Chapter5 Back on This Side of the Door-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《纳尼亚传奇 狮子,女巫和魔衣橱The Chronicles of Narnia》

Chapter Five Back on This Side of the Door Because the game of hide-and-seek was still going on, it took Edmund and Lucy some time to find the others. But when at last they were all together (which happened in the long room, where the suit of armour was) Lucy burst out{: "Peter! Susan! It's all true. Edmund has seen it too. There is a country you can get to through the wardrobe. Edmund and I both got in. We met one another in there. in the wood. Go on. Edmund: tell them all about it." "What's all this about. Ed?"said Peter And now we come to one of the nastiest things in this story. Up to② that moment Edmund had been feeling sick, and sulky③}, and annoyed with Lucy for being right, but he hadn't made up his mind what to do. When Peter suddenly asked him the question he decided all at once to do the meanest and most spiteful thing he could think of. He decided to let Lucy down^④. "Tell us. Ed,"said Susan And Edmund gave a very superior look as if he were far older than Lucy (there was really only a year's difference) and then a little snigger^{} and said, "Oh yes, Lucy and I have been playing-pretending that all her story about a country in the wardrobe is true. Just for fun, of course. There's nothing there really." .050· 第五章 重回到门的这一边 因为游戏还没有结束,所以埃德蒙和露西花了不少 时间才找到其他两人。最后,当四个人聚在那间狭长的、 ① burst out 大声喊叫 放着奋甲的屋子里时,露西兴奋地喊起来 “彼得!苏珊!那完全是真的,埃德蒙也亲眼见到 了。从衣里我们能到另外一个国家,刚才我俩都进去 过,还在那边树林里碰面了。喂,埃德蒙,快给他俩讲 讲吧。” “埃德,到底发生什么事了?”彼得问。 ②upto直到 ③ sulky ['salkila. 阴郁的 现在,我们将看到本故事里最卑劣的事情之一。直 到那时,埃德蒙依旧感到不舒服,因此变得闷闷不乐。 而事实又偏偏证明露是对的,这使他更加窝火,但他 还没想好怎样应付。当彼得突然问到他时,埃德蒙立马 ④ let down使.....丢脸 决定做出他能想到的最刻薄、最可耻的事,他要让露西 丢脸。 superior [sju:'piarial a “快说呀,埃德。”苏珊说。 高傲的,傲慢的 埃德蒙瞥了露西一眼,高高在上的眼神好像他比露 snigger I'sniga]n. 窃笑 西大很多似的(事实上他只比露西大一岁),脸上露出 一丝得意的笑容,开口说:“哦,是的,露齿和我在玩 呢--假装她所讲的衣里的国家全是真的。当然,这 只是玩笑话,那里实际上什么也没有。” ·051· Chapter Five Bacf on This, Side of the ①oo Poor Lucy gave Edmund one look and rushed out of the room Edmund, who was becoming a nastier person every minute, thought that he had scored{} a great success, and went on at once to say, "There she goes again. What's the matter with her? That's the worst of young kids, they always" "Look here," said Peter, turning on him savagely②,"shut up! You've been perfectly beastly③ to Lu ever since she started this nonsense④ about the wardrobe. and now you go playing games with her about it and setting her off{} again.I believe you did it simply out of spite." "But it's all nonsense," said Edmund, very taken aback^{* "Of course it's all nonsense," said Peter, "that's just the point. Lu was perfectly all right when we left home, but since we've been down here she seems to be either going queer in the head or else turning into a most frightful^{} liar. But whichever it is, what good do you think you'll do by jeering{} and nagging{} at her one day and encouraging her the next?" "I thought-I thought," said Edmund: but he couldn't think of anything to say "You didn't think anything at all" said Peter: "it's just spite. You've always liked being beastly to anyone smaller than yourself; we've seen that at school before now." "Do stop it," said Susan: "it won't make things any better having a row} between you two. Let's go and find Lucy." It was not surprising that when they found Lucy, a