纳尼亚传奇4魔法师的外甥 《魔法师的外甥》第48期:第一个笑柄及其他(4)

《魔法师的外甥》第48期:第一个笑柄及其他(4)  

"Too true
mate
too true!" said the Cabby. "A 'ard world it was. I always did say those paving-stones weren't fair on any 'oss. That's Lunn'on
that is. I didn't like it no more than what you did. You were a country 'oss
and I was a country man. Used to sing in the choir
I did
down at 'ome. But there wasn't a living for me there."
"Oh please
please
" said Digory. "Could we get on? The Lion's getting further and further away. And I do want to speak to him so dreadfully badly."
"Look 'ere
Strawberry
" said the Cabby. "This young gen'leman 'as something on his mind that he wants to talk to the Lion about; 'im you call Aslan. Suppose you was to let 'im ride on your back (which 'e'd take it very kindly) and trot 'im over to where the Lion is. And me and the little girl will be following along."
"Ride?" said Strawberry. "Oh
I remember now. That means sitting on my back. I remember there used to be a little one of you o-leggers who used to do that long ago. He used to have little hard
square lumps of some white stuff that he gave me. They tasted - oh
wonderful
sweeter than grass."
"Ah
that'd be sugar
" said the Cabby.
"Please
Strawberry
" begged Digory
"do
do let me get up and take me to Aslan."
"Well
I don't mind
" said the Horse. "Not for once in a way. Up you get."
"Good old Strawberry
" said the Cabby. "'Ere
young 'un
I'll give you a lift." Digory was soon on Strawberry's back
and quite fortable
for he had ridden bare-back before on his own pony.
"Now
do gee up
Strawberry
" he said.
"You don't happen to have a bit of that white stuff about you
I suppose?" said the Horse.
"No. I'm afraid I haven't
" said Digory.
"Well
it can't be helped
" said Strawberry
and off they went.
At that moment a large Bulldog
who had been sniffing and staring very hard
said:
"Look. Isn't there another of these queer creatures over there
beside the river
under the trees?"
“太对了，朋友，太对了！”马车伕说，“那是个难以忍受的世界。我过去总说那些铺路石对任何马都不合适。那就是伦敦。我和你一样不喜欢。你是匹乡下马，我是个乡下人。过去我经常在教堂唱诗班里唱歌，我唱过，在老家。但在那儿没法活下去。”
“对不起，对不起，”迪格雷说，“我们继续往前走好吗？狮子越来越远了，我太想跟它说话了。”
“听我说，草莓”马车伕说，“这个小先生有些心里话想对狮子讲，就是你们的阿斯兰。我想请你驮着他（他会很感谢你的）去找狮子。我和这小女孩在后面跟着。”
“驮？”“草莓”说，“噢，我想起来了。这就是说，坐在我背上。我记得很久以前，常有一个像你这样的两条腿的小动物坐在我上面。他常给我吃一种白色的硬硬的小方块。吃起来——唔，妙极了，比草甜。’
“哦，那是糖。”马车伕说。
“草莓，请，”迪格雷央求道，“让……让我上去吧，带我去找阿斯兰。”
“好，我不介意，”马说，“不介意驮你一次。上来吧。”
“老草莓，好样的。”马车伕说，“来，年轻人，我托你一把。”迪格雷很快上了“草莓”的背，他感到舒服极了，因为他以前曾骑过自己那匹小马驹的光背。
“好了，走吧，草莓。”他说。
“我想，你身上没带那种白色的小方块吧？”马说。
“恐怕没带。”迪格雷说。
“唉，没办法了。”草莓说着，迈步向前走。
就在那时，一条大公狗认真地嗅了一阵，又看了很久说道：
“瞧，那不是还有一个这种奇怪的东西吗？——在那儿，河边，树下。”