THE TEA- POT

THERE was a proud tea-pot， proudofits porcelain，proudofits long spout¹， proudof its broad handle； it had something both before and behind， the spout before and the handle behind， and it talked about it； but it did not talkabout itslid；thatwas cracked， it was riveted， it had a de－ fect， andone does not willingly talk of one's defects； oth－ersdothat sufficiently． The cups， the cream－pot， and the sugar－basin， the whole of the tea-service would remember more about the frailty² of the lid and talk about it， thanaboutthegoodhandle andthe splendid spout； the tea－pot knew that．

"I know them!"it said to itself，"Iknow also my defect andI ad－

mit it；therein lies my humility，my modesty；

we all have defects， butone has also merits、 Thecups have a handle， thesugar－basin a lid， Ihaveboth ofthese and anoth－erthingbesides， which they neverhave， Ihave a spout， and that makes me the queen of the tea－table． To the sug－ar-basinandthe cream－pot it isgranted tobethe servantsof sweet taste， butI am the giver， the ruler of all； Idisseminate blessing among thirsty humanity； in my inside theChinese leaves are prepared in the boiling， tastelesswater．"The tea－pot said all this initsundaunted youth． Itstood on the tablelaid fortea；and itwaslifted by thefinesthand； butthe finest hand was clumsy， thetea－potfell， the spout broke off， the handle broke off， the lid isnotworth talkingabout， for enough has been saidabout it．

The tea－potlay in afaint on the floor； theboilingwater ranout of it． That was a hard blow it got， and the hardest ofallwasthat they laughed； theylaughed at it， and not atthe awkward hand．

"I shall never get that experience out of my mind， said the tea－pot， when it afterwards related its career to it－self，"Iwas called an invalid and set in a corner，and theday after， presented to a woman who begged kitchen－refuse． Icame down into poverty， stood speechless bothout and in； but there， as Istood， my better life began；one is one thing， and becomes something quite different．Earth was put into me； for a tea－pot， that is the same as tobe buried， but in the earth was put a bulb； who laid itthere， whogaveit， Iknownot， butgiven itwas， a com－pensation for the Chinese leaves and the boiling water，acompensation for thebroken-off handleandspout．And thebulb lay in the earth， the bulb lay in me， it became myheart，my living heart，and such a thing Ihad never hadbefore． There was life in me， there was strength andvigour． The pulse beat， the bulb sprouted， it was burstingwith thoughts and feelings；then itbroke out in flower；Isaw it， Icarried it， Iforgot myself in its loveliness； it is ablessedthingtoforget oneselfin others！ It did notthankme； it didnot thinkabout me： it wasadmired and praised．I wasso gladabout it； how gladmust it havebeen then！On dayIheard it said that itdeserved a betterpot．Theybrokeme through the middle； it was frightfully painful； buttheflower was put in abetter pot，andIwas thrown out in－to the yard； Ilie there like an old potsherd，—butI havethe remembrance， thatI cannot lose．"

茶壶

 

从前有一个骄傲的茶壶，它对它的瓷感到骄傲，对它的长嘴感到骄傲，对它的那个大把手也感到骄傲。它的前面和后边都有点什么东西！前面是一个壶嘴，后面是一个把手，它老是谈着这些东西。可是它不谈它的盖子。原来盖子早就打碎了，是后来钉好的；所以它算是有一个缺点，而人们是不喜欢谈自己的缺点的——当然别的人会谈的。杯子、奶油罐和糖钵——这整套吃茶的用具——都把茶壶盖的弱点记得清清楚楚，谈它的时候比谈那个完好的把手和漂亮的壶嘴的时候多。茶壶知道这一点。

“我知道它们！”它自己在心里说，“我也知道我的缺点，而且我也承认。这足以表现我的谦虚，我的朴素。我们大家都有缺点；但是我们也有优点。杯子有一个把手， 糖钵有一个盖子。我两样都有，而且还有他们所没有的一件东西。我有一个壶嘴；这使我成为茶桌上的皇后。糖钵和奶油罐受到任命，成为甜味的仆人，而我就是任命者——大家的主宰。我把幸福分散给那些干渴的人群。在我的身体里面，中国的茶叶在那毫无味道的开水中放出香气。”

这番话是茶壶在它大无畏的青年时代说的。它立在铺好台布的茶桌上，一只非常白嫩的手揭开它的盖子。不过这只非常白嫩的手是很笨的，茶壶落下去了，壶嘴跌断了，把手断裂了，那个壶盖也不必再谈，因为关于他的话已经讲得不少了。茶壶躺在地上昏过去了；开水淌得一地。这对它说来是一个严重的打击，而最糟糕的是大家都笑它。大家只是笑它，而不笑那只笨拙的手。

“这次经历我永远忘记不了！”茶壶后来检查自己一生的事业时说。“人们把我叫做一个病人，放在一个角落里；过了一天，人们又把我送给一个讨剩饭吃的女人。我下降为贫民了；里里外外，我一句话都不讲。不过，正在这时候，我的生活开始好转。真是塞翁失马，焉知非福。我身体里装进了土；对于一个茶壶说来，这完全是等于入葬。但是土里却埋进了一个花根。谁放进去的，谁拿来的，我都不知道。不过它既然放进去了，总算是弥补了中国茶叶和开水的这种损失，也算是作为把手和壶嘴打断的一种报酬。花根躺在土里，躺在我的身体里，成了我的一颗心，一颗活着的心——这样的东西我从来还不曾有过。我现在有了生命、力量和精神。脉搏跳起来了，花根发了芽，有了思想和感觉。它开放成为花朵。我看到它，我支持它，我在它的美中忘记了自己。为了别人而忘我——这是一桩幸福的事情！它没有感谢我；它没有想到我；它受到人们的崇拜和称赞。我感到非常高兴；它一定也会是多么高兴啊！有一天我听到一个人说它应该有一个更好的花盆来配它才对。因此人们把我当腰打了一下；那时我真是痛得厉害！不过花儿却迁进一个更好的花盆里去了。

至于我呢？我被扔到院子里去了。我躺在那儿简直像一堆残破的碎片——但是我的记忆还在，我忘记不了它。”

这篇小品最初发表在哥本哈根1864年出版的《丹麦大众历书》上，是安徒生在1862年12月在西班牙托勒多写成的。茶壶在做完了一系列好事以后，“被扔到院子里去了。我躺在那儿简直像一堆残破的碎片——但是我的记忆还在，我忘记不了它。”但是，这种“孤芳自赏”又有什么用呢？

1 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

2 frailty   

n.脆弱；意志薄弱

参考例句：

• Despite increasing physical frailty,he continued to write stories.尽管身体越来越虛弱，他仍然继续写小说。
• He paused and suddenly all the frailty and fatigue showed.他顿住了，虚弱与疲惫一下子显露出来。