The little rest I got during the night revives me.My wound is stiff,but my powers of recuperation are remarkable.The probe droids have not sent back any readings,but I am certain that they will this day.I can feel the disturbance in the dark side.There is a power of good on the planet,a concentration of the Force.
我從一晚上的小憩中恢復過來。我的傷口很僵硬，但我的恢復力是驚人的。偵查機器人沒有傳回任何情報，但我可以肯定它們今天之內(nèi)就會傳回消息。我能感到原力中的擾動。這顆星球上有著集中的，強大的光明面原力。

The Jedi are near.The anticipation I feel is like a ravenous hunger.
絕地就在附近。我如饑似渴地期待著。

The twin suns of Tatooine rise.Within an hour,the heat is stifling.I hike to the nearby mesa where I can see for kilometers.A sea of coarse sand surrounds me.The two suns overhead broil the earth,sending waves of heat upward that batter against my body like solid walls.The light is blinding.

塔圖因的雙子日升起了。不到一個小時，就酷熱難耐。我攀上附近的一座能看到方圓幾公里景色的小山。粗糙的沙海環(huán)繞著我。兩個高懸的太陽燒烤著這顆星球，帶起的熱浪沖擊著我的身體，陽光更是無比刺眼。

Yet Tatooine is the kind of planet I prefer.I feel comfortable with its harshness.It operates outside the Senate's laws.It's full of criminals and drifters,but they crowd into the spaceports.Vast areas of the planet are left to hide in.Stealth is currently my best weapon against the Jedi.

但塔圖因是我喜歡的類型。我喜愛它的粗獷。它在議會的法律之外。這里到處都是罪犯和流浪漢，但他們都擠在太空港里。這里有大片的地域可以用來藏匿。而隱秘正是我用于對付絕地的最好的武器。

But I grow impatient waiting to hear from the probe droids.The hours crawl by.I prowl around the ship restlessly.

但等待著偵查機器人匯報的我愈發(fā)的不耐煩了。時間正在流逝。我焦躁地在飛船邊徘徊著。

Sith are never restless.Our discipline is no less absolute in delay than in action.

西斯不會慌亂。冒進帶來的懲罰可不比延誤少。

But Master,I have never been so close before!

但是師父，我之前從未如此臨近過！

Finally,I settle myself into a meditation pose.I focus on the darkness within.I start with an image of a battle fought on a mission for my Master.I don't remember my opponent's face,but I remember how he fought.I remember how he tried to elude me in the end,and how I ran him down.My anger and pleasure mix and rise to a furious pitch.

最后，我使自己進入了冥想狀態(tài)。我將注意力集中在黑暗中。我的思緒回到了一次任務的戰(zhàn)斗時分。我不記得對手的面孔了，但我記得他戰(zhàn)斗的方式。我記得在最后他是如何逃避我，以及我如何將他擊倒。我的憤怒與愉悅混合、升華，到了一個全新的高度。

Then another memory comes to my mind.I am a small boy,walking with my Master on a planet that is all ice and snow.The wind cuts like a laser as we walk by a deep blue lake,but I am warmly dressed and don't feel the cold.I have just completed a series of exercises,rigorous ones that conclude with my having to run up the icy sheer slope of a mountain and come down at top speed.The effort called for superior balance and control.I feel fear,but I perform well,and I am hoping my Master will praise me.Instead,my Master raises a hand,and suddenly the dark side picks up my small body and tosses me into the middle of the lake.

然后又一個記憶浮現(xiàn)在我的腦海里。我是個小男孩，與師父在一個冰雪世界中行走。當我們行至一個深藍色的湖邊時，風就像激光一樣切割著我們，但我穿的很厚感覺不到寒冷。我剛完成了一系列嚴酷的訓練，其中包括跑上一個被冰雪覆蓋的險峻的山坡再以最快的速度沖下來。它能鍛煉出優(yōu)秀的平衡力和控制力。我感到恐懼，但仍表現(xiàn)優(yōu)秀，并期盼著師父的表揚。但是，師父一抬手，黑暗面便突然揪起我的小身體并將我拋進了湖泊的中央。

I sink and then fight my way to the surface.Chunks of ice surround me.The water is so cold I can't catch my breath.It stings my exposed skin.I remember the shock of fear I felt as I realize my thick clothes,my heavy boots,will drag me down and I will drown.

