《天使》，1844 年
the Angel, 1844
“每当一个好孩子死去，上帝的一位天使就会从天堂降临，把死去的孩子抱在怀里，展开他巨大的白色翅膀，带着他飞越孩子生前喜爱的所有地方。
“whenever a good child dies, an angel of God es down from heaven, takes the dead child in his arms, spreads out his great white wings, and flies with him over all the places which the child had loved during his life.
然后他采撷一大把鲜花，带到全能的上帝那里，好让它们在天堂比在人间开得更加艳丽。
then he gathers a large handful of flowers, which he carries up to the Almighty, that they may bloom more brightly in heaven than they do on earth.
而全能的上帝把这些花贴在自己的心口，但他会亲吻那朵最让他喜欢的花，那朵花便获得了声音，能够加入到幸福的合唱之中。”
And the Almighty presses the flowers to his heart, but he kisses the flower that pleases him best, and it receives a voice, and is able to join the song of the chorus of bliss.”
这些话是上帝的一位天使说的，当时他正带着一个死去的孩子飞往天堂，孩子听着，仿佛在梦中一般。
these words were spoken by an angel of God, as he carried a dead child up to heaven, and the child listened as if in a dream.
接着他们飞过一些熟悉的地方，那是小家伙常玩耍的地方，还穿过满是可爱花朵的美丽花园。
then they passed over well-known spots, where the little one had often played, and through beautiful gardens full of lovely flowers.
“我们要带哪些花去天堂移栽到那里呢？”
天使问道。
“which of these shall we take with us to heaven to be transplanted there?”
asked the angel.
附近长着一丛纤细、美丽的玫瑰树，但某个邪恶的手折断了它的茎干，半开的玫瑰花蕾在低垂的枝条上枯萎、凋谢了。
close by grew a slender, beautiful, rose-bush, but some wicked hand had broken the stem, and the half-opened rosebuds hung faded and withered on the trailing branches.
“可怜的玫瑰树！” 孩子说，“让我们把它带到天堂去吧，这样它就能在上帝的花园里绽放了。”
“poor rose-bush!” said the child, “let us take it with us to heaven, that it may bloom above in God’s garden.”
天使拿起了那丛玫瑰树；然后他亲吻了孩子，小家伙微微睁开了眼睛。
the angel took up the rose-bush; then he kissed the child, and the little one half opened his eyes.
天使还采了一些美丽的花朵，以及几朵不起眼的毛茛花和三色堇。
the angel gathered also some beautiful flowers, as well as a few humble buttercups and heart’s-ease.
“现在我们的花够多了。” 孩子说；但天使只是点了点头，他并没有向上飞往天堂。
“Now we have flowers enough,” said the child; but the angel only nodded, he did not fly upward to heaven.
这时是夜晚，大城市里十分寂静。
It was night, and quite still in the great town.
他们留在了这里，天使在一条狭小的街道上空盘旋，街道上有一大堆从搬走的人家房子里清理出来的稻草、灰烬和垃圾。
here they remained, and the angel hovered over a small, narrow street, in which lay a large heap of straw, ashes, and sweepings from the houses of people who had removed.
那里有破碎的盘子碎片、灰泥块、破布、旧帽子以及其他看着不太舒服的垃圾。
there lay fragments of plates, pieces of plaster, rags, old hats, and other rubbish not pleasant to see.
在这一片混乱之中，天使指着一个破花盆的碎片，以及从里面掉出来的一团泥土。
Amidst all this confusion, the angel pointed to the pieces of a broken flower-pot, and to a lump of earth which had fallen out of it.
是一株枯萎的野花的根把这团泥土维系在一起，不让它散开，而这株野花是被扔在这些垃圾当中的。
the earth had been kept from falling to pieces by the roots of a withered field-flower, which had been thrown amongst the rubbish.
“我们要把这个带上。” 天使说，“我们一边飞我一边给你讲为什么。”
“we will take this with us,” said the angel, “I will tell you why as we fly along.”
当他们飞行的时候，天使讲述了这段经历。
And as they flew the angel related the history.
“在那条狭窄的小巷里，在一个低矮的地窖里，住着一个可怜的生病的男孩；他从小就饱受病痛折磨，即使在身体状况最好的时候，他也只能拄着拐杖在房间里来回走上一两趟，再多就不行了。
“down in that narrow lane, in a low cellar, lived a poor sick boy; he had been afflicted from his childhood, and even in his best days he could just manage to walk up and down the room on crutches once or twice, but no more.
在夏天的一些日子里，阳光会在地窖的地板上停留大约半个小时。
during some days in summer, the sunbeams would lie on the floor of the cellar for about half an hour.
