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第5章

the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第5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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〃you didnt think anything at all;〃 said peter; 〃its just spite。 youve  always liked being beastly to anyone smaller than yourself; weve seen that at school before  now。鈥

〃do stop it;〃 said susan; 〃it wont make things any better having a row  between you two。

lets go and find lucy。鈥

it was not surprising that when they found lucy; a good deal later;  everyone could see that she had been crying。 nothing they could say to her made any  difference。 she stuck to her story and said:   

〃i dont care what you think; and i dont care what you say。 you can tell  the professor or you can write to mother or you can do anything you like。 i know ive met a  faun in there and … i wish id stayed there and you are all beasts; beasts。鈥

it was an unpleasant evening。 lucy was miserable and edmund was beginning  to feel that his plan wasnt working as well as he had expected。 the two older ones were  really beginning to think that lucy was out of her mind。 they stood in the passage  talking about it in whispers long after she had gone to bed。

the result was the next morning they decided that they really would go and  tell the whole thing to the professor。 〃hell write to father if he thinks there is really  something wrong with lu;〃 said peter; 〃its getting beyond us。〃 so they went and knocked at  the study door; and the professor said 〃e in;〃 and got up and found chairs for  them and said he was quite at their disposal。 then he sat listening to them with the tips of  his fingers pressed together and never interrupting; till they had finished the whole  story。 after that he said nothing for quite a long time。 then he cleared his throat and said  the last thing either of them expected:  〃how do you know;〃 he asked; 〃that your sisters story is not true?鈥

〃oh; but …〃 began susan; and then stopped。 anyone could see from the old  mans face that he was perfectly serious。 then susan pulled herself together and said;  〃but edmund said they had only been pretending。鈥

〃that is a point;〃 said the professor; 〃which certainly deserves  consideration; very careful consideration。 for instance … if you will excuse me for asking the question  … does your experience lead you to regard your brother or your sister as the more  reliable? i mean; which is the more truthful?鈥

〃thats just the funny thing about it; sir;〃 said peter。 〃up till now; id  have said lucy every time。鈥

〃and what do you think; my dear?〃 said the professor; turning to susan。

〃well;〃 said susan; 〃in general; id say the same as peter; but this  couldnt be true … all this about the wood and the faun。鈥

〃that is more than i know;〃 said the professor; 〃and a charge of lying  against someone whom you have always found truthful is a very serious thing; a very serious  thing indeed。鈥

〃we were afraid it mightnt even be lying;〃 said susan; 〃we thought there  might be something wrong with lucy。鈥

〃madness; you mean?〃 said the professor quite coolly。 〃oh; you can make  your minds easy about that。 one has only to look at her and talk to her to see that  she is not mad。鈥

〃but then;〃 said susan; and stopped。 she had never dreamed that a grown…up  would talk like the professor and didnt know what to think。

〃logic!〃 said the professor half to himself。 〃why dont they teach logic at  these schools?

there are only three possibilities。 either your sister is telling lies; or  she is mad; or she is telling the truth。 you know she doesnt tell lies and it is obvious that  she is not mad for the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up; we must assume  that she is telling the truth。鈥

susan looked at him very hard and was quite sure from the expression on his  face that he was no making fun of them。

〃but how could it be true; sir?〃 said peter。

〃why do you say that?〃 asked the professor。

〃well; for one thing;〃 said peter; 〃if it was true why doesnt everyone  find this country every time they go to the wardrobe? i mean; there was nothing there when we  looked; even lucy didnt pretend the was。鈥

〃what has that to do with it?〃 said the professor。

〃well; sir; if things are real; theyre there all the time。鈥

〃are they?〃 said the professor; and peter didnt know quite what to say。

〃but there was no time;〃 said susan。 〃lucy had no time to have gone  anywhere; even if there was such a place。 she came running after us the very moment we were  out of the room。 it was less than minute; and she pretended to have been away for  hours。鈥

〃that is the very thing that makes her story so likely to be true;〃 said  the professor。 〃if there really a door in this house that leads to some other world (and i  should warn you that this is a very strange house; and even i know very little about it) …  if; i say; she had got into another world; i should not be at a surprised to find that the  other world had a separate time of its own; so that however long you stay there it would  never take up any of our time。 on the other hand; i dont think many girls of her age would  invent that idea for themselves。 if she had been pretending; she would have hidden for a  reasonable time before ing out and telling her story。鈥

〃but do you really mean; sir;〃 said peter; 〃that there could be other  worlds … all over the place; just round the corner … like that?鈥

〃nothing is more probable;〃 said the professor; taking off his spectacles  and beginning to polish them; while he muttered to himself; 〃i wonder what they do teach  them at these schools。鈥

〃but what are we to do?〃 said susan。 she felt that the conversation was  beginning to get off the point。

〃my dear young lady;〃 said the professor; suddenly looking up with a very  sharp expression at both of them; 〃there is one plan which no one has yet  suggested and which is well worth trying。鈥

