THE RACERS

A PRIZE，or rather two prizes， had been announced—a big one and a little one—for the greatest swiftness，not in a single race， but for swiftness through-out an entire year．

“I got the first prize！”said the Hare；“there must be justice when relations and good friends are among the prize committee； but that the Suail should have received the second prize，I consider almost an insult to myself．”

“No！”declared the Fence-rail，who had been witness at the distribution of prizes，“reference must also be had to industry and perseverance．Many respectable people said so，and I understood it well．The Snail certainly took half a year to get across the threshold；but has broken his thigh-bone in the haste he was compelled to make．He devoted himself entirely to his work，and he ran with his house on his back！All that is very praise-worthy，and that's how he got the second prize．”

“I might certainly have been considered too， said the Swallow．“I should think that no one appeared swifter in flying and soaring than myself， and how far I have been around—far—far—far！”

Yes，that's just your misfortune，”said the Fence－rail．“You're too fond of fluttering．You must always be jourmeying about into far countries when it begins to be cold here． You've no love of fatherland in you．You can-not be taken into account．”

“But if I lay in the swamp all through the winter？”said the Swallow．“Suppose I slept through the whole time； should I be taken into account then？”

“Bring a certificate from the old swamp－wife that you have slept away half the time in your fatherland，and you shall be taken into account．”

“I deserved the first prize，and not the second，”said the Snail．“I know so much at least， that the Hare only ran from cowardice， because he thought each time there was danger in delay．I， on the other hand， made my running the business of my life，and have become a cripple in the service．If any one was to have the first prize， I should have had it； but I make no fuss，I despise it！”

And so he spat．

‘I am able to depose with word and oath that each prize，at least my vote for each，was given after proper consideration，”observed the old Boundary-post in the wood，who had been a member of the body of judges．“ I always go on with due consideration， with order， and calculation．Seven times before I have had the honour to be present at the distribution of prizes， but not till today have I carried out my will．At each distribution I have started from a fixed principle． I always went to the first prize from the beginning of the alphabet， and to the second from the end．And if you will now take notice， when one starts from the beginning， the eighth letter from A is H， and there we have the Hare， and so I awarded him the first prize； the eighth letter from the end of the alphabet is S，and there-fore the Snail received the second prize．Next time， I will have its turn for the first prize， and R for the second： there must be due order in everything！One must have a certain starting-point！”

“I should certainly have voted for myself， if I had not been among the judges，”said the Mule，who had been one of the committee．“One must not only consider the rapidity of advance，but every other quality also that is found—as，for example， how much a candidate is able to draw； but I would not have put that prominently forward this time， nor the sagacity of the Hare in his flight， or the cunning with which he suddenly takes a leap to one side to bring people on a false track， so that they may not know where he has hidden himself．No！There is something else on which many lay great stress， and which one may not leave out of the calculation．I mean what is called the beautiful．On the beautiful I particularly fixed my eyes；I looked at the beautiful well-grown ears of the Hare： it's quite a pleasure to see how long they are；it almost seemed to me as if I saw myself in the days of my childhood． And so I voted for the Hare．”

“But，” said the Fly，“I'm not going to talk， I'm only going to say something． I know that I have overtaken more than one hare．Quite lately I crushed the hind legs of one．I was sitting on the engine in front of a railway train——I often do that， for thus one can best notice one's own swiftness．A young hare ran for a long time in front of the engine；he had no ideaa that I was present； but at last he was obliged to give in and spring aside—and then the engine crushed his hind legs， for I was upon it．The hare lay there， but I rode on．That certainly was conquer－ibg him！But I don't count upon getting the prize！”

“It certainly appears to me，”thought the Wild Rose—but she did not say it，for it is not her nature to give her opinion， though it would have been quite as well if she had done so—“it certainly appears to me that the sunbeam ought to have had the first prize and the second too．The sunbeam flies in a moment along the enormous path from the sun to ourselves， and arrives in such strength that all nature awakes at it；such beauty does it possess that all we roses blush and exhale fragrance in its possess that all we roses blush and exhale fragrance in its presence．Our worshipful judges do not appear to have noticed this at all．If I were the sunbeam，I would give each of them a sunstroke—but that would only make them mad，and that they may become as things stand．I say nothing，”thought the Wild Rose．“May peace reign in the forest！ It is glorious to blossom，to scent，and to re－fresh—to live in song and legend．The sunbeam will out-live us all．”

“What's the first prize？” asked the Earthworm， who had overslept the time，and only came up now．

“It consists in a free admission to a cabbage gar－den，”replied the Mule．“I proposed that as the prize．The Hare was decided to have won it， and therefore I，as an active and reflective member， took especial notice of the advantage of him who was to get it：now the Hare is provided for． The Snail may sit upon the fence and lick up moss and sunshine， and has further been appointed one of the first umpires in the racing．It is so good to have a professional in the thing men call a committee． I must say I expect much from the future—we have made so good a beginning．”

赛跑者

 

有人贡献出一个奖品——也可以说是两个奖品吧：一大一小——来奖励速度最快的赛跑者。但这不是指在一次竞赛中所达到的最快的速度，而是在全年的赛跑中所达到的速度。

“我得到了头奖！”野兔说。“有人在评奖委员会中有亲戚和朋友，所以我们必须主持公道。蜗牛居然得到了二等奖！我不禁要认为这是对我的一种侮辱。”

“不对！”亲眼看到过发奖的篱笆桩说，“热忱和毅力也必须考虑进去。许多有地位的人都这样说过，我也懂得这话的意义。蜗牛的确要花半年的时间才能走过门口。而且因为他要赶时间，还把大腿骨折断了。他是全心全意地赛跑！而且背上还要背着自己的屋子！这都是值得奖励的！因此他得到了二等奖！”

