THE GOBLIN AND THE WOMAN (1867)

　　小精灵和女人（1867）

　　You know the Goblin, but do you know the Woman—the Gardener’s wife

　　你知道小精灵，但你知道那个女人——园丁的妻子吗？

　　She was very well read and knew poems by heart; yes, and she could write them, too, easily, except that the rhymes—“clinchings,” as she called them—gave her a little trouble.

　　她博览群书，能背诵诗歌；是的，她也能轻易地写诗，只是那些韵脚——她称之为“扣合”——给她带来了一点小麻烦。

　　She had the gift of writing and the gift of speech; she could very well have been a parson or at least a parson’s wife.

　　她有写作的天赋，也有口才；她本可以成为一名牧师，或者至少是牧师的妻子。

　　“Earth is beautiful in her Sunday gown,” she said, and this thought she had expanded and set down in poetic form, with “clinchings,” making a poem that was so long and lovely.

　　“大地披着她的周日盛装，真美，”她说，并将这个想法扩展，以诗的形式，用“扣合”写了下来，写成了一首如此长而可爱的诗。

　　The Assistant Schoolmaster, Mr. Kisserup (not that his name matters at all), was her nephew, and on a visit to the Gardener’s he heard the poem.

　　助理小学教师基瑟鲁普先生（并非他的名字很重要）是她的侄子，在拜访园丁家时听到了这首诗。

　　It did him good, he said, a lot of good.

　　他说这对他有好处，大有好处。

　　“You have soul, Madam,” he said.

　　“夫人，您有灵魂，”他说。

　　“Stuff and nonsense!” said the Gardener.

　　“胡说八道！”园丁说。

　　“Don’t be putting such ideas in her head!

　　“别往她脑袋里塞这种想法！

　　Soul! A wife should be a body, a good, plain, decent body, and watch the pot, to keep the porridge from burning.”

　　灵魂！妻子应该是个身体，一个善良、朴实、体面的身体，看好锅，别让粥烧糊了。”

　　“I can take the burnt taste out of the porridge with a bit of charcoal,” said the Woman.

　　“我可以用一点木炭去掉粥里的糊味，”女人说。

　　“And I can take the burnt taste out of you with a little kiss.

　　“我可以用一个吻去掉你身上的‘糊味’。

　　You pretend you don’t think of anything but cabbage and potatoes, but you love the flowers, too.” Then she kissed him.

　　你假装除了卷心菜和土豆什么都不想，可你也爱花呀。”然后她吻了他。

　　“Flowers are the soul!”

　　“花就是灵魂！”

　　“Mind your pot!” he said, as he went off to the garden.

　　“看好你的锅！”他说着朝花园走去。

　　That was his pot, and he minded it.

　　那是他的锅，所以他看着它。

　　But the Assistant Schoolmaster stayed on, talking to the woman.

　　但助理小学教师留了下来，和女人聊天。

　　Her lovely words, “Earth is beautiful,” he made a whole sermon of, which was his habit.

　　她可爱的句子“大地真美”，他整篇讲道都围绕它展开，这是他的习惯。

　　“Earth is beautiful, and it shall be subject unto you! was said, and we became lords of the earth.

　　“大地是美丽的，它将臣服于你！有人这样说过，我们成了大地的主人。

　　One person rules with the mind, one with the body; one comes into the world like an exclamation mark of astonishment, another like a dash that denotes faltering thought, so that we pause and ask, why is he here

　　有人用头脑统治，有人用身体；有人来到世上像惊叹号一样令人惊奇，有人像破折号，表示犹豫不决的思想，让我们停下来问，他为什么在这里？

　　One man becomes a bishop, another just a poor assistant schoolmaster, but everything is for the best.

　　一个人成为主教，另一个只是可怜的助理小学教师，但一切都是最好的安排。

　　Earth is beautiful and always in her Sunday gown.

　　大地是美丽的，总是穿着她的周日盛装。

　　That was a thought-provoking poem, Madam, full of feeling and geography!”

　　这是一首发人深省的诗，夫人，充满情感和地理意味！”

　　“You have soul, Mr. Kisserup,” said the Woman, “a great deal of soul, I assure you.

　　“您有灵魂，基瑟鲁普先生，”女人说，“我向您保证，您有很多灵魂。

　　After talking with you, one clearly understands oneself.”

　　和您交谈后，人能清楚地了解自己。”

　　And so they talked on, equally well and beautifully.

