死火 Dead Fire

我夢見自己在冰山間奔馳。I dreamt I was racing among ice mountains.

我梦见自己在冰山间奔驰。

這是高大的冰山，上接冰天，天上凍雲瀰漫，片片如魚鱗模樣。These were tall, towering ice mountains, reaching up to a frozen sky above, where frozen clouds spread thick, piece upon piece like fish scales.山麓有冰樹林，枝葉都如松杉。At the foot of the mountains was a forest of ice trees, their branches and leaves all shaped like pine and fir.一切冰冷，一切靑白。Everything was ice-cold, everything was blue-white.

这是高大的冰山，上接冰天，天上冻云弥漫，片片如鱼鳞模样。山麓有冰树林，枝叶都如松杉。一切冰冷，一切靑白。

但我忽然墜在冰谷中。But suddenly I fell into an ice ravine.

但我忽然坠在冰谷中。

上下四旁無不冰冷，靑白。Above, below, on every side, all was ice-cold, blue-white.而一切靑白冰上，卻有紅影無數，糾結如珊瑚網。Yet upon all that blue-white ice, there were countless red shadows, tangled together like a coral net.我俯看腳下，有火燄在。I looked down at my feet, and there was a flame there.

上下四旁无不冰冷，靑白。而一切靑白冰上，却有红影无数，纠结如珊瑚网。我俯看脚下，有火燄在。

這是死火。This was a dead flame.有炎炎的形，但毫不搖動，全體冰結，像珊瑚枝，尖端還有凝固的黑煙，疑這纔從火宅中出，所以枯焦。It had a blazing shape, yet it did not waver in the least; its whole body was frozen solid, like a branch of coral, and at its tip there was still congealed black smoke, making me suspect it had just come from a house of fire, and so was scorched dry.這樣，映在冰的四壁，而且互相反映，化爲無量數影，使這冰谷，成紅珊瑚色。Thus reflected on the four ice walls, and reflecting upon one another besides, it turned into innumerable shadows, making this ice ravine take on the color of red coral.

这是死火。有炎炎的形，但毫不摇动，全体冰结，像珊瑚枝，尖端还有凝固的黑烟，疑这才从火宅中出，所以枯焦。这样，映在冰的四壁，而且互相反映，化为无量数影，使这冰谷，成红珊瑚色。

哈哈！Ha ha!

當我幼小的時候，本就愛看快艦激起的浪花，洪爐噴出的烈燄。When I was young, I already loved to watch the spray dashed up by swift boats, the fierce flames spouted from great furnaces.不但愛看，還想看淸。Not only did I love to watch them, I wanted to see them clearly.可惜他們都息息變幻，永無定形。Unfortunately they were all forever shifting and changing, never taking on a fixed form.雖然凝視又凝視，總不留下怎樣一定的迹象。Though I gazed and gazed again, they never left behind any trace of a definite shape.

当我幼小的时候，本就爱看快舰激起的浪花，洪炉喷出的烈燄。不但爱看，还想看淸。可惜他们都息息变幻，永无定形。虽然凝视又凝视，总不留下怎样一定的迹象。

死的火燄，現在先得到了你了！Dead flame, now at last I have got hold of you!

死的火燄，现在先得到了你了！

我拾起死火，正要細看，那冷氣已使我的指頭焦灼；I picked up the dead flame, and just as I was about to look at it closely, that cold air had already made my fingertips burn;但是，我還熬着，將他塞入衣袋中間。but still I endured it, and stuffed it into the middle of my clothes pocket.冰谷四面，登時完全靑白。On every side of the ice ravine, at once, everything turned completely blue-white.我一面思索着走出冰谷的法子。I walked along, all the while turning over in my mind some way to get out of the ice ravine.

