《在大海的最远处》，1855 年
In the Uttermost parts of the Sea, 1855
几年前，几艘大船被派往北极，去探索遥远的海岸，试试人类能深入那些未知区域多远。
Some years ago, large ships were sent towards the north pole, to explore the distant coasts, and to try how far men could penetrate into those unknown regions.
其中一艘船在冰雪之中向北艰难前行了一年多，水手们忍受了许多艰难困苦；直到冬天终于来临，太阳完全消失了；连续好几个星期都是无尽的黑夜。
For more than a year one of these ships had been pushing its way northward, amid snow and ice, and the sailors had endured many hardships; till at length winter set in, and the sun entirely disappeared; for many weeks there would be constant night.
放眼望去，目之所及，除了冰原什么也看不见，船就被困在这片冰原之中。
All around, as far as the eye could reach, nothing could be seen but fields of ice, in which the ship remained stuck fast.
雪堆积成了大堆，水手们用这些雪堆建成了蜂巢形状的小屋，有些小屋像 “匈奴人的坟墓” 一样又大又宽敞，而其他的小屋只够容纳三四个人。
the snow lay piled up in great heaps, and of these the sailors made huts, in the form of bee-hives, some of them as large and spacious as one of the “huns’ graves,” and others only containing room enough to hold three or four men.
天并不是完全黑的；北极光喷射出红蓝相间的火焰，就像持续不断的烟火，雪闪闪发光，反射着光线，所以这里的夜晚是长长的黄昏。
It was not quite dark; the northern lights shot forth red and blue flames, like continuous fireworks, and the snow glittered, and reflected back the light, so that the night here was one long twilight.
当月亮最亮的时候，当地人成群结队地来看望水手们。
when the moon was brightest, the natives came in crowds to see the sailors.
他们穿着粗糙的、毛茸茸的皮衣，坐着雪橇在冰面上滑行，样子十分奇特。
they had a very singular appearance in their rough, hairy dresses of fur, and riding in sledges over the ice.
他们带来了大量的皮毛，于是雪屋很快就铺上了暖和的地毯，而且当水手们在雪屋顶下睡觉时，这些皮毛也能用来裹在身上，而外面的严寒比我们这里的冬天要冷得多。
they brought with them furs and skins in great abundance, so that the snow-houses were soon provided with warm carpets, and the furs also served for the sailors to wrap themselves in, when they slept under the roofs of snow, while outside it was freezing with a cold far more severe than in the winter with us.
在我们的国家，此时虽已入秋末，但仍是秋季；身处遥远流放之地的他们想起了这点，还常常在脑海中勾勒出家乡树上的黄叶。
In our country it was still autumn, though late in the season; and they thought of that in their distant exile, and often pictured to themselves the yellow leaves on the trees at home.
他们的手表指向了晚上该睡觉的时间，尽管在这片区域现在一直都是黑夜。
their watches pointed to the hours of evening, and time to go to sleep, although in these regions it was now always night.
在其中一间小屋里，两名男子躺下来休息。
In one of the huts, two of the men laid themselves down to rest.
这两人中较年轻的那个从家乡带来了他最宝贵、最珍爱的宝贝 —— 一本《圣经》，那是他出发时祖母送给他的。
the younger of these men had brought with him from home his best, his dearest treasure — a bible, which his grandmother had given him on his departure.
每晚这本圣书都放在他头下，而且他从小就知道书里写了什么。
Every night the sacred volume rested under his head, and he had known from his childhood what was written in it.
每天他都会读这本书，当躺在冰冷的床铺上时，他学过的那些神圣话语就会浮现在脑海中：“我若展开清晨的翅膀，飞到海极居住，就是在那里，你也与我同在，你的右手也必扶持我。” 在这些神圣话语所激发的信念影响下，他进入了梦乡，还做起了梦，梦是上帝向灵魂的显现。
Every day he read in the book, and while stretched on his cold couch, the holy words he had learnt would e into his mind: “If I take the wings of the morning, and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thou art with me, and thy right hand shall uphold me;” and under the influence of that faith which these holy words inspired, sleep came upon him, and dreams, which are the manifestations of God to the spirit.
