安徒生童话(英文版)有声读物系列之——皇帝的新装

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《皇帝的新装》

The Emperor's New Suit

《皇帝的新装》应该不用介绍了，大家对这个故事再熟悉不过了。所以，Alex决定干脆来个插画赏析，看看世界各地的画家都为这个大家耳熟能详的故事画了些什么样的(搞笑)插画。Alex尽可能的查找了每幅插画的作者，少量的插画没能确定作者是谁。

先来看看安徒生钦点的插画师Vilhelm Pedersen绘制的插画：

这个属于比较“客气”的版本了，还给皇帝留了一件内衣。下面这幅黑白画(未知作者)个人觉得画的非常好，既完整的表现了原文中描述的场景和细节，又充满了讽刺的感觉。不知怎的，Alex看过之后立马联想到了那个“特不靠谱”总统。

下面这幅 Edmund Dulac 创作的插画Alex也挺喜欢，感觉可以做成一幅拼图（画面下部的石板路拼起来估计可以逼疯人）。

下面这幅由 Nelleke Verhoeff 创作的插画可谓画风清新、独树一帜，Alex觉得它简单明了，胸毛也很好笑。

最后，Alex惊喜的发现，中国网友不甘落后，也为这个大家喜爱的童话故事配上了中国版的插画(作者：Zhao, LiMin) ，咱历史上也有过那么多个皇帝不是？

到这里Alex忽然觉得，同时出现这么多裸男的画，会不会被举报到平台啊？ 大家可要高抬贵手啊！不要举报我，就点个赞可好？

本系列的英文原文(出于版权考虑)使用了Mrs. H.B. Paull于1872年发表的翻译版本。我们比较了若干翻译版本觉得Mrs. H.B. Paull使用的语言朴实却不失趣味，并且文字中没有滥用复杂和华丽的词藻，使得这个版本更符合安徒生童话的风格：以孩童的视角和口吻来叙述故事；也让这个翻译版本非常适合学习英语的人群，包括少年儿童和学习英语的成人。为了方便大家跟随录音阅读英文原文，我们标注了部分单词的读音(音标为美式读音)和释义。

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以下是《皇帝的新装》的英文。文中插画出自Vitali Konstantinov.

The Emperor's New Suit

by

Hans Christian Andersen

(1837)

Translation by Mrs. H.B. Paull (1872)

Narration by Alexandria (Alex) Wood

MANY, many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them; his only ambition ([æm'bɪʃən], n. 野心，雄心；抱负) was to be always well dressed. He did not care for his soldiers, and the theatre did not amuse him; the only thing, in fact, he thought anything of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day; and as one would say of a king “He is in his cabinet([ˈkæbɪnət], n. 内阁),” so one could say of him, “The emperor is in his dressing-room.”

The great city where he resided (reside的过去式 [rɪ'zaɪd], vi. 住，居住) was very gay; every day many strangers from all parts of the globe ([gləʊb], n. 地球) arrived. One day two swindlers (['swɪndlə],n. 骗子) came to this city; they made people believe that they were weavers (['wiːvə], n. 织工；织布者), and declared they could manufacture ([mænjʊ'fæktʃə],vt. 制造) the finest cloth to be imagined. Their colours (注：英式英语拼写为colour, 英式英语拼写为color) and patterns, they said, were not only exceptionally ([ɪk'sepʃənəlɪ], adv. 异常地) beautiful, but the clothes made of their material possessed (possess [pə'zes], vt. 拥有) the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably ([ʌn'pɑːdənəbəlɪ], adv. 不可原谅的；不可宽恕的) stupid.

“That must be wonderful cloth,” thought the emperor. “If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish ([dɪ'stɪŋgwɪʃ], vt. 区分；辨别) the clever from the stupid. I must have this cloth woven (['wəʊvn], weave的过去分词 weave, v. 编织) for me without delay.” And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance (adv. 预先，提前), that they should set to work without any loss of time. They set up two looms ([lum], n. 织布机), and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on the looms. They asked for the finest silk and the most precious (['preʃəs], adj. 珍贵的) gold-cloth; all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.

“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth,” thought the emperor. But he felt rather uneasy (adj. 不舒服的；心神不安的) when he remembered that he who was not fit for his office could not see it. Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable ([əd'vaɪzəbl], adj. 明智的，可取的，适当的) to send someone else first to see how matters stood. Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality of the stuff possessed, and all were anxious (['æŋkʃəs], adj. 渴望的；急切的) to see how bad or stupid their neighbours(注：英式英语拼写为neighbour, 英式英语拼写为neighbor)were.

“I shall sendmy honest old minister (['mɪnɪstə], n. 大臣) to the weavers,” thought the emperor. “He can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent ([ɪn'telɪdʒənt],adj. 聪明的), and nobody understands his office better than he.”

The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms. “Heaven preserve us! (意：上帝保佑我们)” he thought, and opened his eyes wide, “I cannot see anything at all,” but he did not say so. Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he did not admire the exquisite ([ɪk'skwɪzɪt], adj. 精致的；细腻的；优美的，高雅的) pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing to the empty looms. The poor old minister tried his very best, but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. “Oh dear,” he thought, “can I be so stupid? I should never have thought so, and nobody must know it! Is it possible that I am not fit for my office? No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth.”

