第18章 母亲的故事 The Story of a Mother（2/2）

“我到哪里去找带走我小孩的死神呢？” 她说。

“where shall I fih, who took away y little child?” said she.

“他还没来这儿呢！” 守望着死神大温室的老墓婆说。“你是怎么找到来这儿的路的？谁帮了你？”

“he has not e here yet!” said the old grave woan, who oio look after death’s great greenhoe! “how have you been able to fd the way hither? And who has helped you?”

“我们的主帮助了我，” 她说。“他很仁慈，您也会这样的！我到哪里能找到我的小孩呢？”

“oUR LoRd has helped ,” said she. “he is rciful, and you will also be so! where shall I fd y little child?”

“不，我不知道，” 那女人说，“而且你看不见！今晚许多花草树木都枯萎了；死神很快就会来重新栽种它们！你肯定知道每个人都有自己生命的树或者花，就像每个人都有自己的归宿一样；它们看起来和别的植物一样，但它们有心跳。孩子们的心也会跳动；去找你自己的生命之花或树吧，也许你就能认出你孩子的；但如果我告诉你还应该做些什么，你会给我什么呢？”

“Nay, I know not,” said the woan, “and you ot see! any flowers and trees have withered this night; death will soon e and pnt the a! You certaly know that every person has his or her life’s tree or flower, jt as everyone happens to be settled; they look like other pnts, but they have pulsations of the heart. children’s heartsalso beat; go after yours, perhaps you ay know your child’s; but what will you giveif I tell you what you shall do ore?”

“我没什么可给的，” 受苦的母亲说，“但我愿为你走到世界尽头！”

“I have nothg to give,” said the afflicted other, “but I will go to the world’s end for you!”

“不，我在那儿没什么事！” 那女人说。“但你可以把你长长的黑发给我；你自己也知道它很漂亮，我很喜欢！你可以拿我的白发来代替，这也算是个东西！”

“Nay, I have nothg to do there!” said the woan. “but yougiveyour long bck hair; you know yourself that it is fe, and that I like! You shall have y white hair stead, and that’s always sothg!”

“你不再要求别的了吗？” 她说。“我很乐意给你！” 于是她把自己漂亮的黑发给了她，换来了老妇人雪白的头发。

“do you deand nothg else?” said she. “that I will gdly give you!” And she gave her her fe bck hair, and got the old woan’s snow - white hair stead.

于是她们走进了死神的大温室，那里的花草树木奇异地相互交织生长。玻璃罩下种着美丽的风信子，还有茎干粗壮的牡丹；水里生长着水生植物，有些很鲜嫩，有些半死不活的，水蛇趴在上面，黑螃蟹咬着它们的茎。那里有美丽的棕榈树、橡树和芭蕉树；有欧芹和开花的百里香：每棵树和每朵花都有自己的名字；它们每一个都是一个人的生命，人的躯体仍然活着 —— 一个在中国，另一个在格陵兰 —— 遍布世界各地。有把大树种在小盆里的，以至于它们生长得十分矮小，都快要把花盆撑破了；在其他地方，肥沃的泥土里长着一朵不起眼的小花，周围长满了苔藓，它备受宠爱与呵护。但是这位忧伤的母亲在所有最小的植物前弯下腰来，听到它们里面人的心跳声；在数百万的植物中，她认出了自己孩子的。

So they went to death’s great greenhoe, where flowers and trees grew strao one ahere stood fe hyaths under gss bells, and there stood strong - sted perew water pnts, so so fresh, others half sick, the water - snakes y down on the, and bck crabs piheir stalks. there stood beautiful pal - trees, oaks, and pntas; there stood parsley and fl thy: every tree and every flower had its na; each of the was a huan life, the huan fra still lived — onea, and anreennd — round aboutthe world. there were rge treessall pots, so that they stood so stuntedgrowth, and ready to burst the pots;other pces, there was a little dull flowerrich ould, with oss round about it, and it was so petted and nursed. but the distressed other bent down over all the sallest pnts, and heard with the how the hua beat; and aongst illions she knew her child’s.

“在这儿呢！” 她叫道，并向一朵蓝色的小番红花伸出双手，那朵花病恹恹地歪向一边。

“there it is!” cried she, and stretched her hands out over a little be croc, that hung quite sickly on one side.

“别碰那朵花！” 老妇人说。“但是你站在这儿，等死神来了 —— 我随时都在等他 —— 别让他把花拔起来，而是要威胁他说你也会对其他的花这么做。这样他就会害怕了！他要向上帝负责这些花，在上帝允许之前，没人敢把它们拔起来。”

“don’t touk the flower up, but threaten hi that you will do the sa with the others. then he will be afraid! he is responsible for the to oUR LoRd, and no one dares to pck the up before hE gives leave.”

突然，一股冰冷的寒气穿过大厅，失明的母亲能感觉到是死神来了。

All at on icy ld rhed through the great hall, and the bld other uld feel that it was death that ca.

