By C. S. Lewis

C. S. 劉易斯（1898—1963），英国著名作家，所著儿童故事集《纳尼亚传奇》七部曲，情节动人，妙趣横生。本文选自《纳尼亚传奇》第三部《黎明踏浪号》。

第一章 卧室里的画儿

THERE was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb， and he almost deserved it. His parents called him Eustace and masters called him Scrubb. I cant tell you how his friends spoke to him， for he had none. He didnt call his Father and Mother “Father” and “Mother”， but Harold and Alberta. They were very up-to-date and advanced people. They were vegetarians， non-smokers and teetotallers and wore a special kind of underclothes. In their house there was very little furniture and very few clothes on beds and the windows were always open.

Eustace liked animals， especially beetles， if they were dead and pinned on a card. He liked books if they were books of information and had pictures of grain elevators or of fat foreign children doing exercises in model schools.

Eustace disliked his cousins the four Pevensies， Peter， Susan， Edmund and Lucy. But he was quite glad when he heard that Edmund and Lucy were coming to stay. For deep down inside him he liked bossing and bullying; and， though he was a puny little person who couldnt have stood up even to Lucy， let alone Edmund， in a fight， he knew that there are dozens of ways to give people a bad time if you are in your own home and they are only visitors.

Edmund and Lucy did not at all want to come and stay with Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta. But it really couldnt be helped. Father had got a job lecturing in America for sixteen weeks that summer， and Mother was to go with him because she hadnt had a real holiday for ten years. Peter was working very hard for an exam and he was to spend the holidays being coached by old Professor Kirke in whose house these four children had had wonderful adventures long ago in the war years. If he had still been in that house he would have had them all to stay. But he had somehow become poor since the old days and was living in a small cottage with only one bedroom to spare. It would have cost too much money to take the other three all to America， and Susan had gone.

Grown-ups thought her the pretty one of the family and she was no good at school work （though otherwise very old for her age） and Mother said she “would get far more out of a trip to America than the youngsters”. Edmund and Lucy tried not to grudge Susan her luck， but it was dreadful having to spend the summer holidays at their Aunts. “But its far worse for me，” said Edmund， “because youll at least have a room of your own and I shall have to share a bedroom with that record stinker， Eustace.”

The story begins on an afternoon when Edmund and Lucy were stealing a few precious minutes alone together. And of course they were talking about Narnia， which was the name of their own private and secret country. Most of us， I suppose， have a secret country but for most of us it is only an imaginary country. Edmund and Lucy were luckier than other people in that respect. Their secret country was real. They had already visited it twice; not in a game or a dream but in reality. They had got there of course by Magic， which is the only way of getting to Narnia. And a promise， or very nearly a promise， had been made them in Narnia itself that they would some day get back. You may imagine that they talked about it a good deal， when they got the chance.

大人們觉得，苏珊是四个孩子中长得最漂亮的，此外，对于学校的功课，她并不是那么拿手（尽管相对于她的年龄来说，她在同年级的学生中算是年纪大的了），所以妈妈说，“苏珊可以从美国之行中比弟弟妹妹学到更多”。然而，对于爱德蒙和露茜来说，他们能够做到不嫉妒苏珊的好运气，可是要让他们到叔叔婶婶家过暑假，却是一件让他们非常沮丧的事情。“而且，我的情况可是最糟的，”爱德蒙说，“至少露茜还有一间自己的房间，而我得和尤斯塔斯那个讨厌鬼住在同一间卧室里。”

本书的故事在暑假里的一天下午开始了。这天，爱德蒙和露茜好不容易找了个时间，就他们两人待在一起。每逢这时候，他们聊天的内容自然而然地就转向了纳尼亚——这个只属于他们的神奇国度。我猜，我们很多人心中，其实都有一个属于我们自己的神奇国度，只不过，我们心中的神奇国度往往都出自我们的想象。所以，在这一点上，爱德蒙和露茜比我们大多数人都幸运多了。纳尼亚是真实的，他们已经到那儿去过两次——两次都是实实在在地踏足其上，而不是在游戏里或者是梦中。当然了，他们进入纳尼亚凭借的是魔法的力量，这是唯一能够进入纳尼亚的方式。而且，当他们在纳尼亚世界里的时候，他们得到承诺，一个很有力的保证，保证他们将来有一天，还可以再度回到纳尼亚。可以想象得到，他们一有机会，就总是会围绕着这个话题谈个不停。

