《小不点或拇指姑娘》，1835 年
Little tiny or thumbelina, 1835
---
《拇指姑娘》是安徒生童话集第二卷中的第一个故事，于 1835 年 12 月出版，正好赶上圣诞节。
“thumbelina” was the first story in the second installment of Andersen’s Eventyr, published in december 1835, just in time for christmas.
这个时间与他作为作家的首次真正胜利相吻合：
Its date coincided with his first real triumph as a writer:
小说《即兴诗人》的出版，很快就重印并被翻译成德语。
publication of the novel the Improvisatore, soon reprinted and translated into German.
第一卷童话故事收到的评价褒贬不一；
the first volume of fairy tales had met with mixed reviews;
至少有一位评论家建议安徒生完全停止创作童话。
at least one reviewer advised Andersen to stop writing them altogether.
在第三卷的引言中，安徒生承认这样的评论 “削弱了创作的欲望”，但他坚持了下来。
In his introduction to the third volume, Andersen conceded that such reviews “weakened the desire” to write but that he had persevered.
唤起他在纺织间和收获时节听到的故事的记忆，他使 “褪色的形象” 鲜活起来，并将它们作为自己富有想象力的创作的起点。
Reviving his memory of tales heard in spinning rooms and at harvest time, he brightened up “the faded colors of the images” and used them as the point of departure for imaginative creations of his own.
《拇指姑娘》，安徒生讲述一个逃跑新娘的故事，被不同地解读为一个教导 “人们和同类在一起时才幸福” 的故事，作为一个关于 “在当时的资产阶级中并不罕见的包办婚姻” 的寓言，以及作为一个 “关于忠于自己内心的直白寓言”，它也支持 “传统观念，即与一位传统的好王子的爱情相比，名利一文不值”。
“thumbelina,” Andersen’s tale of a runaway bride, has been variously interpreted as a tale teaching that “people are happy when with their own kind”, as an allegory about “arranged marriages that were not unmon in the bourgeoisie of that time”, and as a “straightforward fable about being true to your heart” that also upholds “the traditional notion that fame and fortune aren’t worth a hill of beans pared to the love of a good old - fashioned prince”.
拇指姑娘也可以被看作是英勇的大拇指汤姆（英国民间故事中的一个着名角色）的女性对应角色。
thumbelina can also be seen as a female counterpart to the heroic tom thumb.
两者都是身材矮小的生物，历经各种磨难，在重重困难下幸存下来。
both are diminutive creatures who suffer through all manner of ordeals and survive against all odds.
拇指姑娘因一次同情之举（救活燕子）而赢得好运并成为王后，大拇指汤姆则运用智谋打败食人魔，然后回家与父母和兄弟姐妹像国王般生活。
thumbelina earns her good fortune and bees a queen after an act of passion (reviving the swallow), and tom thumb uses his cunning to defeat the ogre and return home to live like a king with his parents and siblings.
根据印度教信仰，一种拇指大小、被称为内心自我或灵魂的存在栖息在所有人类和动物的心中。
According to hindu belief, a thumb - sized being known as the innermost self or soul dwells in the heart of all humans and animals.
这个概念最有可能传入了欧洲民间传说，以大拇指汤姆和拇指姑娘的形式出现，他们可被视为寻求变形和救赎的人物。
most likely the concept migrated into European folklore, surfacing in the form of tom thumb and thumbelina, both of whom can be seen as figures seeking transfiguration and redemption.
注意，拇指姑娘被重新命名为玛雅。
Note that thumbelina is renamed maya.
“tommelise” 是这个故事的丹麦语标题。
“tommelise” is the danish title of the tale.
这个故事的首批英语译本使用了 “小埃莉”、“小托蒂” 和 “小玛雅” 这些名字。
the first English translations of the story used the names “Little Ellie,” “Little totty,” and “Little maja.”
“拇指姑娘” 这个名字最初是由 h. w. 达尔肯使用的，他翻译的安徒生童话于 1864 年和 1866 年在英国出版，现在这个名字被用于大多数译本以及所有基于这个故事的电影中。
the name thumbelina was first used by h. w. dulcken, whose translations of Andersen’s tales appeared in England in 1864 and 1866, and it is now the name used in most translations and in all films based on the tale.
至少有五部电影改编作品，从 1954 年洛特?赖尼格的作品开始，包括 1970 年巴里?马洪、1984 年雪莱?杜瓦尔、1994 年唐?布鲁斯和加里?戈德曼以及 2002 年格伦?柴卡的作品。
there have been at least five cinematic adaptations, beginning with Lotte Reiniger’s in 1954 and including barry mahon’s (1970), Shelley duvall’s (1974), don bluth and Gary Goldman’s (1994), and Glenn chaika’s (2002).
弗兰克?洛瑟为 1952 年电影《汉斯?克里斯蒂安?安徒生》创作的歌词中有一首关于拇指姑娘的歌曲，至今仍然广为人知：“虽然你还没有我的拇指大……”
Frank Loesser’s lyrics for the 1952 film hans christian Andersen contain the song about thumbelina that is still well known today: “though you’re no bigger than my thumb...”
---
从前有一个女人，她非常希望有一个小孩，但她未能实现这个愿望。
there was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish.
最后她去找一位仙女，说道：“我非常想要一个小孩；你能告诉我在哪里能找到一个吗？”
At last she went to a fairy, and said, “I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?”
“哦，这很容易办到。” 仙女说。
“oh, that can be easily managed,” said the fairy.
“这里有一颗和农夫田里长的、鸡吃的那些不一样的大麦粒；把它种在花盆里，看看会发生什么。”
“here is a barleycorn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer’s fields, and which the chickens eat; put it into a flower - pot, and see what will happen.”
“谢谢你。” 女人说，然后她给了仙女十二先令，这就是那颗大麦粒的价钱。
“thank you,” said the woman, and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn.
然后她回家把它种了下去，立刻就长出了一朵又大又漂亮的花，样子有点像郁金香，但它的叶子紧紧合拢着，好像仍然是一个花蕾。
then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud.
“这是一朵美丽的花。” 女人说，她亲吻了那红色和金黄色的花瓣，就在她亲吻的时候，花开放了，她看到这是一朵真正的郁金香。
“It is a beautiful flower,” said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden - colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip.
在这朵花里，在绿色的天鹅绒般的花蕊上，坐着一位非常娇美、优雅的小姑娘。
within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden.
她还不到一个拇指的一半长，他们给她取名叫 “拇指姑娘”，或者小不点，因为她是那么小。
She was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of “thumbelina,” or tiny, because she was so small.
一个擦得光亮的胡桃壳给她当摇篮；她的床是用蓝色的紫罗兰花瓣做成的，玫瑰花瓣做她的被子。
A walnut - shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle; her bed was formed of blue violet - leaves, with a rose - leaf for a counterpane.
晚上她在这里睡觉，但白天她就在一张桌子上玩耍，那女人在桌子上放了一盘水。
here she slept at night, but during the day she amused herself on a table, where the woman had placed a plateful of water.
盘子周围环绕着花圈，花茎插在水里，水面上漂浮着一片大郁金香花瓣，这就成了拇指姑娘的小船。
Round this plate were wreaths of flowers with their stems in the water, and upon it floated a large tulip - leaf, which served tiny for a boat.
在这里，小姑娘坐着，用两根白马尾做的桨把船划来划去。
here the little maiden sat and rowed herself from side to side, with two oars made of white horse - hair.
这真是非常美丽的景象。
It really was a very pretty sight.
拇指姑娘还能唱歌，歌声轻柔甜美，以前从未听到过像她这样的歌声。
tiny could, also, sing so softly and sweetly that nothing like her singing had ever before been heard.
一天晚上，当她躺在漂亮的床上时，一只又大又丑、湿漉漉的癞蛤蟆从窗户一块破玻璃爬了进来，径直跳到拇指姑娘躺在玫瑰花瓣被子下睡觉的桌子上。
one night, while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a broken pane of glass in the window, and leaped right upon the table where tiny lay sleeping under her rose - leaf quilt.
“这对我的儿子来说会是一个多么漂亮的小妻子啊。” 癞蛤蟆说，她拿起拇指姑娘睡着的胡桃壳，带着它从窗户跳进了花园。
“what a pretty little wife this would make for my son,” said the toad, and she took up the walnut - shell in which little tiny lay asleep, and jumped through the window with it into the garden.
癞蛤蟆和她的儿子住在花园里一条宽阔溪流的沼泽岸边。
In the swampy margin of a broad stream in the garden lived the toad, with her son.
他甚至比他的母亲还要丑，当他看到优雅小床上漂亮的小姑娘时，他只能叫着：“呱呱，呱呱，呱呱。”
he was uglier even than his mother, and when he saw the pretty little maiden in her elegant bed, he could only cry, “croak, croak, croak.”
“别这么大声说话，否则她会醒来的，” 癞蛤蟆说，“然后她可能会跑掉，因为她轻如天鹅的绒毛。我们将把她放在溪流中的一片睡莲叶子上；对她来说那将像一个小岛，她是如此轻盈小巧，这样她就逃不掉了；而且，在她不在的时候，我们要赶快准备好沼泽下的新房，你们结婚后就要住在那里。”
“don’t speak so loud, or she will wake,” said the toad, “and then she might run away, for she is as light as swan’s down. we will place her on one of the water - lily leaves out in the stream; it will be like an island to her, she is so light and small, and then she cannot escape; and, while she is away, we will make haste and prepare the state - room under the marsh, in which you are to live when you are married.”
在溪流远处长着许多睡莲，宽大的绿叶似乎漂浮在水面上。
Far out in the stream grew a number of water - lilies, with broad green leaves, which seemed to float on the top of the water.
这些叶子中最大的一片看起来比其他的离得更远，老癞蛤蟆带着胡桃壳游向它，小拇指姑娘还在胡桃壳里熟睡着。
the largest of these leaves appeared farther off than the rest, and the old toad swam out to it with the walnut - shell, in which little tiny lay still asleep.
这个小不点儿清晨很早就醒来了，当她发现自己所在的地方时，就伤心地哭了起来，因为在这片大绿叶的四周她除了水什么也看不到，也没有办法到达陆地。
the tiny little creature woke very early in the morning, and began to cry bitterly when she found where she was, for she could see nothing but water on every side of the large green leaf, and no way of reaching the land.
与此同时，老癞蛤蟆在沼泽下非常忙碌，用灯芯草和野生的黄色花朵装饰她的房间，好让它在新儿媳面前看起来漂亮些。
meanwhile the old toad was very busy under the marsh, decking her room with rushes and wild yellow flowers, to make it look pretty for her new daughter - in - law.
然后她和她丑陋的儿子游向她放置可怜的小拇指姑娘的那片叶子。
then she swam out with her ugly son to the leaf on which she had placed poor little tiny.
她想要拿走那张漂亮的床，这样她就可以把它放在新房里，为她的儿子准备好。
She wanted to fetch the pretty bed, that she might put it in the bridal chamber to be ready for her.
老癞蛤蟆在水里向她深深鞠了一躬，说道：“这是我的儿子，他将成为你的丈夫，你将在溪边的沼泽里幸福地生活。”
the old toad bowed low to her in the water, and said, “here is my son, he will be your husband, and you will live happily in the marsh by the stream.”
