“That had to be the longest party in the history of the world!” I complained on the way home.
“这会是世界历史上最漫长的派对！”我在回家的路上抱怨道。
Edward didn’t seem to disagree. “It’s over now,” he said, rubbing my arm soothingly.
爱德华似乎不同意我的看法，“现在已经结束了。”他说道，抚慰地摸摸我的胳膊。
Because I was the only one who needed soothing. Edward was fine now — all the Cullens were fine.
因为我是唯一一个需要安抚的人，爱德华现在好了——卡伦家的所有人都好了。
They’d all reassured me; Alice reaching up to pat my head as I left, eyeing Jasper meaningfully until a flood of peace swirled around me, Esme kissing my forehead and promising me everything was all right, Emmett laughing boisterously and asking why I was the only one who was allowed to fight with werewolves… Jacob’s solution had them all relaxed, almost euphoric after the long weeks of stress. Doubt had been replaced with confidence. The party had ended on a note of true celebration.
他们都安慰着我：我走的时候爱丽丝跑过来拍拍我的头，意味深长地看着贾斯帕，直到我被一阵平静的旋涡包围了；埃斯梅吻了我的额头，并且保证不会有事的；埃美特兴高采烈地大笑着问我为什么是唯一一个被允许与狼人们一起作战的人……雅各布的解决方案使他们全都放松下来，经过漫长的几个星期的紧张不安之后几乎变成了一种欣快症。怀疑被自信所取代，派对在一种真正意义上的庆祝曲调中结束。
Not for me.
对我而言不是。
Not Jacob, too. Not his foolish, eager brothers — most of them even younger than I was. They were just oversized, over-muscled children, and they looked forward to this like it was picnic on the beach. I could not have them in danger, too. My nerves felt frayed and exposed. I didn’t know how much longer I could restrain the urge to scream out loud.
对雅各布也不好。还有他那些愚蠢而又急不可耐的兄弟——他们大多数人比我年纪还要小，他们只不过是个头过大、肌肉过于发达的孩子，而且他们对这种事情的向往就好像要去沙滩上野餐一样。我不能让他们也身处险境，我的神经感到害怕，就快爆炸了。我不知道我还能撑多久，不让自己大声叫出来。
Bad enough — horrible — that the Cullens would fight for me. It was already too much that I would have to allow that. It already felt like more than I could bear.
够糟糕的是——简直可怕的——卡伦家族要为了我而战斗。这已经大大超过了我能允许的程度，我感觉这已经超过了我能忍受的范围。
He frowned. “This is an experiment. I’m not sure if it will be possible for us all to… cooperate. I don’t want you in the middle of that.”
他皱着眉头：“这是个实验。我不确定对我们而言是否可能……合作。我不想你夹在中间。”
It took a few more shakes, and his eyes never did open all the way, but I managed to get him off the couch. I helped him up to his bed, where he collapsed on top of the covers, fully dressed, and started snoring again.
我又摇了好几次，不管怎样他都没睁开眼睛，但是我勉强把他弄下睡椅，搀扶着他躺在床上，他瘫倒在被褥上面，衣服也没脱，又开始打鼾了。
His eyes tightened. That was a low blow, and I knew it. But there was no way I was being left behind.
他绷紧了眼睛。那是一个小小的打击，我知道，但是把我扔下是不可能的。
As if that didn’t make me all the more anxious to go. “If you won’t take me, then I’ll call Jacob.”
这似乎只会让我更加迫不及待地想去：“如果你不带我去，那么我就叫雅各布带我去。”
He didn’t answer; we were at Charlie’s house now. The front light was on.
他没有回答，现在我们已经到了查理家了。前门的灯还是亮着的。
He grumbled, eyes still closed.
他咕哝着，仍然闭着眼睛。
I tiptoed in the front door. Charlie was asleep in the living room, overflowing the too small sofa, and snoring so loudly I could have ripped a chainsaw to life and it wouldn’t have wakened him.
我蹑手蹑脚地走过前门。查理在起居室里睡着了，瘫在狭小的沙发上，鼾声雷动，就算我启动链锯也不会吵醒他的。
I shook his shoulder vigorously.
我用力摇了摇他的肩膀。
I whispered now, to keep my voice under control. “You’re taking me with you tonight.”
我现在是在耳语了，这样才能控制住自己的语气：“今天晚上你要带我去。”
“Dad! Charlie!”
我用力地摇摇他的肩膀：“爸爸！查理！”
“Bella, you’re worn out.”
“贝拉，你累坏了。”
“I’m home now — you’re going to hurt your back sleeping like that. C’mon, time to move.”
“我现在到家了——像这样睡觉会弄痛您的腰的。来吧，该换个地方了。”
“You think I could sleep?”
“你认为我能睡着吗？”
“See you upstairs,” I muttered.
“楼上见。”我低声说道。
He tucked my quilt in around me, and then held me close. “Please relax.”
他替我掖好被子，接着紧紧地抱着我：“求你放松。”
Edward waited in my room while I washed my face and changed into jeans and a flannel shirt. He watched me unhappily from the rocking chair as I hung the outfit Alice had given me in my closet.
爱德华在房间里等我洗脸，换上牛仔服，法兰绒裙子。他坐在摇椅上，不高兴地看着我把爱丽丝送给我的全套行头挂在衣橱里。
I pushed him down on the bed and then curled up against his chest. Maybe he was right and I was tired enough to sleep. I wasn’t going to let him sneak off without me.
我把他推倒在床上，接着蜷缩着趴在他的胸脯上。或许他是对的，我真的累得要睡觉了，我不打算让他不带上我就偷偷溜走。
“Come here,” I said, taking his hand and pulling him to my bed.
“过来。”我说道，拉住他的手，把他拉到我的床上。
“Sure.”
“当然。”
He wasn’t going to be looking for me anytime soon.
在短时间内他是不会来找我的。
He was still radiating relief. Nobody but me cared if Jacob and his friends got hurt. Not even Jacob and his friends. Especially not them.
他仍然沉浸在欣慰之中。除了我没有人关心雅各布和他的朋友们是否受伤。就连雅各布和他的朋友们都不担心自己，特别是他们。
“This is going to work, Bella. I can feel it.”
“这样会起作用的，贝拉，我感觉得到。”
He could tell I was about to lose it. “Listen to me, Bella. This is going to be easy. The newborns will be completely taken by surprise. They’ll have no more idea that werewolves even exist than you did. I’ve seen how they act in a group, the way Jasper remembers. I truly believe that the wolves’ hunting techniques will work flawlessly against them. And with them divided and confused, there won’t be enough for the rest of us to do. Someone may have to sit out,” he teased.
他明白我就要睡着了：“听我说，贝拉，这样会很容易的。新生的吸血鬼完全不会设防，他们不知道狼人的存在，比你知道的还要少。我看见过他们是怎样集体行动的，按照贾斯帕记得的那种方式，我真的相信狼人们的狩猎技巧用来对付他们是完美无瑕的。他们被分散、被迷惑之后，就不会有足够的事情让我们其他人来做了，有人说不定还得坐在这里呢。”他开玩笑地说道。
My teeth locked together.
我的牙齿紧紧咬合在一起。
“Shhh,” he stroked my cheek. “You’ll see. Don’t worry now.”
“嘘，”他抚摸着我的脸颊，“你会明白的，现在别担心。”
I did not fall asleep. The minutes passed quickly, to my surprise, and I was still alert and tense when Edward pulled us both up into a sitting position.
我没有睡着。时间一分一秒过得很快，令我惊讶的是，爱德华让我们俩都起身坐起来的时候，我仍然很警觉。
“Piece of cake,” I mumbled tonelessly against his chest.
“小事一桩。”我毫无生气地对着他的胸口呢喃道。
He started humming my lullaby, but, for once, it didn’t calm me.
他开始哼唱我的睡眠曲，但是这一次，却没能让我平静下来。
People — well, vampires and werewolves really, but still — people I loved were going to get hurt. Hurt because of me. Again. I wished my bad luck would focus a little more carefully. I felt like yelling up at the empty sky: It’s me you want — over here! Just me!
人们——好吧，其实是吸血鬼和狼人，但是仍然——是我所爱的人，他们会受伤。会因为我受伤，又一次，我希望我的霉运能够来得更集中一点。我感觉我就像要对着空洞的天空大叫了：你想要的人是我——就在这儿！只是我！
I tried to think of a way that I could do exactly that — force my bad luck to focus on me. It wouldn’t be easy. I would have to wait, bide my time…
我得想办法精确无误地做这件事情——迫使我的霉运集中到我自己身上，那样并不容易。我得等一等，等待我的时机……
I gave him a sour look.
我酸溜溜地看了他一眼。
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and sleep?”
“你确信不想待在这儿睡觉吗？”
He sighed, and scooped me up in his arms before he jumped from my window.
