狮子·女巫·魔衣橱

C. S.刘易斯（万洁　译）

C. S. 劉易斯（1898—1963），英国著名文学家。所著儿童故事集《纳尼亚传奇》七部曲，情节动人，妙趣横生。本文选自《纳尼亚传奇》第一部《狮子·女巫·魔衣橱》。

“Where are we going anyway？” said Susan， chiefly for the sake of changing the subject.

“I think Lu ought to be the leader，” said Peter， “goodness knows she deserves it. Where will you take us， Lu？”

“What about going to see Mr Tumnus？” said Lucy. “Hes the nice Faun I told you about.”

Everyone agreed to this and off they went walking briskly and stamping their feet. Lucy proved a good leader. At first she wondered whether she would be able to find the way， but she recognized an oddlooking tree on one place and a stump in another and brought them on to where the ground became uneven and into the little valley and at last to the very door of Mr Tumnuss cave. But there a terrible surprise awaited them.

The door had been wrenched off its hinges and broken to bits. Inside， the cave was dark and cold and had the damp feel and smell of a place that had not been lived in for several days. Snow had drifted in from the doorway and was heaped on the floor， mixed with something black， which turned out to be the charred sticks and ashes from the fire. Someone had apparently flung it about the room and then stamped it out. The crockery lay smashed on the floor and the picture of the Fauns father had been slashed into shreds with a knife.

“我们到底往哪里走啊？”苏珊问道，她这样说，主要是为了岔开刚才的话题。

“我看，应当让露茜做向导，”彼得说，“也只有她配做向导。露茜，你打算带我们上哪儿去？”

“去看看图姆纳斯先生，好不好？”露茜答道，“他就是我对你们讲过的那个善良的半人羊。”

大家一致同意这个建议，于是立即出发。他们一边轻快地跑着，一边跺着脚。事实证明，露茜是个好向导。起初，她担心自己找不到路，但她在一个地方认出了一棵长得古里古怪的树，后来又认出了一个树桩，终于把大家带到了一个崎岖不平的地方，然后进了那个小山谷，没多久就到了图姆纳斯先生家的洞口。可他们所看到的却是一幅十分可怕的景象，他们都大吃一惊。

门已被扭了下来，断成了好几截，洞内又黑又冷，不仅潮湿，还满是霉味儿。看来，这个地方已经好些日子没有人住了。雪从洞口吹进来，在门口积成一堆，里面还混杂着一些黑乎乎的东西，再一看，原来是烧剩的木炭屑和炭灰。很明显，有人把烧着的柴火扔到了洞内，然后又把它们踩灭了。陶罐被打碎在地上，半人羊父亲的画像被人用刀子划成了碎片。

“This is a pretty good wash-out，” said Edmund; “not much good coming here.”

“What is this？” said Peter， stooping down. He had just noticed a piece of paper which had been nailed through the carpet to the floor.

“Is there anything written on it？” asked Susan.

“Yes， I think there is，” answered Peter， “but I cant read it in this light. Lets get out into the open air.”

They all went out in the daylight and crowded round Peter as he read out the following words：

The former occupant of these premises， the Faun Tumnus， is under arrest and awaiting his trial on a charge of High Treason against her Imperial Majesty Jadis， Queen of Narnia， Chatelaine of Cair Paravel， Empress of the Lone Islands， etc.， also of comforting her said Majestys enemies， harbouring spies and fraternizing with Humans.

signed MAUGRIM， Captain of the Secret Police， LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

The children stared at each other.

“I dont know that Im going to like this place after all，” said Susan.

“Who is this Queen， Lu？” said Peter. “Do you know anything about her？”

“She isnt a real queen at all，” answered Lucy; “shes a horrible witch， the White Witch. Everyone all the wood people—hate her. She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”

“這地方简直被糟蹋得不成样子。”爱德蒙说，“到这儿可真没劲。”

“这是什么？”彼得蹲下身子说。他发现地毯上钉有一张纸。

“上面有没有写字？”苏珊问。

“好像写了，”彼得回答，“但在这儿看不清，我们还是拿到外面去看吧。”

他们都跑到了洞外，围着彼得听他念道：

此处房宅原住户半人羊图姆纳斯，现因背叛纳尼亚女王、凯尔帕拉维尔城堡的女主人以及孤岛女皇陛下简蒂丝，袒护女王陛下的敌人，藏匿奸细，与人类亲善，现已被捕，择期受审。

保安局署长毛格林签字查封

女王陛下万岁！

孩子们面面相觑。

“我说不上我到底喜不喜欢这个地方。”苏珊说。

“这个女王是谁，露茜？”彼得问，“你知道她的情况吗？”

