双语《小约翰》 一

I
一

I will tell you something about little Johannes．My tale has much in it of a fairy story；but it nevertheless all really happened．As soon as you do not believe it you need read no farther，as it was not written for you．Also you must never mention the matter to little Johannes if you should chance to meet him，for that would vex him， and I should get into trouble for having told you all about it．
我要对你们讲一点小约翰。我的故事，那韵调好像一篇童话，然而一切全是曾经实现的。设使你们不再相信了，你们就无须看下去，因为那就是我并非为你们而作。倘或你们遇见小约翰了，你们对他也不可提起那件事，因为这使他痛苦，而且我便要后悔向你们讲说这一切了。

Johannes lived in an old house with a large garden．It was difficult to find one's way about there，for in the house there were many dark doorways and staircases，and cupboards，and lumber-lofts，and all about the garden there were sheds and hen-houses．It was a whole world to Johannes．He could make long journeys there，and he gave names to all he discovered．He had named the rooms in the house from the animal world；the caterpillar-loft， because he kept caterpillars there；the hen-room，because he had once found a hen there．It had not come in of itself；but Johannes's mother had set it there to hatch eggs．In the garden he chose names from plants，preferring those of such products as he thought most interesting．Thus he had Raspberry Hill，Cherry-tree Wood，and Strawberry Hollow．Quite at the end of the garden was a place he had called Paradise，and that，of course，was lovely．There was a large pool，a lake where white water-lilies floated and the reeds held long whispered conversations with the wind．On the farther side of it there were the dunes or sand-hills．Paradise itself was a little grassy meadow on the bank，shut in by bushes，among which the hemlock grew tall．Here Johannes would sometimes lie in the thick grass，looking between the swaying reeds at the tops of the sand-hills across the water．On warm summer evenings he was always to be found there，and would lie for hours，gazing up，without ever wearying of it．He would think of the depths of the still，clear water in front of him—how pleasant it must be there among the water-plants，in that strange twilight；and then again of the distant， gorgeously coloured clouds which swept across the sand-downs—what could be behind them？ How splendid it would be to be able to fly over to them！Just as the sun disappeared，the clouds gathered round an opening so that it looked like the entrance to a grotto，and in the depths of the cavern gleamed a soft，red glow．That was what Johannes longed to reach．“If I could but fly there！”thought he to himself．“What can there be beyond？ If I could only once，just for once，get there！”
约翰住在有大花园的一所老房子里。那里面是很不容易明白的，因为那房子里是许多黑暗的路、扶梯、小屋子，还有一个很大的仓库，花园里又到处是保护墙和温室。这在约翰就是全世界。他在那里面能够作长远的散步，凡他所发见的，他就给与一个名字。为了房间，他所发明的名字是出于动物界的：毛虫库，因为他在那里养过虫；鸡小房，因为他在那里寻着过一只母鸡。但这母鸡却并非自己跑去的，倒是约翰的母亲关在那里使它孵卵的。为了园，他从植物界里选出名字来，特别着重的，是于他紧要的出产。他就区别为一个复盆子山、一个梨树林、一个地莓谷。园的最后面是一块小地方，就是他所称为天堂的，那自然是美观的罗。那里有一片浩大的水，是一个池，其中浮生着白色的睡莲，芦苇和风也常在那里絮语。那一边站着几个沙冈。这天堂原是一块小草地，在岸的这一边，由丛莽环绕，野凯白勒茂盛地生在那中间。约翰在那里，常常躺在高大的草中，从波动的芦苇叶间，向着水那边的冈上眺望。当炎热的夏天的晚上，他是总在那里的，并且凝视许多时光，自己并不觉得厌倦。他想着又静又清的水的深处，在那奇特的夕照中的水草之间，有多么太平；他于是又想着远的，浮在冈上的，光怪陆离地着了色的云彩——那后面是怎样的呢，那地方是否好看呢，倘能够飞到那里去。太阳一落，这些云彩就堆积到这么高，至于像一所洞府的进口，在洞府的深处还照出一种淡红的光来。这正是约翰所期望的。“我能够飞到那里去么！”他想。“那后面是怎样的呢？我将来真，真能够到那里去么？”

