《能言马与男孩》 15 荒唐的罗八达
CHAPTER FIFTEEN RABADASH THE RIDICULOUS
15荒唐的罗八达
THE next turn of the road-brought them out from among the trees and there, across green lawns, sheltered from the north wind by the high wooded ridge at its back, they saw the castle of Anvard. It was very old and built of a warm, reddish-brown stone.
道路再转一次弯——就将他们从树林中带了出来，那里，穿过绿一色一的草地，他们看到安瓦德的城堡。在城堡的后面高高的，被树林覆盖的山脊为它抵挡了北风。城堡非常古老，用温暖的，红褐一色一的石头建造而成。
Before they had reached the gate King Lune came out to meet them, not looking at all like Ara一vis s idea of a king and wearing the oldest of old clothes;for he had just come from making a round of the kennels with his Huntsman and had only stopped for a moment to wash his doggy hands. But the bow with which he greeted Ara一vis as he took her hand would ha一ve been stately enough for an Emperor.
在他们走到城门口之前，国王伦恩已经走出来迎接他们了，看起来一点都不像阿拉维斯心中的国王的样子，他穿着旧衣服还是最旧的衣服呢。因为他刚刚和他的猎人们一起巡视过养狗场回来，仅仅有一刻钟的时间停下来洗一洗他碰过狗的手。但当他握着阿拉维斯的手向她鞠躬致意，笑脸相迎的时候，他的风度足以表明他是一位帝王。
"Little lady," he said, "we bid you very heartily welcome. If my dear wife were still alive we could make you better cheer but could not do it with a better will. And I am sorry that you ha一ve had misfortunes and been driven from your father s house, which cannot but be a grief to you. My son Cor has told me about your adventures together and all your valor."
“小一姐，”他说道，“我们发自一内一心地欢迎您。如果我亲一爱一的妻子仍然活着的话，我们能够让你更加愉悦，但现在却不能做得更好了。而且我非常抱歉，你遭遇到了不幸，并被赶出了你父亲的家庭，这对你一定是件悲痛的事情。我的儿子科奥告诉过我关于你和他一起经历过的冒险以及你的英勇。”
"It was he who did all that, Sir," said Ara一vis. "Why, he rushed at a lion to sa一ve me."
“一切英勇的行为都是他做出来的，陛下。”阿拉维斯说道，“如果问为什么，他还冲到了一只狮子的面前去救我。”
"Eh, what's that ?" said King Lune, his face brightening. "I ha一ven' t heard that part of the story."
“啊，那是怎么回事?”国王伦恩面露喜一色一地说道，“我从来没有听到过这部分的故事。”
Then Ara一vis told it. And Cor, who had very much wanted the story to be known, though he felt he couldn' t tell it himself, didn' t enjoy it so much as he had expected, and indeed felt rather foolish. But his father enjoyed it very much indeed and in the course of the next few weeks told it to so many people that Cor wished it had never happened.
于是阿拉维斯告诉他这段故事。科奥，原本十分希望人们知道这个故事，尽管他感到不好意思自己讲出来。听到她说出来，并没有像他期待的一样享受，并且确实觉得相当愚蠢。但是他的父亲确实十分享受这件事情，并且在接下来的几个星期里不断地讲给许多人听，使得科奥希望这件事情从来没有发生过。
Then the King turned to Hwin and Bree and was just as polite to them as to Ara一vis, and asked them a lot of questions about their families and where they had lived in Narnia before they had been captured. The Horses were rather tongue-tied for they weren't yet used to being talked to as equals by Humans grown-up Humans, that is.They didn' t mind Ara一vis and Cor.
然后国王转向赫温和布里，对待他们就和对待阿拉维斯一样礼貌，并询问了许多关于他们家庭，以及他们被抓之前住在纳尼亚哪里的问题。马儿们张口结舌——因为他们还不一习一惯平等地和人们说话——当然是指成一人们。他们不介意和阿拉维斯还有科奥这样的孩子说话。
Presently Queen Lucy came out from the castle and joined them and King Lune said to Ara一vis, "My dear, here is a loving friend of our house, and she has been seeing that your apartments are put to rights for you better than I could ha一ve done it."