“她哪里是什么女王。”露茜回答说，“她是个可怕的女巫，就是那个白女巫。森林里所有的人都恨她。她对整个纳尼亚施了魔法，所以这里一年到头都是冬天，并且始终没有圣诞节。”

Word Study

stamp /st?mp/ v. 跺（脚）;重踩

I tried stamping my feet to keep warm.

heap /hi?p/ v. 在……上放很多东西;堆置

She heaped food on my plate.

apparently /?'p?r?ntli/ adv. 显然地;看来

He paused， apparently lost in thought.

“I—I wonder if theres any point in going on，” said Susan. “I mean， it doesnt seem particularly safe here and it looks as if it wont be much fun either. And its getting colder every minute， and weve brought nothing to eat. What about just going home？”

“Oh， but we cant， we cant，” said Lucy suddenly; “dont you see？ We cant just go home， not after this. It is all on my account that the poor Faun has got into this trouble. He hid me from the Witch and showed me the way back. Thats what it means by comforting the Queens enemies and fraternizing with Humans. We simply must try to rescue him.”

“A lot we could do！” said Edmund， “when we havent even got anything to eat！”

“Shut up—you！” said Peter， who was still very angry with Edmund. “What do you think， Susan？”

“Ive a horrid feeling that Lu is right，” said Susan. “I dont want to go a step further and I wish wed never come. But I think we must try to do something for Mr Whatever—his—name is—I mean the Faun.”

“Thats what I feel too，” said Peter. “Im worried about having no food with us. Id vote for going back and getting something from the larder， only there doesnt seem to be any certainty of getting into this country again when once youve got out of it. I think well have to go on.”

“我，我怀疑继续走下去是不是有意义。”苏珊说，“我是说，这里似乎不十分安全，也没有多少有趣的地方。天气越来越冷，我们又没带吃的东西。不如现在就回家吧。”

“哦，可我们不能回去，不能。”露茜马上说，“难道你们不明白吗？既然发现出了这种事情，我们就不能回家。可怜的半人羊是为了我才被逮捕的。我全靠他掩护才没有被女巫逮住，他还告诉了我回家的路。这张纸上说他袒护女王陛下的敌人、与人类亲善。就是指这些。我们必须赶快想办法救他。”

“我们连吃的东西都没带，还能做别的事吗？”爱德蒙说。

“你闭嘴！”彼得说，他还在生爱德蒙的气，“苏珊你怎么想的？”

“露茜说得对，发生这种事情真是恐怖。”苏珊说，“我一步也不想走了，唉，我真希望我们不曾到过这里。但我想，我们必须替那个先生做点什么，他叫什么名字来着？我没记住，总之我说的是那个半人羊。”

“我也这样想的。”彼得说，“我担心我们身上没带吃的东西，我觉得应该回去拿点儿吃的再来。但是，我怕我们出去以后就不能再到这里来了。所以我想我们得继续前进。”

“So do I，” said both the girls.

“If only we knew where the poor chap was imprisoned！” said Peter.

They were all still wondering what to do next， when Lucy said， “Look！ Theres a robin， with such a red breast. Its the first bird Ive seen here. I say！—I wonder can birds talk in Narnia？ It almost looks as if it wanted to say something to us.” Then she turned to the Robin and said， “Please， can you tell us where Tumnus the Faun has been taken to？” As she said this she took a step towards the bird. It at once flew away but only as far as to the next tree. There it perched and looked at them very hard as if it understood all they had been saying. Almost without noticing that they had done so， the four children went a step or two nearer to it. At this the Robin flew away again to the next tree and once more looked at them very hard. （You couldnt have found a robin with a redder chest or a brighter eye.）

“Do you know，” said Lucy， “I really believe he means us to follow him.”

“Ive an idea he does，” said Susan. “What do you think， Peter？”

“Well， we might as well try it，” answered Peter.

