prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第6章

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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　buskins　for　his　feet。　a　moment　later；　both　muffled　so　that　they　could　　hardly　be　seen　in　the　dark　corridors；　and　both　shod　so　that　they　made　almost　no　noise；　　master　and　pupil　left　the　room。

caspian　followed　the　doctor　through　many　passages　and　up　several　　staircases；　and　at　last；　through　a　little　door　in　a　turret；　they　came　out　upon　the　leads。　on　　one　side　were　the　battlements；　on　the　other　a　steep　roof；　below　them；　all　shadowy　and　　shimmery；　the　castle　gardens；　above　them；　stars　and　moon。　presently　they　came　to　another　door；　　which　led　into　the　great　central　tower　of　the　whole　castle：　doctor　cornelius　unlocked　it　　and　they　began　to　climb　the　dark　winding　stair　of　the　tower。　caspian　was　being　excited；　　he　had　never　been　allowed　up　this　stair　before。

it　was　long　and　steep；　but　when　they　came　out　on　the　roof　of　the　tower　and　　caspian　had　got　his　breath；　he　felt　that　it　had　been　well　worth　it。　away　on　his　right　　he　could　see；　rather　indistinctly；　the　western　mountains。　on　his　left　was　the　gleam　of　the　great　　river；　and　everything　was　so　quiet　that　he　could　hear　the　sound　of　the　waterfall　at　　beaversdam；　a　mile　away。　there　was　no　difficulty　in　picking　out　the　two　stars　they　had　　e　to　see。

they　hung　rather　low　in　the　southern　sky；　almost　as　bright　as　two　little　　moons　and　very　close　together。

〃are　they　going　to　have　a　collision？〃　he　asked　in　an　awestruck　voice。

〃nay；　dear　prince；〃　said　the　doctor　（and　he　too　spoke　in　a　whisper）。　〃the　　great　lords　of　the　upper　sky　know　the　steps　of　their　dance　too　well　for　that。　look　well　　upon　them。　their　meeting　is　fortunate　and　means　some　great　good　for　the　sad　realm　of　narnia。　　tarva；　the　lord　of　victory；　salutes　alambil；　the　lady　of　peace。　they　are　just　ing　　to　their　nearest。鈥�

〃its　a　pity　that　tree　gets　in　the　way；〃　said　caspian。　〃wed　really　see　　better　from　the　west　tower；　though　it　is　not　so　high。鈥�

doctor　cornelius　said　nothing　for　about　two　minutes；　but　stood　still　with　　his　eyes　fixed　on　tarva　and　alambil。　then　he　drew　a　deep　breath　and　turned　to　caspian。

〃there；〃　he　said。　〃you　have　seen　what　no　man　now　alive　has　seen；　nor　will　　see　again。

and　you　are　right。　we　should　have　seen　it　even　better　from　the　smaller　　tower。　i　brought　you　here　for　another　reason。鈥�

caspian　looked　up　at　him；　but　the　doctors　hood　concealed　most　of　his　face。

〃the　virtue　of　this　tower；〃　said　doctor　cornelius；　〃is　that　we　have　six　　empty　rooms　beneath　us；　and　a　long　stair；　and　the　door　at　the　bottom　of　the　stair　is　　locked。　we　cannot　be　overheard。鈥�

〃are　you　going　to　tell　me　what　you　wouldnt　tell　me　the　other　day？〃　said　　caspian。

〃i　am；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃but　remember。　you　and　i　must　never　talk　about　　these　things　except　here　…　on　the　very　top　of　the　great　tower。鈥�

〃no。　thats　a　promise；〃　said　caspian。　〃but　do　go　on；　please。鈥�

〃listen；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃all　you　have　heard　about　old　narnia　is　true。　it　　is　not　the　land　of　men。　it　is　the　country　of　aslan；　the　country　of　the　waking　trees　and　　visible　naiads；　of　fauns　and　satyrs；　of　dwarfs　and　giants；　of　the　gods　and　the　centaurs；　of　　talking　beasts。　it　was　against　these　that　the　first　caspian　fought。　it　is　you　　telmarines　who　silenced　the　beasts　and　the　trees　and　the　fountains；　and　who　killed　and　　drove　away　the　dwarfs　and　fauns；　and　are　now　trying　to　cover　up　even　the　memory　of　them。　　the　king　does　not　allow　them　to　be　spoken　of。鈥�

〃oh；　i　do　wish　we　hadnt；〃　said　caspian。　〃and　i　am　glad　it　was　all　true；　　even　if　it　is　all　over。鈥�

〃many　of　your　race　wish　that　in　secret；〃　said　doctor　cornelius。

〃but；　doctor；〃　said　caspian；　〃why　do　you　say　my　race？　after　all；　i　suppose　　youre　a　telmarine　too。鈥�

〃am　i？〃　said　the　doctor。

〃well；　youre　a　man　anyway；〃　said　caspian。

〃am　i？〃　repeated　the　doctor　in　a　deeper　voice；　at　the　same　moment　throwing　　back　his　hood　so　that　caspian　could　see　his　face　clearly　in　the　moonlight。

all　at　once　caspian　realized　the　truth　and　felt　that　he　ought　to　have　　realized　it　long　before。　doctor　cornelius　was　so　small；　and　so　fat；　and　had　such　a　very　long　　beard。　two　thoughts　came　into　his　head　at　the　same　moment。　one　was　a　thought　of　terror　　…　〃hes　not　a　real　man；　not　a　man　at　all；　hes　a　dwarf；　and　hes　brought　me　up　here　to　　kill　me。〃　the　other　was　sheer　delight　…　〃there　are　real　dwarfs　still；　and　ive　seen　one　　at　last。鈥�

〃so　youve　guessed　it　in　the　end；〃　said　doctor　cornelius。　〃or　guessed　it　　nearly　right。　im　not　a　pure　dwarf。　i　have　human　blood　in　me　too。　many　dwarfs　escaped　in　the　　great　battles　and　lived　on；　shaving　their　beards　and　wearing　highheeled　shoes　and　　pretending　to　be　men。　they　have　mixed　with　your　telmarines。　i　am　one　of　those；　only　a　　halfdwarf；　and　if　any　of　my　kindred；　the　true　dwarfs；　are　still　alive　anywhere　in　the　　world；　doubtless　they　would　despise　me　and　call　me　a　traitor。　but　never　in　all　these　years　　have　we　forgotten　our　own　people　and　all　the　other　happy　creatures　of　narnia；　and　　the　long…lost　days　of　freedom。鈥�

〃im　…　im　sorry；　doctor；〃　said　caspian。　〃it　wasnt　my　fault；　you　know。鈥�

〃i　am　not　saying　these　things　in　blame　of　you；　dear　prince；〃　answered　the　　doctor。　〃you　may　well　ask　why　i　say　them　at　all。