The Little Gingerbread Man
Written and Illustrated by Carol Moore
小小姜饼人
翻译：我们的共读时光
Once upon a time there was an old woman who loved baking gingerbread. She would bake gingerbread cookies, cakes, houses and gingerbread people, all decorated with chocolate and peppermint, caramel candies and colored frosting.
很久很久以前，有一位老妇人，她非常喜欢制作姜饼。她会做姜饼饼干、姜饼蛋糕、姜饼屋和姜饼人，并且用巧克力、薄荷、焦糖和五颜六色的糖霜装饰他们。
She lived with her husband on a farm at the edge of town. The sweet spicy smell of gingerbread brought children skipping and running to see what would be offered that day.
她和丈夫一起住在城边的农场，姜饼香甜的气味吸引着孩子们跑着跳着来到农场，来一探究竟，这天能吃到什么。
Unfortunately the children gobbled up the treats so fast that the old woman had a hard time keeping her supply of flour and spices to continue making the batches of gingerbread. Sometimes she suspected little hands of having reached through her kitchen window because gingerbread pieces and cookies would disappear. One time a whole gingerbread house vanished mysteriously. She told her husband, "Those naughty children are at it again. They don't understand all they have to do is knock on the door and I'll give them my gingerbread treats."
可是，孩子们狼吞虎咽，很快便将姜饼消灭了。尽管，老妇人一次又一次地将面粉和香料做成姜饼，还是赶不上孩子们吃的速度。有时候，她怀疑有小手在她厨房的窗台上偷偷拿了姜饼，因为晾在窗台上的姜饼片和姜饼饼干不翼而飞。一次，一整个姜饼屋神秘的消失了。老妇人跟丈夫说，“又是这帮淘气的孩子干的好事。难道他们不明白，他们只需敲一敲我家的门，我便会用姜饼招待他们。”
One day she made a special batch of gingerbread men because they were extra big. Unfortunately for the last gingerbread man she ran out of batter and he was half the size of the others.
一天，老妇人做了一批特别的姜饼人，之所以特别，是因为他们个头很大。不幸的是，做最后一个姜饼人的时候，由于面糊不够，只能做成其他姜饼人一半的个头。
She decorated the gingerbread men with care, each having socks, shirt and pants of different colors. When it came to the little gingerbread man she felt sorry for him and gave him more color than the others. "It doesn't matter he's small," she thought, "He'll still be tasty."
老妇人极其用心地装饰这批姜饼人，每一个都搭配了不同颜色的袜子、衬衣和裤子。轮到小姜饼人的时候，老妇人因为可怜他，便给他装饰了比其他姜饼人更多的颜色。老妇人心想，“个头小也不打紧，他还是会很美味。”
Putting the rack on the kitchen windowsill she left it there to cool and went to finish her laundry. The gingerbread men lay quietly, their frosted eyes gazing at the sky with its puffy clouds.
老妇人把烤架放在厨房窗台上冷却，然后去洗衣服。这些姜饼人安静地躺着，糖霜做的眼睛望着天空，天空中飘着松软如棉花糖般的云朵。
At that moment a voice came from nowhere. "Get up. Get up. Come with me."
这时，不知从哪里传来的声音，“起来，快起来，跟我走。”
Everyone looked to see who was speaking.
大家都开始看是谁在说话。
It was a butterfly flying just outside the window. Butterflies are naturally beautiful, but her wings were an exceptionally pretty marbled blue.
原来是一只蝴蝶，她就在窗外飞。蝴蝶天生就很美丽，但这一只更胜一筹，她的翅膀是蓝色的，拥有像大理石般的花纹。
"Come with me," she urged again.
“快跟我走，”她又一次催促道。
The gingerbread men didn't react except to keep staring. All but the smallest gingerbread man who jumped up from the tray and leaped off the kitchen windowsill onto the grass below faster than you could say "hurry."
其他的姜饼人只是盯着她看，并没有做出反应，只有个头最小的这位，他从烤盘上一跃而起，跳下窗台，来到草地上。速度之快，甚至比你说“快点儿”的时间还要短。
"Where are we going?" he asked breathlessly.
