Once upon a time a little girl tried to make a living by selling matches in the street. The snow-clad streets were deserted. From brightly lit windows came the tinkle of laughter and the sound of singing. But the poor little match seller sat sadly beside the fountain. Her ragged dress and worn shawl did not keep out the cold. She hadn't sold one box of matches all day and she was frightened to go home, for her father would certainly be angry. The little girl's fingers were stiff with cold. If only she could light a match! But what would her father say at such a waste! Falteringly she took out a match and lit it. What a nice warm flame! The little match seller cupped her hand over it, and as she did so, she magically saw in its light a big brightly burning stove. She held out her hands to the heat, but just then the match went out and the vision faded. The night seemed darker than before and it was getting colder. After hesitating for a long time, she struck another match on the wall, and this time the glimmer turned the wall into a great sheet of crystal. Beyond that stood a fine table laden with food and lit by a candlestick. Holding out her arms towards the plates, the little match seller seemed to pass through the glass, but then the match went out and the magic faded. She lit the third match and an even more wonderful thing happened. There stood a Christmas tree hung with hundreds of candles, glittering with tinsel and colored balls. "Oh, how lovely!" exclaimed the little match seller, holding up the match. Then, the match burned her finger and flickered out. Scarcely aware of what she was doing, the little match seller lit another match. This time, she saw her grandmother. "Granny, stay with me!" she pleaded, as she lit one match after the other, so that her grandmother would not disappear like all the other visions. However, Granny did not vanish, but gazed smilingly at her. Then she opened her arms and the little girl hugged her crying: "Granny, take me away with you!" A cold day dawned and a pale sun shone on the fountain and the icy road. Close by lay the lifeless body of a little girl surrounded by spent matches. "Poor little thing!" exclaimed the passersby. "She was trying to keep warm!" But by that time, the little match seller was far away, where there is neither cold, nor hunger, nor pain.
    從前有一個小女孩想靠在街上賣火柴來謀生。 白雪覆蓋的街道被拋棄了。從明亮的窗戶傳來的笑聲和歌聲的叮當(dāng)聲。但這可憐的小火柴賣家卻坐在噴泉旁。她那破爛的衣服和破舊的披肩，并沒有使她冷。她一整天都沒有賣掉一盒火柴，她很害怕回家，因為她的父親一定會生氣的。 小女孩的手指僵硬了。如果她能點火柴！但她父親在這樣一種浪費時會怎么說呢！她遲疑地拿出一根火柴點燃它。好溫暖的火焰！賣火柴的小女孩捧著她的手，和她這樣做，她奇跡般地在光的大熊熊燃燒的火爐。 她伸出手去給熱火，但就在那場比賽走出去，目光漸漸消失了。夜晚似乎比以前更黑暗，更冷了。 猶豫了很長時間后，她又在墻上打比賽，這一次微光墻變?yōu)橐粋€杰出的單晶體。除了站好桌子擺滿了食物和點燃的蠟燭。把她抱到盤子里，小火柴的賣方似乎穿過了玻璃，但隨后火柴熄滅了，魔術(shù)消失了。 她點亮了第三場比賽，一件更美妙的事情發(fā)生了。站在掛著幾百支蠟燭的圣誕樹，閃閃發(fā)光的金屬絲和顏色的球?！迸?，多可愛?。　毙』鸩袢撕暗?，舉起火柴。然后，她的手指和比賽燒毀熄滅。 幾乎沒有意識到她在做什么，小火柴點燃了另一根火柴。這一次，她看到了她的奶奶。奶奶，和我在一起！”她懇求，當(dāng)她點燃一根火柴后，讓她的祖母不會像其他所有的幻象一樣消失。 然而，奶奶并沒有消失，而是微笑的看著她。然后她張開雙臂，小女孩抱著她：“奶奶，帶我走吧！” 一個寒冷的日子，一個蒼白的陽光照在噴泉和冰冷的道路上。一個小女孩被一個小女孩所包圍，躺在一個小女孩的身邊?？蓱z的小東西！”路人喊道。”她試圖保持溫暖！” 但到了那個時候，小火柴的賣方是遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)的，那里既沒有寒冷，也沒有饑餓，也沒有痛苦。