There was once a little girl who was very pretty and delicate, but in summer she was forced to run about with bare feet, she was so poor, and in winter wear very large wooden shoes, which made her little insteps quite red, and that looked so dangerous!
从前有一个小姑娘非常漂亮，也很娇柔。但夏天时，她被迫赤脚奔跑，因为她非常贫穷；冬天时，她穿着很大的木鞋，让她的小脚腕变得红红的，看起来非常危险！

In the middle of the village lived old Dame Shoemaker;
在村子的中间住着一个叫鞋匠老太太的人； —

she sat and sewed together, as well as she could, a little pair of shoes out of old red strips of cloth;
她尽力用旧红布条缝制了一双又粗又笨的小鞋； —

they were very clumsy, but it was a kind thought.
虽然很笨重，但这是一种善意。 —

They were meant for the little girl.
它们是给小姑娘准备的。 —

The little girl was called Karen.
这个小姑娘叫做卡伦。

On the very day her mother was buried, Karen received the red shoes, and wore them for the first time.
在她母亲被埋葬的那一天，卡伦收到了那双红鞋，并且第一次戴上它们。 —

They were certainly not intended for mourning, but she had no others, and with stockingless feet she followed the poor straw coffin in them.
当然，它们并不适合丧服，但她没有其他鞋子，她光着脚踩在穿着稻草做的贫弱木棺材后面。

Suddenly a large old carriage drove up, and a large old lady sat in it:
突然，一辆老式的大马车停在了那里，一位衰老的大妇人坐在车中： —

she looked at the little girl, felt compassion for her, and then said to the clergyman:
她看着那个小女孩，对她感到同情，然后对牧师说道：

“Here, give me the little girl. I will adopt her!”
“把这个小女孩给我吧，我会收养她！”

And Karen believed all this happened on account of the red shoes, but the old lady thought they were horrible, and they were burnt.
卡伦认为这一切都是因为红鞋，但老奶奶觉得它们很可怕，于是把它们烧了。 —

But Karen herself was cleanly and nicely dressed;
但卡伦自己穿着整洁，打扮得很好； —

she must learn to read and sew;
她必须学会读书和缝纫； —

and people said she was a nice little thing, but the looking-glass said:
人们说她是个可爱的小姑娘，但镜子上说： —

“Thou art more than nice, thou art beautiful!”
“你不仅是可爱，你还是美丽的！”

Now the queen once travelled through the land, and she had her little daughter with her.
现在女王曾在全国巡游，她带着她的小女儿。 —

And this little daughter was a princess, and people streamed to the castle, and Karen was there also, and the little princess stood in her fine white dress, in a window, and let herself be stared at;
这个小女儿是公主，人们涌向城堡，卡伦也在那里，小公主穿着漂亮的白色礼服，站在窗户前让人们盯着看； —

she had neither a train nor a golden crown, but splendid red morocco shoes.
她没有礼服的拖尾，也没有金冠，但她却有华丽的红色马靴。 —

They were certainly far handsomer than those Dame Shoemaker had made for little Karen. Nothing in the world can be compared with red shoes.
它们肯定比那位鞋匠夫人为小卡伦制作的漂亮得多。世界上没有什么能与红鞋相比。

Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed;
现在卡伦已经到了领圣餐的年龄， —

she had new clothes and was to have new shoes also.
她有了新衣服，也要有新的鞋子。 —

The rich shoemaker in the city took the measure of her little foot.
城里的富有的鞋匠为她量了一下小脚。 —

This took place at his house, in his room;
这件事发生在他的房子里，他的房间里； —

where stood large glass-cases, filled with elegant shoes and brilliant boots.
那里摆放着大大的玻璃橱柜，里面装满了优雅的鞋子和亮闪闪的靴子。 —

All this looked charming, but the old lady could not see well, and so had no pleasure in them.
所有这一切看起来很迷人，但是老太太看不清楚，所以对它们并不感兴趣。 —

In the midst of the shoes stood a pair of red ones, just like those the princess had worn.
鞋子中间放着一双红色的鞋，就像公主穿过的那样。 —

How beautiful they were!
它们是多么漂亮啊！ —

The shoemaker said also they had been made for the child of a count, but had not fitted.
鞋匠还说它们是为一个伯爵的孩子制作的，但是并不合适。

