安徒生童話:the Darning Needle織補針

the Darning-Needle

by Hans Christian Andersen（1846）

theRE was once a darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she fancied she must be fit for embroidery. “Hold me tight，” she would say to the fingers， when they took her up， “don't let me fall； if you do I shall never be found again， I am so very fine.”

“That is your opinion， is it？” said the fingers， as they seized her round the body.

“See， I am coming with a train，” said the darning-needle， drawing a long thread after her； but there was no knot in the thread.

the fingers then placed the point of the needle against the cook's slipper. There was a crack in the upper leather， which had to be sewn together.

“What coarse work！” said the darning-needle， “I shall never get through. I shall break！—I am breaking！” and sure enough she broke. “Did I not say so？” said the darning-needle， “I know I am too fine for such work as that.”

“This needle is quite useless for sewing now，” said the fingers； but they still held it fast， and the cook dropped some sealing-wax on the needle， and fastened her handkerchief with it in front.

“So now I am a breast-pin，” said the darning-needle； “I knew very well I should come to honor some day： merit is sure to rise；” and she laughed， quietly to herself， for of course no one ever saw a darning-needle laugh. And there she sat as proudly as if she were in a state coach， and looked all around her. “May I be allowed to ask if you are made of gold？” she inquired of her neighbor， a pin； “you have a very pretty appearance， and a curious head， although you are rather small. You must take pains to grow， for it is not every one who has sealing-wax dropped upon him；” and as she spoke， the darning-needle drew herself up so proudly that she fell out of the handkerchief right into the sink， which the cook was cleaning. “Now I am going on a journey，” said the needle， as she floated away with the dirty water， “I do hope I shall not be lost.” But she really was lost in a gutter. “I am too fine for this world，” said the darning-needle， as she lay in the gutter； “but I know who I am， and that is always some comfort.” So the darning-needle kept up her proud behavior， and did not lose her good humor. Then there floated over her all sorts of things，—chips and straws， and pieces of old newspaper. “See how they sail，” said the darning-needle； “they do not know what is under them. I am here， and here I shall stick. See， there goes a chip， thinking of nothing in the world but himself— only a chip. There's a straw going by now； how he turns and twists about！ Don't be thinking too much of yourself， or you may chance to run against a stone. There swims a piece of newspaper； what is written upon it has been forgotten long ago， and yet it gives itself airs. I sit here patiently and quietly. I know who I am， so I shall not move.”

One day something lying close to the darning-needle glittered so splendidly that she thought it was a diamond； yet it was only a piece of broken bottle. The darning-needle spoke to it， because it sparkled， and represented herself as a breast-pin. “I suppose you are really a diamond？” she said.

“Why yes， something of the kind，” he replied； and so each believed the other to be very valuable， and then they began to talk about the world， and the conceited people in it.

“I have been in a lady's work-box，” said the darning-needle， “and this lady was the cook. She had on each hand five fingers， and anything so conceited as these five fingers I have never seen； and yet they were only employed to take me out of the box and to put me back again.”

“Were they not high-born？”

“High-born！” said the darning-needle， “no indeed， but so haughty. They were five brothers， all born fingers； they kept very proudly together， though they were of different lengths. The one who stood first in the rank was named the thumb， he was short and thick， and had only one joint in his back， and could therefore make but one bow； but he said that if he were cut off from a man's hand， that man would be unfit for a soldier. Sweet-tooth， his neighbor， dipped himself into sweet or sour， pointed to the sun and moon， and formed the letters when the fingers wrote. Longman， the middle finger， looked over the heads of all the others. Gold-band， the next finger， wore a golden circle round his waist. And little Playman did nothing at all， and seemed proud of it. They were boasters， and boasters they will remain； and therefore I left them.”

“And now we sit here and glitter，” said the piece of broken bottle.

At the same moment more water streamed into the gutter， so that it overflowed， and the piece of bottle was carried away.

“So he is promoted，” said the darning-needle， “while I remain here； I am too fine， but that is my pride， and what do I care？” And so she sat there in her pride， and had many such thoughts as these，—“I could almost fancy that I came from a sunbeam， I am so fine. It seems as if the sunbeams were always looking for me under the water. Ah！ I am so fine that even my mother cannot find me. Had I still my old eye， which was broken off， I believe I should weep； but no， I would not do that， it is not genteel to cry.”

