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本帖最后由 nidhogg 于 2013-12-9 16:22 编辑
6
Pursuit:
A Deliberate Treachery
第六章 追击：蓄谋已久的变节
LIKE HAUGHTY Leviathans the great golden battle-barges swam through the wreckage of the reaver fleet. A few ships burned and a few were still sinking, but most had sunk into the unplumbable depths of the channel. The burning ships sent strange shadows dancing against the dank walls of the sea-caverns, as if the ghosts of the slain offered a last salute before departing to the sea-depths where, it was said, a Chaos king still ruled, crewing his eerie fleets with the souls of all who died in conflict upon the oceans of the world. Or perhaps they went to a gentler doom, serving Straasha, Lord of the Water Elementals, who ruled the upper reaches of the sea.
硕大的黄金驳舰如倨傲的海中巨兽般，自侵略舰队的残骸上压过。那些船只燃烧着、沉没着，大部分则早已没入迷宫水道下那叵深莫测的海沟。燃烧的船只在潮湿的石洞岩壁上投出怪异的黑影，那阴影扭动着，就像死者的鬼混在被拖往深海前最后的告别。据说一位混沌之主依旧统治着深邃的海渊，在世界任何一处海域中阵亡的战士，都将被收编入他那阴郁的舰队。抑或，他们会有幸迎接较温和的命运，服侍统治着上层海域的水元素之主，Straasha。
But a few had escaped. Somehow the southland sailors had got past the massive battle-barges, sailed back through the channel and must even now have reached the open sea. This was reported to the flagship where Elric, Magum Colim and Prince Yyrkoon now stood together again on the bridge, surveying the destruction they had wreaked.
但依然有少数船只逃脱了。有些南方水手设法避开了庞大的黄金驳舰的视线，沿来时的水道撤退，如今一定已经抵达外海。这个消息被报告给了旗舰，此刻Elric、Magum Colim同Yyrkoon已返回舰桥，他们站在一起，检视眼前这片由自己造成残骸。
'Then we must pursue them and finish them, 'said Yyrkoon. He was sweating and his dark face glistened; his eyes were alight with fever. 'We must follow them.'
“那么我们应该继续追击，消灭他们，”Yyrkoon说。他深色的面孔在淋漓的汗水中闪光；他的双眼因狂热而生辉。“我们必须追上他们。”
Elric shrugged. He was weak. He had brought no extra drugs with him to replenish his strength. He wished to go back to Imrryr and rest. He was tired of bloodletting, tired of Yyrkoon and tired, most of all, of himself. The hatred he felt for his cousin was draining him still further--and he hated the hatred; that was the worst part. 'No,' he said. 'Let them go.'
Elric耸耸肩。他感到浑身虚弱。他没有随身携带用以支持体力药物，只想赶回Imrryr休息。他已经受够了流血，受够了Yyrkoon，更尤其受够了他自己。心中对他表兄的憎恨更是将他剩余的心力抽干——但他痛恨这种憎恨；这才是最糟糕的地方。“不，”他说。“放他们走。”
'Let them go? Unpunished? Come now, my lord king! That is not our way!' Prince Yyrkoon turned to the aging admiral. 'Is that our way, Admiral Magum Colim?'
“不惩罚他们？就这么放走？行了吧，我的陛下！这不是我们的做事方式！”Yyrkoon王子转向年迈的上将。“这是我们的作风吗，Magum Colim上将？”
Magum Colim shrugged. He, too, was tired, but privately he agreed with Prince Yyrkoon. An enemy of Melnibone should be punished for daring even to think of attacking the Dreaming City. Yet he said: 'The emperor must decide.'
Magum Colim耸肩。他同样也已经累了，但私下里却同意Yyrkoon的看法。Melnibone的敌人必须受到惩罚，哪怕他们只是动一下攻打梦之城的心念，也不能轻饶。但他只是说：“必须由皇帝来做出决定。”
'Let them go,' said Elric again. He leant heavily against the rail. 'Let them carry the news back to their own barbarian land. Let them say how the Dragon Princes defeated them. The news will spread. I believe we shall not be troubled by raiders again for some time.'
