青蛙王子

青蛙王子

The Frog-Prince

在一个晴朗的傍晚，一位年轻的公主戴上软帽，穿上木屐，独自一人到树林里去散步。当她来到林中一处清凉的泉水边时，便坐下来休息了一会儿。

One fine evening a young princess put on her bonnet and clogs, and went out to take a walk by herself in a wood; and when she came to a cool spring of water, that rose in the midst of it, she sat herself down to rest a while.

她手里拿着一个金球，那是她最心爱的玩具。她总是把它抛向空中，落下时再接住。

Now she had a golden ball in her hand, which was her favourite plaything; and she was always tossing it up into the air, and catching it again as it fell.

过了一会儿，她抛得太高，落下时没接住。金球蹦跳着滚到了地上，最后掉进了泉水里。

After a time she threw it up so high that she missed catching it as it fell; and the ball bounded away, and rolled along upon the ground, till at last it fell down into the spring.

公主望着泉水寻找她的金球，但泉水太深了，深得连底都看不见。于是她开始哀叹自己的损失，说道：“哎呀！

The princess looked into the spring after her ball, but it was very deep, so deep that she could not see the bottom of it. Then she began to bewail her loss, and said, ‘Alas!

要是能把金球找回来，我愿意献出我所有的华服和珠宝，以及我世上拥有的一切。”

if I could only get my ball again, I would give all my fine clothes and jewels, and everything that I have in the world.’

她正说着，一只青蛙从水里探出头来，说道：“公主，你为什么哭得这么伤心？”“哎呀！”她说，“你这讨厌的青蛙，你能帮我什么忙？我的金球掉进泉水里了。”

Whilst she was speaking, a frog put its head out of the water, and said, ‘Princess, why do you weep so bitterly?’ ‘Alas!’ said she, ‘what can you do for me, you nasty frog? My golden ball has fallen into the spring.’

青蛙说：“我不要你的珍珠、珠宝和华服；但如果你愿意爱我，让我和你住在一起，从你的金盘子里吃东西，在你的床上睡觉，我就帮你把金球找回来。”

The frog said, ‘I want not your pearls, and jewels, and fine clothes; but if you will love me, and let me live with you and eat from off your golden plate, and sleep upon your bed, I will bring you your ball again.’

“真是胡说八道，”公主心想，“这只愚蠢的青蛙在说什么呀！它连泉水都出不来，怎么可能来找我呢？不过它也许能帮我把金球捞上来，所以我就先答应它吧。”

‘What nonsense,’ thought the princess, ‘this silly frog is talking! He can never even get out of the spring to visit me, though he may be able to get my ball for me, and therefore I will tell him he shall have what he asks.’

于是她对青蛙说：“好吧，只要你帮我找回金球，我就答应你所有的要求。”

So she said to the frog, ‘Well, if you will bring me my ball, I will do all you ask.’

青蛙低下头，潜入深水之中。过了一会儿，它又浮了上来，嘴里衔着金球，把它扔在了泉水边上。

Then the frog put his head down, and dived deep under the water; and after a little while he came up again, with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the edge of the spring.

年轻的公主一看到金球，就跑过去捡了起来。她能失而复得，心中狂喜，根本没把青蛙放在心上，拿着金球飞快地跑回了家。

As soon as the young princess saw her ball, she ran to pick it up; and she was so overjoyed to have it in her hand again, that she never thought of the frog, but ran home with it as fast as she could.

青蛙在后面喊道：“等等，公主，带我一起走，就像你答应的那样！”可她根本没停下来听它说半个字。

The frog called after her, ‘Stay, princess, and take me with you as you said,’ But she did not stop to hear a word.

第二天，公主刚坐下准备吃晚饭，就听到一阵奇怪的声音——嗒、嗒——啪、啪——仿佛有什么东西正顺着大理石台阶爬上来。随后，门上传来轻轻的敲门声，一个小小的声音喊道：

The next day, just as the princess had sat down to dinner, she heard a strange noise—tap, tap—plash, plash—as if something was coming up the marble staircase: and soon afterwards there was a gentle knock at the door, and a little voice cried out and said: