《小美人鱼》，1836 年
the Little mermaid, 1836
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安徒生认为，凭借《小美人鱼》，他创作出了自己最动人的童话故事之一。
with “the Little mermaid,” Andersen believed that he had created one of his most moving fairy tales.
“我与我的角色同甘共苦。” 他反复对朋友们这样讲，他的读者也承受了他笔下那美丽水生生物的痛苦。
“I suffer with my characters,” he told his friends again and again, and his readers too have endured the pain of his beautiful aquatic creature.
《欢乐满人间》系列书籍的作者 p.L. 特拉弗斯发现汉斯?克里斯蒂安?安徒生是折磨艺术的大师。
p.L.travers, author of the mary poppins books, found hans christian Andersen to be a master in the art of torture.
“我多么希望看到邪恶的继母被油煎……” 她宣称，“而不是忍受小美人鱼或者穿红鞋的女孩那漫长的痛苦。”
“how much rather would I see wicked stepmothers boiled in oil...,” she declared, “than bear the protracted agony of the Little mermaid or the girl who wore the Red Shoes.”
在安徒生的故事里，苦难可能成为一种精神优越的标志，他笔下那些受压迫的主人公在忍受了看似无尽的屈辱之后常常胜利归来。
In Andersen’s tales, suffering can bee a badge of spiritual superiority, and his downtrodden protagonists often emerge triumphant after enduring seemingly endless humiliations.
小美人鱼有着世俗的野心，并非朝着默默忍受痛苦的方向。
the little mermaid has worldly ambitions that run in directions other than silent suffering.
被上层世界所吸引，她渴望航海、爬山并探索禁地。
drawn to the upper world, she is eager to sail the seas, climb mountains, and explore forbidden territory.
她穿上男孩的衣服，和王子一起骑马，以前所未有的方式跨越性别界限。
donning boy’s clothing, she goes horseback riding with the prince, crossing gender boundaries in unprecedented ways.
尽管她对冒险和生活充满热情，而且尽管她有着异教的天性，但她是一个富有同情心的生物，不愿意为了自己而牺牲王子的生命。
For all her passion for adventure and life, she is, despite her pagan nature, a creature of passion, unwilling to sacrifice the prince’s life for her own.
驱使她探寻人类世界的强烈好奇心也恰恰是导致她失败的原因，从而陷入特拉弗斯觉得如此令人苦恼的痛苦境地。
the spirited curiosity that impels her to seek out the world of humans is also precisely what defeats her, leading to the condition of suffering that travers found so troubling.
迪士尼动画版的《小美人鱼》（1989 年）与启发它的故事有很大的偏离。
the animated disney version of “the Little mermaid” (1989) deviates sharply from the tale that inspired it.
它可能以一场婚姻幸福地结尾，但正如玛丽娜?沃纳所指出的，“女性欲望的问题在这部电影中占主导地位，这也许是它在小女孩中极受欢迎的原因：小美人鱼爱丽儿口中说出‘想要’这个动词的频率比其他任何词都高 —— 直到她的舌头被割掉。”
It may end happily with a marriage, but as marina warner points out, “the issue of female desire dominates the film, and may account for its tremendous popularity among little girls: the verb ‘want’ falls from the lips of Ariel, the Little mermaid, more often than any other—until her tongue is cut out”.
不过，迪士尼版本在很多方面让安徒生的故事保持活力，即便它的女主人公和结局与启发它的故事截然不同。
Still, the disney version has in many ways kept Andersen’s story alive, even if it has a heroine and an ending radically different from the story that inspired it.
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在大海深处，海水蓝得像最美丽的矢车菊，清澈得像水晶，那里非常非常深；
Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep;
深得实际上任何缆绳都无法测量：
so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it:
许多教堂的尖塔一个接一个地堆积起来，也无法从海底到达海面。
many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above.
海王和他的臣民就住在那里。
there dwell the Sea King and his subjects.
我们可不能想象海底除了光秃秃的黄沙就什么都没有。
we must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand.
不，当然不是；
No, indeed;
那里生长着最奇特的花卉和植物；
the most singular flowers and plants grow there;
它们的叶子和茎非常柔韧，水最轻微的波动都会使它们晃动，仿佛它们有生命似的。
the leaves and stems of which are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they had life.
大大小小的鱼在枝杈间游动，就像陆地上鸟儿在树林间飞翔一样。
Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land.
在最深的地方，矗立着海王的城堡。
In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King.
它的城墙是用珊瑚建成的，长长的哥特式窗户是用最清澈的琥珀做成的。
Its walls are built of coral, and the long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber.
屋顶是由贝壳构成的，随着水流过贝壳会开合。
the roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them.
它们的外观非常美丽，因为每个贝壳里都有一颗闪闪发光的珍珠，这珍珠适合做女王的王冠。
their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen.
