the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯-第4章
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soon the horses were no longer swimming but walking and soon with a great sound of water running off their sides and tails and with a great crunching of pebbles under eight hoofs； they came out on the farther beach of the inlet。 the tarkaan； to shastas surprise； showed no wish to ask questions。 he did not even look at shasta but seemed anxious to urge his horse straight on。 bree； however； at once shouldered himself in the other horses way。
〃broo…hoo…hah！〃 he snorted。 〃steady there！ i heard you； i did。 theres no good pretending； maam。 1 heard you。 youre a talking horse； a narnian horse just like me。鈥�
〃whats it got to do with you if she is？〃 said the strange rider fiercely； laying hand on sword…hilt。 but the voice in which the words were spoken had already told shasta something。
〃why； its only a girl！〃 he exclaimed。
〃and what business is it of yours if i am only a girl？〃 snapped the stranger。 〃youre probably only a boy： a rude； mon little boy … a slave probably； whos stolen his masters horse。鈥�
〃thats all you know；〃 said shasta。
〃hes not a thief； little tarkheena；〃 said bree。 〃at least； if theres been any stealing； you might just as well say i stole him。 and as for its not being my business； you wouldnt expect me to pass a lady of my own race in this strange country without speaking to her？
its only natural i should。鈥�
〃i think its very natural too；〃 said the mare。
〃i wish youd held your tongue； hwin；〃 said the girl。 〃look at the trouble youve got us into。鈥�
〃i dont know about trouble；〃 said shasta。 〃you can clear off as soon as you like。 we shant keep you。鈥�
〃no； you shant；〃 said the girl。
〃what quarrelsome creatures these humans are；〃 said bree to the mare。 〃theyre as bad as mules。 lets try to talk a little sense。 i take it； maam； your story is the same as mine？
captured in early youth … years of slavery among the calormenes？鈥�
〃too true； sir；〃 said the mare with a melancholy whinny。
〃and now； perhaps … escape？鈥�
〃tell him to mind his own business； hwin；〃 said the girl。
〃no； i wont； aravis；〃 said the mare putting her ears back。 〃this is my escape just as much as yours。 and im sure a noble war…horse like this is not going to betray us。 we are trying to escape； to get to narnia。鈥�
〃and so； of course； are we；〃 said bree。 〃of course you guessed that at once。 a little boy in rags riding （or trying to ride） a war…horse at dead of night couldnt mean anything but an escape of some sort。 and； if i may say so； a highborn tarkheena riding alone at night … dressed up in her brothers armour … and very anxious for everyone to mind their own business and ask her no questions … well； if thats not fishy； call me a cob！鈥�
〃all right then；〃 said aravis。 〃youve guessed it。 hwin and i are running away。 we are trying to get to narnia。 and now； what about it？鈥�
〃why； in that case； what is to prevent us all going together？〃 said bree。 〃i trust； madam hwin； you will accept such assistance and protection as i may be able to give you on the journey？鈥�
〃why do you keep talking to my horse instead of to me？〃 asked the girl。
〃excuse me； tarkheena；〃 said bree （with just the slightest backward tilt of his ears）； 〃but thats calormene talk。 were free narnians； hwin and i； and i suppose； if youre running away to narnia； you want to be one too。 in that case hwin isnt your horse any longer。
one might just as well say youre her human。鈥�
the girl opened her mouth to speak and then stopped。 obviously she had not quite seen it in that light before。
〃still；〃 she said after a moments pause； 〃i dont know that theres so much point in all going together。 arent we more likely to be noticed？鈥�
〃less；〃 said bree； and the mare said； 〃oh do lets。 i should feel much more fortable。
were not even certain of the way。 im sure a great charger like this knows far more than we do。鈥�
〃oh e on； bree；〃 said shasta； 〃and let them go their own way。 cant you see they dont want us？鈥�
〃we do；〃 said hwin。
〃look here；〃 said the girl。 〃i dont mind going with you； mr war…horse； but what about this boy？ how do i know hes not a spy？鈥�
〃why dont you say at once that you think im not good enough for you？〃 said shasta。
〃be quiet； shasta；〃 said bree。 〃the tarkheenas question is quite reasonable。 ill vouch for the boy； tarkheena。 hes been true to me and a good friend。 and hes certainly either a narnian or an archenlander。鈥�
〃all right； then。 lets go together。〃 but she didnt say anything to shasta and it was obvious that she wanted bree； not him。
〃splendid！〃 said bree。 〃and now that weve got the water between us and those dreadful animals； what about you two humans taking off our saddles and our all having a rest and hearing one anothers stories。鈥�
both the children unsaddled their horses and the horses had a little grass and aravis produced rather nice things to eat from her saddle…bag？ but shasta sulked and said no thanks； and that he wasnt hungry。 and he tried to put on what he thought very grand and stiff manners； but as a fishermans but is not usually a good place for learning grand
manners； the result was dreadful。 and he half knew that it wasnt a success and then became sulkier and more awkward than ever。 meanwhile the two horses were getting on splendidly。 they remembered the very same places in narnia … 〃the grasslands up above beaversdam〃 and found that they were some sort of second cousins once removed。 this made things more and more unfortable for the humans until at last bree said； 〃and now； tarkheena； tell us your story。 and dont hurry it … im feeling fortable now。鈥�
