安徒生童話:the Pea Blossom一個豆莢裏的五粒豆
the Pea Blossom
by Hans Christian Andersen（1853）
theRE were once five peas in one shell， they were GREen， the shell was green， and so they believed that the whole world must be green also， which was a very natural conclusion. The shell grew， and the peas grew， they accommodated themselves to their position， and sat all in a row. The sun shone without and warmed the shell， and the rain made it clear and transparent； it was mild and agreeable in broad daylight， and dark at night， as it generally is； and the peas as they sat there grew bigger and bigger， and more thoughtful as they mused， for they felt there must be something else for them to do.
“Are we to sit here forever？” asked one； “shall we not become hard by sitting so long？ It seems to me there must be something outside， and I feel sure of it.”
And as weeks passed by， the peas became yellow， and the shell became yellow.
“All the world is turning yellow， I suppose，” said they，—and perhaps they were right.
Suddenly they felt a pull at the shell； it was torn off， and held in human hands， then slipped into the pocket of a jacket in company with other full pods.
“Now we shall soon be opened，” said one，—just what they all wanted.
“I should like to know which of us will travel furthest，” said the smallest of the five； “we shall soon see now.”
“What is to happen will happen，” said the largest pea.
“Crack” went the shell as it burst， and the five peas rolled out into the bright sunshine. There they lay in a child's hand. A little boy was holding them tightly， and said they were fine peas for his pea-shooter. And immediately he put one in and shot it out.
“Now I am flying out into the wide world，” said he； “catch me if you can；” and he was gone in a moment.
“I，” said the second， “intend to fly straight to the sun， that is a shell that lets itself be seen， and it will suit me exactly；” and away he went.
“We will go to sleep wherever we find ourselves，” said the two next， “we shall still be rolling onwards；” and they did certainly fall on the floor， and roll about before they got into the pea-shooter； but they were put in for all that. “We shall go farther than the others，” said they.
“What is to happen will happen，” exclaimed the last， as he was shot out of the pea-shooter； and as he spoke he flew up against an old board under a garret-window， and fell into a little crevice， which was almost filled up with moss and soft earth. The moss closed itself round him， and there he lay， a captive indeed， but not unnoticed by God.
“What is to happen will happen，” said he to himself.
Within the little garret lived a poor woman， who went out to clean stoves， chop wood into small pieces and perform such-like hard work， for she was strong and industrious. Yet she remained always poor， and at home in the garret lay her only daughter， not quite grown up， and very delicate and weak. For a whole year she had kept her bed， and it seemed as if she could neither live nor die.
“She is going to her little sister，” said the woman； “I had but the two children， and it was not an easy thing to support both of them； but the good God helped me in my work， and took one of them to Himself and provided for her. Now I would gladly keep the other that was left to me， but I suppose they are not to be separated， and my sick girl will very soon go to her sister above.” But the sick girl still remained where she was， quietly and patiently she lay all the day long， while her mother was away from home at her work.
Spring came， and one morning early the sun shone brightly through the little window， and threw its rays over the floor of the room. just as the mother was going to her work， the sick girl fixed her gaze on the lowest pane of the window—“Mother，” she exclaimed， “what can that little GREen thing be that peeps in at the window？ It is moving in the wind.”
the mother stepped to the window and half opened it. “Oh！” she said， “there is actually a little pea which has taken root and is putting out its GREen leaves. How could it have got into this crack？ Well now， here is a little garden for you to amuse yourself with.” So the bed of the sick girl was drawn nearer to the window， that she might see the budding plant； and the mother went out to her work.
“Mother， I believe I shall get well，” said the sick child in the evening， “the sun has shone in here so brightly and warmly to-day， and the little pea is thriving so well： I shall get on better， too， and go out into the warm sunshine again.”
“God grant it！” said the mother， but she did not believe it would be so. But she propped up with the little stick the GREen plant which had given her child such pleasant hopes of life， so that it might not be broken by the winds； she tied the piece of string to the window-sill and to the upper part of the frame， so that the pea-tendrils might twine round it when it shot up. And it did shoot up， indeed it might almost be seen to grow from day to day.
