《PRINCE CASPIAN》第20章

and　again　they　trudged　on　with　no　sound　except　the　thud　of　their　feet　and the　jingle　of　their　chain　shirts。
〃wheres　this　bally　rush　got　to？〃　said　edmund　a　good　deal　later。
〃i　certainly　thought　wed　have　struck　it　by　now；〃　said　peter。　〃but　theres nothing　to　do　but　keep　on。〃　they　both　knew　that　the　dwarf　was　looking　anxiously　at　them；　but he　said　nothing。
and　still　they　trudged　on　and　their　mail　shirts　began　to　feel　very　hot　and heavy。
〃what　on　earth？〃　said　peter　suddenly。
they　had　e；　without　seeing　it；　almost　to　the　edge　of　a　small　precipice from　which　they　looked　down　into　a　gorge　with　a　river　at　the　bottom。　on　the　far　side the　cliffs　rose　much　higher。　none　of　the　party　except　edmund　（and　perhaps　trumpkin）　was　a rock　climber。
〃im　sorry；〃　said　peter。　〃its　my　fault　for　ing　this　way。　were　lost。 ive　never　seen　this　place　in　my　life　before。”
the　dwarf　gave　a　low　whistle　between　his　teeth。
〃oh；　do　lets　go　back　and　go　the　other　way；〃　said　susan。　〃i　knew　all　along wed　get　lost　in　these　woods。”
〃susan！〃　said　lucy；　reproachfully；　〃dont　nag　at　peter　like　that。　its　so rotten；　and　hes　doing　all　he　can。”
〃and　dont　you　snap　at　su　like　that；　either；〃　said　edmund。　〃i　think　shes quite　right。”
〃tubs　and　tortoiseshells！〃　exclaimed　trumpkin。　〃if　weve　got　lost　ing； what　chance　have　we　of　finding　our　way　back？　and　if　were　to　go　back　to　the　island　and begin　all　over　again　…　even　supposing　we　could　…　we　might　as　well　give　the　whole　thing　up。 miraz　will　have　finished　with　caspian　before　we　get　there　at　that　rate。”
〃you　think　we　ought　to　go　on？〃　said　lucy。
〃im　not　sure　the　high　king　is　lost；〃　said　trumpkin。　〃whats　to　hinder　this river　being　the　rush？”
〃because　the　rush　is　not　in　a　gorge；〃　said　peter；　keeping　his　temper　with some　difficulty。
〃your　majesty　says　is；〃　replied　the　dwarf；　〃but　oughtnt　you　to　say　was？ you　knew　this　country　hundreds　…　it　may　be　a　thousand　…　years　ago。　maynt　it　have changed？　a　landslide　might　have　pulled　off　half　the　side　of　that　hill；　leaving　bare　rock；　and there　are　your　precipices　beyond　the　gorge。　then　the　rush　might　go　on　deepening　its　course year　after
year　till　you　get　the　little　precipices　this　side。　or　there　might　have　been an　earthquake；　or　anything。”
〃i　never　thought　of　that；〃　said　peter。
〃and　anyway；〃　continued　trumpkin；　〃even　if　this　is　not　the　rush；　its flowing　roughly　north　and　so　it　must　fall　into　the　great　river　anyway。　i　think　i　passed something　that　might　have　been　it；　on　my　way　down。　so　if　we　go　downstream；　to　our　right； well　hit　the　great　river。　perhaps　not　so　high　as　wed　hoped；　but　at　least　well　be　no worse　off　than　if　youd　e　my　way。”
〃trumpkin；　youre　a　brick；〃　said　peter。　〃e　on；　then。　down　this　side　of the　gorge。”
〃look！　look！　look！〃　cried　lucy。
〃where？　what？〃　said　everyone。
〃the　lion；〃　said　lucy。　〃aslan　himself。　didnt　you　see？〃　her　face　had changed　pletely　and　her　eyes　shone。
〃do　you　really　mean　…？〃　began　peter。
〃where　did　you　think　you　saw　him？〃　asked　susan。
〃dont　talk　like　a　grown…up；〃　said　lucy；　stamping　her　foot。　〃i　didnt　think i　saw　him。　i　saw　him。”
