THERE was a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. —
曾经有一个男人拥有豪华的房产，城市和乡村都有，另外还有许多银器和金器、刺绣家具，还有车厢上覆盖着金子。 —

But this man was so unlucky as to have a blue beard, which made him so frightfully ugly that all the women and girls ran away from him.
但是这个男人却有一脸的青须，使他变得非常恐怖丑陋，以至于所有的女人和女孩都逃离他。

One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were perfect beauties. —
他的一个贵族邻居有两个完美漂亮的女儿。 —

He desired of her one of them in marriage, leaving to her choice which of the two she would bestow on him. —
他向邻居提出要娶她们其中之一为妻，让她自己选择。 —

They would neither of them have him, and sent him backward and forward from one another, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a man who had a blue beard, and what besides gave them disgust and aversion was his having already been married to several wives, and nobody ever knew what became of them.
她们两个人都不愿意嫁给他，互相来回推辞，因为他是有青须的人，而且更让她们感到厌恶和反感的是他之前曾经和几个妻子结婚，但从来没有人知道她们的下落。

Blue Beard, to engage their affection, took them, with the lady their mother and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with other young people of the neighborhood, to one of his country seats, where they stayed a whole week.
蓝胡子为了引起她们的喜爱，带着她们，还有她们的母亲以及她们熟识的三四个女士，和附近的其他年轻人一起，去了他的一处乡间别墅，他们在那里待了整整一周。

There was nothing then to be seen but parties of pleasure, hunting, fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. —
当时除了游玩聚会、打猎、垂钓、跳舞、欢笑和盛宴外，别无他物。 —

Nobody went to bed, but all passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. —
没有人上床睡觉，整晚都在相互戏弄和开玩笑。 —

In short, everything succeeded so well that the youngest daughter began to think the master of the house not to have a beard so very blue, and that he was a mighty civil gentleman.
简而言之，一切都进行得非常顺利，最小的女儿开始认为这个房子的主人并没有那么蓝的胡子，而是个非常彬彬有礼的先生。

As soon as they returned home, the marriage was concluded. —
他们回到家后，婚事就定下来了。 —

About a month afterward, Blue Beard told his wife that he was obliged to take a country journey for six weeks at least, about affairs of very great consequence, desiring her to divert herself in his absence, to send for her friends and acquaintances, to carry them into the country, if she pleased, and to make good cheer wherever she was.
大约一个月后，蓝胡子告诉他的妻子，他不得不进行至少六周的乡村之旅，事关非常重要的事务。他要求妻子在他离开期间自己保持娱乐，邀请她的朋友和熟人，如果她愿意的话可以带他们去乡村，并且无论身在何处都要作乐。

“Here,” said he, “are the keys of the two great wardrobes, wherein I have my best furniture; —
“这里”，他说，“是两个大衣橱的钥匙，里面装着我最好的家具”。 —

these are of my silver and gold plate, which is not every day in use; —
“这些是我的金银器皿的钥匙，它们不是每天都在使用”。 —

these open my strong boxes, which hold my money, both gold and silver; —
“这些是打开我的保险箱的钥匙，里面装着我的钱币，金银兼有”。 —

these my caskets of jewels; —
“这些是打开我的珠宝盒的钥匙”。 —

and this is the master-key to all my apartments. —
“而这把是通往我所有房间的总钥匙”。 —

But for this little one here, it is the key of the closet at the end of the great gallery on the ground floor. —
“至于这把小钥匙，在大厅一楼的尽头那间小屋的门上使用。” —

Open them all; go into all and every one of them, except that little closet, which I forbid you, and forbid it in such a manner that, if you happen to open it, there’s nothing but what you may expect from my just anger and resentment.”
把它们都打开吧；进入其中每一个，除了那个小衣橱，我不允许你进去，禁止到极点，如果你碰巧打开了它，只会引发我的愤怒和怨恨。

She promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered; —
她承诺会非常准确地遵守他的吩咐； —

when he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.
当他抱着她后，上了自己的马车，继续他的旅程。

Her neighbors and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the new married lady, so great was their impatience to see all the rich furniture of her house, not daring to come while her husband was there, because of his blue beard, which frightened them. —
她的邻居和好朋友都不等她邀请，因为他们非常期待看到她家所有豪华家具，不敢在她丈夫在场的时候来，因为他的蓝色胡须让他们感到恐惧。 —

They ran through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.
他们在所有的房间、壁橱和衣柜中奔跑，每一个都如此漂亮和豪华，仿佛争奇斗艳。

After that they went up into the two great rooms, where was the best and richest furniture; —
之后他们上到两个大房间，那里的家具最好最贵； —

they could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and looking-glasses, in which you might see yourself from head to foot; —
他们对挂毯、床铺、沙发、柜子、架子、桌子和镜子的数量和美丽赞不绝口，其中你可以从头到脚看见自己； —

some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent ever were seen.
其中一些用玻璃框架，另一些用银制成，纯银和镀金的，是迄今为止最精美豪华的。

They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the meantime in no way diverted herself in looking upon all these rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet on the ground floor. —
他们不停地夸奖并嫉妒她的朋友的幸福，而她则毫不在意地看着这些贵重的物品，因为她迫不及待地想去打开底楼的储藏室。 —

She was so much pressed by her curiosity that, without considering that it was very uncivil to leave her company, she went down a little back staircase, and with such excessive haste that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her neck.
她因为好奇心而感到非常着急，没有考虑离开她的朋友是非常无礼的，她走下了一个小后楼梯，速度过快，差一点摔下去摔断了脖子。

Coming to the closet-door, she made a stop for some time, thinking upon her husband’s orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend her if she was disobedient; —
来到储藏室的门口，她停了一会儿，思考着丈夫的命令，想着如果她不顺从会有什么不幸降临； —

but the temptation was so strong she could not overcome it. —
但是诱惑力太强了，她无法克制住它。 —

She then took the little key, and opened it, trembling, but could not at first see anything plainly, because the windows were shut. —
然后她颤抖着拿起那把小钥匙打开了，但刚开始因为窗户都关着，什么都看不清楚。 —

After some moments she began to perceive that the floor was all covered over with clotted blood, on which lay the bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. —
片刻后她开始注意到整个地板上都覆盖着凝结的血液，墙边放着几具死去的女人尸体。 —

(These were all the wives whom Blue Beard had married and murdered, one after another. —
（这些都是布鲁贝尔一一娶来后又谋杀掉的妻子。 —

) She thought she should have died for fear, and the key, which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.
她恐惧得差点晕倒，握在手中的钥匙从手里掉了下来。

After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she took up the key, locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to recover herself; —
稍微恢复了一些惊讶后，她捡起钥匙，锁上了门，上楼进入她的房间来恢复自己； —

but she could not, she was so much frightened. —
但是她无法做到，因为她太害怕了。 —

Having observed that the key of the closet was stained with blood, she tried two or three times to wipe it off, but the blood would not come out; —
她发现衣橱的钥匙沾满了血迹，她试了两三次擦洗，但血迹无法去除； —

in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand; the blood still remained, for the key was magical and she could never make it quite clean; —
虽然她洗了好几次，甚至用肥皂和沙子搓了搓，但鲜血仍然留在上面，因为这把钥匙是神奇的，她永远无法将它弄得完全干净； —

when the blood was gone off from one side, it came again on the other.
当血从一边擦掉后，又会出现在另一边。

Blue Beard returned from his journey the same evening, and said he had received letters upon the road, informing him that the affair he went about was ended to his advantage. —
蓝胡子当天晚上从旅途中回来，他说他在路上收到了信件，告诉他他所做的事情对他有利。 —