“That must be patent leather!
“这一定是漆皮！ —

” said the old lady. “They shine so!”
”老太太说。“它们闪闪发亮！”

“Yes, they shine!” said Karen, and they fitted, and were bought, but the old lady knew nothing about their being red, else she would never have allowed Karen to have gone in red shoes to be confirmed.
“是的，他们很闪亮！”卡伦说，并且试穿了它们，买走了。但是老太太对它们的红色一无所知，否则她绝不会允许卡伦穿红鞋去领圣餐。 —

Yet such was the case.
然而事实却是这样。

Everybody looked at her feet;
众人眼光聚集在她的脚上； —

and when she stepped through the chancel door on the church pavement, it seemed to her as if the old figures on the tombs, those portraits of old preachers and preachers’ wives, with stiff ruffs, and long black dresses, fixed their eyes on her red shoes.
当她走进教堂长廊的门时，仿佛墓碑上的古老人物，那些戴着领巾、穿着黑色长裙的牧师和牧师夫人的画像，都盯着她红鞋。 —

And she thought only of them as the clergyman laid his hand upon her head, and spoke of the holy baptism, of the covenant with God, and how she should be now a matured Christian;
当牧师把手放在她头上，谈到圣洗，谈到与上帝的契约，谈到如何成为一个成熟的基督徒时，她只想着那些红鞋。 —

and the organ pealed so solemnly;
下午，老太太从大家口中听说鞋子是红色的， —

the sweet children’s voices sang, and the old music-directors sang, but Karen only thought of her red shoes.
她说卡伦很错，完全不合适，以后不管她长大了要去教堂的时候，也要穿黑鞋。

In the afternoon, the old lady heard from everyone that the shoes had been red, and she said that it was very wrong of Karen, that it was not at all becoming, and that in future Karen should only go in black shoes to church, even when she should be older.
那时，教堂里的管风琴庄严地奏着，甜美的儿童的声音唱着，老的音乐指挥也唱着，但卡伦只想着她的红鞋。

The next Sunday there was the sacrament, and Karen looked at the black shoes, looked at the red ones–looked at them again, and put on the red shoes.
下一个星期天是圣餐日，卡伦看着黑鞋，又看着红鞋，再看了一遍，然后穿上了红鞋。

The sun shone gloriously;
太阳辉煌地照耀着， —

Karen and the old lady walked along the path through the corn;
卡伦和老夫人沿着穿过玉米田的小路走着， —

it was rather dusty there.
那里有些尘土。

At the church door stood an old soldier with a crutch, and with a wonderfully long beard, which was more red than white, and he bowed to the ground, and asked the old lady whether he might dust her shoes.
教堂门口站着一个拄着拐杖的老士兵，他长着一须比白须更红的漂亮胡子。他向老夫人鞠了一躬，问她是否可以为她擦鞋。 —

And Karen stretched out her little foot.
卡伦伸出小脚。

“See, what beautiful dancing shoes!” said the soldier.
“看，多漂亮的舞鞋！”士兵说道， —

“Sit firm when you dance”;
“跳舞时一定要站稳。 —

and he put his hand out towards the soles.
”他伸出手指着鞋底。

And the old lady gave the old soldier alms, and went into the church with Karen.
老夫人给了老士兵一些钱，然后和卡伦一起进了教堂。

And all the people in the church looked at Karen’s red shoes, and all the pictures, and as Karen knelt before the altar, and raised the cup to her lips, she only thought of the red shoes, and they seemed to swim in it;
教堂里的所有人都看着卡伦的红鞋，还有所有的画作。当卡伦跪在祭坛前，把杯端到嘴边时，她只想着那双红鞋，仿佛鞋子在杯中漂浮着。 —

and she forgot to sing her psalm, and she forgot to pray, “Our Father in Heaven!”
她忘了唱她的圣诗，她忘了祷告：“我们在天上的父！”

Now all the people went out of church, and the old lady got into her carriage.
现在所有的人都离开了教堂，老太太上了她的马车。 —

Karen raised her foot to get in after her, when the old soldier said,
卡伦抬起脚打算跟在她后面上车，这时老兵说：

