奥黛丽·赫本 | 讲童话故事《拇指汤姆》

I'm remembering a winter day, I gazed into the fire, and there, the pictures of the past are dancing. It is December, right before Christmas. Monsieur Ravel comes to visit us. He has dressed in a new dark green topcoat, and his arms are full of gifts. There're something dull in adult for my parents, new music for my brother, and for me, the most wonderful little man made out of tin. When he's wound up, he can walk all around the table.

我想起了一个冬日，我凝视着炉火。在那里，过去的画面在跃动着。那是圣诞节前的十二月，莫里斯·拉威尔来看望我们。他穿了一件新的深绿色夹大衣，手上挂满了礼物。他给我父母带了一些成人的无聊玩意，为我弟弟准备的新乐曲，而为我准备的，是一只世界上最棒的小锡人。上了发条之后，小锡人可以绕着桌子走路。

Monsieur Ravel loves these mechanical marvels. He laughs at the little tin man as loud as my own. "I know a story about a boy who was this tiny", he says to me, "Oh he was not made out of tin, he was as real as you or I!" So I jump onto his lap and beg him to tell me the story of Tom Thumb.

莫里斯·拉威尔爱这些令人惊叹的小机械，他对着小锡人大笑，笑的和我一样大声，“我知道一个关于这个小家伙的故事。”他对我说，“噢他可不是锡做的，他真实得跟你和我一样。”于是我跳到他的大腿上，恳求他告诉我关于这个拇指仙童汤姆的故事。

Once upon a time, deep in a forest, there lived a woodcutter and his wife. They had seven children, all red-hair boys. When business was going well, the woodcutter was delighted with his large family. But when things were going poorly, he was not so happy. "There're too many bellies to feed", he would complain, "Too many feet to keep shod; Too many backs to covered with clothing; And not enough money to do it."

很久以前，在森林深处，住着一个樵夫和他的妻子。他们有七个孩子，都是红头发的小男孩。当生意顺利的时候，樵夫便很喜欢他的大家庭；但是当事情不顺利的时候，他就不那么高兴了。“家里有太多的人要吃饭，”他会抱怨，“太多的脚需要穿鞋子；太多的身体需要穿衣服；但是没有足够的钱做到。”

One cold winter, things became unbearable. Meals got plainer and leaner, clothes got smaller and more patched, and the wood cutter got more and more miserable. "Wife", he said one night: “I cannot sit by and watch my sons starve. Tomorrow, when I take them out into the forest, I would leave them there. Perhaps a wealthy merchant will find them and provide a better home."

在一个寒冷的冬天，事情变得难以容忍了。家里变得更加朴素和简陋了，衣服越来越小，补丁越来越多，樵夫变得越来越悲惨了。“亲爱的，”有一天晚上他说道，“我不能坐视我的儿子们挨饿。明天，当我带他们去到森林里面的时候，我会留他们在那里。也许会有一个富有的商人找到他们，能给他们一个更好的家。”

"Huh!" the wife wept and refused to go along the plan at first, but finally she too gave in. The woodcutter went to sleep, not feeling at all happy with himself, but believing that he was doing the only thing he could. What he did not know was that one of the sons had overheard every word he said. This was the youngest son-Tom.

“哼！”妻子哭了起来，并在一开始拒绝按计划行事，但最后她也让步了。樵夫睡着了，他没有感觉到任何一点快乐，但他相信他在做他唯一能做的事情。他不知道的是，他有一个儿子偷听了他说的每一句话，就是最小的儿子汤姆。

Now everyone, including the woodcutter, thought Tom was foolish, simply because he never spoke. And everyone also thought Tom was a weakling, simply because he was small. When he was born, in fact Tom had been no bigger than a man's thumb, and so everyone called him Tom Thumb.

而至今为止，包括樵夫的每一个人都认为汤姆是一个傻子，只是因为他从来不开口讲话；而且每个人都认为汤姆是一个懦弱的人，只是因为他长得瘦小。事实上，当汤姆出生的时候，他连一个正常人的拇指大都没有，所以大家都叫他大拇指汤姆。

When Tom heard his father's plans, he realized he had to save his brothers and himself. He sneaked out of the house, and went to the stream that lays beside it. In the moonlight, the white stones on the bank glittered like a treasure chest full of undersea jewels. Tom filled his pockets with stones and returned to bed.

