The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body

Once on a time there was a king who had seven sons, and he loved them so much that he could never bear to be without them all at once, but one must always be with him. Now, when they were grown up, six were to set off to woo, but as for the youngest, his father kept him at home, and the others were to bring back a princess for him to the palace. So the king gave the six the finest clothes you ever set eyes on, so fine that the light gleamed from them a long way off, and each had his horse, which cost many, many hundred dollars, and so they set off.

从前有位国王，膝下有七个儿子，他疼爱他们疼爱得不得了，一刻也离不开他们，总要留一个在身边陪着自己。等他们长大成人之后，六个儿子便要出门求亲去了，可最小的那个，父王却把他留在了宫里，让另外六个替他也带一位公主回宫来。于是国王给这六个儿子备下了你见过的最华美的衣裳，华美得远远地就能看见衣服上闪烁的光泽，每人还配了一匹马，那马价值好几百块钱，于是他们便出发了。

Now, when they had been to many palaces, and seen many princesses, at last they came to a king who had six daughters; such lovely king’s daughters they had never seen, and so they fell to wooing them, each one, and when they had got them for sweethearts, they set off home again, but they quite forgot that they were to bring back with them a sweetheart for Boots, their brother, who stayed at home, for they were over head and ears in love with their own sweethearts.

他们走过许多宫殿，见过许多公主，最后来到一位有六个女儿的国王那里；那六位公主美丽得他们从未见过，于是他们便各自向其中一位求起亲来，等他们各自都有了心上人，便动身返程，可他们却把要给留在家中的小弟——"靴子"带一位未婚妻回去这件事，忘得一干二净了，因为他们这时正为自己的心上人神魂颠倒呢。

But when they had gone a good bit on their way, they passed close by a steep hill-side, like a wall, where the giant’s house was, and there the giant came out, and set his eyes upon them, and turned them all into stone, princes and princesses and all. Now the king waited and waited for his six sons, but the more he waited, the longer they stayed away; so he fell into great trouble, and said he should never know what it was to be glad again.

可他们赶了好一段路之后，正好经过一处陡峭如墙壁般的山坡，那儿正是巨人的住处，巨人便走了出来，一眼盯上了他们，把他们全都变成了石头，王子们和公主们，一个不剩。国王等啊等，等着他六个儿子回来，可他等得越久，他们迟迟不归的日子也越长；于是他陷入了极大的悲痛之中，说自己再也不知道快乐是什么滋味了。

“And if I had not you left”, he said to Boots, “I would live no longer, so full of sorrow am I for the loss of your brothers.”

"要是我连你也没了，"他对"靴子"说道，"我也活不下去了，我为失去你那些兄弟悲伤得不成样子。"

“Well, but now I’ve been thinking to ask your leave to set out and find them again; that’s what I’m thinking of”, said Boots.

"这个嘛，我一直在想，请求父王准许我出发去找他们；这正是我心里想的，"靴子说道。

“Nay, nay!” said his father; “that leave you shall never get, for then you would stay away too.”

"不行，不行！"他父亲说道，"这个准许我绝不会给你，因为那样一来，你也会一去不回的。"

But Boots had set his heart upon it; go he would; and he begged and prayed so long that the king was forced to let him go. Now, you must know the king had no other horse to give Boots but an old broken-down jade, for his six other sons and their train had carried off all his horses; but Boots did not care a pin for that, he sprang up on his sorry-old-steed.

可靴子却铁了心，非去不可；他苦苦哀求了许久，国王最终不得不答应让他去了。你要知道，国王已经没有别的马给靴子了，只剩下一匹老得快要散架的驽马，因为他那六个儿子和随从早已把所有的好马都带走了；可靴子对此毫不在意，一跃便跨上了那匹可怜的老马。

“Farewell, father”, said he; “I’ll come back, never fear, and like enough I shall bring my six brothers back with me”; and with that he rode off.

"再见了，父王，"他说道，"我一定会回来的，请放心，说不定还能把我那六个兄弟一起带回来呢。"说罢便骑马而去了。

So, when he had ridden a while, he came to a Raven, which lay in the road and flapped its wings, and was not able to get out of the way, it was so starved.

