There was so much to think about.
有太多事情要思考了。
How was I going to find time alone to hunt down J. Jenks, and why did Alice want me to know about him?
我怎样才能独自行动去寻找那个J。詹克斯？爱丽丝又为什么要让我去认识他？
If Alice’s clue had nothing to do with Renesmee, what could I do to save my daughter?
如果爱丽丝提供的线索与蕾妮斯梅无关的话，我该怎样才能救我的蕾妮斯梅？
I didn’t know how to fight. How was I going to learn in just a month? Was there any chance at all that I could be taught fast enough that I might be a danger to any one member of the Volturi? Or was I doomed to be totally useless? Just another easily dispatched newborn?
我还不知道要如何战斗。这剩下一个月我要怎么学才行？在这么短时间内我有没有可能成长成一个能对沃尔图里家族构成威胁的对手？或者是蠢到完全学不会？成为又一个脆弱的新生儿？
So many answers I needed, but I did not get the chance to ask my questions.
我需要这么多的答案，自己却完全无法回答。
How were Edward and I going to explain things to Tanya’s family in the morning? What if they reacted like Irina? What if it turned into a fight?
明早我和爱德华该如何向坦尼娅一家解释蕾妮斯梅的情况？万一他们的反应和伊琳娜一样怎么办？谈话会变成我们之间的一场战斗吗？
Wanting some normality for Renesmee, I’d insisted on taking her home to our cottage at bedtime. Jacob was more comfortable in his wolf form at the moment; the stress was easier dealt with when he felt ready for a fight. I wished that I could feel the same, could feel ready. He ran in the woods, on guard again.
为了让蕾妮斯梅觉得一切正常，我坚持将蕾妮斯梅带回小屋睡觉。雅各布暂时也想保持狼的形态安稳一会儿，能够保持警戒状态让他比较好受。我希望我也能如此，能够感觉对将要发生的一切已经做好准备。他跑进了森林，又开始巡逻。
He stood with his back to me, staring into the fire.
他背对我站着，注视着炉中的火焰。
I didn’t think of my questions again for the rest of that night. It didn’t take long for me to grasp the reason for his mood, and even less time to feel exactly the same way.
剩下的夜晚里我把那些问题毫不犹豫地抛出了脑外。没花多长时间我就理解了爱德华的心情，甚至在我还没反应过来的时候就有了同样的感觉。
After she was deeply under, I put Renesmee in her bed and then went to the front room to ask my questions of Edward. The ones I was able to ask, at any rate; one of the most difficult of problems was the idea of trying to hide anything from him, even with the advantage of my silent thoughts.
蕾妮斯梅睡着了，我把她放进她的小床后便走到前厅，想要让爱德华帮忙解决一些我的问题。只是我能够问出来的那些，其实对于我来说，最困难的问题就是对他有所隐瞒，即使这不可读的思想算是我的优点之一。
“Edward, I –“
“爱德华，我——”
He spun and was across the room in what seemed like no time at all, not even the smallest part of a second. I only had time to register the ferocious expression on his face before his lips were crushing against mine and his arms were locked around me like steel girders.
他飞速地转过身穿过房间向我走来，仿佛时间紧迫得连一毫秒都不能浪费。我刚来得及将他那凶猛强烈的表情看进眼里就被紧紧的吻住，被那钢筋牢笼般的手臂扣在怀里。
I’d been planning on needing years just to somewhat organize the overwhelming passion I felt for him physically. And then centuries after that to enjoy it. If we had only a month left together… Well, I didn’t see how I could stand to have this end. For the moment I couldn’t help but be selfish. All I wanted was to love him as much as possible in the limited time given to me.
我曾经想过到底要多少年我才能克服自己身体对爱德华这种无法抵抗的热情，也许是在我享受它几个世纪以后。而现在我们剩下的时间却不到一个月…好吧，我完全不能忍受这一切就这样突然结束了。这一刻我不可控制的自私起来，唯一想做的就是在这有限的时间里用尽我所有的力气去爱他。
“But he wouldn’t understand the question to answer it,” I agreed. “Do you think they’ll let us explain?”
“最好是在他还不知道关键问题之前，”我赞同地说道。“你觉得他会听我们解释吗？”
“I wish there was a way to get the information we need from Eleazar before we tell them about Nessie,” Edward muttered as we hurriedly dressed in the huge closet that was more reminder of Alice than I wanted at the moment. “Just in case.”
“要是我们能在告诉以利亚撒关于蕾妮斯梅的情况前就先从他得到我们需要的信息就好了，”当我们在那令我格外强烈的想起爱丽丝的巨大的衣柜前迅速穿衣服时，爱德华低声抱怨说。“好以防万一。”
It was hard to pull myself away from him when the sun came up, but we had our job to do, a job that might be more difficult than all the rest of our family’s searches put together. As soon as I let myself think of what was coming, I was all tension; it felt like my nerves were being stretched on a rack, thinner and thinner.
在太阳升起的时候说服自己离开爱德华的怀抱绝对是一项挑战，但我们还有工作要做，一项比把其他困难全部加起来还要困难的工作。我一想到接下来要发生的事情就不由得浑身绷紧，好像是把我的神经放到了拉肢刑架上，被拉得越来越细，越来越紧。
“I don’t know.”
“不知道。”
I couldn’t waste one second of time today. There were answers I needed, and wasn’t sure how much time Edward and I would have alone today. If all went well with Tanya’s family, hopefully we would have company for an extended period.
我不忍浪费今天的每一秒钟。我的问题还没有解决，也不确定今天还有多少能与爱德华独处的时间。而且如果坦尼娅一家的解释工作进行得顺利的话，在接下来的一段时间里我们就会一直与这些伙伴呆在一起。
I pulled Renesmee, still sleeping, from her bed and held her close so that her curls were pressed against my face; her sweet scent, so close, overpowered every other smell.
