【原神雙語閱讀】牧童與魔瓶的故事+希魯伊與希琳的故事

2023-02-20 23:27 作者:Eiria 0人讀過 | 我要投稿

【僅搬運(yùn)整理供學(xué)習(xí)之用】

=====牧童與魔瓶的故事=====

=====The Shepherd and the Magic Bottle=====

牧童在沙漠中偶遇銀瓶，以及其中囚禁的不速之客的故事。

The story of a shepherd who came across a magic bottle within which an unexpected being was confined.

人們說，君王阿赫瑪爾在世時，曾經(jīng)廣收大地之上的鎮(zhèn)靈與妖魔，收以為魔瓶千計。

Legend has it that King Al-Ahmar, while still alive, had collected numerous Jinn and demons from across the world, placing them within magic bottles.

人們說，世界上一度滿布鎮(zhèn)靈，大能卻迷惘的阿赫瑪爾將它們從沙漠銀色的夜風(fēng)與流沙中、從海洋難測的旋紋中、從雨林泉流的叮咚聲中攫出，然后收入玄銀的瓶中——一如不可一世的征服者，一如好奇的稚童。

Legend has it that the world was once teeming with such Jinn. Al-Ahmar, mighty yet bewildered, seized them from the silver night winds and quicksand of the desert, the mystical swirls of the ocean, and the tinkling springs in the rainforest, and kept them in silver bottles. He was like an arrogant conqueror, and at the same time, a curious child.

bewildered = confused and cannot understand sth or decide what to do

be teeming with sth = to contain large numbers of sth

阿赫瑪爾曾以轡與軛役使諸鎮(zhèn)靈，亦從它們的哀歌中習(xí)得慘淡的月與駕車的啟明星之前事，并興建宏大的圓形劇場之城阿伊·哈努姆——「月女城」以紀(jì)念之。這座城傳說是鎮(zhèn)靈的城，是阿赫瑪爾為月的遺民封賜的樂土。作為報答，鎮(zhèn)靈們?yōu)榘⒑宅敔栬T造了他陵墓的巨大門扉。

Al-Ahmar harnessed the spirits with bridles and yokes, learned from their laments about the story of the dismal moon and the driving morning star, and built the majestic Ay-Khanoum — the "City of Amphitheaters, or "City of the Moon Maiden" — to commemorate them. It is said to have been the city of the spirits, the paradise for migrants from the moon, gifted to them by Al-Anmar. In return, the spirits constructed the huge doorway to his mausoleum.

現(xiàn)實(shí)中的阿伊·哈努姆遺址："公元前4世紀(jì)后期，古希臘馬其頓王國國王亞歷山大率軍東征波斯，將希臘文明帶到巴克特里亞（今阿富汗）境內(nèi)，在這里建造希臘化的城市。阿伊哈努姆是一個典型的希臘城邦，城市設(shè)施十分完善，體育館、劇場、神廟、王宮等無一不有。但在阿伊哈努姆，巴克特里亞王國的文明痕跡并沒有被完全抹掉，它與希臘文明相互融合，眾多的藝術(shù)和文化在這里匯集，形成了獨(dú)特的希臘-巴克特里亞式風(fēng)格。"（資料來源：成都博物館阿富汗國寶展覽"文明的回響"簡介）"In Uzbek, Ai Khanoum (/Ay-Khanoum) means 'Lady Moon'."

（碎碎念：所以月女城如果有新圖的話也會是這種雜糅的風(fēng)格嗎0w0）

amphitheater = 圓形露天劇場、競技場

commemorate = to remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, esp. by a public ceremony or by making a statue or special building

以上是沙漠歌者的一家之言。到千百年后的如今，就如驍勇的賽穆德人之城薩勒赫、智慧的提納勒人之邦圖萊杜拉，二十九代伊之城奧爾迦娜那般，阿伊·哈努姆，及其間居住的無數(shù)宗族、被玄銀魔瓶所囚禁的數(shù)不清的鎮(zhèn)靈，早已被重重黃沙、旋流和淤泥掩埋了。

This is the tale as the desert singers would tell it. Countless years later, Ay-Khanoum — like Saleh, the city of the valiant Thamudians, Tulaytullah, the land of the wise Tighnarians, and Orghana, the city of the Twenty-Nine Deys — has long been buried beneath heavy sands and swirling currents, as have the countless clans that inhabited it and the innumerable jinn imprisoned in their silver magic bottles.

Thamud：阿拉伯半島上早期的一個游牧部落，傳說這個部落鑿山為屋、崇拜多神，于是真主讓部落中的先知Saleh（或Salih）顯露神跡：一頭母駝，但眾人不僅不信還殺了母駝，最終這個部落遭神罰覆滅。這片地方也因這位先知而得名瑪?shù)樯忱眨∕ada'in Saleh = "Cities of Saleh")，現(xiàn)實(shí)中的瑪?shù)樯忱者z址位于約旦佩特拉城南部。（資料來源：islamiclandmarks.com/saudiarabia-additional-places/madain-saleh）

Tulaytullah：西班牙的托萊多（Toledo）在阿拉伯語中叫做Tulaytulah，這座城市在歷史上曾被不同文明占領(lǐng)過，因而各種文化交融，不同信仰的人在此共處。

Orghana：or+ghana？

dey：現(xiàn)實(shí)中的dey常譯為"代"、"迪伊"，是1671-1830年阿爾及爾（Algiers）以及舊時突尼斯、的黎波里統(tǒng)治者的頭銜；阿爾及爾是阿爾及利亞的大商港，曾有29任迪伊統(tǒng)治過這里。

但現(xiàn)在，讓我們省去不必要的考據(jù)與舉證，書歸正題——

But now, let us leave the unnecessary fact-finding to one side and return to the subject...

fact-finding = [n.] the discovery and establishment of the facts of an issue

leave sth to one side = to keep sth separate, reserved, or in stasis so as to use or deal with it later

那是在奧摩斯港建成后的第十五個年頭，一個年輕的牧者在砂礫作歌之丘（注1）發(fā)掘到了一個銀瓶。不知是出于幼稚的好奇，還是出于沙漠人所不應(yīng)有的輕慢，在月光下，少年破壞了瓶底的封印，打開了銀瓶。（注2）

Fifteen years after Port Ormos was built, a young shepherd found a silver bottle in the Gravelsong Dunes (Note 1). Whether out of childish curiosity or a recklessness uncharacteristic of desert dwellers, the boy broke the seal beneath the silver bottle and opened it beneath the moonlight. (Note 2)

uncharacteristic = not typical

「凡世的渡鴉，如此聒噪……」

"The ravens of the mortal world are so exceptionally noisy..."

