rocky是什么意思海的女儿英文全文daughter-of-the-sea

2021年1月19日发(作者：体裁)

海
的
女
儿
英
文
daughter- of-the-sea
全
文

AR out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the pre
ttiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very d
eep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many
church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reac
h from the ground beneath to the surface of the water ab
ove. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must
not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea
but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flow
ers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which
are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water caus
es them to stir as if they had life. Fishes, both large and s
mall, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the
trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands th
e castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral, and t
he long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber. The ro
of is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flo
ws over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in e
ach lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diad
em of a
queen.



The Sea King had been a widower for many years, and h
is aged mother kept house for him. She was a very wise w


oman, and exceedingly proud of her high birth; on that a
ccount she wore twelve oysters on her tail; while others,
also of high rank, were only allowed to wear six. She was,
however, deserving of very great praise, especially for he
r care of the little sea-princesses, her grand-daughters. T
hey were six beautiful children; but the youngest was the
prettiest of them all; her skin was as clear and delicate a
s a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea; but,
like all the others, she had no feet, and her body ended in
a fish's tail. All day long they played in the great halls of
the castle, or among the living flowers that grew out of th
e walls. The large amber windows were open, and the fis
h swam in, just as the swallows fly into our houses when
we open the windows, excepting that the fishes swam up
to the princesses, ate out of their hands, and allowed the
mselves to be stroked. Outside the castle there was a bea
utiful garden, in which grew bright red and dark blue flo
wers, and blossoms like flames of fire; the fruit glittered l
ike gold, and the leaves and stems waved to and fro conti
nually. The earth itself was the finest sand, but blue as th
e flame of burning sulphur. Over everything lay a peculi
ar blue radiance, as if it were surrounded by the air from
above, through which the blue sky shone, instead of the


dark depths of the sea. In calm weather the sun could be
seen, looking like a purple flower, with the light streamin
g from the calyx. Each of the young princesses had a littl
e plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and
plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower-bed into t
he form of a whale; another thought it better to make he
rs like the figure of a little mermaid; but that of the youn
gest was round like the sun, and contained flowers as red
as his rays at sunset. She was a strange child, quiet and t
houghtful; and while her sisters would be delighted with
the wonderful things which they obtained from the wrec
ks of vessels, she cared for nothing but her pretty red flo
wers, like the sun, excepting a beautiful marble statue. It
was the representation of a handsome boy, carved out of
pure white stone, which had fallen to the bottom of the se
a from a wreck. She planted by the statue a rose-colored
weeping willow. It grew splendidly, and very soon hung it
s fresh branches over the statue, almost down to the blue
sands. The shadow had a violet tint, and waved to and fr
o like the branches; it seemed as if the crown of the tree a
nd the root were at play, and trying to kiss each other. No
thing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the wor
ld above the sea. She made her old grandmother tell her


all she knew of the ships and of the towns, the people and
the animals. To her it seemed most wonderful and beauti
ful to hear that the flowers of the land should have fragr
ance, and not those below the sea; that the trees of the fo
rest should be green; and that the fishes among the trees
could sing so sweetly, that it was quite a pleasure to hear
them. Her grandmother called the little birds fishes, or s
he would not have understood her; for she had never see
n birds.


rand-mother,
the sea, to sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the gre
at ships are sailing by; and then you will see both forests
and towns.



In the following year, one of the sisters would be fifteen:
but as each was a year younger than the other, the young
est would have to wait five years before her turn came to
rise up from the bottom of the ocean, and see the earth a
s we do. However, each promised to tell the others what s
he saw on her first visit, and what she thought the most b
eautiful; for their grandmother could not tell them enou


gh; there were so many things on which they wanted info
rmation. None of them longed so much for her turn to co
me as the youngest, she who had the longest time to wait,
and who was so quiet and thoughtful. Many nights she s
tood by the open window, looking up through the dark bl
ue water, and watching the fish as they splashed about w
ith their fins and tails. She could see the moon and stars s
hining faintly; but through the water they looked larger t
han they do to our eyes. When something like a black clo
ud passed between her and them, she knew that it was eit
her a whale swimming over her head, or a ship full of hu
man beings, who never imagined that a pretty little mer
maid was standing beneath them, holding out her white
hands towards the keel of their ship.



As soon as the eldest was fifteen, she was allowed to rise t
o the surface of the ocean. When she came back, she had
hundreds of things to talk about; but the most beautiful,
she said, was to lie in the moonlight, on a sandbank, in th
e quiet sea, near the coast, and to gaze on a large town ne
arby, where the lights were twinkling like hundreds of st
ars; to listen to the sounds of the music, the noise of carri
ages, and the voices of human beings, and then to hear th


e merry bells peal out from the church steeples; and beca
use she could not go near to all those wonderful things, s
he longed for them more than ever. Oh, did not the youn
gest sister listen eagerly to all these descriptions? and aft
erwards, when she stood at the open window looking up t
hrough the dark blue water, she thought of the great city
, with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could
hear the sound of the church bells, down in the depths of
the sea.



