安徒生童話故事第147篇：最難使人相信的事情中英文版本
引導語：在你的生活中，是否有大家最難相信的事情呢?下面就是一篇《最難使人相信的事情》的安徒生童話故事，歡迎大家閱讀!
誰能做出一件最難使人相信的事情，誰就可以得到國王的女兒和他的半個王國。
年輕人——甚至還有年老人——為這事絞盡了腦汁。有兩個人把自己啃死了，有一個人喝酒喝得醉死了：他們都是照自己的一套辦法來做出最難使人相信的事情，但是這種做法都不合乎要求。街上的小孩子都在練習朝自己背上吐唾沫——他們以為這就是最難使人相信的事情。
一天，有一個展覽會開幕了;會上每人表演一件最難使人相信的事情。裁判員都是從3歲的孩子到90歲的老頭子中挑選出來的。大家展出的最難使人相信的事情倒是不少，但是大家很快就取得了一致的意見，認為最難使人相信的一件東西是一座有框子的大鐘：它裡裡外外的設計都非常奇妙。
它每敲一次就有活動的人形跳出來指明時刻。這樣的表演一共有12次，每次都出現了能說能唱的活動人形。
“這是最難使人相信的事情!”人們說。
鐘敲一下，摩西就站在山上，在石板上寫下第一道聖諭：“真正的上帝只有一個。”
鐘敲兩下，伊甸園就出現了：亞當和夏娃兩人在這兒會面，他們都非常幸福，雖然他們兩人連一個衣櫃都沒有——他們也沒有這個必要。
鐘敲三下，東方就出現了三王①他們之中有一位黑得像炭，但是他也沒有辦法，因為太陽把他晒黑了。他們帶來薰香和貴重的物品。
鐘敲四下，四季就出現了。春天帶來一隻杜鵑，它棲在一根含苞的山毛櫸枝上。夏天帶來蚱蜢，它棲在一根熟了的麥稈上。秋天帶來鸛鳥的一個空窠——鸛鳥都已經飛走了。冬天帶來一隻老烏鴉，它棲在火爐的一旁，講著故事和舊時的回憶。
“五官”在鐘敲五下的時候出現：視覺成了一個眼鏡製造匠;聽覺成了一個銅匠;嗅覺在賣紫羅蘭和車葉草;味覺是一個廚子;感覺是一個承辦喪事的人，他戴的黑紗一直拖到腳跟。
鐘敲了六下。一個賭徒坐著擲骰子：最大的那一面朝上，上面是六點。
接著一星期的七天(或者七大罪過)出現了——人們不
知道究竟是誰：他們都是半斤八兩，不容易辨別。
於是一個僧人組成的聖詩班到來了，他們唱晚間8點鐘的頌歌。
九位女神隨著鐘敲九下到來了：一位是天文學家，一位管理歷史檔案，其餘的則跟戲劇有關。
鐘敲10下，摩西帶著他的誡條又來了——上帝的聖諭就在這裡面，一共有10條。
鍾又敲起來了。男孩子和女孩子在跳來跳去;他們一面在玩一種遊戲，一面在唱歌：
滴答，滴答，滴滴答，
鐘敲了11下!
於是鍾就敲了12下。守夜人戴著氈帽、拿著“晨星”②來了。他唱著一支古老的守夜歌：
這恰恰是半夜的時辰，
我們的救主已經出生!
當他正在唱的'時候，玫瑰花長出來了，變成一個安琪兒的頭，被託在五彩的翅膀上。
這聽起來真是愉快，看起來真是美麗。這是無比的、最難使人相信的藝術品——大家都這樣說。
製作它的是一個年輕的藝術家。他的心腸好，像孩子一樣地快樂，他是一個忠實的朋友，對他窮苦的父母非常孝順。
他應該得到那位公主和半個王國。
最後評判的一天到來了。全城都在張燈結綵。公主坐在王座上——座墊裡新添了馬尾，但這並不使人覺得更舒服或更愉快。四周的裁判員狡猾地對那個快要獲得勝利的人望了一眼——這人顯得非常有把握和高興：他的幸運是肯定的，因為他創造出了一件最難使人相信的東西。
“嗨，現在輪到我了!”這時一個又粗又壯的人大聲說。
“我才是做一件最難使人相信的事情的人呢!”
於是他對著這件藝術品揮起一把大斧頭。
“噼!啪!嘩啦!”全都完了。齒輪和彈簧到處亂飛;什麼都毀掉了!
