Captain Lübeck stood at the top of the bridge console, watching the stopwatch in his hand under the faint moonlight. Mooring at this remote dock with no other vessels in sight, the night was unusually still—no sea breeze, no clouds.
吕贝克船长在控制台顶端舰桥,微弱月色中,看着手中的秒表计时.系泊在这个偏僻的码头,并没有其他船只往来,夜色异常宁静,没有海风也没有云朵.
Reports from the sailors kept coming in from the control console below.
下方控制台不断传来水兵们的报告,
"All 34 evacuees have boarded the ship."
"撤离人员34名登船完毕,"
"Port bow mooring line released, forward main deck hatch closed."
"艇首左前系泊缆绳解除,前主甲板舱门关闭,"
"Release the port forward mooring line at the stern. Close the aft main deck hatch."
"艇尾左前系泊缆绳解除,后主甲板舱门关闭,"
"..."
Lübeck judged the time. With the crew nearly ready, he gave the order to set sail. In the still night, they breathed in the cool sea breeze one last time. Below deck, the clamor of commands and conversations echoed intermittently. Whether loud or soft, near or far, every sound filled the cramped, enclosed cabin, lingering in every corner.
吕贝克估计着时间,艇员们差不多准备完毕,下达了启航命令.宁静的夜色里,再呼吸一会儿清凉的海风,下面不时传来嘈杂的口令声与交谈,无论声音高低,距离远近,在狭小封闭的船舱里,都会充斥到每个角落不易散去.
As the ship neared the point of departure from the coast, Lübeck returned to the command tower and sealed the hatch. Returning from the control tower to his captain's quarters, he locked the door, retrieved the encrypted navigation coordinates delivered through the conduit by the radio operator, decoded them using his personal cipher book, then set the navigation coordinates. He issued orders to the first mate to activate the anti-gravity engines and initiate the journey into outer space.
时间差不多离开海岸了,吕贝克回到指挥塔,封闭了舱门.从控制塔回到自己的船长室,锁上房门,拿出电报员通过管道投递过来的加密航行坐标,对照自己的密码本解码,然后设置了航行坐标,给大副下达了启动反引力引擎向外太空行驶的指令.
Lübeck was simply going through his routine, sitting in his captain's cabin and monitoring the anti-gravity engine startup parameters displayed on the instruments. But today seemed to be going awry. The first mate had attempted two unsuccessful starts, and as captain, he too was puzzled. He scrutinized the various technical parameter displays, pondering the possible causes of the failure.
吕贝克只是常规例程坐在自己的船长室里,观察反引力引擎启动运行参数显示仪表.但是今天似乎有些不顺,大副尝试了两次启动都没有成功,作为船长他也有些疑惑,查看着各种技术参数显示,思索着可能存在的失败因素的可能性.
After instructing the chief officer to halt operations, he reviewed the engine parameters before and after the failure. It seemed like an overload, but that couldn't be—only the standard crew was on board. Hesitating for a moment, Lü Beck couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that a VIP had boarded today?
通知大副暂停后,回想刚才引擎失败前后参数,似乎超载,但是没有啊,只是常规搭载人员.迟疑片刻,吕贝克不得不怀疑,莫非今天有贵客登船?
After instructing the crew compartment to prepare for inspection, Lü Beck arrived with two sailors. In the cramped space, more than thirty people sat on seats or lay on bunks along both sides of the bulkheads.
通知乘员舱做好等待检查准备后,吕贝克带着两名水手到达了乘员舱.狭窄的空间里,舱壁两侧,三十几个人有的坐在座椅上,有的躺在铺位上.
Lübeck scanned the group, then approached each person individually. He pulled a playing card from his pocket, handed it to them, and instructed them to memorize it. He told them to keep it in their pocket or close to their chest, adding with a smile, "This is your ticket. Hold on to it tight." It seemed like he was joking with them. Then, with the sailors who had come with him standing by his side, he picked up the phone and issued commands to the control console.
吕贝克扫视了他们一圈后,走到每个人跟前,从自己的兜里掏出一张扑克牌,交给他,告诉他记住这张牌,然后嘱咐放在兜里,或者怀里,还笑着说,这是你的船票,千万要拿好.好像在跟他们开玩笑一样.然后带着一起来的水手站在一边,拿起电话对控制台发布了命令,
Anti-gravity engine frequency test, Program 1036.
