《神探夏洛克》第四季第一集的开头，夏洛克用他那迷死人不偿命的低音炮讲了一个耐人寻味小故事。
没看过小伙伴不要紧张，不涉及剧透，看过的小伙伴可以再来感受一遍。
不管听懂没听懂，这时候汗毛都竖起来了吧……
以下是这段音频的双语文本：
There was once a merchant in the famous market at Baghdad. One day he saw a stranger looking at him in surprise, and he knew that the stranger was Death.
从前有个商人，在巴格达的一个著名集市做买卖。一天，他见到一个陌生人诧异地打量着他。他知道，这个陌生人就是死神。
Pale and trembling, the merchant fled the marketplace and made his way many, many miles to the city of Samarra, for there he was sure Death could not find him.
商人面色惨白，浑身战栗，仓皇逃离了集市。他长途跋涉，来到了萨马拉城。他以为到了这里，死神就找不到他了。
But when at last he came to Samarra, the merchant saw, waiting for him, the grim figure of Death.
但当他终于到达萨马拉时，商人看到等待着自己的，正是可怖的死神。
“Very well,” said the merchant. “I give in. I am yours.”
“好吧”，商人说道。“我放弃了，随你处置吧。”
“But tell me: why did you look surprised when you saw me this morning in Baghdad?”
“但请告诉我，为什么今早在巴格达你看到我时面露惊诧？”
“Because,” said Death, “I had an appointment with you tonight – in Samarra.”
“因为”，死神答道，“我和你今晚有约，地点在萨马拉城。”
这个故事为第四季定下了一个黑暗而宿命的基调。
实际上，这个故事并非编剧Mark Gatiss原创，它源自于美索不达米亚一个古老的民间传说（an ancient Mesopotamian tale）。
后来，英国作家毛姆（W. Somerset Maugham）重新讲述了一遍这个故事。
以下是毛姆的记录，通过死神之口来讲述：
Death speaks:
死神说：
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling and said, Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.
巴格达有一位商人让他的仆人到集市上买些食品回来。没一会儿，仆人回来了。他面色惨白，浑身发抖地说：“主人，刚才我在市场时，有个女人撞了我一下。我回身看时发现撞我的女人是死神。她看着我并且做了一个威胁的手势。现在，请您把马借给我，我要赶紧离开这里，躲避死亡的命运。我要去萨马拉，在那里死神就找不到我了。”
The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
于是商人把马借给了仆人。仆人翻身上马，策马扬鞭疾驶而去。然后，商人来到了市场，看见我站在人群中，于是向我走来，问我：“为什么今天早晨你看见我的仆人时对他做出威胁的手势？”“那不是威胁。”我说，“我只是惊讶得吓了一跳。我很吃惊在巴格达看见他，因为我今晚跟他在萨马拉有个约会。”
喜欢这个诡异的故事吗？再听一遍，是否能听懂每一个词了？
编辑：左卓
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