纳尼亚传奇系列7： 后的决战(中英双语典藏版)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：(英)C·S·刘易斯

出版社：天津人民出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

纳尼亚传奇系列7： 后的决战(中英双语典藏版)试读：

译者序

经过两年多不懈的努力，“纳尼亚”系列经典的译文终于杀青了！这时，我既感到完成任务的轻松与喜悦，又隐隐感到一丝不舍。以前，也曾经读过“纳尼亚”系列，但那时是一目十行，不求甚解。翻译则不同，不仅要对作者的思想和时代背景有较深入的了解，而且要尽量将其语言风格表达出来。这大概就是翻译所谓的“神似”与“形似”吧。

C·S·刘易斯可以称得上是一代宗师，被誉为“最伟大的牛津人”。他博学多才，著述颇丰。有人说，“纳尼亚”系列是“儿童的圣经”。要想读懂这套传奇故事，我们就必须对作者的信仰历程有所了解。

刘易斯的父母都是虔诚的新教徒。刘易斯出生后不久，就在爱尔兰的教会受洗。由于青少年时期的叛逆，他曾一度远离了自己的信仰。后来，在《魔戒》的作者、好友托尔金和其他朋友的影响下， 32岁时他又回到了上帝的怀抱。回归信仰之后，刘易斯创作出了许多不朽的传世之作。

在“纳尼亚”的奇幻世界中，那位无所不在的狮子阿斯兰正是耶稣的化身。狮子是百兽之王，而圣经启示录则称耶稣为“犹大支派中的狮子”、“万王之王”。刘易斯藉着一系列的故事，轻松地阐释了上帝创造宇宙、魔鬼诱使人类犯罪、耶稣为罪人赎罪舍命、然后从死里复活等基督教教义。

刘易斯曾广泛涉猎欧洲的神话，因此“纳尼亚”系列经典中也出现了小矮人、半人马、潘恩、树精和狼人等形象。大师的想象力异常丰富，不受时空的限制，可谓天马行空，驰骛八极。套用刘勰的话来说，就是“思接千载，视通万里”。加上他的词汇量丰富，时常用诗一般的语言来描绘高山、峡谷、密林、瀑布和清泉等自然景观。因此，尽管译者自诩中英文功底都比较深厚，但不时也会感到“词穷”。有时，为了一句话、一个词，我会多方求教于英、美的朋友，真正体会到了译事之难。

在第一本《魔法师的外甥》中，作者展开想象的翅膀，带领我们“上天”，亲眼目睹了纳尼亚被创造的过程：随着狮子跌宕起伏的歌声，从土壤中接连冒出了树木、花草、动物和飞鸟。狮子赐给一部分动物和飞鸟说话的能力，使他们成为自己的“选民”。

除了“上天”，刘易斯还带着我们“入地”。在《银椅子》中，我们跟随作者来到了黑暗的地下王国，经历了一场惊心动魄的属灵争战。“七”在《圣经》中是一个完全的数字，因为上帝在七天中创造了宇宙万物。故此，“纳尼亚”系列经典一共有七册书。这个系列中人物众多，场景变幻莫测。在《“黎明”号的远航》中，卡斯宾王等在海上的历险和奇遇扣人心弦；在《马儿与少年》中，我们又体验到了异国情调和大漠风光。而《最后的决战》栩栩如生地描绘了善与恶两个阵营，恶神塔西和白女巫、绿女巫一样，都象征着魔鬼撒旦，它们都逃脱不了失败与灭亡的命运。

何光沪老师在《从岁首到年终》的序言中说过，同刘易斯交上一年的朋友，会使你变得更好。两年多来，与刘大师朝夕相处，虽然不敢说自己变得更好了，但在这个过程中的确获益匪浅，虽苦也甜。向和平2013年12月

Chapter 1 By Caldron Pool在卡尔德龙池塘边

In the last days of Narnia,far up to the west beyond Lantern Waste and close beside the great waterfall,there lived an Ape. He was so old that no one could remember when he had first come to live in those parts,and he was the cleverest,ugliest,most wrinkled Ape you can imagine. He had a little house,built of wood and thatched with leaves,up in the fork of a great tree,and his name was Shift. There were very few Talking Beasts or Men or Dwarfs,or people of any sort,in that part of the wood,but Shift had one friend and neighbour who was a donkey called Puzzle. At least they both said they were friends,but from the way things went on you might have thought Puzzle was more like Shift’s servant than his friend. He did all the work. When they went together to the river,Shift filled the big skin bottles with water but it was Puzzle who carried them back. When they wanted anything from the towns further down the river it was Puzzle who went down with empty panniers on his back and came back with the panniers full and heavy. And all the nicest things that Puzzle brought back were eaten by Shift; for as Shift said,“You see,Puzzle,I can’t eat grass and thistles like you,so it’s only fair I should make it up in other ways.” And Puzzle always said,“Of course,Shift,of course. I see that.”

Puzzle never complained,because he knew that Shift was far cleverer than himself and he thought it was very kind of Shift to be friends with him at all. And if ever Puzzle did try to argue about anything,Shift would always say,“Now,Puzzle,I understand what needs to be done better than you. You know you’re not clever,Puzzle.”And Puzzle always said,“No,Shift. It’s quite true. I’m not clever.”Then he would sigh and do whatever Shift had said.

One morning early in the year the pair of them were out walking along the shore of Caldron Pool. Caldron Pool is the big pool right under the cliffs at the western end of Narnia. The great waterfall pours down into it with a noise like everlasting thunder,and the River of Narnia flows out on the other side. The waterfall keeps the Pool always dancing and bubbling and churning round and round as if it were on the boil,and that of course is how it got its name of Caldron Pool. It is liveliest in the early spring when the waterfall is swollen with all the snow that has melted off the mountains from up beyond Narnia in the Western Wild from which the river comes. And as they looked at Caldron Pool,Shift suddenly pointed with his dark,skinny finger and said:

“Look! What’s that?”

“What’s what?” said Puzzle.

“That yellow thing that’s just come down the waterfall. Look! There it is again,it’s floating. We must find out what it is.”

“Must we?” said Puzzle.

“Of course we must,” said Shift. “It may be something useful. Just hop into the Pool like a good fellow and fish it out. Then we can have a proper look at it.”

“Hop into the Pool?” said Puzzle,twitching his long ears.

“Well how are we to get it if you don’t?” said the Ape.

“But—but,” said Puzzle,“wouldn’t it be better if you went in? Because,you see,it’s you who wants to know what it is,and I don’t much. And you’ve got hands,you see. You’re as good as a Man or a Dwarf when it comes to catching hold of things. I’ve only got hoofs.”

“Really,Puzzle,” said Shift,“I didn’t think you’d ever say a thing like that. I didn’t think it of you,really.”

“Why,what have I said wrong?” said the Ass,speaking in rather a humble voice,for he saw that Shift was very deeply offended. “All I meant was—”

“Wanting me to go into the water,” said the Ape. “As if you didn’t know perfectly well what weak chests Apes always have and how easily they catch cold! Very well. I will go in. I’m feeling cold enough already in this cruel wind. But I’ll go in. I shall probably die. Then you’ll be sorry.” And Shift’s voice sounded as if he was just going to burst into tears.

“Please don’t,please don’t,please don’t,” said Puzzle,half braying and half talking. “I never meant anything of the sort,Shift,really I didn’t. You know how stupid I am and how I can’t think of more than one thing at a time. I’d forgotten about your weak chest. Of course I’ll go in. You mustn’t think of doing it yourself. Promise me you won’t,Shift.”

So Shift promised,and Puzzle went cloppety-clop on his four hoofs round the rocky edge of the Pool to find a place where he could get in. Quite apart from the cold it was no joke getting into that quivering and foaming water,and Puzzle had to stand and shiver for a whole minute before he made up his mind to do it. But then Shift called out from behind him and said: “Perhaps I’d better do it after all,Puzzle.”And when Puzzle heard that he said,“No,no. You promised. I’m in now,” and in he went.

A great mass of foam got him in the face and filled his mouth with water and blinded him. Then he went under altogether for a few seconds,and when he came up again he was in quite another part of the Pool. Then the swirl caught him and carried him round and round and faster and faster till it took him right under the waterfall itself,and the force of the water plunged him down,deep down,so that he thought he would never be able to hold his breath till he came up again. And when he had come up and when at last he got somewhere near the thing he was trying to catch,it sailed away from him till it too got under the fall and was forced down to the bottom. When it came up again it was further from him than ever.

But at last,when he was almost tired to death,and bruised all over and numb with cold,he succeeded in gripping the thing with his teeth. And out he came carrying it in front of him and getting his front hoofs tangled up in it,for it was as big as a large hearthrug,and it was very heavy and cold and slimy.

He flung it down in front of Shift and stood dripping and shivering and trying to get his breath back. But the Ape never looked at him or asked him how he felt. The Ape was too busy going round and round the thing and spreading it out and patting it and smelling it. Then a wicked gleam came into his eye and he said: “It is a lion’s skin.”

“Ee—auh—auh—oh,is it?” gasped Puzzle.

“Now I wonder . . . I wonder . . . I wonder,” said Shift to himself,for he was thinking very hard.

“I wonder who killed the poor lion,” said Puzzle presently. “It ought to be buried. We must have a funeral.”

“Oh,it wasn’t a Talking Lion,” said Shift. “You needn’t bother about that. There are no Talking Beasts up beyond the Falls,up in the Western Wild. This skin must have belonged to a dumb,wild lion.”

This,by the way,was true. A Hunter,a Man,had killed and skinned this lion somewhere up in the Western Wild several months before. But that doesn’t come into this story.

“All the same,Shift,” said Puzzle,“even if the skin only belonged to a dumb,wild lion,oughtn’t we to give it a decent burial? I mean,aren’t all lions rather—well,rather solemn? Because of you-know-who. Don’t you see?”

“Don’t you start getting ideas into your head,Puzzle,” said Shift.“Because,you know,thinking isn’t your strong point. We’ll make this skin into a fine warm winter coat for you.”

“Oh,I don’t think I’d like that,” said the Donkey. “It would look—I mean,the other Beasts might think—that is to say,I shouldn’t feel—”

“What are you talking about?” said Shift,scratching himself the wrong way up as Apes do.

“I don’t think it would be respectful to the Great Lion,to Aslan himself,if an ass like me went about dressed up in a lion-skin,” said Puzzle.

“Now don’t stand arguing,please,” said Shift. “What does an ass like you know about things of that sort? You know you’re no good at thinking,Puzzle,so why don’t you let me do your thinking for you? Why don’t you treat me as I treat you? I don’t think I can do everything. I know you’re better at some things than I am. That’s why I let you go into the Pool; I knew you’d do it better than me. But why can’t I have my turn when it comes to something I can do and you can’t? Am I never to be allowed to do anything? Do be fair. Turn and turn about.”

“Oh,well,of course,if you put it that way,” said Puzzle.

“I tell you what,” said Shift. “You’d better take a good brisk trot down river as far as Chippingford and see if they have any oranges or bananas.”

“But I’m so tired,Shift,” pleaded Puzzle.

“Yes,but you are very cold and wet,” said the Ape. “You want something to warm you up. A brisk trot would be just the thing. Besides,it’s market day at Chippingford today.” And then of course Puzzle said he would go.

As soon as he was alone Shift went shambling along,sometimes on two paws and sometimes on four,till he reached his own tree. Then he swung himself up from branch to branch,chattering and grinning all the time,and went into his little house. He found needle and thread and a big pair of scissors there; for he was a clever Ape and the Dwarfs had taught him how to sew. He put the ball of thread (it was very thick stuff,more like cord than thread) into his mouth so that his cheek bulged out as if he were sucking a big bit of toffee. He held the needle between his lips and took the scissors in his left paw. Then he came down the tree and shambled across to the lion-skin. He squatted down and got to work.

He saw at once that the body of the lion-skin would be too long for Puzzle and its neck too short. So he cut a good piece out of the body and used it to make a long collar for Puzzle’s long neck. Then he cut off the head and sewed the collar in between the head and the shoulders. He put threads on both sides of the skin so that it would tie up under Puzzle’s chest and stomach. Every now and then a bird would pass overhead and Shift would stop his work,looking anxiously up. He did not want anyone to see what he was doing. But none of the birds he saw were Talking Birds,so it didn’t matter.

Late in the afternoon Puzzle came back. He was not trotting but only plodding patiently along,the way donkeys do.

“There weren’t any oranges,” he said,“and there weren’t any bananas. And I’m very tired.” He lay down.

“Come and try on your beautiful new lion-skin coat,” said Shift.

“Oh,bother that old skin,” said Puzzle. “I’ll try it on in the morning. I’m too tired tonight.”

“You are unkind,Puzzle,” said Shift. “If you’re tired,what do you think I am? All day long,while you’ve been having a lovely refreshing walk down the valley,I’ve been working hard to make you a coat. My hands are so tired I can hardly hold these scissors. And you won’t say thank you—and you won’t even look at the coat—and you don’t care—and—and—”

“My dear Shift,” said Puzzle,getting up at once,“I am so sorry. I’ve been horrid. Of course I’d love to try it on. And it looks simply splendid. Do try it on me at once. Please do.”

“Well,stand still then,” said the Ape. The skin was very heavy for him to lift,but in the end,with a lot of pulling and pushing and puffing and blowing,he got it on to the donkey. He tied it underneath Puzzle’s body and he tied the legs to Puzzle’s legs and the tail to Puzzle’s tail. A good deal of Puzzle’s grey nose and face could be seen through the open mouth of the lion’s head. No one who had ever seen a real lion would have been taken in for a moment. But if someone who had never seen a lion looked at Puzzle in his lion-skin he just might mistake him for a lion,if he didn’t come too close,and if the light was not too good,and if Puzzle didn’t let out a bray and didn’t make any noise with his hoofs.

“You look wonderful,wonderful,” said the Ape. “If anyone saw you now,they’d think you were Aslan,the Great Lion,himself.”

“That would be dreadful,” said Puzzle.

“No,it wouldn’t,” said Shift. “Everyone would do whatever you told them.”

“But I don’t want to tell them anything.”

“But think of the good we could do!” said Shift. “You’d have me to advise you,you know. I’d think of sensible orders for you to give. And everyone would have to obey us,even the King himself. We would set everything right in Narnia.”

“But isn’t everything right already?” said Puzzle.

“What!” cried Shift. “Everything right—when there are no oranges or bananas?”

“Well,you know,” said Puzzle,“there aren’t many people—in fact,I don’t think there’s anyone but yourself—who wants those sort of things.”

“There’s sugar too,” said Shift.

“H’m yes,” said the Ass. “It would be nice if there was more sugar.”

“Well then,that’s settled,” said the Ape. “You will pretend to be Aslan,and I’ll tell you what to say.”

“No,no,no,” said Puzzle. “Don’t say such dreadful things. It would be wrong,Shift. I may be not very clever but I know that much. What would become of us if the real Aslan turned up?”

“I expect he’d be very pleased,” said Shift. “Probably he sent us the lion-skin on purpose,so that we could set things right. Anyway,he never does turn up,you know. Not nowadays.”

At that moment there came a great thunderclap right overhead and the ground trembled with a small earthquake. Both the animals lost their balance and were flung on their faces.

“There!” gasped Puzzle,as soon as he had breath to speak. “It’s a sign,a warning. I knew we were doing something dreadfully wicked. Take this wretched skin off me at once.”

“No,no,” said the Ape (whose mind worked very quickly). “It’s a sign the other way. I was just going to say that if the real Aslan,as you call him,meant us to go on with this,he would send us a thunderclap and an earth-tremor. It was just on the tip of my tongue,only the sign itself came before I could get the words out. You’ve got to do it now,Puzzle. And please don’t let us have any more arguing. You know you don’t understand these things. What could a donkey know about signs?”

