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Translation by zimmer识秋客.
See also The Veil.
本文亦有英文页面。

The Veil is a land of mists. It is a curtain that separates our world from another world. The way through the curtain is called “The Last Door” (Chapters 4 and 6), which Alexandre also refers to as “Zha'ilathal” (Chapter 4). According to Alexandre, our world is a place of shadows and silhouettes, while the other world contains the truth. He also described our world as being a stage, and our lives as performances. Alexandre hoped to “raise the curtain enough to walk off the stage and go beyond” (Chapter 4). Some people have said that the other world is terrifying. Cpt. Skidd described it as an abyss filled with “horrors” and “unspeakable shapes” (Chapter 5). Brighid Laidcend said it was where “the ultimate truth screams in terror” (Chapter 7). (I don’t think that Brighid glimpsed the other world herself, but she might have read about it in Máire’s journal.)

帷幕是一片迷雾之地。它是将我们的世界与另一个世界分隔开的障壁。穿过这帷幕的路径叫做“最后一扇门”(第4、6章),同时也指Alexandre所说的“Zha'ilathal”(第4章)。据Alexandre所说,我们的世界是一个遍布阴暗晦影之地,而另一个世界则涵盖真理。他还形容我们的世界为一个舞台,而我们的生活就像一场场演出。Alexandre希望能“升起帷幕以使其能离开舞台并走的更远”(第4章)。一些人说另一个世界十分骇人。Skidd上尉描述它为一个充斥着“惊骇”与“不可名状之形体”的深渊(第5章)。Brighid Laidcend说它是“终极真理惊惧尖叫”之处(第7章)。(我不认为Brighid曾亲自瞥见过另一个世界,但她可能在Máire的日记中读到过它。)

第8章
Zha’ilathal is a region in the Veil. The sky in Zha’ilathal is the outer limit of the threshold between the Veil and “black waves of truth” (which may be the Other World). Zha'ilathal also contains ruins that hold the access to the Last Threshold. I think that the Last Threshold is another name for the Last Door.

Zha’ilathal是帷幕中的一个区域。Zha’ilathal的天空是帷幕和“真理的黑浪”(这可能就是另一个世界)之间入口的外部边界。Zha’ilathal也包含着拥有去往“最后入口”的通路的废墟。我认为“最后入口”是“最后一扇门”的别称。

On the other side of the threshold is the Other World. In the Other World, there is a place called Mount Qaf, which contains the Verb. The Verb is apparently part of the First Language, which grants the power of creation.

在入口的另一边就是另一个世界。在另一个世界中,有一个叫Qaf山的地方,那里包含“动词”。“动词”显然是“
第一语言”的一部分,它授予了创造的力量。

When Devitt explored the bookshop in Chapter 3, he found a book entitled Unexplored Places in the Empire. It included a description of "The Place of the Eternal Fog," which is also known as Zhai-La. It's possible that Zhai-La is another name for Zha'ilathal. Zhai-La is described as being "a unique bay in the East of Baleshwar, near the jungles of Bengala. It is surrounded by tall, snow-capped mountains. Usually covered in mist, the waters of the bay are very dangerous and rarely visited." In the same bookshop, Devitt found a book entitled The Songs of Zhai-La, which included The Search for Simurg.

当Devitt在第3章中探索书店时,他找到一本叫《帝国未经勘查之地》的书。书中包含一段对“永雾之地”的描述,此地也以Zhai-La这个名字而著称。Zhai-La有可能是Zha'ilathal的别称。书中描述Zhai-La为"巴勒谢瓦东部的一个独特的海湾,靠近榜葛剌丛林。高耸的、被雪覆盖的山峰环绕着它。通常覆盖着雾,海湾中的水非常危险并很少为人光顾。"在同一家书店里,Devitt找到一本叫《Zhai-La之歌》的书,书中包含“对鸟的搜寻”

第8章
CViK5GYXIAAZmhR

Zha'ilathal (第8章)

When Wakefield explored Zha'ilathal, he found that it was covered in mist. He also found a body of water, though it was not covered in mist. He climbed a summit, though it was not a tall snow-capped mountain.