In another year the second sister received permission to
rise to the surface of the water, and to swim about where
she pleased. She rose just as the sun was setting, and this
, she said, was the most beautiful sight of all. The whole s
ky looked like gold, while violet and rose-colored clouds,
which she could not describe, floated over her; and, still
more rapidly than the clouds, flew a large flock of wild s
wans towards the setting sun, looking like a long white ve
il across the sea. She also swam towards the sun; but it s
unk into the waves, and the rosy tints faded from the clo
uds and from the sea.



The third sister's turn followed; she was the boldest of th


em all, and she swam up a broad river that emptied itself
into the sea. On the banks she saw green hills covered wi
th beautiful vines; palaces and castles peeped out from a
mid the proud trees of the forest; she heard the birds sin
ging, and the rays of the sun were so powerful that she w
as obliged often to dive down under the water to cool her
burning face. In a narrow creek she found a whole troop
of little human children, quite naked, and sporting abou
t in the water; she wanted to play with them, but they fle
d in a great fright; and then a little black animal came to
the water; it was a dog, but she did not know that, for sh
e had never before seen one. This animal barked at her s
o terribly that she became frightened, and rushed back t
o the open sea. But she said she should never forget the b
eautiful forest, the green hills, and the pretty little childr
en who could swim in the water, although they had not fi
sh's tails.


The fourth sister was more timid; she remained in the mi
dst of the sea, but she said it was quite as beautiful there
as nearer the land. She could see for so many miles aroun
d her, and the sky above looked like a bell of glass. She h
ad seen the ships, but at such a great distance that they l


ooked like sea-gulls. The dolphins sported in the waves, a
nd the great whales spouted water from their nostrils till
it seemed as if a hundred fountains were playing in every
direction.



The fifth sister's birthday occurred in the winter; so whe
n her turn came, she saw what the others had not seen th
e first time they went up. The sea looked quite green, and
large icebergs were floating about, each like a pearl, she
said, but larger and loftier than the churches built by me
n. They were of the most singular shapes, and glittered li
ke diamonds. She had seated herself upon one of the larg
est, and let the wind play with her long hair, and she rem
arked that all the ships sailed by rapidly, and steered as f
ar away as they could from the iceberg, as if they were af
raid of it. Towards evening, as the sun went down, dark c
louds covered the sky, the thunder rolled and the lightnin
g flashed, and the red light glowed on the icebergs as the
y rocked and tossed on the heaving sea. On all the ships t
he sails were reefed with fear and trembling, while she sa
t calmly on the floating iceberg, watching the blue lightni
ng, as it darted its forked flashes into the sea.





When first the sisters had permission to rise to the surfac
e, they were each delighted with the new and beautiful si
ghts they saw; but now, as grown-up girls, they could go
when they pleased, and they had become indifferent abo
ut it. They wished themselves back again in the water, an
d after a month had passed they said it was much more b
eautiful down below, and pleasanter to be at home. Yet of
ten, in the evening hours, the five sisters would twine thei
r arms round each other, and rise to the surface, in a row
. They had more beautiful voices than any human being
could have; and before the approach of a storm, and whe
n they expected a ship would be lost, they swam before th
e vessel, and sang sweetly of the delights to be found in th
e depths of the sea, and begging the sailors not to fear if t
hey sank to the bottom. But the sailors could not underst
and the song, they took it for the howling of the storm. A
nd these things were never to be beautiful for them; for if
the ship sank, the men were drowned, and their dead bo
dies alone reached the palace of the Sea King.



When the sisters rose, arm-in-arm, through the water in
this way, their youngest sister would stand quite alone, lo
oking after them, ready to cry, only that the mermaids h


ave no tears, and therefore they suffer more.
but fifteen years old,
the world up there, and all the people who live in it.



