发表时间: 2025-12-24 18:37
THE TEAPOT (1863)
茶壶（1863）
There was a proud Teapot, proud of being made of porcelain, proud of its long spout and its broad handle.
从前有一个骄傲的茶壶，它为自己是瓷做的而感到骄傲，也为它长长的壶嘴和宽宽的壶把而自豪。
It had something in front of it and behind it; the spout was in front, and the handle behind, and that was what it talked about.
它前面有一样东西，后面也有一样东西；壶嘴在前面，壶把在后面，这正是它常常谈论的话题。
But it didn’t mention its lid, for it was cracked and it was riveted and full of defects, and we don’t talk about our defects—other people do that.
但它从不提起它的壶盖，因为壶盖是裂开的，用铆钉钉过，满是缺陷，而我们不会谈论自己的缺点——那是别人做的事。
The cups, the cream pitcher, the sugar bowl—in fact, the whole tea service—thought much more about the defects in the lid and talked more about it than about the sound handle and the distinguished spout.
杯子、奶油壶、糖碗——其实，整个茶具套装——更多地想着壶盖的缺陷，谈论得也比那完好的壶把和出众的壶嘴更多。
The Teapot knew this.
茶壶知道这一点。
“I know them,” it told itself.
“我了解它们，”它对自己说。
“And I also know my imperfections, and I realize that in that very knowledge is my humility and my modesty.”
“我也知道自己的不完美，并且我意识到，正是这种认识体现了我的谦卑和谦逊。”
We all have many defects, but then we also have virtues.
我们都有许多缺陷，但我们同样也有优点。
The cups have a handle, the sugar bowl has a lid, but of course I have both, and one thing more, one thing they can never have; I have a spout, and that makes me the queen of the tea table.
杯子有把手，糖碗有盖子，但我当然两者都有，而且还有一样它们永远不可能有的东西；我有壶嘴，这让我成为茶桌上的女王。
The sugar bowl and the cream pitcher are permitted to be serving maids of delicacies, but I am the one who gives forth, the adviser.
糖碗和奶油壶被允许充当精致食品的女仆，而我才是那个给予者，那个建议者。
I spread blessings abroad among thirsty mankind.
我将祝福传播给渴望的人类。
Inside of me the Chinese leaves give flavor to boiling, tasteless water.”
在我体内，中国茶叶为滚烫无味的水增添了风味。”
This was the way the Teapot talked in its fresh young life.
这就是茶壶在它年轻鲜活时的说话方式。
It stood on the table that was prepared for tea and it was lifted up by the most delicate hand.
它站在备好茶的桌子上，被一只极其纤巧的手举起来。
But that most delicate hand was very awkward.
但那最纤巧的手却非常笨拙。
The Teapot was dropped; the spout broke off, and the handle broke off; the lid is not worth talking about; enough has been said about that.
茶壶被掉落了；壶嘴摔断了，壶把也摔断了；壶盖就不值一提了；关于它已经说得够多了。
The Teapot lay in a faint on the floor, while the boiling water ran out of it.
茶壶晕倒在地板上，沸水从它里面流出来。
It was a great shock it got, but the worst thing of all was that the others laughed at it—and not at the awkward hand.
它受到了巨大的打击，但最糟糕的是其他人都嘲笑它——而不是嘲笑那只笨拙的手。
“I’ll never be able to forget that!” said the Teapot, when later on it talked to itself about its past life.
“我永远无法忘记这件事！”茶壶后来在自言自语回忆过去生活时说道。
“They called me an invalid, and stood me in a corner, and the next day gave me to a woman who was begging for food.”
“他们称我为废品，把我放在一个角落，第二天把我送给一个讨饭的女人。”
I fell into poverty, and was speechless both outside and inside, but as I stood there my better life began.
我陷入了贫困，内外都沉默无语，但当我站在那里时，我更好的生活开始了。
One is one thing and then becomes quite another.
一个人是一种样子，然后变成了完全不同的另一种样子。
They put earth in me, and for a Teapot that’s the same as being buried, but in that earth they planted a flower bulb.
他们把泥土放进我里面，对于一个茶壶来说，这就如同被埋葬，但在那泥土里，他们种下了一个花球茎。
Who put it there and gave it to me, I don’t know; but it was planted there, a substitution for the Chinese leaves and the boiling water, the broken handle and spout.
谁把它放在那里并给了我，我不知道；但它被种在那里，取代了中国茶叶和沸水，取代了断掉的壶把和壶嘴。
And the bulb lay in the earth, inside of me, and it became my heart, my living heart, a thing I never had before.
球茎躺在泥土里，在我内部，它成了我的心，我活生生的心，这是我以前从未有过的东西。
There was life in me; there were power and might; my pulse beat.
我体内有了生命；有了力量和能量；我的脉搏跳动起来。
The bulb put out sprouts; thoughts and feeling sprang up and burst forth into flower.
球茎发出新芽；思想和感情涌现出来，绽放成花朵。
I saw it, I bore it, and I forgot myself in its beauty.
我看见了它，承载着它，并在它的美丽中忘记了自己。
It is a blessing to forget oneself in others!
在他人之中忘记自己是一种福气！
“It didn’t thank me, it didn’t even think of me—everybody admired it and praised it.”
“它没有感谢我，甚至没有想到我——每个人都欣赏它、赞美它。”
It made me very happy; how much more happy it must have made it!
这让我非常快乐；它自己一定感到更快乐多少倍啊！
“One day I heard them say it deserved a better pot.”
“有一天，我听到他们说它配得上一个更好的花盆。”
They broke me in two—that really hurt—and the flower was put into a better pot; then they threw me out into the yard, where I lie as an old potsherd.
他们把我打成两半——那真的很痛——然后把花移到了一个更好的花盆里；接着他们把我扔到院子里，我在那里躺着一块旧陶片。
But I have my memory; that I can never lose!
但我有我的记忆；那是我永远无法失去的！