There was once a fisherman who lived with his wife in a pigsty, close by the seaside. The fisherman used to go out all day long a-fishing; and one day, as he sat on the shore with his rod, looking at the sparkling waves and watching his line, all on a sudden his float was dragged away deep into the water: and in drawing it up he pulled out a great fish. But the fish said, ‘Pray let me live! I am not a real fish; I am an enchanted prince: put me in the water again, and let me go!’ ‘Oh, ho!’ said the man, ‘you need not make so many words about the matter; I will have nothing to do with a fish that can talk: so swim away, sir, as soon as you please!’ Then he put him back into the water, and the fish darted straight down to the bottom, and left a long streak of blood behind him on the wave.
从前有个渔夫，和他的妻子住在海边的一间猪圈里。渔夫每天出海钓鱼；有一天，他坐在岸边，手持钓竿，望着波光粼粼的海面，盯着浮标，突然浮标被猛地拖入深水：他拉起钓线时，竟钓起一条大鱼。那鱼却说：‘求你放我一条生路吧！我不是普通的鱼，我是被施了魔法的王子：请把我放回水里，让我走吧！’‘哦，哈！’那人说，‘你不必多费口舌；我可不想和会说话的鱼打交道：你爱什么时候游走就什么时候游走吧！’于是他把鱼放回水中，那鱼径直沉入水底，在海面上留下一道长长的血痕。
When the fisherman went home to his wife in the pigsty, he told her how he had caught a great fish, and how it had told him it was an enchanted prince, and how, on hearing it speak, he had let it go again. ‘Did not you ask it for anything?’ said the wife, ‘we live very wretchedly here, in this nasty dirty pigsty; do go back and tell the fish we want a snug little cottage.’
渔夫回到猪圈里的妻子身边，告诉她自己钓到了一条大鱼，那鱼自称是被施了魔法的王子，而当他听到鱼说话后便把它放走了。‘你难道没向它讨要什么吗？’妻子说，‘我们住在这又脏又臭的猪圈里，日子过得太凄惨了；你回去告诉那条鱼，我们想要一间舒适的小屋。’
The fisherman did not much like the business: however, he went to the seashore; and when he came back there the water looked all yellow and green. And he stood at the water’s edge, and said:
渔夫心里并不太乐意去做这件事，但还是去了海边；当他回到那里时，海水呈现出黄绿相间的颜色。他站在水边，说道：
‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’
‘海中之人！请听我说！我的妻子伊尔西比尔坚持要按她的意愿行事，她派我来向你祈求一个恩赐！’
Then the fish came swimming to him, and said, ‘Well, what is her will? What does your wife want?’ ‘Ah!’ said the fisherman, ‘she says that when I had caught you, I ought to have asked you for something before I let you go; she does not like living any longer in the pigsty, and wants a snug little cottage.’ ‘Go home, then,’ said the fish; ‘she is in the cottage already!’ So the man went home, and saw his wife standing at the door of a nice trim little cottage. ‘Come in, come in!’ said she; ‘is not this much better than the filthy pigsty we had?’ And there was a parlour, and a bedchamber, and a kitchen; and behind the cottage there was a little garden, planted with all sorts of flowers and fruits; and there was a courtyard behind, full of ducks and chickens. ‘Ah!’ said the fisherman, ‘how happily we shall live now!’ ‘We will try to do so, at least,’ said his wife.
