《The Red Shoes｜Hans Christian Andersen（英文原文＋中文工作翻譯）》

本文所引用之紅鞋〈The Red Shoes〉原文，出自安徒生 Hans Christian Andersen，原文版本來自 Project Gutenberg，屬於公眾領域（Public Domain）。

中文翻譯為作者自行整理之工作翻譯（working translation），由 AI 協助翻譯後經人工調整，僅作為之後分析與討論之用。本文不包含詮釋與評論。個人閱讀與理解將另文呈現。

本文未主張原文之任何著作權。

《紅鞋》

（對應下方Gutenberg 英文版）

從前有一個小女孩，長得漂亮又纖細。但在夏天，她因為貧窮，只能赤腳走路；而在冬天，她必須穿著又大又笨重的木鞋，以至於她小小的腳背總是磨得紅紅的。

在村子的中央，住著一位老鞋匠的妻子；她坐下來，盡她所能，用一些舊的紅色布料，縫製了一雙小鞋子。

鞋子做得很粗糙，但她的心是好的，因為那是為那個小女孩做的，女孩的名字叫卡倫（Karen）。

卡倫收到了這雙鞋，並在她母親下葬的那一天第一次穿上它們。

那雙鞋當然不適合喪禮，但她沒有別的鞋可穿，於是她把赤裸的腳伸進那雙鞋裡，跟在那口簡陋的棺木後面行走。

就在那時，一輛又大又舊的馬車經過，裡面坐著一位老婦人。她看見了這個小女孩，心生憐憫，便對牧師說：「你瞧，如果你願意把這孩子交給我，我會照顧她的。」

卡倫以為，這一切都是因為那雙紅鞋的緣故；但老婦人卻覺得那雙鞋十分醜陋，於是把它們燒掉了。

卡倫本人被打扮得整齊又乾淨；她學會了讀書和縫紉，人們都說她長得漂亮。

但鏡子卻對她說：「你不只是漂亮——你是美麗。」

有一天，王后經過那一帶，帶著她的小女兒——一位公主。

所有的人都湧向城堡，卡倫也在其中；小公主穿著潔白精緻的衣裳，站在窗前，讓人們觀看。

她既沒有拖地的長裙，也沒有金色的皇冠，卻穿著一雙美麗的紅色摩洛哥皮鞋；那雙鞋，確實比鞋匠妻子為卡倫縫製的那一雙要精緻得多。

世上真的沒有什麼能與紅鞋相比！

卡倫如今已到了接受堅信禮的年齡；她得到了一套新衣服，也要有一雙新鞋。

城裡富有的鞋匠，在他自己的房間裡為她量腳；房間裡有一排排玻璃櫃，裝滿了漂亮的鞋子和白色的拖鞋。一切看起來都那麼美好，但老婦人的視力已經不好，並沒有從中得到多少樂趣。

