快樂王子 The Happy Prince

High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.

快樂王子的雕像高高地聳立在城市上空—根高大的石柱上面。他渾身上下鑲滿了薄薄的黃金葉片，明亮的藍寶石做成他的雙眼，劍柄上還嵌著一顆碩大的燦燦發(fā)光的紅色寶石。

He was very much admired indeed.'He is as beautiful as a weathercock,' remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic taste; 'only not quite so useful,' he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.

世人對他真是稱羨不已。“他像風標一樣漂亮，”一位想表現(xiàn)自己有藝術(shù)品味的市參議員說了一句，接著又因擔心人們將他視為不務實際的人，其實他倒是怪務實的，便補充道：“只是不如風標那么實用。”

'Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?' asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. 'The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything.'

“你為什么不能像快樂王子一樣呢?”一位明智的母親對自己那哭喊著要月亮的小男孩說，“快樂王子做夢時都從沒有想過哭著要東西。”

'I am glad there is some one in the world who is quite happy', muttered a disappointed man as he gazed at the wonderful statue.

“世上還有如此快樂的人真讓我高興，”一位沮喪的漢子凝視著這座非凡的雕像喃喃自語地說著。

'He looks just like an angel,' said the Charity Children as they came out of the cathedral in their bright scarlet cloaks, and their clean white pinafores.

“他看上去就像位天使，”孤兒院的孩于們說。他們正從教堂走出來，身上披著鮮紅奪目的斗篷，胸前掛著干凈雪白的圍嘴兒。

'How do you know?' said the Mathematical Master, 'you have never seen one.'

“你們是怎么知道的?”數(shù)學教師問道，“你們又沒見過天使的模樣。”

'Ah! but we have, in our dreams,' answered the children; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming.

“啊!可我們見過，是在夢里見到的。”孩子們答道。數(shù)學教師皺皺眉頭并繃起了面孔，因為他不贊成孩子們做夢。

One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her.

有天夜里，一只小燕子從城市上空飛過。他的朋友們早在六個星期前就飛往埃及去了，可他卻留在了后面，因為他太留戀那美麗無比的蘆葦小姐。他是在早春時節(jié)遇上她的，當時他正順河而下去追逐一只黃色的大飛蛾。他為她那纖細的腰身著了迷，便停下身來同她說話。

'Shall I love you said the Swallow', who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples. This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the summer.

“我可以愛你嗎?”燕子問道，他喜歡一下子就談到正題上。蘆葦向他彎下了腰，于是他就繞著她飛了一圓又一圈，并用羽翅輕撫著水面，泛起層層銀色的漣漪。這是燕子的求愛方式，他就這樣地進行了整個夏天。

< 2 >

'It is a ridiculous attachment,' twittered the other Swallows, 'she has no money, and far too many relations;' and indeed the river was quite full of Reeds. Then, when the autumn came, they all flew away.

“這種戀情實在可笑，”其他燕子吃吃地笑著說，“她既沒錢財，又有那么多親戚。”的確，河里到處都是蘆葦。等秋天一到，燕子們就飛走了。

After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of his lady-love. 'She has no conversation,' he said, 'and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind.' And certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful curtsies. I admit that she is domestic,' he continued, 'but I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also.'

大伙走后，他覺得很孤獨，并開始討厭起自己的戀人。“她不會說話，”他說，“況且我擔心她是個蕩婦，你看她老是跟風調(diào)情。”這可不假，一旦起風，蘆葦便行起最優(yōu)雅的屈膝禮。“我承認她是個居家過日子的人，”燕子繼續(xù)說，“可我喜愛旅行，而我的妻子，當然也應該喜愛旅行才對。”

'Will you come away with me?' he said finally to her; but the Reed shook her head, she was so attached to her home.

“你愿意跟我走嗎?”他最后問道。然而蘆葦卻搖搖頭，她太舍不得自己的家了。

'You have been trifling with me,' he cried, 'I am off to the Pyramids. Good-bye!' and he flew away.

“原來你跟我是鬧著玩的，”他吼叫著，“我要去金字塔了，再見吧!”說完他就飛走了。

All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. 'Where shall I put up?' he said 'I hope the town has made preparations.'

