There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling, [*] and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.
从前有个男人，他有三个儿子，其中最小的被称为弱智者，无论何时他都被人轻视、嘲笑和嘲讽。

 [*] Simpleton

【*】 简单ton（指“弱智者”）

It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.
有一天，大儿子想进森林砍柴，出门前他的母亲给了他一个漂亮的甜蛋糕和一瓶酒，免得他挨饿或口渴。

When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who bade him good day, and said: —
当他进入森林时，他遇到一个头发灰白的老人，老人向他打招呼，说： —

‘Do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine; —
“请给我一块蛋糕，还有一口你的酒； —

I am so hungry and thirsty. —
我非常饥渴。 —

’ But the clever son answered: —
” 但聪明的儿子回答道： —

‘If I give you my cake and wine, I shall have none for myself; —
“如果我把我的蛋糕和酒给你，我自己就没有了； —

be off with you,’ and he left the little man standing and went on.
快走开吧，”他把小人留在那里，继续向前走。

But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made a false stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go home and have it bound up. —
但当他开始砍树时，不久他就伤到自己，斧头割伤了他的胳膊，所以他不得不回家把伤口包扎起来。 —

And this was the little grey man’s doing.
这是小灰人的破坏。

After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him, like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. —
此后，二儿子也进了森林，他的母亲像对待长子一样给了他一个蛋糕和一瓶酒。 —

The little old grey man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of wine. —
小矮人同样遇到了他，请求一块蛋糕和一口酒。 —

But the second son, too, said sensibly enough: —
但二儿子很明智地说： —

‘What I give you will be taken away from myself; —
“我给你的东西会从我这里减少， —

be off!’ and he left the little man standing and went on. —
走开！”他留下小矮人站着，继续前行。 —

His punishment, however, was not delayed; —
然而，他的惩罚没有延迟。 —

when he had made a few blows at the tree he struck himself in the leg, so that he had to be carried home.
在砍了几下树后，他砍到自己的腿上，以至于被人背回家。

Then Dummling said: ‘Father, do let me go and cut wood. —
于是Dummling说：“爸爸，让我去砍柴吧。 —

’ The father answered: —
”父亲回答说： —

‘Your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone, you do not understand anything about it. —
“你兄弟们都伤了自己，还是别管它了，你什么都不懂。” —

’ But Dummling begged so long that at last he said: —
“但是愚蠢的孩子苦苦乞求，最后他说： —

‘Just go then, you will get wiser by hurting yourself. —
“那就去吧，通过自己受伤你会变得更聪明的。” —

’ His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders, and with it a bottle of sour beer.
他妈妈给了他一块用水做的煤渣糕，并附上一瓶酸啤酒。

When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise, and greeting him, said: —
当他来到森林时，小老灰人也遇见了他，并向他打招呼说： —

‘Give me a piece of your cake and a drink out of your bottle; —
“给我一块糕点和一口你的酒；我又饿又渴。 —

I am so hungry and thirsty. —
”愚蠢的孩子回答说： —

’ Dummling answered: —
—

‘I have only cinder-cake and sour beer; —
“我只有煤渣糕和酸啤酒； —

if that pleases you, we will sit down and eat. —
如果你喜欢的话，我们就坐下来吃。” —

’ So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become good wine. —
于是他们坐下来，当愚蠢的孩子拿出他的煤渣糕时，它变成了一块美味的甜糕点，酸啤酒也变成了美酒。 —

So they ate and drank, and after that the little man said: —
于是他们吃喝了一番，之后小人说： —

‘Since you have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have, I will give you good luck. —
“既然你心地善良，愿意分享你所拥有的，我将给你好运。 —

There stands an old tree, cut it down, and you will find something at the roots. —
那里有一棵老树，砍倒它，你会在根部找到一些东西。” —

’ Then the little man took leave of him.
然后小人向他告别。

Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a goose sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold. —
Dummling走去砍倒了那棵树，当树倒下时，树根底下坐着一只长有纯金羽毛的鹅。 —

He lifted her up, and taking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he would stay the night. —
他把鹅抬起来，带着它去了一家他觉得可以过夜的客栈。 —