中文阅读

到了纳尼亚的最后阶段，在灯柱旷野外遥远的西部，紧挨着大瀑布，住着一只猿猴。它年事已高，没有人记得，它是在什么时候来到这些区域的。它是你所能想象到的最聪明、最丑陋、皱纹最多的猿猴。它有一座小小的房屋，搭建在一棵大树的枝杈上。房子是用木头造的，房顶上铺着树叶子。它的名字叫席福特。在那一片树林中，会说话的动物、人类、矮人，或其他种类的居民，都寥寥无几。席福特有个邻居兼朋友，那是一头名叫帕叟的驴子。至少它们俩都以朋友相称，但根据故事的进展，你也许会认为，帕叟更像是席福特的奴仆，而不是它的朋友。所有的活儿都是由驴子来干。它们一起来到河边，席福特将大皮囊灌满水，总是由帕叟把水驮回来。当需要到河下游的城镇采购时，又是帕叟驮着空空的筐子前去。它回来的时候，驮筐里总是沉甸甸的，装满了东西。帕叟驮回来的好吃的食物，都被席福特吃掉了，它说：“你看，帕叟，我不能像你一样吃青草和植物，只好用其他的方法加以弥补，这才公平合理。”帕叟总是说：“当然，席福特，当然了。这个我懂。”

帕叟从不抱怨，因为它知道，席福特比自己聪明得多。它觉得，席福特跟它交朋友，实在是屈尊俯就自己。假如帕叟试着想要为什么事情争辩时，席福特总是说：“喂，帕叟，我比你更清楚，什么事情应该怎样去做。你知道自己不够聪明，帕叟。”驴子总是回答：“是的，席福特。一点不错。我不够聪明。”于是，驴子叹口气，便按着席福特的吩咐去做了。

年初的一个早晨，它们俩出去，沿着卡尔德龙池塘的岸边行走。卡尔德龙是一个很大的池塘，正好位于纳尼亚西边的悬崖之下。巨大的瀑布飞流直下，发出隆隆的声响，不绝于耳，纳尼亚河从池塘的另一边奔流而出。瀑布倾泻到池塘里，飞珠溅玉，激流旋转，就像是水[1]在一个劲儿地沸腾，这就是它被称为卡尔德龙池塘的原因。人们相信，初春时节，当纳尼亚西部旷野群山的积雪融化之际，瀑布的水量极其充沛，由此成为纳尼亚河的发源地。它们俩看着卡尔德龙池塘，席福特突然伸出它那瘦骨嶙峋的黑手指，说道:“看！那是什么？”“什么是什么呀？”帕叟说。“刚才被瀑布冲下来的那个黄颜色的东西。看！又露出来了，在那儿飘流。我们必须搞清楚那是个什么东西。”“有必要吗？”帕叟说。“当然，我们必须要弄清楚，”席福特说，“没准儿那是件有用的东西。你是个好哥们儿，快跳进池塘里，把它给捞出来。咱们好好地看一下。”“跳进池塘？”帕叟一边说着，一边抽动着两只长耳朵。“嗯，你若不跳进去，我们怎么拿到它呢？”猿猴反问道。“但——但是，”帕叟说，“你下去是不是更好一些？因为，你瞧，是你想知道那是个什么，我可不感兴趣。再说，你还有手。论到抓握东西，你做的跟人类或者矮人一样棒。我有的只不过是蹄子。”“说真的，帕叟，”席福特说，“我没想到你会说出这种话来。我没想到你会是这个样子，真的。”“哎呀，我哪里说错了吗？”驴子说，它的语调非常谦卑，因为它看得出来，自己深深地冒犯了席福特，“我的意思只不过是——”“想要我跳进水里，”猿猴说，“好像你不知道猿猴的胸肺十分虚弱、非常容易感冒！很好，我要跳下去。在这凛冽的寒风中，我已经冻得死去活来了。但我还是要跳下去。说不定我会因此送命。那时，你就难过去吧。”席福特的声音听上去好像立刻就要哭出声了。“请不要这样，请不要这样，请不要这样，”帕叟说道，它的话语中夹杂着刺耳的驴叫，“我根本不是那个意思，席福特，真的，我不是那个意思。你知道我有多蠢，我一次只能思考一件事情。我忘记了你虚弱的肺部。当然我要下到水里面去。你一定要放弃亲自下水的念头。答应我，你决不这样做，席福特。”

席福特答应了它。于是，帕叟甩开四个蹄子，走在池塘的石头边缘上，发出得得的蹄声。它四处寻找一个可以下水的地方。天气依旧寒冷，加上水势湍急，浪花飞溅，下到泡沫翻腾的水里边，可不是一件开玩笑的事儿。帕叟站在那里，整整颤抖了一分钟，才下定了决心。这时，席福特在它身后喊道：“帕叟，也许最好让我去。”帕叟听到这话，马上说道：“不，不，你答应过的。我这就下去。”说着，它“扑通”一声跳下了水。

一大片飞沫扑打到它的脸上，它的嘴里灌满了水，眼睛也看不清东西了。它在水里下沉了几秒钟，浮出水面时，它已经被水冲到了池塘的另一边。这时，一个漩涡吸住了它，裹挟着它不住地旋转，越转越快，最后把它直接带到了瀑布底下，水流的力量把它卷压到了池塘的深处。帕叟快要屏不住呼吸了，它认为自己也许再也无法浮出水面，就在这个紧急关头，它又从水里冒了出来。当它快要接近那个东西时，那个东西又飘走了，一直飘到了瀑布的下面，被急流冲到了水底。等那个东西再一次浮上来，看上去比原先的距离更加遥远。

帕叟累得筋疲力尽，浑身冻得发麻，伤痕累累，最后，它终于用尽全力咬住了那个东西。那东西有壁炉地毯那么大，又重又冷又脏。帕叟用两只前蹄抱着那个东西，使劲儿地往前推。

帕叟把那个东西抛在席福特面前，它浑身湿淋淋的，冻得直哆嗦，大口喘着粗气。猿猴看都没有看它一眼，也没有问它感觉怎么样，只是忙不迭地围着那个东西在打转转。席福特把那东西伸展开来，又是拍打，又把鼻子凑上去嗅。它眼中闪过一丝邪恶的光，说道：“这是一张狮子皮。”“呃——嗷——嗷——哦，是吗？”帕叟气喘吁吁地说。“我很好奇……我真想知道……我真想知道。”席福特自言自语说着，苦苦地思索起来。“我很想知道，是谁杀了这只可怜的狮子，”过了片刻，帕叟说道，“应该把它掩埋了。我们必须举行一场葬礼。”“噢，这不是一只会说话的狮子，”席福特说，“你不必费那个事儿了。在大瀑布那边，西部旷野之上，动物都不会说话。这张皮一定属于一头不会说话的野狮子。”

顺便说一下，它这话倒是不错。几个月前，一个猎人在西部旷野的某个地方杀死了这只狮子，剥下了它的皮。但那与这个故事没有多少关系。“席福特，都是一回事儿，”帕叟说，“即使这是一头不会说话的野狮子的皮，我们难道就不应该把它隆重安葬吗？我是说，所有的狮子不是都十分——嗯，十分威严吗？你知道我指的是谁。难道你还不明白？”“你不要胡思乱想了，帕叟，”席福特说，“因为，你要知道，思考不是你的强项。我们用这张皮给你做一件漂亮暖和的冬衣。”“噢，我可不认为自己会喜欢那样的衣服，”驴子说，“那看上去——我是说，其他动物会以为——也就是说，我感觉不——”“你在说些什么呀？”席福特说着，一边用猿猴惯用的方式挠着痒痒。“我认为，像我这样一头驴子，披着张狮子皮走来走去，是对伟大狮王阿斯兰本人的大不敬。”“请你不要站在那里争论了，”席福特说，“像你这样一头驴子，对于此类事情，懂得个什么？你知道自己不善于思考，帕叟，为什么你不让我来替你思考呢？你为什么不能像我对待你那样来对待我呢？我可不认为自己一切都行。我知道，在某些方面你比我强。那正是我让你下到池塘里去的原因。我知道你会比我做得更好。遇到我能做而你不能做的事儿，为什么不让我施展一下身手呢？做事一定要公平。设身处地替我想想。”“哦，好吧，当然，如果你那样说的话。”帕叟说。“我有个主意，”席福特说，“你最好一溜小跑，沿着河一直跑到齐平富德去，看那里有没有柑橘和香蕉。”“我已经累得够呛了，席福特。”帕叟恳求道。“不错，可是你又湿又冷，”猿猴说，“你需要做点儿什么来暖和暖和。而轻快的小跑正是你所需要的。况且，今天正好齐平富德有个集市。”当然，帕叟只好说它愿意去。

驴子刚一走开，席福特就拖着脚步蹒跚而行，它有时用两只脚行走，有时用四个爪子爬行，径直回到了自己居住的那棵树下。它抓住一根树枝，一跃而上，纵身又跳到另一根树枝上。它一边咧着嘴傻笑，一边喋喋不休地念叨着，进到它的小屋里。它找出针线，又找到一把大剪刀。它是个聪明的猿猴，矮人们曾经教过它如何缝纫。它把线团（线很粗，与其说是线，还不如说是绳子）放进嘴里，它的脸颊顿时鼓了起来，像是含着一大块太妃糖。它用上下的唇齿咬着针，左手拿着剪刀，跳下树来，拖着脚步回到狮子皮那里。猿猴蹲下身子，开始干活。

席福特马上就看出来，对于帕叟来说，狮子皮实在有点太长，而颈项处则又显得太短。于是，它从狮皮上剪下来一大块，为帕叟的长脖子做了个领子。然后，它剪去狮皮头部的皮毛，把长领子缝在脑袋和肩膀之间。它在狮皮两边都缝上线绳，可以在帕叟的肚子上系在一起。不时，有一只鸟儿会从头顶上飞过，席福特就马上停下手，紧张地抬头张望。它不想让任何人看见它所做的事情。好在它所看见的鸟儿都不会说话，所以，即使鸟儿看见了，也没有什么关系。

午后很久，帕叟才回来。它没有小跑，而是拖着沉重的步子缓缓走着，就像驴子平常走路的样子。“没有柑橘，”它说，“也没有香蕉。我实在累坏了。”它说着，一下子卧倒在地上。“过来，试试你漂亮的新狮皮外衣，”席福特说。“噢，算了，”帕叟说，“我到明儿早上再试穿吧。我今晚太累了。”“你真不近人情，帕叟。”席福特说，“如果你累了，那你觉得我会怎么样呢？整整一天，当你沿着河谷开心地散步、放松身心的时候，我一直都在勤奋地工作，为你缝制外衣。我的手累得又酸又痛，都快拿不住剪刀了。结果，你非但不说一声谢谢——甚至看都不看一眼那件衣服——你完全不在乎——而且——而且——”“我亲爱的席福特，”帕叟说着，立刻站了起来，“我非常抱歉。刚才我的态度糟糕透了。当然我很想试穿一下。它看上去的确很漂亮。快让我穿上试试。求你了。”“好的，站在那儿别动。”猿猴说。那张皮拿起来很重，它连拉带推，气喘吁吁，费尽九牛二虎之力，才把狮皮披到了驴子身上。它在帕叟肚子下面系好皮衣，把狮腿上的皮毛绑在帕叟的腿上，把狮子尾巴绑在了帕叟的尾巴上。从狮子头毛皮张开的嘴巴里，能看到帕叟灰色嘴脸的一大半。凡是见过真正狮子的人根本就不会上当受骗。但从未见过狮子的人，如果在阴暗的光线下，远远看见披着狮皮的帕叟，只要它别发出驴叫声，也别让蹄子发出声响，他们也许会把它错当成一只狮子。“你看起来妙不可言，太酷了，”猿猴说，“假如这会儿有人看见你，他们会以为你是阿斯兰，伟大的狮王本人。”“那可就麻烦了。”帕叟说。“不，不会有问题，”席福特说，“每个人都将按照你的吩咐去做。”“可我并不想吩咐他们做什么。”“想想我们可以得到的好处！”席福特说，“你要知道，有我给你出谋划策。我会想出一些合理的命令，由你来发布。所有的人都必须服从我们，就连国王也不例外。我们将把纳尼亚的一切都给纠正过来。”“一切不是都很正常吗？”帕叟问道。“什么！”席福特叫道，“一切正常——既没有柑橘，也没有香蕉？”“噢，你知道的，”帕叟说，“并没有多少人——事实上，我认为，除了你，没有人——想要那些东西。”“还有糖。”席福特说。“嗯，是的，”驴子说，“如果糖再多一点就好了。”“那么，就这样决定了，”猿猴说，“由你来假扮阿斯兰，我告诉你该说些什么。”“不行，不行，不行，”帕叟说，“不要说这么可怕的话。席福特，那是错的。也许我不太聪明，但基本道理我还懂。万一真正的阿斯兰出现了，我们将会落一个什么下场呢？”“我想他会非常开心，”席福特说，“说不定他故意将那张狮子皮送给我们，让我们能够纠正偏差。不管怎么说，你知道，他从来都没有出现过，并不单单是现在。”

就在这时，头顶上突然炸响了一个惊雷，就连大地都震颤起来。两个动物失去了平衡，脸朝下跌倒在地上。“瞧！”帕叟呼哧呼哧喘着粗气，一缓过劲儿来，它便说道，“这是个兆头，是个警告。我知道，我们在做一件非常邪恶的事情。马上把这个讨厌的皮子从我身上拿掉。”“不，不，”猿猴说（它的脑筋转得飞快），“这个兆头恰好相反。我刚才正要说，如果真正的阿斯兰，就像你所称呼他的，想让我们继续做这件事，他就会给我们发出一声惊雷，并且让大地震颤。这话就在我的嘴边，我还没来得及说出口，征兆就来了。现在你必须要这样做了，帕叟，请不要再争论了。你知道，你理解不了这些事情。一头驴子对于兆头能知道些什么呢？”【注解】[1]即大锅。——译者注

Chapter 2 The Rashness Of The King国王的轻率

About three weeks later the last of the Kings of Narnia sat under the great oak which grew beside the door of his little hunting lodge,where he often stayed for ten days or so in the pleasant spring weather. It was a low,thatched building not far from the Eastern end of Lantern Waste and some way above the meeting of the two rivers. He loved to live there simply and at ease,away from the state and pomp of Cair Paravel,the royal city. His name was King Tirian,and he was between twenty and twenty-five years old; his shoulders were already broad and strong and his limbs full of hard muscle,but his beard was still scanty. He had blue eyes and a fearless,honest face.

There was no one with him that spring morning except his dearest friend,Jewel the Unicorn. They loved each other like brothers and each had saved the other’s life in the wars. The lordly beast stood close beside the King’s chair with its neck bent round,polishing its blue horn against the creamy whiteness of its flank.

“I cannot set myself to any work or sport today,Jewel,” said the King. “I can think of nothing but this wonderful news. Think you we shall hear any more of it today?”

“They are the most wonderful tidings ever heard in our days or our fathers’ or our grandfathers’ days,Sire,” said Jewel,“if they are true.”

“How can they choose but be true?” said the King. “It is more than a week ago that the first birds came flying over us saying,Aslan is here,Aslan has come to Narnia again. And after that it was the squirrels. They had not seen him,but they said it was certain he was in the woods. Then came the Stag. He said he had seen him with his own eyes,a great way off,by moonlight,in Lantern Waste. Then came that dark Man with the beard,the merchant from Calormen. The Calormenes care nothing for Aslan as we do; but the man spoke of it as a thing beyond doubt. And there was the Badger last night; he too had seen Aslan.”

“Indeed,Sire,” answered Jewel,“I believe it all. If I seem not to,it is only that my joy is too great to let my belief settle itself. It is almost too beautiful to believe.”

“Yes,” said the King with a great sigh,almost a shiver,of delight. “It is beyond all that I ever hoped for in all my life.”

“Listen!” said Jewel,putting his head on one side and cocking his ears forward.

“What is it?” asked the King.

“Hoofs,Sire,” said Jewel. “A galloping horse. A very heavy horse. It must be one of the Centaurs. And look,there he is.”

A great,golden bearded Centaur,with man’s sweat on his forehead and horse’s sweat on his chestnut flanks,dashed up to the King,stopped,and bowed low. “Hail,King,” it cried in a voice as deep as a bull’s.

“Ho,there!” said the King,looking over his shoulder towards the door of the hunting lodge. “A bowl of wine for the noble Centaur. Welcome,Roonwit. When you have found your breath you shall tell us your errand.”

A page came out of the house carrying a great wooden bowl,curiously carved,and handed it to the Centaur. The Centaur raised the bowl and said:

“I drink first to Aslan and truth,Sire,and secondly to your Majesty.”

He finished the wine (enough for six strong men) at one draught and handed the empty bowl back to the page.

“Now,Roonwit,” said the King. “Do you bring us more news of Aslan?”

