章节正文
The roast goose stuffed with apples and dried plums stood at one end, smoking hot,- and which was pleasantest of all to see- the goose, with knife and fork still in her breast, jumped down from the dish, and waddled along the floor right up to the poor child. The match was burned out, and only the thick, hard wall was beside her. She kindled a third match. Again up shot the flame; and now she was sitting under a most beautiful Christmas-tree, far larger, and far more prettily decked out than the one she ha d seen last Christmas Eve through the glass doors of the rich merchant's house. Hundreds of wax tapers lighted up the green branches, and tiny painted pictures such as she had seen in the shop windows, looked down from the tree upon he r. The child stretched out her hands towards them in delight, and in that moment the light of the match was quenched; still, however, the Christmas candles burned higher and higher. She beheld them beaming like stars in heaven; one of them fell, the light streaming behind it like a long, fiery tail. "Now some one is dying," said the little girl softly; for she had been told by her old grandmother- the only person who had ever been kind to her, and who was now dead- that whenever a star falls an immortal spirit returns to the God who gave it. She struck yet another match against the wall; it flamed up, and, surrounded by its light, that same dear grandmother appeared before her, gentle and loving as always, but bright and happy as she had never looked during her lifetime. | 桌面的一端有一只烤鹅，还是热腾腾的，而鹅肚里塞满了苹果、干梅子之类的甜食，这只烤鹅是最好看的东西。忽然这只鹅胸口插着刀叉从盘子上跳下来，摇摇摆摆地沿着地面朝那个可怜的孩子走过来。 就在这时候，火柴又熄灭了，只剩下厚实又坚固的墙在她身旁。 小女孩于是点燃第三根火柴。 这一次她坐在一棵非常美丽的圣诞树下，这棵圣诞树远比去年从一个有钱人家的玻璃门中看到的那棵还要大，而且点缀得更精致。 另外在这棵圣诞树的绿叶间点着许多蜡烛，还有五彩缤纷的装饰品，就像她在商店橱窗所看见的一样，都从树上向下俯看着她。 小女孩很高兴地展开双手迎向它们，可是就这一剎那，火柴熄灭了，然而圣诞烛火仍持续升高。 她看见火花像天上的星星一样闪烁着，其中有一颗星星坠落了。在它后面有一道光芒，就像一条长长的火尾巴。 「现在，有一个人即将死去了！」小女孩轻声地说。因为她的祖母曾经告诉她，只要有一颗星星殒落，就表示有一个灵魂要回到上帝那里去了，因为生命是上帝赐予的。小女孩的祖母是唯一对她好的人，如今已不在人世了！ 小女孩又在墙上划了一根火柴，火焰的亮度围绕着火柴棒，亲爱的祖母就在她眼前出现，一如往常般的和蔼、慈祥，但祖母明朗快乐的样子，是小女孩一生中从未见过的。 |
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