第54章 小精灵山丘 The Elfin Hill（1/2）

《小精灵山丘》，1845 年

the Elf hill, 1845

几只大蜥蜴在一棵老树的裂缝里敏捷地跑来跑去；它们彼此能很好地交流，因为它们说的是蜥蜴语。

A few rge lizards were runng nibly aboutthe clefts of an old tree; they uld uand one another very well, for they spoke the lizard nguage.

“小精灵山丘那边嗡嗡响、轰隆隆的，可真吵啊，” 其中一只蜥蜴说，“就因为这噪音，我已经两夜没能合眼了；我还不如牙疼呢，因为牙疼也总是让我睡不着觉。”

“what a buzzg and a rublg there isthe elf hill,” said one of the lizards; “I have not been able to y eyes for o nights on at of the noise; I ight jt as well have had the toothache, for that always keepsawake.”

“山丘里面肯定在搞什么名堂，” 另一只蜥蜴说，“他们用四根红柱子把山顶撑起来，一直撑到今天早上公鸡打鸣，这样里面就彻底通了风，小精灵姑娘们也学了新舞蹈；肯定有什么事儿。”

“there is sothg gog on with there,” said the other lizard; “they propped up theof the hill with four red posts, till ck-crow this , so that it is thhly aired, and the elf girls have learnt new dahere is sothg.”

“我跟我认识的一条蚯蚓说起过这事，” 第三只蜥蜴说，“那条蚯蚓刚从小精灵山丘来，他在那儿的土里日夜摸索。他听到了很多事；虽然他看不见，可怜的家伙，但他很清楚怎么扭动着身子、偷偷摸摸地四处活动。小精灵山丘在等客人，还是很重要的客人呢；但客人是谁，蚯蚓不肯说，或者，也许他真的不知道。所有的鬼火都接到命令要到那儿去跳火炬舞，就是那种舞。山丘里大量的金银财宝都要擦拭干净，摆到月光下。”

“I spoke about it to ah-wor of y acquatance,” said a third lizard; “the earth-wor had jt e fro the elf hill, where he has been gropg aboutthe earth day and night. he has heard a great deal; although he ot see, poor iserable creature, yet he uands very well how tle and rk about. they expect friendsthe elf hill, grand pany, too; but who they are the earth-wor would not say, or, perhaps, he really did not know. All the will-o’-the-wisps are ordered to be there to hold a torch dance, as it is called. the silver and gold which is plentifulthe hill will be polished and pced outthe oonlight.”

“这些陌生人会是谁呢？” 蜥蜴们问道，“到底是怎么回事呢？ 听，那嗡嗡声、哼哼声多响啊！”

“whothe strangers be?” asked the lizards; “whatthe atter be? hark, what a buzzg and hug there is!”

就在这时，小精灵山丘打开了，一位后背凹陷的老精灵少女轻快地走了出来；她是老精灵王的管家，也是这个家族的远亲；因此她在额头正中央戴着一颗琥珀色的心形饰物。

Jt at this ont the elf hill opened, and an old elf aiden, hollow behd, ca trippg out; she was the old elf kg’s hoekeeper, and a distaive of the faily; therefore she wore an aber heart on the iddle of her forehead.

她的脚步移动得很快，“嗒嗒，嗒嗒”；天哪，她能一路轻快地走到海边去找夜鸦。

her feet oved very fast, “trip, trip;” good gracio, how she uld trip right down to the sea to the night-raven.

“今晚你被邀请到小精灵山丘来，” 她说，“但你能帮我个大忙，负责送请帖吗？你应该做点事，因为你不像我有管家的活儿要忙。我们要来一些非常重要的人物，魔法师们，他们总是有话要说；因此老精灵王想好好炫耀一番。”

“You are io the elf hill for this eveng,” said she; “but will you doa great favor and uake the vitations? you ought to do sothg, for you have no hoekeepg to attend to as I have. we are gog to have srand people, jurors, who have always sothg to say; and therefore the old elf kg wishes to ake a great dispy.”

“要邀请谁呢？” 夜鸦问道。

“who is to be vited?” asked the raven.

“全世界的人都可以来参加这场盛大的舞会，甚至人类，如果他们能在睡梦中说话，或者能像我们一样做点什么事的话。但对于宴会，宾客必须精心挑选；我们只能接纳地位高贵的人；我自己就和精灵王争论过，因为他认为我们不能接纳鬼魂。首先必须邀请人鱼和他的女儿，虽然让他们在陆地上待那么久可能不太乐意，但会给他们准备一块潮湿的石头让他们坐，或者也许会有更好的安排；所以我觉得他们这次不会拒绝的。”

“All the world ay e to the great ball, even huan begs, if theyonly talktheir sleep, or do sothg after our fashion. but for the feast the pany t be carefully selected; weonly adit persons of high rank; I have had a dispute yself with the elf kg, as he thought we uld not adit ghosts. the ran and his daughter t be vited first, although it ay not be agreeable to the to rea so long on dry nd, but they shall have a feel wet stoo sit on, or perhaps sothier; so I thk they will not refe this ti.