有一个小男孩儿，名字叫尤斯塔斯·克拉伦斯·斯库波。他的脾气和行为的确当得起这个名字（“尤斯塔斯”在英语中和“没用的”一词音相近）。他的爸爸妈妈叫他尤斯塔斯，而他的老师则叫他斯库波。你要是问我，他的朋友又是怎么称呼他的，我还真答不上来。因为这个小男孩儿一个朋友都没有。对他的爸爸妈妈，尤斯塔斯从来都是直呼其名，管他的爸爸叫“哈罗德”，管他妈妈叫“艾贝塔”。这一对父母可是非常时髦、非常爱赶潮流的人。他们是素食主义者，不抽烟，滴酒不沾，只穿某一个牌子的内衣。他们的屋子里家具很少，也几乎不把衣服堆在床上。还有一点，房间的窗户永远是开着的。

尤斯塔斯喜欢动物，尤其是各种甲虫，不过只限于它们死了之后用大头针固定在纸板上的时候。他也喜欢读书，不过他偏好那些配了图片，教给人可实际运用的图书，比如对配有升降机的大谷仓的说明，或者描述外国模范学校里身体肥胖的学生如何进行体操训练等内容的书。

尤斯塔斯不喜欢他的堂兄妹们，也就是伯伯佩文西家的四个孩子——彼得、苏珊、爱德蒙和露茜。可是当他听说爱德蒙和露茜要到他家来住一段时间的时候，他还是相当高兴。在内心深处，尤斯塔斯巴不得能够有机会对别人发号施令，在别的孩子面前抖抖威风。只不过，尤斯塔斯实在体格瘦弱，力气又小，要是真打起来，且不说面对爱德蒙，就算是面对露茜，他也占不了任何便宜。不过，尤斯塔斯是在自己家里，爱德蒙和露茜则寄人篱下。尤斯塔斯肚子里无数的坏点子，足以让爱德蒙和露茜兄妹俩吃尽苦头。

爱德蒙和露茜一点儿也不愿意到叔叔婶婶家去住。可是没有用。今年夏天他们的父亲要到美国讲学，时间是十六个星期。而母亲决定跟着去，毕竟她已经有十年的时间没有真正休息过一个假期了。彼得要准备一场重要的考试。为了考出好成绩，他非常用功，甚至连住都住到柯克教授家去了——教授在自己家里帮助他复习功课。很久以前，还在战争年月，佩文西家的四个孩子在教授家里经历了一次难以忘怀的历险。可现在的问题是，教授搬家了。要是他还住在以前那座大房子里的话，他倒是非常欢迎所有的孩子都到他那里去。可是自从战争之后，教授的生活越来越清贫，最后他搬进了一座小房子安身。这座房子很小，除了教授自己的卧室，另外就只剩下一间卧室可供客人使用。彼得住进去之后，就没有更多的地方给爱德蒙和露茜了。而爸爸妈妈又没有那么多钱把除彼得外的三个孩子都带到美国去，所以，最后就只有苏珊得到了这个机会。

They were in Lucys room， sitting on the edge of her bed and looking at a picture on the opposite wall. It was the only picture in the house that they liked. Aunt Alberta didnt like it at all （that was why it was put away in a little back room upstairs）， but she couldnt get rid of it because it had been a wedding present from someone she did not want to offend.

It was a picture of a ship—a ship sailing straight towards you. Her prow was gilded and shaped like the head of a dragon with wide-open mouth. She had only one mast and one large， square sail which was a rich purple. The sides of the ship—what you could see of them where the gilded wings of the dragon ended—were green. She had just run up to the top of one glorious blue wave， and the nearer slope of that wave came down towards you， with streaks and bubbles on it. She was obviously running fast before a gay wind， listing over a little on her port side. （By the way， if you are going to read this story at all， and if you dont know already， you had better get it into your head that the left of a ship when you are looking ahead， is port， and the right is starboard.） All the sunlight fell on her from that side， and the water on that side was full of greens and purples. On the other， it was darker blue from the shadow of the ship.

“The question is，” said Edmund， “whether it doesnt make things worse， looking at a Narnian ship when you cant get there.”

“Even looking is better than nothing，” said Lucy. “And she is such a very Narnian ship.”

“Still playing your old game？” said Eustace， who had been listening outside the door and now came grinning into the room. Last year， when he had been staying with the Pevensies， he had managed to hear them all talking of Narnia and he loved teasing them about it. He thought of course that they were making it all up; and as he was far too stupid to make anything up himself， he did not approve of that.

