英语听力 学英语,练听力,上听力课堂! 注册 登录
> 在线听力 > 有声读物 > 世界名著 > 纳尼亚传奇7本全 >  第31篇

《凯斯宾王子》第十五章 天门开启

所属教程:纳尼亚传奇7本全

浏览:

2018年07月01日

手机版
扫描二维码方便学习和分享
https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529//10000/10106/卡斯宾王子15.mp3
https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012

CHAPTER FIFTEEN ASLAN MAKES A DOOR IN THE AIR

第十五章 天门开启

AT the sight of Aslan the cheeks of the Telmarine soldiers became the colour of cold gravy,their knees knocked together,and many fell on their faces.They had not believed in lions and this made their fear greater.Even the Red Dwarfs,who knew that he came as a friend,stood with open mouths and could not speak.Some of the Black Dwarfs,who had been of Nikabrik's party,began to edge away.But all the Talking Beasts surged round the Lion,with purrs and grunts and squeaks and whinneys of delight,fawning on him with their tails,rubbing against him,touching him reverently with their noses and going to and fro under his body and between his legs.If you have ever seen a little cat loving a big dog whom it knows and trusts,you will have a pretty good picture of their behaviour.Then Peter,leading Caspian,forced his way through the crowd of animals.

一看到阿斯兰,台尔马士兵顿时吓得六神无主,不少人磕头求饶。他们从来不相信狮王阿斯兰的传说,他的突然出现更让人恐惧。虽然红发小矮人知道阿斯兰是友,可这时也目瞪口呆。尼克布瑞克部下的那些黑发小矮人,悄悄退到一边。但会说话的动物就没有丝毫恐惧和害怕,它们把阿斯兰团团围住,叫着、跳着,冲着他摇头摆尾,亲热地在他身上蹭来蹭去,在他的身下、腿间钻来钻去,用鼻子拱他、亲他。你要是见过一只猫跟一只信赖自己、了解自己的狗亲昵的话,你就能想象出当时的情景了。这时彼得领着凯斯宾挤进人群,来到了阿斯兰面前。

"This is Caspian,Sir,"he said.And Caspian knelt and kissed the Lion's paw.

"这是凯斯宾王子,阁下,"他介绍道。凯斯宾便单腿跪下,吻了吻狮王的爪子。

"Welcome,Prince,"said Aslan."Do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the Kingship of Narnia?"

"欢迎你,王子,"阿斯兰说,"你有足够的信心治理好纳尼亚吗?"

"I-I don't think I do,Sir,"said Caspian."I'm only a kid."

"我--我认为我不行,阁下,"凯斯宾说,"我尚年幼。"

"Good,"said Aslan."If you had felt yourself sufficient,it would have been a proof that you were not.Therefore,under us and under the High King,you shall be King of Narnia,Lord of Cair Paravel,and Emperor of the Lone Islands.You and your heirs while your race lasts.And your coronation-but what have we here?"For at that moment a curious little procession was approaching-eleven Mice,six of whom carried between them something on a litter made of branches,but the litter was no bigger than a large atlas.No one has ever seen mice more woebegone than these.They were plastered with mud-some with blood too-and their ears were down and their whiskers drooped and their tails dragged in the grass,and their leader piped on his slender pipe a melancholy tune.On the litter lay what seemed little better than a damp heap of fur; all that was left of Reepicheep.He was still breathing,but more dead than alive,gashed with innumerable wounds,one paw crushed,and,where his tail had been,a bandaged stump.

"好,"阿斯兰说,"如果你自认为胸有成竹,这只能证明你幼稚。现在你就要成为继我和至尊王之后的纳尼亚国王、凯尔帕拉维尔统治者、孤独群岛君王。只要你的臣民还在这片土地上繁衍生息,你和你的继承人就要对他们负责。坐好你的宝座--是谁走过来了?"就在这时,一支小小的队伍走来--是十一只老鼠。六只抬着树枝担架,不过还不及一本地图大呢,看不清上面是什么。老鼠身上全是泥和血迹,老鼠们的尾巴无精打采地拖在草地上。领队吹着一支忧伤的曲子。队伍到大家跟前,才看清担架上那一小堆东西,是雷佩契普。它受伤非常严重,一只爪子被踩碎了,尾巴也掉了,就剩最后一口气。

"Now,Lucy,"said Aslan.

"露茜,看你的了。"阿斯兰说。

Lucy had her diamond bottle out in a moment.Though only a drop was needed on each of Reepicheep's wounds,the wounds were so many that there was a long and anxious silence before she had finished and the Master Mouse sprang from the litter.His hand went at once to his sword hilt,with the other he twirled his whiskers.He bowed.

露茜立刻拿出她的钻石瓶子。一个伤口只需一滴药水,但是她似乎好久才给雷佩契普上完药,它的伤口实在太多。最后一滴药水滴完,鼠将军翻身就从担架上跳了下来。它一手握着剑柄上,一手捻着胡须,优雅地向阿斯兰鞠躬。

"Hail,Aslan!"came his shrill voice."I have the honour-"But then he suddenly stopped.

"阿斯兰在上!"场上又响起它尖细的嗓音,"我很荣幸......"然后它突然停了下来。

The fact was that he still had no tail-whether that Lucy had forgotten it or that her cordial,though it could heal wounds,could not make things grow again.Reepicheep became aware of his loss as he made his bow; perhaps it altered something in his balance.He looked over his right shoulder.Failing to see his tail,he strained his neck further till he had to turn his shoulders and his whole body followed.But by that time his hind-quarters had turned too and were out of sight.Then he strained his neck looking over his shoulder again,with the same result.Only after he had turned completely round three times did he realize the dreadful truth.

实际上,虽然雷佩契普的伤口已经痊愈,但它没了尾巴。要么是露茜忘了它的尾巴部分,要么是她的药水虽然可以治愈伤口,却无法使身体失去的部分重获新生。雷佩契普鞠躬时,突然发现自己没了尾巴,就从右肩向身后望去,还是不见自己的尾巴。于是它又把脖子向后伸去,整个身体都扭动起来,却还是看不到自己的尾巴。反复了几次,终于确定了自己的尾巴不见了。

"I am confounded,"said Reepicheep to Aslan."I am completely out of countenance.I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion."

"我该死,"雷佩契普对阿斯兰说,"在您面前如此不稳重。以这样的样子在您面前出丑,请见谅。"

"It becomes you very well,Small One,"said Aslan.

"看起来还好啊,小家伙。"阿斯兰说。

"All the same,"replied Reepicheep,"if anything could be done...Perhaps her Majesty?"and here he bowed to Lucy.

"如您所说,"雷佩契普回复道,"不过不知道有没有办法让尾巴再长出来......也许女王陛下?"雷佩契普说着,又向露茜行了个礼。

"But what do you want with a tail?"asked Aslan.

"可是要尾巴有什么用呢?"阿斯兰问。

"Sir,"said the Mouse,"I can eat and sleep and die for my King without one.But a tail is the honour and glory of a Mouse."

"阁下,"鼠将军说,"没有尾巴丝毫不影响我的吃睡,也不影响我为您战斗牺牲。但是尾巴是老鼠的荣誉。"

"I have sometimes wondered,friend,"said Aslan,"whether you do not think too much about your honour."

"朋友,有时我想,"阿斯兰说,"你对你的荣誉是不是多虑了。"

"Highest of all High Kings,"said Reepicheep,"permit me to remind you that a very small size has been bestowed on us Mice,and if we did not guard our dignity,some (who weigh worth by inches) would allow themselves very unsuitable pleasantries at our expense.That is why I have been at some pains to make it known that no one who does not wish to feel this sword as near his heart as I can reach shall talk in my presence about Traps or Toasted Cheese or Candles: no,Sir-not the tallest fool in Narnia!"Here he glared very fiercely up at Wimbleweather,but the Giant,who was always a stage behind everyone else,had not yet discovered what was being talked about down at his feet,and so missed the point.

"尊贵的王,"雷佩契普说,"请允许我说句,命运赋予我们这样小的身体,如果我们不保护自己的尊严,那么那些以身高来衡量价值的家伙,就会拿我们寻开心。这就是为什么我总告诫人们,如果不想被刺就不要在我面前提'鼠夹子'、'鼠药'、'上灯台、下不来'等字眼。不管他是谁!个子多高!"雷佩契普说到这里,瞪了韦姆布威热一眼。可是,挡在大家身后的巨人并没有听到脚下的朋友在说什么,当然也不知道鼠将军是在指桑骂槐。

"Why have your followers all drawn their swords,may I ask?"said Aslan.

"请问,你的部下为什么都把宝剑抽出来?"阿斯兰说。

"May it please your High Majesty,"said the second Mouse,whose name was Peepiceek,"we are all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his.We will not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High Mouse."

