双语《小约翰》 六

VI
六

It seemed to him，all the next few days，as though it was no longer so delightful or so beautiful to be with Windekind in the wood or on the sand-hills．His thoughts were no onger wholly occupied with all that Windekind told him or showed him．He could not help thinking of that Book，but he dared not speak of it．The things he saw seemed to him less fine and wonderful than before．The clouds were so black and heavy，he was afraid lest they should fall upon him．It distressed him when the unresting autumn wind shook and bowed the poor weary trees，so that the sallow under side of the leaves was seen，and yellow leaves and dry twigs were swept before the gale．
从此以后，他在树林中和沙阜上，旋儿的旁边，似乎不再那么高兴和自得了。凡有旋儿所讲述和指示的，都不能满足他的思想。他每次必想那小书，但议论却不敢。他所看见的，也不再先前似的美丽和神奇了。云是这样地黑而重，使他恐怖，仿佛就要从头上压下来。倘秋风不歇地摇撼和鞭扑这可怜的疲倦的林木，致使浅绿的叶腹翻向上边，以及黄色的柯叶和枯枝在空气中飘摇时，也使他觉得悲痛。

What Windekind told him had ceased to interest him．A great deal of it he did not understand，and he never got a perfectly clear and satisfactory answer when he asked one of his old questions．And this again made him think of that Book in which everything was set forth so plainly and simply；and of that everlasting still and sunny autumn day which would ensue．
旋儿所说的，于他不满足。许多是他不懂，即使提出一个他所日夜操心的问题来，他也永是得不到圆满分明的答案。他于是又想那一切全都这样清楚和简单地写着的小书，想那将来的永是晴明而沉静的秋日。

“Wistik！Wistik！”he murmured．
“将知！将知！”

“Johannes，I am afraid you ought to have remained a human being．Even your friendship is as that of men—the first person who has spoken to you after me has won all your confidence from me．Ah！my mother was right after all！”
“约翰，我怕你终于还是一个人，你的友情也正如人类的一样，在我之后和你说话的第一个，将你的信任全都夺去了。唉，我的母亲一点也不错。”

“No，Windekind．But you are much wiser than Wistik—as wise as that Book．Why do you not tell me everything？ See now！Why does the wind blow through the trees so that they bend and bow？ Look，they can bear it no longer；the boughs snap and the leaves are flying by hundreds on all sides，though they are still green and fresh．They are so tired they can no longer hold on，and yet they are constantly shaken and thrashed by the rude，spiteful wind．Why is it so？ What does the wind mean？”
“不，旋儿！你却聪明过于将知，你也聪明如同小书。你为什么不告诉我一切的呢？就看罢！为什么风吹树木，至使它们必须弯而又弯呢？它们不能再——最美的枝条折断，成百的叶儿纷坠，纵然它们也还碧绿和新鲜。它们都这样地疲乏，也不再能够支撑了，但仍然从这粗野的恶意的风，永是从新的摇动和打击。为什么这样的呢？风要怎样呢？”

“My poor Johannes，you are talking as men talk．”
“可怜的约翰！这是人的议论呵！”

“Make it stop，Windekind．I want calm and sunshine．”
“使它静着罢，旋儿。我要安静和日光。”

“You question and want as a man；there is no answer，no fulfilment．If you cannot learn to ask or wish better，the autumn day will never dawn for you，and you will be like the thousands of human beings who have talked to Wistik．”
“你的质问和愿望都很像一个人，因此既没有回答，更没有满足。如果你不去学学质问和希望些较好的事，那秋日便将永不为你黎明，而你也将如说起将知的成千的人们一样了。”

“What，so many？”
“有这么多的人们么？”

