CHAPTER TWO THE ANCIENT TREASURE HOUSE
第二章 古代寶庫
"THIS wasn't a garden,"said Susan presently."It was a castle and this must have been the courtyard."
"這應(yīng)該不是花園,"蘇珊說,"更像是一個城堡,而且我們現(xiàn)在站的這個位置就是城堡的院子。"
"I see what you mean,"said Peter."Yes.That is the remains of a tower.And there is what used to be a flight of steps going up to the top of the walls.And look at those other steps-the broad,shallow ones-going up to that doorway.It must have been the door into the great hall."
"我明白了,"彼得說,"這是城堡,那是塔樓的遺跡,這是直通到墻上的樓梯。再看這些臺階,又寬又淺,一直通往門廊,那門一定是通往大廳的。"
"Ages ago,by the look of it,"said Edmund.
"這看上去應(yīng)該有些年頭了。"愛德蒙說。
"Yes,ages ago,"said Peter."I wish we could find out who the people were that lived in this castle; and how long ago."
"是的,應(yīng)該有很多年了。"彼得說,"我真想知道以前這住的是什么人,多久以前在這住過。"
"It gives me a queer feeling,"said Lucy.
"這一切讓我感覺非常奇怪。"露茜說。
"Does it,Lu?"said Peter,turning and looking hard at her."Because it does the same to me.It is the queerest thing that has happened this queer day.I wonder where we are and what it all means?"
"你也感覺到了,露茜?"彼得轉(zhuǎn)過身,看著她說,"我和你的感覺一樣。這是今天這個奇怪的日子里發(fā)生的最奇怪的事情。我真的很想知道我們現(xiàn)在在哪里,到底發(fā)生了什么事?"
While they were talking they had crossed the courtyard and gone through the other doorway into what had once been the hall.This was now very like the courtyard,for the roof had long since disappeared and it was merely another space of grass and daisies,except that it was shorter and narrower and the walls were higher.Across the far end there was a kind of terrace about three feet higher than the rest.
他們一邊說著話,一邊穿過了院子,走進了另一個門廊。可以看出,這以前是大廳。可現(xiàn)在它與外面的院子基本一樣了,屋頂早沒了,只能看見一片空地,滿是荒草和雛菊。不同的是,它相對來說更窄更短,兩邊的墻要更高一些。在另一邊還有一個平臺,比別處高三英尺左右。
"I wonder,was it really the hall?"said Susan."What is that terrace kind of thing?"
"真奇怪,難道以前這里真的是大廳嗎?"蘇珊說,"那這平臺是干什么用的?"
"Why,you silly,"said Peter (who had become strangely excited),"don't you see? That was the dais where the High Table was,where the King and the great lords sat.Anyone would think you had forgotten that we ourselves were once Kings and Queens and sat on a dais just like that,in our great hall."
"哎,你真笨,"彼得變得莫名地興奮,"你沒看見嗎?那個高桌子是講臺,是國王和大領(lǐng)主們坐的地方。你是不是忘了,以前我們是國王和女王,坐在自己大殿里的高臺上,跟這個差不多。"
"In our castle of Cair Paravel,"continued Susan in a dreamy and rather sing song voice,"at the mouth of the great river of Narnia.How could I forget?"
"我們的凱爾帕拉維爾城堡,"蘇珊像在夢里一般,心馳神往,"它就在納尼亞大河的入口處,我怎么能忘了呢?"
"How it all comes back!"said Lucy."We could pretend we were in Cair Paravel now.This hall must have been very like the great hall we feasted in."
"要是我們能回去該多好啊!"露茜說,"不如我們就把這當作凱爾帕拉維爾,反正這座大廳跟我們之前舉行宴會的大殿很相似。"
"But unfortunately without the feast,"said Edmund."It's getting late,you know.Look how long the shadows are.And have you noticed that it isn't so hot?"
"可惜這兒沒有美味佳肴。"愛德蒙說,"你們看,天色越來越晚,影子已經(jīng)被拉得這么長。你們有沒有注意到天也沒那么熱了?"
"We shall need a camp-fire if we've got to spend the night here,"said Peter."I've got matches.Let's go and see if we can collect some dry wood."
"如果我們要在這過夜的話,需要準備一堆篝火,"彼得說,"我有火柴。我們?nèi)フ乙恍└蓸渲戆伞?quot;
Everyone saw the sense of this,and for the next half-hour they were busy.The orchard through which they had first come into the ruins turned out not to be a good place for firewood.They tried the other side of the castle,passing out of the hall by a little side door into a maze of stony humps and hollows which must once have been passages and smaller rooms but was now all nettles and wild roses.Beyond this they found a wide gap in the castle wall and stepped through it into a wood of darker and bigger trees where they found dead branches and rotten wood and sticks and dry leaves and fir-cones in plenty.They went to and fro with bundles until they had a good pile on the dais.At the fifth journey they found the well,just outside the hall,hidden in weeds,but clean and fresh and deep when they had cleared these away.The remains of a stone pavement ran half-way round it.Then the girls went out to pick some more apples and the boys built the fire,on the dais and fairly close to the corner between two walls,which they thought would be the snuggest and warmest place.They had great difficulty in lighting it and used a lot of matches,but they succeeded in the end.Finally,all four sat down with their backs to the wall and their faces to the fire.They tried roasting some of the apples on the ends of sticks.But roast apples are not much good without sugar,and they are too hot to eat with your fingers till they are too cold to be worth eating.So they had to content themselves with raw apples,which,as Edmund said,made one realize that school suppers weren't so bad after all-"I shouldn't mind a good thick slice of bread and margarine this minute,"he added.But the spirit of adventure was rising in them all,and no one really wanted to be back at school.
大家也意識到這一點,所以接下來的半個小時里,他們都忙著撿樹枝去了。果園里沒有太多的枯枝,他們只好到城堡的另一端碰碰運氣。他們穿過一扇小小的側(cè)門,發(fā)現(xiàn)那就像個迷宮一樣。以前那是一些連在一起的小房間,現(xiàn)在卻長滿了蕁麻草和野玫瑰。再往前走,他們發(fā)現(xiàn)圍墻上有一個大豁口。穿過豁口,來到一片樹林,這兒的樹不但顏色深,而且還很高大。他們在那兒找到了很多干枝、朽木、枯葉和冷杉樹的球果。于是,他們把這些東西搬了回去,在城堡平臺上堆成一大堆。更幸運的是,在大廳外面,他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了一口隱在雜草堆里的井。他們清除了那些雜草后,發(fā)現(xiàn)井里的水不但清涼甘甜,而且水還很深。在井邊還有一條殘存的石頭路。后來,女孩們又出去摘了一些蘋果,男孩們則找了一個他們覺得既溫暖又舒適的地方--在平臺上兩堵墻之間的夾角處架起了篝火。在用了很多根火柴后,他們終于點燃了篝火。最后,四個人面對著火,背靠著墻坐了下來。他們把蘋果串在木棍上烤著吃??墒?,沒有白糖,烤蘋果的味道實在不敢恭維。而且,烤好的蘋果太燙了,沒法拿著吃;但等它涼了,可以用手拿著吃的時候,又不怎么好吃了。因此,他們只好繼續(xù)吃生蘋果。就像愛德蒙說的,其實學(xué)校食堂里的晚餐也沒有那么糟糕。"我不介意這時候能吃一塊厚厚的奶油面包。"他加了一句。但是,他們冒險的熱情正在膨脹,沒有誰真的想馬上回到學(xué)校去。
Shortly after the last apple had been eaten,Susan went out to the well to get another drink.When she came back she was carrying something in her hand.
