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Chapter Four The Bell And the Hammer[qh]
第四章 钟与锤[qh]
There was no doubt about the Magic this time. Down and down they rushed, first through darkness and then through a mass of vague and whirling shapes which might have been almost anything.[qh]
这下，魔法毫无疑问起作用了。他们栽了下去．先是一片黑暗，然后是一团说不清是什么的模糊和旋转的形象。[qh]
It grew lighter. Then suddenly they felt that they were standing on something solid. A moment later everything came into focus and they were able to look about them.[qh]
眼前越来越亮，突然，他们感到自己站在坚实的东西上。一会儿，他们便能看见周围的事物，可以向四下里观望了。[qh]
"What a queer place!" said Digory. "I don't like it," said Polly with something like a shudder.[qh]
“多么奇怪的地方！”迪格雷说。“我不喜欢。”波莉抖了一下。[qh]
What they noticed first was the light. It wasn't like sunlight, and it wasn't like electric light, or lamps, or candles, or any other light they had ever seen.[qh]
他们最先注意到的是光线，既不像日光，也不像电灯、煤油灯、蜡烛或他们见过的任何一种光。[qh]
It was a dull, rather red light, not at all cheerful. It was steady and did not flicker. They were standing on a flat paved surface and buildings rose all around them.[qh]
那是一种近似红色的惨淡的光，丝毫不让人感到愉快。光线凝固着，没有闪动。他们正站在一个平地上，四面八方都耸立着建筑物。[qh]
There was no roof overhead; they were in a sort of courtyard. The sky was extraordinarily dark-a blue that was almost black. When you had seen that sky you wondered that there should be any light at all.[qh]
上面没有屋顶，显然是一个院落。天空极为暗淡。一种近乎黑色的蓝。你看到这样的天空，准会想，这里是不是没有任何光线。[qh]
"It's very funny weather here," said Digory. "I wonder if we've arrived just in time for a thunderstorm; or an eclipse." "I don't like it," said Polly.[qh]
“这儿的天气真怪，”迪格雷说，“我想我们是不是赶上了一场暴风雨或者日食。”“我不喜欢。”波莉说。[qh]
Both of them, without quite knowing why, were talking in whispers. And though there was no reason why they should still go on holding hands after their jump, they didn't let go.[qh]
不知为什么，他们两人都悄声说话。虽然跳水以后没有理由再拉着手，但他们还是没有松开。[qh]
The walls rose very high all round that courtyard. They had many great windows in them, windows without glass, through which you saw nothing but black darkness.[qh]
院子四周的围墙非常高，上面有许多大窗子，窗子上没有玻璃，里面一团漆黑。[qh]
Lower down there were great pillared arches, yawning blackly like the mouths of railway tunnels. It was rather cold.[qh]
稍往下，有一些巨大的拱门，像铁路隧道一样张着黑洞洞的大口。天气相当寒冷。[qh]
The stone of which everything was built seemed to be red, but that might only be because of the curious light.[qh]
所有的建筑都是用一种像是红色的石头筑成的，但这可能是那种奇怪的光照射的结果。[qh]
It was obviously very old. Many of the flat stones that paved the courtyard had cracks across them. None of them fitted closely together and the sharp corners were all worn off.[qh]
院中，用来铺地的许多石板都裂了缝。石板与石板之间排列得参差不齐，棱角磨掉了。[qh]
One of the arched doorways was half filled up with rubble. The two children kept on turning round and round to look at the different sides of the courtyard.[qh]
其中一个拱门让碎石填了一半。两个孩子不停转身，观察院子四周。[qh]
One reason was that they were afraid of somebody-or something-looking out of those windows at them when their backs were turned.[qh]
因为他们害怕有人或什么东西，趁他们背过身时从窗户里窥视他们。[qh]
"Do you think anyone lives here?" said Digory at last, still in a whisper. "No," said Polly. "It's all in ruins. We haven't heard a sound since we came."[qh]
“你认为这儿有人住吗？”迪格雷终于开口了，但仍然很小声。“没有。”波莉说，“这是一个废墟。自从我们来了以后，还没有听到一点儿声音呢。”[qh]
"Let's stand still and listen for a bit," suggested Digory. They stood still and listened, but all they could hear was the thump-thump of their own hearts.[qh]
“那我们站起来听一会儿。”迪格雷建议。他们站好细听，但只听到自己心脏的砰砰跳动声。[qh]
This place was at least as quiet as the Wood between the Worlds. But it was a different kind of quietness.[qh]
这里至少和世界之间的树林一样宁静。然而，却是另一种宁静。[qh]
The silence of the Wood had been rich and warm (you could almost hear the trees growing) and full of life: this was a dead, cold, empty silence. You couldn't imagine anything growing in it.[qh]
那片树林宁静、青翠、温暖，充满生机，你几乎可以听见树木在生长。这里却是一种冷而空的死寂，你无法想像，这里会有生命在生长。[qh]
"Let's go home," said Polly. "But we haven't seen anything yet," said Digory. "Now we're here, we simply must have a look round." "I'm sure there's nothing at all interesting here."[qh]
“我们回家吧。”波莉说。“可我们什么也没看见呢，”迪格雷说，“既然来了，就要到处走走。”“我敢肯定，这儿不好玩。”[qh]
"There's not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you're afraid to look at them when you've got there."[qh]
“要是你来了都不敢看，那么，找一枚有魔法的戒指把你带到‘另外的世界’有什么意义呢？”[qh]
"Who's talking about being afraid?" said Polly, letting go of Digory's hand. "I only thought you didn't seem very keen on exploring this place. I'll go anywhere you go."[qh]
“谁说不敢了，”波莉说着，甩开了迪格雷的手。“我刚才只是想．你对探索这个地方不太热心。随便你去哪儿，我都去。”[qh]
"We can get away the moment we want to," said Digory. "Let's take off our green rings and put them in our right-hand pockets.[qh]
“我们想离开的时候就能离开。”迪格雷说，“取下绿戒指，放进右边的口袋里。[qh]
All we've got to do is to remember that our yellow are in our left-hand pockets. You can keep your hand as near your pocket as you like, but don't put it in or you'll touch your yellow and vanish."[qh]
只需要记住，左边是黄的，右边是绿的。你可以把手放在离口袋比较近的地方，但不要伸进去，否则，你一碰到黄戒指就会消失。”[qh]
They did this and went quietly up to one of the big arched doorways which led into the inside of the building.[qh]
安排好后，他们悄悄地朝通向建筑内部的一个巨大拱门走去。[qh]