Roonwit looked very grave,frowning a little.

“Sire,” he said. “You know how long I have lived and studied the stars; for we Centaurs live longer than you Men,and even longer than your kind,Unicorn. Never in all my days have I seen such terrible things written in the skies as there have been nightly since this year began. The stars say nothing of the coming of Aslan,nor of peace,nor of joy. I know by my art that there have not been such disastrous conjunctions of the planets for five hundred years.

“It was already in my mind to come and warn your Majesty that some great evil hangs over Narnia. But last night the rumour reached me that Aslan is abroad in Narnia. Sire,do not believe this tale. It cannot be. The stars never lie,but Men and Beasts do. If Aslan were really coming to Narnia the sky would have foretold it. If he were really come,all the most gracious stars would be assembled in his honour. It is all a lie.”

“A lie!” said the King fiercely. “What creature in Narnia or all the world would dare to lie on such a matter?” And,without knowing it,he laid his hand on his sword hilt.

“That I know not,Lord King,” said the Centaur. “But I know there are liars on earth; there are none among the stars.”

“I wonder,” said Jewel,“whether Aslan might not come though all the stars foretold otherwise. He is not the slave of the stars but their Maker. Is it not said in all the old stories that He is not a Tame lion.”

“Well said,well said,Jewel,” cried the King. “Those are the very words: not a tame lion. It comes in many tales.”

Roonwit had just raised his hand and was leaning forward to say something very earnestly to the King when all three of them turned their heads to listen to a wailing sound that was quickly drawing nearer. The wood was so thick to the West of them that they could not see the newcomer yet. But they could soon hear the words.

“Woe,woe,woe!” called the voice. “Woe for my brothers and sisters! Woe for the holy trees! The woods are laid waste. The axe is loosed against us. We are being felled. Great trees are falling,falling,falling.”

With the last “falling” the speaker came in sight. She was like a woman but so tall that her head was on a level with the Centaur’s,yet she was like a tree too. It is hard to explain if you have never seen a Dryad but quite unmistakable once you have—something different in the colour,the voice,and the hair. King Tirian and the two Beasts knew at once that she was the nymph of a beech tree.

“Justice,Lord King!” she cried. “Come to our aid. Protect your people. They are felling us in Lantern Waste. Forty great trunks of my brothers and sisters are already on the ground.”

“What,Lady! Felling Lantern Waste? Murdering the talking trees?”cried the King,leaping to his feet and drawing his sword. “How dare they? And who dares it? Now by the Mane of Aslan—”

“A-a-a-h,” gasped the Dryad,shuddering as if in pain—shuddering time after time as if under repeated blows. Then all at once she fell sideways as suddenly as if both her feet had been cut from under her. For a second they saw her lying dead on the grass and then she vanished. They knew what had happened. Her tree,miles away,had been cut down.

For a moment the King’s grief and anger were so great that he could not speak. Then he said: “Come,friends. We must go up river and find the villains who have done this,with all the speed we may. I will leave not one of them alive.”

“Sire,with a good will,” said Jewel.

But Roonwit said,“Sire,be wary even in your just wrath. There are strange doings on foot. If there should be rebels in arms further up the valley,we three are too few to meet them. If it would please you to wait while—”

“I will not wait the tenth part of a second,” said the King. “But while Jewel and I go forward,do you gallop as hard as you may to Cair Paravel. Here is my ring for your token. Get me a score of men-atarms,all well mounted,and a score of Talking Dogs,and ten Dwarfs(let them all be fell archers),and a Leopard or so,and Stonefoot the Giant. Bring all these after us as quickly as may be.”

“With a good will,Sire,” said Roonwit. And at once he turned and galloped Eastward down the valley.

The King strode on at a great pace,sometimes muttering to himself and sometimes clenching his fists. Jewel walked beside him,saying nothing; so there was no sound between them but the faint jingle of a rich gold chain that hung round the Unicorn’s neck and the noise of two feet and four hoofs.

They soon reached the River and turned up it where there was a grassy road: they had the water on their left and the forest on their right. Soon after that they came to the place where the ground grew rougher and thick wood came down to the water’s edge. The road,what there was of it,now ran on the Southern bank and they had to ford the River to reach it. It was up to Tirian’s armpits,but Jewel (who had four legs and was therefore steadier) kept on his right so as to break the force of the current,and Tirian put his strong arm round the Unicorn’s strong neck and they both got safely over. The King was still so angry that he hardly noticed the cold of the water. But of course he dried his sword very carefully on the shoulder of his cloak,which was the only dry part of him,as soon as they came to shore.

They were now going Westward with the River on their right and Lantern Waste straight ahead of them. They had not gone more than a mile when they both stopped and both spoke at the same moment. The King said “What have we here?” and Jewel said “Look!”

“It is a raft,” said King Tirian.

And so it was. Half a dozen splendid tree-trunks,all newly cut and newly lopped of their branches,had been lashed together to make a raft,and were gliding swiftly down the river. On the front of the raft there was a water rat with a pole to steer it.

“Hey! Water Rat! What are you about?” cried the King.

“Taking logs down to sell to the Calormenes,Sire,” said the Rat,touching his ear as he might have touched his cap if he had had one.

“Calormenes!” thundered Tirian. “What do you mean? Who gave order for these trees to be felled?”

The River flows so swiftly at that time of the year that the raft had already glided past the King and Jewel. But the Water Rat looked back over its shoulder and shouted out:

“The Lion’s orders,Sire. Aslan himself.” He added something more but they couldn’t hear it.

The King and the Unicorn stared at one another and both looked more frightened than they had ever been in any battle.

“Aslan,” said the King at last,in a very low voice. “Aslan. Could it be true? Could he be felling the holy trees and murdering the Dryads?”

“Unless the Dryads have all done something dreadfully wrong—”murmured Jewel.

“But selling them to Calormenes!” said the King. “Is it possible?”

“I don’t know,” said Jewel miserably. “He’s not a tame lion.”

“Well,” said the King at last,“we must go on and take the adventure that comes to us.”

“It is the only thing left for us to do,Sire,” said the Unicorn. He did not see at the moment how foolish it was for two of them to go on alone; nor did the King. They were too angry to think clearly. But much evil came of their rashness in the end.

Suddenly the King leaned hard on his friend’s neck and bowed his head.

“Jewel,” he said,“what lies before us? Horrible thoughts arise in my heart. If we had died before today we should have been happy.”

“Yes,” said Jewel. “We have lived too long. The worst thing in the world has come upon us.” They stood like that for a minute or two and then went on.

Before long they could hear the hack-hack-hack of axes falling on timber,though they could see nothing yet because there was a rise of the ground in front of them. When they had reached the top of it they could see right into Lantern Waste itself. And the King’s face turned white when he saw it.

Right through the middle of that ancient forest—that forest where the trees of gold and of silver had once grown and where a child from our world had once planted the Tree of Protection—a broad lane had already been opened. It was a hideous lane like a raw gash in the land,full of muddy ruts where felled trees had been dragged down to the river. There was a great crowd of people at work,and a cracking of whips,and horses tugging and straining as they dragged at the logs. The first thing that struck the King and the Unicorn was that about half the people in the crowd were not Talking Beasts but Men. The next thing was that these men were not the fair-haired men of Narnia: they were dark,bearded men from Calormen,that great and cruel country that lies beyond Archenland across the desert to the south.

There was no reason,of course,why one should not meet a Calormene or two in Narnia—a merchant or an ambassador—for there was peace between Narnia and Calormen in those days. But Tirian could not understand why there were so many of them: nor why they were cutting down a Narnian forest. He grasped his sword tighter and rolled his cloak round his left arm. They came quickly down among the men.

Two Calormenes were driving a horse which was harnessed to a log. Just as the King reached them the log had got stuck in a bad muddy place.

“Get on,son of sloth! Pull,you lazy pig!” cried the Calormenes,cracking their whips. The horse was already straining himself as hard as he could; his eyes were red and he was covered with foam.

“Work,lazy brute,” shouted one of the Calormenes: and as he spoke he struck the horse savagely with his whip. It was then that the really dreadful thing happened.

Up till now Tirian had taken it for granted that the horses which the Calormenes were driving were their own horses; dumb,witless animals like the horses of our own world. And though he hated to see even a dumb horse overdriven,he was of course thinking more about the murder of the Trees. It had never crossed his mind that anyone would dare to harness one of the free Talking Horses of Narnia,much less to use a whip on it. But as that savage blow fell the horse reared up and said,half screaming:

“Fool and tyrant! Do you not see I am doing all I can?”

When Tirian knew that the Horse was one of his own Narnians,there came over him and over Jewel such a rage that they did not know what they were doing. The King’s sword went up,the Unicorn’s horn went down. They rushed forward together. Next moment both the Calormenes lay dead,the one beheaded by Tirian’s sword and the other gored through the heart by Jewel’s horn.

中文阅读

大约三周之后，纳尼亚最后一位国王正坐在他的小猎屋门旁的一棵大橡树下。每逢春暖花开、气候宜人的时节，他总会到这里住上十来天。猎屋是一个低矮的茅草房顶的建筑，离灯柱旷野东边不远，位于两河交汇处之外的某个地方。他喜欢在那里过一段简朴安逸的日子，远离开都城凯尔帕拉维尔的奢华与威严。人们称呼他为国王提里安。提里安王的年纪在二十到二十五之间，他的肩膀宽阔有力，四肢肌肉发达，只是胡须还很稀疏。他长着一双蓝色的眼睛和一张勇敢诚实的面孔。

在那个春天的早晨，只有国王最亲爱的朋友独角兽珠宝陪伴着他。他们像亲兄弟般彼此相爱，在战斗中都曾经救过对方的性命。高贵的独角兽站在国王的椅子旁边，正弯着脖子，把蓝色的独角在自己白色的肋旁摩擦着。“珠宝，今天我没有心情去工作或者娱乐，”国王说，“因为我满脑子装的都是这个大好消息，别的什么都顾不上考虑了。你觉得，今天我们是否能得到更多的信息？”“陛下，如果那些传言是真的，那将是从祖辈直到我们这个时代所听到的最大的福音了！”珠宝说。“怎么可能不是真的呢？”国王说，“一个多星期以前，就有鸟儿从我们的上空飞过，叽叽喳喳地叫着：阿斯兰来了，阿斯兰又回到了纳尼亚。接着是松鼠，它们没有见到阿斯兰，却信誓旦旦地说，阿斯兰就在树林中。接下去是牡赤鹿。它说自己亲眼看到了他，在月光之下的灯柱旷野，尽管离得很远。再往后是那个长着胡须的、来自卡罗门的黑皮肤商人。卡罗门人不像我们，他们对阿斯兰漠不关心。就连那个人也说得有鼻子有眼儿的。还有昨天晚上的那只獾，它也见到了阿斯兰。”“一点不错，陛下，”珠宝答道，“我相信他们的话。如果我显得有点疑心，那只是由于我太高兴的原故。这消息好得简直令人难以置信。”“是啊，”国王说着，深深地叹了一口气，兴奋地差点儿颤抖起来，“这超过了我这一生的所求所想。”“听！”珠宝说着，把脑袋歪向一边，支楞起两只耳朵。“那是什么声音？”国王问道。“马蹄声，陛下，”珠宝说，“是一匹马在急速奔驰。这匹马身躯魁伟，一定是个半人马。看哪，他在那儿。”

一个高大的、长着金色胡须的半人马冲到国王面前，停了下来。他前额上挂满了人类的汗珠，而在他栗色的两肋上则流淌着马的汗水。半人马深深地鞠了个躬：“向您致敬，国王！”他声音低沉，像是公牛的哞哞声。“嗬，来人哪！”国王扭头朝着猎屋的门，吩咐道，“给高贵的半人马端碗酒来。欢迎，卢恩维特。你先喘口气，再报告你来此有何公干。”

一个侍童从屋里走了出来，手里端着一只雕刻奇特的大木碗，递给了半人马。半人马举起碗来，说道：“陛下，我先为阿斯兰和真理干杯，再为您干杯。”

他把酒一饮而尽（足够六个大汉喝一壶了），将空碗交还给侍童。“好吧，卢恩维特，”国王说，“你是否给我们带来有关阿斯兰的新消息？”

卢恩维特的表情非常严肃，皱了皱眉头。“陛下，”他说，“你知道，我在世上活了很久，多年来一直在研究星象。我们半人马比人类的寿命长，甚至比独角兽的寿命还要长。在以往的岁月中，我从未见过今年天空中出现的那些可怕征兆。对于阿斯兰的到来、和平与喜乐，星星们全都缄默不语。通过观星术，我了解到，五百年来，还从来没有见过行星间出现这样一些灾难性的会合。“我心里不安，想来警告陛下，某种大邪恶已经笼罩在纳尼亚的上空。昨夜，谣言也传到了我的耳朵里，说是阿斯兰来到了纳尼亚。陛下，不要相信这个谎言。那绝对不可能。星星们从不撒谎，而人类和动物却会编造谎言。如果阿斯兰真的要来纳尼亚，天空会预先告知此事。如果他真的来了，所有最璀璨的星星将会聚集在一起，向他表示敬意。所以，这完全是个谎言。”“谎言！”国王厉声说道，“在纳尼亚或者在全世界，有谁敢编造这样的谎言？”无意中，他把手按在了剑柄上。“那我可不清楚，陛下，”半人马说，“可是我知道，世界上有骗子，而星星决不会撒谎。”“我在想，”珠宝说，“尽管所有星象的预言都与之相反，难道阿斯兰就不会来吗？他不是星星的奴仆，而是它们的创造者。一切古老传说不是都在讲，他不是一头温顺的狮子吗？”“说得好，说得好，珠宝，”国王叫道，“就是这几个字：不是一头温顺的狮子。很多故事中都提到了这一点。”

卢恩维特举起一只手来，向前俯下身子，打算对国王说几句肺腑之言，突然，他们三个都转过头去，侧耳倾听越来越近的一阵哀哭声。西边的树林非常茂密，他们看不见是谁在哭，但很快他们就听到了哭诉声。“苦啊，苦啊，苦啊！”那个声音哭喊道，“我的兄弟姐妹遭殃了！圣洁的树木遭殃了！树林被人毁掉啦。斧头正向我们砍来。我们被砍倒在地。一棵棵大树倒下，倒下，倒下。”

随着最后一声“倒下”，哭诉者进入了他们的视线。看样子她像是一个女人，但她个头很高，几乎与半人马不相上下。然而，她的外貌也很像一棵树。如果你从来没有见过树精，那就很难跟你解释清楚。如果你见过树精，那就毋庸质疑了——无论是颜色、声音、还是头发，她们都与众不同。提里安王和两个动物立刻就辨认出来，这是一个山毛榉树精。“陛下，快来主持公道啊！”她哭道，“快来帮帮我们。你要保护你的臣民。在灯柱旷野他们正在砍伐我们。四十个兄弟姐妹的巨大躯干已经倒在了地上。”“啊，女士！在灯柱旷野砍伐？残害会说话的树木？”国王嚷着，跳起身来，拔剑出鞘。“他们如此大胆？是谁这么胆大包天？凭阿斯兰的鬃毛——”“啊－啊－啊，”树精喘息着，像是在痛苦地抖动——一阵接一阵抖个不停，似乎受到了连续的击打。猛然间，她朝一边轰然倒下，好像她的双脚一下子被砍断了。顷刻之间，他们眼睁睁看着她倒在草地上死去，紧接着就消失踪影了。他们知道这是怎么一回事儿。几英里外她的那棵树，被人砍倒了。

有一会儿，国王悲愤至极，简直说不出话来。随后，他说道：“来吧，朋友们。我们必须全速赶到河的上游，抓住做这件事的恶棍们。他们谁也别想活着回去。”“陛下，我乐意效劳。”珠宝说。

卢恩维特却说：“陛下，在您大发义怒时，一定要慎重考虑。有些奇怪的事情正在发生。如果在河谷深处有武装暴乱分子，我们三个前去，肯定寡不敌众。您若能再等待那么——”“我半秒钟也等不了啦，”国王说，“珠宝和我前往那里，与此同时，你尽快赶回凯尔帕拉维尔。这是我的指环，给你作个凭据。给我调二十个全副武装的士兵，每个人都要善于骑马。还要二十只会说话的狗、十个矮人（都得是神射手）、一两头豹子，再加上石足巨人。你带他们火速赶来增援我们。”“坚决执行命令，陛下。”卢恩维特说着，转过身去，朝着东边的峡谷疾驰而下。

