英語聽力 學英語,練聽力,上聽力課堂! 注冊 登錄
> 在線聽力 > 有聲讀物 > 世界名著 > 譯林版·能言馬與男孩 >  第3篇

雙語·能言馬與男孩 第三章 抵達塔什班城

所屬教程:譯林版·能言馬與男孩

瀏覽:

2022年04月22日

手機版
掃描二維碼方便學習和分享

Chapter III AT THE GATES OF TASHBAAN

“My name,” said the girl at once, “is Aravis Tarkheena and I am the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Ilsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god Tash. My father is lord of the province of Calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of the Tisroc himself (may he live forever). My mother (on whom be the peace of the gods) is dead and my father has married another wife. One of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child. Now it came to pass that my father's wife, my stepmother, hated me and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as I lived in my father's house. And so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to Ahoshta Tarkaan. Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these latter years he has won the favour of the Tisroc (may he live forever) by flattery and evil counsels, and is now made a Tarkaan and lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the Grand Vizier when the present Grand Vizier dies. Moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his back and his face resembles that of an ape. Nevertheless my father, because of the wealth and power of this Ahoshta, and being persuaded by his wife, sent messengers offering me in marriage, and the offer was favourably accepted and Ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer.”

“When this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and I laid myself on my bed and wept for a day. But on the second day I rose up and washed my face and caused my mare Hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone. And when my father's house was out of sight and I was come to a green open place in a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men, I dismounted from Hwin my mare and took out the dagger. Then I parted my clothes where I thought the readiest way lay to my heart and I prayed to all the gods that as soon as I was dead I might find myself with my brother. After that I shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart. But before I had done so, this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said, ‘O my mistress, do not by any means destroy yourself, for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike.’”

“I didn't say it half so well as that,” muttered the mare.

“Hush, Ma'am, hush,” said Bree, who was thoroughly enjoying the story. “She's telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc's court could do it better. Pray go on, Tarkheena.”

“When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare,” continued Aravis, “I said to myself, the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions. And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat. Therefore I addressed myself a second time to the stabbing, but Hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter. And now my wonder was so great that I forgot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, ‘O my mare, how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men?’ And Hwin told me what is known to all this company, that in Narnia there are beasts that talk, and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal. She told me also of the woods and waters of Narnia and the castles and the great ships, till I said, ‘In the name of Tash and Azaroth and Zardeenah, Lady of the Night, I have a great wish to be in that country of Narnia.’ ‘O my mistress,’ answered the mare, ‘if you were in Narnia you would be happy, for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will.’”

“And when we had talked together for a great time hope returned to me and I rejoiced that I had not killed myself. Moreover it was agreed between Hwin and me that we should steal ourselves away together and we planned it in this fashion. We returned to my father's house and I put on my gayest clothes and sang and danced before my father and pretended to for delighted with the marriage which he had prepared be me. Also I said to him, ‘O my father and O the delight of my eyes, give me your licence and permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret sacrifices to Zardeenah, Lady of the Night and of Maidens, as is proper and customary for damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of Zardeenah and prepare themselves for marriage.’ And he answered, ‘O my daughter and O the delight of my eyes, so shall it be.’”

“But when I came out from the presence of my father I went immediately to the oldest of his slaves, his secretary, who had dandled me on his knees when I was a baby and loved me more than the air and the light. And I swore him to be secret and begged him to write a certain letter for me. And he wept and implored me to change my resolution but in the end he said, ‘To hear is to obey,’ and did all my will. And I sealed the letter and hid it in my bosom.”

“But what was in the letter?” asked Shasta.

“Be quiet, youngster,” said Bree. “You're spoiling the story. She'll tell us all about the letter in the right place. Go on, Tarkheena.”

“Then I called the maid who was to go with me to the woods and perform the rites of Zardeenah and told her to wake me very early in the morning. And I became merry with her and gave her wine to drink; but I had mixed such things in her cup that I knew she must sleep for a night and a day. As soon as the household of my father had committed themselves to sleep I arose and put on an armour of my brother's which I always kept in my chamber in his memory. I put into my girdle all the money I had and certain choice jewels and provided myself also with food, and saddled the mare with my own hands and rode away in the second watch of the night. I directed my course not to the woods where my father supposed that I would go but north and east to Tashbaan.”

