There was once a king, whose queen had hair of the purest gold, and was so beautiful that her match was not to be met with on the whole face of the earth. —
曾经有一位国王，他的王后有一头最纯净的金发，长得是如此美丽，以至于在整个世界上都找不到她的匹配。 —

But this beautiful queen fell ill, and when she felt that her end drew near she called the king to her and said, ‘Promise me that you will never marry again, unless you meet with a wife who is as beautiful as I am, and who has golden hair like mine. —
但是这位美丽的王后生病了，当她感到她的生命即将结束时，她把国王叫到她身边，说：“答应我，你不会再娶别人，除非你遇到一个和我一样美丽，有着和我的金发一样的妻子。” —

’ Then when the king in his grief promised all she asked, she shut her eyes and died. —
于是国王在悲痛中答应了她的要求，她闭上了眼睛，死去了。 —

But the king was not to be comforted, and for a long time never thought of taking another wife. —
但是国王无法被安慰，很长一段时间里都没有想过再娶别人。 —

At last, however, his wise men said, ‘this will not do; —
然而，他的智者们说：“这样不行；国王必须再次婚姻， —

the king must marry again, that we may have a queen. —
这样我们才能有一位皇后。” —

’ So messengers were sent far and wide, to seek for a bride as beautiful as the late queen. —
于是，使者们四处奔走，寻找一位和已故王后一样美丽的新娘。 —

But there was no princess in the world so beautiful; —
但是世界上没有一位公主如此美丽； —

and if there had been, still there was not one to be found who had golden hair. —
即使有，也找不到一位有金发的。 —

So the messengers came home, and had had all their trouble for nothing.
因此，使者们归来了，结果他们为了无谓的麻烦而徒劳无功。

Now the king had a daughter, who was just as beautiful as her mother, and had the same golden hair. —
现在国王有一个女儿，她和她的母亲一样美丽，拥有相同的金色头发。 —

And when she was grown up, the king looked at her and saw that she was just like this late queen: —
当她长大后，国王看着她，看到她就像已故的皇后一样。 —

then he said to his courtiers, ‘May I not marry my daughter? —
然后他对他的臣子们说：“我能不能娶我的女儿？ —

She is the very image of my dead wife: —
她就是我死去的妻子的画中人。 —

unless I have her, I shall not find any bride upon the whole earth, and you say there must be a queen. —
除非我娶她，否则我在全世界找不到任何新娘，而你们说必须有个皇后。 —

’ When the courtiers heard this they were shocked, and said, ‘Heaven forbid that a father should marry his daughter! —
”当臣子们听到这个他们非常震惊，并说：“天啊！父亲娶女儿，简直太可怕了！ —

Out of so great a sin no good can come. —
这么大的罪恶中不会有任何好事发生。 —

’ And his daughter was also shocked, but hoped the king would soon give up such thoughts; —
”而她的女儿也非常震惊，但她希望国王能尽快放弃这样的想法。 —

so she said to him, ‘Before I marry anyone I must have three dresses: —
因此她对他说：“在我嫁给任何人之前，我必须有三件礼服： —

one must be of gold, like the sun; —
一件必须是黄金的，象征太阳； —

another must be of shining silver, like the moon; —
另一件必须是闪亮的银色，象征月亮； —

and a third must be dazzling as the stars: —
第三件必须像星星一样耀眼。 —

besides this, I want a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur put together, to which every beast in the kingdom must give a part of his skin. —
除此之外，我想要一个由一千种不同的毛皮拼接而成的披风，其中王国中的每只野兽都必须奉上一部分皮毛。 —

’ And thus she thought he would think of the matter no more. —
‘这样她以为他就不会再想这件事了。 —

But the king made the most skilful workmen in his kingdom weave the three dresses: —
但国王让王国里最熟练的工匠织造了这三件衣服： —

one golden, like the sun; another silvery, like the moon; and a third sparkling, like the stars: —
一件金色的，像太阳一样；另一件银色的，像月亮一样；还有一件闪闪发光的，像星星一样： —

and his hunters were told to hunt out all the beasts in his kingdom, and to take the finest fur out of their skins: —
他还命令猎人们捕杀王国内的所有野兽，从它们的皮毛中取出最好的一部分： —

and thus a mantle of a thousand furs was made.
如此，一个由一千种毛皮制成的披风就做好了。

When all were ready, the king sent them to her; —
当一切准备就绪时， —

but she got up in the night when all were asleep, and took three of her trinkets, a golden ring, a golden necklace, and a golden brooch, and packed the three dresses–of the sun, the moon, and the stars–up in a nutshell, and wrapped herself up in the mantle made of all sorts of fur, and besmeared her face and hands with soot. —
国王派人将它们送给了她；但她在夜深人静时起来，拿了三件饰品，一个金戒指、一个金项链和一个金胸针，把太阳、月亮和星星的三件衣服都装进了一个螺丝壳里，然后用各种毛皮做成的披风裹住自己，脸和手涂满了煤灰。 —