他叹了叹气，用胳膊一把抱起我纵身跳下窗户。
He raced through the black, quiet forest with me on his back, and even in his run I could feel the elation. He ran the way he did when it was just us, just for enjoyment, just for the feel of the wind in his hair. It was the kind of thing that, during less anxious times, would have made me happy.
他背着我飞快地穿过黑黢黢、静悄悄的森林，即使在他奔跑的时候我也能感觉到他兴高采烈的情绪。他跑的方式和我们俩独处时的一样，我们会为了好玩，为了感受他头发迎风飘扬的感觉而飞奔。这是那种在我没那么焦虑的时候会令我开心不已的事情。
Victoria had always seemed like a force of nature to me — like a hurricane moving toward the coast in a straight line — unavoidable, implacable, but predictable. Maybe it was wrong to limit her that way. She had to be capable of adaptation.
维多利亚对我而言总像一股自然的力量——就像一阵飓风以直线的方式朝海岸移动——不可避免，不能驯服，但是却可以预测。或许用这样的方式解释她的行为是错误的，她一定有能力调整对策。
Yes, someone had broken out of their pattern. Was it possible that the Volturi were the flexible ones in this equation?
是的，有人打破了他们的常规。沃尔图里家族是这个方程式中的变量，有没有这种可能呢？
When we got to the big open field, his family was there, talking casually, relaxed. Emmett’s booming laugh echoed through the wide space now and then. Edward set me down and we walked hand in hand toward them.
当我们来到一块宽广的空地时，他的家人都在那儿，他们随意地交谈着，感觉很放松，埃美特雷鸣般的大笑声时不时地在宽阔的空间里回荡。爱德华把我放下来，我们手牵着手朝他们走去。
It took me a minute, because it was so dark with the moon hidden behind the clouds, but I realized that we were in the baseball clearing. It was the same place where, more than a year ago, that first lighthearted evening with the Cullens had been interrupted by James and his coven. It felt strange to be here again — as if this gathering wouldn’t be complete until James and Laurent and Victoria joined us. But James and Laurent were never coming back. That pattern wouldn’t be repeated. Maybe all the patterns were broken.
过了足足有一分钟，月亮躲在乌云后面，天顿时暗了下来，周遭一片漆黑，但是我意识到我们到了那块棒球场一样的空地。这是相同的地方，一年以前，在这里我第一次和卡伦家的人一起度过了一个轻松愉快的夜晚，却被詹姆斯和他的党羽们打断了。故地重游让我感到有些奇怪——好像这次聚会在詹姆斯、劳伦特、维多利亚参与进来之前是不完整的，但是詹姆斯和劳伦特永远都不会回来了，这种常规再也不会重复，或许所有的常规都被打破了。
I doubted it.
我怀疑。
“Aro would know best, but wouldn’t Tanya and Irina and the rest of your friends in Denali know enough? Laurent lived with them for so long. And if he was still friendly enough with Victoria to be doing favors for her, why wouldn’t he also tell her everything he knew?”
“阿罗可能了解得最清楚，但是难道坦妮娅、伊莲娜还有你们在德纳利的其他朋友知道的还不够多吗？劳伦特和他们一起生活了那么久，而且如果他跟维多利亚交情不错．帮她忙的话，为什么他不会告诉她自己所知道的一切呢？”
“What do you think?”
“你在想什么？”
“I think it’s all connected. Not just the two, but all three.”
“我想一切都是紧密相连的，并不是这两件事情，而是所有的三件事情。”
“See — she could have gotten the idea there. But she doesn’t know what she’s doing, so the newborns are all out of control.”
“瞧——她可能在那里产生了这个想法，但是她不知道自己在干什么，所以新生儿们全都失去了控制。”
“Because I agree with Jasper — the Volturi love their rules. They would probably do a better job anyway.” And I’d be dead if they wanted me dead, I added mentally. “Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?”
“因为我同意贾斯帕的话——沃尔图里家族喜欢他们的规矩，他们不管怎样都会做得更漂亮。”我在脑海里补充道：如果他们要我死的话，我就会死，“还记得你去年追踪维多利亚的时候吗？”
He started shaking his head. “Only Aro knows exactly how Alice’s visions work.”
他开始摇头：“只有阿罗确切地知道爱丽丝的预见力是怎么回事。”
“Three bad things have happened since you came back.” I ticked them off on my fingers. “The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in my room. And — first of all — Victoria came to look for me.”
“自从你回来后，三件倒霉的事情都发生了。”我掰着手指头数着，“西雅图的新生儿，我房间里的陌生人，而且——第一件就是——维多利亚回来找我。”
I almost smiled.
我差不多也笑了起来。
“Yes.” He frowned. “I wasn’t very good at it.”
“是的，”他皱着眉头说，“我做得不太好。”
His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. “Why do you think so?”
他眯着眼睛思考我的话：“为什么你这么认为呢？”
“Alice said you were in Texas. Did you follow her there?”
“爱丽丝看见你在得克萨斯，你跟踪她到那里去了吗？”
“You’ve lost me.”
“我不明白。”
His eyebrows pulled together. “Yes. Hmm…”
他的眉毛紧皱在一起成了一条线：“是的，嗯……”
He laughed. “No.”
他笑着说道：“不知道。”
“You know what I think?” I asked Edward.
“你知道我在想什么吗？”我问爱德华。
“She can’t make new friends? Think about it, Edward. If it is Victoria doing this in Seattle, she’s made a lot of new friends. She’s created them.”
“难道她不会结交新朋友？想一想，爱德华。如果是维多利亚在西雅图这么干的话，她已经交到许多新朋友了，她创造了他们。”
Edward frowned. “It wasn’t Victoria in your room.”
爱德华皱着眉头说：“在你房间的不是维多利亚。”
“Hmm,” he finally said. “It’s possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely… But your theory — there’s something there. Victoria’s personality. Your theory suits her personality perfectly. She’s shown a remarkable gift for self-preservation from the start — maybe it’s a talent of hers. In any case, this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak their havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she’s counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact,” he continued, thinking it through, “if there were survivors, I’d bet she’d be planning to destroy them herself… Hmm. Still, she’d have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh-made newborn left your father alive…”
“嗯，”他终于说道，“这是可能的。我仍然认为沃尔图里家族最可能……但是你的理论——也很有道理。维多利亚的个性，你的理论完全符合她的个性。她从一开始就表现出自保的天赋——或许这是她的才华。不管如何，这个阴谋不会使她面临来自我们这边的任何危险，如果她安全地躲在后面，袖手旁观，让新生儿在这里引起祸害。也许，来自沃尔图里家族的危险也微乎其微。很可能她确信我们最终会赢，尽管并不是没有对我们造成很大的伤亡。但是她的小军队中不会有幸存者来指证她。实际上，”他得出结论继续说道。“如果有幸存者的话，我打赌她会计划自己亲自摧毁他们……嗯，不过，她至少有一个稍微成熟一些的新朋友。没有哪个毫无经验的新生儿会让你的父亲活着……”
He considered it, his forehead creased in concentration.
他思考着，额头因为集中精力而皱在一起。
In spite of his words, his eyes swept carefully across the dark trees. While he searched their shadows, the strangest expression crossed his face. His lips pulled back over his teeth and his eyes shone with an odd light — a wild, fierce kind of hope.
尽管他这么说，他的眼睛却小心翼翼地扫视着黑黢黢的树林，他在树影里搜索的时候脸上露出非常古怪的表情。他的嘴唇向后拉露出牙齿，眼睛则冒着奇怪的光芒——一种充满狂野而又凶猛的希望光芒。
I sighed. “Maybe I’m just reacting to this place. It makes me feel like she’s close by… like she sees me now.”
我感叹道：“或许我只是出于对这个地方的本能反应吧。这里让我觉得她好像就在附近一样……好像她现在正看着我一样。”
“Yet, what I wouldn’t give to have her that close,” he murmured. “Victoria, and anyone else who’s ever thought of hurting you. To have the chance to end this myself. To finish it with my own hands this time.”
“然而，我不会给她丝毫靠近你的机会，”他低声咕哝道，“维多利亚，以及曾经想要伤害你的任何人。只要有机会，这一次我要亲手了结这一切。”
He frowned into space for a long moment, and then suddenly smiled at me, coming back from his reverie. “Definitely possible. Regardless, we’ve got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure. You’re very perceptive today,” he added. “It’s impressive.”
他皱着眉头盯着空地看了好久，接着突然对我微微一笑，从沉思中恢复过来。“很有可能。不管怎样，我们要作好一切准备，直到我们确切地知道为止。今天你非常有见地，”他补充道，“真的令人印象深刻。”
I shuddered at the ferocious longing in his voice, and clenched his fingers more tightly with mine, wishing I was strong enough to lock our hands together permanently.
他的声音里充满凶残的渴望，这让我感到一阵心惊胆战，他的手指把我的握得更紧了，希望我能足够坚强，我们可以永远这样十指紧扣。
His jaw muscles tensed at the idea. “She’ll never touch you, Bella,” he said.