“Now for three days and more I knew that my father would not seek me, being deceived by the words I had said to him. And on the fourth day we arrived at the city of Azim Balda. Now Azim Balda stands at the meeting of many roads and from it the posts of the Tisroc (may he live forever) ride on swift horses to every part of the empire: and it is one of the rights and privileges of the greater Tarkaans to send messages by them. I therefore went to the Chief of the Messengers in the House of Imperial Posts in Azim Balda and said, ‘O dispatcher of messages, here is a letter from my uncle Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan lord of Calavar. Take now these five crescents and cause it to be sent to him.’ And the Chief of the Messengers said, ‘To hear is to obey.’”

“This letter was feigned to be written by Ahoshta and this was the signification of the writing: ‘Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan, salutation and peace. In the name of Tash the irresistible, the inexorable. Be it known to you that as I made my journey towards your house to perform the contract of marriage between me and your daughter Aravis Tarkheena, it pleased fortune and the gods that I fell in with her in the forest when she had ended the rites and sacrifices of Zardeenah according to the custom of maidens. And when I learned who she was, being delighted with her beauty and discretion, I became inflamed with love and it appeared to me that the sun would be dark to me if I did not marry her at once. Accordingly I prepared the necessary sacrifices and married your daughter the same hour that I met her and have returned with her to my own house. And we both pray and charge you to come hither as speedily as you may that we may be delighted with your face and speech; and also that you may bring with you the dowry of my wife, which, by reason of my great charges and expenses, I require without delay. And because thou and I are as brothers I assure myself that you will not be angered by the haste of my marriage which is wholly occasioned by the great love I bear your daughter. And I commit you to the care of all the gods.’”

“As soon as I had done this I rode on in all haste from Azim Balda, fearing no pursuit and expecting that my father, having received such a letter, would send messages to Ahoshta or go to him himself, and that before the matter was discovered I should be beyond Tashbaan. And that is the pith of my story until this very night when I was chased by lions and met you at the swimming of the salt water.”

“And what happened to the girl—the one you drugged?” asked Shasta.

“Doubtless she was beaten for sleeping late,” said Aravis coolly. “But she was a tool and spy of my stepmother's. I am very glad they should beat her.”

“I say, that was hardly fair,” said Shasta.

“I did not do any of these things for the sake of pleasing you,” said Aravis.

“And there's another thing I don't understand about that story,” said Shasta. “You're not grown up, I don't believe you're any older than I am. I don't believe you're as old. How could you be getting married at your age?”

Aravis said nothing, but Bree at once said, “Shasta, don't display your ignorance. They're always married at that age in the great Tarkaan families.”

Shasta turned very red (though it was hardly light enough for the others to see this) and felt snubbed. Aravis asked Bree for his story. Bree told it, and Shasta thought that he put in a great deal more than he needed about the falls and the bad riding. Bree obviously thought it very funny, but Aravis did not laugh. When Bree had finished they all went to sleep.

Next day all four of them, two horses and two humans, continued their journey together. Shasta thought it had been much pleasanter when he and Bree were on their own. For now it was Bree and Aravis who did nearly all the talking. Bree had lived a long time in Calormen and had always been among Tarkaans and Tarkaans' horses, and so of course he knew a great many of the same people and places that Aravis knew. She would always be saying things like “But if you were at the fight of Zulindreh you would have seen my cousin Alimash,” and Bree would answer, “Oh, yes, Alimash, he was only captain of the chariots, you know. I don't quite hold with chariots or the kind of horses who draw chariots. That's not real cavalry. But he is a worthy nobleman. He filled my nosebag with sugar after the taking of Teebeth.” Or else Bree would say, “I was down at the lake of Mezreel that summer,” and Aravis would say, “Oh, Mezreel! I had a friend there, Lasaraleen Tarkheena. What a delightful place it is. Those gardens, and the Valley of the Thousand Perfumes!” Bree was not in the least trying to leave Shasta out of things, though Shasta sometimes nearly thought he was. People who know a lot of the same things can hardly help talking about them, and if you're there you can hardly help feeling that you're out of it.