国王迈开大步，向前奔走。有时，他喃喃自语；有时，他攥紧拳头。珠宝走在他的身边，默然前行，只能听到独角兽项上金链子的轻微叮当声，国王的脚步声，以及珠宝四个蹄子发出的得得声。

很快，他们来到了河边，顺着一条杂草丛生的道路，朝河的上游走去。他们左边是河水，右边是森林。过了不久，他们来到一个地方，那里地面越发崎岖不平，茂密的树木一直生长到了水边。而那条小路则转到了南边的岸上，为了继续沿着那条小路前进，他们只得渡水过河。河水淹到了提里安王的腋下，珠宝（它有四条腿，站得比较稳当）走在他的右边，以便减轻水流的冲击。提里安伸出强壮的手臂，搂住了独角兽粗壮的脖子，他们俩安全地到达了河对岸。国王依然怒不可遏，几乎没有注意到冰冷的河水。一登上南岸，他就用肩部的斗篷擦干宝剑，因为他身上只有那个部分还是干的。

于是，他们开始朝西行进，河在他们的右边，灯柱旷野则位于他们的正前方。还没有走出一英里，他们俩就停下脚步，同时开口说了起来。国王说的是：“那是个什么东西？”珠宝则说：“看哪！”“是只木筏。”提里安王说。

的确是一只木筏。五六棵刚砍伐不久的挺拔的树干，被削去枝叉，牢牢地捆在一起，做成了一只木筏，正在河面上快速地顺流而下。在木筏的前部，一只水田鼠拿着一根杆在掌控方向。“嘿！水田鼠！你在做什么？”国王大声叫道。“把木材运到下游，卖给卡罗门人，陛下。”水田鼠说着，用爪子碰了一下耳朵，如果它戴着帽子，也许它会脱帽致敬。“卡罗门人！”提里安吼叫道，“你什么意思？是谁下令砍了这些树？”

每年这个时候，河水都异常迅猛湍急，木筏从国王和珠宝旁边冲了过去。水田鼠转过头来，大声答道：“是狮王的命令，陛下。阿斯兰亲自下的命令。”它又补充了一句什么，但他们已经听不见了。

国王和独角兽顿时惊呆了，他们大眼瞪小眼，看样子比从前打仗时还要惊恐。“阿斯兰，”国王终于低声说道，“阿斯兰。这是真的吗？他能够砍伐神圣的树木，杀害树精吗？”“除非树精犯了滔天大罪——”珠宝喃喃说道。“可是把他们卖给卡罗门人！”国王说道。“这可能吗？”“我不知道，”珠宝痛苦地说，“他不是一只温顺的狮子。”“好吧，”国王终于说道，“我们必须前进，面对即将到来的风险。”“我们也只能这样做了，陛下。”独角兽说。当时它没有想到，他们俩独自前行是一件愚蠢的事情。国王也没有意识到这一点。他们实在是气昏了头，无法冷静地思考问题。结果，他们的轻率带来了严重的后果。

突然，国王紧靠在他朋友的颈项上，垂下了脑袋。“珠宝，”他说，“前边等待着我们的将会是什么呢？我心里浮现出一些可怕的念头。如果我们活不到今天，那该有多么幸福啊。”“是的，”珠宝说，“我们已经活得太久了。世上最恐怖的事情落到了我们头上。”他们相互偎依着站立了一两分钟，随后又继续前进。

没过多久，他们听到了斧头砍击木材的砰－砰－声，前面地势很高，他们什么都看不见。等他们登上坡顶，灯柱旷野才完全展现在他们眼前。一眼望去，国王立刻气得脸色煞白。

横贯那座古老森林的正中央——那座树林曾经长出过金树银树；就是在那里，来自我们世界的一个孩子种下那棵守护之树——已经开辟了一条宽阔的通道。就像是大地上的一条新的伤口。那条丑陋的通道上满是泥泞的坑凹，人们经由那里把砍倒的树木运到河边。一大群人正在干活，随着鞭子的抽打声，马儿吃力地拖着圆木。国王和独角兽注意到的第一件事，就是人群中约有一半是人类，而不是会说话的动物。第二件引人注目的事情是，这些人并不是金发的纳尼亚男子，而是皮肤黝黑、长着胡须的卡罗门男人。卡罗门是一个残暴的大国，位于沙漠南面，阿陳兰国的另一边。

当然，在纳尼亚遇见一两个卡罗门人——商人或者使节——并不会让人感到奇怪。在那些日子里，纳尼亚和卡罗门维持着友好睦邻关系。但是提里安不明白，为什么这里有那么多卡罗门人，让他更不明白的是，那些卡罗门人为什么在砍伐纳尼亚的森林。他紧紧握住自己的宝剑，把斗篷缠到左臂上，与珠宝一起冲到了人群之中。

两个卡罗门人正在驱赶一匹拉着根大圆木的马儿。国王来到他们跟前时，那根圆木恰巧陷在了一个非常泥泞的地方。“往前走，懒骨头！使劲儿拉，你这头懒猪！”卡罗门人骂着，把鞭子抽得劈啪作响。马儿用尽了九牛二虎之力，它的两眼通红，浑身大汗淋漓。“干活，懒畜生。”一个卡罗门人嚷着，狠狠地用鞭子抽打着马儿。就在这时，真正可怕的事情发生了。

直到此刻，提里安还理所当然地认为，卡罗门人驱赶的是他们自己的马儿，就像我们世界里的马儿一样，是一些没有头脑的哑巴畜生。尽管他并不愿意看到哑巴马儿受虐待，而他更多考虑的是树精遭到杀害。他做梦也没有想到，有人胆敢役使纳尼亚会说话的自由马儿，更不用说用鞭子抽打它了。在马鞭狠狠的抽打之下，那匹马用后腿站立起来，嘶鸣着说道：“傻瓜，暴君！难道你们没有看见，我已经使出了浑身的力气？”

提里安这才知道，这匹马是他的纳尼亚臣民。他和珠宝都怒不可遏，丧失了理智。国王举起宝剑，独角兽低下脑袋，他们并肩向前冲去。刹那之间，两个卡罗门人倒地身亡，一个被宝剑砍掉了脑袋，另一个被珠宝的独角刺穿了心脏。

Chapter 3 The Ape In Its Glory不可一世的猿猴

“Master Horse,Master Horse,” said Tirian as he hastily cut its traces,“how came these aliens to enslave you? Is Narnia conquered? Has there been a battle?”

“No,Sire,” panted the horse,“Aslan is here. It is all by his orders. He has commanded—”

“‘Ware danger,King,” said Jewel. Tirian looked up and saw that Calormenes (mixed with a few Talking Beasts) were beginning to run towards them from every direction. The two dead men had died without a cry and so it had taken a moment before the rest of the crowd knew what had happened. But now they did. Most of them had naked scimitars in their hands.

“Quick! On my back!” said Jewel.

The King flung himself astride of his old friend who turned and galloped away. He changed direction twice or thrice as soon as they were out of sight of their enemies,crossed a stream,and shouted without slackening his pace,“Whither away,Sire? To Cair Paravel?”

“Hold hard,friend,” said Tirian. “Let me off.” He slid off the Unicorn’s back and faced him.

“Jewel,” said the King. “We have done a dreadful deed.”

“We were sorely provoked,” said Jewel.

“But to leap on them unawares—without defying them—while they were unarmed—faugh! We are two murderers,Jewel. I am dishonoured for ever.”

Jewel drooped his head. He too was ashamed.

“And then,” said the King,“the Horse said it was by Aslan’s orders. The Rat said the same. They all say Aslan is here. How if it were true?”

“But,Sire,how could Aslan be commanding such dreadful things?”

“He is not a tame lion,” said Tirian. “How should we know what he would do? We,who are murderers. Jewel,I will go back. I will give up my sword and put myself in the hands of these Calormenes and ask that they bring me before Aslan. Let him do justice on me.”

“You will go to your death,then,” said Jewel.

“Do you think I care if Aslan dooms me to death?” said the King.“That would be nothing,nothing at all. Would it not be better to be dead than to have this horrible fear that Aslan has come and is not like the Aslan we have believed in and longed for? It is as if the sun rose one day and were a black sun.”

“I know,” said Jewel. “Or as if you drank water and it were dry water. You are in the right,Sire. This is the end of all things. Let us go and give ourselves up.”

“There is no need for both of us to go.”

“If ever we loved one another,let me go with you now,” said the Unicorn. “If you are dead and if Aslan is not Aslan,what life is left for me?”

They turned and walked back together,shedding bitter tears.

As soon as they came to the place where the work was going on the Calormenes raised a cry and came towards them with their weapons in hand. But the King held out his sword with the hilt towards them and said:

“I who was King of Narnia and am now a dishonoured knight give myself up to the justice of Aslan. Bring me before him.”

“And I give myself up too,” said Jewel.

Then the dark men came round them in a thick crowd,smelling of garlic and onions,their white eyes flashing dreadfully in their brown faces. They put a rope halter round Jewel’s neck. They took the King’s sword away and tied his hands behind his back. One of the Calormenes,who had a helmet instead of a turban and seemed to be in command,snatched the gold circlet off Tirian’s head and hastily put it away somewhere among his clothes. They led the two prisoners uphill to a place where there was a big clearing. And this was what the prisoners saw.

At the centre of the clearing,which was also the highest point of the hill,there was a little hut like a stable,with a thatched roof. Its door was shut. On the grass in front of the door there sat an Ape. Tirian and Jewel,who had been expecting to see Aslan and had heard nothing about an Ape yet,were very bewildered when they saw it. The Ape was of course Shift himself,but he looked ten times uglier than when he lived by Caldron Pool,for he was now dressed up. He was wearing a scarlet jacket which did not fit him very well,having been made for a dwarf. He had Jewelled slippers on his hind paws which would not stay on properly because,as you know,the hind paws of an Ape are really like hands. He wore what seemed to be a paper crown on his head. There was a great pile of nuts beside him and he kept cracking nuts with his jaws and spitting out the shells. And he also kept on pulling up the scarlet jacket to scratch himself. A great number of Talking Beasts stood facing him,and nearly every face in that crowd looked miserably worried and bewildered. When they saw who the prisoners were they all groaned and whimpered.

“O Lord Shift,mouthpiece of Aslan,” said the chief Calormene. “We bring you prisoners. By our skill and courage and by the permission of the great god Tash we have taken alive these two desperate murderers.”

“Give me that man’s sword,” said the Ape. So they took the King’s sword and handed it,with the sword-belt and all,to the monkey. And he hung it round his own neck: and it made him look sillier than ever.

“We’ll see about those two later,” said the Ape,spitting out a shell in the direction of the two prisoners. “I got some other business first. They can wait. Now listen to me,everyone. The first thing I want to say is about nuts. Where’s that Head Squirrel got to?”

“Here,Sir,” said a red squirrel,coming forward and making a nervous little bow.

“Oh you are,are you?” said the Ape with a nasty look. “Now attend to me. I want—I mean,Aslan wants—some more nuts. These you’ve brought aren’t anything like enough. You must bring some more,do you hear? Twice as many. And they’ve got to be here by sunset tomorrow,and there mustn’t be any bad ones or any small ones among them.”

A murmur of dismay ran through the other squirrels,and the Head Squirrel plucked up courage to say: “Please,would Aslan himself speak to us about it? If we might be allowed to see him—”

“Well you won’t,” said the Ape. “He may be very kind (though it’s a lot more than most of you deserve) and come out for a few minutes tonight. Then you can all have a look at him. But he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with questions. Anything you want to say to him will be passed on through me: if I think it’s worth bothering him about. In the meantime all you squirrels had better go and see about the nuts. And make sure they are here by tomorrow evening or,my word,you’ll catch it!”

The poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them. This new order was terrible news for them. The nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter had nearly all been eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the Ape far more than they could spare.

Then a deep voice—it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy Boar—spoke from another part of the crowd.

“But why can’t we see Aslan properly and talk to him?” it said.“When he used to appear in Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face.”

“Don’t you believe it,” said the Ape. “And even if it was true,times have changed. Aslan says he’s been far too soft with you before,do you see? Well,he isn’t going to be soft any more. He’s going to lick you into shape this time. He’ll teach you to think he’s a tame lion!”

A low moaning and whimpering was heard among the Beasts; and after that,a dead silence which was more miserable still.

“And now there’s another thing you got to learn,” said the Ape. “I hear some of you are saying I’m an Ape. Well,I’m not. I’m a Man. If I look like an Ape,that’s because I’m so very old: hundreds and hundreds of years old. And it’s because I’m so old that I’m so wise. And it’s because I’m so wise that I’m the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to. He can’t be bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals. He’ll tell me what you’ve got to do,and I’ll tell the rest of you. And take my advice,and see you do it in double quick time,for he doesn’t mean to stand any nonsense.”

There was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and its mother trying to make it keep quiet.

“And now here’s another thing,” the Ape went on,fitting a fresh nut into its cheek,“I hear some of the horses are saying,‘Let’s hurry up and get this job of carting timber over as quickly as we can,and then we’ll be free again.’ Well,you can get that idea out of your heads at once. And not only the Horses either. Everybody who can work is going to be made to work in future. Aslan has it all settled with the King of Calormen—the Tisroc,as our dark faced friends the Calormenes call him. All you Horses and bulls and donkeys are to be sent down into Calormen to work for your living—pulling and carrying the way horses and such-like do in other countries. And all you digging animals like moles and rabbits and Dwarfs are going down to work in the Tisroc’s mines. And—”

“No,no,no,” howled the Beasts. “It can’t be true. Aslan would never sell us into slavery to the King of Calormen.”

“None of that! Hold your noise!” said the Ape with a snarl. “Who said anything about slavery? You won’t be slaves. You’ll be paid—very good wages too. That is to say,your pay will be paid into Aslan’s treasury and he will use it all for everybody’s good.” Then he glanced,and almost winked,at the chief Calormene.

The Calormene bowed and replied,in the pompous Calormene way:

“Most sapient Mouthpiece of Aslan,The Tisroc (may he live for ever) is wholly of one mind with your lordship in this judicious plan.”

“There! You see!” said the Ape. “It’s all arranged. And all for your own good. We’ll be able,with the money you earn,to make Narnia a country worth living in. There’ll be oranges and bananas pouring in—and roads and big cities and schools and offices and whips and muzzles and saddles and cages and kennels and prisons—oh,everything.”

“But we don’t want all those things,” said an old Bear. “We want to be free. And we want to hear Aslan speak himself.”

“Now don’t you start arguing,” said the Ape,“for it’s a thing I won’t stand. I’m a Man: you’re only a fat,stupid old Bear. What do you know about freedom? You think freedom means doing what you like. Well,you’re wrong. That isn’t true freedom. True freedom means doing what I tell you.”

“H-n-n-h,” grunted the Bear and scratched its head; it found this sort of thing hard to understand.

“Please,please,” said the high voice of a woolly lamb,who was so young that everyone was surprised he dared to speak at all.

“What is it now?” said the Ape. “Be quick.”

“Please,” said the Lamb,“I can’t understand. What have we to do with the Calormenes? We belong to Aslan. They belong to Tash. They have a god called Tash. They say he has four arms and the head of a vulture. They kill Men on his altar. I don’t believe there’s any such person as Tash. But if there was,how could Aslan be friends with him?”

All the animals cocked their heads sideways and all their bright eyes flashed towards the Ape. They knew it was the best question anyone had asked yet.

The Ape jumped up and spat at the Lamb.

“Baby!” he hissed. “Silly little bleater! Go home to your mother and drink milk. What do you understand of such things? But you others,listen. Tash is only another name for Aslan. All that old idea of us being right and the Calormenes wrong is silly. We know better now. The Calormenes use different words but we all mean the same thing. Tash and Aslan are only two different names for you know Who. That’s why there can never be any quarrel between them. Get that into your heads,you stupid brutes. Tash is Aslan: Aslan is Tash.”

You know how sad your own dog’s face can look sometimes. Think of that and then think of all the faces of those Talking Beasts—all those honest,humble,bewildered birds,bears,badgers,rabbits,moles,and mice—all far sadder than that. Every tail was down,every whisker drooped. It would have broken your heart with very pity to see their faces. There was only one who did not look at all unhappy.