蘇珊吃完最后一只蘋果后,又跑去井邊喝了一回水?;貋頃r,手里拿著什么東西。
"Look,"she said in a rather choking kind of voice."I found it by the well."She handed it to Peter and sat down.The others thought she looked and sounded as if she might be going to cry.Edmund and Lucy eagerly bent forward to see what was in Peter's hand-a little,bright thing that gleamed in the firelight.
"看哪,"她的聲音有些奇怪。"我在井邊發(fā)現(xiàn)的。"她把東西遞給彼得,然后坐下。從她的表情和聲音來看,大家都以為她快要哭了。愛德蒙和露茜彎下腰,看到彼得的手心里是一塊小小的、亮晶晶的東西,在篝火的照耀下閃閃發(fā)光。
"Well,I'm-I'm jiggered,"said Peter,and his voice also sounded queer.Then he handed it to the others.
"哎呀,奇怪。"彼得說話的聲音聽起來也有些奇怪。然后,他把東西遞給了其他人。
All now saw what it was-a little chess-knight,ordinary in size but extraordinarily heavy because it was made of pure gold; and the eyes in the horse's head were two tiny little rubies-or rather one was,for the other had been knocked out.
現(xiàn)在,大家終于看清楚這是一個象棋里的馬,但它重得很。因為它是純金做的,馬頭上的兩只眼睛還是兩顆小寶石,應(yīng)該說一只眼睛,因為另外一只已經(jīng)掉了。
"Why!"said Lucy,"it's exactly like one of the golden chessmen we used to play with when we were Kings and Queens at Cair Paravel."
"好吧!"露茜說,"這和我們在凱爾帕拉維爾做國王和女王時經(jīng)常玩的黃金象棋一模一樣!"
"Cheer up,Su,"said Peter to his other sister.
"高興一點,蘇珊。"彼得對他的另一個妹妹說道。
"I can't help it,"said Susan."It brought back-oh,such lovely times.And I remembered playing chess with fauns and good giants,and the mer-people singing in the sea,and my beautiful horse-and-and-"
"我不知道怎么回事,"蘇珊說,"它使我想起了,嗯,那些美好時光。我跟那些小矮人和善良的巨人一起下棋,想起那些在大海里唱歌的海人,還有我美麗的小馬駒......還有......還有......"
"Now,"said Peter in a quite different voice,"it's about time we four started using our brains."
"現(xiàn)在,"彼得的聲音有些激動,"是時候動動腦子好好想想了。"
"What about?"asked Edmund.
"想什么?"愛德蒙問道。
"Have none of you guessed where we are?"said Peter.
"難道你們就沒有想過我們現(xiàn)在在哪嗎?"彼得說道。
"Go on,go on,"said Lucy."I've felt for hours that there was some wonderful mystery hanging over this place."
"繼續(xù),你接著說,"露茜說道,"這幾個小時以來,我一直感覺這里很神秘。"
"Fire ahead,Peter,"said Edmund."We're all listening."
"彼得,你接著說,"愛德蒙說,"我們都聽著呢。"
"We are in the ruins of Cair Paravel itself,"said Peter.
"我們現(xiàn)在可能就在凱爾帕拉維爾城堡的廢墟上。"彼得說道。
"But,I say,"replied Edmund."I mean,how do you make that out? This place has been ruined for ages.Look at all those big trees growing right up to the gates.Look at the very stones.Anyone can see that nobody has lived here for hundreds of years."
"但是,我要說,"愛德蒙接著說,"我的意思是,你是怎么看出來的?這個地方已經(jīng)荒廢有些年頭了,你們看這些大樹都長到門那么高了。再看看那些石頭,任何人都能看出這個地方至少幾百年沒有人居住過了。
"I know,"said Peter."That is the difficulty.But let's leave that out for the moment.I want to take the points one by one.First point: this hall is exactly the same shape and size as the hall at Cair Paravel.Just picture a roof on this,and a coloured pavement instead of grass,and tapestries on the walls,and you get our royal banqueting hall."
"我知道 ,"彼得說,"這正是我想不通的地方。我們先把這個問題放在一邊,我先一點一點地說。第一,這里與凱爾帕拉維爾大廳的形狀及大小完全一樣。我們只要想象一下,這上邊是個穹頂,把草地換成彩色路面,在墻上掛上壁毯,你們就會像置身在我們的宮殿大廳里一樣了。
No one said anything.
誰也沒有插話。
"Second point,"continued Peter."The castle well is exactly where our well was,a little to the south of the great hall; and it is exactly the same size and shape."
"第二,"彼得繼續(xù)說,"那個井和我們的水井位置也一樣,在大殿偏南一點的地方,就連形狀和大小都一樣。"
Again there was no reply.
其他幾個人仍然一言不發(fā)。
"Third point: Susan has just found one of our old chessmen-or something as like one of them as two peas."
"第三,蘇珊剛剛發(fā)現(xiàn)的那枚古老的棋子,和我們以前玩的也一樣。"
Still nobody answered.
還是沒人搭話。
"Fourth point.Don't you remember-it was the very day before the ambassadors came from the King of Calormen-don't you remember planting the orchard outside the north gate of Cair Paravel? The greatest of all the wood-people,Pomona herself,came to put good spells on it.It was those very decent little chaps the moles who did the actual digging.Can you have forgotten that funny old Lilygloves,the chief mole,leaning on his spade and saying,Believe me,your Majesty,you'll be glad of these fruit trees one day. And by Jove he was right."
"第四,你們應(yīng)該不會忘記,在卡樂門國王的大使到來的前一天,我們在凱爾帕拉維爾城堡的北門外種植果樹這件事嗎?森林里最高貴的果樹女神波莫娜親自前來為果園祈禱,由好心的小鼴鼠刨坑。你們還記得那個上了年紀的首領(lǐng)哩哩格拉嗎?他杵著鐵鍬說:"相信我陛下,這些果樹終有一天會給你帶來快樂。你們看,他真的說中了。"
"I do! I do!"said Lucy,and clapped her hands.
"記得!當然記得!"露茜興奮得一邊拍手一邊說。
"But look here,Peter,"said Edmund."This must be all rot.To begin with,we didn't plant the orchard slap up against the gate.We wouldn't have been such fools."
"可是彼得,你看這兒,"愛德蒙說,"這就說不通了。首先,我們肯定不會挨著大門種果樹的,我們不會這么笨的。"
"No,of course not,"said Peter."But it has grown up to the gate since."
"當然不可能。"彼得說,"這些樹是慢慢長到門這邊來的。"
"And for another thing,"said Edmund,"Cair Paravel wasn't on an island."
"再說了,"愛德蒙說,"凱爾帕拉維爾城堡并不是在一座小島上的。"
"Yes,I've been wondering about that.But it was a what-do-you-call-it,a peninsula.Jolly nearly an island.Couldn't it have been made an island since our time? Somebody has dug a channel."
"對,這一點我也很奇怪。但要看你怎么叫這個地方了,這可能是一個半島。英國本來也連著陸地,會不會是在我們以后的年代,有人挖了一道海峽,讓它成了一個小島?"
"But half a moment!"said Edmund."You keep on saying since our time.But it's only a year ago since we came back from Narnia.And you want to make out that in one year castles have fallen down,and great forests have grown up,and little trees we saw planted ourselves have turned into a big old orchard,and goodness knows what else.It's all impossible."
"等等!"愛德蒙說,"你剛剛說在我們的年代以后,可是我們離開納尼亞僅僅一年。這么短的時間,怎么可能城堡就塌了,還形成了這個茂密的森林呢?那時候我們親眼看著栽種的小樹,怎么可能在一年時間就長成了這么高大的果樹。天知道會不會有其他的怪事,這完全不可能。"
"There's one thing,"said Lucy."If this is Cair Paravel there ought to be a door at this end of the dais.In fact we ought to be sitting with our backs against it at this moment.You know-he door that led down to the treasure chamber."
