《黎明踏浪号》第四章（上）

刘易斯

Next morning the Lord Bern called his guests early， and after breakfast he asked Caspian to order every man he had into full armour. “And above all，” he added， “let everything be as trim and scoured as if it were the morning of the first battle in a great war between noble kings with all the world looking on.” This was done; and then in three boatloads， Caspian and his people， and Bern with a few of his， put out for Narrowhaven. The Kings flag flew in the stern of his boat and his trumpeter was with him.

When they reached the jetty at Narrowhaven， Caspian found a considerable crowd assembled to meet them. “This is what I sent word about last night，” said Bern. “They are all friends of mine and honest people.” And as soon as Caspian stepped ashore the crowd broke out into hurrahs and shouts of， “Narnia！ Narnia！ Long live the King.” At the same moment—and this was also due to Berns messengers—bells began ringing from many parts of the town. Then Caspian caused his banner to be advanced and his trumpet to be blown and every man drew his sword and set his face into a joyful sternness， and they marched up the street so that the street shook， and their armour shone （for it was a sunny morning） so that one could hardly look at it steadily.

第二天一早，波恩爵士就把他的客人早早地叫了起來。吃完早饭后，波恩爵士请凯斯宾召集所有人，让大家全副武装起来。等这一切都做完了之后，波恩爵士补充道：“最重要的是，我们每个人、每个方面都一定要看起来整整齐齐、光光鲜鲜。要让今天看起来像是我们与对手进行一场大战的第一天，我们是捍卫荣誉、去打一场国王与试图叛乱的人之间的仗，一场全世界瞩目的大战。”等一切吩咐停当，准备就绪之后，凯斯宾和他的部下，加上波恩爵士和他的几名士兵，登上了三艘船，向窄港前进。国王凯斯宾的旗帜在他所乘坐的那艘船的船尾飘扬，他的号手也侍立在他身边，随时待命。

当他们的船进入窄港的码头时，凯斯宾惊讶地发现码头上聚集了很大一群人在迎接他们。波恩爵士说：“这就是我昨天晚上所做的安排。现在前来欢迎你的人都是我的朋友，他们都是些正直诚实的人。”随即，船靠了岸，凯斯宾一行人登上了窄港的土地。当他刚一落脚，就听到欢迎的人群中爆发出一阵欢呼。人群高喊道：“纳尼亚！纳尼亚！国王万岁！”而与此同时，窄港城里的很多地方，都传来了洪亮的钟声——这同样也是波恩昨天派信使安排好的。凯斯宾让旗手把自己的旗帜打出来，走在队伍的最前头，然后命令号手吹号。队伍里的每一名士兵都把自己的佩剑拔出来，擎在手里，脸上带着一副肃穆的神情。就这样，凯斯宾的队伍从码头向城里走去。队伍所到之处，声震遐迩，整条街道都轰动了。士兵们的甲胄闪闪发光（因为那天正好是个阳光灿烂的天气），让人的目光没法直视。

At first the only people who cheered were those who had been warned by Berns messenger and knew what was happening and wanted it to happen. But then all the children joined in because they liked a procession and had seen very few. And then all the schoolboys joined in because they also liked processions and felt that the more noise and disturbance there was the less likely they would be to have any school that morning. And then all the old women put their heads out of doors and windows and began chattering and cheering because it was a king， and what is a governor compared with that？ And all the young women joined in for the same reason and also because Caspian and Drinian and the rest were so handsome. And then all the young men came to see what the young women were looking at， so that by the time Caspian reached the castle gates， nearly the whole town was shouting; and where Gumpas sat in the castle， muddling and messing about with accounts and forms and rules and regulations， he heard the noise.

At the castle gate Caspians trumpeter blew a blast and cried， “Open for the King of Narnia， come to visit his trusty and well-beloved servant the governor of the Lone Islands.”

一开始，来欢迎国王凯斯宾一行的还只是昨天接到波恩信使通告的人。这些人对此已经有了心理准备，况且他们也非常期盼国王驾到。可是当队伍走了一段之后，全城的孩子都加入了进来。因为热闹的队伍对孩子们有无上的吸引力，而窄港这个小地方很难得有这么气势恢宏的队伍来到，孩子们对此感到新鲜极了。又走了一段之后，全城的学生也加入了队伍。因为学生也很喜欢热闹，他们觉得，如果街上越是吵闹喧嚣，那么他们继续待在教室里上课的可能性就越小。再走了一段路之后，全城的主妇都将头从自家的窗户或门后面伸了出来。她们交头接耳，随着人群的吵嚷也欢呼了起来。因为现在来到的可是国王陛下啊。孤岛群岛的总督怎么能比得上国王呢？再然后，全城的年轻姑娘也把头伸了出来。一来她们也很尊敬国王，不过更重要的是，凯斯宾、德瑞尼亚还有队伍中的所有人，都相貌堂堂，令人一见倾心。这样一来，全城的年轻男人也跑了出来，他们想看看年轻姑娘们到底被什么给迷住了。就这样，当凯斯宾的队伍到达窄港城堡大门的时候，几乎整个窄港的人都跟来了。城堡门外一片人声鼎沸。总督岗帕斯此时正坐在城堡里，和他的谋臣秘书一起算计着他的那些糊涂账和各种表格，还有理也理不清的种种条款之类的。他也听到了城堡外的喧嚣。

