The Emperor’s New Clothes

许多年以前有一位皇帝，

他非常喜欢穿好看的新衣服。

他为了要穿得漂亮，把所有的钱都花到衣服上去了，他一点也不关心他的军队，也不喜欢去看戏。除非是为了炫耀一下新衣服以外，他也不喜欢乘着马车逛公园。他每天每个钟头都要换一套新衣服。人们一提到他时，总是说：“皇上在更衣室里。”

In the great city where the emperor lived, life was easy and cheerful. Every day, many foreigners came to visit. One day, two swindlers arrived. They claimed to be weavers. They said they could weave the most magnificent cloth anyone could ever imagine. Not only were the colors and patterns extraordinarily beautiful, but the clothes made from this fabric had a special property: anyone unfit for their position, or foolish, would be unable to see them.

“那正是我最喜欢的衣服！”皇帝心里想。“我穿了这样的衣服，就可以看出我的王国里哪些人不称职；我就可以辨别出哪些人是聪明人，哪些人是傻子。是的，我要叫他们马上织出这样的布来！”他付了许多现款给这两个骗子，叫他们马上开始工作。

They set up two looms and pretended to be working, though nothing at all was on them. They repeatedly asked the emperor for the finest silk and purest gold thread. These they stuffed into their own pockets, while they went on pretending to work busily at their empty looms, often late into the night.

"I would very much like to know how their cloth is coming along," thought the emperor. But he quickly remembered that only the foolish or unfit could not see the fabric. This made him feel rather uneasy. He was sure he himself had nothing to fear, but still he thought it wiser to send someone else first to see how things were going. Everyone in the city had heard of the cloth’s marvelous power, and all were eager to see for themselves how foolish or unworthy their neighbors might be.

"I will send my honest old minister to the weavers," the emperor thought. "He is a man of sound judgment, and no one is more suited to his office than he. He will certainly be able to see what the cloth looks like."

So the good old minister went to the place where the two swindlers were working.

There they were, hard at work at their empty looms.

"What on earth is this?" the minister thought, opening his eyes as wide as he could.

"I cannot see a thing!" But he did not dare say so aloud.

The two swindlers asked him to come closer, and then inquired whether the pattern was not exquisite and the colors not splendid, all the while pointing to their empty looms.The poor old minister opened his eyes wider and wider, but still he saw nothing at all, for there was nothing there to be seen.

"Good heavens!" he thought. "Am I a fool? I have never doubted myself before. I must not let anyone know this! Could it be that I am unfit for my position? No, that must not be revealed! I cannot let anyone know that I cannot see the cloth."

 "Well, don’t you have anything to say?" asked one of the weavers.

"Ah, magnificent! Truly marvelous!" said the old minister, peering through his spectacles. "What beautiful patterns! What splendid colors! Yes, I shall report to the emperor that I am most satisfied with this cloth."

"We are delighted to hear that," both weavers replied. Then they described the rare colors and intricate patterns, adding many fancy terms. The old minister listened carefully so that he could repeat their words to the emperor when he returned. And indeed, that is exactly what he did.

The two swindlers then asked for more money, more silk, and more gold thread, claiming it was needed for the weaving. All of it went straight into their pockets, and not a single thread was placed on the loom. Yet they continued to pretend to work busily at the empty frames.

Before long, the emperor sent another honest official to see whether the cloth would soon be finished. But his luck was no better than the first minister’s: he looked and looked, yet on the empty looms he saw absolutely nothing.

"Isn’t this cloth beautiful?" asked the two swindlers, pointing to the looms and describing patterns that did not exist.

"I am certainly not a fool!" thought the official. "It must mean I am unfit for my office. How ridiculous! But no one must ever find out." So he praised the cloth he could not see, telling the weavers how much he admired the splendid colors and clever patterns. "Yes, it is truly wonderful!" he later assured the emperor.

 The whole city was soon talking about this marvelous fabric.

