第2章 小美人鱼 The Little Mermaid(7/9)

首发：~第2章 小美人鱼 The Little Mermaid

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;