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第5章

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第5章

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at each word he gave  eustace a blow with the side of his rapier; which was thin; fine dwarf…tempered steel and  as supple and effective as a birch rod。 eustace (of course) was at a school where they  didnt have corporal punishment; so the sensation was quite new to him。 that was why;  in spite of having no sealegs; it took him less than a minute to get off that  forecastle and cover the whole length of the deck and burst in at the cabin door … still hotly  pursued by  

reepicheep。 indeed it seemed to eustace that the rapier as well as the  pursuit was hot。 it might have been red…hot by the feel。

there was not much difficulty in settling the matter once eustace realized  that everyone took the idea of a duel seriously and heard caspian offering to lend him a  sword; and drinian and edmund discussing whether he ought to be handicapped in some  way to make up for his being so much bigger than reepicheep。 he apologized sulkily  and went off with lucy to have his hand bathed and bandaged and then went to his  bunk。 he was careful to lie on his side。

。。



CHAPTER THREE

 生
the lone islands  〃land in sight;〃 shouted the man in the bows。

lucy; who had been talking to rhince on the poop; came pattering down the  ladder and raced forward。 as she went she was joined by edmund; and they found  caspian; drinian and reepicheep already on the forecastle。 it was a coldish morning; the sky  very pale and the sea very dark blue with little white caps of foam; and there; a little  way off on the starboard bow; was the nearest of the lone islands; felimath; like a low  green hill in the sea; and behind it; further off; the grey slopes of its sister doorn。

〃same old felimath! same old doorn;〃 said lucy; clapping her hands。 〃oh …  edmund; how long it is since you and i saw them last!”

〃ive never understood why they belong to narnia;〃 said caspian。 〃did peter  the high king conquer them?”

〃oh no;〃 said edmund。 〃they were narnian before our time … in the days of  the white witch。”

(by the way; i have never yet heard how these remote islands became  attached to the crown of narnia; if i ever do; and if the story is at all interesting; i  may put it in some other book。)

〃are we to put in here; sire?〃 asked drinian。

〃1 shouldnt think it would be much good landing on felimath;〃 said edmund。  〃it was almost uninhabited in our days and it looks as if it was the same still。  the people lived mostly on doorn and a little on avra … thats the third one; you cant see  it yet。 they only kept sheep on felimath。”

〃then well have to double that cape; i suppose;〃 said drinian; 〃and land  on doorn。

thatll mean rowing。”

〃im sorry were not landing on felimath;〃 said lucy。 〃id like to walk  there again。 it was so lonely … a nice kind of loneliness; and all grass and clover and soft  sea air。”

〃id love to stretch my legs now too;〃 said caspian。 〃i tell you what。 why  shouldnt we go ashore in the boat and send it back; and then we could walk across felimath  and let the dawn treader pick us up on the other side?”

if caspian had been as experienced then as he became later on in this  voyage he would not have made this suggestion; but at the moment it seemed an excellent  one。 〃oh do lets;〃 said lucy。

〃youll e; will you?〃 said caspian to eustace; who had e on deck with  his hand bandaged。

〃anything to get off this blasted boat;〃 said eustace。

〃blasted?〃 said drinian。 〃how do you mean?”

〃in a civilized country like where i e from;〃 said eustace; 〃the ships  are so big that when youre inside you wouldnt know you were at sea at all。”

〃in that case you might just as well stay ashore;〃 said caspian。 〃will you  tell them to lower the boat; drinian。”

the king; the mouse; the two pevensies; and eustace all got into the boat  and were pulled to the beach of felimath。 when the boat had left them and was being  rowed back they all turned and looked round。 they were surprised at how small the dawn  treader looked。

lucy was of course barefoot; having kicked off her shoes while swimming;  but that is no hardship if one is going to walk on downy turf。 it was delightful to be  ashore again and to smell the earth and grass; even if at first the ground seemed to be  pitching up and down like a ship; as it usually does for a while if one has been at sea。 it was  much warmer here than it had been on board and lucy found the sand pleasant to her feet as  they crossed it。

there was a lark singing。

they struck inland and up a fairly steep; though low; hill。 at the top of  course they looked back; and there was the dawn treader shining like a great bright  insect and crawling slowly north…westward with her oars。 then they went over the ridge  and could see her no longer。

doom now lay before them; divided from felimath by a channel about a mile  wide; behind it and to the left lay avra。 the little white town of narrowhaven on  doorn was easily seen。

