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Chapter 6
第六章
Octavia and Lars stood at the base of the steep, crumbled slope where great rocks and cascades of soil had broken away and tumbled down to expose the alien object.
stand: 站立 at the base of: 在...下面 steep: 陡峭 crumble: 崩溃 slope: 斜坡 great:大的 rock: 岩石 cascades of: 串连 soil: 土壤 break away: 脱开 tumble down: 翻滚下来 expose: 显露 alien: 外星的 object: 物体
Octavia和Lars站在崩裂的陡峭岩壁下面，上方的巨石和土壤都已经崩塌滑下，废墟中正显露着那个外星物体。
Octavia leaned against the robo-harvester. Brownish gray dirt fell away from the side of the gigantic tractor.
lean against: 斜靠在... robo-harvester: 机械收割机 brownish: 带褐色的 gray: 灰色的 dirt: 尘土 fall away: 脱落 side: 一边 gigantic: 巨大的 tractor: 拖拉机
Octavia斜倚着机械收割机，褐色的尘土从那个巨型机器的侧面上滑落下来。
Running a hand through her brown curls, she continued to assess the ominous, pulsing construction from a distance.
run a hand through: 用手... brown: 棕色的 curl: 卷发 continue: 继续 assess: 评估 ominous: 不祥的 pulse: 搏动 construction: 建筑物 from a distance: 远远地
她用手理了一下棕色的卷发，继续远远地研究那个还在搏动的不吉利的东西。
But Lars, as usual, bounded ahead, his eagerness and curiosity overwhelming his common sense.
as usual: 像平常一样 bound: 跳跃 ahead: 向前 eagerness: 渴望 curiosity: 好奇心 overwhelm: 征服 common sense: 常识
不过Lars，还是和往常一样，早就跑到前面去了。他对那玩意儿的好奇心以及探索的欲望完全淹没了他的常识。
Her brother had always wanted to be first, to run the fastest, to build the tallest structure, to reach the top of the hill before Octavia or their few other young settler companions could.
brother: 哥哥 run: 跑 build: 建造 tall: 高 structure: 建筑物 reach: 到达 top: 顶 hill:山 before: 在...之前 settler: 殖民者 young: 年轻的 companion: 同伴
她哥哥向来想当第一，比如跑的最快，建造最高的建筑，或者在Octavia和其他年轻殖民者之前爬上山顶。
Now Lars used hands and feet to clamber up the sharp, raw edges of rock that had fallen down during the previous night's storm and earthquake.
use hands and feet: 手脚并用 clamber up: 攀登 sharp: 尖锐的 raw: 生的 edge: 边缘 fall down: 掉下 during: 在...期间 previous night: 前夜 storm: 暴风雨 earthquake: 地震
现在，Lars正在手脚并用，在昨夜风暴和地震造成的尖锐峭壁上往上面爬去。
She followed him, her breath coming heavy in the sour-smelling air. The freshly overturned dirt had an odd taint, as if it had spoiled long ago.
follow: 跟随 breath: 呼吸 come: 开始 heavy: 重的 sour: 酸的 smell: 气味 air: 空气 sour-smelling: 充满酸味的 freshly: 新近 overturn: 翻转 dirt: 土 odd: 剩余的 taint: 污点 as if: 好像 spoil: 损坏 long ago: 很久以前
她跟着他，充满酸味的空气让她的呼吸变的越来越沉重。新露出地面的土壤上遍布零星的污点，看起来应该是很早以前就是这样的了。
The colonists knew from experience that only a few crops could survive in Bhekar Ro's soil. Octavia was used to the smell, of course, and rarely noticed it except after a hard rain.
colonist: 殖民者 experience: 经验 crop: 作物 survive: 存活 of course: 当然 rarely:很少 notice: 注意 except: 除...外 after: 在...之后 hard rain: 大雨
根据经验，殖民者们知道只有很少的作物可以在Bhekar Ro的土壤里生长。Octavia当然很熟悉那种气味，尤其是在一场大雨之后。
In filmbooks, she had seen lush agricultural worlds, verdant fields heavy with crops. She never knew whether to believe such fantasies.
filmbook: 显微图书 see: 看见 lush: 丰富的 agricultural: 农业的 world: 世界 verdant:葱郁的 field: 田地 heavy: 大量的 whether: 是否 such: 这样 fantasy: 幻想
在显微图书里，她曾经看到过繁华的农业世界，翠绿的土地上长满谷物。她一直不敢相信那是真的。
Now she climbed after her brother, her hands and clothes growing dirty. Dirt was just another part of their harsh daily lives as farmers.
climb: 攀登 after: 在...之后 brother: 哥哥 hand: 手 clothes: 衣服 grow: 成为 dirty:脏的 dirt: 尘土 harsh: 严酷的 daily live: 日常生活 farmer: 农民
现在她正跟着她的哥哥往山上爬。灰尘弄脏了她的衣服和手，不过对于作为农民的他们来说，灰尘只是日常生活中很平常的一部分而已。
“Hey, look at this!” Lars called, and in a few moments she had clambered up closer to the smooth, curving walls of the bizarre structure.
look at: 朝...看 call: 叫 in a few moments: 一会儿 clamber up: 攀登上 close to: 接近于 smooth: 光滑的 curving: 弯曲的 wall: 墙 bizarre: 奇异的 structure: 建筑物
“嘿，看看这个！”Lars叫到。很快，她也爬近了那个奇异建筑光滑而弯曲的表面。
Protruding from the newly exposed area were giant snowflake crystals, shards of transparent material that seethed with strange energy, each fragment longer than her arm.
protrude from: 从...突出 newly: 新近 expose: 暴露 area: 地域 giant: 巨大的 snowflake: 雪花 crystal: 水晶 shards of: 数块 transparent: 透明的 material: 材料 seethe with: 充满了... strange: 奇异的 energy: 能量 each: 每个 fragment: 碎块 arm:手臂
巨大的雪水晶从刚刚暴露的地域中伸出来，饱含着奇异的能量，每一块都比她的手臂还要长。
Octavia pressed one hand against the slick surface, finding it achingly cold, but not icy.