“你是怎么找到来这儿的路的？” 他问。“你怎么能比我来得还快？”

“how hast thou been able to fd thy way hither?” he asked. “how uldst thou e quicker than I?”

“我是一个母亲。” 她说。

“I a a other,” said she.

死神向那朵美丽的小花伸出了长长的手，但她紧紧地抓住他的手，抓得很紧，同时又担心会碰到一片叶子。然后死神朝她的手吹了口气，她觉得比寒风还冷，她的手无力地垂了下来。

Ah stretched out his long hand towards the fitle flower, but she held her hands fast around his, so tight, a afraid that she should toue of the leaves. theh blew on her hands, and she felt that it was lder than the ld d, and her hands fell down powerless.

“你对我无能为力！” 死神说。

“thou st not do anythg agast !” said death.

“但是我们的主可以！” 她说。

“but oUR LoRd !” said she.

“我只是执行他的命令！” 死神说。“我是他的园丁，我带走他所有的花草树木，把它们种在天堂的大花园里，在那个未知的地方；但它们在那里如何生长，那里是什么样的，我不敢告诉你。”

“I only do his biddg!” said death. “I a his gardener, I take all his flowers and trees, and pnt the outthe great garden of paradise,the unknown nd; but how they grow there, and how it is there I dare not tell thee.”

“把我的孩子还给我！” 母亲说，她边哭边祈祷。她立刻用两只手各抓住旁边两朵美丽的花，对死神喊道：“我要把你的花都扯掉，因为我绝望了。”

“Giveback y child!” said the other, and she wept and prayed. At once she seized hold of o beautiful flowers close by, with each hand, and cried out to death, “I will tear all thy flowers off, for I adespair.”

“别碰它们！” 死神说。“你说你很不幸，现在你却要让另一个母亲同样不幸。”

“touch the not!” said death. “thou say’st that thou art so unhappy, and now thou wilt ake aher equally unhappy.”

“另一个母亲！” 可怜的女人说，马上松开了她抓住的两朵花。

“Aher!” said the poor woan, and directly let go her hold of both the flowers.

“瞧，你的眼睛在这儿，” 死神说，“我从湖里捞上来的，它们闪着如此明亮的光；我不知道是你的。再拿回去吧，现在它们比以前更明亮了；现在往旁边的深井里看；我要告诉你那两朵你想扯掉的花的名字，你会看到它们完整的未来生活 —— 它们整个人类的存在：看看你差点扰乱和破坏了什么。”

“there, thou hast the eyes,” said death; “I fished the up fro the ke, they sho; I knew not they were thiake the aga, they are han before; now look down to the deep well close by; I shall tell thee the nas of the o flowers thou wouldst have torn up, and thou wilt see their whole future life — their whole huaence: and see what thou wast about to disturb aroy.”

她往井里看去；看到其中一朵花如何成为世间的福祉，看到到处都充满了多少幸福和欢乐，这是一种幸福。她看到了另一朵花的生命，那是悲伤、痛苦、恐怖和不幸。

And she looked down to the well; and it pio see how the one beca a blessg to the world, to see how uch happess and joy were felt everywhere. And she saw the other’s life, and it was sorrow and distress, horror, and wretess.

“它们两者都是上帝的旨意！” 死神说。

“both of the are God’s will!” said death.

“哪一朵是不幸之花，哪一朵是幸福之花呢？” 她问。

“which of the is isfortune’s flower and which is that of happess?” asked she.

“这个我不会告诉你，” 死神说，“但我要让你知道这个，其中一朵花就是你自己的孩子！你看到的是你孩子的命运 —— 你自己孩子的未来生活！”

“that I will not tell thee,” said death; “but this thou shalt know fro , that the one flower was thy own child! it was thy child’s fate thou saw’st — thy own child’s future life!”

然后母亲惊恐地尖叫起来，“哪一朵是我的孩子？告诉我！救救无辜的孩子！把我的孩子从所有那些苦难中拯救出来！宁可把它带走！带到上帝的国度去！忘掉我的眼泪，忘掉我的祈祷，忘掉我所做的一切！”

theher scread with terror, “which of the was y child? tell it ! Save the i! Save y child fro all that isery! Rather take it away! take it to God’s kgdo! Fet y tears, fet y prayers, and all that I have done!”

“我不明白你的意思！” 死神说。“你是想重新得到你的孩子，还是让我带着它到你不知道的地方去呢？”

“I do not uand thee!” said death. “wilt thou have thy child aga, or shall I go with it there, where thou dost not know!”

然后母亲绞着双手，跪下来，向上帝祈祷：“哦，当我违背您最美好的旨意祈祷时，请不要听我的，请不要听！请不要听！”

theher wrung her hands, fell on her knees, and prayed to our Lord: “oh, hearnot when I pray agast thy will, which is the best! hearnot! hearnot!”

她把头低到膝盖上，死神带着她的孩子走进了未知的地方。

And she bowed her head downher p, ah took her child a with it to the unknown nd.