这在小公主看来是最令人震惊的。

and this seemed the most shocking of all to the little princess

现在她来到树林里一片沼泽地，那里肥大的水蛇正在泥潭里翻滚，露出它们丑陋的、土褐色的身体。

she now came to a space of marshy ground in the wood, where large, fat water - snakes were rolling in the mire, and showing their ugly, drab - colored bodies

在这片沼泽地的中央有一座房子，是用失事船只上遇难者的骨头建造的。

in the midst of this spot stood a house, built with the bones of shipwrecked human beings

海巫婆坐在那里，让一只癞蛤蟆从她嘴里吃东西，就像人们有时用一块糖喂金丝雀一样。

there sat the sea witch, allowing a toad to eat from her mouth, just as people sometimes feed a canary with a piece of sugar

她把那些丑陋的水蛇称作她的小鸡，还让它们在她的胸前爬来爬去。

she called the ugly water - snakes her little chickens, and allowed them to crawl all over her bosom

“我知道你想要什么，” 海巫婆说；

“i know what you want,” said the sea witch;

“你很愚蠢，但你会得偿所愿的，不过这会给你带来悲伤的，我美丽的公主。

“it is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, and it will bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess

你想摆脱你的鱼尾，像陆地上的人类一样有两条支撑物（双腿），这样年轻的王子就可能爱上你，你也可能拥有一个不朽的灵魂。”

you want to get rid of your fish’s tail, and to have two supports instead of it, like human beings on earth, so that the young prince may fall in love with you, and that you may have an immortal soul”

然后巫婆大声而令人厌恶地笑了起来，癞蛤蟆和蛇都掉到地上，在那里扭动着。

and then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly, that the toad and the snakes fell to the ground, and lay there wriggling about

“你来得正是时候，” 巫婆说；

“you are but just in time,” said the witch;

“因为明天日出之后，在又一年结束之前我都无法帮助你了。

for after sunrise to - morrow i should not be able to help you till the end of another year

我会为你准备一剂药，明天日出之前你必须带着它游到陆地，坐在岸边喝下它。

i will prepare a draught for you, with which you must swim to land tomorrow before sunrise, and sit down on the shore and drink it

你的尾巴就会消失，收缩成人类所说的腿，你会感到剧痛，就好像有一把剑穿过你的身体。

your tail will then disappear, and shrink up into what mankind calls legs, and you will feel great pain, as if a sword were passing through you

但是所有看到你的人都会说你是他们见过的最美丽的小人儿。

but all who see you will say that you are the prettiest little human being they ever saw

你仍然会有同样轻盈优美的姿态，没有舞者会跳得如此轻盈；

you will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly;

但是你每走一步都会感觉好像踩在锋利的刀刃上，而且一定会流血。

but at every step you take it will feel as if you were treading upon sharp knives, and that the blood must flow

如果你能忍受这一切，我就会帮助你。”

if you will bear all this, i will help you”

“是的，我愿意。” 小公主颤抖着声音说道，因为她想到了王子和不朽的灵魂。

“yes, i will,” said the little princess in a trembling voice, as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul

“但是再考虑一下吧，” 巫婆说；

“but think again,” said the witch;

“因为一旦你的身形变得像人类，你就不再是美人鱼了。

for when once your shape has bee like a human being, you can no more be a mermaid

你再也不能穿过海水回到你的姐妹们身边，或者再次回到你父亲的宫殿；

you will never return through the water to your sisters, or to your father’s palace again;

而且如果你没有赢得王子的爱，以至于他不愿意为了你而忘记他的父亲和母亲，全心全意地爱你，并且让牧师将你们的手结合在一起，使你们成为夫妻，那么你将永远不会拥有不朽的灵魂。

and if you do not win the love of the prince, so that he is willing to forget his father and mother for your sake, and to love you with his whole soul, and allow the priest to join your hands that you may be man and wife, then you will never have an immortal soul

在他与别人结婚后的第一个早晨，你的心就会破碎，你就会变成浪尖上的泡沫。”

the first morning after he marries another your heart will break, and you will bee foam on the crest of the waves”

“我愿意这么做。” 小美人鱼说，她变得像死人一样苍白。

“i will do it,” said the little mermaid, and she became pale as death

“但我也必须得到报酬，” 巫婆说，“我索要的可不是小数目。

“but i must be paid also,” said the witch, “and it is not a trifle that i ask

在这海底深处居住的所有人当中，你的声音是最甜美的，而且你相信你也能用它来迷住王子，但你必须把这个声音给我；

you have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea, and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it also, but this voice you must give to me;

我要用你所拥有的最好的东西来换取我的药。

the best thing you possess will i have for the price of my draught

我必须把我自己的血混进去，这样它就会像双刃剑一样锋利。”

my own blood must be mixed with it, that it may be as sharp as a two - edged sword”