不久，女王露茜从城堡里面出来了，并且加入了他们。国王伦恩对阿拉维斯说：“我亲一爱一的，我们家庭里来了一个可一爱一的朋友，她已经去看你的起居室安排，以确保一切都是舒适的，她来做这些比我来做更好。”
"You'd like to come and see them, wouldn't you ?" said Lucy, kissing Ara一vis. They liked each other at once and soon went away together to talk about Ara一vis' s bedroom and Ara一vis' s boudoir and about getting clothes for her,and all the sort of things girls do talk about on such an occasion.
“你愿意过来看看他们吗?”露茜亲一吻着阿拉维斯，说道。她们立刻喜欢上了彼此，并且不久就一起离开，去谈论关于阿拉维斯的卧室和闺房，以及准备给她的衣服，还有所有姑一娘一们在这种时刻总要谈论的种种事情。
After lunch,which they had on the terrace (it was cold birds and cold game pie and wine and bread and cheese), King Lune ruffled up his brow and hea一ved a sigh and said,"Heigh-ho ! We ha一ve still that sorry creature Rabadash on our hands, my friends, and must needs resolve what to do with him."
她们在一陽一台上用过午餐( 有冷盘鸟肉，冷盘野味派，酒，面包和干酪) 后，国王伦恩皱着眉头，并且叹息道：“嗨!我们手里仍然掌握着那个丑角罗八达，亲一爱一的朋友们，我们必须决定如何处置他。”
Lucy was sitting on the King' s right and Ara一vis on his left. King Edmund sat at one end of the table and the Lord Darrin faced him at the other.Dar and Peridan and Cor and Corin were on the same side as the King.
露茜坐在国王的右边，阿拉维斯坐在他的左边。一爱一德蒙国王坐在桌子的另一头，达兰勋爵面对着他坐在另一头。达尔、帕里丹、科奥、科林都和国王坐在同一边。
"Your Majesty would ha一ve a perfect right to strike off his head," said Peridan. "Such an assault as he made puts him on a level with assassins."
“陛下完全有权力砍掉他的头颅，”帕里丹说道，“他那样突然的袭击，将他自己放到了和刺客一样的位置之上了。”
"It is very true," said Edmund."But even a traitor may mend. I ha一ve known one that did."And he looked very thoughtful.
“这倒是事实。”一爱一德蒙说，“但是即使是一个叛徒也可能改过自新。我就认识一个这样的人。”他看起来十分深思熟虑的样子。
"To kill this Rabadash would go near to raising war with the Tisroc,"said Darrin.
“杀了罗八达就相当于向太洛帝挑一起战争。”达兰说。
"A fig for the Tisroc," said King Lune."His strength is in numbers and numbers will never cross the desert. But I ha一ve no stomach for killing men (even traitors) in cold blood. To ha一ve cut his throat in the battle would ha一ve eased my heart mightily, but this is a different thing."
“太洛帝什么都不是，”国王伦恩说道，“他的力量在于有很多人，可他们永远都无法穿过沙漠。但是我不想冷血地杀人( 即使是叛徒)。在战争中割断他的喉咙对于我来说倒是十分心安理得，可是现在情况是不一样的。”
"By my counsel," said Lucy,"your Majesty shall give him another trial. Let him go free on strait promise of fair dealing in the future.It may be that he will keep his word."
“我建议，”露茜说道，“陛下可以给他一次检验的机会。如果他作出了未来公平交易的严格承诺，我们就放他自一由，可能他会遵守诺言。”
"Maybe Apes will grow honest, Sister, "said Edmund. "But, by the Lion, if he breaks it again, may it be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle."
“也许猩猩将会变得诚实，妹妹。”一爱一德蒙说道，“但是，以狮子起誓，如果他再次违背诺言，那么到那个时候，我们中的任何一个人都可以在战争中利落地砍掉他的头颅。”
"It shall be tried," said the King: and then to one of the attendants,"Send for the prisoner, friend. "
“这可以试试。”国王说道，并且吩咐侍者的一个，“将囚犯带上来，朋友。”
Rabadash was brought before them in chains. To look at him anyone would ha一ve supposed that he had passed the night in a noisome dungeon without food or water;but in reality he had been shut up in quite a comfortable room and provided with an excellent supper. But as he was sulking far too furiously to touch the supper and had spent the whole night stamping and roaring and cursing, he naturally did not now look his best.
