第24章 牙疼姨妈 Aunty Toothache（1/2）

《牙疼姨妈》，1872

Aunty toothache, 1872

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一个关于诗歌失败的故事，《牙疼姨妈》以肯定诗歌的力量结尾。

A story about the faires of poetry, “Auoothache” ends by validatg the power of poetry.

“一切最终都进了垃圾桶。” 这个故事着名的结尾是这样说的，而垃圾桶正是故事《牙疼姨妈》被发现的地方，但随后它又被复活、流传、复述并印刷出来，以一种确保其持久力量的方式。

“Everythg ends up irash,” the story faoly ends, and the trash is precisely the pce where the story “Auoothache” is found, but then revived, circuted, retold, and put to prta way that assures its power to endure.

一位评论家将《牙疼姨妈》归类为 “欢快的” 文本，因为在其中，“诗意的维度越来越多地胜出、渗透并看透可怕的现象和心理混乱”。

one critic has cssified “Auoothache” as a “euphoric” text, forit, “the poetical dinsion ore and ore s over, perates ahrough the terrible phenonal and psychological ss”.

可以肯定的是，诗歌和痛苦是秘密的同谋，都是缺失和衰败的标志，但在这个故事中，诗歌通过代表学生诗人的生活和作品而赢得了胜利，并确保想象力将战胜痛苦。

to be sure, poetry and pa are secret acplices, both signs of absend decay, butthis story poetry s the day by representg the life and writgs of the student-poet and assurg that iagation will triuph over pa.

《牙疼姨妈》写于 1872 年，那一年安徒生拔掉了他最后一颗牙齿。

“Auoothache” was written1872, the year Andersen had his st reag tooth extracted.

他加入了从陀思妥耶夫斯基和爱伦?坡到托马斯?曼和马丁?艾米斯等一系列作家的行列，这些作家都写过关于牙疼的诗歌，将痛苦和艺术结合起来，也利用了被称为与牙齿相关的 “力量、美丽和痛苦” 的联系。

he jos a pantheon of writers rangg fro dostoevsky and poe to thoas ann and art Ais who have written about the poetry of dental pa, yokg sufferg and art and also takg advantage of what has been called the nex of “potency, beauty, and pa” associated with teeth.

正如《无事生非》中的莱昂纳多所说：“因为从来没有一个哲学家 \/ 能够耐心地忍受牙疼。”

As Leonato puts ituch Ado about Nothg, “For there was never yet philosopher \/that uld ehe toothache patiently”.

《牙疼姨妈》更像是怪诞的短篇小说而非童话故事。

“Auoothache” is orethe ode of the uny short story than the fairy tale.

它代表了一位成熟诗人的创作，这位诗人在致力于创造 “不朽” 艺术作品的一生中努力寻找意义，即使他正在经历死亡的痛苦。

It represents the writg of a ature poet who is strugglg to fd anga life dedicated t “iortal” works of art even as he is experieng the pas of ortality.

安徒生在完成这个故事后不久就开始感觉到他最终死于其中的肝癌的最初症状，这是他的最后一个故事。

Andersen began to feel the first syptos of the liver cer fro which he died shortly after fishg this story, which is his st tale.

《牙疼姨妈》代表了他最伟大的成就之一，但它很少被收录在他的作品选集中，很大程度上是因为它以一种野蛮的虚无主义方式探讨了存在性问题。

“Auoothache” represents one of his greatest achievents, yet it is rarely cdedanthologies of his work,rge part becae it takes up existential questionsa savagely nihilister.

牙疼姨妈表达了困扰诗人生命最后一年的病态焦虑，但这些焦虑也困扰着我们对艺术力量的信念，即艺术创造的效果能否与一次简单的牙疼相媲美（或弥补牙疼）。

Auoothache gives voiorbid aies that hauhe poetthe fal year of his life but that also trouble our faiththe power of art to create effects that rival (or pensate for) the force of a siple toothache.

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这个故事是从哪里来的呢？你想知道吗？

where did we get this story? would you like to know?

我们是从扔废纸的篮子里得到的。

we got it fro the basket that the aper is thrown to.

许多好的、珍贵的书被带到熟食店和杂货店，不是为了被阅读，而是被用作淀粉、咖啡、豆子、咸鲱鱼、黄油和奶酪的包装纸。用过的书写纸也被发现很合适。

any a good and rare book has been taken to the delicatessen store and the grocer’s, not to be read, but to be ed as g paper for stard ffee, beans, for salted herrg, butter, and cheese. Used writg paper has also been found suitable.

