“oh,onlytellmewhichwayhewent!”saidthemother。“tellmetheway,andIshallfindhim!”
“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!”
“Iknowit!”saidthewomanintheblackclothes。“butbeforeItellit,thoumustfirstsingformeallthesongsthouhastsungforthychild!Iamfondofthem。Ihaveheardthembefore;IamNight;Isawthytearswhilstthousang’stthem!”
“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!”
“Iwillsingthemall,all!”saidthemother。“butdonotstopmenow—Imayovertakehim—Imayfindmychild!”
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!”
butNightstoodstillandmute。thenthemotherwrungherhands,sangandwept,andthereweremanysongs,butyetmanymoretears;andthenNightsaid,“Gototheright,intothedarkpineforest;thitherIsawdeathtakehiswaywiththylittlechild!”
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。
theroadscrossedeachotherinthedepthsoftheforest,andshenolongerknewwhithersheshouldgo!thentherestoodathorn-bush;therewasneitherleafnorfloweronit,itwasalsointhecoldwinterseason,andice-flakeshungonthebranches。
“你没看见死神带着我的小孩走过吗?”母亲问。
“hastthounotseendeathgopastwithmylittlechild?”saidthemother。
“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,”saidthethorn-bush;“butIwillnottelltheewhichwayhetook,unlessthouwiltfirstwarmmeupatthyheart。Iamfreezingtodeath;Ishallbeealumpofice!”
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。
Andshepressedthethorn-bushtoherbreast,sofirmly,thatitmightbethoroughlywarmed,andthethornswentrightintoherflesh,andherbloodflowedinlargedrops,butthethorn-bushshotforthfreshgreenleaves,andtherecameflowersonitinthecoldwinternight,theheartoftheafflictedmotherwassowarm;andthethorn-bushtoldherthewaysheshouldgo。
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。
Shethencametoalargelake,wheretherewasneithershipnorboat。thelakewasnotfrozensufficientlytobearher;neitherwasitopen,norlowenoughthatshecouldwadethroughit;andacrossitshemustgoifshewouldfindherchild!thenshelaydowntodrinkupthelake,andthatwasanimpossibilityforahumanbeing,buttheafflictedmotherthoughtthatamiraclemighthappennevertheless。
“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,whatwouldInotgivetoetomychild!”saidtheweepingmother;andsheweptstillmore,andhereyessunkdowninthedepthsofthewaters,andbecametwopreciouspearls;butthewaterboreherup,asifshesatinaswing,andsheflewintherockingwavestotheshoreontheoppositeside,wheretherestoodamile-broad,strangehouse,oneknewnotifitwereamountainwithforestsandcaverns,orifitwerebuiltup;butthepoormothercouldnotseeit;shehadwepthereyesout。
“我到哪里去找带走我小孩的死神呢?”她说。
“whereshallIfinddeath,whotookawaymylittlechild?”saidshe。
“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?”
“hehasnotehereyet!”saidtheoldgravewoman,whowasappointedtolookafterdeath’sgreatgreenhouse!“howhaveyoubeenabletofindthewayhither?Andwhohashelpedyou?”
“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?”
“oURLoRdhashelpedme,”saidshe。“heismerciful,andyouwillalsobeso!whereshallIfindmylittlechild?”
“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,Iknownot,”saidthewoman,“andyoucannotsee!manyflowersandtreeshavewitheredthisnight;deathwillsooneandplantthemoveragain!Youcertainlyknowthateverypersonhashisorherlife’streeorflower,justaseveryonehappenstobesettled;theylooklikeotherplants,buttheyhavepulsationsoftheheart。children’sheartscanalsobeat;goafteryours,perhapsyoumayknowyourchild’s;butwhatwillyougivemeifItellyouwhatyoushalldomore?”
“我没什么可给的,”受苦的母亲说,“但我愿为你走到世界尽头!”
“Ihavenothingtogive,”saidtheafflictedmother,“butIwillgototheworld’sendforyou!”
“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,Ihavenothingtodothere!”saidthewoman。“butyoucangivemeyourlongblackhair;youknowyourselfthatitisfine,andthatIlike!Youshallhavemywhitehairinstead,andthat’salwayssomething!”
“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。
“doyoudemandnothingelse?”saidshe。“thatIwillgladlygiveyou!”Andshegaveherherfineblackhair,andgottheoldwoman’ssnow-whitehairinstead。
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。
Sotheywentintodeath’sgreatgreenhouse,whereflowersandtreesgrewstrangelyintooneanother。therestoodfinehyacinthsunderglassbells,andtherestoodstrong-stemmedpeonies;theregrewwaterplants,somesofresh,othershalfsick,thewater-snakeslaydownonthem,andblackcrabspinchedtheirstalks。therestoodbeautifulpalm-trees,oaks,andplantains;therestoodparsleyandfloweringthyme:everytreeandeveryflowerhaditsname;eachofthemwasahumanlife,thehumanframestilllived—oneinchina,andanotherinGreenland—roundaboutintheworld。therewerelargetreesinsmallpots,sothattheystoodsostuntedingrowth,andreadytoburstthepots;inotherplaces,therewasalittledullflowerinrichmould,withmossroundaboutit,anditwassopettedandnursed。butthedistressedmotherbentdownoverallthesmallestplants,andheardwithinthemhowthehumanheartbeat;andamongstmillionssheknewherchild’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。
“thereitis!”criedshe,andstretchedherhandsoutoveralittlebluecrocus,thathungquitesicklyononeside。
“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’ttouchtheflower!”saidtheoldwoman。“butplaceyourselfhere,andwhendeathes—Iexpecthimeverymoment—donotlethimplucktheflowerup,butthreatenhimthatyouwilldothesamewiththeothers。thenhewillbeafraid!heisresponsibleforthemtooURLoRd,andnoonedarestopluckthemupbeforehEgivesleave。”