听到我这样说他下巴拉得很长，“她永远都别想碰你一下，贝拉。”他说道。
Edward chuckled, himself again. “The werewolves are on their way, so she can’t see anything that will happen now. It makes her uncomfortable to be blind.”
爱德华自己则又轻声笑了起来：“狼人们上路了，所以她现在看不见会发生什么事情了，变得什么也看不见令她感到不自在。”
Alice, though the farthest from us, heard his low voice. She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed again.
爱丽丝尽管离我们最远，还是听见了他小声说话的声音。她抬起头冲他吐了吐舌头，他又大笑起来。
We were almost to his family, and I noticed for the first time that Alice did not look as optimistic as the others. She stood a little aside, watching Jasper stretching his arms as if he were warming up to exercise, her lips pushed out in a pout.
我们就要和她的家人们会合了，我第一次注意到爱丽丝并没有像其他人那样乐观。她站得稍远了一些，注视着贾斯帕舒展拳脚，就好像他在热身一样，她嘟着嘴巴，板着脸孔。
“Hey, Edward,” Emmett greeted him. “Hey, Bella. Is he going to let you practice, too?”
“嘿，爱德华，”埃美特跟他打了个招呼，“嘿，贝拉，他也打算让你操练操练吗？”
“Is something wrong with Alice?” I whispered.
“爱丽丝有什么不对劲儿吗？”我轻声问道。
Carlisle nodded. “This is hard for them. I’m grateful they’re coming at all.”
卡莱尔点点头：“这对他们来说很不容易，他们能来我十分感激。”
Edward groaned at his brother. “Please, Emmett, don’t give her any ideas.”
爱德华对他的兄弟抱怨道：“得了，埃美特，别让她有那样的想法。”
Edward concentrated for a moment, and then sighed. “A minute and a half. But I’m going to have to translate. They don’t trust us enough to use their human forms.”
爱德华想了一会儿，接着叹气道：“一分半钟，但是我得做翻译了。他们对我们不够信任，没有用人形。”
“When will our guests arrive?” Carlisle asked Edward.
“我们的客人什么时候到？”卡莱尔问爱德华。
“Prepare yourselves — they’ve been holding out on us.”
“准备好——他们对我们有所保留。”
I stared at Edward, my eyes stretched wide. “They’re coming as wolves?”
我盯着爱德华，眼睛瞪得大大的：“他们是以狼形过来的？”
He nodded, cautious of my reaction. I swallowed once, remembering the two times I’d seen Jacob in his wolf form — the first time in the meadow with Laurent, the second time on the forest lane where Paul had gotten angry at me… They were both memories of terror.
他点点头，对我的反应非常警惕。我咽了一下口水，记得我有两次看见过雅各布是狼形的样子——第一次是和劳伦特在草地上，第二次是在林荫小道上保罗生我的气……这些都是恐惧的记忆。
A strange gleam came into Edward’s eyes, as though something had just occurred to him, something that was not altogether unpleasant. He turned away quickly, before I could see any more, back to Carlisle and the others.
爱德华的眼睛里闪过一丝奇怪的光芒，仿佛他刚刚想到什么一样，并不是完全令人不悦的事情。在我什么都没看清楚之前，他已经迅速地转身回到卡莱尔和其他人身边。
“What do you mean?” Alice demanded.
“你是什么意思？”爱丽丝追问道。
The Cullens’ informal circle suddenly widened out into a loose line with Jasper and Emmett at the spear point. From the way Edward leaned forward next to me, I could tell that he wished he was standing beside them. I tightened my hand around his.
卡伦家族不经意排成的圆圈扩大成一条松散的直线，贾斯帕和埃美特站在两端。从爱德华倾身靠向我的姿势来看，我敢说他希望自己站在他们旁边。我抓紧了他的手。
“Damn,” Emmett muttered under his breath. “Did you ever see anything like it?”
“该死，”爱德华低声说道，“你看见过像这样的事情吗？”
I squinted toward the forest, seeing nothing.
我眯着眼睛望着森林，什么也没看见。
“Shh,” he cautioned, and stared past her into the darkness.
“嘘嘘。”他警告道，眼睛盯着爱丽丝那边黑黢黢的一片。
Esme and Rosalie exchanged a wide-eyed glance.
埃斯梅和罗莎莉睁大眼睛交换了一下眼神。
Hadn’t I told him that Quil had joined the pack? I strained to see the six wolves in the gloom. Finally, something glittered in the blackness — their eyes, higher up than they should be. I’d forgotten how very tall the wolves were. Like horses, only thick with muscle and fur — and teeth like knives, impossible to overlook.
难道我没告诉他吉尔加人了狼人团体吗？我眯着眼睛搜寻黑暗里的六匹狼。最后，黑暗中有东西在闪闪发光——是他们的眼睛，比他们本来的高度所处的位置要高一些。我已经忘记了狼人们有多么高了。就像马一样，只不过肌肉更发达，皮毛更浓密——牙齿像刀子一样，绝对不容忽视。
“The pack has grown,” Edward murmured into my ear.
“狼群的数量增加了。”爱德华在我耳边低声说道。
“What is it?” I whispered as quietly as I could. “I can’t see.”
“是什么？”我尽可能轻地低声问道，“我看不见。”
“Fascinating,” Edward murmured almost silently.
“真令人着迷。”爱德华几乎自言自语地说道。
I could only see the eyes. And as I scanned, straining to see more, it occurred to me that there were more than six pairs facing us. One, two, three… I counted the pairs swiftly in my head. Twice.
我只能看见眼睛。当我四处扫视，眯着眼睛想看得更多的时候，我突然意识到面对我们的不只六对眼睛。一、二、三……我迅速地在脑子里数数。数了两遍。
There were ten of them.
一共有十对。
Carlisle took a slow, deliberate step forward. It was a careful movement, designed to reassure.
卡莱尔从容不迫地慢慢向前迈了一步，这个动作非常小心翼翼，为的是让对方感到放心。
“Thank you,” Edward responded in a strange, flat tone, and I realized at once that the words came from Sam. I looked to the eyes shining in the center of the line, the highest up, the tallest of them all. It was impossible to separate the shape of the big black wolf from the darkness.
“谢谢。”爱德华声调奇怪而干脆地回答道，我立刻意识到这些话出自山姆之口。他们一字排开，我把目光移到中间那一双闪闪发光的眼睛上，他是他们所有人当中眼睛位置在最上面、个头最高的那个。大黑狼的体型与黑夜融合到一起，根本不可能把它们区别开来。
“Welcome,” he greeted the invisible wolves.
“欢迎你们。”他向看不见的狼打了个招呼。
Edward spoke again in the same detached voice, speaking Sam’s words. “We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control.”
爱德华又用同样冷漠的口吻说道，他说的是山姆的话：“我们会注意观看，注意听的，但是不会做别的，这是我们的自控力所允许的极限。”
“They are different from you?” Edward asked for Sam.
“他们和你们不一样吗？”爱德华代表山姆问道。
“That is more than enough,” Carlisle answered. “My son Jasper” — he gestured to where Jasper stood, tensed and ready — “has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I’m sure you can apply this to your own hunting style.”
“这样已经绰绰有余了，”卡莱尔回答道，“我的儿子贾斯帕，”——他指着贾斯帕所站的地方，贾斯帕神情紧张，已经准备好了，“有这方面的经验。他会教我们如何格斗，如何才能打败他们，我确信你们能够将此运用到你们自己的狩猎方式之中去。”
Carlisle nodded. “They are all very new — only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you — it shouldn’t be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves.”
卡莱尔点点头，“他们现在全部都是新手——变成这样只有几个月。在某种意义上来说，还是孩子。他们不会有什么技巧或者战略，只有蛮力。今天晚上，他们有二十个，十个由我们来对付，十个交给你们——应该不难。他们的人数可能会下降，新生儿们在互相残杀。”
A rumble passed down the shadowy line of wolves, a low growling mutter that somehow managed to sound enthusiastic.
一阵轰隆隆的声音在狼人们模糊的线条中传开，一声低沉的咆哮咕哝着什么，听得出其中的热情。
Carlisle smiled. “We’ll see how it plays out.”
卡莱尔微笑道：“我们要看看情况到底会怎样。”
“We are willing to take more than our share, if necessary,” Edward translated, his tone less indifferent now.
“我们愿意对配额之外的敌人，如果有必要的话。”爱德华翻译道，他的语气现在变得不那么冷漠了。
With a sighing sound, the eyes sank closer to the ground one set at a time.
随着一声叹息，所有的眼睛都同时向地面靠近。
“Thank you for the information. We will watch.”
“谢谢你的信息，我们会监视的。”
It was silent for two heartbeats, and then Jasper took a step into the empty space between the vampires and the wolves. It wasn’t hard for me to see him — his skin was as bright against the darkness as the wolves’ eyes. Jasper threw a wary glance toward Edward, who nodded, and then Jasper turned his back to the werewolves. He sighed, clearly uncomfortable.