Now the host had three daughters, who saw the goose and were curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and would have liked to have one of its golden feathers.
客栈的主人有三个女儿，她们看到了那只鹅，很好奇地想知道这样一只奇妙的鸟是什么，她们也想要一根金色的羽毛。

The eldest thought: ‘I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a feather, ’ and as soon as Dummling had gone out she seized the goose by the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.
大女儿想：“我很快就能找到机会拔下一根羽毛。”一出门，她就抓住了鹅的翅膀，但她的手指和手都粘在上面无法移动。

The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she was held fast.
二女儿很快也过来了，只想着如何为自己弄到一根羽毛，但她一碰到姐姐，立刻被粘住了。

At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others screamed out: ‘Keep away; —
最后三女儿也带着同样的想法来了，其他人尖叫着：“远离点； —

for goodness’ sake keep away! —
求求你们远离点！” —

’ But she did not understand why she was to keep away. —
但她不明白为什么要远离他们， —

‘The others are there,’ she thought, ‘I may as well be there too, ’ and ran to them; —
“其他人都在那里”，她想，“我也可以在那里”，于是跑向他们； —

but as soon as she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. —
但是她一碰到姐姐，就被粘在她身上无法移动了。 —

So they had to spend the night with the goose.
于是她们不得不和那只鹅过夜。

The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set out, without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on to it. —
第二天早上，唐明把鹅抱在怀里出发了，一点也不理会三个女孩紧紧抓着鹅不放。 —

They were obliged to run after him continually, now left, now right, wherever his legs took him.
她们不得不一直在他后面奔跑，时而左边，时而右边，无论他的腿带他去哪里。

In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the procession he said: —
在田地中间，牧师遇到了他们，当他看到这一行人的时候说道： —

‘For shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are you running across the fields after this young man? —
“真羞耻，你们这些毫无用处的女孩，你们为什么追着这个年轻人跑过田地？ —

Is that seemly? —
这合适吗？ —

’ At the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and was himself obliged to run behind.
” 说着他抓住最年轻的女孩的手想把她拉开，但是他一碰到她也被粘住了，他也被迫在后面跑。

Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running behind three girls. —
不久之后，教堂管理员经过，看到他的主人牧师正追着三个女孩跑。他对此感到惊讶，喊道：“嘿！尊敬的牧师， —

He was astonished at this and called out: —
你这么快要去哪儿？别忘了我们今天有一个洗礼！ —

‘Hi! —
” —

your reverence, whither away so quickly? —
他追过去拉住了牧师的袖子， —

Do not forget that we have a christening today! —
却被牧师牢牢抓住。 —

’ and running after him he took him by the sleeve, but was also held fast to it.
当他们这样一个接一个地小跑的时候，两个劳动者拿着锄头从田里走过来。

Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two labourers came with their hoes from the fields; —
牧师向他们喊道，并请求他们将他和教堂管理员放了。 —

the parson called out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free. —
但他们一碰到教堂管理员就被牢牢抓住，现在有七个人跟在Dummling和鹅后面。 —

But they had scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there were seven of them running behind Dummling and the goose.
不久之后，他来到了一个有国王统治的城市，国王有一个非常严肃的女儿，谁也无法让她笑。

Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. —
所以他颁布了一项法令，谁能让她笑，就可以娶她为妻。 —

So he had put forth a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh should marry her. —
于是，他们开始追赶Dummling和鹅。 —

When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all her train before the king’s daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she began to laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never stop. —
当杜蒙河听到这个消息时，他带着他的鹅和她的队伍来到了公主面前，当她看到七个人一个接一个地奔跑时，她开始大声笑起来，仿佛永远停不下来。 —

Thereupon Dummling asked to have her for his wife; —
于是杜蒙河请求把她娶回家做他的妻子， —

but the king did not like the son-in-law, and made all manner of excuses and said he must first produce a man who could drink a cellarful of wine. —
但国王不喜欢这个女婿，找了各种借口说他必须先找一个能喝掉一间酒窖的人。 —

Dummling thought of the little grey man, who could certainly help him; —
杜蒙河想起了那个可以帮助他的小灰人， —

so he went into the forest, and in the same place where he had felled the tree, he saw a man sitting, who had a very sorrowful face. —
于是他到了森林，就在他砍树的地方，他看到了一个坐着的男人，脸上带着忧愁的表情。 —

