英國驚悚故事：《無頭騎士》

One cold winter night, early in the New Year, a certain Dutchman left the tavern in Tarrytown and started walking to his home in the hollow nearby. His path led next to the old Sleepy Hollow cemetery where a headless Hessian soldier was buried. At midnight, the Dutchman came within site of the graveyard. The weather had warmed up during the week, and the snow was almost gone from the road. It was a dark night with no moon, and the only light came from his lantern.

某年伊始的一個寒冷冬夜，一個荷蘭人離開塔利鎮的小酒館，徒步向自己在附近山谷中的家走去。他回家時要經過一座古老的睡谷公墓，公墓里埋著一個無頭黑森士兵。午夜時分，這個荷蘭人進入了公墓地界。連續一周來，天氣不斷回暖，此時路上已基本沒有積雪。天很黑，沒有月亮，他提的燈籠便是僅有的亮光。

The Dutchman was nervous about passing the graveyard, remembering the rumors of a galloping ghost that he had heard at the tavern. He stumbled along, humming to himself to keep up his courage. Suddenly, his eye was caught by a light rising from the ground in the cemetery. He stopped, his heart pounding in fear. Before his startled eyes, a white mist burst forth from an unmarked grave and formed into a large horse carrying a headless rider.

荷蘭人想起他在小酒館聽到的跳動的鬼影的故事，再想到自己要穿過墓地，有些犯憷。他跌跌撞撞地走著，小聲哼哼著給自己打氣。突然，他看到從墳地上冒出了光。他害怕的站住，心劇烈的跳動著。他驚恐地看到一陣白霧從一座沒有墓碑的墳里噴出來，變成一個無頭騎士騎在一匹馬上的形狀。

The Dutchman let out a terrible scream as the horse leapt toward him at a full gallop. He took to his heels, running as fast as he could, making for the bridge since he knew that ghosts and evil spirits did not care to cross running water. He stumbled suddenly and fell, rolling off the road into a melting patch of snow. The headless rider thundered past him, and the man got a second look at the headless ghost. It was wearing a Hessian commander's uniform.

那馬飛快得向荷蘭人奔過來，他驚恐地尖叫了一聲，拔腿就跑，他全速向河邊跑去，因為他知道鬼魂和邪惡的幽靈都不敢穿過流水。他突然一個趔趄，跌到在地，滾到了一堆還沒化盡的積雪上。無頭騎士從他身邊呼嘯而過，他又看了一眼那個無頭騎士，發現他穿著黑森指揮官的制服。

The Dutchman waited a good hour after the ghost disappeared before crawling out of the bushes and making his way home. After fortifying himself with schnapps, the Dutchman told his wife about the ghost. By noon of the next day, the story was all over Tarrytown. The good Dutch folk were divided in their opinions. Some thought that the ghost must be roaming the roads at night in search of its head. Others claimed that the Hessian soldier rose from the grave to lead the Hessian soldiers in a charge up nearby Chatterton Hill, not knowing that the hill had already been taken by the British.

無頭騎士消失后，荷蘭人足足等了一個小時才敢從灌木叢里爬出來回家。回到家，荷蘭人喝了點杜松子酒壯壯膽后，告訴了妻子他遇到鬼的故事。到第二天中午，故事便傳遍了整個塔利鎮。好心的荷蘭人意見產生了分歧。有些人認為鬼魂一定是在夜里四處游蕩找他的頭。另一些人則認為這個黑森士兵還不知道附近的查特頓山已被英國人占領，他從墳墓里出來便是要領導其他黑森士兵向那兒沖鋒。

Whatever the reason, the Headless Horseman continues to roam the roads near Tarrytown on dark nights from that day to this.

不管是什么原因吧，從那天起，這個無頭騎士便總在漆黑的夜晚在塔利鎮附近的路上游蕩。

One cold winter night, early in the New Year, a certain Dutchman left the tavern in Tarrytown and started walking to his home in the hollow nearby. His path led next to the old Sleepy Hollow cemetery where a headless Hessian soldier was buried. At midnight, the Dutchman came within site of the graveyard. The weather had warmed up during the week, and the snow was almost gone from the road. It was a dark night with no moon, and the only light came from his lantern.

某年伊始的一個寒冷冬夜，一個荷蘭人離開塔利鎮的小酒館，徒步向自己在附近山谷中的家走去。他回家時要經過一座古老的睡谷公墓，公墓里埋著一個無頭黑森士兵。午夜時分，這個荷蘭人進入了公墓地界。連續一周來，天氣不斷回暖，此時路上已基本沒有積雪。天很黑，沒有月亮，他提的燈籠便是僅有的亮光。

The Dutchman was nervous about passing the graveyard, remembering the rumors of a galloping ghost that he had heard at the tavern. He stumbled along, humming to himself to keep up his courage. Suddenly, his eye was caught by a light rising from the ground in the cemetery. He stopped, his heart pounding in fear. Before his startled eyes, a white mist burst forth from an unmarked grave and formed into a large horse carrying a headless rider.

荷蘭人想起他在小酒館聽到的跳動的鬼影的故事，再想到自己要穿過墓地，有些犯憷。他跌跌撞撞地走著，小聲哼哼著給自己打氣。突然，他看到從墳地上冒出了光。他害怕的站住，心劇烈的跳動著。他驚恐地看到一陣白霧從一座沒有墓碑的墳里噴出來，變成一個無頭騎士騎在一匹馬上的形狀。

The Dutchman let out a terrible scream as the horse leapt toward him at a full gallop. He took to his heels, running as fast as he could, making for the bridge since he knew that ghosts and evil spirits did not care to cross running water. He stumbled suddenly and fell, rolling off the road into a melting patch of snow. The headless rider thundered past him, and the man got a second look at the headless ghost. It was wearing a Hessian commander's uniform.

那馬飛快得向荷蘭人奔過來，他驚恐地尖叫了一聲，拔腿就跑，他全速向河邊跑去，因為他知道鬼魂和邪惡的幽靈都不敢穿過流水。他突然一個趔趄，跌到在地，滾到了一堆還沒化盡的積雪上。無頭騎士從他身邊呼嘯而過，他又看了一眼那個無頭騎士，發現他穿著黑森指揮官的制服。

The Dutchman waited a good hour after the ghost disappeared before crawling out of the bushes and making his way home. After fortifying himself with schnapps, the Dutchman told his wife about the ghost. By noon of the next day, the story was all over Tarrytown. The good Dutch folk were divided in their opinions. Some thought that the ghost must be roaming the roads at night in search of its head. Others claimed that the Hessian soldier rose from the grave to lead the Hessian soldiers in a charge up nearby Chatterton Hill, not knowing that the hill had already been taken by the British.

無頭騎士消失后，荷蘭人足足等了一個小時才敢從灌木叢里爬出來回家。回到家，荷蘭人喝了點杜松子酒壯壯膽后，告訴了妻子他遇到鬼的故事。到第二天中午，故事便傳遍了整個塔利鎮。好心的荷蘭人意見產生了分歧。有些人認為鬼魂一定是在夜里四處游蕩找他的頭。另一些人則認為這個黑森士兵還不知道附近的查特頓山已被英國人占領，他從墳墓里出來便是要領導其他黑森士兵向那兒沖鋒。

Whatever the reason, the Headless Horseman continues to roam the roads near Tarrytown on dark nights from that day to this.

不管是什么原因吧，從那天起，這個無頭騎士便總在漆黑的夜晚在塔利鎮附近的路上游蕩。