原文：                                          
                                          The Selfish Giant -- by Oscar Wilde
  

    Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the giant's garden.
    It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach trees that in the springtime broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn born rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. How happy we are here! they cried to each other.
    One day the giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.
    What are you doing here? he cried in a very gruff vioce, and the children ran away.
    My own garden is my own garden, said the giant, anyone can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself. So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board:
            TRESPASSERS
            WILL BE
            PROSECUTED
    He was a very selfish giant.
    The poor children had nowhere to play now. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones,and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high walls when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. How happy we were there! they said to each other.
    Then the spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the selfish giant it was still winter. The birds didn't care to sing in it as there were no children and the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the snow and frost. Spring has forgotten this garden, they cried, so we will live here all the year round. The snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the north wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down. So the hail came. Everyday for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.
    I cannot understand why the spring is so late in coming, said the selfish giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold, white garden. I hope there will be a change in the weather.
    But the spring never came, nor the summer. The autumn gace golden fruit to every garden, but to the giant's garden she gave none. He is too selfish, she said. So it was always winter there, and the north wind and the hail, and the frost and the snow danced about through the trees.
    One morning the giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the king's musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had beatuful music in the world. Then the hail stopped dancing over his head, and the north wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. I believe the spring has come at last, said the giant; and and he jumped out of bed and looked out.
    What did he see?
    He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the children's heads. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It was a lovely scene; only in one corner it was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor tree was still covered with frost and snow and the north wind was blowing and roaring above it. Climb up! Little boy, said the tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny.
    And the giant's heart melted as he looked out.
    How selfish I have been! he said; Now I know why the spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and ever. He was really very sorry for what he had done.
    So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so fritghtened that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again. Only the little boy did not run for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the giant coming. And the giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossome, and the birds came and sang on it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the giant's neck, and kissed him. And the other children when they saw that the giant was not wicked any longer came running back, and with them came the spring. It is your garden now, little children, said the giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when the people were going to the market at twelve o'clock they found the giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
    All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the giant to bid him goodbye.
    But where is your little companion? he said, the boy I put into the tree. The giant loved him the best because he had kissed him.
    We don't know, answered the children, he has gone away.
    You must tell him to be sure and come tomorrow, said the giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived and had never seen him before; and the giant felt very sad.
    Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and playde with the giant. But the little boy whom the giant loved was never seen again. The giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. How I would like to see him! he used to say.
    Years went over, and the giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden. I have many beautiful flowers, he said; but the children are most flowers of all.
    One winter morninghe looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the winter now, for he knew that it was merely the spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.
    Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossomes. Its branches were golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the llittle boy he had loved.
    Downstairs ran the giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, Who hath dared to wound thee? For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.
    Who hath dared to wound thee? cried the giant, tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him.
    Nay! answered the child, but these are the wound of love.
    Who art thou? said the giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.
    And the child smiled on the giant, and said to him, You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.
    And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossomes.




                                       自私的巨人  奥斯卡·瓦尔德

      孩子们每天下午放学后，总是去巨人的花园里玩。
      这是一个可爱的大花园，里面铺着柔软的绿草。草地上到处都是像星星一样美丽的花朵，十二棵桃树在春天里绽放出娇嫩的粉色和珠灰色花朵，秋天里结出丰硕的果实。鸟儿站在树上唱着非常甜美的歌，孩子们时常停下游戏去聆听。“我们多快乐啊！”他们互相呼喊着。
      一天，巨人回来了。他之前去看望朋友康沃尔郡的妖魔，并且他们一起呆了七年。因为他的话题有限，七年后他已经说完了他想说的一切，所以他决定回到自己的城堡中去。当他回来时，他看见孩子们在花园中玩。
      “你们在这里干什么？”他用低沉的声音喊道，孩子们便逃走了。
      “我自己的花园是我自己的花园，”巨人说，“每个人都知道，除了我以外，我不允许任何人进来。”所以他建了个高墙环着花园，并且立了一个告示牌：
      
