《牧羊女和扫烟囱的人》，1845 年

the Shepherdess and the Sweep, 1845

你见过那种因为年代久远而变得黑漆漆的旧木柜吗？上面还装饰着雕刻的花叶和奇特的人像呢。

have you ever seen an old wooden cupboard quite black with age, and ornamented with carved foliage and curious figures?

嗯，就在一间客厅里就立着这么一个柜子，它是曾祖母留给这家人的遗物。

well, just such a cupboard stood in a parlor, and had been left to the family as a legacy by the great-grandmother.

柜子从上到下都刻满了玫瑰和郁金香；上面还画着最奇特的涡卷形装饰图案，从这些图案里还探出长着鹿角的小鹿脑袋呢。

It was covered from top to bottom with carved roses and tulips; the most curious scrolls were drawn upon it, and out of them peeped little stags’ heads, with antlers.

在柜门的正中间刻着一个人的雕像，看上去特别滑稽可笑。

In the middle of the cupboard door was the carved figure of a man most ridiculous to look at.

他朝着你咧着嘴，可谁也不会把那叫做笑。

he grinned at you, for no one could call it laughing.

他长着山羊腿，头上长着小角，还留着长胡子；屋里的孩子们总是叫他 “山羊腿少将中士指挥官”。

he had goat’s legs, little horns on his head, and a long beard; the children in the room always called him, “major general-field-sergeant-mander billy-goat’s-legs.”

这名字肯定很难念，而且很少有人能得到这样一个头衔，可奇怪的是怎么会把他刻成这样呢；但他就那样在那儿，总是望着镜子下面的桌子，桌上立着一个非常漂亮的瓷制小牧羊女。

It was certainly a very difficult name to pronounce, and there are very few who ever receive such a title, but then it seemed wonderful how he came to be carved at all; yet there he was, always looking at the table under the looking-glass, where stood a very pretty little shepherdess made of china.

她的鞋子是镀金的，衣服上有一朵红玫瑰或是别的装饰品。

her shoes were gilt, and her dress had a red rose or an ornament.

她戴着一顶帽子，拿着一根牧羊杖，也都是镀金的，看上去又鲜亮又漂亮。

She wore a hat, and carried a crook, that were both gilded, and looked very bright and pretty.

紧挨着她身边站着一个小扫烟囱的人，黑得像煤块一样，也是瓷做的。

close by her side stood a little chimney-sweep, as black as coal, and also made of china.

不过，他和其他瓷制人偶一样干净整洁；他只是个代表扫烟囱工人的小瓷人罢了，要是那些瓷工愿意的话，完全可以把他做成一位王子呢。

he was, however, quite as clean and neat as any other china figure; he only represented a black chimney-sweep, and the china workers might just as well have made him a prince, had they felt inclined to do so.

他稳稳地拿着梯子站在那儿，脸像姑娘的脸一样白皙红润；说实在的，这可有点不对头，那脸上本该有些黑道道的。

he stood holding his ladder quite handily, and his face was as fair and rosy as a girl’s; indeed, that was rather a mistake, it should have had some black marks on it.

他和牧羊女被摆放在一起，紧挨着彼此；就因为这样摆放在一起，他们就订了婚，因为他们非常般配，都是用同一种瓷器做成的，而且同样易碎。

he and the shepherdess had been placed close together, side by side; and, being so placed, they became engaged to each other, for they were very well suited, being both made of the same sort of china, and being equally fragile.

在他们旁边还站着另一个人偶，有他们三个那么大，也是瓷器做的。

close to them stood another figure, three times as large as they were, and also made of china.

他是个老中国人偶，会点头，还常常假装是牧羊女的祖父，虽说他没法证明这一点。

he was an old chinaman, who could nod his head, and used to pretend that he was the grandfather of the shepherdess, although he could not prove it.

然而他却对她行使起了权威，所以当“山羊腿少将中士指挥官”来求娶小牧羊女做妻子时，他就点头表示同意了。

he however assumed authority over her, and therefore when “major-general-field-sergeant-mander billy-goat’s-legs” asked for the little shepherdess to be his wife, he nodded his head to show that he consented.

