《黎明踏浪号》14 世界尽头的开端

CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE WORLD

十四世界尽头的开端

Slowly the door opened again and out there came a figure as tall and straight as the girl’s but not so slender.It carried no light but light seemed to come from it.As it came nearer,Lucy saw that it was like an old man.His silver beard came down to his bare feet in front and his saver hair hung down to his heels behind and his robe appeared to be made from the fleece of silver sheep.He looked so mild and grave that once more all the travellers rose to their feet and stood in silence.

只见那扇门慢慢地打开了,又走出一个跟那个姑那般高挺, 但是没那么苗条的人。那人虽然没带灯火,却好像全身都在发光。等这人走近,露茜才看出是个老人。他银白的胡须垂到身前的光脚上, 一头银发也垂到脚后跟,那一席长袍好像是银羊做的。老人的神情非常慈祥却很庄严,所有人不约而同地再次起立。

But the old man came on without speaking to the travellers and stood on the other side of the table opposite to his daughter.Then both of them held up their arms before them and turned to face the east.In that position the began to sing.I wish I could write down the song,but one who was present could remember it.Lucy said afterwards that it was high,almost shrill,but very beautiful,cold kind of song,an early morning kind of song.And they sang, the grey clouds lifted from the eastern sky a the white patches grew bigger and bigger till it was white,and the sea began to shine like silver.And long afterwards(but those two sang all the time)the east began to turn red and at last,unclouded,the sun came up out the sea and its long level ray shot down the length of the table on the gold and silver sand on the Stone Knife.

这位老者并没有与他们说话,只是站在桌子那头,面对他女儿。他们两个都举起双臂,面朝东方,唱起歌来。真希望我能把这首歌写下来,可是在场没有一个人能记住。露茜后来说,这支歌的调子很高, 近乎尖厉,不过很好听,是一首清冷的歌,有清晨的感觉。他们一开始唱歌,东方的灰云堆就散开了,白云越来越大, 最后摊成了一片雪白,映在海面泛着银光。父女俩一直唱着歌,过了一会儿东方才开始发红。最后云散天晴,太跃出海面,长长的光束照在桌上,照耀着金银餐具和石刀。

Once or twice before,the Narnians had wondered whether the sun at its rising did not look bigger in these seas than it had looked at home.This time they we certain.There was no mistaking it.And the brightness its ray on the dew and on the table was far beyond an.morning brightness they had ever seen.And as Edmu said afterwards,“Though lots of things happened on that trip which sound more exciting,that moment was really the most exciting.”For now they knew that they had truly come to the beginning of the End of the World.

之前有一两次,这几个纳尼亚人说不知道这一带海面上升起的太,会不会跟国的一样大。这回他们肯定了,一点都没错,露珠以及桌上的光比他们见过的任何早晨的曙光都明亮闪烁。正如后来德蒙所说:“虽然那次旅程碰到过不少听起来激动人心的事,但那一刻才是最最激动人心的。”因为他们知道,现在的确是来到了世界尽头的起点。

Then something seemed to be flying at them out of the very centre of the rising sun:but of course one couldn’t look steadily in that direction to make sure.But presently the air became full of voices-voices which took up same song that the Lady and her Father were singing,but in far wilder tones and in a language which no one knew And soon after that the owners of these voices could be seen.They were birds,large and white,and they came hundreds and thousands and alighted on everything;the grass, and the pavement,on the table,on your shoulders,your hands, and your head,till it looked as heavy snow had fallen.For, like snow,they not only make everything white but blurred and blunted all shapes.But Lucy,looking out from between the wings of the birds that covered her,saw one bird fly to the Old Man with something in its beak that looked like a little fruit,unless it was a little live coal,which it might have been,for it was too bright to look at.And the bird laid it in the Old Man’s mouth.

