inquired the brothers.

“哦，” 笨汉杰克说，“我都快说不出来了。公主会多高兴呀！”

“oh,” said Jack the dullard, “I can hardly tell you.

how glad the princess will be!”

“呸！” 哥哥们说，“那不就是沟里的泥巴嘛。”

“bah!” said the brothers; “that is nothing but clay out of the ditch.”

“对呀，确实是呢，” 笨汉杰克说，“而且是最好的那种泥巴。

看，它湿乎乎的，都能从手指缝里流下去呢。”

他还往口袋里装满了泥巴。

“Yes, certainly it is,” said Jack the dullard; “and clay of the finest sort.

See, it is so wet, it runs through one’s fingers.”

And he filled his pocket with the clay.

可他的哥哥们策马飞奔，马蹄下火星四溅，结果他们比笨汉杰克早整整一个小时到达城门口。

but his brothers galloped on till the sparks flew, and consequently they arrived a full hour earlier at the town gate than could Jack.

现在，在城门口，每个求婚者都领到一个号码，一到那儿就立刻被排成行，每行六人，而且紧紧地挤在一起，胳膊都动不了；这安排很明智，因为要是他们能动手的话，肯定会打起来的，就因为有人站在别人前面。

Now at the gate each suitor was provided with a number, and all were placed in rows immediately on their arrival, six in each row, and so closely packed together that they could not move their arms; and that was a sensible arrangement, for they would certainly have e to blows, had they been able, merely because one of them stood before the other.

周围乡村的所有居民都成群结队地围在城堡周围，几乎就在窗户底下，要看公主接见求婚者；而每个求婚者一走进大厅，似乎就丧失了说话的能力，就像蜡烛被吹灭了光亮一样。

All the inhabitants of the country round about stood in great crowds around the castle, almost under the very windows, to see the princess receive the suitors; and as each stepped into the hall, his power of speech seemed to desert him, like the light of a candle that is blown out.

然后公主就会说：“他没用！把他赶出大厅！”

then the princess would say, “he is of no use! Away with him out of the hall!”

终于轮到那个能把词典倒背如流的哥哥了；可这会儿他却忘得一干二净，根本想不起来了；他的脚步声在木板地上回响，大厅的天花板是用镜子做的，所以他看到自己头朝下站着；窗边站着三个文书和一个文书主管，他们每个人都在把说出的每一个字记下来，好登在报纸上，拿到街角去卖一便士一份呢。

At last the turn came for that brother who knew the dictionary by heart; but he did not know it now; he had absolutely forgotten it altogether; and the boards seemed to re-echo with his footsteps, and the ceiling of the hall was made of looking-glass, so that he saw himself standing on his head; and at the window stood three clerks and a head clerk, and every one of them was writing down every single word that was uttered, so that it might be printed in the newspapers, and sold for a penny at the street corners.

这真是一场严峻的考验，而且，他们还在炉子里生了好大的火，房间里热得像着了火似的通红。

It was a terrible ordeal, and they had, moreover, made such a fire in the stove, that the room seemed quite red hot.

“这儿热得要命！” 第一个哥哥说道。

“It is dreadfully hot here!” observed the first brother.

“是啊，” 公主回答说，“我父亲今天要烤小母鸡呢。”

“Yes,” replied the princess, “my father is going to roast young pullets today.”

“咩！” 他就像只咩咩叫的小羊羔似的站在那儿。他没料到会是这样的对答，想说点俏皮话却一个字也说不出来。

“baa!” there he stood like a baa-lamb.

he had not been prepared for a speech of this kind, and had not a word to say, though he intended to say something witty.

“baa!”

“他没用！” 公主说。“把他赶出去！”

“he is of no use!” said the princess.

“Away with him!”

于是他只得乖乖地走了。现在轮到第二个哥哥了。

And he was obliged to go accordingly.

And now the second brother came in.

“这儿热得可怕！” 他说道。

“It is terribly warm here!” he observed.

