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"There you are at last," said the Horse when he got back to it. "I was beginning to wonder what had become of you."
“你终于回来了，”他回去时马儿说，“我正担心你呢。”
"I was getting your things out of the stable," replied Shasta."And now, can you tell me how to put them on?"
“我去驴棚取你的东西了。”沙斯塔回答，“你能告诉我怎么样把这些放到你身上吗？”
For the next few minutes Shasta was at work, very cautiously to avoid jingling, while the Horse said things like, "Get that girth a bit tighter, " or "You'll find a buckle lower down, " or"You'll need to shorten those stirrups a good bit."
接下来的一段时间，沙斯塔净忙着这件事儿了。他小心翼翼地尽量不弄出动静来，而马儿则时不时提醒他“肚带收紧一些”、“往下找找带扣”、“马镫缩短点儿”之类的事。
When all was finished it said: "Now,we've got to have reins for the look of the thing, but you won't be using them. Tie them to the saddle-bow: very slack so that I can do what I like with my head. And, remember ? you are not to touch them."
装配好了一切，马儿又说：“为了像那么回事儿，你还得给我戴上缰绳。不过你用不着它，只要绑在马鞍子上就好了，记得绑松些，要保证我的头可以自由活动。另外，一定要记住，你不许碰缰绳！”
"What are they for, then?" asked Shasta. "Ordinarily they are for directing me," replied the Horse. "But as I intend to do all the directing on this journey, you'll please keep your hands to yourself. And there's another thing. I'm not going to have you grabbing my mane."
“那要缰绳有什么用呢？”沙斯塔问。“缰绳一般是用来给我指引方向的。”马儿回答，“不过这次我自己来把控方向，所以用不着它。你的手就随便放吧。还有，你不许揪我的鬃毛！”
"But I say," pleaded Shasta. "If I'm not to hold on by the reins or by your mane, what am I to hold on by?"
“可是，”沙斯塔恳切地问道，“如果什么都不抓，我怎么能在背上坐稳呢？”
"You hold on with your knees," said the Horse."That's the secret of good riding. Grip my body between your knees as hard as you like; sit straight up, straight as a poker; keep your elbows in. And by the way,what did you do with the spurs?"
“用你的膝盖夹住我。”马儿回答，“骑马的诀窍就是身体坐直，要直得像个拨火棍，膝盖夹的越紧越好，胳膊肘别往两边甩。再问一下，你打算怎么处理马刺呢？”
"Put them on my heels, of course," said Shasta. "I do know that much."
“当然是装在我的脚后跟上。”沙斯塔回答，“这我还是知道的。”
"Then you can take them off and put them in the saddle-bag. We may be able to sell them when we get to Tashbaan. Ready? And now I think you can get up."
“把它卸下来放到鞍囊里吧，到了塔什班城或许还能卖掉。现在准备好了吗？那么就上来吧！”马儿说道。
"Ooh! You're a dreadful height," gasped Shasta after his first,and unsuccessful, attempt.
“天哪！你高得吓人。”沙斯塔第一次上马失败后气喘吁吁地说。
"I'm a horse, that's all," was the reply. "Anyone would think I was a haystack from the way you're trying to climb up me!
“我不过是一匹马而已，可是看你费劲往我背上爬的样子，简直就像在爬一个高高的柴火堆。”马儿回答。经过一番努力，沙斯塔终于爬上了马背。
There, that's better. Now sit up and remember what I told you about your knees. Funny to think of me who has led cavalry charges and won races having a potato—sack like you in the saddle! However,off we go." It chuckled, not unkindly.
“现在好多了，身体坐直，双腿夹紧，按照我讲的那些要领做就好了。真是滑稽，想当初我是一匹多么威风的战马啊，还总能赢得赛马比赛。没想到现在竟然驮着像袋土豆一样的你。好了，现在出发咯。”马儿开玩笑地说。
And it certainly began their night journey with great caution.
就这样沙斯塔和马儿开始了夜间旅程。
First of all it went just south of the fisherman's cottage to the little river which there ran into the sea, and took care to leave in the mud some very plain hoof-marks pointing South.
马儿走得十分小心，它先朝渔夫屋子的南边走了一段，走近流向大海的一条小河边，故意在泥沙上留了些往南去的蹄印。
But as soon as they were in the middle of the ford it turned upstream and waded till they were about a hundred yards farther inland than the cottage.
走进小河里后又返回头从河水中逆流而上往北走。就这样走了一百码远，他们才选了一块不会留下蹄印的砾石河岸从水中走出来。
Then it selected a nice gravelly bit of bank which would take no footprints and came out on the Northern side.
接下来，他们一直朝着北边的方向前进着。
Then, still at a walking pace, it went Northward till the cottage, the one tree, the donkey's stable, and the creek—everything, in fact, that Shasta had ever known—had sunk out of sight in the grey summer-night darkness.
慢慢地，渔夫的屋子、驴棚、河流、沙斯塔熟悉的一切都消失在茫茫的黑暗之中。
They had been going uphill and now were at the top of the ridge— that ridge which had always been the boundary of Shasta's known world.
很快他们登上了一个山脊，沙斯塔曾经无数次望着这里想象那边的世界。此时，他就站在它的顶端。
He could not see what was ahead except that it was all open and grassy. It looked endless: wild and lonely and free.
虽然他现在什么都看不见，但是他能感觉到这开阔的荒野带给他的自由，还有寂寞。
"I say!" observed the Horse. "What a place for a gallop, eh!" "Oh don't let's," said Shasta. "Not yet. I don't know how to—please, Horse. I don't know your name."
“这里真是一个纵马奔驰的好地方啊！”马儿感叹道。“呀，别跑太快了，”沙斯塔恳求道，“我还不知道该怎样做……请你教我。马儿，对不起，我还不知道你的名字。”
"Breehy—hinny—brinny—hooky—hah," said the Horse. "I'll never be able to say that," said Shasta. "Can I call you Bree?"
“我叫布里海·希尼·布林尼·霍海·哈。”马儿回答。“那么长的名字我可记不住，”沙斯塔说，“我叫你布里好吗？”
"Well, if it's the best you can do, I suppose you must," said the Horse. "And what shall I call you ?" "I'm called Shasta."
“好吧，如果你竭尽所能也只能记住我叫布里的话。”马儿又问，“可是我怎么称呼你呢？”“我叫沙斯塔。”
"Hm," said Bree. "Well, now, there's a name that's really hard to pronounce. But now about this gallop.
“嗯，”布里说，“你的名字才难发音呢。不过现在让我们聊聊怎么飞驰奔跑吧。
It's a good deal easier than trotting if you only knew, because you don't have to rise and fall.
这可比你知道的小跑要轻松得多。因为你不用被颠簸得起伏不定了。
Grip with your knees and keep your eyes straight ahead between my ears. Don't look at the ground. If you think you're going to fall just grip harder and sit up straighter. Ready? Now:for Narnia and the North."
现在听我说，双膝夹紧，两眼直视前方，不要看地面。如果觉得要摔下来了你就夹得再紧些，身体坐得再直些。现在准备好了吗？面向纳尼亚，面向北方出发啦！”
