《飞箱》，1838 年

the Flying trunk, 1838

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一个带有内嵌寓言的童话故事，《飞箱》既提供了异国情调的浪漫，又有社会讽刺。

A fairy tale with an embedded fable, “the Flying trunk” offers both exotic romance and social satire.

即使故事背景设定在土耳其，且有《一千零一夜》的主题元素，这个故事仍具有鲜明的丹麦特色，带有安徒生的独特风格。

Even with a setting in turkish lands and motifs from the thousand and one Nights, the tale is distinctively danish, with characteristic Andersen touches.

那些傲慢的冲突迅速燃起又迅速熄灭，显然是为了嘲讽当时的丹麦批评家。

the haughty matches that flare up and quickly extinguish were evidently meant to mock contemporary danish critics.

有会说话物品的那部分原本打算作为一个单独的故事，名为《火柴》，其中罐子、火绒盒和羽毛笔分别代表不同的社会熟人。

the section with speaking objects was originally intended to be a separate story called “the matches,” with the pots, tinderbox, and quill pen each representing a different social acquaintance.

笼中的夜莺可能是对安徒生自己的一种隐喻，安徒生也可以被看作是那个流浪商人的儿子，永远注定要讲故事，而不是安定下来娶一位公主。

the caged nightingale might be a reference to Andersen himself, who can also be seen as the nomadic merchant’s son, forever destined to tell tales rather than to settle down and marry a princess.

《飞箱》以戏剧性的方式展现了安徒生对国内外的矛盾心理，因此，我把它收录在面向成年读者的故事部分。

“the Flying trunk” stages Andersen’s ambivalence about home and abroad in dramatic terms, and, for that reason, I have included it in the section of tales for adult audiences.

一方面，童话故事的作者似乎乐于描写家庭物品的琐碎闲聊，精心安排它们的对话以揭示它们的浅薄和狭隘观点。

on the one hand, the author of fairy tales seems to delight in the trivial chitchat of the domestic objects, orchestrating their conversations to reveal their shallow, narrow-minded views.

然而，他也把他的主人公送到异国他乡，并乐于对那里的居民进行怪诞的漫画式描写。

Yet he also sends his hero into exotic lands and delights in grotesque caricatures of its inhabitants.

就像中国皇帝会打臣民的肚子一样，土耳其人也以刻板的形象出现，穿着长袍和拖鞋，当他们看到令人惊讶的事情时，会把拖鞋扔到耳朵边。

Just as chinese Emperors punch their subjects in the stomach, the turks are presented in stereotypical terms, wearing gowns and slippers and tossing their slippers up to their ears when they witness something astonishing.

最后，商人的儿子选择周游世界，不在任何地方定居。

In the end, the merchant’s son elects to travel around the world, settling down nowhere.

流浪的生活似乎最适合他，因为他从商业世界，然后是魔法世界，转向了讲故事的世界。

A nomadic existence seems to suit him best, as he turns from the world of merce, then magic, to storytelling.

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从前有一个商人，非常富有，他本可以用金子铺满整条街，甚至还能剩下足够铺一条小巷的金子。

there was once a merchant who was so rich that he could have paved the whole street with gold, and would even then have had enough for a small alley.

但他没有这样做；他比任何人都更清楚金钱的价值，不会以这种方式使用它。

but he did not do so; he knew the value of money better than to use it in this way.

他非常聪明，他花出去的每一个先令都能给他带来一个克朗；他就这样继续下去，直到去世。

So clever was he, that every shilling he put out brought him a crown; and so he continued till he died.

他的儿子继承了他的财富，过着快乐的生活；他每晚都去参加化装舞会，用五英镑的钞票做风筝，把金子而不是石头扔进海里打水漂。

his son inherited his wealth, and he lived a merry life with it; he went to a masquerade every night, made kites out of five pound notes, and threw pieces of gold into the sea instead of stones, making ducks and drakes of them.

就这样，他很快就失去了所有的钱。

In this manner he soon lost all his money.

最后，他除了一双拖鞋、一件旧晨衣和四先令外，什么都没有了。

At last he had nothing left but a pair of slippers, an old dressing-gown, and four shillings.

现在他所有的朋友都抛弃了他，他们不能和他一起在街上走；但是其中一个非常善良的朋友送给他一个旧箱子，并附上一句话：“收拾东西！”“是的，” 他说，“说‘收拾东西’很容易，” 但他没有什么可收拾的了，所以他坐在箱子里。

And now all his friends deserted him, they could not walk with him in the streets; but one of them, who was very good-natured, sent him an old trunk with this message, “pack up!” “Yes,” he said, “it is all very well to say ‘pack up,’” but he had nothing left to pack up, therefore he seated himself in the trunk.

这是一个非常神奇的箱子；只要有人按下锁，箱子就能飞起来。

It was a very wonderful trunk; no sooner did any one press on the lock than the trunk could fly.

他关上盖子，按下锁，箱子带着商人的儿子从烟囱里飞了出去，一直飞到云端。

he shut the lid and pressed the lock, when away flew the trunk up the chimney with the merchant’s son in it, right up into the clouds.

