Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; —
从前有两个国王的儿子出去闯荡世界； —

but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. —
但是他们很快陷入了浪费和愚蠢的生活方式，以至于无法回家。 —

Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: —
那时，他们的弟弟，一个不起眼的小矮人，出去寻找他的兄弟们。 —

but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. —
但是当他找到他们时，他们只是嘲笑他，认为他年轻而简单，竟然要尝试环游世界，而他们这些更聪明的人竟然不能成功。 —

However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. —
然而，他们还是一起出发了，并最终来到了一个蚂蚁丘。 —

The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. —
两个大哥想拆毁蚂蚁丘，以便看看可怜的蚂蚁们会如何惊慌地四处奔跑并运走蛋。 —

But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’
但是小矮人说：“让这些可怜的小家伙们快乐吧，我不会允许你们打扰它们。”

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. —
于是他们继续前行，来到一个湖边，湖中有很多很多的鸭子在游泳。 —

The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. —
两兄弟想捕捉两只鸭子来烤。 —

But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them. —
但是小矮人说：“让这些可怜的生物享受吧，你们不能杀害它们。” —

’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; —
接着他们来到一棵树洞里的蜜蜂巢，蜂蜜流淌下树干。 —

and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. —
两兄弟想在树下生火杀死蜜蜂，以便得到蜜。 —

But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’
但是小矮人拦住了他们，说：“让这些可爱的昆虫自己享受吧，我不能让你们烧死它们。”

At length the three brothers came to a castle: —
最后三兄弟来到了一座城堡。 —

and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. —
当他们经过马厩时，看到那里站着一些漂亮的马，但全都是大理石的，无人可见。 —

Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: —
然后他们穿过了所有的房间，来到了一扇门前。门上有三把锁。 —

but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. —
但是在门的中央有个小插槽，可以看到下一个房间。他们看到那里坐着一位灰头灰脸的老人， —

There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; —
他正坐在一张桌子旁。 —

and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.
他们叫了他一两次，但他没有听到。然而，他们又叫了第三次，这时他起身出去见他们。

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: —
他什么也没说，但是拉住他们的手，把他们领到了一张摆满了各种美食的漂亮桌子旁。 —

and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.
他们吃了喝了之后，他把他们每个人带到了一间卧室。

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. —
第二天早上，他带着长子去了一张大理石桌旁，那里有三块牌匾，上面记载了解救城堡的方法。 —

The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; —
第一块牌匾上写着：“在树林里，苔藓下埋着国王女儿的一千颗珍珠；必须找到它们所有，如果太阳下山时有一颗失踪，寻找者将会变成大理石。” —

they must all be found: —
长子出发了， —

and if one be missing by set of sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’
整天都在寻找那些珍珠：

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: —
但是晚上来了，他还没有找到前一百颗： —

but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: —
所以他像牌匾所预言的那样变成了石头。 —

so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; —
第二天，第二个兄弟开始了任务，但他的成果也比不上第一个兄弟，他只找到了第二百颗珍珠，于是他也变成了石头。 —

for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; —
最后轮到小矮人的任务了，他仔细在苔藓中寻找珍珠， —

and therefore he too was turned into stone.
但是很难找到，而且这个任务太繁重了！

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; —
于是他坐在一块石头上哭了起来。 —

and he looked in the moss; —
就在他坐着的时候， —

but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome! —
救了他一命的蚂蚁王（他们帮助他找到了五千只蚂蚁）来帮助他。 —

–so he sat down upon a stone and cried. —
不久之后， —

And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; —
他们找到了所有的珍珠，堆成一堆。 —

and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.
第二块石板上写着：“公主卧室的钥匙必须从湖里捞出来。”当小矮人来到湖边时，他看到了他救过命的那两只鸭子在游来游去。

The second tablet said: —
它们潜入湖底， —

‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake. —
很快就把钥匙带了上来。 —

’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; —
第三个任务最难，要选择国王的三个女儿中最年轻、最好的一个。 —

and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.
在小矮人来到女儿们面前时，他们都很美丽。但是最小的女儿有一颗半心形的胎记，这让小矮人毫不犹豫地选择了她。

The third task was the hardest. —
国王非常高兴， —

It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. —
于是他把小矮人奖励了一块黄金，并答应让他每年领双倍的薪水。 —

Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: —
现在她们都很漂亮，而且完全一样： —

but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; —
但有人告诉他，最大的吃了一块糖，下一个吃了一些甜糖浆，最小的吃了一小勺蜂蜜； —

so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.
所以他要猜猜是哪个吃了蜂蜜。

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; —
然后来了蜜蜂女王，她被小矮人从火中救出，她试了试三个人的嘴唇; —

but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: —
但最后她坐在吃了蜂蜜的那个人的嘴唇上： —

and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. —
这样小矮人就知道是最小的那个。 —

Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. —
这样符咒解除了，所有被变成石头的人都醒了过来，恢复了原来的形态。 —

And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; —
小矮人娶了最小、最好的公主，成为了她父亲去世后的国王； —

but his two brothers married the other two sisters.
而他的两个兄弟娶了其他两个姐妹。