“哈!”鼹鼠说,”“他们能说话!谁听说过莴苣能说话?”"Perhaps they're the Second joke," suggested the Jackdaw.“也许他们是第二个笑柄。”寒鸦说。A Panther, which had been washing its face, stopped for a moment to say, "Well, if they are, they're nothing like so good as the first one. At least, 1 don't see anything very funny about them." It yawned and went on with its wash.一头一直在洗脸的黑豹踌躇了一下,说道,“嗯,如果是的话,也没有第一个好笑。至少,我看不出他们有什么可笑之处。”它打了一个呵欠,又继续洗脸。"Oh, please," said Digory. "I'm in such a hurry. I want to see the Lion."“噢,对不起,”迪格雷说,“我很着急。我想见见狮子。”All this time the Cabby had been trying to catch Strawberry's eye. Now he did. "Now, Strawberry, old boy," he said. "You know me. You ain't going to stand there and say as you don't know me."马车夫一直在试着吸引“草莓”的目光。终子,它看见他了。“‘草莓’,好朋友,”他说,“你认识我。你不会往那儿一站就说不认识我吧,”"What's the Thing talking about, Horse?" said several voices.“那玩意儿在说什么,马?”几个声音问道。"Well," said Strawberry very slowly, "I don't exactly know, I think most of us don't know much about anything yet. But I've a sort of idea I've seen a thing like this before. I've a feeling I lived somewhere else - or was something else - before Aslan woke us all up a few minutes ago. It's all very muddled. Like a dream. But there were things like these three in the dream."“嗯,”“草莓”慢吞吞地说,“我不太清楚。我认为我们中的大多数都还不知道多少事情。但我觉得,我以前见过类似的这种玩意儿。我有种感觉,我过去住在别的什么地方——或者说,是另外一种东两——在阿斯兰几分钟前唤醒我们之前。一切都混混沌沌的,像一个梦,但梦里有很像他们三个的玩意儿。”"What?" said the Cabby. "Not know me? Me what used to bring you a hot mash of an evening when you was out of sorts? Me what rubbed you down proper? Me what never forgot to put your cloth on you if you was standing in the cold? I wouldn't 'ave thought it of you, Strawberry."“什么?”马车夫说,“你不认识我,就是我,在你不舒服时拿饴糖给你当晚餐,就是我给你梳理鬃毛,你居然不认识我?你站在冷地方我从没忘记给你盖点儿什么,没想到你会说出这种话,‘草莓’。”"It does begin to come back," said the Horse thoughtfully. "Yes. Let me think now, let me think. Yes, you used to tie a horrid black thing behind me and then hit me to make me run, and however far I ran this black thing would always be coming rattle-rattle behind me."“真的想起来了。”马沉思着,“是的。让我想想,想想。对了,你过去老是把一个可怕的黑东西绑在我后面,然后打着我往前跑。不管我跑多远,那黑东西都一直在我后面哐啷哐啷地拖着。”"Summer, I grant you," said the Cabby. " 'Ot work for you and a cool seat for me. But what about winter, old boy, when you was keeping yourself warm and I was sitting up there with my feet like ice and my nose fair pinched off me with the wind, and my 'ands that numb I couldn't 'ardly 'old the reins?"“夏天,我承认,”马车夫说,“你干活儿很热,我坐在凉快的地方。可冬天呢,好朋友。你能一直让自己暖和,我却坐在那儿,脚冻得像冰棍似的,鼻子都快让风给刮掉了,手也冻僵了,差点儿抓不住缰绳。”"It was a hard, cruel country," said Strawberry. "There was no grass. All hard stones."“那是个难以忍受的残酷的国家,”“草薄”说,“那儿没有草,全是硬硬的石头。”"Too true, mate, too true!" said the Cabby. "A 'ard world it was. I always did say those paving-stones weren't fair on any 'oss. That's Lunn'on, that is. I didn't like it no more than what you did. You were a country 'oss, and I was a country man. Used to sing in the choir, I did, down at 'ome. But there wasn't a living for me there."“太对了,朋友,太对了!”马车夫说,“那是个难以忍受的世界。我过去总说那些铺路石对任何马都不合适。那就是伦敦。我和你一样不喜欢。你是匹乡下马,我是个乡下人。过去我经常在教堂唱诗班里唱歌,我唱过,在老家。但在那儿没法活下去。”"Oh please, please," said Digory. "Could we get on? The Lion's getting further and further away. And I do want to speak to him so dreadfully badly."“对不起,对不起,”迪格雷说,“我们继续往前走好吗?狮子越来越远了,我太想跟他说话了。”"Look 'ere, Strawberry," said the Cabby. "This young gen'leman 'as something on his mind that he wants to talk to the Lion about; 'im you call Aslan. Suppose you was to let 'im ride on your back (which 'e'd take it very kindly) and trot 'im over to where the Lion is. And me and the little girl will be following along."“听我说,‘草莓’”马车夫说,“这个小先生有些心里话想对狮子讲,就是你们的阿斯兰。我想请你驮着他(他会很感谢你的)去找狮子。我和这小女孩在后面跟着。”"Ride?" said Strawberry. "Oh, I remember now. That means sitting on my back. I remember there used to be a little one of you two-leggers who used to do that long ago. He used to have little hard, square lumps of some white stuff that he gave me. They tasted - oh, wonderful, sweeter than grass."“驮? ” “ 草莓”说,“噢,我想起来了。这就是说,坐在我背上。我记得很久以前,常有一个像你这样的两条腿的小动物坐在我上面。他常给我吃一种白色的硬硬的小方块。吃起来——唔,妙极了,比草甜。 ”"Ah, that'd be sugar," said the Cabby.“哦,那是糖。”马车夫说。"Please, Strawberry," begged Digory, "do, do let me get up and take me to Aslan."“‘草莓’,请,”迪格雷央求道,“让……让我上去吧,带我去找阿斯兰。”"Well, I don't mind," said the Horse. "Not for once in a way. Up you get."“好,我不介意,”马说,“不介意驮你一次。上来吧。”"Good old Strawberry," said the Cabby. "'Ere, young 'un, I'll give you a lift." Digory was soon on Strawberry's back, and quite comfortable, for he had ridden bare-back before on his own pony.“老‘草莓’,好样的。”马车夫说,“来,年轻人,我托你一把。”迪格雷很快上了“草莓”的背,他感到舒服极了,因为他以前曾骑过自己那匹小马驹的光背。"Now, do gee up, Strawberry," he said.“好了,走吧,‘草莓’。”他说。"You don't happen to have a bit of that white stuff about you, I suppose?" said the Horse.“我想,你身上没带那种白色的小方块吧?”马说。"No. I'm afraid I haven't," said Digory.“恐怕没带。”迪格雷说。"Well, it can't be helped," said Strawberry, and off they went.“唉,没办法了。”“草莓”说着,迈步向前走。At that moment a large Bulldog, who had been sniffing and staring very hard, said:就在那时,一条大公狗认真地嗅了一阵,又看了很久说道:"Look. Isn't there another of these queer creatures over there, beside the river, under the trees?"“瞧,那不是还有一个这种奇怪的东西吗?——在那儿,河边,树下。”Then all the animals looked and saw Uncle Andrew, standing very still among the rhododendrons and hoping he wouldn't be noticed.所有的动物都朝那边看去,看见安德鲁舅舅笔挺地站在杜鹃花丛中,生怕被人发现。"Come on!" said several voices. "Let's go and find out." So, while Strawberry was briskly trotting away with Digory in one direction (and Polly and the Cabby were following on foot) most of the creatures rushed towards Uncle Andrew with roars, barks, grunts, and various noises of cheerful interest.“走”,几个声音说,“过去看看。”当“草莓”带着迪格雷轻快地朝一个方向跑去时(波莉和马车夫走在后面),大多数动物一路吼叫着、狂吠着、咕哝着,发出各种兴高采烈的声音,向安德鲁舅舅奔去。We must now go back a bit and explain what the whole scene had looked like from Uncle Andrew's point of view. It had not made at' all the same impression on him as on the Cabby and the children. For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.我们必须回过头去从安德鲁舅舅的角度来解释眼前发生的事。他的印象跟马车夫和孩子们的完全不同;因为一个人的见闻很大程度上取决于他所站的立场,以及他是哪种人。Ever since the animals had first appeared, Uncle Andrew had been shrinking further and further back into the thicket. He watched them very hard of course; but he wasn't really interested in seeing what they were doing, only in seeing whether they were going to make a rush at him. Like the Witch, he was dreadfully practical. He simply didn't notice that Aslan was choosing one pair out of every kind of beasts. All he saw, or thought he saw, was a lot of dangerous wild animals walking vaguely about. And he kept on wondering why the other animals didn't run away from the big Lion.自从动物们最初出现以来,安德鲁舅舅就一步一步地朝灌木丛退去。当然,他也仔细地看着它们;并不是对它们所做的事感兴趣,而是看它们会不会朝自己跑来。像女巫一样,他极端实际,根本没注意到阿斯兰从每种动物里选出一对,他只看见,或者自认为只看见,许多危险的野兽乱七八糟地走来走去。他一直感到纳闷的是,为什么其他动物不逃离那头巨狮。