最后一战 The Last Battle 英文  中文  双语对照  双语交替 首页  目录  下一章

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CHAPTER ONE BY CALDRON POOL

1、大锅深渊

IN the last days of Narnia, far up to the west beyond Lantern Waste and close beside the great waterfall, there lived an Ape. He was so old that no one could remember when he had first come to live in those parts, and he was the cleverest, ugliest, most wrinkled Ape you can imagine. He had a little house, built of wood and thatched with leaves, up in the fork of a great tree, and his name was Shift. There were very few Talking Beasts or Men or Dwarfs, or people of any sort, in that part of the wood, but Shift had one friend and neighbour who was a donkey called Puzzle. At least they both said they were friends, but from the way things went on you might have thought Puzzle was more like Shift's servant than his friend. He did all the work. When they went together to the river, Shift filled the big skin bottles with water but it was Puzzle who carried them back. When they wanted anything from the towns further down the river it was Puzzle who went down with empty panniers on his back and came back with the panniers full and heavy. And all the nicest things that Puzzle brought back were eaten by Shift; for as Shift said, "You see, Puzzle, I can't eat grass and thistles like you, so it's only fair I should make it up in other ways." And Puzzle always said, "Of course, Shift, of course. I see that." Puzzle never complained, because he knew that Shift was far cleverer than himself and he thought it was very kind of Shift to be friends with him at all. And if ever Puzzle did try to argue about anything, Shift would always say, "Now, Puzzle, I understand what needs to be done better than you. You know you're not clever, Puzzle." And Puzzle always said, "No, Shift. It's quite true. I'm not clever." Then he would sigh and do whatever Shift had said.

在纳尼亚最后的日子里，远在西边灯柱野林之外，紧挨着大瀑布，住着一头无尾猿。它的年龄是那么大了，没有人记得它当初是在什么时候来到这一带居住的，它也是你能想象得出的最最聪明、最最丑陋、浑身皱纹最最多的无尾猿。它的名字叫诡谲。它有一间小屋子，木头框架、树叶屋顶，筑在一棵大树的丫枝上。在这部分树林里，会说人话的野兽、人、小矮人，或不论哪一种子民，为数都很少，但诡谲有个邻居，它是头驴子，名字叫迷惑。至少它们俩都说它们是朋友，然而从事态的发展情况看来，你很可能认为，与其说迷惑是诡谲的朋友，倒不如说它是诡谲的仆人。所有的活儿都是迷惑干的。它们一起到河边去，诡谲把大皮囊里都灌满了水，但把盛了水的皮囊背回来的却是迷惑。它们需要河流下游市镇上的什么东西时，背了空背篓跑到市镇上去，又把那装得满满的沉重的背篓背回来的，又是迷惑。而迷惑背回来的种种精美的食物，都被诡谲吃掉，因为，诡谲说。"你瞧，迷惑，我不能像你那样吃青草和蓟，我用别的办法弥补一下也是天公地道的。"迷惑总是说"当然啦，诡谲，当然啦。我明白的。"迷惑从不诉苦埋怨，因为它觉得诡谲比它聪明，它还认为诡谲跟它交朋友，压根儿就是给它面子了。如果迷惑竟企图为了什么事情跟诡谲争辩，诡谲总是说:

One morning early in the year the pair of them were out walking along the shore of Caldron Pool. Caldron Pool is the big pool right under the cliffs at the western end of Narnia. The great waterfall pours down into it with a noise like everlasting thunder, and the River of Narnia flows out on the other side. The waterfall keeps the Pool always dancing and bubbling and churning round and round as if it were on the boil, and that of course is how it got its name of Caldron Pool. It is liveliest in the early spring when the waterfall is swollen with all the snow that has melted off the mountains from up beyond Narnia in the Western Wild from which the river comes. And as they looked at Caldron Pool Shift suddenly pointed with his dark, skinny finger and said,

"迷惑，你听着，需要做什么事，我比你明白。迷惑啊，你明明知道你并不聪明。"迷惑总是说"是啊，诡谲。你说得很对，我并不聪明。"于是它就长叹一声，诡谲叫它干什么它就干什么了。

"Look! What's that?"

