回主页
皮皮阅读 · 纳尼亚传奇英文版
目录
位置:主页 > 图书读物 > 世界名著英文版 > 纳尼亚传奇英文版 >

《能言马与男孩》 10 南来隐士

发布时间:2021-06-26 11:30:23

【上一页】 【回目录】 【下一页】

CHAPTER TEN THE HERMIT OF THE SOUTHERN MARCH 

十南来隐士

AFTER they had ridden for several hours down the valley, it widened out and they could see what was ahead of them. The river which they had been following here joined a broader river, wide and turbulent, which flowed from their left to their right, towards the east. Beyond this new river a delightful country rose gently in low hills, ridge beyond ridge, to the Northern Mountains themselves. To the right there were rocky pinnacles, one or two of them with snow clinging to the ledges. To the left, pine-clad slopes, frowning cliffs, narrow gorges, and blue peaks stretched away as far as the eye could reach. He could no longer make out Mount Pire. Straight ahead the mountain range sank to a wooded saddle which of course must be the pass from Archenland into Narnia.

他们在山谷里骑行了几个小时之后,山谷变得宽阔了,他们可以看得见前边的景象了。他们一路沿着走过来的那条河,在这里和一条更加宽阔、汹涌的大河汇合在一起。大河从他们的左边流淌到右边,一直向东流去。在这条大河的后面,有一个更加美丽的国度,山丘逐渐升高,山丘外还有山丘,一直连接到北方的山。右边有几个塔形的岩石,其中两三个顶部的突出部分还积着雪。左边是密布着松树的山坡,峭壁,狭窄的山谷,蓝的山峰,一直伸展到眼睛可以看到的地方。他们再也认不出皮尔峰了。在笔直的正前方,山脉凹了下去,形成一个树木茂密的马鞍状,这里一定就是从阿钦兰进入纳尼亚的关卡了。

"Broo-hoo-hoo, the North, the green North !" neighed Bree: and certainly the lower hills looked greener and fresher than anything that Aravis and Shasta, with their southern-bred eyes,had ever imagined. Spirits rose as they clattered down to the water' s-meet of the two rivers.

“布罗——呵呵,北方,绿的北方。”布里嘶鸣着。阿拉维斯和沙斯塔的眼睛都是在南方长成的,所以低矮的小山看起来比他们所能够想象到的任何东西都要更加翠绿,更加新鲜。当他们走到两条河的交汇处,他们更加神了。

The eastern-flowing river, which was pouring from the higher mountains at the western end of the range, was far too swift and too broken with rapids for them to think of swimming it;but after some casting about, up and down the bank, they found a place shallow enough to wade. The roar and clatter of water, the great swirl against the horses' fetlocks, the cool, stirring air and the darting dragon-flies, filled Shasta with a strange excitement.

向东奔腾而去的大河是从西边的高山上倾泻下来的,速度太快,太湍急,他们不敢游泳过去。但是在岸上寻找了半天,终于找到了一个浅的足够涉水过去的地方。哗啦啦的水声,冲刷在马蹄茸上的漩涡,清凉的,舞动的空气,飞来飞去的蜻蜓,都使沙斯塔的心里充满了兴奋之情。

"Friends,we are in Archenland !" said Bree proudly as he splashed and churned his way out on the Northern bank. "I think that river we' ve just crossed is called the Winding Arrow." "I hope we 're in time," murmured Hwin.

“朋友们,我们已经到阿钦兰了。”布里泼着水,摇晃着上岸,骄傲地说道,“我想我们刚刚渡过的河流就叫做旋箭河。”“希望我们及时赶到了。”赫温喃喃地说道。

Then they began going up, slowly and zigzagging a good deal, for the hills were steep. It was all open park-like country with no roads or houses in sight. Scattered trees, never thick enough to be a forest, were everywhere. Shasta, who had lived all his life in an almost tree-less grassland, had never seen so many or so many kinds. If you had been there you would probably have known (he didn' t) that he was seeing oaks, beeches, silver birches, rowans, and sweet chestnuts. Rabbits scurried away in every direction as they advanced, and presently they saw a whole herd of fallow deer making off among the trees. "Isn't it simply glorious !" said Aravis.

