《最後一戰》第73期:告別幻影世界(1)
Chapter 16 Farewell to Shadowlands
IF one could run without getting tired, I don't think one would often want to do anything else. But there might be special reasons for stopping, and it was a special reason which made Eustace presently shout: "I say! Steady! Look what we're coming to!"
And well he might. For now they saw before them Caldron Pool and beyond the Pool the high unclimbable cliffs and, pouring down the cliffs, thousands of tons of water every second, flashing like diamonds in some places and dark, glassy green in others, the Great Waterfall; and already the thunder of it was in their ears.
"Don't stop! Further up and further in," called Farsight, tilting his flight a little upwards.
"It's all very well for him," said Eustace, but Jewel also cried out: "Don't stop. Further up and further in! Take it in your stride."
His voice could only just be heard above the roar of the water but next moment everyone saw that he had plunged into the Pool. And helter-skelter behind him, with splash after splash, all the others did the same. The water was not biting cold as all of them (and especially Puzzle) expected, but of a delicious foamy coolness. They all found they were swimming straight for the Waterfall itself.
"This is absolutely crazy," said Eustace to Edmund.
"I know. And yet -" said Edmund.
"Isn't it wonderful?" said Lucy. "Have you noticed one can't feel afraid, even if one wants to? Try it."
"By Jove, neither one can," said Eustace after he had tried.
Jewel reached the foot of the Waterfall first, but Tirian was only just behind him. Jill was last, so she could see the whole thing better than the others. She saw something white moving steadily up the face of the Waterfall. That white thing was the Unicorn. You couldn't tell whether he was swimming or climbing, but he moved on, higher and higher. The point of his horn divided the water just above his head, and it cascaded out in two rainbow-coloured streams all round his shoulders. Just behind him came King Tirian. He moved his legs and arms as if he were swimming but he moved straight upwards: as if one could swim up the wall of a house.
What looked funniest was the Dogs. During the gallop they had not been at all out of breath, but now, as they swarmed and wriggled upwards, there was plenty of spluttering and sneezing among them; that was because they would keep on barking, and every time they barked they got their mouths and noses full of water. But before Jill had time to notice all these things fully, she was going up the Waterfall herself. It was the sort of thing that would have been quite impossible in our world. Even if you hadn't been drowned, you would have been smashed to pieces by the terrible weight of water against the countless jags of rock. But in that world you could do it. You went on, up and up, with all kinds of reflected lights flashing at you from the water and all manner of coloured stones flashing through it, till it seemed as if you were climbing up light itself - and always higher and higher till the sense of height would have terrified you if you could be terrified, but later it was only gloriously exciting. And then at last one came to the lovely, smooth green curve in which the water poured over the top and found that one was out on the level river above the Waterfall. The current was racing away behind you, but you were such a wonderful swimmer that you could make headway against it. Soon they were all on the bank, dripping buthappy.
A long valley opened ahead and great snow-mountains, now much nearer, stood up against the sky.
第16章 告別幻影世界
一個人，如果能夠飛跑而不感到疲倦，我想他就不會想到做別的事情了。但，說不定會有停下步來的特別緣故，而這就是使尤斯塔斯大叫的緣故：“聽我說！別急！瞧瞧我們來到什麼地方了！”
他很可能停下來了。因爲現在他們看到了大鍋淵、大鍋淵背後高不可攀的懸崖，以及每秒鐘從懸崖上傾瀉而下幾千噸水的大瀑布，它在某些地方閃爍如金剛鑽，在另外一些地方呈玻璃似的暗綠色；而雷鳴似的瀑布聲已經響徹他們的耳中。
“別停下來！朝更高更深處前進！”老鷹一面呼喚，一面斜斜地稍稍往上飛翔。
“對於它，一切都很方便。”尤斯塔斯說道，但獨角獸珍寶也呼喚道：“別停止。朝更高更深處前進！你大步前進時要心領神會這種精神。”
大瀑布轟隆聲中，獨角獸的呼聲勉強能夠聽得到，但片刻之後就看見它深入到大鍋淵裏去了。手忙腳亂，濺水潑水，其他的人和獸也都下去了。水並不像他們大家(特別是驢子迷惑)所料想的冰冷徹骨，倒是冒着泡沫，涼快宜人。他們大家都發現：他們正筆直地向大瀑布游去。
“簡直是完全瘋了。”尤斯塔斯對愛德蒙說道。
“我知道，然而……”愛德蒙說道。
“這豈不神奇嗎？”露茜說，“你有沒有注意到，人沒法兒感到害怕，即使想要害怕也辦不到？你試試。”
“天哪，真是沒法兒害怕。”尤斯塔斯試試後說道。
獨角獸珍寶第一個到達大瀑布底下，但蒂蓮就跟在它後面。吉爾最後一個到達，所以她比其他的人看得清楚。她看見有個白色的東西在大瀑布的水面上穩穩地移動。白色的東西就是獨角獸。你沒法兒說它是在游泳還是在攀登，但它是在前進，愈進愈高。它那獨角的尖端把那正好在它頭頂之上的水分開，水分成兩股七彩溪流繞着它的肩膀淌下來。就在獨角獸的後面，國王蒂蓮也趕到了。他揮動着他的兩腿和兩臂，彷彿是在游泳，但他是在筆直地向上移動：彷彿他能游上牆壁似的。
看起來最可笑的是狗兒們。一路奔馳時它們壓根兒不曾透不過氣來，可現在擠在一起，往上扭動，彼此雜亂地談了許多話，卻打了許多噴嚏；那是因爲它們老是不斷地吠叫，而每次吠叫都弄得滿嘴滿鼻子都是水。但，吉爾來不及把這些事情充分看仔細，她自己也爬進大瀑布裏。這是一種在我們的世界裏完全不可能辦到的事情。瀑布以那麼可怕的重量衝在石頭尖上，即使你沒有被淹死，也被衝得粉身碎骨了。但是在那個世界裏，你倒能辦到的。你繼續前進，上升再上升，各種來自瀑布的反光照耀在你身上，各式各樣的彩色石子又從水中折射出光芒來，這樣，看來好像是你正在光芒的本體上往上攀登哩——而且總是愈登愈高，甚至高的感覺會叫你大吃一驚，如果嚇得着你的話，但在這兒不過是光榮的興奮罷了。最後，來到大水由此涌向山頂的那美麗可愛、光滑蒼翠的彎道，便發覺自己已身在瀑布上方平坦的河上了。激流在你背後奔騰而去，但你倒是個神奇的游泳健將，竟能逆流而上。不久，他們大家都上了岸，渾身溼淋淋的，可是快快樂樂的。
前面展開着一個長長的河谷和巨大的積雪高山，高山映襯着天空，巍然矗立，近得多了。