年初的一天早晨，这一对朋友出门沿着大锅渊的岸边散步。大锅渊又深又大，正位于纳尼亚西陆的悬崖绝壁之下。大瀑布从悬崖上轰然倾泻而下，声若接连不断的雷鸣，纳尼亚河则从另一边奔流而过。大瀑布使深渊里的水始终在跳跃、冒泡，绕着圈儿翻腾，仿佛一锅水在沸腾一般，因此自然而然地被叫做大锅渊。早春时节，大锅渊是最最生气勃勃的，那时纳尼亚背后西部荒原里群山上融雪的水使大瀑布丰沛极了，而纳尼亚河便是发源于荒原的。它们俩正瞧着大锅渊，诡谲突然用它那黑黑的发亮的手指指指点点，说道：

"What's what?" said Puzzle.

"瞧！那是什么？"

"That yellow thing that's just come down the waterfall. Look! There it is again, it's floating. We must find out what it is."

"什么是什么啊？"迷惑说道。

"Must we?" said Puzzle.

"刚才被瀑布冲下来的那个黄色的东西。瞧！又出现了，它正浮在水面上。我们必须弄明白，那究竟是个什么东西。"

"Of course we must," said Shift. "It may be something useful. Just hop into the Pool like a good fellow and fish it out. Then we can have a proper look at it."

"我们必须吗？"迷惑问。

"Hop into the Pool?" said Puzzle, twitching his long ears.

"当然我们必须弄明白，"诡谲说，"这也许是件有用的东西。像一个好角儿似的跳下水去，把它捞上来，我们就可以亲眼观察它了。"

"Well how are we to get it if you don't?" said the Ape.

"跳进深渊去吗？"迷惑说，扇着耳朵。

"But - but," said Puzzle, "wouldn't it be better if you went in? Because, you see, it's you who wants to know what it is, and I don't much. And you've got hands, you see. You're as good as a Man or a Dwarf when it comes to catching hold of things. I've only got hoofs."

"如果你不跳进去，我们怎么把它弄到手呢？"无尾猿道。

"Really, Puzzle," said Shift, "I didn't think you'd ever say a thing like that. I didn't think it of you, really."

"但——但，"迷惑说，"你如果跳下水去，岂不更好吗？因为，你明白，原是你想知道这是什么东西，我可不大想知道。而且，你瞧，你还生得有手。赶上要抓住什么东西的时候。你像人或小矮人一样管用。我却只有驴蹄儿。"

"Why, what have I said wrong?" said the Ass, speaking in rather a humble voice, for he saw that Shift was very deeply offended. "All I meant was -"

"说实在的，迷惑啊，"诡谲说道，"我认为你一向不说这种话的。确确实实，我认为你不说这种话的。"

"Wanting me to go into the water," said the Ape. "As if you didn't know perfectly well what weak chests Apes always have and how easily they catch cold! Very well. I will go in. I'm feeling cold enough already in this cruel wind. But I'll go in. I shall probably die. Then you'll be sorry." And Shift's voice sounded as if he was just going to burst into tears.

"呀，我说了什么错话吗？"驴子用一种相当谦卑的声调说道，因为它看到诡谲被它惹得十分生气了，"我的意思无非是——"

"Please don't, please don't, please don't," said Puzzle, half braying, and half talking. "I never meant anything of the sort, Shift, really I didn't. You know how stupid I am and how I can't think of more than one thing at a time. I'd forgotten about your weak chest. Of course I'll go in. You mustn't think of doing it yourself. Promise me you won't, Shift."