他飛了整整一天，夜晚時才來到這座城市。“我去哪兒過夜呢?”他說，“我希望城里已做好了準備。”

Then he saw the statue on the tall column. 'I will put up there,' he cried; 'it is a fine position with plenty of fresh air.' So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.

這時，他看見了高大圓柱上的雕像。“我就在那兒過夜，”他高聲說，“這是個好地方，充滿了新鮮空氣。”于是，他就在快樂王子兩腳之間落了窩。

'I have a golden bedroom,' he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing, a large drop of water fell on him.'What a curious thing!' he cried, 'there is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful. The Reed used to like the rain, but that was merely her selfishness.'

“我有黃金做的臥室，”他朝四周看看后輕聲地對自己說，隨之準備入睡了。但就在他把頭放在羽翅下面的時候，一顆大大的水珠落在他的身上。“真是不可思議!”他叫了起來，“天上沒有一絲云彩，繁星清晰又明亮，卻偏偏下起了雨。北歐的天氣真是可怕。蘆葦是喜歡雨水的，可那只是她自私罷了。”

Then another drop fell.

緊接著又落下來一滴。

'What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?' he said; 'I must look for a good chimney-pot,' and he determined to fly away.

“一座雕像連雨都遮擋不住，還有什么用處?”他說，“我得去找一個好煙囪做窩。”他決定飛離此處。

< 3 >

But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, and saw - Ah! what did he see?

可是還沒等他張開羽翼，第三滴水又掉了下來，他抬頭望去，看見了——啊!他看見了什么呢?

The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity.

快樂王子的雙眼充滿了淚水，淚珠順著他金黃的臉頰淌了下來。王子的臉在月光下美麗無比，小燕子頓生憐憫之心。

'Who are you?' he said.

“你是誰?”他問對方。

'I am the Happy Prince.'

“我是快樂王子。”

'Why are you weeping then?' asked the Swallow; 'you have quite drenched me.'

“那么你為什么哭呢?”燕子又問，“你把我的身上都打濕了。”

'When I was alive and had a human heart,' answered the statue, 'I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very lofty wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.'

“以前在我有顆人心而活著的時候，”雕像開口說道，“我并不知道眼淚是什么東西，因為那時我住在逍遙自在的王宮里，那是個哀愁無法進去的地方。白天人們伴著我在花園里玩，晚上我在大廳里領(lǐng)頭跳舞。沿著花園有一堵高高的圍墻，可我從沒想到去圍墻那邊有什么東西，我身邊的一切太美好了。我的臣仆們都叫我快樂王子，的確，如果歡愉就是快樂的話，那我真是快樂無比。我就這么活著，也這么死去。而眼下我死了，他們把我這么高高地立在這兒，使我能看見自己城市中所有的丑惡和貧苦，盡管我的心是鉛做的，可我還是忍不住要哭。”

'What, is he not solid gold?' said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud.

“啊!難道他不是鐵石心腸的金像?”燕子對自己說。他很講禮貌，不愿大聲議論別人的私事。

'Far away,' continued the statue in a low musical voice,'far away in a little street there is a poor house. One of the windows is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at a table. Her face is thin and worn, and she has coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle, for she is a seamstress. She is embroidering passion-fowers on a satin gown for the loveliest of the Queen's maids-of-honour to wear at the next Court-ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her little boy is lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for oranges. His mother has nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my sword-hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move.'

“遠處，”雕像用低緩而悅耳的聲音繼續(xù)說，“遠處的一條小街上住著一戶窮人。一扇窗戶開著，透過窗戶我能看見一個女人坐在桌旁。她那瘦削的臉上布滿了倦意，一雙粗糙發(fā)紅的手上到處是針眼，因為她是一個裁縫。她正在給緞子衣服繡上西番蓮花，這是皇后最喜愛的宮女準備在下一次宮廷舞會上穿的。在房間角落里的一張床上躺著她生病的孩子。孩子在發(fā)燒，嚷著要吃桔子。他的媽媽除給他喂幾口河水外什么也沒有，因此孩子老是哭個不停。燕子，燕子，小燕子，你愿意把我劍柄上的紅寶石取下來送給她嗎?我的雙腳被固定在這基座上，不能動彈。”

< 4 >

'I am waited for in Egypt,' said the Swallow. 'My friends are flying up and down the Nile, and talking to the large lotus flowers. Soon they will go to sleep in the tomb of the great King. The King is there himself in his painted coffin. He is wrapped in yellow linen, and embalmed with spices. Round his neck is a chain of pale green jade, and his hands are like withered leaves.'