“你会有个丈夫的，”老中国人偶对她说，“我真觉得他是用红木做的呢。他会让你成为‘山羊腿少将中士指挥官’夫人的。他整个柜子里都装满了银餐具，都锁在秘密抽屉里呢。”

“You will have a husband,” said the old chinaman to her, “who I really believe is made of mahogany. he will make you a lady of major-general-field-sergeant-mander billy-goat’s-legs. he has the whole cupboard full of silver plate, which he keeps locked up in secret drawers.”

“我才不进那黑乎乎的柜子呢，”小牧羊女说，“我听说他在那儿已经有十一个瓷制的妻子了。”

“I won’t go into the dark cupboard,” said the little shepherdess. “I have heard that he has eleven china wives there already.”

“那你就做第十二个吧，”老中国人偶说，“今晚一听到旧柜子里有响声，你就得嫁人了，就像我是个中国人偶一样千真万确；”然后他点了点头就睡着了。

“then you shall be the第十二个,” said the old chinaman. “to-night as soon as you hear a rattling in the old cupboard, you shall be married, as true as I am a chinaman;” and then he nodded his head and fell asleep.

这时小牧羊女哭了起来，望着她的心上人，那个瓷制的扫烟囱的人。

then the little shepherdess cried, and looked at her sweetheart, the china chimney-sweep.

“我求求你，” 她说，“和我一起到外面的广阔世界去吧，因为我们不能待在这儿了。”

“I must entreat you,” said she, “to go out with me into the wide world, for we cannot stay here.”

“你希望怎样我就怎样做，” 小扫烟囱的人说，“咱们马上就走：我想凭我的手艺能养活你。”

“I will do whatever you wish,” said the little chimney-sweep; “let us go immediately: I think I shall be able to maintain you with my profession.”

“只要我们能安全地从桌子上下去就好了！” 她说，“在我们真正到外面的世界之前，我是不会开心的。”

“If we were but safely down from the table!” said she; “I shall not be happy till we are really out in the world.”

于是他安慰她，还教她怎样把小脚放在桌子雕刻的边缘和镀金的叶子装饰上。

then he forted her, and showed her how to place her little foot on the carved edge and gilt-leaf ornaments of the table.

他拿来他的小梯子帮助她，就这样他们设法下到了地板上。

he brought his little ladder to help her, and so they contrived to reach the floor.

可是当他们看向那旧柜子时，发现里面一片大乱。

but when they looked at the old cupboard, they saw it was all in an uproar.

那些雕刻的鹿探出头来，扬起鹿角，扭动着脖子。

the carved stags pushed out their heads, raised their antlers, and twisted their necks.

少将一下子跳到了空中；并对老中国人偶喊道：“他们跑啦！他们跑啦！” 他俩被这情形吓得够呛，于是就跳进了靠窗座位的抽屉里。

the major-general sprung up in the air; and cried out to the old chinaman, “they are running away! they are running away!” the two were rather frightened at this, so they jumped into the drawer of the window-seat.

这里有三四副不完整的纸牌，还有一个搭得很精致的玩偶剧院。

here were three or four packs of cards not quite plete, and a doll’s theatre, which had been built up very neatly.

里面正在上演一出喜剧，所有的方块、梅花、红桃和黑桃王后都坐在第一排，用郁金香给自己扇风，在她们身后站着所有的杰克，显示出他们和一般纸牌一样上下都有脑袋。

A edy was being performed in it, and all the queens of diamonds, clubs, and hearts, and spades, sat in the first row fanning themselves with tulips, and behind them stood all the knaves, showing that they had heads above and below as playing cards generally have.

这出戏讲的是两个恋人，他们不被允许结婚，牧羊女哭了，因为这和她自己的故事太相似了。

the play was about two lovers, who were not allowed to marry, and the shepherdess wept because it was so like her own story.

“我受不了了，” 她说，“我必须从抽屉里出去；” 可是当他们来到地板上，朝桌子望去时，老中国人偶已经醒了，正在摇晃着他的整个身体，突然 “扑通” 一声，他掉到了地板上。