于是,那轮朝的中心好像有什么东西向他们飞来。不过你的眼睛没法一眨也不眨,所以没法看得清楚。不久空中就都是声音,应和着父女俩那支歌的歌声,但是声调有些古怪,而且唱的语言没人能懂。不一会儿就看得见这些歌声是谁的了。原来是又大又白成千上万的鸟飞来,停在草地上、石板地上、桌上、你的肩上、头上、手上, 看上去像下了一场大雪。说是像雪,是因为这些鸟不仅把一切都变白了,周围所有东西的形状都模模糊糊的让人看不清楚。露茜透过鸟儿的翅膀从中间看过去,只见其中一只鸟飞到老人身边,嘴里叼着什么东西,如果不是一块燃烧着的火炭,就是一个小果子。但是它亮得你没法睁眼去看,那只鸟把这东西送到老人嘴里。

Then the birds stopped their singing and appeared to be very busy about the table.When they rose from it again everything on the table that could be eaten or drunk had disappeared.These birds rose from their meal in their thousands and hundreds and carried away all the things that could not be eaten or drunk,such as bones,rinds,and shells,and took their flight back to the rising sun.But now,because they were not singing,the whir of their wings seemed to set the whole air a-tremble.And there was the table pecked clean and empty,and the three old Lords of Narnia still fast asleep.

之后那些鸟就不唱了,开始在餐桌上忙碌。等它们从餐桌上再飞起来的时候,桌上可以吃的、喝的全部一扫而光。这些鸟吃完之后飞走,把一切不能吃不能喝的东西,比如骨头啊、皮啊、壳啊之类的, 统统都带走,飞回朝那边。不过,因为它们现在没在唱歌,所以成千上万的鸟翅膀把整个空气都扑腾得直震颤。桌面上已被啄食一空, 干干净净,三位纳尼亚老公爵却依然沉睡不醒。

Now at last the Old Man turned to the travellers and bade them welcome.

此刻那位老者才转向这些人,对他们表示欢迎。

“Sir,”said Caspian,“will you tell us how to undo the enchantment which holds these three Narnian Lords asleep.”

“阁下,”凯斯宾说,“请告诉我们怎么破解这三位纳尼亚公爵沉睡的魔法吧。”

“I will gladly tell you that,my son,”said the Old Man.“To break this enchantment you must sail to the World’s End,or as near as you can come to it,and you must come back having left at least one of your company behind.”

“孩子啊,我很乐意,”老人说,“要破解这个魔法,你们必须把船开到世界尽头,或者尽可能靠近那里,并且把你们中间的至少一个伙伴留在那里。”

“And what must happen to that one ?”asked Reepicheep.

“留下的那一个会怎样?”雷佩契普问。

“He must go on into the utter east and never return into the world.”

“他会继续深入东方,直到无法回到这个世界。”

“That is my heart’s desire,”said Reepicheep.

“这正是我的夙愿。”雷佩契普说。

“And are we near the World’s End now,Sir ?”asked Caspian. “Have you any knowledge of the seas and lands further east than this ?”

“阁下,我们现在已经靠近世界尽头了吗?”凯斯宾问,“你知道再往东的海陆情况吗?”

“I saw them long ago,”said the Old Man,“but it was from a great height.I cannot tell you such things as sailor need to know.”

“我很久以前看到过,”老人说,“不过是从高空中看到的。水手们需要了解的情况,我无法告知。”

“Do you mean you were flying in the air ?”Eustace blurted out.

“你是说自己飞在空中?”尤斯塔斯脱口而出。

“I was a long way above the air,my son,”replied the Old Man. “I am Ramandu.But I see that you stare at on another and have not heard this name.And no wonder,for the days when I was a star had ceased long before any of you knew this world,and all the constellations have changed.”

“小伙子,我是远在星空中,”老人答,“我是拉曼杜。我看你们大眼瞪小眼,应该没听说过这个名字。一点也不奇怪,早在你们出世之前,我就不再是一颗星辰了,一切星座都改变了。”

“Golly,”said Edmund under his breath.“He’s a retired star.”

“天啊,”德蒙低声说,“原来他是颗退隐的星辰。”

“Aren’t you a star any longer ?”asked Lucy.