海王已经鳏居多年，他年迈的母亲为他管家。
the Sea King had been a widower for many years, and his aged mother kept house for him.
她是一个非常聪明的女人，并且对自己的高贵出身极为自豪；
She was a very wise woman, and exceedingly proud of her high birth;
因此她在尾巴上戴了十二只牡蛎；
on that account she wore twelve oysters on her tail;
而其他同样出身高贵的人只被允许戴六只。
while others, also of high rank, were only allowed to wear six.
然而，她非常值得高度赞扬，尤其是她对小海公主们，也就是她的孙女们的照顾。
She was, however, deserving of very great praise, especially for her care of the little sea - princesses, her grand - daughters.
她们是六个美丽的孩子；
they were six beautiful children;
但最小的那个是最漂亮的；
but the youngest was the prettiest of them all;
她的皮肤像玫瑰花瓣一样清澈娇嫩，她的眼睛像最深的海洋一样湛蓝；
her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose - leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea;
但是，和其他所有人一样，她没有脚，她的身体末端是一条鱼尾。
but, like all the others, she had no feet, and her body ended in a fish’s tail.
她们整天在城堡的大厅里玩耍，或者在从墙壁上生长出来的有生命的花朵间嬉戏。
All day long they played in the great halls of the castle, or among the living flowers that grew out of the walls.
大大的琥珀色窗户敞开着，鱼儿游了进来，就像我们打开窗户时燕子飞进我们的房子一样，不同的是鱼儿游向公主们，从她们手中吃食，还让公主们抚摸自己。
the large amber windows were open, and the fish swam in, just as the swallows fly into our houses when we open the windows, excepting that the fishes swam up to the princesses, ate out of their hands, and allowed themselves to be stroked.
城堡外面有一个美丽的花园，里面生长着鲜红和深蓝的花朵，还有像火焰般的花朵；
outside the castle there was a beautiful garden, in which grew bright red and dark blue flowers, and blossoms like flames of fire;
果实像金子一样闪闪发光，叶子和茎干不停地来回摆动。
the fruit glittered like gold, and the leaves and stems waved to and fro continually.
大地本身是极细的沙子，但蓝得像燃烧的硫磺火焰。
the earth itself was the finest sand, but blue as the flame of burning sulphur.
一切都笼罩着一种奇特的蓝色光辉，仿佛它被上面的空气所包围，透过这空气蓝天闪耀着，而不是深海的黑暗深处。
over everything lay a peculiar blue radiance, as if it were surrounded by the air from above, through which the blue sky shone, instead of the dark depths of the sea.
在平静的天气里，可以看到太阳，看起来像一朵紫色的花，光线从花萼中流泻出来。
In calm weather the sun could be seen, looking like a purple flower, with the light streaming from the calyx.
每位年轻的公主在花园里都有一小块地，在那里她可以随心所欲地挖掘和种植。
Each of the young princesses had a little plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and plant as she pleased.
一个把她的花坛布置成鲸鱼的形状；
one arranged her flower - bed into the form of a whale;
另一个认为把自己的花坛布置成小美人鱼的形状更好；
another thought it better to make hers like the figure of a little mermaid;
但最小的公主的花坛是圆的，像太阳一样，里面种着像日落时阳光一样红的花朵。
but that of the youngest was round like the sun, and contained flowers as red as his rays at sunset.
她是个奇怪的孩子，安静又爱思考；
She was a strange child, quiet and thoughtful;
当她的姐妹们为从沉船残骸中得到的奇妙东西而高兴时，她除了自己那像太阳一样的美丽红花，只关心一座美丽的大理石雕像。
and while her sisters would be delighted with the wonderful things which they obtained from the wrecks of vessels, she cared for nothing but her pretty red flowers, like the sun, excepting a beautiful marble statue.
这是一个英俊男孩的雕像，由纯白色的石头雕刻而成，是从一艘沉船落到海底的。
It was the representation of a handsome boy, carved out of pure white stone, which had fallen to the bottom of the sea from a wreck.
她在雕像旁种了一棵玫瑰色的垂柳。
She planted by the statue a rose - colored weeping willow.
它长得非常茂盛，很快就把新鲜的枝条垂在雕像上，几乎垂到蓝色的沙滩上。
It grew splendidly, and very soon hung its fresh branches over the statue, almost down to the blue sands.
影子带有紫罗兰色的色调，像树枝一样来回摆动；
the shadow had a violet tint, and waved to and fro like the branches;
看起来好像树冠和树根在嬉戏，试图互相亲吻。
it seemed as if the crown of the tree and the root were at play, and trying to kiss each other.
没有什么比听关于海面之上的世界更让她快乐的了。
Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea.
她让她的老祖母把所知道的关于船只、城镇、人和动物的一切都告诉她。
She made her old grandmother tell her all she knew of the ships and of the towns, the people and the animals.