他骑了一阵子之后，来到一只乌鸦跟前，那乌鸦正躺在路上扑腾着翅膀，饿得都没力气挪开身子了。

“Oh, dear friend”, said the Raven, “give me a little food, and I’ll help you again at your utmost need.”

"哦，亲爱的朋友，"乌鸦说道，"给我一点吃的吧，等你有急难的时候，我一定帮你。"

“I haven’t much food”, said the Prince, “and I don’t see how you’ll ever be able to help me much; but still I can spare you a little. I see you want it.”

"我没有多少吃的，"王子说道，"我也不明白你到底能怎么帮我；不过我还是能匀点给你。我看你确实需要。"

So he gave the raven some of the food he had brought with him.

于是他便分了些自己随身带的干粮给这只乌鸦。

Now, when he had gone a bit further, he came to a brook, and in the brook lay a great Salmon, which had got upon a dry place and dashed itself about, and could not get into the water again.

他又走了一段路之后，来到一条小溪边，溪里躺着一条大鲑鱼，它搁浅在一处干地上，拼命挣扎，却怎么也回不到水里去了。

“Oh, dear friend”, said the Salmon to the Prince; “shove me out into the water again, and I’ll help you again at your utmost need.”

"哦，亲爱的朋友，"鲑鱼对王子说道，"把我推回水里去吧，等你有急难的时候，我一定帮你。"

“Well!” said the Prince, “the help you’ll give me will not be great, I daresay, but it’s a pity you should lie there and choke”; and with that he shot the fish out into the stream again.

"好吧！"王子说道，"我看你能帮上我的忙不会太大，不过让你就这么躺在那儿憋死，未免也太可惜了。"说着便把这条鱼推回了溪水里。

After that he went a long, long way, and there met him a Wolf, which was so famished that it lay and crawled along the road on its belly.

之后他又走了很长很长一段路，遇见了一只狼，那狼饿得只能趴在地上，沿着路慢慢爬行。

“Dear friend, do let me have your horse”, said the Wolf; “I’m so hungry the wind whistles through my ribs; I’ve had nothing to eat these two years.”

"亲爱的朋友，把你的马让给我吧，"狼说道，"我饿得肋骨都能透风了；我已经两年没吃过东西了。"

“No”, said Boots, “this will never do; “first I came to a raven, and I was forced to give him my food; next I came to a salmon, and him I had to help into the water again; and now you will have my horse. It can’t be done, that it can’t, for then I should have nothing to ride on.”

"不行，"靴子说道，"这可不行；我先前遇见一只乌鸦，不得不把干粮给了它；接着又遇见一条鲑鱼，也不得不帮它回到水里；如今你又要我的马。这可不行，绝对不行，那样我就什么坐骑都没有了。"

“Nay, dear friend, but you can help me”, said Graylegs the wolf; “you can ride upon my back, and I’ll help you again in your utmost need.”

"哎呀，亲爱的朋友，可你还是能帮我的，"这只名叫"灰腿"的狼说道，"你可以骑在我背上，等你有急难的时候，我一定帮你。"

“Well! the help I shall get from you will not be great, I’ll be bound”, said the Prince; “but you may take my horse, since you are in such need.”

"好吧！我看你能给我的帮助不会太大，我敢肯定，"王子说道，"不过既然你这么需要，我的马就给你吧。"

So when the wolf had eaten the horse, Boots took the bit and put it into the wolf’s jaw, and laid the saddle on his back; and now the wolf was so strong, after what he had got inside, that he set off with the Prince like nothing. So fast he had never ridden before.

于是狼吃掉了那匹马，靴子便把马嚼子放进狼嘴里，把马鞍搭在狼背上；这狼吃了这一顿之后，力气大增，驮着王子飞跑起来，快得王子从未有过这样的骑乘经历。

“When we have gone a bit farther”, said Graylegs; “I’ll show you the Giant’s house.”

"我们再走一段路，"灰腿说道，"我就带你去看巨人的家。"

So after a while they came to it.