“呱呱，呱呱，呱呱。” 她儿子只会这样为自己说话；
“croak, croak, croak,” was all her son could say for himself;
于是癞蛤蟆拿起那张精致的小床，带着它游走了，留下拇指姑娘独自一人在绿叶上，她坐在那里哭泣。
so the toad took up the elegant little bed, and swam away with it, leaving tiny all alone on the green leaf, where she sat and wept.
她一想到要和老癞蛤蟆一起生活，并且让她丑陋的儿子做丈夫就无法忍受。
She could not bear to think of living with the old toad, and having her ugly son for a husband.
在下面水里游来游去的小鱼看到了癞蛤蟆，也听到了她说的话，于是它们把头探出水面来看这个小姑娘。
the little fishes, who swam about in the water beneath, had seen the toad, and heard what she said, so they lifted their heads above the water to look at the little maiden.
它们一看到她，就发觉她非常美丽，一想到她必须去和丑陋的癞蛤蟆一起生活，它们就非常难过。
As soon as they caught sight of her, they saw she was very pretty, and it made them very sorry to think that she must go and live with the ugly toads.
“不，绝对不行！” 于是它们在水里集合起来，围在支撑着小姑娘所站叶子的绿色茎秆周围，用牙齿把茎秆的根部咬断。
“No, it must never be!” so they assembled together in the water, round the green stalk which held the leaf on which the little maiden stood, and gnawed it away at the root with their teeth.
然后叶子顺着溪流漂走了，带着拇指姑娘漂到远离陆地的地方。
then the leaf floated down the stream, carrying tiny far away out of reach of land.
拇指姑娘漂过许多城镇，灌木丛中的小鸟看到她，唱道：“多么可爱的小生灵啊；”
tiny sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes saw her, and sang, “what a lovely little creature;”
于是叶子带着她越漂越远，直到把她带到别的地方。
so the leaf swam away with her farther and farther, till it brought her to other lands.
一只优雅的小白蝴蝶不停地在她周围飞舞，最后落在了叶子上。
A graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round her, and at last alighted on the leaf.
拇指姑娘让他很高兴，她也为此感到高兴，因为现在癞蛤蟆再也不可能抓到她了，而且她漂流经过的地方非常美丽，阳光照在水面上，直到水面像流动的金子一样闪闪发光。
tiny pleased him, and she was glad of it, for now the toad could not possibly reach her, and the country through which she sailed was beautiful, and the sun shone upon the water, till it glittered like liquid gold.
她解下腰带，把一端系在蝴蝶身上，把丝带的另一端系在叶子上，现在叶子带着站在上面的小拇指姑娘漂流得比以前更快了。
She took off her girdle and tied one end of it round the butterfly, and the other end of the ribbon she fastened to the leaf, which now glided on much faster than ever, taking little tiny with it as she stood.
不久，一只大甲虫飞了过来；他一看到她，就用爪子抓住她纤细的腰，带着她飞到一棵树上。
presently a large cockchafer flew by; the moment he caught sight of her, he seized her round her delicate waist with his claws, and flew with her into a tree.
绿色的叶子在小溪上漂走了，蝴蝶也随着它飞走了，因为他被系在叶子上，无法飞走。
the green leaf floated away on the brook, and the butterfly flew with it, for he was fastened to it, and could not get away.
当金龟子带着小拇指姑娘飞到树上时，她是多么害怕啊！她尤其为那只被她系在叶子上的美丽白蝴蝶感到难过，因为如果他不能挣脱，就会饿死。
oh, how frightened little tiny felt when the cockchafer flew with her to the tree! but especially was she sorry for the beautiful white butterfly which she had fastened to the leaf, for if he could not free himself he would die of hunger.
但是金龟子对这件事一点也不担心。
but the cockchafer did not trouble himself at all about the matter.
他在她旁边一片大绿叶上坐下来，给她一些花中的蜜吃，还告诉她虽然她一点也不像金龟子，但她非常漂亮。
he seated himself by her side on a large green leaf, gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and told her she was very pretty, though not in the least like a cockchafer.
过了一会儿，所有的金龟子都竖起它们的触角，说道：“她只有两条腿！看起来多丑啊。”
After a time, all the cockchafers turned up their feelers, and said, “She has only two legs! how ugly that looks.”
“她没有触角。” 另一只说。
“She has no feelers,” said another.
“她的腰很细。哼！她就像个人类。”
“her waist is quite slim. pooh! she is like a human being.”
“哦！她很丑。” 所有的金龟子女士都说，尽管拇指姑娘非常漂亮。
“oh! she is ugly,” said all the lady cockchafers, although tiny was very pretty.
然后那个带着她飞走的金龟子相信了其他人说她丑的话，不想再和她说什么了，告诉她可以去她想去的地方。
then the cockchafer who had run away with her, believed all the others when they said she was ugly, and would have nothing more to say to her, and told her she might go where she liked.
然后他和她一起从树上飞下来，把她放在一朵雏菊上，一想到自己这么丑，连金龟子都不想和她说话，她就哭了。
then he flew down with her from the tree, and placed her on a daisy, and she wept at the thought that she was so ugly that even the cockchafers would have nothing to say to her.
而实际上她一直是人们能想象到的最可爱的生灵，像一片美丽的玫瑰花瓣一样温柔娇弱。
And all the while she was really the loveliest creature that one could imagine, and as tender and delicate as a beautiful rose - leaf.
整个夏天，可怜的小拇指姑娘独自一人在广阔的森林里生活。
during the whole summer poor little tiny lived quite alone in the wide forest.
