7-1 "

A dark garden betwixt forest and flowers.? 在叢生的林木與鮮花之間有一片昏暗的花園。 A silver web glints in a corner of glass.? 一張銀色的蛛網(wǎng)在玻璃的角落處閃爍著微光。 Well, is it glass?? 哦，那是玻璃嗎？ More likely it's stone, but this particular world operates more strangely than any other.? 看起來倒更像是石頭，不過這個(gè)獨(dú)特世界的運(yùn)作機(jī)制比任何其它的世界都要怪異。 Reality bleeds in from elsewhere, through floating shards that fill the air, projecting colorful memory into lands of ruin and white.? 來自異界的現(xiàn)實(shí)通過空中漫舞的碎片滲入這里，將五彩斑斕的記憶投影到荒蕪的白色大地。 Now there are pillars of amethyst, glowing from a light beneath that fills the entire floor.? 周圍是紫水晶構(gòu)成的立柱，滿溢出整個(gè)地面的光芒讓它們也晶瑩靚麗。 She sits in a fanciful, pale green chair, before a small and pale-green table,? 她坐在淺綠色的精美椅子上，面前是同樣淺綠色的小桌。 her hand atop her suitcase which rests beside her. She drags her finger down the leather of its top.? 她一只手伸在身旁的行李箱上，食指隨意地沿著皮箱的頂部劃動。? There are no other people here. 這里別無他人。 "We should leave, Alice." "我們該走了，愛麗絲。" "No other people"—but there is at least one other person.? "這里沒有別人"——然而這里確是有一個(gè)"別人"的。 He's here, holding tea as he often is, having again prepared it when her eyes were turned away.? 他就在這兒，像往常一樣端著茶杯，在她轉(zhuǎn)過目光的片刻便又準(zhǔn)備好了香茶。 She lays her palm on her suitcase. 她將手掌撫在行李箱上。 "You hear that?" she asks.? "你聽到了嗎？"她問道。 He tilts his head, listening closely before replying: "I hear nothing." 他轉(zhuǎn)頭仔細(xì)聆聽，然后才答道："我什么都沒聽見。" Lifting her other arm, she rests her elbow on the table, slouches forward, and props her chin up with her hand.? 她舉起另一只手，手肘放在桌上，身體前傾，眉眼低垂，慵懶地望著桌子，用手托起下巴。 "That's right," she says, "in this one... or these ones... it's quiet." "那就對了"，她說道。"這個(gè)……或者說，這些……很安靜。" "And what should that matter?" "那又怎么樣呢？" "When was the last!?" she slightly raises her voice, telling him with its tone that she finds his question absurd.? "上一次是什么時(shí)候呢！？"她略微提高了音調(diào)，用這種語氣表達(dá)著他這個(gè)問題的荒謬。 "Silence and a pleasant view... Look at the gardens, Tenniel. This landscape is... handsome."? "賞心悅目的寂靜風(fēng)景……看看這片花園，坦尼爾。這幅景觀很……俊美。" She picks up her hand from her suitcase and indicates the dark wilds fading in and out before them, and to the sky-blue flowers dotting the shade. 她的手從行李箱上舉起，指向了兩人面前淡入淡出的昏暗原野，以及陰影中點(diǎn)綴著的天藍(lán)花朵。 "I," Tenniel starts, gesturing toward himself with his teacup, "am handsome." "我，"坦尼爾開口了，他腰板一直，將茶杯指向自己道，"這樣子就很俊美。" Her brow twitches at the gall.? 這般自吹自擂讓她皺起了眉頭。 "Shut," Alice starts, gesturing toward him with her hand, "up." 愛麗絲開口了，她傾身指向他："給我閉嘴。" "Terribly rude. Awfully rude," he notes.? "何等粗魯，何等失態(tài)。"他無謂地回嘴。 She shakes her head, grumbles, and leans back in her seat. 她一邊搖頭一邊小聲抱怨著，又靠回了椅子。 Precisely how long has she been stuck in this world, unable to travel to any others?? 具體來說，距離她被困在這個(gè)世界、無法去往其它世界已經(jīng)過去多久了呢？ Forever, the ward Tenniel has been with her, steadfast in his claims of "I cannot be apart from you." 她的護(hù)花使者坦尼爾一路上都追隨著她，還堅(jiān)定地宣稱："我無法與你分離。" However, that largely proves itself to be a pain.? 不過很大程度上，這件事被證明是個(gè)麻煩。 She looks at him now.? 她正盯著他。 A black and orange butterfly flutters past his eyes, and after it passes he looks into his cup. 一只橙黑相間的蝴蝶飄過他的眼前，隨后他將注意力轉(zhuǎn)向了自己的茶杯。 Then, he tosses the cup's contents to the ground, having not drunk even a sip of it.? 然后，他一口都未品嘗，便將杯中的液體潑到了地上。 A very, very usual habit—in fact, consistent Tenniel behavior.? 一個(gè)非常非常尋常的行為——事實(shí)上，坦尼爾一直如此。 He opens his mouth, not to lap the dregs, but to speak.? 他張開了嘴，倒不是為了舔舐杯中的殘香，而是打算說話。 "We really should go," says Alice, preempting him.? "我們真的該走了"，愛麗絲先發(fā)制人。 "That's what you want to say, isn't it?" "這就是你想說的，對吧？" "If you understand, let us take care," he says.? "如果你明白，那我們就動身吧。"他說道。 And she listens to him. He never seems, she thinks, entirely without reason.? 她聽從了他。她覺得，他行事從不會毫無理由。 So she stands and follows him to the white horizon.? 于是她站了起來，跟著他邁向白色的地平線。 The memory fades around them as they pass. It melts and drips, all, into nothing.? 在兩人穿行的路上，記憶若隱若現(xiàn)。它融化、滴落，然后消失于無形。 All except the butterfly, which flies along at her shoulder.? 不過蝴蝶卻是例外，它在她的肩膀處一路隨行。 For now, Tenniel watches it again.? 坦尼爾姑且又關(guān)注了它一下。? But it will fade, too— 不過，它也終將淡去—— All memories do.? 所有的記憶都將淡去。

