海的女兒（十五）

On the same evening the bride and bridegroom went on board ship； cannons were roaring， flags waving， and in the centre of the ship a costly tent of purple and gold had been erected. It contained elegant couches， for the reception of the bridal pair during the night.

The ship， with swelling sails and a favorable wind， glided away smoothly and lightly over the calm sea. When it grew dark a number of colored lamps were lit， and the sailors danced merrily on the deck. The little mermaid could not help thinking of her first rising out of the sea， when she had seen similar festivities and joys； and she joined in the dance， poised herself in the air as a swallow when he pursues his prey， and all present cheered her with wonder. She had never danced so elegantly before. Her tender feet felt as if cut with sharp knives， but she cared not for it； a sharper pang had pierced through her heart.

She knew this was the last evening she should ever see the prince， for whom she had forsaken her kindred and her home； she had given up her beautiful voice， and suffered unheard-of pain daily for him， while he knew nothing of it. This was the last evening that she would breathe the same air with him， or gaze on the starry sky and the deep sea； an eternal night， without a thought or a dream， awaited her： she had no soul and now she could never win one. All was joy and gayety on board ship till long after midnight； she laughed and danced with the rest， while the thoughts of death were in her heart. The prince kissed his beautiful bride， while she played with his raven hair， till they went arm-in-arm to rest in the splendid tent.

Then all became still on board the ship； the helmsman， alone awake， stood at the helm. The little mermaid leaned her white arms on the edge of the vessel， and looked towards the east for the first blush of morning， for that first ray of dawn that would bring her death. She saw her sisters rising out of the flood： they were as pale as herself； but their long beautiful hair waved no more in the wind， and had been cut off.

“We have given our hair to the witch，” said they， “to obtain help for you， that you may not die to-night. She has given us a knife： here it is， see it is very sharp. Before the sun rises you must plunge it into the heart of the prince； when the warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again， and form into a fishs tail， and you will be once more a mermaid， and return to us to live out your three hundred years before you die and change into the salt sea foam. Haste， then； he or you must die before sunrise. Our old grandmother moans so for you， that her white hair is falling off from sorrow， as ours fell under the witchs scissors. Kill the prince and come back； hasten： do you not see the first red streaks in the sky？ In a few minutes the sun will rise， and you must die.”

And then they sighed deeply and mournfully， and sank down beneath the waves.

在同一天晚上，新郎和新娘來(lái)到船上。禮炮響起來(lái)了，旗幟在飄揚(yáng)著。一個(gè)金色和紫色的皇家?guī)づ裨诖醒爰芷饋?lái)了，里面陳設(shè)得有最美麗的墊子。在這兒，這對(duì)美麗的新婚夫婦將度過(guò)他們這清涼和寂靜的夜晚。

風(fēng)兒在鼓著船帆。船在這清亮的海上，輕柔地航行著，沒有很大的波動(dòng)。當(dāng)暮色漸漸垂下來(lái)的時(shí)候，彩色的燈光就亮起來(lái)了，水手們愉快地在甲板上跳起舞來(lái)。小人魚不禁想起她第一次浮到海面上來(lái)的情景，想起她那時(shí)看到的同樣華麗和歡樂(lè)的場(chǎng)面。她于是旋舞起來(lái)，飛翔著，正如一只被追逐的燕子在飛翔著一樣。大家都在喝采，稱贊她，她從來(lái)沒有跳得這么美麗。快利的刀子似乎在砍著她的細(xì)嫩的腳，但是她并不感覺到痛，因?yàn)樗男谋冗@還要痛。

她知道這是她看到他的最后一晚——為了他，她離開了她的族人和家庭，她交出了她美麗的聲音，她每天忍受著沒有止境的苦痛，然而他卻一點(diǎn)兒也不知道。這是她能和他在一起呼吸同樣空氣的最后一晚，這是她能看到深沉的海和布滿了星星的天空的最后一晚。同時(shí)一個(gè)沒有思想和夢(mèng)境的永恒的夜在等待著她——沒有靈魂、而且也得不到一個(gè)靈魂的她。一直到半夜過(guò)后，船上的一切還是歡樂(lè)和愉快的。她笑著，舞著，但是她心中懷著死的思想。王子吻著自己的美麗的新娘：新娘撫弄著他的烏亮的頭發(fā)。他們手?jǐn)v著手到那華麗的帳篷里去休息。

船上現(xiàn)在是很安靜的了。只有舵手站在舵旁?！?br>