“Look, what beautiful dancing shoes!”
“看，多么漂亮的舞鞋啊！”

And Karen could not help dancing a step or two, and when she began her feet continued to dance;
卡伦情不自禁地跳了几步，当她一开始时，她的脚继续跳舞； —

it was just as though the shoes had power over them.
好像那双鞋有魔力一样。 —

She danced round the church corner, she could not leave off;
她围着教堂拐角跳舞，她无法停下来； —

the coachman was obliged to run after and catch hold of her, and he lifted her in the carriage, but her feet continued to dance so that she trod on the old lady dreadfully.
车夫只能跑过去追住她，拉她上了车，但她的脚还在跳舞，结果她严重踩到了老太太。 —

At length she took the shoes off, and then her legs had peace.
最后她脱掉了鞋子，然后她的腿才平静下来。

The shoes were placed in a closet at home, but Karen could not avoid looking at them.
这双鞋被放在家里的一个壁橱里，但卡伦无法不看它们。

Now the old lady was sick, and it was said she could not recover.
现在老太太生病了，据说她无法康复。 —

She must be nursed and waited upon, and there was no one whose duty it was so much as Karen’s.
她需要有人来照顾和等候她，而没有人比卡伦更有责任了。 —

But there was a great ball in the city, to which Karen was invited.
但是城里有个盛大的舞会，卡伦受邀参加。 —

She looked at the old lady, who could not recover, she looked at the red shoes, and she thought there could be no sin in it;
她看着那位无法康复的老婆婆，看着那双红鞋，心想这不会有什么罪孽； —

she put on the red shoes, she might do that also, she thought.
她穿上了红鞋，她也可以这样做，她想。 —

But then she went to the ball and began to dance.
但是然后她去参加舞会开始跳舞。

When she wanted to dance to the right, the shoes would dance to the left, and when she wanted to dance up the room, the shoes danced back again, down the steps, into the street, and out of the city gate.
当她想向右边跳舞时，鞋子会跳向左边；当她想跳到房间的上方时，鞋子会倒退回来，顺着楼梯，走出大门，离开城市。 —

She danced, and was forced to dance straight out into the gloomy wood.
她跳舞，被迫直直地跳进了阴暗的树林。

Then it was suddenly light up among the trees, and she fancied it must be the moon, for there was a face;
然后在树林间突然亮起来，她觉得一定是月亮出来了，因为有一张脸； —

but it was the old soldier with the red beard; he sat there, nodded his head, and said, “Look, what beautiful dancing shoes!”
但是那是那个红胡子的老士兵；他坐在那儿，点头说着，“看，多漂亮的舞鞋啊！”

Then she was terrified, and wanted to fling off the red shoes, but they clung fast;
然后她害怕了，想要甩掉那双红鞋，但它们黏得很紧。 —

and she pulled down her stockings, but the shoes seemed to have grown to her feet.
她把丝袜拉下来，但鞋子似乎已经长到了她的脚上。 —

And she danced, and must dance, over fields and meadows, in rain and sunshine, by night and day;
她跳舞，必须跳舞，穿过田野和草地，无论是在雨中还是阳光下，无论是在夜晚还是白天； —

but at night it was the most fearful.
但是在夜晚，最可怕。

She danced over the churchyard, but the dead did not dance–they had something better to do than to dance.
她跳过墓地，但死人不跳舞——他们有更好的事情要做，不是跳舞。 —

She wished to seat herself on a poor man’s grave, where the bitter tansy grew;
她想坐在一个穷人的坟墓上，那里长满了苦艾；但对她来说， —

but for her there was neither peace nor rest;
既没有平静也没有休息； —

and when she danced towards the open church door, she saw an angel standing there.
当她跳向敞开的教堂大门时，她看到一个天使站在那里。 —

