By the side of a wood, in a country a long way off, ran a fine stream of water; —
在一个遥远的国家的森林旁边，有一条美丽的小溪， —

and upon the stream there stood a mill. —
溪上有一座磨坊。 —

The miller’s house was close by, and the miller, you must know, had a very beautiful daughter. —
磨坊主的房子就在旁边，你要知道， —

She was, moreover, very shrewd and clever; —
磨坊主有一位非常美丽、聪明的女儿； —

and the miller was so proud of her, that he one day told the king of the land, who used to come and hunt in the wood, that his daughter could spin gold out of straw. —
磨坊主为她感到非常骄傲，有一天他对那个经常在森林里打猎的国王说，他的女儿可以将麦秸纺成金子。 —

Now this king was very fond of money; —
现在这个国王非常喜欢金钱； —

and when he heard the miller’s boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the girl to be brought before him. —
当他听到磨坊主的夸夸其谈后，他的贪婪心被激发了，于是他命令将那个女孩带到他面前。 —

Then he led her to a chamber in his palace where there was a great heap of straw, and gave her a spinning-wheel, and said, ‘All this must be spun into gold before morning, as you love your life. —
然后他把她带到宫殿里的一间房间，房间里堆满了大量的麦秸，给了她一个纺轮，并说：“在早晨之前，你必须把这些都纺成金子，以保命。” —

’ It was in vain that the poor maiden said that it was only a silly boast of her father, for that she could do no such thing as spin straw into gold: —
可怜的姑娘告诉国王她父亲只是在夸夸其谈，并不能将麦秸纺成金子，但是她的话是徒劳的，因为房间的门被锁上了，她被独自留在了里面。 —

the chamber door was locked, and she was left alone.
在那片封闭的房间里，女孩无可奈何，只能想方设法去实现国王的要求。

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard fate; —
她坐在房间的一个角落里，开始对她的艰苦命运悲叹不已； —

when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man hobbled in, and said, ‘Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are you weeping for? —
突然，门打开了，一个滑稽可笑的小人蹦蹦跳跳地走了进来，说：“早上好，我的好姑娘，你为什么在哭呢？” —

’ ‘Alas!’ said she, ‘I must spin this straw into gold, and I know not how. —
她说：“唉，我必须把这些稻草纺成金，可我不知道该怎么办。” —

’ ‘What will you give me, ’ said the hobgoblin, ‘to do it for you? —
小妖精问：“你愿意给我什么，让我替你完成这个任务？ —

’ ‘My necklace,’ replied the maiden. —
”少女回答道：“我的项链。” —

He took her at her word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang:
小妖精答应了她的要求，坐到了纺车旁边，口中哼唱着：“转啊转啊，看啊，麻花继续旋转，麦秆变成金。”

‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! —
纺车欢快地转动着， —

Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’
工作很快就完成了，稻草都纺成了金。

And round about the wheel went merrily; —
当国王来看到这一幕时， —

the work was quickly done, and the straw was all spun into gold.
他非常惊讶和高兴；

When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and pleased; —
但他的贪婪之心愈发膨胀，他把可怜的磨坊主的女儿再次关了起来，并给了她一个新的任务。 —

but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut up the poor miller’s daughter again with a fresh task. —
（原文未提供第9行的信息） —

Then she knew not what to do, and sat down once more to weep; —
然后她不知道该怎么办，又坐下哭了起来； —

but the dwarf soon opened the door, and said, ‘What will you give me to do your task? —
但是小矮人很快就打开了门，说：“为了完成你的任务，你愿意给我什么呢？ —

’ ‘The ring on my finger,’ said she. —
“我的手指上的戒指。”她说。 —

So her little friend took the ring, and began to work at the wheel again, and whistled and sang:
于是她的小朋友拿走了戒指，又开始工作，口哨着唱道：

‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! —
“旋转，旋转，看啊！纺织， —

Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’
纺织，草变金芽！”

till, long before morning, all was done again.
直到天亮之前，一切都完成了。

The king was greatly delighted to see all this glittering treasure; —
国王看到所有这些闪闪发光的财宝非常高兴， —

but still he had not enough: —
但他还不满足： —

so he took the miller’s daughter to a yet larger heap, and said, ‘All this must be spun tonight; —
于是他带着磨坊主的女儿来到了一个更大的堆积物前，说：“这一切必须在今晚纺成； —

and if it is, you shall be my queen. —
如果成功了，你就成为我的王后。” —

’ As soon as she was alone that dwarf came in, and said, ‘What will you give me to spin gold for you this third time? —
她独自一人的时候，小矮人走了进来，说：“你愿意给我什么来第三次为你纺金吗？ —

’ ‘I have nothing left,’ said she. —
“我什么也没有了。”她说。 —

‘Then say you will give me, ’ said the little man, ‘the first little child that you may have when you are queen. —
“那么就答应给我，”小人说，“等你成为王后并生下第一个孩子时把它给我。” —

’ ‘That may never be, ’ thought the miller’s daughter: —
“也许永远不会发生，”磨坊主的女儿心想道。 —

and as she knew no other way to get her task done, she said she would do what he asked. —
她知道没有其他办法，于是她说她愿意照他的要求去做。 —

