第 1 节
作者:
打死也不说 更新:2022-11-23 12:13 字数:9322
FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
BEAUTY OF FORM AND BEAUTY OF MIND
by Hans Christian Andersen
THERE was once a sculptor; named Alfred; who having won the
large gold medal and obtained a travelling scholarship; went to Italy;
and then came back to his native land。 He was young at that time…
indeed; he is young still; although he is ten years older than he
was then。 On his return; he went to visit one of the little towns in
the island of Zealand。 The whole town knew who the stranger was; and
one of the richest men in the place gave a party in his honor; and all
who were of any consequence; or who possessed some property; were
invited。 It was quite an event; and all the town knew of it; so that
it was not necessary to announce it by beat of drum。
Apprentice…boys; children of the poor; and even the poor people
themselves; stood before the house; watching the lighted windows;
and the watchman might easily fancy he was giving a party also;
there were so many people in the streets。 There was quite an air of
festivity about it; and the house was full of it; for Mr。 Alfred;
the sculptor; was there。 He talked and told anecdotes; and every one
listened to him with pleasure; not unmingled with awe; but none felt
so much respect for him as did the elderly widow of a naval officer。
She seemed; so far as Mr。 Alfred was concerned; to be like a piece
of fresh blotting…paper that absorbed all he said and asked for
more。 She was very appreciative; and incredibly ignorant… a kind of
female Gaspar Hauser。
〃I should like to see Rome;〃 she said; 〃it must be a lovely
city; or so many foreigners would not be constantly arriving there。
Now; do give me a description of Rome。 How does the city look when you
enter in at the gate?〃
〃I cannot very well describe it;〃 said the sculptor; 〃but you
enter on a large open space; in the centre of which stands an obelisk;
which is a thousand years old。〃
〃An organist!〃 exclaimed the lady; who had never heard the word
'obelisk。' Several of the guests could scarcely forbear laughing;
and the sculptor would have had some difficulty in keeping his
countenance; but the smile on his lips faded away; for he caught sight
of a pair of dark…blue eyes close by the side of the inquisitive lady。
They belonged to her daughter; and surely no one who had such a
daughter could be silly。 The mother was like a fountain of
questions; and the daughter; who listened but never spoke; might
have passed for the beautiful maid of the fountain。 How charming she
was! She was a study for the sculptor to contemplate; but not to
converse with; for she did not speak; or; at least; very seldom。
〃Has the pope a great family?〃 inquired the lady。
The young man answered considerately; as if the question had
been a different one; 〃No; he does not come from a great family。〃
〃That is not what I asked;〃 persisted the widow; 〃I mean; has he a
wife and children?〃
〃The pope is not allowed to marry;〃 replied the gentleman。
〃I don't like that;〃 was the lady's remark。
She certainly might have asked more sensible questions; but if she
had not been allowed to say just what she liked; would her daughter
have been there; leaning so gracefully on her shoulder; and looking
straight before her; with a smile that was almost mournful on her
face?
