The Little Mermaid

Illustration for the Chinese story “The Little Mermaid”

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海底hǎi dǐ住zhù着zhe一yī位wèi小xiǎo美人鱼měi rén yú,她tā最zuì爱ài听tīng祖母zǔ mǔ讲jiǎng人类rén lèi的de故事gù shì。At the sea bottom lived a little mermaid who loved hearing her grandmother’s human stories.十五岁shí wǔ suì那年nà nián,她tā终于zhōng yú游yóu到dào海面hǎi miàn,At fifteen, she finally swam to the surface,看见kàn jiàn一yī艘sōu大船dà chuán上shàng的de王子wáng zǐ—他tā那么nà me英俊yīng jùn,小xiǎo美人鱼měi rén yú一眼yī yǎn就jiù喜欢xǐ huan上shàng了le他tā!saw a prince on a big ship—so handsome, she fell in love at first sight!

突然tū rán,暴风雨bào fēng yǔ来lái了le!Suddenly, a storm struck!船chuán沉chén了le,王子wáng zǐ掉diào进jìn海hǎi里lǐ。The ship sank, and the prince fell into the sea.小xiǎo美人鱼měi rén yú拼命pīn mìng把bǎ他tā拖tuō到dào岸边àn biān,The little mermaid desperately dragged him to the shore,悄悄qiāo qiāo躲duǒ在zài礁石jiāo shí后hòu,直到zhí dào有yǒu人rén发现fā xiàn王子wáng zǐ才cái离开lí kāi。quietly hid behind rocks until someone found the prince, then left.

为了wèi le再见zài jiàn王子wáng zǐ,她tā去qù找zhǎo海hǎi巫婆wū pó。To see the prince again, she sought the sea witch.巫婆wū pó说shuō:「用yòng你nǐ的de声音shēng yīn换huàn双shuāng腿tuǐ吧ba!The witch said, “Trade your voice for legs!但dàn每měi走zǒu一yī步bù都dōu像xiàng踩cǎi在zài刀尖dāo jiān上shàng。But each step will feel like walking on knife tips.如果rú guǒ王子wáng zǐ不bù娶qǔ你nǐ,你nǐ会huì变biàn成chéng泡沫pào mò!」If the prince doesn’t marry you, you’ll turn into foam!”小xiǎo美人鱼měi rén yú颤抖chàn dǒu着zhe喝hē下xià药水yào shuǐ,The little mermaid tremblingly drank the potion,尾巴wěi ba变成biàn chéng了le腿tuǐ,却què再也zài yě说shuō不出bù chū话huà。her tail became legs, but she could no longer speak.王子wáng zǐ发现fā xiàn她tā,带dài她tā回huí宫殿gōng diàn。The prince found her and took her to the palace.虽然suī rán小xiǎo美人鱼měi rén yú跳舞tiào wǔ时shí脚jiǎo疼téng得de流泪liú lèi,Though her feet hurt so much she cried while dancing,可kě她tā总是zǒng shì笑xiào着zhe。she always smiled.王子wáng zǐ说shuō:「你nǐ很hěn像xiàng救jiù过guò我wǒ的de那个nà ge女孩nǚ hái!」The prince said, “You resemble the girl who saved me!”但dàn他tā却què要yào和hé邻国lín guó公主gōng zhǔ结婚jié hūn了le。But he was to marry a neighboring princess.

婚礼hūn lǐ那nà晚wǎn,姐姐jiě jie们men用yòng长发cháng fà换huàn了le一yī把bǎ刀dāo:On the wedding night, her sisters traded their hair for a knife:「杀shā了le王子wáng zǐ,让ràng血xuè滴dī回huí你nǐ的de腿tuǐ,就jiù能néng活huó!」“Kill the prince, let his blood drip on your legs, and you’ll live!”小xiǎo美人鱼měi rén yú拿起ná qǐ刀dāo…却què转身zhuǎn shēn扔rēng进jìn大海dà hǎi,She picked up the knife… but turned and threw it into the sea,自己zì jǐ跳tiào入rù浪花làng huā中zhōng。then leapt into the waves herself.阳光yáng guāng升起shēng qǐ时shí,她tā的de身体shēn tǐ化作huà zuò泡沫pào mò,As the sun rose, her body turned to foam,

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