“Yes，thousands．Wistik affects great mystery，but he is a chatterbox who cannot keep his own secrets．He hoped to find the Book among men，and communicates his knowledge to every one who might be able to help him．And he has made many as unhappy as himself．They believe in him，and go forth to seek the Book with as much zeal as some use in seeking the art of making gold．They sacrifice everything，give up their calling and their happiness， and shut themselves up among big volumes or strange matters and instruments．They risk their lives and health，they forget the blue sky and kindly gentle Nature—nay，even their fellow-creatures．Some find good and useful things，as it were gold nuggets，which they throw out of their holes on to the bright sunlit surface of the earth；but they do not themselves care for these；they leave them for others to enjoy，while they dig and grub on in the dark without cessation or rest．They are not seeking gold but the Book．Some lose their wits over the work，forgetting their object and aim，and becoming mere miserable dotards．The sprite has made them quite childish．You may see them building up little castles of sand，and calculating how many grains more are needed to make them fall in；they make little watercourses，and estimate precisely the bends and bays the water will make；they dig trenches，and devote all their patience and reason to making them very smooth and free from stones．If these poor idiots are interrupted in their work and asked what they are doing，they look up with great importance，shake their heads and mutter，“Wistik，Wistik！”
“是的，成千的！将知做得很秘密，但他仍然是一个永不能沉默他的秘密的胡涂的饶舌者。他希望在人间觅得那小书，且向每个或者能够帮助他的人宣传他的智慧。他并且已经将许多人们因此弄得不幸了。人们相信他，想自己觅得那书，正如几个试验炼金的一样地热烈。他们牺牲一切，忘却了所有他们的工作和他们的幸福，而自己监禁在厚的书籍、奇特的工具和装置之间。他们将生活和健康抛在一旁，他们忘却了蔚蓝的天和这温和的慈惠的天然——以及他们的同类。有时他们也觅得紧要和有用的东西，有如从他们的洞穴里，掷上明朗的地面来的金块似的。他们自己和这不相干，让别人去享用，而自己却奋发地无休无息地在黑暗里更向远处掘和挖。他们并非寻金，倒是寻小书，他们沉沦得越深，离花和光就越远，由此他们希望得越多，而他们的期待也越滋长。有几个却因这工作而昏聩了，忘其所以，一直捣乱到苦恼的儿戏。于是那山鬼便将他们变得稚气。人看见，他们怎样地用沙来造小塔，并且计算到它落成为止要用多少粒沙；他们做小瀑布，并且细算那水所形成的各个涡和各个浪；他们掘小沟，还应用所有他们的坚忍和才智，为的是将这掘得光滑，而且没有小石头。倘有谁来搅扰了在他们工作上的这昏迷，并且问，他们做着什么事。他们便正经地重要地看定你，还喃喃道：‘将知！将知！’

“Yes，it is all the fault of that little foolish Wood-Sprite．Have nothing to say to him，Johannes．”
“是的，一切都是那么的可恶的山鬼的罪！你要小心他，约翰！”

But Johannes stared before him at the swaying，creaking trees．The smooth brow above his clear childish eyes puckered into furrows．He had never before looked so grave．
但约翰却凝视着对面的摇动和呼哨的树木。在他明彻的孩童眼上，嫩皮肤都打起皱来了。他从来没有这样严正地凝视过。

“And yet—you yourself said—that there is such a Book！And oh！I am quite sure that in it there is all about the Great Light，whose name you will not tell me．”
“而仍然——你自己说过——那书儿是存在的！阿，我确实知道，那上面也载着你所不愿意说出名字来的那大光。”

“Poor，poor little Johannes！”said Windekind，and his voice rose above the dizzy clamour of the storm like a peaceful hymn，sounding very far away．“Love me，only love me with all your might．In me， you will find even more than you wish．You shall understand that which you cannot conceive of，and be，yourself，what you desire to know．Earth and heaven shall be familiar to you，the stars shall be your neighbours，infinitude shall be your dwelling-place．”
“可怜的，可怜的约翰！”旋儿说，他的声音如超出于暴风雨声之上的平和的歌颂，“爱我，以你的全存在爱我罢。在我这里，你所觅得的会比你所希望的还要多。凡你所不能想像的，你将了然，凡你所希望知道的，你将是自己。天和地将是你的亲信，群星将是你的同胞，无穷将是你的住所。”

“Love me！only love me！Cling to me as the hop-bine to the tree，be true to me as the lake is to its bed—in me alone shall you find rest，Johannes．”
“爱我，爱我——霍布草蔓之于树似的围抱我，海之于地似的忠于我——只有在我这里是安宁，约翰！”

Windekind ceased speaking，but the choral psalm still went on．It seemed to float at an immense distance，in solemn rhythm，through the raging and sighing of the wind—as tranquil as the moonlight shining between the driving clouds．
旋儿的话消歇了，然而颂歌似的袅袅着。它从远处飘荡而来，匀整而且庄严，透过了风的吹拂和呼啸——平和如月色，那从相逐的云间穿射出来的。

Windekind opened his arms and Johannes fell asleep on his breast，under the shelter of the blue cloak．
旋儿伸开臂膊，约翰睡在他的胸前，用蓝的小氅衣保护着。

But in the night he awoke．Peace had suddenly and imperceptibly fallen on the world；the moon was below the horizon；the leaves hung limp and motionless；the forest was full of silence and darkness．
他夜里却醒来了。沉静是蓦地不知不觉地笼罩了地面，月亮已经沉没在地平线下。不动地垂着疲倦的枝叶，沉默的黑暗掩盖着树林。

