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《凯斯宾王子》第十章 狮王归来

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2018年06月26日

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CHAPTER TEN THE RETURN OF THE LION

第十章 狮王归来

TO keep along the edge of the gorge was not so easy as it had looked.Before they had gone many yards they were confronted with young fir woods growing on the very edge,and after they had tried to go through these,stooping and pushing for about ten minutes,they realized that,in there,it would take them an hour to do half a mile.So they came back and out again and decided to go round the fir wood.This took them much farther to their right than they wanted to go,far out of sight of the cliffs and out of sound of the river,till they began to be afraid they had lost it altogether.Nobody knew the time,but it was getting to the hottest part of the day.

走在悬崖边并不容易。他们刚走一会儿,就碰到了茂密的冷杉树林,他们只好弯下腰钻过枝叶,缓慢地前行。他们很快意识到,照这个进度一个小时也走不了半里路。于是他们只好原路返回,想从别处绕过去。他们向右走了很远,直到没有峭壁也没有水声了。他们开始怀疑是不是走错路了,也不知道是几点,只感觉是一天中温度最高的时候。

When they were able at last to go back to the edge of the gorge (nearly a mile below the point from which they had started) they found the cliffs on their side of it a good deal lower and more broken.Soon they found a way down into the gorge and continued the journey at the river's edge.But first they had a rest and a long drink.No one was talking any more about breakfast,or even dinner,with Caspian.

最后他们终于又走到峡谷边缘(大约在他们出发地往下一英里的地方),下面的峭壁塌裂得很严重。很快,他们找到了通往下游的路,于是沿河前行。休息的时候,大家在河边喝了个饱。再也没有人说要和凯斯宾共进早餐或者晚餐了。

They may have been wise to stick to the Rush instead of going along the top.It kept them sure of their direction: and ever since the fir wood they had all been afraid of being forced too far out of their course and losing themselves in the wood.It was an old and pathless forest,and you could not keep anything like a straight course in it.Patches of hopeless brambles,fallen trees,boggy places and dense undergrowth would be always getting in your way.But the gorge of the Rush was not at all a nice place for travelling either.I mean,it was not a nice place for people in a hurry.For an afternoon's ramble ending in a picnic tea it would have been delightful.It had everything you could want on an occasion of that sort-rumbling waterfalls,silver cascades,deep,amber-coloured pools,mossy rocks,and deep moss on the banks in which you could sink over your ankles,every kind of fern,jewel-like dragon flies,sometimes a hawk overhead and once (Peter and Trumpkin.both thought) an eagle.But of course what the children and the Dwarf wanted to see as soon as possible was the Great River below them,and Beruna,and the way to Aslan's How.

他们不上山而且沿着河水走,也许也是明智的。因为这样至少能确保他们走的方向是对的:他们一直害怕走得太远,在森林里迷路。这是一片幽深的树林,里面根本没有一条直路。他们在大片的荆棘、倒下的大树、沼泽、以及茂密的低矮丛林里绕了不少路。这里非常凶险,何况他们还急着赶路。如果是郊游,这里作为野餐和休息的地方,还是非常不错的。这里的风景真是美不胜收--倾泻而下的大瀑布、银色的小瀑布、琥珀色的深潭、爬满青苔的石头,蕨类植物和珠宝色的蜻蜓,还有一脚下去就陷到脚踝的沼泽地。周围长满各种蕨类植物和宝石般的蜻蜓。天空偶尔飞过一只鹰,彼得和杜鲁普金觉得应该是一只雄鹰。不过,他们此时希望能快点赶到前面的河口和柏卢纳滩,那是去阿斯兰堡垒的必经之地。

As they went on,the Rush began to fall more and more steeply.Their journey became more and more of a climb and less and less of a walk-in places even a dangerous climb over slippery rock with a nasty drop into dark chasms,and the river roaring angrily at the bottom.

接下来的路越走越坎坷,他们走得越来越慢--有时还要在光滑的岩石上攀爬,下面是看不见底的深渊,而且水流湍急。

You may be sure they watched the cliffs on their left eagerly for any sign of a break or any place where they could climb them; but those cliffs remained cruel.It was maddening,because everyone knew that if once they were out of the gorge on that side,they would have only a smooth slope and a fairly short walk to Caspian's headquarters.

他们就这样一边看着脚下的悬崖,一边留意着可以下脚的地方。走在这样难行的路上,实在让人恼火,可是只能咬着牙、狠下心往前走。他们确信只要走出峡谷,再过一个山坡就能到凯斯宾的营地了。

The boys and the Dwarf were now in favour of lighting a fire and cooking their bear-meat.Susan didn't want this; she only wanted,as she said,"to get on and finish it and get out of these beastly woods".Lucy was far too tired and miserable to have any opinion about anything.But as there was no dry wood to be had,it mattered very little what anyone thought.The boys began to wonder if raw meat was really as nasty as they had always been told.Trumpkin assured them it was.

男孩子们和小矮人都说应该找个地方点一堆火,烤点熊肉吃。苏珊却不赞成,她坚持说"一直走,一直走,一定要走出这可恶的地方"。露茜这时已经累得什么想法都没有了。其实,走了那么远根本没有看到任何可以作柴火的东西,所以想法再好也没用。两个男孩子饿得快不行了,他们开始想生肉没准并没有别人说的那么难吃。但杜鲁普金掐灭了他们这个想法。

Of course,if the children had attempted a journey like this a few days ago in England,they would have been worn out.I think I have explained before how Narnia was altering them.Even Lucy was by now,so to speak,only one-third of a little girl going to boarding school for the first time,and two-thirds of Queen Lucy of Narnia.

毫无疑问如果是在英国这样走几天,他们早累趴下了。前面我已经讲过纳尼亚是怎样改变他们的。就拿露茜来说,现在尽显女王气质,不再像一个第一次去寄宿学校的小女孩。

"At last!"said Susan.

"总算出来了!"苏珊叹了口气。

"Oh,hurray!"said Peter.

"噢,太好了!"彼得说。

The river gorge had just made a bend and the whole view spread out beneath them.They could see open country stretching before them to the horizon and,between it and them,the broad silver ribbon of the Great River.They could see the specially broad and shallow place which had once been the Fords of Beruna but was now spanned by a long,many-arched bridge.There was a little town at the far end of it.

河道在峡谷的尽头转了个弯。在崖顶下面是另一个天地:一马平川的草原在远处和天空连成一体。河流像一条银色的缎带一样从草原中间穿行,以前那里是柏卢纳渡口其中一道宽却浅的河道,现在他们一眼就分辨了出来,那里唯一的改变是多了一座孔桥,桥的尽头是一个村落。

"By Jove,"said Edmund."We fought the Battle of Beruna just where that town is!"

"我的天,"爱德蒙说,"就在这里,我们胜了柏卢纳战役!"

This cheered the boys more than anything.You can't help feeling stronger when you look at a place where you won a glorious victory not to mention a kingdom,hundreds of years ago.Peter and Edmund were soon so busy talking about the battle that they forgot their sore feet and the heavy drag of their mail shirts on their shoulders.The Dwarf was interested too.

男孩子喜欢以此为荣耀。每当回想到以前赢得辉煌胜利的战场,而那儿在几百年前还是自己的王国,自豪之感油然而生,并且斗志昂扬非常神气。彼得和爱德蒙津津乐道地谈起那场战役,顿时就不觉得艰辛和劳累了,也不觉得身上盔甲的沉重。小矮人听得入了迷,露出一脸的钦佩和向往。

They were all getting on at a quicker pace now.The going became easier.Though there were still sheer cliffs on their left,the ground was becoming lower on their right.Soon it was no longer a gorge at all,only a valley.There were no more waterfalls and presently they were in fairly thick woods again.

