灰姑娘，或小玻璃鞋

从前有一位绅士，他娶了世人所见过的最骄傲、最傲慢的女人作为自己的第二任妻子。她同前夫生了两个脾性与她一样的女儿，确实在各方面都和她一模一样。他也同另一位妻子生了一个小女儿，却有着无与伦比的善良与温和脾气，那是继承自她母亲的，她母亲是世上最好的人。

Once there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife, the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had, by a former husband, two daughters of her own humor, who were, indeed, exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife, a young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world.

婚礼仪式刚一结束，继母便露出了真面目。她无法忍受这个漂亮姑娘的美德，尤其是因为这些品质显得她自己的女儿们更加可憎。她派她去做家里最下等的活儿：她刷洗盘子、桌子等，擦洗夫人的房间，以及小姐们——也就是她女儿们的房间；她睡在凄凉的阁楼上，躺在破烂的稻草床上，而她的姐姐们却睡在精致的房间里，地板全是镶嵌的，躺在最新式的床上，并且房里有很大的穿衣镜，可以从头到脚照出她们全身的身影。

No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over but the mother-in-law began to show herself in her true colors. She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl, and the less because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She employed her in the meanest work of the house: she scoured the dishes, tables, etc., and scrubbed madam’s chamber, and those of misses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large that they might see themselves at their full length from head to foot.

可怜的姑娘耐心地忍受着一切，不敢告诉她的父亲，因为父亲会训斥她；他的妻子完全支配着他。干完活后，她常常走到壁炉角落里，坐在炉渣和灰烬中间，这使人们通常叫她“灰烟囱姑娘”；不过小女儿不像大女儿那么粗鲁无礼，叫她“灰姑娘”。然而，灰姑娘尽管衣着寒酸，却比她的姐姐们漂亮百倍，虽然她们总是打扮得十分华贵。

The poor girl bore all patiently, and dared not tell her father, who would have rattled her off; for his wife governed him entirely. When she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney-corner, and sit down among cinders and ashes, which made her commonly be called Cinderwench; but the youngest, who was not so rude and uncivil as the eldest, called her Cinderella. However, Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a hundred times handsomer than her sisters, though they were always dressed very richly.

碰巧，国王的儿子举办了一场舞会，邀请了所有的体面人士。我们的年轻小姐们也受到了邀请，因为她们在上流社会中颇有地位。她们对这次邀请欣喜若狂，极其忙碌地挑选可能适合她们的礼服、衬裙和头饰。这对灰姑娘来说是一桩新麻烦；因为正是她要为姐姐们熨烫亚麻衣物，还要给她们的褶边打褶；她们整天谈论的除了如何装扮自己别无他物。

It happened that the King’s son gave a ball, and invited all persons of fashion to it. Our young misses were also invited, for they cut a very grand figure among the quality. They were mightily delighted at this invitation, and wonderfully busy in choosing out such gowns, petticoats, and head-clothes as might become them. This was a new trouble to Cinderella; for it was she who ironed her sisters’ linen, and plaited their ruffles; they talked all day long of nothing but how they should be dressed.

“至于我，”大姐说，“我要穿我那套配法国镶边的红色天鹅绒套装。”

“For my part,” said the eldest, “I will wear my red velvet suit with French trimming.”

“而我，”小妹说，“要穿我平常的衬裙；不过，为了弥补这一点，我要穿上我的金花斗篷，戴上我的钻石胸衣，它可绝非世上最普通的那种。”

“And I,” said the youngest, “shall have my usual petticoat; but then, to make amends for that, I will put on my gold-flowered manteau, and my diamond stomacher, which is far from being the most ordinary one in the world.”

她们派人请来了能找得到的最好的女发型师，来为她们打理发饰并调整双层花边帽，她们的胭脂刷和面靥则是从波什小姐那里买来的。

They sent for the best tire-woman they could get to make up their head-dresses and adjust their double pinners, and they had their red brushes and patches from Mademoiselle de la Poche.

灰姑娘也同样被叫到她们跟前，在所有这些事情上征求意见，因为她有着极好的审美，总是为她们提出最好的建议，不仅如此，她还主动提出帮她们做头发，她们非常乐意让她来做。当她正在做头发时，她们对她说：

Cinderella was likewise called up to them to be consulted in all these matters, for she had excellent notions, and advised them always for the best, nay, and offered her services to dress their heads, which they were very willing she should do. As she was doing this, they said to her:

“灰姑娘，去参加舞会你难道不会高兴吗？”

“Cinderella, would you not be glad to go to the ball?”

“哎！”她说，“你们只是在嘲笑我；像我这样的人是不配去那里的。”

“Alas!” said she, “you only jeer me; it is not for such as I am to go thither.”

“你说得对，”她们回答道；“看到一个灰烟囱姑娘出现在舞会上，会引得人们发笑的。”

“Thou art in the right of it,” replied they; “it would make the people laugh to see a Cinderwench at a ball.”

换作别人，肯定会把她们的头发弄得歪歪扭扭，但灰姑娘非常善良，把她们的发髻打理得极好。她们几乎有两天没有吃东西，高兴得心花怒放。为了勒出纤细优美的身段，她们在尝试系紧紧身胸衣时勒断了十几根带子，而且她们总是不停地照镜子。最后，快乐的日子到来了；她们去了王宫，灰姑娘尽可能久地目送着她们，当看不到她们的身影时，她便哭了起来。

Anyone but Cinderella would have dressed their heads awry, but she was very good, and dressed them perfectly well They were almost two days without eating, so much were they transported with joy. They broke above a dozen laces in trying to be laced up close, that they might have a fine slender shape, and they were continually at their looking-glass. At last the happy day came; they went to Court, and Cinderella followed them with her eyes as long as she could, and when she had lost sight of them, she fell a-crying.

她的教母见她满脸泪水，便问她怎么了。

Her godmother, who saw her all in tears, asked her what was the matter.

“我真希望我能——我真希望我能——”；她泣不成声，接下去的话怎么也说不出来了。

“I wish I could--I wish I could--“; she was not able to speak the rest, being interrupted by her tears and sobbing.