“放他们走。”Elric又说了一遍。他重重地倚在栏杆上。“就让那些野蛮人将战败的消息带回他们自己的领土去。让他们将龙君如何击败他们的事实传播开去。消息会广为流传。想必我们一定会有很长一段时间不再受掠夺者侵扰。”
'The Young Kingdoms are full of fools,' Yyrkoon replied. 'They will not believe the news. There will always be raiders. The best way to warn them will be to make sure that not one southlander remains alive or uncaptured.'
“幼国中满是蠢货，”Yyrkoon回应道。“他们不会相信的。强盗的本性是不会变的。警告他们的最好方式，就是能抓就抓，不能抓的杀。”
Elric drew a deep breath and tried to fight the faintness which threatened to overwhelm him. 'Prince Yyrkoon, you are trying my patience...'
Elric深深吸气，努力赶走不断向他袭来的昏晕感。“Yyrkoon王子，不要考验我的耐心……”
'But, my emperor, I think only of the good of Melnibone. Surely you do not want your people to say that you are weak, that you fear a fight with but five southland galleys?'
“但是皇上，我只是在为Melnibone的利益着想。你肯定不想听到你的人民说你软弱，说你连迎战五艘南方桨帆船的勇气都没有吧？”
This time Elric's anger brought him strength. 'Who will say that Elric is weak? Will it be you, Yyrkoon?' He knew that his next statement was senseless, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. 'Very well, let us pursue these poor little boats and sink them. And let us make haste. I am weary of it all.'
这回愤怒让Elric有了力气。“谁敢说Elric软弱？难道你敢吗，Yyrkoon？”他知道自己的下一番话毫无意义，但想不说已经来不及了。“那好，我们就去追击那几艘可怜的小船，击沉他们。另外动作快点。这一切已经让我厌倦至极。”
There was a mysterious light in Yyrkoon's eyes as he turned away to relay the orders.
Yyrkoon转身去转达命令。他别转的眼神中，掠过一丝神秘的光芒。
xxx
The sky was turning from black to grey when the Melnibonean fleet reached the open sea and turned its prows south towards the Boiling Sea and the southern continent beyond. The barbarian ships would not sail through the Boiling Sea--no mortal ship could do that, it was said--but would sail around it. Not that the barbarian ships would even reach the edges of the Boiling Sea, for the huge battle-barges were fast-sailing vessels. The slaves who pulled the oars were full of a drug which increased their speed and their strength for a score or so of hours, before it slew them. And now the sails billowed out, catching the breeze. Golden mountains, skimming rapidly over the sea, these ships; their method of construction was a secret lost even to the Melniboneans (who had forgotten so much of their lore). It was easy to imagine how men of the Young Kingdoms hated Melnibone and its inventions, for it did seem that the battle-barges belonged to an older, alien age, as they bore down upon the fleeing galleys now sighted on the horizon.
Melnibone的舰队抵达外海时，黑色的夜空已经转为灰白。他们向南调转船头，朝着沸海及彼岸大陆的方向驶去。野蛮人的船只无法在沸海上航行——据说，没有任何凡人的船只可以做到——他们会从旁边绕行。但他们甚至连沸海的边缘都无法抵达，因为巨大的驳舰是一种具有相当航速的船只。用以提升力量与速度的药物充斥在划桨的奴隶们体内，在被药物杀死之前，他们可以连续划行许多小时。而此刻，徐徐海风将船帆鼓起，给了他们额外的助力。这些船只，像一座座金色山峰般在海上急速掠行；它们的建造方式早已失落，就连Melnibone人也不再记起，就像其它数不清的知识一样被他们遗忘。很容易理解，为什么幼国的人会憎恨Melnibone人和他们的发明，因为那些追击在后的恐怖战舰，确实更像属于另一个更古老的、不属于这个世界的年代。而如今逃亡战船，已在海平线上清晰可见。
The Son of the Pyaray was in the lead of the rest of the fleet and was priming its catapults well before any of its fellows had seen the enemy. Perspiring slaves gingerly manhandled the viscous stuff of the fireballs, getting them into the bronze cups of the catapults by means of long, spoon-ended tongs. It flickered in the pre-dawn gloom.