Mr。 Alfred again spoke of Italy; and of the glorious colors in
Italian scenery; the purple hills; the deep blue of the Mediterranean;
the azure of southern skies; whose brightness and glory could only
be surpassed in the north by the deep…blue eyes of a maiden; and he
said this with a peculiar intonation; but she who should have
understood his meaning looked quite unconscious of it; which also
was charming。
〃Beautiful Italy!〃 sighed some of the guests。
〃Oh; to travel there!〃 exclaimed others。
〃Charming! Charming!〃 echoed from every voice。
〃I may perhaps win a hundred thousand dollars in the lottery;〃
said the naval officer's widow; 〃and if I do; we will travel… I and my
daughter; and you; Mr。 Alfred; must be our guide。 We can all three
travel together; with one or two more of our good friends。〃 And she
nodded in such a friendly way at the company; that each imagined
himself to be the favored person who was to accompany them to Italy。
〃Yes; we must go;〃 she continued; 〃but not to those parts where
there are robbers。 We will keep to Rome。 In the public roads one is
always safe。〃
The daughter sighed very gently; and how much there may be in a
sigh; or attributed to it! The young man attributed a great deal of
meaning to this sigh。 Those deep…blue eyes; which had been lit up this
evening in honor of him; must conceal treasures; treasures of heart
and mind; richer than all the glories of Rome; and so when he left the
party that night; he had lost it completely to the young lady。 The
house of the naval officer's widow was the one most constantly visited
by Mr。 Alfred; the sculptor。 It was soon understood that his visits
were not intended for that lady; though they were the persons who kept
up the conversation。 He came for the sake of the daughter。 They called
her Kaela。 Her name was really Karen Malena; and these two names had
been contracted into the one name Kaela。 She was really beautiful; but
some said she was rather dull; and slept late of a morning。
〃She has been accustomed to that;〃 her mother said。 〃She is a
beauty; and they are always easily tired。 She does sleep rather
late; but that makes her eyes so clear。〃
What power seemed to lie in the depths of those dark eyes! The
young man felt the truth of the proverb; 〃Still waters run deep:〃
and his heart had sunk into their depths。 He often talked of his
adventures; and the mamma was as simple and eager in her questions
as on the first evening they met。 It was a pleasure to hear Alfred
describe anything。 He showed them colored plates of Naples; and
spoke of excursions to Mount Vesuvius; and the eruptions of fire
from it。 The naval officer's widow had never heard of them before。
〃Good heavens!〃 she exclaimed。 〃So that is a burning mountain; but
is it not very dangerous to the people who live near it?〃
〃Whole cities have been destroyed;〃 he replied; 〃for instance;
Herculaneum and Pompeii。〃
〃Oh; the poor people! And you saw all that with your own eyes?〃
〃No; I did not see any of the eruptions which are represented in
those pictures; but I will show you a sketch of my own; which
represents an eruption I once saw。〃
He placed a pencil sketch on the table; and mamma; who had been
over…powered with the appearance of the colored plates; threw a glance
at the pale drawing and cried in astonishment; 〃What; did you see it
throw up white fire?〃
For a moment; Alfred's respect for Kaela's mamma underwent a
sudden shock; and lessened considerably; but; dazzled by the light
which surrounded Kaela; he soon found it quite natural that the old
lady should have no eye for color。 After all; it was of very little
consequence; for Kaela's mamma had the best of all possessions;
namely; Kaela herself。
Alfred and Kaela were betrothed; which was a very natural
result; and the betrothal was announced in the newspaper of the little
town。 Mama purchased thirty copies of the paper; that she might cut
out the paragraph and send it to friends and acquaintances。 The
betrothed pair were very happy; and the mother was happy too。 She said
it seemed like connecting herself with Thorwalsden。
〃You are a true successor of Thorwalsden;〃 she said to Alfred; and
it seemed to him as if; in this instance; mamma had said a clever
thing。 Kaela was silent; but her eyes shone; her lips smiled; every
movement was graceful;… in fact; she was beautiful; that cannot be
repeated too often。 Alfred decided to take a bust of Kaela as well
as of her mother。 They sat to him accordingly; and saw how he
moulded and formed the soft clay with his fingers。
〃I suppose it is only on our account that you perform this
common…place work yourself; instead of leaving it to your servant to
do all that sticking together。〃
〃It is really necessary that I should mould the clay myself;〃 he
replied。
〃Ah; yes; you are always so polite;〃 said mamma; with a smile; and
Kaela silently pressed his hand; all soiled as it was with the clay。
Then he unfolded to them both the beauties of Nature; in all her
works; he pointed out to them how; in the scale of creation; inanimate
matter was inferior to animate nature; the plant above the mineral;
the animal above the plant; and man above them all。 He strove to
show them how the beauty of the mind could be displayed in the outward
form; and that it was the sculptor's task to seize upon that beauty of
expression; and produce it in his works。 Kaela stood silent; but
nodded in approbation of what he said; while mamma…in…law made the
following confession:…
〃It is difficult to follow you; but I go hobbling along after
you with my thoughts; though what yo