press against: 压在...上 hand: 手 slick: 光滑的 surface: 表面上 find: 感到 achingly:非常痛地 cold: 冷 icy: 冰的
Octavia伸手按在它们光滑的表面上。它们感觉是冷的，但是却不冰凉。
A strange sensation like an electric tingle ran through the whorls of her palm and fingertips as if some energy were mapping her cellular structure and studying it.
sensation: 感觉 like: 像 electric: 电的 tingle: 刺痛 run through: 贯穿过 whorl: 涡 palm: 手掌 fingertip: 指尖 as if: 仿佛 map: 标志...（地图） cellular: 细胞的 structure:结构 study: 研究
就在此时，一种奇异的感觉，像触电那种麻的感觉，从她的手掌和指尖流过，好像是在检查和研究她的细胞结构。
“Now these are interesting,” Lars said, his hazel eyes alive with wonder. “
intresting: 有趣的 say: 说 hazel: 淡褐色的 eye: 眼睛 alive with: 充满着 wonder: 好奇
“这真有趣，”Lars淡褐色的眼睛里充满了好奇。
What do you think we could use them for? I bet we could take a full load of these crystals back on the robo-harvester.”
think: 认为 use for: 用于 bet: 打赌 take: 带走 a load of: 大量 full: 满的 back: 回原处 robo-harvester: 机械收割机
“你觉得它们能用来做什么？我打赌我们能把这玩意儿装上满满一收割机然后开回去。”
“Why? To make giant necklaces for the old farmwives?” Octavia said, pulling her hand away from the crystalline formation. Her fingers continued to tingle.
make: 制作 necklace: 项链 old: 年老的 farmwife: 农妇 pull… away from: 把...从...拿开 crystalline: 水晶的 formation: 形成物 finger: 手指 continue: 继续 tingle: 刺痛
“用来做什么？去给老农妇做大项链？“Octavia把手从水晶上拿开。她的手指还感觉有些麻木。
Lars grinned his cocky grin. “I don't know about those farmwives, but I have a feeling Cyn McCarthy might like one.”
grin: 咧嘴笑 cocky: 太过自信的 know about: 认识 feeling: 感觉 like: 喜欢
Lars自信地笑道: “我可不认识那些老农妇，不过我觉得Cyn McCarthy没准会喜欢。”
Octavia raised her eyebrows. So, her independent brother had actually noticed that the pretty young widow was interested in him romantically.
raise: 举起 eyebrow: 眉毛 so: 所以 independent: 自主的 actually: 实际上 notice: 注意 pretty: 漂亮的 widow: 寡妇 interest in: 对...有兴趣 romantically: 浪漫地
Octavia扬起眉毛。这样，他那个自主的哥哥就能发现，这位漂亮的小姐对他的浪漫非常感兴趣。
Far be it from Octavia to discourage him. Maybe he wasn't as dense as she had thought!
far: 远 discourage: 使灰心 dense: 愚钝的 as…as: 像...一样
Octavia从来都没指望能打击一下Lars。他或许没她认为的那么笨呢。
“All right, Lars, I admit the crystals might be useful. But before you start making grandiose plans, let's be practical, here—just for a few minutes, please?
admit: 承认 useful: 有用的 before: 在...之前 make plans: 制订计划 grandiose: 宏伟的 let: 让 practical: 实际的 minute: 分钟
“好吧，Lars，我承认那些水晶也许有用。但是别这么急着去想什么宏伟的计划，我们得实际点，就在这儿——就几分钟，怎样？
I suggest we look around. And be careful not to change anything until we understand more.”
suggest: 建议 look around: 到处看看 careful: 小心的 change: 改变 anything: 任何东西 until: 直到 understand: 理解
我建议到处看看，而且别动任何东西，除非知道了它们到底是什么东西。”
Lars grinned at her and climbed up the slope again toward the gleaming, labyrinthine structure.
grin at: 朝...咧嘴笑 climb up: 攀登上 slope: 斜坡 again: 再次 toward: 朝向 gleam: 隐约闪光的 labyrinthine: 如迷宫的 structure: 建筑物
Lars朝她笑笑，转身又向那个迷宫似的还闪着微光的建筑爬去。
“Well, the way to find out more is to do some poking around. Let's split up and we can cover more ground.”
find out: 发现 some: 一些 poke: 探索 around: 在周围 split up: 分开 cover: 占 ground: 场地
“嗯，想要了解更多，就得到处窥探窥探。让我们分开，这样能看到更多的地方。”
“Splitting up is never a good idea,” Octavia said, knowing the warning would be ignored by her enthusiastic brother.
good idea: 好主意 warning: 告诫 ignore: 不理 enthusiastic: 满腔热情的
“分开从来都不会是一个好主意。”Octavia提醒道，不过她知道她的提醒肯定会被她那个狂热的哥哥忽略掉。
“You be careful, and I'll be careful,” he said, “and we'll be back in time to fix the seismographs by midday.”
in time: 及时 fix: 修理 seismogragh: 地震仪 midday: 正午
“你要小心一点，我当然也会小心的，”他说，“我们中午还及时得回来修那些地震仪。”
Octavia clamped her lips together and didn't bother to contradict him. She wasn't worried about the seismographs in the least.
clamp: 夹住 lip: 嘴唇 together: 在一起 bother: 尽力 contradict: 反驳 worry about: 担心... in the least: 丝毫
Octavia闭上了嘴，决定不再和Lars争执下去。她现在丝毫都不担心那些地震仪了。
The beautiful crystalline protrusions stuck out all around them at odd angles like the spines of a ruffled urchin lizard.
beautiful: 美丽的 crystalline: 水晶般的 protrusion: 突起部 stick out: 突出 all around:到处 odd: 不固定的 angle: 角度 spine: 刺 ruffled: 有褶饰边的 urchin: 幼童 lizard:蜥蜴
在他们周围，随处可见美丽的水晶伸出地表，各种角度的都有，很像小蜥蜴身上的刺。
Lars moved toward the eerie facade of the object itself, fascinated by the mysteries that drew him.
toward: 朝向 eerie: 怪异 façade: 外表 object: 物体 itself: 它本身 fascinate: 迷住 mystery: 神秘（东西） draw: 拉
Lars径自往那个物体的正面移去，他完全被这神秘的东西迷住了。
Octavia moved more slowly, pausing to study the crystals, trying to understand how they grew, where they came from.
