《能言馬與男孩》 第八章 太洛帝密室

CHAPTER EIGHT IN THE HOUSE OF THE TISROC

第八章　太洛帝密室

"OH-my-father-and-oh-the-delight-of-my-eyes, " began the young man, muttering the words very quickly and sulkily and not at all as if the Tisroc were the delight of his eyes."May you live forever, but you have utterly destroyed me. If you had given me the swiftest of the galleys at sunrise when I first saw that the ship of the accursed barbarians was gone from her place I would perhaps have overtaken them. But you persuaded me to send first and see if they had not merely moved round the point into better anchorage . And now the whole day has been wasted. And they are gone-gone-out of my reach ! The false jade, the—"and here he added a great many descriptions of Queen Susan which would not look at all nice in print. For of course this young man was Prince Rabadash and of course the false jade was Susan of Narnia.

“噢……我的父親……噢……我……眼中……的……快樂……”年輕人開始說話，非?？焖俚剜哉Z，悶悶不樂，一點都不像他自己說的太洛帝是他眼中的快樂那樣。“愿你永在，但你已經(jīng)完全將我摧毀掉了。如果你在日出的時候給我最快的帆船，當我最開始看到那些野蠻人開著船從她的地方離開，我就追出去的話，可能我現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)追上他們了。但是你卻勸我先去送他們，看看他們是否只是繞著海峽找一個更好的停泊地?，F(xiàn)在整天都已經(jīng)被浪費掉了。他們已經(jīng)離開了……離開……離開我能夠追上的地方了!那個虛假的女人，那……”然后他加了非常多描述語在蘇珊女王的身上，如果全都印出來，就一點都不雅觀了。當然，這個年輕的男人就是羅八達王子，那個虛假的女人就是納尼亞的蘇珊。

"Compose yourself, O my son," said the Tisroc. "For the departure of guests makes a wound that is easily healed in the heart of a judicious host."

“鎮(zhèn)定下來，噢，我的兒子。”太洛帝說道，“因為客人的離去而造成的傷害，對于一個明智的主人的心理是很容易被治愈的。”

"But I want her," cried the Prince."I must have her. I shall die if I do not get her-false, proud, black-hearted daughter of a dog that she is ! I can not sleep and my food has no savour and my eyes are darkened because of her beauty. I must have the barbarian queen."

“但是我想得到她。”王子大聲說道，“我必須擁有她。如果我得不到她我將會死掉。她是一個虛偽的，驕傲的，黑心腸的老狗的女兒。我無法入睡，我食不知味，因為她的魅力，我的眼睛都完全漆黑一片了。我必須得到那個野蠻人的女王。”

"How well it was said by a gifted poet," observed the Vizier, raising his face (in a somewhat dusty condition) from the carpet, "that deep draughts from the fountain of reason are desirable in order to extinguish the fire of youthful love."

“一個天才詩人說得多么好啊!”首相大人從地毯中抬起他的臉( 在一個布滿了灰塵的環(huán)境下)，說道，“為了熄滅青春的愛情之火，從理智的泉水中痛飲幾口是非常合理的。”

This seemed to exasperate the Prince."Dog," he shouted, directing a series of well-aimed kicks at the hindquarters of the Vizier,"do not dare to quote the poets to me.I have had maxims and verses flung at me all day and I can endure them no more."I am afraid Aravis did not feel at all sorry for the Vizier.

這段話好像激怒了王子。“狗奴才，”他大聲喊道，一連幾腳直接踹到首相大臣的屁股上去，“你竟然敢對我引證詩人的話責罵我。整天都有格言和詩句拋到我這里來，我已經(jīng)再也忍受不了啦!我覺得，阿拉維斯一點都不會為首相感到難過。”

The Tisroc was apparently sunk in thought, but when, after a long pause,he noticed what was happening,he said tranquilly:

太洛帝明顯已經(jīng)陷入了思索，半晌之后，當他注意到正在發(fā)生什么事情的時候，他平靜地說道：

"My son, by all means desist from kicking the venerable and enlightened Vizier: for as a costly jewel retains its value even if hidden in a dung-hill, so old age and discretion are to be respected even in the vile persons of our subjects. Desist therefore, and tell us what you desire and propose."

