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第6章

the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯-第6章

小说: the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页3500字

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 a low range of wooded hills which lay right across their path。 everyone was feeling  excited because this was the last hill; when they reached the ridge at the top they would be  looking down on tashbaan。 〃i do wish we were safely past it;〃 muttered shasta to hwin。 〃oh  i do; i do;鈥

said hwin fervently。

that night they wound their way through the woods up to the ridge by a  wood…cutters track。 and when they came out of the woods at the top they could see  thousands of lights in the valley down below them。 shasta had had no notion of what a great  city would be like and it frightened him。 they had their supper and the children got some  sleep。 but the horses woke them very early in the morning。

the stars were still out and the grass was terribly cold and wet; but  daybreak was just beginning; far to their right across the sea。 aravis went a few steps away  into the wood and came back looking odd in her new; ragged clothes and carrying her real  ones in a bundle。 these; and her armour and shield and scimitar and the two saddles  and the rest of the horses fine furnishings were put into the sacks。 bree and hwin had  already got themselves as dirty and bedraggled as they could and it remained to shorten  their tails。 as the only tool for doing this was araviss scimitar; one of the packs had to  be undone again in order to get it out。 it was a longish job and rather hurt the  horses。

〃my word!〃 said bree; 〃if i wasnt a talking horse what a lovely kick in  the face i could give you! i thought you were going to cut it; not pull it out。 thats what  it feels like。鈥

but in spite of semi…darkness and cold fingers all was done in the end; the  big packs bound on the horses; the rope halters (which they were now wearing instead  of bridles and reins) in the childrens hands; and the journey began。

〃remember;〃 said bree。 〃keep together if we possibly can。 if not; meet at  the tombs of the ancient kings; and whoever gets there first must wait for the others。鈥

〃and remember;〃 said shasta。 〃dont you two horses forget yourselves and  start talking; whatever happens。鈥

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CHAPTER FOUR

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shasta falls in with the narnians  at first shasta could see nothing in the valley below him but a sea of mist  with a few domes and pinnacles rising from it; but as the light increased and the mist  cleared away he saw more and more。 a broad river divided itself into two streams and on  the island between them stood the city of tashbaan; one of the wonders of the world。  round the very edge of the island; so that the water lapped against the stone; ran  high walls strengthened with so many towers that he soon gave up trying to count them。  inside the walls the island rose in a hill and every bit of that hill; up to the  tisrocs palace and the great temple of tash at the top; was pletely covered with buildings …  terrace above terrace; street above street; zigzag roads or huge flights of steps  bordered with orange trees and lemon trees; roofgardens; balconies; deep archways; pillared  colonnades; spires; battlements; minarets; pinnacles。 and when at last the sun rose out of the  sea and the great silver…plated dome of the temple flashed back its light; he was  almost dazzled。

〃get on; shasta;〃 bree kept saying。

the river banks on each side of the valley were such a mass of gardens that  they looked at first like forest; until you got closer and saw the white walls of  innumerable houses peeping out from beneath the trees。 soon after that; shasta noticed a  delicious smell of flowers and fruit。 about fifteen minutes later they were down among them;  plodding on a level road with white walls on each side and trees bending over the walls。

〃i say;〃 said shasta in an awed voice。 〃this is a wonderful place!鈥

〃i daresay;〃 said bree。 〃but i wish we were safely through it and out at  the other side。

narnia and the north!鈥

at that moment a low; throbbing noise began which gradually swelled louder  and louder till the whole valley seemed to be swaying with it。 it was a musical noise;  but so strong and solemn as to be a little frightening。

〃thats the horns blowing for the city gates to be open;〃 said bree。 〃we  shall be there in a minute。 now; aravis; do droop your shoulders a bit and step heavier and try  to look less like a princess。 try to imagine youve been kicked and cuffed and called  names all your life。鈥

〃if it es to that;〃 said aravis; 〃what about you drooping your head a  bit more and arching your neck a bit less and trying to look less like a war…horse?鈥

〃hush;〃 said bree。 〃here we are。鈥

and they were。 they had e to the rivers edge and the road ahead of them  ran along a many…arched bridge。 the water danced brightly in the early sunlight; away  to the right nearer the rivers mouth; they caught a glimpse ships masts。 several other  travellers were before them on the bridge; mostly peasants driving laden donkeys and mules  or carrying baskets on their heads。 the children and horses joined the crowd。

〃is anything wrong?〃 whispered shasta to aravis; who had an odd look on her  face。

