《能言马与男孩》第45期:在蒂斯罗克的密室里(5)

"O eternal Tisroc," answered Ahosta, "the strength of paternal affection is not unknown to me and I have often heard that sons are in the eyes of their fathers more precious than carbuncles. How then shall I dare freely to unfold to you my mind in a matter which may imperil the life of this exalted Prince?"
"Undoubtedly you will dare," replied the Tisroc. "Because you will find that the dangers of not doing so are at least equally great."
"To hear is to obey," moaned the wretched man. "Know then, O most reasonable Tisroc, in the first place, that the danger of the Prince is not altogether so great as might appear. For the gods have withheld from the barbarians the light of discretion, as that their poetry is not, like ours, full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims, but is all of love and war. Therefore nothing will appear to them more noble and admirable than such a mad enterprise as this of ow!" For the Prince, at the word "mad", had kicked him again.
"Desist, O my son," said the Tisroc. "And you, estimable Vizier, whether he desists or not, by no means allow the flow of your eloquence to be interrupted. For nothing is more suitable to persons of gravity and decorum than to endure minor inconveniences with constancy."
"To hear is to obey," said the Vizier, wriggling himself round a little so as to get his hinder parts further away from Rabadash's toe. "Nothing, I say, will seem as pardonable, if not estimable, in their eyes as this - er - hazardous attempt, especially because it is undertaken for the love of a woman. Therefore, if the Prince by misfortune fell into their hands, they would assuredly not kill him. Nay, it may even be, that though he failed to carry off the queen, yet the sight of his great valour and of the extremity of his passion might incline her heart to him."
"That is a good point, old babbler," said Rabadash. "Very good, however it came into your ugly head."
"The praise of my masters is the light of my eyes," said Ahoshta. "And secondly, O Tisroc, whose reign must and shall be interminable, I think that with the aid of the gods it is very likely that Anvard will fall into the Prince's hands. And if so, we have Narnia by the throat."
There was a long pause and the room became so silent that the two girls hardly dared to breathe. At last the Tisroc spoke.

“蒂斯罗克万万岁，”阿霍什塔答道，”古氏镇情深的力量，我不是不知道的，我时常听说，儿子在父亲的眼睛里看来，比红宝石还要珍贵。对于这件也许会危害这位意气风发的王子的生命的大事，我怎么敢放肆地向你陈述我的愚见呢?”
“毫无疑问你会敢于陈述的，”蒂斯罗克答道，”因为，你会发现:不这么干危险至少是同样巨大的。”
“听到命令，就遵命照办。”为难的首相呜呜咽咽地说道，”最最通情达理的蒂斯罗克啊，那么，第一，须知王子的危险并不像看起来那么大。因为神灵没有赐给外邦人谨慎小心之光，他们的诗歌不像我们的诗歌那样充满精美的箴言和有用的格言，却全是讴歌爱情和战争的。因此，在他们看来，啥也不及像这样疯狂的冒险更加崇高更加令人钦佩的了——唷”因为王子听到疯狂两字时又踢他了。
“我的儿子啊，别踢，”蒂斯罗克说，”而你，值得尊重的首相，不论他踢不踢你，无论如何也不要中断你滔滔不绝的议论。因为，对于庄严而彬彬有礼的人，以坚定不变的态度忍受小小的不方便，是再合适也没有的了。”
“听到命令，就遵命照办。”首相说道；他扭动着，把自己的身体缩得圆一点儿，使屁股离拉巴达什的脚趾远一点儿。”像这样的冒险行动，特别是为了对一个女人的爱情而采取这样的行动，在他们的眼睛里看来，如果不是值得尊敬的，也似乎是可以原谅的。所以，如果王子不幸落到他们手里，管保他们不会杀死他的。不，说不定甚至会出现这种情况尽管他想抢走女王是失败了，然而看到了他伟大的英勇气概和登峰造极的热情，女王可能倾心于他。”
“这倒是个好观点，你这唠唠叨叨的老头儿，”拉巴达什说道，”十分高明的观点毕竟进入了你那丑陋的头脑。”
“明主的称赞就是眼睛里的光明，”阿霍什塔说道，”蒂斯罗克啊，你的统治是没有止境的，其次，得到众神的帮助，安瓦德落到王子手中是十分可能的。果然如此的话，我们就扼住了纳尼亚的咽喉。”
讨论出现了长时间的停顿，房间里变得那么寂静，以致两个姑娘都不敢呼吸了。最后蒂斯罗克终于说话了。