当Wakefield探索Zha'ilathal时,他发现那地方被雾覆盖。他还发现了一片水,尽管这片水没有被雾覆盖。他攀爬至顶峰, 尽管那不是一座高耸的、被雪覆盖的山峰。


Birds in the Veil (and Beyond)
帷幕中的鸟(以及更多)
[]

When people explore the Veil, they often describe seeing a bird, an eye of the bird, a bird king, or the Simurg. I’m guessing that these are all different names for the same being. The Simurg apparently lives beyond the Veil. Father Ernest said that the Veil separated our world from the eye of the bird (Chapter 2). Alexandre said that “the great wings beat” behind the curtain (Chapter 4). Devitt described the eye of the bird as being dark, malicious, horrifying, and accompanied with pain-filled screams. He said that its language is fear (Chapter 2). However, the Simurg has also been described as being a guide and a protector (Chapter 3). Those who see the Simurg are apparently compelled to approach it. Devitt said that he was drawn to the eye, and that he felt an agony that grew “increasingly unbearable.” Ernest said, "The Eye of the Bird saw us, it remembers us, it looks for us, it calls us from its dark nest, from its abominable lair." He said he was “seized by curiosity” that deprived him of sanity (Chapter 2). Alexandre said that the Simurg is beckoning to people and that its power is increasing (Chapters 3).

当人们探索帷幕时,他们经常描述自己看见了一只鸟,一个鸟的眼睛,一个鸟王或“大鸟”。我猜测这些都是同一生物的不同名字。大鸟很显然住在帷幕的另一边。Ernest说帷幕将我们的世界与“鸟的眼睛”分隔开来(第2章)。Alexandre说帷幕后面有“巨大的翅膀在拍打”(第4章)。Devitt描述“鸟的眼睛”为黑暗的,恶意的,令人恐惧的,并且伴随充满痛苦的尖叫。他说它所使用的语言就是恐惧(第2章)。不过,大鸟也被描述为一个向导和保护者(第3章)。那些见过大鸟的人显然被迫接近它。Devitt说他被眼睛所吸引,并且他感受到一股“越来越多的、难以忍受的”痛苦。Ernest说:“鸟的眼睛看到了我们,它记住了我们,它寻找着我们,它从它那黑暗的巢穴中呼唤着我们,从它那可憎的窝里。”他说他“被好奇心控制”,被剥夺了理智(第2章)。Alexandre说“大鸟”对人来说很有吸引力并且它的力量在增加(第3章)。

第8章
According to Anthony’s father’s journal, the Simurg is the Custodian of the threshold. It apparently lives in the Veil, not the Other World. It seeks to prevent people from getting too close to the Last Door. If a person enters the Veil and gets too close to the Door, the Custodian relentlessly pursues and destroys them.

根据Anthony的父亲的日记,大鸟是入口的“管理人”。它很显然住在帷幕中,而不是另一个世界。它四处搜寻以便阻止有人离“最后一扇门”太近。如果一个人进入了帷幕并离门很近,“管理人”会无情地追赶并毁灭他们。

Aside from the Simurg, travelers in the Veil sometimes see or hear birds. Some birds might be benevolent, like the hoopoe. However, the crows are often depicted as being malicious and deadly. When Devitt was in the Veil, the fortune teller said that the crows were searching for "the moans of the weak and dying." The violinist said that the crows were searching for the Simurg (Chapter 3). When people are injured in the Veil, their injuries may suggest that they had been attacked by animals (for example, scratch marks on the stomach) (Chapters 2 and 5).

帷幕中的旅行者有时会在大鸟的旁边看到或听到鸟的声音。一些鸟可能是仁慈的,像戴胜鸟。然而,乌鸦却常被描述为充满恶意并且致命。当Devitt在帷幕中时,算命者说乌鸦在寻找“虚弱者和将死者的呻吟声。”小提琴手说乌鸦在寻找“大鸟”(第3章)。当人们在帷幕中受伤时,他们的伤病可能表明他们是被动物攻击(比如,胃部的抓痕)

Veil2

Devitt and Alexandre in the proscenium (第4章)

Birds also appear in stories about the Veil. One of Wright’s books described birds that were looking for their king. They included the wise hoopoe, the prudent robin, and the wretched crow. The hoopoe and the robin guided 28 birds away from the land of mists. The others followed the crow and were lost in the mists (Chapter 6). A woman named Ms. Parnell also heard a story about birds in the Veil. When she entered the Veil, she heard a story about travelers that were lost in the fog. In that story, the travelers saw 30 birds who were waiting for their king (Collector’s Edition). I suspect that the robin and the hoopoe live with the Simurg, but that the crows are stuck in the Veil. Curiously, I don't know if anyone has ever described meeting a crow in the Veil.

