Nix Nought Nothing

There once lived a king and a queen as many a one has been. They were long married and had no children; but at last a baby-boy came to the queen when the king was away in the far countries. The queen would not christen the boy till the king came back, and she said, “We will just call him Nix Nought Nothing until his father comes home.” But it was long before he came home, and the boy had grown a nice little laddie. At length the king was on his way back; but he had a big river to cross, and there was a whirlpool, and he could not get over the water.

从前有一位国王和一位王后，就像许多故事里常有的那样。他们结婚多年，膝下无子；可是终于有一天，国王远赴他国之时，王后生下了一个男婴。王后不肯在国王回来之前给这孩子行洗礼命名，她说：“我们就先叫他‘无有无名’，等他父亲回家再说吧。”可是国王迟迟没有归来，这孩子已经长成了一个可爱的小男孩。国王终于踏上了归途；可是途中要渡过一条大河，河里有个漩涡，他怎么也过不去。

But a giant came up to him, and said “I'll carry you over.” But the king said: “What's your pay?” “O give me Nix, Nought, Nothing, and I will carry you over the water on my back.” The king had never heard that his son was called Nix Nought Nothing, and so he said: “O, I'll give you that and my thanks into the bargain.” When the king got home again, he was very happy to see his wife again, and his young son. She told him that she had not given the child any name, but just Nix Nought Nothing, until he should come home again himself. The poor king was in a terrible case.

这时来了一个巨人，对他说：“我背你过河。”国王问道：“你要什么报酬？”“把‘无、有、无名’给我，我就背你过河。”国王从未听说自己的儿子被唤作“无有无名”，于是他说：“哦，这个我给你，另外再谢谢你。”国王回到家中，见到妻子和小儿子，心中十分欢喜。王后告诉他，她一直没给孩子取名，只叫他“无有无名”，等他自己回来再定。可怜的国王这下可犯了大难。

He said: “What have I done? I promised to give the giant who carried me over the river on his back, Nix Nought Nothing.” The king and the queen were sad and sorry, but they said: “When the giant comes we will give him the hen-wife's boy; he will never know the difference.” The next day the giant came to claim the king's promise, and he sent for the hen-wife's boy; and the giant went away with the boy on his back. He travelled till he came to a big stone, and there he sat down to rest. He said,

他说：“我做了什么好事？我答应把‘无有无名’送给那背我过河的巨人了。”国王和王后又伤心又懊悔，可他们商量道：“巨人来的时候，我们就把养鸡婆的儿子给他吧；他绝不会看出分别的。”第二天巨人来讨要国王许下的承诺，他们便叫来了养鸡婆的儿子；巨人背着这孩子上路了。他走啊走，走到一块大石头旁，便坐下来歇息。他说道，

“Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day is that?”

“希奇，霍奇，背在我背上，这会儿是什么时辰？”

The poor little boy said: “It is the time that my mother, the hen-wife, takes up the eggs for the queen's breakfast.”

这可怜的小男孩答道：“这会儿正是我母亲，那养鸡婆，去给王后取早餐鸡蛋的时辰。”

The Giant was very angry, and dashed the boy's head on the stone and killed him.

巨人勃然大怒，把这孩子的脑袋往石头上一摔，把他摔死了。

So he went back in a tower of a temper and this time they gave him the gardener's boy. He went off with him on his back till they got to the stone again when the giant sat down to rest. And he said:

于是巨人怒气冲冲地回来了，这一回他们又把园丁的儿子给了他。巨人背着这孩子上路，走到那块石头旁，又坐下来歇息。他说道：

“Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day do you make that?”

“希奇，霍奇，背在我背上，你说这会儿是什么时辰？”

The gardener's boy said: “Sure it's the time that my mother takes up the vegetables for the queen's dinner.” Then the giant was right wild and dashed his brains out on the stone.