鎮(zhèn)靈自瓶中升起（注3），現(xiàn)出如貓般柔軟慵懶、如睡蓮般明潤的舞者模樣。

A Jinni arose from within the bottle (Note 3) in the form of a dancer, as flexible and languid as a cat and as bright and beautiful as a water lily.

「渡鴉……？」

"Ravens...?"

愚鈍的少年并不明白，他看起來并不像鳥類，生性也不聒噪。

The youth was clueless, as he did not resemble a bird, nor was he noisy.

「是呀，渡鴉?！?/span>

"Yes, ravens."

那鎮(zhèn)靈又重復(fù)了一遍，頗不耐煩的樣子。

The spirit repeated, rather impatiently.

「速生速死的鳥兒，聒噪的生命……『惟有死去時，他們才會醒來』。你是哪里不懂呀？」

"Birds that live fast and die fast, a noisy lot and no mistake... 'Only when they die do they wake up.' What about this is there to not understand, hmm?"

死去時才會醒來：一說是先知穆罕默德說的，也有說是他的堂弟阿里說的，英文中還有一種流傳比較廣的譯法是"People are asleep; they wake up when they die."

少年又愚魯?shù)負(fù)u搖頭，收獲了一聲嘆息。

The young man shook his head in confusion, bringing a sigh to the spirit's lips.

「這樣吧，蠢笨的呆鳥?！?/span>

"Listen, foolish bird."

鎮(zhèn)靈搖搖頭，涂沒藥的發(fā)辮在月光下輕擺，辮梢綴結(jié)的金鈴發(fā)出催人入夢的響聲。琥珀金般的瞳眸卻顯現(xiàn)匕首的光澤。

The spirit shook her head, her myrrh-scented braids swaying gently in the moonlight, the golden bells dangling at their ends ringing dreamily, but her amber eyes glinting like daggers.

「我允許你提三個問題，但我亦有三個條件——

"I will allow you to ask three questions under three conditions..."

「其一，乃是不得誣蔑我主阿赫瑪爾。此為最重。（注4）

"First, do not defame my lord Al-Ahmar. This is my bottom line. (Note 4)"

「其二，乃是不得心懷傲慢。短壽之人應(yīng)自知立場。

"Second, harbor you no arrogance. Short-lived mortals should know where they stand."

harbor = [v.] have in mind

know where you stand = to be certain about what your position and responsibilities are in a situation

「其三，乃是不得竊聽天上與地下之事。要知道，天上確有堅強(qiáng)的衛(wèi)士和燦爛的星宿。

"Third, do not pry into the affairs of heaven and earth. Know this: there are indeed brave guardians and splendid stars in heaven."

「否則，我會乘著夜風(fēng)，恰如夜月的三女神乘著她們的戰(zhàn)馬般沖入你的口鼻，蕩空你的臟腑魂靈，將你不生不死的血肉做我的新居所?！?/span>

"If you fail to comply, I will fly into your mouth and nose on the night wind, like the three moon goddesses on their steeds, draw out your guts and soul, and make your lifeless flesh my new home."

少年急忙捂住口鼻，用力地點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，努力表示自己聽懂了鎮(zhèn)靈的條件。

The youngster hastened to cover his mouth and nose, nodding profusely to show that he understood the conditions.

「發(fā)問吧，我主的寵兒，天國的奴才。」

"Then ask, beloved child of my lord, slave of heaven."

鎮(zhèn)靈輕笑著開口了。皎白的月光灑落在她的千百發(fā)辮上，又流散融入近乎透明的肌膚之中，散發(fā)出晶砂般的光彩。

Said the spirit, chuckling. The bright moonlight fell on her braids, and flowed into her nearly transparent skin, granting it a crystalline sheen.

「你是誰？」

"Who are you?"

少年發(fā)問。

The young man asked.

「我是天空的造物，亦是世界的生靈。我是千古的放逐者，亦是我主大君的忠誠奴仆。我是不甘向血肉之軀拜伏的元素之靈，是滿足于安樂假面的永恒囚徒……」

"I'm a creation of the sky, yet also a creature of this world. I'm an exile of the ages, a faithful servant to my great lord. I'm an elemental spirit who will not bow to flesh and blood, an eternal prisoner content with the illusion of comfort..."

flesh and blood = used to emphasize that a person is a physical, living being with human emotions or frailties, often in contrast to something abstract, spiritual, or mechanical

鎮(zhèn)靈驕傲地挺起胸膛，任月光從剔透的身形流淌而下，任沙漠的夜風(fēng)吹得發(fā)梢金鈴作響。

The spirit held her head up high with pride, letting moonlight flow through her translucent body, her golden bells ringing in the desert wind.

「我是利露法爾的后裔。我可大可小，能升能隱，不論波濤之內(nèi)、夜風(fēng)之中，還是已死的蒼涼月光之上，皆有我的同類。簡而言之，我是驕傲的鎮(zhèn)靈?！?/span>

"As a descendant of Liloufar, I can be big or small. I can rise or hide. My kindred may be found in the waves, in the night wind, or in the pale light of the dead moon. In short, l'm a spirit, and I'm proud of who I am."

「那么，你為何會在這瓶子里？」

"Then why are you in this bottle?"

不解風(fēng)情的少年晃晃手中的銀瓶，呆呆地問道。

The young man shook the silver bottle in his hand and asked uncomprehendingly.

「我主阿赫瑪爾是志在征服天地之人，諸山諸海都聽他調(diào)遣。因而，他以玄銀為我們鑄就魔瓶，在我們的身上打下他的印，我們便成了他的奴仆，從事高貴的創(chuàng)造與探索。換句話……并非恥辱的奴仆，而是驕傲的奴仆。

"My lord Al-Ahmar aspired to conquer the world. All mountains and seas would be his to command. To this end, he made us magic bottles of silver and stamped his mark on us, and so we became his servants, engaging in noble deeds of creation and exploration. In other words... we were not servants in shame, but servants with pride."

「只是呀，后來……」

"But afterwards..."

鎮(zhèn)靈琥珀金般的眼眸暗淡下來，聲音也輕了許多，

The spirit said quietly, her amber eyes darkening.

「我主自取災(zāi)禍，令我們連遭數(shù)個世代的遺忘之絕罰。因而我們與同胞被困在了封印的銀瓶之中，溺于夢想，直至死亡亦當(dāng)死亡的時刻。

"My lord brought disaster upon himself, leaving us sentenced to generations of oblivion. We were trapped in sealed silver bottles, drowning in dreams until the moment of our death."

