THERE is nobody in the world who knows so many stories as Ole-Luk-Oie, or who can relate them so nicely. In the evening, while the children are seated at the table or in their little chairs, he comes up the stairs very softly, for he walks in his socks, then he opens the doors without the slightest noise, and throws a small quantity of very fine dust in their eyes, just enough to prevent them from keeping them open, and so they do not see him. Then he creeps behind them, and blows softly upon their necks, till their heads begin to droop. But Ole-Luk-Oie does not wish to hurt them, for he is very fond of children, and only wants them to be quiet that he may relate to them pretty stories, and they never are quiet until they are in bed and asleep. As soon as they are asleep, Ole-Luk-Oie seats himself upon the bed. He is nicely dressed; his coat is made of silken stuff; it is impossible to say of what color, for it changes from green to red, and from red to blue as he turns from side to side. Under each arm he carries an umbrella; one of them, with pictures on the inside, he spreads over the good children, and then they dream the most beautiful stories the whole night. But the other umbrella has no pictures, and this he holds over the naughty children so that they sleep heavily, and wake in the morning without having dreamed at all.
这个世界上没有人能像梦神那样知道非常多的故事，或许也没有他会说的那么好。夜晚来临，当孩子们坐在桌子旁边或者坐在小椅子上，梦神穿着袜子走路，轻轻的走到楼梯上，然后没有弄出一丝噪音，打开了房门，朝孩子们的眼睛里撒入少量的细灰，足够让他们忍不住闭上眼睛，这样他们就看不见他了。然后梦神敲敲的移动到他们的背后，然后轻轻的朝他们的脖子上吹气，直到他们的头开始打瞌睡。但是梦神是不会伤害他们的，他非常喜欢孩子，他只是希望他在给他们讲述美丽的故事的时候，孩子们可以保持安静。否则他们直到上床睡觉也不会保持安静的。只要他们一睡着，梦神就会坐在他们的床边。梦神的穿着很考究，他的大衣是丝质的，你根本说不出来它的颜色，因为当他从一边转到另一边的时候，大衣的颜色可以从绿色变为红，又从红色变为蓝色。他的胳膊下面各夹着一把雨伞；有一把里面有一些图片，他把它撑开放在好孩子身上，然后他们可以一整晚都做非常美妙的梦。但是另一把雨伞没有图片，他把这把伞撑在淘气的孩子身上，所以他们睡得很沉，一直到早上醒来也没有做任何梦。
Now we shall hear how Ole-Luk-Oie came every night during a whole week to the little boy named Hjalmar, and what he told him. There were seven stories, as there are seven days in the week.
现在我们来听听看梦神是如何在一整周的夜晚都来到一个叫Hjalmar的小男孩身边，然后给他讲故事。因为一周有7天，所以有7个故事。
Monday
“NOW pay attention,” said Ole-Luk-Oie, in the evening, when Hjalmar was in bed, “and I will decorate the room.”Immediately all the flowers in the flower-pots became large trees, with long branches reaching to the ceiling, and stretching along the walls, so that the whole room was like a greenhouse. All the branches were loaded with flowers, each flower as beautiful and as fragrant as a rose; and, had any one tasted them, he would have found them sweeter even than jam. The fruit glittered like gold, and there were cakes so full of plums that they were nearly bursting. It was incomparably beautiful. At the same time sounded dismal moans from the table-drawer in which lay Hjalmar’s school books.
周一
“现在请注意了，”夜晚来临，Hjalmar躺在床上，梦神说道。“我要装饰一下房子。”突然花盆里所有的话都开始变成大树，大树长长的树枝到达天花板，沿着墙壁伸展。所以整个房间看起来像一个温室。所有的树枝都长满鲜花，每一朵花都和玫瑰一样又美又香。如果有人品尝到它们，他一定会发现这些花比果酱还甜。果实像金子一般闪闪发亮，所有的蛋糕都填满李子，都快要溢出来了。这真的无比美妙。与此同时，装有Hialmar学校的书本的桌子抽屉里突然发出一声凄凉的呻吟声。
“What can that be now?” said Ole-Luk-Oie, going to the table and pulling out the drawer.
“这是什么呢？”梦神说道，走到桌子旁，然后打开抽屉。
It was a slate, in such distress because of a false number in the sum, that it had almost broken itself to pieces. The pencil pulled and tugged at its string as if it were a little dog that wanted to help, but could not.
原来是写字的石板在痛苦地抽筋，因为一个错误的数字跑进总和里去，几乎要把它打散了。写字板上系的那只铅笔在那根线上蹦蹦跳跳，就好像一只小狗，他想要去帮助总和，但是没办法下手。
And then came a moan from Hjalmar’s copy-book. Oh, it was quite terrible to hear! On each leaf stood a row of capital letters, every one having a small letter by its side. This formed a copy; under these were other letters, which Hjalmar had written: they fancied they looked like the copy, but they were mistaken; for they were leaning on one side as if they intended to fall over the pencil-lines.
