The Sanctuary is an Earth-like planet in a binary star system. It experiences seasonal changes, though these are highly irregular. Due to the vast distance between the two suns and the planet's elliptical orbit, overlapping orbital periods prevent the seasons from following a sequential pattern. Fortunately, the climate remains relatively mild.
庇护之地是一个双星系统的类地行星,这里有四季更替,但是极其不规律,因为两颗太阳相距较远,而所居住的行星又是椭圆轨道,不同的周期叠加使得四季并非依次交替,好在气候并不极端.
Lübeck received word that this spring would be followed by consecutive summers and autumns, with another summer to come. Therefore, they should bring in more laborers to plant more grain and other crops during the upcoming favorable seasons.
吕贝克接到的信息是这次开春之后会是接连的夏季秋季然后再有一个夏季,所以要多载来一些劳动力,在接下来适宜的季节里多种植粮食和其他作物.
Leaving behind matters beyond his control, the carriage had already delivered Lübeck home. A wooden cottage stood there, its chimney sending up wisps of smoke—perhaps for warmth, perhaps for cooking. The sun was about to sink behind the small ridge beyond the house. The courtyard was quiet, with the barn and woodpile casting long shadows in the yard beside the cottage.
撇下那些身不由己的事务,马车已经把吕贝克送到了家.木质的小屋,烟囱正冒着缕缕青烟,或许是采暖,或许是在准备食物.一个太阳,也快要隐没于房屋背后的小山梁之下了,小院宁静,谷仓和木柴堆在小屋一边的院子里拉出长长的影子.
Lübeck walked up to the house and stopped, gently knocking on the front door. The one who opened it was his housekeeper, Ruth, who had been with him for many years. She was a thin middle-aged woman with dark brown hair, a high forehead, deep-set eyes, black pupils, narrow cheeks, a pointed chin, and an upturned nose.
吕贝克走到房屋前站定,轻轻敲开了大门,开门的是他家里的女管家,露丝,已经跟随他多年.一位消瘦的中年女士,深棕色头发,高额头深眼窝,黑眼睛,窄脸颊尖下颌,翘翘的鼻子.
Her eyebrows were somewhat heavy, lacking the soft grace typically associated with femininity. Set against the deep-set eyes in her sunken eye sockets, they added an air of mystery and melancholy to her features. In contrast to her facial structure, her lips were full and delicate, stretching straight to her cheeks. This amplified even the slightest twitch or shift at the corners of her mouth.
她的眉毛有些重,少了些女性应有的柔美,对比深眼窝中那双眼睛,又增添几分神秘与忧伤的气质.相对脸型,嘴唇则丰厚柔美,嘴角直抵两腮,使得嘴角的任何细微撬动的表情都被放大了.
After the customary hug and kiss on the cheek to welcome Lübeck home, she too let the corners of her mouth turn up slightly and said,
这次迎接吕贝克回家,礼节性的拥抱亲吻脸颊之后,也是一边嘴角微微翘起,说,
"Welcome back. Emma's in her bedroom looking after the children. Go see her." With that, she released his hand and stepped aside to make way for him toward Emma's room.
"欢迎回来,艾玛在她的卧室,正在带孩子,去看看她吧."说完放开他的手,侧身让出了去往艾玛房间的方向,
Lübeck walked past her, still smiling at her, his left hand resting on her arm. He had always been deeply grateful for her loyalty and companionship.
吕贝克走过她的身边,依然微笑面对着她,左手抚着她的臂膀,一直以来在内心十分感激她的忠诚与陪伴.
Opening Emma's door, she was sitting on the bedside rocking the baby's cradle, lulling him to sleep. Lübeck had a young, beautiful wife. Emma was a second-generation immigrant to Sanctuary, born right here. With blonde hair and dark eyes, her round face and thin lips revealed two front teeth when she laughed or joked, giving her the innocent charm of a marmot. Yet her figure perfectly embodied the ethnic group's overall physique—robust yet feminine, giving her a more mature appearance.
