Recalling the steam-powered trains, pulling their carriages one by one, carrying passengers bound for different destinations, they would occasionally pull into the station. Standing on the platform and looking back at the square before the station, vehicles crossed paths, people came and went, and travelers heading in different directions brushed past one another.
回想蒸汽动力的火车,拉着一节节的车厢,载着前往不同目的地的乘客,不时驶过站台.站在站台上回头看车站之前的广场,车辆交会,人来人往,前往不同方向的人擦身而过.
The school cafeteria and dormitories were equally crowded, and the familiar faces that had once surrounded me flashed before my eyes.
同样人头攒动的,是学校里的食堂,学生宿舍,曾经身边那一个个熟悉的面孔,在自己的面前闪过.
In the white bedroom, a woman in a white dress approached, her hand resting on the bedrail as she asked Lübeck, saying,
白色的卧室房间里,一位女士身穿白色连衣裙走近,手扶床头栏杆问吕贝克,说,
"Why aren't you speaking up? You seem like you're not very bright."
"为什么你不说话,好像不聪明的样子,"
Lübeck seemed to recognize her, as if she were an old classmate, yet he couldn't quite place her face. He merely replied indifferently,
吕贝克似乎认出了她,感觉像从前的同学,但是相貌又不确定,只是淡淡地回答,
"I just don't feel like talking. There's no one I want to speak to," he said. The moment the words left his mouth, several men suddenly materialized out of thin air in the same environment, as if they had instantly crossed a timeline or dimension. Lübeck swung his fist, ready to strike.
"我只是不想说话,没有我想要对她说话的人,"话音刚落,同样的环境里突然凭空出现了几个男人,一瞬间仿佛跨越了时间线或者空间.吕贝克挥拳想要动手,The man across from him was unfamiliar, holding a communication device and speaking in a language he couldn't understand. He quickly scanned the others behind him—some he didn't recognize, others seemed like former colleagues—while the female classmate had already vanished.
只见对面的男人不认识,手持通讯设备在说着自己听不懂的语言.迅速扫视了后面其他人,有的不认识,有的好像过去的同事,而那个女同学已经不见了.
Lübeck realized it was a dream and quickly opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings. Sure enough, he had just awakened from the dream, lying in Emma's room. Yet his heart still raced from the events of the dream, and he pondered why he had experienced such a vision. As he pondered, the intermittent sounds of Ruth and Emma's conversation drifted in from outside the door.
吕贝克意识到了这是个梦,迅速睁开眼睛,打量周围环境,果然,自己刚从梦中醒来,躺在艾玛的房间里,只是内心还有些紧张于刚才梦中的情形,思索着为什么会做了这样一个梦,思索中,耳边不断传来门外露丝与艾玛断断续续的交谈声.
Youth is truly wonderful. Last night, Lübeck experienced Emma's vitality, and this morning, he slept soundly until dawn. Yet for some reason, memories from that long-ago past flowed back into his present reality.
年轻真好,吕贝克昨晚体会了艾玛的活力,今早一觉睡到天大亮.只是不知为何,那很久之前的从前,又流回到现实的记忆.
Ruth inquired with the coachman who had come to fetch him. Since there were no important official duties scheduled for this morning, she dismissed him and told him to return later.
露丝询问了前来接他的马车勤务兵,今天上午没有什么重要公务安排,就把他打发走了,叫他晚点再过来.
When Lübeck got up and came into the living room, Emma and Ruth were preparing food together. They seemed to have been talking about something just moments before. When Emma saw him emerge from her bedroom, she glanced at him, then fell silent. She exchanged a look with Ruth, and both of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.
等吕贝克起床,来到起居室,艾玛和露丝正在一起准备食物,她们好像是刚才应该是在交谈着什么,当艾玛看见自己从她的卧室出来了,她看了自己一眼,就闭上了嘴,与露丝对视,然后两个人都憋不住笑了出来.
Lübeck walked over, patted Emma on the head, and asked,
吕贝克走过去,摸了摸艾玛的头,问,
"Did you say anything bad about me behind my back?" he asked, then gently pinched Emma's cheek with his right hand. Emma giggled without saying a word.
"你在背后说我什么坏话了吗?"说着又用右手轻轻掐了一下艾玛的脸蛋儿,艾玛嘻嘻嘻地笑着不说话.
