童话故事第 23 课: Mother Holly 荷莉妈妈-2

So she shook the tree, and the apples rained down by hundreds, till there were no more left on the tree. Then she gathered them in a heap and went on.于是，她摇摇树，大批苹果雨点般落下来，直到树上一个苹果也不剩。她把苹果收集起来，堆在一块儿，又向前走。

At last she came to a small house. An old woman peeped out of the window at her, but she had such big teeth that the girl was frightened and wanted to run away. 最后，她来到一座小房子跟前。一个老妇人从窗子里看着她。老妇人的牙很大，姑娘吓得想跑。

The old woman called out, "Why are you so frightened, dear? Stay with me ,and if you will do my housework properly you shall have a nice home here. 老妇人叫道：“亲爱的，你干吗害怕呢？跟我住一起吧，要是你把我这儿的家务活儿干好了，你就有个舒适的家了。

You must be careful to make my bed well and shake the mattress till the feathers fly about, and then it will snow in the world. I am Mother Holle."你要小心为我铺床，摇晃床垫，使羽毛飞起来，这样世上就下雪了。我是荷莉妈妈。”

Because the old woman spoke so kindly, the girl took heart, and consented to enter her service. 老妇人说得恳切和蔼，姑娘振作起来，同意当她的佣人。

She performed all her duties to the old woman's satisfaction, and shook up the mattress till the feathers flew about like snowflakes; 她把所有的活儿都干完，使老妇人很称心。她摇晃床垫，羽毛象雪花那样飞舞。

so she had a comfortable home, and had meat, either boiled or roasted, every day for dinner. 于是，她有了一个舒服的家，每天都有肉吃，或是煮的，或是烤的。

After a time, she grew sad, and did not know at first what was the matter, but at last she was certain it was homesickness; 过了些时候，她感到忧伤起来。起初还不知道是怎么回事，后来她确信，自己想家了，

although it was a thousand times pleasanter at Mother Holle's than at home, yet she had a longing to go. 虽然在荷莉妈妈这儿过，比在家里要愉快千倍，可她还是想走。

At last she said, "I have a great yearning for home, and though I like everything down here very much, I cannot stay, but must go up to my own people." 最后她说： “我非常想家，尽管这儿的一切我都非常喜欢，我也不能再待下去了，我得回到我自己人那里去。”

To which mother Holle replied: "I am pleased to hear you say you wish to go home, and as you have served me well and faithfully I will take you up myself. 荷莉妈妈听了这些话回答道： “听你说要回家，我很高兴。你替我干活儿，干得不错，又挺可靠，我要亲自送你上去。”