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第65章

安徒生童话-第65章

小说: 安徒生童话 字数: 每页4000字

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erything thatmind and skill can create in the workshop of the artisan; has beenplaced here for show。 Even the memorials of ancient days; out of oldgraves and turf…moors; have appeared at this general meeting。

The overpowering great variegated whole must be divided into smallportions; and pressed together like a plaything; if it is to beunderstood and described。

Like a great table on Christmas Eve; the Champ de Mars carried awonder…castle of industry and art; and around this knickknacks fromall countries had been ranged; knickknacks on a grand scale; for everynation found some remembrance of home。

Here stood the royal palace of Egypt; there the caravanserai ofthe desert land。 The Bedouin had quitted his sunny country; andhastened by on his camel。 Here stood the Russian stables; with thefiery glorious horses of the steppe。 Here stood the simplestraw…thatched dwelling of the Danish peasant; with the Dannebrogflag; next to Gustavus Vasa's wooden house from Dalarne; with itswonderful carvings。 American huts; English cottages; French pavilions;kiosks; theatres; churches; all strewn around; and between them thefresh green turf; the clear springing water; blooming bushes; raretrees; hothouses; in which one might fancy one's self transported intothe tropical forest; whole gardens brought from Damascus; and bloomingunder one roof。 What colors; what fragrance!

Artificial grottoes surrounded bodies of fresh or salt water;and gave a glimpse into the empire of the fishes; the visitor seemedto wander at the bottom of the sea; among fishes and polypi。

〃All this;〃 they said; 〃the Champ de Mars offers;〃 and aroundthe great richly…spread table the crowd of human beings moves like abusy swarm of ants; on foot or in little carriages; for not all feetare equal to such a fatiguing journey。

Hither they swarm from morning till late in the evening。 Steamerafter steamer; crowded with people; glides down the Seine。 Thenumber of carriages is continually on the increase。 The swarm ofpeople on foot and on horseback grows more and more dense。 Carriagesand omnibuses are crowded; stuffed and embroidered with people。 Allthese tributary streams flow in one direction… towards the Exhibition。On every entrance the flag of France is displayed; around theworld's bazaar wave the flags of all nations。 There is a humming and amurmuring from the hall of the machines; from the towers the melody ofthe chimes is heard; with the tones of the organs in the churchesmingle the hoarse nasal songs from the cafes of the East。 It is akingdom of Babel; a wonder of the world!

In very truth it was。 That's what all the reports said; and whodid not hear them? The Dryad knew everything that is told here ofthe new wonder in the city of cities。

〃Fly away; ye birds! fly away to see; and then e back andtell me;〃 said the Dryad。

The wish became an intense desire… became the one thought of alife。 Then; in the quiet silent night; while the full moon wasshining; the Dryad saw a spark fly out of the moon's disc; and falllike a shooting star。 And before the tree; whose leaves waved to andfro as if they were stirred by a tempest; stood a noble; mighty; andgrand figure。 In tones that were at once rich and strong; like thetrumpet of the Last Judgment bidding farewell to life and summoning tothe great account; it said:

〃Thou shalt go to the city of magic; thou shalt take root there;and enjoy the mighty rushing breezes; the air and the sunshihere。 But the time of thy life shall then be shortened; the line ofyears that awaited thee here amid the free nature shall shrink tobut a small tale。 Poor Dryad! It shall be thy destruction。 Thyyearning and longing will increase; thy desire will grow morestormy; the tree itself will be as a prison to thee; thou wilt quitthy cell and give up thy nature to fly out and mingle among men。Then the years that would have belonged to thee will be contractedto half the span of the ephemeral fly; that lives but a day: onenight; and thy life…taper shall be blown out… the leaves of the treewill wither and be blown away; to bee green never again!〃

Thus the words sounded。 And the light vanished away; but not thelonging of the Dryad。 She trembled in the wild fever of expectation。

〃I shall go there!〃 she cried; rejoicingly。 〃Life is beginning andswells like a cloud; nobody knows whither it is hastening。〃

When the gray dawn arose and the moon turned pale and the cloudswere tinted red; the wished…for hour struck。 The words of promise werefulfilled。

