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》 14 布里变聪明

发布时间:2021-06-26 11:27:10

【上一页】 【回目录】 【下一页】

CHAPTER FOURTEEN HOW BREE BECAME A WISER HORSE

十四布里变聪明

WE must now return to Aravis and the Horses. The Hermit, watching his pool, was able to tell them that Shasta was not killed or even seriously wounded, for he saw him get up and saw how affectionately he was greeted by King Lune. But as he could only see, not hear, he did not know what anyone was saying and, once the fighting had stopped and the talking had begun, it was not worthwhile looking in the pool any longer.

现在我们要转过头,看看阿拉维斯和马儿们了。隐士盯着池水,告诉马儿沙斯塔并没有死,甚至重伤也没有,因为他看见沙斯塔站起来,受到伦恩国王的慈接待。但他只能看见不能听见,他就不知道他们在谈些什么,而且,战争已经结束,看池水中他们谈话也没什么意义。

Next morning, while the Hermit was indoors, the three of them discussed what they should do next.

第二天早上,隐士还没出门,他们三个就讨论下一步的计划。

"I've had enough of this," said Hwin. "The Hermit has been very good to us and I m very much obliged to him I m sure. But I m getting as fat as a pet pony,eating all day and getting no exercise.Let s go on to Narnia."

“我已经过够了这种生活,”赫温说,“隐士待我们不薄,我十分感激他。但我们除了吃睡,一点运动都没,现在胖得像供观赏的小马了。我们继续向纳尼亚进发吧。”

"Oh not today,Ma'am," said Bree."I wouldn't hurry things.Some other day,don t you think ?"

“今天可不行,女士,”布里说,“我不喜欢匆匆忙忙,再过几天如何?”

"We must see Shasta first and say good-bye to him-and-and apologize,"said Aravis.

“我要先见到沙斯塔,跟他道别……而且……向他道歉。”阿拉维斯说。

"Exactly !" said Bree with great enthusiasm. "Just what I was going to say."

“确实如此!”布里急切地说,“这正是我想说的。”

"Oh, of course," said Hwin. "I expect he is in Anvard. Naturally we d look in on him and say good-bye. But that s on our way. And why shouldn t we start at once ? After all, I thought it was Narnia we all wanted to get to ?"

“哦,当然,”赫温说,“我想他就在安瓦德,我们可一定要去看看他,向他道别。正好顺路。所以为什么不立刻动身?总之,我们的目标就是纳尼亚。”

"I suppose so," said Aravis. She was beginning to wonder what exactly she would do when she got there and was feeling a little lonely.

“我看也是这样。”阿拉维斯说。她开始考虑到了纳尼亚具体要干什么,同时感到有点孤苦伶仃。

"Of course, of course," said Bree hastily. "But there's no need to rush things, if you know what I mean."

“当然,当然,”布里急忙说,“然而无需匆忙,如果你了解我心意。”

"No, I don't know what you mean," said Hwin. "Why don t you want to go ?"

“不,我不了解,”赫温说,“为什么你不想走呢?”

"M-m-m, broo-hoo," muttered Bree. "Well, don't you see, Ma am-it s an important occasion-returning to one s country-entering society-the best society-it is so essential to make a good impression-not perhaps looking quite ourselves, yet,eh ?"

“呼……呼……呼,布鲁……呼,”布里含糊不清,“好吧,你不明白吗,女士……恰逢良机……回到祖国……融入社交界……最高层的社交界……好的印象非常重要……但我们看上去还没恢复本来面目,是吧?”

Hwin broke out into a horse-laugh. "It's your tail, Bree ! I see it all now. You want to wait till your tail s grown again ! And we don t even know if tails are worn long in Narnia. Really, Bree, you re as vain as that Tarkheena in Tashbaan !"

赫温发出一阵嘲笑。“布里,你在担心你的尾巴!我完全明白了。你想等你的尾巴重新长出来!但是我们连纳尼亚的马是否留长尾巴都不清楚。布里啊,你的虚荣心的确很强,和塔什班城的那位泰坎希娜一模一样。”

"You are silly, Bree," said Aravis.

“你真蠢,布里。”阿拉维斯说。

"By the Lion's Mane, Tarkheena, I'm nothing of the sort," said Bree indignantly. "I have a proper respect for myself and for my fellow horses, that s all."