"无非是要我跳到水里去，"无尾猿说道，"倒像是你并不完全明白我们无尾猿的肺部总是很弱，总是容易受寒伤风！好吧l我决意下水去。在这冷酷的风里，我已经感到冷了。可是我决意下水去。我可能会死的。那时你就要懊悔了。"诡谲说话的声音，听上去它快要哭出来了。

So Shift promised, and Puzzle went cloppety-clop on his four hoofs round the rocky edge of the Pool to find a place where he could get in. Quite apart from the cold it was no joke getting into that quivering and foaming water, and Puzzle had to stand and shiver for a whole minute before he made up his mind to do it. But then Shift called out from behind him and said: "Perhaps I'd better do it after all, Puzzle." And when Puzzle heard that he said, "No, no. You promised. I'm in now," and in he went.

"别，别，别，请别，"迷惑说，一半儿是谈话，一半儿是驴叫了，"我从来没有这种意思，诡谲，我确实没有这种意思，你知道我有多蠢，一件以上的事情，我在同一个时间内就没法儿考虑了。我忘掉了你那很弱的肺。当然我会下水去的。你可别考虑亲自下水。诡谲，请答应我，你不下水。"

A great mass of foam got him in the face and filled his mouth with water and blinded him. Then he went under altogether for a few seconds, and when he came up again he was in quite another part of the Pool. Then the swirl caught him and carried him round and round and faster and faster till it took him right under the waterfall itself, and the force of the water plunged him down, deep down, so that he thought he would never be able to hold his breath till he came up again. And when he had come up and when at last he got somewhere near the thing he was trying to catch, it sailed away from him till it too got under the fall and was forced down to the bottom. When it came up again it was further from him than ever. But at last, when he was almost tired to death, and bruised all over and numb with cold, he succeeded in gripping the thing with his teeth. And out he came carrying it in front of him and getting his front hoofs tangled up in it, for it was as big as a large hearthrug, and it was very heavy and cold and slimy.

诡谲这就答允了，答应不下水了，于是迷惑的四个蹄子便在大锅渊的石头边缘上笃笃笃笃地走动，要找一个可以下水的地方。且不说寒冷彻骨，进入那颤抖的冒着泡沫的水里可不是闹着玩的，迷惑在下定决心跳进水里去之前，不得不站在那里足足哆嗦了一分钟。但这时诡谲从背后喊道

He flung it down in front of Shift and stood dripping and shivering and trying to get his breath back. But the Ape never looked at him or asked him how he felt. The Ape was too busy going round and round the Thing and spreading it out and patting it and smelling it. Then a wicked gleam came into his eye and he said:

"也许压根儿还不如我跳进水里去的好！"迷惑听到这话，便说道"不，不，你答应不下水的。我现在下水了。"它就跳进水里去了。

"It is a lion's skin."

一大片泡沫冲到迷惑的脸上，使迷惑满嘴是水，眼睛也看不清楚。接着，它下沉了几秒钟，等到它重新冒出水面时，它已经到了深渊的另一部分。游涡卷住了它，带着它转了又转，转得愈来愈快，终于把它冲到了大瀑布的正下方，瀑布的力量压得它往下沉，沉得很深，迷惑认为它在冒出水面之前要屏息静气是无能为力了。当迷惑冒出水面，终于到了靠近那东西的地方，企图抓住它时，它又从迷惑身边漂开去了，它也给冲到了瀑布下方，被压到水底里去了。它重新浮上来时离迷惑更远。但，最后，疲乏得要死、浑身伤痕而且冷得四肢麻木时，迷惑终于成功地用牙齿咬住了这件东西。迷惑爬出深渊，把这件东西放在前面，前蹄伸在它里边，使劲抬起它来，因为这东西很大，像一块火炉前的地毯，而且很重，很冷，很黏滑。

"Ee - auh - auh - oh, is it?" gasped Puzzle.

迷惑把这东西丢在诡谲面前的地上，它浑身滴水，格格发抖，竭力缓过气来。但无尾猿却瞧也不瞧它，也不问问它感觉如何。无尾猿忙于绕着这东西打转，把它摊开来，拍拍它，闻闻它。无尾猿眼睛里闪过一星邪恶的亮光，它说道：

"Now I wonder . . . I wonder . . . I wonder," said Shift to himself, for he was thinking very hard.

