Once upon a time there was a miller who had a beautiful daughter. When she came of age he wished that she was provided for and well married. He thought, "If a respectable suitor comes and asks for her hand in marriage, I will give her to him."
从前，有一个磨坊老板，有一个很漂亮的女儿。随着女儿长大，做父亲的心里开始想：“如果有一个能让我满意的人来娶她作妻子，我就把她嫁给他，这样让她也有一个好的归宿。
Not long afterward a suitor came who appeared to be very rich, and because the miller could find no fault with him, he promised his daughter to him.
不久，来了一个求婚者，看起来很富有，举止也非常得体，磨坊老板从他身上找不到自己不满意的地方，就答应把女儿嫁给他。
One time he said to her, "You are engaged to marry me, but you have never once paid me a visit."
有一天，他对她说：“你是我的未婚妻，为什么不来我家看看呢？
the girl, however, did not like him as much as a bride should like her bridegroom. She did not trust him, and whenever she saw him or thought about him, she felt within her heart a sense of horror.
但是，女儿并不像新娘爱新郎一样爱他，而且过了不久以后，当她看见他或想到他时，心里总感觉怕得发抖。
the girl replied, "I don't know where your house is."
姑娘说：“我不知道你家在哪儿呀？
Looking for an excuse, she said that she would not be able to find the way there.
姑娘的本意并不想去，又不好直接拒绝，只好找借口说：“我不知道去你家的路。
then the bridegroom said, "My house is out in the dark woods."
她的未婚夫说：“我家就在那片茂密的森林里。
the bridegroom said, "Next Sunday you must come out to me. I have already invited guests. I will make a trail of ashes, so that you can find your way through the woods."
未婚夫说道：“这样吧！下周星期天，你一定要来看我，我邀请了一些客人，他们都想看看你。我沿路撒一些灰，你走进森林可以循着灰迹找到我家。
When Sunday came, and it was time for the girl to start on her way, she became frightened, although she herself did not know exactly why. In order to mark the path, she filled both her pockets full of peas and lentils.
到了第二个星期天，姑娘想了想还是出门了，可她总觉得非常不安，就多了一个心眼，在两个口袋里装了满满的两口袋豌豆和蚕豆。
then the beautiful bride went from one room to another, walking through the whole house, but it was entirely empty, and not a human soul was to be found.
姑娘听了以后，仍然走了进去，从一间房子走到另一间房子，她看完了所有的房间，发现里面全是空的。
At the entrance of the forest there was a trail of ashes, which she followed, but at every step she threw a couple of peas to the ground, to the right and to the left.
她来到森林边，找到撒了灰烬的路，并循着灰迹走了进去。但她每走一步，就在路的右边扔下一颗豌豆，在左边扔下一颗蚕豆。
Suddenly a voice called out: Turn back, turn back, you young bride. You are in a murderer's house.
突然一个声音传了过来：“回去，美丽的新娘！回家里去！快离开这强盗窝，快离开这儿回到家里去！
She walked almost the whole day until she came to the middle of the woods, where it was the darkest, and there stood a solitary house. She did not like it, because it looked so dark and sinister. She went inside, but no one was there. It was totally quiet.
她走了几乎一整天，一直走到树林中央，那里是最黑暗的地方，孤零零地站着一座房子。她不喜欢它，因为它看上去是如此的黑暗和邪恶。她进去了，但没有人在里面。完全安静了。
It cried out again: Turn back, turn back, you young bride. You are in a murderer's house.
小鸟接着又叫道：“回去，美丽的新娘！回家里去！快离开这强盗窝，快离开这儿回到家里去！
the girl looked up and saw that the voice came from a bird, which was hanging in a cage on the wall.
姑娘抬起头来，发现声音来自一只挂在墙上的鸟笼里的鸟。
With this the old woman led her behind a large barrel where she could not be seen.
这个老女人把她藏在一个大木桶，这样她才不会被发现。
"Could you tell me," said the girl, "if my bridegroom lives here?"
