《能言马与男孩》 第九章 穿越沙漠

CHAPTER NINE ACROSS THE DESERT

第九章　穿越沙漠

"HOVE dreadful ! How perfectly dreadful !"whimpered Lasaraleen."Oh darling, I am so frightened. I' m shaking all over.Feel me."

“真可怕啊!真是可怕到了极点!”拉斯阿拉莉恩呜咽地说道，“噢，亲爱的，我真是吓坏了。我一直都在浑身颤抖。感觉一下我的颤抖。”

"Come on,"said Aravis, who was trembling herself. "They' ve gone back to the new palace.Once we' re out of this room we' re safe enough. But it' s wasted a terrible time.Get me down to that water-gate as quick as you can."

“来吧，”阿拉维斯说，她自己也在颤抖，“他们已经返回到新宫殿去了。这次我们出了房间就足够安全了。但是真的是浪费了太多的时间。你要尽快地将我带到山下的水门那里去。”

"Darling, how can you ?"squeaked Lasaraleen."I can' t do anything-not now. My poor nerves ! No: we must just lie still a bit and then go back."

“亲爱的，你怎么可以这样?”拉斯阿拉莉恩尖声说道，“我什么都做不了了——不能是现在。我可怜的神经!不!我们必须只能是这样躺一下，然后回去。”

"Why back ?" asked Aravis.

“为什么回去?”阿拉维斯问道。

"Oh, you don' t understand. You' re so unsympathetic,"said Lasaraleen, beginning to cry. Aravis decided it was no occasion for mercy.

“噢，你不懂。你是那么没有同情心。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说，并且开始哭。阿拉维斯确定这绝对不是应该同情的时刻。

."Look here !"she said, catching Lasaraleen and giving her a good shake..If you say another word about going back, and if you don' t start taking me to that water-gate at once-do you know what I' ll do ? I' ll rush out into that passage and scream. Then we' ll both be caught."

“听着!”她抓住拉斯阿拉莉恩，并且摇晃她说道，“如果你再说一句关于回去的话，如果你不立刻将我送到水门那里——你知道我将会做什么吗?我将冲出去，到通道里面尖叫。

"But we shall both be k-k-killed !" said Lasaraleen. "Didn't you hear what the Tisroc (may he live for ever) said ?"

然后我们两个都会被抓住。” 你没有听到太洛帝( 愿吾皇万寿无疆! ) 刚刚说了什么吗?”

"Yes,and I'd sooner be killed than married to Ahoshta. So come on. "

“听到了，而且，如果要嫁给阿霍什塔，我宁可早点被杀死。”

"Oh you are unkind," said Lasaraleen. "And I in such a state !"

“噢，你这个不善良的人，”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“而且我竟然落到了这样的处境。”

But in the end she had to give in to Aravis. She led the way down the steps they had already descended, and along another corridor and so finally out into the open air. They were now in the palace garden which sloped down in terraces to the city wall. The moon shone brightly. One of the drawbacks about adventures is that when you come to the most beautiful places you are often too anxious and hurried to appreciate them;so that Aravis (though she remembered them years later) had only a vague impression of grey lawns, quietly bubbling fountains, and the long black shadows of cypress trees.

但最后她还是不得不对阿拉维斯妥协了。她带路走下那些之前她们已经走下过的台阶，然后沿着另一条通道行走，最后走到了空旷的地方。她们现在在王宫的花园里，这里的台阶一层层地迤逦而下，一直延伸到城墙的地方。月亮十分明亮。冒险的一大遗憾是，当你进入到最美妙的地方的时候，你总是太焦躁，太匆忙，而无法赞美眼前的美丽。所以，阿拉维斯( 尽管她很多年后记得它们) 仅仅只有一个很模糊的印象，关于那些银灰色的草地，安静流淌的泉水，和长长的柏树的黑色影子。

When they reached the very bottom and the wall rose frowning above them, Lasaraleen was shaking so that she could not unbolt the gate. Aravis did it. There, at last, was the river, full of reflected moonlight, and a little landing stage and a few pleasure boats.

