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《凱斯賓王子》第十章 獅王歸來

所屬教程:納尼亞傳奇7本全

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2018年06月26日

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CHAPTER TEN THE RETURN OF THE LION

第十章 獅王歸來

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

走在懸崖邊并不容易。他們剛走一會兒,就碰到了茂密的冷杉樹林,他們只好彎下腰鉆過枝葉,緩慢地前行。他們很快意識到,照這個(gè)進(jìn)度一個(gè)小時(shí)也走不了半里路。于是他們只好原路返回,想從別處繞過去。他們向右走了很遠(yuǎn),直到?jīng)]有峭壁也沒有水聲了。他們開始懷疑是不是走錯(cuò)路了,也不知道是幾點(diǎn),只感覺是一天中溫度最高的時(shí)候。

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

最后他們終于又走到峽谷邊緣(大約在他們出發(fā)地往下一英里的地方),下面的峭壁塌裂得很嚴(yán)重。很快,他們找到了通往下游的路,于是沿河前行。休息的時(shí)候,大家在河邊喝了個(gè)飽。再也沒有人說要和凱斯賓共進(jìn)早餐或者晚餐了。

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

他們不上山而且沿著河水走,也許也是明智的。因?yàn)檫@樣至少能確保他們走的方向是對的:他們一直害怕走得太遠(yuǎn),在森林里迷路。這是一片幽深的樹林,里面根本沒有一條直路。他們在大片的荊棘、倒下的大樹、沼澤、以及茂密的低矮叢林里繞了不少路。這里非常兇險(xiǎn),何況他們還急著趕路。如果是郊游,這里作為野餐和休息的地方,還是非常不錯(cuò)的。這里的風(fēng)景真是美不勝收--傾瀉而下的大瀑布、銀色的小瀑布、琥珀色的深潭、爬滿青苔的石頭,蕨類植物和珠寶色的蜻蜓,還有一腳下去就陷到腳踝的沼澤地。周圍長滿各種蕨類植物和寶石般的蜻蜓。天空偶爾飛過一只鷹,彼得和杜魯普金覺得應(yīng)該是一只雄鷹。不過,他們此時(shí)希望能快點(diǎn)趕到前面的河口和柏盧納灘,那是去阿斯蘭堡壘的必經(jīng)之地。

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

接下來的路越走越坎坷,他們走得越來越慢--有時(shí)還要在光滑的巖石上攀爬,下面是看不見底的深淵,而且水流湍急。

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

他們就這樣一邊看著腳下的懸崖,一邊留意著可以下腳的地方。走在這樣難行的路上,實(shí)在讓人惱火,可是只能咬著牙、狠下心往前走。他們確信只要走出峽谷,再過一個(gè)山坡就能到凱斯賓的營地了。

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

男孩子們和小矮人都說應(yīng)該找個(gè)地方點(diǎn)一堆火,烤點(diǎn)熊肉吃。蘇珊卻不贊成,她堅(jiān)持說"一直走,一直走,一定要走出這可惡的地方"。露茜這時(shí)已經(jīng)累得什么想法都沒有了。其實(shí),走了那么遠(yuǎn)根本沒有看到任何可以作柴火的東西,所以想法再好也沒用。兩個(gè)男孩子餓得快不行了,他們開始想生肉沒準(zhǔn)并沒有別人說的那么難吃。但杜魯普金掐滅了他們這個(gè)想法。

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

毫無疑問如果是在英國這樣走幾天,他們早累趴下了。前面我已經(jīng)講過納尼亞是怎樣改變他們的。就拿露茜來說,現(xiàn)在盡顯女王氣質(zhì),不再像一個(gè)第一次去寄宿學(xué)校的小女孩。

"At last!"said Susan.

"總算出來了!"蘇珊嘆了口氣。

"Oh,hurray!"said Peter.

"噢,太好了!"彼得說。

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

河道在峽谷的盡頭轉(zhuǎn)了個(gè)彎。在崖頂下面是另一個(gè)天地:一馬平川的草原在遠(yuǎn)處和天空連成一體。河流像一條銀色的緞帶一樣從草原中間穿行,以前那里是柏盧納渡口其中一道寬卻淺的河道,現(xiàn)在他們一眼就分辨了出來,那里唯一的改變是多了一座孔橋,橋的盡頭是一個(gè)村落。

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

"我的天,"愛德蒙說,"就在這里,我們勝了柏盧納戰(zhàn)役!"

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

男孩子喜歡以此為榮耀。每當(dāng)回想到以前贏得輝煌勝利的戰(zhàn)場,而那兒在幾百年前還是自己的王國,自豪之感油然而生,并且斗志昂揚(yáng)非常神氣。彼得和愛德蒙津津樂道地談起那場戰(zhàn)役,頓時(shí)就不覺得艱辛和勞累了,也不覺得身上盔甲的沉重。小矮人聽得入了迷,露出一臉的欽佩和向往。

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

稍稍休息之后,他們加快了步伐。路途變得更輕松了,雖然左邊還有峭壁懸崖,但到了峽谷,右邊的平地逐漸開闊起來,道路好走了些,峽谷變成了河谷,瀑布也少了,他們又進(jìn)入了一片茂密的灌木叢。