Hwin the mare was rather shy before a great war horse like Bree and said very little. And Aravis never spoke to Shasta at all if she could help it.

Soon, however, they had more important things to think of. They were getting near Tashbaan. There were more, and larger, villages, and more people on the roads. They now did nearly all their travelling by night and hid as best they could during the day. And at every halt they argued and argued about what they were to do when they reached Tashbaan. Everyone had been putting off this difficulty, but now it could be put off no longer. During these discussions Aravis became a little, a very little, less unfriendly to Shasta; one usually gets on better with people when one is making plans than when one is talking about nothing in particular.

Bree said the first thing now to do was to fix a place where they would all promise to meet on the far side of Tashbaan even if, by any ill luck, they got separated in passing the city. He said the best place would be the Tombs of the Ancient Kings on the very edge of the desert. “Things like great stone beehives,” he said, “you can't possibly miss them. And the best of it is that none of the Calormenes will go near them because they think the place is haunted by ghouls and are afraid of it.” Aravis asked if it wasn't really haunted by ghouls. But Bree said he was a free Narnian horse and didn't believe in these Calormene tales. And then Shasta said he wasn't a Calormene either and didn't care a straw about these old stories of ghouls. This wasn't quite true. But it rather impressed Aravis (though at the moment it annoyed her too) and of course she said she didn't mind any number of ghouls either. So it was settled that the Tombs should be their assembly place on the other side of Tashbaan, and everyone felt they were getting on very well till Hwin humbly pointed out that the real problem was not where they should go when they had got through Tashbaan but how they were to get through it.

“We'll settle that tomorrow, Ma'am,” said Bree. “Time for a little sleep now.”

But it wasn't easy to settle. Aravis's first suggestion was that they should swim across the river below the city during the night and not go into Tashbaan at all. But Bree had two reasons against this. One was that the river-mouth was very wide and it would be far too long a swim for Hwin to do, especially with a rider on her back. (He thought it would be too long for himself too, but he said much less about that.) The other was that it would be full of shipping and of course anyone on the deck of a ship who saw two horses swimming past would be almost certain to be inquisitive.

Shasta thought they should go up the river above Tashbaan and cross it where it was narrower. But Bree explained that there were gardens and pleasure houses on both banks of the river for miles and that there would be Tarkaans and Tarkheenas living in them and riding about the roads and having water parties on the river. In fact it would be the most likely place in the world for meeting someone who would recognise Aravis or even himself.

“We'll have to have a disguise,” said Shasta.

Hwin said it looked to her as if the safest thing was to go right through the city itself from gate to gate because one was less likely to be noticed in the crowd. But she approved of the idea of disguise as well. She said, “Both the humans will have to dress in rags and look like peasants or slaves. And all Aravis's armour and our saddles and things must be made into bundles and put on our backs, and the children must pretend to drive us and people will think we're only pack-horses.”

“My dear Hwin!” said Aravis rather scornfully. “As if anyone could mistake Bree for anything but a war horse however you disguised him!”

“I should think not, indeed,” said Bree, snorting and letting his ears go ever so little back.

“I know it's not a very good plan,” said Hwin. “But I think it's our only chance. And we haven't been groomed for ages and we're not looking quite ourselves (at least, I'm sure I'm not). I do think if we get well plastered with mud and go along with our heads down as if we're tired and lazy—and don't lift our hooves hardly at all— we might not be noticed. And our tails ought to be cut shorter: not neatly, you know, but all ragged.”

“My dear Madam,” said Bree. “Have you pictured to yourself how very disagreeable it would be to arrive in Narnia in that condition?”

“Well,” said Hwin humbly (she was a very sensible mare), “the main thing is to get there.”

Though nobody much liked it, it was Hwin's plan which had to be adopted in the end. It was a troublesome one and involved a certain amount of what Shasta called stealing, and Bree called “raiding”. One farm lost a few sacks that evening and another lost a coil of rope the next: but some tattered old boy's clothes for Aravis to wear had to be fairly bought and paid for in a village. Shasta returned with them in triumph just as evening was closing in. The others were waiting for him among the trees at the foot of a low range of wooded hills which lay right across their path. Everyone was feeling excited because this was the last hill; when they reached the ridge at the top they would be looking down on Tashbaan. “I do wish we were safely past it,” muttered Shasta to Hwin. “Oh I do, I do,” said Hwin fervently.

