登陆注册
8134900000125

第125章 夏斯塔邂逅纳尼亚人(1)

Shasta Falls In With The Narnians

夏斯塔邂逅纳尼亚人

At first Shasta could see nothing in the valley below him but a sea of mist with a few domes and pinnacles rising from it; but as the light increased and the mist cleared away he saw more and more. A broad river divided itself into two streams and on the island between them stood the city of Tashbaan, one of the wonders of the world. Round the very edge of the island, so that the water lapped against the stone, ran high walls strengthened with so many towers that he soon gave up trying to count them. Inside the walls the island rose in a hill and every bit of that hill, up to the Tisroc‘s palace and the great temple of Tash at the top, was completely covered with buildings-terrace above terrace, street above street, zigzag roads or huge flights of steps bordered with orange trees and lemon trees, roof-gardens, balconies, deep archways, pillared colonnades, spires, battlements, minarets, pinnacles. And when at last the sun rose out of the sea and the great silver-plated dome of the temple flashed back its light, he was almost dazzled.

“Get on, Shasta,” Bree kept saying.

The river banks on each side of the valley were such a mass of gardens that they looked at first like forest, until you got closer and saw the white walls of innumerable houses peeping out from beneaththe trees. Soon after that, Shasta noticed a delicious smell of flowers and fruit. About fifteen minutes later they were down among them, plodding on a level road with white walls on each side and trees bending over the walls.

“I say,” said Shasta in an awed voice. “This is a wonderful place!”

“I dare say,” said Bree. “But I wish we were safely through it and out at the other side. Narnia and the North!”

At that moment a low, throbbing noise began which gradually swelled louder and louder till the whole valley seemed to be swaying with it. It was a musical noise, but so strong and solemn as to be a little frightening.

“That’s the horns blowing for the city gates to be open,” said Bree. “We shall be there in a minute. Now, Aravis, do droop your shoulders a bit and step heavier and try to look less like a princess. Try to imagine you‘ve been kicked and cuffed and called names all your life.”

“If it comes to that,” said Aravis, “what about you drooping your head a bit more and arching your neck a bit less and trying to look less like a war-horse?”

“Hush,” said Bree. “Here we are.”

And they were. They had come to the river’s edge and the road ahead of them ran along a many-arched bridge. The water danced brightly in the early sunlight; away to the right nearer the river‘s mouth, they caught a glimpse ships’ masts. Several other travellers were before them on the bridge, mostly peasants driving laden donkeys and mules, or carrying baskets on their heads. The children and horses joined the crowd.

“Is anything wrong?” whispered Shasta to Aravis, who had an odd look on her face.

“Oh it‘s all very well for you,” whispered Aravis rather savagely. “What would you care about Tashbaan? But I ought to be riding in on a litter with soldiers before me and slaves behind, and perhaps going to a feast in the Tisroc’s palace (may he live for ever)-not sneaking in like this. It‘s different for you.”

Shasta thought all this very silly.

At the far end of the bridge the walls of the city towered high above them and the brazen gates stood open in the gateway which was really wide but looked narrow because it was so very high. Half a dozen soldiers, leaning on their spears, stood on each side. Aravis couldn’t help thinking, “They‘d all jump to attention and salute me if they knew whose daughter I am.” But the others were only thinking of how they’d get through, and hoping the soldiers would not ask any questions. Fortunately they did not. But one of them picked a carrot out of a peasant‘s basket and threw it at Shasta with a rough laugh, saying:

“Hey! Horse-boy! You’ll catch it if your master finds you‘ve been using his saddle-horse for pack work.”

This frightened him badly for of course it showed that no one who knew anything about horses would mistake Bree for anything but a charger.

“It’s my master‘s orders, so there!” said Shasta. But it would have been better if he had held his tongue for the soldier gave him a box on the side of his face that nearly knocked him down and said, “Take that, you young filth, to teach you how to talk to freemen.” But they all slunk into the city without being stopped. Shasta cried only a very little; he was used to hard knocks.

Inside the gates Tashbaan did not at first seem so splendid as it had looked from a distance. The first street was narrow and there were hardly any windows in the walls on each side. It was much more crowded than Shasta had expected: crowded partly by the peasants (on their way to market) who had come in with them, but also with watersellers, sweetmeat sellers, porters, soldiers, beggars, ragged children, hens, stray dogs, and bare-footed slaves. What you wouldchiefly have noticed if you had been there were the smells, which camefrom unwashed people, unwashed dogs, scent, garlic, onions, and the piles of refuse which lay everywhere.