她用草叶给自己编了一张床，把它挂在一片宽大的叶子下面，以躲避雨水。
She wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it up under a broad leaf, to protect herself from the rain.
她吸食花朵中的花蜜为食，每天早晨饮用花叶上的露水。
She sucked the honey from the flowers for food, and drank the dew from their leaves every morning.
就这样，夏天和秋天过去了，然后冬天来临了 —— 漫长而寒冷的冬天。
So passed away the summer and the autumn, and then came the winter, — the long, cold winter.
所有曾经对她甜美歌唱的鸟儿都飞走了，树木和花朵都已枯萎。
All the birds who had sung to her so sweetly were flown away, and the trees and the flowers had withered.
她曾经栖身其下的那片大苜蓿叶，现在卷起来枯萎了，只剩下一根枯黄的茎秆。
the large clover leaf under the shelter of which she had lived, was now rolled together and shrivelled up, nothing remained but a yellow withered stalk.
她感到非常寒冷，因为她的衣服破了，而且她本身如此娇弱，可怜的小拇指姑娘几乎要被冻死了。
She felt dreadfully cold, for her clothes were torn, and she was herself so frail and delicate, that poor little tiny was nearly frozen to death.
天也开始下雪了；
It began to snow too;
雪花落在她身上，就像满满一铲子雪落在我们其中一个人身上一样，因为我们很高大，而她只有一英寸高。
and the snow - flakes, as they fell upon her, were like a whole shovelful falling upon one of us, for we are tall, but she was only an inch high.
然后她用一片干叶子把自己裹起来，但叶子中间裂开了，无法让她暖和起来，她冻得瑟瑟发抖。
then she wrapped herself up in a dry leaf, but it cracked in the middle and could not keep her warm, and she shivered with cold.
在她一直居住的树林附近有一片麦田，但麦子早就收割了；
Near the wood in which she had been living lay a corn - field, but the corn had been cut a long time;
除了从冰冻的地面上竖着的光秃秃的干茬子，什么也没有剩下。
nothing remained but the bare dry stubble standing up out of the frozen ground.
对她来说，这就像在一大片树林中艰难前行。
It was to her like struggling through a large wood.
哦！她冻得直发抖。
oh! how she shivered with the cold.
她最后来到一只田鼠的门前，这只田鼠在麦茬下面有一个小窝。
She came at last to the door of a field - mouse, who had a little den under the corn - stubble.
田鼠住在温暖舒适的地方，有满满一屋子的麦粒、一间厨房和一个漂亮的餐厅。
there dwelt the field - mouse in warmth and fort, with a whole roomful of corn, a kitchen, and a beautiful dining room.
可怜的小拇指姑娘站在门前，就像一个小乞丐女孩，乞讨一小粒大麦，因为她已经两天没有吃一口东西了。
poor little tiny stood before the door just like a little beggar - girl, and begged for a small piece of barley - corn, for she had been without a morsel to eat for two days.
“你这个可怜的小生灵，” 田鼠说，这只田鼠其实是一只善良的老田鼠，“到我温暖的房间里来和我一起用餐吧。”
“You poor little creature,” said the field - mouse, who was really a good old field - mouse, “e into my warm room and dine with me.”
她很喜欢拇指姑娘，所以她说：“如果你愿意，非常欢迎你整个冬天都和我呆在一起；但你必须保持我的房间干净整洁，还要给我讲故事，因为我非常喜欢听故事。”
She was very pleased with tiny, so she said, “You are quite wele to stay with me all the winter, if you like; but you must keep my rooms clean and neat, and tell me stories, for I shall like to hear them very much.”
拇指姑娘按照田鼠要求的做了所有的事，并且感觉自己很舒适。
And tiny did all the field - mouse asked her, and found herself very fortable.
“我们很快就会有一个访客了。” 一天田鼠说；
“we shall have a visitor soon,” said the field - mouse one day;
“我的邻居每周来看我一次。他比我富裕；他有很大的房间，还穿着一件漂亮的黑色天鹅绒外套。如果你能让他做你的丈夫，你就真的衣食无忧了。但是他是个瞎子，所以你必须给他讲一些你最动听的故事。”
“my neighbor pays me a visit once a week. he is better off than I am; he has large rooms, and wears a beautiful black velvet coat. If you could only have him for a husband, you would be well provided for indeed. but he is blind, so you must tell him some of your prettiest stories.”
但是拇指姑娘对这个邻居一点也不感兴趣，因为他是一只鼹鼠。
but tiny did not feel at all interested about this neighbor, for he was a mole.
然而，他穿着他的黑色天鹅绒外套来拜访了。
however, he came and paid his visit dressed in his black velvet coat.
“他非常富有且有学识，他的房子比我的大二十倍。” 田鼠说。
“he is very rich and learned, and his house is twenty times larger than mine,” said the field - mouse.
他无疑是富有且有学识的，但他总是轻蔑地谈论太阳和美丽的花朵，因为他从来没有见过它们。
he was rich and learned, no doubt, but he always spoke slightingly of the sun and the pretty flowers, because he had never seen them.
拇指姑娘不得不给他唱《瓢虫，瓢虫，飞回家》以及许多其他动听的歌曲。
tiny was obliged to sing to him, “Lady - bird, lady - bird, fly away home,” and many other pretty songs.
鼹鼠因为她有如此甜美的嗓音而爱上了她；但他还什么都没说，因为他非常谨慎。
And the mole fell in love with her because she had such a sweet voice; but he said nothing yet, for he was very cautious.
不久之前，鼹鼠在地下挖了一条长长的通道，这条通道从田鼠的住所通到他自己的住所，只要她愿意，田鼠就可以带着拇指姑娘在这里散步。
A short time before, the mole had dug a long passage under the earth, which led from the dwelling of the field - mouse to his own, and here she had permission to walk with tiny whenever she liked.
