黑白往昔

The burning of Trinsic
     -by Japheth of Trinsic-                背景音乐：Trinsic(UO)

'Twas a sight to see, the sunlight  那景象仍历历在目，春天的温和晨光照
falling lightly on the sandstone    在崔林希克的砂石墙上，孩子们沿着城
walls of Trinsic 'pon a morning in  垣和步道奔跑，他们的笑声和脚步声成
spring. Children ran along the      为黎明时分的音效，尽管他们衣着破烂
parapets and walkways, their        。
laughter and running providing
music to the daybreak, despite
their oft-ragged clothing.
The guards who maintained a         在塔上守备瞭望的的警卫们，就算孩子
vigilant outlook from atop the      撞上他们的护膝护腿并从他们身边快速
towers would smile indulgently as   溜走，守卫们也只是纵容地对孩子们微
children slammed into their         笑并不追究。
armored legs and brushed past
them.
And I was one of those young ones,  而我当时是那群小孩子之一，也是玩疯
letting my joy rise up to the       了。我们都不大晓得黑暗的日子将要临
skies.Little did we all know of     头，因为我们实在太小了。我们曾获准
the darker days that would lie      旁观在临海的圣骑士之塔举行的严肃会
ahead, for we were too young.Had    议，那会议被烛光及忧虑笼罩，我们稍
we but gained access to the quiet   微学到害怕即将从森林来的侵犯是怎么
coucils held in the Paladin tower   回事，那森林的阴湿洞穴和阴暗处生出
as it faced the sea, councils lit   肮脏丑恶的生物，过去一直在崔林希克
by candlelight and worry, we        护城河的周边地带劫掠。
would have learned more of the
fears of imminent attack from the
forest, where foul creatures born
of dank caves and darkness were
marauding ever more often into the
lands around Trinsic's moat.
But we were children! The parapets  但我们不过是孩子罢了！城垣和护城河
and the moat were places to play,   都当做游乐场，而不认为是坚固的防御
not stout defenses, and we gave no  建筑，我们也没思考过建造那些的工程
thought to the necessities that     必须要达到哪些要求。
must have required their
construction.
We used to reach the sheltered      我们习惯游过河跑到矮墙围蔽的背阴面
orchards on the lee side of the     处的果园，有条河横切穿越城市的南部
parapet walls, where the southern   。住在大宅院的富人会从窗口咆哮并挥
river cut through the city, by      舞拳头，因为我们蹂躏他们的花园并且
swimming across the water.The rich  我们的脏脚丫子踩烂美丽的毛地黄和欧
folk who lived in the great manses  乎花。然后我们会快乐地冲到河里，溅
there would shout from their        起的水花可以泼到果树。那条南边的河
windows and shake their fists, for  懒懒地从巨墙延伸的无栅栏拱桥下溜过
we would run through their gardens  ，然后我们躺在绿草如茵的银行并且看
and tear up the delicate foxgloves  着睡莲叶顺着水流浮动。
and orfleurs with our unshod dirty
feet.Then we would dive into the
water and splash merrily to the
fruit trees.The southern river
lazily slid under an ungated arch
in the mighty wall, and we would
lay on the grassy bank and watch it
gurgle by the lily pads.
That spring that pleasant spot      那年春天那个美好宜人的地点变成畸形
became the doorway through which    丑怪的兽人军侵略进入我们崔林希克城
our city of Trinsic let in the      的入口，我躺在绿草茂盛的银行并目击
monstrous deformed humanoids that   它们进军，它们的粗劣毛发湿漉并纠结
savaged us.I lay upon that grassy   ，披散点缀它们的野蛮脑袋。它们抓住
bank and watched them wade in,      一个看起来眼神活泼动人，头发金亮，
their coarse hair wet and matted,   皮肤白晰的少女。她的名字是蕾拉，而
algae and muck festooning their     且那年春天我有个梦想是挽着她的手臂
wild brows. They caught sight of a  ，漫步走过走私者之门的小桥时和她一
quicksilver girl with bright blond  起分享加了香料的冰。
hair and lively eyes. Her name was
Leyla and that spring I had held
fond dreams of holding her hand
and sharing flavored ice while
dangling our feet off the small
bridge by Smugglers Gate.
And I said nothing when they        当它们抓走她时我什么也没说，并且它
caught her, and did not cry out     们把她带出我们城墙外通过防线时我也
when they dragged her off through   没有大声叫喊，当我看见带头盔的半兽
that breach in our wall, and did    人队长下令攻击大宅院时也没有警告城
not warn the city when I saw the    里的人。
helmeted orc captains call the
charge upon the mansions.
Blame me not, for I was but a       请别责备我，因为那时我只不过是个孩
child, and one who hid in the       子，躲在桃树的树枝里，还一直发抖。
branches of the peach trees, all    我见到浓烟从席恩的裁缝店冒出，并延
a-tremble whilst I watched the      烧到巫婆艾莉娜开的酒馆屋顶。从这天
smoke rise from Sean the tailor's,  起我就失去蕾拉的消息了，并且从这时
and fire lash out at the roof of    起燃烧木头的味道会引发恶梦。
witchy Eleanor's tavern.To this
day I have had no word of Leyla,
and to this day the smell of
burning wood can conjure terrible
dreams.
Yet with the eyes of adulthood,     以现在我成人的眼睛去看，有办法去调
'tis possible to examine the flaws  查那次灾难留在崔林希克城墙上的裂缝
in the defense of Trinsic on that   ，那也是现在我们的城墙有两层厚的理
fateful day, and the reasons why    由，也是为何我们现在在这沉闷的城市
our walls are now double-thick,     中把建筑物盖的像要塞一样。
and why our buildings are now
built as fortresses within a
somber fortified city.
While I can look out from the top   当我能从新的圣骑士塔顶眺望，监看白
of the new Paladin tower, and spy   色巨船穿过沿海岛屿，并细查吉普赛人
the mighty white sails across the   习惯扎营的城南小洼地，我同时能想像
barrier island, and can descry the  城市如果起火的景象，并且我保障我们
small hollow south of the city      建立的契约：以安全代替空间，以坚固
where gypsies are wont to camp, I   代替优雅，以石头代替木材。
can also envision the city as it
might be burning, and I bless the
bargain we made: space for safety,
grace for sturdiness and wood for
stone.
Whilst I live, I shall not see      在我有生之年，我不愿再见到崔林希克
Trinsic burn, and no more cries of  遭祝融，也不愿我们的善良市民在睡梦
little girls will haunt the sleep   时还萦绕着小女孩的哭声。这是我的誓
of our fair citizens.This is mine   言，只要我还有一口气在。
oath, as I live and breath.

