《能言马与男孩》第14期:在塔什班城门口(3)

"Then I called the maid who was to go with me to the woods and perform the rites of Zardeenah and told her to wake me very early in the morning. And I became merry with her and gave her wine to drink; but I had mixed such things in her cup that I knew she must sleep for a night and a day. As soon as the household of my father had committed themselves to sleep I arose and put on an armour of my brother's which I always kept in my chamber in his memory. I put into my girdle all the money I had and certain choice jewels and provided myself also with food, and saddled the mare with my own hands and rode away in the second watch of the night. I directed my course not to the woods where my father supposed that I would go but north and east to Tashbaan.

“于是我叫唤那跟我起到森林里去献祭扎迪娜的丫头，关照她大清早就要叫醒我。我跟她谈得很开心，我给她酒唱但我在她的酒杯里掺了点儿东西，我知道她必定要睡上一夜再加一天。我父亲府邸里的人都上床睡觉后，我穿上了我哥哥的盔甲，那是我一直留在房间里做纪念的。我把我所有的钱和一些珠宝精品都放进我的腰带里，也给自己准备好了食物，我亲手给母马上了鞍子，二更时分，我就骑马出奔了。我走的路不是我父亲所料想的向森林而去，而是朝塔什班的东北方而去。

"Now for three days and more I knew that my father would not seek me, being deceived by the words I had said to him. And on the fourth day we arrived at the city of Azim Balda. Now Azim Balda stands at the meeting of many roads and from it the posts of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) ride on swift horses to every part of the empire: and it is one of the rights and privileges of the greater Tarkaans to send messages by them. I therefore went to the Chief of the Messengers in the House of Imperial Posts in Azim Balda and said, 'O dispatcher of messages, here is a letter from my uncle Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan lord of Calavar. Take now these five crescents and cause it to be sent to him.' And the Chief of the Messengers said, 'To hear is to obey.'

“我知道，父亲被我跟他所说的话欺骗了，三四天内是不会寻找我的。我在第四天到达了阿齐姆;巴尔达城。却说阿齐姆;巴尔达城坐落在许多道路的交汇处，蒂斯罗克(愿他万寿无疆)的邮差骑着快马奔向王国的四面八方，高级泰坎们有权利和特许，可以叫邮差们送信。所以我就到阿齐姆;巴尔达城的帝国邮政大慢去找邮政局长，说道：‘传递讯息的官儿啊，这儿是封信，是我伯父泰坎阿霍什塔寄给卡拉瓦尔省长泰坎是特拉什的。拿着这五个克利申，把这信给他送去吧。’邮政局长说道‘听到命令就遵命照办。’

"This letter was feigned to be written by Ahoshta and this was the signification of the writing: 'Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan, salutation and peace. In the name of Tash the irresistible, the inexorable. Be it known to you that as I made my journey towards your house to perform the contract of marriage between me and your daughter Aravis Tarkheena, it pleased fortune and the gods that I fell in with her in the forest when she had ended the rites and sacrifices of Zardeenah according to the custom of maidens. And when I learned who she was, being delighted with her beauty and discretion, I became inflamed with love and it appeared to me that the sun would be dark to me if I did not marry her at once. Accordingly I prepared the necessary sacrifices and married your daughter the same hour that I met her and have returned with her to my own house. And we both pray and charge you to come hither as speedily as you may that we may be delighted with your face and speech; and also that you may bring with youthe dowry of my wife, which, by reason of my great charges and expenses, I require without delay. And because thou and I are brothers I assure myself that you will not be angered by the haste of my marriage which is wholly occasioned by the great love I bear your daughter. And I commit you to the care of all the gods.'

“这封信冒充是阿霍什塔写的，它的大意是：泰坎阿霍什塔向泰坎基特拉什致敬问安。以不可抗拒的、不屈不挠的塔什神的名义，敬启者，我在去府上订定我和令嫒泰克希娜阿拉维斯的婚约的途中，托众神和命运的福，在森林里与她不期而遇，那时她已按照少女的习俗，完成了向扎迪娜献祭的仪式。当我获悉她是什么人时，由于欣赏她的美貌和慎重周到，我变得热情如焚，心里觉得如果我不立刻同她结婚成亲，太阳就会漆黑一团了。我相应地准备了必要的祭品，就在我遇到你女儿的时刻同她结了婚，而且带她回到我自己的家里来了。我俩都祈求和要求你尽可能赶紧到这儿来，让我们可以开心地见到你，听到你的谈笑，也指望你会带来我妻子的嫁妆，由于我巨大的开销花费，我要毫不耽误地得到嫁妆。因为你和我像兄弟一样，我确信你不会因我的匆促结婚而生气，我之所以如此，完全是由于我对你女儿的巨大爱情造成的。我求众神保佑你。

"As soon as I had done this I rode on in all haste from Azim Balda, fearing no pursuit and expecting that my father, having received such a letter, would send messages to Ahoshta or go to him himself, and that before the matter was discovered I should be beyond Tashbaan. And that is the pith of my story until this very night when I was chased by lions and met you at the swimming of the salt water."

“我办完了这件事就急急忙忙骑马从阿齐姆;巴尔达赶出来了，我倒小怕被人追逐，而是希望我父亲接到这封佶，便会寄信给阿霍什塔，或者亲自到他那儿去，这样一来，及至事情被拆穿，我早已过了塔什班城了。在我被狮子追逐、在海水里游泳而遇到你们的那一夜之前，那一段便是我故事里最精彩的了。”

"And what happened to the girl - the one you drugged?" asked Shasta.

“那个丫头后来如何呢——你给她吃了蒙汗药的那个？”沙斯塔问。