The Glass Coffin

Let no one ever say that a poor tailor cannot do great things and win high honors; all that is needed is that he should go to the right smithy, and what is of most consequence, that he should have good luck. A civil, adroit tailor’s apprentice once went out travelling, and came into a great forest, and, as he did not know the way, he lost himself. Night fell, and nothing was left for him to do, but to seek a bed in this painful solitude.

谁也不该说，一个穷裁缝成不了大事、赢不来崇高的荣誉；他所需要的，不过是走对一间铁匠铺，而最要紧的，是他得有好运气。从前有个彬彬有礼、手脚灵巧的裁缝学徒外出游历，走进了一片大森林，因为不识路，便迷了路。夜幕降临，他别无他法，只得在这令人苦恼的孤寂之地寻个栖身之处。

He might certainly have found a good bed on the soft moss, but the fear of wild beasts let him have no rest there, and at last he was forced to make up his mind to spend the night in a tree. He sought out a high oak, climbed up to the top of it, and thanked God that he had his goose with him, for otherwise the wind which blew over the top of the tree would have carried him away.

他本可以在柔软的苔藓上找到一张不错的床铺，可对野兽的恐惧使他无法在那儿安心休息，最后他只得下定决心在树上过夜。他找到一棵高大的橡树，爬到了树顶，庆幸自己随身带着他的鹅，不然吹过树梢的风早就把他刮走了。

After he had spent some hours in the darkness, not without fear and trembling, he saw at a very short distance the glimmer of a light, and as he thought that a human habitation might be there, where he would be better off than on the branches of a tree, he got carefully down and went towards the light. It guided him to a small hut that was woven together of reeds and rushes.

他在黑暗中提心吊胆地熬过了几个钟头之后，看见不远处闪着一点微光，他想那儿或许有人家居住，总比待在树枝上强，便小心翼翼地下了树，朝那光亮走去。那光把他引到了一间用芦苇和灯芯草编成的小屋前。

He knocked boldly, the door opened, and by the light which came forth he saw a little hoary old man who wore a coat made of bits of colored stuff sewn together. “Who are you, and what do you want?” asked the man in a grumbling voice. “I am a poor tailor,” he answered, “whom night has surprised here in the wilderness, and I earnestly beg you to take me into your hut until morning.”

他大胆地敲了敲门，门开了，借着透出的光，他看见一个满头白发的小老头，穿着一件用各色碎布拼缝而成的外衣。“你是谁，想干什么？”老人粗声粗气地问道。“我是个可怜的裁缝，”他答道，“夜色突然降临，把我困在了这荒野之中，恳求您让我在您的小屋里借宿一晚，等到天亮。”

“Go your way,” replied the old man in a surly voice, “I will have nothing to do with runagates; seek for yourself a shelter elsewhere.” After these words he was about to slip into his hut again, but the tailor held him so tightly by the corner of his coat, and pleaded so piteously, that the old man, who was not so ill-natured as he wished to appear, was at last softened, and took him into the hut with him where he gave him something to eat, and then pointed out to him a very good bed in a corner.

“走你的路吧，”老人没好气地答道，“我可不想跟流浪汉扯上关系；自己去别处找地方过夜吧。”说完这话，他正要缩回小屋去，裁缝却紧紧抓住他外衣的一角，苦苦哀求，老人本来也没有他表面上装出的那么坏心肠，终于被打动了，把他带进小屋，给了他些吃的，随后指给他屋角一张相当不错的床铺。

The weary tailor needed no rocking; but slept sweetly till morning, but even then would not have thought of getting up, if he had not been aroused by a great noise. A violent sound of screaming and roaring forced its way through the thin walls of the hut. The tailor, full of unwonted courage, jumped up, put his clothes on in haste, and hurried out.

疲惫的裁缝无需摇篮哄睡，一觉香甜地睡到天明；即便如此，若不是被一阵巨大的响声惊醒，他恐怕也不会想到起床。一阵猛烈的尖叫和咆哮声穿透了小屋单薄的墙壁。裁缝鼓起一股异乎寻常的勇气，跳起身来，匆匆穿好衣服，冲了出去。

Then close by the hut, he saw a great black bull and a beautiful stag, which were just preparing for a violent struggle. They rushed at each other with such extreme rage that the ground shook with their trampling, and the air resounded with their cries. For a long time it was uncertain which of the two would gain the victory; at length the stag thrust his horns into his adversary’s body, whereupon the bull fell to the earth with a terrific roar, and was thoroughly despatched by a few strokes from the stag.

