Then they all slept soundly until a quarter to twelve， when the magic lost its power， and all awoke again. “Oh， misery and misfortune，” cried the prince， “now I am lost.” The faithful servants also began to lamentlament vi.悔恨， 悲叹， but the listener said， “Be quiet， I want to listen.” Then he listened for an instant and said， “She is on a rock， three hundred leagues from hence， bewailingbewail v.悲悼， 哀泣， 叹惜 her fate. You alone， tall one， can help her， if you will stand up， you will be there in a couple of steps.” “Yes，” answered the tall one， “but the one with the sharp eyes must go with me， that we may destroy the rock.” Then the tall one took the one with bandaged eyes on his back， and in the twinklingtwinkling n.暗示， 略微的提示， 略知， 模糊概念 of an eye they were on the enchanted rock. The tall one immediately took the bandage from the others eyes， and he did but look round， and the rock shivered into a thousand pieces. Then the tall one took the maiden in his arms， carried her back in a second， then fetched his companion with the same rapidityrapidity n.速度， 迅速， 急速， and before it struck twelve they were all sitting as they had sat before， quite merrily and happily. When twelve struck， the aged sorceress came stealing in with a malicious face， as much as to say， “Now he is mine， for she believed that her daughter was on the rock three hundred leagues off.” But when she saw her in the princes arms， she was alarmed， and said， “Here is one who knows more than I do.” She dared not make any opposition， and was forced to give him her daughter. But she whispered in her ear， “It is a disgracedisgrace n.耻辱， 失宠， 丢脸的人（或事） to you to have to obey common people， and that you are not allowed to choose a husband to your own liking.” 他们一直沉睡到十一点四十五分，这时魔法失去效力，他们又全醒过来了。“呵，真糟糕！真倒霉！”王子叫道，“这下我完啦！”忠心的仆人们开始抱怨，那耳朵特灵的一位却说：“别吵，我想听听。”他倾听了一会儿，然后讲：“公主坐在一个离这儿三百小时路程的岩洞里，正为自己的不幸哭泣呢。只有你一个人能帮助她，高长子。你只要伸直腿，几步就到了那儿。”“好，”高长子回答，“只是目光异常厉害的老兄得一块儿去，好使岩石崩开。”说着，高长子背起那个扎着眼罩的人，一翻掌之间就到了被施过魔法的岩洞前。高长子帮他伙计解下遮眼布，这位只用目光一扫，山岩便崩裂成了无数小块。高长子抱起姑娘，一眨眼送她回到王子房里，随后以同样的速度把他的伙计也接了回来。不等钟敲十二点，大伙儿又像先前一样坐好了，个个精神振作，情绪高昂。钟敲十二点时，老巫婆偷偷来了，她面带讥讽，好像想说：“这下他可是我的啦！”一心以为她女儿已坐在三百小时路程之外的岩洞中。可当她看见女儿仍然搂在王子怀里，吓坏了，说：“难道有谁知道了真相！”她再没什么可说的，只得把女儿许配给王子。临行前她在女儿耳朵边低声说：“你不能按自己心愿挑选一位丈夫，必须受一个普通老百姓支配，真丢人！”
On this the proud heart of the maiden was filled with anger， and she meditatedmeditate v.想， 考虑， （尤指宗教上的）沉思， 冥想 revengerevenge n.报仇， 复仇。 Next morning she caused three hundred great bundlesbundle n.捆， 束， 包 of wood to be got together， and said to the prince that though the three tasks were performed， she would still not be his wife until someone was ready to seat himself in the midst of the wood， and bear the fire. She thought that none of his servants would let themselves be burnt for him， and that out of love for her， he himself would place himself upon it， and then she would be free. But the servants said， “Every one of us has done something except the frosty one， he must set to work， and they put him in the middle of the pile， and set fire to it.” Then the fire began to burn， and burnt for three days until all the wood was consumedconsume vt.消耗， 消费， 消灭， 大吃大喝， 吸引， and when the flames had burnt out， the frosty one was standing amid the ashes， trembling like an aspenaspen adj.白杨的， 类似白杨的， 颤抖的 leaf， and saying， “I never felt such a frost during the whole course of my life， if it had lasted much longer， I should have been benumbedbenumb vt.使失去感觉， 使迟钝， 使麻木。” 这一来，姑娘心中充满了怨恨，想方设法要报复。第二天早上，她叫人用车运来三百担柴，对王子说，母亲的三个难题虽然解决了，但要她做他妻子，还得有一个人自愿坐在大柴堆中，忍受烈火的焚烧。她心想，他的仆人没谁为了他愿意被烧死；在爱情的驱使下，他会自己坐到柴堆里去，这样她不是就自由了吗？谁知仆人们却说：“我们全都出过点力了，只有这位怕冷的老兄，现在就看他的啦！”说着便把他抬到火柴堆上，大火烧了整整三天，直到烧光了所有的柴，火才渐渐熄灭。这时只见那老兄站在灰烬中，冻得浑身哆嗦像白杨树叶儿一样，嘴里还说：“我一辈子也没忍受过这样的严寒，再延长一会儿，不冻硬我才怪！”