▸ 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 huān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海里hǎi 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 bā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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