一本不说话的书
这是一首散文诗，收进安徒生于1851年出版的游记《在瑞典》一书中，为该书的第18章。这本“不说话的书”实际上说了许多话——说明了一个“老学生”的一生：“假如我们把我们年轻时代的旧信拿出来读读，我们会产生一种多么奇怪的感觉啊！整个的一生和这生命中的希望和哀愁都会浮现出来。”正因为那个“老学生”就要把保留着他“一生的希望和哀愁”的那本书装进他的棺材里去……那么他将在坟墓里得到他的安息。
IN the highroad.which led through a wood stood a solitary(solitary adj.孤独的)farmhouse.The road，in fact，ran right through its yard.The sun was shining and all the windows were open；within the house people were very busy.In the yard，in an arbour formed by lilac(lilac n.[植］丁香，紫丁香，丁香花，淡紫色adj.淡紫色的)bushes in full bloom，stood an open coffin；thither they had carried a dead man，who was to be buried that very afternoon.Nobody shed a tear over him；his face was covered over with a white cloth，under his head they had placed a large thick book，the leaves of which consisted of folded sheets of blottingpaper，and withered flowers lay between them.It was the herbarium(herbarium n.腊叶集，干燥标本集)which he had gathered in various places and was to be buried with him，according to his own wish.Every one of the flowers in it was connected with some chapter of his life.
在通往树林的公路上，有一个孤单的农庄。事实上，人们沿着公路可以一直走进这农家的大院子里去。太阳照耀着；所有的窗户敞开着。房子里面是一片忙碌的声音；可在院子里，在一个开满了花的紫丁香组成的凉亭下，放着一口敞着的棺材。一个这天上午就要入葬的死人躺在里面。可是没有一个人对他流一滴眼泪。他的脸被一块白布盖着，他的头底下垫着一大本厚书。书页是由一整张灰纸叠成的；每一页上夹着一支萎谢了的花。这是一本完整的植物标本，在许多不同的地方搜集得来的。
遵照他的遗嘱它要陪死者一起被埋葬掉。每朵花都与他生命的一章紧密相连。
“Who is the dead man？”we asked.
“死者是谁呢？”我们问。
“The old student，”was the reply，“They say that he was once an energetic young man，that he studied the dead languages，and sang and even composed many songs；then something had happened to him，and in consequence of this he gave himself up to drink，body and mind.When at last he had ruined his health，they brought him into the country，where someone paid for his board and residence.He was gentle as a child as long as the sullen(sullen adj.愠怒的，沉沉不乐的，（天气等）阴沉的)mood did not come over him.But when it came he was fierce，became as strong as a giant，and ran about in the wood like a chased deer.But when we succeeded in bringing him home，and prevailed(prevail vi.流行，盛行，获胜，成功)upon him to open the book with the driedup plants in it，he would sometimes sit for a whole day looking at this or that plant，while frequently the tears rolled over his cheeks.God knows what was in his mind.But he requested us to put the book into his coffin，and now he lies there.In a little while the lid will be placed upon the coffin(coffin n.棺材)，and he will have sweet rest in the grave！”
回答是：“他是一个老学生。人们说他曾是一个活泼的年轻人：他钻研废弃了的语言，他会唱歌，还会作词。后来，他曾经遭遇到某种事故，他把他的生命和思想沉浸在烧酒里。当他的健康最终也毁在酒里的时候，他们就让他搬到这个乡下来。别人供给他膳宿。只要阴郁的情绪不来袭击他的时候，他是纯洁得如一个孩子，因为这时他就变得特别活泼，在森林里跑来跑去，像一只被追逐着的雄鹿。不过，只要我们把他喊回家来，叫他看看这本装满了干植物的书，他便能坐一整天，一会儿看看那种植物，一会儿看看这种植物。有时他的眼泪就沿着他的脸滚下来：只有上帝知道他在想什么东西！可是他要求把这本书装进他的棺材里去。所以现在它就躺在那里面。不一会儿就会钉上棺材盖子，那么他将在坟墓里得到他的安息。”
The cloth which covered his face was lifted up.The dead mans face expressed peace—a sunbeam(sunbeam n.阳光光束，快乐的人)fell upon it.A swallow flew with the swiftness of an arrow into the arbour，turning in its flight，and twittered(twitter vi.啭，鸟鸣，摆动vt.嘁嘁喳喳地讲，抖动n.鸟鸣声，喋喋不休)over the dead mans head.
