ONCE upon a time there lived a King and Queen. They had three sons, two of them with their wits about them, but the third a simpleton. —
从前，有一对国王和皇后。他们有三个儿子，其中两个聪明伶俐，但第三个是个傻子。 —

Now the King had a deer park in which were quantities of wild animals of different kinds. —
国王有一个鹿园，园中有许多不同种类的野生动物。 —

Into that park there used to come a huge beast — Norka was its name — and do fearful mischief, devouring some of the animals every night. —
有一只名叫诺卡（Norka）的巨兽经常来到那个园子里，制造恐怖的破坏，每晚吞噬一些动物。 —

The King did all he could, but he was unable to destroy it. —
国王尽力了，但却无法消灭它。 —

So at last he called his sons together and said, ‘Whoever will destroy the Norka, to him will I give the half of my kingdom.’
所以最后他召集儿子们来，对他们说：“谁能消灭诺卡，我将给他一半的我的王国。”

Well, the eldest son undertook the task. As soon as it was night, he took his weapons and set out. —
大儿子接受了这个任务。一到晚上，他拿起武器出发了。 —

But before he reached the park, he went into a traktir (or tavern), and there he spent the whole night in revelry. —
但在到达园子之前，他进了一家酒馆，然后整夜狂欢。 —

When he came to his senses it was too late; the day had already dawned. —
当他清醒过来时，已经太晚了；天已经亮了。 —

He felt himself disgraced in the eyes of his father, but there was no help for it. —
他感到自己在父亲眼中丢脸了，但无能为力。 —

The next day the second son went, and did just the same. —
第二天，二儿子也去了，做了同样的事情。 —

Their father scolded them both soundly, and there was an end of it.
他们的父亲严厉地责骂了他们两个，事情就此结束了。

Well, on the third day the youngest son undertook the task. —
好吧，第三天最小的儿子接受了这个任务。 —

They all laughed him to scorn, because he was so stupid, feeling sure he wouldn’t do anything. —
他们都嘲笑他，因为他太愚蠢了，他们肯定认为他什么也做不了。 —

But he took his arms, and went straight into the park, and sat down on the grass in such a position that the moment he went asleep his weapons would prick him, and he would awake.
但是他拿起武器，径直走进公园，坐在草地上，姿势摆得很好，一旦他入睡，武器就会戳他，他会醒过来。

Presently the midnight hour sounded. The earth began to shake, and the Norka came rushing up, and burst right through the fence into the park, so huge was it. —
不一会儿，午夜时分到了。大地开始震动，诺卡（Norka）冲上来，直接冲破围墙进入公园，它太大了。 —

The Prince pulled himself together, leapt to his feet, crossed himself, and went straight at the beast. —
王子鼓起勇气，站起身，叉腰作势，直冲这只野兽。 —

It fled back, and the Prince ran after it. —
野兽逃了回去，王子追了上去。 —

But he soon saw that he couldn’t catch it on foot, so he hastened to the stable, laid his hands on the best horse there, and set off in pursuit. —
但他很快发现自己无法步行追赶它，于是他赶紧去马厩，找了一匹最好的马，追赶了起来。 —

Presently he came up with the beast, and they began a fight. They fought and fought; —
他现在走近了那个野兽，他们开始打斗。他们战斗个没完没了； —

the Prince gave the beast three wounds. At last they were both utterly exhausted, so they lay down to take a short rest. —
王子给那个野兽三个伤口。最后他们都筋疲力尽，于是躺下来稍作休息； —

But the moment the Prince closed his eyes, up jumped the beast and took to flight. —
但是王子一闭上眼睛，那个野兽就跳了起来逃跑了； —

The Prince’s horse awoke him; up he jumped in a moment, and set off again in pursuit, caught up the beast, and again began fighting with it. —
王子的马叫醒了他；他马上跳了起来，继续追赶，赶上了那个野兽，又开始与它战斗； —

Again the Prince gave the beast three wounds, and then he and the beast lay down again to rest. —
王子再次给那个野兽三个伤口，然后他们两个再次躺下来休息； —

Thereupon away fled the beast as before. The Prince caught it up, and again gave it three wounds. —
于是野兽再次逃跑了。王子追上它，再次给了它三个伤口； —