沉默了两下心跳的时间，接着贾斯帕朝吸血鬼和狼人之间的空地迈了一步。对我而言不难看清楚他——他的皮肤在黑暗中像狼人的眼睛那样明亮。贾斯帕警惕地扫了一眼爱德华，爱德华点点头，随着贾斯帕背对着狼人。他叹了叹气，很显然不是很舒服。
“Do you know when and how they’ll arrive?”
“你知道他们什么时候，如何到达吗？”
“They’ll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path.”
“他们四天内，早上稍晚的时候就要经过山脉。他们靠近的时候，爱丽丝会帮助我们截获他们的路线。”
“Carlisle’s right.” Jasper spoke only to us; he seemed to be trying to ignore the audience behind him. “They’ll fight like children. The two most important things you’ll need to remember are, first, don’t let them get their arms around you and, second, don’t go for the obvious kill. That’s all they’ll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they’ll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?”
“卡莱尔是对的，”贾斯帕只是对我们说道，他似乎努力不去想他身后有人在观看，他们打起仗来就像小孩子。你们需要记住最重要的两件事情：第一，别让他们的胳膊碰到你们；第二，避免明显的猎杀。这是他们所准备的一切，只要你们从侧面进攻，不停地移动，他们就会乱作一团，不能有效地反应，埃美特？”
Jasper backed toward the north end of the opening between the allied enemies. He waved Emmett forward.
贾斯帕背对着横在结盟的敌友之间最北端的空地，他挥手让埃美特向前。
Emmett stepped out of the line with a huge smile.
埃美特出列，脸上挂着一个大大的笑容。
Jasper grinned. “What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He’s very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won’t be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett.”
贾斯帕露齿一笑：“我的意思是埃美特依靠他的力量，他的进攻非常直接。新生儿也不会尝试巧妙的东西，只是进行简单的袭击，埃美特，上。”
“Okay, Emmett first. He’s the best example of a newborn attack.”
“好吧，埃美特先来，他是新生儿攻击的最佳实例。”
“Okay, Emmett — try to catch me.”
“好吧，埃美特——试着抓住我。”
Emmett’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll try not to break anything,” he muttered.
埃美特眯着眼睛低声说道：“我会尽量不破坏任何东西的。”
And I couldn’t see Jasper anymore — he was a blur as Emmett charged him like a bear, grinning while he snarled. Emmett was impossibly quick, too, but not like Jasper. It looked like Jasper had no more substance than a ghost — any time it seemed Emmett’s big hands had him for sure, Emmett’s fingers clenched around nothing but the air. Beside me, Edward leaned forward intently, his eyes locked on the brawl. Then Emmett froze.
我再也看不见贾斯帕了——埃美特一边露出笑容，咆哮着像熊一样向他冲去的时候，他变得模糊起来。埃美特的速度也飞快异常，但是没有贾斯帕那样快。看起来贾斯帕的身体构成和幽灵差不多——埃美特的大手似乎随时都会抓住他的，可是当他的手指头紧紧地抓在一起时只抓住一团空气，什么也没握住。爱德华在我身旁聚精会神地倾身向前，他的眼睛紧紧地盯着这场搏斗。接着埃美特停了下来，一动不动。
Jasper backed up a few more paces, his body tensing.
贾斯帕再后退了几步，他的身体绷得很紧。
Jasper had him from behind, his teeth an inch from his throat.
贾斯帕从他后面向他袭击，牙齿离他的脖子只有一英寸那么远。
Emmett cussed.
埃美特乱骂一通。
Alice closed her eyes.
爱丽丝闭上眼睛。
Jasper sprang, disappearing. Suddenly he was on the other side of Alice. She didn’t appear to have moved.
贾斯帕一跃而起，消失了。突然他出现在爱丽丝的另一边，而她好像没有动过。
Though I knew that Jasper would never allow any harm to come to Alice, it was still hard to watch as he sank back into a crouch facing her. Alice stood motionlessly, looking tiny as a doll after Emmett, smiling to herself. Jasper shifted forward, then slinked to her left.
尽管我知道贾斯帕不会让爱丽丝受到任何损伤，他低下身子蹲伏着面对她的时候，我还是看不下去。爱丽丝站在那里一动不动，跟埃美特相比，她看起来小得就像个洋娃娃一样，她自顾自地微笑着。贾斯帕向前冲来，接着溜到她的左边。
“I know you worry about her,” he explained to me as she danced blithely into the ring. “I want to show you why that’s not necessary.”
“我知道你担心她，”她活泼地跳进场地里的时候他向我解释道，“我想示范给你看，为什么没有必要担心她。”
I watched with anxious eyes as he waved Alice forward.
我满眼担忧地注视着他挥手叫爱丽丝向前。
There was a muttered rumble of appreciation from the watching wolves.
接着，从观看的狼群中传来一阵低沉的表示欣赏的隆隆声。
“In a minute.” Jasper grinned, stepping back. “I want to show Bella something first.”
“等一会儿，”贾斯帕退后一步，笑着说道，“我想先让贝拉看看。”
“It’s my turn,” Edward protested. My fingers tensed around his.
“轮到我了。”爱德华反驳道，我的手指紧紧地抓住他的。
My heart thumped unevenly as Jasper stalked toward where Alice stood.
当贾斯帕偷偷向爱丽丝站着的地方靠近的时候，我的心脏起伏不定地怦怦直跳。
“Again,” Emmett insisted, his smile gone.
“再来。”埃美特坚决地说道，脸上的微笑不见了。
Jasper wheeled and launched himself at her again, only to land in a crouch behind her like the first time; all the while Alice stood smiling with her eyes closed.
贾斯帕跑起来，再次向她冲去，只不过和第一次一样蹲伏在地上；爱丽丝始终都闭着眼睛微笑着。
She was moving — I’d just been missing it, distracted by Jasper’s attacks. She took a small step forward at the exact second that Jasper’s body flew through the spot where she’d just been standing. She took another step, while Jasper’s grasping hands whistled past where her waist had been.
她在移动——我只不过被贾斯帕的偷袭分散了注意力，没看见而已。就在贾斯帕的身体向她所站的位置纵身飞来的那一刻，她向前跳了一小步。贾斯帕伸出手从她的腰先前所在的地方呼啸而过之时，她又动了一步。
“Gotcha,” she said, and kissed his throat.
“抓到你了。”她说道，吻了吻他的喉咙。
Jasper closed in, and Alice began to move faster. She was dancing — spiraling and twisting and curling in on herself. Jasper was her partner, lunging, reaching through her graceful patterns, never touching her, like every movement was choreographed. Finally, Alice laughed.
贾斯帕包围住她，爱丽丝则开始移动得更快了。她在跳舞——一个人上跳下卧，不停地转圈，形成一阵旋涡。贾斯帕是她的伴侣，突然向前扑去，穿透她那优雅的姿态，却怎么也碰不到她，仿佛每个动作都是精心编制的一样。最后，爱丽丝大笑起来。
The wolves muttered again. This time the sound was wary.
狼人们又低声咆哮起来，这一次是警惕的声音。
Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. “You truly are one frightening little monster.”
贾斯帕轻轻地笑着摇头说：“你真的是个可怕的小魔鬼。”
Out of nowhere she was perched on Jasper’s back, her lips at his neck.
不知道从哪个方向上一跃而起，她已经蹲在贾斯帕的背上，她的嘴唇贴在他的脖子上。
I watched Alice more carefully now.
我现在更仔细地注视着爱丽丝。
He squeezed my hand before he let it go.
他紧紧地握了握我的手，然后松开了。
Alice came to take his place beside me. “Cool, huh?” she asked me smugly.
爱丽丝跑过来代替他站在我身边，“酷吧，嗯哼？”她白鸣得意地问我。
“It’s good for them to learn some respect,” Edward murmured, amused. Then he spoke louder. “My turn.”
“让他们学学尊重是很好的事情。”爱德华开心地低声说道，接着他提高音量说道，轮到我了。”
“Very,” I agreed, not looking away from Edward as he glided noiselessly toward Jasper, his movements lithe and watchful as a jungle cat.
“非常酷。”我同意道，眼神没有从爱德华身上移开，他一声不响地移向贾斯帕，他的动作自然优雅而不失警惕，就像丛林猫一样。
“I’ve got my eye on you, Bella,” she whispered suddenly, her voice pitched so low that I could barely hear, though her lips were at my ear.
“我会密切注意你的，贝拉。”她突然轻声说道，她的音调很低，我几乎听不见，尽管她的嘴唇就贴在我的耳朵旁边。
Alice’s expression was full of reproach.
爱丽丝满脸责备。
My gaze flickered to her face and then back to Edward. He was intent on Jasper, both of them feinting as he closed the distance.
我的目光扑闪到她脸上，接着又看着爱德华。他注意着贾斯帕，他渐渐靠近，两个人都摆出佯攻的姿势。
I grimaced, trying to ignore her.
