氏族之王 | 爱酷英语|iCoolEN

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PROLOGUE

序言

They came when Gul’dan called them, those who had willingly — nay, eagerly — sold their souls to the darkness. Once they, like Gul’dan, had been deeply spiritual beings.

Gul’dan: 古尔丹 call: 召唤 willingly: 自愿的 nay: 不 eagerly: 热切地 sell: 出卖 soul:灵魂 dark: 黑暗 deeply: 强烈地 spiritual: 心灵的 being: 生命

当古尔丹召唤他们的时候，他们到来了，那些自愿的，不，热切地将灵魂出卖给黑暗的人。他们曾经跟古尔丹一样，是有着坚定意志的生命。

Once, they had studied the natural world and the orcs’ place in it; had learned from the beasts of forest and field, the birds of the air, the fish of the rivers and oceans.

study: 研究 nature: 自然 world: 世界 orc: 兽人 learn: 学习 beast: 野兽 forest: 森林 field: 平原 bird: 鸟儿 air: 天空 fish: 鱼儿 river: 河流 ocean: 海洋

他们曾经研究自然世界和兽人在其中的归宿；曾向深林和平原上的野兽，天空中的鸟儿，海洋和河流中的鱼儿学习。

And they had been a part of that cycle, no more, no less.

a part of: 一部分 cycle: 循环

他们曾经是这个循环的一部分，不多，也不少。

No longer.

no longer: 不再

这一切已经一去不复返了。

These former shamans, these new warlocks, had had the briefest taste of power and, like the barest drop of honey on the tongue, found it sweet indeed.

former: 以前的 shaman: 萨满 warlock: 术士 brief: 短暂 taste: 品尝 power: 力量 bare: 稀少的 drop: 滴 honey: 蜂蜜 tongue: 舌头 sweet: 甜的 indeed: 确实

这些过去的萨满，现在的术士们，曾极为短暂地品尝过力量，并发现那像舌头品尝到了一大滴蜜糖一样甘美无比。

So their eagerness had been rewarded with more power, and still more.

eagerness: 渴望 reward: 报酬 still more: 更多

于是他们的饥渴得到了更多力量的回报，并且越来越多。

Gul’dan himself had learned from his master Ner’zhul until student had finally surpassed teacher.

master: 师傅 Ner’zhul: 耐祖奥 until: 直到 student: 学生 final: 最终 surpass: 超越 teacher: 老师

古尔丹曾经师从耐祖奥，直到学生最终超越了老师。

While it had been because of Ner’zhul that the Horde had become the powerful, unstoppable tide of destruction it presently was, Ner’zhul had not had the courage to go further.

horde: 部落 become: 变得 powerful: 强大的 unstoppable: 不可阻挡的 tide: 潮流 destruction: 毁灭 presently: 不久 courage: 勇气 further: 更远的

整个部落曾经因为耐祖奥而强大起来，由于耐祖奥没有勇气走得更远，部落不久之后便不可阻挡地崩溃了。

He had a soft spot for the inherent nobility of his people. Gul’dan had no such weakness.

soft: 软弱的 spot: 缺点 inherent: 内在的 nobility: 高尚的精神 weak: 弱点

他对族人内在的高贵品质有着温和的看法。古尔丹并没有这样的弱点。

The Horde had slain all there was to slay in this world.

horde: 部落 slay: 杀死 world: 世界

部落已经杀光了这个世界上所有可以屠杀的东西。

They were lost with no outlet for their bloodlust, and were turning on one another, clan attacking clan in a desperate attempt to assuage the brutal longings that flamed in their hearts.

lost: 迷失 outlet: 出口 bloodlust: 杀戮欲 turn on: 攻击 one another: 互相 clan: 氏族 attack: 攻击 desperate: 绝望的 attempt: 试图 assuage: 减轻 brutal: 残忍的 longing:渴望 flame: 燃烧 heart: 心

他们堕落在无从释放的杀戮欲中，随即开始自相残杀，氏族之间互相攻击，绝望地试图减轻心中燃烧的残忍欲望。

It was Gul’dan who had found a fresh target upon which to focus the Horde’s white-hot need to slaughter.

fresh: 新的 target: 目标 focus: 聚集 white-hot: 狂热的 need: 需求 slaughter: 杀戮

是古尔丹为部落狂热的杀戮欲寻找到了一个全新的目标。

Now they would soon venture into a new world, filled with fresh, easy, unsuspecting prey.

venture: 冒险 fill with: 充满 fresh: 健康的 easy: 安逸的 unsuspecting: 无戒心的 prey:牺牲品

现在他们很快冒险到了另一个世界，充满了活生生的、弱小的、毫无疑问的猎物。

The bloodlust would rise to a fever pitch, and the wild Horde needed a council to guide them. Gul’dan would lead that council.

bloodlust: 杀戮欲 rise: 上升 fever: 狂热 pitch: 程度 wild: 野蛮的 council: 议会 guide: 支配 lead: 领导

那种杀戮欲上升到了狂热的地步，野蛮的部落需要一个议会来支配他们，古尔丹将领导这个议会。

He nodded to them as they entered, his small, fire-hazed eyes missing nothing. One by one they came, called like servile beasts to their master. To him.

nod: 点头 entered: 使加入 small: 小小的 fire-hazed: 闪耀着火焰的 eye: 眼睛 miss:错过 one by one: 一个接一个 call: 呼叫 servile: 奴性的 beast: 野兽 master: 主人

