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内容提要
本书内容简洁，它明确告诉我们在生活中，怎样去学好英语的口语，然而在日常生活中，是有很多东西要注意要去学的。
Part 1 名篇欣赏
God's Creation of the World（上帝创世）
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep,and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said,“Let there be light,”and there was light.God saw that the light was good,and he separated the light from the darkness.God called the light“day”，and the darkness he called“night。”And there was evening,and there was morning-the first day.
And God said,“Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.”So God made the espanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water about it.And it was so.God called the expanse“sky。”And there was evening,and there was morning-the second day.
And God said,“Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place,and let dry gound apper.”And it was so.God called the dry ground“land”，and the gathered waters he called“seas。”And God say that it was good.
Then God said.“Let the land produce vegetation:seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it,according to their various kinds.”And it was so.The land produced vegetation:plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit withseed in it according to their kinds.And God saw that it was good.And there was evening,and there was morning-the third day.
And God said,“Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night,and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.”And it was so.God made two great lights-the greater light go govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.He also made the stars.God sell them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth,to govern the day and the night.and to separate light from darkness.And God saw that it was good.And there was evening,and there was morning-the fourth day.
And God said,“Let the water teem with living creatures,and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems,according to their kinds,and every winged bird according to its kind.And God saw that it was good.God blessed them and said,“Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas,and let the birds increase on the earth.”And there was evening,and there was morning-the fifth day.
And God said,“Let the land produce living creatrues according to their kinds:live stock,creatures that move along the ground,and wild animals,each according to its kind.”And it was so.God saw that it was good.
Then God said,“Let us make man in our image,in our likeness,and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,over the livestock,over all the earth,and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he creatcd him；male and female he created them.God blessed them and said to them,“Be fruitful and increase in number；fill the earth and subdue it.Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said,“I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.They will be yours for food.”And it was so.God saw all that he had made,and it was very good.And there was evening,and there was morning-the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing；so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.【译文】
上帝创世
起初，上帝创造天地时，大地一片混沌，渊面黑暗。上帝的灵气运行在水面上。
上帝说：“要有光！”立刻就有了光，上帝见有光很好，就把光明与黑暗分开，称光明为“昼”，黑暗为“夜”，于是黑夜降临，晨光现。这是第一天。
上帝说：“诸水之间要有空气，将水分为上和下。”上帝就造出分隔，将以上和以下的水分开了。事就这样成了。上帝称之为“天”。黑夜再临，晨光再现。这是第二天。
上帝说：“天下的水要聚在一处，使旱地露出来！”事就这样成了。上帝称旱地为“陆”，汇集之水为“海”。上帝见如此很好。
上帝说：“要让大地生机勃勃，地上长出能结果子的树木，果子要有籽实，各从其类！”于是，事就这样成了，大地生机蓬勃，长出了瓜果树木，果实累累。上帝见如此很好。黑夜又临，晨光再现。这是第三天。
上帝说：“天上要有光体，以区分昼夜，并标志节气、日子和年岁，并在天上发光，普照大地！”事就这样成了。上帝创造了两个巨大光体，较大的管昼，较小的司夜。上帝又造出星辰，置于空气中照亮大地，司昼夜，分明暗。上帝见如此很好。黑夜临，晨光现，这是第四天。
上帝说：“水要多多滋生生物，要有雀鸟飞在地面之上，天空之中！”于是上帝创造出大鱼和各种水物生，又造出各种飞鸟，各从其类。上帝见如此很好，于是赐福给它们，说：“让海中游鱼，空中飞鸟多多滋生繁衍！”黑夜临，晨光现。这是第五天。
上帝说：“地要生出各种活物来，牲畜、爬行动物和野兽，各从其类！”事就这样成了。上帝见如此很好。
上帝说：“要按我的形象造人管理海中之鱼，空中之鸟以及地上的牲畜和各种爬虫走兽。”于是上帝按照自己的形象造出人类，造出男女。上帝赐福给他们，说：“要多多生养，布满全球，治理世界，管理海中的鱼、空中的鸟和地上的各种动物。”
上帝又说：“我要使地上到处长满树木，结满籽果，生长果子，赐与你们为食。”事就这样成了。上帝见所造的一切，觉得甚好。黑夜临，晨光现，到了第六天。
天地万物都造齐了。到了第七日，上帝创世完毕，就停止了工作，他赐福给第七天，定为圣日，因为此时他已完成了要做的一切，无须工作了。
这就是上帝创世的故事。
Adam and Eve（亚当和夏娃）
When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens-and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth,for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,but streams came up from the earch and wateredthe whole surface of the ground-the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,and the man became a living being.
Now the lord God had planted a garden in the east,in Eden；and there he put the man he had formed.And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
A river watering the garden flowed from Eden；from there it was separated into four headwaters.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Carden of Eden to work it and take care of it.And the Lord God commanded the man,“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden；but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
The Lord God said,“It is not good for the man to be alone.I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.He brought them to the man to see what he would name them；and whatever the man called each living creature,that was its name.So the man gave names to all the livestock,the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found.So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep；and while he was sleeping,he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh.Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taden out of the man,and he brought her to the man.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh；she shall be called'woman'，for she was taken out of man.”
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,and they will become one flesh.
The man and his wife were both naked,and they felt no shame towards one another.【译文】
亚当和夏娃
上帝创造天地之时，地上全无草木，因为造世之主没有降雨到地上，也无人耕地，只有地下涌出的水滋润地面。上帝用地上的尘土造人，将生气吹进他的鼻孔，他就有了生命。
上帝在东边的伊甸建造了一座园子，他把所造的人安置在那里。上帝让地面长出各种树木，这些树木不但秀美悦目，而且结有果实可供食用。在园正中，他种下了一种生命之树和一株能辨善恶的树。
有河从伊甸流出来滋润那园子，水从那里分为四股。
上帝把他造的男人带到伊甸园，让他在园中耕耘管理，并对他说：“你可以随意采食园中树上的果实，惟独那能辨善恶的树上的果子，你不能吃，因为吃它必死。”
上帝又说：“一个人独居不好。我要为他造一个配偶作帮手。”
上帝用泥土造出各种飞禽走兽，并把它们带到此人面前，看他如何称呼它们。此人对每种动物的称呼就成了这种动物的名字。于是，此人就给所有的牲畜、飞禽和走兽定了名。
但亚当自己还是没有合适的配偶。于是上帝让他沉睡，然后乘他熟睡的时候取出了他的一根肋骨，又把皮肉合好。上帝用男人身上取出的肋骨造了一个女人，并领她到这男人面前。
亚当说：“如今这生灵，骨取自我骨，肉取自我肉，就称之为‘女人’，因为她是从男人身上取出来的。”
因此，男人要离开父母跟妻子连合，二人成为一体。
此时，他们两人，男人和妻子都赤身露体，但他们彼此相对时并不难为情。
The Princess on The Pea（豌豆上的公主）
There was once a Prince who wanted to marry a princess；but she was to be a real princess.So he travelled about,all through the world,to find a real one,but everywhere there was something in the way.There were princesses enough,but whether they were real princesses he could not quite make out:there was always something that did not seem quite right.So he came home again,and was quite sad；for he wished so much to have a real princess.
One evening a terrible storm came on.It lightened and thundered,the rain streamed down；it was quite fearful!Then there was a knocking at the town-gate,and the old King went out to open it.
It was a Princess who stood outside the gate.But,mercy!How she looked,from the rain and the rough weather!The water ran down her hair and her clothes；it ran in at the points of her shoes,and out at the heels；and yet she declared that she was a real princess.
“Yes,we will soon find that out,”thought the old Queen.But she said nothing,only went into the bedchamber,took all the bedding off,and put a pea on the bottom of the bedstead；then she took twenty mattresses and laid them upon the pea,and then lwenty eider-down quilts upon the mattresses.On this the Princess had to lie all night.In the morning she was asked how she had slept.
“Oh,miserably!”said the Princess.“I scarcely closed my eyes all night long.Goodness knows what was in my bed.I lay upon something hard,so that I am black and blue all over.It is quite dreadful!”
Now they saw that she was a real princess,for through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down quilts she had felt the pea.No one but a real princess could be so tender-skinned.
So the Prince took her for his wife,for now he knew that he had a true princess and the pea was put in the museum,and it is still to be seen there,unless somebody has carried it off.
Look you,this is a true story.
豌豆上的公主
从前有一位王子，他想找一位公主结婚；但是她必须是一位真正的公主。所以他就走遍了全世界，要想寻到这样的一位公主。可是无论他到什么地方，他总是碰到一些障碍。公主倒有的是；不过他没有办法断定她们究竟是不是真正的公主。她们总是有些地方不大对头。结果他只好回家来，心中很不快活，因为他是那么渴望着得到一位真正的公主。
有一天晚上，忽然起了一阵可怕的暴风雨。天空在掣电，在打雷，在下着大雨。这真有点使人害怕！这时有人在敲着城门。老国王就走过去开门。
站在城门外的是一位公主。可是，天啦！经过了风吹雨打以后，她的样子是多么难看啊！水沿着她的头发和衣服向下面流，流进鞋尖，又从脚跟流出来。她说她是一个真正的公主。“是的，这点我们马上就可以弄清楚，”老皇后心里想，可是她什么也没有说。她走进卧室，把所有的被褥都搬开，在床榻上放了一粒豌豆。然后她取出20床垫子，把它们压在豌豆上；随后她又在这些垫上放了20床鸭绒被。
这位公主夜里就睡在这些东西上面。
早晨大家问她昨晚睡得怎样。“啊，不舒服极了！”公主说。“我差不多整夜没有合眼！天晓得我床上有件什么东西。有一粒很硬的东西硌着我，弄得我全身发青发紫。这真怕人！”
现在大家就看出来了，她是一位真正的公主，因为压在这20床垫子和20床鸭绒被下面的一粒豌豆，她居然还能感觉得出来。除了真正的公主以外，任何人都不会有这么嫩的皮肤的。
因此那位王子就选她为妻子了，因为现在他知道他得到了一位真正的公主。这粒豌豆因此也就送进了博物馆。如果没有人把它拿走的话，人们现在还可以在那儿看到它呢。
请注意，这是一个真的故事。
A Story（一个故事）
IN the garden all the apple-trees were in blossom.They had hurried up to get flowers before green leaves,and in the farm-yard all the ducklings were out and the cat with them:he licked real sunshine,licked it from his own paws；and if one looked along to the field,the corn stood magnificently green and there was a twittering and a chirping of all the little birds,as if it were a great festival,and indeed one might also say that it was so,for it was Sunday.The bells rang,and people in their best clothes went to church,and looked so well pleased；yes,there was something so pleasant about every thint；it was certainly a day so warm and blessed,that one could say,“Our Lord is really very good to His peo-ple!”
But inside the church,the priest stood in the pulpit and spoke very loudly and very angrily；he said that the people were so ungodly,and that God would punish them for it,and when they died,the wicked should go down to Hell,where they should burn for ever,and he said that their worm never died,and their fire was never quenched；and never did they get peace or rest.It was terrible to hear it,and he said it so positively；he described Hell to them as a stinking hole,where all the world's filthiness flowed together,there was no air except the hot sulphur-flame,there was no bottom,they sank and sank in an everlasting silence.It was gruesome merely to listen to it,but the priest said it from the heart,and all the people in the church were quite terrified.
But outside all the little birds sang so happily,and the sun shone so warmly,it seemed as if every little flower said,“God is so very good to all of us,”Yes,outside it was certainly not as the preacher had said.
In the evening towards bedtime,the clergyman saw his wife sitting silent and thoughtful.
“What ails you？”he said to her.
“What ails me？”said she,“I can not collect my thoughts properly,I cannot get clearly into my head what you said,that there were so many ungodly,and that they should burn for ever；for ever,O,how long!I am only a sinful woman,but I could not bear to let even the worst sinner burn for ever；how then should our Lord be able to do it who is so in finitely good,and who knows how the evil comes both from without and from within？No,I cannot think it,even although you say it.”
