Chapter 1：THE WRONG DOOR

This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began.

In those days Mr Sherlock Holmes was still living in Baker Street and the Bastables were looking for treasure in the Lewisham Road. In those days, if you were a boy you had to wear a stiff Eton collar every day, and schools were usually nastier than now. But meals were nicer; and as for sweets, I won't tell you how cheap and good they were, because it would only make your mouth water in vain. And in those days there lived in London a girl called Polly Plummer.

She lived in one of a long row of houses which were all joined together. One morning she was out in the back garden when a boy scrambled up from the garden next door and put his face over the wall. Polly was very surprised because up till now there had never been any children in that house, but only Mr Ketterley and Miss Ketterley, a brother and sister, old bachelor and old maid, living together. So she looked up, full of curiosity. The face of the strange boy was very grubby. It could hardly have been grubbier if he had first rubbed his hands in the earth, and then had a good cry, and then dried his face with his hands. As a matter of fact, this was very nearly what he had been doing.

"Hullo," said Polly.

"Hullo," said the boy. "What's your name?"

"Polly," said Polly. "What's yours?"

"Digory," said the boy.

"I say, what a funny name!" said Polly.

"It isn't half so funny as Polly," said Digory.

"Yes it is," said Polly.

"No, it isn't," said Digory.

"At any rate I do wash my face," said Polly, "Which is what you need to do; especially after -" and then she stopped. She had been going to say "After you've been blubbing," but she thought that wouldn't be polite.

"Alright, I have then," said Digory in a much louder voice, like a boy who was so miserable that he didn't care who knew he had been crying. "And so would you," he went on, "if you'd lived all your life in the country and had a pony, and a river at the bottom of the garden, and then been brought to live in a beastly Hole like this."

"London isn't a Hole," said Polly indignantly. But the boy was too wound up to take any notice of her, and he went on "And if your father was away in India - and you had to come and live with an Aunt and an Uncle who's mad (who would like that?) - and if the reason was that they were looking after your Mother - and if your Mother was ill and was going to - going to - die." Then his face went the wrong sort of shape as it does if you're trying to keep back your tears.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," said Polly humbly. And then, because she hardly knew what to say, and also to turn Digory's mind to cheerful subjects, she asked:

"Is Mr Ketterley really mad?"

"Well either he's mad," said Digory, "or there's some other mystery. He has a study on the top floor and Aunt Letty says I must never go up there. Well, that looks fishy to begin with. And then there's another thing. Whenever he tries to say anything to me at meal times - he never even tries to talk to her - she always shuts him up. She says, "Don't worry the boy, Andrew" or "I'm sure Digory doesn't want to hear about that" or else "Now, Digory, wouldn't you like to go out and play in the garden?"

"What sort of things does he try to say?"

"I don't know. He never gets far enough. But there's more than that. One night - it was last night in fact - as I was going past the foot of the attic-stairs on my way to bed (and I don't much care for going past them either) I'm sure I heard a yell."

"Perhaps he keeps a mad wife shut up there."

"Yes, I've thought of that."

"Or perhaps he's a coiner."

"Or he might have been a pirate, like the man at the beginning of Treasure Island, and be always hiding from his old shipmates."

"How exciting!" said Polly, "I never knew your house was so interesting." .

"You may think it interesting," said Digory. "But you wouldn't like it if you had to sleep there. How would you like to lie awake listening for Uncle Andrew's step to come creeping along the passage to your room? And he has such awful eyes."

That was how Polly and Digory got to know one another: and as it was just the beginning of the summer holidays and neither of them was going to the sea that year, they met nearly every day.

Their adventures began chiefly because it was one of the wettest and coldest summers there had been for years. That drove them to do indoor things: you might say, indoor exploration. It is wonderful how much exploring you can do with a stump of candle in a big house, or in a row of houses. Polly had discovered long ago that if you opened a certain little door in the box-room attic of her house you would find the cistern and a dark place behind it which you could get into by a little careful climbing. The dark place was like a long tunnel with brick wall on one side and sloping roof on the other. In the roof there were little chunks of light between the slates. There was no floor in this tunnel: you had to step from rafter to rafter, and between them there was only plaster. If you stepped on this you would find yourself falling through the ceiling of the room below. Polly had used the bit of the tunnel just beside the cistern as a smugglers' cave. She had brought up bits of old packing cases and the seats of broken kitchen chairs, and things of that sort, and spread them across from rafter to rafter so as to make a bit of floor. Here she kept a cash-box containing various treasures, and a story she was writing and usually a few apples. She had often drunk a quiet bottle of ginger-beer in there: the old bottles made it look more like a smugglers' cave.

Digory quite liked the cave (she wouldn't let him see the story) but he was more interested in exploring.

"Look here," he said. "How long does this tunnel go on for? I mean, does it stop where your house ends?"

"No," said Polly. "The walls don't go out to the roof. It goes on. I don't know how far."

"Then we could get the length of the whole row of houses."

"So we could," said Polly, "And oh, I say!"

"What?"

"We could get into the other houses."

"Yes, and get taken up for burglars! No thanks."

"Don't be so jolly clever. I was thinking of the house beyond yours." ,

"What about it?"

"Why, it's the empty one. Daddy says it's always been empty since we came here."

"I suppose we ought to have a look at it then," said Digory. He was a good deal more excited than you'd have thought from the way he spoke. For of course he was thinking, just as you would have been, of all the reasons why the house might have been empty so long. So was Polly. Neither of them said the word "haunted". And both felt that once the thing had been suggested, it would be feeble not to do it.

"Shall we go and try it now?" said Digory.

"Alright," said Polly.

"Don't if you'd rather not," said Digory.

"I'm game if you are," said she.

"How are we to know we're in the next house but one?" They decided they would have to go out into the boxroom and walk across it taking steps as long as the steps from one rafter to the next. That would give them an idea of how many rafters went to a room. Then they would allow about four more for the passage between the two attics in Polly's house, and then the same number for the maid's bedroom as for the box-room. That would give them the length of the house. When they had done that distance twice they would be at the end of Digory's house; any door they came to after that would let them into an attic of the empty house.

"But I don't expect it's really empty at all," said Digory.

"What do you expect?"

"I expect someone lives there in secret, only coming in and out at night, with a dark lantern. We shall probably discover a gang of desperate criminals and get a reward. It's all rot to say a house would be empty all those years unless there was some mystery."

"Daddy thought it must be the drains," said Polly.

"Pooh! Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations," said Digory. Now that they were talking by daylight in the attic instead of by candlelight in the Smugglers' Cave it seemed much less likely that the empty house would be haunted.

When they had measured the attic they had to get a pencil and do a sum. They both got different answers to it at first, and even when they agreed I am not sure they got it right. They were in a hurry to start on the exploration.

"We mustn't make a sound," said Polly as they climbed in again behind the cistern. Because it was such an important occasion they took a candle each (Polly had a good store of them in her cave).

It was very dark and dusty and draughty and they stepped from rafter to rafter without a word except when they whispered to one another, "We're opposite your attic now" or "this must be halfway through our house". And neither of them stumbled and the candles didn't go out, and at last they came where they could see a little door in the brick wall on their right. There was no bolt or handle on this side of it, of course, for the door had been made for getting in, not for getting out; but there was a catch (as there often is on the inside of a cupboard door) which they felt sure they would be able to turn.

"Shall I?" said Digory.

"I'm game if you are," said Polly, just as she had said before. Both felt that it was becoming very serious, but neither would draw back. Digory pushed round the catch with some difficultly. The door swung open and the sudden daylight made them blink. Then, with a great shock, they saw that they were looking, not into a deserted attic, but into a furnished room. But it seemed empty enough. It was dead silent. Polly's curiosity got the better of her. She blew out her candle and stepped out into the strange room, making no more noise than a mouse.

It was shaped, of course, like an attic, but furnished as a sitting-room. Every bit of the walls was lined with shelves and every bit of the shelves was full of books. A fire was burning in the grate (you remember that it was a very cold wet summer that year) and in front of the fire-place with its back towards them was a high-backed armchair. Between the chair and Polly, and filling most of the middle of the room, was a big table piled with all sorts of things printed books, and books of the sort you write in, and ink bottles and pens and sealing-wax and a microscope. But what she noticed first was a bright red wooden tray with a number of rings on it. They were in pairs - a yellow one and a green one together, then a little space, and then another yellow one and another green one. They were no bigger than ordinary rings, and no one could help noticing them because they were so bright. They were the most beautiful shiny little things you can imagine. If Polly had been a very little younger she would have wanted to put one in her mouth.

The room was so quiet that you noticed the ticking of the clock at once. And yet, as she now found, it was not absolutely quiet either. There was a faint - a very, very faint - humming sound. If Hoovers had been invented in those days Polly would have thought it was the sound of a Hoover being worked a long way off - several rooms away and several floors below. But it was a nicer sound than that, a more musical tone: only so faint that you could hardly hear it.

"It's alright; there's no one here," said Polly over her shoulder to Digory. She was speaking above a whisper now. And Digory came out, blinking and looking extremely dirty - as indeed Polly was too.

"This is no good," he said. "It's not an empty house at all. We'd better bunk before anyone comes."

"What do you think those are?" said Polly, pointing at the coloured rings.'

"Oh come on," said Digory. "The sooner-"

He never finished what he was going to say for at that moment something happened. The high-backed chair in front of the fire moved suddenly and there rose up out of it - like a pantomime demon coming up out of a trapdoor the alarming form of Uncle Andrew. They were not in the empty house at all; they were in Digory's house and in the forbidden study! Both children said "O-o-oh" and realized their terrible mistake. They felt they ought to have known all along that they hadn't gone nearly far enough.

Uncle Andrew was tall and very thin. He had a long clean-shaven face with a sharply-pointed nose and extremely bright eyes and a great tousled mop of grey hair.

Digory was quite speechless, for Uncle Andrew looked a thousand times more alarming than he had ever looked before. Polly was not so frightened yet; but she soon was. For the very first thing Uncle Andrew did was to walk across to the door of the room, shut it, and turn the key in the lock. Then he turned round, fixed the children with his bright eyes, and smiled, showing all his teeth.

"There!" he said. "Now my fool of a sister can't get at you!"

It was dreadfully unlike anything a grown-up would be expected to do. Polly's heart came into her mouth, and she and Digory started backing towards the little door they had come in by. Uncle Andrew was too quick for them. He got behind them and shut that door too and stood in front of it. Then he rubbed his hands and made his knuckles crack. He had very long, beautifully white, fingers.

"I am delighted to see you," he said. "Two children are just what I wanted."

"Please, Mr Ketterley," said Polly. "It's nearly my dinner time and I've got to go home. Will you let us out, please?"

"Not just yet," said Uncle Andrew. "This is too good an opportunity to miss. I wanted two children. You see, I'm in the middle of a great experiment. I've tried it on a guinea-pig and it seemed to work. But then a guinea-pig can't tell you anything. And you can't explain to it how to come back."

"Look here, Uncle Andrew," said Digory, "it really is dinner time and they'll be looking for us in a moment. You must let us out."

"Must?" said Uncle Andrew.

Digory and Polly glanced at one another. They dared not say anything, but the glances meant "Isn't this dreadful?" and "We must humour him."

"If you let us go for our dinner now," said Polly, "we could come back after dinner."

"Ah, but how do I know that you would?" said Uncle Andrew with a cunning smile. Then he seemed to change his mind.

"Well, well," he said, "if you really must go, I suppose you must. I can't expect two youngsters like you to find it much fun talking to an old buffer like me." He sighed and went on. "You've no idea how lonely I sometimes am. But no matter. Go to your dinner. But I must give you a present before you go. It's not every day that I see a little girl in my dingy old study; especially, if I may say so, such a very attractive young lady as yourself."

Polly began to think he might not really be mad after all.

"Wouldn't you like a ring, my dear?" said Uncle Andrew to Polly.

"Do you mean one of those yellow or green ones?" said Polly. "How lovely!"

"Not a green one," said Uncle Andrew. "I'm afraid I can't give the green ones away. But I'd be delighted to give you any of the yellow ones: with my love. Come and try one on."

Polly had now quite got over her fright and felt sure that the old gentleman was not mad; and there was certainly something strangely attractive about those bright rings. She moved over to the tray.

"Why! I declare," she said. "That humming noise gets louder here. It's almost as if the rings were making it."

"What a funny fancy, my dear," said Uncle Andrew with a laugh. It sounded a very natural laugh, but Digory had seen an eager, almost a greedy, look on his face.

"Polly! Don't be a fool!" he shouted. "Don't touch them."

It was too late. Exactly as he spoke, Polly's hand went out to touch one of the rings. And immediately, without a flash or a noise or a warning of any sort, there was no Polly. Digory and his Uncle were alone in the room.

    1、开错的门

      
故事发生在很久以前，当你爷爷还是个孩子的时候。这个故享非常重要，因为它告诉我们，我们自己的世界和纳尼亚王国之间所有的事情最初是如何发生的。

      那时，歇洛克·

      福尔摩斯仍住在贝克街，巴斯塔布尔一家还在路易斯罕大道上寻宝。那时，如果你是小男孩，你不得不天天戴上硬邦邦的伊顿领子，学校嘛，通常比现在的糟糕。不过，吃的比现在的好；要说糖果，我不想告诉你多么便宜，多么好吃，因为那只能使你白白地流口水。那时，伦较住着一个女孩，名叫波莉·  普卢默。

      她家的房子和其他房子连成长长的一排。一天早晨，她在后花园里，看见一个男孩从隔壁花园爬上墙头，只露出一张脸。波莉感到很意外，因为，迄今为止．那幢房子除了老单身汉凯特利先生和老处女凯特利小姐这兄妹俩外，并没有住孩子。她好奇地抬起头，那陌生男孩的脸脏极了，就算他的手先在土里擦，然后大哭一场，再用泥手去擦脸，也不会这么脏。实际上，这差不多就是他刚刚干的事。

      “你好！”波莉说。

      “你好！”男孩回答，“你叫什么？”

      “波莉。”波莉说，“你呢？"

      “迪格雷。”男孩答道。

      “唉呀，这名字太好笑了 ! ”波莉说。

      “波莉好笑得多呢。”

      “就是好笑。”波莉又说。

      “就不好笑。”男孩反驳说。

      “不管怎样，我是洗脸的，”波莉说，“而你现在需要洗脸，尤其当你… …

      ”她停住了。她本想说“当你号啕大哭以后”，但又觉得不太礼貌。

      “对极了，我刚哭过。”迪格雷把嗓门提高了许多．像一个悲哀过度的男孩不在乎谁知道他哭过一样。”你也会哭的，”他维续说，“要是你原来住在乡下，有匹小马，花园尽头还有条小河，然后却被弄到这么个糟糕透顶的窝里来住的话。”

      “伦敦不是糟糕透顶的窝。”波莉愤愤地说。但男孩太激动了，根本没注意到她的口气。他接着说：

      “要是你爸爸远在印度，你不得不来跟姨妈和疯癫癫的舅舅住在一起，你怎么会高兴呢？）而这又是因为他们正在照看你的妈妈，而你的妈妈生病了，就要……就要死了。”他脸上做出想忍件不哭时的怪异表情。

      “对不起，我一点儿也不知道。”波莉低声下气地道歉。接着，因为实在不知道该说些什么，同时也为了能使迪格雷转到愉快的话题上，她问：

      “凯特利先生直的疯了吗？”

      “要么疯了，”迪格雷回答，“要么就有什么秘密。他在楼顶上有间书房，蕾蒂姨妈叮嘱过，我决不能去。这让人觉得可疑。还有，他从不跟蕾蒂姨妈交谈，而每当他在进餐时想要对我说什么，她就要阻止。她会说，‘安德鲁，别去烦这孩子’，或者，‘我能肯定迪格雷不想知道那件事’，或者，‘迪格雷，你不想去外面花园里玩吗？’”

      “他想要说什么事情呢？”

      “我不知道。他从来不多说。哦，还有，有天夜里，就是昨夜，我经过阁楼楼梯下面去睡觉时（我不喜欢从那儿走过），我敢肯定听到了一声喊叫。”

      “他可能关了一个疯妻在那儿吧？"

      “我也这样想。”

      “要不然，他在造假币。”

      “或许以前他是个海盗，像《金银岛》开头的那人一样，老在躲避过去船上的同伙。”

      “真带劲儿！”波莉说，“我从来不知道你们那幢房子这么有趣。”

      “你可能觉得有趣，”迪格雷说，“但你要是住在里面，你就不会开心了。你总不愿意半睡半醒的时候，听见安德鲁舅舅的脚步声穿过走廊，悄悄向你走来吧？而且他的眼睛那么令人讨厌。”,

      暑假刚开始，波莉和迪格雷就这样认识了 。他们几乎天天见面，那一年谁也没到海边去。

      那年夏天是好几年以来最潮湿、最阴冷的夏季之一，他们的探险便因此揭开了序幕，而他们也只能在室内活动，也就是说，是室内探险。点上一截蜡烛，在一幢大房子或一排房子里东寻西探，实在妙不可言。很早以前，波莉就发现，打开她家阁楼全储藏空的小门，就会看见贮水池后面有一块黑乎乎的地方．可以小心翼翼地钻进去。里面像一条长长的隧道，一边是砖墙，一边是斜屋项。屋项上的石板之间有缝隙，透出光线。隧道里没有地板．你必须从一根椽子到另一根橡子，椽子之间只有灰泥。要是踩在灰泥上，你就会掉入下面的房间。波莉曾将隧道那近水池的那片地方当作“走私者的山洞”。她把一些旧包装箱的散片和破厨房椅的座子一类东西搬上去，搭在椽子之间铺成地板。她还藏了一个钱箱，里面装着各种各样的宝贝，一本她正在写的小说，通常还有几只苹果。她常进去愉偷地喝上一瓶姜啤酒，废弃的酒瓶使那里看上去更像“走私者的山洞”了。

      迪格雷很套欢那个“山洞”（波莉是不会让他看见那本小说的） ，但他更想去探险。

      “唉呀，这条隧道有多长呢，我是说，它到你家房子的边上就为止了吗？”迪格雷问。

      “不，”波莉说，“墙并没有在屋顶那儿为止。我也不知道隧道有多长。”

      “那么，我们可以把整排房子都走通。”

      “是的。”，波莉说，“哎呀！"

      “怎么了？"

      “我们可以走到别人的房子里去嘛！ "

      “是的，然后再被人当成夜盗抓起来！这可不好玩。”

      “别自作聪明，我刚才在想你家后面的那修房子。”

      “什么意思？”

      “唔，那是幢空房子。爸爸说，自从我们搬到这毕来，它就一直是空的。”

      “那我们该去侦察一番。”迪格雷说。从他说话的方式上，你还看不出他的内心要激动得多。当然，可能像你一样，他也在想，那幢房子为什么好长时间都是空的。他把可能的理由全想了一遍，波莉也在想。然而，谁也没提‘闹鬼”二字。两人都觉得，事情一旦说出口，不去就显得太软弱了。

      “我们现在就去呜？”迪格雷问。

      “是的。”波莉说。

      “如果你不愿意就不勉强。”

      “只要你愿意．我就愿意。”波莉回答。

      “可我们怎么知道刚好到了隔壁一幢的房子里呢？”

      他们决定．先出去到储藏室，以两根椽子之间的距离为一步，这样走一遍，就知道要跨过多少根椽子才能走完一个房间。他们给波莉家两个阁楼间的通道留出稍多于四根椽子的距离，给女佣的卧室算上与储藏室一样多的椽子。加起来，便是那幢房子的总长度。走完两倍这段距离，就是迪格雷家房子的尽头。再往前，他们所走到的任何一扇门都会通向空房子的阁楼。

      “但我不认为那房子真是空的。”迪格雷说。

      “那你是怎么想的？"

      “我想，有人隐居在那儿，天黑以后才提着一盏昏暗的提灯进出。我们还可能发现一帮绝望的罪犯，并由此得到奖赏。要说一幢空了多年的房子毫无秘密，那就太蠢了。”

      “爸爸认为，里面一定是下水道。”波莉说。

      “咳！大人的想法总是没趣儿！”迪格雷说。因为他们是在白天的阁楼里，而不是在”走私者的山洞”里点若蜡烛谈话．空房子闹鬼的可能性便显得很小了。

      他们测出阁楼的长度后，便拿出铅笔来计算总长。起先，两人答案不一致，但即使得出同一结果，我也怀疑他们是否算对了。因为两人都急着上路，去开始他们伟大的探险事业。"

      “我们决不能弄出声音。”当他们从水池后面再次往隧道里钻时，波莉说。每人手里举了一根蜡烛（波莉在她的“山洞”里藏了很多）。

      黑暗而通风的隧道里积着厚厚的灰尘。他们踩着椽子悄然而行，偶尔互相耳语一句“到你家阁楼对面了”，或者“走到我家房子的中间了”。两人都没有跌倒过，蜡烛也没有熄灭过，最后，他们停住了，看见右面的砖墙上有扇小门。门的这一面既无门闩也无把手，

      显然，那门是做来让人进屋，而不是让人走出去的。但门上有个挂钩（像衣柜门上常见的那种），他们觉得完全能够打开。

      “我去开吗？”迪格雷问。

      “只要你愿意，我就愿意。”波莉又搬出她的口头禅。两人都知道，他们正处在紧要关头，但谁也没有后退。迪格雷费了一番劲才把挂钩打开。门一开，突然射来的自然光使他们忍不住眨了眨眼。接着，他们非常惊奇地发现，面前不是一间废弃的阁楼，而是一个陈设完整的房间。但似乎又是空荡荡的，一派死寂。波莉在好奇心的驱使下吹灭了蜡烛，像耗子一样悄悄地走进了那间奇怪的屋子。

      屋子的形状很像阁楼，但又装饰得像起居室。沿墙摆满了架子，架上放满了书籍。壁炉里燃着火，（你还记得那年夏天又冷又湿吧？）火炉前面，一把高背扶手椅背对他们两人放着。在波莉和椅子之间，占据大部分空间的是一张堆着各种物什的大桌子——书、笔记薄、墨水瓶、钢笔、封蜡和一台显微镜。然而，她首先注意到的是一只红得发亮的木托盘，里面有几只戒指。这些戒指成对放着，一枚黄的和一枚绿的挨在一起隔了一点距离，又是一枚黄的和一枚绿的挨在一起。它们只不过像普通戒指那么大，但由于太亮了，谁也不会看不见。这些小戒指闪着你能想像的最共丽的光彩。如果波莉再小一点儿，她说不定会草一枚放进嘴里。

      房间里静峥的，你很快便能清楚地听见钟的嘀嗒声。可波莉又发现，毕面并非绝对寂静有一种微弱的嗡嗡声。假如那时已有吸尘器，波莉肯定会认为这是一台吸尘器在几间房子外或几层楼下工作发出的声音。但她听到的声音更柔和，更富音乐感，只是微弱得几乎听不见。

      “太好了，这儿没人。”波莉偏过头，用略高于耳语的声音对迪格雷说。

      “好什么？”迪格雷走过来，眨巴着眼睛，”根本不是空房子，我们最好在有人进来以前逃走。”他看上去脏极了，波莉也是。

      “你说那些是什么？”波莉指着彩色戒指问。

      “过来，快……”迪格留正想说下去，一件意想不到的事发生了。火炉前的高背椅子突然移动了，像舞台的活动门里钻出一个哑剧中的小丑一样，安德鲁舅舅可怕的样子出现在他们面前。他们站的地方不是空房子，而是迪格雷家中那间禁止入内的书房！两个孩子意识到犯了严重的错误，都大张着口，”噢——噢——”地说不出话来。他们觉得早该感到自己走得不够远。

      安德鲁舅舅又高又瘦，一头灰发零乱不堪，刮得干干净净的长脸上长着尖削的鼻子和一双贼亮的眼睛。

      迪格雷大气也不敢出，囚为安德鲁舅舅看上去要比以往可怕一千倍。波莉起先还不太害怕，但很快就怕了，因为安德鲁舅舅一来便走到门口，关上门，并把门锁了起来。然后，他转过身，直勾勾地盯着孩子们，一笑，眼出满口牙齿。"

      “这下可好，”他说，“我那傻瓜妹妹找不到你们了。”

      这哪里像大人应该做的事！波莉的心提到了嗓子眼。她和迪格雷开始向他们进来的小门退去。但安德鲁舅舅抢先冲到他们背后，将那扇门也关上了，然后站在门前。他搓着手，弄得指关节啪啪地响。他有长长的漂亮的白手指。

      “很高兴见到你们，”他说，“我正需要两个孩子呢。”

      “凯特利先生，”波莉说，“我要回家了，请你放我们出去，好吗？”

      “现在不行，这么好的机会不能错过。我需要两个孩子。你看，我的伟大的实验只做了一半。以前，我用过一只豚鼠，还可以，但豚鼠没法儿跟你说话．而你也不能告诉它怎么回来。”

      “安德鲁舅舅，”迪格雷说，“现在是吃饭时间了，他们很快就会找我们的。你必须放我们出去。”

      “必须？”安德每舅舅说。

      迪格雷和波莉相互看了一眼。两人不敢开口，但眼睛却在说，“这太可怕了，不是吗？”我们只好哄哄他。”

      “要是你放我们去吃饭，我们吃完就回来。”波莉说。

      “可是，我怎么知道你们会不会回来？”安德各舅舅狡猾地一笑，好像要改变注意了。

      “好吧，好吧，”他说，“如果真是非走不可，我想你们也该走了。我不指望像你们这么大的两个孩子会喜欢跟我这样一个老笨蛋说话。”他叹口气，继续道；“你们不明白，有时，我是多么孤独。可是，没关系，去吃饭吧。但在你们走之前，我一定要送你们一件礼物。我并不是每天都能在这间肮脏的旧书房里见到一个小姑娘的，尤其是，这么说吧，跟你一样吸引人的年轻姑娘。”

      波莉开始想，他可能并不疯。

     “你不喜欢戒指吗，亲爱的？’他问波莉。

     “你是说那些黄的绿的戒指吗，太可爱了！”波莉很高兴。

     “不是绿的，”安德鲁舅舅说，“我想我还不能把绿的给人。但我喜欢送你一枚包含若我一份爱心的黄戒指。过来试试吧。”

      波莉一点儿也不怕了，她完全相信这位老先生并没有疯，那些亮晶晶的戒指有种奇异的魔力，引诱她朝托盘走去。

      “啊，我知道了！”波莉说，”那种嗡嗡声在这儿变大了，好像就是这些戒指发出的。”

      “多么有趣的幻想，亲爱的。”安德鲁舅舅笑起来，那笑声听来非常自然．但迪格雷从他的脸上看出一种急迫甚至贪婪的神色。

      “波莉，别做傻事，”他大叫，“不要碰戒指！”

      可是，一切都晚了，在他说话的同时，波莉的手已经伸出去，触到了其中一枚戒指。很快，没有闪光，没有声音，没有任何警告，波莉便消失了，屋子里只剩下迪格雷和他的安德鲁舅舅。

Chapter 2：DIGORY AND HIS UNCLE

IT was so sudden, and so horribly unlike anything that had ever happened to Digory even in a nightmare, that he let out a scream. Instantly Uncle Andrew's hand was over his mouth. "None of that!" he hissed in Digory's ear. "If you start making a noise your Mother'll hear it. And you know what a fright might do to her."

As Digory said afterwards, the horrible meanness of getting at a chap in that way, almost made him sick. But of course he didn't scream again.

"That's better," said Uncle Andrew. "Perhaps you couldn't help it. It is a shock when you first see someone vanish.
Why, it gave even me a turn when the guinea-pig did it the other night."

"Was that when you yelled?" asked Digory.

"Oh, you heard that, did you? I hope you haven't been spying on me?"

"No, I haven't," said Digory indignantly. "But what's happened to Polly?"

"Congratulate me, my dear boy," said Uncle Andrew, rubbing his hands. "My experiment has succeeded. The little girl's gone - vanished - right out of the world."

"What have you done to her?"

"Sent her to - well - to another place."

"What do you mean?" asked Digory.

Uncle Andrew sat down and said, "Well, I'll tell you all about it. Have you ever heard of old Mrs Lefay?"

"Wasn't she a great-aunt or something?" said Digory.

"Not exactly," said Uncle Andrew. "She was my godmother. That's her, there, on the wall."

Digory looked and saw a faded photograph: it showed the face of an old woman in a bonnet. And he could now remember that he had once seen a photo of the same face in an old drawer, at home, in the country. He had asked his Mother who it was and Mother had not seemed to want to talk about the subject much. It was not at all a nice face, Digory thought, though of course with those early photographs one could never really tell.

"Was there - wasn't there - something wrong about her, Uncle Andrew?" he asked.

"Well," said Uncle Andrew with a chuckle, "it depends what you call wrong. People are so narrow-minded. She certainly got very queer in later life. Did very unwise things. That was why they shut her up."

"In an asylum, do you mean?"

"Oh no, no, no," said Uncle Andrew in a shocked voice. "Nothing of that sort. Only in prison."

"I say!" said Digory. "What had she done?"

"Ah, poor woman," said Uncle Andrew. "She had been very unwise. There were a good many different things. We needn't go into all that. She was always very kind to me."

"But look here, what has all this got to do with Polly? I do wish you'd -"

"All in good time, my boy," said Uncle Andrew. "They let old Mrs Lefay out before she died and I was one of the very few people whom she would allow to see her in her last illness. She had got to dislike ordinary, ignorant people, you understand. I do myself. But she and I were interested in the same sort of things. It was only a few days before her death that she told me to go to an old bureau in her house and open a secret drawer and bring her a little box that I would find there. The moment I picked up that box I could tell by the pricking in my fingers that I held some great secret in my hands. She gave it me and made me promise that as soon as she was dead I would burn it, unopened, with certain ceremonies. That promise I did not keep."

"Well, then, it was jolly rotten of you," said Digory.

"Rotten?" said Uncle Andrew with a puzzled look.

"Oh, I see. You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I'm sure, and I'm very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys - and servants - and women - and even people in general, can't possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny."

As he said this he sighed and looked so grave and noble and mysterious that for a second Digory really thought he was saying something rather fine. But then he remembered the ugly look he had seen on his Uncle's face the moment before Polly had vanished: and all at once he saw through Uncle Andrew's grand words. "All it means," he said to himself, "Is that he thinks he can do anything he likes to get anything he wants."

"Of course," said Uncle Andrew, "I didn't dare to open the box for a long time, for I knew it might contain something highly dangerous. For my godmother was a very remarkable woman. The truth is, she was one of the last mortals in this country who had fairy blood in her. (She said there had been two others in her time. One was a duchess and the other was a charwoman.) In fact, Digory, you are now talking to the last man (possibly) who really had a fairy godmother. There! That'll be something for you to remember when you are an old man yourself."

"I bet she was a bad fairy," thought Digory; and added out loud. "But what about Polly?"

"How you do harp on that!" said Uncle Andrew. "As if that was what mattered! My first task was of course to study the box itself. It was very ancient. And I knew enough even then to know that it wasn't Greek, or Old Egyptian, or Babylonian, or Hittite, or Chinese. It was older than any of those nations. Ah - that was a great day when I at last found out the truth. The box was Atlantean; it came from the lost island of Atlantis. That meant it was centuries older than any of the stone-age things they dig up in Europe. And it wasn't a rough, crude thing like them either. For in the very dawn of time Atlantis was already a great city with palaces and temples and learned men."

He paused for a moment as if he expected Digory to say something. But Digory was disliking his Uncle more every minute, so he said nothing.

"Meanwhile," continued Uncle Andrew, "I was learning a good deal in other ways (it wouldn't be proper to explain them to a child) about Magic in general. That meant that I came to have a fair idea what sort of things might be in the box. By various tests I narrowed down the possibilities. I had to get to know some - well, some devilish queer people, and go through some very disagreeable experiences. That was what turned my head grey. One doesn't become a magician for nothing. My health broke down in the end. But I got better. And at last I actually knew."

Although there was not really the least chance of anyone overhearing them, he leaned forward and almost whispered as he said:

"The Atlantean box contained something that had been brought from another world when our world was only just beginning."

"What?" asked Digory, who was now interested in spite of himself.

"Only dust," said Uncle Andrew. "Fine, dry dust. Nothing much to look at. Not much to show for a lifetime of toil, you might say. Ah, but when I looked at that dust (I took jolly good care not to touch it) and thought that every grain had once been in another world - I don't mean another planet, you know; they're part of our world and you could get to them if you went far enough - but a really Other World - another Nature another universe - somewhere you would never reach even if you travelled through the space of this universe for ever and ever - a world that could be reached only by Magic - well!" Here Uncle Andrew rubbed his hands till his knuckles cracked like fireworks.

"I knew," he went on, "that if only you could get it into the right form, that dust would draw you back to the place it had come from. But the difficulty was to get it into the right form. My earlier experiments were all failures. I tried them on guinea-pigs. Some of them only died. Some exploded like little bombs -"

"It was a jolly cruel thing to do," said Digory who had once had a guinea-pig of his own.

"How you do keep getting off the point!" said Uncle Andrew. "That's what the creatures were for. I'd bought them myself. Let me see - where was I? Ah yes. At last I succeeded in making the rings: the yellow rings. But now a new difficulty arose. I was pretty sure, now, that a yellow ring would send any creature that touched it into the Other Pace. But what would be the good of that if I couldn't get them back to tell me what they had found there?"

"And what about them?" said Digory. "A nice mess they'd be in if they couldn't get back!"

"You will keep on looking at everything from the wrong point of view," said Uncle Andrew with a look of impatience. "Can't you understand that the thing is a great experiment? The whole point of sending anyone into the Other Place is that I want to find out what it's like."

"Well why didn't you go yourself then?"

Digory had hardly ever seen anyone so surprised and offended as his Uncle did at this simple question. "Me? Me?" he exclaimed. "The boy must be mad! A man at my time of life, and in my state of health, to risk the shock and the dangers of being flung suddenly into a different universe? I never heard anything so preposterous in my life! Do you realize what you're saying? Think what Another World means - you might meet anything anything."

"And I suppose you've sent Polly into it then," said Digory. His cheeks were flaming with anger now. "And all I can say," he added, "even if you are my Uncle - is that you've behaved like a coward, sending a girl to a place you're afraid to go to yourself."

"Silence, sir!" said Uncle Andrew, bringing his hand down on the table. "I will not be talked to like that by a little, dirty, schoolboy. You don't understand. I am the great scholar, the magician, the adept, who is doing the experiment. Of course I need subjects to do it on. Bless my soul, you'll be telling me next that I ought to have asked the guinea-pigs' permission before I used them! No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. But the idea of my going myself is ridiculous. It's like asking a general to fight as a common soldier. Supposing I got killed, what would become of my life's work?"

"Oh, do stop jawing," said Digory. "Are you going to bring Polly back?"

"I was going to tell you, when you so rudely interrupted me," said Uncle Andrew, "that I did at last find out a way of doing the return journey. The green rings draw you back."

"But Polly hasn't got a green ring."

"No " said Uncle Andrew with a

cruel smile.

"Then she can't get back," shouted Digory. "And it's exactly the same as if you'd murdered her.

"She can get back," said Uncle Andrew, "if someone else will go after her, wearing a yellow ring himself and taking two green rings, one to bring himself back and one to bring her back."

And now of course Digory saw the trap in which he was caught: and he stared at Uncle Andrew, saying nothing, with his mouth wide open. His cheeks had gone very pale.

"I hope," said Uncle Andrew presently in a very high and mighty voice, just as if he were a perfect Uncle who had given one a handsome tip and some good advice, "I hope, Digory, you are not given to showing the white feather. I should be very sorry to think that anyone of our family had not enough honour and chivalry to go to the aid of - er - a lady in distress."

"Oh shut up!" said Digory. "If you had any honour and all that, you'd be going yourself. But I know you won't. Alright. I see I've got to go. But you are a beast. I suppose you planned the whole thing, so that she'd go without knowing it and then I'd have to go after her."

"Of course," said Uncle Andrew with his hateful smile.

"Very well. I'll go. But there's one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn't believe in Magic till today. I see now it's real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you're simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I've never read a story in which people of that sort weren't paid out in the end, and I bet you will be. And serve you right."

Of all the things Digory had said this was the first that really went home. Uncle Andrew started and there came over his face a look of such horror that, beast though he was, you could almost feel sorry for him. But a second later he smoothed it all away and said with a rather forced laugh, "Well, well, I suppose that is a natural thing for a child to think - brought up among women, as you have been. Old wives' tales, eh? I don't think you need worry about my danger, Digory. Wouldn't it be better to worry about the danger of your little friend? She's been gone some time. If there are any dangers Over There - well, it would be a pity to arrive a moment too late."

"A lot you care," said Digory fiercely. "But I'm sick of this jaw. What have I got to do?"

"You really must learn to control that temper of yours, my boy," said Uncle Andrew coolly. "Otherwise you'll grow up like your Aunt Letty. Now. Attend to me."

He got up, put on a pair of gloves, and walked over to the tray that contained the rings.

"They only work," he said, "if they're actually touching your skin. Wearing gloves, I can pick them up - like this - and nothing happens. If you carried one in your pocket nothing would happen: but of course you'd have to be careful not to put your hand in your pocket and touch it by accident. The moment you touch a yellow ring, you vanish out of this world. When you are in the Other Place I expect - of course this hasn't been tested yet, but I expect - that the moment you touch a green ring you vanish out of that world and - I expect - reappear in this. Now. I take these two greens and drop them into your right-hand pocket. Remember very carefully which pocket the greens are in. G for green and R for right. G.R. you see: which are the first two letters of green. One for you and one for the little girl. And now you pick up a yellow one for yourself. I should put it on on your finger - if I were you. There'll be less chance of dropping it."

Digory had almost picked up the yellow ring when he suddenly checked himself.

"Look here," he said. "What about Mother? Supposing she asks where I am?"

"The sooner you go, the sooner you'll be back," said Uncle Andrew cheerfully.

"But you don't really know whether I can get back."

Uncle Andrew shrugged his shoulders, walked across to the door, unlocked it, threw it open, and said:

"Oh very' well then. Just as you please. Go down and have your dinner. Leave the little girl to be eaten by wild animals or drowned or starved in Otherworld or lost there for good, if that's what you prefer. It's all one to me. Perhaps before tea time you'd better drop in on Mrs Plummer and explain that she'll never see her daughter again; because you were afraid to put on a ring."

"By gum," said Digory, "don't I just wish I was big enough to punch your head!"

Then he buttoned up his coat, took a deep breath, and picked up the ring. And he thought then, as he always thought afterwards too, that he could not decently have done anything else.

      

2、迪格雷和他的舅舅

      即使在梦中．迪格雷也从未见过如此突然如此恐怖的事情，他尖叫了一声。安德鲁舅舅赶紧用手捂住他的嘴。“别叫！”他在迪格雷的耳边悄悄说，“你知道，要是你母亲听到了，她可能会受惊的。”

      正如迪格雷后来说的，这种引人上钩的卑鄙手段实在使他感到厌恶。当然，他也没有再叫。

      “好吧，”安德鲁舅舅说，“也许你是控制不住才叫的。第一次看见一个人消失是会吃惊的。昨天夜里，那只豚鼠的消失甚至把我也吓了一跳。”

      “就在那时，你叫了一声吗？”迪格雷说。

      “噢，你听见了。我希望你没有跟踪我吧，

      “没有，”迪格雷愤愤地说，”但波莉到底出了什么事？”

        “祝贺我吧，亲爱的孩子，”安德鲁搓着手说，“我的试验成功了。那小女孩已经走了——从这个世界消失了。”“你把她怎么村了？"

      “送她到——啊——另一个地方去了。”

      “你这是什么意思？”迪格雷问。

      安德鲁舅舅坐下说，“好，我把一切都告诉你吧。你听说过老莱菲夫人吗，”

      “她不是姨婆或其他什么亲戚吗？”迪格雷说。

      “不完全是，”安德鲁舅舅说，“她是我的教母。那边墙上就是她。”

      迪格雷望过去，着见一幅褪色的头像：一位头戴无边有带女式帽的老太太。他想起，在乡下家中的一个旧抽屉里也见过她的一张头像。他曾经问过妈妈她是谁，但妈妈好像不大愿意谈这个话题。迪格雷想，虽然不能单凭那些旧照片来分辨美丑：但那张脸的确一点儿也不好看。

      “她有——她没什么错吧，安德鲁舅舅？”

      他问。“哦，”安德鲁舅舅抿嘴一笑，说道．“这要看你把什么当作错。人们都太心胸狭窄了。她到了晚年的确非常古怪，做事也很不谨镇。所以，他们把她关了起来。”

      “你是说，关在疯人院？”

      “啊不，不是，不是。”安德鲁舅舅吃惊地说．“根本不是那种地方，只是监禁起来。”

      “天哪！”迪格雷说，“她干了什么？"

      “唉，可怜的女人．”安德鲁舅舅说，“她太不谨慎，做了许多不一般的事。不必细说了。她一直待我很好。”

      “可是，这些事跟波莉有什么关系呢？我真希望你……”

      “别着急，我的孩子，还没到时候。”安德鲁舅舅说，“临死之前，莱菲夫人被放了出来。弥留之际，她只想让为数极少的几个人去看她，我是其中之一。你知道，她不喜欢无知的普通的人。我也不喜欢。而且，她和我兴趣相同。就在她去世的前几天，她让我去她家中，找到一张旧书桌上的一个秘密抽屉，将里面一个小盒子取出来交给她。刚拿起盒子，我的手指就感到刺痛，我明白，我正握着一个很大的秘密。她把盒子交给我，并要我发誓，她一死，我就以某些仪式将盒子原封不动地烧掉。结果我没有听她的话。”

      “唉呀，你这人真糟糕。”迪格雷说。

      “糟糕？”安德鲁舅舅的脸上露出迷惑不解的神色。“哦，我知道了，你是说，小男孩应该遵守诺言。确实如此，我相信，这是最正确、最高尚的道理，我很高兴你学会了这样做。然而你必须懂得，这些规矩，好，都可能不适合于渊博的学者、伟大的思想家和圣人。不适合，迪格雷。像我这样有神秘智慧的人不受普通规矩的约束，正如我们跟普通人的乐趣无缘一样。孩子，我们命定是高贵而孤独的。”

      他边说边叹气，看上去那么一本正经，那么高尚，那么神秘．以至有一秒钟，迪格雷真的以为他在高谈阔论美好的事情。但他想起波莉失踪以前从他脸上看到的丑恶神态，马上就明白了他那些大话的真实含义。“他的意思就是，”他对自己说，“可以不择手段地得到他想要的任何东西。”“当然，”安德鲁舅舅说，“我好长时间没敢打开盒子，我知道，里面可能装着非常危险的东西，因为我的教母太与众不同了。享实上，她是这个国家有神仙血统的最后几个凡人之一

      （据她讲，与她同时代的还有两位，一位是公爵夫人，一位是女魔法师。）其实，迪格雷，你正在跟也许是最后一个有过神仙教母的人谈话。啊，有些事留给你自己老了再回忆吧。”

      “我敢扫赌她是个鳌脚的神仙。”迪格雷想：接着高声说，“那么波莉呢？”

      “你总是唠唠叨叨的，”安德鲁舅舅说，“好像那件事有什么要紧似的。我的首要任务当然是研究盒子木身。那是个古老的盒子。那时，我就清楚，它不是希腊的、古埃及的、巴比伦的、赫梯注的或中国的，它的年代比那些民族还要久远。啊——我最终弄明白事实的那一天是多么了不起。这盒子是阿特兰蒂斯②的，出自消失了的岛国阿特兰蒂斯。这表明，这比欧洲出土的石器时代的文物要古老几百年；而且也不像那些文物粗糙原始。因为阿特兰蒂斯很早就是个伟大的城市，有宫殿、寺庙和学者。”-

      他停了一下，似乎等着迪格雷开口。但每过一分钟，迪格雷就更加讨厌他的安德鲁舅舅，所以，他沉默着。“同时，”安德鲁舅舅继续说，“我靠其他手段学到不少魔法常识（对一个孩子解说那性手段是不合适的）。这样，对盒子里装的东西我就有了一个合理的估计。通过各种试验，我缩小了范围。我不得不结识了一些极端古怪的人，做了一些很难受的试验，我的头发也就这样变白了。一个人不付出代价是不可能成为魔法师的。到后来，我的身体完全垮了，但我有了进步，最后，我真的懂了。”

      虽然根本不可能有人偷听．他还是斜着身子，几乎耳语一般地说：

      ①由公元前十七世纪左右在小亚细亚及叙利亚建立的强大古国，后被亚述人征服。

      ②传说中的岛屿．据说位于大西洋直布罗陀海映以西，后沉于海底。

      “阿特兰蒂斯盒子甲装着来自另一个世界的东西，那时，我们的份界才混沌初开。”

      ”什么。”迪格雷问，他这下不由自主地有了兴趣。“只是土，”安德各舅舅说，“细腻、纯净、干燥的土。没什么好看的，你可能会说，辛苦一辈子就得到这些土，实在不值得。然而，当我看着这些士时（我尽量小心，不去碰它），我想，每一粒土都来自另一世界——我不是说另一星球，你知道，而是我们这个星球的一部分，你走得够远就能到达——但的确是另一个世界——另一种大自然——另一个字宙——你即使在这个宇宙的空间不停地走下去也无法到达——是只能郑魔法才去得了的世界——啊！”说到这里，安德鲁舅舅把手关节弄得木柴似的劈啪作响。

      “我明白，”他继续道，”如果找到正确的方法，这些土就会把你带往它的世界。但正确方法却很难找。我以前的试验全失败了。我用豚鼠来做试验，有些死了，有些像小炸弹一样爆炸了……”

      “实在是太残酷了。”迪格雷说，因为他以前养过一只豚鼠。

      “你为什么总要打岔！”安德鲁舅舅说，“这些动物就是用来做试验的。我自己买的。我想想——说到哪儿了？啊对了，最后，我成功地做好了戒指：黄戒指。但现在，新的困难又来了。我敢肯定黄戒指可以将任何接触到它的动物送到另一世界。但如果我不能让它们回来向我汇报那边的情形，又有什么用呢？”

      “它们怎么办呢？”迪格雷说，“要是它们没法儿回来就会陷入困境！”

      “你总是从错误的角度看问题，”安德各舅匆不耐烦地说，“难道你不明白这是项伟大的试验吗？我把任何动物送入另一世界都是为了了解那儿是个什么地方。”

      “你为什么不自己去？”

      迪格雷从未见过谁像他的舅舅听到这个简单问题时那么惊讶，那么生气。“我？我呜？”他大声说，“这孩子一定是疯了！我这把年纪，这种身体，要是突然被抛到另一个世界，能经受得仕那种震动和危险吗，我这辈子还没听说过如此荒谬的事情！你知道你在说什么吗？想一想，另一个世界意味着什么——你可能会遇到任何事——任何事。”

      “我猜你一定把波莉送到那儿去了。”迪格雷说。他气得满脸缘红。他接着说，“就算你是我舅舅，我也要说，你简直像个胆小鬼，把一个女孩送到你自己都不敢去的地方。”“住嘴，先生！”安德色舅舅把手放在桌上．说道，“一个脏兮兮的小男孩怎么能这样对我说话。你不会明白的。我是一位伟大的学者、魔法师和行家，正在做这项试验，当然需要试验品。天哪，接下来你会告诉我，应该在用豚鼠做试验以前得到它们的同意。没有牺牲是不可能获得大智慧的。但要我自己去却十分可笑，就像要求一个将军像普通士兵那样打仗，假如我被杀了，我毕生的大事怎么办呢？"

      “好了，别哆里哆嗦地训人了，”迪格雷说，“你准备让波莉回来吗？”

      “刚才你粗鲁地打断我时，我就要告诉你，”安德鲁舅舅说，“我最后终于找到了回来的办法。绿戒指能带你回来。”

      “但波莉没有绿戒指。”

      “没有。”安德香舅舅残忍地一笑。

      “这么说，她不能回来了，”迪格雷高声喊着，“这跟谋害没什么两样。”

      “她可以回来，”安德鲁舅舅说，”如果有人肯去找她，戴上一枚黄戒指，再带上两枚绿戒指，一枚给自己，一枚给她。”

      这时，迪格雷明白自己上了当，他大张着嘴，无声地旬若安德鲁舅舅。他的脸变得苍白。

      “我希望，”安德鲁舅舅用劲大声说遂，好像他是个大方而正派的舅舅，给过谁一笔可观的赏钱或者善意的忠告似的，“我希望，迪格雷，你不盲欢示弱。想到我们家没有人有足够的责任心和侠义精神去解救苦难中的女士，我就感到十分遗憾。”

      “住嘴吧！”迪格雷说，“要是你有点儿责任心和侠义精神，你自己就会去，但我知道你是不会去的。好，我明白，我必须去，但你的确是个狼心狗肺的家伙。我想，这全是你一手策划的，计她糊里糊涂地消失了，然后，我就不得不跟若去。”

      “当然。”安德鲁舅舅奸笑着说。

      “好，我去。但有件事，我一定要说在前头。我过去不相信魔法，直到今天，我才知道是真的。那么，我想，那些古老的神话故事多多少少都是真的。你就是故事里写的那种那恶、残忍的魔法师。我还从来没有读过这样的人能逃脱惩罚的故事。我敢打赌，你也会有这一天的。那是报应。”迪格雷说了那么多，这番话才最切中要害。安德鲁舅舅吃了一惊。虽然他缺乏人性，但他脸上露出的恐惧神态几乎让人感到怜悯。可是，这种神色很快消失了，接着是响亮的笑声。他说“唉唉，对一个像你这样在女人堆里长大的孩子来说，这么想是很自然的。老太太们讲的故事，对吗？我认为你不必为我担忧，迪格雷。为你的小朋友担忱不是更好吗？她走了好一阵了，要是那边有什么危险——迟去一秒钟都会遗憾的。”

      “你想得很周到，”迪格雷愤怒地说，“但我已经听烦了。我该怎么做，"

      “你实在该学学怎样控制你的脾气，我的孩子，”安德鲁舅软平静地说，”否则，你长大了，就会跟你的蕾蒂姨妈样一。好，现在听我的。’

      他站起身，截上一副手套，向装戒指的托盘走去。“它们只有在触到你的皮肤时才起作用，”他说，“像这样，戴上手套去拿，平安无事。如果你装一个在口袋里，会很安全的。可是，你一定要小心，不能无意中把手伸进口袋碰到它。一旦你接触到一枚黄戒指，你就从这个世界消失了。当你到了那个世界，我想——当然这还没经过试验证明，但我想——一旦你触到一枚绿戒指，你就离开了那个世界——我想——

      又会回到这里来。看好，我把这两枚绿的放进你右边的口袋。记清楚绿戒指在哪个口袋。G 代表绿色，R 代表右边。你知道，G 和R

      恰好是绿色一词的头两个宁母。一个给你，另一个给那小女孩。现在，你给自己拿一枚黄戒指吧。如果我是你，就会把它套在手指上，这样不容易掉。”

      迪格雷正要去拿，又突然停住了。

      “唉呀，”他说，“妈妈怎么办呢？要是她问我到哪儿去了呢？”

      “早点儿走，早点儿回来。”安德鲁舅舅得意地说。

      “但你并不敢肯定我是否能问来。”

      安德鲁舅舅耸耸肩，走过去打开门，说：

      ”那好，请便吧，下去吃饭。要是你乐意，就让那小女孩在那个世界里被野兽吃掉，或淹死，或饿死，或永远留在那儿吧。对我来说都是一样的。也许，存喝茶以前，你最好去看看普卢默夫人，告诉她再也见不到她的女儿了；就因为你害怕戴上一枚戒指。”

      “老天在上，”迪格雷说，“我真希望有足够的力气来捶扁你的脑袋！”

      然后，他扣上外衣，深深地吸了一口气，拿起了戒指。他想，正如他后来常常想的，他从没有这么休面正派地做过其他任何事了。

Chapter 3：THE WOOD BETWEEN THE WORLDS

UNCLE ANDREW and his study vanished instantly. Then, for a moment, everything became muddled. The next thing Digory knew was that there was a soft green light coming down on him from above, and darkness below. He didn't seem to be standing on anything, or sitting, or lying. Nothing appeared to be touching him. "I believe I'm in water," said Digory. "Or under water." This frightened him for a second, but almost at once he could feel that he was rushing upwards. Then his head suddenly came out into the air and, he found himself scrambling ashore, out on to smooth grassy ground at the edge of a pool.

