A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very beautiful, but so proud, and haughty, and conceited, that none of the princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for her, and she only made sport of them.
远东一个伟大的国王有一个非常美丽的女儿，但她非常傲慢、自大，看不起所有前来求婚的王子们，只是拿他们开玩笑。

Once upon a time the king held a great feast, and asked thither all her suitors; —
从前有一位国王举行盛大的宴会，邀请了她所有的求婚者； —

and they all sat in a row, ranged according to their rank–kings, and princes, and dukes, and earls, and counts, and barons, and knights. —
他们都按照自己的身份坐在一排，有国王、王子、公爵、伯爵、子爵、男爵和骑士。 —

Then the princess came in, and as she passed by them she had something spiteful to say to every one. —
然后公主进来，当她路过他们时，对每个人都说了一些刻薄的话。 —

The first was too fat: —
第一个太胖了： —

‘He’s as round as a tub,’ said she. —
‘他就像一个大木桶，’她说。第二个太高了：‘真是个拐杖！ —

The next was too tall: ‘What a maypole! —
’她说。第三个太矮了：‘真是个饺子！’她说。 —

’ said she. The next was too short: ‘What a dumpling! —
第四个太苍白，她叫他‘墙面’。第五个太红了，她叫他‘傻瓜’。 —

’ said she. The fourth was too pale, and she called him ‘Wallface. —
第六个不够直， —

’ The fifth was too red, so she called him ‘Coxcomb. —
所以她说他像一个在面包师傅烤箱上晾干的青竹棍。 —

’ The sixth was not straight enough; —
第七个太背离常态了， —

so she said he was like a green stick, that had been laid to dry over a baker’s oven. —
她说他就像一根放在烘焙师傅烤箱上晾干的青竹棍。 —

And thus she had some joke to crack upon every one: but she laughed more than all at a good king who was there. —
因此她对每个人都有些笑话要开玩笑，但她在一个好国王身上笑得最多。 —

‘Look at him,’ said she; —
“看他，”她说； —

‘his beard is like an old mop; —
“他的胡子像一团脏毛巾； —

he shall be called Grisly-beard. —
他应该被称为灰胡子。” —

’ So the king got the nickname of Grisly-beard.
于是国王被取名为灰胡子。

But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved, and how she ill-treated all his guests; —
但当老国王看到女儿的行为和她对待所有客人的方式时，非常生气； —

and he vowed that, willing or unwilling, she should marry the first man, be he prince or beggar, that came to the door.
他发誓，不管愿意还是不愿意，她都将嫁给第一个来到门口的男人，无论是王子还是乞丐。

Two days after there came by a travelling fiddler, who began to play under the window and beg alms; —
两天后，一个流浪的小提琴手路过，开始在窗下演奏并乞讨； —

and when the king heard him, he said, ‘Let him come in.’ So they brought in a dirty-looking fellow; —
当国王听到他的演奏时，他说，“让他进来。”于是他们带进一个看起来很脏的家伙； —

and when he had sung before the king and the princess, he begged a boon. —
当他在国王和公主面前唱歌后，他乞求一项恩惠。 —

Then the king said, ‘You have sung so well, that I will give you my daughter for your wife. —
然后国王说，“你唱得太好了，我会把女儿嫁给你。 —

’ The princess begged and prayed; —
”公主恳求着祈求； —

but the king said, ‘I have sworn to give you to the first comer, and I will keep my word. —
但国王说：“我发誓要把你嫁给第一个到来的人，我会遵守我的诺言。 —

’ So words and tears were of no avail; —
” 所以再说再多的话和流泪都无济于事； —

the parson was sent for, and she was married to the fiddler. —
牧师被派来，她和提琴手结了婚。 —

When this was over the king said, ‘Now get ready to go–you must not stay here–you must travel on with your husband.’
这一切结束后，国王说：“现在准备好离开吧–你不能留在这里–你必须跟着你的丈夫一起旅行。”

Then the fiddler went his way, and took her with him, and they soon came to a great wood. ‘Pray, ’ said she, ‘whose is this wood? —
然后提琴手带着她离开，他们很快来到了一片大森林。 “请问，这是谁的森林？ —

’ ‘It belongs to King Grisly-beard, ’ answered he; ‘hadst thou taken him, all had been thine.’ ‘Ah! —
”他回答说：“它属于格里斯利胡须国王，如果你嫁给他，这一切都将属于你。” “啊！ —

unlucky wretch that I am! —
我真是个不幸的人！ —

’ sighed she; ‘would that I had married King Grisly-beard! —
”她叹了口气，“但愿我嫁给了格里斯利胡须国王！ —