我做了个鬼脸，试着不去理会她。
“I’ll warn him if your plans get any more defined,” she threatened in the same low murmur. “It doesn’t help anything for you to put yourself in danger. Do you think either of them would give up if you died? They’d still fight, we all would. You can’t change anything, so just be good, okay?”
“如果你的计划更加明确的话，我会警告他的，”她用同样低的声音轻声威胁我道，“让你自己身处险境不会有任何帮助。你真的认为如果你死了的话，他们两个中的任何一个就会放弃吗？他们还是会打仗的，我们都会。你不能改变任何事情，所以只要乖乖听话，好吗？”
Edward had closed on Jasper now, and this fight was more even than either of the others.
爱德华现在接近贾斯帕了，这场战斗比其他两场更加势均力敌。
Jasper had the century of experience to guide him, and he tried to go on instinct alone as much as he could, but his thoughts always gave him away a fraction of a second before he acted. Edward was slightly faster, but the moves Jasper used were unfamiliar to him.
贾斯帕有一个世纪的经验引导他，他试着尽可能地只靠本能行动，但是他的思想总是在他进攻之前的瞬问就出卖了他。爱德华要稍微快一些，但是贾斯帕的动作对他而言很陌生。
“I’m watching,” she repeated.
“我在监视。”她重复道。
Eventually, Carlisle cleared his throat.
最后，卡莱尔清了清嗓子。
“Back to work,” Jasper consented. “We’ll call it a draw.”
“回去干活儿吧，”贾斯帕同意道，“我们打平了。”
They came at each other again and again, neither one able to gain the advantage, instinctive snarls erupting constantly. It was hard to watch, but harder to look away. They moved too fast for me to really understand what they were doing.
他们一次又一次地靠近彼此，谁都占不到便宜，并且不停地发出本能的咆哮。他们移动的速度对我而言太快了，我真的不理解他们在干什么。
Everyone took turns, Carlisle, then Rosalie, Esme, and Emmett again. I squinted through my lashes, cringing as Jasper attacked Esme. That one was the hardest to watch. Then he slowed down, still not quite enough for me to understand his motions, and gave more instruction.
每个人都轮流上场了，先是卡莱尔，然后是罗莎莉、埃斯梅，接着又是埃美特。我眯着眼睛透过眼睫毛看见贾斯帕袭击埃斯梅，心中不由得一紧，这一幕是最难看下去的。接着他减慢速度，即使这样对我而言要理解他的动作还是太难了，然后他讲授了更多要领。
Now and then the sharp eyes of the wolves would catch my attention. I had a feeling the wolves were getting more out of this than I was — maybe more than they should.
狼人们敏锐的眼睛时不时地会引起我的注意，我有一种感觉，狼人们比我更摸不到头脑——或许他们比我想的还要迷惑不解。
“You see what I’m doing here?” he would ask. “Yes, just like that,” he encouraged. “Concentrate on the sides. Don’t forget where their target will be. Keep moving.”
“你看见我在这儿做的事情了吧？”他会问，“是的，就像那样，”他鼓励道，“注意两侧，别忘了他们的目标在哪里。不停地移动。”
Jasper laughed, and took a step back. Edward straightened up and grinned at him.
贾斯帕大笑起来退后一步。爱德华直起身子，对他笑了笑。
Edward was always focused, watching and also listening to what others couldn’t see.
爱德华的注意力一直很集中，注视着，也倾听着其他人看不见的东西。
“Yes,” Edward answered in Sam’s cool voice. “We’ll be here.”
“好的，”爱德华用山姆冷冷的声音回答道，“我们一定到。”
“We’re about finished,” he whispered.
“我们差不多要结束了。”他低声说道。
Then Edward sighed, patted my arm, and stepped away from me. He turned to his family.
接着爱德华叹了叹气，拍拍我的胳膊，让开一步离我远了一些，然后他转身去加入他的家人。
My eyes were wide again, exhaustion forgotten.
我的眼睛又睁得大大的了，完全忘记了筋疲力尽。
It got more difficult to follow as my eyes got heavier. I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, anyway, and it was approaching a solid twenty-four hours since the last time I’d slept. I leaned against Edward’s side, and let my eyelids droop.
随着我的眼睛越来越沉重我更难弄明白了。我最近的睡眠不是很好，不管怎样，离我上次睡觉的时间已经差不多二十四小时了。我靠在爱德华的身上，让眼睑低垂下来。
Jasper confirmed that, turning toward the wolves for the first time, his expression uncomfortable again. “We’ll be doing this tomorrow. Please feel welcome to observe again.”
贾斯帕确认了，第一次面向狼人，他的表情又有些不安了：“我们明天还要继续，欢迎你们再来观看。”
“Certainly,” Carlisle said to Sam. “Whatever you need.”
“当然，”卡莱尔对山姆说道，“不管你们需要什么。”
There was a gloomy, throaty grumble from the wolf pack as they all rose to their feet.
狼人们全部站起来的时候，发出一阵悲伤而又沙哑的隆隆声。
“The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents — so they don’t make mistakes later. If we could hold very still, it will make it easier for them.”
“狼群认为熟悉我们每个人的气味很重要——这样他们之后就不会弄错。如果我们可以一动不动，这样对他们会更容易一些。”
The deep black of the night was just beginning to fade — the sun brightening the clouds, though it hadn’t cleared the horizon yet, far away on the other side of the mountains. As they approached, it was suddenly possible to make out shapes… colors.
黑夜的深黑色正好开始消退——太阳照亮了云彩，尽管太阳挂在山脉的另外一边，还没有升上地平线。他们靠近的时候，想要看清楚他们的体型……以及颜色突然变得可能了。
Sam was in the lead, of course. Unbelievably huge, black as midnight, a monster straight out of my nightmares — literally; after the first time I’d seen Sam and the others in the meadow, they’d starred in my bad dreams more than once.
当然，山姆是领头的。巨大得让人难以置信，像午夜一样漆黑，简直——就是直接从我的噩梦中走出来的；我第一次在草地上看见山姆和其他人之后，他们就不止一次地成为我梦魇的主角。
Now that I could see them all, match the vastness with each pair of eyes, it looked like more than ten. The pack was overwhelming.
既然我能看清他们所有人了，将巨大无比的体型与他们的眼睛一一对应起来，看起来就不只十个了。狼群令人惊叹不已。
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Edward was watching me, carefully evaluating my reaction.
我从眼角看见爱德华注视着我，仔细地揣摩着我的反应。
Sam approached Carlisle where he stood in the front, the huge pack right on his tail. Jasper stiffened, but Emmett, on the other side of Carlisle, was grinning and relaxed.
山姆走近卡莱尔，他站在最前面，巨大的狼群紧随其后。贾斯帕僵直地站在那里，而埃美特站在卡莱尔的另一边开始微笑，放松了。
Sam sniffed at Carlisle, seeming to wince slightly as he did. Then he moved on to Jasper.
山姆闻了闻卡莱尔，这么做的时候似乎皱了皱鼻子。接着他走向贾斯帕。
My eyes ran down the wary brace of wolves. I was sure I could pick out a few of the new additions. There was a light gray wolf that was much smaller than the others, the hackles on the back of his neck raised in distaste. There was another, the color of desert sand, who seemed gangly and uncoordinated beside the rest. A low whine broke through the sandy wolf’s control when Sam’s advance left him isolated between Carlisle and Jasper.
我的眼睛一个个打量着高度警惕的狼人们，我确定我能指出哪几个是新加入的。有一头浅灰色的狼比其他的狼小得多，他后颈上的毛厌恶地竖了起来。还有另外一个，沙砾色，在其他人旁边显得细长，不合群。当山姆继续往前走，身后跟着一匹沙砾色的狼独自站在卡莱尔和贾斯帕中间，他失去控制发出一阵低沉的哀鸣。
The wolf’s muzzle fell open, pulling back over his teeth. It would have been a frightening expression, except that his tongue lolled out the side in a wolfy grin.
狼张开嘴巴，向后拉伸露出嘴唇。这种神情本来会令人感到害怕的，除了他的舌头伸向一侧形成一个狼人的笑容。
The enormous russet colored wolf seemed to feel my gaze, and he looked up at me with familiar black eyes.
这匹巨大的赤褐色狼似乎注意到我的眼神，他抬起头用熟悉的黑眼腈看着我。
I stopped at the wolf just behind Sam. His fur was reddish-brown and longer than the others, shaggy in comparison. He was almost as tall as Sam, the second largest in the group. His stance was casual, somehow exuding nonchalance over what the rest obviously considered an ordeal.
我站在山姆后面的那匹狼面前。他的皮毛是红棕色的，比其他狼的要长，相比之下更加凌乱。他几乎和山姆一样高，是这群狼里面体型第二大的。他的站姿很随意，其他人明显地认为是种煎熬，他却表现出一副若无其事的模样。
Jacob’s grin widened over his sharp teeth. He left his place in line, ignoring the eyes of his pack as they followed him. He trotted past Edward and Alice to stand not two feet away from me. He stopped there, his gaze flickering briefly toward Edward.