“天哪,我和泰坎希娜那种人物截然不同,”布里愤愤地说,“我对我自己,包括我的马儿伙伴,都抱有足够的尊重,仅此而已。”

"Bree," said Aravis, who was not very interested in the cut of his tail, "I've been wanting to ask you something for a long time. Why do you keep on swearing By the Lion and By the Lion s Mane ? I thought you hated lions."

“布里,”阿拉维斯说,她对布里的短尾巴兴趣不大,“我很久以来一直好奇一件事情。为什么你总是‘凭狮子’、‘凭狮子的鬃’起誓?难道你憎恨狮子?”

"So I do," answered Bree. "But when I speak of the Lion of course I mean Aslan, the great deliverer of Narnia who drove away the Witch and the Winter.All Narnians swear by him."

“当然不是,”布里答道,“我说的狮子是指阿斯兰,纳尼亚的救世主,它驱赶了萧条和女巫。所有纳尼亚人都以阿斯兰起誓。”

"But is he a lion ?"

“但它是狮子吗?”

"No,no,of course not," said Bree in a rather shocked voice.

“不,不,当然不是。”布里诚惶诚恐地说。

"All the stories about him in Tashbaan say he is," replied Aravis. "And if he isn't a lion why do you call him a lion ?"

“在塔什班流传的故事,都说它是狮子。”阿拉维斯说,“如果不是的话,你干嘛称它为狮子呢?”

"Well, you'd hardly understand that at your age," said Bree. "And I was only a little foal when I left so I don't quite fully understand it myself."

“你太年轻,无法理解,”布里说,“我离开纳尼亚时,只不过是还未满周岁的小马,所以我也不大清楚。”

(Bree was standing with his back to the green wall while he said this, and the other two were facing him. He was talking in rather a superior tone with his eyes half shut;that was why he didn t see the changed expression in the faces of Hwin and Aravis. They had good reason to have open mouths and staring eyes;because while Bree spoke they saw an enormous lion leap up from outside and balance itself on the top of the green wall;only it was a brighter yellow and it was bigger and more beautiful and more alarming than any lion they had ever seen. And at once it jumped down inside the wall and began approaching Bree from behind. It made no noise at all. And Hwin and Aravis couldn t make any noise themselves, no more than if they were frozen.)

布里说这话的时候,背靠绿墙垣,赫温和阿拉维斯面对布里。布里眼睛半闭,语气傲慢,所以他没看到赫温和阿拉维斯的表情变化。她们瞠目结舌是有原因的,因为布里在说话时,一只巨大的狮子从墙外稳稳的跃到墙头上:和她们从前见过的狮子比,这头更加有光泽,肢体强壮、美丽,也更让人害怕。它往墙下纵身一跳,从背后靠近布里,没什么声音。赫温和阿拉维斯吓得都噤声了,像冻僵了似的。

"No doubt," continued Bree,"when they speak of him as a Lion they only mean he s as strong as a lion or (to our enemies, of course) as fierce as a lion.Or something of that kind.Even a little girl like you, Aravis, must see that it would be quite absurd to suppose he is a real lion.Indeed it would be disrespectful. If he was a lion he d have to be a Beast just like the rest of us. Why !" (and here Bree began to laugh) "If he was a lion he'd have four paws,and a tail,and Whiskers!-Aie,ooh, hoo-hoo !Help !"

“毫无疑问,”布里继续说,“当讲起它时,说是狮子,只是指它和狮子一样强壮,或者和狮子一样凶猛( 当然是对敌人而言);或者诸如此类的意思。哪怕是像阿拉维斯一样的小姑,也必须留神,你要是认为它真的是一头狮子,那就荒谬了,这样是很失敬的。如果它真的是狮子,那就和我们马儿一样是兽类了。呃!”( 说到这儿,布里开始哈哈大笑)“如果它是狮子,那它就生着四个爪子,一条尾巴,还有胡子!……啊艾伊,呜,呵——呵!救命!”

For just as he said the word Whiskers one of Aslan s had actually tickled his ear. Bree shot away like an arrow to the other side of the enclosure and there turned;the wall was too high for him to jump and he could fly no farther. Aravis and Hwin both started back.There was about a second of intense silence.

