A poor woodman sat in his cottage one night, smoking his pipe by the fireside, while his wife sat by his side spinning. —
一个贫穷的木匠晚上坐在自己的小屋里，靠着炉火抽着烟斗，他的妻子坐在旁边纺纱。 —

‘How lonely it is, wife,’ said he, as he puffed out a long curl of smoke, ‘for you and me to sit here by ourselves, without any children to play about and amuse us while other people seem so happy and merry with their children! —
“妻子，我们两个人坐在这里真是孤单啊。”他吐出一团长长的烟雾说道，“没有孩子在旁边玩耍取乐，而其他人似乎都拥有幸福快乐的孩子！” —

’ ‘What you say is very true, ’ said the wife, sighing, and turning round her wheel; —
“你说得很对，”妻子叹了口气，边转动着纺车边说道，“如果我能拥有一个孩子， —

‘how happy should I be if I had but one child! —
我会多么快乐啊！” —

If it were ever so small–nay, if it were no bigger than my thumb–I should be very happy, and love it dearly. —
“即使孩子再小，甚至比我的大拇指还要小，我也会非常快乐，并且深爱着它。” —

’ Now–odd as you may think it–it came to pass that this good woman’s wish was fulfilled, just in the very way she had wished it; —
不管你觉得多么奇怪，这个善良的女人的愿望居然实现了，正如她所愿； —

for, not long afterwards, she had a little boy, who was quite healthy and strong, but was not much bigger than my thumb. —
因为不久之后，她生下了一个小男孩，他非常健康强壮，但却只有我的大拇指那么小。 —

So they said, ‘Well, we cannot say we have not got what we wished for, and, little as he is, we will love him dearly. —
他们说：“我们不能说我们没有得到我们想要的东西，虽然他很小，我们会非常爱他。” —

’ And they called him Thomas Thumb.
于是他们叫他汤姆拇指。

They gave him plenty of food, yet for all they could do he never grew bigger, but kept just the same size as he had been when he was born. —
他们给他足够的食物，但尽管他们怎么做，他从来没有长大，仍然和他出生时的大小一样。 —

Still, his eyes were sharp and sparkling, and he soon showed himself to be a clever little fellow, who always knew well what he was about.
尽管如此，他的眼睛锐利而闪亮，他很快展现出自己是一个聪明的小家伙，总是知道自己在做什么。

One day, as the woodman was getting ready to go into the wood to cut fuel, he said, ‘I wish I had someone to bring the cart after me, for I want to make haste. —
一天，当伐木工准备进入树林砍柴时，他说：“我希望有人能在我后面把马车带来，因为我想赶紧。 —

’ ‘Oh, father,’ cried Tom, ‘I will take care of that; —
‘’哦，爸爸，’’汤姆大声说道，‘’我会照顾好的； —

the cart shall be in the wood by the time you want it. —
马车会在你需要的时候到达树林。 —

’ Then the woodman laughed, and said, ‘How can that be? you cannot reach up to the horse’s bridle. —
’然后伐木工笑了笑，说：“那怎么可能呢？你够不到马的笼头。 —

’ ‘Never mind that, father,’ said Tom; —
”“不要紧，爸爸。”汤姆说。 —

‘if my mother will only harness the horse, I will get into his ear and tell him which way to go. —
‘’只要我妈妈给马套上马具，我会爬进他的耳朵里告诉他该往哪走。 —

’ ‘Well,’ said the father, ‘we will try for once.’
‘好吧，’父亲说道，‘我们这次尝试一下吧。’

When the time came the mother harnessed the horse to the cart, and put Tom into his ear; —
当时间到了，母亲将马套在车上，并将汤姆放进了车里； —

and as he sat there the little man told the beast how to go, crying out, ‘Go on! —
当他坐在那里时，小人告诉马如何前进，大喊着‘走！’和‘停！’， —

’ and ‘Stop!’ as he wanted: —
就像伐木工人自己亲自把它驱进了树林一样。 —

and thus the horse went on just as well as if the woodman had driven it himself into the wood. —
就这样，马就像伐木工人亲自把车拉进树林一样正常前进着。 —