It was autumn,the leaves fell from the trees；the severe,earnest priest sat by the death-bed of his wife.
“If any one should get peace in the grave and mercy from God,it is you!”said the priest,and he folded her hands and read a psalm over her body.
And she was carried to her grave；two heavy tears rolled down over the cheeks of the earnest priest；and in his house it was quiet and lonely,the sunshine was extinguished；she had gone away.
It was night；a cold wind blew over the head of the priest,he opened his eyes,and it seemed as if the moon shone into his room,but the moon was not shining；it was a figure which stood before his bed；he saw the ghost of his dead wife；she looked at him sorrowfully,it seemed as if she wanted to say something.
And the man raised himself half up,and stretched out his arms to her；“Have you not been granted eternal rest either？Do you suffer-you the best,the most pious？”And the departed one bowed her head for“Yes”，and laid her hands on her breast.
“And can I obtain rest for you in the grave？”
“Yes,”it answered him.
“And how？”
“Give me a hair,only a single hair,from the head of the sinner whose fire will never be quenched,the sinner whom God will thrust down into everlasting punishment.”
“Yes,so easily can you be set free,you pure and pious soul!”
“Then follow me!”said the departed one.It is so vouchsafed to us.By my side you can float whither your thoughts will；unseen by men we stand in their most secret corners,but with steady hand you must point to the one consecrated to everlasting pain,and before cook-crow he must be found.
And quickly,as if carried by thought,they were in the great town；and from the walls of the houses shone in letters of fire the names of the deadly sins:Pride,Avarice,Drunkenness,Self-indulgence,in short,the whole seven-hued rainbow of sin.
“Yes,in there,as I thought,as I knew,”said the priest,“dwell those who are destined for eternal fire.”And they stood before the gorgeously lighted portal,where the broad stair was decorated with carpets and flowers,and dance-music sounded through the festive halls.The footman stood in silk and velvet with silver-mounted stick.
“Our ball can compare with that of the king,”said he,and he turned to the crowd on the street；form top to toe the thought shone out of him，“Poor pack,who stare in at the portal,you are common people compared with me,all of you!”
“Pride,”said the departed one.“Do you see him？”
“Yes,but he is a simpleton,only a fool,and will not be con-demned to everlasting fire and pain!”
“Only a fool!”sounded through the whole house of Pride；they were all“Only fools”there.
And they flew within the four bare walls of Avarice,where,lean,chattering with cold,hungry and thirsty,the old one clung to his gold with all his thoughts；they saw how he sprang from his miserable couch,as in a fever,and took a loose stone out of the wall,where goldmoney lay in a stoking-leg；he fingered his patched coat into which gold pieces were sewn,and the moist fingers trembled.
“He is ill,it is madness,a joyless madness,beset with fear and evil dreams.”
And they departed in haste,and stood by the couches of the criminals where they slept in long rows,side by side.
Like a wild animal,one of them started up out of his sleep,utte-ring a horrid shriek；he dug his pointed elbow into his comrade,who turned sleepily.
“Hold your tongue,you blockhead,and sleep!-it is the same ev-ery night!”
“Every night,”he repeated,“yes,every night he comes and howls and suffocates me.In passion have I done one thing and another,an angry mind was I born with；it has brought me here a second time；but if I have done wrong,then I have had my punishment.Only one thing have I not acknowledged.When I last came out of here and passed my master's farm,one thing and another boiled up in me,-I scratched a sulphur match along the wall,it ran a little too near the thatch of the roof,everything burned.Passion came over it,as it comes over me.I helped to save the cattle and effects.Nothing living was burned but a flock of pigeons,which flew into the fire,and the watchdog.I had not thought of it.One could hear it howling,and that howl I always hear still,when I want to sleep,and when I fall asleep,then comes the dog,so big and shaggy；he lays himself on me,howls,presses me.and suffocales me.Then listen to what I tell you；you can snore,snore the whole night,and I not a short quarter of an hour.”And the blood shone in his eyes,he threw himself over his comrade and hit him with clenched fist in the face.
“Angry Mads has gone mad again!”was the cry round about,and the other scoundrels caught hold of him,wrestled with him,and bent him so that his head sat between his legs where they bound it fast；the blood was almost springing out of his eyes and all his pores.
“You will kill him,”shouted the priest,“the miserable one!”And whilst he,in order to hinder them,stretched out his hand over the sinner,who already in this world suffered too severly,the scene changed；they flew through rich halls,and through poor rooms；Self-indulgence,Envy,all the deadly sins marched past them；an angel of judgement read their sins,their defence；this was but weak before God,but God reads the hearts,He who is mercy and love.The hand of the priest trembled,he dared not stretch it forth to pull a hair from the sinner's head.And the tears streamed from his eyes,like the water of mercy and love,which quench the everlasting fires of Hell.And the cock crew.
“Merciful God!”Thou will give her that rest in the grave,which I have not been able to obtain.
“I have it now!”said the dead one,“it was thy hard words,thy dark belief about God and His works,which drove me to thee!Learn to know men；even in the wicked there is something of God,something which will triumph,and quench the fire of Hell.”
A kiss was pressed on the mouth of the priest,light beamed round a-bout him；God's clear sun shone into the chamber,where his wife,gentle and loving,wakened him from a dream sent by God.
一个故事
花园里的苹果树都开了花。它们想要在绿叶没有长好以前就赶快开出花朵。院子里的小鸭都跑出来了，猫儿也跟着一起跑出来了：他是在舔着真正的太阳光——舔着他的脚爪上的太阳光。如果你朝田野里望，你可以看到一片青翠的小麦。所有的小鸟都在吱吱喳喳地叫，好像这是一个盛大的节日似的。的确，你也可以说这是一个节日，因为这是星期天。
教堂的钟声在响着。大家穿着最好的衣服到教堂去，而且都显出非常高兴的样子。是的，所有的东西都表现出一种愉快的神情。这的确是一个温暖和幸福的日子。人们可以说：“我们的上帝对我们真好！”
不过在教堂里，站在讲台上的牧师却是大叫大喊，非常生气。他说：人们都不信上帝，上帝一定要惩罚他们；他们死了以后，坏的就被打入地狱，而且在地狱里他们将永远被烈火焚烧。他还说，他们良心的责备将永远不停，他们的火焰也永远不灭，他们将永远得不到休息和安静。
听他的这番讲道真叫人害怕，而且他讲得那么肯定。他把地狱描写成为一个腐臭的地洞；世界上所有的脏东西都流进里面去；那里面除了磷火以外，一点儿空气也没有；它是一个无底洞，不声不响地往下沉，永远往下沉。就是光听这个故事，也够叫人心惊胆战的了。但是牧师的这番话语是从心里讲出来的，所以教堂里的听众都给吓得魂不附体。
但是外面的许多小鸟却唱得非常愉快，太阳光也非常温暖，每一朵小花都好像在说：“上帝对我们大家太好了。”是的，外面的情形一点也不像牧师描写得那么糟。
在晚上要睡觉的时候，牧师看见他的太太坐着一声不响，好像有什么心事似的。“你在想什么呢？”他问她。“我在想什么？”她说。“我觉得我想不通，我不能同意你所讲的话。你把不敬上帝的人说得那么多，你说他们要永远受火烧的刑罚。永远，唉，永远到什么时候呢？连像我这样一个有罪的女人都不忍让最坏的恶人永远受着火刑，我们的上帝怎么能呢？他是那么仁慈，他知道罪过的形成有内在的原因，也有外在的原因。不，虽然你说得千真万确，我却没有办法相信。”
这时正是秋天，叶子从树上落下来。这位严峻和认真的牧师坐在一个死人的旁边；死者怀着虔诚的信心把眼睛合上了。这就是牧师的妻子。“如果说世上有一个人应该得到上帝的慈悲和墓中的安息的话，这个人就是你！”牧师说。他把他的双手合起来，对死者的尸体念了一首圣诗。
她被抬到墓地里去，这位一本正经的牧师的脸上滚下了两滴眼泪。他家里现在是静寂无声，太阳光消逝了，因为没有了她。
这正是黑夜，一阵冷风吹到牧师的头上来，他把眼睛睁开；这好像月亮已经照进他的房间里来了，但是并没有月亮在照着。在他的床面前站着一个人形。这就是他的死去了的妻子的幽灵。她用一种非常悲哀的眼光望着他，好像她有一件什么事情要说似的。
他直起一半身子，把手向她伸过来：“你没有得到永恒的安息吗？你在受苦吗？你——最善良的、最虔诚的人！”
死者低下头，作为一个肯定的回答。她把双手按在胸口。“我能想办法使你在墓里得到安息吗？”“能！”幽灵回答说。“怎样能呢？”“你只须给我一根头发，一根被不灭的火所烧着的罪人头上的头发——这是一个上帝要打下地狱、永远受苦的罪人！”“你，纯洁而虔诚的人，你把得救看得这样容易！”“跟着我来吧！”死者说，“上帝给了我们这种力量。只要你心中想到什么地方去，你就可以从我身边飞到什么地方去。凡人看不见我们，我们可以飞到他们最秘密的角落里去。你必须用肯定的手，指出那个注定永远受苦的人，而且你必须在鸡叫以前就把这个人指出来。”
他们好像是被思想的翅膀托着似的，很快地就飞到一个大城市里去了。所有房子的墙上都燃着火焰所写成的几件大罪的名称：骄傲、贪婪、酗酒、任性——总之，是一整条7种颜色的罪孽所组成的长虹。“是的，”牧师说，“在这些房子里面，我相信——同时我也知道——就住着那些注定永远受火刑的人。”
他们站在一个灯火辉煌的、漂亮的大门口。宽广的台阶上铺着地毯和摆满花朵，欢乐的大厅里飘出跳舞的音乐。侍者穿着丝绸和天鹅绒的衣服，手中拿着包银的手杖。“我们的舞会比得上皇帝的舞会，”他说。他向街上的人群望了一眼；他的全身——从头到脚——射出这样一个思想：“你们这群可怜的东西，你们朝门里望；比起我来，你们简直是一群叫花子！”“这是骄傲！”死者说，“你看到他没有？”“看到了，但是他不过是一个傻瓜，一个呆子。他不会受永恒的火刑和痛苦的。”“他不过是一个傻子！”整个“骄傲”的屋子发出这样的一个声音。他们都“只不过是傻子”。
他们飞到“贪婪”的四堵墙里面去。这里有一个干瘦的老家伙，又饥又渴，冻得发抖，但是他却聚精会神地抱着他的金子。他们看到他怎样像发热似地从一个破烂的睡榻上跳下来，挪开墙上一块活动的石头，因为那里面藏着他的装在一只袜子里的许多金币。他抚摸着褴褛的上衣，因为它里面也缝的有金币；他的潮湿的手指在发抖。“他病了。他害的是一种疯病，一种没有乐趣的、充满了恐怖和噩梦的疯病。”
他们匆忙地走开了。他们站在一批罪犯的木板床旁边。这些人紧挨着睡成一排。
他们之中有一个人像一只野兽似地从睡梦中跳起来，发出一个可怕的尖叫声。他用他的瘦削的手肘把他旁边的一个人推了几下。这人在睡梦中翻了一个身，说：“闭住嘴吧，你这个畜生，赶快睡呀！你每天晚上总是来这一套！”“每天晚上？”他重复着说。“是的，他每天晚上总是来对我乱叫，折磨着我。我一发起脾气来，不做这就要做那，我生下来就是脾气坏的。这已经是我第二次被关在这儿了。不过，假如说我做了坏事，我已经得到了惩罚。只有一件事情我没有承认。上次我从牢里出来的时候，从我主人的田庄附近走过，心里不知怎的忽然闹起别扭来。我在墙上划了一根火柴——我划得离开草顶太近，立刻就烧起来了。火燎起来正她像脾气在我身上发作一样。我尽量帮忙救这屋子里的牲口和家具。除了飞进火里去的一群鸽子和套在链子上的看门狗以外，什么活东西也没有烧死。我没有想到这只狗，人们可以听见它在号叫——我现在在睡觉的时候还能听见它号叫。我一睡着，这只毛茸茸的大狗子就来了。它躺在我身上号叫，压着我，使我喘不过气来。我告诉你吧：你可以睡得打呼噜，一整夜打呼噜，但是我只能睡短短的一刻钟。”
这人的眼睛里射出血丝。他倒到他的朋友身上，紧捏着一个拳头朝他的脸上打来。“疯子又发作了！”周围的人齐声说。其余的罪犯都把他抓住，和他揪作一团。他们把他弯过来，使他的头夹在两腿中间，然后再把他紧紧地绑住。他的一双眼睛和全身的毛孔几乎都要喷出血来了。“你们这样会把他弄死的，”牧师大声说，“可怜的东西！”他向这个受够了苦的罪人身上伸出一只保护的手来；正在这时候，情景变了。他们飞过富丽的大厅，他们飞过贫穷的房间。“任性”、“嫉妒”和其他主要的“罪孽”都在他们身边走过。一个作为裁判官的安琪儿宣读这些东西的罪过和辩护。在上帝面前，这并不是重要的事情，因为上帝能够洞察人的内心；他知道心里心外的一切罪过；他本身就是慈悲和博爱。牧师的手颤抖起来，他不敢伸出手在这罪人的头上拔下一根头发。眼泪像慈悲和博爱的水一样，从他的眼睛里流出来，把地狱里的永恒的火滴熄了。
这时鸡叫了。“慈悲的上帝！只有您能让她在墓里安息，我做不到这件事情。”“我现在已经得到安息了，”死者说。“因为你说出那样骇人的话语，你对他和他的造物感到那样悲观，所以我才不得不到你这儿来！好好地把人类认识一下吧，就是最坏的人身上也有一点上帝的成份——这点成份可以战胜和熄灭地狱里的火。”
牧师的嘴上得到了一个吻，他的周围充满了阳光。上帝的明朗的太阳光射进房间里来。他的活着的、温柔和蔼的妻子把他从上帝送来的一个梦中唤醒。
A leaf from the Sky（天上落下来的一片叶子）
HIGH up,in the thin chear air,flew an angel with a flower from the heavenly garden.As he was kissing the flower,a very little leaf fell down into the soft soil in the midst of the wood,and immediately took root,and sprouted,and sent forth shoots among the other plants.
