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CHAPTER TEN
BATTLE
第十章
战役
Always respect the purity of battle. For only in the heat of combat are all pretenses of nobility and quality stripped away, replaced by survival and death.
respect: 尊重 purity: 纯粹 battle: 战争 combat: 战斗 pretense: 籍口 nobility: 高贵 quality: 品质 stripped: 剥夺 replace: 取代 survival: 生存 death: 死亡
要尊重战争的纯粹性。只有在战火中，人才不分贵贱，只论生死。
—Leoric of Khanduras, The Craft of War
craft: 工艺
——Khanduras的Leoric《战争艺术》
As Siggard and Sarnakyle walked out of the castle, Siggard paused and struggled to don a shining coat of mail, a parting gift from Earl Tilgar.
castle: 城堡 pause: 暂停 struggle: 努力 don: 阁下 shining: 闪亮的 coat of mail: 甲胄 gift: 礼物 earl: 伯爵
Siggard和Sarnakyle走出了城堡，Siggard停下套上Tilgar伯爵在他出征前送他的闪亮的盔甲。
At last the byrnie settled into place, and Sarnakyle passed him his black cloak. As they walked, they heard the whistling of arrows and the screams of dying demons.
byrnie: 铠甲 cloak: 斗篷 whistling: 呼啸声 arrow: 箭 scream: 尖叫声 dying: 垂死的
穿戴整齐后，Sarnakyle又递给了他一件黑色斗篷。他们走着，箭划过空气的声音与恶魔的惨叫声不绝于耳。
Siggard broke into a jog. “It has already begun in earnest.”
break into: 突然做出 jog: 慢跑 earnest: 认真的
Siggard突然小跑起来。“战斗已经正式开始了。”
He didn’t even bother to look if the wizard was following, but instead drew his sword. The runes on Guthbreoht’s blade writhed as though they had a new life.
bother: 烦扰 wizard: 法师 instead: 反而 draw: 拔出 rune: 符文 writhe: 扭动
他甚至没有在意法师是否跟上了，而是拔出了自己的佩剑。Guthbreoht剑脊上的字母扭动起来，仿佛它们获得了新生。
Sarnakyle finally caught up to him. “You are that anxious for your revenge?” he asked, then added, “Do not let your fury undo you.”
catch up: 赶上 anxious: 焦急的 revenge: 复仇 add: 附言 fury: 愤怒 undo: 毁灭
Sarnakyle终于赶上了他。“你是急于复仇吗？”他问道，接着又补上了一句：“不要让愤怒毁了自己。”
Siggard stopped before the rough-hewn stairs to the wall and turned to face Sarnakyle. “Assur destroyed my village, my family, and my world. There will be blood for blood.”
rough-hewn: 粗制的 stairs: 楼梯 face: 面对 destroy: 摧毁 village: 村庄 blood for blood: 血债血偿
Siggar在通向城墙的粗糙阶梯前停下，转身面对Sarnakyle。“亚述尔毁了我的村庄，我的家庭，我的一切。我要以牙还牙。”
With that, he ran up the hoary stone steps, Guthbreoht’s song becoming overpowering in his ears.
with that: 说完 ran up: 向上跑 hoary: 灰白的 step: 阶梯 overpowering: 压倒优势的
说罢，他便冲上了灰白色的石质楼梯，他耳边只回响着Guthbreoht的歌声。
As he crested the wall, he looked down into the roiling mass that had surrounded the town.
crest: 登顶 look down: 俯视 roil: 动荡 mass: 大量 surround: 包围
他登上城墙，俯视城四周的混战。
The horde seemed almost infinite, despite the constant bombardment from the catapults, a rain of boulders that crushed all it touched.
horde: 群 seem: 像是 infinite: 无穷的 despite: 不顾 constant: 持续的 bombardment:轰击 catapult: 投石机 boulder: 大圆石 crush: 击溃
恶魔军团一眼望不到边，投石机掷出的石块轰击着军团，一阵巨石雨摧毁了它所及的一切。
For a moment there was a silence as the demonic ranks surged under the wall.
silence: 寂静 demonic: 恶魔的 ranks: 队伍 surged: 汹涌
如潮水般涌向城墙发动进攻的恶魔们突然陷入了沉寂。
Then the sun set.
set: 落下去
太阳落山了。
There was a great roar from the monstrous army, and it rushed forward. The smaller dog creatures began to scale the wall, leaping from crevice to crevice with their claws.
roar: 咆哮 monstrous: 怪物的 rush: 猛攻 creature: 生物 scale: 攀登 leaping: 跳跃 crevice: 裂缝 claw: 爪
怪物的军队中传来一声巨吼，队伍又重新向前冲去。小狗般的生物开始沿墙向上爬，它们用爪子抠住裂缝，一下下向上跳去。
Guthbreoht took two of the creatures as they reached the top, splitting their heads like overripe melons.
creature: 生物 reach: 到达 split: 劈开 overripe: 熟透了的 melon: 西瓜
两个怪物冲上了墙头，Guthbreoht如切开熟过头的西瓜一样将它们的头劈开。
Still, a mass of the monsters leapt over the battlement, landing within the Entsteigian ranks with a shrill shriek.
mass: 大量 monster: 怪物 leap: 跳跃 battlement: 城垛 landing: 登陆 ranks: 队伍 shrill: 刺耳的 shriek: 尖叫
仍有一大批怪物跳过了城垛，发出刺耳的尖叫，冲进Entsteig大军的阵列中。
A rush of flame singed Siggard’s side, and the charred corpse of one of the demons fell beside him.
flame: 火焰 singe: 烧焦 charred: 烧焦的 corpse: 尸体 demon: 恶魔
一个飞来的火球照亮了Siggard四周，一具烧焦的怪物尸体落在他身旁。
“Somebody has to watch your back,” Sarnakyle shouted, as even more of the foe poured over the wall.