当她们到达底部的时候，城墙在她们面前耸立着，拉斯阿拉莉恩浑身颤抖，以至于她不能打开门的门闩。于是阿拉维斯打开了门。在那里，她终于看到了河流，河面上布满了余光，还有一个小小的码头和几艘游船。

"Good-bye," said Aravis,"and thank you. I'm sorry if I' ve been a pig.But think what I' m flying from !"

“再见。”阿拉维斯说道，“而且，谢谢你。我很抱歉我曾经像一头猪一样。但是想想，我正在逃跑啊。”

"Oh Aravis darling," said Lasaraleen."Won't you change your mind ? Now that you' ve seen what a very great man Ahoshta is!"

“噢，亲爱的阿拉维斯。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“你能不能改变主意呢?现在你已经看到阿霍什塔是一个多么伟大的男人了。”

"Great man !" said Aravis."A hideous grovelling slave who flatters when he' s kicked but treasures it all up and hopes to get his own back by egging on that horrible Tisroc to plot his son' s death. Faugh ! I' d sooner marry my father' s scullion than a creature like that."

“伟大的男人!”阿拉维斯说道，“一个可怕地卑躬屈膝的奴隶，当人家踢他的屁股的时候，他还在阿谀逢迎，还将这件事情藏在心底，怂恿恐怖的太洛帝将他的儿子置于死地，希望通过这个来为自己报仇雪恨。我宁愿嫁给家里的厨子也不愿嫁给这样一号人物。”

"Oh Aravis, Aravis ! How can you say such dreadful things;and about the Tisroc (may he live for ever) too. It must be right if he' s going to do it !"

“噢，阿拉维斯，阿拉维斯!你怎么能说出这么致命的话来!还涉及太洛帝( 愿吾皇万寿无疆)。如果他决定去做一件事情，那一定是正确的。”

"Good-bye," said Aravis, "and I thought your dresses lovely. And I think your house is lovely too. I' m sure you' ll have a lovely life-though it wouldn' t suit me. Close the door softly behind me."

“再见。”阿拉维斯说道，“而且我认为你的衣服十分可爱。我认为你的马也很可爱。我确信你将会拥有一个可爱的生活——尽管那并不适合我，轻轻地在我身后关上门吧。”

She tore herself away from her friend' s affectionate embraces, stepped into a punt, cast off, and a moment later was out in midstream with a huge real moon overhead and a huge reflected moon down, deep down, in the river. The air was fresh and cool and as she drew near the farther bank she heard the hooting of an owl."Ah ! That's better !"thought Aravis. She had always lived in the country and had hated every minute of her time in Tashbaan.

她将自己从朋友的热情拥抱中挣脱出来，踏上一艘方头平底船，撑起船，不一会儿船就到了河的中央，头顶上是一轮巨大的真实的月亮，河里则是那个巨大月亮的倒影。空气新鲜、凉爽，船到达对岸的时候她好像听到了一只猫头鹰的叫声。“啊!这真好。”阿拉维斯心里想道。她过去一直生活在乡村里，而且憎恨她自己在塔什班城里的每一分钟。

When she stepped ashore she found herself in darkness for the rise of the ground, and the trees, cut off the moonlight. But she managed to find the same road that Shasta had found, and came just as he had done to the end of the grass and the beginning of the sand, and looked (like him) to her left and saw the big, black Tombs. And now at last, brave girl though she was, her heart quailed. Supposing the others weren't there!Supposing the ghouls were ! But she stuck out her chin (and a little bit of her tongue too) and went straight towards them.

当她上岸的时候，由于地势上升，树木遮住了月光，她发现自己完全置身在黑暗之中。但她设法去找到沙斯塔以前发现的那条路，然后像他一样走到了草地的尽头和沙漠的开端，再然后像他一样向左边望去，并且看到了巨大的，黑漆漆的坟场。最后，即使她是个勇敢的姑娘，她心里还是害怕了。说不定其他人都不在那里!说不定食尸鬼们在那里!但是她昂起下巴( 舌头也伸出了一点)，笔直地朝着坟场走去。

But before she had reached them she saw Bree and Hwin and the groom.

