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第17章

the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第17章

小说: the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页3500字

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irls in silver; and the beech…girls in fresh; transparent green; and the larch… girls in green so  

bright that it was almost yellow。 and instead of the deadly silence the  whole place rang with the sound of happy roarings; brayings; yelpings; barkings; squealings;  cooings; neighings; stampings; shouts; hurrahs; songs and laughter。

〃oh!〃 said susan in a different tone。 〃look! i wonder … i mean; is it  safe?鈥

lucy looked and saw that aslan had just breathed on the feet of the stone  giant。

〃its all right!〃 shouted aslan joyously。 〃once the feet are put right; all  the rest of him will follow。鈥

〃that wasnt exactly what i meant;〃 whispered susan to lucy。 but it was too  late to do anything about it now even if aslan would have listened to her。 the change  was already creeping up the giants legs。 now he was moving his feet。 a moment later he  lifted his club off his shoulder; rubbed his eyes and said;  〃bless me! i must have been asleep。 now! wheres that dratted little witch  that was running about on the ground。 somewhere just by my feet it was。〃 but when  everyone had shouted up to him to explain what had really happened; and when the giant  had put his hand to his ear and got them to repeat it all again so that at last he  understood; then he bowed down till his head was no further off than the top of a haystack and  touched his cap repeatedly to aslan; beaming all over his honest ugly face。 (giants of  any sort are now so rare in england and so few giants are good…tempered that ten to one  you have never seen a giant when his face is beaming。 its a sight well worth  looking at。)  〃now for the inside of this house!〃 said aslan。 〃look alive; everyone。 up  stairs and down stairs and in my ladys chamber! leave no corner unsearched。 you never  know where some poor prisoner may be concealed。鈥

and into the interior they all rushed and for several minutes the whole of  that dark; horrible; fusty old castle echoed with the opening of windows and with  everyones voices crying out at once; 〃dont forget the dungeons … give us a hand with this  door! heres another little winding stair … oh! i say。 heres a poor kangaroo。 call  aslan … phew! how it smells in here … look out for trap…doors … up here! there are a whole  lot more on the landing!〃 but the best of all was when lucy came rushing upstairs shouting  out;  〃aslan! aslan! ive found mr tumnus。 oh; do e quick。鈥

a moment later lucy and the little faun were holding each other by both  hands and dancing round and round for joy。 the little chap was none the worse for  having been a statue and was of course very interested in all she had to tell him。

but at last the ransacking of the witchs fortress was ended。 the whole  castle stood empty with every door and window open and the light and the sweet spring  air flooding into all the dark and evil places which needed them so badly。 the whole  crowd of  

liberated statues surged back into the courtyard。 and it was then that  someone (tumnus; i think) first said;  〃but how are we going to get out?〃 for aslan had got in by a jump and the  gates were still locked。

〃thatll be all right;〃 said aslan; and then; rising on his hind…legs; he  bawled up at the giant。 〃hi! you up there;〃 he roared。 〃whats your name?鈥

〃giant rumblebuffin; if it please your honour;〃 said the giant; once more  touching his cap。

〃well then; giant rumblebuffin;〃 said aslan; 〃just let us out of this; will  you?鈥

〃certainly; your honour。 it will be a pleasure;〃 said giant rumblebuffin。  〃stand well away from the gates; all you little uns。〃 then he strode to the gate  himself and bang … bang … bang … went his huge club。 the gates creaked at the first blow;  cracked at the second; and shivered at the third。 then he tackled the towers on each side  of them and after a few minutes of crashing and thudding both the towers and a good bit  of the wall on each side went thundering down in a mass of hopeless rubble; and when  the dust cleared it was odd; standing in that dry; grim; stony yard; to see through  the gap all the grass and waving trees and sparkling streams of the forest; and the blue  hills beyond that and beyond them the sky。

〃blowed if i aint all in a muck sweat;〃 said the giant; puffing like the  largest railway engine。 〃es of being out of condition。 i suppose neither of you young  ladies has such a thing as a pocket…handkerchee about you?鈥

〃yes; i have;〃 said lucy; standing on tip…toes and holding her handkerchief  up as far as she could reach。

〃thank you; missie;〃 said giant rumblebuffin; stooping down。 next moment  lucy got rather a fright for she found herself caught up in mid…air between the  giants finger and thumb。 but just as she was getting near his face he suddenly started and  then put her gently back on the ground muttering; 〃bless me! ive picked up the little  girl instead。 i beg your pardon; missie; i thought you was the handkerchee!鈥

〃no; no;〃 said lucy laughing; 〃here it is!〃 this time he managed to get it  but it was only about the same size to him that a saccharine tablet would be to you; so  that when she saw him solemnly rubbing it to and fro across his great red face; she said;  〃im afraid its not much use to you; mr rumblebuffin。鈥

〃not at all。 not at all;〃 said the giant politely。 〃never met a nicer  handkerchee。 so fine; so handy。 so … i dont know how to describe it。鈥

