英文故事剧 卖火柴的小女孩(The Little Match Girl)

In the winter of 1845, a poor little girl tried to sell matches in the streets for her family. It was a cold, cold evening. It was snowing and people in horse carriages and in the streets did not notice the little girl... - Not until the next morning, when she was lying quiet in the snow...

1845年的冬天（注：《卖火柴的小女孩》写于1845年），一个可怜的小女孩在大街上卖火柴，以此维持家里的生活。这是一个冰冷的下着雪的夜晚，那些乘着马车匆匆而过的人们并没有注意到这个小女孩……直到第二天早晨，她静静地躺在雪中……

据说有的家长不愿意让孩子看安徒生的童话，因为其中的不少故事太真实、太“残忍”。海的女儿是如此，卖火柴的小女孩更是如此。而安徒生却始终坚持自己，他的童话没有谆谆教导、没有居高临下、没有虚伪做作，他将真实的世界展现给我们，让我们学会坚定、宽容、博爱……

Once upon a time a little girl tried to make a living by selling matches in the street.

The snow-clad streets were deserted¹. From brightly lit windows came the tinkle² of laughter and the sound of singing. But the poor little match seller sat sadly beside the fountain. Her ragged³ dress and worn shawl did not keep out the cold. She hadn't sold one box of matches all day and she was frightened to go home, for her father would certainly be angry.

The little girl's fingers were stiff with cold. If only she could light a match! But what would her father say at such a waste! Falteringly⁴ she took out a match and lit it. What a nice warm flame! The little match seller cupped her hand over it, and as she did so, she magically saw in its light a big brightly burning stove.

She held out her hands to the heat, but just then the match went out and the vision faded. The night seemed darker than before and it was getting colder.

After hesitating for a long time, she struck another match on the wall, and this time the glimmer⁵ turned the wall into a great sheet of crystal. Beyond that stood a fine table laden⁶ with food and lit by a candlestick. Holding out her arms towards the plates, the little match seller seemed to pass through the glass, but then the match went out and the magic faded.

She lit the third match and an even more wonderful thing happened. There stood a Christmas tree hung with hundreds of candles, glittering with tinsel and colored balls. "Oh, how lovely!" exclaimed the little match seller, holding up the match. Then, the match burned her finger and flickered⁷ out.

Scarcely aware of what she was doing, the little match seller lit another match. This time, she saw her grandmother. "Granny, stay with me!" she pleaded, as she lit one match after the other, so that her grandmother would not disappear like all the other visions.

However, Granny did not vanish, but gazed smilingly at her. Then she opened her arms and the little girl hugged her crying: "Granny, take me away with you!"

A cold day dawned and a pale sun shone on the fountain and the icy road. Close by lay the lifeless body of a little girl surrounded by spent matches. "Poor little thing!" exclaimed the passersby⁸. "She was trying to keep warm!"

But by that time, the little match seller was far away, where there is neither cold, nor hunger, nor pain.

1 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

2 tinkle   

vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声

参考例句：

• The wine glass dropped to the floor with a tinkle.酒杯丁零一声掉在地上。
• Give me a tinkle and let me know what time the show starts.给我打个电话，告诉我演出什么时候开始。

3 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

4 falteringly   

口吃地，支吾地

参考例句：

• The German war machine had lumbered falteringly over the frontier and come to a standstill Linz. 德国的战争机器摇摇晃晃，声音隆隆地越过了边界，快到林茨时却走不动了。

5 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

6 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

7 flickered   

（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。

8 passersby   

n. 过路人(行人,经过者)

参考例句：

• He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛，因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印，看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。