当他恰巧说出“胡子”两字时,阿斯兰的一根胡子触到他的耳朵,痒痒的。布里像支箭一样窜到墙的那边,然后转过身来:墙太高,他没法跳过去,无路可逃了。阿拉维斯和赫温都吓得缩到后面。大约一秒钟的时间,气氛紧张,寂静无声。

Then Hwin, though shaking all over, gave a strange little neigh,and trotted across to the Lion.

接着,浑身发抖的赫温,却发出一声奇怪的、低低的嘶鸣,小步向狮子走去。

"Please,"she said,"you're so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else."

“对不起,”赫温说,“你那么健壮,可以随欲把我吃掉。比起喂其他人,我更愿意早点被你吃掉。”

"Dearest daughter," said Aslan, planting a lion's kiss on her twitching, velvet nose,"I knew you would not be long in coming to me.Joy shall be yours."Then he lifted his head and spoke in a louder voice.

“我最亲的子女啊,”阿斯兰说,吻了一下她那天鹅绒般翕动的鼻子,“我知道你不久就会来到我身边。欢乐必将归你所有。”

"Now, Bree," he said,"you poor, proud frightened Horse,draw near.Nearer still, my son.Do not dare not to dare. Touch me. Smell me. Here are my paws, here is my tail, these are my whiskers.I am a true Beast."

“布里啊,”他说,“你这可怜巴巴、骄傲自大、战战兢兢的马,向我靠拢吧,我的子女,再靠拢点儿。别害怕。我,闻闻我吧,这是我的爪子,这是尾巴,这是胡子。我是一头真正的野兽。”

"Aslan," said Bree in a shaken voice,"I'm afraid I must be rather a fool."

“阿斯兰,”布里声音发颤,“我真是个傻瓜。”

"Happy the Horse who knows that while he is still young. Or the Human either. Draw near, Aravis my daughter. See ! My paws are velveted.You will not be torn this time."

“亡羊补牢,为时未晚。人类也是一样。靠近点,我亲的女儿阿拉维斯。看!我的爪子像天鹅绒一般,这次不会再抓伤你了。”

"This time,sir ?" said Aravis.

“这次,先生?”阿拉维斯说。

"It was I who wounded you," said Aslan. "I am the only lion you met in all your journeyings. Do you know why I tore you ?"

“上一次就是我抓伤你的,”阿斯兰说,“在你的整个旅途中,只碰到我一头狮子。你知道我为什么抓伤你吗?”

No, sir.

“不知道,先生。”

"The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother s slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her.You needed to know what it felt like."

“你背上的伤痕,以牙还牙,以眼还眼,和你继母的女奴背上的鞭痕是对应的,因为你给她吃了安眠,害她挨打。”

"Yes,sir.Please—"

“是的,先生。对不起……”

"Ask on, my dear," said Aslan.

“亲的,还有问题吗。”阿斯兰说。

"Will any more harm come to her by what I did ?"

“我给她吃安眠,还带来了什么其他伤害吗?”

"Child," said the Lion, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."Then he shook his head and spoke in a lighter voice.

“孩子,”狮子说,“我在讲述你的故事,不是女奴的。我只对一个人讲述他自己的故事。”然后他摇摇头,语调轻快。

"Be merry,little ones," he said. "We shall meet soon again.But before that you will have another visitor."Then in one bound he reached the top of the wall and vanished from their sight. Strange to say,they felt no inclination to talk to one another about him after he had gone. They all moved slowly away to different parts of the quiet grass and there paced to and fro, each alone, thinking.

“高兴起来,小家伙们,”他说,“后会有期。不过很快会有另一个客人来访。”于是他窜上墙头,很快消失了。说起来也奇怪,阿斯兰走了之后,他们都无意去谈论他。他们慢慢地散开,到宁静的草地的不同角落去了,各自在那儿踌躇沉思。

About half an hour later the two Horses were summoned to the back of the house to eat something nice that the Hermit had got ready for them and Aravis,still walking and thinking, was startled by the harsh sound of a trumpet outside the gate. "Who is there ?" asked Aravis.