“伙伴們在埃及等我，”燕子說，“他們正在尼羅河上飛來飛去，同朵朵大蓮花說著話兒，不久就要到偉大法老的墓穴里去過夜。法老本人就睡在自己彩色的棺材中。他的身體被裹在黃色的亞麻布里，還填滿了防腐的香料。他的脖子上系著一圈淺綠色翡翠項鏈，他的雙手像是枯萎的樹葉。”

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince,'will you not stay with me for one night, and be my messenger? The boy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad.

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”王子又說，“你不肯陪我過一夜，做我的信使嗎?那個孩子太饑渴了，他的母親傷心極了。”

'I don't think I like boys,' answered the Swallow. 'Last summer, when I was staying on the river, there were two rude boys, the miller's sons, who were always throwing stones at me. They never hit me, of course; we swallows fly far too well for that, and besides, I come of a family famous for its agility; but still, it was a mark of disrespect.'

“我覺得自己不喜歡小孩，”燕子回答說，“去年夏天，我到過一條河邊，有兩個頑皮的孩于，是磨坊主的兒子，他們老是扔石頭打我。當然，他們永遠也別想打中我，我們燕子飛得多快呀，再說，我出身于一個以快捷出了名的家庭;可不管怎么說，這是不禮貌的行為。”

But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallow was sorry. 'It is very cold here,' he said 'but I will stay with you for one night, and be your messenger.'

可是快樂王子的滿臉愁容叫小燕子的心里很不好受。“這兒太冷了，”他說，“不過我愿意陪你過上一夜，并做你的信使。”

'Thank you, little Swallow,' said the Prince.

“謝謝你，小燕子，”王子說。

So the Swallow picked out the great ruby from the Prince's sword, and flew away with it in his beak over the roofs of the town.

于是燕子從王子的寶劍上取下那顆碩大的紅寶石，用嘴銜著，越過城里一座連一座的屋頂，朝遠方飛去。

He passed by the cathedral tower, where the white marble angels were sculptured. He passed by the palace and heard the sound of dancing. A beautiful girl came out on the balcony with her lover. 'How wonderful the stars are,' he said to her,'and how wonderful is the power of love!' 'I hope my dress will be ready in time for the State-ball,' she answered; 'I have ordered passion-flowers to be embroidered on it; but the seamstresses are so lazy.'

他飛過大教堂的塔頂，看見了上面白色大理石雕刻的天使像。他飛過王宮，聽見了跳舞的歌曲聲。一位美麗的姑娘同她的心上人走上了天臺。“多么奇妙的星星啊，”他對她說，“多么美妙的愛情啊!”

He passed over the river, and saw the lanterns hanging to the masts of the ships. He passed over the Ghetto, and saw the old Jews bargaining with each other, and weighing out money in copper scales. At last he came to the poor house and looked in. The boy was tossing feverishly on his bed, and the mother had fallen asleep, she was so tired. In he hopped, and laid the great ruby on the table beside the woman's thimble. Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy's forehead with his wings. 'How cool I feel,' said the boy, 'I must be getting better;' and he sank into a delicious slumber.

“我希望我的衣服能按時做好，趕得上盛大舞會，”她回答說，“我已要求繡上西番蓮花，只是那些女裁縫們都太得了。”

< 5 >

他飛過了河流，看見了高掛在船桅上的無數(shù)燈籠。他飛過了猶太區(qū)，看見猶太老人們在彼此討價還價地做生意，還把錢幣放在銅制的天平上稱重量。最后他來到了那個窮人的屋舍，朝里面望去。發(fā)燒的孩子在床上輾轉(zhuǎn)反側(cè)，母親已經(jīng)睡熟了，因為她太疲倦了。他跳進屋里，將碩大的紅寶石放在那女人頂針旁的桌子上。隨后他又輕輕地繞者床飛了一圈，用羽翅扇著孩子的前額。“我覺得好涼爽，”孩子說，“我一定是好起來了。”說完就沉沉地進入了甜蜜的夢鄉(xiāng)。

Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told him what he had done. 'It is curious,' he remarked, 'but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold.'

