Hansel and Gretel were the children of a poor woodcutter and his wife.
汉赛尔与格莱特是一个贫穷樵夫和他妻子的孩子。
The family often struggled to find enough food, especially during a terrible famine.
这个家庭常常为寻找足够的食物而发愁，尤其在一次严重的饥荒中。
One night, the woodcutter’s wife suggested abandoning the children in the forest to save themselves from starvation.
一天晚上，樵夫的妻子建议将孩子丢弃在森林里，以免全家饿死。
The woodcutter, though reluctant, finally agreed after much persuasion.
樵夫虽然不情愿，但在多次劝说后最终同意了。
Hansel overheard their plan and reassured his sister Gretel that he would protect her.
汉赛尔偷听到了他们的计划，并安慰妹妹格莱特说他会保护她。
He sneaked out that night and gathered white pebbles, filling his pockets.
他当晚悄悄出门捡了些白色的小石子，装满了口袋。
The next day, the parents led Hansel and Gretel deep into the forest.
第二天，父母将汉赛尔与格莱特带到森林深处。
As they walked, Hansel dropped the pebbles along the path to leave a trail.
他们走的时候，汉赛尔一路丢下石子，留下痕迹。
When the parents left, the children waited until nightfall.
父母离开后，孩子们等到了夜晚。
The moonlight illuminated the pebbles, and they followed the trail back home.
月光照亮了石子，他们沿着石子回到了家。
The woodcutter’s wife, frustrated by their return, insisted on abandoning them again.
樵夫的妻子对他们的归来感到懊恼，执意再次遗弃他们。
This time, Hansel could not gather pebbles, so he dropped crumbs of bread instead.
这一次，汉赛尔没能捡到石子，他改用面包屑做标记。
However, birds ate the crumbs, and the children were unable to find their way back.
然而，鸟儿吃掉了面包屑，孩子们再也找不到回家的路了。
Lost and hungry, Hansel and Gretel wandered until they found a house made entirely of candy.
又饿又累的汉赛尔与格莱特四处游荡，直到发现了一座完全由糖果建成的房子。
Starving, they began eating pieces of the house.
饥肠辘辘的他们开始吃起了房子的一部分。
An old woman appeared and invited them inside, promising them food and shelter.
一个老妇人出现并邀请他们进屋，承诺提供食物和住所。
Unbeknownst to the children, the woman was a wicked witch who lured children to eat them.
孩子们并不知道，这名老妇人是一个恶毒的女巫，她引诱孩子来吃掉他们。
She locked Hansel in a cage and forced Gretel to cook to fatten him up.
她把汉赛尔关进笼子里，逼迫格莱特做饭来把汉赛尔养胖。
Despite their fear, Hansel and Gretel remained clever.
尽管害怕，汉赛尔和格莱特依然保持冷静和聪明。
Hansel used a bone to trick the witch into thinking he was still thin.
汉赛尔用一根骨头骗女巫，让她以为他还是很瘦。
One day, the witch grew impatient and decided to eat Hansel anyway.
有一天，女巫不耐烦了，决定无论如何都要吃掉汉赛尔。
She ordered Gretel to prepare the oven, but Gretel feigned ignorance.
她命令格莱特准备烤炉，但格莱特假装不知道如何操作。
“Can you show me how to check if it’s ready?” Gretel asked innocently.
“你能示范一下怎么检查烤炉准备好了吗？”格莱特天真地问。
When the witch leaned in, Gretel pushed her into the oven and slammed the door shut.
当女巫靠近时，格莱特推她进了烤炉并关上了门。
The children escaped the house and found treasures hidden by the witch.
孩子们逃出了房子，并发现了女巫藏起来的宝藏。
Carrying the gold and jewels, they navigated back through the forest.
他们带着金子和珠宝穿过森林找到了回家的路。
When they finally reached home, they discovered their stepmother had died.
当他们终于回到家时，他们发现继母已经去世。
Reunited with their father, they used the treasure to ensure they never went hungry again.
他们与父亲团聚，并用这些宝藏确保全家再也不会挨饿了。
Hansel and Gretel’s courage and cleverness overcame even the darkest challenges, leaving them with a happy ending.
汉赛尔与格莱特的勇气和机智战胜了最黑暗的困境，让他们得到了幸福的结局。