当汤姆听到了他父亲的计划时，他意识到他必须拯救他的兄弟们和他自己。他偷偷溜出了房子，走到了流淌的小溪旁。月光下，在岸上的那些白色的石头亮得像一个充满海底珠宝的宝库。汤姆在口袋里装满石头，然后回到床上。

The next morning, the woodcutter took his seven sons deep into the forest. Every few feet, Tom took a pebble out of his pocket. In the daytime they look like ordinary brown rocks, and dropped it on the ground. At noon, the woodcutter gave each boy a piece of bread and left them. "For a while", he said.

第二天早上，樵夫带着他的七个儿子深入森林。每隔几英尺，汤姆就从口袋里拿出一块鹅卵石并丢在地上，白天它们看起来像普通的棕色岩石。中午，樵夫给每个男孩一片面包，然后离开了他们。“有一段时间了。”他说。

None of the brothers except Tom noticed him weeping as he said it. The little while turned into hours, and soon it was night. The brothers came to realize that their father was not coming back, and they began to weep. Tom waited politely until they were finished, and then he said: “Don’t cry, I will save you."

除了汤姆以外，没有一个人注意到他们的爸爸是哭着说这话的。一小会马上就变成几个小时了，很快就入夜了。兄弟们开始意识到他们的父亲再也不回来了，他们开始哭泣。汤姆耐心的等待着，直到他们哭完。然后他说：“别哭，我会救你们的。”

His brothers had never heard Tom speak before, and they were amazed! Tom pointed proudly to the stones he had dropped. In the moonlight, they shone like a path of fallen stars. He and his brothers followed the path and soon they were back home!

他的兄弟们以前从来没有听说过汤姆开口说话，所以他们都觉得难以置信！汤姆得意地指着他洒落在地上的石头——在月光下，它们像一条坠落在地上的星河在闪耀。他和他的兄弟们沿着这条星河走，不久他们就回家了！

The woodcutter, who had feel terribly guilty at what he had done, was glad to see them. and his wife nearly fainted with joy. "No matter how poor we become", the woodcutter said, "We will all stay together. I had learned my lesson." But unfortunately, he forget again soon afterwards.

樵夫对自己所做的事感到非常内疚，看到他们非常高兴，而妻子高兴得几乎晕过去。“不管我们变得多么贫穷，”樵夫说，“我们都会在一起，我吸取了教训了。”但不幸的是，不久之后他又忘了。

February came, the iciest, hungriest, most wolf-like February that had ever been. There was no work, no money, no food. "I can't stand seeing the children go hungry", the woodcutter roared, "Tomorrow I'm taking the children out and leaving them in the forest." Again his wife pleaded and wept; Again he was stubborn; And Again, little Tom heard every word.

二月到了。这是最寒冷，最饥饿，像恶狼一样凶狠的二月。没有工作，没有钱，没有食物。“我不能忍受看到孩子们挨饿。”樵夫大声说，“明天我带孩子出去，把他们留在森林里。”他的妻子再次恳求并哭了起来，他再次顽固的决定要这样做。而汤姆又再次听到了每一句话。

Tom went outside in the freezing night, looking for more stones. But the snow had fall so heavily that stoned were buried beneath it, and he could not find even one. So he crept back to the house, not knowing what he was going to do.

汤姆在这寒冷的夜晚出去了，为了寻找更多的石头。但是雪下得太大了，以至于石头被埋在了下面，所以他连一块都没有找到。于是他爬回了家，不知道自己还能够做些什么。

The next morning, the mother gave the children each a slice of bread for breakfast. Tom put his in his pocket. When the father took the boys out into the forest, Tom crushed his bread in his hands, and every few feet, he threw down a few crumbs. Again the father let the children deep into the woods; Again he said he would return in a little while; And again he brushed away tears as he said it.

