第25章 飞箱 The Flying Trunk（2/2）
‘啊！那时我们长在绿色的树枝上，和树枝一样绿；每天早晚我们都被钻石般的露珠滋养着。每当太阳照耀时，我们感受到它温暖的光芒，小鸟们唱歌的时候会给我们讲故事。我们知道我们很富有，因为其他的树只有在夏天才穿上绿色的衣服，而我们家族在夏天和冬天都能披上绿色。但是伐木工人来了，就像一场大革命，我们家族倒在了斧头之下。家族的首领在一艘非常漂亮的船上谋得了主桅杆的职位，只要他愿意，就可以环游世界。家族的其他分支被带到了不同的地方，而我们现在的职责是为普通人点燃一盏灯。我们这些出身高贵的人就是这样来到了一个厨房里。’
‘Ah! then we grew on the green boughs, and were as green as they; everyand eveng we were fed with diaond drops of dew. whehe sun shone, we felt his war rays, and the little birds would rete stories toas they sung. we khat we were rich, for the other trees only wore their green dresssur, but our faily were able to array theselvesgreen, sur and ter. but the wood-cutter ca, like a great revotion, and our faily fell uhe axe. the head of the hoe obtaed a situation as aasta very fe ship, andsail round the world when he will. the other branches of the faily were taken to different pces, and our offiow is to kdle a light for on people. this is how such high-born people as we ca to bea kit.’
“‘我的命运则完全不同，’站在火柴旁边的铁锅说，‘从我第一次来到这个世界，我就一直被用来做饭和擦洗。当需要任何坚固或有用的东西时，我在这个家里总是第一个被想到的。
“‘e has been a very different fate,’ said the iron pot, which stood by the atches; ‘fro y first entrao the world I have beeo okg and sc. I a the firstthis hoe, when anythg solid or eful is required.
“我唯一的乐趣就是在晚饭后被擦得干干净净、闪闪发光，然后坐在我的位置上和我的邻居们进行一些明智的交谈。
y only pleasure is to be adeand shg after dner, and to sity pd have a little sensible versation with y neighbors.
我们所有人，除了有时被拿到院子里的水桶，都一起生活在这四面墙内。
All of , exceptg the water-bucket, which is sotis taken to the urtyard, live here together with these four walls.
我们从菜篮子那里得到消息，但他有时会告诉我们一些关于人和政府的非常不愉快的事情。
we get our news fro the arket-basket, but he sotis tellsvery unpleasant thgs about the people and the gover.
是的，有一天，一个旧罐子非常惊慌，以至于他掉下来摔成了碎片。他是一个自由主义者，我可以告诉你。
Yes, and one day an old pot was so ard, that he fell down and was broken to pieces. he was a liberal, Itell you.’
“‘你说得太多了，’火绒盒说，钢片撞击着燧石，直到一些火花飞溅出来，喊道，‘我们想要一个愉快的夜晚，不是吗？’
“‘You are talkg too uch,’ said the tder-box, and the steel struck agast the flt till so sparks flew out, g, ‘we want a rry eveng, don’t we?’
“‘是的，当然，’火柴说，‘让我们谈论那些出身最高贵的人。’
“‘Yes, of urse,’ said the atches, ‘lettalk about those who are the highest born.’
“‘不，我不喜欢总是谈论我们自己是什么，’平底锅说，‘让我们想一些其他的娱乐方式；我先来。我们来讲一些发生在我们自己身上的事情；那会很容易，也会很有趣。在波罗的海，靠近丹麦海岸 ——’
“‘No, I don’t like to be always talkg of what we are,’ rearked the sau; ‘letthk of so other aent; I will beg. we will tell sothg that has happeo ourselves; that will be very easy, and ig as well. on the baltic Sea, he danish shore’ —
“‘多么漂亮的开头！’盘子们说，‘我确定我们都会喜欢那个故事。’
“‘what a pretty !’ said the ptes; ‘we shall all like that story, I a sure.’
“‘是的；嗯，在我年轻的时候，我生活在一个安静的家庭里，那里的家具被擦得光亮，地板被擦洗干净，每两周就会挂上干净的窗帘。’
“‘Yes; welly youth, I liveda quiet faily, where the furniture olished, the floors sured, andcurtas put up every fht.’
