An amusing tale about a boy whose parents called him “Dummy” – but he can’t have been that much of a dummy because he found a golden goose and made the grandest people of the town look like fools.
这是一个妙趣横生的故事，讲的是一个被父母叫做“小傻瓜” 的男孩。但他可没那么傻，因为他找到了一只金鹅，还让镇上那些趾高气昂的人出尽洋相 。
Once upon a time, there lived a woodcutter and his wife, who had three sons. The eldest two were strong and tall, and their mother and father were always telling them how handsome and clever they were – but the youngest son was, to tell you the truth, just a bit simple in the head. He wasn’t very tall, and he wasn’t very strong, and his family thought he was good for nothing. They hardly ever called him by his real name, but instead they gave him a cruel nickname. They called him Dummy, because they said he was stupid.
从前，有一位樵夫和他的妻子，他们育有三个儿子。大儿子和二儿子身材高大强壮，父母总是夸赞他们英俊又聪明。但说实话，小儿子脑子有点不灵光。他个头不高，身体也不强壮，家人觉得他一无是处。他们几乎从不叫他的真名，而是给他取了个伤人的外号，叫他“小傻瓜”，说他笨头笨脑。
One day the eldest son wanted to go to the forest to cut wood. The mother praised him for being such a useful boy, and before he set out she gave him some of her best fruit cake for his lunch, and a bottle of wine to wash it down. While the boy was walking through the forest, he met a little grey old man who said to him: “Do give me a little piece of your cake and a swig of your wine. I’m so terribly hungry and thirsty.”
一天，大儿子想去森林里砍柴。母亲夸赞他是个能干的好孩子，在他出发前，给了他一些自己做的最好的水果蛋糕当午饭，还准备了一瓶葡萄酒。当这个男孩穿过森林时，他遇到了一个小个子灰衣老人，老人对他说：“给我一小块你的蛋糕，再让我喝口你的酒呗。我又饿又渴，难受极了。”
And the eldest son replied: “Be off with you, you filthy old beggar.”
大儿子回答道：“快走开，你这个脏兮兮的老乞丐。”
The little grey old man went away, but not without taking his revenge. He put a curse on the boy, so that when he started to cut a tree down, his axe slipped and went into his leg. The boy limped home to his mother who washed his wound and bandaged him.
小个子灰衣老人离开了，但他不会不报复。他对这个男孩下了诅咒，结果当男孩开始砍树时，斧头一滑，砍到了他自己的腿。男孩一瘸一拐地回到家，母亲为他清洗伤口并包扎。
The next day, the second eldest son went out to the forest to cut wood. Before he set out, his mother praised him for being such a useful boy, but especially asked him to be careful with the axe, so as not to have a nasty accident like his brother. The boy promised not to be careless, and his mother gave him some of her best sponge cake for his lunch, and a bottle of wine to wash it down.
第二天，二儿子去森林里砍柴。出发前，母亲夸赞他是个能干的好孩子，还特别叮嘱他用斧头时要小心，别像哥哥那样出意外。男孩保证不会粗心大意，母亲给了他一些自己做的最好的海绵蛋糕当午饭，也准备了一瓶葡萄酒。
It happened that as the boy was walking through the woods, he came across the same little grey old man. The man said to him: “Do please share your sponge cake and your wine with me, for I am so terribly weak with hunger and thirst.”
巧的是，当这个男孩在树林里行走时，他也碰到了同一个小个子灰衣老人。老人对他说：“请把你的海绵蛋糕和葡萄酒分给我一些吧，我饿得浑身没力气，渴得要命。”
The boy said: “Be off with you, you lazy old scoundrel. If you want to eat, you’d better work.”
男孩说：“快走开，你这个又懒又坏的家伙。要是你想吃东西，最好自己去干活。”
The little grey old man went away, but not without taking his revenge. Not long after, when the boy was cutting down a tree, his axe flew out of his hand and hit him on the head. He crawled home to his mother who bandaged up his wound and asked him why he had not kept his promise to be more careful.
