《玫瑰精灵》，1839 年

the Elf of the Rose, 1839

在一个花园中央长着一棵玫瑰树，开满了花朵，在最美丽的一朵玫瑰里住着一个小精灵。

In the midst of a garden grew a rose-tree, in full blossom, and in the prettiest of all the roses lived an elf.

他是那么小的一个小东西，人的眼睛看不见他。

he was such a little wee thing, that no human eye could see him.

在玫瑰的每一片叶子后面他都有一个睡觉的房间。

behind each leaf of the rose he had a sleeping chamber.

他长得像一个小孩子一样完美和美丽，有一对从肩膀一直垂到脚的翅膀。

he was as well formed and as beautiful as a little child could be, and had wings that reached from his shoulders to his feet.

哦，他的房间里有多么甜美的香气啊！墙壁是多么干净和美丽啊！因为它们是玫瑰那泛红的叶子。

oh, what sweet fragrance there was in his chambers! and how clean and beautiful were the walls! for they were the blushing leaves of the rose.

一整天他都在温暖的阳光下尽情享受，从一朵花飞到另一朵花上，在飞舞的蝴蝶翅膀上跳舞。

during the whole day he enjoyed himself in the warm sunshine, flew from flower to flower, and danced on the wings of the flying butterflies.

然后他突然想量一量他要在椴树叶上的那些路和十字路口走多少步。

then he took it into his head to measure how many steps he would have to go through the roads and cross-roads that are on the leaf of a linden-tree.

我们所说的树叶上的叶脉，他把它们当作路；

what we call the veins on a leaf, he took for roads;

是啊，对他来说那些路非常长；因为还没等他走完一半的路程，太阳就落山了：他开始得太晚了。天气变得非常冷，露水落了下来，风刮了起来；所以他觉得他能做的最好的事情就是回家。

y, and very long roads they were for him; for before he had half finished his task, the sun went down: he had menced his work too late. It became very cold, the dew fell, and the wind blew; so he thought the best thing he could do would be to return home.

他尽可能快地赶路；但是他发现所有的玫瑰都合上了，他进不去了；没有一朵玫瑰是开着的。

a he hurried himself as much as he could; but he found the roses all closed up, and he could not get in; not a single rose stood open.

可怜的小精灵非常害怕。他以前从来没有在晚上出去过，而总是悄悄地在温暖的玫瑰叶子后面睡觉。哦，这肯定会要了他的命。

the poor little elf was very much frightened. he had never before been out at night, but had always slumbered secretly behind the warm rose-leaves. oh, this would certainly be his death.

在花园的另一端，他知道有一个凉亭，上面爬满了美丽的金银花。

At the other end of the garden, he knew there was an arbor, overgrown with beautiful honey-suckles.

花朵看起来像巨大的彩绘号角；他心里想，他要去其中一朵花里睡到天亮。

the blossoms looked like large painted horns; and he thought to himself, he would go and sleep in one of these till the morning.

他飞到那里；但是 “嘘！” 凉亭里有两个人 —— 一个英俊的年轻人和一个美丽的女士。

he flew thither; but “hush!” two people were in the arbor, — a handsome young man and a beautiful lady.

他们并排坐着，希望永远不必分开。他们彼此相爱，爱得比最好的孩子爱自己的父母还要深。

they sat side by side, and wished that they might never be obliged to part. they loved each other much more than the best child can love its father and mother.

“但是我们必须分开。” 年轻人说，“你的哥哥不喜欢我们的婚约，所以他派我到很远的地方去办事，要翻山越海。再见了，我亲爱的新娘；因为你对我来说就是新娘。”

“but we must part,” said the young man; “your brother does not like our engagement, and therefore he sends me so far away on business, over mountains and seas. Farewell, my sweet bride; for so you are to me.”