It happened that as the horse was going a little too fast, and Tom was calling out, ‘Gently! —
正巧此时马跑得有点快，汤姆喊着‘轻点！轻点！ —

gently!’ two strangers came up. —
’两个陌生人走了过来。 —

‘What an odd thing that is!’ said one: —
‘这是一个多奇怪的事情啊！ —

‘there is a cart going along, and I hear a carter talking to the horse, but yet I can see no one. —
’一个人说道，‘前面有一辆车在走，我听到赶车人和马说话，可是我却看不到人。 —

’ ‘That is queer, indeed,’ said the other; —
‘的确很奇怪，’另一个人说道， —

‘let us follow the cart, and see where it goes. —
‘让我们跟着这辆车，看它到哪里去。 —

’ So they went on into the wood, till at last they came to the place where the woodman was. —
“他们走进了树林，最后来到了木匠的地方。” —

Then Tom Thumb, seeing his father, cried out, ‘See, father, here I am with the cart, all right and safe! now take me down! —
“汤姆·桑姆看到他的父亲，喊道：‘爸爸，看，我和车都安全无恙！现在把我放下来吧！’” —

’ So his father took hold of the horse with one hand, and with the other took his son out of the horse’s ear, and put him down upon a straw, where he sat as merry as you please.
“于是他父亲一只手牵住马，另一只手从马耳朵里把孩子捞出来，放在一捆稻草上，他坐在那里开心极了。”

The two strangers were all this time looking on, and did not know what to say for wonder. —
“这两个陌生人一直在看着，不知道说什么好，简直惊讶得说不出话来。” —

At last one took the other aside, and said, ‘That little urchin will make our fortune, if we can get him, and carry him about from town to town as a show; —
“最后一个人拉着另一个人走到一边说：‘如果我们能把这个小家伙弄到手，带着他从城镇到城镇巡回表演，他会给我们带来财富的；我们必须买下他。’” —

we must buy him.’ So they went up to the woodman, and asked him what he would take for the little man. —
“于是他们走向木匠，问他要多少钱才能把这个小人带走。” —

‘He will be better off,’ said they, ‘with us than with you. —
“‘他和我们在一起会更好，’他们说道，‘比和你在一起好。’‘我根本不会卖他， —

’ ‘I won’t sell him at all, ’ said the father; —
’父亲说道；‘自己的骨肉亲人对我来说比世上所有的银子和金子都更宝贵。” —

‘my own flesh and blood is dearer to me than all the silver and gold in the world. —
“‘于是两位陌生人说：‘我们只要有了这个小人，就能发财了。’” —

’ But Tom, hearing of the bargain they wanted to make, crept up his father’s coat to his shoulder and whispered in his ear, ‘Take the money, father, and let them have me; —
“但是汤姆听说他们想要交易，就悄悄爬到父亲的大衣肩膀上，在他耳边低声说：‘父亲，拿了钱，把我卖给他们吧。我很快就会回来的。” —

I’ll soon come back to you.’
他很快回到你身边。”

So the woodman at last said he would sell Tom to the strangers for a large piece of gold, and they paid the price. —
于是伐木工终于答应以一大笔金子把汤姆卖给了这些陌生人，他们支付了价钱。 —

‘Where would you like to sit? —
“你想坐在哪里？ —

’ said one of them. ‘Oh, put me on the rim of your hat; —
”其中一个人问。“哦，请把我放在你帽子的帽檐上； —

that will be a nice gallery for me; —
那里对我来说会是一个很好的阳台； —

I can walk about there and see the country as we go along. —
我可以在那里四处走动，看看我们路过的乡村。 —

’ So they did as he wished; —
”他们按照他的意愿做了； —

and when Tom had taken leave of his father they took him away with them.
当汤姆告别父亲后，他们把他带走了。

They journeyed on till it began to be dusky, and then the little man said, ‘Let me get down, I’m tired. —
他们一直旅行，直到天色变暗，这个小人说：“让我下来休息一下吧。 —