　　于是他们继续交谈，同样精彩而美好。

　　But out in the kitchen somebody else was talking, and that was the Goblin, the little gray-dressed Goblin with the red cap—you know the fellow.

　　但在外面的厨房里，还有人在说话，那就是小精灵，那个穿灰衣、戴红帽的小精灵——你知道这家伙。

　　The Goblin was sitting in the kitchen, acting as pot watcher.

　　小精灵坐在厨房里，充当着看锅的角色。

　　He was talking, but nobody heard him except the big black Pussycat—“Cream Thief,” the Woman called him.

　　他在说话，但除了那只大黑猫——女人叫它“偷奶贼”——没人听见。

　　The Goblin was mad at her because he had learned she didn’t believe in his existence.

　　小精灵对她很生气，因为他得知她不相信他的存在。

　　Of course, she had never seen him, but with all her reading she ought to have realized he did exist and have paid him a little attention.

　　当然，她从未见过他，但凭她读过的书，她应该意识到他确实存在，并对他稍加留意。

　　On Christmas Eve she never thought of setting out so much as a spoonful of porridge for him, though all his ancestors had received that, and even from women who had no learning at all.

　　平安夜，她从未想过为他摆出一勺粥，尽管他所有的祖先都得到过，甚至是从那些毫无学问的女人那里。

　　Their porridge used to be so swimming with cream and butter that it made the Cat’s mouth water to hear about it.

　　她们的粥通常漂着一层奶油和黄油，猫一听说就流口水。

　　“She calls me just a notion!” said the Goblin.

　　“她把我仅仅当作一个念头！”小精灵说。

　　“And that’s more than I can understand.

　　“这真让我无法理解。

　　In fact, she simply denies me!

　　事实上，她根本否认我！

　　I’ve listened to her saying so before, and again just now in there, where she’s driveling to that boy whipper, that Assistant Schoolmaster.

　　我以前听过她这么说，刚才在里面她又对那个鞭打学生的家伙，那个助理小学教师，胡言乱语时又说了一遍。

　　I say with Pop, ‘Mind the pot!’

　　我跟‘老爹’（指园丁）说，‘看好锅！’

　　That she doesn’t do, so now I am going to make it boil over!”

　　她不这样做，所以现在我要让粥溢出来！”

　　And the Goblin blew on the fire till it burned and blazed up.

　　小精灵对着火吹气，直到它烧得旺起来。

　　“Surre-rurre-rup!” And the pot boiled over.

　　“嘶噜-噜噜-噗！”锅里的粥溢了出来。

　　“And now I’m going to pick holes in Pop’s socks,” said the Goblin.

　　“现在我要在老爹的袜子上弄几个洞，”小精灵说。

　　“I’ll unravel a large piece, both in toe and heel, so she’ll have something to darn; that is, if she is not too busy writing poetry.

　　“我要拆开一大片，脚尖和脚跟都拆，这样她就有东西可补了；当然，前提是她没太忙着写诗。

　　Madam Poetess, please darn Pop’s stocking!”

　　诗人夫人，请补补老爹的袜子吧！”

　　The Cat sneezed; he had caught a cold, though he always wore a fur coat.

　　猫打了个喷嚏；他感冒了，尽管他总是穿着毛皮大衣。

　　“I’ve opened the door to the larder,” said the Goblin.

　　“我打开了储藏室的门，”小精灵说。

　　“There’s boiled cream in there as thick as paste.

　　“里面有煮过的奶油，稠得像浆糊。

　　If you won’t have a lick, I will.”

　　如果你不舔一口，我来。”

　　“If I am going to get all the blame and the whipping for it, anyway,” said the Cat, “I’ll lick my share of the cream.”

　　“反正我总是要因此受责备和挨打，”猫说，“那我就舔我那份奶油吧。”

　　“First a lick, then a kick!” said the Goblin.

　　“先舔一口，然后挨一脚！”小精灵说。

　　“But now I’m off to the Assistant Schoolmaster’s room, where I’ll hang his suspenders on the mirror, put his socks into the water pitcher, and make him think the punch was too strong and has his brain in a whirl.

　　“但现在我要去助理小学教师的房间，我要把他的背带挂在镜子上，把他的袜子放进水罐里，让他觉得潘趣酒太烈，脑子发晕。

　　Last night I sat on the woodpile by the kennel.

　　昨晚我坐在狗窝旁的柴堆上。

　　I have a lot of fun teasing the watchdog; I let my legs dangle in front of him.

