《魔法师的外甥》第69期:栽树(3)
He bowed his great head rather sadly, and breathed into the Magician's terrified face. "Sleep," he said. "Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments you have devised for yourself." Uncle Andrew immediately rolled over with closed eyes and began breathing peacefully.
"Carry him aside and lay him down," said Aslan. "Now, dwarfs! Show your smith-craft. Let me see you make two crowns for your King and Queen."
More Dwarfs than you could dream of rushed forward to the Golden Tree. They had all its leaves stripped off, and some of its branches torn off too, before you could say Jack Robinson. And now the children could see that it did not merely look golden but was of real, soft gold. It had of course sprung up from the half-sovereigns which had fallen out of Uncle Andrew's pocket when he was turned upside down; just as the silver had grown up from the half-crowns. From nowhere, as it seemed, piles of dry brushwood for fuel, a little anvil, hammers, tongs, and bellows were produced. Next moment (how those dwarfs loved their work!) the fire was blazing, the bellows were roaring, the gold was melting, the hammers were clinking. Two Moles, whom Aslan had set to dig (which was what they liked best) earlier in the day, poured out a pile of precious stones at the dwarfs' feet. Under the clever fingers of the little smiths two crowns took shape - not ugly, heavy things like modern European crowns, but light, delicate, beautifully shaped circles that you could really wear and look nicer by wearing. The King's was set with rubies and the Queen's with emeralds.
When the crowns had been cooled in the river Aslan made Frank and Helen kneel before him and he placed the crowns on their heads. Then he said, "Rise up King and Queen of Narnia, father and mother of many kings that shall be in Narnia and the Isles and Archenland. Be just and merciful and brave. The blessing is upon you."
Then everyone cheered or bayed or neighed or trumpeted or clapped its wings and the royal pair stood looking solemn and a little shy, but all the nobler for their shyness. And while Digory was still cheering he heard the deep voice of Aslan beside him, saying:
"Look!"
Everyone in that crowd turned its head, and then everyone drew a long breath of wonder and delight. A little way off, towering over their heads, they saw a tree which had certainly not been there before. It must have grown up silently, yet swiftly as a flag rises when you pull it up on a flagstaff, while they were all busied about the coronation. Its spreading branches seemed to cast a light rather than a shade, and silver apples peeped out like stars from under every leaf. But it was the smell which came from it, even more than the sight, that had made everyone draw in their breath. For a moment one could hardly think about anything else.
它神情悲戚地低下巨大的头，朝魔法师受惊的脸上吹了一口气。“睡，”它说，“睡吧，把你自找的烦恼丢开几小时吧。”安德鲁舅舅立即合上眼皮，倒在地上，开始安详地呼吸起来。
“把他弄到一边，让他躺着。”阿斯兰说，“好吧，小矮人，施展你们的铁匠手艺。让我看着你们给国王和王后做两个王冠。”
做梦也想不到的许许多多小矮人朝那棵金树奔去，眨眼问，就把树上的全部叶子和一些枝桠摘了下来。孩子们现在知道，那棵树不光是金色的，而且的确是柔软的金子。它当然是从安德鲁舅舅被倒立时口袋里金币落地的地方长出来的，就像银币落地会长成银树一样。小矮人不知从哪儿弄来一堆做燃料的干灌木，还有一个小铁砧，几把铁锤，钳子和风箱。不一会儿(小矮人们很喜欢自己的工作)，火就烧旺了，风箱呼呼地拉响，金子熔化了，铁锤丁丁当当地敲打起来。刚才被阿斯兰派去掘地的两只鼹鼠(它们最喜欢掘地)把一堆珍贵的宝石倒在小矮人脚下。小铁匠们灵巧的双手做成了两顶王冠——不像现在欧洲的王冠那样笨重、丑陋，而是两个轻巧、精致、造型优美的圆环，你真的可以戴上而且戴上后会更漂亮。国王的王冠上镶着红宝石，王后的王冠上镶着绿宝石。
王冠在河水中冷却后，阿斯兰要弗兰克和海伦跪在它面前，它将王冠给他们戴上，然后说：“站起来，纳尼亚的国王和王后，你们将是纳尼亚、各个岛屿及阿钦兰许多国王的父母。要公正、仁慈、勇敢。祝福你们。”
大家全都欢呼、狂吠、嘶呜，或拍打翅膀，或发出喇叭一样的声音。国王夫妇站起来，表情庄严，略带羞涩，但羞涩使他们看上去更加高贵。迪格雷正在欢呼，耳边响起阿斯兰低沉的声音：
“看!”
每个人或动物都转过头去，十分惊喜地深吸了一口气。一棵显然是才生出来的树挺立在几步开外的地方，枝桠已覆盖到他们头上。那棵树一定是当他们忙着给国王和王后加冕时静悄悄地长起来的，就像挂在旗杆上的旗子升上去时那么迅捷。它伸出的树枝投下了一片光，而不是一片阴影。每一片叶子下，隐约看见犹如星星般的银色苹果。然而，是它发出的气味而不是它的形象使他们深吸了一口气。一瞬间，你很难再想别的事了。
