“Heaven grant that I may dream how to save you.”she replied.And this thought took such hold upon her mind that she prayed earnestly to God for help，and even in her sleep she continued to pray.Then it appeared to her as if she were flying high in the air，towards the cloudy palace of the“Fata Morgana”，and a fairy came out to meet her，radiant and beautiful in appearance，and yet very much like the old woman who had given her berries in the wood，and who had told her of the swans with golden crowns on their heads.
“我希望梦见怎样才能把你们解救出来！”她说。她的心中一直鲜明地存在着这样的想法，这使她热忱地向上帝祈祷，请求他帮助。是的，就是在梦里，她也在不断地祈祷。于是她觉得自己好像已经高高地飞到空中去了，飞到莫尔甘娜的那座云中宫殿里去了。这位仙女来迎接她。她是非常美丽的，全身射出光辉。虽然如此，但她却很像那个老太婆——那个老太婆曾经在森林中给她吃浆果，并且告诉她那些头戴金冠的天鹅的行踪。
“Your brothers can be released，”said she，“if you have only courage and perseverance.True，water is softer than your own delicate hands，and yet it polishes stones into shapes.It feels no pain as your fingers would feel，it has no soul，and cannot suffer such agony and torment as you will have to endure.Do you see the stinging nettle which I hold in my hand？Quantities of the same sort grow round the cave in which you sleep，but none will be of any use to you unless they grow upon the graves in a churchyard.These you must gather even while they burn blisters on your hands.Break them to pieces with your hands and feet，and they will become flax，from which you must spin and weave eleven coats with long sleeves.If these are then thrown over the eleven swans，the spell will be broken.But remember，that from the moment you commence your task until it is finished，even should it occupy years of your life，you must not speak.The first word you utter will pierce through the hearts of your brothers like a deadly daggerdagger n.短剑，匕首vt.用剑(或匕首)刺.Their lives hang upon your tongue.Remember all I have told you.”
“你的哥哥们可以得救的！”她说，“不过你要有勇气和毅力。海水比你细嫩的手要柔和得多，可是它能把生硬的石头改变成别的形状。不过它没有痛的感觉，而你的手指却会感到痛的。它没有一颗心，因此它不会感到你所忍受的那种苦恼和痛楚。请看我手中这些有刺的荨麻！在你睡觉的那个洞子的周围，就长着许多这样的荨麻。只有它——那些生在教堂墓地里的荨麻——才能发生效力。请你记住这一点。你得采集它们，虽然它们可以把你的手烧得起泡。你得用脚把这些荨麻踩碎，于是你就可以得出麻来。你可以把它搓成线，织出十一件长袖的披甲来。你把它们披到那十一只野天鹅的身上，那么他们身上的魔力就可以解除。不过要记住，从你开始工作的那个时刻起，一直到你完成的时候止，即使这全部工作需要一年的光阴，你也不可以说一句话。你说出一个字，就会像一把锋利的短剑刺进你哥哥的心脏。他们的生命是悬在你的舌尖上的。记住这一些。”
And as she finished speaking，she touched her hand lightly with the nettle，and a pain，as of burning fire，awoke Eliza.It was broad daylight，and close by where she had been sleeping lay a nettle like the one she had seen in her dream.She fell on her knees and offered her thanks to God.Then she went forth from the cave to begin her work with her delicate hands.
于是仙女让她把荨麻摸了一下。它像燃烧着的火。伊莱扎一接触到它就醒转来了。天已经大亮。紧贴着她睡觉的这块地方就有一根荨麻——它跟她在梦中所见的是一样的。她跪在地上，感谢我们的主。随后她就走出了洞子，开始工作。
She groped in amongst the ugly nettles，which burnt great blisters on her hands and arms，but she determined to bear it gladly if she could only release her dear brothers.So she bruised the nettles with her bare feet and spun the flax.
她用她柔嫩的手拿着这些可怕的荨麻。这植物是像火一样地刺人，她的手上和臂上烧出了许多泡来。不过只要能救出亲爱的哥哥，她乐意忍受这些苦痛。于是她赤着脚把每一根荨麻踏碎，开始编织从中取出的、绿色的麻。
At sunset her brothers returned and were very much frightened when they found her dumb.They believed it to be some new sorcery of their wicked stepmother.But when they saw her hands they understood what she was doing on their behalfbehalf n.利益，and the youngest brother wept，and where his tears fell the pain ceased，and the burning blistersblister n.水泡vanished.
当太阳下沉以后，她的哥哥们都回来了。他们看到她一句话也不讲，就非常惊恐起来。他们相信这又是他们恶毒的后母在耍什么新的妖术。不过，他们一看到她的手，就知道她是在为他们而受难。那个最年轻的哥哥这时就不禁哭起来。他的泪珠滴到的地方，她就不感到痛楚，连那些灼热的水泡也不见了。
She kept to her work all night，for she could not rest till she had released her dear brothers.During the whole of the following day，while her brothers were absent，she sat in solitude(solitude n.孤独)，but never before had the time flown so quickly.One coat was already finished and she had begun the second，when she heard the huntsmans horn，and was struck with fear.
她整夜在工作着，因为在亲爱的哥哥得救以前，她是不会休息的。第二天一整天，当哥哥们离开之后，她一个人孤独地坐着，但是时间从来没有过得像现在这样快。一件披甲织完了，她马上又开始织第二件。这时山间响起了一阵打猎的号角声。她害怕起来。
The sound came nearer and nearer，she heard the dogs barking，and fled with terror into the cave.She hastily bound together the nettles she had gathered into a bundle and sat upon them.Immediately a great dog came bounding towards her out of the ravine，and then another and another.They barked loudly，ran back，and then came again.In a very few minutes all the huntsmen stood before the cave，and the handsomest of them was the king of the country.He advanced towards her，for he had never seen a more beautiful maiden.
声音越来越近。她听到猎狗的叫声，她惊慌地躲进洞子里去。她把她采集到的和梳理好的荨麻扎成一小捆，自己在那上面坐着。在这同时，一只很大的猎狗从灌木林里跳出来了；接着第二只、第三只也跳出来了。它们狂吠着，跑转去，又跑了回来，不到几分钟的光景，猎人都到洞口来了；他们之中最好看的一位就是这个国家的国王。他向伊莱扎走来。他从来没有看到过比她更美丽的姑娘。
“How did you come here，my sweet child？”he asked.But Eliza shook her head.She dared not speak，at the cost of her brotherslives.And she hid her hands under her apron，so that the king might not see how she must be suffering.
“你怎样到这地方来了呢，可爱的孩子？”他问。伊莱扎摇着头。她不敢讲话——因为这会影响到她哥哥们的生命。她把她的手藏到围裙下面，使国王看不见她所忍受的痛苦。
“Come with me，”he said，“Here you cannot remain.If you are as good as you are beautiful，I will dress you in silk and velvet，I will place a golden crown upon your head，and you shall dwell，and rule，and make your home in my richest castle.”
“跟我一块儿来吧！”他说。“你不能老在这儿。假如你的善良能比得上你的美貌，我将使你穿起丝绸和天鹅绒的衣服，在你头上戴起金制的王冠，把我最华贵的宫殿送给你作为你的家。”
And then he lifted her on his horse.She wept and wrung her hands，but the king said，“I wish only for your happiness.A time will come when you will thank me for this.”
于是他把她扶到马上。她哭起来，同时痛苦地扭着双手。可是国王说：“我只是希望你得到幸福，有一天你会感谢我的。”
