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. 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.
一位伟大国度的国王去世了，留下王后照顾他们唯一的孩子。这个孩子是个女儿，非常美丽；她的母亲深爱着她，对她十分慈爱。还有一位善良的女仙，她也很喜欢这位公主，并帮助王后照看她。当她长大后，被许配给一位住在遥远地方的王子；随着婚期临近，她准备动身前往他的国家。于是，她的母亲王后收拾了许多贵重的物品：珠宝、金银首饰、小饰品、精美的礼服，简而言之，一切适合皇家新娘的东西都备齐了。她还派了一位侍女陪公主同行，将她交给新郎的手；两人各有一匹坐骑用于旅途。而公主的这匹马是女仙的礼物，名叫法拉达，能够说话。
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.
出发之日到来时，女仙走进卧室，取出一把小刀，剪下一缕头发，交给公主，并说：‘亲爱的孩子，请好好保管它；这是一道护身符，在旅途中或许会对你有用。’随后，众人依依不舍地与公主告别；她将那一缕头发藏在胸前，骑上她的马，启程前往新郎的王国。
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，当他们沿着一条小溪骑行时，公主感到极度口渴：她对侍女说：‘请下来，用我的金杯从那边的小溪里取些水给我喝，我想喝水。’‘不，’侍女回答说，‘如果你渴了，就自己下马，俯身到水边喝；我再也不做你的侍女了。’于是她因口渴难耐而下马，跪在小溪旁饮水；她十分害怕，不敢拿出金杯；她哭泣着说：‘唉！我该怎么办？’而那缕头发回应她说：
‘Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’
“唉！唉！若你母亲知晓此事，定会悲痛万分，追悔莫及。”
But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to her maid’s ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again.
但公主性情温柔温顺，因此对女仆的恶劣行为一言不发，只是重新骑上了马。
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.’ 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:
随后众人继续赶路，直到天气变得酷热难耐，烈日炎炎，新娘再次感到口渴难忍；最后当他们来到一条河边时，她忘记了女仆无礼的言语，说道：‘请下马，用我的金杯为我取些水来喝吧。’但女仆却回答她，而且语气比之前更加傲慢：‘你想喝就喝吧，但我绝不会再做你的侍女了。’于是公主因极度口渴而下了马，俯身趴在奔流的溪水上，哭泣着说：‘我该怎么办呢？’那缕头发再次回应道：
‘Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’
“唉！唉！若你母亲知晓此事，定会悲痛万分，追悔莫及。”
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.
当她俯身饮水时，那缕头发从她胸前滑落，随水流漂走了。她因惊恐而未察觉，但女仆看见了，心中大喜，因为她知道其中的咒语；她明白一旦新娘失去了这缕头发，便已落入她的掌控之中。于是当新娘喝完水，准备重新骑上法拉达时，女仆说道：‘我要骑法拉达，你把你的马给我吧。’公主被迫交出了自己的马，不久之后又不得不脱下华贵的 royal 服饰，换上女仆那套破旧的衣裳。
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.
最后，当他们即将走完旅程时，这个奸诈的仆人威胁说，如果女主人敢向任何人透露所发生的事，他就杀了她。但法拉达全都看见了，并且牢记在心。
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，而真正的新娘则骑上了另一匹马，他们就这样一路前行，直到最终抵达王宫。他们的到来带来了极大的喜悦，王子飞奔前来迎接，将侍女从马上扶下，以为她就是自己的未婚妻；她被领上楼进入皇家卧室，而真正的公主却被吩咐留在楼下的庭院中。
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. ‘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.
这时，老国王恰好无事可做，便坐在厨房的窗前自娱，观察着院子里发生的一切；他看到了她。见她容貌秀丽，举止柔弱，不像个侍女，他便走上楼去问新娘：你带来的人是谁？为何让她独自站在楼下庭院里？‘我是为了路上有个伴才带她来的，’她说，‘请给她安排些活计，免得她无所事事。’老国王一时想不出适合她的活儿，最后说道：‘我有个叫库尔肯的男孩负责照看我的鹅群，你可以让他去帮忙。’这个名叫库尔肯的男孩，正是真正的公主要去协助照看国王鹅群的同伴。
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. 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.
但假新娘对王子说：‘亲爱的丈夫，请再帮我一个忙。’‘我一定照办，’王子答道。‘那么，请吩咐你的屠夫把我骑的那匹马的头砍下来吧，因为它非常桀骜不驯，在路上让我吃了不少苦头。’其实，她之所以这样做，是生怕法拉达有朝一日开口说话，将她对公主所做的一切全都揭露出来。她如愿以偿，忠实的法拉达被杀了；当真新娘得知此事后，不禁痛哭流涕，恳求那人将法拉达的头钉在城门上一扇巨大的黑门旁，因为她每天早晨和傍晚都必须经过那里，这样她仍能在某个时刻看到它。屠夫答应照办，便砍下马头，将其钉在那扇黑门之下。
Early the next morning, as she and Curdken went out through the gate, she said sorrowfully:
第二天清晨，当她与库德肯一同穿过大门时，她悲伤地说道：
‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’
法拉达，法拉达，你挂在那里！
and the head answered:
而那颗头颅回答道：
‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’
新娘啊，新娘啊，你正走过！唉！唉！若你母亲知晓此事，定会悲痛万分，追悔莫及。
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:
于是他们走出城去，驱赶着鹅群前行。当她来到草甸时，便坐在一处土坡上，垂下她那如银丝般飘逸的长发；库德肯看见它在阳光下闪闪发光，便跑上前去，想要拔下一缕，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!