姑娘开口问道：“对不起！老奶奶，您能告诉我，我的未婚夫是住在这里吗？
"Oh, you poor child," replied the old woman, "where did you come from? You are in a murderer's den. You think you are a bride soon to be married, but it is death that you will be marrying. Look, they made me put a large kettle of water on the fire. When they have captured you, they will chop you to pieces without mercy, cook you, and eat you, for they are cannibals. If I do not show you compassion and save you, you are doomed."
“哦，可怜的孩子，”老妇人回答说，“你从哪里来的？你在强盗的巢穴里。你的婚礼就是你的葬礼。看，他们让我把一大壶水在火上。当他们抓到你，他们会毫不留情的把你剁碎，煮了你，吃了你，他们是食人族。如果不是我可怜你，拯救你，你是注定要死亡的。
This had scarcely happened when the godless band came home. They were dragging with them another maiden. They were drunk and paid no attention to her screams and sobs.
这时强盗们回来了。他们拖着另一个少女。他们喝醉了，没有注意她的尖叫和哭泣。
Finally she came to the cellar. A very old woman was sitting there shaking her head.
最后来到地下室，才看见一个老态龙钟的老太婆坐在里面。
"Be quiet as a mouse." she said. "Do not make a sound or move, or all will be over with you. Tonight when the robbers are asleep we will escape. I have long waited for an opportunity."
“安静点，像老鼠一样。”她说。不要发出声音或移动，否则你就完了。今晚当强盗睡着了我们就逃跑。我一直在等待一个机会。
then another one said, "Did you look behind the large barrel?"
另一个强盗说：“你到那木桶后面找了吗？
they gave her wine to drink, three glasses full, one glass of white, one glass of red, and one glass of yellow, which caused her heart to break. Then they ripped off her fine clothes, laid her on a table, chopped her beautiful body in pieces and sprinkled salt on it. The poor bride behind the barrel trembled and shook, for she saw well what fate the robbers had planned for her.
他们给她酒喝，三杯满，一杯白，一杯红，和一杯黄色，这使她的心破碎。然后他们把她漂亮的衣服撕下来，放在桌上，把她漂亮的身体撕成碎片，撒上盐。可怜的新娘在桶后颤抖着，因为她清楚地看到强盗们为她安排了什么命运。
One of them noticed a gold ring on the murdered girl's little finger. Because it did not come off easily, he took an ax and chopped the finger off, but it flew into the air and over the barrel, falling right into the bride's lap. The robber took a light and looked for it, but could not find it.
其中一人注意到这个女孩小手指上有一枚金戒指。因为它不容易脱落，他拿起一把斧头把手指砍下来，但它飞到空中和桶上，正好落在新娘的膝上。强盗来回寻找，但找不到它。
But the old woman cried out, "Come and eat. You can continue looking in the morning. That finger won't run away from you."
那老太婆连忙说道：“哼！快坐在这儿吃你的晚饭吧，我保证戒指掉在这儿不会自己跑掉的，明天再找也不迟。
then the robbers said, "The old woman is right." They gave up their search and sat down to eat. The old woman poured a sleeping-potion into their wine, so that they soon lay down in the cellar and fell asleep, snoring.
强盗们说：“老太婆说得对，”他们放弃了搜查，坐下来吃饭。老妇人往他们的酒里倒了一瓶安眠药，很快就躺在地窖里睡着了，打呼噜了。
When the wedding day came, the bridegroom appeared. The miller had invited all his relatives and acquaintances. As they sat at the table, each one was asked to tell something. The bride sat still and said nothing.
举行婚礼的日子很快就到了，新郎来到新娘的家里，磨坊老板邀请了他所有的朋友和亲戚来参加婚礼。他们坐在餐桌上，每个人都要说点什么。新娘静静地坐着，什么也没说。
the wind had blown away the trail of ashes, but the peas and lentils had sprouted and grown up, and showed them the way in the moonlight. They walked all night, arriving at the mill the next morning. Then the girl told her father everything, just as it had happened.
