Two Brothers

by Hans Christian Andersen（1859）

　　ON one of the Danish islands， where old Thingstones， the seats of justice of our forefathers， still stand in the cornfields， and huge trees rise in the forests of beech， there lies a little town whose low houses are covered with red tiles. In one of these houses strange things were brewing over the glowing coals on the open hearth； there was a boiling going on in glasses， and a mixing and distilling， while herbs were being cut up and pounded in mortars. An elderly man looked after it all.

　　“One must only do the right thing，” he said； “yes， the right—the correct thing. One must find out the truth concerning every created particle， and keep to that.”

　　In the room with the good housewife sat her two sons； they were still small， but had GREat thoughts. Their mother， too， had always spoken to them of right and justice， and exhorted them to keep to the truth， which she said was the countenance of the Lord in this world.

　　the elder of the boys looked roguish and enterprising. He took a delight in reading of the forces of nature， of the sun and the moon； no fairy tale pleased him so much. Oh， how beautiful it must be， he thought， to go on voyages of discovery， or to find out how to imitate the wings of birds and then to be able to fly！ Yes， to find that out was the right thing. Father was right， and mother was right—truth holds the world together.

　　the younger brother was quieter， and buried himself entirely in his books. When he read about Jacob dressing himself in sheep-skins to personify Esau， and so to usurp his brother's birthright， he would clench his little fist in anger against the deceiver； when he read of tyrants and of the injustice and wickedness of the world， tears would come into his eyes， and he was quite filled with the thought of the justice and truth which must and would triumph.

　　One evening he was lying in bed， but the curtains were not yet drawn close， and the light streamed in upon him； he had taken his book into bed with him， for he wanted to finish reading the story of Solon. His thoughts lifted and carried him away a wonderful distance； it seemed to him as if the bed had become a ship flying along under full sail. Was he dreaming， or what was happening？ It glided over the rolling waves and across the ocean of time， and to him came the voice of Solon； spoken in a strange tongue， yet intelligible to him， he heard the Danish motto： “By law the land is ruled.”

　　the genius of the human race stood in the humble room， bent down over the bed and imprinted a kiss on the boy's forehead： “Be thou strong in fame and strong in the battle of life！ With truth in thy heart fly toward the land of truth！”

　　the elder brother was not yet in bed； he was standing at the window looking out at the mist which rose from the meadows. They were not elves dancing out there， as their old nurse had told him； he knew better—they were vapours which were warmer than the air， and that is why they rose. A shooting star lit up the sky， and the boy's thoughts passed in a second from the vapours of the earth up to the shining meteor. The stars gleamed in the heavens， and it seemed as if long golden threads hung down from them to the earth.

　　“Fly with me，” sang a voice， which the boy heard in his heart. And the mighty genius of mankind， swifter than a bird and than an arrow—swifter than anything of earthly origin—carried him out into space， where the heavenly bodies are bound together by the rays that pass from star to star. Our earth revolved in the thin air， and the cities upon it seemed to lie close to each other. Through the spheres echoed the words：

　　“What is near， what is far， when thou art lifted by the mighty genius of mind？”

　　And again the boy stood by the window， gazing out， whilst his younger brother lay in bed. Their mother called them by their names： “Anders Sandoe” and “Hans Christian.”

　　Denmark and the whole world knows them—the two brothers Orsted.

　　在丹麦的一个岛上，在麦粟田中间高高兀出古议事会址1的所在，在生长着高大的山毛榉树林的地方，有一个很小的镇子2.这里矮小屋子都是红顶的。在这样的一所屋子里，在火炉里烧得白晃晃的火和灰的上面，燉着很奇特的东西；玻璃杯里有东西被烧开翻滚；有些东西被掺和在一起，有的东西被蒸溜了，钵里的草类的植物被捣碎了。这都是一位老年人干的。“我们必须按照正确的原则办事！”他说道，“是啊，正确的，真实的，我们得认识和把握住每一件事物的真谛。”在屋子里，在贤惠的主妇身边，坐着他们的两个儿子，都还小，但是已经有成年人的思想了。母亲时常对他们讲正义，讲合理合法，讲坚持真理，真理是上帝在这个世界上的化身。大的那个孩子，看来很聪明、敏锐。他的兴趣是研究自然力，研究太阳星星之类的事物，这些比任何童话对他都要美好得多。啊，出去旅行探险，或者去探索如何才能仿造鸟类的翅膀，然后飞起来，那会是多么幸福！是的，就是探索正确的事物！父亲很对，母亲很对；把世界维系在一起的是真理。

