快乐王子英文版.docx

快乐王子英文版.docx

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快乐王子英文版

TheHappyPrince

OscarWilde

Highabovethecity,onatallcolumn,stoodthestatueoftheHappyPrince.Hewasgildedalloverwiththinleavesoffinegold,foreyeshehadtwobrightsapphires,andalargeredrubyglowedonhissword-hilt.

HIGHabovethecity,onatallcolumn,stoodthestatueoftheHappyPrince.Hewasgildedalloverwiththinleavesoffinegold,foreyeshehadtwobrightsapphires,andalargeredrubyglowedonhissword-hilt.

Hewasverymuchadmiredindeed.‘Heisasbeautifulasaweathercock,’remarkedoneoftheTownCouncillorswhowishedtogainareputationforhavingartistictastes;‘onlynotquitesouseful,’headded,fearinglestpeopleshouldthinkhimunpractical,whichhereallywasnot.

‘Whycan’tyoubeliketheHappyPrince’askedasensiblemotherofherlittleboywhowascryingforthemoon.‘TheHappyPrinceneverdreamsofcryingforanything.’

‘Iamgladthereissomeoneintheworldwhoisquitehappy,’mutteredadisappointedmanashegazedatthewonderfulstatue.

‘Helooksjustlikeanangel,’saidtheCharityChildrenastheycameoutofthecathedralintheirbrightscarletcloaks,andtheircleanwhitepinafores.

‘Howdoyouknow’saidtheMathematicalMaster,‘youhaveneverseenone.’

‘Ah!

butwehave,inourdreams,’answeredthechildren;andtheMathematicalMasterfrownedandlookedverysevere,forhedidnotapproveofchildrendreaming.

OnenightthereflewoverthecityalittleSwallow.HisfriendshadgoneawaytoEgyptsixweeksbefore,buthehadstayedbehind,forhewasinlovewiththemostbeautifulReed.Hehadmetherearlyinthespringashewasflyingdowntheriverafterabigyellowmoth,andhadbeensoattractedbyherslenderwaistthathehadstoppedtotalktoher.

‘ShallIloveyou’saidtheSwallow,wholikedtocometothepointatonce,andtheReedmadehimalowbow.Soheflewroundandroundher,touchingthewaterwithhiswings,andmakingsilverripples.Thiswashiscourtship,anditlastedallthroughthesummer.

‘Itisaridiculousattachment,’twitteredtheotherSwallows,‘shehasnomoney,andfartoomanyrelations;’andindeedtheriverwasquitefullofReeds.Then,whentheautumncame,theyallflewaway.

Aftertheyhadgonehefeltlonely,andbegantotireofhislady-love.‘Shehasnoconversation,’hesaid,‘andIamafraidthatsheisacoquette,forsheisalwaysflirtingwiththewind.’Andcertainly,wheneverthewindblew,theReedmadethemostgracefulcurtsies.‘Iadmitthatsheisdomestic,’hecontinued,‘butIlovetravelling,andmywife,consequently,shouldlovetravellingalso.’

‘Willyoucomeawaywithme’hesaidfinallytoher;buttheReedshookherhead,shewassoattachedtoherhome.

‘Youhavebeentriflingwithme,’hecried,‘IamofftothePyramids.Good-bye!

’andheflewaway.

Alldaylongheflew,andatnight-timehearrivedatthecity.‘WhereshallIputup’hesaid;‘Ihopethetownhasmadepreparations.’

Thenhesawthestatueonthetallcolumn.‘Iwillputupthere,’hecried;‘itisafinepositionwithplentyoffreshair.’SohealightedjustbetweenthefeetoftheHappyPrince.

‘Ihaveagoldenbedroom,’hesaidsoftlytohimselfashelookedround,andhepreparedtogotosleep;butjustashewasputtinghisheadunderhiswingalargedropofwaterfellonhim.‘Whatacuriousthing!

’hecried,‘thereisnotasinglecloudinthesky,thestarsarequiteclearandbright,andyetitisraining.TheclimateinthenorthofEuropeisreallydreadful.TheReedusedtoliketherain,butthatwasmerelyherselfishness.’

Thenanotherdropfell.

‘Whatistheuseofastatueifitcannotkeeptherainoff’hesaid;‘Imustlookforagoodchimney-pot,’andhedeterminedtoflyaway.

Butbeforehehadopenedhiswings,athirddropfell,andhelookedup,andsaw-Ah!

whatdidhesee

TheeyesoftheHappyPrincewerefilledwithtears,andtearswererunningdownhisgoldencheeks.HisfacewassobeautifulinthemoonlightthatthelittleSwallowwasfilledwithpity.

‘Whoareyou’hesaid.

‘IamtheHappyPrince.’

‘Whyareyouweepingthen’askedtheSwallow;‘youhavequitedrenchedme.’

‘WhenIwasaliveandhadahumanheart,’answeredthestatue,‘Ididnotknowwhattearswere,forIlivedinthepalaceofSans-Souci,wheresorrowisnotallowedtoenter.InthedaytimeIplayedwithmycompanionsinthegarden,andintheeveningIledthedanceintheGreatHall.Roundthegardenranaveryloftywall,butInevercaredtoaskwhatlaybeyondit,everythingaboutmewassobeautiful.MycourtierscalledmetheHappyPrince,andhappyindeedIwas,ifpleasurebehappiness.SoIlived,andsoIdied.AndnowthatIamdeadtheyhavesetmeupheresohighthatIcanseealltheuglinessandallthemiseryofmycity,andthoughmyheartismadeofleadyetIcannotchoosebutweep.’