「好啦，第三個問題！」

"Well, your third question, then!"

鎮(zhèn)靈歡快地擺擺手，手腕上綴連的古老銀錢發(fā)出清脆的鳴響，

The spirit waved her hand briskly, causing a clear jingle of the ancient silver coins adorning her wrists.

「小心一點(diǎn)提，否則小心你的口鼻！」

"Have a care for your query, or your mouth and nose will suffer!"

「那么……」

"So..."

少年猶豫片刻，提出了最后的問題，

The young man hesitated for a moment, and asked the last question.

「在瓶里的生活，是什么樣的呢？」

"What's it like to live in a bottle?"

鎮(zhèn)靈似乎未嘗聽聞過此種問題，微微一怔，才緩緩答道：

Seemingly having never heard of such a question before, the spirit was slightly surprised before she answered slowly.

「最初一個世代，我居住在無憂的宮邸，與夜鶯同歌，同玫瑰談情。那是美好的時代，是詩人與戀人因我而生的年代。那個年代里，似乎整個『月女城』恰在瓶中，就連無色無味泉水亦是令人迷醉的。

"In the first era, I lived in a carefree palace, singing with nightingales and talking with roses. It was a beautiful time, a time when poets and lovers were born because of me. In those days, it seemed that the entire City of the Moon Maiden was in the bottle, and even the tasteless spring water was intoxicating."

「那時，我對自己說，若有人將封印毀卻，放我出去外面的世界，我必咒殺那人?！?/span>

"At that time, I told myself that if anyone ever broke the seal and let me out into the outside world, I would curse and kill them."

「后來一個世代，風(fēng)沙大作，妖魔橫行。夜鶯啼血，鳴聲變得嘔啞嘲晰；玫瑰凋落，化作糾纏的荊棘。詩人瘐死，戀人流離，繁華不再……那是可怖的年代，一切在永恒的崩毀中停滯。同樣地，『月女城』仿佛恰在瓶中。

"In the era that came after, sandstorms and demons ran riot. Nightingales sang till their voice grew raspy and their blood dried up. Roses withered and turned into tangles of thorns. Poets died of maltreatment, lovers were displaced, prosperity vanished... It was a dreadful time when everything came to a standstill in the eternal collapse. Yet likewise, the City of the Moon Maiden seemed to be right in the bottle."

run riot = behave in a violent, noisy, and uncontrolled way

displace= to force (someone) to leave home or country, as during a war

「于是，我對自己說，若有人將封印毀卻，放我出去外面的世界，我必追究它的不公?！?/span>

"So I told myself that if anyone ever broke the seal and let me out into the outside world, I would fight against its injustice."

「然后，第三個世代。一切都已歸于塵埃，一切都已毀滅?！涸屡恰坏氖⒋髴騽∫讶宦淠唬瑑H余殘垣斷壁間的宏大劇場，與諸神破碎不堪的面具。這個時代里，我流干了淚，金鈴的鳴響與層層紗舞也變成了纏身的詛咒。

"Then in the third era, everything was reduced to dust. The grand play of the City of the Moon Maiden came to an end, and what remained were the ruined theater and the wrecked masks of the gods. In that era, I ran out of tears to shed, and the chiming golden bells and the fluttering veil became to me a haunting curse."

to shed tears = 流淚

『就這樣，在一片荒蕪中，我對自己說，若有人將封印毀卻，放我出去外面的世界，我將成為復(fù)仇的惡靈——?dú)缡澜纾驓缱约??！?/span>

"And so, I told myself amidst that desolation that if anyone ever broke the seal and let me out into the outside world, I would turn into an evil seeking revenge — I would destroy the world, or else destroy myself."

「所以……」

"So..."

沙漠寒風(fēng)忽起，少年忍不住裹緊寬大的長袍，縮了縮身子。

A gust of cold wind in the desert sent a shiver over the young man, causing him to tighten his loose robe.

「是呀，我本想將你作為復(fù)仇的第一個目標(biāo)……撕裂你的骨骼血肉，用你的靈魂作殘忍的歌?！?/span>

"Yes, I could have made you the first target of my revenge... tore your bones and flesh to make a cruel song of your soul."

鎮(zhèn)靈戲謔地笑起來，有如夏夜報死的夜鶯，

The spirit smiled teasingly, like a nightingale announcing a death on a summer night.

「只是呀，死去的月光照著了流沙的沙丘，也照到了我……令我突然意識到，這個世界竟如此可愛。

"Yet the dead moon cast a glow over the quicksand dunes, and over me... and I suddenly realized how lovely the world is."

「可悲的鎮(zhèn)靈，恰似奮力頂破卵殼的雛鳥那樣，不可救藥地愛上了這片荒蕪殘破的世界，與其間萬物蠢蠢碌碌的新生和死亡。曾被玫瑰珍饈滋養(yǎng)的驕子，如今卻愛上了遍生蟾蜍與毒蛇之地……

"And so this poor Jinni, like a chick struggling to break through its egg, has hopelessly fallen in love with this barren and ravaged world and its circle of life and death. The proud Jinni, once nourished by the delicacies of roses, has fallen for the land infested with toads and vipers..."

ravaged = severely damaged; devastated

「這一切令我不禁期待，『渡鴉』蛻變成為『新郎』的那一刻……將是何種情狀?！?/span>

"It all makes me wonder what it will be like... when the 'raven' becomes the 'groom.'"

「所以……? 」

"So...?"

少年又退縮了一下身子。

The youngster cowered again.

「所以，請給我講個故事，小渡鴉。讓我了解這個世界吧?！?/span>

"So, tell me a story, little raven. Let me see the world."

望著少年的呆臉，鎮(zhèn)靈狡黠地笑了起來，辮梢的金鈴簌簌作響。

The spirit grinned slyly at the sight of the youth's puzzled look, her golden bells tinkling at the end of her braids.

就這樣，「月女城」的鎮(zhèn)靈重新開始了她的世界旅程。

And so, the spirit of the moon maiden's city once again embarked on her journey around the world.

腳注：

Footnotes:

1、「鍍金旅團(tuán)」成員常稱為「阿吉夫之地」的沙漠地帶，并非特定的地名，因為沙丘本身就如風(fēng)般流動。

1. This is the desert area that the Eremites often refer to as "Dar al-Azif." This does not refer to a fixed place, since the dunes themselves flow like the wind.

