“我在哪里能见到她呢？”

“where can I see her?”

士兵问道。

asked the soldier.

“根本见不到她，” 他们说；

“She is not to be seen at all,” they said;

“她住在一座巨大的铜城堡里，周围是城墙和塔楼。

“she lives in a large copper castle, surrounded by walls and towers.

除了国王本人，没有人能进出，因为有一个预言说她将嫁给一个普通士兵，而国王一想到这样的婚姻就无法忍受。”

No one but the king himself can pass in or out, for there has been a prophecy that she will marry a mon soldier, and the king cannot bear to think of such a marriage.”

“我非常想见见她，” 士兵想；

“I should like very much to see her,” thought the soldier;

但是他得不到许可去见她。

but he could not obtain permission to do so.

不过，他度过了一段非常愉快的时光；

however, he passed a very pleasant time;

他去剧院，在国王的花园里驾车游玩，还给穷人很多钱，他这样做非常善良；

went to the theatre, drove in the king’s garden, and gave a great deal of money to the poor, which was very good of him;

他还记得过去身无分文的时候是什么样的。

he remembered what it had been in olden times to be without a shilling.

现在他富有了，有漂亮的衣服，还有很多朋友，他们都宣称他是个好人，是个真正的绅士，这一切让他非常高兴。

Now he was rich, had fine clothes, and many friends, who all declared he was a fine fellow and a real gentleman, and all this gratified him exceedingly.

但他的钱不会永远花不完；

but his money would not last forever;

由于他每天花销和赠送出去很多钱，却没有收入，最后他发现自己只剩下两先令了。

and as he spent and gave away a great deal daily, and received none, he found himself at last with only two shillings left.

所以他不得不离开他那优雅的房间，住在屋顶下的一个小阁楼里，在那里他得自己擦靴子，甚至用一根大针来补靴子。

So he was obliged to leave his elegant rooms, and live in a little garret under the roof, where he had to clean his own boots, and even mend them with a large needle.

他的朋友没有一个来看他，要爬的楼梯太多了。

None of his friends came to see him, there were too many stairs to mount up.

一个漆黑的夜晚，他甚至连买蜡烛的一便士都没有；

one dark evening, he had not even a penny to buy a candle;

突然，他想起在打火匣里有一小截蜡烛，那是他从老巫婆帮他进入的那棵老树里带出来的。

then all at once he remembered that there was a piece of candle stuck in the tinder - box, which he had brought from the old tree, into which the witch had helped him.

他找到了打火匣，但是他刚用打火石和钢片擦出几点火星，门就突然打开了，他在树洞里见过的那只眼睛有茶杯那么大的狗站在了他面前，说道：“主人，有什么吩咐？”

he found the tinder - box, but no sooner had he struck a few sparks from the flint and steel, than the door flew open and the dog with eyes as big as teacups, whom he had seen while down in the tree, stood before him, and said, “what orders, master?”

“哈罗，” 士兵说；

“hallo,” said the soldier;

“嗯，这个打火匣真不错，如果它能带给我所有我想要的东西的话。”

“well this is a pleasant tinder - box, if it brings me all I wish for.”

“给我拿些钱来，” 他对狗说。

“bring me some money,” said he to the dog.

它一会儿就不见了，很快就回来了，嘴里叼着一大袋铜币。

he was gone in a moment, and presently returned, carrying a large bag of coppers in his month.

在这之后，士兵很快就发现了打火匣的价值。

the soldier very soon discovered after this the value of the tinder - box.

如果他擦一次打火石，坐在铜币箱子上的狗就会出现；

If he struck the flint once, the dog who sat on the chest of copper money made his appearance;

如果擦两次，狗就会从银箱子那里来；

if twice, the dog came from the chest of silver;

如果擦三次，那只眼睛像塔一样的看守金子的狗就会出现。

and if three times, the dog with eyes like towers, who watched over the gold.

士兵现在有了很多钱；

the soldier had now plenty of money;

他回到他那优雅的房间，又穿上他漂亮的衣服出现了，这样他的朋友们马上又认出了他，又像以前一样奉承他。

he returned to his elegant rooms, and reappeared in his fine clothes, so that his friends knew him again directly, and made as much of him as before.

过了一段时间，他开始觉得很奇怪，竟然没有人能看一眼公主。

After a while he began to think it was very strange that no one could get a look at the princess.

“每个人都说她非常美丽，” 他暗自想道；

“Every one says she is very beautiful,” thought he to himself;

“但如果她被关在一个被许多塔楼环绕的铜城堡里，那又有什么用呢。

“but what is the use of that if she is to be shut up in a copper castle surrounded by so many towers.

我有没有办法能见到她呢。

can I by any means get to see her.

等等！我的打火匣在哪里？”

Stop! where is my tinder - box?”

然后他擦出了火，瞬间，那只眼睛有茶杯那么大的狗就站在了他面前。

then he struck a light, and in a moment the dog, with eyes as big as teacups, stood before him.