That night they wound their way through the woods up to the ridge by a woodcutter's track. And when they came out of the woods at the top they could see thousands of lights in the valley down below them. Shasta had had no notion of what a great city would be like and it frightened him. They had their supper and the children got some sleep. But the horses woke them very early in the morning.

The stars were still out and the grass was terribly cold and wet, but daybreak was just beginning, far to their right across the sea. Aravis went a few steps away into the wood and came back looking odd in her new, ragged clothes and carrying her real ones in a bundle. These, and her armour and shield and scimitar and the two saddles and the rest of the horses' fine furnishings were put into the sacks. Bree and Hwin had already got themselves as dirty and bedraggled as they could and it only remained to shorten their tails. As the only tool for doing this was Aravis's scimitar, one of the packs had to be undone again in order to get it out. It was a longish job and rather hurt the horses.

“My word!” said Bree, “if I wasn't a Talking Horse what a lovely kick in the face I could give you! I thought you were going to cut it, not pull it out. That's what it feels like.”

But in spite of semi-darkness and cold fingers all was done in the end, the big packs bound on the horses, the rope halters (which they were now wearing instead of bridles and reins) in the children's hands, and the journey began.

“Remember,” said Bree. “Keep together if we possibly can. If not, meet at the Tombs of the Ancient Kings, and whoever gets there first must wait for the others.”

“And remember,” said Shasta. “Don't you two horses forget yourselves and start talking, whatever happens.”

第三章 抵達塔什班城

女孩隨即說道:“我是泰克希娜阿拉維斯,是泰坎基特拉什的獨生女,基特拉什是泰坎里什蒂的兒子,里什蒂是泰坎老基特拉什的兒子,老基特拉什是蒂斯羅克伊爾松布勒的兒子,伊爾松布勒又是蒂斯羅克阿爾地布的兒子,都同屬塔什神一脈。我的父親是卡拉瓦爾城的長官,他可有權穿著靴子站在蒂斯羅克(愿他萬壽無疆)的面前哩。我的母親去世了(愿神佑她安息),我的父親再婚了。我的哥哥在遠西平息叛亂時犧牲了,我的弟弟還是個小孩子。話說我父親的妻子,就是我的繼母,很是不喜歡我,只要我待在父親的房里,她就覺得連太陽都黯淡無光了。于是,她便勸我的父親將我許配給泰坎阿霍什塔為妻。說到阿霍什塔,他出生卑微,雖然后來他憑著花言巧語和一肚子壞水,贏得了蒂斯羅克(愿他萬壽無疆)的青睞,成了一位泰坎,當上了許多城邦的長官,甚至還極有可能在現(xiàn)任首相死后,當選為下一任首相??墒牵辽俣加辛畾q了,不僅駝背,還長得像只大猩猩。然而,由于阿霍什塔腰纏萬貫又位高權重,于是在繼母的勸說下,我的父親還是派了媒人去向他求親。阿霍什塔欣然接受了提親,并捎話說要在今年盛夏就迎娶我?!?/p>

“得知這個消息,我眼前一黑昏了過去,躺在床上哭了整整一天。但到了第二天,我起床洗了臉,牽出我的赫溫,給它套上馬鞍,然后帶上一把鋒利的匕首,就是我哥哥在西部戰(zhàn)爭中佩戴的那把,獨自騎著馬兒離開了。父親的官邸已遠在天邊,我來到了樹林中的一片青青曠野上,那里杳無人煙。我從赫溫身上跨下,取出了匕首。我解開衣服,露出我覺得最好刺中心臟的地方,祈求眾神,待我死后便能同哥哥相聚。而后,我便閉上眼睛,咬緊牙關,拿起匕首就要刺進心臟。但我還沒來得及刺下去,就聽見這母馬兒用人類小姑娘的聲音說道:‘我的女主人啊,無論如何都別傷害自己。只有活著才會有好事發(fā)生,但要是死了,就什么都沒啦。’”

