When they were all ready they looked carefully at the soldier， but he had closed his eyes and did not move or stir， so they felt themselves safe enough. The eldest then went to her bed and tappedtap vt.轻打， 轻敲， 敲打出， 开发， 分接， 使流出， 选择 it， whereupon it immediately sank into the earth， and one after the other they descended through the opening， the eldest going first. The soldier， who had watched everything， tarriedtarry v.等候 no longer， put on his little cloakcloak n.斗蓬， 宽大外衣， 掩护， and went down last with the youngest. Halfway down the steps， he just trod a little on her dress， she was terrified at that， and cried out， “What is that？ Who is pulling my dress？” “Dont be so silly，” said the eldest， “you have caught it on a nailnail n.指甲， 钉， 钉子。” 她们全都打扮好以后，先去看士兵的情况；他呢，紧闭双眼，一点儿不动弹，她们就感觉很安全了。这时大公主才走到自己床前，在床沿上敲了敲，床立刻沉进地里，她们接着一个一个走下地洞，大公主走在最前面。士兵目睹了一切，没怎么犹豫，便披上斗篷，跟在最小那个公主后边走下去。走在台阶的中间，他踩着了她的裙子边儿，小公主惊叫起来：“怎么回事儿？谁拽我的裙子？”“别发傻，”大公主说，“你是让钉子挂了一下。”
Then they went all the way down， and when they were at the bottom， they were standing in a wonderfully pretty avenue of trees， all the leaves of which were of silver， and shone and glistened. The soldier thought， “I must carry a tokentoken n.表示， 向征， 记号， 代币 away with me.” and broke off a twig from one of them， on which the tree cracked with a loud report. The youngest cried out again. “Something is wrong， did you hear the crack？” But the eldest said， “It is a gun fired for joy， because we have got rid of our prince so quickly.” After that they came into an avenue where all the leaves were of gold， and lastly into a third where they were of bright diamonds， he broke off a twig from each， which made such a crack each time that the youngest started back in terrorterror n.恐怖， 可怕的人， 恐怖时期， 恐怖行动， but the eldest still maintained that they were salutessalute n.（尤指军队等之）举手礼， 升降旗致敬， 呜礼炮等， 敬礼。 这时她们已下完台阶，到了地底下，走在一条美丽的林阴道上。哈，树上的叶子全是银的，闪闪发亮，好看极啦！士兵想：“我要带点证据回去，”伸手便折下一根树枝，树上跟着嘎啦响了一声。小公主又叫起来：“不对啊！你们没听见响声？”大公主却回答说：“那是在鸣枪祝贺，因为我们马上就会救出咱们的王子。”说着，她们走进另一条林阴道，那儿树叶全是金子的。终于进了第三条林阴道，那儿的树叶全是亮晶晶钻石的。从这两条林阴道上，士兵又各折了一根树枝，而每折一次都嘎啦一声响，小公主总是吓一跳；可大公主坚持说，这是在鸣枪致贺。
They went on and came to a great lake whereonwhereon adv.在什么上面， （关系副词）在那上面 stood twelve little boats， and in every boat sat a handsome prince， all of whom were waiting for the twelve， and each took one of them with him， but the soldier seated himself by the youngest. Then her prince said， “I wonder why the boat is so much heavier today. I shall have to row with all my strength， if I am to get it across.” “What should cause that，” said the youngest， “but the warm weather？” “I feel very warm too.” On the opposite side of the lake stood a splendid， brightlylit castle， from whence resounded the joyous music of trumpets and kettledrums. They rowed there， entered， and each prince danced with the girl he loved， but the soldier danced with them unseenunseen adj.