Hansel and Gretel

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: ‘What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?’

紧挨着一片大森林，住着一个贫穷的樵夫，他和妻子还有两个孩子一起过活。男孩叫汉泽尔，女孩叫格蕾特尔。他手头一向没什么可吃可用的，有一回天下大闹饥荒，他连每日的面包都弄不到了。有天夜里，他躺在床上翻来覆去地想着这件事，心里焦虑不安，不由得叹了口气，对妻子说：“咱们该怎么办才好？孩子们都快没得吃了，咱们自己都快揭不开锅了，还怎么养活他们？”

‘I’ll tell you what, husband,’ answered the woman, ‘early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them.’ ‘No, wife,’ said the man, ‘I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?—the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.’

“我告诉你怎么办，当家的，”那女人答道，“明天一早，咱们就把孩子们带到森林最深处去，在那儿给他们生一堆火，再给他们每人一块面包，然后咱们就去干活，把他们留在那儿。他们找不着回家的路，咱们也就摆脱了他们。”“不行，妻子，”男人说道，“我不能这么做；把孩子们孤零零地留在森林里，我怎么忍心？——野兽一来，转眼就会把他们撕成碎片的。”

‘O, you fool!’ said she, ‘then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins,’ and she left him no peace until he consented. ‘But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same,’ said the man.

“哦，你这个傻瓜！”她说道，“那咱们四个就只好一块儿饿死了，你不如现在就把咱们的棺材板给刨好。”她纠缠不休，直到他答应为止。“可我到底还是替这两个可怜的孩子难过，”男人说道。

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: ‘Now all is over with us.’ ‘Be quiet, Gretel,’ said Hansel, ‘do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us.’ And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside.

这两个孩子也因为饥饿睡不着觉，把继母对父亲说的话都听见了。格蕾特尔伤心地哭了起来，对汉泽尔说：“咱们这下全完了。”“别哭，格蕾特尔，”汉泽尔说道，“别难过，我会想出办法来救咱们的。”等老两口都睡着了，他便爬起来，穿上小外衣，打开屋子的下门，悄悄溜了出去。

The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: ‘Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,’ and he lay down again in his bed.

月亮照得很亮，屋前的白石子闪闪发光，就像真的银币一样。汉泽尔弯下腰，把自己外衣的小口袋塞得满满的，能装多少就装多少。然后他回到屋里，对格蕾特尔说：“放心吧，亲爱的小妹妹，安心睡觉吧，上帝不会抛弃咱们的。”说完他又躺回床上去了。

When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: ‘Get up, you sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood.’ She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: ‘There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else.’ Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest.

天亮了，可太阳还没升起，那女人便过来叫醒两个孩子，说道：“起来，你们这两个懒骨头！咱们要到森林里去捡柴火了。”她给了每人一小块面包，说道：“这是你们的午饭，可别在那之前就吃光了，因为你们再也没有别的可吃了。”格蕾特尔把面包放在围裙里，汉泽尔则把石子揣在口袋里。随后一家人便一起动身往森林走去。

When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: ‘Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs.’

走了一小段路，汉泽尔停下脚步，回头望了望屋子，接连望了好几次。父亲说道：“汉泽尔，你老在那儿看什么、老落在后头干什么？打起精神来，走路的本事可别忘了。”

‘Ah, father,’ said Hansel, ‘I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me.’ The wife said: ‘Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.’ Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.

“啊，爸爸，”汉泽尔说道，“我在看我的小白猫，它正蹲在屋顶上，想跟我道别呢。”那女人说道：“傻瓜，那才不是你的小猫，那是早晨的太阳照在烟囱上呢。”其实汉泽尔哪里是在回头看猫，他一路上一直悄悄地从口袋里往路上扔那些白石子。

When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: ‘Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold.’ Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: ‘Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.’

到了森林中央，父亲说道：“好了，孩子们，去堆些柴火来，我给你们生一堆火，免得你们冷着。”汉泽尔和格蕾特尔捡来一堆柴枝，堆得像座小山一样高。柴堆点燃了，火苗烧得老高的时候，那女人说道：“好了，孩子们，就在火边躺下歇着吧，我们要到林子里去砍柴。等砍完了，我们就回来接你们。”

Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards.

汉泽尔和格蕾特尔坐在火边，到了中午，两人各自吃了一小块面包。他们听见斧头砍柴的声音，便以为父亲就在附近。可那其实不是斧头的声音，而是他绑在一棵枯树上的一根树枝，被风吹得来回摆动而发出的响声。

And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: ‘How are we to get out of the forest now?’ But Hansel comforted her and said: ‘Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.’ And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.

