海的女兒（十二）

While at the prince’s palace， and when all the household were asleep， she would go and sit on the broad marble steps； for it eased her burning feet to bathe them in the cold sea-water； and then she thought of all those below in the deep.

Once during the night her sisters came up arm-in-arm， singing sorrowfully， as they floated on the water. She beckoned to them， and then they recognized her， and told her how she had grieved them. After that， they came to the same place every night； and once she saw in the distance her old grandmother， who had not been to the surface of the sea for many years， and the old Sea King， her father， with his crown on his head. They stretched out their hands towards her， but they did not venture so near the land as her sisters did.

As the days passed， she loved the prince more fondly， and he loved her as he would love a little child， but it never came into his head to make her his wife； yet， unless he married her， she could not receive an immortal soul； and， on the morning after his marriage with another， she would dissolve into the foam of the sea.

“Do you not love me the best of them all？” the eyes of the little mermaid seemed to say， when he took her in his arms， and kissed her fair forehead.

“Yes， you are dear to me，” said the prince； “for you have the best heart， and you are the most devoted to me； you are like a young maiden whom I once saw， but whom I shall never meet again. 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. The youngest of them found me on the shore， and saved my life. I saw her but twice， and she is the only one in the world whom I could love； but you are like her， and you have almost driven her image out of my mind. She belongs to the holy temple， and my good fortune has sent you to me instead of her； and we will never part.”

“Ah， he knows not that it was I who saved his life，” thought the little mermaid. “I carried him over the sea to the wood where the temple stands： I sat beneath the foam， and watched till the human beings came to help him. I saw the pretty maiden that he loves better than he loves me；” and the mermaid sighed deeply， but she could not shed tears. “He says the maiden belongs to the holy temple， therefore she will never return to the world. They will meet no more： while I am by his side， and see him every day. I will take care of him， and love him， and give up my life for his sake.”

在王子的宮殿里，夜里大家都睡了以后，她就向那寬大的臺(tái)階走去。為了使她那雙發(fā)燒的腳可以感到一點(diǎn)清涼，她就站進(jìn)寒冷的海水里。這時(shí)她不禁想起了住在海底的人們。

有一天夜里，她的姐姐們手挽著手浮過來了。她們一面在水上游泳，一面唱出凄涼的歌。這時(shí)她就向她們招手。她們認(rèn)出了她；她們說她曾經(jīng)多么叫她們難過。這次以后，她們每天晚上都來看她。有一晚，她遙遠(yuǎn)地看到了多年不曾浮出海面的老祖母和戴著王冠的海王。他們對(duì)她伸出手來，但他們不像她的那些姐姐，沒有敢游近地面。

王子一天比一天更愛她。他像愛一個(gè)親熱的好孩子那樣愛她，但是他從來沒有娶她為皇后的意思。然而她必須做他的妻子，否則她就不能得到一個(gè)不滅的靈魂，而且會(huì)在他結(jié)婚的頭一個(gè)早上就變成海上的泡沫。

“在所有的人中，你是最愛我的嗎？”當(dāng)他把她抱進(jìn)懷里吻她前額的時(shí)候，小人魚的眼睛似乎在這樣說。

“是的，你是我最親愛的人！”王子說，“因?yàn)槟阍谝磺腥酥杏幸活w最善良的心。你對(duì)我是最親愛的，你很像我某次看到過的一個(gè)年輕女子，可是我永遠(yuǎn)再也看不見她了。那時(shí)我是坐在一艘船上——這船已經(jīng)沉了。巨浪把我推到一個(gè)神廟旁的岸上。有幾個(gè)年輕女子在那兒作祈禱。她們最年輕的一位在岸旁發(fā)現(xiàn)了我，因此救了我的生命。我只看到過她兩次：她是我在這世界上能夠愛的唯一的人，但是你很像她，你幾乎代替了她留在我的靈魂中的印象。……