蕾妮斯梅还在熟睡，我将她抱出她的小床抱在怀里，让她的小卷发靠紧我的脸庞。她甜美的气息如此强烈如此近在咫尺，盖过了周围其他所有的气味。
It was what I expected. He froze, and then his eyes swept over me with a deep significance, like he was looking at me for the first or last time. His eyes lingered on our daughter sleeping in my arms.
不出我所料，他一下就僵硬了，然后用一种深沉的眼神注视我，就好像这是他第一次或是最后一次看着我一样。然后他的眼神又在我臂弯中熟睡的女儿身上逗留了一下。
“If it comes to a fight, there won’t be much any of us can do,” he hedged.
“如果真得战斗的话，我们根本就做不了什么。”他避开了我的问题。
“Edward, will you teach me how to fight?” I asked him, tensed for his reaction, as he held the door for me.
“爱德华，你会教我如何战斗吗？”当爱德华为我开门时我问他，紧张地等着他的反应。
I kept my voice even. “Would you leave me unable to defend myself?”
我努力让声音保持平缓。“你想让我连一点保护自己的能力都没有吗？”
He swallowed convulsively, and the door shuddered, hinges protesting, as his hand tightened. Then he nodded. “When you put it that way… I suppose we should get to work as soon as we can.”
他痛苦着艰难地咽了一下口水，屋门和铰链在他手掌的紧握下战栗。然后他终于点头。“如果你这样说的话…我觉得我们该尽快开始行动了。”
I wondered what I could do that would have any hope of making a difference. I was a tiny bit special, in my own way — if a having a supernaturally thick skull could really be considered special. Was there any use that I could put that toward?
我衷心的希望自己的努力能够让形势有所改变。我还是有一点特别的，就我自己来说——如果一个不易穿透的厚厚脑壳真能算是特别的话。但这样的能力真能起到什么作用吗？
I nodded, too, and we started toward the big house. We didn’t hurry.
我也点头赞同，然后我们一起向大房子走去，并不怎么急切。
“What would you say their biggest advantage is? Do they even have a weakness?”
“你说他们最大的优势是什么呢？他们有弱点吗？”
Edward didn’t have to ask to know I meant the Volturi.
爱德华不用问就知道我指的是沃尔图里。
“Because Jane can burn you where you stand — mentally at least. What does Alec do? Didn’t you once say he was even more dangerous than Jane?”
“因为简能将你所站的地方烧为灰烬——最少都是在意识上，这个我知道。那亚历克的能力是什么？你以前不是说过他比简还要危险吗？”
“Alec and Jane are their greatest offense,” he said emotionlessly, like we were talking of a basketball team. “Their defensive players rarely see any real action.”
“亚历克和简是他们的进攻主力，”他平淡地说，好像只是在讨论一支篮球队一样。“他们的防御队员很少有什么大动作。”
“Because he cuts off your senses altogether. No pain, but also no sight or sound or smell. Total sensory deprivation. You are utterly alone in the blackness. You don’t even feel it when they burn you.”
“因为他能够同时切断你所有的意识。你不会感觉到痛苦，同样的，你也会没有视觉没有嗅觉，感官功能被完全的剥夺。就好像孤立在无尽的黑暗中，你甚至感觉不到他们在焚烧你。”
“Yes. In a way, he is the antidote to Jane. She makes you feel the worst pain imaginable. Alec, on the other hand, makes you feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sometimes, when the Volturi are feeling kind, they have Alec anesthetize someone before he is executed. If he has surrendered or pleased them in some other way.”
“是的。一方面来说，他算是一种针对简能力的解药，简能够摧残你的心智，让你觉得生不如死。而亚历克能让你失去知觉，彻底地失去知觉。有些时候，如果沃尔图里想仁慈些的时候，他们就会让亚历克在某人被处死前先将他麻醉，一般是因为那人已经投降了或者是想办法讨好了他们。”
I shivered. Was this the best we could hope for? To not see or feel death when it came?
我不住地战栗。这就是我们能期待的最好的死法吗？不知不觉地死去？
“Anesthetic? But how is that more dangerous than Jane?”
“麻醉？但仅仅是这样怎么会说他比简还危险？”
We walked in silence for a few seconds.
我们无言地走了几秒。
I felt cold as I saw where he was going. “And Alec can incapacitate us all at the same time?” I whispered.
当我明白他要表达的意思后不禁感到一阵寒意。“亚历克能同时麻醉我们所有人？”我小声问道。
“That would make him only equally as dangerous as Jane,” Edward went on in the same detached voice, “in that they both can incapacitate you, make you into a helpless target. The difference between them is like the difference between Aro and me. Aro hears the mind of only one person at a time. Jane can only hurt the one object of her focus. I can hear everyone at the same time.”
“这就足以使他和简一样危险了，”爱德华用继续用那种仿佛与他无关的语气说道，“他们两个的能力都足以让你束手无策，变成个等死的靶子。他们两个的区别就和我与阿罗间的区别差不多，阿罗一次只能听取一个人的思想，简也一次只能攻击一个目标。而我可以同时听取所有人的思想。”
“Yes,” he said. “If he uses his gift against us, we will all stand blind and deaf until they get around to killing us — maybe they’ll simply burn us without bothering to tear us apart first. Oh, we could try to fight, but we’ll be more likely to hurt one another than we would be to hurt one of them.”
“对。”他说。“如果他用他的能力来对付我们，我们将又聋又瞎地等着被他们杀掉——也许他们根本就懒得分别一个个杀我们，就干脆一把火都烧了。当然那时我们也可以尝试战斗，但比起打倒他们，我们更可能打到自己人。”
An idea was shaping itself in my head. Not very promising, but better than nothing.
