THERE was once upon a time a man and a woman who had an only son, and he was called Jack. The woman thought that it was his duty to go out to service, and told her husband that he was to take him somewhere.
曾经有一对夫妇，他们只有一个儿子，名叫杰克。这位女士认为他应该出去找工作，于是告诉她的丈夫他应该带他去某个地方。

‘You must get him such a good place that he will become master of all masters,’ she said, and then she put some food and a roll of tobacco into a bag for them.
“你必须让他找到一个好工作，成为所有主人的主人。”她说，然后把一些食物和一卷烟装进袋子里给他们带上。

Well, they went to a great many masters, but all said that they could make the lad as good as they were themselves, but better than that they could not make him. —
好吧,他们去了很多主人那里，但都说他们可以把孩子培养得和他们自己一样好，但比这更好他们做不到。 —

When the man came home to the old woman with this answer, she said, ‘I shall be equally well pleased whatever you do with him; —
当这个人带着这个答案回家见到老婆时，她说，“无论你对他做什么, 我都会同样高兴； —

but this I do say, that you are to have him made a master over all masters. —
但我要说的是，你必须让他成为所有主人的主人。 —

’ Then she once more put some food and a roll of tobacco into the bag, and the man and his son had to set out again.
“然后她又把一些食物和一卷烟装进袋子里，这个人和他的儿子再次出发了。

When they had walked some distance they got upon the ice, and there they met a man in a carriage who was driving a black horse.
他们走了一段路后，走上了冰面，遇到了一个开着马车的人，他正驾着一匹黑马。

‘Where are you going?’ he said.
他说：“你要去哪儿？”

‘I have to go and get my son apprenticed to someone who will be able to teach him a trade, for my old woman comes of such well-to-do folk that she insists on his being taught to be master of all masters,’ said the man.
他说：“我得找个人把我儿子送去学一门手艺，因为我老婆是个富人家的人，她坚持要儿子学会成为最厉害的人。”

‘We are not ill met, then,’ said the man who was driving, ‘for I am the kind of man who can do that, and I am just looking out for such an apprentice. —
驾车的人说：“那我们真是倒了八辈子的霉，因为我就是那种能够做到的人，而我正好正找个学徒。” —

Get up behind with you,’ he said to the boy, and off the horse went with them straight up into the air.
他对小男孩说：“你就跟上来吧！”马立刻带着他们冲上了天空。

‘No, no, wait a little!’ screamed the father of the boy. —
“不，不，等一等！”小男孩的父亲尖叫起来。 —

‘I ought to know what your name is and where you live.’
“我应该知道你叫什么名字，住在哪里。”

‘Oh, I am at home both in the north and the south and the east and the west, and I am called Farmer Weatherbeard,’ said the master. —
那个主人说：“哦，我在北方、南方、东方和西方都有住处，我叫天气大爷。” —

‘You may come here again in a year’s time, and then I will tell you if the lad suits me. —
“你可以在一年后再来，到时候我会告诉你这个小伙子合适不合适。” —

’ And then they set off again and were gone.
他们又上路了，消失在了远方。

When the man got home the old woman inquired what had become of the son.
当他回家后，老婆问儿子去哪了。

‘Ah! Heaven only knows what has become of him!’ said the man. —
‘啊！天晓得他变成了什么样子！’那个人说道。 —

‘They went up aloft.’ And then he told her what had happened.
‘他们向上走去了。’然后他告诉她发生了什么事。

But when the woman heard that, and found that the man did not at all know either when their son would be out of his apprenticeship, or where he had gone, she packed him off again to find out, and gave him a bag of food and a roll of tobacco to take away with him.
但当那女人听说，发现那个人根本不知道他们的儿子何时结束学徒期，也不知道他去了哪里，她又把他打发走去打听，给了他一袋食物和一卷烟草。