小个子灰衣老人离开了，但走之前不忘报复。没过多久，当这个男孩砍树时，斧头脱手飞了出去，砸在了他的头上。他爬回家找母亲，母亲为他包扎好伤口，还问他为什么没遵守承诺小心一些。
For the rest of the week, the two eldest sons were both lying in bed recovering from their wounds. The father said to the third and youngest son: “Get on your feet, you lazy Dummy. Why are you sitting around doing nothing, when both brothers are hurt and unable to work? Get out to the forest and cut some wood – if you’re not too stupid to do that.”
那一周剩下的时间里，两个哥哥都躺在床上养伤。父亲对最小的三儿子说：“站起来，你这个懒鬼小傻瓜。你两个哥哥都受伤没法干活了，你怎么还坐在这儿无所事事？去森林里砍些柴 —— 要是你还没蠢到连这个都做不了的话。”
The mother laughed at him and said: “It’s more than likely that Dummy will cut his own head off – but it won’t be much of a loss to anyone.” Before he left she gave him some cake that she had burned almost to a crust in the oven, and a bottle of sour beer to wash it down.
母亲嘲笑他说：“小傻瓜多半会砍到自己的脑袋 —— 不过对谁来说这都算不上什么损失。” 在他出门前，母亲给了他一些在烤箱里烤得几乎成了焦炭的蛋糕，还有一瓶酸啤酒。
As the youngest boy was going through the woods, he met the same little grey old man who had crossed the path of his brothers. The man said to him: “Do please share some of your cake and beer with me. I am so terribly hungry and thirsty, and I fear that if I don’t have something to eat and drink soon, I will surely die”
当小儿子穿过树林时，他遇到了和哥哥们碰到的同一个小个子灰衣老人。老人对他说：“请一定把你的蛋糕和啤酒分给我一些。我实在是又饿又渴，我担心要是再不喝点吃点，我肯定会死的。”
The young boy replied: “Old man, I will gladly share with you what I have – but the cake is burnt and the beer is sour.”
小儿子回答道：“老人家，我很乐意把我有的东西分给您 —— 不过这蛋糕烤焦了，啤酒也酸了。”
“Never mind that,” said the man. “I am grateful for what you can give me.”
“没关系，” 老人说，“你能给我什么我都感激不尽。”
The boy and the little grey old man sat down and shared the cake and the beer. After they had finished their lunch, the man said: “Since you have a good heart, and have shared what you have with me, I will give you a reward. You see that old tree over there. Cut it down with your axe and you will find something of value inside its hollow trunk.”
男孩和小个子灰衣老人坐下来，分享了蛋糕和啤酒。吃完午饭，老人说：“因为你心地善良，愿意和我分享你所拥有的，我要给你一份奖赏。你看那边那棵老树。用你的斧头把它砍倒，你会在它空心的树干里找到一些有价值的东西。”
So when the little grey old man had left, the young boy, whose parents called him “Dummy”, took his axe and cut down the hollow tree just as he had been told. Inside he found a goose – but this was no ordinary bird, for its feathers were made of gold.
小个子灰衣老人离开后，这个被父母叫做“小傻瓜” 的小男孩，就按照老人说的，拿起斧头砍倒了那棵空心树。在树里，他发现了一只鹅 —— 但这可不是一只普通的鹅，它的羽毛是金子做的。
The boy realised that he was in luck, and thought to himself: “Why should I go home now and suffer the insults of my parents and brothers? They will take this valuable bird from me, and I shall have nothing.” So the boy decided to run away from home. He put the golden goose under his arm and set out for the town. Then he went to the inn, intending to stay there. He stood at the bar and asked the innkeeper if he would accept a golden feather as payment for his board and lodgings. When the innkeeper saw the golden goose, he readily agreed.
男孩意识到自己运气来了，心里想：“我现在为什么要回家，去忍受父母和哥哥们的侮辱呢？他们会把这只珍贵的鸟抢走，那我就一无所有了。” 于是，男孩决定离家出走。他把金鹅夹在胳膊下，出发前往镇上。接着，他走进一家客栈，打算在那里住下。他站在吧台前，问客栈老板能不能用一根金羽毛来支付他的食宿费用。客栈老板看到金鹅后，欣然同意了。
After the boy had gone to bed he said to his three daughters: “That young boy whose parents call Dummy is staying up in our guest room. But he can’t be as simple in the head as they say – for he’s got a valuable bird with him – a goose with feathers made of gold.”