"启禀至高无上的君主,"老鼠副统帅雷佩希克回答说,"假如我们老大的尾巴无法恢复,我们所有人都割去尾巴来分担它的不幸。

"Ah!"roared Aslan."You have conquered me.You have great hearts.Not for the sake of your dignity,Reepicheep,but for the love that is between you and your people,and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords that bound me on the Stone Table (and it was then,though you have long forgotten it,that you began to be Talking Mice),you shall have your tail again."

"啊!"阿斯兰高声说,"你们心灵非常高尚,雷佩契普你将拥有一条新的尾巴,不是因为你的尊严,而是因为你和同伴非常友爱,并且感谢你们对我的帮助。还记得吗,大石桌上是你们咬断了我身上的绳索。于是从那时起,你们开始会讲话。"

Before Aslan had finished speaking the new tail was in its place.Then,at Aslan's command,Peter bestowed the Knighthood of the Order of the Lion on Caspian,and Caspian,as soon as he was knighted,himself bestowed it on Trufflehunter and Trumpkin and Reepicheep,and made Doctor Cornelius his Lord Chancellor,of the Lists.And there was great applause.

阿斯兰话还没说完,雷佩契普就长出了一条新的尾巴。接着在阿斯兰的指示下,彼得授予凯斯宾骑士封号。凯斯宾又封特鲁佛汉特、杜鲁普金和雷佩契普为护国将军,封克奈尔斯博士为大法官,棕熊为决斗公证所所长。然后是一阵雷鸣般的掌声。

After this the Telmarine soldiers,firmly but without taunts or blows,were taken across the ford and all put under lock and key in the town of Beruna and given beef and beer.They made a great fuss about wading in the river,for they all hated and feared running water just as much as they hated and feared woods and animals.But in the end the nuisance was over: and then the nicest parts of that long day began.

仪式结束后,那些战俘被押到河对岸囚禁在柏卢纳,每天给他们牛肉、啤酒,他们苟延残喘地活着。他们过河费了很大的劲儿,因为那些士兵特别害怕河水。在过河时一个个大喊大叫,惊恐万分。不过好在最后一切都归于平静,然后这一天中最美好的一段时光开始了。

Lucy,sitting close to Aslan and divinely comfortable,wondered what the trees were doing.At first she thought they were merely dancing; they were certainly going round slowly in two circles,one from left to right and the other from right to left.Then she noticed that they kept throwing something down in the centre of both circles.Sometimes she thought they were cutting off long strands of their hair; at other times it looked as if they were breaking off bits of their fingers-but,if so,they had plenty of fingers to spare and it did not hurt them.But whatever they were throwing down,when it reached the ground,it became brushwood or dry sticks.Then three or four of the Red Dwarfs came forward with their tinder boxes and set light to the pile,which first crackled,and then blazed,and finally roared as a woodland bonfire on midsummer night ought to do.And everyone sat down in a wide circle round it.

露茜坐在阿斯兰身旁,说不出的开心。突然她看到那些树神好像是在跳舞。它们围成两个圈,缓缓地一个圈从左往右移动,另一个圈从右往左露茜注意到,移动它们不停地往圆圈中心扔着东西。她觉得它们在折断自己的长发,又觉得它们在折断自己的枝叶,总之它们有很多枝叶,也不觉得会痛。那些东西一落地,就变成了干柴。这时三四个小矮人拿着火柴点燃了地上的干柴。先是星星之火,很快就燃成了熊熊大火,大家在火旁堆旁坐了下来。

Then Bacchus and Silenus and the Maenads began a dance,far wilder than the dance of the trees; not merely a dance for fun and beauty (though it was that too) but a magic dance of plenty,and where their hands touched,and where their feet fell,the feast came into existence-sides of roasted meat that filled the grove with delicious smell,and wheaten cakes and oaten cakes,honey and many-coloured sugars and cream as thick as porridge and as smooth as still water,peaches,nectarines,pomegranates,pears,grapes,strawberries,raspberries-pyramids and cataracts of fruit.Then,in great wooden cups and bowls and mazers,wreathed with ivy,came the wines; dark,thick ones like syrups of mulberry juice,and clear red ones like red jellies liquefied,and yellow wines and green wines and yellow-green and greenish-yellow.

这时巴库斯、塞利努斯和那些野姑娘开始起舞。他们的舞非常特别,不仅舞姿优美,更像是在变魔术--他们所到之处,会出现各种美味佳肴:令人馋涎欲滴的烤肉,蛋糕、馅饼和色彩鲜艳的糖果令人目不暇接,还有入口即化的奶油、蜂蜜、鸭梨、葡萄、草莓、蜜桃、哈密瓜。而在常春藤缠绕着的巨大的木杯中,盛着各种美酒佳酿,有的像桑椹浆般醇厚 ,有的像果冻般透明,有的像青翠欲滴的葡萄,有的变换着色泽,这些都是黄葡萄酒、绿葡萄酒、黄绿葡萄酒和绿黄葡萄酒。

But for the tree people different fare was provided.When Lucy saw Clodsley Shovel and his moles scuffling up the turf in various places (which Bacchus had pointed out to them) and realized that the trees were going to eat earth it gave her rather a shudder.But when she saw the earths that were actually brought to them she felt quite different.They began with a rich brown loam that looked almost exactly like chocolate; so like chocolate,in fact,that Edmund tried a piece of it,but he did not find it at all nice.When the rich loam had taken the edge off their hunger,the trees turned to an earth of the kind you see in Somerset,which is almost pink.They said it was lighter and sweeter.At the cheese stage they had a chalky soil,and then went on to delicate confections of the finest gravels powdered with choice silver sand.They drank very little wine,and it made the Hollies very talkative: for the most part they quenched their thirst with deep draughts of mingled dew and rain,flavoured with forest flowers and the airy taste of the thinnest clouds.

他们还给树木准备了不一样的宴席。鼹鼠们在首邻的带领下,按照巴库斯的指点用铁锹挖开了一些地方的草皮。露茜这才发现,树木要吃的原来是泥巴;想到这儿,她不由自主地打了个战栗。但是当她亲眼见到树木吃泥巴的样子,感觉就大不一样了。他们先吃了像巧克力一样的沃土--那看上去实在太像巧克力酱了,爱德蒙也忍不住抓起来尝了一点,但他还是觉得味道不太对。树木们吃了沃土之后,没有那么饿了,又吃起了另一种泥土。这种粉红色的泥土只能在萨默塞特郡找到。树木们说,这种泥土味道比较清淡,吃起来还有点甜。到了该吃奶酪的时候,树木享用的是一种白垩土;他们的甜品则是上面撒着细沙的优质卵石。他们也喝了一点葡萄酒,这让冬青树变得很话唠。大部分树木都喝饱了用露水和雨水调制的饮料,里面还掺了点森林花朵的味道,还有用最淡的云彩造的气泡。

Thus Aslan feasted the Narnians till long after the sunset had died away,and the stars had come out; and the great fire,now hotter but less noisy,shone like a beacon in the dark woods,and the frightened Telmarines saw it from far away and wondered what it might mean.The best thing of all about this feast was that there was no breaking up or going away,but as the talk grew quieter and slower,one after another would begin to nod and finally drop off to sleep with feet towards the fire and good friends on either side,till at last there was silence all round the circle,and the chattering of water over stone at the Ford of Beruna could be heard once more.But all night Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.

阿斯兰以这样的盛宴款待了纳尼亚的臣民,一直到夜幕降临,繁星升起。篝火不再劈啪作响,却明亮得像一座灯塔,照亮了黑暗的山林。台尔马人从远处看到这火光,都惶惶不安,不知道这是一种什么预兆。这种宴会好就好在,大家不需要互相告别,也没有人中途退席;只听见谈话声渐弱,人们说话的声调越拉越长,然后就挨个儿睡去了。大家都躺在草地上或都依偎着好朋友,脚朝着篝火呼呼大睡。最后篝火四周都安静下来了,只有不远处传来柏卢纳渡口潺潺的水声。一整夜,只有阿斯兰像月亮一样,清醒地、默默地盯着每一张熟睡的面孔。

Next day messengers (who were chiefly squirrels and birds) were sent all over the country with a proclamation to the scattered Telmarines-including,of course,the prisoners in Beruna.They were told that Caspian was now King and that Narnia would henceforth belong to the Talking Beasts and the Dwarfs and Dryads and Fauns and other creatures quite as much as to the men.Any who chose to stay under the new conditions might do so; but for those who did not like the idea,Aslan would provide another home.Anyone who wished to go there must come to Aslan and the Kings at the Ford of Beruna by noon on the fifth day.You may imagine that this caused plenty of head-scratching among the Telmarines.Some of them,chiefly the young ones,had,like Caspian,heard stories of the Old Days and were delighted that they had come back.They were already making friends with the creatures.These all decided to stay in Narnia.But most of the older men,especially those who had been important under Miraz,were sulky and had no wish to live in a country where they could not rule the roost."Live here with a lot of blooming performing animals! No fear,"they said."And ghosts too,"some added with a shudder."That's what those there Dryads really are.It's not canny."They were also suspicious."I don't trust'em,"they said."Not with that awful Lion and all.He won't keep his claws off us long,you'll see."But then they were equally suspicious of his offer to give them a new home."Take us off to his den and eat us one by one most likely,"they muttered.And the more they talked to one another the sulkier and more suspicious they became.But on the appointed day more than half of them turned up.