When he had walked for some time he came to a great wood, and it stretched before him all day long as he went on, and when night began to fall he saw a great light, and went towards it. —
他走了一段时间后来到一片大森林，他走啊走，这片森林一整天都在他面前延伸着，当夜幕开始降临时，他看到一道熊熊的火光，就走向那里。 —

After a long, long time he came to a small hut at the foot of a rock, outside which an old woman was standing drawing water up from a well with her nose, it was so long.
过了很久很久，他来到一座小屋前，小屋底下有一块巨石，有个老太婆正用鼻子从井里打水，因为她的鼻子实在太长了。

‘Good-evening, mother,’ said the man.
‘晚上好，老太婆，’那个人说。

‘Good-evening to you too,’ said the old woman. —
‘你好，’老太婆说。 —

‘No one has called me mother this hundred years.’
‘已经有一百年没有人称我为母亲了。’

‘Can I lodge here to-night?’ said the man.
‘我能在这里过夜吗？’那个人说。

‘No,’ said the old woman. But the man took out his roll of tobacco, lighted a little of it, and then gave her a whiff. —
“不，”老妇人说。但那人拿出一卷烟草，点燃了一点，让她尝了一口。 —

Then she was so delighted that she began to dance, and thus the man got leave to stay the night there. —
然后她非常高兴地开始跳舞，于是那个人得以在那里过夜。 —

It was not long before he asked about Farmer Weatherbeard.
不久，他问起了农夫韦特比尔。

She said that she knew nothing about him, but that she ruled over all the four-footed beasts, and some of them might know him. —
她说她对他一无所知，但她统治着所有四脚兽，其中一些可能知道他。 —

So she gathered them all together by blowing a whistle which she had, and questioned them, but there was not one of them which knew anything about Farmer Weatherbeard.
于是她吹响了一个哨子，把它们都召集起来问了问，但他们中没有一个知道农夫韦特比尔。

‘Well,’ said the old woman, ‘there are three of us sisters; —
“好吧，”老妇人说，“我们姐妹三人； —

it may be that one of the other two knows where he is to be found. —
也许其他两个中的一个知道他在哪里。 —

You shall have the loan of my horse and carriage, and then you will get there by night; —
你可以借用我的马车，这样你可以在夜里到达那里； —

but her house is three hundred miles off, go the nearest way you will.’
但她的房子离这里有三百英里，无论你走最近的路线都要这么远。”

The man set out and got there at night. When he arrived, this old woman also was standing drawing water out of the well with her nose.
这个人出发了，到了晚上才到达目的地。当他到达时，有个老妇人也站在井边用鼻子打水。

‘Good-evening, mother,’ said the man.
“晚上好，老妈妈，”那个人说道。

‘Good-evening to you,’ said the old woman. —
“晚上好，”老妇人说道。 —

‘No one has ever called me mother this hundred years.’
“这一百年来没有人叫我妈妈。”

‘Can I lodge here to-night?’ said the man.
“我可以在这里住一晚吗？”那个男人问道。

‘No,’ said the old woman.
“不行，”老妇人说道。

Then he took out the roll of tobacco, took a whiff, and gave the old woman some snuff on the back of her hand. —
于是他拿出烟卷，吸了一口，并在老妇人的手背上撒了一些鼻烟。 —

Then she was so delighted that she began to dance, and the man got leave to stay all night. It was not long before he began to ask about Farmer Weatherbeard.
于是老妇人非常高兴地开始跳舞，那个男人得到了过夜的许可。不久后，他开始询问农夫威斯伯德的事情。

She knew nothing about him, but she ruled over all the fishes, she said, and perhaps some of them might know something. —
老妇人对此一无所知，但她统治着所有的鱼类，她说也许它们中的一些会知道一些情况。 —

So she gathered them all together by blowing a whistle which she had, and questioned them, but there was not one of them which knew anything about Farmer Weatherbeard.
于是她吹了起来一个口哨将它们都召集起来，并询问了它们，但没有一个知道农夫威斯伯德的事情。