在眾多鞋子之中，有一雙紅鞋，就像公主穿過的那一雙。

它們多麼美啊！

鞋匠說，那雙鞋原本是為一位伯爵的女兒做的，只是尺寸不合。

「我想它們是亮皮的吧？」老婦人問。

「它們在發亮呢。」

「是的，它們會發亮。」卡倫說。

鞋子很合腳，於是就買下了。但老婦人並不知道鞋子是紅色的；因為如果她知道，她絕不會允許卡倫穿著紅鞋接受堅信禮。

所有人都看著她的腳；從教堂門口一路走到唱詩班的位置，她覺得彷彿連墓碑上那些穿著硬挺領口、長黑袍的古老雕像，都在注視著她的紅鞋。

當牧師把手放在她的頭上，講述神聖的洗禮、與上帝的盟約，並告訴她如今已成為一名成熟的基督徒時，她腦中所想的，只有那雙紅鞋。

管風琴莊嚴地奏響，孩子們清亮的歌聲與老指揮者的聲音交織在一起；但卡倫心裡想的，仍然只有那雙紅鞋。

那天下午，老婦人從所有人口中聽說，卡倫穿著紅鞋去了教堂。她說這是件可怕的事，非常不合宜；今後卡倫去教堂，一定只能穿黑鞋，即使是舊的紅鞋也不行。

接下來的星期天是聖餐禮。

卡倫先看了看黑鞋，又看了看紅鞋——

再看了一眼紅鞋，

然後把它們穿上了。

陽光燦爛，卡倫和老婦人沿著穿過麥田的小路走著，路上塵土飛揚。

在教堂門口，站著一位年老的殘疾士兵，拄著拐杖；他留著一把非常長的鬍子，紅色多於白色。他深深鞠躬，問老婦人是否可以替她擦鞋。接著卡倫也把她的小腳伸了出來。

「天哪，多漂亮的舞鞋啊！」士兵說。

「跳舞的時候，可要抓牢啊。」

他對鞋子說著，並用手拍了拍鞋底。老婦人給了士兵一些錢，然後和卡倫一起進了教堂。

教堂裡的所有人都看著卡倫的紅鞋；所有的雕像也都凝視著它們。

當卡倫跪在祭壇前，把金色的聖杯送到嘴邊時，她心裡想的仍然只是那雙紅鞋。她覺得那雙鞋彷彿在聖杯裡游動，於是她忘了唱詩篇，也忘了念《主禱文》。

眾人走出教堂後，老婦人上了馬車；就在卡倫抬腳準備上車時，那位老士兵說：

「天哪，多漂亮的舞鞋啊！」

卡倫忍不住，不得不跳了幾步；而一旦她開始跳舞，雙腿便再也停不下來。彷彿是那雙鞋掌控了她的腿。

她繞著教堂的角落跳舞，怎麼也停不下來；車夫不得不追上她，抓住她。他把她抬進馬車裡，但她的腳仍然在跳舞，以至於狠狠地踢到了那位善良的老婦人。最後，他們把鞋子脫了下來，她的腿這才安靜下來。

