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王尔德童话四则(英文版)-第10部分
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second time that you have succoured me。'
'Nay; but thou hadst pity on me first;' said the Hare; and it ran
away swiftly。
And the Star…Child took the piece of yellow gold; and put it in his
wallet; and hurried to the city。 But the leper saw him coming; and
ran to meet him; and knelt down and cried; 'Give me a piece of
money or I shall die of hunger。'
And the Star…Child said to him; 'I have in my wallet but one piece
of yellow gold; and if I bring it not to my master he will beat me
and keep me as his slave。'
But the leper entreated him sore; so that the Star…Child had pity
on him; and gave him the piece of yellow gold。
And when he came to the Magician's house; the Magician opened to
him; and brought him in; and said to him; 'Hast thou the piece of
yellow gold?' And the Star…Child said to him; 'I have it not。' So
the Magician fell upon him; and beat him; and loaded him with
chains; and cast him again into the dungeon。
And on the morrow the Magician came to him; and said; 'If to…day
thou bringest me the piece of red gold I will set thee free; but if
thou bringest it not I will surely slay thee。'
So the Star…Child went to the wood; and all day long he searched
for the piece of red gold; but nowhere could he find it。 And at
evening he sat him down and wept; and as he was weeping there came
to him the little Hare。
And the Hare said to him; 'The piece of red gold that thou seekest
is in the cavern that is behind thee。 Therefore weep no more but
be glad。'
'How shall I reward thee?' cried the Star…Child; 'for lo! this is
the third time thou hast succoured me。'
'Nay; but thou hadst pity on me first;' said the Hare; and it ran
away swiftly。
And the Star…Child entered the cavern; and in its farthest corner
he found the piece of red gold。 So he put it in his wallet; and
hurried to the city。 And the leper seeing him coming; stood in the
centre of the road; and cried out; and said to him; 'Give me the
piece of red money; or I must die;' and the Star…Child had pity on
him again; and gave him the piece of red gold; saying; 'Thy need is
greater than mine。' Yet was his heart heavy; for he knew what evil
fate awaited him。
But lo! as he passed through the gate of the city; the guards bowed
down and made obeisance to him; saying; 'How beautiful is our
lord!' and a crowd of citizens followed him; and cried out; 'Surely
there is none so beautiful in the whole world!' so that the Star…
Child wept; and said to himself; 'They are mocking me; and making
light of my misery。' And so large was the concourse of the people;
that he lost the threads of his way; and found himself at last in a
great square; in which there was a palace of a King。
And the gate of the palace opened; and the priests and the high
officers of the city ran forth to meet him; and they abased
themselves before him; and said; 'Thou art our lord for whom we
have been waiting; and the son of our King。'
And the Star…Child answered them and said; 'I am no king's son; but
the child of a poor beggar…woman。 And how say ye that I am
beautiful; for I know that I am evil to look at?'
Then he; whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowers; and on whose
helmet crouched a lion that had wings; held up a shield; and cried;
'How saith my lord that he is not beautiful?'
And the Star…Child looked; and lo! his face was even as it had
been; and his comeliness had come back to him; and he saw that in
his eyes which he had not seen there before。
And the priests and the high officers knelt down and said to him;
'It was prophesied of old that on this day should come he who was
to rule over us。 Therefore; let our lord take this crown and this
sceptre; and be in his justice and mercy our King over us。'
But he said to them; 'I am not worthy; for I have denied the mother
who bare me; nor may I rest till I have found her; and known her
forgiveness。 Therefore; let me go; for I must wander again over
the world; and may not tarry here; though ye bring me the crown and
the sceptre。' And as he spake he turned his face from them towards
the street that led to the gate of the city; and lo! amongst the
crowd that pressed round the soldiers; he saw the beggar…woman who
was his mother; and at her side stood the leper; who had sat by the
road。
And a cry of joy broke from his lips; and he ran over; and kneeling
down he kissed the wounds on his mother's feet; and wet them with
his tears。 He bowed his head in the dust; and sobbing; as one
whose heart might break; he said to her: 'Mother; I denied thee in
the hour of my pride。 Accept me in the hour of my humility。
Mother; I gave thee hatred。 Do thou give me love。 Mother; I
rejected thee。 Receive thy child now。' But the beggar…woman
answered him not a word。
And he reached out his hands; and clasped the white feet of the
leper; and said to him: 'Thrice did I give thee of my mercy。 Bid
my mother speak to me once。' But the leper answered him not a
word。
And he sobbed again and said: 'Mother; my suffering is greater
than I can bear。 Give me thy forgiveness; and let me go back to
the forest。' And the beggar…woman put her hand on his head; and
said to him; 'Rise;' and the leper put his hand on his head; and
said to him; 'Rise;' also。
And he rose up from his feet; and looked at them; and lo! they were
a King and a Queen。