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

然后......"嗖......"地他們頭頂飛過什么東西,像啄木鳥在啄樹干似的。孩子們想著這種奇怪的聲音好像在什么地方聽過,突然聽到杜魯普金喊了一聲"趴下!"離他最近的露茜就被他按倒在樹叢里。彼得本想看看是不是松鼠,沒想到剛一抬頭,一支利箭剛好掠過他的頭頂扎進(jìn)樹干。他趕緊拉了蘇珊一把,讓她也趴下。才剛趴下另一支箭就擦著他的肩射了過來,扎在旁邊的泥土里。

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

"快!快!往后退!趴到地上!"杜魯普金喘著氣說。

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

他們掉過頭穿過灌木叢,伴著蒼蠅的嗡嗡聲往山上爬去。無情的利箭包圍著他們,又一支箭射過來,射在蘇珊的頭盔上,還碰撞出了一點(diǎn)火星。他們快速攀爬,不一會兒就滿頭大汗,上氣不接下氣。之后,他們索性彎著身子跑起來。男孩子斷后,劍出鞘,做好準(zhǔn)備隨時(shí)和追上來的敵人廝殺。

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

這一路走得太艱難了他們順著剛才走全是陡坡的路。大家都累得跑不動(dòng)了,只好一下子癱在瀑布旁邊的大石頭上,氣喘吁吁的。等他們恢復(fù)過來望望四周,才發(fā)現(xiàn)已經(jīng)爬得很高了,自己都非常吃驚。

They listened intently and heard no sound of pursuit.

他們聽了半天,沒有任何動(dòng)靜。

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

"終于沒事了,"杜魯普金呼了一口氣,"他們沒有在森林里搜索,我看只是幾個(gè)哨兵。這說明彌若茲在那里有一個(gè)哨所,這應(yīng)該是最近才有的事,可惡!"

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

"對不起,我?guī)Т蠹易吡诉@樣的路。"彼得說。

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

"陛下,說反了,"小矮人說,"不是你,是你弟弟,愛德蒙國王。是他建議我們沿著清水溪走的。"

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

"小不點(diǎn)是對的。"愛德蒙說。之前從迷路時(shí)起他就把這一點(diǎn)忘了,現(xiàn)在才想起來。

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

"回頭想想,"杜魯普金接著說,"如果走我選的那條路,沒準(zhǔn)會走進(jìn)敵人的哨所,或者我們?nèi)绻肜@開,也會遇到這情況。其實(shí)我想,我們選擇的應(yīng)該是一條最安全的路。"

"A blessing in disguise,"said Susan.

"塞翁失馬,焉知非福。"蘇珊說。

"Some disguise!"said Edmund.

"未必吧。"愛德蒙說。

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

"我想我們要順著峽谷返回往上游走了。"露茜說。

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

"露茜,你真棒!"彼得說,"其實(shí)你這回可以批評我們之前沒有聽你的建議。我們馬上出發(fā),去上游。"

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

"等我們到了森林,"杜魯普金說,

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

不管怎么樣,我都要做飯。但是,這會兒我們必須先離開這兒。

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

先不說返回途中遭了多少罪,但奇怪的是大家的情緒卻高漲起來,渾身都是勁兒。"馬上就可以填飽肚子了"大家恢復(fù)了精力,這個(gè)望梅止渴的想法,作用還是不小的。

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

大家又回到那片即使在白天也讓他們感到麻煩的那片杉樹林,他們找到一塊高地,打算在此露宿。揀柴雖然無趣,可是想想熊熊燃燒的篝火就令人興奮。他們開始動(dòng)手料理那些油乎乎的生熊肉。對那些衣食無憂的人們來說,這樣的確實(shí)讓人感到惡心。小矮人擅長烹飪,他們把蘋果切成塊,然后拿肉當(dāng)皮像包餃子一樣把蘋果裹起來,插在樹枝上烤著吃,只是有點(diǎn)厚。蘋果汁滲到熊肉里,吃的時(shí)候就像蘸了蘋果醬一樣。熊如果吃太多肉維生,肉就會有很多纖維,而且不好吃。但是吃蜂蜜和水果長大的熊的肉卻鮮嫩可口,味道好極了,他們的熊肉就是好吃的那種。這是一頓精致的晚餐,而且不用洗碗。每個(gè)人吃飽了就各自找個(gè)舒服的地方靠在樹上,伸出累得麻木的雙腿隨便聊了起來。望著杜魯普金的煙斗里冒出絲絲縷縷的白煙,大家心里都充滿希望明天就能找到凱斯賓國王,而且還能打敗彌若茲。雖不知道這是哪來的信心,但大家都有同感。

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

他們很快就睡熟了。

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

露茜從熟睡中驚醒,她好像聽到了一個(gè)非常溫和聲音叫她的名字,你可以想象一下。她起初以為是爸爸,又不像。然后覺得是彼得,再聽好像也不是,然后她就不想猜了。并不是因?yàn)樗哿?-正好相反,她休息得很好,白天腰酸背痛的感覺也沒有了,這會兒她感覺非常舒服以至于不想起來。他們露宿的地方很寬敞,抬頭能看到比我們世界的月亮大得多的納尼亞的月亮,夜空星羅棋布,非常靜謐。