“我们去哪儿？”他喘着气问。
"Away." And before the butterfly had finished speaking children appeared in the yard. Spying the little gingerbread man they started shrieking with delight and began chasing him.
“离开这儿。”没等蝴蝶说完，孩子们出现在了院子里，他们发现了小姜饼人，开始兴奋地大叫并追起他来。
"Stop, stop," they shouted. "We want to eat you."
“停下，快停下，”他们喊道，“我们要吃了你。”
But with his little legs churning the gingerbread man only ran faster. He yelled,
"I won't stop.
Run, run as fast as you can.
You can't catch me.
I'm the gingerbread man."
小姜饼人快速摆动他的两条小腿，加快了速度。他喊道，
“我才不停下来。
你们跑啊，跑的越快越好。
你们追不上我的。
我是姜饼人。”
And truly those children could not catch him. Once out of their sight he continued running until he had reached a pasture where two horses were grazing. He sat down on a rock near the fence.
孩子们果然没能追上他。脱离了他们的视线后，小姜饼人继续跑着，直到来到了一片草地，有两匹马儿正在吃草。他在栅栏边的一块石头上坐了下来。
"Don't stop," said the butterfly fluttering nearby.
“别停下来，”在一旁飞行的蝴蝶对他说。
"I want to rest," he argued.
“我想休息，”他争辩道。
That was a mistake as one of the horses trotted over to the fence and whinnied. "Oh you smell so good little gingerbread man. Come over here so I can smell you better."
停下来休息果然是个错误，因为其中一匹马朝栅栏这边小跑过来，嘶叫着。“你闻起来真不错，小姜饼人。到这边来，让我好好闻闻。”
The little gingerbread man shook his head, but suddenly that horse jumped the fence and began galloping after him, so he had to run even faster. He called out,
"I outran children and I'll outrun you.
Run, run as fast as you can.
You can't catch me.
I'm the gingerbread man."
小姜饼人摇摇头，但，那匹马突然越过栅栏，飞奔过来，试图追上他。小姜饼人不得不跑的更快，他喊道，
“我跑赢了孩子们，我也能跑赢你。
你跑啊，跑的越快越好。
你追不上我的。
我是姜饼人。”
And truly, that horse could not catch him.
果然，那匹马也没能追上他。
The next time he rested the little gingerbread man took care to lie amongst the grass well off the road where no one would see him.
下一次休息的时候，小姜饼人仔细挑了一片远离马路的草丛躺了下来，应该没有人能发现他。
"Everybody wants to eat me," he complained to the butterfly. "Do you want to eat me, too?"
“大家都想把我吃掉，”他向蝴蝶抱怨，“你也想把我吃掉吗？”
Laughing she answered. "I love the smell of gingerbread. It's better than my favorite flowers. But I sip nectar, not gingerbread. Besides, you're my friend and friends don't eat friends."
蝴蝶笑着答道，“我喜欢姜饼的气味，比我最爱的花还要好闻。但我只吃花蜜。况且，你是我的朋友，朋友是不会吃朋友的。”
Pleased to hear that he had a friend the little gingerbread man was about to reply when again they were interrupted. A farmer's dog with a keen nose had come to investigate. Licking his muzzle at the sight of the gingerbread man, the dog said.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but little gingerbread man you look so good. I mean tired. Please stay awhile and rest if you like."
听说自己有朋友了，小姜饼人很高兴，他刚想答话，却又一次被打搅了。一条农夫的狗，鼻子很灵，过来打探情况。一看到小姜饼人，他舔了舔舌头，说道，“抱歉，打扰了，小姜饼人，你看上去很好吃，我的意思是，你看上去很疲惫，如果你愿意，请呆在这里休息一会儿吧。”
As the dog talked, he stepped closer and closer. The closer he stepped, the more nervous became the little gingerbread man. When the butterfly flitted from her grass perch in alarm, the little gingerbread man took off running with the dog nipping at his tiny heels. He shouted,
"I outran children. I outran a horse,
and I'll outrun you, too.
Run, run as fast as you can.
You can't catch me.
I'm the gingerbread man."
