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第19章

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第19章

小说: the last battle_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页3500字

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 narnia。

the dogs were still with them。 they joined in the conversation but not much  because they were too busy racing on ahead and racing back and rushing off to sniff  at smells in the grass till they made themselves sneeze。 suddenly they picked up a scent  which seemed to excite them very much。 they all started arguing about it … 〃yes  it is … no it isnt … thats just what i said … anyone can smell what that is … take your great  nose out of the way and let someone else smell。鈥

〃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 wele。鈥

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 mon 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?鈥

〃sir;〃 said peter; 〃i do not know that there need be any war between you  and us。鈥

〃do tell us who you are and whats happened to you;〃 said jill。

〃if theres going to be a story; lets all have a drink and sit down;〃  barked the dogs。

〃were quite blown。鈥

〃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。

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

锛庡皬锛庤锛庯紟t锛巟t锛庡ぉ锛庡爞锛
further up and further in   〃know; o warlike kings;〃 said emeth; 〃and you; o ladies whose beauty  illuminates the universe; that i am emeth the seventh son of harpha tarkaan of the city  of tehishbaan; westward beyond the desert。 i came lately into narnia with nine  and twenty others under the mand of rishda tarkaan now when i first heard that we  should march upon narnia i rejoiced; for i had heard many things of your land and  desired greatly to meet you in battle。 but when i found that we were to go in  disguised as merchants (which is a shameful dress for a warrior and the son of a  tarkaan) and to work by lies and trickery; then my joy departed from me。 and most of all when i  found we must wait upon a monkey; and when it began to be said that tash and aslan  were one; then the world became dark in my eyes。 for always since i was a boy i have  served tash and my great desire was to know more of him; if it might be; to look upon  his face。 but the name of aslan was hateful to me。

〃and; as you have seen; we were called together outside the straw…roofed  hovel; night after night; and the fire was kindled; and the ape brought forth out of the  hovel something upon four legs that i could not well see。 and the people and the  beasts bowed down and did honour to it。 but i thought; the tarkaan is deceived by the  ape: for this thing that es out of the stable is neither tash nor any other god。 but  when i watched the tarkaans face; and marked every word that he said to the monkey; then  i changed my mind: for i saw that the tarkaan did not believe in it himself。 and then i  understood that he did not believe in tash at all: for if he had; how could he dare to mock  him?

〃when i understood this; a great rage fell upon me and i wondered that the  true tash did not strike down both the monkey and the tarkaan with fire from heaven。  nevertheless i hid my anger and held my tongue and waited to see how it would end。 but  last night; as some of you know; the monkey brought not forth the yellow thing but said  that all who desired to look upon tashlan … for so they mixed the two words to pretend  that they were all one … must pass one by one into the hovel。 and i said to myself;  doubtless this is some other deception。 but when the cat had followed in and had e out again in  a madness of terror; then i said to myself; surely the true tash; whom they called on  without knowledge or belief; has now e among us; and will avenge himself。 and  though my heart was turned into water inside me because of the greatness and terror  of tash; yet my desire was stronger than my fear; and i put force upon my knees to stay  them from trembling; and on my teeth that they should not chatter; and resolved to  look upon the face of tash though he should slay me。 so i offered myself to go into the  hovel; and the tarkaan; though unwillingly; let me go。

〃as soon as i had gone in at the door; the first wonder was that i found  myself in this great sunlight (as we all are now) though the inside of the hovel had  looked dark from outside。 but i had no time to marvel at this; for immediately i was forced  to fight for my head against one of our own men。 as soon as i saw him i understood that the  monkey and the tarkaan had set him there to slay any who came in if he were not in  their secrets: so that this man also was a liar and a mocker and no true servant of tash。  i had the better will to fight him; and having slain the villain; i cast him out behind me  through the door。

〃then i looked about me and saw the sky and the wide lands; and smelled the  sweetness。

and i said; by the gods; this is a pleasant place: it may be that i am e  into the country of tash。 and i began to journey into the strange country and to  seek him。