鸟群也在关于帷幕的故事中出现。Wright的一本书描述说鸟群在寻找它们的国王。它们包括聪明的戴胜鸟,谨慎的知更鸟,和卑劣的乌鸦。戴胜鸟和知更鸟引导28只鸟离开了迷雾之地。其他的鸟跟随乌鸦并在雾中迷失(第6章)。一位叫Parnell小姐的女人也听过一个关于帷幕中的鸟的故事。当她进入帷幕时,她听到一个关于旅者迷失在雾中的故事。在那故事中,旅者们看见了30只等待着它们的国王的鸟(收藏集)。我怀疑戴胜鸟和知更鸟和“大鸟”生活在一起,但乌鸦陷入帷幕之中。奇怪的是,我不知道是否有人曾描述过在帷幕中遇见乌鸦。

第8章
In a shrine in Zha’ilathal, there is a statue of a large creature that resembles a bird with the head of a wolf. A plaque below the statue reads, “Thirty Birds.” The plaque may suggest that the creature is somehow the combination of thirty birds. Near the shrine, Wakefield saw a vision of a flock of birds that merged together to form the Simurg. It probably wasn’t the actual Simurg, but it may imply that that Simurg can take the form of either a giant bird or a flock of ordinary birds.

在Zha’ilathal的圣殿中,有一尊类似于一只有狼头的鸟的巨大生物的雕塑。雕塑下方的一块匾写道:“三十只鸟”牌匾可能暗示这生物不知怎的是三十只鸟的组合。圣殿附近,Wakefield看见了一群鸟合并到一起组成“大鸟”的幻象。那可能不是真正的“大鸟”,但这可能暗示“大鸟”可以变换为一只巨鸟也可以变换为一群普通的鸟。

In Chapter 3, Devitt heard crows in the distance. At the end of the Chapter, Alexandre said, "the Bird protects us" (Chapter 3). I have the impression that the Simurg protected Devitt by leading him away from the crows. If so, then perhaps the crows are not necessarily loyal to the Simurg, or at least they’re not fully under his control.

在第3章中,Devitt听见远方的乌鸦。在本章结束时,Alexandre说:“鸟保护我们。”(第3章)我有关于“大鸟”通过将Devitt从乌鸦旁引走来保护他的印象,那么也许乌鸦不见得对“大鸟”忠诚,或者至少它们不完全受他控制。

第8章
The Custodian does not seem to protect people. Still, we don’t know everything. There may be situations in which it protects people.

“管理人”看上去并不会保护人们。但同往常一样,我们并不知道一切。可能有过它保护人们的情况。

The Veil might also be inhabited by “sentinels.” Skidd described meeting a deadly sentinel in the Veil (Chapter 5). Lord Donnán apparently venerates a sentinel that is both a threat and a protector (Chapter 7). It conceivable that these sentinels are crows or another type of bird.

帷幕也有可能被“哨兵”占据。Skidd描述说曾在帷幕中遇见一个致命的哨兵(第5章)。Donnán领主显然尊崇一个既是威胁又是保护者的哨兵(第7章)。可想见,这些哨兵可能是乌鸦或另一种鸟。

第8章
According to Devitt, the sentinel that Skidd met was the Custodian.

据Devitt所说,Skidd遇到的哨兵正是“管理人”。
Wakefield finds Devitt

Wakefield finds Devitt 在帷幕 (第7章)

It’s also conceivable that there is no Simurg, or that it’s more of an abstract concept. The “compulsion” of the Simurg might be simply the compulsion that we feel when we witness a terrible truth. However, that theory does not explain why birds are a common motif.

也有可能根本没有“大鸟”,或者它更像是一个抽象的概念。“大鸟”的“强迫”可能仅仅是当我们目击可怕真相时所感受到的强迫。然而,这推测没有解释为什么鸟群是一个常见的因素。

第8章
Wakefield found an enormous black feather in Zha’ilathal and brought it back to London. This could be taken as evidence that a giant bird lives in the Veil.