“我說的還沒這話一半好哩。”母馬兒嘟囔著。

“噓,女士,噓,”布里說道,它正全心全意地沉浸在故事中,“她可是在用高貴的卡樂門風講故事呢。在蒂斯羅克王國,沒人能講得比她還好了。請你繼續(xù)講吧,泰克希娜。”

“當我聽到我的馬兒竟在說人話時,”阿拉維斯接著說道,“我心想,對死亡的恐懼已經(jīng)讓我神志不清,產(chǎn)生幻覺了。我羞愧萬分,因為我們族人向來都視死亡如蟲咬。于是,我又一次舉起匕首要刺下去,但赫溫飛奔過來,它的頭就擋在我和匕首間,對我動之以情,曉之以理,像母親訓誡女兒一樣訓誡我。我驚呆了,什么自殺,什么阿霍什塔,我都拋到腦后了,我問道:‘我的馬兒呀,你是怎么學會像人類小姑娘一樣說話的呢?’赫溫告訴我,在納尼亞王國動物們都會說話,這事兒你們都已經(jīng)知道了,而它在還是個小馬駒的時候就被偷走了。它和我講起了納尼亞的森林和河流,城堡和巨輪,直講得我這樣起誓道:‘我愿以塔什神和阿扎羅斯神之名,以黑夜女神扎德依娜之名起誓,我的夙愿便是能去往納尼亞王國。’‘我的女主人啊,’母馬兒回道,‘要是在納尼亞,你肯定會幸福的,因為納尼亞的姑娘才不會被逼著結違心的婚呢。’”

“我們談了好久,我又重新燃起了希望,慶幸自己沒有尋短見。我們還說好要一起逃走,并隨之制定了計劃。我們返回父親的官邸,之后我盛裝打扮,在父親面前載歌載舞,裝出一副對他安排的這樁婚事心滿意足的樣子。接著我對他說道:‘我的父親啊,我的心之所樂啊,請您準許我,獨自帶上一位婢女在森林里待上三天,秘密地向黑夜女神、處女女神扎德依娜獻祭。當少女們得告別扎德依娜女神的佑護走向婚姻時,行此秘密獻祭才合乎規(guī)矩呢?!赣H答道:‘我的女兒啊,我的心之所樂啊,就這么辦吧。’”

“但我一從父親跟前出來,便馬上去尋他身邊年紀最大的一位仆人,也就是他的秘書。在我還是襁褓中的小嬰兒時,那位仆人便對我呵護備至,他愛我勝過空氣和光明。我請求他發(fā)誓為我保守秘密,懇求他為我書信一封。他啜泣著央求我回心轉(zhuǎn)意,但最后他終于妥協(xié)道:‘奉命唯謹?!磺卸既缥宜?。我把信封好,藏在懷里?!?/p>

“那信里說了些什么?”沙斯塔問。

“安靜點,小家伙,”布里說道,“你把故事都打斷啦!她會在適當?shù)臅r候,告訴我們信的內(nèi)容的。講下去吧,泰克希娜?!?/p>

“然后,我叫來那個要隨我一塊到森林里為扎德依娜女神獻祭的女仆,讓她明天一大早就要叫醒我。我同她言笑晏晏,還賞了她酒喝,但我在她杯中加了些料,足夠她睡上個一天一夜。當全府的人都入睡的時候,我便起身穿上哥哥的盔甲,我一直留它在房內(nèi)當個念想。我把所有的錢都裝進腰帶,挑了些珠寶,備了些吃的,親手為馬兒套上馬鞍。二更時分,便騎馬出逃了。父親以為我會去往森林,但我沒走那條路,而是朝東北方的塔什班城而去?!?/p>

“因為我騙父親的那一席話,我知道這三四天他是不會來找我的。第四天,我們抵達了阿齊姆?巴爾達城。阿齊姆?巴爾達城位于道路縱橫交錯的樞紐處,蒂斯羅克(愿他萬壽無疆)的郵差們在此啟程,快馬加鞭奔赴王國的每個角落。派他們?nèi)ニ托?,是高級泰坎才有的特權。于是我便到阿齊姆?巴爾達城的帝國郵政大樓里去見郵政局長,說道:‘送信的差使啊,我這有封信,是我叔叔泰坎阿霍什塔寄給卡拉瓦爾城長官泰坎基特拉什的。這是五新月幣,務必把信送到他手上。’郵政局長答道:‘奉命唯謹’。”

