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卖火柴的小女孩这是一年中的个晚上了,天气冷得可怕。天将黑尽的时候,正下着大雪。在这又黑又冷的夜晚,一个可怜的小女孩光着脑袋,赤脚走在街上。当她离开自己家时,她的脚上肯定穿着拖鞋。但是它们能起什么作用呢?那双拖鞋是女孩儿妈妈的,对女孩儿来说,这双鞋太大了。小女孩走在路上的时候,为了避让两辆疾速行驶的马车,把鞋子给弄丢了。其中一只再也找不到了,还有一只被一个男孩儿捡走了。男孩儿拿着鞋子,边跑边想,以后等自己有了孩子,可以把这只鞋子当作摇篮。现在,小女孩只好光着脚走在街上,一双脚冻得又红又青。女孩儿的旧围裙兜里装着很多火柴,手里也攥着一把。了,她没有卖掉一根火柴,也没有哪个好心人给过她一点钱。
小女孩在路上缓缓走着,她又冷又饿,瑟瑟发抖。多么凄惨的画面哪!这可怜的小女孩!雪花落在她金黄色的长发上,这头打着亮的卷儿散在她的肩上,可是现在她根本顾不得这些。街边的房子里都亮起了灯,还飘出了烤鹅的香味。是啊,这可是平安夜呀,她会忘了这件事。
街边一前一后坐落着两座房子,形成了一个小墙角。小女孩蜷缩在墙角里,抱住自己的脚。但是即便如此,她还是觉得冷。她不敢就这么回家,因为她没有卖出一根火柴,也没有挣到一个铜板。她的爸爸或许会因此打她,更何况,她家和大街上差不多一样寒冷。她家的房顶上几个较大的裂缝虽然用草和破布堵住了,但是风和雪还是不时地灌进来。
小女孩的手冻僵了。啊!或许一根火柴能帮上她点儿什么。只要她从那一把火柴里面抽出一根,在墙上擦过点燃它,就可以暖手了。她抽出一根火柴,哧!火柴燃起来了,冒出了火苗。当她把双手覆在火苗上时,它变成了一簇明亮、温暖的火焰,就像一根小蜡烛一样。这美妙的一束光,让小女孩儿觉得自己仿是坐在一个大火炉旁边一样,而且是有着黄铜盖和黄铜底座的大火炉!火烧得多么旺,多么温暖啊!可是火苗忽然熄灭,火炉消失不见了,小女孩的手里只剩下烧过的火柴梗。
第二根火柴划过墙壁,火柴又燃起来了,发出明亮的光。墙被照亮了,变得透明如薄纱,透过这层纱,小女孩仿看见了房间里的东西。她看见桌上平铺着一块雪白的台布,上面放满了各种各样的美食,其中有一只肚子里填满苹果和梅子的烤鹅正散发出诱人的香气。让人不可思议的是,这只烤鹅忽然从盘子里跳出来,背上插着刀叉,在地板上摇摇晃晃地向她走来。可是火柴又熄灭了,她的面前只剩下一堵阴冷潮湿的厚墙。小女孩又点燃了一根火柴。这次她坐在一棵美丽的圣诞树下,这棵圣诞树比她在富商家的玻璃门里看见的那一棵更大,装饰得更加华丽。圣诞树上点着几千支蜡烛,还挂着许多彩色的圣诞卡,和商店里的卡片一样,那上面画有各种各样的美丽图画。小女孩伸出手想靠近那棵圣诞树,可是火苗又一次熄灭了。圣诞节的烛光升了起来,变成了夜空中一颗颗明亮的星星,其中一颗落了下来,在空中划出一条长长的火丝。
“有人快要死了。”小女孩心里想着。疼爱过她的奶奶在世的时候曾经告诉她,当一颗星星落下,就有一个灵魂要到上帝那儿去了。
小女孩又在墙壁上划过一根火柴,火光把四周照得亮通通的。这一次,奶奶出现在亮光中。她的模样那么清晰明亮,她又是那么温柔和蔼。
“奶奶!”小女孩哭喊道,“啊!您带我走吧!我知道等火柴熄灭,您也会消失的!就像温暖的火焰,温热的食物和那棵的圣诞树一样消失了!”随即,小女孩快速擦燃了整把火柴,她是多么地想要留住她的奶奶啊!这把火柴熊熊燃烧发出火光,映照得四周比白天的时候还要更亮。奶奶从来没有像此刻这样美丽和高大,她把小女孩抱起来搂在怀里,在光明和快乐中飞了起来。她们越飞越高,越飞越高,飞到了没有寒冷,没有饥饿,没有烦忧的天堂里,和上帝待在了一起。
在墙角里,这个小女孩倚靠在墙上。她的小脸冻得红红的,嘴边露着微笑。她在去年的个夜里冻死了。新年的太阳升了起来,照在这个小女孩的身上。小女孩坐在那里,浑身僵硬,身体冰凉,手里还攥着火柴,其中有一把火柴已经燃尽了。“她只是想暖暖身子。”人们说着。没人知道她曾经看见过多么美好的事物,更不会知道,她曾经是多么幸福地和她的奶奶一起飞向新年。
TheLittleMatchGirlItwasterriblycold;itsnowedandwasalreadyalmostdark,andeveningcameon,thelasteveningoftheyear.Inthecoldandgloomapoorlittlegirl,bareheadedandbarefoot,waswalkingthroughthestreets.Whensheleftherownhouseshecertainlahadslipperson;butofwhatusewerethey?Theywereverybigslippers,andhermotherhadusedthemtillthen,sobigwerethey.Thelittlemaidlostthemassheslippedacrosstheroad,wheretwocarriageswererattlingbyterriblyfast.Oneslipperwasnottobefoundagain,andaboaseizedtheother,andrunawaywithit.Hethoughthecoulduseitverywellasacradle,somedaywhenhehadchildrenofhisown.Sonowthelittlegirlwentwithherlittlenakedfeet,whichwerequiteredandbluewiththecold.Inanoldapronshecarriedanumberofmatches,andabundleoftheminherhand.Noonehadboughtanythingofherallday,andnoonehadgivenherafarthing.Shiveringwithcoldandhungershecreptalong,apictureofmisery,poorlittlegirl!Thesnowflakescoveredherlongfairhair,whichfellinprettycurlsoverherneck;butshedidnotthinkofthatnow.Inallthewindowslightswereshining,andtherewasaglorioussmellofroastgoose,foritwasNewYear’sEve.Yes,shethoughtofthat!Inacornerformedbytwohouses,oneofwhichprojectedbeyondtheother,shesatdown,cowering.Shehaddrawnupherlittlefeet,butshewasstillcolder,andshedidnotdaretogohome,forshehadsoldnomatches,anddidnotbringafarthingofmoney.Fromherfathewldcertainlyreceiveabeating,andbesides,itwascoldathome,fortheanothingoverthembutaroofthroughwhichthewindwhistled,thoughthelargestrentshadbeen85stoppedwithstrawandrags.Herlittlehandswerealmostbenumbedwiththecold.Ah!Amatchmightdohergood,ifshecouldonlydrawonefromthebundle,andrubitagainstthewall,andwarmherhandsatit.Shedrewoneout.R-r-atch!Howitsputteredandburned!Itwasawarmbrightflame,likealittlecandle,whensheheldherhandsoverit;itwasawonderfullittlelight!Itreallyseemedtothelittlegirlasifshesatbeforeagrealihedstove,withbritrassfeetandabrasscover.Howthefireburned!Howcomfortableitwas!Butthelittleflamewentout,thestovevanished,andshehadonlytheremainsoftheburnedmatchinherhand.Asecondwasrubbedagainstthewall.Itburnedup,andwhenthelightfelluponthewallitbecametransparentlikeathinveil,andshecouldseethroughitintotheroom.Onthetableasnow-whiteclothwasspread;uponitstoodashiningdinnerservice;theroastgoosesmokedgloriously,stuffedwithapplesanddriedplums.Andwhatwasstillmoresplendidtobehold,thegoosehoppeddownfromthedish,andwaddledalongthefloor,withaknifeandforkinitsbreast,tothelittlegirl.Thenthematchwentout,andonlythethick,damp,coldwallwasbeforeher.Shelightedanothermatch.ThenshewassittingunderabeautifulChristmastree;itwasgreaterandmoreornamentedthantheoneshehadseenthroughtheglassdoorattherichmerchant’s.Thousandsofcandlesburneduponthegreenbranches,andcoloredpictureslikethoseintheprintshopslookeddownuponthem.Thelittlegirlstretchedforthherhandtowardsthem;thenthematchwentout.TheChristmaslightsmountedhigher.Shesawthemnowasstarsinthesky:oneofthemfelldown,formingalonglineoffire.“Nowsomeoneisdying,”thoughtthelittlegirl,forheroldgrandmother,theonlypersonwhohadlovedher,andwhowasnowdead,hadtoldherthatwhenastarfelldownasoulmounteduptoGod.Sherubbedanothermatchagainstthewall;itbecamebrightagain,andinthebrightnesstheoldgrandmotherstoodclearandshining,mildandlovely.“Grandmother!”criedthechild,“Oh!Takemewithyou!Iknowyouwillgowhenthematchisburnedout.Youwillvanishlikethewarmfire,thewarmfood,andthegreatgloriousChristmastree!”Andshehastilyrubbedthewholebundleofmatches,forshewishedtoholdhergrandmotherfast.Andthematchesburnedwithsuchaglowthatitbecamebrighterthaninthemiddleoftheday;grandmotherhadneverbeensolargeorsobeautiful.Shetookthelittlegirlinherarms,andbothflewinbrightnessandjoovheearth,very,veryhigh,anduptherewasneithercold,norhunger,norcare—theywerewithGod!Butinthecorner,leaningagainstthewall,satthepoorlittlegirlwithredcheeksandsmilingmouth,frozentodeathonthelasteveningoftheOldYear.TheNewYear’ssunroseuponalittlecorpse!Thechildsatthere,stiffandcold,withthematchesofwhichonebundlewasburned.“Shewantedtowarmherself,”thepeoplesaid.Nooneimaginedwhatabeautifulthingshehadseen,andinwhatgloryshehadgoneinwithhergrandmothertotheNewYear’sDay.