人们常常把不该扔的东西扔进废纸篓。

Frequently ohrows to the aper basket what ought not to go there.

我认识一个杂货店伙计，他是熟食店老板的儿子。

I know a grocer’s assistant, the son of a delicatessen store owner.

他从在地下室服务一路晋升到在店面服务；他是一个博览群书的人，他的阅读材料包括用于包装的纸上的印刷文字和手写内容。

he has worked hisfrthe celr tthe front shop; he is a well-read person, his readg sistg of the prted and written atter to be found on the paper ed f.

他有一个有趣的收藏，包括从忙碌而心不在焉的官员的废纸篓里找到的几份重要官方文件，一些从一个女性朋友写给另一个女性朋友的机密信件 —— 不能再传播、不能被任何人提及的丑闻报告。

he has an ig lle, sistg of several iportant official dots fro the aper baskets of by and absent-ded officials, a few fidential letters fro one dy friend to another - reports of sdal which were not to go further, not to be ntioned by a soul.

他是我们文学的一个活生生的抢救机构，他的收藏涵盖广泛领域，他可以自由出入他父母的商店和他现在的主人的商店，在那里他拯救了许多值得读两遍的书或书的残页。

he is a livg salvage stitution for ore than a little of our literature, and his lle vers a wide field, he has the run of his parents’ shop and that of his present aster and has there saved any a book, or leaves of a book, well worth readg ice.

他向我展示了他从废纸篓里收集的印刷品和手写品，其中最有价值的物品来自熟食店。

he has shownhis lle of prted and written atter fro the aper basket, the ost vaed ites of which have e fro the delicatessen store.

在收藏品中有几页从一个大作文本上撕下来的纸；异常清晰整洁的笔迹立刻引起了我的注意。

A uple of leaves fre position book y aong the lle; the unually clear a handwritg attracted y attention at once.

“这是那个学生写的，” 他说，“那个住在对面、大约一个月前去世的学生。正如你所见，他牙疼得厉害。读起来很有趣。这只是他写的一小部分；有一整本还有更多。我的父母用半磅绿色肥皂从学生的女房东那里换来了这个。这是我能抢救出来的部分。”

“this was written by the student,” he said, “the student who lived opposite here and died about a onth ago. he suffered terribly fro toothache, as onesee. It is quite ag to read. this is only a sall part of what he wrote; there was a whole book and ore besides. y parents gave the student’s nddy half a pound of green soap for it. this is what I have been able to save of it.”

我借了它，读了它，现在我来讲这个故事。

I borrowed it, I read it, and now I tell it.

标题是：

牙疼姨妈

the title > AUNtY toothAchE

一

I

我小的时候姨妈给我糖果。那时我的牙齿能受得了；糖果不会伤害它们。现在我长大了，是个学生，可她还是继续用糖果宠着我。她说我是个诗人。

Aunty gavesweets when I was little. y teeth uld stand it then; it didn’t hurt the. Now I a older, a a student, and still she goes on spoilih sweets. She says I a a poet.

我身上有一点诗人的气质，但还不够。我常常在城市的街道上散步的时候，觉得自己仿佛走在一个巨大的图书馆里；房子是书架；每一层都是一个放着书的架子。那里放着日常生活的故事；旁边是一部古老的好喜剧，还有各个科学分支的着作、糟糕的文学作品和好书。我可以在所有这些文学作品中做梦和进行哲学思考。

I have sothg of the poet, but not enough. often when I go walkg along the city streets, it sees toas if I a walkga big library; the hoes are the bookshelves; and every floor is a shelf with books. there stands a story of everyday life; o it is a good old edy, and there are works of all stific branches, bad literature and g. Idrea and philosophize aong all this literature.

我身上有一点诗人的气质，但还不够。毫无疑问，很多人身上的诗人气质和我一样多，尽管他们没有戴着写有 “诗人” 字样的标志或领带。他们和我都被赋予了一种神圣的天赋，一种足以满足自己的祝福，但完全太少而不能再分给别人。它像一缕阳光一样到来，充满一个人的灵魂和思想；它像一朵花的芬芳，像一段人们熟悉却又想不起来从哪里听到的旋律。

there is sothg of the poet, but not enough. No doubt any people have jt as uch of itthe as I, though they do not carry a sign or a ie with the word “poet” on it. they and I have been given a dive gift, a blessg great enough to satisfy oneself, but altogether too little to be portioned out aga to others. It es like a ray of sunlight and fills one’s soul and thoughts; it es like the fragrance of a flower, like a lody that one knows a ot reber fro where.