< 5 >

'That is because you have done a good action,' said the Prince. And the little Swallow began to think, and then he fell asleep. Thinking always made him sleepy.

然后，燕子回到快樂王子的身邊，告訴他自己做過的一切。“你說怪不怪，”他接著說，“雖然天氣很冷，可我現(xiàn)在覺得好暖和。”

When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath.

“那是因為你做了一件好事，”王子說。于是小燕子開始想王子的話，不過沒多久便睡著了。對他來說，一思考問題就老想睡覺。

'What a remarkable phenomenon,' said the Professor of Omithology as he was passing over the bridge. 'A swallow in winter!' And he wrote a long letter about it to the local newspaper. Every one quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand.

黎明時分他飛下河去洗了個澡。“真是不可思議的現(xiàn)象，”一位鳥禽學教授從橋上走過時開口說道，“冬天竟會有燕子!”于是他給當?shù)氐膱笊珀P(guān)于此事寫去了一封長信。每個人都引用他信中的話，盡管信中的很多詞語是人們理解不了的。

'To-night I go to Egypt,' said the Swallow, and he was in high spirits at the prospect. He visited all the public monuments, and sat a long time on top of the church steeple. Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped, and said to each other, 'What a distinguished stranger!' so he enjoyed himself very much.

“今晚我要到埃及去，”燕子說，一想到遠方，他就精神百倍。他走訪了城里所有的公共紀念物，還在教堂的頂端上坐了好一陣子。每到一處，麻雀們就吱吱喳喳地相互說，“多么難得的貴客啊!”所以他玩得很開心。

When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince. 'Have you any commissions for Egypt?' he cried; 'I am just starting.'

月亮升起的時候他飛回到快樂王子的身邊。“你在埃及有什么事要辦嗎?”他高聲問道，“我就要動身了。”

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'will you not stay with me one night longer?'

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”王子說，“你愿意陪我再過一夜嗎?”

'I am waited for in Egypt,' answered the Swallow. To-morrow my friends will fly up to the Second Cataract. The river-horse couches there among the bulrushes, and on a great granite throne sits the God Memnon. All night long he watches the stars, and when the morning star shines he utters one cry of joy, and then he is silent. At noon the yellow lions come down to the water's edge to drink. They have eyes like green beryls, and their roar is louder than the roar of the cataract.'

“伙伴們在埃及等我呀，”燕子回答說，“明天我的朋友們要飛往第二瀑布，那兒的河馬在紙莎草叢中過夜。古埃及的門農(nóng)神安坐在巨大的花崗巖寶座上，他整夜守望著星星，每當星星閃爍的時候，他就發(fā)出歡快的叫聲，隨后便沉默不語。中午時，黃色的獅群下山來到河邊飲水，他們的眼睛像綠色的寶石，咆哮起來比瀑布的怒吼還要響亮。”

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince,'far away across the city I see a young man in a garret. He is leaning over a desk covered with papers, and in a tumbler by his side there is a bunch of withered violets. His hair is brown and crisp, and his lips are red as a pomegranate, and he has large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire in the grate, and hunger has made him faint.'

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”王子說，“遠處在城市的那一頭，我看見住在閣樓中的一個年輕男子。他在一張鋪滿紙張的書桌上埋頭用功，旁邊的玻璃杯中放著一束干枯的紫羅蘭。他有一頭棕色的卷發(fā)，嘴唇紅得像石榴，他還有一雙睡意朦朧的大眼睛。他正力爭為劇院經(jīng)理寫出一個劇本，但是他已經(jīng)給凍得寫不下去了。壁爐里沒有柴火，饑餓又弄得他頭昏眼花。”

< 6 >

'I will wait with you one night longer,' said the Swallow, who really had a good heart. 'Shall I take him another ruby?'

“我愿意陪你再過一夜，”燕子說，他的確有顆善良的心。“我是不是再送他一塊紅寶石?”

'Alas! I have no ruby now,' said the Prince; 'my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish his play.'

“唉!我現(xiàn)在沒有紅寶石了。”王子說，“所剩的只有我的雙眼。它們由稀有的藍寶石做成，是一干多年前從印度出產(chǎn)的。取出一顆給他送去。他會將它賣給珠寶商，好買回食物和木柴，完成他寫的劇本。”

'Dear Prince,' said the Swallow,'I cannot do that;' and he began to weep.

