English Original
Many years ago, there lived an emperor who cared for nothing but new clothes. He spent all his money on them. His only ambition was to be always well dressed. He did not care for his soldiers or the theatre. His sole pleasure was to drive out and show off a new suit. He had a coat for every hour of the day. As one would say of a king, "He is in his cabinet," so one could say of him, "The emperor is in his dressing-room."
The great city where he lived was very lively. Every day, many strangers arrived. One day, two swindlers came. They pretended to be weavers and declared they could make the finest cloth imaginable. They said its colors and patterns were exceptionally beautiful, and it possessed a wonderful quality: it would be invisible to anyone who was unfit for their office or unpardonably stupid.
"That must be wonderful cloth!" thought the emperor. "If I wore a suit made of it, I could find out who in my empire is unfit for their place and distinguish the clever from the stupid. I must have this cloth woven for me without delay." He gave the swindlers a large sum of money in advance to start work immediately.
They set up two looms and pretended to work very hard, but they did nothing on the looms. They asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold-cloth, kept it all for themselves, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.
The emperor was curious to see their progress but felt uneasy remembering that anyone unfit for their office could not see the cloth. He thought it best to send someone else first. Everyone in town knew about the cloth's remarkable quality and was anxious to see how bad or stupid their neighbors were.
The emperor decided to send his honest old minister. "He can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he."
The old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms. "Heaven preserve us!" he thought, opening his eyes wide. "I cannot see anything at all!" But he did not say so. The swindlers asked him to come near and admire the exquisite pattern and beautiful colors, pointing to the empty looms. The poor minister tried his best but saw nothing. "Oh dear," he thought, "can I be so stupid? I must not let anyone know!"
"Now, have you got nothing to say?" asked one swindler, pretending to weave busily.
"Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful!" replied the old minister, looking through his glasses. "What a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colors! I shall tell the emperor I like it very much."
The swindlers described the colors and pattern in detail. The minister listened attentively so he could repeat it to the emperor, which he did.
The swindlers then asked for more money, silk, and gold-cloth, which they kept for themselves. Not a thread came near the loom, but they continued to work at the empty looms.
Soon, the emperor sent another honest courtier. Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could see nothing. "I am not stupid," he thought. "It must be that I am not fit for my good appointment. I must not let anyone know." So he praised the cloth he did not see and told the emperor it was excellent.
Everybody in town talked about the precious cloth. Finally, the emperor wished to see it himself. With a number of courtiers, he went to the swindlers, who worked as hard as they could without using any thread.
"Is it not magnificent?" said the two courtiers who had been there before. "Your Majesty must admire the colors and the pattern." They pointed to the empty looms.
"What is this?" thought the emperor. "I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor?"
"Really," he said aloud, "your cloth has our most gracious approval." He nodded contentedly at the empty loom. All his attendants looked and looked, and though they saw nothing, they said, "It is very beautiful." They all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession soon to take place. The emperor appointed the swindlers "Imperial Court weavers."
The whole night before the procession, the swindlers pretended to work by candlelight. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom, cut the air with big scissors, and sew with needles without thread. Finally, they said, "The emperor's new suit is ready now."
The emperor and all his barons came. The swindlers held their arms up as if holding something. "These are the trousers! This is the coat! Here is the cloak! They are as light as a cobweb; one must feel as if wearing nothing. That is their beauty."
"Indeed!" said all the courtiers, though they saw nothing.
"Does it please your Majesty to undress," said the swindlers, "so we may assist you in putting on the new suit before the large looking-glass?"
The emperor undressed. The swindlers pretended to put the new suit on him, piece by piece. The emperor looked at himself in the glass from every side.
"How well they look! How well they fit! What a beautiful pattern! What fine colors!" everyone said.
The master of ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy for the procession were ready.
"I am ready," said the emperor. "Does not my suit fit me marvellously?" He turned before the looking-glass so people would think he admired his garments.
The chamberlains who were to carry the train stretched their hands to the ground as if lifting it and pretended to hold something.
The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy. All who saw him exclaimed, "Indeed, the emperor's new suit is incomparable! What a long train! How well it fits him!" No one wished to admit they saw nothing, for fear of being thought unfit or stupid.
"But he has nothing on at all!" said a little child at last.
"Good heavens! Listen to the voice of an innocent child!" said the father. People whispered what the child had said.
"But he has nothing on at all!" cried the whole people at last.
That made a deep impression on the emperor, for it seemed to him they were right. But he thought, "Now I must bear up to the end." And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if carrying the train which did not exist.