7-2 "

So, what is this place? And what is "real"?? 所以，這里究竟是哪里？什么才是"真實(shí)"？ This is true: she once walked between worlds.? 的確，她曾經(jīng)遍行于無數(shù)世界之間。 She still does. For her, this is an aspect of life as normal as eating or drinking,? 她現(xiàn)在也依然如此。對她來說，這是與生俱來的習(xí)慣，猶如進(jìn)食和飲水一般。 not that she has had need of either since finding this latest realm.? 但在她發(fā)現(xiàn)最后踏足的這片境界之后，上述兩點(diǎn)好像就沒那么必要了。 In the past, before Arcaea, it was countless how many new places she'd seen, how many strange plants and people she had found.? 在以前，在來到Arcaea之前，她見識過無數(shù)的地方，各種奇形怪狀的植物和形形色色的人物。 Fantastic creatures, magic too, everything one could ever imagine: she has seen it, and recorded it.? 人可以想象出的一切，包括幻想生物和魔法，也都只是她目睹并記錄過的東西。? For... an "inter-dimensional" encyclopedia?? 對于一個(gè)……"超次元"百科全書？ Whatever it was (it seems to have been lost). The nature of the work keeps her profession fresh, certainly, but...? 不管是什么（似乎已經(jīng)被遺忘了），這份工作的特性讓她一直都保持著新鮮感和安定感，然而…… This world really is terribly unique.? 這個(gè)世界實(shí)在是過于特殊。? The memories of further worlds dance into this one, and not as mere images, either.? 其它世界的記憶紛至沓來，且不僅以影像的形式呈現(xiàn)。 You can hear the other places... smell the foreign nature... taste from these memories, and touch them as if they're real.? 她可以聽見那些地方的聲音……聞到異域的氣息……品嘗那些記憶的甘苦，甚至從它們身上獲得真實(shí)的觸感。 Therefore it begs the question: what is real?? 那么問題隨之出現(xiàn)：什么是真實(shí)？ In a world such as Arcaea, she feels that is a very important question to ask. 在Arcaea這樣的世界，她認(rèn)為這是一個(gè)至關(guān)重要的問題。 If... it can be experienced fully, but only for a limited time, is it an illusion or is it valid?? 如果……這種全方位的體驗(yàn)只能持續(xù)有限的時(shí)間，那么它究竟是虛幻還是真實(shí)？ Well-traveled though she is, nothing in her memory tells of a world like this. What is the purpose of it?? 盡管她曾周游四方，但記憶中卻并無這樣的世界。它的存在目的究竟為何？ So she asks her companion: without flare, without context.? 于是毫無征兆亦無緣由地，她詢問自己的同伴： "So... what is reality, Tenniel? How can we know that here is real?" "那么……真相是什么，坦尼爾？我們怎樣才能判斷這里是否真實(shí)？" "It's real," he says, as he casts tea from his cup,? "這里是真實(shí)的"，他一邊從杯中灑出茶水，一邊說道。 "because every sense of yours 'knows' that it's real.? "因?yàn)槟闼械母泄俣?認(rèn)為'這里是真實(shí)的。 Why do you wonder about artifice or illusion?? 為什么要擔(dān)心這是某種詭計(jì)或者幻象呢？ Why do you question even what you can touch with your own hands, Alice? That should be enough." 為什么你要質(zhì)疑自己親手觸摸到的東西呢，愛麗絲？這就足夠了。" "Fine," she replies with finality. It is worthless when he gets like this.? "好吧"，她結(jié)束了自己的發(fā)言。在他這樣的狀態(tài)下，說什么都沒有意義的。 "If that is over with, look there," he says, and he points to the ground.? "不說話了么，那就看這里"，他指著地面說道。? They had wandered into memory of a campfire, and Tenniel's tea had doused the flame.? 兩人步入了一個(gè)篝火的記憶中，坦尼爾的茶水澆滅了火焰。 "How the devil does that work?" he asked.? "這究竟是個(gè)什么原理？"他疑惑道。 "You're asking me?" replies Alice, incredulous.? "你問我？"愛麗絲覺得莫名其妙。 "I've ruined their party..." mutters her companion.? "我毀了他們的派對……"她的同伴低語道。 "The memory will fade soon, so there's nothing to be glum over, Tenniel." "記憶很快就會淡去，沒什么值得你自責(zé)的，坦尼爾。" "What we see is real, Alice. And when you stop looking at something, does it cease to be?? "我們看到的都是真實(shí)的，愛麗絲。就算你沒看到某個(gè)東西，難道它就不復(fù)存在了嗎？ Of course it doesn't. That fire has ceased by my hand, though." 