His wife did all she could to convince him she was extremely glad of his speedy return.
他的妻子尽力让他相信她对他迅速回归感到非常高兴。

Next morning he asked her for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand that he easily guessed what had happened.
第二天早上，他要求她给他钥匙，她颤抖着把钥匙递给了他，他很容易猜到发生了什么。

“What!” said he, “is not the key of my closet among the rest?”
“什么？”他说，“我的书房的钥匙不在其中么？”

“I must certainly have left it above upon the table,” said she.
“我肯定是把它落在桌子上了，”她说。

“Fail not to bring it to me presently,” said Blue Beard.
“马上给我拿来，别忘了。”蓝胡子说。

After several goings backward and forward she was forced to bring him the key. —
来回走了几趟之后，她被迫给他拿来了钥匙。 —

Blue Beard, having very attentively considered it, said to his wife,
蓝胡子仔细考虑了一下，对他的妻子说，

“How comes this blood upon the key?”
“为什么这把钥匙上有血？”

“I do not know,” cried the poor woman, paler than death.
“我不知道，”可怜的女人哭得比死还苍白。

“You do not know!” replied Blue Beard. “I very well know. —
“你不知道！”布鲁贝尔回答道，“我很清楚。 —

You were resolved to go into the closet, were you not? —
你下定决心要进壁橱，是吗？ —

Mighty well, madam; you shall go in, and take your place among the ladies you saw there.”
很好，夫人，你要进去，并加入你在那里看到的那些女士们。”

Upon this she threw herself at her husband’s feet, and begged his pardon with all the signs of true repentance, vowing that she would never more be disobedient. —
于是她跪在丈夫脚下，带着真正的悔罪之情请求原谅，发誓再也不会不顺从。 —

She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; —
她美丽而悲伤的模样足以化解一块岩石的冷酷心灵。 —

but Blue Beard had a heart harder than any rock!
但布鲁贝尔的心比任何岩石都要坚硬！

“You must die, madam,” said he, “and that presently.”
“你必须死，夫人，”他说，“而且马上就要死。”

“Since I must die,” answered she (looking upon him with her eyes all bathed in tears), “give me some little time to say my prayers.”
“既然我必须死，”她答道（眼中湿润了泪花看着他），“请给我一点时间祈祷吧。”

“I give you,” replied Blue Beard, “half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more.”
“我给你，”布鲁贝尔回答道，“四分之一小时，但绝不多一刻钟。”

When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her:
当她独自一人时，她呼唤她的姐姐，并对她说：

“Sister Anne” (for that was her name), “go up, I beg you, upon the top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming over; —
“安妮姐姐”（因为她的名字就是这个），“请你上去塔顶看看我的兄弟们是不是来了； —

they promised me that they would come today, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste.”
他们答应我今天会来，如果你看见他们，就给他们一个信号，叫他们赶快来。”

Her sister Anne went up upon the top of the tower, and the poor afflicted wife cried out from time to time:
她的妹妹安妮上了塔顶，那可怜的受难妻子时不时地喊道：

“Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyone coming?”
“安妮，姐姐，你看见有人来了吗？”

And sister Anne said:
安妮姐姐说：

“I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which looks green.”
“我什么也没看见，只看见太阳，它让尘土飞扬；还有草，看起来是绿的。”

In the meanwhile Blue Beard, holding a great sabre in his hand, cried out as loud as he could bawl to his wife:
与此同时，蓝胡子手持一把大剑，尽力大声喊道：

“Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you.”
“立刻下来，否则我要上来找你。”

“One moment longer, if you please,” said his wife, and then she cried out very softly, “Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see anybody coming?”
“请再给我一会儿时间，”他的妻子说道，然后她轻声喊道，“安妮，姐姐，你看见有人来了吗？”

And sister Anne answered:
安妮姐姐回答道：

“I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which is green.”
“我什么也没看见，只看见太阳，它让尘土飞扬；还有草，看起来是绿的。”