这会儿，兄妹俩聚在露茜的房间，肩并肩地坐在床边，端详着对面墙上挂着的一幅画——这是在叔叔婶婶家里他们唯一喜欢的一幅画。可是艾贝塔婶婶却非常讨厌这幅画（这也是为什么她把这幅画给挂在楼上背静的一个小房间里的原因），只不过，因为这幅画是她得罪不起的某个人送给她的结婚礼物，所以艾贝特婶婶不好把这幅画给丢掉。

这幅画上画的是一艘船——这艘船正笔直地冲着看画的人驶来。船头是一条龙的样子，龙头高耸，龙嘴大张，整个船头的这部分都镀着金。这条船有一根桅杆，上面悬挂着一张巨大的方形船帆。船帆是厚重的紫色。龙的翅膀逐渐隐没在绿色的船舷两侧。画面上的这艘船正爬上一个大浪的浪尖。湛蓝色的海浪发出耀眼的光芒，浪头朝向画面涌来，你甚至都能清楚地看到水面上的波纹和泛起的泡沫。这艘快船乘着一阵劲风行驶在海面上，船的左舷露出来得更多一点（顺便插一句，如果你还不知道水手是怎么称呼船的各个部分的话，那么现在就可以把下面这两个术语记在脑海里了：船的左侧被称为“左舷”，而右侧则叫作“右舷”）。明媚的阳光从天空直射到船的左舷，使得这一边下方的海水呈现出清澈的绿色和淡淡的紫色。而船的另一面，由于阳光不能直射，使得船身阴影下方的海水呈现一片深蓝。

爱德蒙开口说道：“问题在于，我们就这样眼看着这艘纳尼亚船，可却只能在房间里呆坐着，这样还不如不要让我看到这幅画呢！”

“就算是看看也比什么都没有强吧。”露茜说，“再说了，这是多么漂亮的一艘纳尼亚船啊。”

“又在玩你们那老掉牙的游戏了？”尤斯塔斯说道。原来这个家伙一直躲在房间门外偷听爱德蒙和露茜的谈话。这会儿，他咧着大嘴，坏笑着挤进了房间。去年夏天，当尤斯塔斯同伯伯家的几个孩子待在一起的时候，他也是这样偷听他们谈话的。所有关于纳尼亚的事情他都聽到了，可是他却总是喜欢拿这个话题来嘲笑佩文西兄妹。尤斯塔斯认为，所有关于纳尼亚的故事都是他们胡编乱造出来的，而他自己又没有任何才华编出这样一个精彩的故事，所以他对纳尼亚毫不相信。

Word Study

teetotaller /'ti?'t??tl?（r）/ n. 不饮酒的人;滴酒不沾的人

puny /'pju?ni/ adj. 弱小的，孱弱的;不起眼的

prow /pra?/ n. 船头

gild /?ld/ v. 给……镀金;涂金于

“Youre not wanted here，” said Edmund curtly.

“Im trying to think of a limerick，” said Eustace. “Something like this：

“Some kids who played games about Narnia got gradually balmier and balmier—”

“Well Narnia and balmier dont rhyme， to begin with，” said Lucy.

“Its an assonance，” said Eustace.

“Dont ask him what an assy-thingummy is，” said Edmund. “Hes only longing to be asked. Say nothing and perhaps hell go away.”

Most boys， on meeting a reception like this， would either have cleared out or flared up. Eustace did neither. He just hung about grinning， and presently began talking again.

“Do you like that picture？” he asked.

“For heavens sake dont let him get started about Art and all that，” said Edmund hurriedly， but Lucy， who was very truthful， had already said， “Yes， I do. I like it very much.”

“Its a rotten picture，” said Eustace.

“You wont see it if you step outside，” said Edmund.

“Why do you like it？” said Eustace to Lucy.

“Well， for one thing，” said Lucy， “I like it because the ship looks as if it was really moving. And the water looks as if it was really wet. And the waves look as if they were really going up and down.”

“這儿不需要你。”爱德蒙冷冰冰地说道。

尤斯塔斯没有离开的意思，他说：“我在构思一首诗，前面几句是这样的：

有那么几个小孩子，玩的游戏是关于纳尼亚。他们玩儿啊玩儿，结果变得越来越奇怪……”

露茜打断了尤斯塔斯：“嘿！‘纳尼亚和‘奇怪这两个词根本就不押韵，不能这样写诗。”

“这叫半谐音。”尤斯塔斯强词夺理道。

“别跟这讨厌鬼搭腔，”爱德蒙对露茜说，“他巴不得你跟他说话。我们什么话都不要讲，这样说不定他就会自己走开了。”

大多数男孩子听到这样的话，要么很识趣地自己走开，要么一定会火冒三丈。可是尤斯塔斯没有这样的反应。他依然咧着一张大嘴，讪笑着在房间里走来走去。

然后他又开口说道：“你们喜欢这张画儿？”

“看在老天的分上，别跟他讨论艺术和任何类似的话题。”爱德蒙连忙说。可是单纯的露茜已经接下了话头，她说：“是的，我非常喜欢这幅画。”

“这幅画烂透了。”尤斯塔斯说。

“如果你离开这里，你就不会看到它了。”爱德蒙说。

尤斯塔斯问露茜：“你为什么喜欢这幅画？”

露茜回答说：“嗯，我喜欢它就一个原因，因为这画上的船看起来真的像在动似的。水看上去也很逼真，湿漉漉的水汽扑面而来。还有浪花，看上去就像真的在上下起伏一样。”

Of course Eustace knew lots of answers to this， but he didnt say anything. The reason was that at that very moment he looked at the waves and saw that they did look very much indeed as if they were going up and down. He had only once been in a ship （and then only as far as the Isle of Wight） and had been horribly seasick. The look of the waves in the picture made him feel sick again. He turned rather green and tried another look. And then all three children were staring with open mouths.