对她来说，听说陆地上的花有香味，而海底的花没有；这似乎是最奇妙和最美丽的事情。
to her it seemed most wonderful and beautiful to hear that the flowers of the land should have fragrance, and not those below the sea;
森林里的树应该是绿色的；
that the trees of the forest should be green;
树林里的鱼能唱得如此甜美，听它们唱歌是一种极大的乐趣。
and that the fishes among the trees could sing so sweetly, that it was quite a pleasure to hear them.
她的祖母把小鸟叫做鱼，否则她就不会理解祖母的话了；因为她从未见过鸟。
her grandmother called the little birds fishes, or she would not have understood her; for she had never seen birds.
“当你到了十五岁的时候，” 祖母说，“你将被允许从海里升起来，在月光下坐在岩石上，这时大船正从旁边驶过；然后你将看到森林和城镇。”
“when you have reached your fifteenth year,” said the grand - mother, “you will have permission to rise up out of the sea, to sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships are sailing by; and then you will see both forests and towns.”
第二年，姐妹中的一个就十五岁了：但由于每个姐妹都比下一个大一岁，最小的那个在轮到她从海底升起来像我们一样看到陆地之前，还得等五年。
In the following year, one of the sisters would be fifteen: but as each was a year younger than the other, the youngest would have to wait five years before her turn came to rise up from the bottom of the ocean, and see the earth as we do.
然而，每个姐妹都承诺告诉其他人她第一次出访看到了什么，以及她认为最美丽的东西；因为她们的祖母告诉她们的还不够；有太多东西她们想要了解。
however, each promised to tell the others what she saw on her first visit, and what she thought the most beautiful; for their grandmother could not tell them enough; there were so many things on which they wanted information.
她们中没有人像最小的那个那样渴望轮到自己，她要等的时间最长，而且她是如此安静和爱思考。
None of them longed so much for her turn to e as the youngest, she who had longest time to wait, and who was so quiet and thoughtful.
许多夜晚，她站在敞开的窗户旁，透过深蓝色的海水向上看，看着鱼儿用鱼鳍和鱼尾四处泼水嬉戏。
many nights she stood by the open window, looking up through the dark blue water, and watching the fish as they splashed about with their fins and tails.
她能看到月亮和星星微弱地闪烁着；
She could see the moon and stars shining faintly;
但是透过海水，它们看起来比我们眼中的更大。
but through the water they looked larger than they do to our eyes.
当有像乌云一样的东西在她和它们之间经过时，她知道那要么是一头鲸鱼在她头顶游过，要么是一艘满载人类的船，人类从没想到一个美丽的小美人鱼正站在他们下方，朝着船的龙骨伸出她洁白的双手。
when something like a black cloud passed between her and them, she knew that it was either a whale swimming over her head, or a ship full of human beings, who never imagined that a pretty little mermaid was standing beneath them, holding out her white hands towards the keel of their ship.
大姐一到十五岁，就被允许升到海面上去了。
As soon as the eldest was fifteen, she was allowed to rise to the surface of the ocean.
当她回来的时候，她有成百件事要讲述；
when she came back, she had hundreds of things to talk about;
但是她说，最美好的事情是在月光下，躺在靠近海岸的宁静海水中的沙洲上，凝视附近的一个大城镇，那里的灯光像数百颗星星一样闪烁；
but the most beautiful, she said, was to lie in the moonlight, on a sandbank, in the quiet sea, near the coast, and to gaze on a large town nearby, where the lights were twinkling like hundreds of stars;
去听音乐声、马车的喧闹声和人类的说话声，然后听到教堂尖塔上传来欢快的钟声；
to listen to the sounds of the music, the noise of carriages, and the voices of human beings, and then to hear the merry bells peal out from the church steeples;
因为她不能靠近所有那些美妙的事物，她比以往任何时候都更渴望它们。
and because she could not go near to all those wonderful things, she longed for them more than ever.
哦，最小的妹妹不是急切地听着所有这些描述吗？
oh, did not the youngest sister listen eagerly to all these descriptions?
之后，当她站在敞开的窗户前透过深蓝色的海水向上望时，她想起了那座大城市，想起了那里的喧嚣与嘈杂，甚至幻想自己能听到海底深处教堂的钟声。
and afterwards, when she stood at the open window looking up through the dark blue water, she thought of the great city, with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could hear the sound of the church bells, down in the depths of the sea.
又过了一年，二姐得到许可升到水面，可以随意游动。
In another year the second sister received permission to rise to the surface of the water, and to swim about where she pleased.
她升出水面的时候，正值太阳落山，她说这是最美丽的景色。
She rose just as the sun was setting, and this, she said, was the most beautiful sight of all.
