There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one daughter. —
从前有一个男人，他有七个儿子，最后还有一个女儿。 —

Although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and small that they thought she could not live; —
虽然小女孩很漂亮，但她很虚弱而且身材矮小，人们以为她活不长。 —

but they said she should at once be christened.
但他们决定立即洗礼她。

So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get some water, but the other six ran with him. —
于是父亲急忙派一个儿子去泉水那取水，其他六个儿子也跟着去了。 —

Each wanted to be first at drawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that all let their pitchers fall into the well, and they stood very foolishly looking at one another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home. —
每个人都想第一个取到水，结果他们太着急了，一个个水罐都掉进了井里，他们呆呆地站在那里相互看着，不知道该怎么办，因为没有人敢回家。 —

In the meantime the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made the young men stay so long. —
与此同时，父亲心里不安，不知道这些年轻人为什么这么久都不回来。 —

‘Surely,’ said he, ‘the whole seven must have forgotten themselves over some game of play’; —
“真是的，”他说，“这七个人一定在玩什么游戏时全部忘了自己。” —

and when he had waited still longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wished them all turned into ravens. —
他等了更长时间，他们还是没有回来，他怒火中烧，希望他们全部变成乌鸦。 —

Scarcely had he spoken these words when he heard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravens as black as coal flying round and round. —
他刚说完这些话，就听见头顶上传来了嘎嘎的叫声，抬头一看，他看到了七只乌鸦，全身漆黑地围绕着飞舞。 —

Sorry as he was to see his wish so fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone, and comforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his seven sons with his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and every day more beautiful.
虽然他对自己的愿望如此实现感到非常抱歉，但是他不知道如何才能撤销已经发生的事情。他尽自己最大的努力依靠他可爱的小女儿来安慰自己，女儿渐渐变得更加健壮和美丽。

For a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers; —
很长一段时间，她不知道自己曾经有过兄弟； —

for her father and mother took care not to speak of them before her: —
因为她的父母特意避免在她面前提及。 —

but one day by chance she heard the people about her speak of them. —
但有一天，她偶然听到周围的人谈论他们。 —

‘Yes,’ said they, ‘she is beautiful indeed, but still ‘tis a pity that her brothers should have been lost for her sake. —
“是的，”他们说，“她确实很美，但为了她的缘故，她的兄弟们失踪了，真是可惜。” —

’ Then she was much grieved, and went to her father and mother, and asked if she had any brothers, and what had become of them. —
她听后非常伤心，于是去找她的父母询问她是否有兄弟，他们去了哪里。 —

So they dared no longer hide the truth from her, but said it was the will of Heaven, and that her birth was only the innocent cause of it; —
所以他们不再敢向她隐瞒真相，而是说这是天意，她的出生只是其中无辜的原因； —

but the little girl mourned sadly about it every day, and thought herself bound to do all she could to bring her brothers back; —
但是小女孩每天都悲伤地哀悼此事，并认为自己有责任想尽一切办法把兄弟们带回来； —

and she had neither rest nor ease, till at length one day she stole away, and set out into the wide world to find her brothers, wherever they might be, and free them, whatever it might cost her.
她既不能休息也不能安心，直到有一天她偷偷离开，并踏上了寻找兄弟的旅程，不管付出什么代价都要释放他们；

She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and mother had given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry, a little pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty, and a little stool to rest upon when she should be weary. —
她只带了父母给她的一个小戒指；一块面包以防饥饿；一个小水瓶以防口渴；以及一个小凳子以便疲倦时休息； —

Thus she went on and on, and journeyed till she came to the world’s end; —
她这样一路走过，一直旅行直到走到了世界尽头； —

then she came to the sun, but the sun looked much too hot and fiery; —
然后她来到了太阳，但太阳看起来太热太炽热了； —

so she ran away quickly to the moon, but the moon was cold and chilly, and said, ‘I smell flesh and blood this way! —
所以她赶紧逃跑到了月亮，但月亮又冷又寒冷，说道，“我闻到这边有血肉的味道！” —