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

"露茜。"那聲音又來了,確定不是爸爸的聲音,也不是彼得哥哥的。她坐了起來,激動(dòng)得有些發(fā)抖,但不感到害怕。月光把周圍照得像白天一樣,盡管看上去有些荒涼。后面是杉樹林右邊的峽谷旁是懸崖峭壁,在大約二十米開外的正前方,露茜盯著樹林的一片草地上。

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

"哎喲,它們真的是在動(dòng),"她一個(gè)人嘟囔,"像走路一樣。"

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

她站起來走過去,心怦怦地跳個(gè)不停。那片空地的確有東西在動(dòng),那時(shí)候沒有風(fēng),樹葉卻在沙沙地響。一般情況下,樹林是沒有這種響聲的。露茜聽到沙沙聲響起的時(shí)候,還響起一種旋律,可她聽不清楚那旋律,就像她前天晚上也聽不清它們的竊竊私語一樣。只聽出一些節(jié)奏,再走近一點(diǎn),她開始感覺自己情不自禁要跳起來了。這時(shí)她確定那些樹真的在動(dòng)。枝葉往來交錯(cuò),像一支復(fù)雜的民族舞。"我感覺,"露茜心想,"樹跳起舞來的時(shí)候,確實(shí)像是民族舞,而且是非常、非常原始的民族舞。"現(xiàn)在,她已經(jīng)身處它們之中了,就像是其中的一分子。

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

她第一眼看到的樹像是有凌亂的胡子和頭發(fā)蓬松的巨人一樣。她不但不覺得恐怖,因?yàn)樗郧坝龅竭^這種情況。她看不到它的腳或者說樹根,只看到它笨拙地扭動(dòng)著身子,就像蹚水一樣在泥土里走來走去。別的樹也是這樣。它們像被施了魔法一樣,一會兒是人,一會兒是樹。變成樹的時(shí)候,看起來像人;變成人的時(shí)候,又覺得它像樹。不管怎樣,都能聽到那種清晰而明快的奇怪節(jié)奏和颯颯聲。

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

"它們應(yīng)該是要蘇醒了吧。"露茜說。她知道自己這時(shí)候非常清醒,比任何任何時(shí)候都清醒。

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

她一點(diǎn)都不害怕,走到他們身邊。她一邊走一邊跳,以免被大樹碰到。露茜并沒有打算跟它們一起跳,她只是想穿過去到別的地方去。因?yàn)槟莻€(gè)親切的聲音,一直呼喚她的那個(gè)聲音,分明是從樹林那邊傳來。

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

她很快就從它們中走了出來。不知道她是推開了那些樹枝,還是用手握住了那些會跳舞的樹的手,反正從那些令人眩暈的光影中走出來了。

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

一片整齊得像被修剪過的草坪映入眼簾,周圍的樹顏色很深它們?nèi)匀辉谔琛H缓?,啊,她愉快地叫了一聲。威風(fēng)凜凜的獅王就站在那兒。月光下,他的鬃毛閃閃發(fā)亮,地上的影子被拉得很長。

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

如果他的尾巴沒有動(dòng)那么一動(dòng),你肯定不相信他是一只有血有肉活生生的獅子。露茜毫不猶豫地跑過去。她沒有去想,那究竟是阿斯蘭還是一只兇殘、食人的獅子。她的心簡直要從胸腔里跳出來了。后來她記得她摟住了阿斯蘭的脖子,喊他的名字,親他,吻他,把臉埋進(jìn)他那柔軟、美麗,像緞子一樣光滑的鬃毛里。

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

"阿斯蘭,阿斯蘭,親愛的阿斯蘭,"露茜哽咽道,"總算見到你了。"

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

獅王側(cè)身躺下,露茜也俯身靠著他兩條前腿。阿斯蘭把頭伸向露茜,輕輕舔了舔她的小鼻子,她感覺全身都傳來他溫暖的氣息。她仰起頭,凝望著全是智慧的大腦袋里。

"Welcome,child,"he said.

"歡迎你,孩子。"他說。

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

"阿斯蘭,"露茜說,"你變大了。"

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

"是你長大了,小朋友。"他回答道。

"Not because you are?"

"不是因?yàn)槟銈€(gè)頭變大了嗎?"

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

"沒有??墒请S著你慢慢長大,你會覺得我也越來越大。"

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

露茜樂得說不出話,還是阿斯蘭先開口。

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

"露茜,"他說,"這里不能久待,我們還有很多事沒做?,F(xiàn)在已經(jīng)浪費(fèi)了很多時(shí)間了。"

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

"是的,他們不應(yīng)該感到慚愧嗎?"露茜說,"我看到你示意我們?nèi)ド巾斏?,我的話他們根本都不聽,他們總是那?....."

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

阿斯蘭發(fā)出一聲低吼,似乎帶著責(zé)備。

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

"抱歉,"露茜很快意識到他的情緒,然后說,"我不想在背后說別人的壞話,但那不是我的錯(cuò),是吧?"

The Lion looked straight into her eyes.

獅王看著她的眼睛。

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

"噢,阿斯蘭,"露茜說,"你認(rèn)為是我的錯(cuò)嗎?我不能......我不能拋棄他們,一個(gè)人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那樣看著我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不會孤單,可有什么用呢?"