这狗一边说着，一边越靠越近。他越是靠近，小姜饼人越是紧张。蝴蝶本来在草上栖息，警觉地一飞而起，小姜饼人也拔腿就跑，那狗差点儿就咬到他的脚后跟了。他喊道，
“我跑赢了孩子们，跑赢了马，我也能跑赢你。
你跑啊，跑的越快越好。
你追不上我的。
我是姜饼人。”
And truly that dog could not catch him.
果然，那狗也没能追上他。
At last the little gingerbread man and the butterfly reached a stream.
最后，小姜饼人和蝴蝶来到了一条溪流边。
It wasn't a very big stream unless you are a tiny gingerbread man. To him it was a river. From out behind a bush sauntered a red fox stopping to stretch because he had just awakened from a nap. Looking at the gingerbread man he said nonchalantly, "May I help you?"
这条溪流其实不算大，但如果你是小小姜饼人，就另当别论了。对他来说，这简直是一条河。溪边的灌木丛后，一条红色的狐狸在漫步，他刚打了个盹儿，所以停下来舒展身体。他从灌木丛后走出来，看到小姜饼人，冷冷的说道，“需要帮忙吗？”
The butterfly was quick to respond. "No thank you. We're going to fly across this stream. We don't need your help."
蝴蝶抢先一步答道，“不用，谢谢。我们准备飞到对岸去，不用帮忙。”
Smiling, the wily fox glanced at the butterfly before turning to the little gingerbread man, "You're going to carry him? I've no doubt Ms. Butterfly that you have good intentions, but you're only a bug. You couldn't carry anything anywhere, let alone this gingerbread man across the stream. You'll drop him. I guarantee it!"
狡猾的狐狸笑着看着蝴蝶，然后转向小姜饼人，“你带他飞过去吗？毫无疑问，蝴蝶小姐肯定是好意，但你只是一只小虫，你不可能把任何东西带到任何地方，更别提带这位姜饼人过河了。你会把他掉进水里的，我敢肯定！”
The little gingerbread man was confused. He knew that his butterfly friend had good intentions but could she really carry him? He doubted it. Her wings were so thin and delicate. The thought of him falling into the cold water and crumbling to damp bits was frightening. He said to the fox, "I outran children. I outran a horse, and I outran a dog. Will you keep me safe and not eat me?"
小姜饼人凌乱了。他知道他的朋友蝴蝶女士肯定是好意，但她真的能带的动自己吗？他不确定。她的翅膀那么单薄，那么纤弱。一想到自己掉进冰冷的水里，变成湿哒哒的碎片，他便害怕。于是，他对狐狸说，“我跑赢了孩子们，跑赢了一匹马，还跑赢了一条狗，你会保证我的安全，不把我吃掉吗？”
"Of course!" the wily fox quickly assured him before the butterfly could object. "I eat only meat and I had a full meal just before my nap. Here, ride on my bushy tail. Let's go before I change my mind."
“当然！”蝴蝶还来不及反对，这只狡猾的狐狸已经快速地应允了他。“我只吃肉，况且我在刚刚睡觉之前已经饱餐了一顿。过来，坐在我毛茸茸的尾巴上。趁我还没改变主意，出发吧。”
So the little gingerbread man climbed onto the fox's tail and they entered the water.
于是，小姜饼人爬上狐狸的尾巴，接着，他们便下水了。
Unfortunately the fox's tail began dipping into the water. "You're too heavy for my tail, he said. Climb onto my back."
不幸的是，狐狸的尾巴开始浸入水中。“你太重了，我的尾巴支撑不动你，”他说，“爬到我的背上来。”
The little gingerbread man did as he was asked.
小姜饼人照做了。
But the water began creeping up the fox's back forcing the little gingerbread man to climb higher to the fox's neck. "That's not good enough, I'm afraid," said the wily fox. "Climb to my head."
但是，水位慢慢升到了狐狸的背部，没办法，小姜饼人只能往高处爬，来到狐狸的脖子上。“恐怕还是不够高”，狡猾的狐狸对他说，“爬到我头上来。”
Now the little gingerbread man was terrified, but what could he do? He climbed to the fox's ears.
这时，小姜饼人害怕了，但他别无选择。他爬到狐狸的耳朵上。
"Oh, little gingerbread man, you have to climb onto my nose," insisted the wily fox, "otherwise I can't help you. Don't you see the water is getting even deeper?"