’ Next they came to some fine meadows. —
” 接下来他们来到一些美丽的牧场。 —

‘Whose are these beautiful green meadows? —
“这些美丽的绿色牧场是谁的？ —

’ said she. ‘They belong to King Grisly-beard, hadst thou taken him, they had all been thine. —
”她问。 “它们属于格里斯利胡须国王，如果你嫁给他，它们都将属于你。 —

’ ‘Ah! —
” “啊！ —

unlucky wretch that I am!’ said she; —
我真是个不幸的人！” 她说： —

‘would that I had married King Grisly-beard!’
“但愿我嫁给了格里斯利胡须国王！”

Then they came to a great city. —
然后他们来到了一座宏伟的城市。 —

‘Whose is this noble city?’ said she. —
她问：“这座贵族城市是谁的？”他回答： —

‘It belongs to King Grisly-beard; —
“它属于蓬头怪国王。” —

hadst thou taken him, it had all been thine. —
如果你嫁给他，这座城市本来都会归你所有。 —

’ ‘Ah! wretch that I am!’ sighed she; —
”她悲伤地叹息道：“唉！ —

‘why did I not marry King Grisly-beard? —
真不该嫁给蓬头怪国王。” —

’ ‘That is no business of mine, ’ said the fiddler: —
“这与我无关，”小提琴手说： —

‘why should you wish for another husband? —
“你为什么要想着另外一个丈夫呢？” —

Am not I good enough for you?’
我难道不够好吗？

At last they came to a small cottage. —
最后他们来到一间小屋子。 —

‘What a paltry place!’ said she; —
“多么破旧的地方！”她说， —

‘to whom does that little dirty hole belong? —
“这个脏乱的小洞是谁的？” —

’ Then the fiddler said, ‘That is your and my house, where we are to live. —
“那是你和我共同生活的房子。”小提琴手说。 —

’ ‘Where are your servants?’ cried she. —
“你的仆人在哪里？”她喊道。 —

‘What do we want with servants?’ said he; —
“我们要仆人做什么？”他说， —

‘you must do for yourself whatever is to be done. —
“你必须亲自做所有的事情。” —

Now make the fire, and put on water and cook my supper, for I am very tired. —
“现在生火，烧水，做我的晚餐，我非常累。” —

’ But the princess knew nothing of making fires and cooking, and the fiddler was forced to help her. —
但是公主不会生火和做饭，小提琴手不得不帮助她。 —

When they had eaten a very scanty meal they went to bed; —
当他们吃完一顿非常简单的饭菜后， —

but the fiddler called her up very early in the morning to clean the house. —
他们就上床睡觉。但是小提琴手很早就叫她起床打扫屋子。 —

Thus they lived for two days: —
这样他们过了两天； —

and when they had eaten up all there was in the cottage, the man said, ‘Wife, we can’t go on thus, spending money and earning nothing. —
当他们把小屋里所有的东西都吃光后，男人说：“妻子，我们不能这样继续下去，花钱却一无所得。 —

You must learn to weave baskets. —
你必须学会编织篮子。 —

’ Then he went out and cut willows, and brought them home, and she began to weave; —
”然后他出去割柳条，把它们带回家，她开始编织。 —

but it made her fingers very sore. —
但是它让她的手指非常疼痛。 —

‘I see this work won’t do,’ said he: —
“我看这份工作行不通，”他说， —

‘try and spin; perhaps you will do that better. —
“试着纺纱吧，也许你能做得更好。” —

’ So she sat down and tried to spin; —
于是她坐下来试着纺纱， —

but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran. —
但纱线割破了她娇嫩的手指，血流不止。 —

‘See now,’ said the fiddler, ‘you are good for nothing; —
“看吧，”小提琴手说，“你一无是处，你一点儿工作都做不好： —

you can do no work: what a bargain I have got! —
我真是个糟糕的买卖！” —

However, I’ll try and set up a trade in pots and pans, and you shall stand in the market and sell them. —
不过，我还是试着经营一家铁锅锡罐店，你可以站在市场上卖东西。 —

’ ‘Alas! —
” “唉！ —

’ sighed she, ‘if any of my father’s court should pass by and see me standing in the market, how they will laugh at me!’
”她叹了口气，“如果我父亲的朝廷中有人路过并看见我站在市场上，他们会笑死的！”

But her husband did not care for that, and said she must work, if she did not wish to die of hunger. —
但她的丈夫一点也不在乎，他说她必须工作，否则就会饿死。起初， —

At first the trade went well; —
生意还不错； —

for many people, seeing such a beautiful woman, went to buy her wares, and paid their money without thinking of taking away the goods. —
因为有很多人看到这么个美丽的女人，去买她的货物，毫不考虑带走货物后再支付钱款。 —

