High above the city, on a tall column[ˈkɒləm], stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires[ˈsæfaɪə(r)], and a large red ruby[ˈruːbi] glowed on his sword-hilt.

在城市上空一根高高的圆柱上，耸立着快乐王子的雕像。他全身上下镶满了一片片金叶子，他的眼睛是用两颗光彩夺目的蓝宝石做成的，他的剑柄上还嵌着一颗闪闪发光的红宝石。

He was very much admired indeed. "He is as beautiful as a weathercock[ˈweðəkɒk]," remarked one of the town councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; "only not quite so useful," he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.

“快乐王子就像风信鸡[1]一样漂亮。”一位市政会委员这么说道，他总是希望人们称赞他有艺术品位。“只是不那么实用。”他又加上一句，生怕人们以为他不讲实际，其实他并不是。

    [1] 又叫风向标，是测定风向的仪器，形状像鸡。

"Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?" asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. "The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything."

“为什么你不能像快乐王子一样呢？”一位通情达理的母亲问她的儿子，因为她的儿子想要月亮，又哭又闹。“快乐王子就算是在做梦时也绝对不会哭着要任何东西。”

"I am glad there is someone in the world who is quite happy," muttered[ˈmʌtə(r)] a disappointed man as he gazed at the wonderful statue.

“我很高兴这个世界上至少有一个人是很快乐的。”一个失落的男子凝望着这尊精美的雕像喃喃自语。

"He looks just like an angel," said the Charity Children as they came out of the cathedral in their bright scarlet[ˈskɑːlət] cloaks and their clean white pinafores[ˈpɪnəfɔː(r)].

“他看上去就像是一个天使。”慈善学校的孩子们说道。他们穿着鲜红的斗篷，系着洁白的围裙，正从大教堂里走出来。

"How do you know?" said the Mathematical Master, "you have never seen one."

“你们怎么知道他像个天使？”数学老师问道，“你们从来没见过天使。”

"Ah! but we have, in our dreams," answered the children; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming.

“啊！我们见过呀！在梦里见过！”孩子们回答道。数学老师皱了皱眉头，看上去非常严肃，因为他不赞成孩子们做梦。

One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful reed[riːd]. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender[ˈslendə(r)] waist that he had stopped to talk to her.

一天晚上，一只燕子飞到了这座城市。他的朋友们六周前去了埃及，但是他仍然留在这里，因为他爱上了一根美丽的芦苇。他和芦苇是在早春时节相遇的，当时他正顺河而下，追赶一只黄色的大飞蛾。他被芦苇纤细的腰肢深深地吸引了，于是停下来和她说话。

"Shall I love you?" said the Swallow, who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples['ripl].  This was his courtship[ˈkɔːtʃɪp], and it lasted all through the summer.

“我能爱你吗？”燕子问道，他说话喜欢开门见山。芦苇对他轻轻地弯下了腰，于是他围着芦苇飞呀飞，用他的翅膀触碰河水，河面泛起了一层层银色的涟漪。他的求爱持续了整整一个夏天。

"It is a ridiculous attachment," twittered the other Swallows, "she has no money, and far too many relations," and indeed the river was quite full of reeds. Then, when the autumn came they all flew away.

“这种迷恋太荒唐可笑了。”其他的燕子叽叽喳喳地说，“她没有钱，还有那么多亲戚。”确实，河里到处都是芦苇。秋天一到，其他燕子全都飞走了。

After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of his lady-love. "She has no conversation," he said, "and I am afraid that she is a coquette[kɒˈket], for she is always flirting with the wind." And certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful curtseys. "I admit that she is domestic," he continued, "but I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also."

伙伴们离开之后，燕子觉得很孤单，他开始厌倦他的爱人。“她不说话。”燕子说，“恐怕她还是一个卖弄风情的女子，因为她总是和风调情。”当然了，只要风一吹，芦苇就会行最优雅的屈膝礼。“我承认她很顾家。”燕子继续说道，“但是我热爱旅行，所以我的妻子也应该热爱旅行。”

"Will you come away with me?" he said finally to her, but the Reed shook her head, she was so attached to her home. "You have been trifling with me," he cried. "I am off to the Pyramids['pɪrəmɪdz]. Goodbye!" and he flew away.

“你愿意跟我一起走吗？”燕子最后一次问芦苇。但是芦苇摇了摇头，她太恋家了。“你一直在愚弄我！”燕子大声喊道，“我要离开这里去金字塔了，再见！”于是，他飞走了。

All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. "Where shall I put up?" he said; "I hope the town has made preparations."

飞了整整一天。晚上，他飞到了快乐王子所在的城市。“我该去哪里过夜呢？”他想。

Then he saw the statue on the tall column.

这时，燕子看到了耸立在高高的圆柱上的雕像。

"I will put up there," he cried; "it is a fine position, with plenty of fresh air." So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.

“我就在这里住下吧。”燕子大声说道，“这个位置很好，有足够的新鲜空气。”他飞下来，正好停在快乐王子的双脚之间。

"I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him. "What a curious thing!" he cried; "there is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful. The Reed used to like the rain, but that was merely her selfishness."

“我有一间金子做的卧室。”燕子环视四周，轻声对自己说，然后便准备入睡了。正当他要把头躲到翅膀下的时候，一大滴水落在他的身上。“真是怪事啊！”他叫了起来，“天上一朵云都没有，星星这么清晰、这么亮，却下起了雨！北欧的天气真是糟糕。以前，芦苇很喜欢下雨，但那是因为她自私。”

Then another drop fell.

紧接着，又一滴水落了下来。

"What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said. "I must look for a good chimney-pot," and he determined to fly away.

