English Original
High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
He was very much admired indeed. 'He is as beautiful as a weathercock,' remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic taste; 'only not quite so useful,' he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.
'Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?' asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. 'The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything.'
'I am glad there is some one in the world who is quite happy,' muttered a disappointed man as he gazed at the wonderful statue.
'He looks just like an angel,' said the Charity Children as they came out of the cathedral in their bright scarlet cloaks and their clean white pinafores.
'How do you know?' said the Mathematical Master, 'you have never seen one.'
'Ah! but we have, in our dreams,' answered the children; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming.
One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her.
'Shall I love you?' said the Swallow, who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples. This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the summer.
'It is a ridiculous attachment,' twittered the other Swallows; 'she has no money, and far too many relations;' and indeed the river was quite full of Reeds. Then, when the autumn came, they all flew away.
After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of his lady-love. 'She has no conversation,' he said, 'and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind.' And certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful curtsies. 'I admit that she is domestic,' he continued, 'but I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also.'
'Will you come away with me?' he said finally to her; but the Reed shook her head, she was so attached to her home.
'You have been trifling with me,' he cried. 'I am off to the Pyramids. Good-bye!' and he flew away.
All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. 'Where shall I put up?' he said; 'I hope the town has made preparations.'
Then he saw the statue on the tall column. 'I will put up there,' he cried; 'it is a fine position with plenty of fresh air.' So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.
'I have a golden bedroom,' he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing, a large drop of water fell on him. 'What a curious thing!' he cried; 'there is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful. The Reed used to like the rain, but that was merely her selfishness.'
Then another drop fell.
'What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?' he said; 'I must look for a good chimney-pot,' and he determined to fly away.
But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, and saw—Ah! what did he see?
The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity.
'Who are you?' he said.
'I am the Happy Prince.'
'Why are you weeping then?' asked the Swallow; 'you have quite drenched me.'
'When I was alive and had a human heart,' answered the statue, 'I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very lofty wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.'
中文翻译
快乐王子的雕像高高耸立在城市上空的一根高大的石柱上。他通体镶着薄薄的上好金箔，眼睛是两颗明亮的蓝宝石，剑柄上还嵌着一颗闪闪发光的硕大红宝石。
他确实备受赞赏。一位希望获得艺术品味声誉的市议员评论道：“他像风标一样美丽。” 他又补充道，“只是没那么实用。” 他唯恐人们认为他不切实际，而他实际上并非如此。
“你为什么不能像快乐王子一样呢？” 一位明智的母亲问她那个吵着要月亮的小男孩。“快乐王子做梦都不会吵着要任何东西。”
“我很高兴世界上有一个人是完全快乐的，” 一个失望的男人凝视着这座奇妙的雕像，喃喃自语道。
“他看起来就像个天使，” 慈善学校的孩子们说，他们穿着鲜红的斗篷和干净的白围裙，刚从大教堂里出来。
“你们怎么知道？” 数学老师说，“你们从来没见过天使。”
“啊！但我们在梦里见过，” 孩子们回答道；数学老师皱起眉头，神情非常严厉，因为他不赞成孩子们做梦。
一天晚上，一只小燕子飞过城市。他的朋友们六周前就去了埃及，但他留了下来，因为他爱上了最美丽的芦苇。早春时节，他沿着河流追逐一只大黄蛾时遇见了她，被她纤细的腰肢深深吸引，便停下来与她交谈。
“我可以爱你吗？” 燕子说，他喜欢直奔主题。芦苇向他深深鞠了一躬。于是，他绕着她飞来飞去，用翅膀轻触水面，激起银色的涟漪。这就是他的求爱方式，持续了整个夏天。
“这是一段荒唐的恋情，” 其他燕子叽叽喳喳地说，“她没钱，亲戚又太多；” 确实，河里长满了芦苇。后来，秋天来了，他们都飞走了。
他们走后，他感到孤独，并开始对他的爱人感到厌倦。“她不会交谈，” 他说，“而且我恐怕她是个卖弄风情的女人，因为她总是和风调情。” 确实，每当风吹过，芦苇就会行最优雅的屈膝礼。“我承认她很恋家，” 他继续说道，“但我热爱旅行，因此，我的妻子也应该热爱旅行。”
“你愿意跟我走吗？” 他最后对她说；但芦苇摇了摇头，她太眷恋她的家了。
“你一直在玩弄我的感情，” 他喊道。“我要去金字塔了。再见！” 说完他就飞走了。
他飞了一整天，晚上到达了这座城市。“我该在哪里过夜呢？” 他说；“我希望城里已经做好了准备。”
然后他看到了高柱上的雕像。“我要住在那儿，” 他喊道；“那位置很好，空气新鲜。” 于是，他正好落在快乐王子的双脚之间。
“我有一个黄金卧室，” 他环顾四周，轻声对自己说，然后准备睡觉；但就在他把头缩到翅膀下面时，一大滴水珠落在他身上。“真是怪事！” 他叫道；“天空万里无云，星星清晰明亮，居然下起雨来了。北欧的天气真是糟糕。芦苇以前倒是喜欢雨，但那不过是她的自私罢了。”
接着，又一滴落了下来。
“一座雕像如果连雨都挡不住，那还有什么用？” 他说；“我得找个好烟囱帽。” 他决定飞走。
但在他张开翅膀之前，第三滴落了下来，他抬头一看，看到了——啊！他看到了什么？
快乐王子的眼中充满了泪水，泪珠正顺着他金色的脸颊流下。他的脸庞在月光下如此美丽，小燕子心中充满了怜悯。
“你是谁？” 他说。
“我是快乐王子。”
“那你为什么哭呢？” 燕子问道；“你把我都淋湿了。”
“当我活着并拥有一颗人心的时候，” 雕像回答道，“我不知道眼泪是什么，因为我住在无忧宫里，那里不允许悲伤进入。白天我和伙伴们在花园里玩耍，晚上我在大厅里领舞。花园四周环绕着很高的墙，但我从不在意墙外有什么，我身边的一切都如此美好。我的朝臣们称我为快乐王子，如果快乐就是幸福，那么我确实很快乐。我就这样活着，也就这样死去。如今我死了，他们把我立在这里，立得这么高，让我能看到我城市里所有的丑陋和所有的苦难，尽管我的心是铅做的，但我还是忍不住要哭泣。”