The Dun Cow

You know that there are all sorts in this world, good and bad, people who do not fear God, and feel no shame before their own brother.

要知道，这世上什么样的人都有，有好人也有坏人，有的人不敬畏上帝，在自己的兄弟面前也毫无羞耻之心。

In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there once lived a Tsar and Tsarítsa, who had one only daughter, Márya Tsarévna. But the old Tsarítsa died and the Tsar took to him a second wife, who was a witch. And the witch had three daughters, one of whom had one eye, the next two eyes, and the third had three. The stepmother could not abide Márya Tsarévna, and sent the girl with a dun cow on to the heath, and gave her a dry crust as her only food.

在某个王国、某片土地上，曾经住着一位沙皇和皇后，他们只有一个女儿，名叫玛丽亚公主。可是老皇后去世了，沙皇又娶了第二位妻子，那是个女巫。女巫有三个女儿，一个只有一只眼睛，第二个有两只眼睛，第三个有三只眼睛。继母容不下玛丽亚公主，便打发她带着一头黄牛到荒野上去，只给她一块干面包作为口粮。

Márya Tsarévna went on to the heath, bowed down to the right foot of the cow, and all at once was splendidly dressed, and had as much to eat and drink as she liked. So she guarded the dun cow the whole day, and looked as gay as any lady in the land. And at night she bowed down again in front of the right foot, and again became shabby and went home. And the bit of bread she took with her and offered it to her stepmother.

玛丽亚公主来到荒野上，朝那头牛的右蹄跪拜下去，顿时便穿上了华丽的衣裳，想吃什么喝什么都应有尽有。于是她整天看守着那头黄牛，看上去像国中任何一位贵妇人一样光鲜亮丽。到了晚上，她又在牛的右蹄前跪拜一次，重新变得衣衫褴褛，然后回家去。她随身带着那块面包，回去便交给继母。

“Whatever is she living on?” the witch thought, and she gave her the same piece of bread next day, and told her eldest daughter to watch what Márya Tsarévna did.

“她到底靠什么过活呢？”女巫心里琢磨着，第二天又给了她同样的一块面包，还叫大女儿去看看玛丽亚公主到底在做什么。

When they reached the heath Márya Tsarévna said: “Come, little sister, I will find a cushion for your head.” So she went to look, but whispered to herself:

到了荒野上，玛丽亚公主说：“来吧，小妹妹，我去给你找个枕头。”说着便走开去找，可她自己低声念叨着：

“Sleep, my sister, sleep, Sleep, O sister mine; One eye go to sleep, Close that eye of thine.”

睡吧，我的妹妹，睡吧， 睡吧，我亲爱的妹妹； 一只眼睛快睡去， 把你那只眼睛闭上。

The sister went to sleep, and Márya Tsarévna stood up, went to her dear dun cow, bowed down to the right foot, and ate, and drank, and went about all day long like a princess.

妹妹睡着了，玛丽亚公主便站起身，走到她心爱的黄牛跟前，朝右蹄跪拜下去，吃了喝了，整天像个公主一样到处走动。

In the evening she woke up her sister and said: “Get up, sister; get up, dearest; and we will go home.”

到了晚上，她叫醒妹妹，说道：“起来吧，妹妹；起来吧，亲爱的；我们该回家了。”

“Oh! oh! oh!” her sister whimpered, “I have been asleep all day long and have not seen anything, and mother will be so angry!”

“哎呀！哎呀！哎呀！”妹妹哭诉道，“我睡了一整天，什么都没看见，妈妈会气坏的！”

When they got home, the stepmother asked: “What was it Márya Tsarévna ate and drank?”

她们回到家，继母问道：“玛丽亚公主吃了什么、喝了什么？”

“I did not see anything.”

“我什么都没看见。”

So the witch scolded her, and next day sent the two-eyed sister with Márya. “Go,” she said, “and see what she eats and drinks.”

女巫便责骂了她一顿，第二天又打发双眼女儿跟玛丽亚一起去。“去吧，”她说，“看看她到底吃什么、喝什么。”

And the girls came to the heath, and Márya Tsarévna said, “Come, little sister, I will find a cushion for your head.” So she went to search, and whispered to herself:

姑娘们来到荒野上，玛丽亚公主说：“来吧，小妹妹，我去给你找个枕头。”说着便走开去找，自己低声念叨着：

“Sleep, my sister, sleep, Sleep, O sister mine; Two-eyes go to sleep, Close both eyes of thine.”