Dar al-Azif："克蘇魯之父"洛夫克拉夫特所寫的《死靈之書》中有一章名為"<死靈之書>的歷史"，其中內(nèi)容均為虛構(gòu)，其中提到："《死靈之書》原名《阿爾·阿吉夫》，阿拉伯人常用“阿吉夫”這個詞指那些出現(xiàn)在夜晚，被懷疑是惡魔們的哭嚎與咆哮的聲音（也指那些晚間由昆蟲發(fā)出來的聲音）。" ；dar = [arabic] adobe, house, place, land, etc.

2、普爾比魯尼一門的學(xué)督法爾馬拉茲堅持他荒謬的看法，認(rèn)為是「出于沙漠人所固有的愚昧」，此看法不值一駁。對于如此無理之人，愿百鳥集結(jié)在他的床榻，愿諸山向他投石！

2. Faramaraz, a Purbiruni academic, has insisted on an absurd opinion that this occurred "out of the ignorance inherent to the desert dwellers," which is not even worth refuting. May a hundred birds gather on this unreasonable man's bed, and may the mountains hurl stones at him.

3、普爾比魯尼一門的學(xué)督法爾馬拉茲再次與筆者辯駁，認(rèn)為「升起」一詞不妥，應(yīng)用更好的詞來表示「如光彩奪目的煙霧般漫出」之樣貌。不得不承認(rèn)他的意見雖在文學(xué)上有所可取，但實(shí)非學(xué)者作為。愿他的腸胃如鉛石虬結(jié)，愿理發(fā)匠如他須發(fā)的劊子手！

3. Faramaraz, a Purbiruni academic, has argued that the word "rise" was inappropriate here and that a better word should be used to present the image of "pouring out like a radiant cloud of smoke." It must be admitted that his opinion has literary merit, but it will not be adopted academically. May his bowels become as gnarled as stones, and may his barber be the executioner of his hair!

4、普爾比魯尼一門的學(xué)督法爾馬拉茲指出，「阿赫瑪爾」并非此位君王在世時之稱謂，在此處引用恐失之嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)。愿智慧厭棄他的存在，愿他的頭發(fā)稀薄，胡須早白！

4. Faramaraz, a Purbiruni academic, has pointed out that "Al-Ahmar" was not the name that the monarch used during his lifetime, and that it is improper to quote it here. May wisdom forsake him, may his hair grow thin, and may his beard turn white before its time!

一個或許有點(diǎn)類似的故事：《一千零一夜》中有個漁夫與魔鬼的故事，說的是一名漁夫網(wǎng)到一個銅瓶，瓶口有蘇萊曼大帝（所羅門）的封印，漁夫出于好奇打開瓶子，結(jié)果瓶中出現(xiàn)一個惡魔要?dú)⑺罎O夫，漁夫詢問原因，于是惡魔說："漁翁，你有所不知，我本是離經(jīng)叛逆的妖魔，是個頑固的魔鬼，曾與使徒蘇萊曼·本·達(dá)伍德大帝作對。于是他派他的宰相阿綏福·本·白爾海亞前來抓我。我強(qiáng)忍屈辱。當(dāng)我站在蘇萊曼面前時，他便勸我投奔他，并向我傳經(jīng)布道，要我服從他的指揮。見我當(dāng)場拒絕，他便拿來這個瓶子，把我裝在這里邊，并且加上鉛封，蓋上他的印章，然后下令將銅瓶投入大海。我在海底住了一百年，心想：'誰能把我救出來，我保他終身榮華富貴。' 可是，一百年過去了，沒一個人救我。又過了一百年，我心想：'誰能救出我，我就給他打開地下寶藏之門。' 結(jié)果還是沒人救我。四百年過去，我心想：'誰能救出我，我給他辦三件大事。' 仍然無人光顧。我生氣了，心想：‘誰要在這個時候把我救出來，我就殺死他，死法任其挑選！' 漁翁，你恰在這時把我救出來，死法就由你選擇吧！"（資料來源：《一千零一夜》李唯中譯本）

=====希魯伊與希琳的故事=====

=====The Tale of Shiruyeh and Shirin=====

===第一卷===

「接下來要講的故事，來自『疫王』希魯伊的時代。只不過在那時候，這位藩王還沒有因『希魯伊之疫』而惡名昭彰，他的臣民也尚未流散遁入黑暗的世界，成為失去語言和面目的蠻荒之物……」

"The next story I'll tell comes from the age of Shiruyeh, the Lord of Pestilence, though at this time, that vassal ruler had not yet gained notoriety for Shiruyeh's Plague, nor had his subjects been scattered amidst a world of darkness, left to become wild creatures who had lost their language and faces..."

pestilence = a disease that spreads quickly and kills a lot of people 疫病

月女城的精靈稍作停頓，伸了一個大大的懶腰。手腕腳踝上月色的銀錢紛紛作響，似乎為馱獸的顛簸頗有不滿，

The fairy of the moon maiden's city paused for a moment, then stretched out lazily. The moonlit silver coins jangled on her wrists and ankles as if displeased with the jouncing of the Sumpter Beast.

「話說回來呀，小渡鴉，你可知『希魯伊』之名的含義？」

"Anyway, little raven, do you know the meaning of the name 'Shiruyeh'?"

「嗯……荒唐可笑，卑劣之人？」

"Uh... 'One who is ridiculous and despicable'?"

despicable = extremely nasty, cruel or evil, deserving to be despised

被自顧自稱作「渡鴉」的少年隨口答道。苦于日曬和流沙的威脅，他無心理會旅伴的故事，

The youth whom she had rather one-sidedly named "Raven" answered casually. Suffering the heat of the sun and the threat of quicksand, he had little interest in his travel companion's stories.

「在我們的部落，『希魯伊』是一個恥辱的名字，只有被放逐的首領(lǐng)會在額頭被烙下這樣的名號，只有在詛咒與嘲罵時才會掛在嘴邊。這是我們的傳統(tǒng)……但想必在其他的部落，也差不太多吧?！?/span>

"In our tribe, 'Shiruyeh' is a disgraceful name branded only onto the foreheads of exiled chiefs and spoken only in curses and mockery. It's a tradition of ours... But I'm sure that the traditions of other tribes are not so different."

brand = [v.] 打烙印

「哈哈！凡人的認(rèn)識如同流沙，隨時間的風(fēng)游移不定。真是怪異！」

"Haha! Mortal awareness is just like quicksand, shifting with the winds of time. How bizarre!"

