Freyja's Necklace

"Yes, I really must have some flowers to wear to the feast to-night," said Freyja to her husband, Odur.

“是啊，今晚参加宴会，我真得戴些花儿才行，”弗蕾雅对她的丈夫奥都尔说道。

Freyja was the goddess of love and beauty; she was the most beautiful of all the Aesir, and every one loved to look at her charming face, and to hear her sweet voice.

弗蕾雅是爱与美之神，她是所有阿萨神族中最美丽的一位，人人都爱看她那迷人的容颜，都爱听她那甜美的嗓音。

"I think you look quite beautiful enough as you are, without flowers," Odur replied, but Freyja was not satisfied; she thought she would go and find her brother Frey, the god of summer, for he would give her a garland of flowers. So she wandered forth from Asgard on her way to Frey's bright home in Alfheim, where he lived among his happy, busy little elves. As Freyja walked along she was thinking of the feast to be given that night in Asgard, and knowing that all the gods and goddesses would be there, she wished to look her very best.

“依我看，你就算不戴花，也已经够美了，”奥都尔答道，可弗蕾雅并不满意；她想着不如去找她的哥哥、夏之神弗雷，他一定会给她一个花环。于是她便离开了阿斯加德，朝着弗雷在精灵国明亮的家园走去，弗雷就住在那儿，身边环绕着一群快活忙碌的小精灵。弗蕾雅一路走着，一边想着今晚阿斯加德要举行的那场宴会，知道所有的天神和女神都会到场，便盼着自己能打扮得美美的。

On and on she wandered, not thinking how far she was getting away from home. Finally the light began to grow fainter and fainter, and Freyja found herself in a strange place. The sunlight had faded away, but there was still a little light that came from lanterns carried by funny little dwarfs, who were busily working. Some were digging gold and gems, others were cleaning off the dirt from the precious stones, and polishing them to make them bright, while four little fellows were seated in one corner, putting the sparkling stones together into a wonderful necklace.

她走啊走，走了很久，也没留意自己已经离家多远。渐渐地，光线越来越暗淡，弗蕾雅发觉自己来到了一个陌生的地方。阳光早已消失不见，可还有一点微弱的光亮，是几个滑稽的小矮人提着灯笼忙碌地劳作时发出来的。有的在挖掘金子和宝石，有的在把珍贵的石头上的泥土擦洗干净，打磨得光亮闪耀，还有四个小家伙坐在角落里，正把那些闪闪发光的宝石串成一条无比精美的项链。

"What can that beautiful thing be?" thought Freyja. "If only I had that, it would surely make me look more beautiful than any one else at the feast to-night!" And the more she thought about it, the more she longed to get it. "Oh, I really must have it!" she said to herself, and with these words she stepped nearer to the four little men. "For what price will you sell me your necklace?" she asked.

“那漂亮的东西究竟是什么呢？”弗蕾雅心想，“要是能有那件东西，今晚的宴会上，我一定会比任何人都更加光彩照人！”她越想越是心痒难耐，越发渴望得到它。“哦，我真是非要它不可！”她暗自说道，说着便走近了那四个小矮人。“你们的这条项链，肯要多少钱才肯卖给我呢？”她问道。

The dwarfs looked up from their work, and when they saw Freyja's lovely face and heard her sweet voice, said, "Oh, if you will only look kindly upon us, and be our friend, you may have the necklace!"

小矮人们抬起头来，望见弗蕾雅那张可爱的脸庞，又听见她那甜美的嗓音，便说道：“哦，只要你肯善待我们，做我们的朋友，这条项链便归你了！”

Then a mocking laugh echoed again and again through the dark cavern, seeming to say, "How foolish you are to wish for these bright diamonds; they will not make you happy!" But Freyja snatched the necklace and ran out of the cavern. It did not please her to hear the teasing laugh of the dwarfs, and she wanted to get away from them as soon as possible.

