In one of the huts,two of the men laid themselves down to rest.The younger of these men had brought with him from home his best,his dearest treasure—a Bible,which his grandmother had given him on his departure.Every night the sacred (sacred adj.神的,宗教的,庄严的,神圣的)volume rested under his head,and he had known from his childhood what was written in it.Every day he read in the book,and while stretched on his cold couch,the holy words he had learnt would come into his mind:“If I take the wings of the morning,and fly to the uttermost (uttermost n.极端,最大限度)parts of the sea,even there Thou art with me,and Thy right hand shall uphold me.”and under the influence of that faith which these holy words inspired,sleep came upon him,and dreams,which are the manifestations (manifestation n.显示,表现,示威运动)of God to the spirit.
冰屋里已有两个人躺下来要睡了。这两个人之中最年轻的那一个身边带着他最好和最贵重的宝物——一部《圣经》。这是他动身前他的祖母送给他的。他每天晚上把它放在枕头下,他从儿童时代起就知道书里面写的是什么。他每天读一小段,而且每次翻开的时候,他就读到这句能给他安慰的神圣的话:“我如果展开清晨的翅膀,飞到海极居住,就是在那里,你的手一定引导我,你的右手,也必扶持我。”他记住那些含有真理的话,怀着信心,闭起眼睛;于是他睡着了,做起梦来。梦就是上帝给他的精神上的启示。
The soul lives and acts,while the body is at rest.He felt this life in him,and it was as if he heard the sound of dear,wellknown melodies,as if the breezes of summer floated around him,and over his couch shone a ray of brightness,as if it were shining through the covering of his snowroof.He lifted his head,and saw that the bright gleaming was not the reflection of the glittering snow,but the dazzling brightness of the pinions (pinion n.小齿轮)of a mighty angel,into whose beaming face he was gazing.
每当身体在休息的时候,灵魂就活跃起来,他能够感觉到这一点;这好似那些亲爱的、熟识的、旧时的歌声;这好像那在他身边吹动的、温柔的夏天的风。他从他睡的地方看到一片白光在他身上扩展开,好像是一件什么东西从雪屋顶上照进来了一样。他抬起头来看,这光亮并不是从墙上,或从天花板上射来的。它是从安琪儿肩上的两个大翅膀上射下来的。他朝他那发光的、温柔的脸上看去。
As from the cup of a lily,the angel rose from amidst the leaves of the Bible,and,stretching out his arm,the walls of the hut sunk down,as though they had been formed of a light,airy veil of mist,and the green hills and meadows of home,with its ruddy woods,lay spread around him in the quiet sunshine of a lovely autumn day.The nest of the stork was empty,but ripe fruit still hung on the wild appletree,although the leaves had fallen.The red hips gleamed on the hedges,and the starling which hung in the green cage outside the window of the peasants hut,which was his home,whistled the tune which he had taught him.His grandmother hung green birds food around the cage,as he,her grandson,had been accustomed to do.The daughter of the village blacksmith blacksmith n.锻工,铁匠,who was young and fair,stood at the well,drawing water.She nodded to the grandmother,and the old woman nodded to her,and pointed to a letter which had come from a long way off.
这位安琪儿从《圣经》的书页里升起来,好像是从百合的花萼里升上来一样。他伸开手臂,雪屋的墙在向下坠落,好像不过是一层轻飘的薄雾一样。故乡的绿草原、山丘和赤褐色的树林在美丽的秋天的太阳光中平静地展开来。鹳鸟的巢已空了,但是野苹果树上依然悬着苹果,虽然叶子都已经落掉了。玫瑰射出红光;在他的家——一个农舍——的窗子面前,一只八哥正在一个小绿笼子里唱歌。这只八哥所唱的就正是他以前教给它的那支歌。祖母在笼子上挂一些鸟食,亦如他——她的孙子——以前所做过的那样。铁匠的那个年轻而美丽的女儿,正站在井边汲水。她对祖母点了点头,祖母也对她招手,而且给她看一封远方的来信。
That very morning the letter had arrived from the cold regions of the north.There,where the absent one was sweetly sleeping under the protecting hand of God.They laughed and wept over the letter,and he,far away,amid ice and snow,under the shadow of the angels wings,wept and smiled with them in spirit,for he saw and heard it all in his dream.From the letter they read aloud the words of Holy Writ:“In the uttermost parts of the sea,Thy right hand shall uphold me.”And as the angel spread his wings like a veil over the sleeper,there was the sound of beautiful music and a hymn.
这封信正是这天从北极寒冷的地方寄来的。她的孙子如今就在上帝保护下,住在那儿。她们不禁大笑起来,又不禁哭起来;而他住在冰天雪地中,在安琪儿的双翼下,也不禁在精神上跟她们一起笑,一起哭。她们放声地读着信上所写的上帝的话:“在海极居住,你的右手,也必扶持我。”安琪儿在这个梦中的年轻人身上,伸开他的迷雾一般的翅膀,四周发出一阵动听的念圣诗的声音。
Then the vision fled.It was dark again in the snowhut.But the Bible still rested beneath his head,and faith and hope dwelt in his heart.God was with him,and he carried home in his heart,even“in the uttermost parts of the sea”.
梦做完了。雪屋里是一片漆黑,可是他的头底枕着《圣经》,他的心里充满了信心和希望。“在这辽远的海极”,上帝在他的身边,家也在他的身边!