第33章 护身符 The Talisman（2 / 2）

At that the wise an siled and said, “has your trip really been all va? Are you not returng richer knowledge?”

“是的，”王子回答道，“我学到了这一点：知足在这个世界上是一种难得的礼物。”

“Yes,” answered the prce, “I have gaihis knowledge, that te is a rare gift on this earth.”

“而我学到了，”公主说，“要知足，一个人只需要——简单地知足就够了！”

“And I have learned,” said the prcess, “that to be tented, one needs nothg ore than siply - to be tented!”

这时，王子牵起了公主的手，他们深情地相互对视着，眼中充满了深深的爱意。

whereupon the priook the prcess’ hand; they looked at each other with an expression of deepest love.

智者祝福他们并说：“在你们自己的心中，你们已经找到了真正的护身符！好好守护它，永不满足的邪恶之灵将永远不会再对你们产生任何影响！”

And the wise an blessed the and said, “In your ows you have found the true talisan! Guard it carefully, and the evil spirit of diste shall never all eternity have any power over you!”

[上帝永远不会死]

《上帝永远不会死》，1836 年

God ever die, 1836

那是一个星期天的早晨。

It was a Sunday .

阳光明亮而温暖地照进房间，温和清新的空气从敞开的窗户流进来。

the sun shone brightly and warly to the roo, as the air, ild and refreshg, flowed through the open dow.

在上帝的蓝天下，田野和草地覆盖着绿色和花朵，所有的小鸟都在欢唱。

And out under God’s be heaven, where fields and adows were vered with greens and flowers, all the little birds rejoiced.

然而，当外面处处充满欢乐和满足时，房子里却充满了悲伤和痛苦。

while joy and te were everywhere outside, the hoe lived sorrow and isery.

即使是平时总是心情愉快的妻子，那个早晨也坐在早餐桌旁，神情沮丧；最后她站起来，一口食物都没吃，擦干眼睛，向门口走去。

Even the wife, who otherwise always was good spirits, sat that at the breakfast table with a downcast expression; fally she arose, without havg touched a bite of her food, dried her eyes, and walked toward the door.

这个房子似乎真的被诅咒了。

It really seed as if there were a curse hangg over this hoe.

生活成本很高，食物供应很少；税收变得越来越重；年复一年，家庭财产越来越贬值，现在最后除了贫穷和痛苦，没有什么可期待的了。

the st of livg was high, the food supply low; taxes had bee heavier and heavier; year after year the hoehold belonggs had depreciated ore and ore, and now at st there was nothg to look forward to but poverty and isery.

长期以来，这一切都让丈夫感到沮丧，他一直是一个勤劳守法的公民；现在对未来的想法让他充满绝望；是的，很多次他甚至威胁要结束他悲惨而绝望的存在。

For a long ti all this had depressed the hband, who always had been a hard-w and w-abidg citizen; now the thought of the future filled hi with despair; yes, any tis he even threateo end his iserable and hopeless existence.

无论是他性格开朗的妻子的安慰话，还是朋友的世俗或精神建议，都没有帮助他；这些只是让他更加沉默和悲伤。

her the f words of his good-huored wife nor the worldly or spiritual sel of his friends had helped hi; these had only ade hi ore silent and sorrowful.

很容易理解，他可怜的妻子最终也失去了勇气。

It is easy to uand that his poor wife fally should lose her ce, too.

然而，她悲伤还有另一个原因，我们很快就会听到。

however, there was quite another reason for her sadness, which we soon shall hear.

当丈夫看到妻子也很悲伤并想离开房间时，他拦住她说：“你不告诉我你怎么了，我就不让你走！”

when the hband saw that his wife also grieved and wao leave the roo, he sped her and said, “I won’t let you go until you have told what is wrong with you!”

沉默片刻后，她叹了口气说：“哦，我亲爱的丈夫，我昨晚梦见上帝死了，所有的天使都跟着他去了他的坟墓！”

After a ont of silence, she sighed and said, “oh, y dear hband, I dread st night that God was dead, and that all the angels followed hi to his grave!”

“你怎么能相信或想这样愚蠢的事情！” 丈夫回答道。

“how you believe or thk such foolish stuff!” answered the hband.

“你当然知道，上帝永远不会死！”

“You know, of urse, that God ever die!”

善良的妻子脸上闪耀着幸福的光芒，她深情地握住丈夫的双手，喊道：“那么我们亲爱的上帝还活着！”

the good wife’s face sparkled with happess, and as she affeately squeezed both her hband’s hands, she excid, “then our dear God is still alive!”

“为什么，当然。” 丈夫说。

“why, of urse,” said the hband.

“你怎么会怀疑呢！”

“how uld you ever doubt it!”

然后她拥抱了他，用充满爱意的眼神看着他，表达着信心、平静和幸福，她说：“但是，我亲爱的丈夫，如果上帝还活着，我们为什么不相信他、信任他呢！他数过我们头上的每一根头发；没有一根头发在他不知道的情况下丢失。他给田野里的百合花穿上衣服；他喂养麻雀和乌鸦。”

then she ebrae, and happess, as she said, “but, y dear hband, if God is still alive, why do we not believe and trt hi! he has ted every hair on our heads; not a sgle one is lost without his knowledge. he clothes the lilies the field; he feeds the sparrows and the ravens.”

当她说这些话时，仿佛一层面纱从他眼前揭开，仿佛一个沉重的负担从他心中落下。

It was as if a veil lifted fro his eyes and as if a heavy load fell fro his heart when she spoke these words.

他好久以来第一次笑了，感谢他亲爱的、虔诚的妻子对他耍的小把戏，通过这个小把戏，她恢复了他对上帝的信仰，重新建立了他的信任。

he siled for the first ti a long while, and thanked his dear, pio wife for the trick she had pyed on hi, through which she had revived his belief God aored his trt.

房间里，阳光更加亲切地照在幸福的人们脸上；微风轻拂着他们微笑的脸颊，鸟儿们更加欢快地歌唱，向上帝表达衷心的感谢。

And the roo the sun shone even ore friendly on the happy people’s faces; a gentle breeze caressed their silg cheeks, and the birds sang even louder their heartfelt thanks to God.