Emma lay on her side in bed, nursing the baby. Lübeck lay behind her, his left hand gliding back and forth, tracing the contours of her waist to her hips, thighs, and the curves of her side. His face pressed into her long hair, his nose breathing in the scent of her skin.
艾玛侧身躺在床上正在给孩子喂奶,吕贝克侧身躺在她的身后,左手来回抚摸,游走在她的腰肢到臀部,大腿,身体侧面轮廓的线条,脸压在她的长发上,鼻子呼吸着她肌肤的气息.
The pre-industrial era was a time conducive to population growth. With little to do after dark, men and women could only make children together. Lübeck's mission was precisely to preserve and spread as many Germanic seeds of life beyond Earth as possible.
前工业社会是个适合增殖人口的时期,天黑之后没什么可做的,男人女人在一起只有做孩子.而吕贝克的任务也正是尽可能多地向地球之外保留和扩散更多的德意志人口火种.
After a while, the child fell asleep. Emma placed him in the cradle, tucked him in, then turned to Lübeck and said softly, with a hint of shyness,
过了一会儿孩子睡着了,艾玛把他放进摇篮里,盖好被子,然后转向了吕贝克,轻声娇羞地说,
"You feed our son on the other side for me—it's so swollen and uncomfortable."
"你替咱儿子吃吃另一边吧,涨得好难受,"
"Alright," Lübeck murmured, shifting closer until his face rested against her chest. He savored the scent and texture of her skin while breathing in her warmth, his arms naturally wrapping around her waist and hips to draw her nearer. Physical closeness often mirrors emotional closeness, so Lübeck always sought to offer his closest loved ones the most intimate contact, giving Emma all the love he could possibly provide.
"好啊,"吕贝克说着,往下挪了挪位置,把脸贴在她的胸前,欣赏她的气息与肌肤的质地的同时,也呼吸着她的气息,亲密间顺势用双臂搂住她的腰胯,拉近与她的距离.往往身体的距离,就是心的距离,所以吕贝克总是想要给最亲密的人最亲密的接触,给艾玛他所能够提供的所有的爱.
For her age, Emma's breasts were already quite full, plump, and firm. Combined with her tall stature, she resembled a fully mature adult. Yet she still carried a childlike innocence within her—content, unassuming, peaceful yet occasionally mischievous. So much so that when Lübeck buried his head in her embrace, he often felt a strange illusion, unsure whether he was offering her affection or had already been enveloped by Emma's love.
按年龄来说,艾玛的胸已经算是比较丰满了,充盈,坚挺,加上她比较高大的身材,就像很成熟的成年人.可是她却依然怀揣着一颗孩子般纯净的心,安逸,不争抢什么,平和却又时而调皮,以至于吕贝克把头埋在她的怀里的时候时常感到错觉,不确定是自己在给予她关爱,还是自己已经被艾玛的爱所包围.
In the pitch-black night, the child's wails echoed once more. Emma was handling it all, while Lübeck followed her body's lead to embrace her. In his drowsy haze, Lübeck even found himself wondering if he should give her another child.
漆黑的夜里,又是孩子的哭闹声,又是艾玛在处理这一切,又是吕贝克也循着艾玛的身体去搂抱着她,迷迷糊糊之中吕贝克甚至在想要不要给她再生一个孩子呢?One child feared she wouldn't have enough to rely on in her old age, yet seeing her so exhausted, he couldn't bear it. The thought flashed through his mind, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep again.
一个孩子怕她晚年不足以依靠,可是看她这么累又有些不忍心,念头一闪而过,不知什么时候又睡着了.
When she awoke again, daylight had already filled the room. Emma and Ruth were quietly chatting in the kitchen over breakfast, which was nearly ready to be served, waiting for Lübeck to wake up in the morning.
当再次醒来,天已经大亮了,艾玛与露丝已经准备好的早餐在厨房小声聊天,就差上桌儿了,等待着吕贝克早上醒来.
After finishing breakfast with his family, Lübeck first traveled by carriage to the spaceport today to inspect the spacecraft's readiness for departure. Accompanied by guarding sailors and on-duty crew members, he toured every station aboard the vessel. After completing his rounds, Lübeck approached the ship's armory, ordered the soldiers to open it, and personally inspected its contents before issuing an order to clear out two-thirds of the space.
结束与家人的早餐,吕贝克今天首先乘马车来到了太空码头,检查飞船出航准备状态.在守卫的水兵和值守船员的陪同下,巡视了飞船各个岗位.转了一圈之后,吕贝克走到船上的武器库前,命令士兵开启并且亲自查看了一下,然后下达了清空三分之二空间的命令.
After inspecting the spacecraft, Lübeck proceeded to the supply warehouse, where he sampled and counted some consumables, spare parts, and ammunition.
巡视完飞船,吕贝克又到物资仓库,抽样清点了一些耗材备件与军火.
