第 1 节
作者:打死也不说      更新:2022-11-23 12:13      字数:9322
  FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
  BEAUTY OF FORM AND BEAUTY OF MIND
  by Hans Christian Andersen
  THERE was once a sculptor; named Alfred; who having won the
  large gold medal and obtained a travelling scholarship; went to Italy;
  and then came back to his native land。 He was young at that time…
  indeed; he is young still; although he is ten years older than he
  was then。 On his return; he went to visit one of the little towns in
  the island of Zealand。 The whole town knew who the stranger was; and
  one of the richest men in the place gave a party in his honor; and all
  who were of any consequence; or who possessed some property; were
  invited。 It was quite an event; and all the town knew of it; so that
  it was not necessary to announce it by beat of drum。
  Apprentice…boys; children of the poor; and even the poor people
  themselves; stood before the house; watching the lighted windows;
  and the watchman might easily fancy he was giving a party also;
  there were so many people in the streets。 There was quite an air of
  festivity about it; and the house was full of it; for Mr。 Alfred;
  the sculptor; was there。 He talked and told anecdotes; and every one
  listened to him with pleasure; not unmingled with awe; but none felt
  so much respect for him as did the elderly widow of a naval officer。
  She seemed; so far as Mr。 Alfred was concerned; to be like a piece
  of fresh blotting…paper that absorbed all he said and asked for
  more。 She was very appreciative; and incredibly ignorant… a kind of
  female Gaspar Hauser。
  〃I should like to see Rome;〃 she said; 〃it must be a lovely
  city; or so many foreigners would not be constantly arriving there。
  Now; do give me a description of Rome。 How does the city look when you
  enter in at the gate?〃
  〃I cannot very well describe it;〃 said the sculptor; 〃but you
  enter on a large open space; in the centre of which stands an obelisk;
  which is a thousand years old。〃
  〃An organist!〃 exclaimed the lady; who had never heard the word
  'obelisk。' Several of the guests could scarcely forbear laughing;
  and the sculptor would have had some difficulty in keeping his
  countenance; but the smile on his lips faded away; for he caught sight
  of a pair of dark…blue eyes close by the side of the inquisitive lady。
  They belonged to her daughter; and surely no one who had such a
  daughter could be silly。 The mother was like a fountain of
  questions; and the daughter; who listened but never spoke; might
  have passed for the beautiful maid of the fountain。 How charming she
  was! She was a study for the sculptor to contemplate; but not to
  converse with; for she did not speak; or; at least; very seldom。
  〃Has the pope a great family?〃 inquired the lady。
  The young man answered considerately; as if the question had
  been a different one; 〃No; he does not come from a great family。〃
  〃That is not what I asked;〃 persisted the widow; 〃I mean; has he a
  wife and children?〃
  〃The pope is not allowed to marry;〃 replied the gentleman。
  〃I don't like that;〃 was the lady's remark。
  She certainly might have asked more sensible questions; but if she
  had not been allowed to say just what she liked; would her daughter
  have been there; leaning so gracefully on her shoulder; and looking
  straight before her; with a smile that was almost mournful on her
  face?
