The Goose-Girl

The king of a great land died, and left his queen to take care of their only child. This child was a daughter, who was very beautiful; and her mother loved her dearly, and was very kind to her. And there was a good fairy too, who was fond of the princess, and helped her mother to watch over her.

从前有个大国的国王去世了，留下王后独自照料他们唯一的孩子。这孩子是个女儿，生得十分美丽；母亲深深爱着她，对她也十分慈爱。还有一位善良的仙女，也很疼爱这位公主，帮着王后一同照看她。

When she grew up, she was betrothed to a prince who lived a great way off; and as the time drew near for her to be married, she got ready to set off on her journey to his country. Then the queen her mother, packed up a great many costly things; jewels, and gold, and silver; trinkets, fine dresses, and in short everything that became a royal bride. And she gave her a waiting-maid to ride with her, and give her into the bridegroom’s hands; and each had a horse for the journey. Now the princess’s horse was the fairy’s gift, and it was called Falada, and could speak.

公主长大以后，许配给了一位住在很远地方的王子；眼看着婚期将近，她便准备启程前往王子的国度。于是王后母亲替她打点了许多贵重的物件：珠宝、金银首饰，还有各式精美的衣裳，总之凡是一位皇家新娘该有的东西，样样齐备。王后又派了一个侍女陪她骑马同行，好把她亲手交到新郎手里；两人各骑一匹马上路。公主的那匹马是仙女所赠，名叫法拉达，还会说话。

When the time came for them to set out, the fairy went into her bed-chamber, and took a little knife, and cut off a lock of her hair, and gave it to the princess, and said, ‘Take care of it, dear child; for it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road.’ Then they all took a sorrowful leave of the princess; and she put the lock of hair into her bosom, got upon her horse, and set off on her journey to her bridegroom’s kingdom.

启程的时候到了，仙女走进公主的卧房，拿起一把小刀，剪下自己的一绺头发，交给公主，说道：“好好保管这个，亲爱的孩子，这是一件护身符，路上或许用得着。”于是众人依依不舍地向公主道别；公主把那绺头发揣进怀里，骑上马，踏上了前往新郎国度的旅程。

One day, as they were riding along by a brook, the princess began to feel very thirsty: and she said to her maid, ‘Pray get down, and fetch me some water in my golden cup out of yonder brook, for I want to drink.’ ‘Nay,’ said the maid, ‘if you are thirsty, get off yourself, and stoop down by the water and drink; I shall not be your waiting-maid any longer.’ Then she was so thirsty that she got down, and knelt over the little brook, and drank; for she was frightened, and dared not bring out her golden cup; and she wept and said, ‘Alas! what will become of me?’ And the lock answered her, and said:

有一天，她们沿着一条小溪骑行，公主忽觉口渴难耐，便对侍女说：“劳驾你下马，用我的金杯到那边溪里舀些水来，我想喝水。”侍女却道：“不行，你渴了就自己下马，弯腰到水边喝去；我不打算再做你的侍女了。”公主渴得实在难受，只得自己下马，跪在小溪边上喝水；她又惊又怕，不敢拿出金杯来，一边哭一边说：“唉！我这是要遭什么罪呀？”那绺头发便应声答道：

‘Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

“唉呀，唉呀，你母亲若知晓， 必定伤心，为此暗自懊恼。”

But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to her maid’s ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again.

公主生性温柔驯良，对侍女这般无礼的举动也不多说什么，只是又骑上了马。

Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid’s rude speech, and said, ‘Pray get down, and fetch me some water to drink in my golden cup.’ But the maid answered her, and even spoke more haughtily than before: ‘Drink if you will, but I shall not be your waiting-maid.’

于是众人继续赶路，日头越来越毒辣，天气也越来越炎热，新娘又渐渐觉得口渴起来；等到了一条河边，她忘了侍女先前那番无礼的话，又开口道：“劳驾你下马，用我的金杯舀些水来给我喝。”侍女却答得比先前更加傲慢：“你要喝就自己喝，我可不做你的侍女了。”

Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her horse, and lay down, and held her head over the running stream, and cried and said, ‘What will become of me?’ And the lock of hair answered her again:

公主渴得实在受不了，便下了马，趴在地上，把头探到那流淌的溪水上，哭着说：“我这是要遭什么罪呀？”那绺头发又应声答道：

‘Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

“唉呀，唉呀，你母亲若知晓， 必定伤心，为此暗自懊恼。”

And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom, and floated away with the water. Now she was so frightened that she did not see it; but her maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew the charm; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power, now that she had lost the hair. So when the bride had done drinking, and would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, ‘I shall ride upon Falada, and you may have my horse instead’; so she was forced to give up her horse, and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and put on her maid’s shabby ones.