’ So the man took off his hat, and put him down on a clod of earth, in a ploughed field by the side of the road. —
”于是那个人摘下了帽子，把他放在路边的一块犁过的田地上的一块土块上。 —

But Tom ran about amongst the furrows, and at last slipped into an old mouse-hole. —
但是汤姆在犁过的地里跑来跑去，最后溜进了一个老鼠洞里。 —

‘Good night, my masters! —
“晚安，主人们！”他说， —

’ said he, ‘I’m off! —
“我走了！” —

mind and look sharp after me the next time. —
等下次轮到我的时候再清醒一些。 —

’ Then they ran at once to the place, and poked the ends of their sticks into the mouse-hole, but all in vain; —
”然后他们立刻跑到那个地方，用木棍的尖端戳向老鼠洞，但是却都无济于事； —

Tom only crawled farther and farther in; —
汤姆只是爬得越来越远， —

and at last it became quite dark, so that they were forced to go their way without their prize, as sulky as could be.
在最后变得完全黑暗，以至于他们不得不失望地离开，令人生气。

When Tom found they were gone, he came out of his hiding-place. —
当汤姆发现他们走了之后，他从藏身之处出来。 —

‘What dangerous walking it is, ’ said he, ‘in this ploughed field! —
他说：“这地里走着真是危险！ —

If I were to fall from one of these great clods, I should undoubtedly break my neck. —
要是我从这些大土块上摔下来，毫无疑问会摔断脖子。” —

’ At last, by good luck, he found a large empty snail-shell. —
最后，幸运地，他找到了一个大的空蜗牛壳。 —

‘This is lucky,’ said he, ‘I can sleep here very well’; —
“真幸运！”他说，“我可以在这里好好地睡一会儿。 —

and in he crept.
”于是他钻了进去。

Just as he was falling asleep, he heard two men passing by, chatting together; —
就在他快要睡着的时候，他听见两个人走过来，他们正在聊天； —

and one said to the other, ‘How can we rob that rich parson’s house of his silver and gold? —
其中一个对另一个说：“我们该如何抢劫那个有钱牧师的房子，拿他的银器和金子？ —

’ ‘I’ll tell you! —
” “我告诉你吧！ —

’ cried Tom. ‘What noise was that? —
”汤姆喊道。“那是什么声音？ —

’ said the thief, frightened; —
”贼害怕地说， —

‘I’m sure I heard someone speak. —
“我肯定听到有人说话了。 —

’ They stood still listening, and Tom said, ‘Take me with you, and I’ll soon show you how to get the parson’s money. —
”他们停下来听，汤姆说：“带上我，我很快就能教你们怎么拿到牧师的钱。 —

’ ‘But where are you? —
” “可你在哪里？ —

’ said they. ‘Look about on the ground, ’ answered he, ‘and listen where the sound comes from. —
”他们问道。“在地上找找看，”他回答说，“听声音的方向。 —

’ At last the thieves found him out, and lifted him up in their hands. —
”最后贼们找到了他，并把他拎起来。 “你这个小顽童！ —

‘You little urchin!’ they said, ‘what can you do for us? —
”他们说，“你能为我们做什么？ —

’ ‘Why, I can get between the iron window-bars of the parson’s house, and throw you out whatever you want. —
” “我可以穿过牧师房子的铁窗栅栏，把你们想要的东西扔出来。 —

’ ‘That’s a good thought, ’ said the thieves; ‘come along, we shall see what you can do.’
” “这个主意不错，”贼们说，“跟上来，我们看看你能做什么。”

When they came to the parson’s house, Tom slipped through the window-bars into the room, and then called out as loud as he could bawl, ‘Will you have all that is here? —
当他们来到牧师的房子时，汤姆从窗扇间溜进了房间，然后大声喊道：“你们要这里面的一切吗？ —

’ At this the thieves were frightened, and said, ‘Softly, softly! Speak low, that you may not awaken anybody. —
监听到这声音，小偷们害怕起来，低声说道：“轻声点！别把任何人都吵醒了。” —

