prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第7部分

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〃oh；　dont　you　know；　uncle？〃　said　caspian。　〃when　everything　was　quite　　different。　when　all　the　animals　could　talk；　and　there　were　nice　people　who　lived　in　the　　streams　and　the　trees。　naiads　and　dryads　they　were　called。　and　there　were　dwarfs。　and　there　　were　lovely　little　fauns　in　all　the　woods。　they　had　feet　like　goats。　and　…鈥�

〃thats　all　nonsense；　for　babies；〃　said　the　king　sternly。　〃only　fit　for　　babies；　do　you　hear？

youre　getting　too　old　for　that　sort　of　stuff。　at　your　age　you　ought　to　be　　thinking　of　battles　and　adventures；　not　fairy　tales。鈥�

〃oh；　but　there　were　battles　and　adventures　in　those　days；〃　said　caspian。　　〃wonderful　adventures。　once　there　was　a　white　witch　and　she　made　herself　queen　of　the　　whole　country。　and　she　made　it　so　that　it　was　always　winter。　and　then　two　boys　　and　two　girls　came　from　somewhere　and　so　they　killed　the　witch　and　they　were　made　kings　　and　queens　of　narnia；　and　their　names　were　peter　and　susan　and　edmund　and　lucy。　　and　so　they　reigned　for　ever　so　long　and　everyone　had　a　lovely　time；　and　it　was　　all　because　of　aslan　…鈥�

〃whos　he？〃　said　miraz。　and　if　caspian　had　been　a　very　little　older；　the　　tone　of　his　uncles　voice　would　have　warned　him　that　it　would　be　wiser　to　shut　up。　but　　he　babbled　on；　　〃oh；　dont　you　know？〃　he　said。　〃aslan　is　the　great　lion　who　es　from　over　　the　sea。鈥�

〃who　has　been　telling　you　all　this　nonsense？〃　said　the　king　in　a　voice　of　　thunder。

caspian　was　frightened　and　said　nothing。

〃your　royal　highness；〃　said　king　miraz；　letting　go　of　caspians　hand；　which　　he　had　been　holding　till　now；　〃i　insist　upon　being　answered。　look　me　in　the　face。　　who　has　been　telling　you　this　pack　of　lies？鈥�

〃n　…　nurse；〃　faltered　caspian；　and　burst　into　tears。

〃stop　that　noise；〃　said　his　uncle；　taking　caspian　by　the　shoulders　and　　giving　ham　a　shake。

〃stop　it。　and　never　let　me　catch　you　talking　…　or　thinking　either　…　about　　all　those　silly　stories　again。　there　never　were　those　kings　and　queens。　how　could　there　be　　two　kings　at　the　same　time？　and　theres　no　such　person　as　aslan。　and　there　are　no　　such　things　as　lions。　and　there　never　was　a　time　when　animals　could　talk。　do　you　hear？鈥�

〃yes；　uncle；〃　sobbed　caspian。

〃then　lets　have　no　more　of　it；〃　said　the　king。　then　he　called　to　one　of　　the　gentlemen…in…waiting　who　were　standing　at　the　far　end　of　the　terrace　and　said　in　a　cold　　voice；　〃conduct　his　royal　highness　to　his　apartments　and　send　his　royal　highnesss　nurse　to　　me　at　once。鈥�

next　day　caspian　found　what　a　terrible　thing　he　had　done；　for　nurse　had　　been　sent　away　without　even　being　allowed　to　say　good…bye　to　him；　and　he　was　told　he　was　　to　have　a　tutor。

caspian　missed　his　nurse　very　much　and　shed　many　tears；　and　because　he　was　　so　miserable；　he　thought　about　the　old　stories　of　narnia　far　more　than　before。　　he　dreamed　of　dwarfs　and　dryads　every　night　and　tried　very　hard　to　make　the　dogs　and　cats　　in　the　castle　talk　to　him。　but　the　dogs　only　wagged　their　tails　and　the　cats　only　purred。

caspian　felt　sure　that　he　would　hate　the　new　tutor；　buy　when　the　new　tutor　　arrived　about　a　week　later　he　turns　out　to　be　the　sort　of　person　it　is　almost　　impossible　not　to　like。

he　was　the　smallest；　and　also　the　fattest；　man　caspian　had　ever　seen。　he　　had　a　long；　silvery；　pointed　beard　which　came　down　to　his　waist；　and　his　face；　which　　was　brown　and　covered　with　wrinkles；　looked　very　wise；　very　ugly；　and　very　kind。　his　　voice　was　grave　and　his　eyes　were　merry　so　that；　until　you　got　to　know　him　really　well；　it　　was　hard　to　know　when　he　was　joking　and　when　he　was　serious。　his　name　was　doctor　　cornelius。

of　all　his　lessons　with　doctor　cornelius　the　one　that　caspian　liked　best　　was　history。　up　till　now；　except　for　nurses　stories；　he　had　known　nothing　about　the　　history　of　narnia；　and　he　was　very　surprised　to　learn　that　the　royal　family　were　newers　in　　the　country。

