Now the little mermaid saw that they were in danger,

这时小人鱼才知道他们遭遇到了危险。

and she had for her own sake to beware of the floating beams and wreckage.

她也得当心飘流在水上的船梁和船的残骸。

One moment it was so pitch dark that she could not see at all,

天空马上变得漆黑，她什么也看不见。

but when the lightning flashed it became so light that she could see all on board.

不过当闪电掣起来的时候，天空刹那被点亮了，使她可以看清船上的每一个人。

Every man was looking out for his own safety as best he could;

现在每个人在尽量为自己寻找生路。

but she more particularly followed the young prince with her eyes,

她的双眼一直搜寻着那位王子。

and when the ship went down she saw him sink in the deep sea.

当这艘船裂开、向海的深处下沉的时候，她看到了他。

At first she was quite delighted, for now he was coming to be with her,

她感到是十分高兴，因为他现在要落到她这儿来了。

but then she remembered that human beings could not live under water,

可是她又记起人类是不能生活在水里的，

and that only if he were dead could he go to her father's palace.

除非他成了死人，是不能进入她父亲的宫殿的。

No! he must not die; so she swam towards him all among the drifting beams and planks, Quite forgetting that they might crush her.

不成，决不能让他死去！所以她在那些漂着的船梁和木板之间游过去，一点也没有想到它们可能把她砸死。

She dived deep down under the water, and came up again through the waves,

她深深地沉入水里，接着又在浪涛中高高地浮出来，

and at last reached the young prince just as he was becoming unable to swim any further in the stormy sea.

最后她终于到达了那王子的身边。在这狂暴的海里，他已经失去了全部力气。

His limbs were numbed, his beautiful eyes were closing,

他的手臂和腿开始支持不住了。美丽的眼睛也已经闭起来了，

And he must have died if the little mermaid had not come to the rescue.

要不是小人鱼及时赶来，他一定会淹死的。

She held his head above the water and let the waves drive them whithersoever they would.

她把他的头托出水面，让浪涛载着她跟他一起随便飘流到什么地方去。