带着镣铐的罗八达被带到了他们面前。看他现在的模样，任何人都会猜到他是在一个非常吵闹的地牢里度过了一个晚上，既没有食物，也没有睡。但是事实上，他被关在一个非常舒适的房间里，并且提一供了非常美味的晚餐。可是他的闷气太过强烈，以至于不想碰晚餐。他花费整个晚上的时间顿足、吼叫和咒骂，现在自然看不到他最好的样子了。
"Your royal Highness needs not to be told," said King Lune,"that by the law of nations as well as by all reasons of prudent policy, we ha一ve as good right to your head as ever one mortal man had against another. Nevertheless, in consideration of your youth and the ill nurture, devoid of all gentilesse and courtesy, which you ha一ve doubtless had in the land of sla一ves and tyrants, we are disposed to set you free, unharmed, on these conditions: first, that—"
“不需要多说，殿下也应知道，”国王伦恩说道，“根据国家的法律，也根据谨慎的政策等种种理由，就像一个人有权力处置你的头颅，就像一个人针对一个死对头一样。然而，考虑到你年轻，天一性一残暴，缺少教养和谦逊，这些毫无疑问都是在一个奴隶和暴君的国度里养成的，我们倾向于不让你受伤并放你自一由，条件是：首先……”
"Curse you for a barbarian dog !" spluttered Rabadash. "Do you think I will even hear your conditions ? Faugh !You talk very largely of nurture and I know not what.It s easy,to a man in chains,ha !Take off these vile bonds,give me a sword, and let any of you who dares then debate with me."
“我诅咒你这个野蛮狗!”罗八达喷溅着吐沫说道，“你以为我会听你的条件吗?呸!你大谈特谈人一性一，我不知道那是什么。很简单，对于一个被镣铐锁住的人，哈!解一开这些卑鄙的镣铐，给我一把剑，然后让你们中的任何一个敢于和我较量的人，来和我争论一番。”
Nearly all the lords sprang to their feet,and Corin shouted:
几乎所有的王一爷们都跳了起来，科林大声喊道：
"Father !Can I box him ? Please. "
“父亲!我能揍他吗?求你了。”
"Peace !Your Majesties !My Lords !" said King Lune. "Ha一ve we no more gra一vity among us than to be so chafed by the taunt of a pajock ?Sit down,Corin,or shaft lea一ve the table. I ask your Highness again,to hear our conditions."
“安静下来!陛下，王一爷们!”伦恩国王说道，“难道我们没有庄严到，被一个混蛋的几句辱骂就激怒了吗?坐下，科林，否则你就离开桌子吧。我再次要求阁下，听从我们的条件。”
"I hear no conditions from barbarians and sorcerers," said Rabadash."Not one of you dare touch a hair of my head. Every insult you ha一ve heaped on me shall be paid with oceans of Narnian and Archenlandish blood. Terrible shall the vengeance of the Tisroc be: even now. But kill me, and the burnings and torturings in these northern lands shall become a tale to frighten the world a thousand years hence. Beware ! Beware ! Beware ! The bolt of Tash falls from above !"
“我不听从野蛮人和巫师们的任何条件，”罗八达说道，“你们中没有一个敢碰我脑袋上的一根头发。你们对我的每一种侮辱都将用纳尼亚人和阿钦兰人的血来偿还。太洛帝的报复将是可怕的：甚至现在也是。但是杀了我，然后北方的土地将饱受焚烧和折磨的灾难，将变成一千年之后令人惊恐的传说。当心!当心!当心!当心塔什神的雷霆之怒从天上打下来!”
"Does it ever get caught on a hook half-way ?" asked Corin.
“雷霆会在中途被钩子钩住吗?”科林问道。
"Shame,Corin," said the King."Never taunt a man sa一ve when he is stronger than you: then,as you please."
