狼和七只小山羊

从前，有一只老山羊，她生了七只小山羊。像所有母亲疼爱孩子一样，她非常爱他们。有一天，她想去森林里找些吃的。

There was once upon a time an old goat who had seven little kids, and loved them with all the love of a mother for her children. One day she wanted to go into the forest and fetch some food.

于是，她把七只小山羊都叫到身边，对他们说：“亲爱的孩子们，我得去森林一趟。你们要提防大狼。如果他跑进屋来，就会把你们连皮带毛全都吃掉。

So she called all seven to her and said: ‘Dear children, I have to go into the forest, be on your guard against the wolf; if he comes in, he will devour you all—skin, hair, and everything.

这个坏家伙经常把自己伪装起来。不过，你们听他那粗哑的声音，看他那黑黑的爪子，就能马上认出他来。”小山羊们说：“亲爱的妈妈，我们会照顾好自己的。您可以放心地去。”

The wretch often disguises himself, but you will know him at once by his rough voice and his black feet.’ The kids said: ‘Dear mother, we will take good care of ourselves; you may go away without any anxiety.’

老山羊咩咩地叫了几声，便安心地上路了。

Then the old one bleated, and went on her way with an easy mind.

没过多久，就有人来敲房门，喊道：“开门吧，亲爱的孩子们，妈妈回来了，给你们每个人都带了东西。”但小山羊们听出那是粗哑的声音，知道敲门的是狼。

It was not long before someone knocked at the house-door and called: ‘Open the door, dear children; your mother is here, and has brought something back with her for each of you.’ But the little kids knew that it was the wolf, by the rough voice.

他们大声喊道：“我们不开门！你不是我们的妈妈。她的声音又轻柔又好听，可你的声音很粗。你是狼！”

‘We will not open the door,’ cried they, ‘you are not our mother. She has a soft, pleasant voice, but your voice is rough; you are the wolf!’

狼便走开了。他找到一个店主，买了一大块白垩土吞进肚里，他的声音就变得轻柔了。

Then the wolf went away to a shopkeeper and bought himself a great lump of chalk, ate this and made his voice soft with it.

接着他跑了回来，敲了敲房门喊道：“开门吧，亲爱的孩子们，妈妈回来了，给你们每个人都带了东西。”

Then he came back, knocked at the door of the house, and called: ‘Open the door, dear children, your mother is here and has brought something back with her for each of you.’

但是狼把黑爪子搭在了窗台上。孩子们看见了，大声喊道：“我们不开门！我们妈妈的脚才不是黑色的呢。你是狼！”

But the wolf had laid his black paws against the window, and the children saw them and cried: ‘We will not open the door, our mother has not black feet like you: you are the wolf!’

狼又跑到面包师傅那里，说：“我的脚受了伤，请帮我在上面抹上面团。”面包师傅给他抹上面团后，他又跑到磨坊师傅那里，说：“请在我的脚上撒些白面粉。”

Then the wolf ran to a baker and said: ‘I have hurt my feet, rub some dough over them for me.’ And when the baker had rubbed his feet over, he ran to the miller and said: ‘Strew some white meal over my feet for me.’

磨坊师傅心里想：“这只狼肯定是想去骗人。”就拒绝了他。可是狼说：“要是你不照办，我就把你吃掉。”磨坊师傅害怕了，便帮他把爪子变白了。世上的人往往就是这样。

The miller thought to himself: ‘The wolf wants to deceive someone,’ and refused; but the wolf said: ‘If you will not do it, I will devour you.’ Then the miller was afraid, and made his paws white for him. Truly, this is the way of mankind.

这下，坏家伙第三次来到房门前。他敲了敲门说：“孩子们，快给我开门吧。你们亲爱的妈妈回家了，从森林里给你们每个人都带了东西。”

So now the wretch went for the third time to the house-door, knocked at it and said: ‘Open the door for me, children, your dear little mother has come home, and has brought every one of you something back from the forest with her.’

小山羊们大声喊道：“先把你的爪子伸给我们看，让我们知道你是不是亲爱的妈妈。”于是狼把爪子从窗口伸了进来。孩子们看到爪子是白的，以为他说的都是真话，便把门打开了。

The little kids cried: ‘First show us your paws that we may know if you are our dear little mother.’ Then he put his paws in through the window and when the kids saw that they were white, they believed that all he said was true, and opened the door.

可进来的居然是狼！孩子们吓坏了，都想藏起来。

But who should come in but the wolf! They were terrified and wanted to hide themselves.