A
shoemaker,
through
no
fault
of
his
own,
had
become
so
poor
that
he
had
only
leather
enough
for
a
single
pair
of
shoes.
He
cut
them
out
one
evening,
then
went
to
bed,
intending
to
finish
them
the
next
morning.
Having
a
clear
conscience,
he
went
to
bed
peacefully,
commended
himself
to
God,
and
fell
asleep.
从前有个平凡的鞋匠，家里穷得只剩做一双鞋子用的皮革了。晚上他把皮革裁剪好，就去睡觉了，打算第二天一早做完它们。他在床上怀着一颗纯洁而宁静的心祈求完上帝便睡着了。
The
next
morning,
after
saying
his
prayers,
he
was
about
to
return
to
his
work
when
he
found
the
shoes
on
his
workbench,
completely
finished.
Amazed,
he
did
not
know
what
to
say.
He
picked
up
the
shoes
in
order
to
examine
them
more
closely.
They
were
so
well
made
that
not
a
single
stitch
was
out
of
place,
just
as
if
they
were
intended
as
a
masterpiece.
A
customer
soon
came
by,
and
he
liked
the
shoes
so
much
that
he
paid
more
than
the
usual
price
for
them.
第二天早上他做完祷告,打算继续工作,但他发现.在工作台上的那双鞋子已经做好了.天啦!鞋匠惊讶得说不出话来.
他把鞋子拿起来检查了一下,做工非常棒,缝接处没有丝毫偏差.就在这时，一位顾客进来了,他非常喜欢这双鞋并用高价买下了它们.
The
shoemaker
now
had
enough
money
to
buy
leather
for
two
pairs
of
shoes.
That
evening
he
cut
them
out,
intending
to
continue
his
work
the
next
morning
with
good
cheer.
But
he
did
not
need
to
do
so,
because
when
he
got
up
they
were
already
finished.
Customers
soon
bought
them,
paying
him
enough
that
he
now
could
buy
leather
for
four
pairs
of
shoes.
Early
the
next
morning
he
found
the
four
pairs
finished.
And
so
it
continued;
whatever
he
cut
out
in
the
evening
was
always
finished
the
following
morning.
He
now
had
a
respectable
income
and
with
time
became
a
wealthy
man.
鞋匠现在有足够的钱买做两双鞋的皮革了.晚上他兴高彩烈地裁剪好,打算第二天早上做好它们.但是他起床的时候鞋已经做好了.很快又有顾客买走了,并付给他很多钱,这下，鞋匠可以买做四双鞋子的皮革了。而且和以前一样，第二天早晨他发现鞋子已经做好了。这样过了一段时间，随着越来越多的鞋子做好了，卖出去，鞋匠很快就富了起来。
One
evening
shortly
before
Christmas,
just
before
going
to
bed,
and
having
already
cut
out
a
number
of
shoes,
he
said
to
his
wife,
"Why
don't
we
stay
up
tonight
and
see
who
is
giving
us
this
helping
hand."
圣诞节前的某天晚上，鞋匠一边忙着裁剪皮革，一边对妻子说:“不如我们整夜不睡，看看究竟是谁在帮助我们?”
His
wife
agreed
to
this
and
lit
a
candle.
Then
they
hid
themselves
behind
some
clothes
that
were
hanging
in
a
corner
of
the
room.
At
midnight
two
cute
little
naked
men
appeared.
Sitting
down
at
the
workbench,
they
picked
up
the
cut-out
pieces
and
worked
so
unbelievable
quickly
and
nimbly
that
the
amazed
shoemaker
could
not
take
his
eyes
from
them.
They
did
not
stop
until
they
had
finished
everything.
They
placed
the
completed
shoes
on
the
workbench,
then
quickly
ran
away.
他的妻子非常赞同,于是他们点了一根蜡烛，悄悄地藏在房间衣服的后面。半夜时分，两个小小的光着身子的小精灵出现了。他们坐在工作台上捡起裁剪好的皮革飞快的做了起来,鞋匠简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。它们直到全部做好才停下来把鞋放在工作台上,然后迅速跑走了.
The
next
morning
the
wife
said,
"The
little
men
have
made
us
wealthy.
We
must
show
them
our
thanks.
They
are
running
around
with
nothing
on,
freezing.
Do
you
know
what?
I
want
to
sew
some
shirts,
jackets,
undershirts,
and
trousers
for
them,
and
knit
a
pair
of
stockings
for
each
of
them,
and
you
should
make
a
pair
of
shoes
for
each
of
them."
第二天早上，鞋匠的妻子:“这些小精灵让我们生活这么富裕。我们应该报答他们,他们光着身子东奔西跑一定很冷。知道吗?我可以缝制一些衬衫,短外套,汗衫,还有裤子和长袜,而你可以给他们做一双鞋子.”
The
husband
said,
"I
agree,"
and
that
evening,
when
everything
was
finished,
they
set
the
presents
out
instead
of
the
unfinished
work.
Then
they
hid
themselves
in
order
to
see
what
the
little
men
would
do.
At
midnight
they
came
skipping
up,
intending
to
start
work
immediately.
When
they
saw
the
little
clothes
instead
of
the
cut-out
leather,
they
at
first
seemed
puzzled,
but
then
delighted.
They
quickly
put
them
on,
then
stroking
the
beautiful
clothes
on
their
bodies
they
sang:
Sind
wir
nicht
Knaben
glatt
und
fein?
Was
sollen
wir
linger
Schuster
sein!
Are
we
not
boys,
neat
and
fine?
No
longer
cobblers
shall
we
be!
鞋匠说:
"完全同意,"那天晚上，
鞋匠夫妇没有把裁剪好的皮革放在工作台上，而是把做好的小礼物放在上面。然后，他们又悄悄的躲了起来看小人会做什么.半夜里，小精灵们来了,并立刻准备把东西腾空开始工作,但他们刚看见那些小衣服的时候很迷惑，然后马上欣喜的把它们穿在身上,用手摸着漂亮的衣服唱起歌来:
“快来看看我，我是多么漂亮!我是一个英俊潇洒的帅小伙，没有比干制鞋的活更使我们快乐。”
Then
they
hopped
and
danced
about,
jumping
over
chairs
and
benches.
Finally
they
danced
out
of
the
house.
They
never
returned,
but
the
shoemaker
prospered,
succeeding
in
everything
that
he
did.
他们神气活现地蹦着、舞着、跳过椅子和长凳，最后跳出了房子再也没有回来。但是鞋匠仍然生意兴隆,万事如意。