然后他们开始攀登,缓慢曲折地,因为山都很陡峭。这里是完全开放的,公园一样的乡野,视线中没有任何道路和房子。树木到处都是,但没有茂密到足够成为森林。沙斯塔以前都生活在一个几乎没有树木的草原上,从来都没有看到过这么多的树,这么多种类的树。如果你也在那里,你可能知道( 他可不知道就) 他看到的是橡树、山棒、白桦、花楸、栗子树呢。当他们前进的时候,野兔就向四面八方逃走,不久他们就看到一黇鹿从林木之间逃走了。“这地方真是美极了。”阿拉维斯说道。

At the first ridge Shasta turned in the saddle and looked back. There was no sign of Tashbaan;the desert, unbroken except by the narrow green crack which they had travelled down, spread to the horizon.

登上第一个山脊的时候,沙斯塔从马鞍上向后望去,再也没有塔什班城的一点痕迹了。茫茫的大沙漠一直绵延到地平线上,唯一隔断沙漠的,就是刚才他们走过的那一道狭窄的翠绿的裂痕。

"Hullo !" he said suddenly."What's that !"

“喂,”他突然说道,“那是什么!”

"What's what ?" said Bree,turning round.Hwin and Aravis did the same.

“什么?”布里转过身说道。赫温和阿拉维斯也都转过身来。

"That,"said Shasta, pointing..It looks like smoke. Is it a fire ?"

“那里。”沙斯塔指着说,“那看起来好像是烟,着火了吗?”

"Sand-storm, I should say,"said Bree.

“我觉得是沙暴。”布里说。

"Not much wind to raise it,"said Aravis.

“风没有大到可以产生沙暴。”阿拉维斯说道。

"Oh !"exclaimed Hwin..Look ! There are things flashing in it. Look ! They' re helmets-and armour. And it' s moving: moving this way."

“噢!”赫温喊道,“看,有些东西在闪光。看,是钢盔——盔甲。它们正在移动,朝着这个方向。”

"By Tash !"said Aravis."It' s the army.It' s Rabadash." "Oh course it is," said Hwin."Just what I was afraid of. Quick !We must get to Anvard before it. " And without another word she whisked round and began galloping North.Bree tossed his head and did the same.

“噢,塔什神啊!”阿拉维斯说道,“那是军队,属于罗八达的。” “当然是。”赫温说道,“这正是我担心的事情。我们必须在它的前面赶到安瓦德。”赫温不再说话,转过身来,开始朝着北边奔跑。布里晃了晃它的脑袋,也一样向着北方奔跑起来。

"Come on, Bree, come on,"yelled Aravis over her shoulder.

“快点,布里,快点。”阿拉维斯回头喊道。

The race was very gruelling for the Horses. As they topped each ridge they found another valley and another ridge beyond it; and though they knew they were going in more or less the right direction, no one knew how far it was to Anvard. From the top of the second ridge Shasta looked back again. Instead of a dust-cloud well out in the desert he now saw a black, moving mass, rather like ants,on the far bank of the Winding Arrow. They were doubtless looking for a ford.

对于马儿们来说,这是一次极为紧张的竞跑。当他们到达每个山脊的顶端的时候,总是会发现前面有另一个山脊。尽管他们知道他们走的方向是正确的,但是没有人知道离安瓦德有多远。在第二个山脊上,沙斯塔再次回头望过去。现在看到的不是从沙漠里冒起来的一阵烟,而是一黑漆漆的东西,看起来像是蚂蚁。正在旋箭河的河岸上移动。毫无疑问,他们正在寻找可以涉水过来的地方。

"They' re on the river !"he yelled wildly.

“他们到河边了。”他惊呼道。

"Quick !Quick !"shouted Aravis..We might as well not have come at all if we don' t reach Anvard in time. Gallop, Bree, gallop. Remember you're a warhorse."

