这篇故事发表于1845年，是安徒生在他童话创作最旺盛的时期。那时他的幻想特别丰富，浪漫主义气息最浓。这里面有个中国老人，情节不多，但是老人的特点鲜明。作者本人并没有来过中国，因而这个老人也是他浪漫主义幻想的产物，但却真实地代表了老一代和年轻的一代（他的孙女和孙女的男朋友）在感情和思想上的矛盾：他要求孙女严守家规，在爱情问题上遵从他的意旨，而那年轻的一对则要求自由，也采取了行动，逃到外面广阔的天地里去。“我要恳求你带我到外面的世界里去。在这儿我是不会感到快乐的。”但现实究竟与幻想有距离，在幻想变成了失望以后，他们只好又回到现实中来。“我吃不消，这世界是太广大了！但愿我重新回到镜子下面那个桌子上去！在我没有回到那儿去以前，我是永远不会快乐的。”然而这不一定是悲剧，只说明幻想的天真可笑——也正是这一点，表现出了青春的美丽和可爱。
安徒生是把这个故事当作一首诗、一个乐章来写的。他取得了这个效果。小孩子读到这篇故事会感到有趣，成年人，特别是老人，读到它的时候则会联想到自己青年时代类似的天真可笑，感到一点辛酸，但也会感到一点留恋。
The Shepherdess and the Sweep牧羊女和扫烟囱的人
HAVE you ever seen an old wooden cupboard quite black with age，and ornamented with carved foliagefoliage n.树叶，植物 and curious figures？ Well，just such a cupboard stood in a parlor，and had been left to the family as a legacy by the greatgrandmother. It was covered from top to bottom with carved roses and tulips，the most curious scrolls were drawn upon it，and out of them peeped little stags heads，with antlers. In the middle of the cupboard door was the carved figure of a man most ridiculousridiculous adj.荒谬的，可笑的 to look at. He grinnedgrin v.露齿而笑n.露齿笑，裂口笑 at you，for no one could call it laughing. He had goats legs，little horns on his head，and a long beard. The children in the room always called him，“Major generalfieldsergeantcommander Billygoatslegs.”
你曾经看到过一个老木碗柜没有？它有些发黑上面刻有树叶和一些古怪的图案。客厅里正立着这么一个碗柜。它是从曾祖母继承下来的；它从上到下都刻满了玫瑰和郁金香的图案。它上面有许多奇奇怪怪的蔓藤花纹，在这些花纹中间露出一只小雄鹿的头，头上有许多花角。在碗柜的中央雕刻了一个人的全身像。他看起来的确有些好笑，他露出牙齿——你不能认为这就是笑。他生有公羊的腿，额上长出一些小角，而且留了一把长胡须。房间里的孩子们总是把他叫做“公山羊腿——中将和少将——作战司令——中士”。
It was certainly a very difficult name to pronounce，and there are very few who ever receive such a title，but then it seemed wonderful how he came to be carved at all，yet there he was，always looking at the table under the lookingglass，where stood a very pretty little shepherdess made of china. Her shoes were gilt，and her dress had a red rose or an ornament. She wore a hat，and carried a crook，that were both gilded，and looked very bright and pretty.
这是一个很难念的名字，而得到这种头衔的人也并不多。不过把他雕刻出来倒也是一件不太轻松的工作。他现在就立在那儿！他老是瞧着镜子下面的那张桌子，因为桌子上有一个可爱的瓷做的小牧羊女。她穿着一双镀了金的鞋子；她的长衣服上饰有一朵红玫瑰和一个小饰品，她还有一顶金帽子和一根木杖上面也镶了金。她真是动人！
Close by her side stood a little chimneysweep，as black as coal，and also made of china. He was，however，quite as clean and neat as any other china figure，he only representedrepresent vt.表现，描绘，声称，象征，扮演，回忆vi.提出异议 a black chimneysweep，and the china workers might just as well have made him a prince，had they felt inclined to do so. He stood holding his ladder quite handily，and his face was as fair and rosy as a girls； indeed，that was rather a mistake，it should have had some black marks on it.