雅各布的笑容在他那锋利的牙齿上方绽放开来。他走出队伍，不理会跟在他身后的狼群的眼神。他小跑着从爱德华和爱丽丝身边穿过，站在离我不到两英尺的地方。他停在那里，眼神倏地飘向爱德华。
I stared back at him, trying to believe what I already knew. I could feel the wonder and fascination on my face.
我盯着他，想要相信我已经知道的事情，我能感觉到我脸上的惊讶与入迷。
Edward stood motionless, a statue, his eyes still assessing my reaction.
爱德华一动不动地站着，像雕像一样，眼睛仍然估摸着我的反应。
I giggled.
我咯咯地笑了起来。
Jacob crouched down on his front legs and dropped his head so that his face was no higher than mine, staring at me, measuring my response just as much as Edward was.
雅各布前腿趴在地上，低下头，这样他的脸就不会高过我的脸了，他凝视着，和爱德华一样掂量着我的反应。
The answering rumble deep in his chest sounded like a chuckle.
在他胸腔深处响起一阵回应的隆隆声，听起来就像是咯咯的笑声一样。
The fur was both soft and rough, and warm against my skin. I ran my fingers through it curiously, learning the texture, stroking his neck where the color deepened. I hadn’t realized how close I’d gotten; without warning, Jacob suddenly licked my face from chin to hairline.
他的毛既柔软又粗糙，贴着我的皮肤很温暖。我好奇地用手摸来摸去，感受着它的质地，轻轻地摩挲着他的脖子，毛色在那里加深了。我没意识到我离他有多么近；在没有事先提醒的情况下，雅各布突然用舌头舔了舔我的脸，从下巴舔到发际。
I reached my hand out, my fingers trembling slightly, and touched the red-brown fur on the side of his face.
我把手伸出来，我的手指微微颤抖，抚摸着他脸上的红棕色毛皮。
“Jacob?” I breathed.
“雅各布？”我吃力地说出来。
“Ew! Gross, Jake!” I complained, jumping back and smacking at him, just as I would have if he were human. He dodged out of the way, and the coughing bark that came through his teeth was obviously laughter.
“呃！真恶心，杰克！”我抱怨道，跳了回去，就像他是人那样地拍打着他。他躲开了，从他齿缝中传出来的咳咳的犬吠声显然表明他是在大笑。
The black eyes closed, and Jacob leaned his huge head into my hand. A thrumming hum resonated in this throat.
他闭起黑色的眼睛，我的手指头有些颤抖，摸了摸他脸上红褐色的毛。
It was at that point that I realized that everyone was watching us, the Cullens and the werewolves — the Cullens with perplexed and somewhat disgusted expressions. It was hard to read the wolves’ faces. I thought Sam looked unhappy.
直到这一刻我才意识到大家都看着我们，卡伦家族还有狼人——卡伦家的人流露出迷惑不解，还有些厌恶的表情。很难读懂狼人的表情，我想山姆看起来不太高兴。
I wiped my face on the sleeve of my shirt, unable to keep from laughing with him.
我用衬衫的袖子擦了擦脸，情不自禁地和他一起笑了起来。
The Jacob wolf grumbled sullenly.
狼人雅各布不高兴地低吼起来。
Jacob’s head swiveled back and forth, looking at our faces. Then, suddenly, he bolted for the forest. As he darted away, I noticed for the first time a square of folded black fabric secured to his back leg.
雅各布看着我们的脸，来回转动着头。接着，突然，他冲向了森林。他飞奔而去的时候，我第一次注意到他的后腿上紧紧地系着一个折叠起来的正方形黑色布片。
Jacob made the laughing sound again.
雅各布又发出大笑的声音来。
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“你们在讨论什么？”我追问道。
And then there was Edward, on edge and clearly disappointed. I realized he’d been hoping for a different reaction from me. Like screaming and running away in terror.
接着是爱德华，他很紧张，而且显然很失望。我意识到他希望我的反应会有所不同，比如害怕得尖叫起来跑开。
“Ready to go?” he asked me.
“准备走了吗？”他问我。
The other wolves were backing away now, not taking their eyes off the Cullens as they departed. Jacob stood by my side, watching them go. Soon, they disappeared into the murky forest. Only two hesitated by the trees, watching Jacob, their postures radiating anxiety.
其他的狼人现在都已经撤退了，他们离开的时候眼神一直停留在卡伦家族的人身上。雅各布站在我身边，看着他们离去。不久，他们就消失在朦胧的森林里。只有两个站在树旁边，犹豫不决地注视着雅各布，他们的姿势流露出焦虑不安。
Before I could answer, he was staring over me at Jacob.
我还没来得及回答，他就盯着我另一侧的雅各布。
Edward sighed, and — ignoring Jacob — came to stand on my other side, taking my hand.
爱德华叹了叹气，接着——对雅各布视而不见——走过来站在我的另一边，牵着我的手。
“Just discussing strategy,” Edward said.
“只是在讨论战略问题。”爱德华说道。
“It’s more complicated than that,” Edward said. “Don’t concern yourself; I’ll make sure it’s safe.”
“这件事情比那要复杂一些，”爱德华说道，“别让自己牵涉进来，我会保证很安全的。”
“I’ve not quite figured out all the details yet,” he said, answering a question in Jacob’s thoughts.
“我还没有完全弄清楚所有的细节。”他说道，回答着雅各布脑海中的问题。
I watched the edge of the forest where Jacob had vanished, leaning into Edward’s side again.
我注视着雅各布消失的那片森林的边际，又斜倚在爱德华身上。
I was on the point of collapse, but I was fighting it.
我已经快要撑不下去了，但是我仍然勉强支撑着。
“Why did he leave?” I asked, hurt.
“为什么他要走？”我问道，有些受伤害。
“Wait,” I called, one hand stretching out automatically to reach after him. But he disappeared into the trees in seconds, the other two wolves following.
“等等。”我叫道，不由自主地伸出一只手想要抓住他，但是他不一会儿就消失在树林里，另外两匹狼跟着他。
“He’s coming back,” Edward said. He sighed. “He wants to be able to talk for himself.”
“他回来了，”爱德华说道，他叹气道，“他想要自己说话！”
Jacob loped back into view, on two legs this time. His broad chest was bare, his hair tangled and shaggy. He wore only a pair of black sweat pants, his feet bare to the cold ground. He was alone now, but I suspected that his friends lingered in the trees, invisible.
雅各布慢跑着进入我们的视线，这一次是两条腿。他宽阔的胸膛上空无一物，头发凌乱地纠结在一起。他只穿了一条黑色的长运动裤，脚光秃秃地站在冰冷的地面上。他现在只剩一个人了，不过我怀疑他的朋友还在树林里看不见的地方徘徊。
“I have to consider every possibility,” Edward said, unruffled. “What if someone gets by you?”
“我得考虑各种可能性，”爱德华沉着地说道，“要是有人从你那里蒙混过关了呢？”
It didn’t take him long to cross the field, though he gave a wide berth to the Cullens, who stood talking quietly in a loose circle.
没过多久他就穿过空地，尽管他停在离卡伦家的人较远的地方。他们围成一个松散的圆圈在轻轻地谈话。
“Okay, bloodsucker,” Jacob said when he was a few feet from us, evidently continuing the conversation I’d missed. “What’s so complicated about it?”
“好吧，吸血鬼，”雅各布离我们只有几英尺远的时候说道，很显然他继续着我先前错过的谈话，“什么那么复杂？”
“I just want to know what he plans to do with you during the fight,” Jacob explained.
“我只是想知道打仗的时候他会如何安排你。”雅各布解释道。
I scowled. “Are you talking about me?”
我低声吼道：“你们在讨论我吗？”
Jacob snorted at that idea. “Okay, so leave her on the reservation. We’re making Collin and Brady stay behind anyway. She’ll be safe there.”
雅各布对这个想法嗤之以鼻：“好吧，那么让她留在保留地，我们会让柯林和布莱迪看着她的，在那里她会很安全。”
“Do with me?”
“安排我？”
“You can’t stay in Forks, Bella.” Edward’s voice was pacifying. “They know where to look for you there. What if someone slipped by us?”
“你不能待在福克斯，贝拉，”爱德华的声音有些息事宁人，“他们知道在哪里能找到你，要是有人从我们身边溜走了呢？”
My stomach dropped and the blood drained from my face. “Charlie?” I gasped.
我的胃一沉，觉得脸上顿时失去血色，“查理呢？”我喘着气问道。
“He’ll be with Billy,” Jacob assured me quickly. “If my dad has to commit a murder to get him there, he’ll do it. Probably it won’t take that much. It’s this Saturday, right? There’s a game.”