“你现在不再是星辰了?”露茜问。

“I am a star at rest,my daughter,”answered Ramandu

“是,小姑,我是颗退隐的星辰,”拉曼杜答,

“When I set for the last time,decrepit and old beyond all that you can reckon,I was carried to this island.I am not so old now as I was then.Every morning a bird brings me a fire-berry from the valleys in the Sun,and each fire-berry takes away a little of my age.And when I have become as young as the child that was born yesterday,then I shall take my rising again(for we are at earth’s eastern rim)and once more tread the great dance.”

“上次我落下来时都衰老得没法想象了,就被送到这岛上来。现在我已经不像当时那样老了。每天早晨都有一只鸟从太谷里带给我一枚火果,每吃一枚火果我都会年轻一点。因为我们是在东边地角,等我像新生儿那样年轻时,就会重返天空,又可以在星空遨游了。”

“In our world,”said Eustace,“a star is a huge ball of flaming gas.”

“在我们的世界里,”尤斯塔斯说,“星辰是一大熊熊火焰一般的气体。”

“Even in your world,my son,that is not what a star is but only what it is made of.And in this world you ave already met a star,for I think you have been with Coriakin.”

“小伙子,即使在你们的世界里,那也不是星辰的真相,而是它的成分。在我们这个世界里,你们已经遇到一颗星辰了,你们大概已经见过科里亚金了吧。”

“Is he a retired star,too ?”said Lucy.

“他也是一颗退隐的星辰吗?”露茜说。

“Well,not quite the same,”said Ramandu.“It was not quite as a rest than he was set to govern the Duffers.You might call it a punishment.He might have shone for thousands of years more in the southern winter sky if all had gone well.”

“其实吧,也并不全是这样,”拉曼杜说,“他被贬下来去管理那笨蛋,所以并不算完全退休。更确切地说叫‘惩罚’。如果没有那些事的话,他原本应该在南方冬天的上空再闪耀千万年。”

“What did he do,Sir ?”asked Caspian.

“他做错了什么呢,阁下?”凯斯宾问。

“My son,”said Ramandu,“it is not for you,a son of Adam, to know what faults a star can commit.But come,we waste time in such talk.Are you yet resolved ?Will you sail further east and come again,leaving one to return no more,and so break the enchantment ? Or will you sail westward ?”

“孩子,”拉曼杜说,“作为亚当的孩子,你是不该知道星辰犯了什么过错的。算了,跟你们谈这种事情就是费时间。你们拿定主意了吗?要不要继续往东开,把一个人留下永不返回,然后你们回来破除这种魔法?或者原路返回?”

“Surely,Sire,”said Reepicheep,“there is no question about that ? It is very plainly part of our quest to rescue these three lords from enchantment.”

“陛下,”雷佩契普说,“没问题吧?把这三位公爵从魔法中解救出来,其实是我们探险的部分目标。”

“I think the same,Reepicheep,”replied Caspian.“And even if it were not so,it would break my heart not to go as near the World’s End as the Dawn Treader will take us.But I am thinking of the crew.They signed on to seek the seven lords,not to reach the rim of the Earth.If we sail east from here we sail to find the edge,the utter east.And not one knows how far it is.They’re brave fellows,but I set signs that some of them are weary of the voyage and long to have our prow pointing to Narnia again.I don’t think should take them further without their knowledge an consent. And then there’s the poor Lord Rhoop.He’s broken man.”

“我也是这么想的,雷佩契普,”凯斯宾答,“如果不这样做, 黎明踏号带我们到世界尽头了,可我们没有去,我也会难受的。不过我要替水手们着想。他们是来寻找七位公爵的,而不是到天涯海角。如果我们从这里往东开,就是寻找世界的边缘。没人知道路程有多远。他们的确勇敢,不过我看得出有些人已经开始厌倦了航海,一心盼望着我们返航,回到纳尼亚。我得让他们知道,不征得他们同意,我无法带他们走。还有可怜的罗普公爵,他已经万念俱灰了。”

“My son,”said the star,“it would be no use,even though you wished it,to sail for the World’s End with men unwilling or men deceived.That is not how great unenchantments are achieved. They must know where they go and why.But who is this broken man you speak of ?”