shout: 呼喊 foe: 敌人 pour: 蜂拥而来
“你的身后得有人照应。”Sarnakyle喊道，越来越多的怪物如潮水般涌了上来。
Siggard screamed an ancient battle cry and advanced, gutting one of the monsters before it even knew he was there.
scream: 尖叫 ancient: 古老的 battle: 战斗 cry: 呼喊 advanced: 前进的 gutting: 去内脏 monster: 怪物
Siggard发出一声远古的战斗吼叫，向前冲去，一剑切开了一个还不知道他在哪的怪物的腹腔。
Another leapt at him, axe at the ready, only to have Siggard strike, cutting the creature’s head in half and spraying brains onto the stone floor.
leap: 跳跃 axe: 斧子 strike: 打击 creature: 生物 spray: 喷溅 brains: 脑浆 floor: 地板
又有一只向他跳来，挥舞着斧子正准备发动攻击，它被从头劈开，脑浆喷溅到石质地面上。
There was a nearby cry, as housecarls struggled against a larger group of demons. With a shout of rage, Siggard charged, scattering the creatures and killing two.
nearby: 附近的 cry: 喊叫 housecarl: 侍卫 struggle: 尽力 against: 对抗 demon: 恶魔 shout: 呼喊 rage: 愤怒 charge: 进攻 scatter: 驱散 creature: 生物
在侍卫与一大群恶魔激战的时候，传来了一声惨叫。Siggard一声怒吼驱散了怪物并杀死了其中的两个。
And still the foe flooded over into the ranks like a foul sludge.
foe: 敌人 flood: 大量涌到 ranks: 队伍 foul: 恶臭的 sludge: 污泥
但敌军还是像恶臭的烂泥一样向防线扑了过来。
Siggard found himself strangely separated from the battle, watching himself act. There was no longer any thought in his actions.
strangely: 奇妙地 separate: 脱离 act: 行为 action: 战斗
Siggard惊讶的发现从战斗中脱离了，看着自己的一举一动。他不加思索的战斗着。
He and the sword acted in concert, as though they had always belonged together.
sword: 剑 concert: 和谐 belong: 属于
他与剑的配的是如的和谐，仿佛已经到了剑人合一的境界。
As the demons came over the wall, the blade greeted them with joyous song, spilling guts and black blood wherever it struck.
demon: 恶魔 come over: 越过 blade: 剑锋 greet: 迎接 joyous: 快乐的 spill: 使溅出 guts: 内脏 strike: 打击
恶魔们翻上城墙时，迎接它们的是快乐的唱着歌的剑锋，所到之处开肠破肚，污血横流。
Time itself became meaningless, and soon he could remember nothing before the fighting.
became: 变得 meaningless: 无意义的 fighting: 战斗
时间已变得毫无意义，很快他脑海里只剩下了战斗。
He was beyond exhaustion. Somehow, he knew that Earl Tilgar had joined the fray with more of his housecarls, heard the man’s hoarse war cries echo out over the wall.
exhaustion: 疲惫 earl: 伯爵 fray: 战斗 housecarl: 侍卫 hoarse: 嘶哑的 cry: 呼喊 echo: 回响
他丝毫也不觉得累。不知为什么，他听到了声音嘶哑的战斗口号在回响，他分辨出那是Tilgar伯爵带着更多的侍卫加入了混战。
Although he was not certain how, he was aware of Sarnakyle sending spell after spell into the masses, the wizard protected by a ring of guards.
certain: 确定的 aware: 知道的 sending: 发射 spell: 咒语 masses: 大众 wizard: 法师 protected: 受保护的 guard: 守卫
尽管他不太确定，但他知道Sarnakyle正由一圈守卫保护着向着敌阵一个接一个的发出魔法。
As the red-tinged moon rose into the starry sky, the fetid stench of blood and death filled the air.
red-tinged: 微红的 moon: 月亮 rise: 升起 starry: 星光闪耀的 fetid: 恶臭的 stench:臭气 fill: 充满 air: 空气
微红的月亮升上了满是星斗的天空，空气中充斥着血污与尸体的恶臭。
And then, abruptly, the demons stopped.
abruptly: 突然地 demon: 恶魔
突然，恶魔都停了下来。
Siggard stood at the wall, his blade and mail-coat covered in blood and gore.
blade: 剑锋 mail-coat: 盔甲 cover: 覆盖 gore: 凝血
Siggard站在城墙上，他的剑锋与护甲上满是血污。
Somehow, during the battle he had shed his black cloak. He suddenly wondered where it was, and whether he would have to get a new one.
shed: 脱去 cloak: 斗篷 suddenly: 突然地 wonder: 想知道 whether: 是否
不知什么时候他弄丢了自己的黑色斗篷。他突然很想知道它被丢在哪了，很想知道他能否找到一件新的。
“Are you all right?” Sarnakyle panted, stepping over several bodies towards him. “Are you uninjured?”
pant: 气喘吁吁地说 step over: 跨过 several: 几个 body: 尸体 uninjured: 未受伤害的
“你还好吗？”Sarnakyle 跨过几具尸体，走上前去，气喘吁吁的说。“你没受伤？”
Siggard nodded. “I took no wound.”
nod: 点头 wound: 伤口
Siggard点点头：“没有。”
“That must have been the first wave,” Earl Tilgar stated, leaning against the wall nearby, cleaning blood from his sword. “How long did that last?”
wave: 波 earl: 伯爵 state: 说 lean: 倚靠 against: 紧靠的 nearby: 附近的 clean: 清理 blood: 血
“这肯定只是第一波，”Tilgar伯爵斜靠着身旁的城墙，边擦去剑上的血迹边说。“战斗持续了多久？”
Siggard shrugged. “I’ve lost track.” When he looked down, he saw vague shapes moving in the darkness, but nothing else.