        擅自入内者将受到惩罚
   
      他是个很自私的巨人。
      现在，可怜的孩子们无处玩耍了。他们试着在大路上玩，但是大路上很脏，而且到处是石头，他们很不喜欢。当他们下课后，经常在高强周围徘徊，谈论着花园里的美景。“我们在那里过的多快乐啊！”他们互相说着。
      接着，春天来了，全国到处是小小的花苞和小鸟。只有那个自私的巨人的花园里还是冬天。鸟儿不在乎没有在那里面唱歌，因为那里没有孩子们，甚至树也忘记萌发了。有一次，一朵美丽的花将头探出草地，但当它看到那告示牌后，对孩子们感到同情，于是它就又缩回了地下，继续睡眠。唯一快乐的人是雪和冰雹：“春天将这里遗忘了，”他们叫喊着，“所以我们可以一直呆在这里。”雪用她那巨大的白色斗篷盖住了草地，霜把所有的树都涂成了银色。接着他们请北风和他们呆在一起，于是北风来了。他裹着毛皮，整天在花园四处吼叫着，把烟囱管帽都吼掉了。“这是令人愉快的事情，”他说，“我们得叫冰雹来坐坐。”于是冰雹来了。他每天在楼顶上敲打上三个小时，直到差不多把所有的石板都打碎。然后他绕着花园以最快的速度一圈一圈地飞奔。他一身灰衣，呼吸像冰一样。
      “我不明白为什么春天到现在还不来，”每当自私的巨人坐在窗边看着他寒冷洁白的花园自言自语地说，“我多么希望天气早点变暖。”
      但是春天一直都没有来，何况夏天。秋天给每个花园洒下金色的果实，她却在巨人的花园里什么都没有留下。“他太自私了，”她说。所以这里一直是冬天，北风、冰雹、霜和雪在树丛中穿梭而舞。
      一天早上，巨人醒着躺在床上听见一些动听的音乐。它听起来那么甜美，他想一定是国王的乐队正路过此地。可是那只是一只小朱雀在他的窗口唱歌，但是自从很久都没有在花园中听到鸟叫声后，这仿佛是他听过最美的歌曲了。冰雹停止在他头上舞蹈，北风停下咆哮，一股芬芳的气味飘入他敞开的窗口。“我相信春天最终还是会来的，”巨人说；然后他从床上跳下朝窗外看去。
      他看到了什么？
      他看到了最最美丽的画面。孩子们从墙上的一个小洞里偷偷溜进来坐在树枝上。他看见每棵树上都有一个孩子。孩子们能回来树很高兴，因为树又可以让自己披上新芽，又可以在孩子们头顶轻轻挥舞了。鸟儿愉悦地唱着飞来了，花儿从绿草中探出头开心地笑着。那是个美妙的场景，可只有一个小角落仍是冬天。那是花园里最远的角落，一个小男孩站在里面。他不能爬上树枝因为他太小了，于是他在树下徘徊，痛苦地哭泣。可怜的树仍被霜雪覆盖着，北风仍在树周围咆哮着刮过。“爬上来！小家伙，”树说到，并尽可能地弯下树枝，可是小男孩实在太小了。
      巨人看着心软了。
      “我以前多么自私啊！”他说，“现在我知道春天为什么不来这里了。我要把小男孩放到树的最高处，然后把墙都推倒，我的花园将永永远远成为孩子们的乐园。”他对自己曾经做的感到非常懊悔。
      于是他跑下楼梯，轻轻打开前门走进花园。但是当孩子们看到他时都害怕地逃走了，花园又变回了冬天。只有小男孩没有跑走，他噙着满眼的泪水，不知道巨人来了。巨人悄悄地走到他身后，用手轻轻地抱起他放在树上。树瞬间萌发，鸟儿飞来在上面唱歌，小男孩伸出胳膊搂住了巨人的脖子吻了他。当其他的孩子看到看到巨人不再那么凶了，都跑回了来，随着他们而来的是春天。“孩子们，这是你们的花园，”巨人说，然后他拿起一把巨斧将高墙推倒。人们十二点去集市的时候，发现巨人和孩子在那个从未见过的最美的花园里共同玩耍。
      他们白天一直在玩，到了晚上，孩子们来给巨人道别。
      “你们的小伙伴呢？”他说，“那个我放在树上的小男孩。”巨人最喜欢他了，因为他吻过巨人。
      “我们不知道，”孩子们说，“他走了。”
      “你们必须告诉他明天一定要来，”巨人说。但孩子们说他们不知道小男孩住在哪里，以前也没有见过；巨人感到很伤心。
      每个下午放了学，孩子们都过来和巨人玩。但是巨人最爱的那个小男孩却再没有见过。巨人对孩子们很好，他也依旧渴望见到他第一个小朋友，还总是说到他。“我多想能见到他啊！”他经常这么说。
      年过一年，巨人越发苍老和衰弱。他再也不能玩耍了，于是他坐在巨大的椅子里，看着孩子们玩游戏，并欣赏着自己的花园。“我有许多美丽的花，”他说，“不过孩子们却是最美的。”
      一个冬天的早晨，巨人正穿衣服，他向窗外望去。他现在并不厌恶冬天，他知道那只不过是春天正在入眠，花儿正在休息。
      突然，他好奇地揉着眼睛看了又看。那真是一个非凡的景象。在花园最深处，一棵树铺满了白色的花苞。它有着金色的枝桠，上面挂着银色的果实，在那下面，站着巨人最喜爱的小男孩。
      巨人狂喜着跑下楼梯奔向花园。他匆匆穿过草丛来到孩子的面前。当他靠近了却变得面色通红一脸气愤，他说：“谁敢这样伤害你？”因为孩子的双手上有两颗钉子，双脚也是。
      “谁敢这样伤害你？”巨人吼着，“告诉我，我会拿我的长剑杀死他。”   
      “不！”孩子答道，“这些是爱的伤痕。”
      “你是谁？”巨人问道，一种神奇的敬畏感降临，他跪在了小男孩的面前。
      小男孩孩微笑着对巨人说：“你曾经让我在你的花园里玩，今天你要和我去我的花园，它叫天堂。”
      那个下午，当孩子们跑进花园，发现巨人去世了，就躺在那棵铺满白色花苞的树下。