《能言馬與男孩》第17期:在塔什班城門口(6)

"We'll have to have a disguise," said Shasta.

“我們只好喬裝改扮了。”沙斯塔說。

Hwin said it looked to her as if the safest thing was to go right through the city itself from gate to gate because one was less likely to be noticed in the crowd. But she approved of the idea of disguise as well. She said, "Both the human will have to dress in rags and look like peasants or slaves And all Aravis's armour and our saddles and things must be made into bundles and put on our backs, and the children must pretend to drive us and people will think we're on pack-horses."

赫溫說，據它看來，最安全的辦法是乾脆從城門到城門直接穿過這個城市，因爲在人羣之中是比較不容易被人注意的。不過，它同時也贊成喬裝改扮的辦法。它說：”兩個人都得穿上破爛衣衫，看上去像農民或奴隸。阿拉維斯的全部盔甲、我們的馬鞋子以及其他東西，必須捲成捆，放在我們的背卜，孩子們必須假裝鞭打我們，人們就會認爲我們不過是兩匹馱馬罷了。”

"My dear Hwin!" said Aravis rather scornfully. "As anyone could mistake Bree for anything but a war-hors however you disguised him!"

“我親愛的赫溫”阿拉維斯鄙夷地說道，”不論你怎樣把布里喬裝改扮，別人也未必看不出它是匹戰馬啊。”

"I should think not, indeed," said Bree, snorting an letting his ears go ever so little back.

“確確實實，我也這麼想。”布里說道，它噴着鼻息，讓雙耳稍稍往後靠攏。

"I know it's not a very good plan," said Hwin. "But I think it's our only chance. And we haven't been groomed for ages and we're not looking quite ourselves (at least, I'm sure I'm not). I do think if we get well plastered with mud and go along with our heads down as if we're tired and lazy -and don't lift our hooves hardly at all - we might not be noticed. And our tails ought to be cut shorter: not neatly, you know, but all ragged."

“我知道這不是個很好的計劃，”赫溫說，”但我想這是我們惟一的機會了。而且我們已經好久好久沒梳理修飾了，看上去不大像原來的樣子了(至少，我確信我是不像從前的模樣了)。我真的認爲，如果我們身上恰到好處地塗上爛混，耷拉着腦袋一路走去，彷彿又疲倦又懶惰——壓根兒難得擡起我們的馬蹄來人家就可能不注意我們了。還有，我們的尾巴應該割得短一點兒：不足整潔光滑，而是毛髮蓬亂。”

"My dear Madam," said Bree. "Have you pictured to yourself how very disagreeable it would be to arrive in Narnia in that condition?"

“我親愛的女士啊，”布里說道，”你自己可曾設想過，弄成這副模樣，我們回到納尼亞時，將是多麼彆扭啊，”

"Well," said Hwin humbly (she was a very sensible mare), "the main thing is to get there."

“晤，”赫溫謙和地說(它是一匹十分敏感的母馬)，”可主要的問題是要到得了納尼亞啊。”

Though nobody much liked it, it was Hwin's plan which had to be adopted in the end. It was a troublesome one and involved a certain amount of what Shasta called stealing, and Bree called "raiding". One farm lost a few sacks that evening and another lost a coil of rope the next: but some tattered old boy's clothes for Aravis to wear had to be fairly bought and paid for in a village. Shasta returned with them in triumph just as evening was closing in. The others were waiting for him among the trees at the foot of a low range of wooded hills which lay right across their path. Everyone was feeling excited because this was the last hill; when they reached the ridge at the top they would be looking down on Tashbaan. "I do wish we were safely past it," muttered Shasta to Hwin. "Oh I do, I do," said Hwin fervently.

雖然沒有人喜歡赫溫的計劃，可來了兒大家不得不接受的，還是這個計劃。這是個很麻煩的計劃，而且包括一定數量的沙斯塔稱之爲”偷竊”、布里稱之爲”襲擊”的事情。那天晚上，有個農場丟失了幾隻麻袋，第二大晚上另一個農場又丟失了一圈繩子；不過一些給阿拉維斯穿的、破破爛爛的男孩舊衣服，倒是在個村莊裏用現金規規矩矩地買來的。暮色四合時，沙斯塔拿着舊衣服凱旋歸來了。其他的人馬正在小山腳下的樹木之間等着他哩。小山坐落在他們要走的道路上。大家感到心情激動，因爲這是最後的小山了；當他們到達山頂上時，他們就可以俯瞰塔什班城。”我但願我們安全通過山脊。”沙斯塔對赫溫說。”啊，我也但願如此，但願如此。”赫溫熱情地答道。