They lived on this as long as it lasted; —
只要这些东西还能够用上一段时间， —

and then her husband bought a fresh lot of ware, and she sat herself down with it in the corner of the market; —
他们就依靠这些过活；然后，她的丈夫又买了一批新的货物，她在市场的角落里摆好了摊位。 —

but a drunken soldier soon came by, and rode his horse against her stall, and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces. —
然而，一个喝醉了的士兵很快就经过了她的摊位，用马撞倒了摊位，把她所有的货物摔得粉碎。 —

Then she began to cry, and knew not what to do. —
她开始哭起来，完全不知道该怎么办。 —

‘Ah! what will become of me?’ said she; —
她说：“啊！我该怎么办呢？ —

‘what will my husband say? —
我丈夫会说什么呢？” —

’ So she ran home and told him all. —
她跑回家告诉丈夫发生的一切。 —

‘Who would have thought you would have been so silly, ’ said he, ‘as to put an earthenware stall in the corner of the market, where everybody passes? —
“谁会想到你会这么傻，把一个陶瓷摊位放在人来人往的市场角落呢？”他说。“不过别哭了；我发现你不适合做这种工作，所以我已经去了皇宫询问他们是否需要一个厨房女仆。” —

but let us have no more crying; —
“他们说会收你的， —

I see you are not fit for this sort of work, so I have been to the king’s palace, and asked if they did not want a kitchen-maid; —
那里你会有足够的食物。” —

and they say they will take you, and there you will have plenty to eat.’
于是，公主成为了一个厨房女仆，帮助厨师做一切最肮脏的工作。

Thus the princess became a kitchen-maid, and helped the cook to do all the dirtiest work; —
—

but she was allowed to carry home some of the meat that was left, and on this they lived.
但她被允许带回家一些剩下的肉，他们就靠这些过活。

She had not been there long before she heard that the king’s eldest son was passing by, going to be married; —
她刚去那里没多久就听说国王的长子路过，正在去结婚。 —

and she went to one of the windows and looked out. —
她走到其中一个窗子前往外看。 —

Everything was ready, and all the pomp and brightness of the court was there. —
一切都准备好了，宫廷的华丽与明亮都在那里。 —

Then she bitterly grieved for the pride and folly which had brought her so low. —
然后她为自己的骄傲和愚蠢感到痛苦，这导致她沦落至此。 —

And the servants gave her some of the rich meats, which she put into her basket to take home.
仆人们给了她一些丰盛的肉，她放进篮子里带回家。

All on a sudden, as she was going out, in came the king’s son in golden clothes; —
就在她走出去的时候，国王的儿子穿着金衣进来了。 —

and when he saw a beautiful woman at the door, he took her by the hand, and said she should be his partner in the dance; —
当他看到门口有个美丽的女人时，他拉着她的手，说她将成为他的舞伴。 —

but she trembled for fear, for she saw that it was King Grisly-beard, who was making sport of her. However, he kept fast hold, and led her in; —
但她因恐惧而颤抖，因为她看到这是在取笑她的格里斯利胡子国王。然而，他紧紧抓住她，带她进去。 —

and the cover of the basket came off, so that the meats in it fell about. —
篮子的盖子掉了，肉掉了出来。 —

Then everybody laughed and jeered at her; —
然后每个人都嘲笑她。 —

and she was so abashed, that she wished herself a thousand feet deep in the earth. —
她感到害羞得想要自己沉入地底深一千尺。 —

She sprang to the door to run away; —
她跑向门口想要逃走； —

but on the steps King Grisly-beard overtook her, and brought her back and said, ‘Fear me not! —
但是在台阶上，格里斯利-比尔德国王追上了她，把她带回来说：“不要害怕！ —

I am the fiddler who has lived with you in the hut. —
我就是和你一起住在棚屋里的吹笛手。 —

I brought you there because I really loved you. —
我之所以把你带到那里，是因为我真的爱你。 —

I am also the soldier that overset your stall. —
我也是把你的摊位弄翻的那个士兵。 —

I have done all this only to cure you of your silly pride, and to show you the folly of your ill-treatment of me. —
我做了这一切只是为了治愈你的愚蠢傲慢，并让你看到你对我的虐待是多么愚蠢。 —

Now all is over: you have learnt wisdom, and it is time to hold our marriage feast.’
现在一切都结束了：你已学到了智慧，是时候举行我们的婚宴了。”

Then the chamberlains came and brought her the most beautiful robes; —
然后侍从们走过来给她带来了最美丽的礼服； —

and her father and his whole court were there already, and welcomed her home on her marriage. —
她的父亲和他的整个宫廷已经在那里，热烈欢迎她回到婚姻的怀抱。 —

Joy was in every face and every heart. —
每个脸上和心中都充满了欢乐。 —

The feast was grand; they danced and sang; —
盛宴豪华而热闹；他们跳舞唱歌， —

all were merry; and I only wish that you and I had been of the party.
所有人都很快乐；我只希望你和我也是其中的一员。