“现在我给你一幅来自法兰克福的画面。”月亮说。“我特别注意到那里的一座建筑。那不是歌德出生的房子,也不是旧的市政厅,在加冕皇帝的时候,人们透过市政厅带栅栏的窗户可以看到正在烤着准备分给人们的牛的角。不,那是一座私人住宅,外观朴素,漆成了绿色。它坐落在旧的犹太人街附近。那是罗斯柴尔德的房子。”
“IwillnowgiveyouapicturefromFrankfort,”saidthemoon。“Iespeciallynoticedonebuildingthere。ItwasnotthehouseinwhichGoethewasborn,northeoldcouncilhouse,throughwhosegratedwindowspeeredthehornsoftheoxenthatwereroastedandgiventothepeoplewhentheemperorswerecrowned。No,itwasaprivatehouse,plaininappearance,andpaintedgreen。ItstoodneartheoldJews’Street。ItwasRothschild’shouse。
“我透过敞开的门往里看。楼梯被照得很亮:拿着大银烛台、里面点着蜡烛的仆人站在那里,向一个老妇人深深鞠躬,她正坐在轿子里被抬下楼。”
“Ilookedthroughtheopendoor。thestaircasewasbrilliantlylighted:servantscarryingwaxcandlesinmassivesilvercandlesticksstoodthere,andbowedlowbeforeanoldwoman,whowasbeingbroughtdownstairsinalitter。
房子的主人光着头站着,恭敬地在老妇人的手上亲了一下。她是他的母亲。她亲切地向他和仆人们点点头,他们把她抬进黑暗狭窄的街道,抬进她居住的一所小房子里。她的孩子们就是在这里出生的,这个家族的财富也是从这里开始积累的。如果她离开这条被人瞧不起的街道和这所小房子,财富也会离开她的孩子们。这是她坚定的信念。”
“theproprietorofthehousestoodbare-headed,andrespectfullyimprintedakissonthehandoftheoldwoman。Shewashismother。Shenoddedinafriendlymannertohimandtotheservants,andtheycarriedherintothedarknarrowstreet,intoalittlehouse,thatwasherdwelling。hereherchildrenhadbeenborn,fromhencethefortuneofthefamilyhadarisen。Ifshedesertedthedespisedstreetandthelittlehouse,fortunewouldalsodesertherchildren。thatwasherfirmbelief。”
月亮不再跟我说什么了;他今晚的拜访太短暂了。但我想到了那个住在狭窄、被人瞧不起的街道上的老妇人。她只需一句话,泰晤士河边就会为她建起一座辉煌的房子——只需一句话,那不勒斯湾就会为她准备好一座别墅。
“如果我离开这所简陋的房子,我儿子们的财富最初就是在这里开始绽放的,财富就会离开他们!”这是一种迷信,但却是一种这样的迷信,知道这个故事、看到这幅画面的人,只需在画面下面写上两个字就能让他理解它;这两个字就是:“一位母亲。”
“IfIdesertedthelowlyhouse,wherethefortunesofmysonsfirstbegantobloom,fortunewoulddesertthem!”Itwasasuperstition,butasuperstitionofsuchaclass,thathewhoknowsthestoryandhasseenthispicture,needhaveonlytwowordsplacedunderthepicturetomakehimunderstandit;andthesetwowordsare:“Amother。”
第二十五个晚上
twENtY-FIFthEVENING
“那是昨天,在黎明的曙光中”——这是月亮告诉我的话——“在这座大城市里,还没有一个烟囱在冒烟——而我正看着那些烟囱。”
“Itwasyesterday,inthemorningtwilight”—thesearethewordsthemoontoldme—“inthegreatcitynochimneywasyetsmoking—anditwasjustatthechimneysthatIwaslooking。
突然,一个小脑袋从其中一个烟囱里冒了出来,接着是半个身子,胳膊撑在烟囱管帽的边缘上。“哟呵!哟呵!”一个声音喊道。是那个小扫烟囱的人,他平生第一次爬过烟囱,在烟囱顶上探出了头。“哟呵!哟呵!”没错,这和在黑暗狭窄的烟囱里爬来爬去可大不一样!空气如此清新,他可以俯瞰整个城市,一直望到那片绿色的树林。太阳刚刚升起。它又圆又大,正好照在他的脸上,他的脸上闪耀着胜利的光芒,尽管被烟灰弄得非常漂亮的漆黑。
“Suddenlyalittleheademergedfromoneofthem,andthenhalfabody,thearmsrestingontherimofthechimney-pot。‘Ya-hip!ya-hip!’criedavoice。Itwasthelittlechimney-sweeper,whohadforthefirsttimeinhislifecreptthroughachimney,andstuckouthisheadatthetop。‘Ya-hip!ya-hip’Yes,certainlythatwasaverydifferentthingtocreepingaboutinthedarknarrowchimneys!theairblewsofresh,andhecouldlookoverthewholecitytowardsthegreenwood。thesunwasjustrising。Itshoneroundandgreat,justinhisface,thatbeamedwithtriumph,thoughitwasveryprettilyblackedwithsoot。
