Voice by: Andy Gee
He passed by the cathedral tower, where the white marble angels were sculptured. He passed by the palace and heard the sound of dancing. A beautiful girl came out on the balcony with her lover. "How wonderful the stars are," he said to her, "and how wonderful is the power of love!"
燕子飛過大教堂的塔樓，那上面有許多用白色大理石雕刻成的天使像。燕子飛過宮殿，聽到了裡面的舞曲聲。一個漂亮的姑娘和她的心上人走出來，站在陽臺上。「星星是多麼美好啊！」她的心上人說道，「愛情的力量又是多麼奇妙啊！」
"I hope my dress will be ready in time for the State-ball," she answered; "I have ordered passion-flowers to be embroidered on it; but the seamstresses are so lazy."
「我希望我的裙子能趕在盛大的舞會前做好。」姑娘說，「我要求在裙子上繡西番蓮花，但那些女裁縫太懶了。」
He passed over the river, and saw the lanterns hanging to the masts of the ships. He passed over the ghetto[ˈɡetəʊ], and saw the old Jews bargaining with each other, and weighing out money in copper[ˈkɒpə(r)] scales. At last he came to the poor house and looked in. The boy was tossing['tɒsɪŋ] feverishly on his bed, and the mother had fallen asleep, she was so tired.
燕子飛過河流，看到船桅上懸掛著燈籠。他飛過聚居區，看到年老的猶太人在討價還價，在銅秤上稱錢幣。最後，他飛到了那所破爛的房子前，往裡看去——那個男孩發著燒，在床上輾轉反側；他的母親已經睡著了，因為她實在是太累了。
In he hopped, and laid the great ruby on the table beside the woman's thimble[ˈθɪmbl]. Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy's forehead with his wings. "How cool I feel," said the boy, "I must be getting better," and he sank into a delicious slumber[ˈslʌmbə(r)].
燕子從窗戶跳進屋內，把紅寶石放在桌上的一枚頂針旁邊。然後，他繞著床輕輕地飛，用他的翅膀扇著男孩的前額。「真涼快啊，」男孩說，「我的病一定是快好了。」然後，他沉沉地進入了甜蜜的夢鄉。
Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told him what he had done. "It is curious," he remarked, "but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold."
燕子飛回到快樂王子身邊，告訴他自己所做的事。「真是奇怪，」燕子繼續說道，「我現在覺得非常暖和，雖然天氣是那麼冷。」
"That is because you have done a good action," said the Prince. And the little Swallow began to think, and then he fell asleep. Thinking always made him sleepy.
「那是因為你做了一件好事。」快樂王子說。燕子思考著快樂王子的話，沒多久就睡著了。思考總是讓他昏昏欲睡。
When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath. "What a remarkable phenomenon!" said the Professor of Ornithology[ˌɔːnɪˈθɒlədʒi]as he was passing over the bridge. "A Swallow in winter!" And he wrote a long letter about it to the local newspaper. Everyone quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand.
天亮的時候，燕子飛到河裡洗了個澡。「多麼不尋常的景象啊！」一位鳥類學教授過橋的時候說，「冬天竟然有燕子！」他為此給當地報紙寫了封長信。之後，人人都在引用信裡的話，儘管信裡都是些他們不懂的詞語。
"Tonight I go to Egypt," said the Swallow, and he was in high spirits at the prospect. He visited all the public monuments['mɔnjumənt], and sat a long time on top of the church steeple. Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped, and said to each other, "What a distinguished stranger!" so he enjoyed himself very much.
「今晚我要去埃及。」燕子說。一想到去遠方，他就興致勃勃。他飛遍了城裡所有的公共紀念碑，還在教堂尖塔的塔頂上停留了好長時間。無論他飛到哪裡，麻雀們都相互嘰嘰喳喳地說：「多麼尊貴的客人啊！」所以他玩得非常開心。
When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince. "Have you any commissions for Egypt?" he cried; "I am just starting."
「當月亮升起的時候，燕子飛回到快樂王子身邊。「你有什麼事要在埃及辦嗎？」他大聲問道，「我要動身去埃及了。」
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not stay with me one night longer?"
