The Enchanted1 Shell2 被施了魔法的贝壳

向红

Once upon a time， there was a young couple3 who lived in a small village by a big river. The man and his wife were very happy， though they are poor， and had no worries， but for one. They had no child.

从前，在一条大河旁边的一个小村庄里，住着一对夫妇。这个男人和他的妻子生活得很幸福，尽管他们很贫穷，但是他们没有烦恼。除了一件事情，那就是他们没有孩子。

The couple loved children very much. They loved all children in the village and were nice to them. And they often gave them delicious cakes. But that did not cut down their wish to have a child of their own. Every night they asked to God that they might have a son， even if he were only like a little shell.

这对夫妇非常喜欢孩子。他们爱这个村庄里所有的孩子，对他们都很好，还经常给他们美味的蛋糕吃。但是这依然不能减少他们想要有一个亲生孩子的愿望。每天晚上，他们都向上帝祈祷，希望能有一个儿子，即使他像一个小贝壳一样也不要紧。

And one day， their questions were answered. A son was born4 to them， even though he was very small. The boy was as small as a shell， and so his parents named him “Shell”.

有一天，他们的祈求有了回应。他们的儿子出生了，即使他真的很小。这个男孩就像贝壳一样小，所以他的父母给他取名为“贝壳”。

As Shell grew up， it became clear to his parents that the boy had some problems in growing up. Even when he became a big man， Shell was still a small life and was only as large as a big shell as one can often find by the sea. But his parents loved him very much and always made sure that Shell was never unhappy because of his abnormality5.

贝壳慢慢长大，他的父母清楚地知道，这个男孩的成长会遇到一些困难。即使他已经长大成人，但是他还是很小，也就只有我们在海滩上看到的大贝壳那么大而已。但是，他的父母依旧非常爱他，总是确保贝壳不会因为自己的异常而感到不开心。

One day， Shell went to his mother and told her， “Mother， can I go and get some food？ I am grown up now and it is time I help you and father in keeping the house.”

一天，貝壳告诉他妈妈说：“妈妈，我可以出去找点食物吗？我现在已经长大了，是时候帮你和爸爸养家了。”

But his mother was afraid that some animal would eat her small Shell. So， she would not let him go at first， but when Shell begged her again and again， she gave him her permission6 at last and the happy boy went out.

但是，妈妈很担心会有动物吃掉小贝壳。所以，开始的时候她不同意他出门，但是贝壳一次又一次地求她，最后她也只能答应他的请求。于是小男孩就高兴地出门了。

Shell was always full of mischief7 and he used this chance to play pranks8 on other people. He went to the river， where some women were catching fish and putting them into baskets that they had kept on the grass. Shell climbed into one of these baskets and hid himself in the dead fishes. Very soon， the women came to pick it and started walking home. All at once Shell shouted “Rain！Rain！” The woman was scared for she thought that the dead fishes were talking. She dropped9 her basket and ran away. Then， Shell came out of the basket， he took it home and gave the fishes to his mother.

贝壳很淘气，总喜欢对人们搞恶作剧。他来到河边，有一个女人正在抓鱼，把抓到的鱼放到草地上的篮子里去。贝壳爬到其中一个篮子里面，藏在了死鱼中。不久，这个女人就过来拿这些鱼准备回家。突然，贝壳大喊：“下雨了，下雨了！”这个女人很害怕，她以为死鱼开口说话了，扔下篮子就跑了。然后，贝壳从篮子里面爬出来，把这些鱼带回家给他妈妈。

The next morning， Shell went out again. This time， he saw an old man walking along the road. In his right hand， he was carrying the head of a cow. The Shell followed the old man and jumped into the ear of the cows head. As the man was passing through a quiet place， Shell suddenly shouted， “Ay！Ay！” The old man gave a start and dropped the cow head. He ran away as fast as he could and Shell came back home and gave the head to his father.

第二天早晨，贝壳又出门了。这次，他看见一个老人独自一个人走在街上。他的右手拎着一个牛头，贝壳跟着老人，然后跳到了牛头的耳朵里。当老人经过一个僻静地方时，他突然喊道：“啊！啊！”老人吓了一跳，扔掉了牛头，以最快的速度逃走了，贝壳回到家里，把牛头送给了爸爸。

It was not until what he had done was found out that Shell got rebuke10 by his parents and he started to change his way.