“Come down quickly,” cried Blue Beard, “or I will come up to you.”
“快点下来，”蓝胡子大喊道，“否则我就要上来找你。”

“I am coming,” answered his wife; —
“我来了，” 他的妻子回答说； —

and then she cried, “Anne, sister Anne, dost thou not see anyone coming?”
然后她喊道， “安妮，姐妹安妮，你看不见有人过来吗？”

“I see,” replied sister Anne, “a great dust, which comes on this side here.”
“我看见了，” 安妮回答说， “一片大尘土，正从这边过来。”

“Are they my brothers?”
“他们是我的兄弟吗？”

“Alas! no, my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep.”
“唉！不是，我亲爱的姐姐，我看见一群羊。”

“Will you not come down?” cried Blue Beard
“你不下来吗？” 蓝胡子喊道。

“One moment longer,” said his wife, and then she cried out: —
“再等一会儿，” 他的妻子说，然后她大喊道： —

“Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see nobody coming?”
“安妮，姐妹安妮，你看不到有人过来吗？”

“I see,” said she, “two horsemen, but they are yet a great way off.”
“我看见了，” 她说， “两个骑马的人，但他们离得很远。”

“God be praised,” replied the poor wife joyfully; —
“感谢上帝，” 可怜的妻子欣喜地回答说； —

“they are my brothers; —
“他们是我的兄弟； —

I will make them a sign, as well as I can, for them to make haste.”
我会尽量给他们一个信号，让他们赶快过来。”

Then Blue Beard bawled out so loud that he made the whole house tremble. —
随后蓝胡子大声嘶吼，整个房子都颤抖起来。 —

The distressed wife came down, and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with her hair about her shoulders.
焦急的妻子下楼，哭着跪在他脚前，头发散乱。

“This signifies nothing,” says Blue Beard; —
“这没什么意义，” 蓝胡子说； —

“you must die”; then, taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up the sword with the other, he was going to take off her head. —
“你必须死！”他一手抓住她的头发，另一手举起剑，准备割下她的脑袋。 —

The poor lady, turning about to him, and looking at him with dying eyes, desired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herself.
可怜的女士转向他，带着垂死的眼神请求他给她一点时间来收拾思绪。

“No, no,” said he, “recommend thyself to God,” and was just ready to strike …
“不，不，”他说，“向上帝祈祷吧。”他正要挥剑……

At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate that Blue Beard made a sudden stop. —
就在这时，门外突然传来一阵急促的敲门声，使得蓝胡子急忙停下了动作。 —

The gate was opened, and presently entered two horsemen, who, drawing their swords, ran directly to Blue Beard. He knew them to be his wife’s brothers, one a dragoon, the other a musketeer, so that he ran away immediately to save himself; —
门打开了，立刻进来了两名骑士，他们拔出剑直奔蓝胡子。他认出他们是他妻子的兄弟，一个是龙骑兵，另一个是火枪手，于是他立刻逃走以保命； —

but the two brothers pursued so close that they overtook him before he could get to the steps of the porch, when they ran their swords through his body and left him dead. —
但是两兄弟紧追不舍，在他还没来得及走到门廊的台阶时，他们的剑刺穿了他的身体，他倒地不起，死去了。 —

The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to rise and welcome her brothers.
可怜的妻子几乎和丈夫一样已经死了，她没有足够的力气起身迎接她的兄弟们。

Blue Beard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his estate. —
蓝胡子没有继承人，因此他的妻子成为了他所有财产的女主人。 —

She made use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had loved her a long while; —
她利用其中一部分来让她的妹妹安妮与一个长久以来爱着她的年轻绅士结婚； —

another part to buy captains commissions for her brothers, and the rest to marry herself to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time she had passed with Blue Beard.
另一部分用来买军官职位给她的兄弟们，剩下的一部分用来与一个非常有品德的绅士结婚，他让她忘记了她在蓝胡子那里度过的不好时光。