Dummling asked him what he was taking to heart so sorely, and he answered: ‘I have such a great thirst and cannot quench it; —
杜蒙河问他为什么如此忧心，他回答说：“我口渴得厉害，却无法满足；我喝了一桶酒，却像在热石头上滴了一滴一样！” —

cold water I cannot stand, a barrel of wine I have just emptied, but that to me is like a drop on a hot stone!’
“那我可以帮助你，”杜蒙河说，“跟我来，你就会满足了。”

‘There, I can help you,’ said Dummling, ‘just come with me and you shall be satisfied.’
然后，杜蒙河带着那个人走了，他终于解渴了。

He led him into the king’s cellar, and the man bent over the huge barrels, and drank and drank till his loins hurt, and before the day was out he had emptied all the barrels. —
他带他进入国王的酒窖，那人弯下腰，喝了喝了，直到腰痛，到了天黑前，他已经把所有的酒都喝完了。 —

Then Dummling asked once more for his bride, but the king was vexed that such an ugly fellow, whom everyone called Dummling, should take away his daughter, and he made a new condition; —
然后杜姆灵再次要求娶他的新娘，但是国王为这样一个被大家都称为杜姆灵的丑陋家伙娶走他的女儿感到生气，他又提出了新的条件； —

he must first find a man who could eat a whole mountain of bread. —
他必须先找到一个能够吃下整座山的面包的人。 —

Dummling did not think long, but went straight into the forest, where in the same place there sat a man who was tying up his body with a strap, and making an awful face, and saying: —
杜姆灵没有多想，径直走进森林，在同一个地方坐着一个用皮带束缚身体，做出可怕表情，说着： —

‘I have eaten a whole ovenful of rolls, but what good is that when one has such a hunger as I? —
“我已经吃掉了一炉子的小面包，但是这有什么用，当一个人饥饿得如此厉害时？ —

My stomach remains empty, and I must tie myself up if I am not to die of hunger.’
“我的肚子还是空的，如果不吊绑自己，我就会饿死。”

At this Dummling was glad, and said: —
听到这，杜姆灵很高兴，说： —

‘Get up and come with me; —
“起来跟我走吧， —

you shall eat yourself full. —
你可以吃个饱。” —

’ He led him to the king’s palace where all the flour in the whole Kingdom was collected, and from it he caused a huge mountain of bread to be baked. —
他带领他去国王宫殿，那里聚集了整个王国的面粉，他让人们从中烤出了一座巨大的面包山。 —

The man from the forest stood before it, began to eat, and by the end of one day the whole mountain had vanished. —
来自森林的人站在面前，开始吃起来，一天结束时整座山已经消失了。 —

Then Dummling for the third time asked for his bride; —
接着，杜姆林第三次请求娶他的新娘， —

but the king again sought a way out, and ordered a ship which could sail on land and on water. —
但国王再次寻找借口，命令制造一艘能在陆地和水上航行的船。 —

‘As soon as you come sailing back in it, ’ said he, ‘you shall have my daughter for wife.’
“只要你在这艘船上回来，” 他说，”你就能娶我的女儿为妻。”

Dummling went straight into the forest, and there sat the little grey man to whom he had given his cake. —
杜姆林径直走进森林，那里坐着他曾经给过蛋糕的小灰人。 —

When he heard what Dummling wanted, he said: —
听到杜姆林的要求后，他说： —

‘Since you have given me to eat and to drink, I will give you the ship; —
“既然你给了我食物和饮料，我就给你这艘船； —

and I do all this because you once were kind to me. —
我这样做只是因为你曾经对我好过。” —

’ Then he gave him the ship which could sail on land and water, and when the king saw that, he could no longer prevent him from having his daughter. —
然后他给了他那艘能在陆地和水上航行的船，国王看到后再也不能阻止他娶女儿了。 —

The wedding was celebrated, and after the king’s death, Dummling inherited his kingdom and lived for a long time contentedly with his wife.
婚礼庆祝了，国王死后，小笨蛋继承了他的王国，并与妻子快乐地生活了很长时间。