“這隻有我才能做得出來!”這人說。“我的工作打倒了他的和每個人的工作。我做出了最難使人相信的事情!”
“你把這樣一件藝術品毀掉了!”裁判員說，“這的確是最難使人相信的事情!”
所有在場的人都說著同樣的話。他將得到公主和半個王國，因為一個諾言究竟是一個諾言，即使它最難使人相信也罷。
喇叭在城牆上和城樓上這樣宣佈：“婚禮就要舉行了!”公主並不覺得太高興，不過她的樣子很可愛，衣服穿得也華麗。
教堂裡都點起了蠟燭，在黃昏中特別顯得好看。城裡的一些貴族小姐們，一面唱著歌，一面扶著公主走出來。騎士們也一面伴著新郎，一面唱著歌。新郎擺出一副堂而皇之的架子，好像誰也打不倒他似的。
歌聲現在停止了。靜得很，連一根針落到地上都聽得見。不過在這沉寂之中，教堂的大門忽然嘎的一聲開了，於是——砰!砰!鐘的各種機件在走廊上走過去了，停在新娘和新郎中間。我們都知道，死人是不能再起來走路的，不過一件藝術品卻是可以重新走路的：它的身體被打得粉碎，但是它的精神是完整的。藝術的精神在顯靈，而這決不是開玩笑。
這件藝術品生動地站在那兒，好像它是非常完整，從來沒有被毀壞過似的。鍾在接二連三地敲著，一直敲到12點。
那些人形都走了出來：第一個是摩西——他的頭上似乎在射出火光。他把刻著誡條的石塊扔在新郎的腳上，把他壓在地上。
“我沒有辦法把它們搬開，”摩西說，“因為你打斷了我的手臂!請你就待在這兒吧!”
接著亞當和夏娃、東方來的聖者和四季都來了。他們每個人都說出那個很不好聽的真理：“你好羞恥呀!”
但是他一點也不感到羞恥。
那些在鐘上每敲一次就出現的人形，都變得可怕地龐大起來，弄得真正的人幾乎沒有地方站得住腳。當鐘敲到12下的時候，守夜人就戴著氈帽，拿著“晨星”走出來。這時起了一陣驚人的騷動。守夜人大步走到新郎身邊，用“晨星”在他的額上痛打。
“躺在這兒吧，”他說，“一報還一報!我們現在報了仇，那位藝術家也報了仇!我們要去了!”
整個藝術品都不見了;不過教堂四周的蠟燭都變成了大朵的花束，同時天花板上的金星也射出長長的、明亮的光線來。風琴自動地奏起來了。大家都說，這是他們從來沒有看見過的一件最難使人相信的事情。
“請你們把那位真正的人召進來!”公主說。“那位製造這件藝術品的人才是我的主人和丈夫!”
於是他走進教堂裡來，所有的人都成了他的隨從。大家都非常高興，大家都祝福他。沒有一個人嫉妒他——這真是一件最難使人相信的事情!
①“東方三王”，或稱“東方三博士”。據《聖經·新約全書·馬太福音》第二章載，耶穌降生時，有幾個博士“看見他的星”，從東方來到耶路撒冷，向他參拜。後人根據所獻禮物是三件，推定是三個博士。
②這是一根頂上有叉的木棒。
《最難使人相信的事情》英文版：
The Most Incredible Thing
THE one who could do the most incredible thing should have the king’s daughter and the half of his kingdom.
The young men, and even the old ones, strained all their thoughts, sinews, and muscles; two ate themselves to death, and one drank until he died, to do the most incredible thing according to their own taste, but it was not in this way it was to be done. Little boys in the streets practised spitting on their own backs, they considered that the most incredible thing.
On a certain day an exhibition was to be held of what each had to show as the most incredible. The judges who were chosen were children from three years old to people up in the sixties. There was a whole exhibition of incredible things, but all soon agreed that the most incredible was a huge clock in a case marvellously designed inside and out.
On the stroke of every hour living figures came out, which showed what hour was striking: there were twelve representations in all, with moving figures and with music and conversation.
“That was the most incredible thing,” the people said.
The clock struck one, and Moses stood on the mountain and wrote down on the tables of the law the first commandment, “There is only one true God.”
The clock struck two, and the garden of Eden appeared, where Adam and Eve met, happy both of them, without having so much as a wardrobe; they did not need one either.
On the stroke of three, the three kings from the East were shown; one of them was coal-black, but he could not, help that,—the sun had blackened him. They came with incense and treasures.
