A certain father had two sons, the elder of who was smart and sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and could neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw him they said: ‘There’s a fellow who will give his father some trouble!’ When anything had to be done, it was always the elder who was forced to do it; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late, or in the night-time, and the way led through the churchyard, or any other dismal place, he answered: ‘Oh, no father, I’ll not go there, it makes me shudder!’ for he was afraid. Or when stories were told by the fire at night which made the flesh creep, the listeners sometimes said: ‘Oh, it makes us shudder!’ The younger sat in a corner and listened with the rest of them, and could not imagine what they could mean. ‘They are always saying: “It makes me shudder, it makes me shudder!” It does not make me shudder,’ thought he. ‘That, too, must be an art of which I understand nothing!’
从前有个父亲，他有两个儿子。大儿子聪明伶俐，什么都会做；小儿子却愚笨迟钝，既学不会也理解不了任何事。人们见到他时都说：‘这家伙将来准会给父亲惹麻烦！’每当需要干活时，总是轮到哥哥去干。可如果父亲在傍晚或深夜让他去取东西，而路要经过墓地或其他阴森的地方，他便回答：‘哦，不，父亲，我不去那儿，那让我浑身发冷！’因为他害怕。或者当夜晚围炉讲故事时，那些故事让人毛骨悚然，听者有时会说：‘哎呀，真让人起鸡皮疙瘩！’小儿子则坐在角落里和大家一起听，却完全不明白他们是什么意思。‘他们总是说：“真让人起鸡皮疙瘩，真让人起鸡皮疙瘩！”可这并不让我害怕，’他想道，‘这也一定是一种我不懂的本领吧！’
Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day: ‘Hearken to me, you fellow in the corner there, you are growing tall and strong, and you too must learn something by which you can earn your bread. Look how your brother works, but you do not even earn your salt.’ ‘Well, father,’ he replied, ‘I am quite willing to learn something--indeed, if it could but be managed, I should like to learn how to shudder. I don’t understand that at all yet.’ The elder brother smiled when he heard that, and thought to himself: ‘Goodness, what a blockhead that brother of mine is! He will never be good for anything as long as he lives! He who wants to be a sickle must bend himself betimes.’
如今有一天，他的父亲对他说：‘听我说，你那个角落里的家伙，你已经长得又高又壮了，你也该学点能谋生的本事了。看看你哥哥是怎么工作的，而你连盐钱都挣不来。’‘好吧，父亲，’他回答说，‘我很愿意学点什么——事实上，如果可能的话，我倒想学学如何发抖。我完全不懂那是什么。’哥哥听到这话笑了，心里想：‘天哪，我这个弟弟真是个笨蛋！他这辈子恐怕什么都干不成！要想成为镰刀，就得早早学会弯曲自己。’
The father sighed, and answered him: ‘You shall soon learn what it is to shudder, but you will not earn your bread by that.’
父亲叹了口气，回答道：‘你很快就会学会什么是战栗，但你不能靠这个谋生。’
Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and the father bewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was so backward in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing. ‘Just think,’ said he, ‘when I asked him how he was going to earn his bread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder.’ ‘If that be all,’ replied the sexton, ‘he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and I will soon polish him.’ The father was glad to do it, for he thought: ‘It will train the boy a little.’ The sexton therefore took him into his house, and he had to ring the church bell. After a day or two, the sexton awoke him at midnight, and bade him arise and go up into the church tower and ring the bell. ‘You shall soon learn what shuddering is,’ thought he, and secretly went there before him; and when the boy was at the top of the tower and turned round, and was just going to take hold of the bell rope, he saw a white figure standing on the stairs opposite the sounding hole. ‘Who is there?’ cried he, but the figure made no reply, and did not move or stir. ‘Give an answer,’ cried the boy, ‘or take yourself off, you have no business here at night.’
