The Fairies

Once upon a time there lived a widow with two daughters. The elder was often mistaken for her mother, so like her was she both in nature and in looks; parent and child being so disagreeable and arrogant that no one could live with them.

从前有一个寡妇，育有两个女儿。大女儿常常被人误认作她的母亲，因为她们无论性情还是相貌都极为相似；这对母女都十分讨厌又傲慢，谁都无法与她们相处。

The younger girl, who took after her father in the gentleness and sweetness of her disposition, was also one of the prettiest girls imaginable. The mother doted on the elder daughter—naturally enough, since she resembled her so closely—and disliked the younger one as intensely. She made the latter live in the kitchen and work hard from morning till night.

小女儿的性情随了父亲，温柔又和善，同时也是难得一见的美丽姑娘。母亲偏爱大女儿——这也是自然的事，因为大女儿与她如此相像——却对小女儿厌恶至极。她让小女儿住在厨房里，从早到晚辛苦劳作。

One of the poor child's many duties was to go twice a day and draw water from a spring a good half-mile away, bringing it back in a large pitcher. One day when she was at the spring an old woman came up and begged for a drink.

这可怜的孩子诸多杂务中的一项，便是一天两次到半英里外的一处泉水边打水，用一个大水罐盛回家。一天，她正在泉边打水时，一个老妇人走来向她讨水喝。

'Why, certainly, good mother,' the pretty lass replied. Rinsing her pitcher, she drew some water from the cleanest part of the spring and handed it to the dame, lifting up the jug so that she might drink the more easily.

“哦，当然可以，好心的大娘，”这漂亮的姑娘答道。她把水罐涮洗干净，从泉水最清澈的地方舀起水来递给老妇人，还托高水罐好让她喝得更方便些。

Now this old woman was a fairy, who had taken the form of a poor village dame to see just how far the girl's good nature would go. 'You are so pretty,' she said, when she had finished drinking, 'and so polite, that I am determined to bestow a gift upon you. This is the boon I grant you: with every word that you utter there shall fall from your mouth either a flower or a precious stone.'

原来这老妇人是一位仙女，化作贫苦村妇的模样，来看看这姑娘的好心肠究竟能到什么地步。“你这么漂亮，”老妇人喝完水后说道，“又这么有礼貌，我决定赐给你一件礼物。这就是我赐予你的恩典：你每说一个字，嘴里就会掉出一朵花或一颗宝石来。”

When the girl reached home she was scolded by her mother for being so long in coming back from the spring.

姑娘回到家时，母亲因为她在泉边耽搁太久而责骂了她。

'I am sorry to have been so long, mother,' said the poor child.

“对不起，母亲，我耽搁了这么久，”可怜的孩子说道。

As she spoke these words there fell from her mouth three roses, three pearls, and three diamonds.

她说这话的时候，嘴里掉出了三朵玫瑰、三颗珍珠和三颗钻石。

'What's this?' cried her mother; 'did I see pearls and diamonds dropping out of your mouth? What does this mean, dear daughter?' (This was the first time she had ever addressed her daughter affectionately.)

“这是怎么回事？”母亲惊呼道，“我竟看见珍珠和钻石从你嘴里掉出来？这是什么意思，亲爱的女儿？”（这是她第一次这样亲切地称呼女儿。）

The poor child told a simple tale of what had happened, and in speaking scattered diamonds right and left.

可怜的孩子把发生的事情简单地说了一遍，说话间左一颗右一颗地散落着钻石。

'Really,' said her mother, 'I must send my own child there. Come here, Fanchon; look what comes out of your sister's mouth whenever she speaks! Wouldn't you like to be able to do the same? All you have to do is to go and draw some water at the spring, and when a poor woman asks you for a drink, give it her very nicely.'

“真是这样，”母亲说道，“我一定要把我自己的女儿也送到那儿去。范馨，你过来，看看你姐姐一开口说话，嘴里会掉出什么来！你难道不想也有这样的本领吗？你只需到泉边打水，等一个穷苦女人向你讨水喝时，客客气气地给她就行了。”

'Oh, indeed!' replied the ill-mannered girl; 'don't you wish you may see me going there!'