slowly: 缓慢地 pause: 暂停 study: 研究 crystal: 水晶 try: 试图 understand: 理解 grow: 生长
Octavia爬地慢的多，不时停下来研究那些水晶，试图弄明白它们是从哪儿、怎么长出来的。
It seemed as if they had been planted around this buried object as . . . markers? Defenses? Some sort of message?
seem as if: 看起来好像 plant: 种植 around: 在周围 bury: 掩埋 marker: 记号 defense:防御 some sort of: 某种 message: 信息
看起来，它们好像是被种在这个埋在地下的东西周围，作为……标记？防御？还是某种信息？
Puffing and sweating, though the effort did not diminish his exuberant grin, Lars reached the strange swirling shapes that formed the walls and openings of the giant object.
puff: 喘气 sweat: 出汗 though: 不过 effort: 努力 diminish: 降低 exuberant: 丰富的 grin: 咧嘴笑 reach: 到达 strange: 奇怪的 swirl: 旋转 shape: 外形 form: 构成 wall:墙 opening: 口子 giant: 巨大的
Lars终于爬上了构成那个巨大物体的墙还有开口的奇怪螺旋地带。他满头大汗喘着粗气，不过这并没影响到他再次咧嘴笑了起来。
The structural material was a pearles-cent green, lit from within like some sort of hardened bioluminescent slime. He stood back, appraising the enormous structure.
structural: 构造的 material: 材料 pearles-cent: 珍珠般光芒的 green: 绿色 light: 发光 from within: 从里面 harden: 变硬 bioluminescent: 生物荧光的 slime: 粘液 stand back:退后 appraise: 鉴定 enormous: 巨大的 structure: 建筑物
那个建筑是由闪着珍珠般光芒的绿色物质构成的，光从内部透出来，使得那种物质像某种干燥变硬了的生物粘液。他退后几步，仔细打量着这巨大的建筑。
From his furrowed brow and quickly moving eyes,
furrow: 皱起 brow: 眉毛 quickly: 快速的 move: 移动 eye: 眼睛
从他皱起的眉毛和跳来跳去的眼神，
Octavia could tell that her brother wasn't trying to understand the artifact, but was merely trying to choose the best means of getting inside.
tell: 讲 try: 试图 artifact: 人工造物 merely: 仅仅 choose: 选择 best: 最好的 means:方法 get inside: 进入
Octavia知道他根本不是在试着研究这个人造物，而是在找从哪儿进入最好。
Lars touched the exposed material. All of the soil and dust had flaked off, as if the object had a kind of static charge that repelled grime and dirt.
touch: 触摸 expose: 显露 material: 物质 all: 全部 soil: 土壤 dust: 灰尘 flake off: 剥落 a kind of: 一种 static: 静止的 charge: 电荷 repel: 排斥 grime: 尘垢 dirt: 尘土
Lars伸手摸了摸露在外面的那物质，忽然它表面的尘土全都雪片般落了下来，像充满了静电荷把它们排斥开去一样。
He rapped against the wall with his knuckles, then held up his hand. “It sort of tingles. I can't tell if the material is plastic or glass or some kind of organic extrusion. Interesting.”
rap against: 急敲... knuckle: 指节 hold up: 延迟 hand: 手 sort of: 有那么点儿 tingle:刺痛 if: 是否 plastic: 塑料的 glass: 玻璃的 some kind of: 某种 organic: 有机的 extrusion: 推出 interesting: 有趣的
他弯起手指敲了敲墙面，然后收回手。“有种麻麻的感觉，我没法弄清它到底是塑料还是玻璃，或者某种有机物。好玩。”
“You promised to be careful,” she called. “And I've got a bad feeling about this.”
promise: 允诺 careful: 小心的 call: 叫 get: 收到 bad feeling: 不好的感觉 about: 有关
“你说过要小心的，”她喊到，“我现在觉得事情有些不对头。”
He looked down at her with raised eyebrows. “You always have bad feelings, Octavia.”
look down: 向下看 raise: 扬起 eyebrow: 眉毛 always: 总是
他扬起眉毛，往下看看她。“你从来都觉得事情会不对头，Octavia。”
Her brother dismissed her concerns, but then Lars had never been as sensitive as she was.
dismiss: 解散 concern: 忧虑 then: 当时 never: 从未 as…as: 与...一样 sensitive: 敏感的
她哥哥驱散了她的顾虑，不过Lars从来都没有她这样敏感。
Octavia often had a knack for foreseeing events, for feeling when to avoid a certain situation. She had no hard proof, of course, but she was confident that her premonitions were correct.
knack: 特殊能力 foresee: 预感 event: 事件 avoid: 避免 a certain: 某一 situation: 情况 hard: 强烈的 proof: 证据 of course: 当然 confident: 自信的 premonitions: 预感 correct: 正确的
Octavia经常会对即将发生的事情有一种预感，一种知道什么时候要避免哪种特定的情况的感觉。对于这种感觉，她没有有力的证据，不过她自信她的预感是对的。
“And when have I ever been wrong, Lars?”
ever: 在任何时候 wrong: 错误的
“不过我什么时候错过，Lars？”
He didn't answer.
answer: 回答
他没有回答。
She knelt by one of the largest crystals and touched it again, running her hands over the slick surface.
kneel: 脆 one of: 之一 largest: 最大的 crystal: 水晶 touch: 触摸 again: 再次 run:运转 hand: 手 over: 在...上面 slick: 光滑的 surface: 表面
她在一块最大的水晶旁边跪下来，伸手在它光滑的表面上来回抚摸。
The odd cold tingle of energy called out to her, trying to communicate something that she couldn't comprehend.
odd: 奇特的 cold: 冷的 tingle: 刺痛 energy: 能量 call out: 召唤 communicate: 交流 something: 某些东西 comprehend: 理解
那种令她感到麻的冷冷的能量向她召唤，试图和她交流什么她不能理解的东西。
Overall, around this entire structure, Octavia felt a brooding, sleeping presence, something indescribable, buried and not yet awakened.