"反引力引擎频率测试,程序1036,"
After speaking, he held the phone to his ear and scanned each person in the passenger compartment. The passengers, in turn, looked over curiously, or glanced at the person beside them, none of them understanding what was happening.
说完手持电话举在耳边,目光扫视着乘员舱的每个人.而那些乘客,也各自好奇地看过来,或者又看看自己身边的人,不明所以.
As the test continued at different frequencies, producing either a hum or a shrill whine, Lübeck noticed a playing card fall to the floor. He immediately halted the test, hung up the phone, walked over to the card, and picked it up.
随着不同频率的测试,或者嗡嗡声,或者尖啸声,吕贝克看到有一张扑克牌掉在了地上,他随即便通知停止测试,挂断了电话,走到地上的扑克牌前,捡了起来.
"Ace of Spades, is this your ticket?" Lübeck addressed a man lying on his side in the bunk, who seemed still confused about what was happening.
"黑桃A,这是你的船票吗?" 吕贝克对侧卧在床铺上的一个男子说,似乎他还没明白怎么回事.
He glanced at the playing card, wanting to say yes but holding back. He distinctly remembered tucking it into his pants pocket. At that thought, he hurriedly reached into his pocket. His hand went in, but it wasn't there. He fumbled deeper, but it was truly gone. A look of astonishment spread across the young man's face.
他看了一眼那张扑克牌,想说是,但是没有说出口,自己记得明明把它揣在了裤兜里,想到这急忙伸手去摸兜.手伸进裤兜,没有,又往里抓了一把,居然真的没有了.年轻人脸上显出了诧异的表情.
"What's your name?" Lübeck asked.
"你叫什么名字?"吕贝克问,
"John,"
"约翰,"
"John," Lübeck repeated, studying the young man—pale but gaunt, with dark eyes and black hair.
"约翰,"吕贝克一边重复着,一边打量这个年轻人,面容白皙,但是消瘦,黑眼睛,黑头发,
"John what? What's your last name?"
"约翰什么?你姓什么?"
John Hiedler,
"约翰·希德勒,"
As Lübeck listened, he stared intently at the young man, making him feel a bit nervous. After a moment, Lübeck patted him on the shoulder and said,
吕贝克一边听他说,一边目不转睛地看着他,把这个年轻人看得也有点紧张.过了片刻,吕贝克拍了拍他的肩膀说,
I cannot take you away. You must stay behind—stay to marry and raise a family. Staying is your contribution to the empire and the nation.
"我不能带你离开,你得留下来,留下来娶妻生子,留下来也是你对帝国和民族的贡献."
"Oh," the young man replied, though he clearly didn't grasp the meaning behind it.
"哦,"虽然答应着,但是年轻人显然没懂其中的含义.
The two sailors accompanying the captain were equally baffled. They glanced from the young man to the captain, yet dared not ask. After all, they both admired and trusted their captain implicitly—whatever he said went, and that was that.
与船长同行的两名水手也不明白,看看那个年轻人,又看看船长,也不敢问.反正他们既崇拜又信任他们的船长,他怎么说自己就怎么做就没错了.
"Holger, Paul, you two take the lifeboat and bring him back to shore," he said, slipping them some more silver coins as he instructed.
"霍尔格,保罗,你们俩用救生艇送他回到岸上,"说着又塞给他们一些银币,嘱咐道,
You can have a drink, but don't get yourselves into trouble. I'll come back to pick you up next time.
"你们可以喝点,但是千万不要给自己找上麻烦,等我下次回来接上你们."
"Aye, Captain," he replied with a salute before stepping forward to help the young man prepare to depart.
"是,船长,"回答敬礼之后便上前帮助那个年轻人准备离开,
As they passed by, Lübeck stopped the young man, gave him some silver coins, patted him on the shoulder, and said,
在他们经过面前的时候,吕贝克拦下那个年轻人,也给了他一些银币,拍了拍他的肩膀,说,
"Don't forget to marry and have children when you get back."
"回去别忘了娶妻生子,"
"Yes, thank you, Captain," the young man finally managed a faint smile.
"是,谢谢船长,"这次那个年轻人的脸上终于有了一丝笑容.
After they had passed, Lübeck turned back to face the others.
待他们走过后,吕贝克转回头面向其余人,
Alright, you should return the playing cards to me now. Ticket inspection is complete.
"好啦,你们该把扑克牌还给我了,检票结束."