“如果一座雕像连雨都不能遮挡，那它还有什么用？”燕子说，“我一定要找一个好烟囱做窝。”于是他决定飞走。

But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, and saw—Ah! what did he see?

但是还没等燕子张开翅膀，第三滴水就落了下来。他抬头望去，然后看见了——啊！他看见了什么？

The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity.

快乐王子的眼眶里充满了泪水，泪珠顺着他那金色的脸颊流了下来。快乐王子的面容在月光下如此美丽，燕子内心顿生怜悯之情。

"Who are you?" he said.

“你是谁？”燕子问。

"I am the Happy Prince."

“我是快乐王子。”

"Why are you weeping then?" asked the Swallow; "you have quite drenched[drentʃd] me."

“那你为什么哭呢？”燕子问道，“你都快把我淋透了。”

"When I was alive and had a human heart," answered the statue, "I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci[sɔŋsu:'si:], where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the great hall. 

“当我活着的时候，我有一颗人类的心。”快乐王子回答道，“我不知道眼泪为何物，因为那时我住在无忧宫，那是一个悲哀无法进入的地方。白天我和我的同伴在花园里嬉戏，晚上我在大厅里领头跳舞。

Round the garden ran a very lofty[ˈlɒfti] wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep."

有一道很高很高的墙围住了花园，我从来没想过去问问墙外有些什么东西。我身边的事物都是那么美好。我的侍臣们都叫我快乐王子，那时我也的确很快乐、很幸福——如果说欢愉可以算作是幸福的话。我就这样活着，这样死去。现在我死了，他们把我立在这里，立得这么高，我可以看到城市里所有的丑恶和苦难。虽然我的心是铅做的，但我还是忍不住哭了。”

"What! Is he not solid gold?" said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud.

“什么？难道他不是纯金的？”燕子小声地自言自语。他十分有礼貌，不想大声作任何个人性的评价。

"Far away," continued the statue in a low musical voice, "far away in a little street there is a poor house. One of the windows is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at a table. Her face is thin and worn and she has coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle,  for she is a seamstress[ˈsiːmstrəs].

“在远处，”快乐王子用低沉悦耳的声音继续说道，“一条小街上有一所破房子，房子的一扇窗是敞开的，透过这扇窗，我能看到一个女人坐在桌边，她那脸瘦削、憔悴，双手被缝衣针扎得红肿粗糙，因为她是一名裁缝。

She is embroidering[im'brɔidə:riŋ] passion-flowers on a satin gown for the loveliest of the Queen's maids-of-honour to wear at the next court-ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her little boy is lying ill. He has a fever and is asking for oranges. His mother has nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my sword-hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move."

她正在为女王最宠爱的宫女绣缎子长裙上的西番莲花，宫女要穿着这条裙子参加宫廷舞会。这个女裁缝的儿子生病了，躺在房间角落里的床上。男孩发着烧，想吃橘子，可除了喂他点儿水之外，他的妈妈什么都给不了他，所以他在哭。燕子，燕子，小燕子，你能把我剑柄上的红宝石摘下来送给这个可怜的母亲吗？我的双脚被固定在基座上，无法动弹。”

"I am waited for in Egypt," said the Swallow. "My friends are flying up and down the Nile[nail], and talking to the large lotus-flowers. Soon they will go to sleep in the tomb of the great King. The King is there himself in his painted coffin[ˈkɒfɪn]. He is wrapped in yellow linen[ˈlɪnɪn], and embalmed with spices[s'paɪsɪz]. Round his neck is a chain of pale green jade[dʒeɪd], and his hands are like withered[ˈwɪðəd] leaves."

“伙伴们都在埃及等我呢。”燕子说，“他们在尼罗河上飞来飞去，和大朵大朵的莲花聊天。他们很快就要到伟大法老的墓穴里去睡觉了。法老躺在彩色的棺材里，他的身体被黄色的亚麻布包裹着，用防腐香料来保存；他的脖子上绕着一串浅绿色的翡翠项链；他的双手像是枯萎的叶子。”

"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the prince, "will you not stay with me for one night, and be my messenger? The boy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad."

“燕子，燕子，小燕子，”快乐王子说，“你难道不能和我呆一个晚上，做我的信使吗？那个男孩是那么地口渴，他的妈妈是那么地悲伤。”

"I don't think I like boys." answered the Swallow. "Last summer, when I was staying on the river there were two rude boys, the miller's sons,  who were always throwing stones at me. They never hit me, of course;  we swallows fly far too well for that, and besides, I come of a family famous for its agility[əˈdʒɪləti]; but still, it was a mark of disrespect."

“我想我并不喜欢男孩。”燕子回答道，“去年夏天，当我还呆在水边的时候，有两个粗鲁的男孩总是朝我扔石头，他们是磨坊主的儿子。当然，他们从来没有打中过我，我们燕子飞得快极了！而且，我来自一个以敏捷闻名的家庭。可是，扔石头毕竟是不礼貌的行为。”

But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallow was sorry. "It is very cold here," he said, "but I will stay with you for one night, and be your messenger."

快乐王子看起来那么悲伤，燕子心里很难过。“这里很冷，”燕子又说道，“但是我愿意和你呆一个晚上，做你的信使。”

"Thank you, little Swallow," said the Prince.

“谢谢你，小燕子。”快乐王子说。

So the Swallow picked out the great ruby from the Prince's sword, and flew away with it in his beak over the roofs of the town.

于是，燕子从快乐王子的剑柄上啄下了那颗红宝石，衔着它，飞过城市里的一个个屋顶。（未完待续）

快乐王子和小燕子之后又会发生什么事？小燕子又能陪伴快乐王子多久？一起来期待下一期的中英双语伴读吧！

*图片取自网络，仅供分享使用，侵删