天锡小说网

chater ixteen farewell t hadwnd（第2页）

ButbynowtheMousewasagainurgingthemtocomein。Soallofthempassedinthroughthegoldengates，intothedelicioussmellthatblewtowardsthemoutofthatgardenandintothecoolmixtureofsunlightandshadowunderthetrees，walkingonspringyturfthatwasalldottedwithwhiteflowers。Theveryfirstthingwhichstruckeveryonewasthattheplacewasfarlargerthanithadseemedfromoutside。Butnoonehadtimetothinkaboutthatforpeoplewerecominguptomeetthenewcomersfromeverydirection．

Everyoneyouhadeverheardof（ifyouknewthehistoryofthesecountries）seemedtobethere。TherewasGlimfeathertheOwlandPuddleglumtheMarshwiggle，andKingRiliantheDisenchanted，andhismothertheStar’sdaughterandhisgreatfatherCaspianhimself。AndclosebesidehimweretheLordDrinianandtheLordBerneandTrumpkintheDwarfandTruffle-hunterthegoodBadgerwithGlenstormtheCentaurandahundredotherheroesofthegreatWarofDeliverance。AndthenfromanothersidecameCortheKingofArchenlandwithKingLunehisfatherandhiswifeQueenAravisandthebraveprinceCorinThunder-Fist，hisbrother，andBreetheHorseandHwintheMare。Andthen-whichwasawonderbeyondallwonderstoTirian-therecamefromfurtherawayinthepast，thetwogoodBeaversandTumnustheFaun。Andtherewasgreetingandkissingandhand-shakingandoldjokesrevived，（you’venoideahowgoodanoldjokesoundswhenyoutakeitoutagainafterarestoffiveorsixhundredyears）andthewholecompanymovedforwardtothecentreoftheorchardwherethePhoenixsatinatreeandlookeddownuponthemall，andatthefootofthattreeweretwothronesandinthosetwothronesaKingandQueensogreatandbeautifulthateveryoneboweddownbeforethem。Andwelltheymight，forthesetwowereKingFrankandQueenHelenfromwhomallthemostancientKingsofNarniaandArchenlandaredescended。AndTirianfeltasyouwouldfeelifyouwerebroughtbeforeAdamandEveinalltheirglory．

Abouthalfanhourlater-oritmighthavebeenhalfahundredyearslater，fortimethereisnotliketimehere-Lucystoodwithherdearfriend，heroldestNarnianfriend，theFaunTumnus，lookingdownoverthewallofthatgarden，andseeingallNarniaspreadoutbelow。Butwhenyoulookeddownyoufoundthatthishillwasmuchhigherthanyouhadthought：itsankdownwithshiningcliffs，thousandsoffeetbelowthemandtreesinthatlowerworldlookednobiggerthangrainsofgreensalt。Thensheturnedinwardagainandstoodwithherbacktothewallandlookedatthegarden．

“Isee，”shesaidatlast，thoughtfully。“Iseenow。Thisgardenislikethestable。Itisfarbiggerinsidethanitwasoutside。”

“Ofcourse，DaughterofEve，”saidtheFaun。“Thefurtherupandthefurtherinyougo，thebiggereverythinggets。Theinsideislargerthantheoutside。”

Lucylookedhardatthegardenandsawthatitwasnotreallyagardenbutawholeworld，withitsownriversandwoodsandseaandmountains。Buttheywerenotstrange：sheknewthemall．

“Isee，”shesaid。“ThisisstillNarnia，andmorerealandmorebeautifulthentheNarniadownbelow，justasitwasmorerealandmorebeautifulthantheNarniaoutsidethestabledoor!Isee。。。worldwithinworld，NarniawithinNarnia。。。”

“Yes，”saidMrTumnus，“likeanonion：exceptthatasyoucontinaetogoinandin，eachcircleislargerthanthelast。”

AndLucylookedthiswayandthatandsoonfoundthatanewandbeautifulthinghadhappenedtoher。Whatevershelookedat，howeverfarawayitmightbe，onceshehadfixedhereyessteadilyonit，becamequiteclearandcloseasifshewerelookingthroughatelescope。ShecouldseethewholeSoutherndesertandbeyonditthegreatcityofTashbaan：toEastwardshecouldseeCairParavelontheedgeoftheseaandtheverywindowoftheroomthathadoncebeenherown。Andfarouttoseashecoulddiscovertheislands，islandsafterislandstotheendoftheworld，and，beyondtheend，thehugemountainwhichtheyhadcalledAslan’scountry。Butnowshesawthatitwaspartofagreatchainofmountainswhichringedroundthewholeworld。Infrontofheritseemedtocomequiteclose。Thenshelookedtoherleftandsawwhatshetooktobeagreatbankofbrightly-colouredcloud，cutofffromthembyagap。Butshelookedharderandsawthatitwasnotacloudatallbutarealland。Andwhenshehadfixedhereyesononeparticularspotofit，sheatoncecriedout，“Peter!Edmund!Comeandlook!Comequickly。”Andtheycameandlooked，fortheireyesalsohadbecomelikehers．

“Whys”exclaimedPeter。“It’sEngland。Andthat’sthehouseitself-ProfessorKirk’soldhomeinthecountrywhereallouradventuresbegan!”