overall: 总的来说 entire: 整个的 structure: 建筑物 brood: 沉思 sleeping: 睡着的 presence: 存在 indescribable: 无法形容的 bury: 掩埋 awaken: 叫醒
Octavia感到，在这个建筑里面，存在着一个正在沉睡的东西，它是那么不可思议，被深埋在这儿，尚未醒来。
A frisson of inexplicable energy touched her mind, but she didn't know how to pursue the feeling, to explore it.
a frisson of: 一阵颤抖 inexplicable: 无法解释的 touch: 接触 mind: 思想 know: 知道 pursue: 追踪 feeling: 感觉 explore: 探究
一股没法形容能量的颤动接触到了她的思想，但是她不知道如何去追踪这种感觉，或者去研究它。
It was an odd probing sensation, but whatever produced the feeling clearly didn't understand her or recognize her humanity.
probing: 好探索的 sensation: 感觉 whatever: 无论什么 produce: 产生 clearly: 清楚地 understand: 懂得 recognize: 识别 humanity: 人性
它是一种探究性质的思感，不过让她产生这种感觉的那个东西明显也不了解她，或者发现她的人性。
Octavia swallowed hard in a dry throat and withdrew from the powerful crystal. The connection in her mind faded, but did not go entirely away.
swallow: 咽口水 hard: 艰难地 dry: 干的 throat: 咽喉 withdraw: 撤回 powerful: 强大的 connection: 连接 mind: 精神 fade: 逐渐消失 go away: 消失 entirely: 彻底地
Octavia困难地干咽了一口口水，离开了那块强大的水晶。她脑中的精神连接慢慢隐去，但是并没有彻底消失。
Lars happily continued his explorations, poking his head into the smaller openings and then finally walking into a large, curving orifice that led deeper into the structure.
happily: 开心地 continue: 继续 exploration: 探险 poke: 伸出 head: 脑袋 opening: 口子 walk into: 走进 curving: 弯曲的 orifice: 孔 lead into: 通向 deep: 深的 structure:建筑物
Lars开心地继续着他的探险，把头伸进小开口。最终，他走进了一个深入到建筑内部的大圆洞里。
Octavia moved slowly, reaching the top and looking into the dark, cool opening where her brother had disappeared.
slowly: 慢慢地 reach: 到达 top: 顶 look into: 向...里面望去 dark: 黑暗的 cool: 凉的 brother: 哥哥 disappear: 消失
Octavia慢慢移动，终于也爬上了山顶，望她哥哥消失的那个寒冷的开口望去，里面是一团黑暗。
Odd odors wafted from inside, like a rich mulch, something sizzling and alive.
odd: 带零头的 odor: 气味 waft: 漂送 inside: 里面 rich: 肥沃的 mulch: 覆盖物 sizzling: 发出咝咝声 alive: 活着的
零星的气味从里面飘出来，像是有肥沃的覆盖物，咝咝响着，活着。
Though the power contained within the artifact intimidated her, she didn't feel that it was particularly evil or threatening. Just . . . unlike anything she had ever encountered before.
power: 力量 contain: 包含 within: 在...里面 artifact: 人工造物 intimidate: 威胁 particularly: 特别地 evil: 魔鬼 threatening: 威胁的 encounter: 遇到 before: 之前
虽然这个人造物蕴涵的能量依旧胁迫着她，不过她尚不认为那是魔鬼或者威胁。只是……和她之前遇到过的东西都不太一样罢了。
His voice called back to her, echoing yet damped by the solid walls of the structure. “Octavia, come in here! You won't believe the amazing things.”
voice: 声音 call back: 叫回 echo: 发出回音 yet: 还 damp: 使阻尼 solid: 固体的 wall: 墙 come in: 进来 believe: 相信 amazing: 惊人的 thing: 东西
他的声音从洞里传回来，带着建筑固体墙面造成的回音。“Octavia，到这儿来！里面的东西会让你难以置信的。”
She stepped forward, peering into the shadows. She heard footsteps as he came hurrying back toward her. His eyes were aglow.
step forward: 走向前 peer into: 窥视 shadow: 阴影 hear: 听到 footstep: 脚步声 as:随着 hurry back: 迅速返回 eye: 眼睛 aglow: 发红的
她一步一步往前走，不时瞥一眼阴影。她听到她哥哥的脚步声迅速向她靠近。他眼睛通红地说:
“These passages are studded with more crystals and other strange objects, treasures, resources! We could use a pickax or a laser cutter to chop them out of the walls.”
passage: 通道 stud: 饰钉 more: 更多的 crystal: 水晶 strange: 奇怪的 treasure: 财富 resource: 资源 pickax: 镐 laser cutter: 激光切割机 chop: 砍剁 out of: 离开
“这些过道里到处钉满水晶，比外面还多，还有其他奇怪的东西，财宝，资源！我们应该用镐或者激光切割机把它们从墙上弄下来。”
“You don't even know what they are, Lars,” she said.
even: 甚至 say: 说道
“你甚至都不知道它们到底是什么，Lars。”她说。
“I'll bet they'll bring a lot of credits once we sell them.”
bet: 打赌 bring: 带来 credit: 信贷 once: 一旦 sell: 卖
“我敢打赌一旦我们把它们都卖了，就能得到一大笔钱。”
She didn't enter the artifact, but instead put her dirty hands on her hips.
enter: 进入 instead: 作为代替 put: 放置 dirty: 脏污的 hand: 手 hip: 腰部
她没有进到人造物体里面，只是把脏手叉在腰上。
“Who would you sell them to, Lars? For what? Crops? Equipment?
sell to: 卖出 crop: 谷子 equipment: 装备
“你能把它们卖给谁，Lars？你又想要什么？谷子？装备？
Nobody in Free Haven has anything to spare. And our colony hasn't traded with anybody since before you and I were born.”
nobody: 没有人 spare: 多余的 colony: 群体 trade with: 和...作交易 anybody: 任何人 since: 自从 born: 出生的
Free Haven没有人会有什么多余的东西。自从我和你生下来以来，我们没有和任何人作过任何交易。”
Grinning, Lars lowered his voice as if afraid someone might be eavesdropping.