“小伙子,”拉曼杜说,“带不愿去的人或受骗上当的人开到世界尽头是没意义的,尽管你的想法很好,可是这依旧破解不了魔法。他们必须知道自己去哪儿,为什么去。不过你说的那个万念俱灰的人是谁啊?”

Caspian told Ramandu the story of Rhoop.

凯斯宾把罗普公爵的故事告诉了拉曼杜。

“I can give him what he needs most,”said Ramandu.“I this island there is sleep without stint or measure,and sleep in which no faintest footfall of a dream was ever heard.Let him sit beside these other three and drink oblivion till you return.”

“我可以给他他最想要的东西,”拉曼杜说,“他可以在这个岛上大睡特睡,一直到天昏地暗,日月无光,并且梦里没有任何声音干扰。就让他坐在这三位旁边,喝到把一切都忘掉,等你们回来吧。”

“Oh,do let’s do that,Caspian,”said Lucy.“I’m sure its just what he would love.”

“哦,那就这样吧,凯斯宾,”露茜说,“我敢确定这正是他最想要的。”

At that moment they were interrupted by the sound of many feet and voices:Drinian and the rest of the ship company were approaching.They halted in surprise whey they saw Ramandu and his daughter;and then,because these were obviously great people,every man uncovered his head.Some sailors eyed the empty dishes and flagons on the table with regret.

就在这个时候,有一些脚步声和说话声打断了他们,原来是德里宁和其他船员都来了。他们看见拉曼杜和他女儿都不禁吃了一惊,停了下来。后来他们看出这两个人显然不是凡人,纷纷脱帽致敬。一些水手看到桌上的盘子和酒壶都已经空了,眼睛里流露出失望的神情。

“My lord,”said the King to Drinian,“pray send two men back to the Dawn Treader with a message to the Lord Rhoop.Tell him that the last of his old shipmates are here asleep-a sleep without dreams-and that he can share it.”

“公爵,”国王对德里宁说,“请派两个人回船给罗普公爵捎口信, 告诉他说他那几位老伙计都在这里睡觉,没有梦的沉睡,他可以来分享。”

When this had been done,Caspian told the rest to sit down and laid the whole situation before them.When he had finished there was a long silence and some whispering until presently the Master Bowman got to his feet,and said:

凯斯宾说完,就吩咐其余的人都坐下,把全部情况给大家说明。他说完以后,大家沉默了好一会儿,才有几个人在轻声嘀咕。然后为首的弓箭手站起来,说:

“What some of us have been wanting to ask for a long time, your Majesty,is how we’re ever to get home when we do turn, whether we turn here or somewhere else.It’s been west and north-west winds all the way,barring an occasional calm.And if that doesn’t change,I’d like to know what hopes we have of seeing Narnia again.There’s not much chance of supplies lasting while we row all that way.

“陛下,有些人想问的就是,一旦我们掉转航向,不管是在这里, 还是在其他什么地方掉转,我们究竟怎么回去。除了偶尔的风平静之外,这一路上都是西风和西北风。如果风向一直不变,我想知道我们还能不能回到纳尼亚。恐怕我们一路划回去,船上的粮水也维持不了那么多天了。”

“That’s landsman’s talk,”said Drinian.“There’s always a prevailing west wind in these seas all through the late summer,and it always changes after the New Year.We’ll have plenty of wind for sailing westward;more than we shall like from all accounts.”

“这是陆地人的见识,”德里宁说,“这片海域整个夏末一直刮西风,过了新年才转风向。年后要往西开的话,大多数都是顺风, 这么估计下来,恐怕多得不得了呢。”

“That’s true,Master,”said an old sailor who was a Galmian by birth.“You get some ugly weather rolling up from the east in January and February.And by your leave,Sire,if I was in command of this ship I’d say to winter here and begin the voyage home in March.”

“说得太对了,船长,”一个加尔马人的老水手说,“每年一二月, 东边的坏天气总是不间断的。船长大人,恕我直言,要我说,就在这里过冬,到三月再起航回家。”

“What’d you eat while you were wintering here ?”asked Eustace.