但他警告她们，看到通道里有一只死鸟时不要惊慌。
but he warned them not to be alarmed at the sight of a dead bird which lay in the passage.
那是一只完整的鸟，有嘴有羽毛，死了应该没多久，就躺在鼹鼠挖通道的地方。
It was a perfect bird, with a beak and feathers, and could not have been dead long, and was lying just where the mole had made his passage.
鼹鼠嘴里叼着一块磷木，在黑暗中像火一样闪闪发光；
the mole took a piece of phosphorescent wood in his mouth, and it glittered like fire in the dark;
然后他走在她们前面，照亮这条又长又黑的通道。
then he went before them to light them through the long, dark passage.
当她们来到那只死鸟躺着的地方时，鼹鼠用他宽阔的鼻子顶穿了天花板，泥土塌了下来，于是出现了一个大洞，阳光照进了通道里。
when they came to the spot where lay the dead bird, the mole pushed his broad nose through the ceiling, the earth gave way, so that there was a large hole, and the daylight shone into the passage.
在地面中间躺着一只死燕子，他美丽的翅膀紧紧地贴在身体两侧，他的脚和头都缩在羽毛下面；这只可怜的鸟显然是冻死的。
In the middle of the floor lay a dead swallow, his beautiful wings pulled close to his sides, his feet and his head drawn up under his feathers; the poor bird had evidently died of the cold.
看到这只燕子，小拇指姑娘非常难过，她是如此喜爱小鸟；整个夏天它们都为她动听地歌唱、叽叽喳喳地叫着。
It made little tiny very sad to see it, she did so love the little birds; all the summer they had sung and twittered for her so beautifully.
但是鼹鼠用他弯曲的腿把它推到一边，说道：“他现在再也不会唱歌了。”
but the mole pushed it aside with his crooked legs, and said, “he will sing no more now.
生来是一只小鸟该多么悲惨啊！我很庆幸我的孩子永远不会是鸟，因为它们除了‘叽叽喳喳’地叫什么也做不了，而且总是在冬天饿死。
how miserable it must be to be born a little bird! I am thankful that none of my children will ever be birds, for they can do nothing but cry, ‘tweet, tweet,’ and always die of hunger in the winter.”
“是的，作为一个聪明人，你说得很对！” 田鼠叫道，“他叽叽喳喳地叫有什么用呢，因为冬天一到，他不是饿死就是冻死。不过鸟儿都是非常高贵的。”
“Yes, you may well say that, as a clever man!” exclaimed the field - mouse, “what is the use of his twittering, for when winter es he must either starve or be frozen to death. Still birds are very high bred.”
拇指姑娘什么也没说；
tiny said nothing;
但是当另外两个家伙背对着小鸟时，她弯下腰，把盖在小鸟头上的柔软羽毛轻轻拨开，亲吻了紧闭的眼睑。
but when the two others had turned their backs on the bird, she stooped down and stroked aside the soft feathers which covered the head, and kissed the closed eyelids.
“也许这就是夏天时对我唱得那么甜美的那只鸟呢，” 她说，“你这可爱、漂亮的小鸟，给我带来了多少快乐啊。”
“perhaps this was the one who sang to me so sweetly in the summer,” she said; “and how much pleasure it gave me, you dear, pretty bird.”
鼹鼠现在把透进阳光的洞堵住了，然后陪着田鼠女士回家了。
the mole now stopped up the hole through which the daylight shone, and then acpanied the lady home.
但是夜里拇指姑娘睡不着；
but during the night tiny could not sleep;
于是她下了床，用干草编织了一块又大又漂亮的毯子；
so she got out of bed and wove a large, beautiful carpet of hay;
然后她把毯子拿到死鸟那里，盖在他身上；
then she carried it to the dead bird, and spread it over him;
毯子上还加上了她在田鼠房间里找到的一些花朵上的绒毛。
with some down from the flowers which she had found in the field - mouse’s room.
这些绒毛像羊毛一样柔软，她在鸟的两边都铺了一些，这样他在寒冷的地下就能暖和地躺着了。
It was as soft as wool, and she spread some of it on each side of the bird, so that he might lie warmly in the cold earth.
“再见了，你这漂亮的小鸟，” 她说，“再见了；感谢你在夏天树木葱茏、温暖的阳光照耀着我们的时候唱出那么美妙的歌声。”
“Farewell, you pretty little bird,” said she, “farewell; thank you for your delightful singing during the summer, when all the trees were green, and the warm sun shone upon us.”
然后她把头靠在小鸟的胸脯上，但她马上惊恐起来，因为好像小鸟体内有什么东西在 “扑通，扑通” 地跳动。
then she laid her head on the bird’s breast, but she was alarmed immediately, for it seemed as if something inside the bird went “thump, thump.”
那是小鸟的心脏；
It was the bird’s heart;
他并没有真的死去，只是冻僵了，温暖使他苏醒过来。
he was not really dead, only benumbed with the cold, and the warmth had restored him to life.
秋天的时候，所有的燕子都飞到温暖的国度去，但如果有一只碰巧逗留，寒冷就会侵袭它，它就会被冻僵，然后像死了一样掉下来；
In autumn, all the swallows fly away into warm countries, but if one happens to linger, the cold seizes it, it bees frozen, and falls down as if dead;
它就留在掉落的地方，冰冷的雪覆盖着它。
it remains where it fell, and the cold snow covers it.
拇指姑娘抖得很厉害；
tiny trembled very much;
她非常害怕，因为这只鸟很大，比她自己大得多 —— 她只有一英寸高。
she was quite frightened, for the bird was large, a great deal larger than herself, — she was only an inch high.