幸好她还没有到达坟场就看到了布里、赫温和那个侍从。

"You can go back to your mistress now," said Aravis (quite forgetting that he couldn' t, until the city gates opened next morning)."Here is money for your pains. "

“你现在可以回到你的女主人那里去了。”阿拉维斯说道( 完全忘记了直到明天早上城门打开，他不能回去)，“这是给你的酬劳。”

"To hear is to obey,"said the groom, and at once set off at a remarkable speed in the direction of the city. There was no need to tell him to make haste: he also had been thinking a good deal about ghouls.

“我服从命令。”侍从说道，然后立刻以相当快的速度朝塔什班城跑去。根本没必要告诉他尽快回去，他也已经想了很多关于食尸鬼的事情。

For the next few seconds Aravis was busy kissing the noses and patting the necks of Hwin and Bree just as if they were quite ordinary horses.

接下来的几秒钟，阿拉维斯忙于亲吻赫温和布里的鼻子，拍拍他们的脖子，就好像他们只是安静的普通马儿一样。

"And here comes Shasta !Thanks be to the Lion !" said Bree.

“沙斯塔来了!感谢狮王!”布里说道。

Aravis looked round, and there, right enough, was Shasta who had come out of hiding the moment he saw the groom going away.

阿拉维斯朝四周望去，的确，沙斯塔一看到侍从离开，就立刻从他躲藏的地方走出来了。

"And now, " said Aravis. "There's not a moment to lose." And in hasty words she told them about Rabadash' s expedition.

“现在，”阿拉维斯说道，“一分钟都不能耽误。”她快速地告诉他们关于罗八达的出征阴谋。

"Treacherous hounds !" said Bree,shaking his mane and stamping with his hoof."An attack in time of peace, without defiance sent ! But we' ll grease his oats for him. We' ll be there before he is."

“奸诈的野狗!”布里抖动着鬃毛，蹬着四蹄，说道，“在这样和平的时刻，连一个挑战书都不下就进攻!但是我们会为他把燕麦拌上油，我们一定会在他之前赶到那里。”

"Can we ?" said Aravis, swinging herself into Hwin's saddle.Shasta wished he could mount like that.

“我们可以吗?”阿拉维斯跳上赫温的马鞍说道。沙斯塔也希望自己能像那样跳上马去。

"Brooh-hoo !" snorted Bree."Up you get, Shasta. Can we ! And with a good start too !"

“布罗赫一霍赫!”布里喷着鼻息说道，“你上来，沙斯塔。我们可以!而且还会有一个好的开始。”

"He said he was going to start at once," said Aravis.

“他说他立刻就要出发。”阿拉维斯说。

"That's how humans talk," said Bree. "But you don't get a company of two hundred horse and horsemen watered and victualled and armed and saddled and started all in a minute. Now: what' s our direction ? Due North ?"

“人们总是这样说。”布里说道，“但是，你要让两百人马在一分钟之内成立一个队伍，喝足水，吃饱饭是不可能的。现在，我们朝着哪个方向前进?是正北方吗?”

"No," said Shasta. "I know about that.I've drawn a line.I' ll explain later.Bear a bit to our left, both you horses. Ah here it is !"

“不，”沙斯塔说，“我知道。我已经画好了路线。我晚点解释给你们。你们两个要稍微往左边一点儿。啊，这就对了。”

"Now," said Bree. "All that about galloping for a day and a night,like in stories,can' t really be done.It must be walk and trot: but brisk trots and short walks.And whenever we walk you two humans can slip off and walk too. Now.Are you ready, Hwin ? Off we go.Narnia and the North !"

“现在，”布里说，“像故事里所说的那样一天一夜地奔跑，是不可能完成的。必须行走和小跑相互配合，轻快的小跑，然后短时间行走。而且无论我们什么时候行走，你们两个人类也可以下来行走。现在，你们准备好了吗，赫温?我们走吧。向着纳尼亚和北方!”

At first it was delightful. The night had now been going on for so many hours that the sand had almost finished giving back all the sun-heat it had received during the day, and the air was cool, fresh, and clear. Under the moonlight the sand, in every direction and as far as they could see, gleamed as if it were smooth water or a great silver tray. Except for the noise of Bree's and Hwin' s hoofs there was not a sound to be heard. Shasta would nearly have fallen asleep if he had not had to dismount and walk every now and then.