睡吧，我的妹妹，睡吧， 睡吧，我亲爱的妹妹； 双眼快快睡去， 把你两只眼睛都闭上。

Two-eyes went to sleep, and Márya Tsarévna bowed down as before, to the right foot of the cow, and looked like a princess all day long. In the evening she roused Two-eyes; and if the stepmother was angry before, she was much angrier this time.

双眼睡着了，玛丽亚公主像先前一样朝牛的右蹄跪拜下去，整天都像个公主一样光彩照人。到了晚上，她叫醒了双眼；继母先前就已经生气，这一次更是气上加气。

So next day she sent Three-eyes, and Márya Tsarévna sent her to sleep in the same way; only she forgot the third eye, and that went on looking and looking at what Márya Tsarévna did. For she ran to her dun cow’s right foot, bowed down, and ate, and drank, and went about all day long splendidly attired.

于是第二天她又打发三眼去，玛丽亚公主也用同样的法子哄她睡着；只是她忘了第三只眼睛，那只眼睛一直睁着，把玛丽亚公主做的事看了个一清二楚。因为她跑到黄牛的右蹄边，跪拜下去，吃了喝了，整天穿得华丽体面地到处走动。

And when she got home she laid the dry crust on the table. And the mother asked the daughter what Márya Tsarévna had eaten and drunk. Three-eyes told her everything; and the witch ordered the dun cow to be slain.

玛丽亚公主回到家，把那块干面包放在桌子上。母亲问女儿玛丽亚公主吃了什么、喝了什么。三眼把一切都告诉了她；于是女巫下令把那头黄牛宰了。

“You must be mad, woman,” said the Tsar, “it’s quite a young heifer and so beautiful!”

“你这女人一定是疯了，”沙皇说，“这可是一头年轻漂亮的小母牛啊！”

“I tell you,” said the stepmother, “it must be done”; and the old Tsar consented.

“我告诉你，”继母说，“非杀不可”；老沙皇便答应了。

But Márya Tsarévna asked him: “Father, do at least give me a little tiny bit out of the cow!”

可是玛丽亚公主求他道：“父亲，好歹给我留一小块牛身上的东西吧！”

The old man gave her the piece, and she planted it; and a bush with sweet berries grew up, with little birds singing on it, singing songs fit for kings and peasants.

老人便给了她一小块，她把它种在地里；后来长出一丛结着甜浆果的灌木，树上还有小鸟歌唱，唱着无论国王还是农夫都爱听的歌谣。

Now Iván Tsarévich had heard of Márya Tsarévna, went to her stepmother, laid a bowl on the table, and said: “Whichever of the maidens brings me the bowl full of berries, I will marry.”

这时伊万王子听闻了玛丽亚公主的事，便去见她的继母，把一只碗放在桌上，说道：“哪个姑娘能把这碗装满浆果拿来给我，我就娶她为妻。”

So the mother sent One-eye to get the berries. But the birds drove her away from the bush and almost pecked out her one eye; and so with Two-eyes and Three-eyes. At last Márya Tsarévna had to go. Márya Tsarévna took the bowl and gathered the berries, and the little birds helped her in the task. When she got home she put the bowl on the table and bowed down to Iván Tsarévich. So Iván Tsarévich took Márya Tsarévna to be his wife, and they celebrated a merry wedding and lived a happy life.

于是母亲便打发独眼去摘浆果。可是小鸟们把她从灌木丛边赶走，差点啄瞎了她那一只眼睛；双眼和三眼也是同样的遭遇。最后不得不让玛丽亚公主去。玛丽亚公主拿着碗去摘浆果，小鸟们也帮着她一起摘。她回到家后，把碗放在桌上，向伊万王子行礼。于是伊万王子便娶玛丽亚公主为妻，他们举行了一场欢乐的婚礼，从此过上了幸福的生活。

But, after a while, Márya Tsarévna bore a son. She wanted to show him to her father, and, together with her husband, went to visit him. Then the stepmother turned her into a goose, and decked her eldest daughter as though she were the wife of Iván Tsarévich. And Iván Tsarévich returned home.

可是过了一段日子，玛丽亚公主生下了一个儿子。她想把孩子带去给父亲看看，便和丈夫一起去探望父亲。这时继母把她变成了一只鹅，又把自己的大女儿打扮成伊万王子妻子的模样。伊万王子便这样回了家。

The old man, who tended the children, got up early in the morning, washed himself clean, took the child on his arm and went out to the field, to the bush in the field. Grey geese were flying over it.