紧靠着她的身旁，立着一个小小的扫烟囱的人。他像炭一样黑，但是也是瓷做的。然而他的干净和整齐赛得过任何人。他是一个“扫烟囱的人”——这只不过是一个假设而已。做瓷器的人也可能把他捏成一个王子。如果他们有这种心情的话！他拿着梯子，站在那儿怪潇洒的。他的脸蛋白里透红的，很像一个姑娘。这的确要算是一个缺点，因为他应该有点发黑才对。
He and the shepherdess had been placed close together，side by side，and，being so placed，they became engaged to each other，for they were very well suitedsuited adj.适合的，匹配的，being both made of the same sort of china，and being equally fragilefragile adj.易碎的，脆的。
他站得离牧羊女非常近；他们两人是被安放在这样的一个位置上的。从他的话语中流露着对那段快乐时光 的留恋，但是他们现在既然处在这个地位上，他们就订婚了，因为他们很相配。两个人都很年轻，都是用同样的瓷做的，而且也是同样的脆弱。
Close to them stood another figure，three times as large as they were，and also made of china. He was an old Chinaman，who could nod his head，and used to pretend that he was the grandfather of the shepherdess，although he could not prove it. He however assumed authority over her，and therefore when “Majorgeneralfieldsergeantcommander Billygoatslegs” asked for the little shepherdess to be his wife，he nodded his head to show that he consented.
贴近他们的是另一个人物。这人的身材比他们大三倍。他是一个年老的中国人。他会点头。他也是瓷做的；他说他是小牧羊女的祖父，不过他却拿不出证明。他坚持说他有权管她，因此就对那位向小牧羊女求婚的“公山羊腿——中将和少将——作战司令——中士”点过头。
“You will have a husband，” said the old Chinaman to her，“who I really believe is made of mahoganymahogany n.[植］桃花心木，其木材，红褐色。 He will make you a lady of Majorgeneralfieldsergeantcommander Billygoatslegs. He has the whole cupboard full of silver plate，which he keeps locked up in secret drawers.”
“现在你可以有一个丈夫了！”年老的中国人说，“这人我相信是桃花心木做的。他可以使你成为一位‘公山羊腿——中将和少将——作战司令——中士’夫人。他除了有许多秘藏的东西以外，还有整整一碗柜的银盘子。”
“I wont go into the dark cupboard.” said the little shepherdess. “I have heard that he has eleven china wives there already.”
“我不愿意到那个黑暗的碗柜里去！”小牧羊女说。“我听说过，他在那儿藏有11个瓷姨太太。”
“Then you shall be the twelfth.” said the old Chinaman. “Tonight as soon as you hear a rattling in the old cupboard，you shall be married，as true as I am a Chinaman.” and then he nodded his head and fell asleep.
“那么你就可以成为第12个呀。”中国人说。“今天晚上，当那个老碗柜开始嘎嘎地响起来的时候，你就算是结婚了，一点也不差，正如我是一个中国人一样！”于是他就点点头，睡去了。
Then the little shepherdess cried，and looked at her sweetheart，the china chimneysweep. “I must entreatentreat v.恳求，乞求 you，” said she，“to go out with me into the wide world，for we cannot stay here.”
不过小牧羊女双眼望着她最心爱的瓷制的扫烟囱的人儿，哭起来了。“我要恳求你，”她说，“我要恳求你带着我到外面广大的世界里去。我们呆在这儿是不会快乐的。”
“I will do whatever you wish，” said the little chimneysweep，“let us go immediately，I think I shall be able to maintain you with my profession.”
扫烟囱的人说：“无论你让我做什么，我都会做的。我们现在就走。我想我的工作能养活你。”
“If we were but safely down from the table！” said she，“I shall not be happy till we are really out in the world.”
“除非我们从桌子上安全地下去，”她说，“只有真的到了外面的世界我才会开心。”