《能言馬與男孩》第14期:在塔什班城門口(3)

"Then I called the maid who was to go with me to the woods and perform the rites of Zardeenah and told her to wake me very early in the morning. And I became merry with her and gave her wine to drink; but I had mixed such things in her cup that I knew she must sleep for a night and a day. As soon as the household of my father had committed themselves to sleep I arose and put on an armour of my brother's which I always kept in my chamber in his memory. I put into my girdle all the money I had and certain choice jewels and provided myself also with food, and saddled the mare with my own hands and rode away in the second watch of the night. I directed my course not to the woods where my father supposed that I would go but north and east to Tashbaan.

“於是我叫喚那跟我起到森林裏去獻祭扎迪娜的丫頭，關照她大清早就要叫醒我。我跟她談得很開心，我給她酒唱但我在她的酒杯裏摻了點兒東西，我知道她必定要睡上一夜再加一天。我父親府邸裏的人都上牀睡覺後，我穿上了我哥哥的盔甲，那是我一直留在房間裏做紀念的。我把我所有的錢和一些珠寶精品都放進我的腰帶裏，也給自己準備好了食物，我親手給母馬上了鞍子，二更時分，我就騎馬出奔了。我走的路不是我父親所料想的向森林而去，而是朝塔什班的東北方而去。

"Now for three days and more I knew that my father would not seek me, being deceived by the words I had said to him. And on the fourth day we arrived at the city of Azim Balda. Now Azim Balda stands at the meeting of many roads and from it the posts of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) ride on swift horses to every part of the empire: and it is one of the rights and privileges of the greater Tarkaans to send messages by them. I therefore went to the Chief of the Messengers in the House of Imperial Posts in Azim Balda and said, 'O dispatcher of messages, here is a letter from my uncle Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan lord of Calavar. Take now these five crescents and cause it to be sent to him.' And the Chief of the Messengers said, 'To hear is to obey.'

“我知道，父親被我跟他所說的話欺騙了，三四天內是不會尋找我的。我在第四天到達了阿齊姆;巴爾達城。卻說阿齊姆;巴爾達城坐落在許多道路的交匯處，蒂斯羅克(願他萬壽無疆)的郵差騎着快馬奔向王國的四面八方，高級泰坎們有權利和特許，可以叫郵差們送信。所以我就到阿齊姆;巴爾達城的帝國郵政大慢去找郵政局長，說道：‘傳遞訊息的官兒啊，這兒是封信，是我伯父泰坎阿霍什塔寄給卡拉瓦爾省長泰坎是特拉什的。拿着這五個克利申，把這信給他送去吧。’郵政局長說道‘聽到命令就遵命照辦。’

"This letter was feigned to be written by Ahoshta and this was the signification of the writing: 'Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan, salutation and peace. In the name of Tash the irresistible, the inexorable. Be it known to you that as I made my journey towards your house to perform the contract of marriage between me and your daughter Aravis Tarkheena, it pleased fortune and the gods that I fell in with her in the forest when she had ended the rites and sacrifices of Zardeenah according to the custom of maidens. And when I learned who she was, being delighted with her beauty and discretion, I became inflamed with love and it appeared to me that the sun would be dark to me if I did not marry her at once. Accordingly I prepared the necessary sacrifices and married your daughter the same hour that I met her and have returned with her to my own house. And we both pray and charge you to come hither as speedily as you may that we may be delighted with your face and speech; and also that you may bring with youthe dowry of my wife, which, by reason of my great charges and expenses, I require without delay. And because thou and I are brothers I assure myself that you will not be angered by the haste of my marriage which is wholly occasioned by the great love I bear your daughter. And I commit you to the care of all the gods.'

“這封信冒充是阿霍什塔寫的，它的大意是：泰坎阿霍什塔向泰坎基特拉什致敬問安。以不可抗拒的、不屈不撓的塔什神的名義，敬啓者，我在去府上訂定我和令嬡泰克希娜阿拉維斯的婚約的途中，託衆神和命運的福，在森林裏與她不期而遇，那時她已按照少女的習俗，完成了向扎迪娜獻祭的儀式。當我獲悉她是什麼人時，由於欣賞她的美貌和慎重周到，我變得熱情如焚，心裏覺得如果我不立刻同她結婚成親，太陽就會漆黑一團了。我相應地準備了必要的祭品，就在我遇到你女兒的時刻同她結了婚，而且帶她回到我自己的家裏來了。我倆都祈求和要求你儘可能趕緊到這兒來，讓我們可以開心地見到你，聽到你的談笑，也指望你會帶來我妻子的嫁妝，由於我巨大的開銷花費，我要毫不耽誤地得到嫁妝。因爲你和我像兄弟一樣，我確信你不會因我的匆促結婚而生氣，我之所以如此，完全是由於我對你女兒的巨大愛情造成的。我求衆神保佑你。

"As soon as I had done this I rode on in all haste from Azim Balda, fearing no pursuit and expecting that my father, having received such a letter, would send messages to Ahoshta or go to him himself, and that before the matter was discovered I should be beyond Tashbaan. And that is the pith of my story until this very night when I was chased by lions and met you at the swimming of the salt water."

“我辦完了這件事就急急忙忙騎馬從阿齊姆;巴爾達趕出來了，我倒小怕被人追逐，而是希望我父親接到這封佶，便會寄信給阿霍什塔，或者親自到他那兒去，這樣一來，及至事情被拆穿，我早已過了塔什班城了。在我被獅子追逐、在海水裏游泳而遇到你們的那一夜之前，那一段便是我故事裏最精彩的了。”

"And what happened to the girl - the one you drugged?" asked Shasta.

“那個丫頭後來如何呢——你給她吃了蒙汗藥的那個？”沙斯塔問。