格林童话 勇敢的小裁缝 下｜英语名著

The valiant little tailorC9

He thought a long while about it, and at last made up his mind what to do. He sent for the little tailor, and told him that as he was so great a warrior he had a proposal to make to him. He told him that in a wood in his dominions dwelt two giants, who did great damage by robbery, murder, and fire, and that no man durst go near them for fear of his life. But that if the tailor should overcome and slay both these giants the King would give him his only daughter in marriage, and half his kingdom as dowry, and that a hundred horsemen should go with him to give him assistance. "That would be something for a man like me 1"thought the little tailor, "a beautiful princess and half a kingdom are not to be had every day."      

And he said to the King, "Oh yes, I can soon overcome the giants, and yet have no need of the hundred horsemen; he who can kill seven at one blow has no need to be afraid of two."

The valiant little tailorC10

So the little tailor set out, and the hundred horsemen followed him. When he came to the border of the wood he said to his escort, "Stay here while I go to attack the giants." Then he sprang into the wood, and looked about him right and left. After a while he caught sight of the two giants; they were lying down under a tree asleep, and snoring so that all the branches shook. The little tailor, all alive, filled both his pockets with stones and climbed up into the tree, and made his way to an overhanging bough, so that he could seat himself just above the sleepers; and from there he let one stone after another fall on the chest of one of the giants. For a long time the giant was quite unaware of this, but at last he waked up and pushed his comrade, and said, "What are you hitting me for?"

"You are dreaming," said the other, "I am not touching you." And they composed themselves again to sleep, and the tailor let fall a stone on the other giant. "What can that be?" cried he, "what are you casting at me?"

他绞尽脑汁，冥思苦想，终于想出一个主意。 他派人去告诉小裁缝，说小裁缝是一位出类拔萃、英勇无畏的英雄，因此希望向他做如下提议：
在他的领地上，有一座大森林，林中住着两个巨人，他们俩烧杀抢劫无恶不作，为害极大，可是至今却没有谁敢冒生命危险去和他们较量。 要是小裁缝能制服和杀死这两个巨人，国王就答应把自己的独生女儿许配给他，并赐给他半个王国，而且还准备给他派去一百名骑士，为他助阵。
"对你这样一个人来说，这是多么大的鼓舞呀，"小裁缝心里想道，"一位漂亮的公主，还有半个王国，真是千载难逢的好机会啊。"
于是，他回答说："当然可以啦，我去制服那两个巨人。那一百名骑士嘛，我并不需要他们。我这样一个英雄，一下子能打死七个，那两个怎么会是我的对手呢。"
小裁缝出发了，后面跟着一百名骑士。 他们来到森林前，他对这些骑士说："你们就呆在这儿，我一个人去收拾那两个家伙。"说罢，他独自跑进了林中，一边走着，一边环顾左右。 没多大一会儿，就发现了那两个巨人。 他们俩躺在一棵大树下正睡觉呢，鼾声如雷，树枝都快被震掉了。 小裁缝忙着把两个口袋装满石头，然后爬到树上。 爬到一半时，他悄悄地攀上一根树枝，树枝下边就是那两个熟睡中的巨人的脑袋。 接着，他把石头接二连三地朝一个巨人的胸口使劲砸下去。 这位大家伙有好一会动也不动一下，后来终于醒了，用力推了推身边的同伴，问道："你干嘛打我？"
"你在做梦吧，"另一个回答说，"谁打你来着？"
说完，他们俩又躺下睡了。 这回，小裁缝把一块石头朝第二个巨人砸了下去。
"干什么？"第二个嚷嚷起来，"干嘛拿石头打我呀？"

The valiant little tailorC11

"I am casting nothing at you," answered the first, grumbling. They disputed about it for a while, but as they were tired, they gave it up at last, and their eyes closed once more. Then the little tailor began his game anew, picked out a heavier stone and threw it down with force upon the first giant's chest. "This is too much!" cried he, and sprang up like a madman and struck his companion such a blow that the tree shook above them. The other paid him back with ready coin, and they fought with such fury that they tore up trees by their roots to use for weapons against each other, so that at last they both of them lay dead upon the ground. And now the little tailor got down. "Another piece of luck!" said he, "that the tree I was sitting in did not get torn up too, or else I should have had to jump like a squirrel from one tree to another." Then he drew his sword and gave each of the giants a few hacks in the breast, and went back to the horsemen and said, "The deed is done, I have made an end of both of them: but it went hard with me, in the struggle they rooted up trees to defend themselves, but it was of no use, they had to do with a man who can kill seven at one blow."