“‘你讲故事的方式真有趣，’扫帚说，‘很容易看出你经常在女人的圈子里，你说的话里有一种如此纯洁的东西。’
“‘what an ig way you havea story,’ said the carpet-broo; ‘it is easy to perceive that you have been a great dealwon’s society, there is sothg so pure runs through what you say.’
“‘这是千真万确的，’水桶说；他高兴地跳了一下，把一些水溅到了地板上。
“‘that is quite true,’ said the water-bucket; and he ade a sprg with joy, and spshed so water on the floor.
“然后平底锅继续讲他的故事，结尾和开头一样精彩。
“then the sau went on with his story, and the end was as good as the begng.
“盘子们高兴得嘎嘎作响，扫帚从灰尘洞里拿出一些绿欧芹，给平底锅戴上了花环，因为他知道这会惹恼其他人；他想，‘如果我今天给他戴上花环，他明天就会给我戴上。’
“the ptes rattled with pleasure, and the carpet-broht so green parsley out of the dt-hole ahe sau, for he k would vex the others; ahought, ‘If Ihi to-day he will e to-orrow.’
“‘现在，让我们跳舞吧，’火钳说；然后他们跳了起来，把一条腿高高地举在空中。角落里的椅垫看到这一幕时哈哈大笑起来。
“‘Now, lethave a dance,’ said the fire-tongs; and then how they danced and stuck up ohe air. the chair-the er burst with ughter when she saw it.
“‘现在我该被加冕了吧？’火钳问道；于是扫帚又给火钳找了一个花环。
“‘Shall I be ed now?’ asked the fire-tongs; so the broo found another wreath for the tongs.
“‘他们终究只是普通人，’火柴想。
“‘they were only on people after all,’ thought the atches.
“现在他们请茶壶唱歌，但她说她感冒了，没有滚烫的热度就唱不了。他们都认为这是装腔作势，因为她只愿意在客厅里，当和大人物们一起在桌子上时才唱歌。
“the tea-urn was now asked to sg, but she said she had a ld, and uld not sg without boili. they all thought this was affectation, and becae she did not wish to sg exceptgthe parlor, when oable with the grand people.
“在窗户上坐着一支旧羽毛笔，女仆通常用它来写字。这支笔没有什么特别之处，只是蘸墨水蘸得太深了，但它却为此感到骄傲。
“In the dow sat an old quill-pen, with whieptg that it had been dipped too deeplythe k, but it roud of that.
“‘如果茶壶不唱歌，’羽毛笔说，‘那她就别唱了；笼子里有一只夜莺会唱歌；当然，她没学多少东西，但今晚我们不必对此说什么。’
“‘If the tea-urn won’t sg,’ said the pen, ‘sheleave it alohere is a nightgalea cage whosg; she has not been taught uch, certaly, but we need not say anythg this eveng about that.’
“‘我认为在这里听一只富有的外国鸟唱歌是非常不合适的。这是爱国的表现吗？让菜篮子来决定什么是对的。’茶壶说，他是厨房歌手，也是茶壶的同父异母兄弟。
“‘I thk it highly iproper,’ said the tea-kettle, who was kit sger, and half-brother to the tea-urn, ‘that a ri bird should be listeo here. Is it patriotic? Let the arket-basket decide what is right.’
“‘我当然很生气，’篮子说，‘内心的愤怒比任何人能想象的都要强烈。我们这样度过晚上合适吗？把房子整理好不是更明智吗？如果每个人都在自己的位置上，我会带头玩个游戏；那就完全是另一回事了。’
“‘I certaly a vexed,’ said the basket; ‘wardly vexed, ore than any oneiage. Are we spendg the eveng properly? would it not be ore sensible to put the hoeorder? If each werehis own pce I would lead a ga; this would be quite ahg.’
“‘我们演一出戏吧，’他们都说。就在这时，门开了，女仆走了进来。然后没有一个人动；他们都一动不动；然而，与此同时，他们中间没有一个罐子不对自己评价很高，并且认为如果自己愿意，就能做很多事情。
“‘Letact a py,’ said they all. At the sa ont the door opened, and the aid ca . then not oirred; they all reaed quite still; yet, at the sa ti, there was not a si aongst the who had not a high opion of hiself, and of what he uld do if he chose.
“‘是的，如果我们选择了，’他们每个人都想，‘我们本可以度过一个非常愉快的晚上。’
“‘Yes, if we had chosen,’ they each thought, ‘we ight have spent a very pleasant eveng.’