當(dāng)然不會。不過，那個(gè)篝火確實(shí)被我弄得不復(fù)存在了。" "You need to stop spilling tea everywhere." "你以后不要亂灑茶水了。" "I will leave an apology." "我會留下一封道歉信。" "No one will see it! No one is here!" "給誰看呢！這里一個(gè)人都沒有！" Tenniel smirks while whipping out a pad and pen.? 坦尼爾擠眉弄眼地笑著，又嗖地一下掏出便簽和筆。 She groans, and tries not to smile herself as he writes. 她一邊低聲抱怨著，一邊在他書寫時(shí)努力壓制著笑意。 It's a moment that reminds her why she never questions his company.? 在這個(gè)片刻，她想起了自己為何從不質(zhì)疑同伴。 But, it's a moment rare of late.? 不過，最近她很少這樣了。 "Of late", she thinks...? "最近"，她想著…… In the beginning... was it different?? 在開始的時(shí)候……有什么不一樣嗎？ She ponders for a little while, but new scenery distracts her as they walk.? 她只思考了一小會兒，路上的新景色就分散了她的注意力。 She forgets to wonder. 她忘卻了這個(gè)問題。 And the day goes on.? 于是時(shí)光繼續(xù)流逝。

7-3 "

Never does he really "lie".? 他從來不會真的"撒謊"。 He knows what he knows, just as well as one knows to draw breath—though he doesn't need to breathe.? 他對自己所知的事物如數(shù)家珍，就好像呼吸一樣理所當(dāng)然——雖然他根本就無需呼吸。 Or that one knows to feed, though he needs no food; to drink, though he needs no water.? 或者說，就好像進(jìn)食和飲水一樣理所當(dāng)然，雖然他也無需進(jìn)食和飲水。 Or, to remain at her side and shelter her, though...? 不過理所當(dāng)然地，他還是會陪伴并保護(hù)她…… ...There is a raw and almost perfectly unshakable comfort in reality.? ……真實(shí)會給人以純粹且?guī)缀鯚o可動搖的舒適。 What exists is what you see and sense. Knowing that what you see and sense is real means that is the truth.? 所見所感即真實(shí)?？吹胶透兄降氖钦鎸?shí)存在的，這意味著真相。 Having truth puts the mind at ease. Without it, with unknowns, you open yourself to fear.? 真相帶來安心感。如果沒有了它，只剩下未知，恐懼就會席卷而來。 Or to, perhaps, what is worse: truths you do not need to hear. 或者，來的也許是更糟糕的東西：不應(yīng)得知的真相，令人受傷的真相。 Truths that will damage you. To know you aren't capable of everything you wish to be capable of. To know that there is an end, that it is inevitable. That truth, and truths like it, can make a person truly suffer.? 人會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己無法做到想做到的事情，遇到不可避免的結(jié)局。那樣的真相只會讓人深陷痛苦。 But, he does not lie.? 不過，他不會撒謊。 It's true that "he" has always watched over her.? 沒錯(cuò)，"他"一直都照看著她。 It's true that "he" has always given her freedom, and guided her into places that were exciting, new... different.? 的確，"他"總是會予以她自由，引領(lǐng)她前往新奇、有趣……不同的地方。 That was real. That is.? 這是真的，事實(shí)如此。 He wants nothing more than her smile.? 他只想看到她的笑容。 But with heaviness inside where a heart should be, he knows that she is seeking something more: beyond what can be seen.? 但他并非無心無念，他知道她所尋求的不止如此：那是無法看見的東西。 "...You hid that?" he asks, as she presents him a flower from the garden-memory they had left.? "……你偷偷摘的？"他問道。她將一朵花展現(xiàn)給他，那來自之前離開的花園記憶。 "You know, I love its color... pale..." she reveals, gazing upon it fondly.? "你知道的，我喜歡它的顏色……淡色……"她不再隱藏，盯著花的眼神中充滿著喜愛。 "It's like the skies we see in other worlds," she asserts.? "它就像我們在其它世界里看到的天空"，她肯定地說道。 "What's its name?" "它叫什么名字？" He knows.? 他知道答案。 "I don't know," he says. "It will vanish, surely, as everything does. There is no need to keep it, Alice." "我不知道"，他答道。"它終究會消失，就像所有東西那樣。你沒必要帶著它，愛麗絲。" "...Perhaps no need, but I like it," Alice tells him, and he already knew this.? "……也許吧，但我喜歡"，愛麗絲把這件他早已知曉的事情又告訴了他。 "I think that it won't disappear." "我覺得它不會消失。" His gaze drifts away. With no rhyme or reason, he dumps his tea.? 他凝視的目光飄向了別處。沒有征兆和理由地，他倒掉了茶。 He also knows this very well:? 他也清楚地知道： She is right: it won't. And that concerns him most of all.? 她說的沒錯(cuò)，花不會消失，而這正是他最為擔(dān)心的。 He tells her, "Do as you like... Alice." 他又告訴她："你高興就好……愛麗絲。" And she playfully fires back, "I will!" as she slips the flower behind her ear.? 她也玩笑般地回應(yīng)："那當(dāng)然！"，一邊將花枝插在了耳邊。 With pompousness, she declares: "You can't decide how I live!" 她態(tài)度高傲地宣稱道："你無法左右我的意志！" Tenniel taps his chest and gazes at nothing.? 坦尼爾輕叩著自己的胸口，目光中并無焦點(diǎn)。 How unfortunate...? 何等不幸…… She is entirely right about that as well.? 她的這句話也完全沒錯(cuò)。

