第三章--The First of the Secrets(1-3)

1.
How did we all start debating about boundaries? When did we become convinced we were all something other than human? Every starting point has an earlier starting point before it. Some of the roots of how it came about, I remember. Others have become misty and autumn-colored with time.

1.

是什么让我们开始关于边界的争论?我们什么时候确信我们都不是人类?所有事情的开端都有预兆.我记得一些导致它发生的根源,其他的已经随着时间被蒙上了薄沙,在记忆中泛黄.

If I had to choose a starting point, there were three I would select, not one. I remember when Victor made us all put our hands together and promise. I remember when Vanity found the notes, which had our lost tales in them. And then, many years later, Quentin discovered the secret.

如果一定要让我选择一个开端的话, 我会有三个选择, 而不是一个. 我记得当维克托让我们所有人把手叠在一起发誓. 我记得当瓦妮特发现了记载着我们传说的笔记.还有,很多年以后,昆廷发现了秘密.

2.
I don’t know how old I was. Vanity (or Tertia, as she was called then) only came to my shoulder, and Quentin was small enough that Victor (Primus) could carry him in his arms. When he stood up, Quentin’s head only came to the level of Victor’s elbow. Quentin was too young for lessons; I remember being jealous when he was allowed to sit on the floor and play with a wooden horse on wheels while I had to practice penmanship, making rows and endless rows of slightly lopsided O’s and Q’s.

As for me, the doorknob to the coal cellar was right below the level of my eye, because when Mr. Glum slapped me roughly on the back of my head (I was afraid to open the door to the cellar) the doorknob struck me on the cheek, and I had a bruise there for a week.

2.

我不记得那时候我多大.瓦妮特(那时候她叫特西娅)只到我的肩膀,昆廷也很小,维克托(普里墨斯)能把他抱在手里.当他站起来的时候,昆廷的头只到维克托的手肘.昆廷那时还小,不用上课;我记得我的嫉妒,因为当我不得不练习书法,写一行又一行轻微倾斜的O's和Q's的时候,他却被允许坐在地上玩带轮子的木马.

那个时候, 煤窖的门把手的高度刚好到我的眼睛下方,由于格罗姆先生粗鲁地拍我的后脑勺(我害怕打开煤窖的门)门把手撞在了我的脸颊上,然后我的脸瘀了一个礼拜.

I don’t remember why they were locking us in the coal cellar, but I do remember wishing and hoping that the Headmaster would come back from wherever he was, and set things to rights. He and Dr. Fell had dressed up in dark clothing, with black scarves fluttering from their top hats, looking grim and terrible. A funeral, I suppose. I remember the two stalking silently off into the freezing rain, wide black umbrellas overhead. The rest of the staff was particularly cruel to us that evening, or so it seemed to me. Mrs. Wren was raging up and down the corridors, howling like a banshee, toppling suits of armor on racks and pushing over floral vases that stood on the pillars next to the main doors. I think this was before she took up strong drink.

我不记得他们为什么要把我们关在煤窖里,但是我清楚地记得十分期待和盼望校长回来,无论他在哪, 然后让一切事情都恢复正常.他和费尔医生出去时穿着黑色衣服,礼帽上飘动着黑色的丝巾,看上去严肃而可怕.是去参加葬礼,我猜想.我记得他们两个撑着黑伞,昂首阔步,安静地消失在冰冷的雨里.那天晚上其他人对我们特别严酷,或着是对我特别严酷.瑞文女士在走廊里暴怒,想女妖精一样嚎叫,推倒架子上的盔甲,掀翻大门旁边柱子上的花盆.而且这还是在她喝了烈酒之前做的.

They locked us in the dark and cold. Whatever our crime had been, I did not know. It was dark and starless that night, the drafts smelled of snow, and the dirt floor was colder than ice. I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. I remember Vanity saying, “Quentin’s all cold. He stopped moving. Is he going to die?” her voice was as thin and high as a flute.

他们把我们关在又黑又冷的煤窖里.我不知道我们究竟犯了什么罪.那是一个漆黑的没有星星的夜晚,天上厚厚的云,有下雪的倾向,肮脏的地板比冰还要冷.我打着寒颤,牙齿发抖.我记得瓦妮特说,"昆廷全身冰冷.他不动了.他是不是快死了?"她的声音像长笛一样又细又高.

Victor told us all to gather up in a huddle for warmth. His voice was high-pitched then, but it was very earnest, and just hearing it made me feel better. I could hear him rummaging around in the dark.

维克托告诉我们全身缩成一团可以暖和些.他那是正在变声,嗓音很尖,但是非常热诚,听到他使我感觉好多了.我听到他在黑暗中翻箱倒柜地找着什么.

“This is a coal cellar,” young Victor said. “There is wood and kindling in the wood box.” There was a tremble in his voice,too, but I could hear how he forced himself to speak calmly.Colin, or as he was called back then, Quartinus, said,“Boogers! There’s nothing to start a fire with! Mrs. Wren’s had a nightmare, and we’re all going to die for it.”