「燕子，燕子，小燕子，」快樂王子說，「你難道不能和我再呆一個晚上嗎？」
"I am waited for in Egypt," answered the Swallow. "Tomorrow my friends will fly up to the Second Cataract[ˈkætərækt]. The river-horse couches there among the bulrushes[ˈbʊlrʌʃ], and on a great granite[ˈɡrænɪt] throne sits the God Memnon.
「大家都在埃及等我呢。」燕子回答說，「明天我的朋友們就要飛往第二大瀑布了。在那裡，河馬躺在寬葉香蒲[2]裡，石雕的門農[3]坐在巨大的花崗巖寶座上。
All night long he watches the stars, and when the morning star shines he utters[ˈʌtə(r)] one cry of joy, and then he is silent. At noon the yellow lions come down to the water's edge to drink. They have eyes like green beryls, and their roar is louder than the roar of the cataract."
他整夜都在觀察星星，當晨星閃爍的時候，他會發出一聲歡快的叫聲，然後就安靜了。到中午的時候，黃色的獅子從山上下來，到河邊喝水。他們有著綠寶石一樣的眼睛，吼聲比瀑布的響聲還要洪亮。」
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "far away across the city I see a young man in a garret. He is leaning over a desk covered with papers, and in a tumbler[ˈtʌmblə(r)] by his side there is a bunch of withered violets[ˈvaɪələt].
「燕子，燕子，小燕子，」快樂王子說，「在城市的遠處，我看見一個年輕人呆在閣樓裡。他正坐在鋪滿了紙的桌子旁邊，在他身邊的玻璃杯裡有一束枯萎的紫羅蘭。」
His hair is brown and crisp, and his lips are red as a pomegranate[ˈpɒmɪɡrænɪt], and he has large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire in the grate, and hunger has made him faint."
他那棕色的頭髮捲曲著，他的雙唇紅得像石榴，他的一雙大眼睛充滿困意。他正在為劇院的經理趕寫劇本，但是他太冷了，寫不下去了，因為壁爐裡沒有火。而且他餓得要暈倒了。」
"I will wait with you one night longer," said the Swallow, who really had a good heart. "Shall I take him another ruby?"
「我會陪你再呆一晚。」燕子說，因為他的心腸實在是太好了。「我要去給年輕人送另一顆紅寶石嗎？」
"Alas! I have no ruby now," said the Prince, "my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish his play."
「啊！我已經沒有紅寶石了。」快樂王子說，「剩下的只有我的雙眼了，它們是用罕見的藍寶石做的，這藍寶石是1000年前從印度傳來的。啄下一顆去送給他，他會把藍寶石賣給珠寶商，用換來的錢買些食物和柴火，寫完他的劇本。」
"Dear Prince," said the Swallow, "I cannot do that"; and he began to weep.
「親愛的王子，我不能這麼做。」燕子說完就哭了起來。
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "do as I command you."
「燕子，燕子，小燕子，」快樂王子說，「照我的吩咐去做吧。」
So the Swallow plucked out the Prince’s eye, and flew away to the student’s garret. It was easy enough to get in, as there was a hole in the roof. Through this he darted, and came into the room.
於是，燕子啄下快樂王子的一隻眼睛，飛往年輕人的閣樓。閣樓的屋頂上有一個洞，燕子很容易地穿過這個洞飛進了屋子。
The young man had his head buried in his hands, so he did not hear the flutter of the bird’s wings, and when he looked up he found the beautiful sapphire lying on the withered violets.
年輕人正雙手抱頭伏在桌邊，他沒有聽到燕子扇動翅膀的聲音。當他抬起頭的時候，他發現枯萎的紫羅蘭上有顆美麗的藍寶石。
"I am beginning to be appreciated," he cried; "this is from some great admirer. Now I can finish my play," and he looked quite happy.
「我開始得到賞識了！」年輕人大聲叫道，「這寶石一定是某位非常欣賞我的人悄悄送來的。現在我可以完成我的劇本了。」他看起來非常高興。
The next day the Swallow flew down to the harbour. He sat on the mast of a large vessel[ˈvesl] and watched the sailors hauling big chests out of the hold with ropes.
