然而，除非他娶了她，否则她无法获得不朽的灵魂；
yet, unless he married her, she could not receive an immortal soul;
而且，在他与别人结婚后的第二天早晨，她就会化为海中的泡沫。
and, on the morning after his marriage with another, she would dissolve into the foam of the sea
“在所有人当中，你难道不是最爱我吗？”
“do you not love me the best of them all”
当王子把她抱在怀里，亲吻她光洁的额头时，小美人鱼的眼神似乎在这样说。
the eyes of the little mermaid seemed to say, when he took her in his arms, and kissed her fair forehead
“是的，你对我来说很珍贵，” 王子说；
“yes, you are dear to me,” said the prince;
“因为你有最善良的心，而且你对我最忠诚；
“for you have the best heart, and you are the most devoted to me;
你就像我曾经见过的一个少女，但我再也见不到她了。
you are like a young maiden whom i once saw, but whom i shall never meet again
我在一艘失事的船上，海浪把我冲到一座圣殿附近的岸上，那里有几个少女在做礼拜。
i was in a ship that was wrecked, and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple, where several young maidens performed the service
她们中最年轻的那个在岸上发现了我，救了我的命。
the youngest of them found me on the shore, and saved my life
我只见过她两次，她是这个世界上我唯一能爱的人；
i saw her but twice, and she is the only one in the world whom i could love;
但你像她，你几乎把她的形象从我脑海里赶走了。
but you are like her, and you have almost driven her image out of my mind
她属于圣殿，我的好运让你来到我身边代替了她；
she belongs to the holy temple, and my good fortune has sent you to me instead of her;
我们永远不会分开。”
and we will never part”
“啊，他不知道是我救了他的命，” 小美人鱼想。
“ah, he knows not that it was i who saved his life,” thought the little mermaid
“我带着他越过大海来到有圣殿的树林：
“i carried him over the sea to the wood where the temple stands:
我坐在泡沫下面，一直看着直到人类来救他。
i sat beneath the foam, and watched till the human beings came to help him
我看到了那个他爱得比爱我还深的美丽少女；”
i saw the pretty maiden that he loves better than he loves me;”
小美人鱼深深地叹了口气，但她流不出眼泪。
and the mermaid sighed deeply, but she could not shed tears
“他说那个少女属于圣殿，所以她永远不会回到尘世。
“he says the maiden belongs to the holy temple, therefore she will never return to the world
他们不会再见面了：
they will meet no more:
而我在他身边，每天都能见到他。
while i am by his side, and see him every day
我会照顾他，爱他，为他献出我的生命。”
i will take care of him, and love him, and give up my life for his sake”
很快就传言说王子必须结婚了，邻国国王美丽的女儿将成为他的妻子，因为一艘华丽的船正在装备。
very soon it was said that the prince must marry, and that the beautiful daughter of a neighboring king would be his wife, for a fine ship was being fitted out
虽然王子宣称他只是打算去拜访国王，但大家普遍认为他实际上是去看他的女儿。
although the prince gave out that he merely intended to pay a visit to the king, it was generally supposed that he really went to see his daughter
一大群人将与他同行。
a great pany were to go with him
小美人鱼笑了笑，摇了摇头。
the little mermaid smiled, and shook her head
她比任何人都更了解王子的想法。
she knew the prince’s thoughts better than any of the others
“我必须旅行，” 他对她说；
“i must travel,” he had said to her;