格林童話故事《格蕾特與女巫》大綱

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，格蕾特被逼無奈地到外面架起一個裝滿水的鍋，並點燃火堆。

"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.

“我們先來烤麪包。”女巫說，“我已經把烤爐加熱了，麪糰也揉好了。”她把可憐的格蕾特推到烤爐前，熊熊的火苗已經往爐外面竄了。

"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.

“爬進去。”女巫說，“確認一下爐子是不是燒得夠熱了，這樣我們才能把麪包放進去。”她準備等格蕾特爬進去之後就把爐門關上，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."

不過好在格蕾特看穿了女巫的心思，她說：“我不知道該怎麼做。這要怎麼爬進去呢？”

"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."

“蠢丫頭，”女巫說，“爐門這麼寬，你看，我都能鑽進去。”說着她便過來把頭探到了爐子裏。

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

格蕾特從後面推了女巫一把，把她整個人都推進了爐子裏，然後關上爐門，拴緊門栓。

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

“嗷！”女巫發出滲人的慘叫。格蕾特趁機跑開了，邪惡的女巫就這樣被燒成了灰燼。

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.

格蕾特閃電般奔向關着韓賽爾的馬廄，打開門喊道：“韓賽爾，老巫婆死了！我們得救了！”韓賽爾如同出籠的小鳥一樣飛跑出來。兄妹倆高興地擁抱慶祝，又是跳舞，又是親吻。

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.

這下他們不用害怕女巫了，於是又走進女巫的房子，發現屋子角落裏堆滿了箱子，而箱子裏裝的全是珍珠和寶石。

"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."

“這些東西可比鵝卵石好多了。”韓賽爾一邊感嘆一邊抓起這些寶貝往口袋裏塞。格蕾特說：“我也要帶些回家。”於是她也裝滿了自己的圍裙。

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

“現在我們該回家了。”韓賽爾說，“我們要從這片女巫森林逃出去。”

Next Chapter……

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