ONCE upon a time， there lay off the coast of Zealand， out from Holsteinborg， two wooded islands， Vaen e and Glaen e， with hamlets and farms on them； theylay near the coast，they lay near each other，and now thereis only one island．
One night it was dreadful weather； the sea rose as it had not risen within the memory of man； the storm grewworse；it was Doomsday weather；it sounded as if the earth were splitting， the church bells began to swing and rang without the aid of man．
That night Vaen e vanished in the depths of the sea；it was as if the island had never been． But many a summer night since then，with still，clear low-water，when the fisher was out spearing eels with a torch burning in the bows of his boat， he saw， with his sharp sight， deep downunder him，Vaen e with its white church-tower and the highchurch wall；"Vaen e is waiting for Glaen e， " says the leg-end； he saw the island， he heard the church bells ringingdown there； but he made a mistake in that， it was assured-ly the sound made by the many wild swans， which often lie on the water here； they make sobbing and wailing soundslike a distant pea of bells．
There was a time when many old people on Glaen e still remembered so well that stormy night， and that theythemselves， when children， had at low tide driven betweenthe two islands， as one at the present day driver over to Glaen e from the coast of Zealand，not far from Holstein- borg； the water only comes half-way up the wheels．
"Vaen e is waiting for Glaen e，" was the saying，and it be-came a settled tradition．
Many a little boy and girl lay on stormp nights and thought，"To-night will come the hour when Vaen e fetchesGlaen e．" They said their Lord's Prayer in fear and trem-bling， fell asleep， and dreamt sweet dreams，—and next morning Glaen e was still there with its woods and corn- fields， its friendly farm-houses， and hop-gardens； the birdssang， the deer sprang； the mole smelt no sea-water， asfar as he could burrow．
And yet Claen e's days are numbered；we cannot say how many they are，but they are numbered：one fine morning the island will have vanished．
You were perhaps， only yesterday，down there on the beach， and saw the wild swans floating on the waterbetween Zealand and Glaen e， a sailing boat with out-spread sails glided past the woodland； you yourself droveover the shallow ford， there was no other way； the horsestrampled in the water and it splashed about the wheels ofthe wagon．