"我突然想起一件事,"露茜說道,"如果這真的是凱爾帕拉維爾城堡,那在高臺的這端應(yīng)該有一扇門。也就是說,這扇門應(yīng)該就在我們身后。你們也知道,這扇門通向我們的寶庫。"
"I suppose there isn't a door,"said Peter,getting up.
"我覺得這兒沒有門。"彼得站起來說。
The wall behind them was a mass of ivy.
他們身后的墻上爬滿了常春藤。
"We can soon find out,"said Edmund,taking up one of the sticks that they had laid ready for putting on the fire.He began beating the ivied wall.Tap-tap went the stick against the stone; and again,tap-tap; and then,all at once,boom-boom,with a quite different sound,a hollow,wooden sound.
"我們馬上就可以弄明白了。"愛德蒙邊說邊拿起一根原本用來生火的粗樹枝,開始慢慢敲打墻面。嗒,嗒,墻面發(fā)出堅實的響聲。再打,依然是嗒嗒的響聲。突然,咚,咚,發(fā)出了另一種聲音,這是打在木頭上的聲音。
"Great Scott!"said Edmund.
"天哪!"愛德蒙驚嘆道。
"We must clear this ivy away,"said Peter.
"我們必須先把這些藤蔓清理掉。"彼得說。
"Oh,do let's leave it alone,"said Susan."We can try it in the morning.If we've got to spend the night here I don't want an open door at my back and a great big black hole that anything might come out of,besides the draught and the damp.And it'll soon be dark."
"噢,不要弄它。"蘇珊說,"我們還是早上再弄吧。如果我們今晚要在這過夜,我不想背后開著一扇門,黑咕隆咚的,好像隨時會跑出什么東西來,里面還會散發(fā)出涼風(fēng)和濕氣。你們看,天很快就要黑了。"
"Susan! How can you?"said Lucy with a reproachful glance.But both the boys were too much excited to take any notice of Susan's advice.They worked at the ivy with their hands and with Peter's pocket-knife till the knife broke.After that they used Edmund's.Soon the whole place where they had been sitting was covered with ivy; and at last they had the door cleared.
"蘇珊,你怎么說出這樣的話?"露茜責(zé)備地看了她一眼。此刻,兩個男孩已經(jīng)太興奮了,根本沒有注意到蘇珊在說什么。他們已經(jīng)自顧自地開始用小折刀去割那些常春藤。彼得的小刀斷了之后,就用愛得蒙的小刀去割。不一會兒,他們剛才弄好的"安樂窩"就被常春藤弄得一團糟,折騰了半天,終于找到了那扇門。
"Locked,of course,"said Peter.
"肯定被鎖住了。"彼得說。
"But the wood's all rotten,"said Edmund."We can pull it to bits in no time,and it will make extra firewood.Come on."
"沒事,這些木頭都腐朽了。"愛德蒙說,"我們可以把它砸碎,這樣我們就有更多的柴火燒了。來吧!"
It took them longer than they expected and,before they had done,the great hall had grown dusky and the first star or two had come out overhead.Susan was not the only one who felt a slight shudder as the boys stood above the pile of splintered wood,rubbing the dirt off their hands and staring into the cold,dark opening they had made.
事情并不是他們想的那么簡單。他們還沒砸開門,天就已經(jīng)黑了,天上閃爍著幾顆星。男孩們一邊站在亂七八糟的木片上,拍著手上的灰,一邊望向那個陰森的黑洞。這會兒不只是蘇珊,所有人都不寒而栗了。
"Now for a torch,"said Peter.
"拿個火把來。"彼得說。
"Oh,what is the good?"said Susan."And as Edmund said-"
"哦,火把?"蘇珊說道,"愛得蒙說......"
"I'm not saying it now,"Edmund interrupted."I still don't understand,but we can settle that later.I suppose you're coming down,Peter?"
"我可沒說,"愛德蒙打斷道,"到現(xiàn)在我還是沒有弄明白,不過等會兒,就明白是怎么回事了。彼得,你是想下去,對吧?"
"We must,"said Peter.Cheer up,Susan.It's no good behaving like kids now that we are back in Narnia."You're a Queen here.And anyway no one could go to sleep with a mystery like this on their minds."
"我們都下去,"彼得說,"蘇珊,勇敢一些?,F(xiàn)在我們又重新回到了納尼亞,像小孩子一樣是沒有用的。在這里,你是一個女王。而且,無論如何我們也是睡不著的了,因為我們眼下有這么個神秘的謎團。"
They tried to use long sticks as torches but this was not a success.If you held them with the lighted end up they went out,and if you held them the other way they scorched your hand and the smoke got in your eyes.In the end they had to use Edmund's electric torch; luckily it had been a birthday present less than a week ago and the battery was almost new.He went first,with the light.Then came Lucy,then Susan,and Peter brought up the rear.
他們打算用長樹枝點燃火把,但沒有成功。因為如果把樹枝燃著那一頭朝上的話,火就熄滅了。但要是把火把反過來拿的話,不僅會燒到手,煙還會熏眼睛。最后,他們只得用愛德蒙的手電筒。幸好在一個星期之前,愛德蒙收到了這個生日禮物,電池還是新的。他拿著手電筒,第一個向下走去,緊跟著他的是露茜和蘇珊,最后是彼得。
"I've come to the top of the steps,"said Edmund.
"我要下臺階了。"愛德蒙說。
"Count them,"said Peter.
"數(shù)一下它們有多少級。"彼得說。
"One-two-three,"said Edmund,as he went cautiously down,and so up to sixteen."And this is the bottom,"he shouted back.
"一......二......三......"愛德蒙一邊數(shù)著,一邊小心翼翼地往下走去,一直數(shù)到十六級的時候,他朝身后喊道,"到底了。"
"Then it really must be Cair Paravel,"said Lucy."There were sixteen."Nothing more was said till all four were standing in a knot together at the foot of the stairway.Then Edmund flashed his torch slowly round.
"也就是說這里真的是凱爾帕拉維爾,"露茜說,"臺階就是十六級的。"沒有人再說話。他們走下來,緊緊靠在一起。愛德蒙打開手電筒,慢慢移動著光柱。
"O-o-o-oh!!"said all the children at once.
"噢......噢!"孩子們一起歡呼。
For now all knew that it was indeed the ancient treasure chamber of Cair Paravel where they had once reigned as Kings and Queens of Narnia.There was a kind of path up the middle (as it might be in a greenhouse),and along each side at intervals stood rich suits of armour,like knights guarding the treasures.In between the suits of armour,and on each side of the path,were shelves covered with precious things-necklaces and arm rings and finger rings and golden bowls and dishes and long tusks of ivory,brooches and coronets and chains of gold,and heaps of unset stones lying piled anyhow as if they were marbles or potatoes-diamonds,rubies,carbuncles,emeralds,topazes,and amethysts.Under the shelves stood great chests of oak strengthened with iron bars and heavily padlocked.And it was bitterly cold,and so still that they could hear themselves breathing,and the treasures were so covered with dust that unless they had realized where they were and remembered most of the things,they would hardly have known they were treasures.There was something sad and a little frightening about the place,because it all seemed so forsaken and long ago.That was why nobody said anything for at least a minute.
