THERE was once on a time a widower who had a son and a daughter by his first wife. —
从前有一个寡居的人，他的第一任妻子给他生了一个儿子和一个女儿。 —

They were both good children, and loved each other with all their hearts. —
他们都是好孩子，彼此十分亲爱。 —

After some time had gone by the man married again, and he chose a widow with one daughter who was ugly and wicked, and her mother was ugly and wicked too. —
过了一段时间，这个人又结婚了，他选择了一个有一个丑陋和邪恶女儿的寡妇为妻，她的母亲同样丑陋和邪恶。 —

From the very day that the new wife came into the house there was no peace for the man’s children, and not a corner to be found where they could get any rest; —
自从新妻子进入家中的那一天起，男人的孩子们就没有安宁过，找不到一个可以休息的角落。 —

so the boy thought that the best thing he could do was to go out into the world and try to earn his own bread.
所以男孩觉得他最好的办法就是离开家去世界上谋生。

When he had roamed about for some time he came to the King’s palace, where he obtained a place under the coachman; —
他在外面漫游了一段时间后，来到了国王的宫殿，在那里获得了一个当车夫的职位。 —

and very brisk and active he was, and the horses that he looked after were so fat and sleek, that they shone again.
他非常敏捷和活跃，他负责照顾的马匹肥壮而亮丽，光彩照人。

But his sister, who was still at home, fared worse and worse. —
而他留在家里的妹妹的处境越来越糟糕。 —

Both her step-mother and her step-sister were always finding fault with her, whatsoever she did and whithersoever she went, and they scolded her and abused her so that she never had an hour’s peace. —
她的继母和继姐总是挑她的毛病，无论她做什么，走到哪里，她们都责骂她、虐待她，让她一刻也得不到安宁。 —

They made her do all the hard work, and hard words fell to her lot early and late, but little enough food accompanied them.
她们让她做所有辛苦的工作，早晚都有刺耳的话语落在她身上，但伴随着这些话语的很少有食物。

One day they sent her to the brook to fetch some water home, and an ugly and horrible head rose up out of the water, and said, ‘Wash me, girl!’
一天，她们让她去河边取水回家，一个丑陋可怕的头从水里冒出来，说道：“洗我，姑娘！”

‘Yes, I will wash you with pleasure,’ said the girl, and began to wash and scrub the ugly face, but she couldn’t help thinking that it was a very unpleasant piece of work. —
“是的，我很愿意洗你，”姑娘说，并开始洗擦这张丑陋的脸，但她不禁觉得这是一项非常不愉快的工作。 —

When she had done it, and done it well, another head rose up out of the water, and this one was uglier still.
当她完成了，并且做得很好，另一个更丑陋的头从水里冒了出来。

‘Brush me, girl!’ said the head.
“给我梳理，姑娘！”头说。

‘Yes, I will brush you with pleasure,’ said the girl, and set to work with the tangled hair, and, as may be easily imagined, this too was by no means pleasant work.
“是的，我很愿意给你梳理，”姑娘说，并开始给这头纠结的头发梳理，可以想象，这样做也并不愉快。

When she had got it done, another and a much more ugly and horrible-looking head rose up out of the water.
当她完成了之后，另一个更丑陋和可怕的头从水中升起。

‘Kiss me, girl!’ said the head.
“亲吻我，姑娘！” 头说道。

‘Yes, I will kiss you,’’ said the man’s daughter, and she did it, but she thought it was the worst bit of work that she had ever had to do in her life.
“好吧，我会亲吻你的，” 那个人的女儿说道，她做过的事情中最糟糕的一件。

So the heads all began to talk to each other, and to ask what they should do for this girl who was so full of kindliness.
所有的头都开始相互交谈，询问他们应该为这个充满善良的女孩做些什么。

‘She shall be the prettiest girl that ever was, and fair and bright as the day,’ said the first head.
“她将成为有史以来最漂亮的女孩，美丽而明亮如白昼，” 第一个头说道。

‘Gold shall drop from her hair whenever she brushes it,’ said the second.
“她每次梳头时，金子都会从她的头发中掉下来，” 第二个头说道。

