《母亲的故事》，1848 年
the Story of a mother, 1848
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安徒生这个关于母亲与孩子的感人故事于 1847 年在伦敦首次以 “圣诞书籍” 的形式用英语出版。
Andersen’s moving story about mother and child was first published in English as a “christmas book” in London in 1847.
这是安徒生想要向他的英国读者致敬之作，他给这本书（其中还包含其他四个故事）取名为《致我英国朋友们的圣诞问候》。
It was intended by Andersen as a tribute to his british audience, and he entitled the volume (which included four other tales) A christmas Greeting to my English Friends.
这本书是献给查尔斯?狄更斯的，安徒生在 1847 年夏天与他相识（据说狄更斯曾这样说起这个英语难懂出了名的丹麦人：“我一定要见见安徒生”），这本作品集受到了热烈欢迎。
dedicated to charles dickens, whom Andersen had met in the summer of 1847 (“I musch see Andersen,” dickens is reported to have said about the dane whose English was notoriously difficult to understand), the collection was warmly received.
安徒生的英国粉丝们，其中包括出版商、记者、银行家、牧师，还有公爵和公爵夫人，纷纷涌向他在莱斯特广场的住所。安徒生觉得自己已经到达了他所认为的 “成功的巅峰”，但他也痛苦地抱怨英国人欣赏他的方式是他的丹麦同胞永远无法做到的。
Andersen’s british fans, a group that included publishers, journalists, bankers, ministers, along with dukes and duchesses, swarmed his lodgings at Leicester Square. Andersen had reached what he believed to be the “pinnacle of success,” but he plained bitterly about how the british appreciated him in ways that his fellow danes never could.
1847 年 12 月 6 日，安徒生在给狄更斯的信中谈到了献给他的这些故事：
Andersen wrote to dickens on december 6, 1847, about the stories dedicated to him:
我又回到了我安静的丹麦房间，但我的思绪仍然和你们一起在英国。当我忙于一个篇幅更长的作品时，五个故事从我脑海中涌现出来，就像树林里冒出来的花朵一样。我不禁想要从我的诗歌花园里给你们带来这些鲜花。我钦佩您所有的书籍，自从我们见面后，您本人也在我心中扎下了根。
I am back again in my quiet danish room, but my thoughts are still with you in England. while occupying myself with a longer work, five stories sprang from my head, as flowers sprout up in the woods. I feel moved to bring you these fresh flowers from the garden of my poetry. I admire all of your books, and since we met, you yourself have bee a fixture in my heart.
亲爱的、高尚的查尔斯?狄更斯，您是在英格兰海岸最后一个与我道别的人，所以很自然地，我希望您是第一个收到我从丹麦发出的问候的人，这是一颗充满深情的心才能发出的问候。
dear, noble charles dickens, you were the last to say good - by to me on the shores of England, so it is natural that I should want you to be the first to receive my greeting from denmark, which only an affectionate heart can send.
在安徒生七十岁生日时，他的出版商送给他一本名为《母亲的故事：十五种语言版》的特别书籍。《母亲的故事》可能是受到了 19 世纪中叶描绘垂死和已逝孩子的绘画传统的启发。
on his seventieth birthday, Andersen’s publishers presented him with a special volume entitled the Story of a mother: In Fifteen Languages. “the Story of a mother” may have been inspired by the mid - nineteenth - century pictorial tradition of representing the dying and deceased child.
1846 年 7 月，也就是这个故事出版的前一年，安徒生在尼姆拜访了诗人让?勒布尔，并在日记中描述了他家展出的画像：“墙上挂着两幅为他的诗配图的画。一幅画着一个垂死的孩子、一个严肃的天使，还有一位在痛苦的守夜中睡着了的母亲。另一幅是油画。画中，天使带着孩子飞走了，而母亲仍然趴在摇篮上。” 安徒生说，有一天他在散步时，这个故事的情节突然就出现在他脑海里。
In July 1846, a year before the story was published, Andersen had visited the poet Jean Reboul in N?mes and described in his diary the portraits on display in his home: “on the wall were two pictures illustrating his poem. one showed a dying child, a serious angel, and the mother who has fallen asleep while keeping a painful vigil. the other was an oil - painting. In it, the angel soared off with the child while the mother remained draped over the cradle.” Andersen said that the plot of the story came to him out of the blue, one day while he was taking a walk.