What they were seeing may be hard to believe when you read it in print， but it was almost as hard to believe when you saw it happening. The things in the picture were moving. It didnt look at all like a cinema either; the colours were too real and clean and out-of-doors for that. Down went the prow of the ship into the wave and up went a great shock of spray. And then up went the wave behind her， and her stern and her deck became visible for the first time， and then disappeared as the next wave came to meet her and her bows went up again. At the same moment an exercise book which had been lying beside Edmund on the bed flapped， rose and sailed through the air to the wall behind him， and Lucy felt all her hair whipping round her face as it does on a windy day. And this was a windy day; but the wind was blowing out of the picture towards them. And suddenly with the wind came the noises—the swishing of waves and the slap of water against the ships sides and the creaking and the overall high steady roar of air and water. But it was the smell， the wild， briny smell， which really convinced Lucy that she was not dreaming.

尤斯塔斯肚子里有一百句可以用来揶揄露茜的话，可是这时候他却什么话都没说。之所以会这样，是因为尤斯塔斯这时候也将目光落到了画面上，而且他还发现，画里面的海浪是真的在上下起伏。尤斯塔斯从小到大只有一次坐船的经历（而且还只是去了怀特岛而已），可是那一次晕船晕得非常厉害。现在，眼看着面前这幅画中汹涌的波涛，尤斯塔斯又一次感觉自己像在船上，他开始头晕了。尤斯塔斯脸色铁青，努力让自己再朝画面看了一眼。而就在这时候，三个孩子都张大了嘴巴，目光落在画面上，一动不动。

在他们眼前发生的景象令人难以置信，文字很难描述出当时的情形。我甚至觉得，就算你当时也置身其中，亲眼看见了当时的场面，你也一样很难相信——画中的所有东西都开始动了起来。这情形绝对不像是在看电影。因为画中所有东西看上去都颜色饱满。而且，正如画面所显示的那样，船和海洋，都在自然光的照耀下，看上去栩栩如生，富有实物的质感。大船随着波浪起伏，船头一个猛子扎到水里，又随着下一个浪头从水里昂起头来，带出一股水沫，洒向天空。一波波的海浪把大船推向前进。浪头卷起，船尾和甲板清楚地进入了三个孩子的视野。浪头落下，船头又升了起来。就在这个当儿，爱德蒙手边放在床上的一本练习册被一股劲风吹得飞了起来，径直贴到了爱德蒙背后的墙上。这一阵狂风把露茜的长头发吹得纷纷扬扬，卷到了她的脸上。那天确实是一个刮风天，可是吹向他们的这阵狂风并非来自屋外，而是从画里面向他们吹来的。而就在刮风的同时，伴随而来的还有声音。有海浪翻滚的水声，浪花打在船身上的拍击声，还有咆哮的风声。所有这些声音混成一体，让人有身临其境之感。可是，还不只这些。让露茜确信自己不是在做梦的，是气味。在刮来的海风中，她闻到了海洋湿润、微咸的味道。

“Stop it，” came Eustaces voice， squeaky with fright and bad temper. “Its some silly trick you two are playing. Stop it. Ill tell Alberta—Ow！”

The other two were much more accustomed to adventures， but， just exactly as Eustace said “Ow，” they both said “Ow” too. The reason was that a great cold， salt splash had broken right out of the frame and they were breathless from the smack of it， besides being wet through.

“快停下来！”尤斯塔斯扯着嗓子尖叫道，他的声音里充满了恐惧和愤怒，“这一定是你俩弄出来的什么魔法。快给我停下来，我要告诉艾贝塔——啊噢！”

爱德蒙和露茜已经比较习惯于各种稀奇古怪的事情和冒险了，可是，就在尤斯塔斯发出那一声凄惨的“啊噢”的同时，他俩也不由自主地喊出了声。原来，汹涌的海水突然之间从画框中喷涌而出，将三个孩子兜头灌了个精湿。三个孩子猝不及防，呛了一嘴的水，连呼吸都憋住了。

“Ill smash the rotten thing，” cried Eustace; and then several things happened at the same time. Eustace rushed towards the picture. Edmund， who knew something about magic， sprang after him， warning him to look out and not to be a fool. Lucy grabbed at him from the other side and was dragged forward. And by this time either they had grown much smaller or the picture had grown bigger. Eustace jumped to try to pull it off the wall and found himself standing on the frame; in front of him was not glass but real sea， and wind and waves rushing up to the frame as they might to a rock. He lost his head and clutched at the other two who had jumped up beside him. There was a second of struggling and shouting， and just as they thought they had got their balance a great blue roller surged up round them， swept them off their feet， and drew them down into the sea. Eustaces despairing cry suddenly ended as the water got into his mouth.