He wore long, white garments;
他穿着长长的白色衣服； —

he had wings which reached from his shoulders to the earth;
他有一双翅膀，从肩膀延伸到地面； —

his countenance was severe and grave;
他的面容严肃而庄重； —

and in his hand he held a sword, broad and glittering.
他手中拿着一把宽而闪亮的剑。

“Dance shalt thou!” said he.
“你要跳舞！”他说。 —

“Dance in thy red shoes till thou art pale and cold!
“穿着你的红鞋子跳舞，直到你变得苍白和冷酷！ —

Till thy skin shrivels up and thou art a skeleton!
直到你的皮肤干枯，成为一具骷髅！ —

Dance shalt thou from door to door, and where proud, vain children dwell, thou shalt knock, that they may hear thee and tremble!
“从门到门，你要跳舞，到那些傲慢自负的孩子们住的地方去敲门，让他们听到你的声音而战栗！ —

Dance shalt thou–!”
你要跳舞 -！”

“Mercy!” cried Karen. But she did not hear the angel’s reply, for the shoes carried her through the gate into the fields, across roads and bridges, and she must keep ever dancing.
“求你开恩！”卡伦大声喊道。但她没有听到天使的回答，因为鞋子把她带过了大门，穿过了田野、道路和桥梁，她必须一直跳舞。

One morning she danced past a door which she well knew.
一个早晨，她跳过了一扇她很熟悉的门。 —

Within sounded a psalm; a coffin, decked with flowers, was borne forth.
里面传来一首圣诗，一副装饰着鲜花的棺木被抬出来。 —

Then she knew that the old lady was dead, and felt that she was abandoned by all, and condemned by the angel of God.
然后她知道老太太已经去世了，感到自己被所有人抛弃，被上帝的天使谴责。

She danced, and she was forced to dance through the gloomy night.
她跳舞，她被迫在黑暗的夜晚跳舞。 —

The shoes carried her over stack and stone;
鞋子把她带过一堆堆石头； —

she was torn till she bled;
她被撕裂得鲜血直流； —

she danced over the heath till she came to a little house. Here, she knew, dwelt the executioner;
她跳过了荒野，来到一间小屋前。她知道，行刑人住在这里； —

and she tapped with her fingers at the window, and said, “Come out! Come out!
她用手指敲打着窗户，说道：“出来吧！出来吧！ —

I cannot come in, for I am forced to dance!”
我不能进去，因为我被迫跳舞！”

And the executioner said, “Thou dost not know who I am, I fancy? I strike bad people’s heads off;
执行者说道：“你不知道我是谁吗，我猜？我砍掉坏人的头颅； —

and I hear that my axe rings!”
我听说我的斧头会响！”

“Don’t strike my head off!
“不要砍掉我的头！”卡伦说道。 —

” said Karen. “Then I can’t repent of my sins!
“那样我就无法忏悔我的罪！但是， —

But strike off my feet in the red shoes!”
请砍掉我的脚，还有那双红鞋！”

And then she confessed her entire sin, and the executioner struck off her feet with the red shoes, but the shoes danced away with the little feet across the field into the deep wood.
然后她坦白了她的全部罪行，执行者用斧头砍掉了她的双脚，但是那双鞋带着小脚跳舞着穿过田野进入深林。

And he carved out little wooden feet for her, and crutches, taught her the psalm criminals always sing;
他为她雕刻了一双小木脚，给她准备了拐杖，教给她罪犯常唱的诗篇； —

and she kissed the hand which had wielded the axe, and went over the heath.
她亲吻了握过斧头的手，并走向了荒原。

“Now I have suffered enough for the red shoes!
“现在我已经为红鞋受够了！ —

” said she. “Now I will go into the church that people may see me!
”她说道。“现在我要进教堂让人们看见我！ —

” And she hastened towards the church door:
”她急忙朝教堂门口走去， —

but when she was near it, the red shoes danced before her, and she was terrified, and turned round.
但当她靠近时，红鞋在她面前跳起来，她感到恐惧，转身离开。 —

The whole week she was unhappy, and wept many bitter tears;
整个星期她都不开心，流了很多苦涩的眼泪； —

but when Sunday returned, she said, “Well, now I have suffered and struggled enough!
但当星期天回来时，她说：“好了，我已经受够了！ —

I really believe I am as good as many a one who sits in the church, and holds her head so high!”
我真的相信我和坐在教堂里、摆头晃脑的许多人一样好！”

And away she went boldly;
于是她勇敢地走了出去； —

but she had not got farther than the churchyard gate before she saw the red shoes dancing before her;
但她还没走到教堂的门口，就看到那双红色的鞋在她面前跳舞； —

and she was frightened, and turned back, and repented of her sin from her heart.
她吓坏了，转身回去，诚心悔过自新了。

