Day by day she became dearer to the prince;

王子对她越来越宠爱。

he loved her as one loves a good sweet child, but it never entered his head to make her his queen;

他爱着她，就像爱一个可爱的女孩子，但从来没有想过要让她成为女王。

yet unless she became his wife she would never win an everlasting soul, but on his wedding morning would turn to sea-foam.

然而，除非她成为他的妻子，否则她将永远无法拥有永恒的灵魂，并在他的婚礼的早晨化为泡沫。

''Am I not dearer to you than any of them?''

“我比其他任何人都更加珍贵吗？”

the little mermaid's eyes seemed to say when he took her in his arms and kissed her beautiful brow.

当王子将小美人鱼抱在怀里并亲吻她美丽的额头时，她的眼睛似乎在说。

''Yes, you are the dearest one to me,'' said the prince, ''for you have the best heart of them all, and you are fondest of me;

王子说：“是的，你是我最亲爱的人，你是我见过最善良的人，你是我的至爱。

you are also like a young girl I once saw, but whom I never expect to see again.

你也像我曾经见过的年轻女孩，但是我不会再见到她。

I was on board a ship which was wrecked;

当时我在一艘失事的船上；

I was driven on shore by the waves close to a holy Temple where several young girls were ministering at a service;

我被一个圣殿附近的海浪冲到岸上，那里有几个年轻的女孩在为圣事服务。

the youngest of them found me on the beach and saved my life;

他们中最小的在海滩上发现了我并拯救了我的生命；

I saw her but twice. She was the only person I could love in this world,

我见过她两次。她是我在这个世界上唯一会深爱的人，

but you are like her, you almost drive her image out of my heart.

你像她一样，几乎使我渐渐遗忘她的样子。

She belongs to the holy Temple, and therefore by good fortune you have been sent to me; we will never part!''

她属于圣殿，命运让我们相遇。我们永远都不会分开！

''Alas! he does not know that it was I who saved his life,'' thought the little mermaid.

“唉！小美人鱼想，他不知道是我救了他的命。

''I bore him over the sea to the wood where the Temple stands.

“我把他从海上托到圣殿旁的树林里。

I sat behind the foam and watched to see if anyone would come.

我坐在泡沫后面，看着是否有人来。