评论
打印
Chapter Three At the Gates of Tashbaan
第三章 到达塔什班城
"My name," said the girl at once, "is Aravis Tarkheena and I am the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Ilsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god Tash.
“我的名字，”女孩立刻开口说，“叫做阿拉维斯泰坎希娜，我是齐拉希泰坎的独生女。他的父亲是李西堤泰坎，祖父是齐拉希泰坎，曾祖是艾索瑞太洛帝，而曾曾祖则是身为塔什神嫡系子裔的亚狄太洛帝。
My father is the lord of the province of Calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of Tisroc himself (may he live for ever).
我的父亲是卡拉华省的领主，同时也是少数不用在太洛帝面前屈膝跪拜的重臣之一，愿吾皇万寿无疆。
My mother (on whom be the peace of the gods) is dead and my father has married another wife.
我的母亲早已过世，愿她在神的怀抱中安息，我的父亲又娶了另一名女子为妻。
One of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child.
我有一个哥哥，他在遥远的西方对抗叛军时，不幸在战场上为国捐躯，另一个兄弟年纪还很小。
Now it came to pass that my father's wife, my stepmother, hated me, and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as I lived in my father's house.
现在该提到我父亲的新妻子了，我的继母痛恨我，只要我住在父亲家中，在她眼中甚至连太阳都变得黯淡无光。
And so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to Ahoshta Tarkaan.
于是她劝我父亲把我嫁给艾好大泰坎。
Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these latter years he has won the favour of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) by flattery and evil counsels,
这个艾好大出身卑微，但近几年来靠拍马屁和进谗言博得了太洛帝的宠爱，愿吾皇万寿无疆，
and is now made a Tarkaan and the lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the Grand Vizier when the present Grand Vizier dies.
现在艾好大已受封为泰坎，也是名下拥有众多城市的大领主，而且很可能在目前的首相去世之后接替他的位子。
Moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his back and his face resembles that of an ape.
可是他少说也有六十岁了，背上还有个丑陋的驼峰，长得活像是一只大猩猩。
Nevertheless my father, because of the wealth and power of this Ahoshta, and being persuaded by his wife, sent messengers offering me in marriage, and the offer was favourably accepted and Ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer."
但我的父亲却看中艾好大的财富和权势，再加上他的新妻子在一旁煽动，于是他派遣使者去向艾好大表示，想要将我许配给他，艾好大欢天喜地地答应了这门婚事，并派使者告诉我父亲，他将在今年仲夏时节前来迎娶。”
When this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and I laid myself on my bed and wept for a day.
这个消息传到我耳中，对我来说简直是晴天霹雳，我躺在床上哭了一整天。
But on the second day I rose up and washed my face and caused my mare Hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone.
到了第二天，我就站起来，把脸洗干净，替我的母马赫温套上鞍具，带着一把我哥哥曾在西方战场上用过的锋利匕首，独自骑马离开家门。
And when my father's house was out of sight and I was come to a green open place in a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men, I dismounted from Hwin my mare and took out the dagger.
到了完全看不到我父亲房子的地方，踏入一片宽敞碧绿的林中空地，我就从母马赫温身上跳下来，取出匕首。
Then I parted my clothes where I thought the readiest way lay to my heart and I prayed to all the gods that as soon as I was dead I might find myself with my brother.
然后用刀锋顶住我认为最接近心脏的部位，将衣衫割破，祈求天上所有神明，让我在死后能与哥哥重逢。
After that I shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart.
然后我就闭上眼睛，咬紧牙关，准备将匕首刺入心脏。
But before I had done so, this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said, "O my mistress, do not by any means destroy yourself, for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike."
在我下手之前，这只母马突然用人类少女的声音说：“喔，我的主人啊，你可千万不要寻死啊，留得青山在，不怕没柴烧，只要活着就有希望找到幸福，死了一切就都完了。”
"I didn't say it half so well as that," muttered the mare.
“我才没说得那么好呢。”赫温嘟囔着说。
"Hush, Ma'am, hush," said Bree, who was thoroughly enjoying the story. "She's telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc's court could do it better. Pray go on,Tarkheena."
“嘘，夫人，别打岔，”布里说，这个故事让他听得十分入迷，“她是用华丽的卡乐门叙事风格述说这个故事，就算是太洛帝宫中的御用说书人，也不会说得比她更好。拜托你快点讲下去，泰坎希娜。”
"When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare," continued Aravis, "I said to myself the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions.
“当我听到我的母马竟然口吐人言时，”阿拉维斯继续说，“我告诉自己，死亡的恐惧已让我失去理智，产生了错觉。
And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat.
我万分羞愧，因为我们家族向来都是把生死置之度外，死亡对我们来说就像蚊子叮咬一样，没人会放在心上。
Therefore I addressed myself a second time to the stabbing, but Hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter.
于是我又再度抓紧匕首，用力往下刺，但赫温却连忙赶过来，把头塞到我胸前，挡住了匕首，苦口婆心地劝我不要寻死，并像母亲责怪女儿般地骂我不懂事。
And now my wonder was so great that I forgot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, 'O my mare, how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men?'
我实在太惊讶，完全忘了要自杀，甚至把艾好大的事情都抛到九霄云外，只是急急追问她：‘喔，我的马儿呀，你是怎么学会用人类少女的声音说话的呢？’
And Hwin told me what is known to all this company, that in Narnia there are beasts that talk, and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal.
于是她对我透露你们都已经知晓的事情，告诉我在纳尼亚王国有许多会说话的动物，当她还是一匹小马的时候，就不幸被人偷走，被迫离开了家乡。