〃oh its all very well for you;〃 whispered aravis rather savagely。 〃what  would you care about tashbaan? but i ought to be riding in on a litter with soldiers  before me and slaves behind; and perhaps going to a feast in the tisrocs palace (may he live  for ever) … not sneaking in like this。 its different for you。鈥

shasta thought all this very silly。

at the far end of the bridge the walls of the city towered high above them  and the brazen gates stood open in the gateway which was really wide but looked narrow  because it was so very high。 half a dozen soldiers; leaning on their spears; stood on each  side。 aravis couldnt help thinking; 〃theyd all jump to attention and salute me if they  knew whose daughter i am。〃 but the others were only thinking of how theyd get through  and hoping the soldiers would not ask any questions。 fortunately they did not。 but one  of them picked a carrot out of a peasants basket and threw it at shasta with a  rough laugh; saying:  〃hey! horse…boy! youll catch it if your master finds youve been using his  saddle…horse for pack work。鈥

this frightened him badly for of course it showed that no one who knew  anything about horses would mistake bree for anything but a charger。

〃its my masters orders; so there!〃 said shasta。 but it would have been  better if he had held his tongue for the soldier gave him a box on the side of his face that  nearly knocked him down and said; 〃take that; you young filth; to teach you how to talk to  freemen。〃 but  

they all slunk into the city without being stopped。 shasta cried only a  very little; he was used to hard knocks。

inside the gates tashbaan did not at first seem so splendid as it had  looked from a distance。 the first street was narrow and there were hardly any windows in  the walls on each side。 it was much more crowded than shasta had expected: crowded  partly by the peasants (on their way to market) who had e in with them; but also with  watersellers; sweetmeat sellers; porters; soldiers; beggars; ragged children; hens; stray  dogs; and bare…footed slaves。 what you would chiefly have noticed if you had been there  was the smells; which came from unwashed people; unwashed dogs; scent; garlic; onions; and  the piles of refuse which lay everywhere。

shasta was pretending to lead but it was really bree; who knew the way and  kept guiding him by little nudges with his nose。 they soon turned to the left and began  going up a steep hill。 it was much fresher and pleasanter; for the road was bordered  by trees and there were houses only on the right side; on the other they looked out over  the roofs of houses in the lower town and could see some way up the river。 then they  went round a hairpin bend to their right and continued rising。 they were zigzagging up  to the centre of tashbaan。 soon they came to finer streets。 great statues of the gods and  heroes of calormen … who are mostly impressive rather than agreeable to look at… rose  on shining pedestals。 palm trees and pillared arcades cast shadows over the burning  pavements。 and through the arched gateways of many a palace shasta caught sight of green  branches; cool fountains; and smooth lawns。 it must be nice inside; he thought。

at every turn shasta hoped they were getting out of the crowd; but they  never did。 this made their progress very slow; and every now and then they had to stop  altogether。 this usually happened because a loud voice shouted out 〃way; way; way; for the  tarkaan〃; or 〃for the tarkheena〃; or 〃for the fifteenth vizier〃; 〃or for the  ambassador〃; and everyone in the crowd would crush back against the walls; and above their heads  shasta would sometimes see the great lord or lady for whom all the fuss was being made;  lolling upon a litter which four or even six gigantic slaves carried on their bare  shoulders。 for in tashbaan there is only one traffic regulation; which is that everyone who  is less important has to get out of the way for everyone who is more important;  unless you want a cut from a whip or punch from the butt end of a spear。

it was in a splendid street very near the top of the city (the tisrocs  palace was the only thing above it) that the most disastrous of these stoppages occurred。

〃way! way! way!〃 came the voice。 〃way for the white barbarian king; the  guest of the tisroc (may he live for ever)! way for the narnian lords。鈥

shasta tried to get out of the way and to make bree go back。 but no horse;  not even a talking horse from narnia; backs easily。 and a woman with a very edgy  basket in her hands; who was just behind shasta; pushed the basket hard against his  shoulders; and said; 〃now then! who are you shoving!〃 and then someone else jostled him  from the side and in the confusion of the moment he lost hold of bree。 and then the  whole crowd  

behind him became so stiffened and packed tight that he couldnt move at  all。 so he found himself; unintentionally; in the first row and had a fine sight of the  party that was ing down the street。

it was quite unlike any other party they had seen that day。 the crier who  went before it shouting 〃way; way!〃 was the only calormene in it。 and there was no litter;  everyone was on foot。 there were about half a dozen men and shasta had never seen  anyone like them before。 for one thing; they were all as fair…skinned as himself; and  most of them had fair hair。 and they were not dressed like men of calormen。 most of them  had legs bare to the kneee。 their tunics were of fine; bright; hardy colours …  woodland green; or gay yellow; or fresh blue。 instead of turbans they wore steel or silver  caps; some of them set with jewels; and one with little wings on each side of it。 a few were  bare…headed。 the swords at their sides were long and straight; not curved like calormene  scimitars。 and instead of being grave and mysterious like most calormenes; they walked  with a swing and let their arms and shoulders free; and chatted and laughed。 one was  whistling。 you could see that they were ready to be friends with anyone who was friendly  and didnt give a fig for anyone who wasnt。 shasta thought he had never seen anything so  lovely in his life。

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