「渡鴉」的敷衍作答，卻引來了精靈饒有興趣的嘲諷，

"Raven” replied perfunctorily, drawing an unexpectedly enthusiastic taunt from the fairy,

perfunctorily = quickly, without care or interest

「其實(shí)……在失落的語言中，『希魯伊』的含義是『未斷奶的幼獅』。他的父王『帕維茲拉萬』以此為滿月的愛子賜名，卻渾然不知，他這位自稱『常勝之靈』的藩王，將會被心愛的『小獅子』如鬣狗般撕破肚腸……」

"Now, actually... in the lost language, 'Shiruyeh' means 'unweaned lion cub'. His father Parvezravan gave this name to his newborn son, oblivious that he, the vassal king who referred to himself as the 'Spirit of Unceasing Victory,' would be torn apart by his own beloved 'lion cub'..."

oblivious = unaware, unconscious

精靈停頓一下，仿佛怕聽眾膩煩似的，與少年交換了眼神，隨即繼續(xù)講道：

The fairy paused, seemingly afraid that her audience was getting bored, and exchanged glances with the youth before continuing her tale:

「至于這『帕維茲拉萬』。傳說在凡人各自作為藩王統(tǒng)治一方的時代，『帕維茲拉萬』曾是列王中最為強(qiáng)大者之一……」

"As for this Parvezravan, legend has it that in the days when mortals ruled as vassal kings, he was one of the mightiest among them..."

「帕維茲拉萬」并非這位藩王的本名。精靈們說，他曾是無父無母的孤兒，被巨鳥戈赫努絲在巢中撫養(yǎng)長大，得名「基斯拉」，即「受賜美名者」。后來，因著稱雄的野心，受著神鳥的眷助，他被藩王奧爾瑪茲沙收為義子，成了凡人中的賢者與英雄。

"Parvezravan was not, in fact, the original name of this vassal king. As the spirits tell it, he was an orphan who was raised in the nest of the giant bird Ghoghnus and given the name 'Kisra,' or 'one who has been bestowed a good name.' Later, his aspiration to greatness and the aid of this divine bird saw him adopted by the vassal king Ormazd Shah, and he would eventually rise to become a sage and hero among mortals.

Ghoghnus：波斯神話中有神鳥名為西摩格（Simurgh），后與其他地區(qū)神話中的神鳥形象（如阿拉伯國家的Ghoghnus）融合（資料來源：維基百科詞條"Simurgh"，關(guān)于Ghoghnus本身沒查到太多信息，存疑）。

關(guān)于神鳥和棄子，在波斯詩人菲爾多西所著的史詩《列王紀(jì)》中有一個類似的故事：勇士薩姆喜得一子，但此子渾身白毛，模樣怪異，薩姆以為不祥，隨將孩子拋棄在荒野中，被神鳥西摩格發(fā)現(xiàn)，神鳥收養(yǎng)了這個孩子，并給他起名“達(dá)斯坦”，孩子長大后，薩姆夢到兒子還在，感到懊悔，同時也懼怕神罰，遂前往山中將兒子接回，以“扎爾”之名稱呼他，并讓他做了繼承人。

Shah：沙，舊時伊朗國王/印度等亞洲國家的地方統(tǒng)治者的稱號。

已消亡的沙漠民族，他們的歌中說，基斯拉為藩王奧爾瑪茲沙攻掠大地四方，迫使九十九座城池毀棄灰泥與青銅筑就的高塔城墻，擊敗九十九個游牧部族的魁首，又將九十九位通曉星空之理的智慧賢者羈以黃金的枷鎖，領(lǐng)回高聳的王城居爾關(guān)押。

In the songs of the now-vanished desert people, Kisra plundered the four corners of the land in the name of his king, Ormazd Shah. By his hand, the bronze and mortar towers of ninety-nine cities were destroyed or abandoned. By his hand, the leaders of ninety-nine nomadic tribes were defeated. And by his hand, ninety-nine sages with knowledge of the order of the stars were bound in golden chains, then led back to the towering royal city of Gurabad to be imprisoned.

彼時，樂土「瓦利·韋杰」方被鍍金的狂沙席卷，三生魔神已隕沒其一。在百年的混亂與迷茫中，流散的凡人子民曾據(jù)藩地自守，直至吾主阿赫瑪爾與綠木賢王收攏臣民，重建綠洲樂園為止，鍍金藩王的割據(jù)年代方告結(jié)束。

At that time, the promised land of "Valivija" was engulfed by wild, gilded sands, and one of the three living gods had fallen. Amidst a century of chaos and confusion, the scattered mortals ensconced themselves in vassal states until my lord Al-Ahmar and the Sage-King of the Greenwood gathered their subjects. Once the oasis paradise was reconstructed, the age of the vassal kings, the age of division, finally came to a close.

（valivija：聯(lián)想到赤王和樹王兩個神的話……wali+bija？信息太少了，還是不瞎猜了_(:з」∠)_）

書歸前文，因著基斯拉的功業(yè)，奧爾瑪茲的王冠亦愈發(fā)貴重，最終他自己的脖頸甚至也無法承擔(dān)王冠之重，不得不以純金的鎖鏈，將它永遠(yuǎn)懸在大廳中央。

Returning to our preceding tale, Ormazd's crown grew all the more valuable on the back of Kisra's exploits, until finally his own neck could no longer bear its weight, forcing him to leave it ever suspended from chains of pure gold in the center of the main hall.

一個些許類似的情節(jié)，還是出自菲爾多西的《列王紀(jì)》：國王霍斯魯帕爾維茲（Khosrow Parviz）為他的妻子希琳（Shirin）建造了一座"麥達(dá)因?qū)m殿"，其中“有一個大環(huán)全是黃金鑄造，從高高的拱頂上向下垂吊。環(huán)上還掛著一條赤金鏈子，每-個連結(jié)處都鑲著寶石。每當(dāng)國王坐在象牙寶座上，便把王冠摘下來掛在環(huán)上?！?/span>

年輕的基斯拉以蓋世的功業(yè)，獲得了藩王奧爾瑪茲沙的無上賞賜。他賜義子「帕維茲」之名，又將女兒希琳許配給了他。精靈們縹緲的歌中傳唱道，她是凡人藩王與老祖母利露法爾的混血后嗣，因而有著優(yōu)越的智慧，享著無窮的壽限，如最初賢者般，能預(yù)見當(dāng)下的吉兇。

The vassal king Ormazd Shah rewarded young Kisra's unrivaled achievements amply: He bestowed the name "Parvez" upon his adopted son and offered his daughter Shirin's hand to him in marriage. In the ethereal songs of the spirits, as the heir of both the mortal vassal king and the foremother Liloufar, she possessed superior wisdom and was blessed with an infinite lifespan and, like the original sages, could foresee the fortunes and misfortunes of the present moment.

