How Thor Lost His Hammer

"Come, Loki, are you ready? My goats are eager to be off!" cried Thor, as he sprang into his chariot, and away they went, thundering over the hills. All day long they journeyed, and at night they lay down to rest by the side of a brook.

“来吧，洛基，准备好了吗？我的山羊已经等不及要出发了！”托尔喊道， 一边跳上他的战车，他们便隆隆地驶过山岭而去。他们走了一整天， 夜里便在一条小溪边躺下休息。

When Baldur, the bright sun-god, awoke them in the morning, the first thing Thor did was to reach out for Miölnir, his magic hammer, which he had carefully laid by his side the night before.

当明亮的太阳神巴德尔在清晨唤醒他们时，托尔第一件事便是去 摸他前一晚小心放在身边的魔法锤妙尔尼尔。

"Why, Loki!" cried he. "Alas, my hammer is gone! Those evil frost giants must have stolen it from me while I slept. How shall we hold Asgard against them without my hammer? They will surely take our stronghold!"

“怎么，洛基！”他喊道，“糟了，我的锤子不见了！一定是那些邪恶的 霜巨人趁我睡着时偷走了它。没有我的锤子，我们要怎么守住阿斯加德， 抵挡他们呢？他们一定会夺走我们的堡垒！”

"We must go quickly and find it!" replied Loki. "Let us ask Freyja to lend us her falcon garment."

“我们必须赶紧去找回它！”洛基答道，“我们去请弗蕾雅把她的 猎鹰羽衣借给我们吧。”

Now the goddess, Freyja, had a wonderful garment made of falcon feathers, and whoever wore it looked just like a bird. As you may suppose, this was sometimes a very useful thing. So Thor and Loki went quickly back to Asgard, and drove with all speed to Freyja's palace, where they found her sitting among her maidens. "Asgard is in great danger!" said Thor, "and we have come to you, fair goddess, to ask if you will lend us your falcon garment, for my hammer has been carried off, and we must go in search of it."

女神弗蕾雅有一件用猎鹰羽毛做成的神奇衣裳，谁穿上它，看起来 便和一只鸟一模一样。你可以想见，这件衣裳有时非常有用。于是 托尔和洛基急忙赶回阿斯加德，又火速驱车前往弗蕾雅的宫殿， 只见她正坐在众侍女之中。“阿斯加德大祸临头了！”托尔说， “我们特地来找你，美丽的女神，想请你把猎鹰羽衣借给我们， 因为我的锤子被人夺走了，我们必须去把它找回来。”

"Surely," answered Freyja, "I would lend you my falcon cloak, even if it were made of gold and silver!"

“当然可以，”弗蕾雅答道，“哪怕这羽衣是用金银打造的，我也 愿意借给你！”

Then Loki quickly dressed himself in Freyja's garment and flew away to the land of the frost giants, where he found their king making collars of gold for his dogs, and combing his horses. As Loki came near, he looked up and said, "Ah, Loki, how fare the mighty gods in Asgard?"

于是洛基急忙穿上弗蕾雅的羽衣，飞往霜巨人的国度。他见到他们的 国王正为自己的猎犬打造金项圈，又替马匹梳毛。洛基走近时， 国王抬起头说：“啊，洛基，阿萨神族的诸位大神近来可好？”

"The Aesir are in great trouble," replied Loki, "and I am sent to fetch the hammer of Thor."

“阿萨神族正陷入极大的困境，”洛基答道，“我是奉命来取回 托尔的锤子的。”

"And do you think I am going to be foolish enough to give it back to you, after I have had all the trouble of getting it into my power?" said the king. "I have buried it deep, deep, down in the earth, and there is only one way by which you can get it again. You must bring me the goddess Freyja to be my wife!"

“你以为我会傻到把它还给你吗？我费了那么大的力气才把它弄到手，” 国王说，“我已经把它深深地、深深地埋进了地下，只有一个办法能 让你重新得到它。你必须把弗蕾雅女神带来做我的妻子！”

Loki did not know what to say to this, for he felt sure that Freyja would never be willing to go away from Asgard to live among the fierce giants; but as he saw no chance of getting the hammer, he flew back to Asgard, to see what could be done.