On the stroke of four came the four seasons: spring with a cuckoo on a budding beech-bough; summer with a grasshopper on a stalk of ripe corn; autumn with an empty stork’s nest-the birds were flown; winter with an old crow which could tell stories in the chimney-corner, old memories.
When the clock struck five, the five senses appeared sight as a spectacle-maker, hearing as a coppersmith, smell sold violets and woodruff, taste was cook, and feeling was an undertaker with crape down to his heels.
The clock struck six; and there sat a gambler who threw the dice, and the highest side was turned up and showed six.
Then came the seven days of the week, or the seven deadly sins, people were not certain which; they belonged to each other and were not easily distinguished.
Then came a choir of monks and sang the eight o’clock service.
On the stroke of nine came the nine muses; one was busy with astronomy; one with historical archives; the others belonged to the theatre.
On the stroke of ten, Moses again came forward with the tables of the law, on which stood all God’s commandments, and they were ten.
The clock struck again; then little boys and girls danced and hopped about. They played a game, and sang, “Two and two and seven, the clock has struck eleven.”
When twelve struck the watchman appeared with his fur cap and halberd: he sang the old watch verse:
“Twas at the midnight hour
Our Saviour He was born.”
And while he sang, roses grew and changed into angel-beads borne on rainbow-coloured wings.
It was charming to hear, and lovely to see. The whole was a matchless work of art—the most incredible thing, every one said.
The designer of it was a young man, good-hearted and happy as a child, a true friend, and good to his old parents; he deserved the Princess and the half of the kingdom.
The day of decision arrived; the whole of the town had a holiday, and the Princess sat on the throne, which had got new horse-hair, but which was not any more comfortable. The judges round about looked very knowingly at he one who was to win, and he stood glad and confident; his good fortune was certain, he had made the most incredible thing.
“No, I shall do that now!” shouted just then a long bony fellow. “I am the man for the most incredible thing,” and he swung a great axe at the work of art.
“Crash, crash!” and there lay the whole of it. Wheels and springs flew in all directions; everything was destroyed.
“That I could do!” said the man. “My work has overcome his and overcome all of you. I have done the most incredible thing.”
“To destroy such a work of art!” said the judges. “Yes, certainly that is the most incredible thing.”
All the people said the same, and so he was to have the Princess and the half of the kingdom, for a promise is a promise, even if it is of the most incredible kind.
It was announced with trumpet-blast from the ramparts and from all the towers that the marriage should be celebrated. The Princess was not quite pleased about it, but she looked charming and was gorgeously dressed. The church shone with candles; it shows best late in the evening. The noble maidens of the town sang and led the bride forward; the knights sang and accompanied the bridegroom. He strutted as if he could never be broken.
Now the singing stopped and one could have heard a pin fall, but in the midst of the silence the great church door flew open with a crash and clatter, and boom! boom! the whole of the clock-work came marching up the passage and planted itself between the bride and bridegroom. Dead men cannot walk again, we know that very well, but a work of art can walk again; the body was knocked to pieces, but not the spirit; the spirit of the work walked, and that in deadly earnest.
The work of art stood there precisely as if it were whole and untouched. The hours struck, the one after the other, up to twelve, and the figures swarmed forward; first Moses: flames of fire seemed to flash from his forehead; he threw the heavy stone tables down on the feet of the bridegroom and pinned them to the church floor.
“I cannot lift them again,” said Moses, “you have knocked my arm off! Stand as you stand now!”
Then came Adam and Eve, the wise men from the East, and the four Seasons; each of these told him unpleasant truths, and said “For shame!”
But he was not in the least ashamed.
All the figures which each stroke of the clock had to exhibit came out of it, and all increased to a terrible size; there seemed scarcely to he room for the real people; and when at the stroke of twelve the watchman appeared with his fur cap and halberd, there was a wonderful commotion; the watchman walked straight up to the bridegroom and struck him on the forehead with his halberd.
“Lie there,” he said, “like for like! we are avenged and our master as well! we vanish!”
And so the whole work disappeared; but the candles round about in the church became great bouquets, and the gilded stars on the ceiling of the church sent out long, clear beams, and the organ played of itself. All the people said it was the most incredible thing they had ever experienced.
“Will you then summon the right one!” said the Princess, “the one who made the work of art; let him be my lord and husband.”
And he stood in the church with the whole of the people for his retinue. All were glad and all blessed him; there was not one who was jealous—and that was the most incredible thing of all.
