海的女儿英文全文daughter-of-the-sea
>>>>
海的女儿英文daughter-of-the-sea
全文
ARoutintheocean,wherethewaterisasblueastheprettiestcornflower,andasclearascrystal,itisvery,verydeep;sodeep,indeed,thatnocablecouldfathomit:manychurchsteeples,piledoneuponanother,wouldnotreachfromthegroundbeneathtothesurfaceofthewaterabove.TheredwelltheSeaKingandhissubjects.Wemustnotimaginethatthereisnothingatthebottomoftheseabutbareyellowsand.No,indeed;themostsingularflowersandplantsgrowthere;theleavesandstemsofwhicharesopliant,thattheslightestagitationofthewatercausesthemtostirasiftheyhadlife.Fishes,bothlargeandsmall,glidebetweenthebranches,asbirdsflyamongthetreeshereuponland.Inthedeepestspotofall,standsthecastleoftheSeaKing.Itswallsarebuiltofcoral,andthelong,gothicwindowsareoftheclearestamber.Theroofisformedofshells,thatopenandcloseasthewaterflowsoverthem.Theirappearanceisverybeautiful,forineachliesaglitteringpearl,whichwouldbefitforthediademofaqueen.
TheSeaKinghadbeenawidowerformanyyears,andhisagedmotherkepthouseforhim.Shewasaverywisew
oman,andexceedinglyproudofherhighbirth;onthataccountsheworetwelveoystersonhertail;whileothers,alsoofhighrank,wereonlyallowedtowearsix.Shewas,however,deservingofverygreatpraise,especiallyforhercareofthelittlesea-princesses,hergrand-daughters.Theyweresixbeautifulchildren;buttheyoungestwastheprettiestofthemall;herskinwasasclearanddelicateasarose-leaf,andhereyesasblueasthedeepestsea;but,likealltheothers,shehadnofeet,andherbodyendedinafish'stail.Alldaylongtheyplayedinthegreathallsofthecastle,oramongthelivingflowersthatgrewoutofthewalls.Thelargeamberwindowswereopen,andthefishswamin,justastheswallowsflyintoourhouseswhenweopenthewindows,exceptingthatthefishesswamuptotheprincesses,ateoutoftheirhands,andallowedthemselvestobestroked.Outsidethecastletherewasabeautifulgarden,inwhichgrewbrightredanddarkblueflowers,andblossomslikeflamesoffire;thefruitglitteredlikegold,andtheleavesandstemswavedtoandfrocontinually.Theearthitselfwasthefinestsand,butblueastheflameofburningsulphur.Overeverythinglayapeculiarblueradiance,asifitweresurroundedbytheairfromabove,throughwhichtheblueskyshone,insteadofthe
darkdepthsofthesea.Incalmweatherthesuncouldbeseen,lookinglikeapurpleflower,withthelightstreamingfromthecalyx.Eachoftheyoungprincesseshadalittleplotofgroundinthegarden,whereshemightdigandplantasshepleased.Onearrangedherflower-bedintotheformofawhale;anotherthoughtitbettertomakeherslikethefigureofalittlemermaid;butthatoftheyoungestwasroundlikethesun,andcontainedflowersasredashisraysatsunset.Shewasastrangechild,quietandthoughtful;andwhilehersisterswouldbedelightedwiththewonderfulthingswhichtheyobtainedfromthewrecksofvessels,shecaredfornothingbutherprettyredflowers,likethesun,exceptingabeautifulmarblestatue.Itwastherepresentationofahandsomeboy,carvedoutofpurewhitestone,whichhadfallentothebottomoftheseafromawreck.Sheplantedbythestatuearose-coloredweepingwillow.Itgrewsplendidly,andverysoonhungitsfreshbranchesoverthestatue,almostdowntothebluesands.Theshadowhadaviolettint,andwavedtoandfrolikethebranches;itseemedasifthecrownofthetreeandtherootwereatplay,andtryingtokisseachother.Nothinggavehersomuchpleasureastohearabouttheworldabovethesea.Shemadeheroldgrandmothertellher
allsheknewoftheshipsandofthetowns,thepeopleandtheanimals.Toheritseemedmostwonderfulandbeautifultohearthattheflowersofthelandshouldhavefragrance,andnotthosebelowthesea;thatthetreesoftheforestshouldbegreen;andthatthefishesamongthetreescouldsingsosweetly,thatitwasquiteapleasuretohearthem.Hergrandmothercalledthelittlebirdsfishes,orshewouldnothaveunderstoodher;forshehadneverseenbirds.
"Whenyouhavereachedyourfifteenthyear,"saidthegrand-mother,"youwillhavepermissiontoriseupoutofthesea,tositontherocksinthemoonlight,whilethegreatshipsaresailingby;andthenyouwillseebothforestsandtowns."
Inthefollowingyear,oneofthesisterswouldbefifteen:butaseachwasayearyoungerthantheother,theyoungestwouldhavetowaitfiveyearsbeforeherturncametoriseupfromthebottomoftheocean,andseetheearthaswedo.However,eachpromisedtotelltheotherswhatshesawonherfirstvisit,andwhatshethoughtthemostbeautiful;fortheirgrandmothercouldnottellthemenou
gh;thereweresomanythingsonwhichtheywantedinformation.Noneofthemlongedsomuchforherturntocomeastheyoungest,shewhohadthelongesttimetowait,andwhowassoquietandthoughtful.Manynightsshestoodbytheopenwindow,lookingupthroughthedarkbluewater,andwatchingthefishastheysplashedaboutwiththeirfinsandtails.Shecouldseethemoonandstarsshiningfaintly;butthroughthewatertheylookedlargerthantheydotooureyes.Whensomethinglikeablackcloudpassedbetweenherandthem,sheknewthatitwaseitherawhaleswimmingoverherhead,orashipfullofhumanbeings,whoneverimaginedthataprettylittlemermaidwasstandingbeneaththem,holdingoutherwhitehandstowardsthekeeloftheirship.