但她鼓起勇气，把羊毛更厚地盖在可怜的燕子身上，然后拿了一片她自己当被子用的叶子，盖在这只可怜小鸟的头上。
but she took courage, laid the wool more thickly over the poor swallow, and then took a leaf which she had used for her own counterpane, and laid it over the head of the poor bird.
第二天早晨，她又偷偷地出去看他。
the next morning she again stole out to see him.
他还活着，但非常虚弱；
he was alive but very weak;
他只能睁开眼睛看了拇指姑娘一会儿，拇指姑娘站在旁边，手里拿着一块朽木，因为她没有别的灯笼。
he could only open his eyes for a moment to look at tiny, who stood by holding a piece of decayed wood in her hand, for she had no other lantern.
“谢谢你，美丽的小姑娘，” 生病的燕子说；
“thank you, pretty little maiden,” said the sick swallow;
“我被照顾得很暖和，很快我就会恢复力气，又能在温暖的阳光下飞翔了。”
“I have been so nicely warmed, that I shall soon regain my strength, and be able to fly about again in the warm sunshine.”
“哦，” 她说，“现在外面很冷；下雪又结冰。呆在你温暖的床上吧；我会照顾你的。”
“oh,” said she, “it is cold out of doors now; it snows and freezes. Stay in your warm bed; I will take care of you.”
然后她用一片花瓣盛了些水给燕子，燕子喝完后告诉她，他在荆棘丛里弄伤了一只翅膀，不能像其他燕子飞得那么快，其他燕子很快就远远地朝着温暖的国度飞走了。
then she brought the swallow some water in a flower - leaf, and after he had drank, he told her that he had wounded one of his wings in a thorn - bush, and could not fly as fast as the others, who were soon far away on their journey to warm countries.
最后他就掉到地上了，之后的事就不记得了，也不记得自己是怎么到她发现他的地方的。
then at last he had fallen to the earth, and could remember no more, nor how he came to be where she had found him.
整个冬天燕子都呆在地下，拇指姑娘悉心地照料他。
the whole winter the swallow remained underground, and tiny nursed him with care and love.
鼹鼠和田鼠对此一无所知，因为他们不喜欢燕子。
Neither the mole nor the field - mouse knew anything about it, for they did not like swallows.
很快春天就来了，太阳温暖着大地。
Very soon the spring time came, and the sun warmed the earth.
然后燕子向拇指姑娘告别，她打开了鼹鼠在天花板上挖的洞。
then the swallow bade farewell to tiny, and she opened the hole in the ceiling which the mole had made.
阳光如此美丽地照在他们身上，燕子问她是否愿意和他一起走；他说她可以坐在他的背上，他会带着她飞到绿色的树林里去。
the sun shone in upon them so beautifully, that the swallow asked her if she would go with him; she could sit on his back, he said, and he would fly away with her into the green woods.
但是拇指姑娘知道，如果她这样离开田鼠，会让田鼠非常伤心的，所以她说：“不，我不能。”
but tiny knew it would make the field - mouse very grieved if she left her in that manner, so she said, “No, I cannot.”
“那么，再见了，再见了，你这个善良、美丽的小姑娘。” 燕子说；然后他飞到阳光里去了。
“Farewell, then, farewell, you good, pretty little maiden,” said the swallow; and he flew out into the sunshine.
拇指姑娘望着他的背影，眼里涌出了泪水。她非常喜欢这只可怜的燕子。
tiny looked after him, and the tears rose in her eyes. She was very fond of the poor swallow.
“叽叽，叽叽。” 鸟儿一边唱着，一边飞进绿色的树林，拇指姑娘感到非常难过。她不能到温暖的阳光下去。
“tweet, tweet,” sang the bird, as he flew out into the green woods, and tiny felt very sad. She was not allowed to go out into the warm sunshine.
长在田鼠屋子上面田野里的麦子已经长得很高，对只有一英寸高的拇指姑娘来说就像一片茂密的树林。
the corn which had been sown in the field over the house of the field - mouse had grown up high into the air, and formed a thick wood to tiny, who was only an inch in height.
“你就要结婚了，拇指姑娘。” 田鼠说。
“You are going to be married, tiny,” said the field - mouse.
“我的邻居向你求婚了。像你这样一个可怜的孩子，这是多么好的运气啊。现在我们要准备你的结婚礼服了。它们必须是羊毛和亚麻材质的。当你成为鼹鼠的妻子时，什么都不能缺。”
“my neighbor has asked for you. what good fortune for a poor child like you. Now we will prepare your wedding clothes. they must be both woollen and linen. Nothing must be wanting when you are the mole’s wife.”
拇指姑娘不得不去纺线，田鼠雇了四只蜘蛛，它们要日夜纺织。
tiny had to turn the spindle, and the field - mouse hired four spiders, who were to weave day and night.
每天晚上鼹鼠都会来拜访她，不停地说着夏天结束的时候。
Every evening the mole visited her, and was continually speaking of the time when the summer would be over.
到那时他就要和拇指姑娘举行婚礼；但现在太阳的热度非常大，把土地都烤焦了，让土地变得像石头一样坚硬。
then he would keep his wedding - day with tiny; but now the heat of the sun was so great that it burned the earth, and made it quite hard, like a stone.
夏天一结束，婚礼就应该举行。
As soon, as the summer was over, the wedding should take place.
但是拇指姑娘一点也不高兴；因为她不喜欢这个讨厌的鼹鼠。
but tiny was not at all pleased; for she did not like the tiresome mole.
