涯海星槎胜览 • 朱明仙舟 Views of the Universe from a Starskiff: The Xianzhou Zhuming

仙舟著名飞行士白珩留下的游记著作集中的一篇，记录着她出使朱明仙舟的始末。 A chapter from the travelogues left behind by Baiheng, famous pilot of the Xianzhou. It records her entire trip as an ambassador to the Xianzhou Zhuming.

（其一） (I)

太奶奶有云：「平生不见朱明火，飞遍星海也枉然」。

Great-grandma said: "If I ne'er live to see the fires of Zhuming, then all my wanderings of the cosmos would be for naught."

哈哈，现在想来，她老人家类似这般文墨不通（这是可以说的吗？）的口头禅真的很多很多。什么「平生不见塔拉萨水晶宫」「平生不见庇尔波因特」「平生不见螺丝星」等等等等……总之，被她夸过的地方多半有值得飞去一看的奇景，如果这地方是联盟自己的地盘，那对飞行士来说更是没有不去的理由了。

Hah, now that I think about it — she always has a whole load of cheesy habits of speech just like this (can I say that?). Going on about how "If I ne'er live to see the crystal palace of Thalassa" or "Ne'er live to see Pier Point" or "Ne'er live to see Planet Screwllum"... Basically, everywhere she praised probably has sights worth seeing. And if it's on the Alliance's turf, then there's nothing stopping a pilot from going there.

但在被强行派去那儿前，朱明仙舟在我心目中始终是个能不去就不去的地方——要问为什么？那当然是因为先入为主，觉着这就是个遍地高温，处处着火的大锻炉。

But before I was forced to visit, the Xianzhou Zhuming has always been a place I thought was better avoided — why? It's because of the preconceived ideas I held, thinking that it is a blazing hot furnace constantly on fire everywhere.

咱从受训第一课起，就被天舶司教官耳提面命「毛多弱火」。出任务往返要喷涂辟火油膏那是狐人飞行士必不可少的准备工作。你就说我怵不怵「朱明」仙舟吧？

It's drilled into us from day one at the Sky-Faring Commission that "fire beats fur every time." A key part of being a foxian pilot involves spraying ourselves with fire retardant gel before each sortie. So, I have pretty good reasons to be scared of the Zhuming, right?

但被派往朱明的日子还是不可避免地来了。曜青「鹤羽卫」在欧文利等星球周边与丰饶民的战事胶着，延阻了主力的攻势。军务厅将我和其余十二人组成使节团，塞进一艘运输天艟，送往「朱明」请求援兵和军器。

But the day of my mission to the Zhuming inevitably arrived. The Yaoqing's Heroncrest Fleet was tied up in conflict against the Denizens of Abundance in proximity to Owenley and other closeby planets, stalling their main forces. The Military Affairs Office put me into a delegation with another dozen people and stuffed us into a Navis Astriger headed for the Zhuming to request arms and reinforcements.

隔着舷窗我第一次看到了自己想像中的这座大锻炉——不，它根本和锻炉毫无关系。朱明仙舟犹如一株精雕细镂的黄金泽芝，巨大伸展的发光箔叶围绕作为主干的锥形天城渐次展开，沐浴在一颗淡蓝恒星的光芒下，一派宁定祥和。

Through the porthole, I bore witness for the first time this huge furnace — no, it had nothing to do with any kind of furnace at all. The Xianzhou Zhuming was like an intricately-carved golden lotus, gradually unfolding its lustrous leaves around the cone-shaped central hull, bathed blue under the light of an azure star. It was peaceful and tranquil.

「这…也是仙舟？怎么看也和学会记录里描述的『天上楼船』毫无关系啊。」一旁来自博识学会的交流学者半是感叹半是问询地看向我，顺便道出了我的心声。

"Is this... also a Xianzhou ship? This is nothing like those Flying Skyboats we've learned in the Guild's records." The exchange scholar from the Intelligentsia Guild next to me looked at me half-astounded, half-curious, as she vocalized just what I was thinking.

「是啊，看来打造这艘船的工匠师傅们，不仅是形式自由派，还是定义自由派。」我打了个哈哈，毕竟已经过了七千多年，最初启航的那些巨大移民船早已被其上的居民改造的面目全非了。（哲学上有个类似的命题，叫什么来着？波尔卡之船？不对，也许是螺丝修斯之船？）

"Yeah, seems like the craftmasters who built this ship were not only liberal in form, but also liberal in definition." I laughed. After all, it has been over seven thousand years since those huge migrant vessels set sail, and the residents have completely transformed them beyond all recognition. (There's a similar concept in philosophy. What is it called again? The Ship of Polka? No, the Ship of Screwseus?)