“Now really here is a flower coming，” said the old woman one morning， and now at last she began to encourage the hope that her sick daughter might really recover. She remembered that for some time the child had spoken more cheerfully， and during the last few days had raised herself in bed in the morning to look with sparkling eyes at her little garden which contained only a single pea-plant. A week after， the invalid sat up for the first time a whole hour， feeling quite happy by the open window in the warm sunshine， while outside GREw the little plant， and on it a pink pea-blossom in full bloom. The little maiden bent down and gently kissed the delicate leaves. This day was to her like a festival.
“Our heavenly Father Himself has planted that pea， and made it grow and flourish， to bring joy to you and hope to me， my blessed child，” said the happy mother， and she smiled at the flower， as if it had been an angel from God.
But what became of the other peas？ Why the one who flew out into the wide world， and said， “Catch me if you can，” fell into a gutter on the roof of a house， and ended his travels in the crop of a pigeon. The two lazy ones were carried quite as far， for they also were eaten by pigeons， so they were at least of some use； but the fourth， who wanted to reach the sun， fell into a sink and lay there in the dirty water for days and weeks， till he had swelled to a GREat size.
“I am getting beautifully fat，” said the pea， “I expect I shall burst at last； no pea could do more that that， I think； I am the most remarkable of all the five which were in the shell.” And the sink confirmed the opinion.
But the young maiden stood at the open garret window， with sparkling eyes and the rosy hue of health on her cheeks， she folded her thin hands over the pea-blossom， and thanked God for what He had done.
“I，” said the sink， “shall stand up for my pea.”
有一個豆莢，裏面有五粒豌豆。它們都是綠的，因此它們就以爲整個世界都是綠的。事實也正是這樣！豆莢在生長，豆粒也在生長。它們按照它們在家庭裏的地位，坐成一排。太陽在外邊照着，把豆莢曬得暖洋洋的；雨把它洗得透明。這兒是既溫暖，又舒適；白天有亮，晚間黑暗，這本是必然的規律。豌豆粒坐在那兒越長越大，同時也越變得沉思起來，因爲它們多少得做點事情呀。“難道我們永遠就在這兒坐下去麼？”它們問。“我只願老這樣坐下去，不要變得僵硬起來。我似乎覺得外面發生了一些事情——我有這種預感！”
