枞树
FAR d
这篇故事收集在《新的童话》第二部。枞树在“太阳照着，鸟儿唱着歌”的青翠树林中，被迁到“一间漂亮大客厅里”，作为圣诞树，身上挂满了闪耀的银丝，蓝色、白色的蜡烛和小礼品袋，经历很不平凡，也很光荣，它可说达到了它生活的顶峰，但它却很害怕，享受不了这意想不到的光荣和幸福。待圣诞节一过，它所能起的作用终了，它就被扔到废物堆里了，最后被当作柴火烧掉了。这也是我们人生中常见的现象。安徒生写这篇故事据说不是想说明这个问题，而是在泄露在他进入中年期间——他发表这篇故事时正好是40岁——灵魂的不安。由于什么而不安？他没有作出回答。只是从这时开始，他的写作风格进入了一个转折点：由充满了浪漫主义的幻想和诗情，转向冷静而略带一点哀愁的，有关人生的现实主义描绘。
own in the forest，where the warm sun and the fresh air made a sweet restingplace，grew a pretty little firtree，and yet it was not happy，it wished so much to be tall like its companions—the pines and firs which grew around it.The sun shone，and the soft air fluttered its leaves，and the little peasant children passed by，prattling merrily，but the firtree heeded them not.Sometimes the children would bring a large basket of raspberries or strawberries，wreathed on a straw，and seat themselves near the firtree，and say，“Is it not a pretty little tree？”which made it feel more unhappy than before.And yet all this while the tree grew a notch or joint taller every year，for by the number of joints in the stem of a firtree we can discover its age.Still，as it grew，it complained，“Oh！how I wish I were as tall as the other trees，then I would spread out my branches on every side，and my top would overlook the wide world.I should have the birds building their nests on my boughs，and when the wind blew，I should bow with stately dignity(dignity n.尊严，高贵)like my tall companions.”The tree was so discontented(discontented adj.不满意的)，that it took no pleasure in the warm sunshine，the birds，or the rosy clouds that floated over it morning and evening.
外头的大树林里长着一株非常可爱的小枞树。因为它生长的地点很好，能得到太阳光和充足的新鲜空气，周围还有许多大朋友——别的松树和枞树。不过这株小枞树急着想长大，它一点也不理睬新鲜的空气和温暖的太阳。当农家的小孩子出来找草莓和覆盆子走来走去闲散地聊天时，它也不理会他们。有时他们带着满钵子的或用草穿起来的长串的莓子到来。他们坐在小枞树身边，说：“嗨，这个小东西是多可爱啊！”而这株树一点也不愿意听这话。一年之后它长了一节；再过一年它又长了一节。因此你只要看枞树有多少节，就知道它已长了多少年。“啊，我希望我是一株大树，像别的树一样！”小枞树叹了一口气说道，“那么我就可以将我的枝丫向四周伸展开来，我的头顶就可以看看这个广大的世界！那么鸟儿就可以在我的枝上做巢；我就能像别的树一样，当风吹起来的时候，像煞有介事地点点头了。”它对此很不满意，以至于它对于太阳、鸟雀，对于在早晨或晚间飘过去的玫瑰红云，一丁点儿也不感到兴趣。
Sometimes，in winter，when the snow lay white and glittering on the ground，a hare would come springing along，and jump right over the little tree.And then how mortified it would feel！Two winters passed，and when the third arrived，the tree had grown so tall that the hare was obliged to run round it.Yet it remained unsatisfied，and would exclaim，“Oh，if I could but keep on growing tall and old！There is nothing else worth caring for in the world！”In the autumn，as usual，the woodcutters came and cut down several of the tallest trees，and the young firtree，which was now grown to its full height，shuddered as the noble trees fell to the earth with a crash(crash n.碰撞，坠落，坠毁v.碰撞，坠落，坠毁，垮台)。After the branches were lopped off，the trunks looked so slender and bare，that they could scarcely be recognized.Then they were placed upon wagons，and drawn by horses out of the forest.“Where were they going？What would become of them？”The young firtree wished very much to know.So in the spring，when the swallows and the storks came，it asked，“Do you know where those trees were taken？Did you meet them？”
