雙語《小約翰》 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．
從此以后，他在樹林中和沙阜上，旋兒的旁邊，似乎不再那么高興和自得了。凡有旋兒所講述和指示的，都不能滿足他的思想。他每次必想那小書，但議論卻不敢。他所看見的，也不再先前似的美麗和神奇了。云是這樣地黑而重，使他恐怖，仿佛就要從頭上壓下來。倘秋風不歇地搖撼和鞭撲這可憐的疲倦的林木，致使淺綠的葉腹翻向上邊，以及黃色的柯葉和枯枝在空氣中飄搖時，也使他覺得悲痛。

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．
旋兒所說的，于他不滿足。許多是他不懂，即使提出一個他所日夜操心的問題來，他也永是得不到圓滿分明的答案。他于是又想那一切全都這樣清楚和簡單地寫著的小書，想那將來的永是晴明而沉靜的秋日。

“Wistik！Wistik！”he murmured．
“將知！將知！”

“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！”
“約翰，我怕你終于還是一個人，你的友情也正如人類的一樣，在我之后和你說話的第一個，將你的信任全都奪去了。唉，我的母親一點也不錯?！?/span>

“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，旋兒！你卻聰明過于將知，你也聰明如同小書。你為什么不告訴我一切的呢？就看罷！為什么風吹樹木，至使它們必須彎而又彎呢？它們不能再——最美的枝條折斷，成百的葉兒紛墜，縱然它們也還碧綠和新鮮。它們都這樣地疲乏，也不再能夠支撐了，但仍然從這粗野的惡意的風，永是從新的搖動和打擊。為什么這樣的呢？風要怎樣呢？”

“My poor Johannes，you are talking as men talk．”
“可憐的約翰！這是人的議論呵！”

“Make it stop，Windekind．I want calm and sunshine．”
“使它靜著罷，旋兒。我要安靜和日光?！?/span>

“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．”
“你的質問和愿望都很像一個人，因此既沒有回答，更沒有滿足。如果你不去學學質問和希望些較好的事，那秋日便將永不為你黎明，而你也將如說起將知的成千的人們一樣了?！?/span>

“What，so many？”
“有這么多的人們么？”

“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！將知做得很秘密，但他仍然是一個永不能沉默他的秘密的胡涂的饒舌者。他希望在人間覓得那小書，且向每個或者能夠幫助他的人宣傳他的智慧。他并且已經(jīng)將許多人們因此弄得不幸了。人們相信他，想自己覓得那書，正如幾個試驗煉金的一樣地熱烈。他們犧牲一切，忘卻了所有他們的工作和他們的幸福，而自己監(jiān)禁在厚的書籍、奇特的工具和裝置之間。他們將生活和健康拋在一旁，他們忘卻了蔚藍的天和這溫和的慈惠的天然——以及他們的同類。有時他們也覓得緊要和有用的東西，有如從他們的洞穴里，擲上明朗的地面來的金塊似的。他們自己和這不相干，讓別人去享用，而自己卻奮發(fā)地無休無息地在黑暗里更向遠處掘和挖。他們并非尋金，倒是尋小書，他們沉淪得越深，離花和光就越遠，由此他們希望得越多，而他們的期待也越滋長。有幾個卻因這工作而昏聵了，忘其所以，一直搗亂到苦惱的兒戲。于是那山鬼便將他們變得稚氣。人看見，他們怎樣地用沙來造小塔，并且計算到它落成為止要用多少粒沙；他們做小瀑布，并且細算那水所形成的各個渦和各個浪；他們掘小溝，還應用所有他們的堅忍和才智，為的是將這掘得光滑，而且沒有小石頭。倘有誰來攪擾了在他們工作上的這昏迷，并且問，他們做著什么事。他們便正經(jīng)地重要地看定你，還喃喃道：‘將知！將知！’

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

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．
但約翰卻凝視著對面的搖動和呼哨的樹木。在他明徹的孩童眼上，嫩皮膚都打起皺來了。他從來沒有這樣嚴正地凝視過。

“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——你自己說過——那書兒是存在的！阿，我確實知道，那上面也載著你所不愿意說出名字來的那大光?！?/span>

“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．”
“可憐的，可憐的約翰！”旋兒說，他的聲音如超出于暴風雨聲之上的平和的歌頌，“愛我，以你的全存在愛我罷。在我這里，你所覓得的會比你所希望的還要多。凡你所不能想像的，你將了然，凡你所希望知道的，你將是自己。天和地將是你的親信，群星將是你的同胞，無窮將是你的住所?！?/span>