整个天空看起来像金子一样，还有她说不出名字的紫罗兰色和玫瑰色的云彩在她头顶飘浮；
the whole sky looked like gold, while violet and rose - colored clouds, which she could not describe, floated over her;
而且，一群野天鹅朝着夕阳飞去，速度比云彩还要快，看起来就像横在海面上的一条长长的白色面纱。
and, still more rapidly than the clouds, flew a large flock of wild swans towards the setting sun, looking like a long white veil across the sea.
她也朝着太阳游去；
She also swam towards the sun;
但是太阳沉入了波浪之中，云彩和大海的玫瑰色也渐渐褪去。
but it sunk into the waves, and the rosy tints faded from the clouds and from the sea.
接着就轮到三姐了；
the third sister’s turn followed;
她是她们当中最勇敢的，她沿着一条宽阔的河流向上游去，这条河流入大海。
she was the boldest of them all, and she swam up a broad river that emptied itself into the sea.
在河岸上，她看到绿色的山丘上长满了美丽的葡萄藤；
on the banks she saw green hills covered with beautiful vines;
宫殿和城堡从森林中高耸的树木间隐隐露出；
palaces and castles peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest;
她听到鸟儿在歌唱，阳光非常强烈，她常常不得不潜入水下以冷却她发烫的脸。
she heard the birds singing, and the rays of the sun were so powerful that she was obliged often to dive down under the water to cool her burning face.
在一条狭窄的小溪里，她发现了一群小人类孩子，全身赤裸，正在水里嬉戏；
In a narrow creek she found a whole troop of little human children, quite naked, and sporting about in the water;
她想和他们一起玩，但是他们非常惊恐地逃走了。
she wanted to play with them, but they fled in a great fright;
然后一只黑色的小动物来到水边；
and then a little black animal came to the water;
那是一只狗，但她不知道，因为她以前从未见过狗。
it was a dog, but she did not know that, for she had never before seen one.
这只动物对着她狂吠，非常可怕，她被吓坏了，赶忙冲回大海。
this animal barked at her so terribly that she became frightened, and rushed back to the open sea.
但她说她永远不会忘记那美丽的森林、绿色的山丘和那些能在水中游泳的可爱小孩子，尽管他们没有鱼尾。
but she said she should never forget the beautiful forest, the green hills, and the pretty little children who could swim in the water, although they had not fish’s tails.
四姐比较胆小；
the fourth sister was more timid;
她待在大海中央，但她说那里和靠近陆地的地方一样美丽。
she remained in the midst of the sea, but she said it was quite as beautiful there as nearer the land.
她能看到周围许多英里远的地方，头顶的天空看起来像一个玻璃钟。
She could see for so many miles around her, and the sky above looked like a bell of glass.
她看到过船只，但距离非常远，看起来就像海鸥。
She had seen the ships, but at such a great distance that they looked like sea - gulls.
海豚在海浪中嬉戏，大鲸鱼从鼻孔里喷水，直到看起来好像有上百个喷泉在四处喷水。
the dolphins sported in the waves, and the great whales spouted water from their nostrils till it seemed as if a hundred fountains were playing in every direction.
五姐的生日在冬天；
the fifth sister’s birthday occurred in the winter;
所以当轮到她的时候，她看到了其他人第一次上去时没有看到的东西。
so when her turn came, she saw what the others had not seen the first time they went up.
大海看起来非常绿，巨大的冰山四处漂浮着，她说每一座都像一颗珍珠，但比人类建造的教堂更大更高。
the sea looked quite green, and large icebergs were floating about, each like a pearl, she said, but larger and loftier than the churches built by men.
它们有着最奇特的形状，并且像钻石一样闪闪发光。
they were of the most singular shapes, and glittered like diamonds.
她坐在最大的一座冰山上，让风轻拂她的长发，她注意到所有的船只都快速驶过，并且尽可能地远离冰山，好像它们害怕冰山似的。
She had seated herself upon one of the largest, and let the wind play with her long hair, and she remarked that all the ships sailed by rapidly, and steered as far away as they could from the iceberg, as if they were afraid of it.
傍晚时分，太阳西沉，乌云布满天空，雷声隆隆，闪电交加，红色的光芒映照在冰山上，冰山在汹涌的海面上摇晃颠簸。
towards evening, as the sun went down, dark clouds covered the sky, the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the red light glowed on the icebergs as they rocked and tossed on the heaving sea.
所有船上的帆都因恐惧和颤抖而收起，而她却平静地坐在漂浮的冰山上，看着蓝色的闪电，看着它的叉状闪光射向大海。
on all the ships the sails were reefed with fear and trembling, while she sat calmly on the floating iceberg, watching the blue lightning, as it darted its forked flashes into the sea.