女仆拿起火柴点燃了它们；哎呀，它们噼里啪啦地燃烧起来！
the aid took the atches and lighted the; dear , how they sputtered and bzed up!
“‘现在，’他们想，‘每个人都会看到我们是最重要的。我们多么闪亮；我们发出多么明亮的光！’就在他们这么想的时候，他们的光熄灭了。
“‘Now then,’ they thought, ‘every one will see that we are the first. how we she; what a light we give!’ Even while they spoke their light went out.
“多么精彩的故事啊，” 王后说，“我感觉自己真的在厨房里，能看到那些火柴；是的，你可以娶我们的女儿。”
“what a capital story,” said the queen, “I feel as if I were really i, and uld see the atches; yes, you shall arry our daughter.”
“当然，” 国王说，“你可以娶我们的女儿。”
“certaly,” said the kg, “thou shalt have our daughter.”
国王对他用 “你” 相称，因为他即将成为王室的一员。
the kg said thou to hi becae he was gog to be one of the faily.
婚礼的日子定了下来，在前一天晚上，整个城市灯火辉煌。
the weddg-day was fixed, and, on the eveng before, the whole city was ilated.
蛋糕和糖果被扔向人群。
cakes and sweetats were thrown aong the people.
街头的男孩们踮起脚尖欢呼 “万岁”，并用手指吹口哨；总之，这是一件非常壮观的事情。
the street boys stood on tiptoe and shouted “hurrah,” and whistled beeen their fgers; altogether it was a very splendid affair.
“我要再给他们一个惊喜。” 商人的儿子说。
“I will give the areat,” said the rt’s son.
于是他去买了火箭、鞭炮和各种能想到的烟花，把它们装在箱子里，然后坐着箱子飞到空中。
So he went and bought rockets and crackers, and all sorts of fire-works that uld be thought of, packed thehis trunk, and flew up with it to the air.
烟花燃放时发出多么嗖嗖和噼里啪啦的声音啊！土耳其人看到空中的这番景象，跳得那么高，以至于他们的拖鞋都飞到了耳朵边。
what a whizzg and poppg they ade as they went off! the turks, when they saw such a sightthe air, juped so high that their slippers flew about their ears.
在这之后，很容易让人相信公主真的要嫁给一个土耳其天使了。
It was easy to believe after this that the prcess was really gog to arry a turkish angel.
烟花放完后，商人的儿子坐着会飞的箱子回到树林里，他想：“我现在要回城里去，听听他们对这场娱乐活动有什么看法。”
As soon as the rt’s son had e downhis flyg trunk to the wood after the fireworks, he thought, “I will go bato the town now, and hear what they thk of the eai.”
他想知道这是很自然的事情。
It was very natural that he should wish to know.
人们确实说了很多奇怪的事情！他询问的每一个人都有不同的说法，尽管他们都觉得非常美丽。
And what strahgs people did say, to be sure! every one who he questioned had a different tale to tell, though they all thought it very beautiful.
“‘我自己看到了那个土耳其天使，’一个人说，‘他的眼睛像闪烁的星星，头像翻腾的水。’
“‘I saw the turkish angel yself,” said one; “he had eyes like glitterg stars, and a head like foag water.”
“‘他披着一件火焰披风飞来，’另一个人喊道，‘可爱的小天使从褶皱中探出头来。’
“he flewa antle of fire,” cried another, “and lovely little cherubs peeped out fro the folds.”
他听到了更多关于自己的赞美之词，并且得知第二天他就要结婚了。
he heard any ore fihgs about hiself, and that theday he was to be arried.
在此之后，他回到森林，在他的箱子里休息。
After this he went back to the forest to rest hiselfhis trunk.
箱子不见了！残留的烟花火花把它点着了；它被烧成了灰烬！所以商人的儿子再也不能飞了，也不能去见他的新娘。
It had disappeared! A spark fro the fireworks which reaed had set it on fire; it was burnt to ashes! So the rt’s son uld not fly any ore, no to et his bride.
她整天站在屋顶上等着他，很可能她现在还在那里等着；而他则在世界上游荡，讲着童话故事，但没有一个像他讲的关于火柴的那个故事那么有趣。
She stood all day on the roof waitg for hi, and ost likely she is waitg there still; while he wahrough the world tellg fairy tales, but none of the so ag as the oed about the atches.