‘Well,’ said the old woman, ‘I have another sister; perhaps she may know something about him. —
“嗯，”老婆婆说，“我还有一个姐姐，也许她知道关于他的一些事情。 —

She lives six hundred miles off, but you shall have my horse and carriage, and then you will get there by nightfall.’
她住在六百英里的地方，但你可以用我的马和马车，这样你就能在天黑之前到那里。”

So the man set off and he got there by nightfall. —
于是那个人出发了，天黑之前到了那里。 —

The old woman was standing raking the fire, and she was doing it with her nose, so long it was.
老婆婆正在站着耙火，她用她那长长的鼻子耙着。

‘Good-evening, mother,’ said the man.
“晚上好，妈妈，”那人说。

‘Good-evening to you,’ said the old woman. ‘No one has called me mother this hundred years.’
“晚上好，”老婆婆说，“一百年没有人叫我妈妈了。”

‘Can I lodge here to-night?’ said the man.
“我能在这里住一晚吗？”那个人说。

‘No,’ said the old woman. But the man pulled out his roll of tobacco again, and filled his pipe with some of it, and gave the old woman enough snuff to cover the back of her hand. —
“不行，”老婆婆说。但那人又掏出一卷烟草，用其中的一些填满了他的烟斗，并给了老婆婆足够的烟草粉末，能覆盖她手背。 —

Then she was so delighted that she began to dance, and the man got leave to stay in her house. —
于是她高兴得开始跳舞，那个人获得了在她家里住的许可。 —

It was not long before he asked about Farmer Weatherbeard. —
他不久便询问了关于弗默·韦塞贝德的事。 —

She knew nothing at all about him, she said, but she governed all the birds; —
她完全不知道他，她说，但她可以操控所有的鸟类； —

and she gathered them together with her whistle. —
她吹响口哨，把它们聚集在一起。 —

When she questioned them all, the eagle was not there, but it came soon afterwards, and when asked, it said that it had just come from Farmer Weatherbeard’s. —
当她询问众人时，鹰不在，但不久之后它来了，当被问及时，它说它刚从威瑟比德农场来。 —

Then the old woman said that it was to guide the man to him. —
然后老妇人说它将引导那个人找到他。 —

But the eagle would have something to eat first, and then it wanted to wait until the next day, for it was so tired with the long journey that it was scarcely able to rise from the earth.
但鹰首先要吃点东西，然后它想等到第二天再动身，因为长途旅行让它非常疲惫，几乎无法从地上起飞。

When the eagle had had plenty of food and rest, the old woman plucked a feather out of its tail, and set the man in the feather’s place, and then the bird flew away with him, but they did not get to Farmer Weatherbeard’s before midnight.
当鹰吃饱喝足后，老妇人拔下它尾巴上的一根羽毛，将那个人放在那根羽毛上，然后鸟带着他飞走了，但在午夜之前他们并没有到达威瑟比德农场。

When they got there the Eagle said: ‘There are a great many dead bodies lying outside the door, but you must not concern yourself about them. —
当他们到达那里时，鹰说：“门外有很多尸体躺在那里，但你不必担心他们。 —

The people who are inside the house are all so sound asleep that it will not be easy to awake them; —
屋子里的人都睡得如此沉，要吵醒他们并不容易。 —

but you must go straight to the table-drawer, and take out three bits of bread, and if you hear anyone snoring, pluck three feathers from his head; —
但你必须直接走到桌抽屉那里，取出三块面包，如果你听见有人在打鼾，就从他的头上拔下三根羽毛； —

he will not waken for that.’
他不会因此而醒来的。

The man did this; when he had got the bits of bread he first plucked out one feather.
此人这样做了；在拿到面包之后，他首先拔下一根羽毛。

