《THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER》第44章

〃you　mean；〃　said　caspian；　〃that　we　might　be　just　well；　poured　over　it？”
〃yes；　yes；〃　cried　reepicheep；　clapping　his　paws　together。　〃thats　how　ive always　imagined　it　…　the　world　like　a　great　round　table　and　the　waters　of　all　the oceans　endlessly　pouring　over　the　edge。　the　ship　will　tip　up　stand　on　her　head　…　for　one moment　we　shall　see　over　the　edge　…　and　then；　down；　down；　the　rush；　the　speed　…”
〃and　what　do　you　think　will　be　waiting　for　us　at　the　bottom；　eh？〃　said drinian。
〃aslans　country　perhaps；〃　said　the　mouse；　its　eyes　shining。　〃or　perhaps there　isnt　any　bottom。　perhaps　it　goes　down　for　ever　and　ever。　but　whatever　it　is；　wont it　be　worth　anything　just　to　have　looked　for　one　moment　beyond　the　edge　of　the　world。”
〃but　look　…here；〃　said　eustace；　〃this　is　all　rot。　the　worlds　round　…　i mean；　round　like　a　ball；　not　like　a　table。”
〃our　world　is；〃　said　edmund。　〃but　is　this？”
〃do　you　mean　to　say；〃　asked　caspian；　〃that　you　three　e　from　a　round world　（round　like　a　ball）　and　youve　never　told　me！　its　really　too　bad　of　you。　because we　have　fairy…tales　in　which　there　are　round　worlds　and　i　always　loved　them。　i　never believed　there　were　any　real　ones。　but　ive　always　wished　there　were　and　ive　always longed　to　live　in　one。　oh；　id　give　anything　…　i　wonder　why　you　can　get　into　our　world　and　we never　get　into　yours？　if　only　i　had　the　chance！　it　must　be　exciting　to　live　on　a thing　like　a　ball。
have　you　ever　been　to　the　parts　where　people　walk　about　upside…down？”
edmund　shook　his　head。　〃and　it　isnt　like　that；〃　he　added。　〃theres　nothing particularly　exciting　about　a　round　world　when　youre　there。
……
CHAPTER　SIXTEEN
，小，说，网
the　very　end　of　the　world
reepicheep　was　the　only　person　on　board　besides　drinian　and　the　two pevensies　who　had　noticed　the　sea　people。　he　had　dived　in　at　once　when　he　saw　the　sea king　shaking　his　spear；　for　he　regarded　this　as　a　sort　of　threat　or　challenge　and　wanted to　have　the　matter　out　there　and　then。　the　excitement　of　discovering　that　the　water　was now　fresh　had　distracted　his　attention；　and　before　he　remembered　the　sea　people　again lucy　and　drinian　had　taken　him　aside　and　warned　him　not　to　mention　what　he　had　seen。
as　things　turned　out　they　need　hardly　have　bothered；　for　by　this　time　the dawn　treader　was　gliding　over　a　part　of　the　sea　which　seemed　to　be　uninhabited。　no　one except　lucy　saw　anything　more　of　the　people；　and　even　she　had　only　one　short　glimpse。 all　morning　on　the　following　day　they　sailed　in　fairly　shallow　water　and　the　bottom　was weedy。　just　before　midday　lucy　saw　a　large　shoal　of　fishes　grazing　on　the　weed。　they were　all　eating　steadily　and　all　moving　in　the　same　direction。　〃just　like　a　flock　of sheep；〃　thought　lucy。
suddenly　she　saw　a　little　sea　girl　of　about　her　own　age　in　the　middle　of them　…　a　quiet；　lonely…looking　girl　with　a　sort　of　crook　in　her　hand。　lucy　felt　sure　that this　girl　must　be　a　shepherdess　…　or　perhaps　a　fish…herdess　and　that　the　shoal　was　really　a flock　at　pasture。
both　the　fishes　and　the　girl　were　quite　close　to　the　surface。　and　just　as the　girl；　gliding　in　the　shallow　water；　and　lucy；　leaning　over　the　bulwark；　came　opposite　to　one another；　the　girl　looked　up　and　stared　straight　into　lucys　face。　neither　could　speak　to the　other　and　in　a　moment　the　sea　girl　dropped　astern。　but　lucy　will　never　forget　her　face。 it　did　not　look　frightened　or　angry　like　those　of　the　other　sea　people。　lucy　had　liked　that girl　and　she　felt　certain　the　girl　had　liked　her。　in　that　one　moment　they　had　somehow bee　friends。
there　does　not　seem　to　be　much　chance　of　their　meeting　again　in　that　world or　any　other。
but　if　ever　they　do　they　will　rush　together　with　their　hands　held　out。
after　that　for　many　days；　without　wind　in　her　shrouds　or　foam　at　her　bows； across　a　waveless　sea；　the　dawn　treader　glided　smoothly　east。　every　day　and　every hour　the　light　became　more　brilliant　and　still　they　could　bear　it。　no　one　ate　or　slept　and no　one　wanted　to；　but　they　drew　buckets　of　dazzling　water　from　the　sea；　stronger　than wine　and　somehow　wetter；　more　liquid；　than　ordinary　water；　and　pledged　one　another silently　in　deep　draughts　of　it。　and　one　or　two　of　the　sailors　who　had　been　oldish　men when　the　voyage　began　now　grew　younger　every　day。　everyone　on　board　was　filled　with joy　and　excitement；　but　not　an　excitement　that　made　one　talk。　the　further　they sailed　the　less　they　spoke；　and　then　almost　in　a　whisper。　the　stillness　of　that　last　sea　laid hold　on　them。
〃my　lord；〃　said　caspian　to　drinian　one　day；　〃what　do　you　see　ahead？”
〃sire；〃　said　drinian；　〃i　see　whiteness。　all　along　the　horizon　from　north　to south；　as　far　as　my　eyes　can　reach。”
〃that　is　what　i　see　too；〃　said　caspian；　〃and　i　cannot　imagine　what　it　is。”
〃if　we　were　in　higher　latitudes；　your　majesty；〃　said　drinian；　〃i　would　say it　was　ice。　but　it　cant　be　that；　not　here。　all　the　same；　wed　better　get　men　to　the　oars and　hold　the　ship
back　against　the　current。　whatever　the　stuff　is；　we　dont　want　to　crash into　it　at　this　speed！”
they　did　as　drinian　said；　and　so　continued　to　go　slower　and　slower。　the whiteness　did　not　get　any　less　mysterious　as　they…　approached　it。　if　it　was　land　it　must be　a　very　strange　land；　for　it　seemed　just　as　smooth　as　the　water　and　on　the　same　level　with it。　when　they　got　very　close　to　it　drinian　put　the　helm　hard　over　and　turned　the　dawn treader　south　so　that　she　was　broadside　on　to　the　current　and　rowed　a　little　way　southward along　the　edge　of　the　whiteness。　in　so　doing　they　accidentally　made　the　important discovery　that　the　current　was　only　about　forty　feet　wide　and　the　rest　of　the　sea　as　still　as a　pond。　this　was　good　news　for　the　crew；　who　had　already　begun　to　think　that　the　return journey　to　ramandus　land；　rowing　against　stream　all　the　way；　would　be　pretty　poor sport。　（it　also　explained　why　the　shepherd　girl　had　dropped　so　quickly　astern。　she　was　not in　the　current。　if　she　had　been　she　would　have　been　moving　east　at　the　same　speed as　the　ship。）
and　still　no　one　could　make　out　what　the　white　stuff　was。　then　the　boat　was lowered　and　it　put　off　to　investigate。　those　who　remained　on　the　dawn　treade