“快!快!”阿拉维斯大声喊道,“如果我们不能及时地赶到安瓦德,我们就等于从来没有来过。快跑,布里,快跑。记住你是一匹战马。”

It was all Shasta could do to prevent himself from shouting out similar instructions;but he thought,.The poor chap' s doing all he can already,"and held his tongue. And certainly both Horses were doing, if not all they could, all they thought they could; which is not quite the same thing. Bree had caught up with Hwin and they thundered side by side over the turf. It didn' t look as if Hwin could possibly keep it up much longer.

沙斯塔能做的,只是阻止他自己喊出类似于指示的话。但是他想:“可怜的家伙们已经做了他们能做的一切”。但他没有说出口。当然,这两匹马,如果不是筋疲力尽,也都以为自己筋疲力尽了,这两者可不是同一回事。布里已经追上了赫温,他们并驾齐驱地穿过草地。看起来赫温可能不能坚持更久了。

At that moment everyone' s feelings were completely altered by a sound from behind. It was not the sound they had been expecting to hear-the noise of hoofs and jingling armour, mixed, perhaps, with Calormene battle-cries. Yet Shasta knew it at once. It was the same snarling roar he had heard that moonlit night when they first met Aravis and Hwin. Bree knew it too. His eyes gleamed red and his ears lay flat back on his skull. And Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast-not quite as fast-as he could. Shasta felt the change at once. Now they were really going all out. In a few seconds they were well ahead of Hwin.

就在这个关键的时刻,每个人都感觉到后面的声音改变了。并不是他们意料中会听到的声音——马蹄的嗒嗒声和盔甲的叮当声,或者还掺杂着卡乐门人的呐喊声。然而,沙斯塔立刻听出来了。这是他们在月明之夜第一次遇到阿拉维斯和赫温的时候,听到的咆哮声。布里也马上明白了,他的眼睛发光,两个耳朵靠后贴在它的脑袋上。布里这个时候才发现,他并没有真正尽力地在跑——并没有足够的快——像他能够做到的那样。沙斯塔立刻感觉到了变化。现在他们真的是在用尽全力在跑,不出几秒钟,就超过了赫温。

"It' s not fair,"thought Shasta.. I did think we' d be safe from lions here !"

“真不顺利。”沙斯塔想到,“我还以为这里比较安全,已经远离狮子了呢。”

He looked over his shoulder.Everything was only too clear.

他回过头去看。所有的一切都看得很清楚。

A huge tawny creature, its body low to the ground, like a cat streaking across the lawn to a tree when a strange dog has got into the garden, was behind them. And it was nearer every second and half second.

一只巨大的黄褐生物,躯体低垂到地上,正跟随在他们的身后,就好像一只陌生的狗闯入到花园的时候,一只猫正跑过草地要窜到树上去一样。转眼之间,那动物越来越近了。

He looked forward again and saw something which he did not take in, or even think about. Their way was barred by a smooth green wall about ten feet high. In the middle of that wall there was a gate, open. In the middle of the gateway stood a tall man dressed, down to his bare feet, in a robe coloured like autumn leaves, leaning on a straight staff. His beard fell almost to his knees.

他再次向前看了看,看到了之前他没有注意到,甚至没有想到的事情。他们前进的路被一道十英尺高的光滑绿墙壁挡住了。在墙垣的中间有一个大门,门里边站着一个很高的男人,光着脚穿一件秋叶的长袍,身子歪斜着靠在一根笔直的手杖上。他的胡须很长,几乎到他的膝盖了。

Shasta saw all this in a glance and looked back again. The lion had almost got Hwin now. It was making snaps at her hind legs, and there was no hope now in her foam-flecked, wide-eyed face.

沙斯塔一瞥就看到了一切,他回过头去看,狮子现在几乎要抓到赫温了。狮子正在向她的扑去,此刻赫温汗迹斑斑,圆睁的眼睛上已经露出了绝望的神

"Stop," bellowed Shasta in Bree's ear. "Must go back. Must help !"

“停,”沙斯塔在布里的耳边大声喊道,“我们必须回去,必须回去救她。”

Bree always said afterwards that he never heard, or never understood this;and as he was in general a very truthful horse we must accept his word.

