冰心·《我梦中的小翠鸟》英译

六月十五夜，在我两次醒来之后，大约是清晨五时半吧，我又睡着了，而且做了一个使我永不忘怀的梦。

我梦见：我仿佛是坐在一辆飞驰着的车里，这车不知道是火车？是大面包车？还是小轿车？但这些车的坐垫和四壁都是深红色的。我伸着左掌，掌上立着一只极其纤小的翠鸟。

这只小翠鸟绿得夺目，绿得醉人！它在我掌上清脆吟唱着极其动听的调子。那高亢的歌声和它纤小的身躯，毫不相衬。

我在梦中自己也知道这是个梦。我对自己说，醒后我一定把这个神奇的梦，和这个永远铭刻在我心中的小翠鸟写下来，……这时窗外啼鸟的声音把我从双重的梦中唤醒了，而我的眼中还闪烁着那不可逼视、翠绿的光，耳边还缭绕着那动人的吟唱。

做梦总有个来由吧？是什么时候、什么回忆、什么所想，使我做了这么一个翠绿的梦？我想不出来了。

1990年6月16日响晴之晨

The Little Kngfisher in My Dream

Bing Xin

I woke up twice during the night of June 15, and at about half past five the next morning I fell asleep again. Then I had a dream which I have never been able to put of my mind.

I dreamed that I was in a speeding car. What kind of a car was it? Was it a van or a sedan? Anyway, the cushions and the rest of the upholstery were a deep red colour. I stretched out my left out, and on the palm I saw that there was a tiny exquisite kingfisher.

The little kingfisher was a dazzling, intoxicating green. It was piping a beautifully clear song, very pleasant to the ear. Its loudness seemed to be out of proportion to its minute body.

Even in my dream I knew I was dreaming. I promised myself that when I woke up I would write about this mysterious dream and this little kingfisher which would be forever engraved in my memory…Just then the twittering of birds outside the window woke up from my double dream. Still that dazzling green light flashed before my eyes, and still that plaintive song lingered in my ears.

Is there always an origin for a dream? What time, what recollection, what thought caused me to have this dream? I cannot think what it can be.