aravis immediately began； sitting quite still and using a rather different tone and style from her usual one。 for in calormen； story…telling （whether the stories are true or made up） is a thing youre taught； just as english boys and girls are taught essay…writing。 the difference is that people want to hear the stories； whereas i never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays。
銆�
CHAPTER THREE
澶В诲锛岀敓锛屽皬锛岃'缃�
at the gates of tashbaan 〃mr name；〃 said the girl at once； 〃is aravis tarkheena and i am the only daughter of kidrash tarkaan； the son of rishti tarkaan； the son of kidrash tarkaan； the son of ilsombreh tisroc； the son of ardeeb tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god tash。 my father is the lord of the province of calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of tisroc himself （may he live for ever）。
my mother （on whom be the peace of the gods） is dead and my father has married another wife。 one of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child。 now it came to pass that my fathers wife； my step… mother； hated me； and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as i lived in my fathers house。 and so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to ahoshta tarkaan。 now this ahoshta is of base birth； though in these latter years he has won the favour of the tisroc （may he live for ever） by flattery and evil counsels； and is now made a tarkaan and the lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the grand vizier when the present grand vizier dies。
moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his back and his face resembles that of an ape。 nevertheless my father； because of the wealth and power of this ahoshta； and being persuaded by his wife； sent messengers offering me in marriage； and the offer was favourably accepted and ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer。
〃when this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and i laid myself on my bed and wept for a day。 but on the second day i rose up and washed my face and caused my mare hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone。 and when my fathers house was out of sight and i was e to a green open place in a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men； i dismounted from hwin my mare and took out the dagger。 then i parted my clothes where i thought the readiest way lay to my heart and i prayed to all the
gods that as soon as i was dead i might find myself with my brother。 after that i shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart。 but before i had done so； this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said； 〃o my mistress； do not by any means destroy yourself； for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike。鈥�
〃i didnt say it half so well as that；〃 muttered the mare。
〃hush； maam； hush；〃 said bree； who was thoroughly enjoying the story。 〃shes telling it in the grand calormene manner and no story…teller in a tisrocs court could do it better。
pray go on； tarkheena。鈥�
〃when i heard the language of men uttered by my mare；〃 continued aravis； 〃i said to myself； the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions。 and i became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat。 therefore i addressed myself a second time to the stabbing； but hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter。 and now my wonder was so great that i forgot about killing myself and about ahoshta and said； ‘o my mare； how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men？ and hwin told me what is known to all this pany； that in narnia there are beasts that talk； and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal。 she told me also of the woods and waters of narnia and the castles and the great ships； till i said； ‘in the name of tash and azaroth and zardeenah lady of the night； i have a great wish to be in that country of narnia。 ‘o my mistress； answered the mare； ‘if you were in narnia you would be happy； for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will。 〃and when we had talked together for a great time hope returned to me and i rejoiced that i had not killed myself。 moreover it was agreed between hwin and me that we should steal ourselves away together and we planned it in this fashion。 we returned to my fathers house and i put on my gayest clothes and sang and danced before my father and pretended to be delighted with the marriage which he had prepared for me。 also i said to him； ‘o my father and o the delight of my eyes； give me your licence and permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret sacrifices to zardeenah； lady of the night and of maidens； as is proper and customary for damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of zardeenah and prepare themselves for marriage。 and he answered； ‘o my daughter and o the delight of my eyes； so shall it be。 〃but when i came out from the presence of my father i went immediately to the oldest of his slaves； his secretary； who had dandled me on his knees when i was a baby and loved me more than the air and the light。 and i swore him to be secret and begged him to write a certain letter for me。 and h
