The Girl with the Beautiful Face
Once upon a time there was a girl who, though of humble origin, was so incredibly beautiful that she was famed throughout the region. Knowing how much the young men of the Kingdom liked her, she rejected all her suitors, waiting for the arrival of some handsome Prince. Well, it didn’t take long for a handsome Prince to come by, and as soon as he saw the young girl he fell for her and showered her with compliments and gifts. The wedding was extravagant, and everyone said they made the perfect couple.
Hi havia una vegada una jove d’origen humil, però increïblement bella, famosa a tota la regió per la seva bellesa. Ella, coneixent bé quant agradava als joves del regne, va rebutjar a tots els seus pretendents, esperant l’arribada d’algun príncep ben plantat. Aquest no va trigar a aparèixer, i tan bon punt va veure la xica, es va enamorar perdidamente d’ella i la va omplir d’afalacs i regals. La boda va ser grandiosa, i tots comentaven que feien una parella perfecta.
However, when the shine and excitement of the presents and the parties began to wear off, the young Princess found out that her handsome young husband wasn’t as wonderful as she had expected. He behaved like a tyrant towards his people, he boasted about his wife as though she was a hunting trophy, and he was selfish and mean. When she came to see that everything about her husband was a false appearance, she didn’t hesitate to tell him this to his face, but he answered her back in a similar vein, reminding her that he had only chosen her for her beauty, and that she could have chosen many others rather than himself, if she hadn’t let herself be carried away by ambition and her desire to live in a palace.
Però quan la lluentor dels regals i les festes es van anar apagant, la jove princesa va descobrir que el seu guapo marit no era tan meravellós com ella esperava: Es va jactar de la seva dona com si fos un trofeu de caça, i era egoista i mesquí. Quan va comprovar que tot en el seu marit era una falsa aparença, no va dubtar a dir-li-ho a la cara, però ell li va respondre de forma similar, recordant-li que només l’havia triat per la seva bellesa, i que ella mateixa va poder haver triat molts altres abans que ell, si no s’hagués deixat dur per l’ambició i el desig de viure en un palau.
The Princess cried for days, seeing the truth in her husband’s cruel words. She remembered all the many good and honest young men she’d rejected only so she could become a Princess. Wanting to undo her mistake, the Princess tried to leave the palace, but the Prince wouldn’t allow her, since everyone talked about the extraordinary beauty of his wife, and this added to the Prince’s reputation as an exceptional man. The Princess made so many attempts to escape that she ended up locked away, constantly watched by guards.
La princesa va plorar durant dies, comprenent la veritat de les paraules del seu cruel marit. I se’n recordava de tants joves honrats i bondadosos a qui havia rebutjat només per convertir-se en una princesa. Volent esmenar el seu error, la princesa va tractar de fugir del palau, però el príncep no li ho va permetre, perquè tots parlaven de l’extraordinària bellesa de la seva esposa, augmentant amb ella la seva fama d’home excepcional. Tants intents van fer la princesa per escapar, que va acabar tancada i custodiada per guàrdies constantment.
One of those guards felt pity for the Princess, and in her captivity he tried to cheer her up and provide some company and conversation for her. As time passed they were becoming good friends. They came to have such confidence in each other that one day the Princess asked the guard to allow her to escape. But the soldier, who owed loyalty and obedience to his King did not agree to the Princess’ plea. Nevertheless, he answered her, saying:
Un d’aquells guàrdies va sentir pena per la princesa, i en els seu captiveri tractava d’animar-la i donar-li conversa, de manera que amb el pas del temps es van fer bons amics. Tanta confiança va arribar a tenir, que un dia la princesa va demanar al seu guardià que la deixés escapar. Però el soldat, que havia de lloar i obeir al seu rei, no va accedir a la petició de la princesa. No obstant això, li va respondre dient:
–“If you so want to flee from here, I know how to do it, but it will call for a great sacrifice on your part.”
– Si tant vols sortir d’aquí, tinc la forma de fer-ho, però requereix un gran sacrifici per la teva part.
She agreed, confirming that she was willing to do anything, and so the soldier continued:
Ella estava d’acord, confirmant que estava disposat a qualsevol cosa, i el soldat va continuar:
-“The Prince only wants you for your beauty. If you disfigure your face he will send you far away from the palace so no one can see you, and he’ll erase any trace of your presence. That’s just the despicable, miserable kind of man he is.”
– El príncep només et vol per la teva bellesa. Si us desfigureu el rostre, t’enviarà lluny del palau, perquè ningú no pugui veure’t, i eliminarà qualsevol rastre de la teva presència. És així de vil i miserable.
The Princess replied, saying:
La princesa va respondre dient:
-“Disfigure myself? And where will I go to? What will become of me, if my beauty is all I have? Who would want to have anything to do with a horribly ugly and useless woman like me?”
– Desfigurar-me? On vaig a anar? Que serà de mi, si la meva bellesa és l’únic que tinc? Qui voldria tenir alguna cosa que veure amb una dona horriblement lletja i inútil com jo?”
-”I would,”the soldier answered, confidently. His daily talks with the Princess had led him to fall in love with her.
– Jo ho faré – va respondre segur el soldat, que del seu tracte diari amb la princesa s’havia acabat enamorant d’ella – Per a mi són encara més bella per dins que per fora.
-“To me you are even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside.”
– “Per a mi, fins i tot ets més bella a l’interior que a l’exterior”.
And at that moment the Princess realised that she too loved that simple and honest soldier. With tears in her eyes she took the hand of her guard, and with his dagger in both their hands, they made two long, deep cuts in her face…
I llavors la princesa va comprendre que també estimava a aquell senzill i honrat soldat. Amb llàgrimes als ulls, va prendre la mà del seu guardià, i empunyant junts una daga, va dibuixar sobre el seu rostre dos llargs i profunds talls…
When the Prince saw his wife’s face everything happened just as the guard had predicted. The Prince sent her as far away as he could, and he made up a tragic story about her death which made him even more popular among the people.
Quan el príncep va veure el rostre de la seva esposa, tot va passar com el guarda havia previst. Va fer-la enviar tan lluny com va poder, i es va inventar una trágica història sobre la mort de la princesa que la va fer encara més popular entre la gent.
And so, disfigured and free, the girl with the beautiful face could finally be happy alongside that simple and loyal soldier. He was the only person who, looking at her, would not quickly look away, since in that face he always found the path to his heart.
I així, desfigurada i lliure, la jove del bonic rostre va poder ser feliç al costat d’aquell senzill i fidel soldat, l’únic que en veure-la no es va separar de la mirada, ja que a través del rostre sempre trobava el camí cap al seu cor.
* * Definitions. Look up in the reading:
a) having an attractive, well-proportioned, and imposing appearance suggestive of health and strength; good-looking: __________________________________
b) the act or ceremony of marrying; marriage; nuptials. ___________________________
c) two persons considered as joined together, as a married or engaged pair, lovers, or dance partners: ________________________________
d) a thing presented as a gift; gift: ____________________________
e) the official residence of a king, queen, bishop, or other sovereign or exalted personage. __________________________
f) to run away from (a place, person, etc.). __________________________________
h) a short, swordlike weapon with a pointed blade and a handle, used for stabbing. _________________________
**Answer these questions about the story:
a) Why did not the girl want to marry anyone?
b) She marries the Prince. Are they happy at the beginning? Why do they stop being it?
c) Where did the girl want to live?
d) Why the Pricess was locked away and constantly watched by guards?
e) Tell how she managed to leave the castle? Who helped her?
EL CAVALLER DEL CIGNE ciutadà valencià de nació catalana //*// 