“你不感到羞耻吗!科林，”国王说，“永远不要取笑别人，除非你比对方强大。对方如果比你弱，那就随便你了。”
"Oh you foolish Rabadash," sighed Lucy. Next moment Cor wondered why everyone at the table had risen and was standing perfectly still. Of course he did the same himself. And then he saw the reason. Aslan was among them though no one had seen him coming. Rabadash started as the immense shape of the Lion paced softly in between him and his accusers.
“噢，愚蠢的罗八达啊!”露茜叹息地说道。下一个瞬间，科奥想知道为什么坐在桌子旁边的人都站起来，而且完全一动不动。当然他自己也是这样。然后，他看到了原因。阿斯兰和他们在一起，虽然没有一个人看到他进来。狮子极大的身型在罗八达和谴责罗八达的人中间轻柔地来回走着，罗八达吃了一惊。
"Rabadash," said Aslan. "Take heed. Your doom is very near, but you may still a一void it. Forget your pride (what ha一ve you to be proud of ?) and your anger (who has done you wrong ?)and accept the mercy of these good kings."
“罗八达，”阿斯兰说，“注意，你的厄运近在咫尺了，但是你仍然可以避开它。忘掉你的骄傲( 你有什么可骄傲的) 和你的愤怒( 谁伤害了你)，然后接受这些善良的国王们的怜悯吧。”
Then Rabadash rolled his eyes and spread out his mouth into a horrible, long mirthless grin like a shark, and wagged his ears up and down (anyone can learn how to do this if they take the trouble). He had always found this very effective in Calormen. The bra一vest had trembled when he made these faces, and ordinary people had fallen to the floor, and sensitive people had often fainted. But what Rabadash hadn' t realized is that it is very easy to frighten people who know you can ha一ve them boiled alive the moment you give the word. The grimaces didn' t look at all alarming in Archenland; indeed Lucy only thought Rabadash was going to be sick.
罗八达转动着他的眼睛，张开嘴巴，像鲨鱼一样，露着牙齿发出一种可怕且一陰一郁的笑声，同时上下摆一动他的耳朵( 如果他们肯费事的话，任何人都可以学会怎么做)。他过去总是发现这在卡乐门很奏效。当他做鬼脸的时候，最勇敢的人也浑身发一抖，普通的人们会摔倒在地上，神经紧张的人们总是直接晕过去。但是罗八达从来没有意识到，人们知道你下个命令就可以立即将他们活活烹死，你想要吓到这种人是非常容易的。但在阿钦兰，扮鬼脸一点都不吓人。事实上，露茜认为罗八达是要生病了。
"Demon ! Demon ! Demon !" shrieked the Prince. "I know you. You are the foul fiend of Narnia. You are the enemy of the gods. Learn who I am, horrible phantasm. I am descended from Tash, the inexorable, the irresistible. the curse of Tash is upon you. Lightning in the shape of scorpions shall be rained on you. The mountains of Narnia shall be ground into dust. The—"
“恶魔!恶魔!恶魔!”王子尖一叫道，“我知道你。你是纳尼亚邪恶的魔王。你是神灵们的敌人。听着我是谁，可怕的幽灵。我是不屈不挠的，不可抵抗的塔什神的后代。塔什神的诅咒将降临在你的头上，蝎子型的闪电将打在你的身上，纳尼亚的山峰将变成尘土……”
"Ha一ve a care, Rabadash," said Aslan quietly. "The doom is nearer now: it is at the door: it has lifted the latch. "
“当心，罗八达，”阿斯兰安静地说道，“厄运现在更近了，就在门外，就要拔掉门闩了。”
"Let the skies fall," shrieked Rabadash. "Let the earth gape ! Let blood and fire obliterate the world ! But be sure I will never desist till I ha一ve dragged to my palace by her hair the barbarian queen, the daughter of dogs, the—"
“让天塌下来吧，”罗八达尖一叫道，“让大地裂开吧!让鲜血和火焰淹没这个世界吧!但是要确保我永远不会停止，直到我抓住那不识好歹的女人，抓住那野蛮人的女王的头发，将她拖到我的宫殿里去……”
"The hour has struck," said Aslan: and Rabadash saw, to his supreme horror, that everyone had begun to laugh.