“A funny kind of slip,that,”said the Plants.
And neither Thistle nor Stinging-Nettle would recognize the stranger.
“That must be a kind of garden plant,”said they.And they sneered；and the plant was despised by them as being a thing out of the garden,but it grew and grew,like none of the others,and shot its branches far and wide.
“Where are you coming？”cried the lofty Thistles,whose leaves are all armed with thorns.“You give yourself a good deal of space!That's all nonsense-we are not here to support you!”
And winter came,and snow covered the plant；but the plant imparted to the snowy covering a lustre as if the sun was shining upon it from below as from above.When spring came,the plant appeared as flourishing and more beautiful than any growth of the forest.
And now appeared on the scene the botanical professor,who could show what he was in black and white.He inspected the plant and tested it,but found it was not included in his botanical system；and he could not possibly find out to what class it belonged.
“It must be some subordinate species,”he said.“I don't know it.It's not included in any system.”
“Not included in any system!”repeated the Thistles and the Nettles.
The great trees that stood round about heard what was said,and they also saw that it was not a tree of their kind but they said not a word,good or bad,which is the wisest thing for people to do who are stupid.
There came through the forest a poor innocent girl.Her heart was pure,and her understanding was enlarged by faith.Her whole inheritance was an old Bible；but out of its pages a voice said to her,“If people wish to do us evil,remember how it was said of Joseph:-they imagined evil in their hearts,but God turned it to good.If we suffer wrong-if we are misunderstood and despised-then we may recall the words of Him Who was purity and goodness itself,and Who forgave and prayed for those who buffeted and nailed Him to the cross.”
The girl stood still in front of the wonderful plant,whose great leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance,and whose flowers glittered like coloured flames in the sun；and from each flower there came a sound as though it concealed within itself a deep fount of melody that thousands of years could not exhaust.With pious gratilude the girl looked on this beautiful work of the Greator,and bent down one of the branches towards herself to breathe its sweetness；and a light arose in her soul.It seemed to do her heart good；and gladly would she have plucked a flower,but she could not make up her mind to break one off,for it would soon fade if she did so.Therefore the girl only took a single leaf,and laid it in her Bible at home；and it there quite fresh,always green,and never fading.
Among the pages of the Bible it was kept；and,with the Bible,it was laid under the young girl's head when,afew weeks a fterwards,she lay in her coffin,with the solemn calm of death on her gentle face,as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she now stood before her Grealor.
But the wonder ful plant still bloomed without in the forest.Soon it was like a tree to look upon；and all the birds of passage bowed before it,especially the swallow and the stork.
“There are foreign airs now,”said the Thistles and the Burdocks；“we never behave like that here.”
And the black snails actually spat at the flower.
Then came the swineherd.He was collecting thistles and shrubs,to burn them for the ashes.The wonder ful plant was pulled up with all its roots and placed in his bundle.
“It shall be made useful,”he said；and so said,so done.
But for more than a year and a day,the King of the country was troubled with a terrible depression of spirils.He was busy and industrious,but that did him no good.They read him deep and learned books,and then they read from the very lightest that they could find；but it was of no use.Then one of the wise men of the world,to whom they had applied,sent a messenger to tell the King that there was one remedy to give him relief and to cure him.He said:
“In the King's own country there grows in a forest a plant of heavenly origin.Its appearance is thus.It cannot be mistaken.”And here was added a drawing of the plant,which was easy to recognize.“It remains green winter and summer.Take every evening a fresh leaf of it,and lay that on the King's forehead；then his thoughts will become clear,and during the night a beautiful dream will strengthen him for the coming day.”
This was all clear enough,and all the doctors and the professor of botany went out into the forest.-Yes,but where was the plant？
“I fancy it was taken up in my bundle,and burned to ashes ling ago,”said the swineherd；“but I did not know any better.”
“You did not know any better!”said they all together.“O,igno-rance,ignorance,how great thou art!”
And those words the swineherd might well take to himself,for they were,meant for him,and for no one else.
Not another leaf was to be found；the only one lay in the coffin of the dead girl,and no one knew anything about that.
And the King himself,in his melancholy,wandered out to the spot in the wood.
“Here is where the plant stood,”he said；“it is a sacred place.”
And the place was surrounded with a golden railing,and a sentry was posted there both by night and by day.
The botanical professor wrote a long treatise upin the heavenly plant.For this he was decorated,and that was a great delight to him,and the decoration suited him and his family very well.
And indeed that was the most agreeable part of the whole story,for the plant was gone,and the King remained as low-spirited as before；but that he had always been,at least so the sentry said.
天上落下来的一片叶子
在稀薄的、清爽的空中，有一个安琪儿拿着天上花园中的一朵花在高高地飞。当他在吻着这朵花的时候，有一小片花瓣落到树林中松软的地上。这花瓣马上就生了根，并且在许多别的植物中间冒出芽来。“这真是一根很滑稽的插枝，”别的植物说。蓟和荨麻都不认识它。“这一定是花园里长的一种植物！”它们说，并且还发出一声冷笑。它们认为它是花园里的一种植物而开它的玩笑。但是它跟别的植物不同；它在不停地生长；它把长枝子向四面伸开来。“你要伸到什么地方去呢？”高大的蓟说。它的每片叶子都长满了刺。“你占的地方太多！这真是岂有此理！我们可不能扶持你呀！”
冬天来了；雪把植物盖住了。不过这棵植物给雪层增添了一片光彩，好像有太阳从底下照一来似的。在春天的时候，这棵植物开出花来；它比树林里的任何植物都要美丽。
这时来了一位植物学教授。他有许多学位来说明他的身份。他对这棵植物望了一眼，检验了一番；但是他发现他的植物体系内没有这种东西。他简直没有办法把它分类。“它是一种变种！”他说。“我不认识它，它不属于任何一科！”“不属于任何一科！”蓟和荨麻说。
周围的许多大树都听到了这些话。它们也看出来了，这种植物不属于它们的系统。但是它们什么话也不说——不说坏话，也不说好话。对于傻子说来，这是一种最聪明的办法。
这时有一个贫苦的天真女孩走过树林。她的心很纯洁；因为她有信仰，所以她的理解力很强，她全部的财产只是一部很旧的《圣经》，不过她在每页书上都听见上帝的声音：如果有人想对你做坏事，你要记住约瑟的故事——“他们在心里想着坏事情，但是上帝把它变成好事情。”如果你受到委屈，被人误解或者被人侮辱，你只须记住上帝的话。他是一个最纯洁、最善良的人。他为那些讥笑他和把他钉上十字架的人祈祷：“天父，请原谅他们吧，他们不知道他们自己在做什么事情！”
女孩子站在这棵稀奇的植物面前——它的绿叶发出甜密和清新的香气，它的花朵在太阳光中射出五光十色的焰火般的光彩。每朵花发出一种音乐，好像它里面有一股音乐的泉水，几千年也流不尽。女孩子怀着虔诚的心情，望着造物主的这些美丽的创造。她顺手把一根枝条拉过来，细看上面的花朵，闻一闻这些花朵的香气。她心里轻松起来，感到一种愉快。她很想摘下一朵花，但是她不忍把它折断，因为这样花就会凋谢了。她只是摘下一片绿叶。她把它带回家来，夹在《圣经》里。叶子在这本书里永远保持新鲜，从来没有凋谢。
叶子就这样藏在《圣经》里。几个星期以后，当这女孩子躺在棺材里的时候，《圣经》就放在她的头底下。她温柔的脸上露出了一种死亡的庄严和宁静，好像她的这个尘世的躯壳，就是说明她现在已经在上帝面前的印证。
但是那棵奇异的植物仍然在树林里开着花。它很快就要长成一棵树了。许多侯鸟，特别是鹳鸟和燕子，都飞到这儿来，在它面前低头致敬。“这东西已经有点洋派头了！”蓟和牛蒡说。“我们这些本乡生长的植物从来没有这副样子！”
黑蜗牛实际上已经在这植物身上吐粘液了。
这时有一个猪倌来了。他正在采集荨麻和蔓藤，目的是要把它们烧出一点灰来。这棵奇异的植物也被连根拔起来了，扎在一个柴捆里。“也叫它能够有点用处！”他说，同时他也就这样做了。
但是这个国家的君主多少年来一直害着很重的忧郁病。他是非常忙碌和勤俭，但是这对他的病却没有什么帮助。人们念些深奥的书给他听，或念些世上最轻松的读物给他听，但这对他的病也没有什么好处。人们请教世界上一个最聪明的人，这人派来一个信使。信使对大家说，要减轻和治好国王的病，现在只有一种药方。他说：“在国王的领土里，有一个树林里长着一棵来自天上的植物。它的形状是如此这般，人们决不会弄错。”它不论在冬天或夏天都是绿的。人们只须每天晚上摘下一片新鲜的叶子，把它放在国王的额上，那么国王的头脑就会变得清新，他夜间就会做一个美丽的梦，他第二天也就会有精神了。
这个说明已经是够清楚了。所有的医生和那位植物学教授都到树林里去-是的，不过这棵植物在什么地方呢？“我想我已经把它扎进柴捆里去了！”猪倌说；“它早就已经烧成灰了。别的事情我不知道！”“你不知道！”大家齐声说。“啊，愚蠢啊！愚蠢啊！你是多么伟大啊！”
The Angel（安琪儿）
“Whenever good child dies,an angel from heaven comes down to earth and takes the dead child in his arms,spreads out his great white wings,and flies away over all the places the child has loved,and picks quite a handful of flowers,which he carries up to the Almighty,that they may bloom in heaven more brightly than on earth.And the Father presses all the flowers to His heart；but He kisses the flower that pleases Him best,and the flower is then endowed with a voice,and can join in the great chorus of praise!”
