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the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯-第1章

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睄鎺ㄨ崘璇峰埌銆奣he Horse and His Boy銆嬩笓棰樼綉鍧http:///waiwen/2125/ 
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CHAPTER ONE

灏忥紝璇达紝t锛寈t锛屽ぉ锛屽爞
how shasta set out on his travels  this is the story of an adventure that happened in narnia and calormen and  the lands between; in the golden age when peter was high king in narnia and his  brother and his two sisters were king and queens under him。

in those days; far south in calormen on a little creek of the sea; there  lived a poor fisherman called arsheesh; and with him there lived a boy who called him  father。 the boys name was shasta。 on most days arsheesh went out in his boat to fish  in the morning; and in the afternoon he harnessed his donkey to a cart and loaded  the cart with fish and went a mile or so southward to the village to sell it。 if it had  sold well he would e home in a moderately good temper and say nothing to shasta; but if it  had sold badly he would find fault with him and perhaps beat him。 there was always  something to find fault with for shasta had plenty of work to do; mending and washing  the nets; cooking the supper; and cleaning the cottage in which they both lived。

shasta was not at all interested in anything that lay south of his home  because he had once or twice been to the village with arsheesh and he knew that there was  nothing very interesting there。 in the village he only met other men who were just like  his father … men with long; dirty robes; and wooden shoes turned up at the toe; and turbans  on their heads; and beards; talking to one another very slowly about things that sounded  dull。 but he was very interested in everything that lay to the north because no one ever  went that way and he was never allowed to go there himself。 when he was sitting out of doors  mending the nets; and all alone; he would often look eagerly to the north。 one could  see nothing but a grassy slope running up to a level ridge and beyond that the sky with  perhaps a few birds in it。

sometimes if arsheesh was there shasta would say; 〃o my father; what is  there beyond that hill?〃 and then if the fisherman was in a bad temper he would box  shastas ears and tell him to attend to his work。 or if he was in a peaceable mood he would  say; 〃o my son; do not allow your mind to be distracted by idle questions。 for one of the  poets has said; ‘application to business is the root of prosperity; but those who ask  questions that do not concern them are steering the ship of folly towards the rock of  indigence。鈥

shasta thought that beyond the hill there must be some delightful secret  which his father wished to hide from him。 in reality; however; the fisherman talked like  this because he didnt know what lay to the north。 neither did he care。 he had a very  practical mind。

one day there came from the south a stranger who was unlike any man that  shasta had seen before。 he rode upon a strong dappled horse with flowing mane and tail  and his stirrups and bridle were inlaid with silver。 the spike of a helmet  projected from the middle of his silken turban and he wore a shirt of chain mail。 by his side  hung a curving scimitar; a round shield studded with bosses of brass hung at his back; and  his right hand grasped a lance。 his face was dark; but this did not surprise shasta  because all the people of calormen are like that; what did surprise him was the mans beard which  was dyed crimson; and curled and gleaming with scented oil。 but arsheesh knew by the  gold on the strangers bare arm that he was a tarkaan or great lord; and he bowed  kneeling before him till his beard touched the earth and made signs to shasta to kneel  also。

the stranger demanded hospitality for the night which of course the  fisherman dared not refuse。 all the best they had was set before the tarkaan for supper (and he  didnt think much of it) and shasta; as always happened when the fisherman had pany;  was given a hunk of bread and turned out of the cottage。 on these occasions he  usually slept with the donkey in its little thatched stable。 but it was much too early to go  to sleep yet; and shasta; who had never learned that it is wrong to listen behind doors; sat  down with his ear to a crack in the wooden wall of the cottage to hear what the grown…ups  were talking about。 and this is what he heard。

〃and now; o my host;〃 said the tarkaan; 〃i have a mind to buy that boy of  yours。鈥

〃o my master;〃 replied the fisherman (and shasta knew by the wheedling tone  the greedy look that was probably ing into his face as he said it); 〃what price  could induce your servant; poor though he is; to sell into slavery his only child and his own  flesh? has not one of the poets said; ‘natural affection is stronger than soup and  offspring more precious than carbuncles?〃  〃it is even so;〃 replied the guest dryly。 〃but another poet has likewise  said; 〃he who attempts to deceive the judicious is already baring his own back for the  scourge。〃 do not load your aged mouth with falsehoods。 this boy is manifestly no son of  yours; for your cheek is as dark as mine but the boy is fair and white like the accursed  but beautiful barbarians who inhabit the remote north。鈥