〃hullo! whats this?〃 said edmund suddenly。

in the green valley to which they were descending six or seven rough… looking men; all armed; were sitting by a tree。

〃dont tell them who we are;〃 said caspian。

〃and pray; your majesty; why not?〃 said reepicheep who had consented to  ride on lucys shoulder。

〃it just occurred to me;〃 replied caspian; 〃that no one here can have heard  from narnia for a long time。 its just possible they may not still acknowledge our  over…lordship。 in which case it might not be quite safe to be known as the king。”

〃we have our swords; sire;〃 said reepicheep。

〃yes; reep; i know we have;〃 said caspian。 〃but if it is a question of re… conquering the three islands; id prefer to e back with a rather larger army。”

by this time they were quite close to the strangers; one of whom … a big  black…haired fellow … shouted out; 〃a good morning to you。”

〃and a good morning to you;〃 said caspian。 〃is there still a governor of  the lone islands?”

〃to be sure there is;〃 said the man; 〃governor gumpas。 his sufficiency is  at narrowhaven。 but youll stay and drink with us。”

caspian thanked him; though neither he nor the others much liked the look  of their new acquaintance; and all of them sat down。 but hardly had they raised their  cups to their lips when the black…haired man nodded to his panions and; as quick as  lightning; all the five visitors found themselves wrapped in strong arms。 there was a moments  struggle but all the advantages were on one side; and soon everyone was disarmed and  had their hands tied behind their backs except reepicheep; writhing in his captors  grip and biting furiously。

〃careful with that beast; tacks;〃 said the leader。 〃dont damage him。 hell  fetch the best price of the lot; i shouldnt wonder。”

〃coward! poltroon!〃 squeaked reepicheep。 〃give me my sword and free my paws  if you dare。”

〃whew!〃 whistled the slave merchant (for that is what he was)。 〃it can  talk! well i never did。 blowed if i take less than two hundred crescents for him。〃 the  calormen crescent; which is the chief coin in those parts; is worth about a third of a pound。

〃so thats what you are;〃 said caspian。 〃a kidnapper and slaver。 i hope  youre proud of it。”

〃now; now; now; now;〃 said the slaver。 〃dont you start any jaw。 the easier  you take it; the pleasanter all round; see? i dont do this for fun。 ive got my living  to make same as anyone else。”

〃where will you take us?〃 asked lucy; getting the words out with some  difficulty。

〃over to narrowhaven;〃 said the slaver。 〃for market day tomorrow。”

〃is there a british consul there?〃 asked eustace。

〃is there a which?〃 said the man。

but long before eustace was tired of trying to explain; the slaver simply  said; 〃well; ive had enough of this jabber。 the mouse is a fair treat but this one would  talk the hind leg off a donkey。 off we go; mates。”

then the four human prisoners were roped together; not cruelly but  securely; and made to march down to the shore。 reepicheep was carried。 he had stopped biting on a  threat of having his mouth tied up; but he had a great deal to say; and lucy really  wondered how any man could bear to have the things said to him which were said to the  slave dealer by the mouse。 but the slave dealer; far from objecting; only said 〃go on〃  whenever reepicheep paused for breath; occasionally adding; 〃its as good as a  play;〃 or; 〃blimey; you cant help almost thinking it knows what its saying!〃 or 〃was it one  of you what trained it?〃 this so infuriated reepicheep that in the end the number of  things he thought of saying all at once nearly suffocated him and he became silent。

when they got down to the shore that looked towards doorn they found a  little village and a long…boat on the beach and; lying a little further out; a dirty  bedraggled looking ship。

〃now; youngsters;〃 said the slave dealer; 〃lets have no fuss and then  youll have nothing to cry about。 all aboard。”

at that moment a fine…looking bearded man came out of one of the houses (an  inn; i think) and said:  〃well; pug。 more of your usual wares?”

the slaver; whose name seemed to be pug; bowed very low; and said in a  wheedling kind of voice; 〃yes; please your lordship。”

〃how much do you want for that boy?〃 asked the other; pointing to caspian。


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