“I can almost imagine I am seeing it all，” she said； and then how the lamp wished for a wax taper to be lighted in him， for then the old woman would have seen the smallest detail as clearly as he did himself. The lofty trees， with their thickly entwinedentwine v.(使)缠住， (使)盘绕 branches， the naked negroes on horseback， and whole herds of elephants treading down bamboo thickets with their broad， heavy feet.
“我差不多像是亲眼看到过的一样！”她说。这时路灯特别希望它身体里能有一根蜡烛在烧着，好叫这个老太太像它一样可以把一切东西都看得清清楚楚：那些枝丫交叉在一起的、高大的树啦，骑在马上的裸身黑人啦，用又大又笨重的脚在芦苇和灌木上踩过去的一群一群的象啦。
“What is the use of all my capabilities，” sighed the old lamp， “when I cannot obtain any wax lights； they have only oil and tallow here， and these will not do.” One day a great heap of waxcandle ends found their way into the cellar. The larger pieces were burnt， and the smaller ones the old woman kept for waxing her thread. So there were now candles enough， but it never occurred to any one to put a little piece in the lamp.
“如果我没有蜡烛，那么我的特能又有什么用呢？”路灯叹了一口气。“他们只有清油和牛油烛，这个不行！”有一天，地窖里有了一扎蜡烛头，最大的那几根被燃着了；最小的那几根老太太要在做针线时用来擦线。这样一来，蜡烛倒是有了，可没有人想起放一小根到路灯里去。
“Here I am now with my rare powers，” thought the lamp， “I have faculties within me， but I cannot share them； they do not know that I could cover these white walls with beautiful tapestry， or change them into noble forests， or， indeed， to anything else they might wish for.”
“我现在和我稀罕的特能全在这儿！”路灯想。“我身体里面什么都有，但是我没有办法让他们来分享！他们不知道，我能在这白色的墙上变出最美丽的壁毡、茂密的森林，和他们所希望能看到的所有东西。”
The lamp， however， was always kept clean and shining in a corner where it attracted all eyes. Strangers looked upon it as lumber， but the old people did not care for that； they loved the lamp. One day—it was the watchmans birthday—the old woman approached the lamp， smiling to herself， and said， “I will have an illuminationillumination n.照明， 阐明， 启发， 灯彩(通常用复数) today in honor of my old man.” And the lamp rattled in his metal frame， for he thought， “Now at last I shall have a light within me，” but after all no wax light was placed in the lamp， but oil as usual. The lamp burned through the whole evening， and began to perceive too clearly that the gift of the stars would remain a hidden treasure all his life.
但是路灯待在墙角里，被擦得干干净净，弄得整整齐齐，吸引所有的眼睛注意。人们说它是一件老废物；不过那对老年夫妇倒不在意，仍然爱这路灯。有一天老守夜人的生日到来了。老太太走近这盏路灯，温和地微笑了一下，说：“我今晚要为他把灯燃一点！”路灯把它的铁盖嘎嘎地响了一下，因为它想：“现在我要为他们亮起来了。”可它里面只是加进了油，而没有放蜡烛。路灯燃了一整晚，直到现在它才明白，星星所送给它的礼物——一切礼物之中最好的一件礼物——恐怕只能算是它余生中一件专有的“秘宝”了。
Then he had a dream； for， to one with his facultiesfaculty n.才能， 本领， 能力， 全体教员， dreaming was no difficulty. It appeared to him that the old people were dead， and that he had been taken to the iron foundryfoundry n.铸造， 翻砂， 铸工厂， 玻璃厂， 铸造厂 to be melted down. It caused him quite as much anxiety as on the day when he had been called upon to appear before the mayor and the council at the townhall. But though he had been endowed with the power of falling into decaydecay n.vi.腐朽， 腐烂， 衰减v.衰落 from rust when he pleased， he did not make use of it. He was therefore put into the meltingfurnace and changed into as elegant an iron candlestick as you could wish to see， one intended to hold a wax taper. The candlestick was in the form of an angel holding a nosegay， in the centre of which the wax taper was to be placed. It was to stand on a green writing table， in a very pleasant room； many books were scattered about， and splendid paintings hung on the walls. The owner of the room was a poet， and a man of intellect； everything he thought or wrote was pictured around him. Nature showed herself to him sometimes in the dark forests， at others in cheerful meadows where the storks were strutting about， or on the deck of a ship sailing across the foaming sea with the clear， blue sky above， or at night the glittering stars.
这时它做了一个梦——一个有稀有特能的人，做梦是不太难的。它梦见这对老夫妇都死了，它自己则送进一个铁铺里被熔掉了。它惊恐的程度，跟它那天要到市政府去、要被那市长和议员们检查时差不多。虽然假如它想的话，它有一种能力可以使自己生锈和化为灰尘，可它并不这样做。它却走进熔炉里去，被铸成了一架能插蜡烛的最美丽的烛台。它的形状是一个抱着花束的安琪儿；而蜡烛就插在这个花束的中央。这烛台在一张绿色的写字台上占据了一个地位。这房间是非常舒适的；房间里有许多书籍，墙上挂了许多名画。这是一个诗人的屋子。他所想的和写的东西全在他的周围展开。这房间有时变成深郁的森林，有时变成太阳光照着的、有颧鸟漫步的草原，有时变成在波涛怒吼的海上航行着的船。
“What powers I possess！” said the lamp， awaking from his dream； “I could almost wish to be melted down； but no， that must not be while the old people live. They love me for myself alone， they keep me bright， and supply me with oil. I am as well off as the picture of the congress， in which they take so much pleasure.” And from that time he felt at rest in himself， and not more so than such an honorable old lamp really deserved to be.
“我有多么奇妙的特能啊！”老路灯醒来的时候说。“我几乎想要熔化了！不成！只要这对老夫妇还活着，我决不能这么做！他们因为我是一个路灯才喜欢我。我像他们的一个孩子。他们擦洗我，喂我油吃。我现在情况好得像整个维也纳会议，这真是一件了不起的事情啊！”它从那时候起享受着内心的平安，而这个善良的老路灯也应当有这种享受。
