THERE were once upon a time a King and a Queen who lived happily together, and they had twelve children, all of whom were boys. —
从前有一对王子和王后，他们幸福地生活在一起，他们有十二个儿子，全部都是男孩。 —

One day the King said to his wife:
一天，国王对他的妻子说：

‘If our thirteenth child is a girl, all her twelve brothers must die, so that she may be very rich and the kingdom hers alone.’
如果我们的第十三个孩子是个女孩，她的十二个兄弟必须死，这样她就能变得非常富有，国家将完全归她所有。

Then he ordered twelve coffins to be made, and filled them with shavings, and placed a little pillow in each. —
然后，他让制造了十二个木棺材，用木屑填充，并在里面放了一个小枕头。 —

These he put away in an empty room, and, giving the key to his wife, he bade her tell no one of it.
他把这些放在一个空房间里，把钥匙交给了妻子，并告诉她不要告诉任何人。

The Queen grieved over the sad fate of her sons and refused to be comforted, so much so that the youngest boy, who was always with her, and whom she had christened Benjamin, said to her one day:
王后为她儿子们的悲惨命运感到悲痛不已，拒绝接受任何安慰，以至于最小的男孩，一直陪在她身边，并被她命名为本杰明，有一天对她说：

‘Dear mother, why are you so sad?’
亲爱的母亲，你为什么这么伤心？

‘My child,’ she answered, ‘I may not tell you the reason.’
我的孩子，她回答说，我不能告诉你原因。

But he left her no peace, till she went and unlocked the room and showed him the twelve coffins filled with shavings, and with the little pillow laid in each.
但他没有让她安心，直到她去打开了房间，向他展示了填满木屑的十二个棺材，每个里面都放着一个小枕头。

Then she said: ‘My dearest Benjamin, your father has had these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers, because if I bring a girl into the world you are all to be killed and buried in them.’
然后她说：“我亲爱的本杰明，你父亲为你和你的十一个兄弟制作了这些棺材，因为如果我生了一个女孩，你们都要被杀害并埋在里面。”

She wept bitterly as she spoke, but her son comforted her and said:
她说话时痛苦地哭泣，但她儿子安慰她说：

‘Don’t cry, dear mother; we’ll manage to escape somehow, and will fly for our lives.’
“不要哭，亲爱的母亲；我们会设法逃脱，并飞奔自己的生活。”

‘Yes,’ replied his mother, ‘that is what you must do — go with your eleven brothers out into the wood, and let one of you always sit on the highest tree you can find, keeping watch on the tower of the castle. —
他的母亲回答道：“是的，你们必须这样做——带着你们的十一个兄弟去森林，让你们中的一个始终坐在你能找到的最高的树上，守望着城堡的塔楼。 —

If I give birth to a little son I will wave a white flag, and then you may safely return; —
如果我生了一个小儿子，我会挥舞一面白旗，然后你们可以安全地回来； —

but if I give birth to a little daughter I will wave a red flag, which will warn you to fly away as quickly as you can, and may the kind Heaven have pity on you. —
但如果我生了一个小女儿，我会挥舞一面红旗，警告你们尽快飞走，愿慈悲的天堂怜悯你们。 —

Every night I will get up and pray for you, in winter that you may always have a fire to warm yourselves by, and in summer that you may not languish in the heat.’
每晚我都会起床为你祈祷，冬天祈愿你始终有火取暖，夏天祈愿你不会在炎热中苦苦挣扎。

Then she blessed her sons and they set out into the wood. —
然后她祝福了她的儿子们，他们踏上了进入森林的道路。 —

They found a very high oak tree, and there they sat, turn about, keeping their eyes always fixed on the castle tower. —
他们找到了一棵非常高的橡树，在那里轮流坐着，始终盯着城堡的塔楼。 —

On the twelfth day, when the turn came to Benjamin, he noticed a flag waving in the air, but alas! —
在第十二天，轮到本杰明的时候，他注意到了一面在空中飘动的旗帜，但唉！ —

it was not white, but blood red, the sign which told them they must all die. —
它不是白色的，而是血红色，这是告诉他们他们必须全部去死的信号。 —

When the brothers heard this they were very angry, and said:
兄弟们听到这个消息非常生气，说：

‘Shall we forsooth suffer death for the sake of a wretched girl? —
我们难道要为了一个可怜的女孩而遭受死亡吗？ —

Let us swear vengeance, and vow that wherever and whenever we shall meet one of her sex, she shall die at our hands.’
让我们发誓复仇，立誓无论何时何地我们遇到一个她这样的女人，都要亲手杀死她。

Then they went their way deeper into the wood, and in the middle of it, where it was thickest and darkest, they came upon a little enchanted house which stood empty.
然后他们继续深入森林，在最浓密和黑暗的地方，他们遇到了一座空荡荡的小魔法屋。