After inspecting the ship's hull and supplies, Lübeck hurried back to the security forces' headquarters. He demanded the roster of personnel ready for departure and those requesting leave from Trudy, tucked it into his coat, and rushed back to City Hall.
查看完毕船体与物资的准备,吕贝克再次赶到治安部队驻地驻地,从特鲁迪那里索要了反馈回来的准备出航人员和请假人员的名单,直接揣在怀里赶回了市政厅.
The entire morning had passed, and by the time he arrived, it was already lunchtime. Everyone was waiting for him at the table. Lü Beck felt a bit guilty, so he quickly called all the staff to start eating. The matters that had brought everyone together could only be discussed over the meal.
一上午的时间已经过去了,到达的时候已经是午餐时间,大家已经在餐桌上等他了,吕贝克也有些过意不去,赶紧叫上所有工作人员开饭了,各方汇集的事情只好在饭桌上谈论,
William, have the surveyors for the first batch of reconnaissance been finalized?
"威廉,首批勘测的测绘人员现在确定了吗?"
"That's confirmed. Some personnel are undergoing additional training. Beyond the initial survey mission, we won't need this many people simultaneously going forward." William replied.
"确定了,有的人员是额外培训的,除了第一批勘测任务,今后都不会同时用到这么多人了."威廉回答,
"Alright, Kurt, have you prepared enough marker stakes for the survey process?"
"好,库尔特,勘测过程使用的标识木桩准备足够了吗?"
"The first batch of survey equipment we need is already sufficient," Kurt replied.
"第一批勘测需要使用的已经能够满足了,"库尔特回答,
Alright, we'll wait for the notification to be issued.
"好,等待发放通知."
"What's the current situation? Is the situation still stable? Do we need to make any adjustments?" Lübeck asked Miller as he looked at him.
"现在情况怎么样?形势还稳定吗?我们是不是需要做一些修正?"吕贝克看着米勒问,
There are currently no disputes or disturbances.
"目前没有争执或者骚乱,"
"Is there any feedback on specific aspects? Or are there particular points we should pay attention to in the actual operation?" Lü Beck asked again.
"有没有哪些方面的反馈?或者具体操作中我们有没有什么要注意的?"吕贝克又接着问,
"The primary issue lies in surveying and mapping techniques, which operators must master correctly to prevent excessive errors."
"主要是测绘技术方面的问题,需要让操作者能够正确掌握,才能避免误差过大,"
"Hmm," Lübeck replied, meeting Miller's gaze. He'd hoped Miller might have some firsthand intelligence to share, but it seemed the office clerk wasn't particularly adept at gathering such information. Perhaps he'd placed too much expectation on this office clerk.
"嗯,"吕贝克一边答应,一边看着米勒的眼睛,他本来期待米勒能有一些一手打探的的消息,但是看来他并不擅长这方面的情报获取,是自己对这个办公室文员期待太多了,
As he thought about it, Lübeck added,
一边想着,吕贝克一边补充说,
To ensure the fairness of this undertaking, I believe we should disclose the surveying techniques to everyone. Only when people understand the process will they have both the willingness and ability to oversee its impartiality. Having said this, Lü Beck looked each person over in turn.
"为了保证此次工作的公正性,我觉得我们应该向所有人公示测绘技术方法,让人们能够理解,他们才能有意愿和能力监督过程的公正性,"说完吕贝克挨个审视每个人,
Miller thought for a moment and said,
米勒想了想,说,
"Most people probably won't understand it."
"可能多数人都看不懂,"
"Well, let those who are willing and able see and understand," Lübeck said, then added,
"嗯,让有意愿和有能力的人看到和理解就行,"吕贝克说,然后又补充道,
"Make a simplified lithograph and post it in every commune and gathering place."
"做个精简的刻版印刷,张贴到各个公社和人员聚集的地方吧,"
"Alright, I'll take care of it," Miller said, then looked at William and told him,
"好,这个事情我安排,"米勒说,然后又看看威廉,对他说,
Arrange a carriage for you this afternoon to fetch the head of surveying technology. We'll discuss how to draft this public notice.
"下午给你安排马车,去把勘测技术负责人找过来,我们研究一下怎么出这个公示,"
"Hmm," Lübeck agreed, shifting his gaze from Miller to the women cooking and tending to the chores, and asked with a smile,
"嗯,"吕贝克一边称是,一边把目光从米勒移向了做饭和杂物的女士们,笑着问,
Ladies, as representatives, you must speak for your people.
"女士们,作为代表,你要为你的人民发声,"
This was followed by giggles and bursts of laughter.
随之而来的是嘻嘻嘻,哈哈哈的笑声,
Lübeck didn't give up, but pressed on with another question.
吕贝克并没有放弃,而是接着问,
So, what's the buzz in the market?
"那么,市场上听到些什么了吗?"