Wakefield在Zha’ilathal发现了一片巨大的黑色羽毛并把它带回伦敦。这可以作为帷幕中有巨鸟存在的证据。

Incidentally, I wonder if Máire turned into a particular species of bird. I don't know for a fact that she had partly turned into a bird, but it looks like she did. If so, I’d be interested in whether she became part hoopoe, part crow, or a different type of bird.

顺带一提,我怀疑Máire是否变成了一只特别的鸟。我不认为她部分地变成了一只鸟是事实,但她看上去确实如此。如果是这样的话,我便对她变成了部分戴胜鸟、部分乌鸦还是另一种鸟感兴趣了。

Exploring the Veil
探索帷幕
[]

There seem to be two ways to enter the Veil: using a serum or experiencing “primal terror.” There might also be some locations where the Veil is easier to find, such as the Cronemeadan or Majuba Hill. It’s also possible that there’s nothing special about those locations, except that terrifying things happened there.

似乎有两种进入帷幕途径:利用血清或经历“原始的恐惧”。可能有一些更容易找到帷幕的地点,例如Cronemeadan或马尤巴山。也可能这些地点除了有可怕的事情发生外没什么特别。

第8章
Alexandre said that the serum induces primal terror.

Alexandre说血清会诱发原始的恐惧。

I’m not sure what happens to a person’s body when they enter the Veil. When Devitt entered the Veil at the end of Chapter 2, the nuns found him buried in the ground. They said that he had been unconscious for a day. However, when Hugo entered the Veil, I have the impression that he physically passed through an archway. Since the archway faced a stone wall, presumably he vanished from our world (unlike Devitt).

我不敢肯定当人们进入帷幕时他们的身体会发生什么。当Devitt在第2章末进入帷幕时,修女们发现了被埋在地下的他。她们说他整整一天都不省人事。然而,当Hugo进入帷幕时,我记得他在身体上地穿过了一座拱门。基于拱门面朝墙,大概他已从我们的世界消失(而不像Devitt)。

第8章
Wakefield entered the Veil from the Cronemeadan. When he left the Veil, he found himself in London. Therefore, he probably physically disappeared from our world and reappeared in a different location.

Wakefield从Cronemeadan进入帷幕。当他离开帷幕时,他发现自己置身于伦敦。因此,他可能是肉身在我们的世界消失然后在不同的地点再次出现。

It’s possible to meet other people in the Veil. These people might be real or they might be “shades of the departed” (Chapter 4, Collector’s Edition). In the Veil, Devitt apparently met Alexandre (Chapters 3 and 4) and Wakefield (Chapter 7). In Chapter 3, he met several other people, though it’s unclear if they were real or shades. One of those people was Little Cattie. Her journal implied that she was a child in 1843. Since she appeared to be around sixty when Devitt met her in 1891/1892, she may have been real and not a shade.

在帷幕里有可能遇见其他人。这些人可能是真实的,也可能是“死者的暗影”(第4章,收藏集)。在帷幕中,Devitt显然遇见了Alexandre(第3、4章)和Wakefield(第7章)。在第3章中,他遇见了其他的几个人,虽然这些人是真实的还是暗影尚不明了。其中一位是小Cattie。她的日记暗示她在1843年还是个孩子。鉴于当Devitt于1891或1892年遇见她时她看上去已大约六十岁,她可能是真实的而不是暗影。

第8章
When Wakefield was in Zha’ilathal, everyone that he met was apparently real. However, when he peered inside shadows, he saw the memories of Anthony, Hugo, and Devitt. Since those three people had been in the Veil, but had later departed, their memories might be the “shades of the departed.”

当Wakefield在Zha’ilathal时,他遇到的所有人显然都是真实的。然而,当他凝视阴影内部时,他看到了Anthony, Hugo,和Devitt的记忆。鉴于这三人都曾到过帷幕,但不久去世,他们的记忆可能是“死者的暗影”。
Hugo entering the Veil

Hugo 进入帷幕 (第7章)

When Baldwin forced Devitt into the Veil, he did the same thing to Ms. Parnell (Collector's Edition). Her experience in the Veil was quite similar to Devitt’s. At first, she found herself in a coffin. Then she traveled through a memory, a deserted city (Aberdeen), a heavy mist, and finally a beach. She encountered three people in the city. Like Devitt, she had a mysterious guide. Unlike Devitt, the guide was a woman who gave her a tarot card and (apparently) led her to the Simurg.