shrug: 耸肩 track: 踪迹 lost track: 忘记 look down: 俯视 vague: 模糊的 shape: 身影 darkness: 黑暗
Siggard耸耸肩：“记不清了。”他向下望去，几个模糊不清的影子在黑暗中移动，再没有别的东西了。
“I’ll try to get some light down there,” Sarnakyle said, holding out his hand and chanting softly. A bolt of lightning split the air, landing just outside the wall.
light: 光亮 hold out: 伸出 chanting: 念咒 bolt: 箭矢 lightning: 闪电 split: 劈开
“我来试试给底下来点亮光。”Sarnakyle说着，他抬起手轻声念着咒语。一个光球划破空气，直落墙外。
In the flash of light Siggard saw the still-roiling landscape, a pile of bodies lying beside the wall.
flash: 闪光 still-roiling: 仍未平静的 landscape: 风景 pile: 堆 body: 尸体
在闪光中，Siggard看到了仍未平静的大地与墙边成堆的尸体。
Siggard blinked, suddenly noting the unnatural silence. “What happened to the catapults?”
blink: 眨眼 suddenly: 突然地 unnatural: 反常的 silence: 寂静 catapult: 投石机
Siggard眨了眨眼睛，他突然注意到了这异乎寻常的安静。“投石机那边发生了什么？”
“They ran out of boulders a while ago,” Tilgar replied. The earl then turned to one of his housecarls.
ran out: 耗尽 boulder: 大圆石 a while ago: 刚才 reply: 回答 earl: 伯爵 housecarl: 侍卫
“刚才他们把石块都投光了。”Tilgar答道。他转向他的一名侍卫。
“Have lit bundles of wood lowered down the wall. We need to be able to see more than the moon will allow.”
lit: 点着的 bundle: 束 wood: 木材 lower down: 降下 allow: 给予
“将点燃的木柴投到城下，现在仅有月光照亮是不够的。”
As the soldiers carried out Tilgar’s commands, Siggard wished Assur himself would attack, scaling the wall so that he could strike at the monster that killed his family.
soldier: 士兵 carry out: 执行 command: 命令 scale: 攀登 strike: 打击 monster: 怪物
在士兵们执行Tilgar的命令的时候，Siggard倒希望亚述尔能爬上城墙，亲自攻上来，这样他就能和那个杀了他全家的怪物决一死战。
In that moment, Siggard did not care about the archdemon’s enchanted glyph, or whether he himself would survive the battle.
archdemon: 大恶魔 enchanted: 被施魔法的 glyph: 符号 whether: 是否 survive: 生还
那一刻，Siggard根本不在乎恶魔头目受什么图腾强化，也不在乎自己的生死。
He shook his head clear of these thoughts to look over the battlement, the bottom now illuminated by flickering flames.
shake: 摇动 look over: 从上面看过去 battlement: 城垛 bottom: 底部 illuminated: 被照明的 flickering: 摇曳的 flame: 火焰
他用力摇着头摆脱那些想法，重新审视城垛，城下被闪烁的火光所照亮。
“Here they come again!” came a cry from the north, and Siggard looked over the parapet.
cry: 呼喊 look over: 从上面看过去 parapet: 胸墙
“它们又来了！”北边传来一声喊叫，Siggard从城垛上看下去。
In the moonlight, the goat creatures were attacking, carrying giant ladders to the hoary stone.
moonlight: 月光 goat: 山羊 creature: 生物 giant: 巨大的 ladder: 梯子 hoary: 灰白的
在月光中，山羊一样的怪物开始了攻击，它们拖着云梯向灰白色的石墙冲来。
“Poles to the ladders!” Tilgar ordered. “Don’t let them reach the top!”
pole: 撑开 ladder: 梯子 order: 命令 reach the top: 登顶
“撑开梯子！”Tilgar命令道，“别让它们架在城上！”
Siggard joined the others in a desperate race to topple the ladders, long bpoles pushing them from the walls, demons screaming as they fell to their deaths,
desperate: 不顾一切的 topple: 推倒 ladder: 梯子 bpole: 长杆 demon: 恶魔 scream:尖叫
Siggard狂奔过去加入了推倒梯子的行列，长杆将梯子推开，恶魔尖叫着向地面坠去。
but for each ladder that fell, another took its place.
fall: 落下
但每有一个梯子落到地面，就有另一个占据了它先前的位置。
Siggard came to one, only to have a grinning goat head rise before him. With a stroke of Guthbreoht, he sent the head flying, and then helped the pole-men knock over the ladder.
grin: 呲牙咧嘴 goat: 山羊 rise: 出现 strike: 打击 pole-men: 守卫 knock over: 弄翻 ladder: 梯子
Siggard冲到一个梯子前，看到一个獠牙暴出的山羊头出现在他面前。他挥Guthbreoht砍飞了这个脑袋，然后协助守卫将梯子推翻。
The whistling of arrows filled the air, and several of the housecarls fell. Siggard heard a grunting behind him, and he turned just in time to skewer a goat demon.
whistling: 呼啸声 arrow: 箭 fill: 占满 several: 几个 housecarl: 侍卫 grunting: 咕噜声 skewer: 刺穿 goat: 山羊 demon: 恶魔
飞箭的嗖嗖声不绝于耳，几名侍卫倒下了。Siggard听到身后传来了“咕咕”的声音，他及时转身，长剑刺穿了山羊怪的身体。
Guthbreoht’s song surged through him, and he began a dance of death, every step leaving a dead monster.
surge: 奔腾 death: 死亡 leaving: 留下 monster: 怪物
Guthbreoht的歌声在他体内回荡，他跳起了死亡之舞，每踏一步他身后便会多出一具恶魔的尸体。
“They’re gaining the wall!” came a shout, and Siggard turned to see a mass of demons scale the parapet close to Earl Tilgar.