“小姜饼人，你得爬到我的鼻子上去，”狡猾的狐狸坚持道，“否则的话，我也帮不了你。难道你没发现，水越来越深了吗”
So the little gingerbread man reluctantly climbed onto the fox's nose. The moment he did, that wily fox tossed him into the air, opening his jaws wide with anticipation. The little gingerbread man's eyes rounded with fear because he knew he was going to be eaten. It didn't matter now how fast he could run.
于是，小姜饼人不情不愿的爬到了狐狸的鼻子上。就在这瞬间，那只狡猾的狐狸把他抛向空中，张开了血盆大口，他是早有预谋的。小姜饼人睁大了眼睛，眼里充满恐惧，他知道自己要被吃掉了。这会子，无论他能跑多快，都无济于事了。
But the little gingerbread man and the wily fox had forgotten about the butterfly. She swooped into that fox's jaws, grabbing her friend by one leg and rescuing him from an awful fate. She flew higher and higher until the stream and the fox were but spots on the landscape.
但是，小姜饼人和狡猾的狐狸都忘记了那只蝴蝶。它俯身冲进狐狸的大嘴巴，抓住小姜饼人的一条腿，把他从厄运中解救了出来。她越飞越高，溪流和狐狸看过去变成了地面上的两个点。
"You can carry me," cried the little gingerbread man.
“你能带的动我，”小姜饼人喊道。
"Yes," she answered. "I'm stronger than you could imagine. Now I'll take you somewhere safe."
“是的，”她答道，“我比你想象的要强大，现在，我要带你去一个安全的地方。”
She flew with him over farm fields and forests and even mountains. It felt like they had been in the sky forever when they reached a lake, its waters calm like pale glass. There was an island in the middle of the lake lined with forest trees. And among the trees was where the butterfly took the little gingerbread man. She flew down, down, and down until they came to the foot of a pine tree.
她带着他飞过田地，飞过森林，飞过高山，他们好像要一直飞下去。然后，他们来到一片湖泊，湖水像玻璃一样平静。湖中央有个小岛，岛上树木参天，他们的目的地便在这片树林中。她越飞越低，直到来到一颗松树的脚下。
The little gingerbread man could not believe his eyes. Beneath that pine tree was the most beautiful gingerbread house.
小姜饼人简直不敢相信自己的眼睛，那棵松树底下，竟是世界上最美丽的姜饼屋。
Through the front door of the gingerbread house came a gingerbread man and a gingerbread woman. Seeing the butterfly and her companion they smiled excitedly waving their gingerbread hands.
两个姜饼人，一位男士和一位女士，从屋子的前门走了出来。看到蝴蝶和他的同伴，他们兴奋地一边微笑一边挥动用姜饼做成的手。
"Oh, what have you brought us?" cried the gingerbread woman. Evidently she knew the butterfly very well.
“哦，你给我们带来了什么？”姜饼女士喊道。很明显，她跟蝴蝶是旧相识。
"I think that's obvious, dear" said the gingerbread man. "She's brought us a gingerbread boy. Do you realize that now we can be the family we always wanted?"
“很显然啊，亲爱的”姜饼男士说，“他给我们带来了一个姜饼男孩。你意识到了吗，我们终于能拥有我们一直想要的家庭了。”
It was true. The butterfly had intended all along to bring these three together. The little gingerbread man had not known that he was, in reality, a gingerbread boy. It was all so sudden, but wonderful. When both his gingerbread parents each gave him a loving hug he knew he was home.
确实如此。从一开始，蝴蝶就打算把他们三个聚到一起。小姜饼人这才意识到，原来他是一个姜饼男孩。这一切都太突然，但很奇妙。姜饼男士和姜饼女士分别给了他一个爱的拥抱，他知道他到家了。
The gingerbread family went inside their gingerbread house to celebrate with the butterfly remaining outside on the roof. She was content just smelling the gingerbread and sitting there quietly, whether it was day or night.
姜饼人一家进屋庆祝，蝴蝶仍旧停留在屋顶上。日夜交替，斗转星移，她安静地坐着，闻着姜饼的香味，觉得很满足。
They all lived happily ever after.
从此以后，他们都过上了幸福的生活。
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