然后哈吉马的练习簿里又发出一声哀嚎声。哦，这听起来真的太可怕了！每一页上的大写字母一个接一个的排成一行，每个大写字母旁边都有一个小写字母，它们也排成线，这就是写字的范本。在这些整齐的字母下面还有一些字母，这些都是哈吉马写的，这些字母以为自己和范本一样好看整齐，但是它们充满错误，东倒西歪，就要溢出直线外面了。
“See, this is the way you should hold yourselves,” said the copy. “Look here, you should slope thus, with a graceful curve.”
“你们要知道，你们应该以这种方式站着，”范本说道。“看这里，你们应该以一个优美的弧线倾斜你们自己。”
“Oh, we are very willing to do so, but we cannot,” said Hjalmar’s letters; “we are so wretchedly made.”
“哦，我们真的很乐意这么做，但是我们做不到，”哈吉马写的字母说道，“我们的身体实在太差了。”
“You must be scratched out, then,” said Ole-Luk-Oie.
“那你们一定需要吃点药了。”梦神说道。
“Oh, no!” they cried, and then they stood up so gracefully it was quite a pleasure to look at them.
“哦，不要！”它们尖叫到，然后他们站的笔直而优雅，看着真叫人舒服。
“Now we must give up our stories, and exercise these letters,” said Ole-Luk-Oie; “One, two—one, two—” So he drilled them till they stood up gracefully, and looked as beautiful as a copy could look. But after Ole-Luk-Oie was gone, and Hjalmar looked at them in the morning, they were as wretched and as awkward as ever.
“现在我们必须放弃故事，来训练这些字母，”梦神说道；“一，一二，二。”他训练它们直到它们能够站的很优雅，看起来就和范本一样美丽。但是，梦神走了之后，早晨哈吉马看到这些字母还是和之前一样虚弱和笨拙。
Tuesday
AS soon as Hjalmar was in bed, Ole-Luk-Oie touched, with his little magic wand, all the furniture in the room, which immediately began to chatter, and each article only talked of itself.
周二
哈吉马一上床，梦神就用他的小魔法棒触碰了房间里所有的家具，它们立马开始喋喋不休的说起话来，每一个物品都在谈论自己。
Over the chest of drawers hung a large picture in a gilt frame, representing a landscape, with fine old trees, flowers in the grass, and a broad stream, which flowed through the wood, past several castles, far out into the wild ocean. Ole-Luk-Oie touched the picture with his magic wand, and immediately the birds commenced singing, the branches of the trees rustled, and the clouds moved across the sky, casting their shadows on the landscape beneath them. Then Ole-Luk-Oie lifted little Hjalmar up to the frame, and placed his feet in the picture, just on the high grass, and there he stood with the sun shining down upon him through the branches of the trees. He ran to the water, and seated himself in a little boat which lay there, and which was painted red and white. The sails glittered like silver, and six swans, each with a golden circlet round its neck, and a bright blue star on its forehead, drew the boat past the green wood, where the trees talked of robbers and witches, and the flowers of beautiful little elves and fairies, whose histories the butterflies had related to them. Brilliant fish, with scales like silver and gold, swam after the boat, sometimes making a spring and splashing the water round them, while birds, red and blue, small and great, flew after him in two long lines. The gnats danced round them, and the cockchafers cried “Buz, buz.” They all wanted to follow Hjalmar, and all had some story to tell him. It was a most pleasant sail. Sometimes the forests were thick and dark, sometimes like a beautiful garden, it with sunshine and flowers; then he passed great palaces of glass and of marble, and on the balconies stood princesses, whose faces were those of little girls whom Hjalmar knew well, and had often played with. One of them held out her hand, in which was a heart made of sugar, more beautiful than any confectioner ever sold. As Hjalmar sailed by, he caught hold of one side of the sugar heart, and held it fast, and the princess held fast also, so that it broke in two pieces. Hjalmar had one piece, and the princess the other, but Hjalmar’s was the largest. At each castle stood little princes acting as sentinels. They presented arms, and had golden swords, and made it rain plums and tin soldiers, so that they must have been real princes.
