作者：Audrey Wood
Once there was a Princess
who didn’t behave like a princess.
很久以前，有一个不像公主的公主。
The King and Queen were shocked
by her frightful manners.
王和后都被她的粗野震惊了。
Her tangled hair and ragged clothes made her nanny cry.
她的乱发和脏衣服，令她的保姆难过得哭泣。
"Don t touch me! I m perfect."
“不要碰我！我已经非常完美了。”
The cook, try as he might,
could never serve a meal the Princess liked.
她的厨师，使尽浑身解数，也没能做出一顿能让她满意的饭。
"Spaghetti a la meatballs and chocolate peanut butter cake."
“肉丸子、意大利面、花生巧克力黄油蛋糕。”
"Throw it to the swine!"
“扔出去喂猪吧！”
No one ever saw her smile,
没人见她笑过，
except when she played a mean trick on the old knight.
只有在捉弄守卫她的老骑士得逞的时候，她怀大笑。
"Eat up your nice worm!"
“感紧把你的虫子吃掉！”
"Don t act like her."
“千万别学她那样做。”
"She s a disgrace."
“她实在不像话。”
"Never, never."
“千万别。”
All the Mothers and Fathers in the kingdom
warned their children not to be like her.
爸爸妈妈们都警告自己的孩子，千万不要像公主那样粗野。
"No! No! No!"
“不不不！”
"Isn t she terrible!"
“她实在是太糟糕了！”
One day, a dragon was seen moving into a cave in the mountain.
有一天，有人看到一条龙飞进了山上的洞里。
The Mothers and Fathers were frightened
and ran to the King and Queen for help.
爸爸妈妈们都吓坏了，纷纷跑去求助王和王后。
The King and Queen were worried too.
王和王后也很担心。
"It s green!" "It s big!" "It s hungry!" "Help!"
“它是绿色的！”“它好大只！” “它非常饿！” “救命呀！”
They knew that dragons like to kidnap princess.
他们知道龙都喜欢绑架公主。
But most upset of all was the old knight,
as it was his job to protect the royal child.
但是最烦恼的是老骑士，因他的工作就是护卫皇家孩子的安全。
"It s come for our little dear."
“它是冲着我们的小宝贝来的！”
"Oh me!" "Oh my!"
“我的天！”
This news gave the Princess a mean idea.
这个消息让公主想到一个馊主意。
Wouldn’t it be jolly to watch the old knight fight a dragon?
看老骑士跟龙打架，不是很好玩吗？
She would let the monster capture her.
她想让那个怪物抓走自己。
That night, while everyone was asleep, the Princess tiptoed out
于是那天晚上，当大家都睡着的时候，公主偷偷地溜了出来，
and made her way up to the terrible creature’s cave.
并且找到可怕的龙所在的山洞。
But inside, she found a dragon daintily playing a piano.
但是公主只看见龙在洞里优雅地弹着钢琴。
The Dragon was not at all what the Princess expected.
这只龙跟公主想像中的不一样。
The Dragon was equally surprised.
龙也一样很惊讶。
"I m the Princess. Capture me!"
“我就是公主，来抓我啊！”
"I wouldn t dream of it."
“我从来没想过抓你。”
The Princess thought dragons were fierce.
公主本认为龙都是很凶残的。
But this Dragon wasn t fierce at all.
但是这只龙一点也不凶残。
"Don t dragons roar loudly, chase knights and kidnap princesses?"
“龙不都是咆哮着，追赶着骑士、绑架公主的吗？”
"The others do. I don t like to"
“其它龙会这样做，但我不喜欢这样。”
The Dragon thought princesses were gentle.
龙以为公主都是很温柔的。
But this Princess wasn t gentle at all.
但这位公主一点都不温柔。
"Don t you take ballet, read good books, and wear lovely gowns?"
“公主不是会跳芭蕾、读有益的书、穿着漂亮的礼服吗？”
"Not me. I hate it!"
“我不是这样的。我讨厌这些！”
The Princess knew she could be a better dragon than the Dragon.
公主想，我比这只龙更适合当龙。
The Dragon knew it could be a better princess than the Princess.
龙想，我比这个公主更适合当公主。
"I d shake mountains with my roar.
“我要喊得地动山摇。”
"I d study the violin."
“我想学小提琴。”
Suddenly, they both had an idea.
突然，他们不约而同地想到一个好主意。
They shook hands and agreed to change places that very night.
于是他们握手同意互换身份。
"I ll be the princess."
“我要当公主。”
"And I ll be the dragon."
“我要当龙。”
"Get going Greenie! This is my place now!"
“快走吧，小绿龙！这是我的地盘了！”
"A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket......"
“嘀嘀嗒嗒，黄绿小篮子......”
And wasn t nanny surprised the next morning?
第二天清早，公主的保姆能不感到惊奇吗？
The dragon had put on a lovely blue gown.
这位龙公主穿着漂亮的蓝色礼服。
It curtsied sweetly and wanted some powder for its nose.
它非常有礼貌，还想在自己鼻子上扑粉。
"How lovely you look, Princess!"
“公主您看起来太可爱了！”
"Why, thank you, Nancy dear."
“是吗，谢谢您，亲爱的姆妈。”
The King and Queen were overjoyed at the change.
王和后看着这些变化实在是太高兴啦。
"Good morning. Isn t it a lovely day? Please pass the butter."
“早！多好的一天呀！请把黄油递给我。”
"How polite you are, Princess."
"What perfect manners, Princess."
“公主你太有礼貌了。” “公主你太优雅了。”
The cook nearly dropped the Egg Benedict
when the Princess asked for more.
当龙公主吃完煎蛋还要加餐时，厨师惊讶得把盘子丢了。
"Simply divine. May I have seconds please?
“太好了，我能再来一份吗？”
From that time on, life was much more pleasant.
生活从此变得更愉快了。
No one really minded the Dragon s mean pranks.
没有在意公主龙的恶作剧。
No one, that is, except the Knight,
当然，除了老骑士
who had to rescue the Princess
因为每次公主龙来抓龙公主的时候，
whenever the Dragon captured her.
他就得去救龙公主
"After that Dragon, Knight!"
“跟上那条龙！骑士！”
The knight always ended up being captured.
结果老骑士总是被公主龙抓住。
"When I roar, mountains shake."
“我喊起来地动山摇。”公主龙说
"I play violin with my eyes closed."
“我能闭着眼都能拉小提琴。”龙公主说
Now, all the Mothers and Fathers in the kingdom
told their children to behave like the princess,
and, of course, they did their best.
如今家长们都让孩子们学习龙公主，
孩子们都学得非常好。
But when they couldn t, they know just the place to go.
不过，当孩子们想调皮捣蛋的时候，他们可有个好去处了。
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