"这是一张狮子的毛皮。"

"I wonder who killed the poor lion," said Puzzle presently. "It ought to be buried. We must have a funeral."

叫尹伊—奥—奥—啊，是吗？"迷惑上气不接下气地说道。

"Oh, it wasn't a Talking Lion," said Shift. "You needn't bother about that. There are no Talking Beasts up beyond the Falls, up in the Western Wild. This skin must have belonged to a dumb, wild lion."

"现在我很想知道……我很想知道……我很想知道。"

This, by the way, was true. A Hunter, a Man, had killed and skinned this lion somewhere up in the Western Wild several months before. But that doesn't come into this story.

诡谲跟它自己说道，因为它正在拼命思索。

"All the same, Shift," said Puzzle, "even if the skin only belonged to a dumb, wild lion, oughtn't we to give it a decent burial? I mean, aren't all lions rather - well, rather solemn? Because of you know Who. Don't you see?"

"我想知道是谁杀了这可怜的狮子，"迷惑立刻说了出来，"应该把它埋葬。我们必须为它举行葬礼。"

"Don't you start getting ideas into your head, Puzzle," said Shift. "Because, you know, thinking isn't your strong point. We'll make this skin into a fine warm winter coat for you."

"啊，它可不是一头会说人话的狮子。"诡谲说道，"你无需为此自找麻烦。在西部荒原里，越过大瀑布就没有说人话的野兽了。这张毛皮必定是属于一头哑巴野狮子的。"

"Oh, I don't think I'd like that," said the Donkey. "It would look - I mean, the other Beasts might think - that is to say, I shouldn't feel -"

顺便说一旬，诡谲这句话倒说对了。几个月之前，一个猎户，一个男子汉，在西部荒原上某一个地方，杀死了这头狮子，剥下了它的皮，但这事与这个故事不相干。

"What are you talking about?" said Shift, scratching himself the wrong way up as Apes do.

"诡谲，这可完全一样，"迷惑说道，"即使这张皮属于一头哑巴野狮子，难道我们就不该为它举行体面的葬礼吗？我的意思是，所有的狮子岂不——哦，岂不都是令人敬畏的吗？你明白，这是由于谁的缘故。难道你不明白吗？"

"I don't think it would be respectful to the Great Lion, to Aslan himself, if an ass like me went about dressed up in a lion-skin," said Puzzle.

"迷惑啊，别让什么馊主意开始进入你的脑袋，"诡谲说道，"因为，你心里明白。思索并不是你的长处。我们要用这张狮子毛皮替你缝制一件优质的暖烘烘的冬季外套。"

"Now don't stand arguing, please," said Shift. "What does an ass like you know about things of that sort? You know you're no good at thinking, Puzzle, so why don't you let me do your thinking for you? Why don't you treat me as I treat you? I don't think I can do everything. I know you're better at some things than I am. That's why I let you go into the Pool; I knew you'd do it better than me. But why can't I have my turn when it comes to something I can do and you can't? Am I never to be allowed to do anything? Do be fair. Turn and turn about."

"啊，我想我不会喜欢的，"驴子道，"穿上这个，我看上去就会像——我的意思是说，其他野兽会认为——那就是说，我会感到——"

"Oh, well, of course, if you put it that way," said Puzzle.

"你在说什么呀？"诡谲一边说，一边像无尾猿通常所做的那样在身上乱搔。

"I tell you what," said Shift. "You'd better take a good brisk trot down river as far as Chippingford and see if they have any oranges or bananas."

"如果像我这样一头驴子竟穿上了狮皮外套，我认为就是对伟大的狮王，对狮王阿斯兰不尊敬。"迷惑说道。

"But I'm so tired, Shift," pleaded Puzzle.

