第53章 接骨木树妈妈 The Little Elder－Tree Mother（1/2）

《接骨木树妈妈》，1845 年

the Little Elder-tree other, 1845

从前有个小男孩，他着凉了；他出门去，把脚弄湿了。

there was once a little boy who had caught ld; he had go and got wet feet.

谁也不知道这到底是怎么回事；天气可是相当干燥的。

Nobody had the least idea how it had happehe weather was quite dry.

他妈妈给他脱掉衣服，让他上床躺下，还吩咐把茶壶拿进来，这样她就可以用接骨木花给他泡一杯好茶，接骨木花茶喝了很暖和。

his other undressed hi, put hi to bed, and ordered the teapot to be brought , that she ight ake hi a good cup of tea fro the elder-tree blossos, which is s.

与此同时，住在这房子楼上、独自生活的那位好心的老人进来了；他过着孤独的生活，因为他没有妻子和儿女；但他非常喜欢别人家的孩子，而且他能讲那么多的童话和故事，听他讲故事真是一种享受。

At the sa ti, the kied old an who lived by hiselfthe upper storey of the hoe ca ; he led a lonely life, for he had no wife and children; but he loved the children of others very uch, and he uld tell so any fairy tales and stories, that it leasure to hear hi.

“现在，把茶喝了，” 妈妈说，“也许你能听一个故事。”

“Now, drk your tea,” said the other; “perhaps you will hear a story.”

“好的，要是我能想出一个新的来就好了，” 老人说，然后微笑着点了点头。

“Yes, if I only knew a fresh one,” said the old an, and nodded silgly.

“可这小家伙的脚是怎么弄湿的呢？” 他接着问道。

“but how did the little fellow get his wet feet?” he then asked.

“这个呀，” 妈妈回答说，“谁也弄不明白。”

“that,” replied the other, “nobodyuand.”

“你能给我讲个故事吗？” 男孩问道。

“will you tella story?” asked the boy.

“好的，要是你能尽可能准确地告诉我，你上学走的那条小街上的排水沟有多深就行。”

“Yes, if youtellas nearly as possible how deep is the gutter itle street where you go to school.”

“就到我高筒靴的一半那么高，” 男孩回答说，“不过那得是我站在最深的水坑里的时候。”

“Jt half as high as y -boots,” replied the boy; “but then I t standthe deepest holes.”

“瞧，现在我们知道你的脚是在哪儿弄湿的了，” 老人说。

“there, now we know where you got your wet feet,” said the old an.

“我是该给你讲个故事，可糟糕的是，我再也想不出新的来了。”

“I ought to tell you a story, but the worst of it is, I do not know any ore.”

“你可以编一个呀，” 小男孩说。

“Youake one up,” said the little boy.

“妈妈说，你看着或摸着任何东西都能编出一个童话故事来。”

“other says youtell a fairy tale about anythg you look at or touch.”

“那倒不错，可那样编出来的故事或童话没什么价值！不，真正的故事是自己找上门来，然后敲着我的额头说：‘我来啦。’”

“that is all very well, but such tales or stories are worth nothg! No, the right ones e by theselves and knock at y forehead sayg: ‘here I a.’”

“很快就不会有一个来敲门吗？” 男孩问道；妈妈一边微笑着，一边把接骨木花放进茶壶，再往里面倒上开水。

“will not one knock soon?” asked the boy; and the other siled while she put elder-tree blossos to the teapot and poured boilg water over the.

“求求你，给我讲个故事吧。”

“pray, tella story.”

“好的，要是故事能自己找上门来就好了；它们可骄傲了，只在它们乐意的时候才来。

—— 不过等等，” 他突然说，“有一个。 看看这茶壶；现在里面就有一个故事。”

“Yes, if stories ca by theselves; they are very proud, they only e when they please. — but wait,” he said suddenly, “there is one. Look at the teapot; there is a storyit now.”

小男孩看着茶壶；壶盖渐渐升了起来，接骨木花一朵接一朵地冒了出来，又新鲜又洁白；长长的树枝也长了出来；甚至从壶嘴那儿，它们也向四面八方生长，形成了一丛灌木 —— 不，是一棵高大的接骨木树，它把树枝伸到床边，把窗帘都推到了一边；树上有那么多的花朵，散发着如此甜美的香气！在树中间坐着一位面容和蔼的老妇人，穿着一身奇特的衣服；衣服绿得像树叶，还镶着大大的白色花朵，让人很难说清那到底是真正的布料，还是接骨木树的树叶和花朵。

And the little boy looked at the teapot; the lid rose up gradually, the elder-tree blossos sprang forth one by one, fresh and white; long boughs ca forth; even out of the spout they grew upall dires, and ford a bh — nay, a rge elder tree, which stretched its branches up to the bed and phed the curtas aside; and there were so any blossos and such a sweet fragrance! In the idst of the tree sat a kdly-lookg old woan with a strange dress; it was as green as the leaves, and trid with rge white blossos, so that it was difficult to say whether it was real cloth, or the leaves and blossos of the elder-tree.