“哦，是吗！”那举止粗鲁的姑娘答道，“你就等着瞧我去不去吧！”

'I tell you that you are to go,' said her mother, 'and to go this instant.'

“我告诉你，你必须去，”母亲说道，“而且现在就得去。”

Very sulkily the girl went off, taking with her the best silver flagon in the house. No sooner had she reached the spring than she saw a lady, magnificently attired, who came towards her from the forest, and asked for a drink. This was the same fairy who had appeared to her sister, masquerading now as a princess in order to see how far this girl's ill-nature would carry her.

姑娘一路上气鼓鼓的，还是去了，随身带着家里那只最好的银水壶。她刚到泉边，就看见一位衣着华丽的贵妇从树林中朝她走来，向她讨水喝。这正是先前出现在她姐姐面前的那位仙女，如今化作一位公主的模样，来看看这姑娘的坏脾气究竟能到什么地步。

'Do you think I have come here just to get you a drink?' said the loutish damsel, arrogantly. 'I suppose you think I brought a silver flagon here specially for that purpose—it's so likely, isn't it? Drink from the spring, if you want to!'

“你以为我是特意来给你打水的吗？”这粗俗的姑娘傲慢地说道，“我猜你以为我带着银水壶到这儿来，就是专为这个用的吧——真是想得美！你想喝就自己从泉里喝吧！”

'You are not very polite,' said the fairy, displaying no sign of anger. 'Well, in return for your lack of courtesy I decree that for every word you utter a snake or a toad shall drop out of your mouth.'

“你可真没礼貌，”仙女说道，脸上却毫无怒色，“好吧，既然你如此无礼，那我就赐你这样一件礼物：你每说一个字，嘴里就会掉出一条蛇或一只癞蛤蟆来。”

The moment her mother caught sight of her coming back she cried out, 'Well, daughter?'

母亲一见她回来，便喊道：“怎么样，女儿？”

'Well, mother?' replied the rude girl. As she spoke a viper and a toad were spat out of her mouth.

“怎么样，母亲？”这粗鲁的姑娘答道。她一开口，一条毒蛇和一只癞蛤蟆便从她嘴里掉了出来。

'Gracious heavens!' cried her mother; 'what do I see? Her sister is the cause of this, and I will make her pay for it!'

“老天爷啊！”母亲喊道，“我这是看见什么了？这都是她姐姐害的，我非得让她好好偿还不可！”

Off she ran to thrash the poor child, but the latter fled away and hid in the forest near by. The king's son met her on his way home from hunting, and noticing how pretty she was inquired what she was doing all alone, and what she was weeping about.

母亲跑去要打那可怜的孩子一顿，孩子却逃了出去，躲进了附近的树林里。王子打猎归来的路上遇见了她，见她生得如此美丽，便问她一个人在这里做什么，为何哭泣。

'Alas, sir,' she cried; 'my mother has driven me from home!'

“唉，殿下，”她哭诉道，“我母亲把我赶出了家门！”

As she spoke the prince saw four or five pearls and as many diamonds fall from her mouth. He begged her to tell him how this came about, and she told him the whole story.

她说话间，王子看见四五颗珍珠和同样多的钻石从她嘴里落下。王子请她说说这是怎么回事，她便把整个经过告诉了他。

The king's son fell in love with her, and reflecting that such a gift as had been bestowed upon her was worth more than any dowry which another maiden might bring him, he took her to the palace of his royal father, and there married her.

王子对她一见钟情，又想到她所拥有的这份天赋，其价值远胜过任何女子所能带来的嫁妆，于是便带她回到父王的宫中，与她成婚。

As for the sister, she made herself so hateful that even her mother drove her out of the house. Nowhere could the wretched girl find any one who would take her in, and at last she lay down in the forest and died.

至于她的姐姐，她把自己弄得让人如此厌恶，以至于连母亲也把她赶出了家门。这可怜的姑娘四处流浪，却找不到一个肯收留她的人，最终躺倒在树林里死去了。