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Then I struck a light and-would you believe it?-there was nothing at all there but this old donkey with a bundle of lion-skin tied on to his back.
接着，我就把灯点上。你们相信吗？那里除了一只背上套着狮子皮的老毛驴外，什么也没有。
So I drew my knife and told him he'd have to come along with me. As a matter of fact I needn't have threatened him with the knife at all. He was very fed up with the stable and quite ready to come-weren't you, Puzzle dear?"
于是，我掏出小刀，叫它必须得跟着我走。实际上，我根本没有必要用小刀来恐吓它，这只驴子对这个马厩可是深恶痛绝，想走得不得了。对吧，亲爱的困惑？”
"Great Scott!" said Eustace. "Well I'm-jiggered. I was jolly angry with you a moment ago, and I still think it was mean of you to sneak off without the rest of us:
“好家伙！”尤斯塔斯说道，“呃，我真该死，刚刚还对你大发脾气来着。不过我仍旧认为你偷偷地采取单独行动是种自私的行为，可担心死我们了。
but I must admit-well, I mean to say-well it was a perfectly gorgeous thing to do. If she was a boy she'd have to be knighted, wouldn't she, Sire?"
但是我又不得不承认——呃，我的意思是说——嗯，你干得太漂亮了。如果吉尔是男孩子的话，陛下，你一定会授爵位给她吧，对吗？”
"If she was a boy," said Tirian, "she'd be whipped for disobeying orders." And in the dark no one could see whether he said this with a frown or a smile.
“如果她是男孩，”蒂廉说道，“她会因为不服从命令而被鞭子打。”光线太暗了，没有人看到蒂廉说这话时是愁眉紧锁还是眉开眼笑。
Next minute there was a sound of rasping metal. "What are you doing, Sire?" asked Jewel sharply.
接着，就听到一阵金属锉磨声。“陛下，您在做什么？”珠尔调高音调问道。
"Drawing my sword to smite off the head of the accursed Ass," said Tirian in a terrible voice. "Stand clear, girl."
“当然是拔出我的弯刀，砍掉这个可恶的驴脑袋。”蒂廉用一种恐怖的声音说道，“小姑娘，站远点儿。”
"Oh don't, please don't," said Jill. "Really, you mustn't. It wasn't his fault. It was all the Ape. He didn't know any better. And he' svery sorry. he's a nice Donkey. His name's Puzzle. And I've got my arms round his neck."
“哦，别，请不要这样，”吉尔说道，“真的，不要这样。这不是它的错，都怪那个无尾猿。它都不知道怎么办才好，它也感到很抱歉。它是一头善良的驴子，名字叫困惑。我都抱过它的脖子了。”
"Jill," said Tirian, "you are the bravest and most woodwise of all my subjects, but also the most malapert and disobedient. Well: let the Ass live. What have you to say for yourself, Ass?"
“吉尔，”蒂廉说道，“你是我国民中最果敢也是最睿智敏捷的，但也是脸皮最厚、最不守规矩的吗？那好吧，放它一条生路。驴子，你自己还有什么要说的吗？”
"Me, Sire?" came the Donkey's voice. "I'm sure I'm very sorry if I've done wrong. The Ape said Aslan wanted me to dress up like that. And I thought he'd know. I'm not clever like him.
“陛下，你是说我吗？”传来了驴子的声音，“要是我做错了什么，我真是非常抱歉。那只无尾猿说，阿斯兰希望我打扮成这样。我以为它说的是真的。我不像它那么聪明。
I only did what I was told. It wasn't any fun for me living in that stable. I don't even know what's been going on outside. He never let me out except for a minute or two at night. Some days they forgot to give me any water too."
我只是别人说什么，我就做什么。住在那个马厩里面，一点儿都不好玩。我甚至都不知道外面发生了什么。它从不让我出去，除了晚上的时候可以出去一两分钟。还有些天，他们都忘了给我送水。”
"Sire," said Jewel. "Those Dwarfs are coming nearer and nearer. Do we want to meet them?" Tirian thought for a moment and then suddenly gave a great laugh out loud.
“陛下，”珠尔说，“那些小矮人离我们越来越近了。我们要见他们吗？”蒂廉沉吟了半晌，然后突然大笑起来。
Then he spoke, not this time in a whisper. "By the Lion," he said, "I am growing slow witted! Meet them? Certainly we will meet them. We will meet anyone now.
接着，他便开口了，这一次他没有放低声音。“凭着狮王的鬃毛，至高无上的狮王啊，”蒂廉说道，“我现在反应越来越迟钝了！见他们？我们当然要见他们了，我们现在要见所有的人。
We have this Ass to show them. Let them see the thing they have feared and bowed to. We can show them the truth of the Ape's vile plot. His secret's out. The tide's turned.
我们要让他们看看这头驴，看看让他们心存恐惧而又卑躬屈膝的东西。我们可以在他们面前拆穿无尾猿的邪恶阴谋，公布真相。局势扭转了。
Tomorrow we shall hang that Ape on the highest tree in Narnia. No more whispering and skulking and disguises. Where are these honest Dwarfs?We have good news for them."
明天我们就要把那只无尾猿挂在纳尼亚王国最高大的树木之上。我们再也不耳语、潜行和伪装了。那些最坦率诚实的小矮人在哪里？我们有好消息告诉他们。”
When you have been whispering for hours the mere sound of anyone talking out loud has a wonderfully stirring effect.
当大家一直低声说话好几个小时后，突然某个人大声地讲话定会带来惊人的轰动效应。
The whole party began talking and laughing: even Puzzle lifted up his head and gave a grand Haw-hee-haw-hee-hee; a thing the Ape hadn't allowed him to do for days.
此时，全队人马都开始谈笑风生起来，甚至连困惑也抬起头，发出“哈—哼—哈—哼—哈—”的响亮声音。这些天来，无尾猿都不允许它这么做。
Then they set off in the direction of the drumming. It grew steadily louder and soon they could see torchlight as well.
于是，他们朝着鼓声传来的方向前进。声音在逐渐变大，很快他们就看到有火炬的光亮了。
They came out on one of those rough roads (we should hardly call them roads at all in England) which ran through Lantern Waste.
这里有几条能穿过灯柱野林的崎岖道路，那些小矮人出现在了其中的一条路上。
And there, marching sturdily along, were about thirty Dwarfs, all with their little spades and mattocks over their shoulders.
有大概三十个小矮人都扛着他们的小铲子和鹤嘴锄向前走着，步伐矫健铿锵。
Two armed Calormenes led the column and two more brought up the rear.
有两个肩扛长矛的卡罗门人在前面带队，还有两个则走在后面。
"Stay!" thundered Tirian as he stepped out on the road. "Stay, soldiers. Whither do you lead these Narnian Dwarfs and by whose orders?"
“停下！”蒂廉走到那队人的前面，厉声喝道，“停下，士兵们。你们要带这些纳尼亚小矮人去哪儿？这又是谁的命令？”
