切石匠变形记
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Once upon a time there lived a stone-cutter who went every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs[厚板] for gravestones or for houses. He understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a careful workman, he had plenty of customers. For a long time he was quite happy and content and asked for nothing better than what he had.
Now, in the mountain dwelt[居住] a spirit which now and then appeared to men and helped them in many ways to become rich and prosperous[繁荣的]. The stone-cutter,
however, had never seen this spirit and only shook his head with an unbelieving air when anyone spoke of it. But a time was coming when he learned to change his opinion.
One day the stone-cutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful
things of which he had never even dreamed. Suddenly his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier, and he said to himself, “Oh, if only I were a rich man and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and
golden tassels[流苏], how happy I should be!”
And a voice answered him, “Your wish is heard; a rich man you shall be!”
At the sound of the voice the stone-cutter looked round but could see nobody. He thought it was all his fancy and picked up his tools and went home, for he did not feel inclined[倾向于] to do any more work that day. But when he reached the little house where he lived, he stood still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a stately[堂皇的]
palace filled with splendid furniture, and most splendid of all was the bed, in every respect like the one he had envied. He was nearly beside himself[极度兴奋] with joy, and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.
It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun blazed more fiercely. One morning the heat was so great that the stone-cutter could scarcely breathe, and he determined he would stay at home till the evening. He was rather dull, for he had never
learned how to amuse himself and was peeping through the closed blinds[百叶窗] to see what was going on in the street when a little carriage passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden
umbrella was held, to protect him from the sun’s rays.
“Oh, if I were only a prince!” said the stone-cutter to himself, as the carriage
vanished round the corner. “Oh, if I were only a prince and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be!”
And the voice of the mountain spirit
answered, “Your wish is heard; a prince you shall be!”
And a prince he was. Before his carriage rode one company of men and another behind it. Servants dressed in scarlet and gold bore him along, the coveted[让人垂涎的] umbrella was held over his head; everything his heart could desire was his. Yet it was not enough. He looked round still for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite of the water he poured on his grass the rays of the sun scorched[使枯萎] it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day his face grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger, “The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!”
And the mountain spirit answered, “Your wish is heard; the sun you shall be!”
And the sun he was and felt himself proud in his power. He shot his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven. He burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as of poorer folk. But in a short time he began to grow tired of his might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do.
Discontent once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger, “Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, if that I were a cloud and mightier than any!”
And the mountain spirit answered, “Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be!”
And a cloud he was and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun’s beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountain side remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight and cried in wonder, “Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!”
And the mountain spirit answered, “Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!”
And the rock he was and gloried[为……而得意] in his power. Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him. “This is better than all!” he said to himself. But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stone-cutter driving tools into his
surface. Even while he looked, a trembling
feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he cried in his wrath[愤怒], “Is a mere[只不过] child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man!”
And the mountain spirit answered, “Your wish is heard. A man once more you shall be!”
And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled[辛苦地工作] again at his trade of stone-cutting. His bed was hard and his food scanty[不足的],
but he had learned to be satisfied with it and did not long to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he had not got or
desired to be greater and mightier than other
people, he was happy at last, and heard the voice of the mountain spirit no longer.
从前有一位切石匠,他每天都会来到一座大山旁边的巨石前,切割下一块块的石板用以制作石碑或建造房屋。他对不同目的该使用何种石材了如指掌,加上工作细致入微,他赢得了众多顾客支持。因此很长一段时间以来,他感到非常快乐又心满意足,除了现在拥有的一切,他并不奢求什么。
大山里住着一只精灵,它会不时出现在人们面前,通过各种方式让他们富裕兴旺起来。然而这位切石匠从未遇见过精灵,每次有人谈及它时,他总是摇摇头,一副怀疑的样子。不过,一个偶然的机会将改变他的看法。
一天,切石匠给一个大户人家运送石碑。他在那里看到了琳琅满目的漂亮物件,全都是他想都没想过的东西。突然之间,他的日常工作显得越发艰苦沉重,他自言自语道:“噢,如果我是一个有钱人,可以睡在挂有丝绸的床帘和金色流苏的床上,那该有多幸福啊!”