’ so she took herself away in a hurry and came to the stars, and the stars were friendly and kind to her, and each star sat upon his own little stool; —
她匆忙离开，来到了星星那里，星星对她友善和慈祥，每颗星星都坐在自己的小凳子上； —

but the morning star rose up and gave her a little piece of wood, and said, ‘If you have not this little piece of wood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands on the glass-mountain, and there your brothers live. —
但晨星升起来，给了她一块小木头，并说：“如果你没有这块小木头，就无法解开那座矗立在玻璃山上的城堡，那里住着你的兄弟。 —

’ The little girl took the piece of wood, rolled it up in a little cloth, and went on again until she came to the glass-mountain, and found the door shut. —
小女孩将小木块卷起来放在一块小布里，继续前行，直到来到玻璃山，发现门关着。 —

Then she felt for the little piece of wood; —
然后她摸索着找小木块， —

but when she unwrapped the cloth it was not there, and she saw she had lost the gift of the good stars. —
但当她打开布时，发现小木块不见了，她看到自己失去了星星的礼物。 —

What was to be done? She wanted to save her brothers, and had no key of the castle of the glass-mountain; —
怎么办呢？她想要救她的兄弟，而又没有城堡的钥匙。 —

so this faithful little sister took a knife out of her pocket and cut off her little finger, that was just the size of the piece of wood she had lost, and put it in the door and opened it.
因此，这个忠诚的小姐妹从口袋里拿出一把刀，割下了她的小指，正好和失去的小木块一样大小，将它放在门上打开了它。

As she went in, a little dwarf came up to her, and said, ‘What are you seeking for? —
当她走进去的时候，一个小矮人走近她，问道：“你在寻找什么？ —

’ ‘I seek for my brothers, the seven ravens,’ answered she. —
”她回答：“我正在寻找我的七只乌鸦的兄弟。” —

Then the dwarf said, ‘My masters are not at home; but if you will wait till they come, pray step in. —
然后小矮人说：“我的主人不在家，但如果你等他们回来，请进吧。” —

’ Now the little dwarf was getting their dinner ready, and he brought their food upon seven little plates, and their drink in seven little glasses, and set them upon the table, and out of each little plate their sister ate a small piece, and out of each little glass she drank a small drop; —
此时小矮人正在为他们准备晚餐，他把食物放在七个小盘子里，饮料倒在七个小杯子里，把它们放在桌子上，她从每个小盘子里吃了一小块，从每个小杯子里喝了一滴。 —

but she let the ring that she had brought with her fall into the last glass.
但她让她带来的戒指掉进了最后一只玻璃杯里。

On a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air, and the dwarf said, ‘Here come my masters. —
突然，她听到了空中的一阵鼓翼声和叫声，小矮人说：“我的主人们来了。” —

’ When they came in, they wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. —
他们一进来就想吃喝，开始寻找他们的小盘子和小杯子。 —

Then said one after the other,
然后一个接一个地说：

‘Who has eaten from my little plate? —
“谁吃了我的小盘子？ —

And who has been drinking out of my little glass?’
谁从我的小杯子里喝了？”

‘Caw! Caw! well I ween Mortal lips have this way been.’
“咕咕！咕咕！这种方法已经被凡人的嘴唇使用过了。”

When the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, and found there the ring, he looked at it, and knew that it was his father’s and mother’s, and said, ‘O that our little sister would but come! —
当第七个人喝到他的杯子底部时，发现了戒指，他看着它，知道它是他父母的，说：“哦，如果我们的小妹妹能来就好了！ —

then we should be free. —
然后我们应该自由了。 —

’ When the little girl heard this (for she stood behind the door all the time and listened), she ran forward, and in an instant all the ravens took their right form again; —
”当小女孩听到这句话时（因为她一直站在门后听着），她迅速跑过去，瞬间所有的乌鸦都恢复了原来的形态； —

and all hugged and kissed each other, and went merrily home.
他们都相互拥抱和亲吻，欢快地回家了。