于是鱼游到他身边，问道：‘好吧，她有什么愿望？你妻子想要什么？’渔夫说：‘啊！她说我抓到你的时候，本该在放你走之前向你讨点东西；她再也受不了住在猪圈里了，想要一间舒适的小木屋。’鱼说：‘那你回家去吧，她已经在小木屋里了！’于是那人回到家，看见妻子正站在一间整洁漂亮的小木屋门口。她说：‘进来吧，进来吧！这难道不比我们以前住的脏兮兮的猪圈好多了吗？’屋里有一间客厅、一间卧室和一间厨房；屋后还有一个小花园，种满了各种花草和果树；后面还有一片院子，里面养着鸭子和鸡。渔夫说：‘啊！现在我们该能幸福地生活了！’妻子回答：‘我们至少会尽力而为。’
Everything went right for a week or two, and then Dame Ilsabill said, ‘Husband, there is not near room enough for us in this cottage; the courtyard and the garden are a great deal too small; I should like to have a large stone castle to live in: go to the fish again and tell him to give us a castle.’ ‘Wife,’ said the fisherman, ‘I don’t like to go to him again, for perhaps he will be angry; we ought to be easy with this pretty cottage to live in.’ ‘Nonsense!’ said the wife; ‘he will do it very willingly, I know; go along and try!’
这样的好日子过了大约一两周，伊尔莎比尔夫人便说：‘丈夫，这小木屋对我们来说实在太小了；院子和小花园都太局促了；我想要一座大石头城堡来住：再去一趟找那条鱼，告诉它给我们一座城堡。’渔夫说：‘妻子，我不愿再去找它了，万一它生气了呢；我们住在这漂亮的小木屋里就该知足了。’‘胡说！’妻子说：‘它一定会很乐意照办的，我知道；快去试试吧！’
The fisherman went, but his heart was very heavy: and when he came to the sea, it looked blue and gloomy, though it was very calm; and he went close to the edge of the waves, and said:
渔夫去了，心里却十分沉重；当他来到海边时，海水呈现出幽蓝而阴沉的颜色，尽管海面平静无波；他走到浪花边缘，说道：
‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’
‘海中之人啊！请听我说！我的妻子伊尔莎比尔坚持要按她的意愿行事，派我来向你祈求恩典！’
‘Well, what does she want now?’ said the fish. ‘Ah!’ said the man, dolefully, ‘my wife wants to live in a stone castle.’ ‘Go home, then,’ said the fish; ‘she is standing at the gate of it already.’ So away went the fisherman, and found his wife standing before the gate of a great castle. ‘See,’ said she, ‘is not this grand?’ With that they went into the castle together, and found a great many servants there, and the rooms all richly furnished, and full of golden chairs and tables; and behind the castle was a garden, and around it was a park half a mile long, full of sheep, and goats, and hares, and deer; and in the courtyard were stables and cow-houses. ‘Well,’ said the man, ‘now we will live cheerful and happy in this beautiful castle for the rest of our lives.’ ‘Perhaps we may,’ said the wife; ‘but let us sleep upon it, before we make up our minds to that.’ So they went to bed.
‘好吧，她现在想要什么？’鱼问道。‘啊！’那人愁眉苦脸地回答，‘我妻子想住进一座石头城堡。’‘那就回家吧，’鱼说，‘她已经在城堡门口站着了。’于是渔夫走了回去，发现妻子正站在一座宏伟城堡的大门前。‘你看，’她说，‘这难道不气派吗？’说完他们一起走进城堡，发现里面有许多仆人，房间都装饰得十分华丽，摆满了金色的椅子和桌子；城堡后面还有一个花园，周围环绕着半英里长的公园，里面养着绵羊、山羊、野兔和鹿；院子里还有马厩和牛棚。‘好吧，’那人说，‘现在我们就在这座美丽的城堡里快乐地度过余生吧。’‘也许可以，’妻子回答，‘但在我们下定决心之前，还是先睡一觉再说吧。’于是他们上床睡觉了。
The next morning when Dame Ilsabill awoke it was broad daylight, and she jogged the fisherman with her elbow, and said, ‘Get up, husband, and bestir yourself, for we must be king of all the land.’ ‘Wife, wife,’ said the man, ‘why should we wish to be the king? I will not be king.’ ‘Then I will,’ said she. ‘But, wife,’ said the fisherman, ‘how can you be king--the fish cannot make you a king?’ ‘Husband,’ said she, ‘say no more about it, but go and try! I will be king.’ So the man went away quite sorrowful to think that his wife should want to be king. This time the sea looked a dark grey colour, and was overspread with curling waves and the ridges of foam as he cried out:
第二天早上，当伊尔莎比尔夫人醒来时，已是阳光普照，她用胳膊肘推了推渔夫，说：‘起来，丈夫，快动身吧，我们必须成为这片土地上的国王。’‘妻子，妻子，’那人说，‘我们为什么要当国王呢？我不想当国王。’‘那我来当，’她说。‘可是，妻子，’渔夫说，‘你怎么能当国王呢？鱼可没法让你当国王啊！’‘丈夫，’她说，‘别再说了，快去试试！我要当国王。’于是那人伤心地走了，心想妻子竟然想当国王。这一次，当他呼喊时，海面呈现出深灰色，波浪翻滚，泛起层层白沫：
‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’
‘海中之人啊！听我说！我的妻子伊尔莎比尔任性妄为，派我来向你祈求恩赐！’
‘Well, what would she have now?’ said the fish. ‘Alas!’ said the poor man, ‘my wife wants to be king.’ ‘Go home,’ said the fish; ‘she is king already.’