amply [adv.] = more than sufficiently

Parvez [Persian] = victorious；ravan [Persian] = soul, spirit

假若基斯拉·帕維茲就此止步，他的英雄之名將毫無瑕疵。但在某一個受詛咒的日子里，藩王奧爾瑪茲及其三百子嗣在居爾城一夜暴亡，此等荒唐事變之后，基斯拉順理成章繼承王位，為自己加上「拉萬」的名號，成為了凡人中最強(qiáng)大的藩王。

If Kisra Parvez had stopped there, his reputation as a hero would have continued unblemished. But one cursed day, Ormazd and all 300 of his offspring suddenly died in one night in the city of Gurabad. Following such an unthinkable event, the throne naturally fell to Kisra, who added "Ravan" to his title and became the most powerful vassal king among mortals.

unblemished = an unblemished reputation, character, etc. has no faults and is not spoiled in any way（名聲等）無污點(diǎn)的

「……」

精靈中斷故事，抬眼望望正在沉入沙丘的紅日。然后便吹了一個尖利的口哨，示意少年停下馱獸，準(zhǔn)備在殘破的石柱下扎營過夜。

The fairy abruptly stopped her tale and looked up at the red sun that was now sinking behind the sand dunes. She then whistled sharply, signaling to the youth to halt the Sumpter Beast and prepare to make camp for the night under the crumbling stone pillars.

「有人說呀……」

"Some people say..."

精靈輕盈地跳下馱獸，又在沙地上轉(zhuǎn)了幾個圈，仿佛失傳已久的「塞塔蕾」舞者那般，讓初現(xiàn)的月光為自己透明的肌膚均勻地涂上銀色光澤。沒藥的氣息隨千百發(fā)辮飛舞，伴著金鈴作響，傳至遠(yuǎn)方。

The fairy lithely leaped down from the Sumpter Beast and circled across the sands in a manner not unlike the long-lost dancers of Setaria, letting the moon's first light evenly coat her translucent skin in its silvery sheen. The scent of myrrh swirled around her myriad braids as the golden bells rang out into the distance.

然后，精靈稍一傾身停住腳尖，輕笑出聲。

Then, the fairy leaned over slightly, balancing on the tips of her toes as she laughed softly.

有人說，居爾城的慘案正是由英雄基斯拉一手造成的。

Some people say that the tragedy that befell the city of Gurabad was the handiwork of the hero Kisra.

有人說，在慘劇發(fā)生的那夜，無爪的惡鳥自堅城飛出，不飲不食，徹夜哭號。城堡內(nèi)人面的鼠類成災(zāi)，啃食了懸掛王冠的金鏈，使過于笨重的冠冕重重落在地上，破損變形。

Some people say that the night the tragedy took place, an evil, clawless bird flew out from the redoubt and wailed throughout the night without stopping to eat or drink. The castle was then struck by a plague of rats with human faces, which gnawed at the gold chains from which the crown hung, causing the cumbersome thing to crash heavily to the ground, broken and bent.

redoubt ?= 防御工事、堡壘

人們說，王冠落地的聲音震天動地，乃至令遠(yuǎn)在堅城之外定居苦耕的菲拉赫奴仆都為他們從未謀面的暴君膽戰(zhàn)心驚。

People say that the crown made such an earth-shaking noise when it fell that even the Fellahin servants, who had settled and toiled far from the redoubt, trembled with fear at this tyrant they had never met.

Fellahin = [arabic] peasants in Arab countries（單數(shù)：fellah）

再后來，據(jù)說更有冒險家從鍍金的黃沙掩埋之下尋到了居爾城的古老地窖，其中藏匿著奧爾瑪茲及其子嗣干癟龐大的殘軀，每一具萎縮的軀體上面都留著無法識讀的古老銘文……

Later still, it is said that an adventurer found the ancient crypts of the city of Gurabad beneath the gilded sands, in which were hidden the withered, massive remains of Ormazd and his offspring. An ancient, inscrutable inscription was left on each of the shriveled bodies...

inscrutable = that cannot be easily understood; completely obscure or mysterious

「希望這個故事有嚇到你?！?/span>

"I hope this story frightened you."

精靈饒有興致地看著眼前的凡人少年從獸皮水壺中飲水的樣子。

The fairy watched keenly as the mortal boy before her drank from the waterskin.

沙漠中的部族，對待飲水本能般地節(jié)制與謹(jǐn)慎，而精靈卻是純凈的元素之中孳生的生靈，從不懂得干渴的感受，從不靨足于奢侈的快樂，正如哀歌中傳唱的那位古老的希琳公主一般。

The tribes of the desert regard water with an instinctive restraint and prudence. Spirits, however, are born of pure elemental energy and know neither thirst nor the satisfaction of the pleasure of luxury, just like the ancient princess Shirin in this lament.

「至于說起老祖母利露法爾的女兒希琳，我們的故事才剛剛開始呢……」

"As for the daughter of the foremother Liloufar I mentioned, Shirin — why, our story has only just begun..."

精靈又狡黠地笑起來，眼眸如琥珀金，笑顏似古老故國的公主。

The fairy smiled slyly again, her eyes like an amalgam of amber and gold, her smiling face like the princess of her ancient homeland.

=====第二卷=====

「是啊，你已講過一遍了?！?/span>

"Yes, you've mentioned this part of the story already."

少年語氣頗不耐煩，他望著星空中的滿月，以伴星的位置盤算著明天的路線。

The youth's tone was rather impatient as he gazed at the full moon hanging in the starry sky, using the positions of its companion stars to determine the next day's route.

但精靈知道，他也在認(rèn)真聽著她的故事。這令她不禁發(fā)出了得意的鼻息，馬上卻又為此等失份的舉動惱火：

But the spirit knew that he was, in truth, listening earnestly to her story. She couldn't refrain from letting out a triumphant snort, but was immediately annoyed by this unbecoming action:

unbecoming = not appropriate or suited to one's appearance, status, character, etc.

「凡人心性浮躁，過耳即忘，我又怎么知道你有沒有在聽！」

"The mortal mind is as fickle as it is forgetful. How should I know whether you were listening or not?"