一个想法突然从我脑袋里冒出来。也许不是那么有用，但至少比一点用也没有的好。
“Do you think Alec is a very good fighter?” I asked. “Aside from what he can do, I mean. If he had to fight without his gift. I wonder if he’s ever even tried…”
“你觉得亚历克擅长打架吗？”我问。“我的意思是除开他的超能力，好比在他被迫不能用超能力来战斗的时候。我敢怀疑他甚至都没有过这样的经历…”
I looked straight ahead. “Well, he probably can’t do that to me, can he? If what he does is like Aro and Jane and you. Maybe… if he’s never really had to defend himself… and I learned a few tricks –“
我直直地看回去。“这样说吧，他的超能力对我来说可能不会起作用，不是吗？如果他的能力是和阿罗、你、简的能力同样性质。也许我能…。也许他根本就没想过要防御，再加上我只要会一点小招式…”
“He’s been with the Volturi for centuries,” Edward cut me off, his voice abruptly panicked. He was probably seeing the same image in his head that I was: the Cullens standing helpless, senseless pillars on the killing field — all but me. I’d be the only one who could fight. “Yes, you’re surely immune to his power, but you are still a newborn, Bella. I can’t make you that strong a fighter in a few weeks. I’m sure he’s had training.”
“他为沃尔图里效力已经几个世纪了，”爱德华打断我，他的声音突然惊慌起来。他大概已经猜到了我所想的画面：卡伦一家无助地站着，等着被杀掉——除了我。我将是唯一一个还能战斗的人。“是的，他的能力对你不起作用，但你仍然是个新生儿，贝拉。我不可能在几星期里就把你训练成一个好打手。而且我肯定亚历克是接受过训练的。”
“Please, Bella,” Edward said through his teeth. “Let’s not talk about this.”
“求你了，贝拉，”爱德华几乎是从牙缝里说出这句话。“我们别再讨论这个了。”
Edward glanced at me sharply. “What are you thinking?”
爱德华严厉地看着我。“你在想什么？”
“Be reasonable.”
“给我个理由吧爱德华。”
“I will try to teach you what I can, but please don’t make me think about you sacrificing yourself as a diversion –” He choked, and didn’t finish.
“我保证把我会的都教给你，但求你别让我觉得你是在拿自己开玩笑——”他窒息着说道。
“Maybe, maybe not. It’s the one thing I can do that no one else can. Even if I can just distract him for a while –” Could I last long enough to give the others a chance?
“怎样都有可能，毕竟这件事只有我一个人能做到。即使我只能转移他们一小会儿的注意力也好…”也许这样我就能拖延时间来给其他人制造机会…我做得到吗？
If I was able to kill them, what a difference that would make.
如果我能杀了他们，形势会有多么大的转变啊。
He acted as if I hadn’t spoken.
爱德华装作压根没听到我说话。
“I have to learn everything. As much as you can possibly cram into my head in the next month,” I murmured.
“我得学会所有的东西。在接下来的一个月里，能塞多少就塞多少到我脑袋里去。”我小声抱怨道。
Who next, then? I might as well have my plans in order so that, if I did live past attacking Alec, there would be no hesitation in my strike. I tried to think of another situation where my thick skull would give me an advantage. I didn’t know enough about what the others did. Obviously, fighters like the huge Felix were beyond me. I could only try to give Emmett his fair fight there. I didn’t know much about the rest of the Volturi guard, besides Demetri…
然后下一个要解决的是谁？我觉得我应该将我的计划完善起来，以便到时我真的搞定了亚历克再进行下一步动作时不会停顿犹豫。我试着想出我的厚脑壳还能派上什么其他的用场。我还不够了解其他人的能力，因为很显然的，还有一堆像费利克斯那样身材壮硕的人挡在我前面，所以我顶多就能为埃美特创造一个能施展拳脚的环境而已。我不怎么了解沃尔图里其他的警卫，而且德米特里……
I nodded. I would keep my plans to myself, then. First Alec and then, if I was miraculously lucky enough to win, Jane. If I could only even things out — remove the Volturi’s overwhelming offensive advantage. Maybe then there was a chance… My mind raced ahead. What if I was able to distract or even take them out? Honestly, why would either Jane or Alec ever have needed to learn battle skills? I couldn’t imagine petulant little Jane surrendering her advantage, even to learn.
我点头。但其实还是在心里盘算我的计划。首先是亚历克，然后，也许我人品爆发地能够赢过简。这样局势就基本扯平了——将沃尔图里那几乎不可战胜的进攻优势给消除了，这时我们就有机会可以…。我的脑袋飞速运转着思考。如果我真能打乱他们甚至能够引开他们的话会怎样？而且实在的说，为什么简和亚历克一定要去学那些什么战术呢？我无法想象我们的小简会这样侮辱自己拥有的能力，而去学习别的东西。
My face was perfectly smooth as I considered Demetri. Without a doubt, he would be a fighter. There was no other way he could have survived so long, always at the spear point of any attack. And he must always lead, because he was their tracker — the best tracker in the world, no doubt. If there had been one better, the Volturi would have traded up. Aro didn’t surround himself with second best.
当想起德米特里时我的表情尽量保持着完美的平静。毫无疑问，德米特里绝对是个好战士，要不他绝对无法一直处在战斗的刀口却总是大难不死。更不用说他一直都是先锋，因为他是他们的追踪装置——绝对是世界上最好的追踪者。如果有更好的话，沃尔图里肯定早就换人了，阿罗是不会让一个第二的人呆在自己身边的。
If Demetri didn’t exist, then we could run. Whoever was left of us, in any case. My daughter, warm in my arms… Someone could run with her. Jacob or Rosalie, whoever was left.