当Baldwin强迫Devitt进入帷幕时,他也对Parnell小姐也做了相同的事(收藏集)。她在帷幕中的经历和Devitt相当相似。起初,她发现自己在一具棺材里。然后她经过一段记忆,一座沙漠之城(阿伯丁),一场浓雾,最终到达一处海滩。同Devitt一样,她有一个神秘的向导。与Devitt不同的是,这向导是个女人,她给了她一张塔罗牌并(显然)带她见了“大鸟”。

The Veil seems to be associated with silence. When Devitt emerged from the coffin in Chapter 3, a nearby sign said, "Eyes close, ears muffle and voices hush in the land that loves silence." When Ms. Parnell was in the Veil, she heard part of a story that included the lines, "The shadows of the past soon melted within the land that loves silence. Within the fog they walked, found themselves lost." According to The Book of Birds, "without the hoopoe and the robin silence would have fallen forever." (The hoopoe and the robin led the birds away from the path of mists.) In the schoolhouse in Éilís Mór, the sign over the door said, "The Wisdom of Silence."

帷幕似乎与寂静相关。当Devitt在第3章从棺材中出现时,一个临近的指示牌写到“眼睛闭上,耳朵裹住,声音缄默,全于热爱寂静之地”。当Parnell小姐在帷幕中时,她听到一个故事的部分内容,其中包含故事的主线:“过去的阴影很快便融化进这热爱寂静之地。他们于雾中行走,发现自己已迷路。”根据“鸟之书”所说:“没有戴胜鸟和知更鸟,寂静就会永远堕落”。(戴胜鸟和知更鸟领导鸟群离开了迷雾之路。)在Éilís Mór的校舍,门上告示写道:“寂静的智慧。”

第8章
I don’t recall anyone describing the Veil as being particularly quiet.

我想不起有任何人描述帷幕为“格外安静”。


I have the impression that the Veil has recently gotten more dangerous. Many of the victims of St. Gall seem

Wakefield in the Veil

Wakefield 进入帷幕 (第7章)

Nightmare-5

Devitt 进入帷幕 (第4章)

to have died in the Veil. However, Skidd never mentioned that the Veil itself was dangerous (his concern was with the abyss beyond). Skidd probably traveled the Veil in the 1880s, while the victims at St. Gall probably died in 1891. Therefore, the Veil might be more dangerous in 1891 than it was in the 1880s. (It’s also possible that the Veil has not gotten more dangerous, and the people in St. Gall died in the Veil because they were not prepared for the experience.)

我觉得帷幕最近变得更加危险了。许多圣加尔的遇害者似乎都死在了帷幕中。然而,Skidd从未提及帷幕本身是危险的(他所担心的是深渊的另一边)。Skidd可能在19世纪80年代途经帷幕,而圣加尔的遇害者可能死于1891年。因此,可能1891年的帷幕比它在80年代更为危险(也可能帷幕没有变得更加危险,只是圣加尔的人是死于没有对这次经历做准备。)

第8章
The latter theory seems to be correct. If explorers take the proper precautions, the Veil appears to be relatively safe. In fact, the Playwright seems to have learned how to circumvent the Custodian entirely.

近来的推测似乎是正确的。如果探索者有恰当的预防措施,帷幕就会变得相对安全。

It is interesting that Skidd did not mention the disastrous expedition into the Veil, where he encountered the Custodian. Perhaps it had been wiped from his memory.

有趣的是,Skidd没有提及那次进入帷幕的损失惨重的远征,就是在那时他遭遇了“管理人”。也许他的这段记忆被抹去了。

Some people seemed to have been physically transformed while in the Veil. Hugo may have become a giant hand monster (Chapters 6 and 7) and Máire turned into a part-bird (Chapter 7). Kieran and Old Mike were also apparently physically transformed and may have entered the Veil (Chapters 4 and 7).