‘Oof!’ screamed Farmer Weatherbeard.
“噢！” Farmer Weatherbeard大叫。

So the man plucked out another, and then Farmer Weatherbeard shrieked ‘Oof!’ again; —
所以这个人又拔了一根，然后Farmer Weatherbeard再次尖叫“噢！”； —

but when the man had plucked the third, Farmer Weatherbeard screamed so loudly that the man thought that brick and mortar would be rent in twain, but for all that he went on sleeping. —
但是当这个人拔下第三根时，Farmer Weatherbeard尖叫得如此厉害，以至于这个人以为砖石会被撕裂开，但即使如此，Farmer Weatherbeard依然继续睡着。 —

And now the Eagle told the man what he was to do next, and he did it. —
现在老鹰告诉这个人接下来该做什么，他就做了。 —

He went to the stable door, and there he stumbled against a hard stone, which he picked up, and beneath it lay three splinters of wood, which he also picked up. —
他走到马厩门口，踢到了一块硬石头，他捡起来，底下有三根木片，他也捡了起来。 —

He knocked at the stable door and it opened at once. —
他敲了敲马厩的门，门立刻打开了。 —

He threw down the three little bits of bread and a hare came out and ate them. He caught the hare. —
他扔下这三块小面包，一只野兔走出来吃了它们。他抓住了那只野兔。 —

Then the Eagle told him to pluck three feathers out of its tail, and put in the hare, the stone, the splinters of wood and himself instead of them, and then he would be able to carry them all home.
然后鹰告诉他拔下三根羽毛，放进野兔、石头、木屑和自己身上，这样他就能把它们都带回家。

When the Eagle had flown a long way it alighted on a stone.
当鹰飞了很远时，它停在了一块石头上。

‘Do you see anything?’ it asked.
“你看见什么吗？”它问道。

‘Yes; I see a flock of crows coming flying after us,’ said the man.
“是的，我看见一群乌鸦飞过来了。” 人说。

‘Then we shall do well to fly on a little farther,’ said the Eagle, and off it set.
“那么我们最好再飞一段距离。” 鹰说道，然后继续飞行。

In a short time it asked again, ‘Do you see anything now?’
不久之后，它又问道：”你现在看见什么吗？”

‘Yes; now the crows are close behind us,’ said the man.
“是的，现在乌鸦们已经离我们很近了。” 人说。

‘Then throw down the three feathers which you plucked out of his head,’ said the Eagle.
“那么把你拔下的那三根羽毛扔下去。” 鹰说道。

So the man did this, and no sooner had he flung them down than the feathers became a flock of ravens, which chased the crows home again. —
于是，这个人就这样做了，他一扔下去，那些羽毛立即变成了一群乌鸦，把那些乌鸦都赶了回去。 —

Then the Eagle flew on much farther with the man, but at length it alighted on a stone for a while.
继续带着这个人飞行了一段距离后，鹰最终在一块石头上停下来了。

‘Do you see anything?’ it said.
“你看见什么吗？” 它问道。

‘I am not quite certain,’ said the man, ‘but I think I see something coming in the far distance.’
“我不太确定，”那个人说道，“但我想我看到远处有东西靠近了。”

‘Then we shall do well to fly on a little farther,’ said the Eagle, and away it went.
“那么我们最好再飞一会儿，”鹰说道，然后它飞走了。

‘Do you see anything now?’ it said, after some time had gone by.
“现在你看到什么了吗？”一段时间过去后，它问道。

‘Yes; now they are close behind us,’ said the man.
“是的，它们现在就在我们后面了，”那个人回答道。

‘Then throw down the splinters of wood which you took from beneath the gray stone by the stable door,’ said the Eagle. The man did this, and no sooner had he flung them down than they grew up into a great thick wood, and Farmer Weatherbeard had to go home for an axe to cut his way through it. —
“那就把你从马厩门下的灰石头旁边拿起来的木屑扔下去。”鹰说道。那个人照做了，刚一扔下去，木屑就长成了一片茂密的大树林，农夫维瑟比尔德不得不回家拿斧头来砍出一条道路。 —