‘好吧，她现在又想要什么？’鱼问道。‘唉！’可怜的人说，‘我妻子想当国王。’‘回家吧，’鱼说，‘她已经是国王了。’
Then the fisherman went home; and as he came close to the palace he saw a troop of soldiers, and heard the sound of drums and trumpets. And when he went in he saw his wife sitting on a throne of gold and diamonds, with a golden crown upon her head; and on each side of her stood six fair maidens, each a head taller than the other. ‘Well, wife,’ said the fisherman, ‘are you king?’ ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘I am king.’ And when he had looked at her for a long time, he said, ‘Ah, wife! what a fine thing it is to be king! Now we shall never have anything more to wish for as long as we live.’ ‘I don’t know how that may be,’ said she; ‘never is a long time. I am king, it is true; but I begin to be tired of that, and I think I should like to be emperor.’ ‘Alas, wife! why should you wish to be emperor?’ said the fisherman. ‘Husband,’ said she, ‘go to the fish! I say I will be emperor.’ ‘Ah, wife!’ replied the fisherman, ‘the fish cannot make an emperor, I am sure, and I should not like to ask him for such a thing.’ ‘I am king,’ said Ilsabill, ‘and you are my slave; so go at once!’
于是渔夫回家了。当他走近宫殿时，看见一队士兵，还听到鼓声和号角声。他走进宫殿，看见妻子坐在由黄金和钻石制成的宝座上，头戴金冠；她两侧各站着六位美丽的少女，每位都比前一位高出一个头。‘好吧，妻子，’渔夫说，‘你当国王了吗？’‘是的，’她说，‘我就是国王。’渔夫盯着她看了许久，说道：‘啊，妻子！做国王真是件好事！只要我们还活着，就再也不会想要什么了。’‘我不知道是不是这样，’她说，‘永远是很长的时间。我确实是国王，但我开始厌倦了，我想我宁愿当皇帝。’‘唉，妻子！你为什么想当皇帝呢？’渔夫问。‘丈夫，’她说，‘去问问那条鱼吧！我说我要当皇帝。’‘啊，妻子！’渔夫回答，‘那条鱼肯定做不了皇帝，我也不愿向它提出这样的请求。’‘我是国王，’伊尔莎比尔说，‘你是我的奴隶；所以立刻就去！’
So the fisherman was forced to go; and he muttered as he went along, ‘This will come to no good, it is too much to ask; the fish will be tired at last, and then we shall be sorry for what we have done.’ He soon came to the seashore; and the water was quite black and muddy, and a mighty whirlwind blew over the waves and rolled them about, but he went as near as he could to the water’s brink, and said:
于是渔夫不得不去了。他一边走一边嘟囔：‘这不会有好结果的，要求太过分了；最后那条鱼会厌烦的，那时我们就会后悔所做的事了。’他很快来到海边，海水变得又黑又浑浊，一阵巨大的旋风刮过海面，卷起波浪翻滚不息，但他还是尽可能靠近水边，说道：
‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’
‘海中之人！听我说！我的妻子伊尔莎比尔执意要如愿，派我来向你祈求恩赐！’
‘What would she have now?’ said the fish. ‘Ah!’ said the fisherman, ‘she wants to be emperor.’ ‘Go home,’ said the fish; ‘she is emperor already.’