布里在后来总是说他从来没有听到过这句话,或者从来没有听懂这句话,一般来说,他是一匹十分忠实的马,我们必须要相信他的话。

Shasta slipped his feet out of the stirrups, slid both his legs over the left side, hesitated for one hideous hundredth of a second, and jumped. It hurt horribly and nearly winded him; but before he knew how it hurt him he was staggering back to help Aravis. He had never done anything like this in his life before and hardly knew why he was doing it now.

沙斯塔从马镫中出了两只脚,只犹豫了百分之一秒的可怕时间,就从马的左边跳了下来。他受了重伤,腰几乎闪了,但他还没有弄清楚自己受了什么伤,就立刻蹒跚着走回去救阿拉维斯了。他一生都没有做过这类的事情,现在也不清楚自己为什么要这样做。

One of the most terrible noises in the world, a horse' s scream, broke from Hwin' s lips. Aravis was stooping low over Hwin' s neck and seemed to be trying to draw her sword. And now all three-Aravis, Hwin, and the lion were almost on top of Shasta. Before they reached him the lion rose on its hind legs, larger than you would have believed a lion could be, and jabbed at Aravis with its right paw. Shasta could see all the terrible claws extended. Aravis screamed and reeled in the saddle. The lion was tearing her shoulders. Shasta, half mad with horror, managed to lurch towards the brute. He had no weapon, not even a stick or a stone. He shouted out, idiotically, at the lion as one would at a dog."Go home ! Go home !" For a fraction of a second he was staring right into its wide-opened, raging mouth. Then, to his utter astonishment, the lion, still on its hind legs, checked itself suddenly, turned head over heels, picked itself up,and rushed away.

世界上最可怕的声音——一匹马儿的哀鸣声,从赫温的嘴里发了出来。阿拉维斯正低下身来趴在赫温的脖子上,好像试图拔出刀来。现在,他们三个——阿拉维斯,赫温和狮子,几乎都在沙斯塔的头顶上。他们还没有靠近他,那狮子便用后站了起来( 你简直没办法相信他躯体的巨大),伸出前的右爪子,猛然间扑向阿拉维斯。沙斯塔看得见那全部伸开来的爪子。阿拉维斯尖叫着,在马鞍上摇摇晃晃,狮子在扯着她的肩膀。沙斯塔,几乎害怕到半疯了,试图向野兽扑过去。他没有武器,甚至没有一根棍子或者一块石头。他大喊着,像傻子一样,就好像狮子就是一只狗一样。“回家去,回家去。”在危机时刻,他紧盯着那长得大大的,凶狠的狮子的嘴巴。然后,让他十分诧异的是,狮子仍旧用后站立着,突然控制住自己,变得俯首贴地了,并且迅速地跑掉了。

Shasta did not for a moment suppose it had gone for good. He turned and raced for the gate in the green wall which, now for the first time, he remembered seeing. Hwin, stumbling and nearly fainting, was just entering the gate: Aravis still kept her seat but her back was covered with blood.

沙斯塔一时间还以为狮子并没有真的跑掉。他转过身,向着绿城墙的大门跑去,现在他第一次记起自己看过那面墙。赫温脚步蹒跚,几乎要晕过去了,刚刚进入那个大门。阿拉维斯仍然保持坐在马鞍上,但她的背上已经被鲜血覆盖了。

"Come in, my daughter, come in," the robed and bearded man was saying, and then"Come in, my son"as Shasta panted up to him. He heard the gate closed behind him;and the bearded stranger was already helping Aravis off her horse.

“进来,我的女儿,进来吧。”穿长袍的长须老人说。然后,当沙斯塔气喘吁吁地跑向他那里的时候,他又说“进来吧,我的儿子。”沙斯塔听到大门在他身后关上,奇怪的长须老人已经在帮助阿拉维斯下马了。

They were in a wide and perfectly circular enclosure,protected by a high wall of green turf. A pool of perfectly still water, so full that the water was almost exactly level with the ground, lay before him. At one end of the pool, completely overshadowing it with its branches, there grew the hugest and most beautiful tree that Shasta had ever seen. Beyond the pool was a little low house of stone roofed with deep and ancient thatch. There was a sound of bleating and over at the far side of the enclosure there were some goats. The level ground was completely covered with the finest grass.