〃how well it was said;〃 answered the fisherman; 〃that swords can be kept  off with shields but the eye of wisdom pierces through every defence! know then; o  my formidable guest; that because of my extreme poverty i have never married  and have no child。 but in that same year in which the tisroc (may he live for ever)  began his august and beneficent reign; on a night when the moon was at her full; it pleased  the gods to deprive me of my sleep。 therefore i arose from my bed in this hovel and  went forth to the beach to refresh myself with looking upon the water and the moon and  breathing the cool air。 and presently i heard a noise as of oars ing to me across the water  and then; as it  

were; a weak cry。 and shortly after; the tide brought to the land a little  boat in which there was nothing but a man lean with extreme hunger and thirst who seemed  to have died but a few moments before (for he was still warm); and an empty water… skin; and a child; still living。 〃doubtless;〃 said i; 〃these unfortunates have escaped  from the wreck of a great ship; but by the admirable designs of the gods; the elder has  starved himself to keep the child alive and has perished in sight of land。〃 accordingly;  remembering how the gods never fail to reward those who befriend the destitute; and being  moved by passion (for your servant is a man of tender heart) …鈥

〃leave out all these idle words in your own praise;〃 interrupted the  tarkaan。 〃it is enough to know that you took the child … and have had ten times the worth  of his daily bread out of him in labour; as anyone can see。 and now tell me at once what  price you put on him; for i am wearied with your loquacity。鈥

〃you yourself have wisely said;〃 answered arsheesh; 〃that the boys labour  has been to me of inestimable value。 this must be taken into account in fixing the  price。 for if i sell the boy i must undoubtedly either buy or hire another to do his work。鈥

〃ill give you fifteen crescents for him;〃 said the tarkaan。

〃fifteen!〃 cried arsheesh in a voice that was something between a whine and  a scream。

〃fifteen! for the prop of my old age and the delight of my eyes! do not  mock my grey beard; tarkaan though you be。 my price is seventy。鈥

at this point shasta got up and tiptoed away。 he had heard all he wanted;  for he had open listened when men were bargaining in the village and knew how it was done。  he was quite certain that arsheesh would sell him in the end for something much  more than fifteen crescents and much less than seventy; but that he and the tarkaan  would take hours in getting to an agreement。

you must not imagine that shasta felt at all as you and i would feel if we  had just overheard our parents talking about selling us for slaves。 for one thing;  his life was already little better than slavery; for all he knew; the lordly stranger on  the great horse might be kinder to him than arsheesh。 for another; the story about his own  discovery in the boat had filled him with excitement and with a sense of relief。 he had  often been uneasy because; try as he might; he had never been able to love the  fisherman; and he knew that a boy ought to love his father。 and now; apparently; he was no  relation to arsheesh at all。 that took a great weight off his mind。 〃why; i might be  anyone!〃 he thought。 〃i might be the son of a tarkaan myself … or the son of the tisroc  (may he live for ever) or of a god!鈥

he was standing out in the grassy place before the cottage while he thought  these things。

twilight was ing on apace and a star or two was already out; but the  remains of the sunset could still be seen in the west。 not far away the strangers horse;  loosely tied to an iron ring in the wall of the donkeys stable; was grazing。 shasta strolled  over to it and patted its neck。 it went on tearing up the grass and took no notice of him。

then another thought came into shastas mind。 〃i wonder what sort of a man  that tarkaan is;〃 he said out loud。 〃it would be splendid if he was kind。 some of the  slaves in a great lords house have next to nothing to do。 they wear lovely clothes and eat  meat every day。

perhaps hed take me to the wars and id save his life in a battle and then  hed set me free and adopt me as his son and give me a palace and a chariot and a suit of  armour。 but then he might be a horrid cruel man。 he might send me to work on the fields in  chains。 i wish i knew。 how can i know? i bet this horse knows; if only he could tell me。鈥

the horse had lifted its head。 shasta stroked its smooth…as…satin nose and  said; 〃i wish you could talk; old fellow。鈥

and then for a second he thought he was dreaming; for quite distinctly;  though in a low voice; the horse said; 〃but i can。鈥

shasta stared into its great eyes and his own grew almost as big; with  astonishment。

〃how ever did you learn to talk?〃 he asked。

〃hush! not so loud;〃 replied the horse。 〃where i e from; nearly all the  animals talk。鈥

〃wherever is that?〃 asked shasta。

〃narnia;〃 answered the horse。 〃the happy land of narnia … narnia of the  heathery mountains and the thymy downs; narnia of the many rivers; the plashing  glens; the mossy caverns and the deep forests ringing with the hammers of the dwarfs。  oh the sweet air of narnia! an hours life there is better than a thousand years  in calormen。〃 it ended with a whinny that sounded very like a sigh。

〃how did you get here?〃 said shasta。

〃kidnapped;〃 said the horse。 〃or stolen; or captured whichever you like to  call it。 i was only a foal at the time。 my mother warned me not to range the southern  slopes; into archenland and beyond; but i wouldnt heed her。 and by the lions mane i  have paid for my folly。 all these years i have been a slave to humans; hiding my true  nature and pretending to be dumb and witless like their horses。鈥

〃why didnt you tell them who you were?鈥

〃not such a fool; 

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