快乐王子英文版doc.docx

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快乐王子英文版doc

TheHappyPrince

OscarWilde

Highabovethecity,onatallcolumn,stoodthestatueoftheHappyPrince.He

wasgildedalloverwiththinleavesoffinegold,foreyeshehadtwobright

sapphires,andalargeredrubyglowedonhissword-hilt.

HIGHabovethecity,onatallcolumn,stoodthestatueoftheHappyPrince.He

wasgildedalloverwiththinleavesoffinegold,foreyeshehadtwobright

sapphires,andalargeredrubyglowedonhissword-hilt.

Hewasverymuchadmiredindeed.‘Heisasbeautifulasaweathercock,’

remarkedoneoftheTownCouncillorswhowishedtogainareputationfor

havingartistictastes;‘onlynotquitesouseful,he’added,fearinglestpeople

shouldthinkhimunpractical,whichhereallywasnot.

‘Whycan’yotubeliketheHappyPrince?

a’skedasensiblemotherofherlittle

boywhowascryingforthemoon.‘TheHappyPrinceneverdreamsofcryingfor

anything.’

‘aImgladthereissomeoneintheworldwhoisquitehappy,’mutteredadisappointedmanashegazedatthewonderfulstatue.

‘Helooksjustlikeanangel,s’aidtheCharityChildrenastheycameoutofthecathedralintheirbrightscarletcloaks,andtheircleanwhitepinafores.

‘Howdoyouknow?

’saidtheMathematicalMaster,‘youhaveneverseenone.

‘Ahb!

utwehave,inourdreams,a’nsweredthechildren;andtheMathematical

Masterfrownedandlookedverysevere,forhedidnotapproveofchildren

dreaming.

OnenightthereflewoverthecityalittleSwallow.Hisfriendshadgoneawayto

Egyptsixweeksbefore,buthehadstayedbehind,forhewasinlovewiththe

mostbeautifulReed.Hehadmetherearlyinthespringashewasflyingdown

theriverafterabigyellowmoth,andhadbeensoattractedbyherslenderwaist

thathehadstoppedtotalktoher.

‘ShallIloveyou?

’saidtheSwallow,wholikedtocometothepointatonce,and

theReedmadehimalowbow.Soheflewroundandroundher,touchingthe

waterwithhiswings,andmakingsilverripples.Thiswashiscourtship,andit

lastedallthroughthesummer.

‘Itisaridiculousattachment,’twitteredtheotherSwallows,‘shehas

andfartoomanyrelations;and’indeedtheriverwasquitefullofReeds.Then,

whentheautumncame,theyallflewaway.

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Aftertheyhadgonehefeltlonely,andbegantotireofhislady-love.‘Shehasno

conversation,he’said,‘andIamafraidthatsheisacoquette,forsheisalways

flirtingwiththewind.’Andcertainly,wheneverthewindblew,theReedmade

themostgracefulcurtsies.‘Iadmitthatsheisdomestic,’hecontinued,

travelling,andmywife,consequently,shouldlovetravellingalso.’

‘Wilyloucomeawaywithme?

’hesaidfinallytoher;buttheReedshookherhead,shewassoattachedtoherhome.

‘Yohuavebeentriflingwithme,’hecried,‘aImofftothePyramids.Good-bye!

’andheflewaway.

Alldaylongheflew,andatnight-timehearrivedatthecity.‘WhereshallIput

up?

’hesaid;‘Ihopethetownhasmadepreparations.’

Thenhesawthestatueonthetallcolumn.‘Iwillputupthere,’hecried;‘itis

finepositionwithplentyoffreshair.’Sohealightedjustbetweenthefeetofthe

HappyPrince.

‘hIaveagoldenbedroom,h’esaidsoftlytohimselfashelookedround,andhe

preparedtogotosleep;butjustashewasputtinghisheadunderhiswinga

largedropofwaterfellonhim.‘Whaatcuriousthing!

h’ecried,‘thiserneota

singlecloudinthesky,thestarsarequiteclearandbright,andyetitisraining.

TheclimateinthenorthofEuropeisreallydreadful.TheReedusedtolikethe

rain,butthatwasmerelyherselfishness.’

Thenanotherdropfell.

‘Whatistheuseofastatueifitcannotkeeptherainoff?

’hesaid;

agoodchimney-pot,’andhedeterminedtoflyaway.

Butbeforehehadopenedhiswings,athirddropfell,andhelookedup,andsaw-

Ah!

whatdidhesee?

TheeyesoftheHappyPrincewerefilledwithtears,andtearswererunning

downhisgoldencheeks.Hisfacewassobeautifulinthemoonlightthatthelittle

Swallowwasfilledwithpity.

‘Whoareyou?

’hesaid.

‘IamtheHappyPrince.’

‘Whyareyouweepingthen?

’askedtheSwallow;‘youhavequitedrenchedme.

‘WhenIwasaliveandhadahumanheart,’answeredthestatue,‘Ididnot

whattearswere,forIlivedinthepalaceofSans-Souci,wheresorrowisnot

allowedtoenter.InthedaytimeIplayedwithmycompanionsinthegarden,and

intheeveningIledthedanceintheGreatHall.Roundthegardenranaverylofty

2

wall,butInevercaredtoaskwhatlaybeyondit,everythingaboutmewasso

beautiful.MycourtierscalledmetheHappyPrince,andhappyindeedIwas,if

pleasurebehappiness.SoIlived,andsoIdied.AndnowthatIamdeadthey

havesetmeupheresohighthatIcanseealltheuglinessandallthemiseryof

mycity,andthoughmyheartismadeofleadyetIcannotchoosebutweep.