So the Eagle flew on a long, long way, but then it grew tired and sat down on a fir tree.
于是鹰又飞了很长一段路，但它变得累了，于是停在了一棵杉树上。

‘Do you see anything?’ it asked.
“你看到什么了吗？”它问道。

‘Yes; I am not quite certain,’ said the man, ‘but I think I can catch a glimpse of something far, far away.’
“是的，我不太确定，”那个人说道，“但我似乎能隐约看到非常远的东西。”

‘Then we shall do well to fly on a little farther,’ said the Eagle, and it set off again.
“那我们最好再飞一会儿，”鹰说道，然后它又起飞了。

‘Do you see anything now?’ it said after some time had gone by.
“你现在能看见什么吗？”过了一会儿它问道。

‘Yes; he is close behind us now,’ said the man.
“是的；他现在紧追在我们后面。”那个人说道。

‘Then you must fling down the great stone which you took away from the stable door,’ said the Eagle.
“那么你必须抛下你从马厩门带走的巨石。”老鹰说道。

The man did so, and it turned into a great high mountain of stone, which Farmer Weatherbeard had to break his way through before he could follow them. —
那个人照办了，巨石立刻变成了一座高山，Farmer Weatherbeard在追赶他们之前必须打破它。 —

But when he had got to the middle of the mountain he broke one of his legs, so he had to go home to get it put right.
可是当他到了山的中间时，他摔断了一条腿，所以他不得不回家去治疗。

While he was doing this the Eagle flew off to the man’s home with him, and with the hare, and when they had got home the man went to the churchyard, and had some Christian earth laid upon the hare, and then it turned into his son Jack.
就在他这么做的时候，老鹰带着那个人和这只兔子飞回了他的家，当他们回到家时，这个人去了教堂墓地，把一些基督教土埋到了兔子上，然后它变成了他的儿子杰克。

When the time came for the fair the youth turned himself into a light-coloured horse, and bade his father go to the market with him. —
当集市的时间到了，这个年轻人变成了一匹浅色的马，让他的父亲带着他去集市。 —

‘If anyone should come who wants to buy me,’ said he, ‘you are to tell him that you want a hundred dollars for me; —
“如果有人想要买我，”他说，“你就告诉他你要一百美元。” —

but you must not forget to take off the halter, for if you do I shall never be able to get away from Farmer Weatherbeard, for he is the man who will come and bargain for me.’
但你千万不要忘了取下笼头，因为如果你这样做了，我就再也无法从天气农民那里逃脱了，因为他就是那个会来和我讨价还价的人。

And thus it happened. A horse-dealer came who had a great fancy to bargain for the horse, and the man got a hundred dollars for it, but when the bargain was made, and Jack’s father had got the money, the horse-dealer wanted to have the halter.
事情就是这样发生的。一位马贩子来了，他很想和马讨价还价，他付了一百美元，但当交易达成后，杰克的父亲想拿回笼头。

‘That was no part of our bargain,’ said the man, ‘and the halter you shall not have, for I have other horses which I shall have to sell.’
‘这不是我们的交易的一部分，’那人说，‘你不能要这个笼头，因为我还有其他要出售的马。’

So each of them went his way. But the horse dealer had not got very far with Jack before he resumed his own form again, and when the man got home he was sitting on the bench by the stove.
于是他们各自离去。但马贩子还没走多远，杰克就恢复了自己的样子，当那人回到家时，他正在炉子旁的长凳上坐着。

The next day he changed himself into a brown horse and told his father that he was to set off to market with him. —
第二天，他又变成了一匹棕色的马，告诉他父亲要带他去市场。 —

