首发：~第2章 小美人鱼 The Little Mermaid
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;
