《能言马与男孩》第19期:在塔什班城门口(1)
Chapter 4 Shasta Falls in with the Narians
AT first Shasta could see nothing in the valley below him but a sea of mist with a few domes and pinnacles rising from it; but as the light increased and the mist cleared away he saw more and more. A broad river divided itself into two streams and on the island between them stood the city of Tashbaan, one of the wonders of the world. Round the very edge of the island, so that the water lapped against the stone, ran high walls strengthened with so many towers that he soon gave up trying to count them. Inside the walls the island rose in a hill and every bit of that hill, up to the Tisroc's palace and the great temple of Tash at the top, was completely covered with buildings - terrace above terrace, street above street, zigzag roads or huge flights of steps bordered with orange trees and lemon trees, roofgardens, balconies, deep archways, pillared colonnades, spires, battlements, minarets, pinnacles. And when at last the sun rose out of the sea and the great silver-plated dome of the temple flashed back itslight, he was almost dazzled.
"Get on, Shasta," Bree kept saying.
The river banks on each side of the valley were such a mass of gardens that they looked at first like forest, until you got closer and saw the white walls of innumerable houses peeping out from beneath the trees. Soon after that, Shasta noticed a delicious smell of flowers and fruit. About fifteen minutes later they were down among them, plodding on a level road with white walls on each side and trees bending over the walls.
"I say," said Shasta in an awed voice. "This is a wonderful place!"
"I daresay," said Bree. "But I wish we were safely through it and out at the other side. Narnia and the North!"
At that moment a low, throbbing noise began which gradually swelled louder and louder till the whole valley seemed to be swaying with it. It was a musical noise, but so strong and solemn as to be a little frightening.
"That's the horns blowing for the city gates to be open," said Bree. "We shall be there in a minute. Now, Aravis, do droop your shoulders a bit and step heavier and try to look less like a princess. Try to imagine you've been kicked and cuffed and called names all your life."
"If it comes to that," said Aravis, "what about you drooping your head a bit more and arching your neck a bit less and trying to look less like a war-horse?"
"Hush," said Bree. "Here we are."
起初，沙斯塔看不清下面山谷里的景物，但用个雾霭的海洋，从中矗出些圆屋顶和小尖塔，但光芒增强、雾霭廓清时，他看到的景物就越来越多了。一条宽阔的大河分成两条支流，支流之间的岛上耸立着塔什班城——世界上有名的奇观之一。环绕着岛屿的四周，筑有一系列高大的城墙，中间夹着许多堡垒塔楼，以资拱卫。流水拍打着石头城。堡垒又那么多，沙斯塔不久就不想去一一点清数目了。城墙里边，岛屿上降起个小山，山上每一块土地，从山麓直到山顶上蒂斯罗克的王宫和塔什神的庙宇，都布满了建筑物——重重叠叠，台地之上还有台地，街道之上还有街道，曲曲折折的路或是巨大的台阶，两边都种上了橘子树和柠檬树，处处是屋顶花园、阳台、深邃的拱廊、柱廊、塔尖、雉堞墙、寺院尖塔、哥特式建筑的尖顶。太阳终于从海上升起来时，寺院巨大的镀银圆屋顶把阳光反射出来，耀得他眼花缭乱。
“向前走，沙斯塔。”布里不断地说道。
山谷两边河岸上花园那么多，乍看简直就像个森林，直至走近了，看到树木下露出无数房屋的雪白墙垣，才明白了真相。不久以后，沙斯塔便觉得有阵阵芬芳的花果香气。大约十五分钟以后他们便到了花园之间，他们走在一条平坦的道路上，两边都是雪白的墙垣，下垂的花木枝条伸出墙来。
“啊。”沙斯塔用敬畏的声音说道，”这真是个了不得的好地方”
“敢情是这样。”布里说，”但我巴望我们安全穿过城市，在另头安全走出城去，直奔纳尼亚和北方！”
这时候，响起了一个低沉而颤动的声音，这声音逐渐响亮，仿佛整个山谷都被它震动了似的。这是一种乐声，但是强烈而庄严，因此有点儿令人害怕。
“这是打开城门的号角声，”布里说道，”咱们一会儿
就到那儿了。注意啰，阿拉维斯，你的肩膀要下垂一点儿，走路的步子要更加沉重一些，要竭力装得看上去不像个公主。你要尽量设想你一生挨过脚踢，挨过巴掌，还挨过臭骂。”
“说到这一点，”阿拉维斯说，”你要把脑袋再往下耷拉一点儿，脖子少拱起点儿，竭力装得看上去不像匹战马，好吗?”
“莫作声，”布里说，”咱们到了。”
