A poor shoemaker receives some unexpected help just when he needs it most. When it is close to Christmas he and his wife decided to give a gift in return.
一个穷苦的鞋匠在最需要帮助的时候，得到了一些意想不到的援手。临近圣诞节时，他和妻子决定回赠一份礼物。
A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, became so poor that at last he had nothing left but enough leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut the leather into the shape of the shoes, and he left his work on the table to finish in the morning. He lay down quietly in his bed, and before he fell asleep he asked God to help him.
有个鞋匠，并非因自身过错，变得极为穷困，到最后，他仅剩下够做一双鞋的皮革。于是，晚上他把皮革裁剪成鞋的形状，将活儿留在桌上，打算次日清晨完成。他静静地躺在床上，临睡前，他祈求上帝能帮他一把。
In the morning, just as he was about to sit down to work, he saw the two shoes standing quite finished on his table. He was astounded, and did not know what to make of it. He took the shoes in his hands to look at them more closely and he saw that they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them. It was just as if they were intended as a masterpiece.
次日清晨，他刚要坐下干活，就看到那双鞋已经妥妥地摆在桌上，完工了。他惊愕万分，完全摸不着头脑。他拿起鞋子，凑近仔细端详，只见鞋子做工极为精细，连一针一线都毫无瑕疵，简直就像是件杰作。
Soon after, a customer came in to the shop, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more than the usual price. Now the shoemaker had enough money to buy leather for two pairs of shoes.
没过多久，一位顾客走进店里，这双鞋让他爱不释手，于是付了比平常高得多的价钱。这下，鞋匠有了足够的钱去买能做两双鞋的皮革。
That night, he cut out the leather, and the next morning he was about to set to work with fresh hope for the future when he saw that the shoes were already made. There was no shortage of customers who wanted the shoes, and the shoemaker soon had enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes.
那天晚上，他裁剪好皮革，第二天早上，正当他怀揣着对未来的新希望准备开工时，却发现鞋子已然做好。想要买鞋的顾客络绎不绝，鞋匠很快就有了足够的钱去购买能做四双鞋的皮革。
The following morning he found the four pairs were made – and so it went on; any leather that he cut out in the evening was finished by the morning. Soon he was no longer poor, and he even became quite rich.
次日清晨，他发现那四双鞋也已完工—— 事情就这样持续着；每晚他裁剪好的皮革，次日清晨就都变成了成品鞋。不久后，他不再贫穷，甚至变得颇为富有。
Now one evening, not long before Christmas, the man finished cutting out the leather as usual. This time he said to his wife: “Let’s stay up tonight to see who it is that lends us this helping hand?”
圣诞节前夕的一个晚上，鞋匠像往常一样裁剪完皮革。这次，他对妻子说：“今晚咱们别睡，看看究竟是谁在向我们伸出援手。”
The woman liked the idea, and lighted a candle. Then they hid themselves in a corner of the room behind some clothes which were hanging up there, and watched.
妻子觉得这个主意不错，便点上一支蜡烛。然后，他们躲在房间一角挂着的衣物后面，静静观察。
When it was midnight, two little elves came into the room, both without any clothes on, and sat down by the shoemaker’s table. They took all the work which was cut out before them and began to stitch, sew, and hammer so skillfully and so quickly with their little fingers that the shoemaker could not turn away his eyes for astonishment. They did not stop until all was done and stood finished on the table, and then they ran quickly away.
午夜时分，两个小精灵走进房间，他们都没穿衣服，在鞋匠的工作台前坐下。他们拿起面前裁剪好的所有活儿，开始熟练而迅速地用小手指穿针引线、缝制敲打，鞋匠惊讶得目不转睛。直到所有活儿都做完，鞋子整整齐齐摆在桌上，他们才迅速跑开。
The next morning the woman said: “The little men have made us rich, and we really must show that we are grateful for it. They run about so, but have nothing on, and must be cold. I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I will make them little shirts, coats, vests, and trousers, and knit both of them a pair of stockings. You can help too – make them two little pairs of shoes.”
第二天早上，妻子说：“这些小精灵让我们过上了富足的日子，我们真的得表达感激之情。他们跑来跑去，却什么也没穿，肯定很冷。我跟你说我打算怎么做：我要给他们做小衬衫、外套、背心和裤子，再给他们每人织一双长袜。你也来帮忙 —— 给他们做两双小鞋子。”
The man said: “I shall be very glad to do it.” One night, when everything was ready, they laid their presents altogether on the table instead of the cut out work. Then they hid themselves to see what the little men would do.
鞋匠说：“我很乐意这么做。” 一天晚上，一切准备就绪后，他们把礼物全都放在桌上，取代了裁剪好的皮革。然后，他们藏起来，想看看小精灵们会怎么做。
At midnight they came bounding in, wanting to get to work at once, but as they did not find any leather cut out, but only the pretty little articles of clothing, they were at first puzzled – and then delighted. They dressed themselves very quickly, putting the pretty clothes on, and singing,
“Now we are boys so fine to see,
Why should we longer cobblers be?”
午夜时分，小精灵们蹦蹦跳跳地进来，一心想马上开工，但他们没看到裁剪好的皮革，只看到那些漂亮的小衣服，一开始有些困惑，接着便满心欢喜。他们迅速穿起衣服，一边穿上那些漂亮衣物，一边唱道：
“如今我们打扮得如此帅气，
为何还要做鞋匠苦兮兮？”
They danced and skipped and leaped over chairs and benches. At last they danced out of the doors. From that time on they came no more, but as long as the shoemaker lived, all went well with him, and all his business prospered.
他们又跳又蹦，在椅子和长凳上跳来跳去。最后，他们蹦蹦跳跳地出了门。从那以后，小精灵们再也没来过，但在鞋匠有生之年，一切都顺顺利利，他的生意也蒸蒸日上。
