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安徒生童话英文版:The Bird of Popular Song
添加时间:2014-03-03 13:38:47 浏览次数: 作者:Andersen
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  • (1865)

    IT is winter-time. The earth wears a snowy garment, and looks like marble hewn out of the rock; the air is bright and clear; the wind is sharp as a well-tempered sword, and the trees stand like branches of white coral or blooming almond twigs2, and here it is keen as on the lofty Alps.

    The night is splendid in the gleam of the Northern Lights, and in the glitter of innumerable twinkling stars.

    But we sit in the warm room, by the hot stove, and talk about the old times. And we listen to this story:

    By the open sea was a giant’s grave; and on the grave-mound3 sat at midnight the spirit of the buried hero, who had been a king. The golden circlet gleamed on his brow, his hair fluttered in the wind, and he was clad in steel and iron. He bent4 his head mournfully, and sighed in deep sorrow, as an unquiet spirit might sigh.

    And a ship came sailing by. Presently the sailors lowered the anchor and landed. Among them was a singer, and he approached the royal spirit, and said,

    “Why mournest thou, and wherefore dost thou suffer thus?”

    And the dead man answered,

    “No one has sung the deeds of my life; they are dead and forgotten. Song doth not carry them forth5 over the lands, nor into the hearts of men; therefore I have no rest and no peace.”

    And he spoke6 of his works, and of his warlike deeds, which his contemporaries had known, but which had not been sung, because there was no singer among his companions.

    Then the old bard7 struck the strings8 of his harp1, and sang of the youthful courage of the hero, of the strength of the man, and of the greatness of his good deeds. Then the face of the dead one gleamed like the margin9 of the cloud in the moonlight. Gladly and of good courage, the form arose in splendor10 and in majesty11, and vanished like the glancing of the northern light. Nought12 was to be seen but the green turfy mound, with the stones on which no Runic record has been graven; but at the last sound of the harp there soared over the hill, as though he had fluttered from the harp, a little bird, a charming singing-bird, with ringing voice of the thrush, with the moving voice pathos13 of the human heart, with a voice that told of home, like the voice that is heard by the bird of passage. The singing-bird soared away, over mountain and valley, over field and wood—he was the Bird of Popular Song, who never dies.

    We hear his song—we hear it now in the room while the white bees are swarming14 without, and the storm clutches the windows. The bird sings not alone the requiem15 of heroes; he sings also sweet gentle songs of love, so many and so warm, of Northern fidelity16 and truth. He has stories in words and in tones; he has proverbs and snatches of proverbs; songs which, like Runes laid under a dead man’s tongue, force him to speak; and thus Popular Song tells of the land of his birth.

    In the old heathen days, in the times of the Vikings, the popular speech was enshrined in the harp of the bard.

    In the days of knightly17 castles, when the strongest fist held the scales of justice, when only might was right, and a peasant and a dog were of equal importance, where did the Bird of Song find shelter and protection? Neither violence nor stupidity gave him a thought.

    But in the gabled window of the knightly castle, the lady of the castle sat with the parchment roll before her, and wrote down the old recollections in song and legend, while near her stood the old woman from the wood, and the travelling peddler who went wandering through the country. As these told their tales, there fluttered around them, with twittering and song, the Bird of Popular Song, who never dies so long as the earth has a hill upon which his foot may rest.

    And now he looks in upon us and sings. Without are the night and the snow-storm. He lays the Runes beneath our tongues, and we know the land of our home. Heaven speaks to us in our native tongue, in the voice of the Bird of Popular Song. The old remembrances awake, the faded colors glow with a fresh lustre18, and story and song pour us a blessed draught20" target="_blank">draught19 which lifts up our minds and our thoughts, so that the evening becomes as a Christmas festival.

    The snow-flakes chase each other, the ice cracks, the storm rules without, for he has the might, he is lord—but not the LORD OF ALL.

    It is winter time. The wind is sharp as a two-edged sword, the snow-flakes chase each other; it seems as though it had been snowing for days and weeks, and the snow lies like a great mountain over the whole town, like a heavy dream of the winter night. Everything on the earth is hidden away, only the golden cross of the church, the symbol of faith, arises over the snow grave, and gleams in the blue air and in the bright sunshine.

    And over the buried town fly the birds of heaven, the small and the great; they twitter and they sing as best they may, each bird with his beak21.