开始是快乐的。黑夜已经持续了好几个小时，沙漠已经把它们在白天从太阳那里吸收的全部热量差不多都散发没了，空气是凉爽，新鲜并且干净的。在月光之下，他们能够看到四面八方尽可能远的地方，仿佛是一片光滑平静的水，或者是一个巨大的银色盆子。除了布里和赫温的声音，什么声音都没有。沙斯塔几乎要睡着了，如果不是他不时从马上下来走走路的话。

This seemed to last for hours. Then there came a time when there was no longer any moon. They seemed to ride in the dead darkness for hours and hours. And after that there came a moment when Shasta noticed that he could see Bree' s neck and head in front of him a little more clearly than before;and slowly, very slowly, he began to notice the vast grey flatness on every side. It looked absolutely dead, like something in a dead world; and Shasta felt quite terribly tired and noticed that he was getting cold and that his lips were dry. And all the time the squeak of the leather, the jingle of the bits, and the noise of the hoofs-not Propputty-propputty as it would be on a hard road, but Thubbudy-thubbudy on the dry sand.

这种情况似乎持续了几个小时。接下来一段时间，他们再也看不到月亮了。他们好像在死亡一样的黑暗中骑行一个小时接着一个小时。又过了一阵子，沙斯塔注意到他能够看到在他前面的布里的脖子和脑袋，比之前清晰一点了。然后，缓慢地，十分缓慢地，他开始注意到那一边巨大的，灰茫茫的，平坦的沙漠。看上去绝对没有任何生命，就好像完全在一个死亡的世界里。沙斯塔感觉到非常恐怖的疲惫，并且注意到自己开始感到寒冷，嘴唇也是干燥的。自始至终，能听到皮带嘎吱作响，马嚼子叮当作响，马蹄敲击的声音——不是踩在坚实的土地上的声音，而是踩在干燥的沙子上的声音。

At last, after hours of riding, far away on his right there came a single long streak of paler grey, low down on the horizon. Then a streak of red.It was the morning at last, but without a single bird to sing about it.He was glad of the walking bits now, for he was colder than ever.

最后，在几个小时的骑行之后，他的右方出现了一道淡灰色，低低地镶嵌在地平线上，然后是一道红色。终于迎来了早晨，但是没有一只鸟因为早上而欢畅。现在他很高兴地散散步，因为他比之前感觉更冷了。

Then suddenly the sun rose and everything changed in a moment. The grey sand turned yellow and twinkled as if it was strewn with diamonds. On their left the shadows of Shasta and Hwin and Bree and Aravis, enormously long, raced beside them. The double peak of Mount Pire, far ahead, flashed in the sunlight and Shasta saw they were a little out of the course. "A bit left, a bit left,"he sang out. Best of all, when you looked back, Tashbaan was already small and remote. The Tombs were quite invisible: swallowed up in that single, jagged-edged hump which was the city of the Tisroc.Everyone felt better.

突然太阳升起来了，所有的一切都在瞬间变了样。灰色的沙漠变成了黄色，并且发着光，好像它们上面洒满了钻石。沙斯塔、赫温、布里、阿拉维斯的影子极长，在他们的左边互相追逐。皮尔峰的双峰在他们前方的远处，在阳光中闪闪发光。沙斯塔看到他们有一点点偏离。“往左边一点点，往左边一点点。”他叫道。最好的是，当你向后看的时候，塔什班城已经小且远了。坟场完全看不到，被淹没在边缘参差不齐的驼峰里了，那驼峰就是太洛帝的城市，所有人都感觉好多了。

But not for long. Though Tashbaan looked very far away when they first saw it, it refused to look any further away as they went on. Shasta gave up looking back at it, for it only gave him the feeling that they were not moving at all. Then the light became a nuisance. The glare of the sand made his eyes ache: but he knew he mustn't shut them. He must screw them up and keep on looking ahead at Mount Pire and shouting out directions. Then came the heat. He noticed it for the first time when he had to dismount and walk: as he slipped down to the sand the heat from it struck up into his face as if from the opening of an oven door. Next time it was worse. But the third time, as his bare feet touched the sand he screamed with pain and got one foot back in the stirrup and the other half over Bree' s back before you could have said knife.

