夜莺与玫瑰（节选）

2018-11-30

时代英语·高一 2018年6期

作品簡介：

《夜莺与玫瑰》是英国唯美主义作家王尔德创作的童话作品之一，故事以一只夜莺受大学生的爱情感动、培育玫瑰为主线，体现了其超脱的唯美主义意识。作者奥斯卡·王尔德（Oscar Wilde，1854年—1900年）是英国著名的剧作家、小说家、诗人，以戏剧创作和童话作品闻名世界。王尔德的童话被誉为“世界上最美丽的童话”，也被称为“世界上最感人的童话”。

And when the moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree， and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn， and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened. All night long she sang， and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast， and her life-blood ebbed away from her.

She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And on the topmost spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvelous rose， petal following petal， as song followed song. Pale was it， at first， as the mist that hangs over the river—pale as the feet of the morning， and silver as the wings of the dawn. As the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver， as the shadow of a rose in a water-pool， so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree.

But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. “Press closer， little Nightingale，” cried the Tree， “or the Day will come before the rose is finished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn， and louder and louder grew her song， for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.

And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose， like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet reached her heart， so the roses heart remained white， for only a Nightingales hearts blood can crimson the heart of a rose.

And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. “Press closer， little Nightingale，” cried the Tree， “or the Day will come before the rose is finished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn， and the thorn touched her heart， and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter， bitter was the pain， and wilder and wilder grew her song， for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death， of the Love that dies not in the tomb.

And the marvelous rose became crimson， like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals， and crimson as a ruby was the heart.

But the Nightingales voice grew fainter， and her little wings began to beat， and a film came over her eyes. Fainter and fainter grew her song， and she felt something choking her in her throat.

Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heard it， and she forgot the dawn， and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it， and it trembled all over with ecstasy， and opened its petals to the cold morning air. Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills， and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river， and they carried its message to the sea.

“Look， look！” cried the Tree， “the rose is finished now.” But the Nightingale made no answer， for she was lying dead in the long grass， with the thorn in her heart.

当月亮升上天空，月光四射，夜莺便飞到那棵玫瑰树上，将胸口压向尖刺。她整夜地歌唱着，那夜空中晶莹的月亮也俯下身来静静聆听。她整夜地歌唱着，那刺越插越深，她生命的血液渐渐溢去。

最先她歌颂的是稚男幼女心胸里爱恋的诞生。于是那玫瑰树顶尖枝上结了一苞卓绝的玫瑰蕾，歌儿一首连着一首地唱，花瓣一片跟着一片地开。起先那瓣儿是暗淡的，如同河上罩着的薄雾——暗淡得如同晨曦的交际，银灰的又好似曙光的翅翼。那枝上的玫瑰蕾，就像映在银镜里的玫瑰影子或是照在池塘的玫瑰化身。

但是那树还催迫着夜莺往自己的胸口紧插那根刺。“再靠紧一些，小夜莺，”那树连声叫唤，“不然，玫瑰还没生成，白昼就要来临！”

于是夜莺把尖刺插得更深，悠扬的歌声更加响亮，因她这回所歌颂的是成年男女心中热忱爱恋的诞生。

那玫瑰瓣上生长出一层娇嫩的红晕，如同初吻新娘时新郎旳绛颊。只是那刺还未插到夜莺的心房，因此玫瑰花的花心尚留着白色，只有夜莺的心血才可以把玫瑰花的花心彻底染红。

那树又催迫着夜莺往自己的胸口紧插那根刺。“再靠紧一些，小夜莺，”那树连声叫唤，“不然，玫瑰还没生成，白昼就要来临！”

于是夜莺把尖刺又插深一些，玫瑰花刺插入她的心房，深入骨髓的疼痛传遍她的全身。那种惨痛愈猛、愈烈，她的歌声越狂、越壮，因为她这回歌颂的是因死而完成的挚爱和冢中不朽的爱情。

那卓绝的玫瑰变作鲜红，如同东方的天色。花的外瓣红同烈火，花的內心赤如绛玉。

但夜莺的声音越唱越模糊，她小小的双翅拍动起来，眼睛蒙上一层薄膜。她的歌声越来越模糊，她觉得喉间哽咽。

然后她唱出最后的歌声。白色的残月听见后，似乎忘记了黎明，在天空踌躇着。那玫瑰花也听见了，凝神战栗着，在清冷的晓风里瓣瓣开放。回音将歌声领入山坡上暗紫色的洞穴，将牧羊人从梦中惊醒。歌声流入河边的芦苇丛，苇叶将信息传与大海。

那玫瑰树叫道：“看呀，看呀，这玫瑰生成了！” 然而夜莺并不回答，她已躺在乱草丛中死去，那尖刺还插在她的心头。

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