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渔夫在杀了商人之后自责不已，想要再次将灵魂送走。但是法术失效了，人一生只有一次机会送走灵魂。他的身体和灵魂将永远在一起。渔夫痛哭起来，想回到爱人身边。
But the young Fisherman answered not his Soul, but closed his lips with the seal of silence and with a tight cord bound his hands, and journeyed back to the place from which he had come, even to the little bay where his love had been wont to sing.
And ever did his Soul tempt him by the way, but he made it no answer, nor would he do any of the wickedness（邪恶） that it sought to make him to do, so great was the power of the love that was within him.
And when he had reached the shore of the sea, he loosed the cord from his hands, and took the seal of silence from his lips, and called to the little Mermaid. But she came not to his call, though he called to her all day long and besought her.
And his Soul mocked him and said, 'Surely thou hast but little joy out of thy love. Thou art as one who in time of death pours water into a broken vessel. Thou givest away what thou hast, and nought is given to thee in return.
It were better for thee to come with me, for I know where the Valley of Pleasure lies, and what things are wrought there.'
But the young Fisherman answered not his Soul, but in a cleft of the rock he built himself a house of wattles（篱笆）, and abode there for the space of a year.
And every morning he called to the Mermaid, and every noon he called to her again, and at night-time he spake her name.
Yet never did she rise out of the sea to meet him, nor in any place of the sea could he find her though he sought for her in the caves and in the green water, in the pools of the tide and in the wells that are at the bottom of the deep.
And ever did his Soul tempt him with evil, and whisper of terrible things. Yet did it not prevail（战胜） against him, so great was the power of his love.
And after the year was over, the Soul thought within himself, 'I have tempted my master with evil, and his love is stronger than I am. I will tempt him now with good, and it may be that he will come with me.'
So he spake to the young Fisherman and said, 'I have told thee of the joy of the world, and thou hast turned a deaf ear to me. Suffer me now to tell thee of the world's pain, and it may be that thou wilt hearken.
For of a truth pain is the Lord of this world, nor is there any one who escapes from its net. There be some who lack raiment（衣服）, and others who lack bread. There be widows who sit in purple, and widows who sit in rags.
To and fro over the fens go the lepers（麻风病人）, and they are cruel to each other. The beggars go up and down on the highways, and their wallets are empty. Through the streets of the cities walks Famine（饥荒）, and the Plague（瘟疫） sits at their gates.
Come, let us go forth and mend these things, and make them not to be. Wherefore shouldst thou tarry here calling to thy love, seeing she comes not to thy call? And what is love, that thou shouldst set this high store upon it?'
But the young Fisherman answered it nought, so great was the power of his love. And every morning he called to the Mermaid, and every noon he called to her again, and at night-time he spake her name.
Yet never did she rise out of the sea to meet him, nor in any place of the sea could he find her, though he sought for her in the rivers of the sea, and in the valleys that are under the waves, in the sea that the night makes purple, and in the sea that the dawn leaves grey.
And after the second year was over, the Soul said to the young Fisherman at night-time, and as he sat in the wattled house alone, 'Lo! now I have tempted thee with evil, and I have tempted thee with good, and thy love is stronger than I am.
Wherefore will I tempt thee no longer, but I pray thee to suffer me to enter thy heart, that I may be one with thee even as before.'
'Surely thou mayest enter,' said the young Fisherman, 'for in the days when with no heart thou didst go through the world thou must have much suffered.'
'Alas!' cried his Soul, 'I can find no place of entrance, so compassed（包围） about with love is this heart of thine.'
'Yet I would that I could help thee,' said the young Fisherman.
And as he spake there came a great cry of mourning from the sea, even the cry that men hear when one of the Sea-folk is dead. And the young Fisherman leapt up, and left his wattled house, and ran down to the shore.
And the black waves came hurrying to the shore, bearing with them a burden that was whiter than silver. White as the surf it was, and like a flower it tossed（抛） on the waves.
And the surf took it from the waves, and the foam（泡沫） took it from the surf, and the shore received it, and lying at his feet the young Fisherman saw the body of the little Mermaid. Dead at his feet it was lying.
（928 words）
-今日短语-
1. turn a deaf ear to置若罔闻
2. leap up跳起
3. call to呼唤
4. in return回报
5. lie at躺在
6. seek for寻找
7. prevail against sb战胜
8. in rags衣衫褴褛
9. escape from逃离
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