天呐，如果德米特里不存在的话我们就可以逃走了，不管是我们之中的谁能逃出去，罗莎莉或是雅各布，都能带着我臂弯中温暖的蕾妮斯梅躲起来。
And… if Demetri didn’t exist, then Alice and Jasper could be safe forever. Is that what Alice had seen? That part of our family could continue? The two of them, at the very least.
如果德米特里不存在的话……爱丽丝和贾斯帕就可以永远安全地生活着。等等，难道这就是爱丽丝看到的东西吗？我的家庭里还是有人可以继续生活下去的，至少也有他们两个。
Could I begrudge her that? “Demetri…” I said.
我该为这个而嫉妒她吗？“德米特里……”我念道。
“Why?” I whispered.
“为什么？”我低声问道。
“Demetri is mine,” Edward said in a hard, tight voice. I looked at him quickly and saw that his expression had turned violent.
“德米特里是我的。”爱德华用紧绷的僵硬的声音说道。我迅速看向他，发现他的表情突然变得非常狂暴。
He didn’t answer at first. We were to the river when he finally murmured, “For Alice. It’s the only thanks I can give her now for the last fifty years.”
他并没有马上回答，直到我们到了河边他才不情愿的小声说，“为了爱丽丝。这是唯一一件能表达我对她这50年的感谢的事情了。”
I heard Jacob’s heavy paws thudding against the frozen ground. In seconds, he was pacing beside me, his dark eyes focused on Renesmee.
我听见雅各布爪子重重踏在冰冻的地面上的声音。几秒内他就到了我旁边，用他的黑眼睛注视着蕾妮斯梅。
So his thoughts were in line with mine.
看来爱德华的思维已经跟着我编制的线路走了。
“Eleazar knows everything when it comes to the Volturi. I forgot you didn’t know. He used to be one of them.”
“以利亚撒知道关于沃尔图里的一切。我忘记告诉你了，他曾经是沃尔图里的一员。”
I nodded to him once, then returned to my questions. There was so little time.
我向他点头示意，然后继续我的问题。时间实在是不多了。
“Edward, why do you think Alice told us to ask Eleazar about the Volturi? Has he been in Italy recently or something? What could he know?”
“爱德华，你说爱丽丝为什么要我们向以利亚撒问关于沃尔图里的情况呢？难道他最近到过意大利还是什么的？他能知道些什么啊？”
I hissed involuntarily. Jacob growled beside me.
我不禁吸了口气。雅各布在我旁边发出隐隐的咆哮声。
Edward’s face was softer now — he smiled a little. “Eleazar is a very gentle person. He wasn’t entirely happy with the Volturi, but he respected the law and its need to be upheld. He felt he was working toward the greater good. He doesn’t regret his time with them. But when he found Carmen, he found his place in this world. They are very similar people, both very compassionate for vampires.” He smiled again. “They met Tanya and her sisters, and they never looked back. They are well suited to this lifestyle. If they’d never found Tanya, I imagine they would have eventually discovered a way to live without human blood on their own.”
爱德华的表情现在稍微缓和了些——小小地微笑了一下。“以利亚撒是个非常温和的人。他和沃尔图里他们一起时并不怎么高兴，但他还是遵守他们的规矩，也认为那值得被维护。他曾经觉得自己是在为一项伟大的事业工作，而且并不后悔和他们一起。但是在找到卡门以后，他才真正找到自己在世界上的位置。他们是非常相似的人，都在吸血鬼里算是非常有同情心的。”他又微笑了一下。“他们后来又见到了坦尼娅和她的姐妹们，自那之后他们就一直生活在一起。他们都对这种生活方式非常适应。我想，就算没有遇到坦尼娅一家，他们自己也会另找到一种不依靠人血的生活方式的。”
“What?” I demanded, in my head picturing the beautiful dark-haired man at our wedding wrapped in a long, ashy cloak.
“什么？”我惊叹道，在我脑中显现的是那个在我们婚礼上穿着灰白色长斗篷有着一头美丽黑发的男人形象。
The pictures in my head were jarring. I couldn’t make them match up. A compassionate Volturi soldier?
一个非常有同情心的沃尔图里战士？我脑海里关于以利亚撒的两幅画面激烈地冲突着，我实在无法让它们和谐起来。
Edward glanced at Jacob and answered a silent question. “No, he wasn’t one of their warriors, so to speak. He had a gift they found convenient.”
爱德华瞥了一眼雅各布，回答了他无声的问题。“不，这样说吧，他不是他们的打手。沃尔图里只是觉得他的能力对他们很有用。”
Jacob must have asked the obvious follow-up question.
显然，雅各布接下来又问了一个问题。
“He has an instinctive feel for the gifts of others — the extra abilities that some vampires have,” Edward told him. “He could give Aro a general idea of what any given vampire was capable of just by being in proximity with him or her. This was helpful when the Volturi went into battle. He could warn them if someone in the opposing coven had a skill that might give them some trouble. That was rare; it takes quite a skill to even inconvenience the Volturi for a moment. More often, the warning would give Aro the chance to save someone who might be useful to him. Eleazar’s gift works even with humans, to an extent. He has to really concentrate with humans, though, because the latent ability is so nebulous. Aro would have him test the people who wanted to join, to see if they had any potential. Aro was sorry to see him go.”
“他能够探知到其他人的天赋——部分吸血鬼具有的特殊能力，”爱德华回答他。“他只用稍稍靠近别人就能大致地告诉阿罗他或她的天赋。这对沃尔图里战斗时是非常有用的，如果对方阵营里有可能构成威胁的对手时他就会提醒他们，虽然这种情况很少，因为毕竟要能对沃尔图里构成威胁，那肯定是很了不起的能力。更多的时候，他的能力是使阿罗能及时救出他觉得对自己有用的人。以利亚撒的能力甚至可以扩展到在人类身上，虽然这需要他非常非常的集中精神才可以，因为人类的天赋显现的非常模糊。所以阿罗还拿他来测试那些想要加入他们的人类，看他们有没有值得一用的潜力。为此，阿罗对以利亚撒的离开十分遗憾。”
“We’re not criminals.”
