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Dark Cultists
黑暗信徒
I knew the cultists had found me when I saw the bloody, curved knife stabbed violently into my door this morning.
cultists: 信徒 bloody: 血污的 curved: 弯曲的 knife: 刀 stabbed: 刺穿 violently: 猛烈的
那天早上，看到门上插着那把血淋淋的波形刀时，我便知道已经被那些狂信者发现了。
I have spent months trying to ease the fevered imaginings that have tormented me since that encounter a scant few months past, but to no avail. And now they know who I am.
ease: 减轻 fevered: 不安的 imagining: 想像 torment: 折磨 encounter: 意外的遇见 scant: 刚刚够 avail: 有用
几个月之前，我无意间遇到了他们，此后那一幕场景便一直在脑海中折磨着我，无论如何都挥之不去。而现在，他们已经知道我是谁了。
There is an absolute and oppressive darkness to be found only in the deep wilderness at night.
absolute: 完全的 oppressive: 压抑的 darkness: 黑暗 deep: 深深的 wilderness: 荒野
那是一个伸手不见五指夜晚，那种黑暗只有在最深的暗夜中才会出现。
Thus, when I saw the distant light of fire while making my way through the thick Tristram forest, I welcomed the company of fellow travelers.
distant: 远处的 thick: 茂密的 forest: 森林 welcomed: 好客的 company: 同伴 traveler:旅行者
当时我正在崔斯特姆那浓密的森林中穿行，看到远处的火光时，还满心欢喜地以为遇到了好客的旅人。
As I approached, however, something even darker than the unlit forest crept over me.
approach: 靠近 even: 甚至 unlit: 不发光的 creep over: 偷偷逼近
随着我走近那火光，我却感到周身被一种诡异的气息所包围，虽然身处深夜的密林中，这种气息却显得比周围的夜更浓更密。
So horrendous was this feeling that I thought to turn away until the sound of chanting reached my ears and drew me onward.
horrendous: 可怕的 turn away: 离开 chanting: 念咒 reach: 传入 draw: 引使 onward:前进的
在恐惧的驱使下，我几乎拔脚逃跑。然而就在这时，我听到了咏唱的声音，不由自主地继续向前走去。
I thank whatever gods blessed me with the presence of mind to stop short of entering that unholy place whence the sound originated.
whatever: 不管怎样的 bless: 祝福 presence: 存在 unholy: 邪恶的 whence: 从何处 originate: 起源
不知何方神明显灵，我还保留有足够的理智，在离咏唱声不远的地方停了下来，没有进入那片不洁之地。
Instead, I sought out a well-hidden vantage point from which I could look upon the frigid clearing that seemed violently torn from the depths of the forest.
instead: 反而 sought out: 搜寻出 well-hidden: 非常隐蔽的 vantage: 优势 violently: 强烈的 depths: 深处
我躲藏在一个隐蔽之处，可以清楚地看到树林深处的那片空地上的情景。
That was when I first saw them, the dark cultists, arrayed in a circle. Their torches lit the macabre proceedings in a pallid light that danced over their garish rune-covered robes.
cultists: 信徒 array: 排列 circle: 圆圈 torch: 火炬 lit: 照亮了的 macabre: 恐怖的 proceedings: 活动 pallid:苍白的 garish: 过分艳丽的 rune: 符文 robe: 长袍
那是我第一次见到这些黑暗信徒。他们围成一圈，正在举行某种可怕的仪式。他们穿的长袍上绘着繁复而华丽的符文，折射着火炬那苍白的光线。
I had heard tales of these hooded cultists and their depraved rituals, and I must admit to some curiosity upon seeing them.
tale: 传说 hooded: 带兜帽的 cultists: 信徒 depraved: 堕落的 ritual: 仪式 admit: 承认 curiosity: 好奇心
我曾听过关于这些信徒的传言，他们总是载着兜帽，不露出脸来。我也曾听说过他们那邪恶而恐怖的仪式。说实在的，我的确很好奇，想看看那仪式到底是什么样子。
As their chanting droned on, I thought to make my escape lest they see me, but my attention was riveted by a pale, vacant-eyed supplicant being led forward.