Then she threw herself upon Heaven for help in her need, and went away, and journeyed on the whole night, till at last she came to a large wood. —
于是她扔下求助于天堂，离开了，整夜行走，最后来到一个大森林。 —

As she was very tired, she sat herself down in the hollow of a tree and soon fell asleep: —
由于她非常疲倦，她坐在一棵树的树洞里很快就睡着了。 —

and there she slept on till it was midday.
她一直睡到正午。

Now as the king to whom the wood belonged was hunting in it, his dogs came to the tree, and began to snuff about, and run round and round, and bark. —
现在，这片森林属于国王的狩猎地，他的狗来到这棵树旁，开始嗅来嗅去，围着树跑来跑去，吠叫。 —

‘Look sharp!’ said the king to the huntsmen, ‘and see what sort of game lies there. —
“快看！”国王对猎人们说，“看看那里有什么猎物。 —

’ And the huntsmen went up to the tree, and when they came back again said, ‘In the hollow tree there lies a most wonderful beast, such as we never saw before; —
”猎人们走到树下，当他们回来时说，“在这棵树洞里躺着一只最奇妙的动物，我们从未见过这样的；它的皮看起来像是千种毛皮交织在一起，但它却在那里熟睡着。 —

its skin seems to be of a thousand kinds of fur, but there it lies fast asleep. —
—

’ ‘See,’ said the king, ‘if you can catch it alive, and we will take it with us. —
‘看，’国王说道，‘如果你能活捉它，我们将把它带走。 —

’ So the huntsmen took it up, and the maiden awoke and was greatly frightened, and said, ‘I am a poor child that has neither father nor mother left; —
于是猎人们将猫抓了起来，少女醒来后非常害怕，说：‘我是一个没有父母的可怜孩子； —

have pity on me and take me with you. —
请可怜我，带我和你们一起走吧。 —

’ Then they said, ‘Yes, Miss Cat-skin, you will do for the kitchen; —
’于是他们说：‘是的，猫皮小姐，厨房需要你； —

you can sweep up the ashes, and do things of that sort. —
你可以扫地、做这样那样的事情。 —

’ So they put her into the coach, and took her home to the king’s palace. —
’于是他们把她放进马车，带她回到国王的宫殿。 —

Then they showed her a little corner under the staircase, where no light of day ever peeped in, and said, ‘Cat-skin, you may lie and sleep there. —
然后他们给她看了一个从不见天光的楼梯底下的角落，并说：‘猫皮，你可以在那里躺着睡觉。 —

’ And she was sent into the kitchen, and made to fetch wood and water, to blow the fire, pluck the poultry, pick the herbs, sift the ashes, and do all the dirty work.
’她被送进厨房，被要求去取木头和水，吹火，拔禽，采集草药，筛灰烬，做所有肮脏的活。

Thus Cat-skin lived for a long time very sorrowfully. —
于是猫皮过着很长一段时间非常悲伤的生活。 —

‘Ah! pretty princess!’ thought she, ‘what will now become of thee? —
‘啊！可爱的公主！’她想着，‘你将会变成什么样子呢？ —

’ But it happened one day that a feast was to be held in the king’s castle, so she said to the cook, ‘May I go up a little while and see what is going on? —
‘一天，国王的城堡里要举行一场盛宴，于是她对厨师说：‘我可以出去一小会儿看看发生了什么吗？ —

I will take care and stand behind the door. —
‘我会小心地站在门后。 —

’ And the cook said, ‘Yes, you may go, but be back again in half an hour’s time, to rake out the ashes. —
’厨师说道：‘好吧，你可以去，但要在半个小时内再回来，清理灰烬。 —

’ Then she took her little lamp, and went into her cabin, and took off the fur skin, and washed the soot from off her face and hands, so that her beauty shone forth like the sun from behind the clouds. —
然后她拿起小灯笼，走进自己的小屋，脱下毛皮，洗掉脸上和手上的煤灰，使她的美丽像太阳从云层后面一样闪耀出来。 —

She next opened her nutshell, and brought out of it the dress that shone like the sun, and so went to the feast. —
她接着打开坚果壳，拿出那件像太阳一样闪耀的裙子，然后去参加盛宴。 —

Everyone made way for her, for nobody knew her, and they thought she could be no less than a king’s daughter. —
大家都为她让开道路，因为没有人认识她，他们觉得她必定是个公主。 —

But the king came up to her, and held out his hand and danced with her; —
但国王走到她身边，伸出手与她共舞； —

and he thought in his heart, ‘I never saw any one half so beautiful.’
他心里想着，‘我从来没见过这么美丽的人。’