Aslan said nothing.

阿斯蘭沉默不語。

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

"你認(rèn)為,"露茜的聲音變得低了,"那樣就會好一點(diǎn)嗎?請告訴我,阿斯蘭!那樣會怎么樣?"

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

"想知道可能發(fā)生卻沒發(fā)生的事,是嗎,孩子?"阿斯蘭說道,"不,沒有人能知道。"

"Oh dear,"said Lucy.

"哦,親愛的。"露茜說。

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

"對將會發(fā)生的事,每個(gè)人想法都不同。"阿斯蘭說,"如果你現(xiàn)在回到朋友們的身邊,把他們叫醒說你又看到了我,然后跟我走--會發(fā)生什么?這是唯一能弄清楚的方法。"

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

"你是說我現(xiàn)在去做這些嗎?"露茜很驚訝。

"Yes,little one,"said Aslan.

"嗯,小朋友。"阿斯蘭說。

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

"我讓他們來見你?"露茜問道。

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

"不著急,"阿斯蘭說,"等一會兒,現(xiàn)在還不是時(shí)候。"

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

"他們不會相信我的!"露茜說。

"It doesn't matter,"said Aslan.

"別擔(dān)心。"阿斯蘭說。

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

"噢,親愛的,噢,親愛的獅王。"露茜說,"很高興又見到你,我以為你會讓我站在你旁邊。然后你咆哮一聲,把敵人嚇跑,就像上次一樣。可是現(xiàn)在我感到恐懼。"

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

"對你而言這確實(shí)不容易,小朋友,"阿斯蘭說,"可一件事情不會發(fā)生兩次。之前我們在納尼亞經(jīng)歷得比較苦。"

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

露茜把臉埋進(jìn)獅王的鬃毛里,不看他的臉。他的鬃毛好像有魔法一樣,她感受到阿斯蘭身上的力量正傳到自己身上,她突然坐起來。

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

"對不起,阿斯蘭,"她說,"現(xiàn)在我準(zhǔn)備好了。"

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

"現(xiàn)在,你像獅子一樣勇敢了,"阿斯蘭說,"納尼亞馬上就要蘇醒了??禳c(diǎn),我們沒有時(shí)間了。"

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

他站起來,邁開雄壯有力的步子,不聲不響地走進(jìn)會跳舞的樹林。露茜跟在他旁邊。大樹留出一條路,而且有那么一會兒,那些樹完全現(xiàn)出人的樣子。露茜看見了高個(gè)子的,顫抖的手搭在他的鬃毛上樹精和仙女。它們都向阿斯蘭鞠躬、表達(dá)敬意。一轉(zhuǎn)眼它們都變成了樹,樹枝和樹干優(yōu)雅地?cái)[動(dòng),保持著鞠躬的姿勢。它們的行禮簡直就像在跳舞。

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

"那么,孩子,"他們走過樹林后,阿斯蘭說,"我在這兒等你,你去叫他們,然后跟我一起走。就算他們不來,你也要跟著我。"

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

把他們從夢中叫醒確實(shí)不是易事,何況他們都比你大,而且都累壞了。更要命的是,你是要告訴他們一些可能他們不信的話,要讓他們做一件他們肯定不情愿做的事。"不能想這么多,我一定要把事情做好。"露茜心想。

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

她先走到彼得身邊,搖他的肩膀。"彼得,"她趴到他耳邊,"醒醒,快。阿斯蘭來了。他讓我們跟他一起離開。"

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

"好的,露茜,馬上走。"彼得很爽快,太出乎意料了,這讓露茜精神大振。可是沒想到彼得翻了個(gè)身又睡了。真是白費(fèi)力氣。

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

然后她去喊蘇珊。蘇珊是醒了,只不過她用那令人討厭的成年人腔調(diào)說,"你又在說夢話了,露茜接著睡吧。"

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

露茜沒辦法,只好去搖愛德蒙。真是不好叫醒,不過叫了他之后,他竟然真的醒了,還坐了起來。

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

獅王看著她的眼睛。

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

"噢,阿斯蘭,"露茜說,"你認(rèn)為是我的錯(cuò)嗎?我不能......我不能拋棄他們,一個(gè)人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那樣看著我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不會孤單,可有什么用呢?"

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

"嗯?"他生氣地問,"你在說什么?"

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

她又說了一遍。這是她碰到的最難搞定的事?,F(xiàn)在對于剛才的事,她自己都開始懷疑有沒有那么回事了。

"Where?"asked Edmund again.

"阿斯蘭!"愛德蒙跳了起來,"太好了!在哪兒?"

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

露茜轉(zhuǎn)身,還是看見阿斯蘭在那里等他們。"在那兒。"她用手一指。

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

"哪兒?"愛德蒙又問。

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

"那兒,那兒。還沒看見?就在樹林那邊。"

at us."

愛德蒙瞅了半天,還是說,"沒有,什么也看不到。月亮的光不夠亮,你肯定是看花眼了。這很正常。有一會兒好像我也看到了,其實(shí)只是錯(cuò)覺而已。"

"Then why can't I see him?"

"我一直都能看到他,"露茜說,"他正看我們呢。"

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

"為什么我看不到呢?"

"Why?"

"他說你們可能看不到他。"

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

"為什么?"

