The next day. Well， perhaps we had better pass over the next day. The evening had come， and the lamp was resting in a grandfathers chair， and guess where！ Why， at the old watchmans house. He had begged， as a favor， that the mayor and corporation would allow him to keep the street lamp， in considerationconsideration n.体谅， 考虑， 需要考虑的事项， 报酬 of his long and faithful service， as he had himself hung it up and lit it on the day he first commenced his duties， fourandtwenty years ago. He looked upon it almost as his own child； he had no children， so the lamp was given to him. There it lay in the great armchair near to the warm stove. It seemed almost as if it had grown larger， for it appeared quite to fill the chair. The old people sat at their supper， casting friendly glances at the old lamp， whom they would willingly have admitted to a place at the table.
第二天——是的，我们能把第二天跳过去。第二天晚上，路灯躺在一张椅子上。这是在什么地方呢？在那个老守夜人的屋子里。他曾经恳求过市长和议员们准许他保留住这盏灯，作为他长期忠实服务的一种报答。他们对他的要求大笑了一通；他们把这路灯送给了他。如今这灯就躺在一个暖和的火炉旁的靠椅上。路灯仿佛比以前长得更大了，因为它差不多把整个椅子都塞满了。这对老夫妇正在坐着吃晚饭，同时用柔和的眼神望着这个老路灯。他们倒很想让它也坐上饭桌呢。
It is quite true that they dwelt in a cellar， two yards deep in the earth， and they had to cross a stone passage to get to their room， but within it was warm and comfortable and stripsstrip n.条， 带vt.剥， 剥去 of list had been nailed round the door. The bed and the little window had curtains， and everything looked clean and neat. On the window seat stood two curious flowerpots which a sailor， named Christian， had brought over from the East or West Indies. They were of clay， and in the form of two elephants， with open backs； they were hollow and filled with earth， and through the open space flowers bloomed. In one grew some very fine chives or leeks； this was the kitchen garden. The other elephant， which contained a beautiful geraniumgeranium n.天竺葵， they called their flower garden. On the wall hung a large colored print， representing the congress of Vienna， and all the kings and emperors at once. A clock， with heavy weights， hung on the wall and went “tick， tick，” steadily enough； yet it was always rather too fast， which， however， the old people said was better than being too slow.
他们住的地方其实是一个地窖，比地面要低两码。要走进这房间里去，人们得通过一个有石子铺地的过道。但这里是很舒服的；门上贴着许多布条，一切东西都显得清洁和整齐；床的周围和小窗上都挂着帘子。窗台上摆着两个奇怪的花盆——是水手克利斯仙从东印度或西印度带回来的。那是用泥土烧成的两只象。这两只东西全没有背；但代替背的是人们放在它们身躯中的土，土里还开出了花：一只象里长出美丽的青葱——这是这对老人的菜园；另一只象里长出一株大天竺葵——这是他们的花园。墙上挂着一张大幅的彩色画，反映维也纳会议的情景。你一眼就可以看到所有的国王与皇帝。那架有沉沉的铅摆的波尔霍尔姆钟“滴答！滴答！”地走着，而它老是走得太快。但这对老年人说，这比走得慢要好得多。
They were now eating their supper， while the old street lamp， as we have heard， lay in the grandfathers armchair near the stove. It seemed to the lamp as if the whole world had turned round； but after a while the old watchman looked at the lamp， and spoke of what they had both gone through together，—in rain and in fog； during the short bright nights of summer， or in the long winter nights， through the drifting snowstorms， when he longed to be at home in the cellar. Then the lamp felt it was all right again. He saw everything that had happened quite clearly， as if it were passing before him. Surely the wind had given him an excellent gift. The old people were very active and industriousindustrious adj.勤勉的， 刻苦的， they were never idle for even a single hour. On Sunday afternoons they would bring out some books， generally a book of travels which they were very fond of. The old man would read aloud about Africa， with its great forests and the wild elephants， while his wife would listen attentively， stealing a glance now and then at the clay elephants， which served as flowerpots.
他们吃着晚饭。这个路灯，正像刚才说过了的，是放在火炉旁边的一个靠椅上。对路灯说来，这就好像整个世界翻了一个个儿。不过这个老守夜人望着它，谈起他们两人在雨和雾中，在短短的晴朗的夏夜里，在那雪花飘飞，使人想要回到地窖里的家去的那些生活经历，这时候，老路灯的头脑就又变得清楚起来。那些生活又清楚地在他面前出现。是的，风儿把它弄亮起来了。这对老人是很朴素和勤俭的。他们没有浪费过一分钟。在星期日下午他们老是摸出一两本书来读——一般说来，总是游记一类的读物。老头儿大声地读着关于非洲、关于藏有大森林和野象的故事。老太太总是注意地听着，同时悄悄地看着那对作为花盆的泥象。