中文翻译
许多年前，有一位皇帝，除了新衣服，他什么也不关心。他把所有的钱都花在了衣服上。他唯一的志向就是总是穿得漂漂亮亮。他不关心他的士兵，也不喜欢看戏。他唯一的乐趣就是驾车出游，炫耀新装。他一天中每个小时都有一件新外套。正如人们谈论国王时会说“他在内阁”，人们谈论他时则说“皇帝在更衣室里”。
他居住的大城市非常热闹。每天都有许多陌生人到来。一天，来了两个骗子。他们假装是织工，并宣称他们能织出所能想象到的最精美的布料。他们说布料的颜色和图案异常美丽，并且拥有一种奇妙的特性：任何不称职或不可救药地愚蠢的人都看不见它。
“那一定是神奇的布料！”皇帝想。“如果我穿上用这种布料做的衣服，我就能找出我的帝国里谁不称职，并能区分聪明人和傻瓜。我必须立刻让他们为我织出这种布料。”他预付给骗子一大笔钱，让他们立即开始工作。
他们架起两台织布机，假装非常努力地工作，但他们在织布机上什么也没做。他们索要最精美的丝绸和最珍贵的金线布料，把这些都据为己有，然后在空织布机上工作到深夜。
皇帝很想知道他们的进展，但想起任何不称职的人都看不见这布料，又感到不安。他认为最好先派别人去看看。城里每个人都知道这布料的非凡特性，都急于想知道他们的邻居有多糟糕或多愚蠢。
皇帝决定派他诚实的老大臣去。“他最会判断这布料的样子，因为他很聪明，而且没有人比他更称职。”
老大臣走进骗子们坐在空织布机前的房间。“天哪！”他想，睁大了眼睛。“我根本什么都看不见！”但他没有说出来。骗子们请他走近些，欣赏精美的图案和美丽的颜色，指着空织布机。可怜的大臣尽力去看，但什么也没看到。“哦，天哪，”他想，“难道我这么愚蠢吗？我绝不能让人知道！”
“怎么，您没有什么要说的吗？”一个骗子问道，一边假装忙着织布。
“哦，非常漂亮，美极了！”老大臣透过眼镜看着回答道。“多么美丽的图案，多么绚丽的色彩！我要告诉皇帝我非常喜欢这布料。”
骗子们详细描述了颜色和图案。大臣仔细听着，以便能向皇帝复述，他也确实这样做了。
然后，骗子们索要了更多的钱、丝绸和金线布料，这些都进了他们自己的腰包。没有一根线靠近织布机，但他们继续在空织布机上工作。
不久，皇帝派了另一位诚实的大臣去。像老大臣一样，他看了又看，但什么也看不见。“我并不愚蠢，”他想。“一定是因为我不配担任现在的要职。我绝不能让人知道。”于是他称赞了他根本没看到的布料，并告诉皇帝这布料好极了。
城里每个人都在谈论这珍贵的布料。最后，皇帝想亲自去看看。在一群大臣的陪同下，他去了骗子那里，他们正竭尽全力地工作，却没有用任何线。
“难道不华丽吗？”之前去过的那两位大臣说。“陛下一定会欣赏这颜色和图案。”他们指着空织布机。
“这是怎么回事？”皇帝想。“我根本什么都看不见。太可怕了！难道我愚蠢吗？难道我不配当皇帝吗？”
“确实，”他大声说道，“你们的布料得到了我们最仁慈的赞许。”他满意地对空织布机点了点头。他所有的随从看了又看，虽然他们什么也没看见，却说：“非常美丽。”他们都建议他在即将举行的盛大游行中穿上这套华丽的新衣服。皇帝任命这两个骗子为“皇家御用织工”。
游行前的整个晚上，骗子们点着蜡烛假装工作。他们假装把布料从织布机上取下来，用大剪刀在空中裁剪，用没有穿线的针缝纫。最后，他们说：“皇帝的新装现在做好了。”
皇帝和他所有的贵族都来了。骗子们举起手臂，好像拿着什么东西。“这是裤子！这是上衣！这是斗篷！它们轻如蛛网；穿上的人一定感觉像什么都没穿一样。这正是它们的美妙之处。”
“确实！”所有的大臣都说，尽管他们什么也没看见。
“请陛下宽衣，”骗子们说，“以便我们可以在大镜子前协助陛下穿上新装？”
皇帝脱下了衣服。骗子们假装把新装一件一件地给他穿上。皇帝从各个角度在镜子里打量自己。
“它们看起来多好啊！多合身啊！多么美丽的图案！多么精美的颜色！”每个人都这么说。
典礼官宣布，游行中举华盖的人已经准备好了。
“我准备好了，”皇帝说。“我的新装不是非常合身吗？”他在镜子前转身，好让人们以为他在欣赏自己的衣服。
要托着裙裾的内侍们把手伸到地上，好像托起裙裾一样，假装手里拿着东西。
皇帝在美丽的华盖下游行。所有看到他的人都惊呼：“确实，皇帝的新装无与伦比！多么长的裙裾！多么合身啊！”没有人愿意承认他们什么也没看见，因为怕被认为不称职或愚蠢。
“可是他什么也没穿啊！”最后，一个小孩子说道。
“天哪！听听这纯真的孩子的声音！”父亲说。人们低声传着孩子的话。
“可是他什么也没穿啊！”最后，所有的人都喊了起来。
这给皇帝留下了深刻的印象，因为他觉得他们是对的。但他想：“现在我必须坚持到底。”于是内侍们更加庄重地走着，好像托着那条根本不存在的裙裾。