抽屉的上面挂着一个装着很大一副画的镀金相框，它是一副风景画，画上有老树，草丛里开着花，一条狭长的溪流穿过森林，穿过几座城堡，远远流入野外的海洋。梦神用它的魔法棒触碰了风景画，鸟儿立刻开始唱起歌来，树枝也开始摇摆起来，云朵在天空中随风飘动，在下面的陆地上投下它们的阴影。然后梦神把哈吉马举起来放进相框里，他的脚伸进了画里，他站在高高的草上，阳光透过树枝照耀在他身上。他跑进了水里，然后坐在一条停在旁边的小船上，这条小船被填充了红色和白色。船帆银光闪耀，水面上有六只天鹅，每只天鹅的脖子上有一个黄金项圈，它们的前额上都有一颗天蓝色星星。拖着这条小船穿过绿色的森林，这里的树木都在谈论强盗和女巫的故事。花儿讲述着小山精小精灵的故事，蝴蝶告诉他们的故事。那些鳞片闪烁这金银之光的鱼儿，跟在小船后面游着，有时候突然跳跃起来，在它们周围溅起水花来，红色的鸟，蓝色的鸟，小的鸟，大的鸟飞在他的身后，飞成两条长长的直线。蚊蚋在它们周围跳舞，金龟子在旁边叫着“唧！唧！”它们都想跟着哈吉马，所有人都有故事要告诉哈吉马。这真是一场美妙的航行。有时候森林特别浓密黑暗，有时候又像一个美丽的充满阳光与花朵的花园，然后他经过了一个用玻璃砖和大理石修建的宫殿，阳台上站着好几个公主，这几个小女孩哈吉马都认识，他和她们玩耍过。其中一个公主伸出她的手，手上有一个比任何一个外面卖的糖果都漂亮的糖心。当哈吉马航行经过那里的时候，他抓住了糖心的一边，然后紧紧抓着它，公主也紧紧的抓着糖心的另一边，所以糖心碎成了两半。哈吉马得到了一半，公主得到了另一半，但是哈吉马的那一半是最大的。每一个城堡都站着一些小王子，他们就像哨兵一样。他们配备这武器，佩戴者黄金剑，向他撒葡萄干和锡兵。他们真不愧是真正的王子啊。
Hjalmar continued to sail, sometimes through woods, sometimes as it were through large halls, and then by large cities. At last he came to the town where his nurse lived, who had carried him in her arms when he was a very little boy, and had always been kind to him. She nodded and beckoned to him, and then sang the little verses she had herself composed and set to him,—
哈吉马继续航行，有时候穿过森林，有时候穿过宽广的大厅，有时候穿过很大的城市。最后他到了一座住着他的看护的小镇，当他还是个孩子的时候，她把他抱在怀里，一直对他非常好。她向他点头致意，然后向他唱着她自己编写的诗歌：
“How oft my memory turns to thee,
My own Hjalmar, ever dear!
When I could watch thy infant glee,
Or kiss away a pearly tear.
’Twas in my arms thy lisping tongue
First spoke the half-remembered word,
While o’er thy tottering steps I hung,
My fond protection to afford.
Farewell! I pray the Heavenly Power
To keep thee till thy dying hour.”
And all the birds sang the same tune, the flowers danced on their stems, and the old trees nodded as if Ole-Luk-Oie had been telling them stories as well.
所有的鸟儿都在唱着这首诗歌，花儿在它的花茎上舞着，大树向他点头致意，就像梦神在跟他们说故事一样。
Wednesday
HOW the rain did pour down! Hjalmar could hear it in his sleep;. and when Ole-Luk-Oie opened the window, the water flowed quite up to the window-sill. It had the appearance of a large lake outside, and a beautiful ship lay close to the house.
周三
外面的雨下的真大啊！哈吉马就算睡着了也能听见雨声；当梦神打开窗户的时候，雨水都被吹进窗台上了。外面出现了一条很大的湖，一艘漂亮的船就停在房子的旁边。
“Wilt thou sail with me to-night, little Hjalmar?” said Ole-Luk-Oie; “then we shall see foreign countries, and thou shalt return here in the morning.”
“小哈吉马，你愿意今晚和我一起航行吗？”梦神说道；“我们可以去外国，你在早上的时候就一定可以回来了。”
All in a moment, there stood Hjalmar, in his best clothes, on the deck of the noble ship; and immediately the weather became fine. They sailed through the streets, round by the church, and on every side rolled the wide, great sea. They sailed till the land disappeared, and then they saw a flock of storks, who had left their own country, and were travelling to warmer climates. The storks flew one behind the other, and had already been a long, long time on the wing. One of them seemed so tired that his wings could scarcely carry him. He was the last of the row, and was soon left very far behind. At length he sunk lower and lower, with outstretched wings, flapping them in vain, till his feet touched the rigging of the ship, and he slided from the sails to the deck, and stood before them. Then a sailor-boy caught him, and put him in the hen-house, with the fowls, the ducks, and the turkeys, while the poor stork stood quite bewildered amongst them.