But even while he was wishing it the cavern fell asunder in rolling dark clouds before he could get any nearer．And then it grew cold and damp by the pool，and he had to go back to his dark little bedroom in the old house．
他虽然时常这样地想望，但这洞府总是散作浓浓淡淡的小云片，他到底也没有能够靠近它一点。于是池边就寒冷起来，潮湿起来了，他又得去访问老屋子里的他的昏暗的小屋子。

He did not live all alone there；he had his father，who took good care of him，his dog Presto and the cat Simon．Of course he loved his father best：but he did not love Presto and Simon so very much less，as a grown-up man would have done．He told Presto many more secrets than he ever told his father，and he held Simon in the greatest respect．And no wonder！Simon was a very big cat with a shining black coat and a bushy tail．It was easy to see that he was perfectly convinced of his own importance and wisdom．He was always solemn and dignified，even when he condescended to play with a rolling cork or to gnaw a stale herring's head behind a tree．As he watched Presto's flighty behaviour he would contemptuously blink his green eyes and think：“Well，well，dogs know no better！”
他在那里住得并不十分寂寞。他有一个父亲，是好好地抚养他的；一只狗，名叫普烈斯多；一只猫，叫西蒙。他自然最爱他的父亲，然而普烈斯多和西蒙在他的估量上却并不这么很低下，像在成人的那样。他还相信普烈斯多比他的父亲更有很多的秘密，对于西蒙，他是怀着极深的敬畏的。但这也不足为奇！西蒙是一匹大的猫，有着光亮乌黑的皮毛，还有粗尾巴。人们可以看出，它颇自负它自己的伟大和聪明。在它的景况中，它总能保持它的成算和尊严，即使它自己屈尊，和一个打滚的木塞子游嬉，或者在树后面吞下一个遗弃的沙定鱼头去。当普烈斯多不驯良的胡闹的时候，它便用碧绿的眼睛轻蔑地瞋视它，并且想：哈哈，这呆畜生此外不再懂得什么了。

Now you may understand what respect Johannes had for him．But he was on much more familiar terms with little brown Presto．He was not handsome nor dignified，but a particularly good-natured and clever little dog，who never went two yards from Johannes's side，and sat patiently listening to all his master told him．I need not tell you how dearly Johannes loved Presto．But he had room in his heart for other things as well．Do you think it strange that his dark bedroom with the tiny window-panes filled a large place there？ He loved the curtains with the large-flowered pattern in which he could see faces，and which he had studied so long when he lay awake in the mornings or when he was sick；he loved the one picture which hung there，in which stiff figures were represented in a yet stiffer garden，walking by the side of a tranquil pond where fountains were spouting as high as the clouds，and white swans were swimming．But most of all he loved the hanging clock．He pulled up the weights every day with solemn care，and regarded it as an indispensable civility to look up at it whenever it struck．This of course could only be done as long as Johannes remained awake．If by some neglect the clock ran down Johannes felt quite guilty，and begged its pardon a dozen times over．You would have laughed，no doubt，if you had heard him talking to his room．But perhaps you sometimes talk to yourself；that does not seem to you altogether ridiculous；and Johannes was perfectly convinced that his hearers had quite understood him，and he required no answer．Still he secretly thought that he might perhaps have a reply from the clock or the curtains．
约翰对它怀着敬畏的事，你们现在懂得了么？和这小小的棕色的普烈斯多，他却交际得极其情投意合。它并非美丽或高贵的，然而是一匹出格的诚恳而明白的动物，人总不能使它和约翰离开两步，而且它于它主人的讲话是耐心地谨听的。我很难于告诉你们，约翰怎样地挚爱这普烈斯多。但在他的心里，却还剩着许多空间，为别的物事。他的带着小玻璃窗的昏暗的小房间，在那里也占着一个重要的位置，你们觉得奇怪罢？他爱那地毯，那带着大的花纹的，在那里面他认得脸面，还有它的形式，他也察看过许多回——如果他生了病，或者早晨醒了躺在床上的时候。他爱那惟一的挂在那里的小画，上面是做出不动的游人，在尤其不动的园中散步，顺着平滑的池边，那里面喷出齐天的喷泉，还有媚人的天鹅正在游泳。然而他最爱的是时钟。他总以极大的谨慎去开它。倘若它敲起来了，就看它，以为这算是隆重的责任。但这自然只限于约翰还未睡去的时候。假使这钟因为他的疏忽而停住了，约翰就觉得很抱歉，他于是千百次的请他宽容。你们大概是要笑的，倘你们听到了他和他的钟或他的房间在谈话。然而留心罢，你们和你们自己怎样地时常谈话呵。这在你们全不以为可笑。此外约翰还相信，他的对手是完全懂得的，而且并不要求回答。虽然如此，他暗地里也还偶尔等候着钟或地毯的回音。

