The Enchanted1 Shell2 被施了魔法的貝殼

向紅

Once upon a time， there was a young couple3 who lived in a small village by a big river. The man and his wife were very happy， though they are poor， and had no worries， but for one. They had no child.

從前，在一條大河旁邊的一個小村莊里，住著一對夫婦。這個男人和他的妻子生活得很幸福，盡管他們很貧窮，但是他們沒有煩惱。除了一件事情，那就是他們沒有孩子。

The couple loved children very much. They loved all children in the village and were nice to them. And they often gave them delicious cakes. But that did not cut down their wish to have a child of their own. Every night they asked to God that they might have a son， even if he were only like a little shell.

這對夫婦非常喜歡孩子。他們愛這個村莊里所有的孩子，對他們都很好，還經常給他們美味的蛋糕吃。但是這依然不能減少他們想要有一個親生孩子的愿望。每天晚上，他們都向上帝祈禱，希望能有一個兒子，即使他像一個小貝殼一樣也不要緊。

And one day， their questions were answered. A son was born4 to them， even though he was very small. The boy was as small as a shell， and so his parents named him “Shell”.

有一天，他們的祈求有了回應。他們的兒子出生了，即使他真的很小。這個男孩就像貝殼一樣小，所以他的父母給他取名為“貝殼”。

As Shell grew up， it became clear to his parents that the boy had some problems in growing up. Even when he became a big man， Shell was still a small life and was only as large as a big shell as one can often find by the sea. But his parents loved him very much and always made sure that Shell was never unhappy because of his abnormality5.

貝殼慢慢長大，他的父母清楚地知道，這個男孩的成長會遇到一些困難。即使他已經長大成人，但是他還是很小，也就只有我們在海灘上看到的大貝殼那么大而已。但是，他的父母依舊非常愛他，總是確保貝殼不會因為自己的異常而感到不開心。

One day， Shell went to his mother and told her， “Mother， can I go and get some food？ I am grown up now and it is time I help you and father in keeping the house.”

一天，貝殼告訴他媽媽說：“媽媽，我可以出去找點食物嗎？我現在已經長大了，是時候幫你和爸爸養家了。”

But his mother was afraid that some animal would eat her small Shell. So， she would not let him go at first， but when Shell begged her again and again， she gave him her permission6 at last and the happy boy went out.

但是，媽媽很擔心會有動物吃掉小貝殼。所以，開始的時候她不同意他出門，但是貝殼一次又一次地求她，最后她也只能答應他的請求。于是小男孩就高興地出門了。

Shell was always full of mischief7 and he used this chance to play pranks8 on other people. He went to the river， where some women were catching fish and putting them into baskets that they had kept on the grass. Shell climbed into one of these baskets and hid himself in the dead fishes. Very soon， the women came to pick it and started walking home. All at once Shell shouted “Rain！Rain！” The woman was scared for she thought that the dead fishes were talking. She dropped9 her basket and ran away. Then， Shell came out of the basket， he took it home and gave the fishes to his mother.

貝殼很淘氣，總喜歡對人們搞惡作劇。他來到河邊，有一個女人正在抓魚，把抓到的魚放到草地上的籃子里去。貝殼爬到其中一個籃子里面，藏在了死魚中。不久，這個女人就過來拿這些魚準備回家。突然，貝殼大喊：“下雨了，下雨了！”這個女人很害怕，她以為死魚開口說話了，扔下籃子就跑了。然后，貝殼從籃子里面爬出來，把這些魚帶回家給他媽媽。

The next morning， Shell went out again. This time， he saw an old man walking along the road. In his right hand， he was carrying the head of a cow. The Shell followed the old man and jumped into the ear of the cows head. As the man was passing through a quiet place， Shell suddenly shouted， “Ay！Ay！” The old man gave a start and dropped the cow head. He ran away as fast as he could and Shell came back home and gave the head to his father.

第二天早晨，貝殼又出門了。這次，他看見一個老人獨自一個人走在街上。他的右手拎著一個牛頭，貝殼跟著老人，然后跳到了牛頭的耳朵里。當老人經過一個僻靜地方時，他突然喊道：“啊！啊！”老人嚇了一跳，扔掉了牛頭，以最快的速度逃走了，貝殼回到家里，把牛頭送給了爸爸。

It was not until what he had done was found out that Shell got rebuke10 by his parents and he started to change his way.