And the Queen said to him; 'This is thy father whom thou hast
succoured。'
And the King said; 'This is thy mother whose feet thou hast washed
with thy tears。' And they fell on his neck and kissed him; and
brought him into the palace and clothed him in fair raiment; and
set the crown upon his head; and the sceptre in his hand; and over
the city that stood by the river he ruled; and was its lord。 Much
justice and mercy did he show to all; and the evil Magician he
banished; and to the Woodcutter and his wife he sent many rich
gifts; and to their children he gave high honour。 Nor would he
suffer any to be cruel to bird or beast; but taught love and
loving…kindness and charity; and to the poor he gave bread; and to
the naked he gave raiment; and there was peace and plenty in the
land。
Yet ruled he not long; so great had been his suffering; and so
bitter the fire of his testing; for after the space of three years
he died。 And he who came after him ruled evilly。
End
渔夫和他的灵魂
THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SOUL
'TO H。S。H。 ALICE; PRINCESS OF MONACO'
Every evening the young Fisherman went out upon the sea; and threw
his nets into the water。
When the wind blew from the land he caught nothing; or but little
at best; for it was a bitter and black…winged wind; and rough waves
rose up to meet it。 But when the wind blew to the shore; the fish
came in from the deep; and swam into the meshes of his nets; and he
took them to the market…place and sold them。
Every evening he went out upon the sea; and one evening the net was
so heavy that hardly could he draw it into the boat。 And he
laughed; and said to himself; 'Surely I have caught all the fish
that swim; or snared some dull monster that will be a marvel to
men; or some thing of horror that the great Queen will desire;' and
putting forth all his strength; he tugged at the coarse ropes till;
like lines of blue enamel round a vase of bronze; the long veins
rose up on his arms。 He tugged at the thin ropes; and nearer and
nearer came the circle of flat corks; and the net rose at last to
the top of the water。
But no fish at all was in it; nor any monster or thing of horror;
but only a little Mermaid lying fast asleep。
Her hair was as a wet fleece of gold; and each separate hair as a
thread of fine gold in a cup of glass。 Her body was as white
ivory; and her tail was of silver and pearl。 Silver and pearl was
her tail; and the green weeds of the sea coiled round it; and like
sea…shells were her ears; and her lips were like sea…coral。 The
cold waves dashed over her cold breasts; and the salt glistened
upon her eyelids。
So beautiful was she that when the young Fisherman saw her he was
filled with wonder; and he put out his hand and drew the net close
to him; and leaning over the side he clasped her in his arms。 And
when he touched her; she gave a cry like a startled sea…gull; and
woke; and looked at him in terror with her mauve…amethyst eyes; and
struggled that she might escape。 But he held her tightly to him;
and would not suffer her to depart。
And when she saw that she could in no way escape from him; she
began to weep; and said; 'I pray thee let me go; for I am the only
daughter of a King; and my father is aged and alone。'
But the young Fisherman answered; 'I will not let thee go save thou
makest me a promise that whenever I call thee; thou wilt come and
sing to me; for the fish delight to listen to the song of the Sea…
folk; and so shall my nets be full。'
'Wilt thou in very truth let me go; if I promise thee this?' cried
the Mermaid。
'In very truth I will let thee go;' said the young Fisherman。
So she made him the promise he desired; and sware it by the oath of
the Sea…folk。 And he loosened his arms from about her; and she
sank down into the water; trembling with a strange fear。
Every evening the young Fisherman went out upon the sea; and called
to the Mermaid; and she rose out of the water and sang to him。
Round and round her swam the dolphins; and the wild gulls wheeled
above her head。
And she sang a marvellous song。 For she sang of the Sea…folk who
drive their flocks from cave to cave; and carry the little calves
on their shoulders; of the Tritons who have long green beards; and
hairy breasts; and blow through twisted conchs when the King passes
by; of the palace of the King which is all of amber; with a roof of
clear emerald; and a pavement of bright pearl; and of the gardens
of the sea where the great filigrane fans of coral wave all day
long; and the fish dart about like silver birds; and the anemones
cling to the rocks; and the pinks bourgeon in the ribbed yellow
sand。 She sang of the big whales that come down from the north
seas and have sharp icicles hanging to their fins; of the Sirens
who tell of such wonderful things that the merchants have to stop
their ears with wax lest they should hear them; and leap into the
water and be drowned; of the sunken galleys with their tall masts;
and the frozen sailors clinging to the rigging; and the mackerel
swimming in and out of the open portholes; of the little barnacles
who are great travellers; and cling to the keels of the ships and
go round and round the world; and of the cuttlefish who live in the
sides of the cliffs and stretch out their long black arms; and can
make night come when they will it。 She sang of the nautilus who
has a boat of her own tha
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