gaining: 到达 shout: 呼喊 mass: 大量 scale: 攀登 parapet: 胸墙 earl: 伯爵
“它们上到城墙上来了！”有人发出了惊叫。Siggard看到大批恶魔攀上了墙垛，向Tilgar伯爵涌去。
With a shout of rage, he charged. The first monster he cut down from behind.
shout: 呼喊 rage: 愤怒 charge: 向前冲 cut down: 砍倒
他一声怒吼冲上前去。他将一个恶魔从背后砍倒。
Another turned and attacked, and he first cut the creature’s club in half, and then spilled its intestines onto the parapet.
attack: 攻击 creature: 生物 club: 棍棒 spill: 是溅出 intestines: 肠 parapet: 胸墙
另一个恶魔转身回击，他先将它手中的棍棒劈成了两截，随后刺破了它的腹部，任其腹内的污物流在城垛上。
Somebody shouted a warning, and Siggard turned, his sword raised. A demon was running at him, screaming for vengeance.
shout: 高喊 warning: 警告 raise: 举起 run at: 向…冲去 screaming: 发出尖叫的 vengeance: 复仇
有人高声呼喊着让他小心，Siggard举剑回身。一个恶魔正冲向他，发出复仇的吼叫。
With a thrust he put Guthbreoht through the creature’s head, splattering pink and white brains onto a nearby guardsman.
thrust: 猛推 creature: 怪物 splattering: 使飞溅 pink: 粉色的 brains: 脑浆 guardsman:卫兵
他将Guthbreoht插入了怪物的头，粉白的脑浆溅在旁边的守卫身上。
He withdrew his blade only to attack the mass of monsters again in earnest.
withdraw: 拿回 mass: 大量 monster: 怪物 in earnest: 坚定的
他拔回宝剑向更多的恶魔发起了攻击。
Three more goat creatures fell to his sword, and then it became quiet, Guthbreoht’s song still throbbing in Siggard’s head.
goat: 山羊 creature: 生物 quiet: 平静 throbbing: 跳动的
三只山羊怪倒在了他的剑下，一切又恢复了平静，Guthbreoht的歌声仍在Siggard耳边回荡。
Tilgar looked up, the earl’s mail-coat torn and so bloodsoaked that it no longer shone in the torchlight, yet little of the blood was his own.
look up: 抬头看 earl: 伯爵 mail-coat: 铠甲 tear: 撕裂 bloodsoaked: 血污的 shine: 发亮 torchlight: 火炬光
Tilgar抬头望着他，伯爵的盔甲有些残破，上面布满了血污，甚至还沾上了些伯爵的鲜血。在火把的照耀下盔甲已不再闪光。
“Once again, I owe you a debt of thanks,” Tilgar said. “You just saved my life. If you ever have need, come to me or my family, and we will see to you.”
owe: 欠 debt: 债务 save: 拯救
“我又欠了你一笔人情债。”Tilgar说，“你救了我，任何时候只要你有需要，来找我或者我的家人，我们会帮助你的。”
“If we survive this, I’ll redeem your pledge.”
survive: 幸存 redeem: 履行 pledge: 诺言
“要是我们能幸存，我会接受你的应允的。”
Something twigged at Siggard’s mind, though, something important that he should be remembering.
twig: 领悟 important: 重要的
Siggard突然意识到了什么，那件事十分重要，他本该记得。
But the only thing he could liken this situation to was Blackmarch, and that was a stand-up battle rather than a siege.
liken: 使像 situation: 处境 stand-up battle: 对攻战 siege: 围攻
但他只是感到现在的情景与在Blackmarch时有些相像。这是场对攻战，而不像是围攻。
“Where’s the third wave, do you suppose?” Tilgar asked.
wave: 波 suppose: 认为
“你猜第三波会来吗？”Tilgar问。
Siggard shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow. How he was fending off exhaustion was beyond him, but he wasn’t going to complain about the blessing.
shrug: 耸肩 wipe: 擦拭 sweat: 汗 brow: 额头 fend off: 避开 exhaustion: 疲惫 complain: 抗议 blessing: 恩赐
Siggard耸耸肩，擦了擦脸上的汗。虽然他已经克服了疲劳，但是他仍不介意这一点点天赐的休息时间。
“I’m happy for any break we can get.”
break: 休息
“任何能使我们休息一下的机会都使我高兴。”
Tilgar smiled and nodded. He turned to a housecarl.
nod: 点头 turn to: 转向 housecarl: 侍卫
Tilgar微笑着点点头。他转向守卫。
“Have these bodies flung from the wall, and see what can be done about the blood.
body: 尸体 fling: 扔
“把死尸从城墙上弄下去，然后看看怎么处理掉那些血迹。
If we get attacked again, we’ll be in greater danger of breaking our necks from tripping over the slain and slipping in their gore than from the demons.”
neck: 脖子 trip: 绊倒 slay: 杀死 slipping: 滑动 gore: 污血 demon: 恶魔
如果我们再受到攻击，绊在死尸上摔断脖子或者踩在血污上滑倒可比恶魔的攻击要危险得多。”
“I am the favored Baron of the Lord of Terror!” came a bellowing roar from the demonic ranks.
favored: 受到喜爱的 baron: 男爵 Lord of Terror: 恐惧之王 roar: 咆哮 demonic: 恶魔的 ranks: 队伍
“我是恐惧之王的宠臣！”恶魔军团的阵列中传来了一声咆哮。
“You have seen the might of my army! Know now that I have many more ready for battle! I will give you a choice, pitiful mortals!
might: 力量 army: 军队 choice: 选择 pitiful: 可怜的 mortal: 凡人
“你们已经见识了我的军队的力量！告诉你们，现在已经有更多的恶魔准备投入战斗了！可怜的人类，我给你们一个选择！
If you give us the town now, only half of you will die! If you fight, none of you will survive! Give me your answer!”