“這信是冒充阿霍什塔寫的,大致寫的是:泰坎阿霍什塔敬祝泰坎基特拉什安好。以不可抗拒、不屈不撓的塔什神之名為誓。望您周知,在我前去拜謁您,以履行同令愛泰克希娜阿拉維斯婚約的路上,蒙眾神庇佑,命運眷顧,我與她在林中偶然邂逅,那時她已按照少女的習俗,完成對扎德依娜女神的獻祭儀式。在我得知她真正的身份后,我為她的美麗和矜持所傾倒,心里燃起了愛情的熊熊烈火,只覺得若不能馬上同她完婚,連太陽都要黯淡無光了。于是,我便隨之備好必要的祭禮,當即和您的千金成婚,并將她帶回我府中。我們倆都祈盼您能盡快前來,我們樂意之至與您見面并交談。勞煩您帶上我妻子的嫁妝,因著我的巨大開銷,現(xiàn)在我迫不及待地需要這筆嫁妝。你我情同手足,我想你定不會因為婚禮匆忙而怪罪于我,這都全賴于我對您的女兒愛得深沉。愿眾神保佑您?!?/p>

“辦完這件事,我便匆匆忙忙騎馬從阿齊姆?巴爾達城離開,這下我就不用再擔心追兵了。我估摸我的父親接到這封信后,他定會捎信給阿霍什塔或是親自前去。這樣等事情敗露前,我早就不在塔什班城了。而后便是今晚,我被獅子追趕,在海里游著的時候遇到了你們。這便是我大致的經(jīng)歷了。”

“那被你下藥的那女孩后來怎么樣了?”沙斯塔問道。

“毫無疑問,她會因睡過頭而遭一頓打。”阿拉維斯冷冷地說道,“她可是我繼母手下的工具,是用來對付我的間諜。他們要是打了她,我喜聞樂見?!?/p>

“我說,那可一點兒也不公平?!鄙乘顾f。

“我做這些事又不是為了討好你?!卑⒗S斯說。

“在這故事中我還有一件事不明白,”沙斯塔說道,“你根本還是個沒長大的孩子。我不相信你會比我大或是和我一般大。你怎么會小小年紀就要結婚呢?”

阿拉維斯一言不發(fā),布里馬上說道:“沙斯塔,別再顯擺你的無知了。在他們大泰坎家族里,都是那么大年紀就結婚的?!?/p>

沙斯塔漲得滿臉通紅(盡管光線很暗,大家不會看清),覺得自己受到了冷落。阿拉維斯請布里講講它的遭遇。布里滔滔不絕起來,沙斯塔覺得布里根本無須大講特講他摔下馬和騎術不佳的事兒。布里顯然覺得這事著實有趣,可阿拉維斯倒沒有笑出聲來。布里的故事說完了,大家都去睡了。

第二天,他們一行——兩匹馬和兩個人——繼續(xù)一起趕路。沙斯塔覺得,就他和布里兩個人一塊趕路的時候,要比現(xiàn)在快活多了。現(xiàn)在,幾乎都是布里和阿拉維斯在講話。布里在卡樂門生活了好長一段時間,總和泰坎還有他們的馬兒待在一塊兒,所以許多阿拉維斯知道的人和地方,它當然也知道。她常常會說起這樣的事情,“要是你參加過尤林德雷戰(zhàn)役,你肯定見過我的堂兄阿里馬什?!辈祭锞蜁鹫f,“哦,沒錯,阿里馬什,他是戰(zhàn)車營的上尉,你知道的。我不大瞧得上戰(zhàn)車營,連同那拉戰(zhàn)車的馬兒,那可不是真正的騎兵。但阿里馬什不愧為貴族,占領蒂貝思城后,他給我的糧袋裝滿了糖。”或者布里會說起,“那年夏天,我還下到米茲里爾湖里去了?!卑⒗S斯便接道,“噢,米茲里爾湖!我在那兒有個朋友,她叫泰克希娜拉沙可里恩。那里庭園深深,幽谷飄香,真讓人心曠神怡!”布里絕沒有要孤立沙斯塔的意思,雖然沙斯塔時常覺得自己差不多是被孤立了。有共同語言的人總是忍不住會湊在一起講個不停,要是你在場的話,只怕也要覺得自己被孤立了。