他们在一个宽阔的,圆形的围场里,四周有一道高高的绿草皮叠成的高墙保护。他们面前是一汪池水,十分平静,水面和地面一样高。池水的另一边,生长着沙斯塔从来都没有见过的,最大、最美丽的树木,树叶繁茂,遮蔽着池塘。池塘的后面是一间低矮的小石头房子,茅草屋顶又厚又旧。从远处有着一些山羊的围场那边传来羊的叫声。平地上完全地覆盖着肥美的青草。

"Are-are-are you,"panted Shasta..Are you King Lune of Archenland ?"

“你是……是……是”沙斯塔喘着气问道,“你是阿钦兰的伦恩国王吗?”

The old man shook his head."No,"he replied in a quiet voice,"I am the Hermit of the Southern March. And now, my son, waste no time on questions, but obey. This damsel is wounded. Your horses are spent. Rabadash is at this moment finding a ford over the Winding Arrow. If you run now, without a moment' s rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune."

老人摇了摇头,“不,”他低声回应道,“我是南来的隐士。亲的,不要费时间问问题了,按照我说的去做。这位小姐受伤了,你的马已经没有力气了。罗八达此时在旋箭河上已经找到了可以涉水而过的地方。如果你现在跑过去,一刻也不休息的话,你将仍然来得及向伦恩国王示。”

Shasta' s heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.But all he said out loud was:

沙斯塔听到这些话心凉了一半,因为他感觉自己的力量都消失了。他心苦恼,认为这要求对于他太不公平了。他还没有学到,如果你做了一件好事,你得到的奖励常常是去做另外一件更难更好的事情。但沙斯塔只是大声问道:

"Where is the King ?"

“国王在哪?”

The Hermit turned and pointed with his staff..Look,"he said..There is another gate, right opposite to the one you entered by.Open it and go straight ahead: always straight ahead, over level or steep,over smooth or rough, over dry or wet.I know by my art that you will find King Lune straight ahead.But run, run: always run."

隐士转过身,用他的手杖指示道:“看,”他说,“那里还有一扇门,正好对着你进来的那扇门。打开它,笔直地往前走,一直保持笔直,经过平地和陡峭的地方,经过顺利或者不顺利的地方,经过干燥或者潮湿的地方。我知道,凭借法术,你只要笔直地前进,就能够找到伦恩国王。但是你要跑,跑,始终奔跑。”

Shasta nodded his head,ran to the northern gate and disappeared beyond it.Then the Hermit took Aravis,whom he had all this time been supporting with his left arm,and half led, half carried her into the house.After a long time he came out again.

沙斯塔点了点头,朝着北边的那门跑去,然后消失了。隐士刚刚一直用左臂支撑着阿拉维斯,这时候他半扶着她进入了房间。好久之后,他再次从里面出来。

"Now, cousins,"he said to the Horses."It is your turn."

“现在,伙计们,”他对马儿们说道,“轮到你们了。”

Without waiting for an answer-and indeed they were too exhausted to speak-he took the bridles and saddles off both of them. Then he rubbed them both down,so well that a groom in a King' s stable could not have done it better.

没有等他们回答——事实上他们已经筋疲力尽到无法说话了——他为他们卸下马鞍和马嚼,用力按摩两匹马儿的全身,按摩得太好,即使是国王的侍从也不能做得更好。

"There, cousins,"he said,.dismiss it all from your minds and be comforted. Here is water and there is grass. You shall have a hot mash when I have milked my other cousins, the goats."

“听着,伙计们,”他说,“请把一切都抛开吧。放宽心,这里有水,那里有青草。等到我给其他的伙计们——山羊们——挤完,你们就有羊喝了。”

"Sir,"said Hwin, finding her voice at last,.will the Tarkheena live ? Has the lion killed her ?"

“先生,”赫温终于缓过气来了,它问道,“泰坎希娜还活着吗?狮子杀了她吗?”

