The Three Billy-Goats Gruff
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Three goats named Gruff try to cross a troll's bridge one by one, each buying time by naming a bigger goat coming along behind — until the biggest goat finally faces the troll himself.
Once on a time there were three Billy-goats, who were to go up to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was “Gruff”.
从前有三只小山羊，要到山坡上去把自己养肥，这三只小山羊都叫“格鲁夫”。
On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.
上山的路上有一座横跨小溪的桥；桥下住着一个又大又丑的巨怪，眼睛大得像茶托，鼻子长得像根拨火棍。
So first of all came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
于是最小的那只山羊格鲁夫第一个来过桥。
“Trip, trap; trip, trap!” went the bridge.
“咯噔，咯噔；咯噔，咯噔！”桥响了起来。
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“是谁在我的桥上咯噔咯噔地走？”巨怪吼道。
“Oh! it is only I, the tiniest billy-goat Gruff; and I’m going up to the hill-side to make myself fat”, said the billy-goat, with such a small voice.
“哦！只是我，最小的山羊格鲁夫；我正要到山坡上去把自己养肥呢。”小山羊用细细的声音说道。
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up”, said the Troll.
“那我这就来把你吃掉。”巨怪说。
“Oh, no! pray don’t take me. I’m too little, that I am”, said the billy-goat; “wait a bit till the second billy-goat Gruff comes, he’s much bigger.”
“哦，别啊！求求你别吃我。我太小了，真的太小了。”小山羊说，“等一会儿，第二只山羊格鲁夫就要来了，他比我大多了。”
“Well! be off with you”, said the Troll.
“好吧！那你走吧。”巨怪说。
A little while after came the second billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
过了一会儿，第二只山羊格鲁夫也来过桥了。
“TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!” went the bridge.
“咯噔，咯噔！咯噔，咯噔！咯噔，咯噔！”桥响了起来。
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“是谁在我的桥上咯噔咯噔地走？”巨怪吼道。
“Oh! it’s the second billy-goat Gruff, and I’m going up to the hill-side to make myself fat”, said the billy-goat, who hadn’t such a small voice.
“哦！是第二只山羊格鲁夫，我正要到山坡上去把自己养肥呢。”这只山羊说道，它的声音可不算小。
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up”, said the Troll.
“那我这就来把你吃掉。”巨怪说。
“Oh, no! don’t take me, wait a little till the big billy-goat Gruff comes, he’s much bigger.”
“哦，别啊！别吃我，再等一会儿，大山羊格鲁夫就要来了，他比我大多了。”
“Very well! be off with you”, said the Troll.
“好吧！那你走吧。”巨怪说。
But just then up came the big billy-goat Gruff.
可是就在这时候，大山羊格鲁夫来了。
“TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!” went the bridge, for the billy-goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.
“咯噔，咯噔！咯噔，咯噔！咯噔，咯噔！”桥响了起来，因为这只山羊实在太重了，桥都在他身下嘎吱嘎吱、咯咯直响。
“WHO’S THAT tramping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“是谁在我的桥上大步走？”巨怪吼道。
“IT’S I! THE BIG BILLY-GOAT GRUFF”, said the billy-goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own.
“是我！大山羊格鲁夫！”这只山羊说道，它的嗓音又粗又哑，难听得很。
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up”, roared the Troll.
“那我这就来把你吃掉。”巨怪吼道。
Well, come along! I’ve got two spears, And I’ll poke your eyeballs out at your ears; I’ve got besides two curling-stones, And I’ll crush you to bits, body and bones.
来吧，尽管来！我有两支长矛， 我要把你的眼珠从耳朵那儿捅出来； 除此之外我还有两块滚石， 我要把你压得粉身碎骨。
That was what the big billy-goat said; and so he flew at the Troll and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the burn, and after that he went up to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they were scarce able to walk home again; and if the fat hasn’t fallen off them, why they’re still fat; and so:
这就是大山羊格鲁夫说的话；于是他朝巨怪猛冲过去，用犄角把巨怪的眼睛戳了出来，把它压得粉身碎骨，又把它扔进了小溪里，之后他便上山坡去了。三只山羊在那儿吃得又肥又壮，肥得几乎都走不动路回家了；要是它们身上的肥膘还没掉的话，那它们如今大概还是那么肥；所以：
Snip, snap, snout, This tale’s told out.
咔嗒，咔嗒，咔嗒， 这个故事到此讲完啦。
