Ганс Христиан Андерсен. Новое платье короля
| ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES By Hans Christian Andersen | Ганс Христиан Андерсен. |
| THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES | Новое платье короля |
| Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so excessively fond of new clothes, that he spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to the theatre or the chase, except for the opportunities then afforded him for displaying his new clothes. | Много лет назад жил-был на свете король; он так любил наряжаться, что тратил на новые платья все свои деньги, и парады, театры, загородные прогулки занимали его только потому, что он мог тогда показаться в новом наряде. |
| He had a different suit for each hour of the day; and as of any other king or emperor, one is accustomed to say, "he is sitting in council," it was always said of him, | На каждый час дня у него был особый наряд, и как про других королей часто говорят: "Король в совете", так про него говорили: |
| "The Emperor is sitting in his wardrobe." | "Король в гардеробной". |
| Time passed merrily in the large town which was his capital; strangers arrived every day at the court. One day, two rogues, calling themselves weavers, made their appearance. | В столице этого короля жилось очень весело; почти каждый день приезжали иностранные гости, и вот раз явилось двое обманщиков. |
| They gave out that they knew how to weave stuffs of the most beautiful colors and elaborate patterns, the clothes manufactured from which should have the wonderful property of remaining invisible to everyone who was unfit for the office he held, or who was extraordinarily simple in character. | Они выдали себя за ткачей и сказали, что могут изготовлять такую чудесную ткань, лучше которой ничего и представить себе нельзя: кроме необыкновенно красивого рисунка и расцветки, она отличается еще удивительным свойством -становиться невидимой для всякого человека, который не на своем месте или непроходимо глуп. |
| "These must, indeed, be splendid clothes!" thought the Emperor. | "Да, вот это будет платье! - подумал король. |
| "Had I such a suit, I might at once find out what men in my realms are unfit for their office, and also be able to distinguish the wise from the foolish! | - Тогда ведь я могу узнать, кто из моих сановников не на своем месте и кто умен, а кто глуп. |
| This stuff must be woven for me immediately." | Пусть поскорее изготовят для меня такую ткань". |
| And he caused large sums of money to be given to both the weavers in order that they might begin their work directly. | И он дал обманщикам большой задаток, чтобы они сейчас же принялись за дело. |
| So the two pretended weavers set up two looms, and affected to work very busily, though in reality they did nothing at all. | Те поставили два ткацких станка и стали делать вид, будто усердно работают, а у самих на станках ровно ничего не было. |
| They asked for the most delicate silk and the purest gold thread; put both into their own knapsacks; and then continued their pretended work at the empty looms until late at night. | Нимало не стесняясь, они требовали для работы тончайшего шелку и чистейшего золота, все это припрятывали в карманы и просиживали за пустыми станками с утра до поздней ночи. |
| "I should like to know how the weavers are getting on with my cloth," said the Emperor to himself, after some little time had elapsed; he was, however, rather embarrassed, when he remembered that a simpleton, or one unfit for his office, would be unable to see the manufacture. | "Хотелось бы мне посмотреть, как подвигается дело!" - думал король. Но тут он вспоминал о чудесном свойстве ткани, и ему становилось как-то не по себе. |
| To be sure, he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person; but yet, he would prefer sending somebody else, to bring him intelligence about the weavers, and their work, before he troubled himself in the affair. | Конечно, ему нечего бояться за себя, но... все-таки лучше сначала пошел бы кто-нибудь другой! |
| All the people throughout the city had heard of the wonderful property the cloth was to possess; and all were anxious to learn how wise, or how ignorant, their neighbors might prove to be. | А между тем молва о диковинной ткани облетела весь город, и всякий горел желанием поскорее убедиться в глупости или непригодности своего ближнего. |
| "I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers," said the Emperor at last, after some deliberation, "he will be best able to see how the cloth looks; for he is a man of sense, and no one can be more suitable for his office than he is." | "Пошлю-ка я к ним своего честного старика министра, - подумал король. - Уж он-то рассмотрит ткань: он умен и с честью занимает свое место". |
| So the faithful old minister went into the hall, where the knaves were working with all their might, at their empty looms. | И вот старик министр вошел в залу, где за пустыми станками сидели обманщики. |
| "What can be the meaning of this?" thought the old man, opening his eyes very wide. | "Господи помилуй! - подумал министр, тараща глаза. |
| "I cannot discover the least bit of thread on the looms." | - Да ведь я ничего не вижу!" |
| However, he did not express his thoughts aloud. | Только он не сказал этого вслух. |
| The impostors requested him very courteously to be so good as to come nearer their looms; and then asked him whether the design pleased him, and whether the colors were not very beautiful; at the same time pointing to the empty frames. The poor old minister looked and looked, he could not discover anything on the looms, for a very good reason, viz: there was nothing there.
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