’ But Tom seemed as if he did not understand them, and bawled out again, ‘How much will you have? —
但是汤姆似乎没有听懂他们的话，又喊道：“你们要多少？ —

Shall I throw it all out? —
我要全部扔出来吗？” —

’ Now the cook lay in the next room; —
此时厨师躺在隔壁的房间里， —

and hearing a noise she raised herself up in her bed and listened. —
听到声音后坐起身，倾听着。 —

Meantime the thieves were frightened, and ran off a little way; —
与此同时，小偷们被吓到，离开了一小段距离。 —

but at last they plucked up their hearts, and said, ‘The little urchin is only trying to make fools of us. —
但最终他们鼓起勇气，说：“这小家伙只是想愚弄我们。” —

’ So they came back and whispered softly to him, saying, ‘Now let us have no more of your roguish jokes; —
于是他们回来，轻声对他说：“别再耍诡计了，给我们扔些钱吧。” —

but throw us out some of the money. —
然后汤姆尽全力大声喊道： —

’ Then Tom called out as loud as he could, ‘Very well! —
“好吧！伸出你们的手！钱来了。” —

hold your hands! here it comes.’
他们抓住机会，捏住拳头对他轻声说道：“现在别再耍花招了。”

The cook heard this quite plain, so she sprang out of bed, and ran to open the door. —
厨师听到了这个声音，她立刻从床上跳起来，跑去开门。 —

The thieves ran off as if a wolf was at their tails: —
贼们像狼一样逃走了。 —

and the maid, having groped about and found nothing, went away for a light. By the time she came back, Tom had slipped off into the barn; —
女仆在黑暗中摸索了一番，什么也没找到，于是离开去拿灯。当她回来时，汤姆已经溜进了谷仓。 —

and when she had looked about and searched every hole and corner, and found nobody, she went to bed, thinking she must have been dreaming with her eyes open.
她四处寻找并搜索了每个角落，却发现没有人，她觉得自己一定是睁着眼睛做梦。

The little man crawled about in the hay-loft, and at last found a snug place to finish his night’s rest in; —
小人爬到干草堆里，最终找到一个舒适的地方来结束他今晚的休息。 —

so he laid himself down, meaning to sleep till daylight, and then find his way home to his father and mother. —
于是他躺下，打算睡到天亮，然后回家找爸爸妈妈。但是，哎呀！ —

But alas! how woefully he was undone! —
他非常不幸地被拆散了！ —

what crosses and sorrows happen to us all in this world! —
在这个世界上，我们都会遇到交叉和悲伤！ —

The cook got up early, before daybreak, to feed the cows; —
厨师一大早起床，天亮前就去喂奶牛； —

and going straight to the hay-loft, carried away a large bundle of hay, with the little man in the middle of it, fast asleep. —
她径直去了干草堆那里，拿走了一大捆干草，小人就躺在其中，沉沉地睡着了。 —

He still, however, slept on, and did not awake till he found himself in the mouth of the cow; —
然而，他仍然睡着了，直到他发现自己在牛的口中才醒来； —

for the cook had put the hay into the cow’s rick, and the cow had taken Tom up in a mouthful of it. —
因为厨师把干草放进了牛的垛里，牛一口把汤姆带了起来。 —

‘Good lack-a-day! —
哎呀！ —

’ said he, ‘how came I to tumble into the mill?’ But he soon found out where he really was; —
他说：“我怎么摔进了磨坊？”但很快他发现自己真正的位置； —

and was forced to have all his wits about him, that he might not get between the cow’s teeth, and so be crushed to death. —
他被迫竭尽全力保持警惕，以免被挤到牛的牙齿间，被压死。 —

At last down he went into her stomach. —
最后他被吞进了她的胃里。 —

‘It is rather dark, ’ said he; —
他说：“这里相当黑，” —

‘they forgot to build windows in this room to let the sun in; —
“他们忘了在这个房间里建窗户让阳光进来； —

a candle would be no bad thing.’
蜡烛会是个好东西。”

