The Twelve Dancing Princesses

There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in twelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors were shut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yet nobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been.

从前有一位国王，他有十二个美丽的女儿。她们睡在同一间屋子里的十二张床上；每天晚上，房门都会被关上锁好；可是每天早晨，人们却发现她们的鞋子都磨穿了，好像整夜都在跳舞一样；然而谁也弄不明白这是怎么回事，也不知道她们究竟去了哪里。

Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any person could discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for his wife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and did not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death.

于是国王向全国宣告，谁要是能查出这个秘密，找出公主们夜里究竟在哪里跳舞，就可以娶他最中意的一位公主为妻，并在国王死后继承王位；但凡是尝试过而没能成功的人，三天三夜之后，就要被处死。

A king’s son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to dance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it, the door of his chamber was left open.

不久，来了一位王子。他受到了盛情款待，到了晚上，被带到公主们所睡的那间房间隔壁的房间里。他要在那里坐着守候，看她们到哪里去跳舞；为了让他不错过任何动静，他房间的门被留了个敞开。

But the king’s son soon fell asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes. The same thing happened the second and third night: so the king ordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; but they had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same manner.

可是这位王子不久就睡着了；等他早晨醒来时，发现公主们都跳过舞了，因为她们鞋底上全是破洞。第二夜、第三夜也都是同样的情形：于是国王下令砍了他的头。此后又来了好几个人，可他们的运气都一样，全都因此送了命。

Now it chanced that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle and could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king reigned: and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman, who asked him where he was going. ‘I hardly know where I am going, or what I had better do,’ said the soldier; ‘but I think I should like very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then in time I might be a king.’

这时正巧有一个在战场上受了伤、再也无法打仗的老兵，路过这位国王统治的国家；他正走在一片树林里时，遇见了一个老妇人，她问他要到哪里去。“我也不太清楚自己要去哪里，该怎么办才好，”士兵说，“不过我倒是很想弄清楚公主们究竟在哪里跳舞，说不定日后还能当上国王呢。”

‘Well,’ said the old dame, ‘that is no very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.’

“这个嘛，”老妇人说，“并不是什么难事：你只需小心，晚上不要喝公主们中有一位会端给你的酒；等她一离开，你就假装已经沉沉睡去。”

Then she gave him a cloak, and said, ‘As soon as you put that on you will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go.’ When the soldier heard all this good counsel, he determined to try his luck: so he went to the king, and said he was willing to undertake the task.

接着她给了他一件斗篷，说：“你一穿上这件斗篷，就会隐身，这样你就能跟着公主们不管她们去哪里了。”士兵听了这番好心的指点，便下定决心要碰碰运气：于是他去见国王，说自己愿意接下这个任务。

He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led to the outer chamber. Just as he was going to lie down, the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loud as if he was fast asleep.

他受到的接待和别人一样隆重，国王命人给他备了华贵的王袍；到了晚上，他被领到外间的房间。他正要躺下时，大公主端来一杯酒给他；可士兵却偷偷把酒全倒掉了，小心不喝一滴。然后他躺到床上，不一会儿就打起呼噜来，仿佛已经睡熟了一般。

When the twelve princesses heard this they laughed heartily; and the eldest said, ‘This fellow too might have done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way!’ Then they rose up and opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine clothes, and dressed themselves at the glass, and skipped about as if they were eager to begin dancing.

十二位公主听见这鼾声，都开心地笑了；大公主说：“这家伙本来也可以做点更聪明的事，何必这样白白送命！”于是她们起身打开衣柜和箱子，取出所有华丽的衣裳，对着镜子梳妆打扮，兴奋地蹦蹦跳跳，仿佛迫不及待要开始跳舞。

But the youngest said, ‘I don’t know how it is, while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some mischance will befall us.’ ‘You simpleton,’ said the eldest, ‘you are always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings’ sons have already watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.’

可是小公主说：“我不知道是怎么回事，你们都这么高兴，我却觉得很不安；我敢肯定会有什么祸事降临到我们头上。”“你这个傻丫头，”大公主说，“总是这么胆小；难道你忘了已经有多少王子白白守候过了？至于这个士兵，就算我没给他下安眠药，他也照样会睡得很沉。”

When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but he snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were quite safe; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open.

她们都打扮妥当后，便走去看那士兵；可他还在打着呼噜，一动也不动：于是她们以为万无一失了；大公主便走到自己床边，拍了拍手，床便沉入地板，一扇活门随即打开。

The soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, the eldest leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and followed them; but in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest princess, and she cried out to her sisters, ‘All is not right; someone took hold of my gown.’ ‘You silly creature!’ said the eldest, ‘it is nothing but a nail in the wall.’

士兵看见她们一个接一个地从活门下去，大公主走在最前面；他想着不能再耽搁了，便一跃而起，穿上老妇人给他的斗篷，跟了上去；可是走到楼梯中间时，他不小心踩到了小公主的裙摆，她惊叫着对姐姐们说：“不对劲；有人抓住了我的裙子。”“你这傻丫头！”大公主说，“不过是墙上的一根钉子罢了。”

Then down they all went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of the place; so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud noise from the tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, ‘I am sure all is not right—did not you hear that noise? That never happened before.’ But the eldest said, ‘It is only our princes, who are shouting for joy at our approach.’

