一次卷軸?？钡膰L試

  AnAccounting of the Scrolls

  一次卷軸校勘的嘗試

  byQuintus Nerevelus, Former Imperial Librarian

  昆塔斯納勒威樂(lè)斯，前任帝國(guó)圖書(shū)管理員著

  After the supposed theft of an Elder Scroll from our

  自從我們發(fā)現(xiàn)并認(rèn)定一卷上古卷軸從帝國(guó)圖書(shū)館被竊走之后，我一直致力于撰寫(xiě)

  Imperial Library, I endeavored to find any sort of index

  一份能夠清楚排列我們所擁有的所有在館卷軸的清單，這樣就能避免這種情況的

  or catalogue of the Scrolls in our possession so thatsuch

  再次發(fā)生(或者至少能在發(fā)生后恰當(dāng)?shù)睾藢?duì)丟失的是哪一卷)。令人沮喪的是，

  situations may be avoided (or at least properly verified)

  我發(fā)現(xiàn)圣蛾祭司確實(shí)如史書(shū)中記載的那樣不靠譜，他們總是說(shuō)不清現(xiàn)在究竟還存

  in the future. To my dismay, I discovered that the MothPriests are notoriously inexact when it comes to the actual

  有多少保存完好的卷軸，也不知道他們手頭上有幾個(gè)，以及卷軸的記載順序。

  physical manifestations of the Scrolls, and had no ideahow

  many they held, or how they were organized. Merely asking

  我曾嘗試向他們抱怨過(guò)這種記載不清的問(wèn)題，但每次我得到的回應(yīng)都是一陣咯咯

  the question evoked chuckles, as if a child was askingwhy

  輕笑，像是聽(tīng)到小孩子詢(xún)問(wèn)他們?yōu)槭裁垂凡粫?huì)說(shuō)人話(huà)一樣。

  dogs cannot talk.

  I will confess, my jealousy of the ones who can read the

  我必須得承認(rèn)，我一直很嫉妒這些圣蛾祭司能夠閱讀并理解卷軸里面的內(nèi)容及記

  Scrolls grows, but I am not yet willing to sacrifice my

  載的知識(shí)，但我還不想用自己的視覺(jué)來(lái)?yè)Q取這種閱讀的能力。那個(gè)上了年紀(jì)的圣

  sight to alleged knowledge. The older Moth Priests I

  蛾祭司似乎跟其他那些已經(jīng)失去理智的長(zhǎng)老一樣瘋瘋癲癲的，所以即使我一直嘗

  attempt to engage in conversation seem as batty as any

  試著跟他溝通，但關(guān)于各個(gè)卷軸所記載的具體是什么知識(shí)還是沒(méi)什么進(jìn)展。

  other elder who has lost their mind, so I fail to seewhat wisdom is imparted from the reading.

  In any case, I set out to create my own index of theElder

  不管怎樣，我還是打算開(kāi)始著手于上古卷軸檢索目錄的編寫(xiě)工作，當(dāng)然得跟

  Scrolls, in cooperation with the monks. Day by day, wewent

  那些僧侶合作。就這樣，我和僧侶們?nèi)諒?fù)一日地穿梭在高聳的塔樓大廳里，他們

  through the tower halls, with them telling me the general

  簡(jiǎn)要地告訴我每個(gè)上古卷軸的主要內(nèi)容，然后我記下它們各自的位置。我必須一

  nature of each Elder Scroll so that I might record itslocation. Always careful never to glimpse the writings

  直注意著不讓自己看見(jiàn)那些卷軸，用眼角余光也不行，我只能憑借著僧侶們的口

  myself, I had only their word to go on. I meticulouslydrew

  述來(lái)進(jìn)行記錄。同時(shí)我也細(xì)致地畫(huà)出一份關(guān)于各個(gè)房間的地圖，這樣我就能知曉

  out a map of the chambers, where Scrolls relating tovarious

  哪里存放著一個(gè)記載著一段神奇預(yù)言的卷軸，哪里又收藏著一段鮮為人知的歷史。

  specific prophecies were located, where particularperiods of history were housed. In all, it took nearly a year of

  這種枯燥而乏味的記錄工作總共持續(xù)了一年，但至少我已經(jīng)粗糙地記錄下整座圖

  plodding, but at last I had rough notes on the entiretyof

  書(shū)館的卷軸收藏，緊接著便能開(kāi)始詳細(xì)地校對(duì)了。

  the library to begin my collation.