“我的兒子，無論如何，請不要再踢這位開明且年老的大臣了：正如珍貴的珠寶即使藏在糞堆之中也依然保有它的價值，所以年老和慎重，即使存在于我們微不足道的臣民身上，也應該是被尊敬的。因此停止吧，告訴我你的渴望和建議是什么。”

"I desire and propose,O my father," said Rabadash, "that you immediately call out your invincible armies and invade the thrice-accursed land of Narnia and waste it with fire and sword and add it to your illimitable empire,killing their High King and all of his blood except the queen Susan.For I must have her as my wife, though she shall learn a sharp lesson first."

“我的希望和建議是，噢，我的父親，”羅八達說道，“你立即召集你的戰(zhàn)無不勝的軍隊，侵入納尼亞該死的領土上，用火和劍掃蕩它，并且把它吞并到您無垠的帝國之中，殺掉他們的至尊王和除了蘇珊女王之外的所有王族。因為我必須要她成為我的妻子，雖然她應該首先要受到一些嚴厲的教訓。”

"Understand, O my son," said the Tisroc, "that no words you can speak will move me to open war against Narnia."

“明白了，噢，我的兒子，”太洛帝說道，“你的任何話都不能讓我去和納尼亞展開一場戰(zhàn)爭。”

"If you were not my father, O ever-living Tisroc,"said the Prince, grinding his teeth,.I should say that was the word of a coward."

“如果你不是我的父親，噢，永生的太洛帝啊，”王子咬著牙說道，“我就會說你剛剛說的是懦夫所說的話。”

"And if you were not my son, O most inflammable Rabadash," replied his father,"your life would be short and your death slow when you had said it."(The cool, placid voice in which he spoke these words made Aravis' s blood run cold.)

“如果你不是我的兒子，最容易激動的羅八達，”他的父親回應道，“你的生命將十分短暫，而且當你說這些的時候你會死得非常無助。”他說這些話的時候，語調(diào)冰冷、平靜，讓阿拉維斯覺得血液都變得冰冷了。

"But why, O my father,"said the Prince-this time in a much more respectful voice,.why should we think twice about punishing Narnia any more than about hanging an idle slave or sending a worn-out horse to be made into dog' smeat ? It is not the fourth size of one of your least provinces. A thousand spears could conquer it in five weeks. It is an unseemly blot on the skirts of your empire."

“但是為什么，噢，我的父親，”王子說道，現(xiàn)在他的語調(diào)變得尊敬多了，“為什么關于懲罰納尼亞的事情我們要考慮兩次，比絞死一個游手好閑的奴隸或是發(fā)配筋疲力盡的老馬去做狗的食物，要考慮得多呢?這個國家還不如你最小的省的四分之一。上千枝長矛可以不用五星期就征服它。它是你帝國邊境上一個不相宜的印記。”

"Most undoubtedly,"said the Tisroc..These little barbarian countries that call themselves free (which is as much as to say, idle, disordered,and unprofitable) are hateful to the gods and to all persons of discernment."

“這毫無疑問，”太洛帝說道，“這些小小的野蠻人的國家自稱他們自己是自由的( 這等于說是游手好閑，毫無秩序，并且沒有任何利益的)，是對神靈和所有明智人的厭惡。”

"Then why have we suffered such a land as Narnia to remain thus long unsubdued ?"

“那么為什么我們要忍受納尼亞這樣一個國家的存在，而長期不去征服它呢?”

"Know, O enlightened Prince."said the Grand Vizier, "that until the year in which your exalted father began his salutary and unending reign,the land of Narnia was covered with ice and snow and was moreover ruled by a most powerful enchantress."

“要知道，噢，我開明的王子啊，”首相大臣說道，“在你高貴的父親開始他有益且永恒的統(tǒng)治的那一年之前，納尼亞的土地上覆蓋著冰雪，而且被一個最強大的女巫統(tǒng)治著。”

"This I know very well, O loquacious Vizier,"answered the Prince..But I know also that the enchantress is dead. And the ice and snow have vanished,so that Narnia is now wholesome, fruitful,and delicious."

“這我非常清楚地知道，噢，多嘴的首相。”王子回答道，“但我也知道女巫已經(jīng)死了。冰雪都已經(jīng)消失了，所以納尼亞如今遍布著水果，并且十分美味。”

"And this change, O most learned Prince, has doubtless been brought to pass by the powerful incantations of those wicked persons who now call themselves kings and queens of Narnia."

