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1There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child.
从前有一对夫妻，他们渴望有个孩子却始终未能如愿。
At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire.
后来，妻子终于从种种迹象中感受到上帝将赐予她一个孩子。
These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs.
这户人家的屋后有扇小窗，从窗口望出去能看到一座繁花似锦的花园，园里长满奇花异草。
It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.
不过花园被高墙环绕，谁都不敢进去，因为那里住着一位法力高强的女巫，世人都对她心怀畏惧。
One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some.
一日，妻子倚在窗边眺望花园，忽然看见一片菜畦里长着翠绿鲜嫩的莴苣，顿时勾起了强烈的食欲，渴望能尝上一口。
This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and looked pale and miserable.
这念头与日俱增，她知道根本吃不到，竟日渐憔悴，脸色苍白憔悴起来。
Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, "What aileth thee, dear wife?"
丈夫见状忧心忡忡地问：“亲爱的妻子，你为何如此忧伤？”
"Ah," she replied, "if I can't get some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, to eat, I shall die."
妻子叹道：“要是吃不到咱们屋后花园里的莴苣，我怕是活不成了。”
The man, who loved her, thought, "Sooner than let thy wife die, bring her some of the rampion thyself, let it cost thee what it will."
深爱妻子的丈夫暗想：“无论如何都不能让妻子死去，定要为她采来莴苣。”
In the twilight of the evening, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife.
暮色渐浓时，他翻过围墙潜入女巫的花园，匆匆采了一把莴苣带给妻子。
She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it with much relish.
妻子立刻做成沙拉，吃得津津有味。
She, however, liked it so much—-so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before.
可这莴苣实在美味——实在太对她胃口了，第二天她的渴望竟比先前强烈了三倍。
If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden.
为了让妻子安心，丈夫决定再次潜入花园。
In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him.
于是暮色四合时，他又悄悄翻墙而下——但这次刚落地就吓得魂飞魄散，只见女巫正站在面前。
"How canst thou dare," said she with angry look, "to descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? Thou shalt suffer for it!"
女巫怒目而视：“你竟敢像贼一样溜进我的花园偷莴苣？必要你付出代价！”
"Ah," answered he, "let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat."
丈夫哀求道：“求您网开一面，我实在是迫不得已。我妻子从窗口看见您的莴苣，思念成疾，若吃不到怕是性命难保。”
Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, "If the case be as thou sayest, I will allow thee to take away with thee as much rampion as thou wilt, only I make one condition, thou must give me the child which thy wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother."
女巫闻言怒气稍缓，说道：“若真如你所说，准你随意采摘莴苣带走。但有个条件：你妻子生下孩子后必须交给我抚养，我自会待她视如己出。”
The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
惊惶失措的丈夫应允了所有条件。待妻子分娩时，女巫果然现身，给孩子取名“莴苣姑娘”，随即带走了婴儿。
Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child beneath the sun.
莴苣姑娘渐渐长成世间最美丽的女孩。
When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window.
她十二岁那年，女巫将她关进森林里一座既无楼梯也无门扉的高塔，仅在塔顶开了扇小窗。
When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried,"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair to me."
每当女巫要进塔时，便站在塔下呼唤：“莴苣姑娘，莴苣姑娘，放下你的长发。”
Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
莴苣姑娘留着一头华丽的长发，发丝如纺金的金线般璀璨。听到女巫的呼唤，她便解开辫子，将长发缠绕在窗边的钩子上，垂下一段二十厄尔长的金发，女巫便顺着这长发攀上高塔。