7-4 "

The world shifts and blends fantastically, fascinating her always.? 這個(gè)世界不斷地發(fā)生著神奇的變化和融合，讓她為之著迷。 Tenniel, however, never seems very thrilled by it. 然而坦尼爾看起來并不怎么為之所動。 Therefore, as they leave the scene of a horrific fire spurred by flying machines, the last burning wisps of tragic memory trailing behind them, Alice confronts him with a question: "Have you no passion at all, Tenniel?" 因此，愛麗絲直接了當(dāng)?shù)卦儐柫怂?你真的就毫無激情嗎，坦尼爾？"兩人剛剛離開一個(gè)記憶場景，那些飛翔的機(jī)器就灑下駭人的烈焰，他們的背后只留下灼燒的悲嘆。 To this, he smirks and says, "I never suffer, no." 面對詢問，他沒心沒肺地笑道："我從未感到痛苦，從不。" To this, she looks at him dully.? 面對回答，她只是淡漠地望著他。 He must have something in that tied up chest of his.? 他那鎖緊的胸膛里肯定藏著什么。 With that in mind, she tries to catch any sparkle in his eye, any breath cut short, any sort of pleased look—as he looks upon pleasant things.? 帶著這種想法，她試圖在他看到令人愉悅的事物時(shí)，找出他眼中的激情火花，亦或是片刻的窒息、歡喜的面容。 One day—if time can be so divided in a world where night never comes—they come across the memory of an old workshop.? 有一天——如果在這個(gè)從無夜晚的世界里還有這種說法的話——他們遇見了一個(gè)舊畫室的記憶。 There, she decides to hatch a little plan. In a rare moment of Tenniel's distraction, she hides away from him, carefully, behind a door.? 在那里，她決定略施小計(jì)。趁著坦尼爾罕見的片刻失神，她藏到了遠(yuǎn)處，小心翼翼地躲在了一扇門的后面。? When he realizes he's lost her, he glances back, forth, and there mutters,? 當(dāng)他意識到自己失去了她的蹤跡后，他來回張望，又小聲呼喚道： "Alice...? Well, you must be nearby. Never mind it, never mind it..." "愛麗絲……？嗯，你肯定就在附近。沒關(guān)系，沒關(guān)系……" From her hiding place she watches him step past dusty tables and stools... until he reaches an easel, upon which is a canvas.? 她從藏身處看著他走過落滿灰塵的桌椅……最后停在一個(gè)擺放著畫布的畫架旁。 He checks the surroundings, finds a piece of charcoal, and sits at the stool before the blank sheet.? 他查看了四周，找到了一根炭筆，然后就坐在了空白的畫布前。 And, he sketches.? 隨即，他開始了繪畫。 The ticklish joy from "teasing" him begins to fade, and she instead observes him steadily. "戲耍"他的那種微妙愉悅感開始消退，她換上了平穩(wěn)的心態(tài)來觀察對方。 That's right...? 沒錯(cuò)…… When she first woke up in this world...? 當(dāng)她當(dāng)初蘇醒在這個(gè)世界的時(shí)候…… Tenniel would often change their hats. He would tease her and be sure to always ask what she wanted to do.? 坦尼爾經(jīng)?；Q兩人的帽子。他會和她打趣，也總是會詢問她想要做什么。 He also recited things—poetry, prose—very often.? 他還會頻繁地引經(jīng)據(jù)典，例如詩歌、散文之類。 He oriented her, when she was so disoriented by waking in a caged world.? 當(dāng)她因蘇醒在一個(gè)牢籠世界中而迷失無措時(shí)，他曾引導(dǎo)過她。 He was sillier, delightful. 以前的他略顯憨傻，卻令人欣喜。 But... rather quickly... he stopped all of that.? 只是……很快……他就不再是那樣了。 The Tenniel she knew now wore a mask. It had almost become his new face, and so she'd forgotten...? 她所認(rèn)識的坦尼爾如今戴上了一張面具。這幾乎成為了他的新面孔，因此她也差點(diǎn)忘記了…… He did like art, didn't he? He used to remark on it whenever they found memories of galleries...? 他以前是喜歡藝術(shù)的，應(yīng)該沒記錯(cuò)吧？每當(dāng)兩人找到有關(guān)畫廊的記憶，他就會開始指點(diǎn)江山…… Now he sketches his surroundings, adding to them a teacup sitting on the floor before the canvas instead of a stool.? 現(xiàn)在他正摹繪著周圍的景象，并在畫布面前加了一個(gè)茶杯。茶杯位于畫布前面的地板上，而不是凳子上。 An invention of his own, not a part of the scene.? 這是他個(gè)人的創(chuàng)新，并不是實(shí)際場景的樣子。 She remarks from behind the door, "That's very nice, Tenniel." 她在門后評論道："畫的真棒，坦尼爾。" He slows to nothing, and rests the charcoal back where he found it. He glances over his shoulder.? 他慢慢停手，終于將炭筆放回了原處，又隔著自己的肩頭回瞥了一眼。 "It's only an imitation," he says.? "只是模仿而已"，他說道。 "But you imagined that," she says, pointing toward the sketch, "the cup." "但那是你想象出來的"，她指著畫作道。"那個(gè)茶杯。" "...It is imagined, yes," he admits. "...But I believe you likely have a better imagination than me, Alice." "……那是想象出來的，沒錯(cuò)"，他承認(rèn)道。"……但我覺得你的想象力大概會比我更好吧，愛麗絲。" He smiles, again.? 他又露出了微笑。 And she replies, "Don't let it bother you, Brother. Your technique is impressive, and comparing it to my flawless mind is—" 于是她回應(yīng)道："別管那種事情，哥哥。你的畫技令人驚艷，將它和我無暇的思維相比——" And they stop, and meet one another's eyes, as they both realize what it is that she just said.? 兩人的氣息為之一滯，對望了一眼后，他們意識到了她剛才所說的究竟是什么。