Seeing she wouldn't speak, Lübeck turned to Ruth and asked,
见她不肯说,吕贝克又转向露丝,问,
"Tell me, what nasty things did you two say about me just now?" he said, stroking her smiling cheek with his left hand. Her eyes, narrowed into crescent moons, seemed like roses blooming against the backdrop of Lübeck's palm, like green leaves.
"你告诉我,你俩刚才说了我的什么坏话了?"说着用左手抚摸她微笑的脸颊,而她弯弯眯起的双眼,仿佛吕贝克手掌绿叶般衬托中盛开的玫瑰花.
"I've already sent your orderly back. No need to rush—it's not busy in the morning," Ruth told Lübeck.
"我已经让你的勤务兵回去了,你不用着急,早上不忙." 露丝告诉吕贝克,
"Alright," Lü Beck said, seeing that they were almost ready.
"好啊,"吕贝克看了看她们准备的也差不多了,就说,
"Then I'll go start the fire."
"那我去生火,"
When the orderly's carriage arrived again, Lübeck boarded it first to head to the constabulary headquarters. He arranged for Trudy to go to City Hall that afternoon to address the council and participate in the vote on the bayonet confiscation bill. The two discussed matters related to soldier training and equipment. Just as they were talking, a soldier asked about lunchtime, so Trudy casually invited Lübeck to join them for lunch.
当勤务兵的马车再次到来,吕贝克首先乘坐它去治安部队驻地,联系特鲁迪下午去市政厅,去到议会发言,然后进行长枪收缴的议案投票.两人谈论了一些士兵训练,装备方面的话题,然后正赶上士兵问午餐时间,特鲁迪就顺便邀请吕贝克来品尝他们的午餐.
While waiting and chatting in the cafeteria, Trudy mentioned the critically wounded soldier—he didn't make it.
来到就餐食堂等候闲谈的时候特鲁迪提到了那名重伤士兵,伤情没能挺过来,
"Who? When did they pass away?" Lübeck asked urgently.
"谁?什么时候过世的?" 吕贝克急忙问,
Joachim, probably yesterday morning.
"约阿希姆,大概昨天上午"
"Oh," he replied, his peripheral vision catching the attention of the noncommissioned officers seated nearby, who were observing their conversation.
"哦,"答应着,吕贝克的视线余光注意到了旁边的同桌士官们正在关注他们的谈话.
"Has he been buried? Where is he now?" Lübeck pressed further.
"他下葬了吗?现在人在哪里?"吕贝克接着追问,
Not yet. He's still in the hospital. The funeral will be held in a couple of days.
"还没有,人仍然在医院里,过两天会为他举行葬礼."
How are his family members doing?
"他的家人情况怎么样?"
His parents were heartbroken, but at least he still had his brothers and sisters.
"父母很伤心,好在他还有兄弟姐妹,"
"Oh, I saw him just the other day. Never imagined such a young life would be taken like this. It was a tragedy that should never have happened," Lübeck murmured, unsure whether he was speaking to Trudy or to himself.
"哎,前两天我还见过他,没想到一个年轻的生命就这么没了,本不该发生的悲剧," 不知道吕贝克是在对特鲁迪说,还是在自言自语.
After speaking, he noticed the noncommissioned officers nearby watching him, so he addressed them with solemn certainty,
说完看到旁边的士官们正在看着自己,于是严肃肯定地对他们说,
"Joachim's life will not be sacrificed in vain," Lübeck said, then stood at attention, facing the direction of the hospital.
"约阿希姆的生命不会白白牺牲的,"说完,吕贝克起身立正,面向医院的方向,Salute. Immediately afterward, he heard the sound of soldiers beside him and behind him rising to salute in unison.
敬礼.紧接着,他听到身边,身后的士兵们一同起身敬礼的声音.
In the afternoon, Lübeck and Trudy returned together to City Hall, where a vote was to be held on the proposal to confiscate long guns. Although Lübeck introduced Trudy before the vote to present the consequences of the shooting incident on the public security officers' casualties, the motion surprisingly failed by a narrow margin—a result that caught Lübeck somewhat off guard.
下午吕贝克和特鲁迪一起回到市政厅,在这里要进行长枪收缴的议案投票.虽然在投票前由吕贝克介绍特鲁迪进行了枪击事件治安队员伤亡后果的陈述,但是投票居然差微弱票数没有通过,有些出乎吕贝克意料.