半个小时后,两匹马被叫到屋子后头,享用隐士准备的好东西去了,而阿拉维斯仍在踱步、思索,一阵喇叭声从门外传来,吓了她一跳。“谁啊?”阿拉维斯问。

"His Royal Highness Prince Cor of Archenland," said a voice from outside.

“阿钦兰王子科奥殿下。”门外传来一个声音。

Aravis undid the door and opened it, drawing back a little way to let the strangers in.

阿拉维斯拔掉门闩,打开大门,向后退了一点,以便让陌生人进来。

Two soldiers with halberds came first and took their stand at each side of the entry.Then followed a herald, and the trumpeter.

两个士兵持戟先进门,在门口两侧守备,传令官和号手跟在后面。

"His Royal Highness Prince Cor of Archenland desires an audience of the Lady Aravis,"said the Herald. Then he and the trumpeter drew aside and bowed and the soldiers saluted and the Prince himself came in. All his attendants withdrew and closed the gate behind them.

“阿钦兰王子科奥殿下要接见阿拉维斯女士。”传令官说。然后和号手退到旁边,士兵敬礼,王子殿下进来了。随从都退了出去,大门被随手关上。

The Prince bowed, and a very clumsy bow for a Prince it was. Aravis curtsied in the Calormene style (which is not at all like ours) and did it very well because, of course, she had been taught how. Then she looked up and saw what sort of person this Prince was.

王子鞠了一躬,但是稍显笨拙。阿拉维斯用卡乐门的行礼方式( 和我们的屈膝礼压根不一样),当然,她行礼像模像样的,因为父母曾经教过她。

She saw a mere boy. He was bare-headed and his fair hair was encircled with a very thin band of gold,hardly thicker than a wire. His upper tunic was of white cambric, as fine as a handkerchief, so that the bright red tunic beneath it showed through. His left hand, which rested on his enamelled sword hilt, was bandaged.

然后她抬起头,看看这个王子到底是什么人物。她觉得他只不过是个小孩子。没戴帽子,漂亮的金发上围着一条薄薄的金带子,比铁丝还要薄。白麻布做的紧身短衣,像手绢一样致整洁,明显的映出了里面鲜亮的红衣。裹着绷带的左手按在宝剑的珐琅上。

Aravis looked twice at his face before she gasped and said, "Why ! It's Shasta !"

阿拉维斯再次打量他的脸,长吁一口气,说:“呀!你是沙斯塔!”

Shasta all at once turned very red and began speaking very quickly."Look here, Aravis,"he said,"I do hope you won t think I m got up like this (and the trumpeter and all) to try to impress you or make out that I m different or any rot of that sort. Because I d far rather have come in my old clothes, but they re burnt now, and my father said—" "Your father ?" said Aravis.

沙斯塔立刻红了脸,说话速度也快了:“听我说,阿拉维斯,我希望你不要认为我这副打扮( 还有号手等排场) 是为了让你印象深刻,或者显得我与众不同,或诸如此类的摆阔炫耀。因为我宁愿身着旧装来见你,但它们已经被烧掉了,我的父亲也说……”“你的父亲?”阿拉维斯说。

"Apparently King Lune is my father," said Shasta. "I might really have guessed it.Corin being so like me.We were twins, you see.Oh,and my name isn t Shasta,it s Cor."

“很显然,我的父亲就是伦恩国王,”沙斯塔说,“我早就该猜到。科林和我那么像。你看,我们是孪生兄弟。哦,我不叫沙斯塔,我叫科奥。”

"Cor is a nicer name than Shasta," said Aravis.

“科奥这名字比沙斯塔好。”阿拉维斯说。

"Brothers' names run like that in Archenland," said Shasta (or Prince Cor as we must now call him). "Like Dar and Darrin, Cole and Colin and so on."

“在阿钦兰,兄弟的名字都这么起,”沙斯塔( 或许我们现在应该叫他科奥王子了) 说,“例如达尔和达兰,柯尔和科林,诸如此类。”

"Shasta-I mean Cor," said Aravis. "No,shut up. There s something I ve got to say at once.I m sorry I ve been such a pig.But I did change before I knew you were a Prince, honestly I did: when you went back, and faced the Lion."