第二天,主要是松鼠和小鸟的使臣们被派到各处,向逃亡的台尔马人--包括柏卢纳的那些俘虏宣告:凯斯宾已经成为纳尼亚的国王,这个国家属于人类,也属于所有会说话的动物、小矮人和巨人。任何愿意在这块土地上生活的人,都可以留下来绝不勉强。那些不愿意留下的人阿斯兰另有安排,但这些人必须在第五天中午前到柏卢纳渡口。你可以想象,这些新政策肯定会在多数台尔马人中引起骚动。他们之中有许多年轻人,像凯斯宾一样自小就听过许多古老纳尼亚的传说,他们为美好时光的来临感到兴奋,并且已经和动物们成了朋友。这些人毫无疑问地都愿意留在纳尼亚。可那些大部分上了年纪的人,尤其是那些在弥若兹统治下有权有势的人却郁郁寡欢。他们不敢想象失去了权势,生活还会有什么意义。他们说:"和那些动物生活在一起!还有小矮人、巨人、人马那样的怪物!太恐怖了,我们可不干!""还有鬼魂!"有人补充道,这话说起来不寒而栗,"还有树妖、树精那些吓人的东西。"还有人持怀疑态度:"我不相信那只狮子和他的属下会让我们过好日子的,走着瞧吧!"他们也不相信阿斯兰会给他们一个新家园,小声地嘟囔说:"他会把我们带回山洞,一个个吃掉!"他们越是议论,越是怀疑和不安。可是那一天大半人还是如期而至。

At one end of the glade Aslan had caused to be set up two stakes of wood,higher than a man's head and about three feet apart.A third,and lighter,piece of wood was bound across them at the top,uniting them,so that the whole thing looked like a doorway from nowhere into nowhere.In front of this stood Aslan himself with Peter on his right and Caspian on his left.Grouped round them were Susan and Lucy,Trumpkin and Trufflehunter,the Lord Cornelius,Glenstorm,Reepicheep,and others.The children and the Dwarfs had made good use of the royal wardrobes in what had been the castle of Miraz and was now the castle of Caspian,and what with silk and cloth of gold,with snowy linen glancing through slashed sleeves,with silver mail shirts and jewelled sword-hilts,with gilt helmets and feathered bonnets,they were almost too bright to look at.Even the beasts wore rich chains about their necks.Yet nobody's eyes were on them or the children.The living and strokable gold of Aslan's mane outshone them all.The rest of the Old Narnians stood down each side of the glade.At the far end stood the Telmarines.The sun shone brightly and pennants fluttered in the light wind.

阿斯兰让人在林中空地上竖起两根木棍,一根人那么高,间隔一米左右,又把另一根木棍,横绑在那两根的顶端,最后的形状像个门框一样。阿斯兰站在不远处,左边是彼得,右边是凯斯宾,他们旁边站着爱德蒙、苏珊、露茜和其他人。孩子们和小矮人们都穿着节日的盛装。这些华丽的衣服都出自弥若兹城堡,当然确切地说现在已经是凯斯宾城堡了。可是,没有人去注意这些。阿斯兰那金色鬃毛,已经让他们头晕目眩。纳尼亚臣民分站空地两端。远处是台尔马人。天气很好,阳光明媚,战旗迎风飘扬。

"Men of Telmar,"said Aslan,"you who seek a new land,hear my words.I will send you all to your own country,which I know and you do not."

"台尔马的同胞们,"阿斯兰说道,"愿意重建家园的人,听我说。我会把你们送回你们自己的国家,只有我知道的那里。"

"We don't remember Telmar.We don't know where it is.We don't know what it is like,"grumbled the Telmarines.

"我们不记得台尔马了。不知道它在哪儿,也不知道那里现在是什么样子。"台尔马人各抒己见。

"You came into Narnia out of Telmar,"said Aslan."But you came into Telmar from another place.You do not belong to this world at all.You came hither,certain generations ago,out of that same world to which the High King Peter belongs."

"你们从台尔马来到纳尼亚,"阿斯兰说,"而你们又是别的地方来到台尔马。你们的国家根本不属于这里。几百年前你们属于另一个世界,就是至尊王彼得所在的那个世界。"

At this,half the Telmarines began whimpering,"There you are.Told you so.He's going to kill us all,send us right out of the world,"and the other half began throwing out their chests and slapping one another on the back and whispering,"There you are.Might have guessed we didn't belong to this place with all its queer,nasty,unnatural creatures.We're of royal blood,you'll see."And even Caspian and Cornelius and the children turned to Aslan with looks of amazement on their faces.

听到这儿,台尔马人开始坐立不安。"看看,我没说错吧!他要把我们都杀死,把我们从这个世界上除掉!"但是另一些人拍拍彼此的肩膀,低语道:"怎么样!早该看出来,我们本来不属于这里,跟这些长相奇怪的家伙不是同类人。我们出身高贵,走着瞧吧!"这时候,甚至凯斯宾、克奈尔斯和孩子们都看着阿斯兰。

"Peace,"said Aslan in the low voice which was nearest to his growl.The earth seemed to shake a little and every living thing in the grove became still as stone.

"安静!"阿斯兰简直像在吼叫。大地似乎颤抖了一下,大家突然一下子像石头一样静下来。

"You,Sir Caspian,"said Aslan,"might have known that you could be no true King of Narnia unless,like the Kings of old,you were a son of Adam and came from the world of Adam's sons.And so you are.Many years ago in that world,in a deep sea of that world which is called the South Sea,a shipload of pirates were driven by storm on an island.And there they did as pirates would: killed the natives and took the native women for wives,and made palm wine,and drank and were drunk,and lay in the shade of the palm trees,and woke up and quarrelled,and sometimes killed one another.And in one of these frays six were put to flight by the rest and fled with their women into the centre of the island and up a mountain,and went,as they thought,into a cave to hide.But it was one of the magical places of that world,one of the chinks or chasms between chat world and this.There were many chinks or chasms between worlds in old times,but they have grown rarer.This was one of the last: I do not say the last.And so they fell,or rose,or blundered,or dropped right through,and found themselves in this world,in the Land of Telmar which was then unpeopled.But why it was unpeopled is a long story: I will not tell it now.And in Telmar their descendants lived and became a fierce and proud people; and after many generations there was a famine in Telmar and they invaded Narnia,which was then in some disorder (but that also would be a long story),and conquered it and ruled it.Do you mark all this well,King Caspian?"

"是的,凯斯宾国王,"阿斯兰说,"你们应该知道,只有亚当的子孙,并且来自亚当子孙的世界,才有资格成为纳尼亚的国王。而你们正是亚当的子孙。很久以前,在那个叫南海的地方,有一船海盗遇到海难,被风暴吹上一个小岛。他们露出海盗的本性,杀光了所有本地男人,逼迫当地的妇女做自己的妻子。终日喝岛上自制的椰子酒,经常酩酊大醉,睡在椰子树下,醒来后就开始吵架,严重的时候还会互相残杀。有一次六个人遭到其他同伴追杀,他们带着自己的家眷逃到小岛中间的山顶,藏在一个山洞。没想到那个山洞通往两个世界。古代有许多类似的通道连接两个世界,可惜现在大部分都已经自动封闭了。他们碰巧钻进了其中一个。结果,他们就开始觉得天旋地转。再睁开眼时,他们发现自己在一片陌生的国土,就是后来的台尔马王国。之前这片土地还没有人类踏足。至于为什么没有人迹,那就是另一个故事了。这六对男女再也没离开,他们世代繁衍生息形成一个彪悍的民族。就这样过去了好多年。有一年台尔马闹饥荒,他们只好开始侵略纳尼亚,并统治这个国家。至于那时纳尼亚为什么那么容易被入侵,那就另有原因了。凯斯宾国王,这些你都记下来了吗?"

"I do indeed,Sir,"said Caspian."I was wishing that I came of a more honourable lineage."

"我会牢记的,阁下,"凯斯宾说,"我一直希望自己出身体面。"

"You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,"said Aslan."And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar,and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth.Be content."

"你们的祖先是亚当和夏娃,"阿斯兰说,"这足以让一无所有的乞丐也能挺起胸膛,也足以令那些其他君主相形见绌。你们应该知足了。"

Caspian bowed.

凯斯宾鞠了一躬。

"And now,"said Aslan,"you men and women of Telmar,will you go back to that island in the world of men from which your fathers first came? It is no bad place.The race of those pirates who first found it has died out,and it is without inhabitants.There are good wells of fresh water,and fruitful soil,and timber for building,and fish in the lagoons; and the other men of that world have not yet discovered it.The chasm is open for your return; but this I must warn you,that once you have gone through,it will close behind you forever.There will be no more commerce between the worlds by that door."