于是过了一阵子，他们便到了那儿。

“See, here is the Giant’s house”, said the Wolf; “and see, here are your six brothers, whom the Giant has turned into stone; and see here are their six brides, and away yonder is the door, and in at that door you must go.”

"你瞧，这就是巨人的家，"狼说道，"你再瞧，这就是你那六个被巨人变成石头的兄弟；你再瞧，这是他们的六位新娘，那边就是门了，你必须从那扇门进去。"

“Nay, but I daren’t go in”, said the Prince; “he’ll take my life.”

"不行，我可不敢进去，"王子说道，"他会要了我的命的。"

“No! no!” said the Wolf; “when you get in you’ll find a Princess, and she’ll tell you what to do to make an end of the Giant. Only mind and do as she bids you.”

"不会！不会！"狼说道，"你一进去，就会见到一位公主，她会告诉你该怎么做才能除掉这个巨人。你只要照她说的做就行了。"

Well! Boots went in, but, truth to say, he was very much afraid. When he came in the Giant was away, but in one of the rooms sat the Princess, just as the wolf had said, and so lovely a princess Boots had never yet set eyes on.

好吧！靴子走了进去，可说实话，他心里怕得很。他进去的时候，巨人正好不在家，可有一个房间里坐着一位公主，正如狼所说的那样，那位公主美丽得靴子从未见过。

“Oh! heaven help you! whence have you come?” said the Princess, as she saw him; “it will surely be your death. No one can make an end of the Giant who lives here, for he has no heart in his body.”

"哦！老天保佑你！你是从哪儿来的？"公主一见他便说道，"这必定要了你的命的。谁也没法除掉住在这儿的这个巨人，因为他身体里没有心脏。"

“Well! well!” said Boots; “but now that I am here, I may as well try what I can do with him; and I will see if I can’t free my brothers, who are standing turned to stone out of doors; and you, too, I will try to save, that I will.”

"这个嘛！这个嘛！"靴子说道，"可既然我已经来了，我不妨试试看能拿他怎么办；我也要设法救出我那些在外面变成石头的兄弟们；至于你，我也会想办法救你的，我一定会的。"

“Well, if you must, you must”, said the Princess; “and so let us see if we can’t hit on a plan. Just creep under the bed yonder, and mind and listen to what he and I talk about. But, pray, do lie as still as a mouse.”

"好吧，既然你非做不可，那就做吧，"公主说道，"我们来看看能不能想出个办法。你先躲到那边床底下去，仔细听着我跟他谈些什么。不过求你了，一定要像老鼠一样一动不动地躺着。"

So he crept under the bed, and he had scarce got well underneath it, before the Giant came.

于是他便钻到了床底下，他刚一藏好，巨人便回来了。

“Ha!” roared the Giant, “what a smell of Christian blood there is in the house!”

"哈！"巨人吼道，"这屋里怎么有一股基督徒血肉的味道！"

“Yes, I know there is”, said the Princess, “for there came a magpie flying with a man’s bone, and let it fall down the chimney. I made all the haste I could to get it out, but all one can do, the smell doesn’t go off so soon.”

"是啊，我也知道，"公主说道，"因为有只喜鹊叼着一根人骨飞过来，掉进了烟囱里。我已经尽快把它弄出去了，可不管怎么弄，那味道总归不会那么快就散去。"

So the Giant said no more about it, and when night came, they went to bed. After they had lain awhile, the Princess said:

于是巨人便不再提这事了，到了夜里，他们便上床睡觉。躺了一会儿之后，公主说道：

“There is one thing I’d be so glad to ask you about, if I only dared.”

"有件事我一直很想问问你，只是不敢开口。"

“What thing is that?” asked the Giant.

"什么事？"巨人问道。

“Only where it is you keep your heart, since you don’t carry it about you”, said the Princess.

"只是想问，你的心脏放在哪儿，既然你没随身带着它，"公主说道。

“Ah! that’s a thing you’ve no business to ask about; but if you must know, it lies under the door-sill”, said the Giant.

"啊！这事你可管不着；不过要是你非知道不可，那就藏在门槛底下，"巨人说道。

“Ho! ho!” said Boots to himself under the bed, “then we’ll soon see if we can’t find it.”