7-5 "

"...'Comparing it to your flawless mind,' what?" he asks.? "……將它和你無暇的思維相比，然后呢？"他問道。 "...Tenniel..." she addresses him.? "……坦尼爾……"她念著他的名字。 "My name is no verb. Where precisely is this comparison going?" he teases.? "我的名字可不是動詞。你剛才的對比具體是要表達(dá)什么呢？"他打趣道。 But, Alice insists.? 然而愛麗絲才不管這些。 "Tenniel!" She shouts, stomping into the room. "You know why it is that I called you that, don't you!?" "坦尼爾！"她大喊著，氣勢洶洶地沖進(jìn)了房間。"你知道我剛才那樣稱呼你的原因，對吧?。? "It is my name," he replies.? "那是我的名字"，他回答道。 "'Brother'?" she answers, baffled.? "哥哥？"她疑惑地做出反應(yīng)。 "Tenniel," he confirms with a smile. "坦尼爾"，他微笑著堅(jiān)稱道。 "Not that!!" she yells, balling her fists and stomping again—now once in place. "Are we... family!?" "不是那個(gè)?。?她吼叫著，又是揮拳又是跺腳。"我們是……親人??？" "I like t—" Tenniel begins, turning 'round on his stool. He looks self-satisfied, and obnoxious,? "我喜歡——"坦尼爾坐在凳子上轉(zhuǎn)過身。他看起來很滿意的樣子，卻顯得令人討厭。 but before he can say what it is he's thinking, he thinks on it again.? 但在他開口表述想法之前，他又重新陷入了思考。 He holds his tongue, and grimaces as he turns his eyes away.? 他閉口不言，一邊目光漂移，一邊露出一副怪異的苦臉。 "You're shutting up, then?" she accuses him.? "你現(xiàn)在又不說話了？"她的言語毫不留情。 "I knew I was right...! I noticed it... Only lately you've been like this." "我就知道，我沒想錯(cuò)……！我都注意到了……你是最近才變成這樣子的。" "Handsome?" he tries. "No, that's always—" "變帥了？"他試圖轉(zhuǎn)移話題。"不，我一直都這么——" "Tenniel, I am being quite serious," Alice tells him coldly, cutting him off.? "坦尼爾，我現(xiàn)在的態(tài)度非常嚴(yán)肅。"愛麗絲以冷漠的口吻打斷了他。 "Quite seriously," says Tenniel, "I would like to end this conversation." "我想要結(jié)束這場對話"，坦尼爾說道。"我的態(tài)度非常嚴(yán)肅。" "Because it worries you? Mysteriously? Why?"? "因?yàn)槟阍趽?dān)心這件事？神神秘秘的，到底是為什么？" Alice persists. She steps further into the room, angrily telling him,? 愛麗絲的氣勢并未松懈。她向屋子里又邁了幾步，氣憤地朝他說道： "'Brother', I called you, and I said it quite sincerely. What could that be for?? "哥哥，我是這么稱呼你的，而且態(tài)度相當(dāng)真誠。這意味著什么？ You're not unaware, Tenniel. Not unknowing. You're very obvious in that regard.? 你并非毫無意識，并非一無所知，坦尼爾。你在這方面表現(xiàn)得相當(dāng)明顯。 Now, I insist! I insist that you tell me!" 現(xiàn)在，我要求你，必須把真相告訴我！" "I would rather not," he growls.? "我不會說的"，他低吼著。 "Tenniel!" "坦尼爾！" "Just leave it alone!" "別說這件事了！" "I'm a grown woman. I can handle unpleasant words or truths!" "我已經(jīng)成年了。我可以面對痛苦的真相！" "It isn't that simple!" "這沒有那么簡單！" "You aren't my parent!" "你又不是我父親！" "He may as well have been!" "或許他真的當(dāng)過你父親呢！" With a foot forward, the glowering Alice stops, her eyes set on Tenniel who is standing now.? 怒目的愛麗絲踏出的一只腳停在原地，愣愣地注視著已經(jīng)起身的坦尼爾。 She processes what he told her, and asks, only, "...What?" 她的腦中高速處理著來自對方的信息，卻只是問出了一句話："……什么？" "Ah... oh... dear me, I said it," Tenniel speaks in a near whisper.? "啊……哦……天啊，我竟然說出來了"，坦尼爾的自言自語幾乎微不可聞。? His eyes shine a moment, and he bends his head so the brim of his cap might hide them.? 他的眼中光芒閃過，然后他底下了頭，讓帽檐遮擋自己的眼神。 "No, Alice... I am not your brother. But I remember him." "不，愛麗絲……我不是你的哥哥。但我記得他。" "...Go on," Alice bids, resolute.? "……繼續(xù)"，愛麗絲的語氣透露出堅(jiān)定。 And her companion fishes from his vest: a shining shard. A piece of Arcaea.? 她的同伴從背心中掏出了一塊閃光的碎片：那是Arcaea的一部分。 "A memory?" she asks.? "一段記憶？"她疑惑道。 