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

"不知道,是他說的。"

"噢,就你事多,"愛德蒙說,"但愿你的腦袋沒有壞掉,不過還是把他們都喊醒吧。"

CHAPTER TEN THE RETURN OF THE LION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"At last!"said Susan.

"Oh,hurray!"said Peter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They listened intently and heard no sound of pursuit.

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

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

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

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

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

"A blessing in disguise,"said Susan.

"Some disguise!"said Edmund.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Welcome,child,"he said.

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

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

"Not because you are?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lion looked straight into her eyes.

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

Aslan said nothing.

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

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

"Oh dear,"said Lucy.

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

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

"Yes,little one,"said Aslan.

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

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

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

"It doesn't matter,"said Aslan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Where?"asked Edmund again.

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

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

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

at us."

"Then why can't I see him?"

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

"Why?"

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

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

第十章 獅王歸來

走在懸崖邊并不容易。他們剛走一會兒,就碰到了茂密的冷杉樹林,他們只好彎下腰鉆過枝葉,緩慢地前行。他們很快意識到,照這個(gè)進(jìn)度一個(gè)小時(shí)也走不了半里路。于是他們只好原路返回,想從別處繞過去。他們向右走了很遠(yuǎn),直到?jīng)]有峭壁也沒有水聲了。他們開始懷疑是不是走錯(cuò)路了,也不知道是幾點(diǎn),只感覺是一天中溫度最高的時(shí)候。

最后他們終于又走到峽谷邊緣(大約在他們出發(fā)地往下一英里的地方),下面的峭壁塌裂得很嚴(yán)重。很快,他們找到了通往下游的路,于是沿河前行。休息的時(shí)候,大家在河邊喝了個(gè)飽。再也沒有人說要和凱斯賓共進(jìn)早餐或者晚餐了。

他們不上山而且沿著河水走,也許也是明智的。因?yàn)檫@樣至少能確保他們走的方向是對的:他們一直害怕走得太遠(yuǎn),在森林里迷路。這是一片幽深的樹林,里面根本沒有一條直路。他們在大片的荊棘、倒下的大樹、沼澤、以及茂密的低矮叢林里繞了不少路。這里非常兇險(xiǎn),何況他們還急著趕路。如果是郊游,這里作為野餐和休息的地方,還是非常不錯(cuò)的。這里的風(fēng)景真是美不勝收--傾瀉而下的大瀑布、銀色的小瀑布、琥珀色的深潭、爬滿青苔的石頭,蕨類植物和珠寶色的蜻蜓,還有一腳下去就陷到腳踝的沼澤地。周圍長滿各種蕨類植物和寶石般的蜻蜓。天空偶爾飛過一只鷹,彼得和杜魯普金覺得應(yīng)該是一只雄鷹。不過,他們此時(shí)希望能快點(diǎn)趕到前面的河口和柏盧納灘,那是去阿斯蘭堡壘的必經(jīng)之地。

接下來的路越走越坎坷,他們走得越來越慢--有時(shí)還要在光滑的巖石上攀爬,下面是看不見底的深淵,而且水流湍急。

他們就這樣一邊看著腳下的懸崖,一邊留意著可以下腳的地方。走在這樣難行的路上,實(shí)在讓人惱火,可是只能咬著牙、狠下心往前走。他們確信只要走出峽谷,再過一個(gè)山坡就能到凱斯賓的營地了。

男孩子們和小矮人都說應(yīng)該找個(gè)地方點(diǎn)一堆火,烤點(diǎn)熊肉吃。蘇珊卻不贊成,她堅(jiān)持說"一直走,一直走,一定要走出這可惡的地方"。露茜這時(shí)已經(jīng)累得什么想法都沒有了。其實(shí),走了那么遠(yuǎn)根本沒有看到任何可以作柴火的東西,所以想法再好也沒用。兩個(gè)男孩子餓得快不行了,他們開始想生肉沒準(zhǔn)并沒有別人說的那么難吃。但杜魯普金掐滅了他們這個(gè)想法。

毫無疑問如果是在英國這樣走幾天,他們早累趴下了。前面我已經(jīng)講過納尼亞是怎樣改變他們的。就拿露茜來說,現(xiàn)在盡顯女王氣質(zhì),不再像一個(gè)第一次去寄宿學(xué)校的小女孩。

"總算出來了!"蘇珊嘆了口氣。

"噢,太好了!"彼得說。

河道在峽谷的盡頭轉(zhuǎn)了個(gè)彎。在崖頂下面是另一個(gè)天地:一馬平川的草原在遠(yuǎn)處和天空連成一體。河流像一條銀色的緞帶一樣從草原中間穿行,以前那里是柏盧納渡口其中一道寬卻淺的河道,現(xiàn)在他們一眼就分辨了出來,那里唯一的改變是多了一座孔橋,橋的盡頭是一個(gè)村落。

"我的天,"愛德蒙說,"就在這里,我們勝了柏盧納戰(zhàn)役!"

