a light, airy veil of mist, and the green hills and meadows of home, with its ruddy woods, lay spread around him in the quiet sunshine of a lovely autumn day.

鸛巢已經空了，但野蘋果樹上仍掛著成熟的果實，儘管樹葉已經掉落。

the nest of the stork was empty, but ripe fruit still hung on the wild apple-tree, although the leaves had fallen.

樹籬上的紅薔薇果閃閃發光，掛在他家 —— 那間農舍窗外綠色籠子裡的椋鳥，正吹著他教給它的曲調。

the red hips gleamed on the hedges, and the starling which hung in the green cage outside the window of the peasant’s hut, which was his home, whistled the tune which he had taught him.

他的祖母像往常他這個孫子所做的那樣，在籠子周圍掛上綠色的鳥食。

his grandmother hung green birds’-food around the cage, as he, her grandson, had been accustomed to do.

村裡鐵匠的女兒年輕又漂亮，正站在井邊打水。

the daughter of the village blacksmith, who was young and fair, stood at the well, drawing water.

她向祖母點頭示意，老婦人也向她點頭，並指著一封從遠方寄來的信。

She nodded to the grandmother, and the old woman nodded to her, and pointed to a letter which had e from a long way off.

就在那天早晨，這封信從寒冷的北方地區寄到了；就在那裡，遠行在外的他正在上帝的護佑下甜甜地睡著。

that very morning the letter had arrived from the cold regions of the north; there, where the absent one was sweetly sleeping under the protecting hand of God.

他們對著信又哭又笑；而在遠方，身處冰雪之中、在天使羽翼庇護下的他，在精神上也和他們一同哭泣、一同微笑；因為在夢中他目睹並聽聞了這一切。

they laughed and wept over the letter; and he, far away, amid ice and snow, under the shadow of the angel’s wings, wept and smiled with them in spirit; for he saw and heard it a