‘Here,’ they said, ‘let us take up our abode, and you, Benjamin, you are the youngest and weakest, you shall stay at home and keep house for us; —
“在这里，”他们说，“让我们住下来，而你，本杰明，你是最年幼和最弱小的，你应该留在家里做家务； —

we others will go out and fetch food.’ So they went forth into the wood, and shot hares and roe-deer, birds and wood-pigeons, and any other game they came across. —
我们其他人会出去找食物。”于是他们走进了森林，射杀了野兔和鹿，鸟类和木鸽，以及他们遇到的其他猎物。 —

They always brought their spoils home to Benjamin, who soon learnt to make them into dainty dishes. —
他们总是把战利品带回给本杰明，他很快学会了将它们制成美味的菜肴。 —

So they lived for ten years in this little house, and the time slipped merrily away.
他们在这个小房子里生活了十年，时间过得非常快乐。

In the meantime their little sister at home was growing up quickly. —
与此同时，他们家的小妹妹也在迅速长大。 —

She was kind-hearted and of a fair countenance, and she had a gold star right in the middle of her forehead. —
她心地善良，容貌美丽，并且在额头中央有一颗金色的星星。 —

One day a big washing was going on at the palace, and the girl looking down from her window saw twelve men’s shirts hanging up to dry, and asked her mother:
有一天，宫殿里正在进行大规模的洗衣工作，女孩从窗户往下看见挂着十二件男士衬衫在晾晒，于是她问妈妈：

‘Who in the world do these shirts belong to? Surely they are far too small for my father?’
“这些衬衫到底是谁的？肯定太小了，不适合我爸爸穿吧？”

And the Queen answered sadly: ‘Dear child, they belong to your twelve brothers.’
女王悲伤地回答道：“亲爱的孩子，它们属于你的十二个兄弟。”

‘But where are my twelve brothers?’ said the girl. ‘I have never even heard of them.’
2、“但是我的十二个兄弟在哪里？”女孩说。“我甚至从未听说过他们。”

‘Heaven alone knows in what part of the wide world they are wandering,’ replied her mother.
3、“只有上天知道他们在世界的哪个地方漂泊，”她的母亲回答。

Then she took the girl and opened the locked-up room; —
4、然后她带着女孩走进了被锁住的房间； —

she showed her the twelve coffins filled with shavings, and with the little pillow laid in each.
5、她向她展示了装满刨花的十二个棺材，每个棺材中都放着一个小枕头。

‘These coffins,’ she said, ‘were intended for your brothers, but they stole secretly away before you were born.’
6、“这些棺材本来是为你的兄弟准备的，但他们在你出生之前偷偷离开了。”

Then she to tell her all that had happened, and when she had finished her daughter said:
7、然后她告诉她所有发生的事情，当她讲完后，她的女儿说：

‘Do not cry, dearest mother; I will go and seek my brothers till I find them.’
8、“不要哭，最亲爱的母亲；我会去寻找我的兄弟直到找到他们。”

So she took the twelve shirts and went on straight into the middle of the big wood. —
9、于是她拿起了十二件衬衣，径直走进那片大树林。 —

She walked all day long, and came in the evening to the little enchanted house. —
10、她整天走，到了晚上来到了那座小小的魔法屋。 —

She stepped in and found a youth who, marvelling at her beauty, at the royal robes she wore, and at the golden star on her forehead, asked her where she came from and whither she was going.
她走进去，发现一个年轻人对她的美貌、她穿着的皇家礼服以及额头上的金星感到惊奇，他问她从哪里来，要去哪里。

‘I am a Princess,’ she answered, ‘and am seeking for my twelve brothers. —
她回答说：“我是一个公主，正在寻找我的十二个兄弟。” —

I mean to wander as far as the blue sky stretches over the earth till I find them.’
她打算一直漫游到蓝天覆盖大地的尽头，直到找到他们。

Then she showed him the twelve shirts which she had taken with her, and Benjamin saw that it must be his sister, and said:
然后她给他看了带着的十二件衬衫，本杰明看出这一定是他的妹妹，他说：

‘I am Benjamin, your youngest brother.’
“我是本杰明，你最小的兄弟。”

So they wept for joy, and kissed and hugged each other again and again. After a time Benjamin said:
于是他们欢喜地哭泣着，亲吻和拥抱着彼此。过了一会儿，本杰明说道：

‘Dear sister, there is still a little difficulty, for we had all agreed that any girl we met should die at our hands, because it was for the sake of a girl that we had to leave our kingdom.’
“亲爱的姐姐，还有一个小问题，我们曾经商量过，我们遇到的任何女孩都应该被我们杀死，因为我们必须为一个女孩而离开王国。”

