ontario黑布林英语渔夫和他的灵魂

2021年1月24日发(作者：geneva)
.
The Fisherman and His Soul
About the Book
The
Fisherman
and
His
Soul
is
a
short
story
from
Oscar
Wilde's
collection
The
Happy
Prince and Other Tales. Wilde writes these stories for his children in 1888.
The Fisherman and His Soul is the story of a young fisherman. One day he catches
a
mermaid in his fishing net and he falls in love with her. The fisherman learns he
cannot be with the mermaid because he has a human soul. The fisherman then tries
to
send
away
his
human
soul.
The
fisherman
learns
from
a
witch
how
to
send
his
soul
away. He is then free to be with his mermaid. His soul is alone in the world. He
travels
the
world.
Each
year
he
comes
back
to
the
fisherman
and
tells
him
about
his
travels.
One of the themes of the story is temptation. In the story the mermaid tempts the
fisherman with stories of the sea. The fisherman tempts the witch to help him send
away his soul. And his soul tries to tempt the fisherman to leave the mermaid.
But the main theme of the story is love. Love is more important than anything. The
soul cannot tempt the fisherman because the fisherman
’
s love is too strong. And in
the end, we discover that you cannot live without love.
The
Fisherman
and
His
Soul
is
an
exotic
story
with
Oriental
and
Eastern
influences.
There are also mermaids, witches and devils. The language is poetic and is full of
allegory.

1

THE MERMAID
Every evening the young Fisherman goes out on the sea. He throws his nets into
the water. When the wind blows from the land, he doesn't catch many fish. But when
the wind blows from the sea, he catches lots of fish and he can sell them at the
market.
One
evening
the
Fisherman's
net
is
very
heavy.
He
thinks,
'Are
all
the
fish
in
the
sea in my net? Or is there a monster in my net?' He pulls and he pulls his net.
There are no fish or monsters in his net. But there is a little Mermaid and she
is sleeping.
The
Mermaid's
hair
is
golden.
Her
body
is
white.
Her
tail
is
silver
and
pearl.
Her
ears are like sea-shells and her lips are like sea-coral.
Her beauty makes the Fisherman very happy. He leans out of the boat. He takes the
Mermaid
in
his
arms.
She
wakes
up
when
he
touches
her.
She
cries
like
a
seagull
and
she wants to escape. But the Fisherman holds the Mermaid in his arms.
‘
Please
free
me,'
the
Mermaid
cries.

am
the
only
daughter
of
the
King.
My
father
is
old
and
alone.
‘
Make
me
a
promise,'
says
the
Fisherman.

can
free
you.
B
please
come when I call you. You can sing to me and to the fish. Then my nets can always
be full of fish.
‘
I promise,' cries the Mermaid.
The fisherman opens his arms and fees the frightened swims down under
the water.

.
.
What is not a promise?
口
A statement in which you say that something will definitely happen.
口
You will definitely do something.
口
You will definitely not do something.
口
You guess something will happen.

Every evening the Fisherman goes out on the sea. He calls the Mermaid. She comes
out of the water and sings to him. The dolphins swim round and round the Mermaid.
The seagulls fly round and round the Mermaid.
The Mermaid sings a beautiful song. She sings of the Sea-folk and of the palace
of the King. She sings of the gardens of the sea full of coral and fish. She sings
of
whales,
sea
lions
and
seahorses.
She
sings
of
sunken
ships
and
of
Mermaids
holding
out their arms to the sailors, calling them into the sea.
The
Mermaid
sings
and
sings.
All
the
fish
come
from
the
bottom
of
the
sea
to
listen
to her. The Fisherman throws his nets into the sea. His nets and boat are full of
fish.
Then
the
Mermaid
stops
singing.
She
smiles
at
the
Fisherman
and
she
swims
back
under the sea.
Every
evening
the
Fisherman
calls
the
Mermaid.
And
every
evening
she
sings
for
him.
But
she
does
not
come
near
him.
The
Fisherman
tries
to
touch
her.
But
she
swims
back
under the Sea.
Every
evening
the
Fisherman
listens
to
the
Mermaid.
Her
Song
and
her
voice
are
sweet
to his ears. And the Fisherman forgets his nets and the fish. His eyes are full of
love.
One evening the Fisherman calls to the Mermaid.
'Li ttle Mermaid, little Mermaid, | love you. Can I be your husband?' he says.
But the Mermaid shakes her head.
'No,' she says. 'You have a human soul. I cannot love you with your human soul.
Send away your human soul and I can love you.'
The Fisherman thinks, 'I have a soul. But I cannot see it. I cannot touch it. I
do not need it. I can send it away. Then I can be happy with my little Mermaid.'
The
Fisherman
is
full
of
joy.
He
stands
in
his
boat.
He
opens
his
arms
to
the
Mermaid.
‘
I
can
send
my
soul
away,'
he
cries.

can
be
my
wife'
and
I
can
be
your
husband.
We can live together
at
the bottom of the sea. You can show me your kingdom.
We can
be together.
The little Mermaid is very happy. She laughs and hides her face in her hands.
‘
How can I send my soul away?' cries the Fisherman.
'I do not know,' says the little Mermaid sadly.
‘
The Sea-folk have no souls.
’

Then she swims back down under the sea. She is sad now.

