Cinderella around the world: from China to Medieval Europe and further
迪士尼和格林童話都不是灰姑娘故事的起源。事實上，灰姑娘的故事非常古老，幾乎每個國家都有自己的版本。據記載，灰姑娘最古老的版本之一出現在公元860年的中國。
One of the oldest documented versions of the story appeared in China, around 860. In that version, Ye Xian is incredibly beautiful, kind and gentle girl, who is gifted in many skills such as pottery and poetry. She befriends a fish which embodies the spirit of her mother, but Ye Xian’s stepmother kills the fish.
據記載，灰姑娘最古老的版本之一出現在公元860年的中國。在這一版本中，女主人公名叫葉限，是個善良溫柔、多才多藝的美麗姑娘，她擅長陶藝、作詩等。葉限和母親化作的魚成了好朋友，但她的後媽把魚殺死了。
Ye Xian saves the bones of the fish which are magical and create her a gown for the New Year Festival where she is recognized by her stepmother and stepsister. While running away from them, she loses her slipper. The king finds the slipper, falls in love with Ye Xian and saves her from the cruelty she lives in.
葉限將魚骨保存起來，這些有魔力的骨頭為她變出了一件參加春節慶典的衣裙。葉限在慶典上被後媽和同父異母的姐妹認了出來，在逃走的過程中，她的鞋子跑丟了。君王拾得了鞋子，愛上了葉限，並將她從水深火熱之中救了出來。
There are also a few interesting versions of the story from Iran and the Middle East. One of them is titled as the 「Maah Pishànih」 which means 「The Girl With The Moon On Her Forehead.」 These versions have a different beginning of the story – Cinderella kills her mother so that her father could marry the Quran observer in the neighborhood. But her new stepmother is very cruel and her stepsister is stupid and mean.
伊朗和中東地區也有幾個很有意思的版本，其中一版叫做「額頭戴月的女孩」。這些版本的情節一開始有些不一樣。灰姑娘殺死了自己的母親，這樣父親就可以和信奉伊斯蘭教的鄰居結婚。而她的後媽非常惡毒，後媽的女兒也愚蠢自私。
She is harassed and lonely, so she befriends either a cow (her mother’s spirit/reincarnation) or a 1000-year-old, underground female demon which becomes her helper.
灰姑娘受盡屈辱，孤獨寂寞，於是跟一頭牛(這頭牛是她母親的化身)成了朋友，在其他版本中是一個神秘的千年女妖，她們後來都成了她的幫手。
After working hard for her stepmother, she is rewarded with a moon-shaped jewel on her forehead. Then, one day, respectively to the culture, the Sultan, eventually the King, or the Emperor sees her face at a celebration. She escapes as she feels embarrassed (Islamic women should hide their face and stay reserved in front of men) but the King falls in love with her. The plot is pretty similar to the familiar story.
灰姑娘辛辛苦苦為後媽工作，終於得到了一個月亮形狀的額飾。一天，蘇丹(在伊斯蘭文化中對統治者的稱呼)在一場慶典上看到了灰姑娘的容貌，灰姑娘覺得很害羞(在伊斯蘭文化中，女性應該遮面，且在男性面前表現得矜持)，於是她逃走了。但蘇丹對她一見鍾情，後面的故事就是我們熟知的套路了。
Also, there are some elements of the story that vary in the different versions and make it creepy and frightening. For example, Disney’s motion picture from 1950 is based on the Brothers Grimm version but the original Grimm’s story is bloodier than the movie.
在不同版本的灰姑娘故事裡，也有一些另類的恐怖元素。例如，1950年的迪士尼動畫版《灰姑娘》改編自《格林童話》，但原版故事比電影更加血腥。
In this version, Cinderella’s stepsisters cut off their toes so the golden slipper would fit their feet. Also, instead of a godmother, there is a wishing tree next to her mother’s grave.
在原來的版本中，灰姑娘的姐姐們為了穿上水晶鞋，把自己的腳趾剁掉了;另外，幫助灰姑娘的也不是仙女，而是她母親墳墓旁的一棵許願樹。
Considering Cinderella’s father, in some versions, he stands with his wife (Cinderella’s stepmother) and humiliates his daughter. In other, he isn’t aware of the situation or he’s presented as being away on a trip or as deceased.
在某些版本中，灰姑娘的父親與後媽一同羞辱自己的女兒。而在另外一些版本中，灰姑娘的父親要麼對此全然不知，要麼就是離家外出，或者已經去世。
There are versions of the story where the stepmother doesn’t appear at all and Cinderella is harassed by her stepsisters. Sometimes the antagonist is rather a stepfather who oppresses her because he wants to enlarge the dowry of his daughters on account of Cinderella’s belongings.
有些故事裡繼母根本沒有出現，虐待灰姑娘的是她同父異母的姐妹。也有些版本，欺負灰姑娘的是繼父，因為他覬覦灰姑娘的財產，想給自己的女兒爭得更多嫁妝。