“在这里过冬,那你们吃什么呢?”尤斯塔斯问。

“This table,”said Ramandu,“will be filled with a king’s feast every day at sunset.”

“这张餐桌,”拉曼杜说,“每天太下山时,就会摆上国王的盛宴。”

“Now you’re talking !”said several sailors.

“这还差不多!”几个水手说。

“Your Majesties and gentlemen and ladies all,”said Rynelf, “there’s just one thing I want to say.There’s not one of us chaps as was pressed on this journey.We’re volunteers.And there’s some here chat are looking very hard at that table and thinking about king’s feasts who were talking very loud about adventures on the day we sailed from Cair Paravel,and swearing they wouldn’t come home till we’d found the end of the world.And there were some standing on the quay who would have given all they had to come with us.It was thought a finer thing then to have a cabin-

“各位陛下,各位先生们,女士们,”赖尼夫说,“我只想说一件事。这次出海我们兄弟中没有一个是被迫来这里的。我们都是自告奋勇的。有些人现在正盯着那张餐桌,一边琢磨着国王的盛宴。当初我们从凯尔帕拉维尔启程,他们一边大谈什么冒险,一边发誓找不到世界尽头,就决不回家。

boy’s berth on the Dawn Treader than to wear a knight’s belt.I don’t know if you get the hang of what I’m saying.But what I mean is that I think chaps who set out like us will look as silly as-as those Dufflepuds—if we come home and say we got to the beginning of the world’s end and hadn’t the heart to go further.”

“一些人站在码头上,情愿抛弃一切跟我们一起来。当初人们都希望得到黎明踏号一个船舱服务员的铺位,也不愿要骑士的腰带。我不知道你们是不是明白我的意思。不过我的意思是,像我们这样远航的兄弟们要是回到家里,说我们到了世界尽头的起点,却没有勇气再走下去,那我们简直跟那些笨蛋一样蠢了。”

Some of the sailors cheered at this but some said that that was all very well.

一些水手为这番话叫好,另一些人觉得留下来过冬也不错。

“This isn’t going to be much fun,”whispered Edmund to Caspian.“What are we to do if half those fellows hang back ?”

“情况不大妙,”德蒙悄悄地对凯斯宾说,“如果这里有一半人不愿意去,我们该怎么办?”

“Wait,”Caspian whispered back.“I’ve still a card to play.”

“等一下,”凯斯宾悄悄地说,“我有最后的杀手锏。”

“Aren’t you going to say anything,Reep ?”whispered Lucy.

“你不打算说些什么吗,雷佩契普?”露茜悄声说。

“No.Why should your Majesty expect it ?”answered Reepicheep in a voice that most people heard.“My owns plans are made.While I can,I sail east in the Dawn Treader.When she fails me,I paddle east in my coracle.When she sinks,I shall swim east with my four paws.And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country,or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract,I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia.”

“是的。陛下为什么偏要我说呢?”雷佩契普用大多数人都听得见的声音说,“我自己的计划已定。只要我办得到,我就随黎明踏号往东边去。这船不带我去,我就乘我的小筏子去。小筏子沉了, 我就用爪子游到东边去。万一我游不动了,游不到阿斯兰的国土,或者万一在世界边缘被瀑布冲走了,那我沉到水下,鼻子对着日出的地方。要是有这么一天,请让佩比西克当纳尼亚老鼠的首领。”

“Hear,hear,”said a sailor,“I’ll say the same,barring the bit about the coracle,which wouldn’t bear me.”He added in a lower voice,“I’m not going to be outdone by a mouse.”

