牛津書蟲系列 曾達的囚徒 3 The King goes to his coronation

3 The King goes to his coronation

3 國王加冕

I do not know how long I was asleep，but when I woken I was cold and wet.Sapt and Fritz stood there looking at me.'We had to wake you，'Sapt said.'Gold water was the only way.'

我不知道自己睡了多長時間，醒來時我發(fā)覺又冷又濕。薩普特和弗里茨站在那兒看著我。“我們得弄醒你，”薩普特說，“涼水是唯一的辦法。”

Fritz took my arm and turned me round.'Look!'he said.

弗里茨抓住我的胳膊讓我轉(zhuǎn)過身：“你看，”他說。

The King was on the floor，and when Sapt pushed him with his foot，he did not move.

國王在地板上。薩普特用腳碰他，但是他不動。

'We've been trying to wake him for half an hour，'said Fritz.'But he's sleeping like a dead man.'

“我們一直在想弄醒他，都有半個小時了。”弗里茨說，“可他睡得像死人一樣。”

The three of us looked at each other.

我們?nèi)四憧纯次遥铱纯茨恪?/p>

'Was there something in that last bottle of wine?'I asked.

“最后那瓶酒里有什么東西吧?”

'I don't know，'Sapt said，'but if be doesn't get to his coronation today，there'll never be a coronation for him.All Ruritania is waiting for him in Strelsau and Black Michael with half the army，too.We can't tell them that the King is too drunk to go to his own coronation!'

“我不知道。”薩普特說，“不過假如他今天不去加冕，他就永遠別想有另一個加冕典禮。所有的盧里塔尼亞人都在斯特萊索等著他。黑邁克爾也在那兒，還帶著一半兒軍隊。我們沒法告訴他們國王醉得太厲害，參加不了自己的加冕大典。”

'You can say he's ill，' I said.

“你可以說他病了。”我說。

'Ill!'Sapt laughed angrily.'Everybody will know what that means.He's been“ill”too many times before.'

“病了!”薩普特冷笑道，“誰都知道病了是什么意思。他以前已經(jīng)病得太多了。”

'Tell me，do you think somebody put something in his wine?'I asked.

“告訴我，你們想會不會有人把什么東西放在他的酒里了?”我問。

'It was Black Michael!'Fritz replied.'We all know he wants to be King himself.'

“是黑邁克爾干的!”弗里茨回答，“我們都知道他自己想當國王。”

For a moment or two we were all silent，and then Sapt looked at me，'You must go to Strelsau and take his place!'

有那么一會兒我們都沒說話，然后薩普特看著我，“你必須去斯特萊索代替他。”

I stared at him.'You're crazy，man!How can I do that?The King…'

我緊緊盯著他，“你瘋了!我怎么能干這個!國王他……”

'It's dangerous，I know，'said Sapt.'But it's our only chance.If you don't go，Black Michael will be King and the real king will be dead or a prisoner.'

“這很危險，我明白，”薩普特說，“但這是我們唯一的機會，要是你不去的話，黑邁克爾就會成為國王，而真正的國王就會死去或者成為一名囚徒。”

How could I refuse?It took me two minutes to decide.

我怎么能拒絕呢?我想了兩分鐘就下了決心。

'I'll go!'I said.

“我去!”我說。

'Well done，boy!'cried Sapt.He went on quickly and quietly.'After the coronation they'll take us to the palace for the night.When we're alone，you and I will leave and ride back here to fetch the King.He'll be all right by then.I'll take him back to Strelsau and you must get out of the country as fast as you can.'

“太好了，小伙子!”薩普特叫道。他快速而小聲地說下去，“大典之后，他們會帶我們?nèi)ネ鯇m過夜，等到就剩我們的時候，你和我騎馬回來接國王。他那時就沒事了。我會帶他去斯特萊索，而你必須離開這個國家。”

'But what about the soldiers?Fritz asked.'They're Duke Michael's men，and they're coming to take the King back to Strelsau for the coronation.'

“可是那些士兵怎么辦?”弗里茨問，“他們是黑邁克爾的人，他們會前來帶國王到斯特萊索去加冕。”

'We'll go before the soldiers get here，'Sapt said，'and we'll hide the King.'

“士兵還沒到達之前我們就走。”薩普特說，“而且我們還要把國王藏起來。”

He picked up the King in his arms and we opened the door.An old woman，Johann's mother，was standing there.She turned，without a word，and went back to the kitchen.

他抱起國王，我們打開了門。一個老太太，約翰的媽媽，正站在門外。她轉(zhuǎn)過身，一句話也沒說就走回了廚房。

'Did she hear?'Fritz asked.

“她聽到了嗎?”弗里茨問。

Don't worry.I'll make sure she can't talk，'Sapt said，and he carried the King away.

“別擔心，我會弄妥讓她沒法告訴別人的。”薩普特說著，把國王弄走了。

When he returned，he told us that he had locked the old woman in a room underground.The King and Josef were hidden in another room underground.'Josef will take care of the King and tell him everything when he wakes up.Come，'he went on，'there's no time to lose.It's already six o'clock.'

等他回來時，他告訴我們，他已經(jīng)把那個老太太鎖在一間地下室里了。“約瑟夫會照顧國王的，等國王醒來時會把什么都告訴他。來吧，”他說，“沒有時間了，已經(jīng)6點了。”

Soon I was dressed in the King's clothes，the horses were ready and we were on our way.As we rode through the forest，Sapt told me everything that he could about my life，my family，my friends，and the things I liked or did not like.He told me what to do when we got there，and how to speak to different people.He was a wonderful teacher，and I listened hard.One mistake could mean death for all three of us.

很快，我穿上了國王的衣服，馬早已備好，我們就上路了。當我們穿過森林時，薩普特盡他所能地告訴我一切，有關(guān)我的生活，我的家庭，我的朋友，我喜歡什么不喜歡什么。他告訴我等到了那兒要做什么，以及怎么和不同的人說話。他是個好老師，我聽得也很努力，因為一個錯誤就可能讓我們?nèi)藛拭?/p>

It was eight o'clock when we arrived at the station and got on the train，and by halfpast nine we were in Strelsau.

我們到車站上車的時候是8點鐘。8點半我們就到了斯特萊索。

And when King Rudolf the Fifth stepped out of the train，the people shouted，'God save the King!'

當國王魯?shù)婪蛭迨肋~出車廂時，人們歡呼道：“上帝拯救國王!”

Old Sapt smiled，'God save them both，'he said quietly.'I only hope we are all alive tonight!'

老薩普特微笑道，“上帝拯救他們兩個人。”他小聲說，“我只希望今晚我們都還活著!”