“這些變化，噢，最博學的王子啊，無疑是那些邪惡的人的強力咒語改變的，那些人現(xiàn)在稱呼他們自己是納尼亞的國王和女王呢。”

.I am rather of the opinion,"said Rabadash,.that it has come about by the alteration of the stars and the operation of natural causes."

“我寧可認為，”羅八達說道，“這種變化是因為星宿的改變和自然界的作用造就的。”

.All this,"said the Tisroc,.is a question for the disputations of learned men.I will never believe that so great an alteration, and the killing of the old enchantress,were effected without the aid of strong magic.And such things are to be expected in that land, which is chiefly inhabited by demons in the shape of beasts that talk like men, and monsters that are half man and half beast. It is commonly reported that the High King of Narnia (whom may the gods utterly reject) is supported by a demon of hideous aspect and irresistible maleficence who appears in the shape of a Lion. Therefore the attacking of Narnia is a dark and doubtful enterprise, and I am determined not to put my hand out farther than I can draw it back."

“這一切，”太洛帝說道，“是需要博學的人來討論的問題。我永遠也不相信，這么偉大的交替，還有老巫女的被殺，不是強大魔法的影響造成的。而且這些事情在那片土地上是有可能出現(xiàn)的，那里居住著惡魔，像人一樣會說話的野獸，還有半人半獸的怪物。報告通常說，納尼亞的至尊王( 希望神靈們都拋棄他) 是被一個惡魔支持的王，那個惡魔長得十分丑陋，不可抗拒，化身為獅子出現(xiàn)。因此，襲擊納尼亞是一個黑暗并且可疑的冒險行為，我決心不將自己的手伸到無法縮回來的地方。”

"How blessed is Calormen," said the Vizier, popping up his face again,.on whose ruler the gods have been pleased to bestow prudence and circumspection !Yet as the irrefutable and sapient Tisroc has said it is very grievous to be constrained to keep our hands off such a dainty dish as Narnia. Gifted was that poet who said-"but at this point Ahoshta noticed an impatient movement of the Prince' s toe and became suddenly silent.

“多么有福氣的卡樂門人啊，”首相再次抬起他的臉說道，“神靈已經(jīng)賜予了嚴謹和審慎的規(guī)則給他們!然而，如同無可反駁的，足智多謀的太洛帝所說的，面對納尼亞這樣的美餐卻被迫不能下手，的確是十分令人痛惜的。天才詩人說過……”講到這里的時候，阿霍什塔注意到王子腳趾不耐煩地移動，就突然安靜了。

"It is very grievous,"said the Tisroc in his deep, quiet voice."Every morning the sun is darkened in my eyes, and every night my sleep is the less refreshing, because I remember that Narnia is still free."

“這是十分讓人痛苦的，”太洛帝用他低沉且平靜的聲音說道，“每天早上太陽在我眼里都是黑色的，每天晚上我的睡眠總是不太痛快，因為我總是記得納尼亞仍然是自由的。”

"O my father,"said Rabadash."How if I show you a way by which you can stretch out your arm to take Narnia and yet draw it back unharmed if the attempt prove unfortunate ?"

“噢，我的父親，”羅八達說道，“如果我能給你展示一個辦法，通過這個辦法你可以將手伸到納尼亞，萬一那嘗試是不幸的，還可以把手不受傷害地縮回來，怎么樣?”

"If you can show me that, O Rabadash,""aid the Tisroc,"you will be the best of sons."

“如果你可以給我展示那樣的方法，噢，羅八達，”太洛帝說道，“你將是我最好的兒子。”

"Hear then, O father. This very night and in this hour I will take but two hundred horse and ride across the desert. And it shall seem to all men that you know nothing of my going. On the second morning I shall be at the gates of King Lune's castle of Anvard in Archenland. They are at peace with us and unprepared and I shall take Anvard before they have bestirred themselves. Then I will ride through the pass above Anvard and down through Narnia to Cair Paravel. The High King will not be there;when I left them he was already preparing a raid against the giants on his northern border. I shall find Cair Paravel, most likely with open gates, and ride in. I shall exercise prudence and courtesy and spill as little Narnian blood as I can. And what then remains but to sit there till the Splendour Hyaline puts in, with Queen Susan on board, catch my strayed bird as she sets foot ashore, swing her into the saddle, and then, ride, ride,ride back to Anvard ?"

