安徒生童话THE PORTERS SON.docx

安徒生童话THE PORTERS SON.docx

《安徒生童话THE PORTERS SON.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《安徒生童话THE PORTERS SON.docx（26页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

安徒生童话THEPORTERSSON

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

THEPORTER'SSON

byHansChristianAndersen

THEGenerallivedinthegrandfirstfloor,andtheporterlived

inthecellar.Therewasagreatdistancebetweenthetwofamilies-

thewholeofthegroundfloor,andthedifferenceinrank;butthey

livedinthesamehouse,andbothhadaviewofthestreet,andofthe

courtyard.Inthecourtyardwasagrass-plot,onwhichgrewablooming

acaciatree（whenitwasinbloom）,andunderthistreesat

occasionallythefinely-dressednurse,withthestillmore

finely-dressedchildoftheGeneral-littleEmily.Beforethem

dancedaboutbarefootthelittlesonoftheporter,withhisgreat

browneyesanddarkhair;andthelittlegirlsmiledathim,and

stretchedoutherhandstowardshim;andwhentheGeneralsawthat

fromthewindow,hewouldnodhisheadandcry,"Charming!

"The

General'slady（whowassoyoungthatshemightverywellhavebeen

herhusband'sdaughterfromanearlymarriage）nevercametothe

windowthatlookeduponthecourtyard.Shehadgivenorders,though,

thattheboymightplayhisanticstoamuseherchild,butmust

nevertouchit.Thenursepunctuallyobeyedthegraciouslady's

orders.

Thesunshoneinuponthepeopleinthegrandfirstfloor,and

uponthepeopleinthecellar;theacaciatreewascoveredwith

blossoms,andtheyfelloff,andnextyearnewonescame.Thetree

bloomed,andtheporter'slittlesonbloomedtoo,andlookedlikea

freshtulip.

TheGeneral'slittledaughterbecamedelicateandpale,likethe

leafoftheacaciablossom.Sheseldomcamedowntothetreenow,

forshetooktheairinacarriage.Shedroveoutwithhermamma,

andthenshewouldalwaysnodattheporter'sGeorge;yes,sheused

eventokissherhandtohim,tillhermammasaidshewastoooldto

dothatnow.

OnemorningGeorgewassentuptocarrytheGeneraltheletters

andnewspapersthathadbeendeliveredattheporter'sroominthe

morning.Ashewasrunningupstairs,justashepassedthedoorof

thesand-box,heheardafaintpiping.Hethoughtitwassomeyoung

chickenthathadstrayedthere,andwasraisingcriesofdistress;but

itwastheGeneral'slittledaughter,deckedoutinlaceandfinery.

"Don'ttellpapaandmamma,"shewhimpered;"theywouldbeangry."

"What'sthematter,littlemissie?

"askedGeorge.

"It'sallonfire!

"sheanswered."It'sburningwithabright

flame!

"GeorgehurriedupstairstotheGeneral'sapartments;he

openedthedoorofthenursery.Thewindowcurtainwasalmostentirely

burnt,andthewoodencurtain-polewasonemassofflame.George

spranguponachairhebroughtinhaste,andpulleddowntheburning

articles;hethenalarmedthepeople.Butforhim,thehousewould

havebeenburneddown.

TheGeneralandhisladycross-questionedlittleEmily.

"Ionlytookjustonelucifer-match,"shesaid,"anditwas

burningdirectly,andthecurtainwasburningtoo.Ispatatit,to

putitout;IspatatitasmuchaseverIcould,butIcouldnot

putitout;soIranawayandhidmyself,forpapaandmammawould

beangry."

"Ispat!

"criedtheGeneral'slady;"whatanexpression!

Didyou

everhearyourpapaandmammatalkaboutspitting?

Youmusthavegot

thatfromdownstairs!

"

AndGeorgehadapennygivenhim.Butthispennydidnotgotothe

baker'sshop,butintothesavings-box;andsoonthereweresomany

penniesinthesavings-boxthathecouldbuyapaint-boxandcolorthe

drawingshemade,andhehadagreatnumberofdrawings.Theyseemed

toshootoutofhispencilandoutofhisfingers'ends.Hisfirst

coloredpictureshepresentedtoEmily.

"Charming!

"saidtheGeneral,andeventheGeneral'slady

acknowledgedthatitwaseasytoseewhattheboyhadmeanttodraw.

"Hehasgenius."Thosewerethewordsthatwerecarrieddowninto

thecellar.

TheGeneralandhisgraciousladyweregrandpeople.Theyhad

twocoatsofarmsontheircarriage,acoatofarmsforeachof

them,andthegraciousladyhadhadthiscoatofarmsembroideredon

bothsidesofeverybitoflinenshehad,andevenonhernightcapand

herdressing-bag.Oneofthecoatsofarms,theonethatbelongedto

her,wasaverydearone;ithadbeenboughtforhardcashbyher

father,forhehadnotbeenbornwithit,norhadshe;shehadcome

intotheworldtooearly,sevenyearsbeforethecoatofarms,and

mostpeoplerememberedthiscircumstance,butthefamilydidnot

rememberit.Amanmightwellhaveabeeinhisbonnet,whenhehad

suchacoatofarmstocarryasthat,letalonehavingtocarrytwo;

andtheGeneral'swifehadabeeinherswhenshedrovetothecourt

ball,asstiffandasproudasyouplease.