When the great moment came and the Beasts spoke, he missed the whole point; for a rather interesting reason. When the Lion had first begun singing, long ago when it was still quite dark, he had realized that the noise was a song. And he had disliked the song very much. It made him think and feel things he did not want to think and feel. Then, when the sun rose and he saw that the singer was a lion ("only a lion," as he said to himself) he tried his hardest to make believe that it wasn't singing and never had been singing - only roaring as any lion might in a zoo in our own world. "Of course it can't really have been singing," he thought, "I must have imagined it. I've been letting my nerves get out of order. Who ever heard of a lion singing?" And the longer and more beautiful the Lion sang, the harder Uncle Andrew tried to make himself believe that he could hear nothing but roaring. Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. Uncle Andrew did. He soon did hear nothing but roaring in Aslan's song. Soon he couldn't have heard anything else even if he had wanted to. And when at last the Lion spoke and said, "Narnia awake," he didn't hear any words: he heard only a snarl. And when the Beasts spoke in answer, he heard only barkings, growlings, bayings, and howlings. And when they laughed - well, you can imagine. That was worse for Uncle Andrew than anything that had happened yet. Such a horrid, bloodthirsty din of hungry and angry brutes he had never heard in his life. Then, to his utter rage and horror, he saw the other three humans actually walking out into the open to meet the animals.出于一个十分滑稽的原因,他错过了野兽们开口说话的伟大时刻。很久以前,当狮子最初开始歌唱时,天还很黑,他也意识到那声音是一首歌。他很不喜欢那首歌。它使他想起并感觉到他不愿想也不愿感觉的事情。后来,当太阳升起时,他看见歌者是一头狮子(“只不过是一头狮子,”他对自己说)。他竭尽全力使自己相信它不是在唱歌,并且从来就没有唱过歌——只有我们这个世界的动物园里任何狮子都会发出的吼声。“当然,它不可能唱歌,”他想,“是我的想像,我的神经有毛病了。谁听见过狮子唱歌?”狮子唱得愈久愈动听.他就愈加努力地使自己相信他听到的不过是吼叫。麻烦的是,你想使自己比实际上更愚蠢一些的时候.往往能够成功。安德鲁舅舅就是这样。很快,他从阿斯兰的歌声中便只听见狮吼了。即使他想听,也听不出别的内容。最后,当狮子张口说“纳尼亚醒来”时,他除了一声咆哮外什么也没听见。当动物们回答阿斯兰时,他也只听见一阵混杂不清的叫声。而当它们开口笑时——你可以想像,这对安德鲁舅舅来说是最最可怕的事情。他一辈子从来没有听见过饥饿发狂的野兽发出如此恐怖、如此残忍的杀气腾腾的喧嚣声。过后,他看到那三个人真的朝开阔地里的动物们走去时,便感到愤怒和害怕极了。"The fools!" he said to himself. "Now those brutes will eat the rings along with the children and I'll never be able to get home again. What a selfish little boy that Digory is! And the others are just as bad. If they want to throw away their own lives, that's their business. But what about me? They don't seem to think of that. No one thinks of me."“蠢货!”他自言自语道,“这下,那些畜生会把两个孩子连戒指一起吃掉,我再也不能回家了。迪格雷这小鬼多么自私!其他那几个也一样坏。如果他们想丢命,那是他们的事。可是我呢,他们好像就没想过。没有人想到我。”Finally, when a whole crowd of animals came rushing towards him, he turned and ran for his life. And now anyone could see that the air of that young world was really doing the old gentleman good. In London he had been far too old to run: now, he ran at a speed which would have made him certain to win the hundred yards' race at any Prep school in England. His coattails flying out behind him were a fine sight. But of course it was no use. Many of the animals behind him were swift ones; it was the first run they had ever taken in their lives and they were all longing to use their new muscles. "After him! After him!" they shouted. "Perhaps he's that Neevil! Tally-ho! Tantivy! Cut him off! Round him up! Keep it up! Hurrah!"最后,当一大群动物朝他跑去时,他转身逃命去了。任何人都看得出,年轻世界的空气确实对这老先生大有裨益。在伦敦,他已经老得跑不动了,而现在,他的速度完全能拿下英格兰任何一个预备学校百米赛的冠军。他的衣摆在身后飘来荡去,十分好看。但当然毫无用处。动物中有不少跑得很快,这又是它们有生以来第一次奔跑,便都如饥似渴地想练练自己的新肌肉。“追!追上他!”它们大叫,“也许他就是那个什么‘镆’!嗬!快跑!截住他!包围他!坚持!快跑!”In a very few minutes some of them got ahead of him. They lined up in a row and barred his way. Others hemmed him in from behind. Wherever he looked he saw terrors. Antlers of great elks and the huge face of an elephant towered over him. Heavy, serious-minded bears and boars grunted behind him. Cool-looking leopards and panthers with sarcastic faces (as he thought) stared at him and waved their tails. What struck him most of all was the number of open mouths. The animals had really opened their mouths to pant; he thought they had opened their mouths to eat him.几分钟后,一些动物就超过了他。它们排起来断了他的去路,其他动物从后面追上将他包围。他无论从哪个方向看去,都感到可怕极了。大麋子的角和大象庞大的脸高耸在他面前。那些笨重而严肃的熊和公野猪在后面咆哮。表情冷漠的黑豹和花豹讥讽地(他这么想)摇着尾巴,盯着他。最令他心惊肉跳的是那么多张大的嘴。动物们张口是为了喘气,他却认为是要吃他。Uncle Andrew stood trembling and swaying this way and that. He had never liked animals at the best of times, being usually rather afraid of them; and of course years of doing cruel experiments on animals had made him hate and fear them far more.安德鲁舅舅东摇西摆地站在那里,浑身发抖。即使在最安全的时候,他也不喜欢动物;他总是对它们感到恐惧。当然,长年累月地用动物做试验也使他更加憎恨和害怕它们。"Now, sir," said the Bulldog in his business-like way, "are you animal, vegetable, or mineral?" That was what it really said; but all Uncle Andrew heard was "Gr-r-rarrh-ow!"“先生,那么,”那条公狗用公事公办的口吻说,“你是动物、植物还是矿物?”它的确说出了这些话,但安德鲁舅舅只听见“汪——汪——汪——”的叫声。Chapter 11第十一章DIGORY AND HIS UNCLE ARE BOTH IN TROUBLE迪格雷和他的舅舅又陷困境You may think the animals were very stupid not to see at once that Uncle Andrew was the same kind of creature as the two children and the Cabby. But you must remember that the animals knew nothing about clothes. They thought that Polly's frock and Digory's Norfolk suit and the Cabby's howlet hat were as much parts of them as their own fur and feathers. They wouldn't have known even that those three were all of the same kind if they hadn't spoken to them and if Strawberry had not seemed to think so. And Uncle Andrew was a great deal taller than the children and a good deal thinner than the Cabby. He was all in black except for his white waistcoat (not very white by now), and the great grey mop of his hair (now very wild indeed) didn't look to them like anything they had seen in the three other humans. So it was only natural that they should be puzzled. Worst of all, he didn't seem to be able to talk.你可能会认为,这些动物非常愚蠢,没能一眼就看出安德鲁舅舅和那两个孩子以及马车夫是同类。但你必须记住,动物们对衣服一无所知。它们觉得,波莉的外衣、迪格雷的诺福克套装以及马车夫的圆顶帽是他们身体的一部分,就像它们自己的皮毛和羽翼一样。如果它们不与他们交谈,如果“草莓”也不那样想,它们就不会知道这三人是同类。而且安德鲁舅舅比孩子们高得多,又比马车夫瘦得多。除了白背心外(现在也已经不很白了),他全身都是黑的。在动物们眼里,安德鲁舅舅的灰发(现在很凌乱)与那三人身上的任何东西都不相似。它们自然感到迷惑。最糟糕的是,他似乎不会说话。He had tried to. When the Bulldog spoke to him (or, as he thought, first snarled and then growled at him) he held out his shaking hand and gasped "Good Doggie, then, poor old fellow." But the beasts could not understand him any more than he could understand them. They didn't hear any words: only a vague sizzling noise. Perhaps it was just as well they didn't, for no dog that I ever knew, least of all a Talking Dog of Narnia, likes being called a Good Doggie then; any more than you would like being called My Little Man.他曾经试过。当公狗对他说话时(或者,按照他的想法,先是咆哮,后是对他咕哝),他举起发抖的手,上气不接下气地说:“好小狗,嗯,可怜的老朋友。”但动物们根本听不懂,正如他也听不懂它们的话一样。除了含混不清的咝咝声外,它们什么也没听见。也许还是听不懂的好,因为我从未见过哪条狗愿意被人喊作“好小狗”,就像你不愿被叫成“我的小鬼”一样,更不用说纳尼亚的会说话的狗了。Then Uncle Andrew dropped down in a dead faint.安德鲁舅舅一下昏倒在地。"