　　逗弄看门狗真有趣；我把腿悬在他面前晃荡。

　　The dog couldn’t reach them, no matter how hard he jumped; that made him mad, he barked and barked, and I dingled and dangled; we made a lot of noise!

　　狗无论怎么跳都够不着；这把他气疯了，他不停地叫，我也不停地晃；我们弄出了好大的声响！

　　The Assistant Schoolmaster woke up and jumped out of bed three times, but he couldn’t see me, though he was wearing his spectacles.

　　助理小学教师醒了，三次从床上跳起来，但他看不见我，尽管他戴着眼镜。

　　He always sleeps with his spectacles on.”

　　他总是戴着眼镜睡觉。”

　　“Say mew when you hear the Woman coming,” said the Cat.

　　“听到女人过来时，就‘喵’一声，”猫说。

　　“I’m a little deaf.

　　我有点聋。

　　I don’t feel well today.”

　　我今天感觉不舒服。”

　　“You have the licking sickness,” said the Goblin.

　　“你得的是舔舐病，”小精灵说。

　　“Lick away; lick your sickness away.

　　“舔吧；把你的病舔掉。

　　But be sure to wipe your whiskers, so the cream won’t show on it.

　　但一定要擦擦胡子，别让奶油沾在上面。

　　I’m off to do a little eavesdropping.”

　　我去偷听一会儿。”

　　So the Goblin stood behind the door, and the door stood ajar.

　　于是小精灵站在门后，门虚掩着。

　　There was nobody in the parlor except the Woman and the Assistant Schoolmaster.

　　客厅里除了女人和助理小学教师没有别人。

　　They were discussing things which, as the Assistant Schoolmaster so nobly observed, ought to rank in every household above pots and pans—the Gifts of the Soul.

　　他们正在讨论一些事情，正如助理小学教师高雅地指出的，这些东西在每个家庭中的地位都应高于锅碗瓢盆——那就是灵魂的馈赠。

　　“Mr. Kisserup,” said the Woman, “since we are discussing this subject, I’ll show you something along that line which I’ve never yet shown to a living soul—least of all a man.

　　“基瑟鲁普先生，”女人说，“既然我们讨论这个话题，我要给您看一些相关的东西，这些东西我从未给任何活人看过——尤其没给男人看过。

　　They’re my smaller poems; however, some of them are rather long.

　　它们是我的一些小诗；不过，其中有些相当长。

　　I have called them ‘Clinchings by a Danneqvinde.’

　　我把它们命名为‘一位丹麦女子的扣合诗’。

　　You see, I am very fond of old Danish words!”

　　您瞧，我非常喜欢古老的丹麦词汇！”

　　“Yes, we should hold onto them,” said the Assistant Schoolmaster.

　　“是的，我们应该保留它们，”助理小学教师说。

　　“We should root the German out of our language.”

　　“我们应该把德语从我们的语言中清除出去。”

　　“That I am doing, too!” said the Woman.

　　“我也是这么做的！”女人说。

　　“You’ll never hear me speak of Kleiner or Butterteig; no, I call them fatty cakes and paste leaves.”

　　“您绝不会听到我说‘Kleiner’或‘Butterteig’；不，我叫它们油酥糕点和油酥皮。”

　　Then she took a writing book, in a light green cover, with two blotches of ink on it, from her drawer.

　　然后她从抽屉里拿出一本浅绿色封面的写作本，上面有两块墨渍。

　　“There is much in this book that is serious,” she said.

　　“这本书里有很多严肃的内容，”她说。

　　“My mind tends toward the melancholy.

　　我的思想倾向于忧郁。

　　Here is my ‘The Sign in the Night,’ ‘My Evening Red,’ and ‘When I Got Klemmensen’—my husband; that one you may skip over, though it has thought and feeling.

　　这里有我的《夜之征兆》、《我的晚霞》和《当我得到克莱门森时》——克莱门森是我丈夫；那首你可以跳过，尽管它有思想和感情。

　　‘The Housewife’s Duties’ is the best one—sorrowful, like all the rest; that’s my best style.

　　《主妇的职责》是最好的——悲伤，像其他所有诗一样；那是我最好的风格。

　　Only one piece is comical; it contains some lively thoughts—one must indulge in them occasionally—thoughts about—now, you mustn’t laugh at me—thoughts about being a poetess!

　　只有一首是诙谐的；它包含一些活泼的思想——人必须偶尔沉浸其中——关于——现在，您可别笑我——关于成为一名女诗人的思想！

　　Up to now it has been a secret between me and my drawer; now you know it, too, Mr. Kisserup.