当姐妹们最初被允许升到海面时，她们每个人都为看到的新奇而美丽的景象感到高兴；
when first the sisters had permission to rise to the surface, they were each delighted with the new and beautiful sights they saw;
但现在，作为成年女孩，她们可以随时去，并且已经对此变得漠不关心了。
but now, as grown - up girls, they could go when they pleased, and they had bee indifferent about it.
她们希望自己能再次回到水里，一个月过去了，她们说海底下面美丽得多，待在家里更惬意。
they wished themselves back again in the water, and after a month had passed they said it was much more beautiful down below, and pleasanter to be at home.
然而，常常在傍晚时分，五个姐妹会互相挽着手臂，一排排地升到海面。
Yet often, in the evening hours, the five sisters would twine their arms round each other, and rise to the surface, in a row.
她们的嗓音比任何人的都更动听；
they had more beautiful voices than any human being could have;
在暴风雨来临之前，当她们预料到一艘船将会沉没时，她们会游到船前，甜美地歌唱在海底能找到的快乐，并且请求水手们如果沉到海底不要害怕。
and before the approach of a storm, and when they expected a ship would be lost, they swam before the vessel, and sang sweetly of the delights to be found in the depths of the sea, and begging the sailors not to fear if they sank to the bottom.
但是水手们听不懂这首歌，他们把它当作暴风雨的呼啸声。
but the sailors could not understand the song, they took it for the howling of the storm.
这些东西对他们来说永远不会是美好的；
And these things were never to be beautiful for them;
因为如果船沉没了，人们就会被淹死，只有他们的尸体才会到达海王的宫殿。
for if the ship sank, the men were drowned, and their dead bodies alone reached the palace of the Sea King.
当姐妹们这样手挽手地穿过海水升起来时，她们最小的妹妹就会孤零零地站在那里，望着她们，都快要哭了，只是美人鱼没有眼泪，因此她们更加痛苦。
when the sisters rose, arm - in - arm, through the water in this way, their youngest sister would stand quite alone, looking after them, ready to cry, only that the mermaids have no tears, and therefore they suffer more.
“哦，我要是十五岁就好了，” 她说，“我知道我会爱上上面的世界，以及生活在那里的所有人。”
“oh, were I but fifteen years old,” said she: “I know that I shall love the world up there, and all the people who live in it.”
终于，她到了十五岁。
At last she reached her fifteenth year.
“好了，现在你长大了，” 她的老祖母说道，“所以你必须让我像打扮你的其他姐妹一样打扮你。”
“well, now, you are grown up,” said the old dowager, her grandmother; “so you must let me adorn you like your other sisters;”
然后她在她的头发上戴了一个白色百合花环，每一片花瓣都是半颗珍珠。
and she placed a wreath of white lilies in her hair, and every flower leaf was half a pearl.
然后老妇人命令八只大牡蛎附着在公主的尾巴上以显示她的高贵地位。
then the old lady ordered eight great oysters to attach themselves to the tail of the princess to show her high rank.
“但是它们弄疼我了。” 小美人鱼说。
“but they hurt me so,” said the little mermaid.
“骄傲就得忍受痛苦。” 老妇人回答道。
“pride must suffer pain,” replied the old lady.
哦，她多么想甩掉这所有的荣华富贵，把沉重的花环放在一边啊！她自己花园里的红花会更适合她，但她无能为力：
oh, how gladly she would have shaken off all this grandeur, and laid aside the heavy wreath! the red flowers in her own garden would have suited her much better, but she could not help herself:
所以她说：“再见了。” 然后像气泡一样轻盈地升上了水面。
so she said, “Farewell,” and rose as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water.
当她把头探出海浪时，太阳刚刚落山；
the sun had just set as she raised her head above the waves;
但是云彩被染成了深红色和金色，在闪烁的暮色中，黄昏星美丽地闪耀着。
but the clouds were tinted with crimson and gold, and through the glimmering twilight beamed the evening star in all its beauty.
大海很平静，空气温和又清新。
the sea was calm, and the air mild and fresh.
一艘有三根桅杆的大船静静地停在水面上，只扬起了一面帆；
A large ship, with three masts, lay becalmed on the water, with only one sail set;
因为一丝风也没有，水手们闲坐在甲板上或索具间。
for not a breeze stiffed, and the sailors sat idle on deck or amongst the rigging.
船上有音乐和歌声；
there was music and song on board;
随着夜幕降临，一百盏彩色的灯笼被点亮了，仿佛各国的旗帜在空中飘扬。
and, as darkness came on, a hundred colored lanterns were lighted, as if the flags of all nations waved in the air.
小美人鱼游到船舱的窗户附近；
the little mermaid swam close to the cabin windows;
不时地，当海浪把她托起来的时候，她能透过明净的玻璃窗往里看，看到里面有许多衣着华丽的人。
and now and then, as the waves lifted her up, she could look in through clear glass window - panes, and see a number of well - dressed people within.
