The Three Princesses of Whiteland

Once on a time there was a fisherman who lived close by a palace, and fished for the king’s table. One day when he was out fishing he just caught nothing. Do what he would—however he tried with bait and angle—there was never a sprat on his hook. But when the day was far spent a head bobbed up out of the water, and said:

从前有一个渔夫，住在王宫附近，专为国王的餐桌捕鱼。有一天他出海打鱼，却什么也捕不到。任凭他怎么试，用什么样的鱼饵和钓竿，钩子上始终连一条小鱼都不上钩。可到了天色将暮的时候，水面上冒出一个脑袋，说道：

“If I may have what your wife bears under her girdle, you shall catch fish enough.”

“只要你把你妻子裙带下所怀的东西给我，你就能捕到足够多的鱼。”

So the man answered boldly, “Yes”; for he did not know that his wife was going to have a child. After that, as was like enough, he caught plenty of fish of all kinds. But when he got home at night and told his story, how he had got all that fish, his wife fell a-weeping and moaning, and was beside herself for the promise which her husband had made, for she said, “I bear a babe under my girdle.”

于是这人大胆地答应了一声“好”；因为他并不知道自己的妻子正怀着孩子。此后，正如所料，他捕到了各种各样的鱼，多得很。可是当他晚上回到家里，说起自己是怎么捕到这么多鱼的经过时，他的妻子却哭了起来，悲伤不已，为丈夫许下的那个诺言心乱如麻，因为她说：“我的裙带下正怀着一个孩子呢。”

Well, the story soon spread, and came up to the castle; and when the king heard the woman’s grief and its cause, he sent down to say he would take care of the child, and see if he couldn’t save it.

这事很快就传开了，一直传到了王宫里；国王听说了这女人的悲伤和缘由之后，便传话下来说，他愿意抚养这孩子，看看能不能保住这孩子的性命。

So the months went on and on, and when her time came the fisher’s wife had a boy; so the king took it at once, and brought it up as his own son, until the lad grew up. Then he begged leave one day to go out fishing with his father; he had such a mind to go, he said. At first the king wouldn’t hear of it, but at last the lad had his way, and went. So he and his father were out the whole day, and all went right and well till they landed at night.

于是月复一月，等到分娩的时候，渔夫的妻子生下了一个男孩；国王立刻把孩子接了去，当作自己的儿子抚养，直到这孩子长大成人。有一天，他恳求准许和父亲一同出海打鱼；他说自己很想去。起初国王不肯答应，可最后这孩子还是如愿以偿，去了。于是他和父亲出海一整天，一切都顺顺利利，直到夜里靠岸的时候。

Then the lad remembered he had left his handkerchief, and went to look for it; but as soon as ever he got into the boat, it began to move off with him at such speed that the water roared under the bow, and all the lad could do in rowing against it with the oars was no use; so he went and went the whole night, and at last he came to a white strand, far far away.

这时孩子想起自己把手帕忘在船上了，便回去找；可他刚一上船，船就载着他飞速漂离，水在船头下轰鸣作响，任凭他怎么用桨逆流划都无济于事；于是他就这样漂了一整夜，最后来到了很远很远的一片白色沙滩。

There he went ashore, and when he had walked about a bit, an old, old man met him, with a long white beard.

他在那里上了岸，走了一小段路之后，遇见一位年迈的老人，蓄着一把长长的白胡须。

“What’s the name of this land?” asked the lad.

“这地方叫什么名字？”少年问道。

“Whiteland”, said the man, who went on to ask the lad whence he came, and what he was going to do. So the lad told him all.

“白地国，”那人说道，接着又问少年从哪里来，打算做什么。于是少年便把一切都告诉了他。

“Aye, aye!” said the man; “now when you have walked a little farther along the strand here, you’ll come to three Princesses, whom you will see standing in the earth up to their necks, with only their heads out. Then the first—she is the eldest—will call out and beg you so prettily to come and help her; and the second will do the same; to neither of these shall you go; make haste past them, as if you neither saw nor heard anything. But the third you shall go to, and do what she asks. If you do this, you’ll have good luck—that’s all.”

