皇帝的新衣的英文赏析

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热心网友 时间：2022-06-25 01:51

Many years ago there was an Emperor so exceedingly fond of newclothes that he spent all his money on being well dressed. Hecared nothing about reviewing his soldiers, going to the theatre,or going for a ride in his carriage, except to show off his newclothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day, and instead ofsaying, as one might, about any other ruler, "The King's incouncil," here they always said. "The Emperor's in hisdressing room."
In the great city where he lived, life was always gay. Everyday many strangers came to town, and among them one day came twoswindlers. They let it be known they were weavers, and they saidthey could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. Notonly were their colors and patterns uncommonly fine, but clothesmade of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible toanyone who was unfit for his office, or who was unusuallystupid.
"Those would be just the clothes for me," thought theEmperor. "If I wore them I would be able to discover which men inmy empire are unfit for their posts. And I could tell the wisemen from the fools. Yes, I certainly must get some of the stuffwoven for me right away." He paid the two swindlers a large sumof money to start work at once.
They set up two looms and pretended to weave, though therewas nothing on the looms. All the finest silk and the purest oldthread which they demanded went into their traveling bags, whilethey worked the empty looms far into the night.
"I'd like to know how those weavers are getting onwith the cloth," the Emperor thought, but he felt slightlyuncomfortable when he remembered that those who were unfit fortheir position would not be able to see the fabric. Itcouldn't have been that he doubted himself, yet he thoughthe'd rather send someone else to see how things were going.The whole town knew about the cloth's peculiar power, andall were impatient to find out how stupid their neighborswere.
"I'll send my honest old minister to the weavers," theEmperor decided. "He'll be the best one to tell me how thematerial looks, for he's a sensible man and no one does histy better."
So the honest old minister went to the room where the twoswindlers sat working away at their empty looms.
"Heaven help me," he thought as his eyes flew wide open, "Ican't see anything at all". But he did not say so.
Both the swindlers begged him to be so kind as to come nearto approve the excellent pattern, the beautiful colors. Theypointed to the empty looms, and the poor old minister stared ashard as he dared. He couldn't see anything, because therewas nothing to see. "Heaven have mercy," he thought. "Can it bethat I'm a fool? I'd have never guessed it, and not asoul must know. Am I unfit to be the minister? It would never doto let on that I can't see the cloth."
"Don't hesitate to tell us what you think of it," saidone of the weavers.
"Oh, it's beautiful -it's enchanting." The oldminister peered through his spectacles. "Such a pattern, whatcolors!" I'll be sure to tell the Emperor how delighted Iam with it."
"We're pleased to hear that," the swindlers said. Theyproceeded to name all the colors and to explain the intricatepattern. The old minister paid the closest attention, so that hecould tell it all to the Emperor. And so he did.
The swindlers at once asked for more money, more silk andgold thread, to get on with the weaving. But it all went intotheir pockets. Not a thread went into the looms, though theyworked at their weaving as hard as ever.
The Emperor presently sent another trustworthy official tosee how the work progressed and how soon it would be ready. Thesame thing happened to him that had happened to the minister. Helooked and he looked, but as there was nothing to see in thelooms he couldn't see anything.
"Isn't it a beautiful piece of goods?" the swindlersasked him, as they displayed and described their imaginarypattern.
"I know I'm not stupid," the man thought, "so it mustbe that I'm unworthy of my good office. That'sstrange. I mustn't let anyone find it out, though." So hepraised the material he did not see. He declared he was delightedwith the beautiful colors and the exquisite pattern. To theEmperor he said, "It held me spellbound."
All the town was talking of this splendid cloth, and theEmperor wanted to see it for himself while it was still in thelooms. Attended by a band of chosen men, among whom were his twoold trusted officials-the ones who had been to the weavers-he setout to see the two swindlers. He found them weaving with mightand main, but without a thread in their looms.
"Magnificent," said the two officials already ped. "Justlook, Your Majesty, what colors! What a design!" They pointed tothe empty looms, each supposing that the others could see thestuff.
"What's this?" thought the Emperor. "I can't seeanything. This is terrible!
Am I a fool? Am I unfit to be the Emperor? What a thing tohappen to me of all people! - Oh! It's very pretty,"he said. "It has my highest approval." And he nodded approbationat the empty loom. Nothing could make him say that hecouldn't see anything.
His whole retinue stared and stared. One saw no more thananother, but they all joined the Emperor in exclaiming, "Oh!It's very pretty," and they advised him to wearclothes made of this wonderful cloth especially for the greatprocession he was soon to lead. "Magnificent! Excellent! Unsurpassed!" were bandied from mouth to mouth, and everyone didhis best to seem well pleased. The Emperor gave each of theswindlers a cross to wear in his buttonhole, and the title of"Sir Weaver."
Before the procession the swindlers sat up all night andburned more than six candles, to show how busy they werefinishing the Emperor's new clothes. They pretended to takethe cloth off the loom. They made cuts in the air with hugescissors. And at last they said, "Now the Emperor's newclothes are ready for him."
Then the Emperor himself came with his noblest noblemen, andthe swindlers each raised an arm as if they were holdingsomething. They said, "These are the trousers, here's thecoat, and this is the mantle," naming each garment. "All of themare as light as a spider web. One would almost think he hadnothing on, but that's what makes them so fine."
"Exactly," all the noblemen agreed, though they could seenothing, for there was nothing to see.
"If Your Imperial Majesty will condescend to take yourclothes off," said the swindlers, "we will help you on with yournew ones here in front of the long mirror."
The Emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to puthis new clothes on him, one garment after another. They took himaround the waist and seemed to be fastening something - that washis train-as the Emperor turned round and round before thelooking glass.
"How well Your Majesty's new clothes look.Aren't they becoming!" He heard on all sides, "Thatpattern, so perfect! Those colors, so suitable! It is amagnificent outfit."
Then the minister of public processions announced: "YourMajesty's canopy is waiting outside."
"Well, I'm supposed to be ready," the Emperor said,and turned again for one last look in the mirror. "It is aremarkable fit, isn't it?" He seemed to regard his costumewith the greatest interest.
The noblemen who were to carry his train stooped low andreached for the floor as if they were picking up his mantle. Thenthey pretended to lift and hold it high. They didn't dareadmit they had nothing to hold.
So off went the Emperor in procession under his splendidcanopy. Everyone in the streets and the windows said, "Oh, howfine are the Emperor's new clothes! Don't they fithim to perfection? And see his long train!" Nobody would confessthat he couldn't see anything, for that would prove himeither unfit for his position, or a fool. No costume the Emperorhad worn before was ever such a complete success.
"But he hasn't got anything on," a little childsaid.
"Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?" said its father.And one person whispered to another what the child had said, "Hehasn't anything on. A child says he hasn't anythingon."
"But he hasn't got anything on!" the whole town criedout at last.
The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. Buthe thought, "This procession has got to go on." So he walked moreproudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train thatwasn't there at all.