Chapter Eleven The Pace Quickens
第十一章 决战初期
Quick as lightning, Rishda Tarkaan leaped back out of reach of the King's sword. He was no coward, and would have fought single-handed against Tirian and the Dwarf if need were.
利什达泰坎闪电一般快速退了回去,躲开了蒂廉的利剑。他并非懦夫,如果需要的话,他可以单独一人和蒂廉以及小矮人对抗。
But he could not take on the Eagle and the Unicorn as well. He knew how Eagles can fly into your face and peck at your eyes and blind you with their wings.
但是他却不能同老鹰较量,对独角兽亦是如此。利什达泰坎知道老鹰会直冲到脸部,然后啄伤你的眼睛,并用它的双翅遮挡你的视线。
And he had heard from his father (who had met Narnians in battle) that no man, except with arrows, or a long spear, can match a Unicorn, for it rears on its hind legs as it falls upon you and then you have its hoofs and its horn and its teeth to deal with all at once.
而他也从父亲(他父亲在上次与纳尼亚的战争中领教过纳尼亚人的厉害)那里听说过,没有人能够与一只独角兽相抗衡,除非手中有箭或者长矛,因为独角兽扑向你的时候可以后腿蹬地而立,那么你就得立刻同时对付它的蹄子、兽角以及牙齿。
So he rushed into the crowd and stood calling out: "To me ,to me, warriors of The Tisroc , may -he - liveforever. To me, all loyal Narnians, lest the wrath of Tashlan fall upon you!"
因此,他冲到了人群中,站着大呼:“蒂斯罗克的战士们,听我的,听我的。所有忠诚塔什兰的纳尼亚子民们,听我的,否则塔什兰会降罪到你们身上!”
While this was happening two other things happened as well. The Ape had not realized his danger as quickly as the Tarkaan.
就在蒂廉出招的同时,发生了两件事。无尾猿不像利什达泰坎那样很快就发现危险了。
For a second or so he remained squatting beside the fire staring at the newcomers.
刚开始的时候,它还蹲坐在篝火旁,睁大眼睛盯着不速之客们。
Then Tirian rushed upon the wretched creature, picked it up by the scruff of the neck, and dashed back to the stable shouting, "Open the door!" Poggin opened it.
于是,蒂廉开始向这只卑鄙的猿发起进攻。他拧着无尾猿的后颈,将无尾猿提了起来,并奔向马厩大喊道:“开门!”波金打开了门。
"Go and drink your own medicine, Shift!" said Tirian and hurled the Ape through into the darkness.
“自己酿的苦酒自己喝,狡黠!”蒂廉说着,猛地将无尾猿扔进了马厩之中。
But as the Dwarf banged the door shut again, a blinding greenish-blue light shone out from the inside of the stable, the earth shook, and there was a strange noise-a clucking and screaming as if it was the hoarse voice of some monstrous bird.
可就在小矮人波金“砰”的一声关上门时,有一道令人炫目的蓝绿色光从马厩里面射了出来。大地震颤了,此时出现了一种奇怪的声响——“咯咯”的尖叫声就好像某种可怕的怪鸟发出的嘶哑声。
The Beasts moaned and howled and called out "Tashlan! Hide us from him!" and many fell down, and many hid their faces in their wings or paws.
动物们低吟着,咆哮着呼喊道:“国王陛下,保护我们不要受到塔什兰的伤害!”许多动物趴在地上,还有许多动物把头藏在翅膀或者爪子下面。
No one except Farsight the Eagle, who has the best eyes of all living things, noticed the face of Rishda Tarkaan at that moment.
除了老鹰千里眼——这只在所有生物中看得最远的动物外,没有谁会在那一刻注意到利什达泰坎的表情。
And from what Farsight saw there he knew at once that Rishda was just as surprised, and nearly frightened, as everyone else.
千里眼什么都看到了,它立刻觉察出利什达泰坎刚才也和其他人一样感到震惊,而且几乎是恐惧。
"There goes one," thought Farsight, "who has called on gods he does not believe in. How will it be with him if they have really come?"
“又走了一个,”千里眼心想,“利什达泰坎呼唤了自己并不信仰的真神。如果神灵真的到来,那么它的身上会发生怎样的事呢?”
The third thing-which also happened at the same moment-was the only really beautiful thing that night.
另一件事也是在同一时刻发生的,这是当晚唯一真正美妙的事。
Every single Talking Dog in the whole meeting (there were fifteen of them) came bounding and barking joyously to the King's side.
整个集会上,所有会说话的狗儿(有十五只)都蹦跳着来到蒂廉这一边,快活地吠叫着。
They were mostly great big dogs with thick shoulders and heavy jaws. Their coming was like the breaking of a great wave on the seabeach: it nearly knocked you down.
它们大多是体型巨大的狗,长着厚实的双肩和肥壮的下巴。它们的到来就好似波涛汹涌的大浪向海岸袭来,几乎要把你撞倒在地。
For though they were Talking Dogs they were just as doggy as they could be: and they all stood up and put their front paws on the shoulders of the humans and licked their faces, all saying at once:
尽管它们是会说话的狗,但是它们的表现还是和普通的狗一样:全都站立着,将它们的前爪放到人类的双肩上,舔着人类的脸。狗儿们全都说道:
"Welcome! Welcome! We'll help, we'll help, help, help. Show us how to help, show us how, how. How-how-how?"
“我们来帮忙,告诉我们怎么帮,告诉我们怎么做?”
It was so lovely that it made you want to cry. This, at last, was the sort of thing they had been hoping for. And when, a moment later, several little animals (mice and moles and a squirrel or so) came pattering up,
这真是个美好的时刻,你看到了都想哭。料想,这就是蒂廉他们一直期盼发生的事。就在那时,也就是片刻之后,几只小动物(大概是老鼠、鼹鼠或者一只松鼠什么的)迈着轻快的步伐走来,
squealing with joy, and saying "See, see. We're here," and when, after that, the Bear and the Boar came too, Eustace began to feel that perhaps, after all, everything might be going to come right.
快乐地吱吱叫道:“看吧,看吧。我们在这儿。”在那之后,熊和野猪也来了。尤斯塔斯开始觉得,每件事也许会走入正轨。
But Tirian gazed round and saw how very few of the animals had moved. "To me! to me!" he called. "Have you all turned cowards since I was your King?"
但是蒂廉向四周望了望,发现只有少数动物有所行动。“听我说!听我说!”蒂廉呼喊道,“自从我是你们的国王以来,你们就都变得怯懦了吗?”
"We daren't, "whimpered dozens of voices. "Tashlan would be angry. Shield us from Tashlan." "Where are all the Talking Horses?" asked Tirian.
“我们不敢,”几十种声音呜咽道,“塔什兰会生气的。保护我们不要受到塔什兰的伤害。”“所有会说话的马儿都去哪儿了?”蒂廉问野猪。
"We've seen, we've seen," squealed the Mice. "The Ape has made them work. They're all tied-down at the bottom of the hill."
“我们都看到了,我们都看到了,”老鼠吱吱叫道,“无尾猿叫它们劳作,它们现在都被拴在了山下。”