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Boom-boom-ba-ba-boom it went. But they would have hated it far worse if they had known what it meant.
“梆——梆——啪——啪——梆”，就是这种声音。如果他俩知道这鼓声意味着什么的话，就会更加讨厌它了。
Tirian did. It meant that there were other Calormene troops somewhere near and that Rishda Tarkaan was calling them to his aid. Tirian and Jewel looked at one another sadly.
蒂廉知道，这就意味着附近什么地方还有其他的卡罗门军队，而利什达泰坎是在召唤他们过来支援。蒂廉和珠尔你看看我我看看你，神情悲伤。
They had just begun to hope that they might win that night: but it would be all over with them if new enemies appeared. Tirian gazed despairingly round.
他们刚开始有了能在今晚赢得胜利的希望，但是如果有新的敌人出现，那么幻想便会全部破灭。蒂廉绝望地环顾四周。
Several Narnians were standing with the Calormenes, whether through treachery or in honest fear of"Tashlan". Others were sitting still, staring, not likely to join either side.
有几个纳尼亚子民站在了卡罗门人那边，不知道他们是背信弃义还是真的出于对塔什兰的恐惧。其他动物则坐着一动不动，睁大眼睛看着这场战斗，好像并不愿加入到任何一方。
But there were fewer animals now: the crowd was much smaller. Clearly, several of them had just crept quietly away during the fighting. Boom-boom-ba-ba-boom went the horrible drum.
不过现在，在场的动物们越来越少了，兽群比之前小了很多。很明显，在战斗持续的过程中，有很多都悄悄溜走了。“梆——梆——啪——啪——梆”，恐怖的鼓声继续响着。
Then another sound began to mix with it. "Listen!" said Jewel: and then "Look!" said Farsight. A moment later there was no doubt what it was.
好像还开始掺杂了另一种声音。“听！”珠尔说道。接着千里眼说：“看！”片刻之后，那是什么，都显而易见了。
With a thunder of hoofs, with tossing heads, widened nostrils, and waving manes, over a score of Talking Horses of Narnia came charging up the hill.
伴随着轰隆如雷鸣的蹄声，只见二十匹会说话的纳尼亚马儿冲上了山，它们高昂着头，鼻孔大张，鬃毛上下起伏着，飘舞着。
The gnawers and nibblers had done their work. Poggin the Dwarf and the children opened their mouths to cheer but that cheer never came.
看来那些像切片机一样的啮齿动物成功完成了任务。小矮人波金和吉尔、尤斯塔斯都张大了嘴欢呼。
Suddenly the air was full of the sound of twanging bow-strings and hissing arrows.
突然，空气中充斥着“砰砰”的拉弓声和“嘶嘶”的射箭声，欢呼声立马停止了。
It was the Dwarfs who were shooting and-for a moment Jill could hardly believe her eyes-they were shooting the Horses. Dwarfs are deadly archers. Horse after Horse rolled over.
那些小矮人正在射箭——就在那会儿，吉尔简直不敢相信自己的眼睛——他们正在用箭射马儿们。小矮人可是射箭能手啊。马儿们一匹接着一匹倒在地上翻滚着。
Not one of those noble Beasts ever reached the King. "Little Swine," shrieked Eustace, dancing in his rage. "Dirty, filthy, treacherous little brutes."
在那些高尚的动物中，没有一匹能够安全到达国王这里。“小侏儒，”尤斯塔斯尖叫着，他愤怒地直跺脚，“卑鄙无耻，龌龊不堪，阴险奸诈的小矮人。”
Even Jewel said, "Shall I run after those Dwarfs, Sire, and spit ten of them on my horn at each plunge?"
就连珠尔也说道：“陛下，要我去追那些小矮人吗？我的兽角一次就能刺穿十个。”
But Tirian with his face as stern as stone, said, "Stand fast, Jewel. If you must weep, sweetheart (this was to Jill), turn your face aside and see you wet not your bow-string.
但是蒂廉的神情却像石头一样严峻坚定，他说：“珠尔，坚守住。亲爱的吉尔，如果你忍不住想哭，那就把你的脸转到一边，小心别弄湿了弓弦。
And peace, Eustace. Do not scold, like a kitchen-girl. No warrior scolds. Courteous words or else hard knocks are his only language."
冷静下来，尤斯塔斯，不要再像厨房丫头一样叱责了，没有哪个战士会这么骂骂咧咧的。谦恭的语言或者猛烈的击打才是战士的唯一语言。”
But the Dwarfs jeered back at Eustace. "That was a surprise for you, little boy, eh? Thought we were on your side, did you? No fear. We don't want any Talking Horses. We don't want you to win any more than the other gang. You can't take us in. The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs."
可小矮人格里夫却回过头来讥笑尤斯塔斯：“你很震惊吧，小男孩，嗯？你以为我们是你们这边的，对吧？别担心，我们并不是一定要杀死任何会说话的马儿，我们只是不希望你们比另一伙人更占优势而已。你们不能欺骗我们了，小矮人只为小矮人而活。”
Rishda Tarkaan was still talking to his men, doubtless making arrangements for the next attack and probably wishing he had sent his whole force into the first. The drum boomed on.
利什达泰坎仍在跟他的人说着什么。毫无疑问，他一定是在筹划下一次攻击，他也有可能希望将整个军队置于前线作战。鼓声仍在“梆梆”响。
Then, to their horror, Tirian and his friends heard, far fainter as if from a long way off, an answering drum.
就在这时，令人恐惧的时刻到了，蒂廉和他的朋友们都听到远方有鼓声回应，好像是因为太远的缘故，声音显得非常微弱。
Another body of Calormenes had heard Rishda's signal and were coming to support him. You would not have known from Tirian's face that he had now given up all hope.
另一个卡罗门军团听到了利什达泰坎发出的信号，正准备过来支援他。现在，蒂廉已经放弃一切希望了，不过单从他脸上的表情看，你是不会看出来的。
"Listen," he whispered in a matter-of-fact voice, "we must attack now, before yonder miscreants are strengthened by their friends."
“听着，”蒂廉用事已至此的口吻低声说道，“在远方恶棍赶来增援前，我们现在就必须发起进攻。”
"Bethink you, Sire," said Poggin, "that here we have the good wooden wall of the stable at our backs. If we advance, shall we not be encircled and get sword-points between our shoulders?"
“陛下，好好想想，”波金说道，“我们背后有马厩在，它是我们坚实的盾墙。如果我们激进向前，难道我们不会被包围吗？难道刀尖不会刺穿我们的双肩吗？”