“你们也应该把我考虑进去呀！”燕子说。“我相信，在飞翔方面，谁也没有我快。我什么地方都去过：我飞得才远呢，远呢，远呢！”

“对，这正是你的不幸！”篱笆桩说。“你太喜欢流浪了。天气一冷，你就老不在家，跑到外国去了。你一点儿爱国心也没有。你没有被考虑的资格！”

“不过整个冬天我是住在沼泽地里呀！”燕子说。“假如我把这段时间都睡过去，我值不值得考虑呢？”

“如果你能从沼泽女人那儿得到一张证明书，证明你有一半的时间是睡在你的祖国，那么人们就会考虑你的！”

“我应该得到头奖，而不是二等奖！”蜗牛说。“我知道得很清楚，野兔是因为懦弱才拼命跑。他老是以为他停下来就要碰到危险。相反，我把赛跑作为一种任务，而且在完成这个任务时还挂了彩！如果说有人应该得到头奖，这个人就是我！不过我不愿意小题大做——我讨厌这种做法！”

于是他就吐了一口粘液。

“我可以向你们正式保证，每个奖品都是经过慎重考虑的——至少我投的票是经过慎重考虑的！”作为树林的界标的那根木桩说；他也是评奖委员会中的一员。“我总是依照次序、经过深思熟虑以后才决定问题的。从前有七次我荣幸地参加过给奖工作，但是今天我才能有机会贯彻我的主张。我每次给奖的时候，总是从一个固定的原则出发。决定第一奖的时候，我总是从头一个字母朝下顺数；决定第二奖的时候，我总是从最后一个字母朝上倒数。如果你注意一下，你就可以看出：从A朝下顺数的第八个字母是H。到这儿我们就得到‘野兔’这个字，因此我就投票赞成把头奖送给野兔。从最后一个字母向上倒数的第八个字母［——我故意漏掉它，因为这个字母的声调不好听，而不好听的字在我看来是不算数的——］是S。因此我投票赞成蜗牛得二等奖。下一次得轮到I得头奖，R得二等奖！无论什么事情都应该有一个次序；任何人都应该有一个出发点！”

“假如我不是一个评奖人，我一定会投我自己的票，”骡子说；他也是评奖委员之一。“人们不仅应该考虑跑的速度，同时还应该考虑其他的条件。比方说吧：一个人能背多重的担子。不过这次我不愿着重地把这一点提出来，也不愿意讨论野兔在赛跑时所表现的机智，或者他为了迷惑行人的视线而向侧路一跳，使人找不出他藏在什么地方的那种狡猾。不，还有别的东西值得人注意，一点也不能忽略，那就是大家所谓的‘美’。我这个人特别喜欢在‘美’这一点上着眼。我喜欢看野兔那一对美丽而丰满的耳朵。它们该是多么长啊：看看它们真是一桩快事！我好像看到了我自己的儿时一样。因此我投他的票！”

“嘘！”苍蝇说，“我不愿意发表演说，我只想讲一件事情！我可以肯定他说，我不止一次跑在野兔的前面。前不久我还压断了一只野兔的后腿呢。那时我是坐在一列火车前面的车头上——我常常做这样的事情，因为一个人只有这样才能看清自己的速度。一只小野兔在前面跑了很久；他一点也没有想到我就坐在火车头上。最后他不得不让开，但是他的后腿却被火车头轧断了。这是因为我在上面呀。野兔倒下来，但是我继续向前跑。这可算是打垮了他吧！但是我并不需要头奖！”

“我觉得——”野玫瑰想，但是她却不说出口来，因为她天生不喜欢多发表意见，虽然即使她发表了也没有什么关系，“我觉得太阳光应该得到头等光荣奖和二等奖。他在转瞬之间就走完一条无法计算的路程；他直接从太阳走向我们，而且到来的时候力量非常大，使整个大自然都醒过来。他具有一种美，我们所有的玫瑰一见到他就红起来，散发出香气！我们可尊敬的评奖先生们似乎一点也没有注意到这件事情！假如我是太阳光，我就要使他们害日射病。不过这会把他们的头脑弄糊涂，然而他们可能本来就是糊涂的。我还是不发表意见吧！”野玫瑰想。“但愿树林里永远是和平的！开花、散发出香气、休息、在歌声和故事声中生活——这是很美丽的。太阳光的寿命，比我们所有的人都长！”

“头奖究竟是什么呢？”蚯蚓问。他睡过了时间，到现在才来。

“是免费进入菜园！”骡子说。“这个奖是我建议的。野兔应该得到它。我作为一个有头脑和活跃的评奖委员，特别考虑到得奖人的福利：现在野兔可以不愁衣食了。蜗牛可以坐在石围墙上舔青苔和晒太阳光，同时可以得到一个赛跑头等评判员的职位，因为在人们所谓的委员会中有一个专家总是好的。我可以说，我对于未来的期望很大，我们已经有了一个良好的开端！”

 

这篇略带讽刺性小品最初收集在1858年出版的《新的童话和故事集》第1卷第2部里。它说明了安徒生对一切评奖和评奖委员会的评价。安徒生一生没有得到什么奖——只获得过国家授予的“丹麦国旗勋章”。他很轻视所谓“奖品”，事实证明也不无道理：像托尔斯泰和他的朋友英国的狄更斯，这些闻名世界的作家也不曾获得过所谓世界性的“诺贝尔文学奖”。