《最後一戰》第36期:馬廄山的集會(1)

Chapter 9 The Great Meeting on Stable Hill

Fop, a long time they could not speak nor even shed a tear. Then the Unicorn stamped the ground with his hoof, and shook his mane, and spoke.

"Sire," he said, "there is now no need of counsel. We see that the Ape's plans were laid deeper than we dreamed of. Doubtless he has been long in secret traffic with The Tisroc, and as soon as he had found the lion-skin he sent him word to make ready his navy for the taking of Cair Paravel and all Narnia. Nothing now remains for us seven but to go back to Stable Hill, proclaim the truth, and take the adventure that Aslan sends us. And if, by a great marvel, we defeat those thirty Calormenes who are with the Ape, then to turn again and die in battle with the far greater host of them that will soon march from Cair Paravel."

Tirian nodded. But he turned to the children and said: "Now, friends, it is time for you to go hence into your own world. Doubtless you have done all that you were sent to do."

"B - but we've done nothing," said Jill who was shivering, not with fear exactly but because everything was so horrible.

"Nay," said the King, "you loosed me from the tree: you glided before me like a snake last night in the wood and took Puzzle: and you, Eustace, killed your man. But you are too young to share in such a bloody end as we others must meet tonight or, it may be, three days hence. I entreat you - nay, I command you - to return to your own place. I should be put to shame if I let such young warriors fall in battle on my side."

"No, no, no," said Jill (very white when she began speaking and then suddenly very red and then white again.) "We won't, I don't care what you say. We're going to stick to you whatever happens, aren't we, Eustace?"

"Yes, but there's no need to get so worked up about it," said Eustace who had stuck his hands in his pockets (forgetting how very odd that looks when you are wearing a mail shirt). "Because, you see, we haven't any choice. What's the good of talking about our going back! How? We've got no magic for doing it!"

This was very good sense but, at the moment, Jill hated Eustace for saying it. He was fond of being dreadfully matter-of-fact when other people got excited.

When Tirian realized that the two strangers could not get home (unless Aslan suddenly whisked them away), he next wanted them to go across the Southern mountains into Archenland where they might possibly be safe. But they didn't know their way and there was no one to send with them. Also, as Poggin said, once the Calormenes had Narnia they would certainly take Archenland in the next week or so: The Tisroc had always wanted to have these Northern countries for his own. In the end Eustace and Jill begged so hard that Tirian said they could come with him and take their chance - or, as he much more sensibly called it, "the adventure that Aslan would send them".

第9章 馬廄山的集會

他們好久說不出話來，甚至也落不出一滴眼淚來。然後，獨角獸用蹄子跺着大地，搖晃着鬃毛，說話了。

"陛下，"它說，"現在無需商量了。我們發覺無尾猿的陰謀，埋藏得比我們所夢想的還要深。毫無疑問，它已經長期和'蒂斯羅克'祕密來往了，乃至它找到了獅子皮毛，它就和'蒂斯羅克'捎話，叫他部署海軍準備攻陷凱爾帕拉維爾和納尼亞王國全境。現在我們七個沒有別的辦法，只有回到馬廄山，宣佈事情的真相，並且冒險說是阿斯蘭派我們去的。如果出現巨大的奇蹟，我們竟打敗了跟無尾猿狼狽爲奸的三十個卡樂門士兵，我們就重新轉過頭去，迎戰不久將從凱爾帕拉維爾開過來的更加人多勢衆的卡樂門大部隊，而且戰死沙場。"

蒂蓮點點頭。但他轉過來跟孩子們說道"啊，朋友們，你們從此回到你們自己的世界裏去的時候到了。毫無疑問，你們已經做好了派你們來做的一切事情。"

"然——然而我們沒有做什麼呀。"吉爾說，她正在哆嗦，說她害怕可不確切，倒是因爲她感到切是那麼糟糕討厭。

"這話不對，"國王說道，"你替我從樹上鬆綁，你昨夜又在我前邊像條蛇似的在樹林中渭行，而且逮住了驢子迷惑；而你，尤斯塔斯，殺死了那卡樂門士兵。但你們都太年輕了，不必像我們一樣去參加這樣一個血腥的結局，而我們其他的人，今夜，或者也許是三天以後，都是必須面對這個結局的。我懇求你們——不，我命令你們——回到你們自己的世界去。如果我讓這樣年幼的戰士在戰鬥中在我的身旁倒下來，我就該羞愧得無地自容了。"

"不，不，不，"吉爾說道(她剛開口說話時，臉色十分蒼白，然後又突然漲得通紅，接着卻又重新發白了)，"我們不願回去，你所說的那些情況，我們不在乎。不論發生什麼事情，我們都要忠於你，同你站在一起，尤斯塔斯，你說是嗎?"

"是的，但也無需爲此而那麼激動的。"尤斯塔斯說，他的雙手插在口袋裏(他忘記了自己穿着鎖子甲，這個姿勢看上去有多麼古怪)，"因爲，你瞧，我們沒有選擇的餘地。空談回去有什麼好處呢?怎麼回?我們可沒有回去的魔法!"

這話是明智的，但，此時此刻，吉爾可痛恨尤斯塔斯說出這番話來。當別人激動的時候他總喜歡過分就事論事。

當蒂蓮明白了兩個陌生人無法回家(除非阿斯蘭突然把他們帶走)，他第二步棋就是要他們穿過南部崇山峻嶺進入阿欽蘭，說不定那兒可能安全些。但他們不認識路，也派不出人陪他們去。正如波金所指出的，一旦卡樂門軍隊佔據了納尼亞，他們大約在第二個星期裏就一定會攻佔阿欽蘭"蒂斯羅克"始終要併吞這些北方國家，佔爲己有。最後，尤斯塔斯和吉爾苦苦懇求。蒂蓮便說他們可以跟他-起去碰碰機會——或者，一如他更加明智地所說的"冒冒阿斯蘭給他們送來的風險"。