《最後一戰》第67期:黑夜籠罩納尼亞(5)
"What is it, cousins?" said Peter.
"A Calormene, Sire," said several Dogs at once.
"Lead on to him, then," said Peter. "Whether he meets us in peace or war, he shall be welcome."
The Dogs darted on ahead and came back a moment later, running as if their lives depended on it, and barking loudly to say that it really was a Calormene. (Talking Dogs, just like the common ones, behave as if they thought whatever they are doing at the moment immensely important.)
The others followed where the Dogs led them and found a young Calormene sitting under a chestnut tree beside a clear stream of water. It was Emeth. He rose at once and bowed gravely.
"Sir," he said to Peter, "I know not whether you are my friend or my foe, but I should count it my honour to have you for either. Has not one of the poets said that a noble friend is the best gift and a noble enemy the next best?"
"Sir," said Peter, "I do not know that there need be any war between you and us."
"Do tell us who you are and what's happened to you," said Jill.
"If there's going to be a story, let's all have a drink and sit down," barked the Dogs. "We're quite blown."
"Well of course you will be if you keep tearing about the way you have done," said Eustace.
So the humans sat down on the grass. And when the Dogs had all had a very noisy drink out of the stream they all sat down, bolt upright, panting, with their tongues hanging out of their heads a little on one side to hear the story. But Jewel remained standing, polishing his horn against his side.
“各位，這是什麼啊？”彼得問。
“一個卡樂門人，陛下。”幾條狗兒同時說道。
“那就帶領大家去找他吧，”彼得道，“不論他用和平還是用戰爭來迎接我們，都應該受到我們的歡迎。”
狗兒們躥在前頭，不一會兒就回來了，它們拼命奔跑，大聲嚷嚷着說這人確實是個卡樂門士兵。（會說人話的狗兒，就跟普通的狗兒一樣，表現得彷彿認爲它們此時此刻正幹着的事，不論它是什麼事，總是非常重要的。
其他的人跟着領路的狗兒走去，發現有個年輕的卡樂門士兵坐在一條清溪旁的一棵慄樹下。這士兵是伊梅思。他立刻站起來，莊嚴地鞠躬。
“先生，”他對彼得說道，“我不知道你究竟是我的朋友還是敵人；但我對兩者都引以爲榮。不是有個詩人說過嗎：一個崇高的朋友是最佳的禮物，而一個崇高的敵人是次佳的禮物。”
“先生，”彼得說，“我不知道你和我之間還需要有什麼戰爭。”
“請告訴我們，你是什麼人，你的遭遇又如何？”吉爾說。
“如果說來話長，那就讓我們大家先喝口水，然後坐下來詳談，”狗兒們吠叫道，“我們直喘氣哩。”
“你們當然要喘氣啦，如果你們老是像剛纔那樣到處亂跑的話。”尤斯塔斯說道。
於是人們都在草地上坐下了。狗兒們吵吵鬧鬧在溪水裏喝了個痛快，也都坐下聽故事，它們坐得筆直，喘着氣，舌頭伸出在嘴巴外面，稍稍偏往一邊。但珍寶仍舊站着，在它的兩脅上把它的獨角磨得鋥亮。