‘If a man should come who wants to buy me,’ said Jack, ‘you are to tell him that you want two hundred dollars, for that he will give, and treat you besides; —
‘如果有个人想要买我，’杰克说道，‘你要告诉他你要价两百美元，他会给你的，并且还要款待你； —

but whatsoever you drink, and whatsoever you do, don’t forget to take the halter off me, or you will never see me more.’
但是不管你喝什么，做什么，千万别忘了将缰绳解开，否则你将再也看不见我了。

And thus it happened. The man got his two hundred dollars for the horse, and was treated as well, and when they parted from each other it was just as much as he could do to remember to take off the halter. —
情况就是这样发生的。这个人以两百美元买下了那匹马，并且也受到了款待，当他们分别的时候，他几乎忘记了解开缰绳。 —

But the buyer had not got far on his way before the youth took his own form again, and when the man reached home Jack was already sitting on the bench by the stove.
但是买家离开后没走多远，这位青年就恢复了原来的形态，当这个人回家的时候，杰克已经坐在炉子旁边的长椅上了。

On the third day all happened in the same way. —
第三天的情况也是一样的发生。 —

The youth changed himself into a great black horse, and told his father that if a man came and offered him three hundred dollars, and treated him well and handsomely into the bargain, he was to sell him, but whatsoever he did, or how much soever he drank, he must not forget to take off the halter, or else he himself would never get away from Farmer Weatherbeard as long as he lived.
年轻人变成一匹伟大的黑马，并告诉他的父亲，如果有人来并提供300美元，并且还好好地对待他，那么他应该把他卖掉。但无论他做什么，无论他喝得多么多，他都不能忘记取下缰绳，否则他将永远无法从Weatherbeard农场主那里逃脱。

‘No,’ said the man, ‘I will not forget.’
“不，”那人说，“我不会忘记的。”

When he got to the market, he received the three hundred dollars, but Farmer Weatherbeard treated him so handsomely that he quite forgot to take off the halter; —
当他到达市场时，他收到了300美元，但Weatherbeard 农场主对他非常慷慨，以至于他完全忘记了取下缰绳； —

so Farmer Weatherbeard went away with the horse.
因此，Weatherbeard农场主带着马离开了。

When he had got some distance he had to go into an inn to get some more brandy; —
在他行进一段距离后，他不得不进入一家客栈再喝一些白兰地； —

so he set a barrel full of red-hot nails under his horse’s nose, and a trough filled with oats beneath its tail, and then he tied the halter fast to a hook and went away into the inn. —
他将一桶热得发红的钉子放在马的鼻子底下，将一只装满燕麦的槽放在马的尾巴下，然后将缰绳系到一个挂钩上，然后离开进了客栈。 —

So the horse stood there stamping, and kicking, and snorting, and rearing, and out came a girl who thought it a sin and a shame to treat a horse so ill.
于是马站在那里踢腾着、蹬腿、喷着鼻子、后腿站立，接着一个女孩走了出来，她认为这样虐待马是个罪过和可耻的行为。

‘Ah, poor creature, what a master you must have to treat you thus! —
“啊，可怜的生物，你一定是有一个这么对待你的主人！” —

’ she said, and pushed the halter off the hook so that the horse might turn round and eat the oats.
她说着，把缰绳从挂钩上解开，让马可以转身去吃麦片。

‘I am here!’ shrieked Farmer Weatherbeard, rushing out of doors. —
“我在这里！”农夫威斯特比尔德尖叫着冲出门外。 —

But the horse had already shaken off the halter and flung himself into a goose-pond, where he changed himself into a little fish. —
但马已经甩开了缰绳，跳进了一个鹅池子里，变成了一条小鱼。 —

Farmer Weatherbeard went after him, and changed himself into a great pike. —
威斯特比尔德跳下去，变成了一条大鱼。 —

So Jack turned himself into a dove, and Farmer Weatherbeard turned himself into a hawk, and flew after the dove and struck it. —
于是杰克变成一只鸽子，而威斯特比尔德则变成了一只鹰，追着鸽子飞起来并击中了它。 —