“See”-this is what an angel said,as he carried a dead child up to heaven,and the child heard,as if in a dream,and they went on over the regions of home where the little child had played,and they came through gardens with beautiful flowers-“which of these shall we take with us to plant in heaven？”asked the angel.
Now there stood near them a slender,beautiful rose bush；but a wicked hand had broken the stem,so that all the branches,covered with half opened ands,were hanging around,quite withered.
“The poor rose bush!”said the child.“Take it,that it may bloom up yonder.”
And the angel took it,and kissed the child,and the little one half opened his eyes.They plucked some of the rich flowers,but also took with them the despised buttercup and the wild pansy.
“Now we have flowers,”said the child.
And the angel nodded,but he did not yet fly upwards to heaven.It was night and quite silent.They remained in the great city；they floated about there in one of the narrowset streets,where lay whole heaps of straw,ashes,and sweepings,for it had been removal-day.There lay fragments of plates,bits of plates,bits of plaster,rags,and old hats,and all this did not look well.And the angel pointed amid all this confusion to a few fragments of a flower-pot,and to a lump of earth which had fallen out,and which was kept together by the roots of a great dried field flower,which was of no use,and had therefore been thrown out into the street.
“We will take that with us,”said the angel.“I will tell you why,as we fly onward.”
So they flew,and the angel related,
Down yonder in the narrow lane,in the low cellar,lived a poor sick boy；from his childhood he had been bed-ridden.When he was at his best he could go up and down the room a few times,leaning on crutches；that was the utmost he could do.For a few days in summer the sunbeams would penetrate for a few hours to the front of the cellar,and when the poor boy sat there and the sun shone on him,and he looked at the red blood in his fine fingers,as he held them up before his face,they would say,Yes,today he has been out!He knew the forest with its beautiful vernal green only from the fact that the neighbours son brought him the first green branch of a beech tree,and he held that up over his head,and dreamed he was in the beech wood where the sun shone and the birds sang.On a spring day the neighbours boy also brought him field flowers,and among these was,by chance,one to which the root was hanging；and so it was planted in a flower-pot,and placed by the bed,close to the window.And the flower had been planted by a fortunate hand；and it grew,threw out new shoots,and bore flowers every year.It became as a splendid flower garden to the sickly boy-his little treasure here on earth.
He watered it,and tended it,and took care that it had the benefit of every tay of sunlight,down to the last that struggled in through the narrow window；and the flower itself was woven into his dreams,for it grew for him and gladdened his eyes,and spread its pagrance about hom；and towards it he turned in death,when the Father called him.
He has now been with the Atmighty for a year；for a year the flower has stood forgotten in the window,and is withered；and thus,at the removal,it has been thrown out into the dust of streel.And this is the flower,the poor withered flower,which we have taken into our nosegay；for this flower has given more joy than the richest flower in a Queens garden!
“But how do you know all this？”asked the child which the angel was carrying to heaven.
“I know it,”said the angel,“for I myself was that little boy who went on crutches!I know my flower well!”
And the child opened his eyes and looked into the glorious happy face of the angel；and at the same moment they entered the regions where there is peace and joy.And the Father pressed the dead child to His bosom,and then it received wings like the angel,and flew hand in hand with him.And the Almighty pressed all the flowers to His heart；but He kissed the dry withered field flower,and it received a voice and sang with all the angels hovering around-some near,and some in wider circles,and some in infinite distance,but all equally happy.
And they all sang,little and great,the good happy child,and the poor field flower that had lain there withered,thrown among the dust,in the rubbish of the removal-day,in the narrow dark lane.
安琪儿“只要有一个好孩子死去，就会有一个上帝的安琪儿飞到世界上来。她把死去的孩子抱在怀里，展开他的白色的翅膀，在孩子生前喜爱的地方飞翔。他摘下一大把花，把它们带到天上去，好叫它们开得比在人间更美丽。仁慈的上帝把这些花紧紧搂在胸前，但是他只吻那棵他认为最可爱的花。这棵花于是就有了声音，能跟大家一起唱着幸福的颂歌。”
瞧——这就是上帝的安琪儿抱着一个死孩子飞上天时所讲的话。孩子听到这些话的时候，就像在做梦一样。他们飞过了他在家里玩过的许多地方，飞过了开满美丽的花朵的花园。“我们把哪一朵花儿带去栽在天上呢？”安琪儿问。
他们看见一棵细长的、美丽的玫瑰，但是它的花梗已被一只恶毒的手摘断了。所以它那些长满了半开的花苞的枝子都垂了下来，萎谢了。“可怜的玫瑰花！”孩子说，“把它带走吧。它可以在上帝的面前开出花来的！”
安琪儿就把这朵花带走了，同时还吻了孩子一下。孩子半睁开他的眼睛。他们摘下了几朵美丽的花，但也带走了几朵被人瞧不起的金凤花和野生的三角堇花。“现在我们可有了花儿了，”孩子说。安琪儿点点头，可是他们并没有飞到天上去。这是夜晚，非常静寂。他们停留在这座大城里。他们在一条最狭窄的街上飞。街上堆着很多干草、尘土的垃圾，因为这是一个搬家的日子。这儿还有破碎的碗盘、墙上脱落下来的泥块、烂布和破帽子——这一切都不太好看。
安琪儿在这堆烂东西中间指着几块花盆的碎片和花盆里面掉出来的一团干泥块。一大棵枯萎了的野花用它的根把自己和这块土维系在一起。这棵花现在已经没有用。因此被人抛到街上来了。“我们要把这棵花带走！”安琪儿说，“我在飞行的时候再把理由告诉你。”
于是他们就飞走了，安琪儿讲了这样一个故事：
在下面这条窄街上的一个很低的地下室里，住着一个生病的穷孩子。从很小的时候起，他就一直躺在床上。他身体最好的时候，可以拄着拐杖在那个小房间里来回地走一两次。他至多只能做到这一点。每年夏天，太阳光有几天可以射进这个地下室的前房，每次大约有几个小时的光景。当小孩坐在那儿、让温暖的太阳光照在身上的时候，他就把瘦小的指头伸到面前，望着里面的鲜红的血色。这时人们就说：今天这孩子出来了。
他对于树林的知识是从春天的绿色体会出来的。因为邻家的孩子带给了他第一根山毛榉的绿枝。他把它举在头上，幻想自己来到了一个山毛榉的树林里——这儿有太阳光射进来，有鸟儿在唱歌。
在一个春天的日子里，那个邻家的孩子又带给他几棵野花。在这些野花中间，有一棵还很偶然的样子。因此这棵花就被栽在一个花盆里，放在床边。紧靠着窗子了。这棵花是一只幸运的手栽种的，因此它就生长起来，冒出新芽，每年开出花朵，成了这个病孩子的最美丽的花园——他在这世界上的一个宝库。
他为它浇水，照料它，尽量使它得到射进这扇低矮的窗子里来的每一线阳光。这棵花儿常常来到他的梦里，因为它为他开出了花，为他散发出香气，使他的眼睛得到快感。当上帝召他去的时候，他在死神面前最后要看的东西就是这棵花。“现在他住在天上已经有一年了。在这一年中，这棵花在窗子上完全被人忘掉了。它已经枯萎，因此搬家的时候，就被人扔在街上的垃圾堆里。我们现在把这棵可怜的、萎谢了的花收进我们的花束中来。因为它给与人的快乐，大大地超过了皇家花园里面那些最艳丽的花。”“你怎么知道这件事的呢？”这个被安琪儿带上天去的孩子问。“我当然知道，”安琪儿说，“因为我就是那个拄着拐杖走路的病孩子呀！我当然认识我的花！”
孩子睁着一双大眼睛，凝望着安琪儿的美丽幸福的脸。正在这时候，他们来到了天上，来到了和平幸福的天堂。上帝把孩子紧紧地搂在胸前，于是他获得了安琪儿那样的翅膀，与他手拉手一起飞翔。上帝还把花儿拥到胸前，特地吻了吻那棵可怜的、萎谢了的野花。因此那棵野花就有了声音。现在它能跟在周围飞翔的所有安琪儿一齐歌唱了——他们有的飞得很近，有的绕着大圈子，飞得很远，飞到无垠的远方，但他们全都是幸福的。
他们都唱着歌——大大小小的、善良快乐的孩子们，还有搬家那天被扔在狭巷里垃圾堆上的那棵枯萎了的可怜的野花，大家都唱着歌。
The Happy Family（幸福的家庭）
The biggest leaf here in the country is certainly the burdock leaf.Put one in front of your waist and it's just like an apron,and if you lay it upon your head it is almost as good as an umbrella,for it is quite remardably large.A burdock never grows alone；where there is one there are several more.It's splendid to behold!and all this splendour is snails'meat.
The great white snails,which the grand people in old times used to have made into fricassees,and when they had eaten them they would say,“H'm,how good that is!”for they had the idea that it tasted delicious.These snails lives,and that's why burdocks were sown.
Now there was an old estate,on which people ate snails no longer.The snails had died out,but the burdocks had not.These latter grew and grew in all the walks and on all the beds-there was no stopping them；the place became a complete forest of burdocks.Here and there stood an apple or plum tree；but for this,nobody would have thought a garden had been there.Everything was burdock,and among the burdocks lived the two last ancient Snails.
They did not know themselves how old they were,but they could very well remember that there had been a great many more of them,that they had descended from a foreign family,and that the whole forest had been planted for them and theirs.They had never been away from home,but it was known to them that smoething existed in the world called the manorhouse,and that there one was boiled,and one became black,and was laid upon a silver dish；but what was done afterwards they did not know.Moreover,they could not imagine what that might be,beingboiled and laid upon a silver dish；but it was said to be fine,and particularly grand!Neither the cockchafer,nor the toad,nor the earth worm,whom they questioned about it,could give them any information,for none of their kind had ever been boiled and laid on silver dishes.
The old white Snails were the grandest in the world；they knew that!The forest was there for their sake,and the manor-house too,so that they might be boiled and laid on silver dishes.
They led a very retired and happy life,and as they themselves were childless,they had adopted a little common snail,which they brought up as their own child.But the little thing would not grow,for it was only a common snail,though the old people,and particularly the mother,declared one could easily see how he grew.And when the father could not see it.she requested him to feel the little snail's shell,and he felt it,and acknowledged that she was right.
One day it rained very hard.
“Listen,how it's drumming on the burdock leaves,rum-dum-dum!rum-dum-dum!”said the Father-Suail.
“That's what I call drops.”said the mother.“It's coming straight down the stalks.You'll see it will be wet here directly.I'm only glad that we have our good house,and that the little one has his own.There has been more done for us than for any other creature；one can see very plainly that we are the grand folks of the world!We have houses from our birth,and the burdock forest has been planted for us:I should like to know how far it extends,and what lies beyond it.”
“There's nothing outside of it,”said the Father-Snail,“no place can be better than here at home；I have nothing at all to wish for.”
“Yes,”said the mother,“I should like to be taken to the manor-house and boiled,and laid upon a silver dish；that has been done to all our ancestors,and you may be sure it's quite a distinguished honour.”
“The manor-house has perhaps fallen in,”said the Father-Snail,“or the forest of burdocks may have grown over it,so that the people can't get out at all.You need not be in a hurry-but you always hurry so,and the little one is beginning just the same way.Has he not been creeping up that stalk these three days？My head quite aches when I look up at him.”
“You must not scold him,”said the Mother-Snail.“He crawls very deliberately.We shall have much joy in him；and we old people have nothing else to live for.But have you ever thought where we shall get a wife for him？Don't you think that farther in the wood there may be some more of our kind？”
“There may be black snails there,I think,”said the old man,“black snails without house!but they're too vulgar.And they're conceited,for all that.But we can give the commission to the ants:they run to and fro,as if they had business；they're sure to know of a wife for our young gentleman.”