有一天晚上，我坐在我的房间里，有一种强烈的阅读欲望，但我没有书，也没有纸。就在这时，一片鲜嫩的绿叶从酸橙树上飘落下来，微风把它从窗户吹到我面前。

the other eveng I saty roo a an urge to read, but I had no book, no paper. Jt then a leaf, fresh and green, fell fro the li tree, and the breeze carried itthrough the dow to .

我观察着叶子上的许多脉络；一只小昆虫正在上面爬着，仿佛在对这片叶子进行彻底的研究。

I exaihe any vesit; a little i was crawlg across the, as if it were akg a thh study of the leaf.

这让我想到了人类的智慧：我们也在一片叶子上爬来爬去；我们的知识仅限于此，然而我们却毫不犹豫地就整棵大树 —— 树根、树干和树冠 —— 由上帝、世界和不朽组成的大树 —— 发表演讲，而对于这一切，我们只知道一片小小的叶子！

this adethk of an’s wisdo: we also crawl about on a leaf; our knowledge is liited to that only, a we uatgly deliver a lecture on the whole big tree - the root, the trunk, and the- the great tree prised of God, the world, and iortality - and of all this we know only a little leaf!

当我坐在那里的时候，米勒姨妈来看我了。

As I was sittg there, I received a visit fro Aunty ille.

我把有昆虫的叶子给她看，并告诉了她我由此产生的想法。

I showed her the leaf with the i and told her of y thoughtse with these.

她的眼睛亮了起来。

And her eyes lit up.

“你是个诗人！” 她说。“也许是我们当中最伟大的诗人。如果我能活着看到这一天，我会很高兴地入土为安。自从酿酒商拉斯穆森的葬礼之后，你的强大想象力就一直让我惊叹。”

“You are a poet!” she said. “perhaps the greatest we have. If I should live to see this, I would go to y grave gdly. Ever sihe brewer Rassen’s funeral you have aazedwith your powerful iagation.”

米勒姨妈这么说着，然后吻了我。

So said Aunty ille, and she then kissed .

谁是米勒姨妈，谁是酿酒商拉斯穆森呢？

who was Aunty ille, and who was Rassen the brewer?

二

II

我们这些孩子总是称呼我们母亲的姨妈为 “姨妈”；我们没有别的称呼给她。

we children always called our other’s aunt “Aunty”; we had no other na for her.

她给我们果酱和糖果，尽管它们对我们的牙齿非常有害；但是亲爱的孩子们是她的弱点，她说。当孩子们那么喜欢糖果的时候，拒绝给他们一点是很残忍的。这就是我们那么爱姨妈的原因。

She gaveja and sweets, although they were very jurio to our teeth; but the dear children were her weakness, she said. It was cruel to deny the a few sweets, when they were so fond of the. And that’s why we loved Aunty so uch.

她是个老处女；在我的记忆中，她一直都很老。她的年龄似乎从未改变过。

She was an old aid; as far back as Ireber, she was always old. her age never seed to ge.

早年她深受牙疼之苦，她总是提起这件事；所以她的朋友，酿酒商拉斯穆森，一个很机智的人，就叫她牙疼姨妈。

In earlier years she had suffered a great deal fro toothache, and she always spoke about it; and so it happehat her friend, the brewer Rassen, who was a great wit, called her Aunty toothache.

几年前他就从酿酒业退休了，那时靠他的钱的利息生活。

he had retired fro the breg bess so years before and was then livg oerest of his oney.

他经常去看望姨妈；他比她年纪大。

he frequently visited Aunty; he was older than she.

他一颗牙都没有了 —— 只有几颗黑色的残根。

he had h at all - only a few bck stups.

他告诉我们这些孩子，他小时候吃了太多的糖，所以才变成现在这个样子。

when a child, he had eaten too uch sugar, he toldchildren, and that’s how he ca to look as he did.

姨妈在她小时候肯定没吃过糖，因为她有最漂亮的白牙。

Aunty uld surely never have eaten sugarher childhood, for she had the ost beautiful white teeth.

她非常爱护她的牙齿，晚上睡觉都不戴着它们！—— 酿酒商拉斯穆森说。

She took great care of the, and she did not sleep with the at night! - said Rassen the brewer.

我们这些孩子知道这是恶意的话，但姨妈说他不是那个意思。

we childrehat this was saidalice, but Aunty said he did not an anythg by it.

一天早上，在早餐桌上，她告诉我们她夜里做了一个可怕的梦，在梦里她的一颗牙掉了。

one , at the breakfast table, she toldof a terrible drea she had had durg the night,whie of her teeth had fallen out.