Georg, the fruit tree grower, said his fields were constantly being taken over by his neighbor and some unfamiliar, burly men. Each time they took only a little, but it happened so often that he dared not say anything because they outnumbered him. Ursula sat at the other end of the table and timidly said,
"种果树的格奥尔格说他开的地总被邻居带着一些陌生强壮男人占,每次占的不多,但是经常发生这种事,因为对方人多势众,他也不敢说什么,"乌苏拉坐在饭桌另一端,怯生生地说,
As Lü Beck listened to her, he nodded in agreement. When she finished speaking, he turned to Miller and said,
吕贝克边听她说,边向她点了点头,等她说完,扭头对米勒说,
It seems necessary to have security personnel maintain order throughout the entire event. I'll discuss with Trudy about allocating additional personnel for this.
"看来有必要让治安队员在全程维持秩序,这个我跟特鲁迪协商一下抽调人力,Why don't you launch a publicity campaign to encourage public participation in the oversight process? This will help uphold fairness for everyone and safeguard social justice. What do you think?
你那边开展一下宣传,让公众尽量参与过程监督,维护大家的公平,维护社会的正义,你说呢?"
"Alright, I'll gather representatives from each commune to convey this later," Miller replied.
"好,这方面我之后召集各个公社人员传达一下,"米勒回答,
During lunch, everyone exchanged opinions. After finishing their meal, Lübeck skipped his afternoon rest and went straight to the security forces' headquarters to find Trudy. He explained the recent survey work and the manpower needed to maintain security. Trudy seemed somewhat troubled and hesitated before saying,
就这样在午餐期间,大家交换了意见,用餐完毕吕贝克没有午休,直接前往了治安部队驻地找到特鲁迪,说明了近期勘测工作维护治安的人力需求,特鲁迪似乎有些为难,犹犹豫豫地说,
The number of public security officers isn't the issue, but...
"治安队员人数不是问题,但是..."
Seeing his hesitation, Lübeck encouraged him, saying,
看他迟疑,吕贝克便鼓励他说,
"Is there anything troubling you? Please feel free to speak up."
"有什么难处吗?请尽管说,"
You see, this is a matter of vested interests, especially for families with substantial assets. Given the recent incident involving gunfire with security personnel, how much support should I actually provide for maintaining public order during the surveying work?
"你看,这是利益相关的事情,尤其对于资产比较多的家族,前一阶段已经发生了与治安队员交火事件,我到底要以什么样的力度支持测绘工作的治安维持呢?"
Lübeck observed Trudy's expression and smiled faintly. He had been waiting for him to ask that very question.
吕贝克看着特鲁迪的神情,微微一笑,他就在等他问自己这个问题,
"Handle it according to the law. If anyone resists law enforcement with firearms again, treat it as an insurrection. If necessary, I'll deploy my forces to support you." After speaking, Lü Beck stared into Trudy's eyes, as if awaiting an answer in his gaze.
"依法处理,如果有人再次持枪抗拒执法力量,按照叛乱处理.必要的时候我会抽调我的兵力支持你,"说完吕贝克盯着特鲁迪的眼睛,似乎是在等待他眼里的回答,
"Alright, it's about time we put an end to this. All these years, Micah..." Trudy stopped herself, realizing it wasn't right to speak ill of someone behind their back.
"好,也是时候做个了断了,这些年来,米迦..."特鲁迪话到嘴边,觉得不好背后说别人什么,就止住了,
Lübeck understood he was referring to Chief Justice Michael Krause, whose tenure had been somewhat weak, which to some extent had fostered lawlessness and injustice in society. After pondering for a moment, Lübeck added,
吕贝克明白他想说最高治安官米迦勒·克劳泽 在执掌时期有些软弱,某种程度上滋长了社会上的违法与不公,吕贝克想了想,又叮嘱说,
"Select team members with no vested interests to carry out this task, or children from the general public."
"挑选没有利害关系的队员执行这个任务,或者属于普通大众阶层的孩子,"
"Okay, I got it," Trudy replied.
"好的,我知道了,"特鲁迪回答.
After leaving the security forces' headquarters, Lübeck proceeded to the spaceport, where he released the crew roster and made final preparations for departure before returning home by carriage.
离开治安部队驻地,吕贝克又前往太空码头,发布了启航人员名单,安排了启航准备工作,随后乘坐马车回家.
The route followed the same path as their previous voyage home, yet in the days since their return, much had transpired—and much more was yet to unfold. Seated in the carriage, watching the crimson sunset glow along the bumpy road, Lü Bei recalled the arrangements made over the past days. His sole purpose was to safeguard the peace of his own home—and the peace of countless other families.
一路上正是上次航行归来的路线,但是回来这些天却已经发生了许多的事情,和将要发生许多事情.坐在马车上,看着沿途晚霞绯红,道路颠簸,吕贝克回想着这些天来的安排,他想要做的就是守护家的平安,以及更多家庭的平安.