回到家後，鞋子被放進了櫥櫃；但卡倫還是忍不住去看它們。

這時，老婦人病倒了，人們說她恐怕再也起不了床了。她需要有人照料與服侍，而這份責任，沒有誰比卡倫更應該承擔。

但城裡正要舉辦一場盛大的舞會，卡倫也收到了邀請。

她看著那雙紅鞋，心裡想著：

只是看看，並沒有罪。

她穿上紅鞋，也覺得那並沒有什麼不對；於是她去了舞會，並開始跳舞。

可是，當她想向右跳時，

鞋子卻帶著她向左；

當她想向前時，

鞋子卻帶著她向後；

它們帶著她一路下樓梯，穿過街道，出了城門。

她跳舞，而且不得不一直跳，遠遠地跳進黑暗的森林裡。

忽然，在樹林之間有什麼亮了起來；她以為那是月亮，因為那像是一張臉。但那不是月亮，而是那位留著紅鬍子的老士兵；他坐在那裡點著頭，說：

「天哪，多漂亮的舞鞋啊！」

她嚇壞了，

想把紅鞋甩掉；但它們緊緊黏住了。她撕下了襪子，但鞋子已經牢牢長在她的腳上。

她跳舞，而且不得不繼續跳，穿過田野與草地，在雨中、在陽光下，白天與黑夜——而夜裡最是可怕。

她跳進了開闊的墓園；但那裡的死人並不跳舞，他們有更重要的事要做。她想坐在那座長著苦蕨的窮人墓旁；但對她而言，既沒有安息，也沒有停歇。

當她跳過敞開的教堂門口時，她看見一位天使，穿著長長的白袍，雙翼從肩膀垂到地面；他的臉嚴肅而冷峻，

手中握著一把寬廣、閃亮的劍。

「你必須跳舞，」他說，

「穿著你的紅鞋跳舞，

直到你蒼白冰冷，

直到你的皮膚枯縮，

成為一具骷髏！

你必須跳舞，

從一扇門跳到另一扇門；

在驕傲而邪惡的孩子居住之處敲門，

讓他們聽見你、懼怕你！

你必須跳舞，

跳舞——！」

「憐憫我吧！」卡倫喊道。

但她沒有聽見天使的回答，因為鞋子帶著她衝出柵欄，奔過田野，沿著大路與小徑，不停地跳舞。

有一天清晨，她跳過一扇熟悉的門前；裡面正在唱詩歌，一口覆著鮮花的棺木正被抬出來。那時她才明白，她已被所有人拋棄，也被上帝的天使定罪。

她跳舞，不得不在黑夜中繼續跳舞。

鞋子帶著她穿越荊棘與樹根，把她割得遍體鱗傷、滿身是血；她跳過荒原，來到一間孤零零的小屋。她知道，那裡住著劊子手。

她用手指敲著窗戶說：

「出來吧，出來吧！我不能進去，因為我必須跳舞。」

劊子手說：

「我想你不知道我是誰。我砍下惡人的頭，我注意到我的斧頭正在顫動，想要動手。」

「別砍我的頭！」卡倫說，

「那樣我就無法悔改我的罪了。但請你砍掉我的腳，連同那雙紅鞋一起。」

於是她承認了所有的罪；劊子手砍下她的雙腳與紅鞋。那雙鞋帶著小小的腳，跳過田野，一路跳進幽深的森林。

劊子手為她雕刻了一雙木腳，又給了她一副拐杖，並教她唱一首罪人常唱的詩歌。她親吻了那隻揮動斧頭的手，然後走過荒原離去。

「現在，我已為紅鞋受夠了苦，」

她說，「我要去教堂，讓人們看見我。」

她急忙走向教堂門口；但當她抵達時，卻看見那雙紅鞋正在她前方跳舞。

她驚恐不已，轉身離開。

整整一個星期，她悲傷地生活著，流下了許多痛苦的眼淚；但當星期天再度來臨時，她說：

「如今，我已受夠苦、努力夠了。我相信我與那些坐在教堂裡自命不凡的人，一樣好。」

於是她勇敢地走去；但她還沒走過墓園的門口，就又看見紅鞋在她前方跳舞。

她恐懼萬分，轉身回頭，真心誠意地懺悔自己的罪。

她來到牧師家，請求被收留做工；她說她會勤奮工作，竭盡所能；她不在意工資，只要有屋可住，能與好人同在。牧師的妻子憐憫她，便收留了她。

她勤勞又體貼；夜裡牧師朗讀《聖經》時，她安靜地坐著聆聽。孩子們都很喜歡她；但當他們談起服飾、排場與美麗時，她只會搖頭。

下一個星期天，大家都去教堂了，也問她是否想去；她含著眼淚，憂傷地看著自己的拐杖。

於是其他人去聽上帝的話，而她獨自回到小房間裡；那房間小得只放得下一張床與一把椅子。

她坐下來讀著詩歌書，心懷虔誠；風把教堂裡的管風琴聲送進她的房間，她流著淚抬起臉說：

「噢，上帝，請幫助我！」

就在那時，陽光如此明亮地照進來；上帝的天使站在她面前，

穿著白袍——

正是那一夜站在教堂門口的那位。

但他不再拿著利劍，而是手持一枝開滿玫瑰的綠枝；他用那枝條觸碰天花板，天花板隨之升高；他觸碰牆壁，牆壁敞開；她看見管風琴正在奏響，看見古老的牧師與他們的妻子肖像，看見會眾坐在光亮的座椅上，唱著詩歌。

教堂來到了

這個貧窮女孩狹小的房間；或者說，這個房間來到了教堂。

她坐在牧師一家人的座位中，當詩歌唱完，大家抬起頭來，對她點頭說：

「你來得對，卡倫。」

「這是憐憫。」她說。

管風琴奏響，孩子們的歌聲柔和而美麗。

溫暖明亮的陽光照進窗戶，灑落在卡倫所在的座位上；她的心被那光充滿，充滿了平安與喜樂，以至於它破裂了。

她的靈魂隨著陽光飛向天堂；那裡，沒有人再詢問紅鞋。

在Gutenberg.org 上紅鞋是這個版本：

THE RED SHOES

Once upon a time there was little girl, pretty and dainty. But in summer time she was obliged to go barefooted because she was poor, and in winter she had to wear large wooden shoes, so that her little instep grew quite red.

In the middle of the village lived an old shoemaker's wife; she sat down and made, as well as she could, a pair of little shoes out of some old pieces of red cloth. They were clumsy, but she meant well, for they were intended for the little girl, whose name was Karen.

Karen received the shoes and wore them for the first time on the day of her mother's funeral. They were certainly not suitable for mourning; but she had no others, and so she put her bare feet into them and walked behind the humble coffin.

Just then a large old carriage came by, and in it sat an old lady; she looked at the little girl, and taking pity on her, said to the clergyman, "Look here, if you will give me the little girl, I will take care of her."