“I certainly know the most beautiful of brides,”said one of the Ants；“but I fear she would not do,for she is the Queen!”“That does not matter,”said the two old Snails.Has she a house？
“She has a castle!”replied the Ant.“The most beautiful ant's castle,with seven hundred passages.”
“Thank you,”said the Mother-Snail；“our boy shall not go into an ant-hill.If you know of nothing better,we'll give the commission to the white gnats；they fly far about in rain and sunshine,and they know the burdock wood,inside and outside.”
“We have a wife for him,”said the Gnats.“A hundred man-steps from here a little snail with a house is sitting on a gooseberry bush,she is quite alone,and old enough to marry.It's only a hundred man-steps from here.”
“Yes,let her come to him,”said the old people.“He has a whole burdock forest,and she has only a bush.”
And so they brought the little maiden snail.Eight days passed before she arrived,but that was the rare circumstance about it,for by this one could see that she was of the right kind.
And then they had a wedding.Six glow-worms lighted as well as they could:with this exception it went very quietly,for the old snail people could not bear feasting and dissipation.But a capital speech was made by the Mother-Snail.The father could not speak,he was so much moved.Then they gave the young couple the whole burdock forest for an inheritance,and said,what they had always said,namely-that it was the best place in the world,and that the young people,if they lived honourably,and increased and multiplied,would some day be taken with their children to the manor-house,and boiled black,and laid upon a silver dish.And when the speech was finished,the old people crept into their houses and never came out again,for they slept.
The young snail pair now ruled in the forest,and had a numerous proneny.But as the young ones were never boiled and put into silver dishes,they concluded that the manor-house had fallen in,and that all the people in the world had died out.And as nobody contradicted them,they must have been right.And the rain fell down upon the burdock leaves to play the drum for them,and the sun shone to colour the burdock forest for them,and they were happy,very happy-the whole family was happy,uncommonly happy!
幸福的家庭
这个国家里最大的绿叶子，无疑要算是牛蒡的叶子了。你拿一片放在你的肚皮上，那么它就像一条围裙。如果你把它放在头上，那么在雨天里它就可以当作一把伞用，因为它出奇地宽大。牛蒡从来不单独地生长；不，凡是长着一棵牛蒡的地方，你一定可以找到好几棵。这是它最可爱的一点，而这些可爱的东西正是蜗牛的食料。
在古时候，许多大人物把这些白色的大蜗牛做成“碎肉”；当他们吃着的时候，就说：“哼，味道真好！”因为他们认为蜗牛的味道很美。这些蜗牛都靠牛蒡叶子活着；因此人们才种植牛蒡。
现在有一个古老的公馆，住在里面的人已经不再吃蜗牛了。所以蜗牛都死光了，不过牛蒡还活着，这植物在小径上和花畦上长得非常茂盛，人们怎么也没有办法制止它们。这地方简直成了一个牛蒡森林。要不是这儿那儿有几株苹果树和海子树，谁也不会想到这是一个花园。处处都是牛蒡；在它们中间住着最后的两个蜗牛遗老。
它们不知道自己究竟有多大年纪。不过它们记得很清楚；它们的数目曾经是很多很多，而且都属于一个从国外迁来的家庭，整个森林就是为它们和它们的家族而发展起来的。它们从来没有离开过家，不过却听说过：这个世界上还有一个什么叫做“公馆”的东西。它们在那里面被烹调着，然后变成黑色，最后被盛在一个银盘子里。不过结果怎样，它们一点也不知道。此外，它们也想象不出来，烹调完了以后盛在银盘子里，究竟是一种什么味道。那一定很美，特别排场！它们请教过小金虫、癞蛤蟆和蝗蚓，但是一点道理也问不出来，因为它们谁也没有被烹调过或盛在银盘子里面过。
那对古老的白蜗牛要算世界上最有身份的人物了。它们自己知道森林就是为了它们而存在的，公馆也是为了使它们能被烹调和放在银盘子里而存在的。
它们过着安静和幸福的生活。因为它们自己没有孩子，所以就收养了一个普通的小蜗牛。它们把它作为自己的孩子抚育。不过这小东西长不大，因为它不过是一个普通的蜗牛而已。但是这对老蜗牛——尤其是妈妈——觉得她能看出它在长大。假如爸爸看不出的话，她要求他摸摸它的外壳。因此他就摸了一下；他发现妈妈说的话有道理。
有一天雨下得很大。“请听牛蒡叶子上的响声——咚咚咚！咚咚咚！”蜗牛爸爸说。“这就是我所说的雨点，”蜗牛妈妈说，“它沿着梗子滴下来了！你可以看到，这儿马上就会变得潮湿了！我很高兴，我们有我们自己的房子；小家伙也有他自己的。我们的优点比任何的生物都多。大家一眼就可以看出，我们是世界上最高贵的人！我们一生下来就有房子住，而且这堆牛蒡林完全是为了我们而种植的——我倒很想知道它究竟有多大，在它的外边还有些什么别的东西！”“它的外边什么别的东西也没有！”蜗牛爸爸说，“世界上再也没有比我们这儿更好的地方了。我什么别的想头也没有。”“对，”妈妈说，“我倒很想到公馆里去被烹调一下，然后放到银盘子里去。我们的祖先们都是这们；你要知道，这是一种光荣呢！”“公馆也许已经塌了，”蜗牛爸爸说，“或者牛蒡草已经长成了树林，弄得人们连走都走不到森林，你不要急——或者是那么急，连那个小家伙也开始学起你来了，这三天来不断地往梗子上爬么？当我抬头看看他的时候，我的头都昏了。”“请你无论如何不要骂他，”蜗牛妈妈说，“他爬得很有把握。他使我们得到许多快乐。我们这对老夫妇没有什么别的东西值得活下去了。不过，你想到过没有：我们在什么地方可以为他找个太太呢？在这林子的深处，可以有住着我们的族人，你想过没有？”“我相信那儿住着些黑蜗牛，”老头儿说，“没有房子的黑蜗牛！不过他们都是一帮卑下的东西，而且还喜欢摆架子。不过我们可以托蚂蚁办办这件事情，他们跑来跑去，好像很忙的。他们一定能为我们的小少爷找个太太。”“我认识一位最美丽的姑娘！”蚂蚁说，“不过我恐怕她不成，因为她是一个王后！”“这没有什么关系，”两位老蜗牛说，“她有一座房子吗？”“她有一座宫殿！”蚂蚁说，“一座最美丽的蚂蚁宫殿，里面有700条走廊。”“谢谢你！”蜗牛妈妈说：“我们的孩子可不会钻蚂蚁窟的。假如你找不到更好的对象的话，我们可以托白蚊蚋来办这件差事。他们天晴下雨都在外面飞。牛蒡林的里里外外，他们都知道。”“我们为他找到一个太太，”蚊蚋说，“离这儿100步路远的地方，有一个房子的小蜗牛住在醋栗丛上。她是很寂寞的，她已经够结婚年龄。她住的地方离此地只不过100步远！”“是的，让她来找他吧，”这对老夫妇说，“他拥有整个的牛蒡林，而她只不过有小醋栗丛！”
这样，它们就去请那位小蜗牛姑娘来。她足足过了8天才到来，但是这是一种很珍贵的现象，因为这说明她是一个很正经的女子。
于是它们就举行了婚礼。6个萤火虫尽量发出光来照着。除此以外，一切是非常安静的，因为这对老蜗牛夫妇不喜欢大喜大闹。不过蜗牛妈妈发表了一篇动人的演说。蜗牛爸爸一句话也讲不出来，因为他受到了极大的感动。于是它们把整座牛蒡林送给这对年轻夫妇，作为遗产；并且说了一大套它们常说的话，那就是——这地方是世界上最好的一块地方，如果它们要体面地生活和繁殖下去的话，它们和它们的孩子将来就应该到那个公馆里去，以便被煮得漆黑、放到银盘子上面。
当这番演说讲完了以后，这对老夫妇就钻进了它们的屋子里去，再也不出来。它们睡着了。
年轻的夫妇现在占有了这座森林，同时生了一大堆孩子。不过它们从来没有被烹调过，也没有到银盘子里去过。因此它们就下了一个结论，认为那个公馆已经塌了，全世界的人类都已经死去了。谁敢没有反对它们这种看法，因此它们的看法一定是对的。雨打在牛蒡叶子上，为它们发出咚咚的音乐来。太阳为它们发出亮光，使这牛蒡林增添了不少光彩。这样，它们过得非常幸福——这整个家庭是幸福的，说不出的幸福！
Vanity Fair（《名利场》）
1Sir Pitt Crawley was a philosopher with a taste for what is called low life.His first marriage with the daughter of the noble Binkie had been made under the auspices of his parents；and as she often told lady Crawley in his lifetime she was such a confounded quarrelsome high-bred jade that when she died he was hanged if he would ever take another of her sort,and at her aldyship's demise he kept his promise,and selected for a second wife Miss Rose Dawson,daughter of Mr John Thomas Dawson,iron monger,of Mudbury.What a happy woman was Rose to be my Lady Crawley!【译文】
毕脱·克劳莱爵士为人豁达，喜欢所谓下层阶级的生活。他第一次结婚的时候，奉父母之命娶了一位贵族小姐，是平葛家里的女儿。克劳莱夫人活着的时候，他就常常当面说她是个讨人嫌的婆子，礼数又足，嘴巴子又碎；并且说等她死了之后，死也不愿意再娶这么一个老婆了。他说到做到；妻子去世以后，他就挑了墨特白莱铁器商人约翰·汤姆士·道生的女儿露丝·道生做填房。露丝真是好福气，居然做了克劳莱爵士夫人。2
“The girls were up at four this morning,packing her trunks,sister,”replied Miss Jemina；“We have made her a bow-pot.”
“Say a bouquet,sister Jemina,its more genteel.”