不久之后，教堂司事来访，父亲向他诉苦，说小儿子样样迟钝，一无所知也学无所成。他说：‘你想想，我问他将来靠什么谋生，他竟想学如何战栗。’司事答道：‘这有何难？他可以跟我学。把他交给我，我很快就能把他教好。’父亲很高兴地答应了，心想：‘这样或许能让孩子受点锻炼。’于是司事把男孩带回家，让他负责敲钟。过了两三天，司事在半夜叫醒他，吩咐他起身登上教堂塔楼去敲钟。‘你很快就会知道什么是战栗了，’他心里暗想，便提前悄悄上了塔楼；当男孩走到塔顶转身，正要伸手拉钟绳时，看见楼梯对面、钟声孔旁站着一个白色身影。‘是谁？’他喊道，但那身影毫无回应，也不动也不摇。‘回答我，’男孩又说，‘或者你赶紧离开，夜里这里不是你该待的地方。’
The sexton, however, remained standing motionless that the boy might think he was a ghost. The boy cried a second time: ‘What do you want here?--speak if you are an honest fellow, or I will throw you down the steps!’ The sexton thought: ‘He can’t mean to be as bad as his words,’ uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone. Then the boy called to him for the third time, and as that was also to no purpose, he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs, so that it fell down the ten steps and remained lying there in a corner. Thereupon he rang the bell, went home, and without saying a word went to bed, and fell asleep. The sexton’s wife waited a long time for her husband, but he did not come back. At length she became uneasy, and wakened the boy, and asked: ‘Do you know where my husband is? He climbed up the tower before you did.’ ‘No, I don’t know,’ replied the boy, ‘but someone was standing by the sounding hole on the other side of the steps, and as he would neither give an answer nor go away, I took him for a scoundrel, and threw him downstairs. Just go there and you will see if it was he. I should be sorry if it were.’ The woman ran away and found her husband, who was lying moaning in the corner, and had broken his leg.
然而，守墓人却一动不动地站着，好让那孩子以为他是鬼。孩子又哭了一次：‘你在这里想要什么？——如果你是个诚实的人就说话，否则我就把你扔下台阶！’守墓心想：‘他不可能像他说的那样坏，’于是没有发出任何声音，像石头一样站着不动。接着孩子第三次向他呼喊，但同样没有回应，于是孩子冲过去把那个‘鬼’推下了楼梯，让他从十级台阶上滚落，最后躺在角落一动不动。随后孩子按响了铃，回家直接上床睡觉，很快就睡着了。守墓人的妻子等了很久丈夫也没回来，终于开始不安，便叫醒孩子问道：‘你知道我丈夫在哪里吗？他比你先爬上塔楼了。’孩子回答：‘我不知道，但台阶另一边的钟孔旁站着一个人，他既不回答也不离开，我就以为他是无赖，把他扔下了楼梯。你快去那里看看是不是他。如果是的话我会很遗憾。’女人跑过去，发现丈夫正躺在角落呻吟，腿已经摔断了。
She carried him down, and then with loud screams she hastened to the boy’s father, ‘Your boy,’ cried she, ‘has been the cause of a great misfortune! He has thrown my husband down the steps so that he broke his leg. Take the good-for-nothing fellow out of our house.’ The father was terrified, and ran thither and scolded the boy. ‘What wicked tricks are these?’ said he. ‘The devil must have put them into your head.’ ‘Father,’ he replied, ‘do listen to me. I am quite innocent. He was standing there by night like one intent on doing evil. I did not know who it was, and I entreated him three times either to speak or to go away.’ ‘Ah,’ said the father, ‘I have nothing but unhappiness with you. Go out of my sight. I will see you no more.’
她把他抱下来，随即大声哭喊着奔向男孩的父亲：‘你的孩子惹了大祸！他把我的丈夫推下台阶，摔断了腿。把这个没用的家伙从我们家里赶出去吧。’父亲吓得魂飞魄散，急忙跑过去责骂男孩：‘你这是在耍什么恶作剧？’他说，‘一定是魔鬼钻进你的脑袋了。’‘父亲，’他回答说，‘请听我说，我完全无辜。那人夜里站在那儿，一副图谋不轨的样子。我不认识他是谁，曾三次恳求他要么开口说话，要么离开。’‘唉，’父亲说，‘你只会给我带来不幸。滚出我的视线，我再也不想见到你。’
‘Yes, father, right willingly, wait only until it is day. Then will I go forth and learn how to shudder, and then I shall, at any rate, understand one art which will support me.’ ‘Learn what you will,’ spoke the father, ‘it is all the same to me. Here are fifty talers for you. Take these and go into the wide world, and tell no one from whence you come, and who is your father, for I have reason to be ashamed of you.’ ‘Yes, father, it shall be as you will. If you desire nothing more than that, I can easily keep it in mind.’