“我们才不是罪犯。”
How to be ready, though? We arranged and rearranged, thought and rethought.
话是如此，但到底要怎么准备？我们商量了又商量，思考了又思考。
I scowled at the ground.
我有些怨愤地盯着地面。
“Do you really think we can make them stop and listen?”
“你觉得我们真的能让他们停下来听我们解释吗？”
“Tanya shouldn’t be too much longer,” Edward said. “We need to be ready.”
“坦尼娅他们不会太久了，”爱德华说道。“我们得做好准备。”
His smile was darker now, a little twisted. “The Volturi aren’t supposed to be the villains, the way they seem to you. They are the foundation of our peace and civilization. Each member of the guard chooses to serve them. It’s quite prestigious; they all are proud to be there, not forced to be there.”
爱德华的笑容变得隐晦，甚至有一点扭曲。“沃尔图里他们并不是像你所想的那样的坏人。他是我们种族和平与文明的奠基者，非常有名望，他们的每一个警卫都是慕名加入，并不是被强迫的，他们对自己的工作感到自豪。”
Renesmee in full view? Or hidden at first? Jacob in the room? Or outside? He’d told his pack to stay close but invisible. Should he do the same?
是应该将蕾妮斯梅展示出来还是藏起来？雅各布该呆在屋里还是外面？他已经吩咐了他的狼群在周围隐藏起来，他也该同样吗？
“They let him go?” I asked. “Just like that?”
“他们就那样让他走了？”我惊讶地问。
Edward hesitated just the tiniest moment and then shrugged. “If we find enough friends to stand beside us. Maybe.”
爱德华犹豫了一瞬间，耸了耸肩。“如果我们找到了足够的朋友站在我们这一边，也许能吧。”
If. I suddenly felt the urgency of what we had before us today. Edward and I both started to move faster, breaking into a run. Jacob caught up quickly.
也许。我突然强烈地意识到我们眼前那个巨大的危机。爱德华和我都开始加速，跑了起来。雅各布很快跟了上来。
Jacob huffed in agreement. “They don’t know that.”
雅各布大声哧了下鼻子以示同意。“他们并不知道这个。”
“They’re only alleged to be heinous and evil by the criminals, Bella.”
“只有那些罪犯才称他们为可恨的恶魔，贝拉。”
In the end, Renesmee, Jacob — in his human form again — and I waited around the corner from the front door in the dining room, sitting at the big polished table. Jacob let me hold Renesmee; he wanted space in case he had to phase quickly.
最后决定，蕾妮斯梅，雅各布—恢复了人形—和我一起留在前门拐角后餐厅那漂亮的大桌子旁。雅各布让我抱着蕾妮斯梅，为了万一发生状况时他好马上变身。
I tried to remember Tanya, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar from the wedding. Their faces were murky in my ill-lit memories. I only knew they were beautiful, two blondes and two brunettes. I couldn’t remember if there was any kindness in their eyes.
我试着在婚礼的记忆里找出坦尼娅，凯特，卡门和以利亚撒的画面，但他们的脸在我明亮的过了头的记忆里只显得暗淡，我只记得他们都非常美丽，两个是金发，两个是黑发。我也记不起到底有没有从他们的眼中看到过仁慈。
Though I was glad to have her in my arms, it made me feel useless. It reminded me that in a fight with mature vampires, I was no more than an easy target; I didn’t need my hands free.
我很高兴她能睡在我的臂弯里，但这样又让我觉得自己很无能。脑袋中显现出和成熟吸血鬼战斗时的画面，我比一个傻乎乎的靶子好不到哪去。并且现在我的手就算闲着也没用。
We listened to the cars zooming past out on the freeway, none of them slowing.
我们都全神贯注地听着外面公路上车子经过的声音，没有一辆减速。
Edward leaned motionlessly against the back window wall, staring toward the front door. It didn’t look like he was seeing the room in front of him.
爱德华面无表情地斜靠在后玻璃墙上，注视着前门，看起来不像是在看他眼前的屋子。
Renesmee nestled into my neck, her hand against my cheek but no images in my head. She didn’t have pictures for her feelings now.
蕾妮斯梅把头埋在我的颈窝里，手放在我的脸颊上，但没有画面显现出来。她不知道该如何描述自己现在的心情。
“Of course they’ll –” Jacob started to say, but I silenced him with a look.
“他们当然会——，”雅各布说，但我用眼神让他住口。
“What if they don’t like me?” she whispered, and all our eyes flashed to her face.
“如果他们不喜欢我怎么办？”她小声说，于是我们所有人都移过视线看着她。
“They don’t understand you, Renesmee, because they’ve never met anyone like you,” I told her, not wanting to lie to her with promises that might not come true. “Getting them to understand is the problem.”
“他们只是不了解你，蕾妮斯梅，因为他们从没见过像你这样的。”我告诉她事实，并不想用空泛的承诺来欺骗她。“问题就是让他们了解你而已。”
“You’re special, that’s not a bad thing.”
“你是特别的，这并不是件坏事。”
She sighed, and in my head flashed pictures of all of us in one quick burst. Vampire, human, werewolf. She fit nowhere.
她叹气，在我的脑海里塞满了我们所有人的画面，有吸血鬼，有人类，有狼人，但她哪一种也不是。
She shook her head in disagreement. She thought of our strained faces and said, “This is my fault.”