“沙斯塔——我是说科奥,”阿拉维斯说。“不,闭嘴。我有些话必须说。我很抱歉,从前我像猪一样蠢。但在得知你是王子之前我就改变了,老实说:就在你折回来,对抗狮子的时候。”

"It wasn't really going to kill you at all,that Lion," said Cor.

“那狮子,并不是有意要杀你。”科奥说。

"I know," said Aravis, nodding.Both were still and solemn for a moment as each saw that the other knew about Asian.

“我知道,”阿拉维斯点头说道。当看出彼此对阿斯兰都有所了解的时候,好一会儿,他们都沉默无语。

Suddenly Aravis remembered Cor's bandaged hand. "I say !" she cried,"I forgot!You've been in a battle. Is that a wound ?"

阿拉维斯突然想起科奥绑着绷带的手。“啊呀!”她喊道,“我竟然忘了!这是你参加战争受的伤吗?”

"A mere scratch," said Cor,using for the first time a rather lordly tone.But a moment later he burst out laughing and said,

“擦破了点皮而已。”科奥说,第一次像王公大臣那样的语气。但很快,他就哈哈大笑,

"If you want to know the truth, it isn't a proper wound at all. I only took the skin off my knuckles just as any clumsy fool might do without going near a battle."

说:“如果你知道真相,这压根就不是伤。只不过是手指头擦破了点皮,任何一个不了解战场的傻瓜,都会受这样的伤。”

"Still you were in the battle," said Aravis."It must have been wonderful."

“但是你毕竟参加了战争,”阿拉维斯说,“这肯定是了不起的事。”

"It wasn't at all like what I thought," said Cor.

“压根不像我原先想的那样。”科奥说。

"But Sha-Cor,I mean-you haven't told me anything yet about King Lune and how he found out who you were. "

“但沙——我是说科奥——关于伦恩国王,以及他怎么知道你身份的事,还没有告诉我呢。”

"Well, let's sit down," said Cor. "For it's rather a long story. And by the way, Father's an absolute brick. I'd be just as pleased-or very nearly-at finding he' s my father even if he wasn't a king. Even though Education and all sorts of horrible things are going to happen to me. But you want the story. Well, Corin and I were twins. And about a week after we were both born, apparently, they took us to a wise old Centaur in Narnia to be blessed or something. Now this Centaur was a prophet as a good many Centaurs are. Perhaps you haven't seen any Centaurs yet ? There were some in the battle yesterday. Most remarkable people,but I can't say I feel quite at home with them yet. I say, Aravis, there are going to be a lot of things to get used to in these Northern countries."

“好吧,要促膝长谈了,”科奥说,“说来话长。顺便一提,父亲是个绝对好心的人。当发现他是我父亲时,即使他不是国王,我也会喜不自禁的;尽管我马上就要接受教育和其他可怕的事情了。但你想听故事……好,科林和我是双胞胎。大概在我们出生后的一个星期,他们把我们带到纳尼亚一个年长的、智慧的人头马那里,接受祝福什么的。现在这个人头马和许多其他人头马一样,成为了先知。或许你从没见过人头马吧。昨天的战争中还有几匹,确实很杰出:但我还不能说和它们相处融洽。我说,阿拉维斯,在这些北方国家中,有很多需要我们惯的事情。”

"Yes, there are," said Aravis."But get on with the story."

“是,有很多,”阿拉维斯说,“但是继续讲故事啊!”

"Well, as soon as he saw Corin and me, it seems this Centaur looked at me and said, A day will come when that boy will save Archenland from the deadliest danger in which ever she lay. So of course my Father and Mother were very pleased. But there was someone present who wasn' t. This was a chap called the Lord Bar who had been Father' s Lord Chancellor. And apparently he'd done something wrong—bezzling or some word like that—I didn't understand that part very well—and Father had had to dismiss him. But nothing else was done to him and he was allowed to go on living in Archenland. But he must have been as bad as he could be, for it came out afterwards he had been in the pay of the Tisroc and had sent a lot of secret information to Tashbaan. So as soon as he heard I was going to save Archenland from a great danger he decided I must be put out of the way. Well, he succeeded in kidnapping me (I don't exactly know how) and rode away down the Winding Arrow to the coast. He'd had everything prepared and there was a ship manned with his own followers lying ready for him and he put out to sea with me on board. But Father got wind of it, though not quite in time, and was after him as quickly as he could. The Lord Bar was already at sea when Father reached the coast, but not out of sight. And Father was embarked in one of his own warships within twenty minutes.

