It was first written by Jacob and William Grimm, two famous German story-tellers, about one hundred years ago. 大约100年前，德国两位知名的故事讲述人——雅各布·格林和威廉·格林首次写下这个故事。

　　But long before they wrote it down on paper, people told it to one another. 但早在他们动笔写之前，人们就已经传开了。

　　No one knows who first made it up. 没人知道是谁先创作出来的。

　　THE MILLER'S BOAST 米勒的自夸

　　Once upon a time there was a poor miller who had a beautiful daughter. 从前，有一个贫穷的磨坊主，他有一个漂亮的女儿。

　　He loved her dearly, and was so proud of her that he could never keep from boasting of her beauty. 他深爱着自己的女儿，为她感到骄傲，以至于他总是止不住夸赞她的美貌。

　　One morning a stranger came to the mill with a sack of corn to be ground, 一天早晨，一个陌生人带着一袋玉米来到磨坊。

　　and he saw the miller's daughter standing by the clattering mill-wheel in the sunshine. 他看见坊主的女儿正站在阳光下，旁边的车轮吱吱呀呀地响。

　　He looked at her and said he wished that he had a daughter as beautiful as she. 陌生人看着她说道，他希望自己能有一个像她一样漂亮的女儿。

　　The miller rubbed his mealy hands together and looked at her, too; 磨坊主搓搓满是粉的手，也看着女儿；

　　and, seeing the sunbeams shining in her hair, answered, almost without thinking: 看到女儿的头发在阳光下闪闪发光，几乎想都没想，回答道，

　　"Yes! She's a lass in a thousand. She can spin straw into gold." “是啊！她是百年难遇能把稻草纺成金子的姑娘。”

　　Now this saying was quickly spread around, and at last reached the ears of the king. 这话立刻就传开了，最后传到国王的耳朵里。

　　He at once sent for the miller and bade him bring his daughter with him. 国王立刻派人去请磨坊主，让他带上女儿。

　　"It has been told me" said the king, "that this maid can spin straw into gold. 国王说：“有人告诉我，这个丫头能把稻草纺成金子，

　　So she shall. But if she fails, then look to it! You shall hang from your own mill." 她能做到吗，如果她失败了，以后不能出门！你将被吊死在自己的磨坊里。”

　　The miller was so shaken with fear of the king that his tongue stuck in his throat, 听了国王的话，磨坊主吓得浑身发抖，舌头卡在喉咙里，

　　and he could make no answer. 一句话没说出来。