“时间到了。”阿斯兰说道，然后罗八达看到所有的人都开始大笑，对于他来讲这是极致的恐怖。
They couldn' t help it. Rabadash had been wagging his ears all the time and as soon as Aslan said,"The hour has struck !" the ears began to change. They grew longer and more pointed and soon were covered with grey hair. And while everyone was wondering where they had seen ears like that before, Rabadash' s face began to change too. It grew longer, and thicker at the top and larger eyed, and the nose sank back into the face (or else the face swelled out and became all nose) and there was hair all over it. And his arms grew longer and came down in front of him till his hands were resting on the ground: only they weren' t hands, now, they were hoofs. And he was standing on all fours, and his clothes disappeared, and everyone laughed louder and louder (because they couldn' t help it) for now what had been Rabadash was, simply and unmistakably, a donkey. The terrible thing was that his human speech lasted just a moment longer than his human shape, so that when he realized the change that was coming over him,he screamed out:
他们没法控制住不笑。罗八达一直摆一动着他的耳朵，阿斯兰刚一说“时间到了”，他的耳朵就开始变化。它们变得越来越长，越来越尖，很快又长满了灰一色一的一毛一发。然后每个人都想知道他们以前在什么地方看到过类似的耳朵，罗八达的脸也开始发生变化了。脸变得更长，顶上变得更厚，眼睛变得更大，鼻子都已经陷到脸里去了( 如果不是这样的话，就是脸全都鼓了出来，变成全都是鼻子)，脸上也长满了一毛一发。他的胳膊开始变长，在前边垂了下来，一直垂到双手碰到地上。但是现在不是手了，而是蹄子了。他四脚着地站在那里，身上的衣服全都消失了，人们哈哈大笑，越笑声音越大( 他们忍不住要笑)，因为当初的罗八达王子现在完全变成了一头驴。可怕的是，他人类的语言只比他的人形多保留了一会，当他意识到自己身上发生了什么变化的时候，他叫喊道：
"Oh, not a Donkey ! Mercy ! If it were even a horse— e' en—a hor—eeh—auh, eeh—auh."And so the words died away into a donkey' s bray.
“噢，不要变成驴子!怜悯我吧!哪怕是一匹马……哪怕……匹马……恩……啊……霍……伊赫……奥赫，伊赫……奥赫。”然后语言也消失在驴叫一声中了。
"Now hear me, Rabadash," said Aslan. "Justice shall be mixed with mercy.You shall not always be an Ass."
“现在你听着，罗八达。”阿斯兰说道，“公正的审判里自有怜悯。你将来不会永远是一头驴子的。”
At this of course the Donkey twitched its ears forward and that also was so funny that everybody laughed all the more. They tried not to,but they tried in vain.
当然，在阿斯兰说话的时候，驴子的耳朵转到前面来听，这看起来十分搞笑，所有人更加哈哈大笑了。他们试图不笑，但是却是徒劳。
"You ha一ve appealed to Tash," said Aslan. "And in the temple of Tash you shall be healed. You must stand before the altar of Tash in Tashbaan at the great Autumn Feast this year and there, in the sight of all Tashbaan, your ass s shape will fall from you and all men will know you for Prince Rabadash. But as long as you live, if ever you go more than ten miles away from the great temple in Tashbaan you shall instantly become again as you now are.And from that second change there will be no return."
“你曾呼吁塔什神，”阿斯兰说道，“你将会在塔什神的神庙中被治愈。在今年伟大的收获节里，你必须站在塔什班城的塔什神的祭台之前，在所有塔什班人的面前，你驴子的形体将会从你身上脱落，所有人都将知道你是王子罗八达。但是只要你活着，只要你曾经走到离塔什班城伟大神庙的十英里以外的地方，你就会立即再次变成现在的样子。而且当你第二次变成这样的时候，就再也变不回去了。”
There was a short silence and then they all stirred and looked at one another as if they were waking from sleep.Aslan was gone. But there was a brightness in the air and on the grass,and a joy in their hearts,which assured them that he had been no dream: and anyway, there was the donkey in front of them.
