《皇帝的新装》，1837 年
the Emperor’s New Suit, 1837
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安徒生所写的这个讲述说实话的孩子的故事赢得了许多赞赏者，因为它有力地歌颂了青春和纯真。
Andersen’s tale of the truth - speaking child has won many admirers because it pays powerful tribute to youth and innocence.
“当我还是个孩子的时候，” 历史学家露丝?罗森写道，“我最喜欢的故事是《皇帝的新装》。一群成年人赞扬皇帝的新衣橱，但是一个孩子脱口说出了真相：
“when I was a child,” historian Ruth Rosen writes, “my favorite story was ‘the Emperor’s New clothes.’ A chorus of adults praises the Emperor’s new wardrobe, but a child blurts out the truth:
皇帝实际上是完全赤裸的。
the Emperor is in fact stark naked.
从这个故事中，我了解到成年人可能会被胁迫而认可各种胡言乱语。”
From this tale, I learned that adults could be intimidated into endorsing all kinds of flummery.”
安徒生的这个故事包含着许多可能的教训，而且每个读者似乎都从中得到不同的信息。
Andersen’s tale is encoded with many possible lessons, and every reader seems to take a different message from it.
对于认知科学家史蒂文?平克来说，这个故事提供了一个 “关于集体幽默的颠覆力量的美妙寓言”，揭示了人多力量大以及笑声发出的 “不自觉、破坏性和有感染力的信号” 的力量。
For the cognitive scientist Steven pinker, the story offers a “nice parable of the subversive power of collective humor,” revealing the strength that es in numbers as well as the power of the “involuntary, disruptive, and contagious signal” sent by laughter.
安徒生故事中的孩子，无礼、无畏且充满活力，即使成年人 —— 恭敬、害怕且缺乏安全感 —— 太容易屈服于欺骗，他也向权势说出真相。
the child in Andersen’s story, who is irreverent, fearless, and spirited, speaks truth to power even as adults—deferential, intimidated, and insecure—succumb all too easily to deception.
孩子的声音使人们的注意力从故事中被描述为 “美丽的”、“可爱的”、“迷人的”、“无价的”、“精致的”、“非凡的”、“惊人的”、“极好的”、“壮丽的”、“卓越的” 和 “精美的” 东西上转移开了。
the voice of the child has diverted significant attention from something in the tale that is described as “beautiful,” “lovely,” “enchanting,” “priceless,” “exquisite,” “extraordinary,” “amazing,” “magnifique,” “splendid,” “superb,” and “delicate.”
虽然 “可爱的” 是安徒生最喜欢的词之一，并且被他反复使用，但在一个不到两千字的故事中发现这个词及其变体被如此频繁地使用，还是有点令人惊讶。
Although “lovely” was one of Andersen’s favorite words and was used by him repeatedly, it still es as something of a surprise to find that term and its variants used so often in a story with less than two thousand words.
更令人惊讶的是，这些形容词都描述了看不见的东西，一种不存在的布料和衣服。
And it is even more astonishing that those adjectives all describe something invisible, a cloth and clothing that do not exist.
正如故事的最后几句话告诉我们的那样，皇帝的拖裾，就像他的衣服一样，“根本不存在”。
the Emperor’s train, like his clothing, are “not there at all,” as the last words of the tale tell us.
这个集子中的第一个故事充分说明了安徒生的艺术。
the first story in this collection speaks volumes about Andersen’s art.
安徒生仅仅用文字就诱使美好的事物产生，他创造出会唱歌的夜莺、自己跳舞的鞋子、充满生命力的大理石雕像、挂满金色果实而闪闪发光的水下花园 —— 甚至还有一块 “根本不存在” 的布。
Using nothing but words to lure objects of beauty into being, Andersen creates nightingales that sing, shoes that dance on their own, marble statues that pulse with life, underwater gardens that glitter with golden fruit—and even a cloth that is “not there at all.”
在想象中，夜莺、鞋子、大理石雕像、花园和布都拥有一种辐射能量，使它们明显是真实的。
In the mind’s eye, the nightingale, the shoes, the marble statue, the gardens, and the cloth possess a radiant energy that makes them palpably real.
虽然看不见且 “根本不存在”，但它们仍然迷人、精致且可爱。
Invisible and “not there at all,” they still remain enchanting, exquisite, and lovely.
这些文字有某种激发力量，能让我们想象安徒生艺术构建的世界。
the words have a certain ignition power that allows us to imagine the world constructed by Andersen’s art.