他们坐了这么久，眼皮渐渐困得睁不开，两人便沉沉睡去了。等他们终于醒来时，天已经黑透了。格蕾特尔哭了起来，说道：“咱们现在可怎么走出这片森林呀？”可汉泽尔安慰她说：“再等一会儿吧，等月亮升起来，咱们很快就能找到路了。”等到满月升起，汉泽尔便牵着小妹妹的手，顺着那闪着新铸银币般光亮的石子往前走，为她们指出了回家的路。

They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father’s house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: ‘You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest?—we thought you were never coming back at all!’ The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.

他们走了整整一夜，天蒙蒙亮的时候，又回到了父亲家门前。他们敲了敲门，那女人开门一看，见是汉泽尔和格蕾特尔，便说道：“你们这两个不听话的孩子，怎么在林子里睡了这么久？——我们还以为你们再也不回来了呢！”可父亲却满心欢喜，因为把孩子们孤零零留在林子里，实在让他心如刀绞。

Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: ‘Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!’

没过多久，全国又闹起了大饥荒，孩子们夜里听见母亲对父亲说：“东西又都吃光了，只剩下半个面包，吃完就再没有了。孩子们必须走，咱们这回要把他们带到更深的林子里去，让他们再也找不着出来的路；除此之外，咱们没别的法子能保住自己的命了！”

The man’s heart was heavy, and he thought: ‘It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children.’ The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.

男人心里沉甸甸的，他想：“你还不如把最后一口吃的分给孩子们呢。”可那女人根本不听他说的话，只是一味责骂他、埋怨他。既然一开始就依了，第一回都松了口，第二回自然也不得不依。

The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: ‘Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us.’

孩子们其实还醒着，把这番话都听见了。等老两口睡着以后，汉泽尔又爬起来，想像上次那样出去捡些石子，可那女人已经把门锁上了，汉泽尔出不去了。尽管如此，他还是安慰小妹妹说：“别哭，格蕾特尔，安心睡吧，仁慈的上帝会帮咱们的。”

Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground.

天刚亮，那女人就过来，把孩子们从床上拽起来。她给了他们一块面包，比上回的还要小。走进森林的路上，汉泽尔把自己的那块在口袋里捏碎，时不时停下脚步，往地上扔一小块。

‘Hansel, why do you stop and look round?’ said the father, ‘go on.’ ‘I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,’ answered Hansel. ‘Fool!’ said the woman, ‘that is not your little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney.’ Hansel, however little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.

“汉泽尔，你老停下来看什么？”父亲说道，“走吧。”“我在回头看我的小鸽子，它正蹲在屋顶上，想跟我道别呢，”汉泽尔答道。“傻瓜！”那女人说道，“那才不是你的小鸽子，那是早晨的太阳照在烟囱上呢。”可汉泽尔还是一点一点地，把面包屑全都撒在了路上。

The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: ‘Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away.’

那女人把孩子们带到了更深的林子里，那是他们这辈子从没到过的地方。于是又生起了一堆大火，母亲说道：“孩子们，就坐在这儿吧，累了就打个盹儿；我们要到林子里去砍柴，晚上砍完了，就回来接你们。”

When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: ‘Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again.’

到了中午，格蕾特尔把自己的面包分给了汉泽尔，因为他的都已经沿路撒光了。随后他们睡着了，一直睡到傍晚过去，可谁也没来接这两个可怜的孩子。他们一直睡到天黑透了才醒来，汉泽尔安慰小妹妹说：“再等等吧，格蕾特尔，等月亮升起来，咱们就能看见我撒下的那些面包屑了，它们会指给咱们回家的路。”

When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: ‘We shall soon find the way,’ but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.

等月亮升起来，他们便动身出发，可是一点面包屑也找不着了，因为林子和田野里成千上万只飞来飞去的鸟儿，早把面包屑啄得一干二净了。汉泽尔对格蕾特尔说：“咱们很快就能找到路的，”可他们始终没能找到。他们走了整整一夜，又走了第二天一整天，从早到晚，却始终走不出那片森林，肚子饿得厉害，因为除了地上长着的两三颗浆果，什么吃的也没有。他们实在累得两条腿都走不动了，便在一棵树下躺下，沉沉睡去。

It was now three mornings since they had left their father’s house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness.

从他们离开父亲家算起，如今已经是第三个清晨了。他们又开始往前走，可是却越走越深地陷进了林子里，要是再没有救援到来，他们必定会饿死累死的。

When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar.