也不怪她，人们对于没去过的地方总是怀有先入为主之见，我不也这样吗？

I don't blame her, though. People always form preconceived notions about places they've never been to. I'm no different, right?

想象中的朱明仙舟是个粗笨的大锻炉，到处飞溅着火星，还有肌肉贲突的工匠师傅们梆梆敲打锻锤——对不住，我飞了太多低文明的世界，全然忘记了仙舟的工造技术有多发达了，而朱明是诸仙舟中最擅工巧的那一座。

In my imagination, the Zhuming was this big clumsy furnace, with sparks spattering everywhere and muscular craftsmen smashing their blacksmith hammers down — I'm sorry. I've obviously been to too many worlds with a low level of civilization, and have completely forgotten that Xianzhou artifex technology is on the bleeding edge, with the Zhuming being among the most advanced of all.

在踏入「光明天」的星槎港口时，这一点感受尤为鲜明：踏进这里时凉爽得像是浸入一潭池水。光线被滤了一遍，流淌成舒适的蜜色。巨大的星槎渡航平台似是以一整块大到没边的月长石雕凿而成。更叫人咋舌的是，构成这座建筑的桁梁骨架全都天衣无缝地嵌在这座港口中——仿佛是从矿石肌理中自然生长出来的金属经络。

This feeling is most evident when stepping onto the starskiff port named "Radiant Zenith." It was like dipping into a cool, fresh pool of water with light filtered into a comfortable, soothing honey-yellow. The vast starskiff platform seemed to be entirely chiseled out of a single block of moonstone so big that it disappeared over the horizon. Even more astonishing was the seamless integration of the structure's frame into the port — as if it was an array of metal organically sprouting from the minerals below.

毫无疑问，这种对匠艺自豪又任性地展示是刻意为之，只为了扭转外人初来乍到前对朱明仙舟的诸多无端想像。

Without a doubt, this proud and blatant display of craftsmanship was sculpted deliberately to debunk any biased ideas Outworlders might have formed before they arrived on the Zhuming.

而被派来迎接使团的工造司师傅领头的是一个外表仅有十几岁的娃娃。

And the person that the Artisanship Commission leader sent to welcome our delegation was a little kid barely in his teens.

「怀、怀炎师傅派我在此接候诸位……」

"M—Master Huaiyan sent me here to receive you..."

这把怯生生的稚嫩嗓音，也不是尖耳朵，显然不是发育迟缓的持明「老小孩」。这么说起来，他应该是怀炎大人的私淑弟子，不知他从哪儿捞出来的天才小娃娃。

This shy and juvenile voice and the lack of pointy ears showed no possibility of him being a "child-looking elder," a Vidyadhara with delayed physical development. Now that I think about it, he must be a personal disciple of Master Huaiyan. A wunderkind plucked from who knows where.

「朱明工造司匠人…应星，见过使团各位大人。怀炎师傅为了整备军器的活忙得不可开交。因此派我来接待你们。其实…我手头活计也很多，又不像仙人们能活很久，所以，请各位快些随我来，咱们把流程交接完毕吧。」

"Greetings, esteemed delegation guests. I'm a craftsman of the Zhuming Artisanship Commission... My name is Yingxing. Master Huaiyan is busy with the preparation of new armaments and has sent me in his place to receive you. In fact... I also have lots of work to do, and won't live very long unlike the celestials on the Xianzhou. So please, if you'd hurry along behind me, then we can complete the handover process faster."

这个接待我们的小小匠人，竟是个短生种？我已经惊讶的有些疲惫了。朱明仙舟到底还打算怎么出我意料呢？

This craftsman welcoming us was actually a short-life species? I was nearly fatigued from surprise already. How else did the Xianzhou Zhuming plan on surprising me?

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（其二） (II)

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名唤应星的孩子是个外来求艺的短生种。一路上我花了些时间和这害羞的小子深入攀谈，才问出他的来历（他看起来有些缺乏自信，但小孩子还是得多加鼓励才肯和你交心啊）。

The kid called Yingxing turned out to be a short-life species and an Outworlder, here to learn his craft. I spent a lot of time buttering up this shy kid on the way before I learned of his background (he seemed a little insecure, but kids would always need a little encouragement before opening up to you).

