【Story 18】The Elves and the Shoemakers 精灵和鞋匠

The Elves and the Shoemakers

精灵和鞋匠

Mollie and Ollie made very good shoes.

莫莉和奥利做得鞋子非常好

They lived and worked together.

他们生活在一起，工作在一起

To make good shoes they had to use the very softest leather.

为了做出好鞋子，他们都会使用最软的皮革

The cost of leather went up and up.

皮革的价格不断上涨

They had no money for more.

他们没有钱买更多皮革了

The very last pair of shoes was sold.

他们卖了最后一双鞋子

Now Mollie and Ollie were poor.

现在莫莉和奥利变成了穷人

A bit of red leather was all they had.

他们只剩下了一点点红色皮革

They shut the shop and went to bed.

他们关了店铺，然后上床睡觉

“No money for leather, no leather for shoes.

“没钱买皮革了，没皮革做鞋了，

We’ve nothing to sell,” they said.

我们没有什么东西可以卖了”他们说

In the night, six elves came in.

晚上，6个小精灵进来了

They sat down in a row.

他们成排坐下

They snipped the leather and stitched some shoes,

他们裁剪皮革、缝制鞋子

the finest they could sew.

缝他们能缝制的最好的鞋子

“Did you make these shoes, dear Mollie? They’re lovely!” Ollie said.

“是你做的这些鞋子吗，亲爱的莫莉？他们好漂亮！”奥利说

“It wasn’t me!” said Mollie,

“不是我做的”莫莉说

“I was asleep in my bed.”

“我在床上睡着了”

A rich man came and bought the shoes.

一个有钱人来买了这些鞋子

“You make good shoes,” he said.

“你们做的鞋子非常好”他说

“Here is the money to make some more.

“我付给你们钱，希望你们再做一些鞋子

Make me a hundred pairs in red.”

帮我做100双红色的鞋子吧”

“They must be made by Friday noon for that’s my wedding day,

“需要在星期五的中午之前做完哦，我的婚礼需要用

and if those pairs of shoes are late, I shall refuse to pay.”

如果没有做完这些鞋子，我是不会付款的哦”

Ollie said yes, they would make them!

奥利答应了，他们可以做100双鞋子！

But Mollie said, “What shall we do?

但是莫莉说“我们要怎么办呢？

We’ll never make a hundred pairs in time, just me and you.”

我和你两个人不可能按时做完100双鞋子啊”

“Mollie, I wonder who made those shoes,” said Ollie,

“莫莉，我想知道谁做的那些鞋子”奥利说

“Let’s hide tonight and see.

“今晚我们藏起来看一看

Whoever made those might make some more.

做那些鞋子的人也许会做更多呢

How splendid that would be.”

如果那样就太好了”

Late that night they hid themselves.

那天深夜，他们藏了起来

They peeped from behind the door.

他们从门外偷偷看

They saw six snipping, clipping elves, all sitting on the shoe shop floor.

他们看到了6个小精灵一起坐在鞋店的地板上，缝啊缝、剪啊剪

They sang this song,

他们唱着一支歌

“New shoes to stitch, a hundred pairs will make them rich.

Let’s all snip and clip and stitch them well.

Mollie and Ollie need shoes to sell.”

“剪呀剪，缝呀缝。一百双，富起来。剪呀剪，缝呀缝，莫莉奥利好卖鞋”

For seven nights they stitched and snipped.

连续7个晚上，他们都在缝缝剪剪

The shoes were heeled and soled.

他们给鞋子装上鞋跟和鞋底

But as they stitched, they shivered, for the shoe shop floor was cold.

但是他们一边缝制一边颤抖，因为鞋店的地板太凉了

So Mollie made them little coats to stop the elves from freezing,

于是莫莉给他们做了小衣服御寒

and little caps and matching scarves, in case they started sneezing.

还做了小帽子和配套的小围巾，防止他们打喷嚏

The elves got dressed and cried with joy,

精灵们穿上它们，然后开心地大叫起来

“We’re warm, all thanks to you!”

“我们暖和啦，谢谢你们！”

Mollie and Ollie sold all the shoes.

莫莉和奥利卖光了所有的鞋子

Now they are rich and happy too.

现在他们又变得富有和快乐了

Well, that is all for the story “The Elves and the Shoemakers”.

Do you expect to meet the elves in your life?

你期待你的生活中遇到小精灵吗？

Or you can be an elf in others’ life.

又或者你也可以做别人生活中的小精灵帮助他们啊

Make a wish about the elves now and see you soon~

许一个关于小精灵的心愿吧。再见喽~

elves  /elvz/  精灵们（精灵 elf 的复数形式）

shoemaker  /'ʃuːmeɪkə/ 鞋匠

leather /'leðə/ 皮革

shiver /'ʃɪvə/ 颤抖

scarf /skɑːf/ 围巾