too will have the good tale which he promised me,” said Kay. “Nay,” answered Kynon; “fairer will it be for thee to fulfil Arthur’s behest in the first place, and then we will tell thee the best tale that we know.” So Kay went to the kitchen and to the mead-cellar, and returned, bearing a flagon of mead, and a golden goblet6, and a handful of skewers7, upon which were broiled8 collops of meat. Then they ate the collops, and began to drink the mead. “Now,” said Kay, “it is time for you to give me my story.” “Kynon,” said Owain, “do thou pay to Kay the tale that is his due.” “I will do so,” answered Kynon.
“I was the only son of my mother and father, and I was exceedingly aspiring9, and my daring was very great. I thought there was no enterprise in the world too mighty10 for me: and after I had achieved all the adventures that were in my own country, I equipped myself, and set forth11 to journey through deserts and distant regions. And at length it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world, wherein were trees all of equal growth; and a river ran through the valley, and a path was by the side of the river. And I followed the path until midday, and continued my journey along the remainder of the valley until the evening; and at the extremity12 of the plain I came to a large and lustrous13 castle, at the foot of which was a torrent14. And I approached the castle, and there I beheld15 two youths with yellow curling hair, each with a frontlet of gold upon his head, and clad in a garment of yellow satin; and they had gold clasps upon their insteps. In the hand of each of them was an ivory bow, strung with the sinews of the stag, and their arrows and their shafts17 were of the bone of the whale, and were winged with peacock’s feathers. The shafts also had golden heads. And they had daggers18 with blades of gold, and with hilts of the bone of the whale. And they were shooting at a mark.
“And a little away from them I saw a man in the prime of life, with his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and mantle19 of yellow satin, and round the top of his mantle was a band of gold lace. On his feet were shoes of variegated20 leather,[57] fastened by two bosses of gold. When I saw him I went towards him and saluted21 him; and such was his courtesy, that he no sooner received my greeting than he returned it. And he went with me towards the castle. Now there were no dwellers22 in the castle, except those who were in one hall. And there I saw four and twenty damsels, embroidering23 satin at a window. And this I tell thee, Kay, that the least fair of them was fairer than the fairest maid thou didst ever behold24 in the island of Britain; and the least lovely of them was more lovely than Guenever, the wife of Arthur, when she appeared loveliest, at the feast of Easter. They rose up at my coming, and six of them took my horse, and divested25 me of my armor, and six others took my arms and washed them in a vessel26 till they were perfectly27 bright. And the third six spread cloths upon the tables and prepared meat. And the fourth six took off my soiled garments and placed others upon me, namely, an under vest and a doublet of fine linen28, and a robe and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin, with a broad gold band upon the mantle. And they placed cushions both beneath and around me, with coverings of red linen, and I sat down. Now the six maidens2 who had taken my horse unharnessed him as well as if they had been the best squires29 in the island of Britain.
“Then behold they brought bowls of silver, wherein was water to wash and towels of linen, some green and some white; and I washed. And in a little while the man sat down at the table. And I sat next to him, and below me sat all the maidens, except those who waited on us. And the table was of silver, and the cloths upon the table were of linen. And no vessel was served upon the table that was not either of gold or of silver or of buffalo30 horn. And our meat was brought to us. And verily, Kay, I saw there every sort of meat, and every sort of liquor that I ever saw elsewhere; but the meat and the liquor were better served there than I ever saw them in any other place.
“Until the repast was half over, neither the man nor any one of the damsels spoke a single word to me; but when the man perceived that it would be more agreeable for me to converse31 than to eat any more, he began to inquire of me who I was. Then I told the man who I was and what was the cause of my journey, and said that I was seeking whether any one was superior to me, or whether I could gain mastery over all. The man looked upon me, and he smiled and said, ‘If I did not fear to do thee a mischief32, I would show thee that which thou seekest.’ Then I desired him to speak freely. And he said: ‘Sleep here to-night, and in the morning arise early, and take the road upwards33 through the valley, until thou reachest the wood. A little way within the wood thou wilt34 come to a large sheltered glade35, with a mound36 in the centre. And thou wilt see a black man of great stature37 on the top of the mound. He has but one foot, and one eye in the middle of his forehead. He is the wood-ward of that wood. And thou wilt see a thousand wild animals grazing around him. Inquire of him the way out of the glade, and he will reply to thee briefly38, and will point out the road by which thou shalt find that which thou art in quest of.’
