《快乐王子》开篇：英文原著带中文翻译

High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.

快乐王子的雕像高高地耸立在城市上空，立在一根高大的石柱上面。他浑身上下镶满了薄薄的黄金叶片，明亮的蓝宝石做成他的双眼，剑柄上还嵌着一颗硕大的灿灿发光的红色宝石。

He was very much admired indeed. “He is as beautiful as a weathercock,” remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; “only not quite so useful,” he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.

世人对他真是称羡不已。「他像风标一样漂亮，」一位想表现自己有艺术品味的市参议员说了一句，接着又因担心人们将他视为不务实际的人，其实他倒是怪务实的，便补充说：「只是不如风标那么实用。」

“Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince?” asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. “The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything.”

「你为什么不能像快乐王子一样呢？」一位明白事理的母亲对她那个哭着要月亮的孩子说，「快乐王子连做梦也没想到会哭着要东西。」

“I am glad there is some one in the world who is quite happy,” muttered a disappointed man as he gazed at the wonderful statue.

「我真高兴世界上究竟还有一个人是很快乐的，」一个失意的人望着这座非常出色的像喃喃地说。

“He looks just like an angel,” said the Charity Children as they came out of the cathedral in their bright scarlet cloaks and their clean white pinafores.

「他很像一位天使，」孤儿院的孩子们说，他们正从大教堂出来，披着光亮夺目的猩红色斗篷，束着洁白的遮胸。

“How do you know?” said the Mathematical Master, “you have never seen one.”

「你们怎么知道？」数学先生说道，「你们从没见过一位天使。」

“Ah! but we have, in our dreams,” answered the children; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming.

「啊！可是我们在梦里见过的，」孩子们答道。数学先生皱起眉头，板着面孔，因为他不赞成小孩子做梦。

One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her.

某一个夜晚，一只小燕子飞过城市的上空。他的朋友们六个星期以前就到埃及去了，但是他还留在后面，因为他恋着那根最美丽的芦苇。他还是在早春遇见她的，那时他正沿着河顺流飞去，追一只黄色飞蛾，她的细腰很引起他的注意，他便站住同她谈起话来。

“Shall I love you?” said the Swallow, who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples. This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the summer.

「我可以爱你吗？」燕子说，他素来就有马上谈到本题的脾气，芦苇对他深深地弯一下腰。他便在她的身边不停地飞来飞去，用他的翅子点水，做出许多银色的涟漪。这便是他求爱的表示，他就这样地过了一整个夏天。

“It is a ridiculous attachment,” twittered the other Swallows; “she has no money, and far too many relations”; and indeed the river was quite full of Reeds. Then, when the autumn came they all flew away.

「这样的恋爱太可笑了，」别的燕子呢喃地说，「她没有钱，而且亲戚太多，」的确河边长满了芦苇，到处都是。后来秋天来了，他们都飞走了。

After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of his lady-love. “She has no conversation,” he said, “and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind.” And certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful curtseys. “I admit that she is domestic,” he continued, “but I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also.”

他们走了以后，他觉得寂寞，讨厌起他的爱人来了。他说：「她不讲话，我又害怕她是一个荡妇，因为她老是跟风调情。」这倒是真的，风一吹，芦苇就行着最动人的屈膝礼。他又说：「我相信她是惯于家居的，可是我喜欢旅行，那么我的妻子也应该喜欢旅行才成。」

“Will you come away with me?” he said finally to her; but the Reed shook her head, she was so attached to her home.

「你愿意跟我走吗？」他最后忍不住了问她道，然而芦苇摇摇头，她非常依恋家。

“You have been trifling with me,” he cried. “I am off to the Pyramids. Good-bye!” and he flew away.

「原来你从前是跟我寻开心的，」他叫道。「我现在到金字塔那边去了。再会吧！」他飞走了。

All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. “Where shall I put up?” he said; “I hope the town has made preparations.”

他飞了一整天，晚上他到了这个城市。「我在什么地方过夜呢？」他说，「我希望城里已经给我预备了住处。」

Then he saw the statue on the tall column.

随后他看见了立在高圆柱上面的那座像。

“I will put up there,” he cried; “it is a fine position, with plenty of fresh air.” So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.

「我就在这儿过夜吧，」他叫说，「这是一个空气新鲜的好地方。」他便飞下来，恰好停在快乐王子的两只脚中间。

“I have a golden bedroom,” he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him. “What a curious thing!” he cried; “there is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful. The Reed used to like the rain, but that was merely her selfishness.”

「我找到一个金的睡房了，」他轻轻地对自己说，他向四周看了一下，打算睡觉，但是他刚刚把头放到他的翅子下面去的时候，忽然大大的一滴水落到他的身上来。「多么奇怪的事！」他叫起来，「天上没有一片云，星星非常明亮，可是下起雨来了。北欧的天气真可怕。芦苇素来喜欢雨，不过那只是她的自私。」

Then another drop fell.

接着又落下了一滴。