英文版 王尔德童话星孩儿The StarChild文档格式.docx

英文版 王尔德童话星孩儿The StarChild文档格式.docx

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”

“Weet!

Weet!

”twitteredthegreenLinnets,“theoldEarthisdead

andtheyhavelaidheroutinherwhiteshroud.”

“TheEarthisgoingtobemarried,andthisisherbridaldress,”

whisperedtheTurtle-dovestoeachother.Theirlittlepinkfeetwerequitefrost-bitten,buttheyfeltthatitwastheirdutytotakearomanticviewofthesituation.

“Nonsense!

”growledtheWolf.“Itellyouthatitisallthefaultofthe

Government,andifyoudon’tbelievemeIshalleatyou.”TheWolfhada

thoroughlypracticalmind,andwasneveratalossforagoodargument.

“Well,formyownpart,”saidtheWoodpecker,whowasaborn

philosopher,“Idon’tcareanatomictheoryforexplanations.Ifathingis

so,itisso,andatpresentitisterriblycold.”

Terriblycolditcertainlywas.ThelittleSquirrels,wholivedinsidethetallfir-tree,keptrubbingeachother’snosestokeepthemselveswarm,

andtheRabbitscurledthemselvesupintheirholes,anddidnotventureeventolookoutofdoors.TheonlypeoplewhoseemedtoenjoyitwerethegreathornedOwls.Theirfeatherswerequitestiffwithrime,buttheydidnotmind,andtheyrolledtheirlargeyelloweyes,andcalledouttoeachotheracrosstheforest,“Tu-whit!

Tu-whoo!

Tu-whit!

Whatdelightfulweatherwearehaving!

OnandonwentthetwoWoodcutters,blowinglustilyupontheirfingers,andstampingwiththeirhugeiron-shodbootsuponthecakedsnow.Oncetheysankintoadeepdrift,andcameoutaswhiteasmillersare,whenthestonesaregrinding;

andoncetheyslippedonthehardsmoothicewherethemarsh-waterwasfrozen,andtheirfaggotsfelloutoftheirbundles,andtheyhadtopickthemupandbindthemtogetheragain;

andoncetheythoughtthattheyhadlosttheirway,andagreatterrorseizedonthem,fortheyknewthattheSnowiscrueltothosewhosleepinherarms.ButtheyputtheirtrustinthegoodSaintMartin,whowatchesoveralltravelers,andretracedtheirsteps,andwentwarily,andatlasttheyreachedtheoutskirtsoftheforest,andsaw,fardowninthe

valleybeneaththem,thelightsofthevillageinwhichtheydwelt.

Sooverjoyedweretheyattheirdeliverancethattheylaughedaloud,andtheEarthseemedtothemlikeaflowerofsilver,andtheMoonlikeaflowerofgold.

Yet,afterthattheyhadlaughedtheybecamesad,fortheyrememberedtheirpoverty,andoneofthemsaidtotheother,“Whydidwemakemerry,

seeingthatlifeisfortherich,andnotforsuchasweare?

Betterthatwehaddiedofcoldintheforest,orthatsomewildbeasthadfallenuponusandslainus.”

“Truly,”answeredhiscompanion,“muchisgiventosome,andlittleis

giventoothers.Injusticehasparceledouttheworld,noristhereequaldivisionofaughtsaveofsorrow.”

Butastheywerebewailingtheirmiserytoeachotherthisstrangethinghappened.Therefellfromheavenaverybrightandbeautifulstar.Itslippeddownthesideofthesky,passingbytheotherstarsinitscourse,and,astheywatcheditwondering,itseemedtothemtosinkbehindaclumpofwillow-treesthatstoodhardbyalittlesheepfoldnomorethanastone’s-throwaway.

“Why!

Thereisacrookofgoldforwhoeverfindsit,”theycried,and

theysettoandran,soeagerweretheyforthegold.

Andoneofthemranfasterthanhismate,andoutstrippedhim,andforcedhiswaythroughthewillows,andcameoutontheotherside,and

lo!

Therewasindeedathingofgoldlyingonthewhitesnow.Sohehastenedtowardit,andstoopingdownplacedhishandsuponit,anditwasacloakofgoldentissue,curiouslywroughtwithstars,andwrappedinmanyfolds.Andhecriedouttohiscomradethathehadfoundthetreasurethathadfallenfromthesky,andwhenhiscomradehadcomeup,theysatthemdowninthesnow,andloosenedthefoldsofthecloakthattheymightdividethepiecesofgold.But,alas!

Nogoldwasinit,norsilver,nor,indeed,treasureofanykind,butonlyalittlechildwhowas

asleep.

Andoneofthemsaidtotheother:

“Thisisabitterendingtoourhope,

norhaveweanygoodfortune,forwhatdothachildprofittoaman?

Letusleaveithere,andgoourway,seeingthatwearepoormen,andhavechildrenofourownwhosebreadwemaynotgivetoanother.”