‘What,ishenotsolidgold’saidtheSwallowtohimself.Hewastoopolitetomakeanypersonalremarksoutloud.

‘Faraway,’continuedthestatueinalowmusicalvoice,‘farawayinalittlestreetthereisapoorhouse.Oneofthewindowsisopen,andthroughitIcanseeawomanseatedatatable.Herfaceisthinandworn,andshehascoarse,redhands,allprickedbytheneedle,forsheisaseamstress.Sheisembroideringpassion-flowersonasatingownfortheloveliestoftheQueen’smaids-of-honourtowearatthenextCourt-ball.Inabedinthecorneroftheroomherlittleboyislyingill.Hehasafever,andisaskingfororanges.Hismotherhasnothingtogivehimbutriverwater,soheiscrying.Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,willyounotbringhertherubyoutofmysword-hiltMyfeetarefastenedtothispedestalandIcannotmove.’

‘IamwaitedforinEgypt,’saidtheSwallow.‘MyfriendsareflyingupanddowntheNile,andtalkingtothelargelotus-flowers.SoontheywillgotosleepinthetombofthegreatKing.TheKingistherehimselfinhispaintedcoffin.Heiswrappedinyellowlinen,andembalmedwithspices.Roundhisneckisachainofpalegreenjade,andhishandsarelikewitheredleaves.’

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘willyounotstaywithmeforonenight,andbemymessengerTheboyissothirsty,andthemothersosad.’

‘Idon’tthinkIlikeboys,’answeredtheSwallow.‘Lastsummer,whenIwasstayingontheriver,thereweretworudeboys,themiller’ssons,whowerealwaysthrowingstonesatme.Theyneverhitme,ofcourse;weswallowsflyfartoowellforthat,andbesides,Icomeofafamilyfamousforitsagility;butstill,itwasamarkofdisrespect.’

ButtheHappyPrincelookedsosadthatthelittleSwallowwassorry.‘Itisverycoldhere,’hesaid;‘butIwillstaywithyouforonenight,andbeyourmessenger.’

‘Thankyou,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince.

SotheSwallowpickedoutthegreatrubyfromthePrince’ssword,andflewawaywithitinhisbeakovertheroofsofthetown.

Hepassedbythecathedraltower,wherethewhitemarbleangelsweresculptured.Hepassedbythepalaceandheardthesoundofdancing.Abeautifulgirlcameoutonthebalconywithherlover.‘Howwonderfulthestarsare,’hesaidtoher,andhowwonderfulisthepoweroflove!

’

‘IhopemydresswillbereadyintimefortheState-ball,’sheanswered;‘Ihaveorderedpassion-flowerstobeembroideredonit;buttheseamstressesaresolazy.’

Hepassedovertheriver,andsawthelanternshangingtothemastsoftheships.HepassedovertheGhetto,andsawtheoldjewsbargainingwitheachother,andweighingoutmoneyincopperscales.Atlasthecametothepoorhouseandlookedin.Theboywastossingfeverishlyonhisbed,andthemotherhadfallenasleep,shewassotired.Inhehopped,andlaidthegreatrubyonthetablebesidethewoman’sthimble.Thenheflewgentlyroundthebed,fanningtheboy’sforeheadwithhiswings.‘HowcoolIfeel,’saidtheboy,‘Imustbegettingbetter;’andhesankintoadeliciousslumber.

ThentheSwallowflewbacktotheHappyPrince,andtoldhimwhathehaddone.‘Itiscurious,’heremarked,‘butIfeelquitewarmnow,althoughitissocold.’

‘Thatisbecauseyouhavedoneagoodaction,’saidthePrince.AndthelittleSwallowbegantothink,andthenhefellasleep.Thinkingalwaysmadehimsleepy.

Whendaybrokeheflewdowntotheriverandhadabath.‘Whataremarkablephenomenon,’saidtheProfessorofOrnithologyashewaspassingoverthebridge.‘Aswallowinwinter!

’Andhewrotealongletteraboutittothelocalnewspaper.Everyonequotedit,itwasfullofsomanywordsthattheycouldnotunderstand.

‘To-nightIgotoEgypt,’saidtheSwallow,andhewasinhighspiritsattheprospect.Hevisitedallthepublicmonuments,andsatalongtimeontopofthechurchsteeple.WhereverhewenttheSparrowschirruped,andsaidtoeachother,‘Whatadistinguishedstranger!

’soheenjoyedhimselfverymuch.

WhenthemoonroseheflewbacktotheHappyPrince.‘HaveyouanycommissionsforEgypt’hecried;‘Iamjuststarting.’

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘willyounotstaywithmeonenightlonger’

‘IamwaitedforinEgypt,’answeredtheSwallow.‘To-morrowmyfriendswillflyuptotheSecondCataract.Theriver-horsecouchesthereamongthebulrushes,andonagreatgranitethronesitstheGodMemnon.Allnightlonghewatchesthestars,andwhenthemorningstarshinesheuttersonecryofjoy,andthenheissilent.Atnoontheyellowlionscomedowntothewater’sedgetodrink.Theyhaveeyeslikegreenberyls,andtheirroarislouderthantheroarofthecataract.’

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidtheprince,‘farawayacrossthecityIseeayoungmaninagarret.Heisleaningoveradeskcoveredwithpapers,andinatumblerbyhissidethereisa