男孩上床睡觉后，客栈老板对他的三个女儿说：“那个被父母叫做小傻瓜的年轻男孩住在我们的客房里。但他脑子可不像他们说的那么笨 —— 因为他带着一只珍贵的鸟，一只羽毛是金子做的鹅。”
The eldest daughter thought to herself: “Well fancy that; feathers made of gold. I’ll pluck one or maybe more of those for myself.”
大女儿心里想：“哇，真想不到，羽毛是金子做的。我得给自己拔一根，或者多拔几根。”
After the clock struck midnight, she sneaked into the boy’s room, and saw that he was asleep with his arm around the golden goose. She crept up and tried to pluck a feather, but the feather wouldn’t budge, and when she tried to take her hand away, she found that she was stuck to it. She couldn’t move, and she couldn’t cry out for fear of waking the boy. She had to stay where she was – on her knees by the bed, with her hand on the feather.
午夜钟声敲响后，她悄悄溜进男孩的房间，看到男孩搂着金鹅睡着了。她轻手轻脚地走上前，试图拔下一根羽毛，可羽毛纹丝不动。当她想把手抽回来时，却发现手被粘在了羽毛上。她动弹不得，又不敢出声，生怕吵醒男孩。她只好待在原地，跪在床边，手还抓着那根羽毛。
After the clock struck one in the morning, the second sister came in the room, planning to take one feather or more for herself. In the dark she didn’t see her sister, but as soon as she touched her back, she found that her hand was stuck fast to her, and she had to stay where she was, not moving and not making a sound.
凌晨一点钟声敲响后，二女儿走进房间，也打算给自己拔一根或几根羽毛。黑暗中，她没看到姐姐，可刚一碰到姐姐的后背，就发现自己的手紧紧粘在了姐姐身上，她也只能待在原地，既不能动，也不敢出声。
After the clock struck two in the morning, the third sister came in. The other two shouted: “Stay back!” But it was too late – she reached out hoping to steal a feather and found that her hand was stuck to the middle sister.
凌晨两点钟声敲响后，三女儿进来了。另外两个女孩喊道：“别过来！” 但为时已晚，她伸手想去偷一根羽毛，结果手粘在了二姐身上。
The boy and the goose slept soundly through all of this. In the morning the boy got up, paid his bill with a golden feather, and left the inn with the goose under his arm. The sisters had no choice but to follow on behind him. What a pretty procession they made!
男孩和金鹅全程都睡得很沉。早上，男孩起床，用一根金羽毛付了账，然后夹着金鹅离开了客栈。姐妹们别无选择，只能跟在他身后。他们组成的队伍可真是奇特！
Along the way they met the bishop: “What a sight!” He exclaimed. “It’s hardly right for three young women to follow a boy around like that!”
一路上，他们遇到了主教。“这成何体统！” 他惊叫道，“三个年轻女子这样跟着一个男孩，太不像话了！”
As the girls went past he tapped the youngest on the shoulder. In doing so he found that he was stuck to her and had to follow.
女孩们经过时，他伸手轻拍了一下最小女孩的肩膀。结果，他发现自己的手粘在了女孩身上，也不得不跟着走。
Further up the road they met a police sergeant. The bishop called out to him: “Sergeant. Help me get free from this young woman’s shoulder. I’m stuck to her and people are bound to start all kinds of gossip about it!”
再往前走，他们遇到了一名警长。主教向他喊道：“警长，帮我从这年轻女子的肩膀上挣脱开。我粘在她身上了，人们肯定会因此传出各种流言蜚语！”
The police sergeant tried to pull the bishop free, but in doing so he found that both his hands were stuck to his waist, and he had to follow along with the procession.
警长试图把主教拉开，可这么一来，他发现自己的双手粘在了主教的腰上，也只能跟着这支队伍走。
At the top of the road they met the mayor. “What’s this town coming to?” Cried the mayor. “The bishop and the police sergeant are following three young girls who are following a young boy; all holding on to each other in a most unseemly fashion. Have they gone mad?”