"我没有哇。"第一个咆哮着回答说。
他们争吵了几句，却因为感到困乏，又闭上眼睛睡了。 小裁缝呢，故伎重演，选了一块最大的石头，朝第一个巨人狠命砸了下去。
"这太不像话啦！"第一个巨人吼了起来。 他疯了一样地从地上一跃而起，把他的同伴朝树上猛地一搡，撞得大树都摇晃起来了。 第二个分毫不让，以牙还牙，两个家伙怒不可遏，把一棵棵大树连根拔起，朝着对方猛扔过去，最后他们两败俱伤，都倒在地上死了。
小裁缝立即从树上跳了下来。 "真是万幸，"他说道，"他们没有拔掉我刚才上的那棵树。"
说罢，他拔出剑来，在每个巨人的胸口上猛刺一剑，然后他走到那些骑士面前说："完事了，那两个巨人都被我给解决了，可真是一场惊心动魄的遭遇呀。他们见势不妙就把大树连根拔起进行顽抗，当然啦，面对本人这样一下子能打死七个的英雄，那是徒劳的。"

The valiant little tailorC12

"Then are you not wounded?" asked the horsemen. "Nothing of the sort!" answered the tailor, "I have not turned a hair." The horsemen still would not believe it, and rode into the wood to see, and there they found the giants wallowing in their blood, and all about them lying the uprooted trees. The little tailor then claimed the promised boon, but the King repented him of his offer, and he sought again how to rid himself of the hero. "Before you can possess my daughter and the half of my kingdom," said he to the tailor, "you must perform another heroic act. In the wood lives a unicorn who does great damage; you must secure him."

"A unicorn does not strike more terror into me than two giants. Seven at one blow! - that is my way," was the tailor's answer. So, taking a rope and an axe with him, he went out into the wood, and told those who were ordered to attend him to wait outside.

骑士们策马跑进森林一看，两个巨人躺在血泊之中，四周还有连根拔出的大树，这才相信了小裁缝的话。
返回后，小裁缝要求国王把答应给他的奖赏赐给他，国王却后悔了，又左思右想，考虑怎样才能把小裁缝打发走。
"你在得到我的女儿和半个王国之前，"他说，"必须再完成一个壮举。在那座森林里，有一头危害很大的独角兽，你必须把它捕捉住。"
"两个巨人我都没怕，一头独角兽又有什么可怕的呀。"小裁缝吹嘘道。
小裁缝带着一根绳索和一把斧头便动身去了森林，告诉他的随从们在森林外等着。

The valiant little tailorC13

He had not far to seek, the unicorn soon came out and sprang at him, as if he would make an end of him without delay. "Softly, softly," said he, "most haste, worst speed," and remained standing until the animal came quite near, then he slipped quietly behind a tree. The unicorn ran with all his might against the tree and stuck his horn so deep into the trunk that he could not get it out again, and so was taken. "Now I have you," said the tailor, coming out from behind the tree, and, putting the rope round the unicorn's neck, he took the axe, set free the horn, and when all his party were assembled he led forth the animal and brought it to the King.

The King did not yet wish to give him the promised reward, and set him a third task to do. Before the wedding could take place the tailor was to secure a wild boar which had done a great deal of damage in the wood. The huntsmen were to accompany him. "All right," said the tailor, "this is child's play." But he did not take the huntsmen into the wood, and they were all the better pleased, for the wild boar had many a time before received them in such a way that they had no fancy to disturb him.

他没找多大功夫，便发现那头独角兽就在眼前，并且正向他直冲过来。
他纹丝不动地站在那里，等独角兽逼近了，敏捷地一下子跳到树后。 独角兽发疯似的朝大树撞过来，把角牢牢地戳进了树干里，怎么拔也拔不出来，就被捉住了。
"伙计，这回我可逮住你啦，"小裁缝从树后转出来后说道。 他用那根绳索把独角兽的脖子捆了起来，然后用斧头劈开树干，松开兽角，牵着独角兽回去见国王。
谁知国王还是不肯把答应给小裁缝的奖赏赐给他，又提出了第三个条件。 他必须再到森林里去把一头