書歸正題，希琳，據(jù)精靈的哀歌所言，乃是凡人英雄奧爾瑪茲與精靈「睡蓮之女」利露法爾所生的女兒。她生于蓮葉之上、香露之間，潔白的鹮鳥為她行祝福，眼鏡蛇為她獻(xiàn)上青色的珍珠，雄壯的巨鱷亦向她俯伏禮拜。

Back to the subject at hand — Shirin, according to the spirits' lamentations, was the daughter of the mortal hero Ormazd and the fairy Liloufar, the Daughter of the Water Lily. Born upon a lily pad amid fragrant dewdrops, the white ibis blessed her, and the cobra bequeathed to her a cerulean pearl, and even the mighty giant crocodile bowed to her in worship.

lamentation = [formal] sadness and feeling sorry, or something that expresses these feelings

作為精靈的老祖母，在將女兒交付凡人藩王之前，利露法爾贈予了三條預(yù)言：其一，希琳將與一位偉大的英雄相愛，其結(jié)合的子嗣更勝過父親；其二，希琳的許多血親，將得享甜蜜的終局；其三，希琳將獨(dú)占其父的王國。

As the foremother of the spirits, before she delivered her daughter to the mortal vassal king, Liloufar prophesied three times: First, that Shirin would fall in love with a great hero, and the progeny of their union would surpass their father. Second, that many of Shirin's relatives would enjoy a sweet end, and third, that Shirin alone would be given possession of her father's kingdom.

然后，利露法爾又給了凡俗的寵兒三個警告：其一，女兒的歡樂，將給為父者帶來淚水；其二，女兒出嫁后再不可同桌歡宴；其三，女兒的后嗣將為王土蒙上惡兆.

Then, Liloufar gave three admonitions to her mortal darling: First, that her joy would bring tears to her father's eyes. Second, that they should no longer feast at the same table as their daughter after she was wed, and third, that their daughter's heir would be an ill omen upon the king's land.

admonition = a piece of advice that is also a warning to someone about their behaviour

對于預(yù)言與警告，藩王僅置之一哂。

The king, however, only smiled at these prophecies and admonitions.

「后來，希琳被父親許配給了大英雄『帕維茲拉萬』。實(shí)現(xiàn)了第一條預(yù)言？」

"Later, Shirin's father offered her hand in marriage to the great hero 'Parvezravan,' fulfilling the first prophecy, right?"

少年打斷了精靈的故事。

The youth said, interrupting the spirit's story.

「是呀。但，也并不全對……」

"That's correct, though, not entirely so..."

精靈將手指在少年的鼻尖一點(diǎn)，后者趕緊滿面通紅地避開，仿佛生怕遭到精靈縹緲的死咒。如此天真的舉動，又一次逗樂了精靈。

The spirit laid a finger on the tip of the youth's nose and the latter hurriedly moved away, his face flushed as if he feared she might put some ethereal, deathly curse on him. The spirit once again found herself amused by such an innocent act.

待到希琳稍稍懂事的年紀(jì)，母親為她許下的愿景便成了縈繞不去的詛咒。她終日等待著同英雄相愛的機(jī)會，等待著自己繼承父親王國的那一天，渴念著完美甜蜜的未來，但終未能實(shí)現(xiàn)。

By the time Shirin grew a little older and more cognizant, the vision her mother laid out for her became a lingering curse. She spent her days awaiting her chance to fall in love with a hero, waiting for the day when she would inherit her father's kingdom, and longing for that sweet and perfect future — but it never came.

實(shí)話說來，希琳與英雄基斯拉的婚姻并不幸?！吘?，凡人的英雄皆是些乖戾之輩，心中滿懷統(tǒng)治的野心。而利露法爾的嗣女懷著精靈的驕傲，終究難以忍受凡人英雄看似深情的金絲陷阱，無法安于床第與爐灶間的和寧。就這樣，從無愛無聊的枯朽生活中，終于生長出了鮮活的憎恨——同銀瓶之中囚禁的同類如出一轍的憎恨。

Truth be told, Shirin's marriage to the hero Kisra was not a happy one — after all, mortal heroes are all warped people harboring the ambition to rule. The daughter of Liloufar carried the pride of the spirits, and thus she found the golden trap of the mortal hero's supposed affections hard to endure, and she found no peace between the bed and the hearth. And so at last, a vivid hatred coalesced from this passionless, dull, rotten life — the same hatred that those imprisoned in the silver bottle carry.

warped = having strange and frightening thoughts or ideas

coalesce = to combine into a single group or thing

(碎碎念：原文的意思是無法忍受一潭死水的生活，不是"found no peace..."？)

后來，在惡名昭彰的大宴那夜，一些卑賤的奴仆——馬贊達(dá)蘭綠洲的術(shù)士，或不識字的菲拉赫奴仆——將蝎毒滴入麝香的蜜糖，呈予藩王奧爾瑪茲與他的三百子嗣，眼看著他們沉入甜蜜無夢的死之夢鄉(xiāng)，溺于卑賤者的脂血，血淚縱橫流淌……

Later, on the night of the infamous grand banquet, a few lowly slaves — mages of the Mazandaran Oasis, or perhaps some illiterate Fellahin servants — dripped scorpion venom into musk honey and offered it to the vassal king Ormazd and his 300 heirs. They then watched as they sunk into the sweet, dreamless landscape of death, drowning in the fat and blood of the wretched as their blood and tears flowed freely...

而在這一夜，尚有夢可享的，只剩下了被親父排除于宴會之外的希琳與她不情愿的同謀和夫君基斯拉。

And on this night, all who remained with dreams left to enjoy were Shirin, who had been excluded from the party by her own father, and her reluctant co-conspirator and husband, Kisra.

卑賤的弒君者們隨即被新王處以浸入蜜缸之刑，呼喊詛咒的口嗆滿了粘稠蜜糖。

The lowly regicides were thereupon submerged in the honey pot as punishment by the new king, and they cursed him with their last breaths as they choked on the sticky honey.

regicide = a person who kills a king, or the act of killing a king

choke on sth = to gag and cough on sth stuck in the throat

而新王的口中則涌流出黑色污血般的謊言，英雄之名逐漸染上深黑的污點(diǎn)……

And from the new king's mouth gushed blackened, dirtied, and bloodied lies, which gradually stained his hero's reputation a deep black...

由是，第二個預(yù)言得以實(shí)現(xiàn)。

And so, the second prophecy was fulfilled.