One day a couple of street boys were paddling in the gutter， for they sometimes found old nails， farthings， and other treasures. It was dirty work， but they took GREat pleasure in it. “Hallo！” cried one， as he pricked himself with the darning-needle， “here's a fellow for you.”

“I am not a fellow， I am a young lady，” said the darning-needle； but no one heard her.

the sealing-wax had come off， and she was quite black； but black makes a person look slender， so she thought herself even finer than before.

“Here comes an egg-shell sailing along，” said one of the boys； so they stuck the darning-needle into the egg-shell.

“White walls， and I am black myself，” said the darning-needle， “that looks well； now I can be seen， but I hope I shall not be sea-sick， or I shall break again.” She was not sea-sick， and she did not break. “It is a good thing against sea-sickness to have a steel stomach， and not to forget one's own importance. Now my sea-sickness has past： delicate people can bear a GREat deal.”

Crack went the egg-shell， as a waggon passed over it. “Good heavens， how it crushes！” said the darning-needle. “I shall be sick now. I am breaking！” but she did not break， though the waggon went over her as she lay at full length； and there let her lie.

從前有一根織補衣服的針。作爲一根織補針來說，她倒還算細巧，因此她就想像自己是一根繡花針。“請你們注意你們現在拿着的這東西吧！”她對那幾個取她出來的手指說。“你們不要把我失掉！我一落到地上去，你們就決不會找到我的，因爲我是那麼細呀！”“細就細好了，”手指說。它們把她攔腰緊緊地捏住。“你們看，我還帶着隨從啦！”她說。她後面拖着一根長線，不過線上並沒有打結。

手指正把這根針釘着女廚子的一隻拖鞋，因爲拖鞋的皮面裂開了，需要縫一下。“這是一件庸俗的工作，”織補針說。“我怎麼也不願鑽進去。我要折斷！我要折斷了！”——於是她真的折斷了。“我不是說過嗎？”織補針說，“我是非常細的呀！”

手指想：她現在沒有甚麼用了。不過它們仍然不願意放棄她，因爲女廚子在針頭上滴了一點封蠟，同時把她別在一塊手帕上。“現在我成爲一根領針（註：領針（brystnaal）是一種裝飾*？，穿西裝時插在領帶上；針頭上一般鑲有一顆珍珠。）了！”織補針說。“我早就知道我會得到光榮的：一個不平凡的人總會得到一個不平凡的地位！”

於是她心裏笑了——當一根織補針在笑的時候，人們是沒有辦法看到她的外部表情的。她別在那兒，顯得很驕傲，好像她是坐在轎車裏，左顧右盼似的。“請准許我問一聲：您是金子做的嗎？”她問她旁邊的一根別針。“你有一張非常好看的面孔，一個自己的頭腦——只是小了一點。你得使它再長大一點才成，因爲封蠟並不會滴到每根針頭上的呀。”

織補針很驕傲地挺起身子，結果弄得自己從手帕上落下來了，一直落到廚子正在沖洗的污水溝裏去了。“現在我要去旅行了，”織補針說。“我只希望我不要迷了路！”

不過她卻迷了路。“就這個世界說來，我是太細了，”她來到了排水溝的時候說。“不過我知道我的身份，而這也算是一點小小的安慰！”

所以織補針繼續保持着她驕傲的態度，同時也不失掉她得意的心情。許多不同的東西在她身上浮過去了：菜屑啦，草葉啦，舊報紙碎片啦。“請看它們遊得多麼快！”織補針說。“它們不知道它們下面還有一件甚麼東西！我就在這兒，我堅定地坐在這兒！看吧，一根棍子浮過來了，它以爲世界上除了棍子以外再也沒有甚麼別的東西。它就是這樣一個傢伙！一根草浮過來了。你看它扭着腰肢和轉動的那副樣兒！不要以爲自己了不起吧，你很容易撞到一塊石頭上去呀！一張破報紙游過來了！它上面印着的東西早已被人家忘記了，但是它仍然鋪張開來，神氣十足。我有耐心地、靜靜地坐在這兒。我知道我是誰，我永遠保持住我的本來面目！”

有一天她旁邊躺着一件甚麼東西。這東西射出美麗的光彩。織補針認爲它是一顆金剛鑽。不過事實上它是一個瓶子的碎片。因爲它發出亮光，所以織補針就跟它講話，把自己介紹成爲一根領針。“我想你是一顆鑽石吧？”她說。“嗯，對啦，是這類東西。”