  Mr。 Alfred again spoke of Italy; and of the glorious colors in
  Italian scenery; the purple hills; the deep blue of the Mediterranean;
  the azure of southern skies; whose brightness and glory could only
  be surpassed in the north by the deep…blue eyes of a maiden; and he
  said this with a peculiar intonation; but she who should have
  understood his meaning looked quite unconscious of it; which also
  was charming。
  〃Beautiful Italy!〃 sighed some of the guests。
  〃Oh; to travel there!〃 exclaimed others。
  〃Charming! Charming!〃 echoed from every voice。
  〃I may perhaps win a hundred thousand dollars in the lottery;〃
  said the naval officer's widow; 〃and if I do; we will travel… I and my
  daughter; and you; Mr。 Alfred; must be our guide。 We can all three
  travel together; with one or two more of our good friends。〃 And she
  nodded in such a friendly way at the company; that each imagined
  himself to be the favored person who was to accompany them to Italy。
  〃Yes; we must go;〃 she continued; 〃but not to those parts where
  there are robbers。 We will keep to Rome。 In the public roads one is
  always safe。〃
  The daughter sighed very gently; and how much there may be in a
  sigh; or attributed to it! The young man attributed a great deal of
  meaning to this sigh。 Those deep…blue eyes; which had been lit up this
  evening in honor of him; must conceal treasures; treasures of heart
  and mind; richer than all the glories of Rome; and so when he left the
  party that night; he had lost it completely to the young lady。 The
  house of the naval officer's widow was the one most constantly visited
  by Mr。 Alfred; the sculptor。 It was soon understood that his visits
  were not intended for that lady; though they were the persons who kept
  up the conversation。 He came for the sake of the daughter。 They called
  her Kaela。 Her name was really Karen Malena; and these two names had
  been contracted into the one name Kaela。 She was really beautiful; but
  some said she was rather dull; and slept late of a morning。
  〃She has been accustomed to that;〃 her mother said。 〃She is a
  beauty; and they are always easily tired。 She does sleep rather
  late; but that makes her eyes so clear。〃
  What power seemed to lie in the depths of those dark eyes! The
  young man felt the truth of the proverb; 〃Still waters run deep:〃
  and his heart had sunk into their depths。 He often talked of his
  adventures; and the mamma was as simple and eager in her questions
  as on the first evening they met。 It was a pleasure to hear Alfred
  describe anything。 He showed them colored plates of Naples; and
  spoke of excursions to Mount Vesuvius; and the eruptions of fire
  from it。 The naval officer's widow had never heard of them before。
  〃Good heavens!〃 she exclaimed。 〃So that is a burning mountain; but
  is it not very dangerous to the people who live near it?〃
  〃Whole cities have been destroyed;〃 he replied; 〃for instance;
  Herculaneum and Pompeii。〃
  〃Oh; the poor people! And you saw all that with your own eyes?〃
  〃No; I did not see any of the eruptions which are represented in
  those pictures; but I will show you a sketch of my own; which
  represents an eruption I once saw。〃
  He placed a pencil sketch on the table; and mamma; who had been
  over…powered with the appearance of the colored plates; threw a glance
  at the pale drawing and cried in astonishment; 〃What; did you see it
  throw up white fire?〃
  For a moment; Alfred's respect for Kaela's mamma underwent a
  sudden shock; and lessened considerably; but; dazzled by the light
  which surrounded Kaela; he soon found it quite natural that the old
  lady should have no eye for color。 After all; it was of very little
  consequence; for Kaela's mamma had the best of all possessions;
  namely; Kaela herself。
  Alfred and Kaela were betrothed; which was a very natural
  result; and the betrothal was announced in the newspaper of the little
  town。 Mama purchased thirty copies of the paper; that she might cut
  out the paragraph and send it to friends and acquaintances。 The
  betrothed pair were very happy; and the mother was happy too。 She said
  it seemed like connecting herself with Thorwalsden。
  〃You are a true successor of Thorwalsden;〃 she said to Alfred; and
  it seemed to him as if; in this instance; mamma had said a clever
  thing。 Kaela was silent; but her eyes shone; her lips smiled; every
  movement was graceful;… in fact; she was beautiful; that cannot be
  repeated too often。 Alfred decided to take a bust of Kaela as well
  as of her mother。 They sat to him accordingly; and saw how he
  moulded and formed the soft clay with his fingers。
  〃I suppose it is only on our account that you perform this
  common…place work yourself; instead of leaving it to your servant to
  do all that sticking together。〃
  〃It is really necessary that I should mould the clay myself;〃 he
  replied。
  〃Ah; yes; you are always so polite;〃 said mamma; with a smile; and
  Kaela silently pressed his hand; all soiled as it was with the clay。
  Then he unfolded to them both the beauties of Nature; in all her
  works; he pointed out to them how; in the scale of creation; inanimate
  matter was inferior to animate nature; the plant above the mineral;
  the animal above the plant; and man above them all。 He strove to
  show them how the beauty of the mind could be displayed in the outward
  form; and that it was the sculptor's task to seize upon that beauty of
  expression; and produce it in his works。 Kaela stood silent; but
  nodded in approbation of what he said; while mamma…in…law made the
  following confession:…
  〃It is difficult to follow you; but I go hobbling along after
  you with my thoughts; though what yo