But all of a sudden, just as the Prince began chasing it for the fourth time, the beast fled to a great white stone, tilted it up, and escaped into the other world, crying out to the Prince: —
但是突然，就在王子第四次开始追赶它的时候，那个野兽逃到了一块巨大的白石头上，倾斜了起来，并逃进了另一个世界，向王子喊道： —

‘Then only will you overcome me, when you enter here.’
“只有当你进入这里时，你才能战胜我。”

The Prince went home, told his father all that had happened, and asked him to have a leather rope plaited, long enough to reach to the other world. —
王子回到家里，把发生的事情告诉了父亲，并请求他编织一根长到另一个世界的皮绳。 —

His father ordered this to be done. When the rope was made, the Prince called for his brothers, and he and they, having taken servants with them, and everything that was needed for a whole year, set out for the place where the beast had disappeared under the stone. —
父亲下令照办。皮绳制作好后，王子召集兄弟们，带上仆人和一切需要的东西，朝着那兽从石头下面消失的地方出发。 —

When they got there, they built a palace on the spot, and lived in it for some time. —
他们到达那里后，在那个地方建了一座宫殿，住了一段时间。 —

But when everything was ready, the youngest brother said to the others: —
但当一切准备好时，小兄弟对其他人说： —

‘Now, brothers, who is going to lift this stone?’
“现在，兄弟们，谁来把这块石头举起来呢？”

Neither of them could so much as stir it, but as soon as he touched it, away it flew to a distance, though it was ever so big — big as a hill. —
他们俩都无法动它，但他一碰它，它便飞到了远处，尽管它很大——就像一个小山丘一样大。 —

And when he had flung the stone aside, he spoke a second time to his brothers, saying:
当他把石头扔开后，他又对兄弟们说：

‘Who is going into the other world, to overcome the Norka?’
“谁愿意去另一个世界，战胜诺尔卡？”

Neither of them offered to do so. Then he laughed at them for being such cowards, and said:
两者都没有提出这样做。然后他嘲笑他们是如此胆小，说道：

‘Well, brothers, farewell! Lower me into the other world, and don’t go away from here, but as soon as the cord is jerked, pull it up.’
“好了，兄弟们，告别了！将我降入另一个世界，不要离开这里，只要绳索一动，就拉它上来。”

His brothers lowered him accordingly, and when he had reached the other world, underneath the earth, he went on his way. —
他的兄弟们照他的话降低了他，当他到达另一个世界时，他继续前行，走呀走呀。 —

He walked and walked. Presently he espied a horse with rich trappings, and it said to him:
他走着走着。不久，他看见一匹带着华丽鞍具的马，它对他说：

‘Hail, Prince Ivan! Long have I awaited thee!’
“哈喽，伊凡王子！我早就等着你了！”

He mounted the horse and rode on — rode and rode, until he saw standing before him a palace made of copper. —
他跨上马，继续骑着——骑呀骑呀，直到他看见一座由铜建成的宫殿。 —

He entered the courtyard, tied up his horse, and went indoors. —
他进入了院子，给他的马系住，然后进入室内。 —

In one of the rooms a dinner was laid out. He sat down and dined, and then went into a bedroom. —
在其中一个房间里，摆着一顿晚餐。他坐下来吃了饭，然后进入了一间卧室。 —

There he found a bed, on which he lay down to rest. —
在那里，他发现了一张床，便躺了下来休息。 —

Presently there came in a lady, more beautiful than can be imagined anywhere but in a fairy tale, who said:
不久，进来了一个美丽得无法想象的女人，她说：

‘Thou who art in my house, name thyself! If thou art an old man, thou shalt be my father; —
“你在我家中的人，透露你的名字吧！如果你是个老人，你将成为我的父亲； —

if a middle-aged man, my brother; but if a young man, thou shalt be my husband dear. —
如果你是个中年人，你将成为我的兄弟；但如果你是个年轻人，你将成为我的亲爱丈夫。 —

And if thou art a woman, and an old one, thou shalt be my grandmother; —
如果你是个老女人，你将成为我的祖母； —

if middle-aged, my mother; and if a girl, thou shalt be my own sister.’
如果你是个中年女人，你将成为我的母亲；如果你是个年轻女孩，那你将成为我的亲妹妹。”

Thereupon he came forth. And when she saw him she was delighted with him, and said:
于是他出现了。当她看到他时，她对他感到高兴，并说：

‘Wherefore, O Prince Ivan — my husband dear shalt thou be! —
“故此，伊凡王子——你将成为我的亲爱丈夫！ —

