安徒生童話:In the Uttermost Parts of the Sea在遙遠的海極

In the Uttermost Parts of the Sea

by Hans Christian Andersen（1855）

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. 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. All around， as far as the eye could reach， nothing could be seen but fields of ice， in which the ship remained stuck fast. 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. 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. When the moon was brightest， the natives came in crowds to see the sailors. They had a very singular appearance in their rough， hairy dresses of fur， and riding in sledges over the ice. 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. 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. Their watches pointed to the hours of evening， and time to go to sleep， although in these regions it was now always night.

In one of the huts， two of the men laid themselves down to rest. 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. Every night the sacred volume rested under his head， and he had known from his childhood what was written in it. Every day he read in the book， and while stretched on his cold couch， the holy words he had learnt would come 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. The soul lives and acts， while the body is at rest. He felt this life in him， and it was as if he heard the sound of dear， well-known melodies， as if the breezes 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. 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. 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. The nest of the stork was empty， but ripe fruit still hung on the wild apple-tree， although the leaves had fallen. 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. His grandmother hung green birds'-food around the cage， as he， her grandson， had been accustomed to do. The daughter of the village blacksmith， who was young and fair， stood at the well， drawing water. She nodded to the grandmother， and the old woman nodded to her， and pointed to a letter which had come from a long way off. 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. 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. From the letter they read aloud the words of Holy Writ： “In the uttermost parts of the sea， Thy right hand shall uphold me.” And as the angel spread his wings like a veil over the sleeper， there was the sound of beautiful music and a hymn. Then the vision fled. It was dark again in the snow-hut： but the Bible still rested beneath his head， and faith and hope dwelt in his heart. God was with him， and he carried home in his heart， even “in the uttermost parts of the sea.”

有幾艘大船開到北極去；它們的目的是要發現陸地和海的界線，同時也要試驗一下，人類到底能夠向前走多遠。它們在霧和冰中已經航行了好幾年，而且也吃過不少的苦頭。現在冬天開始了，太陽已經不見了。漫長的黑夜將要一連持續好幾個星期。四周是一望無際的冰塊。船隻已經凝結在冰塊的中間。雪堆積得很高；從雪堆中人們建立起蜂窠似的小屋——有的很大，像我們的古塚（註：這是指歐洲現存的一些史前期的古墓（KaempehAie）。它們比一般墳墓大。）；有的還要大，可以住下三四個人。但是這兒並不是漆黑一團；北極光射出紅色和藍色的光彩，像永遠不滅的、大朵的焰火。雪發出亮光，大自然是一起黃昏的彩霞。

當天空是最亮的時候，當地的土人就成羣結隊地走出來。他們穿着毛茸茸的皮衣，樣子非常新奇。他們坐着用冰塊製作成的雪橇，運輸大捆的獸皮，好使他們的雪屋能夠鋪上溫暖的地氈。這些獸皮還可以當做被子和褥子使用。當外面正在結冰、冷得比我們嚴寒的冬天還要冷的時候，水手們就可以裹着這些被子睡覺。

在我們住的地方，這還不過是秋天。住在冰天雪地裏的他們也不禁想起了這件事情。他們記起了故鄉的太陽光，同時也不免記起了掛在樹上的紅葉。鐘上的時針指明這正是夜晚和睡覺的時候。事實上，冰屋裏已經有兩個人躺下來要睡了。

這兩個人之中最年輕的那一位身邊帶着他最好和最貴重的寶物——一部《聖經》。這是他動身前他的祖母送給他的。他每天晚上把它放在枕頭底下，他從兒童時代起就知道書裏面寫的是甚麼東西。他每天讀一小段，而且每次翻開的時候，他就讀到這幾句能給他安慰的神聖的話語：“我若展開清晨的翅膀，飛到海極居住，就是在那裏，你的手必引導我，你的右手，也必扶持我（註：引自《聖經·舊約全書·詩篇》第139篇第9至第10節。）。”

他記住這些含有真理的話，懷着信心，閉起眼睛；於是他睡着了，做起夢來。夢就是上帝給他的精神上的啓示。當身體在休息的時候，靈魂就活躍起來，他能感覺到這一點；這好像那些親愛的、熟識的、舊時的歌聲；這好像那在他身邊吹動的、溫暖的夏天的風。他從他睡的地方看到一漂白光在他身上擴展開來，好像是一件甚麼東西從雪屋頂上照進來了似的。他擡起頭來看，這白天並不是從牆上、或從天花板上射來的。它是從安琪兒肩上的兩個大翅膀上射下來的。他朝他的發光的、溫柔的臉上望去。

這位安琪兒從《聖經》的書頁裏升上來，好像是從百合的花萼裏升上來似的。他伸開手臂，雪屋的牆在向下墜落，好像不過是一層輕飄的薄霧似的。故鄉的綠草原、山丘和赤褐色的樹林在美麗的秋天的太陽光中靜靜地展開來。鸛鳥的窠已經空了，但是野蘋果樹上仍然懸着蘋果，雖然葉子都已經落掉了。玫瑰射出紅光；在他的家——一個農舍——的窗子面前，一隻八哥正在一個小綠籠子裏唱着歌。這隻八哥所唱的就正是他以前教給它的那支歌。祖母在籠子上掛些鳥食，正如他——她的孫子——以前所作過的那樣。鐵匠的那個年輕而美麗的女兒，正站在井邊汲水。她對祖母點着頭，祖母也對她招手，並且給她看一封遠方的來信。這封信正是這天從北極寒冷的地方寄來的。她的孫子現在就在上帝保護之下，住在那兒。

她們不禁大笑起來，又不禁哭起來；而他住在冰天雪地裏，在安琪兒的雙翼下，也不禁在精神上跟她們一起笑，一起哭。她們高聲地讀着信上所寫的上帝的話語：就是在海極居住，“你的右手，也必扶持我。”四周發出一陣動聽的念聖詩的聲音。安琪兒在這個夢中的年輕人身上，展開他的迷霧一般的翅膀。

他的夢做完了。雪屋裏是一起漆黑，但是他的頭底下放着《聖經》，他的心裏充滿了信心和希望。“在這海極的地方”，上帝在他的身邊，家也在他的身邊！

（1856年）