雙語《小約翰》 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．
我要對你們講一點小約翰。我的故事，那韻調(diào)好像一篇童話，然而一切全是曾經(jīng)實現(xiàn)的。設(shè)使你們不再相信了，你們就無須看下去，因為那就是我并非為你們而作。倘或你們遇見小約翰了，你們對他也不可提起那件事，因為這使他痛苦，而且我便要后悔向你們講說這一切了。

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！”
約翰住在有大花園的一所老房子里。那里面是很不容易明白的，因為那房子里是許多黑暗的路、扶梯、小屋子，還有一個很大的倉庫，花園里又到處是保護墻和溫室。這在約翰就是全世界。他在那里面能夠作長遠的散步，凡他所發(fā)見的，他就給與一個名字。為了房間，他所發(fā)明的名字是出于動物界的：毛蟲庫，因為他在那里養(yǎng)過蟲；雞小房，因為他在那里尋著過一只母雞。但這母雞卻并非自己跑去的，倒是約翰的母親關(guān)在那里使它孵卵的。為了園，他從植物界里選出名字來，特別著重的，是于他緊要的出產(chǎn)。他就區(qū)別為一個復(fù)盆子山、一個梨樹林、一個地莓谷。園的最后面是一塊小地方，就是他所稱為天堂的，那自然是美觀的羅。那里有一片浩大的水，是一個池，其中浮生著白色的睡蓮，蘆葦和風(fēng)也常在那里絮語。那一邊站著幾個沙岡。這天堂原是一塊小草地，在岸的這一邊，由叢莽環(huán)繞，野凱白勒茂盛地生在那中間。約翰在那里，常常躺在高大的草中，從波動的蘆葦葉間，向著水那邊的岡上眺望。當(dāng)炎熱的夏天的晚上，他是總在那里的，并且凝視許多時光，自己并不覺得厭倦。他想著又靜又清的水的深處，在那奇特的夕照中的水草之間，有多么太平；他于是又想著遠的，浮在岡上的，光怪陸離地著了色的云彩——那后面是怎樣的呢，那地方是否好看呢，倘能夠飛到那里去。太陽一落，這些云彩就堆積到這么高，至于像一所洞府的進口，在洞府的深處還照出一種淡紅的光來。這正是約翰所期望的?！拔夷軌蝻w到那里去么！”他想。“那后面是怎樣的呢？我將來真，真能夠到那里去么？”

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．
他雖然時常這樣地想望，但這洞府總是散作濃濃淡淡的小云片，他到底也沒有能夠靠近它一點。于是池邊就寒冷起來，潮濕起來了，他又得去訪問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。他有一個父親，是好好地撫養(yǎng)他的；一只狗，名叫普烈斯多；一只貓，叫西蒙。他自然最愛他的父親，然而普烈斯多和西蒙在他的估量上卻并不這么很低下，像在成人的那樣。他還相信普烈斯多比他的父親更有很多的秘密，對于西蒙，他是懷著極深的敬畏的。但這也不足為奇！西蒙是一匹大的貓，有著光亮烏黑的皮毛，還有粗尾巴。人們可以看出，它頗自負它自己的偉大和聰明。在它的景況中，它總能保持它的成算和尊嚴(yán)，即使它自己屈尊，和一個打滾的木塞子游嬉，或者在樹后面吞下一個遺棄的沙定魚頭去。當(dāng)普烈斯多不馴良的胡鬧的時候，它便用碧綠的眼睛輕蔑地瞋視它，并且想：哈哈，這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．
約翰對它懷著敬畏的事，你們現(xiàn)在懂得了么？和這小小的棕色的普烈斯多，他卻交際得極其情投意合。它并非美麗或高貴的，然而是一匹出格的誠懇而明白的動物，人總不能使它和約翰離開兩步，而且它于它主人的講話是耐心地謹聽的。我很難于告訴你們，約翰怎樣地摯愛這普烈斯多。但在他的心里，卻還剩著許多空間，為別的物事。他的帶著小玻璃窗的昏暗的小房間，在那里也占著一個重要的位置，你們覺得奇怪罷？他愛那地毯，那帶著大的花紋的，在那里面他認得臉面，還有它的形式，他也察看過許多回——如果他生了病，或者早晨醒了躺在床上的時候。他愛那惟一的掛在那里的小畫，上面是做出不動的游人，在尤其不動的園中散步，順著平滑的池邊，那里面噴出齊天的噴泉，還有媚人的天鵝正在游泳。然而他最愛的是時鐘。他總以極大的謹慎去開它。倘若它敲起來了，就看它，以為這算是隆重的責(zé)任。但這自然只限于約翰還未睡去的時候。假使這鐘因為他的疏忽而停住了，約翰就覺得很抱歉，他于是千百次的請他寬容。你們大概是要笑的，倘你們聽到了他和他的鐘或他的房間在談話。然而留心罷，你們和你們自己怎樣地時常談話呵。這在你們?nèi)灰詾榭尚?。此外約翰還相信，他的對手是完全懂得的，而且并不要求回答。雖然如此，他暗地里也還偶爾等候著鐘或地毯的回音。

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．
約翰在學(xué)校里雖然還有伙伴，但這卻并非朋友。在校內(nèi)他和他們玩耍和合伙，在外面還結(jié)成強盜團——然而只有單和普烈斯多在一起，他才覺得實在的舒服。于是他不愿意孩子們走近，自己覺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．
他的父親是一個智慧的、懇切的人，時常帶著約翰向遠處游行，經(jīng)過樹林和岡阜。他們就不很交談，約翰跟在他的父親的十步之后，遇見花朵，他便問安，并且友愛地用了小手，撫摩那永遠不移的老樹，在粗糙的皮質(zhì)上。于是這好意的巨物們便在瑟瑟作響中向他表示它們的感謝。

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，父親時常在沙土上寫字母，一個又一個，約翰就拼出它們所造成的字來——父親也時常站定，并且教給約翰一個植物或動物的名字。

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．
約翰也時常發(fā)問，因為他看見和聽到許多謎。呆問題是常有的。他問，何以世界是這樣，像現(xiàn)在似的，何以動物和植物都得死，還有奇跡是否也能出現(xiàn)。然而約翰的父親是智慧的人，他并不都說出他所知道的一切。這于約翰是好的。

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，當(dāng)他躺下睡覺之前，約翰總要說一篇長長的禱告。這是管理孩子的姑娘這樣教他的。他為他父親和普烈斯多禱告。西蒙用不著這樣，他想。他也為他自己禱告得很長，臨末，幾乎永是發(fā)生那個希望，將來總會有奇跡出現(xiàn)的。他說過“亞門”之后，便滿懷期望地在半暗的屋子中環(huán)視，到那在輕微的黃昏里，比平時顯得更奇特的地毯上的花紋，到門的把手，到時鐘，從那里是很可以出現(xiàn)奇跡的。但那鐘總是這么滴嗒滴嗒地走，把手是不動的。天全暗了，約翰也酣睡了，沒有奇跡出現(xiàn)。然而總有一次得出現(xiàn)的，這他知道。