稍稍休息之后,他们加快了步伐。路途变得更轻松了,虽然左边还有峭壁悬崖,但到了峡谷,右边的平地逐渐开阔起来,道路好走了些,峡谷变成了河谷,瀑布也少了,他们又进入了一片茂密的灌木丛。

Then-all at once-whizz,and a sound rather like the stroke of a woodpecker.The children were still wondering where (ages ago) they had heard a sound just like that and why they disliked it so,when Trumpkin shouted,"Down,"at the same moment forcing Lucy (who happened to be next to him) flat down into the bracken.Peter,who had been looking up to see if he could spot a squirrel,had seen what it was-a long cruel arrow had sunk into a tree trunk just above his head.As he pulled Susan down and dropped himself,another came rasping over his shoulder and struck the ground at his side.

然后......"嗖......"地他们头顶飞过什么东西,像啄木鸟在啄树干似的。孩子们想着这种奇怪的声音好像在什么地方听过,突然听到杜鲁普金喊了一声"趴下!"离他最近的露茜就被他按倒在树丛里。彼得本想看看是不是松鼠,没想到刚一抬头,一支利箭刚好掠过他的头顶扎进树干。他赶紧拉了苏珊一把,让她也趴下。才刚趴下另一支箭就擦着他的肩射了过来,扎在旁边的泥土里。

"Quick! Quick! Get back! Crawl!"panted Trumpkin.

"快!快!往后退!趴到地上!"杜鲁普金喘着气说。

They turned and wriggled along uphill,under the bracken amid clouds of horribly buzzing flies.Arrows whizzed round them.One struck Susan's helmet with a sharp ping and glanced off.They crawled quicker.Sweat poured off them.Then they ran,stooping nearly double.The boys held their swords in their hands for fear they would trip them up.

他们掉过头穿过灌木丛,伴着苍蝇的嗡嗡声往山上爬去。无情的利箭包围着他们,又一支箭射过来,射在苏珊的头盔上,还碰撞出了一点火星。他们快速攀爬,不一会儿就满头大汗,上气不接下气。之后,他们索性弯着身子跑起来。男孩子断后,剑出鞘,做好准备随时和追上来的敌人厮杀。

It was heart-breaking work-all uphill again,back over the ground they had already travelled.When they felt that they really couldn't run any more,even to save their lives,they all dropped down in the damp moss beside a waterfall and behind a big boulder,panting.They were surprised to see how high they had already got.

这一路走得太艰难了他们顺着刚才走全是陡坡的路。大家都累得跑不动了,只好一下子瘫在瀑布旁边的大石头上,气喘吁吁的。等他们恢复过来望望四周,才发现已经爬得很高了,自己都非常吃惊。

They listened intently and heard no sound of pursuit.

他们听了半天,没有任何动静。

"So that's all right,"said Trumpkin,drawing a deep breath."They're not searching the wood.Only sentries,I expect.But it means that Miraz has an outpost down there.Bottles and battledores! though,it was a near thing."

"终于没事了,"杜鲁普金呼了一口气,"他们没有在森林里搜索,我看只是几个哨兵。这说明弥若兹在那里有一个哨所,这应该是最近才有的事,可恶!"

"I ought to have my head smacked for bringing us this way at all,"said Peter.

"对不起,我带大家走了这样的路。"彼得说。

"On the contrary,your Majesty,"said the Dwarf."For one thing it wasn't you,it was your royal brother,King Edmund,who first suggested going by Glasswater."

"陛下,说反了,"小矮人说,"不是你,是你弟弟,爱德蒙国王。是他建议我们沿着清水溪走的。"

"I'm afraid the D.L.F.'s right,"said Edmund,who had quite honestly forgotten this ever since things began going wrong.

"小不点是对的。"爱德蒙说。之前从迷路时起他就把这一点忘了,现在才想起来。

"And for another,"continued Trumpkin,"if we'd gone my way,we'd have walked straight into that new outpost,most likely; or at least had just the same trouble avoiding it.I think this Glasswater route has turned out for the best."

"回头想想,"杜鲁普金接着说,"如果走我选的那条路,没准会走进敌人的哨所,或者我们如果想绕开,也会遇到这情况。其实我想,我们选择的应该是一条最安全的路。"

"A blessing in disguise,"said Susan.

"塞翁失马,焉知非福。"苏珊说。

"Some disguise!"said Edmund.

"未必吧。"爱德蒙说。

"I suppose we'l l have to go right up the gorge again now,"said Lucy.

"我想我们要顺着峡谷返回往上游走了。"露茜说。

"Lu,you're a hero,"said Peter."That's the nearest you've got today to saying I told you so.Let's get on."

"露茜,你真棒!"彼得说,"其实你这回可以批评我们之前没有听你的建议。我们马上出发,去上游。"

"And as soon as we're well up into the forest,"said Trumpkin,

"等我们到了森林,"杜鲁普金说,

"whatever anyone says,I'm going to light a fire and cook supper.But we must get well away from here."

不管怎么样,我都要做饭。但是,这会儿我们必须先离开这儿。

There is no need to describe how they toiled back up the gorge.It was pretty hard work,but oddly enough everyone felt more cheerful.They were getting their second wind; and the word supper had had a wonderful effect.

先不说返回途中遭了多少罪,但奇怪的是大家的情绪却高涨起来,浑身都是劲儿。"马上就可以填饱肚子了"大家恢复了精力,这个望梅止渴的想法,作用还是不小的。

They reached the fir wood which had caused them so much trouble while it was still daylight,and bivouacked in a hollow just above it.It was tedious gathering the firewood; but it was grand when the fire blazed up and they began producing the damp and smeary parcels of bear-meat which would have been so very unattractive to anyone who had spent the day indoors.The Dwarf had splendid ideas about cookery.Each apple (they still had a few of these) was wrapped up in bear's meat-as if it was to be apple dumpling with meat instead of pastry,only much thicker-and spiked on a sharp stick and then roasted.And the juice of the apple worked all through the meat,like apple sauce with roast pork.Bear that has lived too much on other animals is not very nice,but bear that has had plenty of honey and fruit is excellent,and this turned out to be that sort of bear.It was a truly glorious meal.And,of course,no washing up-only lying back and watching the smoke from Trumpkin's pipe and stretching one's tired legs and chatting.Everyone felt quite hopeful now about finding King Caspian tomorrow and defeating Miraz in a few days.It may not have been sensible of them to feel like this,but they did.

大家又回到那片即使在白天也让他们感到麻烦的那片杉树林,他们找到一块高地,打算在此露宿。拣柴虽然无趣,可是想想熊熊燃烧的篝火就令人兴奋。他们开始动手料理那些油乎乎的生熊肉。对那些衣食无忧的人们来说,这样的确实让人感到恶心。小矮人擅长烹饪,他们把苹果切成块,然后拿肉当皮像包饺子一样把苹果裹起来,插在树枝上烤着吃,只是有点厚。苹果汁渗到熊肉里,吃的时候就像蘸了苹果酱一样。熊如果吃太多肉维生,肉就会有很多纤维,而且不好吃。但是吃蜂蜜和水果长大的熊的肉却鲜嫩可口,味道好极了,他们的熊肉就是好吃的那种。这是一顿精致的晚餐,而且不用洗碗。每个人吃饱了就各自找个舒服的地方靠在树上,伸出累得麻木的双腿随便聊了起来。望着杜鲁普金的烟斗里冒出丝丝缕缕的白烟,大家心里都充满希望明天就能找到凯斯宾国王,而且还能打败弥若兹。虽不知道这是哪来的信心,但大家都有同感。

They dropped off to sleep one by one,but all pretty quickly.

他们很快就睡熟了。

Lucy woke out of the deepest sleep you can imagine,with the feeling that the voice she liked best in the world had been calling her name.She thought at first it was her father's voice,but that did not seem quite right.Then she thought it was Peter's voice,but that did not seem to fit either.She did not want to get up; not because she was still tired-on the contrary she was wonderfully rested and all the aches had gone from her bones-but because she felt so extremely happy and comfortable.She was looking straight up at the Narnian moon,which is larger than ours,and at the starry sky,for the place where they had bivouacked was comparatively open.

