为什么第一胎都想要男孩 《能言马与男孩》第54期:南征隐士(1)

《能言马与男孩》第54期:南征隐士(1)  

Chapter 10 The Hermit of the Southern March
AFTER they had ridden for several hours down the valley
it widened out and they could see what was ahead of them. The river which they had been following here joined a broader river
wide and turbulent
which flowed from their left to their right
towards the east. Beyond this new river a delightful country rose gently in low hills
ridge beyond ridge
to the Northern Mountains themselves. To the right there were rocky Pinnacles
one or o of them with snow clinging to the ledges. To the left
pine-clad slopes
frowning cliffs
narrow ges
and blue peaks stretched away as far as the eye could reach. He could no longer make out Mount Pire. Straight ahead the mountain range sank to a wooded saddle which of course must be the pass from Archenland into Narnia.
"Broo-hoo-hoo
the North
the green North!" neighed Bree: and certainly the lower hills looked greener and fresher than anything that Aravis and Shasta
with their southern-bred eyes
had ever imagined. Spirits rose as they clattered down to the water's-meet of the o rivers.
The eastern-flowing river
which was pouring from the higher mountains at the western end of the range
was far too swift and too broken with rapids for them to think of swimming it; but after some casting about
up and down the bank
they found a place shallow enough to wade. The roar and clatter of water
the great swirl against the horses' fetlocks
the cool
stirring air and the darting dragon-flies
filled Shasta with a strange excitement.
"Friends
we are in Archenland!" said Bree proudly as he splashed and churned his way out on the Northern bank. "I think that river we've just crossed is called the Winding Arrow."
"I hope we're in time
" murmured Hwin.
Then they began going up
slowly and zigzagging a good deal
for the hills were steep. It was all open park-like country with no roads or houses in sight. Scattered trees
never thick enough to be a forest
were everywhere. Shasta
who had lived all his life in an almost tree-less grassland
had never seen so many or so many kinds. If you had been there you would probably have known (he didn't) that he was seeing oaks
beeches
silver birches
rowans
and sweet chestnuts. Rabbits scurried away in every direction as they advanced
and presently they saw a whole herd of fallow deer making off among the trees.
"Isn't it simply glorious!" said Aravis.
At the first ridge Shasta turned in the saddle and looked back. There was no sign of Tashbaan; the desert
unbroken except by the narrow green crack which they had travelled down
spread to the horizon.
第10章 南征隐士
他们在山谷里骑马驰骋了几个钟头之后，山谷豁然开阔，他们看得见前边的景物了。他们沿着它一路走过来的那条河流，在这儿跟一条更宽阔的汹涌大河相汇合，大河从他们的左边流向右边，往东奔腾而去。这新的大河后面，绵亘着一个美丽宜人的国度，山丘逐渐增高，山脊外还有山脊，直连接到北方羣山。右边有几个塔状尖巖，其中两三个的突出部分还积着雪。左边是松树密布的山坡，颦眉蹙额的峭壁，狭窄的山谷，蔚蓝的山峯，一直伸展到极目可见之处。他们再也认不出皮尔峯了。在笔直的正前方，山脉凹了下去，形成一个林木森然的马鞍，这地方必定是由阿钦兰进入纳尼亚的关隘。
“布罗——嗬嗬，北方，绿色的北方。”布里嘶呜道。阿拉维斯和沙斯塔的眼睛都是在南方培养起来的，所以低矮小山显得比他们生平所想像的任何东西都更加苍翠、更加鲜嫩了。当他们哗啦哗啦走到两条河的交汇处时，他们来劲了。
向东流去的大河是从西端的高山上倾泻而下的，奔腾得太快，被湍滩打断之处太多，他们不敢游过去，在岸上来来回回几番焦急地寻找，终于找到一个浅浅的可以涉水而过的地方。哗啦哗啦的水声，冲在马蹄茸毛上的旋涡，清凉、动荡的空气，飞来飞去的蜻蜓，都使沙斯塔心里充满了新奇的激动之情。
“朋友们，咱们进入阿钦兰了！”布里溅泼着水、摇摇晃晃爬上北岸时，自豪地说道，”我想我们刚才渡过的河流叫做旋箭河。”
“我希望我们及时赶到了。”赫温喃喃说道。
于是他们开始攀登而上，走得很慢，曲曲折折，因为小山很陡。这是空旷的、公园似的乡野，看不见道路和房子。疏疏朗朗的树木到处都是，可总是没有密集到蔚然成林的。沙斯塔一向住在一个几乎没有树木的草原上，从未看见过这么多的树，这么多各种各样的树，如果你也在那儿，你就可能知道(他可不知道)，他正瞧见橡树、山毛棒、白桦、花楸、栗子树哩。他们前进时，野兔向四面八方乱窜，不久他们又看见一大羣黄棕色黄占鹿从林木之间逃逸而去。
“这真是美丽极了！”阿拉维斯说。
走到第一个山脊上，沙斯塔在马鞍上转过身来回头望去，塔什班城已经无影无踪了；茫茫大沙漠一直绵延到天边上，惟一隔断沙漠的，就是刚才他们走过来的那狭狭的一道苍翠裂痕而已。