每天早晨太阳升起的时候，每天晚上太阳落下的时候，她都会爬到门口，当风吹开麦穗，这样她就能看到蓝天，她觉得外面看起来是多么美丽和明亮，非常希望能再次见到她亲爱的燕子。
Every morning when the sun rose, and every evening when it went down, she would creep out at the door, and as the wind blew aside the ears of corn, so that she could see the blue sky, she thought how beautiful and bright it seemed out there, and wished so much to see her dear swallow again.
但是他再也没有回来；因为到这个时候他已经飞到很远的可爱的绿色森林里去了。
but he never returned; for by this time he had flown far away into the lovely green forest.
当秋天到来的时候，拇指姑娘已经把她的行装完全准备好了；田鼠对她说：“四个星期后婚礼必须举行。”
when autumn arrived, tiny had her outfit quite ready; and the field - mouse said to her, “In four weeks the wedding must take place.”
然后拇指姑娘哭了起来，说她不愿嫁给这个讨厌的鼹鼠。
then tiny wept, and said she would not marry the disagreeable mole.
“胡说，” 田鼠回答道。
“Nonsense,” replied the field - mouse.
“现在别固执了，否则我要用我的白牙咬你了。他是一只非常英俊的鼹鼠；女王自己也没有穿比他更漂亮的天鹅绒和皮草。他的厨房和地窖都满满的。你应该为有这样的好运而非常感激。”
“Now don’t be obstinate, or I shall bite you with my white teeth. he is a very handsome mole; the queen herself does not wear more beautiful velvets and furs. his kitchen and cellars are quite full. You ought to be very thankful for such good fortune.”
于是婚礼的日子定下来了，到那天鼹鼠就要把拇指姑娘接走，和他一起住在深深的地下，再也看不到温暖的太阳了，因为他不喜欢太阳。
So the wedding - day was fixed, on which the mole was to fetch tiny away to live with him, deep under the earth, and never again to see the warm sun, because he did not like it.
一想到要和美丽的太阳告别，这个可怜的孩子就非常难过，因为田鼠已经允许她站在门口，她就再去看一眼太阳。
the poor child was very unhappy at the thought of saying farewell to the beautiful sun, and as the field - mouse had given her permission to stand at the door, she went to look at it once more.
“再见了，明亮的太阳，” 她朝着太阳伸出手臂喊道；
“Farewell bright sun,” she cried, stretching out her arm towards it;
然后她从房子走了一小段距离；因为麦子已经收割了，田野里只剩下干枯的麦茬。
and then she walked a short distance from the house; for the corn had been cut, and only the dry stubble remained in the fields.
“再见，再见，” 她重复着，用手臂缠绕着长在她身边的一朵小红花。
“Farewell, farewell,” she repeated, twining her arm round a little red flower that grew just by her side.
“如果你再见到小燕子的话，代我向他问好。”
“Greet the little swallow from me, if you should see him again.”
“叽叽，叽叽，” 突然在她头顶上响起。
“tweet, tweet,” sounded over her head suddenly.
她抬头一看，小燕子自己正在附近飞翔。
She looked up, and there was the swallow himself flying close by.
他一看到拇指姑娘，就很高兴；然后她告诉他自己多么不愿意嫁给丑陋的鼹鼠，要永远生活在地下，再也看不到明亮的太阳了。
As soon as he spied tiny, he was delighted; and then she told him how unwilling she felt to marry the ugly mole, and to live always beneath the earth, and never to see the bright sun any more.
在她诉说的时候她哭了。
And as she told him she wept.
“寒冷的冬天就要来了，” 燕子说，“我打算飞到更温暖的国度去。你愿意和我一起去吗？你可以坐在我的背上，用你的腰带把自己系紧。这样我们就可以飞离丑陋的鼹鼠和他那阴暗的房间了 —— 远远地飞离，越过群山，飞到更温暖的国度，那里的阳光比这里更明亮 —— 在那里永远是夏天，花朵开得更加美丽。现在和我一起飞吧，亲爱的小拇指姑娘；当我冻僵在那黑暗的通道里时，是你救了我的命。”
“cold winter is ing,” said the swallow, “and I am going to fly away into warmer countries. will you go with me? You can sit on my back, and fasten yourself on with your sash. then we can fly away from the ugly mole and his gloomy rooms, — far away, over the mountains, into warmer countries, where the sun shines more brightly — than here; where it is always summer, and the flowers bloom in greater beauty. Fly now with me, dear little tiny; you saved my life when I lay frozen in that dark passage.”
“是的，我愿意和你一起去。” 拇指姑娘说；然后她坐在鸟儿的背上，把脚放在他伸展开的翅膀上，并把她的腰带系在他一根最结实的羽毛上。
“Yes, I will go with you,” said tiny; and she seated herself on the bird’s back, with her feet on his outstretched wings, and tied her girdle to one of his strongest feathers.
然后燕子飞向空中，飞越森林，飞越大海，高高地飞越过终年积雪的最高山峰。
then the swallow rose in the air, and flew over forest and over sea, high above the highest mountains, covered with eternal snow.
拇指姑娘在寒冷的空气中可能会被冻僵，但她躲在鸟儿温暖的羽毛下面，只把她的小脑袋露在外面，这样她就可以欣赏他们经过的美丽土地了。
tiny would have been frozen in the cold air, but she crept under the bird’s warm feathers, keeping her little head uncovered, so that she might admire the beautiful lands over which they passed.
最后他们到达了温暖的国度，那里阳光明媚，天空看起来比在地面上时高得多。
At length they reached the warm countries, where the sun shines brightly, and the sky seems so much higher above the earth.
在这里，树篱上和路边生长着紫色、绿色和白色的葡萄；树林里的树上挂满了柠檬和橙子；空气中弥漫着桃金娘和橙花的芬芳。
here, on the hedges, and by the wayside, grew purple, green, and white grapes; lemons and oranges hung from trees in the woods; and the air was fragrant with myrtles and orange blossoms.