2 THE PRIEST
Early the next morning the Fisherman goes to the Priest's house.
He knocks three times on the door.
The fisherman enters the house and kneels on the floor. The Priest is reading.
'Father,' he says to the Priest,
‘
I am in love with a Mermaid. I can send my soul
.
.
away.
My soul is not important to me. It has no value to me.| cannot see it. I cannot
touch it. I do not need it.
’

‘
Are you mad?
’
replies the Priest.
‘
Of course you need your soul. God gives us our
souls
to
do
good
things.
Human
souls
are
precious.
Very
precious.
Forget
the
Mermaid.
The Sea-folk are
lost. Good and evil are the same for them. They have no place in heaven.'
The
Fisherman
is
sad.
He
has
tears
in
his
eyes.
He
stands
and
says,
'Father,
I
want
to
be
one
of
the
Sea-folk.
I
don't
want
my
soul.
I
want
to
be
with
my
love.
My
Mermaid
is
beautiful,
like
the
stars
and
the
moon.
I
love
her,
I
don't
need
my
soul.
I
don't
need a place in heaven. Help me. Help me send away my soul.'

The Priest sends the Fisherman away and he shuts his door.

Fill in the blank.
Human souls are important for humans because human souls are precious/ God gives
us our souls to do good things.

3 THE MERCHANTS
The Fisherman walks to the marketplace. He is sad.
The merchants in
the marketplace see him. One
of the merchants see the
fisherman,

’

‘
My
soul.
’

answers
the
Fisherman.
'Please
buy
it.
I
cannot
use
it.
I
cannot
see
it.
I cannot touch it. I do not need it.
’

But the merchants laugh.
‘
We
cannot
buy
your
soul,'
they
say.

soul
has
no
value
for
us.
Become
a
slave
and we can sell your body. We can dress you in purple and give you a ring. You can
become the great Queen's slave.'
'How strange,' thinks the Fisherman. 'For the
priest my
soul
has great
value, but
for the merchants it
has no value.' And he walks away. He goes to the sea to
think.

Why does the Fisherman's soul have no value for the merchants?
Because the merchants can not sell it.
Because his soul is very cheap.
Because the merchants sell other goods.
Because his soul doesn
’
t have a price in the market.

4 THE WITCH
Later the Fisherman remembers a young Witch. His friend knows her. She is good at
spells.
The Fisherman runs to her cave.
‘
I
want
a
small
thing,'
says
the
Fisherman.
'The
Priest
says
“
no
and
the
merchants
laugh. Now I come to you. You can help me and I can pay your price.'
'What do you want?' asks the Witch. She comes near to the Fisherman.
.
.
'I want to send my soul away,' says the Fisherman.
The
Witch
grows
pale.
She
hides
her
face
in
her
blue
cloak.

Fisherman,'
she says, 'It is terrible to send your soul away.'
The Fisherman laughs, 'My soul is not important for me,' he answers.
it. I cannot touch it. I do not need it.'
‘
What can you give me?
‘
Five pieces of gold
’
, he say,
my soul away. Then I can give you everything.'
The
Witch
laughs,
‘
With
my
spells
I
can
have
gold
and
silver.
Money
is
not
important
to me.
’

'If you don
’
t want gold or silver, what can I give you?
’
Cries the Fisherman.
The Witch touches the Fisherman's hair. Her hand is thin and white. 'Dance with
me, Fisherman,' She says. She is smiling.
‘
Is that all?
’
! asks the Fisherman.
'That is all,' she answers. She smiles again.
‘
We
can
dance
at
sunset,'
he
says.
'Then
you
can
tell
me
how
to
send
my
soul
away.'
The witch shakes her head.

close to his ear. 'Tonight at the top of the mountain,' she whispers.
The Fisherman looks at the Witch.
'Wait for me at the top of the mountain, under the tree. When the moon is full,
we can dance together.'

He runs back to the town. He is happy.
The Witch watches him leave. She goes into the cave. She looks in a mirror. She
is angry.

not me?'

Why is the Witch very angry?
Because she cannot dance with the Fisherman.
Because the Fisherman loves the Mermaid, not her.
Because the Fisherman thinks she is ugly.
Because the Witch can do nothing for the Fisherman.