Round went the wheel again to the old song, and the manikin once more spun the heap into gold. —
磨轮再次转动，那小人再次将那些积成一堆的东西纺成了金。 —

The king came in the morning, and, finding all he wanted, was forced to keep his word; —
早上国王来了，发现他所需的一切，只能兑现他的诺言。 —

so he married the miller’s daughter, and she really became queen.
于是他娶了那位磨坊主的女儿，她真的成为了王后。

At the birth of her first little child she was very glad, and forgot the dwarf, and what she had said. —
在她生下第一个小孩时，她非常高兴，忘记了小矮人和她所说的话。 —

But one day he came into her room, where she was sitting playing with her baby, and put her in mind of it. —
但有一天，他走进她正在和孩子玩耍的房间，提醒了她。 —

Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; —
于是她为自己的不幸悲伤，并说她愿意给他王国的全部财富以便放过她，但是徒劳无功； —

till at last her tears softened him, and he said, ‘I will give you three days’ grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.’
最后她的眼泪感动了他，他说，“我会给你三天的时间，如果在那期间你能告诉我我的名字，你就可以保留你的孩子。”

Now the queen lay awake all night, thinking of all the odd names that she had ever heard; —
现在女王整夜不能入眠，想着她曾听过的所有奇怪的名字； —

and she sent messengers all over the land to find out new ones. —
她派遣使者到全国各地去寻找新的名字。 —

The next day the little man came, and she began with TIMOTHY, ICHABOD, BENJAMIN, JEREMIAH, and all the names she could remember; —
第二天，小人来了，她从提摩太、伊卡博、本杰明、耶利米等所有能记得的名字开始； —

but to all and each of them he said, ‘Madam, that is not my name.’
但他对每一个都说：“夫人，那不是我的名字。”

The second day she began with all the comical names she could hear of, BANDY-LEGS, HUNCHBACK, CROOK-SHANKS, and so on; —
第二天，她开始列举她听说过的所有滑稽的名字，比如驼背、驼腿、弯腰等等； —

but the little gentleman still said to every one of them, ‘Madam, that is not my name.’
但小绅士仍对每一个都说：“夫人，那不是我的名字。”

The third day one of the messengers came back, and said, ‘I have travelled two days without hearing of any other names; —
第三天，一个使者回来说：“我走了两天，没有听说其他的名字； —

but yesterday, as I was climbing a high hill, among the trees of the forest where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, I saw a little hut; —
但昨天，当我爬上一座高山时，在森林中的树丛之间，狐狸和野兔互相道晚安的地方，我看到一个小屋； —

and before the hut burnt a fire; —
小屋前有一堆火， —

and round about the fire a funny little dwarf was dancing upon one leg, and singing:
在火堆旁边，有一个滑稽的小矮人单腿跳舞，唱着：

“Merrily the feast I’ll make. —
“我将欢快地享用盛宴。 —

Today I’ll brew, tomorrow bake; —
今天我会酿造，明天烘焙； —

Merrily I’ll dance and sing, For next day will a stranger bring. —
我将欢快地跳舞和唱歌， 因为明天将会带来一个陌生人。 —

Little does my lady dream Rumpelstiltskin is my name!”
我的夫人做梦也不会想到 我的名字叫Rumpelstiltskin！”

When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her court round to enjoy the fun; —
当皇后听到这个消息时，她欣喜若狂，她的小朋友一到就坐在王座上，召集所有的臣子来享受这场盛会； —

and the nurse stood by her side with the baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up. —
保姆站在她身边，抱着婴儿，仿佛它已经准备好了。 —

Then the little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor child, to take home with him to his hut in the woods; —
然后小人开始对把这可怜的孩子带回他的小屋中的想法暗自窃笑； —

and he cried out, ‘Now, lady, what is my name? —
他大声喊道，“夫人，我的名字是什么？ —

’ ‘Is it JOHN?’ asked she. ‘No, madam! —
”“是约翰吗？”她问。“不是，夫人！ —

’ ‘Is it TOM?’ ‘No, madam! —
”“是汤姆吗？”“不是，夫人！ —

’ ‘Is it JEMMY? —
”“是杰米吗？” —

’ ‘It is not.’ ‘Can your name be RUMPELSTILTSKIN? —
“不是。”“你的名字是Rumpelstiltskin吗？ —

’ said the lady slyly. —
”夫人狡黠地说。 —

‘Some witch told you that! —
“有些巫婆告诉了你那个！ —

–some witch told you that! —
——有些巫婆告诉了你那个！” —

’ cried the little man, and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out.
小人喊道，愤怒地用右脚猛地一踩，深入地板，以至于他不得不用双手抓住它才能把脚拔出来。

Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the baby crowed; —
然后他尽快离开，护士笑了，宝宝欢呼; —

and all the court jeered at him for having had so much trouble for nothing, and said, ‘We wish you a very good morning, and a merry feast, Mr RUMPLESTILTSKIN!’
所有的人都嘲笑他为了一无所获而费尽心思，并说：“祝你早安，RUMPLESTILTSKIN先生，愉快的盛宴！”