推开艾玛的房门,她正坐在床边推着孩子的摇篮,哄他睡觉.吕贝克有一位年轻美丽的妻子,艾玛已经是庇护之地移民的第二代了,她就出生在这里,金发黑色大眼睛,圆脸上嘴唇较薄,说笑时露出两颗门牙好像天真可爱的土拨鼠.只是她的身材完美继承民族总体特征身材比较健硕又不失女性美感,看起来比较成熟.
When Emma saw Lübeck push open the door and enter the room, she jumped up with joy, calling out his name, yet stifling her excited voice for fear of waking the child.
当艾玛看见吕贝克推门进屋,高兴地跳起来,喊着他的名字,却又压抑着兴奋的声音怕吵醒孩子.
Lübeck swept Emma into his arms as she came toward him, and Emma, perched on tiptoes in his embrace, bounced up and down, saying,
吕贝克一把搂住迎上来的艾玛,而艾玛则在他的臂弯里踮着脚跳啊跳地说,
Erich, both the baby and I miss you.
"埃里希,我和宝宝都想你了,"
"I miss you too," Lübeck said, tightening his arms around her waist as he kissed her lips. His other hand slipped behind her and gave her plump little butt cheek a playful pinch.
"我也想你," 说着吕贝克搂紧她的腰,亲吻她的嘴唇,又一只手在后面偷偷掐了她肉肉的屁蛋儿一把,
After a moment of intimacy, Lübeck whispered softly,
亲热了一会儿,吕贝克轻声说,
"Let go of me. Let me see the child."
"放开我,让我看看孩子吧,"
Emma obediently let go and followed him to the cradle. In the fading light, she saw the child's peaceful sleeping face, which seemed to have changed slightly from just a few days ago. Watching this new life transform day by day, Lübeck sometimes wondered if he should have brought him into this world. Though far from the war, disease, and religious persecution of the European continent, this was still a wild frontier where life was harsh.
艾玛顺从地放手跟在他一边来到摇篮前面,借着仅剩的亮光,看到孩子安睡的脸庞,似乎又比前些天改变了一些模样.看着这个新的生命在一天天地变样,吕贝克有时也会思考是不是应该带他来到这个世界上.虽然远离了欧洲大陆上的战乱疾病与宗教迫害,但是这里同样是个蛮荒之地,过着艰苦的生活.
Mr. Lübeck, would you like some more food? There's some already prepared here.
"吕贝克先生,还需要吃一点食物吗?这里有已经准备好的,"
Lübeck turned around to see Ruth standing in the doorway of the bedroom, asking for his opinion.
吕贝克回头一看,是露丝站在卧室门口正在询问自己意见,
"Sure, you two should have some too," Lübeck said, turning back to look at Emma. What he truly wanted was for the family to be together.
"好啊,你们也一起吃点吧,"说着吕贝克又转回头看看艾玛,其实他更想要的是一家人在一起团聚的时光.
In the living room, by the flickering light of the fireplace, Lübeck pulled Emma to sit beside him, with Ruth seated across from them. The table held only simple fare: bread porridge, cabbage, and eggs. He longed to purchase more food to enrich his wife and daughter's meals, but to maintain social stability in the Sanctuary, he had forbidden his crew from bringing provisions from Europe. He had to lead by example, upholding his authority to ensure orderly governance.
起居室里,借着壁炉摇曳的火光,吕贝克拉着艾玛坐在自己身边,露丝坐在对面,桌面上只有简单的面包燕麦粥,卷心菜和鸡蛋.他也很想购买一些食品丰富自己妻女的餐桌,但是为了庇护之地社会的稳定,他已经禁止了船员们从欧洲采买生活物资到这里,而他自己不得不以身作则,维持自己的威望,稳定社会治理.
At the table, Lübeck ate little, merely going through the motions of a meal at a leisurely pace. Ruth would relay to him the events that had unfolded in the Sanctuary during his absence. As captain—the sole captain of the ship connecting this place to the outside world—he was, by default, its supreme military commander, its highest administrative official, and its chief judge.