到了正午时分，他们看见一只美丽的雪白小鸟停在一根树枝上，唱得那样悦耳动听，两人不由得停下脚步，静静地听着。等它唱完了歌，便展开翅膀，飞到他们前头去，他们便跟着它走，一直走到一座小屋跟前，那小鸟正落在小屋的屋顶上；他们走近这座小屋一看，只见它竟是用面包造的，屋顶盖着糕饼，窗户则是用透明的糖做的。

‘We will set to work on that,’ said Hansel, ‘and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.’ Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:

“咱们这就动手，”汉泽尔说道，“好好吃一顿。我来吃一点屋顶，你呢，格蕾特尔，可以吃点窗户，尝起来一定是甜的。”汉泽尔伸手向上，掰下一小块屋顶尝了尝味道，格蕾特尔则靠在窗户上，一点一点地啃着玻璃。这时，屋里传出一个柔和的声音喊道：

‘Nibble, nibble, gnaw, Who is nibbling at my little house?’

啃呀，啃呀，啃个不停， 是谁在啃我的小房子？

The children answered:

孩子们回答道：

‘The wind, the wind, The heaven-born wind,’

是风呀，是风呀， 是天上刮来的风呀，

and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands.

说完便继续吃了起来，一点也不担心。汉泽尔尝到屋顶的滋味很喜欢，便扯下一大块来，格蕾特尔则把一整块圆圆的窗玻璃推了下来，坐在地上，津津有味地吃着。忽然，屋门开了，一个老得像山一样的老婆子，拄着拐杖，颤巍巍地爬了出来。汉泽尔和格蕾特尔吓得魂飞魄散，手里的东西都掉在了地上。

The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: ‘Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you.’ She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.

老婆子却只是点点头，说道：“哦，亲爱的孩子们，是谁把你们带到这儿来的？快进来吧，跟我一块儿住。你们不会受到任何伤害的。”她拉着他们俩的手，把他们领进了自己的小屋。随后端上来的都是好吃的东西，牛奶和薄煎饼，还有糖、苹果和坚果。之后，两张漂亮的小床铺上了干净的白色床单，汉泽尔和格蕾特尔躺了进去，只觉得自己仿佛到了天堂一般。

The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: ‘I have them, they shall not escape me again!’

老婆子这样和蔼，不过是装出来的；她其实是个心肠歹毒的女巫，专门埋伏着等孩子上钩，那座面包做的小屋，正是她用来诱骗孩子的手段。哪个孩子一旦落入她手中，她就把他杀了，煮熟吃掉，这对她来说便是一场盛宴。女巫的眼睛是红色的，看不了多远，可她们嗅觉却像野兽一样灵敏，人一靠近，她们便能察觉。汉泽尔和格蕾特尔一走近她的地界，她便恶狠狠地笑了起来，讥讽地说道：“他们可落到我手里了，这回可休想再逃掉！”

Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself: ‘That will be a dainty mouthful!’ Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him.

天刚亮，趁孩子们还没醒，她便已经起来了，见他们俩睡得那样香甜，脸颊圆润红润，她便自言自语道：“这可是顿美味的点心哪！”于是她伸出干瘪的手，一把抓住汉泽尔，把他拖进一间小畜棚里，锁在一道栅栏门后头。任凭他怎么喊叫，也是无济于事。

Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: ‘Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him.’ Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.

随后她走到格蕾特尔跟前，把她摇醒，喝道：“起来，懒东西，去打点水来，给你哥哥做点好吃的，他就关在外头的畜棚里，得把他养肥了才行。等他养肥了，我就把他吃掉。”格蕾特尔伤心地哭了起来，可这一切都是白费，她还是不得不照着这狠毒女巫的吩咐去做。

And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat.’ Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel’s finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer.

从此以后，最好的食物都给可怜的汉泽尔做了，格蕾特尔却什么也捞不着，只能吃些蟹壳。每天早晨，那女人都会爬到小畜棚跟前，喊道：“汉泽尔，伸出你的手指头来，让我摸摸你是不是快养肥了。”汉泽尔却总是伸出一根小骨头给她，那老婆子眼神昏花，看不清楚，只当那是汉泽尔的手指头，还纳闷怎么怎么也养不肥他。四个星期过去了，汉泽尔仍旧瘦骨嶙峋，她再也等不及了，性子也变得急躁起来。

‘Now, then, Gretel,’ she cried to the girl, ‘stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and cook him.’ Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! ‘Dear God, do help us,’ she cried. ‘If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.’ ‘Just keep your noise to yourself,’ said the old woman, ‘it won’t help you at all.’