我掙扎著下沉，奮力試圖回到水面上。大塊大塊的冰包圍著我。寒冷的冰水讓我連呼吸都要停止了。我暴露的身體被冰冷的水刺激著。我記得當自己發(fā)現(xiàn)厚實的衣服，沉重的靴子會將我拉入水底時的恐懼和震驚。

Turn your fear to anger,Maul.
將你的恐懼轉(zhuǎn)化為憤怒，摩爾。

That had been my lesson.I see that I have not learned it to his satisfaction.

我曾經(jīng)上過這一課。我認識到我尚未完全理解到他滿意的程度。

I struggle,gulping the icy water,going down and rising again.I try to call for help.I see my Master on the shore.He does not raise a hand.

我掙扎著，咽下許多冰水，在水中沉浮。我試圖呼救。我看到師父站在湖畔。他沒有向我伸出手。

My fear becomes anger.The dark side propels my arms and legs,makes me push against the water furiously,allows me to kick my feet in my heavy boots
and swim to shore.I drag myself upright,shivering.

我的恐懼變成了憤怒。黑暗面鼓動著我的四肢，使我狂暴地對抗著水，讓我穿著沉重靴子的腳將我推向岸邊。我顫抖著，筆直的站在岸邊。

Still he does not praise me.We merely continue our walk.

他仍然沒有表揚我。我們僅僅是繼續(xù)行進。

Those memories feed the dark side.I concentrate the suffering I felt and turn it to anger.Soon I find a powerful stillness in the darkness.

那些記憶養(yǎng)育著黑暗面。我感受到了其中的痛苦并將其轉(zhuǎn)化為憤怒。很快我便到達了強大的，死寂的黑暗。

When my mediation is over,I exit the ship for one of my routine checks.This time,I find bantha tracks.One bantha has made a slow circle around the ship,paused,then circled again.I had not heard a sound.

冥想結束后，我離開飛船進行例行巡邏。這次，我發(fā)現(xiàn)了班薩的蹤跡。一只班薩曾在飛船周圍慢慢的繞行了一圈，停下，又繼續(xù)繞行一圈。但我沒有聽到任何聲音。

I crouch to examine the tracks.The nature of the movement tells me that the bantha is carrying a passenger.Why else would an animal circle a ship?

我蹲下來檢查那些痕跡。它們告訴我這只班薩有一名騎手。否則為什么一只動物要圍著飛船繞圈？

Who is watching me?
誰在監(jiān)視著我？

It could be Jedi,or a spy sent by the Jedi.It could be an innocent observer.In any case,I decide to investigate.My presence here must remain secret.

有可能是絕地，或是絕地差遣來的間諜?；蚴莻€無辜的路人。無論如何，我都要研究一下。我來到這里的事必須無人知曉。

I follow the bantha tracks through the soft sand.The two suns are directly overhead,and the heat is so intense it feels like flame.The wound in my leg begins to throb after a few?kilometers.I ignore it.

我跟隨著班薩的蹤跡穿過柔軟的沙地。雙子日在天頂散發(fā)著熱量，給人的感覺就像火烤一樣。走了幾公里后，我腿上的傷口開始隱隱作痛。我無視了它。

The tracks lead me over the dunes and into a canyon.The sheer cliff walls tower over me,shielding me from the suns' rays.The walls create blue shadows.It is hard,after the brilliance of the light bouncing off the sand,to distinguish shadow from substance.

我跟隨著印跡穿過沙丘，進入了一個峽谷。懸崖絕壁遠遠高過我的頭頂，保護我不受太陽輻射的炙烤。石壁投下了藍色的陰影。我勉強能從沙子反射的刺眼光芒中分辨出事物的形跡。
I notice that the bantha tracks go off over the rocks.I have followed them as far as I can.My eyes scan the canyon overhead.Empty.All I can see is the wide sky.The wind sweeps through the canyon,sending sand pattering against my clothes.I realize that if I were not Maul,a Sith?Lord,but an ordinary being,I would feel trapped here in this desolation.But I am a Sith.Something is wrong.I am not trapped,but am I meant to be?