〃so i went over much grass and many flowers and among all kinds of  wholesome and delectable trees till lo! in a narrow place between two rocks there came to  meet me a great lion。 the speed of him was like the ostrich; and his size was an  elephants; his hair was like pure gold and the brightness of his eyes like gold that is liquid  in the furnace。 he was more terrible than the flaming mountain of lagour; and in beauty he  surpassed all that is in the world even as the rose in bloom surpasses the dust of the  desert。 then i fell at his feet and thought; surely this is the hour of death; for the lion  (who is worthy of all honour) will know that i have served tash all my days and not him。  nevertheless; it is better to see the lion and die than to be tisroc of the world and live and  not to have seen  

him。 but the glorious one bent down his golden head and touched my forehead  with his tongue and said; son; thou art wele。 but i said; alas; lord; i am no son  of thine but the servant of tash。 he answered; child; all the service thou hast done to  tash; i account as service done to me。 then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and  understanding; i overcame my fear and questioned the glorious one and said; lord; is it  then true; as the ape said; that thou and tash are one? the lion growled so that the earth  shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said; it is false。 not because he and i are  one; but because we are opposites; i take to me the services which thou hast done to him。  for i and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me;  and none which is not vile can be done to him。 therefore if any man swear by tash and keep  his oath for the oaths sake; it is by me that he has truly sworn; though he know it not;  and it is i who reward him。 and if any man do a cruelty in my name; then; though he says  the name aslan; it is tash whom he serves and by tash his deed is accepted。 dost  thou understand; child? i said; lord; thou knowest how much i understand。 but i said also  (for the truth constrained me); yet i have been seeking tash all my days。 beloved; said  the glorious one; unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long  and so truly。

for all find what they truly seek。

〃then he breathed upon me and took away the trembling from my limbs and  caused me to stand upon my feet。 and after that; he said not much; but that we should  meet again; and i must go further up and further in。 then he turned him about in a  storm and flurry of gold and was gone suddenly。

〃and since then; o kings and ladies; i have been wandering to find him and  my happiness is so great that it even weakens me like a wound。 and this is the  marvel of marvels; that he called me beloved; me who am but as a dog …鈥

〃eh? whats that?〃 said one of the dogs。

〃sir;〃 said emeth。 〃it is but a fashion of speech which we have in  calormen。鈥

〃well; i cant say its one i like very much;〃 said the dog。

〃he doesnt mean any harm;〃 said an older dog。

〃after all; we call our puppies boys when they dont behave properly。鈥

〃so we do;〃 said the first dog。 〃or girls。鈥

〃s…s…sh!〃 said the old dog。 〃thats not a nice word to use。 remember where  you are。鈥

〃look!〃 said jill suddenly。 someone was ing; rather timidly; to meet  them; a graceful creature on four feet; all silvery…grey。 and they stared at him for a whole  ten seconds before five or six voices said all at once; 〃why; its old puzzle!〃 they  had never seen him by daylight with the lion…skin off; and it made an extraordinary  difference。 he was himself now: a beautiful donkey with such a soft; grey coat and such a  gentle; honest face  

that if you had seen him you would have done just what jill and lucy did …  rushed forward and put your arms round his neck and kissed his nose and stroked  his ears。

when they asked him where he had been he said he had e in at the door  along with all the other creatures but he had … well; to tell the truth; he had been  keeping out of their way as much as he could; and out of aslans way。 for the sight of the real  lion had made him so ashamed of all that nonsense about dressing up in a lion…skin that  he did not know how to look anyone in the face。 but when he saw that all his friends were  going away westward; and after he had had a mouthful of grass (〃and ive never tasted  such good grass in my life;〃 said puzzle); he plucked up his courage and followed。  〃but what ill do if i really have to meet aslan; im sure i dont know;〃 he added。

〃youll find it will be all right when you really do;〃 said queen lucy。

then they went forward together; always westward; for that seemed to be the  direction aslan had meant when he cried out; 〃further up and futher in。〃 many other  creatures were slowly moving the same way; but that grassy country was very wide and  there was no crowding。

it still seemed to be early; and the morning freshness was in the air。 they  kept on stopping to look round and to look behind them; partly because it was so  beautiful but partly also because there was something about it which they could not  understand。

〃peter;〃 said lucy; 〃where is this; do you suppose?鈥

〃i dont know;〃 said the high king。 〃it reminds me of somewhere but i cant  give it a name。 could it be somewhere we once stayed for a holiday when we were very;  very small?鈥

〃it would have to have 

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