03-01-04-曾达的囚徒 [4]
，my family，my friends，and the things I liked or did not like．He told me what to do when we got there，and how to speak to different people．He was a wonderful teacher，and I listened hard．One mistake could mean death for all three of us．
It was eight o'clock when we arrived at the station and got on the train，and by halfpast nine we were in Strelsau．
And when King Rudolf the Fifth stepped out of the train，the people shouted，'God save the King！'
Old Sapt smiled，'God save them both，'he said quietly．'I only hope we are all alive tonight！'
■ 3 国王加冕
我不知道自己睡了多长时间，醒来时我发觉又冷又湿。萨普特和弗里茨站在那儿看着我。“我们得弄醒你，”萨普特说，“凉水是唯一的办法。”
弗里茨抓住我的胳膊让我转过身：“你看，”他说。
国王在地板上。萨普特用脚碰他，但是他不动。
“我们一直在想弄醒他，都有半个小时了。”弗里茨说，“可他睡得像死人一样。”
我们三人你看看我，我看看你。
“最后那瓶酒里有什么东西吧？”
“我不知道。”萨普特说，“不过假如他今天不去加冕，他就永远别想有另一个加冕典礼。所有的卢里塔尼亚人都在斯特莱索等着他。黑迈克尔也在那儿，还带着一半儿军队。我们没法告诉他们国王醉得太厉害，参加不了自己的加冕大典。”
“你可以说他病了。”我说。
“病了！”萨普特冷笑道，“谁都知道病了是什么意思。他以前已经病得太多了。”
“告诉我，你们想会不会有人把什么东西放在他的酒里了？”我问。
“是黑迈克尔干的！”弗里茨回答，“我们都知道他自己想当国王。”
有那么一会儿我们都没说话，然后萨普特看着我，“你必须去斯特莱索代替他。”
我紧紧盯着他，“你疯了！我怎么能干这个！国王他……”
“这很危险，我明白，”萨普特说，“但这是我们唯一的机会，要是你不去的话，黑迈克尔就会成为国王，而真正的国王就会死去或者成为一名囚徒。”
我怎么能拒绝呢？我想了两分钟就下了决心。
“我去！”我说。
“太好了，小伙子！”萨普特叫道。他快速而小声地说下去，“大典之后，他们会带我们去王宫过夜，等到就剩我们的时候，你和我骑马回来接国王。他那时就没事了。我会带他去斯特莱索，而你必须离开这个国家。”
“可是那些士兵怎么办？”弗里茨问，“他们是黑迈克尔的人，他们会前来带国王到斯特莱索去加冕。”
“士兵还没到达之前我们就走。”萨普特说，“而且我们还要把国王藏起来。”
他抱起国王，我们打开了门。一个老太太，约翰的妈妈，正站在门外。她转过身，一句话也没说就走回了厨房。
“她听到了吗？”弗里茨问。
“别担心，我会弄妥让她没法告诉别人的。”萨普特说着，把国王弄走了。
等他回来时，他告诉我们，他已经把那个老太太锁在一间地下室里了。“约瑟夫会照顾国王的，等国王醒来时会把什么都告诉他。来吧，”他说，“没有时间了，已经6点了。”
很快，我穿上了国王的衣服，马早已备好，我们就上路了。当我们穿过森林时，萨普特尽他所能地告诉我一切，有关我的生活，我的家庭，我的朋友，我喜欢什么不喜欢什么。他告诉我等到了那儿要做什么，以及怎么和不同的人说话。他是个好老师，我听得也很努力，因为一个错误就可能让我们三人丧命。
我们到车站上车的时候是8点钟。8点半我们就到了斯特莱索。
当国王鲁道夫五世迈出车厢时，人们欢呼道：“上帝拯救国王！”
老萨普特微笑道，“上帝拯救他们两个人。”他小声说，“我只希望今晚我们都还活着！”
■ 4 My adventures begin
As we made our way to the palace，I began to feel that I really was the King of Ruritania，with Marshal Strakencz，the head of the army，on my right and old Sapt on my left．I could see that Strelsau was really two towns the Old Town and the New Town．The people of the Old Town，who were poor，wanted Duke Michael to be their King，but the people of the New Town wanted King Rudolf．We went through the New Town first，and it was bright and colourful，with the ladies'dresses and the red roses of the Elphbergs．The people shouted loudly for their King as we passed through the streets．But when we came to the Old Town，the Marshal and Sapt moved nearer to my horse，and I could see that they were afraid for me．
'Stay back！'I called．'I'll show my people that I'm not afraid of them．'Some of the crowd were pleased when they heard this，but most of them watched me in silence．
Finally，we reached the great church of Strelsau．I remember very little of the coronation-only two faces．One was a beauti ful girl with wonderful red hair，the Princess Flavia．The other was the face of a man with black hair and dark，deep eyes-Black Michael．When he saw me，his face turned white．Clearly，he was surprised and deeply unhappy to see me．
The coronation seemed to last for hours，but I managed to say and do all the right things．At last it was over，and I was now the King of Ruritania！As Princess Flavia and I drove back to the palace in an open car，one man in the crowd called out，'When's the wedding？'
The Princess's face went a little pink when she heard this．After a while she said，'You seem different today，Rudolf．Quieter and more serious．Are you going to become a more sensible person now？'
The Princess，I realized，did not think very highly of the King．As for me，I thought the King was a very lucky man．
'If that will please you，I'll try to do it，'I said softly．
The Princess's face went pink again．Then she said，'You must be careful of Michael．You know．'
'I know，'I said，'that he wants what I have，and also what I hope to have one day．'As I spoke，I looked at her，and she smiled at me prettily．
'I wonder what the King's doing now，'I thought．