Pyaray之子处于舰队的最前端，它在其余舰队发现敌人之前，就已经开始填装投石器。挥汗如雨的奴隶们小心翼翼地用尾端呈勺状的长钳，将火球的粘性物质钳入投石器的青铜弹勺中。这些燃烧物，在黎明前的昏暗中闪着微光。
Now slaves climbed the steps to the bridge and brought wine and food on platinum platters for the three Dragon Princes who had remained there since the pursuit had begun. Elric could not summon the strength to eat, but he seized a tall cup of yellow wine and drained it. The stuff was strong and revived him a trifle. He had another cup poured and drank that as swiftly as the other. He peered ahead. It was almost dawn. There was a line of purple light on the horizon. 'At the first sign of the sun's disc,' Elric said, 'let loose the fireballs.'
奴隶们这时托着白金制的托盘攀上通往舰桥的楼梯，将食物与酒带给自追击开始就一直留在舰桥上的三位龙君。Elric使不出吃东西的力气，但他拿起一个盛装黄色葡萄酒的高杯，一饮而尽。这杯酒很烈，令他感到振作些许。他倒了另一杯酒，像先前那杯一样一饮而尽。他向远方眺望。现在已经快要到黎明时分。一线紫色的光芒，泛起在海平线上。“等到太阳初升海平面的时候，”Elric说，“我们就发射火球。”
'I will give the order,' said Magum Colim, wiping his lips and putting down the meat bone on which he had been chewing. He left the bridge. Elric heard his feet striking the steps heavily. All at once the albino felt surrounded by enemies. There had been something strange in Magum Colim's manner during the argument with Prince Yyrkoon. Elric tried to shake off such foolish thoughts. But the weariness, the self-doubt, the open mockery of his cousin, all succeeded in increasing the feeling that he was alone and without friends in the world. Even Cymoril and Dyvim Tvar were, finally, Melniboneans and could not understand the peculiar concerns which moved him and dictated his actions. Perhaps it would be wise to renounce everything Melnibonean and wander the world as an anonymous soldier of fortune, serving whoever needed his aid?
“我会把命令传达下去，”Magum Colim放下手中吃到一半的肉骨头，边擦拭着嘴唇说道。随即他便离开舰桥。Elric听到他离去时的沉重脚步声。突然间，白子感到自己被置于四面楚歌的境地。Magum Colim与Yyrkoon王子争执时的样子显得有些古怪。Elric想甩掉这种愚蠢的想法。但疲惫与自我怀疑，以及表兄公然的嘲笑，都令他深觉自己在这个世界上孤身一人，没有朋友。即使是Cymoril和Dyvim Tvar，也最终还是Melnibone人，无法理解那些触动他心灵，指示着他行为的奇怪顾虑。或许抛弃Melnibone的一切，做一个游历四方的无名武士，为那些有求于他的人施以一臂之力，才是最佳选择？
The dull red semicircle of the sun showed above the black line of the distant water. There came a series of booming sounds from the forward decks of the flagship as the catapults released their fiery shot; there was a whistling scream, fading away, and it seemed that a dozen meteors leapt through the sky, hurtling towards the five galleys which were now little more than thirty ship-lengths away.
一轮暗淡的红日，在远方深暗的海平线上浮起扁圆形的一角。旗舰前方甲板的投石器发出一排轰鸣，炙热的弹丸被发射，像许多流星一般划过天空，带着尖啸声朝着那五艘桨帆船的方向消逝而去。现在双方间已经不足三十个船身的距离。
Elric saw two galleys flare, but the remaining three began to sail a zig-zag course and avoided the fireballs which landed on the water and burned fitfully for a while before sinking (still burning) into the depths.