TheGeneralwasoldandgray,buthehadagoodseatonhorseback,

andheknewit,andherodeouteveryday,withagroombehindhim

ataproperdistance.Whenhecametoaparty,helookedsomehowasif

hewereridingintotheroomuponhishighhorse;andhehadorders,

too,suchanumberthatnoonewouldhavebelievedit;butthatwas

nothisfault.Asayoungmanhehadtakenpartinthegreatautumn

reviewswhichwereheldinthosedays.Hehadananecdotethathetold

aboutthosedays,theonlyoneheknew.Asubalternunderhisorders

hadcutoffoneoftheprinces,andtakenhimprisoner,andthePrince

hadbeenobligedtoridethroughthetownwithalittlebandof

capturedsoldiers,himselfaprisonerbehindtheGeneral.Thiswas

anever-memorableevent,andwasalwaystoldoverandoveragainevery

yearbytheGeneral,who,moreover,alwaysrepeatedtheremarkable

wordshehadusedwhenhereturnedhisswordtothePrince;those

wordswere,"OnlymysubalterncouldhavetakenyourHighness

prisoner;Icouldneverhavedoneit!

"AndthePrincehadreplied,

"Youareincomparable."InarealwartheGeneralhadnevertaken

part.Whenwarcameintothecountry,hehadgoneonadiplomatic

careertoforeigncourts.HespoketheFrenchlanguagesofluently

thathehadalmostforgottenhisown;hecoulddancewell,hecould

ridewell,andordersgrewonhiscoatinanastoundingway.The

sentriespresentedarmstohim,oneofthemostbeautifulgirls

presentedarmstohim,andbecametheGeneral'slady,andintimethey

hadapretty,charmingchild,thatseemedasifithaddroppedfrom

heaven,itwassopretty;andtheporter'ssondancedbeforeitinthe

courtyard,assoonasitcouldunderstandit,andgaveherallhis

coloredpictures,andlittleEmilylookedatthem,andwaspleased,

andtorethemtopieces.Shewasprettyanddelicateindeed.

"MylittleRoseleaf!

"criedtheGeneral'slady,"thouartborn

towedaprince."

Theprincewasalreadyatthedoor,buttheyknewnothingofit;

peopledon'tseefarbeyondthethreshold.

"Thedaybeforeyesterdayourboydividedhisbreadandbutter

withher!

"saidtheporter'swife."Therewasneithercheesenor

meatuponit,butshelikeditaswellasifithadbeenroastbeef.

TherewouldhavebeenafinenoiseiftheGeneralandhiswifehad

seenthefeast,buttheydidnotseeit.

GeorgehaddividedhisbreadandbutterwithlittleEmily,and

hewouldhavedividedhisheartwithher,ifitwouldhavepleased

her.Hewasagoodboy,briskandclever,andhewenttothenight

schoolintheAcademynow,tolearntodrawproperly.LittleEmilywas

gettingonwithhereducationtoo,forshespokeFrenchwithher

"bonne,"andhadadancingmaster.

"GeorgewillbeconfirmedatEaster,"saidtheporter'swife;

forGeorgehadgotsofarasthis.

"Itwouldbethebestthing,now,tomakeanapprenticeofhim,"

saidhisfather."Itmustbetosomegoodcalling-andthenhewould

beoutofthehouse."

"Hewouldhavetosleepoutofthehouse,"saidGeorge'smother.

"Itisnoteasytofindamasterwhohasroomforhimatnight,andwe

shallhavetoprovidehimwithclothestoo.Thelittlebitofeating

thathewantscanbemanagedforhim,forhe'squitehappywitha

fewboiledpotatoes;andhegetstaughtfornothing.Lettheboygo

hisownway.Youwillsaythathewillbeourjoysomeday,andthe

Professorsayssotoo."

Theconfirmationsuitwasready.Themotherhadworkeditherself;

butthetailorwhodidrepairshadcutthemout,andacapital

cutter-outhewas.

"Ifhehadhadabetterposition,andbeenabletokeepaworkshop

andjourneymen,"theporter'swifesaid,"hemighthavebeenacourt

tailor."

Theclotheswereready,andthecandidateforconfirmationwas

ready.Onhisconfirmationday,Georgereceivedagreatpinchbeck

watchfromhisgodfather,theoldironmonger'sshopman,therichest

ofhisgodfathers.Thewatchwasanoldandtriedservant.Italways

wenttoofast,butthatisbetterthantobelaggingbehind.That

wasacostlypresent.AndfromtheGeneral'sapartmenttherearriveda

hymn-bookboundinmorocco,sentbythelittleladytowhomGeorgehad

givenpictures.Atthebeginningofthebookhisnamewaswritten,and

hername,as"hisgraciouspatroness."Thesewordshadbeenwrittenat

thedictationoftheGeneral'slady,andtheGeneralhadreadthe

inscription,andpronouncedit"Charming!

"

"Thatisreallyagreatattentionfromafamilyofsuchposition,"

saidtheporter'swife;andGeorgewassentupstairstoshow

himselfinhisconfirmationclothes,withthehymn-bookinhishand.

TheGeneral'sladywassittingverymuchwrappedup,andhadthe

badheadacheshealwayshadwhentimehungheavyuponherhands.She

lookedatGeorgeverypleasantly,andwishedhimallprosperity,and

thathemightneverhaveherheadache.TheGeneralwaswalkingabout

inhisdressing-gown.Hehadacapwithalongtasselonhishead,and

Russianbootswithredtopsonhisfeet.Hewalkedthreetimesup

anddowntheroom,abs