她不同意地摇摇头，呈现出我们大家紧张的表情说：“这都是我的错。”
Edward darted around the corner to stand waiting by the door. Renesmee hid in my hair. Jacob and I stared at each other across the table, desperation on our faces.
爱德华飞快地转过拐角等在大门前。蕾妮斯梅藏进我的长发里。雅各布和我满脸忐忑地隔着桌子四目相对。
“No,” Jacob, Edward, and I all said at exactly the same time, but before we could argue further, we heard the sound we’d been waiting for: the slowing of an engine on the freeway, the tires moving from pavement to soft dirt.
“不，”雅各布、爱德华和我几乎同时喊道，但在争执继续下去前，我们都听到了那等待中的声音：马达在公路上减速，轮胎轻轻碾上覆着柔软泥土的人行道。
“Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen.” Three murmured hellos.
“你好，坦尼娅，凯特，以利亚撒，卡门。”其他三个人也轻声回答了问候。
“Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away,” the first voice said, Tanya. I could hear that they all were still outside. I imagined Edward in the doorway, blocking their entrance. “What’s the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?”
“卡莱尔说他需要马上和我们谈谈，”第一个出现的声音解释道，是坦尼娅。我能听出他们仍站在门外。我想象着爱德华挡在门口阻止他们进来的样子。“出什么事了？和狼人有些矛盾了？”
“No,” Edward said. “Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever.”
“不是，”爱德华说。“我们与狼们的休战协议从没这么奏效过。”
A woman chuckled.
一个女声发出轻笑。
“Carlisle had to leave.”
“卡莱尔不得不离开了。”
“What’s going on, Edward?” Tanya demanded.
“到底怎么了，爱德华？”坦尼娅质问道。
“Edward!” a female voice enthused.
“爱德华！”一个女性的声音热情地招呼道。
“Aren’t you going to invite us in?” Tanya asked. And then she continued without waiting for an answer. “Where’s Carlisle?”
“你不想邀请我们进去吗？”坦尼娅问，但她并没有等爱德华回答又继续问道，“卡莱尔呢？”
There was a short silence.
然后对话出现了短暂的沉默。
The car moved quickly through the woods, faster than Charlie or Sue drove. We heard it pull into the meadow and stop by the front porch. Four doors opened and closed. They didn’t speak as they approached the door. Edward opened it before they could knock.
那辆车快速地穿过树林，比查理和苏的车速快得多。我们听着它开上了房前的草地，停在了门廊边上，四个车门开了又关上。他们向大门走来时并没有交谈，爱德华在他们敲门前为他们就打开了门。
Jacob rolled his eyes.
雅各布翻了翻眼睛。
“If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes,” he answered. “I have something difficult to explain, and I’ll need you to be open-minded until you understand.”
“我希望你们能给我几分钟的时间，”他回答道。“我有一些很难开口的事情要向你们解释，而且我希望你们在完全了解了情况之前能保持平静，不要有先入之见。”
“I knew those werewolves were involved,” Tanya muttered.
“有狼人也在状况内。”坦尼娅有些抱怨地低声说道。
Edward moved. We heard four sets of footsteps walk through the doorway.
爱德华移开了身体。我们听着四对脚步声穿过门廊。
“Thank you, Tanya,” Edward said fervently. “We wouldn’t involve you in this if we had any other choice.”
“谢谢你，坦尼娅，”爱德华热诚地感谢。“如果还有其他选择的话我们是绝对不会把你们卷进这件事的。”
“Is Carlisle all right?” a male voice asked anxiously. Eleazar.
“卡莱尔没事吧？”一个男性声音焦急地问道。是以利亚撒。
“None of us is all right, Eleazar,” Edward said, and then he patted something, maybe Eleazar’s shoulder. “But physically, Carlisle is fine.”
“我们中没有一个是没事的，以利亚撒，”爱德华说，用手轻轻拍了下什么东西，应该是以利亚撒的肩膀。“就健康上来说，卡莱尔是没事的。”
“We’re listening,” Tanya finally said. “We will hear it all before we judge.”
“我们正听着呢，”坦尼娅终于答应道。“我们会全部听完后再做出判断。”
A longer silence greeted his request. Through the strained hush, Jacob and I stared wordlessly at each other. His russet lips paled.
回应爱德华要求的是一阵更长的沉默。在这紧张的安静中，雅各布和我无言地目目相觑，他褐色的嘴唇变得苍白。
Someone sniffed.
其中一人吸了口气。
“Physically?” Tanya asked sharply. “What do you mean?”
“健康上？”坦尼娅快速问道。“什么意思？”
“I mean that my entire family is in very grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out.”
“我的意思是，整个我的家庭现在都面临着非常严峻的危险。但在我解释前，我想要你们的保证，保证你们会在我说完后再做出反应。我恳求你们一定要听我把话说完。”
“Yes, and they’re on our side. Again.”
“是的，他们是站在我们这边的。又一次。”
The reminder silenced Tanya.
一些记起的事情让坦尼娅沉默了。
“Where’s your Bella?” one of the other female voices asked. “How is she?”
“你的贝拉呢？”另一个女性问道。“她现在怎么样了？”
It was quiet, and then there was movement.
安静了一会儿之后，有人动了起来。
“What else?” Edward asked.
“还有呢？”爱德华问。
“A werewolf, I assume. I can hear his heart,” Tanya said.
“一个狼人，我猜。我听到他的心跳声。”坦尼娅说道。
“No, but remember what you’re hearing. Now, what do you smell? Besides the werewolf.”
“不是。但请记住你听到的这声音。现在我们继续，你闻到什么，除了狼人以外？”
Edward took a deep breath. “I’d like you to witness for yourselves first. Listen — in the other room. What do you hear?”