露茜从熟睡中惊醒,她好像听到了一个非常温和声音叫她的名字,你可以想象一下。她起初以为是爸爸,又不像。然后觉得是彼得,再听好像也不是,然后她就不想猜了。并不是因为她太累了--正好相反,她休息得很好,白天腰酸背痛的感觉也没有了,这会儿她感觉非常舒服以至于不想起来。他们露宿的地方很宽敞,抬头能看到比我们世界的月亮大得多的纳尼亚的月亮,夜空星罗棋布,非常静谧。

"Lucy,"came the call again,neither her father's voice nor Peter's.She sat up,trembling with excitement but not with fear.The moon was so bright that the whole forest landscape around her was almost as clear as day,though it looked wilder.Behind her was the fir wood; away to her right the jagged cliff-tops on the far side of the gorge; straight ahead,open grass to where a glade of trees began about a bow-shot away.Lucy looked very hard at the trees of that glade.

"露茜。"那声音又来了,确定不是爸爸的声音,也不是彼得哥哥的。她坐了起来,激动得有些发抖,但不感到害怕。月光把周围照得像白天一样,尽管看上去有些荒凉。后面是杉树林右边的峡谷旁是悬崖峭壁,在大约二十米开外的正前方,露茜盯着树林的一片草地上。

"Why,I do believe they're moving,"she said to herself."They're walking about."

"哎哟,它们真的是在动,"她一个人嘟囔,"像走路一样。"

She got up,her heart beating wildly,and walked towards them.There was certainly a noise in the glade,a noise such as trees make in a high wind,though there was no wind tonight.Yet it was not exactly an ordinary tree-noise either.Lucy felt there was a tune in it,but she could not catch the tune any more than she had been able to catch the words when the trees had so nearly talked to her the night before.But there was,at least,a lilt; she felt her own feet wanting to dance as she got nearer.And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving- moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance.("And I suppose,"thought Lucy,"When trees dance,it must be a very,very country dance indeed." She was almost among them now.

她站起来走过去,心怦怦地跳个不停。那片空地的确有东西在动,那时候没有风,树叶却在沙沙地响。一般情况下,树林是没有这种响声的。露茜听到沙沙声响起的时候,还响起一种旋律,可她听不清楚那旋律,就像她前天晚上也听不清它们的窃窃私语一样。只听出一些节奏,再走近一点,她开始感觉自己情不自禁要跳起来了。这时她确定那些树真的在动。枝叶往来交错,像一支复杂的民族舞。"我感觉,"露茜心想,"树跳起舞来的时候,确实像是民族舞,而且是非常、非常原始的民族舞。"现在,她已经身处它们之中了,就像是其中的一分子。

The first tree she looked at seemed at first glance to be not a tree at all but a huge man with a shaggy beard and great bushes of hair.She was not frightened: she had seen such things before.But when she looked again he was only a tree,though he was still moving.You couldn't see whether he had feet or roots,of course,because when trees move they don't walk on the surface of the earth; they wade in it as we do in water.The same thing happened with every tree she looked at.At one moment they seemed to be the friendly,lovely giant and giantess forms which the tree-people put on when some good magic has called them into full life: next moment they all looked like trees again.But when they looked like trees,it was like strangely human trees,and when they looked like people,it was like strangely branchy and leafy people-and all the time that queer lilting,rustling,cool,merry noise.

她第一眼看到的树像是有凌乱的胡子和头发蓬松的巨人一样。她不但不觉得恐怖,因为她以前遇到过这种情况。她看不到它的脚或者说树根,只看到它笨拙地扭动着身子,就像蹚水一样在泥土里走来走去。别的树也是这样。它们像被施了魔法一样,一会儿是人,一会儿是树。变成树的时候,看起来像人;变成人的时候,又觉得它像树。不管怎样,都能听到那种清晰而明快的奇怪节奏和颯颯声。

"They are almost awake,not quite,"said Lucy.She knew she herself was wide awake,wider than anyone usually is.

"它们应该是要苏醒了吧。"露茜说。她知道自己这时候非常清醒,比任何任何时候都清醒。

She went fearlessly in among them,dancing herself as she leaped this way and that to avoid being run into by these huge partners.But she was only half interested in them.She wanted to get beyond them to something else; it was from beyond them that the dear voice had called.

她一点都不害怕,走到他们身边。她一边走一边跳,以免被大树碰到。露茜并没有打算跟它们一起跳,她只是想穿过去到别的地方去。因为那个亲切的声音,一直呼唤她的那个声音,分明是从树林那边传来。

She soon got through them (half wondering whether she had been using her arms to push branches aside,or to take hands in a Great Chain with big dancers who stooped to reach her) for they were really a ring of trees round a central open place.She stepped out from among their shifting confusion of lovely lights and shadows.

她很快就从它们中走了出来。不知道她是推开了那些树枝,还是用手握住了那些会跳舞的树的手,反正从那些令人眩晕的光影中走出来了。

A circle of grass,smooth as a lawn,met her eyes,with dark trees dancing all round it.And then-oh joy! For he was there: the huge Lion,shining white in the moonlight,with his huge black shadow underneath him.

一片整齐得像被修剪过的草坪映入眼帘,周围的树颜色很深它们仍然在跳舞。然后,啊,她愉快地叫了一声。威风凛凛的狮王就站在那儿。月光下,他的鬃毛闪闪发亮,地上的影子被拉得很长。

But for the movement of his tail he might have been a stone lion,but Lucy never thought of that.She never stopped to think whether he was a friendly lion or not.She rushed to him.She felt her heart would burst if she lost a moment.And the next thing she knew was that she was kissing him and putting her arms as far round his neck as she could and burying her face in the beautiful rich silkiness of his mane.

如果他的尾巴没有动那么一动,你肯定不相信他是一只有血有肉活生生的狮子。露茜毫不犹豫地跑过去。她没有去想,那究竟是阿斯兰还是一只凶残、食人的狮子。她的心简直要从胸腔里跳出来了。后来她记得她搂住了阿斯兰的脖子,喊他的名字,亲他,吻他,把脸埋进他那柔软、美丽,像缎子一样光滑的鬃毛里。

"Aslan,Aslan.Dear Aslan,"sobbed Lucy."At last."

"阿斯兰,阿斯兰,亲爱的阿斯兰,"露茜哽咽道,"总算见到你了。"

The great beast rolled over on his side so that Lucy fell,half sitting and half lying between his front paws.He bent forward and just touched her nose with his tongue.His warm breath came all round her.She gazed up into the large wise face.

狮王侧身躺下,露茜也俯身靠着他两条前腿。阿斯兰把头伸向露茜,轻轻舔了舔她的小鼻子,她感觉全身都传来他温暖的气息。她仰起头,凝望着全是智慧的大脑袋里。

"Welcome,child,"he said.

"欢迎你,孩子。"他说。

"Aslan,"said Lucy,"you're bigger."

"阿斯兰,"露茜说,"你变大了。"

"That is because you are older,little one,"answered he.

"是你长大了,小朋友。"他回答道。

"Not because you are?"

"不是因为你个头变大了吗?"

"I am not.But every year you grow,you will find me bigger."

"没有。可是随着你慢慢长大,你会觉得我也越来越大。"

For a time she was so happy that she did not want to speak.But Aslan spoke.

露茜乐得说不出话,还是阿斯兰先开口。

"Lucy,"he said,"we must not lie here for long.You have work in hand,and much time has been lost today."

"露茜,"他说,"这里不能久待,我们还有很多事没做。现在已经浪费了很多时间了。"

"Yes,wasn't it a shame?"said Lucy."I saw you all right.They wouldn't believe me.They're all so-"

"是的,他们不应该感到惭愧吗?"露茜说,"我看到你示意我们去山顶上,我的话他们根本都不听,他们总是那么......"

From somewhere deep inside Aslan's body there came the faintest suggestion of a growl.

阿斯兰发出一声低吼,似乎带着责备。

"I'm sorry,"said Lucy,who understood some of his moods."I didn't mean to start slanging the others.But it wasn't my fault anyway,was it?"

"抱歉,"露茜很快意识到他的情绪,然后说,"我不想在背后说别人的坏话,但那不是我的错,是吧?"

The Lion looked straight into her eyes.

狮王看着她的眼睛。

"Oh,Aslan,"said Lucy."You don't mean it was? How could I-I couldn't have left the others and come up to you alone,how could I? Don't look at me like that...oh well,I suppose I could.Yes,and it wouldn't have been alone,I know,not if I was with you.But what would have been the good?"