‘她现在想要什么？’鱼问。‘啊！’渔夫说，‘她想当皇帝。’‘回家去吧，’鱼说，‘她已经是皇帝了。’
So he went home again; and as he came near he saw his wife Ilsabill sitting on a very lofty throne made of solid gold, with a great crown on her head full two yards high; and on each side of her stood her guards and attendants in a row, each one smaller than the other, from the tallest giant down to a little dwarf no bigger than my finger. And before her stood princes, and dukes, and earls: and the fisherman went up to her and said, ‘Wife, are you emperor?’ ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘I am emperor.’ ‘Ah!’ said the man, as he gazed upon her, ‘what a fine thing it is to be emperor!’ ‘Husband,’ said she, ‘why should we stop at being emperor? I will be pope next.’ ‘O wife, wife!’ said he, ‘how can you be pope? there is but one pope at a time in Christendom.’ ‘Husband,’ said she, ‘I will be pope this very day.’ ‘But,’ replied the husband, ‘the fish cannot make you pope.’ ‘What nonsense!’ said she; ‘if he can make an emperor, he can make a pope: go and try him.’
于是他再次回家；当他走近时，看见妻子伊尔西比尔坐在一张由纯金打造的极高王座上，头戴一顶足有两码高的大皇冠；她两侧站着一排卫兵和侍从，一个比一个小，从最高的巨人直到只有我手指那么小的小矮人。在她面前站着亲王、公爵和伯爵。渔夫走上前去对她说：‘妻子，你是皇帝吗？’‘是的，’她说，‘我是皇帝。’‘啊！’那人望着她感叹道，‘做皇帝真是件了不起的事！’‘丈夫，’她说，‘我们何必止步于皇帝呢？我明天就要当教皇了。’‘哦，妻子，妻子！’他说，‘你怎么能当教皇呢？基督教世界一次只能有一位教皇。’‘丈夫，’她说，‘我今天就要当教皇。’‘可是，’丈夫回答说，‘鱼不能让你当教皇。’‘胡说八道！’她说，‘既然他能让你当皇帝，自然也能让你当教皇：快去求他试试。’
So the fisherman went. But when he came to the shore the wind was raging and the sea was tossed up and down in boiling waves, and the ships were in trouble, and rolled fearfully upon the tops of the billows. In the middle of the heavens there was a little piece of blue sky, but towards the south all was red, as if a dreadful storm was rising. At this sight the fisherman was dreadfully frightened, and he trembled so that his knees knocked together: but still he went down near to the shore, and said:
于是渔夫出发了。但当他来到岸边时，狂风怒号，海浪翻滚如沸，船只陷入困境，在浪尖上剧烈摇晃。天空中央只有一小块蓝天，而南方却一片通红，仿佛一场可怕的暴风雨正在升起。看到这景象，渔夫吓得魂飞魄散，浑身颤抖，膝盖不住地打颤：但他仍走到岸边，说道：
‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’
‘海中之人！听我说！我的妻子伊尔西比尔执意要如愿以偿，派我来向你祈求恩典！’
‘What does she want now?’ said the fish. ‘Ah!’ said the fisherman, ‘my wife wants to be pope.’ ‘Go home,’ said the fish; ‘she is pope already.’