And she went to the parsonage, and begged that they would take her into service;
她去教区官邸，请求他们给她一份工作； —

she would be very industrious, she said, and would do everything she could;
她说她会非常勤劳，会尽力做好一切； —

she did not care about the wages, only she wished to have a home, and be with good people.
她不在乎工资，只是希望有一个家，和好人在一起。 —

And the clergyman’s wife was sorry for her and took her into service;
牧师的妻子为她感到难过，就雇了她； —

and she was industrious and thoughtful.
她工作勤奋、善思考。 —

She sat still and listened when the clergyman read the Bible in the evenings.
每天晚上，当牧师在读圣经时，她就静静地坐着听。 —

All the children thought a great deal of her;
所有的孩子都非常喜欢她； —

but when they spoke of dress, and grandeur, and beauty, she shook her head.
但是当他们谈论起服装、富丽堂皇和美丽时，她摇了摇头。

The following Sunday, when the family was going to church, they asked her whether she would not go with them;
第一个星期天，当全家准备去教堂时，他们问她是否愿意和他们一起去； —

but she glanced sorrowfully, with tears in her eyes, at her crutches. The family went to hear the word of God;
但她哀伤地瞥了瞥拐杖，眼中含着泪水。全家去听上帝的话， —

but she went alone into her little chamber;
但她独自走进她的小房间； —

there was only room for a bed and chair to stand in it;
房间里只有放一张床和一把椅子的空地； —

and here she sat down with her Prayer-Book;
她坐在那里，拿着她的祈祷书； —

and whilst she read with a pious mind, the wind bore the strains of the organ towards her, and she raised her tearful countenance, and said, “O God, help me!”
当她虔诚地阅读时，风把教堂里的音乐飘向她，她抬起泪流满面的面容，说道：“哦，上帝，请帮助我！”

And the sun shone so clearly, and straight before her stood the angel of God in white garments, the same she had seen that night at the church door;
阳光照得格外明亮，直到她面前站着一个穿白衣的上帝的天使，跟前她在教堂门口见到的天使一模一样； —

but he no longer carried the sharp sword, but in its stead a splendid green spray, full of roses.
但是他再也不手持锋利的刀剑，而是拿着一支装满玫瑰的翠绿色华美枝条。 —

And he touched the ceiling with the spray, and the ceiling rose so high, and where he had touched it there gleamed a golden star.
他用喷雾点触到了天花板，天花板瞬间向上升起，他触摸到的地方闪耀着一颗金星。 —

And he touched the walls, and they widened out, and she saw the organ which was playing;
他触摸了墙壁，墙壁扩张开来，她看到了正在演奏的管风琴。 —

she saw the old pictures of the preachers and the preachers’ wives.
她看到了旧时大教堂里的牧师和牧师妻子的画像。 —

The congregation sat in cushioned seats, and sang out of their Prayer-Books. For the church itself had come to the poor girl in her narrow chamber, or else she had come into the church.
敬拜者坐在软垫的座位上，他们用祈祷书歌唱。因为教堂本身来到了这个狭小的房间里，或者是她来到了教堂里。 —

She sat in the pew with the clergyman’s family, and when they had ended the psalm and looked up, they nodded and said, “It is right that thou art come!”
她坐在牧师家族的长凳上，当他们唱完诗篇抬头时，他们点头说道：“你来得正好！”

“It was through mercy!” she said.
“这是出于怜悯！”她说。

And the organ pealed, and the children’s voices in the choir sounded so sweet and soft!
管风琴奏响起来，儿童合唱队的声音如此甜美而柔和！ —

The clear sunshine streamed so warmly through the window into the pew where Karen sat!
明亮的阳光透过窗户温暖地照射进了Karen坐的长凳上！ —

Her heart was so full of sunshine, peace, and joy, that it broke.
她的心中充满了阳光、平静和喜悦，以至于它破裂了。 —

Her soul flew on the sunshine to God, and there no one asked after the RED SHOES.
她的灵魂乘着阳光飞往上帝那里，那里没有人问起红鞋子。