"哦，请你别站在那儿辩论了，"诡谲说道，"像你这样的一头驴子，对这种事情懂个啥？你要知道，迷惑，你在思考问题上是不行的，你干吗不让我来替你思考呢？你干吗不像我对待你那样对待我呢？我并不认为我能干好一切事情。我知道你在有些事情上比我高明。这就是我为什么让你下到深渊里去的缘故；我知道你会干得比我好。然而，遇到我能干而你干不了的事情，为什么不该轮到我去干呢？难道永远不容许我去干什么事情吗？要公平对待，依次轮流。

"Yes, but you are very cold and wet," said the Ape. "You want something to warm you up. A brisk trot would be just the thing. Besides, it's market day at Chippingford today." And then of course Puzzle said he would go.

"如果你那么说，那当然是可以的啦。"迷惑说道。

As soon as he was alone Shift went shambling along, sometimes on two paws and sometimes on four, till he reached his own tree. Then he swung himself up from branch to branch, chattering and grinning all the time, and went into his little house. He found needle and thread and a big pair of scissors there; for he was a clever Ape and the Dwarfs had taught him how to sew. He put the ball of thread (it was very thick stuff, more like cord than thread) into his mouth so that his cheek bulged out as if he were sucking a big bit of toffee. He held the needle between his lips and took the scissors in his left paw. Then he came down the tree and shambled across to the lion-skin. He squatted down and got to work.

"我告诉你吧，"诡谲说道，"你最好还是沿河轻快地小跑到下游的奇宾福德去，瞧瞧可有橘子或香蕉。"

He saw at once that the body of the lion-skin would be too long for Puzzle and its neck too short. So he cut a good piece out of the body and used it to make a long collar for Puzzle's long neck. Then he cut off the head and sewed the collar in between the head and the shoulders. He put threads on both sides of the skin so that it would tie up under Puzzle's chest and stomach. Every now and then a bird would pass overhead and Shift would stop his work, looking anxiously up. He did not want anyone to see what he was doing. But none of the birds he saw were Talking Birds, so it didn't matter.

"可我疲倦极了，诡谲啊。"迷惑恳求道。

Late in the afternoon Puzzle came back. He was not trotting but only plodding patiently along, the way donkeys do.

"是呀，可你又冷又湿，"无尾猿说道，"你需要能使你暖和起来的东西。轻快的小跑正好是对症下药。何况今儿个奇宾福德还是赶集的日子哩。"于是，迷惑当然说它愿意去了。

"There weren't any oranges," he said, "and there weren't any bananas. And I'm very tired." He lay down.

留下诡谲独个儿时，它就拖拖沓沓地走动起来，有时两足着地，有时四肢着地，终于爬到了它自己那棵大树上。接着它就摇晃着身体，从这根树枝晃到那根树枝，口中吱吱乱叫，笑得牙齿都露了出来，最后它走进了它那筑在丫枝上的小屋子。它在屋子里找到了针、线和一把大剪刀；因为它是头聪明的无尾猿，小矮人们教过它如何缝制衣服。它把一团纱线(那可是很粗的货色，与其说是像线，不如说是像绳子)塞进嘴巴里，它的两颊便鼓了起来，仿佛喝了一大口咖啡似的。它把针咬在上下嘴唇之间，用左爪拿着剪刀，然后它就爬下树来，蹒跚地向狮子毛皮走去。它蹲下来干活。

"Come and try on your beautiful new lion-skin coat," said Shift.

诡谲立刻看出来了，要给驴子做外套的话，狮子毛皮的躯体部分是太大了，脖子部分又太短了。所以它就从太大的部分剪下一大块来，给驴子的长脖子做一条长长的领子。它把狮子脑袋的毛皮剪下来，在脑袋和肩膀之间的部位上把那长领子缝上去。它把整张狮子毛皮的两边都用线缝上，使驴子外套的胸腹部都得以收紧。时不时鸟儿在它头上飞过，它就停止缝制，焦急地向上张望。它不要任何飞禽走兽看到它正在干什么。但，它看到的鸟儿，没有一只是会说人话的鸟儿，所以它们看到了也没多大关系。

"Oh bother that old skin," said Puzzle. "I'll try it on in the morning. I'm too tired tonight."

