《能言馬與男孩》第78期:布里怎樣變成一匹聰明的馬兒(2)

(Bree was standing with his back to the green wall while he said this, and the other two were facing him. He was talking in rather a superior tone with his eyes half shut; that was why he didn't see the changed expression in the faces of Hwin and Aravis. They had good reason to have open mouths and staring eyes; because while Bree spoke they saw an enormous lion leap up from outside and balance itself on the top of the green wall; only it was a brighter yellow and it was bigger and more beautiful and more alarming than any lion they had ever seen. And at once it jumped down inside the wall and began approaching Bree from behind. It made no noise at all. And Hwin and Aravis couldn't make any noise themselves, no more than if they were frozen.)

布里說這話時是背對着綠色牆垣的，其他兩位則面對着布里。布里半閉着眼睛，以一種長輩的口氣說着話兒，所以它沒看見赫溫和阿拉維斯臉上表情的變化。她們張大嘴巴、睜大眼睛，是大有理由的，因爲布里說話時，她們看見一頭巨大的獅子從牆外躥起來，穩穩地落在綠色牆頭上：跟她們見過的任何獅子比起來，它只是顏色黃得更加發亮發光，軀體更加粗壯，更加美麗，也更加令人害怕。它立刻跳進牆裏，開始從背後走近布里。它壓根兒沒有弄出什麼聲音來。赫溫和阿拉維斯嚇得什麼聲音也發不出來了，彷彿凍僵了似的。

"No doubt," continued Bree, "when they speak of him as a Lion they only mean he's as strong as a lion or (to our enemies, of course) as fierce as a lion. Or something of that kind. Even a little girl like you, Aravis, must see that it would be quite absurd to suppose he is a real lion. Indeed it would be disrespectful. If he was a lion he'd have to be a Beast just like the rest of us. Why!" (and here Bree began to laugh) "If he was a lion he'd have four paws, and a tail, and Whiskers! . . . Aie, ooh, hoo-hoo! Help!"

“毫無疑問，”布里繼續說道，”人家把它當做一頭獅子講起它時，他們的意思不過是指它強壯如一頭獅子，或者(當然是對我們的敵人而言)兇猛如一頭獅子；或者是諸如此類的意思。阿拉維斯，哪怕是像你這樣的一個小姑娘，也必須留神啊，你若認爲它是頭真正的獅子，那就是荒謬絕倫了。確實會失禮失敬哩。如果它是頭獅子，那麼，它就同我們其他的馬兒一樣，非得是獸類不可了。呃！”(說到這兒，布里開始哈哈大笑。)”如果它是頭獅子，它就得生着四隻腳爪，一條尾巴，還有鬍子！……阿艾伊，嗚，嗬——嗬！救命呀！”

For just as he said the word Whiskers one of Aslan's had actually tickled his ear. Bree shot away like an arrow to the other side of the enclosure and there turned; the wall was too high for him to jump and he could fly no farther. Aravis and Hwin both started back. There was about a second of intense silence.

因爲恰巧在布里說到”鬍子”兩字時，阿斯蘭的一根鬍子竟然癢癢地觸到了它的耳朵。布里像枝箭似的躥到了圍牆的另一邊，然後轉過身來：可是牆太高，它跳不過去，它沒法兒逃得更遠了。阿拉維斯和赫溫都嚇得往後退縮。大約有一秒鐘光景，緊張得寂靜無聲。

Then Hwin, though shaking all over, gave a strange little neigh, and trotted across to the Lion.

接着，赫溫雖然渾身發抖，卻發出一聲奇怪的低低的嘶鳴，跨着小步向獅子走過去。

"Please," she said, "you're so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I'd sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else."

“對不起，”赫溫說，”你是那麼美麗。你不妨把我吃掉，如果你想吃的話。我寧可早點被你吃掉，而不願由別的什麼人來餵我。”

"Dearest daughter," said Aslan, planting a lion's kiss on her twitching, velvet nose, "I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours."

“親愛的女兒，”阿斯蘭說道，在它那翕動的天鵝絨般的鼻子上印了個獅子的親吻，”我知道你不久就會來到我身邊的。歡樂必將歸你所有。”1 o5 [4 w!

Then he lifted his head and spoke in a louder voice.

然後它擡起頭來，用更響亮的聲音說話。

"Now, Bree," he said, "you poor, proud frightened Horse, draw near. Nearer still, my son. Do not dare not to dare. Touch me. Smell me. Here are my paws, here is my tail, these are my whiskers. I am a true Beast."

“布里啊，”它說，”你這可憐巴巴、驕傲自大、大吃一驚的馬兒，靠攏我吧。再靠攏一點，我的兒子。不該膽大的，不要膽大妄爲。你摸摸我。聞聞我。這兒是我的腳爪，這兒是我的尾巴，這些是我的鬍子。我是一頭真正的野獸。”

"Aslan," said Bree in a shaken voice, "I'm afraid I must be rather a fool."

“阿斯蘭，”布里用一種顫抖的聲調說道，”我擔心我必定是個地道的傻瓜。”

"Happy the Horse who knows that while he is still young. Or the Human either. Draw near, Aravis my daughter. See! My paws are velveted. You will not be torn this time."

“馬兒在仍然年輕時明白這個道理，是幸福的。人也一樣。靠攏來吧，我的女兒阿拉維斯，瞧！我的腳爪像天鵝絨一般。這一次你不會被抓傷的。”

"This time, sir?" said Aravis.

“先生，這一次嗎?”阿拉維斯說道。

"It was I who wounded you," said Aslan. "I am the only lion you met in all your journeyings. Do you know why I tore you?"

“上一次抓傷你的，就是我，”阿斯蘭說，”我是你在整個旅途中碰到的惟一一頭獅子。你可知道，爲什麼我抓傷你?”

"No, sir."

“不知道，先生。”

"The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother's slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her. You needed to know what it felt like."

“你背上的傷痕，皮破對皮破，疼痛對疼痛，血痕對血痕，跟你後母女奴背上的鞭痕是相對應的，因爲你叫她吃了蒙汗藥沉睡，害她捱打。”

"Yes, sir. Please-"

“是的，先生。對不起——”

"Ask on, my dear," said Aslan.

“再問吧，我親愛的。”阿斯蘭說。

"Will any more harm come to her by what I did?"

“因爲我捉弄得她睡熟了，她還會受到其他傷害嗎?”

"Child," said the Lion, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own." Then he shook his head and spoke in a lighter voice.

“孩子，”獅子說道，”我要告訴你的，是你自己的故事，不是那女奴的。我對哪一個人都是隻講他自己的故事。”然後它就搖搖頭，改用比較輕快的聲調說話。

"Be merry, little ones," he said. "We shall meet soon again. But before that you will have another visitor." Then in one bound he reached the top of the wall and vanished from their sight.

“小傢伙，高興起來吧，”它說，”我們不久會重新見面的。然而，在此之前，你將有另一個客人來訪。”於是它一跳便躥上牆頭，消失了，她們看不見它了。