As he rose to his feet he noticed that he was neither dripping nor panting for breath as anyone would expect after being under water. His clothes were perfectly dry. He was standing by the edge of a small pool - not more than ten feet from side to side in a wood. The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves: but there must have been a very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm. It was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. You could almost feel the trees growing. The pool he had just got out of was not the only pool. There were dozens of others - a pool every few yards as far as his eyes could reach. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots. This wood was very much alive. When he tried to describe it afterwards
Digory always said, "It was a rich place: as rich as plumcake."

The strangest thing was that, almost before he had looked about him, Digory had half forgotten how he had come there. At any rate, he was certainly not thinking about Polly, or Uncle Andrew, or even his Mother. He was not in the least frightened, or excited, or curious. If anyone had asked him "Where did you come from?" he would probably have said, "I've always been here." That was what it felt like - as if one had always been in that place and never been bored although nothing had ever happened. As he said long afterwards, "It's not the sort of place where things happen. The trees go on growing, that's all."

After Digory had looked at the wood for a long time he noticed that there was a girl lying on her back at the foot of a tree a few yards away. Her eyes were nearly shut but not quite, as if she were just between sleeping and waking. So he looked at her for a long time and said nothing. And at last she opened her eyes and looked at him for a long time and she also said nothing. Then she spoke, in a dreamy, contented sort of voice.
"I think I've seen you before," she said.

"I rather think so too," said Digory. "Have you been here long?"
"Oh, always," said the girl. "At least - I don't know a very long time."
"So have I," said Digory.
"No you haven't, said she. "I've just seen you come up out of that pool."
"Yes, I suppose I did," said Digory with a puzzled air, "I'd forgotten."
Then for quite a long time neither said any more.

"Look here," said the girl presently, "I wonder did we ever really meet before? I had a sort of idea - a sort of picture in my head - of a boy and a girl, like us - living somewhere quite different - and doing all sorts of things. Perhaps it was only a dream."
"I've had that same dream, I think," said Digory. "About a boy and a girl, living next door - and something about crawling among rafters. I remember the girl had a dirty face."
"Aren't you getting it mixed? In my dream it was the boy who had the dirty face."
"I can't remember the boy's face," said Digory: and then added, "Hullo! What's that?"
"Why! it's a guinea-pig," said the girl. And it was - a fat guinea-pig, nosing about in the grass. But round the middle of the guinea-pig there ran a tape, and, tied on to it by the tape, was a bright yellow ring.

"Look! look," cried Digory, "The ring! And look! You've got one on your finger. And so have I."
The girl now sat up, really interested at last. They stared very hard at one another, trying to remember. And then, at exactly the same moment, she shouted out "Mr Ketterley" and he shouted out "Uncle Andrew", and they knew who they were and began to remember the whole story. After a few minutes hard talking they had got it straight. Digory explained how beastly Uncle Andrew had been.
"What do we do now?" said Polly. "Take the guineapig and go home?"

"There's no hurry," said Digory with a huge yawn.
"I think there is," said Polly. "This place is too quiet. It's so - so dreamy. You're almost asleep. If we once give in to it we shall just lie down and drowse for ever and ever."
"It's very nice here," said Digory.
"Yes, it is," said Polly.
"But we've got to get back." She stood up and began to go cautiously towards the guinea-pig. But then she changed her mind.
"We might as well leave the guinea-pig," she said. "It's perfectly happy here, and your uncle will only do something horrid to it if we take it home."

"I bet he would," answered Digory. "Look at the way he's treated us. By the way, how do we get home?"
"Go back into the pool, I expect."
They came and stood together at the edge looking down into the smooth water. It was full of the reflection of the green, leafy branches; they made it look very deep.
"We haven't any bathing things," said Polly.
"We shan't need them, silly," said Digory. "We're going in with our clothes on. Don't you remember it didn't wet us on the way up?"
"Can you swim?"
"A bit. Can you?"
"Well - not much."
"I don't think we shall need to swim," said Digory "We want to go down, don't we?"

Neither of them much liked the idea of jumping into that pool, but neither said so to the other. They took hands and said "One - Two - Three - Go" and jumped. There was a great splash and of course they closed their eyes. But when they opened them again they found they were still standing, hand in hand, in the green wood, and hardly up to their ankles in water. The pool was apparently only a couple of inches deep. They splashed back on to the dry ground.
"What on earth's gone wrong?" said Polly in a frightened voice; but not quite so frightened as you might expect, because it is hard to feel really frightened in that wood. The place is too peaceful.
"Oh! I know," said Digory, "Of course it won't work. We're still wearing our yellow rings. They're for the outward journey, you know. The green ones take you home. We must change rings. Have you got pockets? Good. Put your yellow ring in your left. I've got two greens. Here's one for you."

They put on their green rings and came back to the pool. But before they tried another jump Digory gave a long "O-ooh!"
"What's the matter?" said Polly.
"I've just had a really wonderful idea," said Digory. "What are all the other pools?"
"How do you mean?"
"Why, if awe can get back to our own world by jumping into this pool, mightn't we get somewhere else by jumping into one of the others? Supposing there was a world at the bottom of every pool."
"But I thought we were already in your Uncle Andrew's Other World or Other Place or whatever he called it. Didn't you say -"
"Oh bother Uncle Andrew," interrupted Digory. "I don't believe he knows anything about it. He never had the pluck to come here himself. He only talked of one Other World. But suppose there were dozens?"

"You mean, this wood might be only one of them?"
"No, I don't believe this wood is a world at all. I think it's just a sort of in-between place."
Polly looked puzzled. "Don't you see?" said Digory. "No, do listen. Think of our tunnel under the slates at home. It isn't a room in any of the houses. In a way, it isn't really part of any of the houses. But once you're in the tunnel you can go along it and come into any of the houses in the row. Mightn't this wood be the same? - a place that isn't in any of the worlds, but once you've found that place you can get into them all."
"Well, even if you can -" began Polly, but Digory went on as if he hadn't heard her.

"And of course that explains everything," he said. "That's why it is so quiet and sleepy here. Nothing ever happens here. Like at home. It's in the houses that people talk, and do things, and have meals. Nothing goes on in the inbetween places, behind the walls and above the ceilings and under the floor, or in our own tunnel. But when you come out of our tunnel you may find yourself in any house. I think we can get out of this place into jolly well Anywhere! We don't need to jump back into the same pool we came up by. Or not just yet."

"The Wood between the Worlds," said Polly dreamily. "It sounds rather nice."
"Come on," said Digory. "Which pool shall we try?"
"Look here," said Polly, "I'm not going to try any new pool till we've made sure that we can get back by the old one. We're not even sure if it'll work yet."
"Yes," said Digory. "And get caught by Uncle Andrew and have our rings taken away before we've had any fun. No thanks."
"Couldn't we just go part of the way down into our own pool," said Polly. "Just to see if it works. Then if it does, we'll change rings and come up again before we're really back in Mr Ketterley's study."
"Can we go part of the way down?"
"Well, it took time coming up. I suppose it'll take a little time going back."

Digory made rather a fuss about agreeing to this, but he had to in the end because Polly absolutely refused to do any exploring in new worlds until she had made sure about getting back to the old one. She was quite as brave as he about some dangers (wasps, for instance) but she was not so interested in finding out things nobody had ever heard of before; for Digory was the sort of person who wants to know everything, and when he grew up he became the famous Professor Kirke who comes into other books.

After a good deal of arguing they agreed to put on their green rings ("Green for safety," said Digory, "so you can't help remembering which is which") and hold hands and jump. But as soon as they seemed to be getting back to Uncle Andrew's study, or even to their own world, Polly was to shout "Change" and they would slip off their greens and put on their yellows. Digory wanted to be the one who shouted "Change" but Polly wouldn't agree.

They put on the green rings, took hands, and once more shouted "One -Two - Three - Go". This time it worked. It is very hard to tell you what it felt like, for everything happened so quickly. At first there were bright lights moving about in a black sky; Digory always thinks these were stars and even swears that he saw Jupiter quite close -close enough to see its moon. But almost at once there were rows and rows of roofs and chimney pots about them, and they could see St Paul's and knew they were looking at London. But you could see through the walls of all the houses. Then they could see Uncle Andrew, very vague and shadowy, but getting clearer and more solid-looking all the time, just as if he were coming into focus. But before he became quite real Polly shouted "Change", and they did change, and our world faded away like a dream, and the green light above grew stronger and stronger, till their heads came out of the pool and they scrambled ashore. And there was the wood all about them, as green and bright and still as ever. The whole thing had taken less than a minute.
"There!" said Digory. "That's alright. Now for the adventure. Any pool will do. Come on. Let's try that one."
"Stop!" said Polly- "Aren't we going to mark this pool?"

They stared at each other and turned quite white as they realized the dreadful thing that Digory had just been going to do. For there were any number of pools in the wood, and the pools were all alike and the trees were all alike, so that if they had once left behind the pool that led to our own world without making some sort of landmark, the chances would have been a hundred to one against their ever finding it again.
Digory's hand was shaking as he opened his penknife and cut out a long strip of turf on the bank of the pool. The soil (which smelled nice) was of a rich reddish brown and showed up well against the green. "It's a good thing one of us has some sense," said Polly.

"Well don't keep on gassing about it," said Digory. "Come along, I want to see what's in one of the other pools." And Polly gave him a pretty sharp answer and he said something even nastier in reply. The quarrel lasted for several minutes but it would be dull to write it all down. Let us skip on to the moment at which they stood with beating hearts and rather scared faces on the edge of the unknown pool with their yellow rings on and held hands and once more said "One - Two - Three - Go!"
Splash! Once again it hadn't worked. This pool, too, appeared to be only a puddle. Instead of reaching a new world they only got their feet wet and splashed their legs for the second time that morning (if it was a morning: it seems to be always the same time in the Wood between the Worlds).
"Blast and botheration!" exclaimed Digory. "What's gone wrong now? We've put our yellow rings on all right. He said yellow for the outward journey."

Now the truth was that Uncle Andrew, who knew nothing about the Wood between the Worlds, had quite a wrong idea about the rings. The yellow ones weren't "outward" rings and the green ones weren't "homeward" rings; at least, not in the way he thought. The stuff of which both were made had all come from the wood. The stuff in the yellow rings had the power of drawing you into the wood; it was stuff that wanted to get back to its own place, the in-between place. But the stuff in the green rings is stuff that is trying to get out of its own place: so that a green ring would take you out of the wood into a world. Uncle Andrew, you see, was working with things he did not really understand; most magicians are. Of course Digory did not realize the truth quite clearly either, or not till later. But when they had talked it over, they decided to try their green rings on the new pool, just to see what happened.

"I'm game if you are," said Polly. But she really said this because, in her heart of hearts, she now felt sure that neither kind of ring was going to work at all in the new pool, and so there was nothing worse to be afraid of than another splash. I am not quite sure that Digory had not the same feeling. At any rate, when they had both put on their greens and come back to the edge of the water, and taken hands again, they were certainly a good deal more cheerful and less solemn than they had been the first time.
"One - Two - Three - Go!" said Digory. And they jumped.

      3、各个世界之间的树林
      安德鲁舅舅和他的书房立刻消失了。之后的一刹那，四周昏暗而迷茫。接着，迪格雷感到，头顶上射来一束柔和的绿光，下面一片漆黑。他似乎既未站在什么上面，也未坐在或躺在什么上面，四周空空如也。“我相信自己在水中。”迪格雷说，“要么在水下。”这使他吓了一跳，但他马上就觉得在往上冲。突然，他的脑袋接触到空气，他发现自己钻了出来，在水潭边平坦的碧草地上趴着。

      站起来时，他注意到，自己不像从水里出来，既不是湿漉漉的，也没有呼吸急促。他的衣服完全是干的。他正站在树林中一个不足十尺宽的小水潭边。那些树密密地长在一起，枝繁叶茂，遮天蔽日。惟一的光线就是从树叶间渗漏下的绿光。然而，树林上面一定是烈日当空，因为那绿光既明亮又温暖。你可以想像，那是个最为安静的树林，没有鸟，没有虫，没有动物，也没有风。你甚至能感觉到树木在生长。除了他刚才钻出来的那个水潭外，树林里还有不少其他的水潭，极目所视，每隔几步就有一个。你几乎可以感觉到树木用根部在喝水。林子里生机盎然。当迪格雷后来试着描述它时，他总是说：“那是个郁郁葱葱的地方，像葡萄干饼一样绿油油的。”

      最奇怪的是，还来不及东张西望，迪格雷便差不多忘了他是如何到那里的。他怎么也想不起波莉、安德鲁舅舅，甚至他的妈妈。他丝毫不感到害怕，不激动也不好奇。要是有人问他：“你从哪儿来?”他很可能会说，“我一直在这儿。”就是这种感觉——尽管没发生什么事，你却好像一直在那里，从来没有厌烦过。正如他很久以后说的：“那是个不会有什么事的地方。只是树木在不停地生长。”
      迪格雷久久地注视着那片树林，然后，他发现，离他不远的地方，一个女孩正躺在一棵树下，眼睛微微闭着，似睡非睡的模样。他看了很久，没说话。她却用梦呓般的心满意足的语调说话了。
      “我觉得以前在哪儿见过你。”她说。

      “我也这么想，”迪格雷说，“你在这儿很久了吗?”
      “是的，一直在这儿，”女孩说，“至少——我也不知道——很长时间了。”
      “我也是，一直在这儿。”迪格雷说。
      “不对，”她说，“我刚才明明见你从那个水潭里出来。”
      “我想我是从水潭里出来的，”迪格雷迷迷糊糊地说，“不过我忘了。”
      两人久久地沉默着。
      “唉呀，”女孩这才说，“我真想知道，我们以前是不是见过?我有个想法——脑子里有幅图画——一个男孩和一个女孩，就像我们——住在另一个跟这儿很不相同的地方——做着各种各样的事情。可能只是一个梦。”
      “我想，我也做过同样的梦。”迪格雷说，“一个男孩和一个女孩，住在隔壁——好像在椽子之间爬行。我记得那女孩的脸很脏。”
      “弄反了吧?在我的梦里，男孩的脸才是脏的。”

      “我记不得男孩的脸了，”迪格雷说，接着补充道，“嗨!那是什么?”
      “哇!一只豚鼠。”女孩说。一只胖胖的豚鼠，正在草地里东嗅西闻。但豚鼠的腰间缠着一根纱带，身上绑着一枚闪光的黄戒指。
      “看!看!，”迪格雷大叫， “戒指！快看!你的手指上套了一枚，我也有。”
      那女孩终于有了兴趣，坐了起来。他们互相凝视着，试图回忆往事。几乎就在同时，她喊道“凯特利先生”，他喊道“安德鲁舅舅”，两人都明白了自己是谁，并开始回想事情的全部经过。艰难地谈了一阵后，他们完全清醒了。迪格雷述说了安德鲁舅舅如何像畜生一样冷酷无情。
      “我们现在怎么办?”波莉说，“带上豚鼠一块儿回去吗?”

      “不着急。”迪格雷长长地打了一个呵欠。
      “我觉得应该着急，”波莉说，“这地方太静，像——像梦境一样，你总觉得昏昏欲睡。一旦我们支撑不住，就会躺下来，永远永远地睡过去。”
      “这地方很不错。”迪格雷说。
      “是的，”波莉说，“但我们还是得回去。”她站起来，开始小心翼翼地向豚鼠走去，可是，她又改变了主意。
      “留下这只豚鼠吧，”她说，“这里很快活，如果我们带它回去，你的安德鲁舅舅只会害它。”
      “我相信他会的，”迪格雷回答，“看看他是怎样对待我们的!唉呀，我们怎么回去呢?”
      “我想，回到水潭里就行了。”
      他们走过去，并肩站在水潭边，看着平静的水面。倒映在水中的茂密的绿树使潭水显得非常深邃。
      “我们没有游泳衣。”波莉说。
      “不需要，傻瓜，”迪格雷说，“我们穿着衣服进去。你难道忘了我们上来时衣服都没湿吗?”
      “你会游泳吗?”
      “会一点儿，你呢?”
      “游得不太好。”
      “我认为我们不需要游泳，”迪格雷说，“我们需要往下沉，不是吗?”

      他们谁也不太想跳进水潭，但谁都没有说出口。他们手拉手，喊道“一、二、三，跳”便跳了进去。水花飞溅，他们自然闭上了双眼，但当他们睁开眼时，他们仍然手拉手地站在那片绿树林里，水只淹没到他们的踝部。显然，水潭只有几寸深。他们又蹚着水回到陆地上。
      “到底出什么错了?”波莉害怕地说，但也没有你想像的那么害怕，因为，在那片林子里，谁也不可能真正感到害怕，那儿太安详、太宁静了。
      “哦，我懂了!”迪格雷说，“当然不会成功了。我们还戴着黄戒指呢。它们是只管往外走的，你知道，绿色的才管回去。我们必须换戒指。你有口袋吗?好，把黄戒指放在左边口袋里。我有两枚绿戒指，给你一个。”
      他们戴上了绿戒指，又回到潭边。还没有再跳，迪格雷就“噢——噢——啊!”地喊了起来。
      “怎么了?”波莉说。

      “我有一个绝妙的主意，”迪格雷说，“其他那些水潭是怎么回事?”
      “什么意思?”
      “如果我们跳进这个水潭就可以回去，那么，跳进别的水潭不就可以到另外的地方去了吗?想想，每个水潭底下都可能有一个世界!”
      “但我认为我们已经到了你的安德鲁舅舅所说的‘另外的世界’或者‘另外的地方’，或其他什么名称。你是说……”
      “唉，讨厌的安德鲁舅舅，”迪格雷打断她，“我不相信他什么都知道。他绝对不敢到这儿来。他只说了一个‘另外的世界’，也许还有好多呢！”
      “你是说，这片树林可能只是其中之一?”
      “不，我认为这片树林并不是一个世界。我想，它只是一个过渡的中间地带。”
      波莉迷惑不解。“你难道不明白?”迪格雷说，“那么听我讲。想想家里那些石板下的隧道吧。它不是任何房子的一个房间，也就是说，它不是真正属于哪幢房子的某个部分。但只要你进去了，就可以沿着隧道，走进那一排房子中的任何一幢。这片林子不也一样吗?——一个不属于任何世界的地方，但只要找对了，你就可以到达所有的世界。”

      “那，即使你能……”波莉刚开了头，迪格雷就像没听见似的继续往下说：
      “当然，这样一切就都可以解释清楚。”他说，“为什么这里安静得让人昏昏欲睡，原因就在于此。这里从来没有发生过什么事。就像在家里，人们在房子里谈话、做事、吃饭，但在中间地带、墙后面、天花板上、地板底下，或者在我们的隧道里，什么事也没有。但如果你走出隧道，就会发现自己到了一幢房子里。我想，我们可以从这里出去，随便到哪里去!我们不需要跳回我们来的那个水潭。至少现在不。”
      “各个世界之间的树林，”波莉像说梦话似的喃喃自语，“太美妙了。”
      “来，”迪格雷说，“我们该跳哪个水潭?”
      “喂，”波莉说，“要搞清楚我们是不是可以从原来的水潭回去，否则我不会再去跳别的水潭。我们还不敢肯定是不是能够回去呢。”
      “好吧，”迪格雷说，“玩也没玩就让安德鲁舅舅逮住，再把戒指拿走，多没劲儿。”
      “我们可不可以跳回原来的水潭，但只走一半，”波莉说，“看看绿戒指能否带我们回去。如果可以，我们在到达凯特利先生的书房以前就换戒指，再回这里。”
      “这样行吗?”

      “嗯，来时只花了一会儿时间，我想回去也是很快的。”迪格雷对此很有意见，但他只好同意了，因为不弄清是否可以回去，波莉便拒绝到任何新世界里去探险。在危险面前(比如，面对坏人)，波莉和他一样勇敢，但她对探索闻所未闻的新事物并不很感兴趣。由于迪格雷是那种想了解一切的人，长大以后，他成了这个系列故事另外几本书里有名的柯克教授。
      经过一番争执，他们都同意戴上绿戒指(“绿色是安全色，”迪格雷说，“这样，你怎么都能记住哪枚戒指派什么用场。”)，手拉手地跳下去。但是，在快到安德鲁舅舅的书房、即将回到自己的世界日寸，波莉将喊一声“换”，他们就脱掉绿戒指，戴上黄的。迪格雷想要喊这一声“换”，但波莉不同意。

      他们戴上绿戒指，拉起手，再一次喊“一、二、三，跳”。这次成功了。很难告诉你到底是什么感觉，因为一切都变幻得太快。起初，夜空中游移着明亮的灯光：迪格雷总认为是星星，甚至发誓，他在离得很近的地方看见了木星，连它的卫星也看得一清二楚。接着，周围很快出现了一排一排的屋顶和烟囱的管帽，他们看见圣保罗大教堂，知道已经到了伦敦，而且，能够穿透墙壁，看见房子里面。他们看见安德鲁舅舅模模糊糊的身影，正在越变越清晰、越变越固定，似乎将逐渐聚为视线的中心。就在安德鲁舅舅的身影即将变得完全清晰的时候，波莉喊了一声“换”；他们一换戒指，我们这个世界便像梦一样淡去了，他们头上的绿光越来越强，最后，他们又钻出水潭，趴在岸边。那片树林仍一如既往地青翠、明亮和安静。事情的全部过程发生在不到一分钟的时间里。
      “看，”迪格雷说，“很顺利，现在该探险了。随便挑个水潭。来，我们选那个。”
      “站住!”波莉说，“我们不在这个水潭边上做标记吗?”

      他们面面相觑。当意识到迪格雷刚才差点儿就要做的事有多么严重的后果时，两人脸都吓白了。因为林子里有很多水潭，外表十分相似，树木也没有区别，一旦他们离开了通向我们这个世界的水潭而没有留下任何标记，能重新找到的可能性只有百分之一。
      迪格雷颤着手打开了铅笔刀，在水潭边割下一块长长的草皮。泥土(有清香味)呈深暗的红褐色，在绿色的草中十分显眼。“幸亏我们中间有一个人想到了。”波莉说。
      “行了，别老吹牛，”迪格雷说，“来吧，我想看看别的水潭里有什么。”波莉回答得尖刻，迪格雷又回敬了几句难听的话。争吵持续了好几分钟，但如果写下来就很枯燥。让我们跳过这一段吧。接着，他们戴上黄戒指，手拉手紧张地站在水潭边上，心怦怦地跳着，再次喊道：“一、二、三，跳!”
      水花飞溅!又失败了。这个水潭好像只是一个小水坑。他们没能到达新的世界；那天早晨，已是第二次湿了脚，腿上也溅了水(假设是早晨吧：各个世界之间的树林里似乎没有时间的变化)。
      “真烦人!”迪格雷大声说，“哪儿出毛病了?我们戴了黄戒指。他说过，黄的管到外面去。”

      其实，安德鲁舅舅对世界之间的树林毫不知哓，对戒指的认识也是错的。黄戒指不是“离去”的戒指，绿戒指也不是“回返”的戒指，至少，不是他理解的那种意思。两种戒指都是用取自这片树林的材料制成的。黄戒指的材料有一种“向心力”，能将你带往树林，是材料本身回归本土，回归那片中间地带。但绿戒指的材料有种“离心力”，想脱离本土，故能带你离开树林。你看，安德鲁舅舅连自己干的事情都没有真正弄懂，大多数魔法师都是这样。当然，迪格雷也没有完全认识到真相，或者，到后来才明白。经过商议，他们决定戴上绿戒指，再跳进去试试，看看结果如何。
      “你愿意我也愿意。”波莉说。她之所以这样说，是因为她打心眼里相信，无论哪种戒指都不会在新的水潭里起作用，最多再溅起一阵水花，没什么可怕的。不管怎样，他们戴上绿戒指，又手拉手地站到水边。这一次，他们显得兴高采烈，全不像第一次那么严肃。
      “一、二、三，跳!”迪格雷说完，他们就跳了下去。

Chapter 4：THE BELL AND THE HAMMER

THERE was no doubt about the Magic this time. Down and down they rushed, first through darkness and then through a mass of vague and whirling shapes which might have been almost anything. It grew lighter. Then suddenly they felt that they were standing on something solid. A moment later everything came into focus and they were able to look about them.

"What a queer place!" said Digory.

"I don't like it," said Polly with something like a shudder.

What they noticed first was the light. It wasn't like sunlight, and it wasn't like electric light, or lamps, or candles, or any other light they had ever seen. It was a dull, rather red light, not at all cheerful. It was steady and did not flicker. They were standing on a flat paved surface and buildings rose all around them. There was no roof overhead; they were in a sort of courtyard. The sky was extraordinarily dark - a blue that was almost black. When you had seen that sky you wondered that there should be any light at all.

"It's very funny weather here," said Digory. "I wonder if we've arrived just in time for a thunderstorm; or an eclipse."

"I don't like it," said Polly.

Both of them, without quite knowing why, were talking in whispers. And though there was no reason why they should still go on holding hands after their jump, they didn't let go.

The walls rose very high all round that courtyard. They had many great windows in them, windows without glass, through which you saw nothing but black darkness. Lower down there were great pillared arches, yawning blackly like the mouths of railway tunnels. It was rather cold.

The stone of which everything was built seemed to be red, but that might only be because of the curious light. It was obviously very old. Many of the flat stones that paved the courtyard had cracks across them. None of them fitted closely together and the sharp corners were all worn off. One of the arched doorways was half filled up with rubble. The two children kept on turning round and round to look at the different sides of the courtyard. One reason was that they were afraid of somebody - or something - looking out of those windows at them when their backs were turned.

"Do you think anyone lives here?" said Digory at last, still in a whisper.

"No," said Polly. "It's all in ruins. We haven't heard a sound since we came."

"Let's stand still and listen for a bit," suggested Digory.

They stood still and listened, but all they could hear was the thump-thump of their own hearts. This place was at least as quiet as the Wood between the Worlds. But it was a different kind of quietness. The silence of the Wood had been rich and warm (you could almost hear the trees growing) and full of life: this was a dead, cold, empty silence. You couldn't imagine anything growing in it.

"Let's go home," said Polly.

"But we haven't seen anything yet," said Digory. "Now we're here, we simply must have a look round."

"I'm sure there's nothing at all interesting here."

"There's not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you're afraid to look at them when you've got there."

"Who's talking about being afraid?" said Polly, letting go of Digory's hand.

"I only thought you didn't seem very keen on exploring this place."

"I'll go anywhere you go."

"We can get away the moment we want to," said Digory. "Let's take off our green rings and put them in our right-hand pockets. All we've got to do is to remember that our yellow are in our left-hand pockets. You can keep your hand as near your pocket as you like, but don't put it in or you'll touch your yellow and vanish."

They did this and went quietly up to one of the big arched doorways which led into the inside of the building. And when they stood on the threshold and could look in, they saw it was not so dark inside as they had thought at first. It led into a vast, shadowy hall which appeared to be empty; but on the far side there was a row of pillars with arches between them and through those arches there streamed in some more of the same tired-looking light. They crossed the hall, walking very carefully for fear of holes in the floor or of anything lying about that they might trip over. It seemed a long walk. When they had reached the other side they came out through the arches and found themselves in another and larger courtyard.

"That doesn't look very safe," said Polly, pointing at a place where the wall bulged outward and looked as if it were ready to fall over into the courtyard. In one place a pillar was missing between two arches and the bit that came down to where the top of the pillar ought to have been hung there with nothing to support it. Clearly, the place had been deserted for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.

"If it's lasted till now, I suppose it'll last a bit longer," said Digory. "But we must be very quiet. You know a noise sometimes brings things down - like an avalanche in the Alps."

They went on out of that courtyard into another doorway, and up a great flight of steps and through vast rooms that opened out of one another till you were dizzy with the mere size of the place. Every now and then they thought they were going to get out into the open and see what sort of country lay around the enormous palace. But each time they only got into another courtyard. They must have been magnificent places when people were still living there. In one there had once been a fountain. A great stone monster with wide-spread wings stood with its mouth open and you could still see a bit of piping at the back of its mouth, out of which the water used to pour. Under it was a wide stone basin to hold the water; but it was as dry as a bone. In other places there were the dry sticks of some sort of climbing plant which had wound itself round the pillars and helped to pull some of them down. But it had died long ago. And there were no ants or spiders or any of the other living things you expect to see in a ruin; and where the dry earth showed between the broken flagstones there was no grass or moss.

It was all so dreary and all so much the same that even Digory was thinking they had better put on their yellow rings and get back to the warm, green, living forest of the In-between place, when they came to two huge doors of some metal that might possibly be gold. One stood a little ajar. So of course they went to look in. Both started back and drew a long breath: for here at last was something worth seeing.

For a second they thought the room was full of people - hundreds of people, all seated, and all perfectly still. Polly and Digory, as you may guess, stood perfectly still themselves for a good long time, looking in. But presently they decided that what they were looking at could not be real people. There was not a movement nor the sound of a breath among them all. They were like the most wonderful waxworks you ever saw.

This time Polly took the lead. There was something in this room which interested her more than it interested Digory: all the figures were wearing magnificent clothes. If you were interested in clothes at all, you could hardly help going in to see them closer. And the blaze of their colours made this room look, not exactly cheerful, but at any rate rich and majestic after all the dust and emptiness of the others. It had more windows, too, and was a good deal lighter.

I can hardly describe the clothes. The figures were all robed and had crowns on their heads. Their robes were of crimson and silvery grey and deep purple and vivid green: and there were patterns, and pictures of flowers and strange beasts, in needlework all over them. Precious stones of astonishing size and brightness stared from their crowns and hung in chains round their necks and peeped out from all the places where anything was fastened.

"Why haven't these clothes all rotted away long ago?" asked Polly.

"Magic," whispered Digory. "Can't you feel it? I bet this whole room is just stiff with enchantments. I could feel it the moment we came in."

"Any one of these dresses would cost hundreds of pounds," said Polly.

But Digory was more interested in the faces, and indeed these were well worth looking at. The people sat in their stone chairs on each side of the room and the floor was left free down the middle. You could walk down and look at the faces in turn.

"They were nice people, I think," said Digory.

Polly nodded. All the faces they could see were certainly nice. Both the men and women looked kind and wise, and they seemed to come of a handsome race. But after the children had gone a few steps down the room they came to faces that looked a little different. These were very solemn faces. You felt you would have to mind your P's and Q's, if you ever met living people who looked like that. When they had gone a little further, they found themselves among faces they didn't like: this was about the middle of the room. The faces here looked very strong and proud and happy, but they looked cruel. A little further on they looked crueller. Further on again, they were still cruel but they no longer looked happy. They were even despairing faces: as if the people they belonged to had done dreadful things and also suffered dreadful things. The last figure of all was the most interesting - a woman even more richly dressed than the others, very tall (but every figure in that room was taller than the people of our world), with a look of such fierceness and pride that it took your breath away. Yet she was beautiful too. Years afterwards when he was an old man, Digory said he had never in all his life known a woman so beautiful. It is only fair to add that Polly always said she couldn't see anything specially beautiful about her.

This woman, as I said, was the last: but there were plenty of empty chairs beyond her, as if the room had been intended for a much larger collection of images.

"I do wish we knew the story that's behind all this," said Digory. "Let's go back and look at that table sort of thing in the middle of the room."

The thing in the middle of the room was not exactly a table. It was a square pillar about four feet high and on it there rose a little golden arch from which there hung a little golden bell; and beside this there lay a little golden hammer to hit the bell with.

"I wonder... I wonder... I wonder..." said Digory.

"There seems to be something written here," said Polly, stooping down and looking at the side of the pillar.

"By gum, so there is," said Digory. "But of course we shan't be able to read it."

"Shan't we? I'm not so sure," said Polly.

They both looked at it hard and, as you might have expected, the letters cut in the stone were strange. But now a great wonder happened: for, as they looked, though the shape of the strange letters never altered, they found that they could understand them. If only Digory had remembered what he himself had said a few minutes ago, that this was an enchanted room, he might have guessed that the enchantment was beginning to work. But he was too wild with curiosity to think about that. He was longing more and more to know what was written on the pillar. And very soon they both knew. What it said was something like this - at least this is the sense of it though the poetry, when you read it there, was better:

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;  Strike the bell and bide the danger,  Or wonder, till it drives you mad,  What would have followed if you had.

"No fear!" said Polly. "We don't want any danger."

"Oh but don't you see it's no good!" said Digory. "We can't get out of it now. We shall always be wondering what else would have happened if we had struck the bell. I'm not going home to be driven mad by always thinking of that. No fear!"

"Don't be so silly," said Polly. "As if anyone would! What does it matter what would have happened?"

"I expect anyone who's come as far as this is bound to go on wondering till it sends him dotty. That's the Magic of it, you see. I can feel it beginning to work on me already."

"Well I don't," said Polly crossly. "And I don't believe you do either. You're just putting it on."

"That's all you know," said Digory. "It's because you're a girl. Girls never want to know anything but gossip and rot about people getting engaged."

"You looked exactly like your Uncle when you said that," said Polly.

"Why can't you keep to the point?" said Digory. "What we're talking about is -"

"How exactly like a man!" said Polly in a very grownup voice; but she added hastily, in her real voice, "And don't say I'm just like a woman, or you'll be a beastly copy-cat."

"I should never dream of calling a kid like you a woman," said Digory loftily.

"Oh, I'm a kid, am I?" said Polly who was now in a real rage. "Well you needn't be bothered by having a kid with you any longer then. I'm off. I've had enough of this place. And I've had enough of you too - you beastly, stuck-up, obstinate pig!"

"None of that!" said Digory in a voice even nastier than he meant it to be; for he saw Polly's hand moving to her pocket to get hold of her yellow ring. I can't excuse what he did next except by saying that he was very sorry for it afterwards (and so were a good many other people). Before Polly's hand reached her pocket, he grabbed her wrist, leaning across with his back against her chest. Then, keeping her other arm out of the way with his other elbow, he leaned forward, picked up the hammer, and struck the golden bell a light, smart tap. Then he let her go and they fell apart staring at each other and breathing hard. Polly was just beginning to cry, not with fear, and not even because he had hurt her wrist quite badly, but with furious anger. Within two seconds, however, they had something to think about that drove their own quarrels quite out of their minds.

As soon as the bell was struck it gave out a note, a sweet note such as you might have expected, and not very loud. But instead of dying away again, it went on; and as it went on it grew louder. Before a minute had passed it was twice as loud as it had been to begin with. It was soon so loud that if the children had tried to speak (but they weren't thinking of speaking now - they were just standing with their mouths open) they would not have heard one another. Very soon it was so loud that they could not have heard one another even by shouting. And still it grew: all on one note, a continuous sweet sound, though the sweetness had something horrible about it, till all the air in that great room was throbbing with it and they could feel the stone floor trembling under their feet. Then at last it began to be mixed with another sound, a vague, disastrous noise which sounded first like the roar of a distant train, and then like the crash of a falling tree. They heard something like great weights falling. Finally, with a sudden, rush and thunder, and a shake that nearly flung them off their feet, about a quarter of the roof at one end of the room fell in, great blocks of masonry fell all round them, and the walls rocked. The noise of the bell stopped. The clouds of dust cleared away. Everything became quiet again.

It was never found out whether the fall of the roof was due to Magic or whether that unbearably loud sound from the bell just happened to strike the note which was more than those crumbling walls could stand.

"There! I hope you're satisfied now," panted Polly.

"Well, it's all over, anyway," said Digory.

And both thought it was; but they had never been more mistaken in their lives.