我们必须邀请所有一流的老恶魔，长着尾巴的那种，还有小妖精和小鬼；然后我觉得我们不该漏掉死神之马，或者坟场之猪，甚至连教堂小矮人也不能落下，虽然他们隶属于神职人员，不算在我们族类里；但那只是他们的职务，他们和我们关系很近，还经常来拜访我们呢。”

we t have all the old deons of the first css, with tails, and the hobgobls and ips; and then I thk we ought not to leave out the death-horse, or the grave-pig, or even the church dwarf, although they do belong to the clergy, and are not reed aong our people; but that is rely their office, they are nearly reted to , and visitvery frequently.”

“呱，” 夜鸦叫了一声，就带着请柬飞走了。

“croak,” said the night-raven as he fleith the vitations.

小精灵少女们已经在小精灵山丘上跳舞了，她们披着用月光和薄雾织成的披肩跳舞，对于喜欢这类东西的人来说，看上去非常漂亮。

the elf aidens we’re already dang on the elf hill, and they dancedshawls woven fro oonshe and ist, which look very pretty to those who like such thgs.

小精灵山丘内的大厅装饰得富丽堂皇；地面是用月光洗过的，墙壁是用魔法药膏擦拭过的，所以在灯光下它们像郁金香花瓣一样闪闪发光。

the rge hall with the elf hill lendidly derated; the floor had been washed with oonshe, and the walls had been rubbed with agient, so that they glowed like tulip-leavesthe light.

厨房里，青蛙正在烤肉叉上烤着，用蜗牛壳做的菜肴正在准备当中，里面还有小孩子的手指头，有蘑菇籽、毒芹做的沙拉，老鼠的鼻子和骨髓，有来自沼泽女人酿酒厂的啤酒，还有从墓穴地窖里取出的冒着泡的硝石酒。

I were frogs roastg on the spit, and dishes preparg of snail sks, with children’s fgersthe, sad of hroo seed, helooses and arrow of ice, beer fro the arsh woan’s brewery, and sparklg salt-petre e fro the grave celrs.

这些可都是实实在在的食物。

these were all substantial food.

生锈的钉子和教堂窗户玻璃成了甜点。

Rty nails and church-dow gss ford the dessert.

老精灵王让人用粉状的石板铅笔把他的金王冠擦得锃亮；那是一年级学生用的那种，对一个精灵王来说很难弄到。

the old elf kg had his goldpolished up with powdered ste-pencil; it was like that ed by the first for, and very difficult for an elf kg to obta.

在卧室里，窗帘挂了起来，用蜗牛的黏液系着；确实，到处都是嗡嗡声和哼哼声。

In the bedroos, curtas were hung up and fastened with the sli of snails; there was, deed, a buzzg and hug everywhere.

“现在我们得用烧焦的马毛和猪鬃来熏一下这个地方，然后我想我的活儿就干完了。” 小精灵男仆说。

“Now we t fuigate the pce with burnt horse-hair and pig’s bristles, and then I thk I shall have at done y part,” said the elf an-servant.

“亲爱的爸爸，” 最小的女儿说，“我现在能知道我们那些高贵的客人都是谁吗？”

“Father, dear,” said the you daughter, “ay I now hear whh-born visitors are?”

“嗯，我想我现在得告诉你们了。” 他回答道，“我的两个女儿得准备好出嫁了，因为这婚事肯定是要办的。来自挪威的老妖怪，他住在古老的多夫勒山脉，拥有许多用岩石和砂石建造的城堡，除此之外，还有一座金矿，大家都觉得那金矿比什么都好。他带着他的两个儿子要来，那两个儿子都在找媳妇。老妖怪是个心地善良、诚实的挪威老头儿；性格开朗又直率。我以前就认识他，那时候我们常常一起喝酒，为我们的友谊干杯呢。他曾经来这儿娶过他的妻子，她现在已经去世了。她是默恩白垩山国王的女儿。

人们说他娶了个白垩山的妻子；我很期待能再见到他。据说那两个儿子没什么教养，是些冒失的小伙子，但也许这话不太准确，等他们长大了可能会变好的。让我看看你们知道怎么教他们懂礼貌。”

“well, I suppose I t tell you now,” he replied; “o of y daughters t prepare theselves to be arried, for the arriages certaly will take pce. the old gobl fro Norway, who livesthe a dovre ountas, and who possesses any castles built of rod freestone, besides a gold e, which is better than all, so it is thought, is g with his o sons, who are both seekg a wife. the old gobl is a true-hearted, ho, old Nian graybeard; cheerful and straightforward. I knew hi forrly, when we ed to drk together tood fellowship: he ca here oo fetch his wife, she is dead now. She was the daughter of the kg of the chalk-hills at oen. they say he took his wife fro chalk; I shall be delighted to see hi aga. It is said that the boys are ill-bred, forward ds, but perhaps that is not quite rrect, and they will bee better as they grow older. Letsee that you know how to teach the good anners.”