grin: 咧嘴笑 lower: 降低 voice: 声音 as if: 好像 afraid: 害怕的 someone: 某人 eavesdrop: 窃听
Lars笑着，压低声音，像是怕谁会偷听。
“This goes far beyond what Bhekar Ro can handle, Octavia. I think as soon as we get back, we need to contact the Terran government.
go far beyond: 远远超出 handle: 处理 think: 想 as soon as: 一...就 get back: 回去 need to: 需要去 contact: 联系 government: 政府
“Octavia，这些玩意儿远远不是Bhekar Ro能处理的。我想一旦我们回去，最好立刻联系Terran政府。
We'll be rich! Imagine what we can sell this for. Even you have to admit that this is interesting—the find of a lifetime.
rich: 富有的 imagine: 想像 sell for: 卖得 admit: 承认 interesting: 有趣的 find: 发现 lifetime: 一生
我们会变得有钱的！想想看卖了它们我们能得到什么。甚至是你也承认它们很有趣——一生的发现。
Our colony can acquire new equipment, new seed stock, maybe even new workers to bolster our population. We've lost so many families in the past few years.”
colony: 殖民地 acquire: 获得 seed: 种子 stock: 库存 worker: 工人 bolster: 支持 population: 人口 lose: 损失 family: 家族 in the past few years: 在过去几年里
我们所有人都能装备新的设备，得到新的种子，甚至能支持我们人口的新的工人。过去几年里我们损失了太多的人了。”
Octavia felt her heart sink as she remembered their dead parents and all the specialists and just plain good people who had died in the spore plagues or in natural disasters or in any number of other tragedies that had beset Bhekar Ro since its formation.
heart: 心 sink: 下沉 remember: 想起 dead: 死去的 parents: 双亲 specialist: 专家 just: 仅仅 plain: 平常的 people: 人们 die: 死 spore: 孢子 plague: 瘟疫 natural disaster: 自然灾害 any number of: 许多的 tragedy: 悲剧 beset: 包围 formation: 形成
Octavia的心沉了下去，她想起了她们死去的父母，还有所有在spore plague，或者自然灾害，或者其他数不清的悲剧中去世的专家和平民。自从Bhekar Ro建立的那天起，这种悲剧就不断的发生。
She felt her brother's optimism and imagined all the wonders he had described, realizing that—for once—Lars might actually be right in his ambitions.
brother: 哥哥 optimism: 乐观主义 imagine: 想像 wonder: 惊奇 describe: 描述 realize: 明白 for once: 就一次 actually: 实际上 ambition: 雄心壮志
她能感受到她哥哥的乐观主义，想象着他描述的种种可能。如果那些都能实现——哪怕只有一次——Lars的雄心壮志也许真的是对的。
Then she made a disbelieving sound.
then: 然后 make: 产生 disbelieving: 怀疑的 sound: 声音
不过接着她又开始怀疑起来。
Even if this artifact turned out to be something truly remarkable, meeting all of the hopeful criteria Lars envisioned,
even if: 即使 artifact: 人造物 turn out to be: 证明是 something: 某物 truly: 真正地 remarkable: 显著的 meet: 满足 hopeful: 充满希望的 criteria: 标准 envision: 预想
就算这个人造物最终确定是真的有用，可以实现Lars幻想的那些充满希望的事情，
the colony's communication link with the Terran Confederacy had been left unused for thirty-five of the forty years Free Haven had existed as a human settlement.
colony: 殖民地 communication link: 通信线路 leave: 留下 unused: 不用的 exist: 存在 as: 作为 human: 人类的 settlement: 居留地
殖民地和Terran联邦的通信也在Free Haven作为人类殖民地的40年内中断了35年。
The colonists had come here to get away from Terran governments, to live for themselves and be self-sufficient.
colonist: 殖民者 come: 来到 get away from: 逃离 live for: 为...生活 themselves: 他们自己 self-sufficient: 自给自足
殖民者就是为了躲避Terran政府才到这儿来过他们自给自足的生活的。
Their parents and grandparents had hated any interference or oppression, and few of the colonists would choose to call attention to themselves again.
grandparents: 祖父母 hate: 痛恨 interference: 冲突 oppression: 压迫 few: 极少的 choose: 选择 call attention to: 引起对...的注意 again: 再次
他们的父母和祖父母痛恨任何形式的冲突和压迫，现在的殖民者也几乎没人愿意再次引起他们的注意。
“I don't think the others would agree, especially not Mayor Nik,” Octavia said.
think: 认为 agree: 同意 especially: 尤其
“我认为其他人不会同意的，尤其是Major Nik，”Octavia说。
“I'm not convinced that even something like this is worth bringing the Confederacy back to breathe down our necks.
convince: 使信服 be worth（doing）: 值得做 bring back: 带回 breathe down one’s neck:紧盯着某人
“我不信像这样的事情值得把联邦带回来继续统治我们。
You've heard the stories Grandfather used to tell. It could damage our way of life.”
story: 故事 grandfather: 祖父 used to: 过去常常 tell: 讲诉 damage: 毁坏 way: 方式 life: 生活
你也听了祖父给我们讲过的故事。联邦会毁掉我们现在的生活的。”
Now Lars looked at her in astonishment.
look at: 朝...看 in astonishment: 惊讶地
这次Lars惊讶地看着她。
“Our way of life ? Could it get any worse? Do the list of pros and cons for yourself, and you'll be convinced.” He turned around and quickly moved deeper into the glowing corridors.
worse: 更糟糕的 list: 清单 pro: 赞成者 con: 反对者 turn around: 转过身 quickly: 快速地 deep: 深的 move into: 进入 glow: 发光 corridor: 通道
“我们现在的生活？难道它还不够糟糕吗？自己想想利害关系，你就会信的。”他转过身去，迅速沿着发光的通道往里走去。
Octavia followed him, still sensing the oppressive mental presence around her, feeling it grow more powerful.
follow: 跟随 still: 仍然 sense: 觉得 oppressive: 压迫的 mental: 精神的 presence: 存在 around: 在...周围 grow: 成长 powerful: 强大的
Octavia跟着他。她依然能感受到她周围那种压迫性的精神力的存在，并且感到它正越来越强。
Lars hurried farther along, stopping to rap against walls with his fist, listening to the echo, trying to discover differences.
