《审判日》，1852 年

on Judgment day, 1852

我们人生中最庄严的日子就是我们死去的那一天。那是审判日，是伟大而神圣的变形之日。你真的认真思考过我们在尘世度过的那严肃而重大的最后时刻吗？

the most solemn of all the days of our life is the day we die. It is judgment day, the great sacred day of transfiguration. have you really seriously given a fleeting thought to that grave and mighty last hour we shall spend on earth?

从前有一个人，正如人们所称，是真理的坚定拥护者，对他来说，上帝的话语就是律法，他是热忱上帝的热心仆人。死神天使带着严峻却超凡的神情站在他的床边。

there was once a man, a stanch upholder of truth, as he was called, to whom the word of his God was law, a zealous servant of his zealous God. with a stern but heavenly look, the Angel of death stood at his bedside.

“时辰到了；你得跟我走！” 死神说道，并用冰冷的手指触碰了那人的双脚，他的双脚立刻变得像冰一样冷。然后死神触碰了他的额头，最后触碰了他的心脏，当心脏破碎时，灵魂便可以自由地跟随死神天使而去了。

“the hour has e; you shall follow me!” said death, and touched the man’s feet with ice-cold fingers, and his feet became like ice. then death touched his forehead, and lastly his heart, and when it burst, the soul was free to follow the Angel of death.

但在那冰冷的触碰从双脚、头部直至心脏传遍全身的短短几秒间，这个垂死之人的脑海中像汹涌的海浪一般，闪过了他一生中所做过的一切和所感受过的一切。就如同惊恐地朝漩涡里瞥上一眼，便能在如闪电般迅速的思绪中洞悉其深不见底的全貌；又如匆匆仰望天空中无数的繁星，便能想象出浩瀚宇宙中无数的世界和天体。

but during those brief seconds while the icy touch shivered through feet and head and heart, there passed through the mind of the dying man, like great ocean waves, the recollection of all he had wrought and felt throughout his life. So does one terrified glance into a whirlpool reveal in thought as swift as lightning the whole unfathomable depth of it; so with one fleeting glance at the countless stars of heaven can one conceive the infinite multitude of worlds and spheres in the great universe.

在这样的时刻，惊恐的罪人会蜷缩起来，无所依傍，他感觉自己正不断地向无尽的空虚中退缩。

In such a moment the terrified sinner shrinks into himself and has nothing to cling to, and he feels himself shrinking further into infinite emptiness.

在这样的时刻，虔诚的灵魂会向全能的上帝低下头，带着孩童般的信任将自己交托于他，祈祷着：“愿你的旨意成就在我身上！”

And at such times the devout soul bows its head to the Almighty and yields itself up to him in childlike trust, praying, “thy will be done with me!”

但这个垂死之人并没有孩童般的心境，他也不是一个惊恐的罪人；他的心思全在自我夸赞上。他知道自己一直遵循着宗教传统。他也知道，数百万人都得面对审判。但他无比坚信自己的道路会径直通往天堂，而且向所有人承诺的慈悲会为他敞开天堂之门。

but this dying man had not the mind of a child, nor was he a terrified sinner; his thoughts were of self-praise. he knew that he had abided by religious traditions. millions, he knew, would have to face judgment. but he believed most confidently that his path would lead straight heavenward, and that mercy, promised to all men, would open the gates to him.

灵魂跟随着死神天使，只是眷恋地回头望了一眼那张床，床上躺着裹着白色裹尸布的、毫无生气的肉身，那肉身仍留存着灵魂个性的印记。

And the soul followed the Angel of death, casting only one wistful glance back at the bed where, in its white shroud, lay the lifeless image of clay, still bearing the print of the soul’s individuality.

此刻他们在空中盘旋，时而又沿着地面滑行。他们是在穿过一座宽敞华丽的大厅，还是或许一片森林呢？很难说清楚。大自然看上去像是特意布置出来以供展示的，就如同在那些庄严、造作的法国老式花园里一样，在其奇特、精心布置的场景中，有许多男女穿梭而过，所有人都穿着好似去参加化装舞会的服装。

Now they hovered through the air, now glided along the ground. were they passing through a vast, decorated hall, or perchance a forest? It was hard to tell. Nature appeared formally set out for show, as in the stiley, artificial, old French gardens, and through its strange, carefully arranged scenes there passed many men and women, all clad as if for a masquerade.