漂亮的孩子们沿着乡间小路奔跑，与色彩鲜艳的大蝴蝶嬉戏。
beautiful children ran along the country lanes, playing with large gay butterflies;
燕子越飞越远，所到之处看起来越发美丽。
and as the swallow flew farther and farther, every place appeared still more lovely.
最后他们来到一个蓝色的湖泊边，在湖的一侧，在深绿色树木的遮蔽下，矗立着一座由耀眼的白色大理石建成的古老宫殿。
At last they came to a blue lake, and by the side of it, shaded by trees of the deepest green, stood a palace of dazzling white marble, built in the olden times.
藤蔓缠绕着它高大的柱子，顶部有许多燕子窝，其中一个就是载着拇指姑娘的燕子的家。
Vines clustered round its lofty pillars, and at the top were many swallows’ nests, and one of these was the home of the swallow who carried tiny.
“这是我的家，” 燕子说；“但你住在那里不合适 —— 你不会舒服的。你必须从那些可爱的花朵中为自己挑选一朵，我会把你放在上面，然后你就会拥有能让你幸福的一切。”
“this is my house,” said the swallow; “but it would not do for you to live there — you would not be fortable. You must choose for yourself one of those lovely flowers, and I will put you down upon it, and then you shall have everything that you can wish to make you happy.”
“那将会很美妙。” 她说着，高兴地拍起小手来。
“that will be delightful,” she said, and clapped her little hands for joy.
一根巨大的大理石柱子倒在地上，断成了三截。
A large marble pillar lay on the ground, which, in falling, had been broken into three pieces.
在这些断柱之间生长着最美丽的大白花；
between these pieces grew the most beautiful large white flowers;
于是燕子带着拇指姑娘飞下来，把她放在一片宽大的叶子上。
so the swallow flew down with tiny, and placed her on one of the broad leaves.
但当她看到在花的中间有一个小得不能再小的男人时，是多么惊讶啊，他像水晶做的一样洁白透明！他头上戴着一顶金王冠，肩膀上长着精致的翅膀，而且和拇指姑娘自己差不多大。
but how surprised she was to see in the middle of the flower, a tiny little man, as white and transparent as if he had been made of crystal! he had a gold crown on his head, and delicate wings at his shoulders, and was not much larger than tiny herself.
他是花中的精灵；
he was the angel of the flower;
因为每朵花里都住着一个小男人和一个小女人；而他是他们所有人的国王。
for a tiny man and a tiny woman dwell in every flower; and this was the king of them all.
“哦，他多么美丽啊！” 拇指姑娘轻声对燕子说。
“oh, how beautiful he is!” whispered tiny to the swallow.
小王子一开始非常害怕这只鸟，和他这样娇弱的小生灵相比，这只鸟就像个巨人；
the little prince was at first quite frightened at the bird, who was like a giant, pared to such a delicate little creature as himself;
但是当他看到拇指姑娘时，他很高兴，觉得她是他见过的最美丽的小姑娘。
but when he saw tiny, he was delighted, and thought her the prettiest little maiden he had ever seen.
他从头上取下金王冠，戴在她的头上，问她的名字，问她是否愿意做他的妻子，成为所有花朵的王后。
he took the gold crown from his head, and placed it on hers, and asked her name, and if she would be his wife, and queen over all the flowers.
这和癞蛤蟆的儿子或者那只穿着黑天鹅绒和皮毛的鼹鼠相比，可真是完全不同类型的丈夫；
this certainly was a very different sort of husband to the son of a toad, or the mole, with my black velvet and fur;
所以她对这位英俊的王子说：“好的。”
so she said, “Yes,” to the handsome prince.
然后所有的花朵都开放了，每朵花里走出一位小女士或者小男士，他们都非常漂亮，看起来赏心悦目。
then all the flowers opened, and out of each came a little lady or a tiny lord, all so pretty it was quite a pleasure to look at them.
他们每个人都给拇指姑娘带来了一份礼物；但最好的礼物是一对美丽的翅膀，这对翅膀原属于一只大白蝇，他们把翅膀系在拇指姑娘的肩膀上，这样她就可以从一朵花飞到另一朵花上了。
Each of them brought tiny a present; but the best gift was a pair of beautiful wings, which had belonged to a large white fly and they fastened them to tiny’s shoulders, so that she might fly from flower to flower.
接着大家都非常高兴，坐在他们上方巢里的小燕子被邀请唱一首婚礼之歌，他尽可能地唱好了；
then there was much rejoicing, and the little swallow who sat above them, in his nest, was asked to sing a wedding song, which he did as well as he could;
但在他心里却感到悲伤，因为他非常喜欢拇指姑娘，很希望永远不再和她分开。
but in his heart he felt sad for he was very fond of tiny, and would have liked never to part from her again.
“你不能再叫拇指姑娘了。” 花中的精灵对她说。
“You must not be called tiny any more,” said the spirit of the flowers to her.
“这是个丑陋的名字，而你是如此美丽。我们将称呼你为玛雅。”
“It is an ugly name, and you are so very pretty. we will call you maia.”
“再见，再见。” 小燕子心情沉重地说，他离开这个温暖的国度，飞回丹麦。
“Farewell, farewell,” said the swallow, with a heavy heart as he left the warm countries to fly back into denmark.
在那里，他在一所房子的窗户上方有一个巢，这所房子里住着那位童话作家。
there he had a nest over the window of a house in which dwelt the writer of fairy tales.
燕子叽叽喳喳地唱着，整个故事就从他的歌声里诞生了。
the swallow sang, “tweet, tweet,” and from his song came the whole story.