      4、 钟与锤
      这下，魔法毫无疑问地起作用了。他们裁了下去．先是一片黑暗，然后是一团说不清是什么的模糊和旋转的形象，眼前越来越亮，突然，他们感到自己站在坚实的东西上。一会儿，他们便能看见周围的事物，可以向四下里观望了，
      “多么奇怪的地方！ ”迪格雷说。
      “我不喜欢。”波莉颇抖了一下。
      他们最先注意到的是光线，既不像日光，也不像电灯、煤油灯、蜡烛或他们见过的任何一种光。那是一种近似红色的惨淡的光，丝毫不让人感到愉快。光线凝固着，没有闪动。他们正站在一个平地上，四面八方都耸立着建筑物。上面没有屋顶，显然是一个院落。天空极为暗淡―——
       一种近乎黑色的蓝。你看到这样的天空，准会想，这里是不是没有任何光线。”这儿的天气直怪，”迪格雷说，“我想我们是不是赶上了一场暴风雨或者日食。”"
      “我不喜欢。”波莉说。
      不知为什么，他们两人都悄声说话。虽然跳水以后没有理由再拉着手，他们还是没有松开。
      院子四周的围墙非常高，上面有许多大窗子，窗子上没有玻璃，里面一团漆黑。稍往下，有一些巨大的拱门，像铁路隧道一样张着黑洞洞的大口。天气相当寒冷。
      所有的建筑都是用一种像是红色的石头筑成的，但这可能是那种奇怪的光照射的结果。院中，用来铺地的许多石板都裂了缝。石板与石板之问排列得参差个齐，棱角磨掉了，其中一个拱门让碎石镇了一半。两个孩子不停地转身，观察院子四周，因为他们害怕有人或什么东西，趁他们背过身时从窗户里窥视他们。
      “你认为这儿有人住吗，”迪格雷终于开口了，但仍然悄悄的。
      “没有。”波莉说，“这是一个废墟。自从我们来了以后，还没有听到一点儿声音呢。”
      “那我们站好来听一会儿。”迪格雷建议。
      他们站好细听，但只听到自己心脏的砰砰跳动声。这里至少和世界之间的树林一样宁静。然而，却是另一种宁静。那片树林宁静、青翠、温暖，充满生机，你几乎可以听见树木在生长。这里却是一种冷而空的死寂，你无法想像，这里会有生命在生长。
      ‘我们回家吧。”波莉说。
      ”可我们什么也没看见呢，”迪格雷说，“既然来了，就要到处走走。”
      “我敢肯定，这儿不好玩。”
      “要是你来了都不敢看，那么，找一枚有魔法的戒指把你带到‘另外的世界’有什么意义呢？”
      “谁说不敢了，”波莉说着．甩开了迪格雷的手。
      “我刚才只是想．你对探索这个地方不太热心。”
      “随便你去哪儿，我都去。”
      我们想离开的时候就能离开。”迪格雷说，“取下绿戒指，放进右边的口袋里。只需要记住，左边是黄的，右边是绿的。你可以把手放在离口袋比较近的地方，但不要伸进去，否则，你一碰到黄戒指就会消失。”
      安排好后，他们悄悄地朝通向建筑内部的一个巨大拱门走去。当他们站在门槛上朝里看时，发现早面并非他们原先所想的那么黑，能看见一个幽暗的空荡荡的大厅．大厅的远端有一排拱门柱，空隙露出更多那种疲惫的光线。他们小心翼翼地穿过大厅，怕地上有洞或其他东西将他们绊倒。当他们走过去，穿过柱子之间的拱门时，发现自己又到了另一个更大的院子里。
      “好像不太安全。”波莉说，她指着一面似乎随时都可能倒向院中的凸出的墙。有一处地方缺了一根柱子，柱顶原来所在的部位只留下一点儿残迹，豪无支撑地悬在空中。那地方显然已荒芜了几百年甚至上千年了。
      “既然能保留到今天，我想一定还会保留得更长。”迪格雷说，‘但我们必须保持安静。你知道，声音有时会使东西塌下来― 就像阿尔卑斯山的雪崩一样。”
      他们继续朝前走，出了院子，又进了另一个门。登上一大段台阶，穿过一个接一个的大房间，直到被那地方的规模之大弄得头晕目眩。他们不时地想，可能就要走到户外，可以看看这个巨大的宫殿之外是什么样的田野了，但是每次都只是走进了另一个院子。这地方有人居住时一定是一派宏伟壮丽的景象。其中的一个院子里曾经有一眼喷泉。一个巨大的石兽张着翅，咧着嘴，巍然屹立；在它的口中，还能看见曾用来喷水的管道的残迹。它的下面有一个接水的石盐，但已经干涸得像白骨一般了。在其他地方，有一种攀援植物的枯藤，这些藤曾经缠绕在柱子上并促使一些柱子坍塌。但这种植物很久以前就死了。没有蚂蚁、蜘蛛，也没有其他废墟中常见的小生物。破碎的石板间茸出干燥的泥土，没有草，也没有青苔。
      四周的景物千篇一律，显得十分阴森可怖。迪格雷正想着，他们不如戴上黄戒指，回到中间地带那片温暖而充满生机的绿树林中去；这时，他们来到两扇巨大的门前，门是用一种像金了的金属做的，其中一扇半开着。他们很自然地朝里一望，两人都深吸一口气，退了回来，终于找到值得看的地方了。
      刚开始的那会儿，他们以为屋子里尽是人―——
      好几百人，全都一动不动地坐着。你可以猜到，波莉和迪格雷也一动不动地站了很久。但他们很快意识到，他们看见的可能不是真人。没有动静，也听不见呼吸。可能是蜡像，他们见过的最好的蜡像。
      这一次，波莉一马当先，屋子里有些东西对她的吸引超过了对迪格雷的吸引。所有的那些塑像全都衣着华丽。如果你对服装感兴趣，会忍不住走近去着。经过了那么多空荡荡、灰扑扑的房间后，这间屋里服饰的光泽，虽说不上十分赏心悦目，但无论如何，都将屋子映衬得多姿多彩。而且，这里有更多的窗户，要明亮得多。
      我很难描绘他们的服装。那些塑像全部长袍加身，头戴王冠。绯红、银灰、深紫和鲜绿色的长袍上绣着图案、花卉和怪兽。大得惊人、亮得耀眼的珍稀宝石从他们的王冠和项链上进射出夺目的光彩，全身每一处有装饰的地方都闪耀着珠光宝气。
      “为什么这些衣服这么久没有腐烂？”波莉问。
      “魔法。”迪格雷悄声说，“你感觉不到吗？我敢打赌，整个这间房子都中了魔法。一进来我就感觉到了。”
      “那些衣服随便哪件都值几百英镑吧？”波莉说。但迪格雷更感兴娜的，是那一张张很有看头的面孔。那些人坐在屋子四周的石椅上，地板中间空出一片，可以走过去，依次观看那些脸。
      “我觉得这些人很好看。”迪格雷说。
      波莉点点头。他们者见的所有面孔都很可爱。男男女女都显得聪明而善良，而且，似乎是一个漂亮、英俊的种族的后代。但当孩子们朝屋子中间走了几步后，他们看见的面孔便有些异样。这些面孔十分严肃，使你觉得，如果你遇到有这种而孔的活生生的人，便不得不注意自己的言行举止。又走了几步，眼前的面孔看去非常强悍、自豪、得惫，却十分冷酷，是他们不喜欢的那一种。越往前走，面孔越显得冷酷。再往前．那些面孔依然冷酷，但得意的痕迹消失了，甚至显得沮丧绝望：好像有一那种面孔的人做过可怕的事，有过可怕的经历似的。最后一尊塑像也是最有趣的一一个衣着更加富丽的高女人（屋子里每一尊塑像都比我们这个世界的人高），脸上露出的残忍和骄傲表情使人窒息。多年以后，迪格雷老了，还说这是他一生中见过的最美丽的女人。不过我们得公平地补充说，波莉总是认为，她从那个女人身上着不出特别美丽的地方。
      我说的这个女人是最后一个，在她的身后，放着无数把空椅子，似乎这间屋子原来准备容纳更多的塑像。
      “我多希望我们知道这里面的故事。”迪格雷说，“我们回头看看中间那个像桌子一样的东西吧。”
      屋子的中间不是一张真正的桌子，而是一个四尺高的方形柱，上面降起一个金色的小拱门，门上悬梓着一只金色的小钟，钟的旁边放着一把用来敲钟的金色小锤。  
      “我想… … 我想… … 我想… … ”迪格雷说。
      “这儿好像写着什么。”波莉弯下腰，看着柱子的侧面。‘天哪，就在这儿”迪格雷说，“可是，我们读不懂的。”
      “读不性？我看不一定。” 波莉说。
      两人认真地看着，你可能猜得到，刻在石头上的是一种奇怪的字母。但就在这时，一个不可思议的奇迹发生了：他们看的时候，字母的形状并未改变，他们却发现自己能够读懂了。要是迪格雷记得几分钟前他说过，这间屋子里有魔法，他就早该想到魔法开始起作用了，但他的心中除了好奇以外，什么也想不到。他越来越急于知道柱子上写了什么。很快，内人都读懂了。上面是这样写的，至少大意如此，虽然原诗读起来更好：
      选择吧．喜欢冒险的陌生人，
      敲响钟，等候危险的来临，
      或者，呆呆地想，这会有什么后果，
      直到你想得发疯。
      “当然不，”波莉说，“我们不想要任何危险。”
      “你难道不明白这是没用的吗？”迪格雷说，“我们现在摆脱不了啦。我们将一直想下去，敲了钟会发生什么事。我不愿意被这种想法纠缠得疯疯巅巅地回家。不愿意！”,
      “别那么傻，”波莉说，”好像谁愿意疯疯巅巅地想下去似的。发不发生什么事又有什么关系呢？”
      “我认为，到这里来的任何一个人都必然会不停地想，直到变得半痴半傻。你看，这就是魔法，我感到它已经对我起作用了。”
      “我感觉不出。”波莉愤愤地说，“我不相信你真有感觉，不过是装腔作势罢了。”
      “你就知道这些，”迪格雷说，“因为你是个女孩。女孩什么都不想知道，老是唠唠叨叨，说某某人和某某人订婚了，等等。”
      “你说这话的时候就跟你舅舅一模一样。”波莉说。“为什么你就不能谈正题？”迪格雷说，“我们现在谈的是。”
      “多像一个男子汉啊！”波莉用大人的口气说道；接着，又用自己的语调匆匆补了一句，“不要说我就像个女人，那样你就是一只讨厌的学舌鹅鹉。”
      “我做梦也没想过把你这样的孩子叫做女人。”迪格雷傲慢地说。
      “噢，我是个孩子，是吗？”波莉这下真火了，“好，你再也不需要带上个孩了来打扰你。我走了。我看够了这个地方，也看够了你―——
      你这个讨厌的、顽固的、自以为是的蠢猪！”
      迪格雷看见波莉的手伸向口袋，要去抓那枚黄戒指，便用一种连自己都意想不到的难听声音喊道“住手！”我不能为迪格雷下面的行为开脱，最多只能说，他后来感到抱嗽（许多人都会这样）。在波莉的手摸到口袋以前，他扼住了她的手腕，俯过身去，用背抵住她的胸膛，然后用另一只手的肘部挡开她另一条手臂。他斜着身，拾起小锤，轻快地在钟上敲了一下。然后，他放开她，两人都跌倒在地，喘着气，狠狠地盯着对方。波莉开始哭了，不是因为害怕，也不是因为他重重地扭伤了她的手腕，而是因为极大的愤怒。但很快，他们就把争吵抛到了九霄云外，有别的事情需要动脑筋了。
      钟刚刚敲晌的时候，就发出一种音调，不太响亮，但你可以想像，声音很甜美。这种音调非但没有减弱，反而继续鸣响，而且越来越响，在不到一分钟的时间里，音调就比刚开始时响亮一倍。声音迅速增长到如果孩子们想说话（但他们当时并未想到说话一一他们只是张口结舌地站着）,
      互相之间也无法听见的程度。顷刻间，声音响得即使他们大声喊叫也听不见了。连绵不断的甜美的声音一直在不停地增大，虽然甜美之中透出一丝恐怖的气氛。渐渐地，整个房间的空气也随着那种声音颇动起来，直到两人觉得脚下的石头地板在颤抖。最后，另一种模糊的、灾难性的声音掺合了进来，起初像远方火车的吼叫，接着，又像树木倒下的声音。他们听见似乎有什么重东西在往下倒。突然，一阵晃动几乎将他们抛了出去。随着轰隆隆的冲击声，房间一头大约四分之的屋顶塌了下来，大块大块的砖石落在他们周围，墙壁开始摇晃。钟声停止后，灰尘消散，一切又归于宁静。不知道是魔法使屋顶塌了下来，还是响亮的钟声恰好使墙壁无法忍受而崩塌。
      “这下好了！我想你现在满意了。”波莉喘着气说。
      “这么说，一切都结束了。”迪格雷说。
      两人都这样想；然而，他们犯了一生中最大的错误。

Chapter 5：THE DEPLORABLE WORD

THE children were facing one another across the pillar where the bell hung, still trembling, though it no longer gave out any note. Suddenly they heard a soft noise from the end of the room which was still undamaged. They turned quick as lightning to see what it was. One of the robed figures, the furthest-off one of all, the woman whom Digory thought so beautiful, was rising from its chair. When she stood up they realized that she was even taller than they had thought. And you could see at once, not only from her crown and robes, but from the flash of her eyes and the curve of her lips, that she was a great queen. She looked round the room and saw the damage and saw the children, but you could not guess from her face what she thought of either or whether she was surprised. She came forward with long, swift strides.

"Who has awaked me? Who has broken the spell?" she asked.

"I think it must have been me," said Digory.

"You!" said the Queen, laying her hand on his shoulder - a white, beautiful hand, but Digory could feel that it was strong as steel pincers. "You? But you are only a child, a common child. Anyone can see at a glance that you have no drop of royal or noble blood in your veins. How did such as you dare to enter this house?"

"We've come from another world; by Magic," said Polly, who thought it was high time the Queen took some notice of her as well as of Digory.

"Is this true?" said the Queen, still looking at Digory and not giving Polly even a glance.

"Yes, it is," said he.

The Queen put her other hand under his chin and forced it up so that she could see his face better. Digory tried to stare back but he soon had to let his eyes drop. There was something about hers that overpowered him.

After she had studied him for well over a minute, she let go of his chin and said:

"You are no magician. The mark of it is not on you. You must be only the servant of a magician. It is on another's Magic that you have travelled here."

"It was my Uncle Andrew," said Digory.

At the moment, not in the room itself but from somewhere very close, there came, first a rumbling, then a creaking, and then a roar of falling masonry, and the floor shook.

"There is great peril here," said the Queen. "The whole palace is breaking up. If we are not out of it in a few minutes we shall be buried under the ruin." She spoke as calmly as if she had been merely mentioning the time of day. "Come," she added, and held out a hand to each of the children. Polly, who was disliking the Queen and feeling rather sulky, would not have let her hand be taken if she could have helped it. But though the Queen spoke so calmly, her movements were as quick as thought. Before Polly knew what was happening her left hand had been caught in a hand so much larger and stronger than her own that she could do nothing about it.

"This is a terrible woman," thought Polly. "She's strong enough to break my arm with one twist. And now that she's got my left hand I can't get at my yellow ring. If I tried to stretch across and get my right hand into my left pocket I mightn't be able to reach it, before she asked me what I was doing. Whatever happens we mustn't let her know about the rings. I do hope Digory has the sense to keep his mouth shut. I wish I could get a word with him alone."

The Queen led them out of the Hall of Images into a long corridor and then through a whole maze of halls and stairs and courtyards. Again and again they heard parts of the great palace collapsing, sometimes quite close to them. Once a huge arch came thundering down only a moment after they had passed through it. The Queen was walking quickly - the children had to trot to keep up with her but she showed no sign of fear. Digory thought, "She's wonderfully brave. And strong. She's what I call a Queen! I do hope she's going to tell us the story of this place."

She did tell them certain things as they went along:

"That is the door to the dungeons," she would say, or "That passage leads to the principal torture chambers," or "This was the old banqueting hall where my greatgrandfather bade seven hundred nobles to a feast and killed them all before they had drunk their fill. They had had rebellious thoughts."

They came at last into a hall larger and loftier than any they had yet seen. From its size and from the great doors at the far end, Digory thought that now at last they must be coming to the main entrance. In this he was quite right. The doors were dead black, either ebony or some black metal which is not found in our world. They were fastened with great bars, most of them too high to reach and all too heavy to lift. He wondered how they would get out.

The Queen let go of his hand and raised her arm. She drew herself up to her full height and stood rigid. Then she said something which they couldn't understand (but it sounded horrid) and made an action as if she were throwing something towards the doors. And those high and heavy doors trembled for a second as if they were made of silk and then crumbled away till there was nothing left of them but a heap of dust on the threshold.

"Whew!" whistled Digory.

"Has your master magician, your uncle, power like mine?" asked the Queen, firmly seizing Digory's hand again. "But I shall know later. In the meantime, remember what you have seen. This is what happens to things, and to people, who stand in my way."

Much more light than they had yet seen in that country was pouring in through the now empty doorway, and when the Queen led them out through it they were not surprised to find themselves in the open air. The wind that blew in their faces was cold, yet somehow stale. They were looking from a high terrace and there was a great landscape out below them.

Low down and near the horizon hung a great, red sun, far bigger than our sun. Digory felt at once that it was also older than ours: a sun near the end of its life, weary of looking down upon that world. To the left of the sun, and higher up, there was a single star, big and bright. Those were the only two things to be seen in the dark sky; they made a dismal group. And on the earth, in every direction, as far as the eye could reach, there spread a vast city in which there was no living thing to be seen. And all the temples, towers, palaces, pyramids, and bridges cast long, disastrous-looking shadows in the light of that withered sun. Once a great river had flowed through the city, but the water had long since vanished, and it was now only a wide ditch of grey dust.

"Look well on that which no eyes will ever see again," said the Queen. "Such was Charn, that great city, the city of the King of Kings, the wonder of the world, perhaps of all worlds. Does your uncle rule any city as great as this, boy?"

"No," said Digory. He was going to explain that Uncle Andrew didn't rule any cities, but the Queen went on:

"It is silent now. But I have stood here when the whole air was full of the noises of Charn; the trampling of feet, the creaking of wheels, the cracking of the whips and the groaning of slaves, the thunder of chariots, and the sacrificial drums beating in the temples. I have stood here (but that was near the end) when the roar of battle went up from every street and the river of Charn ran red." She paused and added, "All in one moment one woman blotted it out for ever."

"Who?" said Digory in a faint voice; but he had already guessed the answer.

"I," said the Queen. "I, Jadis the last Queen, but the Queen of the World."

The two children stood silent, shivering in the cold wind.

"It was my sister's fault," said the Queen. "She drove me to it. May the curse of all the Powers rest upon her forever! At any moment I was ready to make peace - yes and to spare her life too, if only she would yield me the throne. But she would not. Her pride has destroyed the whole world. Even after the war had begun, there was a solemn promise that neither side would use Magic. But when she broke her promise, what could I do? Fool! As if she did not know that I had more Magic than she! She even knew that I had the secret of the Deplorable Word. Did she think - she was always a weakling - that I would not use it?"

"What was it?" said Digory.

"That was the secret of secrets," said the Queen Jadis. "It had long been known to the great kings of our race that there was a word which, if spoken with the proper ceremonies, would destroy all living things except the one who spoke it. But the ancient kings were weak and softhearted and bound themselves and all who should come after them with great oaths never even to seek after the knowledge of that word. But I learned it in a secret place and paid a terrible price to learn it. I did not use it until she forced me to it. I fought to overcome her by every other means. I poured out the blood of my armies like water -"

"Beast!" muttered Polly.

"The last great battle," said the Queen, "raged for three days here in Charn itself. For three days I looked down upon it from this very spot. I did not use my power till the last of my soldiers had fallen, and the accursed woman, my sister, at the head of her rebels was halfway up those great stairs that lead up from the city to the terrace. Then I waited till we were so close that we could see one another's faces. She flashed her horrible, wicked eyes upon me and said, "Victory." "Yes," said I, "Victory, but not yours." Then I spoke the Deplorable Word. A moment later I was the only living thing beneath the sun.",

"But the people?" gasped Digory.

"What people, boy?" asked the Queen.

"All the ordinary people," said Polly, "who'd never done you any harm. And the women, and the children, and the animals."

"Don't you understand?" said the Queen (still speaking to Digory). "I was the Queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will?"

"It was rather hard luck on them, all the same," said he.

"I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny."

Digory suddenly remembered that Uncle Andrew had used exactly the same words. But they sounded much grander when Queen Jadis said them; perhaps because Uncle Andrew was not seven feet tall and dazzlingly beautiful.

"And what did you do then?" said Digory.

"I had already cast strong spells on the hall where the images of my ancestors sit. And the force of those spells was that I should sleep among them, like an image myself, and need neither food nor fire, though it were a thousand years, till one came and struck the bell and awoke me."

"Was it the Deplorable Word that made the sun like that?" asked Digory.

"Like what?" said Jadis

"So big, so red, and so cold."

"It has always been so," said Jadis. "At least, for hundreds of thousands of years. Have you a different sort of sun in your world?"

"Yes, it's smaller and yellower. And it gives a good deal more heat."

The Queen gave a long drawn "A-a-ah!" And Digory saw on her face that same hungry and greedy look which he had lately seen on Uncle Andrew's. "So," she said, "yours is a younger world."

She paused for a moment to look once more at the deserted city - and if she was sorry for all the evil she had done there, she certainly didn't show it - and then said: "Now, let us be going. It is cold here at the end of all a the ages."

"Going where?" asked both the children.

"Where?" repeated Jadis in surprise. "To your world, of course."

Polly and Digory looked at each other, aghast. Polly had disliked the Queen from the first; and even Digory, now that he had heard the story, felt that he had seen quite as much of her as he wanted. Certainly, she was not at all the sort of person one would like to take home. And if they did like, they didn't know how they could. What they wanted was to get away themselves: but Polly couldn't get at her ring and of course Digory couldn't go without her. Digory got very red in the face and stammered.

"Oh - oh - our world. I d-didn't know you wanted to go there."

"What else were you sent here for if not to fetch me?" asked Jadis.

"I'm sure you wouldn't like our world at all," said Digory. "It's not her sort of place, is it Polly? It's very dull; not worth seeing, really."

"It will soon be worth seeing when I rule it," answered the Queen.

"Oh, but you can't," said Digory. "It's not like that. They wouldn't let you, you know."

The Queen gave a contemptuous smile. "Many great kings," she said, "thought they could stand against the House of Charn. But they all fell, and their very names are forgotten. Foolish boy! Do you think that I, with my beauty and my Magic, will not have your whole world at my feet before a year has passed? Prepare your incantations and take me there at once."

"This is perfectly frightful," said Digory to Polly.

"Perhaps you fear for this Uncle of yours," said Jadis. "But if he honours me duly, he shall keep his life and his throne. I am not coming to fight against him. He must be a very great Magician, if he has found how to send you here. Is he King of your whole world or only of part?"

"He isn't King of anywhere," said Digory.

"You are lying," said the Queen. "Does not Magic always go with the royal blood? Who ever heard of common people being Magicians? I can see the truth whether you speak it or not. Your Uncle is the great King and the great Enchanter of your world. And by his art he has seen the shadow of my face, in some magic mirror or some enchanted pool; and for the love of my beauty he has made a potent spell which shook your world to its foundations and sent you across the vast gulf between world and world to ask my favour and to bring me to him. Answer me: is that not how it was?"

"Well, not exactly," said Digory.

"Not exactly," shouted Polly. "Why, it's absolute bosh from beginning to end."

"Minions!" cried the Queen, turning in rage upon Polly and seizing her hair, at the very top of her head where it hurts most. But in so doing she let go of both the children's hands. "Now," shouted Digory; and "Quick! shouted Polly. They plunged their left hands into their pockets. They did not even need to put the rings on. The moment they touched them, the whole of that dreary, world vanished from their eyes. They were rushing upward and a warm green light was growing nearer over head.

      5、 灭绝咒
      虽然钟声停止了，但钟仍然颤抖着；两个孩子隔普挂钟的柱子面面相觑。忽然，从还没有毁坏的屋子一角传来一阵轻柔的声音。他们立即转身看去。所有穿长袍的塑像中最远的那个，即迪格雷认为非常美丽的女人，正从椅子上站起来。当她站起来后，他们意识到，她比他们原来想像的还要高。而且，从她的王冠、长袍、眼神和嘴唇的线条上，你马上便能看出，她是一位了不起的女王。她环视屋子当中毁坏的场面，也看见了孩子们，但你无法从她脸上的表情判断她是否感到惊讶。她大步流星地走了过来。
      “是谁唤醒了我，是谁破了魔咒，”她问。
      “我想，肯定是我。”迪格雷说。
      “你？”女王说着，把手搭在迪格雷肩上——那是一只白皙而漂亮的手，但迪格雷却感到铁钳般的沉重。“你？你只是个孩子，一个普通孩子。任何人只要看一眼，就知道你的血管里连一滴皇家或贵族的血也没有。像你这样的人怎么敢走进这间屋子？"
      “我们是靠魔法从另一个世界来的。”波莉说，她认为应该抓住时机，让那女王像注意迪格雷一样地注意她。“真的吗？”女王说，眼睛仍然看若迪格雷，瞟都不瞟波莉一眼。
      “是的。”他说。
      女王一只手托起迪格雷的下巴，仔细端详他的脸。迪格雷想用目光反抗她，但很快就不得不俯下眼皮，她眼中的某种东西制服了他。她将迪格雷认真地研究了一分多钟，然后，松开他的下巴，说：
      “你不是魔法师，你脸上没有标记。你一定只是魔法师的仆人。你是靠别人的魔法到这儿来的。”
      “是我的安德鲁舅舅。”迪格雷说。
      这时，不是从屋子里面，而是从身旁极近的地方，传来轰降隆继而是劈里啪啦的响声，过后是砖石坍塌的咣啷声，地板晃动起来。
      “灾祸来了，”女王说，“整个宫殿就要塌掉。如果我们不在几分钟内出去，就会被埋在废墟里。”她说得平平静静，好像只是在谈论一天的时辰。“来。”她说着，向两个孩子各伸出一只手。波莉讨厌这个女王并且仍在生气，如果可能的话，她决不会让她抓住自己的手。女王虽然说话时显得不慌不忙，但行动却像思维一样敏捷。波莉还未反应过来，她的左于就被一只长得多、有力得多的大手抓住了，她根本无法挣脱。
      “这是一个可怕的女人，”波莉想，“她太有劲了，稍稍一打就会把我的手臂弄断。现在，她拉住我的左手，我摸不到黄戒指了。要是我把右手伸到左边口袋里，就可以在她问我干什么之前摸到戒指。无论如何，不能让她知道戒指的事。我真希望迪格雷能守口如瓶，也希望能亲口叮嘱他一句。”
      女王带领他们出了塑像厅，来到一条长长的走廊，又接二连三地穿过许多大厅、台阶和院子。他们不断地听见那座大宫殿里传来坍塌的声音。有一次，他们刚刚走过，一个巨大的拱门就轰降隆地塌了下来。女王健步疾走——孩子们不得不小跑若才能跟上——而她也并未露出害怕的神色。迪格雷想，“她真是勇敢得出奇，又强壮，这才是我心目中的女王！要是能让她讲讲这儿的故事该多好！”
      她边走边告诉他们“那道门里是地牢”,
      “那条路通向中心行刑室”，或者“这是以前的宴会斤，我的曾祖父在这里宴请过七百贵族，在他们吃饱喝足之前就将他们全部杀了。他们想造反”。
      最后，他们走进一间比先前见到的所有房间都更大更高的厅堂，从它的规模和尽头那些大型的门洞来看，迪格雷认为他们到了主要的入口处。这次，他猜对了。门呈乌黑色，要么是用乌木，要么是用一种我们这个世界找不到的黑色金属做的。门上牢牢地拴着许多大门闩，大多数都高不可及，重不可举。他感到纳闷的是他们如何出去。
      女工放开他，举起手臂，尽量往上挺直，然后，她说了几句他们听不懂的话（
      但听起来很恐怖），朝门做了一个扔东西的动作。那些高而重的门像丝织品一样震颤了一秒钟便塌了卜来，彻彻底底地毁坏了，门槛七只剩下一堆灰。
      “嘘！”迪格雷轻轻地吹了一声口哨。
      “你的魔法师主人，你的舅舅，有我这种力量吗？”女王又紧紧地抓住了迪格雷的手。“不过我以后会知道的。记住你们今天看见的事。对物如此，对挡住我去路的人也是如此。”
      光从敞开的门洞里射了进来。在这个国家里，他们还从未见过比这更充足的光线。女王带着他们穿过门口，当他们发现自己兰身户外时并没有感到惊奇。他们站在一个高高的台地上，俯瞰着脚下宽广的景致。
      往下看，只见一轮比我们的太阳大得多的红太阳在地平线附近，迪格雷立刻就觉得那轮太阳比我们的太阳老：这幕年的太阳已经厌倦于俯视下面的世界。太阳的左上方，有一颗大而亮的星星。黑暗的天空中，残阳和孤星组成了一幅阴郁的画面。地上，有一个不管从哪个方向极目远眺都望不到边际的巨大的城市。城市里不见活动着的人和物。所有的庙宇、楼塔、宫殿、金字塔和桥在衰弱的阳光下投下长长的悲哀的影子。城里曾经有一条河，但河床早已干涸，只刹下一条宽宽的灰色土沟。
      “好好看，以后再也看不到了。”女王说，“这就是恰恩，伟大的城市，王中王之都，是这个世界，也许是所有世界的奇迹。孩子．你的舅舅是否统治着跟恰恩一样伟大的城市？”
      ”没有。”迪格雷说。他想解释安德鲁舅舅并没有统治任何城市。但女王接着说：
      “现在很安静。但是当空中充斥着恰恩的各种声音那会儿，我曾站在这里。脚步声、车轮声、鞭子的抽打声和奴隶的呻吟，还有马车的轰响以及寺庙里献祭的鼓声。当战斗开始，每条街道上杀声四起，恰恩河水被鲜血染红的时候，我也曾站在这儿（但那时一切都快完了）。”停了一下，她又说，“一个女人顷刻间便将这一切永远地抹去了。”
      “谁，”迪格雷低声问道，但他已经猜到了答案。
      “我，”女王说，“我，简蒂丝，最后的女王，但也就是世界女王。”
      两个孩子静静地站着，在寒风中瑟瑟发抖。
      “是我姐姐的错，”女王说，“她逼我干的。让所有的神都永远地诅咒她吧！那时，我随时都准备讲和——是的，只要她让位给我，我就饶她不死。但她不干，她的傲慢毁了整个世界。甚至在战争开始以后，双方都郑重地保证不使用魔法，但她不守信用，我怎么办呢？傻瓜：好像她不知道我的魔法比她的大似的。她还知道我握了灭绝咒的秘密。她以为——她始终是个弱者——她以为我不会使用这个秘咒吗？”
      “这秘咒是什么呢？”迪格雷问。
      “那是秘密中的秘密，”简蒂丝女王说，“很久以来，我们这个民族的高贵的国王们就知道这个只有一个字的秘咒，只要在恰当的仪式中说出这个字，除了说话人自己外，所有的活物都会灭绝。但是，古代的国王们心肠太软，自己约束自己，而且，还约束他们的后人，让他们宣誓永远不探究那个字的秘密。然而，我在一个秘密的地方付出沉重的代价才学到手。她逼得我走投无路我才用了。为了征服她，我想尽其他一切办法与她作战。我的将士血流成河……”
      “畜生！”波莉低声咕味了一句。
      “最后一次大战，”女王说，“在恰恩城里打了三天。那三天，我就在这儿观战。我一直没有使用魔法，直到我的最后一批战士倒下。那可恶的女人，也就是我的姐姐．带领她的叛军．已经走到了从城市通向这个台地的大台阶的一半。我等候着，当我们互相能看清对方的脸时，她用那双可怕的邪恶的眼睛盯粉我，说‘胜利了。’‘是的，’我说，‘胜利了，但不是你的胜利。’接着，我说出了灭绝咒。顷刻间，我就是太阳下惟一的活物了。”
      “可是，那些人呢。”迪格雷气喘吁吁地问。
      “什么人，孩子？”女王问。
      “所有的替通人，”波莉说，“他们又没有伤害你。妇女，孩子，还有动物。”
      “你还不明白吗？”女王仍然对着迪格雷说．“我是女王，他们都是我的臣民，除了服从我的意志外还能干什么呢？”
      “不管怎么说，他们都是很倒霉的。”迪格雷说。
      “我刚才忘了，你不过是个普通的男孩，你怎么会明白执政者的理由呢？你必须懂得，孩子，对你或者对其他凡人来说错误的事，对我这样的女王来说是不称其为错的。天下的重担压在我们肩上。我们必须从所有律法的约束中解脱出来。我们命定是高贵而孤独的。”
      迪格雷突然想起，安德鲁舅舅也说过完全相同的话，但这些话由简蒂丝女王说出来，就显得庄严、自负得多，可能是因为安德鲁舅舅没有七尺高，也没有美得惊人的外貌吧。
      “然后呢？”迪格雷说。
      “我预先对存放我祖先塑像的大厅施了强有力的魔咒。这魔咒使我自己也变得像一称塑像沉睡在他们中间，一千年不吃饭，不烤火，直到有人进来，敲钟唤醒我。”4
      “太阳这种模样是灭绝咒造成的吗？”迪格雷问。
      “什么模样？”简带丝问。
      “又大，又红，又冷。”
      “一直是这样的，”简蒂丝说，“至少，已经上千年了。你们的太阳不一样吗？”
      “是的，要小一些，黄一些，发出的热量要多得多。”
      “啊——!
      ”女王长长地叹息一声。迪格雷从她脸上看到了他最近从安德鲁舅舅的脸上看到过的那种饥饿和贪婪的表情。“那么，”她说，“你们的世界要年轻一些。”她停了停，再次望了一眼荒凉的城市——要是说她为自己的罪恶感到内疚，那么，她当然没有表露出来——然后说：
      “好了，我们走吧。这儿是世纪的末日，太冷了。”
      “去哪儿，”两个孩子一起问。
      “哪儿？”简蒂丝惊异地重复道，“当然是去你们的世界。”
      波莉和迪格雷迷惑不解地对望了一眼。波莉一开始就讨厌女王，而迪格雷呢，在听了那段故事以后，也觉得对她的了解已经够了。显然，没有谁愿意带她那种人同家。即使愿意，不知道怎么才能带她回家。他们只想着自己逃走；但波莉摸不到戒指，迪格雷自然也不能丢下她单独离去。他满脸通红，结结巴巴地说
      “噢——噢——我们的份界，我——我不知道你想去那儿。”
      “你们不是来接我的，又是来干什么的呢。”简蒂丝问。“我敢说，你一点儿也不会喜欢我们的世界。”迪格雷说，“那地方不适合她，你说对吗，波莉？那儿没意思，不值得看，真的。”)
      “我去统治的时候就值得看了。”女王回答。
      “啊，但你不能，”迪格雷说，“不是那么回事。他们不会允许的，你知道。”
      女王傲慢地一笑。“很多高贵的国王，”她说，“都以为能和恰恩王朝作对，但他们全都失败了，连名字也被人遗忘了。愚获的孩子！你认为，以我的美貌和魔力不会在一年之内使整个你们的世界都拜倒在我的脚下吗？准备施展魔法，立即带我去那儿。”
      “这实在太可怕了。”迪格雷对波莉说。
      “也许你害怕你的舅舅，”简蒂丝说，“只要他适当地对我表示尊敬，他就会保住性命和王位，我不会跟他作对的。如果他知道怎么把你们送到这儿来，他一定是个非常了不起的魔法师。他是你们整个世界的王呢，还是只统治部分？”
      “他哪儿的王都不是。”迪格雷说。
      “你在说谎，”女王说，“只有掌家血统的人才会魔法，不是吗，谁听说过普通人也能当魔法师？不管你说不说，我都知道，事情的真相是你的舅舅是你们那个世界一个伟大的国王，了不起的魔法师。他已经在某个魔镜或魔池里，靠他的魔法看到了我的头影。他爱上了我的美貌，施加了一种能让你们的世界彻底动摇的强大魔咒，让你们穿过各个世界之间的鸿沟，到这里来请我去帮忙，并将我带回他的身边。回答我：难道不是这么回事吗，”
      “嗯，不完全是。”迪格雷说。
      “根本不是，”波莉叫起来，“从头到尾就是胡说八道。”
      “奴才！”女工喊到，她怒火冲天地揪住波莉的头发，刚好抓在最容易扯痛的头顶。但这样一来，她松开了孩子们的手。“好，”迪格雷大叫；波莉也喊了一声，“快！”他们把左手伸进口袋，根本不用戴上戒指，存触到戒指的一刹那间，那个可怕的世界就从他们眼前完完全全地消失了。他们向上冲去，头上，一缕温暖的绿光越来越近。

Chapter 6：THE BEGINNING OF UNCLE ANDREW'S TROUBLES

"LET go! Let go!" screamed Polly.

"I'm not touching you!" said Digory.

Then their heads came out of the pool and, once more, the sunny quietness of the Wood between the Worlds was all about them, and it seemed richer and warmer and more peaceful than ever after the staleness and ruin of the place they had just left. I think that, if they had been given the chance, they would again have forgotten who they were and where they came from and would have lain down and enjoyed themselves, half asleep, listening to the growing of the trees. But this time there was something that kept them as wide-awake as possible: for as soon as they had got out on to the grass, they found that they were not alone. The Queen, or the Witch (whichever you like to call her) had come up with them, holding on fast by Polly's hair. That was why Polly had been shouting out "Let go!"

This proved, by the way, another thing about the rings which Uncle Andrew hadn't told Digory because he didn't know it himself. In order to jump from world to world by one of those rings you don't need to be wearing or touching it yourself; it is enough if you are touching someone who is touching it. In that way they work like a magnet; and everyone knows that if you pick up a pin with a magnet, any other pin which is touching the first pin will come too.

Now that you saw her in the wood, Queen Jadis looked different. She was much paler than she had been; so pale that hardly any of her beauty was left. And she was stooped and seemed to be finding it hard to breathe, as if the air of that place stifled her. Neither of the children felt in the least afraid of her now.

"Let go! Let go of my hair," said Polly. "What do you mean by it?"

"Here! Let go of her hair. At once," said Digory.

They both turned and struggled with her. They were stronger than she and in a few seconds they had forced her to let go. She reeled back, panting, and there was a look of terror in her eyes.

"Quick, Digory!" said Polly. "Change rings and into' the home pool."

"Help! Help! Mercy!" cried the Witch in a faint voice, staggering after them. "Take me with you. You cannot. mean to leave me in this horrible place. It is killing me."

"It's a reason of State," said Polly spitefully. "Like when you killed all those people in your own world. Do be quick, Digory." They had put on their green rings, but Digory said:

"Oh bother! What are we to do?" He couldn't help feeling a little sorry for the Queen.

"Oh don't be such an ass," said Polly. "Ten to one she's only shamming. Do come on." And then both children plunged into the home pool. "It's a good thing we made that mark," thought Polly. But as they jumped Digory felt that a large cold finger and thumb had caught him by the ear. And as they sank down and the confused shapes of our own world began to appear, the grip of that finger and thumb grew stronger. The Witch was apparently recovering her strength. Digory struggled and kicked, but it was not of the least use. In a moment they found themselves in Uncle Andrew's study; and there was Uncle Andrew himself, staring at the wonderful creature that Digory had brought back from beyond the world.

And well he might stare. Digory and Polly stared too. There was no doubt that the Witch had got over her faintness; and now that one saw her in our own world, with ordinary things around her, she fairly took one's breath away. In Charn she had been alarming enough: in London, she was terrifying. For one thing, they had not realized till now how very big she was. "Hardly human" was what Digory thought when he looked at her; and he may have been right, for some say there is giantish blood in the royal family of Charn. But even her height was nothing compared with her beauty, her fierceness, and her wildness. She looked ten times more alive than most of the people one meets in London. Uncle Andrew was bowing and rubbing his hands and looking, to tell the truth, extremely frightened. He seemed a little shrimp of a creature beside the Witch. And yet, as Polly said after

wards, there was a sort of likeness between her face and his, something in the expression. It was the look that all wicked Magicians have, the "Mark" which Jadis had said she could not find in Digory's face. One good thing about seeing the two together was that you would never again be afraid of Uncle Andrew, any more than you'd be afraid of a worm after you had met a rattlesnake or afraid of a cow after you had met a mad bull.

"Pooh!" thought Digory to himself. "Him a Magician!

Not much. Now she's the real thing."

Uncle Andrew kept on rubbing his hands and bowing. He was trying to say something very polite, but his mouth had gone all dry so that he could not speak. His "experiment" with the rings, as he called it, was turning out more successful than he liked: for though he had dabbled in Magic for years he had always left all the dangers (as far as one can) to other people. Nothing at all like this had ever happened to him before.

Then Jadis spoke; not very loud, but there was something in her voice that made the whole room quiver.

"Where is the Magician who has called me into this world?"

"Ah - ah - Madam," gasped Uncle Andrew, "I am most honoured - highly gratified - a most unexpected, pleasure - if only I had had the opportunity of making any preparations - I - I -"

"Where is the Magician, Fool?" said Jadis.

"I - I am, 'Madam. I hope you will excuse any - er -. liberty these naughty children may have taken. I assure you, there was no intention -"

"You?" said the Queen in a still more terrible voice. Then, in one stride, she crossed the room, seized a great handful of Uncle Andrew's grey hair and pulled his head back so that his face looked up into hers. Then she studied his face as she had studied Digory's face in the palace of Charn. He blinked and licked his lips nervously all the time. At last she let him go: so suddenly that he reeled back against the wall.

"I see," she said scornfully, "you are a Magician - of a sort. Stand up, dog, and don't sprawl there as if you were speaking to your equals. How do you come to know Magic? You are not of royal blood, I'll swear."

"Well - ah - not perhaps in the strict sense," stammered Uncle Andrew. "Not exactly royal, Ma'am. The Ketterleys are, however, a very old family. An old Dorsetshire family, Ma'am."

"Peace," said the Witch. "I see what you are. You are a little, peddling Magician who works by rules and books. There is no real Magic in your blood and heart. Your kind was made an end of in my world a thousand years ago. But here I shall allow you to be my servant."

"I should be most happy - delighted to be of any service - a p-pleasure, I assure you."

"Peace! You talk far too much. Listen to your first task. I see we are in a large city. Procure for me at once a chariot or a flying carpet or a well-trained dragon, or whatever is usual for royal and noble persons in your land. Then bring me to places where I can get clothes and jewels and slaves fit for my rank. Tomorrow I will begin the conquest of the world."

"I - I - I'll go and order a cab at once," gasped Uncle Andrew.

"Stop," said the Witch, just as he reached the door. "Do not dream of treachery. My eyes can see through walls and into the minds of men. They will be on you wherever you go. At the first sign of disobedience I will lay such spells on you that anything you sit down on will feel like red hot iron and whenever you lie in a bed there will be invisible blocks of ice at your feet. Now go."

The old man went out, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

The children were now afraid that Jadis would have something to say to them about what had happened in the wood. As it turned out, however, she never mentioned it either then or afterwards. I think (and Digory thinks too) that her mind was of a sort which cannot remember that quiet place at all, and however often you took her there and however long you left her there, she would still know nothing about it. Now that she was left alone with the children, she took no notice of either of them. And that was like her too. In Charn she had taken no notice of Pony (till the very end) because Digory was the one she wanted to make use of. Now that she had Uncle Andrew, she took no notice of Digory. I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical. So there was silence in the room for a minute or two. But you could tell by the way Jadis tapped her foot on the floor that she was growing impatient.

Presently she said, as if to herself, "What is the old fool doing? I should have brought a whip." She stalked out of the room in pursuit of Uncle Andrew without one glance at the children.

"Whew!" said Polly, letting out a long breath of relief. "And now I must get home. It's frightfully late. I shall catch it."

"Well do, do come back as soon as you can," said Digory. "This is simply ghastly, having her here. We must make some sort of plan."

"That's up to your Uncle now," said Polly. "It was he who started all this messing about with Magic."

"All the same, you will come back, won't you? Hang it all, you can't leave me alone in a scrape like this."

"I shall go home by the tunnel," said Polly rather coldly. "That'll be the quickest way. And if you want me to come back, hadn't you better say you're sorry?"

"Sorry?" exclaimed Digory. "Well now, if that isn't just like a girl! What have I done?"

"Oh nothing of course," said Polly sarcastically. "Only nearly screwed my wrist off in that room with all the waxworks, like a cowardly bully. Only struck the bell with the hammer, like a silly idiot. Only turned back in the wood so that she had time to catch hold of you before we jumped into our own pool. That's all."

"Oh," said Digory, very surprised. "Well, alright, I'll say I'm sorry. And I really am sorry about what happened in the waxworks room. There: I've said I'm sorry. And now, do be decent and come back. I shall be in a frightful hole if you don't."

"I don't see what's going to happen to you. It's Mr Ketterley who's going to sit on red hot chairs and have ice in his bed, isn't it?"

"It isn't that sort of thing," said Digory. "What I'm bothered about is Mother. Suppose that creature went into her room. She might frighten her to death."

"Oh, I see," said Polly in rather a different voice. "Alright. We'll call it Pax. I'll come back - if I can. But I must go now." And she crawled through the little door into the tunnel; and that dark place among the rafters which had seemed so exciting and adventurous a few hours ago, seemed quite tame and homely now.

We must now go back to Uncle Andrew. His poor old heart went pit-a-pat as he staggered down the attic stairs and he kept on dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief. When he reached his bedroom, which was the floor below, he locked himself in. And the very first thing he did was to grope in his wardrobe for a bottle and a wine-glass which he always kept hidden there where Aunt Letty could not find them. He poured himself out a glassful of some nasty, grown-up drink and drank it off at one gulp. Then he drew a deep breath.

"Upon my word," he said to himself. "I'm dreadfully shaken. Most upsetting! And at my time of life!"

He poured out a second glass and drank it too; then he began to change his clothes. You have never seen such clothes, but I can remember them. He put on a very high, shiny, stiff collar of the sort that made you hold your chin up all the time. He put on a white waistcoat with a pattern on it and arranged his gold watch chain across the front. He put on his best frock-coat, the one he kept for weddings and funerals. He got out his best tall hat and polished it up. There was a vase of flowers (put there by Aunt Letty) on his dressing table; he took one and put it in his buttonhole. He took a clean handkerchief (a lovely one such as you couldn't buy today) out of the little lefthand drawer and put a few drops of scent on it. He took his eye-glass, with the thick black ribbon, and screwed it into his eye; then he looked at himself in the mirror.

Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind. At this moment Uncle Andrew was beginning to be silly in a very grown-up way. Now that the Witch was no longer in the same room with him he was quickly forgetting how she had frightened him and thinking more and more of her wonderful beauty. He kept on saying to himself, "A dem fine woman, sir, a dem fine woman. A superb creature." He had also somehow managed to forget that it was the children who had got hold of this "superb creature": he felt as if he himself by his Magic had called her out of unknown worlds.

"Andrew, my boy," he said to himself as he looked in the glass, "you're a devilish well preserved fellow for your age. A distinguished-looking man, sir."

You see, the foolish old man was actually beginning to imagine the Witch would fall in love with him. The two drinks probably had something to do with it, and so had his best clothes. But he was, in any case, as vain as a peacock; that was why he had become a Magician.

He unlocked' the door, went downstairs, sent the housemaid out to fetch a hansom (everyone had lots of servants in those days) and looked into the drawingroom. There, as he expected, he found Aunt Letty. She was busily mending a mattress. It lay on the floor near the window and she was kneeling on it.

"Ah, Letitia my dear," said Uncle Andrew, "I - ah have to go out. Just lend me five pounds or so, there's a good gel." ("Gel" was the way he pronounced girl.)

"No, Andrew dear," said Aunty Letty in her firm, quiet voice, without looking up from her work. "I've told you times without number that I will not lend you money."

"Now pray don't be troublesome, my dear gel," said Uncle Andrew. "It's most important. You will put me in a deucedly awkward position if you don't."

"Andrew," said Aunt Letty, looking him straight in the face, "I wonder you are not ashamed to ask me for money."

There was a long, dull story of a grown-up kind behind these words. All you need to know about it is that Uncle Andrew, what with "managing dear Letty's business matters for her", and never doing any work, and running up large bills for brandy and cigars (which Aunt Letty had paid again and again) had made her a good deal poorer than she had been thirty years ago.

"My dear gel," said Uncle Andrew, "you don't understand. I shall have some quite unexpected expenses today. I have to do a little entertaining. Come now, don't be tiresome."

"And who, pray, are you going to entertain, Andrew?" asked Aunt Letty.

"A - a most distinguished visitor has just arrived."

"Distinguished fiddlestick!" said Aunt Letty. "There hasn't been a ring at the hell for the last hour."

At that moment the door was suddenly flung open. Aunt Letty looked round and saw with amazement that an enormous woman, splendidly dressed, with bare arms and flashing eyes, stood in the doorway. It was the Witch.

