最后一战 The Last Battle 英文  中文  双语对照  双语交替 首页  目录  上一章   下一章

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CHAPTER FOUR WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

4、夜里发生的事

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.

国王给打得晕头晕脑地倒下了，他不知道正在发生什么事，直至卡乐门人缚住他的腕关节，叫他的两臂笔直下垂在身体的两侧，背脊靠在一棵枝树上。然后他们用绳索团团捆住他的踝关节、膝关节、腰部和胸膛，这就把他丢在那儿了。此时此刻，使他忧虑重重的，倒是他的嘴唇在出血，他们打破了他的嘴唇，他没法儿擦掉伤口滴出来的血，痒得难受——时常是小小的事情最难受。

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.

国王绑在校树上仍能望见山顶上的小马厩以及坐在马厩前的无尾猿。他能间歇地勉强听到无尾猿继续说话的声音，以及群众中答话的声音，但他听不清楚说话中的具体字句。

"I wonder what they've done to Jewel," thought the King.

"不晓得他们怎样对待珍宝啊。"国王心中想道。

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.

这群野兽不久就散开了，开始朝着不同的方向走掉了。有的就在蒂莲身边走过。它们瞧瞧他，看到他绑在树上，它们仿佛感到害怕而又抱歉，但它们谁也不说话。不久，它们都走掉了，树林里一片寂静。时间一个钟头又一个钟头地过去，蒂莲起初感到十分口渴，后来又感到十分饥饿；拖延到傍晚时，他感到寒冷了。他的背脊疼痛。太阳落山了，黄昏开始了。'

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.)

天色几乎全黑时，蒂莲听到一种轻微的窸窸窣窣的脚步声，看到有些小动物在朝他走过来。左边三只是老鼠，中间一只是野兔，右边两只是鼹鼠。这些小动物的背上都驮着个小袋子，这就使它们在黑暗中显得奇形怪状，乍一看时，认不出它们是什么动物。一会儿之后，它们都用后腿站起来了，把它们冰凉的脚爪按在国王的膝头上，而且抽抽噎噎地给他的膝头以野兽的接吻。(它们能够够得上国王的膝头，因为纳尼亚的会说人话的这种小兽，比我们英国的同类小兽身材要高大得多。)

"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."

"国王陛下，亲爱的国王陛下，"它们又尖又细的声音说道，"我们真为你感到难过。我们不敢替你松绑，因为说不定阿斯兰会对我们大发雷霆。然而，我们给你送晚饭来了。"

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 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.

第一只老鼠立刻敏捷地爬了上来，它的脚踩在缚住蒂莲胸膛的绳索上，它对着蒂莲的脸，正在翕动它那迟钝的鼻子。然后第二只老鼠爬了上来，挂在第一只老鼠的下面。其余的小兽都站在地上，开始把食物递上来。"喝吧，陛下，喝过以后，你就会发觉自己能吃东西了。"站在最上面的老鼠说道，蒂莲发觉一个小木杯送到了他嘴边。它只有一个蛋杯那么大小，所以，他还没尝到酒的味道，杯子就空了。但老鼠随即把杯子递了下去，其他的老鼠重新斟满酒，重新递了上来，于是蒂蓬第二次把酒喝干了。它们就这样继续递上递下，直至国王喝了个痛快，一小杯一小杯的品味，倒比大碗牛饮好得多，因为它更解渴。

"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 re-filled 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.

"这是干酪，陛下，"第一只老鼠说道，"可是东西不多，恐怕你多吃了会口渴。"干酷之后，它们又喂国王吃燕麦饼和鲜黄油，然后又给他喝些酒。"现在把水递上来，"第一只老鼠说道，"我要给国王洗洗脸。脸上有血迹。"

"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 oat-cakes and fresh butter, and then with some more wine.

接着蒂莲觉得有一小块像海绵似的东西轻轻抹着他的脸，这可是最凉快最舒适的。"小朋友们，"蒂莲说道，"我能怎样谢谢你们的一切照顾啊?""你不需要谢，你不需要谢，"小小的声音说道，"除此之外，我们还能做什么呢?我们不要任何其他的国王。我们是你的子民。如果反对你的只不过是无尾猿和卡乐门人，我们就会起来战斗，直战到被砍成肉酱，才会听任他们把你绑起来的。我们会战斗的，真的会战斗的。然而，我们不能反抗阿斯兰啊。"你们认为真是阿斯兰吗?"国王问道。"啊，是的，是的，"兔子说道。"昨夜阿斯兰从马厩里出来了。我们都看见他的。"

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

"阿斯兰是什么样子的?"国王问。

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

"像一只可怕的大狮子，真的是这样。"一只小老鼠说道。"你们以为确实是阿斯兰杀死林木精灵，使你们大家都成为卡乐门国王的奴隶的吗?""啊，那可糟透了，可不是吗?"第二只老鼠说道，"如果我们在这种局面开始之前就死了，那倒要好些。但其中毫无可疑之处。大家都说这是阿斯兰的命令，我们也已经看见过他。我们并不认为阿斯兰会喜欢这种局面的。咳，我们——我们要阿斯兰回到纳尼亚来。"

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

"阿斯兰这次回来好像十分愤怒，"第一只老鼠说道，"我们大家必定犯了些可怕的错误而自己还不知道。他必定是为了某些错误才惩罚我们的。但是我认为，不妨告诉我们，我们究竟犯的是什么错误啊!"

