有一天早晨，商人布洛涅到离老斯卡根很远、在港汊附近的灯塔那儿去。信号火早已灭了；当他爬上灯塔的时候，太阳已经升得很高。沙滩伸到水里去有几十英里远。在沙滩外边，这天有许多船只出现。在这些船中他从望远镜里认出了他自己的船“加伦·布洛涅”号。是的，它正在开过来。雨尔根和克拉娜都在船上。
Clara sat on deck，and saw the sandhills gradually appearing in the distance； the church and lighthouse looked like a heron and a swan rising from the blue waters. If the wind held good they might reach home in about an hour. So near they were to home and all its joys so near to death and all its terrors！ A plank in the ship gave way，and the water rushed in，the crew flew to the pumps，and did their best to stop the leak. A signal of distress was hoisted，but they were still fully a mile from the shore. Some fishing boats were in sight，but they were too far off to be of any use. The wind blew towards the land，the tide was in their favour，but it was all useless，the ship could not be saved.
克拉娜坐在甲板上，看到沙丘远远地露出地面；斯卡根的教堂塔楼和灯塔就像蓝色的水上漂浮着的一只苍鹭和一只天鹅。如果风向不变的话，她可能在一点钟以内就要到家。他们是这么接近家和快乐——但同时又是这么接近死和死的恐怖。船上有一块板子松了，水在涌进来。他们忙着塞漏洞和抽水，收下帆，同时升起了求救的信号旗。但是他们离岸仍然有10多里路程。他们看得见一些渔船，但是仍然和它们相距很远。风正在向岸吹，潮水也对他们有利，但是已经来不及了，船在向下沉。
Jurgen threw his right arm round Clara，and pressed her to him. With what a look she gazed up into his face，as with a prayer to God for help he breasted the waves，which rushed over the sinking ship！ She uttered a cry，but she felt safe and certain that he would not leave her to sink. And in this hour of terror and danger Jurgen felt as the kings son did，as told in the old song.
“In the hour of peril when most men fear，He clasped the bride that he held so dear.”
雨尔根伸出右手，抱着克拉娜。当他喊着上帝的名字和她一起跳进水里去的时候，她是用怎样的视线在注视着他啊！她大叫了一声，但是仍然感到安全，因为他决不会让她沉下去的。在这恐怖和危险的时刻，雨尔根体会到了那支古老的歌中的字句：“在众人惊恐的危险时刻，
王子在拥抱着他的恋人。”
How glad he felt that he was a good swimmer！ He worked his way onward with his feet and one arm，while he held the young girl up firmly with the other. He rested on the waves，he trod the water—in fact，did everything he could think of，in order not to fatigue himself，and to reserve strength enough to reach land. He heard Clara sigh，and felt her shudder convulsivelyconvulsively adv.痉挛性地，and he pressed her more closely to him. Now and then a wave rolled over them，the current lifted them； the water，although deep，was so clear that for a moment he imagined he saw the shoals of mackerel glittering，or Leviathan himself ready to swallow them. Now the clouds cast a shadow over the water，then again came the playing sunbeams，flocks of loudly screaming birds passed over him，and the plump and lazy wild ducks which allow themselves to be drifted by the waves rose up terrified at the sight of the swimmer. He began to feel his strength decreasing，but he was only a few cable lengths distance from the shore，and help was coming，for a boat was approaching him. At this moment he distinctly saw a white staring figure under the water—a wave lifted him up，and he came nearer to the figure—he felt a violent shock，and everything became dark around him.