园丁的儿子答道：“这会儿准是我母亲去给王后取晚餐蔬菜的时辰。”巨人这下真是气疯了，把他的脑浆摔在石头上摔了出来。

Then the giant went back to the king's house in a terrible temper and said he would destroy them all if they did not give him Nix Nought Nothing this time. They had to do it; and when he came to the big stone, the giant said: “What time of day is that?” Nix Nought Nothing said: “It is the time that my father the king will be sitting down to supper.” The giant said: “I've got the right one now;” and took Nix Nought Nothing to his own house and brought him up till he was a man.

于是巨人怒气冲冲地回到国王的宫殿，说要是这回再不把“无有无名”给他，他就要把他们全都毁掉。他们只得照办；巨人走到那块大石头旁，说道：“这会儿是什么时辰？”无有无名答道：“这会儿正是我父王坐下用晚膳的时辰。”巨人说：“这回可算是找对人了；”于是把无有无名带回了自己家中，把他抚养长大成人。

The giant had a bonny daughter, and she and the lad grew very fond of each other. The giant said one day to Nix Nought Nothing: “I've work for you to-morrow. There is a stable seven miles long and seven miles broad, and it has not been cleaned for seven years, and you must clean it to-morrow, or I will have you for my supper.”

巨人有个漂亮的女儿，她和这少年渐渐彼此生出了深厚的情谊。有一天巨人对无有无名说：“明天我有活儿要你干。有一间马厩，七英里长，七英里宽，七年都没打扫过了，你明天必须把它打扫干净，不然我就把你当晚餐吃掉。”

The giant's daughter went out next morning with the lad's breakfast, and found him in a terrible state, for always as he cleaned out a bit, it just fell in again. The giant's daughter said she would help him, and she cried all the beasts in the field, and all the fowls of the air, and in a minute they all came, and carried away everything that was in the stable and made it all clean before the giant came home. He said: “Shame on the wit that helped you; but I have a worse job for you to-morrow.”

第二天早晨，巨人的女儿给这少年送早饭出去，发现他狼狈不堪，因为他每清出一点，那些东西又立刻倒塌回来。巨人的女儿说她来帮他，她呼唤了田野里所有的走兽，还有天空中所有的飞禽，转眼间它们都来了，把马厩里的一切都搬了出去，趁巨人回来之前把马厩打扫得干干净净。巨人说：“帮你的那点小聪明真是可耻；不过明天我还有件更难的活儿给你。”

Then he said to Nix Nought Nothing: “There's a lake seven miles long, and seven miles deep, and seven miles broad, and you must drain it to-morrow by nightfall, or else I'll have you for my supper.” Nix Nought Nothing began early next morning and tried to lave the water with his pail, but the lake was never getting any less, and he didn't know what to do; but the giant's daughter called on all the fish in the sea to come and drink the water, and very soon they drank it dry.

于是他对无有无名说：“有一个湖，七英里长，七英里深，七英里宽，你明天天黑之前必须把它排干，不然我就把你当晚餐吃掉。”无有无名第二天一早就动手，想用桶子把水舀干，可那湖水一点也不见少，他不知如何是好；可是巨人的女儿呼唤了海里所有的鱼来把水喝干，不一会儿工夫，湖水就被喝得干干净净了。

When the giant saw the work done he was in a rage, and said: “I've a worse job for you to-morrow; there is a tree, seven miles high, and no branch on it, till you get to the top, and there is a nest with seven eggs in it, and you must bring down all the eggs without breaking one, or else I'll have you for my supper.”

巨人见活儿做成了，勃然大怒，说道：“明天我还有件更难的活儿给你；有一棵树，七英里高，一直到树顶都没有枝丫，树顶上有个鸟窝，里面有七个蛋，你必须把这些蛋一个不破地全都取下来，不然我就把你当晚餐吃掉。”

At first the giant's daughter did not know how to help Nix Nought Nothing; but she cut off first her fingers and then her toes, and made steps of them, and he clomb the tree and got all the eggs safe till he came just to the bottom, and then one was broken.

起初巨人的女儿不知该如何帮无有无名；可她先砍下了自己的手指，又砍下了自己的脚趾，当作梯级，让他爬上了那棵树，把所有的蛋都安全取到手，可是就在快到地面的时候，有一个蛋摔破了。

So they determined to run away together and after the giant's daughter had tidied up her hair a bit and got her magic flask they set out together as fast as they could run. And they hadn't got but three fields away when they looked back and saw the giant walking along at top speed after them.

