本文節(jié)選自 Josh Reynolds?所著英文小說《Hunter's Snare?》，該譯文作為練習僅為個人與交流使用，不用作商業(yè)用途。?

科'薩羅跳了開去，快得像貓一樣。她開火了，他感到擦身而過的熱流將他肩甲上紅白相間的徽記擦了個一干二凈，只剩下那光禿禿的、灰褐色的陶鋼，他將對方撞倒在地，用盡全身的重量將利劍往下剁了過去。她拼命扭轉(zhuǎn)身軀，長劍與她擦身而過，那白色的盔甲就像紙張一般被撕了開來。他抓住了她的頭盔，用利爪一般的手指挖了進去，他試圖毀掉她的視覺傳感器，這是為了讓她無法視物，從而好將其殺死。

Cat-quick, Kor’sarro leapt. She fired, and he felt heat brush past him, scouring his shoulder plate of its white and red markings, and leaving only the grey of bare ceramite as he crashed down on her, driving his sword down with all of his weight behind it. She twisted, desperate now, and the blade caressed her side, tearing through the white armour like paper. He grabbed for her helm, digging talon-like fingers into it, trying to destroy her optic sensors, to blind her for the kill.

一把利刃從她的手中颯然閃現(xiàn)，它看上去像是一把原始的匕首。它在他的脖子上吻了一下，劃出了一條細細的血線。他們在地上扭成一團，她的雙腳頂?shù)搅怂母共?，然后順勢將他蹬了開去。月牙從他的手上飛脫而出，就此滑落在地。她把剩下的那柄熱熔爆能槍扔到了一邊，然后把殘破不堪的頭盔從她的腦袋上扯了下來。從頭盔下飄出了一根猩紅的發(fā)辮，顏色就像喬格里斯的日落一樣，還有那張藍色的臉龐，在那臉龐上有一雙巨大黑邃的眼睛正在盯著他。盡管那是異形的雙眼，但他還是認出了蘊藏在這雙目眸中的情感?！耙苍S我們很像，” 他如此說道，然后拔出了他的戰(zhàn)斗匕首，“來吧，女獵手，來剝我的頭皮吧?！?/p>

A blade, a primitive looking knife, flashed, suddenly appearing in her hand. It kissed his neck, drawing a thin weal of blood. They hit the ground in a tangle, and her feet caught him in the belly, propelling him away. He lost his grip on Moonfang and slid across the ground. She tossed aside her remaining blaster and tore her crushed and mangled helmet from her head. A topknot of hair as crimson as a Chogorian sunset unspooled and snapped out as a slate-blue face, with large, dark eyes glared at him. He recognised the look in those eyes, alien as they were. ‘Maybe we are alike,’ he said, drawing his combat knife. ‘Come then, huntress. Come and take my scalp.’

隨著一聲怒號，她持刃在手，向他直撲而去。他們在大雪中不停的打轉(zhuǎn)，彼此來回往復，相互劈砍擋格。影陽的利刃刺中了可汗的護臂，在女獵手外骨骼裝甲的驅(qū)使之下，它深深地扎進了陶鋼之中。而可汗的匕首在科'薩羅肌肉和動力甲的催谷下，在的影陽的盔甲上鑿出了巨大的傷痕。他們飛快地旋轉(zhuǎn)著，跳起了一曲致命的舞蹈，然后可汗大笑了起來，因為他樂在其中。

With a cry, she lunged for him, knife in hand. They reeled back and forth through the snow, blocking and slashing. Her blade bit into his vambraces, driven deep into the ceramite by the powered exoskeleton of her armour. His own knife gouged great scars in her armour, driven as much by his own muscle as his power armour. They whirled about one another in a deadlydance, and he laughed deep and loud and long for the pleasure of it.

他們撞在了一起，彼此刀刃相交，可汗向影陽靠了過去，開懷大笑。在她的眼中，科薩羅看到的是和他共舞的喜悅之情。我們沒有什么不同，影陽，我會在它處與你再度共舞的。你是一個值得挑戰(zhàn)的對手，他如此想到?！澳悖ㄏ耄┮覀兺资滋?？” 他如此說道，“真是可惜。風暴是桀驁不馴的，群星之間的獵手亦無法被鎖鏈所束縛。此處唯有獵殺，以及死亡。職責，榮耀，帝國，無論何時，這些都不過是過眼云煙。” 他如此說道。他們卯在了一起，彼此的頭顱靠得是如此之近，可汗甚至能聞到她身上的汗水、看到倒映在她眼中的自己?！澳阒赖?，我也一樣，女獵手。你也感覺到它了，這就是你為什么注定會失敗的原因?！?可汗如此說道，他每說一字都會向她捅上一刀。在她的目光中有一種難以形容的東西，也許決心，還略微帶有一抹憂傷的色彩。歡愉之情就此退去。她迷失了自我，雖然只有短短的一瞬。盡管那僅僅只是片刻間的自由，但是能夠令她如此，還是讓可汗感到一陣巨大的滿足。

They crashed together, blade to blade, and he leaned towards her, smiling widely. In her eyes he saw reflected the joy that he knew danced in his own. We are not so different, Shadowsun, and in other circumstances, I would dance with you again. You are a worthy challenge, he thought. ‘And you would tame us?’ he said, ‘for shame. There is no taming the storm and there is no chaining the hunters of the stars. There is only the hunt, and death. Duty, honour, empire, these are but shadows in this moment, in all moments,’ he said. They strained against one another, heads so close that he could smell her sweat, and see his face reflected in her eyes. ‘You know that, as well as I, huntress. You feel it as well, and that is why you are doomed to fail,’ he said, stabbing to the core of her with each word. There was something indefinable in her gaze – determination, perhaps, tinged with what might have been sadness. The joy had faded. She had lost herself, but only for a moment. He felt a surge of satisfaction that he had been able to give her that much, even if it had only been a single moment of freedom.

他們的匕首再度交摩撕擦。她渴望將他殺死，然后用她的利刃、用她的雙手將他的心臟給挖出來。然而在今天，她是做不到的。她將他推得向后退了過去，她的裝甲帶著她從他身邊飛快地離開。由于瞬間失去了平衡，可汗蹣跚了一下。影陽拿起了熱熔爆能槍，然后轉(zhuǎn)過身去，并在科'薩羅靠近之前舉槍對準了他。

Their knives grated against one another. She longed to kill him, to cut his heart out with her blade and her hands. But that was not the way of it, not today. She shoved him back and withdrew, her armour carrying her speedily away from him. He stumbled momentarily off balance. She scooped up her fusion blaster and spun, levelling it at him before he could reach her.

他感到一絲傷悲，既是對她，也是對己。她是一個狡猾的家伙，她被自身所無法察覺到的鎖鏈束縛著?？偠灾響纯斓乃廊?，死的像一個戰(zhàn)士一樣。如不然，他就會死在這里，他的部下也會死去，而且他們都會死得毫無價值。

He felt a moment of sadness, both for her sake and his own. She was a cunning creature, locked in chains that she didn’t even see. She deserved a clean death, a warrior’s death, if nothing else. Instead, he would die here, and his men would die, and it would all be for nothing.?