餐桌上,吕贝克并没有吃多少,只是不紧不慢地做着用餐动作.露丝会把他外出这段时间庇护之地发生的事情转告给他.他是船长,这里唯一一条与外界联系的船的船长,理所应当的他也就是这里的最高军事指挥官,最高行政官员,同时也是最高法官.
So when he was away, some administrative staff would also deliver official documents here to Ruth. Emma, however, remained entirely uninvolved in these matters—whether due to youth or sheer disinterest—merely watching this man with admiration as he went about his own business.
所以他不在的时候,一些行政下属也会把公文送到这里,交给露丝.而艾玛则完全不参与这些事情,不知是年轻,还是兴趣索然,她只是在一边崇拜地看着这个男人做他自己的一切事情.
"Regarding the proposal for specialized adjustments in planting and animal husbandry, have you heard any feedback from the farmers?" Lübeck asked.
"关于种植和养殖业专业化调整提议,你听到什么农户们的反馈意见了吗?"吕贝克问,
"The main sticking points are the public ownership of assets and compensation issues, the exchange value of various goods, and the question of remuneration for different divisions of labor—it's difficult to reach agreement on these matters," Ruth replied.
"主要还是资产公有化部分和补偿问题,各种物资交换价值,和不同分工报酬问题,不太好达成一致," 露丝回答,
"Yes, resource-rich families are reluctant to relinquish control. Without the pressure of large-scale market dumping or exploitation by monopolistic systems, ordinary people are also prioritizing their own interests. How has the supplementary rationing system been received?"
"是啊,有资源的家族不愿意放手,普通人没有了大规模市场倾销挤压或者垄断体系的剥削,个体们也都在强调自身利益.配套的部分配给制反响如何?"
The commune council is still deliberating, and preliminary results have recently been submitted. Different communes have also conveyed their respective opinions.
"公社议会还在讨论,初步结果最近送过来了,不同的公社也反映了自己的意见."
"Sure, I'll check tomorrow and see if things have calmed down."
"好啊,我明天看看,市面上还安定吗?"
"It's okay, but I heard there's friction between the Schmidt and Bauer families."
"还好,就是听说施密特和鲍尔两大家有摩擦."
"Is it still about the dispute over fields and pastures?"
"还是因为田地和牧场的争执吧?"
"Maybe so,"
"可能是吧,"
"Is it serious?"
"严重吗?"
"Thankfully, it's only injuries."
"还好,只是有人受伤,"
"Actually, my push for partial public ownership is also meant to balance the growing influence of these companies, hoping their relationships won't deteriorate to the point of no return."
"其实我搞部分公有化也是为了平衡一下各方势力逐渐壮大的这几家,希望他们的关系不要恶化到不可收拾."
"Will they hold a grudge against you?" Ruth asked with concern, reaching across the table to take Lübeck's hand.
"他们会不会记恨你?" 露丝关切地问,说着把手伸过桌面抓住了吕贝克的手,
Emma was also curious about Ruth's question and turned to look at him.
艾玛也很好奇露丝的这个问题,也扭头看着他,
"It shouldn't be that bad—the stakes aren't too high," she said, tapping Ruth's fingers with her right thumb while her left hand stroked Emma's cheek, which was turned toward her. She had such a lovely disposition, always wearing that radiant smile that could melt away a day's worth of troubles just by looking at it.
"应该不至于,利益动得不多,"说着一边用露丝握着的右手拇指,扣了扣她的手指,一边用左手抚摸了艾玛望着自己的脸颊.她的性格很好,总是笑盈盈的脸庞,让人看在眼里就能忘记一天的烦恼那种.
Just then, the child suddenly became a bit noisy inside the room—it turned out he had woken up.
这时孩子忽然在屋里有点吵,原来是睡醒了,
"I need to go feed the baby," Emma said, then promptly went back inside to check on the child.