我拾起死火，正要细看，那冷气已使我的指头焦灼；但是，我还熬着，将他塞入衣袋中间。冰谷四面，登时完全靑白。我一面思索着走出冰谷的法子。

我的身上噴出一縷黑煙，上升如鐵線蛇。From my body there spouted a wisp of black smoke, rising like an iron-wire snake.冰谷四面，又登時滿有紅燄流動，如大火聚，將我包圍。On every side of the ice ravine, at once again, red flames came flowing everywhere, like a great gathering of fire, and surrounded me.我低頭一看，死火已經燃燒，燒穿了我的衣裳，流在冰地上了。I looked down, and the dead flame had already caught fire, had burned through my clothes, and was flowing onto the icy ground.

我的身上喷出一缕黑烟，上升如铁线蛇。冰谷四面，又登时满有红燄流动，如大火聚，将我包围。我低头一看，死火已经燃烧，烧穿了我的衣裳，流在冰地上了。

『唉，朋友！"Ah, friend!你用了你的温熱，將我驚醒了。』他說。You, with your warmth, have startled me awake," it said.

『唉，朋友！你用了你的温热，将我惊醒了。』他说。

我連忙和他招呼，問他名姓。I hastily greeted it, and asked its name.

我连忙和他招呼，问他名姓。

『我原先被人遺棄在冰谷中，』他答非所問地說，『遺棄我的早已滅亡，消盡了。"I was originally abandoned in this ice ravine," it answered, not answering my question at all. "Those who abandoned me have long since perished, utterly vanished.我也被冰凍凍得要死。I too have been frozen by the ice nearly to death.倘使你不給我温熱，使我重行燒起，我不久就須滅亡。』If you do not give me your warmth, and let me burn again, before long I too must perish."

『我原先被人遗弃在冰谷中，』他答非所问地说，『遗弃我的早已灭亡，消尽了。我也被冰冻冻得要死。倘使你不给我温热，使我重行烧起，我不久就须灭亡。』

『你的醒來，使我歡喜。"Your waking gladdens me.我正在想着走出冰谷的方法；I am just now thinking of a way to get out of this ice ravine;我願意攜帶你去，使你永不冰結，永得燃燒。』I am willing to carry you along with me, so that you will never again freeze solid, and may burn forever."

『你的醒来，使我欢喜。我正在想着走出冰谷的方法；我愿意携带你去，使你永不冰结，永得燃烧。』

『唉唉！"Ah, ah!那麽，我將燒完！』Then I shall burn myself out!"

『唉唉！那么，我将烧完！』

『你的燒完，使我惋惜。"Your burning out — that I would regret.我便將你留下，仍在這里罷。』So I shall leave you behind, still here."

『你的烧完，使我惋惜。我便将你留下，仍在这里罢。』

『唉唉！"Ah, ah!那麽，我將凍滅了！』Then I shall freeze and perish!"

『唉唉！那么，我将冻灭了！』

『那麽，怎麽辦呢？』"Then what is to be done?"

『那么，怎么办呢？』

『但你自己，又怎麽辦呢？』他反而問。"But you yourself — what will you do?" it asked in return.

『但你自己，又怎么办呢？』他反而问。

『我說過了：我要出這冰谷……。』"I have already said: I mean to get out of this ice ravine……"

『我说过了：我要出这冰谷……。』

『那我就不如燒完！』"Then better that I burn myself out!"

『那我就不如烧完！』

他忽而躍起，如紅彗星，幷我都出冰谷口外。Suddenly it leapt up, like a red comet, and together with me went out through the mouth of the ice ravine.有大石車突然馳來，我終于碾死在車輪底下，但我還來得及看見那車就墜入冰谷中。A great stone chariot came suddenly rushing up, and in the end I was crushed to death beneath its wheels, but I still had time to see that chariot plunge into the ice ravine.

他忽而跃起，如红彗星，并我都出冰谷口外。有大石车突然驰来，我终于碾死在车轮底下，但我还来得及看见那车就坠入冰谷中。

『哈哈！"Ha ha!你們是再也遇不着死火了！』我得意地笑着說，仿佛就願意這樣似的。You will never again meet with a dead flame!" I said, laughing triumphantly, as though this were just what I wished.

『哈哈！你们是再也遇不着死火了！』我得意地笑着说，仿佛就愿意这样似的。

（一九二五年四月二十三日。）(April 23, 1925.)