And questions came back on Johannes's mind，in swift spectral succession，dislodging all his newly-born confidence．Why were men thus made？ Why must he come away from them and lose their love？ Why must the winter come？ Why must the leaves fall and the flowers die？ Why—why？
于是问题来了，迅速而阴森地接续着，回到约翰的头里来，并且将还很稚弱的信任驱逐了。为什么人类是这样子的？为什么他应该抛掉他们而且失了他们的爱？为什么要有冬天？为什么叶应该落而花应该死？为什么？为什么？

Down in the thicket the blue lights were dancing again．They came and went．Johannes gazed at them with eager attention．He saw the larger，brighter light shining on the dark tree-trunk．Windekind was sleeping soundly and peacefully．
于是深深地在丛莽里，又跳着那蓝色的小光。它们来来去去。约翰严密地注视着它们。他看见较大的明亮的小光在黑暗的树干上发亮。旋儿酣睡得很安静。

“Just one more question！”thought Johannes，creeping out from under the blue mantle．
“还有一个问。”约翰想，并且溜出了蓝的小氅衣，去了。

“So，here you are again！”cried Wistik，with a friendly nod，“I am very pleased to see you．And where is your friend？”
“你又来了？”将知说，还诚意地点头。“这我很喜欢。你的朋友在那里呢？”

“Out yonder．But I wanted to ask you one more question—alone．Will you answer it？”
“那边！我只还想问一下。你肯回答我么？”

“You have lived among men，I am sure．Has it anything to do with my secret？”
“你曾在人类里，实在的么？你去办我的秘密么？”

“Who will find the Book，Wistik？”
“谁会觅得那书儿呢，将知？”

“Ay，ay！That's it，that's it．If I tell you，will you help me？”
“是呵，是呵！这正是那个，这正是！——你愿意帮助我么，倘我告诉了你？”

“If I can—certainly．”
“如果我能够，当然！”

“Then listen，Johannes．”Wistik opened his eyes astonishingly wide，and raised his eyebrows higher than ever．Then he whispered behind his little hand．“Men have the golden casket；elves have the golden key；the foe of the elves can never find it，the friend of men alone can open it．The first night of Spring is the right time，and Robin Redbreast knows the way．”
“那就听着，约翰！”将知将眼睛张得可怕地大，还将他的眉毛扬得比平常更其高。于是他伸手向前，小声说：“人类存着金箱子，妖精存着金锁匙，妖敌觅不得，妖友独开之。春夜正其时，红膆鸟深知。”

“Is that true，quite true？”cried Johannes，remembering his little key．
“这是真的么，这是真的么？”约翰嚷着，并且想着他的小锁匙。

“Yes，”said Wistik．
“真的！”将知说。

“How is it that no one has found it yet？”asked Johannes，“so many men are seeking for it．”
“为什么还没有人得到呢？有这么多的人们寻觅它。”

“I have never confided to any man，never to any man，what I have told you．I never before knew a friend of the Elves．”
“凡我所托付你的，我没有告诉过一个人，一个也不。”

“I have it，Wistik，I can help you！”Johannes leaped and clapped his hands．“I will ask Windekind about it．”
“我有着，将知！我能够帮助你！”约翰欢呼起来，并且拍着手，“我去问问旋儿。”

Away he flew over the moss and dry leaves．But he stumbled now and then and his feet were heavy．Stout twigs snapped under his tread，while before，it had not even bent the blades of grass．
他从莓苔和枯叶上飞回去。但他颠踬了许多回，他的脚步是沉重了。粗枝在他的脚下索索地响，往常是连小草梗也不弯曲的。

There was the shady fern under which they had been sleeping．Their bed was empty．
这里是茂盛的羊齿草丛，他曾在底下睡过觉。这于他显得多么矮小了呵。

“Windekind！”he called．But he started at the sound of his own voice．
“旋儿！”他呼唤。他就害怕了他自己的声音。

“Windekind！”It sounded like a human voice．A scared night-bird flew up with a shriek．
“旋儿！”这就如一个人类的声音似的发响，一匹胆怯的夜莺叫喊着飞去了。

There was no one under the fern．Johannes could see no one．The blue lights had vanished．It was very cold and perfectly dark on all sides．Overhead，he saw the black tree-tops against the starry sky．
羊齿丛下是空的——约翰看见一无所有。蓝色的小光消失了，围绕着他的是寒冷和无底的幽暗。他向前看，只见树梢的黑影散布在星夜的空中。

Once more he called．Then he dared no more；his voice was an insult to the silence，and Windekind's name a mockery．
他再叫了一回。于是他不再敢了。他的声音，响出来像是对于安静的天然的亵渎，对于旋儿的名字的讥嘲。

Poor Johannes fell on the ground and sobbed in helpless grief．
可怜的小约翰于是仆倒，在绝望的后悔里呜咽起来了。