“他会和比利待在一起，”雅各布迅速地宽慰我，“如果要我爸爸不惜谋杀才能把他弄到那里，他也会做的，很可能不需要那么大费周折。这个星期六，对吗？正好有场比赛。”
“This Saturday?” I asked, my head spinning. I was too lightheaded to control my wildly random thoughts. I frowned at Edward. “Well, crap! There goes your graduation present.”
“这个星期六？”我问道，头一阵眩晕，我头昏眼花，无法控制住自己不去胡思乱想，我皱着眉头对爱德华说道，好吧！成了废物！给你你的毕业礼物。”
Edward laughed. “It’s the thought that counts,” he reminded me. “You can give the tickets to someone else.”
爱德华大笑着说道，“心意最重要，”他提醒我说，“你可以把票送给别人。”
Inspiration came swiftly. “Angela and Ben,” I decided at once. “At least that will get them out of town.”
灵感突现，“安吉拉和本，”我立刻作出决定，“至少他们可以不在镇上。”
I stared at Edward as he explained, my forehead creasing. He patted my arm.
我皱着眉头盯着爱德华解释这一切，他轻轻地拍拍我的胳膊。
“But what about keeping her in La Push?” Jacob interjected, impatient.
“不过把她藏在拉普西如何？”雅各布不耐烦地打断道。
He touched my cheek. “You can’t evacuate everyone,” he said in a gentle voice. “Hiding you is just a precaution. I told you — we’ll have no problem now. There won’t be enough of them to keep us entertained.”
他摸了摸我的脸颊，“你不可能疏散所有人，”他说话的时候语气很温柔，“把你藏起来只是为了以防万一。我告诉过你——我们现在不会有问题，他们没有多人耍我们。”
“She’s been back and forth too much,” Edward said. “She’s left trails all over the place. Alice only sees very young vampires coming on the hunt, but obviously someone created them. There is someone more experienced behind this. Whoever he” — Edward paused to look at me — “or she is, this could all be a distraction. Alice will see if he decides to look himself, but we could be very busy at the time that decision is made. Maybe someone is counting on that. I can’t leave her somewhere she’s been frequently. She has to be hard to find, just in case. It’s a very long shot, but I’m not taking chances.”
“她会来回跑很多趟的，”爱德华说道，“到处都会留下她的气味，爱丽丝只能看见非常年轻的吸血鬼赶过来狩猎，但是，显然有人创造了他们。在他们背后肯定有更加有经验的。不管他是谁，”爱德华停顿下来看着我，“或者她是谁，这只可能是为了分散我们的注意力。爱丽丝会监视他是否决定亲自动手，但是作出决定的时候我们会非常忙，或许有人就指望那样呢。我不能把她留在她经常去的地方，得让她难以找到，只是以防万一。这会是一场非常漫长的战斗，我不会冒任何风险。”
“Just being overcautious,” he promised.
“谨小慎微，“他答应。
Jacob gestured to the deep forest east of us, to the vast expanse of the Olympic Mountains.
雅各布指向我们东边森林的深处，指着宽广无垠的奥林匹克山脉。
Both of them grimaced at the same time, their eyebrows pulling together.
他们两个人同时摆出一副苦瓜脸，眉毛紧皱在一起。
“You see the difficulties.”
“你明白难度所在了。”
Edward shook his head. “Her scent is too strong and, combined with mine, especially distinct. Even if I carried her, it would leave a trail. Our trace is all over the range, but in conjunction with Bella’s scent, it would catch their attention. We’re not sure exactly which path they’ll take, because they don’t know yet. If they crossed her scent before they found us…”
爱德华摇摇头：“她的气味太强烈了，和我的在一起，特别明显。即使我背着她，还是会留下蛛丝马迹。我们的踪迹遍布在山脉上，但是和贝拉的混合在一起的话，他们就会注意到。我们不确定他们要走的到底是哪条路线，因为他们自己也还不知道。如果他们在找到我们之前就遇到她的气味……”
“There has to be a way to make it work,” Jacob muttered. He glared toward the forest, pursing his lips.
“总归要想出解决的办法。”雅各布低声说道，他嘟起嘴巴生气地凝望着森林。
“So hide her here,” he suggested. “There’s a million possibilities — places either one of us could be in just a few minutes if there’s a need.”
“把她藏在这儿，”他建议道。有一百万种可能性——如果需要的话，我们中的任何一个都能在几分钟内到达。
“I need to get you home — you’re exhausted. And Charlie will be waking up soon…”
“我得把你送回家——你累坏了，而且查理很快就会醒过来了……”
I swayed on my feet. Edward put his arm around my waist, pulling me closer and supporting my weight.
我则摇晃起来。爱德华搂住我的腰，把我搂得更近支撑我的重量。
“Wait a sec,” Jacob said, wheeling back to us, his eyes bright. “My scent disgusts you, right?”
“等一会儿，”雅各布说道，他转过身面向我们，眼睛炯炯有神，“我的气味让你讨厌．是不是？”
“Hmm, not bad.” Edward was two steps ahead. “It’s possible.” He turned toward his family. “Jasper?” he called.
“嗯，并不坏”，爱德华朝前走了两步，“很可能，”他转身面对他的家人喊道，“贾斯帕？”
Jasper looked up curiously. He walked over with Alice a half step behind. Her face was frustrated again.
贾斯帕好奇地抬起头，他走了过来。爱丽丝落后半步跟在他身后，她的脸色又很挫败了。
“Okay, Jacob.” Edward nodded at him.
“好吧，雅各布。”爱德华对他点点头。
Edward took a deep breath.
爱德华深深地吸了一口气。
“We’re going to see if I can confuse the scent enough to hide your trail,” Jacob explained.
“我们打算看一看是否能让气味混合在一起，掩藏起你气味的踪迹。”雅各布解释道。
Jacob turned toward me with a strange mixture of emotion on his face. He was clearly excited by whatever this new plan of his was, but he was also still uneasy so close to his enemy allies. And then it was my turn to be wary as he held his arms out toward me.
雅各布望向我，脸上露出百感交集的神情。不管他的新计划到底是什么，他显然很兴奋，但是离他的敌人盟友那么近他还是感到不自在。他把胳膊朝我伸过来的时候，轮到我变得警惕起来了。
Jacob rolled his eyes, impatient, and reached down to yank me up into his arms.
雅各布不耐烦地转了转眼睛”向下伸出手一把把我拉进他的怀抱里。
I frowned.
我皱了皱眉头。
I stared at his open arms suspiciously.
我怀疑地盯着他张开的双臂。
“You’re going to have to let him carry you, Bella,” Edward told me. His voice was calm, but I could hear the subdued distaste.
“你要让他抱着你，贝拉。”爱德华告诉我。他的声音很平静，但是我能听见压抑在他声音里的厌恶。
But his eyes flickered to Edward, just like mine did. Edward’s face was composed and smooth. He spoke to Jasper. “Bella’s scent is so much more potent to me — I thought it would be a fairer test if someone else tried.”
不过他的眼睛瞟到爱德华身上，就像我的一样。爱德华的脸很平静，也很光滑。他对贾斯帕说道：“贝拉的气味对我而言要浓烈得多——我还以为要是别人想要试一试的话会是个更加公平的测试呢。”
“Don’t be such a baby,” he muttered.
“别像个小孩子。”他低声说道。
Jacob turned away from them and paced swiftly into the woods. I didn’t say anything as the dark closed around us. I was pouting, uncomfortable in Jacob’s arms. It felt too intimate to me — surely he didn’t need to hold me quite so tightly — and I couldn’t help but wonder what it felt like to him. It reminded me of my last afternoon in La Push, and I didn’t want to think about that. I folded my arms, annoyed when the brace on my hand intensified the memory.
雅各布从他们身边走开，迅速地朝森林跑去。我一言不发，看着黑暗把我们包围起来。我绷着脸，在雅各布的怀抱里感到非常不舒服。这对我而言太亲密了些——当然他没有必要把我抱得这么紧——而且我不得不好奇他有什么样的感觉。这使塑謇到上一次我在拉普西的那个下午，我不愿想起那件事情。我抱着胳膊，手上的链子增强了我的记忆，使我感到烦躁不安。
“You are so annoying,” I muttered.
“你太烦人了。”我咕哝道。
“You can put me down now.”
“现在你可以放我下来了。”
“I don’t want to take a chance of messing up the experiment.” His walk slowed and his arms tightened.
“我不想冒险搞砸这次实验。”他放慢了脚步，胳膊抱得更紧了。
We didn’t go far; he made a wide arc and came back into the clearing from a different direction, maybe half a football field away from our original departure point. Edward was there alone and Jacob headed toward him.
我们没有走多远；他绕了个很大的弧形，然后从不同的方向回到这片空地，离我们原来的出发点差不多有半个足球场那么大。爱德华自己待在那里，雅各布朝他走过去。
“Thanks.”