“是的，父亲，我心甘情愿，只等天亮。那时我便出发去学如何战栗，至少能掌握一门赖以谋生的技艺。”“你想学什么随你，”父亲说，“对我来说都一样。这里五十塔勒给你，拿着它去广阔的世界吧，别告诉任何人你来自何处、你的父亲是谁，因为我对你感到羞耻。”“好的，父亲，就照您说的办。如果您没有其他要求，我一定能牢记在心。”
When the day dawned, therefore, the boy put his fifty talers into his pocket, and went forth on the great highway, and continually said to himself: ‘If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!’ Then a man approached who heard this conversation which the youth was holding with himself, and when they had walked a little farther to where they could see the gallows, the man said to him: ‘Look, there is the tree where seven men have married the ropemaker’s daughter, and are now learning how to fly. Sit down beneath it, and wait till night comes, and you will soon learn how to shudder.’ ‘If that is all that is wanted,’ answered the youth, ‘it is easily done; but if I learn how to shudder as fast as that, you shall have my fifty talers. Just come back to me early in the morning.’ Then the youth went to the gallows, sat down beneath it, and waited till evening came. And as he was cold, he lighted himself a fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply that in spite of his fire, he could not get warm. And as the wind knocked the hanged men against each other, and they moved backwards and forwards, he thought to himself: ‘If you shiver below by the fire, how those up above must freeze and suffer!’ And as he felt pity for them, he raised the ladder, and climbed up, unbound one of them after the other, and brought down all seven. Then he stoked the fire, blew it, and set them all round it to warm themselves. But they sat there and did not stir, and the fire caught their clothes. So he said: ‘Take care, or I will hang you up again.’ The dead men, however, did not hear, but were quite silent, and let their rags go on burning. At this he grew angry, and said: ‘If you will not take care, I cannot help you, I will not be burnt with you,’ and he hung them up again each in his turn. Then he sat down by his fire and fell asleep, and the next morning the man came to him and wanted to have the fifty talers, and said: ‘Well do you know how to shudder?’ ‘No,’ answered he, ‘how should I know? Those fellows up there did not open their mouths, and were so stupid that they let the few old rags which they had on their bodies get burnt.’ Then the man saw that he would not get the fifty talers that day, and went away saying: ‘Such a youth has never come my way before.’
因此，当黎明到来时，男孩将五十枚塔勒放入衣袋，踏上大路，不断对自己说：‘要是我能学会发抖就好了！要是我能学会发抖就好了！’这时走来一个人，听到了年轻人的自言自语。他们又走了一段路，来到能看见绞刑架的地方，那人便对他说：‘看，就是那棵树，七个男人娶了制绳匠的女儿，现在正在上面学飞呢。你坐在树下，等到夜晚来临，很快就能学会发抖了。’年轻人答道：‘如果只要这样就能学会发抖，那太容易了；但如果我能这么快就学会发抖，你就把五十枚塔勒给我吧。明天一早再来找我。’于是年轻人来到绞刑架下坐下，一直等到傍晚。因为天气寒冷，他生起了一堆火，但到了半夜，寒风刺骨，尽管有火，他还是觉得冷。风把那些被吊死的人吹得互相碰撞，他们前后摇晃着。他心想：‘你们在下面烤火还发抖，上面那些人一定冻得要命、受苦极了！’出于怜悯，他架起梯子，爬上去，一个接一个地把他们解开，然后七个人都带了下来。接着他添柴生火，把火吹旺，让七个人围坐在火边取暖。可他们坐在那里一动不动，火苗却烧着了他们的衣服。他说：‘小心点，不然我就再挂你们上去！’那些死人却听不见，一声不吭，任由破布继续燃烧。这下他生气了，说：‘既然你们不知小心，我也帮不了你们，我可不想被火烧死。’于是他又把他们一个个重新挂了上去。然后他坐在火边睡着了。第二天早上，那人来找他要五十塔勒，问道：‘你还会发抖吗？’‘不会，’他回答，‘我怎么会知道呢？上面那些人连嘴都不张，蠢透了，任由身上那几块破布被烧掉。’于是那人见当天拿不到那五十塔勒，便转身离去，说道：'我从未遇到过这样的年轻人。'