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一位母亲和她的小孩坐在那里。她是如此沮丧，如此害怕孩子会死去！孩子是那么苍白，小眼睛已经闭上了，它时不时地轻轻呼吸，偶尔深呼吸一下，仿佛在叹息；而母亲更加悲伤地看着这个小生命。
A mother sat there with her little child. She was so downcast, so afraid that it should die! It was so pale, the small eyes had closed themselves, and it drew its breath so softly, now and then, with a deep respiration, as if it sighed; and the mother looked still more sorrowfully on the little creature.
这时听到敲门声，走进来一个穷苦的老人，他裹着一块像马披一样的大布，因为这样暖和些，而且他也需要，因为这是寒冷的冬天！户外一切都被冰雪覆盖着，风吹在脸上像刀割一样。
then a knocking was heard at the door, and in came a poor old man wrapped up as in a large horse - cloth, for it warms one, and he needed it, as it was the cold winter season! Everything out - of - doors was covered with ice and snow, and the wind blew so that it cut the face.
因为老人冻得发抖，小孩又睡了一会儿，母亲就去倒了一些麦芽酒在锅里，放在炉子上，这样他喝的时候就会暖和些；老人坐着摇摇篮，母亲在他旁边的椅子上坐下，看着她那病恹恹的小孩，小孩呼吸很沉重，还举起了小手。
As the old man trembled with cold, and the little child slept a moment, the mother went and poured some ale into a pot and set it on the stove, that it might be warm for him; the old man sat and rocked the cradle, and the mother sat down on a chair close by him, and looked at her little sick child that drew its breath so deep, and raised its little hand.
“你不认为我会救活他吗？” 她说。“我们的主不会把他从我身边带走的！”
“do you not think that I shall save him?” said she. “our Lord will not take him from me!”
而那个老人 —— 他就是死神本人 —— 他奇怪地点了点头，这点头既可以表示是，也可以表示否。母亲低头看着自己的膝盖，眼泪顺着脸颊流下来；她的头变得很沉重 —— 她已经三天三夜没有合眼了；现在她睡着了，但只睡了一分钟，就惊醒过来，冻得发抖。
And the old man — it was death himself — he nodded so strangely, it could just as well signify yes as no. And the mother looked down in her lap, and the tears ran down over her cheeks; her head became so heavy — she had not closed her eyes for three days and nights; and now she slept, but only for a minute, when she started up and trembled with cold.
“那是什么？” 她说着，向四周张望；但是老人不见了，她的小孩也不见了 —— 他把小孩带走了；角落里的旧钟滴答滴答地走着，大铅锤落到地上，砰的一声！然后钟也停了。
“what is that?” said she, and looked on all sides; but the old man was gone, and her little child was gone — he had taken it with him; and the old clock in the corner burred, and burred, the great leaden weight ran down to the floor, bump! and then the clock also stood still.
但是可怜的母亲跑出屋子，大声呼喊着她的孩子。
but the poor mother ran out of the house and cried aloud for her child.
在外面，在雪地中间，坐着一个身穿黑色长衣的女人；她说：“死神到过你的房间，我看见他带着你的小孩匆匆离去；他跑得比风还快，而且他带走的东西从不归还！”
out there, in the midst of the snow, there sat a woman in long, black clothes; and she said, “death has been in thy chamber, and I saw him hasten away with thy little child; he goes faster than the wind, and he never brings back what he takes!”
“哦，只要告诉我他往哪去了！” 母亲说。“告诉我路，我就能找到他！”
“oh, only tell me which way he went!” said the mother. “tell me the way, and I shall find him!”
“我知道！” 黑衣女人说。“但在我告诉你之前，你必须先为我唱所有你给孩子唱过的歌！我喜欢那些歌。我以前听过；我是夜；你唱歌的时候我看到你的眼泪了！”
“I know it!” said the woman in the black clothes. “but before I tell it, thou must first sing for me all the songs thou hast sung for thy child! I am fond of them. I have heard them before; I am Night; I saw thy tears whilst thou sang’st them!”
“我会把它们都唱出来，全都唱！” 母亲说。“但现在别阻拦我 —— 我也许能赶上他 —— 我也许能找到我的孩子！”
“I will sing them all, all!” said the mother. “but do not stop me now — I may overtake him — I may find my child!”
但是夜静静地站着，一声不吭。于是母亲绞着双手，又唱又哭，歌有很多首，但眼泪更多；然后夜说：“向右边走，进入黑暗的松林；我看到死神带着你的小孩往那边去了！”
but Night stood still and mute. then the mother wrung her hands, sang and wept, and there were many songs, but yet many more tears; and then Night said, “Go to the right, into the dark pine forest; thither I saw death take his way with thy little child!”