紧挨着小屋，他看见一头黑色的大公牛和一只俊美的雄鹿，正准备一场激烈的搏斗。它们朝对方猛冲过去，怒气冲天，践踏得地面都为之震动，吼叫声响彻空中。好长一段时间都难分胜负；最后雄鹿一角刺入对手的身体，公牛发出一声可怕的咆哮倒在地上，雄鹿又补了几角，才彻底了结了它的性命。

The tailor, who had watched the fight with astonishment, was still standing there motionless, when the stag in full career bounded up to him, and before he could escape, caught him up on his great horns. He had not much time to collect his thoughts, for it went in a swift race over stock and stone, mountain and valley, wood and meadow. He held with both hands to the tops of the horns, and resigned himself to his fate. It seemed, however, to him just as if he were flying away.

裁缝惊愕地看完了这场搏斗，仍旧一动不动地站在那儿，这时雄鹿全速朝他奔来，他还没来得及躲开，就被那对巨大的角挑了起来。他没有多少时间来定神，因为雄鹿驮着他，飞快地穿越乱石、山岭、丛林和草地。他双手紧抓着鹿角的顶端，只能听天由命。可他觉得自己仿佛正在腾空飞翔一般。

At length the stag stopped in front of a wall of rock, and gently let the tailor down. The tailor, more dead than alive, required a longer time than that to come to himself. When he had in some degree recovered, the stag, which had remained standing by him, pushed its horns with such force against a door which was in the rock, that it sprang open. Flames of fire shot forth, after which followed a great smoke, which hid the stag from his sight.

最后，雄鹿在一堵石壁前停了下来，轻轻地把裁缝放下。裁缝已是半死不活，过了好一会儿才缓过神来。等他多少恢复了一些，那只一直站在他身旁的雄鹿，猛地用角撞向石壁上的一扇门，门应声弹开。火焰从中喷涌而出，随后腾起一阵浓烟，把雄鹿的身影遮得看不见了。

The tailor did not know what to do, or whither to turn, in order to get out of this desert and back to human beings again. Whilst he was standing thus undecided, a voice sounded out of the rock, which cried to him, “Enter without fear, no evil shall befall thee.” He hesitated, but driven by a mysterious force, he obeyed the voice and went through the iron-door into a large spacious hall, whose ceiling, walls and floor were made of shining polished square stones, on each of which were cut letters which were unknown to him.

裁缝不知该如何是好，也不知该往何处去，才能走出这片荒野，重新回到人间。正当他这样犹豫不决地站着时，忽然从岩石中传来一个声音，向他喊道：“进来吧，不必害怕，不会有任何祸事降临到你头上。”他犹豫了一下，可一股神秘的力量驱使着他，他还是听从了那声音，穿过铁门，走进了一间宽敞的大厅，厅内的天花板、墙壁和地板都是用打磨得闪闪发亮的方石砌成的，每一块石头上都刻着他从未见过的文字。

He looked at everything full of admiration, and was on the point of going out again, when he once more heard the voice which said to him, “Step on the stone which lies in the middle of the hall, and great good fortune awaits thee.”

他满怀敬佩地打量着这一切，正想着要再走出去，忽然又听见那声音对他说道：“站到大厅正中的那块石头上，好运正等着你。”

His courage had already grown so great that he obeyed the order. The stone began to give way under his feet, and sank slowly down into the depths. When it was once more firm, and the tailor looked round, he found himself in a hall which in size resembled the former. Here, however, there was more to look at and to admire.