hurry along: 快速前进 farther: 更远的 stop: 停止 rap against: 急敲... wall: 墙 fist: 拳头 listen to: 听 echo: 回音 discover: 发现 difference: 不同
Lars独自一人快步前进，偶尔停下来用拳头敲墙，试图通过听回声来发现什么不同的东西。
Striations of color ran through the walls like veins of ore . . . or maybe like the blood vessels of an alien creature. He sniffed, then studied the wall carefully.
striation: 条纹 color: 彩色 run through: 贯穿 vein: 纹理 ore: 矿石 maybe: 也许 blood vessel: 血管 alien: 外星的 creature: 生物 sniff: 用力闻 carefully: 仔细地
彩色的条纹在墙上爬行着，像矿石形成的纹理……或者也许是外星生物的血管。他用力闻了闻空气中的味道，开始仔细研究墙面。
He tried to scratch it with his fingernails, but could make no mark. He shook his head and moved on.
scratch: 刮 fingernail: 指甲 make a mark: 留下痕迹 shake: 摇动 head: 脑袋 move on: 继续前进
他试着用指甲挂它，不过没有留下任何痕迹。他摇摇头，继续往前走。
Lars had always dreamed of being a prospector, an archaeologist, an explorer here on this largely unmapped world.
dream of: 梦想 prospector: 探勘家 archaeologist: 考古学家 explorer: 探险家 largely:大部分 unmapped: 地图上未标明的 world: 领域
Lars一直都梦想在这个大部分地域都没经过测绘的地方成为一名勘探家，或者考古学家，或者探险家。
But nobody on Bhekar Ro had much chance to be more than a simple farmer, working through every hour of gloomy daylight just to keep the colony functioning.
nobody: 没有人 chance: 机会 simple: 简单的 farmer: 农民 gloomy: 昏暗的 daylight:白昼 just: 仅仅 keep: 保持 colony: 殖民地 function: 起作用
但是在Bhekar Ro上，很少有人有机会可以不做农民，可以不用为了保持整个殖民世界的正常运作而整天耕种。
Octavia didn't have the heart to drain away her brother's enjoyment right now. He had been waiting for an opportunity like this all his life.
heart: 热枕 drain away: 排去 brother: 哥哥 enjoyment: 享受 right now: 现在 wait for:等待 all one’s life: 一辈子
当下Octavia可没有心情去打搅哥哥。他一辈子都在等着像这样的机会呢。
Octavia felt a sudden reluctance to go deeper into the chambers of the artifact, as if the air were thickening around her.
sudden: 突然的 reluctance: 不愿 go into: 进入 deep: 深的 chamber: 房间 air: 空气 thicken: 变厚
Octavia突然感到不能再往那个人造物爬近了，好像她周围的空气正在变地厚重起来。
The odd psychic energy formed a wall, slowly pushing her back.
odd: 奇特的 psychic: 精神的 energy: 能量 form: 形成 slowly: 慢慢地 push back: 推回
那种古怪的精神力量形成了一堵墙，慢慢把她推回去。
Lars didn't seem to feel it at all.
不过Lars好像丝毫都没感觉到这个力量。
He turned to examine an arch in the tunnel where it hooked to the left, and saw a cluster of beehive-shaped objects made of something smooth and translucent.
examine: 检查 arch: 拱门 tunnel: 隧道 hook: 钩住 cluster: 一簇... beehive-shaped:蜂巢形状的 object: 物体 smooth: 光滑的 translucent: 半透明的
他转而去检视钩在通道左边的一道门拱。在旁边，他看到一簇由光滑而半透明的物质构成的蜂巢状物体。
They looked almost like large, faceted jewels that grew out of the walls.
look like: 看起来像 almost: 几乎 large: 大的 faceted: 面状的 jewel: 宝石 grow out of:产生于
它们看起来简直就是从墙上长出来的大块的珠宝。
“Come on!” Standing in the arched opening of the side tunnel, Lars reached up with one hand to the cluster.
arched: 弓形的 tunnel: 洞穴通道 reach up: 往上伸手 hand: 手 cluster: 簇
“快点！”Lars站在一侧通道的拱形开口处，伸手去摸那簇东西。
As soon as he grasped one of the brightly colored protrusions, though, the entire light and atmosphere in the artifact changed slightly. It was as if he had triggered something.
as soon as: 一...就 grasp: 抓紧 brightly: 明亮地 colored: 有色的 protrusion: 突起物 entire: 整个的 light: 光 atmosphere: 空气 change: 改变 slightly: 轻微地 trigger: 触发
他抓住了一块色彩明亮的突出物，不过就在这个时候，人造物里的光线和空气产生了轻微的变化。Lars像是触发了什么东西。
His hand remained fastened to the nodule. His face fell, and an instant later, he froze.
remain: 仍是 fasten: 拴牢 nodule: 节结 face: 面部 fall: 下垂 an instant later: 一瞬间后 freeze: 冻结
他的手依旧紧抓着那个东西，却忽然面如死灰。一瞬间之后，他整个被冰冻了起来。
Octavia sensed a crackle of energy flowing through him.
sense: 感觉到 crackle: 劈啪声 flow through: 流经
Octavia感到一股能量的激流涌过了他。
All of the crystal shards protruding from the walls and those outside the artifact glowed brighter, as if they had been switched on.
crystal: 水晶 shard: 碎片 protrude: 突出 outside: 在...外 glow: 发光 switch on: 开启
所有从墙里伸出来的和外面的水晶忽然都亮了起来，仿佛忽然就被开启了一样。
“Lars!” she shouted.
shout: 喊叫
“Lars！”
But he couldn't move, couldn't even make a sound.
even: 甚至 make a sound: 发出声音
但是他已经不能动了，甚至连声音都发不出。
Sizzling beams shot out like lightning bolts, linking one crystal after another in a webwork.
sizzling: 发出咝咝声 beam: 光束 shoot out: 发射出 lighting bolt: 光柱 link: 连接 one after another: 一个接一个 webwork: 网状物
灼热的光柱像闪电一样射出，一个接一个把水晶连成一个网状。
Bright light ricocheted down the corridors, blinding Octavia. She tried to move, but it all happened so fast.