"I who know many present things by my art,"replied the Hermit with a smile,.have yet little knowledge of things future. Therefore I do not know whether any man or woman or beast in the whole world will be alive when the sun sets tonight.But be of good hope.The damsel is likely to live as long as any of her age."

“根据我的魔法,我知道很多正在发生的事情,”隐士微笑道,“但未来的事情就没法预测那么多。因此我不知道任何人或动物在日落时是否还活着。不过还是要心怀希望,这位少女有可能活得比她的同龄人都久。”

When Aravis came to herself she found that she was lying on her face on a low bed of extraordinary softness in a cool, bare room with walls of undressed stone. She couldn' t understand why she had been laid on her face;but when she tried to turn and felt the hot, burning pains all over her back, she remembered, and realized why. She couldn' t understand what delightfully springy stuff the bed was made of, because it was made of heather (which is the best bedding) and heather was a thing she had never seen or heard of.

当阿拉维斯苏醒过来的时候,她发现自己正躺在一张特别柔软的床上,房间里什么陈设也没有,石头墙也是未经雕琢的、粗糙的。她不明白为什么要安排她俯卧;但当她想要翻身的时候,背上感觉到了灼热的,十分疼痛的感觉,她想起来了,意识到了为什么会这样。她不明白这床是用什么舒适又有弹的材料做的,因为这床是用石南荒原草( 最好的垫褥) 做成的,她从来没有见过或听过这种草。

The door opened and the Hermit entered, carrying a large wooden bowl in his hand. After carefully setting this down, he came to the bedside, and asked:

门打开了,然后隐士走了进来,手里拿着一个大木碗。他小心翼翼地将碗放下后,来到床边,问:

"How do you find yourself, my daughter ?" "My back is very sore, father," said Aravis,"but there is nothing else wrong with me."

“你觉得自己怎么样,我的女儿?”“我的后背很痛,父亲,”阿拉维斯说道,“但是没有其他的问题了。”

He knelt beside her, laid his hand on her forehead, and felt her pulse.

他跪在她的旁边,将手放到她的额头上,感受她的体温。“没有发烧,”他说,“你会好的。事实上,明天你就没有任何理由继续躺着了。现在,请把这个喝掉。”

"There is no fever," he said."You will do well. Indeed there is no reason why you should not get up tomorrow. But now,drink this."

He fetched the wooden bowl and held it to her lips. Aravis couldn' t help making a face when she tasted it, for goats' milk is rather a shock when you are not used to it. But she was very thirsty and managed to drink it all and felt better when she had finished.

他拿起木碗送到她的唇边。阿拉维斯喝下去的时候禁不住做了一个鬼脸,因为还没有惯羊味道的时候总是震惊的。但是她很口渴,所以设法将羊全部喝掉了,当她喝完之后,感觉好多了。

"Now, my daughter, you may sleep when you wish," said the Hermit. "For your wounds are washed and dressed and though they smart they are no more serious than if they had been the cuts of a whip. It must have been a very strange lion;for insteadof catching you out of the saddle and getting his teeth into you, he has only drawn his claws across your back.Ten scratches: sore, but not deep or dangerous."

“现在,我的女儿,你可以安安稳稳地睡一会儿。”隐士说道,“因为你的伤口都已经洗过,并且敷了包好了,伤口虽然很痛,但是并不比鞭打产生的伤痕严重。这肯定是一头非常奇怪的狮子,它并没有用牙齿咬到你的肉里,将你从马鞍上拽下来,而是用爪子在你的背上挠了一下。十道抓痕,痛,但是并不深也不会危及生命。”

"I say !" said Aravis."I have had luck. "

“要我说,”阿拉维斯说道,“是我运气好。”

"Daughter," said the Hermit, "I have now lived a hundred and nine winters in this world and have never yet met any such thing as Luck. There is something about all this that I do not understand: but if ever we need to know it, you may be sure that we shall."

“女儿啊,”隐士说道,“我已经在世界上活了一百零九个冬天了,但从来没有碰到过类似于运气的东西。关于这一切,有些东西我没有搞懂,但是我确实需要去弄明白,你不妨确信我们一定会弄明白的。”

"And what about Rabadash and his two hundred horse ?" asked Aravis.

