《能言馬與男孩》第82期:可笑的拉巴達什(1)
Chapter 15 Rabadash the Ridiculous
THE next turn of the road- brought them out from among the trees and there, across green lawns, sheltered from the north wind by the high wooded ridge at its back, they saw the castle of Anvard. It was very old and built of a warm, reddish-brown stone.
道路再轉一個彎，他們便出了樹林；越過蒼翠的連片草地，就望得見安瓦德的城堡了。城堡的背後是高高的、林木森森的山脊，給它擋住了北風。城堡很古老，用暖紅棕色石頭砌成。Before they had reached the gate King Lune came out to meet them, not looking at all like Aravis's idea of a king and wearing the oldest of old clothes; for he had just come from making a round of the kennels with his Huntsman and had only stopped for a moment to wash his doggy hands. But the bow with which he greeted Aravis as he took her hand would have been stately enough for an Emperor.
他們還沒有走到城門口，國王倫恩就出來迎接他們了，看上去壓根兒不像阿拉維斯心目中的國王，竟穿着舊衣服中最舊的衣服哩；因爲他剛帶着他的獵人們巡視他的養狗場回來，才歇一歇洗洗他那碰過狗兒的手。但他攙着阿拉維斯的手向她鞠躬致意時，其風度之莊嚴堂皇，就足以表明他是個皇帝了。
"Little lady," he said, "we bid you very heartily welcome. If my dear wife were still alive we could make you better cheer but could not do it with a better will. And I am sorry that you have had misfortunes and been driven from your father's house, which cannot but be a grief to you. My son Cor has told me about your adventures together and all your valour."
“小姐，”他說，”我們由衷地歡迎你。如果我親愛的妻子還健在，我們能讓你更加興高采烈，但現在是心有餘而力不足了。我感到惋惜：你遭到了不幸，被令尊逐出家庭，這對你必然是件傷心事。我的兒子科奧跟我講過你們一起經歷的驚險事件和你的種種勇敢的行爲。”"It was he who did all that, Sir," said Aravis. "Why, he rushed at a lion to save me."
“一切勇敢的行爲都是他幹出來的，陛下，”阿拉維斯說道，”他還衝到一頭獅子跟前去救我哩。”"Eh, what's that?" said King Lune, his face brightening. "I haven't heard that part of the story."
“啊，那是怎麼一回事?”國王倫恩說，面露喜色，”那段故事我沒聽他說過呀。”Then Aravis told it. And Cor, who had very much wanted the story to be known, though he felt he couldn't tell it himself, didn't enjoy it so much as he had expected, and indeed felt rather foolish. But his father enjoyed it very much indeed and in the course of the next few weeks told it to so many people that Cor wished it had never happened.
於是阿拉維斯便講了這段故事。科奧原是很想讓人知道這故事的，儘管他覺得不好意思由他自己講出來；聽她講時，他卻並不像原來期待的那樣欣賞這件事了，倒覺得愚蠢可笑。可他的父親確實十分欣賞，在接連幾個星期裏一直講給許多人聽，弄得科奧但願這件事從來沒有發生過。Then the King turned to Hwin and Bree and was just as polite to them as to Aravis, and asked them a lot of questions about their families and where they had lived in Narnia before they had been captured. The Horses were rather tongue-tied for they weren't yet used to being talked to as equals by Humans grown-up Humans, that is. They didn't mind Aravis and Cor.
國王隨即轉向赫溫和布里，對待它們像對待阿拉維斯一樣客氣，問起它們許多問題：它們的家庭，被俘之前住在納尼亞的什麼地方。馬兒們張口結舌，說不出話來，因爲它們還不習慣於人們平等地跟它們說話——當然是指大人們。對阿拉維斯和科奧這樣的孩子，它們倒不拘束。Presently Queen Lucy came out from the castle and joined them and King Lune said to Aravis, "My dear, here is a loving friend of our house, and she has been seeing that your apartments are put to rights for you better than I could have done it."