The youth likewise went his way, and once more began to mutter to himself: ‘Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!’ A waggoner who was striding behind him heard this and asked: ‘Who are you?’ ‘I don’t know,’ answered the youth. Then the waggoner asked: ‘From whence do you come?’ ‘I know not.’ ‘Who is your father?’ ‘That I may not tell you.’ ‘What is it that you are always muttering between your teeth?’ ‘Ah,’ replied the youth, ‘I do so wish I could shudder, but no one can teach me how.’ ‘Enough of your foolish chatter,’ said the waggoner. ‘Come, go with me, I will see about a place for you.’ The youth went with the waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at an inn where they wished to pass the night. Then at the entrance of the parlour the youth again said quite loudly: ‘If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!’ The host who heard this, laughed and said: ‘If that is your desire, there ought to be a good opportunity for you here.’ ‘Ah, be silent,’ said the hostess, ‘so many prying persons have already lost their lives, it would be a pity and a shame if such beautiful eyes as these should never see the daylight again.’
年轻人也继续赶路，再次喃喃自语：‘唉，要是我能打寒颤就好了！唉，要是我能打寒颤就好了！’一位走在后面的车夫听见了，便问道：‘你是谁？’‘我不知道。’年轻人回答。车夫又问：‘你从哪里来？’‘我不知道。’‘你父亲是谁？’‘这个我不能告诉你。’‘你嘴里总是念叨些什么？’‘唉，’年轻人答道，‘我多么希望能打寒颤啊，可没人能教我怎么做。’‘别再说这些傻话了，’车夫说，‘跟我走吧，我给你找个地方。’年轻人跟着车夫走了，傍晚时分他们来到一家旅馆，打算在此过夜。于是，在客厅门口，年轻人又大声说道：‘唉，要是我能打寒颤就好了！唉，要是我能打寒颤就好了！’店主听见后大笑道：‘既然你有这个愿望，这里倒是有个绝佳的机会。’‘别说了，’女店主说，‘已经有太多爱管闲事的人因此丢了性命，像这样一双美丽的眼睛再也见不到阳光，真是可惜又可耻。’
But the youth said: ‘However difficult it may be, I will learn it. For this purpose indeed have I journeyed forth.’ He let the host have no rest, until the latter told him, that not far from thence stood a haunted castle where anyone could very easily learn what shuddering was, if he would but watch in it for three nights. The king had promised that he who would venture should have his daughter to wife, and she was the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Likewise in the castle lay great treasures, which were guarded by evil spirits, and these treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor man rich enough. Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yet none had come out again. Then the youth went next morning to the king, and said: ‘If it be allowed, I will willingly watch three nights in the haunted castle.’
但青年说：‘无论多么困难，我都要学会。为此我才远行而来。’他不断恳求主人，直到主人告诉他，不远处有一座闹鬼的城堡，只要在那里守夜三晚，任何人都能轻易体会到什么是战栗。国王曾许诺，谁敢去冒险，就将女儿嫁给他，而这位公主是阳光照耀下最美的少女。此外，城堡里还埋藏着大量财宝，由恶灵看守；一旦有人成功守护，这些财宝便会被释放，足以让一个穷人变得十分富有。此前已有许多人进入那座城堡，却至今无人能活着出来。于是第二天清晨，青年去见国王，说道：‘如果允许的话，我愿在闹鬼的城堡中守夜三晚。’
The king looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he said: ‘You may ask for three things to take into the castle with you, but they must be things without life.’ Then he answered: ‘Then I ask for a fire, a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife.’