“谢谢。”
Out of nowhere, Jasper and Alice stood beside Edward. Jacob took one more step, and then set me down a half dozen feet from Edward. Without looking back at Jacob, I walked to Edward’s side and took his hand.
贾斯帕和爱丽丝不知道从哪里冒了出来，站在爱德华身边。雅各布又走了一步女接着在离爱德华半英尺远的地方把我放下来。我看也没看雅各布一眼，就走到爱德牮身边，拉起他的手。
“Well?” I asked.
“好了吧？”我问道。
Edward ignored Jacob and looked at me while he explained. “We’re — well, you’re — going to leave a false trail to the clearing, Bella. The newborns are hunting, your scent will excite them, and they’ll come exactly the way we want them to without being careful about it. Alice can already see that this will work. When they catch our scent, they’ll split up and try to come at us from two sides. Half will go through the forest, where her vision suddenly disappears…”
爱德华没理会雅各布，解释的时候看着我：“我们——好吧，你们——要在这片空地上留下一条错误的踪迹，贝拉。新生的吸血鬼在狩猎，你的气味会让他们兴奋起来，他们注意不到这些，会完全按照我们设计好的路线行动的，爱丽丝已经看出来这行得通。当他们跟踪到你的气味，他们会分散，然后从两个方向袭击我们。一半会穿过森林，在那里她的预见力突然消失了……”
“A definite success,” Alice agreed, wrinkling her nose.
“十分成功。”爱丽丝同意道，皱了皱鼻子。
“Which will work,” Alice added confidently.
“会很有用的。”爱丽丝自信地补充道。
“As long as you don’t touch anything, Bella, I can’t imagine someone sticking their nose close enough to that trail to catch your scent,” Jasper said, grimacing. “It was almost completely obscured.”
“只要你不碰任何东西，贝拉，我无法想象有人能把鼻子伸得那么远嗅出那些踪迹，跟踪你的气味，”贾斯帕扮着鬼脸说道，“差不多完全被隐蔽起来了。”
I felt sick. How could they be so eager for this? How could I stand having both of them in danger? I couldn’t.
我感到有些难受。他们怎么能够对此这样热衷呢？我怎么能够忍受他们两个人都深陷险境呢？我不能。
“How do you stand that?” Jacob muttered to me.
“你怎么忍受那样？”雅各布低声地问我。
“And it gave me an idea.”
“而且这使我想到一个点子。”
“Yes!” Jacob hissed.
“是的！”雅各伯发出嘶嘶声。
“Clever,” Edward agreed.
“聪明。”爱德华也同意道。
Edward smiled at him, a smile of true comradeship.
爱德华对他微微一笑，那是一抹真正的战友之间的笑容。
“Not a chance,” Edward said suddenly, his voice disgusted. It made me jump, worrying that he’d somehow heard my resolve, but his eyes were on Jasper.
“绝不可能。”爱德华突然说道，他的声音中夹杂着厌恶。这吓了我一跳，很担心他是不是听见我的决心了，不过他的眼睛停留在贾斯帕身上。
Edward’s glare had Jasper backtracking. “Of course it’s too dangerous for her. It was just an errant thought,” he said quickly. But he looked at me from the corner of his eyes, and the look was wistful.
爱德华怒目而视，贾斯帕立即改口道：“当然这对她来说太危险了，这只是个错误的想法。”他迅速地说道，但是他从眼角看着我，眼睛里充满渴望。
“I know, I know,” Jasper said quickly. “I didn’t even consider it, not really.”
“我知道，我知道，”贾斯帕迅速地说道，“我甚至没考虑过这样，真的没有。”
“If Bella was actually there in the clearing,” Jasper explained to her, “it would drive them insane. They wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything but her. It would make picking them off truly easy…”
“如果贝拉真的出现在空地上，”贾斯帕向她解释道，“这会使他们发疯的。除了她，他们什么也不会注意到，那样会使除掉他们变得易如反掌……”
Alice stepped on his foot.
爱丽丝踩了他一脚。
I wouldn’t.
我不愿意。
“You’re right,” Jasper said. He took Alice’s hand and started back to the others. “Best two out of three?” I heard him ask her as they went to practice again.
“你是对的。”贾斯帕说道，他拉起爱丽丝的手，开始向其他人走去，“最好是三个中的两个？”他们走过去再次练习的时候我听见他说道。
“No,” Edward said. His voice rang with finality.
“不行。”爱德华说道，他说话的语气表明这是他最后的决定。
“Jasper looks at things from a military perspective,” Edward quietly defended his brother. “He looks at all the options — it’s thoroughness, not callousness.”
“贾斯帕只是从战略的角度看待事情，”爱德华平静地为他的兄弟辩护道，“他考虑了所有的选择——这是深思熟虑，而不是冷酷无情。”
Jacob stared after him in disgust.
雅各布厌恶地盯着他的后背。
“And then what? Leave her with a cell phone?” Jacob asked critically.
“接下来呢？给她留下一部手机？”雅各布指责地问道。
He’d edged closer unconsciously, drawn by his absorption in the planning. He stood only three feet from Edward now, and, standing there between them, I could feel the physical tension in the air. It was like static, an uncomfortable charge.
他下意识地向我们移近了一些，沉浸在他的计划之中。现在他离爱德华只有三英尺远，我站在他们之间能感觉到空气中身体之间的紧张感，好像一切都静止了一样，有一种令人不适的刺激感。
Edward got back to business. “I’ll bring her here Friday afternoon to lay the false trail. You can meet us afterward, and carry her to a place I know. Completely out of the way, and easily defensible, not that it will come to that. I’ll take another route there.”
爱德华言归正传：星期五下午我会带她来这里留下错误的踪迹，之后你再和我们会合，把她带到一个我知道的地方。完全不在路线之中，而且要容易防御，不能让他们发现。我会从另一条路线过去的。”
“Oh… Again, dog, not bad at all.”
“噢……又是狗，一点儿也不坏。”
Jacob turned to me quickly, as if determined to play the good guy by keeping me in the conversation. “We tried to talk Seth into staying behind with the younger two. He’s still too young, but he’s stubborn and he’s resisting. So I thought of a new assignment for him — cell phone.”
雅各布迅速地转向我，好像下定决心在谈话中扮演好人一样．‘我们试过说服塞思和另外两个年纪较小的留下来，他还太小了，但是他很顽固，很抵制，所以我给他想了个新任务——手机。”
Jacob snorted.
雅各布嗤之以鼻。
“You have a better idea?”
“你有更好的主意？”
Jacob was suddenly smug. “Actually, I do.”
雅各布突然沾沾自喜起来：“实际上，我有。”
I tried to look like I got it. No one was fooled.
我试着装出一副明白了的样子，但没有骗过任何人。
“As long as Seth Clearwater is in his wolf form, he’ll be connected to the pack,” Edward said.
“只要塞思·克里尔沃特一直保持狼人模样，他就会和狼群保持联系，爱德华说道。
“Three hundred miles?” Edward asked. “That’s impressive.”
“三百英里以外呢？”爱德华问道，“真是令人印象深刻啊。”
“Distance isn’t a problem?” he added, turning to Jacob.
“距离不会是问题吧？”他面对着雅各布补充道。
“Nope.”
“不会”
“It’s a good idea.” Edward seemed reluctant to admit this. “I’ll feel better with Seth there, even without the instantaneous communication. I don’t know if I’d be able to leave Bella there alone. To think it’s come to this, though! Trusting werewolves!”
“这是个好主意，”爱德华似乎很不情愿地承认道，“塞思在的话我感觉好多了，即使没法马上联系到。尽管已作了如此安排，我不知道我是否能够把贝拉一个人留下。相信狼人们吧！”
Jacob was the good guy again. “That’s the farthest we’ve ever gone to experiment,” he told me. “Still clear as a bell.”
雅各布又扮起好人了，“那是我们试验过最远的距离，”他告诉我，“听得就像铃声一样清楚。”
I nodded absently; I was reeling from the idea that little Seth Clearwater was already a werewolf, too, and that made it difficult to concentrate. I could see his bright smile, so much like a younger Jacob, in my head; he couldn’t be more than fifteen, if he was that. His enthusiasm at the council meeting bonfire suddenly took on new meaning…
我心不在焉地点点头，想到小塞思·克里尔沃特也变成了狼人让我感到一阵眩晕，这使我很难集中精神。我在脑海中能看见他那灿烂的微笑，和年少一些的雅各布那么相像；如果他是那样的话，他不可能超过十五岁。他在长老会的篝火晚会上表现出来的热情突然传递出另一层含义……
Jacob smiled. “That’s the reason we’re here.”
雅各布微笑着说：“那是我们在这里的原因。”
“Fighting with vampires instead of against them!” Jacob mirrored Edward’s tone of disgust.
“和吸血鬼一起作战而不是向他们开战！”雅各布模仿着爱德华厌恶的语气。
“Well, you still get to fight against some of them,” Edward said.
“好吧，你们还是要向他们当中的一些开战的。”爱德华说道。
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