It was all in gloomy shade now, as she had ceased to tend her flowers,

可是她再也不照料她的花儿了。

and the garden had become a neglected wilderness of long stalks and leaves entangled with the branches of the tree.

这些花儿好像长在荒野里，铺得满地都是，它们的长梗和叶子跟树枝交叉在一起，使这地方显得非常阴暗。

At last she could not bear it any longer, so she told one of her sisters,

最后她再也忍受不住了。不过只要她把她的心事告诉给一个姐姐，

and from her it soon spread to the others, but to no one else except to one or two other mermaids who only told their dearest friends.

其余的人也就马上知道了。除了她们和别的一两个人鱼以外，她只把这秘密告诉了自己的几个知己，别人什么也不知道。

One of these knew all about the prince; she had also seen the festivities on the ship;

她们之中有一位知道那个王子。她也看到过那次在船上举行的庆祝仪式。

she knew where he came from and where his kingdom was situated.

她知道这位王子是从什么地方来的，他的王国在什么地方。

''Come, little sister!'' said the other princesses, and, throwing their arms round each other' s shoulders,

“来吧，小妹妹！”别的公主们说。她们彼此把手搭在肩上，

they rose from the water in a long line, just in front of the prince's palace.

一长排地升到海面，一直游到一块她们认为是王子的宫殿的地方。

It was built of light yellow glistening stone, with great marble staircases, one of which led into the garden.

这宫殿是用一种发光的淡黄色石块搭建的，里面有许多宽大的大理石台阶有一个台阶还一直伸到海里呢。

Magnificent gilded cupolas rose above the roof,

华丽的、金色的圆塔从屋顶上伸向空中。

and the spaces between the columns which encircled the building were filled with life-like marble statues.

在宫殿的圆柱间，立着许多栩栩如生的大理石像。