“‘现在全城的人都能看到我了。’他叫道,‘现在月亮能看到我了,太阳也能看到我了。哟呵!哟呵!’他得意洋洋地挥舞着扫帚。”
“‘thewholetowncanseemenow,’heexclaimed,‘andthemooncanseemenow,andthesuntoo。Ya-hip!ya-hip!’Andheflourishedhisbroomintriumph。”
第二十六个晚上
twENtY-SIxthEVENING
“昨晚我俯瞰着中国的一个城镇。”月亮说。“我的光芒照在构成那里街道的光秃秃的墙壁上。当然,偶尔能看到一扇门,但门是锁着的,因为中国人在乎外面的世界干什么呢?房子墙壁后面的窗户都被紧闭的木百叶窗遮住了;但是从寺庙的窗户里透出一丝微弱的光。我向里望去,看到了里面古雅的装饰。从地板到天花板都画着画,颜色极其鲜艳,还镀着厚厚的金——画的是众神在人间的功绩。”
“LastnightIlookeddownuponatowninchina,”saidthemoon。“mybeamsirradiatedthenakedwallsthatformthestreetsthere。Nowandthen,certainly,adoorisseen;butitislocked,forwhatdoesthechinamancareabouttheouterworld?closewoodenshutterscoveredthewindowsbehindthewallsofthehouses;butthroughthewindowsofthetempleafaintlightglimmered。Ilookedin,andsawthequaintdecorationswithin。Fromthefloortotheceilingpicturesarepainted,inthemostglaringcolours,andrichlygilt—picturesrepresentingthedeedsofthegodshereonearth。
每个壁龛里都摆放着雕像,但它们几乎完全被彩色的帷幔和垂下来的旗帜遮住了。在每一尊神像(它们都是锡制的)前都放着一个小圣水坛,上面摆着鲜花和燃烧的蜡烛。在所有神像之上的是佛祖,主要的神,穿着黄色的丝绸衣服,因为黄色在这里是神圣的颜色。在祭坛脚下坐着一个活人,一个年轻的牧师。他似乎在祈祷,但在祈祷的过程中,他似乎陷入了沉思,这一定是不对的,因为他的脸颊发红,他低下了头。可怜的苏鸿!也许他在梦想着在高墙后面的小花坛里干活吗?对他来说,这个活计似乎比在寺庙里看守蜡烛更让人愉快吗?或者他想坐在丰盛的宴席上,每道菜之间用银纸擦嘴吗?或者他的罪过如此之大,以至于如果他敢说出来,天朝会以死来惩罚他吗?他的思绪是不是冒险随着蛮夷的船只飞到了他们在遥远的英国的家呢?不,他的思绪没有飞得那么远,但它们仍然是有罪的,像年轻的心所产生的思绪一样有罪,在寺庙里,在佛祖和其他神圣的神面前是有罪的。
“Ineachnichestatuesareplaced,buttheyarealmostentirelyhiddenbythecoloureddraperyandthebannersthathangdown。beforeeachidol(andtheyareallmadeoftin)stoodalittlealtarofholywater,withflowersandburningwaxlightsonit。AboveallthereststoodFo,thechiefdeity,cladinagarmentofyellowsilk,foryellowisherethesacredcolour。Atthefootofthealtarsatalivingbeing,ayoungpriest。heappearedtobepraying,butinthemidstofhisprayerheseemedtofallintodeepthought,andthismusthavebeenwrong,forhischeeksglowedandhehelddownhishead。poorSoui-hong!washe,perhaps,dreamingofworkinginthelittleflowergardenbehindthehighstreetwall?Anddidthatoccupationseemmoreagreeabletohimthanwatchingthewaxlightsinthetemple?ordidhewishtositattherichfeast,wipinghismouthwithsilverpaperbetweeneachcourse?orwashissinsogreatthat,ifhedaredutterit,thecelestialEmpirewouldpunishitwithdeath?hadhisthoughtsventuredtoflywiththeshipsofthebarbarians,totheirhomesinfardistantEngland?No,histhoughtsdidnotflysofar,andyettheyweresinful,sinfulasthoughtsbornofyounghearts,sinfulhereinthetemple,inthepresenceofFoandtheotherholygods。
“我知道他的思绪飘向了哪里。”
“Iknowwhitherhisthoughtshadstrayed。
在城市的另一头,在铺着瓷器的平坦屋顶上,摆着绘有花朵的漂亮花瓶,美丽的璞坐在那里,她有调皮的小眼睛、饱满的嘴唇和小巧的脚。紧鞋让她脚疼,但她的心更疼。她优雅地抬起圆润的胳膊,她的绸缎衣服沙沙作响。在她面前放着一个玻璃碗,里面有四条金鱼。她用一根细长的漆棍小心地搅动着碗,动作非常缓慢,因为她也陷入了沉思。她是不是在想,也许,鱼儿身上的金装是多么华丽,它们在水晶般的世界里是多么平静安详地生活着,它们定期有人喂食,但如果它们是自由的,那该会多么幸福啊?是的,这一点她完全能理解,美丽的璞。她的思绪从家里飘走了,飘向了寺庙,但不是为了神圣的事物。可怜的璞!可怜的苏鸿!