"哈！哈！"靴子在床底下暗自想道，"那我们很快就能找到它了。"

Next morning the Giant got up cruelly early, and strode off to the wood; but he was hardly out of the house before Boots and the Princess set to work to look under the door-sill for his heart; but the more they dug, and the more they hunted, the more they couldn’t find it.

第二天早晨，巨人起得特别早，大步流星走进了树林；可他前脚刚出门，靴子和公主便动手在门槛底下寻找那颗心脏；可他们挖得越多，找得越多，却怎么也找不到。

“He has baulked us this time”, said the Princess, “but we’ll try him once more.”

"这次他把我们骗过去了，"公主说道，"不过我们再试一次。"

So she picked all the prettiest flowers she could find, and strewed them over the door-sill, which they had laid in its right place again; and when the time came for the Giant to come home again, Boots crept under the bed. Just as he was well under, back came the Giant.

于是她采来了她能找到的最漂亮的花朵，撒在门槛上，那门槛已经被他们重新放回了原位；等巨人快要回家的时候，靴子便又钻到了床底下。他刚藏好，巨人便回来了。

Snuff—snuff, went the Giant’s nose. “My eyes and limbs, what a smell of Christian blood there is in here”, said he.

嗅——嗅，巨人的鼻子响了起来。"我的老天爷，这儿怎么还有一股基督徒血肉的味道，"他说道。

“I know there is”, said the Princess, “for there came a magpie flying with a man’s bone in his bill, and let it fall down the chimney. I made as much haste as I could to get it out, but I daresay it’s that you smell.”

"我也知道，"公主说道，"因为有只喜鹊叼着一根人骨飞过来，掉进了烟囱里。我已经尽快把它弄出去了，不过我猜你闻到的正是这个味道。"

So the Giant held his peace, and said no more about it. A little while after, he asked who it was that had strewed flowers about the door-sill.

于是巨人便沉默下来，不再提这事了。过了一会儿，他问是谁把花撒在门槛上的。

“Oh, I, of course”, said the Princess.

"哦，当然是我了，"公主说道。

“And, pray, what’s the meaning of all this?” said the Giant.

"那么，请问，这到底是什么意思？"巨人问道。

“Ah!” said the Princess, “I’m so fond of you that I couldn’t help strewing them, when I knew that your heart lay under there.”

"啊！"公主说道，"我太爱你了，一想到你的心脏就藏在那儿，我就忍不住要撒些花朵。"

“You don’t say so”, said the Giant; “but after all it doesn’t lie there at all.”

"你不是说真的吧，"巨人说道，"不过说到底，它根本不在那儿。"

So when they went to bed again in the evening, the Princess asked the Giant again where his heart was, for she said she would so like to know.

于是当天晚上他们又上床睡觉的时候，公主又问巨人他的心脏究竟在哪里，说她实在很想知道。

“Well”, said the Giant, “if you must know, it lies away yonder in the cupboard against the wall.”

"好吧，"巨人说道，"要是你非知道不可，那就在那边墙上的碗柜里。"

“So, so!” thought Boots and the Princess; “then we’ll soon try to find it.”

"这样啊，这样啊！"靴子和公主心里想道，"那我们很快就能试着找到它了。"

Next morning the Giant was away early, and strode off to the wood, and so soon as he was gone Boots and the Princess were in the cupboard hunting for his heart, but the more they sought for it, the less they found it.

第二天早晨，巨人一早便离开了，大步走进了树林，他前脚刚走，靴子和公主便在碗柜里翻找起他的心脏来，可他们找得越多，却越是一无所获。

“Well”, said the Princess, “we’ll just try him once more.”

"好吧，"公主说道，"我们再试他一次。"

So she decked out the cupboard with flowers and garlands, and when the time came for the Giant to come home, Boots crept under the bed again.

于是她用鲜花和花环把碗柜装点了一番，等巨人快要回家的时候，靴子又钻到了床底下。

Then back came the Giant.

接着巨人便回来了。

Snuff-snuff! “My eyes and limbs, what a smell of Christian blood there is in here!”