Assoonastheeldestwasfifteen,shewasallowedtorisetothesurfaceoftheocean.Whenshecameback,shehadhundredsofthingstotalkabout;butthemostbeautiful,shesaid,wastolieinthemoonlight,onasandbank,inthequietsea,nearthecoast,andtogazeonalargetownnearby,wherethelightsweretwinklinglikehundredsofstars;tolistentothesoundsofthemusic,thenoiseofcarriages,andthevoicesofhumanbeings,andthentohearth
emerrybellspealoutfromthechurchsteeples;andbecauseshecouldnotgoneartoallthosewonderfulthings,shelongedforthemmorethanever.Oh,didnottheyoungestsisterlisteneagerlytoallthesedescriptions?andafterwards,whenshestoodattheopenwindowlookingupthroughthedarkbluewater,shethoughtofthegreatcity,withallitsbustleandnoise,andevenfanciedshecouldhearthesoundofthechurchbells,downinthedepthsofthesea.
Inanotheryearthesecondsisterreceivedpermissiontorisetothesurfaceofthewater,andtoswimaboutwhereshepleased.Sherosejustasthesunwassetting,andthis,shesaid,wasthemostbeautifulsightofall.Thewholeskylookedlikegold,whilevioletandrose-coloredclouds,whichshecouldnotdescribe,floatedoverher;and,stillmorerapidlythantheclouds,flewalargeflockofwildswanstowardsthesettingsun,lookinglikealongwhiteveilacrossthesea.Shealsoswamtowardsthesun;butitsunkintothewaves,andtherosytintsfadedfromthecloudsandfromthesea.
Thethirdsister'sturnfollowed;shewastheboldestofth
emall,andsheswamupabroadriverthatemptieditselfintothesea.Onthebanksshesawgreenhillscoveredwithbeautifulvines;palacesandcastlespeepedoutfromamidtheproudtreesoftheforest;sheheardthebirdssinging,andtheraysofthesunweresopowerfulthatshewasobligedoftentodivedownunderthewatertocoolherburningface.Inanarrowcreekshefoundawholetroopoflittlehumanchildren,quitenaked,andsportingaboutinthewater;shewantedtoplaywiththem,buttheyfledinagreatfright;andthenalittleblackanimalcametothewater;itwasadog,butshedidnotknowthat,forshehadneverbeforeseenone.Thisanimalbarkedathersoterriblythatshebecamefrightened,andrushedbacktotheopensea.Butshesaidsheshouldneverforgetthebeautifulforest,thegreenhills,andtheprettylittlechildrenwhocouldswiminthewater,althoughtheyhadnotfish'stails.
Thefourthsisterwasmoretimid;sheremainedinthemidstofthesea,butshesaiditwasquiteasbeautifulthereasnearertheland.Shecouldseeforsomanymilesaroundher,andtheskyabovelookedlikeabellofglass.Shehadseentheships,butatsuchagreatdistancethattheyl
ookedlikesea-gulls.Thedolphinssportedinthewaves,andthegreatwhalesspoutedwaterfromtheirnostrilstillitseemedasifahundredfountainswereplayingineverydirection.
Thefifthsister'sbirthdayoccurredinthewinter;sowhenherturncame,shesawwhattheothershadnotseenthefirsttimetheywentup.Thesealookedquitegreen,andlargeicebergswerefloatingabout,eachlikeapearl,shesaid,butlargerandloftierthanthechurchesbuiltbymen.Theywereofthemostsingularshapes,andglitteredlikediamonds.Shehadseatedherselfupononeofthelargest,andletthewindplaywithherlonghair,andsheremarkedthatalltheshipssailedbyrapidly,andsteeredasfarawayastheycouldfromtheiceberg,asiftheywereafraidofit.Towardsevening,asthesunwentdown,darkcloudscoveredthesky,thethunderrolledandthelightningflashed,andtheredlightglowedontheicebergsastheyrockedandtossedontheheavingsea.Onalltheshipsthesailswerereefedwithfearandtrembling,whileshesatcalmlyonthefloatingiceberg,watchingthebluelightning,asitdarteditsforkedflashesintothesea.
Whenfirstthesistershadpermissiontorisetothesurface,theywereeachdelightedwiththenewandbeautifulsightstheysaw;butnow,asgrown-upgirls,theycouldgowhentheypleased,andtheyhadbecomeindifferentaboutit.Theywishedthemselvesbackagaininthewater,andafteramonthhadpassedtheysaiditwasmuchmorebeautifuldownbelow,andpleasantertobeathome.Yetoften,intheeveninghours,thefivesisterswouldtwinetheirarmsroundeachother,andrisetothesurface,inarow.Theyhadmorebeautifulvoicesthananyhumanbeingcouldhave;andbeforetheapproachofastorm,andwhentheyexpectedashipwouldbelost,theyswambeforethevessel,andsangsweetlyofthedelightstobefoundinthedepthsofthesea,andbeggingthesailorsnottofeariftheysanktothebottom.Butthesailorscouldnotunderstandthesong,theytookitforthehowlingofthestorm.Andthesethingswerenevertobebeautifulforthem;foriftheshipsank,themenweredrowned,andtheirdeadbodiesalonereachedthepalaceoftheSeaKing.