国王看着他，见这年轻人合他心意，便说：‘你可以向我要三样东西带进城堡，但它们必须是没有生命的东西。’于是那人回答：‘那么我请求要一堆火、一台车床和一块带刀的切菜板。’
The king had these things carried into the castle for him during the day. When night was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself a bright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife beside it, and seated himself by the turning-lathe. ‘Ah, if I could but shudder!’ said he, ‘but I shall not learn it here either.’ Towards midnight he was about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing it, something cried suddenly from one corner: ‘Au, miau! how cold we are!’ ‘You fools!’ cried he, ‘what are you crying about? If you are cold, come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.’ And when he had said that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and sat down on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with their fiery eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed themselves, they said: ‘Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?’ ‘Why not?’ he replied, ‘but just show me your paws.’ Then they stretched out their claws. ‘Oh,’ said he, ‘what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them for you.’ Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on the cutting-board and screwed their feet fast. ‘I have looked at your fingers,’ said he, ‘and my fancy for card-playing has gone,’ and he struck them dead and threw them out into the water. But when he had made away with these two, and was about to sit down again by his fire, out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains, and more and more of them came until he could no longer move, and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it to pieces, and tried to put it out. He watched them for a while quietly, but at last when they were going too far, he seized his cutting-knife, and cried: ‘Away with you, vermin,’ and began to cut them down. Some of them ran away, the others he killed, and threw out into the fish-pond. When he came back he fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed himself. And as he thus sat, his eyes would keep open no longer, and he felt a desire to sleep. Then he looked round and saw a great bed in the corner. ‘That is the very thing for me,’ said he, and got into it. When he was just going to shut his eyes, however, the bed began to move of its own accord, and went over the whole of the castle. ‘That’s right,’ said he, ‘but go faster.’ Then the bed rolled on as if six horses were harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholds and stairs, but suddenly hop, hop, it turned over upside down, and lay on him like a mountain. But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air, got out and said: ‘Now anyone who likes, may drive,’ and lay down by his fire, and slept till it was day. In the morning the king came, and when he saw him lying there on the ground, he thought the evil spirits had killed him and he was dead. Then said he: ‘After all it is a pity,--for so handsome a man.’ The youth heard it, got up, and said: ‘It has not come to that yet.’ Then the king was astonished, but very glad, and asked how he had fared. ‘Very well indeed,’ answered he; ‘one night is past, the two others will pass likewise.’ Then he went to the innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide, and said: ‘I never expected to see you alive again! Have you learnt how to shudder yet?’ ‘No,’ said he, ‘it is all in vain. If someone would but tell me!’