You have gone away，and perhaps travelled a little out into the wide world， and come，back again after someyears． You see the wood here encircling a big green stretch of meadow， where the hay smells sweet in front oftidy farm-houses． Where are you ？Holsteinborg still stands proudly here with its gilt spires， but not close tothe fjord， it lies higher up on the land. You go throughthe wood， along over the field， and down to the shore，—where is Glaen e？ You see no wooded island in front ofyou， you see the open water． Has Vaen e fetched Glaen e ，that it waited for so long？When was the stormynight on which it happened，when the earth quaked， so that old Holsteinborg was moved many thousand cock- strides up into the country？
It was no stormy night， it was on a bright sunshinyday．The skill of man raised a dam against the sea； theskill of man blew the pent-up waters away， and bound Glaen e to the mainland． The firth has become a meadowwith luxuriant grass， Glaen e has grown fast to Zealand．The old farm lies where it always lay． It was not Vaen ewhich fetched Glaen e， it was Zealand， which with longdike-arms seized it， and blew with the breath of pumpsand read the magic words，the word of wedlock， andZealand got many acres of land as a wedding gift．
This is a true statement， it has been duly pro- claimed， you have the fact before your eyes． The islandGlaen e has vanished．
两个海岛
在瑟兰海岸外，在荷尔斯坦堡皇宫的对面，从前有两个长满了树的海岛：维诺和格勒诺。它们上面有村庄、教堂和田地。它们离开海岸不远，彼此间的距离也近。不过现在那儿只有一个岛。
有一天晚上，天气变得非常可怕。海潮在上涨——在人们的记忆中它从来没有这样涨过。风暴越来越大。这简直是世界末日的天气。大地好像要崩塌似的。教堂的钟自己摇摆起来，不需要人敲就发出响声。
在这天晚上，维诺沉到海里去了：它好像从来没有存在过似的。但是后来在许多夏日的夜晚，当潮落了、水变得清平如镜的时候，渔人就驾着船出海，在火把的亮光中捕鳝鱼。这时他的锐利的眼睛可以看到水里的维诺和它上面白色的教堂塔以及高高的教堂墙。“维诺在等待着格勒诺，”——这是一个传说。他看到了这个海岛，他听到下面教堂的钟声。不过在这点上他可是弄错了，因为这不过是经常在水上休息的野天鹅的叫声罢了。它们的凄惨的呼唤听起来很像远处的钟声。
有个时候，住在格勒诺岛上的老年人还能清楚地记得那天晚上的风暴，而且还能记得他们小时在潮退了的时候，乘着车子在这两岛之间来往，正如我们现在从离开荷尔斯坦堡宫不远的瑟兰海岸乘车子到格勒诺去一样。那时海水只达到车轮的半中腰。“维诺在等待着格勒诺，”人们这样说，而这种说法大家都信以为真。
许多男孩子和女孩子在暴风雨之夜里喜欢躺在床上想：今天晚上维诺会来把格勒诺接走。他们在恐惧和颤抖中念着《主祷文》，于是便睡着了，做了一些美丽的梦。第二天早上，格勒诺和它上面的树林和麦田、舒适宜人的农舍和蛇麻园，仍然是在原来的地方，鸟儿在唱歌，鹿儿在跳跃。地鼠不管把它的地洞打得多么远，总不会闻到海水的。
然而格勒诺的日子是已经到头了。我们不能肯定究竟还有多少天，但是日期是确定了：这个海岛总有一天早晨会沉下去的。
可能你昨天还到那儿的海滩上去过，看到过野天鹅在瑟兰和格勒诺之间的水上飘，一只鼓满了风的帆船在树林旁掠过去。你可能也在落潮的时候乘着车子走过，因为除此以外再没有别的路。马儿在水里走：水溅到车轮子上。
你离开了。你可能踏进茫茫的世界里去；可能几年以后你又回来：你看到树林围绕着一大片绿色的草场。草场上的一个小农舍前面的干草堆发出甜蜜的气味。你在什么地方呢？荷尔斯坦堡宫和它的金塔仍然立在那儿。但是离开海却不再是那么近了；它是高高地耸立在陆地上。你穿过树林和田野，一直走到海滩上去——格勒诺到什么地方去了呢？你看不见那个长满了树的岛；你面前是一大片海水。难道维诺真的把格勒诺接走了吗——因为它已经等了那么久？这件事情是在哪一个暴风雨之夜发生的呢？什么时候的地震把这古老的荷尔斯坦堡宫迁移到内地这几万鸡步远呢？
那不是发生在一个暴风雨的夜里，而是发生在一个明朗的白天。人类的智慧筑了一道抵抗大海的堤坝：人类的智慧把积水抽干了，使格勒诺和陆地联到一起。海湾变成长满了草的牧场，格勒诺跟瑟兰紧紧地靠在一起。那个老农庄仍然是在它原来的地方。不是维诺把格勒诺接走了，而是具有长“堤臂”的瑟兰把它拉了过来。瑟兰用抽水筒呼吸，念着富有魔力的话语——结婚的话语；于是它得到了许多亩的土地作为它结婚的礼品。
这是真事，有记录可查，事实就摆在眼前。格勒诺这个岛现在不见了。
这篇小故事发表于1867年8月18日在哥本哈根出版的《费加洛》周刊上。1867年安徒生住在荷尔斯坦堡城堡中。他参加了一个新年的晚宴。有好几位工程师也被从哥本哈根请来参加，为的是讨论把格勒诺岛与陆地联结起来的计划。安徒生在他1867年1月3日的日记上写道：“参加晚宴的工程师们一清早就和公爵离开了，为的是探讨把格勒诺岛与瑟兰联起来的可能性。结果是，不像传说中所讲的那样，并不是维诺岛把格勒诺岛拉走。我把这情节记了下来。在餐桌上我建议大家干一杯，祝贺这段婚姻——它的嫁妆是一大片新获得的土地。”
“人类的智慧筑了一道抵抗大海的堤坝；人类的智慧把积水抽干了，使格勒诺和陆地联到一起。海湾变成长满了草地的牧场，格勒诺跟瑟兰紧紧地靠在一起。”安徒生永远是那么热情地歌颂科学和文化。是人所创造的知识在推动世界前进，把人类引向高级的境界。