Elric看见两艘船被点燃，但剩余的三艘开始延Z字形左右躲闪，火球落到海中，在带着火焰沉入深海之前，又断断续续在海面燃烧了片刻。
More fireballs were prepared and Elric heard Yyrkoon shout from the other side of the bridge, ordering the slaves to greater exertions. Then the fleeing vessels changed their tactics, evidently realising that they could not save themselves for long, and, spreading out, sailed towards The Son of the Pyaray, just as the other ships had done in the sea-maze. It was not merely their courage that Elric admired but their manoeuvring skill and the speed at which they had arrived at this logical, if hopeless, decision.
更多火球准备发射，Elric听见从舰桥另一头传来Yyrkoon命令奴隶更努力工作的叫喊。接着逃亡的船只改变了战术。他们意识到自己终究无法逃过毁灭的命运，于是，就像迷宫中那几艘战船一样，他们分散成几条路线驶向Pyaray之子。不仅仅是他们的勇气令Elric敬佩，更是因为他们在如此绝望的情形下，能够这样迅速又具有策略性地做出如此符合逻辑的判断。
The sun was behind the southland ships as they turned. Three brave silhouettes drew nearer to the Melnibonean flagship as scarlet stained the sea, as if in anticipation of the bloodletting to come.
掉转船头的南方战船，逆着初升的红日驶来，三个英勇的黑色剪影，划过被染成猩红的海面渐渐接近Melnibone旗舰，仿佛迫不及待地迎接随后到来的血腥杀戮。
Another volley of fireballs was flung from the flagship and the leading galley tried to tack round and avoid it, but two of the fiery globes spattered directly on its deck and soon the whole ship was alive with flame. Burning men leapt into the water. Burning men shot arrows at the flagship. Burning men fell slowly from their Positions in the rigging. The burning men died, but the burning ship came on; someone had lashed the steering arm and directed the galley at The Son of the Pyaray. It crashed into the golden side of the battle-barge and some of the fire splashed on the deck where the main catapults were in position. A cauldron containing the fire-stuff caught and immediately men were running from all quarters of the ship to try to douse the flame. Elric grinned as he saw what the barbarians had done. Perhaps that ship had deliberately allowed itself to be fired. Now the majority of the flagship's complement was engaged with putting out the blaze--while the southland ships drew alongside, threw up their own grapples, and began to board.
另一排火球自旗舰齐射而出，领头的桨帆船试图绕行躲过，但两团火球直接溅在它的甲板上，很快整艘船都燃烧起来。燃烧着的人们跳入海中。燃烧着的人们对着旗舰拉弓。燃烧着的人们慢慢从船的索具上掉下来。燃烧着的人们死了，但燃烧的战船还在继续前行；有人猛推方向舵，将战船瞄准了Pyaray之子的方向。船撞毁在驳舰的黄金护甲上，有些火苗溅到主投石器所在的甲板上。一口盛放燃料的大锅被点燃，很快整艘船上的船员都跑过来试图扑灭大火。Elric笑着望向野蛮人造成的这一切。或许那艘船是故意让自己被点着的。现在船上的大部分后勤人员都在忙于扑火——而那些南方战船却已从侧面靠近，投出他们自己的抓勾，开始登船。
'Ware boarders!' Elric shouted, long after he might have warned his crew. 'Barbarians attack.'
“全员注意！”Elric对他的船员呼喊，这声警告比想象中迟了许久。“野蛮人来袭。”
He saw Yyrkoon whirl round, see the situation, and rush down the steps from the bridge. 'You stay there, my lord king,' he flung at Elric as he disappeared. 'You are plainly too weary to fight.'
他看着Yyrkoon回过身，发现下方的情况后急忙冲下舰桥。“你留在这里，皇帝陛下。”他消失前对Elric撇下这句话。“你现在显然太虚弱，不适合战斗。”
And Elric summoned all that was left of his strength and stumbled after his cousin, to help in the defense of the ship.
Elric使出仅剩的力气，踉踉跄跄跟在他的表兄后面，协助加入战舰的防御。
The barbarians were not fighting for their lives--they knew those to be taken already. They were fighting for their pride. They wanted to take one Melnibonean ship down with them and that ship must be the flagship itself. It was hard to be contemptuous of such men. They knew that even if they took the flagship the other ships of the golden fleet would soon overwhelm them.