There!" said a Warthog, "it's only a tree. I always thought so." (Remember, they had never yet seen a faint or even a fall.)“啊!”一头野猪说,“它不过是棵树。我刚才就这么想。”(记住,它们还从未见过昏厥,甚至连倒下也没有见过。)The Bulldog, who had been sniffing Uncle Andrew all over, raised its head and said, "It's an animal. Certainly an animal. And probably the same kind as those other ones."那公狗将安德鲁舅舅全身嗅了个遍,抬头说道:“是动物,肯定是动物,而且很可能是那几个的同类。”"I don't see that," said one of the Bears. "An animal wouldn't just roll over like that. We're animals and we don't roll over. We stand up. Like this." He rose to his hind legs, took a step backwards, tripped over a low branch and fell flat on his back.“我不同意,”一头熊说,“动物不会像那样倒在地上的。我们是动物,我们就不会倒下去。我们站着,像这样。”它后腿立起,向后走了一步,绊倒在一根矮树枝上,仰面朝天跌倒在地上。"The Third Joke, the Third Joke, the Third joke!" said the Jackdaw in great excitement.“第三个笑柄,第三个笑柄,第三个笑柄。”那只寒鸦无比激动地说。"I still think it's a sort of tree," said the Warthog.“我仍然认为是树。”野猪说。"If it's a tree," said the other Bear, "there might be a bees' nest in it."“是树的话,”另一头熊说,“上面就会有蜂巢。”"I'm sure it's not a tree," said the Badger. "I had a sort of idea it was trying to speak before it toppled over."“我敢肯定不是树,”一头獾说,“我觉得它倒下之前想说什么。”"That was only the wind in its branches," said the Warthog.“那只是树枝间的风声。”野猪说。"You surely don't mean," said the Jackdaw to the Badger, "that you think its a talking animal! It didn't say any words."“你肯定不是说,”寒鸦对獾说道,“你认为它是一个会说话的动物吧!它什么也没说。”"And yet, you know," said the Elephant (the She Elephant, of course; her husband, as you remember, had been called away by Aslan). "And yet, you know, it might be an animal of some kind. Mightn't the whitish lump at this end be a sort of face? And couldn't those holes be eyes and a mouth? No nose, of course. But then - ahem - one mustn't be narrow-minded. Very few of us have what could exactly be called a Nose." She squinted down the length of her own trunk with pardonable pride.“你们知道,”大象说(当然是母象,她的丈夫,你还记得,被阿斯兰叫走了),“你们知道,它可能是某种动物。这头这块白的不像脸吗?那些洞不是眼睛和嘴吗?没鼻子,当然。但是——啊——不必太狭隘。确切地说,我们当中,只有极少数有那种被叫做鼻子的东西。”它斜睨着自己的长鼻子,那种骄傲的神态是可以谅解的。"I object to that remark very strongly," said the Bulldog.“我强烈反对这种说法。”公狗说。"The Elephant is quite right," said the Tapir.“象是对的。”貘说。"I tell you what!" said the Donkey brightly, "perhaps it's an animal that can't talk but thinks it can."“我告诉你吧!”驴子伶牙俐齿地说,“也许它是一种不能说话但觉得自己能说话的动物。”"Can it be made to stand up?" said the Elephant thoughtfully. She took the limp form of Uncle Andrew gently in her trunk and set him up on end: upside down, unfortunately, so that two half-sovereigns, three halfcrowns, and a sixpence fell out of his pocket. But it was no use. Uncle Andrew merely collapsed again.“能让它站起来吗?”大象关心地说。它用鼻子将安德鲁舅舅柔软的身体轻轻一卷,并把他竖在地上,但不幸放反了,两枚二分之一金镑、三枚五分之二先令和一枚六便士硬币从他的衣袋里掉了出来。但没有用,安德鲁舅舅又倒了下去。"There!" said several voices. "It isn't an animal at all, It's not alive."“啊哈!''几个声音说,“根本不是动物,它不是活的。”"I tell you, it is an animal," said the Bulldog. "Smell it for yourself."“我告诉你们,它是动物,”公狗说,“你们自己闻闻吧!”"Smelling isn't everything," said the Elephant.“气味并不能说明一切。”象说。"Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?"“那么,”公狗说,“如果谁连自己的鼻子都不相信,它还相信什么?”"Well, his brains perhaps," she replied mildly.“大概应相信头脑吧。”象温和地说。"I object to that remark very strongly," said the Bulldog.“我强烈反对这种观点。”公狗说。"Well, we must do something about it," said the Elephant. "Because it may be the Neevil, and it must be shown to Aslan. What do most of us think? Is it an animal or something of the tree kind?"“嗯,我们必须有所行动,”象说,“因为它也许就是那个‘镆’,必须把它交给阿斯兰。大家是怎么看的?它是动物还是树一类的东西?”"Tree! Tree!" said a dozen voices.“树!树!”十几个声音回答。"Very well," said the Elephant. "Then, if it's a tree it wants to be planted. We must dig a hole."“好,”象说,“那么,如果是树,它一定想被栽在土里。我们要挖个洞。”The two Moles settled that part of the business pretty quickly. There was some dispute as to which way up Uncle Andrew ought to be put into the hole, and he had a very narrow escape from being put in head foremost. Several animals said his legs must be his branches and therefore the grey, fluffy thing (they meant his head) must be his root. But then others said that the forked end of him was the muddier and that it spread out more, as roots ought to do. So finally he was planted right way up. When they had patted down the earth it came up above his knees.两只鼹鼠迅速完成了任务。对该栽哪一头意见不一,安德鲁舅舅很难避免要被头朝下栽进土里了。有几个动物说他的腿一定是树枝,因此,那团灰色的毛茸茸的东西(指他的头)一定是根。但其他动物说,叉开的那一端沾了更多的泥土,而且伸得长些,更像根部。最后,他直立着被栽了起来,栽好以后,泥土掩到了他的膝盖。"It looks dreadfully withered," said the Donkey.“它看上去很干枯。”驴子说。"Of course it wants some watering," said the Elephant."I think I might say (meaning no offence to anyone present) that, perhaps, for that sort of work, my kind of nose -"“当然,它需要浇水,”象说,“我想我可以说(并非要冒犯在场的各位),也许,对这项工作,我的这种鼻子……”"I object to that remark very strongly," said the Bulldog. But the Elephant walked quietly to the river, filled her trunk with water, and came back to attend to Uncle Andrew. The sagacious animal went on doing this till gallons of water had been squirted over him, and water was running out of the skirts of his frock-coat as if he had been for a bath with all his clothes on. In the end it revived him. He awoke from his faint. What a wake it was! But we must leave him to think over his wicked deed (if he was likely to do anything so sensible) and turn to more important things.“我强烈反对。”公狗说。但大象默默地走到河边,用鼻子灌满水,回来洒在安德鲁舅舅身上。这有灵性的动物不断地浇,直到好多好多水浇到他身上,又从他外衣的边缘流了出来,犹如他穿着衣服洗了一次澡。最后,他恢复了理智,从昏迷中醒了过来,彻彻底底地清醒了!但我们必须将他撇开,让他慢慢去想他做过的坏事(如果他还有可能做出如此有理智的事的话),我们去讲些更重要的事情。Strawberry trotted on with Digory on his back till the noise of the other animals died away, and now the little group of Aslan and his chosen councillors was quite close. Digory knew that he couldn't possibly break in on so solemn a meeting, but there was no need to do so. At a word from Aslan, the He-Elephant, the Ravens, and all the rest of them drew aside. Digory slipped off the horse and found himself face to face with Aslan. And Aslan was bigger and more beautiful and more brightly golden and more terrible than he had thought. He dared not look into the great eyes.“草莓”驮着迪格雷,一路小跑着前进,其他动物的声音渐渐远去,而阿斯兰和它选出来的那群动物们则很近。迪格雷知道他不能干扰这样一个严肃的会议,而且也没有必要。阿斯兰说了句什么,公象、渡鸦以及其他所有的动物都闪开了。迪格雷翻身下马,发现阿斯兰与他面对面地站在那里,比他想像的更大、更美,更加金光闪闪,也更加可怕。他不敢注视他那双大眼睛。"Please - Mr Lion - Aslan - Sir," said Digory, "could you - may I - please, will you give me some magic fruit of this country to make Mother well?"“对不起——狮子先生——阿斯兰——阁下,”迪格雷说,“能否——能否请您,您能否给我一些这里的神奇果子来治我妈妈的病?”He had been desperately hoping that the Lion would say "Yes"; he had been horribly afraid it might say "No". But he was taken aback when it did neither.他非常希望狮子会说“好的”,非常害怕他说“不”。但当狮子既没有说“好”也没有说“不”时,迪格雷吃了一惊。"This is the Boy," said Aslan, looking, not at Digory, but at his councillors. "This is the Boy who did it."“这就是那个男孩,”阿斯兰没有看迪格雷,而是看着它的顾问们说,“是这个男孩干的。”"Oh dear," thought Digory, "what have I done now?"