Lesson Transcript of The Emperor's New Clothes

'The Emperor's New Clothes' is a short tale by Hans Christian Andersen. In this lesson, we will summarize the tale, examine the morals, and see how they still apply today.

《皇帝的新衣》是安徒生的短篇小说。在这节课中，我们将总结这个故事，审视道德，看看它们今天仍然适用。

Excess Pride

Have you ever done something simply due to pride or out of fear of what others might think of you? Hans Christian Anderson's 'The Emperor's New Clothes' is a tale of an entire kingdom that ignores the obvious for fear of judgement, only to be called out by a child.

你是否曾经因为骄傲或者害怕别人对你的看法而做过一些事情?汉斯•克里斯蒂安•安德森(Hans Christian Anderson)的《皇帝的新衣》(The Emperor's New Clothes)讲述了一个王国的故事，它无视显而易见的事实，害怕受到评判，结果被一个孩子叫了出来。

'The Emperor's New Clothes' Plot Summary

In this story, the Emperor loves fine clothing. Two men, swindlers, arrive in the city claiming to be the best weavers imaginable. They claim that the clothing they make is the finest with beautiful, intricate patterns. The swindlers say that this clothing is also magical and would appear invisible to anyone who was stupid or incompetent.

在这个故事中，皇帝喜欢漂亮的衣服。两个骗子来到这个城市，声称他们是你能想象到的最好的织工。他们声称他们做的衣服是最好的，有漂亮的、复杂的图案。骗子们说这种衣服也很神奇，对任何愚蠢或无能的人来说都是隐形的。

The Emperor is excited about this amazing product, and he pays the men a huge sum to make these magnificent clothes. The swindlers then pretended to weave and sew the clothing with empty looms and needles without thread. The Emperor sends men to check on the swindler's work. When each man realizes he sees nothing, he does not want to admit it for fear he would be accused of being stupid and incompetent. So, each man lies to the Emperor, saying how the clothing was magnificent.

皇帝对这个神奇的产品很兴奋，他付给这些人一大笔钱来制作这些华丽的衣服。骗子们假装用空织布机和没有线的针织布缝衣服。皇帝派人去检查骗子的工作。当每个人都意识到自己什么也没看到时，他不想承认，因为他担心自己会被指责为愚蠢和无能。所以，每个人都对皇帝撒谎，说衣服多么华丽。

The clothing is brought to the Emperor on the day of a great procession. The Emperor sees nothing, but he, too, did not want to admit to being stupid or incompetent, so he agrees that the clothing is exquisite. After being dressed in the invisible garments, the Emperor marches in the procession in front of his entire kingdom. Everyone in the kingdom sees the emperor without clothes, but for fear of being accused of being stupid or incompetent, they all sing the false praises of their Emperor's fine clothing.

在一个大游行的日子里，这些衣服被带到皇帝面前。皇帝什么也看不见，但他也不想承认自己愚蠢或无能，所以他同意这件衣服很精致。穿上隐形衣后，皇帝在他的整个王国前面列队行进。在这个王国里，每个人都看到皇帝没有穿衣服，但是由于害怕被指责为愚蠢或无能，他们都对皇帝的漂亮衣服唱着虚假的赞歌。

Finally, a child says, ''But he doesn't have anything on!'' Everyone realizes that if an innocent child is saying this, then it must be true. Everyone starts exclaiming, ''He doesn't have anything on!'' The Emperor must then finish the procession knowing that the people are right, and everyone knows he is wearing nothing but his pride.

最后，一个孩子说:“可他什么也没穿呀!”每个人都意识到，如果一个无辜的孩子这么说，那么这一定是真的。每个人都开始大叫:“他什么都没穿!”皇帝必须走完这段队伍，因为他知道人民是对的，每个人都知道他身上只有他的骄傲。

Moral of the Story

The moral (/'mɔrəl/ n. 道德；寓意), or message, of this tale is that we must not let pride or fear keep us from speaking up. Another moral is that children speak the truth when no one else will. This story shows the importance of proof in the form of empirical data (/em'pɪrɪk(ə)l; ɪm-/ 经验数据), which is evidence that can be observed through the senses.

这个故事的寓意或信息是，我们决不能让骄傲或恐惧阻止我们畅所欲言。另一个寓意是，当没有人愿意说出真相时，孩子们会说真话。这个故事以经验数据的形式展示了证明的重要性，这是可以通过感官观察到的证据。

'The Emperor's New Clothes' was published in 1837. At this point in time, science was gaining popularity as a method to explaining the world, but there were still many who relied on superstitions and old wives' tales. The moral can be better understood in this context, because if everyone in the story had simply relied upon empirical data, then they wouldn't have been made a fool. This is a moral that can be applied in many different situations, both historically and in modern times.

《皇帝的新衣》出版于1837年。在那个时候，科学作为一种解释世界的方法越来越受欢迎，但是仍然有很多人依赖迷信和老妇人的故事。在这种背景下，道德可以被更好地理解，因为如果故事中的每个人都仅仅依靠经验数据，那么他们就不会被愚弄。这是一种道德，可以应用于许多不同的情况，无论是在历史上和现代。

Quiz & Worksheet

Quiz

What are the Emperor's new clothes made out of in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?

  • Expensive Silk
  • Cheap cotton
  • Nothing
  • Magic

Worksheet

Who calls the Emperor out on what he is wearing in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?

  • A child
  • His trusted adviser
  • His wife
  • No one ever does

What is a moral of 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?

  • Speak up for the truth
  • Children should be seen and not heard
  • Never trust a stranger
  • Misery loves company

About This Quiz & Worksheet

Get an idea of what you know about The Emperor's New Clothes by answering this quiz and worksheet combo. Topics include the Emperor's actual clothes in the story and a character from the story who comments on what the Emperor is wearing.

通过回答这个小测验和工作表的组合，了解你对皇帝新衣的了解。主题包括故事中皇帝的实际服装，以及故事中评论皇帝穿着什么的角色。

Quiz & Worksheet Goals

The following will be addressed:

  • A moral of this story
  • Attribute that keeps people from admitting to the truth
  • The process of applying the morals from this story in real life

Skills Practiced

  • Reading comprehension - ensure that you draw the most important information from the related lesson on The Emperor's New Clothes
  • Information recall - access the knowledge you've gained regarding the moral of the story
  • Knowledge application - use your knowledge to answer questions about the Emperor's clothes and who points them out in the story

Additional Learning

The accompanying lesson named The Emperor's New Clothes: Summary & Moral will teach you more about the following points of interest:

随附的《皇帝的新衣:总结与道德》将教给你更多关于以下兴趣点:

  • Background of what the story is about
  • Details about the people who are swindlers
  • Definition of a moral in a story
  • What was going on in the world when this story was originally published