书城教材教辅新课标英语学习资源库-小红帽
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第4章 三个纺纱女(2)

When the girl was alone again,she did not know what to do,and in her distress went to the window.Then she saw three women coming towards her,the first of whom had a broad flat foot,the second had such a great underlip(underlip n.下唇)that it hung down over her chin(chin n.下巴,下颚),and the third had a broad thumb(thumb n.拇指).They remained standing before the window,looked up,and asked the girl what was amiss(amiss adj.有毛病的,出差错的)with her.She complained of her trouble,and then they offered her their help and said,“If you will invite us to the wedding,not be ashamed of us,and will call us your aunts,and likewise(likewise adv.同样地,照样地,又,也)will place us at your table,we will spin up the flax for you,and that in a very short time.”“With all my heart,”she replied,“do but come in and begin the work at once.”Then she let in the three strange women,and cleared a place in the first room,where they seated themselves and began their spinning.The one drew the thread(thread n.线,细丝,线索,思路,螺纹)and trodtrod (vbl.tread的过去式及过去分词vt.踩,踏)the wheel,the other wetted the thread,the third twisted(twist vt.拧,扭曲,绞,搓,捻,使苦恼,使转动,编织)it,and struck the table with her finger,and as often as she struck it,a skein of thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner possible.The girl concealed(conceal vt.隐藏,隐蔽,隐瞒)the three spinners from the queen,and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun thread,until the latter could not praise her enough.When the first room was empty she went to the second,and at last to the third,and that too was quickly cleared.Then the three women took leave and said to the girl,“Do not forget what you have promised us—it will make your fortune.”

又剩下姑娘一个人,她再也不知如何是好,忧心忡忡地踱到了窗户前。这时她看见走来三个女人,第一个长着一只大平脚,第二个长着一直拖到下巴儿的下嘴唇,第三个长着宽阔的大拇指。她们三人在窗下停住脚,抬头看着她并且问姑娘有什么忧心的事。她向她们诉苦,她们答应给她帮助,说:“只要你请我们来吃你的喜酒,不因我们感觉丢人,称我们是你的表姐,还让我们与你同桌,那我们就可以把这些麻替你纺完,而且很快很快。”“我乐意啦!”姑娘回答,“赶快进来马上开始干吧!”说着,她让三个女人进房来,在第一间库房中腾出一个角落,让她们坐到那儿开始纺线。第一个女人管抽纱和踏纺轮,第二个管舐湿纱线,第三个管捻线和用指头敲桌子,她每敲一下,就有许多线团掉到地上,而且都纺得十分精细。每当王后来视察,姑娘便藏起这三个纺纱女,王后看了已纺好的线团,赞不绝口。第一间库房的麻纺完了又轮到第二间,终于,第三间也很快被纺得一点不剩。这时,三个女人便告别姑娘,对她讲:“可别忘了你答应我们的话,这关系着你自己的幸福。”

When the maiden showed the queen the empty rooms,and the great heap(heap n.堆,大量,许多)of yarn(yarn n.纱,纱线,故事,奇谈),she gave orders for the wedding,and the bridegroom(bridegroom n.新郎)rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious(industrious adj.勤勉的,刻苦的)wife,and praised her mightily(mightily adv.强烈地,非常地).“I have three cousins,”said the girl,“and as they have been very kind to me,I should not like to forget them in my good fortune,allow me to invite them to the wedding,and let them sit with us at table.”The queen and the bridegroom said,“Why should we not allow that.”Therefore when the feast(feast n.节日,盛宴,筵席,宴会,酒席)began,the three women entered in strange apparel(apparel n.衣服,装饰),and the bride said,“Welcome,dear cousins.”“Ah,”said the bridegroom,“how do you come by these odious(odious adj.可憎的,讨厌的)friends.”Thereuponthere(upon adv.于是,因此)he went to the one with the broad flat foot,and said,“How do you come by such a broad foot.”“By treading,”she answered,“by treading.”Then the bridegroom went to the second,and said,“How do you come by your falling lip.”“By licking,”she answered,“by licking.”Then he asked the third,“How do you come by your broad thumb.”“By twisting the thread,”she answered,“by twisting the thread.”On this the king"s son was alarmed and said,“Neither now nor ever shall my beautiful bride touch a spinningwheel.”And thus she got rid of the hateful flaxspinning.

姑娘领王后看了三间空库房和一大堆线团,王后便安排举行婚礼。新郎很高兴能娶上这么一位能干勤劳的妻子,对她大加称赞。“我有三位表姐,”姑娘说,“她们待我都非常非常好,我在自己幸福得意的时候也不愿忘记她们。允许我邀请她们来参加婚礼,并且同我坐在一桌吧!”王后和新郎问:“我们怎么会不允许呢?”婚宴开始了,三个女人穿得怪模怪样地走进来,新娘马上说:“欢迎欢迎,亲爱的表姐!”“哈,”新郎却讲,“你的亲威怎么是这样些丑八怪?”随后,他走到那个大脚女人旁边,问:“您这么一只大脚是怎么弄的?”“踏纺车踏的,”她回答,“踏纺车踏的。”新郎又走向第二个女人,问:“您往下吊的嘴唇是怎么回事?”“舐麻线舐的,”她回答,“舐麻线舐的。”新郎再问第三个女人:“您这么宽的大拇指?”“捻麻线捻的,”她回答,“捻麻线捻的。”王子听罢大吃一惊,说:“从今后我绝不准自己美丽的妻子再碰纺车!”如此一来,她就摆脱了纺线这讨厌活儿了。