“是啊，我们今天要烤小母鸡呢。” 公主回答说。

“Yes, we’re roasting pullets to-day,” replied the princess.

“什么 —— 你 —— 你高兴 ——” 他结结巴巴地说 —— 所有的文书都记了下来，“高兴 ——”

“what — what were you — were you pleased to ob-” stammered he — and all the clerks wrote down, “pleased to ob-”

“他没用！” 公主说。“把他赶出去！”

“he is of no use!” said the princess.

“Away with him!”

现在轮到笨汉杰克了。他骑着山羊进了大厅。

Now came the turn of Jack the dullard.

he rode into the hall on his goat.

“哎呀，这儿热得够呛。”

“well, it’s most abominably hot here.”

“是啊，因为我正在烤小母鸡呢。”公主回答道。

“Yes, because I’m roasting young pullets,” replied the princess.

“啊，真幸运！”笨汉杰克叫道，“我想你会让我同时烤我的乌鸦吧？”

“Ah, that’s lucky!” exclaimed Jack the dullard, “for I suppose you’ll let me roast my crow at the same time?”

“非常乐意。”公主说。“不过你有什么东西可以用来烤它吗？因为我既没有锅也没有平底锅。”

“with the greatest pleasure,” said the princess.

“but have you anything you can roast it in?

for I have neither pot nor pan.”

“我当然有啦！”杰克说。“这儿有个带锡把手的炊具。”

“certainly I have!” said Jack.

“here’s a cooking utensil with a tin handle.”

他拿出那只旧木鞋，把乌鸦放了进去。

And he brought out the old wooden shoe, and put the crow into it.

“嗯，这可真是道名菜啊！”公主说。“不过我们用什么做酱汁呢？”

“well, that is a famous dish!” said the princess.

“but what shall we do for sauce?”

“哦，我口袋里有呢。”杰克说，“我有好多，扔掉一些也没关系。”说着他从口袋里倒出一些泥巴。

“oh, I have that in my pocket,” said Jack; “I have so much of it that I can afford to throw some away;” and he poured some of the clay out of his pocket.

“我喜欢这样！”公主说。“你能回答问题，还能为自己说上几句，所以你将成为我的丈夫。不过你知道吗，我们说的每一个字都被记下来了，明天就会登在报纸上。看那边，每个窗户那儿都有三个文书和一个文书主管；那个老文书主管是最讨厌的，因为他什么都不懂。”

“I like that!” said the princess.

“You can give an answer, and you have something to say for yourself, and so you shall be your husband.

but are you aware that every word we speak is being taken down, and will be published in the paper to-morrow?

Look yonder, and you will see in every window three clerks and a head clerk; and the old head clerk is the most讨厌的, for he can’t understand anything.”

但她这么说只是为了吓唬笨汉杰克；文书们高兴得大叫起来，每个人都把钢笔里的墨水溅了一点在地上。

but she only said this to frighten Jack the dullard; and the clerks gave a great crow of delight, and each one spurted a blot out of his pen on to the floor.

“哦，那些就是先生们呀？”杰克说，“那我要把我最好的东西送给文书主管。”

“oh, those are the gentlemen, are they?”

said Jack; “then I will give the best I have to the head clerk.”

他把口袋翻了个底朝天，把湿泥巴全朝文书主管的脸上扔了过去。

And he turned out his pockets, and flung the wet clay full in the head clerk’s face.

“这事儿干得真聪明。” 公主评价道。“我可做不到这点；但我迟早会学会的。”

“that was very cleverly done,” observed the princess.

“I could not have done that; but I shall learn in time.”

于是笨汉杰克当上了国王，戴上了王冠，还娶了妻子，坐上了宝座。

And accordingly Jack the dullard was made a king, and received a crown and a wife, and sat upon a throne.

这份报道是我们从文书主管的印刷所和印刷商公会那儿弄来的 —— 但他们的话一点儿也不可靠。

And this report we have wet from the press of the head clerk and the corporation of printers — but they are not to be depended upon in the least.