《皇帝的新装》已经被翻译成一百多种语言，并且仍然引人入胜并激发模仿，正如最近出版的《皇帝的新装：全明星插图重述经典童话》所表明的那样。
“the Emperor’s New clothes” has been translated into over a hundred languages and continues to fascinate and inspire imitation, as the recent publication the Emperor’s New clothes: An All - Star Illustrated Retelling of the classic Fairy tale suggests.
在那本书中，露丝?韦斯特海默博士从宫廷御医的角度重新讲述这个故事；
In that volume, dr. Ruth westheimer refashions the story by narrating it from the point of view of an imperial physician;
卡尔文?克莱恩宣称 “没有什么能介于我和我的皇帝之间！”；
calvin Klein reports that “nothing es between me and my Emperor!”;
史蒂文?斯皮尔伯格扮演那个揭露皇帝赤身裸体的 “诚实男孩”。
and Steven Spielberg makes an appearance as the “honest boy” who blows the whistle on the Emperor’s birthday suit.
这个故事已经被改编成许多不同的媒介形式，1919 年尤里?热利亚布日斯基执导了一部同名的俄国电影，西尼德?奥康娜演唱了一首相关歌曲，1987 年有一部音乐剧由席德?西泽饰演皇帝，还有众多戏剧、短篇小说和动画电影对这个故事进行演绎或恶搞。
the tale has migrated into many different media, with a Russian film of that title directed by Yuri Zhelyabuzhsky in 1919, a song by Sinéad o’connor, a musical of 1987 with Sid caesar as Emperor, and numerous plays, short stories, and animated films that offer enactments or send - ups of the tale.
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许多许多年前有一位皇帝，他非常喜欢新衣服，以至于花光所有钱去得到它们；
many, many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them;
他唯一的志向就是总是穿着考究。
his only ambition was to be always well dressed.
他不关心他的士兵，剧院也不能让他感到愉悦；
he did not care for his soldiers, and the theatre did not amuse him;
事实上，他唯一在意的事情就是驾车出去展示一套新衣服。
the only thing, in fact, he thought anything of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes.
他一天中每个小时都有一件外套；
he had a coat for every hour of the day;
就像人们会说一位国王 “他在他的内阁（办公室）里” 一样，人们也可以说他，“皇帝在他的更衣室里。”
and as one would say of a king “he is in his cabinet,” so one could say of him, “the emperor is in his dressing - room.”
他居住的大城市非常欢乐；
the great city where he resided was very gay;
每天有许多来自世界各地的陌生人到来。
every day many strangers from all parts of the globe arrived.
一天，两个骗子来到了这个城市；
one day two swindlers came to this city;
他们让人们相信他们是织工，并宣称他们能织出能想象到的最精美的布。
they made people believe that they were weavers, and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined.
他们说，他们的颜色和图案不仅格外美丽，而且用他们的材料制成的衣服有一个奇妙的特性：任何不称职或者愚蠢得不可救药的人都看不见。
their colours and patterns, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made of their material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid.
“那一定是很棒的布，” 皇帝想。
“that must be wonderful cloth,” thought the emperor.
“如果我穿上用这种布做的衣服，我就能找出我的帝国里哪些人不称职，我就能区分聪明人和愚蠢的人。
“If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid.
我必须马上让人给我织这种布。”
I must have this cloth woven for me without delay.”
于是他预先给了骗子一大笔钱，好让他们立刻开始工作。
And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time.
他们支起了两架织布机，假装非常努力地工作，但在织布机上什么也没做。
they set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on the looms.
他们索要最精美的丝绸和最贵重的金布；
they asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold - cloth;
他们把得到的东西都拿走了，在空织布机上一直工作到深夜。
all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.
“我很想知道他们织布织得怎么样了，” 皇帝想。
“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth,” thought the emperor.
但当他想起不称职的人是看不见这布的时候，他就感到相当不安。
but he felt rather uneasy when he remembered that he who was not fit for his office could not see it.
就他个人而言，他认为自己没什么好害怕的，但他还是觉得先派别人去看看情况比较明智。
personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood.
城里的每个人都知道这种布料有多么非凡的特性，所有人都急于看看他们的邻居有多坏或者有多愚蠢。
Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality the stuff possessed, and all were anxious to see how bad or stupid their neighbours were.
“我要派我诚实的老大臣去织工那儿，” 皇帝想。
“I shall send my honest old minister to the weavers,” thought the emperor.
“他最能判断这布料看起来怎么样，因为他很聪明，没有人比他更了解自己的职责。”
“he can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he.”
这位善良的老大臣走进骗子们坐在空织布机前的房间。
the good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms.
