“我必须见到这位美丽的公主；
“i must see this beautiful princess;
我的父母希望如此；
my parents desire it;
但他们不会强迫我把她带回家做我的新娘。
but they will not oblige me to bring her home as my bride
我不能爱她；
i cannot love her;
她不像你所类似的圣殿里的那位美丽少女。
she is not like the beautiful maiden in the temple, whom you resemble
如果我被迫选择一位新娘，我宁愿选择你，我不会说话的小宝贝，有着那双富有表现力的眼睛的你。”
if i were forced to choose a bride, i would rather choose you, my dumb foundling, with those expressive eyes”
然后他亲吻她玫瑰色的嘴唇，把玩她长长的飘动的头发，把头靠在她的心上，而她则梦想着人类的幸福和不朽的灵魂。
and then he kissed her rosy mouth, played with her long waving hair, and laid his head on her heart, while she dreamed of human happiness and an immortal soul
“你不害怕大海，我不会说话的孩子，” 当他们站在将要载着他们去邻国国王的国家的华丽船只的甲板上时，他说道。
“you are not afraid of the sea, my dumb child,” said he, as they stood on the deck of the noble ship which was to carry them to the country of the neighboring king
然后他给她讲述风暴和平静，讲述他们下方深海里的奇异鱼类，以及潜水者在那里看到的东西；
and then he told her of storm and of calm, of strange fishes in the deep beneath them, and of what the divers had seen there;
她对他的描述报以微笑，因为她比任何人都更清楚海底有哪些奇观。
and she smiled at his descriptions, for she knew better than any one what wonders were at the bottom of the sea
月光下，当船上所有人都睡着时，除了正在掌舵的舵手，她坐在甲板上，透过清澈的海水向下凝视。
in the moonlight, when all on board were asleep, excepting the man at the helm, who was steering, she sat on the deck, gazing down through the clear water
她觉得她能分辨出她父亲的城堡，在城堡上她年迈的祖母头戴银冠，透过汹涌的潮水看着船的龙骨。
she thought she could distinguish her father’s castle, and upon it her aged grandmother, with the silver crown on her head, looking through the rushing tide at the keel of the vessel
然后她的姐妹们浮上海浪，悲伤地凝视着她，绞着她们洁白的双手。
then her sisters came up on the waves, and gazed at her mournfully, wringing their white hands
她向她们招手，微笑着，想要告诉她们自己是多么幸福和幸运；
she beckoned to them, and smiled, and wanted to tell them how happy and well off she was;
但是船上的侍者走近了，当她的姐妹们潜入水下时，他以为自己看到的只是海面上的泡沫。
but the cabin - boy approached, and when her sisters dived down he thought it was only the foam of the sea which he saw
第二天早晨，船驶进了一个美丽城镇的港口，这个城镇属于王子即将拜访的国王。
the next morning the ship sailed into the harbor of a beautiful town belonging to the king whom the prince was going to visit
教堂的钟声敲响，高塔上传来嘹亮的喇叭声；
the church bells were ringing, and from the high towers sounded a flourish of trumpets;
士兵们举着飘扬的旗帜，拿着闪亮的刺刀，排列在他们经过的礁石两旁。
and soldiers, with flying colors and glittering bayos, lined the rocks through which they passed
每一天都是节日；
every day was a festival;
舞会和娱乐活动接连不断。
balls and entertainments followed one another
但是公主还没有露面。
but the princess had not yet appeared
人们说她正在一个宗教场所接受教养，在那里她正在学习每一种皇家美德。
people said that she was being brought up and educated in a religious house, where she was learning every royal virtue
最后她来了。
at last she came
小美人鱼非常急切地想看看她是否真的美丽，不得不承认她从未见过如此完美的美人。
then the little mermaid, who was very anxious to see whether she was really beautiful, was obliged to acknowledge that she had never seen a more perfect vision of beauty
她的皮肤娇嫩白皙，长长的黑色睫毛下，她那欢笑的蓝色眼睛闪烁着真诚和纯洁。
her skin was delicately fair, and beneath her long dark eye - lashes her laughing blue eyes shone with truth and purity
“是你，” 王子说，“当我躺在海滩上奄奄一息的时候救了我的命。” 然后他把脸红的新娘抱在怀里。
“it was you,” said the prince, “who saved my life when i lay dead on the beach,” and he folded his blushing bride in his arms
“哦，我太幸福了，” 他对小美人鱼说；
“oh, i am too happy,” said he to the little mermaid;
“我最美好的愿望都实现了。
“my fondest hopes are all fulfilled