“吹吧，微风！吹走库德肯的帽子！吹吧，微风！让他去追！越过山丘、溪谷与岩石，任它被风卷走，直到那银丝般的秀发全部梳好、卷曲完毕！”
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.
随即一阵狂风刮来，将库德肯的帽子吹落；帽子随风飞越山丘而去，他只得转身追赶。待他返回时，她已梳好并卷曲了头发，重新妥善收好。于是他十分愤怒且闷闷不乐，完全不愿与她交谈；但他们仍继续照看鹅群，直到傍晚天色渐暗，才将鹅群赶回。
The next morning, as they were going through the dark gate, the poor girl looked up at Falada’s head, and cried:
次日清晨，当他们穿过那扇黑暗的大门时，那可怜的女孩抬头望向法拉达的头颅，哭道：
‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’
“法拉达，法拉达，你挂在那儿！”
and the head answered:
而那颗头回答道：
‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’
“新娘啊，新娘啊，你正走着！唉！唉！若你母亲知晓此事，她定会悲痛欲绝。”
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:
随后她继续驱赶鹅群，又坐回草地上，像从前一样梳理头发；库德肯跑过来想抓住它，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!
吹吧，微风，吹吧！让库德肯的帽子飞走！吹吧，微风，吹吧！让他去追那帽子！越过山丘、山谷和岩石，让它被旋风卷走，直到银白的发丝都被梳理并卷曲起来！
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.
于是风来了，吹走了他的帽子；帽子飞得很远很远，越过山丘，飘向远方，他不得不跑去追赶。等他回来时，她已经重新把头发扎好，一切安然无恙。于是他们一直照看鹅群直到天黑。
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:
傍晚回家后，库德肯去找老国王，说："我再也不能让那个奇怪的女孩帮我放鹅了。"国王问："为什么？"库德肯回答："因为她不仅没帮上忙，反而整天捉弄我。"于是国王让他讲述发生的事。库德肯说："早上我们赶着鹅群穿过那扇黑暗的门时，她对着墙上挂着的马头哭泣并说话，说道："
‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’
"法拉达，法拉达，你挂在那里！"
and the head answers:
而马头回答道：
‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’
“新娘，新娘，你正走着！唉！唉！若你母亲知晓此事，她定会悲痛欲绝。”
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. 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:
于是库尔肯继续向国王讲述草场上发生的一切：他的帽子被风吹走，他不得不追去，只好让鹅群自顾自地吃草。但老国王让男孩第二天再去；次日清晨，国王躲在黑门后，听见她对法拉达说话，也听见法拉达的回答。随后他走进田野，藏在草场边的灌木丛中；不久便亲眼看见她们如何驱赶鹅群，又过片刻，她解开在阳光下闪闪发光的长发。接着他听见她说：
‘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!
“吹吧，微风！让库尔肯的帽子飞走！吹吧，微风！让他去追！越过山丘、山谷与岩石，任它被风卷走，直到那银色的发丝全部梳好、卷曲！”
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.’
不久刮起一阵狂风，卷走了库德肯的帽子，库德肯也追着帽子跑开了，而那个女孩继续梳理和卷曲她的头发。这一切都被老国王看见了：他悄悄回家，未被发现；傍晚小鹅女回来时，他把她叫到一旁，问她为何如此行事；她却放声大哭，说：‘这事我绝不能告诉您或任何男人，否则我会失去性命。’
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. 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. 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.
但老国王苦苦哀求，直到她不得不将整件事从头到尾、一字不差地全告诉他。这对她来说真是万幸，因为说完后，国王命人给她穿上皇家礼服，惊叹于她的美貌——她竟如此美丽。随后他叫来儿子，告诉他新娘是假的：她不过是个侍女，而真正的新娘就站在一旁。年轻国王见到她的美貌，又听闻她曾如此温顺忍耐，心中大喜；他没有对假新娘说一句话，便下令为全体宫廷准备盛大的宴会。新郎坐在上首，假公主在旁一侧，真公主在另一侧；但无人能认出她来，因为她的美貌令人目眩神迷；如今身着华服的她，已完全不像那个小鹅女了。
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.’ ‘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.
他们吃喝完毕，尽兴欢乐之后，老国王说他要讲一个故事。于是他开始讲述这位公主的遭遇，仿佛那是他曾听来的传说，并问那位真正的侍女：对这样行事的人应当如何处置？‘再没有比这更好的了，’假新娘说道，‘就该把她扔进四周插满尖钉的桶里，套上两匹白马，拖着她在街巷间拖行，直到她死去。’老国王说：‘你就是那个人！既然你如此判决自己，那就照此执行吧。’随后年轻国王与他的真妻子成婚，他们一生在和平与幸福中统治着王国；那位善良的仙女也前来探望，并让忠实的法拉达重新复活。