The maiden,however,firmly resolved to deliver her brothers,even if it should cost her her life.She left the hut,went into the midst of the forest,seated herself on a tree,and there passed the night.Next morning she went out and gathered starwort and began to sew.She could not speak to anyone,and she had no inclination(inclination n.倾斜,弯曲,倾度,倾向,爱好)to laugh,she sat there and looked at nothing but her work.When she had already spent a long time there it came to pass that the king of the country was hunting in the forest,and his huntsmen came to the tree on which the maiden was sitting.They called to her and said,“Who are you.”But she made no answer.“Come down to us.”said they.“We will not do you any harm.”She only shook her head.As they pressed her further with questions she threw her golden necklace(necklace n.项链)down to them,and thought to content them thus.They,however,did not cease,and then she threw her girdle down to them,and as this also was to no purpose,her garters,and by degrees everything that she had on that she could do without until she had nothing left but her shift.The huntsmen,however,did not let themselves be turned aside by that,but climbed the tree and fetched the maiden down and led her before the king.The king asked,“Who are you.What are you doing on the tree.”But she did not answer.He put the question in every language that he knew,but she remained as mute as a fish.As she was so beautiful,the king"s heart was touched,and he was smitten with a great love for her.He put his mantle(mantle n.斗蓬,覆盖物,壁炉架)on her,took her before him on his horse,and carried her to his castle.Then he caused her to be dressed in rich garments(garment n.衣服,外衣,外表),and she shone in her beauty like bright daylight,but no word could be drawn from her.He placed her by his side at table,and her modest bearing and courtesy(courtesy n.谦恭,允许,礼貌)pleased him so much that he said,“She is the one whom I wish to marry,and no other woman in the world.”And after some days he united himself to her.
可是姑娘却下定决心救她的哥哥,不怕为此而付出自己的生命。她离开小屋,走进密林,爬到树上过了一夜。第二天早上,她便四处采集翠菊,开始缝衬衫。她不能跟任何人说话,也不笑。她坐在那儿,只顾低头缝啊缝啊。就这么过了很长时间,有一天,当地的国王来森林里打猎,猎手们走到了姑娘坐的那棵树跟前。他们喊她,问:“你是谁呀?”她不回答。“下来吧,”他们说,“我们不会碰你一根毫毛的。”她只摇了摇头。他们继续问个不休,她给他们扔下来一条金项链,心想这下可以使他们满足了吧。他们仍然不罢休。于是她又把腰带扔给他们,还是没用,她接着扔下吊袜带,扔下身上所有而又并非必需的一件件东西,直至仅仅只留下内衣。可是就这样,猎手们仍未被打发走,而是爬到树上把姑娘抱下来,领她去到国王面前。国王问:“你是谁?在树上干什么?”她不回答。国王用自己会的所有语言问她,她仍然不声不响,像条鱼一样。然而她是那么美丽,国王被打动了,深深地爱上了她。他把他的斗蓬给姑娘披上,抱她上马坐在自己前面,把她带回王宫。随后他给她许多漂亮衣服穿,使她更加光彩照人,美丽如晴朗的白昼,可就是仍然没法使她吐出一句话。吃饭时,国王让她坐在自己身边。她模样谦逊,举止端庄,深得他的欢心。他忍不住说:“我希望娶她,而不要世界上任何别的女子。”几天后,他和她举行了婚礼。
The king,however,had a wicked mother who was dissatisfied with this marriage and spoke ill of the young queen.“Who knows,”said she,“from whence the creature who can"t speak,comes.”She is not worthy of a king.After a year had passed,when the queen brought her first child into the world,the old woman took it away from her,and smeared(smear v.涂上,抹掉,涂污,诽谤,抹去)her mouth with blood as she slept.Then she went to the king and accused the queen of being a maneater.The king would not believe it,and would not suffer anyone to do her any injury.She,however,sat continually sewing at the shirts,and cared for nothing else.The next time,when she again bore a beautiful boy,the false motherinlaw used the same treachery,but the king could not bring himself to give credit to her words.He said,“She is too pious(pious adj.虔诚的,尽责的)and good to do anything of that kind,if she were not dumb(dumb adj.哑的,无说话能力的,不说话的,无声音的),and could defend herself,her innocence(innocence n.清白)would come to light.”But when the old woman stole away the newlyborn child for the third time,and accused (accuse vt.控告,谴责,非难)the queen,who did not utter one word of defence,the king could do no otherwise than deliver her over to justice,and she was sentenced to suffer death by fire.