第二天早上，母亲给孩子们每人吃了一片面包当早餐，汤姆把他的那片放进了口袋里。当父亲带着男孩们进入了森林时，汤姆把面包在手里压碎。每隔几英尺，他就扔下一些面包屑。父亲又一次让孩子们深入森林；他又一次说他过一会就回来；他说这句话的时候又一次擦去了眼角的泪水。

When night fell, and no father came. The boys all began to cry, except Tom. "Don't be frightened", he said, "I will show you the way back." He looked for the trail of bread crumbs, but it was no longer there! The birds in the forest had pounced on the crumbs, and had eaten them, everyone! So the seven children had to find their own way home.

当夜幕降临，父亲没有回来。除了汤姆，其他兄弟又开始哭泣。“不要害怕。”汤姆说道，“我会给你们找到一条回去的路。”他寻找着面包屑的痕迹，但是它已经不在了！林中的鸟儿早已扑向面包屑，把它们一点点吃掉，吃的一点都不剩！所以七个小男孩不得不自己寻找回家的路。

They walked and they walked, through the heavy freezing night. Suddenly Tom cried: “I see a light!" Yes, it was a small flickering light through the trees! The boys rushed forward and found themselves with the door of a huge dark house.

他们在寒冷的夜晚一直走着，突然，Tom尖叫道：“我看到了一束光！”是的，有一束细小的转瞬即逝的光芒穿过了树丛！孩子们向前奔去，发现自己正站在一所大黑房子的门前。

They knocked, and the door was open by a woman. She had once been pretty, but fear had chased all her good-looks away. "Oh! Children! You must go!" she said, "You've come to the house of a terrible ogre, a monster who eats little boys!"

他们敲了敲门，然后一个女人打开了门。她曾经应该很漂亮，但恐惧把她的美貌都赶跑了。“噢！小家伙们！你们必须离开！”她说道，“你们来到了一个可怕的食人魔的房子——一个专门吃小孩子的怪物！”

Tom sighed:" Madam, we have just come from a forest, which is full of wolves who also eats little boys. I would rather take my chances with the ogre."

汤姆叹了口气：“夫人，我们刚从森林里来，那里也遍布着吃小男孩的恶狼，我宁愿和食人魔碰碰运气。”

The ogre's wife, for that was who she was, sighed. “My husband is out for a little while", she said, "Come inside and at least warm yourselves before the fire." The seven boys ran inside. And what a joy it was to rest exhausted legs in the huge castle, and warm the chilly back to the big fire. The ogre's wife warned them to stay awake, but they're tired of spoke in a louder voice, and soon they were fast asleep.

食人魔的妻子，就是这个女人，叹了口气。“我丈夫出去一段时间了，”她说道，“进来吧，至少在炉火前暖和一下自己。”七个男孩跑进里面。能在一个巨大的城堡里放松自己疲惫的双腿，在炉火旁用温暖驱散寒冷是多么的快乐呀。而食人魔的妻子警告他们保持清醒，但是他们实在太过疲惫以至于不能更大声的说话，很快他们就睡熟了。

Suddenly, there was a huge wind and a huge earthquake, and each little boy found themselves caught up in a giant's fist, and gazing into a giant glaring eye. The ogre had returned.

突然，一阵强烈的气流袭来，一股剧烈的震动吵醒了他们。每个小男孩都发现自己被巨人的拳头抓住了，并且被一个巨大的瞪着的眼睛凝视着，食人魔回来了！

"What is this!" the ogre roared, “human boys? What a good woman you are, wife! You have caught me a fine supper."

“这是什么？”食人魔咆哮道，“人类男孩？多么好的女人啊，我的妻子！你为我准备了一顿多么丰盛的晚安啊！”

The wife was very frightened, but she pretended to go along with the ogre's idea. "Thank you, husband", she said, “but I meant these boys to be for your breakfast. As you can see, they are too thin and frozen for you to enjoy now. I thought that if they were given a good dinner and a good night sleep, they will be delicious with your pancakes tomorrow.”