但是这种现象没有持续很久。即使塔什班城在他们第一次回头看的时候，看起来离得很远，但当他们继续前进的时候，它看起来没有更远一点。沙斯塔放弃回头去看它，因为那只给了他一种在原地停留，根本没有一点移动的感觉。于是光也变成了令人厌烦的东西。沙子的光芒让他的眼睛感到疼痛，但他知道他不能够闭上眼睛。他必须眯起眼睛，保证确认皮尔峰就在他们的前方，并且不断地大喊出正确的方向。随后是炙热，当他不得不下来行走的时候，他第一次感觉到了灼热。他从马的身上滑下来到沙子上，沙子上腾起来的热气直直地朝着他的脸冲过来，就好像从炉灶门口冲出来的一样。第二次下马的时候更加糟糕了;第三次，他光光的脚丫子一碰到沙子就痛得叫了起来，说时迟那时快，他迅速缩回一只脚到马镫上，另外一只脚已经半跨到布里的背上了。

"Sorry, Bree,"he gasped."I can't walk. It burns my feet.""Of course !" panted Bree."Should have thought of that myself.Stay on.Can' t be helped."

“抱歉，布里。”他气喘吁吁地说，“我没办法走路，沙子烫伤了我的脚。”“当然了。”布里喘着说，“我自己早就应该想到的。待着吧，不会有其他办法了。”

"It's all right for you," said Shasta to Aravis who was walking beside Hwin."You've got shoes on. "

“你倒还可以。”沙斯塔对正在赫温身边行走着的阿拉维斯说道，

Aravis said nothing and looked prim. Let' s hope she didn' t mean to, but she did.

“你穿着鞋呢。”阿拉维斯绷着脸什么都没有说。我们希望她不是故意这样的吧，但她的确是故意的。

On again, trot and walk and trot, jingle-jingle-jingle, squeak-squeak-squeak, smell of hot horse,smell of hot self, blinding glare,headache.And nothing at all different for mile after mile.Tashbaan would never look any further away. The mountains would never look any nearer.You felt this had been going on for always-jingle-jingle-jingle, squeaksqueak-squeak,smell of hot horse, smell of hot self.

再次地，小跑、行走、再小跑，叮当……叮当……叮当……嘎吱……嘎吱……嘎吱，马儿热得出汗的味道，热气本身的味道，炫目的光，头痛。一千米又一千米，一切没有任何不同。塔什班城看上去永远都不会离得更远一些。那些山永远不会离得更近一些。你会感觉一切都在重复——叮当……叮当……叮当……嘎吱……嘎吱……嘎吱，马儿热的出汗的味道，热气本身的味道。

Of course one tried all sorts of games with oneself to try to make the time pass: and of course they were all no good. And one tried very hard not to think of drinks-iced sherbet in a palace in Tashbaan, clear spring water tinkling with a dark earthy sound, cold, smooth milk just creamy enough and not too creamy-and the harder you tried not to think, the more you thought.

当然，当人们精疲力竭的时候会用各种各样的游戏尝试来消耗时间。当然，这些游戏毫无作用。他们竭力不去想饮料——那种在塔什班城地一个宫殿里喝到的冰凉果汁，来自黑土大地的清泉，乳酪丰富却不油腻，冰凉柔和的牛奶——然而越是竭力不去想它，越是容易想得更多。

At last there was something different-a mass of rock sticking up out of the sand about fifty yards long and thirty feet high. It did not cast much shadow, for the sun was now very high, but it cast a little. Into that shade they crowded. There they ate some food and drank a little water. It is not easy giving a horse a drink out of a skin bottle, but Bree and Hwin were clever with their lips. No one had anything like enough. No one spoke. The Horses were flecked with foam and their breathing was noisy. The children were pale.

