安徒生童话 影子
-
安徒生童话
:
影子
It is in the hot lands that the sun
burns
，
sure
enough
！
there the
people become quite a
mahogany
brown
，
ay
，
and in the HOTTEST lands they are burnt
to Negroes. But now it was
only to the
HOT lands that a learned man had come from the
cold
；
there he
thought that he could
run about just as
when at home
，
but
he soon found out his mistake.
He
，
and all sensible
folks
，
were
obliged to stay within
doors
——
the window-shutters
and
doors were closed the whole
day
；
it looked as
if the whole house slept
，
or there was no one at
home.
The narrow street with
the high houses
，
was built so that the sunshine must
fall 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 a clever
man
——
sat in a
glowing oven
；
it
took effect on him
，
he became quite
meagre
——
even his
shadow shrunk in
，
for the sun had also an effect on it.
It was first towards evening when the sun
was down
，
that they began to freshen up again.
In the warm lands every
window has a balcony
，
and the people came out on all the
balconies
in the
street
——
for one must have
air
，
even if one
be accustomed to be
mahogany
！
* It was
lively both up and down the street.
Tailors
，
and
shoemakers
，
and
all the folks
，
moved out into
the
street
——
chairs and tables
were brought forth
——
and
candles burnt
——
yes
，
above a
thousand lights were
burning
——
and the one talked
and the other sung
；
and people walked and
church-bells
rang
，
and asses
went along with a dingle-dingle-
dong
！
for they
too had bells on.
The street boys were
screaming and hooting
，
and shouting and
shooting
，
with
devils and
detonating
balls
——
and there came corpse
bearers and hood
wearers
——
for there were
funerals
with psalm and
hymn
——
and then the din of
carriages driving and company
arriving
：
yes
，
it
was
，
in truth
，
lively enough down in the street. Only
in that single house
，
which stood opposite
that in
which the learned foreigner
lived
，
it was
quite still
；
and
yet some one lived there
，
for
there stood flowers in
the balcony
——
they grew so
well in the sun's heat
！
and that they could not
do
unless they were
watered
——
and some one must
water them
——
there must be
somebody
there. The door opposite was
also opened late 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 thought it
quite
marvellous
，
but
now
——
it might be that he
only imagined it
——
for he
found everything
marvellous out
there
，
in the
warm lands
，
if
there had only been no sun. The stranger's
landlord
said that he didn't know who
had taken the house
opposite
，
one saw
no person about
，
and as to
the
music
，
it
appeared to him to be extremely tiresome.
，
and
practised a piece that he could not
master
——
always the same
piece. 'I shall master 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
，
from
an anecdote of Nyboder
，
in Copenhagen
，
（
the seamen's
quarter.
）
A
sailor's wife
，
who
was always proud and
fine
，
in her
way
，
came to her
neighbor
，
and
complained that she had got
a splinter
in her finger.
？
，
the other.
！
It cannot be
less with you
！
pro
verb
，
！
（
that
is
，
so
excessively
fine
）
——
is
derived.
One night the
stranger awoke
——
he slept
with the doors of the balcony
open
——
the curtain
before it was raised by the
wind
，
and he
thought that a strange lustre came from the
opposite
neighbor's
house
；
all the
flowers shone like flames
，
in the 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<
/p>
，
he was quite
awake
；
with one
spring he was on the
floor
；
he crept
gently behind the curtain
，
but the maiden was
gone
；
the
flowers shone no
longer
，
but there
they stood
，
fresh
and blooming as ever
；
the door was
ajar
，
and
，
far within
，
the music sounded so soft and
delightful
，
one
could really melt away in sweet
thoughts from it. Yet it was like a
piece of enchantment. And who lived
there
？
Where was
the
actual
entrance
？
The
whole of the ground-floor was a row of
shops
，
and there
people could not
always be running
through.
One evening the
stranger sat out on the balcony. The light burnt
in the room behind him
；
and
thus it was quite
natural that his shadow should fall on his
opposite neighbor's wall.