“聽著，噢，父親。就在今天晚上，在這幾個小時里，我將帶著僅僅兩百人馬騎行通過沙漠。這需要像是所有人都不知道我接下來要做什么一樣。第二天早上，我將來到阿欽蘭的安瓦德，國王倫恩的堡壘的城門口。他們現(xiàn)在與我們和平相處，并且沒有任何戒備，我可以在他們有所行動之前，就占領安瓦德。然后我會騎行通過安瓦德上方的關卡，通過納尼亞到達凱爾帕拉維爾。至尊王不會在那里，當我離開那里的時候，他們已經(jīng)準備好迎擊北方邊界上的巨人了。我很可能發(fā)現(xiàn)凱爾帕拉維爾城門打開，然后我將騎馬進入。我將審慎和禮貌地盡我所能讓納尼亞人少流一點鮮血。接下來的事情不過是在那里等待‘燦爛晶瑩號’入港了，船上就載著蘇珊女王，當她的腳踏入到陸地上的時候，我會立刻抓住我走失的小鳥，將她甩到馬鞍上，然后騎行，騎行，騎行到安瓦德。”

"But is it not probable, O my son, " said the Tisroc, "that at the taking of the woman either King Edmund or you will lose his life ?"

“但是，可能，噢，我的兒子，”太洛帝說道，“在搶走這個女人之時，不是愛德蒙國王就是你會丟掉生命，不是嗎?”

"They will be a small company," said Rabadash,"and I will order ten of my men to disarm and bind him: restraining my vehement desire for his blood so that there shall be no deadly cause of war between you and the High King."

“他們不過是一支小隊伍，”羅八達說道，“而且我將會命令我手下的十個士兵解除掉他們的武裝，并且將他捆綁起來，我會克制自己想要讓他流血的渴望，這樣在你和至尊王之間就不會有什么致命的戰(zhàn)爭原因了。”

"And how if the Splendour Hyaline is at Cair Paravel before you ?"

“如果‘燦爛晶瑩’號比你先到達凱爾帕拉維爾，怎么辦?”

"I do not look for that with these winds, O my father. "

“根據(jù)這些風的走向，我估計不會有那種情況，噢，我的父親。”

"And lastly, O my resourceful son, " said the Tisroc, "you have made clear how all this might give you the barbarian woman, but not how it helps me to the over-throwing of Narnia."

“最后，噢，我足智多謀的兒子，”太洛帝說道，“你已經(jīng)清楚地說明了這一切將使你得到野蠻的女人，但是沒有說清楚是如何幫助我戰(zhàn)勝納尼亞王國。”

"O my father, can it have escaped you that though I and my horsemen will come and go through Narnia like an arrow from a bow, yet we shall have Anvard for ever ? And when you hold Anvard you sit in the very gate of Narnia, and your garrison in Anvard can be increased by little and little till it is a great host."

“噢，我的父親，一切都逃不過您的眼睛。盡管我和我的人馬，像一支箭一樣在納尼亞來回，我們不是永遠地占領了安瓦德嗎?當我們控制住安瓦德的時候，你就坐在了納尼亞的城門口了，你的守衛(wèi)軍隊可以一點點增加，直到成為偉大的主人。”

"It is spoken with understanding and foresight. But how do I draw back my arm if all this miscarries ?"

“這說得很有見地，很有先見之明。但是，如果一切都失算了，我怎么才能縮回我伸出去的手臂呢?”

"You shall say that I did it without your knowledge and against your will, and without your blessing, being constrained by the violence of my love and the impetuosity of youth."

“你可以說是我獨自這樣做的，在你毫不知情的情況下，違背了你的意愿，沒有得到你的批準，是被我自己強烈的愛情，和青春的浮躁所逼迫的。”

"And how if the High King then demands that we send back the barbarian woman, his sister ?"

“那么如果至尊王要求我們把那個野蠻的女人，他的妹妹送回去的話，怎么辦?”

