Far out at sea the water is as blue as the bluest cornflower, and as clear as the clearest crystal;

在海洋的最深处，海水是那么蓝，蓝的像最美丽的矢车菊花瓣，海水是那么清澈，清澈的像最明亮的玻璃。

but it is very deep, too deep for any cable to fathom,

然而它又是那么深，深得任何锚链都达不到底。

and if many steeples were piled on the top of one another they would not reach from the bed of the sea to the surface of the water.

要想从海底够到海面上，必须有无数教堂的尖塔一个接着一个地连接起来才成。

It is down there that the Mermen live.

海底的人就住在这下面。

Now don't imagine that there are only bare white sands at the bottom;

不过人们千万不要以为那儿只是一片铺满了白砂的海底。

Oh no! the most wonderful trees and plants grow there,

不是的，那儿生长着最奇异的树木和植物。

with such flexible stalks and leaves, that at the slightest motion of the water they move just as if they were alive.

它们的枝干和叶子是那么柔软，只要水轻微地流动一下，它们就摇动起来，好像是活着的东西。

All the fish, big and little, glide among the branches just as, up here, birds glide through the air.

所有的大小鱼儿在这些枝子中间游来游去，像是天空的飞鸟。

The palace of the Merman King lies in the very deepest part;

海王宫殿就坐落在海底的最深处。

its walls are of coral and the long pointed windows of the clearest amber,

它的墙是用珊瑚砌成的，它那些尖顶的高窗子是用最亮的琥珀做成的;

but the roof is made of mussel shells which open and shut with the lapping of the water.

不过屋顶上却铺着黑色的蚌壳，它们随着水的流动可以自动地开合。

This has a lovely effect, for there are gleaming pearls in every shell,

这是怪好看的，因为每个蚌壳里面含有亮晶晶的珍珠。

Any one of which would be the pride of a queen's crown.

随便哪一颗珍珠都可以成为皇后帽子上最主要的装饰品。

The Merman King had been for many years a widower, but his old mother kept house for him;

住在海底的海王已经做了好多年的鳏夫，靠老母亲为他管理家务。

she was a clever woman, but so proud of her noble birth that she wore twelve oysters on her tail, while the other grandees were only allowed six.

他的老母亲是一个聪明的女人，她对自己高贵的出身总是感到不可一世，因此她的尾巴上老戴着一打的牡蛎——其余的显贵只能每人戴上半打。

Otherwise she was worthy of all praise, especially because she was so fond of the little mermaid princesses, her grandchildren.

除此以外，她是值得大大地称赞的，特别是因为她非常爱那些小小的海公主——她的一些孙女。

They were six beautiful children, but the youngest was the prettiest of all;

她们是六个美丽的孩子，而她们之中，那个顶小的要算是最美丽的了。