‘她现在想要什么？’鱼问道。‘啊！’渔夫说，‘我妻子想当教皇。’‘回家去吧，’鱼说，‘她已经是教皇了。’
Then the fisherman went home, and found Ilsabill sitting on a throne that was two miles high. And she had three great crowns on her head, and around her stood all the pomp and power of the Church. And on each side of her were two rows of burning lights, of all sizes, the greatest as large as the highest and biggest tower in the world, and the least no larger than a small rushlight. ‘Wife,’ said the fisherman, as he looked at all this greatness, ‘are you pope?’ ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘I am pope.’ ‘Well, wife,’ replied he, ‘it is a grand thing to be pope; and now you must be easy, for you can be nothing greater.’ ‘I will think about that,’ said the wife. Then they went to bed: but Dame Ilsabill could not sleep all night for thinking what she should be next. At last, as she was dropping asleep, morning broke, and the sun rose. ‘Ha!’ thought she, as she woke up and looked at it through the window, ‘after all I cannot prevent the sun rising.’ At this thought she was very angry, and wakened her husband, and said, ‘Husband, go to the fish and tell him I must be lord of the sun and moon.’ The fisherman was half asleep, but the thought frightened him so much that he started and fell out of bed. ‘Alas, wife!’ said he, ‘cannot you be easy with being pope?’ ‘No,’ said she, ‘I am very uneasy as long as the sun and moon rise without my leave. Go to the fish at once!’
于是渔夫回家，发现伊尔莎比尔坐在两英里高的王座上。她头上戴着三顶巨大的皇冠，周围簇拥着教会所有的威仪与权势。在她两侧，排列着两行燃烧的火光，大小不一：最大的如同世间最高最大的塔楼，最小的也不过是一根小灯芯草。‘妻子，’渔夫望着这宏伟景象说道，‘你是教皇吗？’‘是的，’她回答，‘我就是教皇。’‘好吧，妻子，’他答道，‘成为教皇确实是一件了不起的事；现在你该满足了，因为你已无法再获得更高的地位。’‘我会再想想，’妻子说。随后他们上床睡觉，但伊尔莎比尔整夜因思索自己接下来该成为什么而难以入眠。最后，就在她即将入睡时，清晨来临，太阳升起。‘啊！’她醒来透过窗户看着太阳心想，‘无论如何，我终究无法阻止太阳升起。’想到这一点，她非常愤怒，便叫醒丈夫说：‘丈夫，去告诉那条鱼，我必须成为太阳和月亮的主人。’渔夫还半睡半醒，但这个念头吓得他猛然惊醒，从床上跌了下来。‘唉，妻子！’他说，‘你难道不能满足于做教皇吗？’‘不，’她说，‘只要太阳和月亮未经我允许就升起，我就无法安心。立刻去告诉那条鱼！’
Then the man went shivering with fear; and as he was going down to the shore a dreadful storm arose, so that the trees and the very rocks shook. And all the heavens became black with stormy clouds, and the lightnings played, and the thunders rolled; and you might have seen in the sea great black waves, swelling up like mountains with crowns of white foam upon their heads. And the fisherman crept towards the sea, and cried out, as well as he could:
于是那人颤抖着恐惧前行；当他走向海边时，一场可怕的暴风雨骤然兴起，连树木和岩石都在剧烈摇晃。天空被乌云笼罩得一片漆黑，闪电划破长空，雷声滚滚轰鸣；你甚至可以看到海面上巨大的黑色巨浪，如山峰般翻涌，浪尖顶着白色的泡沫冠冕。渔夫艰难地爬向海边，尽力呼喊：
‘O man of the sea! Hearken to me! My wife Ilsabill Will have her own will, And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!’
‘海中之人！听我说！我的妻子伊尔莎比尔执意要如愿以偿，她派我来向你祈求一个恩典！’
‘What does she want now?’ said the fish. ‘Ah!’ said he, ‘she wants to be lord of the sun and moon.’ ‘Go home,’ said the fish, ‘to your pigsty again.’
‘她现在想要什么？’鱼问道。‘啊！’他说，‘她想成为太阳和月亮的主人。’‘回家去吧，’鱼说，‘回到你的猪圈里去。’
And there they live to this very day.
他们至今仍住在那里。