“上天保佑我们！” 他想，然后睁大了眼睛，“我根本什么都看不见，” 但他没有说出来。
“heaven preserve us!” he thought, and opened his eyes wide, “I cannot see anything at all,” but he did not say so.
两个骗子都请他走近些，指着空织布机问他是否不欣赏这精美的图案和美丽的颜色。
both swindlers requested him to e near, and asked him if he did not admire the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing to the empty looms.
可怜的老大臣尽了最大的努力，但他什么也看不见，因为根本没有东西可看。
the poor old minister tried his very best, but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen.
“哦，天哪，” 他想，“我会这么愚蠢吗？
“oh dear,” he thought, “can I be so stupid?
我从来没有这样想过，而且谁也不能知道这件事！有没有可能我不称职呢？
I should never have thought so, and nobody must know it! Is it possible that I am not fit for my office?
不，不，我不能说我看不见布。”
No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth.”
“喂，你没有什么话要说吗？”
“Now, have you got nothing to say?”
其中一个骗子说，同时假装忙着织布。
said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to be busily weaving.
“哦，它非常漂亮，极其美丽，” 老大臣透过眼镜看了看回答说。
“oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful,” replied the old minister looking through his glasses.
“多么美丽的图案，多么鲜艳的颜色啊！我要告诉皇帝我非常喜欢这块布。”
“what a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the cloth very much.”
“我们很高兴听到这个消息，” 两个织工说，然后向他描述了颜色并解释了奇特的图案。
“we are pleased to hear that,” said the two weavers, and described to him the colours and explained the curious pattern.
老大臣仔细地听着，以便能向皇帝转述他们的话；他也确实这么做了。
the old minister listened attentively, that he might relate to the emperor what they said; and so he did.
现在骗子们索要更多的钱、丝绸和金布，这些是他们织布所需的。
Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold - cloth, which they required for weaving.
他们把所有东西都据为己有，没有一根线靠近织布机，但他们像以前一样继续在空织布机上工作。
they kept everything for themselves, and not a thread came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto, to work at the empty looms.
不久之后，皇帝又派了另一位诚实的朝臣去织工那里看看他们进展如何，布是否快织好了。
Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished.
和老大臣一样，他看了又看，但什么也看不见，因为没有东西可看。
Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could see nothing, as there was nothing to be seen.
“这不是一块漂亮的布吗？”
“Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?”
两个骗子问道，展示并解释着那华丽的图案，然而这图案并不存在。
asked the two swindlers, showing and explaining the magnificent pattern, which, however, did not exist.
“我不愚蠢，” 这个人说。
“I am not stupid,” said the man.
“所以是我良好的职位我不称职。”
“It is therefore my good appointment for which I am not fit.
这很奇怪，但我绝不能让任何人知道；”
It is very strange, but I must not let any one know it;”
他赞扬了他看不见的布，并且对美丽的颜色和精美的图案表示高兴。
and he praised the cloth, which he did not see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine pattern.
“这非常棒，” 他对皇帝说。
“It is very excellent,” he said to the emperor.
城里的每个人都在谈论这块珍贵的布。
Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth.
最后，皇帝想在布还在织布机上的时候亲自去看看。
At last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the loom.
他带着一群朝臣，包括已经去过的那两位，去见那两个聪明的骗子，这两个骗子现在正拼命地干着活，但并没有用任何线。
with a number of courtiers, including the two who had already been there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked as hard as they could, but without using any thread.
“这难道不华丽吗？”
“Is it not magnificent?”
之前去过的两位老臣说。
said the two old statesmen who had been there before.
“陛下一定会欣赏这颜色和图案的。”
“Your majesty must admire the colours and the pattern.”
然后他们指着空织布机，因为他们以为其他人能看到布。
And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they imagined the others could see the cloth.
“这是怎么回事？”
“what is this?”
皇帝想，“我根本什么都看不见。
thought the emperor, “I do not see anything at all.
这太可怕了！我是愚蠢的吗？
that is terrible! Am I stupid?
我不配当皇帝吗？
Am I unfit to be emperor?
那对我来说确实是可能发生的最可怕的事情了。”
that would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me.”
“真的，” 他转身对织工说，“你们的布得到了我们最仁慈的认可；”
“Really,” he said, turning to the weavers, “your cloth has our most gracious approval;”
他心满意足地点点头，看着空织布机，因为他不想说他什么也没看到。
and nodding contentedly he looked at the empty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing.
和他在一起的所有侍从看了又看，虽然他们和其他人一样什么也看不见，但他们像皇帝一样说：“这非常漂亮。”
All his attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others, they said, like the emperor, “It is very beautiful.”