在像布里這樣出色的戰(zhàn)馬面前,母馬兒赫溫顯得羞答答的,很少搭話。而阿拉維斯呢,除非萬不得已,不然是絕不會搭理沙斯塔的。

但很快,就有件更重要的事擺在他們面前了。他們馬上就要抵達塔什班城了。一路上,會經(jīng)過更多更大的村子,遇上更多的人。他們現(xiàn)在幾乎都在夜里趕路,白天盡量躲起來。每到一處,他們都會就抵達塔什班城后的事宜爭論不休。大家都一再拖延解決這道難題,但現(xiàn)在不能再拖下去了。在討論過程中,阿拉維斯對沙斯塔的態(tài)度變得友好了一點兒,就一點點兒。人們在商討計劃時總要比在閑聊時相處得好些。

布里說,現(xiàn)在要做的第一件事就是要定下一個地方,如果運氣不好,大家在城中走散了,就到塔什班城另一頭約定好的地方見面。它說最佳地點就是位于沙漠邊緣的古代國王陵墓?!熬褪莻€長得像巨大的石頭蜂房的地方,”布里說道,“你們不會錯過的。關鍵是沒有一個卡樂門人會靠近古墓,他們覺得那里有食尸鬼出沒,讓人不寒而栗。”阿拉維斯問那里是不是真的有食尸鬼出沒。布里則回答說,它是一匹自由的納尼亞馬兒,才不信這些卡樂門的傳說。沙斯塔接道,他也不是個卡樂門人,這些老掉牙的食尸鬼傳說,他可一點兒也不害怕。這話雖不能完全當真,但卻讓阿拉維斯印象深刻(盡管當時她有些惱怒),她自然也說道,管他有多少食尸鬼,她都無所謂呢。于是,事情就這么定下了,他們將古墓作為他們在塔什班城另一頭會合的地點。大家都覺得事情進展得十分順利,直到一旁的赫溫小心翼翼地指出,問題的關鍵不是他們穿過塔什班城后要去哪里會合,而是他們要怎么才能穿過塔什班城。

“這事我們明天會安排妥當?shù)?,女士?!辈祭镎f道,“是時候睡上一會兒了?!?/p>

可是,要把這件事情安排妥當絕非易事。阿拉維斯提出的第一個建議是,趁晚上橫渡塔什班城下游的河流,從而完全繞開塔什班城。但布里提出了兩點反對意見,一是河口太寬,對赫溫來說,要游過去實在太遠了,尤其是它背上還騎著一個人(對它來說,這距離也著實遠了些,不過它卻沒有多說)。還有一點是河上航運繁忙。當然啦,甲板上要是有誰瞧見兩匹馬兒在河里游著,一定會想探個究竟的。

沙斯塔認為要到塔什班城上游的河流去,那兒的河口更窄。但布里解釋說,那里的河流兩岸,好幾英里都是花園和游樂場。一定有泰坎和泰克希娜們住在那附近,大路上,他們騎著馬兒,河面上,他們又開著派對。事實上,這可能是這世上最容易有人認出阿拉維斯和它的地方了。

“那我們可以喬裝打扮一下?!鄙乘顾f。

赫溫說,在它看來,最安全的辦法莫過于直接從城門穿過塔什班城,藏在人群中反而不太會被注意到。不過,它也覺得需要喬裝一番。它說:“你們兩人都要穿得破破爛爛的,打扮得像個乞丐或是奴隸。阿拉維斯的盔甲、馬鞍,還有其他東西都要捆起來放在我們背上。孩子們就假裝在趕我們走,這樣人們就會以為我們不過是兩匹馱馬罷了?!?/p>

“我親愛的赫溫!”阿拉維斯挖苦道,“不管你怎么給布里喬裝打扮,有誰會認不出它是匹戰(zhàn)馬呢!”

