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