嗅——嗅！"我的老天爷，这儿怎么还有一股基督徒血肉的味道！"

“I know there is”, said the Princess; “for a little while since there came a magpie flying with a man’s bone in his bill, and let it fall down the chimney. I made all the haste I could to get it out of the house again; but after all my pains, I daresay it’s that you smell.”

"我也知道，"公主说道，"因为不久前有只喜鹊叼着一根人骨飞过来，掉进了烟囱里。我已经尽快把它弄出屋子了；可尽管我费了这么大的劲，我猜你闻到的还是这个味道。"

When the Giant heard that, he said no more about it; but a little while after, he saw how the cupboard was all decked about with flowers and garlands; so he asked who it was that had done that? Who could it be but the Princess.

巨人听了这话，便不再提这事了；可过了一会儿，他看见碗柜被鲜花和花环装点得漂漂亮亮的，便问是谁做的？除了公主，还能有谁呢。

“And, pray, what’s the meaning of all this tom-foolery?” asked the Giant.

"那么，请问，这一番胡闹是什么意思？"巨人问道。

“Oh, I’m so fond of you, I couldn’t help doing it when I knew that your heart lay there”, said the Princess.

"哦，我太爱你了，一想到你的心脏就藏在那儿，我就忍不住要这么做，"公主说道。

“How can you be so silly as to believe any such thing?” said the Giant.

"你怎么会傻到相信这种事？"巨人说道。

“Oh yes; how can I help believing it, when you say it”, said the Princess.

"哦，是啊；既然是你说的，我又怎能不信呢，"公主说道。

“You’re a goose”, said the Giant; “where my heart is, you will never come.”

"你真是个傻姑娘，"巨人说道，"我的心脏藏在哪儿，你是永远也找不到的。"

“Well”, said the Princess;” but for all that, ’twould be such a pleasure to know where it really lies.”

"好吧，"公主说道，"话虽如此，可要是能知道它究竟藏在哪儿，那该有多让人高兴啊。"

Then the poor Giant could hold out no longer, but was forced to say:

于是这可怜的巨人再也忍不住了，只得说道：

“Far, far away in a lake lies an island; on that island stands a church; in that church is a well; in that well swims a duck; in that duck there is an egg, and in that egg there lies my heart,—you darling!”

"在遥远遥远的地方有一片湖，湖中有一座岛；岛上有一座教堂；教堂里有一口井；井里游着一只鸭子；鸭子体内有一枚蛋，蛋里就藏着我的心脏——我的宝贝儿！"

In the morning early, while it was still grey dawn, the Giant strode off to the wood.

第二天一早，天色还灰蒙蒙的，巨人便大步走进了树林。

“Yes! now I must set off too”, said Boots; “if I only knew how to find the way.” He took a long, long farewell of the Princess, and when he got out of the Giant’s door, there stood the Wolf waiting for him. So Boots told him all that had happened inside the house, and said now he wished to ride to the well in the church, if he only knew the way. So the Wolf bade him jump on his back, he’d soon find the way; and away they went, till the wind whistled after them, over hedge and field, over hill and dale. After they had travelled many, many days, they came at last to the lake.

"好！现在我也该出发了，"靴子说道，"只是我得知道该怎么走才好。"他向公主郑重地道了别，走出巨人家的门时，那只狼已经在门口等着他了。于是靴子把屋里发生的一切都告诉了狼，说他现在想去教堂里那口井那儿，只是不知道该怎么走。于是狼便叫他跳上自己的背，说很快就能找到路；他们便一路飞奔而去，快得风都在他们身后呼呼作响，越过篱笆和田野，越过山岭和溪谷。他们走了许多许多天之后，终于来到了那片湖边。

Then the Prince did not know how to get over it, but the Wolf bade him only not be afraid, but stick on, and so he jumped into the lake with the Prince on his back, and swam over to the island. So they came to the church; but the church keys hung high, high up on the top of the tower, and at first the Prince did not know how to get them down.

王子这时不知道该怎么过湖，可狼叫他别害怕，只管抓紧了，于是他便驮着王子跳进湖里，游到了那座岛上。他们便来到了那座教堂前；可教堂的钥匙挂在高高的、高高的塔顶上，王子起初不知道该怎么把它取下来。

“You must call on the raven”, said the Wolf.