It was a ginger cat—a great big Tom in the prime of life—who sat bolt upright with his tail curled round his toes,in the very front row of all the Beasts. He had been staring hard at the Ape and the Calormene captain all the time and had never once blinked his eyes.

“Excuse me,” said the Cat very politely,“but this interests me. Does your friend from Calormen say the same?”

“Assuredly,” said the Calormene. “The enlight-ened Ape—Man,I mean—is in the right. Aslan means neither less nor more than Tash.”

“Especially,Aslan means no more than Tash?” suggested the Cat.

“No more at all,” said the Calormene,looking the Cat straight in the face.

“Is that good enough for you,Ginger?” said the Ape.

“Oh certainly,” said Ginger coolly. “Thank you very much. I only wanted to be quite clear. I think I am beginning to understand.”

Up till now the King and Jewel had said nothing: they were waiting until the Ape should bid them speak,for they thought it was no use interrupting. But now,as Tirian looked round on the miserable faces of the Narnians,and saw how they would all believe that Aslan and Tash were one and the same,he could bear it no longer.

“Ape,” he cried with a great voice,“you lie. You lie damnably. You lie like a Calormene. You lie like an Ape.”

He meant to go on and ask how the terrible god Tash who fed on the blood of his people could possibly be the same as the good Lion by whose blood all Narnia was saved. If he had been allowed to speak,the rule of the Ape might have ended that day; the Beasts might have seen the truth and thrown the Ape down. But before he could say another word two Calormenes struck him in the mouth with all their force,and a third,from behind,kicked his feet from under him. And as he fell,the Ape squealed in rage and terror:

“Take him away. Take him away. Take him where he cannot hear us,nor we hear him. There tie him to a tree. I will—I mean,Aslan will—do justice on him later.”

中文阅读

国王噌地一下跳到老朋友背上，珠宝转身飞奔起来。等到敌人看不见他们了，它又改变两三次方向，渡过一条溪流。它一边飞快的奔驰，一边大声问道：“陛下，去哪儿？去凯尔帕拉维尔吗？”“别忙，朋友，”提里安说，“先让我下去。”他从独角兽背上滑下来，面对着它而立。“珠宝，”国王说，“我们做了一件可怕的事情。”“我们都被愤怒冲昏了头脑。”珠宝说。“趁人不备袭击他们——没有先向他们挑战——而且他们没有武器——呸！我们是两个杀人犯，珠宝。我将会因此永远蒙羞抱愧。”

珠宝低下了头，它也感到羞愧。“况且，”国王说道，“那匹马说是遵照阿斯兰的命令。老鼠也这么说。它们都说阿斯兰在这里。如果这是真的，该怎么办呢？”“但是，陛下，阿斯兰怎么能够命令人做这么可怕的事呢？”“他不是一只温驯的狮子，”提里安说，“我们怎么知道他会做些什么呢？我们是杀人犯。珠宝，我要回去。我要放下我的剑，把自己交到卡罗门人的手里，让他们把我带到阿斯兰面前，由他来给我做出判决。”“那么，你将要面对死亡。”珠宝说。“如果阿斯兰判我死刑，你认为我会在意吗？”国王说，“那算不得什么，根本不值得一提。阿斯兰终于来了，却不是我们所信仰和盼望的那个阿斯兰。与其提心吊胆，还不如死了的好！这就好像某一天太阳升起来了，可却是一个黑色的太阳。”“我懂，”珠宝说，“或者说你去喝水，那水却不能解渴。你说得对，陛下。这就是一切事情的终结。让我们去自首吧。”“没有必要我们两个都去。”“假如我们曾经彼此相爱，那就让我跟你一起去吧，”独角兽说，“如果你死了，如果阿斯兰并不是阿斯兰，生命对于我又有什么意义呢？”

他们俩流着伤心的眼泪，转身一起走了回来。

他们一回到干活的工地，卡罗门人立刻发出一声呐喊，手持武器朝他们扑了过来。国王将宝剑递出来，用剑柄对着他们，说道：“我过去是纳尼亚的国王，现在是一个名誉扫地的骑士，主动前来接受阿斯兰的判决。把我带去见他吧。”“我也前来自首。”珠宝说。

于是，那些黑皮肤的人密密麻麻地将他们包围起来。那些人身上发出大蒜和洋葱的气味，白眼珠儿在棕褐色的脸上发出凶光。他们用一根缰绳拴住珠宝的脖子，没收了国王的宝剑，把他的双手反绑在身后。有一个卡罗门人头上没有缠头巾，而是戴着一顶头盔，看样子是个指挥官，他一把抢去提里安头上的金环，匆匆塞在了衣服里。他们押着两个犯人走上山坡，来到一大片空地。下面是两个囚犯所看到的情景。

在空地中间，也就是小山的最高处，有一个马棚模样的、茅草屋顶的小窝棚。窝棚的门关着。门前的草地上坐着一只猿猴。提里安和珠宝满心盼望要见阿斯兰，他们从来没有听人提起过猿猴，因此都感到十分困惑。当然，那只猿猴就是席福特，它看上去比住在卡尔德龙池塘边时又丑了十倍。因为它现在乔装打扮，身上穿着一件大红上衣。那件衣服原来是小矮人的，它穿着不怎么合身。它的后爪上套着镶金嵌玉的拖鞋，也不像那么一回事儿，因为，你知道，猿猴的后爪子很像是手。它头上戴着一顶纸皇冠之类的东西，身边摆着一大堆坚果，它不住地磕着坚果，把果壳吐出来。它还不停地拉起大红上衣挠痒痒。一大群会说话的动物站在那里，面对着它，每张脸上都充满了忧虑和迷茫。当动物们认出犯人是谁的时候，就都呻吟着，呜呜哭了起来。“哦席福特阁下，阿斯兰的代言人，”卡罗门头领说道，“我们给你带来了犯人。凭着我们的武艺和勇气，承蒙大神塔西允准，我们活捉了这两个穷凶极恶的杀人犯。”“把那人的宝剑给我，”猿猴说。于是，他们将国王的宝剑连同剑带等都递给了猴子。猿猴把剑挂在自己的脖子上，这使它更添了几分傻气。“过一会儿我们再处理那两个罪犯，”猿猴说着，朝两个犯人的方向吐出一个果壳，“我有其他的事要做，让他们暂且等着。诸位，现在听我说。我要吩咐的第一件事与坚果有关。松鼠的头头跑哪儿去啦？”“在这儿，阁下。”一只红色松鼠应声答道，走上前来，紧张地鞠了个躬。“噢你就是，是你吗？”猿猴摆出一副令人作呕的表情，“现在听我的命令。我要——我的意思是，阿斯兰要——更多的坚果。你们拿来的这些远远不够。你必须再去拿一些，听见了吗？要有这些的两倍。明天日落时必须交到这里来，里面不准有坏的和小的坚果。”

松鼠们都沮丧地嘟囔起来，松鼠头领鼓起勇气说道：“请问，阿斯兰能不能亲自给我们讲讲这件事？如果允许我们去见他——”“噢，你们不行，”猿猴说，“也许他非常慈爱（尽管你们大多数人都不配），今晚会出来几分钟。那时你们可以看上一眼。但他决不允许你们挤在他的周围，用问题来纠缠他。你们有什么事想对他说，可以通过我转达给他，假如我觉得那件事值得麻烦他的话。这会儿，你们这些松鼠最好去搜集坚果，确保明晚之前送到这里来，否则，有你们好瞧的！要相信我的话。”

可怜的松鼠们撒腿跑开，就像是有狗在后面追着它们。这个新命令对它们来说是个坏消息。因为它们劳心费力储存过冬的坚果已经吃得差不多了，剩下的那一点也都交给了猿猴，这已经超过了它们所能承受的底线。

这时，一个深沉的声音——那是一头长着獠牙和粗毛的大野猪发出来的——从人群的另一头传了过来。“为什么我们不能正常地朝见阿斯兰，跟他说话呢？”它说，“在以往的日子，每一次他在纳尼亚出现，大家都可以面对面地同他讲话。”“不要相信那个，”猿猴说，“即使那是真的，时代变了。阿斯兰说，他以前对你们过于仁慈，明白了吧？好了，他再也不会心慈手软。这一回，他打算把你们好好整治一下。他要教训你们，使你们不敢把他当做一头温顺的狮子！”

动物中传出来压低的呻吟声和呜咽声。过后是死一般的寂静，让人感到更加难受。“还有一件事要让你们知晓，”猿猴说，“我听到有人说我是个猿猴。嗯，我可不是个猴子，我是个人。如果我看上去像只猿猴，那是因为我的年纪老迈，有几百岁了。由于历尽沧桑，我才会这么聪明。正是因为我聪明绝顶，我才成为阿斯兰唯一的传令官。他不愿屈尊跟一大堆愚蠢的动物讲话。他会将命令你们做的事情先告诉我，我再传达给你们众人。听我的忠告，抓紧时间快去做工，因为他无法容忍任何胡言乱语。”

又是死一般的寂静，只能听到一只幼獾啼哭的声音，它的母亲在竭力哄它安静下来。“现在还有一件事，”猿猴继续说道，一边把一颗新的坚果塞进嘴里，“我听到有些马儿在说，‘让我们加快速度，把拉木头这活儿赶紧干完，那时我们就又自由了。’嗯，你们要把这个想法立刻从脑袋里清除掉。不仅马儿要干活，将来所有的动物都要干活。阿斯兰已经跟卡罗门王商量好了——也就是提斯洛克，我们那些黑面孔的卡罗门朋友这样称呼他。你们所有的牛、马、驴都要差派到卡罗门去，靠劳动维持生计——像别国的牲口一样拉车驮货。你们所有的挖掘动物，如鼹鼠、兔子和矮人，都要到提斯洛克的矿井里去做工。还有——”“不，不，不，”动物们哀号道，“这不是真的。阿斯兰绝不会把我们卖给卡罗门王做奴隶。”“不准吵闹！住口！”猿猴咆哮道，“谁说做奴隶啦？你们并不是奴隶。你们会得到报酬——得到非常丰厚的工资。也就是说，你们的收入将会进入阿斯兰的国库，他要用那个钱来为大家谋福利。”说到这里，它瞟了卡罗门官员一眼，差不多是向他使了一个眼色。

那个卡罗门人鞠了个躬，用他们惯有的浮夸方式答道：“阿斯兰顶顶聪明的代言人，提起那个贤明的计划，提斯洛克（祝他万寿无疆）与大人您的意见完全一致。”“对吧！你们看！”猿猴说，“一切都安排妥当了。这都是为了你们自己的益处。用你们挣来的钱，我们将把纳比亚变成一个宜于居住的国家。橘子和香蕉将源源不断地运来——还有道路、大城市、学校、办公室、皮鞭、口套、马鞍、笼子、狗舍和监狱——噢，一切的一切。”“可我们并不想要那些东西，”一头老熊说道，“我们想要自由。我们想亲耳听阿斯兰讲话。”“你不要又挑起事端，”猿猴说，“这是我无法容忍的。我是一个人。你只不过是一头又肥又蠢的老熊。你知道什么是自由吗？你以为自由就是做你喜欢做的事情。嗯，你错了。那不是真正的自由。真正的自由就是做我让你做的事。”“哼－哼。”老熊咕哝着，挠了挠头。它觉得这种事情很难理解。“请问，请问。”一只毛茸茸的羊羔奶声奶气地叫道，那么幼小的它却敢于发言，这使众人感到震惊。“又有什么事儿？”猿猴说，“快说。”“请问，”羊羔说，“我不明白，我们跟卡罗门人有什么关系？我们属于阿斯兰。他们信奉塔西。他们的神名叫塔西。他们说，他有四只手臂和一个鹰头。他们在他的祭坛上杀人献祭。我不相信有塔西这样的人物。即使有的话，阿斯兰怎么会跟他交朋友呢？”

所有的动物都侧着脑袋，把明亮的目光投向猿猴。它们知道，到目前为止，这是提出的最棒的一个问题。

猿猴跳了起来，朝羊羔吐了一口唾沫。“娃娃！”它嘶嘶叫道，“愚蠢的小羊羔！回家找你妈妈吃奶去吧。对这些事你懂得什么？你们其他人，听着。塔西不过是阿斯兰的另一个名字。所有那些陈腐的看法，比如我们的信仰正确，卡罗门人信错了等等，全都愚不可及。我们现在弄明白了，卡罗门人使用的词语不同，但跟我们指的是同一种事物。塔西和阿斯兰不过是你们说的那一位的两个不同名字而已。这正是他们之间从未发生过任何争执的原因。你们愚笨的畜生们，要记住这一点：塔西就是阿斯兰，阿斯兰就是塔西。”

你知道自己的狗有时会有何等悲伤的表情。回想一下那个表情，然后再来想象这些会说话动物的表情——那些诚实的、谦卑的、困惑的鸟儿、狗熊、獾、兔子、鼹鼠和老鼠——远比那个悲伤得多。每一条尾巴都耷拉下来，每一根胡须都低垂着。看到它们的脸，你会产生极大的怜悯，心都要碎了。只有一个动物看上去丝毫也不感到悲哀。

那是一只姜黄色的猫——年富力强的一只大公猫——它直挺挺地坐在动物们的最前排，尾巴缠绕在它的脚爪上。它一直目不转睛地盯着猿猴和卡罗门首领。“对不起，”那只猫彬彬有礼地问道，“我对这件事很感兴趣。那位卡罗门朋友也这么说吗？”“的确，”卡罗门人回答，“知书达理的猿——我的意思是人——说得不错。阿斯兰不多不少就是塔西。”“尤其是，阿斯兰并不比塔西强大，是吧？”那只猫提示道。“丝毫都不比他强大。”卡罗门人正视着猫的面孔，答道。“这个答案可以让你信服了吧，姜黄猫？”猿猴说。“噢当然，”姜黄猫冷静地答道，“多谢你们。我只是想弄个一清二楚。我想，我开始明白了。”

到目前为止，国王和珠宝都保持着缄默。他们在等待猿猴的问话，他们认为，打断别人的谈话与事无补。但到了这会儿，当提里安环视着纳尼亚动物们忧伤的面孔，看到它们居然相信阿斯兰和塔西是同一个神，毫无区别时，他再也忍耐不住了。“猿猴，”他放开嗓门叫道，“你撒谎。你撒下弥天大谎。你像卡罗门人那样撒谎。你像猴子那样撒谎。”

他还想继续说下去，质问他们：靠喝人民的血过活的可怕假神塔西，怎么能够同那位用自己的鲜血救赎全体纳尼亚人的好狮子相提并论。如果允许他讲完，说不定猿猴的统治当天就结束了。说不定动物们能够看清真相，推翻猿猴的统治。可是，他还没来得及再说出一个字，两个卡罗门人就使劲儿打他的嘴巴，第三个人从背后猛踢他的双脚。他倒在了地上，猿猴又怒又怕地尖叫道：“把他带走。把他带下去。带他到一个地方，让他听不见我们说话，我们也听不见他说话。把他绑在一棵树上。我将要——我是说，阿斯兰将要——很快去审判他。”

Chapter 4 What Happened That Night那天夜里发生的事情

The King was so dizzy from being knocked down that he hardly knew what was happening until the Calormenes untied his wrists and put his arms straight down by his sides and set him with his back against an ash tree. Then they bound ropes round his ankles and his knees and his waist and his chest and left him there. What worried him worst at the moment—for it is often little things that are hardest to stand—was that his lip was bleeding where they had hit him and he couldn’t wipe the little trickle of blood away although it tickled him.

From where he was he could still see the little stable on the top of the hill and the Ape sitting in front of it. He could just hear the Ape’s voice still going on and,every now and then,some answer from the crowd,but he could not make out the words.

“I wonder what they’ve done to Jewel,” thought the King.

Presently the crowd of Beasts broke up and began going away in different directions. Some passed close to Tirian. They looked at him as if they were both frightened and sorry to see him tied up but none of them spoke. Soon they had all gone and there was silence in the wood. Then hours and hours went past and Tirian became first very thirsty and then very hungry; and as the afternoon dragged on and turned into evening,he became cold too. His back was very sore. The sun went down and it began to be twilight.

