第 1 节
作者:热带雨淋      更新:2021-02-27 03:02      字数:9321
  1872
  FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
  THE WILD SWANS
  by Hans Christian Andersen
  FAR away in the land to which the swallows fly when it is
  winter; dwelt a king who had eleven sons; and one daughter; named
  Eliza。 The eleven brothers were princes; and each went to school
  with a star on his breast; and a sword by his side。 They wrote with
  diamond pencils on gold slates; and learnt their lessons so quickly
  and read so easily that every one might know they were princes。
  Their sister Eliza sat on a little stool of plate…glass; and had a
  book full of pictures; which had cost as much as half a kingdom。 Oh;
  these children were indeed happy; but it was not to remain so
  always。 Their father; who was king of the country; married a very
  wicked queen; who did not love the poor children at all。 They knew
  this from the very first day after the wedding。 In the palace there
  were great festivities; and the children played at receiving
  company; but instead of having; as usual; all the cakes and apples
  that were left; she gave them some sand in a tea…cup; and told them to
  pretend it was cake。 The week after; she sent little Eliza into the
  country to a peasant and his wife; and then she told the king so
  many untrue things about the young princes; that he gave himself no
  more trouble respecting them。
  〃Go out into the world and get your own living;〃 said the queen。
  〃Fly like great birds; who have no voice。〃 But she could not make them ugly as she wished; for they were turned into eleven beautiful wild swans。 Then; with a strange cry; they flew through the windows of the palace; over the park; to the forest beyond。 It was early
  morning when they passed the peasant's cottage; where their sister
  Eliza lay asleep in her room。 They hovered over the roof; twisted
  their long necks and flapped their wings; but no one heard them or saw them; so they were at last obliged to fly away; high up in the clouds; and over the wide world they flew till they came to a thick; dark wood; which stretched far away to the seashore。 Poor little Eliza
  was alone in her room playing with a green leaf; for she had no
  other playthings; and she pierced a hole through the leaf; and
  looked through it at the sun; and it was as if she saw her brothers'
  clear eyes; and when the warm sun shone on her cheeks; she thought
  of all the kisses they had given her。 One day passed just like
  another; sometimes the winds rustled through the leaves of the
  rose…bush; and would whisper to the roses; 〃Who can be more
  beautiful than you!〃 But the roses would shake their heads; and say;
  〃Eliza is。〃 And when the old woman sat at the cottage door on
  Sunday; and read her hymn…book; the wind would flutter the leaves; and say to the book; 〃Who can be more pious than you?〃 and then the hymn…book would answer 〃Eliza。〃 And the roses and the hymn…book told the real truth。 At fifteen she returned home; but when the queen saw how beautiful she was; she became full of spite and hatred towards her。 Willingly would she have turned her into a swan; like her
  brothers; but she did not dare to do so yet; because the king wished
  to see his daughter。 Early one morning the queen went into the
  bath…room; it was built of marble; and had soft cushions; trimmed with the most beautiful tapestry。 She took three toads with her; and kissed them; and said to one; 〃When Eliza comes to the bath; seat yourself upon her head; that she may become as stupid as you are。〃
  Then she said to another; 〃Place yourself on her forehead; that she may become as ugly as you are; and that her father may not know her。〃 〃Rest on her heart;〃 she whispered to the third; 〃then she will have evil inclinations; and suffer in consequence。〃 So she put the toads into the clear water; and they turned green immediately。 She next called Eliza; and helped her to undress and get into the bath。 As
  Eliza dipped her head under the water; one of the toads sat on her
  hair; a second on her forehead; and a third on her breast; but she did
  not seem to notice them; and when she rose out of the water; there
  were three red poppies floating upon it。 Had not the creatures been
  venomous or been kissed by the witch; they would have been changed into red roses。 At all events they became flowers; because they had rested on Eliza's head; and on her heart。 She was too good and too innocent for witchcraft to have any power over her。 When the wicked queen saw this; she rubbed her face with walnut…juice; so that she was quite brown; then she tangled her beautiful hair and smeared it with disgusting ointment; till it was quite impossible to recognize the