他此时的胆量已经大了不少，便照着吩咐做了。那块石头开始在他脚下慢慢陷落，缓缓沉入深处。等它再度稳固下来，裁缝环顾四周，发现自己置身于一间大小与先前那间相仿的大厅里。不过这里有更多值得观赏、令人赞叹的东西。

Hollow places were cut in the walls, in which stood vases of transparent glass which were filled with colored spirit or with a bluish vapour. On the floor of the hall two great glass chests stood opposite to each other, which at once excited his curiosity. When he went to one of them he saw inside it a handsome structure like a castle surrounded by farm-buildings, stables and barns, and a quantity of other good things. Everything was small, but exceedingly carefully and delicately made, and seemed to be cut out by a dexterous hand with the greatest exactitude.

墙壁上凿出了一个个凹龛，里面放着透明的玻璃瓶，瓶中盛着彩色的精魂或是发蓝的蒸气。大厅地面上，两口巨大的玻璃箱相对而立，立刻引起了他的好奇。他走到其中一口箱子前，看见里面是一座精美的建筑，宛如一座城堡，四周环绕着农舍、马厩和谷仓，还有许多其他的好东西。一切都做得很小，却极其精细、极其考究，仿佛是出自一双巧手，精确无比地雕琢而成。

He might not have turned away his eyes from the consideration of this rarity for some time, if the voice had not once more made itself heard. It ordered him to turn round and look at the glass chest which was standing opposite.

他本可以久久地把目光留在这件珍奇物件上，若不是那声音再度响起。那声音吩咐他转过身去，看看对面立着的另一口玻璃箱。

How his admiration increased when he saw therein a maiden of the greatest beauty! She lay as if asleep, and was wrapped in her long fair hair as in a precious mantle. Her eyes were closely shut, but the brightness of her complexion and a ribbon which her breathing moved to and fro, left no doubt that she was alive. The tailor was looking at the beauty with beating heart, when she suddenly opened her eyes, and started up at the sight of him in joyful terror.

当他看见箱中那位美貌绝伦的姑娘时，他的赞叹更增添了几分！她躺在那里，仿佛正在沉睡，一头金色的长发把她裹得严严实实，宛如一件珍贵的斗篷。她双目紧闭，可她面色的红润，以及那条随她呼吸而轻轻飘动的丝带，都毫无疑问地表明她还活着。裁缝正怀着怦怦跳动的心凝视着这位美人时，她忽然睁开了眼睛，看见他时惊喜交加，猛地坐了起来。

“Just Heaven!” cried she, “my deliverance is at hand! Quick, quick, help me out of my prison; if thou pushest back the bolt of this glass coffin, then I shall be free.” The tailor obeyed without delay, and she immediately raised up the glass lid, came out and hastened into the corner of the hall, where she covered herself with a large cloak. Then she seated herself on a stone, ordered the young man to come to her, and after she had imprinted a friendly kiss on his lips, she said, “My long-desired deliverer, kind Heaven has guided thee to me, and put an end to my sorrows.

“老天啊！”她喊道，“我得救的时刻到了！快，快，救我出这囚笼；只要你把这玻璃棺的门闩推开，我便自由了。”裁缝立刻照做，她随即掀起玻璃盖，走了出来，急忙走到大厅的角落，拿一件大斗篷把自己裹了起来。随后她在一块石头上坐下，招呼那年轻人到她跟前来，在他唇上印下一个友好的吻之后，说道：“我朝思暮想的救命恩人啊，仁慈的上天引导你来到我身边，结束了我的苦难。

On the self-same day when they end, shall thy happiness begin. Thou art the husband chosen for me by Heaven, and shalt pass thy life in unbroken joy, loved by me, and rich to overflowing in every earthly possession. Seat thyself, and listen to the story of my life:

我的苦难结束之日，便是你的幸福开始之时。你正是上天为我选定的丈夫，你将得到我的爱，享尽人间一切富足，一生幸福不断。坐下吧，听我说说我的身世：

“I am the daughter of a rich count. My parents died when I was still in my tender youth, and recommended me in their last will to my elder brother, by whom I was brought up. We loved each other so tenderly, and were so alike in our way of thinking and our inclinations, that we both embraced the resolution never to marry, but to stay together to the end of our lives. In our house there was no lack of company; neighbors and friends visited us often, and we showed the greatest hospitality to every one.