所有人都建议他在即将举行的盛大游行中穿上这华丽的新衣。
And all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place.
“华丽、漂亮、极好，” 人们听到他们这样说；
“It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent,” one heard them say;
每个人似乎都很高兴，皇帝任命这两个骗子为 “宫廷织工”。
everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers “Imperial court weavers.”
游行前的一整晚，骗子们假装在工作，还点了十六根以上的蜡烛。
the whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers pretended to work, and burned more than sixteen candles.
人们应该看到他们正忙着完成皇帝的新衣。
people should see that they were busy to finish the emperor’s new suit.
他们假装从织布机上取下布料，在空中用大剪刀比划着裁剪，用没有线的针缝着，最后说：
they pretended to take the cloth from the loom, and worked about in the air with big scissors, and sewed with needles without thread, and said at last:
“皇帝的新衣现在做好了。”
“the emperor’s new suit is ready now.”
皇帝和他所有的贵族们随后来到大厅；
the emperor and all his barons then came to the hall;
骗子们举起手臂，好像手里拿着什么东西似的说道：
the swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in their hands and said:
“这是裤子！”“这是上衣！” 还有 “这是披风！” 等等。
“these are the trousers!” “this is the coat!” and “here is the cloak!” and so on.
“它们都轻如蛛网，穿上后肯定会感觉好像身上什么都没穿一样；
“they are all as light as a cobweb, and one must feel as if one had nothing at all upon the body;
但这正是它们的美妙之处。”
but that is just the beauty of them.”
“的确！” 所有的朝臣都说；
“Indeed!” said all the courtiers;
但他们什么也看不见，因为根本就没有东西可看。
but they could not see anything, for there was nothing to be seen.
“陛下现在是否愿意仁慈地脱下衣服，” 骗子们说，“这样我们就可以在大镜子前帮陛下穿上新衣了？”
“does it please your majesty now to graciously undress,” said the swindlers, “that we may assist your majesty in putting on the new suit before the large looking - glass?”
皇帝脱下衣服，骗子们假装一件又一件地给他穿上新衣；
the emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit upon him, one piece after another;
皇帝从各个角度在镜子里看着自己。
and the emperor looked at himself in the glass from every side.
“它们看起来多好啊！多么合身啊！” 所有人都说。
“how well they look! how well they fit!” said all.
“多么美丽的图案！多么漂亮的颜色！这是一套华丽的衣服！”
“what a beautiful pattern! what fine colours! that is a magnificent suit of clothes!”
典礼官宣布，游行中要抬的华盖的抬夫们已经准备好了。
the master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was to be carried in the procession, were ready.
“我准备好了，” 皇帝说。
“I am ready,” said the emperor.
“我的衣服不是很合身吗？”
“does not my suit fit me marvellously?”
然后他又一次转向镜子，好让人们以为他在欣赏自己的衣服。
then he turned once more to the looking - glass, that people should think he admired his garments.
那些要托着后裾的侍从们把手伸到地上，好像他们托起了一个后裾，并且假装手里拿着什么东西；
the chamberlains, who were to carry the train, stretched their hands to the ground as if they lifted up a train, and pretended to hold something in their hands;
他们不想让人们知道他们什么都看不见。
they did not like people to know that they could not see anything.
皇帝在美丽的华盖下走在游行队伍中，街上和从窗户往外看的所有人都惊呼：
the emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him in the street and out of the windows exclaimed:
“真的，皇帝的新衣无与伦比！他的后裾好长啊！多么合身啊！” 没有人愿意让别人知道自己什么都没看见，因为那样的话，他就会被认为不称职或者太愚蠢。
“Indeed, the emperor’s new suit is inparable! what a long train he has! how well it fits him!” Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid.
皇帝的衣服从未受到过如此的赞赏。
Never emperor’s clothes were more admired.
“可是他什么衣服也没穿呀，” 最后一个小孩说道。
“but he has nothing on at all,” said a little child at last.
“天哪！听听这天真无邪的孩子的声音，” 父亲说道，人们一个接一个地低声转述着孩子的话。
“Good heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said.
“可是他什么衣服也没穿呀，” 最后所有的人都叫了起来。
“but he has nothing on at all,” cried at last the whole people.
这给皇帝留下了深刻的印象，因为在他看来，他们是对的；
that made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right;
但他心里想：“现在我必须硬着头皮撑到最后。”
but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.”
侍从们走起路来更加趾高气扬，仿佛他们托着那条根本不存在的后裾。
And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train which did not exist.