‘Gold shall drop from her mouth whenever she speaks,’ said the third head.
“她每次开口说话时，金子都会从她的嘴里掉下来，” 第三个头说道。

So when the man’s daughter went home, looking as beautiful and bright as day, the step-mother and her daughter grew much more ill-tempered, and it was worse still when she began to talk, and they saw that golden coins dropped from her mouth. —
当那个男人的女儿回到家时，她看起来美丽明亮，心情非常愉快，而继母和她的女儿则变得更加脾气暴躁，当她开始说话时，他们看到金币从她的嘴里掉落。 —

The step-mother fell into such a towering passion that she drove the man’s daughter into the pig-stye — she might stay there with her fine show of gold, the step-mother said, but she should not be permitted to set foot in the house.
继母勃然大怒，将男人的女儿赶进了猪圈——她可以在那里展示她的黄金，继母说，但绝不允许她踏进屋子。

It was not long before the mother wanted her own daughter to go to the stream to fetch some water.
不久后，继母想让自己的女儿去溪边取水。

When she got there with her pails, the first head rose up out of the water close to the bank. —
当她带着水桶到达那里时，第一颗头骨从水里冒出来，离岸很近。 —

‘Wash me, girl!’ it said.
“给我洗洗，姑娘！”头骨说。

‘Wash yourself!’ answered the woman’s daughter.
“你自己洗吧！”女子的女儿回答道。

Then the second head appeared.
然后第二颗头骨出现了。

‘Brush me, girl!’ said the head.
“给我梳理一下，姑娘！”头骨说。

‘Brush yourself!’ said the woman’s daughter.
“你自己梳理吧！”女子的女儿说。

So down it went to the bottom, and the third head came up.
于是它沉到了底部，第三颗头骨冒了出来。

‘Kiss me, girl!’ said the head.
“亲吻我，姑娘！”头骨说。

‘As if I would kiss your ugly mouth!’ said the girl.
‘就像我会亲吻你那张丑陋的嘴一样！’女孩说道。

So again the heads talked together about what they should do for this girl who was so ill-tempered and full of her own importance, and they agreed that she should have a nose that was four ells long, and a jaw that was three ells, and a fir bush in the middle of her forehead, and every time she spoke ashes should fall from her mouth.
于是那些智者们再次商量该如何对待这个脾气暴躁、自视甚高的女孩，他们决定给她一个四反长的鼻子，三反长的下巴，并在她额头上种一棵杉树，每次她开口说话时就会从她的嘴里掉下灰烬。

When she came back to the cottage door with her pails, she called to her mother who was inside, ‘Open the door!’
她提着提桶回到小屋门口，喊着里面的妈妈道：‘开门！’

‘Open the door yourself, my own dear child!’ said the mother.
‘亲爱的孩子，你自己开门吧！’妈妈说道。

‘I can’t get near, because of my nose,’ said the daughter.
‘我因为鼻子太长靠不近门口，’女儿回答。

When the mother came and saw her you may imagine what a state of mind she was in, and how she screamed and lamented, but neither the nose nor the jaw grew any the less for that.
当妈妈过来看到女儿的时候，你可以想象她当时的心情有多么的激动和痛苦，但无论如何鼻子和下巴都没有变短。

Now the brother, who was in service in the King’s palace, had taken a portrait of his sister, and he had carried the picture away with him, and every morning and evening he knelt down before it and prayed for his sister, so dearly did he love her.
现在，这位兄弟在国王宫殿中服役，他拍了一张妹妹的照片，随身携带，并每天早晚跪在照片前为妹妹祈祷，他非常爱她。

The other stable-boys had heard him doing this, so they peeped through the key-hole into his room, and saw that he was kneeling there before a picture; —
其他马厩的伙计们听说了此事，便通过钥匙孔偷窥他的房间，看到他正跪在一副画前。 —

so they told everyone that every morning and evening the youth knelt down and prayed to an idol which he had; —
于是他们告诉每个人，这个年轻人每天早晚都会跪拜一个他所拥有的偶像。 —

and at last they went to the King himself, and begged that he too would peep through the key-hole, and see for himself what the youth did. —
最后，他们去找国王本人，请他也探究一下钥匙孔的秘密，亲眼目睹年轻人的所作所为。 —

