但她再也没有见到王子，因此她回到家时，总是比以前更加悲伤。

but she never saw the prince, and therefore she returned home, always more sorrowful than before

坐在自己的小花园里，搂着像王子的美丽大理石雕像，这是她唯一的慰藉；

it was her only fort to sit in her own little garden, and fling her arm round the beautiful marble statue which was like the prince;

但她不再照料她的花朵了，花朵在小径上肆意疯长，长长的叶子和茎干缠绕着树枝，使得整个地方变得阴暗而沉闷。

but she gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the branches of the trees, so that the whole place became dark and gloomy

最后她再也忍受不了了，把一切都告诉了她的一个姐妹。

at length she could bear it no longer, and told one of her sister all about it

然后其他姐妹也知道了这个秘密，很快，两个美人鱼也知道了这个秘密，而她们的密友碰巧知道王子是谁。

then the others heard the secret, and very soon it became known to two mermaids whose intimate friend happened to know who the prince was

她也看到了船上的庆典，她告诉她们王子来自哪里，他的宫殿在哪里。

she had also seen the festival on board ship, and she told them where the prince came from, and where his palace stood

“来吧，小妹妹，” 其他公主们说；

“e, little sister,” said the other princesses;

然后她们挽起手臂，排成一长排升上水面，靠近她们知道王子的宫殿所在的地方。

then they entwined their arms and rose up in a long row to the surface of the water, close by the spot where they knew the prince’s palace stood

它是用亮黄色的闪光石头建造的，有长长的大理石台阶，其中一级台阶一直延伸到海里。

it was built of bright yellow shining stone, with long flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite down to the sea

华丽的镀金圆顶耸立在屋顶之上，环绕整座建筑的柱子之间矗立着栩栩如生的大理石雕像。

splendid gilded cupolas rose over the roof, and between the pillars that surrounded the whole building stood life - like statues of marble

透过高大窗户的透明水晶，可以看到豪华的房间，房间里有昂贵的丝绸窗帘和挂毯；

through the clear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen noble rooms, with costly silk curtains and hangings of tapestry;

而墙壁上挂满了美丽的画作，看起来赏心悦目。

while the walls were covered with beautiful paintings which were a pleasure to look at

在最大的沙龙中央，有一座喷泉，它把闪烁的水柱高高地喷向天花板的玻璃圆顶，阳光透过圆顶照在水上和喷泉池周围生长的美丽植物上。

in the centre of the largest saloon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high up into the glass cupola of the ceiling, through which the sun shone down upon the water and upon the beautiful plants growing round the basin of the fountain

现在她知道他住在哪里了，她在宫殿附近的水面上度过了许多个傍晚和夜晚。

now that she knew where he lived, she spent many an evening and many a night on the water near the palace

她会游到比其他任何人都更靠近海岸的地方；

she would swim much nearer the shore than any of the others ventured to do;

事实上，有一次她一直游到大理石阳台下的狭窄水道里，阳台在水面上投下了宽阔的阴影。

indeed once she went quite up the narrow channel under the marble balcony, which threw a broad shadow on the water

她会坐在这里看着年轻的王子，王子以为自己在明亮的月光下是独自一人。

here she would sit and watch the young prince, who thought himself quite alone in the bright moonlight

她多次在傍晚看到他乘坐一艘舒适的船航行，船上有音乐演奏，旗帜飘扬。

she saw him many times of an evening sailing in a pleasant boat, with music playing and flags waving

她从绿色的灯芯草丛中向外窥视，如果风拂动她长长的银白面纱，看到的人会以为那是一只正在展开翅膀的天鹅。

she peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wind caught her long silvery - white veil, those who saw it believed it to be a swan, spreading out its wings

很多个夜晚，当渔民们举着火把出海时，她听到他们讲述很多有关年轻王子事迹的美好事情，她很高兴自己在王子半死不活地在海浪中颠簸时救了他的命。

on many a night, too, when the fishermen, with their torches, were out at sea, she heard them relate so many good things about the doings of the young prince, that she was glad she had saved his life when he had been tossed about half - dead on the waves

她还记得他的头曾靠在她的胸口，以及她是多么深情地亲吻过他；

and she remembered that his head had rested on her bosom, and how heartily she had kissed him;

但他对这一切一无所知，甚至都不能梦到她。

but he knew nothing of all this, and could not even dream of her

她越来越喜欢人类，也越来越希望能够和那些世界似乎比自己的大得多的人一起四处游历。

she grew more and more fond of human beings, and wished more and more to be able to wander about with those whose world seemed to be so much larger than her own

他们能乘船飞越海洋，登上高耸入云的山峰；

they could fly over the sea in ships, and mount the high hills which were far above the clouds;

他们拥有的土地、森林和田地延伸得很远，远到超出她的视线范围。

and the lands they possessed, their woods and their fields, stretched far away beyond the reach of her sight

有太多她想知道的事情，而她的姐妹们无法回答她所有的问题。

there was so much that she wished to know, and her sisters were unable to answer all her questions