Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in high spirits.

國王為了給自己的兒子選擇未婚妻，準備舉辦一個為期三天的盛大宴會，邀請了不少年青漂亮的姑娘來參加。王子打算從這些參加舞會的姑娘中選一個作自己的新娘?；夜媚锏膬蓚€姐姐也被邀請去參加。

They called Cinderella, saying, "Comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king's castle."

她們把她叫來說道：“現(xiàn)在來為我們梳好頭發(fā)，擦亮鞋子，系好腰帶，我們要去參加國王舉辦的舞會。”

Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go.

她按她們的要求給她們收拾打扮完畢后，禁不住哭了起來，因為她自己也想去參加舞會。她苦苦哀求她的繼母讓她去。

"You, Cinderella?" she said. "You, all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to the festival?. You have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!"

可繼母說道：“哎喲！灰姑娘，你也想去?你穿什么去呀！你連禮服也沒有，甚至連舞也不會跳，你想去參加什么舞會啊?”

However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, "I have scattered a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then you may go with us."

灰姑娘不停地哀求著，為了擺脫她的糾纏，繼母最后說道：“我把這一滿盆碗豆倒進灰堆里去，如果你在兩小時內把它們都揀出來了，你就可以去參加宴會。”說完，她將一盆碗豆倒進灰燼里，揚長而去。

The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather: The good ones go into the pot, The bad ones go into your crop."

灰姑娘沒辦法，只好跑出后門來到花園里喊道： “掠過天空的鴿子和斑鳩， 飛來吧！飛到這里來吧！ 快樂的鳥雀朋友們， 飛來吧！快快飛到這里來吧！ 大伙快來幫我忙， 快快揀出灰中的碗豆來吧！ 好豆子放到小盆里， 壞豆子吃進嘴。”

Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowl. Hardly one hour had passed before they were finished, and they all flew out again.

先飛來的是從廚房窗子進來的兩只白鴿，跟著飛來的是兩只斑鳩，接著天空中所有的小鳥都嘰嘰喳喳地拍動著翅膀，飛到了灰堆上。小白鴿低下頭開始在灰堆里揀起來，一顆一顆地揀，不停地揀！其它的鳥兒也開始揀，一顆一顆地揀，不停地揀！它們把所有的好豆子都從灰里揀出來放到了一個盤子里面，只用一個小時就揀完了。她向它們道謝后，鳥雀從窗子里飛走開了。

The girl took the bowl to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them.

她懷著興奮的心情，端著盤子去找繼母，以為自己可以去參加舞宴了。

But the stepmother said, "No, Cinderella, you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. Everyone would only laugh at you."

但她卻說道：“不行，不行！你這個邋遢女孩，你沒有禮服，不會跳舞，你只會給我們丟臉?！?/div>

Cinderella began to cry, and then the stepmother said, "You may go if you are able to pick two bowls of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour," thinking to herself, "She will never be able to do that."

灰姑娘開始哭泣。繼母這次說道：“如果你能在一個小時之內把這樣的兩盤碗豆從灰堆里揀出來，你就可以去了?！崩^母心想，“她絕對做不到的?！?/div>

The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather: The good ones go into the pot, The bad ones go into your crop."

小姑娘又跑到屋后的花園里和前次一樣地喊道： “掠過天空的鴿子和斑鳩， 飛來吧！飛到這里來吧！ 快樂的鳥雀朋友們， 飛來吧！快快飛到這里來吧！ 大伙快來幫我忙， 快快揀出灰中的碗豆來吧！ 好豆子放到小盆里， 壞豆子吃進嘴。”

Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowls. Before a half hour had passed they were finished, and they all flew out again.

先飛來的是從廚房窗子進來的兩只白鴿，跟著飛來的是兩只斑鳩，接著天空中所有的小鳥都嘰嘰喳喳地拍動著翅膀，飛到了灰堆上。小白鴿低下頭開始在灰堆里揀起來，一顆一顆地揀，不停地揀！其它的鳥兒也開始揀，一顆一顆地揀，不停地揀！它們把所有的好豆子都從灰里揀出來放到了盤子里面，這次只用半個小時就揀完了。鳥雀們又飛走了。

The girl took the bowls to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them.

之后，灰姑娘端著盤子去找繼母，懷著極其興奮的心情，以為自己可以去參加舞會了。

But the stepmother said, "It's no use. You are not coming with us, for you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. We would be ashamed of you." With this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud daughters.

但繼母卻說道：“算了！你別再白費勁了，你是不能去的。你沒有禮服，不會跳舞，你只會給我們丟臉?！闭f完他們夫妻與她自己的兩個女兒出發(fā)參加宴會去了。

最好的兒童英文故事系列>>