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安徒生童话英文版:Holger Danske
添加时间:2014-02-24 16:16:05 浏览次数: 作者:Andersen
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  • IN Denmark there stands an old castle named Kronenburg, close by the Sound of Elsinore, where large ships, both English, Russian, and Prussian, pass by hundreds every day. And they salute1 the old castle with cannons3, “Boom, boom,” which is as if they said, “Good-day.” And the cannons of the old castle answer “Boom,” which means “Many thanks.” In winter no ships sail by, for the whole Sound is covered with ice as far as the Swedish coast, and has quite the appearance of a high-road. The Danish and the Swedish flags wave, and Danes and Swedes say, “Good-day,” and “Thank you” to each other, not with cannons, but with a friendly shake of the hand; and they exchange white bread and biscuits with each other, because foreign articles taste the best.

    But the most beautiful sight of all is the old castle of Kronenburg, where Holger Danske sits in the deep, dark cellar, into which no one goes. He is clad in iron and steel, and rests his head on his strong arm; his long beard hangs down upon the marble table, into which it has become firmly rooted; he sleeps and dreams, but in his dreams he sees everything that happens in Denmark. On each Christmas-eve an angel comes to him and tells him that all he has dreamed is true, and that he may go to sleep again in peace, as Denmark is not yet in any real danger; but should danger ever come, then Holger Danske will rouse himself, and the table will burst asunder4 as he draws out his beard. Then he will come forth5 in his strength, and strike a blow that shall sound in all the countries of the world.

    An old grandfather sat and told his little grandson all this about Holger Danske, and the boy knew that what his grandfather told him must be true. As the old man related this story, he was carving6 an image in wood to represent Holger Danske, to be fastened to the prow7 of a ship; for the old grandfather was a carver in wood, that is, one who carved figures for the heads of ships, according to the names given to them. And now he had carved Holger Danske, who stood there erect8 and proud, with his long beard, holding in one hand his broad battle-axe, while with the other he leaned on the Danish arms. The old grandfather told the little boy a great deal about Danish men and women who had distinguished9 themselves in olden times, so that he fancied he knew as much even as Holger Danske himself, who, after all, could only dream; and when the little fellow went to bed, he thought so much about it that he actually pressed his chin against the counterpane, and imagined that he had a long beard which had become rooted to it. But the old grandfather remained sitting at his work and carving away at the last part of it, which was the Danish arms. And when he had finished he looked at the whole figure, and thought of all he had heard and read, and what he had that evening related to his little grandson. Then he nodded his head, wiped his spectacles and put them on, and said, “Ah, yes; Holger Danske will not appear in my lifetime, but the boy who is in bed there may very likely live to see him when the event really comes to pass.” And the old grandfather nodded again; and the more he looked at Holger Danske, the more satisfied he felt that he had carved a good image of him. It seemed to glow with the color of life; the armor glittered like iron and steel. The hearts in the Danish arms grew more and more red; while the lions, with gold crowns on their heads, were leaping up.1 “That is the most beautiful coat of arms in the world,” said the old man. “The lions represent strength; and the hearts, gentleness and love.” And as he gazed on the uppermost lion, he thought of King Canute, who chained great England to Denmark’s throne; and he looked at the second lion, and thought of Waldemar, who untied10 Denmark and conquered the Vandals. The third lion reminded him of Margaret, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. But when he gazed at the red hearts, their colors glowed more deeply, even as flames, and his memory followed each in turn. The first led him to a dark, narrow prison, in which sat a prisoner, a beautiful woman, daughter of Christian11 the Fourth, Eleanor Ulfeld,2 and the flame became a rose on her bosom12, and its blossoms were not more pure than the heart of this noblest and best of all Danish women. “Ah, yes; that is indeed a noble heart in the Danish arms,” said the grandfather. and his spirit followed the second flame, which carried him out to sea,3 where cannons roared and the ships lay shrouded13 in smoke, and the flaming heart attached itself to the breast of Hvitfeldt in the form of the ribbon of an order, as he blew himself and his ship into the air in order to save the fleet. And the third flame led him to Greenland’s wretched huts, where the preacher, Hans Egede,4 ruled with love in every word and action. The flame was as a star on his breast, and added another heart to the Danish arms. And as the old grandfather’s spirit followed the next hovering14 flame, he knew whither it would lead him. In a peasant woman’s humble15 room stood Frederick the Sixth,5 writing his name with chalk on the beam. The flame trembled on his breast and in his heart, and it was in the peasant’s room that his heart became one for the Danish arms. The old grandfather wiped his eyes, for he had known King Frederick, with his silvery locks and his honest blue eyes, and had lived for him, and he folded his hands and remained for some time silent. Then his daughter came to him and said it was getting late, that he ought to rest for a while, and that the supper was on the table.