“Well,a booky as big almost as a hay-stack,I have put up two bottles of the gillyflower water for Mrs Sedley,and the receipt for making it,in Amelia's box.”【译文】“女孩子们清晨四点钟就起来帮她理箱子了，姐姐。我们还给她扎了一捆花儿。”“妹妹，用字文雅点儿，说一束花。”“好的。这一簇儿大得像个草堆儿。我还包了两瓶子香花露送给赛特笠太太，连方子都在爱米利亚的箱子里。”3
She was small and slight in person；pale,sandy-haired,and with eyes habitually cast down；when they looked up they were very large,odd,and attractive,so attractive,that the Reverend Mr.Crisp,fresh from Oxford,and curate to the Vicar of Chiswick,the Reverend Mr.Flowerdew,fell in love with Miss Sharp；being shot dead by a glance of her eyes which was fired all the way across Chiswick Church from the school-pew to the reading-desk.This infatuated young man used wonetimes to take tea with Miss Pinkerton,to whom he had been presented by his mamma,and actually proposed something like marriage in an intercepted note,which the one-eyed apple-woman was charged to deliver.Mrs,Crisp was summoned from Buxton,and abruptly carried off her darling boy；but the idea,even,of such an eagle in the Chiswick dovecot carsed a great flutter in the breast of Miss pinkerton,who would have sent away Miss Sharp,but that she was bound to her under a forfeit,and who（9）never could thoroughly believe the young lady's protestations that she had never exchanged a single word with Mr.Crisp except under her own eyes on the two occasions when she had met him at tea.【译文】
她身量瘦小，脸色苍白，头发是淡黄色的。她惯常低眉垂目，抬起眼来看人的时候，眼睛显得很特别，不但大，而且动人。契息克的弗拉沃丢牧师手下有一个副牧师，名叫克里斯泼，刚从牛津大学毕业，竟因此爱上了她。夏泼小姐的眼风穿过契息克教堂，从学校的包座直射到牧师的讲台上，一下子就把克里斯泼牧师结果了。这昏了头的小伙子曾经由她妈妈介绍给平克顿小姐，偶然也到她学校喝茶。他托那个独眼的卖苹果的女人给她传递情书，被人发现，信里面的话简直等于向夏泼小姐求婚。克里斯泼太太得到消息，连忙从勃克思登赶来，立刻把她的宝贝儿子带走。平克顿小姐想到自己的鸽笼里藏了一只老鹰，不由得心慌意乱，若不是有约在先，真想把她赶走。那女孩竭力辨白，说她只在平克顿小姐监视之下和克里斯泼先生在茶会上见过两面，从来没有跟他说过话。她虽然这么说，平克顿小姐仍旧将信将疑。4
When the great crash came-the announcement of ruin,and the departure from Russell aquare,and the declaration that all was over between her and George-all over between her and love,her and happiness,her and faith in the world-a brutal letter from John Osborne told her in a few curt lines that her father's conduct had been of such a nature that all engagements between the families were at an end-when the final award came,it did not shock her so much as her parents,as her mother rather expented（for John Sedley himself was entirely prostrate in the ruins of his own affairs and shattered honor）.Amelia took the news very palely and calmly.It was only the confirmation of the sentence-of the crime she long ago been guilty-the crime of loving wrongly,too violently,against reason.She told no more of her thoughts now than she had before.She seemed scarcely more unhappy now when convinced all hope was over,than before she felt but dared not confess that it was gone.So she changed from the large house to the small one without any mark or difference；remained in her little room for the most part；pined silently；and died away day by day.I do not mean so say that all females are so.My dear Miss Bullock,I do not think your heart would break in this way.You are a strongminded young woman,with proper principles.I do not ventrue to say that mine would；it has suffered,and,it must be confessed,survived.But there are some souls thus gently constituted,thus frail,and delicate,and tender.【译文】
大祸临头了，父亲宣告破产，全家搬出勒塞尔广场，爱米丽亚知道自己和乔治的关系斩断了，她和爱情，和幸福已经无缘，对于这世界也失去了信念。正在这时候，约翰·奥斯本寄给她一封措词恶毒的信，里面短短几行，说是她父亲行为恶劣到这步田地，两家之间的婚约当然应该取消。最后的判决下来的时候，她并不怎么惊骇，倒是她爹妈料不到的——我该说是她妈妈意料不到的，因为约翰·塞特笠那时候事业失败，名誉扫地，自己都弄得精疲力尽了。爱米丽亚得信的时候，颜色苍白，样子倒很镇静。那一阵子她早已有过许多不吉利的预兆，如今不过坐实一下。最后的判决虽然现在刚批下来，她的罪过是老早就犯下了的。总之，她不该爱错了人，不该爱得那么热烈，不该让情感淹没了理智。她还像本来一样，把一切都藏在心里不说。从前她虽然知道事情不妙，却不肯明白承认，现在索性断绝了想头，倒也不见得比以前更痛苦。她从大房子搬到小房子，根本没有觉得有什么分别。大半的时候她都闷在自己的小房间里默默的伤心，一天天的憔悴下去。我并不是说所有的女人都像爱米丽亚这样。亲爱的勃洛葛小姐，我想你就不像她那么容易心碎。你是个性格刚强的女孩子，有一套正确的见解。我呢，也不敢说像她那样容易心碎。说句老实话，虽然我经历过一番伤心事，过后也就慢慢的忘怀了，不过话又说回来，有些人天生成温柔的心肠，的确比别人更娇嫩，更脆弱，更禁不起风波。5
So Mr Osborne,having a firm conviction in his own mind that he was a woman-killer and destined to conquer,did not run counter to his fate,but yielded himself up to it quite complacently.And as Emmy did not say much or plague him with her jealousy,but merely became unhappy and pined over it miserably in secret,he chose to fancy that she was not suspicious of what all his acquaintance were perfectly aware-namely,that he was carring on a desperate flirtation with Mrs Crawley.He rode with her whenever she was free.He pretended regimental business to Amelia（by which falsehood she was not in the least deceived），and consigning his wife to solitude or her brother's society,passed his evenings in the Crawley's company；losing money to the husband and flattering himself that the wife was dying of love for him.It is very likely that this worthy couple never absolutely conspired and agreed together in so many words；the one to cajole the young gentleman,whilst the other won his money at cards:but they understood each other perfectly well,and Rawdon let Osborne come and go with entire good humor.【译文】
奥斯本先生自信是风月场上的能手，注定是太太小姐的心上人，因此不愿意跟命运闹别扭，洋洋自得的顺着定数做人。爱米不爱多说话，也不把心里的妒忌去麻烦他，只不过私底下自悲自叹的伤心罢了。虽然他的朋友都知道他和克劳菜太太眉来眼去，下死劲的兜搭，他自己只算爱米丽亚是不知就里的。利蓓加一有空闲，他就骑着马陪她出去兜风。对有米丽亚，他只说联队里有事，爱米丽亚也明明知道他在撒谎。他把妻子扔在一边，有时让她独自一个人，有时把她交给她哥哥，自己却一黄昏一黄昏的跟克劳菜夫妇俩混在一起。他把钱输给丈夫，还自以为那妻子在为他销魂。看来这对好夫妻并没有同谋协议，明白规定由女的哄着小伙子，再由男的跟他斗牌赢他的钱。反正他们俩心里有数，罗登（6）听凭奥斯本出出进进，一点也不生气。6
After the first movement of terror in Amelia's mind-when Rebecca's green eyes lighted upon her,and rustling in her fresh silks and brilliant ornaments,the latter tripped up with extended arms to embrace her-a feeling of anger succeeded,and she returned Rebecca's look after a moment with a steadiness which surprised and somewhat abashed her rival.【译文】
利蓓加的绿眼睛看着爱米丽亚，她的新绸袍子悉嗦悉嗦的响，周身都是亮晶晶的首饰。她张开了手，轻移小步奔上前来和爱米搂抱。爱米丽亚心上先是害怕，接下来就是一阵气恨，原来死白的脸蛋儿涨得通红。她愣了一下，一眼不眨的瞪着眼向她的对头看。蓓基见她这样，倒觉事出意外，同时又有些羞惭。
Tress of D'Urbervilles（《苔丝》）
The young girls formed,indeed,the majority of the band,and their heads of luxuriant hair reflected in the sunshine every tone of gold,and black,and brown.Some had beautiful eyes,others a beautiful nose,others a beautiful mouth and figure:few,if any,had all.A difficulty of arranging their lips in this crude exposure to pubic scrutiny,an inability to balance their heads,and to dissociate self-consiousness form their features,was apparent in them,and showed that they were genuine country girls,unaccustomed to many eyes.
And as each and all of them were warmed without by the sun,so each had a private little sun for her soul to bask in；some dream,some affection,some hobby,at least some remote and distant hope which,though perhaps starving to nothing,still lived on,as hopes will.Thus they were all cheerful,and many of them merry.
They came round by the Pure Drop Inn,and were turning out of the high road to pass through a wicket-gate into the meadows,when one of the women said:
“The Lord-a-Lord!Why,Tess Durbeyfield,if there isn't thy father riding hwome in a carriage!”
A Young member of the band turned her head at the exclamation.She was a fine and handsome girl-not handsomer than some others,possibly-but her mobile peony mouth and large innocent eyes added eloquence to color and shape.She wore a red ribbon in her air,and was the only one of the white company who could boast of such a pronounced adornment.As she looked round Durbeyfield was seen moving along the road in a chaise belonging to The Pure Drop,driven by a frizzled-headed brawny damsel with her gown-sleeves rolled above her elbows.This was the cheerful servant of that establishment,who,in her part of factotum,truned groom and ostler at times.Durbeyfield,leaning back,and with his eyes closed luxuriorsly,was waving his hand above his head and singing in a slow recitative:“I've-got-a-gr't-family-vault-at-Kingsbere-and-knighted-forefathers-in-lead-coffins-there!”【译文】
的确，在游行队伍中，年轻姑娘占了大多数，她们那一头的浓发，在阳光的辉映下，呈现出各种色调的金色、黑色和棕色。她们有的长着漂亮的眼睛，有的生着俏丽的鼻子，有的有着妩媚的嘴巴、婀娜的身段；但是，这样样都美的，虽然不能说一个没有，却也是寥寥无几。显然，硬要在大庭广众面前抛头露面，她们一个个不知道嘴唇应该做出怎样的形态，脑袋应该摆了怎样的姿势，脸上怎样才能消除忸怩的神情，这些都表明，她们是地地道道地乡下姑娘，不习惯受众人的注视。
她们大家，不仅个个身上都给太阳晒和暖烘烘的，而且人人心里都有一个小太阳，温暖着各自的心灵。那是一种迷梦，一种痴情，一种癖好，至少是种渺茫的希望，这种希望虽然可能正在化为泡影，但却依然活在各人的心中，因为一切希望都是如此。因此，她们大家全都喜气洋洋，好些人还兴高采烈。
她们走过醇沥酒店，正要离开大路，从一道栅门进入草场，只听一个妇人说道：“天哪！你瞧，苔丝·德贝菲尔，那不是你爹坐着马车回家来了嘛！”听到这声叫喊，队列中有一个年轻姑娘扭过头来，她是个标准俊俏的姑娘——也许不比有些姑娘更漂亮——不过她那两片灵动红艳的嘴唇，那一双天真烂漫的大眼睛，又给她的姿色平添了儿分慑人的魅力。她头发上扎着一根红绸带，在这白色的队伍中，能够显耀这种引人注意的装饰的，还只有她一个人。且说她扭过头来，看见德贝菲尔坐着醇沥酒店的马车，一路驶来，赶车的是一个头发卷曲、体魄健壮的姑娘，两只衣袖卷到胳膊肘上面。这是醇沥酒那位开心的伙计，因为他是打杂的，有时也做喂马赶车的差事。德贝菲尔仰着身子，（11）惬意地闭着眼睛，一只手在头上挥来挥去，嘴里用慢悠悠的宣叙调唱道：（12）俺-家-在-金-斯-比-尔-有-一-大-片-祖-坟-俺-那-些-封-为-爵-士-的-祖-宗-都-葬-在-那-儿-的-铅-棺-里！2
Clare per for med the irrelevanl of stirring the fire:the intelli-gence had not even yet got to the bottom of him.After stirring the embers he rose to his feet:all the force of her dischosure had im parted itself now.His face had withered.In the stren uousness of his concentration he treadled fitfully on the floor.He could not,by any contrivance,think closely enough；that was in the most inadequale,commonplace voice of the many varied tones she had heard from him.
“Tess!”
“Yes,dearest.”
“Am I to believe this？”From your manner I am to take it as true.
O you cannot be out of your mind!You ought to be!Yet you are not……wife,my Tess-nothing in you warrants such a supposition as that？
“I am not out of my mind”，she said.
“And yet-”He looked vacantly at her,to resume with dazed senses:“Why didn't you tell me before？Ah yes-you would have told me-in a way；but I hindered you.I remember!”
These,and other of his words,were nothing but the perfunctory babble of the surface while the depths remained paralyzed.He turned away,and bent over a chair.Tess followed him to the middle of the room where he was,and stood there staring at him with her eyes that did not weep.Presently she slid down upon her knees beside his foot,and from this position she crouched in a heap.“In the name of our love,forgive me,”she whispered with a dry nouth.“I have forgiven you for the same.”And as he did not answer she said again；“forgive me,as you are forgiven I forgier you,Angel。”
“You,-yes,you do.”