good deal later, everyone could see that she had been crying. Nothing they could say to her made any difference. She stuck to her story and said: "I don't care what you think, and I don't care what you say. You can tell the Professor or you can write to Mother or you can do anything you like. I know I've met a Faun in there and-I wish I'd stayed there and you are all beasts, beasts." It was an unpleasant evening. Lucy was miserable and Edmund was beginning to feel that his plan wasn't working as well as he had expected. The two older ones were really beginning to think that Lucy was out of her mind . Q52. 第五章 重回到门的远一边 可怜的露曲惊呆了,她看了埃德蒙一眼,一句话也 没说就跑出门去。 ① score [skox]v成功地获 而埃德蒙,这个越来越令人讨厌的家伙自以为刚才 得,取得,赢得(胜利等) 取得胜利,便紧接着说:“她又来了,到底怎么回事呀? 这是小孩子最糟糕的一面,他们总是-” ② savagely l'saevidelilad 无礼地,粗鲁地 “看着我!”彼得两眼盯着埃德蒙,狠狠地说,“你 ③ beastly ['bi:stli]a. [口语] 给我闭嘴!从露露编出衣的故事以来,你就一直对她 可恶的,恶劣的 ④ nonsense 'nonsonsl n. 胡 挖苦嘲笑,现在你和她玩这种游戏,让她又开始胡思乱 闹,愚套的举动(或见 想了。我觉得你一定是居心不良。” 解等) “可是,她讲的那些全是胡谄的。”埃德蒙战战兢 setoff使开始(做某事) take aback使吓得目 兢地说。 口呆,使大吃一惊 “当然是胡谄,”彼得接着说,“问题就在这里。我 frightful['fraitful] a. [口 们离家时露露好好的,可一到这里就变成这副样子,不 语]令人不快的(十分 讨厌的,恼人的 知是她脑筋在胡思乱想,还是成了一个令人讨厌的说诺 ⑧ jeer [dgia]v嘲笑 者。可是不管她变成了什么样的人,你今天嘲笑挖苦她 。 nag [neglv指责 明天又处勇她,你从中能捞到什么好处呢?” “我是想--我是想--”埃德蒙支支吾吾地说 但是却找不到合适的词。 “你实际上啥都没想,”彼得说,“这是心底的问题 你总是喜欢欺负比你小的,你在学校就这德行。” row [rou]n. 吵架 “快别说了,”苏珊道,“你俩吵来吵去也解决不了 什么问题,我们去看看露满吧。” 花了好长时间,他们才找到露西。毫不意外,她 正哭得伤心,不管大家怎么劝,她一口咬定她讲的全 是真的。 “我不在乎你们怎么看我,也不在乎你们怎么说 我,你们可以告诉教授,或者写信告诉妈妈,随便你们 怎么做都行,我知道我在那边见过半羊人--我多希望 我能待在那里,你们都不通人情,都是野兽。” 这天晚上大家过得都不好。露西一幅可怜兮兮的样 子,埃德蒙则苦恼他的计划没有按照预想的方式进行 而他们中年龄最大的两个孩子开始怀疑,露西的脑子是 .053· ChapterFive Back on This Side of the ①oor They stood in the passage talking about it in whispers{①} long after she had gone to bed. The result was the next morning they decided that they really would go and tell the whole thing to the Professor. "He'll write to Father if he thinks there is really something wrong with Lu." said Peter: "it's getting beyond us."So they went and knocked at the study door, and the Professor said "Come in," and got up and found chairs for them and said he was quite at their disposal②. Then he sat listening to them with the tips of his fingers pressed together and neve interrupting, till they had finished the whole story. After that he said nothing for quite a long time. Then he cleared his throat and said the last thing either of them expected: "How do you know,"he asked. "that your sister's story is not true?" "Oh, but-"began Susan, and then stopped. Anyone could see from the old man's face that he was perfectly serious. Then Susan pulled herself together{③ and said, "But Edmund said they had only been pretending." "That is a point," said the Professor, "which certainly deserves consider- ation: very careful consideration. For instance-if you will excuse me for ask- ing the question-does your experience lead you to regard your brother or you sister as the more reliable? I mean, which is the more truthful?" "That's just the funny thing about it, sir."said Peter. "Up till now④, I'd have said Lucy every time." "And what do you think, my dear?" said the Professor, turning to Susan "Well."said Susan, "in general^{}, I'd say the same as Peter, but this couldn't be true-all this about the wood and the Faun." "That is more than I know," said the Professor, "and a charge{} of lying against someone whom you have always found truthful is a very serious thing: a very serious thing indeed." "We were afraid it mightn't even be lying," said Susan; "we thought there might be something wrong with Lucy." ·054· 第五章 重回到门的远一边 ① inwhispers低声说话 否真出了问题。