短暂的寂静，然后他们都动了起来，你看着我，我看着你，就好像刚刚从睡梦中走出来一样。阿斯兰已经走了。但是空气中和草地上有一道光芒，在他们的心中仍然保留着，这些都向他们保证刚刚并不是做梦。而且，无论如何，他们面前有一头驴子。
King Lune was the kindest-hearted of men and on seeing his enemy in this regrettable condition he forgot all his anger.
国王伦恩是所有男人们心肠最为慈悲的，看到他的敌人陷入这种懊悔不已的境地中，他忘记了他的愤怒。
"Your royal Highness," he said. "I am most truly sorry that things ha一ve come to this extremity. Your Highness will bear witness that it was none of our doing. And of course we shall be delighted to provide your Highness with shipping back to Tashbaan for the—er—treatment which Aslan has prescribed. You shall ha一ve every comfort which your Highness s situation allows: the best of the cattle-boats—the freshest carrots and thistles—"
“殿下，”他说，“事情发展到这个极端的地步，我真的非常抱歉。殿下亲眼看到，这并不是我们做的。当然我们很高兴提一供船只给您，送殿下回到塔什班城去……额……按照阿斯兰的方式。殿下将拥有现下最适合殿下的环境：最好的装载牲口的船，最新鲜的胡萝卜和野蓟……”
But a deafening bray from the Donkey and a well-aimed kick at one of the guards made it clear that these kindly offers were ungratefully received.
但是震耳欲聋的一声驴叫，和瞄准了一警一卫的狠狠一击，清楚地表明这些好心的提一供并没有被对方感激地接受。
And here,to get him out of the way,I d better finish off the story of Rabadash. He (or it) was duly sent back by boat to Tashbaan and brought into the temple of Tash at the great Autumn Festival, and then he became a man again. But of course four or five thousand people had seen the transformation and the affair could not possibly be hushed up. And after the old Tisroc s death when Rabadash became Tisroc in his place he turned out the most peaceable Tisroc Calormen had ever known. This was because, not daring to go more than ten miles from Tashbaan, he could never go on a war himself: and he didn t want his Tarkaans to win fame in the wars at his expense, for that is the way Tisrocs get overthrown. But though his reasons were selfish, it made things much more comfortable for all the smaller countries round Calormen. His own people never forgot that he had been a donkey. During his reign, and to his face, he was called Rabadash the Peacemaker, but after his death and behind his back he was called Rabadash the Ridiculous, and if you look him up in a good History of Calormen (try the local library) you will find him under that name. And to this day in Calormene schools, if you do anything unusually stupid, you are very likely to be called"a second Rabadash".
这里，为了不再提到他，我们还是将罗八达的故事结束为好。他( 或者它) 被及时地用船送回了塔什班城，并在伟大的收获节的时候被送进了塔什神的神庙，重新变成了一个人。当然，有四五千人亲眼目睹了他的变化，这件事情就无法保密了。老太洛帝死了，罗八达便代替他成为了太洛帝，他成为了卡乐门有史以来最和平的太洛帝。因为他不敢跑到离塔什班城十英里远的地方，他没办法亲自参加一场战争，但是他又不希望他手下的泰坎们在损害他权势的情况下从战争中获得声誉，因为太洛帝们都是这样被推翻的。但是，虽然他的目的是自私自利的，但却使得卡乐门周边的小国过得舒服多了。他自己的百姓们从来都没有忘记过，他曾经是一头驴子。在他统治期间，当着他的面，人们称呼他是“和平造就者”，但是在他死后和背着他的时候，则称呼他是“可笑的罗八达”。如果你在一本优秀的《卡乐门历史》( 不妨到当地的图书馆里找一下) 里搜索他的话，你就会发现他是被放在“荒唐的罗八达”这个称呼下一面的。即使到了今天，在卡乐门的学校里，如果你做了什么超乎寻常的愚蠢事情，你很可能被称为“第二个罗八达”。
Meanwhile at Anvard everyone was very glad that he had been disposed of before the real fun began, which was a grand feast held that evening on the lawn before the castle, with dozens of lanterns to help the moonlight. And the wine flowed and tales were told and jokes were cracked, and then silence was made and the King s poet with two fiddlers stepped out into the middle of the circle. Ara一vis and Cor prepared themselves to be bored, for the only poetry they knew was the Calormene kind, and you know now what that was like. But at the very first scrape of the fiddles a rocket seemed to go up inside their heads, and the poet sang the great old lay of Fair Olvin and how he fought the Giant Pire and turned him into stone (and that is the origin of Mount Pire—it was a two-headed Giant) and won the Lady Liln for his bride;and when it was over they wished it was going to begin again. And though Bree couldn't sing he told the story of the fight at Zalindreh. And Lucy told again (they had all, except Ara一vis and Cor, heard it many times but they all wanted it again) the tale of the Wardrobe and how she and King Edmund and Queen Susan and Peter the High King had first come into Narnia.