    “What you have been carving is very beautiful, grandfather,” said she. “Holger Danske and the old coat of arms; it seems to me as if I have seen the face somewhere.”

    “No, that is impossible,” replied the old grandfather; “but I have seen it, and I have tried to carve it in wood, as I have retained it in my memory. It was a long time ago, while the English fleet lay in the roads, on the second of April,6 when we showed that we were true, ancient Danes. I was on board the Denmark, in Steene Bille’s squadron; I had a man by my side whom even the cannon2 balls seemed to fear. He sung old songs in a merry voice, and fired and fought as if he were something more than a man. I still remember his face, but from whence he came, or whither he went, I know not; no one knows. I have often thought it might have been Holger Danske himself, who had swam down to us from Kronenburg to help us in the hour of danger. That was my idea, and there stands his likeness16.”

    The wooden figure threw a gigantic shadow on the wall, and even on part of the ceiling; it seemed as if the real Holger Danske stood behind it, for the shadow moved; but this was no doubt caused by the flame of the lamp not burning steadily17. Then the daughter-in-law kissed the old grandfather, and led him to a large arm-chair by the table; and she, and her husband, who was the son of the old man and the father of the little boy who lay in bed, sat down to supper with him. And the old grandfather talked of the Danish lions and the Danish hearts, emblems18 of strength and gentleness, and explained quite clearly that there is another strength than that which lies in a sword, and he pointed19 to a shelf where lay a number of old books, and amongst them a collection of Holberg’s plays, which are much read and are so clever and amusing that it is easy to fancy we have known the people of those days, who are described in them.

    “He knew how to fight also,” said the old man; “for he lashed20 the follies21 and prejudices of people during his whole life.”

    Then the grandfather nodded to a place above the looking-glass, where hung an almanac, with a representation of the Round Tower7 upon it, and said “Tycho Brahe was another of those who used a sword, but not one to cut into the flesh and bone, but to make the way of the stars of heaven clear, and plain to be understood. And then he whose father belonged to my calling,—yes, he, the son of the old image-carver, he whom we ourselves have seen, with his silvery locks and his broad shoulders, whose name is known in all lands;—yes, he was a sculptor22, while I am only a carver. Holger Danske can appear in marble, so that people in all countries of the world may hear of the strength of Denmark. Now let us drink the health of Bertel.”8

    But the little boy in bed saw plainly the old castle of Kronenburg, and the Sound of Elsinore, and Holger Danske, far down in the cellar, with his beard rooted to the table, and dreaming of everything that was passing above him.

    And Holger Danske did dream of the little humble room in which the image-carver sat; he heard all that had been said, and he nodded in his dream, saying, “Ah, yes, remember me, you Danish people, keep me in your memory, I will come to you in the hour of need.”

    The bright morning light shone over Kronenburg, and the wind brought the sound of the hunting-horn across from the neighboring shores. The ships sailed by and saluted23 the castle with the boom of the cannon, and Kronenburg returned the salute, “Boom, boom.” But the roaring cannons did not awake Holger Danske, for they meant only “Good morning,” and “Thank you.” They must fire in another fashion before he awakes; but wake he will, for there is energy yet in Holger Danske.