在他们当中有一位年轻的王子，是所有人中最英俊的，长着一双大大的黑眼睛；
Among them was a young prince, the most beautiful of all, with large black eyes;
他十六岁了，正在欢庆他的生日。
he was sixteen years of age, and his birthday was being kept with much rejoicing.
水手们在甲板上跳舞，但是当王子走出船舱时，一百多支火箭升上天空，把天空照得如同白昼。
the sailors were dancing on deck, but when the prince came out of the cabin, more than a hundred rockets rose in the air, making it as bright as day.
小美人鱼吓了一跳，潜入了水下；
the little mermaid was so startled that she dived under water;
当她再次伸出头时，好像天上所有的星星都在她周围坠落，她以前从未见过这样的烟火。
and when she again stretched out her head, it appeared as if all the stars of heaven were falling around her, she had never seen such fireworks before.
巨大的太阳喷出火焰，华丽的萤火虫飞向蓝天，一切都倒映在下方清澈平静的海水中。
Great suns spurted fire about, splendid fireflies flew into the blue air, and everything was reflected in the clear, calm sea beneath.
船本身被照得如此明亮，以至于所有人，甚至是最细小的绳索，都能清晰地被看到。
the ship itself was so brightly illuminated that all the people, and even the smallest rope, could be distinctly and plainly seen.
年轻的王子看起来多么英俊啊，他握着在场所有人的手并对他们微笑，而音乐在晴朗的夜空中回荡。
And how handsome the young prince looked, as he pressed the hands of all present and smiled at them, while the music resounded through the clear night air.
已经很晚了；
It was very late;
然而小美人鱼无法将视线从船或者英俊的王子身上移开。
yet the little mermaid could not take her eyes from the ship, or from the beautiful prince.
彩色的灯笼已经熄灭，不再有火箭升上天空，大炮也停止了发射；
the colored lanterns had been extinguished, no more rockets rose in the air, and the cannon had ceased firing;
但是大海变得波涛汹涌，海浪下可以听到一种低沉、轰鸣的声音：
but the sea became restless, and a moaning, grumbling sound could be heard beneath the waves:
小美人鱼仍然留在船舱的窗户旁，在水面上上下起伏，这样她就能往里面看。
still the little mermaid remained by the cabin window, rocking up and down on the water, which enabled her to look in.
过了一会儿，船帆迅速展开，这艘高贵的船继续前行；
After a while, the sails were quickly unfurled, and the noble ship continued her passage;
但很快海浪就涨得更高了，乌云使天空变得阴暗，远处出现了闪电。
but soon the waves rose higher, heavy clouds darkened the sky, and lightning appeared in the distance.
一场可怕的暴风雨即将来临；
A dreadful storm was approaching;
船帆又一次被收起，大船在汹涌的大海上继续疾驶。
once more the sails were reefed, and the great ship pursued her flying course over the raging sea.
海浪像山一样高，仿佛要高过桅杆；
the waves rose mountains high, as if they would have overtopped the mast;
但是船像天鹅一样在海浪间穿梭，然后又在它们高耸、泡沫四溅的浪尖上重新升起。
but the ship dived like a swan between them, and then rose again on their lofty, foaming crests.
对小美人鱼来说，这看起来像是有趣的游戏；
to the little mermaid this appeared pleasant sport;
但对水手们来说并非如此。
not so to the sailors.
最后，船发出嘎吱嘎吱的呻吟声；
At length the ship groaned and creaked;
厚厚的木板在海浪冲击甲板时断裂了；
the thick planks gave way under the lashing of the sea as it broke over the deck;
主桅像芦苇一样折断了；
the mainmast snapped asunder like a reed;
船向一侧倾斜；
the ship lay over on her side;
海水涌了进来。
and the water rushed in.
小美人鱼现在意识到船员们有危险了；
the little mermaid now perceived that the crew were in danger;
就连她自己也不得不小心避开散落在水面上的沉船残骸的横梁和木板。
even she herself was obliged to be careful to avoid the beams and planks of the wreck which lay scattered on the water.
有一瞬间，天漆黑一片，她什么都看不见，但一道闪电照亮了整个场景；
At one moment it was so pitch dark that she could not see a single object, but a flash of lightning revealed the whole scene;
她能看到船上所有的人，除了王子；
she could see every one who had been on board excepting the prince;
当船断裂的时候，她看到他沉入了深深的海浪之中，她很高兴，因为她以为他现在会和她在一起了；
when the ship parted, she had seen him sink into the deep waves, and she was glad, for she thought he would now be with her;
然后她想起人类不能在水中生活，所以当他沉到她父亲的宫殿时，他就已经死了。
and then she remembered that human beings could not live in the water, so that when he got down to her father’s palace he would be quite dead.
但他不能死。
but he must not die.