At last she reached her fifteenth year.
e grown up,
o you must let me adorn you like your other sisters;
she placed a wreath of white lilies in her hair, and every
flower leaf was half a pearl. Then the old lady ordered ei
ght great oysters to attach themselves to the tail of the pr
incess to show her high rank.






ladly she would have shaken off all this grandeur, and lai
d aside the heavy wreath! The red flowers in her own gar
den would have suited her much better, but she could not
help herself: so she said,
as a bubble to the surface of the water. The sun had just
set as she raised her head above the waves; but the cloud
s were tinted with crimson and gold, and through the gli
mmering twilight beamed the evening star in all its beaut


y. The sea was calm, and the air mild and fresh. A large s
hip, with three masts, lay becalmed on the water, with on
ly one sail set; for not a breeze stiffed, and the sailors sat
idle on deck or amongst the rigging. There was music an
d song on board; and, as darkness came on, a hundred c
olored lanterns were lighted, as if the flags of all nations
waved in the air. The little mermaid swam close to the ca
bin windows; and now and then, as the waves lifted her u
p, she could look in through clear glass window-panes, a
nd see a number of well- dressed people within. Among th
em was a young prince, the most beautiful of all, with lar
ge black eyes; he was sixteen years of age, and his birthd
ay was being kept with much rejoicing. The sailors were
dancing on deck, but when the prince came out of the ca
bin, more than a hundred rockets rose in the air, making
it as bright as day. The little mermaid was so startled tha
t she dived under water; and when she again stretched o
ut her head, it appeared as if all the stars of heaven were
falling around her, she had never seen such fireworks bef
ore. Great suns spurted fire about, splendid fireflies flew
into the blue air, and everything was reflected in the clear
, calm sea beneath. The ship itself was so brightly illumin
ated that all the people, and even the smallest rope, could


be distinctly and plainly seen. And how handsome the yo
ung prince looked, as he pressed the hands of all present
and smiled at them, while the music resounded through t
he clear night air.



It was very late; yet the little mermaid could not take her
eyes from the ship, or from the beautiful prince. The col
ored lanterns had been extinguished, no more rockets ros
e in the air, and the cannon had ceased firing; but the sea
became restless, and a moaning, grumbling sound could
be heard beneath the waves: still the little mermaid rema
ined by the cabin window, rocking up and down on the w
ater, which enabled her to look in. After a while, the sails
were quickly unfurled, and the noble ship continued her
passage; but soon the waves rose higher, heavy clouds da
rkened the sky, and lightning appeared in the distance. A
dreadful storm was approaching; once more the sails we
re reefed, and the great ship pursued her flying course ov
er the raging sea. The waves rose mountains high, as if th
ey would have overtopped the mast; but the ship dived li
ke a swan between them, and then rose again on their lof
ty, foaming crests. To the little mermaid this appeared pl
easant sport; not so to the sailors. At length the ship groa


ned and creaked; the thick planks gave way under the la
shing of the sea as it broke over the deck; the mainmast s
napped asunder like a reed; the ship lay over on her side;
and the water rushed in. The little mermaid now perceiv
ed that the crew were in danger; even she herself was obl
iged to be careful to avoid the beams and planks of the w
reck which lay scattered on the water. At one moment it
was so pitch dark that she could not see a single object, b
ut a flash of lightning revealed the whole scene; she could
see every one who had been on board excepting the prin
ce; when the ship parted, she had seen him sink into the
deep waves, and she was glad, for she thought he would
now be with her; and then she remembered that human
beings could not live in the water, so that when he got do
wn to her father's palace he would be quite dead. But he
must not die. So she swam about among the beams and p
lanks which strewed the surface of the sea, forgetting tha
t they could crush her to pieces. Then she dived deeply u
nder the dark waters, rising and falling with the waves, ti
ll at length she managed to reach the young prince, who
was fast losing the power of swimming in that stormy sea
. His limbs were failing him, his beautiful eyes were close
d, and he would have died had not the little mermaid co


me to his assistance. She held his head above the water, a
nd let the waves drift them where they would.

In the morning the storm had ceased; but of the ship not
a single fragment could be seen. The sun rose up red and
glowing from the water, and its beams brought back the
hue of health to the prince's cheeks; but his eyes remain
ed closed. The mermaid kissed his high, smooth forehead
, and stroked back his wet hair; he seemed to her like the
marble statue in her little garden, and she kissed him ag
ain, and wished that he might live. Presently they came i
n sight of land; she saw lofty blue mountains, on which t
he white snow rested as if a flock of swans were lying up
on them. Near the coast were beautiful green forests, and
close by stood a large building, whether a church or a co
nvent she could not tell. Orange and citron trees grew in
the garden, and before the door stood lofty palms. The se
a here formed a little bay, in which the water was quite s
till, but very deep; so she swam with the handsome princ
e to the beach, which was covered with fine, white sand,
and there she laid him in the warm sunshine, taking care
to raise his head higher than his body. Then bells sound
ed in the large white building, and a number of young gi