"现在,"阿斯兰说道,"台尔马人,你们愿意回到你们祖先生活的那个世界吗?那是个好地方。岛上的海盗早已死光,一直荒无人烟。你们有水质甘甜的水井,肥沃的土地,足够的木材,还有捕不尽的鱼虾。人类至今还没有发现那里,天门依然为你们敞开。可是,我必须告诉你们,一旦你们走过通道天门就会永远关闭。"

There was silence for a moment.Then a burly,decent looking fellow among the Telmarine soldiers pushed forward and said:

一阵沉默之后,一个健壮、长得还算体面的台尔马人走过来,说:

"Well,I'll take the offer."

好吧,我愿意接受这样的安排。

The man,now a little pale,came forward.Aslan and his court drew aside,leaving him free access to the empty doorway of the stakes.

那人脸色有些苍白,但还是迈开步子向前走去。阿斯兰和其他人退到两边,留出一条路,一直通往那个门框。

"Go through it,my son,"said Aslan,bending towards him and touching the man's nose with his own.As soon as the Lion's breath came about him,a new look came into the man's eyes-startled,but not unhappy-as if he were trying to remember something.Then he squared his shoulders and walked into the Door.

"走过去,孩子。"阿斯兰说着,起身用鼻子在那人的鼻子上轻轻碰了一下。接触到阿斯兰的气息,那人的神色随之一变目光坚定,仿佛充满回忆。他耸耸肩,从容地走向那门框。

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him.They saw the three pieces of wood,and through them the trees and grass and sky of Narnia.They saw the man between the doorposts: then,in one second,he had vanished utterly.

所有人都盯着他。同时,他们可以看清那三根木棍和门框那边的草地、树林和纳尼亚的天空。他们看着那个人,一条腿刚跨进门框之后,一眨眼就消失了。

From the other end of the glade the remaining Telmarines set up a wailing."Ugh! What's happened to him? Do you mean to murder us? We won't go that way."And then one of the clever Telmarines said:

剩下的台尔马人都大声惊叫:"天哪!这是怎么了?你要谋杀我们吗?啊,我不去!"

"We don't see any other world through those sticks.If you want us to believe in it,why doesn't one of you go? All your own friends are keeping well away from the sticks."

这时一个明智的台尔马人站出来说:"从这里根本看不到另一个世界。如果要我们相信它,除非派你的部下先过去。为什么你的朋友都站得远远的呢?"

Instantly Reepicheep stood forward and bowed."If my example can be of any service,Aslan,"he said,"I will take eleven mice through that arch at your bidding without a moment's delay."

那人话音还没落,雷佩契普就站出来向阿斯兰鞠了一躬。"如果我能用自己的行动说服他们,尊敬的阿斯兰请你下令,我将带着我的十一名兄弟马上走过去,毫不犹豫。"

"Nay,little one,"said Aslan,laying his velvety paw ever so lightly on Reepicheep's head."They would do dreadful things to you in that world.They would show you at fairs.It is others who must lead."

"不,小家伙,"阿斯兰把他毛茸茸的爪子轻轻放在老鼠的头上,"在那个世界,他们会虐待你们。让别人去吧。"

"Come on,"said Peter suddenly to Edmund and Lucy."Our time's up."

"我们去。"彼得对爱德蒙和露茜喊了一声,"是时候了。"

"What do you mean?"said Edmund.

"干什么?"爱德蒙问。

"This way,"said Susan,who seemed to know all about it."Back into the trees.We've got to change."

"回家啊!"苏珊说,似乎对将要发生的事了然于胸。"但我们必须先换一下。"

"Change what?"asked Lucy.

"换什么?"露茜问。

"Our clothes,of course,"said Susan."Nice fools we'd look on the platform of an English station in these."

"当然是衣服,"苏珊说,"穿这身衣服出现在火车站台上,那该多高的回头率啊!"

"But our other things are at Caspian's castle,"said Edmund.

"可是我们的行李都在凯斯宾城堡。"爱德蒙说。

"No,they're not,"said Peter,still leading the way into the thickest wood."They're all here.They were brought down in bundles this morning.It's all arranged."

"不,不在那儿,"彼得站在木框前说,"在这里。早上送来的,都安排好了。"

"Was that what Aslan was talking to you and Susan about this morning?"asked Lucy.

"早上阿斯兰对你和苏珊说的就是这个吗?"露茜问道。

"Yes-that and other things,"said Peter,his face very solemn."I can't tell it to you all.There were things he wanted to say to Su and me because we're not coming back to Narnia."

"是的。还有一件事,"彼得突然变得很严肃起来,"我无法全部都告诉你。有些事情他只希望我和苏珊明白就行了,因为我们再也回不来了。"

"Never?"cried Edmund and Lucy in dismay.

"再也?"爱德蒙和露茜一起叫起来。

"Oh,you two are,"answered Peter."At least,from what he said,I'mpretty sure he means you to get back some day.But not Su and me.He says we're getting too old."

"哦,不过你们还会回来的,"彼得回答说,"至少从他的话里,我能听出你们还会回到这里的。不过我和苏珊不会了。他说我们已经长大了。"

"Oh,Peter,"said Lucy."What awful bad luck.Can you bear it?"

"哦,彼得,"露茜说,"真是太可怕了!你能接受吗?"

"Well,I think I can,"said Peter."It's all rather different from what I thought.You'll understand when it comes to your last time.But,quick,here are our things."

"我想我能,"彼得说,"我的思想已经足够理解这一切,当你们最后一次告别的时候,你们也会明白的。好了,快点,衣服都在这儿。

It was odd,and not very nice,to take off their royal clothes and to come back in their school things (not very fresh now) into that great assembly.One or two of the nastier Telmarines jeered.But the other creatures all cheered and rose up in honour of Peter the High King,and Queen Susan of the Horn,and King Edmund,and Queen Lucy.There were affectionate and (on Lucy's part) tearful farewells with all their old friends-animal kisses,and hugs from Bulgy Bears,and hands wrung by Trumpkin,and a last tickly,whiskerish embrace with Trufflehunter.And of course Caspian offered the Horn back to Susan and of course Susan told him to keep it.And then,wonderfully and terribly,it was farewell to Aslan himself,and Peter took his place with Susan's hands on his shoulders and Edmund's on hers and Lucy's on his and the first of the Telmarine's on Lucy's,and so in a long line they moved forward to the Door.After that came a moment which is hard to describe,for the children seemed to be seeing three things at once.One was the mouth of a cave opening into the glaring green and blue of an island in the Pacific,where all the Telmarines would find themselves the moment they were through the Door.The second was a glade in Narnia,the faces of Dwarfs and Beasts,the deep eyes of Aslan,and the white patches on the Badger's cheeks.But the third (which rapidly swallowed up the other two) was the grey,gravelly surface of a platform in a country station,and a seat with luggage round it,where they were all sitting as if they had never moved from it-a little flat and dreary for a moment after all they had been through,but also,unexpectedly,nice in its own way,what with the familiar railway smell and the English sky and the summer term before them.

孩子们不情愿地脱下贵族服装穿上校服,几个台尔马人在窃笑。这时所有人都起立欢呼,向至尊王彼得、苏珊女王、爱德蒙国王和露茜女王致敬。大家依依不舍地道别。他们和小动物们亲吻,和大棕熊拥抱,和杜鲁普金握手。凯斯宾把号角还给苏珊。苏珊犹豫了一下,还是把号角交给凯斯宾留作纪念。他们的心情很复杂,向阿斯兰告别之后彼得在前面领路,苏珊双手搭在他肩上,爱德蒙他的手搭在苏珊肩上,露茜也照做。后面跟着一长队台尔马人向门框走去。然后是一阵天旋地转,孩子们同时看到了三幅画面:第一幅是洞口,看着像太平洋的一个无名岛屿。所有台尔马人都将来到这里开始他们的新生活。第二幅是纳尼亚的那片林间空地,他们看到了小矮人和动物们的笑脸,还有阿斯兰深邃的目光和獾两颊的白毛。第三幅画面很快覆盖了前两副,是乡间火车站里那个雾蒙蒙的站台和长凳,旁边放着几件行李箱,他们还坐在那里,好像他们没离开过。经历了这一场冒险,这里好像显得有些平淡乏味,不过熟悉的火车气味。英国的天空让孩子们很快清醒过来,面对周围久违的一切,和即将开始的暑期心生亲切之感。

"Well!"said Peter."We have had a time."

"真好!"彼得说,"我们在那儿度过了一段美好时光。"

"Bother!"said Edmund."I've left my new torch in Narnia.

"糟了!"爱德蒙说,"我的新手电筒落在纳尼亚了。"

"It is well chosen,"said Aslan."And because you have spoken first,strong magic is upon you.Your future in that world shall be good.Come forth."