她俯身喝水的时候，那绺头发从怀里滑落，随着水流漂走了。公主吓得没有留意，可她的侍女却看见了，心中大喜，因为她知道这护身符的厉害；她明白，如今公主失去了这绺头发，可怜的新娘便要任她摆布了。公主喝完水，正要重新骑上法拉达，侍女却说：“我要骑法拉达，你就骑我的马好了。”公主无奈只得交出自己的马，不久之后又被迫脱下皇家的衣裳，换上了侍女那身寒酸的衣服。

At last, as they drew near the end of their journey, this treacherous servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what had happened. But Falada saw it all, and marked it well.

到了旅程快要结束的时候，这个奸诈的侍女又威胁公主，说她若把这事告诉任何人，就要了她的命。可这一切法拉达都看在眼里，牢牢记在心上。

Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride rode upon the other horse, and they went on in this way till at last they came to the royal court. There was great joy at their coming, and the prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse, thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to the royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in the court below.

于是侍女骑上了法拉达，真正的新娘则骑着另一匹马，就这样一路来到了王宫。众人见她们到来，都欢喜不已，王子飞奔上前迎接，把侍女从马上扶下来，只当她便是自己未来的妻子；她被引上楼去，进了王家的寝室；真正的公主却被留在楼下的院子里。

Now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do; so he amused himself by sitting at his kitchen window, looking at what was going on; and he saw her in the courtyard. As she looked very pretty, and too delicate for a waiting-maid, he went up into the royal chamber to ask the bride who it was she had brought with her, that was thus left standing in the court below.

恰巧老国王当时闲来无事，便坐在厨房的窗边看外头的动静解闷；他一眼瞧见了院子里的公主。她生得那样俏丽，看着实在不像个侍女，老国王便上楼去问新娘，那个被留在楼下院子里的姑娘是什么人。

‘I brought her with me for the sake of her company on the road,’ said she; ‘pray give the girl some work to do, that she may not be idle.’ The old king could not for some time think of any work for her to do; but at last he said, ‘I have a lad who takes care of my geese; she may go and help him.’ Now the name of this lad, that the real bride was to help in watching the king’s geese, was Curdken.

“我带她一路同行，不过是图个伴儿罢了，”新娘答道，“劳烦给这姑娘找点活儿干，免得她闲着无事。”老国王一时想不出什么活计给她做；末了他说：“我这儿有个放鹅的小子，让她去帮他吧。”这个真正的新娘要去帮着放国王鹅群的小子，名叫库尔特肯。

But the false bride said to the prince, ‘Dear husband, pray do me one piece of kindness.’ ‘That I will,’ said the prince. ‘Then tell one of your slaughterers to cut off the head of the horse I rode upon, for it was very unruly, and plagued me sadly on the road’; but the truth was, she was very much afraid lest Falada should some day or other speak, and tell all she had done to the princess.

假新娘却对王子说：“亲爱的夫君，求你帮我一个忙。”“好说，”王子答道。“那就吩咐一个屠夫，把我骑来的那匹马杀了，砍下它的头，它性子太烈，一路上没少折腾我。”其实真正的缘故，是她生怕法拉达哪天开口说话，把她对公主做的事全都抖搂出来。

She carried her point, and the faithful Falada was killed; but when the true princess heard of it, she wept, and begged the man to nail up Falada’s head against a large dark gate of the city, through which she had to pass every morning and evening, that there she might still see him sometimes. Then the slaughterer said he would do as she wished; and cut off the head, and nailed it up under the dark gate.

