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。
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