And Tenniel replies: 然后坦尼爾便答道： "Yours." "你的。" Alice is silent. She looks at the shard between his fingertips and waits.? 愛麗絲沉默了。她看著指間的碎片，良久未言。 "I don't understand this world," he says,? "我并不了解這個(gè)世界"，他說道。 "but I know that memories project into this place because of you.? "但我知道這些記憶是因?yàn)槟愣队斑M(jìn)了這個(gè)地方。? None do the same for me.? 我可沒引發(fā)過這種事情。 I believe... given what recollection I was born with... Well, though it was rather... scattered, from the myriad of shards around you where you were first sleeping, I strongly remembered 'him'.? 我認(rèn)為……根據(jù)我出生時(shí)擁有的記憶……呃，雖然它……在你最初蘇醒之處的四周散落成了無數(shù)碎片，但我清楚地記得'他'。 I 'felt' as him, though my head is... certainly a bit strange." 我'感覺'自己就是他，不過我的腦袋……顯然有些不對勁。" He smiles before going on to say, "What I knew made me wish for nothing but your ignorance." 他笑了笑，又繼續(xù)說道："我只知道，我不希望你去了解這一切，僅此而已。" "...I will be fine, Tenniel," Alice speaks to assure him.? "……我沒事的，坦尼爾"，愛麗絲開口安慰著他。 A light falls from his face to the floor, scattering in a minuscule splash.? 一道光從他的臉上滴落到地上，像小水花那樣散成碎片。 He tells her, with a fluttering voice, "I might say that you aren't." 他用顫抖的聲音告訴她："我覺得并非如此。" Nonetheless, he extends the shard to her.? 不過，他還是把碎片遞給了她。 She takes it.? 她收下了。 In the glass, she sees a curtain waving before a window. Daylight.? 透過玻璃般的碎片，她看到一個(gè)窗簾在窗前飄動。還有陽光。 She feels a hand falling down on her hat. Tenniel's sleeve obscures his face.? 她感到一只手撫在了帽子上。坦尼爾的袖口遮住了他此刻的表情。 "If you look there," he says, "I know you will understand. Also, Alice..." "如果你看到了那里"，他說道。"你肯定就會明白的。以及，愛麗絲……" She grips the shard before answering, "Yes?" 她握住碎片，然后回應(yīng)道："什么？" "I am surely just an imitation, but would you—" he stops.? "我當(dāng)然只是個(gè)仿冒品，但你能否——"他頓了頓。 "Would you..." "能否……" "Yes?" she prompts him.? "什么？"她催促著。 "...Take care," he says, "and stay safe, Alice?" "……保重"，他說道。"注意安全，愛麗絲。" "That doesn't follow... You're an imitation, you said... 'An imitation, but'...?" "這根本接不上……你是個(gè)仿冒品，你自己說了……'一個(gè)仿冒品，但是'……？" "...Hmph," he makes a light and dismissive sound as he takes his hand from her hat.? "……哼"，他發(fā)出了小聲的不滿，一邊將手抽離她的帽子。 Or rather, he takes her hat from her head, and replaces it with his own.? 更準(zhǔn)確地說，是將她的帽子摘下，換成了他自己的那頂。 Turning before she can glare at him, he tells her, "I'm an imitation, but listen to me just this once. That's what I was going to say and nothing else,"? 他迅速地趁她望向自己之前轉(zhuǎn)身，又說道："我是個(gè)仿冒品，但這一次還是聽我一句話吧。我只是想說這句話而已。" he lies. 他撒謊了。 She does not push, and instead looks into the glass, activating it.? 她并沒有追根問底，而是望向碎片，激活了它。 But, as color swirls around her she hears the young man say— 不過，當(dāng)五彩斑斕在開始環(huán)繞她時(shí)，她聽到了年輕人在說—— "Right, an imitation can't ever have their wishes heard." "好吧，仿冒品的愿望從來就沒人能夠聽見。" But before she can ask him what he means, she enters a familiar place.? 但還沒來得及問他這究竟是什么意思，她就來到了一個(gè)熟悉的地方。

7-6 "

She finds herself in something unremarkable, and even a little dull.? 她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己身處一個(gè)平淡無奇，甚至有些灰暗的地方。 It is a hospital room with white walls and ceiling.? 這是一間醫(yī)院的房間，有著白色的墻壁和天花板。 To be precise: a patient's room—a quiet room, with monarch butterflies fluttering outside the open window.? 準(zhǔn)確地說，這是一間病房——一個(gè)安靜的房間，窗外是幾只撲扇著翅膀的帝王蝶。 And, to her surprise, in the moment she recognizes the place, memories she hadn't realized she'd lost rush into her skull. 而令她驚訝的是，她在片刻之間就認(rèn)出了這里，她從未意識到的遺失記憶涌入了自己的腦海。 That there was a park outside.? 這里的外面有一座公園。? That the nurses were friendly and kind.? 這里的護(hù)士們友善而耐心。? That the weather always seemed perfect.? 這里的天氣似乎總是晴朗。? That she nearly always lived here.? 她幾乎一直都住在這里。 She feels overwhelmed, trying to sort it all, but before she can even begin she hears footsteps behind and turns.? 