“现在是午夜，” 士兵说，“然而我非常想见见公主，哪怕就一会儿。”

“It is midnight,” said the soldier, “yet I should very much like to see the princess, if only for a moment.”

狗立刻消失了，士兵还没来得及四处张望，它就带着公主回来了。

the dog disappeared instantly, and before the soldier could even look round, he returned with the princess.

她正趴在狗背上睡着，看起来如此可爱，以至于每个看到她的人都会知道她是一位真正的公主。

She was lying on the dog’s back asleep, and looked so lovely, that every one who saw her would know she was a real princess.

尽管他是个真正的士兵，但还是忍不住吻了她。

the soldier could not help kissing her, true soldier as he was.

然后狗带着公主跑回去了；

then the dog ran back with the princess;

但是早上，当她和国王与王后一起吃早餐时，她告诉他们她夜里做了一个多么奇特的梦，梦到一只狗和一个士兵，她骑在狗背上，被士兵吻了。

but in the morning, while at breakfast with the king and queen, she told them what a singular dream she had had during the night, of a dog and a soldier, that she had ridden on the dog’s back, and been kissed by the soldier.

“这确实是个非常美妙的故事，” 王后说。

“that is a very pretty story, indeed,” said the queen.

于是第二天晚上，宫廷里的一位老妇人被安排在公主的床边守夜，去弄清楚这到底是一个梦，还是别的什么情况。

So the next night one of the old ladies of the court was set to watch by the princess’s bed, to discover whether it really was a dream, or what else it might be.

士兵非常渴望再次见到公主，于是夜里他又召唤狗去把公主带来，并且尽快带着她跑。

the soldier longed very much to see the princess once more, so he sent for the dog again in the night to fetch her, and to run with her as fast as ever he could.

但是老妇人穿上了雨靴，尽可能快地在后面追赶他，发现他把公主带进了一所大房子里。

but the old lady put on water boots, and ran after him as quickly as he did, and found that he carried the princess into a large house.

她想如果她用粉笔在门上画一个大十字，这会有助于她记住这个地方。

She thought it would help her to remember the place if she made a large cross on the door with a piece of chalk.

然后她就回家睡觉了，狗很快就带着公主回来了。

then she went home to bed, and the dog presently returned with the princess.

但是当狗看到士兵住的房子的门上被画了一个十字时，他拿了另一支粉笔在城里所有的门上都画了十字，这样侍女就可能找不到正确的门了。

but when he saw that a cross had been made on the door of the house, where the soldier lived, he took another piece of chalk and made crosses on all the doors in the town, so that the lady - in - waiting might not be able to find out the right door.

第二天一大早，国王和王后陪着这位老妇人以及所有的宫廷官员，去看公主去了哪里。

Early the next morning the king and queen acpanied the lady and all the officers of the household, to see where the princess had been.

“在这里，” 当他们来到第一扇画着十字的门时，国王说道。

“here it is,” said the king, when they came to the first door with a cross on it.

“不，我亲爱的丈夫，一定是那扇门，” 王后指着第二扇也画着十字的门说道。

“No, my dear husband, it must be that one,” said the queen, pointing to a second door having a cross also.

“这里有一个，那里还有一个！” 他们都惊叫道；

“And here is one, and there is another!” they all exclaimed;

因为四面八方所有的门上都有十字。

for there were crosses on all the doors in every direction.

所以他们觉得再继续找下去也没有用了。

So they felt it would be useless to search any farther.

但是王后是一个非常聪明的女人；

but the queen was a very clever woman;

她能做的远不止是坐马车出行。

she could do a great deal more than merely ride in a carriage.

她拿起她的大金剪刀，把一块丝绸剪成方块，做了一个整洁的小袋子。

She took her large gold scissors, cut a piece of silk into squares, and made a neat little bag.

她把这个袋子装满荞麦粉，然后把它系在公主的脖子上；

this bag she filled with buckwheat flour, and tied it round the princess’s neck;

然后她在袋子上剪了一个小口子，这样公主一路走的时候面粉就可以撒在地上。

and then she cut a small hole in the bag, so that the flour might be scattered on the ground as the princess went along.

夜里，狗又来了，背着公主，带着她跑到士兵那里，士兵非常爱她，并且希望自己是个王子，这样他就可以娶她为妻了。

during the night, the dog came again and carried the princess on his back, and ran with her to the soldier, who loved her very much, and wished that he had been a prince, so that he might have her for a wife.

狗没有注意到面粉是如何从城堡墙一直撒到士兵的房子，甚至撒到他带着公主爬进去的窗户那里的。

the dog did not observe how the flour ran out of the bag all the way from the castle wall to the soldier’s house, and even up to the window, where he had climbed with the princess.

因此，早上国王和王后发现了他们的女儿去了哪里，士兵被抓起来关进了监狱。

therefore in the morning the king and queen found out where their daughter had been, and the soldier was taken up and put in prison.

