安徒生童话-第1章

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作者：安徒生＇丹麦＇


　　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　A　CHEERFUL　TEMPER

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

FROM　my　father　I　received　the　best　inheritance；　namely　a　〃good

temper。〃　〃And　who　was　my　father？〃　That　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　good

temper；　but　I　will　say　he　was　lively；　good…looking　round；　and　fat；

he　was　both　in　appearance　and　character　a　plete　contradiction　to

his　profession。　〃And　pray　what　was　his　profession　and　his　standing

in　respectable　society？〃　Well；　perhaps；　if　in　the　beginning　of　a

book　these　were　written　and　printed；　many；　when　they　read　it；　would

lay　the　book　down　and　say；　〃It　seems　to　me　a　very　miserable　title；　I

don't　like　things　of　this　sort。〃　And　yet　my　father　was　not　a

skin…dresser　nor　an　executioner；　on　the　contrary；　his　employment

placed　him　at　the　head　of　the　grandest　people　of　the　town；　and　it

was　his　place　by　right。　He　had　to　precede　the　bishop；　and　even　the

princes　of　the　blood；　he　always　went　first；…　he　was　a　hearse　driver！

There；　now；　the　truth　is　out。　And　I　will　own；　that　when　people　saw

my　father　perched　up　in　front　of　the　omnibus　of　death；　dressed　in

his　long；　wide；　black　cloak；　and　his　black…edged；　three…cornered　hat

on　his　head；　and　then　glanced　at　his　round；　jocund　face；　round　as

the　sun；　they　could　not　think　much　of　sorrow　or　the　grave。　That　face

said；　〃It　is　nothing；　it　will　all　end　better　than　people　think。〃　So

I　have　inherited　from　him；　not　only　my　good　temper；　but　a　habit　of

going　often　to　the　churchyard；　which　is　good；　when　done　in　a　proper

humor；　and　then　also　I　take　in　the　Intelligencer；　just　as　he　used　to

do。

I　am　not　very　young；　I　have　neither　wife　nor　children；　nor　a

library；　but；　as　I　said；　I　read　the　Intelligencer；　which　is　enough　for

me；　it　is　to　me　a　delightful　paper；　and　so　it　was　to　my　father。　It

is　of　great　use；　for　it　contains　all　that　a　man　requires　to　know；

the　names　of　the　preachers　at　the　church；　and　the　new　books　which

are　published；　where　houses；　servants；　clothes；　and　provisions　may

be　obtained。　And　then　what　a　number　of　subscriptions　to　charities；　and

what　innocent　verses！　Persons　seeking　interviews　and　engagements；

all　so　plainly　and　naturally　stated。　Certainly；　a　man　who　takes　in　the

Intelligencer　may　live　merrily　and　be　buried　contentedly；　and　by　the

end　of　his　life　will　have　such　a　capital　stock　of　paper　that　he　can

lie　on　a　soft　bed　of　it；　unless　he　prefers　wood　shavings　for　his

resting…place。　The　newspaper　and　the　churchyard　were　always　exciting

objects　to　me。　My　walks　to　the　latter　were　like　bathing…places　to　my

good　humor。　Every　one　can　read　the　newspaper　for　himself；　but　e

with　me　to　the　churchyard　while　the　sun　shines　and　the　trees　are

green；　and　let　us　wander　among　the　graves。　Each　of　them　is　like　a

closed　book；　with　the　back　uppermost；　on　which　we　can　read　the　title

of　what　the　book　contains；　but　nothing　more。　I　had　a　great　deal　of

information　from　my　father；　and　I　have　noticed　a　great　deal　myself。

I　keep　it　in　my　diary；　in　which　I　write　for　my　own　use　and　pleasure

a　history　of　all　who　lie　here；　and　a　few　more　beside。

Now　we　are　in　the　churchyard。　Here；　behind　the　white　iron

railings；　once　a　rose…tree　grew；　it　is　gone　now；　but　a　little　bit　of

evergreen；　from　a　neighboring　grave；　stretches　out　its　green　tendrils；

and　makes　some　appearance；　there　rests　a　very　unhappy　man；　and　yet

while　he　lived　he　might　be　said　to　occupy　a　very　good　position。　He　had

enough　to　live　upon；　and　something　to　spare；　but　owing　to　his

refined　tastes　the　least　thing　in　the　world　annoyed　him。　If　he　went　to

a　theatre　of　an　evening；　instead　of　enjoying　himself　he　would　be　quite

annoyed　if　the　machinist　had　put　too　strong　a　light　into　one　side　of

the　moon；　or　if　the　representations　of　the　sky　hung　over　the　scenes

when　they　ought　to　have　hung　behind　them；　or　if　a　palm…tree　was

introduced　into　a　scene　representing　the　Zoological　Gardens　of　Berlin；

or　a　cactus　in　a　view　of　Tyrol；　or　a　beech…tree　in　the　north　of

Norway。　As　if　these　things　were　of　any　consequence！　Why　did　he　not

leave　them　alone？　Who　would　trouble　themselves　about　such　trifles？

especially　at　a　edy；　where　every　one　is　expected　to　be　amused。　Then

sometimes　the　public　applauded　too　much；　or　too　little；　to　please　him。

〃They　are　like　wet　wood；〃　he　would　say；　looking　round　to　see　what　sort

of　people　were　present；　〃this　evening；　nothing　fires　them。〃　Then　he

would　vex　and　fret　himself　because　they　did　not　laugh　at　the　right

