关于死亡我们知道什么 What We Know About Death

阿蒙内特致斯缇科西亚女王的一封回信，其上下文与年代已很难考证。 A response letter from Amunet to the Queen of Styxia, with little context or confirmed date of writing.

致斯缇科西亚女王：关于死亡我们知道什么

To Her Majesty, Queen of Styxia: What We Know About Death

致斯缇科西亚女王：

Your Majesty, Queen of Styxia,

尊敬的女王，数日前您的来信我已经收到。诚如您所言，自从塞纳托斯(死亡之泰坦)在翁法罗斯诞生以来，不死的黄金岁月已然成为了过去。而我相信，我们也再无机会回到那个时代了。

Your Majesty, I've received your letter from a few days ago. Truly, as you have stated, the immortal Golden Age has become a thing of the past since the birth of Thanatos(Death Titan) on Amphoreus. I believe that we shall never return to that era again.

我知道，在其他的城邦看来，哀地里亚信仰｢死亡｣一事着实令人畏惧。这并不难理解，对于｢死亡｣的排斥或许来源于生命更底层的逻辑。您在来信中提到，您想要了解｢死亡｣，并且希望得到我对于｢永生之苦｣的解答。这实属让我受宠若惊，我知道永生者和有死者眼里的世界截然不同，也没有把握能够给经历漫长岁月的您提供什么有用的建议。但是既然您渴求一个答案，那么我还是在这里斗胆谈谈我的看法。

I am aware that the faith in "death" held by Aidonians is viewed with trepidation by other city-states. This is not difficult to comprehend, for the aversion to "death" may stem from a deeper logic inherent to life itself. In your letter, you expressed a desire to understand "death" and sought my thoughts on the "torment of immortality." I am truly humbled by your request. I am aware that immortals and mortals perceive the world very differently, and I am uncertain if any counsel I can offer is worthy of one who has witnessed all the ages. But since you seek an answer, then an answer I will attempt to produce, with my reflections on the topic.

我想简单的总结为一句话就是：因为万事万物终有终结的一天，于是万事万物也就都有了意义，生命也就有了意义。这就是我们如此信仰和爱戴｢死亡｣的原因。它如此的简单，但也如此的复杂。如果您对此感兴趣，还请劳烦我再多念叨几句。

In essence, I would summarize it as thus: It is because all things must end one day that all things gain meaning, and therein lies the meaning of life. This is why we devote ourselves to "death" and revere it. It is a simple yet complicated concept. If this intrigues you, then please allow me to elaborate further.

在哀地里亚，每一年过去我们都会向孩子们献上祝福，祝愿他们距离｢死亡｣更近了一步。我们会举办各种仪式和节日（例如他们的成人礼），去纪念生命中的每一个特殊和重要的时刻，因为我们知道那些过去的事物在我们短暂的人生中难以有机会再次重现。我们会在离别时向自己的所爱之人郑重告别，会在一天结束时祝福彼此能够明天再见，也会在夜晚入梦前在耳边道上一句晚安。

In Aidonia, we offer blessings to our children every year, congratulating them for taking another step toward "death." We hold various ceremonies and holidays (such as their coming-of-age rites) to commemorate every special and pivotal moment in life, for we know that what has passed may never manifest again in our fleeting existence. We make heartfelt farewells to our loved ones at departure, wish for one more tomorrow with each other at the end of the day, and whisper goodnight before we are taken by our nightly dreaming.

我们会因为失去而悲伤，也就会因为获得而欢乐。于是我们就学会了珍惜，并且会因为珍惜而感到喜悦，即便对于永生者们来说，这喜悦是短暂的。是的，这听起来会有些荒谬，但事实的确如此，是｢死亡｣带给了我们喜悦。

We grieve our losses, and consequently, rejoice in our gains. We learn how to cherish things this way, and from this cherish comes bliss, even if this bliss is fleeting for immortals. Yes, this may sound absurd, but it is true nonetheless: It is "death" that brings us joy.

但是，对于你们及其所有曾生活在黄金时代的永生者们来说，一切就都不一样了。

But for you and all immortals who lived through the Golden Age, there is a world of difference.

