《最後一戰》第58期:小矮人的拒絕(1)
Chapter 13 How the Dwarfs Refused to Be Taken in
Tirian had thought - or he would have thought if he had time to think at all - that they were inside a little thatched stable, about twelve feet long and six feet wide. In reality they stood on grass, the deep blue sky was overhead, and the air which blew gently on their faces was that of a day in early summer. Not far away from them rose a grove of trees, thickly leaved, but under every leaf there peeped out the gold or faint yellow or purple or glowing red of fruits such as no one has seen in our world. The fruit made Tirian feel that it must be autumn but there was something in the feel of the air that told him it could not be later than June. They all moved towards the trees.
Everyone raised his hand to pick the fruit he best liked the look of, and then everyone paused for a second. This fruit was so beautiful that each felt "It can't be meant for me... surely we're not allowed to pluck it."
"It's all right," said Peter. "I know what we're all thinking. But I'm sure, quite sure, we needn't. I've a feeling we've got to the country where everything is allowed."
"Here goes, then!" said Eustace. And they all began to eat.
What was the fruit like? Unfortunately no one can describe a taste. All I can say is that, compared with those fruits, the freshest grapefruit you've ever eaten was dull, and the juiciest orange was dry, and the most melting pear was hard and woody, and the sweetest wild strawberry was sour. And there were no seeds or stones, and no wasps. If you had once eaten that fruit, all the nicest things in this world would taste like medicines after it. But I can't describe it. You can't find out what it is like unless you can get to that country and taste it for yourself.
When they had eaten enough, Eustace said to King Peter, "You haven't yet told us how you got here. You were just going to, when King Tirian turned up."
"There's not much to tell," said Peter. "Edmund and I were standing on the platform and we saw your train coming in. I remember thinking it was taking the bend far too fast. And I remember thinking how funny it was that our people were probably in the same train though Lucy didn't know about it -"
"Your people, High King?" said Tirian.
"I mean my Father and Mother - Edmund's and Lucy's and mine."
"Why were they?" asked Jill. "You don't mean to say they know about Narnia?"
"Oh no, it had nothing to do with Narnia. They were on their way to Bristol. I'd only heard they were going that morning. But Edmund said they'd be bound to be going by that train." (Edmund was the sort of person who knows about railways.)
"And what happened then?" said Jill.
"Well, it's not very easy to describe, is it, Edmund?" said the High King.
"Not very," said Edmund. "It wasn't at all like that other time when we were pulled out of our own world by Magic. There was a frightful roar and something hit me with a bang, but it didn't hurt. And I felt not so much scared as - well, excited. Oh - and this is one queer thing. I'd had a rather sore knee, from a hack at rugger. I noticed it had suddenly gone. And I felt very light. And then - here we were."
第13章 小矮人的拒絕
蒂蓮曾經認爲——或者是，如果他有工夫思考的話，他可能會認爲——他們大家是在一個小小的茅草屋頂的馬廄裏，大概十二英尺長、六英尺寬的光景。事實上，他們是站在草地上，頭頂上是深遠的蔚藍天空，溫柔地吹拂他們的臉的風，乃是初夏一日的風。離他們不遠處有一叢樹木，枝繁葉茂，但在每一片葉子的下面，微微露出金色的、淡黃色的、紫色的和火紅色的果實，在我們這個世界裏，可從未見過這樣的果實。果實使蒂蓮覺得必定是秋天了：但空氣裏某種感覺得到的東西告訴他，時令是不會晚於六月的。他們大家都向果樹走去。
每個人都伸出手來摘他最喜歡的模樣兒的果實，接下來每個人卻都停頓了片刻。果實是那麼美麗，使每個人都覺得：“這不可能是供我享受的……一定不會允許我們摘取的。”
“沒有關係的，”彼得說道，“我知道我們大家正在想什麼。但我深信，我深信無疑，我們是無需顧慮的。我有一種感覺：我們到了一個一切都允許我們享用的國家了。”
“那就吃吧！”尤斯塔斯說道。於是他們大家都開始吃蘋果。
這是種什麼樣的果實？可惜得很，沒有一個人能把它的味道描摹出來。我能說的只不過是：同這些果實比較起來，你所吃過的最新鮮的葡萄就顯得單調乏味了，汁液最豐富的橘子就顯得太乾了，入口而化的梨就顯得又硬又木了，最甜的野生草莓就顯得酸了。這些果實沒有籽，沒有核，也沒有黃蜂。你一旦吃過這些果實，從今以後，吃世界上一切最美妙的東西都會覺得味同吃藥一樣。但它的味道究竟如何，我還是描摹不出來。除非你能夠到那個國家去親口嘗一嘗，你是沒法兒知道它的滋味的。
他們吃夠了果實，尤斯塔斯對至尊王彼得說：“你還沒有告訴我們，你是怎麼到這兒來的。蒂蓮國王出現時，你正要說下去。”
“也沒有多少可說的，”彼得說道，“愛德蒙和我正站在月臺上，我們看見你乘的火車正在進站。我記得我心裏正在想：火車拐彎拐得太快了。而且我記得我心裏正在想：多麼希奇古怪，我們的人可能都在同一輛火車上，儘管露茜對此一無所知——”
“大國王，你們的人？”蒂蓮問。
“我的意思是指我的父親和母親——愛德蒙、露茜和我的父母。”
“爲什麼是他們呢？”吉爾問，“你的意思可是說他們認識納尼亞？”
“不，這和納尼亞毫不相干。他們是在去布裏斯托爾的途中。我在那天早晨才聽說他們要去那兒。但愛德蒙說他們非得坐這班火車不可。”(愛德蒙是那種熟悉鐵路運行情況的人。)
“然後發生了什麼事？”吉爾問。
“呀，這可不容易描寫，愛德蒙，你說是嗎？”
“不大容易，”愛德蒙，“壓根兒跟上回不同，上回我們是被魔法從我們的世界裏拉出來的。但聽得一陣可怕的喧譁，有個東西砰地打了我一下，但沒有傷着我。我覺得大爲吃驚——也覺得興奮。噢——那是件希奇古怪的事情。我曾經膝頭很疼，打橄欖球時給踢疼的。我發覺疼痛突然消失了。我感到十分輕鬆。接着——我們竟到了這兒啦。”