　　到目前为止，这只是我和抽屉之间的秘密；现在您也知道了，基瑟鲁普先生。

　　I love poetry; it haunts me; it jeers, advises, and commands.

　　我热爱诗歌；它萦绕着我；它嘲笑、建议、命令。

　　That’s what I mean by my title, ‘The Little Goblin.’

　　这就是我用《小精灵》这个标题的用意。

　　You know the old peasants’ superstitions about the Goblin who is always playing tricks in the house.

　　你知道老农民们关于小精灵的迷信，他总是在房子里恶作剧。

　　I myself am the house, and my poetical feelings are the Goblin, the spirit that possesses me.

　　我自己就是这房子，而我的诗情就是小精灵，是占据我的灵魂。

　　I have written about his power and strength in ‘The Little Goblin’; but you must promise with your hands and lips never to give away my secret, either to my husband or to anyone else.

　　我在《小精灵》里写了他的力量和威力；但你必须用你的手和唇保证，绝不泄露我的秘密，无论是对我丈夫还是对其他人。

　　Read it loud, so that I can tell if you understand the meaning.”

　　大声读出来，这样我才能知道你理解它的意思。”

　　And the Assistant Schoolmaster read, and the Woman listened, and so did the little Goblin.

　　助理小学教师读了起来，女人听着，小精灵也在听。

　　He was eavesdropping, you’ll remember, and he came just in time to hear the title ‘The Little Goblin.’

　　他是在偷听，你记得的，他正好赶上听到标题《小精灵》。

　　“That’s about me!” he said.

　　“那是写我的！”他说。

　　“What could she have been written about me

　　她能写我什么呢？

　　Oh, I’ll pinch her!

　　哦，我要拧她！

　　I’ll chip her eggs, and pinch her chickens, and chase the fat off her fatted calf!

　　我要敲碎她的鸡蛋，掐她的鸡，把她肥牛犊的油都赶跑！

　　Just watch me do it!”

　　你就看我怎么做吧！”

　　And then he listened with pursed lips and long ears; but when he heard of the Goblin’s power and glory, and his rule over the woman (she meant poetry, you know, but the Goblin took the name literally), the little fellow began grinnning more and more.

　　然后他抿着嘴、竖着长耳朵听着；但当他听到小精灵的力量和荣耀，以及他对女人的统治（你知道，她指的是诗歌，但小精灵按字面意思理解了），这小家伙开始笑得越来越开心。

　　His eyes brightened with delight; then the corners of his mouth set sternly in lines of dignity; he drew himself up on his toes a whole inch higher than usual; he was greatly pleased with what was written about the Little Goblin.

　　他的眼睛因喜悦而发亮；然后他的嘴角严肃地抿起，显出威严的线条；他踮起脚尖，比平时高出了一整英寸；他对写小精灵的这些内容感到非常高兴。

　　“I’ve done her wrong!

　　“我冤枉她了！

　　The Woman has soul and fine breeding!

　　这女人有灵魂，有良好的教养！

　　How, I have done her wrong!

　　我竟然冤枉了她！

　　She has put me into her ‘Clinchings,’ and they’ll be printed and read.

　　她把我写进了她的‘扣合诗’里，这些诗会被印刷和阅读。

　　Now I won’t allow the Cat to drink her cream; I’ll do that myself!

　　现在我不允许猫喝她的奶油了；我自己来喝！

　　One drinks less than two, so that’ll be a saving; and that I shall do, and pay honor and respect to the Woman!”

　　一个人喝总比两个喝少，这算是一种节省；我就这么做，并向这位女士表示敬意和尊重！”

　　“He’s a man all right, that Goblin,” said the old Cat.

　　“他确实是个男人，那个小精灵，”老猫说。

　　“Just one sweet mew from the Woman, a mew about himself, and he immediately changes his mind!

　　“只要女人发出一声甜美的‘喵’，一声关于他自己的‘喵’，他立刻就改变了主意！

　　She is a sly one, the Woman!”

　　她真是个狡猾的人，那个女人！”

　　But the Woman wasn’t sly; it was just that the Goblin was a man.

　　但女人并不狡猾；只是小精灵是个男人罢了。

　　If you can’t understand this story, ask somebody to explain it to you; but don’t ask the Goblin or the Woman, either.

　　如果你不明白这个故事，找个人给你解释一下；但也不要问小精灵或那个女人。