安徒生童話：The Shadow 影子 上
來(lái)源：育路教育網(wǎng)發(fā)布時(shí)間：2011-08-03
The Shadow
It is in the hot lands that the sun burns， sure enough！ there the peoplebecome quite a mahogany brown， ay， and in the hottest lands they are burnt toNegroes. But now it was only to the hot lands that a learned man had come fromthe cold； there he thought that he could run about just as when at home， buthe soon found out his mistake.
He， and all sensible folks， were obliged to stay within doors——thewindow-shutters and doors were closed the whole day； it looked as if the wholehouse slept， or there was no one at home.
The narrow street with the high houses， was built so that the sunshine mustfall there from morning till evening——it was really not to be borne.
The learned man from the cold lands——he was a young man， and seemed to be aclever man——sat in a glowing oven； it took effect on him， he became quitemeagre——even his shadow shrunk in， for the sun had also an effect on it. Itwas first towards evening when the sun was down， that they began to freshen upagain.
In the warm lands every window has a balcony， and the people came out on allthe balconies in the street——for one must have air， even if one be accustomedto be mahogany！* It was lively both up and down the street. Tailors， andshoemakers， and all the folks， moved out into the street——chairs and tableswere brought forth——and candles burnt——yes， above a thousand lights wereburning——and the one talked and the other sung； and people walked andchurch-bells rang， and asses went along with a dingle-dingle-dong！ for theytoo had bells on. The street boys were screaming and hooting， and shouting andshooting， with devils and detonating balls——and there came corpse bearers andhood wearers——for there were funerals with psalm and hymn——and then the din ofcarriages driving and company arriving： yes， it was， in truth， lively enoughdown in the street. Only in that single house， which stood opposite that inwhich the learned foreigner lived， it was quite still； and yet some one livedthere， for there stood flowers in the balcony——they grew so well in the sun'sheat！ and that they could not do unless they were watered——and some one mustwater them——there must be somebody there. The door opposite was also openedlate in the evening， but it was dark within， at least in the front room；further in there was heard the sound of music. The learned foreigner thoughtit quite marvellous， but now——it might be that he only imagined it——for hefound everything marvellous out there， in the warm lands， if there had onlybeen no sun. The stranger's landlord said that he didn't know who had takenthe house opposite， one saw no person about， and as to the music， it appearedto him to be extremely tiresome. "It is as if some one sat there， andpractised a piece that he could not master——always the same piece. 'I shallmaster it！' says he； but yet he cannot master it， however long he plays."
* The word mahogany can be understood， in Danish， as having two meanings.In general， it means the reddish-brown wood itself； but in jest， it signifies"excessively fine，" which arose from an anecdote of Nyboder， in Copenhagen，（the seamen's quarter.） A sailor's wife， who was always proud and fine， in herway， came to her neighbor， and complained that she had got a splinter in herfinger. "What of？" asked the neighbor's wife. "It is a mahogany splinter，"said the other. "Mahogany！ It cannot be less with you！" exclaimed thewoman-and thence the proverb， "It is so mahogany！"-（that is， so excessivelyfine）——is derived.
One night the stranger awoke——he slept with the doors of the balcony open——thecurtain before it was raised by the wind， and he thought that a strange lustrecame from the opposite neighbor's house； all the flowers shone like flames， inthe most beautiful colors， and in the midst of the flowers stood a slender，graceful maiden——it was as if she also shone； the light really hurt his eyes.He now opened them quite wide——yes， he was quite awake； with one spring he wason the floor； he crept gently behind the curtain， but the maiden was gone； theflowers shone no longer， but there they stood， fresh and blooming as ever； thedoor was ajar， and， far within， the music sounded so soft and delightful， onecould really melt away in sweet thoughts from it. Yet it was like a piece ofenchantment. And who lived there？ Where was the actual entrance？ The whole ofthe ground-floor was a row of shops， and there people could not always berunning through.
One evening the stranger sat out on the balcony. The light burnt in the roombehind him； and thus it was quite natural that his shadow should fall on hisopposite neighbor's wall. Yes！ there it sat， directly opposite， between theflowers on the balcony； and when the stranger moved， the shadow also moved：for that it always does.