When it was almost dark Tirian heard a light pitter-patter of feet and saw some small creatures coming towards him. The three on the left were Mice,and there was a Rabbit in the middle: on the right were two Moles. Both these were carrying little bags on their backs which gave them a curious look in the dark so that at first he wondered what kind of beasts they were. Then,in a moment,they were all standing up on their hind legs,laying their cool paws on his knees and giving his knees snuffly animal kisses. (They could reach his knees because Narnian Talking Beasts of that sort are bigger than the dumb beasts of the same kind in England.)

“Lord King! Dear Lord King,” said their shrill voices,“we are so sorry for you. We daren’t untie you because Aslan might be angry with us. But we’ve brought you your supper.”

At once the first Mouse climbed nimbly up till he was perched on the rope that bound Tirian’s chest and was wrinkling his blunt nose just in front of Tirian’s face. Then the second Mouse climbed up and hung on just below the first Mouse. The other beasts stood on the ground and began handing things up.

“Drink,Sire,and then you’ll find you are able to eat,” said the topmost Mouse,and Tirian found that a little wooden cup was being held to his lips. It was only the size of an egg cup so that he had hardly tasted the wine in it before it was empty. But then the Mouse passed it down and the others refilled it and it was passed up again and Tirian emptied it a second time. In this way they went on till he had quite a good drink,which was all the better for coming in little doses,for that is more thirst-quenching than one long draught.

“Here is cheese,Sire,” said the first Mouse,“but not very much,for fear it would make you too thirsty.” And after the cheese they fed him with oatcakes and fresh butter,and then with some more wine.

“Now hand up the water,” said the first Mouse,“and I’ll wash the King’s face. There is blood on it.”

Then Tirian felt something like a tiny sponge dabbing his face,and it was most refreshing.

“Little friends,” said Tirian,“how can I thank you for all this?”

“You needn’t,you needn’t,” said the little voices. “What else could we do? We don’t want any other King. We’re your people. If it was only the Ape and the Calormenes who were against you we would have fought till we were cut into pieces before we’d have let them tie you up. We would,we would indeed. But we can’t go against Aslan.”

“Do you think it really is Aslan?” asked the King.

“Oh yes,yes,” said the Rabbit. “He came out of the stable last night. We all saw him.”

“What was he like?” said the King.

“Like a terrible,great Lion,to be sure,” said one of the Mice.

“And you think it is really Aslan who is killing the Wood-Nymphs and making you all slaves to the King of Calormen?”

“Ah,that’s bad,isn’t it?” said the second Mouse. “It would have been better if we’d died before all this began. But there’s no doubt about it. Everyone says it is Aslan’s orders. And we’ve seen him. We didn’t think Aslan would be like that. Why,we—we wanted him to come back to Narnia.”

“He seems to have come back very angry this time,” said the first Mouse. “We must all have done something dreadfully wrong without knowing it. He must be punishing us for something. But I do think we might be told what it was!”

“I suppose what we’re doing now may be wrong,” said the Rabbit.

“I don’t care if it is,” said one of the Moles. “I’d do it again.”

But the others said,“Oh hush,” and “Do be careful,” and then they all said,“We’re sorry,dear King,but we must go back now. It would never do for us to be caught here.”

“Leave me at once,dear Beasts,” said Tirian. “I would not for all Narnia bring any of you into danger.”

“Goodnight,goodnight,” said the Beasts,rubbing their noses against his knees. “We will come back—if we can.” Then they all pattered away and the wood seemed darker and colder and lonelier than it had been before they came.

The stars came out and time went slowly on—imagine how slowly—while that last King of Narnia stood stiff and sore and upright against the tree in his bonds. But at last something happened.

Far away there appeared a red light. Then it disappeared for a moment and came back again,bigger and stronger. Then he could see dark shapes going to and fro on this side of the light and carrying bundles and throwing them down. He knew now what he was looking at. It was a bonfire,newly lit,and people were throwing bundles of brushwood on to it. Presently it blazed up and Tirian could see that it was on the very top of the hill. He could see quite clearly the stable behind it,all lit up in the red glow,and a great crowd of Beasts and Men between the fire and himself. A small figure,hunched up beside the fire,must have been the Ape. It was saying something to the crowd,but he could not hear what. Then it went and bowed three times to the ground in front of the door of the stable. Then it got up and opened the door. And something on four legs—something that walked rather stiffly—came out of the stable and stood facing the crowd.

A great wailing or howling went up,so loud that Tirian could hear some of the words.

“Aslan! Aslan! Aslan!” cried the Beasts. “Speak to us. Comfort us. Be angry with us no more.”

From where Tirian was he could not make out very clearly what the thing was; but he could see that it was yellow and hairy. He had never seen the Great Lion. He had never seen a common lion. He couldn’t be sure that what he saw was not the real Aslan. He had not expected Aslan to look like that stiff thing which stood and said nothing. But how could one be sure? For a moment horrible thoughts went through his mind: then he remembered the nonsense about Tash and Aslan being the same and knew that the whole thing must be a cheat.

The Ape put his head close up to the yellow thing’s head as if he were listening to something it was whispering to him. Then he turned and spoke to the crowd,and the crowd wailed again. Then the yellow thing turned clumsily round and walked—you might almost say,waddled—back into the stable and the Ape shut the door behind it. After that the fire must have been put out for the light vanished quite suddenly,and Tirian was once more alone with the cold and the darkness.

He thought of other Kings who had lived and died in Narnia in old times and it seemed to him that none of them had ever been so unlucky as himself. He thought of his great-grandfather’s greatgrandfather King Rilian who had been stolen away by a Witch when he was only a young prince and kept hidden for years in the dark caves beneath the land of the Northern Giants. But then it had all come right in the end; for two mysterious children had suddenly appeared from the land beyond the world’s end and had rescued him so that he came home to Narnia and had a long and prosperous reign. “It’s not like that with me,” said Tirian to himself.

Then he went further back and: thought about Rilian’s father,Caspian the Seafarer,whose wicked uncle King Miraz had tried to murder him and how Caspian had fled away into the woods and lived among the Dwarfs. But that story too had all come right in the end,for Caspian also had been helped by children—only there were four of them that time—who came from somewhere beyond the world and fought a great battle and set him on his father’s throne. “But it was all long ago,”said Tirian to himself. “That sort of thing doesn’t happen now.” And then he remembered (for he had always been good at history when he was a boy) how those same four children who had helped Caspian had been in Narnia over a thousand years before; and it was then that they had done the most remarkable things of all. For then they had defeated the terrible White Witch and ended the Hundred Years of Winter,and after that they had reigned (all four of them together) at Cair Paravel,till they were no longer children but great Kings and lovely Queens,and their reign had been the Golden Age of Narnia. And Aslan had come into that story a lot. He had come into all the other stories too,as Tirian now remembered. “Aslan—and children from another world,” thought Tirian. “They have always come in when things were at their worst. Oh,if only they could now.”

And he called out “Aslan! Aslan! Aslan! Come and help us now.”

But the darkness and the cold and the quietness went on just the same.

“Let me be killed,” cried the King. “I ask nothing for myself. But come and save all Narnia.”

And still there was no change in the night or the wood,but there began to be a kind of change inside Tirian. Without knowing why,he began to feel a faint hope. And he felt somehow stronger. “Oh Aslan,Aslan,” he whispered. “If you will not come yourself,at least send me the helpers from beyond the world. Or let me call them. Let my voice carry beyond the world.” Then,hardly knowing that he was doing it,he suddenly cried out in a great voice:

“Children! Children! Friends of Narnia! Quick. Come to me. Across the worlds I call you; I,Tirian,King of Narnia,Lord of Cair Paravel,and Emperor of the Lone Islands!”

And immediately he was plunged into a dream (if it was a dream) more vivid than any he had had in his life.

He seemed to be standing in a lighted room where seven people sat round a table. It looked as if they had just finished their meal. Two of those people were very old,an old man with a white beard and an old woman with wise,merry,twinkling eyes. He who sat at the right hand of the old man was hardly full grown,certainly younger than Tirian himself,but his face had already the look of a king and a warrior. And you could almost say the same of the other youth who sat at the right hand of the old woman. Facing Tirian across the table sat a fair-haired girl younger than either of these,and on either side of her a boy and girl who were younger still. They were all dressed in what seemed to Tirian the oddest kind of clothes.

But he had no time to think about details like that,for instantly the younger boy and both the girls started to their feet,and one of them gave a little scream. The old woman started and drew in her breath sharply. The old man must have made some sudden movement too for the wine glass which stood at his right hand was swept off the table: Tirian could hear the tinkling noise as it broke on the floor.

Then Tirian realized that these people could see him; they were staring at him as if they saw a ghost. But he noticed that the kinglike one who sat at the old man’s right never moved (though he turned pale) except that he clenched his hand very tight. Then he said:

“Speak,if you’re not a phantom or a dream. You have a Narnian look about you and we are the seven friends of Narnia.”

Tirian was longing to speak,and he tried to cry out aloud that he was Tirian of Narnia,in great need of help. But he found (as I have sometimes found in dreams too) that his voice made no noise at all.

The one who had already spoken to him rose to his feet. “Shadow or spirit or whatever you are,” he said,fixing his eyes full upon Tirian. “If you are from Narnia,I charge you in the name of Aslan,speak to me. I am Peter the High King.”

The room began to swim before Tirian’s eyes. He heard the voices of those seven people all speaking at once,and all getting fainter every second,and they were saying things like,“Look! It’s fading.” “It’s melting away.” “It’s vanishing.”

Next moment he was wide awake,still tied to the tree,colder and stiffer than ever. The wood was full of the pale,dreary light that comes before sunrise,and he was soaking wet with dew; it was nearly morning.

That waking was about the worst moment he had ever had in his life.

中文阅读

国王被打得头晕目眩，倒在地上，对周围发生的事几乎毫无知觉，直到卡罗门人解开他手上的绳子，将他的两只手臂紧贴在身边，背靠在一棵白蜡树上。然后，他们用绳子绑住他的两个脚踝、膝盖、腰部和胸部，把他一个人留在那里。这时，最使他痛苦不堪的——一些小事往往最让人难以忍受——是他那被打伤的嘴唇在流血，不停地流血，使他感到刺痒，却没有办法去擦拭。

从他所在的地方，依然可以看到山顶上的小马棚，以及坐在马棚前的猿猴。他勉强能够听见猿猴还在呜哩哇啦地讲话，时不时的，人群会有所回应，可是他听不清它们在说些什么。“我想知道，他们是怎么对待珠宝的。”国王心中暗想。

不一会儿，人群散开了，动物们四散离去。有一些从提里安旁边经过。看到他被绑在那里，它们显得既害怕又难过，但没有一个敢做声。很快，它们都不见了，林中一片寂静。一个钟头又一个钟头，很长的时间过去了。提里安先是感到干渴难耐，随后又是饥肠辘辘。下午缓慢地过去了，到了晚上，他开始感到寒冷，背上也疼痛不已。太阳下山后，暮色渐渐变得浓重起来。

天差不多完全黑了，这时提里安听到了啪嗒啪嗒的轻轻脚步声，他看见几只小动物朝自己走了过来。左边是三只老鼠，中间是一只兔子，右边是两只鼹鼠。鼹鼠背上背着小袋子，在黑暗中它们的样子看起来怪怪的。起初，提里安还在心里揣测着，那两个到底是什么动物。转眼之间，动物们都用后腿站立起来，把凉凉的前爪搭在他的膝盖上，像动物那样用鼻子吻了吻他的膝盖（它们能够得着他的膝盖，是因为纳尼亚会说话的动物比英国同类的哑巴动物个头要大）。“国王！亲爱的国王陛下，”它们用尖细的嗓子说，“我们为你感到难过。我们不敢给你松绑，因为阿斯兰也许会向我们发怒。但我们给你送来了晚饭。”

第一只老鼠敏捷地爬了上来，在提里安胸前的绳索上停了下来，对着他的脸抽动着自己的小圆鼻子。紧接着，第二只老鼠也爬了上去，蜷伏在第一只老鼠的下方。其他动物站在地面上，开始往上递东西。“喝吧，陛下，很快你就会发现自己能吃东西了。”最上面那只老鼠说。提里安看到一个小木杯递到了自己的唇边。那个杯子只有蛋杯大小，他还没尝出葡萄酒的味道，杯子就空了。老鼠把空杯子传递下去，其他动物再把杯子斟满，重新传递上去，提里安再次一饮而尽。就这样，它们不停地忙着，直到他喝够为止。其实，每次少饮一些效果更好，那要比畅饮海喝更能解渴。“这是奶酪，陛下，”第一只老鼠说，“只是量不太大，因为我们担心这会使你口渴。”吃完奶酪，它们又喂他吃了燕麦饼和新鲜的奶油，最后又喂他喝了一些葡萄酒。“递一些水上来，”第一只老鼠说，“我要给国王洗脸。他脸上有血。”

随即，提里安感到有块小海绵之类的东西在脸上轻轻擦拭着，他的精神顿时为之一爽。“小朋友们，”提里安说，“对于你们所做的这一切，我该如何表示感谢呢？”“你不必感谢，不需要感谢，”几个细小的声音答道，“除此之外，我们还能做些什么呢？我们可不想要别的什么国王。我们是你的臣民。如果仅仅是猿猴和卡罗门人在跟你作对，我们一定会反抗他们，哪怕是碎尸万段，也决不让他们把你捆起来。我们会的，我们真的能够战斗到底。可是我们不能反对阿斯兰。”“你们认为那真的是阿斯兰吗？”国王问道。“哦是的，是的，”兔子说，“昨夜他从马棚里出来了。我们都看见他了。”“他是什么样子？”国王说。“没错，就像是一只可怕的大狮子。”一只老鼠答道。“你们认为，真的是阿斯兰在杀害树精，让你们都去给卡罗门王做奴隶吗？”“啊，那很糟糕，是吧？”第二只老鼠说，“如果在这一切开始之前，我们都死掉，该有多好。但这是毫无疑问的。大家都说，这是阿斯兰的命令。而且我们也看见他了。我们以前没有想到阿斯兰会是这个样子。噢，我们——我们以前盼望他重返纳尼亚。”“阿斯兰这次回来似乎非常愤怒，”第一只老鼠说，“我们一定是无意中犯下了某种可怕的过错。他一定是由于什么原因在惩罚我们。但我真心感到，他应该告诉我们，究竟出了什么错！”“我想，我们现在做的事说不定就是错的。”兔子说。“就是错了，我也不在乎，”一只鼹鼠说，“我还要这样做。”

其他的动物忙说，“哦嘘，”和“千万要小心。”随后，它们齐声说道，“我们很抱歉，亲爱的国王，但我们必须要回去了。决不能让他们在这里抓住我们。”“亲爱的动物们，赶快离开，”提里安催促道，“我情愿舍弃整个纳尼亚，也决不让你们任何一个遇到危险。”“晚安，晚安，”动物们说着，又将鼻子在他的膝盖上碰触了一下，“我们还会再来——如果能够做到的话。”接着，它们啪嗒啪嗒地走开了，树林显得比它们来之前更加黑暗，更加寒冷，更加荒凉。

夜空中繁星点点，时光在缓缓流逝——想象一下，那有多么缓慢——纳尼亚最后一位国王被绑在树上，浑身僵硬酸痛地站在那里。最后，终于有一件事情发生了。

远远地闪现出一个红光，随即，那个红光消失了片刻，然后又再一次出现了，这次显得更大更亮。国王看到，在火光的这一边，有一些黑暗的身影在往返穿梭，把扛着的一捆捆东西抛在地上。于是，他明白自己看到的是什么东西了。那是一个刚刚点燃的篝火，人们正将一捆捆柴火丢进去。很快火光熊熊，提里安看得出来，那是在小山顶上。他能够清楚地看到篝火后面的马棚。整个山顶被红光照得通明，在他和篝火之间，有一大群动物和人。一个小小的身影蜷缩在篝火边，肯定是那只猿猴。它正在对着人群讲话，可惜听不见它在说些什么。接下去，猿猴走到马棚的门前，俯伏在地上，三次叩拜。随后，它站起身来，把门打开。一头四条腿的动物——步履相当僵硬——从马棚里走了出来，站在那里，面对着人群。

一阵巨大的哀声或者说号叫爆发出来，这声音响彻夜空，个别的叫声甚至传到了提里安的耳朵里。“阿斯兰！阿斯兰！阿斯兰！”动物们喊道，“对我们说话。安慰我们。不要再向我们发怒了。”