Buthiscompanionansweredhim:

“Nay,butitwereanevilthingto

leavethechildtoperishhereinthesnow,andthoughIamaspoorasthouare,andhavemanymouthstofeed,andbutlittleinthepot,yetwillIbringithomewithme,andmywifeshallhavecareofit.”

Soverytenderlyhetookupthechild,andwrappedthecloakaroundittoshielditfromtheharshcold,andmadehiswaydownthehilltothevillage,hiscomrademarvelingmuchathisfoolishnessandsoftnessofheart.

Andwhentheycametothevillage,hiscomradesaidtohim,“Thou

hastthechild,thereforegivemethecloak,foritismeetthatweshouldshare.”

Butheansweredhim:

“Nay,forthecloakisneitherminenorthine,butthechild’sonly.”AndhebadehimGodspeed,andwenttohisownhouse

andknocked.

Andwhenhiswifeopenedthedoorandsawthatherhusbandhadreturnedsafetoher,sheputherarmsroundhisneckandkissedhim,andtookfromhisbackthebundleoffaggots,andbrushedthesnowoffhisboots,andbadehimcomein.

Buthesaidtoher,“Ihavefoundsomethingintheforest,andIhavebroughtittotheehavecareofit,”andhestirrednotfromthethreshold.

“Whatisit?

”shecried.“Snowittome,forthehouseisbare,andwe

haveneedofmanythings.”Andhedrewthecloakback,andshowedher

thesleepingchild.

“Alack,Goodman!

”shemurmured,“havewenotchildrenofourown,

thatthoumustneedsbringachangelingtositbythehearth?

Andwhoknowsifitwillnotbringusbadfortune?

Andhowshallwetendit?

”and

shewaswrothagainsthim.

“Nay,butitisaStar-Child,”heanswered;

andhetoldherthestrange

mannerofthefindingofit.

Butshewouldnotbeappeased,butmockedathim,andspokeangrily,andcried:

“Ourchildrenlackbread,andshallwefeedthechildofanother?

Whoistherewhocarethforus?

Andwhogivethusfood?

“Nay,butGodcarethforthesparrowseven,andfeedeththem,”he

answered.

“Donotthesparrowsdieofhungerinthewinter?

”sheasked.“Andis

itnotwinternow?

Andthemananswerednothing,butstirrednotfromthethreshold.

Andabitterwindfromtheforestcameinthroughtheopendoor,andmadehertremble,andsheshivered,andsaidtohim:

“Wiltthounotclose

thedoor?

Therecomethabitterwindintothehouse,andIamcold.”

“Intoahousewhereaheartishardcomeththerenotalwaysabitterwind?

”heasked.Andthewomanansweredhimnothing,butcreptclosertothefire.

Andafteratimesheturnedroundandlookedathim,andhereyeswerefulloftears.Andhecameinswiftly,andplacedthechildinherarms,andshekissedit,andlaiditinalittlebedwheretheyoungestoftheirownchildrenwaslying.AndonthemorrowtheWoodcuttertookthecuriouscloakofgoldandplaceditinagreatchest,andachainofamberthatwasroundthechild’sneckhiswifetookandsetitinthechestalso.

SotheStar-ChildwasbroughtupwiththechildrenoftheWoodcutter,andsatatthesameboardwiththem,andwastheirplaymate.Andeveryyearhebecamemorebeautifultolookat,sothatallthosewhodweltinthevillagewerefilledwithwonder,for,whiletheywereswarthyand

black-haired,hewaswhiteanddelicateassawnivory,andhiscurlswereliketheringsofthedaffodil.Hislips,also,werelikethepetalsofaredflower,andhiseyeswerelikevioletsbyariverofpurewater,andhis

bodylikethenarcissusofafieldwherethemowercomesnot.

Yetdidhisbeautyworkhimevil.Forhegrewproud,andcruel,andselfish.ThechildrenoftheWoodcutter,andtheotherchildrenofthevillage,hedespised,sayingthattheywereofmeanparentage,whilehewasnoble,beingsprangfromaStar,andhemadehimselfmasteroverthem,andcalledthemhisservants.Nopityhadheforthepoor,orforthosewhowereblindormaimedorinanywayafflicted,butwouldcaststonesatthemanddrivethemforthontothehighway,andbidthembegtheirbreadelsewhere,sothatnonesavetheoutlawscametwicetothatvillagetoaskforalms.Indeed,hewasasoneenamouredofbeauty,andwouldmockhimselfheloved,andinsummer,whenthewindswerestill,hewouldliebythewellinthepriest’sorchardandlookdownatthe

marvelofhisownface,andlaughforthepleasurehehadinhisfairness.

OftendidtheWoodcutterandhiswifechidehim,andsay:

“Wedidnot

dealwiththeeasthoudealestwiththosewhoareleftdesolate,andhavenonetosuccourthem.Whereforeartthousocrueltoallwhoneedpity?

Oftendidtheoldpriestsendforhim,andseektoteachhimtheloveoflivingthings,sayingtohim:

“Theflyisthybrother.Doitnoharm.The

wildbirdsthatroamthroughtheforesthavetheirfreedom.Snarethemnotforthypleasure.Godmadetheblind-wor