In the evening the moon rises in the sky. The Fisherman climbs to the top of the
mountain. He waits under the tree. He sees the sea below. There are fishing boats
on the sea.
At midnight the witches come. They fly in the air like bats. They land on the top
of the mountain. Then the young Witch arrives. Her red hair blows in the wind. She
is wearing a gold dress and a green hat.
The Witch walks to the tree. She pulls the Fisherman into the light of the moon.
They begin to dance. They dance and dance. Round and round.

.
.
Now
everything
is
going
round
and
round.
The
Fisherman
feels
frightened.
He
feels
evil in the air. The Witch and the Fisherman are dancing round and round. He hears
the Witch laugh.
Then a dog barks and the dancers stop.

whispers
the
Witch
to
the
Fisherman.
He
follows
her.
But
first
he
says
the
holy name.
At that moment the witches scream and fly away. The Witch with the red hair also
tries to go away. But the Fisherman Catches her and holds her in his arms.

Why do the witches scream and fly away?
What is happening?
Because
in
calling
the
holy
name
the
Fisherman
is
sending
their
‘
evil
’

spirits
and
powers away.

'Free me,' says the Witch.
'No,' he answers. 'Tell me the secret.'
'What secret?' says the Witch. She fights like a wild cat. She wants to be free.
'You know,' he replies.
He holds her in his arms. She cannot escape.
'Am I not beautiful like the daughter of the sea?' she whispers close to the
Fisherman's face.

The Witch grows pale.
'As you wish,' she says.
‘
It is your soul, not mine.'
The Witch gives him a little knife.
‘
What is this for?' the Fisherman asks.
The
Witch
is
silent
for
a
few
moments.
She
is
afraid.
Then
she
says,
'Man
has
a
shadow'.
This shadow is not the shadow of your body. It is the body of your soul. Stand on
the seashore with the moon behind you. Then cut away your shadow from your body.
Cut away your soul's body. Send your soul away. Then your soul can leave you.'
The Fisherman is afraid, too. 'Is this true?' he says.
'It is true,' she cries. 'But you can only do it once.' She holds his knees, and
she is crying.
The
Fisherman
pushes
the
Witch
away.
He
puts
the
knife
into
his
belt
and
he
climbs
down the mountain.

5 THE SOUL
The
Fisherman
climbs
down
the
mountain.
The
Fisherman's
soul
calls
to
him,
'Don't
send me away. Please, don't send me away.'
'You are not important to me,' says the Fisherman. 'Go away. Go where you want. My
love is calling me.'
The
Fisherman
arrives
at
the
seashore.
He
stands
with
his
back
to
the
moon.
He
looks
at the sea. White arms are calling him. His shadow lies before him. His shadow is
the body of his Soul.
.
.
The Soul speaks again, 'Send me away with your heart.'
'How can I love my Mermaid with no heart?' replies the Fisherman.
'Be kind,' says the Soul. 'Give me your heart.'
'My heart is for my Mermaid. Go!'
'Can I not also love?' the Soul tries again.
‘
Go! You are not important to me,' cries the Fisherman. He takes the little knife
and he cuts his shadow away from his feet.
The
shadow
rises
and
stands
before
him.
The
shadow
is
the
same
size
as
the
Fisherman.
‘
Go!' says the Fisherman.
‘
No,' replies the Soul.
‘
I want to meet you again.'
'How?' asks the Fisherman.
’

'Every year I can come back to this place,' says the Soul.
‘
I can call you and you
can come.'
'OK,' replies the Fisherman. 'I can come.'
The Fisherman jumps into the water. The Tritons blow their horns and the little
Mermaid comes to meet him. She kisses him. They go down under the water.
The Soul watches on the beach. He is all alone.

6 THE FIRST YEAR
The
first
year
passes
and
the
Soul
comes
back
to
the
seashore.
He
calls
the
Fisherman.
The Fisherman rises from the deep water and says,
‘
Why do you call me?
’


The Fisherman comes near. He lies in the water. He leans his head on his hand and
listens.
The Soul begins his story:
I decide to go to the East. Everything in the East is wise. I travel for six days.
On the seventh day I come to the land of the Tartars. There are lots of hills and
the land is dry and hot. I sit under a tree and watch. People come and go. Then the
Tartars go and fight.
The moon is high. I see a fire. There are merchants sitting on carpets. There are
tents
and
camels.
I
go
over
and
the
chief
merchant
stands
up
and
takes
out
his
sword.
'Who are you?' he asks me.
'I
am
a
Prince.
I
am
running
away
from
the
Tartars.
I
do
not
want
to
be
their
slave,'
| answer.
The merchant takes my hand and I sit beside him. Then a servant brings me milk and
food.

Use the Internet to find out about the Tartars.
Who are they?
Where do they live?

