六个仆人
In olden times there lived an aged queen who was a sorceresssorceress n.女魔法师，女巫， and her daughter was the most beautiful maiden under the sun. The old woman， however， had no other thought than how to lure mankind to destruction， and when a wooer appeared， she said that whosoever wished to have her daughter， must first perform a task， or die. Many had been dazzleddazzle v.（使）眼花， 眩耀 by the daughters beauty， and had actually risked this， but they never could accomplishaccomplish v.完成 what the old woman enjoined them to do， and then no mercy was shown， they had to kneel downkneel down 跪下， and their heads were struck off. A certain kings son who had also heard of the maidens beauty， said to his father， “Let me go there， I want to demand her in marriage.” “Never，” answered the king， “if you were to go， it would be going to your death.” On this the son lay down and was sick unto death， and for seven years he lay there， and no physicianphysician n.医师， 内科医师 could healheal v.治愈， 医治， 结束 him. When the father perceived that all hope was over， with a heavy heart he said to him， “Go thither， and try your luck， for I know no other means of curing you.”When the son heard that， he rose from his bed and was well again， and joyfully set out on his way. 古时候有一位年老的女王，她是一个巫婆，可她女儿却是天底下最美丽的女孩子。老太婆一门心思只想坑人害人，每来一个求婚者，她总说谁想娶她女儿，都得先解一道难题，解不出就要他的命。许多人让姑娘的美貌迷住了，大着胆子来求婚，可却完不成老太婆交的任务，结果没什么饶恕可讲，只得跪在地上，被砍掉脑袋了事。有一位王子也听说公主美貌绝伦，便对自己的父亲讲：“让我去吧，我想向她求婚。”“永远也休想！你去就等于找死！”国王回答。可是，王子从此病倒了，病得快要死去。他整整躺了七年，哪个医生也治不好他。父亲眼看着已不存在希望，才满心伤痛地对他说：“你就去碰碰运气好啦，我再没办法救你了。”儿子马上从病床上跳起来，恢复健康了，于是高高兴兴地上了路。
And it came to pass that as he was riding across a heath， he saw from afar something like a great heapheap n.堆， 大量， 许多 of hayhay n.干草 laying on the ground， and when he drew nearer， he could see that it was the stomach of a man， who had laid himself down there， but the stomach looked like a small mountain. When the fat man saw the traveler， he stood up and said， “If you are in need of any one， take me into your service.” The prince answered， “What can I do with such a clumsyclumsy adj.笨拙的 man？” “Oh，” said the stout one， “this is nothing， when I really puff myself up， I am three thousand times fatter.” “If thats the case，” said the prince， “I can make use of you， come with me.” So the stout one followed the prince， and after a while they found another man who was lying on the ground with his ear laid to the turfturf vt.覆草皮于。 “What are you doing there？” asked the kings son. “I am listening.” replied the man. “What are you listening to so attentivelyattentively adv.注意地， 留意地？” “I am listening to what is just going on in the world， for nothing escapes my ears， I even hear the grass growing.” “Tell me，” said the prince， “what you hear at the court of the old queen who has the beautiful daughter.” Then he answered， “I hear the whizzingwhiz v.发出呼啸声 of the sword that is striking off a wooers head.” The kings son said， “I can make use of you， come with me.” They went onwards， and then saw a pair of feet lying and part of a pair of legs， but could not see the rest of the body. When they had walked on for a great distance， they came to the body， and at last to the head also. “Why，” said the prince， “what a tall rascal you are.” “Oh，” replied the tall one， “that is nothing at all yet， when I really stretch out my limbslimb n.肢， 翼， 分支， I am three thousand times as tall， and taller than the highest mountain on earth. I will gladly enter your service， if you will take me.” “come with me，” said the prince， “I can make use of you.” They went onwards and found a man sitting by the road who had bound up his eyes. The prince said to him， “Have you weak eyes， that you cannot look at the light？” “No，” replied the man， “but I must not remove the bandagebandage n.绷带， for whatsoever I look at with my eyes， splitssplit v.劈开， （使）裂开， 分裂， 分离 to pieces， so powerful is my glance. If you can use that， I shall be glad to serve you.” “come with me，” replied the kings son， “I can make use of you.” They journeyed onwards and found a man who was lying in the hot sunshine， trembling and shivering all over his body， so that not a limb was still. “How can you shiver when the sun is shining so warm？” said the kings son. “Alas，” replied the man， “I am of quite a different nature. The hotter it is， the colder I am， and the frost pierces through all my bones， and the colder it is， the hotter I am. In the midst of ice， I cannot endureendure v.耐久， 忍耐 the heat， nor in the midst of fire， the cold.” “You are a strange fellow，” said the prince， “but if you will enter my service， follow me.” They traveled onwards， and saw a man standing who made a long neck and looked about him， and could see over all the mountains.“What are you looking at so eagerlyeagerly adv.热心地， 急切地？” said the kings son. The man replied， “I have such sharp eyes that I can see into every forest and field， and hill and valley， all over the world.” The prince said， “come with me if you will， for I am still in want of such an one.”