“好吧,一看见我和科林,人头马就好像看着我说道:‘有朝一日,这个孩子将拯救阿钦兰于水火之中’。我父母理所当然的很高兴。但是,在场的人中,有个叫巴尔勋爵的人并不高兴。他曾经是我父亲手下的大法官。显然他犯了一些错误——贪污渎职或者诸如此类的,这些事情我不清楚,然后父亲只得解除他的职务,但并没有多作惩罚,仍然被允许生活在阿钦兰。但他肯定是个贼,因为后来查明,他曾经被太洛帝收买,把很多秘密情报送到了塔什班城。一听见我将成为阿钦兰的救世主时,就下定决心除掉我。接着,他成功地绑架了我( 我也不知道究竟怎么绑架的),策马沿着旋箭河跑到海滩。他计划完美,早有一条他的随从驾驶的船在那儿等他,他驾着船,带我从海上逃离。但父亲还是听到风声,虽然不太及时,但仍然奋力追赶。父亲到达海滩时,巴尔勋爵已经出海,但是没走远。二十分钟后,父亲就跳上了一艘巴尔勋爵的战舰。”

"It must have been a wonderful chase.They were six days following Bar s galleon and brought her to battle on the seventh. It was a great sea-fight (I heard a lot about it yesterday evening) from ten o clock in the morning till sunset. Our people took the ship in the end. But I wasn t there. The Lord Bar himself had been killed in the battle. But one of his men said that, early that morning, as soon as he saw he was certain to be overhauled, Bar had given me to one of his knights and sent us both away in the ship s boat. And that boat was never seen again. But of course that was the same boat that Aslan (he seems to be at the back of all the stories) pushed ashore at the right place for Arsheesh to pick me up. I wish I knew that knight s name, for he must have kept me alive and starved himself to do it."

“这注定是一场大追捕。他们追赶巴尔的大帆船六天六夜,第七天,巴尔不得不交战。这是一场伟大的海战( 昨晚我还听别人说了不少),从早上十点打到日沉西山。我们的士兵终于占领了那条大帆船。但我不在船上。巴尔勋爵已经战死。但他的一个手下说,那天早上,他发觉自己必被赶上,便把我交给了一个武士,用一艘小船把我们送走了。那条小船永远地消失了。但是,当然了,阿斯兰( 看来阿斯兰在每件事后都做好了安排) 把小船推到海滩上合适的地方,以便阿什伊什能够捡到我。我真希望知道那位武士的名字,因为他忍饥挨饿,才让我活了下来。”

"I suppose Aslan would say that was part of someone else's story,"said Aravis.

“我想,阿斯兰肯定会说,这部分是别人的故事了。”阿拉维斯说。

"I was forgetting that," said Cor.

“我倒忘了这一点。”科奥说。

"And I wonder how the prophecy will work out," said Aravis, "and what the great danger is that you're to save Archenland from."

“我很想知道,预言如何成为现实,”阿拉维斯说,“究竟你要把阿钦兰从什么大危险中拯救出来。”

"Well," said Cor rather awkwardly, "they seem to think I've done it already."

“好吧,”科奥有点尴尬,“他们好像认为我已经拯救了阿钦兰了。”

Aravis clapped her hands. "Why, of course !"she said. "How stupid I am. And how wonderful ! Archenland can never be in much greater danger than it was when Rabadash had crossed the Arrow with his two hundred horse and you hadn t yet got through with your message.Don t you feel proud ?"

阿拉维斯鼓掌。“哦,当然!”她说,“我太笨了。你太了不起了。罗八达带着两百人马过了旋箭河的时候,如果你还没有把消息送到,那时候阿钦兰危险到了极点。你难道不自豪吗?”

"I think I feel a bit scared," said Cor.

“我觉得有点害怕。”科奥说。

"And you'll be living at Anvard now," said Aravis rather wistfully.