chanting: 念咒 droned on: 单调乏味的拖下去 escape: 溜走 attention: 留心 rivet: 集中于 pale: 苍白的 vacant: 空白的 supplicant: 祷告者 forward: 向前的
仪式仍然在继续，我在想是不是该远远避开，不要让他们发现我的存在。然而这时，一位脸色苍白，双眼无光的祝祷者从队伍中走了出来，吸引了我的注意力。
I do not know if he was of limited mental capacity, lost in religious mania, or simply drugged, but he was definitely not sound of mind as he knelt in the center of the thrumming circle.
limited: 被限制的 mental: 精神 capacity: 智力 religious: 宗教的 mania: 狂热 drug:药物 definitely: 明确地 kneel: 跪下 thrum: 单调的声音
我不知道他的神智是否被限制，迷失在宗教的狂热或是药物中，他一言不发地走到人圈中间，缓缓跪倒在地。
“I wish that I had not tempted fate with my quick words. Disappointment is much preferable to stark terror, and terror was what I stumbled into that night.”
tempt fate: 藐视命运 quick word: 无心之言 disappointment: 失望 preferable: 更好的 stark: 完全的 terror: 恐惧 stumble: 偶然碰见
而今我却后悔曾经说过这种无心之言。令人失望总比令人恐惧要好，而那天晚上我所邂逅的场景，着实令人毛骨悚然。
The chanting stilled as the leader, face shadowed by a heavily gilded hood, stepped forward and began to intone a ritual in some indecipherable tongue.
chanting: 念咒 leader: 头领 gilded: 镀金的 hood: 兜帽 stepped: 行走 forward: 向前的 intone: 吟唱 ritual: 仪式 indecipherable: 辨读不出的 tongue: 语言
这时，祷告停了下来。一位似乎是头领的人站了出来，他戴着镶金的斗篷，遮住了自己的面孔。这人向前走了两步，开始用一种我没有听过的语言高声吟唱起来。
A large, thickly muscled and leather-masked cultist draped a black, eyeless hood over the victim's head before pulling a foot-long spike from his sash.
thickly: 厚的 muscle: 肌肉 leather: 皮革的 mask: 面具 cultist: 信徒 draped: 用布盖住 eyeless: 盲的 hood: 兜帽 victim: 受害者 spike: 长钉 sash: 腰带
一位戴着皮制面具，身材魁梧的信徒走上前去，用黑布套住了跪着的人的脑袋，然后从腰间抽出一根一英尺长的钉子。
My mind searched for any possible use for this cursed nail when I noticed the immense stygian hammer grasped in his other hand.
search: 搜寻 possible: 可能的 cursed: 该诅咒的 nail: 钉子 notice: 注意 immense:巨大的 stygian: 阴黑的 hammer: 锤子 grasp: 紧握
我努力在脑海中搜索，想不出这根钉子象征着什么。这时我突然发现，戴面具的人手中握着一把阴气森森的大锤。
With one swift motion, he raised it above his head and drove the spike into the supplicant's back with fierce intensity. I almost screamed... but the victim made no sound.
swift: 迅速的 motion: 动作 raise: 举起 drive: 迫使 spike: 长钉 supplicant: 祷告者 fierce: 猛烈的 intensity:强度 almost: 差不多 scream: 尖叫 victim: 受害者
他把锤子举过头顶，然后将钉子钉入了中间那人的后背，整个动作一气呵成，轻盈迅速。我几乎叫了起来，然而那位受刑者却没有发出一丝声音。
As another spike was readied, I knew I could watch no more. I trembled with the thought of those nails being driven into me should I be caught.
spike: 长钉 ready: 准备好的 tremble: 战栗 nail: 钉子 drive into: 敲进
接着他拿出了第二根长钉。这时我再也看不下去了，若是被他们发现，恐怕这钉子就会钉到我身上，想到这点，我不禁浑身发抖。
I averted my gaze as I heard the revolting squish of another spike sunk into willing flesh.