“天哪,”迪格雷想,“我作了什么?”"Son of Adam," said the Lion. "There is an evil Witch abroad in my new land of Narnia. Tell these good Beasts how she came here."“亚当的儿子,”狮子说,“有个恶魔般的女巫踏上了我新的国土纳尼亚。告诉这些好动物们她是怎么到这儿的。”A dozen different things that he might say flashed through Digory's mind, but he had the sense to say nothing except the exact truth.可以说的许许多多事在迪格雷脑海中闪现出来,但他很理智,除了将真相和盘托出外,其他什么也没说。"I brought her, Aslan," he answered in a low voice.“是我把她带来的,阿斯兰。”他低声回答。"For what purpose?"“为什么?”"I wanted to get her out of my own world back into her own. I thought I was taking her back to her own place."“我想把她带出我们的世界,让她回到她的世界去。我以为我把她带回她的世界了。”"How came she to be in your world, Son of Adam?"“她是怎么到你们的世界去的,亚当的儿子?”"By - by Magic."“靠——魔法。”The Lion said nothing and Digory knew that he had not told enough.狮子不语。迪格雷知道自己讲得还太少。"It was my Uncle, Aslan," he said. "He sent us out of our own world by magic rings, at least I had to go because he sent Polly first, and then we met the Witch in a place called Charn and she just held on to us when -"“是我的舅舅,阿斯兰。”他说,“他用魔法戒指把我们送出我们的世界,至少,我是不得不去,因为他把波莉先弄走了,后来,我们在一个叫恰恩的地方遇见了女巫,她抓住了我们当……”"You met the Witch?" said Asian in a low voice which had the threat of a growl in it.“你们遇见了女巫?”阿斯兰低低的嗓音带有咆哮式的威胁。"She woke up," said Digory wretchedly. And then, turning very white, "I mean, I woke her. Because I wanted to know what would happen if I struck a bell. Polly didn't want to. It wasn't her fault. I - I fought her. I know I shouldn't have. I think I was a bit enchanted by the writing under the bell."“她醒了。”迪格雷沮丧地说;然后,他脸色变得苍白,“我是说,我唤醒了她。因为我想知道如果我敲了钟会发生什么事。波莉不同意这么做的。不是她的错。我——我还和她抢起来。我知道我不应该。我想,我是有点儿被钟下面那些字迷惑住了。”"Do you?" asked Asian; still speaking very low and deep. .“是吗?”阿斯兰问,声音仍很低沉。"No," said Digory. "I see now I wasn't. I was only pretending."“不,”迪格雷说,“我现在明白不是的。我是在找借口。”There was a long pause. And Digory was thinking all the time, "I've spoiled everything. There's no chance of getting anything for Mother now."接下来是长久的停顿。迪格雷一直在想,“我把事情全弄糟了。现在再也没有机会为妈妈要东西了。”When the Lion spoke again, it was not to Digory.狮子再开口时,已不是对迪格雷说了。"You see, friends," he said, "that before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought hither by this son of Adam." The Beasts, even Strawberry, all turned their eyes on Digory till he felt that he wished the ground would swallow him up. "But do not be cast down," said Aslan, still speaking to the Beasts. "Evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself. In the meantime, let us take such order that for many hundred years yet this shall be a merry land in a merry world. And as Adam's race has done the harm, Adam's race shall help to heal it. Draw near, you other two."“你们瞧,朋友们,”他说,“我给你们的这个新的、干净的世界诞生还没有七小时,一个邪恶的力量就已经进来了,由这个亚当的儿子唤醒并带来的。”那些野兽,甚至包括“草莓”,全都把眼光转向迪格雷,他真希望大地能将他吞下去。“不过别泄气,”阿斯兰说,仍然对着他的野兽们,“那个恶魔将给我们带来邪恶。但是还早。我会留神让最坏的事情冲着我来。现在,我们要建立一种秩序,使得在数百年内这里都将是快乐世界的一片乐土。亚当的种族带来了灾祸,但也将帮助我们消除灾祸。走近些,你们另外两位。”The last words were spoken to Polly and the Cabby who had now arrived. Polly, all eyes and mouth, was staring at Aslan and holding the Cabby's hand rather tightly. The Cabby gave one glance at the Lion, and took off his bowler hat: no one had yet seen him without it. When it was off, he looked younger and nicer, and more like a countryman and less like a London cabman.最后一句是对刚刚到达的波莉和马车夫说的。波莉紧紧地拉着马车夫的手,目瞪口呆地盯着阿斯兰。马车夫看了狮子一眼,摘下帽子来,谁也没有见过他不戴帽子的模样。这下,他看上去要年轻漂亮些,更像一个乡下人而不像伦敦的马车夫。"Son," said Aslan to the Cabby. "I have known you long. Do you know me?"“孩子,”阿斯兰对马车夫说,“我很早就认识你了,你认识我吗?”"Well, no, sir," said the Cabby. "Leastways, not in an ordinary manner of speaking. Yet I feel somehow, if I may make so free, as 'ow we've met before."“不,阁下,不认识,”马车夫说,“至少不是一般人说的那种认识。不过我觉得,如果我可以这么说的话,我们以前是有些认识的。”"It is well," said the Lion. "You know better than you think you know, and you shall live to know me better yet. How does this land please you?"“很好,”狮子说,“你比你自己想像的更有悟性,你会越来越了解我的。你喜欢这片土地吗?”"It's a fair treat, sir," said the Cabby.“我在这儿非常快乐,阁下。”马车夫说。"Would you like to live here always?"“你想永远住在这儿吗?”"Well you see sir, I'm a married man," said the Cabby. "If my wife was here neither of us would ever want to go back to London, I reckon. We're both country folks really."“你知道,阁下,我结了婚,”马车夫说,“我想,要是我妻子也在这儿,我们谁也不想再回伦敦了。我们都是地地道道的乡下人。”Aslan threw up his shaggy head, opened his mouth, and uttered a long, single note; not very loud, but full of power. Polly's heart jumped in her body when she heard it. She felt sure that it was a call, and that anyone who heard that call would want to obey it and (what's more) would be able to obey it, however many worlds and ages lay between. And so, though she was filled with wonder, she was not really astonished or shocked when all of a sudden a young woman, with a kind, honest face stepped out of nowhere and stood beside her. Polly knew at once that it was the Cabby's wife, fetched out of our world not by any tiresome magic rings, but quickly, simply and sweetly as a bird flies to its nest. The young woman had apparently been in the middle of a washing day, for she wore an apron, her sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, and there were soapsuds on her hands. If she had had time to put on her good clothes (her best hat had imitation cherries on it) she would have looked dreadful; as it was, she looked rather nice.阿斯兰昂起多毛的头,张口呼出长长的、不很嘹亮但有力的一声。波莉听得心跳加快。她敢肯定,那是一种呼唤,任何人听到这声呼唤,不管隔了多少世界多少年代,都想听从而且都能够听从。虽然她心中充满了好奇,但当一个看上去善良、诚实的年轻女人不知从哪儿走出来站在她旁边时,她并没有被吓一跳或者感到十分震惊。波莉立刻明白,那就是马车夫的妻子,不是被任何折磨人的魔法戒指从我们的世界硬生生地拖过去的,而是如鸟儿回巢一般迅捷、简单、舒适地到了那里。那年轻女人系着围裙,袖子挽到肘部,手上还沾着肥皂泡,显然刚才正在洗衣服。如果有时间换上好衣服(她最好的帽子上镶有樱桃饰),她看上去准会让人讨厌。那身朴实无华的衣服却使她显得相当可爱。Of course she thought she was dreaming. That was why she didn't rush across to her husband and ask him what on earth had happened to them both. But when she looked at the Lion she didn't feel quite so sure it was a dream, yet for some reason she did not appear to be very frightened. Then she dropped a little half curtsey, as some country girls still knew how to do in those days. After that, she went and put her hand in the Cabby's and stood there looking round her a little shyly.当然,她以为自己是在梦中,便没有马上奔到丈夫身边,问他到底怎么回事。但当她看见狮子时,她不那么肯定是在做梦,然而不知什么原因她也没露出非常害怕的神情。然后,她微微行了一个屈膝礼,那年月,一些农村姑娘也知道如何行屈膝礼。接着,她走过去,拉住马车夫的手,站在那里,略带羞涩地四下环顾。"My children," said Aslan, fixing his eyes on both of them, "you are to be the first King and Queen of Narnia."“我的孩子们,”阿斯兰看着他们两人说,“你们将是纳尼亚第一位国王和王后。”The Cabby opened his mouth in astonishment, and his wife turned very red.马车夫吃惊地张大了嘴,他妻子的脸也红了。"You shall rule and name all these creatures, and do justice among them, and protect them from their enemies when enemies arise. And enemies will arise, for there is an evil Witch in this world."“你们将统治所有这些动物,要公正行事,当敌人入侵时保卫它们的安全。而且敌人是会来的,因为这个世界里已经有了一个恶魔般的女巫。”The Cabby swallowed hard two or three times and cleared his throat.马车夫用力吞了几次口水,清了清嗓子。"