他的面布被揭开了。死人的面上露出一种平和的表情，一束太阳光线射在它上面。一只燕子像箭似的飞进凉亭里来，飞快地掉转身，在死人的头上嘁嘁喳喳叫了几声。
What a strange feeling it is—surely we all know it—to look through old letters of our young days，a different life rises up out of the past，as it were，with all its hopes and sorrows.How many of the people with whom in those days we used to be on intimate(intimate adj.亲密的，隐私的vt.宣布，明白表示n.熟友)terms appear to us as if dead，and yet they are still alive—only we have not thought of them for such a long time，whom we imagined we should retain in our memories for ever，and share every joy and sorrow with them.
我们都知道，假若我们把我们年轻时代的旧信拿出来读读，我们会产生一种多么奇怪的感觉啊！整个的一生和这生命中的希望和哀愁都会浮现出来。我们在那时候来往很亲密的一些人，现在该是有多少已经死去了啊！但是他们还是活着的，只不过我们好久没有想到他们罢了。那时我们认为永远会跟他们亲密地生活在一起，会跟他们一起同甘共苦。
The withered(withered adj.凋败了的；枯萎的，干瘪的，（手等）尽是皱纹的)oak leaf in the book here recalled the friend，the schoolfellow，who was to be his friend for life.He fixed the leaf to the students cap in the green wood，when they vowed eternal friendship.Where does he dwell now？The leaf is kept，but the friendship does no longer exist.Here is a foreign hothouse plant hothouse(plant温室植物)，too tender for the gardens of the North.It is almost as if its leaves still smelt sweet！She gave it to him out of her own garden—a noblemans daughter.
这书里面有一片枯萎了的橡树叶子。它使这书的主人记起一位老朋友——一位校友，一位终身的友伴。他在一个绿树林中把这片叶子插在学生帽上，从那时起他们结为“终生的”朋友。现在他住在什么地方呢？这片叶子被保存了下来，可是友情已遗忘了！这儿有一棵在温室里培养出来的异国的植物；对于北国的花园说来，它是过于娇嫩了；它的叶子好像还保留着它的香气。这是一位贵族花园里的小姐把它摘下来送给他的。
Here is a pondlily that he had plucked himself，and watered with salt tears—a lily of sweet water.And here is a nettle.What may its leaves tell us？What might he have thought when he plucked and kept it？Here is a little snowdrop(snowdrop n.[植］雪花莲)out of the solitary wood，Here is an evergreen from the flowerpot at the tavern，and here is a simple blade of grass.
这儿有一朵睡莲。它是他亲手摘下来的，而且被他的咸眼泪把它润湿过——这朵在甜水里生长的睡莲。这儿有一根荨麻——它的叶子说明了什么呢？当他把它采下来与把它保存下来的时候，他心里在想些什么呢？这里有一朵从酒馆的花盆里摘下来的金银花；这里有一朵幽居在森林里的铃兰花；这里有一片尖尖的草叶！
The lilac bends its fresh fragrant flowers over the dead mans head.The swallow passes again—“twit，twit；”now the men come with hammer and nails.The lid is placed over the dead man，while his head rests on the dumb book—so long cherished，now closed for ever！
开满了花的紫丁香在死者的头上面轻轻垂下它芬芳的、新鲜的花簇。燕子又飞过去了，“唧唧！唧唧！”。此时人们拿着锤子和钉子走来了。棺材盖在死者之上盖下了——他的头在这个不说话的书上安息。埋葬了——遗忘了！