“Atthefartherendofthecity,ontheflatroofpavedwithporcelain,onwhichstoodthehandsomevasescoveredwithpaintedflowers,satthebeauteouspu,ofthelittleroguisheyes,ofthefulllips,andofthetinyfeet。thetightshoepainedher,butherheartpainedherstillmore。Sheliftedhergracefulroundarm,andhersatindressrustled。beforeherstoodaglassbowlcontainingfourgold-fish。Shestirredthebowlcarefullywithaslenderlacqueredstick,veryslowly,forshe,too,waslostinthought。wasshethinking,perchance,howthefisheswererichlyclothedingold,howtheylivedcalmlyandpeacefullyintheircrystalworld,howtheywereregularlyfed,andyethowmuchhappiertheymightbeiftheywerefree?Yes,thatshecouldwellunderstand,thebeautifulpu。herthoughtswanderedawayfromherhome,wanderedtothetemple,butnotforthesakeofholythings。poorpu!poorSoui-hong!
“他们尘世的思绪相遇了,但我冰冷的光芒横在他们两人之间,就像天使之剑。”
“theirearthlythoughtsmet,butmycoldbeamlaybetweenthetwo,liketheswordofthecherub。”
第二十七个晚上
twENtY-SEVENthEVENING
“空气宁静。”月亮说,“水清澈得如同最纯净的以太,我在其中滑行,在水面下很深的地方,我能看到奇异的植物,它们像森林里的参天大树一样向我伸展着长长的手臂。鱼儿在它们的顶端游来游去。”
“theairwascalm,”saidthemoon;“thewaterwastransparentasthepurestetherthroughwhichIwasgliding,anddeepbelowthesurfaceIcouldseethestrangeplantsthatstretcheduptheirlongarmstowardsmelikethegigantictreesoftheforest。thefishesswamtoandfroabovetheirtops。
高空中一群野天鹅正在振翅飞翔,其中一只天鹅疲倦地扇动着翅膀,越飞越低,它的眼睛望着空中渐渐远去的雁群。它展开翅膀,缓缓降落,就像一个肥皂泡在静止的空气中下沉一样,直到触到水面。最后,它的头耷拉在翅膀中间,静静地躺在那里,像一朵白色的莲花漂浮在宁静的湖面上。一阵微风轻轻吹起,吹皱了平静的湖面,湖面闪烁着光芒,就像大片大片涌动的云朵;天鹅抬起头,闪烁着蓝色火焰般光芒的湖水溅落在它的胸脯和背上。黎明的曙光照亮了红色的云朵,天鹅振作起来,朝着初升的太阳飞去,朝着雁群飞去的蓝色海岸飞去;但它是孤独地飞翔,心中充满渴望。它孤独地飞越蓝色的波涛汹涌的大海。
“highintheairaflightofwildswanswerewingingtheirway,oneofwhichsanklowerandlower,withweariedpinions,hiseyesfollowingtheairycaravan,thatmeltedfartherandfartherintothedistance。withoutspreadwingshesankslowly,asasoapbubblesinksinthestillair,tillhetouchedthewater。Atlengthhisheadlaybackbetweenhiswings,andsilentlyhelaythere,likeawhitelotusfloweruponthequietlake。Andagentlewindarose,andcrispedthequietsurface,whichgleamedlikethecloudsthatpouredalongingreatbroadwaves;andtheswanraisedhishead,andtheglowingwatersplashedlikebluefireoverhisbreastandback。themorningdawnilluminatedtheredclouds,theswanrosestrengthened,andflewtowardstherisingsun,towardsthebluishcoastwhitherthecaravanhadgone;butheflewalone,withalonginginhisbreast。Lonelyheflewovertheblueswellingbillows。”
第二十八个晚上
twENtY-EIGhthEVENING
“我再给你一幅瑞典的画面。”月亮说。“在幽暗的松林之中,靠近斯托克森河忧郁的河岸,坐落着古老的韦雷塔修道院教堂。我的光芒透过格栅照进宽敞的拱顶下,国王们在巨大的石棺中静静地长眠。在每一个坟墓上方的墙上,都挂着世俗荣耀的象征——一顶王冠;但它只是用木头做成的,上了漆并镀了金,挂在一个钉在墙上的木钉上。”