“O my father, be assured that he will not. For though the fancy of a woman has rejected this marriage, the High King Peter is a man of prudence and understanding who will in no way wish to lose the high honour and advantage of being allied to our House and seeing his nephew and grand nephew on the throne of Calormen."

“噢，我的父親，我確定他不會那樣要求的。雖然一個女人的幻想已經(jīng)拒絕了這場婚姻，但至尊王彼得是一個謹慎且明白事理的男人，他不會希望失去這次和我們這種王室聯(lián)姻的榮耀和獲得利益的機會，他還要看著他的外甥和外孫坐上卡樂門的王位。”

“He will not see that if I live for ever as is no doubt your wish,"said the Tisroc in an even drier voice than usual.

“正如你希望的那樣，我會永在，他將永遠看不到那天。”太洛帝用一種比平常更干巴巴的腔調(diào)說道。

"And also, O my father and O the delight of my eyes,"said the Prince, after a moment of awkward silence,.we shall write letters as if from the Queen to say that she loves me and has no desire to return to Narnia. For it is well known that women are as changeable as weathercocks. And even if they do not wholly believe the letters, they will not dare to come to Tashbaan in arms to fetch her."

“還有，噢，我的父親，我眼中的快樂，”王子在一陣尷尬的沉默之后說道，“我們應該仿造女王寫信，說她愛我，不想回到納尼亞了。因為所有人都知道，女人像善變的風信子，隨風改變方向。而且即使他們不完全相信那些信，他們也不敢武裝來到塔什班城將她奪走。”

“O enlightened Vizier,"said the Tisroc,.bestow your wisdom upon us concerning this strange proposal."

“噢，明智的首相，”太洛帝說道，“關于我們這個奇怪的建議，請你用高明的智慧指點一下吧。”

“O eternal Tisroc,"answered Ahosta,.the strength of paternal affection is not unknown to me and I have often heard that sons are in the eyes of their fathers more precious than carbuncles. How then shall I dare freely to unfold to you my mind in a matter which may imperil the life of this exalted Prince ?"

“噢，太洛帝萬歲，”阿霍什塔回答道，“父子情深的力量我是不知道的，我時常聽說，在父親眼睛里看到的兒子們，比紅寶石還要珍貴。對于這件很可能會威脅到我們尊貴的王子生命的事情，我怎么敢放肆地自由陳述意見呢?”

“Undoubtedly you will dare,"replied the Tisroc..Because you will find that the dangers of not doing so are at least equally great.

“毫無疑問你是敢的，”太洛帝回應道，“因為你會發(fā)現(xiàn)如果你不這么做，也會面對同樣的危險。”

“To hear is to obey,"moaned the wretched man.Know then, O most reasonable Tisroc, in the first place, that the danger of the Prince is not altogether so great as might appear. For the gods have withheld from the barbarians the light of discretion, as that their poetry is not, like ours, full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims, but is all of love and war. Therefore nothing will appear to them more noble and admirable than such a mad enterprise as this of ow !"For the Prince, at the word.mad", had kicked him again.

“我服從命令。”首相為難地嗚咽道，“那么，最通情達理的太洛帝，第一，王子的危險并不會那么可能發(fā)生。因為神靈們沒有賜給野蠻人謹慎的光芒，就好像他們的詩歌不像我們那樣充滿美妙的箴言和有用的格言，他們只有愛情和戰(zhàn)爭。因為，什么也不會像這樣瘋狂的冒險那么高尚，且更加令人敬佩……噢!”當王子聽到“瘋狂”這個詞，再次踢了他一下。

"Desist,O my son," said the Tisroc. "And you, estimable Vizier, whether he desists or not, by no means allow the flow of your eloquence to be interrupted. For nothing is more suitable to persons of gravity and decorum than to endure minor inconveniences with constancy."

“停下，我的兒子，”太洛帝說道，“還有你，值得尊敬的首相，不管他是不是踢你，無論如何也不要中斷你滔滔不絕的陳述。因為，那些嚴肅且有禮的人，以堅定不移的態(tài)度來忍受小小的不便利是再正確不過的了。”

“To hear is to obey,"said the Vizier, wriggling himself round a little so as to get his hinder parts further away from Rabadash' s toe. “Nothing, I say, will seem as pardonable, if not estimable,in their eyes as this-er-hazardous attempt, especially because it is undertaken for the love of a woman. Therefore,if the Prince by misfortune fell into their hands, they would assuredly not kill him.Nay, it may even be, that though he failed to carry off the queen,yet the sight of his great valour and of the extremity of his passion might incline her heart to him."