她感到了暈眩，試圖將信息都整理一遍，但還未來得及開始，就聽到了身后的腳步聲。 There is a person there, at the door, with a hydrangea in hand, presently dressed in a thin and open, hooded sweatshirt.? 她轉(zhuǎn)過身，看到門邊有一個(gè)人，他手持一朵繡球花，敞開穿著一件輕薄的帶兜帽運(yùn)動衫，看起來頗有現(xiàn)代感。 He wears a T-shirt beneath that, looser slacks over his legs, simple and comfortable shoes...? 他在里面穿的是一件T恤，下面是一件寬松的褲子，以及簡約而舒適的鞋子。 and his face. She knows his face.? 他的表情透露著單純和安心——她認(rèn)識這張臉。? This man is a man who looks like Tenniel.? 這個(gè)人看來就像是坦尼爾。 "His" name, however, is... 不過，"他"的名字…… "...Cedric." "……塞德里克。" From the bed by the window, a weak voice calls out.? 靠窗的病床上傳來了一聲虛弱的呼喚。 The young man passes her by, politely nodding as he goes, and he moves to the waking patient.? 年輕人路過她，禮貌地點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，然后就走向等待著的那位病人。? She doesn't have to see the golden hair, the thin frame, nor the kind face to know: of course, it is her.? 不用去看那金發(fā)嬌軀，也不用看那般面龐就知道，那就是她自己。 This is her memory. Her name is Alice.? 這里是她的回憶，她的名字是愛麗絲。 Cedric puts the flower he bought in a vase. A true bouquet of them sits beside her original self.? 塞德里克將鮮花放進(jìn)了花瓶里。她的原身旁邊已經(jīng)積累了整整一束花。 He pulls over a chair and sits down beside her. He has no tea in his hands, nor does he ask for any. 他拉來一張椅子就坐在了她的身旁。他手中并無茶杯，也并無言語。 "Cedric..." the girl repeats, groggily, as she sits up in bed. "I thought you were at the studio today." "塞德里克……"女孩無力地重復(fù)道，一邊從床上坐了起來。"我以為你今天要去工作室。" "No, not there. And I work on my own time, Alice," says Tenn—... Cedric. It sounds like him.? "不，不去那里了。我現(xiàn)在自主安排工作時(shí)間，愛麗絲"，坦——塞德里克說道。他們的聲音聽起來很像。 "How are you? You're alright?" "怎么會？你沒事吧？" They both look at her, and smile.? 兩個(gè)人都看向她，然后微笑著。 The words had just come out of her without thinking.? 她未加思索就脫口而出。 Well, she could barely think, for what it was worth.? 嗯，因?yàn)槔硭?dāng)然，她也做不到多加思索。 A new world of truth, here to process,? 這是一個(gè)新的真相世界，即將開始運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。 and it seems that as an observer in a place of one part of this memory she merely recited what was said at the time automatically.? 看起來，作為身處記憶片隅的觀察者，她只是自發(fā)地重復(fù)了當(dāng)初說過的話。 "Have you been writing?" asks Cedric.? "你還在寫作嗎？"塞德里克問道。 "Have you been drawing?" asks the sickly girl, grinning in light mockery.? "你還在畫畫嗎？"病弱的女孩問道，嬉笑中又帶著些許戲弄。 "'Have I been drawing'," he echoes, looking to the ceiling and then rolling his eyes.? "'我還在畫畫嗎'"，他復(fù)讀了一遍，他盯著天花板，眼神閃動。 "You came here!" she fires back with a laugh. "I swear, I thought you were busy!" "你來這兒了！"她笑著回應(yīng)道。"說真的，我還以為你很忙呢！" "Three pages I finished," he answers with pride and a smile.? "我畫完了三頁"，他面帶微笑，自豪地答道。 "Good!" "很好！" "And you've got no pages?" "你呢，一個(gè)字都沒動嗎？" "I've written! I've written plenty!" "我寫了！我寫了好多！" "Then let's see it, then. I've this other book, too..." "那就讓我瞧瞧。我這兒也有一本書……" "'Lright!" "好?。? The girl reaches to a cupboard beside the bed.? 女孩把手伸向病床旁邊的櫥柜。 She keeps her notebooks and utensils there, as well as a tablet she could probably use more often.? 她都把筆記本和餐具放在里面，除此之外，還有一個(gè)她不怎么愛使用的平板計(jì)算機(jī)。 The young man fishes out a tome from his bag.? 年輕人從袋子里拿出一本書。 Right... it never had been traveling, had it?? 是啊……這本書其實(shí)哪里也沒有去過，對吧？ It was always written stories... told tales... dreams. 那都只是編出來的故事……聽到的傳言……以及美夢。 They begin to share. Laughter, teasing.? 兩個(gè)人開始分享、歡笑、打趣。 Four days.? 這四天就這樣過去了。 In four days, all of this ended.? 在四天后，一切都結(jié)束了。? They both believed that, if not forever, she had at least three hundred and sixty-five.? 他們本來以為，就算無法永遠(yuǎn)活下去，但她至少還有三百六十五天的時(shí)間。 She didn't get to see him in the end. In the early morning she felt a pain and faded.? 她并沒能在臨終時(shí)見到他。她在一個(gè)清晨感到痛苦，并就此消逝。 Then, nothing.? 然后，沒有然后了。 