(单词翻译:单击)
Chapter 12 Strawberry's Adventure
DIGORY kept his mouth very tight shut. He had been growing more and more uncomfortable. He hoped that, whatever happened, he wouldn't blub or do anything ridiculous.
"Son of Adam," said Aslan. "Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?"
"Well, I don't see what I can do," said Digory. "You see, the Queen ran away and -"
"I asked, are you ready?" said the Lion.
"Yes," said Digory. He had had for a second some wild idea of saying "I'll try to help you if you'll promise to help my Mother," but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said "Yes," he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out:
"But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?" Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.
"My son, my son," said Aslan. "I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. But I have to think of hundreds of years in the life of Narnia. The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again. But it need not be yet. It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years. So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds come over the sun. You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow."
"Yes, sir," said Digory. He didn't know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it. The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion's kiss. And at once Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.
"Dear son," said Aslan, "I will tell you what you must do. Turn and look to the West and tell me what do you see?"
"I see terribly big mountains, Aslan," said Digory, "I see this river coming down cliffs in a waterfall. And beyond the cliff there are high green hills with forests. And beyond those there are higher ranges that look almost black. And then, far away, there are big snowy mountains all heaped up together - like pictures of the Alps. And behind those there's nothing but the sky."
"You see well," said the Lion. "Now the land of Narnia ends where the waterfall comes down, and once you have reached the top of the cliffs you will be out of Narnia and into the Western Wild. You must journey through those mountains till you find a green valley with a blue lake in it, walled round by mountains of ice. At the end of the lake there is a steep, green hill. On the top of that hill there is a garden. In the centre of that garden is a tree. Pluck an apple from that tree and bring it back to me."
"Yes, sir," said Digory again. He hadn't the least idea of how he was to climb the cliff and find his way among all the mountains, but he didn't like to say that for fear it would sound like making excuses. But he did say, "I hope, Aslan, you're not in a hurry. I shan't be able to get there and back very quickly."
第12章 草莓远征
迪格雷紧闭嘴唇,感到越来越不自在。无论如何,他希望 自己不要哭,或者干出可笑的事。
“亚当的儿子,”阿斯兰说,“你是否准备弥补你在我美好的纳尼亚国诞生的第一天对她犯下的过失?”
“我不知道我能做什么,”迪格雷说,“你知道,那女巫已经跑了,而且……”
“我问的是,你是否准备这么做。”狮子说。
“是的。”迪格雷说。有那么一瞬间他涌出一个疯狂的念头,想说“你答应帮助治我妈妈的病,我就尽力帮你”,但他马上意识到,不能和狮子讨价还价。然而,他说出“是”的时候,他想起了妈妈,想到曾经有过的宏伟愿望如今全部灰飞烟灭,喉咙里便像堵了一团棉花似的,他含着眼泪脱口说道:
“可是,对不起,对不起——你愿意——你能给点儿什么可以治我妈妈病的吗?”他本来一直看着狮子粗壮的前腿和两只巨爪,现在,绝望之下,他拾起头看着它的脸。他看到的是一生中最令他惊奇的事。狮子那张黄褐色的脸低垂下来,凑近他的脸,(最令人感到奇怪的是)眼里闪烁着大颗大颗的泪珠。与迪格雷的泪珠相比,狮子的泪珠那么大,那么亮,迪格雷顿时感到,狮子似乎比他自己更加真切地同情他的妈妈。
“我的孩子,我的孩子,”阿斯兰说,“我知道,的确太不幸了。这片土地上只有你和我懂得这一点。我们之间要相互理解,友好相处。但我必须为纳尼亚的生存作数百年的长远打算。你带进这个世界的女巫还会回来的,但不一定很快。我希望在纳尼亚栽一棵她不敢靠近的树,那棵树将保卫纳尼亚许多年不受她的侵犯。在乌云遮住太阳以前,这片国土将会有一个长久的明亮的早晨。你必须为我去取树种。”
“是的,阁下。”迪格雷说。他并不知道如何去做,但他觉得自己肯定可以做好。狮子长长地松了口气,将头低下来,以狮子的方式吻了他。迪格雷立刻感到,新的力量和勇气注入了他的身体。"
“亲爱的孩子,”阿斯兰说,“我来告诉你怎么做。回头看看西方,告诉我你看见了什么?”
“我看见高耸的大山,阿斯兰,”迪格雷说,“我看见这条河跌下峭壁,形成一道瀑布。峭壁后面,高高的小山坡上是绿色的森林。再往后,有黑魆魆的更加高大的山脉。在更遥远的地方,是连绵的大雪山——像照片上的阿尔卑斯山一样。雪山后面,除了天空什么也没有了。”
“你看得很清楚,”狮子说,“瀑布就是纳尼亚的边界,一旦你到了峭壁上,就出了纳尼亚,进入西方原始区了。你必须穿越那些高山,找到一条冰山环抱的绿色河谷,那里有一个蓝色的湖泊;湖的尽头,有一座绿色的陡峭的小山。山顶上有座花园,花园的中心有棵树。从树上摘一个苹果带回来给我。”
“好的,阁下。”迪格雷又说。他根本不知道如何才能攀越那些高山峭壁,但他不愿说,生怕听上去好像他在找借口。可他还是说,“我希望,阿斯兰,你不是很着急的。我来回一趟不可能很快。”