正如求药使们会络绎不绝地奔向罗浮而去，对渴望求学治艺的人来说，朱明是不逊于庇尔波因特和螺丝星（也许还有其他什么技术圣地我不知道）的匠作学府。从星海各处来到朱明求取技术的化外民不可计数，他们中大多数都会在学成后回归故里，将知识传播给同胞们。但应星不同，他已无家可归。

Just as Elixir Seekers rush to the Luofu in a neverending stream, so too is the Zhuming up there with Pier Point and Screwllum for craft apprentices (or any other holy sites for manufacturing excellence that I may not be aware of). Countless Outworlders come to the Zhuming from all over the cosmos to study skills, and most return to their homelands afterward to disseminate those learnings. But not Yingxing. He has no homeland to which he may return.

他的故乡被步离人的舰队摧毁，转化成了武器牧场——我知道那意味着什么样的结局，这个孩子的血亲同胞会成为毫无尊严的块肉，成为那些山一般的器兽的养料。于是这个死里逃生的孩子在抵达仙舟后，就只为一个目标努力：他努力学着为云骑铸造武器，发誓要将那些恐怖的妖孽斩草除根。他很了不得，小小年纪竟然获得了匠人资格的认可。

His homeland was destroyed by the borisin and transformed into one of their weapons nurseries. I knew what that meant. This kid's family will become literal pieces of meat with no dignity, nutrient to those mountainous mechabeasts. And upon arriving at the Xianzhou, so fresh from escaping the clutches of death, this child pledged to strive toward one goal and one goal only: To learn how to make weapons for the Cloud Knights to root out those terrifying and malicious monsters. He was incredible at his work, earning his accolades, and now entitled to be called a craftsman at such a young age.

「不过……司部里的其他仙人师傅都说，我还远远不够。」

"However... Other celestial masters tell me I've still got a long way to go."

「不是缺了劲头，也不是缺了心眼……」

"It's not that I'm lacking in enthusiasm or motivation..."

「而是，我没法像他们那样活很久很久……我能学到的知识始终有限。」

"It's just that I can't keep living on and on like they can... So my knowledge is always going to be limited."

「也许，我这辈子都看不到能为爹娘报仇雪恨的那一天了。」

"Maybe I'll never even live to see the day my parents are avenged."

看着他沮丧的样子，我有点心疼。

Seeing his dejected look made me feel dispirited.

「别听老家伙们胡说八道，他们呀可不是什么仙人，他们就是嫉妒你呢。」

"Just ignore all those old guys. Pfft, they're no celestial! They're just jealous of you!"

「短短几十年就离世的绝世天才在天才俱乐部里可不少见！人家的成果照样是件件震动寰宇。活得长活得短，和人的成就有什么关系？」

"Short-lived geniuses who only live a few dozen years are actually a dime a dozen in the Genius Society! Their achievements are still glorious enough to shake the entire cosmos. What difference does it make to your achievements, whether you're a long-life or a short-life species?"

「你只要一心干你想干的事业，成不成什么的都是天意哩。」

"Just focus on what you want to do, and let fate take its course."

小伙子的神情似乎开朗了些。他突然又摇了摇头。「老家伙也不都是胡说八道！怀炎师傅…他就很尊重我，他教我的东西可多了！」

The kid seemed to have a brighter expression on his face. Suddenly, he shook his head once more. "But I shouldn't ignore everything said by those old guys! Master Huaiyan... He respects me a lot, and has taught me a lot, too!"

这样的天赐大恨，这样的可怜身世，这样的早慧资赋，我忍不住就上手摸了摸那孩子的脑袋。但他似乎一眼就看穿我心里转的念头，用自己小小的手盖在了我的手上，宽慰似地拍了拍。像是突然回过神来，他想起了自己此行的目的。

Such vengeance bestowed by cruel fate, such a piteous backstory, and such precocious endowment... I couldn't help but pat the kid on the head. But he seemed to see right through me in a second, covering up my hand with his own smaller one and patting it in comfort. As if suddenly returning to his senses, he remembered the purpose of his visit.

「呃…唔…师傅叮嘱，要带你们先去焰轮铸炼宫参观一番。」

"Uh... Um... My master urged me to take you on a visit to the Flamewheel Forge."

「按流程缓急，咱是不是应该先谈谈援兵和军器的事情？」

"Should we get down to business and talk about the reinforcements and weapons first?"

「我…我也只是按怀炎师傅的要求行事而已。」

"I... I'm just passing on Master Huaiyan's orders."

「冶炉炼千星，点铁赋英灵。斗光奋戎威，铦铓保宴宁。」铸炼宫的正厅挂着这么几句诗。

"Forges wrought a million stars bright, irons craft heroes' soaring flight. Miniscule lights into martial might made, only with sharp blades are peace and plenty saved." These verses hang in adornment in the main hall of the Flamewheel Forge.