例如，我听说在斯缇科西亚从未有过什么庄重的仪式或是节日，甚至根本不存在能够被冠以｢庄严的｣、｢挽歌式的｣、｢纪念式的｣等形容的事物。因为那本身并无必要。在漫长的岁月当中，没有什么东西是重要的，同样也没有什么东西是值得纪念的。在永生者看来，一切的行为和思想都不过是从遥远的过去传来的回响，并且坚信会继续传播至永恒的未来。

For instance, I heard that in Styxia, there are never solemn ceremonies or holidays, or even anything that could be described as "reverent," "elegiac," or "commemorative," because such things are unnecessary. In the long span of immortality, nothing is of great import, and thus, nothing is worth commemorating. To immortals, all actions and thoughts are but echoes from a distant past, destined to reverberate into the future eternal.

所谓｢太阳底下无新事，一切的新奇皆来自遗忘｣。我想对于经历过一切并且仍要不断经历一切的永生者们来说，万物不过都是无趣无味的旧物。倘若永生者真有什么称得上是｢乐趣｣，那的确不是我等受迫于死亡之人能够理解的了。

As the saying goes, "There is nothing new under the sun. All novelty springs from forgetfulness." I believe that, for the immortals who have experienced everything and must continue to experience everything, all things are but dull and tasteless relics. If there are things to be considered "entertaining" by the immortals, they are surely beyond the understanding of us mortals bound by death.

我想到这里答案已经呼之欲出了：若想要摆脱您先前在信件里提到的｢永生之苦｣，我给出的答案就是｢死亡｣。早在塞纳托斯(死亡之泰坦)刚刚行走于翁法罗斯的大地之初，就有哲学家提出｢永生｣不过是一种诅咒，延长生命的寿命本质上不过是重复枯燥乏味之事。事实上持有这些观点的人或许就是哀地里亚这座城邦的最初建城者。

I believe by now the answer is made clear: To escape the "torment of immortality" you mentioned in your letter, the answer I offer is "death." From the moment Thanatos(Death Titan) first walked the lands of Amphoreus, philosophers have argued that "immortality" is but a curse, and that extending life, in essence, is but repeating the mundane. In fact, those who held such views may have been the founders of Aidonia itself.

在｢死亡｣的威胁之下，我们会看重每一次选择，因为每一次的选择对于我们来说都蕴含着｢覆水难收｣和｢无法挽回｣的意味。曾有哲学家提出过我们的人生处于一种｢永恒轮回｣的状态，这意味着你的每一次选择都会在永恒的轮回中被无限次放大，再细微的差距都会改变你轮回的人生。我想作为永生者，大抵是很难感受到其中的不能承受之重吧？

Under the threat of "death," we weigh every choice carefully, for each choice implies something "irreversible" and "irrecoverable." Some philosophers once suggested that our lives exist in a state of "eternal cycle," meaning every choice you make is infinitely magnified in this eternal cycle, and even the smallest deviation can alter your life therein. I imagine it to be difficult for an immortal to empathize with the unbearable weight implied.

我们知道我们经历的这些时刻并不是永恒，甚至不是永恒的组成部分。不过是一些捉摸不定的幻影。我们如朝露般的生命中的每一次举动都有可能是最后一次，每一张面孔都会像梦中所见那般模糊消失。

We know that the moments we experience are not eternal, nor can they even be considered segments of eternity. They are but fleeting illusions. Every action in this delicate life can be our last, and every face will blur and fade like those seen once upon a dream.

因此，我尊敬的女王陛下。如若您要问我对于｢死亡｣的理解，还请我斗胆将其理解为对于｢生命｣的理解，因为它们不过是同一件事。而在生命这场旅途之中，｢死亡｣并不是我们最终要抵达的地方，而是一件需要我们随身携带的行李。若您还存在不理解的地方，请勿急躁，我想我将会在不久后拜访斯缇科西亚。彼时我会告诉你我所知的一切。

Therefore, Your Majesty, if you ask me my understanding of "death," then permit me to define it with my understanding of "life," for they are one and the same. And in this journey of life, "death" is not our final destination, rather, a piece of luggage we must carry. If confusion still troubles you, please do not fret. I am expecting a visit to Styxia in the near future. Then, I will tell you all that I know.

最后还请我以一句哀地里亚本地的祝福语作为结束：愿你我皆被笼罩在塞纳托斯(死亡之泰坦)的阴影下，因为那将教会我们什么是光明。

Finally, allow me to conclude with an Aidonian blessing: May the shadow of Thanatos(Death Titan) shroud us so we may learn the splendor of light.

哀地里亚

Aidonia

阿蒙内特

Amunet