“我是一位富有伯爵的女儿。我父母在我年幼时便去世了，临终遗嘱把我托付给了我的兄长，我便由他抚养长大。我们彼此深爱，在思想和性情上又如此相似，以至于我们两人都下定决心，终身不嫁不娶，只愿相守到老。我们家中从不缺少宾客；邻居和朋友常来探望，我们对每一位来客都竭尽热情地款待。

So it came to pass one evening that a stranger came riding to our castle, and, under pretext of not being able to get on to the next place, begged for shelter for the night. We granted his request with ready courtesy, and he entertained us in the most agreeable manner during supper by conversation intermingled with stories. My brother liked the stranger so much that he begged him to spend a couple of days with us, to which, after some hesitation, he consented. We did not rise from table until late in the night, the stranger was shown to room, and I hastened, as I was tired, to lay my limbs in my soft bed.

于是有一天晚上，一个陌生人骑马来到我们的城堡，借口赶不到下一个地方，恳求借宿一夜。我们欣然应允了他的请求，晚餐时他谈吐风趣，穿插着讲些故事，令我们十分愉快。我的兄长十分喜欢这位陌生人，便请他在我们这儿多住几日，那人踌躇了一番，终于答应了。我们直到深夜才起身离席，陌生人被领去了客房，而我因为疲倦，便急忙去躺到我柔软的床上。

Hardly had I slept for a short time, when the sound of faint and delightful music awoke me. As I could not conceive from whence it came, I wanted to summon my waiting-maid who slept in the next room, but to my astonishment I found that speech was taken away from me by an unknown force. I felt as if a mountain were weighing down my breast, and was unable to make the very slightest sound.

我才刚睡了不大一会儿，一阵微弱而悦耳的乐声便把我唤醒了。我不知道这乐声从何而来，本想唤醒睡在隔壁房间的侍女，却惊讶地发现，一股不明的力量夺去了我说话的能力。我只觉得仿佛有一座大山压在胸口，连最轻微的声音也发不出来。

In the meantime, by the light of my night-lamp, I saw the stranger enter my room through two doors which were fast bolted. He came to me and said, that by magic arts which were at his command, he had caused the lovely music to sound in order to awaken me, and that he now forced his way through all fastenings with the intention of offering me his hand and heart. My repugnance to his magic arts was, however, so great, that I vouchsafed him no answer.

这时，借着我床头夜灯的光亮，我看见那陌生人竟从两扇紧闭的门中穿了进来，进了我的房间。他走到我跟前，说他用他所掌握的魔法，弄出这美妙的乐声来唤醒我，如今他更是穿越一切门户的阻隔，前来向我表明心意，要娶我为妻。可我对他的魔法深恶痛绝，因此一言不发。

He remained for a time standing without moving, apparently with the idea of waiting for a favorable decision, but as I continued to keep silence, he angrily declared he would revenge himself and find means to punish my pride, and left the room. I passed the night in the greatest disquietude, and only fell asleep towards morning. When I awoke, I hurried to my brother, but did not find him in his room, and the attendants told me that he had ridden forth with the stranger to the chase by daybreak.

他一动不动地站了一会儿，似乎是在等一个称心的答复，可我始终保持沉默，他终于恼怒地宣称，他要报复我，要想法子惩罚我的骄傲，说完便离开了房间。那一夜我心神不宁，直到快天亮时才总算睡着。醒来后，我急忙去找我兄长，却发现他不在房里，仆人们告诉我，他天一亮就跟那陌生人一同骑马出去打猎了。

“I at once suspected nothing good. I dressed myself quickly, ordered my palfrey to be saddled, and accompanied only by one servant, rode full gallop to the forest. The servant fell with his horse, and could not follow me, for the horse had broken its foot. I pursued my way without halting, and in a few minutes I saw the stranger coming towards me with a beautiful stag which he led by a cord. I asked him where he had left my brother, and how he had come by this stag, out of whose great eyes I saw tears flowing.

“我立刻起了疑心，觉得情况不妙。我匆匆穿好衣裳，吩咐备好我的坐骑，只带了一名仆人，便策马飞驰进了森林。那仆人的马摔倒了，跟不上我，因为马摔断了腿。我毫不停歇地继续赶路，几分钟后，便看见那陌生人牵着一只俊美的雄鹿朝我走来，那鹿是用一根绳子牵着的。我问他把我的兄长留在了哪里，又问他这只雄鹿是从哪儿来的，因为我看见那双大眼睛里正淌着泪水。

Instead of answering me, he began to laugh loudly. I fell into a great rage at this, pulled out a pistol and discharged it at the monster; but the ball rebounded from his breast and went into my horse’s head. I fell to the ground, and the stranger muttered some words which deprived me of consciousness.