那些野蛮人不是在为自己的生命而战——他们知道自己离死已经不远了。他们是在为尊严而战。他们要让一艘Melnibone战舰与他们同归于尽，而这艘舰必须是旗舰。有着如此决心的人是不容轻视的。他们知道即便旗舰被他们攻下，自己也很快会被其余赶来的金色舰队歼灭。
But the other ships were still some distance away. Many lives would be lost before they reached the flagship.
但其余的舰队还在很远的距离之外。在他们赶到之前，许多人会死在旗舰上。
On the lowest deck Elric found himself facing a pair of tall barbarians, each armed with a curved blade and a small, oblong shield. He lunged forward, but his armour seemed to drag at his limbs, his own shield and sword were so heavy that he could barely lift them. Two swords struck his helm, almost simultaneously. He lunged back and caught a man in the arm, rammed the other with his shield. A curved blade clanged on his backplate and he all but lost his footing. There was choking smoke everywhere, and heat, and the tumult of battle. Desperately he swung about him and felt his broadsword bite deep into flesh. One of his opponents fell, gurgling, with blood spouting from his mouth and nose. The other lunged. Elric stepped backwards, fell over the corpse of the man he had slain, and went down, his broadsword held out before him in one hand. And as the triumphant barbarian leapt forward to finish the albino, Elric caught him on the point of the broadsword, running him through. The dead man fell towards Elric who did not feel the impact, for he had already fainted. Not for the first time had his deficient blood, no longer enriched by drugs, betrayed him.
在最底层的甲板上，Elric发现自己面对两个高大的野蛮人，对方每人手里都武装着一把弯刃和一面小型椭圆盾。他向前突刺，但感觉自己的盔甲仿佛在用力拽他的四肢，自己的剑与盾重到几乎无法举起。两把剑几乎同时砍中他的头盔。他向后退去，顺势拉住一个人的胳膊，用盾撞向另一个人。一把弯刀击中他的背甲，让他完全失去了平衡。呛人的浓烟、高温和战斗的混乱充斥四周。他拼尽全力让自己转身，接着感觉到自己的剑刺进某人的身体。一个对手倒下了，他的嘴和鼻子中咕咕地冒出血泡。另一人冲他袭来。Elric向后踩去，绊倒在刚才被他杀死的那人尸体上，仰面摔倒，阔剑被他用一只手维持在身前。准备迎接胜利战果的野蛮人一跃向前，想要结果这个白子。Elric将剑尖对准他，剑贯穿了他的身体。那人的尸体倒向Elric，但他没有感觉到冲击力，因为他早已昏了过去。失去了药物支持，他那有先天缺陷的血液已经不是第一次亏负他。
xxx
He tasted salt and thought at first it was blood. But it was sea water. A wave had risen over the deck and momentarily revived him. He struggled to crawl from under the dead man and then he heard a voice he recognised. He twisted his head and looked up.
他尝到盐的味道，起初以为是血。但这其实是海水的味道。一道海浪冲上甲板，让他暂时苏醒了过来。他挣扎着想从那个死人的尸体下爬出来，但接着他听到一个熟悉的声音。他扭过头望向上方。
Prince Yyrkoon stood there. He was grinning. He was full of glee at Elric's plight. Black, oily smoke still drifted everywhere, but the sounds of the fight had died.
Yyrkoon王子站在那里。他在咧嘴笑着。充分享受着Elric的困境带给他的愉悦。四下里依然飘着漆黑的浓烟，但战斗的声响已经沉寂了。
'Are--are we victorious, cousin?' Elric spoke painfully.
“我们——我们获胜了吗，表兄？”Elric十分吃力地问道。
'Aye. The barbarians are all dead now. We are about to sail for Imrryr.'
“是的。野蛮人都已经死了。我们正准备返回Imrryr。”
Elric was relieved. He would begin to die soon if he could not get to his store of potions.
