偉大的魔術師【1】（笑話，譯文）
譯自法語by me, 英語由Gemini proofread過
The Great Magician
A great magician travels the world presenting his superb act of a ball that moves on its own at his command. But in fact, there is a dwarf inside.
Alas, one day, while on tour in the Middle East, the dwarf dies.
However, that night, the magician has to present his ball act, which rolls alone, in front of the Sheikh 【2】of the country. On the street, the magician meets a small boy and explains what he needs to do in the ball. In exchange for a handsome sum of money, the boy accepts.
The evening comes, the magician gives his performance; the ball perfectly obeys the magician's command. It is a triumph.
After the performance, the magician goes to the bars of the city and after many drinks, he is completely drunk. In this condition, he tells anyone who will hear that his ball moves is because of the kid inside, and that the audience are fooled.
The news arrives at the ears of the Sheikh, who has the magician arrested and condemns him to death.
The day after his arrest, he is taken to the public square where he is to be decapitated.
The moment he places his head on the block, he hears the kid's voice.
"Excuse me about the other night, sir. It was Mommy who didn't want me to come."
偉大的魔術師
一個偉大的魔術師用一個能按他的指令滾動的球在世界巡回表演。實際上球裏有一個侏儒。
哎呀，有那麽一天，他在中東表演，侏儒死了。
恰好那天晚上，魔術師要表演他的球的節目，球得在那國的酋長【2】麵前滾動。在街上，魔術師碰到了一個小男孩，就告訴他在球裏他怎麽做。因為可以得到一筆可觀的錢，孩子答應了。
晚間，魔術師表演，球按他的指令滾動，演出大獲成功。
演出後，魔術師城到裏的酒吧間，喝了不少杯酒，銘酊大醉。逢人便吐真言說球裏有個小孩，觀眾都是傻瓜。
這事傳到酋長那裏，他下令逮捕魔術師，把他判了死刑。
在魔術師被捕的第二天，他被帶到廣場上的斷頭台。
但他的頭被放到斷頭台時，他聽到那個小男孩的聲音。
“先生，那天晚上我真對不起您。我媽媽跟我說不讓我去。”
【1】. p. 65. LE GRAND MAGICIEN. 1000 Blagues
【2】. Ceikh 或Ceik, 法語。Sheikh 或Sheik，英語。
法語Ceikh 或Ceik, 陽性名詞。發音∫εk。(源於阿拉伯語chaikh, 老人). 1. 一個阿拉伯部落首領。2. 一個給與因其年紀，作用，經驗而受到尊敬的人的名稱。
譯自p. 234. Le Petit Larousse Illustré. Larousse. Paris. 2004.