同时，安瓦德城里的每一个人都很高兴，在真正的玩乐开始之前，罗八达已经被遣送了。那是一个盛大的宴席，当天晚上在城堡前的草坪上举办，数十盏灯和月亮一起照亮着。酒流淌着，人们讲着故事，谈着笑话，然后安静了下来，国王的诗人和两个提琴手走到了圈子的中心。阿拉维斯和科奥已经准备好忍受沉闷，因为他们知道的诗篇都是卡乐门那种诗歌，现在才知道真正的诗歌是什么样的了。但是当提琴手刚刚开始演奏的曲调时，就好像有一个火箭飞入到他们的脑海中，诗人唱着伟大的古老的关于奥尔文的歌谣，关于他如何与巨人战争，将巨人变成了石头( 这就是皮尔峰的来历——一个长着两个脑袋的巨人)，并且赢得了莉尔恩小一姐成为他的新一娘一。当歌谣结束的时候，他们真的希望再听一次。布里虽然不会唱歌，但是却讲了关于扎林德雷战争的故事。露茜再次讲了大衣柜以及他和国王一爱一德蒙，女王苏珊还有至尊王彼得进入纳尼亚的故事，除了阿拉维斯和科奥，所有人都听她讲过好多次了，但他们都愿意再听一次。
And presently,as was certain to happen sooner or later, King Lune said if was time for young people to be in bed."And tomorrow,Cor,"he added,"shalt come over all the castle with me and see the estres and mark all its strength and weakness: for it will be thine to guard when I' m gone."
不一会儿，反正迟早都是要说的，伦恩国王说话了：“现在是年轻人上一床睡觉的时间了。“明天，科奥，”他加了一句，“你要和我一起视察所有的城堡，去看看城堡的状况，判断哪些是强势哪些是弱势。因为如果我离开了人世，王宫将由你来守卫。”
"But Corin will be the King then, Father," said Cor.
“但是那时候，科林就是国王了，父亲。”科奥说道。
"Nay,lad," said King Lune, "thou art my heir. The crown comes to thee."
“不，孩子，”伦恩国王说道，“你是我的继承人，王冠要传给你。”
"But I don't want it," said Cor. "I'd far rather—"
“但我不想要，”科奥说，“我倒是宁可……”
"Tis no question what thou wantest,Cor,nor I either.' Tis in the course of law."
“这不是你是不是最想要的问题，科奥，也不是要不要的问题。这是法律规定的。”
"But if we're twins we must be the same age. "
“但是如果我们是双胞胎，我们年龄是一样的。”
"Nay," said the King with a laugh. "One must come first.
“不，”国王笑着说，“肯定有一个先出生。
Art Corin' s elder by full twenty minutes.And his better too, let' s hope,though that' s no great mastery."And he looked at Corin with a twinkle in his eyes.
你比科林早出生整整二十分钟。你也比他更好，让我们有希望，尽管那并不是什么伟大的优势。”然后他看向科林，眼睛里闪闪发光。
"But, Father, couldn't you make whichever you like to be the next King ?"
“但是，父亲，难道你不能选择你喜欢的人作为下一任的吗?”
"No. The king' s under the law, for it' s the law makes him a king. Hast no more power to start away from thy crown than any sentry from his post."
“不能。国王是在法律之下的，法律使他成为国王。国王没有权力脱离王冠，就好像哨兵不能脱离岗位一样。”
"Oh dear,"said Cor. "I don't want to at all. And Corin— I am most dreadfully sorry. I never dreamed my turning up was going to chisel you out of your kingdom."