time；　or　because　they　laughed　in　the　wrong　places；　and　so　he　fretted

and　worried　himself　till　at　last　the　unhappy　man　fretted　himself

into　the　grave。

Here　rests　a　happy　man；　that　is　to　say；　a　man　of　high　birth　and

position；　which　was　very　lucky　for　him；　otherwise　he　would　have　been

scarcely　worth　notice。　It　is　beautiful　to　observe　how　wisely　nature

orders　these　things。　He　walked　about　in　a　coat　embroidered　all　over；

and　in　the　drawing…rooms　of　society　looked　just　like　one　of　those　rich

pearl…embroidered　bell…pulls；　which　are　only　made　for　show；　and　behind

them　always　hangs　a　good　thick　cord　for　use。　This　man　also　had　a

stout；　useful　substitute　behind　him；　who　did　duty　for　him；　and

performed　all　his　dirty　work。　And　there　are　still；　even　now；　these

serviceable　cords　behind　other　embroidered　bell…ropes。　It　is　all　so

wisely　arranged；　that　a　man　may　well　be　in　a　good　humor。

Here　rests；…　ah；　it　makes　one　feel　mournful　to　think　of　him！…

but　here　rests　a　man　who；　during　sixty…seven　years；　was　never

remembered　to　have　said　a　good　thing；　he　lived　only　in　the　hope　of

having　a　good　idea。　At　last　he　felt　convinced；　in　his　own　mind；　that

he　really　had　one；　and　was　so　delighted　that　he　positively　died　of　joy

at　the　thought　of　having　at　last　caught　an　idea。　Nobody　got　anything

by　it；　indeed；　no　one　even　heard　what　the　good　thing　was。　Now　I　can

imagine　that　this　same　idea　may　prevent　him　from　resting　quietly　in

his　grave；　for　suppose　that　to　produce　a　good　effect；　it　is

necessary　to　bring　out　his　new　idea　at　breakfast；　and　that　he　can　only

make　his　appearance　on　earth　at　midnight；　as　ghosts　are　believed

generally　to　do；　why　then　this　good　idea　would　not　suit　the　hour；

and　the　man　would　have　to　carry　it　down　again　with　him　into　the　grave…

that　must　be　a　troubled　grave。

The　woman　who　lies　here　was　so　remarkably　stingy；　that　during

her　life　she　would　get　up　in　the　night　and　mew；　that　her　neighbors

might　think　she　kept　a　cat。　What　a　miser　she　was！

Here　rests　a　young　lady；　of　a　good　family；　who　would　always　make

her　voice　heard　in　society；　and　when　she　sang　〃Mi　manca　la　voce；〃*

it　was　the　only　true　thing　she　ever　said　in　her　life。

*　〃I　want　a　voice；〃　or；　〃I　have　no　voice。〃

Here　lies　a　maiden　of　another　description。　She　was　engaged　to　be

married；…　but；　her　story　is　one　of　every…day　life；　we　will　leave　her

to　rest　in　the　grave。

Here　rests　a　widow；　who；　with　music　in　her　tongue；　carried　gall　in

her　heart。　She　used　to　go　round　among　the　families　near；　and　search

out　their　faults；　upon　which　she　preyed　with　all　the　envy　and　malice

of　her　nature。　This　is　a　family　grave。　The　members　of　this　family　held

so　firmly　together　in　their　opinions；　that　they　would　believe　in　no

other。　If　the　newspapers；　or　even　the　whole　world；　said　of　a　certain

subject；　〃It　is　so…and…so；〃　and　a　little　schoolboy　declared　he　had

learned　quite　differently；　they　would　take　his　assertion　as　the　only

true　one；　because　he　belonged　to　the　family。　And　it　is　well　known　that

if　the　yard…cock　belonging　to　this　family　happened　to　crow　at

midnight；　they　would　declare　it　was　morning；　although　the　watchman　and

all　the　clocks　in　the　town　were　proclaiming　the　hour　of　twelve　at

night。

The　great　poet　Goethe　concludes　his　Faust　with　the　words；　〃may

be　continued；〃　so　might　our　wanderings　in　the　churchyard　be　continued。

I　e　here　often；　and　if　any　of　my　friends；　or　those　who　are　not　my

friends；　are　too　much　for　me；　I　go　out　and　choose　a　plot　of　ground

in　which　to　bury　him　or　her。　Then　I　bury　them；　as　it　were；　there

they　lie；　dead　and　powerless；　till　they　e　back　new　and　better

characters。　Their　lives　and　their　deeds；　looked　at　after　my　own

fashion；　I　write　down　in　my　diary；　as　every　one　ought　to　do。　Then；

if　any　of　our　friends　act　absurdly；　no　one　need　to　be　vexed　about

it。　Let　them　bury　the　offenders　out　of　sight；　and　keep　their　good

temper。　They　can　also　read　the　Intelligencer；　which　is　a　paper　written

by　the　people；　with　their　hands　guided。　When　the　time　es　for　the

history　of　my　life；　to　be　bound　by　the　grave；　then　they　will　write

upon　it　as　my　epitaph…

　〃The　man　with　a　cheerful　temper。〃

And　this　is　my　story。

THE　END

。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　A　GREAT　GRIEF

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THIS　story　really　consists　of　two　parts。　The　first　part　might　be

left　out；　but　it　gives　us　a　few　particulars；　and　these　are　useful

We　were　staying　in　the　country　at　a　gentleman's　seat；　where　it

happened　that　the　master　was　absent　for　a　few　days。　I