He discovered that some legislators, who should have represented the interests of small and medium-sized farming families, were instead elected artisans—perhaps due to personal prestige or educational background. These individuals, cautious and timid because of their wealth, did not maximize the interests of the working class due to differing priorities. Some even appeared to be under the influence of other forces.
他发现有些议员,本应代表中小规模农民劳动家庭的利益,或许是因为个人声望,文化层次等原因,当选人是一些手工艺者,而这些人因为财富而惜身胆小,因为利益不同于底层劳动者,所以并没有代表他们的利益最大化,甚至有人看起来还似乎受到其他势力挟制.
For instance, when a legislator cast a dissenting vote, Lübeck asked him why he opposed the measure—did he own a rifle at home? The man replied he did not. Lübeck then asked if he might need a rifle in the future to hunt wild animals. The man said no, because he was a watchmaker and did not work the land. Lübeck pressed further: "Would you use a rifle to confront someone who is armed?" The man said he would not, nor would he dare. Lübeck pressed further: "Then why oppose the ban?" The representative was speechless. In his awkwardness, he could only glance toward the assemblyman representing the powerful district.
比如有个议员投反对票的时候,吕贝克就问他,为什么反对,难道他家里有长枪吗?他说没有,吕贝克又问他将来需要长枪对付野兽吗?他说不需要,因为他是个钟表匠,不用下地干活.接着追问,你会使用长枪与持枪的人对抗吗?他说不会,也不敢.接着吕贝灵魂追问,那你为什么反对禁枪?他无言以对,尴尬中,只好看向代表强势地方的议员.
After the vote concluded, Lübeck did not leave. He simply watched as the others gradually dispersed. Then, glancing at Trudy and Miller, the two understood immediately and approached him. He said to them,
投票结束后吕贝克并没有离开,只是看着其他人渐渐散去,然后看看特鲁迪和米勒,二人心领神会,都凑了过来,便对两人说,
Starting tomorrow, both of you will dispatch personnel through your law enforcement and administrative channels to each commune. Explain to the grassroots populace that the shooting incident constitutes an act of rebellion. Former Sheriff Michael did not pursue the matter further because casualties occurred on both sides, but this does not mean legal consequences will not be pursued. Such incidents will absolutely not be permitted to occur again. Any recurrence will be met with severe punishment.
"明天开始,你们俩从你们执法和行政管理的渠道,派人到各个公社,跟底层民众说明,枪击事件的性质是叛乱行为,前任治安官米迦勒没有深究是因为双方都有伤亡,但是并不等于不会追究法律后果.此类事件绝不允许再度发生,否则一律严惩."
Trudy, upon your return, notify all soldiers, including the security squad, that a long-range mission is imminent. Have them inform their families to be ready at a moment's notice. The boarding list will be issued shortly.
"特鲁迪,你回去就通知所有士兵,包括治安队员,近期将要有远航任务,要他们所有人通知家属,随时做好准备,登船名单随后发布."
Miller, first distribute the list of disputed boundary demarcations to each commune. Notify them to maintain boundary markers and prepare for surveyors to conduct on-site verification.
"米勒你把统计的有比较大争议边界勘定名单先发出来,到各个公社,通知他们维护好边界标识,准备等待测绘人员现场测定核实."
After finalizing the main tasks, Lübeck confirmed some procedural details and personnel assignments with them. The plan was set to proceed as outlined.
安排完毕主要工作内容,吕贝克又和他们确认了一些程序细节,实施人员安排,准备就这样执行了.
Lübeck got off the bus near his doorstep and glanced back as he arrived home late that evening. Behind him, the purple glow of the sunset painted the horizon, its crimson hues spilling onto the road and washing over the walls, windows, and doors of the wooden cottage—his sweet little home. Though the news of a young life lost today weighed heavily on his heart, the long-standing issues finally beginning to find resolution brought him a sense of relief.
今天回家比较晚,吕贝克到门前下车回望,身后又是紫霞映衬天边,紫红色洒在路上,也铺到木屋的墙壁和门窗,那是他的甜蜜小屋.虽然今天一个年轻生命的逝去的消息让他内心伤感,但是长久以来积聚的问题走上开始解决的路程也让他释然.