People appeared with spades and poles; they dug round the roots ofthe tree; deeper and deeper; and beneath it。 A wagon was broughtout; drawn by many horses; and the tree was lifted up; with itsroots and the lumps of earth that adhered to them; matting wasplaced around the roots; as though the tree had its feet in a warmbag。 And now the tree was lifted on the wagon and secured with chains。The journey began… the journey to Paris。 There the tree was to grow asan ornament to the city of French glory。

The twigs and the leaves of the chestnut tree trembled in thefirst moments of its being moved; and the Dryad trembled in thepleasurable feeling of expectation。

〃Away! away!〃 it sounded in every beat of her pulse。 〃Away!away〃 sounded in words that flew trembling along。 The Dryad forgotto bid farewell to the regions of home; she thought not of thewaving grass and of the innocent daisies; which had looked up to heras to a great lady; a young Princess playing at being a shepherdessout in the open air。

The chestnut tree stood upon the wagon; and nodded his branches;whether this meant 〃farewell〃 or 〃forward;〃 the Dryad knew not; shedreamed only of the marvellous new things; that seemed yet sofamiliar; and that were to unfold themselves before her。 No child'sheart rejoicing in innocence… no heart whose blood danced withpassion… had set out on the journey to Paris more full ofexpectation than she。

Her 〃farewell〃 sounded in the words 〃Away! away!〃

The wheels turned; the distant approached; the present vanished。The region was changed; even as the clouds change。 New vineyards;forests; villages; villas appeared… came nearer… vanished!

The chestnut tree moved forward; and the Dryad went with it。Steam…engine after steam…engine rushed past; sending up into the airvapory clouds; that formed figures which told of Paris; whence theycame; and whither the Dryad was going。

Everything around knew it; and must know whither she was bound。 Itseemed to her as if every tree she passed stretched out its leavestowards her; with the prayer… 〃Take me with you! take me with you!〃for every tree enclosed a longing Dryad。

What changes during this flight! Houses seemed to be rising out ofthe earth… more and more… thicker and thicker。 The chimneys roselike flower…pots ranged side by side; or in rows one above theother; on the roofs。 Great inscriptions in letters a yard long; andfigures in various colors; covering the walls from cornice tobasement; came brightly out。

〃Where does Paris begin; and when shall I be there?〃 asked theDryad。

The crowd of people grew; the tumult and the bustle increased;carriage followed upon carriage; people on foot and people onhorseback were mingled together; all around were shops on shops; musicand song; crying and talking。

The Dryad; in her tree; was now in the midst of Paris。 The greatheavy wagon all at once stopped on a little square planted with trees。The high houses around had all of them balconies to the windows;from which the inhabitants looked down upon the young fresh chestnuttree; which was ing to be planted here as a substitute for the deadtree that lay stretched on the ground。

The passers…by stood still and smiled in admiration of its purevernal freshness。 The older trees; whose buds were still closed;whispered with their waving branches; 〃Wele! wele!〃 Thefountain; throwing its jet of water high up in the air; to let it fallagain in the wide stone basin; told the wind to sprinkle the new…erwith pearly drops; as if it wished to give him a refreshing draught towele him。

The Dryad felt how her tree was being lifted from the wagon tobe placed in the spot where it was to stand。 The roots were coveredwith earth; and fresh turf was laid on top。 Blooming shrubs andflowers in pots were ranged around; and thus a little garden arosein the square。

The tree that had been killed by the fumes of gas; the steam ofkitchens; and the bad air of the city; was put upon the wagon anddriven away。 The passers…by looked on。 Children and old men sat uponthe bench; and looked at the green tree。 And we who are telling thisstory stood upon a balcony; and looked down upon the green springsight that had been brought in from the fresh country air; and said;what the old clergyman would have said; 〃Poor Dryad!〃

〃I am happy! I am happy!〃 the Dryad cried; rejoicing; 〃and yet Icannot realize; cannot describe what I feel。 Everything is as Ifancied it; and yet as I did not fancy it。〃

The houses stood there; so lofty; so close! The sunlight shoneon only one of the walls; and that one was stuck over with bills andplacards; before which the people stood still; and this made a crowd。

Carriages rushed past; carriages rolled past; light ones and heavyones mingled together。 Omnibuses; those over…crowded movin

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