三兄弟

原著：格林兄弟 编译：刘淑芬

三兄弟

原著：格林兄弟 编译：刘淑芬

编者注

《格林童话》产生于十九世纪初，是由德国著名语言学家——雅格·格林和威廉·格林兄弟收集、整理和加工完成的德国民间文学。它是世界童话的经典之作，自问世以来，在世界各地影响十分广泛。格林兄弟以其丰富的想象及优美的语言给孩子们讲述了一个个神奇而又浪漫的童话故事。

There was once a man who had three sons,and his wife died and he brought the three sons up alone.从前有一个人有三个儿子，他妻子去世了，他独自一人抚养三个儿子成人。

Now he was old and he had nothing else in the world except the house in which they lived.现在他老了，他除了他们住的那所房子外，再没有什么其他财产了。

Now each of the sons wished to have the house after his father’s death;but the father loved them all alike,and he did not know what to do.现在三个儿子都想父亲死后继承这所房子，但是父亲同样疼爱他们，父亲不知道该怎么办。

He did not want to sell the house,because it had belonged to his forefathers,else he might have divided the money amongst them.他不想卖房子，然后把钱分给三个儿子。因为房子是他的祖父留下来的。

He thought,“What shall I do?”He thought for a long time and at last a plan came into his head,and he called in his three sons.他想：“我该怎么办呢？”他想了很久，最后他终于想到一个好主意。他把三个儿子叫到房间里来。

He said to the sons,“Go into the world,and each of you try to learn a trade,and,when you all come back,he who makes the best masterpiece shall have the house.”他对三个儿子说道，“你们去闯世界，每个人争取学一门手艺。当你们回来的时候，谁的技艺最高，房子就属于谁。”

The sons were well content with this,and the eldest determined to be a blacksmith,the second a barber,and the third a fencing-master.三个儿子对父亲的决定很满意。老大想当一名铁匠，老二想当一名理发师，老三想当一名弓箭手。

They fixed a time when they all would come home and meet again,and then they said goodbye to each other and went away respectively.他们商量好学成手艺后回家的时间，然后相互道别，各自分别出发了。

It chanced that they all found skilful masters,who taught them their trades well.The blacksmith had to shoe the King’s horses,and he thought to himself,“The house is mine,without doubt.”说来也巧，他们都找到了技艺高超的大师当师父，他们都认真地教他们手艺。铁匠得给国王的马钉脚掌，他心里想到，“毫无疑问，这房子非我莫属。”

The barber only shaved great people,and he was famous for his skill and he too already looked upon the house as his own.理发师给很多伟人修面，他的手艺是出名的好，所以他也认为房子属于他了。

The fencing-master got many wounds,but he never gave up.He said to himself,“If I am afraid of a blow,I’ll never win the house.”学剑术的小弟屡次受伤，不过他从未放弃过，他想：“如果我怕挨打，就永远得不到房子啦！”

Several years passed and the appointed time had arrived.The three brothers travelled a long way and came back home to their father.几年过去了，他们约定的时间终于到了。三兄弟长途跋涉，在约定的时间回到了父亲的身边。

But they did not know how to find the best opportunity to show their skill,so they sat down and consulted together.不过他们不知道如何找到最好的机会来展示各自的本领，于是只好坐下来商量。

As they were sitting thus,all at once a hare came running across the field.“Ah,ha,just in time! ”said the barber.就在这时，一只兔子突然跑过田间，“哈哈！来得正是时候。”理发师说道。

So he took his basin and soap,and lathered away until the hare came up;then he soaped and shaved off the hare’s whiskers while he was running at the top of his speed,and did not even cut his skin or injure a hair on his body.只见他端起脸盆和肥皂，待兔子跑近，迅速地在兔子身上抹上肥皂泡沫，就在兔子仍在奔跑的同时，迅速地给兔子剃了个短胡子，丝毫不伤体肤。

“Well done!”said the old man.“Your brothers will have to exert themselves wonderfully,or the house will be yours.”“干得漂亮！”老人赞道，“如果你的兄弟们的手艺不如你的话，那么房子就归你啦！”

Soon after,up came a nobleman in his coach,dashing along at full speed.“Now you shall see what I can do,father.”said the blacksmith.不一会儿，只见一个贵族乘着马车疾驰而来。铁匠说：“爹，您老瞧我的吧！”

So away he ran after the coach,took all four shoes off the feet of one of the horses while he was galloping,and put him on four new shoes without stopping him.只见他几步就追上了马车，转眼间就给一匹飞驰的马换了四个崭新的马蹄铁。

“You are a fine fellow,and as clever as your brother,”said his father;“I do not know to which I ought to give the house.”“不错！你一点也不比你弟弟逊色。”父亲说道，“我也不知道房子该给谁了。”

Then the third son said,“Father,let me have my turn,if you please！”When it was beginning to rain,he drew his sword,and flourished it backwards and forwards above his head so fast that not a drop fell upon him.这时老三说话了：“爸爸，如果你愿意，现在轮到我了。”天空正巧下起雨来，只见他拔出剑，不停地在头顶挥舞起来，竟是滴水不漏，身上无丝毫湿迹。

It rained still harder and harder,till at last it came down in torrents;but he only flourished his sword faster and faster,and remained as dry as if he were sitting in a house.雨越下越大，最后下起了倾盆大雨。老三越来越快地挥舞着手里的剑，他身上一点都没有淋湿，就像他在家里而不是在雨中。

When his father saw this he was amazed,and said,“This is the masterpiece,the house is yours!”父亲看到这一切十分惊讶，于是说道，“这是绝活，房子是你的啦。”

His brothers were satisfied with this,as was agreed beforehand.As they loved one another very much,they all three stayed together in the house.于是一切都如约进行，两位大哥对这一结果也口服心服。由于他们仨手足情深，彼此不愿分开，于是都留在这所房子里。

10

They followed their trades,and,as they had learnt them so well and were so clever and hardworking,they earned a great deal of money.由于他们都各有一门绝活，而且人又聪明又勤劳，于是赚了很多钱。

They got married and they had their own wives and children and the three familieslived together happily until they grew old.后来，他们都结婚了，有了自己的妻子和孩子。他们三个家庭生活在一起，过着幸福的生活。

And at last,when one of them fell sick and died,the two others grieved so sorely about it that they also fell ill,and soon after died.最后兄弟中的一个得病先去世了，其他两位悲伤不已，不久他们也相继去世。

And because they had been so clever,and had loved one another so much,they were all laid in the same grave.因为他们是那样的手足情深，人们把他们合埋在同一个坟墓里。

启 示

Profound friendship between brothers.

兄弟情深。