      6 、安德鲁舅舅的麻烦开始了
      “放开！放开！”，波莉尖声喊着。”我没碰你。”迪格雷说。
      脑袋一出水潭，他们便再次来到各个世界之间的树林，置身于阳光明媚的宁静之中。刚刚离开那个陈腐、荒芜的地方，这片树林似乎比以前更显得青翠、温暖和安详。我想，如果可能的话，他们又会忘记自己是谁，从哪儿来，然后躺下，聆听树木的生长，朦朦胧胧地享受快乐。然而．这次，他们不得不努力保持着清醒：因为一到草地上，他们就发现，不光是他们两人，那个女王，或女巫（不管你叫她什么），也跟着来了，仍然紧紧地抓住波莉的头发。怪不得刚才波莉大喊“放开！”
      顺便说说，这也证明了戒指的另一种作用，安德鲁舅舅没有告诉迪格雷，他自己也不知道。要想靠那些戒指从一个世界到另一个世界，不需要戴上或亲手触摸戒指，只要触摸一个能触摸到戒指的人就行了。这很像磁铁。人人都知道，如果用一块磁铁拾一根别针，碰到这根别针的其他别针也会被吸起来。
      现在，树林中的简蒂丝女王完全变了。脸色比以前苍白得多，她的美貌几乎一点儿也不存在了。她好像呼吸困难似的弯卜腰去，那毕的空气仿佛使她感到窒息。两个孩子一点儿也不怕她了。
      “放开！放开我的头发。”波莉说，“你想干什么？”
      “听着！放开她的头发，马上放开！”迪格雷说。两人转过身，与她厮打起来。他们比她强壮，很快就迫使她松开了手。她喘着气，摇晃若向后退去，眼晴里露出恐惧的神色。
      “快，迪格雷！”波莉说，“换戒指，跳进回家的水潭！”
      “救命！救命！天呀！”女巫有气无力地喊着，蹒跚地跟在后面，“把我带上。你们不要把我留在这个可怕的地方，我会死的。”
      “这是执政者的理由，”波莉恨恨地说，“就像你杀掉你的世界里那么多人一样。快点，迪格雷。”他们已经戴上了绿戒指，但迪格雷说：
      “真烦人！我们要干什么？”他不由得对女王产生了一丝怜悯。
      “别当傻瓜，”波莉说，“她八成是装的。快点儿。”然后，两个孩子都跳进了回家的水潭。“幸好我们做了标记。”波莉想。但是，当他们往下跳时，迪格雷感到两只冰冷的大手指抓住了他的耳朵。他们沉下去了，我们这个世界开始模模糊糊、隐隐约约地导现出来。抓住他耳朵的手指也越来越有力。豪无疑问，女巫的力量正在恢复，迪格雷又打又踢，但毫无用处。一会儿，他们便到了安德鲁舅舅的书房。安德色舅舅目瞪口呆地看着迪格雷从另一世界带回的奇妙动物。他这样呆望着是有理由的。迪格雷和波莉也目瞪口呆。
      毫无疑问，女巫已经不再虚弱；眼下，她站在我们的世界里，和周围的普通事物一比，实在使人倒吸一口凉气。在恰恩，她曾经使人非常惊讶：在伦敦，她使人感到恐惧。首先，他们到现在也没弄清楚她到底有多么庞大。“简直不是人类。”
      迪格雷看着她这样想；他也许想得不错，因为有人说过，恰恩皇族有巨人血统。但她的高度，比起她的美貌、残忍和野性来要逊色一筹。她看上去比伦敦街上的大多数人都要多出十倍的精力。安德鲁舅舅躬腰、搓手，看着她；说实话，他害怕极了。在女巫身边，他就像是虾米一样的小动物。而且，正如波莉后来说的，他和女巫的表情有某种相似之处；那是一种所有邪恶的魔法师都有的表情，即简蒂丝说她在迪格雷脸上找不到的“标记”。看见这两个人站在一起有一种好处：你不会再怕安德公舅舅，犹如见过响尾蛇不再怕蚯蚓，见过发疯的公牛不再怕奶牛一样。
      “呸！”迪格雷想，“他也算魔法师！不够格。她才是真的。”
      安德丢舅舅不断地搓手鞠躬。他想说几句客气话，但他口干得说不出来。他所谓的用戒指做的“实验”，结果比他盼望的还要成功：因为虽然他与魔法打了多年的交道，但他总是把危险留给他人。类似今天这样的事还从未发生过。这时，简蒂丝开口了，声音不大，却使整个屋子战栗起来。
      “把我召到这个世界来的魔法师是谁？”

      “啊——啊——夫人，”安德鲁舅舅喘息着说，“我感到极大的荣幸——非常高兴——最最意想不到的快乐——要是我有机会作些准备就好了——我——我——”
      “魔法师在哪儿？蠢货！”简蒂丝问。
      “就——就是我，夫人。我希望你能谅解——嗯——这些调皮的孩子对你的失礼。我向你保证，不是故意的——”
      “你！”女王的声青越加可怕。说着，她一步跨进屋子，一把抓住安德鲁舅舅的灰发，将他的头朝后一拧，使他的脸对着自己。然后，她像在恰恩王宫早研究迪格雷的脸一样仔细研究他的脸。他很紧张，不停地眨眼睛、舔嘴唇。最后，她松开手，他一下往后倒去，摇摇晃晃地撞在墙上。
      “我知道了，”她轻蔑地说，“你是某一种类的魔法师。站起来，狗，别像跟你的同类说话一样缩在那儿。你怎么会魔法的？我敢发誓，你没有皇族血统。”
      “这——嗯——严格地讲也许没有，”安德鲁舅舅结结巴巴地说，“不算地地道道的皇族。可是，夫人，凯特利家族是很古老的，是多塞特郡一个古老的家族。”
      “肃静！”女巫说，“我知道你是谁。你是一个离不开规则和书本的自我吹嘘的小魔法师。你的血液和心脏里没有真正的魔力。像你这样的魔法师一千年前就在我们的世界绝种了。但现在，我将允许你做我的仆人。”
      “为你服务我感到万分荣幸——高兴至极——真让人愉快。我说的是实话。”
      “住嘴，你说得太多了。听清楚你的第一个任务。我看我们是在一个大城市里。马上设法给我弄一辆马车或飞毯或一条训练有案的龙，或者任何对你们这儿的皇家贵族有用的东西。然后，带我去能搞到符合我身份的服装、首饰和奴隶的地方。明天，我就要开始征服这个世界了。”
      “我——我——我这就去叫一辆出租马车。”安德告舅舅大口大口地喘着气。他刚走到门口，女巫说，“站住，别想耍花招。我的眼睛可以穿透墙壁，看到人的内心。你走到哪儿都逃不出我的眼睛。只要你再出不服从我的苗头，我就会诅咒你，你坐的任何东西都会像烧红的铁，任何时候你躺上床，脚下朝会有看不见的冰块。现在走吧。”
      那老家伙像夹着尾巴的狗一样走了出去。
      孩子们害怕简蒂此会向他们问起树林中的事。然而，她当时没有说，后来也没提到这件事。我想（迪格雷也想），她的内心根本记不住那片宁静的地方，即便你经常带她去，或者把她长久地留在那里，她仍然什么都不知道。现在，她单独与孩子们在一起，但她对他们一点儿也不留意。在恰恩，她根本不注意波莉（直到最后）,
      因为她只想利用迪格雷。既然她现在有了安德鲁舅舅，便不再注意迪格雷了。我认为大多数女巫都是这样。她们极端实用，只对可以利用的人和物感兴趣。所以，屋子里有一阵很安静。但是，从简蒂丝用脚拍打地板的方式上看得出，她越来越不耐烦了。
      不一会儿，她仿佛自言自语地说道“这老傻瓜在千什么，我该带根鞭子来。”她看也不看孩子们一眼，就冲出去追安德鲁舅舅去了。”
      “嘘——”波莉长长地舒了口气，“我必须回家了。已经太晚了，我会受罚的。”
      “那，尽早回来，”迪格雷说，“把她弄到这儿来简直糟糕透了。我们必须制定计划。”
      “这是你舅舅的事，”波莉说，“这些麻烦是他的魔法造成的。”
      “不管怎么说，你会回来的，是吗，真该死，你不能让我一个人去理这团乱麻。”
      “我从隧道回家，”波莉冷冰冰地说，“这样最快。要是你想计我回来，是不是最好说声‘对不起’? ”
      “对不起？”迪格雷叫道，“那不跟女孩一样了吗？我做了什么？”
      “当然，没什么。”波莉讥讽地说，“只不过在那间塑像厅早，像一个胆小的暴徒一样差点把我的手腕拧断。只不过像一个傻瓜似的用小锤去敲钟。只不过在树林里还没跳进水潭就转过身去，好让她有机会抓住你。就这些。”“啊，”迪格雷很吃惊地说，“好了，我说对不起，而且对塑像厅甲发生的事感到非常抱歉。现在，我已经说了对不起，你就应该同来，否则太不像话，你如果不回来，就是把我推进一个可怕的深渊里了。”
      “我觉得你不用担心什么，凯特利先生才会坐在烫人的椅子上，他的床上才会有冰，不是吗？
      “不是那一类的事．”迪格雷说，“我担心妈妈。假如那怪物进了她的房间，会把她吓死的。”
      “噢，我明白了。”波莉声音异常地说，“好吧，这次行动代号‘和平女神’。我会回来的——如果回得来的话。但我现在必须走了。”她钻出小门，进了隧道椽子之间黑暗的地方几小时前还那么令人激动，那么富有冒险色彩，现在却似乎显得普通和平淡了。
      我们有必要回头讲讲安德鲁舅舅。他从阁楼上跌跌绊绊地跑下去时，那颗可怜的老心脏砰砰地乱跳。他用手帕在额头上不断地揩着。当他进到楼下的卧室里，便把自己锁在毕面。他做的第一件事就是从衣柜里摸出一个瓶子和一个酒杯，他总是把这些东西藏在柜子里，以免被蕾蒂姨妈发现。他给自己满斟了一杯味道刺鼻的大人喝的酒，一口气喝了下去，然后，长长地舒了一口气。
      “哎呀，”他自言自语地说，“可把我吓坏了。真烦人！到这把年纪还遇到这种事！”
      又倒了一杯喝下去后，他开始换衣服。你从未见过这样的衣服，但我还记得。他戴上一副硬邦邦的闪光的高领子，这种领子使你的下巴不得不长时间地昂着，又套上一件有图案的内背心，把金表链挂在前面。接着，他穿上婚丧仪式才用的最好的衣服，拿出最好的高筒礼帽拍打干净。他的梳妆桌上放着一瓶花（蕾蒂姨妈放的），他摘下一朵插在扣眼里，又从左边的小抽履里掏出一块手帕（很漂亮．现在难以买到），往上面洒了几滴香水。他将系着黑色粗绸带的眼镜戴上，然后，对着镜子观赏起来。
      你知道，孩子们有种傻气，大人有另一种傻气。这时，安德鲁舅舅开始犯大人的傻气了。女巫不在他的房里，他便很快忘了刚才受到的惊吓，开始对她的美貌想入非非。他不断自言自语，“一个漂亮的贵妇人，先生，一个漂亮的贵妇人，一个超级尤物”。他不知不觉地忘了那个“超级尤物”足孩子们找到的，他觉得是他自己用魔法从不可知的世界里召唤来的。
      “安德鲁，小伙子，”他边照镜子边对自己说，“你保养得不错，看不出年龄，先生，你长相不凡哪。”
      你看，这愚蠢的老家伙开始想像女巫会爱上他，这很可能是那两杯酒和漂亮衣服起的作用。不过，无论怎么说，他和孔雀一样爱慕虚荣，这就是他为什么变成魔法师的原因。他锁上门，走下楼，打发一个女佣去叫一辆双轮双座的马车（那年月，每个人都有许多仆人），然后朝客厅张望，他如愿以偿地在客斤里找到了蕾蒂姨妈，她正在修补一块垫子。垫子铺在窗户旁边，她跪在上面。
      “呀，蕾蒂娅，我亲爱的，”安德每舅舅说，“我——我要出门。借我五英镑什么的，有个很不错的古娘。”（他总是将“姑娘”说成“古娘”。）
      “不，亲爱的安德鲁．”蕾蒂姨妈头也不抬，用坚定、平静的口气说说，“我说过无数次了，我不会借钱给你的。”
      “请你别捣乱，亲爱的古娘，”安德鲁舅舅说，“这是最重要的事。你如果不借就让我非常难堪。”
      “安德鲁，”苦蒂姨妈直直地盯着他，“我觉得奇怪的是，你向我借钱居然不觉得羞耻。”
      这些话隐藏着一段长长的、枯操的、属于大人之间的往事。你只需知道，安德鲁舅舅打着“为亲爱的蕾蒂照管财产”的旗号，却什么也不干，还喝白兰地、抽雪茄，欠下一大堆账（蕾蒂姨妈曾一次一次地为他付钱），这样一来，就弄得蕾蒂比三十年前穷得多了。
      “亲爱的古娘，”安德鲁舅舅说，“你不知道，我今天会有一些意想不到的花费。我不得不招待客人，借给我吧，别让我着急。”
      “你到底要招待谁，安德鲁，”蕾蒂姨妈问。
      “哦——来了一个尊贵的客人。”
      “尊贵的客人？什么破玩意儿! ”曹蒂姨妈说，“你到底还是没有说服我。”
      就在这时，门突然被撞开了蕾蒂姨妈一回头，吃惊地看见一个女巨人，衣着华丽，手臂裸露，目光炯炯地站在门口。这正是女巫。

Chapter 7：WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FRONT DOOR

"Now; slave, how long am I to wait for my chariot?" thundered the Witch. Uncle Andrew cowered away from her. Now that she was really present, all the silly thoughts he had had while looking at himself in the glass were oozing out of him. But Aunt Letty at once got up from her knees and came over to the centre of the room.

"And who is this young person, Andrew, may I ask?" said Aunt Letty in icy tones.

"Distinguished foreigner - v-very important p-person," he stammered.

"Rubbish!" said Aunt Letty, and then, turning to the Witch, "Get out of my house this moment, you shameless hussy, or I'll send for the police." She thought the Witch must be someone out of a circus and she did not approve of bare arms.

"What woman is this?" said Jadis. "Down on your knees, minion, before I blast you."

"No strong language in this house if you please, young woman," said Aunt Letty.

Instantly, as it seemed to Uncle Andrew, the Queen towered up to an even greater height. Fire flashed from her eyes: she flung out her arm with the same gesture and the same horrible-sounding words that had lately turned the palacegates of Charn to dust. But nothing happened except that Aunt Letty, thinking that those horrible words were meant to be ordinary English, said:

"I thought as much. The woman is drunk. Drunk! She can't even speak clearly."

It must have been a terrible moment for the Witch when she suddenly realized that her power of turning people into dust, which had been quite real in her own world, was not going to work in ours. But she did not lose her nerve even for a second. Without wasting a thought on her disappointment, she lunged forward, caught Aunt Letty round the neck and the knees, raised her high above her head as if she had been no heavier than a doll, and threw her across the room. While Aunt Letty was still hurtling through the air, the housemaid (who was having a beautifully exciting morning) put her head in at the door and said, "If you please, sir, the 'ansom's come."

"Lead on, Slave," said the Witch to Uncle Andrew. He began muttering something about "regrettable violence must really protest", but at a single glance from Jadis he became speechless. She drove him out of the room and out of the house; and Digory came running down the stairs just in time to see the front door close behind them.

"Jiminy!" he said. "She's loose in London. And with Uncle Andrew. I wonder what on earth is going to happen now."

"Oh, Master Digory," said the housemaid (who was really having a wonderful day), "I think Miss Ketterley's hurt herself somehow." So they both rushed into the drawing-room to find out what had happened.

If Aunt Letty had fallen on bare boards or even on the carpet, I suppose all her bones would have been broken: but by great good luck she had fallen on the mattress. Aunt Letty was a very tough old lady: aunts often were in those days. After she had had some sal volatile and sat still for a few minutes, she said there was nothing the matter with her except a few bruises. Very soon she was taking charge of the situation.

"Sarah," she said to the housemaid (who had never had such a day before), "go around to the police station at once and tell them there is a dangerous lunatic at large. I will take Mrs Kirke's lunch up myself." Mrs Kirke was, of course, Digory's mother.

When Mother's lunch had been seen to, Digory and Aunt Letty had their own. After that he did some hard thinking.

The problem was how to get the Witch back to her own world, or at any rate out of ours, as soon as possible. Whatever happened, she must not be allowed to go rampaging about the house. Mother must not see her.

And, if possible, she must not be allowed to go rampaging about London either. Digory had not been in the drawingroom when she tried to "blast" Aunt Letty, but he had seen her "blast" the gates at Charn: so he knew her terrible powers and did not know that she had lost any of them by coming into our world. And he knew she meant to conquer our world. At the present moment, as far as he could see, she might be blasting Buckingham Palace or the Houses of Parliament: and it was almost certain that quite a number of policemen had by now been reduced to little heaps of dust. And there didn't seem to be anything he could do about that. "But the rings seem to work like magnets," thought Digory. "If I can only touch her and then slip on my yellow, we shall both go into the Wood between the Worlds. I wonder will she go all faint again there? Was that something the place does to her, or was it only the shock of being pulled out of her own world? But I suppose I'll have to risk that. And how am I to find the beast? I don't suppose Aunt Letty would let me go out, not unless I said where I was going. And I haven't got more than twopence. I'd need any amount of money for buses and trams if I went looking all over London. Anyway, I haven't the faintest idea where to look. I wonder if Uncle Andrew is still with her."

It seemed in the end that the only thing he could do was to wait and hope that Uncle Andrew and the Witch would come back. If they did, he must rush out and get hold of the Witch and put on his yellow Ring before she had a chance to get into the house. This meant that he must watch the front door like a cat watching a mouse's hole; he dared not leave his post for a moment. So he went into the dining-room and "glued his face" as they say, to the window. It was a bow-window from which you could see the steps up to the front door and see up and down the street, so that no one could reach the front door without your knowing. "I wonder what Polly's doing?" thought Digory.

He wondered about this a good deal as the first slow half-hour ticked on. But you need not wonder, for I am going to tell you. She had got home late for her dinner, with her shoes and stockings very wet. And when they asked her where she had been and what on earth she had been doing, she said she had been out with Digory Kirke. Under further questioning she said she had got her feet wet in a pool of water, and that the pool was in a wood. Asked where the wood was, she said she didn't know. Asked if it was in one of the parks, she said truthfully enough that she supposed it might be a sort of park. From all of this Polly's mother got the idea that Polly had gone off, without telling anyone, to some part of London she didn't know, and gone into a strange park and amused herself jumping into puddles. As a result she was told that she had been very naughty indeed and that she wouldn't be allowed to play with "that Kirke boy" any more if anything of the sort ever happened again. Then she was given dinner with all the nice parts left out and sent to bed for two solid hours. It was a thing that happened to one quite often in those days.

So while Digory was staring out of the dining-room window, Polly was lying in bed, and both were thinking how terribly slowly the time could go. I think, myself, I would rather have been in Polly's position. She had only to wait for the end of her two hours: but every few minutes Digory would hear a cab or a baker's van or a butcher's boy coming round the corner and think "Here she comes", and then find it wasn't. And in between these false alarms, for what seemed hours and hours, the clock ticked on and one big fly - high up and far out of reach buzzed against the window. It was one of those houses that get very quiet and dull in the afternoon and always seem to smell of mutton.

During his long watching and waiting one small thing happened which I shall have to mention because something important came of it later on. A lady called with some grapes for Digory's Mother; and as the dining-room door was open, Digory couldn't help overhearing Aunt Letty and the lady as they talked in the hall.

"What lovely grapes!" came Aunt Letty's voice. "I'm sure if anything could do her good these would. But poor, dear little Mabel! I'm afraid it would need fruit from the land of youth to help her now. Nothing in this world will do much." Then they both lowered their voices and said a lot more that he could not hear.

If he had heard that bit about the land of youth a few days ago he would have thought Aunt Letty was just talking without meaning anything in particular, the way grown-ups do, and it wouldn't have interested him. He almost thought so now. But suddenly it flashed upon his mind that he now knew (even if Aunt Letty didn't) that there really were other worlds and that he himself had been in one of them. At that rate there might be a real Land of Youth somewhere. There might be almost anything. There might be fruit in some other world that would really cure his mother! And oh, oh - Well, you know how it feels if you begin hoping for something that you want desperately badly; you almost fight against the hope because it is too good to be true; you've been disappointed so often before. That was how Digory felt. But it was no good trying to throttle this hope. It might really, really, it just might be true. So many odd things had happened already. And he had the magic rings. There must be worlds you could get to through every pool in the wood. He could hunt through them all. And then Mother well again. Everything right again. He forgot all about watching for the Witch. His hand was already going into the pocket where he kept the yellow ring, when all at once he herd a sound of galloping.

"Hullo! What's that?" thought Digory. "Fire-engine? I wonder what house is on fire. Great Scott, it's coming here. Why, it's Her."

I needn't tell you who he meant by Her.

First came the hansom. There was no one in the driver's seat. On the roof - not sitting, but standing on the roof swaying with superb balance as it came at full speed round the corner with one wheel in the air - was Jadis the Queen of Queens and the Terror of Charn. Her teeth were bared, her eyes shone like fire, and her long hair streamed out behind her like a comet's tail. She was flogging the horse without mercy. Its nostrils were wide and red and its sides were spotted with foam. It galloped madly up to the front door, missing the lamp-post by an inch, and then reared up on its hind legs. The hansom crashed into the lamp-post and shattered into several pieces. The Witch, with a magnificent jump, had sprung clear just in time and landed on the horse's back. She settled herself astride and leaned forward, whispering things in its ear. They must have been things meant not to quiet it but to madden it. It was on its hind legs again in a moment, and its neigh was like a scream; it was all hoofs and teeth and eyes and tossing mane. Only a splendid rider could have stayed on its back.

Before Digory had recovered his breath a good many other things began to happen. A second hansom dashed up close behind the first: out of it there jumped a fat man in a frock-coat and a policeman. Then came a third hansom with two more policemen in it. After it, came about twenty people (mostly errand boys) on bicycles, all ringing their bells and letting out cheers and cat-calls. Last of all came a crowd of people on foot: all very hot with running, but obviously enjoying themselves. Windows shot up in all the houses of that street and a housemaid or a butler appeared at every front door. They wanted to see the fun.

Meanwhile an old gentleman had begun to struggle shakily out of the ruins of the first hansom. Several people rushed forward to help him; but as one pulled him one way and another another, perhaps he would have got out quite as quickly on his own. Digory guessed that the old gentleman must be Uncle Andrew but you couldn't see his face; his tall hat had been bashed down over it.

Digory rushed out and joined the crowd.

"That's the woman, that's the woman," cried the fat man, pointing at Jadis. "Do your duty, Constable. Hundreds and thousands of pounds' worth she's taken out of my shop. Look at that rope of pearls round her neck. That's mine. And she's given me a black eye too, what's more."

"That she 'as, guv'nor," said one of the crowd. "And as lovely a black eye as I'd wish to see. Beautiful bit of work that must 'ave been. Gor! ain't she strong then!"

"You ought to put a nice raw beefsteak on it, Mister, that's what it wants," said a butcher's boy.

"Now then," said the most important of the policemen, "what's all this 'ere?"

"I tell you she -" began the fat man, when someone else called out:

"Don't let the old cove in the cab get away. 'E put 'er up to it."

The old gentleman, who was certainly Uncle Andrew, had just succeeded in standing up and was rubbing his bruises. "Now then," said the policeman, turning to him, "What's all this?"

"Womfle - pomfy - shomf," came Uncle Andrew's voice from inside the hat.

"None of that now," said the policeman sternly. "You'll find this is no laughing matter. Take that 'at off, see?"

This was more easily said than done. But after Uncle Andrew had struggled in vain with the hat for some time, two other policemen seized it by the brim and forced it off.

"Thank you, thank you," said Uncle Andrew in a faint voice. "Thank you. Dear me, I'm terribly shaken. If someone could give me a small glass of brandy -"

"Now you attend to me, if you please," said the policeman, taking out a very large note book and a very small pencil. "Are you in charge of that there young woman?"

"Look out!" called several voices, and the policeman jumped a step backwards just in time. The horse had aimed a kick at him which would probably have killed him. Then the Witch wheeled the horse round so that she faced the crowd and its hind-legs were on the footpath. She had a long, bright knife in her hand and had been busily cutting the horse free from the wreck of the hansom.

All this time Digory had been trying to get into a position from which he could touch the Witch. This wasn't at all easy because, on the side nearest to him, there were too many people. And in order to get round to the other side he had to pass between the horse's hoofs and the railings of the "area" that surrounded the house; for the Ketterleys' house had a basement. If you know anything about horses, and especially if you had seen what a state that horse was in at the moment, you will realize that this was a ticklish thing to do. Digory knew lots about horses, but he set his teeth and got ready to make a dash for it as soon as he saw a favourable moment.

A red-faced man in a bowler hat had now shouldered his way to the front of the crowd.

"Hi! P'leeceman," he said, "that's my 'orse what she's sitting on, same as it's my cab what she's made matchwood of."

"One at a time, please, one at a time," said the policeman.

"But there ain't no time," said the Cabby. "I know that 'orse better'n you do. 'Tain't an ordinary 'orse. 'Is father was a hofficer's charger in the cavalry, 'e was. And if the young woman goes on hexcitin' 'im, there'll be murder done. 'Ere, let me get at him."

The policeman was only to glad to have a good reason for standing further away from the horse. The Cabby took a step nearer, looked up at Jadis, and said in a not unkindly voice:

"Now, Missie, let me get at 'is 'ead, and just you get off. You're a Lidy, and you don't want all these roughs going for you, do you? You want to go 'ome and 'ave a nice cup of tea and a lay down quiet like; then you'll feel ever so much better." At the same time he stretched out his hand towards the horse's head with the words, "Steady, Strawberry, old boy. Steady now."

Then for the first time the Witch spoke.

"Dog!" came her cold, clear voice, ringing loud above all the other noises. "Dog, unhand our royal charger. We are the Empress Jadis."

      7、 发生在前门的事
      “奴才，还要等多久，我的马车才会到？”女巫打雷一般地说。安德鲁舅舅抖抖索索地站到一边。女巫一出现，他照镜子时产牛的所有可笑念头全部消失得无影无踪。带蒂姨妈马上站了起来，走到屋子中间。
      “这年轻女人是谁？安德鲁，我能问吗？”蕾蒂姨妈冷冷地问。
      “尊贵的外国人―—— 非―—— 非常重要的人物。”他结结巴巴地说。
      “胡说！”
      蕾蒂姨妈转向女巫，“立即离开我的家，你这不知羞耻的荡妇，不然，我就叫警察。”她以为那女巫一定是从马戏团跑出来的，而且，她看不愤裸露的膀子。
      “这女人是谁？”简蒂丝说，“跪下来，奴才，否则我会毁灭你的。”
      “请不要在这幢房子里讲相话，女士。”蕾蒂姨妈说。
      刹那间，安德鲁舅舅觉得，那女王似乎向上一挺，变得更加高大。她眼中冒火，伸出手臂，做了一个在恰思将宫门捣成灰烬时同样的动作，口中念出灭绝咒。然而，什么事情也没有发生。蓄蒂姨妈想，那些可怕的话大概也是英语，她说：“
      我想得不错。这女人一定喝醉了。醉了！连话也说不清楚。”
      当女巫突然意识到，她那种能把人变成灰烬的魔力在她的世界里那么真实可行，而在我们这里却毫无用处时，对她来说这简直是个可怕的时刻。但她丝豪没有心慌意乱、沮丧失望。她扑向前，抓住蕾蒂姨妈的脖子和膝盖，将她高高地举过头顶，像举一个轻巧的玩具娃娃似的，朝屋子那头一甩。蕾蒂姨妈还没落地，女佣（她觉得那天早上真是妙不可言，令人激动）探头进来说：“先生，你的马车到了，请。”
      “带路，奴才。”女巫对安德鲁舅舅说。他口中咕哝着“令人遗憾的暴力行为―——
      必须抗议”之类的话，但简蒂丝瞟了他一眼他便住口了。她赶着他离开客厅，走出房子。迪格雷下楼时，刚好看见前门在他们身后关上了。
      “见鬼，”他说，“她在伦敦胡来了。还跟安德各舅舅在一起，真不知道会出什么乱子。”
      “噢，迪格雷少爷，”女佣说〔 她那天可开心了〕, “我想凯特利小姐弄伤了自己。”于是两人一起冲进客斤，去看发生了什么事。
      我想，如果蕾蒂姨妈掉在光地板上，或即使掉在地毯上，都会摔得粉身碎骨，但她十分走运地落在了垫子上。蕾蒂姨妈是个强壮的老妇人；那时候姨妈们大都如此。她吃了一点提神药，静静地坐了几分钟，然后说，只是跌肿了几处，不严重。很快她就开始处理事情了。
      “莎拉．”她对女佣说（这女人从未遇到像今天这样的日子）,
      ”立刻去警察局，告诉他们有个危险的精神病人跑出来了。我自己去照料柯克夫人的午饭。”柯克夫人自然就是迪格雷的母亲。
      妈妈吃罢午饭以后，迪格雷和蕾蒂姨妈也吃完了。然后，他便开始苦思冥想。
      问题是如何把女巫弄同她自己的地方，或者，想办法尽快地将她赶离我们这儿。不管怎样，决不能让她在这幢房子里横冲直撞。不能让妈妈看见她。如果可能，不准她在伦教城里飞扬跋扈。她“毁灭”蕾蒂姨妈的时候，迪格雷不在客厅里，但他曾见过她捣毁恰恩的宫门，所以，他只知道她有骇人的魔力，并不知道自从到了我们的世界后，她的魔力有任何减弱。他还知道她想征服我们的世界。他能想像，目前她很可能正在捣毁白金汉宫或议会大厦；几乎可以肯定，为数不少的警察已经被化成一堆堆灰烬了。他不知道自己该怎样做。”
      “可是，那些戒指似乎很像磁铁，”迪格雷想，“只要我挨到她，再去摸我的黄戒指，她和我便都会回到各个世界之间的树林中去。不知她在那儿会不会又变得虚弱无力？是那地方对她不利呢，还是从她的世界里被拖出来时她受了惊吓？但我不得不去冒这个险。可我到哪儿去找这个畜生？我想，不管我说去哪儿，蕾蒂姨妈都不会让我去的；而我的口袋里只有两个便士。如果我在伦敦满城寻找，一定需要许许多多钱坐汽车和电车。再说，我压根儿就不知道上哪儿去找。不知道安德鲁舅舅是否还跟她在一起。”
      最后，似乎他能做的惟一的事就是等候和盼望安德鲁舅舅和女巫回来。如果他们回来，他必须冲出去抓住女巫，趁她来不及踏进房子就截上黄戒指。这就意味着他必须像猫守着老鼠洞一样监视着前门，一步也不能离开岗位。所以，他进了餐室，像人们常说的那样，把脸“贴”在窗户上：那是一扇凸肚窗，可以从里面看见通向前门的台阶，而且能看清整条街道，任何人走到前门都逃不出你的视线。”波莉在干什么呢？”迪格雷想。+
      第一个半小时慢吞吞地过去了，他在这段时问里一直考虑着这个问题。但你不用着急，我来告诉你。波莉回家吃饭迟到了，鞋袜也是湿漉漉的。当被问到她去了哪里，干了些什么时．她说跟迪格雷·柯克出去了。再一追问，她说是在一个水潭里涅了脚的，那水潭在一片树林里。问及树林在哪儿，她说不知道。再问是否在一个公园里，她老老实实地说，她想也许是在一个公园里。波莉的妈妈由此得出结论：波莉未经允许，悄悄地跑到伦敦某个她不知道的地方，进了一个陌生的公园，跌进水坑里玩水。最后，波莉被告知，她实在太调皮了，以后如果再发生这样的事，便不准她和“那姓柯克的男孩”一起玩了。然后，她被允许吃了一些残羹剩饭，就被赶到床上，整整两小时后才能下床。这样的事情在那时候是常常发生的。
      所以，当迪格雷从餐室的窗户向外看时，波莉不躺在床上。两人都在想，时间过得多么慢啊，我个人认为，我宁肯处在波莉的位置上。她只是等候那两小时的结束，而迪格雷呢，每隔几分钟，只要听到马车声、面包匠送货车的声音或肉铺小伙计转过街角的声音，就以为”她来了”，然后却是一场空。除了这此令人惊悸的谬误外，其余时间里，只听见嘀嘀嗒嗒的钟声，像过了无数个小时一样漫长难熬。在头上高不可及的地方，一只大苍蝇嗡嗡地碰撞老窗玻璃。这幢住宅在下午往往显得非常安静和枯燥，而且，总有一股淡淡的羊肉味。
      在漫长的等待和监视中，发生了一桩小事。我之所以要提它是因为以后有件，要的事情与之相关。一位女士带着葡萄酒来看迪格雷的妈妈。由于餐室的门开着，迪格雷很自然地听到了蕾蒂姨妈和那位女士在大厅里的谈话。
      “多可爱的葡萄！”蕾蒂姨妈的声音，“我想这些葡萄一定会对她有好处的。唉，可怜的亲爱的小玛贝尔！恐怕现在她需要年轻的土地上长出的果子来治病。这个世界里任何东西都没有多大的效果。”后来，她们两人都压低了声音，说了许多迪格雷听不见的话。
      如果他前几天听到“年轻的土地”这个说法，他可能会以为蕾蒂姨妈只是随便说说而已，没有什么特别的意义。大人们说话往往这样，这不会引起他的兴趣。现在，他差不多也这样想。然而，他一下子想起来，的确存在着别的世界（蕾蒂姨妈并不知道），他自己就去过其中之一。那么，也许真有一片“年轻的土地”，任何事情都可能存在。在别的世界里，也许有某种果子真的能治好妈妈的病！噢―——
      你知道，盼望得到梦寐以求的东西时是什么滋味吗？因为你过去失望太多，也因为那种希望美好得不真实，你几乎要和希望作对了。这就是迪格雷当时的感觉。但是想扼杀这种希望是无用的。可能一——真的，真的，有那种可能性。那么多稀奇古怪的事已经发生了，而且他有魔法戒指。每个水潭底下都有一个世界。他可以寻遍所有的世界。然后一——妈妈的病就好了。一切都好了。他把留神着等候女巫的事全忘了。他已经在向放黄戒指的口袋伸手了，恰在此时，他突然听到一阵急驰而来的马蹄声。
      “晦！那是什么？”迪格雷想，“救火车吗？不知道哪家起火了。天哪，来了，啊，是她。”
      我不用告诉你他说的“她”是谁。
      先是一辆双轮马车。车夫座上空无一人，一只轮子悬在空中，整个马车以令人难以置信的平衡飞快地转过弯来。车顶上―——
      不是坐着，而是站着―——
      女王之王，恰思的死神简蒂丝。只见她龇牙咧嘴，目光火一般地闪动着，长发像彗星尾巴似的拖在脑后。她毫不留情地鞭笛着驾车的马。马的鼻子涨得洒红，两胁沾满了泡沫。它疯狂地冲向前门，在灯柱边一擦而过，然后，两条后腿着地站立起来。马车在灯柱上撞碎。女巫优美地一跳，恰到好处地落在了马背上。她分腿坐好，俯下身去，对马耳语了几句。那些话显然只会让它狂躁而不会使它安静。马立刻再次抬起前腿，尖厉地嘶叫了一声，马蹄、牙齿、眼睛和飞舞的鬃毛便晃作一团。只有出色的骑手才有可能坐在它的背上。
      迪格雷还来不及松口气，就又开始发生很多事情了。第二辆马车紧接着第一辆飞驰而来，车上跳下一个穿礼服的胖子和一名警察。然后，第三辆马车载着两名警察也快速过来。随着一阵嘘声、喝彩声，大约二十个人（大多数是童仆）骑着自行车，一路响着铃跟了上来。最后是一群步行者，虽然一个个跑得很热，但显然十分开心。所有临街的窗户都迅速地打开了。每一幢房子的前门都有一个看热闹的女佣或男仆。
      这时，一位老绅士挣扎着从马车的残骸里往外面爬，几个人跑过去帮他，但这个扯腿那个拽胳膊，用力的方向不一致，也许，如果没人帮忙，他也已经出来了。迪格雷猜想那老绅士一定是安德鲁舅舅，但他的脸被塌下来的高筒礼帽住了，你看不见。0
      迪格雷冲到人群中去。
      “就是这个女人！就是她！”那胖子指着简蒂丝大声喊，“警察，该你管啦！她从我的店里偷了值几百、几千磅的东西。看着她脖子上的珍珠项链吧，那是我的。而且她还把我的眼睛打青了。”
      “那是因为有人给她撑腰，”有个人对大家说，“我喜欢看这样一只青眼睛。她一定干得很漂亮。啊哈！她多强壮！”
      “你该在青眼睛上放一块好吃的生牛排，先生，那才妙呢。”一个肉店的小伙计说。
      “喂，”最管事的那个警察说，“这里发生了什么事啊？”“我告诉你，她… …
      ”胖了刚开了头就有人叫起来．”别让马车里那老家伙跑了，是他唆使她干的。”
      那位老绅士．当然就是安德鲁舅舅，已经站稳了，正在揉身上摔肿的地方。“那么，告诉我，” 警察
      转向他，“到底出了什么事？”
      “呼― 呼一一嘘― ”安德每舅舅从帽子里发出声音。
      “别装蒜了，”警察正色道，“你会发现这不是什么可笑的事。把帽子摘掉，听见了吗？”
      说者容易做者难。安德鲁舅舅徒劳地抵制了一阵，另两个警察抓住帽边，硬是把它扯了下来。
      “谢谢，谢谢，”安德鲁舅舅轻声说，“谢谢，我的天，可把我吓坏了。谁能给我一小杯白兰地… … ”
      “现在，请听我说，”那警察掏出一个大笔记本和一枝小铅笔。“那年轻女人归你管吗？”
      “小心，”几个人同时喊道，警察及时朝后跳了一步。那匹马差点儿一脚将他踢死。接着女巫掉转马头，对着人群，马的后腿已经踏上了人行道。她手里挥舞着一把明晃晃的长刀，正使劲地砍着套索，要把马和马车的残骸分开。
      在这段时间里迪格雷一直在找机会接近她，以便能触到她。这不太容易，因为离他近的这一边人太多了，而要想绕到另一边，就必须从马蹄和绕着房子的围栏之间穿过去。如果你了解马，尤其是看到那匹马当时的情形，就知道这是一件棘手的事。迪格雷很了解马，但他仍咬紧牙关，随时准备瞅准机会冲过去。
      一个戴着圆顶硬礼帽的红脸人用肩膀撞开一条路，挤到人群前面。
      “嗨，警察，”他说，“她骑的是我的马，被她摔烂的也是我的马车。”
      “一次说一件事，一次请说一件事。”警察说。“可是来不及了，”马车夫说，”我比你更了解这匹马，它不是一般的马，它爹以前是骑兵军官的战马。是的，要是这年轻女人再激它，就会出人命的。唉，还是让我来吧。”
      警察正想找个理由离马远些。马车夫向前走了步，指着简蒂丝，友好地说；
      “小姐，我抓住马头，你好下来。你是位女士，你不想找麻烦，是吗？你想回家，美美地喝上一杯茶，然后安安静静地躺下，这杯你会舒服得多。”同时，他伸手去逮马头，嘴卑说，“镇静，‘草莓’，老朋友。镇静。”
      女巫第一次开口讲话了。
      “狗！”她冷冰冰的清亮嗓音盖过了所有其他声音，“狗，放开我们的皇家战马。我是女王简蒂丝。”

Chapter 8：THE FIGHT AT THE LAMP-POST

"Ho! Her-ipress, are you? We'll see about that," said a voice. Then another voice said, "Three cheers for the Hempress of Colney 'Atch" and quite a number joined in. A flush of colour came into the Witch's face and she bowed ever so slightly. But the cheers died away into roars of laughter and she saw that they had only been making fun of her: A change came over her expression and she changed the knife to her left hand. Then, without warning, she did a thing that was dreadful to see. Lightly, easily, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, she stretched up her right arm and wrenched off one of the cross-bars of the lamp-post. If she had lost some magical powers in our world, she had not lost her strength; she could break an iron bar as if it were a stick of barleysugar. She tossed her new weapon up in the air, caught it again, brandished it, and urged the horse forward.

"Now's my chance," thought Digory. He darted between the horse and the railings and began going forward. If only the brute would stay still for a moment he might catch the Witch's heel. As he rushed, he heard a sickening crash and a thud. The Witch had brought the bar down on the chief policeman's helmet: the man fell like a nine-pin.

"Quick, Digory. This must be stopped," said a voice beside him. It was Polly, who had rushed down the moment she was allowed out of bed.

"You are a brick," said Digory. "Hold on to me tight. You'd have to manage the ring. Yellow, remember. And don't put it on till I shout."

There was a second crash and another policeman crumpled up. There came an angry roar from the crowd: "Pull her down. Get a few paving-stones. Call out the Military." But most of them were getting as far away as they could. The Cabby, however, obviously the bravest as well as the kindest person present, was keeping close to the horse, dodging this way and that to avoid the bar, but still trying to catch Strawberry's head.

The crowd booed and bellowed again. A stone whistled over Digory's head. Then came the voice of the Witch, clear like a great bell, and sounding as if, for once, she were almost happy.

"Scum! You shall pay dearly for this when I have conquered your world. Not one stone of your city will be left. I will make it as Charn, as Felinda, as Sorlois, as Bramandin."

Digory as last caught her ankle. She kicked back with her heel and hit him in the mouth. In his pain he lost hold. His lip was cut and his mouth full of blood. From somewhere very close by came the voice of Uncle Andrew in a sort of trembling scream. "Madam - my dear young lady - for heaven's sake - compose yourself." Digory made a second grab at her heel, and was again shaken off. More men were knocked down by the iron bar. He made a third grab: caught the heel: held on tike grim death, shouting to Polly "Go!" then Oh, thank goodness. The angry, frightened faces had vanished. The angry, frightened voices were silenced. All except Uncle Andrew's. Close beside Digory in the darkness, it was wailing on "Oh, oh, is this delirium? Is it the end? I can't bear it. It's not fair. I never meant to be a Magician. It's all a misunderstanding. It's all my godmother's fault; I must protest against this.

In my state of health too. A very old Dorsetshire family."

"Bother!" thought Digory. "We didn't want to bring him along. My hat, what a picnic. Are you there, Polly?"

"Yes, I'm here. Don't keep on shoving."

"I'm not," began Digory, but before he could say anything more, their heads came out into the warm, green sunshine of the wood. And as they stepped out of the pool Polly cried out:

"Oh look! We've-brought the old horse with us too. And Mr Ketterley. And the Cabby. This is a pretty kettle of fish!"

As soon as the Witch saw that she was once more in the wood she turned pale and bent down till her face touched the mane of the horse. You could see she felt deadly sick. Uncle Andrew was shivering. But Strawberry, the horse, shook his head, gave a cheerful whinny, and seemed to feel better. He became quiet for the first time since Digory had seen him. His ears, which had been laid flat back on his skull, came into their proper position, and the fire went out of his eyes.

"That's right, old boy," said the Cabby, slapping Strawberry's neck. "That's better. Take it easy."

Strawberry did the most natural thing in the world. Being very thirsty (and no wonder) he walked slowly across to the nearest pool and stepped into it to have a drink. Digory was still holding the Witch's heel and Polly was holding Digory's hand. One of the Cabby's hands was on Strawberry; and Uncle Andrew, still very shaky, had just grabbed on the Cabby's other hand.

"Quick," said Polly, with a look at Digory. "Greens!"

So the horse never got his drink. Instead, the whole party found themselves sinking into darkness. Strawberry neighed; Uncle Andrew whimpered. Digory said, "That was a bit of luck."

There was a short pause. Then Polly said, "Oughtn't we to be nearly there now?"

"We do seem to be somewhere," said Digory. "At least I'm standing on something solid."

"Why, so am I, now that I come to think of it," said Polly. "But why's it so dark? I say, do you think we got into the wrong Pool?"

"Perhaps this is Charn," said Digory. "Only we've got back in the middle of the night."

"This is not Charn," came the Witch's voice. "This is an empty world. This is Nothing."

And really it was uncommonly like Nothing. There were no stars. It was so dark that they couldn't see one another at all and it made no difference whether you kept your eyes shut or open. Under their feet there was a cool, flat something which might have been earth, and was certainly not grass or wood. The air was cold and dry and there was no wind.

"My doom has come upon me," said the Witch in a voice of horrible calmness.

"Oh don't say that," babbled Uncle Andrew. "My dear young lady, pray don't say such things. It can't be as bad as that. Ah - Cabman - my good man - you don't happen to have a flask about you? A drop of spirits is just what I need."

"Now then, now then," came the Cabby's voice, a good firm, hardy voice. "Keep cool everyone, that's what I say. No bones broken, anyone? Good. Well there's something to be thankful for straight away, and more than anyone could expect after falling all that way. Now, if we've fallen down some diggings - as it might be for a new station on the Underground - someone will come and get us out presently, see! And if we're dead - which I don't deny it might be - well, you got to -remember that worse things 'appen at sea and a chap's got to die sometime. And there ain't nothing to be afraid of if a chap's led a decent life. And if you ask me, I think the best thing we could do to pass the time would be sing a 'ymn."

And he did. He struck up at once a harvest thanksgiving hymn, all about crops being "safely gathered in". It was not very suitable to a place which felt as if nothing had ever grown there since the beginning of time, but it was the one he could remember best. He had a fine voice and the children joined in; it was very cheering. Uncle Andrew and the Witch did not join in.

Towards the end of the hymn Digory felt someone plucking at his elbow and from a general smell of brandy and cigars and good clothes he decided that it must be Uncle Andrew. Uncle Andrew was cautiously pulling him away from the others. When they had gone a little distance, the old man put his mouth so close to Digory's ear that it tickled, and whispered:

"Now, my boy. Slip on your ring. Let's be off."

