Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman who had seven sons and one daughter.（很久以前，生活着一对夫妇，他们育有七个儿子和一个小女儿。） One day, the father sent his sons to a well to get water for their sister.（一天，父亲派七个儿子去井边打水给妹妹喝。） While filling the jug with water, the boys began to fight and accidentally dropped the jug down into the well.（在往水罐里装水时，男孩们争抢打闹，不小心将水罐掉进了深井里。） The boys did not know what to do. They were afraid to go home.（男孩们顿时不知所措，吓得不敢回家。）

Hours passed. “Where are those boys?” shouted the angry father.（几个小时过去了。“那些小子都去哪儿了？”愤怒的父亲吼叫道。） “They are probably playing a game and forgot about the water. I wish they were all turned into ravens!”（“他们肯定在贪玩嬉戏，把打水的事抛在脑后了。真巴不得他们一个个都变成乌鸦！”） When he looked up, he saw seven black birds flying away.（当他抬头仰望天空时，骇然看见七只黑鸟展翅高飞而去。） The father was shocked. “What have I done?” he thought. But it was too late. He could not take back his words.（父亲大惊失色。“我究竟干了什么？”他心如刀绞，然而为时已晚，说出口的诅咒再也收不回来了。）

In time, the girl grew up and discovered she had brothers.（随着岁月流逝，小女孩渐渐长大，得知了自己曾有七位哥哥的秘密。） The story of their misfortune affected her greatly, and she was determined to find them.（哥哥们的不幸遭遇深深震撼了她，她立誓一定要把哥哥们找寻回来。） For years, she searched and did not stop. Finally, she found their home.（多年来她跋山涉水，从未止步。终于，她寻到了他们的藏身之所。） To enter, she needed a special key made from a chicken bone, which she did not have.（要想开门进屋，必须有一把由鸡骨制成的特殊钥匙，而她手中却没有。） The girl thought for a moment, and then took a knife and cut off one of her fingers.（小女孩思索片刻，毅然拔出利刃切下了自己的一截手指。） With it, she opened the front door and went inside.（她用手指作为钥匙打开了正门，悄悄步入屋内。） On a table, there were seven plates and seven cups. She ate and drank a little from each of them.（桌上整齐地摆放着七个盘子和七只茶杯，她从每个盘子中吃了一小口，从每只杯子里抿了一小口。） In the last cup, she accidentally dropped a ring that her parents had given her.（在最后那只茶杯里，她不经意遗落了父母留给她的戒指。）

Eventually, the ravens returned for their meal. The girl hid behind a door and watched.（傍晚时分，七只乌鸦归巢进餐。小姑娘藏匿在门后静静观察。） When the seventh raven drank from his cup, something hit his mouth.（当第七只乌鸦端起杯子饮水时，有什么硬物碰触到了它的鸟喙。） The raven recognized it immediately—it was his parents’ ring.（乌鸦一眼便认了出来——那正是父母亲手相传的戒指！） “I wish our sister were here,” he said, “and then we could be free.”（“要是我们的妹妹能在这里该有多好，”它激动地说道，“那样我们就能重获自由了。”） Their sister quickly ran to them, and suddenly the ravens were human again.（妹妹闻声立刻飞奔到他们面前，刹那间，七只乌鸦变回了英俊的人形！） The brothers kissed their sister, and they all went home together happily.（哥哥们拥吻着心爱的小妹妹，大家欢欢喜喜地一同踏上了回家之路。）