一些人似乎在帷幕中发生了身体上的转换。Hugo可能变成了一只状如巨手的怪物(第6、7章)而Máire部分地变成了一只鸟(第7章)。Kieran和老Mike也显然发生了身体上的转换并可能进入过帷幕(第4、7章)。

第8章
According to an inscription in Zha’ilathal, if a person peers into their own truth, “ultimate madness would take inhuman form.” According to Alexandre, Hugo peered into his own truth and was transformed. On Kieran’s desk (in the school house), there was a piece of paper with several black circles drawn on it. Those circles might represent shadows in the Veil. I’m guessing that Kieran eventually peered into a shadow that contained his own truth.

根据一段Zha’ilathal的铭文,如果一个人张望寻找他们自己的实质,那“终极的疯狂会使他们显露出残忍的外形。”据Alexandre所说,Hugo看见了有关自己的真相然后发生了转变。在Kieran的桌子上有一张画了几个黑圆的纸。那些圆可能代表了帷幕中的暗影。我猜想Kieran最终望向了一个涵盖着属于他自己的真相的一个暗影。

In Chapter 7, Wakefield found a note in a bottle. Lines of verse were written on it: "Gods remain silent as the fog settles. / We may look for the king beyond the clouds, / But find the queen with a fiery crown." The words "silence" and "fog" may suggest the Veil. In that case, the "king beyond the clouds" might be the Simurg, who lives beyond the mists of the Veil. But if so, who is the queen? The sun? When you're in the Veil, is it possible to mistake the Simurg for the sun?

在第7章中,Wakefield在漂流瓶中发现了一张字条,数行诗篇写于其上:“雾起时众神沉默./我们寻找云层上方的王,/可却寻到戴火冠的王后.”“沉默”和“雾”等词可能暗指帷幕。假如那样的话,“云层上方的王”可能就是“大鸟”,它就住在帷幕的雾中。可如果这样的话,谁又是王后呢?难道是太阳?当你在帷幕中时,有可能将“大鸟”错认为太阳吗?

The Last Door
最后一扇门
[]

It’s relatively easy to reach the Veil, but it’s hard to cross the Last Door. Skidd said that many people in The Playwright entered the Veil, but no one could cross the threshold into the abyss beyond (Chapter 5). At some point, Anthony became concerned that, if the door was opened, beings from the other world could use it to enter our world (Chapter 4). It’s unclear whether the Last Door is currently open. At the end of Chapter 4, Alexandre said to Devitt, “Open [the Last Door] and we will walk together beyond the mist.” Ernest said that the Four Witnesses “opened that which should not be opened” (Chapter 2), but I don’t necessarily think that he’s very reliable.

到达帷幕还相对容易,但要穿过最后一扇门则很难。Skidd说“剧作家”中的许多人都进入过帷幕,但无人能跨越那进入远处深渊的入口(第5章)。某种情况下——这也是Anthony所关心的——如果那门打开了,另一世界的生物就可利用它进入我们的世界(第4章)。最后一扇门目前是否开着尚未明了。在第4章的最后,Alexandre对Devitt说:“打开[最后一扇门],之后我们便会共同在比迷雾更远处漫步。”Ernest说四个见证人“打开了不该被打开的”(第2章),但我认为他不见得非常可靠。

第8章
Anthony was concerned about beings on the other side. However, I don’t know if he was referring to the Custodian, who apparently does not live on the other side of the Veil.

Anthony担心另一边的生物。然而,我不知道他指的是否是“管理人”,它显然不住在帷幕的另一边。

When Wakefield reached the last threshold, the curtain was open. Therefore, I’m guessing that the Last Door had been open for a long time. Once Wakefield (or Devitt) closed the door, perhaps the Veil became permanently inaccessible.

当Wakefield到达最后入口时,帘幕打开了。因此,我猜最后一扇门已经打开很长时间了。一旦Wakefield(或Devitt)关上了门,帷幕可能会变得永难接近。

Supernatural Activity in Our World
我们的世界中的超自然活动
[]

However, there is a certain amount of supernatural activity in our world. Obviously, there's the monster in Wickport (Chapters 6 and 7). Ms. Parnell brought back a tarot card that she received in the Veil (Collector’s Edition). Alexandre and Professor Wright were both stalked by unseen beings (Chapters 4 and 6). Miss Konhe apparently turned into a flock of crows. Just before it happened, she said “they are coming” and “they are letting him in” (Chapter 5). I suspect that the crows used Miss Konhe to enter our world. If that’s true, then the crows from Chapter 1 might also have crossed over from the Veil. Perhaps they were drawn to the Beechworths, who were “weak and dying.”