When the dance was at an end she curtsied; —
当舞蹈结束时，她向下作了个屈膝行礼； —

and when the king looked round for her, she was gone, no one knew wither. —
当国王四处寻找她时，她消失了，没人知道她去了哪里。 —

The guards that stood at the castle gate were called in: —
站在城堡门口的卫兵被叫了进来， —

but they had seen no one. —
但他们没有看到任何人。 —

The truth was, that she had run into her little cabin, pulled off her dress, blackened her face and hands, put on the fur-skin cloak, and was Cat-skin again. —
实际上，她跑进了她的小木屋，脱掉了她的礼服，脸和手都弄黑了，穿上了毛皮斗篷，又变回了猫皮女。 —

When she went into the kitchen to her work, and began to rake the ashes, the cook said, ‘Let that alone till the morning, and heat the king’s soup; —
当她进厨房工作，开始烧骨灰时，厨师说：“到明天留着那个，先把国王的汤热一下； —

I should like to run up now and give a peep: —
我想现在就溜上去看一眼： —

but take care you don’t let a hair fall into it, or you will run a chance of never eating again.’
但是要小心不要让一根头发落进去，否则你可能再也吃不上了。”

As soon as the cook went away, Cat-skin heated the king’s soup, and toasted a slice of bread first, as nicely as ever she could; —
厨师离开后，猫皮女把国王的汤热好，先把一片面包烤得又香又脆； —

and when it was ready, she went and looked in the cabin for her little golden ring, and put it into the dish in which the soup was. —
当汤准备好时，她去木屋里找她的小金戒指，放进了盛汤的碟子里。 —

When the dance was over, the king ordered his soup to be brought in; —
舞蹈结束后，国王下令端来他的汤； —

and it pleased him so well, that he thought he had never tasted any so good before. —
他非常喜欢，认为自己以前从未尝过这么好吃的。在底部， —

At the bottom he saw a gold ring lying; —
他看到有一只金戒指； —

and as he could not make out how it had got there, he ordered the cook to be sent for. —
由于他弄不清楚它是怎么掉进去的，他下令叫来厨师。 —

The cook was frightened when he heard the order, and said to Cat-skin, ‘You must have let a hair fall into the soup; —
厨师听到命令后害怕起来，对Cat-skin说：“你一定是让头发掉进汤里了； —

if it be so, you will have a good beating. —
如果是这样，你会挨一顿痛打。 —

’ Then he went before the king, and he asked him who had cooked the soup. —
”然后他去见国王，国王问他谁做的汤。‘是我做的， —

‘I did,’ answered the cook. —
’厨师回答说。 —

But the king said, ‘That is not true; —
但国王说：“那不是真的， —

it was better done than you could do it. —
它比你做的更好。” —

’ Then he answered, ‘To tell the truth I did not cook it, but Cat-skin did.’ ‘Then let Cat-skin come up, ’ said the king: —
然后厨师回答道：“说实话，不是我做的，是Cat-skin做的。” “那就让Cat-skin上来，”国王说。 —

and when she came he said to her, ‘Who are you? —
当她来到时，他对她说：“你是谁？ —

’ ‘I am a poor child,’ said she, ‘that has lost both father and mother. —
” “我是一个失去父母的可怜孩子。” 她说道。 —

’ ‘How came you in my palace?’ asked he. —
“你是怎么进我的宫殿的？”他问道。 —

‘I am good for nothing,’ said she, ‘but to be scullion-girl, and to have boots and shoes thrown at my head. —
“我什么也不会，”她说道，“只会做厨房女仆，并且还会被扔鞋子砸头。” —

’ ‘But how did you get the ring that was in the soup? —
“那你是怎么得到那个在汤里的戒指的？ —

’ asked the king. —
”国王问道。 —

Then she would not own that she knew anything about the ring; —
那时她不愿承认她对戒指的事情知道。 —

so the king sent her away again about her business.
于是国王又将她打发走了。

After a time there was another feast, and Cat-skin asked the cook to let her go up and see it as before. —
过了一段时间，又有一场宴会，猫皮衣问厨师能否让她再次去看一看。 —

‘Yes,’ said he, ‘but come again in half an hour, and cook the king the soup that he likes so much. —
“好的，”他说，“但是半小时后再来，给国王做他非常喜欢的汤。” —

’ Then she ran to her little cabin, washed herself quickly, and took her dress out which was silvery as the moon, and put it on; —
然后她跑回她的小木屋，迅速洗漱了一下，拿出了她银白如月光的礼服，穿上了。 —

and when she went in, looking like a king’s daughter, the king went up to her, and rejoiced at seeing her again, and when the dance began he danced with her. —
当她走进来的时候，看起来像个王子的女儿，国王走到她跟前，高兴地看到她，舞会开始后，他和她一起跳舞。 —