Begging your pardon, sir," he said, "and thanking you very much I'm sure (which my Missus does the same) but I ain't no sort of a chap for a job like that. I never 'ad much eddycation, you see."“请您原谅,阁下,”他说,“非常感谢你(我太太也感谢你),但我干不了这种事情。你知道,我没有受过很多教育。”"Well," said Aslan,"can you use a spade and a plough and raise food out of the earth?"“那么,”阿斯兰说,“你会使用铲子和犁吗?会在地里种庄稼吗?”"Yes, sir, I could do a bit of that sort of work: being brought up to it, like."“是的,阁下,我会干这种活儿,可以说从小就会。”"Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the dumb beasts of the world you were born in, but Talking Beasts and free subjects?"“你能善良地、公正地对待这些动物吗?记住,它们不像你出生的那个世界里的哑兽,是奴隶,它们是会说话的野兽,是自由的。”"I see that, sir," replied the Cabby. "I'd try to do the square thing by them all."“我懂,阁下,”马车夫回答,“我会公正地对待所有的动物。”"And would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same?"“你会教你的儿女、你的孙子孙女们这么做吗?”"It'd be up to me to try, sir. I'd do my best: wouldn't we, Nellie?"“这需要我努力去做,阁下。我会尽全力的,是吗,蕾丽?”"And you wouldn't have favourites either among your own children or among the other creatures or let any hold another under or use it hardly?"“你不会在你的儿女中或在其他动物中培植亲信,让一些压制和奴役另一些吧?”"I never could abide such goings on, sir, and that's the truth. I'd give 'em what for if I caught 'em at it," said the Cabby. (All through this conversation his voice was growing slower and richer. More like the country voice he must have had as a boy and less like the sharp, quick voice of a cockney.)“我决不会容忍这种行为的,真的,阁下。如果我撞见谁干这种事一定会惩罚他们的。”马车夫说。(在这场谈话中,马车夫的声音越来越慢,越变越浑厚,更像他小时候在乡下时的声音,而不像他当伦敦马车夫时那种尖而快的声音。)"And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?"“如果敌人来犯(因为敌人会来犯),战争打响,你会冲锋在前、撤退在后吗?”"Well, sir," said the Cabby very slowly, "a chap don't exactly know till he's been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft 'un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I'd try -that is, I 'ope I'd try - to do my bit."“阁下,”马车夫缓缓地说,“一个人不经磨练很难真正看清楚。我敢说,我最终还是个温和的人,最多只用拳头打过架。但我会努力——就是说,我希望努力去尽自己的职责。”"Then," said Aslan,, "You will have done all that a King should do. Your coronation will be held presently. And you and your children and grandchildren shall be blessed, and some will be Kings of Narnia, and others will be Kings of Archenland which lies yonder over the Southern Mountains. And you, little Daughter (here he turned to Polly) are welcome. Have you forgiven the Boy for the violence he did you in the Hall of Images in the desolate palace of accursed Charn?"“好,”阿斯兰说,“你将做一个国王该做的一切事情。你的加冕仪式即将举行。你和你的儿孙会得到保佑,有的将是纳尼亚的国王,有的将是南山那边阿钦兰的国王。至于你,小姑娘(他转向波莉),我们欢迎你。在恰恩废墟塑像厅里他伤了你,你已经原谅他了吗?”"Yes, Aslan, we've made it up," said Polly.“是的,阿斯兰,我们已经和好了。”波莉说。"That is well," said Aslan. "And now for the Boy himself."“这样很好。”阿斯兰说,“现在,该轮到小伙子了。”Chapter 12第十二章STRAWBERRY'S ADVENTURE“草莓”远征DIGORY kept his mouth very tight shut. He had been growing more and more uncomfortable. He hoped that, whatever happened, he wouldn't blub or do anything ridiculous.迪格雷紧闭嘴唇,感到越来越不自在。无论如何,他希望自己不要哭,或者干出可笑的事。"Son of Adam," said Aslan. "Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?"“亚当的儿子,”阿斯兰说,“你是否准备弥补你在我美好的纳尼亚诞生的第一天对她犯下的过失?”"Well, I don't see what I can do," said Digory. "You see, the Queen ran away and -"“我不知道我能做什么,”迪格雷说,“你知道,那女巫已经跑了,而且……”"I asked, are you ready?" said the Lion.“我问的是,你是否准备这么做?”狮子说。"Yes," said Digory. He had had for a second some wild idea of saying "I'll try to help you if you'll promise to help my Mother," but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said "Yes," he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out:“是的。”迪格雷说。有那么一瞬间他涌出一个疯狂的念头,想说“你答应帮助治我妈妈的病,我就尽力帮你”,但他马上意识到,不能和狮子讨价还价。然而,他说出“是”的时候,他想起了妈妈,想到曾经有过的宏伟愿望如今全部灰飞烟灭,喉咙里便像堵了一团棉花似的,他含着眼泪脱口说道:"But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?" Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.“可是,对不起,对不起——你愿意——你能给点儿什么可以治我妈妈病的吗?”他本来一直看着狮子粗壮的前腿和两只巨爪,现在,绝望之下,他拾起头看着他的脸。他看到的是一生中最令他惊奇的事。狮子那张黄褐色的脸低垂下来,凑近他的脸,(最令人感到奇怪的是)眼里闪烁着大颗大颗的泪珠。与迪格雷的泪珠相比,狮子的泪珠那么大,那么亮,迪格雷顿时感到,狮子似乎比他自己更加真切地同情他的妈妈。"My son, my son," said Aslan. "I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. But I have to think of hundreds of years in the life of Narnia. The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again. But it need not be yet. It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years. So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds come over the sun. You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow."“我的孩子,我的孩子,”阿斯兰说,“我知道,的确太不幸了。这片土地上只有你和我懂得这一点。我们之间要相互理解,友好相处。但我必须为纳尼亚的生存作数百年的长远打算。你带进这个世界的女巫还会回来的,但不一定很快。我希望在纳尼亚栽一棵她不敢靠近的树,那棵树将保卫纳尼亚许多年不受她的侵犯。在乌云遮住太阳以前,这片国土将会有一个长久的明亮的早晨。你必须为我去取树种。”"Yes, sir," said Digory. He didn't know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it. The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion's kiss. And at once Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.“是的,阁下。”迪格雷说。他并不知道如何去做,但他觉得自己肯定可以做好。狮子长长地松了口气,将头低下来,以狮子的方式吻了他。迪格雷立刻感到,新的力量和勇气注入了他的身体。"Dear son," said Aslan, "I will tell you what you must do. Turn and look to the West and tell me what do you see?"“亲爱的孩子,”阿斯兰说,“我来告诉你怎么做。回头看看西方,告诉我你看见了什么?”"I see terribly big mountains, Aslan," said Digory, "I see this river coming down cliffs in a waterfall. And beyond the cliff there are high green hills with forests. And beyond those there are higher ranges that look almost black. And then, far away, there are big snowy mountains all heaped up together - like pictures of the Alps. And behind those there's nothing but the sky."“我看见高耸的大山,阿斯兰,”迪格雷说,“我看见这条河跌下峭壁,形成一道瀑布。峭壁后面,高高的小山坡上是绿色的森林。再往后,有黑魆魆的更加高大的山脉。在更遥远的地方,是连绵的大雪山——像照片上的阿尔卑斯山一样。雪山后面,除了天空什么也没有了。”"You see well," said the Lion. "Now the land of Narnia ends where the waterfall comes down, and once you have reached the top of the cliffs you will be out of Narnia and into the Western Wild. You must journey through those mountains till you find a green valley with a blue lake in it, walled round by mountains of ice. At the end of the lake there is a steep, green hill. On the top of that hill there is a garden. In the centre of that garden is a tree. Pluck an apple from that tree and bring it back to me."“你看得很清楚,”狮子说,“瀑布就是纳尼亚的边界,一旦你到了峭壁上,就出了纳尼亚,进入西方原始区了。你必须穿越那些高山,找到一条冰山环抱的绿色河谷,那里有一个蓝色的湖泊;湖的尽头,有一座绿色的陡峭的小山。山顶上有座花园,花园的中心有棵树。从树上摘一个苹果带回来给我。”"Yes, sir," said Digory again. He hadn't the least idea of how he was to climb the cliff and find his way among all the mountains, but he didn't like to say that for fear it would sound like making excuses. But he did say, "I hope, Aslan, you're not in a hurry. I shan't be able to get there and back very quickly."“好的,阁下。”迪格雷又说。他根本不知道如何才能攀越那些高山峭壁,但他不愿说,生怕听上去好像他在找借口。可他还是说,“我希望,阿斯兰,你不是很着急的。我来回一趟不可能很快。”"Little son of Adam, you shall have help," said Aslan. He then turned to the Horse who had been standing quietly beside them all this time, swishing his tail to keep the flies off, and listening with his head on one side as if the conversation were a little difficult to understand.