"噢,阿斯兰,"露茜说,"你认为是我的错吗?我不能......我不能抛弃他们,一个人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那样看着我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不会孤单,可有什么用呢?"

Aslan said nothing.

阿斯兰沉默不语。

"You mean,"said Lucy rather faintly,"that it would have turned out all right-somehow? But how? Please,Aslan! Am I not to know?"

"你认为,"露茜的声音变得低了,"那样就会好一点吗?请告诉我,阿斯兰!那样会怎么样?"

"To know what would have happened,child?"said Aslan."No.Nobody is ever told that."

"想知道可能发生却没发生的事,是吗,孩子?"阿斯兰说道,"不,没有人能知道。"

"Oh dear,"said Lucy.

"哦,亲爱的。"露茜说。

"But anyone can find out what will happen,"said Aslan."If you go back to the others now,and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me-what will happen? There is only one way of finding out."

"对将会发生的事,每个人想法都不同。"阿斯兰说,"如果你现在回到朋友们的身边,把他们叫醒说你又看到了我,然后跟我走--会发生什么?这是唯一能弄清楚的方法。"

"Do you mean that is what you want me to do?"gasped Lucy.

"你是说我现在去做这些吗?"露茜很惊讶。

"Yes,little one,"said Aslan.

"嗯,小朋友。"阿斯兰说。

"Will the others see you too?"asked Lucy.

"我让他们来见你?"露茜问道。

"Certainly not at first,"said Aslan."Later on,it depends."

"不着急,"阿斯兰说,"等一会儿,现在还不是时候。"

"But they won't believe me!"said Lucy.

"他们不会相信我的!"露茜说。

"It doesn't matter,"said Aslan.

"别担心。"阿斯兰说。

"Oh dear,oh dear,"said Lucy."And I was so pleased at finding you again.And I thought you'd let me stay.And I thought you'd come roaring in and frighten all the enemies away-like last time.And now everything is going to be horrid."

"噢,亲爱的,噢,亲爱的狮王。"露茜说,"很高兴又见到你,我以为你会让我站在你旁边。然后你咆哮一声,把敌人吓跑,就像上次一样。可是现在我感到恐惧。"

"It is hard for you,little one,"said Aslan."But things never happen the same way twice.It has been hard for us all in Narnia before now."

"对你而言这确实不容易,小朋友,"阿斯兰说,"可一件事情不会发生两次。之前我们在纳尼亚经历得比较苦。"

Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face.But there must have been magic in his mane.She could feel lion-strength going into her.Quite suddenly she sat up.

露茜把脸埋进狮王的鬃毛里,不看他的脸。他的鬃毛好像有魔法一样,她感受到阿斯兰身上的力量正传到自己身上,她突然坐起来。

"I'm sorry,Aslan,"she said."I'm ready now."

"对不起,阿斯兰,"她说,"现在我准备好了。"

"Now you are a lioness,"said Aslan."And now all Narnia will be renewed.But come.We have no time to lose."

"现在,你像狮子一样勇敢了,"阿斯兰说,"纳尼亚马上就要苏醒了。快点,我们没有时间了。"

He got up and walked with stately,noiseless paces back to the belt of dancing trees through which she had just come: and Lucy went with him,laying a rather tremulous hand on his mane.The trees parted to let them through and for one second assumed their human forms completely.Lucy had a glimpse of tall and lovely wood-gods and wood-goddesses all bowing to the Lion; next moment they were trees again,but still bowing,with such graceful sweeps of branch and trunk that their bowing was itself a kind of dance.

他站起来,迈开雄壮有力的步子,不声不响地走进会跳舞的树林。露茜跟在他旁边。大树留出一条路,而且有那么一会儿,那些树完全现出人的样子。露茜看见了高个子的,颤抖的手搭在他的鬃毛上树精和仙女。它们都向阿斯兰鞠躬、表达敬意。一转眼它们都变成了树,树枝和树干优雅地摆动,保持着鞠躬的姿势。它们的行礼简直就像在跳舞。

"Now,child,"said Aslan,when they had left the trees behind them,"I will wait here.Go and wake the others and tell them to follow.If they will not,then you at least must follow me alone."

"那么,孩子,"他们走过树林后,阿斯兰说,"我在这儿等你,你去叫他们,然后跟我一起走。就算他们不来,你也要跟着我。"

It is a terrible thing to have to wake four people,all older than yourself and all very tired,for the purpose of telling them something they probably won't believe and making them do something they certainly won't like."I mustn't think about it,I must just do it,"thought Lucy.

把他们从梦中叫醒确实不是易事,何况他们都比你大,而且都累坏了。更要命的是,你是要告诉他们一些可能他们不信的话,要让他们做一件他们肯定不情愿做的事。"不能想这么多,我一定要把事情做好。"露茜心想。

She went to Peter first and shook him."Peter,"she whispered in his ear,"wake up.Quick.Aslan is here.He says we've got to follow him at once."

她先走到彼得身边,摇他的肩膀。"彼得,"她趴到他耳边,"醒醒,快。阿斯兰来了。他让我们跟他一起离开。"

"Certainly,Lu.Whatever you like,"said Peter unexpectedly.This was encouraging,but as Peter instantly rolled round and went to sleep again it wasn't much use.

"好的,露茜,马上走。"彼得很爽快,太出乎意料了,这让露茜精神大振。可是没想到彼得翻了个身又睡了。真是白费力气。

Then she tried Susan.Susan did really wake up,but only to say in her most annoying grown-up voice,"You've been dreaming,Lucy.Go to sleep again."

然后她去喊苏珊。苏珊是醒了,只不过她用那令人讨厌的成年人腔调说,"你又在说梦话了,露茜接着睡吧。"

She tackled Edmund next.It was very difficult to wake him,but when at last she had done it he was really awake and sat up.

露茜没办法,只好去摇爱德蒙。真是不好叫醒,不过叫了他之后,他竟然真的醒了,还坐了起来。

"Eh?"he said in a grumpy voice."What are you talking about?"

狮王看着她的眼睛。

She said it all over again.This was one of the worst parts of her job,for each time she said it,it sounded less convincing.

"噢,阿斯兰,"露茜说,"你认为是我的错吗?我不能......我不能抛弃他们,一个人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那样看着我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不会孤单,可有什么用呢?"

"Aslan!"said Edmund,jumping up."Hurray! Where?"

"嗯?"他生气地问,"你在说什么?"

Lucy turned back to where she could see the Lion waiting,his patient eyes fixed upon her."There,"she said,pointing.

她又说了一遍。这是她碰到的最难搞定的事。现在对于刚才的事,她自己都开始怀疑有没有那么回事了。

"Where?"asked Edmund again.

"阿斯兰!"爱德蒙跳了起来,"太好了!在哪儿?"

"There.There.Don't you see? Just this side of the trees."

露茜转身,还是看见阿斯兰在那里等他们。"在那儿。"她用手一指。

Edmund stared hard for a while and then said,"No.There's nothing there.You've got dazzled and muddled with the moonlight.One does,you know.I thought I saw something for a moment myself.It's only an optical what-do-you-call-it."

"哪儿?"爱德蒙又问。

"I can see him all the time,"said Lucy."He's looking straight

"那儿,那儿。还没看见?就在树林那边。"

at us."

爱德蒙瞅了半天,还是说,"没有,什么也看不到。月亮的光不够亮,你肯定是看花眼了。这很正常。有一会儿好像我也看到了,其实只是错觉而已。"

"Then why can't I see him?"

"我一直都能看到他,"露茜说,"他正看我们呢。"

"He said you mightn't be able to."

"为什么我看不到呢?"

"Why?"

"他说你们可能看不到他。"

"I don't know.That's what he said."

"为什么?"

"Oh,bother it all,"said Edmund."I do wish you wouldn't keep on seeing things.But I suppose we'll have to wake the others.