現(xiàn)在大家都確信,他們來到了凱爾帕拉維爾那個古老的寶庫。以前他們是納尼亞的國王和女王,是這里的主人。在房子的中間有一條通道(和暖房里的一樣),兩邊不遠處都就分別豎立著一副盔甲,就好像是騎士站在那守衛(wèi)著寶藏。而在盔甲間的架子上,則擺滿了各種奇珍異寶--項鏈、手鐲、戒指、純金餐具和長長的象牙,還有那成堆的沒有鑲嵌的寶石、像石頭或者是土豆般大小的鉆石、紅寶石、綠寶石、紅玉、黃玉,還有紫水晶。 有很多用鐵條鑲邊的橡木箱子放在架子下面,箱子都是鎖著的。這里死一般地寂靜,幾乎每個人都能聽見自己的呼吸。那些珍寶上面落滿了厚厚的灰塵,如果不知道這是什么地方,不知道之前發(fā)生的一切,根本不敢相信這些東西是珍寶。孩子們因新奇產(chǎn)生的興奮漸漸消失了,取而代之的是有那么一點點的傷感和失落,甚至說是恐怖?!∷麄冊絹碓礁杏X到這里是一片被人遺棄了很久的廢墟。所以有很長一會兒,大家都沒有說一句話。
Then,of course,they began walking about and picking things up to look at.It was like meeting very old friends.If you had been there you would have heard them saying things like,"Oh look! Our coronation rings-do you remember first wearing this?-Why,this is the little brooch we all thought was lost-I say,isn't that the armour you wore in the great tournament in the Lone Islands?-do you remember the dwarf making that for me?-do you remember drinking out of that horn?-do you remember,do you remember?"
緊接著,他們開始朝前走著,還時不時地把手邊的東西拿出來看一看,就像是遇到了一個久違的朋友一樣,發(fā)出一陣陣感嘆,"啊,你們看!那是咱們的加冕戒指--你還記不記得第一次戴上它時的情景?咦,這不是我們都以為丟了的那枚胸針嗎?......瞧,這還有你在獨孤群島穿過的盔甲?你還記得為我打造這幅盔甲的小矮人嗎?你們還記得我們曾經(jīng)用那只號角來喝酒嗎?......記得嗎,記得嗎?"
But suddenly Edmund said,"Look here.We mustn't waste the battery: goodness knows how often we shall need it.Hadn't we better take what we want and get out again?"
突然,愛德蒙說,"大家聽我說,我們不能再浪費電池了!我想我們以后會更需要它?,F(xiàn)在咱們是不是應(yīng)該拿上我們需要的東西,趕緊出去?"
"We must take the gifts,"said Peter.For long ago at a Christmas in Narnia he and Susan and Lucy had been given certain presents which they valued more than their whole kingdom.Edmund had had no gift,because he was not with them at the time.(This was his own fault,and you can read about it in the other book.)
"我們一定要帶上那些禮物。"彼得說。在很久很久以前,在納尼亞的一個圣誕夜,彼得、蘇珊和露茜都得了一些禮物,他們把這些看得比整個王國都珍貴。愛德蒙沒有得到任何禮物,因為當時他沒有和大家在一起。(這完全是他自己的錯,看這套書的其他故事你們就會明白的。)
They all agreed with Peter and walked up the path to the wall at the far end of the treasure chamber,and there,sure enough,the gifts were still hanging.Lucy's was the smallest for it was only a little bottle.But the bottle was made of diamond instead of glass,and it was still more than half full of the magical cordial which would heal almost every wound and every illness.Lucy said nothing and looked very solemn as she took her gift down from its place and slung the belt over her shoulder and once more felt the bottle at her side where it used to hang in the old days.Susan's gift had been a bow and arrows and a horn.The bow was still there,and the ivory quiver,full of well-feathered arrows,but-"Oh,Susan,"said Lucy."Where's the horn?"
所有人都同意彼得的主意,于是他們沿著甬道徑直走向?qū)殠斓牧硪活^。果然,那些東西仍然掛在墻上。露茜的禮物是一個小瓶子,是所有人禮物中最小的。不過這個瓶子可不是玻璃的,而是鉆石制成的,里面還裝著大半瓶神水,這神水可以瞬間治愈創(chuàng)傷和疾病。露茜十分莊重地把它從墻上輕輕地取下來,斜背在肩上,再次感受到往日那只小瓶子貼在身上的感覺。蘇珊的禮物則是一張弓、一筒箭和一只號。那張弓也是完好的,旁邊的象牙箭筒仍然盛滿了羽翎箭,但是--"啊!蘇珊,"露茜問道,"你的那只號在哪兒呢?"
"Oh bother,bother,bother,"said Susan after she had thought for a moment."I remember now.I took it with me the last day of all,the day we went hunting the White Stag.It must have got lost when we blundered back into that other place-England,I mean."
"啊,糟糕,糟糕,糟糕,"蘇珊想了想說,"我想起來了,最后一天,我還帶著它,就是去圍獵白色牡鹿那天。我猜肯定是在我們回人類世界的路上給弄丟了。"
Edmund whistled.It was indeed a shattering loss; for this was an enchanted horn and,whenever you blew it,help was certain to come to you,wherever you were.
愛德蒙吹了一聲口哨,表示深深的惋惜。因為那可是一只神奇的號,無論什么時候,在什么地方,只要一吹響它,就會得到幫助。
"Just the sort of thing that might come in handy in a place like this,"said Edmund.
"我們現(xiàn)在就特別需要這個寶貝。"愛德蒙說。
"Never mind,"said Susan,"I've still got the bow."And she took it.
"沒事啦,我還有弓箭啊。"蘇珊一邊說著,一邊把弓箭從墻上取了下來。
"Won't the string be perished,Su?"said Peter.
"弦會不會沒彈性了呢,蘇珊?"彼得問。
But whether by some magic in the air of the treasure chamber or not,the bow was still in working order.Archery and swimming were the things Susan was good at.In a moment she had bent the bow and then she gave one little pluck to the string.It twanged: a chirruping twang that vibrated through the whole room.And that one small noise brought back the old days to the children's minds more than anything that had happened yet.All the battles and hunts and feasts came rushing into their heads together.
也許是寶庫里的空氣比較特別,這張弓依然很好用。在學(xué)校時,蘇珊可是是射箭和游泳高手,她拉開弓試了試弦。嗡的一聲響:振奮人心的弦聲在整個屋子里回蕩。這聲響把孩子們又帶回了那段美好的時光。戰(zhàn)斗、狩獵、宴會......往日的那一幕幕浮現(xiàn)開來。
Then she unstrung the bow again and slung the quiver at her side.
然后,她松了弦,把箭挎在身上。
Next,Peter took down his gift-the shield with the great red lion on it,and the royal sword.He blew,and rapped them on the floor,to get off the dust.He fitted the shield on his arm and slung the sword by his side.He was afraid at first that it might be rusty and stick to the sheath.But it was not so.With one swift motion he drew it and held it up,shining in the torchlight.
緊接著彼得也取下了他的禮物--一張鑲有紅色巨獅的盾牌、一柄神圣的寶劍。他吹了吹劍鞘上的灰塵,又在地毯上擦了擦,然后佩在身上。之后,他又拿著盾牌試了一試。一開始,他擔心寶劍可能會生銹,在劍鞘里根本拔不出來??勺屗@喜的是,只輕輕一拉,劍就出了鞘,并在黑暗中發(fā)出一道寒光。
"It is my sword Rhindon,"he said;"with it I killed the Wolf."There was a new tone in his voice,and the others all felt that he was really Peter the High King again.Then,after a little pause,everyone remembered that they must save the battery.
"這是我的寶劍,我用它殺死過野狼。"他自豪的聲音里充滿了自信與勇氣。其他人都感覺到,他又變成了那個高貴、威嚴的彼得國王。過了一會兒,大家突然意識到他們現(xiàn)在必須要節(jié)省電池了。
They climbed the stair again and made up a good fire and lay down close together for warmth.The ground was very hard and uncomfortable,but they fell asleep in the end.
他們沿著臺階走上來重新架起篝火,然后緊緊地靠在一起,互相取暖。雖然地面很硬睡在上面很不舒服,可是他們太累了,很快全都沉沉地睡去。
CHAPTER TWO THE ANCIENT TREASURE HOUSE
"THIS wasn't a garden,"said Susan presently."It was a castle and this must have been the courtyard."