bright light: 强光 ricochet: 跳弹 corridor: 通道 blind: 使失明
亮光涌下通道，照地Octavia睁目如盲。她想跑开，但是一切都发生地那么迅速。
Lars stood within the arched opening like an insect trapped on a microscope slide,
opening: 口子 insect: 昆虫 trap: 使中陷阱 microscope slide: 显微镜片
Lars站在拱形的开口处，像装在显微镜片里的昆虫。
and the brilliant beams from the crystals flooded over him like spotlights, scanning him, crashing into his body.
brilliant: 灿烂的 flood over: 直接覆盖过去 spotlight: 聚光灯 scan: 扫描 crash into: 冲入 body: 身体
从水晶里射出的强光像聚光灯一样将他淹没。这强光扫描着他，然后刺入他的身体。
In a flash, his skin turned completely white.
flash: 闪光 skin: 皮肤 completely: 完全地 white: 白色
随着一次强烈的闪光，他的皮肤彻底变成了白色。
His bones and his muscles glowed from inside, as if he had become a luminous substance through and through, every cell converted to pure energy.
bone: 骨骼 muscle: 肌肉 inside: 里面 become: 变成 luminous: 发光的 substance:物质 through and through: 彻底 cell: 细胞 convert to: 转变为... pure: 纯的
他的骨骼和肌肉在里面闪耀着光芒，就像他已经彻头彻尾变成了一团发光的物质，每一个细胞都被转化成了纯粹的能量。
Then the walls themselves took on the same blinding white glow, as if they were absorbing Lars down to the last atom.
then: 然后 themselves: 它们自己 take on: 呈现 same: 相同的 blinding: 刺眼的 absorb: 吸收 last: 最后的 atom: 微粒
接着，整面墙也开始发出令人目盲的白光，好像要把Lars彻底吸收干净。
Suddenly the lightning stopped. All the lights faded to their former eerie dimness.
suddenly: 突然 lighting: 发光 stop: 停止 fade: 逐渐消失 former: 先前的 eerie: 怪异的 dimness: 微暗
突然，光芒消失了。整个通道又陷入了先前那种可怕的黑暗。
And Lars was gone. Not even a shadow remained.
go: 消失 shadow: 影子 remain: 留下
Lars死了。甚至连影子都没留下。
Two of the large crystals outside the artifact shattered, and sparks flickered down the corridors, bursting other crystals in a chain reaction,
large: 大的 crystal: 水晶 outside: 在...外 artifact: 人造物 shatter: 粉碎 spark: 火花 flicker: 闪烁 corridor: 通道 burst: 使爆炸 other: 其他的 chain reaction: 连锁反应
人造物外面的两块巨大的水晶爆炸开来，发出的火焰扑下通道，其他的水晶都连锁反应般被摧毁。
as if Lars had been something unpalatable, a substance this artifact could not digest.
unpalatable: 不好吃的 substance: 物质 digest: 消化
Lars似乎不太好吃，这个人造物没法消化他。
Smoke curled through the tunnels. The deafening sounds quieted, leaving only the faint echo of a scream.
smoke: 烟雾 curl: 缭绕 tunnel: 隧道 deafening: 震耳欲聋的 sound: 声音 quiet: 安静 leave: 留下 only: 只 faint: 微弱的 echo: 回音 scream: 尖叫声
烟雾在通道里翻滚。那种震耳欲聋的声音慢慢安静了下去，只留下尖叫的回音。
Octavia couldn't tell if it was the last sound made by her brother or her own wordless cry.
tell: 认出 if: 是否 last: 最后的 make: 产生 brother: 哥哥 own: 自己的 wordless: 无言的 cry: 叫喊
Octavia不知道那声音是他哥哥发出来的，还是她自己的。
After a lull of less than a second, the walls brightened again, the larger crystals shimmering. Lightning bolts crackled.
after: 在...之后 lull: 平息 less than: 少于 second: 秒钟 wall: 墙 brighten: 明亮 again: 再次 lager: 更大的 shimmer: 微微发光 lighting bolt: 光柱 crackle:噼啪地响
平静了不到一秒种，墙面又亮了起来，更大块的水晶开始发出微光，射出的光柱噼啪作响。
Lars had awakened something ominous, and Octavia wondered if his death might bring about the destruction of them all.
awaken: 唤醒 ominous: 不祥的 wonder: 想知道 death: 死 bring about: 引起 destruction: 毁灭 all: 全部
Lars唤醒了某种不吉利的东西，Octavia害怕他的死会不会意味着他们所有人的灭亡。
Octavia turned and scrambled down the smooth tunnel to the opening. Toward daylight. She ran faster, terror making her eyes wide, her mind numb. Too many things were happening.
scramble: 爬行 smooth: 光滑的 opening: 口子 toward: 朝向 daylight: 日光 terror: 恐怖 make: 使 eye: 眼睛 wide: 张大的 mind: 思维 numb: 麻木的
Octavia转身沿着光滑的通道，往开口奔去。前方就是阳光，她跑的更快了，恐惧使他睁大了眼睛，让她的思维一片混乱。刚刚发生了太多的事情。
She wanted to go back and search for her brother, to see if anything of his body remained.
go back: 回去 search for: 寻找 see: 看 anything: 无论什么东西 body: 身体 remain:留下
她甚至想回头去找她的哥哥，看看他的身体还有没有残留下一部分。
But her drive for self-preservation kicked in. She knew the artifact wasn't done yet.
drive: 驱使 self-preservation: 自卫 kick in: 踢开 know: 知道 yet: 尚
但是她自卫的本能控制了她。她知道这个人造物的胃口还没填饱。
Octavia bounded out of the opening and down the boulder-strewn slope, somehow keeping her feet under her,
bound: 跳跃 out of: 在...之外 boulder-strewn: 布满巨石的 slope: 斜坡 somehow: 设法 keep one’s feet: 站住脚跟 drop: 下降
Octavia跳出出口，落在布满巨石的斜坡上，尽量维持站姿，
dropping from one rock to another, steadying herself with her hands and spreading her arms to keep her balance.