“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．”
“愛我，愛我——霍布草蔓之于樹似的圍抱我，海之于地似的忠于我——只有在我這里是安寧，約翰！”

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．
旋兒的話消歇了，然而頌歌似的裊裊著。它從遠處飄蕩而來，勻整而且莊嚴，透過了風的吹拂和呼嘯——平和如月色，那從相逐的云間穿射出來的。

Windekind opened his arms and Johannes fell asleep on his breast，under the shelter of the blue cloak．
旋兒伸開臂膊，約翰睡在他的胸前，用藍的小氅衣保護著。

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．
他夜里卻醒來了。沉靜是驀地不知不覺地籠罩了地面，月亮已經(jīng)沉沒在地平線下。不動地垂著疲倦的枝葉，沉默的黑暗掩蓋著樹林。

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？
于是問題來了，迅速而陰森地接續(xù)著，回到約翰的頭里來，并且將還很稚弱的信任驅逐了。為什么人類是這樣子的？為什么他應該拋掉他們而且失了他們的愛？為什么要有冬天？為什么葉應該落而花應該死？為什么？為什么？

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．
于是深深地在叢莽里，又跳著那藍色的小光。它們來來去去。約翰嚴密地注視著它們。他看見較大的明亮的小光在黑暗的樹干上發(fā)亮。旋兒酣睡得很安靜。

“Just one more question！”thought Johannes，creeping out from under the blue mantle．
“還有一個問?！奔s翰想，并且溜出了藍的小氅衣，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？”
“你又來了？”將知說，還誠意地點頭?！斑@我很喜歡。你的朋友在那里呢？”

“Out yonder．But I wanted to ask you one more question—alone．Will you answer it？”
“那邊！我只還想問一下。你肯回答我么？”

“You have lived among men，I am sure．Has it anything to do with my secret？”
“你曾在人類里，實在的么？你去辦我的秘密么？”

“Who will find the Book，Wistik？”
“誰會覓得那書兒呢，將知？”

“Ay，ay！That's it，that's it．If I tell you，will you help me？”
“是呵，是呵！這正是那個，這正是！——你愿意幫助我么，倘我告訴了你？”

“If I can—certainly．”
“如果我能夠，當然！”

“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．”
“那就聽著，約翰！”將知將眼睛張得可怕地大，還將他的眉毛揚得比平常更其高。于是他伸手向前，小聲說：“人類存著金箱子，妖精存著金鎖匙，妖敵覓不得，妖友獨開之。春夜正其時，紅膆鳥深知。”

“Is that true，quite true？”cried Johannes，remembering his little key．
“這是真的么，這是真的么？”約翰嚷著，并且想著他的小鎖匙。

“Yes，”said Wistik．
“真的！”將知說。

“How is it that no one has found it yet？”asked Johannes，“so many men are seeking for it．”
“為什么還沒有人得到呢？有這么多的人們尋覓它?！?/span>

“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，我沒有告訴過一個人，一個也不。”

“I have it，Wistik，I can help you！”Johannes leaped and clapped his hands．“I will ask Windekind about it．”
“我有著，將知！我能夠幫助你！”約翰歡呼起來，并且拍著手，“我去問問旋兒?！?/span>

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．
他從莓苔和枯葉上飛回去。但他顛躓了許多回，他的腳步是沉重了。粗枝在他的腳下索索地響，往常是連小草梗也不彎曲的。

There was the shady fern under which they had been sleeping．Their bed was empty．
這里是茂盛的羊齒草叢，他曾在底下睡過覺。這于他顯得多么矮小了呵。

“Windekind！”he called．But he started at the sound of his own voice．
“旋兒！”他呼喚。他就害怕了他自己的聲音。

“Windekind！”It sounded like a human voice．A scared night-bird flew up with a shriek．
“旋兒！”這就如一個人類的聲音似的發(fā)響，一匹膽怯的夜鶯叫喊著飛去了。

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．
羊齒叢下是空的——約翰看見一無所有。藍色的小光消失了，圍繞著他的是寒冷和無底的幽暗。他向前看，只見樹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。他的聲音，響出來像是對于安靜的天然的褻瀆，對于旋兒的名字的譏嘲。

Poor Johannes fell on the ground and sobbed in helpless grief．
可憐的小約翰于是仆倒，在絕望的后悔里嗚咽起來了。