一个声音回答说:“你的愿望已传达;你将成为一个有钱人!”
切石匠闻声四处观望,却没看见一个人影。他以为这只是自己的幻觉,收拾好工具便回家了,因为他没什么心情继续当天的活儿。但是,当他回到自己居住的小屋时,他惊叹不已,呆立在那儿――眼前的不再是过去那间小木屋,而是一座富丽堂皇的宫殿,里面摆满了华丽的家具,而最奢华的当属那张床――它简直与自己羡慕的那张床一模一样。他欣喜若狂地过上新生活,很快就将过去的生活忘得一干二净。
时值初夏,阳光日渐毒辣。一天早晨,气温极高,切石匠快透不过气来了,于是决定在家一直呆到傍晚。他感到有点无聊,因为他从来不懂如何自娱自乐。他透过拉下的百叶窗缝隙窥探街上的动静,看见几个穿着蓝色和银色服装的仆人拉着一辆马车经过。马车上坐着一位王子,仆人们在王子的头顶上打着金色的遮阳伞,为他挡开烈日。
“噢,如果我是一位王子该多好啊!”马车消失在街角时,切石匠喃喃自语。“噢,如果我是一位王子,可以乘坐这么一辆马车出行,还有人为我撑起金色遮阳伞,那该有多幸福啊!”
大山上的精灵回答说:“你的愿望已传达;你将成为一位王子。”
他真的成了一位王子。他的马车前面有一群仆人骑马开路,车子后方则跟着另一群人马。穿着鲜红色和金色服装的仆人抬着他出行,让人心生觊觎的遮阳伞在他头顶撑开,心之所想皆为他所有。他却还不满足,仍然四处张望,寻找新的目标。他发现即便自己给草儿浇水,太阳的光线还是会把草儿晒枯;即便遮阳伞为他遮挡烈日,他的脸还是日渐黝黑,于是怒气冲冲地吼道:“太阳比我更强大;噢,如果我是太阳该多好!”
大山精灵回答说:“你的愿望已传达;你将成为太阳!”
他成了太阳,为自己拥有威力而骄傲不已。他的阳光照耀四方,上达天际下至人间。他烧尽了田野里所有的青草,晒干了王子和穷苦百姓的脸。不过,没过多久,他开始厌倦这种威力,似乎没有其他事情可做了。不满再次占据了他的心――当一朵白云挡住他的脸,将土地遮离他的视线时,他斥喝道:“白云能挡住我的光线,它比我更强大吗?噢,我愿变成一朵白云,比世间万物都强大!”
大山精灵回答说:“你的愿望已传达;你将成为一朵白云!”
他变成一朵白云,漂游在太阳与地面之间。他捕获太阳的光线,将其牢牢锁住,欣喜地看着土地再次绿意盎然,繁花盛开。但是他仍然不觉满足。连日里,他往河流倾倒雨水,直至河水漫过堤岸,稻谷淹没水中。城镇和村庄被雨水所摧毁,只有矗立在大山旁的巨石纹丝不动。云朵看着这一幕,惊奇地喊道:“这么说,岩石比我更强大?噢,我愿变成一块岩石!”
大山精灵回答说:“你的愿望已传达;你将成为一块岩石!”
他成了一块岩石,为自己的力量沾沾自喜。他骄傲地矗立着,无论是太阳的炙热还是雨水的冲刷都对他无可奈何。“这比什么都强!”他自言自语道。可是有一天,他听到脚下传来一阵奇怪的噪音,他往下看到底发生什么事,发现一个切石匠开动工具钻入岩石表面。就在他张望时,一股震动传遍全身,一块大石板从他身上掉了下来,跌落在地。他怒不可遏地吼道:“一个凡间的小毛孩也比岩石更强大吗?噢,我愿变成人类!”
大山精灵回答说:“你的愿望已传达。你将再次变成人类!”
于是他变回人类,重拾切石匠旧业,辛勤劳作,大汗淋漓。他睡在硬邦邦的床上,食物仅够糊口,但是他学会知足常乐,不再奢望成为自己以外的存在。因为他不再奢求自己得不到的东西,也不再渴望比别人更强大,他从此过上了幸福的生活,再也没有听见大山精灵的声音。