"I see what you mean,"said Peter."Yes.That is the remains of a tower.And there is what used to be a flight of steps going up to the top of the walls.And look at those other steps-the broad,shallow ones-going up to that doorway.It must have been the door into the great hall."
"Ages ago,by the look of it,"said Edmund.
"Yes,ages ago,"said Peter."I wish we could find out who the people were that lived in this castle; and how long ago."
"It gives me a queer feeling,"said Lucy.
"Does it,Lu?"said Peter,turning and looking hard at her."Because it does the same to me.It is the queerest thing that has happened this queer day.I wonder where we are and what it all means?"
While they were talking they had crossed the courtyard and gone through the other doorway into what had once been the hall.This was now very like the courtyard,for the roof had long since disappeared and it was merely another space of grass and daisies,except that it was shorter and narrower and the walls were higher.Across the far end there was a kind of terrace about three feet higher than the rest.
"I wonder,was it really the hall?"said Susan."What is that terrace kind of thing?"
"Why,you silly,"said Peter (who had become strangely excited),"don't you see? That was the dais where the High Table was,where the King and the great lords sat.Anyone would think you had forgotten that we ourselves were once Kings and Queens and sat on a dais just like that,in our great hall."
"In our castle of Cair Paravel,"continued Susan in a dreamy and rather sing song voice,"at the mouth of the great river of Narnia.How could I forget?"
"How it all comes back!"said Lucy."We could pretend we were in Cair Paravel now.This hall must have been very like the great hall we feasted in."
"But unfortunately without the feast,"said Edmund."It's getting late,you know.Look how long the shadows are.And have you noticed that it isn't so hot?"
"We shall need a camp-fire if we've got to spend the night here,"said Peter."I've got matches.Let's go and see if we can collect some dry wood."
Everyone saw the sense of this,and for the next half-hour they were busy.The orchard through which they had first come into the ruins turned out not to be a good place for firewood.They tried the other side of the castle,passing out of the hall by a little side door into a maze of stony humps and hollows which must once have been passages and smaller rooms but was now all nettles and wild roses.Beyond this they found a wide gap in the castle wall and stepped through it into a wood of darker and bigger trees where they found dead branches and rotten wood and sticks and dry leaves and fir-cones in plenty.They went to and fro with bundles until they had a good pile on the dais.At the fifth journey they found the well,just outside the hall,hidden in weeds,but clean and fresh and deep when they had cleared these away.The remains of a stone pavement ran half-way round it.Then the girls went out to pick some more apples and the boys built the fire,on the dais and fairly close to the corner between two walls,which they thought would be the snuggest and warmest place.They had great difficulty in lighting it and used a lot of matches,but they succeeded in the end.Finally,all four sat down with their backs to the wall and their faces to the fire.They tried roasting some of the apples on the ends of sticks.But roast apples are not much good without sugar,and they are too hot to eat with your fingers till they are too cold to be worth eating.So they had to content themselves with raw apples,which,as Edmund said,made one realize that school suppers weren't so bad after all-"I shouldn't mind a good thick slice of bread and margarine this minute,"he added.But the spirit of adventure was rising in them all,and no one really wanted to be back at school.
Shortly after the last apple had been eaten,Susan went out to the well to get another drink.When she came back she was carrying something in her hand.
"Look,"she said in a rather choking kind of voice."I found it by the well."She handed it to Peter and sat down.The others thought she looked and sounded as if she might be going to cry.Edmund and Lucy eagerly bent forward to see what was in Peter's hand-a little,bright thing that gleamed in the firelight.
"Well,I'm-I'm jiggered,"said Peter,and his voice also sounded queer.Then he handed it to the others.
All now saw what it was-a little chess-knight,ordinary in size but extraordinarily heavy because it was made of pure gold; and the eyes in the horse's head were two tiny little rubies-or rather one was,for the other had been knocked out.
"Why!"said Lucy,"it's exactly like one of the golden chessmen we used to play with when we were Kings and Queens at Cair Paravel."
"Cheer up,Su,"said Peter to his other sister.
"I can't help it,"said Susan."It brought back-oh,such lovely times.And I remembered playing chess with fauns and good giants,and the mer-people singing in the sea,and my beautiful horse-and-and-"
"Now,"said Peter in a quite different voice,"it's about time we four started using our brains."
"What about?"asked Edmund.
"Have none of you guessed where we are?"said Peter.
"Go on,go on,"said Lucy."I've felt for hours that there was some wonderful mystery hanging over this place."
"Fire ahead,Peter,"said Edmund."We're all listening."
"We are in the ruins of Cair Paravel itself,"said Peter.
"But,I say,"replied Edmund."I mean,how do you make that out? This place has been ruined for ages.Look at all those big trees growing right up to the gates.Look at the very stones.Anyone can see that nobody has lived here for hundreds of years."
"I know,"said Peter."That is the difficulty.But let's leave that out for the moment.I want to take the points one by one.First point: this hall is exactly the same shape and size as the hall at Cair Paravel.Just picture a roof on this,and a coloured pavement instead of grass,and tapestries on the walls,and you get our royal banqueting hall."
No one said anything.
"Second point,"continued Peter."The castle well is exactly where our well was,a little to the south of the great hall; and it is exactly the same size and shape."
Again there was no reply.
"Third point: Susan has just found one of our old chessmen-or something as like one of them as two peas."
Still nobody answered.
"Fourth point.Don't you remember-it was the very day before the ambassadors came from the King of Calormen-don't you remember planting the orchard outside the north gate of Cair Paravel? The greatest of all the wood-people,Pomona herself,came to put good spells on it.It was those very decent little chaps the moles who did the actual digging.Can you have forgotten that funny old Lilygloves,the chief mole,leaning on his spade and saying,Believe me,your Majesty,you'll be glad of these fruit trees one day. And by Jove he was right."
"I do! I do!"said Lucy,and clapped her hands.
"But look here,Peter,"said Edmund."This must be all rot.To begin with,we didn't plant the orchard slap up against the gate.We wouldn't have been such fools."
"No,of course not,"said Peter."But it has grown up to the gate since."
"And for another thing,"said Edmund,"Cair Paravel wasn't on an island."
"Yes,I've been wondering about that.But it was a what-do-you-call-it,a peninsula.Jolly nearly an island.Couldn't it have been made an island since our time? Somebody has dug a channel."
"But half a moment!"said Edmund."You keep on saying since our time.But it's only a year ago since we came back from Narnia.And you want to make out that in one year castles have fallen down,and great forests have grown up,and little trees we saw planted ourselves have turned into a big old orchard,and goodness knows what else.It's all impossible."
"There's one thing,"said Lucy."If this is Cair Paravel there ought to be a door at this end of the dais.In fact we ought to be sitting with our backs against it at this moment.You know-he door that led down to the treasure chamber."
"I suppose there isn't a door,"said Peter,getting up.
The wall behind them was a mass of ivy.
"We can soon find out,"said Edmund,taking up one of the sticks that they had laid ready for putting on the fire.He began beating the ivied wall.Tap-tap went the stick against the stone; and again,tap-tap; and then,all at once,boom-boom,with a quite different sound,a hollow,wooden sound.
"Great Scott!"said Edmund.
"We must clear this ivy away,"said Peter.
"Oh,do let's leave it alone,"said Susan."We can try it in the morning.If we've got to spend the night here I don't want an open door at my back and a great big black hole that anything might come out of,besides the draught and the damp.And it'll soon be dark."