許多星期過去了。這幾粒豌豆變黃了，豆莢也變黃了。“整個世界都在變黃啦！”它們說。它們也可以這樣說。
忽然它們覺得豆莢震動了一下。它被摘下來了，落到人的手上，跟許多別的豐滿的豆莢在一起，溜到一件馬甲的口袋裏去。“我們不久就要被打開了！”它們說。於是它們就等待這件事情的到來。“我倒想要知道，我們之中誰會走得最遠！”最小的一粒豆說。“是的，事情馬上就要揭曉了。”“該怎麼辦就怎麼辦！”最大的那一粒說。“啪！”豆莢裂開來了。那五粒豆子全都滾到太陽光裏來了。它們躺在一個孩子的手中。這個孩子緊緊地捏着它們，說它們正好可以當作豆槍的子彈用。他馬上安一粒進去，把它射出來。“現在我要飛向廣大的世界裏去了！如果你能捉住我，那麼就請你來吧！”於是它就飛走了。“我，”第二粒說，“我將直接飛進太陽裏去。這纔像一個豆莢呢，而且與我的身份非常相稱！”
於是它就飛走了。“我們到了甚麼地方，就在甚麼地方睡，”其餘的兩粒說。“不過我們仍得向前滾。”因此它們在沒有到達豆槍以前，就先在地上滾起來。但是它們終於被裝進去了。“我們纔會射得最遠呢！”“該怎麼辦就怎麼辦！”最後的那一粒說。它射到空中去了。它射到頂樓窗子下面一塊舊板子上，正好鑽進一個長滿了青苔的黴菌的裂縫裏去。青苔把它裹起來。它躺在那兒不見了，可是我們的上帝並沒忘記它。“應該怎麼辦就怎麼辦！”它說。
在這個小小的頂樓裏住着一個窮苦的女人。她白天到外面去擦爐子，鋸木材，並且做許多類似的粗活，因爲她很強壯，而且也很勤儉，不過她仍然是很窮。她有一個發育不全的獨生女兒，躺在這頂樓上的家裏。她的身體非常虛弱。她在牀上躺了一整年；看樣子既活不下去，也死不了。“她快要到她親愛的姐姐那兒去了！”女人說。“我只有兩個孩子，但是養活她們兩個人是夠困難的。善良的上帝分擔我的愁苦，已經接走一個了。我現在把留下的這一個養着。不過我想他不會讓她們分開的；她也會到她天上的姐姐那兒去的。”
可是這個病孩子並沒有離開。她安靜地、耐心地整天在家裏躺着，她的母親到外面去掙點生活的費用。這正是春天。一大早，當母親正要出去工作的時候，太陽溫和地、愉快地從那個小窗子射進來，一直射到地上。這個病孩子望着最低的那塊窗玻璃。“從窗玻璃旁邊探出頭來的那個綠東西是甚麼呢？它在風裏擺動！”
母親走到窗子那兒去，把窗打開一半。“啊”她說，“我的天，這原來是一粒小豌豆。它還長出小葉子來了。它怎樣鑽進這個隙縫裏去的？你現在可有一個小花園來供你欣賞了！”
病孩子的牀搬得更挨近窗子，好讓她看到這粒正在生長着的豌豆。於是母親便出去做她的工作了。“媽媽，我覺得我好了一些！”這個小姑娘在晚間說。“太陽今天在我身上照得怪溫暖的。這粒豆子長得好極了，我也會長得好的；我將爬起牀來，走到溫暖的太陽光中去。”“願上帝準我們這樣！”母親說，但是她不相信事情就會這樣。不過她仔細地用一根小棍子把這植物支起來，好使它不致被風吹斷，因爲它使她的女兒對生命起了愉快的想像。她從窗臺上牽了一根線到窗框的上端去，使這粒豆可以盤繞着它向上長，它的確在向上長——人們每天可以看到它在生長。“真的，它現在要開花了！”女人有一天早晨說。她現在開始希望和相信，她的病孩子會好起來。她記起最近這孩子講話時要比以前愉快得多，而且最近幾天她自己也能爬起來，直直地坐在牀上，用高興的眼光望着這一顆豌豆所形成的小花園。一星期以後，這個病孩子第一次能夠坐一整個鐘頭。她快樂地坐在溫暖的太陽光裏。窗子打開了，它面前是一朵盛開的、粉紅色的豌豆花。小姑娘低下頭來，把它柔嫩的葉子輕輕地吻了一下。這一天簡直像一個節日。“我幸福的孩子，上帝親自種下這顆豌豆，叫它長得枝葉茂盛，成爲你我的希望和快樂！”高興的母親說。她對這花兒微笑，好像它就是上帝送下來的一位善良的安琪兒。
但是其餘的幾粒豌豆呢？嗯，那一粒曾經飛到廣大的世界上去，並且還說過“如果你能捉住我，那末就請你來吧！”
它落到屋頂的水筧裏去了，在一個鴿子的嗉囊裏躺下來，正如約拿躺在鯨魚肚中一樣（註：據希伯萊人的神話，希伯萊的預言家約拿因爲不聽上帝的話，乘船逃遁，上帝因此吹起大風。船上的人把約拿拋到海里以求免於翻船之禍。約拿被大魚所吞，在魚腹中待了三天三夜。事見《聖經·舊約全書·約拿書》。）。那兩粒懶惰的豆子也不過只走了這麼遠，因爲它們也被鴿子吃掉了。總之，它們總還算有些實際的用途。可是那第四粒，它本來想飛進太陽裏去，但是卻落到水溝裏去了，在髒水裏躺了好幾個星期，而且漲大得相當可觀。“我胖得夠美了！”這粒豌豆說。“我胖得要爆裂開來。我想，任何豆子從來不曾、也永遠不會達到這種地步的。我是豆莢裏五粒豆子中最了不起的一粒。”
水溝說它講得很有道理。
可是頂樓窗子旁那個年輕的女孩子——她臉上射出健康的光彩，她的眼睛發着亮光——正在豌豆花上面交叉着一雙小手，感謝上帝。
水溝說：“我支持我的那粒豆子。”
（1853年）