"不知道,是他说的。"

"噢,就你事多,"爱德蒙说,"但愿你的脑袋没有坏掉,不过还是把他们都喊醒吧。"

CHAPTER TEN THE RETURN OF THE LION

TO keep along the edge of the gorge was not so easy as it had looked.Before they had gone many yards they were confronted with young fir woods growing on the very edge,and after they had tried to go through these,stooping and pushing for about ten minutes,they realized that,in there,it would take them an hour to do half a mile.So they came back and out again and decided to go round the fir wood.This took them much farther to their right than they wanted to go,far out of sight of the cliffs and out of sound of the river,till they began to be afraid they had lost it altogether.Nobody knew the time,but it was getting to the hottest part of the day.

When they were able at last to go back to the edge of the gorge (nearly a mile below the point from which they had started) they found the cliffs on their side of it a good deal lower and more broken.Soon they found a way down into the gorge and continued the journey at the river's edge.But first they had a rest and a long drink.No one was talking any more about breakfast,or even dinner,with Caspian.

They may have been wise to stick to the Rush instead of going along the top.It kept them sure of their direction: and ever since the fir wood they had all been afraid of being forced too far out of their course and losing themselves in the wood.It was an old and pathless forest,and you could not keep anything like a straight course in it.Patches of hopeless brambles,fallen trees,boggy places and dense undergrowth would be always getting in your way.But the gorge of the Rush was not at all a nice place for travelling either.I mean,it was not a nice place for people in a hurry.For an afternoon's ramble ending in a picnic tea it would have been delightful.It had everything you could want on an occasion of that sort-rumbling waterfalls,silver cascades,deep,amber-coloured pools,mossy rocks,and deep moss on the banks in which you could sink over your ankles,every kind of fern,jewel-like dragon flies,sometimes a hawk overhead and once (Peter and Trumpkin.both thought) an eagle.But of course what the children and the Dwarf wanted to see as soon as possible was the Great River below them,and Beruna,and the way to Aslan's How.

As they went on,the Rush began to fall more and more steeply.Their journey became more and more of a climb and less and less of a walk-in places even a dangerous climb over slippery rock with a nasty drop into dark chasms,and the river roaring angrily at the bottom.

You may be sure they watched the cliffs on their left eagerly for any sign of a break or any place where they could climb them; but those cliffs remained cruel.It was maddening,because everyone knew that if once they were out of the gorge on that side,they would have only a smooth slope and a fairly short walk to Caspian's headquarters.

The boys and the Dwarf were now in favour of lighting a fire and cooking their bear-meat.Susan didn't want this; she only wanted,as she said,"to get on and finish it and get out of these beastly woods".Lucy was far too tired and miserable to have any opinion about anything.But as there was no dry wood to be had,it mattered very little what anyone thought.The boys began to wonder if raw meat was really as nasty as they had always been told.Trumpkin assured them it was.

Of course,if the children had attempted a journey like this a few days ago in England,they would have been worn out.I think I have explained before how Narnia was altering them.Even Lucy was by now,so to speak,only one-third of a little girl going to boarding school for the first time,and two-thirds of Queen Lucy of Narnia.

"At last!"said Susan.

"Oh,hurray!"said Peter.

The river gorge had just made a bend and the whole view spread out beneath them.They could see open country stretching before them to the horizon and,between it and them,the broad silver ribbon of the Great River.They could see the specially broad and shallow place which had once been the Fords of Beruna but was now spanned by a long,many-arched bridge.There was a little town at the far end of it.

"By Jove,"said Edmund."We fought the Battle of Beruna just where that town is!"

This cheered the boys more than anything.You can't help feeling stronger when you look at a place where you won a glorious victory not to mention a kingdom,hundreds of years ago.Peter and Edmund were soon so busy talking about the battle that they forgot their sore feet and the heavy drag of their mail shirts on their shoulders.The Dwarf was interested too.

They were all getting on at a quicker pace now.The going became easier.Though there were still sheer cliffs on their left,the ground was becoming lower on their right.Soon it was no longer a gorge at all,only a valley.There were no more waterfalls and presently they were in fairly thick woods again.

Then-all at once-whizz,and a sound rather like the stroke of a woodpecker.The children were still wondering where (ages ago) they had heard a sound just like that and why they disliked it so,when Trumpkin shouted,"Down,"at the same moment forcing Lucy (who happened to be next to him) flat down into the bracken.Peter,who had been looking up to see if he could spot a squirrel,had seen what it was-a long cruel arrow had sunk into a tree trunk just above his head.As he pulled Susan down and dropped himself,another came rasping over his shoulder and struck the ground at his side.

"Quick! Quick! Get back! Crawl!"panted Trumpkin.

They turned and wriggled along uphill,under the bracken amid clouds of horribly buzzing flies.Arrows whizzed round them.One struck Susan's helmet with a sharp ping and glanced off.They crawled quicker.Sweat poured off them.Then they ran,stooping nearly double.The boys held their swords in their hands for fear they would trip them up.

It was heart-breaking work-all uphill again,back over the ground they had already travelled.When they felt that they really couldn't run any more,even to save their lives,they all dropped down in the damp moss beside a waterfall and behind a big boulder,panting.They were surprised to see how high they had already got.

They listened intently and heard no sound of pursuit.

"So that's all right,"said Trumpkin,drawing a deep breath."They're not searching the wood.Only sentries,I expect.But it means that Miraz has an outpost down there.Bottles and battledores! though,it was a near thing."

"I ought to have my head smacked for bringing us this way at all,"said Peter.

"On the contrary,your Majesty,"said the Dwarf."For one thing it wasn't you,it was your royal brother,King Edmund,who first suggested going by Glasswater."

"I'm afraid the D.L.F.'s right,"said Edmund,who had quite honestly forgotten this ever since things began going wrong.

"And for another,"continued Trumpkin,"if we'd gone my way,we'd have walked straight into that new outpost,most likely; or at least had just the same trouble avoiding it.I think this Glasswater route has turned out for the best."

"A blessing in disguise,"said Susan.

"Some disguise!"said Edmund.

"I suppose we'l l have to go right up the gorge again now,"said Lucy.

"Lu,you're a hero,"said Peter."That's the nearest you've got today to saying I told you so.Let's get on."

"And as soon as we're well up into the forest,"said Trumpkin,

"whatever anyone says,I'm going to light a fire and cook supper.But we must get well away from here."

There is no need to describe how they toiled back up the gorge.It was pretty hard work,but oddly enough everyone felt more cheerful.They were getting their second wind; and the word supper had had a wonderful effect.

They reached the fir wood which had caused them so much trouble while it was still daylight,and bivouacked in a hollow just above it.It was tedious gathering the firewood; but it was grand when the fire blazed up and they began producing the damp and smeary parcels of bear-meat which would have been so very unattractive to anyone who had spent the day indoors.The Dwarf had splendid ideas about cookery.Each apple (they still had a few of these) was wrapped up in bear's meat-as if it was to be apple dumpling with meat instead of pastry,only much thicker-and spiked on a sharp stick and then roasted.And the juice of the apple worked all through the meat,like apple sauce with roast pork.Bear that has lived too much on other animals is not very nice,but bear that has had plenty of honey and fruit is excellent,and this turned out to be that sort of bear.It was a truly glorious meal.And,of course,no washing up-only lying back and watching the smoke from Trumpkin's pipe and stretching one's tired legs and chatting.Everyone felt quite hopeful now about finding King Caspian tomorrow and defeating Miraz in a few days.It may not have been sensible of them to feel like this,but they did.

They dropped off to sleep one by one,but all pretty quickly.

Lucy woke out of the deepest sleep you can imagine,with the feeling that the voice she liked best in the world had been calling her name.She thought at first it was her father's voice,but that did not seem quite right.Then she thought it was Peter's voice,but that did not seem to fit either.She did not want to get up; not because she was still tired-on the contrary she was wonderfully rested and all the aches had gone from her bones-but because she felt so extremely happy and comfortable.She was looking straight up at the Narnian moon,which is larger than ours,and at the starry sky,for the place where they had bivouacked was comparatively open.