第二天，燕子飛往港口。他站在一艘大船的桅杆上，看著水手們用繩索把大箱子從貨艙裡拖出來。
"Heave a-hoy!" they shouted as each chest came up. "I am going to Egypt!" cried the Swallow, but nobody minded, and when the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince.
「嘿喲嗬！」水手們喊著號子，將一個個箱子拖了上來。「我要去埃及了！」燕子喊道，但是沒人注意到他。當月亮升起的時候，他飛回到快樂王子的身邊。
"I am come to bid you goodbye," he cried.
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not stay with me one night longer?"
「燕子，燕子，小燕子，」快樂王子說道，「你難道就不能陪我再多呆一個晚上嗎？」
"It is winter," answered the Swallow, "and the chill snow will soon be here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm-trees, and the crocodiles[ˈkrɒkədaɪl] lie in the mud and look lazily about them. My companions are building a nest in the Temple of Baalbec, and the pink and white doves are watching them, and cooing to each other.
「現在是冬天，」燕子回答說，「這裡很快就會下起冰冷的雪。在埃及，太陽照在綠色的棕櫚樹上，暖洋洋的。鱷魚趴在泥地裡，慵懶地四處張望。我的夥伴們在巴勒貝克神殿[4]裡築巢，那些粉色的和白色的鴿子看著他們，咕咕地叫著。
Dear Prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you, and next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of those you have given away. The ruby shall be redder than a red rose, and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea."
親愛的王子，我必須要離開你了，但是我永遠都不會忘記你，來年春天我將帶回兩顆漂亮的寶石，來彌補你失去的那兩顆。紅寶石會比紅玫瑰更紅，藍寶石會和大海一樣藍。」
"In the square below," said the Happy Prince, "there stands a little match-girl. She has let her matches fall in the gutter, and they are all spoiled. Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money, and she is crying. She has no shoes or stockings, and her little head is bare. Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will not beat her."
「就在下面的廣場上，」快樂王子說，「站著一個賣火柴的小女孩。她的火柴都掉進排水溝裡了，它們全都毀了。如果她不能帶點兒錢回家的話，她的爸爸會打她的。她正在哭呢。她沒有鞋子，沒有襪子，頭上也沒戴帽子。把我的另一隻眼睛啄下來給她，她的爸爸就不會打她了。」
"I will stay with you one night longer," said the Swallow, "but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then."
「我再陪你多呆一個晚上，」燕子說，「但是我不能啄出你的眼睛，那樣你就瞎了。」
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "do as I command you."
「燕子，燕子，小燕子，」快樂王子說，「照我的吩咐去做吧。」
So he plucked out the Prince's other eye, and darted down with it. He swooped past the match-girl, and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand. "What a lovely bit of glass," cried the little girl; and she ran home, laughing.
於是，燕子啄下快樂王子的另一隻眼睛，向下飛去。他掠過賣火柴的小女孩的頭頂，讓寶石滑落在她的手中。「多麼漂亮的一小塊玻璃啊，」小女孩大聲叫道，然後笑著跑回了家。
Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. "You are blind now," he said, "so I will stay with you always."
燕子飛回快樂王子身邊。「你現在什麼都看不見了，」燕子說，「所以我會一直留在你的身邊。」
"No, little Swallow," said the poor Prince, "you must go away to Egypt."
「不，小燕子，」可憐的快樂王子說，「你一定要離開這裡去埃及。」
"I will stay with you always," said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince’s feet.
「我會和你一直在一起。」燕子說完，就在快樂王子的腳下睡著了。
All the next day he sat on the Prince’s shoulder, and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands.
第二天，整整一天，燕子都站在快樂王子的肩膀上，給快樂王子講自己以前在異國他鄉的見聞。
He told him of the red ibises[ˈaɪbɪs], who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile, and catch gold-fish in their beaks; of the Sphinx, who is as old as the world itself, and lives in the desert, and knows everything; of the merchants, who walk slowly by the side of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black as ebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests[pri:st] to feed it with honey-cakes; and of the pygmies[ˈpɪɡmi] who sail over a big lake on large flat leaves, and are always at war with the butterflies.