〃whats that?〃 said susan。

〃we might all try minding our own business;〃 said he。 and that was the end  of that conversation。

after this things were a good deal better for lucy。 peter saw to it that  edmund stopped jeering at her; and neither she nor anyone else felt inclined to talk about  the wardrobe at all。 it had bee a rather alarming subject。 and so for a time it looked  as if all the adventures were ing to an end; but that was not to be。

this house of the professors … which even he knew so little about … was so  old and famous that people from all over england used to e and ask permission to  see over it。

it was the sort of house that is mentioned in guide books and even in  histories; and well it might be; for all manner of stories were told about it; some of them even  stranger than the one i am telling you now。 and when parties of sightseers arrived and asked  to see the house; the professor always gave them permission; and mrs macready; the  housekeeper; showed them round; telling them about the pictures and the armour; and the  rare books in the library。 mrs macready was not fond of children; and did not like to be  interrupted when she was telling visitors all the things she knew。 she had said to  susan and peter almost on the first morning (along with a good many other instructions);  〃and please remember youre to keep out of the way whenever im taking a party over the  house。鈥

〃just as if any of us would want to waste half the morning trailing round  with a crowd of strange grown…ups!〃 said edmund; and the other three thought the same。 that  was how the adventures began for the second time。

a few mornings later peter and edmund were looking at the suit of armour  and wondering if they could take it to bits when the two girls rushed into the  room and said; 〃look out! here es the macready and a whole gang with her。鈥

〃sharps the word;〃 said peter; and all four made off through the door at  the far end of the room。 but when they had got out into the green room and beyond it; into the  library; they suddenly heard voices ahead of them; and realized that mrs macready  must be bringing her party of sightseers up the back stairs … instead of up the  front stairs as they had expected。 and after that … whether it was that they lost their heads;  or that mrs macready was trying to catch them; or that some magic in the house had e  to life and was chasing them into narnia they seemed to find themselves being followed everywhere; until at last susan said; 〃oh bother those trippers! here …  lets get into the  

wardrobe room till theyve passed。 no one will follow us in there。〃 but the  moment they were inside they heard the voices in the passage … and then someone  fumbling at the door … and then they saw the handle turning。

〃quick!〃 said peter; 〃theres nowhere else;〃 and flung open the wardrobe。  all four of them bundled inside it and sat there; panting; in the dark。 peter held the  door closed but did not shut it; for; of course; he remembered; as every sensible person  does; that you should never never shut yourself up in a wardrobe。

 www//c o m



CHAPTER SIX

灏彙h銆倀/x/t澶e爞
into the forest  〃i wish the macready would hurry up and take all these people away;〃 said  susan presently; 〃im getting horribly cramped。鈥

〃and what a filthy smell of camphor!〃 said edmund。

〃i expect the pockets of these coats are full of it;〃 said susan; 〃to keep  away the moths。鈥

〃theres something sticking into my back;〃 said peter。

〃and isnt it cold?〃 said susan。

〃now that you mention it; it is cold;〃 said peter; 〃and hang it all; its  wet too。 whats the matter with this place? im sitting on something wet。 its getting wetter  every minute。〃 he struggled to his feet。

〃lets get out;〃 said edmund; 〃theyve gone。鈥

〃o…o…oh!〃 said susan suddenly; and everyone asked her what was the matter。

〃im sitting against a tree;〃 said susan; 〃and look! its getting light …  over there。鈥

〃by jove; youre right;〃 said peter; 〃and look there … and there。 its  trees all round。 and this wet stuff is snow。 why; i do believe weve got into lucys wood after  all。鈥

and now there was no mistaking it and all four children stood blinking in  the daylight of a winter day。 behind them were coats hanging on pegs; in front of them were  snow…covered trees。

peter turned at once to lucy。

〃i apologize for not believing you;〃 he said; 〃im sorry。 will you shake  hands?鈥

〃of course;〃 said lucy; and did。

〃and now;〃 said susan; 〃what do we do next?鈥

〃do?〃 said peter; 〃why; go and explore the wood; of course。鈥

〃ugh!〃 said susan; stamping her feet; 〃its pretty cold。 what about putting  on some of these coats?鈥

〃theyre not ours;〃 said peter doubtfully。

〃i am sure nobody would mind;〃 said susan; 〃it isnt as if we wanted to  take them out of the house; we shant take them even out of the wardrobe。鈥

〃i never thought of that; su;〃 said peter。 〃of course; now you put it that  way; i see。 no one could say you had bagged a coat as long as you leave it in the wardrobe  where you found it。 and i suppose this whole country is in the wardrobe。鈥

they immediately carried out susans very sensible plan。 the coats were  rather too big for them so that they came down to their heels and looked more like royal  robes than coats when they had put them on。 but they all felt a good deal warmer and  each thought the others looked better in their new get…up and more suitable to the  la

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