survive: 幸存
如果你们现在交出城镇，你们之中只有一半人会死！如果你们继续抵抗，那你们都死定了！快作出选择吧！”
Tilgar rose and stood by the wall.
rise: 起身
Tilgar靠墙站了起来。
“It is you who will not survive, Assur, Baron of Hell! Know now that any one of us would rather die than serve you! Come to fight me, and I will kill you with my own hands!”
survive: 幸存 Baron of Hell: 地狱男爵 rather: 宁愿 serve: 作仆人
“死的那个将是你，地狱男爵亚述尔！我们之中任何一个人都宁死也不愿做你的奴仆！放马过来吧，我要亲手杀了你！”
“You are a fool, little man, for no creature alive can slay me!” Assur cried. “All of you will die, mortals! For you have already lost!”
fool: 笨蛋 creature: 生物 slay: 杀死 cry: 呼喊 mortal: 凡人
“你这白痴的小玩意，没有生者能杀死我！”亚述尔喊道，“人类，都去死吧！你们已经输了！”
Even as the archdemon answered, Siggard’s stomach sank in realization. The battle at the wall had been a diversion . . .
even as: 正当…时 archdemon: 大恶魔 stomach: 胃 sink: 下沉 realization: 领悟 diversion: 佯攻
在恶魔头目答话的时候，Siggard心中一沉，猛然反应过来城墙上的战斗不过是声东击西的战术……
“By all that’s holy, Tilgar, evacuate the town,” Siggard cried.
holy: 上帝的 evacuate: 撤出 cry: 呼喊
“看在上帝的份上，Tilgar，弃城吧。”Siggard叫道。
Tilgar turned to him in shock. “Surely you aren’t going to believe this foul . . .”
shock: 震惊 foul: 不可靠的
Tilgar转身震惊的看着他：“你不会相信那些鬼话……”
Suddenly, from the keep there was the hiss of arrows, and almost half of the soldiers still on the wall fell, struck down by the deadly bolts.
suddenly: 突然 keep: 城堡主塔 hiss: 呼啸声 arrow: 箭 soldier: 士兵 fall: 倒下 struck down: 击倒 deadly: 致命的 bolt: 弩箭
突然间，箭雨如飞蝗般从城堡塔楼飞来，几乎一半的士兵都被箭所射中从墙上摔了下去。
A great roaring came up from the demonic ranks as they surged forward, bearing more ladders.
roaring: 咆哮 come up: 到来 demonic: 恶魔的 ranks: 队伍 surge: 汹涌 bear: 携带 ladder: 梯子
恶魔军团的阵列中传来一声咆哮，它们带着更多的梯子发起了进攻。
“The Hiddens took the keep while we weren’t looking,” Siggard said. “Give the signal to evacuate. This battle is lost!”
Hidden: 潜伏者 keep: 城堡主塔 signal: 信号 evacuate: 撤离
“潜伏者趁我们不备之时占领了城堡的塔楼，”Siggard说，“发出弃城信号。战斗已经输了！”
Tilgar gave Siggard a look of horror, his face pale as a ghost. Then he turned to the housecarl and nodded. The soldier raised a horn and blared several notes.
horror: 震惊 pale: 苍白的 housecarl: 侍卫 nod: 点头 soldier: 士兵 raise: 举起 horn:号角 blare: 发巨鸣声 note: 音调
Tilgar惊愕的望着Siggard，他面色如鬼魂般苍白。随后他转身朝侍卫点点头。一名士兵举起号角吹出了几个音符。
“Siggard, Sarnakyle, you are coming with me,” Tilgar ordered. “The city guard knows what to do now.”
order: 命令 guard: 守卫
“Siggard，Sarnakyle，跟我来，”Tilgar命令道，“城镇护卫们知道现在该怎么做。”
“Are you sure we aren’t needed here?” Sarnakyle asked, stepping forward. Siggard turned to see the wizard’s face was flushed with sweat, the man swaying from exhaustion.
wizard: 法师 flush: 通红的 sweat: 汗 sway: 摇晃 exhaustion: 筋疲力尽
“你确定这里不需要我们？”Sarnakyle向前跨了一步问道。Siggard转身看到法师通红的脸上满是汗水，他因筋疲力尽而有些站立不稳。
“Any man who stays on the wall now dies,” Tilgar said, motioning to the men around him with his mace of office.
motion: 示意 mace: 权杖
“守在城墙上的人都会死。”Tilgar边说边用他的权杖指了指周围的士兵。
The blue-clad soldiers were busy knocking over the ladders and loosing arrows on the keep.
clad: 穿着 soldier: 士兵 knock over: 弄翻 ladder: 梯子 loose: 射击 arrow: 箭 keep:城堡主塔
身披蓝色战袍的士兵们一刻不停的推倒梯子，向塔楼放箭。
“The guards know what they must do, and they are all ready to make the sacrifice. We now have a sacred trust to the innocents in this town.
guard: 守卫 sacrifice: 牺牲 sacred: 神圣的 trust: 相信 innocents: 无辜平民
“守卫们很清楚他们的职责，他们已经准备作出牺牲。我们相信市民们是无辜的。
They have already been taken into the tunnels. We must ensure that they are not followed.”
tunnel: 地下道 ensure: 确保 follow: 追踪
他们已经被带到了地下通道内。我们必须保护他们，避免他们受到追击。”
Siggard nodded, and looked towards the demonic ranks. “This isn’t over,” he vowed, speaking above the hissing of arrows.