“那么罗八达和他的二百人马怎么样了?”阿拉维斯问道。

"They will not pass this way, I think,"said the Hermit. "They must have found a ford by now well to the east of us. From there they will try to ride straight to Anvard."

“他们不会经过这条路,我认为。”隐士说道,“现在他们一定已经找到了一条离我们东边一点的路,他们将试图笔直地骑行到安瓦德。”

"Poor Shasta !" said Aravis."Has he far to go ? Will he get there first ?"

“可怜的沙斯塔。”阿拉维斯说道,“他要跑很远吗?他能够先到达吗?”

"There is good hope of it,"said the old man. Aravis lay down again (on her side this time) and said, "Have I been asleep for a long time ? It seems to be getting dark."

“很有可能。”老人说道。阿拉维斯再次躺了下来( 这回是侧躺着),她说:“我已经睡了很长时间码?好像天已经黑下来了。”

The Hermit was looking out of the only window, which faced north. "This is not the darkness of night, " he said presently. "The clouds are falling down from Stormness Head. Our foul weather always comes from there in these parts. There will be thick fog tonight."

隐士从唯一的窗子望了出去,窗子朝向北方。“这不是夜晚的黑暗,”他立刻说道,“云朵们从暴风雨峰汹涌而下,我们这里的恶劣天气都是从那一部分来的。今晚将会有很大的雾。”

Next day, except for her sore back, Aravis felt so well that after breakfast (which was porridge and cream) the Hermit said she could get up. And of course she at once went out to speak to the Horses. The weather had changed and the whole of that green enclosure was filled, like a great green cup, with sunlight. It was a very peaceful place, lonely and quiet.

第二天,除了后背疼痛,阿拉维斯感觉很好,所以在用过早餐( 早餐是粥和油) 之后,隐士说她可以起床了。当然,她立刻就去和两匹马儿说话。天气变好了,整个围场好像绿的巨大杯子,里面装满了光。这是个非常和平的地方,孤独而且安静。

Hwin at once trotted across to Aravis and gave her a horse-kiss.

赫温立刻跑了过来,给阿拉维斯一个马儿的亲吻。

"But where' s Bree ?"said Aravis when each had asked after the other' s health and sleep.

“布里呢?”当他们互相问过彼此的健康和睡眠之后,阿拉维斯问道。

"Over there,"said Hwin,pointing with her nose to the far side of the circle..And I wish you' d come and talk to him. There' s something wrong,I can' t get a word out of him."

“在那边。”赫温说,用她的鼻子指着围场的另一边,“而且我希望你能和他说说话。感觉有些事情不对,我没办法从他那里问出来。”

They strolled across and found Bree lying with his face towards the wall, and though he must have heard them coming, he never turned his head or spoke a word.

他们慢慢地走过去,发现布里面对着墙躺着,他一定已经听到

"Good morning, Bree,"said Aravis..How are you this morning ?"

他们过来了,但是根本不转过他的头,也不说话。

Bree muttered something that no one could hear. "The Hermit says that Shasta probably got to King Lune in time,"continued Aravis,.so it looks as if all our troubles are over.Narnia,at last, Bree !"

“早,布里。”阿拉维斯说道,“你今天早上还好吗?”布里喃喃地说了些什么,但是没有人能听懂。

"I shall never see Narnia,"said Bree in a low voice.

“隐士说,沙斯塔可能及时地找到了国王伦恩。”阿拉维斯继续说,“所以看起来我们的困难已经解决了。我们最终要到纳尼亚去了,布里。”

"Aren' t you well, Bree dear ?"said Aravis.

“我将永远不会再看到纳尼亚了。”布里用他低沉的声音说道。

Bree turned round at last, his face mournful as only a horse' s can be.

“你身体不好吗?亲的布里。”阿拉维斯说道。布里最终转过身来,他的脸上写满了哀痛,只有马儿才会这样。

"I shall go back to Calormen,"he said.

“我要回到卡乐门去。”他说。

"What ?"said Aravis..Back to slavery !"

“什么?”阿拉维斯说道,“回去做奴隶吗?”