直到他的恶作剧被父母知道后，贝壳才受到了批评，他开始改变思路。

One day， Shell told his mother that he had fallen in love with11 the beautiful daughter of the King and must have her for his wife. The poor mother was shocked12.

一天，贝壳告诉妈妈他爱上了国王的漂亮女儿，一定要她做自己的妻子。这个贫穷的母亲很震惊。

“My boy，” she said， “I dont think the King will agree to your proposal13.”

“孩子，”她说，“我觉得国王不会同意你的求婚。”

But Shell begged her again and again until she was gave up and went to the Kings house.

但是贝壳一次次请求她，最后她只得放弃反对，去了国王家里。

“My King， I have something important to say，” she said to the King.

“国王陛下，我有一件重要的事情要对您说。”她对国王说。

“Fear not good woman， what is it that you have to say？” asked the King.

“不要害怕，好心的女士，你有什么事情要说呢？”国王问。

“King， I have come with a marriage14 proposal. I want your daughters hand in marriage for my only son， Shell.”

“国王陛下，我是为一个求婚请求而来。我想为我唯一的儿子，贝壳，向您的女儿求婚。”

The King was shocked， but agreed15 to ask his daughter whether she would say yes. You can know how surprised and angry16 he was when he heard her daughter said yes.

国王很惊讶，但他同意去问他的女儿是否愿意让贝壳做她的丈夫。可想而知，在听到女儿说愿意的时候他有多么惊讶和生气。

“How can you marry Shell？ Have you not seen him？ Can you be happy with such a man？” the angry father asked his daughter.

“你怎么能嫁給贝壳呢？你没见过他吗？和这样一个男人生活在一起会幸福吗？”父亲生气地质问女儿。

But the daughter was ready to have none but Shell as her husband. The angry father shouted， “If you marry this Shell， I will get you out of the village.”

但是他女儿说除了贝壳她谁也不打算嫁。生气的父亲怒喊道：“如果你嫁给这个贝壳，我会把你们逐出村庄。”

But at last， Shell and the girl got married and they left the village to stay in a little house near it. Cut off from their friends and family， they lived in great difficulities for a week. But as that week passed， they started to find something different. The tiny Shell started to grow taller and taller until he soon became a tall and good-looking young man. His wife was very happy to see such a change in her husband.

但是最后，贝壳还是和这个女孩结婚了。他们离开了村庄，在不远的一个地方找了一个小房子住了下来。因为和朋友家人断了联系，所以他们最初一周的生活很艰苦。但是一周过去后，他们发现有不寻常的事情发生了。小贝壳开始越长越高，不久就变成了一个高大帅气的美男子。他的妻子很高兴丈夫有了这样的变化。

About this time， a god visited their house and told them that Shell had been enchanted17 by a devil18 when he was born. It was only the love of a good wife that could change him into a man. He asked them to go back to their village and tell everyone about it.

这时候，一个神仙来到他们家里告诉他们，贝壳刚出生的时候被一个魔鬼下了诅咒，只有一位好妻子的爱才能让他变成一个正常人。神仙让他们回到原来的村庄去，并且告知每一个人。

When the King saw Shell and he knew everything was true， he was very happy. He agreed them back into his village and since then， Shell lived happily with his parents and his beautiful wife.

当国王看见贝壳，知道这一切都是事实的时候，他很高兴。他同意他们回到村庄来，自此之后，贝壳和父母、美丽的妻子幸福地生活在了一起。

（英语原文选自：www.ryedu.net）

【Notes】

1. enchanted [. 壳，贝壳

3. couple [ [ adj. 天生的;出生的

5. abnormality] n. 异常;畸形 6. permission [          ] n. 允许，许可

7. mischief [         ] n. 顽皮 8. prank [] n. 恶作剧，开玩笑

9. drop [      ] v. 丢下 10. rebuke [         ] n. 指責，斥责

11. fall in love with爱上 12. shocked ] adj. 震惊的;震撼的

13. proposal [. 提议;求婚

14. marriage [ n. 结婚 marry [       ] v. 嫁;娶;与……结婚

15. agree [       ] v. 同意，赞成 16. angry [        ] adj. 生气的;愤怒的

17. enchant [          ] v. 使迷惑;施魔法 18. devil [      ] n. 魔鬼