Children's Prattle

by Hans Christian Andersen（1859）

　　AT a rich merchant's house there was a children's party， and the children of rich and GREat people were there. The merchant was a learned man， for his father had sent him to college， and he had passed his examination. His father had been at first only a cattle dealer， but always honest and industrious， so that he had made money， and his son， the merchant， had managed to increase his store. Clever as he was， he had also a heart； but there was less said of his heart than of his money. All descriptions of people visited at the merchant's house， well born， as well as intellectual， and some who possessed neither of these recommendations.

　　Now it was a children's party， and there was children's prattle， which always is spoken freely from the heart. Among them was a beautiful little girl， who was terribly proud； but this had been taught her by the servants， and not by her parents， who were far too sensible people.

　　Her father was groom of the Chambers， which is a high office at court， and she knew it. “I am a child of the court，” she said； now she might just as well have been a child of the cellar， for no one can help his birth； and then she told the other children that she was well-born， and said that no one who was not well-born could rise in the world. It was no use to read and be industrious， for if a person was not well-born， he could never achieve anything. “And those whose names end with 'sen，'” said she， “can never be anything at all. We must put our arms akimbo， and make the elbow quite pointed， so as to keep these 'sen' people at a GREat distance.” And then she stuck out her pretty little arms， and made the elbows quite pointed， to show how it was to be done； and her little arms were very pretty， for she was a sweet-looking child.

　　But the little daughter of the merchant became very angry at this speech， for her father's name was Petersen， and she knew that the name ended in “sen，” and therefore she said as proudly as she could， “But my papa can buy a hundred dollars' worth of bonbons， and give them away to children. Can your papa do that？”

　　“Yes； and my papa，” said the little daughter of the editor of a paper， “my papa can put your papa and everybody's papa into the newspaper. All sorts of people are afraid of him， my mamma says， for he can do as he likes with the paper.” And the little maiden looked exceedingly proud， as if she had been a real princess， who may be expected to look proud.

　　But outside the door， which stood ajar， was a poor boy， peeping through the crack of the door. He was of such a lowly station that he had not been allowed even to enter the room. He had been turning the spit for the cook， and she had given him permission to stand behind the door and peep in at the well-dressed children， who were having such a merry time within； and for him that was a GREat deal. “Oh， if I could be one of them，” thought he， and then he heard what was said about names， which was quite enough to make him more unhappy. His parents at home had not even a penny to spare to buy a newspaper， much less could they write in one； and worse than all， his father's name， and of course his own， ended in “sen，” and therefore he could never turn out well， which was a very sad thought. But after all， he had been born into the world， and the station of life had been chosen for him， therefore he must be content.

　　And this is what happened on that evening.

　　Many years passed， and most of the children became grown-up persons.

　　there stood a splendid house in the town， filled with all kinds of beautiful and valuable objects. Everybody wished to see it， and people even came in from the country round to be permitted to view the treasures it contained.

　　Which of the children whose prattle we have described， could call this house his own？ One would suppose it very easy to guess. No， no； it is not so very easy. The house belonged to the poor little boy who had stood on that night behind the door. He had really become something GREat， although his name ended in “sen，”—for it was Thorwaldsen.

　　And the three other children—the children of good birth， of money， and of intellectual pride，—well， they were respected and honored in the world， for they had been well provided for by birth and position， and they had no cause to reproach themselves with what they had thought and spoken on that evening long ago， for， after all， it was mere “children's prattle.”