最后终于出现了一些不同的东西——沙子里挺起一块巨大的石头，有三十英尺高，五十码那么长。大石头并没有投下多少影子，因为此时太阳升的非常高，所以只有一点阴凉。他们挤到阴凉的地方。在那里他们吃了一些食物，喝了一点水。将装在皮囊里的水给马喝并不容易，但是布里和赫温都聪明地利用了他们的嘴唇。没有一个人拥有足够的东西。谁也没有说话。马儿们浑身都是汗水，呼吸的声音很吵，孩子们脸色苍白。

After a very short rest they went on again. Same noises, same smells, same glare, till at last their shadows began to fall on their right, and then got longer and longer till they seemed to stretch out to the Eastern end of the world. Very slowly the sun drew nearer to the Western horizon. And now at last he was down and,thank goodness,the merciless glare was gone, though the heat coming up from the sand was still as bad as ever. Four pairs of eyes were looking out eagerly for any sign of the valley that Sallowpad the Raven had spoken about. But, mile after mile, there was nothing but level sand. And now the day was quite definitely done, and most of the stars were out, and still the Horses thundered on and the children rose and sank in their saddles, miserable with thirst and weariness. Not till the moon had risen did Shasta-in the strange, barking voice of someone whose mouth is perfectly dry-shout out: "There it is !"

在很短暂的休息之后，他们再次继续赶路。同样的声音，同样的味道，同样的光芒，直到最后他们的影子开始转移到他们的右边，然后变得越来越长，好像要伸展到世界的尽头一样。太阳十分缓慢地靠近了西边的地平线。现在，太阳最终落山了，谢天谢地，残酷的反光终于消失了，尽管从沙漠里散发出来的热气仍然像之前一样咄咄逼人。四双眼睛都迫切地寻找着山谷的迹象，萨罗帕德和乌鸦都提到过的那个山谷。但是，一千米又一千米，除了沙子什么都没有。现在白天完全结束了，大部分星星也都出来了，马儿们仍然在前行着，孩子们在马鞍上起伏不定，被口渴和疲惫折磨得十分痛苦。月亮还是没有升起来，沙斯塔用奇怪的，渴到极点的人的声音喊道：“前面就是了!”

There was no mistaking it now. Ahead, and a little to their right, there was at last a slope: a slope downward and hummocks of rock on each side. The Horses were far too tired to speak but they swung round towards it and in a minute or two they were entering the gully. At first it was worse in there than it had been out in the open desert, for there was a breathless stuffiness between the rocky walls and less moonlight. The slope continued steeply downwards and the rocks on either hand rose to the height of cliffs. Then they began to meet vegetation-prickly cactus-like plants and coarse grass of the kind that would prick your fingers. Soon the horse-hoofs were falling on pebbles and stones instead of sand. Round every bend of the valley-and it had many bends-they looked eagerly for water. The Horses were nearly at the end of their strength now, and Hwin,stumbling and panting,was lagging behind Bree. They were almost in despair before at last they came to a little muddiness and a tiny trickle of water through softer and better grass. And the trickle became a brook, and the brook became a stream with bushes on each side, and the stream became a river and there came (after more disappointments than I could possibly describe) a moment when Shasta, who had been in a kind of doze, suddenly realized that Bree had stopped and found himself slipping off. Before them a little cataract of water poured into a broad pool: and both the Horses were already in the pool with their heads down,drinking,drinking,drinking. "O-o-oh," said Shasta and plunged in-it was about up to his knees—and stooped his head right into the cataract. It was perhaps the loveliest moment in his life.

现在不会再错了。前边，稍稍靠右一点，终于出现了一个斜坡：一个缓慢向下的斜坡，斜坡的两边都是石头垒成的小堆。马儿们已经累得无法说话，只能蹒跚地向前跑去，一两分钟之后他们进入了峡谷。一开始，在峡谷里比起在沙漠里还要不舒服，因为被夹在石墙的中间，闷热得无法呼吸，而且月光也太少了。斜坡险峻地向下延伸，两边的岩石耸立成峭壁。接着，他们开始发现植物了——很像仙人掌的多刺的植物，还有会扎痛手指的粗糙的草。不久，马蹄不再是踏在沙子上，而是踩在石头上了，他们在山谷的每一个拐角急切地寻找着水。马儿们几乎已经精疲力竭，赫温脚步蹒跚，喘着粗气，落在了布里的后面。在他们几乎绝望的时候，终于发现了一点儿泥浆，和一条从柔软茂密的青草中渗出来的细细河流。那河流变成了溪水，溪水变成了两岸长着灌木的小河，小河又变成了大河。在经历了无法形容的许多次失望之后，这个时刻真是喜出望外。一直处于困倦状态的沙斯塔，突然发现布里停了下来，他自己也快速从马上滑了下来。在他们面前一条瀑布流泻到一个宽阔的水池里，两匹马儿们已经在水池里面了，它们低着自己的脑袋，喝啊，喝啊，喝啊。“噢……噢……噢，”沙斯塔说着跳进了池塘，池水一直升到他的膝盖，他干脆直接将自己的脑袋伸到瀑布中区，这可能是他一生中最快乐的时刻了。