露茜女王不久從城堡裏出來，跟他們待在一起，國王倫恩對阿拉維斯說，”我親愛的，我們家的一位可愛的朋友來了，她已經在關心你那居室的安排；由她經管，要比由我來辦好得多。”"You'd like to come and see them, wouldn't you?" said Lucy, kissing Aravis. They liked each other at once and soon went away together to talk about Aravis's bedroom and Aravis's boudoir and about getting clothes for her, and all the sort of things girls do talk about on such an occasion.
“你願意來看看嗎?”露茜親吻阿拉維斯，說道。她們立刻互相喜歡起對方來了，不久就一同走開去，談起阿拉維斯的寢室和梳妝室，談起要給阿拉維斯穿的衣服，以及姑娘們在這種場合總要談起的諸如此類的事情。After lunch, which they had on the terrace (it was cold birds and cold game pie and wine and bread and cheese), King Lune ruffled up his brow and heaved a sigh and said, "Heigh-ho! We have still that sorry creature Rabadash on our hands, my friends, and must needs resolve what to do with him."
他們在陽臺上吃午飯(冷盤雜鳥、冷盤野味餡餅、酒、麪包、乾酪)，飯後，國王倫恩皺皺眉頭，嘆了一口氣，說道：”嗨！我的朋友們，我們手裏還有個丑角拉巴達什，必須決定如何處理他纔好。”Lucy was sitting on the King's right and Aravis on his left. King Edmund sat at one end of the table and the Lord Darrin faced him at the other. Dar and Peridan and Cor and Corin were on the same side as the King.
露茜正坐在國王的右邊，阿拉維斯坐在他的左邊。國王愛德蒙坐在桌子的一頭，達蘭勳爵坐在面對他的另一頭。達爾、珀裏丹、科奧、科林都坐在國王的同一邊。"Your Majesty would have a perfect right to strike off his head," said Peridan. "Such an assault as he made puts him on a level with assassins."
“陛下完全有權利砍掉他的腦袋，”珀裏丹說，”他進行這樣的突然襲擊，就把他自己放到跟刺客相同的地位上了。”"It is very true," said Edmund. "But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did." And he looked very thoughtful.
“這是十分確實的，”愛德蒙說，”但即使是奸細也可以改過。我就認識一個改邪歸正的奸細。”他顯得深思熟慮。""To kill this Rabadash would go near to raising war with the Tisroc," said Darrin.
“殺掉拉巴達什就接近於向蒂斯羅克挑動戰爭。”達蘭說道。"A fig for the Tisroc," said King Lune. "His strength is in numbers and numbers will never cross the desert. But I have no stomach for killing men (even traitors) in cold blood. To have cut his throat in the battle would have eased my heart mightily, but this is a different thing."
“蒂斯羅克算什麼，”國王倫恩說道，”他的力量在於人多勢衆，而人多就永遠穿越不了大沙漠。但我沒有冷酷地殺人的心腸，哪怕他是個奸細。在戰場上砍斷他的喉管我倒十分心安理得：但這是截然不同的。”"By my counsel," said Lucy, "your Majesty shall give him another trial. Let him go free on strait promise of fair dealing in the future. It may be that he will keep his word."
“我的建議是，”露茜說，”陛下再給他一次考驗。可以放他自由回去，如果他作出嚴格的承諾，保證將來光明磊落，公平待人。說不定他會信守諾言的。”"Maybe Apes will grow honest, Sister," said Edmund. "But, by the Lion, if he breaks it again, may it be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle."
“妹妹，也許無尾猿會變得誠實的吧。”愛德蒙說，”不過，憑獅子起誓，如果他再破壞諾言，那麼到那時，我們任何人都可以在乾淨利落的戰爭中砍掉他的腦袋。”"It shall be tried," said the King: and then to one of the attendants, "Send for the prisoner, friend."
“試試看吧，”國王說，然後吩咐侍從道，”朋友，把俘虜帶上來。”