他满意地点头当术士们加入时，他那小小的，闪耀着火焰的眼睛看到了一切。他们一个接一个地来了，对古尔丹看来，就像充满奴性的野兽受到主人的召唤一样。

They sat around the table, the most feared, revered, and loathed among the entire orcish clans.

sit: 坐 table: 圆桌 feared: 被害怕的 revered: 被敬畏的 loathed: 被憎恶的 among:在…之中 entire: 全部的 orcish clans: 兽人部落

整个兽人部落中最恐怖、最令人敬畏、最可憎的人们围着圆桌坐着。

Some were hideous, having paid the price for their dark knowledge with more than just their souls.

hideous: 丑陋的 pay: 支付 price: 代价 dark: 黑暗的 knowledge: 知识 soul: 灵魂

有些看起来很丑恶，为了黑暗的知识付出了不仅仅是其灵魂的代价。

Others were yet fair, their bodies whole and strong with smooth green skin stretched tight across rippling muscles.

fair: 美丽的 body: 身体 whole: 健康的 strong: 健壮的 smooth: 光滑的 skin: 皮肤 stretch: 延伸 tight: 紧绷的 rippling: 波动的 muscle: 肌肉

其他的可以称得上优美，他们的身体完整而健壮，绿色的皮肤在紧绷的肌肉上延伸着，

Such had been their request in the dark bargain.

request: 要求 dark: 黑暗 bargain: 契约

这些是他们在黑暗契约中所要求的。

All were ruthless, cunning, and would stop at nothing to gain more power.

ruthless: 无情的 cunning: 狡诈的 gain: 获得 power: 力量

所有的人都无情而狡诈，没有什么能阻止他们获得更强大的力量。

But none was as ruthless as Gul’dan.

none: 没有人 ruthless: 冷酷的

但是没有人比古尔丹更冷酷无情。

“We few gathered here,” began Gul’dan in his raspy voice,

gather: 聚集 begin: 开始 raspy: 刺耳的 voice: 声音

“我们聚集在这里的，”古尔丹用他刺耳的嗓音说道，

“are the mightiest of our clans. We know power. How to get it, how to use it, and how to get more.

might: 强大的 clan: 氏族 power: 力量 get: 获得 use: 运用

“都是我们氏族中最强大的。我们知道力量，如何获得它，如何运用它，如何获得更多。

Others are beginning to speak out against one or the other of us. This clan wishes to return to its roots; that clan is tired of killing defenseless infants.”

begin: 开始 speak out: 大声地说 against: 反对 wish: 希望 return: 回归 root: 根源 be tired of: 厌倦了 defenseless: 无防备的 infant: 婴儿

其他人开始大声地反对我们当中的一些或者所有人。这个氏族希望能够回归到它的根源去，那个氏族厌倦了屠杀束手就擒的婴儿。”

His thick green lips curled into a sneer of contempt. “This is what happens when orcs go soft.”

thick: 厚的 lip: 嘴唇 curl: 卷曲 sneer: 嘲笑 contempt: 轻视 orc: 兽人 soft: 软弱的

他的厚嘴唇卷了起来，露出一丝嘲笑的意味。“这就是兽人开始走向软弱时发生的事情。”

“But, Great One,” one of the warlocks said, “we have slain all the Draenei. What is there left to kill in this world?”

great: 伟大的 warlock: 术士 slay: 屠杀 Draenei: 德莱尼人 leave: 留下 world: 世界

“但是大人，”一个术士说，“我们已经杀光了所有的德莱尼人。这个世界上还留下了什么可以杀的？”

Gul’dan smiled, stretching his thick lips over large, sharp teeth. “Nothing,” he said. “But other worlds await.”

smile: 笑 stretch: 使张开 thick: 厚的 lip: 嘴唇 large: 大的 sharp: 锋利的 tooth: 牙齿 await: 等待

古尔丹笑了，卷起他的厚嘴唇，露出了巨大的，尖利的牙齿。“没有，”他说，“但其他的世界在等待着。

He told them of the plan, taking pleasure in the lust for power that was kindled in their red eyes. Yes, this would be good.

plan: 计划 pleasure: 愉快 lust: 欲望 power: 力量 kindled: 燃烧

他告诉术士们他的计划，高兴地看到了他们血红的眼中燃烧着的对力量的渴望。对，这样很好。

This would be the most powerful organization of orcs that had ever existed, and at the head of this organization would be none other than Gul’dan.

powerful: 强大的 organization: 组织 orc: 兽人 exist: 存在 head: 领袖 none: 没有人 other than: 除了

这将会是兽人有史以来最强大的组织，除了古尔丹没有人会是这个组织的领袖

“And we will be the council that makes the Horde dance to our tune,” he said at last.

council: 议会 horde: 部落 dance: 跳舞 tune: 旋律 at last: 最后

“我们将会是把整个部落操作在掌股之间的议会，”最后他说，

“Each one of us is a powerful voice. Yet such is the orcish pride that they must not know who is truly the master here.

powerful: 强大的 voice: 声音 orcish: 兽人的 pride: 自尊 truly: 真正地 master: 主人

“我们每一个人都是一个强有力的声音。由于兽人的自尊心，他们一定不能知道谁是这里真正的主人。

Let each think that he swings his battle-ax because he wills it, not because we are commanding it. We will stay a secret.

swing: 挥舞 battle-ax: 战斧 will: 意志 command: 命令 secret: 秘密

让每一个人认为他是出于自己的意愿而挥舞着战斧，而不是因为我们的命令。我们将是一个秘密。 We are the walkers in the shadows, the power that is all the more potent for its invisibility. We are the Shadow Council, and none shall know of our strength.”