她终究得逞，忠心的法拉达被杀了；可真正的公主听说此事，伤心落泪，恳求屠夫把法拉达的头钉在城里一座黑暗大门上，因为她每天早晚都要从那门下经过，好歹还能不时看它一眼。屠夫说愿意照她的意思办；便砍下马头，钉在了那座黑暗的城门下。

Early the next morning, as she and Curdken went out through the gate, she said sorrowfully:

第二天一大早，她和库尔特肯从那城门下经过，她伤心地说道：

‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

“法拉达，法拉达，你悬挂在此！”

and the head answered:

马头便应声答道：

‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

“新娘啊新娘，你从此路过！ 唉呀，唉呀，你母亲若知晓， 必定伤心，为此暗自懊恼。”

Then they went out of the city, and drove the geese on. And when she came to the meadow, she sat down upon a bank there, and let down her waving locks of hair, which were all of pure silver; and when Curdken saw it glitter in the sun, he ran up, and would have pulled some of the locks out, but she cried:

于是她们出了城，把鹅群往前赶。她来到草地上，坐在一处土坡上，放下了她那波浪般的头发，那头发通体如银丝一般。库尔特肯见那头发在阳光下闪闪发亮，便跑上前来，想拔下几根，她却喊道：

‘Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d Till the silvery locks Are all comb’d and curl’d!

“风儿呀，吹起来！ 把库尔特肯的帽子吹跑！ 风儿呀，吹起来！ 让他跟着帽子跑！ 翻过山岗越过谷地又越过岩石， 把它远远地卷走， 直到这一头银丝， 都梳好又卷好！”

Then there came a wind, so strong that it blew off Curdken’s hat; and away it flew over the hills: and he was forced to turn and run after it; till, by the time he came back, she had done combing and curling her hair, and had put it up again safe. Then he was very angry and sulky, and would not speak to her at all; but they watched the geese until it grew dark in the evening, and then drove them homewards.

话音刚落，便刮起一阵狂风，一下子把库尔特肯的帽子吹掉了；那帽子飞过了山岗，他只得转身去追；等他回来的时候，她早已把头发梳好卷好，重新稳稳当当地盘了起来。库尔特肯又气又恼，理都不理她；两人就这样一直看着鹅群，直到傍晚天色转暗，才把鹅群赶回家去。

The next morning, as they were going through the dark gate, the poor girl looked up at Falada’s head, and cried:

第二天早晨，两人正从那黑暗的城门下经过，这可怜的姑娘抬头望着法拉达的头，喊道：

‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

“法拉达，法拉达，你悬挂在此！”

and the head answered:

马头便应声答道：

‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

“新娘啊新娘，你从此路过！ 唉呀，唉呀，你母亲若知晓， 必定伤心，为此暗自懊恼。”

Then she drove on the geese, and sat down again in the meadow, and began to comb out her hair as before; and Curdken ran up to her, and wanted to take hold of it; but she cried out quickly:

于是她把鹅群往前赶，又在草地上坐下，像先前一样开始梳理头发；库尔特肯跑上前来，想去抓那头发，她却急忙喊道：

‘Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d Till the silvery locks Are all comb’d and curl’d!

“风儿呀，吹起来！ 把库尔特肯的帽子吹跑！ 风儿呀，吹起来！ 让他跟着帽子跑！ 翻过山岗越过谷地又越过岩石， 把它远远地卷走， 直到这一头银丝， 都梳好又卷好！”

Then the wind came and blew away his hat; and off it flew a great way, over the hills and far away, so that he had to run after it; and when he came back she had bound up her hair again, and all was safe. So they watched the geese till it grew dark.

于是风又刮了起来，把他的帽子吹跑了，一直飞出老远，越过山岗，飞得无影无踪，他只得跑去追赶；等他回来的时候，她早已把头发重新扎好，一切都安然无恙。两人就这样看着鹅群，直到天色转暗。

In the evening, after they came home, Curdken went to the old king, and said, ‘I cannot have that strange girl to help me to keep the geese any longer.’ ‘Why?’ said the king. ‘Because, instead of doing any good, she does nothing but tease me all day long.’ Then the king made him tell him what had happened. And Curdken said, ‘When we go in the morning through the dark gate with our flock of geese, she cries and talks with the head of a horse that hangs upon the wall, and says:

那天晚上，回到家中之后，库尔特肯跑去见老国王，说道：“我实在没法再让那古怪的姑娘帮我放鹅了。”“为什么？”国王问道。“因为她一天到晚不但不帮忙，反倒尽拿我寻开心。”国王便逼他把经过一五一十说出来。库尔特肯说：“每天早晨我们赶着鹅群从那黑暗的城门下经过，她就冲着挂在墙上的一颗马头又哭又说话，她说：

‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

“法拉达，法拉达，你悬挂在此！”

and the head answers:

那马头便应声答道：

‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

“新娘啊新娘，你从此路过！ 唉呀，唉呀，你母亲若知晓， 必定伤心，为此暗自懊恼。”

And Curdken went on telling the king what had happened upon the meadow where the geese fed; how his hat was blown away; and how he was forced to run after it, and to leave his flock of geese to themselves.