下午很晚的时候迷惑回来了。它不是小跑着回来的，只不过是耐心地一路踏着沉着的步子慢吞吞地回来的，驴子都是这样走道的。

"You are unkind, Puzzle," said Shift. "If you're tired what do you think I am? All day long, while you've been having a lovely refreshing walk down the valley, I've been working hard to make you a coat. My paws are so tired I can hardly hold these scissors. And you won't say thank you -and you won't even look at the coat -and you don't care - and- and-"

"什么橘子也没有，"驴子说道，"什么香蕉也没有。我疲倦得很。"它躺下了。

"My dear Shift," said Puzzle getting up at once, "I am so sorry. I've been horrid. Of course I'd love to try it on. And it looks simply splendid. Do try it on me at once. Please do."

"来，试试你那美丽的狮皮新外套吧。"诡谲说道。

"Well, stand still then," said the Ape. The skin was very heavy for him to lift, but in the end, with a lot of pulling and pushing and puffing and blowing, he got it on to the donkey. He tied it underneath Puzzle's body and he tied the legs to Puzzle's legs and the tail to Puzzle's tail. A good deal of Puzzle's grey nose and face could be seen through the open mouth of the lion's head. No one who had ever seen a real lion would have been taken in for a moment. But if someone who had never seen a lion looked at Puzzle in his lion-skin he just might mistake him for a lion, if he didn't come too close, and if the light was not too good, and if Puzzle didn't let out a bray and didn't make any noise with his hoofs.

"啊，讨厌的旧毛皮，"迷惑说，"我明儿早晨试穿吧，今天夜里我太累了。"

"You look wonderful, wonderful," said the Ape. "If anyone saw you now, they'd think you were Aslan, the Great Lion, himself."

"迷惑，你太不近人情了，"诡谲道，"如果你累了，你以为我又如何呢？整整一天，你走下山谷作一番赏心悦目、精神为之一振的散步，我却在拼命干活，给你缝制一件外套。我的脚爪搞得那么累，几乎剪刀都拿不住了。如今你却不肯说一声谢谢——甚至不肯对外套看一眼——你不关心——你——你——"5

"That would be dreadful," said Puzzle.

"我亲爱的诡谲，"躺着的迷惑立刻站起身来，"我很抱歉。我态度粗暴。我当然喜欢试穿的。外套看上去简直华贵极了。立刻让我穿上试试吧。请让我试穿吧。"

"No it wouldn't," said Shift. "Everyone would do whatever you told them."

"好吧，那就安安静静地站着。"无尾猿说道。狮子毛皮很重，无尾猿几乎举不动它，但，经过许多拉啊推啊，气喘吁吁啊，它终于把狮皮外套套到驴子身上去了。它把狮子躯体上的毛皮缚在驴子的身体上，把狮腿上的毛皮缚在驴腿上，把狮子尾巴上的毛皮缚在驴子尾巴上。通过狮子脑袋张开嘴巴的毛皮，可以看得见驴子的大部分鼻子和脸孔。凡见过真正的狮子的，没有一个会受骗上当的。然而，如果有谁从未见过狮子，假如他并没走得很近，假使光线不是太好，假如迷惑并不发出驴叫声，并不用蹄子弄出什么声音来，瞧见迷惑穿上了狮子毛皮外套，倒可能把它误认为是狮子。

"But I don't want to tell them anything."

"你看上去真了不起，真了不起，"无尾猿说道，"如今不论谁看见你，都会认为你就是阿斯兰，就是伟大的狮王本人。

"But you think of the good we could do!" said Shift. "You'd have me to advise you, you know. I'd think of sensible orders for you to give. And everyone would have to obey us, even the King himself. We would set everything right in Narnia."