"Yes,"said Bree..Slavery is all I' m fit for. How can I ever show my face among the free Horses of Narnia ? -I who left a mare and a girl and a boy to be eaten by lions while I galloped all I could to save my own wretched skin !"

“是的,”布里说,“我只合适做奴隶。我有什么脸去见纳尼亚那些自由的马啊?我是丢下了一匹母马,一个女孩和一个男孩,让他们被狮子吃掉,却为了自己活命,使出浑身力气逃跑的马。”

"We all ran as hard as we could,"said Hwin.

“我们所有人都尽我们的力量逃跑啊。”赫温说道。

"Shasta didn' t !"snorted Bree..At least he ran in the right direction: ran back.And that is what shames me most of all. I, who called myself a warhorse and boasted of a hundred fights, to be beaten by a little human boy—a child,a mere foal, who had never held a sword nor had any good nurture or example in his life !"

“沙斯塔没有。”布里喘息着说道,“至少他是按照正确的方向跑的。他跑了回去,这是最让我感觉到羞愧的。我,自称自己是一匹战马,身经百战,但是却被一个小小的人类男孩比了下去。一个孩子,不过是一头驹子,一辈子都没有拿过剑,也没有受到过好的教育,没有见到过任何榜样。”“

"I know," said Aravis."I felt just the same. Shasta was marvellous. I' m just as bad as you, Bree. I' ve been snubbing him and looking down on him ever since you met us and now he turns out to be the best of us all. But I think it would be better to stay and say we' re sorry than to go back to Calormen."

我懂。”阿拉维斯说道,“我有同样地感觉。沙斯塔很了不起。我和你一样糟糕,布里。自从遇到你们,我一直都瞧不起他,怠慢他,现在他转过身来成为我们所有人中最好的。但是我认为,还是应该留下来对他说我们很抱歉,这要比回到卡乐门更好一些。”

"It's all very well for you," said Bree. "You haven't disgraced yourself.But I' ve lost everything."

“这办法对你来说很好。”布里说,“你并没有给自己丢脸。但是我却丢掉了一切。”

"My good Horse,"said the Hermit, who had approached them unnoticed because his bare feet made so little noise on that sweet, dewy grass..My good Horse, you' ve lost nothing but your self-conceit. No, no, cousin. Don't put back your ears and shake your mane at me. If you are really so humbled as you sounded a minute ago, you must learn to listen to sense. You' re not quite the great Horse you had come to think, from living among poor dumb horses. Of course you were braver and cleverer than them. You could hardly help being that.It doesn' t follow that you' ll be anyone very special in Narnia. But as long as you know you' re nobody special, you' ll be a very decent sort of Horse, on the whole, and taking one thing with another. And now, if you and my other four-footed cousin will come round to the kitchen door we' ll see about the other half of that mash."

“我的好马儿,”隐士说道,大家没有察觉到他的到来,是因为他光着脚踩在清香的沾满露水的草地上没有任何声音,“我的好马,你除了失去了自己的自命不凡外没有失去任何东西。不,不,我的老伙计,别对着我把耳朵朝后,也别抖动你的鬃。如果你确实像你一分钟之前说的那样谦虚,你就应该学着去听更理智的声音。你一直都生活在那些安静的可怜的马儿之间,你会自然地认为自己是最了不起的马儿。其实不是这样的。当然,你比它们要更加勇敢,更加聪明。你很难不这样,但这不能说明你在纳尼亚就是什么杰出的马儿。但是只要你现在知道自己没有什么特别的,总的看来,你是一匹很不错的马。而且现在,如果你能和我们另一位四足的老伙计一起绕到厨房门口来,我们就为你准备另外半份饲料了。”

【上一页】 【回目录】 【下一页】

推荐阅读

·纯真年代 ·乡村三日 ·王尔德的诗英文版 ·格列佛游记英文版 ·小妇人英文版 ·少年派的奇幻漂流英文 ·365个英语小故事 ·谁动了我的奶酪英语原文 ·穷爸爸富爸爸 ·羊皮卷英文版
课外书|读后感|话题作文|作文素材|专题作文|单元作文|英语作文|首页