这时，一阵嘲弄的笑声在幽暗的洞穴中一遍遍回荡，仿佛在说：“你竟这般傻，去渴求这些亮晶晶的钻石，它们可不会给你带来快乐！”可弗蕾雅一把抓过项链，便跑出了洞穴。她实在不愿再听那些矮人取笑的笑声，只想尽快离他们远远的。

At last she was once more out in the open air; she tried to be free and happy again, but a strange feeling of dread came over her, as if something were going to happen. Soon she came to a still pool of water, and, putting on the necklace, she bent over to look at her picture in the clear water. How beautiful the diamonds were! and how they sparkled in the sunshine! She must hasten home to show them to Odur.

终于她重新回到了空旷的天地间；她想让自己重新变得自由自在、无忧无虑，可一股莫名的恐惧感却悄悄袭上心头，仿佛有什么事情即将发生。不久她来到一汪静静的水潭边，戴上项链，俯身去看自己映在清澈水面上的模样。那些钻石真是美极了！在阳光下闪耀着怎样的光彩啊！她得赶紧回家，把这项链给奥都尔瞧瞧才行。

The fair goddess soon reached Asgard, and hurried to the palace to find her husband. But Odur was not there. Over and over again she searched through all the rooms in vain; he had gone, and although Freyja had her beautiful necklace, she cared little for it without her dear husband.

这位美丽的女神很快便回到了阿斯加德，匆匆赶往宫殿去找她的丈夫。可奥都尔却不在那儿。她把所有的房间都找了一遍又一遍，却始终徒劳无功；他已经走了，尽管弗蕾雅得了这条美丽的项链，可少了她亲爱的丈夫，她对这项链也提不起半点兴致。

Soon it was time to go to the feast, but Freyja would not go without Odur. She sat down and wept bitter tears; she felt no joy now for having the necklace, and no sorrow because she could not feast with the Aesir.

不久便到了该去赴宴的时候，可弗蕾雅不愿丢下奥都尔独自前去。她坐下来，伤心地哭了；如今她对拥有这条项链再无半点欢喜，对不能与阿萨众神一同赴宴也不觉得有什么可惜的了。

If only Odur would come back, all would be well again. "I will go to the end of the world to find him!" said Freyja, and she began to make ready for her journey. Her chariot, drawn by two cats, was soon ready; but before she could start, she must first ask Father Odin to allow her to go.

只要奥都尔能够归来，一切便都会好起来。“我就是走到天涯海角，也要把他找回来！”弗蕾雅说道，说着便开始为这趟旅程做准备。她那辆由两只猫拉着的马车很快便备好了；可在出发之前，她还得先去请求众神之父奥丁准许她动身才行。

"Allfather, I beg you give me leave to go to look for my Odur in every corner of the world!"

“万神之父啊，求您准许我走遍世界的每一个角落，去寻找我的奥都尔吧！”

The wise father replied, "Go, fair Freyja, and may you find whom you seek."

睿智的天父答道：“去吧，美丽的弗蕾雅，愿你能寻得你所要寻找的人。”

Then she started forth. First to the Midgard world the goddess of beauty went, but no one in all the world had seen or heard of Odur. Down under the earth, to Niflheim, and even to Utgard, the land of giants, she wandered, but still no one had seen or even heard of her husband. Poor Freyja wept many tears, and wherever the teardrops fell, and sank into the ground, they turned into glistening gold.

于是她便启程出发了。这位美丽女神先去了人间的米德加德，可世上竟无人见过或听说过奥都尔的下落。她又去了地底下的尼福尔海姆，甚至去了巨人国乌特加德，可依旧无人见过、也无人听说过她的丈夫。可怜的弗蕾雅流下了许多眼泪，泪珠落到地上，渗进泥土里的地方，便都化成了闪闪发亮的黄金。

At last the sad goddess returned to her own palace alone. She still wore the wonderful necklace, which was called Brisingamen.

最后，这位伤心的女神只得独自一人回到了自己的宫殿。她身上依旧戴着那条名叫布里希嘉曼的绝美项链。

One night, when the hour was late, all the Aesir were asleep, except the ever watchful Heimdall, who heard soft footsteps, like those of a cat, near Freyja's palace. He listened, and thought, "That is surely some one bent on mischief; I must follow him."