"这是一个煤窖,"年幼的维克托说."木盒子里有木头和引火的东西."他的声音也在颤抖,但是我可以听到他在强迫自己保持冷静.科林,或者说他那时候的名字,夸特努斯,说道,"没有用的!这里没有什么可以用来生火的东西!瑞文女士在发疯,我们都会被她弄死的."

In the pitch blackness, Quentin’s voice came up from the pile where we all lay together, “A ghost. She saw her husband’s ghost.” I was relieved to hear him, because I was so very afraid he had passed away. Certainly his skin felt like ice up against mine.

在伸手不见五指的黑暗中,昆廷的声音从我们挤在一团的地方响起,"鬼魂.她看到了她丈夫的鬼魂."听到他的声音我放心下来,因为我非常担心他已经死了.他的皮肤摸上去就像冰一样冷.

Victor laid his coat over the pile of us. I wondered how he could stand the cold in his thin shirt, but he did not complain.Victor never complained. “I’ll start a fire. I’ll make something.Lend me your tie. I found a bent stick in the woodpile, and I can make a drill.”

维克托脱下他的外衣盖在我们身上.我不知道他就穿着薄薄的衬衣怎么抵御寒冷,但是他并没有抱怨.维克托从不抱怨."我要生一堆火.我得做些什么.借我你的带子.我在木料堆里找到几捆杂草,我可以用来钻木取火.

Minutes passed, and it grew colder. I could hear Victor sawing away at something, the hissing noise of wood on wood, but no fire came.

几分钟过去了,感觉变得更冷了.我听到维克托在什么东西上锯着,发出木头和木头摩擦的嘶嘶声,但是没有出来火.

“Boogers!” shouted Colin, who did not know any of the many foul words he was to learn later in life. “Do you think you are a Red Indian? Rubbing two bloody sticks together? We’re all going to die, and it will be your fault!”

"废柴!"科林叫到,他那时还没学会后来那么多的脏话."你以为你是印地安野人吗?拿着着两根带血的棍子摩擦?我们都要死了,这都是你的过错!"

Victor said to me, “Secunda. Get them talking. Keep their mind off it, you know? We’ve all got to hang together.” My teeth wanted to chatter, but I made myself speak. “OK,attention, everyone! I know we are all cold and afraid. But we have something we have to do. We have to remember our Tales.”

维克托对我说,"西根达.和他们说话.吸引他们的注意力,你知道怎么做吗?我们必须同心协力."我的牙齿打颤,但是我还是努力说道."好了,所有人注意!我知道我们都又冷又怕.但是有的事我们必须去做.我们必须住我们的故事."

I do not remember a time when I had not been the unofficial Keeper of the Tales for our group. It had always been my task.Colin used to joke that I was to be the Tale Keeper because my memory was so good. (“Whenever I do something wrong, she always remembers to remind me, eh?” so he would say.)

我不记得有什么时候我不是我们故事的非官方保管人.那总是我的任务.科林经常开玩笑说我以后会作一个故事保管员,因为我的记忆力是那么好.("但我做错什么事的时候,她总是记得提醒我,恩?"他会这样说.)

I spoke gently to young little Quentin. “The Tales are the only thing we know about our home. Our real home. Quentin, you start.”

我轻轻地对小昆廷说."那些故事是我们知道的唯一关于我们家园的事情了.我们真正的家.昆廷,从你开始."

“I-I’m t-too cold.”

"我...我...太冷了."

“Quentin, you must start. We can’t lose our Tales. You have to tell.”

"昆廷,你必须开始.我们不能忘记我们的故事.你必须说."

But Quentin simply whimpered and did not answer.

但是昆廷只是在哼哼,没有答话.

Colin said, “C’mon you great booger. Talk! You don’t want them to win, do you?”

科林说,"说吧,你这个大废物.说话!你不想让他们赢,对吧?"

I felt Quentin’s cold body stir in my arms.

我感到昆廷冰冷的身子在我的怀里挪动.

He spoke in a voice so weak and thin that I could barely hear him, even though my ear was but inches from his mouth. “I remember my mum. Her hair is gray. She’s blind. I remember how I would run and she would spread her arms and say, ‘Where’s my little shadow? Where’s my little shadow?’ and I would run and jump into her arms, and mum would hug me, and give me a kiss, and she would say, ‘I know you, little one. I will always know you.’ And I would say, ‘How’d’ you know it’s me? How’d’ you know it’s me?’ and she would say, ‘My soul knows your soul,
little one, my heart knows your heart.’ That’s what I remember.”

I said, “Tell us more. Tell us about the giant. You’ve got to remember the whole of the Tale. It is your Tale.”

他说话的声音非常微弱,即使我的耳朵只离他的嘴一英尺,也是能刚好听见他的声音."我记得我的妈妈.她的头发是灰色的.她蒙着眼.我记得我在一边跑,而她张开双臂说,'我的小尾巴在哪?我的小尾巴在哪?'然后我跑着跳进她的怀里,妈妈抱着我,吻我,她说,'我知道是你,小家伙.我知道总是你.'然后我说,'你怎么知道是我?你怎么知道是我?' 她回答说,'我的灵魂感到了你的灵魂,小家伙,我的心感到了你的心.'这就是我记得的."

