老路灯
DID you ever hear the story of the old street lamp？ It is not remarkably interesting， but for once in a way you may as well listen to it. It was a most respectable old lamp， which had seen many， many years of service， and now was to retire with a pension. It was this evening at its post for the last time， giving light to the street. His feelings were something like those of an old dancer at the theatre， who is dancing for the last time， and knows that on the morrowmorrow n.次日 she will be in her garret， alone and forgotten. The lamp had very great anxiety about the next day， for he knew that he had to appear for the first time at the town hall， to be inspected by the mayor and the council， who were to decide if he were fit for further service or not；—whether the lamp was good enough to be used to light the inhabitants of one of the suburbssuburb n.市郊， 郊区， or in the country， at some factory； and if not， it would be sent at once to an iron foundry， to be melted down. In this latter case it might be turned into anything， and he wondered very much whether he would then be able to remember that he had once been a street lamp， and it troubled him exceedingly. Whatever might happen， one thing seemed certain， that he would be separated from the watchman and his wife， whose family he looked upon as his own. The lamp had first been hung up on that very evening that the watchman， then a robustrobust adj.精力充沛的 young man， had entered upon the duties of his office. Ah， well， it was a very long time since one became a lamp and the other a watchman. His wife had a little pride in those days； she seldom condescendedcondescend vi.谦逊， 屈尊 to glance at the lamp， excepting when she passed by in the evening， never in the daytime. But in later years， when all these，—the watchman， the wife， and the lamp—had grown old， she had attended to it， cleaned it， and supplied it with oil. The old people were thoroughly honest， they had never cheated the lamp of a single drop of the oil provided for it.
你听过老路灯的故事吗？它并不十分有趣，不过听它一次也无妨。这是一个很值得尊敬的老路灯。它为人们服务了很多很多年，现在有偿退休了。这是它最后一晚待在杆子上，为这条街道照明。它的心情很像一个剧院老舞女，现在是她最后一晚登台，她明白明天她就要回到顶楼里去了。这个“明天”使得路灯恐惧，因为它知道它将第一次要在市政府出现，被市长和议员审查一番，看它是不是还能接着用。那时就要决定：要不要把它送去照亮一座桥，或是送到乡下的一个工厂里去，也有可能直接送到一个炼铁厂去被熔掉。在这种状况下，它可能被改造成为任何东西。不过，它不知道，它是不是还能记得它曾经一度做过路灯——这问题使它感到很烦恼。不管状况怎样，它将会跟那个守夜人和他的妻子离开——它始终把他们当作自己的家属。它当路灯的时候也正是他当守夜人的时候。那时他的老婆很有点自负。她只有在晚上走过路灯的时候，才看它一眼；在白天她是不理它的。不过最近几年间，他们仨——守夜人、老婆和路灯——都老了；这位太太也来照顾它，洗擦它，在它里面加加油。这对夫妇是很诚实的；他们从来不占路灯的便宜。
This was the lamps last night in the street， and tomorrow he must go to the townhall，—two very dark things to think of. No wonder he did not burn brightly. Many other thoughts also passed through his mind. How many persons he had lighted on their way， and how much he had seen. As much， very likely， as the mayor and corporationcorporation n.［律］社团， 法人， 公司， 企业 themselves！ None of these thoughts were uttered aloud， however. For he was a good， honorable old lamp， who would not willingly do harm to anyone， especially to those in authority. As many things were recalled to his mind， the light would flash up with sudden brightness. He had， at such moments， a convictionconviction n.深信， 确信， 定罪， 宣告有罪 that he would be remembered. “There was a handsome young man once，” thought he， “it is certainly a long while ago， but I remember he had a little note， written on pink paper with a gold edge. The writing was elegant， evidently a ladys hand： twice he read it through， and kissed it， and then looked up at me， with eyes that said quite plainly， ‘I am the happiest of men！’ Only he and I know what was written on this his first letter from his ladylove. Ah， yes， and there was another pair of eyes that I remember，—it is really wonderful how the thoughts jump from one thing to another！ A funeral passed through the street. A young and beautiful woman lay on a bier， decked with garlandsgarland n.花环vt.戴花环 of flowers， and attended by torches， which quite overpowered my light. All along the street stood the people from the houses， in crowds， ready to join the procession. But when the torches had passed from before me， and I could look round， I saw one person alone， standing， leaning against my post， and weeping. Never shall I forget the sorrowful eyes that looked up at me.”
现在是路灯在街上的最后一晚了，明天它就得到市政府去，这两件事情让它一想起就难过！不难想像，它现在点燃的劲头热情不大。它的脑子里面也起了许多别的感想。它该是看过多少东西，该是照过多少东西啊，也许它看过的东西还比得上市长和议员们呢。不过它不愿意说出来，因为它是一个和善的老路灯。它不愿意触怒任何人，更不愿意触怒那些当权的人。它想起很多事情；偶尔之间，它的亮光就闪一下，仿佛它有这样的感受：“是的，人们也会记得我！曾经有一位好看的年轻人——是的，那是很久很久以前的事了！他拿着一封信走来——一封写在有金边的、粉红色的纸上的信，字迹是那么美丽，像是一位小姐的手笔。他把它读了两次，亲了它一下，随后抬起头来看着我，他的眼睛在说：‘我是一个最幸福的人！’只有他和我晓得他的恋人的第一封信所写的是什么东西。我还想起了另一对眼睛。说来也真奇怪，我们的思想会那么漫无边际！街上有一个盛大的送葬的行列。有一位年轻美丽的少妇躺在一个棺材里。棺材搁在铺满了天鹅绒的、盖满了花朵和花圈的柩车上，很多火炬几乎把我的眼睛都弄晕了。整个人行道上都挤满了人，他们都跟在柩车后面。但当火炬看不见了的时候，我向周围望了一眼：还有一个人靠着路灯杆子在哭呢。我永远也忘记不了那双望着我的悲哀的眼睛！”
These and similar reflections occupied the old street lamp， on this the last time that his light would shine. The sentry， when he is relieved from his post， knows at least who will succeed him， and may whisper a few words to him， but the lamp did not know his successor， or he could have given him a few hints respecting rain， or mist， and could have informed him how far the moons rays would rest on the pavement， and from which side the wind generally blew， and so on.
很多这类的追忆在老路灯的思想中闪过——这个今晚最后一次照着的老路灯。一个要下班的哨兵最低限度会晓得谁来接他的班，还可以和接班的人交代几句话。但是路灯却不知道它的后来人；它也许会提供一点关于雨和雾这类事情的情况，关于月亮在人行道上可以照多远。风儿多半会从哪方吹来这类材料。