他是一个游泳的能手，现在这对他很有用了。他用一只手和双脚划着水，用另一只手紧紧地抱着这年轻的姑娘。他在浪涛上浮着，踩着水，使用他知道的一切技术，希望能保持足够的力量而到达岸边。他听到克拉娜发出一声叹息，觉着她身上起了一阵痉挛，于是他便更牢牢地抱住她。海水向他们身上打来，浪花把他们托起，水是那么深，那么透明，在转眼之间他似乎看见一群青花鱼在下面发出闪光——这也许就是“海有怪兽”要来吞噬他们。云块在海上撒下阴影，然后耀眼的阳光又射出来了。惊叫着的鸟儿，成群地在他头上飞过去。在水上浮着的、昏睡的胖野鸭惶恐地在这位游泳家面前突然起飞。他觉得他的气力在慢慢地衰竭下来。他离岸还有好几锚链长的距离；这时有一只船影影绰绰驶近来救援他们。不过在水底下——他可以看得清清楚楚——有一个白色的动物在注视着他们；当一股浪花把他托起来的时候，这动物就更向他逼近来：他感到一阵压力，于是周围便变得漆黑，一切东西都从他的视线中消逝了。
On the sand reef lay the wreck of a ship，which was covered with water at high tide； the white figure head rested against the anchor，the sharp iron edge of which rose just above the surface. Jurgen had come in contact with this； the tide had driven him against it with great force. He sank down stunned with the blow，but the next wave lifted him and the young girl up again. Some fishermen，coming with a boat，seized them and dragged them into it. The blood streamed down over Jurgens face，he seemed dead，but still held the young girl so tightly that they were obliged to take her from him by force. She was pale and lifeless； they laid her in the boat，and rowed as quickly as possible to the shore. They tried every means to restore Clara to life，but it was all of no avail. Jurgen had been swimming for some distance with a corpse in his arms，and had exhausted his strength for one who was dead.
沙滩上有一条被海浪冲上来的破船。那个白色的“破浪神”人像倒在一个锚上；锚的铁钩微微地露出水面。雨尔根碰到它，而浪涛更以加倍的力量推着他向它撞去。他昏过去了，跟他的重负同时一起下沉。接着袭来第二股浪涛，他和这位年轻的姑娘又被托了起来。渔人们捞起他们，把他们抬到船里去，血从雨尔根的脸上流下来，他好像是死了一样，但是他仍然紧紧地抱着这位姑娘，大家只有使出很大的气力才能把她从他的怀抱中拉开。克拉娜躺在船里，面色惨白，没有生命的气息。船现在正向岸边划去。他们用尽一切办法来使克拉娜复苏；然而她已经死了！他一直是抱着一具死尸在水上游泳，为这个死人而把他自己弄得精气力竭。
Jurgen still breathed，so the fishermen carried him to the nearest house upon the sandhills，where a smith and general dealer lived who knew something of surgery，and bound up Jurgens wounds in a temporary way until a surgeon could be obtained from the nearest town the next day. The injured mans brain was affected，and in his deliriumdelirium n.（暂时的）精神狂乱，精神错乱，说谵语状态 he uttered wild cries，but on the third day he lay quiet and weak upon his bed，his life seemed to hang by a thread，and the physician said it would be better for him if this thread broke. “Let us pray that God may take him，” he said，“for he will never be the same man again.”
雨尔根仍然在呼吸。渔人们把他抬到沙丘上最近的一座屋子里去。这儿只有一位类似外科医生的人，虽然他同时还是一个铁匠和杂货商人。他把雨尔根的伤裹好，以便等到第二天到最近的镇上去找一个医生。病人的脑子受了重伤。他在昏迷不醒中发出狂叫。但是在第三天，他倒下了，像昏睡过去了一样。他的生命好像是挂在一根线上，而这根线，据医生的说法，还不如让它断掉的好——这是人们对于雨尔根所能做出的最好的希望。“我们祈求上帝赶快把他接去吧；他决不会再是一个正常的人！”
But life did not depart from him—the thread would not break，but the thread of memory was severed； the thread of his mind had been cut through，and what was still more grievous，a body remained—a living healthy body that wandered about like a troubled spirit.
不过生命却不离开他——那根线并不断，可是他的记忆却断了，他的一切理智的联系都被切断了。最可怕的是，他仍然有一个活着的身体——一个又要恢复健康的身体。