"这是个明智的选择,"阿斯兰说,"你是第一个敢于做决定的人,你将得到神灵更多的眷顾,你的命运将比别人好。请你再往前走。"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN ASLAN MAKES A DOOR IN THE AIR

AT the sight of Aslan the cheeks of the Telmarine soldiers became the colour of cold gravy,their knees knocked together,and many fell on their faces.They had not believed in lions and this made their fear greater.Even the Red Dwarfs,who knew that he came as a friend,stood with open mouths and could not speak.Some of the Black Dwarfs,who had been of Nikabrik's party,began to edge away.But all the Talking Beasts surged round the Lion,with purrs and grunts and squeaks and whinneys of delight,fawning on him with their tails,rubbing against him,touching him reverently with their noses and going to and fro under his body and between his legs.If you have ever seen a little cat loving a big dog whom it knows and trusts,you will have a pretty good picture of their behaviour.Then Peter,leading Caspian,forced his way through the crowd of animals.

"This is Caspian,Sir,"he said.And Caspian knelt and kissed the Lion's paw.

"Welcome,Prince,"said Aslan."Do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the Kingship of Narnia?"

"I-I don't think I do,Sir,"said Caspian."I'm only a kid."

"Good,"said Aslan."If you had felt yourself sufficient,it would have been a proof that you were not.Therefore,under us and under the High King,you shall be King of Narnia,Lord of Cair Paravel,and Emperor of the Lone Islands.You and your heirs while your race lasts.And your coronation-but what have we here?"For at that moment a curious little procession was approaching-eleven Mice,six of whom carried between them something on a litter made of branches,but the litter was no bigger than a large atlas.No one has ever seen mice more woebegone than these.They were plastered with mud-some with blood too-and their ears were down and their whiskers drooped and their tails dragged in the grass,and their leader piped on his slender pipe a melancholy tune.On the litter lay what seemed little better than a damp heap of fur; all that was left of Reepicheep.He was still breathing,but more dead than alive,gashed with innumerable wounds,one paw crushed,and,where his tail had been,a bandaged stump.

"Now,Lucy,"said Aslan.

Lucy had her diamond bottle out in a moment.Though only a drop was needed on each of Reepicheep's wounds,the wounds were so many that there was a long and anxious silence before she had finished and the Master Mouse sprang from the litter.His hand went at once to his sword hilt,with the other he twirled his whiskers.He bowed.

"Hail,Aslan!"came his shrill voice."I have the honour-"But then he suddenly stopped.

The fact was that he still had no tail-whether that Lucy had forgotten it or that her cordial,though it could heal wounds,could not make things grow again.Reepicheep became aware of his loss as he made his bow; perhaps it altered something in his balance.He looked over his right shoulder.Failing to see his tail,he strained his neck further till he had to turn his shoulders and his whole body followed.But by that time his hind-quarters had turned too and were out of sight.Then he strained his neck looking over his shoulder again,with the same result.Only after he had turned completely round three times did he realize the dreadful truth.

"I am confounded,"said Reepicheep to Aslan."I am completely out of countenance.I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion."

"It becomes you very well,Small One,"said Aslan.

"All the same,"replied Reepicheep,"if anything could be done...Perhaps her Majesty?"and here he bowed to Lucy.

"But what do you want with a tail?"asked Aslan.

"Sir,"said the Mouse,"I can eat and sleep and die for my King without one.But a tail is the honour and glory of a Mouse."

"I have sometimes wondered,friend,"said Aslan,"whether you do not think too much about your honour."

"Highest of all High Kings,"said Reepicheep,"permit me to remind you that a very small size has been bestowed on us Mice,and if we did not guard our dignity,some (who weigh worth by inches) would allow themselves very unsuitable pleasantries at our expense.That is why I have been at some pains to make it known that no one who does not wish to feel this sword as near his heart as I can reach shall talk in my presence about Traps or Toasted Cheese or Candles: no,Sir-not the tallest fool in Narnia!"Here he glared very fiercely up at Wimbleweather,but the Giant,who was always a stage behind everyone else,had not yet discovered what was being talked about down at his feet,and so missed the point.

"Why have your followers all drawn their swords,may I ask?"said Aslan.

"May it please your High Majesty,"said the second Mouse,whose name was Peepiceek,"we are all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his.We will not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High Mouse."

"Ah!"roared Aslan."You have conquered me.You have great hearts.Not for the sake of your dignity,Reepicheep,but for the love that is between you and your people,and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords that bound me on the Stone Table (and it was then,though you have long forgotten it,that you began to be Talking Mice),you shall have your tail again."

Before Aslan had finished speaking the new tail was in its place.Then,at Aslan's command,Peter bestowed the Knighthood of the Order of the Lion on Caspian,and Caspian,as soon as he was knighted,himself bestowed it on Trufflehunter and Trumpkin and Reepicheep,and made Doctor Cornelius his Lord Chancellor,of the Lists.And there was great applause.

After this the Telmarine soldiers,firmly but without taunts or blows,were taken across the ford and all put under lock and key in the town of Beruna and given beef and beer.They made a great fuss about wading in the river,for they all hated and feared running water just as much as they hated and feared woods and animals.But in the end the nuisance was over: and then the nicest parts of that long day began.

Lucy,sitting close to Aslan and divinely comfortable,wondered what the trees were doing.At first she thought they were merely dancing; they were certainly going round slowly in two circles,one from left to right and the other from right to left.Then she noticed that they kept throwing something down in the centre of both circles.Sometimes she thought they were cutting off long strands of their hair; at other times it looked as if they were breaking off bits of their fingers-but,if so,they had plenty of fingers to spare and it did not hurt them.But whatever they were throwing down,when it reached the ground,it became brushwood or dry sticks.Then three or four of the Red Dwarfs came forward with their tinder boxes and set light to the pile,which first crackled,and then blazed,and finally roared as a woodland bonfire on midsummer night ought to do.And everyone sat down in a wide circle round it.

Then Bacchus and Silenus and the Maenads began a dance,far wilder than the dance of the trees; not merely a dance for fun and beauty (though it was that too) but a magic dance of plenty,and where their hands touched,and where their feet fell,the feast came into existence-sides of roasted meat that filled the grove with delicious smell,and wheaten cakes and oaten cakes,honey and many-coloured sugars and cream as thick as porridge and as smooth as still water,peaches,nectarines,pomegranates,pears,grapes,strawberries,raspberries-pyramids and cataracts of fruit.Then,in great wooden cups and bowls and mazers,wreathed with ivy,came the wines; dark,thick ones like syrups of mulberry juice,and clear red ones like red jellies liquefied,and yellow wines and green wines and yellow-green and greenish-yellow.

But for the tree people different fare was provided.When Lucy saw Clodsley Shovel and his moles scuffling up the turf in various places (which Bacchus had pointed out to them) and realized that the trees were going to eat earth it gave her rather a shudder.But when she saw the earths that were actually brought to them she felt quite different.They began with a rich brown loam that looked almost exactly like chocolate; so like chocolate,in fact,that Edmund tried a piece of it,but he did not find it at all nice.When the rich loam had taken the edge off their hunger,the trees turned to an earth of the kind you see in Somerset,which is almost pink.They said it was lighter and sweeter.At the cheese stage they had a chalky soil,and then went on to delicate confections of the finest gravels powdered with choice silver sand.They drank very little wine,and it made the Hollies very talkative: for the most part they quenched their thirst with deep draughts of mingled dew and rain,flavoured with forest flowers and the airy taste of the thinnest clouds.

Thus Aslan feasted the Narnians till long after the sunset had died away,and the stars had come out; and the great fire,now hotter but less noisy,shone like a beacon in the dark woods,and the frightened Telmarines saw it from far away and wondered what it might mean.The best thing of all about this feast was that there was no breaking up or going away,but as the talk grew quieter and slower,one after another would begin to nod and finally drop off to sleep with feet towards the fire and good friends on either side,till at last there was silence all round the circle,and the chattering of water over stone at the Ford of Beruna could be heard once more.But all night Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.

Next day messengers (who were chiefly squirrels and birds) were sent all over the country with a proclamation to the scattered Telmarines-including,of course,the prisoners in Beruna.They were told that Caspian was now King and that Narnia would henceforth belong to the Talking Beasts and the Dwarfs and Dryads and Fauns and other creatures quite as much as to the men.Any who chose to stay under the new conditions might do so; but for those who did not like the idea,Aslan would provide another home.Anyone who wished to go there must come to Aslan and the Kings at the Ford of Beruna by noon on the fifth day.You may imagine that this caused plenty of head-scratching among the Telmarines.Some of them,chiefly the young ones,had,like Caspian,heard stories of the Old Days and were delighted that they had come back.They were already making friends with the creatures.These all decided to stay in Narnia.But most of the older men,especially those who had been important under Miraz,were sulky and had no wish to live in a country where they could not rule the roost."Live here with a lot of blooming performing animals! No fear,"they said."And ghosts too,"some added with a shudder."That's what those there Dryads really are.It's not canny."They were also suspicious."I don't trust'em,"they said."Not with that awful Lion and all.He won't keep his claws off us long,you'll see."But then they were equally suspicious of his offer to give them a new home."Take us off to his den and eat us one by one most likely,"they muttered.And the more they talked to one another the sulkier and more suspicious they became.But on the appointed day more than half of them turned up.

