“我到哪里去找带走我小孩的死神呢？” 她说。

“where shall I find death, who took away my little child?” said she.

“他还没来这儿呢！” 守望着死神大温室的老墓婆说。“你是怎么找到来这儿的路的？谁帮了你？”

“he has not e here yet!” said the old grave woman, who was appointed to look after death’s great greenhouse! “how have you been able to find the way hither? And who has helped you?”

“我们的主帮助了我，” 她说。“他很仁慈，您也会这样的！我到哪里能找到我的小孩呢？”

“oUR LoRd has helped me,” said she. “he is merciful, and you will also be so! where shall I find my little child?”

“不，我不知道，” 那女人说，“而且你看不见！今晚许多花草树木都枯萎了；死神很快就会来重新栽种它们！你肯定知道每个人都有自己生命的树或者花，就像每个人都有自己的归宿一样；它们看起来和别的植物一样，但它们有心跳。孩子们的心也会跳动；去找你自己的生命之花或树吧，也许你就能认出你孩子的；但如果我告诉你还应该做些什么，你会给我什么呢？”

“Nay, I know not,” said the woman, “and you cannot see! many flowers and trees have withered this night; death will soon e and plant them over again! You certainly know that every person has his or her life’s tree or flower, just as everyone happens to be settled; they look like other plants, but they have pulsations of the heart. children’s hearts can also beat; go after yours, perhaps you may know your child’s; but what will you give me if I tell you what you shall do more?”

“我没什么可给的，” 受苦的母亲说，“但我愿为你走到世界尽头！”

“I have nothing to give,” said the afflicted mother, “but I will go to the world’s end for you!”

“不，我在那儿没什么事！” 那女人说。“但你可以把你长长的黑发给我；你自己也知道它很漂亮，我很喜欢！你可以拿我的白发来代替，这也算是个东西！”

“Nay, I have nothing to do there!” said the woman. “but you can give me your long black hair; you know yourself that it is fine, and that I like! You shall have my white hair instead, and that’s always something!”

“你不再要求别的了吗？” 她说。“我很乐意给你！” 于是她把自己漂亮的黑发给了她，换来了老妇人雪白的头发。

“do you demand nothing else?” said she. “that I will gladly give you!” And she gave her her fine black hair, and got the old woman’s snow - white hair instead.

于是她们走进了死神的大温室，那里的花草树木奇异地相互交织生长。玻璃罩下种着美丽的风信子，还有茎干粗壮的牡丹；水里生长着水生植物，有些很鲜嫩，有些半死不活的，水蛇趴在上面，黑螃蟹咬着它们的茎。那里有美丽的棕榈树、橡树和芭蕉树；有欧芹和开花的百里香：每棵树和每朵花都有自己的名字；它们每一个都是一个人的生命，人的躯体仍然活着 —— 一个在中国，另一个在格陵兰 —— 遍布世界各地。有把大树种在小盆里的，以至于它们生长得十分矮小，都快要把花盆撑破了；在其他地方，肥沃的泥土里长着一朵不起眼的小花，周围长满了苔藓，它备受宠爱与呵护。但是这位忧伤的母亲在所有最小的植物前弯下腰来，听到它们里面人的心跳声；在数百万的植物中，她认出了自己孩子的。

So they went into death’s great greenhouse, where flowers and trees grew strangely into one another. there stood fine hyacinths under glass bells, and there stood strong - stemmed peonies; there grew water plants, some so fresh, others half sick, the water - snakes lay down on them, and black crabs pinched their stalks. there stood beautiful palm - trees, oaks, and plantains; there stood parsley and flowering thyme: every tree and every flower had its name; each of them was a human life, the human frame still lived — one in china, and another in Greenland — round about in the world. there were large trees in small pots, so that they stood so stunted in growth, and ready to burst the pots; in other places, there was a little dull flower in rich mould, with moss round about it, and it was so petted and nursed. but the distressed mother bent down over all the smallest plants, and heard within them how the human heart beat; and amongst millions she knew her child’s.

“在这儿呢！” 她叫道，并向一朵蓝色的小番红花伸出双手，那朵花病恹恹地歪向一边。

“there it is!” cried she, and stretched her hands out over a little blue crocus, that hung quite sickly on one side.

“别碰那朵花！” 老妇人说。“但是你站在这儿，等死神来了 —— 我随时都在等他 —— 别让他把花拔起来，而是要威胁他说你也会对其他的花这么做。这样他就会害怕了！他要向上帝负责这些花，在上帝允许之前，没人敢把它们拔起来。”

“don’t touch the flower!” said the old woman. “but place yourself here, and when death es — I expect him every moment — do not let him pluck the flower up, but threaten him that you will do the same with the others. then he will be afraid! he is responsible for them to oUR LoRd, and no one dares to pluck them up before hE gives leave.”

突然，一股冰冷的寒气穿过大厅，失明的母亲能感觉到是死神来了。

All at once an icy cold rushed through the great hall, and the blind mother could feel that it was death that came.