But the Witch had very good ears. "Fool!" came her voice and she leaped off the horse. "Have you forgotten that I can hear men's thoughts? Let go the boy. If you attempt treachery I will take such vengeance upon you as never was heard of in all worlds from the beginning."

"And," added Digory, "if you think I'm such a mean pig as to go off and leave Polly - and the Cabby - and the horse in a place like this, you're well mistaken."

"You are a very naughty and impertinent little boy," said Uncle Andrew.

"Hush!" said the Cabby. They all listened.

In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it. The horse seemed to like it too; he gave the sort of whinney a horse would give if, after years of being a cab-horse, it found itself back in the old field where it had played as a foal, and saw someone whom it remembered and loved coming across the field to bring it a lump of sugar.

"Gawd!" said the Cabby. "Ain't it lovely?"

Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could possibly count. They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices. The second wonder was that the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars. They didn't come out gently one by one, as they do on a summer evening. One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out - single stars, constellations, and planets, brighter and bigger than any in our world. There were no clouds. The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time. If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves which were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.

"Glory be!" said the Cabby. "I'd ha' been a better man all my life if I'd known there were things like this."

The Voice on the earth was now louder and more triumphant; but the voices in the sky, after singing loudly with it for a time, began to get fainter. And now something else was happening.

Far away, and down near the horizon, the sky began to turn grey. A light wind, very fresh, began to stir. The sky, in that one place, grew slowly and steadily paler. You could see shapes of hills standing up dark against it. All the time the Voice went on singing.

There was soon light enough for them to see one another's faces. The Cabby and the two children had open mouths and shining eyes; they were drinking in the sound, and they looked as if it reminded them of something. Uncle Andrew's mouth was open too, but not open with joy. He looked more as if his chin had simply dropped away from the rest of his face. His shoulders were stopped and his knees shook. He was not liking the Voice. If he could have got away from it by creeping into a rat's hole, he would have done so. But the Witch looked as if, in a way, she understood the music better than any of them. Her mouth was shut, her lips were pressed together, and her fists were clenched. Ever since the song began she had felt that this whole world was filled with a Magic different from hers and stronger. She hated it. She would have smashed that whole world, or all worlds, to pieces, if it would only stop the singing. The horse stood with its ears well forward, and twitching. Every now and then it snorted and stamped the ground. It no longer looked like a tired old cab-horse; you could now well believe that its father had been in battles.

The eastern sky changed from white to pink and from pink to gold. The Voice rose and rose, till all the air was shaking with it. And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose.

Digory had never seen such a sun. The sun above the ruins of Charn had looked older than ours: this looked younger. You could imagine that it laughed for joy as it came up. And as its beams shot across the land the travellers could see for the first time what sort of place they were in. It was a valley through which a broad, swift river wound its way, flowing eastward towards the sun. Southward there were mountains, northward there were lower hills. But it was a valley of mere earth, rock and water; there was not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass to be seen. The earth was of many colours: they were fresh, hot and vivid. They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.

It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away.

"This is a terrible world," said the Witch. "We must fly at once. Prepare the Magic."

"I quite agree with you, Madam," said Uncle Andrew. "A most disagreeable place. Completely uncivilized. If only I were a younger man and had a gun -"

"Garn!" said the Cabby. "You don't think you could shoot 'im, do you?"

"And who would" said Polly.

"Prepare the Magic, old fool," said Jadis.

"Certainly, Madam," said Uncle Andrew cunningly. "I must have both the children touching me. Put on your homeward ring at once, Digory." He wanted to get away without the Witch.

"Oh, it's rings, is it?" cried Jadis. She would have had her hands in Digory's pocket before you could say knife, but Digory grabbed Polly and shouted out:

"Take care. If either of you come half an inch nearer, we two will vanish and you'll be left here for good. Yes: I have a ring in my pocket that will take Polly and me home. And look! My hand is just ready. So keep your distance. I'm sorry about you (he looked at the Cabby) and about the horse, but I can't help that. As for you two (he looked at Uncle Andrew and the Queen), you're both magicians, so you ought to enjoy living together."

"'Old your noise, everyone," said the Cabby. "I want to listen to the moosic."

For the song had now changed.


      “哦！你是女王？我们得弄清楚。”一个声音说。另一个声音又说，“女王万福！为疯人院的女王三呼万岁！”不少人跟着喊。女巫脸上飞起一片红霞，微微地鞠了一躬。但欢呼声变成了耻笑，她知道被愚弄了，脸色一变，将刀换到左手，不加等告，就干了一件可怕的事。她伸出右手，像做世界上最平常的事情似的，轻松地将灯柱上的一根铁条扭了下来。如果说她的某些魔力有我们的世界消失了，她的力气却依然存在。她可以把一根铁棒像麦芽糖似的折断。她将她的新武器抛向空中，又一把接住，挥舞着，催马前进。
      “我的机会来了。”迪格雷想。他突然奔到马和围栏之间，接着继续向前跑，开始寻机靠近女巫。只要那牲口停一秒钟，他都能抓住女巫的脚跟。正当他往前冲时，他听到一阵咣当当的重击声。原来，女巫的铁棒敲在了那个警官的头盔上，他歪歪斜斜地倒了下去。
      “快，迪格雷，一定得制止她。”背后一个声音说。正是波莉。时间一到，她就跳下床，冲到街上。
      “你真是好样的，”迪格雷说，“紧紧拉住我。你负责戒指，黄的，记住。我一喊你就戴上。”
      又响了一声，另一个警察倒了下去。人群中发出愤怒的吼声，“把她拉下来，拿铺路石打，去叫军队。”但大多数人都尽量往远处退去。显而易见，马车夫是在场的人中最勇敢最善良的。他左闪右躲地避开钦棒，尽量地靠近马，试图抓住马头。
      人群中又是一阵吼声，一块石头呼啸着从迪格雷头上飞过。接着传来女巫洪钟般的声音，听起来，她似乎有些得意：
      “呸！一旦我征服了你们的世界，你们就要为今天付出沉重的代价，这个城市一块石头也不会留下。我会像毁掉恰恩、费林达、索罗瓦和布拉满丁似的毁掉你们这里。”迪格雷终于抓到了她的踝部。她向后反踢，刚好踢在迪格雷的嘴上，他痛得松开了手。他的嘴唇被踢破了，满口是血。从很近的地方传来安德鲁舅舅尖厉的颤音：“夫人——我亲爱的年轻女士——看存士帝分上——安静点儿。”迪格雷再次抓住她的脚后跟，又被甩开了。更多的人倒在她的铁棒下。他第三次冲上去，死死地抓住她的脚后跟，然后对波莉大喊“走”接着……
      唉，谢天谢地。愤怒、受惊的面孔消失了，愤怒、受惊的声音也沉寂下来。黑暗中，迪格雷只听见安德鲁舅舅在近处呜咽着“噢，噢，是昏迷了吗？这就完了，我无法忍受。太不公平。我从来不想当魔法师。全是误会。是我教母的错；我必须反抗。我的身体也很差。古老的多塞特郡家族。”
      “讨厌！”迪格雷想，“我们不想把他带来。啊呀，真轻松。你在吗，波莉？”
      “我在这儿，别老推我。”
      “我没推。”迪格雷话还没有说完，他们便又到了那片渴暖的、阳光明媚的绿树林。一出水潭，波莉就大喊：
      “快看！我们把那匹老马也带来了，还有凯特利先生，还有马车夫。乱七八糟的！”
      女巫一看自己又到了那片树林，脸刷地白了，腰慢慢地弯下来，直到脸贴着马的鬃毛。看得出，她极为难妥。安德鲁舅舅在发抖。但“草莓”，那匹马，却摇摇头，快活地低低嘶叫了一声，似乎觉得奸些了。自从迪格雷看见它以来，它还是第一次这么安静。先前一直贴在脑袋上的耳朵现在恢复了正常的位置，眼睛也有了神。
      “对了，好朋友，”马车夫说着，拍拍“草莓”的脖子，“这样好些了。别紧张。”
      “草莓”做了一件世界上最自然的事情。因为它太渴了（这一点儿也不奇怪），便走到最近的水潭里饮水。迪格雷还抓着女巫的脚后跟，波莉拉着迪格雷的手。马车夫一只手搭在“草莓”身上。仍在发抖的安德鲁舅舅刚好抓住了他的另一只手。
      “快！”波莉看了迪格雷一眼，喊道，“绿戒指！”
      于是，马没有喝上水。整个一群人马却发现他们又坠入了黑暗之中。“草莓”嘶鸣着，安德鲁舅舅在啜泣；迪格雷说：”运气还不错。”
      短暂的停顿以后，波莉说：”我们还没有到吗？”
      “我们的确好像是存某个地方，”迪格雷说，“至少我站在硬实的东西上了 。”
      “我也这么想。”波莉说，“可是，为什么这么黑呢？我说，你觉得我们跳错水潭了吗？"
      “也许就是恰恩，”迪格雷说，“不过我们是半夜回来的。”
      “这儿不是恰恩，”女巫说道，“这个世界空无一物。这是虚无。”
      确实，这是个罕见的虚无国。天空没有星星，四下一团漆黑，谁也看不见谁，眼睛睁开和闭上都是一样。他们脚下平整、凉爽的东西肯定不是草地或者木头，而可能是泥土。空气干燥、凛冽，一丝风也没有。
      “我的末日到了。”女巫的声膏里有一种可怕的平静。
      “噢，别这样说，”安德鲁舅舅唠叨起来，“我亲爱的年轻女士，求求你，别说这种话。事情不会那么严重。啊——马车夫——我的好人——你身上没带着酒瓶吗？我需要一口烈酒。”
      “喂，喂，”马车夫有一副好嗓子，他用坚强的口吻说，“我想说，大家都冷静下来。没有人摔断骨头，是吧，好。实在应该感到欣慰。像这样摔下来，结果比任何人估计的都要好。假如我们是掉进了一些房屋里——例如地铁的一个新站头——很快就会有人把我们救出去的，对不对！要是我们死了——我不否认有这种可能——那么，你们该记得有时海上会发生比这更坏的事，总有人要死的。如果一个人曾经体面地生活过，便没什么可怕的。你们如果问我，我想，我们打发时间的最好办法就是唱一首圣歌。”
      他马上就唱起了一首收获时节感恩的圣歌，唱的是庄稼被“圆满地收创归仓”。在一个似乎从一开始就没有牛长过东西的地方唱这种歌并不十分合适，但这是他记得最清楚的一首歌。他的音色优美，孩子们也跟着唱了起来。气氛欢畅愉快。安德鲁舅舅和女巫没有加入进去。)
      圣歌接近尾声时，迪格雷觉得有人在拉他的胳膊，那股白兰地和雪茄的气味以及那身很好的衣服告诉他，是安德鲁舅舅。安德公舅舅小心地将他朝旁边拉。和其他人隔开一段距离后，这老家伙把嘴巴凑到迪格雷的耳边，弄得他耳朵发痒。他悄悄说：
      “孩子，戴上戒指，我们走吧。”
      女巫的耳朵非常灵敏。“蠢货！”她的声音传了过来，“你忘了我能听见人的想法吗？放开那小孩。如果你想耍花招，我会用任何世界都没有听说过的办法报复你。”
      “而且，”迪格雷补充一句，“如果你以为我是一头卑鄙的猪，可以把波莉、马车夫和那匹马丢在这样的地方自己逃走，那你就大错而特错了。”
      “你是个非常调皮、不懂礼貌的小孩。”安德鲁舅舅说。
      “嘘！”马车夫说。他们都在听着。
      黑暗中终干有了动静。远方，一个声音开始歌唱。迪格雷分辨不清在哪个方向。有时，声音似乎从四面八方同时传过来，有时又好像就在他们的脚下。这声音低沉得犹如大地发出的声音。没有歌词，也没有旋律，却是迪格雷听到过的最美妙的声音。那声音如此动人，使他难以忍受。那匹马似乎也喜欢；它低低地嘶叫着，仿佛拉了多年的车以后．又回到了童年时代嬉戏的故乡，看见所记得和所爱的人拿着糖块，穿过田野向它走来。
      “夭哪，”马车夫说，“真好听啊！”
      此刻，两个奇迹同时发生了。一个是，突然间，数不清的冷峻、战栗、银铃般的声音掺合到那个声音之中，与之和谐地组合在一起，但音量却高得多。第二个是，头上的黑暗中突然群早闪烁。不是夏夜中一颗接一颗悄悄出现的星星，而是在一团漆黑之中，霎时问跳跃出的成千上万颗恒星、星丛和行星，比我们世界里看到的要大得多、亮得多。没有一朵云。新的星星和新的声音同时出现。如果你像迪格雷一样亲眼看见和亲耳听见的话，你会相当肯定地觉得是腥星自己在唱歌，而唤出它们并使它们歌唱的是那低沉的第一个声音。
      “多奇妙啊！”马车夫说，“如果我早知道世上还有这么美好的事，我这辈子就会做一个更好的人。”
      地上的声音更响亮、更喜悦了，但天上的那件声音在与地上的声音合唱了一阵后，开始渐渐沉寂下去。这时，另一件事悄发生了。
      在遥远的地平线附近，天空开始渐渐变成灰色。一阵清风吹拂过来。天上有片地方缓缓地、逐渐地越变越淡，映衬出群山黑色的轮廓。那声音一直在歌唱。
      很快，天色已经亮得使他们能互相看见对方的脸了。马车夫和两个孩子张着嘴，目光闪烁，陶醉在美妙的声音之中；那声音仿佛使他们想起了什么。安德鲁舅舅也张着嘴，但不是出于高兴；他看上去更像是失去了下巴。他身子弓着，膝盖在发抖。他不喜欢那种声音。如果可以钻进老鼠洞来逃避的话，他会那么做的。女巫看上去似乎比任何人都更能理解那种音乐。她嘴唇紧闭，捏着拳头。歌唱刚开始的时候，她就感到，这个世界笼罩着一种与她的魔力不相同但强大得多的魔力。她恨它。她会把这个世界以至所有的世界都撕成碎片，只要能够阻止那种声音。马站在那里，耳朵前倾并不断地抽动，还时不时用蹄子敲打地面或者打几声响鼻。它看上去不再是一匹劳累不堪的拉车老马，你现在完全可以相信它的父亲当过战马。
      东方的天际由白色变成粉红色，又由粉红色变成金色。声音不断地升高，直到整个空气都在随之震颤。当声音最嚓亮最动听的时刻，太阳升起来了。
      迪格雷从未见过这样的太阳。恰恩废墟上空的太阳看上去比我们的太阳老，这轮太阳却显得比我们的太阳年轻些。你可以想像，它是高兴地笑着升起来的。当阳光四射、照亮大地的时候，这一群人第一次看清自己站的地方。那是一片谷地，一条水流平缓的大河穿越其间，朝着太阳升起的东方奔涌而去。南边有大山，北边有丘陵。河谷里只有岩石、土和水，没有树和灌木，连一片草叶也没有。泥土是五颜六色的，新鲜、温热，艳丽夺目，令人激动。当你亲眼看见歌唱者时，你便忘了其他的一切。
      一只毛发浓密、生气勃勃的巨狮，站在离他们约三百米的地方，面向太阳，张着大口在歌唱。
      “这个世界太可怕，”女巫说，“我们必须马上逃走。准备施魔法。”
      “我完全同意，夫人。”安德鲁舅舅说，“这是一个最让人厌恶的地方，野蛮透顶。我要是年轻一些，还有枝熗，就好了——”
      “熗！”马车夫说，“你射不到它，对吗？”
      “谁要射它，”波莉问。
      “准备施魔法，老傻瓜。’简蒂丝说。
      “当然，夫人，”安德鲁舅舅狡猾地说，“我必须让两个孩子抓着我。立刻戴上回去的戒指，迪格雷。”他想擞开女巫跑掉。
      “哦，原来是戒指，是吗？”简蒂丝大叫着从马上斜过身来。说时迟，那时快，她的手就要伸进迪格雷的口袋了，但迪格雷一拉波莉，高声说：
      “小心点！假如你们敢向这边走近半步，我们两个就会消失，把你们永远留在这里。是的，我口袋里有一枚戒指，可以把我和波莉带同家。看！我的手随时可以去拿。所以，别过来。我对你（他看着马车夫）和那匹马感到遗憾，但我没有办法。至于你们两位（他看着安德鲁舅舅和女巫），你们都是魔法师，应该喜欢生活在一起。”
      “大家别吵，”马车夫说，“我想听听这音乐。”
      这时，歌声已经改变了。

Chapter 9：THE FOUNDING OF NARNIA

THE Lion was pacing to and fro about that empty land and singing his new song. It was softer and more lilting than the song by which he had called up the stars and the sun; a gentle, rippling music. And as he walked and sang the valley grew green with grass. It spread out from the Lion like a pool. It ran up the sides of the little hills like a wave. In a few minutes it was creeping up the lower slopes of the distant mountains, making that young world every moment softer. The light wind could now be heard ruffling the grass. Soon there were other things besides grass. The higher slopes grew dark with heather. Patches of rougher and more bristling green appeared in the valley. Digory did not know what they were until one began coming up quite close to him. It was a little, spiky thing that threw out dozens of arms and covered these arms with green and grew larger at the rate of about an inch every two seconds. There were dozens of these things all round him now. When they were nearly as tall as himself he saw what they were. "Trees!" he exclaimed.

The nuisance of it, as Polly said afterwards, was that you weren't left in peace to watch it all. Just as Digory said "Trees!" he had to jump because Uncle Andrew had sidled up to him again and was going to pick his pocket. It wouldn't have done Uncle Andrew much good if he had succeeded, for he was aiming at the right-hand pocket because he still thought the green rings were "homeward" rings. But of course Digory didn't want to lose either.

"Stop!" cried the Witch. "Stand back. No, further back. If anyone goes within ten paces of either of the children, I will knock out his brains." She was poising in her hand the iron bar that she had torn off the lamp-post, ready to throw it. Somehow no one doubted that she would be a very good shot.

"So!" -she said. "You would steal back to your own world with the boy and leave me here."

Uncle Andrew's temper at last got the better of his fears. "Yes, Ma'am, I would," he said. "Most undoubtedly I would. I should be perfectly in my rights. I have been most shamefully, most abominably treated. I have done my best to show you such civilities as were in my power. And what has been my reward? You have robbed - I must repeat the word robbed a highly respectable jeweller. You have insisted on my entertaining you to an exceedingly expensive, not to say ostentatious, lunch, though I was obliged to pawn my watch and chain in order to do so (and let me tell you, Ma'am, that none of our family have been in the habit of frequenting pawnshops, except my cousin Edward, and he was in the Yeomanry). During that indigestible meal - I'm feeling the worse for it at this very moment - your behaviour and conversation attracted the unfavourable attention of everyone present. I feel I have been publicly disgraced. I shall never be able to show my face in that restaurant again. You have assaulted the police. You have stolen -"

"Oh stow it, Guv'nor, do stow it," said the Cabby. "Watchin' and listenin's the thing at present; not talking."

There was certainly plenty to watch and to listen to. The tree which Digory had noticed was now a full-grown beech whose branches swayed gently above his head. They stood on cool, green grass, sprinkled with daisies and buttercups. A little way off, along the river bank, willows were growing. On the other side tangles of flowering currant, lilac, wild rose, and rhododendron closed them in. The horse was tearing up delicious mouthfuls of new grass.

All this time the Lion's song, and his stately prowl, to and fro, backwards and forwards, was going on. What was rather alarming was that at each turn he came a little nearer. Polly was finding the song more and more interesting because she thought she was beginning to see the connection between the music and the things that were happening. When a line of dark firs sprang up on a ridge about a hundred yards away she felt that they were connected with a series of deep, prolonged notes which the Lion had sung a second before. And when he burst into a rapid series of lighter notes she was not surprised to see primroses suddenly appearing in every direction. Thus, with an unspeakable thrill, she felt quite certain that all the things were coming (as she said) "out of the Lion's head". When you listened to his song you heard the things he was making up: when you looked round you, you saw them. This was so exciting that she had no time to be afraid. But Digory and the Cabby could not help feeling a bit nervous as each turn of the Lion's walk brought him nearer. As for Uncle Andrew, his teeth were chattering, but his knees were shaking so that he could not run away.

Suddenly the Witch stepped boldly out towards the Lion. It was coming on, always singing, with a slow, heavy pace. It was only twelve yards away. She raised her arm and flung the iron bar straight at its head.

Nobody, least of all Jadis, could have missed at that range. The bar struck the Lion fair between the eyes. It glanced off and fell with a thud in the grass. The Lion came on. Its walk was neither slower nor faster than before; you could not tell whether it even knew it had been hit. Though its soft pads made no noise, you could feel the earth shake beneath their weight.

The Witch shrieked and ran: in a few moments she was out of sight among the trees. Uncle Andrew turned to do likewise, tripped over a root, and fell flat on his face in a little brook that ran down to join the river. The children could not move. They were not even quite sure that they wanted to. The Lion paid no attention to them. Its huge red mouth was open, but open in song not in a snarl. It passed by them so close that they could have touched its mane. They were terribly afraid it would turn and look at them, yet in some queer way they wished it would. But for all the notice it took of them they might just as well have been invisible and unsmellable. When it had passed them and gone a few paces further it turned, passed them again, and continued its march eastward.

Uncle Andrew, coughing and spluttering, picked himself up.

"Now, Digory," he said, "we've got rid of that woman, and the brute of a lion is gone. Give me your hand and put on your ring at once."

"Keep off," said Digory, backing away from him. "Keep clear of him, Polly. Come over here beside me. Now I warn you, Uncle Andrew, don't come one step nearer, we'll just vanish."

"Do what you're told this minute, sir," said Uncle Andrew. "You're an extremely disobedient, ill-behaved little boy."

"No fear," said Digory. "We want to stay and see what happens. I thought you wanted to know about other worlds. Don't you like it now you're here?"

"Like it!" exclaimed Uncle Andrew. "Just look at the state I'm in. And it was my best coat and waistcoat, too." He certainly was a dreadful sight by now: for of course, the more dressed up you were to begin with, the worse you look after you've crawled out of a smashed hansoncab and fallen into a muddy brook. "I'm not saying," he added, "that this is not a most interesting place. If I were a younger man, now - perhaps I could get some lively young fellow to come here first. One of those big-game hunters. Something might be made of this country. The climate is delightful. I never felt such air. I believe it would have done me good if - if circumstances had been more favourable. If only we'd had a gun."

"Guns be blowed," said the Cabby. "I think I'll go and see if I can give Strawberry a rub down. That horse 'as more sense than some 'umans as I could mention." He walked back to Strawberry and began making the hissing noises that grooms make.

"Do you still think that Lion could be killed by a gun?" asked Digory. "He didn't mind the iron bar much."

"With all her faults," said Uncle Andrew, "that's a plucky gel, my boy. It was a spirited thing to do." He rubbed his hands and cracked his knuckles, as if he were once more forgetting how the Witch frightened him whenever she was really there.

"It was a wicked thing to do," said Polly. "What harm had he done her?"

"Hullo! What's that?" said Digory. He had darted forward to examine something only a few yards away. "I say, Polly," he called back. "Do come and look."

Uncle Andrew came with her; not because he wanted to see but because he wanted to keep close to the children there might be a chance of stealing their rings. But when he saw what Digory was looking at, even he began to take an interest. It was a perfect little model of a lamp-post, about three feet high but lengthening, and thickening in proportion, as they watched it; in fact growing just as the trees had grown.

"It's alive too - I mean, it's lit," said Digory. And so it was; though of course, the brightness of the sun made the little flame in the lantern hard to see unless your shadow fell on it.

"Remarkable, most remarkable," muttered Uncle Andrew. "Even I never dreamt of Magic like this. We're in a world where everything, even a lamp-post, comes to life and grows. Now I wonder what sort of seed a lamppost grows from?"

"Don't you see?" said Digory. "This is where the bar fell - the bar she tore off the lamp-post at home. It sank into the ground and now it's coming up as a young lamppost." (But not so very young now; it was as tall as Digory while he said this.)

"That's it! Stupendous, stupendous," said Uncle Andrew, rubbing his hands harder than ever. "Ho, ho! They laughed at my Magic. That fool of a sister of mine thinks I'm a lunatic. I wonder what they'll say now? I have discovered a world where everything is bursting with life and growth. Columbus, now, they talk about Columbus. But what was America to this? The commercial possibilities of this country are unbounded. Bring a few old bits of scrap iron here, bury 'em, and up they come as brand new railway engines, battleships, anything you please. They'll cost nothing, and I can sell 'em at full prices in England. I shall be a millionaire. And then the climate! I feel years younger already. I can run it as a health resort. A good sanatorium here might be worth twenty thousand a year. Of course I shall have to let a few people into the secret. The first thing is to get that brute shot."

"You're just like the Witch," said Polly. "All you think of is killing things."

"And then as regards oneself," Uncle Andrew continued, in a happy dream. "There's no knowing how long I might live if I settled here. And that's a big consideration when a fellow has turned sixty. I shouldn't be surprised if I never grew a day older in this country! Stupendous! The land of youth!"

"Oh!" cried Digory. "The land of youth! Do you think it really is?" For of course he remembered what Aunt Letty had said to the lady who brought the grapes, and that sweet hope rushed back upon him. "Uncle Andrew", he said, "do you think there's anything here that would cure Mother?"

"What are you talking about?" said Uncle Andrew. "This isn't a chemist's shop. But as I was saying -"

"You don't care twopence about her," said Digory  savagely. "I thought you might;  after all, she's your sister as well as  my Mother. Well, no matter. I'm  jolly well going to ask the Lion  himself if he can help me." And he turned and walked briskly away. Polly waited for a moment and then went after him.

"Here! Stop! Come back! The boy's gone mad," said Uncle Andrew. He followed the children at a cautious distance behind; for he didn't want to get too far away from the green rings or too near the Lion.

In a few minutes Digory came to the edge of the wood and there he stopped. The Lion was singing still. But now the song had once more changed. It was more like what we should call a tune, but it was also far wilder. It made you want to run and jump and climb. It made you want to shout. It made you want to rush at other people and either hug them or fight them. It made Digory hot and red in the face. It had some effect on Uncle Andrew, for Digory could hear him saying, "A spirited gel, sir. It's a pity about her temper, but a dem fine woman all the same, a dem fine woman." But what the song did to the two humans was nothing compared with what it was doing to the country.

Can you imagine a stretch of grassy land bubbling like water in a pot? For that is really the best description of what was happening. In all directions it was swelling into humps. They were of very different sizes, some no bigger than mole-hills, some as big as wheel-barrows, two the size of cottages. And the humps moved and swelled till they burst, and the crumbled earth poured out of them, and from each hump there came out an animal. The moles came out just as you might see a mole come out in England. The dogs came out, barking the moment their heads were free, and struggling as you've seen them do when they are getting through a narrow hole in a hedge. The stags were the queerest to watch, for of course the antlers came up a long time before the rest of them, so at first Digory thought they were trees. The frogs, who all came up near the river, went straight into it with a plop-plop and a loud croaking. The panthers, leopards and things of that sort, sat down at once to wash the loose earth off their hind quarters and then stood up against the trees to sharpen their front claws. Showers of birds came out of the trees. Butterflies fluttered. Bees got to work on the flowers as if they hadn't a second to lose. But the greatest moment of all was when the biggest hump broke like a small earthquake and out came the sloping back, the large, wise head, and the four baggy-trousered legs of an elephant. And now you could hardly hear the song of the Lion; there was so much cawing, cooing, crowing, braying, neighing, baying, barking, lowing, bleating, and trumpeting.

But though Digory could no longer hear the Lion, he could see it. It was so big and so bright that he could not take his eyes off it. The other animals did not appear to be afraid of it. Indeed, at that very moment, Digory heard the sound of hoofs from behind; a second later the old cab-horse trotted past him and joined the other beasts. (The air had apparently suited him as well as it had suited Uncle Andrew. He no longer looked like the poor, old slave he had been in London; he was picking up his feet and holding his head erect.) And now, for the first time, the Lion was quite silent. He was going to and fro among the animals. And every now and then he would go up to two of them (always two at a time) and touch their noses with his. He would touch two beavers among all the beavers, two leopards among all the leopards, one stag and one deer among all the deer, and leave the rest. Some sorts of animal he passed over altogether. But the pairs which he had touched instantly left their own kinds and followed him. At last he stood still and all the creatures whom he had touched came and stood in a wide circle around him. The others whom he had not touched began to wander away. Their noises faded gradually into the distance. The chosen beasts who remained were now utterly silent, all with their eyes fixed intently upon the Lion. The cat-like ones gave an occasional twitch of the tail but otherwise all were still. For the first time that day there was complete silence, except for the noise of running water. Digory's heart beat wildly; he knew something very solemn was going to be done. He had not forgotten about his Mother; but he knew jolly well that, even for her, he couldn't interrupt a thing like this.

The Lion, whose eyes never blinked, stared at the animals as hard as if he was going to burn them up with his mere stare. And gradually a change came over them. The smaller ones - the rabbits, moles and such-like grew a good deal larger. The very big ones - you noticed it most with the elephants - grew a little smaller. Many animals sat up on their hind legs. Most put their heads on one side as if they were trying very hard to understand. The Lion opened his mouth, but no sound came from it; he was breathing out, a long, warm breath; it seemed to sway all the beasts as the wind sways a line of trees. Far overhead from beyond the veil of blue sky which hid them the stars sang again; a pure, cold, difficult music. Then there came a swift flash like fire (but it burnt nobody) either from the sky or from the Lion itself, and every drop of blood tingled in the children's bodies, and the deepest, wildest voice they had ever heard was saying:

"Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters."

9、纳尼亚的诞生
      狮子唱着新歌，在空旷的大地上走来走去。这歌声比刚才唤起星星和太阳的歌声更柔和，更轻快活泼，是一曲如潺潺流水般温暖的乐声。随着它的移动和歌唱，河谷里长出青青碧草，从狮子身边像水潭一样蔓延开去，又如浪花一般爬到小山坡上。一会儿，青草就长上了远处大山的斜坡，年轻的世界每一瞬间都变得更加柔美。徽风沙沙地拂动青草。很快，除了草，又出现了别的东西。高高的山坡上长出了颜色暗淡的石南属植物，河谷里旨出了一片片毛茬茬的粗糙不平的绿色。迪格雷刚开始不知道是什么，直到其中一个来到离他很近的地方。那是一种长而尖的小东西，身上长出几十支手臂，上面班盖着绿色之物，而且以每两秒钟一寸的速度增大。现在他的周围到处都有这样的东西。等它们长到与他高度相似时，他才恍然大悟地喊道“树！”
      令人沮丧的是，正如波莉以后说的，你无法安安静静地观赏这一切。迪格雷说“树”的同时，他不得不跳到一边，因为安德鲁舅舅又悄悄溜到他身旁，企图偷他的戒指。即使他偷到手也没有多大好处，因为他一直以为绿戒指管返回，便把目标对准右边口袋。当然，迪格雷也不想让他得逞。
      “住手”
      女巫大叫，“站回去。不准往前走。谁要是走到离这两个小孩中的任何一个十步远的地方，我就敲碎他的脑袋。”她挥舞着那根从灯柱上扭下来的铁棒，随时准备扔出去。不管怎么说，人人都相信她会扔得很准。
      “好哇，”她说，“你想带着这男孩偷偷跑回你们的世界，而把我留在这儿。”
      安德鲁舅舅终于不怕她了，忍不住发了火。“是的，夫人，”他说，“豪无疑问，我就想这么干。这完全是我的权力。我蒙受了最大的羞辱，受到了最低等的待遇。我曾经尽全力尊敬你，讨好你，但我得到的报答是什么呢？你抢劫————我一定要重复这两个字一——抢劫了受人尊敬的珠宝商。你坚持要我招待你最昂贵（不用说也是最铺张）的午餐。这样一来，我不得不当掉手表和表链（告诉你，夫人，我们家还没谁有经常光顾当铺的习惯，除了我的表哥爱德华，他参加过义勇骑兵队）。吃那顿消化不了的午饭时―——
      现在想起来我更难受了―—— 你的言行骚扰了在座的每一个人。我觉得自己在公众场合丢了脸。以后，我再没有脸去那个饭店了。你袭击警察察，还愉了―——”
      “别说了，先生，请别说了。”马车夫说，“看一看、听一听眼前发生的事吧，不要讲话。”
      值得看和值得听的实在太多了。迪格雷最先看见的那棵树己经长成一棵粗壮的山毛榉，枝丫优美地在他头顶上舒展。他们站立的那片凉爽的青草地上散布着雏菊和毛莨属植物。稍远的地方，沿河生长着柳树。河的对岸，绽放着一丛丛茶藨子、丁香花、野玫瑰和杜鹃花。那匹马大口大口地撕咬着新鲜的草。,
      在这段时间里，狮子一直不停地唱着歌，庄严地前后左右走动。使人惊异的是，它每次转身，都离他们更近一些。波莉发现，歌声越来越有趣，因为她觉得自己开始看出了音乐与眼前发生的事之间的联系。当大约百米外的山脊上跳出一排墨绿色的冷杉树时，她感到这和一秒钟前狮子唱的一组低沉、悠长的音调紧密相关。豪不奇怪，随着狮了唱出一组轻快的旋律，她看到报春花从四面八方长了出来。在一阵无以言表的激动中，她肯定所有这些都是从（用她的话说）
      “狮子脑袋里出来的”。当你聆听它歌唱时，你就听见了它所创造的事物：当你环顾四周，你就能看见这些事物。这太令人激动了，她无暇感到害怕。但狮子每一次转身离他们更近时，迪格雷和马车夫都不禁有些紧张，安德鲁舅舅则牙齿打战，双膝发抖，根本跑不掉了。
      突然，女巫大胆地朝狮子冲过去。狮子仍然唱着歌，缓慢而沉稳地前进，只有十几步远了。她抬起手臂，朝着它的头将铁棒直直地抛了过去。
      任何，更不用说简蒂丝，都不会在这么近的距离打偏。铁棒不偏不倚地敲在狮子的两眼之间，然后一掠而过，砰的一声落在草中。但狮子没有停下，步伐既未减慢也未增快，很难说它是否知道自己被打了一下。虽然它柔软的爪子没发出任何声响，你却能感到大地在它的脚下震颇。
      女巫尖叫一声跑开了，很快便消头在树林中。安德鲁舅舅转身想跟着跑，不料绊倒在一根树桩上，脸朝下倒在流向大河的一条小溪中。孩子们无法动弹。他们甚至不能肯定自己是否想跑。狮子根本没有注意他们。它张着血红的大口，没有咆哮，只是歌唱。它与他们擦身而过，他们可以摸到它的皮毛。两人害怕极了，怕它转过身看着自己。但奇怪的是，他们又希望它转过身来。从开始到现在．他们好像是看不见闻不着的东西，丝豪没有引起它的注意。它从他们身边过去，走了几步，又折回来，两次与他们擦身而过，转向东去。安德鲁舅舅爬起来，边咳嗽边唾沫飞溅地说：“迪格雷，我们终于摆脱了那个女人，狮子也走了，快把手伸过来，马上戴好戒指。”
      “走开。”迪格雷说着，后退几步避开他，“离他远点儿，波莉，到我身边来。我现在警告你，安德鲁舅舅，一步也不要走近，否则，我们就走了。”
      “立刻照我说的做，老兄，“安德鲁舅舅说，”你这孩子太调皮捣蛋，表现很不好。”
      “不走，”迪格雷说，“我们要呆在这儿看会发生什么事。我原来以为你想了解别的世界。现在到了这儿，你不喜欢这地方吗？
      “喜欢”，安德鲁舅舅大叫，“看看我落到了什么地步！这还是我最好的外套和背心呢。”他现在看上去的确很狼狈。当然，你开始时打扮得越漂亮，从撞烂的马车下钻出来再掉进一条泥泞的小溪，模样就越惨不忍睹。“我不是说，”他接着说道，“这个地方没有意思。如果我年轻一些，现在―——
      我或许可以先去找一个精力充沛的青年到这儿来。找一个专猎大动物的猎手。这个地方有些好处可以利用。这儿天气宜人。我过去从来没有感受过这样的空气。我相信，这对我是有好处的，如果―——
      如果条件比较有利。要是我们有枝熗就好了。”
      “熗也没用，”马车夫说，“我想我要去看看是不是该给‘草莓’梳理一下了。那匹马比有些人还有灵性。”他走到‘草莓’身边，嘴里发出马车夫特有的那种嘘嘘声。
      “你还认为那头狮子能被熗打死吗，”迪格雷说，“它对那根铁棒不怎么在乎。”
      “这全是她的错，”安德鲁舅舅说，“那胆大包天的姑娘，我的孩子。她太粗暴了。”他的指关节捏得噼啪作晌，似乎又忘了只要女巫在场自己是如何害怕的。
      “这么做实在太坏了，”波莉说，“狮子哪一点伤害她了？”
      “悔！那是什么？”迪格雷说完往前走，去查看几步外的一样东西。“我说，波莉，”他向后喊道，“过来看看。”安德鲁舅舅也跟着过来了，他不是好奇，而是想紧跟孩了们一这样就有可能偷到戒指。但是，当他看见迪格雷正在看的东西时，也开始感兴趣了。那是一个小巧而完美的灯柱模型．在他们看的时候，它正在按比例变高变宽。实际上，它像树木一样存生长。
      “它是活的―——
      我是说，它亮着。”迪格雷说。不过，当然哆，在阳光下，除非你遮住它，灯上徽弱的光线几乎是看不见的。
      “了不起，太了不起了，”安德鲁舅舅喃喃地说，“我连做梦也不会想会有这样的魔法。这个世界，所有的东西甚至一个灯杜，都是有生命的，可以生长。我觉得奇怪的是，什么种子可以长成一个灯柱？”
      “你还不明白？”迪格雷说，“这是铁棒掉下去的地方一一她从我们家门前那根灯柱上扭下的铁棒。它掉进土里就长成了一个小灯柱。”但此刻已经不算小了，迪格雷说这话时，灯柱已和他一样高了。(
      “是的，了不起，了不起！
      ”安德鲁舅舅比刚才更加起劲地捍着手指，“哦！哦！他们嘲笑我的魔法。我那傻瓜妹妹以为我是个疯子。这下，看他们还说什么？我已经发现一个充满生机、任何东西都可以生长的世界。哥伦布，他们现在谈论哥伦布。但与这里相比，美洲算什么，这个国家商业上的潜力是不可限量的。带一些旧钢条到这儿来，埋下去，就会长出崭新的火车头、军舰，或者任何你想要的东西。用不着花任何代价，我就能以高价在英国卖掉。这样我将会成为一个百万富翁。还有这天气！我已经感到自己年轻了二十岁，我可以在这里经营一个疗养胜地，弄好了，一年就可以挣两万。当然，我只会让极少数人知道这个秘密。首先要打死那头畜生。”
      “你和女巫一样，”波莉说．“满脑子都是屠杀。”
      “然后，再说自己，”安德每舅舅继续做着美梦，“如果我定居在这儿，天知道能活多久。对一个年过花甲的人来说，这是值得考虑的头等大事。在这里，我当然永远不会老。实是太美了！年轻的土地啊！”
      “哦！”迪格雷大喊，“年轻的土地！你认为真的是呜？”
      他自然记得，蕾蒂姨妈对那个送葡萄的女人说过的话。共好的愿望在他的脑海中闪现出来。“安德鲁舅舅，”他说，“你认为这儿有什么可以治好妈妈的病吗? ”
      “你在说什么？”安德鲁舅舅说，“这儿不是药店。但就像我说的… … ”
      “你一点儿也不关心她，”迪格雷气愤地说，“我还以为你会的；毕竞她是我的母亲，是你的妹妹。不过没关系。我去问狮子看它能不能帮忙。”然后他转过身，轻快地走了。波莉迟疑一下也跟着去了。
      “晦！停下！回来！这孩子疯了。”
      安德鲁舅舅说。他小心翼翼地跟在孩子们后面，保持着一段距离。因为他既不想远离绿戒指，也不想靠近狮子。
      几分钟后，迪格雷走到树林边上，站住了。狮子仍在歌唱。但歌声又变了。这次的歌声与我们所说的“调子”更为相似，但依然狂放不羁，使你想跳，想跑，想攀登，想大喊大叫，想冲向他人，拥抱他们或与他们搏斗。迪格雷听得脸上通红发热。安德鲁舅舅似乎也受了影晌，因为迪格雷听见他说：“一个活泼的姑娘，老兄。她的脾气令人遗憾，但总的来说，是个漂亮的女人，一个漂亮的女人。”然而，歌声对这两个人产生的效果根本无法与它对这片上地产生的效果相比。
      你能想像一块草地像壶里的水一样沸腾吗，但这样描述正存发生的事是最最恰当的。周围的草地膨胀成个个大小不同的圆丘，有的只有鼹鼠丘那么大，有的和独轮小车相差无几，其中两个与小棚屋一般大小。这些圆丘移动着，膨胀着，直到泥土四溅地炸开后，每个圆丘里都钻出一样动物。鼹鼠出来时与你在英国见的鼹鼠出洞一模一样。狗一伸出脑袋就汪汪地叫，像从篱笆的窄缝里钻过时那样挣扎着。雄鹿是最有趣的，因为它们的角比只他部分先出来很长时间，所以，一开始迪格雷以为是树。青蛙从河岸边钻出来后，就呱呱地叫着，一蹦一蹦地跳到河里去了。花豹、黑豹一类的动物马上坐下来，将后腿上沾的松土抖掉，然后站起身，在树上磨前爪。林中传来阵阵鸟鸣。蜜蜂一秒钟也不愿耽误就在花上忙开了。但最壮观的时刻是当最大的圆丘像轻度地震一样炸裂开时，从里而隆起大象斜坡般的脊背、聪明的大脑袋和四条像穿着宽松裤子一般的大腿。现在，你几乎听不见狮子的歌唱了，四面八方，满耳的牛叫、马嘶、犬吠、鸟鸣…
     虽然迪格雷听不见狮子唱歌了，但仍然能看见它。它那么高大，那么明亮，将他牢牢地吸引住了。其他动物似乎也不怕它。就在这时，他听见阵马蹄声，那匹拉车的老马小跑右从他身边过去，和其他动物站到一起了（空气适合安德鲁舅舅也适合它，它看上去不再像伦敦街头可怜的老奴隶，它正扬起腿，高昂着头。）这时，狮子第一次安静下来。它在动物中巡视一番，时不时走到其中的两个面前（每次总是两个），用它的鼻子吻它们的鼻子：在花豹中挑出两头，在鹿群中挑出一头雄鹿和一头雌鹿，将其他的撇在一边。对有些种类的动物，它只是走过而已；但它吻过的动物成双成对地离开白己的群体，跟在它后面。最后，它站住了，它挑出来的动物也走过来，围着它站成一圈。它没有吻过的动物开始四下散开，叫声逐渐消失在远方。它选出来的那些动物静静地站着，所有的眼睛都紧紧地盯着狮子。猫类动物偶尔摇摇尾巴，其他的动物全都一动也不动。那天，第一次这么寂静，只听见淙淙的流水声。迪格雷的心在猛烈地跳动，他知道神圣而庄严的事情就要发生了。他已经忘了妈妈。但他非常清楚，即使为了她，他也不能打扰这样的大事。
      不曾眨过眼的狮子用它那灼人的目光凝视着动物们。逐渐，那些动物起了变化。小动物一如兔子、睡鼠等―——大了许多。庞大的动物－―
      这一点从大象身上最能看出来一——小了一些。许多动物用后腿坐着，其中大多数都偏着头，似乎在努力地试着理解什么。狮子张着嘴，却没有发声。
      像风刮起一排树一样，它呼出的绵长而温暖的气息可以将所有的动物都席卷而去。头上，遥远的空中，躲在蓝色天幕后面的星星又开始了新的歌唱。那是一种纯洁、清冷而难以理解的音乐。接着，从天上或狮子身上闪出一股火光。孩子们的每一滴血都沸腾起来。一个从未听到过的最低沉最粗犷的声音说道：
      “纳尼亚，纳尼亚，纳尼亚，醒来吧。去爱，去想，去说话。让树能走动，让野兽说话，还有神圣的水。”

Chapter 10：THE FIRST JOKE AND OTHER MATTERS

IT was of course the Lion's voice. The children had long felt sure that he could speak: yet it was a lovely and terrible shock when he did.
Out of the trees wild people stepped forth, gods and goddesses of the wood; with them came Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs. Out of the river rose the river god with his Naiad daughters. And all these and all the beasts and birds in their different voices, low or high or thick or clear, replied:
"Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know."
"But please, we don't know very much yet," said a nosey and snorty kind of voice. And that really did make the children jump, for it was the cab-horse who had spoken.

"Good old Strawberry," said Polly. "I am glad he was one of the ones picked out to be a Talking Beast." And the Cabby, who was now standing beside the children, said, "Strike me pink. I always did say that 'oss 'ad a lot of sense, though."
"Creatures, I give you yourselves," said the strong, happy voice of Aslan. "I give to you forever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not so."

"No, Aslan, we won't, we won't," said everyone. But one perky jackdaw added in a loud voice, "No fear!" and everyone else had finished just before he said it so that his words came out quite clear in a dead silence; and perhaps you have found out how awful that can be - say, at a party. The Jackdaw became so embarrassed that it hid its head under its wings as if it was going to sleep. And all the other animals began making various queer noises which are their ways of laughing and which, of course, no one has ever heard in our world. They tried at first to repress it, but Aslan said:
"Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well as justice come in with speech."