森林深处道路交错，她不知道该往哪里走了！这时有一丛荆棘；上面既没有叶子也没有花朵，也是在寒冷的冬季，冰花挂在树枝上。
the roads crossed each other in the depths of the forest, and she no longer knew whither she should go! then there stood a thorn - bush; there was neither leaf nor flower on it, it was also in the cold winter season, and ice - flakes hung on the branches.
“你没看见死神带着我的小孩走过吗？” 母亲问。
“hast thou not seen death go past with my little child?” said the mother.
“看见了，” 荆棘说；“但我不会告诉你他走的哪条路，除非你先把我放在你的心口上暖一暖。我快冻死了；我就要变成一块冰了！”
“Yes,” said the thorn - bush; “but I will not tell thee which way he took, unless thou wilt first warm me up at thy heart. I am freezing to death; I shall bee a lump of ice!”
于是她把荆棘紧紧地压在胸前，好让它彻底暖和起来，荆棘刺进了她的肉里，大滴大滴的血往外流，但是荆棘却长出了嫩绿的新叶，在寒冷的冬夜里还开出了花，这位受苦母亲的心是如此温暖；荆棘告诉了她该走的路。
And she pressed the thorn - bush to her breast, so firmly, that it might be thoroughly warmed, and the thorns went right into her flesh, and her blood flowed in large drops, but the thorn - bush shot forth fresh green leaves, and there came flowers on it in the cold winter night, the heart of the afflicted mother was so warm; and the thorn - bush told her the way she should go.
然后她来到一个大湖边，湖上既没有船也没有艇。湖水结的冰还不足以承受她的重量；湖水既没有完全冻结，也没有浅到她能蹚水过去；但如果她要找到自己的孩子就必须穿过这个湖！于是她躺下来想把湖水喝干，这对一个人来说是不可能的，但这位受苦的母亲仍然认为可能会发生奇迹。
She then came to a large lake, where there was neither ship nor boat. the lake was not frozen sufficiently to bear her; neither was it open, nor low enough that she could wade through it; and across it she must go if she would find her child! then she lay down to drink up the lake, and that was an impossibility for a human being, but the afflicted mother thought that a miracle might happen nevertheless.
“哦，为了找到我的孩子，我什么都愿意付出！” 哭泣的母亲说；她哭得更厉害了，她的双眼陷进了湖水深处，变成了两颗珍贵的珍珠；但是湖水托住了她，就好像她坐在秋千上一样，她在起伏的波浪中飞到了湖对岸，对岸矗立着一座宽一英里的奇怪房子，不知道它是一座有森林和洞穴的山，还是人工建造的；但是这位可怜的母亲看不见它；她已经哭瞎了双眼。
“oh, what would I not give to e to my child!” said the weeping mother; and she wept still more, and her eyes sunk down in the depths of the waters, and became two precious pearls; but the water bore her up, as if she sat in a swing, and she flew in the rocking waves to the shore on the opposite side, where there stood a mile - broad, strange house, one knew not if it were a mountain with forests and caverns, or if it were built up; but the poor mother could not see it; she had wept her eyes out.
“我到哪里去找带走我小孩的死神呢？” 她说。
“where shall I find death, who took away my little child?” said she.
“他还没来这儿呢！” 守望着死神大温室的老墓婆说。“你是怎么找到来这儿的路的？谁帮了你？”
“he has not e here yet!” said the old grave woman, who was appointed to look after death’s great greenhouse! “how have you been able to find the way hither? And who has helped you?”
“我们的主帮助了我，” 她说。“他很仁慈，您也会这样的！我到哪里能找到我的小孩呢？”
“oUR LoRd has helped me,” said she. “he is merciful, and you will also be so! where shall I find my little child?”
“不，我不知道，” 那女人说，“而且你看不见！今晚许多花草树木都枯萎了；死神很快就会来重新栽种它们！你肯定知道每个人都有自己生命的树或者花，就像每个人都有自己的归宿一样；它们看起来和别的植物一样，但它们有心跳。孩子们的心也会跳动；去找你自己的生命之花或树吧，也许你就能认出你孩子的；但如果我告诉你还应该做些什么，你会给我什么呢？”
“Nay, I know not,” said the woman, “and you cannot see! many flowers and trees have withered this night; death will soon e and plant them over again! You certainly know that every person has his or her life’s tree or flower, just as everyone happens to be settled; they look like other plants, but they have pulsations of the heart. children’s hearts can also beat; go after yours, perhaps you may know your child’s; but what will you give me if I tell you what you shall do more?”
