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The Old Year being dead, the New Year came of age, which he does, by Calendar Law, as soon as the breath is out of the old gentleman's body. Nothing would serve the youth but he must give a dinner upon the occasion, to which all the Days of the year were invited. The Festivals, whom he appointed as his stewards, were mightily taken with the notion. They had been engaged time out of mind, they said, in providing mirth and cheer for mortals below; and it was time that they should have a taste of their bounty. All the Days came to the dinner. Covers were provided for three hundred and sixty-five guests at the principal table; with an occasional knife and fork at the sideboard for the Twenty-Ninth of February. I should have told you that cards of invitation had been sent out. The carriers were the Hours; twelve as little merry whirligig foot-pages as you should desire to see. They went all round, and found out the persons invited well enough, with the exception of Easter Day, Shrove Tuesday, and a few such Movables, who had lately shifted their quarters. Well, they were all met at last, four Days, five Days, all sorts of Days, and a rare din they made of it. There was nothing but Hail fellow Day I well met, brother Day, sister Day——only Lady Day kept a little on the aloof and seemed somewhat scornful. Yet some said, Twelfth Day cut her out, for she came in a silk suit, white and gold, like a queen on a frost-cake, all royal and glittering. The rest came, some in green, some in white——but Lent and his family were not yet out of mourning. Rainy Days came in dripping, and sunshiny Days helped them to change their stockings. Wedding Day was there in his marriage finery. Pay Day came late, as he always does; and Doomsday sent word——he might be expected. April Fool (as my young lord’s jester) took upon himself to marshal the guests. And wild work he made of it; good Days, bad Days, all were shuffled together. He had stuck the Twenty-First of June next to the Twenty-Second of December, and the former looked like a May-pole siding a marrow-bone. Ash Wednesday got wedged in between Christmas and Lord Mayor's Day. At another part of the table, Shrove Tuesday was helping the Second of September to some broth, which courtesy the latter returned with the delicate thigh of a pheasant. The Last of Lent was springing upon Shrovetide's pancakes; April Fool, seeing this, told him that he did well, for pancakes were proper to a good fry-day. When it began to grow a little duskish, Candlemas lustily called for lights, but this was opposed by all the Days, who protested against burning daylight. May Day, with that sweetness which is her own, made a neat speech proposing the health of the founder. This being done, the lordly New Year from the upper end of the table, in a cordial but somewhat lofty tone, returned thanks. They