“小小的亚当的儿子,你会得到帮助的。”阿斯兰说着转向那匹马。它一直静静地站在他们旁边,尾巴一摇一摆地驱赶苍蝇,偏着头听他们说话,似乎要理解这对话有点儿困难。"My dear," said Aslan to the Horse, "would you like to be a winged horse?"“我亲爱的,”阿斯兰对马说,“你愿意作一匹飞马吗?”You should have seen how the Horse shook its mane and how its nostrils widened, and the little tap it gave the ground with one back hoof. Clearly it would very much like to be a winged horse. But it only said:你要是在场的话,就能看见那匹马鬃毛摇晃、鼻孔大张、后蹄轻轻踏地的样子。显然,它巴不得成为一匹飞马。但它只说:"If you wish, Aslan - if you really mean - I don't know why it should be me - I'm not a very clever horse."“如果你希望,阿斯兰——如果你真的想——我不明白为什么会选中我——我不是一匹很聪明的马。”"Be winged. Be the father of all flying horses," roared Aslan in a voice that shook the ground. "Your name is Fledge."“长上翅膀,成为天下飞马之父,”阿斯兰大吼一声,惊天动地,“你的名字叫弗兰奇。”The horse shied, just as it might have shied in the old, miserable days when it pulled a hansom. Then it roared. It strained its neck back as if there were a fly biting its shoulders and it wanted to scratch them. And then, just as the beasts had burst out of the earth, there burst out from the shoulders of Fledge wings that spread and grew, larger than eagles', larger than swans', larger than angels' wings in church windows. The feathers shone chestnut colour and copper colour. He gave a great sweep with them and leaped into the air.Twenty feet above Aslan and Digory he snorted, neighed, and curvetted. Then, after circling once round them, he dropped to the earth, all four hoofs together, looking awkward and surprised, but extremely pleased.那匹马吃惊地倒退了一步,在它拉车的悲惨岁月里,它可能也像今天这样受过惊。然后,它用后腿站起来,扭着脖子,仿佛想捉住叮咬它肩膀的苍蝇似的。接着,犹如动物们先前从地里蹦出来一样,弗兰奇的肩上钻出一对翅膀,越长越宽,越长越大,超过了鹰的翅膀、天鹅的翅膀和教堂窗户上天使的翅膀。这对翅膀的羽毛呈栗色和铜色。它猛地展翅,冲向空中,在阿斯兰和迪格雷头上二十多英尺高的空中打着响鼻、嘶鸣、腾跃。围着他们转了一圈后,它降落下来,四蹄一并,看上去有点儿不熟练,有点儿惊讶,但十分欢喜。"Is it good, Fledge?" said Aslan.“好吗,弗兰奇?”阿斯兰说。"It is very good, Aslan," said Fledge.“很好,阿斯兰。”弗兰奇说。"Will you carry this little son of Adam on your back to the mountainvalley I spoke of?"“你愿意让这个亚当的儿子骑在你背上到我说的山谷去吗?”"What? Now? At once?" said Strawberry - or Fledge, as we must now call him - "Hurrah! Come, little one, I've had things like you on my back before.Long, long ago. When there were green fields; and sugar."“什么?现在?马上去?”“草莓”——或弗兰奇——说。我们现在必须这么称呼它了。“快!上来吧,小个子,我以前驮过像你这样的东西。很久以前了,在有绿色田野和糖块的时候。”"What are the two daughters of Eve whispering about?" said Aslan, turning very suddenly on Polly and the Cabby's wife, who had in fact been making friends.“这两个夏娃的女儿在悄悄说什么?”阿斯兰说着突然转向波莉和马车夫的妻子。她们两人已经交上了朋友。"If you please, sir," said Queen Helen (for that is what Nellie the cabman's wife now was), "I think the little girl would love to go too, if it weren't no trouble."“对不起,阁下,”海伦王后(马车夫的妻子蕾丽现在的称呼)说,“我想,如果方便的话,这小姑娘愿意跟着去。”"What does Fledge say about that?" asked the Lion.“弗兰奇有何意见?”狮子问。"Oh, I don't mind two, not when they're little ones," said Fledge. "But I hope the Elephant doesn't want to come as well."“噢,驮两个孩子我不在乎,”弗兰奇说,“但我希望大象不要上来。”The Elephant had no such wish, and the new King of Narnia helped both the children up: that is, he gave Digory a rough heave and set Polly as gently and daintily on the horse's back as if she were made of china and might break. "There they are, Strawberry - Fledge, I should say. This is a rum go."大象根本没想上去。纳尼亚的新国王帮助两个孩子骑上马背。当然,他将迪格雷重重地一举,而把波莉当作一件易碎的瓷器一样轻手轻脚地托了上去。“他们坐好了,‘草莓’——我该说弗兰奇。这一趟可不简单哦。”"Do not fly too high," said Aslan. "Do not try to go over the tops of the great ice-mountains. Look out for the valleys, the green places, and fly through them. There will always be a way through. And now, begone with my blessing."“别飞得太高,”阿斯兰说,“不要想飞过那些高大的冰山。穿越河谷那绿色地带,总会找到一条路的。好了,祝你们一路平安。”"Oh Fledge!" said Digory, leaning forward to pat the Horse's glossy neck. "This is fun. Hold on to me tight, Polly."“噢,弗兰奇!”迪格雷弯下腰,拍打着毛茸茸的马脖子。“太好玩了。抓紧我,波莉。”Next moment the country dropped away beneath them, and whirled round as Fledge, like a huge pigeon, circled once or twice before setting off on his long westward flight. Looking down, Polly could hardly see the King and the Queen, and even Aslan himself was only a bright yellow spot on the green grass. Soon the wind was in their faces and Fledges wings settled down to a steady beat.很快,那片国土就被他们远远地抛在了下面。随着弗兰奇像鸽子般一圈两圈地转着,大地也跟着旋转起来。然后,弗兰奇转向西方,开始了漫长的飞行。波莉低头俯视,几乎看不见国王和王后了,连阿斯兰也只是绿草中一个亮亮的黄点。马上便有风刮在他们脸上。弗兰奇的翅膀有节奏地扇动起来。All Narnia, many-coloured with lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it like a ribbon of quicksilver. They could already see over the tops of the low hills which lay northward on their right; beyond those hills a great moorland sloped gently up and up to the horizon. On their left the mountains were much higher, but every now and then there was a gap when you could see, between steep pine woods, a glimpse of the southern lands that lay beyond them, looking blue and far away.整个纳尼亚展开在他们脚下,草地、岩石、石南属植物和千姿百态的树木将大地染得五彩缤纷,蜿蜒的河流像一条水银的带子。右望北方,小山的那一边,是一片缓缓斜升至地平线的沼地。左边的山高得多,但不时可见一个个峡谷。从那儿望过去,透过挺拔的松林,能瞥见南方蔚蓝的土地,远远地绵延伸展。"That'll be where Archenland is," said Polly.“那儿就是阿钦兰吧。”波莉说。"Yes, but look ahead!" said Digory.“是的,看前边!”迪格雷说。For now a great barrier of cliffs rose before them and they were almost dazzled by the sunlight dancing on the great waterfall by which the river roars and sparkles down into Narnia itself from the high western lands in which it rises. They were flying so high already that the thunder of those falls could only just be heard as a small, thin sound, but they were not yet high enough to fly over the top of the cliffs.悬崖峭壁在他们眼前竖起一道巨大的屏障,阳光在大瀑布上闪烁,令人目眩。来自西边高地的河水咆哮着,水花飞溅地流进纳尼亚境内。他们已经飞得很高,瀑布雷鸣般的巨响已变得很轻。但他们飞行的高度还不能越过峭壁。"We'll have to do a bit of zig-zagging here," said Fledge. "Hold on tight."“我们要在这里作一阵之字形飞行,”弗兰奇说,“抓牢。”He began flying to and fro, getting higher at each turn. The air grew colder, and they heard the call of eagles far below them.它开始来来回回地飞,每盘旋一次都飞得更高。空气越来越冷,脚下远处传来一阵鹰啼。"I say, look back! Look behind," said Polly.“喂,朝后看!看后面!”波莉说。There they could see the whole valley of Narnia stretched out to where, just before the eastern horizon, there was a gleam of the sea. And now they were so high that they could see tiny-looking jagged mountains appearing beyond the northwest moors, and plains of what looked like sand far in the south.他们看见,纳尼亚向东伸延到地平线的尽头,有一片大海的闪光。他们现在的高度已能看见参差不齐的群山逶迤在北方沼泽地后面,显得很小。遥远的南方,伸展着一片沙地一样的平原。"I wish we had someone to tell us what all those places are," said Digory.“我希望有人告诉我们那是些什么地方。”迪格雷说。"I don't suppose they're anywhere yet," said Polly. "I mean, there's no one there, and nothing happening. The world only began today."“我不认为那是什么特殊的地方,”波莉说,“我是说,那儿没有人,也没发生过什么事,这个世界今天才开始。”"No, but people will get there," said Digory. "And then they'll have histories, you know."“不,人终究要去的,”迪格雷说,“然后就会有历史,你知道。”"Well, it's a jolly good thing they haven't now," said Polly. "Because nobody can be made to learn it. Battles and dates and all that rot."