铁炉子
导读
《铁炉子》属于一个非常古老而重要的故事家族——民俗学里叫'寻找失去的丈夫'（国际分类 ATU 425）。这个家族里最有名的成员，是我们熟悉的《美女与野兽》、北欧的《太阳之东，月亮之西》，源头则可追溯到近两千年前古罗马作家阿普列尤斯笔下的'丘比特与普赛克'神话。这类故事有一个格外动人的共同点：真正踏上艰难旅程、去解救爱人的，是女主角。在大多数童话里，都是王子历尽艰险去救公主；可在《铁炉子》里恰恰反过来——是公主翻越玻璃山、滚过三把利剑、渡过大湖，一路吃尽苦头，去把被魔法困住又失散的王子找回来。故事的关键转折也很典型：公主违反了'只能说三个字'的禁令，一开口，铁炉子和王子就消失了——这和普赛克忍不住偷看丘比特、结果失去他的情节遥相呼应，讲的都是'一时没能守住约定，就要用更漫长的努力去弥补'。此外，'用三件宝物闯过三道难关''连续三晚守在沉睡的爱人床边（前两晚被安眠药所误，第三晚才唤醒他）'也都是这类故事反复出现的经典桥段。故事最后还用一句押韵的老话收尾：'一只老鼠跑了，故事讲完了'——这是德国童话常见的结束语。读的时候，可以和孩子聊一聊：这一次是女孩去救男孩，你觉得她靠的是什么，才闯过了那么多难关？
《铁炉子》词汇精讲
本故事精选 12 个重点词汇，附中英释义与原文例句，帮助孩子扩展英语词汇量。
To set someone free; to rescue them (a formal or old use).
解救；拯救；使脱离（正式或旧式用法）。
There he passed many years, and no one could deliver him.
他在那里度过了许多年，没人能救他出来。
To rub a hard edge against a surface to remove bits of it.
刮；刮削；刮掉。
Thou shalt return here, and bring a knife with thee, and scrape a hole in the iron.
你必须回到这里来，带一把刀，把铁皮刮个洞。
Smooth and wet or icy, so that it is hard to stand or hold on.
滑的；容易打滑的。
When she came to the glass mountain which was so slippery, she stuck the three needles first behind her feet.
当来到那座非常滑的玻璃山时，她把那三根针插在脚后和脚前。
A very small piece of something, especially food.
一小块；一点点（尤指食物）。
So she scraped at it for four-and-twenty hours, but could not bring off the least morsel of it.
她刮了整整二十四小时，却连一点铁屑也没刮下来。
Broke a rule or went beyond what was allowed.
违反；违背（规则、命令）。
Because she had transgressed the order which had been given her not to say more than three words, the stove, and the King's son also, had disappeared.
因为她违背了只能说三个字的命令，铁炉子和王子都消失了。
Looked quickly or secretly, often through a small opening.
偷看；窥视；探头看。
She peeped in through the window, but she saw nothing inside but toads, big and little.
她透过窗户往里看，除了大大小小的蟾蜍外什么也没看见。
The soft part inside the shell of a nut or seed.
（坚果或种子的）仁；核仁。
She cracked one with her teeth, and was going to eat the kernel when lo and behold there was a stately royal garment in it!
她用牙咬开一颗，正要吃里面的仁，看哪，里面竟有一件庄严的皇家礼服！
A servant girl who does the roughest kitchen work, such as washing dishes.
洗碗女佣；厨房杂役女工。
Then she was taken as a scullery-maid at low wages.
于是她被雇为洗碗女工，工资很低。
Very bright and sparkling.
璀璨的；光彩夺目的；闪闪发光的。
She saw a youth so handsome, and so brilliant with gold and with precious jewels, that her very soul was delighted.
看见一位英俊的青年，身上金光闪闪，缀满宝石，她的灵魂都感到愉悦。
A soft cloth with a thick, smooth surface on one side.
天鹅绒；丝绒。
They gave her meat and drink, and took her to a well-made bed, which felt like silk and velvet.
它们给了她肉和饮料，带她去了一张铺得很好的床，感觉就像丝绸和天鹅绒一样。
Freed from a magic spell.
解除了魔法的；被解咒的。
When they went inside that, it was a great castle, and the toads were all disenchanted, and were King's children.
当他们走进去时，它变成了一座巨大的城堡，蟾蜍们都解除了魔法，原来他们是国王的孩子们。
Felt very sad, especially about a loss.
悲伤；伤心；哀痛。
As, however, the old King grieved at being left alone, they fetched him away, and brought him to live with them.
然而，因为老国王独自一人很伤心，他们把他接来一起住。
延伸阅读与亲子共读
故事寓意
真正的爱与承诺，值得用坚持和勇气去守护；即使因一时之失而失去，只要不放弃，也能重新找回。
教育价值
让孩子看到一个主动、勇敢、坚韧的女性主人公，打破'公主总是被救'的刻板印象；也借此认识'寻找失去的丈夫'这一与《美女与野兽》同源的世界性故事家族。
家长共读提示
可以和孩子对比《美女与野兽》：两者其实属于同一个故事家族。再聊一聊：这次为什么是女孩去救男孩？这说明勇敢与坚持并不分男女。
和孩子聊一聊
- 在这个故事里，是公主去救王子，而不是王子救公主。你更喜欢哪一种？为什么？
- 公主只是多说了几个字，就失去了王子，还要重新历尽千辛万苦去找他。你觉得这个'惩罚'公平吗？
- 蟾蜍们给了公主三根针、一个犁轮和三颗坚果。你觉得真正帮到她的，是这些魔法宝物，还是她自己的坚持？
- 前两晚王子都被安眠药迷倒，听不见公主的哭诉。如果你是公主，第二晚失败后，还会不会再试第三次？
- 公主翻山越岭、吃尽苦头也要找回爱人。是什么支撑着她一直不放弃？