"那就可怕了。"迷惑说道。

"But isn't everything right already?" said Puzzle.

"不，不会可怕的，"诡谲说道，"你叫大家做什么，大家就会做什么了。

"What!" cried Shift. "Everything right?-when there are no oranges or bananas?"

"但我不想叫大家做什么。"

"Well, you know," said Puzzle, "there aren't many people - in fact, I don't think there's anyone but yourself who wants those sort of things."

"可是你想想我们可以干的好事吧，"诡谲说，"你知道，你有我在替你出主意哩。我会替你想出种种明智的命令，由你去发布。于是大家都得服从我们的命令，连国王本人也得服从。我们就可以在纳尼亚把一切都整顿得好好的。"(

"There's sugar too," said Shift.

"但，纳尼亚不是一切已经都好好的吗？"迷惑说道。

"H'm yes," said the Ass. "It would be nice if there was more sugar."

"什么话！"诡谲嚷道，"一切都好好的吗？——现在不是连橘子或香蕉都没有吗？"

"Well then, that's settled," said the Ape. "You will pretend to be Aslan, and I'll tell you what to say."

"哦，你知道，"迷惑道，"没有多少人——事实上，我认为除了你没有什么人——要吃这种东西的。"

"No, no, no," said Puzzle. "Don't say such dreadful things. It would be wrong, Shift. I maybe not very clever but I know that much. What would become of us if the real Aslan turned up?"

"也没有糖哩。"诡谲说。

"I expect he'd be very pleased," said Shift. "Probably he sent us the lion-skin on purpose, so that we could set things to right. Anyway, he never does turn up, you know. Not nowadays."

"唔，是的，"驴子说，"如果糖再多一点，那就妙了。"

At that moment there came a great thunderclap right overhead and the ground trembled with a small earthquake. Both the animals lost their balance and were flung on their faces.

"那么，事情就这么定了，"无尾猿说道，"你一定要假扮成阿斯兰，我会嘱咐你说什么话。"

"There!" gasped Puzzle, as soon as he had breath to speak. "It's a sign, a warning. I knew we were doing something dreadfully wicked. Take this wretched skin off me at once."

"不，不，不，"迷惑说道，"别提这种可怕的事儿。这会犯错误的，诡谲。我也许不大聪明，然而这种事我可明白利害的。如果真正的阿斯兰出现时，我们会落得个什么下场？"

"No, no," said the Ape (whose mind worked very quickly). "It's a sign the other way. I was just going to say that if the real Aslan, as you call him, meant us to go on with this, he would send us a thunderclap and an earth-tremor. It was just on the tip of my tongue, only the sign itself came before I could get the words out. You've got to do it now, Puzzle. And please don't let us have any more arguing. You know you don't understand these things. What could a donkey know about signs?"

"我料想狮王会十分高兴的，"诡谲说，"很可能是狮王故意把狮子毛皮捎来的，这样我们就可以把事情整顿好了。无论如何，你要知道，狮王是从来不出现的。当今之世，狮王是不出现的了。"

就在这当儿，头顶上响起一个巨大的晴天霹雳，大地抖动着，爆发小地震了。两头野兽都站不住脚，失掉了平衡，面孔朝下摔倒在地上。

"啊！"迷惑刚缓过一口气来，便喘息着说道，"这是一个征兆，一个警告。我知道我们是在干着邪恶得可怕的事情啊。立刻从我身上脱掉这件讨厌的毛皮外套吧I"

"不，不，"无尾猿(它的脑筋动得很快)说道，"恰巧相反，这是个吉祥之兆。我刚才正要说：如果那位真正的阿斯兰(正如你所称呼他的)有意要我们进行这件事情，他就会给我们送来一个霹雳和一个地震——只是我还没把话说出口，吉祥之兆便出现了。迷惑啊，如今你非干这个不可了。让我们别再争辩了。你自己心里明白：这些个事情你并不了解。一头驴子，怎么能懂得征兆呢。"0

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