但她不能说话。

but she could not speak

她每走一步都像巫婆说的那样，感觉像是踩在针尖或者锋利的刀刃上；

every step she took was as the witch had said it would be, she felt as if treading upon the points of needles or sharp knives;

但她心甘情愿地忍受着，在王子身边走得像肥皂泡一样轻盈，所以王子和所有看到她的人都对她优雅摇曳的身姿感到惊奇。

but she bore it willingly, and stepped as lightly by the prince’s side as a soap - bubble, so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful - swaying movements

很快她就穿上了昂贵的丝绸和薄纱长袍，成了宫殿里最美丽的人；

she was very soon arrayed in costly robes of silk and muslin, and was the most beautiful creature in the palace;

但她是哑巴，既不能说话也不能唱歌。

but she was dumb, and could neither speak nor sing

穿着丝绸和金饰的美丽女奴走上前，在王子和他的皇室父母面前唱歌：

beautiful female slaves, dressed in silk and gold, stepped forward and sang before the prince and his royal parents:

其中一个唱得比其他人都好，王子鼓掌并对她微笑。

one sang better than all the others, and the prince clapped his hands and smiled at her

这让小美人鱼非常悲伤；

this was great sorrow to the little mermaid;

她知道自己以前唱歌要甜美得多，她想：“哦，要是他能知道就好了！我为了能和他在一起，永远地失去了我的声音。”

she knew how much more sweetly she herself could sing once, and she thought, “oh if he could only know that! i have given away my voice forever, to be with him”

女奴们接着伴着美妙的音乐跳起了仙女般的舞蹈。

the slaves next performed some pretty fairy - like dances, to the sound of beautiful music

然后小美人鱼举起她可爱的白色手臂，踮起脚尖，在地板上滑行，跳起了无人能及的舞蹈。

then the little mermaid raised her lovely white arms, stood on the tips of her toes, and glided over the floor, and danced as no one yet had been able to dance

每时每刻她的美丽都更加展露无遗，她那富有表现力的眼睛比女奴们的歌声更能直击人心。

at each moment her beauty became more revealed, and her expressive eyes appealed more directly to the heart than the songs of the slaves

每个人都被迷住了，尤其是王子，他称她为他捡到的小宝贝；

every one was enchanted, especially the prince, who called her his little foundling;

她很乐意再次跳舞来取悦他，尽管每次她的脚触碰到地板，都感觉像是踩在锋利的刀刃上。

and she danced again quite readily, to please him, though each time her foot touched the floor it seemed as if she trod on sharp knives

王子说她应该永远和他在一起，她得到许可睡在他的房门前，睡在一个天鹅绒垫子上。

the prince said she should remain with him always, and she received permission to sleep at his door, on a velvet cushion

他让人给她做了一套侍童的衣服，这样她就可以陪他骑马了。

he had a page’s dress made for her, that she might acpany him on horseback

他们一起骑马穿过香气四溢的树林，绿色的树枝轻拂着他们的肩膀，小鸟在新鲜的树叶间歌唱。

they rode together through the sweet - scented woods, where the green boughs touched their shoulders, and the little birds sang among the fresh leaves

她和王子一起爬上高山之巅；

she climbed with the prince to the tops of high mountains;

虽然她娇嫩的双脚流血了，甚至留下了她的脚印，但她只是笑笑，跟着他，直到他们能看到脚下的云朵像一群飞往远方的鸟儿。

and although her tender feet bled so that even her steps were marked, she only laughed, and followed him till they could see the clouds beneath them looking like a flock of birds travelling to distant lands

在王子的宫殿里，当所有的家人都睡着的时候，她会走出去坐在宽阔的大理石台阶上；

while at the prince’s palace, and when all the household were asleep, she would go and sit on the broad marble steps;

因为把她发烫的双脚浸在冰冷的海水里能让她舒服些；

for it eased her burning feet to bathe them in the cold sea - water;

然后她就会想起海底深处的所有人。

and then she thought of all those below in the deep

一天夜里，她的姐姐们手挽手地浮上海面，悲伤地唱着歌。

once during the night her sisters came up arm - in - arm, singing sorrowfully, as they floated on the water

她向她们招手，然后她们认出了她，并告诉她她让她们多么伤心。

she beckoned to them, and then they recognized her, and told her how she had grieved them

在那之后，她们每晚都来到同一个地方；

after that, they came to the same place every night;

有一次，她远远地看到了她的老祖母，她已经很多年没有到海面上来了，还有老海王，她的父亲，头上戴着王冠。

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

他们向她伸出手，但他们不像她的姐姐们那样冒险靠近陆地。

they stretched out their hands towards her, but they did not venture so near the land as her sisters did

随着日子一天天过去，她更加深情地爱着王子，而王子爱她就像爱一个小孩子一样，但他从未想过要让她成为自己的妻子；

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;