少儿双语格林童话：三片蛇叶

Once upon a time there was a poor man who could no longer afford to keep his only son. So his son said:" Dear father, you have fallen on very hard times and I'm a burden to you; it will be better if I go away and try to earn my living." His father gave him his blessing1 and took leave of him with great sadness. At this time the king of a powerful kingdom was engaged in a war; the young man took service with him and joined the fighting. And when they met the enemy a battle took place, and there was great peril2 and a great hail of bullets, with his comrades falling all round him. And when even the commander was killed the rest wanted to take to their heels, but the young man stepped forward and rallied them, crying:" We must not let our fatherland perish." At this the others followed him, and he pressed forward and defeated the enemy. When the king heard that he owed the victory to him alone, he raised him above all the others, gave him great wealth and made him the first man in his kingdom.

The king had a daughter who was very beautiful, but there was also something very strange about her. She had made a vow3 to take no man for her lord and husband unless he promised to let himself be buried alive with her if she died before him. "If he truly loves me," she said, "why would he want to go on living?" In return she was prepared to do the same for him and go down into the grave with him if he died first. This strange vow had hitherto deterred4 all suitors, but the young man was so entranced by her beauty that he was heedless of everything, and asked her father for her hand. "But do you know what promise you will have to make?" said the king. "I shall have to go to her grave with her if I outlive her," he replied, "but my love is so great that I care not for this danger." Then the king consented and the marriage wascelebrated5 with great magnificence.

从前，有个穷人。他穷得连自己的独生儿子都养不起。于是他儿子说：“爸爸，您的处境太困难了，我也是您的负担。这样倒不如让我出去闯一闯，挣口饭吃。”父亲为儿子祈祷祝福，非常难过地和儿子分手了。恰在这个时候，有个强国的国王正在作战，这个年轻人就跟随着国王上了战场。他们遇到敌人，开始战斗了。在枪林弹雨中，身边的战友都倒下了，甚至有的军官也战死了，活着的都想逃跑。这时候年轻人走上前来为大家鼓气，他大声喊道：“不能让我们的祖国灭亡!”于是，人们都跟随他向前冲，打垮了敌军。国王听说多亏了这个年轻人才取得胜利的消息，就把他提升到很高的位置，并给了他很多财宝。他在王宫里是一人之下，万人之上。

国王有个公主，非常美丽，只是性情有些古怪。她选择丈夫的条件是：如果公主先死，活着的丈夫必须和她一起埋葬，否则，就不能成为她的丈夫。公主说：“如果他真心爱我，我死了，他为什么还要活着呢?”同样，如果丈夫先死了，她也准备跟着一起进坟墓。这个古怪的誓约，吓退了所有的求婚人。可是，公主的美貌，让这个年轻人陶醉。他义无返顾地向国王要求娶公主为妻。国王说：“你知道应该答应她些什么吗?”“如果公主死了，而我还活着，我就会和她一起进坟墓。”年轻人回答说：“我爱她爱得那么强烈，深沉，就顾不得什么危险了。”于是国王同意了。他们举行了非常隆重的婚礼。