此时，沿路所撒的灰烬都已被风吹散，到处找不到灰迹，但姑娘所扔的豌豆和蚕豆都生根发芽了，正好给她们指示了逃走的路径。借着月光，她们一步一步地走了整整一晚，才在第二天早晨回到了磨坊，她伤心欲绝地把她的经历一古脑儿都告诉了自己的父亲。
She answered, then I will tell about a dream.
新娘回答说：“好吧，我可以给你们讲一个我做过的梦。
the old woman went upstairs with her, opened the door, and they hurried out of the murderer's den as fast as they could.
老妇人和她上楼，打开门，他们迅速地走出强盗的巢穴。
When the bride heard them snoring she came out from behind the barrel, and had to step over the sleepers, for they lay all in rows on the ground. She was afraid that she might awaken one of them, but God helped her, and she got through safely.
当新娘听到他们打鼾时，她从桶后走出来，不得不跨过睡者，因为他们躺在地上一排排。她担心她可能会吵醒其中一个人，但上帝帮助了她，她安然度过了难关。
then the bridegroom said to the bride, "Come, sweetheart, don't you know anything? Tell us something, like the others have done."
当轮到新娘讲时，新郎对新娘说：“喂，我亲爱的，你不知道吗？该由你给我们讲故事了。
then it cried out the same thing again. Darling, it was only a dream. Then I went through all the rooms. They were all empty, and there was something so eerie in there. Finally I went down into the cellar, and there sat a very old woman, shaking her head. I asked her, "Does my bridegroom live in this house?"
然后又喊出了同样的话。亲爱的，那只是一场梦。然后我穿过所有的房间。他们都是空的，那里有什么可怕的东西。最后，我走进地窖，坐在一位老妇人面前，摇着头。我问她，“我的新郎住在这房子里吗？
I was walking alone through the woods, when finally I came to a house. Inside there was not a single human soul, but on the wall there was a bird in a cage. It cried out: Turn back, turn back, you young bride. You are in a murderer's house.
我独自一人穿过树林，终于到了一所房子。里面没有一个人的灵魂，但在墙上有一只鸟在笼子里。它喊：回去，回去，年轻的新娘。你在强盗的房子里。
She answered, "Alas poor child, you have gotten into a murderer's den. Your bridegroom does live here, but he intends to chop you to pieces and kill you, and then he intends to cook you and eat you."
她回答说：“可怜的孩子，你进了强盗的巢穴。”。你的新郎确实住在这里，但他打算把你切成块，杀了你，然后他打算煮你吃你。
Darling, it was only a dream.
亲爱的，那只是一场梦。
After that the old woman hid me behind a large barrel. I had scarcely hidden myself there when the robbers came home, dragging a girl with them. They gave her three kinds of wine to drink: white, red, and yellow, which caused her heart to stop beating. Darling, it was only a dream. After that they took off her fine clothes, and chopped her beautiful body to pieces on a table, then sprinkled salt on it.
之后，老妇人把我藏在大木桶后面。我刚把自己藏在那里，强盗们就拖着一个女孩回家了。他们给她喝了三种酒：白色、红色和黄色，这使她的心脏停止跳动。
Then one of the robbers saw that there was still a ring on her ring finger. Because it was hard to get the ring off, he took an ax and chopped off the finger. The finger flew through the air behind the large barrel, and fell into my lap. And here is the finger with the ring.
然后，他们脱掉她漂亮的衣服，把她美丽的身体切成一块一张的桌子，然后撒上盐。亲爱的，那只是一场梦。然后一个强盗看到还有她无名指上的戒指。因为它是很难去掉的，他拿了一把斧头砍掉了她的手指。手指掉到了木桶的后面，落在我的膝盖上。这是带着戒指的手指。
Darling, it was only a dream.
亲爱的，那只是一场梦。
With these words she pulled out the finger and showed it to everyone who was there.
说完这些话，她拿出手指给大家看谁来了。
the robber, who had during this story become as white as chalk, jumped up and tried to escape, but the guests held him fast, and turned him over to the courts. Then he and his whole band were executed for their shameful deeds.
强盗在故事中变得像粉笔一样白，跳起来试图逃跑，但是客人紧紧抓住他，把他交给了法庭。然后他和他的乐队为他们的可耻行为执行。