在露西入睡后,他们两人在走廊细声交 谈了好长时间。 商议的结果是,第二天一大早他们决定把发生的一 切全告诉教授。“如果他认为露露的脑子真有问题的话, 他会给父亲写信,”彼得说,“这可超出了我们的能力。” 于是,他俩去书房找教授。敲了门之后,教授说“请进!” 并站起身给他俩找椅子坐下,表示完全有时间听他们的 ② disposal [dis'pouzalln (事情的)处置,处理, 故事并解决问题。在他俩讲述时,教授只是坐在那里听 解决 着,把双手的指尖抵在一起,并没有打断他们。在他们 讲完后,教授好长时间都没有说话。过了一会儿,他清 清嗓子说出他俩始料未及的一句话 “你们怎么知道,”他问,“你们妹妹讲的故事不是 真的?” “哦,可是--”苏珊开始辩解,但又打住了。从 ③ pull oneself together 振 这位老人的神情上可以看出,他是极其认真的。随后, 作起来,恢复镇定 苏珊振作了一下,又继续说:“可是据埃德蒙讲,他俩 仅仅是假装这是真的。” “这就是问题所在,”教授说,“值得考虑,非常认 真的考虑。例如-一请原谅我问下面的问题-一凭你的 经验,是弟弟还是妹妹更值得信任?我是说,他俩之中 ④up tillnow到目前为止 谁最有可能讲真话?” “先生,这可有点怪了,”彼得说,“到现在为止 我每次都会说是露西呀。” “那么,亲爱的,你怎么看?”教授转向苏珊问道。 in general概括地讲,大 “我嘛,”苏珊说,“总的来说,我要说的与彼得一 体而论,总之 样,但这根本不可能是真的--树林里的故事,还有半 charge Itfaxdgln. 指责 羊人。” “我知道的也不多,”教授说,“但是,要指控一个 经常讲真话的人说是一件极其严肃的事,要极其慎重 地对待。” “恐怕那不仅仅是说谥的问题,”苏珊小心地说,“我 们怀疑露的脑子出问题了。” .055· Chapter Five Bacf on This, Side of the ①oo "Madness^{}, you mean?" said the Professor quite coolly. "Oh, you can make your minds easy about that. One has only to look at her and talk to her to see that she is not mad." "But then," said Susan, and stopped. She had never dreamed that a grown-up^{② would talk like the Professor and didn't know what to think "Logic!" said the Professor half to himself. "Why don't they teach logic at these schools? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies or she is mad. or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn't tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad for the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth." Susan looked at him very hard and was quite sure from the expression on his face that he was no making fun of{③} them "But how could it be true, sir?"said Peter "Why do you say that?" asked the Professor "Well, for one thing," said Peter, "if it was true why doesn't everyone find this country every time they go to the wardrobe? I mean, there was nothing there when we looked: even Lucy didn't pretend there was." "What has that to do with it?" said the Professor "Well. sir, if things are real. they're there all the time." "Are they?" said the Professor: and Peter didn't know quite what to say. “But there was no time," said Susan. "Lucy had no time to have gone anywhere. even if there was such a place. She came running after us the very moment we were out of the room. It was less than a minute, and she pretended to have been away fo hours." "That is the very thing that makes her story so likely to be true," said the Professor. "If there really is a door in this house that leads to some other world (and I should warn{④ you that this is a very strange house, and even I know very little about it)-if, I say, she had got into another world, I should not be at a surprised to find that the other world had a separate{} time of its own: so that however long .056. 第五章 重回到门的远一边 ① madnessI'maednis] n. 疯 “你的意思是说,发疯了?”教授极其平静地问, 狂 “哦,你们大可不必担心,只要看她一眼,或者说上两 句,就会知道她并没有发疯。” ② grown-up I'graun'Apln “但是那天-”苏珊说,但是停住了。她实在想 成年A 不通有哪个成年人会像教授那样讲话,一时间不知道怎 样开口。 “逻辑!”教授半是自言自语地说道,“为什么学 校不教给学生逻辑呢?现在只存在三种可能:或者你妹 妹说了,或者她疯了,或者她讲的是事实。你们知 道她没说谥,很明显她也没有发疯,那么目前我们只 能推定她说的是真话,除非发现新的证据推翻我们的 推定。” ③ make fun of 取笑 苏珊双眼紧盯着教授,从他脸上严肃的表情可以看 出,教授没有在开玩笑。 “可是,这怎么可能是真的呢,先生?”彼得说。 “你为什么这么说?”教授问道。 “嗯,首先,”彼得说,“如果那是真的,为什么其 他人进到衣掘没有发现那个国家呢?我是说,我们去看 时,里面什么都没有,就连露西也没有假装看见。” “可这又能说明什么呢?”教授问。 “哦,先生,假如事情是真实的,它们就会一直都在。” “它们会一直都在吗?”教授问,彼得一时间也不 知道怎么回答才好。 “可是,时间上也说不通,”苏珊说,“即使真有这 么一个地方,露满也没有时间去。我们刚走出屋子,她 紧接着就跑出来了,前后不超过一分钟,可她却假装离 开了好几个小时。” ④ wam [wxnlv预先通知 “就这一点才会证明她的故事有可能是真的。”教 授说,“我提醒你们,这个屋子确实很奇怪,连我自己 对它也了解很少。如果那个屋子真有这么一扇门能通 separate 'seporeitl a. 不 同的 向别处一一如果,我是说,她进入另一个世界,那么 就算发现那个世界的时间与我们的时间不同步,我也 ·057· Chapter Five Bacf on This Side of the ①oor you stay there it would never take up{①} any of our time. On the other hand, I don't think many girls of her age would invent② that idea for themselves. If she had been pretending, she would have hidden for a reasonable{③ time before coming out and telling her story." “But do you really mean, sir." said Peter, "that there could be other worlds- al over the place, just round the corner-like that?" "Nothing is more probable," said the Professor, taking off his spectacles④ and beginning to polish them, while he muttered{} to himself,"I wonder what they do teach them at these schools." “But what are we to do?" said Susan. She felt that the conversation was beginning to get off{} the point. "My dear young lady," said the Professor, suddenly looking up with a very sharp expression at both of them, "there is one plan which no one has yet suggested and which is well worth trying." "What's that?"said Susan. “We might all try minding our own business," said he. And that was the end of that conversation After this things were a good deal better for Lucy. Peter saw to it that Edmund stopped jeering at her, and neither she nor anyone else felt inclined to talk about the wardrobe at all. It had become a rather alarming^{} subject. And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to an end: but that was not to be. This house of the Professor's-which even he knew so little about--was sc old and famous that people from all over England used to come and ask permissior to see over it. It was the sort of house that is mentioned in guide books and even in histories: and well it might be, for all manner of stories were told about it. some of them even stranger than the one I am telling you now. And when parties of sightseers{ arrived and asked to see the house, the Professor always gave them permission, and Mrs Macready, the housekeeper, showed them round, telling them about the pictures and the armour, and the rare books in the library. Mrs Macready was not fond of children, and did not like to be interrupted when she was telling .058· 第五章 重回到门的远一边1 ①takeup占去(地方、时 不会感到意外,比如不管你在那个世界待多久,丝毫 间、注意力等) ② invent lin'vent]v 捏造, 不会占用你在这个世界的时间。另一方面,我觉得那 编造 个年龄段的女孩子自已编不出这样的故事来。如果她 ③ reasonable [ri:zanobl] a 在撒,她完全可以藏得久一些,然后再出来,告诉 适当的 你们她的故事。” “先生,听您的意思是,”彼得问,“另外一个世 界是有可能存在的--在这里,就在拐角那里--是 ④ spectacles I'spektaklz] n 这样吗?” [复数]眼镜 mutter |'mAtalv低声说 “什么事都会发生,”教授说,摘下眼镜开始擦式 镜片,一边对自己嘀嘀道,“真搞不懂他们到底在学校 给孩子们教什么。” get off更换(正在谈或 “可是我们要怎样做才好?”苏珊问。她觉得谈话 写的)主题 已经偏离了主题。 “亲爱的小姐,”教授说,突然抬头直视他俩,表 情严肃,“有一个方案我们目前都没有提到,但值得一 试。” “什么方案?”苏珊问。 “我们只要管好自已己的事情就行了。”他说。谈话 就这样结束了。 之后,情况变得对露#有利多了。彼得制止了埃德 蒙对露西的嘲讽,露西及其他人也都不愿意再谈起衣 alarming [a'lamin]a. 使 人惊恐的:让人担忧的 厨,衣厨变成了一个敏感的话题。在一段时间内,表面 上看探险已经结束了,但是实际上并没有结束。 教授的宅子-一连他自己也了解得不多--年代久 远而且很有名,常常有从英格兰各地赶来的人们请求进 去参观。这所宅院是写在旅游指南,甚至历史书中的 在各种故事中都提到过它,有些故事甚至比我现在讲给 ⑧ sightseer I'sait.sia] n. 观 你的故事还要离奇得多。当大批游客涌来时,教授总 光客,游览者 是允许他们进来参观,管家麦克丽迪太太领着他们到处 转,告诉他们图片、垄甲及图书室里那些珍贵书籍的逸 事。麦克丽迪太太不太喜欢孩子,在她讲解时不允许被 ·059·