nod: 点头 demonic: 恶魔的 ranks: 队伍 vow: 发誓 above: 超出 hissing: 发呼啸声的 arrow: 箭
Siggard点点头，向恶魔军团望去。“战斗还没有结束，”他宣誓道，声音盖过了利箭划过空气时发出的声音。
With that, he and Sarnakyle followed the earl down, trying not to look back at the brave men on the wall, who knew that they would die that night but continued fighting regardless.
earl: 伯爵 look back: 回望 brave: 勇敢的 continue: 继续 regardless: 不关心的
说完，他与Sarnakyle紧随伯爵走下城墙。他尽力抑制住自己，不去回望那些在城墙上勇敢战斗的战士，他们虽知自己此役必死但仍无悔的坚持战斗。
Tilgar led them through the maze of streets, Sarnakyle quickly snagging something from an abandoned shop as they walked.
lead: 带领 maze: 迷宫 snag: 抓住 abandoned: 废弃的 shop: 商店
Tilgar领着他们穿过迷宫般的街道，Sarnakyle极快的从他们路过的一家被废弃的商店中拿了些东西。
The sounds of the fighting had grown faint, although the arrows still flew overhead.
faint: 微弱的 arrow: 箭 overhead: 在头顶上
虽然仍有箭从他们头上飞过，但战斗的喧嚣声已经变得十分微弱了。
Finally, they came to a rough stone building in the town square. Outside stood Hunfrith, waiting impatiently, a sword in his trembling hand.
rough: 粗糙的 building: 建筑物 square: 广场 impatiently: 不耐烦地 trembling: 发抖的
最后，他们来到了镇广场中的一座石头房屋前。Hunfrith站在屋外，等的已有些不耐烦，他握剑的手有些发抖。
“All of the remaining housecarls are inside,” he said. “The King’s Men have elected to stay and fight.”
remaining: 剩余的 housecarl: 侍卫 elect: 选择 stay and fight: 留下来战斗
“剩下的侍卫都在里面，”他说，“国王派来的战士们决定留下来继续作战。”
Tilgar shook his head. “The loss of life is wasteful, but it will buy us some time. Let us go.”
shake: 摇动 wasteful: 浪费的 buy: 赢得
Tilgar摇了摇头。“这种牺牲令人惋惜，但这能为我们争取到时间。走吧。”
As Hunfrith turned, something swooped out of the shadows. Siggard raised his sword, a cold sweat running down his back.
swoop: 飞扑 raise: 举起 sword: 剑 sweat: 汗 run down: 往下流
Hunfrith刚刚转过身，便有东西从阴影中飞扑而下。Siggard举起他的剑，冷汗顺着他的后背流下。
One of those shadowythings from Blackmarch had arrived, and from its strange form emerged razor sharp claws.
shadowything: 阴影般的东西 strange: 奇怪的 form: 外貌 emerge: 显露 razor: 剃刀 sharp: 锋利的 claw: 爪子
他在Blackmarch见到的阴影般的怪物又出现了，它有着奇怪的外形与剃刀般的利爪。
“Go!” Sarnakyle shouted, raising his hand and uttering an incantation. A bolt of fire exploded from his palm, splashing into the creature to no effect.
shout: 呼喊 raise: 举起 uttering: 发出 incantation: 咒语 bolt: 箭矢 explode: 迸发 palm: 手掌 splashing: 击落 creature: 生物
“快走！”Sarnakyle喊道，他抬手念出了一段咒语。一个火球从他手掌中飞出，将怪物打得动弹不得。
Then Siggard struck, slashing out with Guthbreoht while shouting a war cry. As he moved, he was aware of Tilgar and Hunfrith dashing into the building.
strike: 攻击 slashing: 猛砍 shout: 呼喊 cry: 呼喊 aware: 知道的 dash into: 冲入
Siggard发出了战斗的怒吼，挥舞着Guthbreoht向它砍去。他攻击着，察觉到Tilgar与Hunfrith已经冲进房屋里了。
The thing recoiled as Guthbreoht touched it, and Siggard struck again and again, until the strange monster fell back and dissolved into the darkness.
recoil: 退却 strike: 攻击 again and again: 反复地 strange: 奇怪的 monster: 怪物 fall back: 退却 dissolve: 融于 dissolve into: 隐入 darkness: 黑暗
那玩意面对着Guthbreht的攻击节节后退，而Siggard则不停的挥动长剑发动进攻，直到那个怪物消失在黑暗中。
Whether it was dead or just mending its wounds, Siggard did not know. Regardless, he was certain the time had come to flee.
mending: 修补 wound: 伤口 regardless: 不管怎样 certain: 确定的 flee: 逃走
它是死了还是去疗伤Siggard不得而知。他知道时间所剩不多，但他并不在乎。
Siggard backed into the building, followed by Sarnakyle, who closed and barred the door behind them.
back into: 退入 barred: 闩住的 door: 门
Siggard回身进入房屋，跟在他身后的Sarnakyle立刻将门堵死。
He jumped as a hand touched his shoulder, nearly striking out with Guthbreoht, but something in the sword’s song stopped him.
shoulder: 肩膀 strike out: 出击
一只手搭上了Siggard的肩膀，他跳起来，几乎要用Guthbreoht反击，但剑的歌声阻止了他。
“Come, the way is clear,” Earl Tilgar’s voice said, and he and Sarnakyle turned to find themselves facing a large staircase leading into the earth.
earl: 伯爵 turn to: 转向 staircase: 楼梯 lead into: 通向
“来吧，这条道没有敌人，”传来的是Tilgar伯爵的声音。他和Sarnakyle转过身才发现他们面前是通往地下的巨大阶梯。
Tilgar led them down, a torch in his hand, and Siggard soon lost track of the number of steps they descended. When they got to the bottom, they found themselves in a large, torchlit tunnel.