於是雙方就相信自己都是價值很高的物件。他們開始談論，說世上的人一般都是覺得自己非常了不起。“我曾經在一位小姐的匣子裏住過，”織補針說，“這位小姐是一個廚子。她每隻手上有五個指頭。我從來沒有看到像這五個指頭那樣驕傲的東西，不過他們的作用只是拿着我，把我從匣子裏取出來和放進去罷了。”“他們也能射出光彩來嗎？”瓶子的碎片問。“光彩！”織補針說，“甚麼也沒有，不過自以爲了不起罷了。他們是五個兄弟，都屬於手指這個家族。他們互相標榜，雖然他們是長短不齊：最前面的一個是”笨摸“（註：”笨摸“、”餂罐“、”長人“、”金火“和”比爾——玩朋友“，是丹麥孩子對五個指頭所起的綽號。大拇指摸東西不靈活，所以叫做”笨摸“；二指常常代替吞頭伸到果醬罐裏去餂東西吃，所以叫”餂罐“；四指因爲戴戒指，所以看起來像有一道金火；小指叫做”比爾——玩朋友“，因爲它甚麼用也沒有。），又短又肥。他走在最前列，他的背上只有一個節，因此他只能同時鞠一個躬；不過他說，假如他從一個人身上砍掉的話，這人就不夠資格服兵役了。第二個指頭叫做”餂罐“，他伸到酸東西和甜東西里面去，他指着太陽和月亮；當大家在寫字的時候，他握着筆。第三個指頭是”長人“，他伸在別人的頭上看東西。第四個指頭是”金火“，他腰間圍着一條金帶子。最小的那個是”比爾——玩朋友“，他甚麼事也不做，而自己還因此感到驕傲呢。他們甚麼也不做，只是吹牛，因此我纔到排水溝裏來了！”“這要算是升級！”瓶子的碎片說。

這時有更多的水沖進排水溝裏來了，漫得遍地都是，結果把瓶子的碎片沖走了。“瞧，他倒是升級了！”織補針說。“但是我還坐在這兒，我是那麼細。不過我也正因此感到驕傲，而且也很光榮！”於是她驕傲地坐在那兒，發出了許多感想。“我差不多要相信我是從日光裏出生的了，因爲我是那麼細呀！我覺得日光老是到水底下來尋找我。啊！我是這麼細，連我的母親都找不到我了。如果我的老針眼沒有斷了的話，我想我是要哭出來的——但是我不能這樣做：哭不是一樁文雅的事情！”

有一天幾個野孩子在排水溝裏找東西——他們有時在這裏能夠找到舊釘、銅板和類似的物件。這是一件很髒的工作，不過他們卻非常欣賞這類的事兒。“哎喲！”一個孩子說，因爲他被織補針刺了一下，“原來是你這個傢伙！”“我不是一個傢伙，我是一位年輕小姐啦！”織補針說。可是誰也不理她。她身上的那滴封蠟早已沒有了，全身已經變得漆黑。不過黑顏色能使人變得苗條，因此她相信她比以前更細嫩。“瞧，一個蛋殼起來了！”孩子們說。他們把織補針插到蛋殼上面。“四周的牆是白色的，而我是黑色的！這倒配得很好！”織補針說。“現在誰都可以看到我了。——我只希望我不要暈船纔好，因爲這樣我就會折斷的！”不過她一點也不會暈船，而且也沒有折斷。“一個人有鋼做的肚皮，是不怕暈船的，同時還不要忘記，我和一個普通人比起來，是更高一招的。我現在一點毛病也沒有。一個人越纖細，他能受得住的東西就越多。”“砰！”這時蛋殼忽然裂開了，因爲一輛載重車正在它上面碾過去。“我的天，它把我碾得真厲害！”織補針說。“我現在有點暈船了——我要折斷了！我要折斷了！”

雖然那輛載重車在她身上碾過去了，她並沒有折斷。她直直地躺在那兒——而且她儘可以一直在那兒躺下去。

（1846年）

這篇小故事，最初發表在《加埃亞》雜誌上。它所表現的內容一看就清楚。1846年夏天，安徒生和他的朋友丹麥着名的雕刻家多瓦爾生，在丹麥的“新島”度暑假。多瓦爾生一直喜愛安徒生的童話。有一天他對安徒生說：“”好，請你給我們寫一起新的故事——你的智慧連一根織補針都可以寫出一起故事來“。於是，安徒生就寫了《織補針》這個故事。”這是安徒生在他的手記中寫到的。