我说,"告诉我们更多.告诉我们关于巨人的事.你一定记得整个故事.这是你的故事."

Quentin said, “My dad. He lives in a room with statues. Statues and chessmen and dolls. His beard is gray and comes to the floor, and his hair is gray, too. He has a harp that sits in his lap. And when he plays, the statues dance. Once upon a time, he took me and took his harp, and sat on the statue of a big crow, and he played, and the crow flew up in the air.”

昆廷说,"我的爸爸.他住在一个有雕像的房子里.雕像,象棋和洋娃娃.他灰色的胡子拖到了地上,他的头发也是灰色的.他的腿上放着一张竖琴.他弹的时候,雕像就会跳舞.以前,他带着我和他的竖琴,坐在一个大乌鸦的雕像上,他演奏的时候,乌鸦就飞上了天空.

Vanity said, “That couldn’t really happen, could it?” Victor, from somewhere in the gloom, said, “Maybe it was an airplane. Only looked like a crow.”

瓦妮特说,"那不会真的发生,会吗?"维克托在黑暗中的某处说到,"也许那是一架飞机.只是看上去像乌鸦."

I said sternly, “Stop! You can’t talk back to the Tales. You can’t change them or make fun of them! That’s the rule! If you start changing the Tales, they might go away, and then we won’t have anything!”

我不高兴地说,"闭嘴!你们不能反驳这个故事.你们不能改动它或用它开玩笑!这是规矩!如果你开始改动故事,它们就会离去,然后我们就什么都没有了!"

Victor said, “She’s right.”

维克托说,"她是对的."

I said, “Go on, Quentin. Tell us about the giant.”
Quentin was quiet, and then he spoke in a sad whisper. “I don’t know the rest.”

我说,"继续,昆廷.告诉我们巨人的事."

昆廷保持沉默了一会儿,然后悲伤地低声说到."我不知道剩下的了."

“Sure you do! Your father took you to see the Shining Mountains! Instead of snow, the mountains all have light, silver light,all along the tops. Do you remember what he said? He told you,‘This is the place where the falling stars fall whenever stars fall down.’ ”

"你当然知道!你爸爸带你去看会发光的山!山上没有雪,全是光,银色的光,整个山顶都是.你记得他说了什么吗?他告诉你,'这里是流星坠落的地方,任何时候星星坠落了,它们都会掉到这里."

Quentin said, “I don’t remember. I don’t. Leave me alone.”

昆廷说,"我不记得了.不记得了.别来烦我."

I said insistently, “In the dark valley between the mountains of light, your father the magician took you to see the giant, who was trapped up to his neck in the ice. There were dwarfs all digging and digging, chipping away at the ice, to get him out.”

我坚持说道,"在发光的山脉下面的黑色山谷中,你的魔法师父亲带你看到了巨人,巨人被封在了冰里.有很多矮人在冰上不停的挖,想要救他出去.

Quentin said, “It was cold. It was so cold. I saw his hand. It was a mile below me. Under the ice. The fingers. I thought it was five rivers coming to a lake, it was so big. So cold.”

昆廷说,"我冷.我好冷.我看到了他的手.它就在我下面一里的地方.在冰下面.那些手指.我以为那是五条汇入湖泊的河,它是那么大.好冷."

I said, “Yes! Yes! And the giant said—do you remember what the giant told you—once he was free, the bad people would be punished, and the good people would all live happily ever after? The Golden Age would come again. Do you remember?”

我说,"对!对!然后巨人说--你记得巨人对你说了什么吗?--一旦他自由了,坏人将会受到惩罚,好人将会一直快乐的生活.黄金时代再次降临.你记得吗?

“It was so cold.”

"我好冷呀.

“Quentin, maybe the giant has gotten out of the dark valley! Maybe he is coming to save us, right now!”

"昆廷,也许巨人已经从黑暗山谷里出来了!也许他赶过来救我们,现在!"

Quentin sniffled and shivered, but did not answer.

昆廷鼻子发出哼哼声,不断打颤,没有说话.

Vanity spoke up next: “I remember my Tale! Me next! Oh, pick me! Oh, me!”

瓦妮特接下来说:"我记得我的故事!下一个让我说!噢,选我!噢,我!"

“OK. It is your turn, Tertia.”

"好的.轮到你了,特西娅."