Yes
！
there it
sat
，
directly
opposite
，
between
the flowers on the balcony
；
and when the stranger
moved
，
the
shadow also
moved
：
for that
it always does.
< br>，
，
how nicely it sits between the flowers.
The door stands half-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 a service
，
< br>
，
in jest.
！
Art thou going<
/p>
？
，
and the shadow nodded again.
，
go
！
But don't stay away.
The stranger
rose
，
and his
shadow on the opposite neighbor's balcony rose
also
；
the
stranger
turned round and the shadow
also turned round. Yes
！
if anyone had paid particular attention
to it
，
they would
have seen
，
quite
distinctly
，
that
the shadow went in through the half-open
balcony-door of their opposite
neighbor
，
just as
the stranger went into his own
room
，
and let the
long curtain fall down after him.
Next
morning
，
the
learned man went out to drink coffee and read the
newspapers.
？
，
as
he came out into the sunshine.
！
So
then
，
it
has actually gone last
night
，
and not
come again. It is really
tiresome
！
This annoyed him
：
not so much because the shadow was
gone
，
but because
he knew there
was a story about a man
without a shadow.* It was known to everybody at
home
，
in the cold
lands
；
and if the learned man now came there
and told his story
，
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 light directly behind
him
，
for he knew
that the shadow would always have its master for a
screen
，
but he
could not entice it.
He made himself
little
；
he made
himself great
：
but no shadow came again. He
said
，
！
hem
！
It was vexatious
；
but in the warm lands everything grows
so quickly
；
and
after the lapse of
eight days he
observed
，
to his
great joy
，
that a
new shadow came in 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 more in the
journey
，
so that
at last it was so long and so
large
，
that it
was
more than sufficient.
The learned man then came
home
，
and he
wrote books about what was true in the
world
，
and
about what was good and what was
beautiful
；
and
there passed days and years
——
yes
！
many
years passed away.
One evening
，
as he was sitting in his
room
，
there was a
gentle knocking at the door.
！
；
but no one came
in
；
so he opened
the door
，
and
there stood before him
such an
extremely lean man
，
that he felt quite strange. As to the
rest
，
the man was
very finely
dressed
——
he must
be a gentleman.
？
！
I
thought as
much
，
so much
body. I have even got flesh and clothes. You
certainly never thought of seeing me so well
off. Do you not know your old
shadow
？
You
certainly thought I should never more return.
Things have gone on well with me since
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 he
rattled a
whole bunch of valuable seals
that hung to his watch
，
and he stuck his hand in the thick gold
chain he wore around his neck
——
nay
！
how all his fingers glittered with
diamond rings
；
and
then all were pure gems.
；
I cannot recover from my surprise
！
this
？
，
is
it not
，
common
order
；
and
I
，
as you know
well
，
have from a
child followed in your footsteps. As soon
as you found I was capable to go out
alone in the world
，
I went my own way. I am in the most
brilliant
circumstances
，
but there came a sort of desire over me
to see you once more before you
die
；
you will die
，
I suppose
？
I also wished to see this land
again
——
for you know we
always
love our native land. I know you
have got another shadow
again
；
have I
anything to pay to it or
you
？
If so
，
you will oblige me by saying what it
is.
，
is
it really
thou
？
：
I never imagined that
one's
old shadow could come again as a man.
，
；
？
？
Make
thyself as free as
anyone else. I am extremely glad to hear of thy
good fortune
：
sit
down
，
old
friend
，
and tell me a little how it has gone
with thee
，
and
what thou hast seen at our opposite
neighbor's
there
——
in the warm
lands.
，
I
will tell you all about
it
，
，
and sat down
：
promise
me
，
that
，
wherever you may meet
me
，
you will
never say to anyone here in the town
that I have been your shadow. I intend
to get betrothed
，
for I can provide for more than one
family.
，
；
actually
art
：
here is my
hand
——
I promise
it
，
and a man's
bond is his word.
