金色的水果

文/A.A.米爾恩

一年四季的水果， 我最喜歡柑橘。

首先，柑橘四季常有——即使樹已凋零，水果店里也有它的身影。有些時候，幾塊巧克力加上一點蜜餞生姜充當餐后的甜點，或是兩塊李子干配上一片大黃油便被冠以蔬果什錦美名，這時，稍帶酸味的柑橘便來到你的身邊。在水果當令期，櫻桃、草莓、木梅、酸栗在餐桌上爭奇斗艷時，也比不過那帶有著甜味的柑橘。即使日常生活的面包和黃油，牛肉和羊肉，雞蛋和咸肉，也都未必像柑橘那樣不可或缺。

柑橘最普通，然而又最奇妙。論其優點，難盡其詳。比如說，柑橘有益健康，可以治流感、養皮膚。柑橘干凈衛生，誰也只觸到它的表皮，吃完以后便丟在餐廳。柑橘圓光滑亮，是孩子們最好的伙伴。

然而，最美不過的，還是柑橘的甜美可口。我簡直不敢多談它的美味，我只能被它的美味所傾倒。每一個婚禮都使我感到痛惜，因為它意味著一束鮮橘花——未來金色果實的夭折。

……

我們年復一年地吃著柑橘，這本身就證明了柑橘的好處。事實上，正是柑橘誠實的品格令我們所有的人羨慕不已。如果它要變壞的話——其實我們之中最優秀者有時也會變壞——它是從外表而不是從內里開始的。不知有多少梨子，在向人們展示容光煥發的笑容時，內里已經腐爛。又有多少看上去純潔無瑕的蘋果，剛剛發芽就已經包藏蛀蟲。而柑橘從不隱藏瑕疵。它的外表就是內心的寫照。假如你反映快，不等售貨員把壞橘子偷偷放進紙袋兒，你就能把它挑出來。

Of the fruits of the year I give my vote o the orange.

In the first place it is a perennial-if not in actual fact， at least in the greengrocer＇s shop. On the days when dessert is a name given to a handful of chocolates and a little preserved ginger， when macedoine de fruits is the title bestowed on two prunes and a piece of rhubarbs， then the orange， however sour， comes nobly to the rescue; and on those other days of plenty when cherries and strawberries and raspberries and gooseberries riot together upon the table， the orange， sweeter than ever， is still there to hold its own. Bread and butter， beef and mutton， eggs and bacon， are not more necessary to an ordered existence than the orange.

It is well that the commonest fruit should be also the best. Of the virtues of the orange I have not room fully to speak. It has properties of health giving， as that it cures influenza and establishes the complexion. It is clean， for whoever handles it on its way to your table， but handles its outer covering， its top coat， which is left in the hall. It is round， and forms an excellent substitute with the young for a cricket ball. The pip can be flicked at your enemies， and quite a small piece of peel makes a slide for an old gentleman.

But all this would count nothing had not the orange such delightful qualities of taste. I dare not let myself go upon this subject. I am a slave to its sweetness. I grudge every marriage in that it means a fresh supply of orange blossom， the promise of so much golden fruit short， the world must go on.

...

With the orange we do live year in and year out. That speaks well for the orange. The fact is that there is a honesty about the orange which appears to all of us. If it is going to be bad-for the best of us are bad sometimes-it begins to be bad from the outside， not from the inside. How many a pear which presents a blooming face to the world is rotten at the core. How many an innocent-looking apple is harboring a worm in the bud. But the orange has no secret faults. Its outside is a mirror of its inside， and if you are quick you can tell the shopman so before he slips it into the bag.