“这位妇人叫什么名字？” 小男孩问道。

“what is this woan’s na?” asked the little boy.

“嗯，罗马人和希腊人过去常把她叫做德律阿得斯，” 老人说；“但我们不懂这个。在水手聚居的地方，他们给她起了个更好的名字；在那儿她被叫做接骨木树妈妈。”

“well, the Roans and Greeks ed to call her a dryad,” said the old an; “but we do not uand that. outthe sailors’ quarter they give her a better here she is called elder-tree other.

现在，你可得认真听她讲，好好看看这棵美丽的接骨木树。

Now, you t attentively listen to her and look at the beautiful elder-tree.

“就在那边，有一棵这样的大树，开满了花；它长在一个简陋小院的角落里；一天下午，在明媚的阳光下，两位老人坐在这棵树下。他是一位很老很老的水手，她是他的老伴儿；他们已经有了曾孙辈，很快就要庆祝金婚了，但他们不记得具体日期了，而接骨木树妈妈就坐在树上，看上去和这边这棵树上的她一样开心。

“Jt such a rge tree, vered with flowers, stands out there; it grewthe er of an huble little yard; uhis tree sat o old people oernoonthe beautiful sunshe. he was an old, old sailor, and she his old wife; they had already great-grandchildren, and were soon to celebrate their golden weddg, but they uld not reber the date, and the elder-tree other was sittg iree and looked as pleased as this one here.

“‘我很清楚金婚是哪天举行，’她说；但他们没听到 —— 他们在谈论过去的日子。

“‘I know very well when the golden weddg is to take pce,’ she said; but they did not hear it — they were talkg of bygone days.

“‘嗯，你还记得吗？’老水手说，‘当我们还很小，经常跑来跑去玩耍的时候 —— 就是在我们现在所在的这个院子里 —— 我们常常把小树枝插在地里，弄成一个小花园。’

“‘well, do you reber?’ said the old sailor, ‘when we were quite sall ao run about and py — it wasthe very sa yard where we now are — we ed to put little brao the ground and ake a garden.’

“‘记得呀，’老太太说，‘我记得很清楚；我们过去常常给那些树枝浇水，其中有一根接骨木树枝，它生根了，长大成了我们现在作为老人坐在

“‘Yes,’ said the old woan, ‘I reber it very well; we ed to water the branches, and one of the, an elder-tree branch, took root, and grew ahe rge tree under which we are now sittg as old people.’

“‘没错，你说得对，’他说；‘在那边的角落里曾放着一个大水缸；我常在里面放我自己刻的小船 —— 它航行得可好了；但很快我就得去别的地方航行了。’

“‘certaly, you areright,’ he said; ‘andyonder er stood a rge water-tub; there I ed to sail y boat, which I had yself — it sailed so well; but soon I had to sail sowhere else.’

“‘但我们首先去上学学了些东西，’她说，‘然后我们接受了坚信礼；那天我们俩都哭了，不过到了下午我们手拉手出门，登上那高高的圆塔，眺望哥本哈根和大海那边广阔的世界；之后我们步行去了腓特烈斯贝，国王和王后正在那儿的运河上坐着他们华丽的船巡游呢。’

“‘but first we went to school to learn sothg,’ she said, ‘and then we were fird; we both wept on that day, but iernoon we went out handhand, and asded the high round tower and looked out to the wide world right en and the sea; then we walked to Fredericksburg, where the kg and the queen were sailg abouttheir agnifit boat on the als.’

“‘但很快我就得去别的地方航行了，而且很多年我都在离家很远的地方四处游历。’

“‘but soon I had to sail about sowhere else, and for any years I was travellg about far away fro ho.’

“‘我常常因为你而哭泣，因为我担心你溺水了，正躺在海底呢。很多次我夜里起来查看风向标是否转动了；它经常转动，但你却没回来。我清楚地记得有一天：大雨倾盆而下；收垃圾的人来到我干活的那所房子；我拿着垃圾桶下楼，在门口站了一会儿，看着那糟糕的天气。然后邮差给了我一封信；是你寄来的。天哪！那封信辗转了多少地方啊。我撕开信读了起来；我又哭又笑，开心极了！信里写着你待在炎热的国度，那里种植着咖啡。那些肯定是奇妙的国度。你讲了很多关于它们的事情，我在雨下得很大的时候读着信，还拿着垃圾桶站在那儿。然后突然有人搂住了我的腰 ——’

“‘And I often cried about you, for I was afraid lest you were drowned and lyg at the the botto of the sea. any a ti I got upthe night and looked if the weatherck had turned; it turned often, but you did not return. I reber one day distctly: the radowntorrents; the dt-an had e to the hoe where I wasservice; I went down with the dt-b and stood for a ontthe doorway, and looked at the dreadful weather. then the postan gavea letter; it was fro you. heavens! how that letter had travelled about. I tore it open and read it; I cried and ughed at the sa ti, and was so happy! there was written that you were stayg i tries, where the ffee grows. these t be arvello tries. You said a great deal about the, and Iread all while the radown and I was standg there with the dt-b. then suddenly so o his ar round y waist-’

“‘是的，然后你还在他脸颊上热情地亲了一口呢。’老人说。

“‘Yes, and you gave hi a hearty sa the cheek,’ said the old an.

