In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the other. She sat down, drawing her little feet close under her, but in vain, she could not warm them. She dared not go home, she had sold no matches, earned not a single penny, and perhaps her father would beat her， besides her home was almost as cold as the street， it was an attic； and although the larger of the many chinks in the roof were stopped up with straw and rags. the wind and snow often penetrated through. Her hands were nearly dead with cold； one little match from her bundle would warm them. Perhaps, if she dared light it, she drew one out, and struck it against the wall, bravo! it was a bright, warm flame, and she held her hands over it. It was quite an illumination for that poor little girl； nay,1 call it rather a magic taper, for it seemed to her as though she was sitting before a large iron-stove with brass ornaments, so beautifully blazed the fire within! The child stretched out her feet to warm them also； alas, in an instant the flame had died away, the stove vanished, the little girl sat cold and comfortless, with the burnt match in her hand.

街邊一前一后坐落著兩座房子，形成一個小墻角，她蹲在墻角里，把一雙小腳卷縮到身下坐了下來，可是沒有用，她還是不覺得暖和。她不敢回家，因為她還沒有賣掉一根火柴，沒有掙到一個銅板，她的父親也許會因此打她，況且她家幾乎和大街上一樣冷。那是一間閣樓，雖然屋頂上幾個較大的裂口用草和破布堵住了，可風和雪還是不時地灌進來，她那雙小手差不多凍僵了。她想，只要她敢抽出一根火柴，在墻上擦燃，就可以暖手，終于她抽出了一根。哧！火柴燃起來了，冒出了火苗。當她雙手覆在上面時，它變成了一朵光明、溫暖的火焰，象一根奇妙的小蠟燭。小姑娘覺得自己象坐在一個大火爐旁邊一樣，鐵爐鑲有錚亮的黃銅花邊和底座。火燒得多么旺，多么好啊！小姑娘剛剛伸出她的一雙腳，打算暖一下的時候，哎呀！這是怎么樣一回事兒？火焰忽然熄滅了！火爐也不見了。她坐在那兒，手里捏著那燒過的火柴，又回到了寒冷和孤單之中。

A second match was struck against the wall； it kindles and blazed, and wherever its light fell the wall became transparent as a veil. The little girl could see into the room within. She saw the table spread with a snow-white damask cloth, whereon were ranged shining china-dishes； the roast goose stuffed with apples and dried plums stood at one end, smoking hot, and which was pleasantest of all to see；the goose, with knife and fork still in her breast, jumped down from the dish, and waddled along the floor right up to the poor child. The match was burnt out, and only the thick, hard wall was beside her.

她又擦著一根火柴，火柴燃起來了，發出了明亮的光。墻上那塊被火光照著的地方，忽然變得透明，象一塊薄紗。小女孩可以看到房間的東西，桌上鋪著雪白的臺布，上面放著精致的瓷碟，還有填滿梅子和蘋果、冒著熱氣、香噴噴的烤鵝。最美妙的是看見了——這只背上插著刀叉的鵝從盤里跳了出來，搖搖擺擺地在地板上走著，一直向這個可憐的小姑娘走來。就在這時，火柴熄滅了，留在她面前的，只是一堵又厚又冷的墻。