我注意到班薩的蹤跡消失在了石堆中。我必須盡可能地跟著他們。我仔細觀察了頭頂?shù)纳焦取？諢o一人。我只看到了遼闊的天空。風從谷中刮過，沙子打在我的衣服上。我意識到如果我不是摩爾尊主，而是一個普通人，我將會困在這片荒地中。但我是個西斯。不太對勁。我并沒有被困住，但我怎么會認為自己要被困住呢？

Suddenly,one riderless bantha lurches into sight around a canyon wall.My concentration is broken for only a second.And in that second a Tusken Raider takes shape from a shadow under the cliff and races toward me,brandishing his gaderffii stick.
突然，山谷中一只落單的班薩闖入了我的視線。我的注意力一下子被轉(zhuǎn)移開。就在這時，一個塔斯肯襲擊者從懸崖的陰影中向我沖來，揮舞著他的加德菲棒。

Of course I briefed myself before I left Coruscant on what I would find on Tatooine.I know about Tusken Raiders.Locals call them Sand People.They are aggressive,fierce attackers.Well adapted to the desert,they wear sand-colored robes,breath masks,and eye protectors.Their weapon of choice,the gaderffii,is double-ended like my lightsaber and glints with metal sharpened to a lethal edge.I hear that the local people fear them.They merely bore me.

當然在我離開科洛桑之前我就知道自己會遇到些什么。我了解這些塔斯肯襲擊者。當?shù)厝斯芩麄兘猩橙?。他們具有侵略性，是兇猛的侵略者。為了適應沙漠的環(huán)境，他們穿著土黃色的袍子，戴著呼吸面具和護眼鏡。他們的武器，加德菲，是一種類似我的雙頭光劍的，綁上了致命的金屬刀刃的棍子。我聽說當?shù)厝撕芘滤麄?。而我只是對他們感到厭煩?/span>

I activate one end of my lightsaber,waiting for the Raider to get to me.I am almost weary at the prospect of this battle.Really,if one has to fight,it's more interesting to have a challenge.

我啟動了光劍一邊的劍刃，等待著襲擊者進攻。我對戰(zhàn)斗可能的結果感到厭倦。真的，如果我迫不得已要戰(zhàn)斗的話，有挑戰(zhàn)性的對手會更有趣。

He rushes at me,all aggression without finesse,honking an odd battle cry.With one deft stroke,I cut his gaderffii in two.

他魯莽地沖向我，古怪地嚎叫著。我一劍將他的加菲棒切成兩半。

The tiresome creature roars and shakes the half that is left.He charges me again.

這只討厭的生物怒吼著，揮舞起剩下的那一半。他又開始挑戰(zhàn)我。

Instead of attacking,I follow his every move with my lightsaber,blocking it.I can tell which way he will move before he strikes.He tips it off in so many feeble ways - by his balance,the position of his shoulders,his posture.

我沒有攻擊，而是隨著他的動作舞動光劍擋住每一次進攻。我在他進攻之前就知道他要向哪揮舞他的棍子。他的種種表現(xiàn)都提示了我——他的平衡，他肩膀的位置，他的姿勢。

He roars even louder in frustration at my game.It is time to finish this.
他更大聲地在這場鬧劇中叫喊了起來。是時候結束這一切了。

To draw out your victory is foolish.Get the killing done.Then move on.

拖延勝利是愚蠢的。趕快殺了他。然后繼續(xù)前進。

But as I gather myself for a combination move that will strike him down,several other Sand People suddenly appear out of nowhere.They spill out from behind dunes,underneath sand,from what appear to be mere cracks in the cliff face.

但當我正要將他一招干掉時，另外幾個沙人不知道從什么地方突然冒了出來。他們從土丘后，從沙子底下，從巖壁的石縫中沖出。

It is then that I recall another lesson about the Sand People: they travel in single file to hide their numbers.

這時我才想起來關于沙人的一課：他們總是單列前行以掩蓋自己的數(shù)量。

There are at least thirty of them.They are all heading for me.

現(xiàn)在至少有三十個沙人。他們都向著我來了。