torch: 火炬 track: 踪迹 descend: 下来 bottom: 底部 torchlit: 火把照亮的 tunnel: 地下道
Tilgar手举火炬领他们向地下走去。没多久，Siggard便已记不住他们所走过的台阶数。当他们到达底部时，他们发现自己处在一个被火把照亮的，巨大的通道中。
Deep in the tunnel they could hear a multitude of hushed but fading voices, as though a large number of people were moving away.
tunnel: 地下道 multitude: 大批 hushed: 肃静的 fading: 变弱 move away: 离开
地道深处传来如波涛般的响动，这声音渐弱至无。一大群人正向前移动着。
“Come with me,” Tilgar said, and he took several steps forward. Then he wrenched one of the torches from the wall.
wrench: 扳拧 torch: 火炬
“跟我来，”Tilgar说道。他向前跑了几步，从墙上扳下一个火把。
There was a great roar from the earth, and several tons of stone fell down the staircase, sealing it.
roar: 轰鸣 ton: 吨 fall down: 落下 staircase: 楼梯 sealing: 堵塞
地面传来了巨响，几吨重的石头沿台阶滚下，封住了入口。
“Now they cannot follow,” the earl said, and led them into the tunnel.
earl: 伯爵 tunnel: 地下道
“现在它们没法跟过来了。”伯爵说着，领着他们走入地道。
“These passages have been here since the earliest days of the town,” he said, motioning to the rocky gray walls. His pale face flickered in the torchlight.
passage: 通道 motion: 示意 rocky: 岩石的 gray: 灰色的 pale: 苍白的 flicker: 闪烁 torchlight: 火炬光
“这些通道在建城之初就已经存在。”他指着灰色的石墙说道。火把的火光照亮了他苍白的脸。
“Recently, they were expanded into an escape route, and several of them were sealed off.
recently: 最近 expand: 扩建 escape: 逃亡 route: 通道 seal off: 封闭
“最近它们才被扩建成疏散通道，而且我们封堵了其中的几个。
This will take us well into the west, where we can begin to make our way to the capital. Hopefully, the archdemon will be too busy in Brennor to stop us.”
capital: 首都 hopefully: 有希望地 archdemon: 大恶魔
我们将沿通道到达西方，然后去首都。庆幸的是恶魔头目将会在Brennor忙一阵子，因此无法阻止我们。”
“When were they evacuated?” Siggard asked. “There have to be ten thousand people in the town.”
evacuate: 撤离
“他们什么时候撤离的？”Siggard说，“城里可有一万人呢。”
“We started evacuating people shortly after your warning,” Tilgar replied, quickening the pace.
evacuate: 疏散 warning: 警告 reply: 回答 quickening: 加快 pace: 步伐
“你发出警告不久我们就开始了人员的疏散。”Tilgar答道，他加快了脚步。
“We had them wait in the tunnel, to avoid revealing its existence. A quarter of the housecarls went with them, just in case the tunnel was discovered.
tunnel: 地下道 avoid: 避免 revealing: 泄漏隐情的 existence: 存在 housecarl: 侍卫 in case: 防止 tunnel: 地下道 discovered: 被发现
“我们早就让人们待在通道里以免暴露。四分之一的侍卫和他们在一起，以防通道被发现。
The signal I sent was the one to begin moving people out of the passage, not into it.”
signal: 信号 passage: 通道
我发出的信号仅是让人们通过隧道撤离，而不是躲进去。”
How long they walked, Siggard could not be certain.
certain: 确定的
Siggard不清楚自己走了多久。
Deep in the musky earth, without sun, moon, or stars, he had no way of measuring time, and with his deepening fatigue, the entire experience seemed like a waking dream.
deep: 深的 musky: 麝香气的 measuring: 测量 deepening: 加深 fatigue: 疲倦 entire:整个的 experience: 经历 seem: 似乎 waking dream: 白日梦
在充满泥土腥味的地底，没有太阳月亮和星星，他无法推断出时间，再加上他越来越重的倦意，这一切似乎都是一场白日梦。
Suddenly, from behind them there was a dull rumbling, like a distant thunder.
suddenly: 突然 dull: 沉闷的 rumbling: 隆隆声 distant: 遥远的 thunder: 雷声
突然，他们身后传来了一声如滚雷般的闷响。
Earl Tilgar smiled grimly. “I do not think Brennor will be the fortress Assur had hoped,” he said, but he would not say more.
earl: 伯爵 grimly: 冷酷地 fortress: 要塞
Tilgar伯爵冷笑道：“我可不认为Brennor会成为亚述尔想得到的要塞。”他没有再多说什么。
Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Dawn’s amber glow broke through the gloomy earth, and they emerged from a hill into the cloudless morn.
tunnel: 地下道 dawn: 黎明 amber: 琥珀色的 glow: 光辉 gloomy: 阴暗的 emerge: 出来 hill: 山岗 cloudless: 晴朗的 morn: 早晨
终于，在通道的尽头出现了亮光。琥珀色的晨曦照亮了阴暗的大地，他们迫不及待的冲上小丘去迎接这晴朗的早晨。
Siggard shivered at the morning chill, and Sarnakyle pressed something warm and soft into his hand.
shiver: 颤抖 chill: 寒意 press: 硬塞 warm: 暖和的
Siggard在寒冷的晨风中瑟瑟发抖，Sarnakyle将一个温暖而柔软的东西塞在了他的手中。
“I noticed you had lost your cloak during the fighting,” Sarnakyle said. “So I got you a new one. If I can find the shopkeeper, I will pay him for it.”
notice: 注意 cloak: 斗篷 shopkeeper: 店主 pay: 支付
“我发现你在战斗中把斗篷弄丢了。”Sarnakyel说，“所以我帮你弄了件新的。如果能找到店主，我会把钱付给他的。”
Siggard nodded wearily and pulled on his new black cloak, wrapping it about himself like a second skin.
