墓园挽歌小学英语 英语故事(童话故事)The Nightingale 夜莺

2021年1月20日发(作者：曹雪芳)
The
Nightingale
夜莺

The Emperor of China is a Chinaman, as you most likely know, and everyone around
him is a Chinaman too. It's been a great many years since this story happened in
China, but that's all the more reason for telling it before it gets forgotten.
The Emperor's palace was the wonder of the world. It was made entirely of fine
porcelain, extremely expensive but so delicate that you could touch it only with
the
greatest
of
care.
In
the
garden
the
rarest
flowers
bloomed,
and
to
the
prettiest
ones
were
tied
little
silver
bells
which
tinkled
so
that
no
one
could
pass
by
without
noticing them. Yes, all things were arranged according to plan in the Emperor's
garden,
though
how
far
and
wide
it
extended
not
even
the
gardener
knew.
If
you
walked
on and on, you came to a fine forest where the trees were tall and the lakes were
deep.
The
forest
ran
down
to
the
deep
blue
sea,
so
close
that
tall
ships
could
sail
under the branches of the trees. In these trees a nightingale lived. His song was
so
ravishing
that
even
the
poor
fisherman,
who
had
much
else
to
do,
stopped
to
listen
on the nights when he went out to cast his nets, and heard the nightingale.

forget the bird's song. But the next night, when he heard the song he would again
say,
From
all
the
countries
in
the
world
travelers
came
to
the
city
of
the
Emperor.
They
admired the city. They admired the palace and its garden, but when they heard the
nightingale they said,
And the travelers told of it when they came home, and men of learning wrote many
books
about
the
town,
about
the
palace,
and
about
the
garden.
But
they
did
not
forget
the nightingale. They praised him highest of all, and those who were poets wrote
magnificent poems about the nightingale who lived in the forest by the deep sea.
These books went all the world over, and some of them came even to the Emperor of
China. He sat in his golden chair and read, nodding his head in delight over such
glowing descriptions of his city, and palace, and garden. But the nightingale is
the best of all. He read it in print.

be
such
a
bird
in
my
empire-in
my
own
garden-and
I
not
know
it?
To
think
that
I
should
have to learn of it out of a book.
Thereupon
he
called
his
Lord-in-Waiting,
who
was
so
exalted
that
when
anyone
of
lower
rank dared speak to him, or ask him a question, he only answered,
nothing at all.

say
there's
a
most
remarkable
bird
called
the
nightingale,
said
the
Emperor.


presented at court.

command
that
he
appear
before
me
this
evening,
and
sing,
said
the
Emperor.

whole world knows my possessions better than I do!

never
heard
of
him
before,
said
the
Lord-in-Waiting.

I
shall
look
for
him.
I'll find him.
But where? The Lord-in-Waiting ran upstairs and downstairs, through all the rooms
and corridors, but no one he met with had ever heard tell of the nightingale. So
the Lord-in- Waiting ran back to the Emperor, and said it must be a story invented
by those who write books.
of what is written is fiction, if not downright black art.

the
book
I
read
was
sent
me
by
the
mighty
Emperor
of
Japan,
said
the
Emperor.

his being here this evening. He has my high imperial favor, and if he is not
forthcoming I will have the whole court punched in the stomach, directly after
supper.

all the rooms and corridors. And half the court ran with him, for no one wanted to
be punched in the stomach after supper.
There was much questioning as to the whereabouts of this remarkable nightingale,
who was so well known everywhere in the world except at home. At last they found
a poor little kitchen girl, who said:

nightingale?
I
know
him
well.
Yes,
indeed
he
can
sing.
Every
evening
I
get
leave
to carry scraps from table to my sick mother. She lives down by the shore. When I
start back I am tired, and rest in the woods. Then I hear the nightingale sing. It
brings tears to my eyes. It's as if my mother were kissing me.

kitchen
girl,
said
the
Lord-in-Waiting,

have
you
appointed
scullion
for
life.
I'll
even
get
permission
for
you
to
watch
the
Emperor
dine,
if
you'll
take
us to the nightingale who is commanded to appear at court this evening.
So
they
went
into
the
forest
where
the
nightingale
usually
sang.
Half
the
court
went
along. On the way to the forest a cow began to moo.

small. I'm sure I've heard her sing before.

way to go.
Then the frogs in the marsh began to croak.

said
the
Chinese
court
person.

I
hear
it-like
church
bells
ringing.

him soon.
Then the nightingale sang.

She pointed to a little gray bird high up in the branches.

looked like that, so unassuming. But he has probably turned pale at seeing so many
important people around him.

to hear you sing.


similar
to
the
sound
of
glass
bells,
said
the
Lord-in-Waiting.

see
his
little
throat,
how
busily
it
throbs.
I'm
astounded
that
we
have
never
heard
him
before.
I'm sure he'll be a great success at court.

I
sing
to
the
Emperor
again?
asked
the
nightingale,
for
he
thought
that
the
Emperor was present.

good
little
nightingale,
said
the
Lord-in-Waiting,

have
the
honor
to
command
your presence at a court function this evening, where you'll delight His Majesty
the Emperor with your charming song.

willingly when he heard it was the Emperor's wish.
The palace had been especially polished for the occasion. The porcelain walls and
floors
shone
in
the
rays
of
many
gold
lamps.
The
flowers
with
tinkling
bells
on
them
had
been
brought
into
the
halls,
and
there
was
such
a
commotion
of
coming
and
going
that all the bells chimed away until you could scarcely hear yourself talk.
In the middle of the great throne room, where the Emperor sat, there was a golden
perch
for
the
nightingale.
The
whole
court
was
there,
and
they
let
the
little
kitchen
girl
stand
behind
the
door,
now
that
she
had
been
appointed

Pot-Walloper.
Everyone was dressed in his best, and all stared at the little gray bird to which
the Emperor graciously nodded.
And
the
nightingale
sang
so
sweetly
that
tears
came
into
the
Emperor's
eyes
and
rolled
down his cheeks. Then the nightingale sang still more sweetly, and it was the
Emperor's
heart
that
melted.
The
Emperor
was
so
touched
that
he
wanted
his
own
golden
slipper hung round the nightingale's neck, but the nightingale declined it with
thanks. He had already been amply rewarded.

An Emperor's tears are strangely powerful. I have my reward.
gloriously.

they
took
water
in
their
mouths
so
they
could
gurgle
when
anyone
spoke
to
them,
hoping
to
rival
the
nightingale.
Even
the
lackeys
and
chambermaids
said
they
were
satisfied,
which was saying
a great deal, for they were the hardest to please. Unquestionably
the nightingale was a success. He was to stay at court, and have his own cage. He
had
permission
to
go
for
a
walk
twice
a
day,
and
once
a
night.
Twelve
footmen
attended
him, each one holding tight to a ribbon tied to the bird's leg. There wasn't much
fun in such outings.
The whole town talked about the marvelous bird, and if two people met, one could
scarcely
say

before
the
other
said

and
then
they
would
sigh
in
unison,
with no need for words. Eleven pork-butchers' children were named
but not one could sing.
One day the Emperor received a large package labeled

must
be
another
book
about
my
celebrated
bird,
he
said.
But
it
was
not
a
book.
In
the
box
was
a
work
of
art,
an
artificial
nightingale
most
like
the
real
one
except
that it was encrusted with diamonds, rubies and sapphires. When it was wound, the
artificial bird could sing one of the nightingale's songs while it wagged its