“说得好,说得好,”一个水手说,“我也会说这番话的,只是小筏子那段话除外,那小筏子我坐不下。”他又低声说了一句,“我可不愿被一只老鼠给比下去。”

At this point Caspian jumped to his feet.“Friends,”he said,“I think you have not quite understood our purpose.You talk as if we had come to you with our hat in our hand,begging for shipmates.It isn’t like that at all.We and our royal brother and sister and their kinsman and Sir Reepicheep,the good knight, and the Lord Drinian have an errand to the world’s edge.It is our pleasure to choose from among such of you as are willing those whom we deem worthy of so high an enterprise.We have not said that any can come for the asking.That is why we shall now command the Lord Drinian and Master Rhince to consider carefully what men among you are the hardest in battle,the most skilled seamen,the purest in blood,the most loyal to our person,and the cleanest of life and manners;and to give their names to us in a schedule.”He paused and went on in a quicker voice,“Aslan’s mane !”he exclaimed.“Do you think that the privilege of seeing the last things is to be bought for a song ? Why,every man that comes with us shall bequeath the title of Dawn Treader to all his descendants,and when we land at Cair Paravel on the homeward voyage he shall have either gold or land enough to make him rich all his life.Now-scatter over the island,all of you.In half an hour’s time I shall receive the names that Lord Drinian brings me.”

就在这个时候,凯斯宾忽然站起来说:“朋友们,我想你们可能并不十分理解我们的用意。你们说话的口气好像我们去找你们,求你们做水手似的。事实并非如此。我们和我们的王兄王姐,还有他们的亲属,以及好骑士雷佩契普爵士以及德里宁公爵都有到世界边缘的使命。我们很乐意在你们这些自愿参加的人当中物我们认为最适合从事如此崇高冒险事业的人。我们不要求任何人都参加,所以我们现在指派德里宁船长和赖因斯大副慎重挑选,你们当中哪些人在战斗中最顽强,哪些人是最富有经验的海员,哪些人血统最纯正,哪些人对我们最忠诚,哪些人的身世和作风最清白,然后列个名单给我们。”他停顿了一下,又用比较快的语调说:“阿斯兰在上!”他扯着嗓子说,“你们认为亲眼看到最后大局的特权是会白白到手的吗? 当然,每一个跟随我们的人都将把黎明踏者的称号传给子孙后代, 一旦我们返航踏上凯尔帕拉维尔,他将分得黄金或土地,足够使他此生享尽荣华富贵。现在解散,半小时后,德里宁公爵会把名单交到我手上。”

There was rather a sheepish silence and then the crew made their bows and moved away,one in this direction and one in that, but mostly in little knots or bunches,talking.

大家听了都默不作声,水手们鞠了躬然后走开了。有的朝这儿, 有的往那儿,多半人是三三两两的议论着。

“And now for the Lord Rhoop,”said Caspian.

“现在要说罗普公爵了。”凯斯宾说。

But turning to the head of the table he saw that Rhoop was already there.He had arrived,silent and unnoticed,while the discussion was going on,and was seated beside the Lord Argoz. The daughter of Ramandu stood beside him as if she had just helped him into his chair;Ramandu stood behind him and laid both his hands on Rhoop’s grey head.Even in daylight a faint silver light came from the hands of the star.There was a smile on Rhoop’s haggard face.He held out one of his hands to Lucy and the other to Caspian.For a moment it looked as if he were going to say something.Then his smile brightened as if he were feeling ? some delicious sensation,a long sigh of contentment came from his lips,his head fell forward,and he slept.

他刚转向餐桌首席位置的时候,罗普已经坐在那里了。原来大家在讨论时,他已不声不响地来到这里,坐在阿尔戈兹公爵身边。拉曼杜的女儿站在他旁边,好像刚才是她扶他坐下的。拉曼杜站在他背后,双手搁在他的白头发上。在白天,这个曾是星辰老者的双手依旧会发出朦胧的银光。罗普憔悴的脸上突然露出了一丝笑容。他对着露茜伸出一只手, 对凯斯宾伸出另一只手。似乎想说什么,他笑得更开怀了,仿佛他可以体会到一种美妙的感觉,唇边发出一声心满意足的长叹,然后脑袋往前一跌,睡着了。

“Poor Rhoop,”said Lucy.“I am glad.He must have had terrible times.”

“可怜的罗普啊,”露茜说,“现在我真替他高兴,他一定经历过很多可怕的事情。”

“Don’t let’s even think of it,”said Eustace.