“你是怎么找到来这儿的路的？” 他问。“你怎么能比我来得还快？”

“how hast thou been able to find thy way hither?” he asked. “how couldst thou e quicker than I?”

“我是一个母亲。” 她说。

“I am a mother,” said she.

死神向那朵美丽的小花伸出了长长的手，但她紧紧地抓住他的手，抓得很紧，同时又担心会碰到一片叶子。然后死神朝她的手吹了口气，她觉得比寒风还冷，她的手无力地垂了下来。

And death stretched out his long hand towards the fine little flower, but she held her hands fast around his, so tight, and yet afraid that she should touch one of the leaves. then death blew on her hands, and she felt that it was colder than the cold wind, and her hands fell down powerless.

“你对我无能为力！” 死神说。

“thou canst not do anything against me!” said death.

“但是我们的主可以！” 她说。

“but oUR LoRd can!” said she.

“我只是执行他的命令！” 死神说。“我是他的园丁，我带走他所有的花草树木，把它们种在天堂的大花园里，在那个未知的地方；但它们在那里如何生长，那里是什么样的，我不敢告诉你。”

“I only do his bidding!” said death. “I am his gardener, I take all his flowers and trees, and plant them out in the great garden of paradise, in the unknown land; but how they grow there, and how it is there I dare not tell thee.”

“把我的孩子还给我！” 母亲说，她边哭边祈祷。她立刻用两只手各抓住旁边两朵美丽的花，对死神喊道：“我要把你的花都扯掉，因为我绝望了。”

“Give me back my child!” said the mother, and she wept and prayed. At once she seized hold of two beautiful flowers close by, with each hand, and cried out to death, “I will tear all thy flowers off, for I am in despair.”

“别碰它们！” 死神说。“你说你很不幸，现在你却要让另一个母亲同样不幸。”

“touch them not!” said death. “thou say’st that thou art so unhappy, and now thou wilt make another mother equally unhappy.”

“另一个母亲！” 可怜的女人说，马上松开了她抓住的两朵花。

“Another mother!” said the poor woman, and directly let go her hold of both the flowers.

“瞧，你的眼睛在这儿，” 死神说，“我从湖里捞上来的，它们闪着如此明亮的光；我不知道是你的。再拿回去吧，现在它们比以前更明亮了；现在往旁边的深井里看；我要告诉你那两朵你想扯掉的花的名字，你会看到它们完整的未来生活 —— 它们整个人类的存在：看看你差点扰乱和破坏了什么。”

“there, thou hast thine eyes,” said death; “I fished them up from the lake, they shone so bright; I knew not they were thine. take them again, they are now brighter than before; now look down into the deep well close by; I shall tell thee the names of the two flowers thou wouldst have torn up, and thou wilt see their whole future life — their whole human existence: and see what thou wast about to disturb and destroy.”

她往井里看去；看到其中一朵花如何成为世间的福祉，看到到处都充满了多少幸福和欢乐，这是一种幸福。她看到了另一朵花的生命，那是悲伤、痛苦、恐怖和不幸。

And she looked down into the well; and it was a happiness to see how the one became a blessing to the world, to see how much happiness and joy were felt everywhere. And she saw the other’s life, and it was sorrow and distress, horror, and wretchedness.

“它们两者都是上帝的旨意！” 死神说。

“both of them are God’s will!” said death.

“哪一朵是不幸之花，哪一朵是幸福之花呢？” 她问。

“which of them is misfortune’s flower and which is that of happiness?” asked she.

“这个我不会告诉你，” 死神说，“但我要让你知道这个，其中一朵花就是你自己的孩子！你看到的是你孩子的命运 —— 你自己孩子的未来生活！”

“that I will not tell thee,” said death; “but this thou shalt know from me, that the one flower was thy own child! it was thy child’s fate thou saw’st — thy own child’s future life!”

然后母亲惊恐地尖叫起来，“哪一朵是我的孩子？告诉我！救救无辜的孩子！把我的孩子从所有那些苦难中拯救出来！宁可把它带走！带到上帝的国度去！忘掉我的眼泪，忘掉我的祈祷，忘掉我所做的一切！”

then the mother screamed with terror, “which of them was my child? tell it me! Save the innocent! Save my child from all that misery! Rather take it away! take it into God’s kingdom! Forget my tears, forget my prayers, and all that I have done!”

“我不明白你的意思！” 死神说。“你是想重新得到你的孩子，还是让我带着它到你不知道的地方去呢？”

“I do not understand thee!” said death. “wilt thou have thy child again, or shall I go with it there, where thou dost not know!”

然后母亲绞着双手，跪下来，向上帝祈祷：“哦，当我违背您最美好的旨意祈祷时，请不要听我的，请不要听！请不要听！”

then the mother wrung her hands, fell on her knees, and prayed to our Lord: “oh, hear me not when I pray against thy will, which is the best! hear me not! hear me not!”

她把头低到膝盖上，死神带着她的孩子走进了未知的地方。

And she bowed her head down in her lap, and death took her child and went with it into the unknown land.