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Then, however, something happened which made every mouth mute and every eye fixed.
然而，就在这个时候，某些事情的发生却让所有人都哑口无言、瞠目结舌。
In the meantime, of course, the rope-dancer had commenced his performance: he had come out at a little door, and was going along the rope which was stretched between two towers, so that it hung above the market-place and the people.
当然，与此同时，那个会在绳索上行走的人开始了他的表演：他从一扇非常小的门里走了出来，并且开始在一个将两个塔连接在一起的绳子上面行走，通过这样做，他能够悬在市场的上方以及人群的头顶。
When he was just midway across, the little door opened once more, and a gaudily-dressed fellow like a buffoon sprang out, and went rapidly after the first one.
当他刚刚走过绳索的中间部分的时候，那扇小门再一次被打开了，一个穿着俗气，犹如一头水牛的家伙突然从里面冒了出来，并且开始迅速追赶那个表演绳索杂技的人。
"Go on, halt-foot," cried his frightful voice, "go on, lazy-bones, interloper, sallow-face! -- lest I tickle thee with my heel!
“快点走，你这个瘸子，”他用令人胆怯的声音大声叫道，“快点走，你这个懒骨头、闯入者、面色枯黄的家伙！--不要让我的后脚跟给你挠痒痒！
What dost thou here between the towers? In the tower is the place for thee, thou shouldst be locked up; to one better than thyself thou blockest the way!"
你都在这个绳索上做了什么？你应该被囚禁在这座塔里面；因为你阻拦了一位本领比你高超的人前行的脚步！”
And with every word he came nearer and nearer the first one.
就在他说这些话的同时，他离这位表演绳索杂技的家伙越来越近。
When, however, he was but a step behind, there happened the frightful thing which made every mouth mute and every eye fixed -- he uttered a yell like a devil, and jumped over the other who was in his way.
然而，就在他距离表演杂技的家伙仅仅一步之遥的时候，发生了一件令所有人哑口无言、瞠目结舌的事情--他就像一个恶魔一样大声喊叫，一个跳步越过了那个阻拦他道路的家伙。
The latter, however, when he thus saw his rival triumph, lost at the same time his head and his footing on the rope; he threw his pole away, and shot downward faster than it, like an eddy of arms and legs, into the depth.
但是，当这位杂耍者看到他的对手取得胜利的同时，他的大脑和脚步都在绳索上失去了平衡，平衡杆也从他的手上滑落了下去，他就像一个由快速旋转的胳膊和腿组成的旋涡一样飞快地向地面坠落。
The market-place and the people were like the sea when the storm cometh on: they all flew apart and in disorder, especially where the body was about to fall.
整个市场和广大群众就像风暴来袭的大海一样，立刻乱了手脚，呈现出非常混乱的状态，尤其是表演绳索杂技的人的身体即将要坠落的位置，情况更是如此。
Zarathustra, however, remained standing, and just beside him fell the body, badly injured and disfigured, but not yet dead.
但是，查拉图斯特拉仍旧站在原地，那个表演绳索的人就从他的身边掉了下来，那个人受了非常严重的伤，身体受到了极度的扭曲，但是，他并没有死。
After a while consciousness returned to the shattered man, and he saw Zarathustra kneeling beside him.
过了一会儿，那个身体被摔碎了的家伙恢复了意识，然后他看到了查拉图斯特拉跪在他的身边。
"What art thou doing there?" said he at last, "I knew long ago that the devil would trip me up. Now he draggeth me to hell: wilt thou prevent him?"
“你在这里做什么？”最后他说道，“我在很久以前就知道，恶魔一定会陷害我。现在，他把我拖进了地狱，你能阻止他这样做吗？”
"On mine honour, my friend," answered Zarathustra, "there is nothing of all that whereof thou speakest: there is no devil and no hell.
“我的朋友，请以我的荣誉为誓，”查拉图斯特拉答道，“你所说的一切都完全不存在，在我们的世界里，既没有恶魔也没有地狱。
Thy soul will be dead even sooner than thy body; fear, therefore, nothing any more!"
你的灵魂的毁灭速度甚至会比你的躯体还要快，因此，你不要再感到恐惧了！”
The man looked up distrustfully. "If thou speakest the truth," said he, "I lose nothing when I lose my life. I am not much more than an animal which hath been taught to dance by blows and scanty fare."
那个人用充满怀疑的神情注视着他，他说道：“如果你所说的都是事实，那么当我失去自己的生命的时候，我将会一无所有。我不过是一只野兽而已，在人们的棍棒交加以及少量的食物的对待方式下，我学会了在绳索上行走。”
"Not at all," said Zarathustra, "thou hast made danger thy calling; therein there is nothing contemptible. Now thou perishest by thy calling: therefore will I bury thee with mine own hands."
“并不完全是这样的，”查拉图斯特拉说道，“你让危险成为你的专长；那样就不会被其他人鄙视了。现在，你亲手毁灭了自己的专长；因此，我会用自己的双手亲自埋葬你。”
When Zarathustra had said this the dying one did not reply further; but he moved his hand as if he sought the hand of Zarathustra in gratitude.
当查拉图斯特拉说完这些话的时候，这位快要死掉的人并没有做进一步的回答。但是，他动了动自己的手，就好像他在寻找查拉图斯特拉的手，以此表达自己的感激之情。