然而,在我们的世界中也有一定量的超自然活动。显然,Wickport有一个怪物(第6、7章)。Parnell小姐带回了一张她在帷幕中收到的塔罗牌(收藏集)。Alexandre和Wright教授都被不可视之物追踪(第4、6章)。Konhe太太显然变成了一群乌鸦。在此之前,她说道“他们来了”和“他们让他进来了”(第5章)。我怀疑乌鸦利用Konhe太太进入了我们的世界。如果真是那样,那第1章中的乌鸦可能也是从帷幕中横渡而来。可能它们被Beechworth家族所吸引,因为这家族“虚弱而垂死”。

Several people have heard terrifying, unearthly sounds. Outside of East Hill Asylum, a newspaper boy heard a sound like a devil from hell (Chapter 5). While sailing in a storm, Captain Morvell heard a sound that was unlike any that he had heard before (Chapter 6). When Miss Konhe turned into crows, Wakefield heard a sound that he could not describe (Chapter 6). In the case of Miss Konhe, the sounds coincided with creatures entering our world. Maybe the other sounds also occurred while something was crossing over from the Veil. There are also the strange wails that Lord Donnán said could be heard in the marshes of Éilís Mór (Chapter 7). However, I suspect that the creatures in Éilís Mór are not crossing over, but that the Veil is a little “thin” there, and the sounds are the echoes of creatures that live on the other side.

几个人听到了恐怖的、非尘世的声音。在东丘精神病院外,一个报童听到了一个像来自地狱的魔鬼发出的声音(第5章)。当在风暴中航行时,Morvell船长听到了一个不同于他以往听到的任何东西的声音(第6章)。当Konhe太太变成乌鸦时,Wakefield听到了一个他无法描述的声音(第6章)。在Konhe太太的情况下,那声音在那些生物进入我们的世界的同时响起。也许其他的声音也是在某些东西从帷幕中横渡而来时响起的。Donnán领主说,有些奇怪的哀号在Éilís Mór的沼泽响起(第7章)。我怀疑Éilís Mór的生物不是在横渡过来,而是帷幕在那里有点“薄”,那些声音是住在另一边的生物的回音。

If the Veil is associated with silence, it's striking that people in our world have heard supernatural voices.

如果帷幕与寂静相关,那我们的世界中的人们能听到超自然的声音就十分惊人了。

People often have a general sense of being watched, and not just by the Simurg. Anthony said, “I’m done with their censorious gazes.” Anna said, “I can’t stand their stares” (Chapter 1). Alexandre felt that sculptures were stalking him (Chapter 4). An inmate in the East Hill isolation ward was terrified by an “eyeless gaze” coming from Alexandre's cell (Chapter 5). When Devitt and Wakefield crossed into the Veil, they both saw clusters of eyes (Chapters 4 and 7). Maybe the Veil usually protects you from the gaze of creatures from the other world. However, if you enter the Veil, you risk being seen by those creatures. Once they see you, perhaps the Veil provides no further protection.

人们通常感觉被监视了,而且还不仅仅是被“大鸟”。Anthony说:“我受够了它们挑剔的凝视。”Anna说:“我无法忍受它们的注视。”(第1章)。Alexandre感觉雕塑在跟踪他(第4章)。一位东丘隔离病房的同院病人被一个来自Alexandre房间的“无眼的凝视”吓坏了(第5章)。当Devitt和Wakefield穿越进帷幕时,他们都看见了成群的眼睛(第4、7章)。也许帷幕通常保护你不受另一个世界的生物的凝视之害。然而,如果你进入了帷幕,你就会冒着被那些生物看见的危险。一旦它们看见了你,帷幕可能就不会提供更多的保护了。

第8章
According to Anthony, once the Custodian discovered a person, that person would not be able to hide from it.

据Anthony所说,一旦“管理人”发现了一个人,那人就无法躲藏它了。

It’s possible that these creatures can see not only the people who have been to the Veil, but also the people that are close to those people. For example, Anna felt watched and possessed, even though I haven’t heard that she ever entered the Veil. Maybe the creatures could see her because she was close to Anthony. Maybe something similar happened with Father Ernest and Father Eugene.