那位照看孩子的老人一大早就起了床，把自己洗得干干净净，抱起孩子来到田野上，来到田里那丛灌木旁。这时一群灰雁正从上空飞过。

“Geese, ye grey ones, where is the baby’s mother?”

“大雁啊，灰色的大雁，孩子的妈妈在哪里？”

“In the next flock!”

“在下一群里！”

Then the next flock came by.

于是下一群大雁飞过来了。

“Geese, ye grey ones, where is the baby’s mother?”

“大雁啊，灰色的大雁，孩子的妈妈在哪里？”

Then the baby’s mother came to them, threw off her feathers, and gave her little child the breast, and began weeping:

于是孩子的妈妈来到他们跟前，脱下了自己的羽毛，给孩子喂了奶，哭泣着说道：

“For this one day I may come, and to-morrow, but the next day I must fly away over the woods and over the hills.”

“今天我还能来，明天也还能来，可是后天我就得飞过树林、飞过山冈远走他乡了。”

The old man went back home, and the boy slept all day long, until next morning, and did not wake up. The false wife was angry with him for taking the child into the fields where it must be much too cold.

老人回到家中，孩子睡了一整天，直到第二天早晨都没有醒来。假妻子为此十分恼怒，怪他把孩子带到田野里去，那里一定冷得很。

But next morning the old man again got up very early, washed himself clean, and took the child into the field. Iván Tsarévich followed him secretly and hid in the bush. Then the grey geese began soaring by.

可是第二天早晨，老人又早早起床，把自己洗得干干净净，把孩子带到田野里去。伊万王子悄悄跟在后面，藏进了灌木丛中。这时灰雁们又开始成群飞来。

“Geese, ye grey ones, where is the baby’s mother?”

“大雁啊，灰色的大雁，孩子的妈妈在哪里？”

“In the next flock!”

“在下一群里！”

Then the next flock came by.

于是下一群大雁飞过来了。

“Geese, ye grey ones, where is the baby’s mother?”

“大雁啊，灰色的大雁，孩子的妈妈在哪里？”

Then the baby’s mother came to them, threw off her feathers, and gave her little child the breast, and began weeping: “For this one day I may come, but to-morrow I must fly away over the woods and over the hills.”

于是孩子的妈妈来到他们跟前，脱下了自己的羽毛，给孩子喂了奶，哭泣着说道：“今天我还能来，可是明天我就得飞过树林、飞过山冈远走他乡了。”

Then she asked: “What do I smell there?” and wanted to put on her feathers again, but could not find them anywhere.

接着她又问道：“我怎么闻到了什么味道？”说着想重新穿上羽毛，却怎么也找不到了。

Iván Tsarévich had burnt them. He seized hold of Márya Tsarévna, but she turned first into a frog, then into a lizard, and into all sorts of insects, and last of all into a spindle. Iván Tsarévich took the spindle and broke it in halves, threw the dull end behind him and the sharp one in front; and his beautiful young wife stood in front of him, and they went home.

原来伊万王子已经把羽毛烧掉了。他一把抓住了玛丽亚公主，可她先是变成一只青蛙，又变成一只蜥蜴，再变成各种各样的昆虫，最后变成了一支纺锤。伊万王子拿起那支纺锤，把它折成两半，把钝的那头扔到身后，把尖的那头扔到身前；于是他美丽年轻的妻子便站在了他面前，他们一同回家去了。

Then the daughter of the witch cried out: “The destroyer and the wicked woman have come.”

这时女巫的女儿喊道：“那个破坏一切的恶女人回来了。”

But Iván Tsarévich assembled all the Princes and the boyárs, and he asked them: “With which wife shall I live?”

但伊万王子召集了所有的亲王和贵族，问他们道：“我该和哪个妻子一起生活？”

They said: “With the first.”

他们说：“和第一位。”

But he answered, “My lords, whichever wife leaps quickest to the door shall remain with me.”

可他回答道：“诸位大人，哪个妻子最先跳到门口，就留下来陪我。”

So the witch’s daughter climbed up at once, but Márya Tsarévna clung on. Then Iván Tsarévich took his gun and shot the substitute wife, and lived happy ever after with Márya Tsarévna.

于是女巫的女儿立刻爬了起来，可玛丽亚公主却紧紧扒住不放。伊万王子这才拿起枪来，把那个冒名顶替的妻子打死了，从此和玛丽亚公主幸福地生活在一起。