“My house is in fairyland,” Vanity said primly. “There is a gold dog who sits by my front door, and a silver dog, too. They come to life when you want them to, and fetch a stick or chase away someone making fun of you. When you don’t need them, they just sit still. There is a singer who sings to me, and he sits in the sunlight in his chair of ivory, and beats the ground with his stick when he sings. He sings of wars and ships and deeds of kings. There are bowls made of silver that hop on three legs like bugs. Hop! Hop! Hop! They walk around and give you fruit and candy. If you’re good. It is always springtime there. My mommy has red hair like me. My daddy is the king there, but Mommy is the one who actually runs the kingdom. My brothers play out in the green field, and throw spears and throw disks.And they run. Sometimes Daddy takes me sailing, and our boat is faster than the wind. Sometimes Mommy plays hide-andseek with me, and she pops out of the floor! Pop! And she puts her arms around me. She tells me to be good, because she loves me. That’s all.”

"我的家在一个仙境里面,"瓦妮特一丝不苟地说."一只黄金狗坐在我的前门,还有一只白银狗.当你想让他们活过来的时候,他们就会有生命,然后衔来树枝或追赶什么来取悦你.当你不需要他们时,他们就仍然坐着.有一个歌手为我演唱,他坐在阳光下的象牙椅子上,当他歌唱的时候用手杖敲打地面.他歌唱战争,海船,还有国王的事迹.银做的碗像发了疯似地在三角架上跳!跳!跳!跳!它们装满了水果和糖果在你身边转圈.如果你感到愉快.那里就总是春天.我妈妈有和我一样的红头发.我爸爸是那里的国王,但是妈妈才是实际上掌管国家的人.我的兄弟们在草地上嬉戏,投掷标枪和飞盘.他们互相追逐着.有的时候我爸爸带我去航海,我们的船比风还快.有的时候我妈妈和我玩捉迷藏,她从地下钻出来!突然钻出来!然后她用她的双臂抱着我.她告诉我要快乐,因为她爱我.这就是我的全部故事了."

I said, “There is another part. Something about being watched.”

我说,"还有另一部分.被关注的事情."

“Oh, that. It is not like here. Nothing pays you any mind here. The rocks and the wind and the grass. It’s all dead. Where I come from, they are all friends. They are all alive. You can feel them watching you, like a tingling all over your skin. It is like being at the recital, when everyone applauded. Like being on stage. Remember how nice that was? It tingled. It wasn’t lonely. I am always lonely here. I want to go home. I don’t want to be alone any more. When can we go home?”

"噢,那个.不像在这里.这里没有人注意你.石头,风和草.都是死物.在我来的地方,它们都是朋友.他们都有生命.你可以感觉到它们正看着你,感到它们的视线包围着你.就像在朗诵会上,人人都在对你鼓掌.就像在舞台上.记得那又多美吗?很兴奋.你不会感到孤独.在这里我总是感到孤独.我想要回家.我再也不想孤独了.我什么时候才能回家?"

Victor said, “I will get you home. I promise. I will get us all home.”

维克托说,"我会带你会家.我发誓.我会让我们所有人回家."

I said, “You next!”

我说,"你下一个!"

Victor said, “Let Quartinus go first.”

维克托说,"让夸提努斯先说."

Colin said, “My story is better than his. My turn. I climbed up the pole of my da’s longhouse, all the way to where it holds up the sky. That’s where he keeps his cloak, in the North Star. My brothers all sent me to get it, because I was the youngest and lightest, and the roof pole wouldn’t break under me. They said I would not get punished for stealing it, on account of I was too young.“I put on the cloak and told it to make me into a wolf. A big,ferocious, giant wolf. So I turned into a wolf, and jumped out the window, and I ran through the forest. The trees are so tall there that sometimes the stars get caught in them. The stars are these beautiful women with lanterns, and when their robes get caught in the branches, they sing, and the trees feel sorry for them, and let them go. Anyway, I remember I was running to this spot my brothers had told me about. This black cave where my uncle lived, guarded by this big three-headed dog. I figured I could take on the dog, seeing as I was a big wolf. Then a storm came, and the clouds fell down through the trees, and it was my ma. She took me around the throat and yanked da’s cloak clean off me. I thought she was going to be mad, but it was weird, because she just cried and cried and held on to me. Like she was afraid. And she pushed my hair back and she said, ‘If ever you go away from me, oh my beloved son, on that day sorrow surely will slay me.’ She took me home and fed me from this big pot we had over the fire in the middle of the house.

科林说,"我的故事比这个好.该我了.我爬到了我爸爸塔楼的塔尖上去,那座塔支撑着天.在北极星上放着他的斗篷.我的所有兄弟都让我去取,因为我最小,也最轻,塔尖顶端不会被我压断.他们说我偷走它不会被惩罚,因为我还太小."我穿上了斗篷,告诉它把我变成狼.一只又大又凶猛的狼.然后我就变成了狼,跳出了窗子,在森林里奔跑.那些树是那么的高,有的时候星星都被它们拦住.星星是漂亮女子手中的灯笼,当她们的礼服被树枝拦住的时候,她们就歌唱,然后树就会对她们感到抱歉,并放它们离开.无论如何,我记得我跑到了一个我兄弟们告诉过我的地方.我叔叔住的一个黑色洞穴,那里由一个三头的大狗看守.我认为我可以威吓住狗,因为我看上去是一只大狼.然后一场暴风来了,乌云压着树林,那是我妈妈.她掐住我的喉咙把我爸爸的斗篷从我身上扯下来.我想她就要发疯了,但是很奇怪,她只是是哭着抱住我.就像她很害怕.她抚摩着我的头发说道,'如果你离开了我,噢,我爱的儿子,那一天来临时我一定会悲伤而死.'她带我回家,用屋子中间火堆上的大罐里的食物喂我.

