本集演播：槑贰 

后期：米粒儿

英文对照文本在最底下，请往下拉到底。

第7章02 矿井

 虽然同伴们肯定都已经走光了，可有一些夜里留下继续工作的人第二天早上说，他们每次停下手里的活儿喘口气，就能听见四面八方的咚咚声，好像晚上在山里也充满了挖矿的人，而且简直比白天还多。所有人都知道那肯定是哥布林的声音，因而很多人晚上就不留下通宵了。哥布林只在晚上工作，因为矿工的夜晚是他们的白天。其实大多数矿工都害怕哥布林；如果哥布林晚上工作的时候突然遇见了矿工的话，会对他们做出什么可怕的事情来，这在矿工里有很多传的沸沸扬扬的版本。但是矿工里面也有一些有胆量的，比如彼得·彼得森和跟他一样勇敢的儿子科迪。父子俩总是整晚整 晚地熬夜工作，虽然有好几次也遇见了几个落单的哥布林，但每次都能把这些家伙赶走。我前面已经说了，打败哥布林最好的办法就是唱歌，它们讨厌任何歌，其中一些它们更是一点儿都受不了。我怀疑这是因为他们自己不会写歌，所以它们也不喜欢歌。那些最害怕哥布林的，都是自己不会编歌，也记不住别人教给他们的歌的人。而那些不害怕哥布林的，就是自己会编歌的人。虽然很多旧歌特别有效，但是大家都知道，它们更厌恶新编的歌，尤其是某种恰当的新歌。所以新歌更容易把它们赶走。我的读者们可能会想，从来没人见过哥布林拿矿石去卖啊，那它们整晚整晚地到底在忙活什么呢。等我把接下来的一个晚上科迪遇见的事情告诉你们，你们就明白了。

因为科迪决定，只要他爸爸同意，他就自己呆一整晚。他这么做有两个理由：第一，他想多挣些工钱给妈妈买一件暖和的红裙子。她已经开始抱怨了，说今年秋天的山风比往年冷得早。第二，他正好也想弄明白前一天晚上在他窗户底下的哥布林到底在搞什么鬼。

他跟爸爸说了之后，爸爸没有反对，因为他对自己儿子的勇气和本领都很有信心。

“抱歉，我不能跟你一起了，”彼得说，“我今晚得去牧师那儿一趟，而且今天一整天我也有点儿头疼。”

“没事儿吧，爸爸？”科迪说。

“哦，不是很严重。你要保证照顾好自己，可以吗？”

“好的，爸爸；我会照顾好自己的。我向你保证，一定小心谨慎。”现在只剩下科迪一个人在矿里了。大约6点钟的时候其他人就都走了，大家都跟他道了晚安，让他照顾好自己。因为大家都非常喜欢他。

“别忘了你的歌。”有个矿工说。

“不会的，不会的。”科迪回答。

“忘了也没关系，”另一个矿工说，“他只要再编一个就行了。”

“那倒是没错，但是万一他想得没那么快呢，”另一个说，“那些卑鄙的家伙可能趁他正在脑子里想着的时候袭击他。”

“我会尽力的，”科迪说，“我不怕。”“我们都知道你不怕。”矿工们都走了，只留下科迪一个人。

CHAPTER 7 PART II The Mines

Some who had thus remained behind during the night, although certain there were none of their companions at work, would declare the next morning that they heard, every time they halted for a moment to take breath, a tap-tapping all about them, as if the mountain were then more full of miners than ever it was during the day; and some in consequence would never stay overnight, for all knew those were the sounds of the goblins. They worked only at night, for the miners' night was the goblins' day. Indeed, the greater number of the miners were afraid of the goblins; for there were strange stories well known amongst them of the treatment some had received whom the goblins had surprised at their work during the night. The more courageous of them, however, amongst them Peter Peterson and Curdie, who in this took after his father, had stayed in the mine all night again and again, and although they had several times encountered a few stray goblins, had never yet failed in driving them away. As I have indicated already, the chief defence against them was verse, for they hated verse of every kind, and some kinds they could not endure at all. I suspect they could not make any themselves, and that was why they disliked it so much. At all events, those who were most afraid of them were those who could neither make verses themselves nor remember the verses that other people made for them; while those who were never afraid were those who could make verses for themselves; for although there were certain old rhymes which were very effectual, yet it was well known that a new rhyme, if of the right sort, was even more distasteful to them, and therefore more effectual in putting them to flight.

Perhaps my readers may be wondering what the goblins could be about, working all night long, seeing they never carried up the ore and sold it; but when I have informed them concerning what Curdie learned the very next night, they will be able to understand.

For Curdie had determined, if his father would permit him, to remain there alone this night—and that for two reasons: first, he wanted to get extra wages that he might buy a very warm red petticoat for his mother, who had begun to complain of the cold of the mountain air sooner than usual this autumn; and second, he had just a faint hope of finding out what the goblins were about under his window the night before.

When he told his father, he made no objection, for he had great confidence in his boy's courage and resources.

'I'm sorry I can't stay with you,' said Peter; 'but I want to go and pay the parson a visit this evening, and besides I've had a bit of a headache all day.'

'I'm sorry for that, father,' said Curdie.

'Oh, it's not much. You'll be sure to take care of yourself, won't you?'

'Yes, father; I will. I'll keep a sharp look-out, I promise you.' Curdie was the only one who remained in the mine. About six o'clock the rest went away, everyone bidding him good night, and telling him to take care of himself; for he was a great favourite with them all.

'Don't forget your rhymes,' said one.

'No, no,'answered Curdie.

'It's no matter if he does,' said another, 'for he'll only have to make a new one.'

'Yes: but he mightn't be able to make it fast enough,' said another; 'and while it was cooking in his head, they might take a mean advantage and set upon him.'

'I'll do my best,' said Curdie. 'I'm not afraid.'

 'We all know that,' they returned, and left him.