“But you do not forgive me？”
“O Tess,forgiveness does not apply to the case.You were one person:now you are another.My God-how can forgiveness meet such a grotesque-prestidigiation as that？”
He paused,contemplating this definition；then suddenly brokeinto horrible laughter-as unnatural and ghastly as a laugh in hell.【译文】
克菜尔作了一件毫不相干 的事。他拨起火来。那消息还没有落到他的心底。拨完火他站起身来，她那番袒露的分量此时才充分起了作用，但是，无论他怎 么想方设法，思想仍然不能集中，因此他仍然意义不明地走着。他终于说话了，语气很不合时宜，他的语调一向富于变化，但此刻却是平板的。“苔丝！”“哎，最亲爱的。”“我应该相信你的话么？看你的态度我倒是应该相信的。唉！可惜你又不像是发了疯！你要是发了疯反倒好了，但你并没有。我的妻子，我的苔丝！你就不能证明你是发了疯吗？”“我是正常的，”她说。“可是-”他茫然地望着她，又恢复了刚才不知所措的感觉。“你为什么过去没有告诉我呢？啊，是的，说来倒也是，你原是可能早就告诉我的，是我没让你讲下去，我记得！”
他这些话，东一句，西一句，其实并无意义，全是些不着边际的信口开河，在他内心深处他已经瘫痪了。他转过身去伏到了一张椅子上。苔丝跟着他，然后身子一软便葡匐在他的脚边，在那儿缩成了一团。“看在我俩的爱情的份上，原谅我吧！”她口干舌燥地低声说。“我已经原谅了你同样的行为呀！”
他没有作声，她又说-
你得到了我的原谅，希望你也能原谅我！我原谅了你，安琪儿。“你是的，你原谅了我。”“但是你就不肯原谅了我么？”“啊苔丝，这种情况谈不上什么原谅。你过去是一个人，现在却成了另外一个人。我的上帝，对这种荒唐可笑的障眼人，现在却成了另外一个人。我的上帝，对这种荒唐可笑的一障眼法怎么谈得上原谅呢！”
他住了口，掂量着这词的含义。然后突然爆发出一阵可怕的狂笑-像地狱里笑声那么反常，那么阴森。
Pride and Prejudice（《傲慢与偏则》）
1As no objection was made to the young peoples engagement with their aunt,aunt,and all Mr.Collinsrs scruples of leaving Mr.and Mrs.Bennet for a single everning during his visit were most steadily resisted,the coach conveyed him and his five cousins at a suitalbe hour to Meryton；and the girls had the pleasure of hearing,as they entered the drawing-room,that Mr.Wickham had accepled their unclers invitation,and was then in the house.
When this in formation was given,and they had all taken their seats,Mr Collins was at leisure to look around him and admire,and he was so much struck with the size and furniture of the apartment,that he declared he might almost have supposed himself in the small summer break fast parlour at Rosings；a comparison that did not at first convey much gratification；but when Mrs,Philips understood from him what Rosings was,and who was its proprietor,when she had listened to the description of omly one of Lady Catheriners drawing-rooms,and found that the chimney-piece alone had cost eight hundred pounds,she felt all the force of the compliment,and would hardly have resented a comparison with the housekeepers room.
In describing to her all the grandear of Lady Catherine and her mansion,with occasional sigressions in praise of his own humble abode,and the improvements it was receiving,he was happily employed until the gentlemen joined them；and he found in Mrs.Philips a very attentive listener,whose opinion of his consequence increased with what she heard,and who was resolving to retail it all among her neighbors as soon as she could.To the girls,who could not listen to their cousin,and who had nothing to do but to wish for an instrument,and examine their own indifferent imitations of china on the mantlepiece,the interval of waiting appeared very long.It was over at last however.The gentlemen did approach；and when Mr.Wickham walked into the room,Elizabeth felt that she had meither been seeing him before,nor thinking of him since,with the smallest degree of unreasonable admiration.The officers of the shire were in general a very creditable,gentlemanlike set,and the best of them were of the present party；but Mr.Wickham was as far beyond them all in person,countenance,air,and walk,as they were superior to the broad-faced stuffy uncle Philips,bueathing port wine,who followed them into the room.
Mr.wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned,and Elizabeth was the happy wonan by whom he finally seated himself；and the agreeable manner in which he immediately fell into conversation,though it was only on itsd being a wet night,and on the probability of a rainy season,made her feel that the commonest,dullest,most threadbare topic might be rendered interesting by the skill of the speaker.
With such rivals for the notice of the,as Mr.Wickham and the officers,Mr.Collins seemed likely to sink into insignificance；to the young ladies he certainly was nothing；but he had still at intervals a kind listener in Mrs.Philips,and was,by her watch fulness,most abundantly supplied with coffee muffin.【译文】
年轻人跟姨妈的约会并没遭到反对。柯林斯先生觉得来此做客，不好意思把贝内特夫妇整晚丢在家里，可那夫妇俩叫他千万不要这么想。于是，他和五个表妹便乘着马车，准时来到了梅里顿。姑娘们一起进客厅，便欣喜地听说威克姆先生接受了姨夫的邀请，现在已经光临。
大家听到这个消息都坐下之后，柯林斯先生悠然自得地朝四下望望，想要赞赏一番。他十分惊羡屋子的面积和陈设，说他好像走进了罗辛斯那间消夏的小餐厅。这个对比开头并不怎么令人高兴，后来菲利普斯太太听明白了罗辛斯是个什么地方，谁是它的主人，又听对方说起凯瑟夫人的一问客厅的情形，发觉光是那个壁炉架就花费了八百镑，她这才体会到那个比较的全部分量。这时她想，即时把她这里比作罗辛斯管家婆的住房，她也不会有意见。
柯林斯先生一面描绘凯瑟琳夫人及其大厦的富丽堂皇，一面还要偶尔穿插几句，来夸耀他自己的寒舍，以及他正在进行的种种修缮。他就这样自得其乐地唠叨到男宾们进来为止。他发觉菲利普斯太太听得非常专心，而且越听也就越把他看得了不起，决计把他的话尽快传播给邻居。再说几位小姐，她们听不进表兄唠唠叨叨，又没事可做，想弹琴也弹不成，只能照着壁炉架上的瓷摆设描摹些蹩脚的画子，端详来端详去。等候的时间似乎太久了，不过最后还是结束了。男宾们终于出现了，威克姆先生一走进来，伊丽莎白使觉得，无论是上次见到他的时候，还是以后想起他的时候，她丝毫也没有错爱了他。某郡民兵团的军官们都是些十分体面、颇有绅士气派的人物，参加这次晚宴的这些人可谓他们之间的佼佼者。但是，威克姆先生在人品、相貌、风度和地位上，又远远超过了其他军官，而其他军官又远远超过了那位肥头胖耳、老气横秋的菲利普斯姨夫，他带着满口的葡萄酒味，跟着众人走进屋来。
威克姆先生是当晚最得意的男子，差不多每个女人都拿眼睛望着他。伊丽莎白则是当晚最得意的女子，威克姆先生最后在她旁边坐了下来。他立即与她攀谈起来，虽然谈的只是当晚下雨和雨季可能到来之类的话题，但他那样和颜悦色，使她不禁感到，即使最平凡、最无聊、最陈腐的话题，只要说话人卓有技巧，同样可以说得很动听。
面对着威克姆先生和其也军官这样的劲敌，再想博得女士们的青睐，柯斯林先生似乎落得微不足道了。在年轻小姐们看来，他确实无足轻重。不过，菲利普斯太太间或还好心好意地听他说说话，而且亏她留心关照，总是源源不断地给他倒咖啡，添松饼。2
Elizabeths astonishment was beyond expression.She stared,colored,doubted,and was silent silent.This he considered sufficient encouragement,and the avowal of all that he fell and had long felt her,immediately followed,and he not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride.His sense of her inferiority-of its being a degradation-of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination,were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.
In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike,she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a mans affection,and though her intentions did not vary for an instant,she was at first sory for the pain he was to receive；till,roused to resentment by his subsequent language,she lost all compassion in anger.She tried,however,to compose herself to answer him with patience,when he should have done.He concluded with representing to her the strength of that attachment which,in spite of all his endeavors,he had found impossible to conquer；and with expressing his hope that it would now be uewarded by her acceptance of his hand,As he said this,she could easily see that he had no doubt of a favorable answer,He spoke of apprehension and anxiety,but his countenance expressed when he ceased,the color rose into her cheeks,and she said.
“In such cass as this,it is,I believe,the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed,however unequally they may be returned,It is natural that obligation should be felt,and if I could feel gratitude,I would now thank you.But I cannot-I have never desired your good opinion,and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly.I am sorry to have occasioned pain to any one.It has been most unconsciously done,however,and I hope will be of short duration.The feelings which,you tell me,have long prevented the acknowledgment of your regard,can have little difficulty in overcoming it after this explanation.”
Mr.Darcy,who was leaning against the mantle-piece with his eyes fixed on her face,seemed to catch her words with no less resentment than surprise.His complexion became pale with anger,and the disturbance of his mind was visible in every feature.He was struggling for the appearance of composure,and would not open his lips,till he believed himself to have attained it.The pause was to Elizabethrs feelings dreadful.At length,in a voice of forced calmness,he said,
“And this is all the reply which I am to have the honor of expecting!I might,perhaps,wish to be in formed why,with so little so little endeavor at civlity,I am thus rejected.But it is of small importance.”