，
，
It was really
quite astonishing how much of a man it was. It was
dressed entirely in black
，
and
of the very finest
cloth
；
it had
patent leather boots
，
and a hat that could be folded
together
，
so
that it was bare crown and
brim
；
not to
speak of what we already know it had
——<
/p>
seals
，
gold
neck-
chain
，
and
diamond rings
；
yes
，
the shadow was well-
dressed
，
and it
was just that which
made it quite a
man.
，
；
and then he
sat
，
with the
polished
boots
，
as heavily as he
could
，
on the arm
of the learned man's new
shadow
，
which lay
like a
poodle-dog at his feet. Now this
was perhaps from arrogance
；
and the shadow on the ground kept
itself so still and
quiet
，
that it
might hear all that passed
：
it wished to know how it could get
free
，
and work its way
up
，
so as to
become its own master.
？
most
charming of all beings
，
it was Poesy
！
I was there for three
weeks
，
and that
has as much
effect as if one had lived
three thousand years
，
and read all that was composed and
written
；
that
is what I say
，
and it is right. I have seen everything
and I know
everything
！
！
，
yes
，
she often dwells a recluse in large
cities
！
Poesy
！
Yes
，
I
have seen her
——
a single
short moment
，
but
sleep came into my eyes
！
She stood on the
balcony and
shone as the Aurora Borealis shines. Go
on
，
go
on
——
thou wert on the
balcony
，
and went
through the doorway
，
and
then
——
，
antechamber.
There was no light
；
there was a sort of
twilight
，
but the
one door stood open
directly opposite
the other through a long row of rooms and
saloons
，
and
there it was lighted up. I
should have
been completely killed if I had gone over to the
maiden
；
but I was
circumspect
，
I
took time to
think
，
and that
one must always do.
？
，
and
I shall tell all to you
：
but
——
it is no
pride on my part
——
as a free
man
，
and with the knowledge I
have
，
not to
speak of my position in
life
，
my
excellent
circumstances
——
I
certainly wish that you would say YOU* to
me
！
* It is the custom in Denmark for
intimate acquaintances to use the second person
singular
，
，
（
thou
）
when speaking to each
other. When a friendship is formed between
men
，
they
generally affirm
it
，
when occasion
offers
，
either in
public or private
，
by drinking to each other
and exclaiming
，
<
/p>
，
drinki
ng
：
they are
then
，
，
（
thou
brothers
）
and
ever afterwards use the
pronoun
，
，
it being regarded as more familiar than
，
（
you<
/p>
）
。
Father
and
mother
，
sister
and brother say thou to one
another
——
without regard to
age or rank. Master
and mistress say
thou to their servants the superior to the
inferior. But servants and inferiors do not
use the same term to their
masters
，
or
superiors
——
nor is it ever
used when speaking to a
stranger
，
or anyone with whom they are but
slightly acquainted
——
they
then say as in
English
——
you.
，
<
/p>
；
right
，
and I shall remember
it
；
but now you
must tell me all YOU
saw
！
！
，
and I know
everything
！
？
woods
？
Was it there as
in a holy church
？
Were the saloons like the starlit
firmament when we
stand on the high
mountains
？
！
，
I remained in the foremost
room
，
in the twilight
，
but I stood there quite
well
；
I saw
everything
，
and I
know everything
！
I have been in the antechamber at the
court of Poesy.
？
Did
all the gods of the olden times pass through the
large
saloons
？
Did the old heroes combat
there
？
Did sweet
children play there
，
and relate their
dreams
？
，
and
you can conceive that I saw everything there was
to be seen. Had
you come over
there
，
you would
not have been a man
；
but I became so
！
And besides
，
I
learned to know my inward
nature
，
my innate
qualities
，
the
relationship I had with Poesy. At the
time I was with
you
，
I thought
not of that
，
but
always
——
you know it
well
——
when the sun
rose
，
and when the sun went
down
，
I became so
strangely great
；
in the moonlight I was very
near being more distinct than
yourself
；
at that
time I did not understand my
nature
；
it was
revealed to me in the
antechamber
！
I
became a man
！
I
came out matured
；
but you were no