“噢，上天啊!”科奥说道，“我一点都不想成为国王。科林——我非常非常抱歉，我做梦也没有想到我的出现会把你从国王的位置上挤下去。”
"Hurrah ! Hurrah !" said Corin. "I shan't ha一ve to be King. I shan' t ha一ve to be King. I' ll always be a prince. It' s princes ha一ve all the fun."
“万岁!万岁!”科林说道，“我不需要成为国王了。我不需要成为国王了。我将永远做一个王子，做王子是最开心的。”
"And that's truer than thy brother knows, Cor," said King Lune. "For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there' s hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land."
“科奥，事实上，你的兄弟只知道玩，”伦恩国王说道，“做一个国王就意味着，在每一次绝望的袭击中都要站在最前方，在每次绝望的撤退中都是最后一个，当国土上出现饥荒的时候( 收成不好的年头肯定会这样的)，需要穿更好的衣服，对着不够吃的饭，也要比你土地上的国民笑得更加响亮。”
When the two boys were going upstairs to bed Cor again asked Corin if nothing could be done about it.And Corin said:
当两个孩子上楼去睡觉的时候，科奥再次问科林，是否这件事情就这么确定了。科林说道：“如果你再提一次这件事情，我将——我将把你打趴下。”
"If you say another word about it, I'll-I'll knock you down." It would be nice to end the story by saying that after that the two brothers never disagreed about anything again, but I am afraid it would not be true.In reality they quarrelled and fought just about as often as any other two boys would, and all their fights ended (if they didn t begin) with Cor getting knocked down.For though, when they had both grown up and become swordsmen, Cor was the more dangerous man in battle, neither he nor anyone else in the North Countries could ever equal Corin as a boxer. That was how he got his name of Corin Thunder—Fist;and how he performed his great exploit against the Lapsed Bear of Stormness, which was really a Talking Bear but had gone back to Wild Bear habits. Corm climbed up to its lair on the Narnian side of Stormness one winter day when the snow was on the hills and boxed it without a time-keeper for thirty-three rounds. And at the end it couldn t see out of its eyes and became a reformed character.
故事的结尾最好说一下，从此以后，两个兄弟之间再也没有任何不同的意见了，但我担心这并不是事实。事实上，他们经常像其他兄弟一样争吵和打架，而且他们所有打架的结果( 如果真的打起来的话)，最后总是科奥被打趴下。他们两个长大的时候，都成为了剑士，科奥在战争中是最危险的男人，然而，作为拳击手，科奥以及北方所有国家的任何人都不能和科林相比。他就是这样获得了“霹雳拳击手科林”的美名的，也是这样压倒了暴风雨峰“野蛮的熊”，立了大功。它原来是一头会说话的熊，后来却恢复到了野蛮的熊的一习一惯中去了。在山上开始积雪的冬天的一天，科林登上了暴风雨峰的一侧，也没有带计时器，挥拳打了那只熊三十三个回合。最后，那只熊的眼睛都没法看到东西了，它后来才又改好了。
Ara一vis also had many quarrels (and, I m afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently. And after King Lune s death they made a good King and Queen of Archenland and Ram the Great, the most famous of all the kings of Archenland, was their son. Bree and Hwin lived happily to a great age in Narnia and both got married but not to one another. And there weren t many months in which one or both of them didn t come trotting over the pass to visit their friends at Anvard.
阿拉维斯也经常和科奥吵架( 我认为恐怕还会打架)，但是他们总是和好：以至于好多年后，他们都长大成一人了，还是一习一惯吵架然后又再次和好，所以他们干脆结婚了，这样就更加方便吵架和和好。国王伦恩去世之后，他们成为了很好的阿钦兰国王和王后。他们的孩子伟大的拉姆，是阿钦兰历代国王中最有名的。布里和赫温都在纳尼亚幸福地活到了高龄，而且也都分别结婚了，虽然他们两个并没有成为夫妇。但是往往用不了几个月，他们中的一个，或者他们两个，就会小跑着经过关卡，去看望他们在安瓦德的老朋友。