Born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark, Andersen was an emotional, yet imaginative, child. His father, a poor shoemaker, died in 1816. With a mother who was very superstitious and unable to read or write, the boy received little education as a child.

安徒生1805年4月2日出生于丹麦欧登塞，他是一个多愁善感而富于想象力的孩子。他的父亲，一个贫困的鞋匠，在1816年去世。由于母亲非常迷信而且不会读书写字，这个男孩小时候没受过什么教育。

(短文节选,本篇始于--关于安徒生)