“我要把這鬼玩意给砸掉！”尤斯塔斯高声喊道;就在这会儿，事情接连发生。尤斯塔斯向墙上的画冲了过去。爱德蒙知道魔法的威力，立马冲向尤斯塔斯，想要阻止他做蠢事。露茜从另一边抓住尤斯塔斯，同样打算阻止他。可是尤斯塔斯力气很大，露茜反而被尤斯塔斯给拖着往前走了几步。而这个时候，不知道是三个孩子在一瞬间变小了，还是画框突然变大了，就在尤斯塔斯正要将画框从墙上取下来的时候，他却惊讶地发现自己忽然置身于画框当中。在尤斯塔斯面前，并非画框的玻璃，而是真正的海水。狂风裹挟着巨浪正向他打来，就好像拍打岩石一样。尤斯塔斯魂都要吓掉了。他本能地一把抓住身边的爱德蒙和露茜。他俩也置身于画框之内。有那么一两秒钟，三个人都在大叫，力图站稳身子。而就在他们觉得似乎已经稳下来的时候，一股汹涌的蓝色波涛将他们整个卷了进去。三个人全都失去了平衡，掉进了大海。尤斯塔斯绝望的叫声一下子沉寂了，海水灌进了他的嘴里。

Lucy thanked her stars that she had worked hard at her swimming last summer term. It is true that she would have got on much better if she had used a slower stroke， and also that the water felt a great deal colder than it had looked while it was only a picture. Still， she kept her head and kicked her shoes off， as everyone ought to do who falls into deep water in their clothes. She even kept her mouth shut and her eyes open. They were still quite near the ship; she saw its green side towering high above them， and people looking at her from the deck. Then， as one might have expected， Eustace clutched at her in a panic and down they both went.

When they came up again she saw a white figure diving off the ships side. Edmund was close beside her now， treading water， and had caught the arms of the howling Eustace. Then someone else， whose face was vaguely familiar， slipped an arm under her from the other side. There was a lot of shouting going on from the ship， heads crowding together above the bulwarks， ropes being thrown. Edmund and the stranger were fastening ropes round her. After that followed what seemed a very long delay during which her face got blue and her teeth began chattering. In reality the delay was not very long; they were waiting till the moment when she could be got on board the ship without being dashed against its side. Even with all their best endeavours she had a bruised knee when she finally stood， dripping and shivering， on the deck. After her Edmund was heaved up， and then the miserable Eustace. Last of all came the stranger—a golden-headed boy some years older than herself.

“Ca... Ca... Caspian！” gasped Lucy as soon as she had breath enough. For Caspian it was; Caspian， the boy king of Narnia whom they had helped to set on the throne during their last visit. Immediately Edmund recognized him too. All three shook hands and clapped one another on the back with great delight.

露茜慶幸自己在暑假的游泳课上学得认真。不过要是这会儿她划水能再划得慢一些，那她就可以更好地控制住自己的身体了。这海水很冷，比它在画里看起来的样子要冷多了。不过，露茜很快就让自己冷静下来。她首先踢掉了鞋子——任何人如果穿着衣服掉到水里，需要做的第一件事情就是踢掉鞋子。露茜还闭上了嘴巴，同时努力让自己把眼睛睁开。她看到自己离那艘大船很近。她甚至都能看到绿色的船舷在她上方的海面耸立着，船上的人正从甲板上往下看着她。而这时候，啊，你也许能够预料得到，尤斯塔斯在惊慌失措中一把抓住了她。两个人都朝水下沉去。

当露茜拖着尤斯塔斯再一次往海面上浮的时候，她看到一个白色的身影从大船的船舷跳下。爱德蒙这时候也游到了露茜身边，拖着尤斯塔斯的胳膊，双脚踩水，往水面游去。这时，另一只有力的胳膊从露茜的另一侧伸了过来，托着她往水面游去。这人的面目一时还看不清，可是却又那么熟悉。船上人声鼎沸，有无数个脑袋挤在船舷边。绳子也放了下来。爱德蒙和跳到水里的那个人把绳子拴在露茜腰间……这之后的时间仿佛过得非常漫长。露茜的脸已经憋气憋得发青了，牙齿也因为寒冷而颤抖不停。不过实际上这段时间很短，船上的人只是在等待合适的时机，好把露茜安全地拉到甲板上，免得她被船舷刮到。不过，尽管人们已经非常小心翼翼，露茜最后踏上甲板时，膝盖还是被船舷给磕青了一片。她全身都在滴水，还冷得发抖。在她之后，爱德蒙也登上了甲板。然后是倒霉的尤斯塔斯。最后一个上来的，是从船上跳下海救他们的那位陌生人。这是一个满头金发的男孩子，年纪比露茜要大一些。