"你得叫那只乌鸦来，"狼说道。

So the Prince called on the raven, and in a trice the raven came, and flew up and fetched the keys, and so the Prince got into the church. But when he came to the well, there lay the duck, and swam about backwards and forwards, just as the Giant had said. So the Prince stood and coaxed it and coaxed it, till it came to him, and he grasped it in his hand; but just as he lifted it up from the water the duck dropped the egg into the well, and then Boots was beside himself to know how to get it out again.

于是王子便呼唤乌鸦，乌鸦转眼便飞了过来，飞上去取来了钥匙，王子这才得以进了教堂。可他来到那口井边时，只见那只鸭子正躺在那儿，来来回回地游着，正如巨人所说的那样。于是王子便站在那儿，一个劲儿地哄着它，直到它游到他跟前，他一把将它抓在手里；可他刚把它从水里提起来，鸭子便把那枚蛋掉进了井里，靴子顿时不知所措，不知该怎么把它捞出来。

“Well, now you must call on the salmon to be sure”, said the Wolf; and the king’s son called on the salmon, and the salmon came and fetched up the egg from the bottom of the well.

"好了，这下你可得叫那条鲑鱼来了，"狼说道；于是国王的儿子便呼唤鲑鱼，鲑鱼便游了过来，从井底把那枚蛋捞了上来。

Then the Wolf told him to squeeze the egg, and as soon as ever he squeezed it the Giant screamed out.

接着狼叫他把那枚蛋捏碎，他刚一捏，巨人便尖叫了起来。

“Squeeze it again”, said the Wolf; and when the Prince did so, the Giant screamed still more piteously, and begged and prayed so prettily to be spared, saying he would do all that the Prince wished if he would only not squeeze his heart in two.

"再捏一下，"狼说道；王子照做了，巨人便叫得更加凄惨，苦苦哀求饶他一命，说只要王子不把他的心脏捏成两半，他愿意照王子的一切心愿去做。

“Tell him, if he will restore to life again your six brothers and their brides, whom he has turned to stone, you will spare his life”, said the Wolf. Yes, the Giant was ready to do that, and he turned the six brothers into king’s sons again, and their brides into king’s daughters.

"告诉他，要是他肯让你那六个被他变成石头的兄弟和他们的新娘重新复活，你就饶他一命，"狼说道。是的，巨人立刻答应了，他把那六个兄弟又变回了国王的儿子，把他们的新娘又变回了国王的女儿。

“Now, squeeze the egg in two”, said the Wolf. So Boots squeezed the egg to pieces, and the Giant burst at once.

"现在，把那枚蛋捏成两半吧，"狼说道。于是靴子便把那枚蛋捏得粉碎，巨人当场便爆裂身亡了。

Now, when he had made an end of the Giant, Boots rode back again on the wolf to the Giant’s house, and there stood all his six brothers alive and merry, with their brides. Then Boots went into the hill-side after his bride, and so they all set off home again to their father’s house. And you may fancy how glad the old king was when he saw all his seven sons come back, each with his bride—“But the loveliest bride of all is the bride of Boots, after all”, said the king, “and he shall sit uppermost at the table, with her by his side.”

这下他终于除掉了这个巨人，靴子又骑着狼返回了巨人的家，只见他那六个兄弟都活蹦乱跳、欢欢喜喜地站在那儿，身边还有他们的新娘。接着靴子便走进那座山坡去找他自己的新娘，于是大家便一同启程，返回他们父亲的宫殿去了。你可以想象得到，老国王见到他七个儿子都平安归来，每人还都带回了一位新娘，该有多么欣喜——"不过说到底，最美丽的新娘还是靴子的新娘，"国王说道，"他要坐在餐桌的最上首，让她坐在他身旁。"

So he sent out, and called a great wedding-feast, and the mirth was both loud and long, and if they have not done feasting, why, they are still at it.

于是他便派人出去，举办了一场盛大的婚宴，欢声笑语既响亮又持久，倘若他们还没有庆祝完，那么，兴许他们此刻还在庆祝呢。