于是他们便决定一起私奔，巨人的女儿梳理好头发，又取了她的魔法瓶，两人便一起拼命地跑起来。他们才跑过三块田地，回头一看，就见巨人正拼命地大步追赶过来。

“Quick, quick,” called out the giant's daughter, “take my comb from my hair and throw it down.” Nix Nought Nothing took her comb from her hair and threw it down, and out of every one of its prongs there sprung up a fine thick briar in the way of the giant. You may be sure it took him a long time to work his way through the briar bush and by the time he was well through Nix Nought Nothing and his sweetheart had run on a tidy step away from him.

“快，快，”巨人的女儿喊道，“把我头发上的梳子取下来，扔到地上。”无有无名取下她发间的梳子扔在地上，梳齿上顿时长出了一大片浓密的荆棘，挡在了巨人前进的路上。可想而知，巨人费了好一番工夫才穿过这片荆棘丛，等他好不容易穿过去时，无有无名和他的心上人已经跑出了老远的一段路。

But he soon came along after them and was just like to catch 'em up when the giant's daughter called out to Nix Nought Nothing, “Take my hair dagger and throw it down, quick, quick.” So Nix Nought Nothing threw down the hair dagger and out of it grew as quick as lightning a thick hedge of sharp razors placed criss-cross. The giant had to tread very cautiously to get through all this and meanwhile the young lovers ran on, and on, and on, till they were nearly out of sight.

可是不久巨人又追了上来，眼看就要追上他们了，这时巨人的女儿对无有无名喊道：“快，快，把我的发簪短刀取下来，扔到地上。”无有无名便把那把发簪短刀扔在地上，转眼间地上长出了一道浓密的荆棘篱笆，全是纵横交错的锋利剃刀。巨人不得不小心翼翼地才能穿过这一片，与此同时，这对年轻的恋人跑啊跑啊，一直跑到几乎看不见踪影。

But at last the giant was through, and it wasn't long before he was like to catch them up. But just as he was stretching out his hand to catch Nix Nought Nothing his daughter took out her magic flask and dashed it on the ground. And as it broke out of it welled a big, big wave that grew, and that grew, till it reached the giant's waist and then his neck, and when it got to his head, he was drowned dead, and dead, and dead indeed. So he goes out of the story.

可是巨人终究还是穿过了那片荆棘，没过多久眼看又要追上他们了。就在他伸手要抓住无有无名的那一刻，巨人的女儿取出她的魔法瓶，狠狠地摔在地上。瓶子一破，顿时涌出一股巨浪，越涨越大，直涨到巨人的腰间，又涨到他的脖子，等涨到他头顶时，他就被淹死了，彻彻底底地死了。于是他就此退出了这个故事。

But Nix Nought Nothing fled on till where do you think they came to? Why, to near the castle of Nix Nought Nothing's father and mother. But the giant's daughter was so weary that she couldn't move a step further. So Nix Nought Nothing told her to wait there while he went and found out a lodging for the night.

无有无名一路逃啊逃，你猜他们跑到哪里去了？没错，正跑到了无有无名父母那座城堡的附近。可是巨人的女儿实在太累了，一步也走不动了。于是无有无名叫她在那里等着，自己先去找一处过夜的住处。

And he went on towards the lights of the castle, and on the way he came to the cottage of the hen-wife whose boy had had his brains dashed out by the giant. Now she knew Nix Nought Nothing in a moment, and hated him because he was the cause of her son's death. So when he asked his way to the castle she put a spell upon him, and when he got to the castle, no sooner was he let in than he fell down dead asleep upon a bench in the hall.