未见过的， 看不见的， 未经预习的， and when one of them had a cup of wine in her hand he drank it up， so that the cup was empty when she carried it to her mouth， the youngest was alarmed at this， but the eldest always silenced her. They danced there till three oclock in the morning when all the shoes were danced into holes， and they were forced to leave off， the princes rowed them back again over the lake， and this time the soldier seated himself by the eldest. 公主们继续往前走，来到一条大河边。河上有十二条小船，每条船里坐着一位英俊的王子。他们在那儿等候十二位公主，各人带了一位上自己船里去，士兵呢，跟着最小的公主上了船。这时候王子说：“我不知道为什么今天船重得多，我必须使出全身力气，才能划动船。”“还能为什么呢？”小公主说，“天气太暖和了呗，我也感觉得热喽。”河对岸，有一座灯火辉煌的宫殿，从里面飘送出来欢快的音乐声，鼓号声。他们划过河，走进宫殿，每个王子都和自己心爱的公主跳舞，士兵跟着跳，却没人能看见。每当有一位公主端着酒杯，举到嘴边正要喝，他就抢先喝干它，小公主因此也很害怕，大公主却总是叫她住嘴。她们一直跳到第二天凌晨三点，鞋子全跳破了，才不得不停止。王子们又划船送她们过河去，士兵这一次坐进了大公主的船里。
On the shore they took leave of their princes， and promised to return the following night. When they reached the stairs the soldier ran on in front and lay down in his bed， and when the twelve had come up slowly and wearilywearily adv.疲倦地， 无聊地， he was already snoring so loudly that they could all hear him， and they said， “So far as he is concerned， we are safe.” They took off their beautiful dresses， laid them away， put the wornout shoes under the bed， and lay down. Next morning the soldier was resolved not to speak， but to watch the wonderful goingson， and again went with them a second and a third night. 到了岸上，她们与自己的王子告别，答应当天夜里再去。在上台阶时，士兵跑到前边，抢先躺上床。等那十二位拖着步子慢慢爬上来，他又已经鼾声大作，叫她们全听见了，说：“对这人咱们不用担心。”接着，她们脱掉华丽衣裙，把跳破了的鞋子放在床前，躺下睡了。第二天早上，士兵什么也不想讲，而是希望再目睹那奇异的情景，因此第二夜和第三夜仍旧跟着去了。
Then everything was just as it had been the first time， and each time they danced until their shoes were worn to pieces. But the third time he took a cup away with him as a token. When the hour had arrived for him to give his answer， he took the three twigs and the cup， and went to the king， but the twelve stood behind the door， and listened for what he was going to say. When the king put the question， “Where have my twelve daughters danced their shoes to pieces in the night？” He answered， “In an underground castle with twelve princes.” and related how it had come to pass， and brought out the tokens. The king then summoned his daughters， and asked them if the soldier had told the truth， and when they saw that they were betrayed， and that falsehoodfalsehood n.谬误， 不真实， 谎言， 虚假 would be of no availavail n.效用， 利益， they were obliged to confessconfess v.承认， 坦白， 忏悔 all. Thereupon the king asked which of them he would have to wife. He answered， “I am no longer young， so give me the eldest.” Then the wedding was celebrated on the selfsame day， and the kingdom was promised him after the kings death. But the princes were bewitchedbewitch vt.施魔法于， 蛊惑， 迷人 for as many days as they had danced nights with the twelve.
情况跟第一次一样，公主们每次都跳到鞋破了才罢休。只是在第三次，他带回去一只酒杯作凭证。该他回答问题的时候了，士兵把三根树枝和一只酒杯藏在身上，来到国王面前，那十二位公主站在门背后，偷听他说什么。国王提出问题：“我的十二个女儿夜里在哪儿跳破了她们的鞋？”他便回答：“和十二位王子在一座地下宫殿里。”接着又报告事情经过，并且拿出了凭证。国王立刻叫传来他的十二个女儿，问她们士兵讲的是不是真的；她们看见事已败露，再否认也没有用，只好完全承认了。随后国王问士兵，他选哪一个公主做他妻子。士兵回答：“我年纪已不轻，请赐我大公主吧。”就在当天他们举行了婚礼，并且宣布了国王死后由他继承王位。而那些王子呢，数夜陶醉在与十二位公主跳舞的日子里。