在城堡外，凯斯宾的号手使劲吹了一阵，然后高声喊道：“纳尼亚国王陛下驾到。他忠诚的仆人，受人尊敬的孤岛群岛总督，把城堡门打开！”

In those days everything on the islands was done in a slovenly， slouching manner. Only the little postern opened and out came a tousled fellow with a dirty old hat on his head instead of a helmet， and a rusty old pike in his hand. He blinked at the flashing figures before him. “Carn—seez—fishansy，” he mumbled （which was his way of saying， “You cant see His Sufficiency”）. “No interviews without appointments except between nine and ten p.m. second Saturday every month.”

在那個时代，孤岛群岛上的一切事情，都是在一种懒懒散散，邋里邋遢的情形下完成的。所以当号手通报完毕之后，城堡大门上的一扇小门被打开了，从门里出来了一个头发乱糟糟的门房。这人没戴头盔，而是戴着一顶脏兮兮的帽子，手里捏着一支已经生了锈的长矛。他瞅了瞅眼前这一支盔明甲亮的队伍，用懒洋洋的腔调嘟哝着：“太——升——普——欠。”（意思是“大人不见”）这个门房继续拿腔拿调地说，“总督除了每个月的第二个星期六晚上九点到十点，其他时候没有预约一律不见。”

“Uncover before Narnia， you dog，” thundered the Lord Bern， and dealt him a rap with his gauntleted hand which sent his hat flying from his head.

“Here？ Whats it all about？” began the doorkeeper， but no one took any notice of him. Two of Caspians men stepped through the postern and after some struggling with bars and bolts （for everything was rusty） flung both wings of the gate wide open. Then the King and his followers strode into the courtyard. Here a number of the governors guards were lounging about and several more （they were mostly wiping their mouths） came tumbling out of various doorways. Though their armour was in a disgraceful condition， these were fellows who might have fought if they had been led or had known what was happening; so this was the dangerous moment. Caspian gave them no time to think.

“Where is the captain？” he asked.

“I am， more or less， if you know what I mean，” said a languid and rather dandified young person without any armour at all.

“It is our wish，” said Caspian， “that our royal visitation to our realm of the Lone Islands should， if possible， be an occasion of joy and not of terror to our loyal subjects. If it were not for that， I should have something to say about the state of your mens armour and weapons. As it is， you are pardoned. Command a cask of wine to be opened that your men may drink our health. But at noon tomorrow I wish to see them here in this courtyard looking like men-at-arms and not like vagabonds. See to it on pain of our extreme displeasure.”

“在国王面前把你的帽子摘掉，你这狗腿子！”波恩爵士一边咆哮着，一边扇了门房一个巴掌。波恩爵士手上戴着金属护手，这一巴掌打得可不轻，直把门房的帽子打飞了出去。

“哎呀，这是干啥？”门房大吃一惊，禁不住地问。可是没人再理他。凯斯宾的两名部下挤进门去，很是花了些力气才把门栏和门闩弄松（因为所有这些东西都已经是锈迹斑斑，长年没开过了），把两扇门给打开了。清除了障礙之后，国王和他的部下长驱直入，来到城堡的内院。总督的卫兵们待在院子里，有的还歪在躺椅上，有的则惊慌失措地从不同的房子里跑出来（实际上他们出来的时候还在擦着嘴巴哩）。这些卫兵的盔甲黯淡无光，缺乏士兵应有的气势。可是尽管如此，如果这些卫兵有人指挥或者明白过来眼下的局势的话，他们也能同凯斯宾带领的人打上一阵。因此，这当儿正是极其危险的时刻。不过，凯斯宾没有给他们任何思考的时间。

他立即问道：“你们谁是卫队长？”

“我是，嗯，多多少少算是。如果你明白我的意思的话。”一个神情倦怠又穿戴得相当时髦的年轻人应声道。他身上没有披挂盔甲。

凯斯宾说：“皇室此次驾临纳尼亚领地孤岛群岛，如无意外，孤王希望给此地忠诚的臣民带来欢乐而非恐惧。如若并非出于如此愿望，则视尔等之甲胄及兵器如此不堪，孤王定有惩处。但念及此行之根本目的，故对尔等宽恕不究。尔等可取美酒一桶畅饮，以王室健康长寿为祝。唯令尔等，于明日中午再行集合于此，务须军令整齐，盔甲鲜明，不得放浪形骸，形若乞丐。如有违反，令孤王不快，定当严惩不贷！”