哈吉马立马就站起来，穿上他最好的衣服，站在那精美的船上的甲板上。天气立刻就变好了。他们航行穿过几条街道，绕过教堂，现在他们面前展开一片汪洋大海。他们航行着一直到陆地消失，然后他们看到鹳鸟群，它们离开自己的国家，飞去温暖的国家。鹳鸟们一只接一只的飞着，它们已经飞了很长一段时间了。它们其中的一只看起来特别累以至于几乎都飞不动了，他在队伍的最后一排，然后很快就落后的很远。他徒劳的闪动着翅膀，最后慢慢的沉下来，直到它的脚碰到船的桅杆，它从船帆滑翔到甲板上，然后站在他们面前。然后一个水手男孩抓住他，并把它关到装着水鸟，鸭子和火鸡的鸡笼里，这只可怜的鹳鸟不知所措的站在它们当中。
“Just look at that fellow,” said the chickens.
“看看这个家伙。”小鸡们说道。
Then the turkey-cock puffed himself out as large as he could, and inquired who he was; and the ducks waddled backwards, crying, “Quack, quack.”
然后雄火鸡尽可能的膨胀它自己，询问它是谁，鸭子们向后跳，大叫到“嘎嘎”
Then the stork told them all about warm Africa, of the pyramids, and of the ostrich, which, like a wild horse, runs across the desert. But the ducks did not understand what he said, and quacked amongst themselves, “We are all of the same opinion; namely, that he is stupid.”
鹳鸟告诉他们关于温暖非洲的金字塔，像野马一样在沙漠上奔跑的鸵鸟。但是鸭子不明白他在说什么，在它们当中继续嘎嘎叫，“我们所有人有个相同的观点，那就是他是个傻瓜。”
“Yes, to be sure, he is stupid,” said the turkey-cock; and gobbled.
“是的，可以确定的是，他是个傻瓜。”雄火鸡咯咯叫到。
Then the stork remained quite silent, and thought of his home in Africa.
然后鹳鸟保持安静了，想象着它在非洲的家。
“Those are handsome thin legs of yours,” said the turkey-cock. “What do they cost a yard?”
“你这帅气的细腿，”雄火鸡说道，“花了多少钱？”
“Quack, quack, quack,” grinned the ducks; but, the stork pretended not to hear.
“嘎嘎嘎”鸭子讥笑道，但是鹳鸟假装没听到。
“You may as well laugh,” said the turkey; “for that remark was rather witty, or perhaps it was above you. Ah, ah, is he not clever? He will be a great amusement to us while he remains here.” And then he gobbled, and the ducks quacked, “Gobble, gobble; Quack, quack.”
“你也应该笑的，”火鸡说；“因为这个说法很机智，或者对你来说比较下流不成？哈哈，他真不是一个聪明的人，他一直留在这儿的话，对我们来说将会是一个非常好的消遣。”然后他开始讥笑到，鸭子嘎嘎叫到，“嘲笑嘲笑，嘎嘎嘎”
What a terrible uproar they made, while they were having such fun among themselves!
当它们正在它们当中嘲笑着的时候，弄出来可怕的喧嚣。
Then Hjalmar went to the hen-house; and, opening the door, called to the stork. Then he hopped out on the deck. He had rested himself now, and he looked happy, and seemed as if he nodded to Hjalmar, as if to thank him. Then he spread his wings, and flew away to warmer countries, while the hens clucked, the ducks quacked, and the turkey-cock turned quite scarlet in the head.
然后哈吉马去了鸡笼，打开鸡笼的门，把鹳鸟叫出来，然后它跳到甲板上。他终于让他自己放心下来了，它看起来很开心，它向哈吉马点头致意像是在感谢他。然后它展开他的翅膀，飞向温暖的国家。当母鸡吵闹起来，鸭子嘎嘎叫，雄火鸡的脑袋变得猩红。
“To-morrow you shall be made into soup,” said Hjalmar to the fowls; and then he awoke, and found himself lying in his little bed.
“明天你就要被做成汤，”哈吉马对水鸟说；然后他就醒来，发现他自己躺在他的小床上。
It was a wonderful journey which Ole-Luk-Oie had made him take this night.
梦神给他的这个夜晚真是一场美妙的旅行啊。
Thursday
“WHAT do you think I have got here?” said Ole-Luk-Oie, “Do not be frightened, and you shall see a little mouse.” And then he held out his hand to him, in which lay a lovely little creature. “It has come to invite you to a wedding. Two little mice are going to enter into the marriage state tonight. They reside under the floor of your mother’s store-room, and that must be a fine dwelling-place.”
周四
“你知道我带了什么东西来吗？”梦神说道，“不要害怕，你会看到一只肖小老鼠。”然后他朝他伸手，手上躺着一只可爱的小东西。“它来邀请你去参加一场婚礼。今晚有两只老鼠要进入婚姻殿堂，他们居住在你妈妈的储物室的地板下，那里一定是个适合居住的地方。”
“But how can I get through the little mouse-hole in the floor?” asked Hjalmar.