“And long seemed that night to me. And the next morning I arose and equipped myself, and mounted my horse, and proceeded straight through the valley to the wood, and at length I arrived at the glade. And the black man was there, sitting upon the top of the mound; and I was three times more astonished at the number of wild animals that I beheld than the man had said I should be. Then I inquired of him the way and he asked me roughly whither I would go. And when I had told him who I was and what I sought, ‘Take,’ said he, ‘that path that leads toward the head of the glade, and there thou wilt find an open space like to a large valley, and in the midst of it a tall tree. Under this tree is a fountain, and by the side of the fountain a marble slab39, and on the marble slab a silver bowl, attached by a chain of silver, that it may not be carried away. Take the bowl and throw a bowlful of water on the slab. And if thou dost not find trouble in that adventure, thou needest not seek it during the rest of thy life.’
“So I journeyed on until I reached the summit of the steep. And there I found everything as the black man had described it to me. And I went up to the tree, and beneath it I saw the fountain, and by its side the marble slab, and the silver bowl fastened by the chain. Then I took the bowl, and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab, and immediately I heard a mighty peal40 of thunder, so that heaven and earth seemed to tremble with its fury. And after the thunder came a shower; and of a truth I tell thee, Kay, that it was such a shower as neither man nor beast could endure and live. I turned my horse’s flank toward the shower, and placed the beak41 of my shield over his head and neck, while I held the upper part of it over my own neck. And thus I withstood the shower. And presently the sky became clear, and with that, behold, the birds lighted upon the tree, and sang. And truly, Kay, I never heard any melody equal to that, either before or since. And when I was most charmed with listening to the birds, lo! a chiding42 voice was heard of one approaching me and saying: ‘O knight43, what has brought thee hither? What evil have I done to thee that thou shouldst act towards me and my possessions as thou hast this day? Dost thou not know that the shower to-day has left in my dominions44 neither man nor beast alive that was exposed to it?’ And thereupon, behold, a knight on a black horse appeared, clothed in jet-black velvet45, and with a tabard of black linen about him. And we charged each other, and, as the onset46 was furious, it was not long before I was overthrown47. Then the knight passed the shaft16 of his lance through the bridle-rein of my horse, and rode off with the two horses, leaving me where I was. And he did not even bestow48 so much notice upon me as to imprison49 me, nor did he despoil50 me of my arms. So I returned along the road by which I had come. And when I reached the glade where the black man was, I confess to thee, Kay, it is a marvel51 that I did not melt down into a liquid pool, through the shame that I felt at the black man’s derision. And that night I came to the same castle where I had spent the night preceding. And I was more agreeably entertained that night than I had been the night before. And I conversed52 freely with the inmates53 of the castle; and none of them alluded54 to my expedition to the fountain, neither did I mention it to any. And I remained there that night. When I arose on the morrow I found ready saddled a dark bay palfrey, with nostrils55 as red as scarlet56. And after putting on my armor, and leaving there my blessing57, I returned to my own court. And that horse I still possess, and he is in the stable yonder. And I declare that I would not part with him for the best palfrey in the island of Britain.
“Now, of a truth, Kay, no man ever before confessed to an adventure so much to his own discredit58; and verily it seems strange to me that neither before nor since have I heard of any person who knew of this adventure, and that the subject of it should exist within King Arthur’s dominions without any other person lighting59 upon it.”
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1
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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2
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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3
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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4
disparage
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| v.贬抑，轻蔑 | |
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5
mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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6
goblet
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| n.高脚酒杯 | |
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7
skewers
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| n.串肉扦( skewer的名词复数 )；烤肉扦；棒v.（用串肉扦或类似物）串起，刺穿( skewer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8
broiled
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| a.烤过的 | |
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9
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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10
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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11
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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12
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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13
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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14
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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15
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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16
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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17
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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18
daggers
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| 匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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19
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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20
variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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21
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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22
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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23
embroidering
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| v.（在织物上）绣花( embroider的现在分词 )；刺绣；对…加以渲染（或修饰）；给…添枝加叶 | |
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24
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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25
divested
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| v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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26
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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27
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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28
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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29
squires
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| n.地主，乡绅( squire的名词复数 ) | |
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30
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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31
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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32
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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33
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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34
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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35
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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36
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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37
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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38
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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39
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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40
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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41
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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42
chiding
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| v.责骂，责备( chide的现在分词 ) | |
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43
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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44
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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45
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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46
onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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47
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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48
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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49
imprison
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| vt.监禁，关押，限制，束缚 | |
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50
despoil
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| v.夺取，抢夺 | |
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51
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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52
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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53
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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54
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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56
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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57
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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58
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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59
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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