按《上国梦华录》的记载，佚名的古国皇帝曾将一具武器铸模作为启航的礼物赠予朱明的大匠作阳翟。此物流传至今，是为铸炼宫的镇宫至宝。举凡仙舟巡猎所需兵仗，十之六七均由朱明工造司所出——而朱明工造司的根基之地，便是我们眼下身处的这座焰轮铸炼宫。

The Records of the Early Nation showed that an unknown emperor of the Primeval Imperium days once gifted the master craftsman of the Zhuming, Yang Di, with a weapons-casting mold in honor of its maiden voyage. To this day it remains, passed down through the ages to be pride of place in the palace. Some sixty or seventy percent of all the Xianzhou's armory comes from the artisans of the Zhuming — and the Flamewheel Forge is the foundational base of the Zhuming's Artisanship Commission, in which we stood.

同行的朋友们对这场奇怪的安排颇为不解。怀炎把我们带到这儿，是要给我们展示军器铸造珍贵不易，借此来同曜青讨价还价？他派个孩子领路，是暗含拒绝的意思？

My peers on the trip were perplexed by this strange arrangement. Had Huaiyan brought us here to show off how precious his forged weapons were, and to use that as a bargaining chip with the Yaoqing? Did he send a kid because he was planning on rejecting us?

一想到要辩论，我有些心绪烦躁。在别人地头上，心里就算不满也不可以说出来——这是太奶奶教我的保命绝招。我打定主意，直到怀炎见我们，否则绝对不开口表达不满！

The thought of possibly engaging in debates made me irritable. You can't just go complainin' on somebody else's turf — that's something my great-grandma always taught me to save my hide. I made up my mind there to not express any dissatisfaction until Huaiyan met with us personally!

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（其三） (III)

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小应星带着我们坐船来到一座幽暗的环形大殿入口。他随手抓起一张纸，三两下折成飞鸟状，说了句话，纸偶迅速拍翅飞远。片刻后，仿佛某处机关得到了通令，大殿四周响起了如山崩般的震动。环形的殿壁不断分离、收缩，渐渐只剩下我们脚下的大殿基座，不知何方射入的光芒照的满室生辉。

Little Yingxing took us by boat to the entrance of a dark circular hall. He produced a piece of paper, casually folding it into the shape of a bird and with a few words, it flew off swiftly, wings flapping. Moments later, the ground shook all around the hall as if some device had been activated, and sounds as loud as a landslide could be heard. The curved walls of the hall rapidly began to separate and shrink, and gradually all that remained beneath our feet was the base of the hall. A light shone in from seemingly nowhere, bathing the room in a glow.

整个使团的人几乎抱在一起，吓得直喘气。半晌，我们意识到自己所在的殿堂正飘浮在看不见的轨道上，我们的脚下，是一团有如恒星般耀眼的光体。我们就像攀附在一块陨石上，沿着天体轨道缓缓运转，飘浮在这团「太阳」的上方。

The entire delegation almost hugged each other, so terrified were we all. Soon we came to realize that this hall we were in was floating along an invisible orbit, with a dazzling light as bright as a star below us. It was like clinging onto a meteorite as we hurtled slowly along the orbit's path like a celestial body around this "sun."

这团光芒不停律动着，变化着，仿佛一颗会说话的心脏。

This ball of light rays kept on pulsing, shifting continually like a talking heart.

它在说话。它确实会说话！

It was talking. It was actually talking!

「太阳」的每一缕光都在跳动着，犹如激越的湍流，又像是自太古压抑至今的勃然怒意，撕咬着，低吼着，试图钻进我的意识里。一瞬间，无数景象如同被风打翻在地的书页，疯狂卷过，涌入我的识海：

Every ray of light from the "sun" was beating, as if undergoing intense turbulence. Or rather, like a fury suppressed since ancient times, gnarling and gnashing as it tried to drill into to my consciousness. In an instant, a flood of scenes well up and rampage through my mind, like a book with pages flipping in the wind:

——一株看不见边际的「树」自天垂下洞破星空的枝梢。

— A "tree" with no boundaries suspended upside down from the heavens, its branches piercing the starry sky.

——真空中，喷吐日月光辉的舰船如飞萤奔逐流火，涌向变幻无定的血肉，还有双翼伸展的人形禽鸟……

— In a vacuum, which ships spewing light as bright as suns flew like fireflies chasing a flame, pouring towards an undulating flesh. There are even winged humanoids, with their wings outstretched...