It was about ten minutes later when all four of them (the two children wet nearly all over) came out and began to notice their surroundings. The moon was now high enough to peep down into the valley. There was soft grass on both sides of the river, and beyond the grass, trees and bushes sloped up to the bases of the cliffs. There must have been some wonderful flowering shrubs hidden in that shadowy undergrowth for the whole glade was full of the coolest and most delicious smells. And out of the darkest recess among the trees there came a sound Shasta had never heard beforea nightingale.

大概十分钟之后，当他们四个( 其中两个孩子几乎浑身都湿了)从池塘里出来的时候，他们才开始注意到四周。月亮现在足够高，又足够照到山谷里面。河的两边有柔软的青草，青草之上，大树和灌木一直延续到悬崖绝壁的地步。那里一定有许多奇妙的花朵隐藏着，因为整片空地中弥漫着最凉爽最芳香的味道。而且从树木之间紧密的地方传来了一个声音，沙斯塔以前从未听到过的夜莺的歌声。

Everyone was much too tired to speak or to eat. The Horses, without waiting to be unsaddled,lay down at once.So did Aravis and Shasta.

每个人都太疲倦了，以致不能讲话或者吃东西。马儿们不等解下马鞍就立刻躺了下来。阿拉维斯和沙斯塔也一样躺了下来。

About ten minutes later the careful Hwin said, "But we mustn't go to sleep.We've got to keep ahead of that Rabadash. "

大概十分钟之后，谨慎的赫温说：“但是我们一定不能睡觉，我们要坚持在罗八达到达之前赶到。”

"No," said Bree very slowly. "Mustn't go sleep. Just a little rest."

“是啊，”布里慢悠悠地说道，“一定不能睡觉，只是休息一下。”

Shasta knew (for a moment) that they would all go to sleep if he didn' t get up and do something about it, and felt that he ought to. In fact he decided that he would get up and persuade them to go on.But presently;not yet: not just yet"

沙斯塔知道了( 几乎是瞬间)，如果他不站起来做一些他应该做的事情的话，他们所有人都会沉沉入睡。事实上，他下定决心自己站起来，并且劝说他们继续前行。但是现在……不，只是等一下……

Very soon the moon shone and the nightingale sang over two horses and two human children,all fast asleep.

不久，月光便照射到两匹马和两个孩子的身上，夜莺的歌声也传到了大家耳边，他们全都睡着了。

It was Aravis who awoke first. The sun was already high in the heavens and the cool morning hours were already wasted. "It's my fault,"she said to herself furiously as she jumped up and began rousing the others. "One wouldn't expect Horses to keep awake after a day' s work like that, even if they can talk. And of course that Boy wouldn' t;he' s had no decent training. But I ought to have known better."

最先醒过来的是阿拉维斯。太阳已经在天空中升得很高，凉爽的清晨时间已经错过了。“这是我的错误，”她一边对自己愤愤地说道，一边跳起身来，开始叫醒其他人。“马儿连续赶了一整天的路，是不能指望他们不睡觉的，即使他们能够说话;当然男孩也是，他虽然没有教养，但是我应该更加懂事啊。”

The others were dazed and stupid with the heaviness of their sleep.

其他人马都因为沉睡而迷迷糊糊的，有些傻掉了。

"Neigh-ho-broo-hoo," said Bree. "Been sleeping in my saddle, eh ? I' ll never do that again.Most uncomfortable—"

“嗨——噢!——布罗——呵!”布里说，“不解马鞍就睡熟了，嗯?我再也不这么做了。最最不舒服的是……”

"Oh come on, come on," said Aravis. "We've lost half the morning already.There isn' t a moment to spare."