然后他们亲吻了彼此，女孩哭了，给了他一朵玫瑰；但在她这么做之前，她热烈地在玫瑰上亲了一下，以至于花朵绽开了。然后小精灵飞了进去，把头靠在娇嫩芬芳的花瓣壁上。

And then they kissed each other, and the girl wept, and gave him a rose; but before she did so, she pressed a kiss upon it so fervently that the flower opened. then the little elf flew in, and leaned his head on the delicate, fragrant walls.

在这里他能清楚地听到他们说 “再见，再见”；

here he could plainly hear them say, “Farewell, farewell;”

他感觉到玫瑰被放在了年轻人的胸前。哦，他的心跳得好厉害！

and he felt that the rose had been placed on the young man’s breast. oh, how his heart did beat!

小精灵无法入睡，心跳声太响了。

the little elf could not go to sleep, it thumped so loudly.

年轻人独自走在黑暗的树林里时把玫瑰拿了出来，如此频繁而热烈地亲吻着花朵，以至于小精灵几乎被压扁了。

the young man took it out as he walked through the dark wood alone, and kissed the flower so often and so violently, that the little elf was almost crushed.

他能透过花瓣感受到年轻人的嘴唇是多么的炽热，玫瑰绽放了，仿佛是被正午的太阳晒热了一样。

he could feel through the leaf how hot the lips of the young man were, and the rose had opened, as if from the heat of the noonday sun.

来了另一个人，他看起来阴沉又邪恶。他是美丽少女的邪恶哥哥。

there came another man, who looked gloomy and wicked. he was the wicked brother of the beautiful maiden.

他抽出一把锋利的刀，就在另一个人亲吻玫瑰的时候，这个邪恶的人刺死了他；然后他砍下他的头，把尸体埋在椴树下松软的泥土里。

he drew out a sharp knife, and while the other was kissing the rose, the wicked man stabbed him to death; then he cut off his head, and buried it with the body in the soft earth under the linden-tree.

“现在他走了，很快就会被遗忘。” 邪恶的哥哥想，“他再也不会回来了。他要去翻山越海进行一次长途旅行；一个人在这样的旅途中很容易丢掉性命。我妹妹会以为他死了；因为他回不来了，她也不敢向我问起他。”

“Now he is gone, and will soon be forgotten,” thought the wicked brother; “he will never e back again. he was going on a long journey over mountains and seas; it is easy for a man to lose his life in such a journey. my sister will suppose he is dead; for he cannot e back, and she will not dare to question me about him.”

然后他用脚把干树叶撒在薄薄的泥土上，在黑暗中回了家；

then he scattered the dry leaves over the light earth with his foot, and went home through the darkness;

但他并不是一个人，正如他所想的那样 —— 小精灵跟着他。他坐在一片干枯的卷起的椴树叶里，这片树叶是在这个邪恶的人挖坟墓的时候从树上掉到他头上的。现在帽子戴在头上，里面非常黑，小精灵对这邪恶的行为既害怕又愤怒，浑身发抖。

but he went not alone, as he thought, — the little elf acpanied him. he sat in a dry rolled-up linden-leaf, which had fallen from the tree on to the wicked man’s head, as he was digging the grave. the hat was on the head now, which made it very dark, and the little elf shuddered with fright and indignation at the wicked deed.

天刚破晓，邪恶的人就到家了；他摘下帽子，走进妹妹的房间。

It was the dawn of morning before the wicked man reached home; he took off his hat, and went into his sister’s room.

美丽、容光焕发的女孩躺在那里，梦着她深爱的人，而她现在以为他正在翻山越海远行。

there lay the beautiful, blooming girl, dreaming of him whom she loved so, and who was now, she supposed, travelling far away over mountain and sea.

她邪恶的哥哥站在她身旁，发出只有恶魔才会发出的可怕的笑声。

her wicked brother stopped over her, and laughed hideously, as fiends only can laugh.

干枯的树叶从他的头发上落到床单上；但他没有注意到，在清晨时分去小睡了一会儿。

the dry leaf fell out of his hair upon the counterpane; but he did not notice it, and went to get a little sleep during the early morning hours.