他骑着马越过一片荒野，远远地看见前边地上似乎堆着一大堆干草，走近后才辨认出来，那是一个仰卧在地上的人的肚子，这肚子近看跟座小山一样。大胖子看见旅行的王子，坐起来说：“您如果需要用，就请雇我吧！”王子回答：“我要你这么个大胖子干什么？”“噢，”胖子说，“这算得了啥，我若鼓鼓气儿，还会比现在胖三千倍呢！”“要是这样，”王子说，“我可能用得着你，跟我走吧。”胖子于是跟着王子。走了一会儿，他们看见地上躺着另一个人，把耳朵贴在草地上。王子问：“你在那儿干什么？”“我在倾听。”那人回答。——“你这样专心地倾听什么？”——“我听世界上正发生的事情，因为什么也逃不过我的耳朵，甚至草在生长我都听得见。”“告诉我，”王子问，“在那个女儿很漂亮的老女王的宫中，你听见什么了？”那人回答：“我听见宝剑落下的声音，一个求婚者被斩首啦。”王子说：“我用得着你，跟我走吧。”于是三个人继续前进，突然看见地上横着一双脚以及一截腿，却怎么也望不着它们的尽头。他们走啊走啊，走完好长一段路，才看见身子，又走一阵，才终于看见脑袋。“嗨，”王子说，“好一条晾衣竿！”“噢，”高长子回答，“这不算啥。要是我伸展开四肢，我还会长三千倍，比地球上最高的山还高呐！要是您愿意雇我的话，我很乐意为您效劳。”“跟我走吧，”王子说，“我用得着你。”他们朝前走去，看见一个人坐在路上，用布扎住了眼睛。王子问他：“你眼睛有毛病，见不得亮光吗？”“不，”那人回答，“我不能取下罩布，只要我眼睛望到什么，什么就会破裂，我的目光太厉害喽。如果对您有用处，我愿做您的仆人。”“走吧，”王子说，“我用得着你。”他们继续前进，见一个人躺在大太阳底下冻得浑身颤抖。“太阳晒得这么热，你怎么还冻得慌？”王子问。“唉，”那人回答，“我天生的体质就不一样，外边越热，我身体越冷，寒冷会一直侵入我的骨髓，相反，外边越冷，我越感觉热：坐在冰中间我会热得受不了，坐在火中间我会冻得受不了。”“你真是个怪人，”王子说，“你要乐意替我效力，就跟我走吧。”他们又上了路，忽见一个人站在那儿，正把脖子伸得长长地四处张望，望到了所有山峰的另一边。王子问：“你这样起劲儿地望什么？”那人回答：“我目光特锐利，可以看清所有森林原野，深谷高山，可以看穿整个世界。”“你要愿意，就跟我来吧，”王子说，“我正好缺你这么个仆人哩。”