"Susan! How can you?"said Lucy with a reproachful glance.But both the boys were too much excited to take any notice of Susan's advice.They worked at the ivy with their hands and with Peter's pocket-knife till the knife broke.After that they used Edmund's.Soon the whole place where they had been sitting was covered with ivy; and at last they had the door cleared.
"Locked,of course,"said Peter.
"But the wood's all rotten,"said Edmund."We can pull it to bits in no time,and it will make extra firewood.Come on."
It took them longer than they expected and,before they had done,the great hall had grown dusky and the first star or two had come out overhead.Susan was not the only one who felt a slight shudder as the boys stood above the pile of splintered wood,rubbing the dirt off their hands and staring into the cold,dark opening they had made.
"Now for a torch,"said Peter.
"Oh,what is the good?"said Susan."And as Edmund said-"
"I'm not saying it now,"Edmund interrupted."I still don't understand,but we can settle that later.I suppose you're coming down,Peter?"
"We must,"said Peter.Cheer up,Susan.It's no good behaving like kids now that we are back in Narnia."You're a Queen here.And anyway no one could go to sleep with a mystery like this on their minds."
They tried to use long sticks as torches but this was not a success.If you held them with the lighted end up they went out,and if you held them the other way they scorched your hand and the smoke got in your eyes.In the end they had to use Edmund's electric torch; luckily it had been a birthday present less than a week ago and the battery was almost new.He went first,with the light.Then came Lucy,then Susan,and Peter brought up the rear.
"I've come to the top of the steps,"said Edmund.
"Count them,"said Peter.
"One-two-three,"said Edmund,as he went cautiously down,and so up to sixteen."And this is the bottom,"he shouted back.
"Then it really must be Cair Paravel,"said Lucy."There were sixteen."Nothing more was said till all four were standing in a knot together at the foot of the stairway.Then Edmund flashed his torch slowly round.
"O-o-o-oh!!"said all the children at once.
For now all knew that it was indeed the ancient treasure chamber of Cair Paravel where they had once reigned as Kings and Queens of Narnia.There was a kind of path up the middle (as it might be in a greenhouse),and along each side at intervals stood rich suits of armour,like knights guarding the treasures.In between the suits of armour,and on each side of the path,were shelves covered with precious things-necklaces and arm rings and finger rings and golden bowls and dishes and long tusks of ivory,brooches and coronets and chains of gold,and heaps of unset stones lying piled anyhow as if they were marbles or potatoes-diamonds,rubies,carbuncles,emeralds,topazes,and amethysts.Under the shelves stood great chests of oak strengthened with iron bars and heavily padlocked.And it was bitterly cold,and so still that they could hear themselves breathing,and the treasures were so covered with dust that unless they had realized where they were and remembered most of the things,they would hardly have known they were treasures.There was something sad and a little frightening about the place,because it all seemed so forsaken and long ago.That was why nobody said anything for at least a minute.
Then,of course,they began walking about and picking things up to look at.It was like meeting very old friends.If you had been there you would have heard them saying things like,"Oh look! Our coronation rings-do you remember first wearing this?-Why,this is the little brooch we all thought was lost-I say,isn't that the armour you wore in the great tournament in the Lone Islands?-do you remember the dwarf making that for me?-do you remember drinking out of that horn?-do you remember,do you remember?"
But suddenly Edmund said,"Look here.We mustn't waste the battery: goodness knows how often we shall need it.Hadn't we better take what we want and get out again?"
"We must take the gifts,"said Peter.For long ago at a Christmas in Narnia he and Susan and Lucy had been given certain presents which they valued more than their whole kingdom.Edmund had had no gift,because he was not with them at the time.(This was his own fault,and you can read about it in the other book.)
They all agreed with Peter and walked up the path to the wall at the far end of the treasure chamber,and there,sure enough,the gifts were still hanging.Lucy's was the smallest for it was only a little bottle.But the bottle was made of diamond instead of glass,and it was still more than half full of the magical cordial which would heal almost every wound and every illness.Lucy said nothing and looked very solemn as she took her gift down from its place and slung the belt over her shoulder and once more felt the bottle at her side where it used to hang in the old days.Susan's gift had been a bow and arrows and a horn.The bow was still there,and the ivory quiver,full of well-feathered arrows,but-"Oh,Susan,"said Lucy."Where's the horn?"
"Oh bother,bother,bother,"said Susan after she had thought for a moment."I remember now.I took it with me the last day of all,the day we went hunting the White Stag.It must have got lost when we blundered back into that other place-England,I mean."
Edmund whistled.It was indeed a shattering loss; for this was an enchanted horn and,whenever you blew it,help was certain to come to you,wherever you were.
"Just the sort of thing that might come in handy in a place like this,"said Edmund.
"Never mind,"said Susan,"I've still got the bow."And she took it.
"Won't the string be perished,Su?"said Peter.
But whether by some magic in the air of the treasure chamber or not,the bow was still in working order.Archery and swimming were the things Susan was good at.In a moment she had bent the bow and then she gave one little pluck to the string.It twanged: a chirruping twang that vibrated through the whole room.And that one small noise brought back the old days to the children's minds more than anything that had happened yet.All the battles and hunts and feasts came rushing into their heads together.
Then she unstrung the bow again and slung the quiver at her side.
Next,Peter took down his gift-the shield with the great red lion on it,and the royal sword.He blew,and rapped them on the floor,to get off the dust.He fitted the shield on his arm and slung the sword by his side.He was afraid at first that it might be rusty and stick to the sheath.But it was not so.With one swift motion he drew it and held it up,shining in the torchlight.
"It is my sword Rhindon,"he said;"with it I killed the Wolf."There was a new tone in his voice,and the others all felt that he was really Peter the High King again.Then,after a little pause,everyone remembered that they must save the battery.
They climbed the stair again and made up a good fire and lay down close together for warmth.The ground was very hard and uncomfortable,but they fell asleep in the end.
第二章 古代寶庫
"這應(yīng)該不是花園,"蘇珊說,"更像是一個城堡,而且我們現(xiàn)在站的這個位置就是城堡的院子。"
"我明白了,"彼得說,"這是城堡,那是塔樓的遺跡,這是直通到墻上的樓梯。再看這些臺階,又寬又淺,一直通往門廊,那門一定是通往大廳的。"
"這看上去應(yīng)該有些年頭了。"愛德蒙說。
"是的,應(yīng)該有很多年了。"彼得說,"我真想知道以前這住的是什么人,多久以前在這住過。"
"這一切讓我感覺非常奇怪。"露茜說。
"你也感覺到了,露茜?"彼得轉(zhuǎn)過身,看著她說,"我和你的感覺一樣。這是今天這個奇怪的日子里發(fā)生的最奇怪的事情。我真的很想知道我們現(xiàn)在在哪里,到底發(fā)生了什么事?"
他們一邊說著話,一邊穿過了院子,走進了另一個門廊。可以看出,這以前是大廳??涩F(xiàn)在它與外面的院子基本一樣了,屋頂早沒了,只能看見一片空地,滿是荒草和雛菊。不同的是,它相對來說更窄更短,兩邊的墻要更高一些。在另一邊還有一個平臺,比別處高三英尺左右。
"真奇怪,難道以前這里真的是大廳嗎?"蘇珊說,"那這平臺是干什么用的?"
"哎,你真笨,"彼得變得莫名地興奮,"你沒看見嗎?那個高桌子是講臺,是國王和大領(lǐng)主們坐的地方。你是不是忘了,以前我們是國王和女王,坐在自己大殿里的高臺上,跟這個差不多。"
"我們的凱爾帕拉維爾城堡,"蘇珊像在夢里一般,心馳神往,"它就在納尼亞大河的入口處,我怎么能忘了呢?"
