The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe
So the children all got close together and walked up to the tree and in behind it, and there, sure enough, they found the Beaver; but it still drew back, saying to them in a hoarse throaty whisper, "Further in, come further in. Right in here. We're not safe in the open!"
Only when it had led them into a dark spot where four trees grew so close together that their boughs met and the brown earth and pine needles could be seen underfoot because no snow had been able to fall there, did it begin to talk to them.
"Are you the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve?" it said.
"We're some of them," said Peter.
"S-s-s-sh!" said the Beaver, "not so loud please. We're not safe even here."
"Why, who are you afraid of?" said Peter. "There's no one here but ourselves."
"There are the trees," said the Beaver. "They're always listening. Most of them are on our side, but there are trees that would betray us to her; you know who I mean," and it nodded its head several times.
"If it comes to talking about sides," said Edmund, "how do we know you're a friend?"
"Not meaning to be rude, Mr Beaver," added Peter, "but you see, we're strangers."
"Quite right, quite right," said the Beaver. "Here is my token." With these words it held up to them a little white object. They all looked at it in surprise, till suddenly Lucy said, "Oh, of course. It's my handkerchief—the one I gave to poor Mr. Tumnus."
“That’s right.”said the Beaver.“Poor fellow,he got wind of the arrest before it actually happened and handed this over to me. He said that if anything happened to him I must meet you here and take you on to...”Here the Beaver’s voice sank into silence and it gave one or two very mysterious nods.
【亮点词汇】
1. draw back 后退；保持距离
2. betray v. 背叛；辜负 常搭配betray sb./sth. to sb
例：For years they had been betraying state secrets to her.
3. token n.信物
4. get wind of (sth.) 听到……风声
例：Newspaper reporters seem to always get wind of the biggest stories before anyone else.
5. hand over 转交；递交
6. sink into 陷入；沉入
【实用口语】
Not meaning to be rude.
【句型课代表】
Only when it had led them into a dark spot where four trees grew so close together that their boughs met and the brown earth and pine needles could be seen underfoot because no snow had been able to fall there, did it begin to talk to them.
该句是only引导的部分倒装句。when引导的状语从句中，spot是先行词，where引导的是定语从句。在定语从句中，含有so...that引导的结果状语从句，because引导的是原因状语从句。
【参考译文】
狮子、女巫与魔衣橱
于是，孩子们紧靠在一起，朝着那棵树走过去，一直走到树后面海狸原先站的地方，但海狸却从那里又继续朝后退去了。它压低了嗓门用一种嘶哑的声音对他们说：“往里，再往里，到我这儿来，在外面有危险。”
它把他们一直引到一个非常幽暗的地方。那里有四棵树紧挨在一起，树枝与树枝连成一片，雪落不到下面来，因而地上可以看见褐色的泥土和松针。他们到了这儿以后，海狸才开始和他们说话。
“你们是亚当的儿子和夏娃的女儿吗?”它问。
“是的。”彼得答道。
“嘘——”海狸说，“声音不要太大，即使在这儿，我们还是不够安全。”
“哎呀，你怕谁?”彼得说，“这里除了我们以外，再也没旁的人了。”
“这里有树。”海狸说，“它们老把耳朵竖着。它们当中绝大多数站在我们一边，但也有背叛我们倒向她那一边的，你们知道我说的是倒向谁吗?”它接连点了好几下头。
“要是说到两边的话，”爱德蒙说，“我们怎么知道你是朋友而不是敌人?”
“请你别见怪，海狸先生，”彼得解释说，“你看，我们彼此之间还不熟悉呢。”
“对，对，”海狸说，“我这里有一样纪念品。”说着，它就拿出一件白色的小东西。孩子们都惊讶地注视着。突然，露茜说道：“哦，这是我的手帕，是我送给可怜的图姆纳斯先生的。”
“不错，”海狸说，“我可怜的伙伴，他在被捕以前听到了风声，就把这个手帕交给我，说如果他有什么意外，我就必须在这个地方与你们会面，并领你们到……”说到这，海狸的声音低得听不见了。它非常神秘地向孩子们点点头。