Johannes had schoolmates，but they were not exactly friends．He played with them，and plotted tricks with them in school，and robber-games out of school；still he never felt quite at home but when he was alone with Presto．Then he never wanted any boys，and was perfectly at his ease and safe．
约翰在学校里虽然还有伙伴，但这却并非朋友。在校内他和他们玩耍和合伙，在外面还结成强盗团——然而只有单和普烈斯多在一起，他才觉得实在的舒服。于是他不愿意孩子们走近，自己觉得完全的自在和平安。

His father was a wise，grave man，who sometimes took Johannes with him for long walks through the woods and over the sand-hills；but then he spoke little，and Johannes ran a few steps behind，talking to the flowers he saw，and the old trees which had always to stay in the same place，stroking them gently with his little hand on the rough bark．And the friendly giants rustled their thanks．
他的父亲是一个智慧的、恳切的人，时常带着约翰向远处游行，经过树林和冈阜。他们就不很交谈，约翰跟在他的父亲的十步之后，遇见花朵，他便问安，并且友爱地用了小手，抚摩那永远不移的老树，在粗糙的皮质上。于是这好意的巨物们便在瑟瑟作响中向他表示它们的感谢。

Sometimes his father traced letters in the sand as they went along，one by one，and Johannes spelt the words they made：and sometimes his father would stop and tell Johannes the name of some plant or animal．
在途中，父亲时常在沙土上写字母，一个又一个，约翰就拼出它们所造成的字来——父亲也时常站定，并且教给约翰一个植物或动物的名字。

And now and then Johannes would ask about what he saw， and heard many strange things．Indeed，he often asked very silly questions：Why the world was just as it was，and why the plants and animals must die，and whether miracles could ever happen．But Johannes' father was a wise man，and did not tell him all he knew；and this was better for Johannes．
约翰也时常发问，因为他看见和听到许多谜。呆问题是常有的。他问，何以世界是这样，像现在似的，何以动物和植物都得死，还有奇迹是否也能出现。然而约翰的父亲是智慧的人，他并不都说出他所知道的一切。这于约翰是好的。

At night before he went to sleep Johannes always said a long prayer．His nurse had taught him this．He prayed for his father and for Presto．Simon did not need it，he thought．He had a long prayer for himself too，and almost always ended with the wish that just for once a miracle might happen．And when he had said Amen he would look curiously round the half-dark room at the figures in the picture， which looked stranger than ever in the dim twilight，at the door-handle and the clock，wondering how the miracle would begin．But the clock always ticked in its own old fashion，and the door-knob did not stir，and it grew darker and darker，and Johannes fell asleep without any miracle having happened．But it would happen some day；of that he was sure．
晚上，当他躺下睡觉之前，约翰总要说一篇长长的祷告。这是管理孩子的姑娘这样教他的。他为他父亲和普烈斯多祷告。西蒙用不着这样，他想。他也为他自己祷告得很长，临末，几乎永是发生那个希望，将来总会有奇迹出现的。他说过“亚门”之后，便满怀期望地在半暗的屋子中环视，到那在轻微的黄昏里，比平时显得更奇特的地毯上的花纹，到门的把手，到时钟，从那里是很可以出现奇迹的。但那钟总是这么滴嗒滴嗒地走，把手是不动的。天全暗了，约翰也酣睡了，没有奇迹出现。然而总有一次得出现的，这他知道。