nod: 点头 wearily: 疲倦的 pull on: 穿戴 cloak: 斗篷 wrap: 包裹 skin: 皮肤
Siggard疲倦的点点头，穿上了那件崭新的黑色斗篷，他仔细的将斗篷裹紧，仿佛这是他身体的一部分。
He looked around to see a large group of milling people, people from every age, craft, and discipline.
look around: 环顾四周 craft: 行业 discipline: 教导
他环视着四周的人群，那些人年龄不同，工作不同，所受的教育也不同。
They stood behind a cluster of hills that Siggard surmised must be large enough to hide them from the sight of any watcher from Brennor.
cluster: 一群 hill: 丘陵 surmise: 猜测 hide: 隐藏 sight: 视野 watcher: 哨兵
他们躲在起伏的丘陵之后，Siggard猜这足以供这些人隐蔽起来，躲避开驻扎在Brennor的侦察兵的视线。
Siggard climbed the hill and peered over the rocky tor. As he looked toward the distant town, his eyes widened. The walls of Brennor were no more, lying in a crumbled heap.
climb: 攀登 hill: 小山 peer: 凝视 rocky: 多石的 tor: 岩山 distant: 遥远的 widen: 扩大 crumble: 破碎 heap: 堆
Siggard登上小山，向远处望去。当他看到城镇时，他惊异的睁大了眼睛。Brennor的城墙已变为了满地的瓦砾。
The castle still stood, surrounded by the abandoned town, and the windows of the keep shone with an unearthly red light.
castle: 城堡 surrounded: 被…环绕的 abandoned: 废弃的 keep: 城堡主楼 shine: 发光 unearthly: 怪异的
被遗弃的城市包围着尚存的城堡，塔楼的窗子闪出神秘的红光。
When he came down, Tilgar smiled in grim satisfaction.
come down: 下来 grim: 冷酷的 satisfaction: 满意
当他走下小丘，Tilgar脸上带着严肃而满意的笑对他说。
“The final orders of the city guard were to bring down the walls. One of Brennor’s great secrets is that any enemy who takes the place will only gain a small fortress.
order: 命令 guard: 守卫 bring down: 使倒下 secret: 秘密 enemy: 敌人 gain: 得到 fortress: 堡垒
“向护城卫兵下达的最后的命令是摧毁城墙。Brennor的最大秘密之一就是任何一支占领它的军队只能获得一个小小的堡垒。
The King of Entsteig has never allowed one of his own towns to be used against him.”
allow: 允许 against: 对抗
Entsteig的国王决不会让他的任何一座城池被用来与他对抗。”
Tilgar turned to a housecarl, asking if Wulfgar still lived. When the answer came back as a negative, the earl shook his head sadly and began to give marching orders.
housecarl: 侍卫 negative: 否定的 earl: 伯爵 shake: 摇动 sadly: 悲伤的 march: 行军 order: 命令
Tilgar转向侍卫，问他Wulfgar是否还活着。当他听到否定的回答时，他悲伤的摇摇头，发出了行军的命令。
“Siggard, I would be grateful if you would stay with us,” Tilgar said, placing his hand on the warrior’s shoulder. “Your sword arm would be a great help.”
grateful: 感激的 place: 放置 warrior: 勇士 shoulder: 肩膀
“Siggard，如果你能留下来和我们在一起，我将感到十分荣幸。”Tilgar将一只手搭在勇士的肩上，说道，“作为一个剑士，你会给我们极大的帮助。”
Siggard shook his head. “I’m going to rest here, and then go back to Brennor at nightfall.”
shake: 摇动 rest: 休息 nightfall: 傍晚
Siggard摇摇头。“我要在这儿休息，然后趁夜幕进入Brennor。”
Sarnakyle startled. “Are you mad, my friend? What can you possibly hope to accomplish against a demonic horde?”
startled: 震惊 mad: 发疯的 possibly: 可能地 accomplish: 完成 against: 对抗 demonic: 恶魔的 horde: 大群
Sarnakyle吃了一惊：“朋友，你疯了？你怎么能指望仅凭一己之力去与那么一大群恶魔对抗？”
“I’m going to kill Assur,” Siggard replied coldly.
reply: 回答 coldly: 冷淡的
“我要去杀了亚述尔。”Siggard冷冷的说。
“You know what that glyph means,” Sarnakyle insisted. “Assur is invincible.”
glyph: 符号 insist: 坚持 invincible: 不可战胜的
“你明白那个图腾的意义。”Sarnakyle坚持道，“亚述尔是无法战胜的。”
Siggard smiled grimly. “The murderer of my family is in Brennor, so I will seek him out and destroy him if I can. I know he can’t possibly expect me.”
grimly: 冷酷地 murderer: 凶手 seek: 寻找 destroy: 杀死 possibly: 也许 expect: 预料
Siggard冷峻的一笑：“我的家庭是在Brennor被毁的，因此我要尽我所能找到并消灭他。我清楚他不可能预料到我的到来。”
“If you do this, you will probably die, Siggard,” Tilgar said. “Are you certain that’s what you want?”
probably: 或许 certain: 确定的
“如果你这么做，你很有可能会死，Siggard。”Tilgar说，“你确定那是你想要的结果？”
Siggard affixed the earl with a cold stare.
affix: 加以 earl: 伯爵 stare: 凝视
Siggard冷冷的看了伯爵一眼：
“Everything I love is already dead. If I must perish trying to avenge it, then so be it. But one way or another, I swear that Assur will die at my hands by daybreak.”
perish: 死亡 avenge: 为…报仇 swear: 发誓 daybreak: 黎明
“我所爱的人都死了。如果为了复仇我必须死的话，那就死吧。但不管怎么说，我发誓亚述尔将在破晓之前死于我手。”
作者：Robert B. Marks 翻译：生物学教授
解析：Wayne 编辑：Wayne
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