《能言马与男孩》第64期:不受欢迎的同路人(5)

Shasta was a little reassured by the breath: so he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives; and of all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also, how very long it was since he had had anything to eat.

沙斯塔对那气息稍稍有点儿放心了，所以他就告诉对方：他从来不知道他真正的父亲或母亲，他是由一个渔夫严厉地抚养大的。然后他又讲了他逃跑的故事，以及他们怎样被狮子追逐，被迫泅水逃命等；他讲到了他们在塔什班城所经历的一切危险，他在坟场里过夜以及沙漠里的也受对他的咆哮。他讲到了沙漠旅途中的炎热和口渴，以及他们快要到达目的地时另一头狮子怎样追逐他们，并且抓伤了阿拉维斯。他也讲了从那时起他好久没吃过任何东西。

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.

“我并不认为你是不幸的。”大嗓门说。

"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" said Shasta.

“遇到这么多狮子，你还不认为是倒霉吗？”

"There was only one lion," said the Voice.

“只有一头狮子。”那声音说道。

"What on earth do you mean? I've just told you there were at least two the first night, and-"

“你这话究竟是什么意思？我刚才就告诉过你，至少第一夜有两头狮子，还有……”

"There was only one: but he was swift of foot."

“只有一头狮子，但那头狮子跑得极快。”

"How do you know?"

“你怎么知道呢？”

"I was the lion." And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. "I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

“我就是那头狮子。”由于沙斯塔紧张得张大了嘴巴却说不出话来，庞然大物继续说到，”我就是逼你与阿拉维斯同行的那头狮子。我就是在坟场这死人之家里安慰你的那只猫咪。我就是在你睡熟时替你驱逐豺狼的那头狮子。我就是使马儿们在恐惧中获得新的力量、奔驰最后一段路程，以便你及时见到伦恩国王的那头狮子。而且我还是你当年并不记得的那头狮子，当年你奄奄一息躺在一条小船里，是我把船推动，使它漂到一个海滩上，有个渔夫坐在那儿，午夜未睡，收留了你。”

"Then it was you who wounded Aravis?"

“那么，抓伤阿拉维斯的，也是你吗？”

"It was I"

“是我。”

"But what for?"

“干吗要抓伤她呢？”

"Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."

“孩子，”那声音说道，”我在把你的故事告诉你，不是她的。我只对一个人讲他本人的故事，不讲别的。”

"Who are you?" asked Shasta.

“你是谁呢？”沙斯塔问道。

"Myself," said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again "Myself", loud and clear and gay: and then the third time "Myself", whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it.

“我自己。”那声音说道，又低又深沉，大地为之震动；接着是第二遍，”我自己。”响亮、清晰、愉快；然后是第三遍，”我自己。”那可是柔和的低声细语，你几乎听不大见，然而它又从四面八方向你传来，仿佛树叶儿也随之簌簌有声。