《天使》，1844 年

the Angel, 1844

“每当一个好孩子死去，上帝的一位天使就会从天堂降临，把死去的孩子抱在怀里，展开他巨大的白色翅膀，带着他飞越孩子生前喜爱的所有地方。

“whenever a good child dies, an angel of God es down from heaven, takes the dead child in his arms, spreads out his great white wings, and flies with him over all the places which the child had loved during his life.

然后他采撷一大把鲜花，带到全能的上帝那里，好让它们在天堂比在人间开得更加艳丽。

then he gathers a large handful of flowers, which he carries up to the Almighty, that they may bloom more brightly in heaven than they do on earth.

而全能的上帝把这些花贴在自己的心口，但他会亲吻那朵最让他喜欢的花，那朵花便获得了声音，能够加入到幸福的合唱之中。”

And the Almighty presses the flowers to his heart, but he kisses the flower that pleases him best, and it receives a voice, and is able to join the song of the chorus of bliss.”

这些话是上帝的一位天使说的，当时他正带着一个死去的孩子飞往天堂，孩子听着，仿佛在梦中一般。

these words were spoken by an angel of God, as he carried a dead child up to heaven, and the child listened as if in a dream.

接着他们飞过一些熟悉的地方，那是小家伙常玩耍的地方，还穿过满是可爱花朵的美丽花园。

then they passed over well-known spots, where the little one had often played, and through beautiful gardens full of lovely flowers.

“我们要带哪些花去天堂移栽到那里呢？”

天使问道。

“which of these shall we take with us to heaven to be transplanted there?”

asked the angel.

附近长着一丛纤细、美丽的玫瑰树，但某个邪恶的手折断了它的茎干，半开的玫瑰花蕾在低垂的枝条上枯萎、凋谢了。

close by grew a slender, beautiful, rose-bush, but some wicked hand had broken the stem, and the half-opened rosebuds hung faded and withered on the trailing branches.

“可怜的玫瑰树！” 孩子说，“让我们把它带到天堂去吧，这样它就能在上帝的花园里绽放了。”

“poor rose-bush!” said the child, “let us take it with us to heaven, that it may bloom above in God’s garden.”

天使拿起了那丛玫瑰树；然后他亲吻了孩子，小家伙微微睁开了眼睛。

the angel took up the rose-bush; then he kissed the child, and the little one half opened his eyes.

天使还采了一些美丽的花朵，以及几朵不起眼的毛茛花和三色堇。

the angel gathered also some beautiful flowers, as well as a few humble buttercups and heart’s-ease.

“现在我们的花够多了。” 孩子说；但天使只是点了点头，他并没有向上飞往天堂。

“Now we have flowers enough,” said the child; but the angel only nodded, he did not fly upward to heaven.

这时是夜晚，大城市里十分寂静。

It was night, and quite still in the great town.

他们留在了这里，天使在一条狭小的街道上空盘旋，街道上有一大堆从搬走的人家房子里清理出来的稻草、灰烬和垃圾。

here they remained, and the angel hovered over a small, narrow street, in which lay a large heap of straw, ashes, and sweepings from the houses of people who had removed.

那里有破碎的盘子碎片、灰泥块、破布、旧帽子以及其他看着不太舒服的垃圾。

there lay fragments of plates, pieces of plaster, rags, old hats, and other rubbish not pleasant to see.

在这一片混乱之中，天使指着一个破花盆的碎片，以及从里面掉出来的一团泥土。

Amidst all this confusion, the angel pointed to the pieces of a broken flower-pot, and to a lump of earth which had fallen out of it.

是一株枯萎的野花的根把这团泥土维系在一起，不让它散开，而这株野花是被扔在这些垃圾当中的。

the earth had been kept from falling to pieces by the roots of a withered field-flower, which had been thrown amongst the rubbish.

“我们要把这个带上。” 天使说，“我们一边飞我一边给你讲为什么。”

“we will take this with us,” said the angel, “I will tell you why as we fly along.”

当他们飞行的时候，天使讲述了这段经历。

And as they flew the angel related the history.

“在那条狭窄的小巷里，在一个低矮的地窖里，住着一个可怜的生病的男孩；他从小就饱受病痛折磨，即使在身体状况最好的时候，他也只能拄着拐杖在房间里来回走上一两趟，再多就不行了。

“down in that narrow lane, in a low cellar, lived a poor sick boy; he had been afflicted from his childhood, and even in his best days he could just manage to walk up and down the room on crutches once or twice, but no more.

在夏天的一些日子里，阳光会在地窖的地板上停留大约半个小时。