Though he made the best of his bad luck, he did not like his quarters at all; —
尽管他尽量从坏运气中找点好处，但他一点都不喜欢他的住处； —

and the worst of it was, that more and more hay was always coming down, and the space left for him became smaller and smaller. —
最糟糕的是，越来越多的干草总是不断下来，留给他的空间越来越小。 —

At last he cried out as loud as he could, ‘Don’t bring me any more hay! —
最后他尽可能大声地喊道：“别再给我带来干草了！ —

Don’t bring me any more hay!’
别再给我带来干草了！”

The maid happened to be just then milking the cow; —
佣人碰巧正在给奶牛挤奶； —

and hearing someone speak, but seeing nobody, and yet being quite sure it was the same voice that she had heard in the night, she was so frightened that she fell off her stool, and overset the milk-pail. —
听到有人说话，却看不到任何人，但确信是她在夜间听到的同一个声音，她吓得从凳子上摔下来，打翻了牛奶桶。 —

As soon as she could pick herself up out of the dirt, she ran off as fast as she could to her master the parson, and said, ‘Sir, sir, the cow is talking! —
她在污泥中艰难地爬起来后，她以最快的速度跑去找主人牧师，说：“先生，先生，奶牛在说话！” —

’ But the parson said, ‘Woman, thou art surely mad!’ However, he went with her into the cow-house, to try and see what was the matter.
但牧师说：“女人，你肯定是疯了！”不过，他跟着她走进牛舍，试图看看到底发生了什么事情。

Scarcely had they set foot on the threshold, when Tom called out, ‘Don’t bring me any more hay! —
他们刚踏进门槛，汤姆就喊道：“别再给我草料了！ —

’ Then the parson himself was frightened; —
”然后牧师自己吓坏了； —

and thinking the cow was surely bewitched, told his man to kill her on the spot. —
觉得奶牛肯定被施了魔法，让他的仆人立刻杀了它。 —

So the cow was killed, and cut up; —
于是奶牛被宰杀并剖开， —

and the stomach, in which Tom lay, was thrown out upon a dunghill.
汤姆躺在的胃被扔到了粪堆上。

Tom soon set himself to work to get out, which was not a very easy task; —
汤姆很快开始努力跑出来，这并不是一件容易的任务； —

but at last, just as he had made room to get his head out, fresh ill-luck befell him. —
但最终，就在他挤出头空间的时候，他又遭遇了新的厄运。 —

A hungry wolf sprang out, and swallowed up the whole stomach, with Tom in it, at one gulp, and ran away.
一只饥饿的狼跳出来，一口吞下了整个胃，连同汤姆一起，然后逃走了。

Tom, however, was still not disheartened; —
然而，汤姆并没有气馁； —

and thinking the wolf would not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along, he called out, ‘My good friend, I can show you a famous treat. —
他认为狼在走的时候不会介意和他聊聊天，于是他大声喊道：“我的好朋友，我可以给你看一个出色的东西。 —

’ ‘Where’s that?’ said the wolf. —
“那在哪里？”狼问道。 —

‘In such and such a house,’ said Tom, describing his own father’s house. —
汤姆描述了他父亲的房子：“在这样一个房子里。” —

‘You can crawl through the drain into the kitchen and then into the pantry, and there you will find cakes, ham, beef, cold chicken, roast pig, apple-dumplings, and everything that your heart can wish.’
“你可以从下水道爬进厨房，然后进入储藏室，那里有蛋糕、火腿、牛肉、冷鸡肉、烤猪、苹果饺子，以及你心满意足的任何东西。”

The wolf did not want to be asked twice; —
狼不想再被问第二次， —

so that very night he went to the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen, and then into the pantry, and ate and drank there to his heart’s content. —
所以那天晚上他去了那所房子，从下水道爬进了厨房，然后进入了储藏室，尽情地吃喝着。 —

As soon as he had had enough he wanted to get away; but he had eaten so much that he could not go out by the same way he came in.
当他吃饱了就想要离开；但是他吃得太多了，不能从他进来的同样的路出去。

This was just what Tom had reckoned upon; —
这正是汤姆所计划的； —

and now he began to set up a great shout, making all the noise he could. —
现在他开始大声喊叫，尽可能地制造噪音。 —