“I might as well inquire,”replied she,“why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me,you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will,against your reason,and even against your character？Was not this some excuse for incivility,if I was uncivil？But I have other provocations.You know I have.Had not my own feelings decided against you,had they been indifferent,or had they even been favorable,do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man,who has been the means of ruining,perhaps for ever,the happiness of a most beloved sister？”
As she pronounced these words,Mr.Darcy changed color,but the emotion was short,and he listened without attempting to interrupt her while she continued,
“I have every reason in the world to think ill of you.No motive can excuse the unjust and ungenerous part you acted there.You dare not,you cannot deny that you have been the principle,if not the only means of dividing them from each other,of exposing one to the censure of the world for caprice and instability,the other to its derision for disappointed hopes,and involving them both in misery of the acutest kind.”【译文】
伊丽莎白惊讶得简直无法形容。她瞪着眼，红着脸，满腹狐疑，闷声不响。达西见此情景，以为她在怂恿他讲下去，便立即倾诉了目前和以往对她的一片深情。他说的十分动听，但是除了爱慕之情之外，还在详尽表明其他种种情感……而且吐露起傲慢之情来，决不比倾诉柔情密意来得逊色。他觉得伊丽莎白出身低微，他自己是降格以求，而这家庭方面的障碍，又使得理智与心愿总是相矛盾。他说得如此激动，似乎由于他在屈尊俯就的缘故，但却未必能使他的求婚受到欢迎。
伊丽莎白尽管打心眼里厌恶他，但是能受到这样一个人的爱慕，她又不能不觉得是一种恭维。虽说她的决心不曾有过片刻的动摇，但她知道这会给对方带来痛苦，因此开头还有些过意不去，然而他后来的话激起了她的怨恨，她的怜悯之情完全化作了愤怒。不过她还是尽量保持镇定，准备等他把话说完，再耐着性子回答他。达西临了向她表明，他爱她爱得太强烈了，尽管一再克制，还是觉得克制不住；并且表示说，希望她能接受他的求婚。伊丽莎白不难看出，他说这些话的时候，自以为肯定会得到个满意的答复。他虽嘴里说自己又担忧又焦急，但是脸上却流露出一副稳操胜券的神气。这种情态只会惹对方更加恼怒，因此，等他一讲完，伊丽莎白便红着脸说道：“在这种情况下，按照常规，人家向你表白了深情厚意，你不管能不能给以同样的报答，都应该表示一下自己的感激之情。有点感激之情，这也是很自然的，我要是真觉得感激的话，现在也会向你表示谢意的。可惜我不能这么做-我从不企望博得你的青睐，再说你这种青睐也表露得极为勉强。很抱歉，我会给别人带来痛苦。不过那完全是无意造成的，而且我希望很快就会过去。你告诉我说，你以前有种种顾虑，一直未能向我表明你的好感，现在经过这番解释之后，你很容易就能克制住这种好感。”
达西先生这时正倚着壁炉架，两眼直瞪瞪地盯着她，好像听了她的这番话，心里又烦扰不安。他竭力装出镇定自如若的样子，不等到自以为装像了就不开口。这番沉默使伊丽莎白感到可怕。最后，达西以强作镇定的口气说道：“我真荣幸，竟然得到这样的回答！也许我可以请教一下，我怎么会遭到如此无礼的拒绝？不过这也无关紧要。”“我也想请问一声，”伊丽莎白答道，“你为什么要这样如此露骨地冒犯我，侮辱我，非要告诉我你是违背自己的意志、理智甚至人格而喜欢我？如果说我当真无礼的话，这难道不也有情可原吗？不过令我恼怒的还有别的事情。这一点你也知道。退一万步说，即是我对你没有反感，跟你毫无芥蒂，甚至还有几分好感，难道你认为我会那么鬼迷心窍，居然去爱一个毁了（也许永远毁了）我最心爱的姐姐的幸福人吗？”
达西先生听了她这些话，脸色刷地变了。不过他很快又平静下来，也没想着去打断她，只管听她继续说下去：“我有充分的理由鄙视你。你在那件事上扮演了很不正当、很不光彩的角色，不管你动机如何，都是无可宽容的。说起他们两人被拆散，即使不是你一手造成的，你也是主谋，这你不敢抵赖，也抵赖不了。看你把他们搞的，一个被世人指责为朝三暮四，另一个被世人讥笑为痴心妄想，害得他们痛苦至极。”
Gone with the wind（《飘》）
1Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful,but men seldom realized itwhen caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.In her face were too sharply blended the delicate features of her mother,a Coast aristocrat of French descent,and the heavy ones of her florid Irish father.But it was an arresting face,pointed of chin,square of jaw.Her eyes were pale without a touch of hazel,starred with bristly black laches and slightly tilted at the ends.Above them,her thick black brows slanted upward,cutting a startling oblique line in her magnolia-white skin-that skin so prixed by Southern women and so carefully guarded with bonnets,veils and mittens against hot Georgia suns.【译文】
那郝思嘉小姐长得并不美，可是极富于魅力，男人见了她，往往要着迷，就像汤家那一对双胞胎兄弟似的。原来这位小姐脸上显然混杂着两种特质：一种是母亲给她的娇柔，一种是父亲给她的豪爽。因为她母亲是个法兰西血统的海滨贵族，父亲是个皮色深浓的爱尔兰人，所以遗传给她的质地难免不调和。可是质地虽然不调和，她那一张脸蛋儿却实在迷人得很，下巴颏儿尖尖的，牙床骨儿方方的。她的眼珠子是一味的淡绿色，不杂一丝儿茶褐，周围竖着一圈儿粗黑的睫毛，眼角微微有点翘，上面斜竖着两撇墨墨的蛾眉，在她那木兰花一般白的皮肤上，划出两条异常惹眼的斜线。就是她那一身皮肤，也正是南方女人最最喜爱的，谁要长着这样的皮肤，就要拿帽子、面罩、手套之类当心保护着，舍不得让那太热的阳光晒黑。2
To the ears of the three on the porch came the sounds of hooves,the jingling of harness chains and the shrill careless laughter of Negro voices,as the field hands and mules came in from the fields.From within the house the soft voice of Scarlett's mother,Ellen O'Hara,as she called to the little black girl who carried her basket of keys.The high-pitched childish voice answeredYas'm,'and there were sounds of footsteps going out the back way toward the smokehouse where Ellen would ration out the food to the home-coming hands.There was the click of china and the rattle of silver as Pork,the valet-butler of Tara,laid the table for supper.【译文】
当时走廊上那三个人的耳朵里，传来了哒哒的蹄声，缰辔相撞的锒铛声，以及黑奴们尖利的浪笑声，因为那些在外作活的人手和骡子都从田里回来了。同时从屋子里飘出了思嘉伯母亲艾伦奥哈拉的柔和声浪，在那里呼唤那个管钥匙箩儿的小黑女。便听见一个尖脆的女孩子声音应了一声：“来啦，太太。”接着就是一阵脚步声从背后的过道里向熏腊贮藏室那边响了过去，原来郝太太到那里去分配食物，预备给作活的人们吃饭了。再后便是一阵瓷器和银器玲琅嚓喀的声音，那是兼充食事总管的管家鲍克在那里铺排食桌。3
She thought of Melanie and saw suddenly her quiet brown eyes will their far-off look,her placid little hands in their black lace mills,her gentle silences.And then her rage broke,the same rage that drove Gerald to murder and other Irish ancestors to misdeeds that cost them their necks.There was nothing in her now of the well-bred Robillards who could bear with white silence anything the world might cast.【译文】
她想起了媚兰，突然看见她那双安静的褐色眼睛，带着那种飘飘欲仙的神气，看见她那安静的小手，套着那么一双黑色线织的手套，又看见她那种温和的静默。于是她的忿怒，也就是曾经逼得她的其他爱尔兰祖宗去做非法行为以至于断送头颅的那种忿怒。至于她母亲罗氏累世相传的那种优良品性，那种无论怎样天大的事情也可以白着面孔、闭着嘴唇忍受的品性，现在在她身上是一丝儿都 没有了。4
“Yes,I will!”
She leaped to her feet,her heart hammering so wildly she feared she could not stand,hammering with the thrill of being the center of attention again,of being the most highly desired girl present and oh,best of all,at the prospect of dancing again.
“Oh,I don't care!I don't care what they say!”she whispered,as a sweet madness swept over her.She tossed her head and sped out of the booth,tapping her geels like castanets,snapping open her black silk fan to its widest.For a fleeting instant she saw Melanie's incredulous face,the look on the chaperons'faces,the petulanl girls,the enthusiastic approval of the soldiers.【译文】“我肯的。”
说着，她就一跳跳了起来，她的心不住发狂似的捶着，她只怕被它捶得要立不住脚，因为她又要去做众人注意的中心了，又成了全场里面的惟一红人，而且，尤其妙的，又有舞可以跳了，这一下激动得多厉害，怎由她的心不怦怦地大捶呢！“啊，我不管了！我不管他们怎么说法了！”她心里扫过一阵舒适的疯狂，嘴里不觉这么自言自语着。当即她将头一翘，从摊儿里奔了出来，两个脚跟碰得夹板一般响，一柄黑油扇大大地撑开。只在一刹那之间，她瞥见了媚兰惊愣的面孔，瞥见了那些监护人的愠怒神情，瞥见了一般女孩子们的嬷嬷的烦闷，瞥见了一般士兵们的热烈的赞成。
Wuthering Heights（《呼啸山庄》）
Perceiving myself in a blunder,I attempled to correct it.I might have seen that there was too great a disparily between the ages of the parties to make it likely that they were man amd wife.One was about forty；a period of mental vigour at which men seldom cherish the delusion of being married for love,by girls:that dream is reserved for the solace of our declining years.The other did not look seventeen.
Then it flashed upon me-The clown at my elbow,who is drinking his tea out of a basin and eating his bread with unwashed hands,may be her husband.Heathcliff junior,of course.Here is the consequence of being buried alive:she has thrown herself away up-on that boor,from sheer ignorance that better individuals existed!A sad pity-I must beware how I cause her to regret her choice.'The last reflec-tion may seem conceited；it was not,My neighbour struck me as bordering on repulsive；I knew,through experience,that I was tolerably attractive.
Mrs.Heathcliff is my daughter-in-law.'said Heathcliff,corrob-orating my surmise.He turned,as he spoke,a peculiar look in her direction,a look of hatred unless he has a most perverse set of facial muscles that will not,like those of other people,interpret the language of his soul.【译文】
我自知失言，便想要补救过来。我应当看出双方的年龄相差太大，不见得会是一对夫妻。一个是四十岁模样，正是理智最成熟的时期，男子到了那个阶段，很少会抱着幻想，以为女孩子是为了爱情才嫁给他的-那一种好梦是留给我们在暮年聊以自慰的。那另一个看来还不满十七岁呢。
于是我灵机一动，想到-“那个在我胳膊肘旁边正捧着盆子喝茶、手没有洗就抓面包来吃的大老粗，不会就是她的丈夫吧-那不用说，他当然是小希克厉了。嫁到这里来真好比活埋。她这样轻易把把一朵鲜花插在牛粪里，只因为不知道天下还有好的多得人儿呢！真是太可惜了啊！我得留神些儿，别让她对自己的婚烟起悔心才好呢。”
这最后的思相活动未免有点儿抬高自己。其实并不。坐在我身旁的那一位，叫我一看到就觉得简直“面目可憎”；而我根据经验，知道自己是相当讨人喜欢的。“希克厉太太是我的儿媳妇，”希克厉说，正好证实了我的猜想。他这么说着，掉过头来，向她看了一眼-不是平常那种看人，而是带着一种憎恨的眼色-除非他生就那一副横肉，不能像旁人那样，拿他的表情当做发自他心坎里的言语。2
Heatheliff-Mr.Heaththcliff I should say in future-used the liberty of visiting at Thrushcross Grange cautiously,at first:he seemed estinating how far is owner would bear his intrusion.Catherine,also,deemed it judicious to moderate her expression of pleasure in receiving him；and he gradually established his right to be expected.He retained a great deal the reserve for which his boyhood was remarkable；and that served to repress all startling demonstrations of feeling.My master's uneasiness experienced a lull,and further circumstances diverted it into another channd for a space.
His new source of trouble sprang from the not anticipated misfortune of Isabella Linton evincing a sudden and irresistible attraction towards the tolerated guest.She was at that time a charming young lady of eighteen；infantile in manners,though possessed of keen will,keen feelings,and a keen temper,too,if irritated.Her brother,who loved her tenderly,was appalled at this fantastic preference.Leaving aside the degradation of an alliance with a nameless man,and the possible fact that his property,in default of heirs male,might pass into such a one's power,he had sense to comprehend Heathcliff's disposition:to know that,though his exterior was altered,his mind was unchangeable,and unchanged.And he dreaded that mind:it revolted him:he shrank forebodingly from the idea of committing Isabella to its keeping.He would have recoiled still more had he been aware that her attachment rose unsolicited,and was bestowed where it amakened no reciprocation of sentiment；for the minute he discovered its existence,he laid the blame on Heathcliff's deliberate designing.【译文】
希克厉——往后我得称呼希克厉先生了——起初很谨慎，不随便到画眉田庄来作客访问，他似乎在试探主人对于他闯进来究竟容忍到什么程度。卡瑟琳也认为在接待他的时候不要把心里的喜悦一齐显露出来，这样稳妥一些。他就这样逐步地建立起了来这里做客的权利。
他从小就沉默寡言，这种突出的性格现在仍然没有改变多少，因此也就看不到他有什么哭啊笑啊的种种表现。东家的不安总算暂时平息下来，而事情的发展又把他的不安在一个时期里引导到另一方面去了。
原来那意想不到的新的烦恼来自伊莎蓓拉·林敦。那时候，她已是十八岁的姑娘了，出落得十分漂亮，一举一动还不脱稚气，然而头脑非常敏锐，感情强烈，逢到恼怒时脾气也强烈。不幸不是，她对于那个被容忍的客人突然感到了不可抑制的爱慕。
她的哥哥本是十分疼爱她的，发现她竟然荒唐到看中了这么个人物，不由得吓坏了。不说跟一个没名没姓的人配亲眷，辱没了门楣；也不说万一他日后没有男嗣继承人，他这份财产有可能落进这样一个人的手里；他还识透希克厉生就怎么一种脾气，懂得他虽然外表上看来改变了，他的本性却并没有变，也改变不了。他就是害怕这种性子。这一种性子叫他怎么也受不了。一想到让伊莎蓓拉在他手下去过日子，他不由得打了个寒噤。
要是让他知道了她这一番种情原是一厢情愿，她看上的对象并没有拿同样的情意来回报她，那他更要坐立不安了。他不知道底细，所以发现有这回事，便怪在希克厉头上，以为是他有意勾引。3
And he had earthly consolation and affections,also.For a few days,I said,he seemed regardless of the puny successor to the
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