“我没什么可给的，” 受苦的母亲说，“但我愿为你走到世界尽头！”
“I have nothing to give,” said the afflicted mother, “but I will go to the world’s end for you!”
“不，我在那儿没什么事！” 那女人说。“但你可以把你长长的黑发给我；你自己也知道它很漂亮，我很喜欢！你可以拿我的白发来代替，这也算是个东西！”
“Nay, I have nothing to do there!” said the woman. “but you can give me your long black hair; you know yourself that it is fine, and that I like! You shall have my white hair instead, and that’s always something!”
“你不再要求别的了吗？” 她说。“我很乐意给你！” 于是她把自己漂亮的黑发给了她，换来了老妇人雪白的头发。
“do you demand nothing else?” said she. “that I will gladly give you!” And she gave her her fine black hair, and got the old woman’s snow - white hair instead.
于是她们走进了死神的大温室，那里的花草树木奇异地相互交织生长。玻璃罩下种着美丽的风信子，还有茎干粗壮的牡丹；水里生长着水生植物，有些很鲜嫩，有些半死不活的，水蛇趴在上面，黑螃蟹咬着它们的茎。那里有美丽的棕榈树、橡树和芭蕉树；有欧芹和开花的百里香：每棵树和每朵花都有自己的名字；它们每一个都是一个人的生命，人的躯体仍然活着 —— 一个在中国，另一个在格陵兰 —— 遍布世界各地。有把大树种在小盆里的，以至于它们生长得十分矮小，都快要把花盆撑破了；在其他地方，肥沃的泥土里长着一朵不起眼的小花，周围长满了苔藓，它备受宠爱与呵护。但是这位忧伤的母亲在所有最小的植物前弯下腰来，听到它们里面人的心跳声；在数百万的植物中，她认出了自己孩子的。
So they went into death’s great greenhouse, where flowers and trees grew strangely into one another. there stood fine hyacinths under glass bells, and there stood strong - stemmed peonies; there grew water plants, some so fresh, others half sick, the water - snakes lay down on them, and black crabs pinched their stalks. there stood beautiful palm - trees, oaks, and plantains; there stood parsley and flowering thyme: every tree and every flower had its name; each of them was a human life, the human frame still lived — one in china, and another in Greenland — round about in the world. there were large trees in small pots, so that they stood so stunted in growth, and ready to burst the pots; in other places, there was a little dull flower in rich mould, with moss round about it, and it was so petted and nursed. but the distressed mother bent down over all the smallest plants, and heard within them how the human heart beat; and amongst millions she knew her child’s.
“在这儿呢！” 她叫道，并向一朵蓝色的小番红花伸出双手，那朵花病恹恹地歪向一边。
“there it is!” cried she, and stretched her hands out over a little blue crocus, that hung quite sickly on one side.
“别碰那朵花！” 老妇人说。“但是你站在这儿，等死神来了 —— 我随时都在等他 —— 别让他把花拔起来，而是要威胁他说你也会对其他的花这么做。这样他就会害怕了！他要向上帝负责这些花，在上帝允许之前，没人敢把它们拔起来。”
“don’t touch the flower!” said the old woman. “but place yourself here, and when death es — I expect him every moment — do not let him pluck the flower up, but threaten him that you will do the same with the others. then he will be afraid! he is responsible for them to oUR LoRd, and no one dares to pluck them up before hE gives leave.”
突然，一股冰冷的寒气穿过大厅，失明的母亲能感觉到是死神来了。
All at once an icy cold rushed through the great hall, and the blind mother could feel that it was death that came.
“你是怎么找到来这儿的路的？” 他问。“你怎么能比我来得还快？”
“how hast thou been able to find thy way hither?” he asked. “how couldst thou e quicker than I?”
“我是一个母亲。” 她说。
“I am a mother,” said she.
死神向那朵美丽的小花伸出了长长的手，但她紧紧地抓住他的手，抓得很紧，同时又担心会碰到一片叶子。然后死神朝她的手吹了口气，她觉得比寒风还冷，她的手无力地垂了下来。
And death stretched out his long hand towards the fine little flower, but she held her hands fast around his, so tight, and yet afraid that she should touch one of the leaves. then death blew on her hands, and she felt that it was colder than the cold wind, and her hands fell down powerless.