“Ithoughtthathousehadbeendestroyed，”saidEdmund．

“Soitwas，”saidtheFaun。“ButyouarenowlookingattheEnglandwithinEngland，therealEnglandjustasthisistherealNarnia。AndinthatinnerEnglandnogoodthingisdestroyed。”

Suddenlytheyshiftedtheireyestoanotherspot，andthenPeterandEdmundandLucygaspedwithamazementandshoutedoutandbeganwaving：fortheretheysawtheirownfatherandmother，wavingbackatthemacrossthegreat，deepvalley。Itwaslikewhenyouseepeoplewavingatyoufromthedeckofabigshipwhenyouarewaitingonthequaytomeetthem．

“Howcanwegetatthem？”saidLucy．

“Thatiseasy，”saidMrTumnus。“Thatcountryandthiscountry-alltherealcountries-areonlyspursjuttingoutfromthegreatmountainsofAslan。Wehaveonlytowalkalongtheridge，upwardandinward，tillitjoinson。Andlisten!ThereisKingFrank’shorn：wemustallgoup。”

Andsoontheyfoundthemselvesallwalkingtogetherandagreat，brightprocessionitwas-uptowardsmountainshigherthanyoucouldseeinthisworldeveniftheyweretheretobeseen。Buttherewasnosnowonthosemountains：therewereforestsandgreenslopesandsweetorchardsandflashingwaterfalls，oneabovetheother，goingupforever。Andthelandtheywerewalkingongrewnarrowerallthetime，withadeepvalleyoneachside：andacrossthatvalleythelandwhichwastherealEnglandgrewnearerandnearer．

Thelightaheadwasgrowingstronger。Lucysawthatagreatseriesofmany-colouredcliffsledupinfrontofthemlikeagiant’sstaircase。Andthensheforgoteverythingelse，becauseAslanhimselfwascoming，leapingdownfromclifftoclifflikealivingcataractofpowerandbeauty．

AndtheveryfirstpersonwhomAslancalledtohimwasPuzzletheDonkey。YouneversawadonkeylookfeeblerandsillierthanPuzzledidashewalkeduptoAslan，andhelooked，besideAslan，assmallasakittenlooksbesideaStBernard。TheLionboweddownhisheadandwhisperedsomethingtoPuzzleatwhichhislongearswentdown，butthenhesaidsomethingelseatwhichtheearsperkedupagain。Thehumanscouldn’thearwhathehadsaideithertime。ThenAslanturnedtothemandsaid：

“YoudonotyetlooksohappyasImeanyoutobe。”

Lucysaid，“We’resoafraidofbeingsentaway，Aslan。Andyouhavesentusbackintoourownworldsooften。”

“Nofearofthat，”saidAslan。“Haveyounotguessed？”

Theirheartsleapedandawildhoperosewithinthem．

“Therewasarealrailwayaccident，”saidAslansoftly．

“Yourfatherandmotherandallofyouare-asyouusedtocallitintheShadowlands-dead。Thetermisover：theholidayshavebegun。Thedreamisended：thisisthemorning。”

AndasHespokeHenolongerlookedtothemlikealion;butthethingsthatbegantohappenafterthatweresogreatandbeautifulthatIcannotwritethem。Andforusthisistheendofallthestories，andwecanmosttrulysaythattheyalllivedhappilyeverafter。Butforthemitwasonlythebeginningoftherealstory。AlltheirlifeinthisworldandalltheiradventuresinNarniahadonlybeenthecoverandthetitlepage：nowatlasttheywerebeginningChapterOneoftheGreatStorywhichnooneonearthhasread：whichgoesonforever：inwhicheverychapterisbetterthantheonebefore．

[1]编注：尤斯塔斯这个名字来源于希腊语，含义是“五谷丰登”，斯克罗布（Scrubb）有“矮个子”的意思。读者读了下文就知道这里说的“名副其实”有挖苦的意味。

[2]原文中尤斯塔斯的名字“Eustace”与“useless”（没用处）的发音相近。

[3]　“码”是英制长度单位，1码（yard）=3英尺（foot）=91。44厘米。