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    1 salute [səˈlu:t] rYzx4   第7级
    vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮
    参考例句:
    • Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag. 商船互相点旗致敬。
    • The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome. 这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。
    2 cannon [ˈkænən] 3T8yc   第7级
    n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮
    参考例句:
    • The soldiers fired the cannon. 士兵们开炮。
    • The cannon thundered in the hills. 大炮在山间轰鸣。
    3 cannons [ˈkænənz] dd76967b79afecfefcc8e2d9452b380f   第7级
    n.加农炮,大炮,火炮( cannon的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • One company had been furnished with six cannons. 某连队装备了六门大炮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    4 asunder [əˈsʌndə(r)] GVkzU   第11级
    adv.分离的,化为碎片
    参考例句:
    • The curtains had been drawn asunder. 窗帘被拉向两边。
    • Your conscience, conviction, integrity, and loyalties were torn asunder. 你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。
    5 forth [fɔ:θ] Hzdz2   第7级
    adv.向前;向外,往外
    参考例句:
    • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth. 风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
    • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession. 他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
    6 carving [ˈkɑ:vɪŋ] 5wezxw   第8级
    n.雕刻品,雕花
    参考例句:
    • All the furniture in the room had much carving. 房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
    • He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town. 他在老家学会了木雕手艺。
    7 prow [praʊ] T00zj   第11级
    n.(飞机)机头,船头
    参考例句:
    • The prow of the motor-boat cut through the water like a knife. 汽艇的船头像一把刀子劈开水面向前行驶。
    • He stands on the prow looking at the sea. 他站在船首看着大海。
    8 erect [ɪˈrekt] 4iLzm   第7级
    vt.树立,建立,使竖立;vi.直立;勃起;adj.直立的,垂直的
    参考例句:
    • She held her head erect and her back straight. 她昂着头,把背挺得笔直。
    • Soldiers are trained to stand erect. 士兵们训练站得笔直。
    9 distinguished [dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃt] wu9z3v   第8级
    adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的
    参考例句:
    • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses. 大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
    • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests. 宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
    10 untied [ʌnˈtaɪd] d4a1dd1a28503840144e8098dbf9e40f   第9级
    松开,解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 ); 解除,使自由; 解决
    参考例句:
    • Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来,我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
    • He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。
    11 Christian [ˈkrɪstʃən] KVByl   第7级
    adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
    参考例句:
    • They always addressed each other by their Christian name. 他们总是以教名互相称呼。
    • His mother is a sincere Christian. 他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
    12 bosom [ˈbʊzəm] Lt9zW   第7级
    n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的
    参考例句:
    • She drew a little book from her bosom. 她从怀里取出一本小册子。
    • A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom. 他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
    13 shrouded [ʃraudid] 6b3958ee6e7b263c722c8b117143345f   第9级
    v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 );保密
    参考例句:
    • The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
    • The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    14 hovering ['hɒvərɪŋ] 99fdb695db3c202536060470c79b067f   第7级
    鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
    参考例句:
    • The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
    • I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。
    15 humble [ˈhʌmbl] ddjzU   第7级
    adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;vt.降低,贬低
    参考例句:
    • In my humble opinion, he will win the election. 依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
    • Defeat and failure make people humble. 挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
    16 likeness [ˈlaɪknəs] P1txX   第8级
    n.相像,相似(之处)
    参考例句:
    • I think the painter has produced a very true likeness. 我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
    • She treasured the painted likeness of her son. 她珍藏她儿子的画像。
    17 steadily ['stedɪlɪ] Qukw6   第7级
    adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
    参考例句:
    • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow. 人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
    • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path. 我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
    18 emblems [embləmz] db84ab479b9c05c259ade9a2f3414e04   第10级
    n.象征,标记( emblem的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • His emblems are the spear and the burning torch. 他佩带的徽记是长矛和燃烧着的火炬。 来自辞典例句
    • Crystal prize, Crystal gift, Crystal trophy, Champion cup, Emblems. 水晶奖牌、水晶礼品、水晶纪念品、奖杯、金属奖牌。 来自互联网
    19 pointed [ˈpɔɪntɪd] Il8zB4   第7级
    adj.尖的,直截了当的
    参考例句:
    • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil. 他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
    • A safety pin has a metal covering over the pointed end. 安全别针在尖端有一个金属套。
    20 lashed [læʃt] 4385e23a53a7428fb973b929eed1bce6   第7级
    adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥
    参考例句:
    • The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
    • The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    21 follies ['fɒlɪz] e0e754f59d4df445818b863ea1aa3eba   第8级
    罪恶,时事讽刺剧; 愚蠢,蠢笨,愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • He has given up youthful follies. 他不再做年轻人的荒唐事了。
    • The writings of Swift mocked the follies of his age. 斯威夫特的作品嘲弄了他那个时代的愚人。
    22 sculptor [ˈskʌlptə(r)] 8Dyz4   第8级
    n.雕刻家,雕刻家
    参考例句:
    • A sculptor forms her material. 雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
    • The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere. 那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。
    23 saluted [səˈlu:tid] 1a86aa8dabc06746471537634e1a215f   第7级
    v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂
    参考例句:
    • The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
    • He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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