"Lucy,"came the call again,neither her father's voice nor Peter's.She sat up,trembling with excitement but not with fear.The moon was so bright that the whole forest landscape around her was almost as clear as day,though it looked wilder.Behind her was the fir wood; away to her right the jagged cliff-tops on the far side of the gorge; straight ahead,open grass to where a glade of trees began about a bow-shot away.Lucy looked very hard at the trees of that glade.

"Why,I do believe they're moving,"she said to herself."They're walking about."

She got up,her heart beating wildly,and walked towards them.There was certainly a noise in the glade,a noise such as trees make in a high wind,though there was no wind tonight.Yet it was not exactly an ordinary tree-noise either.Lucy felt there was a tune in it,but she could not catch the tune any more than she had been able to catch the words when the trees had so nearly talked to her the night before.But there was,at least,a lilt; she felt her own feet wanting to dance as she got nearer.And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving- moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance.("And I suppose,"thought Lucy,"When trees dance,it must be a very,very country dance indeed." She was almost among them now.

The first tree she looked at seemed at first glance to be not a tree at all but a huge man with a shaggy beard and great bushes of hair.She was not frightened: she had seen such things before.But when she looked again he was only a tree,though he was still moving.You couldn't see whether he had feet or roots,of course,because when trees move they don't walk on the surface of the earth; they wade in it as we do in water.The same thing happened with every tree she looked at.At one moment they seemed to be the friendly,lovely giant and giantess forms which the tree-people put on when some good magic has called them into full life: next moment they all looked like trees again.But when they looked like trees,it was like strangely human trees,and when they looked like people,it was like strangely branchy and leafy people-and all the time that queer lilting,rustling,cool,merry noise.

"They are almost awake,not quite,"said Lucy.She knew she herself was wide awake,wider than anyone usually is.

She went fearlessly in among them,dancing herself as she leaped this way and that to avoid being run into by these huge partners.But she was only half interested in them.She wanted to get beyond them to something else; it was from beyond them that the dear voice had called.

She soon got through them (half wondering whether she had been using her arms to push branches aside,or to take hands in a Great Chain with big dancers who stooped to reach her) for they were really a ring of trees round a central open place.She stepped out from among their shifting confusion of lovely lights and shadows.

A circle of grass,smooth as a lawn,met her eyes,with dark trees dancing all round it.And then-oh joy! For he was there: the huge Lion,shining white in the moonlight,with his huge black shadow underneath him.

But for the movement of his tail he might have been a stone lion,but Lucy never thought of that.She never stopped to think whether he was a friendly lion or not.She rushed to him.She felt her heart would burst if she lost a moment.And the next thing she knew was that she was kissing him and putting her arms as far round his neck as she could and burying her face in the beautiful rich silkiness of his mane.

"Aslan,Aslan.Dear Aslan,"sobbed Lucy."At last."

The great beast rolled over on his side so that Lucy fell,half sitting and half lying between his front paws.He bent forward and just touched her nose with his tongue.His warm breath came all round her.She gazed up into the large wise face.

"Welcome,child,"he said.

"Aslan,"said Lucy,"you're bigger."

"That is because you are older,little one,"answered he.

"Not because you are?"

"I am not.But every year you grow,you will find me bigger."

For a time she was so happy that she did not want to speak.But Aslan spoke.

"Lucy,"he said,"we must not lie here for long.You have work in hand,and much time has been lost today."

"Yes,wasn't it a shame?"said Lucy."I saw you all right.They wouldn't believe me.They're all so-"

From somewhere deep inside Aslan's body there came the faintest suggestion of a growl.

"I'm sorry,"said Lucy,who understood some of his moods."I didn't mean to start slanging the others.But it wasn't my fault anyway,was it?"

The Lion looked straight into her eyes.

"Oh,Aslan,"said Lucy."You don't mean it was? How could I-I couldn't have left the others and come up to you alone,how could I? Don't look at me like that...oh well,I suppose I could.Yes,and it wouldn't have been alone,I know,not if I was with you.But what would have been the good?"

Aslan said nothing.

"You mean,"said Lucy rather faintly,"that it would have turned out all right-somehow? But how? Please,Aslan! Am I not to know?"

"To know what would have happened,child?"said Aslan."No.Nobody is ever told that."

"Oh dear,"said Lucy.

"But anyone can find out what will happen,"said Aslan."If you go back to the others now,and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me-what will happen? There is only one way of finding out."

"Do you mean that is what you want me to do?"gasped Lucy.

"Yes,little one,"said Aslan.

"Will the others see you too?"asked Lucy.

"Certainly not at first,"said Aslan."Later on,it depends."

"But they won't believe me!"said Lucy.

"It doesn't matter,"said Aslan.

"Oh dear,oh dear,"said Lucy."And I was so pleased at finding you again.And I thought you'd let me stay.And I thought you'd come roaring in and frighten all the enemies away-like last time.And now everything is going to be horrid."

"It is hard for you,little one,"said Aslan."But things never happen the same way twice.It has been hard for us all in Narnia before now."

Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face.But there must have been magic in his mane.She could feel lion-strength going into her.Quite suddenly she sat up.

"I'm sorry,Aslan,"she said."I'm ready now."

"Now you are a lioness,"said Aslan."And now all Narnia will be renewed.But come.We have no time to lose."

He got up and walked with stately,noiseless paces back to the belt of dancing trees through which she had just come: and Lucy went with him,laying a rather tremulous hand on his mane.The trees parted to let them through and for one second assumed their human forms completely.Lucy had a glimpse of tall and lovely wood-gods and wood-goddesses all bowing to the Lion; next moment they were trees again,but still bowing,with such graceful sweeps of branch and trunk that their bowing was itself a kind of dance.

"Now,child,"said Aslan,when they had left the trees behind them,"I will wait here.Go and wake the others and tell them to follow.If they will not,then you at least must follow me alone."

It is a terrible thing to have to wake four people,all older than yourself and all very tired,for the purpose of telling them something they probably won't believe and making them do something they certainly won't like."I mustn't think about it,I must just do it,"thought Lucy.

She went to Peter first and shook him."Peter,"she whispered in his ear,"wake up.Quick.Aslan is here.He says we've got to follow him at once."

"Certainly,Lu.Whatever you like,"said Peter unexpectedly.This was encouraging,but as Peter instantly rolled round and went to sleep again it wasn't much use.

Then she tried Susan.Susan did really wake up,but only to say in her most annoying grown-up voice,"You've been dreaming,Lucy.Go to sleep again."

She tackled Edmund next.It was very difficult to wake him,but when at last she had done it he was really awake and sat up.

"Eh?"he said in a grumpy voice."What are you talking about?"

She said it all over again.This was one of the worst parts of her job,for each time she said it,it sounded less convincing.

"Aslan!"said Edmund,jumping up."Hurray! Where?"

Lucy turned back to where she could see the Lion waiting,his patient eyes fixed upon her."There,"she said,pointing.

"Where?"asked Edmund again.

"There.There.Don't you see? Just this side of the trees."

Edmund stared hard for a while and then said,"No.There's nothing there.You've got dazzled and muddled with the moonlight.One does,you know.I thought I saw something for a moment myself.It's only an optical what-do-you-call-it."

"I can see him all the time,"said Lucy."He's looking straight

at us."

"Then why can't I see him?"

"He said you mightn't be able to."

"Why?"

"I don't know.That's what he said."

"Oh,bother it all,"said Edmund."I do wish you wouldn't keep on seeing things.But I suppose we'll have to wake the others.

