评论
打印
On the grass in front of the door there sat an Ape. Tirian and Jewel, who had been expecting to see Aslan and had heard nothing about an Ape yet, were very bewildered when they saw it.
屋子的门是关着的，门前的草地上坐着一只无尾猿。蒂廉国王和珠尔非常渴望见到阿斯兰，一看见这只未曾听说过的无尾猿，他们感到有点迷茫。
The Ape was of course Shift himself, but he looked ten times uglier than when he lived by Caldron Pool, for he was now dressed up.
当然，这只无尾猿就是狡黠了。不过此时的它看上去比生活在大锅水潭畔的时候还要丑陋十倍，因为它现在有了一番不入流的打扮。
He was wearing a scarlet jacket which did not fit him very well, having been made for a dwarf.
它穿了一件深红色的夹克，和它相当不搭，这衣服是为一个小矮人缝制的。
He had Jewelled slippers on his hind paws which would not stay on properly because, as you know, the hind paws of an Ape are really like hands.
它的后爪上套了一双镶嵌着珠宝的拖鞋，看上去也不大合适，因为无尾猿的后爪实在很像一双手。
He wore what seemed to be a paper crown on his head. There was a great pile of nuts beside him and he kept cracking nuts with his jaws and spitting out the shells.
它的头上还戴着一顶像是用纸做成的“皇冠”。而在它身边，堆着大量的坚果，它一直用上下颚啃咬着坚果，还不断吐壳出来。
And he also kept on pulling up the scarlet jacket to scratch himself. A great number of Talking Beasts stood facing him, and nearly every face in that crowd looked miserably worried and bewildered. When they saw who the prisoners were they all groaned and whimpered.
它还不停地给自己搔痒。有很多会说话的动物站在它面前，几乎每一张脸看上去都是非常焦虑而迷惑的。当它们看到被押送上来的是蒂廉国王和珠尔时，都发出了叹息，还低声啜泣着。
"O Lord Shift, mouthpiece of Aslan," said the chief Calormene. "We bring you prisoners. By our skill and courage and by the permission of the great god Tash we have taken alive these two desperate murderers." "Give me that man's sword," said the Ape.
“哦，狡黠阁下，阿斯兰的传达者，”卡罗门的首领说道，“我已经把罪犯带来了。凭着我们的能耐和勇气，依照伟大塔什神的允诺，我们活捉了这两个恶劣的杀人犯。”“把那个人的剑给我。”无尾猿说道。
So they took the King's sword and handed it, with the sword-belt and all, to the monkey. And he hung it round his own neck: and it made him look sillier than ever.
于是他们将蒂廉国王的剑，连同剑带一同递给了无尾猿狡黠。狡黠将剑带绕在自己的脖子上，这样一来，它看上去就比以前还要滑稽可笑。
"We'll see about those two later," said the Ape, spitting out a shell in the direction of the two prisoners. "I got some other business first. They can wait. Now listen to me, everyone. The first thing I want to say is about nuts. Where's that Head Squirrel got to?"
“我待会儿再见那两个人。”无尾猿说着，还朝着蒂廉国王和珠尔两人的方向吐出一块坚果壳，“我还有一些其他的事要先办，他们可以等等。现在每个人都听我说，我首先想说的是有关坚果的事。松鼠的头头到哪儿去了？”
"Here, Sir," said a red squirrel, coming forward and making a nervous little bow.
“先生，在这儿。”一只红色的松鼠站出来，怯懦地微微鞠了一躬。
"Oh you are, are you?" said the Ape with a nasty look. "Now attend to me. I want-I mean, Aslan wants-some more nuts. These you've brought aren't anything like enough.
“哦，你啊，是你吗？”无尾猿狡黠说着，露出一脸凶相，“认真听我讲。我想——我的意思是，阿斯兰想要——更多的坚果，你们带过来的这些不够啊。
You must bring some more, do you hear? Twice as many. And they've got to be here by sunset tomorrow, and there mustn't be any bad ones or any small ones among them."
你必须多带些来，听到了吗？要是现在的两倍。明天太阳下山之前必须得送过来，其中千万不要有什么坏的、小个儿的。”
A murmur of dismay ran through the other squirrels, and the Head Squirrel plucked up courage to say: "Please, would Aslan himself speak to us about it? If we might be allowed to see him-"
其他松鼠沮丧地在下面窃窃私语，松鼠头儿鼓起勇气说道：“请问，阿斯兰可以亲自来跟我们说这事儿吗？如果允许我们去见它的话……”
"Well you won't," said the Ape. "He may be very kind (though it's a lot more than most of you deserve) and come out for a few minutes tonight. Then you can all have a look at him.
“嗯，没门儿，”无尾猿说，“它可能是太和善了，尽管你们大部分人不值得它这么做，但今天晚上它会露面，也就几分钟的时间。到那时候，你们就都可以见到它了。
But he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with questions. Anything you want to say to him will be passed on through me: if I think it's worth bothering him about.
但是它不会让你们全都挤在它周围，纠缠着问它问题。你们想说什么，通过我来转达就行了，如果我认为你们说的内容值得打扰到它的话。
In the meantime all you squirrels had better go and see about the nuts. And make sure they are here by tomorrow evening or, my word! you'll catch it."
在此期间，所有的松鼠最好去找坚果，一定要确保明天晚饭前送到这儿，否则让你们吃不了兜着走，我说到做到，给我记好了。”
The poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them. This new order was terrible news for them.
可怜的松鼠们全都惊惶地跑开了，就好像有一条狗在后面追赶它们一样。对这些松鼠来说，这个新下达的命令太可怕了。
The nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter had nearly all been eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the Ape far more than they could spare.
它们小心翼翼保存着过冬的坚果到如今几乎被吃了个精光，剩下交给无尾猿的一小部分已经远远超过它们能节省下来的了。
Then a deep voice-it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy Boar-spoke from another part of the crowd.
就在这时，从另一群动物那里传来了一个低沉的声音。说话的是一头硕大的野猪，它长着长獠牙，浑身满是粗而蓬乱的毛发。
"But why can't we see Aslan properly and talk to him?" it said. "When he used to appear in Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face."
“可为什么我们就不能正大光明地见到阿斯兰，跟它谈谈？”它说，“在过去，它常常会出现在纳尼亚王国，大家都可以跟它进行面对面的交谈。”
"Don't you believe it," said the Ape. "And even if it was true, times have changed. Aslan says he's been far too soft with you before, do you see? Well, he isn't going to be soft any more. He's going to lick you into shape this time. He'll teach you to think he's a tame lion!"
“你们不要相信它说的，”无尾猿狡黠道，“就算它说的是真的，可那都是过去的事了。阿斯兰说它以前对你们太温和了，明白吗？嗯，它再也不会那么温和了。这一次，它要把你们训练得有模有样。你们要是认为它是一只驯服的狮子，它就会给你们颜色看！”
A low moaning and whimpering was heard among the Beasts; and, after that, a dead silence which was more miserable still.
动物群里传出了低沉的叹息和啜泣声，之后便是一片死寂，那可更令人痛苦。
"And now there's another thing you got to learn," said the Ape. "I hear some of you are saying I'm an Ape.
“现在还有另一件事你们要知道，”无尾猿狡黠说，“我听说你们中有些议论，说我是只猿。
