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"The bright side of it is," said Puddleglum, "that if we break our necks getting down the cliff, then we're safe from being drowned in the river."
“如果我们从这儿掉下去摔断脖子而死就省得被淹死了。”帕德格莱姆说，“这样也挺好。”
"What about that?"said Scrubb suddenly, pointing upstream to their left. Then they all looked and saw the last thing they were expecting—a bridge. And what a bridge, too!
“那是什么？”斯库波突然说道，他指了指左边的上游地带。然后他们看见了一个他们认为根本不会出现的东西——桥。它真华丽！
It was a huge, single arch that spanned the gorge from cliff-top to cliff-top; and the crown of that arch was as high above the cliff-tops as the dome of St. Paul's is above the street.
这是座巨大的单拱桥，跨过峡谷，将两边崖顶连在一起。拱顶高出崖顶很多，就像圣保罗大教堂耸立在大街上一样。
"Why, it must be a giants' bridge!" said Jill. "Or a sorcerer's, more likely," said Puddleglum. "We've got to look out for enchantments in a place like this. I think it's a trap. I think it'll turn into mist and melt away just when we're out on the middle of it."
“哎呀！这一定是巨人搭的桥！”吉尔说。“更有可能是哪个男巫搭的。”帕德格莱姆说，“在这种地方，我们得随时小心魔法。我看这是个陷阱。没准我们刚走到桥中央，它就变成一团雾消失不见了。”
"Oh, for goodness' sake, don't be such a wet blanket," said Scrubb. "Why on earth shouldn't it be a proper bridge?"
“哦，看在上帝的面上，别总那么乌鸦嘴。”斯库波说，“为什么它就不能是一座真桥呢？”
"Do you think any of the giants we've seen would have sense to build a thing like that?" said Puddleglum.
“你认为我们见过的那些巨人有建桥的智商吗？”帕德格莱姆说。
"But mightn't it have been built by other giants?" said Jill. "I mean, by giants who lived hundreds of years ago, and were far cleverer than the modern kind.
“但也许是其他巨人建的呢？”吉尔说，“我的意思是那些生活在几百年前的巨人，要比现在那些聪明很多。
It might have been built by the same ones who built the giant city we're looking for. And that would mean we were on the right track—the old bridge leading to the old city!"
也许建桥的巨人就是建造我们要寻找的废城的那些人。也就是说我们走的路没错，这座桥通往废城！”
"That's a real brain-wave, Pole," said Scrubb. "It must be that. Come on." So they turned and went to the bridge. And when they reached it, it certainly seemed solid enough.
“这真是一种灵感，吉尔。”斯库波说，“一定是通往废城的桥。快走吧。”于是他们动身往桥上走去。他们走到跟前时看了看，桥看上去是实心的。
The single stones were as big as those at Stonehenge and must have been squared by good masons once, though now they were cracked and crumbled.
每块石料都很巨大，简直和史前巨石群差不多。建造时，技艺高超的石匠精心打磨过每块石头，但现在好多石头都开裂甚至崩碎了。
The balustrade had apparently been covered with rich carvings, of which some traces remained; mouldering faces and forms of giants, minotaurs, squids, centipedes, and dreadful gods.
很明显，扶手上曾经雕刻着精美的花纹，有些遗迹还保留着：例如模糊的人脸及其轮廓，有巨人、牛头怪、大乌贼鱼、蜈蚣和庄严的神明。
Puddleglum still didn't trust it, but he consented to cross it with the children. The climb up to the crown of the arch was long and heavy.
帕德格莱姆仍不相信这是座真桥，但他同意和孩子们一起从上面走过去。爬上拱顶的道路相当艰难。
In many places the great stones had dropped out, leaving horrible gaps through which you looked down on the river foaming thousands of feet below.
很多地方的石料已经掉下去了，露出可怕的裂缝，从裂缝中，你能俯视到几千英尺以下的湍流。
They saw an eagle fly through under their feet. And the higher they went, the colder it grew, and the wind blew so that they could hardly keep their footing. It seemed to shake the bridge.
他们看见一只苍鹰从脚下飞过。爬得越高，空气越冷，风猛烈地刮着，他们根本无法前进。桥好像都要被吹散了架似的。
When they reached the top and could look down the farther slope of the bridge, they saw what looked like the remains of an ancient giant road stretching away before them into the heart of the mountains.
到达拱顶时，他们顺着坡道往下看，那里像是一条古老的巨人之路，一直向前延伸直至群山中央。
Many stones of its pavement were missing and there were wide patches of grass between those that remained.
许多人行道上的砖石都不见了，有的地方虽然砖石还在，但砖石之间生长着大片杂草。
And riding towards them on that ancient road were two people of normal grown-up human size.
有两个和正常成年人差不多身材的人沿着那条道骑着马朝他们走来。
"Keep on. Move towards them," said Puddleglum. "Anyone you meet in a place like this is as likely as not to be an enemy, but we mustn't let them think we're afraid."
“继续走，朝着他们走。”帕德格莱姆说，“在这种地方遇见的八成是敌人，但我们不能让他们看出我们害怕。”
By the time they had stepped off the end of the bridge onto the grass, the two strangers were quite close. One was a knight in complete armour with his visor down.
他们三人走下桥来到草地时，离那两个人已经相当近了。只见其中一个是骑士，他全身穿着盔甲，连面甲也拉了下来。
His armour and his horse were black; there was no device on his shield and no banneret on his spear.
盔甲和马都是黑色的。盾牌上没有图案，矛尖上也没悬挂方旗。
The other was a lady on a white horse, a horse so lovely that you wanted to kiss its nose and give it a lump of sugar at once.
另外一位是个女士，骑一匹白马。这匹马十分可爱，甚至让你有马上亲亲它鼻子，喂它块糖吃的欲望。
But the lady, who rode side-saddle and wore a long, fluttering dress of dazzling green, was lovelier still.
那位女士也毫不逊色，她端坐在马鞍上，穿着条闪闪发光的绿裙子，裙摆随风轻轻舞动。
"Good day, t-r-r-avellers," she cried out in a voice as sweet as the sweetest bird's song, trilling her R's delightfully. "Some of you are young pilgrims to walk this rough waste."
“你们好！旅行者们。”她的声音和叫声像最最甜美的鸟鸣，尾音还带着令人愉快的颤音，“行走在这条废墟上的有的是年轻的朝圣者。”
"That's as may be, Ma'am," said Puddleglum very stiffly and on his guard. "We're looking for the ruined city of the giants," said Jill.
“也许吧，女士。”帕德格莱姆冷冷地说，很显然，他还没卸下防备。“我们在找巨人居住的废城。”吉尔说。
"The r-r-ruined city?" said the Lady. "That is a strange place to be seeking. What will you do if you find it?" "We've got to—" began Jill, but Puddleglum interrupted.
“废城？”女士说，“真奇怪，你们要找那个地方。你们找到后想干什么呢？”“我们要……”吉尔刚开口就被帕德格莱姆打断了。
"Begging your pardon, Ma'am. But we don't know you or your friend—a silent chap, isn't he? —and you don't know us.
“不好意思，女士。我们并不认识你及你的朋友，他可真够沉默的，不是吗？你们也不认识我们。