* * *
The royal dinner went on for a long time，but at last Fritz，Sapt，and I were alone in the King's dressing-room
It was eight o'clock when we arrived at the station and got on the train，and by halfpast nine we were in Strelsau．
And when King Rudolf the Fifth stepped out of the train，the people shouted，'God save the King！'
Old Sapt smiled，'God save them both，'he said quietly．'I only hope we are all alive tonight！'
■ 3 国王加冕
我不知道自己睡了多长时间，醒来时我发觉又冷又湿。萨普特和弗里茨站在那儿看着我。“我们得弄醒你，”萨普特说，“凉水是唯一的办法。”
弗里茨抓住我的胳膊让我转过身：“你看，”他说。
国王在地板上。萨普特用脚碰他，但是他不动。
“我们一直在想弄醒他，都有半个小时了。”弗里茨说，“可他睡得像死人一样。”
我们三人你看看我，我看看你。
“最后那瓶酒里有什么东西吧？”
“我不知道。”萨普特说，“不过假如他今天不去加冕，他就永远别想有另一个加冕典礼。所有的卢里塔尼亚人都在斯特莱索等着他。黑迈克尔也在那儿，还带着一半儿军队。我们没法告诉他们国王醉得太厉害，参加不了自己的加冕大典。”
“你可以说他病了。”我说。
“病了！”萨普特冷笑道，“谁都知道病了是什么意思。他以前已经病得太多了。”
“告诉我，你们想会不会有人把什么东西放在他的酒里了？”我问。
“是黑迈克尔干的！”弗里茨回答，“我们都知道他自己想当国王。”
有那么一会儿我们都没说话，然后萨普特看着我，“你必须去斯特莱索代替他。”
我紧紧盯着他，“你疯了！我怎么能干这个！国王他……”
“这很危险，我明白，”萨普特说，“但这是我们唯一的机会，要是你不去的话，黑迈克尔就会成为国王，而真正的国王就会死去或者成为一名囚徒。”
我怎么能拒绝呢？我想了两分钟就下了决心。
“我去！”我说。
“太好了，小伙子！”萨普特叫道。他快速而小声地说下去，“大典之后，他们会带我们去王宫过夜，等到就剩我们的时候，你和我骑马回来接国王。他那时就没事了。我会带他去斯特莱索，而你必须离开这个国家。”
“可是那些士兵怎么办？”弗里茨问，“他们是黑迈克尔的人，他们会前来带国王到斯特莱索去加冕。”
“士兵还没到达之前我们就走。”萨普特说，“而且我们还要把国王藏起来。”
他抱起国王，我们打开了门。一个老太太，约翰的妈妈，正站在门外。她转过身，一句话也没说就走回了厨房。
“她听到了吗？”弗里茨问。
“别担心，我会弄妥让她没法告诉别人的。”萨普特说着，把国王弄走了。
等他回来时，他告诉我们，他已经把那个老太太锁在一间地下室里了。“约瑟夫会照顾国王的，等国王醒来时会把什么都告诉他。来吧，”他说，“没有时间了，已经6点了。”
很快，我穿上了国王的衣服，马早已备好，我们就上路了。当我们穿过森林时，萨普特尽他所能地告诉我一切，有关我的生活，我的家庭，我的朋友，我喜欢什么不喜欢什么。他告诉我等到了那儿要做什么，以及怎么和不同的人说话。他是个好老师，我听得也很努力，因为一个错误就可能让我们三人丧命。
我们到车站上车的时候是8点钟。8点半我们就到了斯特莱索。
当国王鲁道夫五世迈出车厢时，人们欢呼道：“上帝拯救国王！”
老萨普特微笑道，“上帝拯救他们两个人。”他小声说，“我只希望今晚我们都还活着！”
■ 4 My adventures begin
As we made our way to the palace，I began to feel that I really was the King of Ruritania，with Marshal Strakencz，the head of the army，on my right and old Sapt on my left．I could see that Strelsau was really two towns the Old Town and the New Town．The people of the Old Town，who were poor，wanted Duke Michael to be their King，but the people of the New Town wanted King Rudolf．We went through the New Town first，and it was bright and colourful，with the ladies'dresses and the red roses of the Elphbergs．The people shouted loudly for their King as we passed through the streets．But when we came to the Old Town，the Marshal and Sapt moved nearer to my horse，and I could see that they were afraid for me．
'Stay back！'I called．'I'll show my people that I'm not afraid of them．'Some of the crowd were pleased when they heard this，but most of them watched me in silence．
Finally，we reached the great church of Strelsau．I remember very little of the coronation-only two faces．One was a beauti ful girl with wonderful red hair，the Princess Flavia．The other was the face of a man with black hair and dark，deep eyes-Black Michael．When he saw me，his face turned white．Clearly，he was surprised and deeply unhappy to see me．
The coronation seemed to last for hours，but I managed to say and do all the right things．At last it was over，and I was now the King of Ruritania！As Princess Flavia and I drove back to the palace in an open car，one man in the crowd called out，'When's the wedding？'
The Princess's face went a little pink when she heard this．After a while she said，'You seem different today，Rudolf．Quieter and more serious．Are you going to become a more sensible person now？'
The Princess，I realized，did not think very highly of the King．As for me，I thought the King was a very lucky man．
'If that will please you，I'll try to do it，'I said softly．
The Princess's face went pink again．Then she said，'You must be careful of Michael．You know．'
'I know，'I said，'that he wants what I have，and also what I hope to have one day．'As I spoke，I looked at her，and she smiled at me prettily．
'I wonder what the King's doing now，'I thought．
* * *
The royal dinner went on for a long time，but at last Fritz，Sapt，and I were alone in the King's dressing-room