——我听到传讯耳坠里传来云车与星槎坠毁前的嘶吼，「卫蔽仙舟！」「云骑长胜！」……

— Through my earphones, I hear the howl of Cloud Knight from inside starskiff and transport vehicles moments before they crash, "Defend the Xianzhou!" "Victory to the Cloud Knights!"...

——数百米高的金人巨像踱踏着阔步，伸出寒铁手臂与长有无数眼球、锐齿与胶质血肉的巨兽互角。

— A colossal aurumaton, towering hundreds of meters high as it stalks and strides, stretching out cold metal arms to duel a giant gelatinous beast of meat, teeth, and countless eyeballs.

——天空中，神采照人的战士们手持发出炽热死亡的枪戟与长弓，他们中每一个的基因似乎都受到过雕琢和筛选，拥有超越如今仙舟人的力量与俊美。

— In the sky stand radiant warriors, holding spears and longbows radiating fiery death. Their every gene seem to have been sculpted and filtered to grant them a strength and beauty surpassing that of modern Xianzhou people.

——更令人震悚的是，他们的身上披着非自然的火焰，仿佛是他们内心勇气与愤怒的具现。他们一遍遍冲锋，一个个没入无边的黑暗，他们再也没有回来……

— Even more terrifying is that their bodies are covered in an unnatural flame, as if embodying their innermost courage and rage. They charge one-by-one, over and over into the formless void, never to return...

「……结成此誓，信守不渝！」光芒如此咆哮着，在耳边鸣动。

"...Take this oath, and keep it forever!" The rays of light roared, leaving my ears ringing.

「诸位！紧守心神，不可直视『燧皇』！」

"Everyone! Steel yourselves — and don't look directly at the Flint Emperor!"

一道焦悍如雷的声音在大殿上方响起，有人以杖顿地，钝重的金属嗡鸣后，仿佛有看不见的屏障升起，迅速隔绝了充斥这座大殿的光明与幻觉，让这座殿堂回到了最初幽静的模样。所有人从神思迷乱中醒了过来。

A voice like the ferocious clap of thunder resounded above the main hall. Someone stomped a heavy staff into the floor, and after the metal hum subsided, it was like an invisible barrier rose up to swiftly block out the light beams and projections filling the hall — sending it back to its original quiet state. All awoke from their state of confusion.

铸炼宫的主人，仙舟最长寿之人，工匠中的工匠——怀炎姗姗来迟。

The master of the Flamewheel Forge, also the longest-lived human aboard the Xianzhou, a master among craftsmasters — Huaiyan, had finally arrived.

「原打算嘱咐小徒将各位带到此处，谈谈兵器与援手之事。没成想他却忘了遮住这轮『伪阳』，险些让各位受其迷惑，是老夫之过，向各位赔罪。」

"I told my apprentice to bring you all here for a talk about weapons and support. I didn't think he would forget to cover up this Pseudo Sun, and nearly got you all stupefied. The fault is entirely my own, and I apologize to each and every one of you."

怀炎以山岳般的步伐踏上不断凌空显形的阶梯，缓缓踱到了我们面前。

Huaiyan strode with mountainous steps up the staircase that appeared from thin air. Gradually, he arrived before us.

「青瑛司舵的请求我收到了。曜青折冲不利，朱明不能自外于战局，徒作壁上观。」

"I have received Helm Master Qingying's request. The Yaoqing is having trouble fighting off the enemy, and the Zhuming can't just stand by idly and watch from the sidelines."

但是——接下来他该说但是了。按照各仙舟所处的境况不同，若遇被强敌追击、围困或有休养生息之必要，该仙舟保有是否出兵援手的自决权。对我们带来的请求，他会给出什么回绝的理由？

But — there has to be a "but" incoming — when faced with attack from a formidable foe or a need to recuperate, every Xianzhou retains their own right to decide whether or not to send reinforcements. What reason will he give to turn down this request of ours?

「朱明不缺军器，我会按青瑛的要求拨给三百座斗舰，两万件雷弩与两万柄阵刀。但——朱明仙舟正有自己除魔扫秽的重任要执行。」

"The Zhuming wants not for arms. I will allocate you three hundred fighter jets, twenty thousand thunder crossbows, and twenty thousand devastator glaives based on Qingying's request. But we, the Zhuming, have our own hands full with eradicating filth."

「而关于援手一事，我能拨给各位等同贵使团人数的援兵！」

"So as for reinforcements, I can give you a number equal to the size of your delegation!"

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