"要是我們能回去該多好啊!"露茜說,"不如我們就把這當作凱爾帕拉維爾,反正這座大廳跟我們之前舉行宴會的大殿很相似。"
"可惜這兒沒有美味佳肴。"愛德蒙說,"你們看,天色越來越晚,影子已經(jīng)被拉得這么長。你們有沒有注意到天也沒那么熱了?"
"如果我們要在這過夜的話,需要準備一堆篝火,"彼得說,"我有火柴。我們?nèi)フ乙恍└蓸渲戆伞?quot;
大家也意識到這一點,所以接下來的半個小時里,他們都忙著撿樹枝去了。果園里沒有太多的枯枝,他們只好到城堡的另一端碰碰運氣。他們穿過一扇小小的側(cè)門,發(fā)現(xiàn)那就像個迷宮一樣。以前那是一些連在一起的小房間,現(xiàn)在卻長滿了蕁麻草和野玫瑰。再往前走,他們發(fā)現(xiàn)圍墻上有一個大豁口。穿過豁口,來到一片樹林,這兒的樹不但顏色深,而且還很高大。他們在那兒找到了很多干枝、朽木、枯葉和冷杉樹的球果。于是,他們把這些東西搬了回去,在城堡平臺上堆成一大堆。更幸運的是,在大廳外面,他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了一口隱在雜草堆里的井。他們清除了那些雜草后,發(fā)現(xiàn)井里的水不但清涼甘甜,而且水還很深。在井邊還有一條殘存的石頭路。后來,女孩們又出去摘了一些蘋果,男孩們則找了一個他們覺得既溫暖又舒適的地方--在平臺上兩堵墻之間的夾角處架起了篝火。在用了很多根火柴后,他們終于點燃了篝火。最后,四個人面對著火,背靠著墻坐了下來。他們把蘋果串在木棍上烤著吃。可是,沒有白糖,烤蘋果的味道實在不敢恭維。而且,烤好的蘋果太燙了,沒法拿著吃;但等它涼了,可以用手拿著吃的時候,又不怎么好吃了。因此,他們只好繼續(xù)吃生蘋果。就像愛德蒙說的,其實學(xué)校食堂里的晚餐也沒有那么糟糕。"我不介意這時候能吃一塊厚厚的奶油面包。"他加了一句。但是,他們冒險的熱情正在膨脹,沒有誰真的想馬上回到學(xué)校去。
蘇珊吃完最后一只蘋果后,又跑去井邊喝了一回水。回來時,手里拿著什么東西。
"看哪,"她的聲音有些奇怪。"我在井邊發(fā)現(xiàn)的。"她把東西遞給彼得,然后坐下。從她的表情和聲音來看,大家都以為她快要哭了。愛德蒙和露茜彎下腰,看到彼得的手心里是一塊小小的、亮晶晶的東西,在篝火的照耀下閃閃發(fā)光。
"哎呀,奇怪。"彼得說話的聲音聽起來也有些奇怪。然后,他把東西遞給了其他人。
現(xiàn)在,大家終于看清楚這是一個象棋里的馬,但它重得很。因為它是純金做的,馬頭上的兩只眼睛還是兩顆小寶石,應(yīng)該說一只眼睛,因為另外一只已經(jīng)掉了。
"好吧!"露茜說,"這和我們在凱爾帕拉維爾做國王和女王時經(jīng)常玩的黃金象棋一模一樣!"
"高興一點,蘇珊。"彼得對他的另一個妹妹說道。
"我不知道怎么回事,"蘇珊說,"它使我想起了,嗯,那些美好時光。我跟那些小矮人和善良的巨人一起下棋,想起那些在大海里唱歌的海人,還有我美麗的小馬駒......還有......還有......"
"現(xiàn)在,"彼得的聲音有些激動,"是時候動動腦子好好想想了。"
"想什么?"愛德蒙問道。
"難道你們就沒有想過我們現(xiàn)在在哪嗎?"彼得說道。
"繼續(xù),你接著說,"露茜說道,"這幾個小時以來,我一直感覺這里很神秘。"
"彼得,你接著說,"愛德蒙說,"我們都聽著呢。"
"我們現(xiàn)在可能就在凱爾帕拉維爾城堡的廢墟上。"彼得說道。
"但是,我要說,"愛德蒙接著說,"我的意思是,你是怎么看出來的?這個地方已經(jīng)荒廢有些年頭了,你們看這些大樹都長到門那么高了。再看看那些石頭,任何人都能看出這個地方至少幾百年沒有人居住過了。
"我知道 ,"彼得說,"這正是我想不通的地方。我們先把這個問題放在一邊,我先一點一點地說。第一,這里與凱爾帕拉維爾大廳的形狀及大小完全一樣。我們只要想象一下,這上邊是個穹頂,把草地換成彩色路面,在墻上掛上壁毯,你們就會像置身在我們的宮殿大廳里一樣了。
誰也沒有插話。
"第二,"彼得繼續(xù)說,"那個井和我們的水井位置也一樣,在大殿偏南一點的地方,就連形狀和大小都一樣。"
其他幾個人仍然一言不發(fā)。
"第三,蘇珊剛剛發(fā)現(xiàn)的那枚古老的棋子,和我們以前玩的也一樣。"
還是沒人搭話。
"第四,你們應(yīng)該不會忘記,在卡樂門國王的大使到來的前一天,我們在凱爾帕拉維爾城堡的北門外種植果樹這件事嗎?森林里最高貴的果樹女神波莫娜親自前來為果園祈禱,由好心的小鼴鼠刨坑。你們還記得那個上了年紀的首領(lǐng)哩哩格拉嗎?他杵著鐵鍬說:"相信我陛下,這些果樹終有一天會給你帶來快樂。你們看,他真的說中了。"
"記得!當然記得!"露茜興奮得一邊拍手一邊說。
"可是彼得,你看這兒,"愛德蒙說,"這就說不通了。首先,我們肯定不會挨著大門種果樹的,我們不會這么笨的。"
"當然不可能。"彼得說,"這些樹是慢慢長到門這邊來的。"
"再說了,"愛德蒙說,"凱爾帕拉維爾城堡并不是在一座小島上的。"
"對,這一點我也很奇怪。但要看你怎么叫這個地方了,這可能是一個半島。英國本來也連著陸地,會不會是在我們以后的年代,有人挖了一道海峽,讓它成了一個小島?"
"等等!"愛德蒙說,"你剛剛說在我們的年代以后,可是我們離開納尼亞僅僅一年。這么短的時間,怎么可能城堡就塌了,還形成了這個茂密的森林呢?那時候我們親眼看著栽種的小樹,怎么可能在一年時間就長成了這么高大的果樹。天知道會不會有其他的怪事,這完全不可能。"
"我突然想起一件事,"露茜說道,"如果這真的是凱爾帕拉維爾城堡,那在高臺的這端應(yīng)該有一扇門。也就是說,這扇門應(yīng)該就在我們身后。你們也知道,這扇門通向我們的寶庫。"
"我覺得這兒沒有門。"彼得站起來說。
他們身后的墻上爬滿了常春藤。
"我們馬上就可以弄明白了。"愛德蒙邊說邊拿起一根原本用來生火的粗樹枝,開始慢慢敲打墻面。嗒,嗒,墻面發(fā)出堅實的響聲。再打,依然是嗒嗒的響聲。突然,咚,咚,發(fā)出了另一種聲音,這是打在木頭上的聲音。
"天哪!"愛德蒙驚嘆道。
"我們必須先把這些藤蔓清理掉。"彼得說。
"噢,不要弄它。"蘇珊說,"我們還是早上再弄吧。如果我們今晚要在這過夜,我不想背后開著一扇門,黑咕隆咚的,好像隨時會跑出什么東西來,里面還會散發(fā)出涼風(fēng)和濕氣。你們看,天很快就要黑了。"
"蘇珊,你怎么說出這樣的話?"露茜責(zé)備地看了她一眼。此刻,兩個男孩已經(jīng)太興奮了,根本沒有注意到蘇珊在說什么。他們已經(jīng)自顧自地開始用小折刀去割那些常春藤。彼得的小刀斷了之后,就用愛得蒙的小刀去割。不一會兒,他們剛才弄好的"安樂窩"就被常春藤弄得一團糟,折騰了半天,終于找到了那扇門。
"肯定被鎖住了。"彼得說。
"沒事,這些木頭都腐朽了。"愛德蒙說,"我們可以把它砸碎,這樣我們就有更多的柴火燒了。來吧!"