国王白天让人把这些东西搬进城堡。夜幕降临之际，年轻人走进一间屋子生起一堆明亮的火，将切菜板和刀放在火旁，然后坐在车床边。‘唉，要是能打个寒颤就好了！’他说，‘但看来在这里也学不会了。’快到半夜时，他正要去拨弄炉火，刚吹旺火焰，忽然有个角落传来声音：‘喵呜！好冷啊！’‘你们这些蠢货！’他喊道，‘你们哭什么？要是觉得冷，就过来坐到火边暖和暖和。’话音刚落，两只巨大的黑猫一跃而至，分别坐在他两侧，用灼热的眼睛凶狠地盯着他。过了一会儿，等它们暖和过来后，便说：‘伙计，要不要来玩一局牌？’‘为什么不呢？’他答道，‘不过先让我看看你们的爪子。’于是它们伸出利爪。‘哦，’他说，‘你们的指甲真长啊！等等，我得先帮你们剪掉。’随即他一把掐住它们的脖子，把它们按在切菜板上，用螺丝钉将它们的脚牢牢固定住。‘我看过你的手指，’他说，‘我对玩牌的兴趣已经消失了。’于是他将它们杀死并扔进了水里。但当他处理完这两个之后，正准备重新坐到火边时，从每个角落都涌出了黑猫和黑狗，拖着烧红的铁链，而且越来越多，直到他无法动弹。它们发出可怕的嚎叫，扑向他的火堆，将火堆拆散，试图把火扑灭。起初他静静地观察着它们，但最后当它们太过分时，他抓起切肉刀，喊道：‘滚开，这些害虫！’并开始砍杀它们。一些逃跑了，另一些被他杀死并扔进了鱼塘。当他回来时，重新扇起火炭，让自己暖和起来。就这样坐着，他的眼睛再也睁不开了，感到一阵困意。于是他环顾四周，看到角落里有一张大床。‘这正是我需要的，’他说着便躺了进去。然而，就在他准备闭上眼睛时，床开始自行移动，带着他穿过整座城堡。‘这样才对，’他说，‘再快一点。’于是床像套着六匹马一样被拉着上下颠簸，越过门槛和台阶，突然却猛地一翻，倒扣过来压在他身上，如同一座山。他将被子和枕头抛向空中，翻身下床说道：‘现在谁愿意都可以来赶车了。’随后他在火堆旁躺下，一直睡到天亮。清晨国王来了，见他躺在地上，以为是被恶灵害死了。于是他说：‘毕竟可惜，这么一位英俊的年轻人。’那青年听见后起身答道：‘还没到那一步呢。’国王大为惊讶，却又十分高兴，便问他过得如何。‘非常好，’他回答，‘一夜已过，另外两夜也会如此度过。’接着他去见客栈老板，老板瞪大了眼睛说：‘我从未想过还能再见到你活着！你学会发抖了吗？’‘没有，’他说，‘一切都是徒劳。要是有人能告诉我该怎么做到就好了！’
The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by the fire, and once more began his old song: ‘If I could but shudder!’ When midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; at first it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet for a while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the chimney and fell before him. ‘Hullo!’ cried he, ‘another half belongs to this. This is not enough!’ Then the uproar began again, there was a roaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. ‘Wait,’ said he, ‘I will just stoke up the fire a little for you.’ When he had done that and looked round again, the two pieces were joined together, and a hideous man was sitting in his place. ‘That is no part of our bargain,’ said the youth, ‘the bench is mine.’ The man wanted to push him away; the youth, however, would not allow that, but thrust him off with all his strength, and seated himself again in his own place. Then still more men fell down, one after the other; they brought nine dead men’s legs and two skulls, and set them up and played at nine-pins with them. The youth also wanted to play and said: ‘Listen you, can I join you?’ ‘Yes, if you have any money.’ ‘Money enough,’ replied he, ‘but your balls are not quite round.’ Then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and turned them till they were round. ‘There, now they will roll better!’ said he. ‘Hurrah! now we’ll have fun!’ He played with them and lost some of his money, but when it struck twelve, everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly fell asleep. Next morning the king came to inquire after him. ‘How has it fared with you this time?’ asked he. ‘I have been playing at nine-pins,’ he answered, ‘and have lost a couple of farthings.’ ‘Have you not shuddered then?’ ‘What?’ said he, ‘I have had a wonderful time! If I did but know what it was to shudder!’