rls came into the garden. The little mermaid swam out fa
rther from the shore and placed herself between some hi
gh rocks that rose out of the water; then she covered her
head and neck with the foam of the sea so that her little f
ace might not be seen, and watched to see what would be
come of the poor prince. She did not wait long before she
saw a young girl approach the spot where he lay. She see
med frightened at first, but only for a moment; then she
fetched a number of people, and the mermaid saw that t
he prince came to life again, and smiled upon those who
stood round him. But to her he sent no smile; he knew no
t that she had saved him. This made her very unhappy, a
nd when he was led away into the great building, she div
ed down sorrowfully into the water, and returned to her
father's castle. She had always been silent and thoughtful
, and now she was more so than ever. Her sisters asked h
er what she had seen during her first visit to the surface
of the water; but she would tell them nothing. Many an e
vening and morning did she rise to the place where she h
ad left the prince. She saw the fruits in the garden ripen t
ill they were gathered, the snow on the tops of the mount
ains melt away; but she never saw the prince, and theref
ore she returned home, always more sorrowful than befo


re. It was her only comfort to sit in her own little garden,
and fling her arm round the beautiful marble statue whi
ch was like the prince; but she gave up tending her flowe
rs, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twini
ng their long leaves and stems round the branches of the
trees, so that the whole place became dark and gloomy.
At length she could bear it no longer, and told one of her
sisters all about it. Then the others heard the secret, and
very soon it became known to two mermaids whose intim
ate friend happened to know who the prince was. She ha
d also seen the festival on board ship, and she told them
where the prince came from, and where his palace stood.



entwined their arms and rose up in a long row to the sur
face of the water, close by the spot where they knew the
prince's palace stood. It was built of bright yellow shinin
g stone, with long flights of marble steps, one of which re
ached quite down to the sea. Splendid gilded cupolas ros
e over the roof, and between the pillars that surrounded
the whole building stood life-like statues of marble. Thro
ugh the clear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen n
oble rooms, with costly silk curtains and hangings of tap


estry; while the walls were covered with beautiful painti
ngs which were a pleasure to look at. In the centre of the
largest saloon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high up
into the glass cupola of the ceiling, through which the su
n shone down upon the water and upon the beautiful pla
nts growing round the basin of the fountain. Now that sh
e knew where he lived, she spent many an evening and m
any a night on the water near the palace. She would swi
m much nearer the shore than any of the others venture
d to do; indeed once she went quite up the narrow chann
el under the marble balcony, which threw a broad shado
w on the water. Here she would sit and watch the young
prince, who thought himself quite alone in the bright mo
onlight. She saw him many times of an evening sailing in
a pleasant boat, with music playing and flags waving. Sh
e peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wi
nd caught her long silvery-white veil, those who saw it be
lieved it to be a swan, spreading out its wings. On many
a night, too, when the fishermen, with their torches, were
out at sea, she heard them relate so many good things ab
out the doings of the young prince, that she was glad she
had saved his life when he had been tossed about half-de
ad on the waves. And she remembered that his head had


rested on her bosom, and how heartily she had kissed hi
m; but he knew nothing of all this, and could not even dr
eam of her. She grew more and more fond of human bei
ngs, and wished more and more to be able to wander abo
ut with those whose world seemed to be so much larger t
han her own. They could fly over the sea in ships, and m
ount the high hills which were far above the clouds; and
the lands they possessed, their woods and their fields, str
etched far away beyond the reach of her sight. There was
so much that she wished to know, and her sisters were u
nable to answer all her questions. Then she applied to he
r old grandmother, who knew all about the upper world,
which she very rightly called the lands above the sea.





mermaid,
e do here in the sea?




r term of life is even shorter than ours. We sometimes liv
e to three hundred years, but when we cease to exist here
we only become the foam on the surface of the water, an
d we have not even a grave down here of those we love.


We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; b
ut, like the green sea-weed, when once it has been cut off,
we can never flourish more. Human beings, on the contr
ary, have a soul which lives forever, lives after the body
has been turned to dust. It rises up through the clear, pu
re air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the w
ater, and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise t
o unknown and glorious regions which we shall never see
.



ermaid mournfully;
s of years that I have to live, to be a human being only fo
r one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happines
s of that glorious world above the stars.




eel ourselves to be much happier and much better off tha
n human beings.



m of the sea I shall be driven about never again to hear t
he music of the waves, or to see the pretty flowers nor th


e red sun. Is there anything I can do to win an immortal
soul?




u so much that you were more to him than his father or
mother; and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed
upon you, and the priest placed his right hand in yours,
and he promised to be true to you here and hereafter, th
en his soul would glide into your body and you would obt
ain a share in the future happiness of mankind. He woul
d give a soul to you and retain his own as well; but this c
an never happen. Your fish's tail, which amongst us is co
nsidered so beautiful, is thought on earth to be quite ugly
; they do not know any better, and they think it necessar
y to have two stout props, which they call legs, in order t
o be handsome.



Then the little mermaid sighed, and looked sorrowfully a
t her fish's tail.
d dart and spring about during the three hundred years
that we have to live, which is really quite long enough; af
ter that we can rest ourselves all the better. This evening
we are going to have a court ball.