“凱……凯……凯斯宾！”露茜终于喘上来气之后，她欣喜地喊道。没错，这个男孩子就是凯斯宾，纳尼亚的年轻国王。上一次他们来到纳尼亚时，帮助凯斯宾登上了王位。爱德蒙也立刻认出了他。三个人紧紧地握住了手，亲热地在彼此的背上拍了又拍。

Word Study

stern /st??n/ n. 船尾

adj. 严厉的;苛刻的

spring /spr??/ v. 跳;跃;蹦;突然出现（或来到）

tread /tred/ v. 踩;踏;践踏;行走

“But who is your friend？” said Caspian almost at once， turning to Eustace with his cheerful smile. But Eustace was crying much harder than any boy of his age has a right to cry when nothing worse than a wetting has happened to him， and would only yell out， “Let me go. Let me go back. I dont like it.”

“Let you go？” said Caspian. “But where？”

Eustace rushed to the ships side， as if he expected to see the picture frame hanging above the sea， and perhaps a glimpse of Lucys bedroom. What he saw was blue waves flecked with foam， and paler blue sky， both spreading without a break to the horizon. Perhaps we can hardly blame him if his heart sank. He was promptly sick.

“你们的朋友叫什么名字？”凯斯宾转头看向尤斯塔斯，冲他露出一个灿烂的笑容，可是尤斯塔斯此时却在又哭又嚷。任何一个像他这个年纪的男孩子，即便是经历了这样一次落水之后，都不会像他哭喊得这么凶。尤斯塔斯泪水横流，大声嚷嚷道：“让我走，我要回去。我不喜欢这里。”

“让你走？”凯斯宾觉得奇怪，“可是你能去哪儿？”

尤斯塔斯冲向船舷。他期望能看到他们穿过的画框悬挂在海面上空，或许他还能从画框里瞥见露茜的卧室。可是映入他眼帘的，是茫茫的大海，海上漂浮着团团水沫。天空湛蓝，一直延伸到远处，与海面相接在遥远的地平线。看到这情形时，尤斯塔斯的心沉到了海底，但这也是情有可原的。他马上就吐了。

“Hey！ Rynelf，” said Caspian to one of the sailors. “Bring spiced wine for their Majesties. Youll need something to warm you after that dip.” He called Edmund and Lucy their Majesties because they and Peter and Susan had all been Kings and Queens of Narnia long before his time. Narnian time flows differently from ours. If you spent a hundred years in Narnia， you would still come back to our world at the very same hour of the very same day on which you left. And then， if you went back to Narnia after spending a week here， you might find that a thousand Narnian years had passed， or only a day， or no time at all. You never know till you get there. Consequently， when the Pevensie children had returned to Narnia last time for their second visit， it was （for the Narnians） as if King Arthur came back to Britain， as some people say he will. And I say the sooner the better.

Rynelf returned with the spiced wine steaming in a flagon and four silver cups. It was just what one wanted， and as Lucy and Edmund sipped it they could feel the warmth going right down to their toes. But Eustace made faces and spluttered and spat it out and was sick again and began to cry again and asked if they hadnt any Plumptrees Vitaminized Nerve Food and could it be made with distilled water and anyway he insisted on being put ashore at the next station.

“This is a merry shipmate youve brought us， Brother，” whispered Caspian to Edmund with a chuckle; but before he could say anything more Eustace burst out again. “Oh！ Ugh！ What on earths that！ Take it away， the horrid thing.”

“嘿！瑞内夫，”凯斯宾对一位水手喊道，“请给殿下们上酒，要上好的调味葡萄酒。他们浑身都湿透了，需要喝点好东西暖暖身子。”凯斯宾称呼爱德蒙和露茜“殿下”，是因为在凯斯宾自己当国王之前很久很久，爱德蒙和露茜，还有彼得和苏珊就已经成为纳尼亚的国王和王后了。纳尼亚的时间和我们的时间过得不一样。就算你在纳尼亚生活了一百年，等你回到我们这个世界的时候，你还是回到你离开的那天的同一个时刻。反过来，如果你在我们的世界生活了一个星期，然后再回到纳尼亚去，情况就有所不同，你可能会发现纳尼亚的世界已经过去了一千年，也可能仅仅是一天，或者时间完全没有变化。到底你会遇到什么情况，只有你到了纳尼亚才会知道。事实上，当上一次，也就是佩文西家的几个孩子第二次进入纳尼亚的时候，（对于纳尼亚人来说）就好像是我们世界里的亚瑟王（亚瑟王是英国传说中公元6世纪前后的国王，圆桌骑士的首领。传说中认为他没有死，活在仙界，总有一天会回来拯救人民）再度君临英格兰一样。很多人都相信亚瑟王一定会再度回到英格兰。我也是这么认为的，而且，我希望他回来得越早越好。