于是她们都往下走去，走到最底下，发现自己置身于一片十分迷人的树林中；树叶全是银子做的，闪闪发光，美丽极了。士兵想带走一件此地的信物；于是他折下一根小枝，树上顿时发出一声巨响。小公主又说道：“我敢肯定不对劲——你们没听见那声响吗？以前从来没有过这种事。”可是大公主说：“那不过是我们的王子们，为了我们的到来而高兴地欢呼罢了。”

Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and every time there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister tremble with fear; but the eldest still said, it was only the princes, who were crying for joy. So they went on till they came to a great lake; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the princesses.

接着她们来到另一片树林，那里的树叶全是金子的；再往后又到了第三片树林，那里的树叶全是闪闪发亮的钻石。士兵每一片都折下一根树枝；每一次都发出一声巨响，吓得小公主浑身发抖；可大公主仍然说，那不过是王子们高兴得喊叫罢了。于是她们继续往前走，来到一片大湖边；湖边停着十二只小船，船上坐着十二位英俊的王子，似乎正在那里等候公主们。

One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped into the same boat with the youngest. As they were rowing over the lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said, ‘I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite tired: the boat seems very heavy today.’ ‘It is only the heat of the weather,’ said the princess: ‘I feel it very warm too.’

每位公主各自登上一只小船，士兵则和小公主一同上了同一只船。她们正在湖上划船时，与小公主和士兵同船的那位王子说：“真不知道是怎么回事，虽然我使出了全身力气划船，我们却不像平常那样走得快，我都累坏了：今天这船似乎特别沉重。”“不过是天气太热罢了，”公主说：“我也觉得很热呢。”

On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle, from which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his princess; and the soldier, who was all the time invisible, danced with them too; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her, he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened, but the eldest always silenced her.

湖的另一边矗立着一座灯火通明的华丽城堡，从里面传来号角与喇叭欢快的乐声。她们都在那里上了岸，走进城堡，每位王子都和自己的公主跳起舞来；那名士兵虽然一直隐着身形，也跟着她们一起跳舞；每当哪位公主身边摆上一杯酒时，他就把酒全喝光，等她把杯子举到嘴边，杯子早已空了。这一幕也让小公主惊恐万分，可大公主总是让她安静下来。

They danced on till three o’clock in the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they were obliged to leave off. The princes rowed them back again over the lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other, the princesses promising to come again the next night.

她们一直跳到凌晨三点，这时她们的鞋子全都跳破了，只好停下来。王子们又把她们划回湖对岸（不过这一次士兵坐到了大公主的船上）；到了对岸，大家彼此道别，公主们答应第二天晚上再来。

When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the princesses, and laid himself down; and as the twelve sisters slowly came up very much tired, they heard him snoring in his bed; so they said, ‘Now all is quite safe’; then they undressed themselves, put away their fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed.

她们来到楼梯口时，士兵先跑到前面，躺了下来；十二姐妹疲惫不堪地慢慢走上楼来，听见他在床上打着呼噜；于是她们说：“现在一切都万无一失了”；然后她们脱下衣服，收好华丽的衣裳，脱下鞋子，便去睡了。

In the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but determined to see more of this strange adventure, and went again the second and third night; and every thing happened just as before; the princesses danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces, and then returned home. However, on the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been.

早晨，士兵对所发生的一切只字未提，却下定决心要把这桩奇怪的冒险弄个清楚，于是第二夜、第三夜他又去了；每次的情形都和之前一样；公主们每次都跳舞跳到鞋子破碎不堪，然后才回家。不过在第三天夜里，士兵带走了一只金杯作为他到过那里的信物。

As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say. And when the king asked him. ‘Where do my twelve daughters dance at night?’ he answered, ‘With twelve princes in a castle under ground.’ And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him.

到了他必须揭晓秘密的时候，他被带到国王面前，带着那三根树枝和那只金杯；十二位公主则站在门后偷听他会说些什么。国王问他：“我的十二个女儿夜里在哪里跳舞？”他回答道：“和十二位王子在地下的一座城堡里。”接着他把发生的一切都告诉了国王，并把带来的三根树枝和金杯给他看。

Then the king called for the princesses, and asked them whether what the soldier said was true: and when they saw that they were discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they confessed it all. And the king asked the soldier which of them he would choose for his wife; and he answered, ‘I am not very young, so I will have the eldest.’—And they were married that very day, and the soldier was chosen to be the king’s heir.

于是国王把公主们叫来，问她们士兵说的是不是真的：她们见事情已经败露，再抵赖也无济于事，便都一一招认了。国王又问士兵，他愿意选她们当中的哪一位做妻子；他回答道：“我年纪已经不小了，我要娶大公主。”——于是他们当天就成了婚，士兵也被立为国王的继承人。