Elric松了一口气。如果无法尽快回去服药，他就会死掉。
His relief must have been evident, for Yyrkoon laughed. 'It is as well the battle did not last longer, my lord, or we should have been without our leader.'
他宽心的样子或许显得很明显，因为Yyrkoon笑了。“而且战斗的时间恰巧持续得不长，否则我们可就要失去领袖了，陛下。”
'Help me up, cousin.' Elric hated to ask Prince Yyrkoon any favour, but he had no choice. He stretched out his empty hand. 'I am fit enough to inspect the ship.'
“拉我起来，表兄。”Elric讨厌求Yyrkoon任何事情，但现在他没有多少选择。他伸出空着的手。“我还完全有力气检视船只。”
Yyrkoon came forward as if to take the hand, but then he hesitated, still grinning. 'But, my lord, I disagree. You will be dead by the time this ship turns eastward again.'
Yyrkoon上前，仿佛要拉起他的手，但他又笑着，停住了。“但是我看不行，陛下。在船重新向东航行之前，你就会死了。”
'Nonsense. Even without the drugs I can live for a considerable time, though movement is difficult. Help me up, Yyrkoon, I command you.'
“不可能。即便不靠药物，我也可以活相当长一段时间，只是行动不便而已。拉我起来，Yyrkoon，我命令你。”
'You cannot command me, Elric. I am emperor now, you see.'
“你不能再命令我了，Elric。因为你瞧，我现在是皇帝了。”
'Be wary, cousin. I can overlook such treachery, but others will not. I shall be forced to...'
“小心你说的话，表兄。我可以无视你的叛变，但其他人可不会。我将被迫……”
Yyrkoon swung his legs over Elric's body and went to the rail. Here were bolts which fixed one section of the rail in place when it was not used for the gangplank. Yyrkoon slowly released the bolts and kicked the section of rail into the water.
Yyrkoon抬腿从Elric身上跨过，走到围栏旁。这里有一段可用来放置跳板的栏杆，现在被用铆钉固定住。Yyrkoon慢慢拔出铆钉，将栏杆踢到海中。
Now Elric's efforts to free himself became more desperate. But he could hardly move at all.
现在，Elric想让自己抽身的努力变得更加迫切。但他却几乎一动都无法动。
Yyrkoon, on the other hand, seemed possessed of unnatural strength. He bent and easily flung the corpse away from Elric.
另一方面，Yyrkoon却似乎拥有无尽的力量。他弯下腰，轻易就将压在Elric身上的尸体抛走。
'Yyrkoon,' said Elric, 'this is unwise of you.'
“Yyrkoon，”Elric说，“你这样做是不明智的。”
'I was never a cautious man, cousin, as well as you know.' Yyrkoon placed a booted foot against Elric's ribs and began to shove. Elric slid towards the gap in the rail. He could see the black sea heaving below. 'Farewell, Elric. Now a true Melnibonean shall sit upon the Ruby Throne. And, who knows, might even make Cymoril his queen? It has not been unheard of...'
“你也知道，表弟，我从来就不是一个做事谨慎的人。”Yyrkoon将他穿着长靴的脚抵在Elric的肋骨处，开始推。Elric滑向栏杆的开口处。他可以看到下方起伏的黑色海面。“永别了，Elric。从此红宝石王座上坐的，将是一个真正的Melnibone人。而且，这个人或许会让Cymoril做他的皇后。谁知到呢？这也不是未有所闻的事……”
And Elric felt himself rolling, felt himself fall, felt himself strike the water, felt his armour pulling him below the surface. And Yyrkoon's last words drummed in Elric's ears like the persistent booming of the waves against the sides of the golden battle-barge.
接着Elric感觉到翻滚，感觉到自己坠落，感觉到自己击打海面，感觉自己的盔甲将他拖向水下。Yyrkoon最后的话语，就像海浪不住地冲刷黄金驳舰的船身般，一遍又一遍冲击着Elric的耳膜。
——第六章完——
——第一卷完——
——卷二第一章——
——返回第一卷第一章——
找到一张P. Craig Russell的画
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发表于 2013-12-2 00:32:42
发表于 2013-12-2 18:26:34