After the dance was at an end she managed to slip out, so slyly that the king did not see where she was gone; —
舞会结束后，她巧妙地溜走了，国王没看见她去了哪里。 —

but she sprang into her little cabin, and made herself into Cat-skin again, and went into the kitchen to cook the soup. —
但她跳进她的小屋，又变回了猫皮的样子，走进厨房煮汤。 —

Whilst the cook was above stairs, she got the golden necklace and dropped it into the soup; —
厨师在楼上的时候，她拿出金项链，放进汤里。 —

then it was brought to the king, who ate it, and it pleased him as well as before; —
然后项链被端到国王面前，他吃下了它，一样使他高兴； —

so he sent for the cook, who was again forced to tell him that Cat-skin had cooked it. —
于是他召见了厨师，厨师再次不得不告诉他是猫皮煮的。 —

Cat-skin was brought again before the king, but she still told him that she was only fit to have boots and shoes thrown at her head.
猫皮又被带到国王面前，但她仍告诉他，她只配被扔鞋子和靴子砸头。

But when the king had ordered a feast to be got ready for the third time, it happened just the same as before. —
但当国王第三次命令准备宴会时，发生的情况和以前完全一样。 —

‘You must be a witch, Cat-skin, ’ said the cook; ‘for you always put something into your soup, so that it pleases the king better than mine. —
‘你一定是个女巫，猫皮，’厨师说道，‘因为你总是往汤里放些东西，让国王觉得比我的汤更好吃。 —

’ However, he let her go up as before. —
’然而，他还是让她像以前那样上楼。 —

Then she put on her dress which sparkled like the stars, and went into the ball-room in it; —
然后她穿上了那条像星星一样闪耀的裙子，穿着它走进了舞厅； —

and the king danced with her again, and thought she had never looked so beautiful as she did then. —
国王又和她一起跳舞，他觉得她从来没有看起来像现在这样美丽过。 —

So whilst he was dancing with her, he put a gold ring on her finger without her seeing it, and ordered that the dance should be kept up a long time. —
所以当他和她跳舞的时候，不让她看见，给她戴上了一枚金戒指，并下令让舞蹈持续很长时间。 —

When it was at an end, he would have held her fast by the hand, but she slipped away, and sprang so quickly through the crowd that he lost sight of her: —
当舞蹈结束时，他想紧紧拉住她的手，但她溜走了，迅速地穿过人群，他看不见她了： —

and she ran as fast as she could into her little cabin under the stairs. —
她尽可能地快速奔跑进了楼梯下的小舱中。 —

But this time she kept away too long, and stayed beyond the half-hour; —
但这次她离开的时间太久了，超过了半个小时； —

so she had not time to take off her fine dress, and threw her fur mantle over it, and in her haste did not blacken herself all over with soot, but left one of her fingers white.
因此她没有时间脱下她华丽的礼服，只是将毛皮披在上面，匆忙间她没有全身涂黑，而是留下一个手指是白的。

Then she ran into the kitchen, and cooked the king’s soup; —
然后她跑进厨房，煮王的汤； —

and as soon as the cook was gone, she put the golden brooch into the dish. —
在厨子离开后，她把金色的胸针放进了碗里。 —

When the king got to the bottom, he ordered Cat-skin to be called once more, and soon saw the white finger, and the ring that he had put on it whilst they were dancing: —
当国王喝到底部时，他又命令把猫皮叫过来，很快他就看见了那根白手指和戴在上面的戒指，当他们在跳舞时他戴上的那个。 —

so he seized her hand, and kept fast hold of it, and when she wanted to loose herself and spring away, the fur cloak fell off a little on one side, and the starry dress sparkled underneath it.
所以他抓住了她的手，紧紧地握住，当她想要挣脱并跳开时，毛皮斗篷有一点从一边掉下来，而下面闪耀着星光般的礼服。

Then he got hold of the fur and tore it off, and her golden hair and beautiful form were seen, and she could no longer hide herself: —
然后他抓住了毛皮并撕下来，她的金发和美丽的身姿显露出来，她再也不能隐藏自己： —

so she washed the soot and ashes from her face, and showed herself to be the most beautiful princess upon the face of the earth. —
所以她洗掉了脸上的煤灰，展现出自己是世界上最美丽的公主。 —

But the king said, ‘You are my beloved bride, and we will never more be parted from each other. —
但国王说：“你是我心爱的新娘，我们永远不会再分开。” —

’ And the wedding feast was held, and a merry day it was, as ever was heard of or seen in that country, or indeed in any other.
婚宴隆重举行，这是个欢乐的日子，无论在那个国家还是其他任何地方，都是前所未有的。