“但是我怎么能穿过这个地板上的小老鼠洞？”哈吉马问道。
“Leave me to manage that,” said Ole-Luk-Oie. “I will soon make you small enough.” And then he touched Hjalmar with his magic wand, whereupon he became less and less, until at last he was not longer than a little finger. “Now you can borrow the dress of the tin soldier. I think it will just fit you. It looks well to wear a uniform when you go into company.”
“让我来解决，”梦神说道，“我会让你很快变小。”然后他用他的魔法棒触碰哈吉马，于是他变得越来越小，直到最后他变得还没有小拇指那么长。“现在你可以从锡兵那里借制服，我认为这会适合你。当你去正式场合穿正装看起来会很好。”
“Yes, certainly,” said Hjalmar; and in a moment he was dressed as neatly as the neatest of all tin soldiers.
“是的，当然”哈吉马说道；一会他就穿的是锡兵里最整洁的。
“Will you be so good as to seat yourself in your mamma’s thimble,” said the little mouse, “that I may have the pleasure of drawing you to the wedding.”
“你介意坐在你妈妈的顶针里吗？”小老鼠问道，“拖着你去婚礼是我的荣幸。”
“Will you really take so much trouble, young lady?” said Hjalmar. And so in this way he rode to the mouse’s wedding.
“真是给你惹麻烦啦，年轻的女士。”哈吉马说道，他以这种方式像婚礼出发。
First they went under the floor, and then passed through a long passage, which was scarcely high enough to allow the thimble to drive under, and the whole passage was lit up with the phosphorescent light of rotten wood.
首先他们走下地板，然后通过一条长长的通道，这个通道太矮了恰好只能顶针在下面通过，整个通道是用腐烂的木头的磷光点亮的。
“Does it not smell delicious?” asked the mouse, as she drew him along. “The wall and the floor have been smeared with bacon-rind; nothing can be nicer.”
“这里闻起来是不是很美味？老鼠问道，当她拉着他的时候。“墙壁和地板已经涂满了培根皮，再也没有什么比这个更好闻了。”
Very soon they arrived at the bridal hall. On the right stood all the little lady-mice, whispering and giggling, as if they were making game of each other. To the left were the gentlemen-mice, stroking their whiskers with their fore-paws; and in the centre of the hall could be seen the bridal pair, standing side by side, in a hollow cheese-rind, and kissing each other, while all eyes were upon them; for they had already been betrothed, and were soon to be married. More and more friends kept arriving, till the mice were nearly treading each other to death; for the bridal pair now stood in the doorway, and none could pass in or out.
很快他们就到达婚礼大厅。所有的老鼠小姐们站在大厅的右边，它们低语着并发出咯咯笑，就好像它们在玩游戏。所有的小老鼠绅士都站在大厅的左边，它们用自己的前爪摸着自己的胡须。在大厅的中间，老鼠新郎新娘肩并肩的站在一个中空奶酪皮上，当所有老鼠都看着他们的时候，他们亲吻着彼此，因为他们已经订过婚了，不久就要结婚了。越来越多的亲友不断抵达，多到老鼠们几乎要把对方踩死。因为新郎新娘站在门口，所以没有人可以进来或出去。
The room had been rubbed over with bacon-rind, like the passage, which was all the refreshment offered to the guests. But for dessert they produced a pea, on which a mouse belonging to the bridal pair had bitten the first letters of their names. This was something quite uncommon. All the mice said it was a very beautiful wedding, and that they had been very agreeably entertained.
房间就像通道一样被培根皮擦过，这些都爽快的提供给客人。对于甜点，他们提供了一颗豌豆，他们家的某只小老鼠把豌豆啃成了他们名字的首字母。这是相当罕见的甜点了，所有的老鼠都说这是一场美妙的婚礼，他们在招待中感到非常舒适。
After this, Hjalmar returned home. He had certainly been in grand society; but he had been obliged to creep under a room, and to make himself small enough to wear the uniform of a tin soldier.
之后，哈吉马回到家里，他算是参加了一场盛大的社交仪式；不过他把自己缩成一团，穿着锡兵的制服。
Friday
“IT is incredible how many old people there are who would be glad to have me at night,” said Ole-Luk-Oie, “especially those who have done something wrong. ‘Good little Ole,’ say they to me, ‘we cannot close our eyes, and we lie awake the whole night and see all our evil deeds sitting on our beds like little imps, and sprinkling us with hot water. Will you come and drive them away, that we may have a good night’s rest?’ and then they sigh so deeply and say, ‘We would gladly pay you for it. Good-night, Ole-Luk, the money lies on the window.’ But I never do anything for gold.” “What shall we do to-night?” asked Hjalmar. “I do not know whether you would care to go to another wedding,” he replied, “although it is quite a different affair to the one we saw last night. Your sister’s large doll, that is dressed like a man, and is called Herman, intends to marry the doll Bertha. It is also the dolls’ birthday, and they will receive many presents.”
