奴隶画家

字幕原文

In seventeenth-century Seville, 在17世纪的塞维利亚，

the great painter Murillo walked into his studio one morning and found something strange: 大画家穆里罗有天早晨走进画室，发现了一件怪事：

on one of his students' canvases was a sketch nobody admitted to making, 在他一个学生的画布上，有一幅谁也不承认画过的素描，

the head of the Virgin Mary, beautifully done. 那是一副圣母玛利亚的头像，画得极其精美。

It happened again, and again. 接下来的日子里，这种怪事一次又一次发生。

Each morning, a new figure appeared, 每天早晨，画布上都会出现一个新的人物像，

better than anything his students could produce. 画得比他任何一个学生的作品都要好。

Murillo asked his young slave, Sebastian, 穆里罗便问了问他的年轻奴隶塞巴斯蒂安，

who slept in the studio, whether he'd seen anyone. 这孩子就睡在画室里，穆里罗问他有没有看见什么人。

Sebastian said no. 塞巴斯蒂安说没有。

So one night, the students hid and waited. 于是有天夜里，学生们悄悄藏在画室守株待兔。

At three in the morning, they caught him. 到了凌晨三点，他们抓了个现行。

It was Sebastian himself, alone, painting by candlelight. 那个人竟然就是塞巴斯蒂安自己，正独自借着烛光画画。

He'd been watching the lessons for years, 原来这么多年来，他一直在旁听观摩教学，

and practicing in secret while everyone slept. 趁着大家熟睡的时候，偷偷练习。

Terrified, he fell to his knees. 他吓坏了，扑通一声跪倒在地。

But Murillo just stared at the canvas. 但穆里罗只是目不转睛地盯着那块画布。

"Who taught you this?" “谁教你画的？”

"You did, master. “是您教的，主人。

While you were teaching the others." 是您在教其他人的时候，我跟着学的。”

"He deserves a reward," the students cried. “他该得到奖赏！”学生们叫道，

"Ask for your freedom!" “快求主人给你自由身吧！”

Sebastian shook his head. 塞巴斯蒂安却摇了摇头。

"Then please, free my father instead." “那就请您……还我父亲自由吧。”

Murillo freed them both, and took Sebastian on as his pupil. 穆里罗把他们父子俩都释放了，并正式收塞巴斯蒂安为徒。

In time, he became a respected painter in his own right. 后来，塞巴斯蒂安也凭自己的本事成了一位受人尊敬的画家。

Real talent rarely waits for permission. 真正的才华，从来不需要等待许可。

Give it the smallest chance, and it will quietly teach itself. 只要给它一丝微小的机会，它就会悄悄自学成才。