“噢，走吧，走吧，”阿拉维斯说道，“我们已经浪费了大半个早上。现在没有一分钟多余的了。”

"A fellow's got to have a mouthful of grass," said Bree.

“总得吃一口草吧。”布里说道。

"I'm afraid we can't wait," said Aravis.

“恐怕我们不能再等了。”阿拉维斯说道。

"What's the terrible hurry ?" said Bree. "We've crossed the desert, haven' t we ?"

“为什么这么急急忙忙的呢?”布里说道，“我们已经穿过了沙漠，不是吗?”

"But we're not in Archenland yet," said Aravis. "And we' ve got to get there before Rabadash."

“但是我们还没有进入阿钦兰，”阿拉维斯说道，“而且我们必须要在罗八达到达之前赶到那里。”

"Oh, we must be miles ahead of him, "said Bree. "Haven't we been coming a shorter way ? Didn' t that Raven friend of yours say this was a short cut,Shasta ?"

“噢，我们一定在他前面好几千米远了，”布里说，“我们不是走了一条更近的路吗?沙斯塔，难道你的乌鸦朋友说的不是这条捷径吗?”

"He didn' t say anything about shorter,"answered Shasta. .He only said better,because you got to a river this way.If the oasis is due North of Tashbaan,then I'm afraid this may be longer."

“他并没有说这里更近，”沙斯塔回答道，“他只是说更好，因为在这条路上你可以遇到一条河。如果绿洲正好在塔什班城的正北方，那么，恐怕这条路更长些。”

"Well I can' t go on without a snack,"said Bree..Take my bridle off, Shasta."

“我如果不吃一顿的话就没有办法继续赶路。”布里说道，“沙斯塔，帮我取下马鞍。”

"P-please,"said Hwin, very shyly,.I feel just like Bree that I can' t go on. But when Horses have humans (with spurs and things) on their backs, aren' t they often made to go on when they' re feeling like this ? and then they find they can. I m-mean-oughtn' t we to be able to do even more, now that we' re free.It' s all for Narnia."

“对不起，”赫温害羞地说道，“我只是和布里一样感觉不能继续了。但是当马身上背负着人( 还配上了马刺一类的)，马儿们不是即使像这样感到饥饿，也经常被驱使着赶路吗?然后它们发现它们可以。我是说——我们甚至应该做得更好，既然我们是自由的。这一切都是为了纳尼亚啊。”

"I think, Ma' am,"said Bree very crushingly,.that I know a little more about campaigns and forced marches and what a horse can stand than you do."

“我认为，女士，”布里用非常压倒性的口气说道，“关于战争，武力行军，一匹马能够忍受什么，我比你懂的要更多一点。”

To this Hwin made no answer, being, like most highly bred mares, a very nervous and gentle person who was easily put down. In reality she was quite right, and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that moment to make him go on, he would have found that he was good for several hours' hard going. But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.

对于这点赫温并没有做出回答，像大部分出身高贵的马一样，她非常紧张和温柔，很容易被说服。事实上，它的意见是十分正确的，而且如果此时有一个泰坎骑在布里的马背上，布里能拼命跑上好几个小时。但需要努力，又被迫需要干活的最坏结果就是：一旦没有人强迫你去做什么的时候，你会发现自己几乎没有做事的力量。

So they had to wait while Bree had a snack and a drink, and of course Hwin and the children had a snack and a drink too. It must have been nearly eleven o' clock in the morning before they finally got going again. And even then Bree took things much more gently than yesterday. It was really Hwin, though she was the weaker and more tired of the two,who set the pace.

所以他们不得不等布里吃东西和喝水，当然，赫温和孩子们也吃了一点，喝了一点。他们重新开始赶路之前，已经快要到上午十一点了。而且即使已经到了这个时间，布里干起活来比昨天更加轻柔了。虽然赫温是两匹马之中比较柔弱，而且更加疲惫的，但是真正走在前头的却是赫温。

The valley itself, with its brown, cool river, and grass and moss and wild flowers and rhododendrons, was such a pleasant place that it made you want to ride slowly.

山谷本身，包括它棕色的，凉爽的河流、草坪、苍苔和杜鹃花，是一个那么令人感到愉快的地方，使你不由放慢自己的脚步。