不幸的是,国王有个刁恶的母亲。她不满意这桩婚事,常讲年轻王后的坏话。“谁知道这丫头从哪儿来的呢,”她说,“又不会讲话,根本不配当王后.”过了一年,王后的第一个孩子刚出世,老婆子就给她抱走,并趁她睡着了在她嘴上涂了一些鲜血。接着她便去国王面前告状,说王后是吃人妖婆。国王不肯相信,不容许任何人伤害自己妻子。王后呢,仍一个劲儿坐着缝衬衫,对别的一切全不在意。第二次,当她再生下一个漂亮的男孩,恶婆婆又搞了同样的鬼,国王却拿不定主意,不知究竟该不该相信母亲的话。国王说:“她那么虔诚、善良,做不出这种事。她要不是哑巴,一定会替自己辩解,很快证明自己的清白无辜。”可是,当老婆子第三次偷走婴儿,控告王后,王后又一句辩解的话没有,国王便毫无办法,只得把她交给法庭。法庭的判决是用火刑将她处死。
When the day came for the sentence to be carried out,it was the last day of the six years during which she was not to speak or laugh,and she had delivered her dear brothers from the power of the enchantment(enchantment n.迷惑,着迷,魔法,妖术,魅力).The six shirts were ready,only the left sleeve(sleeve n.袖子)of the sixth was wanting.When,therefore,she was led to the stake,she laid the shirts on her arm,and when she stood on high and the fire was just going to be lighted,she looked around and six swans came flying through the air towards her.Then she saw that her deliverancede(liverance n.释放,意见,判决)was near,and her heart leapt with joy.The swans swept towards her and sank down so that they were touched by them,their swans,skins fell off,and her brothers stood in their own bodily form before her,and were vigorous(vigorous adj.精力旺盛的,有力的,健壮的)and handsome.The youngest only lacked his left arm,and had in the place of it a swan"s wing on his shoulder.They embraced(embrace vt.拥抱,互相拥抱,包含,收买,信奉)and kissed each other,and the queen went to the king,who was greatly moved,and she began to speak and said,“Dearest husband,now I may speak and declare to you that I am innocent,and falsely accused.”And she told him of the treachery(treachery n.背叛,背信弃义,变节,叛逆行为)of the old woman who had taken away her three children and hidden them.Then to the great joy of the king they were brought thither,and as a punishment,the wicked motherinlaw was bound to the stake,and burnt to ashes.But the king and the queen with her six brothers lived many years in happiness and peace.
执行判决的日子到了,这刚好是她不能说话和不能笑的六年的最后一天,她已经把亲爱的哥哥们从魔法的控制下解脱。六件衬衫也缝好了,只有最后一件左边还少一只袖子。当她被带向火刑柱时,她把衬衫搭在胳臂上,当她上了火刑柱,木柴即将点着时,她环顾四周,空中六只天鹅正向她飞来。她明白,她即将得救,心里又高兴又激动。天鹅们嗖嗖地落在她近旁,她可以把衬衫扔给它们了它们一被碰着,身上的天鹅皮就脱掉了,她的哥哥们又站在她面前,一个个生气勃勃,英俊漂亮。只有最小的一个哥哥缺少左胳臂、背上仍然长着只天鹅翅膀。兄妹们相互拥抱,亲吻。接着,王后走到不胜惊讶的国王面前,开口讲话:“亲爱的丈夫,现在我可以说话了,可以向你表明,我是清白的,无辜受到了诬告。”她告诉国王,婆婆欺骗他,抱走了她的三个孩子,把他们藏了起来。孩子很快被送到国王面前,他高兴极了。恶婆婆受到惩罚,被绑在火刑柱上,烧成了灰。国王、王后和她的六个哥哥,过着幸福安宁的生活。