在这个地方，那个可怜的生病的男孩会坐在那里晒太阳取暖，还会把他纤细的手指举到面前，看着透过手指的红色血液。
In this spot the poor sick boy would sit warming himself in the sunshine, and watching the red blood through his delicate fingers as he held them before his face.
然后他会说自己出去过了，可实际上他对春天葱郁的绿林一无所知，直到邻居家的儿子给他从山毛榉树上折来一根绿树枝。
then he would say he had been out, yet he knew nothing of the green forest in its spring verdure, till a neighbor’s son brought him a green bough from a beech-tree.
他会把树枝放在头顶，想象着在阳光照耀、鸟儿欢快歌唱的时候自己正身处山毛榉树林里。
this he would place over his head, and fancy that he was in the beech-wood while the sun shone, and the birds carolled gayly.
在一个春日，邻居家的男孩给他带来了一些野花，其中有一朵花的根还连着呢。
one spring day the neighbor’s boy brought him some field-flowers, and among them was one to which the root still adhered.
他小心翼翼地把这朵花种在一个花盆里，放在床边靠窗的座位上。
this he carefully planted in a flower-pot, and placed in a window-seat near his bed.
这花种得很幸运，因为它生长起来了，长出了新芽，每年都开花。
And the flower had been planted by a fortunate hand, for it grew, put forth fresh shoots, and blossomed every year.
对这个生病的男孩来说，它成了一个绚丽的花园，是他在世上的小宝贝。
It became a splendid flower-garden to the sick boy, and his little treasure upon earth.
他给它浇水，悉心照料它，确保它能享受到从清晨第一缕阳光到傍晚日落时分照进地窖的每一缕阳光。
he watered it, and cherished it, and took care it should have the benefit of every sunbeam that found its way into the cellar, from the earliest morning ray to the evening sunset.
这花甚至萦绕在他的梦境里 —— 为他绽放，为他散发芬芳。
the flower entwined itself even in his dreams — for him it bloomed, for him spread its perfume.
它让他的眼睛焕发出喜悦的光彩，当上帝召唤他时，即使在临死之际，他的目光也转向了这朵花。
And it gladdened his eyes, and to the flower he turned, even in death, when the Lord called him.
他已经和上帝在一起一年了。
he has been one year with God.
在这期间，那朵花一直放在窗边，枯萎了，被人遗忘了，直到房客搬走那天，它最终被和垃圾一起扔到了街上。
during that time the flower has stood in the window, withered and forgotten, till at length cast out among the sweepings into the street, on the day of the lodgers’ removal.
而这朵可怜的、已经枯萎凋谢的花，我们把它加进了我们的花束里，因为它带来的快乐比王后花园里最美丽的花带来的还要真实。
And this poor flower, withered and faded as it is, we have added to our nosegay, because it gave more real joy than the most beautiful flower in the garden of a queen.”
“可你是怎么知道这一切的呢？”
被天使带往天堂的孩子问道。
“but how do you know all this?”
asked the child whom the angel was carrying to heaven.
“我知道，” 天使说，“因为我自己就是那个拄着拐杖走路的可怜生病的男孩，我很了解我自己的那朵花。”
“I know it,” said the angel, “because I myself was the poor sick boy who walked upon crutches, and I know my own flower well.”
然后孩子睁开眼睛，望着天使那光辉灿烂、幸福洋溢的脸庞，就在同一时刻，他们发现自己已经置身于那个充满幸福与欢乐的天堂家园了。
then the child opened his eyes and looked into the glorious happy face of the angel, and at the same moment they found themselves in that heavenly home where all is happiness and joy.
上帝把死去的孩子紧紧抱在怀里，还赐给他翅膀，这样他就能和天使手牵手一起飞翔了。
And God pressed the dead child to his heart, and wings were given him so that he could fly with the angel, hand in hand.
然后全能的上帝把所有的花都贴在自己的心口；但他亲吻了那朵枯萎的野花，于是它便获得了声音。
then the Almighty pressed all the flowers to his heart; but he kissed the withered field-flower, and it received a voice.
接着它便加入了天使们的歌声之中，天使们围绕着宝座，有的离得近，有的在稍远的一圈，但全都同样幸福。
then it joined in the song of the angels, who surrounded the throne, some near, and others in a distant circle, but all equally happy.
他们全都加入了赞美诗的合唱，无论伟大还是渺小 —— 善良、幸福的孩子，还有那朵曾经枯萎、被丢弃在狭窄黑暗街道上的一堆垃圾中的可怜野花。
they all joined in the chorus of praise, both great and small, — the good, happy child, and the poor field-flower, that once lay withered and cast away on a heap of rubbish in a narrow, dark street.