At first the King would not believe this, but after a long, long time, they prevailed with him, and he crept on tip-toe to the door, peeped through, and saw the youth on his knees, with his hands clasped together before a picture which was hanging on the wall.
起初国王不相信，但经过很长时间的努力后，他被说服了，便踮起脚尖悄悄走到门口，偷窥了一下，看到年轻人跪在墙上挂着的一张画前，双手紧握在一起。

‘Open the door!’ cried the King, but the youth did not hear.
“打开门！”国王喊道，但年轻人没有听见。

So the King called to him again, but the youth was praying so fervently that he did not hear him this time either.
于是国王再次召唤他，但这位年轻人在如此热切地祷告，以至于他再次没有听见他。

‘Open the door, I say!’ cried the King again. ‘It is I! I want to come in.’
“放开门，我说！” 国王再次喊道。 “是我！我想进来。”

So the youth sprang to the door and unlocked it, but in his haste he forgot to hide the picture.
于是那个年轻人跑到门口，打开了门，但他匆忙之间忘记了隐藏那幅画。

When the King entered and saw it, he stood still as if he were in fetters, and could not stir from the spot, for the picture seemed to him so beautiful.
当国王进来并看到画时，他仿佛被束缚住了，动弹不得，因为画对他来说太美了。

‘There is nowhere on earth so beautiful a woman as this!’ said the King.
“地球上没有比这更美的女人了！” 国王说。

But the youth told him that she was his sister, and that he had painted her, and that if she was not prettier than the picture she was at all events not uglier.
但年轻人告诉他那是他的妹妹，他画了她，如果她不如画美，那她至少也不丑。

‘Well, if she is as beautiful as that, I will have her for my Queen,’ said the King, and he commanded the youth to go home and fetch her without a moment’s delay, and to lose no time in coming back. —
“好吧，如果她真的那么美，我就要她做我的王后，” 国王说，并命令年轻人立即回家取她，不要耽搁时间。 —

The youth promised to make all the haste he could, and set forth from the King’s palace.
年轻人答应尽可能快地赶回去，并离开了国王的宫殿。

When the brother arrived at home to fetch his sister, her stepmother and step-sister would go too. —
当兄弟回到家里去接他的妹妹时，她的继母和继妹妹也要一起去。 —

So they all set out together, and the man’s daughter took with her a casket in which she kept her gold, and a dog which was called Little Snow. These two things were all that she had inherited from her mother. —
所以他们都一起出发了，男子的女儿带着一个盒子，里面装着她的金子，还有一只叫小雪的狗。这两样东西是她从母亲那里继承下来的全部。 —

When they had travelled for some time they had to cross the sea, and the brother sat down at the helm, and the mother and the two half-sisters went to the fore-part of the vessel, and they sailed a long, long way. —
当他们走了一段时间后，他们不得不穿越海洋，兄弟坐在舵轮旁边，母亲和两个继妹妹站在船的前部，他们航行了很长时间。 —

At last they came in sight of land.
最后他们看到了陆地。

‘Look at that white strand there; that is where we shall land,’ said the brother, pointing across the sea.
“看那边的白滩，那就是我们要着陆的地方。”兄弟指着大海对他们说。

‘What is my brother saying?’ inquired the man’s daughter.
“我兄弟在说什么？”男子的女儿询问道。

‘He says that you are to throw your casket out into the sea,’ answered the step-mother.
“他说你要把你的盒子扔进海里。”继母回答说。

‘Well, if my brother says so, I must do it,’ said the man’s daughter, and she flung her casket into the sea.
“好吧，如果我兄弟这么说，我必须这样做。”男子的女儿说着，把她的盒子扔进了海里。

When they had sailed for some time longer, the brother once more pointed over the sea. —
航行了一段时间后，兄弟再次指着大海说道。 —

‘There you may see the palace to which we are bound,’ said he.
‘你可以看到我们要去的宫殿，’他说道。

‘What is my brother saying?’ asked the man’s daughter.
‘我哥哥在说什么？’男子的女儿问道。

‘Now he says that you are to throw your dog into the sea,’ answered the step-mother.
‘他现在说你要把你的狗扔进海里，’继母回答道。

