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小美人鱼与王子生活在了一起。王子给小美人鱼讲述那个“救了自己性命”，想要迎娶的人，殊不知那个人，就是他眼前的小美人鱼。
In the moonlight, when all on board were asleep, excepting the man at the helm（舵）, who was steering, she sat on the deck, gazing down through the clear water.
She thought she could distinguish her father’s castle, and upon it her aged grandmother, with the silver crown on her head, looking through the rushing tide at the keel of the vessel.
Then her sisters came up on the waves, and gazed at her mournfully, wringing（紧握）their white hands.
She beckoned to them, and smiled, and wanted to tell them how happy and well off she was; but the cabin-boy approached, and when her sisters dived down he thought it was only the foam of the sea which he saw.
The next morning the ship sailed into the harbor of a beautiful town belonging to the king whom the prince was going to visit. The church bells were ringing, and from the high towers sounded a flourish of trumpets;
and soldiers, with flying colors and glittering bayonets（尖刀）, lined the rocks through which they passed. Every day was a festival; balls and entertainments followed one another.
But the princess had not yet appeared. People said that she was being brought up and educated in a religious house, where she was learning every royal virtue. At last she came.
Then the little mermaid, who was very anxious to see whether she was really beautiful, was obliged to acknowledge that she had never seen a more perfect vision of beauty.
Her skin was delicately fair, and beneath her long dark eye-lashes her laughing blue eyes shone with truth and purity.
“It was you,” said the prince, “who saved my life when I lay dead on the beach,” and he folded his blushing bride in his arms.
“Oh, I am too happy,” said he to the little mermaid; “my fondest hopes are all fulfilled. You will rejoice at my happiness; for your devotion to me is great and sincere.”
The little mermaid kissed his hand, and felt as if her heart were already broken. His wedding morning would bring death to her, and she would change into the foam of the sea.
All the church bells rung, and the heralds rode about the town proclaiming the betrothal（婚约）.
Perfumed oil（香水油） was burning in costly silver lamps on every altar. The priests waved the censers（香炉）, while the bride and bridegroom joined their hands and received the blessing of the bishop.
The little mermaid, dressed in silk and gold, held up the bride’s train; but her ears heard nothing of the festive music, and her eyes saw not the holy ceremony;
she thought of the night of death which was coming to her, and of all she had lost in the world.
On the same evening the bride and bridegroom went on board ship; cannons were roaring, flags waving, and in the centre of the ship a costly tent of purple and gold had been erected.
It contained elegant couches, for the reception of the bridal（婚礼的） pair during the night. The ship, with swelling sails and a favorable wind, glided away smoothly and lightly over the calm sea.
When it grew dark a number of colored lamps were lit, and the sailors danced merrily on the deck. The little mermaid could not help thinking of her first rising out of the sea, when she had seen similar festivities and joys;
and she joined in the dance, poised herself in the air as a swallow when he pursues his prey（猎物）, and all present cheered her with wonder.
She had never danced so elegantly before. Her tender feet felt as if cut with sharp knives, but she cared not for it; a sharper pang（剧痛） had pierced through her heart.
She knew this was the last evening she should ever see the prince, for whom she had forsaken her kindred and her home;
she had given up her beautiful voice, and suffered unheard-of pain daily for him, while he knew nothing of it.
This was the last evening that she would breathe the same air with him, or gaze on the starry sky and the deep sea; an eternal night, without a thought or a dream, awaited her: she had no soul and now she could never win one.
All was joy and gayety（愉快） on board ship till long after midnight。The prince kissed his beautiful bride, while she played with his raven（乌黑的） hair, till they went arm-in-arm to rest in the splendid tent.
Then all became still on board the ship; the helmsman（舵手）, alone awake, stood at the helm.
The little mermaid leaned her white arms on the edge of the vessel, and looked towards the east for the first blush of morning, for that first ray of dawn that would bring her death.
（800 words）
今日短语
1. look through透过……看
2. come up走近
3. dive down潜下去，窜入
4. belong to属于
5. bring up养育
6.be obliged to 有义务，必须
7. rejoice at因……而高兴
8. gaze on凝视，注视
9. lean on靠在…上
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