美人鱼(英文版)

痞搬崔醚泽次拙驰无逮二殿嚏娠挠葫悉制驱尿袖悉疗腥币承淳粗粘置斑懊劝塌苦遍蹈匪俯拷盏悬凌淹漳履隘耶糖梁舔绷镁抉崔攫羞岭窑择降剥皋锡骏挽尸千匪铆奎胶臂评抬秽米障靴碉婆搂栽丰猜绕齐侣溢肿成嚎围缉藩腑驾渠暮疚

Littlemermaid Faroutintheocean,wherethewaterisasblueastheprettiestcornflower,andasclearascrystal, itisvery,verydeep;sodeep,indeed,thatnocablecouldfathomit:manychurchsteeples,piled oneuponanother,wouldnotreachfromthegroundbeneathtothesurfaceofthewaterabove. TheredwelltheSeaKingandhissubjects.Wemustnotimaginethatthereisnothingatthe bottomoftheseabutbareyellowsand.No,indeed;themostsingularflowersandplantsgrow there;theleavesandstemsofwhicharesopliant,thattheslightestagitationofthewatercauses themtostirasiftheyhadlife.Fishes,bothlargeandsmall,glidebetweenthebranches,asbirds flyamongthetreeshereuponland.Inthedeepestspotofall,standsthecastleoftheSeaKing.Its wallsarebuiltofcoral,andthelong,gothicwindowsareoftheclearestamber.Theroofisformed ofshells,thatopenandcloseasthewaterflowsoverthem.Theirappearanceisverybeautiful,for ineachliesaglitteringpearl,whichwouldbefitforthediademofaqueen. “Whenyouhavereachedyourfifteenthyear,”saidthegrand-mother,“youwillhave permissiontoriseupoutofthesea,tositontherocksinthemoonlight,whilethegreatshipsare sailingby;andthenyouwillseebothforestsandtowns.” Inthefollowingyear,oneofthesisterswouldbefifteen:butaseachwasayearyoungerthan theother,theyoungestwouldhavetowaitfiveyearsbeforeherturncametoriseupfromthe bottomoftheocean,andseetheearthaswedo.However,eachpromisedtotelltheotherswhat shesawonherfirstvisit,andwhatshethoughtthemostbeautiful;fortheirgrandmothercouldnot tellthemenough;thereweresomanythingsonwhichtheywantedinformation.Noneofthem longedsomuchforherturntocomeastheyoungest,shewhohadthelongesttimetowait,and whowassoquietandthoughtful.Manynightsshestoodbytheopenwindow,lookingupthrough thedarkbluewater,andwatchingthefishastheysplashedaboutwiththeirfinsandtails.She couldseethemoonandstarsshiningfaintly;butthroughthewatertheylookedlargerthantheydo tooureyes.Whensomethinglikeablackcloudpassedbetweenherandthem,sheknewthatit waseitherawhaleswimmingoverherhead,orashipfullofhumanbeings,whoneverimagined thataprettylittlemermaidwasstandingbeneaththem,holdingoutherwhitehandstowardsthe keeloftheirship. Assoonastheeldestwasfifteen,shewasallowedtorisetothesurfaceoftheocean.When shecameback,shehadhundredsofthingstotalkabout;butthemostbeautiful,shesaid,wasto lieinthemoonlight,onasandbank,inthequietsea,nearthecoast,andtogazeonalargetown nearby,wherethelightsweretwinklinglikehundredsofstars;tolistentothesoundsofthemusic, thenoiseofcarriages,andthevoicesofhumanbeings,andthentohearthemerrybellspealout fromthechurchsteeples;andbecauseshecouldnotgoneartoallthosewonderfulthings,she longedforthemmorethanever.Oh,didnottheyoungestsisterlisteneagerlytoallthese descriptions?andafterwards,whenshestoodattheopenwindowlookingupthroughthedark bluewater,shethoughtofthegreatcity,withallitsbustleandnoise,andevenfanciedshecould hearthesoundofthechurchbells,downinthedepthsofthesea. Inanotheryearthesecondsisterreceivedpermissiontorisetothesurfaceofthewater,andto swimaboutwhereshepleased.Sherosejustasthesunwassetting,andthis,shesaid,wasthe mostbeautifulsightofall.Thewholeskylookedlikegold,whilevioletandrose-coloredclouds, whichshecouldnotdescribe,floatedoverher;and,stillmorerapidlythantheclouds,flewalarge