“幸好还没有,”波莉说,“因为谁也无法去学那些事。战争,各种日期,以及所有那些废话。”Now they were over the top of the cliffs and in a few minutes the valley land of Narnia had sunk out of sight behind them. They were flying over a wild country of steep hills and dark forests, still following the course of the river. The really big mountains loomed ahead. But the sun was now in the travellers' eyes and they couldn't see things very clearly in that direction. For the sun sank lower and lower till the western sky was all like one great furnace full of melted gold; and it set at last behind a jagged peak which stood up against the brightness as sharp and flat as if it were cut out of cardboard.他们已经飞上了悬崖之巅,几分钟后,纳尼亚谷地就从后面的视野中消失了。他们沿着河流,飞行在一片蛮荒的土地上,下面是陡峭的山坡和黑魃魃的森林。前面隐隐出现雄伟的高山。阳光从正前方射来,使他们看不清前面的景物。这时,太阳正在落山,西边的天空像一个巨大的熔炉,装满了熔化的黄金。终于,夕阳沉匿在锯齿状的山峰背后,一片辉煌映衬着仿佛从纸片上剪下的、清晰而失去了立体感的群山。"It's none too warm up here," said Polly.“这儿一点也不暖和。”波莉说。"And my wings are beginning to ache," said Fledge. There's no sign of the valley with a Lake in it, like what Aslan said. What about coming down and looking out for a decent spot to spend the night in? We shan't reach that place tonight."“我的翅膀开始痛了,”弗兰奇说,“阿斯兰说的那个有湖的山谷还看不见呢。下去找一个舒服的地方过夜怎么样?我们今天晚上到不了目的地。”"Yes, and surely it's about time for supper?" said Digory.“好的,现在一定是晚饭时间了吧?”迪格雷说。So Fledge came lower and lower. As they came down nearer to the earth and among the hills, the air grew warmer and after travelling so many hours with nothing to listen to but the beat of Fledge's wings, it was nice to hear the homely and earthy noises again - the chatter of the river on its stony bed and the creaking of trees in the light wind. A warm, good smell of sun-baked earth and grass and flowers came up to them. At last Fledge alighted. Digory rolled off and helped Polly to dismount. Both were glad to stretch their stiff legs.The valley in which they had come down was in the heart of the mountains; snowy heights, one of them looking rosered in the reflections of the sunset, towered above them.弗兰奇越飞越低,当他们降到离地面很近的小山中时,天气暖和起来。在那漫长的飞行中,除了弗兰奇翅膀的扇动外什么也听不见。现在,又听到地面上传来各种亲切的声音,多么令人愉快啊!水从石头河床上潺潺地流过,微风沙沙地拂过树林。太阳炙烤下,泥土、青草和鲜花发出的沁人心脾的温暖气息扑面而来。弗兰奇终于落地。迪格雷下来后又帮助波莉下了马。两人都很高兴能舒展僵硬的腿了。他们降落的山谷正好在群山中心,两边的雪山俯瞰着他们,夕阳将其中的一座镀上了一层玫瑰红。"I am hungry," said Digory.“我饿了。”迪格雷说。"Well, tuck in," said Fledge, taking a big mouthful of grass. Then he raised his head, still chewing and with bits of grass sticking out on each side of his mouth like whiskers, and said, "Come on, you two. Don't be shy. There's plenty for us all."“来,美美地吃上一顿。”弗兰奇说着,咬下一大口草。然后它抬起头,嚼着,嘴角边像胡须一样支出几根草节。“你们两个快来吃。别不好意思,够我们三人吃的。”"But we can't eat grass," said Digory.“可是我们不会吃草。”迪格雷说。"H'm, h'm," said Fledge, speaking with his mouth full. "Well - h'm - don't know quite what you'll do then. Very good grass too."“嗯,嗯,”弗兰奇嚼着满口的草,说道,“哦,嗯,那么,不知道你们要干什么。这么好的草。”Polly and Digory stared at one another in dismay.波莉和迪格雷神情沮丧地面面相觑。"Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals," said Digory.“我想一定有人已经给我们安排好了晚餐。”迪格雷说。"I'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him," said Fledge.“我敢说,如果你恳求阿斯兰,他会为你想到的。”"Wouldn't he know without being asked?" said Polly.“不恳求他就想不到吗?”波莉说。"I've no doubt he would," said the Horse (still with his mouth full). "But I've a sort of idea he likes to be asked."“毫无疑问他会的,”马说(仍然嚼着满口的草),“但我认为他喜欢别人请求他。”"But what on earth are we to do?" asked Digory.“那我们到底该怎么办?”迪格雷问。"I'm sure I don't know," said Fledge. "Unless you try the grass. You might like it better than you think."“我肯定不知道,”弗兰奇说,“除非你们试着吃点儿草。可能会比你们想像的要好一些。”"Oh, don't be silly," said Polly, stamping her foot. "Of course humans can't eat grass, any more than you could eat a mutton chop."“唉,别说傻话了,”波莉跺着脚说,“人当然没法儿吃草,就像你不吃羊排一样。”"For goodness' sake don't talk about chops and things," said Digory. "It only makes it worse."“看在上帝分上,别提什么羊排了。”迪格雷说,“这样只会更糟。”Digory said that Polly had better take herself home by ring and get something to eat there; he couldn't himself because he had promised to go straight on his message for Aslan, and, if once he showed up again at home, anything might happen to prevent his getting back. But Polly said she wouldn't leave him, and Digory said it was jolly decent of her.他说,波莉最好靠戒指回家取些吃的,他自己不能去,因为他已答应阿斯兰要直接去完成任务,而一旦回到家中,可能会发生什么事使他难以返回。但波莉说她不离开他,迪格雷说她太好了。"I say," said Polly, "I've still got the remains of that bag of toffee in my jacket. It'll be better than nothing."“唉呀,”波莉说,“我的口袋里还剩一些太妃糖。总比没有吃的好吧。”"A lot better," said Digory, "But be careful to get your hand into your pocket without touching your ring."“好极了,”迪格雷说,“但手伸进去时要小心,别碰着戒指。”This was a difficult and delicate job but they managed it in the end. The little paper bag was very squashy and sticky when they finally got it out, so that it was more a question of tearing the bag off the toffees than of getting the toffees out of the bag. Some grown-ups (you know how fussy they can be about that sort of thing) would rather have gone without supper altogether than eaten those toffees. There were nine of them all told. It was Digory who had the bright idea of eating four each and planting the ninth; for, as he said, "if the bar off the lamp-post turned into a little light-tree, why shouldn't this turn into a toffee-tree?" So they dibbled a small hole in the turf and buried the piece of toffee. Then they ate the other pieces, making them last as long as they could. It was a poor meal, even with all the paper they couldn't help eating as well.这件事非常棘手,搞不好就会弄糟,但最后还是成功了。他们拿出来的小纸袋又软又湿,黏糊糊的,所以,从糖上撕下纸袋要比从口袋里拿出糖来更困难。有些大人(你知道他们遇到这种事时会如何大惊小怪地瞎忙乎一阵),宁愿不吃晚饭也不愿吃那些太妃糖。一共有九颗。迪格雷想出一个好办法,每人吃四颗,将第九颗种在地里。他说:“从灯柱上取下的铁棒都能长成一个小灯柱,这颗糖为什么不能长成一棵太妃糖树呢?”于是,他们在草皮上挖了一个小洞,埋下了那颗太妃糖,然后,开始吃剩下的八颗,尽可能久地慢慢品味。那是一顿糟糕的晚餐,即使糖纸全部黏在上面,他们也不得不吃下去。When Fledge had quite finished his own excellent supper he lay down. The children came and sat one on each side of him leaning against his warm body, and when he had spread a wing over each they were really quite snug. As the bright young stars of that new world came out they talked over everything: how Digory had hoped to get something for his Mother and how, instead of that, he had been sent on this message. And they repeated to one another all the signs by which they would know the places they were looking for - the blue lake and the hill with a garden on top of it. The talk was just beginning to slow down as they got sleepy, when suddenly Polly sat up wide awake and said "Hush!"弗兰奇吃完丰盛的晚餐后躺了下来,孩子们坐在它的两边,靠着它温暖的躯体。它伸开翅膀盖住他们,使他们更感温暖和舒适。当新世界明亮而年轻的星星升起来时,他们开始谈天说地:迪格雷当初多么希望为他的妈妈弄点儿什么,后来又是如何被派遣来执行这项任务。他们一再地提及他们要找的那个地方的特征——蓝色的湖泊,山顶上有座花园。直到睡意袭来,他们的谈话才减慢了。突然,波莉惊醒坐了起来:“嘘!”Everyone listened as hard as they could.三位同伴竭尽全力地仔细倾听。"Perhaps it was only the wind in the trees," said Digory presently.“也许只是树间的风声吧。”过了一会儿迪格雷说。"I'm not so sure," said Fledge. "Anyway - wait! There it goes again. By Aslan, it is something."