于是她在散落在海面上的横梁和木板间游来游去，忘记了它们可能会把她压成碎片。
So she swam about among the beams and planks which strewed the surface of the sea, forgetting that they could crush her to pieces.
然后她潜入黑暗的深水之下，随着海浪起伏，最后她设法游到了年轻的王子身边，王子在那波涛汹涌的海里很快就失去了游泳的能力。
then she dived deeply under the dark waters, rising and falling with the waves, till at length she managed to reach the young prince, who was fast losing the power of swimming in that stormy sea.
他的四肢渐渐无力，他美丽的眼睛闭上了，如果不是小美人鱼来救他，他就已经死了。
his limbs were failing him, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid e to his assistance.
她把他的头托出水面，任由海浪把他们冲到任何地方。
She held his head above the water, and let the waves drift them where they would.
早晨，暴风雨停了；
In the morning the storm had ceased;
但是船的碎片一片也看不见了。
but of the ship not a single fragment could be seen.
太阳红彤彤地从水面上升起，阳光使王子的脸颊恢复了健康的颜色；
the sun rose up red and glowing from the water, and its beams brought back the hue of health to the prince’s cheeks;
但是他的眼睛仍然闭着。
but his eyes remained closed.
美人鱼亲吻了他高高的、光滑的额头，并且把他湿漉漉的头发向后捋；
the mermaid kissed his high, smooth forehead, and stroked back his wet hair;
在她看来，他就像她小花园里的大理石雕像，她又吻了他一下，希望他能活下来。
he seemed to her like the marble statue in her little garden, and she kissed him again, and wished that he might live.
不久，他们看到了陆地；
presently they came in sight of land;
她看到高耸的蓝色山脉，白雪覆盖在山上，就好像一群天鹅卧在上面。
she saw lofty blue mountains, on which the white snow rested as if a flock of swans were lying upon them.
靠近海岸是美丽的绿色森林，旁边矗立着一座大型建筑，她分不清是教堂还是修道院。
Near the coast were beautiful green forests, and close by stood a large building, whether a church or a convent she could not tell.
花园里种着橙子树和香橼树，门前矗立着高大的棕榈树。
orange and citron trees grew in the garden, and before the door stood lofty palms.
这里的大海形成了一个小海湾，湾内的水十分平静，但很深；
the sea here formed a little bay, in which the water was quite still, but very deep;
于是她带着英俊的王子游向海滩，海滩上铺满了细腻的白色沙子，她把他放在温暖的阳光下，小心翼翼地把他的头抬得比身体高。
so she swam with the handsome prince to the beach, which was covered with fine, white sand, and there she laid him in the warm sunshine, taking care to raise his head higher than his body.
接着，那座白色的大建筑里响起了钟声，许多年轻女孩走进了花园。
then bells sounded in the large white building, and a number of young girls came into the garden.
小美人鱼从岸边游得更远了些，躲在一些露出水面的高大礁石之间；
the little mermaid swam out farther from the shore and placed herself between some high rocks that rose out of the water;
然后她用海的泡沫遮住自己的头和脖子，这样她的小脸就不会被看到，然后观察着这个可怜的王子会怎么样。
then she covered her head and neck with the foam of the sea so that her little face might not be seen, and watched to see what would bee of the poor prince.
没过多久，她就看到一个年轻女孩走近王子躺着的地方。
She did not wait long before she saw a young girl approach the spot where he lay.
起初她似乎很害怕，但只是一瞬间；
She seemed frightened at first, but only for a moment;
然后她叫来了许多人，小美人鱼看到王子又活了过来，并且对围在他身边的人微笑。
then she fetched a number of people, and the mermaid saw that the prince came to life again, and smiled upon those who stood round him.
但他没有对她微笑；
but to her he sent no smile;
他不知道是她救了他。
he knew not that she had saved him.
这让她非常不开心，当他被带进那座大房子时，她悲伤地潜入水中，回到了她父亲的城堡。
this made her very unhappy, and when he was led away into the great building, she dived down sorrowfully into the water, and returned to her father’s castle.
她一直都沉默寡言、深思熟虑，现在更是如此。
She had always been silent and thoughtful, and now she was more so than ever.
她的姐妹们问她第一次浮出水面看到了什么；
her sisters asked her what she had seen during her first visit to the surface of the water;
但她什么都不告诉她们。
but she would tell them nothing.
许多个傍晚和清晨，她都游到她离开王子的地方。
many an evening and morning did she rise to the place where she had left the prince.
她看到花园里的果实成熟直至被采摘，山顶上的积雪融化；
She saw the fruits in the garden ripen till they were gathered, the snow on the tops of the mountains melt away;
但她再也没有见到王子，因此她回到家时，总是比以前更加悲伤。
but she never saw the prince, and therefore she returned home, always more sorrowful than before.