“啊，是这样啊！”那人说，“这样吧，你沿着这片沙滩再往前走一小段，就会遇见三位公主，你会看见她们被埋在土里，只露出脖子和脑袋。到时候第一位——也就是最年长的一位——会呼唤你，恳求你去帮她，说得十分动听；第二位也会这样。这两位你都不要去理会；只管加快脚步走过去，就像什么都没看见、什么都没听见一样。但第三位，你要走过去，照她说的去做。你若这样做了，就会时来运转——就这样。”

When the lad came to the first Princess, she called out to him, and begged him so prettily to come to her, but he passed on as though he saw her not. In the same way he passed by the second; but to the third he went straight up.

少年走到第一位公主面前时，她呼唤他，恳求得十分动听，请他过去帮她，可他还是像没看见她一样，径直走了过去。他就这样走过了第二位；可到了第三位面前，他却径直走了上去。

“If you’ll do what I bid you”, she said, “you may have which of us you please.”

“只要你照我说的去做，”她说道，“我们三人中，你便可以任选一位。”

“Yes”; he was willing enough; so she told him how three Trolls had set them down in the earth there; but before they had lived in the castle up among the trees.

“好，”他十分乐意；于是她告诉他，三个巨怪是怎么把她们埋在这片土地里的；而在此之前，她们原本住在树林中那座城堡里。

“Now”, she said, “you must go into that castle, and let the Trolls whip you each one night for each of us. If you can bear that, you’ll set us free.”

“现在，”她说，“你必须进那座城堡去，让巨怪每晚为我们每一位鞭打你一次。你若能忍受，就能救我们出来。”

Well, the lad said he was ready to try.

好，少年说他愿意一试。

“When you go in”, the Princess went on to say, “you’ll see two lions standing at the gate; but if you’ll only go right in the middle between them they’ll do you no harm. Then go straight on into a little dark room, and make your bed. Then the Troll will come to whip you; but if you take the flask which hangs on the wall, and rub yourself with the ointment that’s in it, wherever his lash falls, you’ll be as sound as ever. Then grasp the sword that hangs by the side of the flask and strike the Troll dead.”

“你进去的时候，”公主接着说道，“会看见门口站着两头狮子；只要你从它们正中间走过去，它们就不会伤害你。然后你径直走进一间昏暗的小屋，铺好床。接着巨怪就会来鞭打你；但只要你取下挂在墙上的那只小瓶，把瓶里的药膏涂在鞭痕落下的每一处，你就会和从前一样完好无损。然后你抓起挂在瓶子旁边的那把剑，把巨怪杀死。”

Yes, he did as the Princess told him; he passed in the midst between the lions, as if he hadn’t seen them, and went straight into the little room, and there he lay down to sleep. The first night there came a Troll with three heads and three rods, and whipped the lad soundly; but he stood it till the Troll was done; then he took the flask and rubbed himself, and grasped the sword and slew the Troll.

好，他就照公主说的去做；他从两头狮子正中间走过，好像根本没看见它们一样，径直走进那间小屋，在那里躺下睡觉。第一夜来了一个长着三个脑袋、拿着三根鞭子的巨怪，把少年狠狠鞭打了一顿；可他一直挺到巨怪打完为止；随后他取来药瓶抹在身上，又抓起剑来，把巨怪杀了。

So, when he went out next morning, the Princesses stood out of the earth up to their waists.

于是，第二天早晨他走出去的时候，三位公主已经从土里露出到腰间了。

The next night ’twas the same story over again, only this time the Troll had six heads and six rods, and he whipped him far worse than the first; but when he went out next morning, the Princesses stood out of the earth as far as the knee.