“親愛的王子，”燕子說，“我不能這樣做，”說完就哭了起來。

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'do as I command you.'

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”王子說，“就照我說的話去做吧。”

So the Swallow plucked out the Prince's eye, and flew away to the student's garret. It was easy enough to get in, as there was a hole in the roof. Through this he darted, and came into the room. The young man had his head buried in his hands, so he did not hear the flutter of the bird's wings, and when he looked up he found the beautiful sapphire lying on the withered violets.

因此燕子取下了王子的一只眼睛，朝學生住的閣樓飛去了。由于屋頂上有一個洞，燕子很容易進去。就這樣燕子穿過洞來到屋里。年輕人雙手捂著臉，沒有聽見燕子翅膀的扇動聲，等他抬起頭時，正看見那顆美麗的藍寶石放在干枯的紫羅蘭上面。

'I am beginning to be appreciated,' he cried; 'this is from some great admirer. Now I can finish my play,' and he looked quite happy.

“我開始受人欣賞了，”他叫道，“這準是某個極其欽佩我的人送來的。現(xiàn)在我可以完成我的劇本了。”他臉上露出了幸福的笑容。

The next day the Swallow flew down to the harbour. He sat on the mast of a large vessel and watched the sailors hauling big chests out of the hold with ropes. 'Heave a-hoy!' they shouted as each chest came up. 'I am going to Egypt!' cried the Swallow, but nobody minded, and when the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince.

第二天燕子飛到下面的海港，他坐在一震大船的桅桿上，望著水手們用繩索把大箱子拖出船艙。隨著他們嘿喲!嘿喲!”的聲聲號子，一個個大箱子給拖了上來。“我要去埃及了!”燕子略道，但是沒有人理會他。等月亮升起后，他又飛回到快樂王子的身邊。

'I am come to bid you good-bye,' he cried.

“我是來向你道別的，”他叫著說。

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince,'will you not stay with me one night longer?'

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”王子說，“你不愿再陪我過一夜嗎?”

'It is winter,' answered the Swallow, and the chill snow will soon be here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm-trees, and the crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them. My companions are building a nest in the Temple of Baalbec, and the pink and white doves are watching them, and cooing to each other. Dear Prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you, and next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of those you have given away. The ruby shall be redder than a red rose, and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea.

“冬天到了，”燕子回答說，“寒冷的雪就要來了。而在埃及，太陽掛在蔥綠的棕擱樹上，暖和極了，還有躺在泥塘中的鱷魚懶洋洋地環(huán)顧著四周。我的朋友們正在巴爾貝克古城的神廟里建筑巢穴，那些粉紅和銀白色的鴿子們一邊望著他們干活，一邊相互傾訴著情話。親愛的王子，我不得不離你而去了，只是我永遠也不會忘記你的，明年春天我要給你帶回兩顆美麗的寶石，彌補你因送給別人而失掉的那西顆，紅寶石會比一朵紅玫瑰還紅，藍寶石也比大海更藍。”

< 7 >

'In the square below,' said the Happy Prince, 'there stands a little match-girl. She has let her matches fall in the gutter, and they are all spoiled. Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money, and she is crying. She has no shoes or stockings, and her little head is bare. Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will not beat her.

“在下面的廣場上，”快樂王子說，“站著一個賣火柴的小女孩。她的火柴都掉在陰溝里了，它們都不能用了。如果她不帶錢回家，她的父親會打她的，她正在哭著呢。她既沒穿鞋，也沒有穿襪子，頭上什么也沒戴。請把我的另一只眼睛取下來，給她送去，這樣她父親就不會揍她了。”

'I will stay with you one night longer,' said the Swallow,'but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then.'

“我愿意陪你再過一夜，”燕子說，“但我不能取下你的眼睛，否則你就變成個瞎子了。”

'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'do as I command you.'

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”王子說，“就照我說的話去做吧。”

So he plucked out the Prince's other eye, and darted down with it. He swooped past the match-girl, and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand. 'What a lovely bit of glass,' cried the little girl; and she ran home, laughing.

子是他又取下了王子的另一只眼珠，帶著它朝下飛去。他一下子落在小女孩的面前，把寶石悄悄地放在她的手掌心上。“一塊多么美麗的玻璃呀!”小女孩高聲叫著，她笑著朝家里跑去。

Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. 'You are blind now,' he said, 'so I will stay with you always.'