‘Will you be easy? —
“你能安静些吗？ —

’ said the wolf; ‘you’ll awaken everybody in the house if you make such a clatter. —
”狼说：“如果你这么喧闹，你将会唤醒屋子里的每个人。 —

’ ‘What’s that to me? —
”“那又关我什么事？ —

’ said the little man; —
”小人说； —

‘you have had your frolic, now I’ve a mind to be merry myself’; —
“你已经玩够了，现在轮到我自己开心了”； —

and he began, singing and shouting as loud as he could.
于是他开始尽可能地唱歌和喊叫。

The woodman and his wife, being awakened by the noise, peeped through a crack in the door; —
这位伐木工和他的妻子被声音吵醒，从门缝里偷偷看了一眼； —

but when they saw a wolf was there, you may well suppose that they were sadly frightened; —
但当他们看到一只狼在那里时，你可以想象他们是多么害怕了； —

and the woodman ran for his axe, and gave his wife a scythe. —
伐木工人一边跑去拿斧头，一边把镰刀递给了他的妻子。 —

‘Do you stay behind,’ said the woodman, ‘and when I have knocked him on the head you must rip him up with the scythe. —
“你留在这里，”伐木工人说道，“当我把他打昏后，你就用镰刀把他剖开。” —

’ Tom heard all this, and cried out, ‘Father, father! I am here, the wolf has swallowed me. —
汤姆听到了这些，大声喊道：“爸爸，爸爸！我在这里，狼把我吞了。”他的父亲说：“感谢上天！我们找到了我们亲爱的孩子。 —

’ And his father said, ‘Heaven be praised! —
”并告诉妻子不要用镰刀，以免伤到他。 —

we have found our dear child again’; —
他瞄准了一下， —

and he told his wife not to use the scythe for fear she should hurt him. —
猛击了狼的头部，将其当场击毙！ —

Then he aimed a great blow, and struck the wolf on the head, and killed him on the spot! —
当狼死了，他们切开他的身体，把汤米释放了出来。 “啊！”父亲说，“我们曾经为你担心害怕！” —

and when he was dead they cut open his body, and set Tommy free. ‘Ah!’ said the father, ‘what fears we have had for you! —
“是的，爸爸，”他回答道，“我想自从我们分开以来，我以各种方式在世界各地旅行过。” —

’ ‘Yes, father,’ answered he; —
—

‘I have travelled all over the world, I think, in one way or other, since we parted; —
—

and now I am very glad to come home and get fresh air again. —
“现在我很高兴回到家里，再次呼吸新鲜空气。 —

’ ‘Why, where have you been? —
”“哦，你去哪儿了？ —

’ said his father. —
”他父亲问道。 —

‘I have been in a mouse-hole–and in a snail-shell–and down a cow’s throat–and in the wolf’s belly; —
“我去了一个老鼠洞——一个蜗牛壳——一头牛的喉咙——还有一只狼的肚子里； —

and yet here I am again, safe and sound.’
不过我现在又回来了，安全无恙。”

‘Well,’ said they, ‘you are come back, and we will not sell you again for all the riches in the world.’
“好吧，”他们说，“你回来了，我们再也不会为了世界上的所有财富来卖掉你。”

Then they hugged and kissed their dear little son, and gave him plenty to eat and drink, for he was very hungry; —
于是他们拥抱亲吻他们亲爱的小儿子，给他丰盛的食物和饮料，因为他非常饿； —

and then they fetched new clothes for him, for his old ones had been quite spoiled on his journey. —
然后他们给他拿来新衣服，因为他旧的那些在旅途中完全弄脏了。 —

So Master Thumb stayed at home with his father and mother, in peace; —
所以拇指先生与他的父母在家里安居乐业； —

for though he had been so great a traveller, and had done and seen so many fine things, and was fond enough of telling the whole story, he always agreed that, after all, there’s no place like HOME!
尽管他曾经是一个伟大的旅行者，见识过许多美好的事物，喜欢讲述整个故事的他总是同意，归根结底，没有比家更好的地方了！