Lübeck returned to his captain's quarters once more, checked the equipment and instrument readings, then issued the command to set sail. This time, everything proceeded smoothly as usual: the ship levitated using antigravity, then adjusted its space field to jump into outer space. Following standard procedures, parameters were calibrated for the long-distance space jump.
吕贝克再次回到自己的船长室,检查设备仪表读数,然后下达了启航命令.这次很顺利,如同往常一样,靠反重力悬空,然后调节空间场跳跃到外太空,然后按照例行程序校准参数,进行长途空间跳跃.
The cabin was completely enclosed, with no windows offering a view of the outside world—not even for the captain. All he could do was monitor the ship's equipment and wait for the next spatial jump node.
船舱是全封闭的,没有任何窗口可以看见外面的景致,就连船长也不例外.他所能做的就是监视船上设备运行情况,等待到达下一个空间跳跃节点.
Although the system he served in functioned like a military organization, where everything was done by following orders and he didn't even know who his superiors were, Captain Lübeck also possessed his own desire to explore. Within the limits of his authority, he would introduce errors into the navigation coordinates he provided and investigate the gravitational fields along the route, attempting to understand the spatial characteristics of the space his transport ship traversed.
虽然自己所服役的系统是军事组织一样的存在,做什么都是服从命令,甚至并不知道自己的上级是谁.每次都是按照固定程序,和上级指令行事.但是吕贝克船长也有自己的探索欲望,在自己所能的范围内,添加自己给出的导航坐标的误差,并探索沿途的引力场情况,试图了解自己运输船所经过的空间特性.
After several spatial jumps, Captain Lübeck led his ship and crew back to their new home, which they all called the Sanctuary. For ordinary people, the purpose of coming here was simple: to live in peace. For Captain Lübeck's mission, however, he must lead the people here to multiply and preserve the flame of their race. Thus, he continually brings new members to this place while also managing its social production and stability. He is the captain, and also the benevolent dictator here. Because the population is small, dictatorship proves quite efficient. Likewise, precisely because there are few people, everyone knows each other well, so interpersonal relationships remain good. Therefore, the dictatorship is also gentle.
经过几次空间跳跃,吕贝克船长带领自己的船和船员再次回到自己的新家园,他们都将它称作庇护之地.普通人来这里的目的很简单,平静地活下去.而对于吕贝克船长的任务来说,他要带领这里的人们繁殖人口,为民族保留火种,所以他要一次次地载着新成员来到这里,同时也要管理这里的社会生产和稳定.他是船长,也是这里的仁慈独裁者.因为这里的人口规模不大,独裁统治效率较高,同样也因为人不多,大家都比较熟悉,所以人际关系都还好,所以独裁也是温柔的.
When the spacecraft docked at the land-based platform and secured its mooring lines, sailors first delivered the newly returned crew members to the local community. Some crew members shut down the spacecraft systems in preparation for the next voyage, while most sailors without specialized roles had already left the dock to return home. Captain Lübeck and other senior crew members conducted a final inspection of the spacecraft before parting ways at the dock, each heading home.
当飞船停泊在陆地船台,系好缆绳,有水兵先把载回来的新成员送给当地社区,有船员关闭飞船系统准备下次航程,大部分没有专业岗位的水兵已经离开码头回家.吕贝克船长和其他高级船员巡视后飞船后在码头分别,各自回家.
The space dock was guarded by militiamen clad in simple, coarse-woven uniforms, armed with black powder flintlock muskets. All resources were within the capabilities of pre-industrial folk workshops to produce—a self-sustaining social ecosystem. For various reasons, though Lübeck was aware of Earth's technological advancements, he had no desire to pursue scientific progress here.
太空码头有民兵把守,简单的纺织粗布制服,黑火药燧发枪,所有资源都是前工业社会民间作坊可以制作的,这是一个自给自足的社会生态圈.因为种种原因,虽然吕贝克知道地球上时代的发展,但是在这里他并不想发展科技.
The captain's mode of transportation home was also a product of the same technological foundation: a horse-drawn carriage. As the carriage left the dock and rolled onto the road, Captain Lübeck glanced back one last time at his ship, U-2513. With its beautiful lines and ropes tied fore and aft, it lay quietly moored at the slipway.
而船长回家的交通工具也是同样技术基础的产物,马车.当马车已经离开码头驶上道路,吕贝克船长又回头看了一眼他的船,U-2513,美丽的线条,前后系着缆绳,正静静地停放在船台上.