作品簡介
作品名稱:《跳高者》
作者:安徒生
出自:《安徒生童話》
作品類型:童話故事
作者簡介
安徒生(1805—1875)丹麥作家。1805年4月2日生於丹麥菲英島歐登塞的貧民區。父親是個窮鞋匠,曾志願服役,抗擊拿破崙的侵略,退伍後於1816年病故。當洗衣工的母親不久即改嫁。安徒生從小就為貧困所折磨,先後在幾家店鋪里做學徒,沒有受過正規教育。少年時代即對舞台發生興趣,幻想當一名歌唱家、演員或劇作家。1819年在哥本哈根皇家劇院當了一名小配角。後因嗓子失潤被解僱。從此開始學習寫作,但寫的劇本完全不適宜於演出,沒有為劇院所採用。1822年得到劇院導演約納斯·科林的資助,就讀於斯萊厄爾瑟的一所文法學校。這一年他寫了《青年的嘗試》一書,以威廉·克里斯蒂安·瓦爾特的筆名發表。這個筆名包括了莎士比亞、安徒生自己和司各特的名字。1827年發表第一首詩《垂死的小孩》,1829年,他進入哥本哈根大學學習。他的第一部重要作品《1828和1829年從霍爾門運河至阿邁厄島東角步行記》於1829年問世。這是一部富於幽默感的遊記,頗有德國作家霍夫曼的文風。這部遊記的出版使安徒生得到了社會的初步承認。此後他繼續從事戲劇創作。1831年他去德國旅行,歸途中寫了旅遊札記。1833年去義大利,創作了一部詩劇《埃格內特和美人魚》和一部以義大利為背景的長篇小說《即興詩人》(1835)。小說出版後不久,就被翻譯成德文和英文,標誌著作者開始享有國際聲譽。作品主要內容
國王的女兒已到了結婚的年齡。國王向全國通報:跳得最高的人可以娶到我的公主!所有的年輕人都想去碰碰自己的運氣,其中包括了跳蚤、蚱蜢和一隻玩具跳鵝。首先是跳蚤上場。大臣發令:“預備——跳!”跳蚤跳得極高,但他太小了,誰也沒看見。於是大家都說他根本沒跳。蚱蜢跳得也比較高,但他沒把握方向,直接向國王的臉上跳去。人們哈哈大笑,國王氣壞了:“這算什麼?不行!”輪到跳鵝了,但是它還還呆呆地站著。大家都說:“看他那個笨樣,他肯定不會跳!”這時,來了一隻小狗,嗅嗅他。結果一碰——跳鵝笨拙地蹦了起來,剛好落到坐在金凳子上的公主膝蓋上,不偏不斜,恰到好處。人們立刻為跳鵝大聲歡呼。國王說:“誰跳到我女兒身上,就算誰跳蚤不服氣,他為了把自己的身材練得高大些,每天不停地鍛鍊。他越跳越高,跳得最高!結果不小心跳到國外去了。這就是這次比賽的目的。跳鵝明白這個道理,所以他得到了公主。”蚱蜢也在不斷訓練,他相信自己的實力,也找到了自己的問題:“做人做事一定要弄清方向才行。”他在等待著下次機會。作品原文
HE Flea, the Grasshopper, and the Skipjack1 once wanted to see which of them could jump highest; and they invited the whole world, and whoever else would come, to see the grand sight. And there the three famous jumpers were met together in the room.
“Yes, I’ll give my daughter to him who jumps highest,” said the King, “for it would be mean to let these people jump for nothing.”
The Flea stepped out first. He had very pretty manners, and bowed in all directions, for he had young ladies’ blood in his veins, and was accustomed to consort only with human beings; and that was of great consequence.
Then came the Grasshopper: he was certainly much heavier, but he had a good figure, and wore the green uniform that was born with him. This person, moreover, maintained that he belonged to a very old family in the land of Egypt, and that he was highly esteemed there. He had just come from the field, he said, and had been put into a card house three stories high, and all made of picture cards with the figures turned inwards. There were doors and windows in the house, cut in the body of the Queen of Hearts.