从他所在的位置，提里安看不清楚那是个什么动物。然而，他可以看出来，那个动物是黄色的，浑身多毛。他从未见过伟大的狮王，甚至连一头普通狮子也没有见过。他无法确定，自己看到的究竟是不是真正的阿斯兰。他从来没有想到，阿斯兰会是那样一个僵硬的动物形象，站在那里，一言不发。但怎样才能确定呢？有一会儿工夫，他的心头浮现出种种可怕的想法。他想起了关于塔西和阿斯兰是同一位神的胡言乱语，意识到这整个事件一定是个骗局。

猿猴把头凑到黄色动物的脑袋旁边，似乎是在倾听它小声讲的什么话。然后，它转过身来，对着人群宣告，人群又一次哀号起来。这时，黄色的动物笨拙地转过身去，走——你也许会说，蹒跚着——回到马棚里。猿猴随即把门关上。在那之后，篝火一定是给弄灭了，因为火光一下子消失了。提里安又一次孤独地置身于寒冷与黑暗之中。

他回想起远古时代曾经在纳尼亚生活与死去的诸王，在他看来，没有一个国王像他这么不幸。他想起了自己的太祖父瑞连国王，当他还是年轻王子时，就被一个女巫劫持，在北方巨人的地下黑暗洞窟里藏匿多年。但最终一切又回到了正确的轨道上。因为来自另一个世界的两个孩子神秘地出现了，把瑞连解救了出来，于是他重返纳尼亚。在他的统治下，国家长治久安，十分兴盛。“那跟我的情况完全不是一码事。”提里安自言自语道。

接着，他又向前追溯，回忆起瑞连的父王，航海者卡斯宾。卡斯宾邪恶的叔父米拉兹王想要谋害他，于是他设法逃到了树林里，跟矮人们住在一起。那个故事最终也有一个好的结局，因为卡斯宾也得到了孩子们的帮助——只不过那一次是四个孩子——他们来自世界之外的某个地方，并且打了一场大仗，帮助他登上了他父王的宝座。“但这些都发生在很久以前，”提里安自言自语道，“现在，这种事情不会再发生了。”

这时，他又想起来（因为他从小就很擅长历史），帮助卡斯宾的那四个孩子，是在一千多年前来到纳尼亚的。就是在那个时候，他们立下了丰功伟绩，打败了可怕的白女巫，结束了长达百年之久的寒冬。后来，他们在凯尔帕拉维尔做王（四个孩子共同治理），一直到他们长大成人，成为伟大的国王和可爱的女王。他们统治的时期是纳尼亚的黄金时代。在那个故事中，阿斯兰时常出现。在所有其他的故事中，阿斯兰也都有所作为，正如提里安这会儿回想起来的。“阿斯兰——还有从另一个世界来的孩子们，”提里安心里想道，“他们总是在最紧急的关头来到。噢，如果他们现在能来，该有多好。”

于是，他呼叫起来：“阿斯兰！阿斯兰！阿斯兰！快来帮帮我们。”

但是黑暗、寒冷与寂静一如既往，毫无变化。“让我被杀死算了，”国王喊道，“我不为自己求什么。只求你来拯救整个纳尼亚。”

黑夜和树林都一切照旧，但是在提里安的里面慢慢发生了某种变化。不知道为什么，他开始感觉到一丝微弱的希望，感到自己似乎变得强壮了。“噢，阿斯兰，阿斯兰，”他轻声低语道，“你若不能亲自来，至少从另一个世界给我派过来几个帮手。让我来呼唤他们。请把我的声音传送到那个世界。”接着，他几乎不明白自己在做些什么，猛地扯着嗓子大叫起来：“孩子们！孩子们！纳尼亚的朋友们！快点儿。到我这里来。我，提里安，纳尼亚的国王，凯尔帕拉维尔的君主，孤独群岛的皇帝，跨越时空向你们发出呼唤！”

随即，他进入到一个梦中（如果是梦的话），那梦比他一生所做的任何梦都更加栩栩如生。

他仿佛站在一间亮着灯的房间里，有七个人围坐在一张桌子旁边。看样子他们刚刚吃完饭。其中两个人年纪很大，一位是白胡子老人，一位是眼睛里闪着睿智欢快光芒的老妇人。坐在老人右边的是个少年人，绝对比提里安年轻，然而他的脸上显露出国王和斗士的神情。坐在老妇人右手边的另一个年轻人，你差不多也可以用同样的词汇来加以描述。面对着提里安，坐在桌子另一端的是一位金发少女，她的年龄比那两个年轻人要小一些。在少女的两边，分别坐着一个男孩和一个女孩，他们看上去年龄更小。在提里安看来，他们的穿着打扮十分稀奇古怪。

可是，他并没有时间来考虑此类细节，因为最小的男孩和两个少女突然蹦了起来，其中一个还低低地惊叫了一声。老妇人吓了一跳，猛地吸了一口气。老人一定也受到了惊吓，因为他右手边的酒杯从桌子上滚落下去，提里安听到了酒杯在地上摔碎的响声。

这时，提里安才意识到，这些人能够看见自己。他们目瞪口呆地望着他，好像看到了一个鬼魂。他注意到，坐在老人右边那个有着王者风范的少年纹丝未动（虽然他的脸色变得苍白），只是攥紧了拳头。然后，他开口说道：“如果你不是幻影，也不是梦，请讲话。你长着纳尼亚人的面貌，而我们是纳尼亚的七个朋友。”

提里安渴望讲话，他想要大声宣告，他是纳尼亚的提里安，急切需要援助。可是他发现（就像有时我在梦中所经历的），自己的喉咙根本发不出声音。

跟他说话的那个人站起身来。“不管你是个影子，还是个幽灵，或者是别的什么，”他说，两眼专注地望着提里安，“如果你来自纳尼亚，我以阿斯兰的名义命令你讲话。我是彼得大帝。”

房间开始在提里安的眼前旋转起来。他听到那七个人同时说话的声音，而他们的声音每分每秒都变得越来越微弱，只听到他们在说：“看哪！他变模糊了。”“他在消散。”“快要看不见了。”

紧接着，他完全清醒过来，发现自己依然被绑在树上，浑身都被露水打湿了，因此感到更加寒冷、更加麻木。树林中充满了日出前淡淡的熹微晨光，又一个清晨来临了。

这次梦醒时分，是他一生中所经历过的最痛苦的一刻。

Chapter 5 How Help Came To The King救助国王

Bur his misery did not last long. Almost at once there came a bump,and then a second bump,and two children were standing before him. The wood in front of him had been quite empty a second before and he knew they had not come from behind his tree,for he would have heard them. They had in fact simply appeared from nowhere.

He saw at a glance that they were wearing the same queer,dingy sort of clothes as the people in his dream; and he saw,at a second glance,that they were the youngest boy and girl out of that party of seven.

“Gosh!” said the boy,“that took one’s breath away! I thought—”

“Hurry up and get him untied,” said the girl. “We can talk,afterwards.” Then she added,turning to Tirian,“I’m sorry we’ve been so long. We came the moment we could.”

While she was speaking the Boy had produced a knife from his pocket and was quickly cutting the King’s bonds: too quickly,in fact,for the King was so stiff and numb that when the last cord was cut he fell forward on his hands and knees. He couldn’t get up again till he had brought some life back into his legs by a good rubbing.

“I say,” said the girl. “It was you,wasn’t it,who appeared to us that night when we were all at supper? Nearly a week ago.”

“A week,fair maid?” said Tirian. “My dream led me into your world scarce ten minutes since.”

“It’s the usual muddle about times,Pole,” said the Boy.

“I remember now,” said Tirian. “That too comes in all the old tales. The time of your strange land is different from ours. But if we speak of time,’tis time to be gone from here; for my enemies are close at hand. Will you come with me?”

“Of course,” said the girl. “It’s you we’ve come to help.”

Tirian got to his feet and led them rapidly down hill,Southward and away from the stable. He knew well where he meant to go but his first aim was to get to rocky places where they would leave no trail,and his second to cross some water so that they would leave no scent.

This took them about an hour’s scrambling and wading and while that was going on nobody had any breath to talk. But even so,Tirian kept on stealing glances at his companions. The wonder of walking beside the creatures from another world made him feel a little dizzy: but it also made all the old stories seem far more real than they had ever seemed before . . . anything might happen now.

“Now,” said Tirian as they came to the head of a little valley which ran down before them among young birch trees,“we are out of danger of those villains for a space and may walk more easily.” The sun had risen,dewdrops were twinkling on every branch,and birds were singing.

“What about some grub? —I mean for you,Sir,we two have had our breakfast,” said the Boy.

Tirian wondered very much what he meant by “grub“,but when the Boy opened a bulgy satchel which he was carrying and pulled out a rather greasy and squashy packet,he understood. He was ravenously hungry,though he hadn’t thought about it till that moment.

There were two hard-boiled egg sandwiches,and two cheese sandwiches,and two with some kind of paste in them. If he hadn’t been so hungry he wouldn’t have thought much of the paste,for that is a sort of food nobody eats in Narnia. By the time he had eaten all six sandwiches they had come to the bottom of the valley and there they found a mossy cliff with a little fountain bubbling out of it. All three stopped and drank and splashed their hot faces.

“And now,” said the girl as she tossed her wet hair back from her forehead,“aren’t you going to tell us who you are and why you were tied up and what it’s all about?”

“With a good will,damsel,” said Tirian. “But we must keep on the march.” So while they went on walking he told them who he was and all the things that had happened to him. “And now,” he said at the end,“I am going to a certain tower,one of three that were built in my grandsire’s time to guard Lantern Waste against certain perilous outlaws who dwelled there in his day. By Aslan’s goodwill I was not robbed of my keys. In that tower we shall find stores of weapons and mail and some victuals also,though no better than dry biscuit. There also we can lie safe while we make our plans. And now,prithee,tell me who you two are and all your story.”

“I’m Eustace Scrubb and this is Jill Pole,” said the Boy. “And we were here once before,ages and ages ago,more than a year ago by our time,and there was a chap called Prince Rilian,and they were keeping this chap underground,and Puddleglum put his foot in—”

“Ha!” cried Tirian,“are you then that Eustace and that Jill who rescued King Rilian from his long enchantment?”

“Yes,that’s us,” said Jill. “So he’s King Rilian now,is he? Oh of course he would be. I forgot—”

“Nay,” said Tirian,“I am the seventh in descent from him. He has been dead over two hundred years.”

Jill made a face. “Ugh!” she said. “That’s the horrid part about coming back to Narnia.” But Eustace went on.

“Well now you know who we are,Sire,” he said. “And it was like this. The Professor and Aunt Polly had got all us friends of Narnia together—”

“I know not these names,Eustace,” said Tirian.

“They’re the two who came into Narnia at the very beginning,the day all the animals learned to talk.”

“By the Lion’s Mane,” cried Tirian. “Those two! The Lord Digory and the Lady Polly! From the dawn of the world! And still still in your place? The wonder and the glory of it! But tell me,tell me.”

“She isn’t really our aunt,you know,” said Eustace. “She’s Miss Plummer,but we call her Aunt Polly. Well,those two got us all together,partly just for fun,so that we could all have a good jaw about Narnia (for of course there’s no one else we can ever talk to about things like that) but partly because the Professor had a feeling that we were somehow wanted over here.

“Well,then you came in like a ghost or goodness-knows-what and nearly frightened the lives out of us and vanished without saying a word. After that,we knew for certain there was something up. The next question was how to get here. You can’t go just by wanting to. So we talked and talked and at last the Professor said the only way would be by the Magic Rings. It was by those Rings that he and Aunt Polly got here long,long ago when they were only kids,years before we younger ones were born.

“But the Rings had all been buried in the garden of a house in London (that’s our big town,Sire) and the house had been sold. So then the problem was how to get at them. You’ll never guess what we did in the end! Peter and Edmund—that’s the High King Peter,the one who spoke to you—went up to London to get into the garden from the back,early in the morning before people were up. They were dressed like workmen so that if anyone did see them it would look as if they’d come to do something about the drains. I wish I’d been with them,it must have been glorious fun. And they must have succeeded for next day,Peter sent us a wire—that’s a sort of message,Sire,I’ll explain about it some other time—to say he’d got the Rings. And the day after that was the day Jill and I had to go back to school—we’re the only two who are still at school and we’re at the same one. So Peter and Edmund were to meet us at a place on the way down to school and hand over the Rings. It had to be us two who were to go to Narnia,you see,because the older ones couldn’t come again.

“So we got into the train—that’s a kind of thing people travel in in our world; a lot of wagons chained together—and the Professor and Aunt Polly and Lucy came with us. We wanted to keep together as long as we could. Well,there we were in the train. And we were just getting to the station where the others were to meet us,and I was looking out of the window to see if I could see them when suddenly there came a most frightful jerk and a noise: and there we were in Narnia and there was your Majesty tied up to the tree.”

“So you never used the Rings?” said Tirian.

“No,” said Eustace. “Never even saw them. Aslan did it all for us in his own way without any Rings.”

“But the High King Peter has them,” said Tirian.

“Yes,” said Jill. “But we don’t think he can use them. When the two other Pevensies—King Edmund and Queen Lucy—were last here,Aslan said they would never come to Narnia again. And he said something of the same sort to the High King,only longer ago. You may be sure he’ll come like a shot if he’s allowed.”

“Gosh!” said Eustace. “It’s getting hot in this sun. Are we nearly there,Sire?”

“Look,” said Tirian and pointed. Not many yards away grey battlements rose above the tree-tops,and after a minute’s more walking they came out in an open grassy space. A stream ran across it and on the far side of the stream stood a squat,square tower with very few and narrow windows and one heavy-looking door in the wall that faced them.

Tirian looked sharply this way and that to make sure that no enemies were in sight. Then he walked up to the tower and stood still for a moment fishing up his bunch of keys which he wore inside his hunting-dress on a narrow silver chain that went round his neck. It was a nice bunch of keys that he brought out,for two were golden and many were richly ornamented: you could see at once that they were keys made for opening solemn and secret rooms in palaces,or chests and caskets of sweet-smelling wood that contained royal treasures. But the key which he now put into the lock of the door was big and plain and more rudely made. The lock was stiff and for a moment Tirian began to be afraid that he would not be able to turn it: but at last he did and the door swung open with a sullen creak.

“Welcome friends,” said Tirian. “I fear this is the best palace that the King of Narnia can now offer to his guests.”

Tirian was pleased to see that the two strangers had been well brought up. They both said not to mention it and that they were sure it would be very nice.

As a matter of fact it was not particularly nice. It was rather dark and smelled very damp. There was only one room in it and this room went right up to the stone roof: a wooden staircase in one corner led up to a trap door by which you could get out on the battlements. There were a few rude bunks to sleep in,and a great many lockers and bundles. There was also a hearth which looked as if nobody had lit a fire in it for a great many years.

“We’d better go out and gather some firewood first thing,hadn’t we?” said Jill.

“Not yet,comrade,” said Tirian. He was determined that they should not be caught unarmed,and began searching the lockers,thankfully remembering that he had always been careful to have these garrison towers inspected once a year and to make sure that they were stocked with all things needful. The bow strings were there in their coverings of oiled silk,the swords and spears were greased against rust,and the armour was kept bright in its wrappings. But there was something even better. “Look you!” said Tirian as he drew out a long mail shirt of a curious pattern and flashed it before the children’s eyes.

“That’s funny-looking mail,Sire,” said Eustace.

“Aye,lad,” said Tirian. “No Narnian dwarf smithied that. ‘Tis mail of Calormen,outlandish gear. I have ever kept a few suits of it in readiness,for I never knew when I or my friends might have reason to walk unseen in The Tisroc’s land. And look on this stone bottle. In this there is a juice which,when we have rubbed it on our hands and faces,will make us brown as Calormenes.”

“Oh hurrah!” said Jill. “Disguise! I love disguises.”

Tirian showed them how to pour out a little of the juice into the palms of their hands and then rub it well over their faces and necks,right down to the shoulders,and then on their hands,right up to the elbows. He did the same himself.

“After this has hardened on us,” he said,“we may wash in water and it will not change. Nothing but oil and ashes will make us white Narnians again. And now,sweet Jill,let us go see how this mail shirt becomes you. ‘Tis something too long,yet not so much as I feared. Doubtless it belonged to a page in the train of one of their Tarkaans.”

