被视为丹麦象征的“小美人鱼”铜像近日从哥本哈根港口吊起并装箱，开始她的上海世博之旅。这将是“小美人鱼”铜像自落成以来第一次离开家乡，10月31日之前，她将暂时在上海世博会丹麦馆安家。

Mermaid¹ was lifted from the harbor, boxed, and shipped to Shanghai where she is the star guest in the Danish Pavilion at EXPO 2010 which runs until October 31." width="221" height="289" src="/upimg/100404/4_012711_1.jpg" />
Little Mermaid was lifted from the harbor, boxed, and shipped to Shanghai where she is the star guest in the Danish Pavilion at EXPO 2010 which runs until October 31.

For nearly 100 years, the heartbroken Little Mermaid（美人鱼） has sat on a rock looking out（远望） over Copenhagen's port but now the sculpture based on the famous fairytale（童话式的） , is heading back out to sea, set for China.

The small bronze statue inspired by the tale of author Hans Christian² Andersen and unveiled in 1913, is a major tourist attraction in Copenhagen. But her life has not always been easy.

She has been beheaded（砍头，斩首） twice, had her arm cut off, was blown off her rock in 2003 and was dressed in a Muslim headscarf（女人的头巾） two years ago in a protest - but she never left her native country.

This week she was lifted from the harbor, boxed, and shipped to Shanghai where she is the star guest in the Danish Pavilion（展馆，大帐篷） at EXPO 2010 which runs until October 31. Details over her trip were not revealed due to security issues.

"The Little Mermaid," published in 1837, is a sad story about a mermaid who falls in love with a prince and gives up her life in the sea and her tail for legs.

The fairytale has been adapted many times into stage shows and into a Disney movie.

Copenhagen mayor Frank Jensen said in a statement that the loan of The Little Mermaid was part of a cultural exchange between Denmark and China.

"I am convinced that she will be an excellent ambassador of Denmark, particularly since the Chinese already are very fond of Hans Christian Andersen and his fairytales," he said in a statement.

Her departure from Copenhagen will not leave the harbor empty. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has created a video installation to be installed at her spot.

The Little Mermaid's 165 cm (65 inches) tall sculpture, which sits on a granite³ block（花岗岩块） , was created in 1913 by Edvard Eriksen.