"I think my shadow is the only living thing one sees over there，" said thelearned man. "See， how nicely it sits between the flowers. The door standshalf-open： now the shadow should be cunning， and go into the room， look about，and then come and tell me what it had seen. Come， now！ Be useful， and do me aservice，" said he， in jest. "Have the kindness to step in. Now！ Art thougoing？" and then he nodded to the shadow， and the shadow nodded again. "Wellthen， go！ But don't stay away."
The stranger rose， and his shadow on the opposite neighbor's balcony rosealso； the stranger turned round and the shadow also turned round. Yes！ ifanyone had paid particular attention to it， they would have seen， quitedistinctly， that the shadow went in through the half-open balcony-door oftheir opposite neighbor， just as the stranger went into his own room， and letthe long curtain fall down after him.
Next morning， the learned man went out to drink coffee and read thenewspapers.
"What is that？" said he， as he came out into the sunshine. "I have no shadow！So then， it has actually gone last night， and not come again. It is reallytiresome！"
This annoyed him： not so much because the shadow was gone， but because he knewthere was a story about a man without a shadow.* It was known to everybody athome， in the cold lands； and if the learned man now came there and told hisstory， they would say that he was imitating it， and that he had no need to do.He would， therefore， not talk about it at all； and that was wisely thought.
*Peter Schlemihl， the shadowless man.
In the evening he went out again on the balcony. He had placed the lightdirectly behind him， for he knew that the shadow would always have its masterfor a screen， but he could not entice it. He made himself little； he madehimself great： but no shadow came again. He said， "Hem！ hem！" but it was of nouse.
It was vexatious； but in the warm lands everything grows so quickly； and afterthe lapse of eight days he observed， to his great joy， that a new shadow camein the sunshine. In the course of three weeks he had a very fair shadow，which， when he set out for his home in the northern lands， grew more and morein the journey， so that at last it was so long and so large， that it was morethan sufficient.
The learned man then came home， and he wrote books about what was true in theworld， and about what was good and what was beautiful； and there passed daysand years——yes！ many years passed away.
One evening， as he was sitting in his room， there was a gentle knocking at thedoor.
"Come in！" said he； but no one came in； so he opened the door， and there stoodbefore him such an extremely lean man， that he felt quite strange. As to therest， the man was very finely dressed——he must be a gentleman.
"Whom have I the honor of speaking？" asked the learned man.
"Yes！ I thought as much，" said the fine man. "I thought you would not knowme. I have got so much body. I have even got flesh and clothes. You certainlynever thought of seeing me so well off. Do you not know your old shadow？ Youcertainly thought I should never more return. Things have gone on well with mesince I was last with you. I have， in all respects， become very well off.Shall I purchase my freedom from service？ If so， I can do it"； and then herattled a whole bunch of valuable seals that hung to his watch， and he stuckhis hand in the thick gold chain he wore around his neck——nay！ how all hisfingers glittered with diamond rings； and then all were pure gems.
"Nay； I cannot recover from my surprise！" said the learned man. "What is themeaning of all this？"
"Something common， is it not，" said the shadow. "But you yourself do notbelong to the common order； and I， as you know well， have from a childfollowed in your footsteps. As soon as you found I was capable to go out alonein the world， I went my own way. I am in the most brilliant circumstances， butthere came a sort of desire over me to see you once more before you die； youwill die， I suppose？ I also wished to see this land again——for you know wealways love our native land. I know you have got another shadow again； have Ianything to pay to it or you？ If so， you will oblige me by saying what it is."
"Nay， is it really thou？" said the learned man. "It is most remarkable： Inever imagined that one's old shadow could come again as a man."
"Tell me what I have to pay，" said the shadow； "for I don't like to be in anysort of debt."
"How canst thou talk so？" said the learned man. "What debt is there to talkabout？ Make thyself as free as anyone else. I am extremely glad to hear of thygood fortune： sit down， old friend， and tell me a little how it has gone withthee， and what thou hast seen at our opposite neighbor's there——in the warmlands."
"Yes， I will tell you all about it，" said the shadow， and sat down： "but thenyou must also promise me， that， wherever you may meet me， you will never sayto anyone here in the town that I have been your shadow. I intend to getbetrothed， for I can provide for more than one family."
"Be quite at thy ease about that，" said the learned man； "I shall not say toanyone who thou actually art： here is my hand——I promise it， and a man's bondis his word."
"A word is a shadow，" said the shadow， "and as such it must speak."
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