— wherefore hast thou come hither?’
——你为何来到这里？”

Then he told her all that had happened, and she said:
然后他告诉她所发生的一切，她说：

‘That beast which thou wishest to overcome is my brother. —
“你希望征服的那个野兽是我的哥哥。 —

He is staying just now with my second sister, who lives not far from here in a silver palace. —
他现在正在我二妹妹那里暂住，她住在不远处的一座银宫内。 —

I bound up three of the wounds which thou didst give him.’
我曾替他包扎了你给他的三处伤口。”

Well, after this they drank, and enjoyed themselves, and held sweet converse together, and then the Prince took leave of her, and went on to the second sister, the one who lived in the silver palace, and with her also he stayed awhile. —
好了，之后他们喝了酒，享受着美好的时光，亲密地交谈着，然后王子告别她，前往第二个姐姐的地方，她住在银色的城堡里，他也在那里逗留了一段时间。 —

She told him that her brother Norka was then at her youngest sister’s. —
她告诉他，她的弟弟诺卡那时正待在她最小的妹妹那里。 —

So he went on to the youngest sister, who lived in a golden palace. —
于是他去了最小的妹妹那里，她住在一个金色的宫殿里。 —

She told him that her brother was at that time asleep on the blue sea, and she gave him a sword of steel and a draught of the Water of Strength, and she told him to cut off her brother’s head at a single stroke. —
她告诉他，她的弟弟当时正在蓝色的海上睡觉，她给了他一把钢剑和一瓶力量之水，并告诉他要用一刀砍下她弟弟的头。 —

And when he had heard these things, he went his way.
听到这些，他带着这些东西离开了。

And when the Prince came to the blue sea, he looked — there slept the Norka on a stone in the middle of the sea; —
当王子来到蓝色的海时，他看见诺卡在海的中央一块石头上睡着了； —

and when it snored, the water was agitated for seven miles around. —
它鼾声震天，水面上方七英里范围内都被搅动了。 —

The Prince crossed himself, went up to it, and smote it on the head with his sword. —
王子十字架一抬，走到它面前，用剑砍了它的头。 —

The head jumped off, saying the while, ‘Well, I’m done for now! —
头颅跳下来说：“好了，我现在就这样了！” —

’ and rolled far away into the sea.
并且滚到了远处的海里。

After killing the beast, the Prince went back again, picking up all the three sisters by the way, with the intention of taking them out into the upper world: —
杀死野兽后，王子又折回头来，一路上捡起所有三个姐妹，打算带她们去上层世界。 —

for they all loved him and would not be separated from him. —
因为她们都爱着他，不愿与他分离。 —

Each of them turned her palace into an egg — for they were all enchantresses — and they taught him how to turn the eggs into palaces, and back again, and they handed over the eggs to him. —
她们每个人把她的宫殿变成了一个蛋，因为她们都是女巫，她们教王子如何把蛋变成宫殿，再变回来，并将蛋交给了他。 —

And then they all went to the place from which they had to be hoisted into the upper world. —
然后他们都去了那个他们必须被吊到上层世界的地方。 —

And when they came to where the rope was, the Prince took hold of it and made the maidens fast to it. —
当他们到达绳子所在的地方时，王子抓住了绳子，把姑娘们拴好。 —

Then he jerked away at the rope and his brothers began to haul it up. —
然后他用力拉绳子，他的兄弟们开始拉着它。 —

And when they had hauled it up, and had set eyes on the wondrous maidens, they went aside and said: —
当他们拉上来并看到这些奇妙的姑娘时，他们退到一边说： —

‘Let’s lower the rope, pull our brother part of the way up, and then cut the rope. —
“让我们放下绳子，把我们的兄弟拉到半路上，然后割断绳子。” —

Perhaps he’ll be killed; but then if he isn’t, he’ll never give us these beauties as wives.’
也许他会被杀死；但如果他没被杀，他就不会把这些美女娶回家来。

So when they had agreed on this, they lowered the rope. But their brother was no fool; —
于是他们商量好后，放下了绳子。但他们的弟弟并不傻， —

he guessed what they were at, so he fastened the rope to a stone, and then gave it a pull. —
他猜到了他们的打算，于是把绳子拴在一块石头上，然后用力一拉。 —

His brothers hoisted the stone to a great height, and then cut the rope. —
他的兄弟们把石头吊到了很高的地方，然后割断了绳子。 —

