《上帝永远不会死》，1836 年
God can Never die, 1836
那是一个星期天的早晨。
It was a Sunday morning.
阳光明亮而温暖地照进房间，温和清新的空气从敞开的窗户流进来。
the sun shone brightly and warmly into the room, as the air, mild and refreshing, flowed through the open window.
在上帝的蓝天下，田野和草地覆盖着绿色和花朵，所有的小鸟都在欢唱。
And out under God’s blue heaven, where fields and meadows were covered with greens and flowers, all the little birds rejoiced.
然而，当外面处处充满欢乐和满足时，房子里却充满了悲伤和痛苦。
while joy and contentment were everywhere outside, in the house lived sorrow and misery.
就连平时总是心情很好的妻子，那天早上也坐在餐桌前，一脸沮丧；最后，她站起身，一口饭也没吃，擦了擦眼泪，朝门口走去。
Even the wife, who otherwise always was in good spirits, sat that morning at the breakfast table with a downcast expression; finally she arose, without having touched a bite of her food, dried her eyes, and walked toward the door.
这个房子似乎真的被诅咒了。
It really seemed as if there were a curse hanging over this house.
生活费用高昂，食品供应短缺；税收越来越重；年复一年，家庭财产不断贬值，现在除了贫穷和苦难，已经没有什么可期待的了。
the cost of living was high, the food supply low; taxes had bee heavier and heavier; year after year the household belongings had depreciated more and more, and now at last there was nothing to look forward to but poverty and misery.
一直以来，这些都让身为勤劳守法公民的丈夫感到沮丧；现在，想到未来，他满心绝望；是的，他甚至多次威胁要结束自己痛苦而无望的生命。
For a long time all this had depressed the husband, who always had been a hard-working and law-abiding citizen; now the thought of the future filled him with despair; yes, many times he even threatened to end his miserable and hopeless existence.
他那位性格开朗的妻子的安慰话，以及朋友们的世俗或精神上的建议，都没有帮到他；这些话反而让他更加沉默和悲伤。
Neither the forting words of his good-humored wife nor the worldly or spiritual counsel of his friends had helped him; these had only made him more silent and sorrowful.
很容易理解，他可怜的妻子最终也失去了勇气。
It is easy to understand that his poor wife finally should lose her courage, too.
然而，她悲伤的背后还有另一个原因，我们很快就会知道。
however, there was quite another reason for her sadness, which we soon shall hear.
当丈夫看到妻子也很悲伤并想离开房间时，他拦住她说：“你不告诉我你怎么了，我就不让你走！”
when the husband saw that his wife also grieved and wanted to leave the room, he stopped her and said, “I won’t let you go until you have told me what is wrong with you!”
沉默了一会儿后，她叹了口气，说：“哦，我亲爱的丈夫，我昨晚梦见上帝死了，所有的天使都跟着他去了坟墓！”
After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, “oh, my dear husband, I dreamed last night that God was dead, and that all the angels followed him to his grave!”
“你怎么能相信或想这样愚蠢的事情！” 丈夫回答道。“你当然知道，上帝永远不会死！”
“how can you believe or think such foolish stuff!” answered the husband.“You know, of course, that God can never die!”
善良的妻子脸上闪耀着幸福的光芒，她深情地握住丈夫的双手，喊道：“那么我们亲爱的上帝还活着！”
the good wife’s face sparkled with happiness, and as she affectionately squeezed both her husband’s hands, she exclaimed, “then our dear God is still alive!”
“为什么，当然。” 丈夫说。“你怎么会怀疑呢！”
“why, of course,” said the husband.“how could you ever doubt it!”
然后她拥抱了他，用充满爱意的眼神看着他，表达着信任、平静和幸福，她说：“但是，我亲爱的丈夫，如果上帝还活着，我们为什么不相信和信赖他呢！他数算了我们头上的每一根头发，没有一根是他不知道而掉落的。他给田野里的百合花披上外衣，他喂养麻雀和乌鸦。”
then she embraced him, and looked at him with loving eyes, expressing confidence, peace, and happiness, as she said, “but, my dear husband, if God is still alive, why do we not believe and trust in him! he has counted every hair on our heads; not a single one is lost without his knowledge. he clothes the lilies in the field; he feeds the sparrows and the ravens.”
当她说这些话的时候，就好像他眼前的面纱被揭开，心里的重担也落了下来。
It was as if a veil lifted from his eyes and as if a heavy load fell from his heart when she spoke these words.
他久违地笑了，感谢他亲爱的、虔诚的妻子对他耍的这个小把戏，因为这个把戏让他重新树立了对上帝的信仰，恢复了他的信任。
he smiled for the first time in a long while, and thanked his dear, pious wife for the trick she had played on him, through which she had revived his belief in God and restored his trust.
这时，阳光更加温柔地照耀在幸福的人们脸上；微风轻抚着他们微笑的脸颊，鸟儿们唱出了更加响亮的歌声，以表达它们对上帝的由衷感谢。
And in the room the sun shone even more friendly on the happy people’s faces; a gentle breeze caressed their smiling cheeks, and the birds sang even louder their heartfelt thanks to God.