〃where；　lu？〃　asked　peter。
〃right　up　there　between　those　mountain　ashes。　no；　this　side　of　the　gorge。 and　up；　not　down。　just　the　opposite　of　the　way　you　want　to　go。　and　he　wanted　us　to　go where　he　was　…　up　there。”
〃how　do　you　know　that　was　what　he　wanted？〃　asked　edmund。
〃he　…　i　…　i　just　know；〃　said　lucy；　〃by　his　face。”
the　others　all　looked　at　each　other　in　puzzled　silence。
〃her　majesty　may　well　have　seen　a　lion；〃　put　in　trumpkin。　〃there　are　lions in　these　woods；　ive　been　told。　but　it　neednt　have　been　a　friendly　and　talking　lion any　more　than　the　bear　was　a　friendly　and　talking　bear。”
〃oh；　dont　be　so　stupid；〃　said　lucy。　〃do　you　think　i　dont　know　aslan　when i　see　him？”
〃hed　be　a　pretty　elderly　lion　by　now；〃　said　trumpkin；　〃if　hes　one　you knew　when　you　were　here　before！　and　if　it　could　be　the　same　one；　whats　to　prevent　him having　gone　wild　and　witless　like　so　many　others？”
lucy　turned　crimson　and　i　think　she　would　have　flown　at　trumpkin；　if　peter had　not　laid　his　hand　on　her　arm。　〃the　d。l。f。　doesnt　understand。　how　could　he？　you　must just　take　it；　trumpkin；　that　we　do　really　know　about　aslan；　a　little　bit　about　him；　i mean。　and　you　mustnt　talk　about　him　like　that　again。　it　isnt　lucky　for　one　thing：　and its　all　nonsense　for　another。　the　only　question　is　whether　aslan　was　really　there。”
〃but　i　know　he　was；〃　said　lucy；　her　eyes　filling　with　tears。
〃yes；　lu；　but　we　dont；　you　see；〃　said　peter。
〃theres　nothing　for　it　but　a　vote；〃　said　edmund。
〃all　right；〃　replied　peter。　〃youre　the　eldest；　d。l。f。　what　do　you　vote for？　up　or　down？”
〃down；〃　said　the　dwarf。　〃i　know　nothing　about　aslan。　but　i　do　know　that　if we　turn　left　and　follow　the　gorge　up；　it　might　lead　us　all　day　before　we　found　a　place where　we　could　cross　it。　whereas　if　we　turn　right　and　go　down；　were　bound　to　reach　the great　river　in　about　a　couple　of　hours。　and　if　there　are　any　real　lions　about；　we　want　to go　away　from　them；　not　towards　them。”
〃what　do　you　say；　susan？”
〃dont　be　angry；　lu；〃　said　susan；　〃but　i　do　think　we　should　go　down。　im dead　tired。　do　lets　get　out　of　this　wretched　wood　into　the　open　as　quick　as　we　can。　and none　of　us　except　you　saw　anything。”
〃edmund？〃　said　peter。
〃well；　theres　just　this；〃　said　edmund；　speaking　quickly　and　turning　a little　red。　〃when　we　first　discovered　narnia　a　year　ago　…　or　a　thousand　years　ago；　whichever it　is　…　it　was　lucy　who　discovered　it　first　and　none　of　us　would　believe　her。　i　was　the worst　of　the　lot；　i　know。　yet　she　was　right　after　all。　wouldnt　it　be　fair　to　believe　her this　time？　i　vote　for　going　up。”
〃oh；　ed！〃　said　lucy　and　seized　his　hand。
〃and　now　its　your　turn；　peter；〃　said　susan；　〃and　i　do　hope　…”
〃oh；　shut　up；　shut　up　and　let　a　chap　think；〃　interrupted　peter。　〃id　much rather　not　have　to　vote。　“
〃youre　the　high　king；〃　said　trumpkin　sternly。
〃down；〃　said　peter　after　a　long　pause。　〃i　know　lucy　may　be　right　after　all； but　i　cant　help　it。　we　must　do　one　or　the　other。”
so　they　set　off　to　their　right　along　the　edge；　downstream。　and　lucy　came