  It was here that things began to go amiss. In studying my

  很快我發(fā)現(xiàn)，從這一步開(kāi)始，一切都變得不對(duì)頭了。在研究我的筆記的過(guò)程中，

  notes, I found many areas of overlap and outright

  我發(fā)現(xiàn)許多重疊的部分，甚至有不少完全矛盾的記錄。有時(shí)候，不同的僧侶在敘

  contradiction. In some cases different monks would claim

  說(shuō)同一個(gè)卷軸的位置時(shí)，會(huì)指向塔樓完全相反的兩端。要不是我心里清楚他們決

  the same scroll to be at opposite ends of the tower. Iknow

  不是那種有幽默細(xì)胞的人，我甚至?xí)岩晌沂潜凰麄児餐M織的一場(chǎng)惡作劇所愚

  they have no taste for jesting, or else I would suspect I

  弄了。

  was being made the fool in some game of theirs.

  I spoke to one of the older monks to relate my concerns,

  我會(huì)一位較為年長(zhǎng)的祭司談起這個(gè)問(wèn)題，他為我在這一年來(lái)所做的無(wú)用功而可惜

  and he hung his head in sorrow for my wasted time."Did I

  地垂下腦袋?！拔覜](méi)告訴過(guò)你嗎?”他輕咳一聲說(shuō)道，“這個(gè)工作從一開(kāi)始就注定

  not tell you," he coughed, "when you startedthis that all

  是不會(huì)成功的。這些上古卷軸從來(lái)就不是區(qū)區(qū)數(shù)字能夠統(tǒng)計(jì)的?！?

  efforts would be futile? The Scrolls do not exist incountable form."

  "I had thought you meant there were too many to becounted."

  “我以前以為您指的是這些卷軸數(shù)量太多而無(wú)法統(tǒng)計(jì)?！?

  "There are, but that is not the least of theircomplexities.

  “卷軸的數(shù)量確實(shí)很多，但這不是事情的復(fù)雜性所在。轉(zhuǎn)身看看你身后的那個(gè)書(shū)Turn tothe repository behind you, and tell me how many

  架，然后告訴我那里放著多少卷軸。”

  Scrolls are locked therein."

  I ran my fingers over the metal casings, tallying each

  我將手指劃過(guò)封存卷軸的金屬外殼，數(shù)著手指劃過(guò)的每一個(gè)圓滑的邊緣。接著

  rounded edge that they encountered. I turned back –

  轉(zhuǎn)身看向老者—“十四個(gè)，”我說(shuō)。

  "Fourteen," I said.

  "Hand me the eighth one," he said, reaching outhis hand.

  “將第八個(gè)卷軸遞給我，”他說(shuō)著伸出他的手。

  I guided the cylinder into his palm, and he gave a slight

  我拿起第八個(gè)圓筒并將它放進(jìn)老者的手心，他輕點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。“現(xiàn)在，再數(shù)一遍?！?

  nod to acknowledge it. "Now, count again."

  Humoring him, I again passed my hands over the Scrolls,but

  我服從他的指令，再次將手指劃過(guò)書(shū)架上的圓筒，但無(wú)法相信我感受到的一切。

  could not believe what I was feeling.

  "Now... now there are eighteen!" I gasped.

  “現(xiàn)在…現(xiàn)在有十八個(gè)卷軸!”我不敢置信地喘著氣說(shuō)道。

  The old monk chuckled, his cheeks pushing up hisblindfold

  年邁的僧侶咯咯笑了起來(lái)，他的臉頰向上鼓起，把遮眼布推起來(lái)，直到和上面的

  until it folded over itself. "And in fact," hesaid, "there

  布重疊起來(lái)?！皩?shí)際上，”他說(shuō)，“一直都是十八個(gè)?！?

  always were."

  It was then that I enrolled as the oldest novice ever

  那件事之后，我便作為最老的學(xué)徒加入了先祖圣蛾教。

  accepted into the Cult of the Ancestor Moth.