Karen believed that this was all on account of the red shoes, but the old lady thought them hideous, and so they were burnt. Karen herself was dressed very neatly and cleanly; she was taught to read and to sew, and people said that she was pretty. But the mirror told her, "You are more than pretty—you are beautiful."

One day the Queen was travelling through that part of the country, and had her little daughter, who was a princess, with her. All the people, amongst them Karen too, streamed towards the castle, where the little princess, in fine white clothes, stood before the window and allowed herself to be stared at. She wore neither a train nor a golden crown, but beautiful red morocco shoes; they were indeed much finer than those which the shoemaker's wife had sewn for little Karen. There is really nothing in the world that can be compared to red shoes!

Karen was now old enough to be confirmed; she received some new clothes, and she was also to have some new shoes. The rich shoemaker in the town took the measure of her little foot in his own room, in which there stood great glass cases full of pretty shoes and white slippers. It all looked very lovely, but the old lady could not see very well, and therefore did not get much pleasure out of it. Amongst the shoes stood a pair of red ones, like those which the princess had worn. How beautiful they were! and the shoemaker said that they had been made for a count's daughter, but that they had not fitted her.

"I suppose they are of shiny leather?" asked the old lady. "They shine so."

"Yes, they do shine," said Karen. They fitted her, and were bought. But the old lady knew nothing of their being red, for she would never have allowed Karen to be confirmed in red shoes, as she was now to be.

Everybody looked at her feet, and the whole of the way from the church door to the choir it seemed to her as if even the ancient figures on the monuments, in their stiff collars and long black robes, had their eyes fixed on her red shoes. It was only of these that she thought when the clergyman laid his hand upon her head and spoke of the holy baptism, of the covenant with God, and told her that she was now to be a grown-up Christian. The organ pealed forth solemnly, and the sweet children's voices mingled with that of their old leader; but Karen thought only of her red shoes. In the afternoon the old lady heard from everybody that Karen had worn red shoes. She said that it was a shocking thing to do, that it was very improper, and that Karen was always to go to church in future in black shoes, even if they were old.

On the following Sunday there was Communion. Karen looked first at the black shoes, then at the red ones—looked at the red ones again, and put them on.

The sun was shining gloriously, so Karen and the old lady went along the footpath through the corn, where it was rather dusty.

At the church door stood an old crippled soldier leaning on a crutch; he had a wonderfully long beard, more red than white, and he bowed down to the ground and asked the old lady whether he might wipe her shoes. Then Karen put out her little foot too. "Dear me, what pretty dancing-shoes!" said the soldier. "Sit fast, when you dance," said he, addressing the shoes, and slapping the soles with his hand.

The old lady gave the soldier some money and then went with Karen into the church.

And all the people inside looked at Karen's red shoes, and all the figures gazed at them; when Karen knelt before the altar and put the golden goblet to her mouth, she thought only of the red shoes. It seemed to her as though they were swimming about in the goblet, and she forgot to sing the psalm, forgot to say the "Lord's Prayer."

Now every one came out of church, and the old lady stepped into her carriage. But just as Karen was lifting up her foot to get in too, the old soldier said: "Dear me, what pretty dancing shoes!" and Karen could not help it, she was obliged to dance a few steps; and when she had once begun, her legs continued to dance. It seemed as if the shoes had got power over them. She danced round the church corner, for she could not stop; the coachman had to run after her and seize her. He lifted her into the carriage, but her feet continued to dance, so that she kicked the good old lady violently. At last they took off her shoes, and her legs were at rest.

At home the shoes were put into the cupboard, but Karen could not help looking at them.

Now the old lady fell ill, and it was said that she would not rise from her bed again. She had to be nursed and waited upon, and this was no one's duty more than Karen's. But there was a grand ball in the town, and Karen was invited. She looked at the red shoes, saying to herself that there was no sin in doing that; she put the red shoes on, thinking there was no harm in that either; and then she went to the ball; and commenced to dance.

But when she wanted to go to the right, the shoes danced to the left, and when she wanted to dance up the room, the shoes danced down the room, down the stairs through the street, and out through the gates of the town. She danced, and was obliged to dance, far out into the dark wood. Suddenly something shone up among the trees, and she believed it was the moon, for it was a face. But it was the old soldier with the red beard; he sat there nodding his head and said: "Dear me, what pretty dancing shoes!"