“I sat in the middle of the pot and ate stew, and da beat the tar out of my brothers. I have three. One wears a mask. One wears an animal pelt. The third has leaves and twigs in his hair. And they were right. I didn’t get punished. They did. That’s all I remember about it. Cool, huh?”

"我坐在罐子的中间吃着炖肉,爸爸狠狠地揍了我的兄弟.我有三个兄弟.一个戴着面具.一个穿着动物的毛皮.还有一个头发里有叶子和树枝.我没有被惩罚.而他们都被惩罚了.这就是我记得的全部了.很酷,对吧?"

Colin was silent for a while, shivering in the cold. Then he said, “You don’t suppose my ma’s really dead, do you?”

科林沉默了一会儿,在寒冷中颤抖着.然后他说,"你不认为我妈妈真的死了,是吧?"

I said, “No, she is not dead. No one is dead. My father told me.”

我说,"不,她没有死.没有人会死.我爸爸告诉我的."

Victor said to me, “Your turn.”

维克托对我说,"轮到你了."

I said, “It is warm there. My home is filled with light. I am a princess and I live in a palace. My father is the king, and he knows everything. He sees everything. I remember once my mother, the queen, took me swimming in our pool. But the pool hangs like a ball in midair. It is bigger on the inside than on the outside. There are stars inside it. And planets. You can swim right up to them and look at them with your eye. I remember once I was swimming. I saw a dark world and it was filled with dead bodies. Mother folded her arms around me, and took me
back up out of the pool. I remember how afraid I was that something from the Dark World would get me. My mother sang a song for me, ‘My little spark, my shining one, never fear, never fear. The darkness is so very small, and the world of light is endless, here.’

我说,"那里很温暖.我的家里面充满了阳光.我是一个住在宫殿里的公主.我的爸爸是国王,他知道所有的事.他什么都见过.我记得有一次我妈妈,她是皇后,带着我去我们的游泳池游泳.那个游泳池像球一样悬浮在半空中.它的内部要比外面看上去要大的多.里面有星星.也有行星.你可以游向它们并用你的眼睛看它们.我记得一次我游泳的时候.我看到一个充满了尸体的黑暗世界.妈妈用她的双臂环绕着我,然后带着我离开了游泳池.我记得我有多么害怕,因为黑暗世界中的什么东西将要抓到我.我的妈妈为我唱了一支歌,"我的小火花,闪亮的小火花,永远不要害怕,永远不要害怕.黑暗会变得渺小,世间的光明永不停息,在这里."

“I remember she took me to the tower where she said she first saw my father. It was a palace that floated, and everything was rose-red marble. The windows were pink and the walls were scarlet. I remember he had a throne set in the very middle of a floor of glass, and the floor was one hundred miles wide. When you sat on the throne, you could look down at the world, and see everything in it. It was like a telescope, but bigger. Bigger than the moon. Father made me look at the Dark World again, even though I was scared and didn’t want to. I remember he held my hand, and said, ‘Shining daughter, do not be afraid to look into the darkness. There are no dead, no ghosts, no shadows. Look,
look closely, and you will see the happy gardens made of light,into which all of those who have been hurt by Time are brought,once Time has no more power over them.’ I looked and I looked,but I did not find the happy place anywhere in the picture. That made him sad, and Mother was sad, too, and Father kissed me right here on the forehead, and said, ‘I have commanded all my people to love you, but there are those whom I cannot command.You will be taken from us for a time, brought into a cold,dark land. But you shall soon be free, and return to the land of
light, and return to be with your mother and me.’ He promised. My father promised. He will come save me.”

"我记得她带我去了她第一次见到我父亲的那座塔.那是一座漂浮的宫殿,那里一切都是玫瑰红的大理石作的.粉红的窗户和猩红的墙壁.我记得他有一个王座在一块玻璃地板的正中央,那块地板有一百里那么宽.当你坐到王座上时,你就能俯视世界,看到世间的一切.就像一台望远镜,但是更大.比月亮还大.爸爸让我在看了一次黑暗世界,即使我仍然怕得要命不想去看.我记得他拉着我的手,说道,'漂亮的女儿,不要害怕观察黑暗.那里没有死亡,没有鬼魂,没有阴影.看吧,靠近看,你将会看到充满光明的欢乐花园,花园里面是那些被时间伤害的人们,现在时间对他们不起作用了.'我看啊看啊,但是我没有找到欢乐的地方.这让他很悲伤,我妈妈也很悲伤.然后爸爸吻了我额头这里,说,'我命令了我所有的子民爱你,但是那些是我不能命令的人.你将从我们身边被带走一段时间,带到寒冷,黑暗的地方.但是你很快就会自由了,然后回到光明的土地,回到你妈妈和我的身边.'他发誓.我爸爸发誓.他会来救我."    