“你对我无能为力！” 死神说。
“thou canst not do anything against me!” said death.
“但是我们的主可以！” 她说。
“but oUR LoRd can!” said she.
“我只是执行他的命令！” 死神说。“我是他的园丁，我带走他所有的花草树木，把它们种在天堂的大花园里，在那个未知的地方；但它们在那里如何生长，那里是什么样的，我不敢告诉你。”
“I only do his bidding!” said death. “I am his gardener, I take all his flowers and trees, and plant them out in the great garden of paradise, in the unknown land; but how they grow there, and how it is there I dare not tell thee.”
“把我的孩子还给我！” 母亲说，她边哭边祈祷。她立刻用两只手各抓住旁边两朵美丽的花，对死神喊道：“我要把你的花都扯掉，因为我绝望了。”
“Give me back my child!” said the mother, and she wept and prayed. At once she seized hold of two beautiful flowers close by, with each hand, and cried out to death, “I will tear all thy flowers off, for I am in despair.”
“别碰它们！” 死神说。“你说你很不幸，现在你却要让另一个母亲同样不幸。”
“touch them not!” said death. “thou say’st that thou art so unhappy, and now thou wilt make another mother equally unhappy.”
“另一个母亲！” 可怜的女人说，马上松开了她抓住的两朵花。
“Another mother!” said the poor woman, and directly let go her hold of both the flowers.
“瞧，你的眼睛在这儿，” 死神说，“我从湖里捞上来的，它们闪着如此明亮的光；我不知道是你的。再拿回去吧，现在它们比以前更明亮了；现在往旁边的深井里看；我要告诉你那两朵你想扯掉的花的名字，你会看到它们完整的未来生活 —— 它们整个人类的存在：看看你差点扰乱和破坏了什么。”
“there, thou hast thine eyes,” said death; “I fished them up from the lake, they shone so bright; I knew not they were thine. take them again, they are now brighter than before; now look down into the deep well close by; I shall tell thee the names of the two flowers thou wouldst have torn up, and thou wilt see their whole future life — their whole human existence: and see what thou wast about to disturb and destroy.”
她往井里看去；看到其中一朵花如何成为世间的福祉，看到到处都充满了多少幸福和欢乐，这是一种幸福。她看到了另一朵花的生命，那是悲伤、痛苦、恐怖和不幸。
And she looked down into the well; and it was a happiness to see how the one became a blessing to the world, to see how much happiness and joy were felt everywhere. And she saw the other’s life, and it was sorrow and distress, horror, and wretchedness.
“它们两者都是上帝的旨意！” 死神说。
“both of them are God’s will!” said death.
“哪一朵是不幸之花，哪一朵是幸福之花呢？” 她问。
“which of them is misfortune’s flower and which is that of happiness?” asked she.
“这个我不会告诉你，” 死神说，“但我要让你知道这个，其中一朵花就是你自己的孩子！你看到的是你孩子的命运 —— 你自己孩子的未来生活！”
“that I will not tell thee,” said death; “but this thou shalt know from me, that the one flower was thy own child! it was thy child’s fate thou saw’st — thy own child’s future life!”
然后母亲惊恐地尖叫起来，“哪一朵是我的孩子？告诉我！救救无辜的孩子！把我的孩子从所有那些苦难中拯救出来！宁可把它带走！带到上帝的国度去！忘掉我的眼泪，忘掉我的祈祷，忘掉我所做的一切！”
then the mother screamed with terror, “which of them was my child? tell it me! Save the innocent! Save my child from all that misery! Rather take it away! take it into God’s kingdom! Forget my tears, forget my prayers, and all that I have done!”
“我不明白你的意思！” 死神说。“你是想重新得到你的孩子，还是让我带着它到你不知道的地方去呢？”
“I do not understand thee!” said death. “wilt thou have thy child again, or shall I go with it there, where thou dost not know!”
然后母亲绞着双手，跪下来，向上帝祈祷：“哦，当我违背您最美好的旨意祈祷时，请不要听我的，请不要听！请不要听！”
then the mother wrung her hands, fell on her knees, and prayed to our Lord: “oh, hear me not when I pray against thy will, which is the best! hear me not! hear me not!”
她把头低到膝盖上，死神带着她的孩子走进了未知的地方。
And she bowed her head down in her lap, and death took her child and went with it into the unknown land.