from one to another: 从一个到另一个 steady: 使平稳 herself: 她自己 hand: 手 spread:展开 arm: 手臂 keep balance: 保持平衡
从一块石头跳到另一块，伸开手臂保持平衡。
The hillside vibrated harder.
hillside: 山坡 vibrate: 振动 hard: 猛烈地
山坡愈发震动的强烈起来。
Now all the large crystals that had seemed so beautiful a moment ago looked like loaded weapons,
now: 现在 large: 大的 seem: 看起来 so: 如此 beautiful: 美丽的 a moment ago: 刚才 look like: 看起来好像 loaded: 装有弹药的 weapon: 武器
此时刚刚看起来还如此美丽的水晶都像上了膛的武器，
tapping energy reservoirs that summoned lightning from within their atomic structure.
tap: 开发 energy: 能量 reservoir: 蓄水池 summon: 召集 within: 在...里面 atomic: 原子 structure: 结构
像蓄满能量的水池上的龙头，从它们的原子结构里产生光芒。
Her retreat was a blur. Somehow, faster than she had ever imagined she could move, Octavia found herself back at the robo-harvester, leaning against the mud-encrusted treads.
retreat: 撤退 blur: 模糊 somehow: 不知怎么地 fast: 快速 imagine: 想像 ever: 在任何时候 move: 移动 find: 发现 back: 回原处 robo-harvester: 机械收割机 lean against:靠在 mud-encrusted: 结满泥壳的 tread: 胎面
她跌跌爬爬地撤退。不知何故，她感觉跑得比自己想象过的还要快，不一会儿就回到了机械收割机边，斜靠在它结满泥壳的机械脚上。
Behind her, on the steep hillside, the tall crystals ignited.
behind: 在...后面 steep: 陡峭的 tall: 高的 ignite: 点燃
在她身后，陡峭的山坡上的水晶都被点燃了。
Lightning bolts that sparkled like blue spiderwebs connected them all, drawing their power together and weaving it into a knot of energy until all the stray threads converged.
lighting bolt: 光柱 sparkle: 闪烁 blue: 蓝色的 spiderweb: 蜘蛛网 connect: 连接 draw together: 聚集 weave...into: 把...编织成 knot: 结 energy: 能量 stray: 漂泊的 thread:线 converge: 聚集
光柱像蓝色的蜘蛛网把它们全部连接起来，聚集着它们的能量，形成一个能量团，直到所有的漂浮的能量线都被收集进来。
Finally, a beacon of sound and light—some sort of giant transmission—speared upward into the sky and far out into space.
finally: 最终 beacon: 信标 sound: 声音 light: 光 some sort of: 某种 giant: 巨大的 transmission: 传输 spear: 刺 upward: 向上地 sky: 天空 far out: 远去 space: 空间
最终，一柱光带着巨响——某种巨型的传输——刺入天空，迅速在空间中远去。
It was not directed at her at all, but somewhere distant. To something not human.
direct: 对准 not..at all: 根本不 somewhere: 某个地方 distant: 遥远的 human: 人类
那光柱根本不是对着她的，而是对这某个遥远的地方。发给某种不是人类的生物。
The shock wave knocked Octavia flat, sending her sprawling on the broken ground. She could barely hold on as the pulsing signal rippled and tore through the air.
shock: 电击 wave: 波 knock: 撞击 flat: 倒下的 send: 送 sprawling: 摊开手脚 broken: 破碎的 ground: 地面 barely: 几乎不 hold on: 忍受 as: 当...时候 pulsing: 脉冲发生 signal: 信号 ripple: 使起涟波 tear through: 撕裂 air: 空气
冲击波把Octavia震倒在地，还把她在破碎的地面上推开好远。脉冲信号撕裂了空气，她几乎无法忍受。
Out of breath, frantic, she crawled up the treads of the robo-harvester. As she grabbed the door of the armored cab, her head throbbed and her ears rang.
out of breath: 喘不过气 frantic: 发疯似的 crawl up: 爬上 grab: 抓住 door: 门 armored: 装甲的 cab: 驾驶室 head: 脑袋 throb: 跳动 ring: 响
她疯狂地爬上机械收割机的脚，上气不接下气。她抓住有装甲的驾驶舱的门，感到脑袋里在跳着作痛，耳朵也在响。
She threw herself inside, slammed the door, and collapsed on the seat. She could barely hear anything.
throw: 使突然陷入 inside: 里面 slam: 碰地关上 collapse: 塌下 seat: 座位 barely: 几乎不 hear: 听到 anything: 任何东西
她一头栽进去，带上门，系好安全带。她几乎没法听到任何东西。
For the moment she felt protected, but not enough.
for the moment: 目前 feel: 感到 protect: 保护 enough: 足够的
这时她感到有东西能保护她了，但是还不够。
Moving blindly, she started the engine of the enormous vehicle, wheeled it around on its treads, and crunched over the broken ground at top speed,
blindly: 盲目地 start: 启动 engine: 引擎 enormous: 庞大的 vehicle: 机动车 wheel:转动 around: 在周围 crunch: 扎扎地踏过 over: 在...的上 top speed: 最高速度
她启动了收割机的引擎，掉转方向，在破碎的地面上全速行驶。
sending rocks and dirt clods flying as she raced across the valley. She had to get back to Free Haven.
rock: 石块 dirt: 尘土 clod: 泥块 fly: 飞扬 race: 疾走 across: 穿过 valley: 山谷 have to: 必须 get back to: 回到
她疾驰过山谷，身后只留下扬起的碎石和尘土。她必须回到Free Haven。
Octavia couldn't think straight, could not yet address in her mind what had happened to her brother, what she had seen with her own eyes.
think straight: 头脑清楚 yet: 尚 address: 定位 mind: 思维 happen to: 发生在 with one’s own eyes: 亲眼
Octavia没法冷静下来思考，没法理出一个头绪，到底在她哥哥身上发生了什么，她到底亲眼看到了什么东西。
But she knew she had to warn the other colonists.
know: 知道 warn: 警告 colonist: 殖民者
但是她知道，她必须回去警告其他的殖民者。
作者：Gabriel Mesta 翻译：fineday
解析：天使の冀 编辑：Wayne
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