“还是别去想这些了。”尤斯塔斯说。

Meanwhile Caspian’s speech,helped perhaps by some magic of the island,was having just the effect he intended.A good many who had been anxious enough to get out of the voyage felt quite differently about being left out of it.And of course whenever any one sailor announced that he had made up his mind to ask for permission to sail,the ones who hadn’t said this felt that they were getting fewer and more uncomfortable.So that before the half-hour was nearly over several people were positively“sucking up”to Drinian and Rhince(at least that was what they called it at my school)to get a good report.And soon there were only three left who didn’t want to go,and those three were trying very hard to persuade others to stay with them.And very shortly after that there was only one left.And in they end he began to be afraid of being left behind all on his own and changed his mind.

凯斯宾之前那番话,好像刚好起到作用,或者也可能是岛上有魔法在暗地帮助他吧。不少刚才还迫不及待地想要放弃这次远航的人,现在却愿意追随他去了。每当有一个水手说他打定主意一定出海的时候,那些还没说出口的水手就感到他们的队友越来越少,心里也越来越不好受。所以还没到半小时,就有几个人积极地向德里宁和赖因斯大献殷勤( 至少在我的学校里,大家是这么说的),以便获得一个好评。不一会,就只剩下三个人还在想尽一切办法说服别人跟他们一起留下。又过了一会,只剩下一个人。最后,那个人觉得留下他,他会感到害怕,也改变了主意。

At the end of the half-hour they all came trooping back to Aslan’s Table and stood at one end while Drinian and Rhince went and sat down with Caspian and made their report;and Caspian accepted all the man but that one who’d had changed his mind at the last moment.His name was Pittencream and he stayed on the Island of the Star all the time the others were away looking for the World’s End,and he very much wished he had gone with them.He wasn’t the sort of man who could enjoy talking to Ramandu and Ramandu’s daughter(nor they to him),and it rained a good deal, and though there was a wonderful feast on the Table every night, he didn’t very much enjoy it.He said it gave him the creeps sitting there alone(and in the rain as likely as not)with those four Lords asleep at the end of the Table.And when the others returned he felt so out of things that he deserted on the voyage home at the Lone Islands,and went and lived in Calormen,where he told wonderful stories about his adventures at the End of the World,until at last he came to believe them himself.So you may say,in a sense,that he lived happily ever after.But he could never bear mice.

半小时后,所有人回到阿斯兰餐桌前,德里宁和赖因斯跟凯斯宾坐在一起,向凯斯宾汇报。凯斯宾接受了所有人,只有那个在最后时刻改变主意的人没被接受。他叫皮顿克林,大家都出发寻找世界尽头的时候,他只好一直待在星辰岛上,其实这时他心里巴不得跟他们一起去。他不喜欢跟拉曼杜父女说话,他们也不待见他。后来,岛上下了好几场雨,虽然餐桌上夜夜都有美味佳肴,可是他不是很喜欢吃。他就孤独地坐在那儿,还有四位公爵风雨无阻地在餐桌的另一端陪伴着他,让他不寒而栗。当其他人回来时,他觉得自己被孤立了, 返航途中他在孤独岛下了船,留在卡乐门国。他在那里讲自己在世界尽头的种种奇遇,最后连自己都信以为真了。所以在某种意义上说, 他从此过得倒也愉快。不过他一见了老鼠,就受不了。

That night they all ate and drank together at the great table between the pillars where the feast was magically renewed:and next morning the Dawn Treader set sail once more just when the great birds had come and gone again.

那晚所有人都在那张大餐桌上用餐,桌上的盛宴已用魔法换上新鲜的了。第二天早上,踏号就在大鸟飞来又飞去那会儿再次扬帆起航。

“Lady,”said Caspian,“I hope to speak with you again when I have broken the enchantments.”And Ramandu’s daughter looked at him and smiled.

“小姐,”凯斯宾说,“等我成功地破解魔法后,希望能和你谈谈。” 拉曼杜的女儿只是对他微微一笑。