Victor said, “No one is coming to save us. No giants, no kings. We are going to save ourselves.”

维克托说,"没有人会来救我们.没有巨人.没有国王.我们只有自己救自己."

I shouted, “That’s not fair! You can’t talk back to the Tales! They are all we have!”

我喊到,"这不公平!你不能反驳我们的故事!这是我们唯一拥有的了!"

Colin said, “It’s his turn. Tell us your dumb story about the worm, Prime.” By which he meant Victor.

科林说,"轮到他了.告诉我们你那关于虫子的蠢故事,普里墨."他是在说维克托.

Victor said, “There’s not much to tell. I don’t remember any mother or father. We lived in a space station. Once I put my hand out the window into the rain. How there was rain in outer space, I don’t know, but that’s what I remember. The raindrops rolled together in my palm and made a puddle. I stuck my finger in the puddle and it thickened into clay. I rolled the clay between my palms and made a worm. Then the worm came to life, and started climbing up my arm. I thought it was gross, so I threw it out the window into outer space, where it fell forever. “They took me to see a man. I don’t remember who the man was, but I was scared of him. He was like a teacher or something.He had a lamp in his forehead like a miner’s torch. He said, ‘Life is a set of rules. If those rules break, life ends. Here is our first rule: Any life you create is yours, and must be cared for. No matter how humble or small, it is still yours, and you must answer for it. Do you understand?’

维克托说,"没有什么可说的.我不记得妈妈或爸爸.我们住在一个太空站里.有一次我把手伸到窗户外的雨里.外太空怎么会有雨,我不知道,但是我记得是那样.雨点打在我的手掌上形成了一个浑浊的水坑.我把手指伸入水坑,它就变成了更稠的黏土.我在手掌间搓着黏土作了一条虫子.然后虫子有了生命,开始爬上我的手臂.我感到它毛绒绒的,所以我把它扔进了窗外的外太空,它在那里永远不停地坠落."他们带我见了一个人.我不记得那个人是谁了,但是我很害怕他.他看上去像是一个老师或其他什么.他的额头上有一盏像矿工一样的灯.他说,'生命是一系列的规则.如果规则打破了,生命也就结束了.我们的第一条规则是:任何你创造的生命都属于你,你必须照顾它.不管它是多么卑微或渺小,它都属于你,你必须对它负责.你明白吗?"

“I remember I answered some smart answer back. I don’t know what it was, though.

"我记得我回答了一些巧妙的顶嘴.虽然我不记得说了什么了.

“The teacher said, ‘Your own death is nothing, because death is nothing but the disintegration of the atoms of your body. There is no pain and no sorrow afterwards. But to kill another living thing is wrong, and is forbidden by our law.’ “I said, ‘Human beings kill each other.’

"那个老师说,'你自己的死亡什么也不是,因为死亡只是你身体原子能的瓦解.然后就会没有痛苦和悲伤.但是杀死另一个生命是错误的,在我们的法律中是被禁止的.' "我说,'人们总是互相残杀.'

“The teacher said, ‘In every human being, there is a spark of divine fire, which makes them sacred. We have nothing like that in us. We are mightier, older, wiser than man, and we do not violate our laws; but Mankind is a finer thing than we are, and some day we will save them from the Demiurge, who made them merely to be playthings. He did not know what he made.’

"那位老师说到,'在每个人的体内,都有闪动着一团神圣的火焰,它让人变得庄严.在我们的身体里没有那些.我们比人类更强大,更古老,更有智慧,我们不会亵渎我们的法律;但是人类是一种比我们更漂亮的东西,造物主创造他们仅仅是为了好玩,他不知道他创造了什么.总有一天我们要把他们解救出来.

“I said, ‘If we are greater and stronger, why must we serve them?’

"我说,'如果我们更伟大,更强壮,什么我们还要为他们服务?"

“The teacher said, ‘The great must protect the weak. If this law is broken, those who are greater than us, those who made us, would destroy us. The same logic applies to all beings. I am putting this memory into your permanent storage, so that you will not be able to forget it, even after all else is lost.’ And a light came from his head.

"老师说,'伟大的必须保护弱小的.如果打破了规则,那些比我们更伟大了,创造我们的,将会摧毁我们.同样的逻辑对所有生物都有效.我将这个回忆放到你的永恒记忆中去,那样你就不会忘记他,甚至所有其他的都遗失的时候.'然后他的头上亮起了一束光.

“That is all I remember,” Victor said.

"这就是我所有记得的了."维克托说.

And he smiled, and I was able to see him smile, because a little spark had come to life where he was drilling a stick back and forth with a crude bow he had made. Gently, he breathed on the spark, and gently the darkness receded.

然后他微笑了,我可以看到他在笑,因为在他用自制的简陋的弓来回钻的树枝上闪出一个小火花.他轻轻地吹着小火花,黑暗渐渐退却.

