The Emperor’s New Clothes

◎劉鑫/譯

The Emperor’s New Clothes

◎劉鑫/譯

So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy in the midst of the procession，through the streets of his capital； and all the people standing by， and those at the windows， cried out，“Oh！ How beautiful are our Emperor’s new clothes！ What a magnificent train there is to the mantle；and how gracefully the scarf hangs！”In short，no one would allow that he could not see these much admired clothes；because，in doing so， he would have declared himself either a simpleton or unfit for his office．Certainly，none of the Emperor’s various suits，had ever made so great an impression，as these invisible ones．

“But the Emperor has nothing at all on！”said a little child．

“Listen to the voice of innocence！”exclaimed his father；and what the child had said was whispered from one to another．

“But he has nothing at all on！”at last cried out all the people．

The Emperor was vexed， for he knew that the people were right； but he thought the procession must go on now！And the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever，to appear holding up a train，although，in reality，there was no train to hold．

譯文

皇帝的新裝

這么著，皇帝就在那個富麗的華蓋下游行起來了，穿過首都的街道。站在街上和窗子里的人都說：“哦，皇上的新裝真是漂亮！他斗篷上的裙裾是多么美麗！他的圍巾下擺多么優雅！”總之，誰也不愿意讓人知道自己看不見那些備受敬仰的衣服，因為這樣做，就是向別人宣布自己既是一個笨蛋也是一個不稱職的官員。當然。沒有任何一件皇帝的衣服曾經給人們留下過如此好的印象，就像這些看不見的衣服一樣。

“可是他什么衣服也沒有穿哪！”一個小孩子最后叫出聲來。

“上帝喲，你聽這個天真的聲音！”爸爸說。于是大家把這孩子講的話私自低聲地傳播開來。

“他并沒有穿什么衣服！有一個小孩子說他并沒有穿什么衣服哇！”

“他實在是沒有穿什么衣服哇！”最后所有的老百姓都說。

皇帝有點兒發抖，因為他似乎覺得老百姓所講的話是對的。不過他自己心里卻這樣想：“我必須把這游行大典舉行完畢。”因此，他擺出一副更驕傲的神氣，他的內臣們跟在他后面走，手中托著一個并不存在的后裾。

注釋

Emperor 皇帝，君主

canopy 天篷，華蓋

procession 隊伍，行列

capital 首都

magnificent 高尚的；壯麗的

mantle 斗篷

scarf 圍巾

declared 公然的；公開宣布的

simpleton 傻子；笨蛋

various 各種各樣的；多方面的

whisper 私語

vex 使煩惱；使困惑

bedchamber 臥室，寢室

train 裙裾