《能言馬與男孩》第25期:科林王子(1)

Chapter 5 Prince Corin

"MY dear sister and very good Lady," said King Edmund, "you must now show your courage. For I tell you plainly we are in no small danger."

"What is it, Edmund asked the Queen.

"It is this," said Edmund. "I do not think we shall find it easy to leave Tashbaan. While the Prince had hope that you would take him, we were honoured guests. But by the Lion's Mane, I think that as soon as he has your flat denial we shall be no better than prisoners."

One of the Dwarfs gave a low whistle.

"I warned your Majesties, I warned you," said Sallowpad the Raven. "Easily in but not easily out, as the lobster said in the lobster pot!"

"I have been with the Prince this Morning," continued Edmund. "He is little used (more's the pity) to having his will crossed. And he is very chafed at your long delays and doubtful answers. This morning he pressed very hard to know your mind. I put it aside-meaning at the same time to diminish his hopes - with some light common jests about women's fancies, and hinted that his suit was likely to be cold. He grew angry and dangerous. There was a sort of threatening, though still veiled under a show of courtesy, in every word he spoke."

"Yes," said Tumnus. "And when I supped with the Grand Vizier last night, it was the same. He asked me how I like Tashbaan. And I (for I could not tell him I hated every stone of it and I would not lie) told him that now, when high summer was coming on, my heart turned to the cool woods and dewy slopes of Narnia. He gave a smile that meant no good and said, 'There is nothing to hinder you from dancing there again, little goatfoot; always provided you leave us in exchange a bride for our prince.'"

"Do you mean he would make me his wife by force?" exclaimed Susan.

"That's my fear, Susan," said Edmund: "Wife: or slave which is worse."

"But how can he? Does the Tisroc think our brother the High King would suffer such an outrage?"

"Sire," said Peridan to the King. "They would not be so mad. Do they think there are no swords and spears in Narnia?"

"Alas," said Edmund. "My guess is that the Tisroc has very small fear of Narnia. We are a little land. And little lands on the borders of a great empire were always hateful to the lords of the great empire. He longs to blot them out, gobble them up. When first he suffered the Prince to come to Cair Paravel as your lover, sister, it may be that he was only seeking an occasion against us. Most likely he hopes to make one mouthful of Narnia and Archenland both."

第5章 科林王子

我親愛的妹妹，十分善良的女士，”國王愛德蒙說道，”現在你必須拿出勇氣來。因爲，我要直率地告訴你:我們的處境十分危險。”

“究竟怎麼回事，愛德蒙?”女王問道。

“事情是這樣的，”愛德蒙說，”我並不認爲離開塔什班城是輕而易舉的。王子希望你會看中他時，我們是他的貴賓；然而，憑獅王的鬢毛起誓，一旦他遭到你乾脆的拒絕，我想我們的處境就不會比囚徒好了。”

一個小矮人發出一聲輕微的口哨。

“陛下，我警告你，警告你，”渡鴉薩羅帕德說道，”正如龍蝦在捕蝦簍裏所說的一進來容易出去難啊！”

“今天上午我曾同王子在一起。尤爲遺憾的是，”愛德蒙繼續說道，”他是不習慣於自己的意願受到拂逆的。對你的長期拖延和含糊其辭的答覆，他是十分焦躁惱怒的。今天上午他咄咄逼人地要知道你的心意。我把這問題撇在一邊——同時也想削弱他的希望——只說些關於女人的幻想之類輕鬆平常的笑話，暗示他的求婚大概要冷下來了。他就變得憤怒而有所威脅了。他說的每句話，儘管仍舊蒙着彬彬有禮的面紗，卻都包含着恐嚇的意味。”

“是的，”圖姆納斯說道，”昨夜我和大臣共進晚餐時，情況也差不多。他問我可喜歡塔什班城。而我(因爲我無法告訴他我憎恨城裏每一塊石頭，卻又不肯說謊)告訴他，如今盛夏來，我的心便嚮往着納尼亞的清涼樹林和露珠晶瑩的山坡。他不懷好意地微微一笑，說道，小小羊腳啊，沒有東西會阻止你重新在納尼亞跳舞；你永遠可以那麼做，作爲交換條件，只要你給我們的王子留下一個新娘就行了。

“你的意思是說他會強迫我做他的妻子?”蘇珊大聲叫道。

“蘇珊，我擔心的是，”愛德蒙說，”不做妻子就得做奴隸，那就更糟了。”

“可是他怎麼能這樣呢?難道蒂斯羅克認爲我們的哥哥至尊王會容忍這種凌辱人的暴行嗎?”

“陛下，”珀裏丹對國王說道，”他們不會那麼瘋狂。難道他們認爲納尼亞王國沒有劍和長矛嗎?”

“唉，”愛德蒙說，”我的猜想是蒂斯羅克對納尼亞王國沒有什麼畏懼。我們的國土小。而小邦小國位於大帝國的邊緣，對大帝國的君主總是憎恨的。蒂斯羅克一心要把它們抹掉，要把它們吞併掉。他最初讓他的王子作爲你的愛慕者到凱爾帕維爾來，也許只是想找個機會藉端反對我們。很可能他指望一口就把納尼亞和阿欽蘭兩個國家都吞併掉。”