One twig, one dry stick at a time, he fed the flame, until it was large enough to accept a lump of coal.

他把一枝枝干燥的小树枝扔进火里,只到火堆大得足以接纳一块煤.

That night, in the cold cellar, Victor told us all to put our hands together like the Three Musketeers.

那天晚上,在老煤窖里,维克托告诉我们都把手像三个火枪手那样叠在一起.

He said to me, “We must all promise not to forget. We have to remember our Tales. We must all remember Quentin’s giant, and Quartinus’ wolf cloak, and the golden dogs that sit outside the House of Tertia in Fairyland, and the palace of light where the father of Secunda is a king, and the city in the void where my Teacher lived, and told me what my duty was. We must all keep our Tales for each other, if one of us loses or changes or forgets them, the others will remind him. Everything in this world will try to convince us that these are nursery tales, or
dreams, or that we’re mad, or that we’re just playing pretend.We must promise never to forget. We must promise never to give up. We must promise we will escape from this place, and find the mothers and fathers who love us, our friends, our kin, our real world. Promise!”

他对我说，“我们必须都发誓不要忘记.我们必须记得我们的故事.我们必须都记住昆廷的巨人,夸特努斯的狼斗篷,坐在特西娅仙境中的家门口的黄金狗,还有西根达父王那发光的宫殿,和我老师生活的那座空中城市,以及他告诉我的职责.我们必须为彼此记住我们的故事,如果我们中的一个遗失了,改动了,或忘记了它们,其他的人要提醒他.这个世界的一切都会试图让我们相信这些是托儿所的谣言,或者是梦,或者我们疯了.或者我们只是在玩扮演游戏.我们必须发誓永不忘记.我们必须发誓永不放弃.我们必须发誓我们将会逃离着片土地,找到爱我们的父母,我们的朋友,我们的亲人,我们的世界.发誓!"

And then he promised us that he would see to it that we would all get out of here together.

然后他对我们发誓,他会看到我们所有人都从这里一起出去.

Oh, and it was warm when he said that.

噢,当他说那些话的时候,我感到了温暖.

3.
I do not know how old I was when I found the notes, but I must have been quite young, because I remember that I had to stand on tiptoe to reach the handles of the cabinet where the cleaning things were kept. We had been told to scrub the floor of the dining hall, a task usually done by the servants, because of some prank Colin had pulled involving a bucket of fishheads. None of us was willing to turn Colin in, not even Vanity, even though (I am sure) everyone knew who had done it. This was back before we chose names, so it was Quartinus we were all mad at for getting us in trouble. I remember it was spring, and the great windows were wide open, and I could smell the new-mown grass of the playing field outside, and I remember how dearly I wanted to jump and run and play, rather than kneel and scrub.

3.

我不知道当我发现笔记的时候几岁,但是我那时一定很小,因为我记得我必须踮着脚才能够到装有洗涤用品的那个橱柜.我们被叫去擦洗餐厅地板,这通常由仆人干的活,因为胡闹的时候的科林打翻了一桶鱼头.我们没有人愿意出卖科林,甚至瓦妮特,即使(我肯定)每个人都知道是谁做的.这件事发生在我们选名字之前,所以我们都恨死夸特努斯把我们所有人都卷入麻烦了.我记得那是春天,大窗户都大大地打开着,我可以闻到外面运动场上新割的草的味道,我也记得我多么想去外面又跳又跑又玩,而不是在这里跪在地上擦地板.

I was wearing a smock from the art room, and had my hair tucked into a kerchief. I remember there was a bucket of smelly stuff I was rubbing into the floor boards with a brush. I had taken the bigger bucket, because I thought Tertia (Vanity) was too small to carry it. I remember how proud I was when I picked up that bucket, because I felt like a grown-up girl; and I remember how terrible it was, once I had walked out to the
spigot and filled it, that I could not carry it. I staggered and stumbled as I waddled up the steps (and the steps were taller back then) and there were tears in my eyes, because I was so afraid I would be punished if I spilled it.

我穿着从美术室拿来的工作服,把用方巾盖着头发.我记得我用刷子从地板缝隙刷出了一桶臭东西.我拿了一个较大的桶,因为特西娅(瓦妮特)那时还太小拿不动它.我记得当我拿起那个桶时我有多么骄傲,因为我感到自己是个成熟的女孩了;我也记得那有多么糟糕,有一次我不得不到外面的水龙头把它装满,可是我拿不动它.我摇摇摆摆地蹒跚地迈着步子(进一步退两步),泪水在我眼框中晃动,因为我十分害怕打泼它会遭到惩罚.

We had been studying astronomy in Lecture Hall that morning, and I remember thinking that if the five of us could build a rocket ship, we could fly to the moon, and be away from this place forever. And I remember my plan was to ask Tertia to stay aboard the ship once we landed, so I could be the first woman on the moon; and the moon people would be so grateful they would make me their princess; but I was going to let her be the first off the ship when we landed on the next planet, Mars or Venus, to make it up to her.