“我服從命令。”首相說道，他扭動著，將自己縮成更圓一點的樣子，好使自己的屁股離羅八達的腳趾遠一點兒。“我是說，這種危險的嘗試，特別是為了得到一個女人的愛情而做的，在他們的眼睛里看來，即使是不能被尊敬的，也應該是可以被原諒的。因此，如果王子不幸地落入到他們的手中，他們肯定不會殺死他。不，甚至可能會是這樣的，雖然他沒能搶走女王，但是看到了他偉大的勇氣和狂熱的熱情，女王會傾心于他。”

"That is a good point, old babbler,"said Rabadash..Very good, however it came into your ugly head."

“這是個好想法，你這饒舌的老頭兒，”羅八達說道，“很好，雖然這么高明的想法進入了你那個丑陋的腦袋里。”

"The praise of my masters is the light of my eyes,"said Ahoshta..And secondly,O Tisroc,whose reign must and shall be interminable,I think that with the aid of the gods it is very likely that Anvard will fall into the Prince' s hands.And if so, we have Narnia by the throat."

“主人們的稱贊就是我眼中的光明。”阿霍什塔說道，“然后，太洛帝啊，你的統(tǒng)治必然是沒有止境的。我認為通過神靈們的幫助，安瓦德非?？赡苈涞酵踝拥氖种小Ｈ绻@樣的話，我們就扼住了納尼亞王國的喉嚨。”

There was a long pause and the room became so silent that the two girls hardly dared to breathe.At last the Tisroc spoke.

突然，出現(xiàn)了一個長時間的停頓，房間變得那么安靜，以至于兩個女孩幾乎不敢呼吸了。最后太洛帝終于開口。

"Go, my son," he said."And do as you have said. But expect no help nor countenance from me. I will not avenge you if you are killed and I will not deliver you if the barbarians cast you into prison. And if, either in success or failure, you shed a drop more than you need of Narnian noble blood and open war arises from it, my favour shall never fall upon you again and your next brother shall have your place in Calormen. Now go. Be swift, secret, and fortunate. May the strength of Tash the inexorable, the irresistible be in your sword and lance."

“去吧，我的兒子。”他說，“去做你剛剛說的事情。但是，別指望任何來自我的支援和幫助。如果你被殺害了，我不會替你復仇，而且如果野蠻人將你關進了監(jiān)獄，我也不會去解救你。而且，不管是成功還是失敗，如果你超過必需地讓納尼亞人多流了一滴鮮血，因此引起了戰(zhàn)爭，我的偏愛將永遠不會再次落到你的身上。你的弟弟將會擁有你在卡樂門的地位?，F(xiàn)在去吧，要迅速，隱秘并且祝順利。但愿塔什神的力量堅定地，不可抗拒地附在你的劍和長矛上。”

"To hear is to obey," cried Rabadash,and after kneeling for a moment to kiss his father' s hands he rushed from the room. Greatly to the disappointment of Aravis,who was now horribly cramped,the Tisroc and Vizier remained.

“我服從命令。”羅八達大聲說道，在他跪下來親吻了一會他父親的雙手之后，他沖出了房間。阿拉維斯被恐怖束縛住了，使她感到巨大失望的是，太洛帝和首相留了下來。"

"O Vizier," said the Tisroc, "is it certain that no living soul knows of this council we three have held here tonight ?"

“噢，首相，”太洛帝說道，“你確定沒有任何一個活人知道我們?nèi)齻€今晚在這里舉行的會議嗎?”

"O my master," said Ahoshta, "it is not possible that any should know. For that very reason I proposed, and you in your wisdom agreed, that we should meet here in the Old Palace where no council is ever held and none of the household has any occasion to come."

“噢，我的主人，”阿霍什塔說道，“不可能有任何人知道。出于這個原因我建議，并且由您的智慧批準，我們應該在這個以前從未開過會，宮殿里也沒有任何人可以偶然到這舊宮殿里開會。”

"It is well," said the Tisroc. "If any man knew,I would see to it that he died before an hour had passed. And do you also, O prudent Vizier, forget it. I sponge away from my own heart and from yours all knowledge of the Prince' s plans. He is gone without my knowledge or my consent, I know not whither, because of his violence and the rash and disobedient disposition of youth. No man will be more astonished than you and I to hear that Anvard is in his hands."