"我得去给孩子喂奶了,"说着艾玛就很麻利地回到屋里去看孩子的情况,
Lübeck glanced back at Ruth again.
吕贝克又回头看看露丝,
"Finished eating? Shall I clear the table?" Ruth asked.
"吃好了吗?我把桌子收拾一下吧?"露丝问,
"Great, thanks for your hard work."
"好啊,辛苦你了,"
Ruth didn't respond, but with a faint smile on her lips, she rose and began packing her things one by one.
露丝没应声,嘴角微微一笑就起身自己一件件收拾了.
Lübeck followed Emma into the room, where she sat on the bed cradling the baby. The child, its mouth full of milk, had stopped fussing.
随后吕贝克跟着艾玛进了屋,她正怀抱孩子坐在床边,孩子的嘴被奶水堵着也不闹了.
Just then Lübeck suddenly remembered something. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a paper package, and handed it to Emma. But Emma had her hands full and couldn't reach out to take it, so she asked,
这时吕贝克忽然想起,用手掏了掏怀里,拿出了一个纸包递给艾玛,可是艾玛占着双手,也不能伸手接,便问
"What the heck?"
"什么呀?"
Lübeck didn't answer either. He opened the paper packet, took a piece, and held it to Emma's lips. Only after Emma chewed it and tasted it did Lübeck tell her,
吕贝克也没回答,打开纸包,拿了一片伸到艾玛唇边,等艾玛嚼到嘴里尝了尝,吕贝克才告诉她,
"How about some dried apples?"
"苹果干,觉得怎么样?"
"Mmm, sweet and sour, delicious."
"嗯,酸酸甜甜的,好吃,"
Seeing that she liked it, Lübeck sat beside her, watching her nurse the child while feeding her something to eat.
见她喜欢,吕贝克便坐在她身旁,一边看着她给孩子喂奶,也一边喂东西给她吃.
At this moment, Ruth from the living room seemed to have finished clearing away dinner. She approached the door to Emma's bedroom, her gaunt figure standing there for a moment before asking,
这时起居室的露丝似乎已经收拾完了晚餐,来到艾玛卧室门口,消瘦的身影站在门口看了一会儿问,
Mr. Lübeck? The bathwater's ready. Would you like to take a bath?
"吕贝克先生?洗澡水好了,要洗个澡吗?"
Before Lübeck could answer, Emma nudged him and said,
还没等吕贝克回答,艾玛推了推推他,说,
Go ahead, you don't need to stay here with me. Wash up and get some rest early.
"你去吧,不用这里陪我,洗好了早点睡觉休息."
Emma was young but wise beyond her years. Lübeck kissed her and then followed Ruth out.
艾玛年纪不大,但是很聪明懂事,吕贝克亲吻了她便跟着露丝出去了.
The wooden tub sat tucked into the corner beside the fireplace. Lübeck walked over to test the water temperature. There wasn't much water in it—he doubted it would rise much higher even if he sat down. The two women had already done so much for him; what right did he have to complain about this small matter? He stripped off his clothes and handed them to Ruth, glancing back at her. Ruth held his garments in one hand while bracing herself against the tub with the other, leaning her body close to the tub as she stood.
洗澡的木桶就在壁炉一侧墙的角落里,吕贝克走过去试了一下水温,水并不多,可能自己坐下去也没有多高水位,两位女子已经为他做了那么多,这点事情他又能有什么怨言呢.脱了衣物交给露丝,回望她一眼.露丝一手托着他的衣物,一手扶着木桶,侧身靠紧木桶站立.
Lübeck gently placed a hand on Ruth's shoulder, stepped into the wooden tub, turned to face her, and drew her slender frame closer with his arm. He kissed her lips lightly, then gazed into her deep, serene eyes—always so calm, save for the faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
吕贝克扶了露丝肩头一下,迈进木桶,回身站立,臂膀轻挽她单薄的身体拉近距离,轻吻她的嘴唇,片刻,凝视她深沉的双眼,总是那么的平静,只有嘴角微微翘起的笑容.