那天早上我们在讲堂学习天文学, 我记得我在想如果我们五个能造一艘太空船,我们就能飞到月亮上去,永远地离开这个地方.我的计划是当我们降落时让特西娅留在飞船上,那样我就能成为第一个登上月球的女性;月亮上的人们很友善,他们会让我作他们的公主;但是当我们降落到下一个行星的时候,比如火星或者金星,我会让她先下飞船,以和她扯平.

It was actually Tertia who found the notes, some sheets of foolscap paper folded and refolded and crammed into a little crack where the wainscoting had become separated from the wall. We were both kneeling and scrubbing, and we exchanged a quick glance at each other. By the look in her eye, I knew she knew (as I did) that we had found a great treasure, which must be kept away from the grown-ups at all costs.

实际上发现笔记的是特西娅,几页打印纸被折了又折然后塞进了一个从墙上裂开壁板缝里.我们在跪着擦地板的同时迅速交换了一个眼神.从她的眼里,我知道她明白(就像我明白一样)我们发现了一个大财宝,它必须不惜一切代价保管在成人触及不到的地方.

I pretended I had to go to the lavatory and made a fuss, while Vanity stole a fork from the silver drawer. Mrs. Wren, of course, did not let me go until chores were done. So we both diligently pretended to scrub the section of wainscoting where our treasure was, and Vanity would pluck at the papers with the tines of the fork when Mrs. Wren was idling near the liquor cabinet.

当瓦妮特从餐具抽屉里偷出一把叉子时,我假装大惊小怪地要去厕所.当然,瑞文女士不然我去,除非把活干完.所以我们两一直假装擦我们宝藏所在的那一块壁板,当瑞文女士在酒柜附近偷懒的时候瓦妮特就用叉子的尖端把纸往外拨.

Like a fluttering pale moth, the papers came free with a rustle of noise, and I quickly stuffed them down my shirtfront. We were let out for recess and exercise, but I was too cunning to take them out where someone might see, so I quickly folded them into my uniform shirt when I was changing into my field hockey gear, and then ripped a button from the shirt. Sadly, I displayed the torn shirt to Mr. ap Cymru, who was coach then, and I got permission to go put it in the hamper in the East Hall for the maid to repair, and told to get a new blouse from the dormitory,
so that I would have something to change into after practice.

像一只拍打翅膀的飞虫一样,那些纸在"沙沙"的声音中被弄了出来,我立刻把它们塞到胸口处贴身藏着.在我们被放出去休息和运动的时候,我十分狡猾地在没有人可能看到的地方把它们拿了出来,当我换上我的曲棍球服装时,我迅速地将它们塞到制服里面,然后从衬衫上扯下一个按钮.我难过地把撕坏了的衬衫给A.P.塞默鲁先生看,他那时是教练,然后我被允许把它放到东大厅的篮子里给女佣去修补,并从宿舍换一件新的宽松上衣以备练习后换上.

Easy as pie. The notes were soon hidden in my room. I gazed at the handwriting, seeing the fine but strong feminine penmanship, and thinking how lovely it would be to have a hand as fine as that. Whoever wrote this (I remember thinking) would never have her knuckles rapped because her Q’s and O’s were lopsided.It was some sort of fairy tale, but one that made no sense, merely fragments; and I remember thinking that I was too old for fairy stories.

易如反掌.笔记很快就被藏到了我的房间里.我盯着那些笔迹,看着那漂亮并带着浓重女性化的字体,想象着有那样一只美丽的手是多么可爱.写这个的人(我记得那时候在想)从来都不敲指关节,因为她的Q's和O's都向同一个方向倾斜.那是一系列美丽的童话,但是它们没有什么意义,仅仅是故事的片段;我记得那时我想,我对于童话来说太老了.

This will seem strange, and impossible to explain, but I did not recognize the stories, the handwriting, any of it. I wrapped the sheaf of paper in a plastic bag and took it to a hidden spot, a dry deep hole in the bark of a tree on the back campus, deep enough so that rain could not reach. And left it.A year, perhaps two, went by before I was old enough not to be ashamed of my interest in children’s tales, and I thought to look at it again.

这看上去很奇怪,也很难解释,但是我没有认出这些故事和笔迹,有关它的任何事.我用塑料袋把这一卷纸包起来藏到一个隐蔽的地方,校园后面的一个又黑又深的树洞里,树洞足够深所以雨水不会淹到它.放下它以后.一年,也许两年后,随着时光流逝,我长大到不再因为对童话故事感兴趣而感到羞愧的时候,我想起来再一次读它.

By that time, I had learned my penmanship. My cursive letters flowed in a fair, clean hand from my pen, far better than the crooked scrawl I had been using even a year before.

那时候,我已经学会了我的书法.我的连写体字母衔接得非常漂亮,比我那一年前歪歪扭扭的,潦草的字迹要好了很多.

And here were these papers at least ten years old, or more.It was my handwriting.

那些纸至少有十年历史了,或者更长.我认出纸上我自己的笔迹.

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