The goldsmith was sitting in his workshop making a golden chain， when he heard the bird which was sitting singing on his roof， and very beautiful the song seemed to him. He stood up， but as he crossed the threshold(threshold n.开始， 开端， 极限) he lost one of his slippers9slipper n.拖鞋， 制轮器). But he went away right up the middle of the street with one shoe on and one sock， he had his apron(apron n.围裙， 外表或作用类似围裙的东西， ［机］挡板， 护坦) on， and in one hand he had the golden chain and in the other the pincers(pincers n.钳子， 螯)， and the sun was shining brightly on the street. Then he went right on and stood still， and said to the bird， “Bird，” said he then， “how beautifully you can sing. Sing me that piece again.” “No，” said the bird， “I"ll not sing it twice for nothing. Give me the golden chain， and then I will sing it again for you.” “There，” said the goldsmith， “there is the golden chain for you， now sing me that song again.” Then the bird came and took the golden chain in his right claw(claw n.爪， 脚爪)， and went and sat in front of the goldsmith， and sang：
金匠在作坊里正做一条金项链，听见落在屋顶上的鸟儿唱得那么美妙动听，就站起来往外走，但在过门槛时掉了一只拖鞋。他呢，就穿着一只拖鞋一只袜子，跑到了街中间。这时候，他胸前系着围裙，一只手拎着金项链，一只手捏着钳子，站在那儿，细看屋顶上的小鸟，太阳照在街上非常明亮。“鸟啊鸟啊，”他说，“你唱得真叫动听！再给我唱一遍吧！”“不行，”小鸟回答，“我不能白白唱两遍。你把金项链给我，我才为你再唱一遍。”“在这儿，”金匠说，“给你金项链，现在再给我唱遍那首歌。”它飞下来用右爪子攫取了项链，便落在金匠跟前唱起来：
“My mother she killed me， my father he ate me， my sister， little marlinchen， gathered together all my bones， tied them in a silken handkerchief， laid them beneath the juniper tree， kywitt， kywitt， what a beautiful bird am I.”
“我的母亲她宰了我，
我的父亲他吃了我，
我的妹妹小玛莲啊，
她捡起我所有的骨头，
包在一条绸手巾里头，
埋在那棵杜松子树下。
克威，克威，我变成只多么美丽的小鸟啦！”
Then the bird flew away to a shoemaker(shoemaker n.鞋店， 皮鞋匠)， and lighted on his roof and sang：
随后它飞去落在一位鞋匠的屋顶上，唱道：
“My mother she killed me， my father he ate me， my sister， little marlinchen， gathered together all my bones， tied them in a silken handkerchief， laid them beneath the juniper tree， kywitt， kywitt， what a beautiful bird am I.”
“我的母亲她宰了我，
我的父亲他吃了我，
我的妹妹小玛莲啊，
她捡起我所有的骨头，
包在一条绸手巾里头，
埋在那棵杜松子树下。
克威，克威，我变成只多么美丽的小鸟啦！”
The shoemaker heard that and ran out of doors in his shirt sleeves， and looked up at his roof， and was forced to hold his hand before his eyes lest the sun should blind him. “Bird，” said he， “how beautifully you can sing.” Then he called in at his door， “Wife， just come outside， there is a bird， look at that bird， he certainly can sing.” Then he called his daughter and children， and apprentices(apprentice n.