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For one thing, his life was already little better than slavery; for all he knew, the lordly stranger on the great horse might be kinder to him than Arsheesh.
首先，他目前的生活比奴隶强不了多少，说不定那泰坎老爷还仁慈些；
For another, the story about his own discovery in the boat had filled him with excitement and with a sense of relief.
其次，那个关于他来历的故事，让他特别激动，甚至得到了某种安慰。
He had often been uneasy because, try as he might, he had never been able to love the fisherman, and he knew that a boy ought to love his father.
以前他常感到不安，因为他知道孩子应该爱自己的父亲，可是无论怎么努力，他从来不爱阿什伊什。
And now, apparently, he was no relation to Arsheesh at all. That took a great weight off his mind.
现在明白了，原来他们没有血缘关系，他顿时感觉很轻松。
"Why, I might be anyone!" he thought. 'I might be the son of a Tarkaan myself—or the son of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) or of a god!"
“我会是什么人呢？”沙斯塔忍不住想，“一个泰坎的儿子？一个普通人的儿子？是太洛帝的儿子也说不定！也有可能是神的儿子呢！”
He was standing out in the grassy place before the cottage while he thought these things.
沙斯塔站在屋外的草地上，心里想着这些事。
Twilight was coming on apace and a star or two was already out, but the remains of the sunset could still be seen in the west.
暮色开始降临，虽然天边已经出现了几颗星星，但落霞余晖仍在。
Not far away the stranger's horse, loosely tied to an iron ring in the wall of the donkey's stable, was grazing.
泰坎的马被松松地系在驴棚的铁圈上，正在不远处吃草。
Shasta strolled over to it and patted its neck. It went on tearing up the grass and took no notice of him.
沙斯塔便走过去拍了拍马的脖子。马儿继续吃草，并不理会沙斯塔。
Then another thought came into Shasta's mind. "I wonder what sort of a man that Tarkaan is," he said out loud.
沙斯塔又猜想起来。“这个泰坎到底是什么样的人呢？”他自言自语地说道，
"It would be splendid if he was kind. Some of the slaves in a great lord's house have next to nothing to do. They wear lovely clothes and eat meat every day.
“如果他是个和蔼的人那就太好了。在王爷家里，有些奴隶都不用干活，他们穿着好衣服，每天吃肉。
Perhaps he'd take me to the wars and I'd save his life in a battle and then he'd set me free and adopt me as his son and give me a palace and a chariot and a suit of armour.
说不定他会带我去打仗，而我又在战场上救了他的命，他收我为义子，赐我王宫战车盔甲，我就不用再当奴隶了。
But then he might be a horrid cruel man. He might send me to work on the fields in chains. I wish I knew. How can I know ? I bet this horse knows, if only he could tell me."
不过他也有可能是个残忍的人，会给我戴上锁链把我赶到地里干活儿。唉，到底怎样才能知道呢？马儿，你肯定知道，如果你能告诉我就好了。”
The Horse had lifted its head. Shasta stroked its smooth—as— satin nose and said, "I wish you could talk, old fellow."
这时，马抬起了头，沙斯塔抚摸着他丝绸般光滑的鼻子说：“老伙计，如果你会说话该多好。”
And then for a second he thought he was dreaming, for quite distinctly, though in a low voice, the Horse said, "But I can."
接下来的事，让沙斯塔一度觉得自己是在做梦。尽管声音低沉，他还是清楚地听到马儿说：“我会说话。”
Shasta stared into its great eyes and his own grew almost as big, with astonishment. "How ever did you learn to talk?" he asked.
沙斯塔和马对视着，惊呆了，他的眼睛瞪得像马的眼睛一样大。“你到底怎么学会说话的？”沙斯塔惊讶地问。
"Hush! Not so loud," replied the Horse. "Where I come from, nearly all the animals talk." "Wherever is that?" asked Shasta. "Narnia," answered the Horse.
“小点儿声，”马儿回答，“我以前住的地方，几乎所有的动物都会说话。”“那地方在哪里？”沙斯塔忙问。“纳尼亚，”马儿回答，
"The happy land of Narnia—Narnia of the heathery mountains and the thymy downs, Narnia of the many rivers, the plashing glens, the mossy caverns and the deep forests ringing with the hammers of the Dwarfs.
“纳尼亚是人间乐土。那里山丘长满石楠，遍地是百里香。纳尼亚到处流水潺潺，还有长满苍苔的山洞，小矮人的锤声不时在森林深处响起，
Oh the sweet air of Narnia! An hour's life there is better than a thousand years in Calormen." It ended with a whinny that sounded very like a sigh. "How did you get here?" said Shasta.
连空气都是如此芬芳！在那里生活一小时比在卡乐门生活一千年还要强得多。”马儿长嘶一声，仿佛深深叹了口气。“那你怎么到这儿来了呢？”沙斯塔问。
"Kidnapped," said the Horse. "Or stolen, or captured whichever you like to call it. I was only a foal at the time. My mother warned me not to range the Southern slopes, into Archenland and beyond, but I wouldn't heed her.
“被绑架过来的。”马儿回答，“那时我还是一头调皮的小马驹，不听母亲的劝告闯进了阿钦兰。
And by the Lion's Mane I have paid for my folly. All these years I have been a slave to humans, hiding my true nature and pretending to be dumb and witless like their horses."
以狮王的鬃毛发誓，我为此付出了沉重的代价，这些年我一直装作一只普通的马，当一个愚蠢的哑巴，隐藏本性。”
"Why didn't you tell them who you were?"
“为什么你不告诉他们这些呢？”沙斯塔又问。
"Not such a fool, that's why. If they'd once found out I could talk they would have made a show of me at fairs and guarded me more carefully than ever. My last chance of escape would have been gone."
“我才不那么傻呢。他们如果发现我是谁，肯定会把我送到集市上展览，并且更加严格的看管我，那我更没机会逃跑了。”
"And why—" began Shasta, but the Horse interrupted him.
“那你为什么……”沙斯塔还想问，但是马儿打断了他的话。
"Now look," it said, "we mustn't waste time on idle questions. You want to know about my master the Tarkaan Anradin.
“好了，”马儿说，“别把时间浪费在无关紧要的问题上了。你不是想知道我的主人泰坎安拉丁是什么样的人吗？
Well, he's bad. Not too bad to me, for a war horse costs too much to be treated very badly.
告诉你，他可不是什么好人，虽然对我还不算坏，因为虐待一匹战马就太得不偿失了。
But you'd better be lying dead tonight than go to be a human slave in his house tomorrow."
不过，与给他当奴隶相比，你还是现在死掉好。”
"Then I'd better run away," said Shasta, turning very pale. "Yes, you had," said the Horse. "But why not run away with me?"
“那我现在还是逃跑吧！”沙斯塔急得脸都白了。“嗯，你的确该逃，”马儿回答，“不如和我一起逃吧？”