After the mail shirts they put on Calormene helmets,which are little round ones fitting tight to the head and having a spike on top. Then Tirian took long rolls of some white stuff out of the locker and wound them over the helmets till they became turbans: but the little steel spike still stuck up in the middle. He and Eustace took curved Calormene swords and little round shields. There was no sword light enough for Jill,but he gave her a long,straight hunting knife which might do for a sword at a pinch.

“Hast any skill with the bow,maiden?” said Tirian.

“Nothing worth talking of,” said Jill,blushing. “Scrubb’s not bad.”

“Don’t you believe her,Sire,” said Eustace. “We’ve both been practising archery ever since we got back from Narnia last time,and she’s about as good as me now. Not that either of us is much.”

Then Tirian gave Jill a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The next business was to light a fire,for inside that tower it still felt more like a cave than like anything indoors and set one shivering. But they got warm gathering wood—the sun was now at its highest—and once the blaze was roaring up the chimney the place began to look cheerful.

Dinner was,however,a dull meal,for the best they could do was to pound up some of the hard biscuit which they found in a locker and pour it into boiling water,with salt,so as to make a kind of porridge. And of course there was nothing to drink but water.

“I wish we’d brought a packet of tea,” said Jill.

“Or a tin of cocoa,” said Eustace.

“A firkin or so of good wine in each of these towers would not have been amiss,” said Tirian.

中文阅读

国王的痛苦并没有持续多久。顷刻之间，传来砰的一声，接着，又是一声，两个孩子出现在了他的面前。刚才，树林里还是空无一人。国王知道，他们并不是从他被绑的那棵树后跳出来的，那样的话，他应该能够听见。事实上，他们简直像是从天而降。

国王一眼就看了出来，他们身上古怪破旧的衣裳，同他梦见的人们穿的一模一样。再看一眼，他马上认出来了，他们正是那七个人中最年轻的男孩和女孩。“天哪！”男孩子说道，“这真让人惊讶地说不出话来！我还以为——”“快点儿，把他的绳子解开，”女孩子说，“有话停会儿再说。”随即，她转身对提里安补充道，“很抱歉，我们耽搁了这么久。我们尽快地赶了过来。”

她说话的工夫，男孩子从口袋里掏出一把刀来，快速割断了捆绑国王的绳索。事实是，他的动作太快了，由于国王浑身僵硬麻木，随着最后一根绳索被割断，他一下子扑倒在地上。他把双腿揉搓了好半天，才恢复一些知觉，终于站了起来。“哎呀，”女孩子说，“是你，那天夜里我们吃晚饭时，就是你向我们显现的吧？大约在一个星期以前。”“靓妹，一个星期？”提里安说，“从我做梦进入你们的世界，总共还不到十分钟。”“又是常见的时间错乱，珀尔。”男孩子说。“现在我想起来了，”提里安说，“所有古老传说都是这么说的。你们那奇特国度里的时间跟我们的时间不同。说到时间，我们必须抓紧离开这儿，因为我的敌人近在咫尺。你们愿意跟我一起去吗？”“当然，”女孩子说，“我们就是来帮助你的。”

提里安站起身来，带着他们迅速走下山坡，向南走去，以便远远离开那个马棚。他清楚地知道自己要去什么地方，但他先选了一些多石的地方，为的是不留下任何痕迹。他要做的第二件事是蹚过一条河，这样就不会留下任何气味了。

他们花了将近一个钟头爬山涉水。在这个过程中，他们都累得气喘吁吁，顾不上说话。即便如此，提里安还是不时地偷偷瞟一眼他的同伴们。与天外来客同行使他感觉有点异样，头脑晕晕乎乎的。但以往那些古老的传说显得更加真实……看来什么事情都有可能发生。“好啦。”提里安说。这时，他们来到了一个小峡谷的入口处，那个峡谷里长着一些小桦树，在他们的前面向下延伸，“我们暂时脱离了那些恶棍的魔爪，可以放慢脚步了。”此刻，太阳已经升起，露珠在枝条上闪烁，鸟儿在歌唱。“吃点儿东西怎么样？——我说的是你，陛下，我们俩已经吃过早饭了。”男孩子说。

提里安心里纳闷，不知道他说的“东西”是什么意思。男孩子打开自己背着的一个鼓鼓的书包，取出了一个油乎乎的松软小纸包，提里安这才明白。这会儿，他才意识到自己已经饿得前胸贴后背了。

纸包里有两份鸡蛋三明治、两份奶酪三明治，还有两份涂抹着果酱的三明治。假如提里安不是饿坏了的话，他绝对不会吃果酱三明治，因为在纳尼亚没有人吃那种食物。等他把六份三明治吞下肚子，他们已经来到了峡谷底部。在那儿，他们发现有一道细小的山泉从长满青苔的峭壁中汩汩流淌出来。他们三个停下脚步，喝了几口水，捧了把水泼在发烫的脸上。“好了，”女孩子往后甩了甩贴在前额上的湿头发，说道，“告诉我们，你到底是谁？为什么被绑在那里？这一切究竟是为了什么？”“女士，我非常乐意，”提里安说，“但是我们不能停止赶路。”于是，在行进的路上，他给他们讲了自己的身世，以及发生在自己身上的那些事情。“现在，”他最后说，“我要去一个塔楼，那是我祖先建造的三个塔楼之一。当时，有一些穷凶极恶的强盗住在灯柱旷野，修塔的目的是为了保护那里不受强盗的祸害。感谢阿斯兰的护佑，我的钥匙没有被他们夺去。在那个塔楼里，我们可以找到武器和铠甲，还有一些食物，可能比不上饼干好吃。我们可以安全地躲在里边，制定行动计划。行啦，请告诉我，你们两位是谁，请把你们的故事原原本本地讲给我听。”“我是尤斯塔斯·斯克拉布，这位是吉尔·珀尔，”男孩子说，“以前我们来过这里，那是在很久很久以前。根据我们的时间，那事发生在一年多以前，有个叫做瑞连王子的小伙子，被人监禁在地下，浦都格伦把他的脚伸进了——”“哈！”提里安叫道，“你们就是把瑞连国王从魔咒中解救出来的那个尤斯塔斯和吉尔吗？”“不错，就是我们，”吉尔说，“那么他现在是瑞连国王了，是吧？噢，当然他要做国王。我忘了——”“不，”提里安说，“我是他的第七代孙。他两百多年前已经与世长辞了。”

吉尔做了个鬼脸。“咄！”她说，“那正是重返纳尼亚令人不爽的地方。”尤斯塔斯继续往下讲。“好啦，现在你知道我们是谁了，陛下，”他说，“事情是这样的。教授和波利姨妈把我们这些纳尼亚的朋友们召聚在一起——”“尤斯塔斯，我不知道这两个名字。”提里安说。“他们是最早进入纳尼亚的两个人，那是在所有动物刚开始学说话的创始阶段。”“天哪，”提里安嚷道，“那两位！迪戈里爵士和波利女士！在世界被造的黎明！他们还活在你们的国度里？这是何等的奇妙，何等的光荣啊！告诉我，快告诉我。”“要知道，她其实并不是我们的姨妈，”尤斯塔斯说，“她是普卢默小姐，但我们都叫她波利姨妈。嗯，他们俩把我们召聚在一起，一方面是出于好玩，我们大家可以开怀畅谈纳尼亚（当然，我们无法对其他人谈论此事），另一方面是教授预感到了，这边说不定会需要我们。“嗯，于是你出现了，就像一个幽灵，或者天知道什么鬼东西，差点儿把我们吓个半死，随后，你又一言不发地消失了。我们确信，纳尼亚一定是遇到了麻烦。可问题是如何才能过到这边来。不是你想来就能来的了。我们商量了好半天，最后教授说，唯一的办法是通过魔法戒指。他和波利姨妈就是戴上那些戒指，才来到这里的。那是在很多年以前，当时他们还是小孩子，我们这些年轻人还没有出生。“可是，那些戒指被埋在了伦敦一座房子的花园里（陛下，伦敦是我们那里的一个大城市），那座房子已经被卖掉了。问题是如何才能拿到那些戒指。你绝对猜不出，我们最后是如何成功得手的！彼得与埃德蒙——就是彼得大帝，跟你讲话的那一位——一大早赶到伦敦，趁着人们还没有起床，从后边进入那个花园。他们穿着工作服，即使有人看见，也会以为他们是来修下水道的。我真希望能和他们一起去，那一定非常好玩儿。第二天，他们肯定是一帆风顺。彼得给我们发来一封电报——那是一种密码，陛下，以后有时间我再给你解释——说他拿到了戒指。次日，吉尔和我必须返回学校——只有我们俩还在上学，而且是在同一所学校。于是，彼得和埃德蒙约好在我们返校路上的一个地方见面，把戒指交给我们。你要知道，只有我们两个还能重回纳尼亚，年纪大的就不能再来了。“就这样，我们坐上了火车——在我们的世界里，那是人们用来代步的一种工具，把许多车厢连在一起——教授、波利姨妈和露西也陪我们同行，我们想尽量多花些时间待在一起。嗯，我们坐在火车里，很快就要到达他们等候迎接我们的车站了。我朝窗外望去，想看看是否能瞧见他们，突然间，发生了一个非常可怕的震动和巨大的声响。就这样，我们来到了纳尼亚，发现陛下您被绑在那棵树上。”“也就是说，你们根本没有用上戒指？”提里安问道。“没有，”尤斯塔斯答道，“连戒指的影子都没有见着。阿斯兰用他自己的方式，为我们成就了这一切，不需要什么戒指。”“那么，彼得大帝还拿着戒指。”提里安说。“是的，”吉尔说，“可我们认为，他无法使用它们。当珀文西家的另外两个孩子——埃德蒙王和露西女王——最后一次来这里时，阿斯兰说，他们再也不能回到纳尼亚了。阿斯兰也对彼得大帝说过同样的话，只不过时间更早一些。你可以相信，如果允许彼得来的话，他一眨眼之间就会到来。”“哎呀！”尤斯塔斯说，“顶着太阳越走越热了。陛下，我们快到了吧？”“瞧。”提里安说，用手指了一下前方。不远处，有一些灰色的城垛从树顶上探出头来。又行进了一分钟后，他们来到了一片开阔的草地上。草地上有一条小溪，在溪流的那一头矗立着一座低矮坚实的方塔，塔上只有几个狭窄的窗户，迎面的墙上安着一扇看上去很沉重的大门。

提里安机敏地向左右打量了一番，探明周围没有敌人。随后，他走近方塔，静静地站了一会儿，从猎装里摸出一串钥匙。那些钥匙挂在他脖子上的一条银链子上，很多钥匙做工精美，非常漂亮，其中还有两把金钥匙。你一眼就能看得出来，它们是用来开启宫庭密室，或是装着皇家珠宝的香木箱柜和首饰盒子的。此刻，提里安将一把其貌不扬、比较粗糙的大钥匙插进了门锁。门锁生锈了，有一瞬间，提里安甚至担心自己会开不了门。但最终他还是打开了锁，随着沉闷的咯吱声，门被推开了。“欢迎，朋友们，”提里安说，“恐怕这是纳尼亚国王能为客人提供的最好的宫殿了。”

提里安高兴地看到，两位陌生人都很有教养。他们齐声说道，不必客气。他们觉得这个地方很棒。

其实，这个地方并不怎么样，里面相当阴暗，还有一股潮湿霉烂的气味。塔里边只有一个房间，可以通到石头房顶之上。墙角里有个木头楼梯，通过一个活板门，你可以出去，来到外面的城垛上。房间里有几张简陋的帆布床，有很多柜子和包裹，还有一座壁炉，看样子很多年都没有使用过了。“我们当务之急是到外边拾些干柴，是吧？”吉尔说。“先别急，伙计。”提里安说。他认为，他们首先必须武装起来，以免受到敌人突袭。他开始到处翻箱倒柜，搜索起来。他心中暗想，幸亏自己对这些要塞塔楼从未掉以轻心，每年都要来视察一次，才确保这里备足了必需的物品。在柜子里，弓弦都用抹着油的丝绸包裹着，刀剑长矛也都涂着防锈油，铠甲在包裹里明光锃亮。此外，还有一件更加奇妙的东西。“看啦！”提里安说着，拿出来一件样式奇特的长锁子甲，把它展示在孩子们眼前。“陛下，这件铠甲模样有点儿怪。”尤斯塔斯说。“是呀，小伙子，”提里安说，“这可不是纳尼亚的矮人打造的。这是卡罗门人的铠甲，稀奇古怪的东西。我保存了几套，以备不时之需。因为我知道，不一定什么时候，我或者我的朋友会到提斯洛克的领地上去逛逛，而且不能被他们发现。看看这个石头瓶子，里面装着一种液体，如果把它涂在我们的脸上和手上，就会使皮肤变成棕褐色，跟卡罗门人没有区别。”“噢，太好啦！”吉尔说，“乔装打扮！我喜欢装扮成他人。”

提里安向他们演示，将一点液体倒在手掌里，均匀地涂抹在脸上、脖子上，一直到肩膀上，然后再涂在手上，一直涂抹到胳膊肘。他先在自己身上做了示范。“等液体干了，”他说，“我们可以用水来洗，它也不会褪色。只有用油灰才能使我们恢复纳尼亚人的白皙肤色。好吧，可爱的吉尔，让我们看看，你穿这件铠甲合不合身。稍微长了一点儿，但没有我担心的那么长。毫无疑问，这是侍童穿的，他跟在塔坎的随从队伍之中。”

他们穿上铠甲，又戴上卡罗门头盔。那些头盔圆圆的，紧扣在脑袋上，顶上还有根尖尖的长钉。然后，提里安从柜子里取出一卷卷白布，缠裹在头盔上，就成了头巾，那个小钢钉从中间露了出来。他和尤斯塔斯拿着卡罗门的短弯刀和小圆盾牌。吉尔拿不动那些刀剑，他给她找了把长而直的猎刀，在紧急关头可以用来护身。“姑娘，你会不会拉弓射箭？”提里安问道。“我的箭术不怎么样，”吉尔羞红了脸，说道，“斯克拉布的准头不错。”“别信她的话，陛下，”尤斯塔斯说，“自打上次从纳尼亚回去，我们俩一直在练习射箭，她跟我的箭术已经不相上下。但我们俩都说不上特别棒。”

于是，提里安给了吉尔一张弓和一个满箭的箭袋。接下去要做的事就是生火了。在那个塔楼里，给人的感觉不像是在室内，而像是在岩洞里，他们冻得直打哆嗦。于是，他们出去拣了些柴火，使身子也暖和起来——这阵子，太阳已经升到了头顶——随即，室内炉火熊熊，浓烟顺着烟囱滚滚而上，这个地方开始有了生气。

可惜午饭非常单调乏味，尽管他们竭尽全力，所能做的，也不过是把柜子里硬邦邦的饼干捣碎，冲上开水，加上盐，做成一种面糊糊。他们喝的也只有白开水。“真希望我们能带一包茶叶来。”吉尔说。“或者是一听可可粉。”尤斯塔斯说。“如果每个塔楼中有一小桶好酒，那就太惬意了。”提里安说。

Chapter 6 A Good Night s Work连夜奔袭

About four hours later Tirian flung himself into one of the bunks to snatch a little sleep. The two children were already snoring: he had made them go to bed before he did because they would have to be up most of the night and he knew that at their age they couldn’t do without sleep. Also,he had tired them out. First he had given Jill some practice in archery and found that,though not up to Narnian standards,she was really not too bad. Indeed she had succeeded in shooting a rabbit (not a Talking rabbit,of course: there are lots of the ordinary kind about in Western Narnia) and it was already skinned,cleaned,and hanging up. He had found that both the children knew all about this chilly and smelly job; they had learned that kind of thing on their great journey through Giant-Land in the days of Prince Rilian.

Then he had tried to teach Eustace how to use his sword and shield. Eustace had learned quite a lot about sword fighting on his earlier adventures but that had been all with a straight Narnian sword. He had never handled a curved Calormene scimitar and that made it hard,for many of the strokes are quite different and some of the habits he had learned with the long sword had now to be unlearned again. But Tirian found that he had a good eye and was very quick on his feet. He was surprised at the strength of both children: in fact they both seemed to be already much stronger and bigger and more grown-up

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