评论
打印
Chapter One By Caldron Pool
第一章 大锅水潭旁
In the last days of Narnia, far up to the west beyond Lantern Waste and close beside the great waterfall, there lived an Ape.
在纳尼亚的末日来临前，远在西边的灯柱野林旁，紧挨着大瀑布的地方，生活着一只无尾猿。
He was so old that no one could remember when he had first come to live in those parts, and he was the cleverest, ugliest, most wrinkled Ape you can imagine.
它年纪太大了，以至于没有人记得它第一次来到那里是什么时候。大家可以想象，这是一只多么绝顶聪明，却奇丑无比，且又满脸皱纹的无尾猿。
He had a little house, built of wood and thatched with leaves, up in the fork of a great tree, and his name was Shift.
在一棵大树的枝杈上，有一间用茅草覆盖着的小木头房子，那就是它的家了。它的名字叫“狡黠”。
There were very few Talking Beasts or Men or Dwarfs, or people of any sort, in that part of the wood, but Shift had one friend and neighbour who was a donkey called Puzzle.
在野林那一带，会说话的野兽、人、小矮人或者其他任意一类人或动物都相当稀少，不过狡黠还是有一个邻居朋友——一头名叫“困惑”的驴子。
At least they both said they were friends, but from the way things went on you might have thought Puzzle was more like Shift's servant than his friend. He did all the work.
至少它们都说是对方的朋友，但是从它们相处的情况来看，困惑却更像是狡黠的仆人，而不是它的朋友。所有的活儿，困惑全包了。
When they went together to the river, Shift filled the big skin bottles with water but it was Puzzle who carried them back.
当它们一起来到河边时，狡黠往那些皮袋子里灌满了水，但都是让困惑驮回去的。
When they wanted anything from the towns further down the river it was Puzzle who went down with empty panniers on his back and came back with the panniers full and heavy.
一旦它们想去河流下游的小镇上买点儿什么东西的话，困惑就会驮起几个空篮子跑到小镇去，之后再驮着沉甸甸的篮子满载而归。
And all the nicest things that Puzzle brought back were eaten by Shift; for as Shift said, "You see, Puzzle, I can't eat grass and thistles like you, so it's only fair I should make it up in other ways."
每次困惑驮回来最精致美味的好东西都让狡黠吃了个精光。这时狡黠就会说：“困惑，你看吧，我又不能像你一样吃草吃蓟的，那我总该用其他方式来弥补吧，天经地义。”
And Puzzle always said, "Of course, Shift, of course. I see that."
而困惑总会回答道：“当然了，狡黠。当然了，我明白的。”
Puzzle never complained, because he knew that Shift was far cleverer than himself and he thought it was very kind of Shift to be friends with him at all.
困惑从不抱怨，因为它知道狡黠比自己聪明得多，而狡黠完全不介意，愿意和自己成为朋友，困惑总认为狡黠是个好同伴呢。
And if ever Puzzle did try to argue about anything, Shift would always say, "Now, Puzzle, I understand what needs to be done better than you. You know you're not clever, Puzzle."
如果困惑想要对什么事儿进行争辩，狡黠就总会说：“困惑，目前看来，是我比你更懂得需要做些什么。你知道你并不聪明，困惑。”
And Puzzle always said, "No, Shift. It's quite true. I'm not clever." Then he would sigh and do whatever Shift had said.
而困惑也总会说：“狡黠，你说得对极了，我并不聪明。”于是，困惑会叹口气，狡黠说什么，它就做什么呗。
One morning early in the year the pair of them were out walking along the shore of Caldron Pool. Caldron Pool is the big pool right under the cliffs at the western end of Narnia.
年初的一天早晨，这对好朋友沿着大锅水潭的岸边散步。大锅水潭刚好位于纳尼亚最西端的悬崖绝壁之下，是一个很大的水潭。
The great waterfall pours down into it with a noise like everlasting thunder, and the River of Narnia flows out on the other side.
巨型瀑布一泻千里，响声如同雷鸣一般且永不停歇。
The waterfall keeps the Pool always dancing and bubbling and churning round and round as if it were on the boil, and that of course is how it got its name of Caldron Pool.
瀑布落下，激起水花飞溅，翻滚着、沸腾着，像是烧开了一样。当然，这就是它之所以被称作大锅水潭的原因了。
It is liveliest in the early spring when the waterfall is swollen with all the snow that has melted off the mountains from up beyond Narnia in the Western Wild from which the river comes.
一开春，大锅水潭总是充满了活力，来自纳尼亚西部荒野群山上的积雪已经融化，为瀑布提供了极为丰足的水源。
And as they looked at Caldron Pool Shift suddenly pointed with his dark, skinny finger and said, "Look! What's that?" "What's what?" said Puzzle.
正当这对好朋友都盯着大锅水潭看的时候，狡黠突然抬起他那瘦得跟皮包骨似的黑亮手指，说道：“看啊！那是什么？”“什么是什么啊？”困惑问。
"That yellow thing that's just come down the waterfall. Look! There it is again, it's floating. We must find out what it is." "Must we?" said Puzzle.
“就是那个被瀑布冲下来的黄色东西啊。看！又出现了，漂在那儿呢。我们必须去看看那到底是什么。”“我们必须去吗？”困惑问。
"Of course we must," said Shift. "It may be something useful. Just hop into the Pool like a good fellow and fish it out. Then we can have a proper look at it."
“我们当然必须去弄清楚了，”狡黠说，“可能会对我们有用。像个勇士一样跳下去，再把那东西捞上来。那样的话，我们就可以更好地观察了。”
"Hop into the Pool?" said Puzzle, twitching his long ears. "Well how are we to get it if you don't?" said the Ape.
“跳进水潭？”困惑一边问，还一边抽动着它那长长的耳朵。“嗯，你不那么做的话，我们怎么能把它拿到手呢？”狡黠反问道。
"But-but," said Puzzle, "wouldn't it be better if you went in? Because, you see, it's you who wants to know what it is, and I don't much. And you've got hands, you see. You're as good as a Man or a Dwarf when it comes to catching hold of things. I've only got hoofs."
“但……但是……”困惑说，“你下去岂不更好？因为，你看啊，是你想知道那是什么的，我的好奇心又没有那么强。更何况你还有双手呢？你瞧，如果遇到需要抓住什么东西的时候，你就和人或者小矮人一样是个好手，而我却只有蹄子而已。”
"Really, Puzzle," said Shift, "I didn't think you'd ever say a thing like that. I didn't think it of you, really."
“困惑，说实在的，”狡黠道，“我并不认为你会这么说。我真不认为你会说出这种话来。”
"Why, what have I said wrong?" said the Ass, speaking in rather a humble voice, for he saw that Shift was very deeply offended. "All I meant was-"
“为什么？我哪儿说错了吗？”困惑低声下气地说道，因为它看到狡黠已是怒气冲冲的了，“其实我的意思是……”