She was frightened, and wanted to throw the red shoes away; but they stuck fast. She tore off her stockings, but the shoes had grown fast to her feet. She danced and was obliged to go on dancing over field and meadow, in rain and sunshine, by night and by day—but by night it was most horrible.

She danced out into the open churchyard; but the dead there did not dance. They had something better to do than that. She wanted to sit down on the pauper's grave where the bitter fern grows; but for her there was neither peace nor rest. And as she danced past the open church door she saw an angel there in long white robes, with wings reaching from his shoulders down to the earth; his face was stern and grave, and in his hand he held a broad shining sword.

"Dance you shall," said he, "dance in your red shoes till you are pale and cold, till your skin shrivels up and you are a skeleton! Dance you shall, from door to door, and where proud and wicked children live you shall knock, so that they may hear you and fear you! Dance you shall, dance—!"

"Mercy!" cried Karen. But she did not hear what the angel answered, for the shoes carried her through the gate into the fields, along highways and byways, and unceasingly she had to dance.

One morning she danced past a door that she knew well; they were singing a psalm inside, and a coffin was being carried out covered with flowers. Then she knew that she was forsaken by every one and damned by the angel of God.

She danced, and was obliged to go on dancing through the dark night. The shoes bore her away over thorns and stumps till she was all torn and bleeding; she danced away over the heath to a lonely little house. Here, she knew, lived the executioner; and she tapped with her finger at the window and said:

"Come out, come out! I cannot come in, for I must dance."

And the executioner said: "I don't suppose you know who I am. I strike off the heads of the wicked, and I notice that my axe is tingling to do so."

"Don't cut off my head!" said Karen, "for then I could not repent of my sin. But cut off my feet with the red shoes."

And then she confessed all her sin, and the executioner struck off her feet with the red shoes; but the shoes danced away with the little feet across the field into the deep forest.

And he carved her a pair of wooden feet and some crutches, and taught her a psalm which is always sung by sinners; she kissed the hand that guided the axe, and went away over the heath.

"Now, I have suffered enough for the red shoes," she said; "I will go to church, so that people can see me." And she went quickly up to the church-door; but when she came there, the red shoes were dancing before her, and she was frightened, and turned back.

During the whole week she was sad and wept many bitter tears, but when Sunday came again she said: "Now I have suffered and striven enough. I believe I am quite as good as many of those who sit in church and give themselves airs." And so she went boldly on; but she had not got farther than the churchyard gate when she saw the red shoes dancing along before her. Then she became terrified, and turned back and repented right heartily of her sin.

She went to the parsonage, and begged that she might be taken into service there. She would be industrious, she said, and do everything that she could; she did not mind about the wages as long as she had a roof over her, and was with good people. The pastor's wife had pity on her, and took her into service. And she was industrious and thoughtful. She sat quiet and listened when the pastor read aloud from the Bible in the evening. All the children liked her very much, but when they spoke about dress and grandeur and beauty she would shake her head.

On the following Sunday they all went to church, and she was asked whether she wished to go too; but, with tears in her eyes, she looked sadly at her crutches. And then the others went to hear God's Word, but she went alone into her little room; this was only large enough to hold the bed and a chair. Here she sat down with her hymn-book, and as she was reading it with a pious mind, the wind carried the notes of the organ over to her from the church, and in tears she lifted up her face and said: "O God! help me!"

Then the sun shone so brightly, and right before her stood an angel of God in white robes; it was the same one whom she had seen that night at the church-door. He no longer carried the sharp sword, but a beautiful green branch, full of roses; with this he touched the ceiling, which rose up very high, and where he had touched it there shone a golden star. He touched the walls, which opened wide apart, and she saw the organ which was pealing forth; she saw the pictures of the old pastors and their wives, and the congregation sitting in the polished chairs and singing from their hymn-books. The church itself had come to the poor girl in her narrow room, or the room had gone to the church. She sat in the pew with the rest of the pastor's household, and when they had finished the hymn and looked up, they nodded and said, "It was right of you to come, Karen."

"It was mercy," said she.

The organ played and the children's voices in the choir sounded soft and lovely. The bright warm sunshine streamed through the window into the pew where Karen sat, and her heart became so filled with it, so filled with peace and joy, that it broke. Her soul flew on the sunbeams to Heaven, and no one was there who asked after the Red Shoes.