“的確是這樣。”布里說著,哼哧一聲,耳朵微微后攏。

“我知道,這算不上個好辦法,”赫溫說道,“但這是我們唯一的機會了。況且,我們許久都沒精心梳理過了,變得都不太像自己了(至少,我和從前的模樣不大一樣了)。我真的覺得,要是我們都一身泥漿,頭埋得低低的,裝作筋疲力盡又無精打采的樣子——壓根兒不邁開步子走——可能不會有人注意到我們。還有,我們的尾巴要再剪短一點:參差不齊,你懂的,亂蓬蓬的?!?/p>

“我親愛的女士,”布里說道,“你想過嗎,要是我們以這副模樣出現(xiàn)納尼亞,那該有多丟人呀!”

“可是,”赫溫恭順地說道(它十分心平氣和),“關鍵是我們得到得了納尼亞才行?!?/p>

盡管大家都不太喜歡赫溫的計劃,但最后也不得不采納。這計劃委實麻煩,沙斯塔稱之為“偷竊”,而布里則稱之為“突襲”。頭天晚上,有一個農(nóng)場丟了幾個麻袋;第二天晚上,又有一個農(nóng)場丟了一卷繩子。不過,沙斯塔倒是安安分分地去村子里買來了破爛不堪的男孩子的舊衣服給阿拉維斯穿。入夜時分,他帶著這些舊衣服平安歸來。其他人正在小山腳下的樹林里等著他,山坡郁郁蔥蔥橫亙在他們將行的小徑上。終于到了最后一座山坡,大家都激動不已;只要登上山頂,他們便能俯瞰塔什班城?!拔艺嫦M覀兡芷桨泊┻^塔什班城?!鄙乘顾吐晫諟卣f道?!班蓿乙蚕M绱??!焙諟責崆械貞馈?/p>

那天夜里,他們借著伐木人的小徑,曲曲折折地穿過樹林,翻過山脊。走出山頂?shù)臉淞?,他們看到山腳下的萬千燈火。沙斯塔嚇了一跳,大城市該是何面貌,他一無所知。吃過晚飯,孩子們都睡了一會兒。但馬兒們一大早就叫醒了他們。

晨星未隱,芳草濕冷,天蒙蒙亮,晨曦照耀著遠方的海面。阿拉維斯走到樹林里,回來的時候她換上了新買來的破爛衣裳,她原來的衣服則卷在手上,看起來有些古怪。這些衣服和著她的盔甲、盾牌、短彎刀、兩個馬鞍,還有其他一些精細馬具都一并收進麻袋。布里和赫溫費了老大勁才把自己弄得臟兮兮的,只要再剪短一下尾巴就完事了。唯一能剪尾巴的工具就是阿拉維斯的短彎刀,于是,他們只得重新解開其中一個麻袋取出工具。這活計著實費時,馬兒們也頗受皮肉之苦。

“啊呀!”布里叫道,“如果我不是匹能言馬的話,我簡直要給你一個飛踢了!我以為你會把尾巴剪斷,而不是硬生生地扯斷?。∥腋杏X尾巴都要被扯掉了。”

晨色蒼茫,他們的手指都凍僵了,終于一切都準備就緒了。馬兒們馱著大袋行囊,孩子們牽著韁繩(現(xiàn)在馬兒們身上系著韁繩,沒戴轡頭和皮帶),就這樣啟程了。

“記住啦,”布里說道,“我們要盡可能地待在一塊兒,要是走散了,就在古代國王陵墓那兒會合。先到的人一定要等后面的人?!?/p>

“還有啊,記住了,”沙斯塔說道,“不管發(fā)生什么事,你們倆馬兒都別忘了自己的身份而開口說起人話來。”

用戶搜索

瘋狂英語 英語語法 新概念英語 走遍美國 四級聽力 英語音標 英語入門 發(fā)音 美語 四級 新東方 七年級 賴世雄 zero是什么意思東營市ZZ局家屬區(qū)英語學習交流群

  • 頻道推薦
  • |
  • 全站推薦
  • 推薦下載
  • 網(wǎng)站推薦