《野玫瑰》

野玫瑰

Briar Rose

从前，在很远的一个国家里，有一位国王和一位王后。在那个年代，世上还有仙女。

A king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way off, where there were in those days fairies.

这位国王和王后有很多钱，有穿不完的好衣服，也有吃不完、喝不完的好东西，每天还能坐着马车出门。可是，他们结婚很多年都没有孩子，这让他们非常伤心。

Now this king and queen had plenty of money, and plenty of fine clothes to wear, and plenty of good things to eat and drink, and a coach to ride out in every day: but though they had been married many years they had no children, and this grieved them very much indeed.

有一天，王后在花园尽头的河边散步，看见一条可怜的小鱼跳出了水面，躺在岸上一边喘气一边挣扎，快要死了。

But one day as the queen was walking by the side of the river, at the bottom of the garden, she saw a poor little fish, that had thrown itself out of the water, and lay gasping and nearly dead on the bank.

王后可怜这条小鱼，就把它扔回了河里。小鱼游走之前，把头探出水面说：“我知道您的愿望是什么。为了感谢您对我的好心，这个愿望一定会实现——您很快就会有一个女儿。”

Then the queen took pity on the little fish, and threw it back again into the river; and before it swam away it lifted its head out of the water and said, ‘I know what your wish is, and it shall be fulfilled, in return for your kindness to me—you will soon have a daughter.’

小鱼预言的事情很快就发生了。王后生下了一个小女孩，长得非常美丽，国王高兴得看个不停。他说要举行盛大的宴会，好好庆祝一番，把孩子展现给全国的人看。

What the little fish had foretold soon came to pass; and the queen had a little girl, so very beautiful that the king could not cease looking on it for joy, and said he would hold a great feast and make merry, and show the child to all the land.

于是，国王邀请了亲戚、贵族、朋友和邻居。但王后说：“我也想把仙女们请来，这样她们就会对我们的小女儿好，保护她。”

So he asked his kinsmen, and nobles, and friends, and neighbours. But the queen said, ‘I will have the fairies also, that they might be kind and good to our little daughter.’

王国里一共有十三位仙女。可是国王和王后只有十二个给仙女吃饭用的金盘子，所以他们不得不留下一个仙女，没有请她。

Now there were thirteen fairies in the kingdom; but as the king and queen had only twelve golden dishes for them to eat out of, they were forced to leave one of the fairies without asking her.

于是十二位仙女来了。每个人头上都戴着一顶红色高帽子，脚上穿着红色高跟鞋，手里拿着一根长长的白色魔杖。宴会结束后，她们围成一个圈，把最好的礼物都送给了小公主。

So twelve fairies came, each with a high red cap on her head, and red shoes with high heels on her feet, and a long white wand in her hand: and after the feast was over they gathered round in a ring and gave all their best gifts to the little princess.

一个仙女送给她善良，另一个送给她美丽，又一个送给她财富。就这样，她得到了世界上所有美好的东西。

One gave her goodness, another beauty, another riches, and so on till she had all that was good in the world.

正当十一位仙女祝福完的时候，院子里传来了一阵很大的声音。有人跑来报告说，第十三位仙女来了。她头上戴着一顶黑帽子，脚上穿着黑鞋子，手里拿着一把扫帚。很快，她就走进了宴会大厅。

Just as eleven of them had done blessing her, a great noise was heard in the courtyard, and word was brought that the thirteenth fairy was come, with a black cap on her head, and black shoes on her feet, and a broomstick in her hand: and presently up she came into the dining-hall.

因为没有被邀请参加宴会，她非常生气，狠狠地责骂了国王和王后，并开始进行报复。

Now, as she had not been asked to the feast she was very angry, and scolded the king and queen very much, and set to work to take her revenge.

她大声叫喊着：“国王的女儿到了十五岁那年，会被纺锤弄伤，倒在地上死掉！”

So she cried out, ‘The king’s daughter shall, in her fifteenth year, be wounded by a spindle, and fall down dead.’

这时，还没有送出礼物的第十二位好仙女走上前来。她说这个可怕的诅咒一定要发生，但她可以减轻伤害。所以她的礼物是：当纺锤弄伤国王的女儿时，她不会真正死掉，只是睡上一百年。

Then the twelfth of the friendly fairies, who had not yet given her gift, came forward, and said that the evil wish must be fulfilled, but that she could soften its mischief; so her gift was, that the king’s daughter, when the spindle wounded her, should not really die, but should only fall asleep for a hundred years.