There was a merchantwho sent his servant to the market to buy provisions¹, and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said,“Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled² by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.”
　　The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs³ in its flanks⁴ and as fast as the horse could gallop⁵ he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he came to Death and said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?” “That was not a threatening gesture,” Death said. “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him here, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”
　　


　　有一个商人，他派仆人去集市上买粮食。不一会儿，仆人回来了。他脸色苍白，浑身发抖，说：“主人啊，刚才我在集市上，被人群中的一个女人撞了一下。我回头一看，原来是死神。她看着我，做了个吓人的姿势。事已至此，请把你的马借给我吧，我要骑着它离开这个城市，躲避厄运。我要去萨迈拉。在那儿，死神肯定找不到我。”
　　商人把自己的马借给了他。仆人上了马，策马疾驰而去。然后，商人到集市上去，看见死神站在人群中，就走过去问她 ：“你上午见到我的仆人，为什么对他摆出吓人的姿势？”“我没有吓他啊，”死神回答，“我只是吃了一惊。在这里看到他，我感到很惊讶，因为我今晚要在萨迈拉和他见面。”
　　陶莎 摘自 Short Stories