“不敢肯定,”弗兰奇说,“不管怎么说——等等!有动静。凭阿斯兰起誓,是有什么。”The horse scrambled to its feet with a great noise and a great upheaval; the children were already on theirs. Fledge trotted to and fro, sniffing and whinnying. The children tip-toed this way and that, looking behind every bush and tree. They kept on thinking they saw things, and there was one time when Polly was perfectly certain she had seen-a tall, dark figure gliding quickly away in a westerly direction. But they caught nothing and in the end Fledge lay down again and the children re-snuggled (if that is the right word) under his wings. They went to sleep at once. Fledge stayed awake much longer moving his ears to and fro in the darkness and sometimes giving a little shiver with his skin as if a fly had lighted on him: but in the end he too slept.马猛地一蹶,发出很大的响声,匆忙爬了起来。孩子们已经站好了。弗兰奇前前后后地小跑着,嗅着,发出低低的嘶鸣;孩子们蹑手蹑脚地在每一丛灌木和每一棵树后巡查。他们一直认为自己看见了什么。有一次,波莉非常肯定地说,她看见一个高大的黑影迅速地溜向西方。但他们什么也没有找到。最后,弗兰奇又躺下了,孩子们偎依(如果可以用这个词的话)在马的翅膀下,很快就睡着了。弗兰奇好长时间都醒着,在黑暗中前后移动它的耳朵,有时皮肤轻轻地战栗一下,似乎有只苍蝇落在它身上,但最后它也睡着了。Chapter 13第十三章AN UNEXPECTED MEETING不期而遇"WAKE up, Digory, wake up, Fledge," came the voice of Polly. "It has turned into a toffee tree. And it's the loveliest morning."“醒醒,迪格雷,醒醒,弗兰奇,”波莉喊道,“太妃糖树已经长成了。这是最美好的早晨。”The low early sunshine was streaming through the wood and the grass was grey with dew and the cobwebs were like silver. Just beside them was a little, very darkwooded tree, about the size of an apple tree. The leaves were whitish and rather papery, like the herb called honesty, and it was loaded with little brown fruits that looked rather like dates.初升的朝阳照进树林,草叶上蒙着一层灰白的露珠,蜘蛛网上银光闪闪。就在他们身旁,长出了一棵与苹果树一样大小的木色极暗的树。白白的树叶形似纸张,很像一种叫做缎花的草药,上面挂着枣儿一样的褐色小果实。"Hurrah!" said Digory. "But I'm going to have a dip first." He rushed through a flowering thicket or two down to the river's edge. Have you ever bathed in a mountain river that is running in shallow cataracts over red and blue and yellow stones with the sun on it? It is as good as the sea: in some ways almost better. Of course, he had to dress again without drying but it was well worth it. When he came back, Polly went down and had her bathe; at least she said that was what she'd been doing, but we know she was not much of a swimmer and perhaps it is best not to ask too many questions. Fledge visited the river too but he only stood in midstream, stooping down for a long drink of water and then shaking his mane and neighing several times.“哈!”迪格雷说,“可我要先去洗个澡。”他迅速穿过几丛开花的灌木到了河边。阳光下,山里的河水在红、蓝、黄三色石头上形成许多小瀑布奔涌而来,你曾在这样的河里洗过澡吗?跟在海里一样美妙;某些方面还更好些。当然,他只好不擦干身子就穿上衣服,但即使这样也很值得。他回来后,波莉也去洗了一次澡;至少她自己说她洗了澡,但就我们所知,她游泳不行,也许最好不要问得太多。弗兰奇也去了一次,但它只是站在河水中,俯身长长地吸了一口水,然后,甩甩鬃毛,长嘶几声。Polly and Digory got to work on the toffee-tree. The fruit was delicious; not exactly like toffee - softer for one thing, and juicy - but like fruit which reminded one of toffee. Fledge also made an excellent breakfast; he tried one of the toffee fruits and liked it but said he felt more like grass at that hour in the morning. Then with some difficulty the children got on his back and the second journey began.波莉和迪格雷开始对太妃糖树采取行动了。果实很好吃:跟太妃糖不完全相似,软一些,而且多汁——是一种吃了便令人想到太妃糖的水果。弗兰奇也美美地吃了一顿早餐:它试着尝了一个太妃果,很喜欢,但又说,在早晨的那个时候,它觉得更喜欢吃草。然后,孩子们有点儿艰难地上了马,第二天的旅行又开始了。It was even better than yesterday, partly because every one was feeling so fresh, and partly because the newly risen sun was at their backs and, of course, everything looks nicer when the light is behind you. It was a wonderful ride. The big snowy mountains rose above them in every direction. The valleys, far beneath them, were so green, and all the streams which tumbled down from the glaciers into the main river were so blue, that it was like flying over gigantic pieces of jewellery. They would have liked this part of the adventure to go on longer than it did. But quite soon they were all sniffing the air and saying "What is it?" and "Did you smell something?" and "Where's it coming from?" For a heavenly smell, warm and golden, as if from all the most delicious fruits and flowers of the world, was coming up to them from somewhere ahead.今天的情况稍好于昨天,因为大家都感到神清气爽,而初升的太阳又在他们背后,自然,周围的景致就比阳光从前面射来时显得美丽一些。这是一段奇妙的飞行,四面八方都耸立着高大的雪山,底下的深谷里一片苍翠,从冰山上流下来注入那条大河的溪涧全部是蓝色的。他们像飞行在巨大的宝石上,盼望着这段旅行能延续得更长些。然而,过了一会儿,他们便闻到一股味道。“是什么?”“你闻到了吗?”“这味道是从哪儿来的?”从前面飘来一股似乎从世上最美好的果实和花卉中提炼出的温馨、浓郁的奇香。"It's coming from that valley with the lake in it," said Fledge.“是从一个有湖的山谷里飘来的。”弗兰奇说。"So it is," said Digory. "And look! There's a green hill at the far end of the lake. And look how blue the water is."“是的,”迪格雷说,“快看!湖那边有座绿色的山。看,湖水多蓝。”"It must be the Place," said all three.“肯定就是这个地方。”三个声音一齐说。Fledge came lower and lower in wide circles. The icy peaks rose up higher and higher above. The air came up warmer and sweeter every moment, so sweet that it almost brought the tears to your eyes. Fledge was now gliding with his wings spread out motionless on each side, and his hoofs pawing for the ground. The steep green hill was rushing towards them. A moment later he alighted on its slope, a little awkwardly. The children rolled off, fell without hurting themselves on the warm, fine grass, and stood up panting a little.弗兰奇绕着大圈,越飞越低,冰峰则越变越高。空气每一秒钟都更加暖和、甜美,几乎使你热泪盈眶。弗兰奇一动不动地伸开它那巨大的双翅滑行着,马蹄随时准备着陆。那座陡峭的绿色小山向他们迎面扑来。很快,弗兰奇就稍微有点儿不熟练地落在了山坡上。孩子们翻身下马,稳稳当当地站在温暖柔软的草地上,轻轻地喘着气。They were three-quarters of the way up the hill, and set out at once to climb to the top. (I don't think Fledge could have managed this without his wings to balance him and to give him the help of aflutter now and then.) All round the very top of the hill ran a high wall of green turf. Inside the wall trees were growing. Their branches hung out over the wall; their leaves showed not only green but also blue and silver when the wind stirred them. When the travellers reached the top they walked nearly all the way round it outside the green wall before they found the gates: high gates of gold, fast shut, facing due east.离山顶还有四分之一的路,他们立即出发向上爬去。(我认为弗兰奇如果没有那对翅膀时不时地扇动一下帮助它维持平衡的话,它是很难上去的。)山的最高处被一圈绿色的草墙围了起来。墙内密密地栽着树,树枝伸出墙外。叶子在风中闪出绿色、蓝色和银色的光芒。当三位旅行者到达山顶时,他们在绿墙外绕了几乎整整一圈,才找到面向正东、紧闭着的高大金门。Up till now I think Fledge and Polly had had the idea that they would go in with Digory. But they thought so no longer. You never saw a place which was so obviously private. You could see at a glance that it belonged to someone else. Only a fool would dream of going in unless he had been sent there on very special business. Digory himself understood at once that the others wouldn't and couldn't come in with him. He went forward to the gates alone.直到现在,我还认为弗兰奇和波莉曾经想过和迪格雷一起进去,但他们很快就打消了这个念头。你从未见过如此幽寂的地方,一看就知道是私人所有。除非负有特殊使命,只有傻瓜才会梦想走进去。迪格雷马上就明白别人不会也不能和他一起进去。他独自向门走去。When he had come close up to them he saw words written on the gold with silver letters; something like this:来到门前,他看见金门上写着一些银色的字,大意是这样的: