《美女与野兽》的原型故事，原来很暗黑……

A live-action film based on the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” is hitting theaters this week.

本周根据童话故事《美女与野兽》改编的真人电影正在热映中。

Today, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is most familiar to the masses in its animated form; however, the original can seem comparatively brutal and dark.

如今,大众最熟悉的就是迪斯尼动画版的《美女与野兽》,然而,故事原型似乎相当残酷且黑暗。

Though Disney’s Belle is an only child, in the classic tale she has siblings. Unsurprisingly, her sisters serve the role of foils for Beauty. She’s gorgeous, they’re merely average-looking; she’s generous, they’re selfish and envious; she’s hardworking, they’re lazy; she’s well-read, they’re frivolous.

虽然迪斯尼版的贝尔是独生女,但在传统故事中,她是有兄弟姐妹的。毋庸置疑的是,她的姐妹们担当着贝尔的陪衬。她美丽动人,她们只是相貌平平;她宽宏大量,她们自私又善妒;她勤劳,她们懒惰;她博览群书,她们不务正业。

One day, Beauty’s father is caught in a storm. Then, he takes refuge in a mysterious castle where he meets no one, but finds food, a fire, and a bed prepared for him. When he leaves, he takes a single rose from the garden to bring Beauty ― which brings the Beast’s wrath down upon him. In exchange for his life being spared, he agrees to return with one of his daughters. Beauty agrees to go, though she’s fearful that the monster will eat her.

一天,贝尔的父亲遇上了暴风雨。然后他就躲进了一个神秘的城堡里。在那儿,他一个人也没碰到,但他却发现了为他准备好的食物、火炉和床铺。当他离开的时候,他从花园里摘了一朵玫瑰打算带给贝尔,然而这却激怒了野兽。为了让野兽饶自己一命,他同意带回一个女儿。贝尔同意前去,虽然她也害怕怪物会吃掉自己。

Instead, she’s given a lavish chamber and plied with good food and entertainments. She never sees anyone ― except in the evening, when the Beast joins her for dinner. She enjoys his sensible conversation, but every night he asks her to marry him, and she refuses. Finally, after several months, she admits that while she’s quite attached to him, she misses her family. The Beast allows her to return home for a visit, but warns that if she delays her return, he will die of grief.

然而,她却被给予了一个奢华的房间,里面堆放着美食和娱乐设施。她从未见过任何人,除了晚上的时候,野兽会和她一起吃晚饭。她喜欢他明智的言谈,但是每天晚上野兽都会要求她嫁给他,而贝尔拒绝了。最终,几个月之后,她承认,虽然自己很喜欢他,但她想念自己的家人。野兽允许她回家看看,但警告她,如果她回来晚了,他会悲伤而死。

This is where the sisters get extra vicious! Jealous of the finery Beauty wears upon her return, they overwhelm her with affection so that she will miss her deadline, assuming that the Beast will kill her and eat her in his anger. Instead, Beauty does return late and finds the Beast dying of sadness. Seeing him on his deathbed, she realizes that she loves him and begs him to live and marry her. Immediately, he is restored to his handsome, princely self ― and Beauty is rewarded for choosing a virtuous husband over a handsome or witty one. Her sisters are condemned to be living statues outside the castle, forever viewing her better fortune.

这就是她的姐妹们特别恶毒的地方!贝尔一回去,她们就嫉妒上贝尔华丽的服饰,于是她们就对她十分友爱而使她应接不暇,为的是让她错过最后期限,她们认为这样野兽就会愤怒地杀掉她并吃掉她。然而,贝尔确实回去晚了,而且她发现野兽因悲伤而濒临死亡。在他弥留之际,她看着他,意识到自己是爱他的,于是她就祈求他活下去,并和她结婚。(她一说完,)他立刻就恢复成英俊高贵的样子。贝尔因此而得到奖赏,她可以选择一个或英俊或机智的正直的丈夫。而她的姐妹被迫变成了城堡外的雕像,永远看着她的美好命运。

Anyway, every version is essentially the same story: A beautiful woman redeems her hideous captor with her love.

不管怎样,每个版本本质上都是相同的故事:一个美女用她的爱救赎了她那丑陋的俘获者。