While the cloth was still supposedly being woven, the emperor himself became eager to see it. He chose a group of special attendants—including the two ministers who had already visited—and went to the swindlers’ workshop. There the rogues worked with all apparent energy, though not a thread could be seen.

"Doesn’t it look splendid?" the two honest officials said. "Just look, Your Majesty, at the wonderful patterns, the glorious colors!" They pointed toward the empty looms, certain that everyone else must be able to see the cloth.

"What is the meaning of this?" the emperor thought. "I see nothing at all! This is outrageous! Am I a fool? Am I unfit to be emperor? This is the most dreadful thing that has ever happened to me."

"Ah, it is magnificent!" said the emperor. "I am completely satisfied!" And he nodded his approval.

他装作很仔细地看着织机的样子，因为他不愿意说出他什么也没有看见。跟他来的全体随员也仔细地看了又看，可是他们也没有看出更多的东西。不过，他们也照着皇帝的话说：“啊，真是美极了！”他们建议皇帝用这种新奇的、美丽的布料做成衣服，穿上这衣服亲自去参加快要举行的游行大典。

“真美丽！真精致！真是好极了！”每人都随声附和着。每人都有说不出的快乐。皇帝赐给骗子每人一个爵士的头衔和一枚可以挂在纽扣洞上的勋章，并且还封他们为“御聘织师”。

The grand procession was to be held the next morning. That very night, the two swindlers stayed awake, working by the light of sixteen candles. It was clear they were making a great show of labor, finishing the emperor’s new clothes.They pretended to take the fabric off the looms. With two large scissors, they cut away at the air, and with needles that had no thread, they stitched away. At last they cried out together: "Look! The new clothes are finished!"

皇帝带着他的一群最高贵的骑士们亲自到来了。这两个骗子每人举起一只手，好像他们拿着一件什么东西似的。他们说：“请看吧，这是裤子！这是袍子！这是外衣！”

等等。“这衣服轻柔得像蜘蛛网一样，穿着它的人会觉得好像身上没有什么东西似的，这也正是这衣服的妙处。”

"Indeed, that is true," all the knights agreed. Yet they saw nothing, for in fact there was nothing to see.

"Now, Your Majesty, please remove your garments," said the two swindlers. "We shall dress you in your new clothes before this great mirror."

皇帝把身上的衣服统统都脱光了。这两个骗子装作把他们刚才缝好的新衣服一件一件地交给他。他们在他的腰围那儿弄了一阵子，好像是系上一件什么东西似的。皇帝在镜子面前转了转身子，扭了扭腰肢。

"Heavens, how well the clothes fit! What a fine cut!" everyone exclaimed. "What splendid patterns! What glorious colors! Truly, this is a suit of great magnificence!"

 "The canopy is ready outside, Your Majesty," announced the master of ceremonies. "It only waits for you to step out, so that it may be raised for the procession."

"Yes, I am quite ready," said the emperor. "Does it fit me well?" He turned once more before the mirror, wanting everyone to see how deeply he admired his beautiful attire.

The chamberlains, who were to carry the train, reached down toward the floor as if lifting it, though they held nothing but air. They dared not let anyone know that they saw nothing at all.

So the emperor set out on his procession beneath the splendid canopy. The people in the streets and at the windows cried, "Heavens, the emperor’s new clothes are wonderful! How lovely is the train beneath his robe! How perfectly the garments fit!" No one wished to admit he could see nothing, for that would betray his incompetence or foolishness. Never had the emperor’s clothes received such universal admiration.

"But he hasn’t got anything on!" a little child finally shouted.

"Good Lord, listen to the innocent voice of a child!" said the father. Soon, whispers spread from person to person, repeating the child’s words.

"He hasn’t got anything on! A child says he hasn’t got anything on!"

The emperor shivered a little, for it seemed to him that the people were right. But he thought to himself, "I must go through with this procession to the end."

So he held himself more proudly than ever, while the chamberlains followed behind him, holding aloft a train that did not exist.