他講到那些紅色的朱鷺（lù）[5]，他們在尼羅河的岸邊站成長長的一排，捉金魚吃；他講到斯芬克斯[6]，它和這個世界一樣老，它住在沙漠裡，無所不知，無所不曉；商人們手裡拿著琥珀色的珠子，慢慢地跟著駝隊前行著；月亮山[7]的國王皮膚像烏木一樣黑，對一塊巨大的水晶石頂禮膜拜；睡在棕櫚樹上那條綠色的大蟒蛇，要20個僧侶在那裡用蜂蜜蛋糕來餵他；小矮人們乘著大而平展的樹葉，在一個大湖泊裡來回航行，還總是和蝴蝶發生戰爭。
"Dear little Swallow," said the Prince, "you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see there."
「親愛的小燕子，」快樂王子說，「你給我講了那麼多奇妙的事情，但是更不可思議的是世間的人們所遭受的苦難。沒有什麼比苦難更難以想像的了。從我的城市上空飛過吧，小燕子，告訴我你在城市裡都看到了什麼。」
So the Swallow flew over the great city, and saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the gates. He flew into dark lanes, and saw the white faces of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets.
於是，燕子在城市的上空飛翔。他看見有錢人在漂亮的房子裡尋歡作樂，乞丐們卻坐在大門外挨餓受凍。他飛進黑漆漆的小巷，看到臉色蒼白、飢腸轆轆的孩子們無精打採地望著昏暗的街道。
Under the archway of a bridge two little boys were lying in one another’s arms to try and keep themselves warm. "How hungry we are!" they said. "You must not lie here," shouted the Watchman, and they wandered out into the rain.
在一座拱橋的橋洞下，兩個小男孩依偎在對方的臂彎裡取暖。「我們好餓呀！」他們說。「你們不準坐在這兒！」看守的人呵斥道。於是，他們搖搖晃晃地走進大雨中。
Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen.
"I am covered with fine gold," said the Prince, "you must take it off, leaf by leaf, and give it to my poor; the living always think that gold can make them happy."
「我身上鑲滿了金葉子，」快樂王子說，「你一定要把它們一片片地取下來，送給那些窮人。活著的人總認為金子能讓他們開心。」
Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and grey. Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he brought to the poor, and the children’s faces grew rosier, and they laughed and played games in the street. "We have bread now!" they cried.
燕子把金葉子一片片地啄下來，直到快樂王子看上去又灰又暗。他又把金葉子一片片地送給了窮人。孩子們的臉色變得紅潤起來，他們笑著，在街道上玩著遊戲。「我們現在有麵包啦！」他們喊道。
Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost. The streets looked as if they were made of silver, they were so bright and glistening; long icicles[ˈaɪsɪkl] like crystal daggers hung down from the eaves[i:vz] of the houses, everybody went about in furs, and the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on the ice.
後來，下雪了，隨之而來的便是嚴冬。街道看上去像是用銀子做成的，閃亮而耀眼；長長的冰錐子像水晶短劍一樣掛在一個個屋簷下；行人都穿上了皮衣，小男孩們戴上紅帽子去滑冰。
The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave the Prince, he loved him too well. He picked up crumbs[krʌm] outside the baker's door when the baker was not looking and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings.
可憐的燕子越來越冷，但是他不願意離開快樂王子，他太愛快樂王子了。他趁麵包師不注意的時候啄食門外的麵包屑來充飢，還不停地拍打著翅膀，好讓自己暖和一些。
But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had just strength to fly up to the Prince’s shoulder once more. "Goodbye, dear Prince!" he murmured['mə:mə], "will you let me kiss your hand?"
最後燕子知道自己快要死了，他用僅剩的一點兒力氣飛到了快樂王子的肩上。「再見了，親愛的王子！」燕子小聲說，「能讓我親吻你的手嗎？」
"I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, little Swallow," said the Prince, "you have stayed too long here; but you must kiss me on the lips, for I love you."
我非常高興你終於要去埃及了，小燕子。」快樂王子說，「你在這裡呆得太久了。你一定要親吻我的嘴唇，因為我愛你。」
"It is not to Egypt that I am going," said the Swallow. "I am going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?"
「我要去的不是埃及，」燕子說，「而是死亡之家。死亡就是長眠的兄弟，不是嗎？」
And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his feet.