“I sing so,” he said, “that sixteen native CRICKETS who have chirped from their youth up, and have never yet had a card house of their own, would become thinner than they are with envy if they were to hear me.”
Both of them, the Flea and the Grasshopper, took care to announce who they were, and that they considered themselves entitled to marry a Princess.
The Skipjack said nothing, but it was said of him that he thought all the more; and directly the Yard Dog had smelt at him he was ready to assert that the Skipjack was of good family, and formed from the breastbone of an undoubted goose. The old councillor, who had received three medals for holding his tongue, declared that the Skipjack possessed the gift of prophecy; one could tell by his bones whether there would be a severe winter or a mild one; and that’s more than one can always tell from the breastbone of the man who writes the almanac.
“I shall not say anything more,” said the old King. “I only go on quietly, and always think the best.”
Now they were to take their jump. The Flea sprang so high that no one could see him; and then they asserted that he had not jumped at all. That was very mean. The Grasshopper only sprang half as high, but he sprang straight into the King’s face, and the King declared that was horribly rude. The Skipjack stood a long time considering; at last people thought that he could not jump at all. “I Only Hope he’s not become unwell,” said the Yard Dog, and then he smelt at him again. “Tap!” he sprang with a little crooked jump just into the lap of the Princess, who sat on a low golden stool.
Then the King said, “The highest leap was taken by him who jumped up to my daughter; for therein lies the point; but it requires head to achieve that, and the Skipjack has shown that he has a head.”
And so he had the Princess.
“I jumped highest, after all,” said the Flea. “But it’s all the same. Let her have the goose-bone with its lump of wax and bit of stick. I jumped to the highest; but in this world a body is required if one wishes to be seen.”
And the Flea went into foreign military service, where it is said he was killed.
The Grasshopper seated himself out in the ditch, and thought and considered how things happened in the world. And he too said, “Body is required! body is required!” And then he sang his own melancholy song, and from that we have gathered this story, which they say is not true, though it’s in print.
作品譯文
原文故事有一次,跳蚤、蚱蜢和跳鵝(註:這是丹麥一種舊式的玩具,它是用一根鵝的胸骨做成
的;加上一根木栓和一根線,再擦上一點蠟油,就可以使它跳躍。)想要知道它們之中誰跳
得最高。它們把所有的人和任何願意來的人都請來參觀這個偉大的場面。它們這三位著名的
跳高者就在一個房間裡集合起來。
“對啦,誰跳得最高,我就把我的女兒嫁給誰!”國王說,“因為,假如讓這些朋友白
白跳一陣子,那就未免太不像話了!”
跳蚤第一個出場。它的態度非常可愛:它向四周的人敬禮,因為它身體中流著年輕小姐
的血液,習慣於跟人類混在一起,而這一點是非常重要的。
接著蚱蜢就出場了,它的確很粗笨,但它的身體很好看。它穿著它那套天生的綠制服。
此外,它的整個外表說明它是出身於埃及的一個古老的家庭,因此它在這兒非常受到人們的
尊敬。人們把它從田野里弄過來,放在一個用紙牌做的三層樓的房子裡——這些紙牌有畫的
一面都朝里。這房子有門也有窗,而且它們是從“美人”身中剪出來的。
“我唱得非常好,”它說,“甚至16個本地產的蟋蟀從小時候開始唱起,到現在還沒
有獲得一間紙屋哩。它們聽到我的情形就嫉妒得要命,把身體弄得比以前還要瘦了。”
跳蚤和蚱蜢這兩位毫不含糊地說明了它們是怎樣的人物。它們認為它們有資格和一位公
主結婚!!!