“好了，格蕾特尔，”她冲着女孩喊道，“动作快点，去打点水来。不管汉泽尔是肥是瘦，明天我就要杀了他，煮来吃掉。”唉，可怜的小妹妹去打水的时候，哭得有多伤心啊，泪水顺着脸颊流个不停！“亲爱的上帝啊，求求你救救我们，”她哭喊道。“要是当初森林里的野兽把咱们吃掉了，好歹咱们还能死在一块儿。”“少在那儿嚎丧，”老婆子说道，“哭也没用。”

Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. ‘We will bake first,’ said the old woman, ‘I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.’ She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. ‘Creep in,’ said the witch, ‘and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.’ And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too.

天刚亮，格蕾特尔就得出去把大锅挂上，装满水，把火生起来。“咱们先来烤面包，”老婆子说道，“我已经把炉子烧热了，面团也和好了。”她把可怜的格蕾特尔推到炉子跟前，炉子里已经窜出了火苗。“爬进去，”女巫说道，“看看烧得够不够热，好把面包放进去烤。”她其实打算等格蕾特尔一钻进去，就把炉门关上，把她活活烤死在里头，然后连她也一并吃掉。

But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: ‘I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?’ ‘Silly goose,’ said the old woman. ‘The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!’ and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.

可格蕾特尔看穿了她的心思，说道：“我不知道该怎么爬进去；我该怎么进去呢？”“傻丫头，”老婆子说道，“炉门大得很，你瞧，我自己都能爬进去！”说着她便爬上前去，把脑袋伸进了炉子里。格蕾特尔见状，猛地一推，把她推得老远，一直塞进了炉子深处，随即关上铁炉门，插上了门闩。哎呀！她这才开始惨叫起来，叫声凄厉可怕，可格蕾特尔早已跑开了，这个作恶多端的女巫，就这样被活活烧死了。

Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!’ Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other!

格蕾特尔却像闪电一般飞奔到汉泽尔跟前，打开他那小畜棚的门，喊道：“汉泽尔，咱们得救啦！那老女巫死了！”汉泽尔听了，像笼子门一开就飞出来的小鸟一样，一跃而出。他们俩是何等的欢喜，互相拥抱、又跳又叫、又亲又吻！

And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch’s house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. ‘These are far better than pebbles!’ said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: ‘I, too, will take something home with me,’ and filled her pinafore full. ‘But now we must be off,’ said Hansel, ‘that we may get out of the witch’s forest.’

从此再也不用害怕她了，他们便走进了女巫的屋子，只见屋子的每个角落，都摆着装满珍珠宝石的箱子。“这些可比石子强多了！”汉泽尔说着，把口袋能塞多少就塞多少。格蕾特尔也说道：“我也要带点回家去，”于是把自己的围裙也装得满满的。“可现在咱们得赶紧走了，”汉泽尔说道，“得赶紧走出这女巫的森林才行。”

When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. ‘We cannot cross,’ said Hansel, ‘I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.’ ‘And there is also no ferry,’ answered Gretel, ‘but a white duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.’ Then she cried:

他们走了两个钟头，来到一片宽阔的水域跟前。“咱们过不去了，”汉泽尔说道，“我看不见什么木板，也看不见桥。”“也没有渡船，”格蕾特尔答道，“不过那儿正游着一只白鸭子，我去求求它，它会帮咱们过去的。”于是她便喊道：

‘Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee? There’s never a plank, or bridge in sight, Take us across on thy back so white.’

小鸭子呀小鸭子，你可看得清， 汉泽尔和格蕾特尔正等着你呢？ 这儿既没有木板，也没有桥影， 快驮着咱们，坐上你那雪白的脊背。

The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him. ‘No,’ replied Gretel, ‘that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other.’ The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father’s house.

那鸭子游了过来，汉泽尔先坐上了它的背，叫妹妹也坐到他身边来。“不行，”格蕾特尔答道，“那样这只小鸭子会驮不动的；还是让它一个一个地把咱们驮过去吧。”这只善良的小鸭子果然照做了，等他们俩都安然过了河，又走了一小段路，这片森林在他们眼里似乎越来越熟悉了，终于，他们远远望见了父亲的家。

Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves round their father’s neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.

于是他们撒开腿跑了起来，冲进屋里，一头扑到父亲的怀里，搂住他的脖子。自从把孩子们留在森林里那天起，男人便没有过一刻是快活的；而那女人，如今已经死了。格蕾特尔把围裙里的东西一股脑儿倒出来，珍珠宝石滚了满地，汉泽尔也一把一把地从口袋里往外掏，添到那堆珠宝里去。从此，一切忧愁都到了头，他们一家人过上了圆满幸福的日子。我的故事讲完了，那边跑过一只老鼠，谁要是逮住了它，就可以拿它做一顶大大的皮帽子。