洛基听了不知该说什么，因为他确信弗蕾雅绝不肯离开阿斯加德， 去和那些凶残的巨人一起生活；但他见没有别的办法能拿回锤子， 只好飞回阿斯加德，看看该怎么办才好。

Thor was anxiously looking out for him. "What news do you bring, Loki?" cried he. "Have you brought me my hammer again?"

托尔正焦急地盼着他回来。“你带来了什么消息，洛基？”他喊道， “你把我的锤子带回来了吗？”

"Alas, no!" said Loki. "I bring only a message from the giant king. He will not give up your hammer until you persuade Freyja to marry him!"

“唉，没有！”洛基说，“我只带来了巨人王的一句话。他说除非你 说服弗蕾雅嫁给他，否则绝不交还你的锤子！”

Then Thor and Loki went together to Freyja's palace, and the fair goddess greeted them kindly, but when she heard their errand, and found they wished her to marry the cruel giant, she was very angry, and said to Thor, "You should not have been so careless as to lose your hammer; it is all your own fault that it is gone, and I will never marry the giant to help you get it again."

于是托尔和洛基一同前往弗蕾雅的宫殿，美丽的女神和气地迎接了 他们，可当她听说他们此行的目的，得知他们想让她嫁给那残忍的 巨人时，她勃然大怒，对托尔说：“你不该那么粗心大意，把锤子 弄丢了；这全是你自己的过错，我绝不会为了帮你拿回锤子而去嫁 给那巨人。”

Thor then went to tell Father Odin, who called a meeting of all the Aesir, for it was a very serious matter they were to consider. If the king of the giants only knew the power of the mighty hammer, he might storm Asgard, and carry off the fair Freyja to be his bride.

托尔于是去禀告天父奥丁，奥丁召集了全体阿萨神族，因为这是件 必须郑重商议的大事。若是巨人王知晓了那柄神锤的威力，他很可能 会攻打阿斯加德，掳走美丽的弗蕾雅做他的新娘。

So the Aesir met together in their great judgment hall, in the palace of Gladsheim; long and anxiously they talked over their peril, trying to find some plan for saving Asgard from these enemies. At last Heimdall, the faithful watchman of the rainbow bridge, proposed a plan.

于是阿萨众神齐聚在格拉德斯海姆宫殿的大议事厅中，长久而焦急地 商议着他们的危难，想找出一个能拯救阿斯加德、抵御这些敌人的 办法。最后，忠诚的彩虹桥守卫海姆达尔提出了一个计策。

"Let us dress Thor," said he, "in Freyja's robes, braid his hair, and let him wear Freyja's wonderful necklace, and a bridal veil!"

“让我们把托尔打扮起来，”他说，“穿上弗蕾雅的衣裙，编好他的 头发，让他戴上弗蕾雅那条神奇的项链，再蒙上新娘的面纱！”

"No, indeed!" cried Thor, angrily, "you would all laugh at me in a woman's dress; I will do no such thing! We must find some other way." But when no other way could be found, at last Thor was persuaded to try Heimdall's plan, and the Aesir went to work to dress the mighty thunder-god like a bride. He was the tallest of them all, and, of course, he looked very queer to them in his woman's clothes, but he would be small enough beside a giant. Then they dressed Loki to look like the bride's waiting-maid, and the two set off for Utgard, the stronghold of the giants.

“不，绝对不行！”托尔怒声喊道，“你们都会笑话我穿女人的衣服； 我绝不做这种事！我们必须另想办法。”可是再也找不出别的办法， 托尔终于被说服，答应试一试海姆达尔的计策，于是阿萨众神便动手， 把这位威武的雷神打扮成新娘的模样。他是众神中身材最高的一位， 穿上女人的衣裳后，在众神眼里自然显得十分古怪，但站在巨人身旁， 他倒也显得娇小了。接着他们又把洛基打扮成新娘的侍女，两人便 一同动身前往巨人的据点乌特加德。

When the giant king saw them coming he bade his servants make ready the wedding feast, and invited all his giant subjects to come and celebrate his marriage with the lovely goddess Freyja.

