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纳尼亚传奇系列7:最后的决战(中英双语典藏版)
C.S.刘易斯

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 g2eFh9//PSsRDksAwfVTad23lc1aeYMzynbfw80aQY/gkpsMl+60VeDWfFw/FgIY



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?”

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,就像是水在一个劲儿地沸腾,这就是它被称为卡尔德龙a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:

a 即大锅。——译者注

“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?” g2eFh9//PSsRDksAwfVTad23lc1aeYMzynbfw80aQY/gkpsMl+60VeDWfFw/FgIY



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—at—arms, 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.

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。 g2eFh9//PSsRDksAwfVTad23lc1aeYMzynbfw80aQY/gkpsMl+60VeDWfFw/FgIY

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