他朝着城堡的灯光走去，路上经过了那位养鸡婆的小屋，她的儿子就是被巨人摔破脑袋而死的那个。养鸡婆一眼就认出了无有无名，因为他正是自己儿子丧命的祸根，心中对他恨之入骨。所以当他向她打听去城堡的路时，她对他施了一道咒语，等他到了城堡，刚一被放进去，就倒在大厅的一条长凳上昏睡不醒了。

The king and queen tried all they could do to wake him up, but all in vain. So the king promised that if any lady could wake him up she should marry him. Meanwhile the giant's daughter was waiting and waiting for him to come back. And she went up into a tree to watch for him. The gardener's daughter, going to draw water in the well, saw the shadow of the lady in the water and thought it was herself, and said; “If I'm so bonny, if I'm so brave, why do you send me to draw water?” So she threw down her pail and went to see if she could wed the sleeping stranger.

国王和王后想尽了一切办法要把他唤醒，却都是徒劳。于是国王便许下承诺，若有哪位姑娘能唤醒他，便可嫁给他。与此同时，巨人的女儿还在等啊等他回来。她爬上一棵树去张望着等他。园丁的女儿去井边打水，看见水中映出那位姑娘的影子，还以为是自己，说道：“我要是这么标致，这么俊俏，为何还要打发我来打水？”于是她扔下水桶，去看看自己能不能嫁给那个沉睡的陌生人。

And she went to the hen-wife, who taught her an unspelling catch which would keep Nix Nought Nothing awake as long as the gardener's daughter liked. So she went up to the castle and sang her catch and Nix Nought Nothing was wakened for a bit and they promised to wed him to the gardener's daughter. Meanwhile the gardener went down to draw water from the well and saw the shadow of the lady in the water. So he looks up and finds her, and he brought the lady from the tree, and led her into his house.

她去找了养鸡婆，养鸡婆教了她一句解咒的歌谣，只要她愿意，便能让无有无名保持清醒。于是她来到城堡，唱起了这解咒的歌谣，无有无名便清醒了一小会儿，众人就许诺把他许配给园丁的女儿。与此同时，园丁下井打水，看见了那位姑娘的影子映在水中。他抬头一看便找到了她，把她从树上带下来，领进了自己家中。

And he told her that a stranger was to marry his daughter, and took her up to the castle and showed her the man: and it was Nix Nought Nothing asleep in a chair. And she saw him, and cried to him: “Waken, waken, and speak to me!” But he would not waken, and soon she cried:

他告诉她说，有个陌生人要娶自己的女儿了，便带她去了城堡，把那男子指给她看：正是坐在椅子上昏睡的无有无名。她一见到他，便哭喊道：“醒来吧，醒来吧，跟我说句话吧！”可他怎么也不醒，她不禁哭喊道：

“I cleaned the stable, I laved the lake, and I clomb the tree, And all for the love of thee, And thou wilt not waken and speak to me.”

“我打扫了马厩，我舀干了湖水，我爬上了那棵树， 这一切都是为了对你的爱， 你却怎么也不肯醒来，跟我说句话。”

The king and the queen heard this, and came to the bonny young lady, and she said:

国王和王后听见了这歌声，来到这位美丽的姑娘跟前，她说道：

“I cannot get Nix Nought Nothing to speak to me for all that I can do.”

“我无论怎么做，都没法让无有无名跟我说话。”

Then were they greatly astonished when she spoke of Nix Nought Nothing, and asked where he was, and she said: “He that sits there in the chair.” Then they ran to him and kissed him and called him their own dear son; so they called for the gardener's daughter and made her sing her charm, and he wakened, and told them all that the giant's daughter had done for him, and of all her kindness. Then they took her in their arms and kissed her, and said she should now be their daughter, for their son should marry her. But they sent for the hen-wife and put her to death. And they lived happy all their days.

他们一听她提起“无有无名”这个名字，都大为惊讶，忙问他在哪里，她答道：“就是那个坐在椅子上的人。”于是他们跑到他身边，亲吻他，唤他们亲爱的儿子；随后又叫来园丁的女儿，让她再唱一遍那解咒的歌谣，他这才醒了过来，把巨人的女儿为他所做的一切、她的种种恩情，都一一告诉了父母。于是他们把她搂在怀里，亲吻她，说她如今便是他们的女儿了，因为他们的儿子要娶她为妻。可是他们叫人把那养鸡婆抓来，处死了她。从此他们过上了幸福快乐的日子。