每当箱子底部裂开时，他就非常害怕，因为如果箱子散架了，他就会从树上重重地摔下来。

whenever the bottom of the trunk cracked, he was in a great fright, for if the trunk fell to pieces he would have made a tremendous somerset over the trees.

然而，他安全地坐着箱子来到了土耳其。

however, he got safely in his trunk to the land of turkey.

他把箱子藏在树林里的一些干树叶下面，然后走进城里：他能很顺利地这样做，因为土耳其人总是穿着晨衣和拖鞋四处走动，就像他自己一样。

he hid the trunk in the wood under some dry leaves, and then went into the town: he could so this very well, for the turks always go about dressed in dressing-gowns and slippers, as he was himself.

他碰巧遇到一个带着小孩的保姆。

he happened to meet a nurse with a little child.

“我说，你这个土耳其保姆，” 他喊道，“城边那座窗户开得那么高的城堡是什么城堡？”

“I say, you turkish nurse,” cried he, “what castle is that near the town, with the windows placed so high?”

“国王的女儿住在那里，” 她回答说，“有人预言她会因一个爱人而非常不幸，所以除非国王和王后在场，否则任何人都不允许去看她。”

“the king’s daughter lives there,” she replied; “it has been prophesied that she will be very unhappy about a lover, and therefore no one is allowed to visit her, unless the king and queen are present.”

“谢谢你，” 商人的儿子说。

“thank you,” said the merchant’s son.

于是他回到树林里，坐在箱子里，飞到城堡的屋顶上，从窗户爬进了公主的房间。

So he went back to the wood, seated himself in his trunk, flew up to the roof of the castle, and crept through the window into the princess’s room.

她躺在沙发上睡着了，她是那么美丽，商人的儿子情不自禁地吻了她。

She lay on the sofa asleep, and she was so beautiful that the merchant’s son could not help kissing her.

然后她醒了，非常害怕；但他告诉她他是一个土耳其天使，从空中飞来见她，这让她非常高兴。

then she awoke, and was very much frightened; but he told her he was a turkish angel, who had e down through the air to see her, which pleased her very much.

他在她身边坐下，和她交谈：他说她的眼睛像美丽的深色湖泊，思想像小美人鱼一样在里面游弋，他还告诉她她的额头像一座雪山，里面有摆满画的华丽大厅。

he sat down by her side and talked to her: he said her eyes were like beautiful dark lakes, in which the thoughts swam about like little mermaids, and he told her that her forehead was a snowy mountain, which contained splendid halls full of pictures.

然后他给她讲了鹳从河里带来漂亮孩子的故事。

And then he related to her about the stork who brings the beautiful children from the rivers.

这些故事很令人愉快；当他问公主是否愿意嫁给他时，她立刻同意了。

these were delightful stories; and when he asked the princess if she would marry him, she consented immediately.

“但是你必须在星期六来，” 她说，“因为那时国王和王后会和我一起喝茶。他们会非常自豪，当他们发现我要嫁给一个土耳其天使；但是你必须想一些非常好听的故事讲给他们听，因为我的父母最喜欢听故事了。我母亲喜欢深刻而有寓意的故事；但我父亲喜欢有趣的故事，能让他发笑。”

“but you must e on Saturday,” she said; “for then the king and queen will take tea with me. they will be very proud when they find that I am going to marry a turkish angel; but you must think of some very pretty stories to tell them, for my parents like to hear stories better than anything. my mother prefers one that is deep and moral; but my father likes something funny, to make him laugh.”

“很好，” 他回答说，“我带给你的结婚礼物只有一个故事。” 然后他们就分别了。

“Very well,” he replied; “I shall bring you no other marriage portion than a story,” and so they parted.

但是公主给了他一把镶嵌着金币的剑，他可以用这把剑。

but the princess gave him a sword which was studded with gold coins, and these he could use.

然后他飞走来到城里买了一件新晨衣，之后回到树林里，在那里他编了一个故事，以便为星期六做好准备，这可不容易。

then he flew away to the town and bought a new dressing-gown, and afterwards returned to the wood, where he posed a story, so as to be ready for Saturday, which was no easy matter.

然而，到了星期六，故事准备好了，他去见公主。

It was ready however by Saturday, when he went to see the princess.

国王、王后和整个宫廷的人都在和公主一起喝茶；他受到了非常礼貌的接待。

the king, and queen, and the whole court, were at tea with the princess; and he was received with great politeness.

“你能给我们讲个故事吗？” 王后说，“一个有教育意义且充满深刻学问的故事。”

“will you tell us a story?” said the queen,— “one that is instructive and full of deep learning.”

“是的，但要有能让人发笑的内容。” 国王说。

“Yes, but with something in it to laugh at,” said the king.

“当然可以，” 他回答道，然后立刻开始讲，让他们专心听。

“certainly,” he replied, and menced at once, asking them to listen attentively.

“从前有一束火柴，它们对自己高贵的出身极为自豪。

“there was once a bundle of matches that were exceedingly proud of their high descent.

它们的家谱，也就是它们被砍下的那棵大松树，曾经是树林里的一棵又大又老的树。

their genealogical tree, that is, a large pine-tree from which they had been cut, was at one time a large, old tree in the wood.

现在火柴躺在火绒盒和一个旧铁锅之间，谈论着它们的青春岁月。