夜鶯與玫瑰（節選）

作品簡介：

《夜鶯與玫瑰》是英國唯美主義作家王爾德創作的童話作品之一，故事以一只夜鶯受大學生的愛情感動、培育玫瑰為主線，體現了其超脫的唯美主義意識。作者奧斯卡·王爾德（Oscar Wilde，1854年—1900年）是英國著名的劇作家、小說家、詩人，以戲劇創作和童話作品聞名世界。王爾德的童話被譽為“世界上最美麗的童話”，也被稱為“世界上最感人的童話”。

And when the moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree， and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn， and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened. All night long she sang， and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast， and her life-blood ebbed away from her.

She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And on the topmost spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvelous rose， petal following petal， as song followed song. Pale was it， at first， as the mist that hangs over the river—pale as the feet of the morning， and silver as the wings of the dawn. As the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver， as the shadow of a rose in a water-pool， so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree.

But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. “Press closer， little Nightingale，” cried the Tree， “or the Day will come before the rose is finished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn， and louder and louder grew her song， for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.

And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose， like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet reached her heart， so the roses heart remained white， for only a Nightingales hearts blood can crimson the heart of a rose.

And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. “Press closer， little Nightingale，” cried the Tree， “or the Day will come before the rose is finished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn， and the thorn touched her heart， and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter， bitter was the pain， and wilder and wilder grew her song， for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death， of the Love that dies not in the tomb.

And the marvelous rose became crimson， like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals， and crimson as a ruby was the heart.

But the Nightingales voice grew fainter， and her little wings began to beat， and a film came over her eyes. Fainter and fainter grew her song， and she felt something choking her in her throat.

Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heard it， and she forgot the dawn， and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it， and it trembled all over with ecstasy， and opened its petals to the cold morning air. Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills， and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river， and they carried its message to the sea.

“Look， look！” cried the Tree， “the rose is finished now.” But the Nightingale made no answer， for she was lying dead in the long grass， with the thorn in her heart.

當月亮升上天空，月光四射，夜鶯便飛到那棵玫瑰樹上，將胸口壓向尖刺。她整夜地歌唱著，那夜空中晶瑩的月亮也俯下身來靜靜聆聽。她整夜地歌唱著，那刺越插越深，她生命的血液漸漸溢去。

最先她歌頌的是稚男幼女心胸里愛戀的誕生。于是那玫瑰樹頂尖枝上結了一苞卓絕的玫瑰蕾，歌兒一首連著一首地唱，花瓣一片跟著一片地開。起先那瓣兒是暗淡的，如同河上罩著的薄霧——暗淡得如同晨曦的交際，銀灰的又好似曙光的翅翼。那枝上的玫瑰蕾，就像映在銀鏡里的玫瑰影子或是照在池塘的玫瑰化身。

但是那樹還催迫著夜鶯往自己的胸口緊插那根刺。“再靠緊一些，小夜鶯，”那樹連聲叫喚，“不然，玫瑰還沒生成，白晝就要來臨！”

于是夜鶯把尖刺插得更深，悠揚的歌聲更加響亮，因她這回所歌頌的是成年男女心中熱忱愛戀的誕生。

那玫瑰瓣上生長出一層嬌嫩的紅暈，如同初吻新娘時新郎旳絳頰。只是那刺還未插到夜鶯的心房，因此玫瑰花的花心尚留著白色，只有夜鶯的心血才可以把玫瑰花的花心徹底染紅。

那樹又催迫著夜鶯往自己的胸口緊插那根刺。“再靠緊一些，小夜鶯，”那樹連聲叫喚，“不然，玫瑰還沒生成，白晝就要來臨！”

于是夜鶯把尖刺又插深一些，玫瑰花刺插入她的心房，深入骨髓的疼痛傳遍她的全身。那種慘痛愈猛、愈烈，她的歌聲越狂、越壯，因為她這回歌頌的是因死而完成的摯愛和冢中不朽的愛情。

那卓絕的玫瑰變作鮮紅，如同東方的天色?；ǖ耐獍昙t同烈火，花的內心赤如絳玉。

但夜鶯的聲音越唱越模糊，她小小的雙翅拍動起來，眼睛蒙上一層薄膜。她的歌聲越來越模糊，她覺得喉間哽咽。

然后她唱出最后的歌聲。白色的殘月聽見后，似乎忘記了黎明，在天空躊躇著。那玫瑰花也聽見了，凝神戰栗著，在清冷的曉風里瓣瓣開放。回音將歌聲領入山坡上暗紫色的洞穴，將牧羊人從夢中驚醒。歌聲流入河邊的蘆葦叢，葦葉將信息傳與大海。

那玫瑰樹叫道：“看呀，看呀，這玫瑰生成了！” 然而夜鶯并不回答，她已躺在亂草叢中死去，那尖刺還插在她的心頭。

Word Study

marvelous /'mɑ?v?l?s/ adj. 極好的；非凡的

petal /'petl/ n. 花瓣

delicate /'del?k?t/ adj. 柔和的；清淡可口的；清香的

Young haricot beans have a delicate flavour

crimson /'kr?mzn/ v. 變為深紅色；臉紅；n. 深紅色；adj. 深紅色的

faint /fe?nt/ adj. （光，聲，味）微弱的，模糊的

ecstacy /'ekst?si/ n. 狂喜、陶醉、入迷