瑞内夫端着一大壶冒着气泡的调味葡萄酒和四个银杯子过来了，这可正是爱德蒙和露茜需要的。他俩一杯酒下肚，就觉得身体里一股暖流从喉咙里一直流到脚趾。尤斯塔斯耷拉着脸，可他一尝这种酒，嘴里嘟哝着，把酒吐了出来。他又开始呕吐起来，并大喊大叫。他问周围的人，有没有维生素活力食品，如果有的话，请一定要用蒸馏水来加工这些食品。然后尤斯塔斯还说，他坚持要求船上的人在下一个港口把他送上岸。

凯斯宾乐不可支地对爱德蒙说：“兄弟，你给我们的船带来了一个多么有趣的家伙。”可是还没等爱德蒙答话，尤斯塔斯又尖叫了起来：“哦！啊！这到底是什么东西？快把这恶心的东西拿走！”

He really had some excuse this time for feeling a little surprised. Something very curious indeed had come out of the cabin in the poop and was slowly approaching them. You might call it—and indeed it was—a Mouse. But then it was a Mouse on its hind legs and stood about two feet high. A thin band of gold passed round its head under one ear and over the other and in this was stuck a long crimson feather. （As the Mouses fur was very dark， almost black， the effect was bold and striking.） Its left paw rested on the hilt of a sword very nearly as long as its tail. Its balance， as it paced gravely along the swaying deck， was perfect， and its manners courtly. Lucy and Edmund recognized it at once Reepicheep， the most valiant of all the Talking Beasts of Narnia， and the Chief Mouse. It had won undying glory in the second Battle of Beruna. Lucy longed， as she had always done， to take Reepicheep up in her arms and cuddle him. But this， as she well knew， was a pleasure she could never have： it would have offended him deeply. Instead， she went down on one knee to talk to him.

这一次他倒是真的有理由感到惊讶。就在他们说话的当儿，一个非常奇怪的东西从船舱中溜了出来，来到了船尾，慢慢地走到了大家脚下。要是你看到這个东西，你会叫它——嗯，它也确实是—— 一只老鼠。可是这只老鼠两只后腿直直地站立着，大约有两英尺高。它的一只耳朵上套着一只金耳镯，一根鲜红的羽毛插在头上，立在另一只耳朵后面（因为老鼠的毛色很深，几乎是黑色的，所以这金灿灿的耳镯和鲜红的羽毛就显得更加夺目）。它的左手按在一柄宝剑的剑柄上面。这柄宝剑挂在它的腰间，有它的尾巴那么长。这只老鼠在摇摇晃晃的船甲板上走过来，步伐稳重，步履坚定，不仅保持着很好的平衡，而且还显示出端庄的仪态。露茜和爱德蒙马上就认出了它——雷佩契普！它是纳尼亚王国里所有能说话的动物中最勇敢的一个，也是老鼠之王。它在柏卢纳的第二次战役中为自己赢得了不朽的功勋。对雷佩契普，露茜老早以来就有一个愿望，想要把它抱在怀里。可是她也知道，这个愿望她永远也实现不了：因为这样做，会深深地冒犯雷佩契普。露茜一只腿跪在甲板上，俯下身子对雷佩契普说话。

Reepicheep put forward his left leg， drew back his right， bowed， kissed her hand， straightened himself， twirled his whiskers， and said in his shrill， piping voice：

“My humble duty to your Majesty. And to King Edmund， too.” （Here he bowed again.） “Nothing except your Majesties presence was lacking to this glorious venture.”

“Ugh， take it away，” wailed Eustace. “I hate mice. And I never could bear performing animals. Theyre silly and vulgar and—and sentimental.”

“Am I to understand，” said Reepicheep to Lucy after a long stare at Eustace， “that this singularly discourteous person is under your Majestys protection？ Because， if not—”

At this moment Lucy and Edmund both sneezed.

“What a fool I am to keep you all standing here in your wet things，” said Caspian. “Come on below and get changed. Ill give you my cabin of course， Lucy， but Im afraid we have no womens clothes on board. Youll have to make do with some of mine. Lead the way， Reepicheep， like a good fellow.”

“To the convenience of a lady，” said Reepicheep， “even a question of honour must give way—at least for the moment—” and here he looked very hard at Eustace. But Caspian hustled them on and in a few minutes Lucy found herself passing through the door into the stern cabin. She fell in love with it at once—the three square windows that looked out on the blue， swirling water astern， the low cushioned benches round three sides of the table， the swinging silver lamp overhead （Dwarfs work， she knew at once by its exquisite delicacy） and the flat gold image of Aslan the Lion on the forward wall above the door. All this she took in in a flash， for Caspian immediately opened a door on the starboard side， and said， “Thisll be your room， Lucy. Ill just get some dry things for myself，” He was rummaging in one of the lockers while he spoke， “and then leave you to change. If youll fling your wet things outside the door Ill get them taken to the galley to be dried.”