现在是冬天了，四周的积雪发出白亮的光。有时一只野兔子跑过来，从小枞树身上跳过去。啊！这才让它生气哪！不过两个秋天又过去了。当第三个冬天到来的时候，兔子只好绕着已经长大的小枞树走过去。啊！生长，生长，长成大树，然后变老，只有这才是世界上最快活的事情！小枞树这么想。在冬天，伐木人如期而至砍下几株最大的树。这类事情每年总有一次。这株年轻的枞树现在已长得相当大了；它有点颤抖起来，因为那些堂皇的大树轰然一声倒到地上来了。它们全身溜光，枝子被砍掉，又长又瘦……根本辨不出它们是谁，它们装在车上被马儿拉出树林，它们到什么地方去了呢？它们又会变成什么呢？小枞树迫切地想知道，在春天，当燕子和鹳鸟飞来时，枞树就问它们：“你们知道人们把它们运到什么地方去了吗？你们碰见过它们没有？”
The swallows knew nothing，but the stork，after a little reflection，nodded his head，and said，“Yes，I think I do.I met several new ships when I flew from Egypt，and they had fine masts that smelt like fir.I think these must have been the trees.I assure you they were stately，very stately(stately adj.庄严的，堂皇的)。”
燕子什么都不知道。不过鹳鸟小思片刻，然后连连点着头，说：“我想是的，是的！当我从埃及飞出来时，我碰到过许多新船。这些船上有许多散发着枞树气味的漂亮的桅杆，我想它们就是那些树。我确信见过它们昂着头！它们扬着头。”
“Oh，how I wish I were tall enough to go on the sea.”said the firtree.“What is the sea，and what does it look like？”
“啊，我多希望我也能大得足够在大海上航行！”枞树说，“海是什么样子的呢？海究竟是怎样的呢？”
“It would take too much time to explain.”said the stork，flying quickly away.
“嗨，要解释起来，那可是太不简单！”鹳鸟说着便疾飞走。
“Rejoice in thy youth，”said the sunbeam，“rejoice in thy fresh growth，and the young life that is in thee.”
“享受你的青春吧，”太阳光说，“享受你身体里新鲜的生命力，享受你蓬勃的生长吧！”
And the wind kissed the tree，and the dew watered it with tears，but the firtree regarded them not.
风儿吻着这棵树，露珠在它身上滴着眼泪。但是这枞株树一点也感悟不到它们的存在。
Christmastime drew near，and many young trees were cut down，some even smaller and younger than the firtree who enjoyed neither rest nor peace with longing to leave its forest home.These young trees，which were chosen for their beauty，kept their branches，and were also laid on wagons(wagon n.四轮马车，货车v.用运货马车运输货物)and drawn by horses out of the forest.
圣诞节到来有许多很年轻的树了，被砍掉了。有的既不像枞树那样老，也不像它那样大，更不像它那样性急，老想跑开。这些年轻的树儿正是一些最漂亮的树儿，因此它们都保持住它们的枝叶。马儿把它们拉出了树林。当然是装在车上被拉走的。
“Where are they going？”asked the firtree.“They are not taller than I am.Indeed，one is much less and why are the branches not cut off？Where are they going？”
“它们到哪个地方去呢？”枞树问。“它们并不比我更大。是的，有一株比我还小得多呢。为什么它们要保留住枝叶呢？它们给送到什么地方去呢？”
“We know，we know，”sang the sparrows，“we have looked in at the windows of the houses in the town，and we know what is done with them.They are dressed up in the most splendid manner.We have seen them standing in the middle of a warm room，and adorned with all sorts of beautiful things，—honey cakes，gilded apples，playthings，and many hundreds of wax tapers(taper n.锥形，锥度v.逐渐变细，逐渐减少)。”
“我们知道！我们知道！”麻雀叽叽喳喳地说道。“我们在城里朝玻璃窗里面瞧过！我们知道它们到哪个地方去！哦！它们要到最富丽堂皇的地方去！我们从窗子里瞧过。我们看到它们被放在一个温暖房间的中央，身上装饰着很多最美丽的东西……涂了金的苹果啦，蜂蜜做的糕饼啦，玩具啦，还有成千成百的蜡烛啦！”