At one end of the glade Aslan had caused to be set up two stakes of wood,higher than a man's head and about three feet apart.A third,and lighter,piece of wood was bound across them at the top,uniting them,so that the whole thing looked like a doorway from nowhere into nowhere.In front of this stood Aslan himself with Peter on his right and Caspian on his left.Grouped round them were Susan and Lucy,Trumpkin and Trufflehunter,the Lord Cornelius,Glenstorm,Reepicheep,and others.The children and the Dwarfs had made good use of the royal wardrobes in what had been the castle of Miraz and was now the castle of Caspian,and what with silk and cloth of gold,with snowy linen glancing through slashed sleeves,with silver mail shirts and jewelled sword-hilts,with gilt helmets and feathered bonnets,they were almost too bright to look at.Even the beasts wore rich chains about their necks.Yet nobody's eyes were on them or the children.The living and strokable gold of Aslan's mane outshone them all.The rest of the Old Narnians stood down each side of the glade.At the far end stood the Telmarines.The sun shone brightly and pennants fluttered in the light wind.

"Men of Telmar,"said Aslan,"you who seek a new land,hear my words.I will send you all to your own country,which I know and you do not."

"We don't remember Telmar.We don't know where it is.We don't know what it is like,"grumbled the Telmarines.

"You came into Narnia out of Telmar,"said Aslan."But you came into Telmar from another place.You do not belong to this world at all.You came hither,certain generations ago,out of that same world to which the High King Peter belongs."

At this,half the Telmarines began whimpering,"There you are.Told you so.He's going to kill us all,send us right out of the world,"and the other half began throwing out their chests and slapping one another on the back and whispering,"There you are.Might have guessed we didn't belong to this place with all its queer,nasty,unnatural creatures.We're of royal blood,you'll see."And even Caspian and Cornelius and the children turned to Aslan with looks of amazement on their faces.

"Peace,"said Aslan in the low voice which was nearest to his growl.The earth seemed to shake a little and every living thing in the grove became still as stone.

"You,Sir Caspian,"said Aslan,"might have known that you could be no true King of Narnia unless,like the Kings of old,you were a son of Adam and came from the world of Adam's sons.And so you are.Many years ago in that world,in a deep sea of that world which is called the South Sea,a shipload of pirates were driven by storm on an island.And there they did as pirates would: killed the natives and took the native women for wives,and made palm wine,and drank and were drunk,and lay in the shade of the palm trees,and woke up and quarrelled,and sometimes killed one another.And in one of these frays six were put to flight by the rest and fled with their women into the centre of the island and up a mountain,and went,as they thought,into a cave to hide.But it was one of the magical places of that world,one of the chinks or chasms between chat world and this.There were many chinks or chasms between worlds in old times,but they have grown rarer.This was one of the last: I do not say the last.And so they fell,or rose,or blundered,or dropped right through,and found themselves in this world,in the Land of Telmar which was then unpeopled.But why it was unpeopled is a long story: I will not tell it now.And in Telmar their descendants lived and became a fierce and proud people; and after many generations there was a famine in Telmar and they invaded Narnia,which was then in some disorder (but that also would be a long story),and conquered it and ruled it.Do you mark all this well,King Caspian?"

"I do indeed,Sir,"said Caspian."I was wishing that I came of a more honourable lineage."

"You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,"said Aslan."And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar,and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth.Be content."

Caspian bowed.

"And now,"said Aslan,"you men and women of Telmar,will you go back to that island in the world of men from which your fathers first came? It is no bad place.The race of those pirates who first found it has died out,and it is without inhabitants.There are good wells of fresh water,and fruitful soil,and timber for building,and fish in the lagoons; and the other men of that world have not yet discovered it.The chasm is open for your return; but this I must warn you,that once you have gone through,it will close behind you forever.There will be no more commerce between the worlds by that door."

There was silence for a moment.Then a burly,decent looking fellow among the Telmarine soldiers pushed forward and said:

"Well,I'll take the offer."

"It is well chosen,"said Aslan."And because you have spoken first,strong magic is upon you.Your future in that world shall be good.Come forth."

The man,now a little pale,came forward.Aslan and his court drew aside,leaving him free access to the empty doorway of the stakes.

"Go through it,my son,"said Aslan,bending towards him and touching the man's nose with his own.As soon as the Lion's breath came about him,a new look came into the man's eyes-startled,but not unhappy-as if he were trying to remember something.Then he squared his shoulders and walked into the Door.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him.They saw the three pieces of wood,and through them the trees and grass and sky of Narnia.They saw the man between the doorposts: then,in one second,he had vanished utterly.

From the other end of the glade the remaining Telmarines set up a wailing."Ugh! What's happened to him? Do you mean to murder us? We won't go that way."And then one of the clever Telmarines said:

"We don't see any other world through those sticks.If you want us to believe in it,why doesn't one of you go? All your own friends are keeping well away from the sticks."

Instantly Reepicheep stood forward and bowed."If my example can be of any service,Aslan,"he said,"I will take eleven mice through that arch at your bidding without a moment's delay."

"Nay,little one,"said Aslan,laying his velvety paw ever so lightly on Reepicheep's head."They would do dreadful things to you in that world.They would show you at fairs.It is others who must lead."

"Come on,"said Peter suddenly to Edmund and Lucy."Our time's up."

"What do you mean?"said Edmund.

"This way,"said Susan,who seemed to know all about it."Back into the trees.We've got to change."

"Change what?"asked Lucy.

"Our clothes,of course,"said Susan."Nice fools we'd look on the platform of an English station in these."

"But our other things are at Caspian's castle,"said Edmund.

"No,they're not,"said Peter,still leading the way into the thickest wood."They're all here.They were brought down in bundles this morning.It's all arranged."

"Was that what Aslan was talking to you and Susan about this morning?"asked Lucy.

"Yes-that and other things,"said Peter,his face very solemn."I can't tell it to you all.There were things he wanted to say to Su and me because we're not coming back to Narnia."

"Never?"cried Edmund and Lucy in dismay.

"Oh,you two are,"answered Peter."At least,from what he said,I'mpretty sure he means you to get back some day.But not Su and me.He says we're getting too old."

"Oh,Peter,"said Lucy."What awful bad luck.Can you bear it?"

"Well,I think I can,"said Peter."It's all rather different from what I thought.You'll understand when it comes to your last time.But,quick,here are our things."

It was odd,and not very nice,to take off their royal clothes and to come back in their school things (not very fresh now) into that great assembly.One or two of the nastier Telmarines jeered.But the other creatures all cheered and rose up in honour of Peter the High King,and Queen Susan of the Horn,and King Edmund,and Queen Lucy.There were affectionate and (on Lucy's part) tearful farewells with all their old friends-animal kisses,and hugs from Bulgy Bears,and hands wrung by Trumpkin,and a last tickly,whiskerish embrace with Trufflehunter.And of course Caspian offered the Horn back to Susan and of course Susan told him to keep it.And then,wonderfully and terribly,it was farewell to Aslan himself,and Peter took his place with Susan's hands on his shoulders and Edmund's on hers and Lucy's on his and the first of the Telmarine's on Lucy's,and so in a long line they moved forward to the Door.After that came a moment which is hard to describe,for the children seemed to be seeing three things at once.One was the mouth of a cave opening into the glaring green and blue of an island in the Pacific,where all the Telmarines would find themselves the moment they were through the Door.The second was a glade in Narnia,the faces of Dwarfs and Beasts,the deep eyes of Aslan,and the white patches on the Badger's cheeks.But the third (which rapidly swallowed up the other two) was the grey,gravelly surface of a platform in a country station,and a seat with luggage round it,where they were all sitting as if they had never moved from it-a little flat and dreary for a moment after all they had been through,but also,unexpectedly,nice in its own way,what with the familiar railway smell and the English sky and the summer term before them.

"Well!"said Peter."We have had a time."

"Bother!"said Edmund."I've left my new torch in Narnia.

第十五章 天门开启

一看到阿斯兰,台尔马士兵顿时吓得六神无主,不少人磕头求饶。他们从来不相信狮王阿斯兰的传说,他的突然出现更让人恐惧。虽然红发小矮人知道阿斯兰是友,可这时也目瞪口呆。尼克布瑞克部下的那些黑发小矮人,悄悄退到一边。但会说话的动物就没有丝毫恐惧和害怕,它们把阿斯兰团团围住,叫着、跳着,冲着他摇头摆尾,亲热地在他身上蹭来蹭去,在他的身下、腿间钻来钻去,用鼻子拱他、亲他。你要是见过一只猫跟一只信赖自己、了解自己的狗亲昵的话,你就能想象出当时的情景了。这时彼得领着凯斯宾挤进人群,来到了阿斯兰面前。

"这是凯斯宾王子,阁下,"他介绍道。凯斯宾便单腿跪下,吻了吻狮王的爪子。

"欢迎你,王子,"阿斯兰说,"你有足够的信心治理好纳尼亚吗?"