Down fell the stone and broke in pieces; the Prince poured forth tears and went away. —
石头掉下来摔成了碎片；王子流下了眼泪，然后离开了。 —

Well, he walked and walked. Presently a storm arose; —
他走啊走。突然一场暴风雨来了； —

the lightning flashed, the thunder roared, the rain fell in torrents. —
闪电划过，雷声轰鸣，雨水倾盆而下。 —

He went up to a tree in order to take shelter under it, and on that tree he saw some young birds which were being thoroughly drenched. —
他走到一棵树下寻找庇护，然后在那棵树上看到一些被浸透的小鸟。 —

So he took off his coat and covered them over with it, and he himself sat down under the tree. —
于是他脱下外套盖在小鸟身上，自己则坐在树下。 —

Presently there came flying a bird — such a big one that the light was blotted out by it. —
不久，一只鸟飞过来-这只鸟很大，把光线全遮住了。 —

It had been dark there before, but now it became darker still. —
那里本来就很暗，现在更加黑暗了。 —

Now this was the mother of those small birds which the Prince had covered up. —
现在，这就是那只被王子掩盖住的小鸟的母亲。 —

And when the bird had come flying up, she perceived that her little ones were covered over, and she said, ‘Who has wrapped up my nestlings? —
当小鸟飞过来时，她发现她的小鸟们被盖住了，她说：“谁把我的小鸟裹起来了？” —

’ and presently, seeing the Prince, she added: ‘Didst thou do that? Thanks! —
看到王子后，她又说：“是你做的吗？谢谢！ —

In return, ask of me anything thou desirest. —
作为回报，你可以向我要任何你想要的东西。 —

I will do anything for thee.’
我会为你做任何事情。”

‘Then carry me into the other world,’ he replied.
“那就带我去另一个世界吧。”他回答道。

‘Make me a large vessel with a partition in the middle,’ she said; —
“给我做一个带着中间隔板的大船。”她说； —

‘catch all sorts of game, and put them into one half of it, and into the other half pour water; —
“捕捉各种野味放在其中一半，另一半倒入水； —

so that there may be meat and drink for me.’
这样我就有食物和饮料了。”

All this the Prince did. Then the bird — having taken the vessel on her back, with the Prince sitting in the middle of it — began to fly. —
王子全都做到了。然后小鸟——把船背在她背上，王子坐在中间——开始飞行。 —

And after flying some distance she brought him to his journey’s end, took leave of him, and flew away back. —
飞了一段距离后，她把他带到了目的地，与他告别后飞回去了。 —

But he went to the house of a certain tailor, and engaged himself as his servant. —
但他走到了一个裁缝家里，当上了他的仆人。 —

So much the worse for wear was he, so thoroughly had he altered in appearance, that nobody would have suspected him of being a Prince.
他的穿着破旧至极，外貌也发生了彻底的改变，没有人会怀疑他是一个王子。

Having entered into the service of this master, the Prince began to ask what was going on in that country. —
进入这个主人的服务后，王子开始询问这个国家发生了什么。 —

And his master replied: ‘Our two Princes — for the third one has disappeared — have brought away brides from the other world, and want to marry them, but those brides refuse. —
他的主人回答说：“我们的两位王子——因为第三位王子已经失踪了——从另一个世界带来了新娘，想要与她们结婚，但是这些新娘拒绝了。 —

For they insist on having all their wedding-clothes made for them first, exactly like those which they used to have in the other world, and that without being measured for them. —
因为她们坚持要先定做和她们在另一个世界里一模一样的婚礼服装，而且不需要量身定做。 —

The King has called all the workmen together, but not one of them will undertake to do it.’
国王召集了所有的工匠，但是没有人愿意接受这个任务。”

The Prince, having heard all this, said, ‘Go to the King, master, and tell him that you will provide everything that’s in your line.’
王子听完这些后说：“去见国王，主人，告诉他你能提供你领域内的一切。”

‘However can I undertake to make clothes of that sort? —
“我怎么能承诺制作那种服装呢？ —

I work for quite common folks,’ says his master.
‘我为一些普通人工作，’他的主人说道。

‘Go along, master! I will answer for everything,’ says the Prince.
‘走吧，主人！我会替你解决一切的，’王子说道。

So the tailor went. The King was delighted that at least one good workman had been found, and gave him as much money as ever he wanted. —
于是裁缝就去了。国王非常高兴终于找到了一个好工匠，给了他想要的钱。 —

