In the very old time there lived a king in a far country. He was a very strong and very clever man. He never listened to others' advice, and, when he and himself agreed upon2 anything, the thing was done. When everything moved smoothly in his country, he was kind and gentle; but, whenever there was a little trouble, he didn't get angry and he was kinder and gentler still, for nothing pleased him so much as to make wrong thing right3.
Suddenly, one day, he had a good idea. He ordered his people to build an arena4 in the centre of the city. So the people worked hard for several months. Then the arena of the king was built. In his arena, the people saw more than soldiers fighting soldiers, or men fighting animals. They enjoyed more than the sight of blood. In the king's arena, the people saw the laws of the country at work5.
Here is what happened when a man was accused of6 a crime. If the king was interested in the crime, then the people were told to come to the arena. They came together and sat there, thousands of them. The king sat high up on his seat. When he gave a sign, a door below him opened. The accused person stepped out into the centre. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the arena, were two doors, they were close together and looked the same7. It was the duty and the right of the person on trial8 to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could choose either of the doors. Only chance helped him—or didn't help him. If he opened the unlucky one, the biggest hungriest tiger immediately jumped upon9 him and tore him to pieces10 as a punishment for his crime. Women cried, and the thousands of people walked home slowly.
But, if the accused person opened the other door, a beautiful lady would step out. To this lady he was immediately married, as a reward of his innocence11. No matter whether he might already have a wife and family or not, he had to marry the lady; the king didn't allow anything to interfere with12 his great plan of reward. Then another door opened, and a priest13, followed by singing and dancing girls, walked to where the pair stood. The wedding was quickly and cheerily held. Then the happy bells rang, and the innocent man, with children throwing flowers on his path, led his bride14 to his home.
This was the way the law worked in the king's country. Its perfect fairness is clear. The criminal could not know which door the lady was behind. He opened either he pleased. At the moment he opened the door, he did not know if he was to be killed or married. On some occasions the tiger came out of one door, and on some out of the other. The people of the country thought the law was good: the accused person was immediately punished if he was guilty, and, if innocent, he was rewarded at once, whether he liked it or not.
The arena was a very popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they were to see a terrible killing or a merry wedding. This uncertainty15 caused an interest of the people.
This king had a very beautiful daughter, and with a mind as hot and hard as his own. She was the apple of his eye16, and was loved by him above everything. And in his country lived a young man. He was a good worker, but he was of low birth. This princess was well satisfied with her lover, for he was the most handsome and brave in this kingdom, and she loved him with a warm and strong feeling. The lovers were happy together for many months, until one day the king happened to discover it. He got very, very angry. He threw the young man into prison and named a day for his appearance in the arena. This, of course, was an especially important occasion, and the king, with all the people, was greatly interested in this trial.
The most dangerous tiger was selected for the arena; and many pretty girls were found. Of course, everybody knew what the young man had done. He had loved the princess. He knew it, she knew it, the king knew it and everybody knew it too. But he didn't allow this to interfere with his good law, in which he took such great delight and satisfaction.
The day arrived. From far and near the people gathered, and crowded the great galleries of the arena, and the people who were unable to enter the arena stood against its outside walls. The king and his court were in their places, opposite the twin doors.
All was ready. The sign was given. A door below the king opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, he seemed like a prince. The audience had not known such a fine young man had lived among them. No wonder17 the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!
As the young man walked into the arena he turned to the king, but his eyes were not on the king. They were on the princess, who sat to the right of her father. From the moment that the news had gone forth18 that her lover should decide his fate in the king's arena, she had thought of nothing but this great event. Over the past few days, she had used all of her power in the country, and much of her gold. She had found out the secret of the doors. She discovered which door hid the tiger, and which door hid the lady.
She knew more than this. She knew the lady. It was one of the fairest and loveliest of the girls and the princess hated her. She had often seen, or imagined that she had seen, the lady looking at the young man. She thought these looks had been noticed and even returned. She had seen them talking together; it was only for a moment or two, but much can be said in a short while19; it may have been on most unimportant topics, but how could she know that? The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess20; and she hated the woman behind that silent door.
When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eyes met hers. He understood her, and he was sure that she would never rest until she had learned this thing. And now as he looked at her, he saw she had succeeded.
Then it was that his quick and anxious look asked the question: "Which?" It seems he shouted it from where he stood. There was not a moment to lose. The question was asked in a second; it must be answered in a second.
Her right arm rest on the arm of her chair. She raised her hand, and made a slight, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw her. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena.
He turned, and walked quickly across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was fixed upon21 that man. Without hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it.
Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady?
The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer. She had lost him, but who should have him?
Very often, in her thoughts and in her dreams, she had cried out in fear. She had imagined her lover as he opened the door to the hungry tiger.
And even more she had seen him at the other door! She had set her teeth, and torn her hair22. She had hated his happiness when he opened the door to the lady! Her heart burned with pain when she imagined the scene: He goes quickly to meet the woman. His eyes shine with new life. The happy bells ring. The two of them are married before her eyes. Children run around them and throw flowers. Thousands of people dance in the streets.
Wouldn't it be better for him to die at once? Couldn't he wait for her in the futurity23?
Her decision had been shown in a second, but it had been made after days and nights of hard thinking. She had known she would be asked, she had decided what she would answer. She had moved her hand to the right.
The question of her decision is a difficult one. And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door — the lady, or the tiger?
1． Frank Stockton (1834—1902) 美国著名作家，The Lady or the Tiger是他的代表作，曾多次改编成电影、歌剧上演。
2． agree upon 对…意见一致
3． 此句意为：将错误更正过来最令他高兴不过。
4． arena n． 竞技场
5． 此句意为：在国王的竞技场里，人们可以看到国家法律的执行。
6． accuse sb． of sth． 控告，指控某人犯有某罪
7． 此句意为：他的对面，也就是竞技场的另一端，有两扇看起来完全一样的大门。
8． on trial 在受审
trial n． 审判，考验
9． jump on 扑向
10． tear to pieces 撕成碎片
11． as a reward of sb．＇s innocence 作为对某人清白无辜的奖赏 innocence n． 清白，无辜 innocent adj． 清白的，无辜的
12． interfere with 干涉，妨碍
13． priest n． 牧师
14． bride [braid] n． 新娘
15． uncertainty n． 不确定
16． the apple of one＇s eye 极珍爱之人或物 此处意为掌上名珠
17． no wonder 难怪
18． go forth (消息)发出
19． 此句意为：公主认为年轻人觉察到了美女的目光，并且这目光得到了回应…短暂的瞬间能够交流的很多。
20． 此句意为：但她竟敢抬起双眼看着公主的心上人。
21． fix upon 注视
22． 此句意为：她咬紧牙关，扯着头发。
23． futurity n． 未来，来世