She remembered hearing them yelling to call. That was it.? 她只記得有一群人高聲喊著她的名字，僅此而已。 Tenniel knew this.? 坦尼爾知道這一切。 The memory is long. She feels it. It encompasses these last days, but she doesn't want to see it.? 這段回憶很漫長。她能感覺到。它涵蓋了臨終的這段時(shí)光，但她并不想看這些。 Strong though she is, facing such a thing terrifies her.? 雖然她很堅(jiān)強(qiáng)，但面對這些時(shí)還是感到了恐懼。 No part of it can change. Her health was always failing, they were always alone, and he couldn't be there: the end.? 這段回憶中沒有任何可以改變的地方。她的健康總是會崩壞，兩個(gè)人總是獨(dú)處，而他總是來不及趕赴結(jié)局。 Dreams and stories... can't become real by wishing.? 美夢和故事……只靠許愿是無法變成現(xiàn)實(shí)的。 She leaves the memory while they're smiling.? 她在兩人歡笑時(shí)離開了這段記憶。 She doesn't remember if it was their last time together.? 她不記得這是不是兩人最后相處時(shí)的樣子了。 She doesn't want to know.? 她不想知道。 You will die.? 你會死。 You have died. 你已經(jīng)死了。 Standing in the memory of the workshop, this is what Alice remembers.? 愛麗絲站在畫室的回憶中，記起了這件事。 "Tenn—" she starts, looking up.? "坦——"她開始尋找。 But Tenniel is gone.? 但坦尼爾已經(jīng)不在了。 And there, the memory fades. 隨即，回憶開始淡去。 She can guess... As he'd said, he was only an imitation, and with the truth revealed, his time was up.? 她能猜到這點(diǎn)……就像他說的，他只是仿冒品，當(dāng)真相被揭曉時(shí)，他就大限已至。 Alice stands in the void of Arcaea, staring forward with unseeing eyes.? 愛麗絲站在Arcaea的虛空中，用無神的雙眼望向前方。 And everything screams at her at once.? 萬物同時(shí)向她發(fā)起尖嘯。 This "plane" is false. This "body": a shell. The "memories" were distorted.? 這個(gè)"位面"是虛假的，這幅"身軀"是空殼，這段"回憶"是捏造的。 Her "life" was not hers; her life ended with no arc, no culmination, no brother beside her.? 她的"人生"不是自己的，直至結(jié)束也沒有什么波瀾曲折，更沒有陪在身邊的哥哥。 You are alone, Alice.? 你是孤獨(dú)的，愛麗絲。 And you died alone.? 你孤獨(dú)至死。 Alice eventually finds herself on her knees, her gloved fingers dug through the earth.? 回過神來時(shí)，愛麗絲發(fā)現(xiàn)自己跪在地上，帶著手套的手指插在土壤中。 She feels very cold. She wants to cry, but tears wouldn't come.? 她感到寒冷。她想要哭嚎，但眼淚卻不見蹤影。 She feels...? 她感受著…… She feels.? 她感受到了。 "It's real,? "這里是真實(shí)的。 because every sense of you 'knows' that it's real." 因?yàn)槟闼械母泄俣?認(rèn)為'這里是真實(shí)的。" Tenniel's words reflect in her head.? 她的腦海中浮現(xiàn)出坦尼爾的話語。 She looks at her hand, and she sees it.? 她看著自己的手，她看見了。 She pulls her glove taut, and she feels it.? 她將手套拉緊，她感覺到了。 She takes the flower from her hair and hears it. Smells it.? 她將花朵從發(fā)絲間摘下，她聽到了，聞到了。 She opens her mouth over the petals. 她對著花瓣張開了嘴。 What is reality? Is it what you see? What you taste? What you touch?? 什么才是真實(shí)？是我看到的嗎？是我嘗到的嗎？是我摸到的嗎？ If that is so...? 如果是那樣…… "Alice" is dead, and Alice is alive.? "愛麗絲"死了，但愛麗絲活著。 And if Tenniel was a memory, then he must remain as well.? 如果坦尼爾只是一段回憶，那么他肯定還存在著。 In reality, she knows herself to be a wanderer of worlds.? 以真實(shí)而言，她只是個(gè)四處游蕩的靈魂。 She made it here, didn't she?? 她一路來到了這里，不是嗎？? Regardless of the "truth". 如果不去管所謂的"真相"的話。 And if that is so... there is a way out.? 如果是這樣……那便還有出路。 She'll find it.? 她一定會找出辦法。 The way back: to the one who cared for her the most in life.? 那條來路：通往她一生中最重視她的人。 And for the other...? 至于另一個(gè)家伙…… If she cannot find him again on her journey, she knows a fragment of him will be there with her, remaining in her heart.? 如果她沒法在旅途中再次找到他，他也知道對方的一部分會永遠(yuǎn)陪伴在自己身旁，留在自己心里。 Perhaps she'll start making and never drinking tea.? 也許她也會開始只泡茶而不喝茶。 The thought... makes her smile and laugh once again. 這份思緒……讓她重新露出了笑容，發(fā)出了笑聲。 Alice decides then and there, feet on the ground and holding the shard of "truth" between her fingers:? 愛麗絲當(dāng)場下定了決心，她站了起來，手指緊抓著"真相"的碎片： even if she may always look forward, to the horizon that marks a new way...? 她總是向前看，朝著嶄新路途的地平線邁進(jìn)…… ...she will never, ever, forget what brought her there.? ……她永遠(yuǎn)也不會忘記是什么帶領(lǐng)著她前行。