My god!

天??！

It took just an instant for Luo Ji to comprehend the true nature of his status as Wallfacer. Like Say had said, before the mission was handed down, the ones who would undertake it could not have been consulted. And once the Wallfacer mission and identity were granted, they could not be refused or abandoned. This impossibility was not due to any individual’s coercion, but because cold logic, as determined by the project’s very nature, meant that once someone became a Wallfacer, an invisible and impenetrable screen was immediately thrown up between them and ordinary people that made their every action significant. And that was what the smiles directed at Wallfacers meant:

僅一瞬間，羅輯就悟出了面壁者這個身份的實質(zhì)。正如薩伊曾說過的，這種使命在被交付前，是不可能向要承擔(dān)它的人征求意見的；而面壁者的使命和身份一旦被賦予，也不可能拒絕或放棄。這種不可能并非來自于誰的強(qiáng)制，而是由面壁計劃的本質(zhì)所決定的冷酷邏輯，因為當(dāng)一個人成為面壁者后，一層無形的不可穿透的屏障就立刻在他與普通人之間建立起來，他的一切行為就具有了面壁計劃的意義，正像那對面壁者的微笑所表達(dá)的含義：

How are we supposed to know whether or not you have already started work?

我們怎么知道您是不是已經(jīng)在工作了？

He now understood that the Wallfacers had a mission far weirder than any in history, its logic cold and twisted, yet unyielding as the chains that bound Prometheus. It was an unliftable curse impossible for the Wallfacers to break under their own strength. No matter how he struggled, the totality of everything would be greeted with the Wallfacer smile and imbued with the significance of the Wallfacer Project:

羅輯終于明白，面壁者是歷史上從未有過的最詭異的使命，它的邏輯冷酷而變態(tài)，但卻像鎖住普羅米修斯的鐵環(huán)般堅固無比。這是一個不可撤銷的魔咒，面壁者根本不可能憑自聲的力量打破它。不管他如何掙扎，一切的一切都在對面壁者的微笑中被賦予了面壁計劃的意義：

How are we supposed to know whether or not you are working?

我們怎么知道您是不是在工作？

His heart surged with a towering fury such as he had never before experienced. He wanted to shout hysterically, to inquire after Say’s mother and the UN’s mother, to inquire after the mothers of all of the delegates at the special session and on the PDC, to inquire after the mothers of the entire human race, and finally to inquire after the nonexistent mothers of the Trisolarans. He wanted to jump up and down and smash things, to sweep aside the documents, globe, and bamboo pencil holder on Say’s desk, and then tear the blue flag to shreds.… But in the end he understood where he was and who he was facing, controlled himself, and stood up, only to fall heavily back upon the sofa again.

一股從未有過的沖天怒火涌上羅輯的心頭，他想聲嘶力竭地大叫，想問候薩伊和聯(lián)合國的母親，再問候特別聯(lián)大所有代表和行星防御理事會的母親，問候全人類的母親，最后問候三體人那并不存在的母親。他想跳起來砸東西，先扔了薩伊辦公室上的文件、地球儀和竹節(jié)筆筒，再把那面藍(lán)旗撕個粉碎……但羅輯終于還是明白了這是什么地方，他面對的是誰，最終控制了自己，站起來后又重重地把自己摔回了沙發(fā)上。

“Why was I chosen?” Luo Ji began, hands covering his face. “Next to the three of them, I have no qualifications. I have no talent and no experience. I’ve never seen war, much less led a country. I’m not a successful scientist. I’m just a university professor who muddles through by throwing together crappy papers. I’m someone who lives for today. I don’t want kids of my own, and I could care less about the continuation of human civilization.… Why was I picked?” By the end of this speech, he had jumped up from the sofa.

“為什么選擇我？比起他們?nèi)齻€。我沒有任何資格。我沒有才華，沒有經(jīng)驗，沒有見過戰(zhàn)爭，更沒有領(lǐng)導(dǎo)過國家；我也不是有成就的科學(xué)家，只是一個憑著幾篇東拼西湊的破論文混飯吃的大學(xué)教授；我是個今朝有酒今朝醉的人，自己都不想要孩子，哪他媽在乎過人類文明的延續(xù)……為什么選中我？”羅輯在說話開始用兩只手捂著頭，說到最后從沙發(fā)上跳起來。

Say’s smile vanished. “To tell you the truth, Dr. Luo, we’re baffled by this too. And that’s the reason you have access to the fewest resources out of all of the Wallfacers. Choosing you is the greatest gamble in history.”

薩伊臉上的笑容消失了?！傲_輯博士，說句實話，我們對此也百思不得其解，正因為如此，在所有面壁者中，您能調(diào)動的資源是最少的。選擇您確實是歷史上最大的冒險?！?/p>

“But there’s got to be a reason why I was chosen!”

“但選擇我總是有原因的！”

“Yes, but only indirectly. No one knows the real reason. Like I said, you have to find your own answer.”

“是的，只是間接的原因，真正的原因誰都不知道，我說過，您要自己去找出來?！?/p>

“Then what about the indirect reason?”

“那間接的原因是什么？！”

“I’m sorry. I’m not authorized to tell you. But I do believe that you’ll know when the time is right.”