‘Whati,shenotsolidgold?

s’aidtheSwallowtohimself.Hewastoopolitetomakeanypersonalremarksoutloud.

‘Faraway,’continuedthestatueinalowmusicalvoice,‘farawayinalittl

thereisapoorhouse.Oneofthewindowsisopen,andthroughitIcanseea

womanseatedatatable.Herfaceisthinandworn,andshehascoarse,redhands,

allprickedbytheneedle,forsheisaseamstress.Sheisembroideringpassion-

flowersonasatingownfortheloveliestoftheQueen-of-honourto’wseamraids

atthenextCourt-ball.Inabedinthecorneroftheroomherlittleboyislyingill.

Hehasafever,andisaskingfororanges.Hismotherhasnothingtogivehimbut

riverwater,soheiscrying.Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,willyounotbring

hertherubyoutofmysword-hilt?

MyfeetarefastenedtothispedestalandI

cannotmove.’

‘IamwaitedforinEgypt,’saidtheSwallow.‘Myfriendsareflyingupanddow

theNile,andtalkingtothelargelotus-flowers.Soontheywillgotosleepinthe

tombofthegreatKing.TheKingistherehimselfinhispaintedcoffin.Heis

wrappedinyellowlinen,andembalmedwithspices.Roundhisneckisachainof

palegreenjade,andhishandsarelikewitheredleaves.’

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘willyounotstaywithmonenight,andbemymessenger?

Theboyissothirsty,andthemothersosad.

‘dIon’tthinkIlikeboys,a’nsweredtheSwallow.‘Lasstummer,whenIwas

stayingontheriver,thereweretworudeboys,themiller’sonss,whowere

alwaysthrowingstonesatme.Theyneverhitme,ofcourse;weswallowsflyfar

toowellforthat,andbesides,Icomeofafamilyfamousforitsagility;butstill,it

wasamarkofdisrespect.’

ButtheHappyPrincelookedsosadthatthelittleSwallowwassorry.‘I

coldhere,’hesaid;‘butIwillstaywithyouforonenight,andbeyourmessenger.

‘Thankyou,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince.

SotheSwallowpickedoutthegreatrubyfromthePrince’ssword,andflewawwithitinhisbeakovertheroofsofthetown.

Hepassedbythecathedraltower,wherethewhitemarbleangelswere

sculptured.Hepassedbythepalaceandheardthesoundofdancing.Abeautiful

girlcameoutonthebalconywithherlover.‘Hwoownderfulthestarsare,h’e

saidtoher,andhowwonderfulisthepoweroflove!

’

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‘hIopemydresswillbereadyintimefortheState-ball,sh’eanswered;‘hIave

orderedpassion-flowerstobeembroideredonit;buttheseamstressesareso

lazy.’

Hepassedovertheriver,andsawthelanternshangingtothemastsoftheships.

HepassedovertheGhetto,andsawtheoldjewsbargainingwitheachother,andweighingoutmoneyincopperscales.Atlasthecametothepoorhouseand

lookedin.Theboywastossingfeverishlyonhisbed,andthemotherhadfallen

asleep,shewassotired.Inhehopped,andlaidthegreatrubyonthetablebeside

thewoman’sthimble.Thenheflewgentlyroundthebed,fanningtheboy’s

foreheadwithhiswings.‘HowcoolIfeel,’saidtheboy,‘Imustbegettin

andhesankintoadeliciousslumber.

ThentheSwallowflewbacktotheHappyPrince,andtoldhimwhathehaddone.

‘Itiscurious,’heremarked,‘butIfeelquitewarmnow,althoughitissocold.

‘Thaitsbecauseyouhavedoneagoodaction,sa’idthePrince.Andthelittle

Swallowbegantothink,andthenhefellasleep.Thinkingalwaysmadehim

sleepy.

Whendaybrokeheflewdowntotheriverandhadabath.‘Whataremarkable

phenomenon,’saidtheProfessorofOrnithologyashewaspassingoverthe

bridge.‘Aswallowinwinter!

A’ndhewrotealongletteraboutittothelocal

newspaper.Everyonequotedit,itwasfullofsomanywordsthattheycouldnot

understand.

‘T-onightIgotoEgypt,s’aidtheSwallow,andhewasinhighspiritsatthe

prospect.Hevisitedallthepublicmonuments,andsatalongtimeontopofthe

churchsteeple.WhereverhewenttheSparrowschirruped,andsaidtoeach

other,‘Whatadistinguishedstranger!

’soheenjoyedhimselfverymuch.

WhenthemoonroseheflewbacktotheHappyPrince.‘Haveyouany

commissionsforEgypt?

’hecried;‘Iamjuststarting.’

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘willyounotstaywithm

nightlonger?

’

‘IamwaitedforinEgypt,’answeredthe-Smwoarrllooww.myfriend‘swTilolfly

uptotheSecondCataract.Theriver-horsecouchesthereamongthebulrushes,

andonagreatgranitethronesitstheGodMemnon.Allnightlonghewatchesthe

stars,andwhenthemorningstarshinesheuttersonecryofjoy,andthenheis

silent.Atnoontheyellowlionscomedowntothewater’sedgtoedrink.They

haveeyeslikegreenberyls,andtheirroarislouderthantheroarofthecataract.

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidtheprince,‘farawayacrosstheci

ayoungmaninagarret.Heisleaningoveradeskcoveredwithpapers,andin