书城童书纳尼亚传奇系列(套装共7册)
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第398章 不可一世的猿猴(3)

It was a ginger cat-a great big Tom in the prime of life-who sat bolt upright with his tail curled round his toes, in the very front row of all the Beasts. He had been staring hard at the Ape and the Calormene captain all the time and had never once blinked his eyes.

“Excuse me,” said the Cat very politely, “but this interests me. Does your friend from Calormen say the same?”

“Assuredly,” said the Calormene. “The enlight-ened Ape-Man, I mean-is in the right. Aslan means neither less nor more than Tash.”

“Especially, Aslan means no more than Tash?” suggested the Cat. “No more at all,” said the Calormene, looking the Cat straight inthe face.

“Is that good enough for you, Ginger?” said the Ape.

“Oh certainly,” said Ginger coolly. “Thank you very much. I only wanted to be quite clear. I think I am beginning to understand.”

Up till now the King and Jewel had said nothing: they were waiting until the Ape should bid them speak, for they thought it was no use interrupting. But now, as Tirian looked round on the miserable faces of the Narnians, and saw how they would all believe that Aslan and Tash were one and the same, he could bear it no longer.

“Ape,” he cried with a great voice, “you lie. You lie damnably. You lie like a Calormene. You lie like an Ape.”

He meant to go on and ask how the terrible god Tash who fed on the blood of his people could possibly be the same as the good Lion by whose blood all Narnia was saved. If he had been allowed to speak, the rule of the Ape might have ended that day; the Beasts might have seen the truth and thrown the Ape down. But before he could say anotherword two Calormenes struck him in the mouth with all their force, and a third, from behind, kicked his feet from under him. And as he fell, the Ape squealed in rage and terror:

“Take him away. Take him away. Take him where he cannot hear us, nor we hear him. There tie him to a tree. I will-I mean, Aslan will- do justice on him later.”

中文阅读

“马儿师傅,马儿师傅,”提里安一边匆忙割断马的缰绳,一边问道,“这些外国人怎么会来奴役你们?纳尼亚被人征服了吗?是不是打了一仗?”“不,陛下,”马儿喘着粗气说,“阿斯兰在这里。一切都是按着他的吩咐。他命令——”“国王,小心,危险!”珠宝说。提里安抬起头来,看见卡罗门人(其中还混杂着几个会说话的动物)正从四面八方向他们跑来。那两个被杀的卡罗门人没来得及做声就送了命,所以过了片刻,众人才获悉发生了什么事情。既然知道了,大多数人手里都握着出鞘的短弯刀。

“快!骑到我的背上来!”珠宝说。国王噌地一下跳到老朋友背上,珠宝转身飞奔起来。等到敌人看不见他们了,它又改变两三次方向,渡过一条溪流。它一边飞快的奔驰,一边大声问道:“陛下,去哪儿?去凯尔帕拉维尔吗?”

“别忙,朋友,”提里安说,“先让我下去。”他从独角兽背上滑下来,面对着它而立。

“珠宝,”国王说,“我们做了一件可怕的事情。”“我们都被愤怒冲昏了头脑。”珠宝说。“趁人不备袭击他们——没有先向他们挑战——而且他们没有武器——呸!我们是两个杀人犯,珠宝。我将会因此永远蒙羞抱愧。”珠宝低下了头,它也感到羞愧。

“况且,”国王说道,“那匹马说是遵照阿斯兰的命令。老鼠也这么说。它们都说阿斯兰在这里。如果这是真的,该怎么办呢?”

“但是,陛下,阿斯兰怎么能够命令人做这么可怕的事呢?”

“他不是一只温驯的狮子,”提里安说,“我们怎么知道他会做些什么呢?我们是杀人犯。珠宝,我要回去。我要放下我的剑,把自己交到卡罗门人的手里,让他们把我带到阿斯兰面前,由他来给我做出判决。”

“那么,你将要面对死亡。”珠宝说。“如果阿斯兰判我死刑,你认为我会在意吗?”国王说,“那算不得什么,根本不值得一提。阿斯兰终于来了,却不是我们所信仰和盼望的那个阿斯兰。与其提心吊胆,还不如死了的好!这就好像某一天太阳升起来了,可却是一个黑色的太阳。”

“我懂,”珠宝说,“或者说你去喝水,那水却不能解渴。你说得对,陛下。这就是一切事情的终结。让我们去自首吧。”

“没有必要我们两个都去。”“假如我们曾经彼此相爱,那就让我跟你一起去吧,”独角兽说,“如果你死了,如果阿斯兰并不是阿斯兰,生命对于我又有什么意义呢?”他们俩流着伤心的眼泪,转身一起走了回来。他们一回到干活的工地,卡罗门人立刻发出一声呐喊,手持武器朝他们扑了过来。国王将宝剑递出来,用剑柄对着他们,说道:“我过去是纳尼亚的国王,现在是一个名誉扫地的骑士,主动前来接受阿斯兰的判决。把我带去见他吧。”“我也前来自首。”珠宝说。

于是,那些黑皮肤的人密密麻麻地将他们包围起来。那些人身上发出大蒜和洋葱的气味,白眼珠儿在棕褐色的脸上发出凶光。他们用一根缰绳拴住珠宝的脖子,没收了国王的宝剑,把他的双手反绑在身后。有一个卡罗门人头上没有缠头巾,而是戴着一顶头盔,看样子是个指挥官,他一把抢去提里安头上的金环,匆匆塞在了衣服里。他们押着两个犯人走上山坡,来到一大片空地。下面是两个囚犯所看到的情景。

在空地中间,也就是小山的最高处,有一个马棚模样的、茅草屋顶的小窝棚。窝棚的门关着。门前的草地上坐着一只猿猴。提里安和珠宝满心盼望要见阿斯兰,他们从来没有听人提起过猿猴,因此都感到十分困惑。当然,那只猿猴就是席福特,它看上去比住在卡尔德龙池塘边时又丑了十倍。因为它现在乔装打扮,身上穿着一件大红上衣。那件衣服原来是小矮人的,它穿着不怎么合身。它的后爪上套着镶金嵌玉的拖鞋,也不像那么一回事儿,因为,你知道,猿猴的后爪子很像是手。它头上戴着一顶纸皇冠之类的东西,身边摆着一大堆坚果,它不住地磕着坚果,把果壳吐出来。它还不停地拉起大红上衣挠痒痒。一大群会说话的动物站在那里,面对着它,每张脸上都充满了忧虑和迷茫。当动物们认出犯人是谁的时候,就都呻吟着,呜呜哭了起来。