When his tailor had settled everything, he went home. And the Prince said to him:
当裁缝解决好一切后，他回家了。王子对他说：

‘Now then, pray to God, and lie down to sleep; to-morrow all will be ready. —
‘现在，祈求上帝，然后去睡觉；明天一切都会准备好的。 —

’ And the tailor followed his lad’s advice, and went to bed.
’裁缝遵循他小伙子的建议，上床睡觉了。

Midnight sounded. The Prince arose, went out of the city into the fields, took out of his pocket the eggs which the maidens had given him, and, as they had taught him, turned them into three palaces. —
午夜时分，王子起身，离开城市进入田野，从口袋里拿出那些姑娘给他的鸡蛋，然后按照她们教的方法，将它们变成了三座宫殿。 —

Into each of these he entered, took the maidens’ robes, went out again, turned the palaces back into eggs, and went home. —
他进入了每一个宫殿，拿到了姑娘们的衣裳，然后离开，将宫殿重新变回了鸡蛋，然后回家了。 —

And when he got there he hung up the robes on the wall, and lay down to sleep.
当他回到家时，他把衣裳挂在墙上，然后躺下睡觉。

Early in the morning his master awoke, and behold! —
早晨，他的主人醒来，啊！看到了这一切！ —

there hung such robes as he had never seen before, all shining with gold and silver and precious stones. —
那里挂着他从未见过的长袍，全都闪烁着金银和宝石。 —

He was delighted, and he seized them and carried them off to the King. When the Princesses saw that the clothes were those which had been theirs in the other world, they guessed that Prince Ivan was in this world, so they exchanged glances with each other, but they held their peace. —
他高兴极了，他抓住那些衣服，拿走给国王看。公主们看到那些衣服是他们在另一个世界里的衣服，他们猜到伊凡王子在这个世界里，于是他们互相对视了一眼，但保持了沉默。 —

And the master, having handed over the clothes, went home, but he no longer found his dear journeyman there. —
然后，师傅把衣物交给了国王，回家的时候，他发现他亲爱的学徒不在那儿了。 —

For the Prince had gone to a shoemaker’s, and him too he sent to work for the King; —
因为王子去了一个鞋匠那里，也让他为国王工作。 —

and in the same way he went the round of all the artificers, and they all proffered him thanks, inasmuch as through him they were enriched by the King.
同样，他对所有的工匠都进行了一次访问，他们都感谢他，因为通过他他们都因国王而富裕了。

By the time the princely workman had gone the round of all the artificers, the Princesses had received what they had asked for; —
当王子工匠走遍所有的工匠之后，公主们已经得到了她们所要求的东西； —

all their clothes were just like what they had been in the other world. —
她们的衣服都和她们在另一个世界中一样。 —

Then they wept bitterly because the Prince had not come, and it was impossible for them to hold out any longer; —
然后，她们伤心地哭泣，因为王子没有来，她们再也无法坚持下去了； —

it was necessary that they should be married. —
他们必须结婚。 —

But when they were ready for the wedding, the youngest bride said to the King:
但是当他们准备好结婚时，最小的新娘对国王说：

‘Allow me, my father, to go and give alms to the beggars.’
“请允许我，父亲，去给乞丐施舍。”

He gave her leave, and she went and began bestowing alms upon them, and examining them closely. —
他允许她去了，并且她开始给他们施舍，并仔细观察他们。 —

And when she had come to one of them, and was going to give him some money, she caught sight of the ring which she had given to the Prince in the other world, and her sisters’ rings too — for it really was he. —
当她走到其中一个人面前，准备给他一些钱时，她看到了她在另一个世界中给王子的那枚戒指，还有她姐姐们的戒指 - 因为那确实是他。 —

So she seized him by the hand, and brought him into the hall, and said to the King:
所以她抓住他的手，带他进了大厅，对国王说：

‘Here is he who brought us out of the other world. —
“这就是把我们带出另一个世界的人。 —

His brothers forbade us to say that he was alive, threatening to slay us if we did.’
他的兄弟们阻止我们说他还活着，威胁要杀我们。”

Then the King was wroth with those sons, and punished them as he thought best. —
然后国王对那些儿子发怒，并按照自己的想法对他们进行了惩罚。 —

And afterwards three weddings were celebrated.
之后举行了三场婚礼。