The man’s daughter wept, and was sorely troubled, for Little Snow was the dearest thing she had on earth, but at last she threw him overboard.
男子的女儿流泪了，非常苦恼，因为小雪是她在地上最珍贵的东西，但最终她还是把他扔进了海里。

‘If my brother says that, I must do it, but Heaven knows how unwilling I am to throw thee out, Little Snow!’ said she.
‘如果我哥哥这么说的话，我必须这么做，但上天知道我有多不愿意将你扔出去，小雪！’她说道。

So they sailed onwards a long way farther.
于是他们航行了更远的一段时间。

‘There may’st thou see the King coming out to meet thee,’ said the brother, pointing to the sea-shore.
‘你可能看到国王走出来迎接你，’兄弟指着海滩说道。

‘What is my brother saying?’ asked his sister again.
‘我哥哥在说什么？’妹妹再次问道。

‘Now he says that you are to make haste and throw yourself overboard,’ answered the step-mother.
‘他现在说你得赶快跳下船，’继母回答。

She wept and she wailed, but as her brother had said that, she thought she must do it; —
她哭泣着，哀悼着，但是因为她的兄弟说了那样的话，她觉得她必须这么做。 —

so she leaped into the sea.
所以她跳进了海里。

But when they arrived at the palace, and the King beheld the ugly bride with a nose that was four ells long, a jaw that was three ells, and a forehead that had a bush in the middle of it, he was quite terrified; —
但当他们到达王宫时，国王看到了这个长着两丈长鼻子、三丈大下巴和额头中间长着一丛灌木的丑陋新娘，他非常害怕； —

but the wedding feast was all prepared, as regarded brewing and baking, and all the wedding guests were sitting waiting, so, ugly as she was, the King was forced to take her.
但是婚宴已经准备好了，无论是酿酒还是烘焙，所有的婚宴客人都已经坐在那里等候，所以即使她丑陋，国王也被迫娶她。

But he was very wroth, and none can blame him for that; —
但他非常生气，这是可以理解的； —

so he caused the brother to be thrown into a pit full of snakes.
所以他命令将兄弟丢进了一个满是蛇的坑里。

On the first Thursday night after this, a beautiful maiden came into the kitchen of the palace, and begged the kitchen-maid, who slept there, to lend her a brush. —
在此之后的第一个星期四晚上，一个美丽的少女走进了王宫的厨房，请求在那里睡觉的厨房女仆借给她一把刷子。 —

She begged very prettily, and got it, and then she brushed her hair, and the gold dropped from it.
她非常委婉地请求，获得了刷子，然后她梳理头发的时候，头发上掉下了金子。

A little dog was with her, and she said to it, ‘Go out, Little Snow, and see if it will soon be day!’
有一只小狗跟着她，她对它说：“出去，小雪，看天快不快亮！”

This she said thrice, and the third time that she sent out the dog to see, it was very near dawn. —
她说了三次，第三次她放狗去看的时候，天色已经很接近黎明。 —

Then she was forced to depart, but as she went she said:
然后她被迫离开，但她离去时说道：

‘Out on thee, ugly Bushy Bride, Sleeping so soft by the young King’s side, On sand and stones my bed I make, And my brother sleeps with the cold snake,
‘你这可怕的灌木新娘，在年轻国王身边柔软地沉睡，我在沙滩和石头上铺床，而我兄弟则与冰冷的蛇一同沉睡，没有人同情他，没有人为他哭泣。’

Unpitied and unwept.’
‘我还会再来两次，然后再也不会回来了，’她说。

I shall come twice more, and then never again,’ said she.
早上，厨房女仆讲述了她所见所闻，国王说他会在下个星期四的晚上自己去厨房观察并确认是否属实。当天暮色降临时，国王去了厨房找到那个女孩。

In the morning the kitchen-maid related what she had seen and heard, and the King said that next Thursday night he himself would watch in the kitchen and see if this were true, and when it had begun to grow dark he went out into the kitchen to the girl. —
但是不论他怎么揉揉眼睛，尽一切努力保持清醒都是徒劳的，因为灌木新娘一直唱着咕哝声，直到他的眼睛紧闭，当美丽的年轻女子出现时，他已经进入了熟睡并打起了鼾声。 —

