No one knew who the dead stranger was，they could not even form a conjectureconjecture n.v.推测，臆说，猜想，the fragments of wreckage gave no clue to the matter. No tidings reached Spain of the fate of the daughter and soninlaw. They did not arrive at their destination，and violent storms had raged during the past weeks. At last the verdict was given，“Foundered at sea—all lost”。 But in the fishermans cottage among the sandhills near Hunsby，there lived a little scion of the rich Spanish family.
谁也不知道这位死去的少妇是谁，或是从什么地方来的。那只破船的残骸和碎片在这点上说明不了任何问题。在西班牙的那个富豪之家，一直没有收到关于他们女儿和女婿的信件或消息。这两个人没有到达他们的目的地；过去几星期一直起着猛烈的风暴。大家等了好几个月，“沉入海里——全部牺牲。”他们知道这一点。可是在胡斯埠的沙丘旁边，在渔人的茅屋里，他们现在有了一个小小的男孩。
Where Heaven sends food for two，a third can manage to find a meal，and in the depth of the sea there is many a dish of fish for the hungry. They called the boy Jurgen.
当上天给两个人粮食吃的时候，第三个人也可以吃到一点。海所能供给饥饿的人吃的鱼并不是只有一碗。这孩子有了一个名字：雨尔根。
“It must certainly be a Jewish child，its skin is so dark！” the people said.
“他一定是一个犹太人的孩子，”人们说，“他长得那么黑！”
“It might be an Italian or a Spaniard.” remarked the clergyman. But to the fishermans wife these nations seemed all the same，and she consoled herself with the thought that the child was baptizedbaptize vt.给人施洗礼（作为入基督教的标志），洗炼，命名（作为洗礼仪式的一部分） as a Christian.
“他可能是一个意大利人或西班牙人！”牧师说。但是，对那个渔妇说来，这三个民族都是一样的。这个孩子能受到基督教的洗礼，已经够使她高兴了。
The boy throve，the noble blood in his veins was warm，and he became strong on his homely fare. He grew apace in the humble cottage，and the Danish dialect spoken by the West Jutes became his language. The pomegranate seed from Spain became a hardy plant on the coast of West Jutland. Thus may circumstances alter the course of a mans life！ To this home he clung with deeprooted affection； he was to experience cold and hunger，and the misfortunes and hardships that surround the poor； but he also tasted of their joys.
孩子长得很好。他的贵族的血液是温暖的，家常的饮食把他养成为一个强壮的人。他在这个卑微的茅屋里长得很快。西岸的人所讲的丹麦方言成了他的语言。西班牙土地上一棵石榴树的种子，成了西尤兰海岸上的一棵耐寒的植物。一个人的命运可能就是这样！他整个生命的根深深地扎在这个家里。他将会体验到寒冷和饥饿，体验到那些卑微的人们的不幸和痛苦，但是他也会尝到穷人们的快乐。
Childhood has bright days for every one，and the memory of them shines through the whole afterlife. The boy had many sources of pleasure and enjoyment，the coast for miles and miles was full of playthings，for it was a mosaic of pebbles，some red as coral or yellow as amber，and others again white and rounded like birds eggs and smoothed and prepared by the sea. Even the bleached fishes skeletons，the water plants dried by the wind，and seaweed，white and shining long linenlike bands waving between the stones—all these seemed made to give pleasure and occupation for the boys thoughts，and he had an intelligent mind，many great talents lay dormant in him. How readily he remembered stories and songs that he heard，and how dexterousdexterous adj.灵巧的，惯用右手的 he was with his fingers！ With stones and musselshells he could put together pictures and ships with which one could decorate the room，and he could make wonderful things from a stick，his fostermother said，although he was still so young and little. He had a sweet voice，and every melody seemed to flow naturally from his lips. And in his heart were hidden chords，which might have sounded far out into the world if he had been placed anywhere else than in the fishermans hut by the North Sea.
童年时代对任何人都有它快乐的一面，这个阶段的记忆永远会在生活中发出光辉。他的童年该是充满了多少快乐和玩耍啊！许多英里长的海岸上全都是可以玩耍的东西：卵石砌成的一起图案——像珊瑚一样红，像琥珀一样黄，像鸟蛋一样白，五光十色，由海水送来，又由海水磨光。还有漂白了的鱼骨，风吹干了的水生植物，白色的、发光的、在石头之间飘动着的、像布条般的海草——这一切都使眼睛和心神得到愉快和娱乐。潜藏在这孩子身上的非凡的才智，现在都活跃起来了。他能记住的故事和诗歌真是不少！他的手脚也非常灵巧，他可以用石子和贝壳砌成完整的图画和船；他用这些东西来装饰房间。他的养母说，他可以把他的思想在一根木棍上奇妙地刻绘出来，虽然他的年纪还是那么小！他的声音很悦耳，他的嘴一动就能唱出各种不同的歌调。他的心里张着许多琴弦：如果他生在别的地方、而不是生在北湾旁一个渔人家的话，这些歌调可能流传到整个世界。
One day another ship was wrecked on the coast，and among other things a chest filled with valuable flower bulbs was washed ashore. Some were put into saucepans and cooked，for they were thought to be fit to eat，and others lay and shrivelled in the sand—they did not accomplish their purpose，or unfold their magnificentmagnificent adj.华丽的，高尚的，宏伟的 colours. Would Jurgen fare better？ The flower bulbs had soon played their part，but he had years of apprenticeshipapprenticeship n.学徒的身份，学徒的年限 before him. Neither he nor his friends noticed in what a monotonous，uniform way one day followed another，for there was always plenty to do and see. The ocean itself was a great lessonbook，and it unfolded a new leaf each day of calm or storm—the crested wave or the smooth surface.
有一天，另外一条船在这儿遇了难。一个装着许多稀有的花根的匣子漂到岸上来了。有人取出几根，放在菜罐里，因为人们以为这是可以吃的东西；另外有些则被扔在沙上，枯萎了。它们没有完成它们的任务，没有把藏在身上的那些美丽的色彩开放出来。雨尔根的命运会比这好一些吗？花根的生命很快就完结了，但是他的还不过是刚开始。他和他的一些朋友从来没有想到日子过得多么孤独和单调，因为他们要玩的东西、要听的东西和要看的东西是那么多。海就像一本大的教科书。它每天翻开新的一页：一忽儿平静，一忽儿涨潮，一忽儿清凉，一忽儿狂暴，它的顶点是船只的遇难。
The visits to the church were festive occasions，but among the fishermans house one was especially looked forward to，this was，in fact，the visit of the brother of Jurgens fostermother，the eelbreeder from Fjaltring，near Bovbjerg. He came twice a year in a cart，painted red with blue and white tulipstulip n.[植］郁金香，郁金香花，郁金香球茎 upon it，and full of eels，it was covered and locked like a box，two dun oxen drew it，and Jurgen was allowed to guide them.
做礼拜是欢乐拜访的场合。不过，在渔人的家里，有一种拜访是特别受欢迎的。这种拜访一年只有两次，那就是雨尔根养母的弟弟的拜访。他住在波乌堡附近的菲亚尔特令，是一个养鳝鱼的人。他来时总是坐着一辆涂了红漆的马车，里面装满了鳝鱼。车子像一只箱子似的锁得很紧；它上面绘满了蓝色和白色的郁金香。它是由两骑暗褐色的马拉着的。雨尔根有权来赶着它们。