‘But,’ she replied, ‘I will gladly die if by that means I can restore my twelve brothers to their own.’
“但是，”她回答道，“如果我可以通过这种方式把我的十二个兄弟恢复到他们的身份，我愿意去死。”

‘No,’ he answered, ‘there is no need for that; —
“不，”他回答说，“没有必要；我们将找到一种解决办法。” —

only go and hide under that tub till our eleven brothers come in, and I’ll soon make matters right with them.’
只管躲在那个桶下面，等我们十一个弟兄回来，我会跟他们解释清楚的。

She did as she was bid, and soon the others came home from the chase and sat down to supper.
她按照吩咐做了，很快其他人从打猎回来，坐下吃晚饭。

‘Well, Benjamin, what’s the news?’ they asked. —
“本杰明，有什么新鲜事吗？”他们问。 —

But he replied, ‘I like that; have you nothing to tell me?’
但他回答：“真好笑，你们没有什么好告诉我的吗？”

‘No,’ they answered.
“没有。”他们回答。

Then he said: ‘Well, now, you’ve been out in the wood all the day and I’ve stayed quietly at home, and all the same I know more than you do.’
于是他说：“好吧，你们整天在树林里忙活，而我却安静地待在家里，尽管如此，我却比你们知道得更多。”

‘Then tell us,’ they cried.
“那就告诉我们。”他们喊道。

But he answered: ‘Only on condition that you promise faithfully that the first girl we meet shall not be killed.’
但他回答：“只有在你们保证第一个我们遇到的女孩不会被杀死的条件下。”

‘She shall be spared,’ they promised, ‘only tell us the news.’
“我们会放过她的。”他们保证，“只是告诉我们新闻吧。”

Then Benjamin said: ‘Our sister is here! —
然后本杰明说：“我们的妹妹在这里！”他举起桶，公主走出来，身穿皇家礼服，额头上戴着金星，看起来美丽而迷人，他们立刻都爱上了她。 —

’ and he lifted up the tub and the Princess stepped forward, with her royal robes and with the golden star on her forehead, looking so lovely and sweet and charming that they all fell in love with her on the spot.

They arranged that she should stay at home with Benjamin and help him in the house work, while the rest of the brothers went out into the wood and shot hares and roe-deer, birds and wood-pigeons. —
他们安排她留在家里照顾本杰明并帮助他做家务，而其他兄弟则出去打野兔、鹿、鸟和木鸽。 —

And Benjamin and his sister cooked their meals for them. —
本杰明和他的妹妹为他们做饭。 —

She gathered herbs to cook the vegetables in, fetched the wood, and watched the pots on the fire, and always when her eleven brothers returned she had their supper ready for them. —
她采集草药给蔬菜煮，取柴禾，看着锅上的火，每当她的十一个兄弟回来时，她已经准备好了他们的晚餐。 —

Besides this, she kept the house in order, tidied all the rooms, and made herself so generally useful that her brothers were delighted, and they all lived happily together.
除此之外，她还整理房子，收拾所有的房间，使自己变得如此有用，以至于她的兄弟们都很高兴，他们都幸福地生活在一起。

One day the two at home prepared a fine feast, and when they were all assembled they sat down and ate and drank and made merry.
一天，两个在家的人准备了一顿丰盛的盛宴，当他们都聚集在一起时，他们坐下来吃喝，欢乐起来。

Now there was a little garden round the enchanted house, in which grew twelve tall lilies. —
现在，在被魔法笼罩的房子周围有一个小花园，里面长着十二朵高高的百合花。 —

The girl, wishing to please her brothers, plucked the twelve flowers, meaning to present one to each of them as they sat at supper. —
姑娘为了取悦她的兄弟们，摘下了这十二朵花，打算在他们坐下吃饭时每人送一朵。 —

But hardly had she plucked the flowers when her brothers were turned into twelve ravens, who flew croaking over the wood, and the house and garden vanished also.
但她刚采下花朵，她的兄弟们就变成了十二只乌鸦，在树林中嘎嘎地飞翔，房子和花园也消失了。

So the poor girl found herself left all alone in the wood, and as she looked round her she noticed an old woman standing close beside her, who said:
于是这个可怜的女孩发现自己独自一人在树林中，她环顾四周，发现一位老妇人站在她身边说道：

‘My child, what have you done? Why didn’t you leave the flowers alone? —
“孩子，你干了什么？为什么不放下那些花？ —

They were your twelve brothers. Now they are changed for ever into ravens.’
它们是你的十二个兄弟，现在他们永远变成了乌鸦。”

The girl asked, sobbing: ‘Is there no means of setting them free?’
女孩问着，抽泣着：“有没有办法可以解救他们？”

