安徒生童话(英文版)有声读物系列之——海的女儿（一）

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《海的女儿》

The Little Mermaid

Part 1

       毫无疑问，《海的女儿》是安徒生最重要的作品之一。如果说安徒生已经成为丹麦的国家象征之一，那么位于丹麦首都哥本哈根入海口的小美人鱼塑像已然成为了这座城市的名片之一。

        和安徒生很多其他的浪漫主义作品一样，悲剧色彩的故事中往往又夹杂着浪漫、精致、优雅和美丽。小时候的不谙世事的Alex在读完这个故事后心中最多的就是惋惜，惋惜小美人鱼付出了那么多高昂的代价，却没有得到自己所追求的王子，最后化作五彩的泡沫。成人的Alex再读《海的女儿》时，小美人鱼的执着和她的善良却是最动人的部分。

       许多学者对《海的女儿》中小美人鱼追求爱情的执着精神评价很高，也有人认为这种做法并不值得过分褒扬，认为小美人鱼的执着是盲目和固执的。Alex则认为 《海的女儿》是一部在生命、社会层面上有深刻内涵的作品，不同的人在不同的成长阶段和不同的环境、心境下会从这个故事中读到不同的意味，不应有定论，这也是Alex喜欢安徒生童话的一个重要原因。

       各位是怎么想的呢？欢迎留言讨论。

本系列的英文原文(出于版权考虑)使用了Mrs. H.B. Paull于1872年发表的翻译版本。我们比较了若干翻译版本觉得Mrs. H.B. Paull使用的语言朴实却不失趣味，并且文字中没有滥用复杂和华丽的词藻，使得这个版本更符合安徒生童话的风格：以孩童的视角和口吻来叙述故事；也让这个翻译版本非常适合学习英语的人群，包括少年儿童和学习英语的成人。为了方便大家跟随录音阅读英文原文，我们标注了部分单词的读音(音标为美式读音)和释义。

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以下是《海的女儿》第一集的英文。

The Little Mermaid

by

Hans Christian Andersen

(1836)

Translation by Mrs. H.B. Paull (1872)

Narration by Alexandria (Alex) Wood

Part 1

Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom (['fæðəm], vt. 测量…的深度) it: many church steeples (['stiːpl], n.[常见于教堂的]尖塔,尖顶),piled(pile的过去式，vt.累积) one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell([dwel],vi.居住) the Sea King and his subjects (n. 国民). We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but the bare(adj.草木不生的) yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular(['sɪŋgjʊlə], adj.非凡的) flowers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant(['plaɪənt], adj.绵软的,柔顺的) that the slightest agitation([ædʒɪ'teɪʃən], n.搅动) of the water causes them to stir([stɜː],v.微动) as if they had life. Fishes, both large and small, glide([ɡlaɪd], v.滑翔,滑行) between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral(['kɔrəl], n.珊瑚), and long, gothic(['ɡɔθik], adj.哥特式的) windows are of the clearest amber(['æmbə],n.琥珀). The roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering(['glɪtərɪŋ], adj.闪闪发光的) pearl, which would be fit for the diadem(['daɪədɛm], n.王冠)of a queen.

The Sea King had been a widower(['wɪdəʊə], n.鳏夫) for many years, and his aged mother kept house for him. She was a very wise woman, and exceedingly([ɪk'sidɪŋli], adv.非常,极其) proud of her high birth; on that account she wore twelve oysters(['ɔɪstə], n.牡蛎) on her tail; while others, also of high rank, were only allowed to wear six. She was, however, deserving([dɪ'zɜːvɪŋ], adj.值得的,应得的) of very great praise, especially for her care of the little sea-princesses, her grand-daughters. They were six beautiful children; but the youngest was the prettiest of them all; her skin was as clear and delicate(['delɪkət], adj.精美的) as 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 the walls. The large amber windows were open, and the fish 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 themselves to be stroked(stroke的过去式，[strəʊk], vt.抚摸). 

Outside the castle there was a beautiful garden, in which grew bright red and dark blue flowers, and blossoms like flames of fire; the fruit glittered like gold, and the leaves and stems waved to and fro(来回地) continually. The earth itself was the finest sand, but blue as the flame of burning sulphur(['sʌlfə], n.硫磺). Over everything lay a peculiar([pɪ'kjuːlɪə],adj.独特的,罕见的) blue radiance(['reɪdɪəns], n.光辉), 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 streaming from the calyx(['keilɪks], n. [植]花萼). Each of the young princesses had a little plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower-bed into the form of a whale([weɪl], n.鲸); another thought it better to make hers like the figure of a little mermaid(['mɜːmeɪd], n.美人鱼); but that of the youngest was round like the sun, and contained flowers as red as his rays at sunset. She was a strange child, quiet and thoughtful(['θɔːtfʊl], adj. (爱)深思的); and while her sisters would be delighted with the wonderful things which they obtained from the wrecks ([rek], n.残骸) of vessels(['vesl], n.船,舰), she cared for nothing but her pretty red flowers, like the sun, excepting a beautiful marble(['mɑːbl], n.大理石)statue([ˈstætʃu:], n.雕像,塑像). It was the representation of a handsome(['hænsəm], adj. (男子)英俊的) boy, carved out of pure white stone, which had fallen to the bottom of the sea from a wreck. She planted by the statue a rose-colored weeping willow([植]垂柳). It grew splendidly, and very soon hung its fresh branches over the statue, almost down to the blue sands. The shadow had a violet(['vaɪələt], adj.紫色的,紫罗兰色的) tint([tɪnt], n.色彩), and waved to and fro like the branches; it seemed as if the crown of the tree and the root were at play, and trying to kiss each other. 

Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world 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 beautiful to hear that the flowers of the land should have fragrance(['freɪgrəns], n.香味,芬芳), and not those below the sea; that the trees of the forest 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 she would not have understood her; for she had never seen birds.

“When you have reached your fifteenth year,” said the grand-mother, “you will have permission([pə'mɪʃən], n.允许,许可) to rise up out of the sea, to sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships are sailing ([seɪl], v.航行) 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 youngest would have to wait five years before her turn came up to rise up from the bottom of the ocean, and see the earth as we do. However, each promised to tell the others what she saw on her first visit, and what she thought the most beautiful; for their grandmother could not tell them enough; there were so many things on which they wanted information. None of them longed so much for her turn to come up as the youngest, she who had the longest time to wait, and who was so quiet and thoughtful. Many nights she stood by the open window, looking up through the dark blue water, and watching the fish as they splashed(splash的过去式, [splæʃ], vt.哗啦哗啦地使水飞溅) about with their fins ([fɪn], n.鳍) and tails. She could see the moon and stars shining faintly(['feɪntlɪ], adv.微弱地,模糊地); but through the water they looked larger than they do to our eyes. When something like a black cloud passed between her and them, she knew that it was either a whale swimming over her head, or a ship full of human beings, who never imagined a pretty little mermaid was standing beneath them, holding out her white hands towards the keel([kiːl], n. (船的)龙骨) of their ship.

End of part 1

Sounds like the mermaid sisters will soon go up to the surface of the sea and great excitement and fun lies ahead of them. Be sure to tune in next time to hear about their adventures!

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