“那意味着，” 她说，“我将失去一个真正的朋友！”

“that ans,” she said, “that I shall lose a true friend!”

“是一颗假牙吗？” 酿酒商笑着问。“如果是，那只能意味着你将失去一个假朋友！”

“was it a false tooth?” asked the brewer with a chuckle. “If so, itonly an that you will lose a false friend!”

“你是个无礼的老头！” 姨妈说，比我以前见过的她或以后见过的她都要生气。

“You are an i old an!” said Aunty, ahan I had seen her before or ever have sce.

后来她告诉我们，她的老朋友只是在逗她；他是世界上最好的人，当他去世的时候，他会成为天堂里上帝的小天使之一。

She ter toldthat her old friend had only been teasg her; he was the fi an oh, and when he died he would bee one of God’s little angelsheaven.

我对这种转变想了很多，并且想知道如果他以这个新的形象出现我是否能认出他来。

I thought a good deal of this transforation, and wondered if I would be able tnize hithis new character.

当姨妈和他年轻的时候，他曾向她求婚。她坐下来考虑这件事，考虑得太久了，结果成了一个老处女，但她始终是他真正的朋友。

when Aunty and he had been young, he had proposed to her. She had settled down to thk it over, had thought too long, and had bee an old aid, but always reaed his true friend.

然后酿酒商拉斯穆森去世了。他被用最昂贵的灵车送去墓地，后面跟着很多人，包括有勋章的人和穿制服的人。

And then brewer Rassen died. he was taken to his gravethe ost expensive hearse and was followed by a great nuber of folks, cdg people with orders andunifor.

姨妈穿着丧服和我们所有的孩子一起站在窗边，除了我们的小弟弟，他是一周前鹳送来的。当灵车和送葬队伍过去，街道空了的时候，姨妈想离开窗边，但我不想；我在等天使，酿酒商拉斯穆森；他现在肯定已经成为上帝有翅膀的小天使之一并且会出现。

Aunty stood dressedby the dow, together with all ofchildren, except our little brother, who the stork had brought a week before. when the hearse and the procession had passed and the street ty, Aunty wao go away fro the dow, but I did not want to; I was waitg for the angel, Rassen the brewer; surely he had by now bee one of God’s beged little children and would appear.

“姨妈，” 我说，“你不觉得他现在会来吗？或者当鹳再次给我们送来一个小弟弟的时候，他会把天使拉斯穆森也带来吗？”

“Aunty,” I said, “don’t you thk that he will e now? or that whea brgsa little brother, he’ll then brgthe angel Rassen?”

姨妈被我的想象力深深地打动了，她说：“那个孩子会成为一个伟大的诗人！” 在我上学的时候她一直这么说，甚至在我受坚信礼之后，是的，现在我是一个学生了她还这么说。

Aunty was quite overwheld by y iagation, and said, “that child will bee a great poet!” And this she kept repeatg all the ti I went to school, and even after y firation and, yes, still does now that I a a student.

她过去是，现在也是我最有同情心的朋友，无论是在我的诗歌烦恼中还是牙疼的痛苦中，因为我这两种情况都有。

She was, and is, tothe ost sypathetic of friends, bothy poetical troubles aal troubles, for I have attacks of both.

“就把你所有的想法都写下来，” 她说，“然后把它们放在桌子抽屉里！让?保罗就是这么做的；他成了一个伟大的诗人，尽管我并不钦佩他；他不能让人兴奋。你必须让人兴奋！是的，你会让人兴奋的！”

“Jt write down all your thoughts,” she said, “and put the iable drawer! that’s what Jean paul did; he beca a great poet, though I don’t adire hi; he does e one. You t be exg! Yes, you will be exg!”

在她说完这句话的第二天晚上，我躺在床上睡不着，充满了渴望和痛苦，怀着焦虑和美好的希望，想要成为姨妈在我身上看到和察觉到的伟大诗人；我经历了一个诗人所有的痛苦！但是还有一种更大的痛苦 —— 牙疼 —— 它正在折磨着我、挤压着我；我变成了一条扭动的虫子，带着一袋草药和一块芥末膏药。

the night after she said this, I y awake, full of longgs and anguish, with ay and fond hopes to bee the great poet that Aunty saerceived; I went through all the pas of a poet! but there is an eveer pa - toothache - and it was grdg and crhg ; I beca a writhg wor, with a bag of herbs and a tard pster.

“我全知道，” 姨妈说。她的嘴唇上带着悲伤的微笑，她的白牙闪闪发光。

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