"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 let them tie you up. We would, we would indeed. But we can't go against Aslan."

"我猜想我们现在正在干的事情，也许是错误的。"兔子说道。"如果错了，我也不在乎，"一只眼鼠说，"我还要再干的。"但其他小兽说道"别做声。""小心啊。"于是它们大家都说道，"我们很抱歉，亲爱的国王，现在我们必须回去了。我们在这儿给逮住了可就不好办了。"

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

"亲爱的小兽，立刻离开我吧，"蒂莲说道，"为了纳尼亚全国的利益，我不愿连累你们任何一位陷入危险境地。"

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

"晚安，晚安。"小兽们一边说，一边在国王的膝头上擦着鼻子，"我们会回来的——如果我们办得到的话。"于是大家窸窸窣窣地走掉了，同它们来到之前相比较，树林似乎更加黑暗、更加寒冷、更加寂寞了。8

"What was he like?" said the King.

繁星出来了，时间慢吞吞地过去——试想那时间过得多么缓慢——在这过程中，纳尼亚王国最后一位国王给绑在树上，站得四肢僵硬，筋骨酸痛。但，最后，有件事情发生啦。

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

远处出现一片红光。接着，红光消失了一会儿又亮起来了，面积更大，光芒更强烈。他看得见在火光的这一边有黑黑的人影来回走动，背着一捆捆的东西，把它们一一丢在地上。现在他明白他正在瞧着的是什么东西了。原来是个刚点燃起来的篝火，人们正在把一捆捆木柴丢进去。不久，篝火熊熊地燃烧起来了，蒂莲看得出篝火就在那个山顶上。他能够十分清楚地看到篝火后的马厩，在通红的火光里它全都照亮了；在篝火与他本人之间，有一大群野兽和人；篝火旁边，隆起一个小小形体，必定是无尾猿了。它在同群众说话，但他听不见。然后它走到马厩门前，三次鞠躬到地。接着它站起身来，打开马厩的门。于是一头四条腿的动物——一头走路十分不灵活的动物——从马厩里走出来了，站着面向群众。

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

腾起了一大片哀鸣和号啕的声音，十分响亮，蒂莲听得出其中几个字。"阿斯兰!阿斯兰!阿斯兰!"众野兽大声喊道，"对我们讲话吧。安慰我们吧！别再跟我们生气吧。"

"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."

从蒂莲所站的地方望过去，他没法十分清楚地看出来它是什么东西，但他看得出它是黄黄的、浑身都是毛。他从来没有见过伟大的狮王。他也从来没见过一头普通的狮子。他没有把握肯定他所看到的不是阿斯兰。他不曾料到阿斯兰竟看上去像那条站着不说话的、呆板僵化的畜生。然而，怎样才能有把握呢?片刻之间，恐怖的思想兜上他的心头：接着他记起了关于塔什和阿斯兰是同一个神祇的信口雌黄，觉得这整个儿事情必定是个骗局。

"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!"

无尾猿把他的头挨近黄色畜生的脑袋，仿佛它在静听某些讲给它听的悄悄话。然后它转而向群众讲话，群众重又哀号了。接着，黄色畜生笨拙地转过身体，然后迈步走回去——几乎可以说是蹒跚而行——走进了马厩，无尾猿便在它背后把门关上。这之后，篝火必定是被扑灭了，因为光芒突然消失；而蒂莲又重新独自面对着寒冷和黑暗。

"I suppose what we're doing now may be wrong," said the Rabbit.