　　弟弟则更安静一些，完全专注於书籍。读到雅可布披上羊皮装成以扫把长子权骗到手3的时候，他便愤愤地攥紧自己的小拳头，对诈骗十分恼怒。读到暴君，读到存在於世上的不公平和邪恶的时候，他会流出眼泪。正义和真理最终必定胜利的思想，强烈地充满他的胸怀。有一天夜里，他已经上了床，但是窗帘没有完全拉严，有光线射进照着他，他带着书躺在床上，他得把梭伦4的故事读完。

　　他的思想奇异地领着他飘得很远。床好像成了一条大船，船帆被风吹得完全胀了起来。他是在做梦呢还是怎么回事？他航行在波涛汹涌的海上，在时间的大海之中，他听到了梭伦的喊声，用的是外国语言但却又能听得懂。这声音喊出了丹麦的那竞选名言：“以法立国5！”

　　人类的智慧之神，来到了这贫寒的屋里。他把身子弯向了床，在孩子的面颊上吻了一下：“在荣誉中保持坚强，在生活的斗争中保持坚强！把真理放在胸中，飞向真理之乡！”哥哥还没有上床，他站在窗前，望着草地上升起的雾霭。那不是山精姑娘在跳舞，一位老年真诚的帮工千真万确对他讲到过山精跳舞。但是他有更聪慧的见解，那是水蒸汽，比空气还暖，所以它们便升了起来。有一颗流星闪光滑过，这孩子的思想一下子便从地面上的雾霭高高地飞到那闪光体上去了。天空中星星在闪动，就好像有金线从星星上垂到我们的地面上一样。“随我去翱翔吧！”这声音一直传到了这孩子的心中。人类的伟大的智慧之神，用比鸟、比箭、比世界上任何能飞的东西都要快的速度，把他一下子带到了太空之中，带到了一颗颗星用发出的光把各天体绑在一起的地方。我们的地球在稀薄的空气中转动，一个个城市好像都靠得很近。有一个声音穿过了各天体响了起来：“伟大的精神智慧之神把你托起的时候，甚么是近，甚么是远？”

　　小孩又站到了窗前，朝外望去，弟弟躺在床上。母亲叫着他们的名字：“安诺斯和汉斯·克里斯钦！”

　　丹麦知道他们，世界知道这两兄弟——奥斯特。

　　题註：这里讲的是丹麦两位奥斯特的事。哥哥是对安徒生有过很多影响的丹麦科学家，电磁的发现者。关於他，可参见《天鹅巢》注10和《演木偶戏的人》注5.弟弟安诺斯·桑德·奥斯特（1778-1860）是丹麦法学家和政治家。

　　他们的父亲苏昂·克里斯钦·奥斯特（1750-1822）是药剂师，药铺老闆。

　　1在部落时代，部落的人聚在一个特定的地方商量本部落的大事。这是后来议会的雏形。

　　2丹麦朗厄兰岛上的鲁兹奎宾城。

　　3圣经旧约《创世纪》第27章讲，犹太人的始祖亚布拉罕的儿子以撒在暮年时要给他的长子以扫祝福。这事被以撒的妻子利巴加知道了，她让她的次子——以扫的孪生弟弟披上羊皮伪装成以扫（以扫身上有毛），以骗取以撒的祝福。

　　4希腊的诗人和法律起草人（公元前约640-560）。他写成的法律是日后雅典法律的基础。

　　5这是1241年丹麦制定的《日德兰法》的序言的序词。这个法律至今仍然有效。这句话也成了丹麦最着名的政治口号。现在在哥本哈根法院的大门上方的壁上还刻着这句话。