So they all let themselves go. And there was such merriment that the Jackdaw himself plucked up courage again and perched on the cab-horse's head, between its ears, clapping its wings, and said:
"Aslan! Aslan! Have I made the first joke? Will everybody always be told how I made the first joke?"
"No, little friend," said the Lion. "You have not made the first joke; you have only been the first joke." Then everyone laughed more than ever; but the Jackdaw didn't mind and laughed just as loud till the horse shook its head and the Jackdaw lost its balance and fell off, but remembered its wings (they were still new to it) before it reached the ground.

"And now," said Aslan, "Narnia is established. We must next take thought for keeping it safe. I will call some of you to my council. Come hither to me, you the chief Dwarf, and you the River-god, and you Oak and the Owl, and both the Ravens and the Bull-Elephant. We must talk together. For though the world is not five hours old an evil has already entered it."
The creatures he had named came forward and he turned away eastward with them. The others all began talking, saying things like "What did he say had entered the world? - A Neevil - What's a Neevil? - No, he didn't say a Neevil, he said a weevil - Well, what's that?"
"Look here," said Digory to Polly, "I've got to go after him - Aslan, I mean, the Lion. I must speak to him."
"Do you think we can?" said Polly. "I wouldn't dare."

"I've got to," said Digory. "It's about Mother. If anyone could give me something that would do her good, it would be him."
"I'll come along with you," said the Cabby. "I liked the looks of 'im. And I don't reckon these other beasts will go for us. And I want a word with old Strawberry."
So all three of them stepped out boldly - or as boldly as they could - towards the assembly of animals. The creatures were so busy talking to one another and making friends that they didn't notice the three humans until they were very close; nor did they hear Uncle Andrew, who was standing trembling in his buttoned boots a good way off and shouting (but by no means at the top of his voice).

"Digory! Come back! Come back at once when you're told. I forbid you to go a step further."
When at last they were right in among the animals, the animals all stopped talking and stared at them.
"Well?" said the He-Beaver at last, "what, in the name of Aslan, are these?"
"Please," began Digory in rather a breathless voice, when a Rabbit said, "They're a kind of large lettuce, that's my belief."
"No, we're not, honestly we're not," said Polly hastily. "We're not at all nice to eat."
"There!" said the Mole. "They can talk. Who ever heard of a talking lettuce?"
"Perhaps they're the Second joke," suggested the Jackdaw.
A Panther, which had been washing its face, stopped for a moment to say, "Well, if they are, they're nothing like so good as the first one. At least, 1 don't see anything very funny about them." It yawned and went on with its wash.

"Oh, please," said Digory. "I'm in such a hurry. I want to see the Lion."
All this time the Cabby had been trying to catch Strawberry's eye. Now he did. "Now, Strawberry, old boy," he said. "You know me. You ain't going to stand there and say as you don't know me."
"What's the Thing talking about, Horse?" said several voices.
"Well," said Strawberry very slowly, "I don't exactly know, I think most of us don't know much about any
thing yet. But I've a sort of idea I've seen a thing like this before. I've a feeling I lived somewhere else - or was something else - before Aslan woke us all up a few minutes ago. It's all very muddled. Like a dream. But there were things like these three in the dream."

"What?" said the Cabby. "Not know me? Me what used to bring you a hot mash of an evening when you was out of sorts? Me what rubbed you down proper? Me what never forgot to put your cloth on you if you was standing in the _ cold? I wouldn't 'ave thought it of you, Strawberry."
"It does begin to come back," said the Horse thoughtfully. "Yes. Let me think now, let me think. Yes, you used to tie a horrid black thing behind me and then hit me to make me run, and however far I ran this black thing would always be coming rattle-rattle behind me."

"We 'ad our living to earn, see," said the Cabby. "Yours the same as mine. And if there 'adn't been no work and no whip there'd 'ave been no stable, no hay, no mash, and no oats. For you did get a taste of oats when I could afford 'em, which no one can deny."
"Oats?" said the Horse, pricking up his ears. "Yes, I remember something about that. Yes, I remember more and more. You were always sitting up somewhere behind, and I was always running in front, pulling you and the black thing. I know I did all the work."
"Summer, I grant you," said the Cabby. " 'Ot work for you and a cool seat for me. But what about winter, old boy, when you was keeping yourself warm and I was sitting up there with my feet like ice and my nose fair pinched off me with the wind, and my 'ands that numb I couldn't 'ardly 'old the reins?"

"It was a hard, cruel country," said Strawberry. "There was no grass. All hard stones."
"Too true, mate, too true!" said the Cabby. "A 'ard world it was. I always did say those paving-stones weren't fair on any 'oss. That's Lunn'on, that is. I didn't like it no more than what you did. You were a country 'oss, and I was a country man. Used to sing in the choir, I did, down at 'ome. But there wasn't a living for me there."
"Oh please, please," said Digory. "Could we get on? The Lion's getting further and further away. And I do want to speak to him so dreadfully badly."
"Look 'ere, Strawberry," said the Cabby. "This young gen'leman 'as something on his mind that he wants to talk to the Lion about; 'im you call Aslan. Suppose you was to let 'im ride on your back (which 'e'd take it very kindly) and trot 'im over to where the Lion is. And me and the little girl will be following along."

"Ride?" said Strawberry. "Oh, I remember now. That means sitting on my back. I remember there used to be a little one of you two-leggers who used to do that long ago. He used to have little hard, square lumps of some white stuff that he gave me. They tasted - oh, wonderful, sweeter than grass."
"Ah, that'd be sugar," said the Cabby.
"Please, Strawberry," begged Digory, "do, do let me get up and take me to Aslan."
"Well, I don't mind," said the Horse. "Not for once in a way. Up you get."
"Good old Strawberry," said the Cabby. "'Ere, young 'un, I'll give you a lift." Digory was soon on Strawberry's back, and quite comfortable, for he had ridden bare-back before on his own pony.
"Now, do gee up, Strawberry," he said.
"You don't happen to have a bit of that white stuff about you, I suppose?" said the Horse.
"No. I'm afraid I haven't," said Digory.

"Well, it can't be helped," said Strawberry, and off they went.
At that moment a large Bulldog, who had been sniffing and staring very hard, said:
"Look. Isn't there another of these queer creatures over there, beside the river, under the trees?"
Then all the animals looked and saw Uncle Andrew, standing very still among the rhododendrons and hoping he wouldn't be noticed.
"Come on!" said several voices. "Let's go and find out." So, while Strawberry was briskly trotting away with Digory in one direction (and Polly and the Cabby were following on foot) most of the creatures rushed towards Uncle Andrew with roars, barks, grunts, and various noises of cheerful interest.

We must now go back a bit and explain what the whole scene had looked like from Uncle Andrew's point of view. It had not made at' all the same impression on him as on the Cabby and the children. For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.

Ever since the animals had first appeared, Uncle Andrew had been shrinking further and further back into the thicket. He watched them very hard of course; but he wasn't really interested in seeing what they were doing, only in seeing whether they were going to make a rush at him. Like the Witch, he was dreadfully practical. He simply didn't notice that Aslan was choosing one pair out of every kind of beasts. All he saw, or thought he saw, was a lot of dangerous wild animals walking vaguely about. And he kept on wondering why the other animals didn't run away from the big Lion.

When the great moment came and the Beasts spoke, he missed the whole point; for a rather interesting reason. When the Lion had first begun singing, long ago when it was still quite dark, he had realized that the noise was a song. And he had disliked the song very much. It made him think and feel things he did not want to think and feel. Then, when the sun rose and he saw that the singer was a lion ("only a lion," as he said to himself) he tried his hardest to make believe that it wasn't singing and never had been singing - only roaring as any lion might in a zoo in our own world. "Of course it can't really have been singing," he thought, "I must have imagined it. I've been letting my nerves get out of order. Who ever heard of a lion singing?" And the longer and more beautiful the Lion sang, the harder Uncle Andrew tried to make himself believe that he could hear nothing but roaring. Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. Uncle Andrew did. He soon did hear nothing but roaring in Aslan's song. Soon he couldn't have heard anything else even if he had wanted to. And when at last the Lion spoke and said, "Narnia awake," he didn't hear any words: he heard only a snarl. And when the Beasts spoke in answer, he heard only barkings, growlings, bayings, and howlings. And when they laughed - well, you can imagine. That was worse for Uncle Andrew than anything that had happened yet. Such a horrid, bloodthirsty din of hungry and angry brutes he had never heard in his life. Then, to his utter rage and horror, he saw the other three humans actually walking out into the open to meet the animals.
"The fools!" he said to himself. "Now those brutes will eat the rings along with the children and I'll never be able to get home again. What a selfish little boy that Digory is! And the others are just as bad. If they want to throw away their own lives, that's their business. But what about me? They don't seem to think of that. No one thinks of me."

Finally, when a whole crowd of animals came rushing towards him, he turned and ran for his life. And now anyone could see that the air of that young world was really doing the old gentleman good. In London he had been far too old to run: now, he ran at a speed which would have made him certain to win the hundred yards' race at any Prep school in England. His coattails flying out behind him were a fine sight. But of course it was no use. Many of the animals behind him were swift ones; it was the first run they had ever taken in their lives and they were all longing to use their new muscles. "After him! After him!" they shouted. "Perhaps he's that Neevil! Tally-ho! Tantivy! Cut him off! Round him up! Keep it up! Hurrah!"

In a very few minutes some of them got ahead of him. They lined up in a row and barred his way. Others hemmed him in from behind. Wherever he looked he saw terrors. Antlers of great elks and the huge face of an elephant towered over him. Heavy, serious-minded bears and boars grunted behind him. Cool-looking leopards and panthers with sarcastic faces (as he thought) stared at him and waved their tails. What struck him most of all was the number of open mouths. The animals had really opened their mouths to pant; he thought they had opened their mouths to eat him.

Uncle Andrew stood trembling and swaying this way and that. He had never liked animals at the best of times, being usually rather afraid of them; and of course years of doing cruel experiments on animals had made him hate and fear them far more.
"Now, sir," said the Bulldog in his business-like way, "are you animal, vegetable, or mineral?" That was what it really said; but all Uncle Andrew heard was "Gr-r-rarrh-ow!"

      10、第一个笑柄及其他
      当然，这是狮子的声音。孩子们早就觉得狮子会说话，但当它开口时，他们还是兴奋地吃了一惊。
      原始的野人从树后走了出来，树神、农牧神、森林之神和小矮人。河神和他的女儿——仙女们——从河里出来。他们和所有的野兽及鸟儿用或高或低、或浑厚或渭晰的声音回答：

      “好啊！阿斯兰。我们听见了。我们服从你。我们醒了。我们爱，我们想，我们说话，我们懂了。”
      “但是，我们还不是太懂。”一个带鼻音的声音说。孩子们几乎跳了起来．因为说话的正是那匹拉车的马。
      “老‘草莓’，好样的，”波莉说，“我很高兴它被选作会说话的野兽之一。”站在孩子们身边的马车夫说：“这太让我高兴了，不过，我以前就总说这匹马很有灵性。”
      “动物们，我把你们自己给了你们，”阿斯兰愉悦、有力的声音说，“我把纳尼亚这片土地永久地给了你们。我给你们树木、果实和河流。给你们星星以及我自己。我没有挑选的哑兽也是你们的。要善待它们，珍惜它们。但不要回到它们中去，除非你们不再是会说话的野兽。因为你们是从它们中选出来的，回到它们中就和它们一样了。不要回去。”

      “不，阿斯兰，我们不会回去。”众口齐声回答。但一只鲁莽的寒鸦又高声加了句：“当然不会！”因为大伙儿都住口了它才说，所以，在一片寂静中，它的声音格外清楚。也许，你也知道，在一个聚会上这会很糟糕的。寒鸦尴尬极了，像睡觉一样把头埋在翅膀里，其他的动物开始发出各种各样的笑声，而这些声音，在我们的世界里是从来没有听见过的。起先，它们还想憋住，但阿斯兰说：
      “别怕，笑吧，动物们，既然你们不再是哑巴，不再愚钝，就不该总是沉默不语。因为有了语言，就会有公道，也就会有玩笑。”
      于是动物们无拘无束地笑起来了。在这种活跃、愉快的气氛中，那只寒鸦又鼓足勇气，跳上拉车马的头，站存马的两耳之间，拍着翅膀说道：
      “阿斯兰！阿斯兰！我开了第一个玩笑吗？是不是以后大家都会知道我是怎样开第一个玩笑的？"

      “不，小朋友，”狮子说，“你没有开第一个玩笑，你成了第一个笑柄。”其他的动物比刚才笑得更厉害了。但寒鸦满不在乎，也跟着大声地笑，直到马一摇头，它站立不稳掉了下来．但在落地之前想起了翅膀，便飞了起来（对它来说，翅膀还没用过呢）。
      “现在，”阿斯兰说，“纳尼亚建立了。下一步，我们就要想方设法保卫它的安全。我将从你们中挑选一些组成我的顾问班子。过来，你，小矮人头领．你，河神，你，橡树神和雄猫头鹰，你们两只渡鸦，还有公象。我们必须一起议事。虽然这个世界的成立还没有五小时，一个恶魔已经进来了。”它选出的动物走上前来，随着它向东走去。其余的则开始议论：“它说什么已经进入我们这个世界了？什么‘镆’？到底是啥？——不，它没说什么‘镆’．它说的是什么‘果’。到底是什么？”
      “唉呀，”迪格雷对波莉说，“我得跟着去——阿斯兰，就是那狮子。我必须和它谈谈。”
      “你认为我们能去吗？”波莉说，“我不敢。”

      “我不能不去，”迪格雷说，“为了妈妈。如果谁能提供给她治病的东西，那么肯定是它。”
      “我和你们一起去吧，”马车夫说，“我很喜欢它的样子．我想和老‘草莓’说句话。我不指望别的那些动物会来邀请我们。”
      他们三人大胆地——或者说，壮着胆子——向动物群中走去。动物们正忙着互相谈话和交朋友，直到这三人走近才发现。它们当然也没有听见安德鲁舅舅；他穿着扣得紧紧的鞋子在发抖，站在远处大叫（但并没有使出最大的劲）。
      “迪格雷！回来，听我的话立即回来。我不许你再往前走一步。”
      当他们最后走到动物中时，动物们全都停止说话，注视着他们：
      “唔，”雄河狸终于说，“以阿斯兰的名义，这些是什么？”
      “对不起。”迪格雷呼吸急促地刚想说下去，一只兔子接嘴道，“他们是一种大篱昔，我相信。”
      “不，我们不是，确实不是。”波莉急忙说，“我们不是可以吃的东西。”
      “哈！”鼹鼠说，”“他们能说话！谁听说过莴苣能说话？”

      “也许他们是第二个笑柄。”寒鸦说。
      一头一直在洗脸的黑豹踌躇了一下，说道，“嗯，如果是的话，也没有第一个好笑。至少，我看不出他们有什么可笑之处。”它打了一个呵欠，又继续洗脸。
      “噢，对不起，”迪格雷说，“我很着急。我想见见狮子。
      马车夫一直存试着吸引“草莓”的目光。终子，它看见他了。“‘草莓’，好朋友，”他说，“你认识我。你不会往那儿一站就说不认识我吧，”
      “那玩意儿在说什么，马？”几个声音问道。

      “嗯，”“草莓”慢吞吞地说，“我不太清楚。我认为我们中的大多数都还不知道多少事情。但我觉得，我以前见过类似的这种玩意儿。我有种感觉，我过去住存别的什么地方——或者说，是另外一种东两——在阿斯兰几分钟前唤醒我们之前。一切都混混沌沌的，像一个梦，但梦里有很像他们三个的玩意儿。”
      “什么？”马车夫说，“你不认识我，就是我，在你不舒服时拿谷糖给你当晚餐，就是我给你梳理鬃毛，你居然不认识我？你站在冷地方我从没忘记给你盖点儿什么，没想到你会说出这种话，‘草莓’。”
      “真的想起来了。”马沉思着，“是的。让我想想，想想。对了，你过去老是把一个可怕的黑东西绑在我后面，然后打着我往前跑。不管我跑多远，那黑东西都一直在我后面哐啷哐啷地拖着。”'

      “我们不得不挣钱过日子，”马车夫说，“你我是一根藤上的苦瓜。要是不干活儿不挨鞭子，就不会有马厩和干草，不会有谷糖和燕麦。我买得起燕麦的时候，你就能尝到一点儿。这一点谁也不能否认。”
      “燕麦？”马竖起耳朵说，“对，我记得有那种东西。是的，我记得的事儿越来越多了。你以前总是坐在我后面的一个地方，而我总在前面跑，拉着你和那黑东西。我知道，所有的活儿都是我在干。”
      “夏天，我承认，”马车夫说，“你干活儿很热，我坐在凉快的地方。可冬天呢，好朋友。你能一直让自己暖和，我却坐在那儿，脚冻得像冰棍似的，鼻子都快让风给刮掉了，手也二东僵了，差点儿抓不住缰绳。”

      “那是个难以忍受的残酷的国家，”“草薄”说，“那儿没有草，全是硬硬的石头。”
      “太对了，朋友，太对了！”马车夫说，‘那是个难以忍受的世界。我过去总说那些铺路石对任何马都不合适。那就是伦敦。我和你一样不喜欢。你是匹乡下马，我是个乡下人。过去我经常在教堂唱诗班里唱歌，我唱过，在老家。但在那儿没法活下去。”
      “对不起，对不起，”迪格雷说，“我们继续往前走好吗？狮子越来越远了，我太想跟它说话了。”
      “听我说，‘草莓’”马车夫说，“这个小先生有些心里话想对狮子讲，就是你们的阿斯兰。我想请你驮着他（他会很感谢你的）去找狮子。我和这小女孩在后面跟着。”

      “驮？”“草莓”说，“噢，我想起来了。这就是说，坐在我背上。我记得很久以前，常有一个像你这样的两条腿的小动物坐在我上面。他常给我吃一种白色的硬硬的小方块。吃起来——唔，妙极了，比草甜。’
      “哦，那是糖。”马车夫说。
      “‘草莓’，请，”迪格雷央求道，“让……让我上去吧，带我去找阿斯兰。”
      “好，我不介意，”马说，“不介意驮你一次。上来吧。”
      “老‘草莓’，好样的。”马车夫说，“来，年轻人，我托你一把。”迪格雷很快上了“草莓”的背，他感到舒服极了，因为他以前曾骑过自己那匹小马驹的光背。*
      “好了，走吧，‘草莓’。”他说。
      “我想，你身上没带那种白色的小方块吧？”马说。
      “恐怕没带。”迪格雷说。
      “唉，没办法了。”“草游”说着，迈步向前走。就在那时，一条大公狗认真地嗅了一阵，又看了很久说道：
      “瞧，那不是还有一个这种奇怪的东西吗？——在那儿，河边，树下。”

      所有的动物都朝那边看去，看见安德鲁舅舅笔挺地站在杜鹃花丛中，生怕被人发现。
      “走”，几个声音说，“过去看看。”当“草莓”带着迪格雷轻快地朝一个方向跑去时（波莉和马车夫走在后面），大多数动物一路吼叫若、狂吠着、咕哝着，发出各种兴高采烈的声音，向安德住舅舅奔去。
      我们必须回过头去从安德鲁舅舅的角度来解释眼前发生的事。他的印象跟马车夫和孩子们的完全不同；因为一个人的见闻很大程度上取决于他所站的立场，以及他是哪种人$
      自从动物们最初出现以来，安德每舅舅就一步一步地朝灌木丛退去。当然，他也仔细地看着它们；并不是对它们所做的事然兴趣，而是看它们会不会朝自己跑来。像女巫一样，他极端实际，根本没注意到阿斯兰从每种动物里选出一对，他只看见，或者自认为只看见，许多危险的野兽乱七八糟地走来走去。他一直感到纳闷的是，为什么其他动物不逃离那头巨狮。

      山于一个十分滑稽的原因，他错过了野兽们开口说话的伟大时刻。很久以前，当狮子最初开始歌唱时，天还很黑，他也意识到那声音是一首歌。他很不喜欢那首歌。它使他想起并感觉到他不愿想也不愿感觉的事情。后来，当太阳升起时，他看见歌者是一头狮子（“只不过是一头狮子，”他对自己说）。他竭尽全力使自己相信它不是在唱歌．并且从来就没有唱过歌——只有我们这个世界的动物园里任何狮子都会发出的吼声。“当然，它不可能唱歌，”他想，“是我的想像，我的神经有毛病了。谁听见过狮子唱歌？”狮子唱得愈久愈动听．他就愈加努力地使自己相信他听到的不过是吼叫。麻烦的是，你想使自己比实际上更思蠢一些的时候．往往能够成功。安德鲁舅舅就是这样。很快，他从阿斯兰的歌声中便只听见狮吼了。即使他想听，也听不出别的内容。最后，当翻子张口说“纳尼亚醒来”时，他除了一声咆哮外什么也没听见。当动物们回答阿斯兰时，他也只听见一阵混杂不清的叫声。而当它们开口笑时——你可以想像，这对安德鲁鲁舅来说是最最可怕的事情。他一辈子从来没有听见过饥饿发狂的野兽发出如此恐怖、如此残忍的杀气腾腾的喧嚣声。过后，他看到那三个人真的朝开阔地早的动物们走去时，便感到愤怒和害怕极了。

      “蠢货！”他自言自语道，“这下，那些畜生会把两个孩子连戒指一起吃掉，我再也不能回家了。迪格雷这小鬼多么自私！其他那几个也一样坏。如果他们想丢命，那是他们的事。可是我呢，他们好像就没想过。没有人想到我。”最后，当一大群动物朝他跑去时，他转身逃命去了。任何人都看得出，年轻世界的空气确实对这老先生大有裨益。在伦敦，他已经老得跑不动了，而现在，他的速度完全能拿下英格兰仔何一个预备学校百米赛的冠军。他的衣摆在身后飘来荡去，十分好看。但当然毫无用处。动物中有不少跑得很快，这又是它们有生以来第一次奔跑，便都如饥似渴地想练练自己的新肌肉。“追！追上他！”它们大叫，“也许他就是那个什么‘镆’！嗬！快跑！截住他！包围他！坚持！快跑！”

      几分钟后，一些动物就超过了他。它们排起来断了他的去路，其他动物从后面追上将他包围。他无论从哪个方向看去，都感到可怕极了大麋子的角和大象庞大的脸高耸在他面前。那些笨重而严肃的熊和公野猪在后面咆哮。表情冷漠的黑豹和花豹讥讽地（他这么想）摇着尾巴，盯着他。最令他心惊肉跳的是那么多张大的嘴。动物们张口是为了喘气，他却认为是要吃他。

      安德鲁舅舅东摇西摆地站在那里，浑身发抖。即使在最安全的时候，他也不喜欢动物；他总是对它们感到恐惧。当然，长年累月地用动物做试验也使他更加憎恨和害怕它们。
      “先生，那么，”那条公狗用公小公办的口吻说，“你是动物、植物还是矿物？”它的确说出了这些话，但安德鲁舅舅只听见“汪——汪——汪——”的叫声。"

Chapter 11：DIGORY AND HIS UNCLE ARE BOTH IN TROUBLE

You may think the animals were very stupid not to see at once that Uncle Andrew was the same kind of creature as the two children and the Cabby. But you must remember that the animals knew nothing about clothes. They thought that Polly's frock and Digory's Norfolk suit and the Cabby's howlet hat were as much parts of them as their own fur and feathers. They wouldn't have known even that those three were all of the same kind if they hadn't spoken to them and if Strawberry had not seemed to think so. And Uncle Andrew was a great deal taller than the children and a good deal thinner than the Cabby. He was all in black except for his white waistcoat (not very white by now), and the great grey mop of his hair (now very wild indeed) didn't look to them like anything they had seen in the three other humans. So it was only natural that they should be puzzled. Worst of all, he didn't seem to be able to talk.

He had tried to. When the Bulldog spoke to him (or, as he thought, first snarled and then growled at him) he held out his shaking hand and gasped "Good Doggie, then, poor old fellow." But the beasts could not understand him any more than he could understand them. They didn't hear any words: only a vague sizzling noise. Perhaps it was just as well they didn't, for no dog that I ever knew, least of all a Talking Dog of Narnia, likes being called a Good Doggie then; any more than you would like being called My Little Man.

Then Uncle Andrew dropped down in a dead faint.
"There!" said a Warthog, "it's only a tree. I always thought so." (Remember, they had never yet seen a faint or even a fall.)
The Bulldog, who had been sniffing Uncle Andrew all over, raised its head and said, "It's an animal. Certainly an animal. And probably the same kind as those other ones."

"I don't see that," said one of the Bears. "An animal wouldn't just roll over like that. We're animals and we don't roll over. We stand up. Like this." He rose to his hind legs, took a step backwards, tripped over a low branch and fell flat on his back.
"The Third Joke, the Third Joke, the Third joke!" said the Jackdaw in great excitement.
"I still think it's a sort of tree," said the Warthog.

"If it's a tree," said the other Bear, "there might be a bees' nest in it."
"I'm sure it's not a tree," said the Badger. "I had a sort of idea it was trying to speak before it toppled over."
"That was only the wind in its branches," said the Warthog.
"You surely don't mean," said the Jackdaw to the Badger, "that you think its a talking animal! It didn't say any words."
"And yet, you know," said the Elephant (the She Elephant, of course; her husband, as you remember, had been called away by Aslan). "And yet, you know, it might be an animal of some kind. Mightn't the whitish lump at this end be a sort of face? And couldn't those holes be eyes and a mouth? No nose, of course. But then - ahem - one mustn't be narrow-minded. Very few of us have what could exactly be called a Nose." She squinted down the length of her own trunk with pardonable pride.
"I object to that remark very strongly," said the Bulldog.
"The Elephant is quite right," said the Tapir.

"I tell you what!" said the Donkey brightly, "perhaps it's an animal that can't talk but thinks it can."
"Can it be made to stand up?" said the Elephant thoughtfully. She took the limp form of Uncle Andrew gently in her trunk and set him up on end: upside down, unfortunately, so that two half-sovereigns, three halfcrowns, and a sixpence fell out of his pocket. But it was no use. Uncle Andrew merely collapsed again.
"There!" said several voices. "It isn't an animal at all, It's not alive."
"I tell you, it is an animal," said the Bulldog. "Smell it for yourself."
"Smelling isn't everything," said the Elephant.

"Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?"
"Well, his brains perhaps," she replied mildly.
"I object to that remark very strongly," said the Bulldog.
"Well, we must do something about it," said the Elephant. "Because it may be the Neevil, and it must be shown to Aslan. What do most of us think? Is it an animal or something of the tree kind?"
"Tree! Tree!" said a dozen voices.
"Very well," said the Elephant. "Then, if it's a tree it wants to be planted. We must dig a hole."

The two Moles settled that part of the business pretty quickly. There was some dispute as to which way up Uncle Andrew ought to be put into the hole, and he had a very narrow escape from being put in head foremost. Several animals said his legs must be his branches and therefore the grey, fluffy thing (they meant his head) must be his root. But then others said that the forked end of him was the muddier and that it spread out more, as roots ought to do. So finally he was planted right way up. When they had patted down the earth it came up above his knees.
"It looks dreadfully withered," said the Donkey.

"Of course it wants some watering," said the Elephant.
"I think I might say (meaning no offence to anyone present) that, perhaps, for that sort of work, my kind of nose -"
"I object to that remark very strongly," said the Bulldog. But the Elephant walked quietly to the river, filled her trunk with water, and came back to attend to Uncle Andrew. The sagacious animal went on doing this till gallons of water had been squirted over him, and water was running out of the skirts of his frock-coat as if he had been for a bath with all his clothes on. In the end it revived him. He awoke from his faint. What a wake it was! But we must leave him to think over his wicked deed (if he was likely to do anything so sensible) and turn to more important things.

Strawberry trotted on with Digory on his back till the noise of the other animals died away, and now the little group of Aslan and his chosen councillors was quite close. Digory knew that he couldn't possibly break in on so solemn a meeting, but there was no need to do so. At a word from Aslan, the He-Elephant, the Ravens, and all the rest of them drew aside. Digory slipped off the horse and found himself face to face with Aslan. And Aslan was bigger and more beautiful and more brightly golden and more terrible than he had thought. He dared not look into the great eyes.
"Please - Mr Lion - Aslan - Sir," said Digory, "could you - may I - please, will you give me some magic fruit of this country to make Mother well?"
He had been desperately hoping that the Lion would say "Yes"; he had been horribly afraid it might say "No". But he was taken aback when it did neither.

"This is the Boy," said Aslan, looking, not at Digory, but at his councillors. "This is the Boy who did it."
"Oh dear," thought Digory, "what have I done now?"
"Son of Adam," said the Lion. "There is an evil Witch abroad in my new land of Narnia. Tell these good Beasts how she came here."
A dozen different things that he might say flashed through Digory's mind, but he had the sense to say nothing except the exact truth.
"I brought her, Aslan," he answered in a low voice.

"For what purpose?"
"I wanted to get her out of my own world back into her own. I thought I was taking her back to her own place."
"How came she to be in your world, Son of Adam?"
"By - by Magic."
The Lion said nothing and Digory knew that he had not told enough.
"It was my Uncle, Aslan," he said. "He sent us out of our own world by magic rings, at least I had to go because he sent Polly first, and then we met the Witch in a place called Charn and she just held on to us when -"
"You met the Witch?" said Asian in a low voice which had the threat of a growl in it.

"She woke up," said Digory wretchedly. And then, turning very white, "I mean, I woke her. Because I wanted to know what would happen if I struck a bell. Polly didn't want to. It wasn't her fault. I - I fought her. I know I shouldn't have. I think I was a bit enchanted by the writing under the bell."
"Do you?" asked Asian; still speaking very low and deep. .
"No," said Digory. "I see now I wasn't. I was only pretending."
There was a long pause. And Digory was thinking all the time, "I've spoiled everything. There's no chance of getting anything for Mother now."
When the Lion spoke again, it was not to Digory.

"You see, friends," he said, "that before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought hither by this son of Adam." The Beasts, even Strawberry, all turned their eyes on Digory till he felt that he wished the ground would swallow him up. "But do not be cast down," said Aslan, still speaking to the Beasts. "Evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself. In the meantime, let us take such order that for many hundred years yet this shall be a merry land in a merry world. And as Adam's race has done the harm, Adam's race shall help to heal it. Draw near, you other two."
The last words were spoken to Polly and the Cabby who had now arrived. Polly, all eyes and mouth, was staring at Aslan and holding the Cabby's hand rather tightly. The Cabby gave one glance at the Lion, and took off his bowler hat: no one had yet seen him without it. When it was off, he looked younger and nicer, and more like a countryman and less like a London cabman.

"Son," said Aslan to the Cabby. "I have known you long. Do you know me?"
"Well, no, sir," said the Cabby. "Leastways, not in an ordinary manner of speaking. Yet I feel somehow, if I may make so free, as 'ow we've met before."
"It is well," said the Lion. "You know better than you think you know, and you shall live to know me better yet. How does this land please you?"
"It's a fair treat, sir," said the Cabby.
"Would you like to live here always?"
"Well you see sir, I'm a married man," said the Cabby. "If my wife was here neither of us would ever want to go back to London, I reckon. We're both country folks really."

Aslan threw up his shaggy head, opened his mouth, and uttered a long, single note; not very loud, but full of power. Polly's heart jumped in her body when she heard it. She felt sure that it was a call, and that anyone who heard that call would want to obey it and (what's more) would be able to obey it, however many worlds and ages lay between. And so, though she was filled with wonder, she was not really astonished or shocked when all of a sudden a young woman, with a kind, honest face stepped out of nowhere and stood beside her. Polly knew at once that it was the Cabby's wife, fetched out of our world not by any tiresome magic rings, but quickly, simply and sweetly as a bird flies to its nest. The young woman had apparently been in the middle of a washing day, for she wore an apron, her sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, and there were soapsuds on her hands. If she had had time to put on her good clothes (her best hat had imitation cherries on it) she would have looked dreadful; as it was, she looked rather nice.

Of course she thought she was dreaming. That was why she didn't rush across to her husband and ask him what on earth had happened to them both. But when she looked at the Lion she didn't feel quite so sure it was a dream, yet for some reason she did not appear to be very frightened. Then she dropped a little half curtsey, as some country girls still knew how to do in those days. After that, she went and put her hand in the Cabby's and stood there looking round her a little shyly.
"My children," said Aslan, fixing his eyes on both of them, "you are to be the first King and Queen of Narnia."
The Cabby opened his mouth in astonishment, and his wife turned very red.
"You shall rule and name all these creatures, and do justice among them, and protect them from their enemies when enemies arise. And enemies will arise, for there is an evil Witch in this world."

The Cabby swallowed hard two or three times and cleared his throat.
"Begging your pardon, sir," he said, "and thanking you very much I'm sure (which my Missus does the same) but I ain't no sort of a chap for a job like that. I never 'ad much eddycation, you see."
"Well," said Aslan,"can you use a spade and a plough and raise food out of the earth?"
"Yes, sir, I could do a bit of that sort of work: being brought up to it, like."
"Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the dumb beasts of the world you were born in, but Talking Beasts and free subjects?"
"I see that, sir," replied the Cabby. "I'd try to do the square thing by them all."
"And would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same?"
"It'd be up to me to try, sir. I'd do my best: wouldn't we, Nellie?"

"And you wouldn't have favourites either among your own children or among the other creatures or let any hold another under or use it hardly?"
"I never could abide such goings on, sir, and that's the truth. I'd give 'em what for if I caught 'em at it," said the Cabby. (All through this conversation his voice was growing slower and richer. More like the country voice he must have had as a boy and less like the sharp, quick voice of a cockney.)
"And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?"
"Well, sir," said the Cabby very slowly, "a chap don't exactly know till he's been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft 'un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I'd try -that is, I 'ope I'd try - to do my bit."

"Then," said Aslan,, "You will have done all that a King should do. Your coronation will be held presently. And you and your children and grandchildren shall be blessed, and some will be Kings of Narnia, and others will be Kings of Archenland which lies yonder over the Southern Mountains. And you, little Daughter (here he turned to Polly) are welcome. Have you forgiven the Boy for the violence he did you in the Hall of Images in the desolate palace of accursed Charn?"
"Yes, Aslan, we've made it up," said Polly.
"That is well," said Aslan. "And now for the Boy himself."

      11、迪格雷和他的舅舅又陷困境
      你可能会认为，这些动物非常愚蠢，没能一眼就看出安德鲁舅舅和那两个孩子以及马车夫是同类。但你必须记住，动物们对衣服一无所知。它们觉得，波莉的外衣、迪格雷的诺福克套装以及马车夫的圆顶帽是他们身体的一部分，就像它们自己的皮毛和羽翼一样。如果它们不与他们交谈，如果“草莓”也不那样想，它们就不会知道这三人是同类。而且安德鲁舅舅比孩子们高得多，又比马车夫瘦得多。除了白背心外(现在也已经不很白了)，他全身都是黑的。在动物们眼里，安德鲁舅舅的灰发(现在很凌乱)与那三人身上的任何东西都不相似。它们自然感到迷惑。最糟糕的是，他似乎不会说话。

      他曾经试过。当公狗对他说话时(或者，按照他的想法，先是咆哮，后是对他咕哝)，他举起发抖的手，上气不接下气地说：“好小狗，嗯，可怜的老朋友。”但动物们根本听不懂，正如他也听不懂它们的话一样。除了含混不清的咝咝声外，它们什么也没听见。也许还是听不懂的好，因为我从未见过哪条狗愿意被人喊作“好小狗”，就像你不愿被叫成“我的小鬼”一样，更不用说纳尼亚的会说话的狗了。
      安德鲁舅舅一下昏倒在地。
      “啊!”一头野猪说，“它不过是棵树。我刚才就这么想。”(记住，它们还从未见过昏厥，甚至连倒下也没有见过。
      那公狗将安德鲁舅舅全身嗅了个遍，抬头说道：“是动物，肯定是动物，而且很可能是那几个的同类。”

     “我不同意，”一头熊说，“动物不会像那样倒在地上的。我们是动物，我们就不会倒下去。我们站着，像这样。”它后腿立起，向后走了一步，绊倒在一根矮树枝上，仰面朝天跌倒在地上。
      “第三个笑柄，第三个笑柄，第三个笑柄。”那只寒鸦无比激动地说。
      “我仍然认为是树。”野猪说。
      “是树的话，”另一头熊说，“上面就会有蜂巢。”
      “我敢肯定不是树，”一头獾说，“我觉得它倒下之前想说什么。”
      “那只是树枝间的风声。”野猪说。
      “你肯定不是说’，”寒鸦对獾说道，“你认为它是一个会说话的动物吧!它什么也没说。”

      “你们知道，”大象说(当然是母象，她的丈夫，你还记得，被阿斯兰叫走了)，“你们知道，它可能是某种动物。这头这块白的不像脸吗?那些洞不是眼睛和嘴吗?没鼻子，当然。但是——啊——不必太狭隘。确切地说，我们当中，只有极少数有那种被叫做鼻子的东西。”它斜睨着自己的长鼻子，那种骄傲的神态是可以谅解的。
      “我强烈反对这种说法。”公狗说。"
      “象是对的。”貘说。
      “我告诉你吧!”驴子伶牙俐齿地说，“也许它是一种不能说话但觉得自己能说话的动物。”
      “能让它站起来吗?”大象关心地说。它用鼻子将安德鲁舅舅柔软的身体轻轻一卷，并把他竖在地上，但不幸放反了，两枚二分之一金镑、三枚五分之二先令和一枚六便士硬币从他的衣袋里掉了出来。但没有用，安德鲁舅舅又倒了下去。
      “啊哈!''几个声音说，“根本不是动物，它不是活的。”
      “我告诉你们，它是动物，”公狗说，“你们自己闻闻吧!”

      “气味并不能说明一切。”象说。
      “那么，”公狗说，“如果谁连自己的鼻子都不相信，它还相信什么?”
      “大概应相信头脑吧。”象温和地说。
      “我强烈反对这种观点。”公狗说。
      “嗯，我们必须有所行动，”象说，“因为它也许就是那个‘馍’，必须把它交给阿斯兰。大家是怎么看的?它是动物还是树一类的东西?”
      “树!树!”十几个声音回答。
      “好，”象说，“那么，如果是树，它一定想被栽在土里。我们要挖个洞。”

      两只鼹鼠迅速完成了任务。对该栽哪一头意见不一，安德鲁舅舅很难避免要被头朝下栽进土里了。有几个动物说他的腿一定是树枝，因此，那团灰色的毛茸茸的东西(指他的头)一定是根。但其他动物说，叉开的那一端沾了更多的泥土，而且伸得长些，更像根部。最后，他直立着被栽了起来，栽好以后，泥土掩到了他的膝盖。
      “它看上去很干枯。”驴子说。

      “当然，它需要浇水，”象说，“我想我可以说(并非要冒犯在场的各位)，也许，对这项工作，我的这种鼻子……”
      “我强烈反对。”公狗说。但大象默默地走到河边，用鼻子灌满水，回来洒在安德鲁舅舅身上。这有灵性的动物不断地浇，直到好多好多水浇到他身上，又从他外衣的边缘流了出来，犹如他穿着衣服洗了一次澡。最后，他恢复了理智，从昏迷中醒了过来，彻彻底底地清醒了!但我们必须将他撇开，让他慢慢去想他做过的坏事(如果他还有可能做出如此有理智的事的话)，我们去讲些更重要的事情。

      “草莓”驮着迪格雷，一路小跑着前进，其他动物的声音渐渐远去，而阿斯兰和它选出来的那群动物们则很近。迪格雷知道他不能干扰这样一个严肃的会议，而且也没有必要。阿斯兰说了句什么，公象、渡鸦以及其他所有的动物都闪开了。迪格雷翻身下马，发现阿斯兰与他面对面地站在那里，比他想像的更大、更美，更加金光闪闪，也更加可怕。他不敢注视它那双大眼睛。
      “对不起——狮子先生——阿斯兰——阁下，”迪格雷说，“能否——能否请您，您能否给我一些这里的神奇果子来治我妈妈的病?”
      他非常希望狮子会说“好的”，非常害怕它说“不”。但当狮子既没有说“好”也没有说“不”时，迪格雷吃了一惊。  

      “这就是那个男孩，”阿斯兰没有看迪格雷，而是看着它的顾问们说，“是这个男孩干的。”
      “天哪，”迪格雷想，“我做了什么?”
      “亚当的儿子，”狮子说，“有个恶魔般的女巫踏上了我新的国土纳尼亚。告诉这些好动物们她是怎么到这儿的。”
      可以说的许许多多事在迪格雷脑海中闪现出来，但他很理智，除了将真相和盘托出外，其他什么也没说。
      “是我把她带来的，阿斯兰。”他低声回答。

      “为什么?”
      “我想把她带出我们的世界，让她回到她的世界去。我以为我把她带回她的世界了。”
      “她是怎么到你们的世界去的，亚当的儿子?”
      “靠——魔法。”
      狮子不语。迪格雷知道自己讲得还太少。
      “是我的舅舅，阿斯兰。”他说，“他用魔法戒指把我们送出我们的世界，至少，我是不得不去，因为他把波莉先弄走了，后来，我们在一个叫恰恩的地方遇见了女巫，她抓住了我们当……”
      “你们遇见了女巫?”阿斯兰低低的嗓音带有咆哮式的威胁。

      “她醒了。”迪格雷沮丧地说；然后，他脸色变得苍白，“我是说，我唤醒了她。因为我想知道如果我敲了钟会发生什么事。波莉不同意这么做的。不是她的错。我——我还和她抢起来。我知道我不应该。我想，我是有点儿被钟下面那些字迷惑住了。”
      “是吗?”阿斯兰问，声音仍很低沉。
      “不，”迪格雷说，“我现在明白不是的。我是在找借口。”
      接下来是长久的停顿。迪格雷一直在想，“我把事情全弄糟了。现在再也没有机会为妈妈要东西了”。
      狮子再开口时，已不是对迪格雷说了。

      “你们瞧，朋友们，”它说，“我给你们的这个新的、干净的世界诞生还没有七小时，一个邪恶的力量就已经进来了，由这个亚当的儿子唤醒并带来的。”那些野兽，甚至包括“草莓”，全都把眼光转向迪格雷，他真希望大地能将他吞下去。“不过别泄气，”阿斯兰说，仍然对着它的野兽们，“那个恶魔将给我们带来邪恶。但是还早。我会留神让最坏的事情冲着我来。现在，我们要建立一种秩序，使得在数百年内这里都将是快乐世界的一片乐土。亚当的种族带来了灾祸，但也将帮助我们消除灾祸。走近些，你们另外两位。”
      最后一句是对刚刚到达的波莉和马车夫说的。波莉紧紧地拉着马车夫的手，目瞪口呆地盯着阿斯兰。马车夫看了狮子一眼，摘下帽子来，谁也没有见过他不戴帽子的模样。这下，他看上去要年轻漂亮些，更像一个乡下人而不像伦敦的马车夫。

      “孩子，”阿斯兰对马车夫说，“我很早就认识你了，你认识我吗?”
      “不，阁下，不认识，”马车夫说，“至少不是一般人说的那种认识。不过我觉得，如果我可以这么说的话，我们以前是有些认识的。”
      “很好，”狮子说，“你比你自己想像的更有悟性，你会越来越了解我的。你喜欢这片土地吗?”
      “我在这儿非常快乐，阁下。”马车夫说。
      “你想永远住在这儿吗?”

      “你知道，阁下，我结了婚，”马车夫说，“我想，要是我妻子也在这儿，我们谁也不想再回伦敦了。我们都是地地道道的乡下人。”
      阿斯兰昂起多毛的头，张口呼出长长的、不很嘹亮但有力的一声。波莉听得心跳加快。她敢肯定，那是一种呼唤，任何人听到这声呼唤，不管隔了多少世界多少年代，都想听从而且都能够听从。虽然她心中充满了好奇，但当一个看上去善良、诚实的年轻女人不知从哪儿走出来站在她旁边时，她并没有被吓一跳或者感到十分震惊。波莉立刻明白，那就是马车夫的妻子，不是被任何折磨人的魔法戒指从我们的世界硬生生地拖过去的，而是如鸟儿回巢一般迅捷、简单、舒适地到了那里。那年轻女人系着围裙，袖子挽到肘部，手上还沾着肥皂泡，显然刚才正在洗衣服。如果有时间换上好衣服(她最好的帽子上镶有樱桃饰)，她看上去准会让人讨厌。那身朴实无华的衣服却使她显得相当可爱。

      当然，她以为自己是在梦中，便没有马上奔到丈夫身边，问他到底怎么回事。但当她看见狮子时，她不那么肯定是在做梦，然而不知什么原因她也没露出非常害怕的神情。然后，她微微行了一个屈膝礼，那年月，一些农村姑娘也知道如何行屈膝礼。接着，她走过去，拉住马车夫的手，站在那里，略带羞涩地四下环顾。
      “我的孩子们，”阿斯兰看着他们两人说，“你们将是纳尼亚第一位国王和王后。”

      马车夫吃惊地张大了嘴，他妻子的脸也红了。
      “你们将统治所有这些动物，要公正行事，当敌人入侵时保卫它们的安全。而且敌人是会来的，因为这个世界里已经有了一个恶魔般的女巫。”
      马车夫用力吞了几次口水，清了清嗓子。
      “请您原谅，阁下，”他说，“非常感谢你(我太太也感谢你)，但我干不了这种事情。你知道，我没有受过很多教育。”
      “那么，”阿斯兰说，“你会使用铲子和犁吗?会在地里种庄稼吗?”
      “是的，阁下，我会干这种活儿，可以说从小就会。”    
      “你能善良地、公正地对待这些动物吗?记住，它们不像你出生的那个世界里的哑兽，是奴隶，它们是会说话的野兽，是自由的。”
      “我懂，阁下，”马车夫回答，“我会公正地对待所有的动物。”
      “你会教你的儿女、你的孙子孙女们这么做吗?”