灵魂在身体休息时依然存活并活动着。
the soul lives and acts, while the body is at rest.
他感受到了自己体内的这种生命，仿佛听到了亲切、熟悉的旋律声，仿佛夏日的微风在他周围吹拂；一道亮光洒在他的床铺上，仿佛是透过他那雪屋顶的覆盖物照射进来的。
he felt this life in him, and it was as if he heard the sound of dear, well-known melodies, as if the breeze of summer floated around him; and over his couch shone a ray of brightness, as if it were shining through the covering of his snow-roof.
他抬起头，看见那明亮的光芒并非是闪耀积雪的反光，而是一位强大天使羽翼发出的耀眼亮光，他正凝视着天使那光芒四射的脸庞。
he lifted his head, and saw that the bright gleaming was not the reflection of the glittering snow, but the dazzling brightness of the pinions of a mighty angel, into whose beaming face he was gazing.
天使如同从百合花的花蕊中升起一般，从《圣经》的书页间站起身来；他伸出手臂，小屋的墙壁便坍塌下去，仿佛它们是由一层轻薄、缥缈的雾纱构成的，家乡那翠绿的山丘和草地，还有那红彤彤的树林，都在一个可爱秋日的静谧阳光下展现在他周围。
As from the cup of a lily, the angel rose from amidst the leaves of the bible; and, stretching out his arm, the walls of the hut sunk down, as though they had been formed of a light, airy veil of mist, and the green hills and meadows of home, with its ruddy woods, lay spread around him in the quiet sunshine of a lovely autumn day.
鹳巢已经空了，但野苹果树上仍挂着成熟的果实，尽管树叶已经掉落。
the nest of the stork was empty, but ripe fruit still hung on the wild apple-tree, although the leaves had fallen.
树篱上的红蔷薇果闪闪发光，挂在他家 —— 那间农舍窗外绿色笼子里的椋鸟，正吹着他教给它的曲调。
the red hips gleamed on the hedges, and the starling which hung in the green cage outside the window of the peasant’s hut, which was his home, whistled the tune which he had taught him.
他的祖母像往常他这个孙子所做的那样，在笼子周围挂上绿色的鸟食。
his grandmother hung green birds’-food around the cage, as he, her grandson, had been accustomed to do.
村里铁匠的女儿年轻又漂亮，正站在井边打水。
the daughter of the village blacksmith, who was young and fair, stood at the well, drawing water.
她向祖母点头示意，老妇人也向她点头，并指着一封从远方寄来的信。
She nodded to the grandmother, and the old woman nodded to her, and pointed to a letter which had e from a long way off.
就在那天早晨，这封信从寒冷的北方地区寄到了；就在那里，远行在外的他正在上帝的护佑下甜甜地睡着。
that very morning the letter had arrived from the cold regions of the north; there, where the absent one was sweetly sleeping under the protecting hand of God.
他们对着信又哭又笑；而在远方，身处冰雪之中、在天使羽翼庇护下的他，在精神上也和他们一同哭泣、一同微笑；因为在梦中他目睹并听闻了这一切。
they laughed and wept over the letter; and he, far away, amid ice and snow, under the shadow of the angel’s wings, wept and smiled with them in spirit; for he saw and heard it all in his dream.
他们从信中大声读出了《圣经》里的话语：“在大海的极处，你的右手也必扶持我。”
From the letter they read aloud the words of holy writ: “In the uttermost parts of the sea, thy right hand shall uphold me.”
当天使像一层纱幕般展开双翅覆在沉睡者身上时，响起了美妙的音乐和赞美诗的歌声。
And as the angel spread his wings like a veil over the sleeper, there was the sound of beautiful music and a hymn.
随后，那幻象消逝了。
then the vision fled.
雪屋里又变得一片漆黑；但《圣经》仍垫在他头下，信念与希望驻留在他心中。
It was dark again in the snow-hut: but the bible still rested beneath his head, and faith and hope dwelt in his heart.
上帝与他同在，即便 “在大海的最远处”，他也将家乡装在了心里。
God was with him, and he carried home in his heart, even “in the uttermost parts of the sea.”