In
the
morning
the
caravan
starts
on
its
journey.
|
ride
on
a
red-haired
camel
next
to the chief. The men of war walk with their weapons. Eighty mules follow us with
all the things we have to sell. There are forty camels in the caravan.
.
.
We leave the land of the Tartars and we travel to many strange lands.
We come to a land where the people curse the moon, We see gryphons guarding their
gold on
white rocks, dragons sleeping in
their caves. We pass mountains
with snow.
We pass valleys with pygmies shooting arrows. At night we hear wild men beat their
drums.
We come to the Tower of the apes. We put fruit before the apes. They do not hurt
us.
We come to the Tower of the serpents. We give them warm milk in bowls. They allow
us to pass.
Three times on our journey we cross the river Oxus. We Cross on rafts of wood. The
river-horses try to fight us. But they see camels and they are afraid.
We pay money to the guards of the cities. But they do not open the doors of their
cities. They throw bread and cakes over the walls.
We arrive at villages and the people run away in fear.
On
our
journey
we
fight
many
battles.
Many
people
on
the
caravan
die
in
battle.
And
many people on the caravan die of hunger. The survivors start to talk about me. Do
I bring bad fortune? I pick up a snake. It bites me but I don't feel anything. Now
the people are afraid of me.

After
four
months
we
arrive
at
the
city
of
lllel
and
we
knock
at
the
big
metal
gates.
The
guards
open
the
gates
and
we
go
to
the
marketplace.
The
merchants
and
the
servants
start to sell their
goods. The people come and look. On the first day the priests come and buy. On the
second day the nobles come and buy. On the third day the craftsmen and slaves come
and buy.
One day I am walking in the streets of the city. I come to the temple of the city's
god. There are priests in yellow clothes. The temple is rose-red with bells on the
roof. I sit in front of the temple by a pool of cool water. A priest comes to me.
'What do you want?' he asks.
'I want to see the god,' I reply.

'Tell me where, and I can watch him sleep,' I answer.
'The god is at a feast,
’
he cries.
'Give me wine and I can drink with him,' I answer.
The priest looks at me, then he takes me by the hand and we go into the temple.
In the first room I see a statue. It is made of ebony and it is the size of a man.
There is a ruby on its forehead.
'Is this the god?' I say to the priest.

'This
is
not
the
god!
Show
me
the
god,'
I
shout.
And
I
touch
his
hand
and
it
becomes
small.
'Cure me and I can show you the god,' he says.
So I breathe on his hand and it becomes normal again. The priest is afraid.
In the second room I see another statue. It is made of ivory.
.
.
It is twice' the size of a man and it is sitting on a jade flower.
'Is this the god?' I say to the priest.
'This is the god,' he answers.
'This
is
not
the
god!
Show
me
the
god!'
I
shout.
And
I
touch
his
eyes
and
he
becomes
blind.
'Cure me and I can show you the god,' says the priest.
So I breathe on his eyes and he can see again. Now the pries is afraid.
In the third room there are no statues. But there is a round mirror. The mirror is
made of metal and it is on a stone step.

‘
There is no god,
’
he answers.
‘
This is the Mirror of Wisdom. When you look into it,
you can see
everything in heaven and on earth. But you cannot see your own face. When you look
into
this
mirror,
you
can
see
everything
and
you
become
wise.
Nothing
is
hidden
from
you. There are lots of other mirrors in the world but there is only one Mirror of
Wisdom. The Mirrors of Wisdom is the god, and we worship it.'
I look into the mirror, and I see everything on heaven and on earth. The priest is
telling the truth.

Then I do a strange thing. I take the mirror and I hide the Mirror of Wisdom. The
mirror is in a valley a day's journey from here.
This is the end of the Soul's story.

Then
the
Soul
turns
to
the
Fisherman
and
says,

I
become
your
soul
again?
I
can
become
your
servant.
You
can
have
the
Mirror
of
Wisdom
and
become
wise.
You
can
have
Wisdom.'
But
the
Fisherman
laughs,

don't
want
Wisdom.
I
want
Love,
’

he
cries.
'The
little
Mermaid loves me.'
'No,' says the Soul.
I want Love,' answers the Fisherman. He jumps back into the sea.
The Soul goes away. He is crying.

Do you think the Fisherman chooses well?
Which one do you choose? Wisdom or Love?

7 THE SECOND YEAR
The second year passes and the Soul comes back to the seashore.
He Calls the Fisherman. The Fisherman rises from the deep water and says,
‘
Why do
you call me?
’

‘
Come and listen to my story,' says the Soul.
The Fisherman comes near. He lies in the water. He leans his head on his hand and
listens.
The Soul begins his story:
This
time
I
decide
to
go
to
the
South.
Everything
in
the
South
is
precious.
I
travel
.