坐在自己的小花园里，搂着像王子的美丽大理石雕像，这是她唯一的慰藉；
It was her only fort to sit in her own little garden, and fling her arm round the beautiful marble statue which was like the prince;
但她不再照料她的花朵了，花朵在小径上肆意疯长，长长的叶子和茎干缠绕着树枝，使得整个地方变得阴暗而沉闷。
but she gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the branches of the trees, so that the whole place became dark and gloomy.
最后她再也忍受不了了，把一切都告诉了她的一个姐妹。
At length she could bear it no longer, and told one of her sister all about it.
然后其他姐妹也知道了这个秘密，很快，两个美人鱼也知道了这个秘密，而她们的密友碰巧知道王子是谁。
then the others heard the secret, and very soon it became known to two mermaids whose intimate friend happened to know who the prince was.
她也看到了船上的庆典，她告诉她们王子来自哪里，他的宫殿在哪里。
She had also seen the festival on board ship, and she told them where the prince came from, and where his palace stood.
“来吧，小妹妹，” 其他公主们说；
“e, little sister,” said the other princesses;
然后她们挽起手臂，排成一长排升上水面，靠近她们知道王子的宫殿所在的地方。
then they entwined their arms and rose up in a long row to the surface of the water, close by the spot where they knew the prince’s palace stood.
它是用亮黄色的闪光石头建造的，有长长的大理石台阶，其中一级台阶一直延伸到海里。
It was built of bright yellow shining stone, with long flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite down to the sea.
华丽的镀金圆顶耸立在屋顶之上，环绕整座建筑的柱子之间矗立着栩栩如生的大理石雕像。
Splendid gilded cupolas rose over the roof, and between the pillars that surrounded the whole building stood life - like statues of marble.
透过高大窗户的透明水晶，可以看到豪华的房间，房间里有昂贵的丝绸窗帘和挂毯；
through the clear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen noble rooms, with costly silk curtains and hangings of tapestry;
而墙壁上挂满了美丽的画作，看起来赏心悦目。
while the walls were covered with beautiful paintings which were a pleasure to look at.
在最大的沙龙中央，有一座喷泉，它把闪烁的水柱高高地喷向天花板的玻璃圆顶，阳光透过圆顶照在水上和喷泉池周围生长的美丽植物上。
In the centre of the largest saloon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high up into the glass cupola of the ceiling, through which the sun shone down upon the water and upon the beautiful plants growing round the basin of the fountain.
现在她知道他住在哪里了，她在宫殿附近的水面上度过了许多个傍晚和夜晚。
Now that she knew where he lived, she spent many an evening and many a night on the water near the palace.
她会游到比其他任何人都更靠近海岸的地方；
She would swim much nearer the shore than any of the others ventured to do;
事实上，有一次她一直游到大理石阳台下的狭窄水道里，阳台在水面上投下了宽阔的阴影。
indeed once she went quite up the narrow channel under the marble balcony, which threw a broad shadow on the water.
她会坐在这里看着年轻的王子，王子以为自己在明亮的月光下是独自一人。
here she would sit and watch the young prince, who thought himself quite alone in the bright moonlight.
她多次在傍晚看到他乘坐一艘舒适的船航行，船上有音乐演奏，旗帜飘扬。
She saw him many times of an evening sailing in a pleasant boat, with music playing and flags waving.
她从绿色的灯芯草丛中向外窥视，如果风拂动她长长的银白面纱，看到的人会以为那是一只正在展开翅膀的天鹅。
She peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wind caught her long silvery - white veil, those who saw it believed it to be a swan, spreading out its wings.
很多个夜晚，当渔民们举着火把出海时，她听到他们讲述很多有关年轻王子事迹的美好事情，她很高兴自己在王子半死不活地在海浪中颠簸时救了他的命。
on many a night, too, when the fishermen, with their torches, were out at sea, she heard them relate so many good things about the doings of the young prince, that she was glad she had saved his life when he had been tossed about half - dead on the waves.
她还记得他的头曾靠在她的胸口，以及她是多么深情地亲吻过他；
And she remembered that his head had rested on her bosom, and how heartily she had kissed him;
但他对这一切一无所知，甚至都不能梦到她。
but he knew nothing of all this, and could not even dream of her.
她越来越喜欢人类，也越来越希望能够和那些世界似乎比自己的大得多的人一起四处游历。
She grew more and more fond of human beings, and wished more and more to be able to wander about with those whose world seemed to be so much larger than her own.
他们能乘船飞越海洋，登上高耸入云的山峰；
they could fly over the sea in ships, and mount the high hills which were far above the clouds;
他们拥有的土地、森林和田地延伸得很远，远到超出她的视线范围。
and the lands they possessed, their woods and their fields, stretched far away beyond the reach of her sight.
有太多她想知道的事情，而她的姐妹们无法回答她所有的问题。
there was so much that she wished to know, and her sisters were unable to answer all her questions.