“现在你要在安瓦德生活下去了。”阿拉维斯若有所思地说。

"Oh !" said Cor, "I'd nearly forgotten what I came about. Father wants you to come and live with us. He says there s been no lady in the court (they call it the court, I don t know why) since Mother died. Do, Aravis. You ll like Father—and Corin. They re not like me;they ve been properly brought up. You needn t be afraid that—"

“啊!”科奥说,“我差点忘了来这儿干什么。父亲想要你来和我们一起住。他说宫廷里( 他们都叫它宫廷,我也不知道为何) 自从母亲去世后,一直没有女士。来吧,阿拉维斯。你会喜欢父亲和科林的。他们不像我:他们富有教养。你不必害怕……”

"Oh stop it," said Aravis, "or we'll have a real fight. Of course I ll come."

“哦,别说了,”阿拉维斯说,“不然我们真的要打架。我肯定会去的。”

"Now let's go and see the Horses," said Cor. There was a great and joyous meeting between Bree and Cor, and Bree,who was still in a rather subdued frame of mind, agreed to set out for Anvard at once: he and Hwin would cross into Narnia on the following day.All four bade an affectionate farewell to the Hermit and promised that they would soon visit him again.By about the middle of the morning they were on their way. The Horses had expected that Aravis and Cor would ride, but Cor explained that except in war,where everyone must do what he can do best,no one in Narnia or Archenland ever dreamed of mounting a Talking Horse.

“让我们去看看其他马儿。”科奥说。布里和科奥的相见是愉快欢乐的,虽然布里情绪低落,但仍然同意立刻向安瓦德进发:翌日,她和赫温将经由安瓦德进入纳尼亚境。三匹马和一个人向隐士道别,许诺不久就会来看他。大概早上十点的时候,他们上路了。马儿们以为阿拉维斯和科奥会骑马走,但科奥解释道,除非在人人参与的战争中,纳尼亚和阿钦兰是不会有人想骑会说话的马的。

This reminded poor Bree again of how little he knew about Narnian customs and what dreadful mistakes he might make. So while Hwin strolled along in a happy dream,Bree got more nervous and more self-conscious with every step he took.

这件事再次提醒了布里:他对纳尼亚风俗惯一无所知,很可能犯大错。所以,赫温愉快的一路走过去,布里的步伐却变得忐忑不安、扭扭捏了。

"Buck up, Bree," said Cor. "It's far worse for me than for you. You aren t going to be educated. I shall be learning reading and writing and heraldry and dancing and history and music while you ll be galloping and rolling on the hills of Narnia to your heart s content."

“振作点,布里,”科奥说,“我的处境远比你糟。你不用上学,我不得不马上就要学读书写字、纹章学、跳舞、历史和音乐等等课程,而你可以在纳尼亚小山上尽情驰骋、打滚,心满意足地玩耍。”

"But that's just the point," groaned Bree."Do Talking Horses roll ? Supposing they don t ? I can t bear to give it up. What do you think, Hwin ?"

“但这正正是个问题,”布里嘟囔道,“说话的马还打滚?如果不打滚呢?要我放弃打滚,那可受不了。你觉得呢,赫温?”

"I'm going to roll anyway," said Hwin."I don't suppose any of them will care two lumps of sugar whether you roll or not."

“我无论如何都要打滚,”赫温说,“你是否打滚,我看没人会介意。”

"Are we near that castle ?" said Bree to Cor.

“快到城堡了吗?”布里问科奥。

"Round the next bend," said the Prince.

“再拐个弯就是了。”王子说。

"Well," said Bree,"I'm going to have a good one now: it may be the last.Wait for me a minute."

“好吧,”布里说,“现在我要尽情地打个滚儿,也许是最后一次了。等我一会儿。”

It was five minutes before he rose again, blowing hard and covered with bits of bracken.

五分钟后,布里重新站了起来,剧烈地喷着鼻息,浑身都是斑斑点点的羊齿植物。

"Now I'm ready," he said in a voice of profound gloom. "Lead on,Prince Cor, Narnia and the North. "

“我准备好了,”布里说,声音沉闷,“科奥王子,带路吧。向着纳尼亚和北方进发。”

But he looked more like a horse going to a funeral than a long-lost captive returning to home and freedom.

然而,布里的神,与其说是子回归家乡和自由,不如说是一匹马走向他的殡葬地的神

【上一页】 【回目录】 【下一页】
分享到:

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