周五
“这么多大人都想见我一晚这真令人难以置信。”梦神说道。尤其是那些做过错事的人，他们会对我说：“你好，小梦神。”我们无法闭上我们的眼睛，我们整晚醒着，然后看着我们的邪恶，就像坐在我们床边的小恶魔，像我们撒热水。你能过来然后把他们赶走吗？这样我们可能就可以好好休息了。然后他们深深的叹息说道，“我们很乐意为你付款，晚上，窗台上放着钱。”但是黄金对我来说一无是处。“我们今晚要做啥啊？”哈吉马问道。我不知道你介不介意再去参加另一场婚礼。他回答道。当然这场婚礼与我们昨晚看到的那一场完全不一样。你的姐姐的玩偶穿着像个绅士，他叫赫曼，想要娶那位叫贝萨的玩偶。这是玩偶的生日，他们会收到很多礼物。
“Yes, I know that already,” said Hjalmar, “my sister always allows her dolls to keep their birthdays or to have a wedding when they require new clothes; that has happened already a hundred times, I am quite sure.”
“是的，我早就知道。”哈吉马说道，“每当玩偶们得到新衣服时候，我的姐姐总是给她的玩偶过生日，或者举行婚礼。我确信这都发生过一百次了。”
“Yes, so it may; but to-night is the hundred and first wedding, and when that has taken place it must be the last, therefore this is to be extremely beautiful. Only look.”
“是的，确实是的，但是今晚是第101的婚礼，当这101次过去以后，它就完了，因此这是一场极其华丽的婚礼，你再去看一次吧。”
Hjalmar looked at the table, and there stood the little card-board doll’s house, with lights in all the windows, and drawn up before it were the tin soldiers presenting arms. The bridal pair were seated on the floor, leaning against the leg of the table, looking very thoughtful, and with good reason. Then Ole-Luk-Oie dressed up in grandmother’s black gown married them.
哈吉马看着桌子上的小纸盒子做的玩偶房子，所有的窗户里都有灯光，外面站着锡兵正在敬礼，新郎新娘坐在地板上，靠在桌子的腿上，若有所思的样子，而且并不是没有道理的。梦神穿着祖母的黑裙子来主持婚礼。
As soon as the ceremony was concluded, all the furniture in the room joined in singing a beautiful song, which had been composed by the lead pencil, and which went to the melody of a military tattoo.
仪式一结束，屋子里所有的家具都在唱着好听的歌曲，歌是铅笔编的，它是随着士兵击鼓的节奏而唱出来的：
“What merry sounds are on the wind,
As marriage rites together bind
A quiet and a loving pair,
Though formed of kid, yet smooth and fair!
Hurrah! If they are deaf and blind,
We’ll sing, though weather prove unkind.”
And now came the present; but the bridal pair had nothing to eat, for love was to be their food.
于是到了接受礼物的时间，新郎新娘拒绝一切食物礼物，因为他们打算以爱情为生。
“Shall we go to a country house, or travel?” asked the bridegroom.
“我们要去乡下呢，还是去旅游？”新郎问道。
Then they consulted the swallow who had travelled so far, and the old hen in the yard, who had brought up five broods of chickens.
然后他让旅行了很久的燕子和院子里的那只带来五窝小鸡的母鸡来提供意见。
And the swallow talked to them of warm countries, where the grapes hang in large clusters on the vines, and the air is soft and mild, and about the mountains glowing with colors more beautiful than we can think of.
燕子告诉他们温暖的国家里有密集而大串的葡萄挂在藤蔓上，空气柔和而温暖，发光的山脉比我们想象的更美。
“But they have no red cabbage like we have,” said the hen, “I was once in the country with my chickens for a whole summer, there was a large sand-pit, in which we could walk about and scratch as we liked. Then we got into a garden in which grew red cabbage; oh, how nice it was, I cannot think of anything more delicious.”
“但是他们没有我们这里有的卷心菜，”母鸡说道，“我曾经和我的小鸡们在乡下待了一整个夏天，那里有大大的沙坑，只要我们喜欢我们就可以在上面散步或者抓掏沙坑。然后我们可以去长着红色卷心菜的花园，哦，那里真的很漂亮，我想不出还有什么比这更漂亮。”
“But one cabbage stalk is exactly like another,” said the swallow; “and here we have often bad weather.”
“但是这里的卷心菜跟那里的卷心菜不一样，”燕子说道，“我们这里的天气经常很差。”
“Yes, but we are accustomed to it,” said the hen.
“是的，但是我们已经习惯了。”母鸡说道。
“But it is so cold here, and freezes sometimes.”