第二夜，他再次登上那座古堡，坐在炉火旁，重新唱起他那首老歌：‘要是能让我浑身发抖就好了！’当时钟敲到午夜，四周突然响起一阵翻腾的嘈杂声；起初声音很低，但渐渐变得越来越大。随后又安静了一会儿，接着伴随着一声刺耳的尖叫，半个男人从烟囱里掉了下来，落在他面前。‘嘿！’他喊道，‘另一半也该归这儿了。光这一半可不够！’于是喧闹声再次响起，伴随着咆哮和嚎叫，另一半也掉了下来。‘等等，’他说，‘我先给你们添点柴火。’等他做完这件事再环顾四周时，那两半已经拼合在一起，一个可怕的男子正坐在他原本的位置上。‘这可不是我们协议的一部分，’年轻人说，‘那张长凳是我的。’那人想把他推开，但年轻人不肯让步，用尽全力将他推走，然后重新坐回自己的位置上。接着又有更多的男人接连掉了下来；他们带来了九具死人的腿骨和两个头骨，将它们竖立起来，玩起了九柱戏。年轻人也想加入，说道：‘听着，我能跟你们一起玩吗？’“是的，只要你有钱。”“钱是够的，”他回答说，“但你的球还不够圆。”于是他把那些头骨放在车床上，将它们车得圆圆的。“好了，现在它们能滚得更顺了！”他说。“万岁！这下我们可以玩得开心了！”他玩了起来，输掉了一些钱，但当钟声敲响十二下时，一切都在他眼前消失了。他躺下，安然入睡。第二天早上，国王前来探问他的情况。“这次过得怎么样？”他问道。“我玩了九柱戏，”他回答，“还输掉了两个便士。”“你难道没有感到害怕吗？”“什么？”他说，“我玩得可痛快了！要是我能知道什么叫害怕就好了！”
The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly: ‘If I could but shudder.’ When it grew late, six tall men came in and brought a coffin. Then he said: ‘Ha, ha, that is certainly my little cousin, who died only a few days ago,’ and he beckoned with his finger, and cried: ‘Come, little cousin, come.’ They placed the coffin on the ground, but he went to it and took the lid off, and a dead man lay therein. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. ‘Wait,’ said he, ‘I will warm you a little,’ and went to the fire and warmed his hand and laid it on the dead man’s face, but he remained cold. Then he took him out, and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast and rubbed his arms that the blood might circulate again. As this also did no good, he thought to himself: ‘When two people lie in bed together, they warm each other,’ and carried him to the bed, covered him over and lay down by him. After a short time the dead man became warm too, and began to move. Then said the youth, ‘See, little cousin, have I not warmed you?’ The dead man, however, got up and cried: ‘Now will I strangle you.’
第三天晚上，他又坐在长凳上，十分悲伤地说：‘要是我能打寒战就好了。’夜深了，六个高个子男人抬着一口棺材进来。他说：‘哈，哈，这一定是我的小表弟，他几天前才去世，’于是用手指招了招，喊道：‘来呀，小表弟，来呀。’他们把棺材放在地上，他却走过去掀开盖子，里面躺着一具尸体。他摸了摸死人的脸，冷得像冰一样。‘等等，’他说，‘我给他暖暖身子。’他走到火边烤热手，然后贴在死人的脸上，可死人依然冰冷。接着他把死人抱出来，坐在火边，把他放在自己胸前，揉搓他的手臂，想让血液重新流动起来。但这也没用，他便想：‘两个人睡在一起可以互相取暖。’于是把死人抱到床上，盖好被子，躺在他身边。过了一会儿，死人渐渐暖和过来，开始动弹。这时年轻人说：‘看吧，小表弟，我是不是把你暖过来了？’可那死人却站起来喊道：‘现在我要勒死你。’
‘What!’ said he, ‘is that the way you thank me? You shall at once go into your coffin again,’ and he took him up, threw him into it, and shut the lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. ‘I cannot manage to shudder,’ said he. ‘I shall never learn it here as long as I live.’
‘什么！’他说，‘你就是这样报答我的吗？你现在立刻再回到你的棺材里去。’于是他把那人抱起，扔进棺材，然后盖上盖子。接着那六个人又把他抬走了。‘我实在无法感到恐惧，’他说，‘只要我活着，在这里永远也学不会发抖。’
Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and looked terrible. He was old, however, and had a long white beard. ‘You wretch,’ cried he, ‘you shall soon learn what it is to shudder, for you shall die.’ ‘Not so fast,’ replied the youth. ‘If I am to die, I shall have to have a say in it.’ ‘I will soon seize you,’ said the fiend. ‘Softly, softly, do not talk so big. I am as strong as you are, and perhaps even stronger.’ ‘We shall see,’ said the old man. ‘If you are stronger, I will let you go--come, we will try.’ Then he led him by dark passages to a smith’s forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the ground. ‘I can do better than that,’ said the youth, and went to the other anvil. The old man placed himself near and wanted to look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youth seized the axe, split the anvil with one blow, and in it caught the old man’s beard. ‘Now I have you,’ said the youth. ‘Now it is your turn to die.’ Then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man till he moaned and entreated him to stop, when he would give him great riches. The youth drew out the axe and let him go. The old man led him back into the castle, and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold. ‘Of these,’ said he, ‘one part is for the poor, the other for the king, the third yours.’ In the meantime it struck twelve, and the spirit disappeared, so that the youth stood in darkness. ‘I shall still be able to find my way out,’ said he, and felt about, found the way into the room, and slept there by his fire. Next morning the king came and said: ‘Now you must have learnt what shuddering is?’ ‘No,’ he answered; ‘what can it be? My dead cousin was here, and a bearded man came and showed me a great deal of money down below, but no one told me what it was to shudder.’ ‘Then,’ said the king, ‘you have saved the castle, and shall marry my daughter.’ ‘That is all very well,’ said he, ‘but still I do not know what it is to shudder!’