“‘我当时都不知道是你 —— 你来得和你的信一样快；而且你看上去那么英俊，现在也还是那么帅。 你口袋里有一块大大的黄色丝绸手帕，头上戴着一顶闪亮的帽子。你看上去气色真好，可街上的天气却糟透了！’

“‘I did not know that it was you — you had e as quickly as your letter; and you looked so handso, and so you do still. You had a rge yellow silk handkerchiefyour pocket and a shg hat on. You looked so well, and the weather ireet was horrible!’

“‘然后我们就结婚了。’他说。

‘do you reber how we got our first boy, and then ary, Niels, peter, John, and christian?’

“‘哦，记得呀；现在他们都已经长大了，都成了对社会有用的人，大家都很关心他们呢。’

“‘oh yes; and now they have all grown up, and have bee eful bers of society, who everybody cares for.’

“是的，这些都是孩子的孩子了，他们都很强壮健康。要是我没记错的话，我们的婚礼就是在一年中的这个时节举行的。

‘Yes, these are children’s children, and they are strong ahy. If I a not istaken, our weddg took pce at this season of the year.’

“‘是的，今天就是你们的金婚纪念日。’接骨木树妈妈说，她把头探到两位老人中间，而两位老人还以为她是在向他们点头打招呼的邻居呢；他们彼此对视了一下，然后紧握双手。

“‘Yes, to-day is yolden weddg-day,’ said the little elder-tree other, stretg her head doo old people, who thought that she was their neighbour who was noddg to the; they looked at each other and csped hands.

不久之后，孩子们和孙子孙女们都来了，因为他们很清楚今天是金婚纪念日；他们早上就已经向两位老人送上了祝福，但两位老人却把这事给忘了，尽管他们对很多很多年前发生的事情记得那么清楚。

Soon afterwards the children and grandchildren ca, for they knew very well that it was the golden weddg-day; they had already wished the joy and happessthe , but the old people had fotten it, although they rebered thgs so well that had passed any, any years ago.

接骨木树香气扑鼻，夕阳映照在两位老人的脸上，使他们的脸色看上去红扑扑的；最小的孙子孙女围着他们跳舞，欢快地叫嚷着晚上要举办一场盛宴，因为他们会吃到热乎乎的土豆；接骨木树妈妈在树上点头，还和其他人一起喊着 “万岁”。

the elder-tree slt strongly, and the settg sun ilihe faces of the o old people, so that they looked quite rosy; the you of the grandchildren danced round the, and cried rrily that there would be a feastthe eveng, for they were to have hot potatoes; and the elder other nodded iree and cried ‘hooray’ with the others.”

“可那不是童话故事呀。” 听故事的小男孩说。

“but that was no fairy tale,” said the little boy who had listeo it.

“你马上就会明白的。” 讲故事的老人说。

“You will presently uand it,” said the old an who told the story.

“我们去问问接骨木树妈妈吧。”

“Letask little elder-tree other about it.”

“那确实不是童话故事，” 接骨木树妈妈说；“但现在它来了！现实生活为我们提供了创作最奇妙童话故事的素材；不然的话，我这漂亮的接骨木丛也不可能从茶壶里长出来呀。”

“that was no fairy tale,” said the little elder-tree other; “but now it es! Real life furnisheswith subjects for the ost wonderful fairy tales; for otherwise y beautiful elder-bh uld not have grown forth out of the teapot.”

然后她把小男孩从床上抱起来，放在自己的怀里；开满花朵的接骨木树枝在他们上方合拢；仿佛他们坐在一个枝叶茂密的凉亭里，正带着他们在空中飞翔；那美丽简直无法形容。

And theook the little boy out of 床 and pced hi on her boso; the elder branches, full of blossos, closed over the; it was as if they sata thick leafy bower which flew with the through the air; it was beautiful beyond all description.

接骨木树妈妈突然变成了一个迷人的年轻姑娘，但她的衣服仍是和接骨木树妈妈之前穿的一样，是那种绿色的布料，上面缀满白色花朵；她胸前别着一朵真正的接骨木花，一圈同样的花环绕在她卷曲的金发上；她的眼睛又大又蓝，看上去美极了。

the little elder-tree other had suddenly bee a charg young girl, but her dress was the sa green aterial, vered with white blossos, as the elder-tree other had worn; she had a real elder blosso on her boso, and a wreath of the sa flowers was wound round her curly golden hair; her eyes were se and so be that it was wonderful to look at the.

她和男孩相互亲吻，然后他们变得年龄相仿，感受到同样的欢乐。

She and the boy kissed each other, and then they were of the sa age ahe sa joys.

他们手拉手走出凉亭，此刻站在了家里一个美丽的花园中。

they walked handhand out of the bower, and now stood at hoa beautiful frden.

在绿色草坪附近，父亲的手杖被系在一根柱子上。

he green wher’s walkg-stick was tied to a post.

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