《The Princess and the Pea》豌豆公主
我女儿小的时候,我给她讲豌豆公主的故事。她睡觉的时候把什么东西放在她的被子的下面,我看到了,告诉她即使放个大枕头在她的身下,她也一定能够睡得昏天黑地。为什么呢?她又不是豌豆公主。再说了,任谁睡了20层床垫和被子之上都不会舒服的吧。把自己当成个公主,那多矫情,还是把自己当成一棵小草,有坚强的生命力与生存能力,多好。
图片来源于伴鱼绘本
Once upon a time, there lived a prince. He was very lonely and wanted to get married.
在很久很久以前,有一位王子。他感到非常的寂寞,他很想要找一位人生伴侣跟她结婚。
The prince looked high and low for the perfect wife, but had no luck. He could not find a real princess anywhere!
王子到处去寻找一位完美的妻子,但是很不幸。他到处都找不到一位真正的公主。
One stormy night, there was a knock on his door. When the prince opened it , he saw a girl. Her hair was wet. Her clothes were muddy. And she was shivering.
在一个暴风雨的晚上,有人敲响了王子家的大门。当王子打开大门后,他看到了一个女孩。她的头发已经被淋湿。她的衣服脏兮兮的。她整个人都在瑟瑟发抖。
"Hello, I am a princess. May I stay here tonight?" she asked.
“你好,我是一位公主。今天晚上我可以留宿吗?”她很小心地问。
"Of course," he said kindly.
“当然可以”王子很善良。
The prince invited the girl in.
王子邀请女孩进到房子里面。
"Come warm yourself by the fire. Have a cup of hot chocolate," he said.
“来火炉边让自己暖和暖和吧。喝一杯热巧克力。”
"Thank you," she said sweetly.
“谢谢”她甜甜地回答。
The girl seemed very nice. Could she really be a princess? The prince had a plan to find out.
女孩看起来非常的漂亮。她真的是一位公主吗?王子的心里有了一个计划,要查个水落石出。
First, he put a tiny pea on a bed.
首先,他在床上放在一颗豌豆。
Second, he piled 20 mattresses on top og the pea. Third, he piled 20 quilts on top of the mattresses.
然后,他在豌豆上放在20床床垫。再后,他又在20床床垫上面放了20条被子。
"Here is your bed. Sweet dreams," he said.
“你就睡在这里吧。做个好梦”安排好一切之后他跟公主道了晚安。
But the girl's dreams were not sweet. She tossed and truned. She barely slept at all.
但是女孩并没有做这个好梦。她整晚都翻来覆去地睡不着觉。她几乎整晚失眠。
The next morning, the prince invited the girl to have some pancakes."How did you sleep?" he asked.
第二天早上,王子邀请女孩用一些南瓜饼。他问女孩道“你睡得怎么样?”
"I don't mean to be rude, but I slept very badly. It felt like there was a boulder under my back!" she said with a yawn.
女孩打着哈欠说“我并不是有意这样无礼的,但是我睡得很不少。我感觉好像有块大石头咯着我的后背。”
The prince smiled. Then, he got down on one knee and asked the girl to marry him. Why? He knew that only a real princess could feel a tiny pea under 20 mattresses and 20 quilts!
王子笑了。然后他单膝下跪,请求公主能够嫁给他。为什么?因为他知道,能够在20层床垫和20条被子之上感受到一颗小小的豌豆,她就是真正的公主。
The girl siad yes, of course. Then they both loved, and snoozed, happily ever after.
女孩答应了王子的求婚,当然,他们彼此相爱,从此他们过上了幸福的生活。