Shasta was pretending to lead but it was really Bree, who knew the way and kept guiding him by little nudges with his nose. They soon turned to the left and began going up a steep hill. It was muchfresher and pleasanter, for the road was bordered by trees and there were houses only on the right side; on the other they looked out over the roofs of houses in the lower town and could see some way up the river. Then they went round a hairpin bend to their right and continued rising. They were zigzagging up to the centre of Tashbaan. Soon they came to finer streets. Great statues of the gods and heroes of Calormen-who are mostly impressive rather

同类推荐
  • 最受网络追捧的动物童话:误闯聪明绝顶国

    最受网络追捧的动物童话:误闯聪明绝顶国

    《误闯聪明绝顶国》是一本童话故事书。本书通过一系列神奇的事情,如谁偷穿了我们的衣服?山羊奶奶能够搬救兵?小鬼在万圣节的晚上也出来要糖吃?圆溜溜的小芋头还能去城里走一遭?一个小男孩竟然误闯了聪明绝顶国?小花狗的骨头也会伤心离去吗?……让读者从故事中寻求经验,获取知识。本书寓教于乐,在阅读故事中满足青少年的好奇心。本书内容充实、可读性强,图文并茂,可供青少年读者阅读使用,也可供一般读者阅读使用。
  • 细节(青少年成长智慧丛书)

    细节(青少年成长智慧丛书)

    针对当代少年儿童应具备的素质,把古今中外的经典故事按关键词归类,《青少年成长智慧丛书:细节》每个故事后设计有“换位思考”与“成长感悟”小栏目。用以充分调动孩子们思考问题的积极性,给孩子们以无限启迪。书中故事娓娓道来,插图生动有趣,可让孩子们在快乐的阅读中收获知识。
  • 福尔摩斯探案全集——终极案件

    福尔摩斯探案全集——终极案件

    在世界文学宝库中,柯南道尔的《福尔摩斯探案》系列,是侦探小说的顶级经典名著,是侦探小说中一座不可逾越的文学丰碑。神秘、刺激、曲折、惊恐的故事情节,神奇、智慧、缜密、正义的“神探”形象,使许多读者从喜欢福尔摩斯开始到喜欢侦探小说,使许多作者从喜欢福尔摩斯到走上了侦探小说的创作之路。以至于文学中的名侦探福尔摩斯,与动漫中的米老鼠和宗教故事中的圣诞老人一起,成了世界知名的“三大名人”。这就是文学经典的魅力,这就是文学经典的力量。
  • 世界上的恐怖袭击(世界军事之旅)

    世界上的恐怖袭击(世界军事之旅)

    青少年具有强烈的求知欲和探索欲,他们不仅对飞速发展的科学技术有着浓厚的兴趣,也对军事科学充满了强烈的好奇。真实地展现人类军事活动,也许我们无法成为一场军事变革的参与者和见证者,但我们可以把军事百科作为模拟战场。本丛书从不同角度阐述军事的相关知识。
  • 酷虫学校2:乱作一团的运动会

    酷虫学校2:乱作一团的运动会

    在这场乱作一团的运动会中,究竟发生了什么样的事情呢?甲虫们将会面临什么样的考验呢?欢迎加入酷虫学校,甲虫们、飞虫们、杂虫们和幼虫们都在等着你的到来!
热门推荐
  • 寻墓点穴

    寻墓点穴

    传闻:彼岸花开,使者醒来…一黑一白,掌控未来…沼泽烛九阴,天陵蛊师(遇蛊成尸)骨尸…种种疑惑都在接近真相,那么真相到底是什么……黑白灵体再现,彼岸花开,大门打开。是长生不老,还是危机接种而来……
  • 树洞桑桑

    树洞桑桑

    大家可以把自己青青涩涩的难以忘记的故事告诉桑桑,桑桑帮你定格成最好的唱片[爱心]
  • 麒麟灭世印

    麒麟灭世印

    “姜子牙!你大爷,给老子等着!”“麒麟血脉?给我做个正室吧!”“白虎?朱雀?玄武?青龙?统统小妾!”“天照个小贱人!给我老实点!小心我不爽把你也给炼了!”
  • 好口才让你如鱼得水

    好口才让你如鱼得水

    口才是金,它能让你如鱼得水,助你迈向成功。本书从实际出发,对做人办事所需要的口才知识做了完备详尽的介绍。
  • 总裁的俏萌妻

    总裁的俏萌妻

    他,a市的主宰,没人敢在他面前说一个不字,他从不传绯闻,可是,就是这样一个隐秘的人物吸引了大多数女性,可他不屑一顾,大家都以为他是gay,可事实却是,,,,她,平凡的不能再平凡,一个在校的中专生,她以为她的生活就是毕业以后找个稳定的工作,可没想到一场生日聚会改变了她的一生,谁说麻雀变凤凰很困难,,,,
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 灵鹿之都

    灵鹿之都

    不被世人认可的女孩,一次次的被世人破骂失去了活的勇气。也陷入了无尽的黑暗,每次都去的海滩,竟然无意间捡到的金珍珠时竟然看到这一幕…
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 龙先生余生请多关照

    龙先生余生请多关照

    惨遭所有亲人的背叛,没想到被一个陌生男人宠上天!“老公,这个钻石好看!”第二天她看着满屋子的钻石差点被闪瞎双眼。“老公,这家餐厅的菜好吃!”她看着家里突然多出的一家一模一样的餐厅惊呆。“老公,这个小宝贝好好看!”她看着被塞到自己怀中的奶娃娃彻底傻眼。“老公,拐卖人口是犯法的!”她义正言辞。“这是你儿子!”“……”他是权势滔天的豪门大少,长的有多颠倒众生,心就有多冷漠强硬,没人知道他的心底一直藏着一个秘密,那秘密就是……