爱德华深深吸了口气。“首先，我想让你们相信自己的所见。听一下——在另一个房间里，你们听到了什么？”
“She’ll join us shortly. She’s well, thank you. She’s taken to immortality with amazing finesse.”
“在那之后不久她就加入了我们。她现在很好，谢谢。她是在一种绝妙的情况下变化的。”
There was a pause.
又停顿了一下。
“Tell us about the danger, Edward,” Tanya said quietly. “We’ll listen, and we’ll be on your side, where we belong.”
“告诉我们那危险是什么，爱德华，”坦尼娅平静地说。“我们会听的，而且我们也会当然地站在你这边。”
“Is there a human here?” Eleazar whispered.
“有个人类在这儿？”以利亚撒低声问。
“Just listen first, please,” Edward said.
“现在先只是听，好吗。”爱德华说。
“What is that thrumming?” Kate or Carmen asked. “Is that… some kind of a bird?”
“另外那个跳动的声音是什么？”凯特或是卡门问道。“是……某种鸟？”
“You most certainly have not, Tanya. Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions.”
“你肯定没闻过，坦尼娅。我恳求你们，请记住接下去的东西对你们来说都是见所未见的，请一定要抛开你们先入为主的那些看法。”
“No,” Tanya disagreed. “It’s not human… but… closer to human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward? I don’t think I’ve ever smelled that fragrance before.”
“不对，”坦尼娅反对道。“不是人类…只是…比这屋子里的其他气味更接近人类而已。到底是什么，爱德华？我觉得我以前从没闻过这样的香味。”
“All right, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please.”
“好吧，那么，贝拉？把蕾妮斯梅带出来吧。”
My legs felt strangely numb, but I knew that feeling was all in my head. I forced myself not to hold back, not to move sluggishly, as I got to my feet and walked the few short feet to the corner. The heat from Jacob’s body flamed close behind me as he shadowed my steps.
我的腿不可思议地麻木了，脑袋也是。我努力地让自己不要退缩，不要慢吞吞的，挪动自己的脚向拐角走去。雅各布紧紧跟着我的步子，热量从他的身体里辐射出来。
“I promised you I would listen, Edward.”
“我保证过我会听的了，爱德华。”
I took one step into the bigger room and then froze, unable to force myself farther forward. Renesmee took a deep breath and then peeped out from under my hair, her little shoulders tight, expecting a rebuff.
我踏进大房间里只一步就僵住了，再也无法往前走。蕾妮斯梅深吸了一口气，从我的头发下向外偷看，她小小的肩膀紧绷着，等待着即将到来的强烈抵触。
“Oh please,” I heard Jacob complain under his breath.
“噢别…”我听见雅各布屏住呼吸埋怨道。
I thought I’d prepared myself for their reaction. For accusations, for shouting, for the motionlessness of deep stress.
我觉得我自己已经对他们可能的反应做好了准备，他们的指控，他们的大叫，他们无情的压迫。
Tanya skittered back four steps, her strawberry curls quivering, like a human confronted by a venomous snake. Kate jumped back all the way to the front door and braced herself against the wall there. A shocked hiss came from between her clenched teeth. Eleazar threw himself in front of Carmen in a protective crouch.
坦尼娅吓得飞快地退了四步，暗红色的卷发颤抖着，像是个被毒蛇吓到的人类。凯特干脆原路跳回了大门边，紧贴在墙上，一种震惊的嘶嘶声从她咬紧地牙齿中发出来。以利亚撒跳出来挡在卡门身前蹲伏着作保护状。
“Wait,” Edward said, his voice harder now. “Remember what you hear, what you smell. Renesmee is not what you think she is.”
“等等，”爱德华费力地说。“记得你们之前听到闻到的东西吗？蕾妮斯梅不是你们所想的那种东西。”
“There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward,” Tanya snapped back.
“这个规矩里没有例外，爱德华。”坦尼娅厉声打断道。
“We have to get out of here,” Kate said anxiously, her hand on the doorknob.
“我们得离开这，”凯特焦急地说，手放在门把手上。
“Edward…” Eleazar seemed beyond words.
“爱德华…”以利亚撒看起来都说不出话了。
The four vampires stared at him like he was speaking a language none of them knew.
四个吸血鬼目不转睛地瞪着他，好像他在说一种谁也听不懂的语言一样。
“Tanya,” Edward said sharply, “you can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means.”
“坦尼娅，”爱德华激动地说，“你听到她的心跳了！稍微想一下这意味着什么吧。”
“Her heartbeat?” Carmen whispered, peering around Eleazar’s shoulder.
“她的心跳？”卡门小声惊叹，从以利亚撒的肩膀后凝视着蕾妮斯梅。
Edward put his arm around Renesmee and me. “You promised to listen,” he reminded them.
爱德华用他的胳膊护住我和蕾妮斯梅。“你保证过要听的。”他提醒他们。
“She’s not a full vampire child,” Edward answered, directing his attention toward Carmen’s less hostile expression. “She is half-human.”
“她不是完全的吸血鬼孩子，”爱德华回答，注意力转到敌意少些的卡门身上。“她是半个人类。”
“Some things cannot be heard!” Tanya exclaimed. “How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?”
“有些事情是听不得的！”坦尼娅惊叫。“你怎么可以，爱德华？你知道这意味着什么吗？”
“Hear me.” Edward’s voice shifted into a smooth velvet tone of persuasion. “Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator — her biological father.”
“听我说，”爱德华用他十分有说服力的丝绒般温柔的语气说道。“蕾妮斯梅是另外一个种类。我是她的父亲，不是她的创造者——是她的生身父亲。”
“Tell me another explanation that fits, Eleazar. You can feel the warmth of her body in the air. Blood runs in her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it.”