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巧合似的，还是最能代表战争的景象就是大火？跟我那个战争的恶梦很像…飞弹
攻击，然后故乡被火烧掉。如果真的遭遇到这种巨大灾难，一辈子都忘不掉吧…
而且还会常常变成恶梦的形式骚扰已经获得和平生活的幸存者。为了仔细体验这
个故事，我骑着路行鸟到崔林希克实地访查。崔林希克城是由很厚的城墙围绕的
圣骑士之城，代表美德是荣誉，那个可以在上面行走的城墙是城市的景观特征。
黑刺王复仇行动展开时城里一堆不友善的JUKA族人，我在这里做鬼好几次…还好
他们现在撤的一干二净，还回崔林希克的和平日子。城的南部有条小河穿越，也
注意到故事中说的果树园，可惜果树上的果子似乎无法摇下来吃，回想以前玩过
的 MUD果树是可以摇下果子来果腹充饥的…虽然城墙这么厚，似乎敌人还是能够
突破防线，那么城墙存在的意义又是…？开始联想到余秋雨对长城不以为然的想
法。至于那个吉普赛人喜欢扎营的地方，老是有红名 NPC驻扎，还乱宰动物，我
就趁机搜刮毛皮兽肉贮存！不过小岛沙滩上的贝壳很漂亮，只能看不能拿…
这个城市应该还有一些值得传述的传说故事吧？期待有人分享。

（本文欢迎任意转载不需翻译者我同意，如有错误请来信更正）

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转自巴哈姆特。原译者：h2