〃it　was　your　highnesss　ancestor；　caspian　the　first；〃　said　doctor　　cornelius；　〃who　first　conquered　narnia　and　made　it　his　kingdom。　it　was　he　who　brought　all　your　　nation　into　the　country。　you　are　not　native　narnians　at　all。　you　are　all　telmarines　…　　that　is；　you　all　came　from　the　land　of　telmar；　far　beyond　the　western　mountains。　that　is　why　　caspian　the　first　is　called　caspian　the　conqueror。鈥�

〃please；　doctor；〃　asked　caspian　one　day；　〃who　lived　in　narnia　before　we　all　　came　here　out　of　telmar？鈥�

〃no　men　…　or　very　few　…　lived　in　narnia　before　the　telmarines　took　it；〃　　said　doctor　cornelius。

〃then　who　did　my　great…great…grandcesters　conquer？鈥�

〃whom；　not　who；　your　highness；〃　said　doctor　cornelius。　〃perhaps　it　is　time　　to　turn　from　history　to　grammar。鈥�

〃oh　please；　not　yet！〃　said　caspian。

〃i　mean；　wasnt　there　a　battle？　why　is　he　called　caspian　the　conqueror　if　　there　was　nobody　to　fight　with　him？鈥�

〃i　said　there　were　very　few　men　in　narnia；〃　said　the　doctor；　looking　at　the　　little　boy　very　strangely　through　his　great　spectacles。

for　a　moment　caspian　was　puzzled　and　then　suddenly　his　heart　gave　a　leap。　　〃do　you　mean；〃　he　gasped；　〃that　there　were　other　things？　do　you　mean　it　was　like　in　　the　stories？

were　there…？鈥�

〃hush！〃　said　doctor　cornelius；　laying　his　head　very　close　to　caspians。　　〃not　a　word　more。　dont　you　know　your　nurse　was　sent　away　for　telling　you　about　old　　narnia？　the　king　doesnt　like　it。　if　he　found　me　telling　you　secrets；　youd　be　whipped　　and　i　should　have　my　head　cut　off。鈥�

〃but　why？〃　asked　caspian。

〃1t　is　high　time　we　turned　to　grammar　now；〃　said　doctor　cornelius　in　a　loud　　voice。　〃will　your　royal　highness　be　pleased　to　open　pulverulentus　siccus　at　the　fourth　　page　of　his　grammatical　garden　or　the　arbour　of　accidence　pleasantlie　opend　to　tender　　wits？鈥�

after　that　it　was　all　nouns　and　verbs　till　lunchtime；　but　i　dont　think　　caspian　learned　much。　he　was　too　excited。　he　felt　sure　that　doctor　cornelius　would　not　have　　said　so　much　unless　he　meant　to　tell　him　more　sooner　or　later。

in　this　he　was　not　disappointed。　a　few　days　later　his　tutor　said；　〃tonight　　i　am　going　to　give　you　a　lesson　in　astronomy。　at　dead　of　night　two　noble　planets；　tarva　　and　alambil；　will　pass　within　one　degree　of　each　other。　such　a　conjunction　has　not　　occurred　for　two　hundred　years；　and　your　highness　will　not　live　to　see　it　again。　it　will　be　　best　if　you　go　to　bed　a　little　earlier　than　usual。　when　the　time　of　the　conjunction　draws　　near　i　will　e　and　wake　you。鈥�

this　didnt　seem　to　have　anything　to　do　with　old　narnia；　which　was　what　　caspian　really　wanted　to　hear　about；　but　getting　up　in　the　middle　of　the　night　is　always　　interesting　and　he　was　moderately　pleased。　when　he　went　to　bed　that　night；　he　thought　at　　first　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　sleep；　but　he　soon　dropped　off　and　it　seemed　only　a　　few　minutes　before　he　felt　someone　gently　shaking　him。

he　sat　up　in　bed　and　saw　that　the　room　was　full　of　moonlight。　doctor　　cornelius；　muffled　in　a　hooded　robe　and　holding　a　small　lamp　in　his　hand；　stood　by　the　　bedside。

caspian　remembered　at　once　what　they　were　going　to　do。　he　got　up　and　put　on　　some　clothes。　athough　it　was　a　summer　night　he　felt　colder　than　he　had　expected　　and　was　quite　glad　when　the　doctor　wrapped　him　in　a　robe　like　his　own　and　gave　him　a　pair　　of　warm；　soft