童话故事•格林童话：韩赛尔与格蕾特 - 8

Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire.

隔天一早,格蕾特被逼无奈地到外面架起一个装满水的锅,并点燃火堆。

"We will bake first, said the old woman, I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough." She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting.

“我们先来烤面包。”女巫说,“我已经把烤炉加热了,面团也揉好了。”她把可怜的格蕾特推到烤炉前,熊熊的火苗已经往炉外面窜了。

"Creep in," said the witch, and see if it properly heated, "so that we can put the bread in." And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too.

“爬进去。”女巫说,“确认一下炉子是不是烧得够热了,这样我们才能把面包放进去。”她准备等格蕾特爬进去之后就把炉门关上,把她烤熟了吃掉。

But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said, "I do not know how I am to do it. How do I get in."

不过好在格蕾特看穿了女巫的心思,她说:“我不知道该怎么做。这要怎么爬进去呢?”

"Silly goose," said the old woman, "the door is big enough. Just look, I can get in myself, and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven."

“蠢丫头,”女巫说,“炉门这么宽,你看,我都能钻进去。”说着她便过来把头探到了炉子里。

Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt.

格蕾特从后面推了女巫一把,把她整个人都推进了炉子里,然后关上炉门,拴紧门栓。

"Oh!" Then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.

“嗷!”女巫发出渗人的惨叫。格蕾特趁机跑开了,邪恶的女巫就这样被烧成了灰烬。

Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried, Hansel, we are saved. The old witch is dead. Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other.

格蕾特闪电般奔向关着韩赛尔的马厩,打开门喊道:“韩赛尔,老巫婆死了!我们得救了!”韩赛尔如同出笼的小鸟一样飞跑出来。兄妹俩高兴地拥抱庆祝,又是跳舞,又是亲吻。

And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels.

这下他们不用害怕女巫了,于是又走进女巫的房子,发现屋子角落里堆满了箱子,而箱子里装的全是珍珠和宝石。

"These are far better than pebbles." Said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said, "I, too, will take something home with me, and filled her pinafore full."

“这些东西可比鹅卵石好多了。”韩赛尔一边感叹一边抓起这些宝贝往口袋里塞。格蕾特说:“我也要带些回家。”于是她也装满了自己的围裙。

"But now we must be off," said Hansel, "that we may get out of the witch's forest."

“现在我们该回家了。”韩赛尔说,“我们要从这片女巫森林逃出去。”

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