“Now, have you got nothing to say?” said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to be busily weaving.

“Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly ([ɪk'sidɪŋli], adv. 非常；极其) beautiful,” replied the old minister looking through his glasses. “What a beautiful pattern, what brilliant (['brɪljənt],adj. 灿烂的，闪耀的) colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the cloth very much.”

“We are pleased to hear that,” said the two weavers, and described to him the colours and explained the curious pattern. The old minister listened attentively([ə'tentivli], adv. 注意地；聚精会神地), that he might relate (vt. 叙述) to the emperor what they said; and so he did.

Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold-cloth, which they required for weaving. They kept everything for themselves, and not a thread ([θred], n. 线) came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto([hɪðɚ'tu], adv. 迄今；至今), to work at the empty looms.

Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier (['kɔːtɪə], n. 朝臣) to the weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished. Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could see nothing, as there was nothing to be seen.

“Is it not abeautiful piece of cloth?” asked the two swindlers, showing and explaining the magnificent([mæg'nɪfəsnt], adj. 华丽的) pattern, which, however, did not exist.

“I am not stupid,” said the man. “It is therefore (['ðeəfɔː], adv. 因此；所以) my good appointment ([ə'pɔɪntmənt],n. 任命的职位) for which I am not fit. It is very strange, but I must not let any one know it;” and he praised the cloth, which he did not see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine pattern. “It is very excellent,” he said to the emperor.

Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. At last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the loom. With a number of courtiers, including the two who had already been there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked as hard as they could, but without using any thread.

“Is it not magnificent?” said the two old statesmen who had been there before. “Your Majesty (陛下) must admire the colours and the pattern.” And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they imagined the others could see the cloth.

“What is this?” thought the emperor, “I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor? That would indeed be the most dreadful(['dredfəl], adj. 可怕的；糟透的，令人不快的) thing that could happen to me.”

“Really,” he said, turning to the weavers, “your cloth has our most gracious (['ɡreiʃəs],adj. 亲切的；高尚的) approval;” and nodding contentedly ([kən'tɛntɪdli], adv. 满足地) as he looked at the empty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. All his attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others, they said, like the emperor, “It is very beautiful.” And all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession ([prə'seʃən],n. 队伍，行列；列队行进) which was soon to take place. “It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent,” one heard them say; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers “Imperial Court (王室) weavers.”

The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers pretended to work, and burned more than sixteen candles. People should see that they were busy to finish the emperor’s new suit. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom, and worked about in the air with big scissors( ['sɪzəz], n. 剪刀), and sewed (v. 缝（sew[səʊ]的过去式）) with needles without thread, and said at last: “The emperor’s new suit is ready now.”

The emperor and all his barons (['bærən], n. 男爵) then came to the hall; the swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in the hands and said: “These are the trousers(['traʊzəz], n. 裤子，长裤)!” “This is the coat!” and “Here is the cloak ([kləʊk], n. 斗篷)!” and so on. “They are all as light as a cobweb(['kɒbweb], n. 蜘蛛网；蛛丝), and one must feel as if one had nothing at all upon the body; but that is just the beauty of them.”

“Indeed!” said all the courtiers; but they could not see anything, for there was nothing to be seen.

“Does it please Your Majesty now to graciously undress,” said the swindlers, “that we may assist Your Majesty in putting on the new suit before the large looking-glass(n. 镜子)?”

The emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit upon him, one piece after another; and the emperor looked at himself in the glass from every side.

“How well they look! How well they fit!” said all. “What a beautiful pattern! What fine colours! That is a magnificent suit of clothes!”

The master of the ceremonies (n. 仪式；典礼（ceremony的复数形式）) announced that the bearers (['beərə],n. 持…的人) of the canopy ( ['kænəpi], n. 华盖), which was to be carried in the procession, were ready.

“I am ready,” said the emperor. “Does not my suit fit me marvellously?” Then he turned once more to the looking-glass, that people should think he admired his garments(garment ['gɑrmənt] 的复数, n. [服装] 服装，衣着).

The chamberlains(['tʃembɚlɪn], n. 管家), who were to carry the train (n. 裙裾), stretched their hands to the ground as if they lifted up a train, and pretended to hold something in their hands; they did not like people to know that they could not see anything.

The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him in the street and out of the windows exclaimed: “Indeed, the emperor’s new suit is incomparable ([ɪn'kɒmpərəbəl], adj. 无比的；无可匹敌的)! What a long train he has! How well it fits him!” Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid. Never emperor’s new clothes were more admired.

“But he has nothing on at all,” said a little child at last. “Good heavens! Listen to the voice of an innocent (['ɪnəsnt], n. 天真的) child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. “But he has nothing on at all,” cried at last the whole people. That made a deep impression ([ɪm'preʃən], n. 印象，影响；感想) upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.”And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity ( ['dɪɡnəti], n. 尊严；高贵), as if they carried the train which did not exist.

The end

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