可能这些生物不仅能看到去过帷幕的人,还能看到和那些人关系紧密的人。例如,Anna感觉收到了监视并变得疯狂,尽管我从未听闻她进过帷幕。也许这些生物能看见她是因为她和Anthony关系紧密。同样的事可能也发生在了Ernest神父和Eugene神父身上。

第8章
Alexandre told Wakefield, “I am truly sorry about your friend. Sometimes terrible fates befall the companions of Travelers.” The statement is a little peculiar, since Wakefield did not enter the Veil until after Kaufmann had died. Nevertheless, it seems to imply that Anna, Kaufmann, Lena Ashdown, Old Mike, and Father Eugene all met with misfortune because they were the companions of travelers.

Alexandre告诉Wakefield:“我为你的朋友感到十分遗憾。有时可怕的命运就是会降临在旅行者的朋友身上。”这声明有点奇怪,因为Wakefield一直没进入帷幕直到Kaufmann死后。不过,这似乎暗示Anna,Kaufmann,Lena Ashdown,老Mike,和Eugene神父都是因为他们是旅行者的朋友而遭遇不幸的。

It’s also possible that these creatures exist in our world, but they take the form of mundane objects. For example, the portraits in the Beechworth house (Chapter 1) and the sculptures in Alexandre’s house (Chapter 4) might be the “shadows” of creatures that live in the other world.

也有可能这些生物仍然存在于我们的世界,但它们变成了平凡的事物。例如,Beechworth家的肖像(第1章)和Alexandre家的雕塑(第4章)可能就是住在另一个世界的生物的“暗影”。

Rational Thought and Primal Horror
理性想法以及原始的恐惧
[]

People who seek the Last Door often try to move from a rational state to a more primal state. Professor Wright referred to the Veil as “the Veil of rational thought” (Chapter 6). Devitt described the eye of the bird as “something beyond human logic” (Chapter 2). This primal state might be animalistic. Some travelers to the Veil seem to have been partially transformed into animals, such as Old Mike and Máire (Chapters 4 and 7). In the Veil, Ms. Parnell saw a priest saying Mass to a group of animals (Collector’s Edition). In Chapter 6, Wright’s riddle led from a Greek philosopher to the “primal horror” of a lion. The philosopher was Anaxagoras. He believed that in the beginning, everything already existed, but in a chaotic state (or perhaps a primal state).[1] According to Anaxagoras, reasoning minds have arranged and purified substances, but everything still contains traces of its original chaotic nature. Similarly, perhaps the world beyond the Veil (the world of “truth”) more closely resembles our world in its “primal” form than in its “refined” form.

寻找最后一扇门的人经常尝试从理性的状态移向原始的状态。Wright教授把帷幕称作“理性思维的帷幕”(第6章)。Devitt形容鸟之眼为“某种超越人类逻辑的事物”(第2章)。这种原始的状态可能是兽性的。一些帷幕的旅行者似乎部分地转换成了动物,比如老Mike和Máire(第4、7章)。在帷幕中,Parnell小姐看见一位神父在对一组动物做弥撒(收藏集)。在第6章中,Wright的谜语引导我们从一位希腊哲学家追查到一头狮子的“原始的恐怖”。这位哲学家是阿那克萨戈拉。他相信在宇宙之初,所有事物就都已存在,但是是处在一种混乱的状态(或者说是一种原始的状态)[1]。据阿那克萨戈拉所说,论证的思想已安排并净化了所有物质,但一切事物仍包含它们原来那种混沌本质的痕迹。类似的,可能帷幕另一边的世界(“真理”的世界)比我们这个“文雅”形式的世界更接近于它的“原始”形式。

In general, the Last Door series seems to suggest a paradox: that in order to evolve, we must first regress. In order to see the truth, we must put aside our rational preconceptions. The Simurg is a both a “higher being” (a god) and a “lower being” (a wild animal).

总的来说,最后一扇门系列似乎是在暗示这样一个悖论:为了进步,我们必须退步。为了看清真相,我们必须将我们的理性之偏见搁置一旁。“大鸟”既是一个“更高等的生物”(一个神),又是一个“更低等的生物”(一头野兽)。

参考[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Anaxagoras(Wikipedia)
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