But a Princess was standing at a window in the King’s palace watching the struggle.
但是有个公主站在国王宫殿的窗前，看着这场斗争。

‘If thou didst but know as much as I know, thou wouldst fly in to me through the window,’ said the Princess to the dove.
‘如果你知道我知道的一样多，你会通过窗户飞到我这儿来的，’公主对鸽子说道。

So the dove came flying in through the window and changed itself into Jack again, and told her all as it had happened.
于是鸽子穿过窗户飞了进来，变回了杰克，他向公主讲述了一切。

‘Change thyself into a gold ring, and set thyself on my finger,’ said the Princess.
“把自己变成一枚金戒指，并戴在我的手指上，”公主说道。

‘No, that will not do,’ said Jack, ‘for then Farmer Weatherbeard will make the King fall sick, and there will be no one who can make him well again before Farmer Weatherbeard comes and cures him, and for that he will demand the gold ring.’
“不行，”杰克说道，”因为这样农夫威瑟比尔德会让国王生病，而在农夫威瑟比尔德来治愈之前，谁也无法使他康复，而为此他会要求金戒指。”

‘I will say that it was my mother’s, and that I will not part with it,’ said the Princess.
“我会说这是我母亲的戒指，我不会把它给他，”公主说道。

So Jack changed himself into a gold ring, and set himself on the Princess’s finger, and Farmer Weatherbeard could not get at him there. —
于是，杰克变成了一枚金戒指，戴在了公主的手指上，农夫威瑟比尔德无法接触到他。 —

But then all that the youth had foretold came to pass.
然后，年轻人所预言的一切都应验了。

The King became ill, and there was no doctor who could cure him till Farmer Weatherbeard arrived, and he demanded the ring which was on the Princess’s finger as a reward.
国王病倒了，没有医生能够治愈他，直到农夫威瑟比尔德来了，他要求以公主手指上的戒指作为报酬。

So the King sent a messenger to the Princess for the ring. —
于是国王派人向公主送去了戒指。 —

She, however, refused to part with it, because she had inherited it from her mother. —
然而，她拒绝放弃它，因为她是从母亲那里继承的。 —

When the King was informed of this he fell into a rage, and said that he would have the ring, let her have inherited it from whom she might.
当国王得知此事后，他勃然大怒，说不管她是从谁那里继承的，他都要那枚戒指。

‘Well, it’s of no use to be angry about it,’ said the Princess, ‘for I can’t get it off. —
“好吧，对此生气也没有用，”公主说道，“因为我无法把它取下来。” —

If you want the ring you will have to take the finger too!’
如果你要那枚戒指，你只能连同这根手指一起带走！

‘I will try, and then the ring will very soon come off,’ said Farmer Weatherbeard.
“我会尝试的，那样戒指很快就会脱落，”农夫韦泽尔比尔德说道。

‘No, thank you, I will try myself,’ said the Princess, and she went away to the fireplace and put some ashes on the ring.
“不，谢谢，我会自己试试的，”公主说着走到壁炉旁，将一些灰烬放在戒指上。

So the ring came off and was lost among the ashes.
这样戒指脱落了，掉进了灰烬中。

Farmer Weatherbeard changed himself into a hare, which scratched and scraped about in the fireplace after the ring until the ashes were up to its ears. —
农夫韦泽尔比尔德变成了一只兔子，在壁炉中挠啊挠，刨啊刨，寻找那枚戒指，直到灰烬淹没了它的耳朵。 —

But Jack changed himself into a fox, and bit the hare’s head off, and if Farmer Weatherbeard was possessed by the evil one all was now over with him.[25]
但杰克变成了一只狐狸，咬断了兔子的脑袋，如果农夫韦泽尔比尔德被邪恶的力量附身，那么他就完了。

[25] From P. C. Asbjornsen.
【25】来自P. C. 阿斯比约伦森。