“他们什么时候来呀？” 女儿问道。

“And whehey g?” asked the daughter.

“那要看风向和天气了。” 精灵王说，“他们出行很节省。只要有船可搭，他们就会来。我本想让他们来瑞典，但老头儿不愿意听我的建议。他跟不上时代步伐，这我可不喜欢。”

“that depends upon d aher,” said the elf kg; “they travel eically. they will e when there is the ce of a ship. I wahe to e over to Sweden, but the old an was o take y advice. he does not go forward with the tis, and that I do not like.”

两只鬼火蹦蹦跳跳地进来了，一只比另一只快，所以当然是一只先到了。

o will-o’-the-wisps ca jupg , one quicker thaher, so of urse, one arrived first. “they are g! they are g!” he cried.

“把我的王冠给我，” 精灵王说，“让我站到月光下。”

the daughters drew on their shawls and bowed down to the ground.

来自多夫勒山脉的老妖怪站在那儿，戴着用坚硬的冰和打磨过的冷杉球果做成的王冠。

there stood the old gobl fro the dovre ountas, with hisof hardened id polished fir-es.

除此之外，他还披着一张熊皮，穿着又大又暖和的靴子，而他的儿子们则光着脖子，也没系背带，因为他们都是强壮的男子汉。

besides this, he wore a bear-sk, and great, war boots, while his so with their throats bare and wore no braces, for they were strong n.

“那是座小山吗？”其中一个最小的男孩指着小精灵山丘说，“在挪威我们会把它叫做一个洞。”

“Is that a hill?” said the you of the boys, potg to the elf hill, “we should call it a holeNorway.”

“孩子们，” 老头儿说，“洞是凹进去的，山是凸出来的；你们脑袋里没长眼睛吗？”

“boys,” said the old an, “a hole goes , and a hill stands out; have you no eyesyour heads?”

另一件让他们感到惊奇的事是，他们毫不费力就能听懂这里的语言。

Ahg they wo was, that they were able without trouble to uand the nguage.

“小心点，” 老头儿说，“不然别人会以为你们没受过良好的教养。”

“take care,” said the old an, “or people will thk you have not been well brought up.”

然后他们走进了小精灵山丘，那些精选出来的尊贵宾客都已经聚集在那儿了，他们出现得如此之快，就好像是被一阵风给吹到一起的。

then they ehe elf hill, where the seled grand pany were assebled, and so quickly had they appeared that they seed to have been blown together.

但对于每一位宾客，都已经做好了最整洁、最舒适的安排。

but for each guest theand pleasa arra had been ade.

海族人坐在大水缸做成的桌子旁，他们说这感觉就像在家里一样。

the sea folks sat at table i water-tubs, and they said it was jt like beg at ho.

除了那两个年轻的北方小妖怪，其他人都举止得体。他们把腿跷到桌子上，还觉得自己没做错。

All behaved theselves properly exceptg the o young northern gobls; they put their legs oable and thought they were all right.

“把脚从桌布上拿下来！” 老妖怪说。

“Feet off the table-cloth!” said the old gobl.

他们服从了，但不是马上就照做。

they obeyed, but not idiately.

然后他们用口袋里装着的冷杉球果去挠那些在餐桌旁伺候的女士们痒痒。

theickled the dies who waited at table, with the fir-es, which they carriedtheir pocket.

他们脱掉靴子，这样能更自在些，还把靴子递给女士们拿着。

they took off their boots, that they ight be ore at ease, and gave the to the dies to hold.

但他们的父亲，那位老妖怪，可就大不一样了。他兴高采烈地谈论着挪威雄伟的岩石，还讲述了那些瀑布的精彩故事，瀑布奔腾而下，发出如雷鸣或风琴般的轰鸣声，白色的泡沫向四面八方飞溅。

but their father, the old gobl, was very different; he talked pleasantly about the stately Nian rocks, and told fiales of the waterfalls which dashed over the with a ctterg noise like thunder or the sound of an an, spreadg their white foa on every side.

他讲到在湍急的水流中跳跃的鲑鱼，还有水神在弹奏他的金竖琴。

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