　　批发商家为孩子们安排了一次聚会，参加的都是有钱人家、体面人家的孩子。这位批发商生意做得很不错，是一位有学识的人。他得到过高级中学结业证书，是他那和善的父亲坚持要他念书的。父亲最初做贩牛生意，为人老成勤俭，赚了不少钱。批发商接着又不断地赚钱。他很有头脑，心地也很慈善。可是大夥儿很少说起他的这些，说得最多的还是他的那许多钱。

　　他家出出进进的都是体面人物。有的是人们说的血统很体面，有的是人们说的精神方面很体面，有的两者兼而有之，有的则两者皆缺。现在这里是孩子们的聚会，讲的都是孩子话，孩子们讲话从来不拐弯抹角。有一个小姑娘很漂亮，只是过於高傲了。都是仆佣们总是亲吻她而宠出来的，不是她的父母，在这方面，他们倒还是很注意分寸的。她的父亲是宫廷侍从官，这很了不起，她知道。

　　“我是宫廷里的孩子！”她说道。她其实也可能是地下室的孩子，随便你自己怎么定都可以。於是她对别的孩子说，她是“生就”的，还说，如果不是生就的，那她就变也变不成。读书也没有用，即便你十分用功读书也不行，要是你不是生就的，那你是变不成的。

　　“那些以”生“字为姓的结尾的人1，”她说道，“在世界上怎么也成不了大器！应该把手叉在腰旁，远远地躲开这些”生“呀”生“的！”於是她便把她那娇嫩的小手叉在腰上，胳膊尖尖的，让人看看应该怎么样行事。那一双小胳膊真好看，她真是甜极了！

　　可是批发商的小女儿很恼火。她的父亲叫玛兹生，她知道这个名字以“生”结尾。於是她便十分傲气地说：

　　“可是我父亲能拿一百块银币买来糖果让大夥儿抢！你父亲能吗？”

　　“是啊，可是我父亲，”一位作家的小女儿说道，“能把你的父亲，还有你的父亲，所有的父亲，都弄到报纸上！人人都怕他，我母亲说的，因为我父亲管着报纸。”

　　小姑娘挺直了身子，翘起了头，就像她是一位真正的公主那样，挺身翘首。

　　在半开的门外，有一个贫寒的孩子站在那里正从门缝往里看。那小孩十分穷困，进不到厅里来。他为厨房里的女佣人转烤肉的叉子，现在被允许在门背后看看那些在玩耍取乐的体面孩子，这在他可真是一件十分了不起的大事了。

　　“要是能成为他们当中的一个，该会怎么样啊！”他想道。这时他听到了那些孩子们刚才说的话，说真的，真叫人丧气。家中父母亲的柜子里一文钱也没有，他们连报纸都买不起，哪里还谈得上在报纸上写东西。接下来最糟糕不过的是，他父亲的姓，就是说也是他的姓，一点儿不假，是“生”字结尾的！就是说他在世上决不会有甚么出息。这简直太惨了！然而他生到世上来了，他觉得，生得挺对！没有甚么旁的可能了。

　　瞧，那天晚上就是这个样！——

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　　好多年过去了，在这些年里孩子们都长成了大人。

　　城里建起了一座宏伟的房子，屋里讲究极了，人人都想看看它，甚至连外地的人都来看它。真不知道我们前边所谈到的那些孩子当中谁可以把这房子说成是自己的呢？是啊，这不难知道！不，也不是那么容易呢。这房子是那个贫寒的孩子的2.他到底还是有了出息，尽管他的名字是以“生”字结尾的——曹瓦尔森3.

　　另外那三个孩子呢？——有高贵血统的、有钱的、高傲精神的孩子，——是啊，这个孩子没有让另外一个听到自己的事，他们都是同等的孩子！他们都很不错，很幸福，这是有道理的。他们那天所想所说的那些只是些——孩子话。1丹麦的姓氏形成过程中，逐渐出现了以“某某人的儿子”这个词为姓的做法。儿子在丹麦文中是SPn，用於“某某人的儿子”姓氏后缀时转为sen，这样丹麦便出现了大量以Sen，为后缀的姓氏。我国译者将这姓氏后缀译为森，如延森。在本书中，除安徒生已为人公认外，其他此类后缀均被译为森。在这篇故事中，sen则被译为“生”，这是因为在这里“生”字中还包含了出生的意思。

　　2指曹瓦尔森博物馆。

　　3参见《丹麦人霍尔格》注17.