第二天夜里又是同样的经过，只不过这一次的巨怪长着六个脑袋、六根鞭子，打得比第一晚还要狠得多；可第二天早晨他走出去的时候，三位公主已经露出土面到膝盖了。

The third night there came a Troll that had nine heads and nine rods, and he whipped and flogged the lad so long that he fainted away; then the Troll took him up and dashed him against the wall; but the shock brought down the flask, which fell on the lad, burst, and spilled the ointment all over him, and so he became as strong and sound as ever again. Then he wasn’t slow; he grasped the sword and slew the Troll;

第三天夜里来了一个长着九个脑袋、九根鞭子的巨怪，把少年鞭打得那样久，以至于他昏死过去；接着巨怪把他抓起来，狠狠摔在墙上；可这一撞震落了那只药瓶，正好落在少年身上摔碎了，药膏洒了他一身，于是他又恢复了从前那样的强壮和完好。他也不含糊；抓起剑来，把巨怪杀了；

and next morning when he went out of the castle the Princesses stood before him with all their bodies out of the earth. So he took the youngest for his Queen, and lived well and happily with her for some time.

第二天早晨，他走出城堡的时候，三位公主已经全身都露出了土面，站在他面前。于是他选了最小的那位做他的王后，和她过了一段美满幸福的日子。

At last he began to long to go home for a little to see his parents. His Queen did not like this; but at last his heart was so set on it, and he longed and longed so much, there was no holding him back, so she said,

后来他渐渐开始想家，想回去看看自己的父母。他的王后不太乐意；可最后他心意已定，思乡之情如此强烈，怎么也拦不住，于是她说：

“One thing you must promise me. This—Only to do what your father begs you to do, and not what your mother wishes”; and that he promised.

“有一件事你必须答应我。这件事就是——只照你父亲请求你做的去做，不要照你母亲希望你做的去做。”他答应了这一点。

Then she gave him a ring, which was of that kind that any one who wore it might wish two wishes. So he wished himself home, and when he got home his parents could not wonder enough what a grand man their son had become.

于是她给了他一枚戒指，这枚戒指有种法力，戴上它的人可以许两个愿望。于是他许愿回家，等他到家后，他的父母简直惊讶得说不出话来，没想到自己的儿子出落成了这样一位气度不凡的人物。

Now, when he had been at home some days, his mother wished him to go up to the palace and show the king what a fine fellow he had come to be. But his father said:

如今，他在家住了几天之后，他母亲希望他去一趟王宫，让国王瞧瞧他如今出落成了怎样一位出色的人物。可他父亲却说：

“No! don’t let him do that; if he does, we shan’t have any more joy of him this time.”

“不行！别让他去；他若去了，这一回我们就享不了几天他在家的福气了。”

But it was no good, the mother begged and prayed so long, that at last he went. So when he got up to the palace, he was far braver, both in clothes and array, than the other king, who didn’t quite like this, and at last he said:

可这也没用，母亲恳求了又恳求，求了好久，最后他还是去了。于是他到了王宫，无论衣着还是排场，都远比那位老国王气派，老国王见了心里很不痛快，最后说道：

“All very fine; but here you can see my queen, what like she is, but I can’t see yours, that I can’t. Do you know, I scarce think she’s so good-looking as mine.”

“这一切都很好；可你瞧，我这里能看见我的王后是什么模样，我却看不见你的王后，是啊，我就是看不见。依我看，她恐怕还没我的王后那么标致呢。”

“Would to Heaven”, said the young king, “she were standing here, then you’d see what she was like.” And that instant there she stood before them.

“但愿上天开恩，”这位年轻的国王说，“让她此刻就站在这儿，你便能瞧见她是什么模样了。”话音刚落，她便已站在了他们面前。

But she was very woeful, and said to him:

可她神情十分哀伤，对他说道：

“Why did you not mind what I told you; and why did you not listen to what your father said? Now, I must away home, and as for you, you have had both your wishes.”

“你为什么不听我叮嘱的话呢；你为什么不听你父亲说的话呢？如今，我必须回家去了，而你呢，你的两个愿望都已经用完了。”

With that she knitted a ring among his hair with her name on it, and wished herself home, and was off.