事情并不是他們想的那么簡單。他們還沒砸開門,天就已經(jīng)黑了,天上閃爍著幾顆星。男孩們一邊站在亂七八糟的木片上,拍著手上的灰,一邊望向那個陰森的黑洞。這會兒不只是蘇珊,所有人都不寒而栗了。
"拿個火把來。"彼得說。
"哦,火把?"蘇珊說道,"愛得蒙說......"
"我可沒說,"愛德蒙打斷道,"到現(xiàn)在我還是沒有弄明白,不過等會兒,就明白是怎么回事了。彼得,你是想下去,對吧?"
"我們都下去,"彼得說,"蘇珊,勇敢一些。現(xiàn)在我們又重新回到了納尼亞,像小孩子一樣是沒有用的。在這里,你是一個女王。而且,無論如何我們也是睡不著的了,因為我們眼下有這么個神秘的謎團。"
他們打算用長樹枝點燃火把,但沒有成功。因為如果把樹枝燃著那一頭朝上的話,火就熄滅了。但要是把火把反過來拿的話,不僅會燒到手,煙還會熏眼睛。最后,他們只得用愛德蒙的手電筒。幸好在一個星期之前,愛德蒙收到了這個生日禮物,電池還是新的。他拿著手電筒,第一個向下走去,緊跟著他的是露茜和蘇珊,最后是彼得。
"我要下臺階了。"愛德蒙說。
"數(shù)一下它們有多少級。"彼得說。
"一......二......三......"愛德蒙一邊數(shù)著,一邊小心翼翼地往下走去,一直數(shù)到十六級的時候,他朝身后喊道,"到底了。"
"也就是說這里真的是凱爾帕拉維爾,"露茜說,"臺階就是十六級的。"沒有人再說話。他們走下來,緊緊靠在一起。愛德蒙打開手電筒,慢慢移動著光柱。
"噢......噢!"孩子們一起歡呼。
現(xiàn)在大家都確信,他們來到了凱爾帕拉維爾那個古老的寶庫。以前他們是納尼亞的國王和女王,是這里的主人。在房子的中間有一條通道(和暖房里的一樣),兩邊不遠處都就分別豎立著一副盔甲,就好像是騎士站在那守衛(wèi)著寶藏。而在盔甲間的架子上,則擺滿了各種奇珍異寶--項鏈、手鐲、戒指、純金餐具和長長的象牙,還有那成堆的沒有鑲嵌的寶石、像石頭或者是土豆般大小的鉆石、紅寶石、綠寶石、紅玉、黃玉,還有紫水晶?!∮泻芏嘤描F條鑲邊的橡木箱子放在架子下面,箱子都是鎖著的。這里死一般地寂靜,幾乎每個人都能聽見自己的呼吸。那些珍寶上面落滿了厚厚的灰塵,如果不知道這是什么地方,不知道之前發(fā)生的一切,根本不敢相信這些東西是珍寶。孩子們因新奇產(chǎn)生的興奮漸漸消失了,取而代之的是有那么一點點的傷感和失落,甚至說是恐怖?!∷麄冊絹碓礁杏X到這里是一片被人遺棄了很久的廢墟。所以有很長一會兒,大家都沒有說一句話。
緊接著,他們開始朝前走著,還時不時地把手邊的東西拿出來看一看,就像是遇到了一個久違的朋友一樣,發(fā)出一陣陣感嘆,"啊,你們看!那是咱們的加冕戒指--你還記不記得第一次戴上它時的情景?咦,這不是我們都以為丟了的那枚胸針嗎?......瞧,這還有你在獨孤群島穿過的盔甲?你還記得為我打造這幅盔甲的小矮人嗎?你們還記得我們曾經(jīng)用那只號角來喝酒嗎?......記得嗎,記得嗎?"
突然,愛德蒙說,"大家聽我說,我們不能再浪費電池了!我想我們以后會更需要它?,F(xiàn)在咱們是不是應(yīng)該拿上我們需要的東西,趕緊出去?"
"我們一定要帶上那些禮物。"彼得說。在很久很久以前,在納尼亞的一個圣誕夜,彼得、蘇珊和露茜都得了一些禮物,他們把這些看得比整個王國都珍貴。愛德蒙沒有得到任何禮物,因為當時他沒有和大家在一起。(這完全是他自己的錯,看這套書的其他故事你們就會明白的。)
所有人都同意彼得的主意,于是他們沿著甬道徑直走向?qū)殠斓牧硪活^。果然,那些東西仍然掛在墻上。露茜的禮物是一個小瓶子,是所有人禮物中最小的。不過這個瓶子可不是玻璃的,而是鉆石制成的,里面還裝著大半瓶神水,這神水可以瞬間治愈創(chuàng)傷和疾病。露茜十分莊重地把它從墻上輕輕地取下來,斜背在肩上,再次感受到往日那只小瓶子貼在身上的感覺。蘇珊的禮物則是一張弓、一筒箭和一只號。那張弓也是完好的,旁邊的象牙箭筒仍然盛滿了羽翎箭,但是--"啊!蘇珊,"露茜問道,"你的那只號在哪兒呢?"
"啊,糟糕,糟糕,糟糕,"蘇珊想了想說,"我想起來了,最后一天,我還帶著它,就是去圍獵白色牡鹿那天。我猜肯定是在我們回人類世界的路上給弄丟了。"
愛德蒙吹了一聲口哨,表示深深的惋惜。因為那可是一只神奇的號,無論什么時候,在什么地方,只要一吹響它,就會得到幫助。
"我們現(xiàn)在就特別需要這個寶貝。"愛德蒙說。
"沒事啦,我還有弓箭啊。"蘇珊一邊說著,一邊把弓箭從墻上取了下來。
"弦會不會沒彈性了呢,蘇珊?"彼得問。
也許是寶庫里的空氣比較特別,這張弓依然很好用。在學(xué)校時,蘇珊可是是射箭和游泳高手,她拉開弓試了試弦。嗡的一聲響:振奮人心的弦聲在整個屋子里回蕩。這聲響把孩子們又帶回了那段美好的時光。戰(zhàn)斗、狩獵、宴會......往日的那一幕幕浮現(xiàn)開來。
然后,她松了弦,把箭挎在身上。
緊接著彼得也取下了他的禮物--一張鑲有紅色巨獅的盾牌、一柄神圣的寶劍。他吹了吹劍鞘上的灰塵,又在地毯上擦了擦,然后佩在身上。之后,他又拿著盾牌試了一試。一開始,他擔心寶劍可能會生銹,在劍鞘里根本拔不出來??勺屗@喜的是,只輕輕一拉,劍就出了鞘,并在黑暗中發(fā)出一道寒光。
"這是我的寶劍,我用它殺死過野狼。"他自豪的聲音里充滿了自信與勇氣。其他人都感覺到,他又變成了那個高貴、威嚴的彼得國王。過了一會兒,大家突然意識到他們現(xiàn)在必須要節(jié)省電池了。
他們沿著臺階走上來重新架起篝火,然后緊緊地靠在一起,互相取暖。雖然地面很硬睡在上面很不舒服,可是他們太累了,很快全都沉沉地睡去。