男孩子喜歡以此為榮耀。每當(dāng)回想到以前贏得輝煌勝利的戰(zhàn)場,而那兒在幾百年前還是自己的王國,自豪之感油然而生,并且斗志昂揚(yáng)非常神氣。彼得和愛德蒙津津樂道地談起那場戰(zhàn)役,頓時(shí)就不覺得艱辛和勞累了,也不覺得身上盔甲的沉重。小矮人聽得入了迷,露出一臉的欽佩和向往。

稍稍休息之后,他們加快了步伐。路途變得更輕松了,雖然左邊還有峭壁懸崖,但到了峽谷,右邊的平地逐漸開闊起來,道路好走了些,峽谷變成了河谷,瀑布也少了,他們又進(jìn)入了一片茂密的灌木叢。

然后......"嗖......"地他們頭頂飛過什么東西,像啄木鳥在啄樹干似的。孩子們想著這種奇怪的聲音好像在什么地方聽過,突然聽到杜魯普金喊了一聲"趴下!"離他最近的露茜就被他按倒在樹叢里。彼得本想看看是不是松鼠,沒想到剛一抬頭,一支利箭剛好掠過他的頭頂扎進(jìn)樹干。他趕緊拉了蘇珊一把,讓她也趴下。才剛趴下另一支箭就擦著他的肩射了過來,扎在旁邊的泥土里。

"快!快!往后退!趴到地上!"杜魯普金喘著氣說。

他們掉過頭穿過灌木叢,伴著蒼蠅的嗡嗡聲往山上爬去。無情的利箭包圍著他們,又一支箭射過來,射在蘇珊的頭盔上,還碰撞出了一點(diǎn)火星。他們快速攀爬,不一會兒就滿頭大汗,上氣不接下氣。之后,他們索性彎著身子跑起來。男孩子斷后,劍出鞘,做好準(zhǔn)備隨時(shí)和追上來的敵人廝殺。

這一路走得太艱難了他們順著剛才走全是陡坡的路。大家都累得跑不動(dòng)了,只好一下子癱在瀑布旁邊的大石頭上,氣喘吁吁的。等他們恢復(fù)過來望望四周,才發(fā)現(xiàn)已經(jīng)爬得很高了,自己都非常吃驚。

他們聽了半天,沒有任何動(dòng)靜。

"終于沒事了,"杜魯普金呼了一口氣,"他們沒有在森林里搜索,我看只是幾個(gè)哨兵。這說明彌若茲在那里有一個(gè)哨所,這應(yīng)該是最近才有的事,可惡!"

"對不起,我?guī)Т蠹易吡诉@樣的路。"彼得說。

"陛下,說反了,"小矮人說,"不是你,是你弟弟,愛德蒙國王。是他建議我們沿著清水溪走的。"

"小不點(diǎn)是對的。"愛德蒙說。之前從迷路時(shí)起他就把這一點(diǎn)忘了,現(xiàn)在才想起來。

"回頭想想,"杜魯普金接著說,"如果走我選的那條路,沒準(zhǔn)會走進(jìn)敵人的哨所,或者我們?nèi)绻肜@開,也會遇到這情況。其實(shí)我想,我們選擇的應(yīng)該是一條最安全的路。"

"塞翁失馬,焉知非福。"蘇珊說。

"未必吧。"愛德蒙說。

"我想我們要順著峽谷返回往上游走了。"露茜說。

"露茜,你真棒!"彼得說,"其實(shí)你這回可以批評我們之前沒有聽你的建議。我們馬上出發(fā),去上游。"

"等我們到了森林,"杜魯普金說,

不管怎么樣,我都要做飯。但是,這會兒我們必須先離開這兒。

先不說返回途中遭了多少罪,但奇怪的是大家的情緒卻高漲起來,渾身都是勁兒。"馬上就可以填飽肚子了"大家恢復(fù)了精力,這個(gè)望梅止渴的想法,作用還是不小的。

大家又回到那片即使在白天也讓他們感到麻煩的那片杉樹林,他們找到一塊高地,打算在此露宿。揀柴雖然無趣,可是想想熊熊燃燒的篝火就令人興奮。他們開始動(dòng)手料理那些油乎乎的生熊肉。對那些衣食無憂的人們來說,這樣的確實(shí)讓人感到惡心。小矮人擅長烹飪,他們把蘋果切成塊,然后拿肉當(dāng)皮像包餃子一樣把蘋果裹起來,插在樹枝上烤著吃,只是有點(diǎn)厚。蘋果汁滲到熊肉里,吃的時(shí)候就像蘸了蘋果醬一樣。熊如果吃太多肉維生,肉就會有很多纖維,而且不好吃。但是吃蜂蜜和水果長大的熊的肉卻鮮嫩可口,味道好極了,他們的熊肉就是好吃的那種。這是一頓精致的晚餐,而且不用洗碗。每個(gè)人吃飽了就各自找個(gè)舒服的地方靠在樹上,伸出累得麻木的雙腿隨便聊了起來。望著杜魯普金的煙斗里冒出絲絲縷縷的白煙,大家心里都充滿希望明天就能找到凱斯賓國王,而且還能打敗彌若茲。雖不知道這是哪來的信心,但大家都有同感。