"我--我认为我不行,阁下,"凯斯宾说,"我尚年幼。"

"好,"阿斯兰说,"如果你自认为胸有成竹,这只能证明你幼稚。现在你就要成为继我和至尊王之后的纳尼亚国王、凯尔帕拉维尔统治者、孤独群岛君王。只要你的臣民还在这片土地上繁衍生息,你和你的继承人就要对他们负责。坐好你的宝座--是谁走过来了?"就在这时,一支小小的队伍走来--是十一只老鼠。六只抬着树枝担架,不过还不及一本地图大呢,看不清上面是什么。老鼠身上全是泥和血迹,老鼠们的尾巴无精打采地拖在草地上。领队吹着一支忧伤的曲子。队伍到大家跟前,才看清担架上那一小堆东西,是雷佩契普。它受伤非常严重,一只爪子被踩碎了,尾巴也掉了,就剩最后一口气。

"露茜,看你的了。"阿斯兰说。

露茜立刻拿出她的钻石瓶子。一个伤口只需一滴药水,但是她似乎好久才给雷佩契普上完药,它的伤口实在太多。最后一滴药水滴完,鼠将军翻身就从担架上跳了下来。它一手握着剑柄上,一手捻着胡须,优雅地向阿斯兰鞠躬。

"阿斯兰在上!"场上又响起它尖细的嗓音,"我很荣幸......"然后它突然停了下来。

实际上,虽然雷佩契普的伤口已经痊愈,但它没了尾巴。要么是露茜忘了它的尾巴部分,要么是她的药水虽然可以治愈伤口,却无法使身体失去的部分重获新生。雷佩契普鞠躬时,突然发现自己没了尾巴,就从右肩向身后望去,还是不见自己的尾巴。于是它又把脖子向后伸去,整个身体都扭动起来,却还是看不到自己的尾巴。反复了几次,终于确定了自己的尾巴不见了。

"我该死,"雷佩契普对阿斯兰说,"在您面前如此不稳重。以这样的样子在您面前出丑,请见谅。"

"看起来还好啊,小家伙。"阿斯兰说。

"如您所说,"雷佩契普回复道,"不过不知道有没有办法让尾巴再长出来......也许女王陛下?"雷佩契普说着,又向露茜行了个礼。

"可是要尾巴有什么用呢?"阿斯兰问。

"阁下,"鼠将军说,"没有尾巴丝毫不影响我的吃睡,也不影响我为您战斗牺牲。但是尾巴是老鼠的荣誉。"

"朋友,有时我想,"阿斯兰说,"你对你的荣誉是不是多虑了。"

"尊贵的王,"雷佩契普说,"请允许我说句,命运赋予我们这样小的身体,如果我们不保护自己的尊严,那么那些以身高来衡量价值的家伙,就会拿我们寻开心。这就是为什么我总告诫人们,如果不想被刺就不要在我面前提'鼠夹子'、'鼠药'、'上灯台、下不来'等字眼。不管他是谁!个子多高!"雷佩契普说到这里,瞪了韦姆布威热一眼。可是,挡在大家身后的巨人并没有听到脚下的朋友在说什么,当然也不知道鼠将军是在指桑骂槐。

"请问,你的部下为什么都把宝剑抽出来?"阿斯兰说。

"启禀至高无上的君主,"老鼠副统帅雷佩希克回答说,"假如我们老大的尾巴无法恢复,我们所有人都割去尾巴来分担它的不幸。

"啊!"阿斯兰高声说,"你们心灵非常高尚,雷佩契普你将拥有一条新的尾巴,不是因为你的尊严,而是因为你和同伴非常友爱,并且感谢你们对我的帮助。还记得吗,大石桌上是你们咬断了我身上的绳索。于是从那时起,你们开始会讲话。"

阿斯兰话还没说完,雷佩契普就长出了一条新的尾巴。接着在阿斯兰的指示下,彼得授予凯斯宾骑士封号。凯斯宾又封特鲁佛汉特、杜鲁普金和雷佩契普为护国将军,封克奈尔斯博士为大法官,棕熊为决斗公证所所长。然后是一阵雷鸣般的掌声。

仪式结束后,那些战俘被押到河对岸囚禁在柏卢纳,每天给他们牛肉、啤酒,他们苟延残喘地活着。他们过河费了很大的劲儿,因为那些士兵特别害怕河水。在过河时一个个大喊大叫,惊恐万分。不过好在最后一切都归于平静,然后这一天中最美好的一段时光开始了。

露茜坐在阿斯兰身旁,说不出的开心。突然她看到那些树神好像是在跳舞。它们围成两个圈,缓缓地一个圈从左往右移动,另一个圈从右往左露茜注意到,移动它们不停地往圆圈中心扔着东西。她觉得它们在折断自己的长发,又觉得它们在折断自己的枝叶,总之它们有很多枝叶,也不觉得会痛。那些东西一落地,就变成了干柴。这时三四个小矮人拿着火柴点燃了地上的干柴。先是星星之火,很快就燃成了熊熊大火,大家在火旁堆旁坐了下来。

这时巴库斯、塞利努斯和那些野姑娘开始起舞。他们的舞非常特别,不仅舞姿优美,更像是在变魔术--他们所到之处,会出现各种美味佳肴:令人馋涎欲滴的烤肉,蛋糕、馅饼和色彩鲜艳的糖果令人目不暇接,还有入口即化的奶油、蜂蜜、鸭梨、葡萄、草莓、蜜桃、哈密瓜。而在常春藤缠绕着的巨大的木杯中,盛着各种美酒佳酿,有的像桑椹浆般醇厚 ,有的像果冻般透明,有的像青翠欲滴的葡萄,有的变换着色泽,这些都是黄葡萄酒、绿葡萄酒、黄绿葡萄酒和绿黄葡萄酒。

他们还给树木准备了不一样的宴席。鼹鼠们在首邻的带领下,按照巴库斯的指点用铁锹挖开了一些地方的草皮。露茜这才发现,树木要吃的原来是泥巴;想到这儿,她不由自主地打了个战栗。但是当她亲眼见到树木吃泥巴的样子,感觉就大不一样了。他们先吃了像巧克力一样的沃土--那看上去实在太像巧克力酱了,爱德蒙也忍不住抓起来尝了一点,但他还是觉得味道不太对。树木们吃了沃土之后,没有那么饿了,又吃起了另一种泥土。这种粉红色的泥土只能在萨默塞特郡找到。树木们说,这种泥土味道比较清淡,吃起来还有点甜。到了该吃奶酪的时候,树木享用的是一种白垩土;他们的甜品则是上面撒着细沙的优质卵石。他们也喝了一点葡萄酒,这让冬青树变得很话唠。大部分树木都喝饱了用露水和雨水调制的饮料,里面还掺了点森林花朵的味道,还有用最淡的云彩造的气泡。

阿斯兰以这样的盛宴款待了纳尼亚的臣民,一直到夜幕降临,繁星升起。篝火不再劈啪作响,却明亮得像一座灯塔,照亮了黑暗的山林。台尔马人从远处看到这火光,都惶惶不安,不知道这是一种什么预兆。这种宴会好就好在,大家不需要互相告别,也没有人中途退席;只听见谈话声渐弱,人们说话的声调越拉越长,然后就挨个儿睡去了。大家都躺在草地上或都依偎着好朋友,脚朝着篝火呼呼大睡。最后篝火四周都安静下来了,只有不远处传来柏卢纳渡口潺潺的水声。一整夜,只有阿斯兰像月亮一样,清醒地、默默地盯着每一张熟睡的面孔。

第二天,主要是松鼠和小鸟的使臣们被派到各处,向逃亡的台尔马人--包括柏卢纳的那些俘虏宣告:凯斯宾已经成为纳尼亚的国王,这个国家属于人类,也属于所有会说话的动物、小矮人和巨人。任何愿意在这块土地上生活的人,都可以留下来绝不勉强。那些不愿意留下的人阿斯兰另有安排,但这些人必须在第五天中午前到柏卢纳渡口。你可以想象,这些新政策肯定会在多数台尔马人中引起骚动。他们之中有许多年轻人,像凯斯宾一样自小就听过许多古老纳尼亚的传说,他们为美好时光的来临感到兴奋,并且已经和动物们成了朋友。这些人毫无疑问地都愿意留在纳尼亚。可那些大部分上了年纪的人,尤其是那些在弥若兹统治下有权有势的人却郁郁寡欢。他们不敢想象失去了权势,生活还会有什么意义。他们说:"和那些动物生活在一起!还有小矮人、巨人、人马那样的怪物!太恐怖了,我们可不干!""还有鬼魂!"有人补充道,这话说起来不寒而栗,"还有树妖、树精那些吓人的东西。"还有人持怀疑态度:"我不相信那只狮子和他的属下会让我们过好日子的,走着瞧吧!"他们也不相信阿斯兰会给他们一个新家园,小声地嘟囔说:"他会把我们带回山洞,一个个吃掉!"他们越是议论,越是怀疑和不安。可是那一天大半人还是如期而至。