‘No,’ said the old woman, ‘there is only one way in the whole world, and that is so difficult that you won’t free them by it, for you would have to be dumb and not laugh for seven years, and if you spoke a single word, though but an hour were wanting to the time, your silence would all have been in vain, and that one word would slay your brothers.’
“没有，”老妇人说，“世界上只有一种办法，而那非常困难，你不可能通过它来解救他们，因为你必须变成哑巴，七年内不能笑，如果你说出一个字，哪怕只差一小时，你的默默无声都将白费，那一个字会杀死你的兄弟们。”

Then the girl said to herself: ‘If that is all I am quite sure I can free my brothers. —
于是女孩在心里想：“如果只是这样，我相信我能解救我的兄弟们。” —

’ So she searched for a high tree, and when she had found one she climbed up it and spun all day long, never laughing or speaking one word.
她搜索到了一棵高树，爬上去后整天都在那里旋转，从不笑也从不说一句话。

Now it happened one day that a King who was hunting in the wood had a large greyhound, who ran sniffing to the tree on which the girl sat, and jumped round it, yelping and barking furiously. —
有一天，一个在森林里打猎的国王带着一只大灰狗，它跑到那棵树下闻了闻，然后围着树跳跃，狂吠不止。 —

The King’s attention was attracted, and when he looked up and beheld the beautiful Princess with the golden star on her forehead, he was so enchanted by her beauty that he asked her on the spot to be his wife. —
国王的注意力被吸引，当他抬头看见额头上有金星的美丽公主时，他被她的美貌迷住了，当场就要求她做他的妻子。 —

She gave no answer, but nodded slightly with her head. —
她没有回答，只是微微点了下头。 —

Then he climbed up the tree himself, lifted her down, put her on his horse and bore her home to his palace.
然后他自己爬上树，将她抱下来，放在马上带她回了皇宫。

The marriage was celebrated with much pomp and ceremony, but the bride neither spoke nor laughed.
婚礼隆重而庄重，但新娘既不说话也不笑。

When they had lived a few years happily together, the King’s mother, who was a wicked old woman, began to slander the young Queen, and said to the King:
他们幸福地生活了几年后，国王的母亲，一个邪恶的老婆婆，开始诽谤年轻的王后，对国王说：

‘She is only a low-born beggar maid that you have married; who knows what mischief she is up to? —
“她只是一个出身低微的乞丐女仆，你好好的娶了她；谁知道她在搞什么鬼？” —

If she is deaf and can’t speak, she might at least laugh; —
“如果她是聋子，不会说话，至少她可以笑笑； —

depend upon it, those who don’t laugh have a bad conscience. —
“可以肯定，那些不笑的人良心不安。 —

’ At first the King paid no heed to her words, but the old woman harped so long on the subject, and accused the young Queen of so many bad things, that at last he let himself be talked over, and condemned his beautiful wife to death.
“起初，国王对她的话没有理会，但是那个老妇人说了那么长时间的话，指责年轻的王后做了那么多坏事，最终他被说服了，判处了他心爱的妻子死刑。

So a great fire was lit in the courtyard of the palace, where she was to be burnt, and the King watched the proceedings from an upper window, crying bitterly the while, for he still loved his wife dearly. —
“于是，在宫殿的庭院里燃起了熊熊大火，她被绑在火刑柱上待火烧死，而国王从上面的窗户上眺望着，边哭边观看，因为他仍然深爱着他的妻子。 —

But just as she had been bound to the stake, and the flames were licking her garments with their red tongues, the very last moment of the seven years had come. —
“但就在她被束缚在火刑柱上，火焰用它们的红色舌头舔舐着她的衣服时，七年的最后一刻到来了。 —

Then a sudden rushing sound was heard in the air, and twelve ravens were seen flying overhead. —
“突然，空中传来一阵嗖嗖声，十二只乌鸦从头上飞过。 —

They swooped downwards, and as soon as they touched the ground they turned into her twelve brothers, and she knew that she had freed them.
它们迅速俯冲下来，并在接触地面时化作了她的十二个兄弟，她知道她已经解救了他们。

They quenched the flames and put out the fire, and, unbinding their dear sister from the stake. —
它们扑灭了火焰，将可爱的姐姐从柴火堆上解救下来。 —

they kissed and hugged her again and again. —
它们一遍又一遍地亲吻和拥抱她。 —

And now that she was able to open her mouth and speak, she told the King why she had been dumb and not able to laugh.
现在她能够张开嘴说话了，她告诉国王为什么她以前说不出话来，也为什么不能笑。

The King rejoiced greatly when he heard she was innocent, and they all lived happily ever afterwards.
国王听说她是清白无辜，非常高兴，他们从此过上了幸福快乐的生活。