“Now we will commence dancing.”said the fairy;“And when it is nearly over at sunset,while I am dancing with you,I shall make a sign,and ask you to follow me,but do not obey.I shall be obliged to repeat the same thing for a hundred years;and each time,when the trial is past,if you resist,you will gain strength,till resistance becomes easy,and at last the temptation will be quite overcome.This evening,as it will be the first time,I have warned you.”
“现在让我们开始跳舞吧!”仙女说。“当我和你跳完了,当太阳落下去了的时候,我将向你招手。我对你喊:‘跟我一起来吧。’不过请你不要听这话,因为在这100年间我每晚必定说一回这样的话。你每次经过这样一个考验,你就会获得更多的力量;最后你就会一点也不想这话了。今晚开始。我已经提醒你了!”
After this the fairy led him into a large hall,filled with transparent lilies.The yellow stamina of each flower formed a tiny golden harp,from which came forth strains of music like the mingled tones of flute(flute n.长笛,笛状物,凹槽)and lyre(lyre n.七弦琴,小竖琴).Beautiful maidens,slender and graceful in form,and robed in transparent gauze,floated through the dance,and sang of the happy life in the garden of paradise,where death never entered,and where all would bloom forever in immortal youth.As the sun went down,the whole heavens became crimson and gold,and tinted the lilies with the hue of roses.Then the beautiful maidens offered to the prince sparkling wine;and when he had drank,he felt happiness greater than he had ever known before.Presently the background of the hall opened and the tree of knowledge appeared,surrounded by a halo of glory that almost blinded him.Voices,soft and lovely as his mothers sounded in his ears,as if she were singing to him,“My child,my beloved(beloved adj.心爱的n.所爱的人,爱人)child.”
仙女把他带到一个摆满了透明的百合花的大厅里。每朵花的黄色花蕊是一个小小的发出弦乐器和芦笛的声音的金色竖琴。许多苗条的美丽女子,穿着轻雾似的薄纱衣服,露出她们可爱的四肢,在轻盈地跳舞。她们歌唱着生存的快乐,歌唱她们永不灭亡,花朵在天国花园永远开。太阳落下去了。整个天空变成一片金黄,把百合花染上一层最美丽的玫瑰色。王子喝着这些姑娘倒出的泛着泡沫的美酒,无比幸福。他看见大厅的背景在他面前展开;知识之树在放出光芒,使他的眼睛发花。歌声是柔和的,美丽的,像他母亲在歌唱:“我的孩子!我亲爱的孩子!”
Then the fairy beckoned to him,and said in sweet accents,“Come with me,come with me.”Forgetting his promise,forgetting it even on the very first evening,he rushed towards her,while she continued to beckon to him and to smile.The fragrance around him overpowered his senses,the music from the harps sounded more entrancing,while around the tree appeared millions of smiling faces,nodding and singing.“Man should know everything;man is the lord of the earth.”The tree of knowledge no longer wept tears of blood,for the dewdrops shone like glittering stars.
仙女向他招手,对他亲热地说:“跟我来吧!”于是他就朝她走去。他忘记了自己的诺言,忘记了那头一个晚上。她在招手,在微笑。环绕在他周围的芬芳的气息越变越浓,竖琴也更好听。在这生长着知识之树的大厅里,现在似乎有好几个面孔在向他点头歌唱,“大家应该知道,人类是世界的主人!”滴下的知识树的叶子上不再是血的眼泪;在他的眼中,这似乎是发亮的红星。
“Come,come.”continued that thrilling voice,and the prince followed the call.At every step his cheeks glowed,and the blood rushed wildly through his veins.“I must follow,”he cried;“it is not a sin,it cannot be,to follow beauty and joy.I only want to see her sleep,and nothing will happen unless I kiss her,and that I will not do,for I have strength to resist,and a determined will.”
“跟我来吧!快跟我来吧!”一个颤抖的声音说。王子每走一步,就感到自己的面孔更灼热,血流淌得更快。“我一定来!”他说。“这不是,也不可能是罪过!为什么不追求美与快乐呢?我要看看她的睡态!只要我不吻她,我就不会有什么损失。我决不去做这事,我是坚强有果敢的意志的!”
The fairy threw off her dazzling attire,bent back the boughs,and in another moment was hidden among them.
仙女脱下耀眼的外衣,分开垂枝,不一会儿就躲进树枝里去了。