“對不起，我沒有授權(quán)告訴您。但我相信，適當(dāng)?shù)臅r候您會知道的。”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

instant：

n.（某一）時刻;當(dāng)時;

【a very short period of time】瞬息，頃刻，剎那

adj.立即的，即刻的;速溶的

adv.〈詩〉立即，立刻

comprehend：

【to understand sth fully】v.理解;領(lǐng)悟;懂

coercion：

【the action of making sb do sth that they do not want to do, using force or threatening to use force】n.脅迫;強(qiáng)迫

very：

adv.非常;十分;極;(強(qiáng)調(diào)形容詞最高級或置于own前)十足;完全同樣;(置于形容詞、副詞和限定詞前)很

adj.(強(qiáng)調(diào)極限的地點或時間)最…的;(特指人或事物)正是的;(加強(qiáng)名詞的語氣)僅僅的;極端的;恰好的;甚至于;唯獨的

impenetrable：

【that cannot be entered, passed through or seen through】adj.不可逾越的;高深莫測的;不可理解的;不可進(jìn)入的;穿不過的;無法透視的

weird：

【very strange or unusual and difficult to explain】adj.奇怪的;詭異的;怪誕的;奇異的;離奇的;不尋常的

n.命運;<古>命運女神;厄運;宿命

twisted：

adj.扭曲的;彎曲的;變形的;偏執(zhí)的;怪僻的

【bent or turned so that the original shape is lost】

【not normal; strange in an unpleasant way】

unyielding：

adj.堅定的;堅固的;頑強(qiáng)不屈的;固執(zhí)的;不彎曲的

【if a person is unyielding , they are not easily influenced and they are unlikely to change their mind】

【an unyielding substance or object does not bend or break when pressure is put on it】

Prometheus：n.普羅米修斯

unliftable：不可撤銷的

curse：

n.詛咒;咒;咒語;禍根;禍端

v.詛咒;咒罵;在心里詛咒;念咒語詛咒

【a word or phrase that has a magic power to make sth bad happen】

totality：n.總額;總數(shù);全部;整個;全體

【the state of being complete or whole; the whole number or amount】

greet：

vt.迎接;歡迎;打招呼;映入…的眼簾;(以某種方式)對…作出反應(yīng);傳入…的耳中(或鼻中)

【to react to sb/sth in a particular way】

imbue：vt.使充滿，灌輸，激發(fā)(強(qiáng)烈感情、想法或價值)

【to fill sb/sth with strong feelings, opinions or values】

surge：

vi.浪涌;激增;涌;洶涌;涌動;急劇上升;飛漲;使強(qiáng)烈地感到

n.（電流）浪涌;(數(shù)量的)急劇上升，激增;大量;(強(qiáng)烈感情的)突發(fā);一大批;奔涌向前;突然的向上運動

【to fill sb with a strong feeling】

towering：adj.高聳的;高大的;卓越的;屹立的;杰出的;強(qiáng)烈的;激烈的;出色的

【extremely strong】

fury：n.憤怒;狂怒;狂暴;暴怒;大發(fā)雷霆

【extreme anger that often includes violent behaviour】

【a state of being extremely angry about sth】

hysterically：adv.歇斯底里地

delegate：

n.代表;會議代表

v.授(權(quán));把(工作、權(quán)力等)委托(給下級);選派(某人做某事)

【a person who is chosen or elected to represent the views of a group of people and vote and make decisions for them】

smash：

v.粉碎;粉碎，使破滅;

n.打碎;破碎;扣球，高壓球;猛擊，猛撞;撞車;破滅，垮臺;破碎的嘩啦聲

adv.轟然

【to break sth, or to be broken, violently and noisily into many pieces】

shred：

vt.切碎;撕碎

n.(撕或切的)細(xì)條，碎片;些許;一丁點;極少量

【a small thin piece that has been torn or cut from sth】

much less： 更不用說;更何況;（用于否定句后）遑論

muddle：

n.混亂;糊涂;亂七八糟;(局面)一團(tuán)糟;困惑;茫然

vt.使糊涂;混淆;使困惑;弄亂;攪混;分不清

muddle through

胡亂應(yīng)付過去

【to achieve your aims even though you do not know exactly what you are doing and do not have the correct equipment, knowledge, etc.】

crappy：

adj.蹩腳的;劣質(zhì)的

【of very bad quality】

live for today： 為今天而活;今朝有酒今朝醉

vanish：

v.使不見，使消失;消失;消亡;（莫名其妙地）突然消失;不復(fù)存在，絕跡

【to disappear suddenly and/or in a way that you cannot explain】

baffle：

vt.使困惑;難住

n.(控制聲、光、液體等流動的)隔板，擋板，反射板

【to confuse sb completely; to be too difficult or strange for sb to understand or explain】

gamble：

n.賭博;冒險;打賭

v.(牌戲、賽馬等中)賭博，打賭;碰運氣;冒風(fēng)險;以…為賭注

【an action that you take when you know there is a risk but when you hope that the result will be a success】

authorize：

vt.授權(quán);批準(zhǔn)

【to give official permission for sth, or for sb to do sth】