阿斯兰让人在林中空地上竖起两根木棍,一根人那么高,间隔一米左右,又把另一根木棍,横绑在那两根的顶端,最后的形状像个门框一样。阿斯兰站在不远处,左边是彼得,右边是凯斯宾,他们旁边站着爱德蒙、苏珊、露茜和其他人。孩子们和小矮人们都穿着节日的盛装。这些华丽的衣服都出自弥若兹城堡,当然确切地说现在已经是凯斯宾城堡了。可是,没有人去注意这些。阿斯兰那金色鬃毛,已经让他们头晕目眩。纳尼亚臣民分站空地两端。远处是台尔马人。天气很好,阳光明媚,战旗迎风飘扬。

"台尔马的同胞们,"阿斯兰说道,"愿意重建家园的人,听我说。我会把你们送回你们自己的国家,只有我知道的那里。"

"我们不记得台尔马了。不知道它在哪儿,也不知道那里现在是什么样子。"台尔马人各抒己见。

"你们从台尔马来到纳尼亚,"阿斯兰说,"而你们又是别的地方来到台尔马。你们的国家根本不属于这里。几百年前你们属于另一个世界,就是至尊王彼得所在的那个世界。"

听到这儿,台尔马人开始坐立不安。"看看,我没说错吧!他要把我们都杀死,把我们从这个世界上除掉!"但是另一些人拍拍彼此的肩膀,低语道:"怎么样!早该看出来,我们本来不属于这里,跟这些长相奇怪的家伙不是同类人。我们出身高贵,走着瞧吧!"这时候,甚至凯斯宾、克奈尔斯和孩子们都看着阿斯兰。

"安静!"阿斯兰简直像在吼叫。大地似乎颤抖了一下,大家突然一下子像石头一样静下来。

"是的,凯斯宾国王,"阿斯兰说,"你们应该知道,只有亚当的子孙,并且来自亚当子孙的世界,才有资格成为纳尼亚的国王。而你们正是亚当的子孙。很久以前,在那个叫南海的地方,有一船海盗遇到海难,被风暴吹上一个小岛。他们露出海盗的本性,杀光了所有本地男人,逼迫当地的妇女做自己的妻子。终日喝岛上自制的椰子酒,经常酩酊大醉,睡在椰子树下,醒来后就开始吵架,严重的时候还会互相残杀。有一次六个人遭到其他同伴追杀,他们带着自己的家眷逃到小岛中间的山顶,藏在一个山洞。没想到那个山洞通往两个世界。古代有许多类似的通道连接两个世界,可惜现在大部分都已经自动封闭了。他们碰巧钻进了其中一个。结果,他们就开始觉得天旋地转。再睁开眼时,他们发现自己在一片陌生的国土,就是后来的台尔马王国。之前这片土地还没有人类踏足。至于为什么没有人迹,那就是另一个故事了。这六对男女再也没离开,他们世代繁衍生息形成一个彪悍的民族。就这样过去了好多年。有一年台尔马闹饥荒,他们只好开始侵略纳尼亚,并统治这个国家。至于那时纳尼亚为什么那么容易被入侵,那就另有原因了。凯斯宾国王,这些你都记下来了吗?"

"我会牢记的,阁下,"凯斯宾说,"我一直希望自己出身体面。"

"你们的祖先是亚当和夏娃,"阿斯兰说,"这足以让一无所有的乞丐也能挺起胸膛,也足以令那些其他君主相形见绌。你们应该知足了。"

凯斯宾鞠了一躬。

"现在,"阿斯兰说道,"台尔马人,你们愿意回到你们祖先生活的那个世界吗?那是个好地方。岛上的海盗早已死光,一直荒无人烟。你们有水质甘甜的水井,肥沃的土地,足够的木材,还有捕不尽的鱼虾。人类至今还没有发现那里,天门依然为你们敞开。可是,我必须告诉你们,一旦你们走过通道天门就会永远关闭。"

一阵沉默之后,一个健壮、长得还算体面的台尔马人走过来,说:

好吧,我愿意接受这样的安排。

"这是个明智的选择,"阿斯兰说,"你是第一个敢于做决定的人,你将得到神灵更多的眷顾,你的命运将比别人好。请你再往前走。"

那人脸色有些苍白,但还是迈开步子向前走去。阿斯兰和其他人退到两边,留出一条路,一直通往那个门框。

"走过去,孩子。"阿斯兰说着,起身用鼻子在那人的鼻子上轻轻碰了一下。接触到阿斯兰的气息,那人的神色随之一变目光坚定,仿佛充满回忆。他耸耸肩,从容地走向那门框。

所有人都盯着他。同时,他们可以看清那三根木棍和门框那边的草地、树林和纳尼亚的天空。他们看着那个人,一条腿刚跨进门框之后,一眨眼就消失了。

剩下的台尔马人都大声惊叫:"天哪!这是怎么了?你要谋杀我们吗?啊,我不去!"

这时一个明智的台尔马人站出来说:"从这里根本看不到另一个世界。如果要我们相信它,除非派你的部下先过去。为什么你的朋友都站得远远的呢?"

那人话音还没落,雷佩契普就站出来向阿斯兰鞠了一躬。"如果我能用自己的行动说服他们,尊敬的阿斯兰请你下令,我将带着我的十一名兄弟马上走过去,毫不犹豫。"

"不,小家伙,"阿斯兰把他毛茸茸的爪子轻轻放在老鼠的头上,"在那个世界,他们会虐待你们。让别人去吧。"

"我们去。"彼得对爱德蒙和露茜喊了一声,"是时候了。"

"干什么?"爱德蒙问。

"回家啊!"苏珊说,似乎对将要发生的事了然于胸。"但我们必须先换一下。"

"换什么?"露茜问。

"当然是衣服,"苏珊说,"穿这身衣服出现在火车站台上,那该多高的回头率啊!"

"可是我们的行李都在凯斯宾城堡。"爱德蒙说。

"不,不在那儿,"彼得站在木框前说,"在这里。早上送来的,都安排好了。"

"早上阿斯兰对你和苏珊说的就是这个吗?"露茜问道。

"是的。还有一件事,"彼得突然变得很严肃起来,"我无法全部都告诉你。有些事情他只希望我和苏珊明白就行了,因为我们再也回不来了。"

"再也?"爱德蒙和露茜一起叫起来。

"哦,不过你们还会回来的,"彼得回答说,"至少从他的话里,我能听出你们还会回到这里的。不过我和苏珊不会了。他说我们已经长大了。"

"哦,彼得,"露茜说,"真是太可怕了!你能接受吗?"

"我想我能,"彼得说,"我的思想已经足够理解这一切,当你们最后一次告别的时候,你们也会明白的。好了,快点,衣服都在这儿。

孩子们不情愿地脱下贵族服装穿上校服,几个台尔马人在窃笑。这时所有人都起立欢呼,向至尊王彼得、苏珊女王、爱德蒙国王和露茜女王致敬。大家依依不舍地道别。他们和小动物们亲吻,和大棕熊拥抱,和杜鲁普金握手。凯斯宾把号角还给苏珊。苏珊犹豫了一下,还是把号角交给凯斯宾留作纪念。他们的心情很复杂,向阿斯兰告别之后彼得在前面领路,苏珊双手搭在他肩上,爱德蒙他的手搭在苏珊肩上,露茜也照做。后面跟着一长队台尔马人向门框走去。然后是一阵天旋地转,孩子们同时看到了三幅画面:第一幅是洞口,看着像太平洋的一个无名岛屿。所有台尔马人都将来到这里开始他们的新生活。第二幅是纳尼亚的那片林间空地,他们看到了小矮人和动物们的笑脸,还有阿斯兰深邃的目光和獾两颊的白毛。第三幅画面很快覆盖了前两副,是乡间火车站里那个雾蒙蒙的站台和长凳,旁边放着几件行李箱,他们还坐在那里,好像他们没离开过。经历了这一场冒险,这里好像显得有些平淡乏味,不过熟悉的火车气味。英国的天空让孩子们很快清醒过来,面对周围久违的一切,和即将开始的暑期心生亲切之感。

"真好!"彼得说,"我们在那儿度过了一段美好时光。"

"糟了!"爱德蒙说,"我的新手电筒落在纳尼亚了。"

用户搜索

疯狂英语 英语语法 新概念英语 走遍美国 四级听力 英语音标 英语入门 发音 美语 四级 新东方 七年级 赖世雄 zero是什么意思潮州市南信华府小区英语学习交流群

网站推荐

英语翻译英语应急口语8000句听歌学英语英语学习方法

  • 频道推荐
  • |
  • 全站推荐
  • 推荐下载
  • 网站推荐