The sun had just set when her head rose above the water, but the clouds were still lighted up with a rosy and golden splendour,

当她把头浮出海面的时候，太阳已经下落了，可是所有的云块仍然散发着瑰丽的光

and the evening star sparkled in the soft pink sky, the air was mild and fresh, and the sea as calm as a millpond.

同时，在淡红的天上，太白星已经在美丽地、光亮地眨着眼睛。空气是温和而新鲜的，海面平如明镜。

A big three-masted ship lay close by with only a single sail set, for there was not a breath of wind,

这儿停着一艘有三根桅杆的大船。船上只挂了一张帆，因为没有一丝儿风吹动。

and the sailors were sitting about the rigging, on the cross-trees, and at the mast-heads.

水手们正坐在护桅索的周围和帆桁的上面。

There was music and singing on board, and as the evening closed in hundreds of gaily coloured lanterns were lighted—

他们随着音乐放声歌唱。当天色逐渐变得阴暗的时候，各色各样的灯笼就一起亮起来了。

they looked like the flags of all nations waving in the air.

它们看起来就好像飘在空中的世界各国的旗帜。

The little mermaid swam right up to the cabin windows,

小人鱼一直向船窗那儿游去。

and every time she was lifted by the swell she could see through the transparent panes crowds of gaily dressed people.

每当海浪把她托起来的时候，她可以透过像镜子一样的玻璃窗，望见里面站着许多服装华丽的男子;

The handsomest of them all was the young prince with large dark eyes;

但他们之中最美的一位是眼睛乌黑的王子：

he could not be much more than sixteen, and all these festivities were in honour of his birthday.

无疑地，他的年纪还不到十六岁。今天是他的生日，正因为这个缘故，今天才这样热闹。

The sailors danced on deck, and when the prince appeared among them hundreds of rockets were let off making it as light as day,

水手们在甲板上载歌载舞。当王子走出来的时候，有一百多发礼炮一齐向天空射去。天空被照得如同白昼，

and frightening the little mermaid so much that she had to dive under the water.

因此小人鱼惊恐的沉到水底。

She soon ventured up again, and it was just as if all the stars of heaven were falling in showers round about her.

是不一会儿，她又把头伸出来了——这时她觉得好像满天的星星都在向她落下，

She had never seen such magic fires. Great suns whirled round,

她从来没有看到过这样的焰火。像许多巨大的太阳在周围发出嘘嘘的响声，

gorgeous fire-fish hung in the blue air, and all was reflected in the calm and glassy sea.

优耀夺目的大鱼在向蓝色的空中飞跃。这一切都映到清澈而又平静的海上。