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There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish.
从前有一个女人，她非常希望有一个小小的孩子，但是她不知道从什么地方可以得到。
At last she went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?"
因此她就去请教一位巫婆，她对巫婆说：“我非常想要有一个小小的孩子；你能告诉我从什么地方可以得到一个吗？”
"Oh, that is very easily managed," said the fairy.
“哦，这容易得很，”巫婆说。
"Here is a barleycorn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat;
“你把这颗大麦粒拿去吧。它可不是乡下人的田里长的那种大麦粒，也不是鸡吃的那种大麦粒。
put it into a flower-pot, and see what will happen."
你把它埋在一个花盆里，不久你就可以看到你所要看的东西了。”
"Thank you," said the woman, and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn.
“谢谢您，”女人说。她给了巫婆十二先令（即大麦粒的价格）。
Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower,
于是她就回到家，种下那颗大麦粒。不久以后，一朵美丽的花就长出来了。
something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud.
它看起来很像一朵郁金香，不过它的叶子紧紧地包在一起，好像仍旧是一个花苞似的。
"It is a beautiful flower," said the woman,
“这是一朵很美的花，”女人说，
and she kissed the red and golden-colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip.
同时在那美丽的、黄而带红的花瓣上吻了一下。不过，当她正在吻的时候，花儿忽然劈啪一声，开放了。她可以看出，这是一朵真正的郁金香。
Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden.
但是在这朵花的正中央，在那根绿色的雌蕊上面，坐着一位娇小的姑娘，她看起来又白嫩，又可爱。
She was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of "Thumbelina," or Tiny, because she was so small.
她还没有大拇指的一半长，因此人们就将她叫做拇指姑娘。
A walnut-shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle; her bed was formed of blue violet-leaves, with a rose-leaf for a counterpane.
拇指姑娘的摇篮是一个光得发亮的漂亮胡桃壳，她的垫子是蓝色紫罗兰的花瓣，她的被子是玫瑰的花瓣。
Here she slept at night, but during the day she amused herself on a table, where the woman had placed a plateful of water.
这就是她晚上睡觉的地方。但是白天她在桌子上玩耍——在这桌子上，那个女人放了一个盘水，
Round this plate were wreaths of flowers with their stems in the water, and upon it floated a large tulip-leaf, which served Tiny for a boat.
上面又放了一圈花儿，花的枝干浸在水里。水上浮着一片很大的郁金香花瓣。拇指姑娘可以把它当做船。
Here the little maiden sat and rowed herself from side to side, with two oars made of white horse-hair.
拇指姑娘可以坐在这花瓣上，用两根白马尾作桨，从盘子这一边划到那一边。
It really was a very pretty sight. Tiny could, also, sing so softly and sweetly that nothing like her singing had ever before been heard.
这样儿真是美丽！她还能唱歌，而且唱得那么温柔和甜蜜，从前没有任何人听到过这样的歌声。