第十章 狮王归来

走在悬崖边并不容易。他们刚走一会儿,就碰到了茂密的冷杉树林,他们只好弯下腰钻过枝叶,缓慢地前行。他们很快意识到,照这个进度一个小时也走不了半里路。于是他们只好原路返回,想从别处绕过去。他们向右走了很远,直到没有峭壁也没有水声了。他们开始怀疑是不是走错路了,也不知道是几点,只感觉是一天中温度最高的时候。

最后他们终于又走到峡谷边缘(大约在他们出发地往下一英里的地方),下面的峭壁塌裂得很严重。很快,他们找到了通往下游的路,于是沿河前行。休息的时候,大家在河边喝了个饱。再也没有人说要和凯斯宾共进早餐或者晚餐了。

他们不上山而且沿着河水走,也许也是明智的。因为这样至少能确保他们走的方向是对的:他们一直害怕走得太远,在森林里迷路。这是一片幽深的树林,里面根本没有一条直路。他们在大片的荆棘、倒下的大树、沼泽、以及茂密的低矮丛林里绕了不少路。这里非常凶险,何况他们还急着赶路。如果是郊游,这里作为野餐和休息的地方,还是非常不错的。这里的风景真是美不胜收--倾泻而下的大瀑布、银色的小瀑布、琥珀色的深潭、爬满青苔的石头,蕨类植物和珠宝色的蜻蜓,还有一脚下去就陷到脚踝的沼泽地。周围长满各种蕨类植物和宝石般的蜻蜓。天空偶尔飞过一只鹰,彼得和杜鲁普金觉得应该是一只雄鹰。不过,他们此时希望能快点赶到前面的河口和柏卢纳滩,那是去阿斯兰堡垒的必经之地。

接下来的路越走越坎坷,他们走得越来越慢--有时还要在光滑的岩石上攀爬,下面是看不见底的深渊,而且水流湍急。

他们就这样一边看着脚下的悬崖,一边留意着可以下脚的地方。走在这样难行的路上,实在让人恼火,可是只能咬着牙、狠下心往前走。他们确信只要走出峡谷,再过一个山坡就能到凯斯宾的营地了。

男孩子们和小矮人都说应该找个地方点一堆火,烤点熊肉吃。苏珊却不赞成,她坚持说"一直走,一直走,一定要走出这可恶的地方"。露茜这时已经累得什么想法都没有了。其实,走了那么远根本没有看到任何可以作柴火的东西,所以想法再好也没用。两个男孩子饿得快不行了,他们开始想生肉没准并没有别人说的那么难吃。但杜鲁普金掐灭了他们这个想法。

毫无疑问如果是在英国这样走几天,他们早累趴下了。前面我已经讲过纳尼亚是怎样改变他们的。就拿露茜来说,现在尽显女王气质,不再像一个第一次去寄宿学校的小女孩。

"总算出来了!"苏珊叹了口气。

"噢,太好了!"彼得说。

河道在峡谷的尽头转了个弯。在崖顶下面是另一个天地:一马平川的草原在远处和天空连成一体。河流像一条银色的缎带一样从草原中间穿行,以前那里是柏卢纳渡口其中一道宽却浅的河道,现在他们一眼就分辨了出来,那里唯一的改变是多了一座孔桥,桥的尽头是一个村落。

"我的天,"爱德蒙说,"就在这里,我们胜了柏卢纳战役!"

男孩子喜欢以此为荣耀。每当回想到以前赢得辉煌胜利的战场,而那儿在几百年前还是自己的王国,自豪之感油然而生,并且斗志昂扬非常神气。彼得和爱德蒙津津乐道地谈起那场战役,顿时就不觉得艰辛和劳累了,也不觉得身上盔甲的沉重。小矮人听得入了迷,露出一脸的钦佩和向往。

稍稍休息之后,他们加快了步伐。路途变得更轻松了,虽然左边还有峭壁悬崖,但到了峡谷,右边的平地逐渐开阔起来,道路好走了些,峡谷变成了河谷,瀑布也少了,他们又进入了一片茂密的灌木丛。

然后......"嗖......"地他们头顶飞过什么东西,像啄木鸟在啄树干似的。孩子们想着这种奇怪的声音好像在什么地方听过,突然听到杜鲁普金喊了一声"趴下!"离他最近的露茜就被他按倒在树丛里。彼得本想看看是不是松鼠,没想到刚一抬头,一支利箭刚好掠过他的头顶扎进树干。他赶紧拉了苏珊一把,让她也趴下。才刚趴下另一支箭就擦着他的肩射了过来,扎在旁边的泥土里。

"快!快!往后退!趴到地上!"杜鲁普金喘着气说。

他们掉过头穿过灌木丛,伴着苍蝇的嗡嗡声往山上爬去。无情的利箭包围着他们,又一支箭射过来,射在苏珊的头盔上,还碰撞出了一点火星。他们快速攀爬,不一会儿就满头大汗,上气不接下气。之后,他们索性弯着身子跑起来。男孩子断后,剑出鞘,做好准备随时和追上来的敌人厮杀。

这一路走得太艰难了他们顺着刚才走全是陡坡的路。大家都累得跑不动了,只好一下子瘫在瀑布旁边的大石头上,气喘吁吁的。等他们恢复过来望望四周,才发现已经爬得很高了,自己都非常吃惊。

他们听了半天,没有任何动静。

"终于没事了,"杜鲁普金呼了一口气,"他们没有在森林里搜索,我看只是几个哨兵。这说明弥若兹在那里有一个哨所,这应该是最近才有的事,可恶!"

"对不起,我带大家走了这样的路。"彼得说。

"陛下,说反了,"小矮人说,"不是你,是你弟弟,爱德蒙国王。是他建议我们沿着清水溪走的。"

"小不点是对的。"爱德蒙说。之前从迷路时起他就把这一点忘了,现在才想起来。

"回头想想,"杜鲁普金接着说,"如果走我选的那条路,没准会走进敌人的哨所,或者我们如果想绕开,也会遇到这情况。其实我想,我们选择的应该是一条最安全的路。"

"塞翁失马,焉知非福。"苏珊说。

"未必吧。"爱德蒙说。

"我想我们要顺着峡谷返回往上游走了。"露茜说。

"露茜,你真棒!"彼得说,"其实你这回可以批评我们之前没有听你的建议。我们马上出发,去上游。"

"等我们到了森林,"杜鲁普金说,

不管怎么样,我都要做饭。但是,这会儿我们必须先离开这儿。

先不说返回途中遭了多少罪,但奇怪的是大家的情绪却高涨起来,浑身都是劲儿。"马上就可以填饱肚子了"大家恢复了精力,这个望梅止渴的想法,作用还是不小的。

大家又回到那片即使在白天也让他们感到麻烦的那片杉树林,他们找到一块高地,打算在此露宿。拣柴虽然无趣,可是想想熊熊燃烧的篝火就令人兴奋。他们开始动手料理那些油乎乎的生熊肉。对那些衣食无忧的人们来说,这样的确实让人感到恶心。小矮人擅长烹饪,他们把苹果切成块,然后拿肉当皮像包饺子一样把苹果裹起来,插在树枝上烤着吃,只是有点厚。苹果汁渗到熊肉里,吃的时候就像蘸了苹果酱一样。熊如果吃太多肉维生,肉就会有很多纤维,而且不好吃。但是吃蜂蜜和水果长大的熊的肉却鲜嫩可口,味道好极了,他们的熊肉就是好吃的那种。这是一顿精致的晚餐,而且不用洗碗。每个人吃饱了就各自找个舒服的地方靠在树上,伸出累得麻木的双腿随便聊了起来。望着杜鲁普金的烟斗里冒出丝丝缕缕的白烟,大家心里都充满希望明天就能找到凯斯宾国王,而且还能打败弥若兹。虽不知道这是哪来的信心,但大家都有同感。

他们很快就睡熟了。

露茜从熟睡中惊醒,她好像听到了一个非常温和声音叫她的名字,你可以想象一下。她起初以为是爸爸,又不像。然后觉得是彼得,再听好像也不是,然后她就不想猜了。并不是因为她太累了--正好相反,她休息得很好,白天腰酸背痛的感觉也没有了,这会儿她感觉非常舒服以至于不想起来。他们露宿的地方很宽敞,抬头能看到比我们世界的月亮大得多的纳尼亚的月亮,夜空星罗棋布,非常静谧。

"露茜。"那声音又来了,确定不是爸爸的声音,也不是彼得哥哥的。她坐了起来,激动得有些发抖,但不感到害怕。月光把周围照得像白天一样,尽管看上去有些荒凉。后面是杉树林右边的峡谷旁是悬崖峭壁,在大约二十米开外的正前方,露茜盯着树林的一片草地上。

"哎哟,它们真的是在动,"她一个人嘟囔,"像走路一样。"