這時，燕子回到王子身旁。“你現(xiàn)在瞎了，”燕子說，“我要永遠陪著你。”

'No, little Swallow,' said the poor Prince, 'you must go away to Egypt.'

“不，小燕子，”可憐的王子說，“你得到埃及去。”

'I will stay with you always,' said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince's feet.

“我要一直陪著你，”燕子說著就睡在了王子的腳下。

All the next day he sat on the Prince's shoulder, and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands. He told him of the red ibises, who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile, and catch gold fish in their beaks; of the Sphinx, who is as old as the world itself, and lives in the desert, and knows everything; of the merchants, who walk slowly by the side of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black as ebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests to feed it with honey-cakes; and of the pygmies who sail over a big lake on large flat leaves, and are always at war with the butterflies.

第二天他整日坐在王子的肩頭上，給他講自己在異國他鄉(xiāng)的所見所聞和種種經(jīng)歷。他還給王子講那些紅色的朱鷺，它們排成長長的一行站在尼羅河的岸邊，用它們的尖嘴去捕捉金魚;還講到司芬克斯，它的歲數(shù)跟世界一樣長久，住在沙漠中，通曉世間的一切;他講紐那些商人，跟著自己的駝隊緩緩而行，手中摸著狼冶做的念珠;他講到月亮山的國王，他皮膚黑得像烏木，崇拜一塊巨大的水晶;他講到那條睡在棕禍樹上的綠色大莽蛇，要20個僧侶用蜜糖做的糕點來喂它;他又講到那些小矮人，他們乘坐扁平的大樹葉在湖泊中往來橫渡，還老與蝴蝶發(fā)生戰(zhàn)爭。”

< 8 >

'Dear little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see there.'

“親愛的小燕子，”王子說，“你為我講了好多稀奇的事情，可是更稀奇的還要算那些男男女女們所遭受的苦難。沒有什么比苦難更不可思議的了。小燕子，你就到我城市的上空去飛一圈吧，告訴我你在上面都看見了些什么。”

So the Swallow flew over the great city, and saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the gates. He flew into dark lanes, and saw the white faces of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets. Under the archway of a bridge two little boys were lying in one another's arms to try and keep themselves warm. 'How hungry we are' they said. 'You must not lie here,' shouted the Watchman, and they wandered out into the rain.

于是燕子飛過了城市上空，看見富人們在自己漂亮的洋樓里尋歡作樂，而乞丐們卻坐在大門口忍饑挨餓。他飛進陰暗的小巷，看見饑餓的孩子們露出蒼白的小臉沒精打采地望著昏暗的街道，就在一座橋的橋洞里面兩個孩子相互摟抱著想使彼此溫暖一些。“我們好餓呀!”他倆說。“你們不準躺在這兒，”看守高聲嘆道，兩個孩子又跚蹣著朝雨中走去。

Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen.

隨后他飛了回來，把所見的一切告訴給了王子。

'I am covered with fine gold,' said the Prince, 'you must take it off, leaf by leaf, and give it to my poor; the living always think that gold can make them happy.'

我渾身貼滿了上好的黃金片，”王子說，“你把它們一片片地取下來，給我的窮人們送去?；钪娜硕枷嘈劈S金會使他們幸福的。”

Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and grey. Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he brought to the poor, and the children's faces grew rosier, and they laughed and played games in the street. 'We have bread nod' they cried.

燕子將足赤的黃金葉子一片一片地啄了下來，直到快樂王子變得灰暗無光。他又把這些純金葉片一一送給了窮人，孩子們的臉上泛起了紅暈，他們在大街上歡欣無比地玩著游戲。“我們現(xiàn)在有面包了!”孩子們喊叫著。

Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost. The streets looked as if they were made of silver, they were so bright and glistening; long icicles like crystal daggers hung down from the eaves of the houses, everybody went about in furs, and the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on the ice.

隨后下起了雪，白雪過后又迎來了嚴寒。街道看上去白花花的，像是銀子做成的，又明亮又耀眼;長長的冰柱如同水晶做的寶劍垂懸在屋檐下。人人都穿上了皮衣，小孩子們也戴上了紅帽子去戶外溜冰。

The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave the Prince, he loved him too well. He picked up crumbs outside the baker's door when the baker was not looking, and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings.

