You, poor little mermaid, have with your whole heart struggled for the same thing as we have struggled for.

你，可怜的小人鱼，像我们一样，曾经全心全意地为那个目标而奋斗，

You have suffered and endured, raised yourself to the spirit-world of the air,

你忍受过痛苦，你坚持下去了，你已经超升到精灵的世界里来了。

and now, by your own good deeds you may, in the course of three hundred years, work out for yourself an undying soul.''

因为你的善良，三百年以后，你就可以为你自己创造出一个不灭的灵魂。”

Then the little mermaid lifted her transparent arms towards God's sun, and for the first time shed tears.

小人鱼向上帝的太阳举起了她光亮的手臂，她第一次感到要流出眼泪。

On board ship all was again life and bustle.

在那条船上，人声和活动又开始了。

She saw the prince with his lovely bride searching for her;

她看到王子和他美丽的新娘在寻找她。

they looked sadly at the bubbling foam, as if they knew that she had thrown herself into the waves.

他们悲悼地望着那翻腾的泡沫，好像他们知道她已经跳到浪涛里去了似的。

Unseen she kissed the bride on her brow, smiled at the prince,

在冥冥中她吻着这位新娘的前额，她对王子微笑。

and rose aloft with the other spirits of the air to the rosy clouds which sailed above.

于是她就跟其他的空气中的灵魂一道，坐上玫瑰色的云块，升入天空里去了。

''In three hundred years we shall thus float into Paradise.''

“这样，三百年以后，我们就可以升入天国！”

''We might reach it sooner,'' whispered one.

“也许我们不用等那么久！”一个声音低语着。

''Unseen we flit into those homes of men where there are children,

“我们无形无影地飞进人类的住屋里去，那里面生活着一些灵魂。

and for every day that we find a good child who gives pleasure to its parents and deserves their love God shortens our time of probation.

如果我们每天找到一个好孩子，如果他孝顺父母、值得他父母爱他的话，上帝就可以缩短考验我们的时间。

The child does not know when we fly through the room,

当我们飞过屋子的时候，孩子是不会知道的。

and when we smile with pleasure at it one year of our three hundred is taken away.

当我们幸福地对着他笑的时候，我们就可以在这三百年中减去一年;

But if we see a naughty or badly disposed child, we cannot help shedding tears of sorrow,

但是当我们看到一个顽皮和恶劣的孩子，而不得不伤心地哭出来的时候，

and every tear adds a day to the time of our probation.''

那每一颗眼泪都会增加对我们的考验。”