Lucy found herself as much at home as if she had been in Caspians cabin for weeks， and the motion of the ship did not worry her， for in the old days when she had been a queen in Narnia she had done a good deal of voyaging. The cabin was very tiny but bright with painted panels （all birds and beasts and crimson dragons and vines） and spotlessly clean. Caspians clothes were too big for her， but she could manage. His shoes， sandals and sea-boots were hopelessly big but she did not mind going barefoot on board ship. When she had finished dressing she looked out of her window at the water rushing past and took a long deep breath. She felt quite sure they were in for a lovely time.

雷佩契普左腿向前迈了一步，右腿向后退了一点，向露茜鞠了个躬，并亲吻了露茜的手。之后它直起身子，把唇边的胡子捋了捋，这才用它尖尖细细的声音对露茜致意道：

“尊贵的露茜殿下，您谦卑的仆人听从您的召唤。爱德蒙国王，您谦卑的仆人也听从您的召唤（说到这儿他对着爱德蒙也鞠了一躬）。除了两位殿下的莅临，再没有别的什么能够增添这次征程的荣耀了。”

“啊，快把它赶走！”尤斯塔斯嚷道，“我讨厌老鼠。我从来就不喜欢驯养的动物。它们都是愚蠢粗鄙的玩意儿，而且……而且还太带感情了！”

雷佩契普深深地看了尤斯塔斯一眼之后，意味深长地对露茜说：“我是否可以这样理解，这位粗鲁不逊的客人是在殿下您的保护之下？因为，如若不然的话……”

刚好这时，露茜和爱德蒙两人同时都打了个喷嚏。

听到喷嚏声凯斯宾连忙说道：“啊，我真是个傻瓜，让你们穿着湿衣服站在这儿说了半天话。到船舱里去把衣服换了吧。露茜，毫无疑问你可以用我的房间。不过我担心我们这儿可能没有女孩子穿的衣服。你就穿我的衣服将就一下吧。雷佩契普，好伙伴，快在前面带路吧。”

雷佩契普回答道：“女士的舒适最优先。考虑到这一点，即使是事关荣誉的问题，也可以暂时先放到一边——至少是在目前这时候……”说这话的同时，它目光非常凌厉地瞪了尤斯塔斯一眼。好在凯斯宾连连催促，大家这才纷纷离开了甲板。露茜穿过门廊，进到了位于船尾的大船舱。她发现自己立刻就爱上了这里——船舱朝船尾的方向，有三面方形的窗户一字排开;窗户外就是蓝色的大海，透过窗户，能看到海面的漩涡;船舱里有一张桌子，桌子三面各有一张铺了垫子的长凳;一盏银制的吊灯挂在头顶上，随着船的颠簸摇摇晃晃（露茜一看这银灯精细的工艺，就知道它是纳尼亚臣民小矮人的手艺）;而在朝船头方向的门廊上，悬挂着狮王阿斯兰的一幅金像。所有这些东西，露茜只来得及匆匆一瞥，就看见凯斯宾打开了右手边的一扇门，然后对她说道：“露茜，这是你的房间。我先进去把我需要的东西拿点出来。”他一边说着话，一边在房间里的几个柜子里翻拣，“你就在这里换衣服吧。把换下的湿衣服扔出来，我把它们拿到厨房去烤干。”

露茜换衣服的时候，觉得自己似乎已经在凯斯宾的房间里住了好几个星期一样。这种亲切的感觉让她觉得好像回到了家似的。船的颠簸对露茜来讲也毫无问题，因为当她身为纳尼亚女王的时候，她就已经航行过很多很多次了。这间房很小，可是墙上有很多漂亮的彩繪镶嵌画（有鸟儿、野兽，还有红色的龙和各种藤蔓）。这些画儿让整个房间看起来富丽堂皇，而且一尘不染。凯斯宾的衣服对露茜来讲确实有点大，不过她还是可以穿。而凯斯宾的凉鞋和水手靴对露茜来说就太不合脚了，不过露茜觉得，既然是在船上，那打赤脚也不是什么问题。当露茜把自己全身上下收拾妥帖之后，她朝窗户外面看了一眼。窗外的海水飞一般地向船后面退去。露茜深吸了一口气，心里想着：又一次美好的旅程开始了。

Word Study

fleck /flek/ v. 使有斑点;使斑驳

His hair was flecked with paint.

rummage /'r?m?d?/ v. 翻寻;乱翻;搜寻

I rummaged through the contents of the box until I found the book I wanted.

fling /fl??/ v.扔，掷，抛，丢

galley /'?li/ n.（船或飞机上的）厨房