But though he rubbed his eyes and did everything he could to keep himself awake it was all in vain, for the Bushy Bride crooned and sang till his eyes were fast closed, and when the beautiful young maiden came he was sound asleep and snoring.
这次，她再次借了一把刷子梳头，当她梳着头发时，金子洒落下来；

This time also, as before, she borrowed a brush and brushed her hair with it, and the gold dropped down as she did it; —
这次她借的刷子并没有金子掉落，而是纠结在她的头发上，然后她离开了，没有人注意到她的离去。 —

and again she sent the dog out three times, and when day dawned she departed, but as she was going she said as she had said before, ‘I shall come once more, and then never again.’
然后她又一次派出了狗，叫了三次，天亮时她离开了，但在离去时她又一次说道：“我将再次来临，然后再也不会回来。”

On the third Thursday night the King once more insisted on keeping watch. —
在第三个星期四的晚上，国王再次坚持要守夜。 —

Then he set two men to hold him; each of them was to take an arm, and shake him and jerk him by the arm whenever he seemed to be going to fall asleep; —
然后他让两个人来扶住他；每个人都要抓住他的一只胳膊，当他似乎要睡着时摇晃他并用力拉他的胳膊。 —

and he set two men to watch his Bushy Bride. But as the night wore on the Bushy Bride again began to croon and to sing, so that his eyes began to close and his head to droop on one side. —
他让两个人来守护他的毛茸茸新娘。但是夜晚过去了，毛茸茸新娘又开始哼唱和歌唱，以至于他的眼睛开始闭上，头向一侧倾斜。 —

Then came the lovely maiden, and got the brush and brushed her hair till the gold dropped from it, and then she sent her Little Snow out to see if it would soon be day, and this she did three times. —
然后可爱的少女来了，拿起刷子梳理她的头发，直到金色的头发从刷子上掉落，然后她又派遣她那个小雪去看天亮的时间，她这样做了三次。 —

The third time it was just beginning to grow light, and then she said:
第三次天开始渐渐亮了，然后她说道：

‘Out on thee, ugly Bushy Bride,
“可恶的毛茸茸新娘，
Sleeping so soft by the young King’s side,
在年轻国王身旁睡得那么甜，
On sand and stones my bed I make,
在沙和石头上我躺下。”
And my brother sleeps with the cold snake,
而我的弟弟与冷蛇睡在一起，
Unpitied and unwept.’
无人怜悯，无人哭泣。”

‘Now I shall never come again,’ she said, and then she turned to go. —
‘现在我再也不会回来了，’她说着，然后转身离去。 —

But the two men who were holding the King by the arms seized his hands and forced a knife into his grasp, and then made him cut her little finger just enough to make it bleed.
但是那两个抓住国王胳膊的人强行放进他手中一把刀，然后让他割她的小手指，只割出一点点血迹。

Thus the true bride was freed. The King then awoke, and she told him all that had taken place, and how her step-mother and step-sister had betrayed her. —
于是真正的新娘得到了自由。国王醒来后，她向他讲述了一切，还告诉他她的继母和继妹如何背叛了她。 —

Then the brother was at once taken out of the snake-pit — the snakes had never touched him — and the step-mother and step-sister were flung down into it instead of him.
然后弟弟立刻被救出蛇坑——蛇从未伤害过他——而继母和继妹却被投进坑里。

No one can tell how delighted the King was to get rid of that hideous Bushy Bride, and get a Queen who was bright and beautiful as day itself.
没有人能够描述国王摆脱那个丑陋多毛的新娘时的喜悦，得到了一个像白昼一样明亮美丽的王后。

And now the real wedding was held, and held in such a way that it was heard of and spoken about all over seven kingdoms. —
现在真正的婚礼举行了，以一种被七个王国所津津乐道的方式。 —

The King and his bride drove to church, and Little Snow was in the carriage too. —
国王和新娘乘车去教堂，小雪也在车里。 —

When the blessing was given they went home again, and after that I saw no more of them.[28]
祝福给予后，他们又回家了，之后我再也没见到他们。[28]

[28] From J. Moe.
[28] 来自J.莫伊。