The Seven Ravens

There was once a man who had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At length his wife again gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world it was a girl. The joy was great, but the child was sickly and small, and had to be privately baptized on account of its weakness. The father sent one of the boys in haste to the spring to fetch water for the baptism. The other six went with him, and as each of them wanted to be first to fill it, the jug fell into the well.

从前有一个男人，他有七个儿子，却一直没有女儿，尽管他非常渴望有一个女儿。终于，他的妻子又一次让他燃起了希望，等孩子出生时，是个女孩。一家人欣喜万分，可是这孩子体弱多病，个头又小，因为身子虚弱，只得匆匆在家里受洗。父亲连忙打发一个儿子去泉边打水，准备用来行洗礼。其余六个也都跟着去了，因为谁都想抢先打满水罐，结果水罐掉进了井里。

There they stood and did not know what to do, and none of them dared to go home. As they still did not return, the father grew impatient, and said, “They have certainly forgotten it for some game, the wicked boys!” He became afraid that the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger cried, “I wish the boys were all turned into ravens.” Hardly was the word spoken before he heard a whirring of wings over his head in the air, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away.

他们站在那里，不知如何是好，谁也不敢回家去。他们迟迟不归，父亲渐渐没了耐心，说道：“这些淘气的孩子，一定是贪玩把这事忘了！”他生怕女儿还没受洗就会夭折，一气之下喊道：“但愿这些男孩统统变成乌鸦！”话音刚落，他便听见头顶上空传来一阵翅膀扑棱的声响，抬头一看，只见七只乌黑的乌鸦正振翅飞去。

The parents could not recall the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they still to some extent comforted themselves with their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and every day became more beautiful. For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents were careful not to mention them before her, but one day she accidentally heard some people saying of herself, “that the girl was certainly beautiful, but that in reality she was to blame for the misfortune which had befallen her seven brothers.”

父母无法收回这句诅咒，尽管为失去七个儿子而万分悲痛，他们还是从心爱的小女儿身上得到了几分安慰，女儿一天天健壮起来，也一天比一天美丽。很长一段时间里，她都不知道自己曾有过兄长，因为父母小心翼翼地从不在她面前提起，可是有一天，她无意间听见有人议论她说：“这姑娘的确长得漂亮，可实际上，她那七个哥哥遭遇的不幸，正是因她而起。”

Then she was much troubled, and went to her father and mother and asked if it was true that she had had brothers, and what had become of them? The parents now dared keep the secret no longer, but said that what had befallen her brothers was the will of Heaven, and that her birth had only been the innocent cause. But the maiden took it to heart daily, and thought she must deliver her brothers.

她听了十分难过，便跑去问父母，是不是真的有过哥哥，他们后来又怎样了。父母如今再也瞒不住了，只好告诉她，哥哥们的遭遇是上天的旨意，她的出生不过是无辜的缘由罢了。可是姑娘从此日日把这事放在心上，暗自想着一定要救出哥哥们。

She had no rest or peace until she set out secretly, and went forth into the wide world to trace out her brothers and set them free, let it cost what it might. She took nothing with her but a little ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread against hunger, a little pitcher of water against thirst, and a little chair as a provision against weariness.

她再也无法安心，终于有一天悄悄出走，踏上了漫漫寻兄之路，不论付出什么代价，也要找到哥哥们并解救他们。她什么也没带，只带了父母留下的一枚戒指作纪念，一块面包以防饥饿，一小罐水以防口渴，还有一把小凳子，以备走累了休息之用。

And now she went continually onwards, far, far to the very end of the world. Then she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and devoured little children. Hastily she ran away, and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, and also awful and malicious, and when it saw the child, it said, “I smell, I smell the flesh of men.”

她就这样一直往前走啊走，走到了天涯海角。她先来到太阳那里，可太阳又热又可怕，还会吞食小孩子。她连忙逃开，跑去找月亮，可月亮又太冷了，而且阴森恶毒，一见到这孩子，便说道：“我闻到了，我闻到了人肉的气味。”

On this she ran swiftly away, and came to the stars, which were kind and good to her, and each of them sat on its own particular little chair. But the morning star arose, and gave her the drumstick of a chicken, and said, “If thou hast not that drumstick thou canst not open the Glass mountain, and in the Glass mountain are thy brothers.”

她赶紧又跑开，来到了星星那里。星星们待她既和善又友好，每颗星星都坐在自己的小凳子上。这时晨星升起，送给她一根鸡腿骨，说道：“若是没有这根腿骨，你就打不开玻璃山，你的哥哥们就在玻璃山里。”

The maiden took the drumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and went onwards again until she came to the Glass mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would take out the drumstick; but when she undid the cloth, it was empty, and she had lost the good star’s present. What was she now to do? She wished to rescue her brothers, and had no key to the Glass mountain. The good sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it in the door, and succeeded in opening it.

姑娘接过腿骨，小心地用布包好，继续往前走，终于来到了玻璃山前。山门紧闭，她想拿出那根腿骨来，可是解开布一看，里面却空空如也，那颗好心的星星送的礼物已经不知去向。这下该怎么办呢？她一心想救出哥哥们，却没有打开玻璃山的钥匙。这位好心的妹妹拿起一把刀，砍下自己的一根小手指，插进门里，居然把门打开了。

When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet her, who said, “My child, what are you looking for?” “I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens,” she replied. The dwarf said, “The lord ravens are not at home, but if you will wait here until they come, step in.” Thereupon the little dwarf carried the ravens’ dinner in, on seven little plates, and in seven little glasses, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate, and from each little glass she took a sip, but in the last little glass she dropped the ring which she had brought away with her.

她走进山里，一个小矮人迎面走来，问道：“孩子，你在找什么？”“我在找我的哥哥们，那七只乌鸦。”她回答道。小矮人说：“乌鸦老爷们眼下都不在家，你若愿意在这儿等他们回来，就先进来吧。”说着，小矮人便端进来乌鸦们的晚饭，摆在七个小盘子和七个小杯子里，小妹妹从每个盘子里都吃了一小口，又从每个小杯子里都呷了一小口，可是在最后一个小杯子里，她悄悄放进了随身带来的那枚戒指。

Suddenly she heard a whirring of wings and a rushing through the air, and then the little dwarf said, “Now the lord ravens are flying home.” Then they came, and wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then said one after the other, “Who has eaten something from my plate? Who has drunk out of my little glass? It was a human mouth.” And when the seventh came to the bottom of the glass, the ring rolled against his mouth.

忽然，她听见一阵翅膀扑棱、破空而来的声响，小矮人便说：“乌鸦老爷们飞回来了。”于是他们回来了，正要吃喝，各自去找自己的小盘子和小杯子。这时一个接一个地说道：“谁吃了我盘子里的东西？谁喝了我杯子里的水？是一张人的嘴。”等到第七只喝到杯底时，那枚戒指滚到了他的嘴边。

Then he looked at it, and saw that it was a ring belonging to his father and mother, and said, “God grant that our sister may be here, and then we shall be free.” When the maiden, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish, she came forth, and on this all the ravens were restored to their human form again. And they embraced and kissed each other, and went joyfully home.

他一看，认出这正是父母的那枚戒指，便说道：“但愿咱们的妹妹就在这儿，那我们就能得救了。”正躲在门后张望的姑娘一听见这句话，便走了出来，于是所有的乌鸦顿时都恢复了人形。他们互相拥抱亲吻，欢欢喜喜地一同回家去了。