哦，当他坐在那里的时候，里面是多么黑暗和令人讨厌啊，人们对他说：“明天你就要被绞死了。”

oh, how dark and disagreeable it was as he sat there, and the people said to him, “to - morrow you will be hanged.”

这可不是什么好消息，而且，他把打火匣落在旅店里了。

It was not very pleasant news, and besides, he had left the tinder - box at the inn.

早上，他透过小窗户的铁栅栏看到人们正匆匆出城去看他被绞死；

In the morning he could see through the iron grating of the little window how the people were hastening out of the town to see him hanged;

他听到鼓声阵阵，看到士兵们在行进。

he heard the drums beating, and saw the soldiers marching.

每个人都跑出去看他们士兵行刑队伍，一个鞋匠学徒，穿着皮围裙和拖鞋，跑得飞快，以至于他的一只拖鞋飞了出去，撞在士兵透过铁栅栏往外看的墙上。

Every one ran out to look at them, and a shoemaker’s boy, with a leather apron and slippers on, galloped by so fast, that one of his slippers flew off and struck against the wall where the soldier sat looking through the iron grating.

“喂，你这个鞋匠学徒，你不必这么匆忙，” 士兵向他喊道。

“hallo, you shoemaker’s boy, you need not be in such a hurry,” cried the soldier to him.

“在我到来之前没什么可看的；

“there will be nothing to see till I e;

但是如果你跑到我住过的房子那里，把我的打火匣拿来，你就能得到四先令，但你必须尽快去。”

but if you will run to the house where I have been living, and bring me my tinder - box, you shall have four shillings, but you must put your best foot foremost.”

鞋匠学徒很喜欢能得到四先令这个主意，所以他跑得飞快，取来了打火匣，把它交给了士兵。

the shoemaker’s boy liked the idea of getting the four shillings, so he ran very fast and fetched the tinder - box, and gave it to the soldier.

现在我们来看看发生了什么事。

And now we shall see what happened.

在城外竖起了一个大绞刑架，周围站着士兵和数千民众。

outside the town a large gibbet had been erected, round which stood the soldiers and several thousands of people.

国王和王后坐在华丽的宝座上，正对着法官和整个议会。

the king and the queen sat on splendid thrones opposite to the judges and the whole council.

士兵已经站在梯子上了；

the soldier already stood on the ladder;

但是当他们正要把绳子套在他脖子上的时候，他说一个可怜的罪犯在受死之前提出的一个无辜请求常常会被答应。

but as they were about to place the rope around his neck, he said that an innocent request was often granted to a poor criminal before he suffered death.

他非常想抽一袋烟，因为这将是他在世上抽的最后一袋烟了。

he wished very much to smoke a pipe, as it would be the last pipe he should ever smoke in the world.

国王不能拒绝这个请求，于是士兵拿出他的打火匣，擦了一次、两次、三次火 —— 瞬间所有的狗都出现了；

the king could not refuse this request, so the soldier took his tinder - box, and struck fire, once, twice, thrice, — and there in a moment stood all the dogs;

—— 那只眼睛像茶杯一样大的狗，那只眼睛像磨坊的轮子一样大的狗，还有第三只，它的眼睛像塔一样。

— the one with eyes as big as teacups, the one with eyes as large as mill - wheels, and the third, whose eyes were like towers.

“现在救救我，别让我被绞死，” 士兵喊道。

“help me now, that I may not be hanged,” cried the soldier.

这些狗扑向法官和所有的议员们；

And the dogs fell upon the judges and all the councillors;

咬住一个人的腿，咬住另一个人的鼻子，把他们抛到几英尺高的空中，结果他们掉下来摔得粉碎。

seized one by the legs, and another by the nose, and tossed them many feet high in the air, so that they fell down and were dashed to pieces.

“不要碰我，” 国王说。

“I will not be touched,” said the king.

但是最大的那只狗抓住了他，还有王后，也把他们像其他人一样扔了出去。

but the largest dog seized him, as well as the queen, and threw them after the others.

然后士兵和所有的人都害怕了，喊道：“好士兵，你将成为我们的国王，你将娶美丽的公主为妻。”

then the soldiers and all the people were afraid, and cried, “Good soldier, you shall be our king, and you shall marry the beautiful princess.”

于是他们把士兵扶上国王的马车，三只狗跑在前面，喊道：“万岁！” 小男孩们用手指吹着口哨，士兵们举枪致敬。

So they placed the soldier in the king’s carriage, and the three dogs ran on in front and cried “hurrah!” and the little boys whistled through their fingers, and the soldiers presented arms.

公主从铜城堡里出来，成为了王后，这让她非常高兴。

the princess came out of the copper castle, and became queen, which was very pleasing to her.

婚礼庆典持续了整整一个星期，狗坐在桌子旁边，睁大眼睛看着。

the wedding festivities lasted a whole week, and the dogs sat at the table, and stared with all their eyes.