直到他的惡作劇被父母知道后，貝殼才受到了批評，他開始改變思路。

One day， Shell told his mother that he had fallen in love with11 the beautiful daughter of the King and must have her for his wife. The poor mother was shocked12.

一天，貝殼告訴媽媽他愛上了國王的漂亮女兒，一定要她做自己的妻子。這個貧窮的母親很震驚。

“My boy，” she said， “I dont think the King will agree to your proposal13.”

“孩子，”她說，“我覺得國王不會同意你的求婚。”

But Shell begged her again and again until she was gave up and went to the Kings house.

但是貝殼一次次請求她，最后她只得放棄反對，去了國王家里。

“My King， I have something important to say，” she said to the King.

“國王陛下，我有一件重要的事情要對您說。”她對國王說。

“Fear not good woman， what is it that you have to say？” asked the King.

“不要害怕，好心的女士，你有什么事情要說呢？”國王問。

“King， I have come with a marriage14 proposal. I want your daughters hand in marriage for my only son， Shell.”

“國王陛下，我是為一個求婚請求而來。我想為我唯一的兒子，貝殼，向您的女兒求婚。”

The King was shocked， but agreed15 to ask his daughter whether she would say yes. You can know how surprised and angry16 he was when he heard her daughter said yes.

國王很驚訝，但他同意去問他的女兒是否愿意讓貝殼做她的丈夫。可想而知，在聽到女兒說愿意的時候他有多么驚訝和生氣。

“How can you marry Shell？ Have you not seen him？ Can you be happy with such a man？” the angry father asked his daughter.

“你怎么能嫁給貝殼呢？你沒見過他嗎？和這樣一個男人生活在一起會幸福嗎？”父親生氣地質問女兒。

But the daughter was ready to have none but Shell as her husband. The angry father shouted， “If you marry this Shell， I will get you out of the village.”

但是他女兒說除了貝殼她誰也不打算嫁。生氣的父親怒喊道：“如果你嫁給這個貝殼，我會把你們逐出村莊。”

But at last， Shell and the girl got married and they left the village to stay in a little house near it. Cut off from their friends and family， they lived in great difficulities for a week. But as that week passed， they started to find something different. The tiny Shell started to grow taller and taller until he soon became a tall and good-looking young man. His wife was very happy to see such a change in her husband.

但是最后，貝殼還是和這個女孩結婚了。他們離開了村莊，在不遠的一個地方找了一個小房子住了下來。因為和朋友家人斷了聯系，所以他們最初一周的生活很艱苦。但是一周過去后，他們發現有不尋常的事情發生了。小貝殼開始越長越高，不久就變成了一個高大帥氣的美男子。他的妻子很高興丈夫有了這樣的變化。

About this time， a god visited their house and told them that Shell had been enchanted17 by a devil18 when he was born. It was only the love of a good wife that could change him into a man. He asked them to go back to their village and tell everyone about it.

這時候，一個神仙來到他們家里告訴他們，貝殼剛出生的時候被一個魔鬼下了詛咒，只有一位好妻子的愛才能讓他變成一個正常人。神仙讓他們回到原來的村莊去，并且告知每一個人。

When the King saw Shell and he knew everything was true， he was very happy. He agreed them back into his village and since then， Shell lived happily with his parents and his beautiful wife.

當國王看見貝殼，知道這一切都是事實的時候，他很高興。他同意他們回到村莊來，自此之后，貝殼和父母、美麗的妻子幸福地生活在了一起。

（英語原文選自：www.ryedu.net）

【Notes】

1. enchanted [. 殼，貝殼

3. couple [ [ adj. 天生的;出生的

5. abnormality] n. 異常;畸形 6. permission [? ? ? ? ? ] n. 允許，許可

7. mischief [? ? ? ? ?] n. 頑皮 8. prank [] n. 惡作劇，開玩笑

9. drop [? ? ? ] v. 丟下 10. rebuke [? ? ? ? ?] n. 指責，斥責

11. fall in love with愛上 12. shocked ] adj. 震驚的;震撼的

13. proposal [. 提議;求婚

14. marriage [ n. 結婚 marry [? ? ? ?] v. 嫁;娶;與……結婚

15. agree [? ? ? ?] v. 同意，贊成 16. angry [? ? ? ? ] adj. 生氣的;憤怒的

17. enchant [? ? ? ? ? ] v. 使迷惑;施魔法 18. devil [? ? ? ] n. 魔鬼