说着，她用自己的头发织了一枚戒指，上面绣着她的名字，然后许愿回家，转眼间便不见了。

Then the young king was cut to the heart, and went, day out day in, thinking and thinking how he should get back to his queen. “I’ll just try”, he thought, “if I can’t learn where Whiteland lies”; and so he went out into the world to ask. So when he had gone a good way, he came to a high hill, and there he met one who was lord over all the beasts of the wood, for they all came home to him when he blew his horn; so the king asked if he knew where Whiteland was?

年轻的国王伤心欲绝，日复一日，只顾着想啊想，该如何回到王后身边。“我不妨去试试，”他心想，“看能不能打听到白地国究竟在哪里。”于是他出门四处打听。走了好长一段路后，他来到一座高山，遇见一位统领林中百兽的人，因为他一吹号角，百兽便都归他所使；于是国王便问他是否知道白地国在哪里。

“No, I don’t”, said he, “but I’ll ask my beasts.” Then he blew his horn and called them, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland lay? but there was no beast that knew.

“不知道，”他说，“不过我这就问问我的野兽们。”说着他吹响号角把它们召来，问它们当中可有谁知道白地国在哪里？可没有一只野兽知道。

So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes.

于是这人给了他一双雪鞋。

“When you get on these”, he said, “you’ll come to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles off; he is lord over all the birds of the air. Ask him. When you reach his house, just turn the shoes, so that the toes point this way, and they’ll come home of themselves.” So when the king reached the house, he turned the shoes as the lord of the beasts had said, and away they went home of themselves.

“你穿上这双雪鞋，”他说，“就会来到我兄弟那里，他住在几百英里之外，是天上所有飞鸟的统领。去问他吧。你到了他家之后，只要把鞋尖调转过来，朝着这个方向，它们自己就会飞回来的。”于是国王到了那里，便照统领百兽之人所说的，把鞋尖调转了过来，那双雪鞋果然自己飞奔回去了。

So he asked again after Whiteland, and the man called all the birds with a blast of his horn, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland lay; but none of the birds knew. Now, long, long after the rest of the birds, came an old eagle, which had been away ten round years, but he couldn’t tell any more than the rest.

于是他又问起白地国的下落，那人吹响号角把所有飞鸟都召来，问它们可有谁知道白地国在哪里；可没有一只鸟知道。这时，比其余鸟儿都晚了好久，来了一只老鹰，它已经外出漂泊了整整十年，可它也和其他鸟儿一样说不出个所以然。

“Well! well!” said the man, “I’ll lend you a pair of snow-shoes, and when you get them on, they’ll carry you to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles off; he’s lord of all the fish in the sea; you’d better ask him. But don’t forget to turn the toes of the shoes this way.”

“好吧！好吧！”那人说，“我借你一双雪鞋，你穿上它，它就会带你去我兄弟那里，他住在几百英里之外，是海里所有鱼类的统领；你最好去问问他。可别忘了把鞋尖朝这个方向调转过来。”

The king was full of thanks, got on the shoes, and when he came to the man who was lord over the fish of the sea, he turned the toes round, and so off they went home like the other pair. After that, he asked again after Whiteland.

国王千恩万谢，穿上雪鞋，等他到了那位统领海中鱼类之人那里，便把鞋尖调转过来，那双雪鞋也和前一双一样自己飞奔回去了。之后，他又问起白地国的下落。

So the man called the fish with a blast, but no fish could tell where it lay. At last came an old pike, which they had great work to call home, he was such a way off. So when they asked him he said:

于是那人吹响号角把鱼儿都召来，可没有一条鱼知道白地国在哪儿。最后来了一条老梭鱼，费了好大的劲才把它召回来，因为它去的地方实在太远了。等他们问起它时，它说：

“Know it! I should think I did. I’ve been cook there ten years, and to-morrow I’m going there again; for now, the queen of Whiteland, whose king is away, is going to wed another husband.”