他不但没有回答我，反而放声大笑起来。我因此勃然大怒，抽出手枪朝那怪物开了一枪；可子弹从他胸口弹开，射进了我坐骑的头颅。我摔倒在地，那陌生人念念有词，说了几句话，我便失去了知觉。

“When I came to my senses again I found myself in this underground cave in a glass coffin. The magician appeared once again, and said he had changed my brother into a stag, my castle with all that belonged to it, diminished in size by his arts, he had shut up in the other glass chest, and my people, who were all turned into smoke, he had confined in glass bottles.

“等我再度清醒过来时，发现自己正躺在这地下洞穴中的一口玻璃棺里。那魔法师又一次现身，说他已经把我的兄长变成了一只雄鹿，把我的城堡连同城堡里的一切，都用魔法缩小了，关进了另一口玻璃箱里，而我的家臣们，则都被化作了轻烟，关进了一个个玻璃瓶中。

He told me that if I would now comply with his wish, it was an easy thing for him to put everything back in its former state, as he had nothing to do but open the vessels, and everything would return once more to its natural form. I answered him as little as I had done the first time.

他告诉我，若我如今肯依从他的心意，他要把一切恢复原状，那是轻而易举的事，他只需打开这些容器，一切便会自然而然地恢复原形。我对他的答复，和第一次一样，一个字也没有。

He vanished and left me in my prison, in which a deep sleep came on me. Amongst the visions which passed before my eyes, that was the most comforting in which a young man came and set me free, and when I opened my eyes to-day I saw thee, and beheld my dream fulfilled. Help me to accomplish the other things which happened in those visions. The first is that we lift the glass chest in which my castle is enclosed, on to that broad stone.”

他随即消失了，把我留在这囚笼之中，一阵沉沉的睡意向我袭来。在那些接连浮现在我眼前的幻象中，最令我感到慰藉的，便是一个年轻人前来救我出去的那一幕，而今天，我睁开眼睛，便看见了你，眼见我的梦境成真。请你帮我把那幻象中的其余事情也一一实现吧。首先，我们得把关着我城堡的那口玻璃箱抬到那块宽阔的石头上。”

As soon as the stone was laden, it began to rise up on high with the maiden and the young man, and mounted through the opening of the ceiling into the upper hall, from whence they then could easily reach the open air. Here the maiden opened the lid, and it was marvellous to behold how the castle, the houses, and the farm buildings which were enclosed, stretched themselves out and grew to their natural size with the greatest rapidity.

石头上一放好东西，便载着姑娘和年轻人开始徐徐升起，穿过天花板的开口，升入上面的大厅，从那儿他们便能轻易地重返地面，呼吸到户外的空气。到了那里，姑娘打开了箱盖，只见城堡、房屋和农庄建筑一一伸展开来，以极快的速度恢复了原本的大小，景象十分奇妙。

After this, the maiden and the tailor returned to the cave beneath the earth, and had the vessels which were filled with smoke carried up by the stone. The maiden had scarcely opened the bottles when the blue smoke rushed out and changed itself into living men, in whom she recognized her servants and her people. Her joy was still more increased when her brother, who had killed the magician in the form of the bull, came out of the forest towards them in his human form, and on the self-same day the maiden, in accordance with her promise, gave her hand at the altar to the lucky tailor.

事后，姑娘和裁缝又回到了地下的洞穴，把那些盛满轻烟的瓶子借着石头搬运了上来。姑娘刚打开瓶塞，蓝色的轻烟便涌了出来，化作了一个个活生生的人，她一眼便认出，那正是她的家臣和族人。当她的兄长——那位曾以公牛之形杀死魔法师的兄长——恢复了人形，从森林中朝他们走来时，她的欣喜更是有增无减；就在同一天，姑娘依照自己许下的诺言，在祭坛前把手交给了这位幸运的裁缝。