  beautiful Eliza。
  When her father saw her; he was much shocked; and declared she was not his daughter。 No one but the watch…dog and the swallows knew her; and they were only poor animals; and could say nothing。
  Then poor Eliza wept; and thought of her eleven brothers; who were all away。
  Sorrowfully; she stole away from the palace; and walked; the whole
  day; over fields and moors; till she came to the great forest。 She
  knew not in what direction to go; but she was so unhappy; and longed so for her brothers; who had been; like herself; driven out into the world; that she was determined to seek them。 She had been but a
  short time in the wood when night came on; and she quite lost the
  path; so she laid herself down on the soft moss; offered up her
  evening prayer; and leaned her head against the stump of a tree。 All
  nature was still; and the soft; mild air fanned her forehead。 The
  light of hundreds of glow…worms shone amidst the grass and the moss; like green fire; and if she touched a twig with her hand; ever so
  lightly; the brilliant insects fell down around her; like
  shooting…stars。
  All night long she dreamt of her brothers。 She and they were
  children again; playing together。 She saw them writing with their
  diamond pencils on golden slates; while she looked at the beautiful
  picture…book which had cost half a kingdom。 They were not writing
  lines and letters; as they used to do; but descriptions of the noble
  deeds they had performed; and of all they had discovered and seen。
  In the picture…book; too; everything was living。 The birds sang; and
  the people came out of the book; and spoke to Eliza and her
  brothers; but; as the leaves turned over; they darted back again to
  their places; that all might be in order。
  When she awoke; the sun was high in the heavens; yet she could not
  see him; for the lofty trees spread their branches thickly over her
  head; but his beams were glancing through the leaves here and there;
  like a golden mist。 There was a sweet fragrance from the fresh green
  verdure; and the birds almost perched upon her shoulders。 She heard
  water rippling from a number of springs; all flowing in a lake with
  golden sands。 Bushes grew thickly round the lake; and at one spot an
  opening had been made by a deer; through which Eliza went down to
  the water。 The lake was so clear that; had not the wind rustled the
  branches of the trees and the bushes; so that they moved; they would
  have appeared as if painted in the depths of the lake; for every
  leaf was reflected in the water; whether it stood in the shade or
  the sunshine。 As soon as Eliza saw her own face; she was quite
  terrified at finding it so brown and ugly; but when she wetted her
  little hand; and rubbed her eyes and forehead; the white skin
  gleamed forth once more; and; after she had undressed; and dipped
  herself in the fresh water; a more beautiful king's daughter could not
  be found in the wide world。 As soon as she had dressed herself
  again; and braided her long hair; she went to the bubbling spring; and
  drank some water out of the hollow of her hand。 Then she wandered
  far into the forest; not knowing whither she went。 She thought of
  her brothers; and felt sure that God would not forsake her。 It is
  God who makes the wild apples grow in the wood; to satisfy the hungry; and He now led her to one of these trees; which was so loaded with fruit; that the boughs bent beneath the weight。 Here she held her noonday repast; placed props under the boughs; and then went into the gloomiest depths of the forest。 It was so still that she could hear the sound of her own footsteps; as well as the rustling of
  every withered leaf which she crushed under her feet。 Not a bird was
  to be seen; not a sunbeam could penetrate through the large; dark
  boughs of the trees。 Their lofty trunks stood so close together; that;
  when she looked before her; it seemed as if she were enclosed within
  trellis…work。 Such solitude she had never known before。 The night
  was very dark。 Not a single glow…worm glittered in the moss。
  Sorrowfully she laid herself down to sleep; and; after a while; it
  seemed to her as if the branches of the trees parted over her head;
  and that the mild eyes of angels looked down upon her from heaven。
  When she awoke in the morning; she knew not whether she had dreamt this; or if it had really been so。 Then she continued her wandering; but she had not gone many steps forward; when she met an old woman with berries in her basket; and she gave her a few to eat。 Then Eliza askd her if she had not seen eleven princes riding through the forest。
  〃No;〃 replied the old woman; 〃But I saw