“知道吗？我当然知道。我在那儿当了十年的厨子，明天我还要再去一趟；因为如今，白地国的王后，她的国王远行未归，正打算另嫁他人呢。”

“Well!” said the man, “as this is so, I’ll give you a bit of advice. Hereabouts, on a moor, stand three brothers, and here they have stood these hundred years, fighting about a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots. If any one has these three things he can make himself invisible, and wish himself any where he pleases. You can tell them you wish to try the things, and after that, you’ll pass judgment between them, whose they shall be.”

“好！”那人说，“既然如此，我给你出个主意。附近的一片荒地上，站着三个兄弟，他们已经在那儿站了整整一百年，为一顶帽子、一件斗篷和一双靴子争执不休。谁要是拥有这三样东西，就能隐身，还能许愿去往任何自己想去的地方。你可以对他们说，你想试试这几样东西，之后，你再来给他们评判，这几样东西究竟该归谁。”

Yes! the king thanked the man, and went and did as he told him.

好！国王谢过了那人，便照他说的去做了。

“What’s all this?” he said to the brothers. “Why do you stand here fighting for ever and a day? Just let me try these things, and I’ll give judgment whose they shall be.”

“这是怎么回事？”他对那三兄弟说道，“你们怎么日复一日地在这儿争个没完？让我来试试这几样东西，我来给你们评判它们该归谁。”

They were very willing to do this; but as soon as he had got the hat, cloak, and boots, he said:

他们十分乐意让他这样做；可他一拿到帽子、斗篷和靴子，便说道：

“When we meet next time, I’ll tell you my judgment”, and with these words he wished himself away.

“等我们下次再见面时，我再告诉你们我的评判。”说完这话，他就许愿离开了。

So as he went along up in the air, he came up with the North Wind.

于是他在空中飞行的时候，遇见了北风。

“Whither away?” roared the North Wind.

“你要去哪儿？”北风大声吼道。

“To Whiteland”, said the king; and then he told him all that had befallen him.

“去白地国，”国王说道；接着便把自己所遭遇的一切都告诉了它。

“Ah”, said the North Wind, “you go faster than I—you do; for you can go straight, while I have to puff and blow round every turn and corner. But when you get there, just place yourself on the stairs by the side of the door, and then I’ll come storming in, as though I were going to blow down the whole castle. And then when the prince, who is to have your queen, comes out to see what’s the matter, just you take him by the collar and pitch him out of doors; then I’ll look after him, and see if I can’t carry him off.”

“啊，”北风说，“你走得比我快——真的比我快；因为你能径直飞去，而我却得在每个拐角处呼呼喘气、绕来绕去。不过你到了那儿之后，只管站在门边的台阶上，我会呼啸着冲进去，仿佛要把整座城堡都掀翻似的。到时候那位要娶你王后的王子出来看看是怎么回事，你就一把揪住他的衣领，把他扔出门去；剩下的交给我，我看看能不能把他带走。”

Well—the king did as the North Wind said. He took his stand on the stairs, and when the North Wind came, storming and roaring, and took hold of the castle wall, so that it shook again, the prince came out to see what was the matter. But as soon as ever he came, the king caught him by the collar and pitched him out of doors, and then the North Wind caught him up and carried him off.

好——国王便照北风说的去做。他站在台阶上，等北风呼啸怒吼着到来，抓住城堡的墙壁，震得整座城堡摇晃起来，那王子便出来查看是怎么回事。可他一出来，国王便一把揪住他的衣领，把他扔出门外，北风随即将他抓起，带走了。

So when there was an end of him, the king went into the castle, and at first his queen didn’t know him, he was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful; but when he shewed her the ring, she was as glad as glad could be; and so the rightful wedding was held, and the fame of it spread far and wide.

于是了结了这桩事之后，国王便走进城堡，起初他的王后没能认出他来，因为他四处漂泊、备受哀愁，已是形容枯槁、瘦弱不堪；可当他把那枚戒指给她看时，她高兴得无以复加；于是，这场名正言顺的婚礼便举行了，其声名远播四方，人人皆知。