一天深夜，夜色已深，众神都已沉睡，唯独一向警觉的海姆达尔，听见弗蕾雅宫殿附近传来一阵轻悄的脚步声，像是猫的脚步一般。他侧耳细听，心想：“这必定是有人心怀不轨；我得跟上去瞧瞧。”

When Heimdall reached the palace, he found it was Loki, changed into another form, creeping softly about. Heimdall quietly watched him, and saw him glide in to Freyja's bedside, where the fair goddess lay asleep, wearing her beautiful necklace. Loki had come to steal the necklace, but when he saw that she was lying on the clasp of the chain, so that he could not undo it without waking her, he changed himself into a gnat, and, crawling along on the pillow, stung her just enough to make her turn over, but not enough to wake her. Then he unclasped the chain and ran off with it as fast as he could.

海姆达尔赶到宫殿时，发现原来是洛基变了模样，正悄悄地爬行过去。海姆达尔悄无声息地盯着他，见他溜到了弗蕾雅的床边，这位美丽的女神正戴着那条美丽的项链沉睡着。洛基本是来偷这条项链的，可他见她正压在项链的搭扣上，若不惊醒她便无法解开，于是他便把自己变成一只小虫子，顺着枕头爬过去，轻轻叮了她一下，恰好让她翻了个身，却又不足以把她惊醒。他趁机解开了链扣，拿着项链拔腿就跑。

But Heimdall was not going to let the thief get away. As soon as Loki found that he was followed, he took his other form, a little flame of fire; Heimdall then took his other shape, and became a shower of rain, to put out the fire; but Loki, quick and watchful, changed himself into a bear, to catch the rain. Then Heimdall too became a bear, and a fierce fight began. At last the rain-god conquered, and forced wicked Loki to give back the necklace to Freyja.

可海姆达尔哪肯轻易放走这个盗贼。洛基一发觉自己被人跟上，便化作了另一种形态——一团小小的火焰；海姆达尔随即也变了形，化作一场倾盆大雨，想要把火浇灭；可洛基机敏警觉，又变成了一只熊，去吞食那场雨；于是海姆达尔也变成了一只熊，双方便展开了一场激烈的搏斗。最终，这位雨神获得了胜利，逼得邪恶的洛基不得不把项链还给了弗蕾雅。

The whole land seemed to feel sorry for poor, lonely Freyja; the leaves fell from the trees, the bright flowers faded, and the singing birds flew away.

整片大地似乎都在为孤独可怜的弗蕾雅感到悲伤；树叶纷纷凋落，鲜艳的花朵也都枯萎了，鸣唱的鸟儿也都飞走了。

Once more the fair goddess went forth from Asgard to seek Odur. Away, away to the far-off sunny south she wandered, and there, where the myrtle trees and the oranges grow, at last she found her long-lost husband.

这位美丽的女神再次离开阿斯加德，去寻找奥都尔。她一路远行，远行到了遥远阳光明媚的南方，在那长满桃金娘和橙树的地方，她终于找到了失散已久的丈夫。

Then hand in hand the two turned northward again, to their home, and so happy were they together, that they spread joy and happiness around them as they passed along. Everywhere the ice and snow thawed before them, green grass and sweet flowers sprang up behind their footsteps, the birds sang their sweetest songs, the warm summer came back to the north lands, and every one was glad and joyful, for lovely, smiling Freyja was at home again.

于是两人便手牵着手，重新朝北方、朝他们的家园走去，他们在一起是如此快乐，以至于一路走过，四处都撒下了喜悦与欢乐。所到之处，冰雪都在他们面前融化，青草和芬芳的花朵在他们脚印后面萌发生长，鸟儿唱起了最动听的歌谣，温暖的夏天重新回到了北方的土地，人人都欢欣喜悦，因为那可爱、笑容满面的弗蕾雅，终于又回到了家中。

"White were the moorlands And frozen, before her; Green were the moorlands And blooming, behind her. Out of her gold locks Shaking the spring flowers, Out of her garments Shaking the south wind, Around in the birches Awaking the throstles, Beautiful Freyja came." —KINGSLEY.

“荒原一片洁白， 在她面前，冰封依旧； 荒原一片翠绿， 在她身后，繁花似锦。 从她金色的秀发间， 抖落出片片春花， 从她的衣裙上， 抖落出阵阵南风， 桦树林中四处， 唤醒了声声画眉， 美丽的弗蕾雅走来了。” ——金斯莱