巨人王见他们前来，便吩咐仆人们备好婚宴，又邀请他所有的巨人 臣民都来庆贺他与美丽的弗蕾雅女神成婚。

So the wedding party sat down to the feast, and Thor, who was always a good eater, ate one ox and eight salmon, and drank three casks of mead. The king watched him, greatly surprised to see a woman eat so much, and said:—

于是婚宴众人纷纷落座，托尔向来是个大胃王，一口气吃下了一头 公牛和八条鲑鱼，又喝下了三大桶蜜酒。国王看着他，见一个女子 竟吃得这般多，大为惊讶，说道——

"Where hast thou seen Such a hungry bride!"

“何处见过 如此饥饿的新娘！”

But the watchful Loki, who stood near by, as the bride's waiting-maid, whispered in the king's ear, "Eight nights has Freyja fasted and would take no food, so anxious was she to be your bride!"

一旁站着的机警的洛基，此时正扮作新娘的侍女，凑到国王耳边悄声 说道：“弗蕾雅已经斋戒了八个昼夜，滴水未进，只因她太急切地 盼望做您的新娘了！”

This pleased the giant, and he went toward Thor, saying he must kiss his fair bride. But when he lifted the bridal veil, such a gleam of light shot from Thor's eyes that the king started back, and asked why Freyja's eyes were so sharp.

这话让巨人十分高兴，他便走向托尔，说自己一定要亲吻这位美丽的 新娘。可当他掀起新娘的面纱时，托尔的双眼竟射出一道炽烈的光芒， 吓得国王连连后退，问道弗蕾雅的眼睛怎么如此锐利。

Again Loki replied, "For eight nights the fair Freyja has not slept, so greatly did she long to reach here!" This again pleased the king, and he said, "Now let the hammer be brought and given to the bride, for the hour has come for our marriage!"

洛基又答道：“美丽的弗蕾雅八个昼夜没有合眼，只因她太渴望 早日到达这里了！”这话又让国王十分满意，他说：“如今就把 锤子取来，交给新娘吧，我们成婚的时辰到了！”

All this time Thor was so eager to get his treasure back that he could hardly keep still, and if it had not been for what the wily Loki said, he might have been found out too soon. But at last the precious hammer was brought and handed to the bride, as was always the custom at weddings; as soon as Thor grasped it in his hand, he threw off his woman's robes and stood out before the astonished giants.

这时的托尔急于拿回自己的宝物，几乎按捺不住；若不是狡黠的 洛基一番言语周旋，他恐怕早就露出了破绽。但最终，那柄珍贵的 锤子还是被取来，依照婚礼的惯例交到了新娘手中；托尔一把握住 锤子，立刻甩掉了女人的衣裙，堂堂正正地立在了惊愕的巨人们 面前。

Then did the mighty Thunderer sweep down his foes, and many of the cruel frost giants were slain. Once more the sacred city of Asgard was saved from danger, for Thor was its defender, and he was careful never again to let his magic hammer be taken from him.

于是这位威武的雷神便挥舞着神锤，横扫他的仇敌，许多凶残的 霜巨人因此丧命。神圣的阿斯加德城再次转危为安，因为托尔正是 它的守护者，从此他再也没有让自己的魔法锤子被人夺走过。

Besides the hammer, Thor had two other precious things, his belt of strength, which doubled his power when he tightened it, and his iron glove, which he put on when he was going to throw the hammer.

除了那柄锤子，托尔还有另外两件珍贵的宝物：一条力量之带， 一旦束紧便能使他的力量倍增；还有一副铁手套，是他每次要 掷出锤子时才戴上的。

"I am the God Thor, I am the War God, I am the Thunderer! Here in my Northland, My fastness and fortress, Reign I forever!

“我是托尔天神， 我是战争之神， 我是雷霆之神！ 在我的北方之地， 我的堡垒与要塞， 我永远统治于此！

"Here amid icebergs Rule I the nations; This is my hammer, Miölnir the mighty; Giants and sorcerers Cannot withstand it!

“在冰山之间， 我统领万民； 这便是我的锤子， 威猛的妙尔尼尔； 巨人与巫师 都无法抵挡它！

"These are the gauntlets Wherewith I wield it, And hurl it afar off; This is my girdle, Whenever I brace it Strength is redoubled!" —LONGFELLOW

“这是我挥锤时 戴着的铁手套， 靠它我将锤子远远掷出； 这是我的腰带， 每当我束紧它， 我的力量便加倍！” —朗费罗