可憐的小燕子覺得越來越冷了，但是他卻不愿離開王子，他太愛這位王子了。他只好趁面包師不注意的時候，從面包店門口弄點面包屑充饑，并撲扇著翅膀為自己取暖。

But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had just strength to fly up to the Prince's shoulder once more.'Good-bye, dear Prince!' he murmured, 'will you let me kiss your hand?'

然而最后他也知道自己快要死去了。他剩下的力氣只夠再飛到王子的肩上一回。“再見了，親愛的王子!”他喃喃地說，“你愿重讓我親吻你的手嗎?”

< 9 >

'I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'you have stayed too long here; but you must kiss me on the lips, for I love you.'

“我真高興你終于要飛往埃及去了，小燕子，”王子說，“你在這兒呆得太長了。不過你得親我的嘴唇，因為我愛你。”

'It is not to Egypt that I am going,' said the Swallow. I am going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?'

“我要去的地方不是埃及，”燕子說，“我要去死亡之家。死亡是長眠的兄弟，不是嗎?”

And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his feet.

接著他親吻了快樂王子的嘴唇，然后就跌落在王子的腳下，死去了。

At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, as if something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost.

就在此刻，雕像體內(nèi)伸出一聲奇特的爆裂聲，好像有什么東西破碎了。其實是王子的那顆鉛做的心已裂成了兩半。這的確是一個可怕的寒冷冬日。

Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in company with the Town Councillors. As they passed the column he looked up at the statue: 'Dear me! how shabby the Happy Prince looks!' he said.

第二天一早，市長由市參議員們陪同著散步來到下面的廣場。他們走過圓柱的時候，市長抬頭看了一眼雕像，“我的天啊!快樂王子怎么如此難看!”他說。

'How shabby indeed!' cried the Town Councillors, who always agreed with the Mayor, and they went up to look at it.

“的確比要飯的強不了多少，”市參議員們附和著說。

'The ruby has fallen out of his sword, his eyes are gone, and he is golden no longer,' said the Mayor; 'in fact, he is little better than a beggar!'

“還有在他的腳下躺著一只死鳥!”市長繼續(xù)說，“我們真應該發(fā)布一個聲明，禁止鳥類死在這個地方。”于是市書記員把這個建議記錄了下來。

'Little better than a beggar,' said the Town Councillors.

后來他們就把快樂王子的雕像給推倒了。“既然他已不再美麗，那么也就不再有用了，”大學的美術(shù)教授說。

'And there is actually a dead bird at his feet,' continued the Mayor. 'We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here.' And the Town Clerk made a note of the suggestion.

接著他們把雕像放在爐里熔化了，市長還召集了一次市級的會議來決定如何處理這些金屬，當然，我們必須再鑄一個雕像。”他說，“那應該就是我的雕像。”

So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. 'As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful,' said the Art Professor at the University.

< 10 >

Then they melted the statue in a furnace, and the Mayor held a meeting of the Corporation to decide what was to be done with the metal. 'We must have another statue, of course,' he said, 'and it shall be a statue of myself.'

“我的雕像，”每一位市參議員都爭著說，他們還吵了起來。我最后聽到人們說起他們時，他們的爭吵仍未結(jié)束。

< 10 >

“多么稀奇古怪的事!”鑄像廠的工頭說，“這顆破裂的鉛心在爐子里熔化不了。我們只好把它扔掉。”他們便把它扔到了垃圾堆里，死去的那只燕子也躺在那兒。

'Of myself,' said each of the Town Councillors, and they quarrelled. When I last heard of them they were quarrelling still.

“把城市里最珍貴的兩件東西給我拿來，”上帝對他的一位天使說。于是天使就把鉛心和死鳥給上帝帶了回來。

'What a strange thing!' said the overseer of the workmen at the foundry.'This broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace. We must throw it away.' So they threw it on a dust-heap where the dead Swallow was also lying.

“你的選擇對極了，”上帝說，“因為在我這天堂的花園里，小鳥可以永遠地放聲歌唱，而在我那黃金的城堡中，快樂王子可以盡情地贊美我。”

'Bring me the two most precious things in the city,' said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.

'You have rightly chosen,' said God,'for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me.'