“我也這样想。”两个女孩子异口同声地说。

“要是我们知道这个可怜的半人羊被囚禁在什么地方就好了。”彼得说。

大家默不作声，考虑着下一步该怎么办。突然，露茜对大家说：“你们看，那里有一只知更鸟，它的胸脯可真红啊！它是我在这儿看到的第一只鸟。哎呀，我在想纳尼亚的鸟儿也许会讲话呢！它看来好像有什么话要对我们说似的。”说着，她就转过身对知更鸟说：“请问，你知道半人羊图姆纳斯先生被押送到什么地方去了吗？”她说着，又朝着鸟儿走近了一步。那知更鸟立即就飞走了，不过它就落在相邻的一棵树上。它停在那儿，紧紧地盯着他们，好像完全听得懂他们说的话似的。四个孩子下意识地一起向它走了一两步。看到他们走近了，那鸟儿又飞到了更远的一棵树上，仍然紧盯着他们。（你肯定没见过胸脯比它还要红、眼睛比它还要亮的知更鸟）

“你们明白了吗？”露茜说，“它是要我们跟着它走呢。”

“我看也是这样。”苏珊说，“彼得，你看呢？”

“嗯，我们可以试试。”彼得说。

The Robin appeared to understand the matter thoroughly. It kept going from tree to tree， always a few yards ahead of them， but always so near that they could easily follow it. In this way it led them on， slightly downhill. Wherever the Robin alighted a little shower of snow would fall off the branch. Presently the clouds parted overhead and the winter sun came out and the snow all around them grew dazzlingly bright. They had been travelling in this way for about half an hour， with the two girls in front， when Edmund said to Peter， “if youre not still too high and mighty to talk to me， Ive something to say which youd better listen to.”

“What is it？” asked Peter.

“Hush！ Not so loud，” said Edmund; “theres no good frightening the girls. But have you realized what were doing？”

“What？” said Peter， lowering his voice to a whisper.

“Were following a guide we know nothing about. How do we know which side that bird is on？ Why shouldnt it be leading us into a trap？”

“Thats a nasty idea. Still—a robin， you know. Theyre good birds in all the stories Ive ever read. Im sure a robin wouldnt be on the wrong side.”

“If it comes to that， which is the right side？ How do we know that the Fauns are in the right and the Queen （yes， I know weve been told shes a witch） is in the wrong？ We dont really know anything about either.”

“The Faun saved Lucy.”

“He said he did. But how do we know？ And theres another thing too. Has anyone the least idea of the way home from here？”

“Great Scott！” said Peter， “I hadnt thought of that.”

“And no chance of dinner either，” said Edmund.

那知更鸟好像完全懂事似的，不断地从一棵树飞到另一棵树，总是飞落在离他们仅仅几码远的地方，让他们很容易跟上它。它就这样引着他们慢慢地走下山坡。它每停一处，那儿的树枝上就掉下一阵雪来。没过多久，天上的乌云散开了，太阳出来了，四周的雪地变得更加晶莹耀眼。他们就这样一直走了半个小时左右。两个女孩子走在前面，爱德蒙对彼得说：“如果你们不再端着架子、装出一副清高样子，我有话要说，你们最好听听。”

“你要說什么？”彼得问。

“嘘，小声点。”爱德蒙说，“别吓着前面的女孩子。你有没有意识到我们是在干什么？”

“什么？”彼得压低了声音问。

“我们跟随的这个向导，它的情况我们一点也不清楚。我们怎么知道那鸟儿是哪一边的呢？难道它就不会把我们带到陷阱里去吗？”

“这想法真不应该。在我读过的所有的故事里，知更鸟都是善良的鸟儿。我敢肯定，知更鸟不会选错阵营的。”

“就算是这样吧，哪一边是所谓的正确阵营呢？我们又怎么能肯定半人羊是正确的，而女王——是的，我知道人们管她叫女巫——是错误的呢？他们两边的情况我们的确一点也不清楚。”

“半人羊救了露茜。”

“这是半人羊的一家之言，我们怎么知道是真是假？还有，有谁知道回去的路怎么走呢？”

“天哪！”彼得说，“这些问题我还没有考虑过呢！”

“而且咱们连饭都没得吃！”爱德蒙说。

Word Study

rescue /'reskju?/ v. 营救;援救

You rescued me from an embarrassing situation.

vote /v??t/ v. 投票（赞成或反对）

Well listen to the arguments on both sides and then vote on it.

imprison /?m'pr?zn/ v. 监禁;关押

They were imprisoned for possession of drugs.

dazzlingly /'d?z???li/ adv. 令人眼花地;令人目眩地

The box was full of dazzlingly shining gold coins.