随后，一个比所有人都高大的男人走了进来，模样十分可怕。然而他已年迈，留着长长的白胡子。‘你这恶棍，’他喊道，‘你很快就会明白什么是战栗，因为你即将死去。’‘没那么快，’年轻人回答，‘如果我要死，至少得由我说了算。’‘我马上就能抓住你，’那恶魔说。‘慢点，慢点，别吹牛。我和你一样强壮，甚至可能更强。’‘那就试试看吧，’老人说，‘如果你真的更强，我就放你走——来吧，我们比试一下。’于是，他带着年轻人穿过昏暗的通道，来到铁匠铺，拿起一把斧头，一斧将铁砧钉入地下。‘我能做得更好，’年轻人说道，走到另一块铁砧前。老人站在一旁想看个究竟，他的白胡子垂了下来。这时，年轻人抓起斧头，一斧劈开铁砧，却正好夹住了老人的胡须。‘现在我可抓住你了，’年轻人说，‘现在轮到你要死了。’随即，他抓起一根铁棍，猛击老人，直到老人呻吟求饶，答应给他巨额财富。年轻人抽出斧头，放走了他。老人带他回到城堡，在地下室里向他展示了三只装满金币的箱子。‘这些金币中，’他说，‘一部分给穷人，一部分给国王，第三部分归你。’与此同时，钟声敲了十二下，幽灵便消失了，年轻人顿时陷入黑暗之中。‘我还能找到出去的路，’他说着，摸索着找到了回房间的路，并在炉火旁睡下了。第二天早上，国王来了，问道：‘现在你该知道什么是战栗了吧？’‘不，’他回答，‘那是什么？我的已故表兄曾来过，一个长胡子的男人带他去了下面，展示了许多金币，但没人告诉我那叫战栗。’‘那么，’国王说，‘你已经拯救了城堡，将娶我的女儿为妻。’‘这很好，’他说，‘但我仍然不知道什么是战栗！’
Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but howsoever much the young king loved his wife, and however happy he was, he still said always: ‘If I could but shudder--if I could but shudder.’ And this at last angered her. Her waiting-maid said: ‘I will find a cure for him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder.’ She went out to the stream which flowed through the garden, and had a whole bucketful of gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young king was sleeping, his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucket full of cold water with the gudgeons in it over him, so that the little fishes would sprawl about him. Then he woke up and cried: ‘Oh, what makes me shudder so?--what makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! now I know what it is to shudder!’
随后，黄金被呈上，婚礼得以举行；然而无论年轻的国王多么爱他的妻子，无论他多么幸福，他总是说：‘要是我能打一次寒颤就好了——只要我能打一次寒颤。’这最终惹恼了她。她的侍女说：‘我会为他找到 remedy；他很快就会明白什么是打寒颤。’她走到流经花园的小溪边，让人提来满满一桶鲦鱼。到了夜里，当年轻的国王睡着时，他的妻子要掀开他的被子，将装满冷水和鲦鱼的桶倒在他身上，让那些小鱼在他身上乱窜。于是他醒来喊道：‘哦，是什么让我如此打寒颤？亲爱的妻子，是什么让我如此打寒颤？啊！现在我明白什么是打寒颤了！’