    First comes the band of sparrows: they pipe at every trifle in the streets and lanes, in the nests and the houses; they have stories to tell about the front buildings and the back buildings.

    “We know the buried town,” they say; “everything living in it is piep! piep! piep!”

    The black ravens22 and crows flew on over the white snow.

    “Grub, grub!” they cried. “There’s something to be got down there; something to swallow, and that’s most important. That’s the opinion of most of them down there, and the opinion is goo-goo-good!”

    The wild swans come flying on whirring pinions23, and sing of the noble and the great, that will still sprout24 in the hearts of men, down in the town which is resting beneath its snowy veil.

    No death is there—life reigns25 yonder; we hear it on the notes that swell26 onward27 like the tones of the church organ, which seize us like sounds from the elf-hill, like the songs of Ossian, like the rushing swoop28 of the wandering spirits’ wings. What harmony! That harmony speaks to our hearts, and lifts up our souls! It is the Bird of Popular Song whom we hear.

    And at this moment the warm breath of heaven blows down from the sky. There are gaps in the snowy mountains, the sun shines into the clefts29; spring is coming, the birds are returning, and new races are coming with the same home sounds in their hearts.

    Hear the story of the year: “The night of the snow-storm, the heavy dream of the winter night, all shall be dissolved, all shall rise again in the beauteous notes of the Bird of Popular Song, who never dies!”