跳鵝一句話也不說。不過據說它自己更覺得了不起。宮裡的狗兒把它嗅了一下,很有把
握地說,跳鵝是來自一個上等的家庭。那位因為從來不講話而獲得了三個勳章的老顧問官說
,他知道跳鵝有預見的才能:人們只須看看它的背脊骨就能預知冬天是溫和還是寒冷。這一
點人們是沒有辦法從寫曆書的人的背脊骨上看出來的。
“好,我什麼也不再講了!”老國王說,“我只須在旁看看,我自己心中有數!”
現在它們要跳了。跳蚤跳得非常高,誰也看不見它,因此大家就說它完全沒有跳。這種
說法太不講道理。
蚱蜢跳得沒有跳蚤一半高。不過它是向國王的臉上跳過來,因此國王就說,這簡直是可
惡之至。
跳鵝站著沉思了好一會兒;最後大家就認為它完全不能跳。
“我希望它沒有生病!”宮裡的狗兒說,然後它又在跳鵝身上嗅了一下。
“噓!”它笨拙地一跳,就跳到公主的膝上去了。她坐在一個矮矮的金凳子上。
國王說:“誰跳到我的女兒身上去,誰就要算是跳得最高的了,因為這就是跳高的目的
。不過能想到這一點,倒是需要有點頭腦呢——跳鵝已經顯示出它有頭腦。它的腿長到額上
去了!”
所以它就得到了公主。
“不過我跳得最高!”跳蚤說。“但是這一點用處也沒有!不過儘管她得到一架帶木栓
和蠟油的鵝骨,我仍然要算跳得最高。但是在這個世界裡,一個人如果想要使人看見的話,
必須有身材才成。”
跳蚤於是便投效一個外國兵團。據說它在當兵時犧牲了。
那隻蚱蜢坐在田溝里,把這世界上的事情仔細思索了一番,不禁也說:“身材是需要的
!身材是需要的!”
於是它便唱起了它自己的哀歌。我們從它的歌中得到了這個故事——這個故事可能不是
真的,雖然它已經被印出來了。
這是一個有風趣的小故事,發表於1845年,這裡面包含著一些似是而非的“真理”,
事實上是對人間某些世態的諷刺。“跳蚤跳得非常高,誰也看不見它,因此大家就說它完
全沒有跳。”但是在這個世界裡,一個人如果想要使人看見的話,必須有身材才成。“誰跳
到我的女兒身上去,誰就要算跳得最高的了……不過能想到這一點,倒是需要有點頭腦呢—
—跳鵝已經顯示出它有頭腦。”事實上跳鵝跳得最低,但是它得到了公主!安徒生在他的手
記中說:“當幾個孩子要求給他們講一個故事的時候,我靈機一動就寫出了這個《跳高者》。”
作品寓意
跳蚤、蚱蜢和跳鵝,想要知道它們之中誰跳得最高。“跳蚤跳得非常高,誰也看不見它,因此大家就說它完全沒有跳。”但是在這個世界裡,一個人如果想要使人看見的話,必須有身材才成。老國王說,“誰跳到我的女兒身上去,誰就要算跳得最高的了……不過能想到這一點,倒是需要有點頭腦呢— —跳鵝已經顯示出它有頭腦。”事實上跳鵝跳得最低,但是它得到了公主!
這是一個有風趣的小故事,這裡面包含著一些似是而非的“真理” ,事實上是對人間某些世態的諷刺。
《跳高者》的評論
這是一個有風趣的小故事,發表於1845年,這裡面包含著一些似是而非的“真理”,事實上是對人間某些世態的諷刺。“跳蚤跳得非常高,誰也看不見它,因此大家就說它完全沒有跳。”但是在這個世界裡,一個人如果想要使人看見的話,必須有身材才成。“誰跳到我的女兒身上去,誰就要算跳得最高的了……不過能想到這一點,倒是需要有點頭腦呢——跳鵝已經顯示出它有頭腦。”事實上跳鵝跳得最低,但是它得到了公主!安徒生在他的手記中說:“當幾個孩子要求給他們講一個故事的時候,我靈機一動就寫出了這個《跳高者》。”