“但是这里真的很冷，会冻坏很多东西。”
“Cold weather is good for cabbages,” said the hen; “besides we do have it warm here sometimes. Four years ago, we had a summer that lasted more than five weeks, and it was so hot one could scarcely breathe. And then in this country we have no poisonous animals, and we are free from robbers. He must be wicked who does not consider our country the finest of all lands. He ought not to be allowed to live here.” And then the hen wept very much and said, “I have also travelled. I once went twelve miles in a coop, and it was not pleasant travelling at all.”
“寒冷的天气对卷心菜好，”母鸡说道，“除此之外，我们有时候也有温暖的天气。四年前我们的夏天持续了超过五周时间，热的真的是让人难以呼吸。这个国家没有有毒的虫子，我们没有强盗，如果不认为我们国家是最好的那他一定是个邪恶的人。他不应该被允许住在这。”然后母鸡哭泣着然后接着说，“我也旅行过，我曾经坐在一个笼子了走了12米，旅行一点都乐趣都没有。”
“The hen is a sensible woman,” said the doll Bertha. “I don’t care for travelling over mountains, just to go up and come down again. No, let us go to the sand-pit in front of the gate, and then take a walk in the cabbage garden.”
“母鸡是个有明智的女人，”玩偶贝萨说道。“我不想去爬山，那只是爬上去再趴下来，不要；让我们去大门前的沙坑吧，然后在卷心菜花园里散步。”
And so they settled it.
然后他们定居下来了。
Saturday
“AM I to hear any more stories?” asked little Hjalmar, as soon as Ole-Luk-Oie had sent him to sleep.
周六
“我能听更多的故事吗？”梦神一让他去睡觉，小哈吉马就问道。
“We shall have no time this evening,” said he, spreading out his prettiest umbrella over the child. “Look at these Chinese,” and then the whole umbrella appeared like a large china bowl, with blue trees and pointed bridges, upon which stood little Chinamen nodding their heads. “We must make all the world beautiful for to-morrow morning,” said Ole-Luk-Oie, “for it will be a holiday, it is Sunday. I must now go to the church steeple and see if the little sprites who live there have polished the bells, so that they may sound sweetly. Then I must go into the fields and see if the wind has blown the dust from the grass and the leaves, and the most difficult task of all which I have to do, is to take down all the stars and brighten them up. I have to number them first before I put them in my apron, and also to number the places from which I take them, so that they may go back into the right holes, or else they would not remain, and we should have a number of falling stars, for they would all tumble down one after the other.”
“我们今晚没有时间说故事了。”他一边说着，一边把最好看的雨伞放在孩子身上。“看这些中国人，”整个雨伞看起来像个中国大碗，上面有蓝色的树，拱起的桥，桥上站着几个小中国人，他们点头致意。“我们必须让整个世界在明天早上更美丽。”梦神说道。“因为明天是假日，是周日。我现在必须去教堂尖顶看看住在那里的小精灵们有没有给铃铛抛光，这样它们听起来就很好听。然后去田野看看微风有没有从草地和树林吹出灰尘。所有的事情当中有一件最困难的事情我必须要去做，那就是把所有的星星取下来然后点亮它们。我首先在取下它们放在我的围裙前必须给它们编号，然后要给取下它们位置的地方编号，这样它们再放回去的时候就可以对号入座，否则它们不会留在洞里，那我们将会有一场流星雨了，因为它们将会一个接一个的滚落下来。”
“Hark ye! Mr. Luk-Oie,” said an old portrait which hung on the wall of Hjalmar’s bedroom. “Do you know me? I am Hjalmar’s great-grandfather. I thank you for telling the boy stories, but you must not confuse his ideas. The stars cannot be taken down from the sky and polished; they are spheres like our earth, which is a good thing for them.”
“哈，你们！梦神！”挂在哈吉马卧室的老肖像说道。“你知道我吗？卧室哈吉马的曾祖父，我感谢你告诉孩子很多故事，但是你不应该混淆他的想法，星星是不能从天上取下来抛光的；它们就像我们的地球一样是个领域，对他们来说是件好事。”
“Thank you, old great-grandfather,” said Ole-Luk-Oie. “I thank you; you may be the head of the family, as no doubt you are, but I am older than you. I am an ancient heathen. The old Romans and Greeks named me the Dream-god. I have visited the noblest houses, and continue to do so; still I know how to conduct myself both to high and low, and now you may tell the stories yourself:” and so Ole-Luk-Oie walked off, taking his umbrellas with him.
“谢谢你，尊敬的曾祖父，”梦神说道。“我谢谢你，毫无疑问，你可能是这个家庭最年长的，但是我比你更年长。我是个古老的异教徒。古老的罗马人和希腊人都叫我梦神，我拜访了高贵的家庭，并且会继续这么做；我仍然知道怎样样对待伟大的人和渺小的人，现在你可以来说说你的故事。”然后梦神带着他的雨伞走了。
“Well, well, one is never to give an opinion, I suppose,” grumbled the portrait. And it woke Hjalmar.