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    1 harp [hɑ:p] UlEyQ   第9级
    n.竖琴;天琴座
    参考例句:
    • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp. 她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
    • He played an Irish melody on the harp. 他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。
    2 twigs [twiɡz] 17ff1ed5da672aa443a4f6befce8e2cb   第8级
    细枝,嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
    • Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
    3 mound [maʊnd] unCzhy   第9级
    n.土墩,堤,小山;vt.筑堤,用土堆防卫;vi.积成堆
    参考例句:
    • The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them. 勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
    • The mound can be used as our screen. 这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。
    4 bent [bent] QQ8yD   第7级
    n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的;v.(使)弯曲,屈身(bend的过去式和过去分词)
    参考例句:
    • He was fully bent upon the project. 他一心扑在这项计划上。
    • We bent over backward to help them. 我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
    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 spoke [spəʊk] XryyC   第11级
    n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
    参考例句:
    • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company. 他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
    • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre. 辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
    7 bard [bɑ:d] QPCyM   第12级
    n.吟游诗人
    参考例句:
    • I'll use my bard song to help you concentrate! 我会用我的吟游诗人歌曲帮你集中精神!
    • I find him, the wandering grey bard. 我发现了正在徘徊的衰老游唱诗人。
    8 strings [strɪŋz] nh0zBe   第12级
    n.弦
    参考例句:
    • He sat on the bed, idly plucking the strings of his guitar. 他坐在床上,随意地拨着吉他的弦。
    • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp. 她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
    9 margin [ˈmɑ:dʒɪn] 67Mzp   第7级
    n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘
    参考例句:
    • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train. 我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
    • The village is situated at the margin of a forest. 村子位于森林的边缘。
    10 splendor ['splendə] hriy0   第10级
    n.光彩;壮丽,华丽;显赫,辉煌
    参考例句:
    • Never in his life had he gazed on such splendor. 他生平从没有见过如此辉煌壮丽的场面。
    • All the splendor in the world is not worth a good friend. 人世间所有的荣华富贵不如一个好朋友。
    11 majesty [ˈmædʒəsti] MAExL   第7级
    n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权
    参考例句:
    • The king had unspeakable majesty. 国王有无法形容的威严。
    • Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly! 尊贵的陛下,您必须赶快做出决定!
    12 nought [nɔ:t] gHGx3   第9级
    n./adj.无,零
    参考例句:
    • We must bring their schemes to nought. 我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
    • One minus one leaves nought. 一减一等于零。
    13 pathos [ˈpeɪθɒs] dLkx2   第10级
    n.哀婉,悲怆
    参考例句:
    • The pathos of the situation brought tears to our eyes. 情况令人怜悯,看得我们不禁流泪。
    • There is abundant pathos in her words. 她的话里富有动人哀怜的力量。
    14 swarming ['swɔ:mɪŋ] db600a2d08b872102efc8fbe05f047f9   第7级
    密集( swarm的现在分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
    参考例句:
    • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
    • The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。
    15 requiem [ˈrekwiəm] 3Bfz2   第11级
    n.安魂曲,安灵曲
    参考例句:
    • I will sing a requiem for the land walkers. 我会给陆地上走的人唱首安魂曲。
    • The Requiem is on the list for today's concert. 《安魂曲》是这次音乐会的演出曲目之一。
    16 fidelity [fɪˈdeləti] vk3xB   第8级
    n.忠诚,忠实;精确
    参考例句:
    • There is nothing like a dog's fidelity. 没有什么能比得上狗的忠诚。
    • His fidelity and industry brought him speedy promotion. 他的尽职及勤奋使他很快地得到晋升。
    17 knightly ['naɪtlɪ] knightly   第7级
    adj. 骑士般的 adv. 骑士般地
    参考例句:
    • He composed heroic songs and began to write many a tale of enchantment and knightly adventure. 他谱写英雄短歌并着手编写不少记叙巫术和骑士历险的故事。
    • If you wear knight costumes, you will certainly have a knightly manner. 身着骑士装,令您具有骑士风度。
    18 lustre [ˈlʌstə(r)] hAhxg   第11级
    n.光亮,光泽;荣誉;vi.有光泽,发亮;vt.使有光泽
    参考例句:
    • The sun was shining with uncommon lustre. 太阳放射出异常的光彩。
    • A good name keeps its lustre in the dark. 一个好的名誉在黑暗中也保持它的光辉。
    20 draught [drɑ:ft] 7uyzIH   第10级
    n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计
    参考例句:
    • He emptied his glass at one draught. 他将杯中物一饮而尽。
    • It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught. 可惜这房间没北窗,没有过堂风。
    21 beak [bi:k] 8y1zGA   第8级
    n.鸟嘴,茶壶嘴,钩形鼻
    参考例句:
    • The bird had a worm in its beak. 鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
    • This bird employs its beak as a weapon. 这种鸟用嘴作武器。
    22 ravens ['rævənz] afa492e2603cd239f272185511eefeb8   第11级
    n.低质煤;渡鸦( raven的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • Wheresoever the carcase is,there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸,哪里就有乌鸦麇集。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • A couple of ravens croaked above our boat. 两只乌鸦在我们小船的上空嘎嘎叫着。 来自辞典例句
    23 pinions [ˈpɪnjənz] 2704c69a4cf75de0d5c6017c37660a53   第11级
    v.抓住[捆住](双臂)( pinion的第三人称单数 )
    参考例句:
    • These four pinions act as bridges between the side gears. 这四组小齿轮起到连接侧方齿轮组的桥梁作用。 来自互联网
    • Tough the sword hidden among pinions may wound you. 虽然那藏在羽翼中间的剑刃也许会伤毁你们。 来自互联网
    24 sprout [spraʊt] ITizY   第7级
    n.芽,萌芽;vt.使发芽,摘去芽;vi.长芽,抽条
    参考例句:
    • When do deer first sprout horns? 鹿在多大的时候开始长出角?
    • It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout. 这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。
    25 reigns [reinz] 0158e1638fbbfb79c26a2ce8b24966d2   第7级
    n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 );君主统治时期;任期;当政期
    参考例句:
    • In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    • The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首,但不治国事。 来自辞典例句
    26 swell [swel] IHnzB   第7级
    vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强
    参考例句:
    • The waves had taken on a deep swell. 海浪汹涌。
    • His injured wrist began to swell. 他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。
    27 onward [ˈɒnwəd] 2ImxI   第9级
    adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先
    参考例句:
    • The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping. 黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
    • He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward. 他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。
    28 swoop [swu:p] nHPzI   第11级
    n.俯冲,攫取;vi.抓取,突然袭击;vt. 攫取;抓起
    参考例句:
    • The plane made a swoop over the city. 那架飞机突然向这座城市猛降下来。
    • We decided to swoop down upon the enemy there. 我们决定突袭驻在那里的敌人。
    29 clefts [k'lefts] 68f729730ad72c2deefa7f66bf04d11b   第10级
    n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 );裂口;cleave的过去式和过去分词;进退维谷
    参考例句:
    • Clefts are often associated with other more serious congenital defects. 裂口常与其他更严重的先天性异常并发。 来自辞典例句
    • Correction of palate clefts is much more difficult and usually not as satisfactory. 硬腭裂的矫正更为困难,且常不理想。 来自辞典例句

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