      “这需要我努力去做，阁下。我会尽全力的，是吗，蕾丽?”
       “你不会在你的儿女中或在其他动物中培植亲信，让一些压制和奴役另一些吧?”
      “我决不会容忍这种行为的，真的，阁下。如果我撞见谁干这种事一定会惩罚他们的。”马车夫说。(在这场谈话中，马车夫的声音越来越慢，越变越浑厚，更像他小时候在乡下时的声音，而不像他当伦敦马车夫时那种尖而快的声音。
      “如果敌人来犯(因为敌人会来犯)，战争打响，你会冲锋在前、撤退在后吗?”

      “阁下，”马车夫缓缓地说，“一个人不经磨练很难真正看清楚。我敢说，我最终还是个温和的人，最多只用拳头打过架。但我会努力——就是说，我希望努力去尽自己的职责。”
      “好，”阿斯兰说，“你将做一个国王该做的一切事情。你的加冕仪式即将举行。你和你的儿孙会得到保佑，有的将是纳尼亚的国王，有的将是南山那边阿钦兰的国王。至于你，小姑娘(他转向波莉)，我们欢迎你。在恰恩废墟塑像厅里他伤了你，你已经原谅他了吗?”
      “是的，阿斯兰，我们已经和好了。”波莉说。
      “这样很好。”阿斯兰说，“现在，该轮到小伙子了。”

Chapter 12：STRAWBERRY'S ADVENTURE

DIGORY kept his mouth very tight shut. He had been growing more and more uncomfortable. He hoped that, whatever happened, he wouldn't blub or do anything ridiculous.

"Son of Adam," said Aslan. "Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?"
"Well, I don't see what I can do," said Digory. "You see, the Queen ran away and -"
"I asked, are you ready?" said the Lion.
"Yes," said Digory. He had had for a second some wild idea of saying "I'll try to help you if you'll promise to help my Mother," but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said "Yes," he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out:

"But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?" Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.

"My son, my son," said Aslan. "I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. But I have to think of hundreds of years in the life of Narnia. The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again. But it need not be yet. It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years. So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds come over the sun. You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow."

"Yes, sir," said Digory. He didn't know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it. The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion's kiss. And at once Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.
"Dear son," said Aslan, "I will tell you what you must do. Turn and look to the West and tell me what do you see?"
"I see terribly big mountains, Aslan," said Digory, "I see this river coming down cliffs in a waterfall. And beyond the cliff there are high green hills with forests. And beyond those there are higher ranges that look almost black. And then, far away, there are big snowy mountains all heaped up together - like pictures of the Alps. And behind those there's nothing but the sky."

"You see well," said the Lion. "Now the land of Narnia ends where the waterfall comes down, and once you have reached the top of the cliffs you will be out of Narnia and into the Western Wild. You must journey through those mountains till you find a green valley with a blue lake in it, walled round by mountains of ice. At the end of the lake there is a steep, green hill. On the top of that hill there is a garden. In the centre of that garden is a tree. Pluck an apple from that tree and bring it back to me."

"Yes, sir," said Digory again. He hadn't the least idea of how he was to climb the cliff and find his way among all the mountains, but he didn't like to say that for fear it would sound like making excuses. But he did say, "I hope, Aslan, you're not in a hurry. I shan't be able to get there and back very quickly."
"Little son of Adam, you shall have help," said Aslan. He then turned to the Horse who had been standing quietly beside them all this time, swishing his tail to keep the flies off, and listening with his head on one side as if the conversation were a little difficult to understand.
"My dear," said Aslan to the Horse, "would you like to be a winged horse?"

You should have seen how the Horse shook its mane and how its nostrils widened, and the little tap it gave the ground with one back hoof. Clearly it would very much like to be a winged horse. But it only said:
"If you wish, Aslan - if you really mean - I don't know why it should be me - I'm not a very clever horse."
"Be winged. Be the father of all flying horses," roared Aslan in a voice that shook the ground. "Your name is Fledge."

The horse shied, just as it might have shied in the old, miserable days when it pulled a hansom. Then it roared. It strained its neck back as if there were a fly biting its shoulders and it wanted to scratch them. And then, just as the beasts had burst out of the earth, there burst out from the shoulders of Fledge wings that spread and grew, larger than eagles', larger than swans', larger than angels' wings in church windows. The feathers shone chestnut colour and copper colour. He gave a great sweep with them and leaped into the air.
Twenty feet above Aslan and Digory he snorted, neighed, and curvetted. Then, after circling once round them, he dropped to the earth, all four hoofs together, looking awkward and surprised, but extremely pleased.

"Is it good, Fledge?" said Aslan.
"It is very good, Aslan," said Fledge.
"Will you carry this little son of Adam on your back to the mountainvalley I spoke of?"
"What? Now? At once?" said Strawberry - or Fledge, as we must now call him - "Hurrah! Come, little one, I've had things like you on my back before.

Long, long ago. When there were green fields; and sugar."
"What are the two daughters of Eve whispering about?" said Aslan, turning very suddenly on Polly and the Cabby's wife, who had in fact been making friends.
"If you please, sir," said Queen Helen (for that is what Nellie the cabman's wife now was), "I think the little girl would love to go too, if it weren't no trouble."
"What does Fledge say about that?" asked the Lion.

"Oh, I don't mind two, not when they're little ones," said Fledge. "But I hope the Elephant doesn't want to come as well."
The Elephant had no such wish, and the new King of Narnia helped both the children up: that is, he gave Digory a rough heave and set Polly as gently and daintily on the horse's back as if she were made of china and might break. "There they are, Strawberry - Fledge, I should say. This is a rum go."
"Do not fly too high," said Aslan. "Do not try to go over the tops of the great ice-mountains. Look out for the valleys, the green places, and fly through them. There will always be a way through. And now, begone with my blessing."

"Oh Fledge!" said Digory, leaning forward to pat the Horse's glossy neck. "This is fun. Hold on to me tight, Polly."
Next moment the country dropped away beneath them, and whirled round as Fledge, like a huge pigeon, circled once or twice before setting off on his long westward flight. Looking down, Polly could hardly see the King and the Queen, and even Aslan himself was only a bright yellow spot on the green grass. Soon the wind was in their faces and Fledges wings settled down to a steady beat.

All Narnia, many-coloured with lawns and rocks and heather and different sorts of trees, lay spread out below them, the river winding through it like a ribbon of quicksilver. They could already see over the tops of the low hills which lay northward on their right; beyond those hills a great moorland sloped gently up and up to the horizon. On their left the mountains were much higher, but every now and then there was a gap when you could see, between steep pine woods, a glimpse of the southern lands that lay beyond them, looking blue and far away.
"That'll be where Archenland is," said Polly.
"Yes, but look ahead!" said Digory.

For now a great barrier of cliffs rose before them and they were almost dazzled by the sunlight dancing on the great waterfall by which the river roars and sparkles down into Narnia itself from the high western lands in which it rises. They were flying so high already that the thunder of those falls could only just be heard as a small, thin sound, but they were not yet high enough to fly over the top of the cliffs.
"We'll have to do a bit of zig-zagging here," said Fledge. "Hold on tight."
He began flying to and fro, getting higher at each turn. The air grew colder, and they heard the call of eagles far below them.
"I say, look back! Look behind," said Polly.

There they could see the whole valley of Narnia stretched out to where, just before the eastern horizon, there was a gleam of the sea. And now they were so high that they could see tiny-looking jagged mountains appearing beyond the northwest moors, and plains of what looked like sand far in the south.
"I wish we had someone to tell us what all those places are," said Digory.
"I don't suppose they're anywhere yet," said Polly. "I mean, there's no one there, and nothing happening. The world only began today."
"No, but people will get there," said Digory. "And then they'll have histories, you know."

"Well, it's a jolly good thing they haven't now," said Polly. "Because nobody can be made to learn it. Battles and dates and all that rot."
Now they were over the top of the cliffs and in a few minutes the valley land of Narnia had sunk out of sight behind them. They were flying over a wild country of steep hills and dark forests, still following the course of the river. The really big mountains loomed ahead. But the sun was now in the travellers' eyes and they couldn't see things very clearly in that direction. For the sun sank lower and lower till the western sky was all like one great furnace full of melted gold; and it set at last behind a jagged peak which stood up against the brightness as sharp and flat as if it were cut out of cardboard.
"It's none too warm up here," said Polly.
"And my wings are beginning to ache," said Fledge. There's no sign of the valley with a Lake in it, like what Aslan said. What about coming down and looking out for a decent spot to spend the night in? We shan't reach that place tonight."
"Yes, and surely it's about time for supper?" said Digory.

So Fledge came lower and lower. As they came down nearer to the earth and among the hills, the air grew warmer and after travelling so many hours with nothing to listen to but the beat of Fledge's wings, it was nice to hear the homely and earthy noises again - the chatter of the river on its stony bed and the creaking of trees in the light wind. A warm, good smell of sun-baked earth and grass and flowers came up to them. At last Fledge alighted. Digory rolled off and helped Polly to dismount. Both were glad to stretch their stiff legs.
The valley in which they had come down was in the heart of the mountains; snowy heights, one of them looking rosered in the reflections of the sunset, towered above them.
"I am hungry," said Digory.

"Well, tuck in," said Fledge, taking a big mouthful of grass. Then he raised his head, still chewing and with bits of grass sticking out on each side of his mouth like whiskers, and said, "Come on, you two. Don't be shy. There's plenty for us all."
"But we can't eat grass," said Digory.
"H'm, h'm," said Fledge, speaking with his mouth full. "Well - h'm - don't know quite what you'll do then. Very good grass too."
Polly and Digory stared at one another in dismay.
"Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals," said Digory.
"I'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him," said Fledge.
"Wouldn't he know without being asked?" said Polly.

"I've no doubt he would," said the Horse (still with his mouth full). "But I've a sort of idea he likes to be asked."
"But what on earth are we to do?" asked Digory.
"I'm sure I don't know," said Fledge. "Unless you try the grass. You might like it better than you think."
"Oh, don't be silly," said Polly, stamping her foot. "Of course humans can't eat grass, any more than you could eat a mutton chop."
"For goodness' sake don't talk about chops and things," said Digory. "It only makes it worse."

Digory said that Polly had better take herself home by ring and get something to eat there; he couldn't himself because he had promised to go straight on his message for Aslan, and, if once he showed up again at home, anything might happen to prevent his getting back. But Polly said she wouldn't leave him, and Digory said it was jolly decent of her.
"I say," said Polly, "I've still got the remains of that bag of toffee in my jacket. It'll be better than nothing."
"A lot better," said Digory, "But be careful to get your hand into your pocket without touching your ring."

This was a difficult and delicate job but they managed it in the end. The little paper bag was very squashy and sticky when they finally got it out, so that it was more a question of tearing the bag off the toffees than of getting the toffees out of the bag. Some grown-ups (you know how fussy they can be about that sort of thing) would rather have gone without supper altogether than eaten those toffees. There were nine of them all told. It was Digory who had the bright idea of eating four each and planting the ninth; for, as he said, "if the bar off the lamp-post turned into a little light-tree, why shouldn't this turn into a toffee-tree?" So they dibbled a small hole in the turf and buried the piece of toffee. Then they ate the other pieces, making them last as long as they could. It was a poor meal, even with all the paper they couldn't help eating as well.

When Fledge had quite finished his own excellent supper he lay down. The children came and sat one on each side of him leaning against his warm body, and when he had spread a wing over each they were really quite snug. As the bright young stars of that new world came out they talked over everything: how Digory had hoped to get something for his Mother and how, instead of that, he had been sent on this message. And they repeated to one another all the signs by which they would know the places they were looking for - the blue lake and the hill with a garden on top of it. The talk was just beginning to slow down as they got sleepy, when suddenly Polly sat up wide awake and said "Hush!"
Everyone listened as hard as they could.
"Perhaps it was only the wind in the trees," said Digory presently.
"I'm not so sure," said Fledge. "Anyway - wait! There it goes again. By Aslan, it is something."

The horse scrambled to its feet with a great noise and a great upheaval; the children were already on theirs. Fledge trotted to and fro, sniffing and whinnying. The children tip-toed this way and that, looking behind every bush and tree. They kept on thinking they saw things, and there was one time when Polly was perfectly certain she had seen-a tall, dark figure gliding quickly away in a westerly direction. But they caught nothing and in the end Fledge lay down again and the children re-snuggled (if that is the right word) under his wings. They went to sleep at once. Fledge stayed awake much longer moving his ears to and fro in the darkness and sometimes giving a little shiver with his skin as if a fly had lighted on him: but in the end he too slept.

      12、“草莓"远征"
      迪格雷紧闭嘴唇，感到越来越不自在。无论如何，他希望 自己不要哭，或者干出可笑的事。
      “亚当的儿子，”阿斯兰说，“你是否准备弥补你在我美好的纳尼亚国诞生的第一天对她犯下的过失?”
      “我不知道我能做什么，”迪格雷说，“你知道，那女巫已经跑了，而且……”
      “我问的是，你是否准备这么做。”狮子说。

      “是的。”迪格雷说。有那么一瞬间他涌出一个疯狂的念头，想说“你答应帮助治我妈妈的病，我就尽力帮你”，但他马上意识到，不能和狮子讨价还价。然而，他说出“是”的时候，他想起了妈妈，想到曾经有过的宏伟愿望如今全部灰飞烟灭，喉咙里便像堵了一团棉花似的，他含着眼泪脱口说道：
      “可是，对不起，对不起——你愿意——你能给点儿什么可以治我妈妈病的吗?”他本来一直看着狮子粗壮的前腿和两只巨爪，现在，绝望之下，他拾起头看着它的脸。他看到的是一生中最令他惊奇的事。狮子那张黄褐色的脸低垂下来，凑近他的脸，(最令人感到奇怪的是)眼里闪烁着大颗大颗的泪珠。与迪格雷的泪珠相比，狮子的泪珠那么大，那么亮，迪格雷顿时感到，狮子似乎比他自己更加真切地同情他的妈妈。

      “我的孩子，我的孩子，”阿斯兰说，“我知道，的确太不幸了。这片土地上只有你和我懂得这一点。我们之间要相互理解，友好相处。但我必须为纳尼亚的生存作数百年的长远打算。你带进这个世界的女巫还会回来的，但不一定很快。我希望在纳尼亚栽一棵她不敢靠近的树，那棵树将保卫纳尼亚许多年不受她的侵犯。在乌云遮住太阳以前，这片国土将会有一个长久的明亮的早晨。你必须为我去取树种。”
      “是的，阁下。”迪格雷说。他并不知道如何去做，但他觉得自己肯定可以做好。狮子长长地松了口气，将头低下来，以狮子的方式吻了他。迪格雷立刻感到，新的力量和勇气注入了他的身体。"

      “亲爱的孩子，”阿斯兰说，“我来告诉你怎么做。回头看看西方，告诉我你看见了什么?”
      “我看见高耸的大山，阿斯兰，”迪格雷说，“我看见这条河跌下峭壁，形成一道瀑布。峭壁后面，高高的小山坡上是绿色的森林。再往后，有黑魆魆的更加高大的山脉。在更遥远的地方，是连绵的大雪山——像照片上的阿尔卑斯山一样。雪山后面，除了天空什么也没有了。”
      “你看得很清楚，”狮子说，“瀑布就是纳尼亚的边界，一旦你到了峭壁上，就出了纳尼亚，进入西方原始区了。你必须穿越那些高山，找到一条冰山环抱的绿色河谷，那里有一个蓝色的湖泊；湖的尽头，有一座绿色的陡峭的小山。山顶上有座花园，花园的中心有棵树。从树上摘一个苹果带回来给我。”

      “好的，阁下。”迪格雷又说。他根本不知道如何才能攀越那些高山峭壁，但他不愿说，生怕听上去好像他在找借口。可他还是说，“我希望，阿斯兰，你不是很着急的。我来回一趟不可能很快。”
      “小小的亚当的儿子，你会得到帮助的。”阿斯兰说着转向那匹马。它一直静静地站在他们旁边，尾巴一摇一摆地驱赶苍蝇，偏着头听他们说话，似乎要理解这对话有点儿困难。
      “我亲爱的，”阿斯兰对马说，“你愿意做一匹飞马吗?”
      你要是在场的话，就能看见那匹马鬃毛摇晃、鼻孔大张、后蹄轻轻踏地的样子。显然，它巴不得成为一匹飞马。但它只说：
      “如果你希望，阿斯兰——如果你真的想——我不明白为什么会选中我——我不是一匹很聪明的马。”

      “长上翅膀，成为天下飞马之父，”阿斯兰大吼一声，惊天动地，“你的名字叫弗兰奇。”
      那匹马吃惊地倒退了一步，在它拉车的悲惨岁月里，它可能也像今天这样受过惊。然后，它用后腿站起来，扭着脖子，仿佛想捉住叮咬它肩膀的苍蝇似的。接着，犹如动物们先前从地里蹦出来一样，弗兰奇的肩上钻出一对翅膀，越长越宽，越长越大，超过了鹰的翅膀、天鹅的翅膀和教堂窗户上天使的翅膀。这对翅膀的羽毛呈栗色和铜色。它猛地展翅，冲向空中，在阿斯兰和迪格雷头上二十多英尺高的空中打着响鼻、嘶鸣、腾跃。围着他们转了一圈后，它降落下来，四蹄一并，看上去有点儿不熟练，有点儿惊讶，但十分欢喜。

      “好吗，弗兰奇?”阿斯兰说。
      “  很好，阿斯兰。”弗兰奇说。
      “你愿意让这个亚当的儿子骑在你背上到我说的山谷去吗?”
      “什么?现在?马上去?”“草莓”——或弗兰奇——说。我们现在必须这么称呼它了。“快!上来吧，小个子，我以前驮过像你这样的东西。很久以前了，在有绿色田野和糖块的时候。”

      “这两个夏娃的女儿在悄悄说什么?”阿斯兰说着突然转向波莉和马车夫的妻子。她们两人已经交上了朋友。
      “对不起，阁下，”海伦王后(马车夫的妻子蕾丽现在的称呼)说，“我想，如果方便的话，这小姑娘愿意跟着去。”
      “弗兰奇有何意见?”狮子问。
      “噢，驮两个孩子我不在乎，”弗兰奇说，“但我希望大象不要上来。”
      大象根本没想上去。纳尼亚的新国王帮助两个孩子骑上马背。当然，他将迪格雷重重地一举，而把波莉当作一件易碎的瓷器一样轻手轻脚地托了上去。“他们坐好了，‘草莓’——我该说弗兰奇。这一趟可不简单哦。”

      “别飞得太高，”阿斯兰说，“不要想飞过那些高大的冰山。穿越河谷那绿色地带，总会找到一条路的。好了，祝你们一路平安。”
      “噢，弗兰奇!”迪格雷弯下腰，拍打着毛茸茸的马脖子。“太好玩了。抓紧我，波莉。”
      很快，那片国土就被他们远远地抛在了下面。随着弗兰奇像鸽子般一圈两圈地转着，大地也跟着旋转起来。然后，弗兰奇转向西方，开始了漫长的飞行。波莉低头俯视，几乎看不见国王和王后了，连阿斯兰也只是绿草中一个亮亮的黄点。马上便有风刮在他们脸上。弗兰奇的翅膀有节奏地扇动起来。

      整个纳尼亚展开在他们脚下，草地、岩石、石南属植物和千姿百态的树木将大地染得五彩缤纷，蜿蜒的河流像一条水银的带子。右望北方，小山的那一边，是一片缓缓斜升至地平线的沼地。左边的山高得多，但不时可见一个个峡谷。从那儿望过去，透过挺拔的松林，能瞥见南方蔚蓝的土地，远远地绵延伸展。
      “那儿就是阿钦兰吧。”波莉说。
      “是的，看前边!”迪格雷说。
      悬崖峭壁在他们眼前竖起一道巨大的屏障，阳光在大瀑布上闪烁，令人目眩。来自西边高地的河水咆哮着，水花飞溅地流进纳尼亚境内。他们已经飞得很高，瀑布雷鸣般的巨响已变得很轻。但他们飞行的高度还不能越过峭壁。
     “我们要在这里作一阵之字形飞行，”弗兰奇说，“抓牢。”

      它开始来来回回地飞，每盘旋一次都飞得更高。空气越来越冷，脚下远处传来一阵鹰啼。
      “喂，朝后看!看后面!”波莉说。
      他们看见，纳尼亚向东伸延到地平线的尽头，有一片大海的闪光。他们现在的高度已能看见参差不齐的群山逶迤在北方沼泽地后面，显得很小。遥远的南方，伸展着一片沙地一样的平原。
      “我希望有人告诉我们那是些什么地方。”迪格雷说。
      “我不认为那是什么特殊的地方，”波莉说，“我是说，那儿没有人，也没发生过什么事，这个世界今天才开始。”
      “不，人终究要去的，”迪格雷说，“然后就会有历史，你知道。”

      “幸好还没有，”波莉说，“因为谁也无法去学那些事。战争，各种日期，以及所有那些废话。”
      他们已经飞上了悬崖之巅，几分钟后，纳尼亚谷地就从后面的视野中消失了。他们沿着河流，飞行在一片蛮荒的土地上，下面是陡峭的山坡和黑魃魃的森林。前面隐隐出现雄伟的高山。阳光从正前方射来，使他们看不清前面的景物。这时，太阳正在落山，西边的天空像一个巨大的熔炉，装满了熔化的黄金。终于，夕阳沉匿在锯齿状的山峰背后，一片辉煌映衬着仿佛从纸片上剪下的、清晰而失去了立体感的群山。
      “这儿一点也不暖和。”波莉说。
      “我的翅膀开始痛了，”弗兰奇说，“阿斯兰说的那个有湖的山谷还看不见呢。下去找一个舒服的地方过夜怎么样?我们今天晚上到不了目的地。”
      “好的，现在一定是晚饭时间了吧?”迪格雷说。

      弗兰奇越飞越低，当他们降到离地面很近的小山中时，天气暖和起来。在那漫长的飞行中，除了弗兰奇翅膀的扇动外什么也听不见。现在，又听到地面上传来各种亲切的声音，多么令人愉快啊!水从石头河床上潺潺地流过，微风沙沙地拂过树林。太阳炙烤下，泥土、青草和鲜花发出的沁人心脾的温暖气息扑面而来。弗兰奇终于落地。迪格雷下来后又帮助波莉下了马。两人都很高兴能舒展僵硬的腿了。他们降落的山谷正好在群山中心，两边的雪山俯瞰着他们，夕阳将其中的一座镀上了一层玫瑰红。
      “我饿了。”迪格雷说。
      “来，美美地吃上一顿。”弗兰奇说着，咬下一大口草。然后它抬起头，嚼着，嘴角边像胡须一样支出几根草节。“你们两个快来吃。别不好意思，够我们三人吃的。”
      “可是我们不会吃草。”迪格雷说。
      “嗯，嗯，”弗兰奇嚼着满口的草，说道，“哦，嗯，那么，不知道你们要干什么。这么好的草。”
      波莉和迪格雷神情沮丧地面面相觑。

      “我想一定有人已经给我们安排好了晚餐。”迪格雷说。
      “我敢说，如果你恳求阿斯兰，它会为你想到的。”
      “不恳求它就想不到吗?”波莉说。
      “毫无疑问它会的，”马说(仍然嚼着满口的草)，“但我认为它喜欢别人请求它。”
      “那我们到底该怎么办?”迪格雷问。
      “我肯定不知道，”弗兰奇说，“除非你们试着吃点儿草。可能会比你们想像的要好一些。”
      “唉，别说傻话了，”波莉跺着脚说，“人当然没法儿吃草，就像你不吃羊排一样。”
      “看在上帝分上，别提什么羊排了。”迪格雷说，“这样只会更糟。”
      他说，波莉最好靠戒指回家取些吃的，他自己不能去，因为他已答应阿斯兰要直接去完成任务，而一旦回到家中，可能会发生什么事使他难以返回。但波莉说她不离开他，迪格雷说她太好了。
      “唉呀，”波莉说，“我的口袋里还剩一些太妃糖。总比没有吃的好吧。”
      “好极了，”迪格雷说，“但手伸进去时要小心，别碰着戒指。”

      这件事非常棘手，搞不好就会弄糟，但最后还是成功了。他们拿出来的小纸袋又软又湿，黏糊糊的，所以，从糖上撕下纸袋要比从口袋里拿出糖来更困难。有些大人(你知道他们遇到这种事时会如何大惊小怪地瞎忙乎一阵)，宁愿不吃晚饭也不愿吃那些太妃糖。一共有九颗。迪格雷想出一个好办法，每人吃四颗，将第九颗种在地里。他说：“从灯柱上取下的铁棒都能长成一个小灯柱，这颗糖为什么不能长成一棵太妃糖树呢?”于是，他们在草皮上挖了一个小洞，埋下了那颗太妃糖，然后，开始吃剩下的八颗，尽可能久地慢慢品味。那是一顿糟糕的晚餐，即使糖纸全部黏在上面，他们也不得不吃下去。

      弗兰奇吃完丰盛的晚餐后躺了下来，孩子们坐在它的两边，靠着它温暖的躯体。它伸开翅膀盖住他们，使他们更感温暖和舒适。当新世界明亮而年轻的星星升起来时，他们开始谈天说地：迪格雷当初多么希望为他的妈妈弄点儿什么，后来又是如何被派遣来执行这项任务。他们一再地提及他们要找的那个地方的特征——蓝色的湖泊，山顶上有座花园。直到睡意袭来，他们的谈话才减慢了。突然，波莉惊醒坐了起来：“嘘!”
      三位同伴竭尽全力地仔细倾听。

      “也许只是树间的风声吧。”过了一会儿迪格雷说。
      “不敢肯定，”弗兰奇说，“不管怎么说——等等!有动静。凭阿斯兰起誓，是有什么。”
      马猛地一蹶，发出很大的响声，匆忙爬了起来。孩子们已经站好了。弗兰奇前前后后地小跑着，嗅着，发出低低的嘶鸣；孩子们蹑手蹑脚地在每一丛灌木和每一棵树后巡查。他们一直认为自己看见了什么。有一次，波莉非常肯定地说，她看见一个高大的黑影迅速地溜向西方。但他们什么也没有找到。最后，弗兰奇又躺下了，孩子们偎依(如果可以用这个词的话)在马的翅膀下，很快就睡着了。弗兰奇好长时间都醒着，在黑暗中前后移动它的耳朵，有时皮肤轻轻地战栗一下，似乎有只苍蝇落在它身上，但最后它也睡着了。

Chapter 13：AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

"WAKE up, Digory, wake up, Fledge," came the voice of Polly. "It has turned into a toffee tree. And it's the loveliest morning."
The low early sunshine was streaming through the wood and the grass was grey with dew and the cobwebs were like silver. Just beside them was a little, very darkwooded tree, about the size of an apple tree. The leaves were whitish and rather papery, like the herb called honesty, and it was loaded with little brown fruits that looked rather like dates.

"Hurrah!" said Digory. "But I'm going to have a dip first." He rushed through a flowering thicket or two down to the river's edge. Have you ever bathed in a mountain river that is running in shallow cataracts over red and blue and yellow stones with the sun on it? It is as good as the sea: in some ways almost better. Of course, he had to dress again without drying but it was well worth it. When he came back, Polly went down and had her bathe; at least she said that was what she'd been doing, but we know she was not much of a swimmer and perhaps it is best not to ask too many questions. Fledge visited the river too but he only stood in midstream, stooping down for a long drink of water and then shaking his mane and neighing several times.
Polly and Digory got to work on the toffee-tree. The fruit was delicious; not exactly like toffee - softer for one thing, and juicy - but like fruit which reminded one of toffee. Fledge also made an excellent breakfast; he tried one of the toffee fruits and liked it but said he felt more like grass at that hour in the morning. Then with some difficulty the children got on his back and the second journey began.

It was even better than yesterday, partly because every one was feeling so fresh, and partly because the newly risen sun was at their backs and, of course, everything looks nicer when the light is behind you. It was a wonderful ride. The big snowy mountains rose above them in every direction. The valleys, far beneath them, were so green, and all the streams which tumbled down from the glaciers into the main river were so blue, that it was like flying over gigantic pieces of jewellery. They would have liked this part of the adventure to go on longer than it did. But quite soon they were all sniffing the air and saying "What is it?" and "Did you smell something?" and "Where's it coming from?" For a heavenly smell, warm and golden, as if from all the most delicious fruits and flowers of the world, was coming up to them from somewhere ahead.
"It's coming from that valley with the lake in it," said Fledge.
"So it is," said Digory. "And look! There's a green hill at the far end of the lake. And look how blue the water is."
"It must be the Place," said all three.

Fledge came lower and lower in wide circles. The icy peaks rose up higher and higher above. The air came up warmer and sweeter every moment, so sweet that it almost brought the tears to your eyes. Fledge was now gliding with his wings spread out motionless on each side, and his hoofs pawing for the ground. The steep green hill was rushing towards them. A moment later he alighted on its slope, a little awkwardly. The children rolled off, fell without hurting themselves on the warm, fine grass, and stood up panting a little.

They were three-quarters of the way up the hill, and set out at once to climb to the top. (I don't think Fledge could have managed this without his wings to balance him and to give him the help of aflutter now and then.) All round the very top of the hill ran a high wall of green turf. Inside the wall trees were growing. Their branches hung out over the wall; their leaves showed not only green but also blue and silver when the wind stirred them. When the travellers reached the top they walked nearly all the way round it outside the green wall before they found the gates: high gates of gold, fast shut, facing due east.

Up till now I think Fledge and Polly had had the idea that they would go in with Digory. But they thought so no longer. You never saw a place which was so obviously private. You could see at a glance that it belonged to someone else. Only a fool would dream of going in unless he had been sent there on very special business. Digory himself understood at once that the others wouldn't and couldn't come in with him. He went forward to the gates alone.

When he had come close up to them he saw words written on the gold with silver letters; something like this:
Come in by the gold gates or not at all, Take of my fruit for others or forbear, For those who steal or those who climb my wall Shall find their heart's desire and find despair.

"Take of my fruit for others," said Digory to himself. "Well, that's what I'm going to do. It means I mustn't eat any myself, I suppose. I don't know what all that jaw in the last line is about. Come in by the gold gates. Well who'd want to climb a wall if he could get in by a gates.` But how do the gates open?" He laid his hand on them: and instantly they swung apart, opening inwards, turning on their hinges without the least noise.

Now that he could see into the place it looked more private than ever. He went in very solemnly, looking about him. Everything was very quiet inside. Even the fountain which rose near the middle of the garden made only the faintest sound. The lovely smell was all round him: it was a happy place but very serious.

He knew which was the right tree at once, partly because it stood in the very centre and partly because the great silver apples with which it was loaded shone so and cast a light of their own down on the shadowy places where the sunlight did not reach. He walked straight across to it, picked an apple, and put it in the breast pocket of his Norfolk jacket. But he couldn't help looking at it and smelling it before he put it away.

It would have been better if he had not. A terrible thirst and hunger came over him and a longing to taste that fruit. He put it hastily into his pocket; but there were plenty of others. Could it be wrong to taste one? After all, he thought, the notice on the gate might not have been exactly an order; it might have been only a piece of advice - and who cares about advice? Or even if it were an order, would he be disobeying it by eating an apple? He had already obeyed the part about taking one "for others".

While he was thinking of all this he happened to look up through the branches towards the top of the tree. There, on a branch above his head, a wonderful bird was roosting. I say "roosting" because it seemed almost asleep; perhaps not quite. The tiniest slit of one eye was open. It was larger than an eagle, its breast saffron, its head crested with scarlet, and its tail purple.

"And it just shows," said Digory afterwards when he was telling the story to the others, "that you can't be too careful in these magical places. You never know what may be watching you." But I think Digory would not have taken an apple for himself in any case. Things like Do Not Steal were, I think, hammered into boys' heads a good deal harder in those days than they are now. Still, we can never be certain.

Digory was just turning to go back to the gates when he stopped to have one last look around. He got a terrible shock. He was not alone. There, only a few yards away from him, stood the Witch. She was just throwing away the core of an apple which she had eaten. The juice was darker than you would expect and had made a horrid stain round her mouth. Digory guessed at once that she must have climbed in over the wall. And he began to see that there might be some sense in that last line about getting your heart's desire and getting despair along with it. For the Witch looked stronger and prouder than ever, and even, in a way, triumphant; but her face was deadly white, white as salt.

All this flashed through Digory's mind in a second; then he took to his heels and ran for the gates as hard as he could pelt; the Witch after him. As soon as he was out, the gates closed behind him of their own accord. That gave him the lead but not for long. By the time he had reached the others and was shouting out "Quick, get on, Polly! Get up, Fledge", the Witch had climbed the wall, or vaulted over it, and was close behind him again.

"Stay where you are," cried Digory, turning round to face her, "or we'll all vanish. Don't come an inch nearer."
"Foolish boy," said the Witch. "Why do you run from me? I mean you no harm. If you do not stop and listen to me now, you will miss some knowledge that would have made you happy all your life."
"Well I don't want to hear it, thanks," said Digory. But he did.

"I know what errand you have come on," continued the Witch. "For it was I who was close beside you in the woods last night and heard all your counsels. You have plucked fruit in the garden yonder. You have it in your pocket now. And you are going to carry it back, untasted, to the Lion; for him to eat, for him to use. You simpleton! Do you know what that fruit is? I will tell you. It is the apple of youth, the apple of life. I know, for I have tasted it; and I feel already such changes in myself that I know I shall never grow old or die. Eat it, Boy, eat it; and you and I will both live forever and be king and queen of this whole world - or of your world, if we decide to go back there."
"No thanks," said Digory, "I don't know that I care much about living on and on after everyone I know is dead. I'd rather live an ordinary time and die and go to Heaven."

"But what about this Mother of yours whom you pretend to love so?"
"What's she got to do with it?" said Digory.
"Do you not see, Fool, that one bite of that apple would heal her? You have it in your pocket. We are here by ourselves and the Lion is far away. Use your Magic and go back to your own world. A minute later you can be at your Mother's bedside, giving her the fruit. Five minutes later you will see the colour coming back to her face. She will tell you the pain is gone. Soon she will tell you she feels stronger. Then she will fall asleep - think of that; hours of sweet natural sleep, without pain, without drugs. Next day everyone will be saying how wonderfully she has recovered. Soon she will be quite well again. All will be well again. Your home will be happy again. You will be like other boys."

"Oh!" gasped Digory as if he had been hurt, and put his hand to his head. For he now knew that the most terrible choice lay before him.
"What has the Lion ever done for you that you should be his slave?" said the Witch. "What can he do to you once you are back in your own world? And what would your Mother think if she knew that you could have taken her pain away and given her back her life and saved your Father's heart from being broken, and that you wouldn't - that you'd rather run messages for a wild animal in a strange world that is no business of yours?"
"I - I don't think he is a wild animal," said Digory in a dried-up sort of voice. "He is - I don't know -"
"Then he is something worse," said the Witch. "Look what he has done to you already; look how heartless he has made you. That is what he does to everyone who listens to him. Cruel, pitiless boy! you would let your own Mother die rather than -"

"Oh shut up," said the miserable Digory, still in the same voice. "Do you think I don't see? But I - I promised."
"Ah, but you didn't know what you were promising. And no one here can prevent you."
"Mother herself," said Digory, getting the words out with difficulty, "wouldn't like it - awfully strict about keeping promises - and not stealing - and all that sort of thing. She'd tell me not to do it - quick as anything - if she was here."
"But she need never know," said the Witch, speaking more sweetly than you would have thought anyone with so fierce a face could speak. "You wouldn't tell her how you'd got the apple. Your Father need never know. No one in your world need know anything about this whole story. You needn't take the little girl back with you, you know."

That was where the Witch made her fatal mistake. Of course Digory knew that Polly could get away by her own ring as easily as he could get away by his. But apparently the Witch didn't know this. And the meanness of the suggestion that he should leave Polly behind suddenly made all the other things the Witch had been saying to him sound false and hollow. And even in the midst of all his misery, his head suddenly cleared, and he said (in a different and much louder' voice):
"Look here; where do you come into all this? Why are you so precious fond of my Mother all of a sudden? What's it got to do with you? What's your game?"
"Good for you, Digs," whispered Polly in his ear. "Quick! Get away now." She hadn't dared to say anything all through the argument because, you see, it wasn't her Mother who was dying.

"Up then," said Digory, heaving her on to Fledge's back and then scrambling up as quickly as he could. The horse spread its wings.
"Go then, Fools," called the Witch. "Think of me, Boy, when you lie old and weak and dying, and remember how you threw away the chance of endless youth! It won't be offered you again."
They were already so high that they could only just hear her. Nor did the Witch waste any time gazing up at them; they saw her set off northward down the slope of the hill.
They had started early that morning and what happened in the garden had not taken very long, so that Fledge and Polly both said they would easily get back to Narnia before nightfall. Digory never spoke on the way back, and the others were shy of speaking to him. He was very sad and he wasn't even sure all the time that he had done the right thing; but whenever he remembered the shining tears in Aslan's eyes he became sure.

All day Fledge flew steadily with untiring wings; eastward with the river to guide him, through the mountains and over the wild wooded hills, and then over the great waterfall and down, and down, to where the woods of Narnia were darkened by the shadow of the mighty cliff, till at last, when the sky was growing red with sunset behind them, he saw a place where many creatures were gathered together by the riverside. And soon he could see Aslan himself in the midst of them. Fledge glided down, spread out his four legs, closed his wings, and landed cantering. Then he pulled up. The children dismounted. Digory saw all the animals, dwarfs, satyrs, nymphs, and other things drawing back to the left and right to make way for him. He walked up to Aslan, handed him the apple and said:
"I've brought you the apple you wanted, sir."

      1 3、不期而遇
      “醒醒，迪格雷，醒醒，弗兰奇，”波莉喊道，“太妃糖树已经长成了。这是最美好的早晨。”
      初升的朝阳照进树林，草叶上蒙着一层灰白的露珠，蜘蛛网上银光闪闪。就在他们身旁，长出了一棵与苹果树一样大小的木色极暗的树。白白的树叶形似纸张，很像一种叫做缎花的草药，上面挂着枣儿一样的褐色小果实。"

      “哈!”迪格雷说，“可我要先去洗个澡。”他迅速穿过几丛开花的灌木到了河边。阳光下，山里的河水在红、蓝、黄三色石头上形成许多小瀑布奔涌而来，你曾在这样的河里洗过澡吗?跟在海里一样美妙；某些方面还更好些。当然，他只好不擦干身子就穿上衣服，但即使这样也很值得。他回来后，波莉也去洗了一次澡；至少她自己说她洗了澡，但就我们所知，她游泳不行，也许最好不要问得太多。弗兰奇也去了一次，但它只是站在河水中，俯身长长地吸了一口水，然后，甩甩鬃毛，长嘶几声。
      波莉和迪格雷开始对太妃糖树采取行动了。果实很好吃：跟太妃糖不完全相似，软一些，而且多汁——是一种吃了便令人想到太妃糖的水果。弗兰奇也美美地吃了一顿早餐：它试着尝了一个太妃果，很喜欢，但又说，在早晨的那个时候，它觉得更喜欢吃草。然后，孩子们有点儿艰难地上了马，第二天的旅行又开始了。

      今天的情况稍好于昨天，因为大家都感到神清气爽，而初升的太阳又在他们背后，自然，周围的景致就比阳光从前面射来时显得美丽一些。这是一段奇妙的飞行，四面八方都耸立着高大的雪山，底下的深谷里一片苍翠，从冰山上流下来注入那条大河的溪涧全部是蓝色的。他们像飞行在巨大的宝石上，盼望着这段旅行能延续得更长些。然而，过了一会儿，他们便闻到一股味道。“是什么?”“你闻到了吗?”“这味道是从哪儿来的?”从前面飘来一股似乎从世上最美好的果实和花卉中提炼出的温馨、浓郁的奇香。
      “是从一个有湖的山谷里飘来的。”弗兰奇说。
      “是的，”迪格雷说，“快看!湖那边有座绿色的山。看，湖水多蓝。”
      “肯定就是这个地方。”三个声音一齐说。
      弗兰奇绕着大圈，越飞越低，冰峰则越变越高。空气每一秒钟都更加暖和、甜美，几乎使你热泪盈眶。弗兰奇一动不动地伸开它那巨大的双翅滑行着，马蹄随时准备着陆。那座陡峭的绿色小山向他们迎面扑来。很快，弗兰奇就稍微有点儿不熟练地落在了山坡上。孩子们翻身下马，稳稳当当地站在温暖柔软的草地上，轻轻地喘着气。

      离山顶还有四分之一的路，他们立即出发向上爬去。(我认为弗兰奇如果没有那对翅膀时不时地扇动一下帮助它维持平衡的话，它是很难上去的。)山的最高处被一圈绿色的草墙围了起来。墙内密密地栽着树，树枝伸出墙外。叶子在风中闪出绿色、蓝色和银色的光芒。当三位旅行者到达山顶时，他们在绿墙外绕了几乎整整一圈，才找到面向正东、紧闭着的高大金门。
      直到现在，我还认为弗兰奇和波莉曾经想过和迪格雷一起进去，但他们很快就打消了这个念头。你从未见过如此幽寂的地方，一看就知道是私人所有。除非负有特殊使命，只有傻瓜才会梦想走进去。迪格雷马上就明白别人不会也不能和他一起进去。他独自向门走去。
      来到门前，他看见金门上写着一些银色的字，大意是这样的：
      从金门走进，或者留在外面，
      为他人摘取果实，或者克制欲望。
      因为那些偷窃和跳墙的人
      会如愿以偿，也会丧气绝望。

      “为他人摘取果实，”迪格雷对自己说，“好，这就是我要做的事。就是说，我自己一点儿也不能吃。我想，我不懂后面两行字是什么道理。要是可以从门进来谁愿意爬墙呢?但这门怎么开?”他把手放在上面，门一下子朝里面打开了，铰链转动时没发出一点儿
      响声。    
      现在他可以看到这地方的内部了，它比先前更显得幽寂。他环顾四周，庄严地走了进去。里面悄无声息，竖立在花园中心的那座喷泉也只发出微弱的声音。他的周围弥漫着一股香味。那是个令人愉快但十分严肃的地方。
      他立刻就认出要找的树，因为那棵树就在正中，树上银色的大苹果将光投射到阳光照射不到的阴暗处。他径直走过去，摘下一个苹果放在他诺福克上衣贴胸的口袋里，但他在放进去之前又情不自禁地看了看，闻了闻。

      这一看一闻不要紧，一阵极度的饥渴朝他袭来，他突然非常想尝一尝那个苹果。他赶紧放进口袋；但树上还有那么多，尝一个有什么错呢?他想，门上的告示不一定就是禁令，可能只是一个劝告，谁在乎劝告呢?或者即使是禁令，他吃了一个苹果就不对吗?他已经做到“为他人”取苹果了。
      他想着想着，不经意地拾起头，透过树枝一直看到树顶。一只神奇的鸟儿正栖息在他头上的一根树枝上。说“栖息”，是因为它似乎睡着了，但也许并没有真正睡着。一只眼睛睁开一条细得不能再细的缝隙。那只鸟比鹰还大，胸部呈橘黄色，头上的冠毛杂有猩红，尾巴是紫色的。
      “这恰恰说明，”迪格雷后来对别人讲起这个故事时说，“在这种有魔法的地方，你无论如何仔细都不过分。你无法知道什么东西正监视着你。”但我想，不管怎样，迪格雷是不会为自己摘苹果的。那时候，在男孩们的心目中，“不偷窃”之类的观念比现在牢固得多。但我们仍然没有十分的把握。

      迪格雷转身向大门走去时，停下来最后朝四下里看了一眼。他吓了一大跳，原来不光他一个人在这儿，几步开外，站着那个女巫。她正在扔掉她吃剩的苹果核。那苹果汁的颜色比你想像的要深些，她的嘴边留下一圈令人厌恶的痕迹。迪格雷马上就猜到，她是翻墙过来的。而且，他开始明白最后一行“会如愿以偿，也会丧气绝望”可能是有含义的。因为女巫看上去比以前强壮、傲慢，甚至在某种程度上更加得意扬扬，但她的脸苍白得像盐一样。
      迪格雷心中很快闪过这些念头后，便抬起脚，尽快地朝大门跑去。女巫在后面紧迫。他一出来，门就自动合上了。这使他领先一步，但不一会儿，当他喊着“快，波莉，上马!快飞，弗兰奇!”冲到他同伴身边时，女巫已爬过墙或者跳过墙追了过来，又紧跟在他身后了。
      “站住，别动!”迪格雷大声说道，转身对着她，“否则，我们就全部消失了。一步也不准靠近。”

      “傻孩子，”女巫说，“你干吗逃呀?我又不会伤害你。如果你不停下来听我说，你会漏掉一些能使你终身幸福的知识。”
      “我不想听，谢谢。”迪格雷说。但他是想听的。
      “我知道你是来干什么的，”女巫继续说道，“因为昨天夜里在树林中就是我藏在你们身边，听到了你们的议论。你已经从那边花园里摘下苹果，装在口袋里了。你将一口也不尝就带回去给狮子，给它吃，给它用，你这个傻瓜!你知道这是什么果吗?我告诉你，这是青春果，生命果。我懂，因为我已经吃了。我已感到我自己身上发生了变化，我知道我不会老也不会死。吃吧，孩子，吃了它，你和我都会长生不老，做这个世界的国王和王后，或者我们决定回去的话，也可以去你们的世界称王。”

      “不，谢谢，”迪格雷说，“我不知道自己是不是在每一个认识的人都死了以后还想长久地活下去。我宁肯活到一般的年龄就死去，然后进天堂。”
      “可你的妈妈怎么办呢?你装得那么爱她。”
      “她跟这事儿有什么关系?”迪格雷说。
      “你还不明白?傻瓜!她只要吃上一口那种苹果就会好。你的口袋里有。我们自己在这儿，狮子离得很远，运用魔法回到你自己的世界去。一分钟后你就把苹果送到你妈妈的床边了。五分钟后，你就会看到她的脸上有了血色。她将告诉你疼痛消失了。很快，她又会说感到强壮多了。然后，便能睡着了——想想吧，不痛也不吃药地酣睡上几个小时。第二天，谁都会说她恢复得多么神奇。她很快就完全好了。一切都会变好，你和其他孩子一样，又会有一个幸福的家庭。”

      “噢!”迪格雷像受了伤似的用手摸着头，喘着气。他知道最可怕的选择摆在了他面前。
      “狮子对你有什么好处，你情愿给它当奴隶?”女巫说，“一旦你回到自己的世界，谁也不能把你怎么样。要是你妈妈知道你本来可以解除她的痛苦，恢复她的生机，可以不使你爸爸的心灵破碎，而你却不愿意，宁肯为与你们毫不相干的陌生世界里的一只野兽效劳，她会怎么想呢?”
      “我——我不认为它是野兽，”迪格雷用干哑的声音说，“它是——我不知道——”
      “它比你想像的更坏，”女巫说，“看看它是怎样对待你的吧：你看它把你变得多么没有心肝。每一个服从它的人都会这样的。残忍的、没有同情心的孩子!你宁肯让自己的妈妈死而不愿……”
      “啊，别说了，”悲伤的迪格雷用依旧干哑的声音说，“你以为我不明白?但我……我答应了。”
      “嗨，可你当时并不懂你答应了什么。在这里谁也不能阻拦你。”

      “妈妈自己，”迪格雷艰难地吐出几句话，“也不会喜欢那种做法——她对我很严格，要我遵守诺言——不要偷东西——以及所有这一类的要求。如果她在这儿的话，也不会让我那样做的。”
      “但她没有必要知道，”女巫甜甜地说，你想不出一个长相那么凶的人能说得那么甜美动听，“你不用告诉她你是怎样弄到苹果的。你爸爸也不必知道。你的世界里谁也不需要知道这件事的来龙去脉。而且，你也不必把那小女孩带回去。”
      这正是女巫致命的错误所在。迪格雷当然知道波莉可以靠自己的戒指回去，跟他靠自己的戒指回去一样容易。但显然女巫不知道这一点。她要他丢下波莉，这卑鄙的建议使她刚才说过的一切全都成了假话和空话。迪格雷即使正沉浸在悲哀之中，头脑也很快清醒了，他说(声音变了，响亮得多)："
      “喂，你怎么知道这么多事情?为什么突然之间对我妈妈如此关心?她跟你有什么关系?你想干什么?”
      “好样的，迪格雷，”波莉在他耳边悄声说，“快!马上走。”在整个争论的过程中，她不敢说什么，因为，你知道，快死的不是她的妈妈。
      “上马。”迪格雷说着将她举上马背，然后自己尽快地爬了上去，弗兰奇展开了翅膀。
      “走吧，傻瓜们，”女巫叫着，“当你老了，虚弱得快死的时候就想想我，小男孩，记住你是怎样把永葆青春的机会扔掉的，机不可失，时不再来。”

      他们已经飞上了高空，只听见她的声音，但听不清她在说什么。女巫也不愿浪费时间目送他们，只见她朝北边的山坡下走去了。
      那天早上，他们走得很早，花园里发生的事没有耽误太多的时间，弗兰奇和波莉都说他们可以很容易地在天黑前赶回纳尼亚。回去的路上，迪格雷一言不发，其他两位也不好意思与他说话。他极度悲哀，一直拿不准自己是否做对了，但只要他想起阿斯兰眼中闪烁的泪光，他就坚信自己没有错。

      一整天，弗兰奇都不知疲倦地扇动着翅膀，稳稳地飞行。越过高山，飞过森林覆盖的原始山区，过了大瀑布，高度越来越低，一直飞到在高大岩壁投下的阴影中显得灰暗无光的纳尼亚林区。最后，背后的天空被夕阳染得绯红。它看见河边聚集了许多动物，很快就看见阿斯兰也在其中。弗兰奇收了双翅，伸开四蹄滑了下来，慢跑着落在地上。停稳后，孩子们下了马，迪格雷看见所有的动物、小矮人、森林之神、河泽仙女等全都朝两边退去，为他留出一条路来。他径直走到阿斯兰跟前，将苹果递给它，说：
      “阁下，我把你想要的苹果摘来了。”

Chapter 14：THE PLANTING OF THE TREE

"WELL done," said Aslan in a voice that made the earth shake. Then Digory knew that all the Narnians had heard those words and that the story of them would be handed down from father to son in that new world for hundreds of years and perhaps forever. But he was in no danger of feeling conceited for he didn't think about it at all now that he was face to face with Aslan. This time he found he could look straight into the Lion's eyes. He had forgotten his troubles and felt absolutely content.