“好！好！这年头，一个人连发表意见都不行。”老肖像抱怨道。然后哈吉马醒了。
Sunday
“GOOD evening,” said Ole-Luk-Oie.
周日
“晚上好。”梦神说道。
Hjalmar nodded, and then sprang out of bed, and turned his great-grandfather’s portrait to the wall, so that it might not interrupt them as it had done yesterday. “Now,” said he, “you must tell me some stories about five green peas that lived in one pod; or of the chickseed that courted the chickweed; or of the darning needle, who acted so proudly because she fancied herself an embroidery needle.”
哈吉马点点头，然后跳下床，然后把他曾祖父的肖像转向了墙的一面，所以它就不能像昨晚那样打断他们。“现在，”他说，“你必须告诉我关于住在一个豆荚里的五颗绿豌豆的故事；关于一直公鸡的脚向母鸡的脚求爱的故事；关于一根针装模作样的缝补以为自己是个缝衣针的故事。”
“You may have too much of a good thing,” said Ole-Luk-Oie. “You know that I like best to show you something, so I will show you my brother. He is also called Ole-Luk-Oie but he never visits any one but once, and when he does come, he takes him away on his horse, and tells him stories as they ride along. He knows only two stories. One of these is so wonderfully beautiful, that no one in the world can imagine anything at all like it; but the other is just as ugly and frightful, so that it would be impossible to describe it.” Then Ole-Luk-Oie lifted Hjalmar up to the window. “There now, you can see my brother, the other Ole-Luk-Oie; he is also called Death. You perceive he is not so bad as they represent him in picture books; there he is a skeleton, but now his coat is embroidered with silver, and he wears the splendid uniform of a hussar, and a mantle of black velvet flies behind him, over the horse. Look, how he gallops along.” Hjalmar saw that as this Ole-Luk-Oie rode on, he lifted up old and young, and carried them away on his horse. Some he seated in front of him, and some behind, but always inquired first, “How stands the mark-book?”
“好东西享受太多也会生厌的呀，”梦神说道，“你知道我想要向你说一些事，所以我将会告诉你关于我兄弟的事，他也叫梦神不过他拜访别人从来不超过一次，当他到了那里，他把遇到的人带上马，当他们骑马的时候他告诉他故事。他只知道两个故事，其中一个非常美丽的故事以至于世界上没有人能够想象出比它还美丽的事。但是另一个非常丑陋和恐怖，我都没有办法描述。”然后梦神把哈吉马提到窗台上，“在这你可以看到我的兄弟，另一个梦神；他也叫死神。你要知道他并没有像图画书里画的那样是个骷髅那么糟糕；这只是他的大衣上绣着的图案。这上衣是一件精美的轻骑兵制服，在马背上，黑色的天鹅绒的披风在他身后飞扬，看啊！他飞驰着。”哈吉马看到那个梦神骑着马，他举起一些老人和年轻人，然后把他们放到马背上，一些在他面前，一些在他后面，不过他老是先问：“你们的行为书上是怎样写的？”
“Good,” they all answered.
“很好。”他们都这么回答。
“Yes, but let me see for myself,” he replied; and they were obliged to give him the books. Then all those who had “Very good,” or “Exceedingly good,” came in front of the horse, and heard the beautiful story; while those who had “Middling,” or “Tolerably good,” in their books, were obliged to sit behind, and listen to the frightful tale. They trembled and cried, and wanted to jump down from the horse, but they could not get free, for they seemed fastened to the seat.
“好吧，让我来亲自看看。”他回答道。他们被迫给他行为书，然后马背前面的那些所有说“恨到”或者“非常好”的人听到了非常美丽的故事；而那些在他们书里写着“中等”或者“糟糕”的人被迫坐在马背后面，然后听那些恐怖骇人的故事。他们发抖着哭泣着，先要从马背上跳下来。但是他们得不到自由，因为他们被禁锢在座位上。
“Why, Death is a most splendid Luk-Oie,” said Hjalmar. “I am not in the least afraid of him.”
“为什么，死神是一个最可爱的梦神，”哈吉马说道。“但是我不怕他。”
“You need have no fear of him,” said Ole-Luk-Oie, “if you take care and keep a good conduct book.”
“你不需要害怕他。”梦神说道，“如果你时时注意，并保持良好的行为在行为书上得到好的评语就行了。”
“Now I call that very instructive,” murmured the great-grandfather’s portrait. “It is useful sometimes to express an opinion;” so he was quite satisfied.
“是的，这倒是非常有教育意义，”曾祖父的肖像在小声嘀咕的。“有时候表达观点很有用。”现在他算是非常满意。
These are some of the doings and sayings of Ole-Luk-Oie. I hope he may visit you himself this evening, and relate some more.
你看这就是梦神的故事，今晚他会来拜访你并跟你将更多的故事。
