第62章 老路燈 The Old Street Lamp(第5/15 頁)

e the office to whomsoever he chose.

第一個是個鯡魚頭，它在黑暗中能發光。

the first was a herring’s head, which could emit light in the darkness.

它說如果把它安在燈杆上，能省下不少油呢。

he remarked that it would be a great saving of oil if they placed him on the lamp-post.

第二個是一塊朽木，它在黑暗中也能發光。

Number two was a piece of rotten wood, which also shines in the dark.

它覺得自己出身於一棵古老的樹幹，那樹幹曾經可是森林的驕傲呢。

he considered himself descended from an old stem, once the pride of the forest.

第三個是一隻螢火蟲，路燈都想象不出它是怎麼到那兒的，可它就在那兒了，而且確實和其他兩個一樣能發光。

the third was a glow-worm, and how he found his way there the lamp could not imagine, yet there he was, and could really give light as well as the others.

但是朽木和鯡魚頭極其鄭重地以它們所尊崇的一切起誓，說螢火蟲只是在特定的時候才發光，絕不能讓它和自己競爭。

but the rotten wood and the herring’s head declared most solemnly, by all they held sacred, that the glow-worm only gave light at certain times, and must not be allowed to pete with themselves.

老路燈向它們保證，它們當中沒有一個能發出足夠亮的光來勝任路燈的崗位；可它們根本不相信它說的話。

the old lamp assured them that not one of them could give sufficient light to fill the position of a street lamp; but they would believe nothing he said.

當它們發現路燈沒有權力指定它的繼任者時，它們說很高興聽到這個訊息，因為路燈太老舊破舊了，沒法做出恰當的選擇。

And when they discovered that he had not the power of naming his successor, they said they were very glad to hear it, for the lamp was too old and worn-out to make a proper choice.

就在這時，風從街角呼嘯著刮過來，穿過老路燈的通風孔。

At this moment the