"Well done, son of Adam," said the Lion again. "For this fruit you have hungered and thirsted and wept. No hand but yours shall sow the seed of the Tree that is to be the protection of Narnia. Throw the apple towards the river bank where the ground is soft."
Digory did as he was told. Everyone had grown so quiet that you could hear the soft thump where it fell into the mud.
"It is well thrown," said Aslan. "Let us now proceed to the Coronation of King Frank of Narnia and Helen his Queen."

The children now noticed these two for the first time. They were dressed in strange and beautiful clothes, and from their shoulders rich robes flowed out behind them to where four dwarfs held up the King's train and four rivernymphs the Queen's. Their heads were bare; but Helen had let her hair down and it made a great improvement in her appearance. But it was neither hair nor clothes that made them look so different from their old selves. Their faces had a new expression, especially the King's. All the sharpness and cunning and quarrelsomeness which he had picked up as a London cabby seemed to have been washed away, and the courage and kindness which he had always had were easier to see. Perhaps it was the air of the young world that had done it, or talking with Aslan, or both.
"Upon my word," whispered Fledge to Polly. "My old master's been changed nearly as much as I have! Why, he's a real master now."
"Yes, but don't buzz in my ear like that," said Polly. "It tickles so."

"Now," said Aslan, "some of you undo that tangle you have made with those trees and let us see what we shall find there."
Digory now saw that where four trees grew close together their branches had all been laced together or tied together with switches so as to make a sort of cage. The two Elephants with their trunks and a few dwarfs with their little axes soon got it all undone. There were three things inside. One was a young tree that seemed to be made of gold; the second was a young tree that seemed to be made of silver; but the third was a miserable object in muddy clothes, sitting hunched up between them.
"Gosh!" whispered Digory. "Uncle Andrew!"

To explain all this we must go back a bit. The Beasts, you remember, had tried planting and watering him. When the watering brought him to his senses, he found himself soaking wet, buried up to his thighs in earth (which was quickly turning into mud) and surrounded by more wild animals than he had ever dreamed of in his life before. It is perhaps not surprising that he began to scream and howl. This was in a way a good thing, for it at last persuaded everyone (even the Warthog) that he was alive. So they dug him up again (his trousers were in a really shocking state by now). As soon as his legs were free he tried to bolt, but one swift curl of the Elephant's trunk round his waist soon put an end to that. Everyone now thought he must be safely kept somewhere till Aslan had time to come and see him and say what should be done about him. So they made a sort of cage or coop all round him. They then offered him everything they could; think of to eat.

The Donkey collected great piles of thistles and threw them in, but Uncle Andrew didn't seem to care about them. The Squirrels bombarded him with volleys of nuts but he only covered his head with his hands and tried to keep out of the way. Several birds flew to and fro deligently dropping worms on him. The Bear was especially kind. During the afternoon he found a wild bees' nest and instead of eating it himself (which he would very much like to have done) this worthy creature brought it back to Uncle Andrew. But this was in fact the worst failure of all. The Bear lobbed the whole sticky mass over the top of the enclosure and unfortunately it hit Uncle Andrew slap in the face (not all the bees were dead). The Bear, who would not at all have minded being hit in the face by a honeycomb himself, could not understand why Uncle Andrew staggered back, slipped, and sat down. And it was sheer bad luck that he sat down on the pile of thistles. "And anyway," as the Warthog said, "quite a lot of honey has got into the creature's mouth and that's bound to have done it some good." They were really getting quite fond of their strange pet and hoped that Aslan would allow them to keep it. The cleverer ones were quite sure by now that at least some of the noises which came out of his mouth had a meaning. They christened him Brandy because he made that noise so often.

In the end, however, they had to leave him there for the night. Aslan was busy all that day instructing the new King and Queen and doing other important things, and could not attend to "poor old Brandy". What with the nuts, pears, apples, and bananas that had been thrown in to him, he did fairly well for supper; but it wouldn't be true to say that he passed an agreeable night.

"Bring out that creature," said Aslan. One of the Elephants lifted Uncle Andrew in its trunk and laid him at the Lion's feet. He was too frightened to move.
"Please, Aslan," said Polly, "could you say something to - to unfrighten him? And then could you say something to prevent him from ever coming back here again?"
"Do you think he wants to?" said Aslan.
"Well, Aslan," said Polly, "he might send someone else. He's so excited about the bar off the lamp-post growing into a lamp-post tree and he thinks -"

"He thinks great folly, child," said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good! But I will give him the only gift he is still able to receive."

He bowed his great head rather sadly, and breathed into the Magician's terrified face. "Sleep," he said. "Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments you have devised for yourself." Uncle Andrew immediately rolled over with closed eyes and began breathing peacefully.
"Carry him aside and lay him down," said Aslan. "Now, dwarfs! Show your smith-craft. Let me see you make two crowns for your King and Queen."

More Dwarfs than you could dream of rushed forward to the Golden Tree. They had all its leaves stripped off, and some of its branches torn off too, before you could say Jack Robinson. And now the children could see that it did not merely look golden but was of real, soft gold. It had of course sprung up from the half-sovereigns which had fallen out of Uncle Andrew's pocket when he was turned upside down; just as the silver had grown up from the half-crowns. From nowhere, as it seemed, piles of dry brushwood for fuel, a little anvil, hammers, tongs, and bellows were produced. Next moment (how those dwarfs loved their work!) the fire was blazing, the bellows were roaring, the gold was melting, the hammers were clinking. Two Moles, whom Aslan had set to dig (which was what they liked best) earlier in the day, poured out a pile of precious stones at the dwarfs' feet. Under the clever fingers of the little smiths two crowns took shape - not ugly, heavy things like modern European crowns, but light, delicate, beautifully shaped circles that you could really wear and look nicer by wearing. The King's was set with rubies and the Queen's with emeralds.

When the crowns had been cooled in the river Aslan made Frank and Helen kneel before him and he placed the crowns on their heads. Then he said, "Rise up King and Queen of Narnia, father and mother of many kings that shall be in Narnia and the Isles and Archenland. Be just and merciful and brave. The blessing is upon you."
Then everyone cheered or bayed or neighed or trumpeted or clapped its wings and the royal pair stood looking solemn and a little shy, but all the nobler for their shyness. And while Digory was still cheering he heard the deep voice of Aslan beside him, saying:
"Look!"

Everyone in that crowd turned its head, and then everyone drew a long breath of wonder and delight. A little way off, towering over their heads, they saw a tree which had certainly not been there before. It must have grown up silently, yet swiftly as a flag rises when you pull it up on a flagstaff, while they were all busied about the coronation. Its spreading branches seemed to cast a light rather than a shade, and silver apples peeped out like stars from under every leaf. But it was the smell which came from it, even more than the sight, that had made everyone draw in their breath. For a moment one could hardly think about anything else.

"Son of Adam," said Aslan, "you have sown well. And you, Narnians, let it be your first care to guard this Tree, for it is your Shield. The Witch of whom I told you has fled far away into the North of the world; she will live on there, growing stronger in dark Magic. But while that Tree flourishes she will never come down into Narnia. She dare not come within a hundred miles of the Tree, for its smell, which is joy and life and health to you, is death and horror and despair to her."

Everyone was staring solemnly at the Tree when Aslan suddenly swung round his head (scattering golden gleams of light from his mane as he did so) and fixed his large eyes on the children. "What is it, children?" he said, for he caught them in the very act of whispering and nudging one another.
"Oh - Aslan, sir," said Digory, turning red, "I forgot to tell you. The Witch has already eaten one of those apples, one of the same kind that Tree grew from." He hadn't really said all he was thinking, but Polly at once said it for him (Digory was always much more afraid than she of looking a fool.)

"So we thought, Aslan," she said, "that there must be some mistake, and she can't really mind the smell of those apples."
"Why do you think that, Daughter of Eve?" asked the Lion. '
"Well, she ate one."
"Child," he replied, "that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after."

"Oh I see," said Polly. "And I suppose because she took it in the wrong way it won't work for her. I mean it won't make her always young and all that?"
"Alas," said Aslan, shaking his head. "It will. Things always work according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it."

"I - I nearly ate one myself, Aslan," said Digory. "Would I -"
"You would, child," said Aslan. "For the fruit always works - it must work - but it does not work happily for any who pluck it at their own will. If any Narnian, unbidden, had stolen an apple and planted it here to protect Narnia, it would have protected Narnia. But it would have done so by making Narnia into another strong and cruel empire like Charn, not the kindly land I mean it to be. And the Witch tempted you to do another thing, my son, did she not?"

"Yes, Aslan. She wanted me to take an apple home to Mother."
"Understand, then, that it would have healed her; but not to your joy or hers. The day would have come when both you and she would have looked back and said it would have been better to die in that illness."

And Digory could say nothing, for tears choked him and he gave up all hopes of saving his Mother's life; but at the same time he knew that the Lion knew what would have happened, and that there might be things more terrible even than losing someone you love by death. But now Aslan was speaking again, almost in a whisper:
"That is what would have happened, child, with a stolen apple. It is not what will happen now. What I give you now will bring joy. It will not, in your world, give endless life, but it will heal. Go. Pluck her an apple from the Tree."

For a second Digory could hardly understand. It was as if the whole world had turned inside out and upside down. And then, like someone in a dream, he was walking across to the Tree, and the King and Queen were cheering him and all the creatures were cheering too. He plucked the apple and put it in his pocket. Then he came back to Aslan.
"Please," he said, "may we go home now?" He had forgotten to say "Thank you", but he meant it, and Aslan understood.

      14、栽树
      “干得好。”阿斯兰用震撼大地的声音说。迪格雷知道所有的纳尼亚公民都听到了，他们的故事在那个新世界里将由父辈传给儿子，几百年也许永远流传下去。然而他并没有陷入骄傲自满的危险，因为，现在他面对面地看着阿斯兰的时候，根本就没有想到这一点。这次，他发现可以正视狮子的眼睛。他已经忘了自己的难处，完完全全地心满意足了。

      “干得好，亚当的儿子。”狮子又说，“你曾经渴望得到这只苹果并为它流过泪，只有你的手可以栽下这颗用来保卫纳尼亚的树种。将苹果朝河边的松土扔过去吧。”-
      迪格雷照着做了。大家安静下来，苹果掉进泥里时发出的轻柔响声听得很清楚。

      “扔得好，”阿斯兰说，“现在，让我们为纳尼亚的弗兰克国王和他的海伦王后举行加冕典礼。”
      孩子们现在才注意到这一对夫妻。他们穿着奇特而美丽的衣服，华贵的长袍从肩上一直拖到地上，四个小矮人托起国王的袍裾，四个河泽仙女托起王后的裙裾。他们的头上没有装饰，但海伦把头发披了下来，显得更加动人。然而，不是头发也不是服装使他们与过去迥然不同，而是脸上有了一种崭新的表情，尤其是国王。他在伦敦当马车夫时养成的尖刻、狡诈和好争吵的秉性全部涤荡一空，勇敢和善良的本性则比较明显。也许，是这个年轻世界的空气或与阿斯兰的谈话产生了这样的效果，也许两者兼有。

      “天哪，”弗兰奇悄悄对波莉说，“我的老主人几乎与我一样大大地变了。他现在是个真正的主人了。”
      “是的，但别在我耳边叽叽喳喳，”波莉说，“太痒了。”
      “现在，”阿斯兰说，“你们去把缠在一起的那几棵树松开。让我们看看里面到底是什么。”
      迪格雷这才看见，四棵树紧紧地长在一起，树枝相互缠绕纠结，形成一个像笼子似的东西。两头大象用鼻子、几个小矮人用小斧很快分开了那些树枝。里面有三样东西：一棵小树，似乎是金子做的；另一棵像是银子做的小树；但第三样东西模样太惨，衣服上涂满泥浆，弓腰缩背地夹在两棵树之间。
      “哦!”迪格雷低低地喊了一声，“安德鲁舅舅!”

      我们必须倒回去才能解释清楚。你记得动物们曾试着把他栽进土里并且浇了水吧?当水使他头脑清醒时，他发现自己浑身湿透，大腿以下全部埋在土里(土很快变成了泥浆)，被他做梦也想不到的众多野兽包围着。自然他开始尖声号叫。从某种意义上讲，这是一件好事，因为，最终动物们(包括野猪)知道他还活着。于是，它们又把他挖出来(此刻，他的裤子着实会吓人一跳)。腿一出来，他就想跑，但大象用鼻子在他腰上轻轻一卷便挡住了他。每个动物都认为必须将他安全地囚起来，直到阿斯兰有空过来看了以后再行发落。所以，它们就做了一个笼子或者说棚子将他圈了起来。然后，用它们想得到的所有食物喂他。

      驴子将一大堆蓟扔进笼子，但安德鲁舅舅似乎并不理睬。松鼠们连珠炮似的砸下许多坚果，但他只是用手遮头，想法躲开。几只鸟儿勤奋地飞来飞去，向笼子里投下虫子。那头熊尤其善良。下午，它发现一只野蜂的蜂巢，高尚的熊自己舍不得吃(它其实非常想吃)，带回来给了安德鲁舅舅。然而，这是最失败的一招。熊把那团黏乎乎的东西挂在笼子的顶上，不巧打着了安德鲁舅舅的脸(不是所有的蜂都死了)。那头熊自己毫不在乎脸被蜂巢打一下，也就无法理解安德鲁舅舅为什么蹒跚着往后退，滑了一跤，跌坐在地。而非常不幸的是，他又坐在了那堆蓟上。“无论如何，”像那头野猪说的，“不少蜂蜜流进了那东西的嘴巴，一定会对他有好处。”它们对这个奇怪的宠物真正地感起兴趣来，并希望阿斯兰允许它们饲养他。较聪明的一些动物十分肯定地说，他嘴里发出的声音中至少有一部分是有意义的。它们叫他“白兰地”，因为他常常发出那个音。

      然而，最后，他们不得不把他留在那里过夜。那天，阿斯兰一直忙着指导新的国王和王后，或做其他重要的事情，无法过问“可怜的老白兰地”。那么多苹果、梨子、坚果和香蕉扔了进去。他的晚餐相当丰盛，但要说他度过了一个愉快的夜晚却很不真实。
      “把那东西带出来。”阿斯兰说。一头大象用鼻子将安德鲁舅舅卷了起来，放在狮子脚边，他吓得无法动弹了。
      “对不起，阿斯兰，”波莉说，“你能说点儿什么——让他别害怕吗?然后再说点儿什么让他以后别再来这儿?”
      “你认为他想来吗?”阿斯兰说。
      “嗯，阿斯兰，”波莉说，“他可能会派别人来。从灯柱上扭下的铁棒又长成小灯柱使他很激动，他想——”

      “他的想法非常蠢，孩子，”阿斯兰说：“这个世界在这几天里充满着生命力，是因为给它注入生命力的歌声还飘逸在空中，回荡在地上。这是不会持续很久的。可是我不能跟这老无赖说这些，我也无法安慰他。他弄得他自己无法听懂我的话。如果我对他说话，他只会听到咕哝和咆哮。啊，亚当的孩子，你们抵抗了对你们有好处的所有诱惑，多么聪明!但我会把他能够接受的惟一礼物给他的。”
      它神情悲戚地低下巨大的头，朝魔法师受惊的脸上吹了一口气。“睡，”它说，“睡吧，把你自找的烦恼丢开几小时吧。”安德鲁舅舅立即合上眼皮，倒在地上，开始安详地呼吸起来。
      “把他弄到一边，让他躺着。”阿斯兰说，“好吧，小矮人，施展你们的铁匠手艺。让我看着你们给国王和王后做两个王冠。”

      做梦也想不到的许许多多小矮人朝那棵金树奔去，眨眼问，就把树上的全部叶子和一些枝桠摘了下来。孩子们现在知道，那棵树不光是金色的，而且的确是柔软的金子。它当然是从安德鲁舅舅被倒立时口袋里金币落地的地方长出来的，就像银币落地会长成银树一样。小矮人不知从哪儿弄来一堆做燃料的干灌木，还有一个小铁砧，几把铁锤，钳子和风箱。不一会儿(小矮人们很喜欢自己的工作)，火就烧旺了，风箱呼呼地拉响，金子熔化了，铁锤丁丁当当地敲打起来。刚才被阿斯兰派去掘地的两只鼹鼠(它们最喜欢掘地)把一堆珍贵的宝石倒在小矮人脚下。小铁匠们灵巧的双手做成了两顶王冠——不像现在欧洲的王冠那样笨重、丑陋，而是两个轻巧、精致、造型优美的圆环，你真的可以戴上而且戴上后会更漂亮。国王的王冠上镶着红宝石，王后的王冠上镶着绿宝石。

      王冠在河水中冷却后，阿斯兰要弗兰克和海伦跪在它面前，它将王冠给他们戴上，然后说：“站起来，纳尼亚的国王和王后，你们将是纳尼亚、各个岛屿及阿钦兰许多国王的父母。要公正、仁慈、勇敢。祝福你们。”
      大家全都欢呼、狂吠、嘶呜，或拍打翅膀，或发出喇叭一样的声音。国王夫妇站起来，表情庄严，略带羞涩，但羞涩使他们看上去更加高贵。迪格雷正在欢呼，耳边响起阿斯兰低沉的声音：
      “看!”

      每个人或动物都转过头去，十分惊喜地深吸了一口气。一棵显然是才生出来的树挺立在几步开外的地方，枝桠已覆盖到他们头上。那棵树一定是当他们忙着给国王和王后加冕时静悄悄地长起来的，就像挂在旗杆上的旗子升上去时那么迅捷。它伸出的树枝投下了一片光，而不是一片阴影。每一片叶子下，隐约看见犹如星星般的银色苹果。然而，是它发出的气味而不是它的形象使他们深吸了一口气。一瞬间，你很难再想别的事了。
      “亚当的儿子，”阿斯兰说，“你栽得很好。你们，纳尼亚的公民，保卫这棵树是你们的首要任务，因为它就是你们的盾。我跟你们说的那个女巫已经逃到北边的山里去了；她会在那儿住下来，靠邪恶的魔法越长越强壮。但只要这棵树枝繁叶茂，她就决不敢进入纳尼亚。她不敢走到离这棵树一百里以内，因为这棵树的气味能给你们带来欢乐、生命和健康，对她来说，却是死亡、恐惧和绝望。”

      每个人和动物都庄严地凝视着那棵树，突然，阿斯兰头一甩(毛发上金光闪烁)，紧紧地盯着孩子们。“什么事，孩子们?”它说。因为它看见他们正低声耳语并互相用肘轻轻推挤。

      “啊——阿斯兰，阁下，”迪格雷红着脸说，“我忘了告诉你，女巫已经吃了一个苹果，跟这树上结的一模一样。”他没有完全说出真实的想法，但波莉马上替他说了。(和她相比，他更害怕被人看成傻瓜。
      “所以，我们认为，阿斯兰，”她说，“一定出了问题，她不会真正在乎那些苹果的味道的。”
      “你为什么这么想，夏娃的女儿?”狮子问。
      “唔，她吃了一个。”

      “孩子，”它回答说，“这样一来，所有剩下的苹果对她来说都很可怕。对那些在错误的时间、用错误的方法摘苹果、吃苹果的人，就会产生这样的结果。果子很好，但他们以后会永远厌恶它。”
      “哦，我明白了，”波莉说，“我想，因为她摘得不对，苹果对她就不起作用，我是说，就不会使她永远年轻等等。”
      “啊，不，”阿斯兰摇着头说，“会的，事物本身的规律不会变。她如愿以偿了，她像女神一样有永不枯竭的力量和无尽的天年。但如果一个人有一颗邪恶的心，活多久就会烦恼多久，她已经开始懂得这一点了。他们这些人要什么有什么，但他们不见得总喜欢这样。”
      “我——我自己差点儿吃了一个，阿斯兰。”迪格雷说，“我——我会……?”

      “你会的，孩子，”阿斯兰说，“因为苹果总是要起作用的——必须起作用——但不会对那些为了自己的私欲而摘它的人有好结果。如果任何一位纳尼亚公民不听劝告，偷一个苹果，然后栽在这里保卫纳尼亚，当然它就会保卫纳尼亚。但是，它会把纳尼亚变成恰恩那样强大而残酷的帝国，而不是我所希望的这种友爱的国家。女巫还诱惑你干另一件事，不是吗，我的孩子?”
      “是的，阿斯兰。她要我摘一个苹果带回家给妈妈。”

      “要知道，这也会治好她的病，但不会给你或她带来欢乐。如果你那样做了，总有一天，你和她回想起这件事时，会说，当初还不如病死的好。”
      眼中的泪水噎得迪格雷说不出话来。他放弃了救妈妈性命的全部希望；但同时他也明白，狮子对于会发生的一切都了如指掌，也许有些事情比一个你所爱的人去世还要可怕。这时，阿斯兰又说：
      “如果偷一个苹果，结果就和我刚刚说的那样。但现在不会发生这样的事。我现在给你的苹果会带来欢乐。在你们的世界里，它不会使人长生不老，但能够治病。去吧，从树上摘一个苹果给你妈妈。”
      一时间，迪格雷简直被弄糊涂了。好像整个世界都颠倒混乱了。然后，他仿佛做梦一样，向那棵树走去，国王和王后为他欢呼，动物们也都为他欢呼。他摘下苹果，放进口袋，回到阿斯兰身边。.
      “对不起，”他说，“我们可以回家了吗?”他忘了说“谢谢”，但他有这个意思，而阿斯兰也理解他。

Chapter 15：THE END OF THIS STORY AND THE BEGINNING OF ALL THE OTHERS

"You need no rings when I am with you," said the voice of Aslan. The children blinked and looked about them. They were once more in the Wood between the Worlds; Uncle Andrew lay on the grass, still asleep; Aslan stood beside them.
"Come," said Aslan; "it is time that you went back. But there are two things to see to first; a warning, and a command. Look here, children."
They looked and saw a little hollow in the grass, with a grassy bottom, warm and dry.

"When you were last here," said Aslan, "that hollow was a pool, and when you jumped into it you came to the world where a dying sun shone over the ruins of Charn. There is no pool now. That world is ended, as if it had never been. Let the race of Adam and Eve take warning."
"Yes, Aslan," said both the children. But Polly added, "But we're not quite as bad as that world, are we, Aslan?"

"Not yet, Daughter of Eve," he said. "Not yet. But you are growing more like it. It is not certain that some wicked one of your race will not find out a secret as evil as the Deplorable Word and use it to destroy all living things. And soon, very soon, before you are an old man and an old woman, great nations in your world will be ruled by tyrants who care no more for joy and justice and mercy than the Empress Jadis. Let your world beware. That is the warning. Now for the command. As soon as you can, take from this Uncle of yours his magic rings and bury them so that no one can use them again."

Both the children were looking up into the Lion's face as he spoke these words. And all at once (they never knew exactly how it happened) the face seemed to be a sea of tossing gold in which they were floating, and such a sweetness and power rolled about them and over them and entered them that they felt they had never really been happy or wise or good, or even alive and awake, before. And the memory of that moment stayed with them always, so that as long as they both lived, if ever they were sad or afraid or angry, the thought of all that golden goodness, and the feeling that it was still there, quite close, just round some corner or just behind some door, would come back and make them sure, deep down inside, that all was well. Next minute all three of them (Uncle Andrew now awake) came tumbling into the noise, heat, and hot smells of London.
They were on the pavement outside the Ketterleys' front door, and except that the Witch, the Horse, and the Cabby were gone, everything was exactly as they had left it. There was the lamp-post, with one arm missing; there was the wreck of the hansom cab; and there was the crowd. Everyone was still talking and people were kneeling beside the damaged policeman, saying things like, "He's coming round" or "How do you feel now, old chap?" or "The Ambulance will be here in a jiffy."
"Great Scott!" thought Digory, "I believe the whole adventure's taken no time at all."

Most people were wildly looking round for Jadis and the horse. No one took any notice of the children for no one had seen them go or noticed them coming back. As for Uncle Andrew, what between the state of his clothes and the honey on his face, he could not have been recognized by anyone. Fortunately the front door of the house was-open and the housemaid was standing in the doorway staring at the fun (what a day that girl was having!) so the children had no difficulty in bustling Uncle Andrew indoors before anyone asked any questions.

He raced up the stirs before them and at first they were very afraid he was heading for his attic and meant to hide his remaining magic rings. But they needn't have bothered. What he was thinking about was the bottle in his wardrobe, and he disappeared at once into his bedroom and locked the door. When he came out again (which was not for a long time) he was in his dressinggown and made straight for the bathroom.
"Can you get the other rings, Poll?" said Digory. "I want to go to Mother."
"Right. See you later," said Polly and clattered up the attic stairs.

Then Digory took a minute to get his breath, and then went softly into his Mother's room. And there she lay, as he had seen her lie so many other times, propped up on the pillows, with a thin, pale face that would make you cry to look at. Digory took the Apple of Life out of his pocket.
And just as the Witch Jadis had looked different when you saw her in our world instead of in her own, so the fruit of that mountain garden looked different too. There were of course all sorts of coloured things in the bedroom; the coloured counterpane on the bed, the wallpaper, the sunlight from the window, and Mother's pretty, pale blue dressing jacket. But the moment Digory took the Apple out of his pocket, all those things seemed to have scarcely any colour at all. Every one of them, even the sunlight, looked faded and dingy. The brightness of the Apple threw strange lights on the ceiling. Nothing else was worth looking at: you couldn't look at anything else. And the smell of the Apple of Youth was as if there was a window in the room that opened on Heaven.
"Oh, darling, how lovely," said Digory's Mother.
"You will eat it, won't you? Please," said Digory.
"I don't know what the Doctor would say," she answered. "But really - I almost feel as if I could."

He peeled it and cut it up and gave it to her piece by piece. And no sooner had she finished it than she smiled and her head sank back on the pillow and she was asleep: a real, natural, gentle sleep, without any of those nasty drugs, which was, as Digory knew, the thing in the whole world that she wanted most. And he was sure now that her face looked a little different. He bent down and kissed her very softly and stole out of the room with a beating heart; taking the core of the apple with him. For the rest of that day, whenever he looked at the things about him, and saw how ordinary and unmagical they were, he hardly dared to hope; but when he remembered the face of Aslan he did hope.
That evening he buried the core of the Apple in the back garden.

Next morning when the Doctor made his usual visit, Digory leaned over the banisters to listen. He heard the Doctor come out with Aunt Letty and say:
"Miss Ketterley, this is the most extraordinary case I have known in my whole medical career. It is - it is like a miracle. I wouldn't tell the little boy anything at present; we don't want to raise any false hopes. But in my opinion -" then his voice became too low to hear.
That afternoon he went down the garden and whistled their agreed secret signal for Polly (she hadn't been able to get back the day before).
"What luck?" said Polly, looking over the wall. "I mean, about your Mother?"

"I think - I think it is going to be alright," said Digory. "But if you don't mind I'd really rather not talk about it yet. What about the rings?"
"I've got them all," said Polly. "Look, it's alright, I'm wearing gloves. Let's bury them."
"Yes, let's. I've marked the place where I buried the core of the Apple yesterday."
Then Polly came over the wall and they went together to the place. But, as it turned out, Digory need not have marked the place. Something was already coming up. It was not growing so that you could see it grow as the new trees had done in Narnia; but it was already well above ground. They got a trowel and buried all the magic rings, including their own ones, in a circle round it.

About a week after this it was quite certain that Digory's Mother was getting better. About a fortnight later she was able to sit out in the garden. And a month later that whole house had become a different place. Aunt Letty did everything that Mother liked; windows were opened, frowsy curtains were drawn back to brighten up the rooms, there were new flowers everywhere, and nicer things to eat, and the old piano was tuned and Mother took up her singing again, and had such games with Digory and Polly that Aunt Letty would say "I declare, Mabel, you're the biggest baby of the three."

When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better. After about six weeks of this lovely life there came a long letter from Father in India, which had wonderful news in it. Old Great-Uncle Kirke had died and this meant, apparently, that Father was now very rich. He was going to retire and come home from India forever and ever. And the great big house in the country, which Digory had heard of all his life and never seen would now be their home; the big house with the suits of armour, the stables, the kennels, the river, the park, the hot-houses, the vineries, the woods, and the mountains behind it. So that Digory felt just as sure as you that they were all going to live happily ever after. But perhaps you would like to know just one or two things more.
Polly and Digory were always great friends and she came nearly every holidays to stay with them at their beautiful house in the country; and that was where she learned to ride and swim and milk and bake and climb.

In Narnia the Beasts lived in great peace and joy and neither the Witch nor any other enemy came to trouble that pleasant land for many hundred years. King Frank and Queen Helen and their children lived happily in Narnia and their second son became King of Archenland. The boys married nymphs and the girls married woodgods and river-gods. The lamp-post which the Witch had planted (without knowing it) shone day and night in the Narnian forest, so that the place where it grew came to be called Lantern Waste; and when, many years later, another child from our world got into Narnia, on a snowy night, she found the light still burning. And that adventure was, in a way, connected with the ones I have just been telling you.

It was like this. The tree which sprang from the Apple that Digory planted in the back garden, lived and grew into a fine tree. Growing in the soil of our world, far out of the sound of Aslan's voice and far from the young air of Narnia, it did not bear apples that would revive a dying woman as Digory's Mother had been revived, though it did bear apples more beautiful than any others in England, and they were extremely good for you, though not fully magical. But inside itself, in the very sap of it, the tree (so to speak) never forgot that other tree in Narnia to which it belonged. Sometimes it would move mysteriously when there was no wind blowing: I think that when this happened there were high winds in Narnia and the English tree quivered because, at that moment, the Narnia tree was rocking and swaying in a strong south-western gale. However, that might be, it was proved later that there was still magic in its wood. For when Digory was quite middle-aged (and he was a famous learned man, a Professor, and a great traveller by that time) and the Ketterleys' old house belonged to him, there was a great storm all over the south of England which blew the tree down. He couldn't bear to have it simply chopped up for firewood, so he had part of the timber made into a wardrobe, which he put in his big house in the country. And though he himself did not discover the magic properties of that wardrobe, someone else did. That was the beginning of all the comings and goings between Narnia and our world, which you can read of in other books.

When Digory and his people went to live in the big country house, they took Uncle Andrew to live with them; for Digory's Father said, "We must try to keep the old fellow out of mischief, and it isn't fair that poor Letty should have him always on her hands." Uncle Andrew never tried any Magic again as long as he lived. He had learned his lesson, and in his old age he became a nicer and less selfish old man than he had ever been before. But he always liked to get visitors alone in the billiard-room and tell them stories about a mysterious lady, a foreign royalty, with whom he had driven about London. "A devilish temper she had," he would say. "But she was a dem fine woman, sir, a dem fine woman."

      15、这个故事的结束及其他故事的开始
     “有我在，你们不需要戒指。”阿斯兰说。孩子们眨眨眼，左顾右盼，一下子又到了各个世界之间的树林。安德鲁舅舅躺在草地上，仍然睡着。阿斯兰站在他们旁边。

      “来，”阿斯兰说，“你们该回去了。但要注意两件事，一个是警告，一个是命令。看这儿，孩子们。”
      他们看见草中有个小坑，坑底长满温暖而干燥的草。
      “你们上次来的时候，”阿斯兰说，“这儿还是一个水潭。你们跳进去后，就到了恰恩，一轮垂死的太阳照在废墟上的那个世界。现在，水潭没有了，那个世界也消失了，似乎从来没有存在过。让亚当和夏娃的种族视之为警告吧。”

      “是的，阿斯兰。”两个孩子一起说。但波莉又补充了一句，“可我们的世界总还没有恰恩那么糟糕吧，阿斯兰?”
      “还没有，夏娃的女儿，”它说，“还没有。但你们正在朝那个方向发展。说不定你们种族中某一个坏人会发现像灭绝咒那样邪恶的魔咒，并用它来毁灭所有的生命。快了，很快，在你们变成老头子老太婆之前，你们世界中的大国将被独裁者统治，他们跟简蒂丝女王一样，不把幸福、公正和仁慈当回事。让你们的世界当心吧。这就是那个警告。现在说命令。尽快地拿到你们这位舅舅的戒指，把它们埋到地下去，使得没有人再能用它们。”

      当狮子说这番话时，两个孩子都拾起头，凝视着它。顷刻间(他们一点儿也不知道是怎么发生的)，那张脸变成了一片起伏不定的金色海洋，他们漂浮在海中，一种力和甜蜜的感觉缠绕着他们，淹没了他们并渗透到他们体内，使他们意识到，自己以前从来没有过真正的幸福、智慧和美好，甚至没有活过、醒过。那一瞬间的记忆一直伴随着他们，在他们的有生之年，只要心中感到悲哀、害怕或者愤怒，就会想起那一刻金色的良辰，那种感觉依然存在，很近，就在某个拐弯处或者某一扇门后，就会重新回来，使他们由衷地相信，生活是美好的。不一会儿，三个人(安德鲁舅舅也醒了)就跌跌撞撞地回到了伦敦的喧嚣、炎热和刺鼻气味中。

      他们走在凯特利家前门外的人行道上，除了女巫、马和马车夫消失了以外，一切依然如旧。灯柱还在，缺了一根横杆。马车的残骸和人群都在。大伙儿都在议论，有人跪在被打伤的警察身边，说着“他醒过来了”、“你现在觉得怎么样，老弟?”或者“救护车马上就到”之类的话。
      “天哪!”迪格雷想，“我相信整个这次历险根本没费什么时间。”
      大多数人还在着急地四下寻找简蒂丝和那匹马，谁也没有注意孩子们，因为谁也没有看见他们离去，也就不会注意到他们回来。至于安德鲁舅舅，他那身衣服和脸上的蜂蜜使他不可能被人认出来。真巧，前门开着，女佣正站在门廊里看热闹。(那姑娘多么开心!)所以，孩子们在任何人提出任何问题之前就催着安德鲁舅舅进了门。

      他抢在他们前头冲上了楼，起先，他们还怕他一头扎进阁楼，把剩下的魔法戒指藏起来。但他们的担心是多余的。他想的是柜子里的酒瓶；他马上进了卧室，锁上了门。当他再出来时(时间不长)，已经换上了晨衣，径直向浴室走去。
      “你能去找其他的戒指吗，波莉?”迪格雷说，“我想去看妈妈。”
      “好的，再见。”波莉说着嗒嗒嗒地跑上了阁楼。
      迪格雷喘了一会儿气，然后轻轻地走进了妈妈的房间。他妈妈照旧靠着枕头躺在那里，没有血色的苍白的脸实在催人泪下。迪格雷从包里拿出生命之果。

      就像你在我们世界里看见的简蒂丝同在她的世界里看见的不一样，山上花园里的果实看上去也有了变化。卧室里自然有不少各种色彩的东西：床罩、墙纸、从窗口射进的阳光，以及妈妈那件漂亮的淡蓝色短上衣。但迪格雷从口袋里一拿出苹果，所有的东西甚至阳光都黯然失色。明亮的苹果在天花板上投下奇异的光彩，别的东西都不值一看了——你实在也无法再看任何别的东西。那只青春之果的香味使你觉得房间里似乎有一扇朝着天堂开启的窗户。"
      “哦，亲爱的，多可爱啊。”迪格雷的妈妈说。
      “你把它吃下去，好吗?请吃下去，妈妈。”迪格雷说。
      “我不知道医生会怎么说，”她回答，“但是真的——我觉得我好像可以吃。”

      他削了皮，切开，一片一片地喂给妈妈吃。刚一吃完，妈妈就微笑了，头向后一挨枕头便酣然入睡：那是不需要借助任何药物的真正自然而温柔的睡眠。迪格雷知道，世上所有的东西中，这是妈妈最需要的。而且，他能肯定，她的脸上起了一点儿变化。他俯下身，轻柔地吻了吻她，拿着苹果核，带着一颗激动的心，悄悄地出了房间。那一天中，不管他看见什么，都觉得太普通，太不稀奇，他几乎不敢有所希望了，但当他想起阿斯兰的脸，心中就又充满了希望。
      那天晚上，他将苹果核埋在了后花园里。
      次日清晨，医生照例来访的时候，迪格雷靠在楼梯的扶手上，听见医生和蕾蒂姨妈走出来时说：
      “凯特利小姐，这是我行医生涯中见过的最不寻常的病例。它——它像一桩奇迹。我现在不想告诉那小孩任何情况；我们不愿给人任何错误的希望。但是，依我看……”接下去，他的声音便低得听不见了。
      那天下午，他到了花园，用口哨向波莉发出他们约定的暗语(前一天她没能过来)。
      “有好消息吗?”波莉爬在墙头上说，“我是问，你的妈妈?”

      “我想——我想正在好转，”迪格雷说，“但如果你不介意，我真的不愿再提这件事了。戒指怎么样?”
      “我全拿到了，”波莉说，“看，没事儿，我戴着手套呢。我们去埋了它们吧。”
      “好的，去吧。我已经在昨天埋苹果核的地方做了记号。”
      波莉翻过墙，两人一起走过去。其实，迪格雷根本不需要做记号，那里已经长出了一点东西。不是正在长，像在纳尼亚看见的新树生长一样，而是已经长出了地面。他们拿了一把铲子，绕着那东西，把所有的魔法戒指埋成一圈。
      大约一周以后，迪格雷的妈妈明显越来越好。两周后，她便能坐在花园里了。过了一个月．，整幢房子都变了样。凡是妈妈喜欢的事蕾蒂姨妈都做了；窗户打开了，脏窗帘拉开后房间里一片明亮，到处都有新采的鲜花。旧钢琴调好音后，妈妈又开始了歌唱，而且和迪格雷以及波莉在一起玩耍，连蕾蒂姨妈都说：“我敢说，玛贝尔，你是三个孩子中最大的一个。”

      当事情不顺心时，你会发现在一段时间里会越变越糟，但当事情一旦开始好转，又常常是越来越好。这种好日子大约过了六周之后，在印度的爸爸写来一封长长的信，里面有很多惊人的好消息。老叔祖父柯克去世了，这当然意味着爸爸现在非常富有。他即将从印度退休回家，再也不走了。迪格雷一生下来就听说过但从未见过的那幢乡下大房子现在成了他们的家。大房子里有几套盔甲，有马厩、养狗场，有河流、公园、暖房、葡萄园和树林，后面还有山。所以，迪格雷和你们一样，十分肯定地认为他们今后将过上幸福生活。但也许你想知道另外一两件事情。
      波莉和迪格雷一直是非常要好的朋友，几乎每个假期她都到乡下去，和他们一起住在那幢漂亮的房子里：她在那儿学会了骑马、游泳、挤奶、烤面包和爬山。

      在纳尼亚，动物们非常快乐地生活在和平之中，几百年里，女巫和其他任何敌人都没来骚扰那片乐土。弗兰克国王与海伦王后以及他们的孩子也非常幸福地生活在纳尼亚。他们的第二个儿子当了阿钦兰的国王。儿子们娶了仙女，女儿们嫁了河神与树神。女巫栽下(她自己并不知道)的路灯柱日夜照耀在纳尼亚的森林里，它长大的那片地方被叫作灯柱野林。几百年后，另一个孩子在一个下雪的夜晚，从我们的世界走进纳尼亚，发现那盏灯依然亮着。那次历险在某种意义上与我刚刚告诉你们的故事紧密相联。'

      事情是这样的。迪格雷埋在后花园里的苹果核长成了一棵美丽的树。因为长在我们这个世界的土壤里，远离阿斯兰的声音和纳尼亚年轻的空气，虽然它的果实比英格兰其他所有苹果都要漂亮得多，而且对你极有益处，但却没有十足的魔力，也不会再像救活迪格雷的妈妈一样使一个垂死的妇女恢复生机。但是，就这棵果树的内在性质而言，在它的汁液之中，这棵树(就这样称它吧)仍然没有忘记它所属的在纳尼亚的那棵树。有时没有刮风，它也会神秘地摇动。我想，这种时候纳尼亚一定在刮大风；在英格兰的这棵树之所以战栗，是因为纳尼亚的母树在强劲的西南风中摇摆晃动。然而，以后证明了，这棵树的木材中仍然存在着魔法。当迪格雷到了中年(那时，他成了著名的学者、教授和大旅行家，凯特利家的老房子也归他所有)，英格兰南部的一场风暴吹倒了那棵树。他不忍心让人把它当柴烧了，便用一部分木料做了一个大衣柜，放在他乡下的大房子里。他自己虽然没有发现那衣柜的魔力，另一个人却发现了。那就是我们的世界和纳尼亚之间所有故事的开端，你可以在这本书的其他故事里读到。

      当迪格雷和他的家人搬往乡下的大房子时，他们把安德鲁舅舅带了过去，与他们一起生活：因为迪格雷的爸爸说：“我们必须阻止这老家伙再捣乱，可怜的蕾蒂始终要照看他，太不公平。”安德鲁舅舅此后再也没有做过任何魔法试验。他吸取了教训，到了晚年，不再像从前那么自私，变得比较可爱。但他总是喜欢在弹子房里单独会客，给他们讲一个神秘的外国王族女人的故事，说他曾经和她一起驾着马车在伦敦街上兜风。“她脾气很坏，”他爱说，“可她是一个漂亮的贵妇人，先生，一个漂亮的贵妇人。”