他想起古时候在纳尼亚生活和逝世的其他国王们，在他看来，似乎没有一个国王曾经像他那样倒霉的。他想起他那曾祖父的曾祖父）国王瑞廉——当他不过是个年轻王子时，便被一个女巫盗走，藏在北方巨人的土地下的黑洞里好多年。但结果却逢凶化吉，两个来自世界尽头之外的孩子突然出现了，他们救了他，他就回到纳尼亚的家里，进行着长期的繁荣昌盛的统治。"跟我的情况可大不相同。"蒂莲跟他自己说道。然后他追溯到瑞廉的父亲——航海者凯斯宾，他那邪恶的叔父弥若兹曾设法谋害他，凯斯宾便逃进森林里，生活在小矮人们中间。但这故事也有个否极泰来的好结局；因为凯斯宾也得到了儿童们的帮助——只不过当时有四个儿童——他们来自外部世界，打了一个大仗，扶他登上了他父亲的王位。"但这都是很久很久以前的事了，"蒂莲跟他自己说道，"如今这种事情是不会发生的了。"接着他又想起(因为他是个孩子时就对历史很熟悉了)帮助过凯斯宾的四个孩子，一千多年以前曾在纳尼亚待过，就是在那个时候，他们打败了白女巫，结束了几百年的冬天，此后他们就在凯尔帕拉维尔统治(四个人一起统治)多年，终于他们不复是儿童，而是至尊王和美丽可爱的女王，而他们统治的岁月便成了纳尼亚的黄金时代。在那个故事里，向斯兰曾多次出现过。就蒂莲现在记得的，阿斯兰在一切其他的故事里也出现过。"阿斯兰——以及来自另一个世界的孩子们，"蒂莲心中想道，"在事情最糟糕最险恶的时候，他们总是出现的。啊，如果他们现在能出现，那有多好啊。"

"I don't care if it is," said one of the Moles. "I'd do it again."

于是他大声呼唤道"阿斯兰!阿斯兰!阿斯兰!现在就来帮助我们呀!"

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."

然而，黑暗、寒冷和寂静依旧是老样子，毫无变化。"让我被杀死吧，"国王喊道，"我丝毫不为我自己恳求什么。可我求你光临，拯救整个纳尼亚。"不论在黑夜里或是树林里，依旧丝毫没有变化，但在蒂莲的内心里开始发生了一种变化，自己也不知道为什么，他开始感到一种隐隐约约的希望。他反正感到自己比较强有力了。"啊，阿斯兰，阿斯兰，"他低声说道，"如果你不愿亲自驾临，至少从其他世界给我派些助手来吧。啊，让我呼唤他们。让我的声音传到外部世界去。"接着，自己也不明白自己正在干什么，他突然大声叫喊起来:

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

"孩子们！孩子们！纳尼亚的朋友们！快，到我这儿来吧。我在天涯海角呼唤你们，我是蒂莲，纳尼亚的国王，凯尔帕拉维尔的君主，人迹罕至的群岛的帝王！"

"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.

于是他立刻进入了一个梦境(如果这是个梦)，比他生平做过的任何一个梦都要鲜明生动。

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.

他仿佛正站在一个灯火辉煌的房间里，有七个人围着一张桌子坐在那儿。看上去他们刚吃完饭。有两个人年纪很大，一个是自须老汉，二个是老妇人，生着聪明而欢乐的闪闪烁烁的眼睛。坐在老汉右边的人还没有成年，肯定比蒂莲本人还年轻，但他的脸上已经具有国王和战士的神情。对于坐在老妇人右边那个少年，几乎也可以说同样的话。桌子对面，脸朝蒂莲，坐着一位金发姑娘，比上述两位还要年轻，而坐在她两边的一男一女，那就更年轻了。他们都穿着蒂莲觉得是最最古怪的衣裳。但他没有时间去考虑这些细节，因为最年轻的男孩和两个小姑娘立刻从座位上跳起身来，有一位还发出了一声轻微的叫喊。老妇人吃了一惊，猛吸了一口气。老汉必定也做出了一个突然动作，因为放在他右手边的酒杯，给碰下桌子去了，蒂莲听得见酒杯啪啦跌碎在地板上时的声音。于是蒂莲认识到这些人能看见他，他们正瞪眼瞧着他，仿佛他们看见了一个鬼魂似的。但他也看在眼里：坐在老汉身旁的那位国王模样的人，可从未动弹过(尽管他的脸色变白了)，只不过把他的手捏得紧紧的而已。接着他就说道：

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 be 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.

"说出来吧，如果你不是个幻影或梦。你具有纳尼亚人的神态，而我们是纳尼亚王国的七个朋友。"

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

蒂莲很想说话，他力图大声喊叫，他是纳尼亚王国的蒂莲，迫切需要帮助。但他发觉(就像我们在梦里也常发觉的那样)他的嗓门里发不出声音来。已经对他说话的那个人站起身来了。"影子也好，鬼魂也好，不论你究竟是什么人，"他一边说一边盯住蒂莲直瞧，"如果你来自纳尼亚，我以阿斯兰的名义命令你，把话对我说出来吧。我就是大国王彼得。"

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

这房间开始在蒂莲的眼前摇摇晃晃。他听到这七个人立刻一齐说话的声音，而且声音都在一秒钟又一秒钟地减弱下去，他们说的是类似这样的话"瞧，它在褪色了。"

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.

"它在溶化了。""它在消失了。"一会儿后他便完全从梦中醒过来了，仍旧绑在树上，比以前更加寒冷、僵硬。树林里充满了日出之前苍白而阴沉的光芒，他浑身被露水湿透，早晨快要来临了。

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.

这一梦醒之际，乃是他生平所经历过的最最难堪的时刻。

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 great-grandfather 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 thing 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 king-like 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.

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