她站起来走过去,心怦怦地跳个不停。那片空地的确有东西在动,那时候没有风,树叶却在沙沙地响。一般情况下,树林是没有这种响声的。露茜听到沙沙声响起的时候,还响起一种旋律,可她听不清楚那旋律,就像她前天晚上也听不清它们的窃窃私语一样。只听出一些节奏,再走近一点,她开始感觉自己情不自禁要跳起来了。这时她确定那些树真的在动。枝叶往来交错,像一支复杂的民族舞。"我感觉,"露茜心想,"树跳起舞来的时候,确实像是民族舞,而且是非常、非常原始的民族舞。"现在,她已经身处它们之中了,就像是其中的一分子。

她第一眼看到的树像是有凌乱的胡子和头发蓬松的巨人一样。她不但不觉得恐怖,因为她以前遇到过这种情况。她看不到它的脚或者说树根,只看到它笨拙地扭动着身子,就像蹚水一样在泥土里走来走去。别的树也是这样。它们像被施了魔法一样,一会儿是人,一会儿是树。变成树的时候,看起来像人;变成人的时候,又觉得它像树。不管怎样,都能听到那种清晰而明快的奇怪节奏和颯颯声。

"它们应该是要苏醒了吧。"露茜说。她知道自己这时候非常清醒,比任何任何时候都清醒。

她一点都不害怕,走到他们身边。她一边走一边跳,以免被大树碰到。露茜并没有打算跟它们一起跳,她只是想穿过去到别的地方去。因为那个亲切的声音,一直呼唤她的那个声音,分明是从树林那边传来。

她很快就从它们中走了出来。不知道她是推开了那些树枝,还是用手握住了那些会跳舞的树的手,反正从那些令人眩晕的光影中走出来了。

一片整齐得像被修剪过的草坪映入眼帘,周围的树颜色很深它们仍然在跳舞。然后,啊,她愉快地叫了一声。威风凛凛的狮王就站在那儿。月光下,他的鬃毛闪闪发亮,地上的影子被拉得很长。

如果他的尾巴没有动那么一动,你肯定不相信他是一只有血有肉活生生的狮子。露茜毫不犹豫地跑过去。她没有去想,那究竟是阿斯兰还是一只凶残、食人的狮子。她的心简直要从胸腔里跳出来了。后来她记得她搂住了阿斯兰的脖子,喊他的名字,亲他,吻他,把脸埋进他那柔软、美丽,像缎子一样光滑的鬃毛里。

"阿斯兰,阿斯兰,亲爱的阿斯兰,"露茜哽咽道,"总算见到你了。"

狮王侧身躺下,露茜也俯身靠着他两条前腿。阿斯兰把头伸向露茜,轻轻舔了舔她的小鼻子,她感觉全身都传来他温暖的气息。她仰起头,凝望着全是智慧的大脑袋里。

"欢迎你,孩子。"他说。

"阿斯兰,"露茜说,"你变大了。"

"是你长大了,小朋友。"他回答道。

"不是因为你个头变大了吗?"

"没有。可是随着你慢慢长大,你会觉得我也越来越大。"

露茜乐得说不出话,还是阿斯兰先开口。

"露茜,"他说,"这里不能久待,我们还有很多事没做。现在已经浪费了很多时间了。"

"是的,他们不应该感到惭愧吗?"露茜说,"我看到你示意我们去山顶上,我的话他们根本都不听,他们总是那么......"

阿斯兰发出一声低吼,似乎带着责备。

"抱歉,"露茜很快意识到他的情绪,然后说,"我不想在背后说别人的坏话,但那不是我的错,是吧?"

狮王看着她的眼睛。

"噢,阿斯兰,"露茜说,"你认为是我的错吗?我不能......我不能抛弃他们,一个人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那样看着我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不会孤单,可有什么用呢?"

阿斯兰沉默不语。

"你认为,"露茜的声音变得低了,"那样就会好一点吗?请告诉我,阿斯兰!那样会怎么样?"

"想知道可能发生却没发生的事,是吗,孩子?"阿斯兰说道,"不,没有人能知道。"

"哦,亲爱的。"露茜说。

"对将会发生的事,每个人想法都不同。"阿斯兰说,"如果你现在回到朋友们的身边,把他们叫醒说你又看到了我,然后跟我走--会发生什么?这是唯一能弄清楚的方法。"

"你是说我现在去做这些吗?"露茜很惊讶。

"嗯,小朋友。"阿斯兰说。

"我让他们来见你?"露茜问道。

"不着急,"阿斯兰说,"等一会儿,现在还不是时候。"

"他们不会相信我的!"露茜说。

"别担心。"阿斯兰说。

"噢,亲爱的,噢,亲爱的狮王。"露茜说,"很高兴又见到你,我以为你会让我站在你旁边。然后你咆哮一声,把敌人吓跑,就像上次一样。可是现在我感到恐惧。"

"对你而言这确实不容易,小朋友,"阿斯兰说,"可一件事情不会发生两次。之前我们在纳尼亚经历得比较苦。"

露茜把脸埋进狮王的鬃毛里,不看他的脸。他的鬃毛好像有魔法一样,她感受到阿斯兰身上的力量正传到自己身上,她突然坐起来。

"对不起,阿斯兰,"她说,"现在我准备好了。"

"现在,你像狮子一样勇敢了,"阿斯兰说,"纳尼亚马上就要苏醒了。快点,我们没有时间了。"

他站起来,迈开雄壮有力的步子,不声不响地走进会跳舞的树林。露茜跟在他旁边。大树留出一条路,而且有那么一会儿,那些树完全现出人的样子。露茜看见了高个子的,颤抖的手搭在他的鬃毛上树精和仙女。它们都向阿斯兰鞠躬、表达敬意。一转眼它们都变成了树,树枝和树干优雅地摆动,保持着鞠躬的姿势。它们的行礼简直就像在跳舞。

"那么,孩子,"他们走过树林后,阿斯兰说,"我在这儿等你,你去叫他们,然后跟我一起走。就算他们不来,你也要跟着我。"

把他们从梦中叫醒确实不是易事,何况他们都比你大,而且都累坏了。更要命的是,你是要告诉他们一些可能他们不信的话,要让他们做一件他们肯定不情愿做的事。"不能想这么多,我一定要把事情做好。"露茜心想。

她先走到彼得身边,摇他的肩膀。"彼得,"她趴到他耳边,"醒醒,快。阿斯兰来了。他让我们跟他一起离开。"

"好的,露茜,马上走。"彼得很爽快,太出乎意料了,这让露茜精神大振。可是没想到彼得翻了个身又睡了。真是白费力气。

然后她去喊苏珊。苏珊是醒了,只不过她用那令人讨厌的成年人腔调说,"你又在说梦话了,露茜接着睡吧。"

露茜没办法,只好去摇爱德蒙。真是不好叫醒,不过叫了他之后,他竟然真的醒了,还坐了起来。

狮王看着她的眼睛。

"噢,阿斯兰,"露茜说,"你认为是我的错吗?我不能......我不能抛弃他们,一个人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那样看着我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不会孤单,可有什么用呢?"

"嗯?"他生气地问,"你在说什么?"

她又说了一遍。这是她碰到的最难搞定的事。现在对于刚才的事,她自己都开始怀疑有没有那么回事了。

"阿斯兰!"爱德蒙跳了起来,"太好了!在哪儿?"

露茜转身,还是看见阿斯兰在那里等他们。"在那儿。"她用手一指。

"哪儿?"爱德蒙又问。

"那儿,那儿。还没看见?就在树林那边。"

爱德蒙瞅了半天,还是说,"没有,什么也看不到。月亮的光不够亮,你肯定是看花眼了。这很正常。有一会儿好像我也看到了,其实只是错觉而已。"

"我一直都能看到他,"露茜说,"他正看我们呢。"

"为什么我看不到呢?"

"他说你们可能看不到他。"

"为什么?"

"不知道,是他说的。"

"噢,就你事多,"爱德蒙说,"但愿你的脑袋没有坏掉,不过还是把他们都喊醒吧。"

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