在路的尽头，他们碰到了镇长。“这镇子成什么样子了？” 镇长大喊道，“主教和警长跟着三个年轻姑娘，而这三个姑娘又跟着一个年轻小伙子，所有人就这么以一种极其不得体的方式连在一起。他们都疯了吗？”
As he spoke, he tried to pull the police sergeant and the bishop away – but in doing so he found that he was stuck to both of them, and had to follow on.
说着，他试图把警长和主教拉开，结果却发现自己也粘在了他们俩身上，只能跟着队伍继续前行。
The boy led the little line of the townspeople along up the road, and at the top of the hill they passed the King’s palace. Now the King’s daughter was very beautiful, but she had the saddest face in the whole wide world. She had never laughed and not once even smiled. The King was so troubled by the young princess’ unhappiness, that he had made a special law: Whosoever could make her laugh and smile would win her hand in marriage.
男孩带着这一小队镇民沿着路走，在山顶处，他们经过了国王的宫殿。国王的女儿美若天仙，但她却有着世上最忧伤的面容。她从未开怀大笑过，甚至连微笑都不曾有过。国王对年轻公主的郁郁寡欢忧心忡忡，为此还颁布了一项特别法令：无论谁能让公主欢笑，就可以娶她为妻。
But the truth was that nothing very funny ever happened inside the royal palace. All the King’s servants and advisers were far too high and mighty to understand what would make a young girl laugh – or indeed to allow anything amusing to happen at all.
但事实上，王宫里从来没发生过什么有趣的事。国王所有的仆人和谋士都自视甚高，根本不明白什么能逗年轻姑娘发笑，甚至也不允许任何有趣的事情发生。
As the boy, known as Dummy, went past the palace, he still held the golden goose under his arm; and he was followed by the innkeeper’s three daughters, the bishop, the police sergeant, and the mayor. The princess looked out and saw the important people in their uniforms being tugged along behind three girls and a boy with a goose. She thought that it was the first thing she had seen in her life that was truly funny. She burst out laughing and ran, still giggling, to her father to tell him all about what she had seen. When the King looked out of his window and saw the procession, he couldn’t help laughing himself. He sent for his guards and told them to bring the boy and his followers directly to him. When the boy entered the King’s chamber, with the followers behind him; the mayor, the bishop and the policeman all called out angrily that he should pay for his crime with his head. The king, still laughing, said that on the contrary – he would be rewarded with the hand in marriage of his daughter, the princess.
这个被叫做“小傻瓜” 的男孩，胳膊下夹着金鹅路过宫殿。他身后跟着客栈老板的三个女儿、主教、警长和镇长。公主望向窗外，看到那些身着制服的大人物被三个女孩和一个抱着鹅的男孩拖着走，她觉得这是自己有生以来见过的第一件真正有趣的事。她放声大笑，一路咯咯笑着跑去告诉父亲自己看到的一切。国王望向窗外，看到这一行人，自己也忍不住笑了起来。他派卫兵去把男孩和他身后的人直接带到面前。当男孩走进国王的议事厅，身后跟着那一串人时，镇长、主教和警长都愤怒地叫嚷着，说男孩该为他的所作所为掉脑袋。国王仍笑着说，恰恰相反，男孩将得到奖赏，娶他的女儿 —— 公主为妻。
For an entire week after that, the innkeeper’s three daughters, the bishop, the policeman, and the mayor were all stuck to the golden goose and to one another. While they were stuck, all the townspeople and the whole court laughed and laughed at them. The boy whose family called him Dummy married the princess and inherited the kingdom. He lived with his beautiful wife and they had six happy smiling children, and the palace was often filled with laughter.
在那之后的整整一周里，客栈老板的三个女儿、主教、警长和镇长都粘在金鹅上，彼此也粘在一起。他们被困住期间，全镇的人和整个宫廷的人都对他们笑个不停。这个被家人叫做“小傻瓜” 的男孩娶了公主，继承了王国。他和美丽的妻子生活在一起，育有六个快乐爱笑的孩子，王宫里常常充满欢声笑语。
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