“这就是人类的生活！” 死神天使说道。

“Such is human life!” spoke the Angel of death.

似乎这些人物都试图伪装自己；那些炫耀天鹅绒和黄金华服的人并不总是最高贵和最富有的，同样，那些身着贫苦衣衫的人也不总是最可怜和最粗俗的。

It seemed as if the figure tried to disguise themselves; those who flaunted the glories of velvet and gold were not always the noblest and the richest, neither were all those who wore the garb of poverty the most wretched and vulgar.

这可真是一场奇特的化装舞会啊！而最奇怪的是，能看到每个人都小心翼翼地把某些不愿让别人发现的东西藏在衣服底下。

A strange masquerade indeed! And most strange of all was to see how each one carefully concealed under his clothing something he would not have the others discover.

每个人都决意要探知邻居的秘密，于是他们相互撕扯，直到这儿那儿不同动物的脑袋都露了出来。

Each was determined to learn his neighbor’ secret, and they tore at one another until here and there the heads of different animals were bared.

有的是一只咧着嘴笑的猿猴的脑袋，另一个是山羊的脑袋，还有的是黏糊糊的蛇和虚弱的鱼的脑袋。

one was that of a grinning ape, another the head of a goat, still others a clammy snake and a feeble fish.

所有人身上都有某种深深扎根于人性之中的动物的特征，而在这里，这些特征正挣扎着、跳跃着要显露出来。

In all was some token of the animal which is fast rooted in human nature, and which here was struggling and jumping to burst forth.

而且，不管一个人把衣服裹得多紧来遮掩它，其他人都不会罢休，非要撕开那层面纱不可，所有人都不停地叫嚷着：“看这儿！瞧！就是他！就是她！” 然后每个人都嘲讽地揭露同伴的羞耻之处。

And however closely a person might hold his garment over it to hide it, the others would never rest until they had torn aside the veil, and all kept crying out, “Look here! See! It is he! It is she! and everyone mockingly laid bare his fellow’s shame.

“那么我身上的动物特征是什么呢？” 灵魂问道。

“then what was the animal in me?” inquired the soul.

死神天使默默地指着一个傲慢的身影，其头顶周围闪耀着一圈明亮的光辉，色彩绚烂，但在其内心深处，可以看到半掩着的孔雀的脚潜伏着。

the Angel of death silently pointed to a haughty form around whose head spread a bright glory of rays, with shining colors, but in whose heart could be seen lurking, half hidden, the feet of a peacock.

头顶上方那扩散开来的光辉不过是孔雀那有斑点的尾巴罢了。

the spreading glory above was merely the speckled tail of the peacock.

当他们继续前行时，巨大的鸟儿在树枝上冲着他们发出可怕的尖叫。它们用刺耳但清晰、易懂且像人一样的声音喊道：“与死神同行的你，还记得我吗？”

As they passed on, huge birds shrieked horribly at them from the boughs of trees. In voices harsh but clear, intelligible, and human, they cried, “You who walk with death, do you remember me?”

这个人从生到死潜藏在内心的所有邪恶念头和欲望，现在都用令人生畏的声调在他身后呼喊着：“还记得我吗？”

All the evil thoughts and lusts that had lurked within the man from birth to death now called after him in forbidding tones, “do you remember me?”

一时间，灵魂颤抖起来，因为它听出了那些声音；它无法否认对那些如今作为证人站出来指控它的邪恶念头和欲望的知晓。

For a moment the soul shuddered, for it recognized the voices; it could not deny knowledge of the evil thoughts and desires that were now rising as witnesses against it.

“在我们的肉体里，在我们邪恶的本性中，没有什么善的东西存在！” 灵魂说道。“但至少在我这里，念头从未转化为行动；世人还未曾见到它们结出的恶果！”

“In our flesh, in our evil nature, nothing good lives!” said the soul. “but, at least with me, thoughts never turned into action; the world has not seen their evil fruit!”