She knew it would so soon fade; so she took only a single green leaf, carried it home, and laid it in her bible, where it remained ever green, fresh, and unfading.

几周后，当那本《圣经》被放在年轻女孩棺材里她的头下时，那片叶子还夹在《圣经》的书页间。

between the pages of the bible it still lay when, a few weeks afterwards, that bible was laid under the young girl’s head in her coffin.

一种圣洁的宁静笼罩着她的脸庞，仿佛她尘世的遗体也承载着她此刻已站在上帝面前这一真理的印记。

A holy calm rested on her face, as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she now stood in the presence of God.

在森林里，那株奇妙的植物依旧继续绽放着，直到它长大，几乎长成了一棵树，所有的候鸟都在它面前俯身行礼。

In the forest the wonderful plant still continued to bloom till it grew and became almost a tree, and all the birds of passage bowed themselves before it.

“那株植物肯定是外来的，” 蓟草和牛蒡说道。“在我们这个国家，我们可永远不会那样表现。”

“that plant is a foreigner, no doubt,” said the thistles and the burdocks. “we can never conduct ourselves like that in this country.”

而黑森林里的蜗牛们甚至朝那朵花吐口水。

And the black forest snails actually spat at the flower.

接着，养猪人来了；他正在收集蓟草和灌木，准备把它们烧掉取灰。

then came the swineherd; he was collecting thistles and shrubs to burn them for the ashes.

他把那株奇妙的植物连根拔起，然后放进了他的柴捆里。

he pulled up the wonderful plant, roots and all, and placed it in his bundle.

“这和别的东西一样有用，” 他说；于是那株植物就被带走了。

“this will be as useful as any,” he said; so the plant was carried away.

不久之后，这个国家的国王陷入了极度的忧郁之中。

Not long after, the king of the country suffered from the deepest melancholy.

他勤勉努力，但工作对他毫无益处。

he was diligent and industrious, but employment did him no good.

人们给他读深奥博学的书籍，然后又读能找到的最轻松、最琐碎的书，但都毫无效果。

they read deep and learned books to him, and then the lightest and most trifling that could be found, but all to no purpose.

于是他们向世上的一位智者请教，智者派人送来口信说，有一种药能缓解并治愈国王的病，那是一种源自天堂的植物，就生长在国王自己领土内的森林里。

then they applied for advice to one of the wise men of the world, and he sent them a message to say that there was one remedy which would relieve and cure him, and that it was a plant of heavenly origin which grew in the forest in the king’s own dominions.

信使详细描述了那种花，让人不会弄错它的模样。

the messenger described the flower so that is appearance could not be mistaken.

这时养猪人说：“恐怕我把那株植物从森林里和柴捆一起带走了，而且它早就被烧成灰了。

then said the swineherd, “I am afraid I carried this plant away from the forest in my bundle, and it has been burnt to ashes long ago.

但我当时并不知道那是什么呀。”

but I did not know any better.”

“你不知道！真是无知至极呀！”

“You did not know, any better! Ignorance upon ignorance indeed!”

可怜的养猪人把这些话放在了心上，因为这话是说给他听的；他不知道还有其他人也同样无知。

the poor swineherd took these words to heart, for they were addressed to him; he knew not that there were others who were equally ignorant.

那株植物连一片叶子都找不到了。

Not even a leaf of the plant could be found.

倒是有一片，但它在死者的棺材里；没人知道这件事。

there was one, but it lay in the coffin of the dead; no one knew anything about it.

于是，心情忧郁的国王漫步来到树林里的那个地方。

then the king, in his melancholy, wandered out to the spot in the wood.

“这里就是那株植物曾经生长的地方，” 他说；“这是个圣地。”

“here is where the plant stood,” he said; “it is a sacred place.”

然后他下令用一道金栏杆把那个地方围起来，并在附近派驻一名哨兵。

then he ordered that the place should be surrounded with a golden railing, and a sentry stationed near it.

那位植物学教授就那株天堂植物写了一篇长篇论文，为此他得到了大量黄金，这改善了他自己和家人的生活状况。

the botanical professor wrote a long treatise about the heavenly plant, and for this he was loaded with gold, which improved the position of himself and his family.

而这部分其实是这个故事最有意思的部分。

And this part is really the most pleasant part of the story.

因为那株植物已经消失了，国王依旧和以前一样忧郁悲伤，但哨兵却说他一直就是这样的。

For the plant had disappeared, and the king remained as melancholy and sad as ever, but the sentry said he had always been so.