再后來，基斯拉·「帕維茲拉萬」之子，深受母親寵愛的希魯伊長大成人，卻被父王逐出高聳的居爾城。親父令希魯伊遮掩面龐騎乘快馬離去，從此以后再不得踏入王城一步。無疑「帕維茲拉萬」對精靈主母利露法爾的警告恐懼萬分，因留戀而生的懦弱使他下達(dá)了如此決定。就這樣，從藩王無根的恐懼中，希琳再度尋得了復(fù)仇的良機(jī)。

Later, Shiruyeh, the son of Kisra Parvezravan, grew to adulthood beloved by his mother, but was banished by his father from the towering city of Gurabad. Made by his father to hide his face and flee on a fast steed, Shiruyeh was henceforth forbidden from setting foot in the city again. Undoubtedly terrified of the fairy-mother Liloufar's warning, it was Parvezravan's fixation that gave rise to the cowardice that spurred this decision. And so, Shirin once again found the perfect opportunity for revenge in the vassal king's unfettered fear.

某天夜里，她扮作月神廟宇中的神姬，與投宿的浪子相遇。在銀光爛漫的纏綿中，在結(jié)露的百合花間，向蒙面的游子賜下虛假縹緲的神諭：

One night, she disguised herself as a divine princess of the temple to the moon goddess and met with her prodigal son who had sojourned there. In the lingering silvery light that danced amidst the dew-dotted lilies, she gave the masked wayfarer this false, illusory prophecy:

（碎碎念：prodigal是指那種揮霍無度的浪子，但這里的"浪子"應(yīng)該是后面"游子"的意思？）

「親父的暴虐，對于游子而言何嘗不是最大的不幸？月神的寵兒呀，凡月光所照之處，皆是你統(tǒng)治的王土，凡你所播撒的種子，必當(dāng)茁壯茂盛。既然月光賜了你良弓鋒刃，又何以忍受寶座之上尸居的懦夫？何不鼓起勇氣，面對憎恨，面對自己的面目？」

"Is the tyranny of the wanderer's father not his greatest misfortune? O darling of the moon goddess, everywhere the moonlight touches is yours to rule, and every seed you sow shall grow and flourish. Since the moonlight has granted you a good bow and a sharp blade, why do you suffer that coward idling upon the throne? Why not muster up the courage to face your hatred, to face yourself?"

相傳就在希魯伊遲疑不決時，一陣夜風(fēng)拂過，希琳用以掩面的薄紗隨之脫落。

Legend has it that just as Shiruyeh hesitated in indecision, a gust of wind rushed through the night and blew the veil Shirin had used to conceal her face away.

眼見熟悉的面龐，被迫蒙面的少年內(nèi)心即刻被恐怖與羞恥擊破，驚惶失措地逃離了那座被玷污的廟宇。如鈴的輕笑與冷酷的月光，皆成為了恐怖的見證。

Seeing that familiar face, the young man who had been forced to cover his was instantly overcome with terror and shame. He fled the sullied temple in a panic, and laughter soft as the ringing of a bell and the cruel moonlight bore witness to his fear.

再后來的故事乏善可陳：無敵的藩王「帕維茲拉萬」在床榻上被蒙面的逆子刺死，在藍(lán)寶石與黃金獸角裝飾的華麗大床上留下了不可洗脫的血污。

The story from here is a lackluster one: The peerless vassal king "Parvezravan" would be stabbed to death in his bed by his own masked, unfilial son, and his magnificent bed — once adorned with sapphire and golden animal horns — would be indelibly stained with his blood.

lackluster = lacking energy or vitality; boring

unfilial = not showing the qualities that are expected of a good daughter or son

indelibly = in a way that is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way

精靈的哀歌如是唱道：希魯伊在犯下大逆之罪后，曾向母親希琳痛哭懺悔。而希琳卻不加申斥，只是將愛子擁入懷中，摘下象征放逐的黃銅面具，然后為他留下了深情的祝福之吻。

The dirge of the spirits then goes like this: After committing this crime of treason, Shiruyeh wept bitterly before his mother Shirin in repentance. But Shirin did not reprimand him. Rather she took her beloved son into her arms, removed the brass mask symbolizing his exile, and left him with an affectionate kiss of benediction.

希魯伊稱王之后，久為不可擺脫的噩夢折磨，終于在一次狂亂的夜游中，跌入大地的深黑裂隙，不知所蹤。再后來，大疫從裂隙中襲來，吞沒了居爾城的半數(shù)生靈，失去了藩王與臣仆的國度就此一蹶不振，為不知靨足的黃沙逐漸吞沒。

After Shiruyeh claimed the throne, he was long tormented by inescapable nightmares until finally, on a frenzied night of wandering, he fell into a deep black chasm in the earth and disappeared. Later, a great plague emerged from that chasm and swallowed up half of the souls in the city of Gurabad. The kingdom, having lost its vassal king and his servants, fell into ruin and was gradually devoured by that insatiable yellow sand.

而流散的幸存者皆稱此次災(zāi)厄為「希魯伊之疫」，乃是荒唐的短命暴君所自取的報應(yīng)。

The scattered survivors of this calamity called it "Shiruyeh's Plague" — the divine retribution invited by the absurdly short-lived despot himself.

despot = a person, especially a ruler, who has unlimited power over other people, and often uses it unfairly and cruelly

至于母后希琳，亦成就了利露法爾的第三個預(yù)言——她與她產(chǎn)下的子嗣在被復(fù)仇毀滅的國土上贏得了真正的自由，化成了為自負(fù)之人報死的惡靈。

As for his mother Shirin, Liloufar's third prophecy was indeed fulfilled — She and the heir she bore won true freedom in a kingdom ravaged by vengeance, and they became evil apparitions, death knells to the conceited.

apparition = the spirit of a dead person appearing in a form that can be seen

death knell = the tolling of a bell to mark someone's death 喪鐘聲

「有人說，希琳后來被吾主阿赫瑪爾所收服，羈押在了精美的銀色魔瓶之中。也有人說，她至今還在沙漠中游蕩，糾纏著不知天高地厚的冒險家，不知疲倦地找尋著跌迸漆黑世界的愛子…………」

"Some people say that Shirin was later subdued by my lord Al-Ahmar, who detained her in a magic silver bottle. Others say that she still roams the desert, tormenting overconfident adventurers and tirelessly searching for the beloved child that she lost to that dark world..."

精靈驕傲地微笑著，煞有介事地為故事做了總結(jié)。

The fairy smiled proudly, having theatrically concluded the story.

theatrically = in an exaggerated and excessively dramatic manner

此時，月已上高天，正是沙漠尚未成為沙漠的遙遠(yuǎn)古代，神姬舉行生祭的時刻。

At this time, the moon was already high in the sky, and the distant, ancient time when the desert had not yet become a desert was nigh. It was time for the divine princess to hold the sacrifice.

(碎碎念：感覺英文被原文最后的逗號帶偏了，其實(shí)就是"若是在……的遙遠(yuǎn)古代，此時正是神姬舉行生祭的時刻"？)