於是，燕子親吻了快樂王子的嘴唇，跌落在他的腳下，死去了。
At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, as if something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost.
就在這時，快樂王子的雕像內發出了一陣奇特的碎裂聲，就像是什麼東西打碎了。其實是那顆鉛心碎成了兩半。這個冬天確實冷得嚇人。
Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in company with the Town Councillors. As they passed the column he looked up at the statue: "Dear me! How shabby the Happy Prince looks!" he said.
第二天一早，市長在市政會委員們的陪同下穿過廣場。當他們經過圓柱時，市長抬頭看了看雕像，「天啊！快樂王子看上去是多麼破舊啊！」
"How shabby indeed!" cried the Town Councillors who always agreed with the Mayor; and they went up to look at it.
「的確是破舊不堪！」市政會委員們齊聲喊道。他們總是同意市長說的話。說完，大家紛紛走上去，抬頭看著雕像。
"The ruby has fallen out of his sword, his eyes are gone, and he is golden no longer," said the Mayor in fact, "he is little better than a beggar!"
「他劍柄上的紅寶石掉了，他的藍寶石眼睛不見了，他也不再是金色的了。」市長實事求是地說，「他比乞丐好不到哪兒去！」
"Little better than a beggar," said the Town Councillors.
"And here is actually a dead bird at his feet!" continued the Mayor. "We must really issue a proclamation[ˌprɒkləˈmeɪʃn] that birds are not to be allowed to die here." And the Town Clerk made a note of the suggestion.
「他的腳下居然還躺著一隻死鳥！」市長繼續說道，「我們必須發布一個公告，不允許鳥類死在這裡。」於是，書記員馬上把這個建議記錄了下來。
So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. "As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful," said the Art Professor at the University.
後來，他們推倒了快樂王子的雕像。「既然他已不再美麗，那他就沒有用處了。」大學裡的藝術教授說。
Then they melted the statue in a furnace, and the Mayor held a meeting of the Corporation to decide what was to be done with the metal. "We must have another statue, of course," he said, "and it shall be a statue of myself."
然後，他們把雕像放在熔爐裡熔掉。市長召開了一次會議，來決定如何處理這些金屬。「當然，我們得另造一座雕像，」市長說，「而且那應該是我的雕像。」
"Of myself," said each of the Town Councillors, and they quarrelled. When I last heard of them they were quarrelling still.
「不，應該是我的雕像。」每一個市政會委員都這麼說，他們爭論不休。當我最後一次聽到他們說話的時候，他們仍在爭論。
"What a strange thing!" said the overseer of the workmen at the foundry. "This broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace. We must throw it away." So they threw it on a dust-heap where the dead Swallow was also lying.
「多麼奇怪的事情啊！」鑄造廠的監工說道，「這顆破裂的鉛心在熔爐裡熔不掉，我們得把它扔了。」於是工人們就把那顆鉛心扔進了垃圾堆，死去的燕子也躺在那裡。
"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.
「把這座城市裡最珍貴的兩樣東西帶給我。」上帝對他的一位天使說。於是，天使就把那顆鉛心和死去的燕子帶給了他。
"You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me."
「你選得很對，」上帝說，「這樣，這隻小鳥就可以在我天堂的園子裡永遠歌唱，而快樂王子也可以住在我的金色城中永遠讚美我。」（完）
[2] 一種植物，又名蒲草、蒲菜，多生長在池塘、河灘、沼澤等潮溼多水的地方。
[3] 門農是希臘傳說中特洛伊戰爭的英雄，死後被宙斯賦予不朽之身。文中提到的門農像其實是一座古埃及的法老雕像，因被人們誤認為是門農而得名。古羅馬統治時期的一次地震使雕像出現了裂縫。每當風起的時候，雕像就會發出聲音。後來經過修補，門農像就不再發出聲響了。
[4] 黎巴嫩著名的古蹟，「巴勒貝克」意為「太陽之城」。
[5] 一種鳥類，平時喜歡棲息在高大的喬木上，覓食時才到水田、河邊、沼澤等地方，以青蛙、田螺、小魚等為食。
[6] 希臘神話中喜歡講謎語的獅身人面像。
[7] 即魯文佐裡山，是位於剛果舍和烏幹達國界上的高山群。