他們很快就睡熟了。

露茜從熟睡中驚醒,她好像聽到了一個(gè)非常溫和聲音叫她的名字,你可以想象一下。她起初以為是爸爸,又不像。然后覺得是彼得,再聽好像也不是,然后她就不想猜了。并不是因?yàn)樗哿?-正好相反,她休息得很好,白天腰酸背痛的感覺也沒有了,這會兒她感覺非常舒服以至于不想起來。他們露宿的地方很寬敞,抬頭能看到比我們世界的月亮大得多的納尼亞的月亮,夜空星羅棋布,非常靜謐。

"露茜。"那聲音又來了,確定不是爸爸的聲音,也不是彼得哥哥的。她坐了起來,激動(dòng)得有些發(fā)抖,但不感到害怕。月光把周圍照得像白天一樣,盡管看上去有些荒涼。后面是杉樹林右邊的峽谷旁是懸崖峭壁,在大約二十米開外的正前方,露茜盯著樹林的一片草地上。

"哎喲,它們真的是在動(dòng),"她一個(gè)人嘟囔,"像走路一樣。"

她站起來走過去,心怦怦地跳個(gè)不停。那片空地的確有東西在動(dòng),那時(shí)候沒有風(fēng),樹葉卻在沙沙地響。一般情況下,樹林是沒有這種響聲的。露茜聽到沙沙聲響起的時(shí)候,還響起一種旋律,可她聽不清楚那旋律,就像她前天晚上也聽不清它們的竊竊私語一樣。只聽出一些節(jié)奏,再走近一點(diǎn),她開始感覺自己情不自禁要跳起來了。這時(shí)她確定那些樹真的在動(dòng)。枝葉往來交錯(cuò),像一支復(fù)雜的民族舞。"我感覺,"露茜心想,"樹跳起舞來的時(shí)候,確實(shí)像是民族舞,而且是非常、非常原始的民族舞。"現(xiàn)在,她已經(jīng)身處它們之中了,就像是其中的一分子。

她第一眼看到的樹像是有凌亂的胡子和頭發(fā)蓬松的巨人一樣。她不但不覺得恐怖,因?yàn)樗郧坝龅竭^這種情況。她看不到它的腳或者說樹根,只看到它笨拙地扭動(dòng)著身子,就像蹚水一樣在泥土里走來走去。別的樹也是這樣。它們像被施了魔法一樣,一會兒是人,一會兒是樹。變成樹的時(shí)候,看起來像人;變成人的時(shí)候,又覺得它像樹。不管怎樣,都能聽到那種清晰而明快的奇怪節(jié)奏和颯颯聲。

"它們應(yīng)該是要蘇醒了吧。"露茜說。她知道自己這時(shí)候非常清醒,比任何任何時(shí)候都清醒。

她一點(diǎn)都不害怕,走到他們身邊。她一邊走一邊跳,以免被大樹碰到。露茜并沒有打算跟它們一起跳,她只是想穿過去到別的地方去。因?yàn)槟莻€(gè)親切的聲音,一直呼喚她的那個(gè)聲音,分明是從樹林那邊傳來。

她很快就從它們中走了出來。不知道她是推開了那些樹枝,還是用手握住了那些會跳舞的樹的手,反正從那些令人眩暈的光影中走出來了。

一片整齊得像被修剪過的草坪映入眼簾,周圍的樹顏色很深它們?nèi)匀辉谔?。然后,啊,她愉快地叫了一聲。威風(fēng)凜凜的獅王就站在那兒。月光下,他的鬃毛閃閃發(fā)亮,地上的影子被拉得很長。

如果他的尾巴沒有動(dòng)那么一動(dòng),你肯定不相信他是一只有血有肉活生生的獅子。露茜毫不猶豫地跑過去。她沒有去想,那究竟是阿斯蘭還是一只兇殘、食人的獅子。她的心簡直要從胸腔里跳出來了。后來她記得她摟住了阿斯蘭的脖子,喊他的名字,親他,吻他,把臉埋進(jìn)他那柔軟、美麗,像緞子一樣光滑的鬃毛里。

"阿斯蘭,阿斯蘭,親愛的阿斯蘭,"露茜哽咽道,"總算見到你了。"

獅王側(cè)身躺下,露茜也俯身靠著他兩條前腿。阿斯蘭把頭伸向露茜,輕輕舔了舔她的小鼻子,她感覺全身都傳來他溫暖的氣息。她仰起頭,凝望著全是智慧的大腦袋里。

"歡迎你,孩子。"他說。

"阿斯蘭,"露茜說,"你變大了。"

"是你長大了,小朋友。"他回答道。

"不是因?yàn)槟銈€(gè)頭變大了嗎?"

"沒有??墒请S著你慢慢長大,你會覺得我也越來越大。"

露茜樂得說不出話,還是阿斯蘭先開口。

"露茜,"他說,"這里不能久待,我們還有很多事沒做。現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)浪費(fèi)了很多時(shí)間了。"

"是的,他們不應(yīng)該感到慚愧嗎?"露茜說,"我看到你示意我們?nèi)ド巾斏?,我的話他們根本都不聽,他們總是那?....."

阿斯蘭發(fā)出一聲低吼,似乎帶著責(zé)備。

"抱歉,"露茜很快意識到他的情緒,然后說,"我不想在背后說別人的壞話,但那不是我的錯(cuò),是吧?"

獅王看著她的眼睛。

"噢,阿斯蘭,"露茜說,"你認(rèn)為是我的錯(cuò)嗎?我不能......我不能拋棄他們,一個(gè)人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那樣看著我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不會孤單,可有什么用呢?"