next fell to quibbles and conundrums. The question being proposed, who had the greatest number of followers——the Quarter Days said there could be no question as to that; for they had all the creditors in the world dogging their heels. But April Fool gave it in favor of the Forty Days before Easter; because the debtors in all cases outnumbered the creditors, and they kept Lent all the year. All this while Valentine’s Day kept courting pretty May, who sat next him, slipping love-letters under the table, till the Dog Days (who are naturally of warm temper) began to be jealous, and to bark and rage. April Fool, who likes a bit of sport above measure, clapped and hallooed them on; and as fast as their anger cooled, those mad wags, the Ember Days, were at it with their bellows, to blow it into a flame. At last, day being ended, the Days called for their cloaks and greatcoats, and took their leaves. Lord Mayor's Day went off in a Mist as usual; Shortest Day in a deep black Fog, which wrapped the little gentleman all round like a hedgehog. Two Vigils, or watchmen, saw Christmas Day safe home. Another Vigil——a stout, sturdy patrol, called the Eve of St. Christopher—— escorted Ash Wednesday. Longest Day set off westward in beautiful crimson and gold—— the rest, some in one fashion, some in another; but Valentine and pretty May took their departure together in one of the prettiest silvery twilight a Lover’s Day could wish to set in. 新年的成人礼 旧年正在慢慢死去，等到这位老绅士呼出他的最后一口气，根据日历法，新年也就正式成人了。这位年轻人得不到什么招待，但他必须准备晚宴，邀请一年中的所有日子前来。 那些被他任命为管理员的节假日们很喜欢这个主意。很久以来，他们就一直忙碌着，给下面的凡人们带来欢声笑语。现在，轮到他们来品尝他们曾给予别人的慷慨馈赠了。 所有的日子都奔赴晚宴。桌子上已经摆好了 365个客人的餐具；此外，还有给 2月 29日准备的特殊的刀叉。 我应该告诉过你，邀请函早已寄出。快递员就是小时们；你应该很乐意见到的，那十二个年轻的侍者，个个欢乐得像小陀螺似的。他们不远万里，找到那些已经受邀的日子。而像复活节、忏悔日这样变动的节日，最近还在换班，所以不太容易找到。 好了，他们终于都见面了。四个，五个，各种各样的日子，真是难得的热闹。极其要好的朋友们碰面了，兄弟姐妹们也都碰面了。只是那些女士们有点冷漠，看起来还有几分轻蔑。不过有人说，主显节不搭理人，是因为她穿了一身丝绸套装，纯白与金色搭配，像冻蛋糕上的女王一样，有一种皇家的气质。 剩下的日子们也来了，有穿绿色的，有穿白色的——但大斋节和他的家人们还很哀伤。雨天们进来时还滴着水，晴天们就去帮他们换双长袜。婚庆日穿着一身婚礼的华服。发薪日来晚了，他总是这样；世界末日发来消息——他可能会来。 愚人节（他是我的小主人的御用小丑）主动承担起安排客人就座的任务，然而他总是胡来；好日子和坏日子，都被排到一块儿去了。他把 6月 21日和 11月 22日排到了一起，这看起来像五朔节花桩和一根髓骨并排放在一起一样奇怪。他还让圣灰节挤在圣诞节和伦敦市长就职日之间。 桌子的另一边，忏悔节正在帮 9月 2日盛些肉汤，而后者有礼貌地回赠了他一块清淡可口的鸡腿肉。大斋节的最后一天扑向了忏悔节的薄煎饼；愚人节看到之后，称赞他干得好，因为薄煎饼和“油炸节”很般配。 当灯光逐渐暗淡下来的时候，圣烛节强烈要求要把光打亮，但所有不允许白日点灯的日子都反对这个提议。 劳动节，以她独有的可爱态度，发表了简短的讲话，并提议所有人一起祝宴会的主人一切安康。祝词结束后，气质高贵的新年先生，从酒桌的上等座、以热忱但略显高傲的语气向他们致谢。 之后大家就围绕着一个难题争辩开了。支持季度结算日的人最多，因为世界上所有的债主都得听他的。但是比起复活节，愚人节更支持大斋节；因为大斋节让欠债的人比债主还多，他们总是在过大斋“借”。 这会儿，情人节正在追求坐在他身边的五月美人儿，从桌子底下给她传情书。三伏天们（他们天生是个暴脾气）吃醋了，愤怒地叫了起来，搅黄了这件事。 愚人节，喜欢玩点出格的，他鼓起掌来，还朝他们大喊大叫，瞎起哄；四季节的热情和他们的怒火冷却的一样快，这会儿他们的劲头也上来了，都在煽风点火。 最终，一天要结束了。日子们都拿起自己的斗篷和外衣，纷纷告辞。伦敦市长就职日和往常一样在雾气中离开了；日长最短的一天身披黑色的浓雾，裹得活像个刺猬。 两个值夜的护卫，或者叫守护者，负责护送圣诞节安全到家。另一个值夜护卫——一个矮胖的结实的巡逻员，圣·克里斯托弗前夕——负责护送圣灰节。 日长最长的一天，穿着金色与深红相间的外衣，向西出发——剩下的节日都各自离开了；只有情人节和漂亮的五月，在银白色暮光中，相依离去。 Tip：戳左下角“原文链接”可购买常青藤版《美国语文》全书哟(* ￣3)(ε￣ *) |
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