库尔特肯接着又向国王讲述了鹅群吃草的草地上发生的事：他的帽子如何被风吹跑，他又如何被逼得丢下鹅群去追帽子。

But the old king told the boy to go out again the next day: and when morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gate, and heard how she spoke to Falada, and how Falada answered. Then he went into the field, and hid himself in a bush by the meadow’s side; and he soon saw with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese; and how, after a little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun. And then he heard her say:

老国王便吩咐这小子第二天再照常出去；到了早晨，他自己躲在那黑暗城门后面，亲耳听见了姑娘对法拉达说的话，也听见了法拉达的回应。随后他又走到田野里，躲进草地边上的一丛灌木后面；不多时，他便亲眼看见她们把鹅群赶了过来；又过了一会儿，只见她放下了那在阳光下闪闪发亮的头发。这时他又听见她说道：

‘Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d Till the silvery locks Are all comb’d and curl’d!

“风儿呀，吹起来！ 把库尔特肯的帽子吹跑！ 风儿呀，吹起来！ 让他跟着帽子跑！ 翻过山岗越过谷地又越过岩石， 把它远远地卷走， 直到这一头银丝， 都梳好又卷好！”

And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken’s hat, and away went Curdken after it, while the girl went on combing and curling her hair. All this the old king saw: so he went home without being seen; and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he called her aside, and asked her why she did so: but she burst into tears, and said, ‘That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose my life.’

不多时便刮起一阵大风，卷走了库尔特肯的帽子，库尔特肯便追着帽子跑去，那姑娘则继续梳理卷曲她的头发。这一切老国王都看在眼里；于是他不动声色地回了家；到了傍晚，这位小小的牧鹅姑娘回来的时候，他把她叫到一旁，问她为何这般行事：她却哭了起来，说道：“这事我不能告诉您，也不能告诉任何人，不然我就没命了。”

But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with wonder, she was so beautiful.

老国王苦苦恳求，她终于抵不住，把整件事从头到尾、原原本本地都告诉了他。这对她来说也是十分幸运的事，因为她说完之后，国王便下令给她换上皇家的衣裳，望着她惊叹不已，只觉她生得那样美丽。

Then he called his son and told him that he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast to be got ready for all his court.

国王随即唤来自己的儿子，告诉他，他娶的其实只是个假新娘，那不过是个侍女罢了，真正的新娘就站在一旁。年轻的国王一见她的美貌，又听说她是那般温顺坚忍，心中大喜；他没跟假新娘说破什么，只是吩咐为全体朝臣准备了一场盛大的宴席。

The bridegroom sat at the top, with the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their eyes; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that she had her brilliant dress on.

新郎坐在上首，假公主坐在一边，真公主坐在另一边；可谁也认不出她来了，因为她的美貌实在耀眼夺目；如今她穿上华丽的衣裳，早已不像那个小小的牧鹅姑娘了。

When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of the princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus. ‘Nothing better,’ said this false bride, ‘than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she was dead.’

众人吃过喝过，兴致正高的时候，老国王说他要给大家讲个故事。于是他开了口，把公主的整段遭遇从头讲了一遍，就像是他从别处听来的一样；讲完之后，他又问那位真正的侍女，觉得对这样一个人该如何处置才好。“再没有比这更好的办法了，”这假新娘答道，“把她装进一只钉满尖钉的木桶里，套上两匹白马，拖着桶满街游走，直到她死去为止。”

‘Thou art she!’ said the old king; ‘and as thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.’ And the young king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good fairy came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life again.

“你说的正是你自己！”老国王说道，“既然你自己定了这个判决，那便照此办理，落在你自己身上。”于是年轻的国王便与他真正的妻子成了婚，两人终生和睦幸福地治理着这个王国；那位善良的仙女也来探望他们，并且让忠心的法拉达重新复活了。