〃what a nice giant he is!〃 said lucy to mr tumnus。

〃oh yes;〃 replied the faun。 〃all the buffins always were。 one of the most  respected of all the giant families in narnia。 not very clever; perhaps (i never knew a  giant that was); but an old family。 with traditions; you know。 if hed been the other sort  shed never have turned him into stone。鈥

at this point aslan clapped his paws together and called for silence。

〃our days work is not yet over;〃 he said; 〃and if the witch is to be  finally defeated before bed…time we must find the battle at once。鈥

〃and join in; i hope; sir!〃 added the largest of the centaurs。

〃of course;〃 said aslan。 〃and now! those who cant keep up … that is;  children; dwarfs; and small animals … must ride on the backs of those who can … that is;  lions; centaurs; unicorns; horses; giants and eagles。 those who are good with their noses  must e in front with us lions to smell out where the battle is。 look lively and sort  yourselves。鈥

and with a great deal of bustle and cheering they did。 the most pleased of  the lot was the other lion who kept running about everywhere pretending to be very busy but  really in order to say to everyone he met。 〃did you hear what he said? us lions。 that  means him and me。 us lions。 thats what i like about aslan。 no side; no stand…off… ishness。 us lions。 that meant him and me。〃 at least he went on saying this till aslan  had loaded him up with three dwarfs; one dryad; two rabbits; and a hedgehog。 that steadied  him a bit。

when all were ready (it was a big sheep…dog who actually helped aslan most  in getting them sorted into their proper order) they set out through the gap in the  castle wall。 at first the lions and dogs went nosing about in all directions。 but then suddenly  one great hound picked up the scent and gave a bay。 there was no time lost after that。 soon  all the dogs and lions and wolves and other hunting animals were going at full speed  with their noses to the ground; and all the others; streaked out for about half a mile  behind them; were following as fast as they could。 the noise was like an english fox…hunt  only better because every now and then with the music of the hounds was mixed the roar  of the other lion and sometimes the far deeper and more awful roar of aslan himself。  faster and faster they went as the scent became easier and easier to follow。 and then; just  as they came to the last curve in a narrow; winding valley; lucy heard above all these  noises another noise … a different one; which gave her a queer feeling inside。 it was a  noise of shouts and shrieks and of the clashing of metal against metal。

then they came out of the narrow valley and at once she saw the reason。  there stood peter and edmund and all the rest of aslans army fighting desperately  against the crowd of horrible creatures whom she had seen last night; only now; in the  daylight; they looked even stranger and more evil and more deformed。 there also seemed to be far  more of them。 peters army … which had their backs to her looked terribly few。 and  there werestatues dotted all over the battlefield; so apparently the witch had  been using her wand。 but she did not seem to be using it now。 she was fighting with her  stone knife。 it  

was peter she was fightin … both of them going at it so hard that lucy  could hardly make out what was happening; she only saw the stone knife and peters sword  flashing so quickly that they looked like three knives and three swords。 that pair were  in the centre。

on each side the line stretched out。 horrible things were happening  wherever she looked。

〃off my back; children;〃 shouted aslan。 and they both tumbled off。 then  with a roar that shook all narnia from the western lamp…post to the shores of the eastern  sea the great beast flung himself upon the white witch。 lucy saw her face lifted towards  him for one second with an expression of terror and amazement。 then lion and witch had  rolled over together but with the witch underneath; and at the same moment all war…like  creatures whom aslan had led from the witchs house rushed madly on the enemy lines;  dwarfs with their battleaxes; dogs with teeth; the giant with his club (and his  feet also crushed dozens of the foe); unicorns with their horns; centaurs with swords and  hoofs。 and peters tired army cheered; and the newers roared; and the enemy squealed and  gibbered till the wood re…echoed with the din of that onset。

  



CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

銆灏忚t…xt澶╁爞銆  銆
the hunting of the white stag  the battle was all over a few minutes after their arrival。 most of the  enemy had been killed in the first charge of aslan and his …panions; and when those who  were still living saw that the witch was dead they either gave themselves up or took  to flight。 the next thing that lucy knew was that peter and aslan were shaking hands。 it  was strange to her to see peter looking as he looked now … his face was so pale and stern  and he seemed so much older。

〃it was all edmunds doing; aslan;〃 peter was saying。 〃wed have been  beaten if it hadnt been for him。 the witch was turning our troops into stone right and left。  but nothing would stop him。 he fought his way through three ogres to where she was just  turning one of your leopards into a statue。 and when he reached her he had sense to  bring his sword smashing down on her wand instead of trying to go for her directly and  simply getting made a statue himself for his pains。 that was the mistake all the rest were  making。 once her wand was broken we began to have some chance … if we hadnt lost so  many already。

he was terribly wounded。 we must go and see him。鈥

they found edmund in charge of mrs beaver a little way back from the  fighting line。 he was covered with blood; his mouth was open; and his face a nasty green  colour。

〃quick; lucy;〃 said aslan。

and then; almost for the first time; lucy

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