阿斯蘭沉默不語。

"你認(rèn)為,"露茜的聲音變得低了,"那樣就會好一點(diǎn)嗎?請告訴我,阿斯蘭!那樣會怎么樣?"

"想知道可能發(fā)生卻沒發(fā)生的事,是嗎,孩子?"阿斯蘭說道,"不,沒有人能知道。"

"哦,親愛的。"露茜說。

"對將會發(fā)生的事,每個(gè)人想法都不同。"阿斯蘭說,"如果你現(xiàn)在回到朋友們的身邊,把他們叫醒說你又看到了我,然后跟我走--會發(fā)生什么?這是唯一能弄清楚的方法。"

"你是說我現(xiàn)在去做這些嗎?"露茜很驚訝。

"嗯,小朋友。"阿斯蘭說。

"我讓他們來見你?"露茜問道。

"不著急,"阿斯蘭說,"等一會兒,現(xiàn)在還不是時(shí)候。"

"他們不會相信我的!"露茜說。

"別擔(dān)心。"阿斯蘭說。

"噢,親愛的,噢,親愛的獅王。"露茜說,"很高興又見到你,我以為你會讓我站在你旁邊。然后你咆哮一聲,把敵人嚇跑,就像上次一樣??墒乾F(xiàn)在我感到恐懼。"

"對你而言這確實(shí)不容易,小朋友,"阿斯蘭說,"可一件事情不會發(fā)生兩次。之前我們在納尼亞經(jīng)歷得比較苦。"

露茜把臉埋進(jìn)獅王的鬃毛里,不看他的臉。他的鬃毛好像有魔法一樣,她感受到阿斯蘭身上的力量正傳到自己身上,她突然坐起來。

"對不起,阿斯蘭,"她說,"現(xiàn)在我準(zhǔn)備好了。"

"現(xiàn)在,你像獅子一樣勇敢了,"阿斯蘭說,"納尼亞馬上就要蘇醒了??禳c(diǎn),我們沒有時(shí)間了。"

他站起來,邁開雄壯有力的步子,不聲不響地走進(jìn)會跳舞的樹林。露茜跟在他旁邊。大樹留出一條路,而且有那么一會兒,那些樹完全現(xiàn)出人的樣子。露茜看見了高個(gè)子的,顫抖的手搭在他的鬃毛上樹精和仙女。它們都向阿斯蘭鞠躬、表達(dá)敬意。一轉(zhuǎn)眼它們都變成了樹,樹枝和樹干優(yōu)雅地?cái)[動(dòng),保持著鞠躬的姿勢。它們的行禮簡直就像在跳舞。

"那么,孩子,"他們走過樹林后,阿斯蘭說,"我在這兒等你,你去叫他們,然后跟我一起走。就算他們不來,你也要跟著我。"

把他們從夢中叫醒確實(shí)不是易事,何況他們都比你大,而且都累壞了。更要命的是,你是要告訴他們一些可能他們不信的話,要讓他們做一件他們肯定不情愿做的事。"不能想這么多,我一定要把事情做好。"露茜心想。

她先走到彼得身邊,搖他的肩膀。"彼得,"她趴到他耳邊,"醒醒,快。阿斯蘭來了。他讓我們跟他一起離開。"

"好的,露茜,馬上走。"彼得很爽快,太出乎意料了,這讓露茜精神大振??墒菦]想到彼得翻了個(gè)身又睡了。真是白費(fèi)力氣。

然后她去喊蘇珊。蘇珊是醒了,只不過她用那令人討厭的成年人腔調(diào)說,"你又在說夢話了,露茜接著睡吧。"

露茜沒辦法,只好去搖愛德蒙。真是不好叫醒,不過叫了他之后,他竟然真的醒了,還坐了起來。

獅王看著她的眼睛。

"噢,阿斯蘭,"露茜說,"你認(rèn)為是我的錯(cuò)嗎?我不能......我不能拋棄他們,一個(gè)人上山找你,我怎么能呢?不要那樣看著我......噢,好吧我能那么做,如果我能和你在一起,我不會孤單,可有什么用呢?"

"嗯?"他生氣地問,"你在說什么?"

她又說了一遍。這是她碰到的最難搞定的事?,F(xiàn)在對于剛才的事,她自己都開始懷疑有沒有那么回事了。

"阿斯蘭!"愛德蒙跳了起來,"太好了!在哪兒?"

露茜轉(zhuǎn)身,還是看見阿斯蘭在那里等他們。"在那兒。"她用手一指。

"哪兒?"愛德蒙又問。

"那兒,那兒。還沒看見?就在樹林那邊。"

愛德蒙瞅了半天,還是說,"沒有,什么也看不到。月亮的光不夠亮,你肯定是看花眼了。這很正常。有一會兒好像我也看到了,其實(shí)只是錯(cuò)覺而已。"

"我一直都能看到他,"露茜說,"他正看我們呢。"

"為什么我看不到呢?"

"他說你們可能看不到他。"

"為什么?"

"不知道,是他說的。"

"噢,就你事多,"愛德蒙說,"但愿你的腦袋沒有壞掉,不過還是把他們都喊醒吧。"

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