“這很好。”太洛帝說道，“如果任何人知道了，我一定會讓他在一個小時之內(nèi)死去。你也一樣，我親愛的大臣，忘掉這里的一切。從我自己的心里，從你的心里，消除掉我們所知道的王子的計劃。他沒有得到我的同意就離開了，我也不知道他去了哪，一切都是因為年輕人的狂暴、魯莽和不聽話。聽到安瓦德落到他的手里這個消息，沒有人會比我和你更加感到驚訝。”

"To hear is to obey," said Ahoshta.

“我服從命令。”阿霍什塔說道。

"That is why you will never think even in your secret heart that I am the hardest hearted of fathers who thus send my first-born son on an errand so likely to be his death;pleasing as it must be to you who do not love the Prince. For I see into the bottom of your mind."

“這就是為什么，即使在你最隱秘的心里，你可能會認為我是父親中心腸最硬的，我竟然派我的長子去完成一個幾乎會結(jié)束他生命的任務。這一定讓你很高興，因為你不愛王子。我看得到你的內(nèi)心深處。”

"O impeccable Tisroc," said the Vizier."In comparison with you I love neither the Prince nor my own life nor bread nor water nor the light of the sun."

“明察秋毫的太洛帝啊。”首相說道，“和您相比，我既不愛王子，也不愛我自己的生命，不愛面包，不愛水和太陽的光輝或光芒。”

"Your sentiments," said the Tisroc,"are elevated and correct. I also love none of these things in comparison with the glory and strength of my throne. If the Prince succeeds, we have Archenland, and perhaps hereafter Narnia. If he fails—I have eighteen other sons and Rabadash, after the manner of the eldest sons of kings, was beginning to be dangerous. More than five Tisrocs in Tashbaan have died before their time because their eldest sons, enlightened princes, grew tired of waiting for their throne. He had better cool his blood abroad than boil it in inaction here. And now,O excellent Vizier,the excess of my paternal anxiety inclines me to sleep. Command the musicians to my chamber. But before you lie down, call back the pardon we wrote for the third cook.I feel within me the manifest prognostics of indigestion."

“你的情操，”太洛帝說道，“是高尚且正確的。和王位的光榮和權(quán)力相比，我也不愛這些東西。如果王子成功了，我們將擁有阿欽蘭的領土，而且以后還要占領納尼亞。如果他失敗了——我還有十八個兒子。羅八達呢，身為王子們中最年長的兒子，他的行為，已經(jīng)開始變得危險起來了。塔什班城里有五個以上的太洛帝都早早死去，因為他們的長子，開明的王子，對王位感到急不可耐。他能在國外將自己的血液冷靜下來，比起在國內(nèi)這里無所事事，熱血沸騰要好很多?，F(xiàn)在，我杰出的首相，作為父親的焦躁已讓我筋疲力盡，想要睡覺了。命令樂師們到我的寢宮里。但是在你躺下之前，將我們寫給第三個廚子的赦罪書追回來。我感覺我的肚子明顯有些消化不良。”

"To hear is to obey,"said the Grand Vizier. He crawled backwards on all fours to the door, rose, bowed, and went out. Even then the Tisroc remained seated in silence on the divan till Aravis almost began to be afraid that he had dropped asleep. But at last with a great creaking and sighing he heaved up his enormous body, signed to the slaves to precede him with the lights, and went out. The door closed behind him, the room was once more totally dark,and the two girls could breathe freely again.

“我服從命令。”首相說道。他四肢著地，倒退著爬行到門口，站起來，鞠躬，然后退了出去。即使現(xiàn)在，太洛帝也仍然安靜地坐在長沙發(fā)上，直到阿拉維斯擔心他是不是已經(jīng)深入睡眠了。但是最后，隨著一陣嘎吱嘎吱的聲音和一聲輕嘆，他抬起他巨大的身體，示意奴隸們將燭火拿到他的面前，然后走了出去。門在他的身后關了起來，房間再次變得更加漆黑了，兩個女孩總算可以自由呼吸了。