笔和墨水壶
IN a poets room， where his inkstandinkstand n.墨水瓶 stood on the table， the remark was once made， “It is wonderful what can be brought out of an inkstand. What will come next？ It is indeed wonderful.”
在一个诗人的房间里的桌上放着一墨水甁，有人说：“一个墨水甁所能产生的东西真是了不起！下一步可能是什么呢？是，那一定是了不起的！”
“Yes， certainly，” said the inkstand to the pen， and to the other articles that stood on the table。 “Thats what I always say. It is wonderful and extraordinary what a number of things come out of me. Its quite incredibleincredible adj.（口）难以置信的， and I really dont know what is coming next when that man dips his pen into me. One drop out of me is enough for half a page of paper， and what cannot half a page contain？ From me， all the works of a poet are produced. All those imaginary characters whom people fancy they have known or met. All the deep feeling， the humorhumor n.幽默， 心情， 诙谐vt.迎合， 牵就， 顺应， and the vivid pictures of nature. I myself dont understand how it is， for I am not acquainted with nature， but it is certainly in me. From me have gone forth to the world those wonderful descriptions of troops of charming maidens， and of brave knights on prancing steeds. Of the halt and the blind， and I know not what more， for I assure you I never think of these things.”
“一点也不错，”墨水壶说，“那真是不可想像——我常常这样说！”它对那枝鹅毛笔和桌上其他能听见它的东西说。“我身上产生出来的东西该是多美妙啊！是的，这几乎让人难以相信！当人们把笔伸进我身体里去的时候，我自己也不知道，下一步我可以产生出什么东西。我只需拿出我的一滴就可以写半页字，记载一大堆东西。我的确是一件了不起的东西。我身上产生出所有的诗人的作品：人们以为自己所认识的那些生动的人、一切深沉的感情、幽默、大自然美丽的图画等。我自己也不理解，因为我不认识自然，但是它无疑是存在于我身体里面的。从我的身体出来的有：飘荡的人群、美丽的姑娘、骑着骏马的勇士、比尔·杜佛和吉斯丹·吉美尔。是的，我自己也不知道。——我坦白地说，我真想不到我会有什么东西拿出来。”
“There you are right，” said the pen， “for you dont think at all. If you did， you would see that you can only provide the means. You give the fluidfluid n.流动性， 流度adj.流动的， 不固定的， 可改变的， 可另派用场的， 流畅的 that I may place upon the paper what dwells in me， and what I wish to bring to light. It is the pen that writes. No man doubts that， and， indeed， most people understand as much about poetry as an old inkstand.”
“你这话说得对！”鹅毛笔说，“因为你完全不用头脑.如果你动脑思考的话，你就会知道，你只不过供给一项工具而已。你流出液体，好使我能把我心里的东西清楚地表达出来，真正在纸上写字的是笔呀！没有人会怀疑这一点。大多数人对诗的理解和一个老墨水甁差不了多少。”
“You have had very little experience，” replied the inkstand. “You have hardly been in service a week， and are already half worn out. Do you imagine you are a poet？ You are only a servant， and before you came I had many like you， some of the goose family， and others of English manufacture. I know a quillquill n.羽茎， 大翎毛， （豪猪、刺猬的）刚毛vt.刺穿 pen as well as I know a steel one. I have had both sorts in my service， and I shall have many more when he comes—the man who performs the mechanical part—and writes down what he obtains from me. I should like to know what will be the next thing he gets out of me.”
“你的经验实在少得可怜！”墨水甁说。“用不到一个星期，你就已经累得半死了。你幻想自己是一个诗人吗？你不过是一个佣人罢了。在你没有来以前，我可是认识不少你这种人。你们有的是属于鹅毛这个家族，有的是英国造的！鹅毛笔和钢笔，我都打过交道！许多都为我服务过；当他——人——回来时，还有更多的会来为我服务，——他这个人代替我行动，写下他从我身上取出来的东西。我倒很想知道，他会先从我身上取出什么来。”
“Inkpot！” exclaimed the pen contemptuouslycontemptuously adv.轻蔑地.
“墨水甁！”笔轻蔑地说。