海的女兒(三)

When first the sisters had permission to rise to the surface， they were each delighted with the new and beautiful sights they saw; but now， as grown-up girls， they could go when they pleased， and they had become indifferent about it. 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.

Yet often， in the evening hours， the five sisters would twine their arms round each other， and rise to the surface， in a row. They had more beautiful voices than any human being could have; 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. But the sailors could not understand the song， they took it for the howling of the storm. And these things were never to be beautiful for them; for if the ship sank， the men were drowned， and their dead bodies alone reached the palace of the Sea King.

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.

“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.”

At last she reached her fifteenth year.

“Well， now， you are grown up，” said the old dowager， her grandmother; “so you must let me adorn you like your other sisters;” and she placed a wreath of white lilies in her hair， and every flower leaf was half a pearl. Then the old lady ordered eight great oysters to attach themselves to the tail of the princess to show her high rank.

“But they hurt me so，” said the little mermaid.

“Pride must suffer pain，” replied the old lady.

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: so she said， “Farewell，” and rose as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water.

這些姊妹們中隨便哪一位，只要是第一次升到海面上去，總是非常高興地觀看這些新鮮和美麗的東西。可是現在呢，她們已經是大女孩子了，可以隨便浮近她們喜歡去的地方，因此這些東西就不再太引起她們的興趣了。她們渴望回到家里來。一個來月以后，她們就說：究竟還是住在海里好——家里是多么舒服啊！

在黃昏的時候，這五個姊妹常常手挽著手地浮上來，在水面上排成一行。她們能唱出好聽的歌聲——比任何人類的聲音還要美麗。當風暴快要到來、她們認為有些船只快要出事的時候，她們就浮到這些船的面前，唱起非常美麗的歌來，說是海底下是多么可愛，同時告訴這些水手不要害怕沉到海底；然而這些人卻聽不懂她們的歌詞。他們以為這是巨風的聲息。他們也想不到他們會在海底看到什么美好的東西，因為如果船沉了的話，上面的人也就淹死了，他們只有作為死人才能到達海王的官殿。

有一天晚上，當姊妹們這么手挽著手地浮出海面的時候，最小的那位妹妹單獨地呆在后面，瞧著她們。看樣子她好像是想要哭一場似的，不過人魚是沒有眼淚的，因此她更感到難受。

“啊，我多么希望我已經有十五歲啊！”她說。“我知道我將會喜歡上面的世界，喜歡住在那個世界里的人們的。”

最后她真的到了十五歲了。

“你知道，你現在可以離開我們的手了，”她的祖母老皇太后說。“來吧，讓我把你打扮得像你的那些姐姐們一樣吧。”于是她在這小姑娘的頭發上戴上一個百合花編的花環，不過這花的每一個花瓣是半顆珍珠。老太太又叫八個大牡蠣緊緊地附貼在公主的尾上，來表示她高貴的地位。

“這叫我真難受！”小人魚說。

“當然咯，為了漂亮，一個人是應該吃點苦頭的，”老祖母說。

哎，她倒真想能擺脫這些裝飾品，把這沉重的花環扔向一邊！她花園里的那些紅花，她戴起來要適合得多，但是她不敢這樣辦。“再會吧！”她說。于是她輕盈和明朗得像一個水泡，冒出水面了 。