今天开始读《安徒生童话》。
A STORY
IN the garden all the apple-trees were in blossom．They had hurried up to get flowers before green leaves，and in the farmyard all the ducklings were out and the cat with them：he licked real sunshine，licked it from his own paws；and if one looked along to the field， the corn stood magnificently green，and there was at wittering and a chirping of all the little birds， as if it were a great festival， and indeed one might also say that it was so， for it was Sunday． The bells rang， and people in their best clothes went to church，and looked so well pleased；yes，there was something so pleasant about everything；it was certainly a day so warm and blessed， that one could say，“Our Lord is really very good to His people！”
But inside the church， the priest stood in the pulpit and spoke very loudly and very angrily； he said that the people were so ungodly， and that God would punish them for it， and when they died， the wicked should go down to Hell， where they should burn for ever， and he said that their worm never died，and their fire was never quenched； and never did they get peace or rest． It was terrible to hear it，and he said it so positively； he described Hell to them as a stinking hole， where all the world's filthiness flowed together， there was no air except the hot sulfur-flame， there was no bottom， they sank and sank in an everlasting silence． It was gruesome merely to listen to it，but the priest said it from the heart，and all the people in the church were quite terrified．
But outside all the little birds sang so happily，and the sun shone so warmly， it seemed as if every little flower said，“God is so very good to all of us．”Yes， outside it was certainly not as the preacher had said.
一个故事
花园里的苹果树都开了花。它们想要在绿叶没有长好以前就赶快开出花朵。院子里的小鸭都跑出来了，猫儿也跟着一起跑出来了：他是在舔着真正的太阳光——舔着他的脚爪上的太阳光。如果你朝田野里望，你可以看到一片青翠的小麦。所有的小鸟都在吱吱喳喳地叫，好像这是一个盛大的节日似的。的确，你也可以说这是一个节日，因为这是星期天。
教堂的钟声在响着。大家穿着最好的衣服到教堂去，而且都显出非常高兴的样子。是的，所有的东西都表现出一种愉快的神情。这的确是一个温暖和幸福的日子。人们可以说：“我们的上帝对我们真好！”
不过在教堂里，站在讲台上的牧师却是大叫大喊，非常生气。他说：人们都不信上帝，上帝一定要惩罚他们；他们死了以后，坏的就被打入地狱，而且在地狱里他们将永远被烈火焚烧。他还说，他们良心的责备将永远不停，他们的火焰也永远不灭，他们将永远得不到休息和安静。
听他的这番讲道真叫人害怕，而且他讲得那么肯定。他把地狱描写成为一个腐臭的地洞；世界上所有的脏东西都流进里面去；那里面除了磷火以外，一点儿空气也没有；它是一个无底洞，不声不响地往下沉，永远往下沉。就是光听这个故事，也够叫人心惊胆战的了。但是牧师的这番话语是从心里讲出来的，所以教堂里的听众都给吓得魂不附体。
但是外面的许多小鸟却唱得非常愉快，太阳光也非常温暖，每一朵小花都好像在说：“上帝对我们大家太好了。”是的，外面的情形一点也不像牧师描写得那么糟。
（To be continued）