avert: 转开 gaze: 注视 revolting: 使人作呕的 squish: 咯吱声 spike: 长钉
我把视线移开，不再去看场地中间的二人，然而钉子钉入身体的声音仍然传入了我的耳朵。
My eyes fell on the robe of the lead cultist. The intricate runes woven into his robe undulated and swirled in sickening movement.
fell on: 落在 robe: 长袍 cultist: 信徒 intricate: 复杂的 rune: 符文 undulate: 波动 swirl:漩动 sickening:令人作呕的 movement: 运动
我转眼去看那个头领，他长袍上绘着错综复杂的符文，随着身体的细微动作不断地起伏翻滚，令人目眩。
As I watched, horrified, I could feel my sanity crumbling away. I began to back away from the wicked tableau, forcing myself to move slowly while my mind screamed for me to flee with abandon.
horrified: 感到恐惧的 sanity: 神志 crumble: 破碎 wicked: 邪恶的 tableau: 场面 forcing: 强迫 scream: 尖叫声 abandon: 绝望
看着看着，我感到越来越恐惧，觉得自己的意识正在一点一点粉碎。我决心离开这个可怕的地方。虽然脑海里不断响起可怕的尖叫，我还是努力控制着自己慢慢地后退，生怕他们察觉我的存在。
When I could contain myself no longer, I broke into a full run, not caring what sound I made. I ran until I collapsed. And then, as soon as I was able, I staggered to my feet and ran some more.
contain: 容忍 break into: 闯入 caring: 操心 collapse: 体力不支 stagger: 蹒跚
但不久，我便无法控制自己，全力奔逃起来，至于弄出多大动静，就再也顾不上了。跑了不知多久，我晕了过去。醒来之后，我拖着沉重的双腿回到家中。
Not long ago, I wrote of my disappointment that New Tristram lacked the palpable dread its reputation led one to expect.
not long ago: 不久以前 disappointment: 失望 lack: 缺乏 palpable: 明显的 dread: 使敬畏 reputation: 名誉 expect: 期盼
不久之前，我曾经在书稿中表达过对新赫拉迪姆教派的失望，认为他们已经没有足够的震慑力，辜负了他们给人们带来的期待。
I wish that I had not tempted fate with my quick words. Disappointment is much preferable to stark terror, and terror was what I stumbled into that night.
tempt fate: 藐视命运 quick word: 无心之言 disappointment: 失望 preferable: 更好的 stark: 完全的 terror: 恐惧 stumble: 偶然碰见
而今我却后悔曾经说过这种无心之言。令人失望总比令人恐惧要好，而那天晚上我所邂逅的场景，着实令人毛骨悚然。
Since returning home, I have been feverishly researching those demon-enthralled cultists in an effort to ease my mind, to assure myself that I had not actually seen what I had,
return: 回到 feverishly: 狂热的 research: 研究 enthrall: 奴役 cultists: 信徒 effort: 努力 ease: 放松 assure: 使信服 actually: 实际上
回到家之后，我如痴如迷地收集关于那些狂信者的资料，想说服自己我自己并没有看到那天晚上的一切，借此来平定自己的心情。
but every whispered, frightened tale only deepens the chill that has seized me. I do not know which of my actions alerted them, but my worst fears have been realized. I have been marked.
whisper: 谣传 frightened: 骇人听闻的 tale: 故事 deepen: 加深 chill: 寒意 seize: 抓住 action: 举动 alert: 使警觉 worst: 最坏的 fear: 担心 realize: 实现 marked: 被监视的
然而每读到一段捕风捉影、骇人听闻的传说，我心中的恐惧便增加了一分。我不知道到底是什么举动使他们有了警觉，然而我心中最可怕的事情已经发生了：他们盯上了我。
This is the last known writing of Abd al-Hazir. Known for his compilation of weird and wonderful facts about our unique world, he has unfortunately been missing since late last year.
writing: 笔迹 compilation: 编著 weird: 神秘的 wonderful: 奇异的 fact: 事实 unique:独特的 unfortunately: 不幸的 missing: 失踪的
这是Abd al-Hazir所留下的最后一段文字。这位著名的学者为这个独特世界上的种种奇观编著了很多的作品，然而不幸的是，从去年年末至今，再也没有人见过他的踪迹。
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