and retain his own as well;

但這永遠不可能發生。

but this can never happen.

你的魚尾，在我們看來是如此美麗，但在陸地上卻被認為非常醜陋；

Your fish’s tail, which amongst us is considered so beautiful, is thought on earth to be quite ugly;

他們不懂（我們的美），而且他們認為必須有兩個粗壯的支撐物，他們稱之為腿，才顯得英俊。

they do not know any better, and they think it necessary to have two stout props, which they call legs, in order to be handsome.”

然後小美人魚嘆了口氣，悲傷地看著自己的魚尾。

then the little mermaid sighed, and looked sorrowfully at her fish’s tail.

“讓我們快樂起來吧，” 老婦人說，“在我們必須度過的三百年裡跳躍嬉戲，這時間真的夠長了；

“Let us be happy,” said the old lady, “and dart and spring about during the three hundred years that we have to live, which is really quite long enough;

之後我們就能更好地休息了。

after that we can rest ourselves all the better.

今晚我們將有一場宮廷舞會。”

this evening we are going to have a court ball.”

這是我們在陸地上永遠看不到的壯麗景象之一。

It is one of those splendid sights which we can never see on earth.

大舞廳的牆壁和天花板是由厚實但透明的水晶製成的。

the walls and the ceiling of the large ball - room were of thick, but transparent crystal.

成百個巨大的貝殼，有些是深紅色的，有些是草綠色的，一排排地立在兩邊，貝殼裡有藍色的火焰，照亮了整個大廳，並且透過牆壁閃耀著，這樣大海也被照亮了。

may hundreds of colossal shells, some of a deep red, others of a grass green, stood on each side in rows, with blue fire in them, which lighted up the whole saloon, and shone through the walls, so that the sea was also illuminated.

數不清的大大小小的魚遊過水晶牆壁；

Innumerable fishes, gr