妻子很害怕，但她假装赞同食人魔的想法。“谢谢你，丈夫。”她说，“但我是说这些男孩子要当你的早餐。正如你所看到的，现在他们太瘦小，太冰冷了，以至于让你享受起来没那么美味。我想如果他们有一顿丰盛的晚餐和一个良好的睡眠的话，明天你把他们和你的薄煎饼一起吃会非常美味！”

The giant was disappointed, but he agreed, because his wife was really an excellent cook, and she knew best about these things. The ogre's wife winked at Tom, and he winked back. She gave the boys an excellent dinner and Put them to bed. After a sleep of several hours, Tom woke and nudged his brothers.

巨人非常失望，但是他同意了，因为他的妻子是一个非常棒的厨师，对于这些事情她非常在行。食人魔的妻子向汤姆眨了眨眼，汤姆也向她眨了眨眼。她给了男孩们一顿非常丰盛的晚餐并将他们放到床上。睡了几个小时之后，汤姆醒过来了并叫醒了他的兄弟们。

"Let's go," he said. And the seven children escaped. The ogre was light sleeper, however, and he felt in his giant bones that something was wrong. In the middle of the night, he tiptoed in and found that his breakfast had escaped. Furious, he put on his boots and ran out of the house to search for them.

“走吧！”他说道。然后七个小男孩就逃跑了。食人魔是个轻度睡眠者，他觉得自己巨大的骨头有点问题。半夜，他踮着脚尖起来却发现他的早餐逃跑了。他怒不可遏，穿上靴子跑出屋去寻找。

Tom and his brothers had been running as fast as they could. But when Tow saw the ogre coming up so quickly behind them, he knew it was useless to keep on. He pushed his brothers and himself inside an old hollow log and waited. 

汤姆和他的兄弟们用他们最快的速度逃跑着，但当汤姆看到食人魔很快的在他们后面跟上来的时候，他知道这样跑下去是没用的。他把兄弟们和自己推到一个老旧的空心木头里，紧紧地等待着。

The ogre was getting tired from all his chasing. And as a log came ahead him, he sat down to rest on the same hollow log where the boys were hiding. He felt so good to sit down that he took of his boots, lay them beside him, and had a little nap.

食人魔开始为这场追逐感到疲累，当他看到一块木头在他面前的时候，他坐在男孩们藏身的同一个中空的圆木上休息。他坐下来觉得很舒服，于是就脱下靴子，把它们放在他身边，然后小睡一会儿。

Tom crept out of the hollow log, and stepped into the boots himself. Now don't ask me how his feet fit the same boot that the ogre's feet has also fit. These boots were very magic, I suppose. But in a few moments, Tom was striding away, across the fields, and was back at the ogre's castle.

汤姆从空心木头里爬出来，并自己穿上了鞋子。现在别问我他的脚怎么跟怪物脚上的靴子刚好一样合适，我想这些靴子很有魔力。过了一会儿，汤姆大步地走起来，穿过田野，回到食人魔的城堡。

"Oh, Mrs. Ogre," he said to the wife, "your husband has sent me with a terrible message. He has been attacked by robbers. And he says, that the less you give me all your jewels and plate and gold coins to give to them, he will be killed."

“噢，夫人，”他对食人魔的妻子说，“您丈夫告诉我一个可怕的消息，他说他被强盗袭击了。如果你不把你所有的珠宝、盘子和金币送给强盗，您丈夫就会被杀掉。”

The wife was terrified, and she gave him all that he asked for. Tom returned to his brothers, got them out of the wood, and they all returned home with the ogre's treasure. Their parents were overjoyed to see them.

妻子吓坏了，她把强盗要的一切都交给了汤姆。汤姆回到了他的兄弟旁边，把他们从树林里救了出来。然后他们都带着食人魔的财宝回家了。他们的父母见到他们高兴极了！

The family was rich now, and there was no more talk about leaving the children to be raised by others. And as for the ogre, he may still be napping on the hollow log. So watch out next time you go into the woods.

现在汤姆家里已经很富有，再也没有人说要让孩子们被别人养大了。至于食人魔，他可能还在中空的木头上打盹，所以下次你去森林的时候可记得小心点哦！