学徒)， boys and girls， and they all came up the street and looked at the bird and saw how beautiful he was， and what fine red and green feathers he had， and how like real gold his neck was， and how the eyes in his head shone like stars. “Bird，” said the shoemaker， “now sing me that song again.” “Nay，” said the bird， “I do not sing twice for nothing， you must give me something.” “Wife，” said the man， “go to the garret， upon the top shelf there stands a pair of red shoes， bring them down.” Then the wife went and brought the shoes. “There， bird，” said the man， “now sing me that piece again.” Then the bird came and took the shoes in his left claw， and flew back on the roof， and sang：
鞋匠听得很高兴，穿着背心就跑出门来，朝屋顶张望。为了不让太阳耀花了眼，他不得不举起手来罩在额头上。“鸟啊鸟啊，”他说，“你唱得太好听啦，”接着他又冲门里喊，“老婆，快出来，这儿有只鸟儿。你瞧瞧它唱得有多动听！”随后他又叫他的女儿、儿子、伙计、学徒和使女，大伙儿一起跑到街上，看那只鸟儿。它呢，确实非常美丽：羽毛是翠绿中间杂着鲜红色，颈项像围着一圈纯金，眼睛明亮得跟星星一样。“喏，小鸟，”鞋匠说，“再给我唱一遍吧！”“不行啊，”小鸟回答，“我不能白白唱第二遍。你得送点什么给我。”“老婆，上阁楼去，”鞋匠告诉妻子，“在最上边一层板子上有一双红鞋，把它拿来吧！”妻子很快把鞋拿来了。“给你！”鞋匠说，“小鸟，现在你该唱了吧？”小鸟飞来用左边的爪子攫走鞋，飞回到屋顶上，唱道：
“My mother she killed me， my father he ate me， my sister， little Marlinchen， gathered together all my bones， tied them in a silken handkerchief， laid them beneath the juniper tree， kywitt， kywitt， what a beautiful bird am I.”
“我的母亲她宰了我，
我的父亲他吃了我，
我的妹妹小玛莲啊，
她捡起我所有的骨头，
包在一条绸手巾里头，
埋在那棵杜松子树下。
克威，克威，我变成只多么美丽的小鸟啦！”
And when he had finished his song he flew away. In his right claw he had the chain and in his left the shoes， and he flew far away to a mill， and the mill went， klipp klapp， klipp klapp， klipp klapp， and in the mill sat twenty miller"s men hewing a stone， and cutting， hick hack， hick hack， hick hack， and the mill went klipp klapp， klipp klapp， klipp klapp. Then the bird went and sat on a limetree which stood in front of the mill， and sang：
它唱完又飞走了。它右边爪子抓着金项链，左边爪子抓着红鞋，远远地飞到了一座磨房顶上。磨轮在克哩卡啦、克哩卡啦地转动，磨房里坐着二十个伙计，在咔嚓咔嚓、丁当丁当地凿打一面磨盘。磨轮克哩卡啦、克哩卡啦地转动着，转动着，小鸟却飞到磨房前面的一株菩提树上，唱起歌来：
“My mother she killed me.”Then one of them stopped working. “My father he ate me.” Then two more stopped working and listened to that. “My sister， little Marlinchen， then four more stopped， gathered together all my bones， tied them in a silken handkerchief.” Now eight only were hewing， laid them beneath， now only five. “The juniper tree.” And now only one. “Kywitt， kywitt， what a beautiful bird am I.”
“我的母亲她宰了我，”
有一个伙计听见后放下了工作，
“我的父亲他吃了我，”
又有两个伙计停下来听它唱，
“我的妹妹小玛莲啊，”
又有四个伙计停止了工作，
“她捡起我所有的骨头。
包在一张绸子巾里头，”
现在只剩下八个伙计还在干活儿，
“埋在那棵……”
现在工作的只剩五个人，
“……杜松子树下。”
现在还剩一个人，
“克威，克威，我变成只多么美丽的小鸟啦！”
Then the last stopped also， and heard the last words. “Bird，” said he， “how beautifully you sing. Let me， too， hear that. Sing that once more for me.”
这时最后一个伙计也停止了工作，听见了它唱的结尾一句。“鸟啊，”这个伙计说，“你唱得太美啦！给我再唱一遍，让我也听听吧！”
“Nay，” said the bird， “I will not sing twice for nothing. Give me the millstone(millstone n.磨， 磨石， 粉碎器， 重担)， and then I will sing it again.”
“不行啊，”鸟儿回答，“我不能白唱第二遍。把那面磨盘给我，我才愿意再唱一遍。”