“那请告诉我另一种合理的解释吧，以利亚撒。你感觉得到空气中她的温暖，鲜血在她的血管里流淌，以利亚撒，你闻得到的。”
It was Carmen who responded to Edward’s words. She stepped around Eleazar, ignoring his half-articulated warning, and walked carefully to stand right in front of me. She leaned down slightly, looking carefully into Renesmee’s face.
卡门对爱德华的话做出了回应，她绕过以利亚撒，不理睬他的警告，小心地走到我面前。她微微弯下腰，仔细观察着蕾妮斯梅的脸。
“How?” Kate breathed.
“怎么会这样？”凯特惊讶地从气管里吐出这句话。
Tanya’s head was shaking, just a tiny movement. She didn’t seem aware of it.
坦尼娅在不易察觉地摇着头。她还没有弄明白。
“Bella is her biological mother,” Edward told her. “She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom into her heart to save her.”
“贝拉是她的生身母亲，”爱德华向她解释道。“当还是人类的时候她怀孕，孕育，然后生出了蕾妮斯梅。这几乎让她死去，所以我不得不将毒液直接注入她的心脏来挽救她。”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Eleazar said. His shoulders were still stiff, his expression cold.
“我从没听说过这样的事情，”以利亚撒说。他的肩膀仍然僵硬地紧绷着，表情冷酷。
“Edward, you can’t expect us to –,” Eleazar started to say.
“爱德华，你不能指望我们去——”以利亚撒说着。
“Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not common,” Edward answered, a bit of dark humor in his tone now. “Human survivors of such trysts are even less common. Wouldn’t you agree, cousins?”
“吸血鬼与人类在生理上的联系是奇妙的，”爱德华回答，语气有些黑色幽默。“人类能从那种幽会里死里逃生的例子甚至更少。难道你们不同意吗，姐妹们？”
Both Kate and Tanya scowled at him.
凯特和坦尼娅都冲他皱着眉头。
“Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance.”
“来看一下吧，以利亚撒，你绝对无法否认她与我们长得有多像。”
Renesmee’s answering smile was dazzling. She touched my face without looking away from Carmen. She imagined touching Carmen’s face, wondering if that was okay.
蕾妮斯梅也回报以灿烂的微笑，在她触摸我的脸时也没有将目光从卡门那移开。她想象着触碰卡门的脸，询问我行不行。
Carmen was still smiling at Renesmee. “Do you speak, little one?”
卡门仍然在对着蕾妮斯梅微笑。“你会讲话吗，小家伙？”
“You seem to have your mother’s eyes,” she said in a low, calm voice, “but your father’s face.” And then, as if she could not help herself, she smiled at Renesmee.
“看来你继承了母亲的眼睛，”她用低缓而平静地语气说道，“还有父亲的容貌。”然后，就好像情不自禁的一样，她对蕾妮斯梅绽开了微笑。
“Yes,” Renesmee answered in her trilling high soprano. All of Tanya’s family flinched at the sound of her voice except for Carmen. “But I can show you more than I can tell you.”
“会。”蕾妮斯梅用她甜美清脆的小尖嗓子回答道。坦尼娅一家所有人听到这个声音都缩了缩，除了卡门。“但是我能呈现给你的比我能讲述给你的多得多。”
“Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?” I asked Carmen. I was still too stressed to speak above a whisper. “She has a gift for explaining things.”
“你介意蕾妮斯梅自己跟你解释吗？”我小声问卡门，仍然感觉非常紧张。“她有一种可以用来解释的能力。”
Renesmee “showed” Carmen her explanation for a long time. Edward’s face was intent as he watched with Carmen, and I wished so much that I could hear what he heard, too. Jacob shifted his weight impatiently behind me, and I knew he was wishing the same.
蕾妮斯梅向卡门“放映”她的解释很长时间。爱德华一脸急切地看着卡门，我多希望自己也能听到爱德华听到的东西。雅各布也在身后变得非常不耐烦，我知道他也和我希望的一样。
She placed her little dimpled hand on Carmen’s cheek.
然后她将自己肉呼呼的小手放在了卡门的脸颊上。
Carmen stiffened like an electric shock had run through her. Eleazar was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders as if to yank her away.
卡门触电似的绷紧了一下。以利亚撒立刻就移到她身边，抓住她的肩膀好像要把她拽走一样。
“Wait,” Carmen said breathlessly, her unblinking eyes locked on Renesmee’s.
“等等，”卡门窒息着说，眼都不眨地盯着蕾妮斯梅。
“Ay caray!” he spit, and jerked away from her.
“天！”他惊叫，一下跳开。
“What did she do to you?” Tanya demanded, coming closer warily. Kate crept forward, too.
“她对你做了什么？”坦尼娅急切地问，小心地靠近了些。凯特也向前稍微挪了一点。
Another minute passed, and Renesmee dropped her hand from Carmen’s face. She smiled winningly at the stunned vampire.
又过了一分钟，蕾妮斯梅终于把手从卡门脸上拿开，对着这目瞪口呆的吸血鬼露出胜利的微笑。
“She really is your daughter, isn’t she?” Carmen breathed, switching her wide topaz eyes to Edward’s face. “Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father.”
“她真的是你的女儿，不是吗？”卡门说道，黄玉般的眼睛注视着爱德华的脸。“多么栩栩如生的天赋啊！这绝对只能出自一个才能出众的父亲。”
“Do you believe what she showed you?” Edward asked, his expression intense.
“你相信她向你展示的那些东西？”爱德华问，表情热烈。
“Everything,” Edward murmured.
“一切。”爱德华轻声回答。
“What’s Nessie showing her?” he grumbled under his breath.
“内希在向她呈现什么？”他低声牢骚道。
Carmen took his hands into her own and squeezed them. “Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you.”
卡门抓起他的手并握紧了它们。“是有些不可思议，但爱德华告诉你的都是事实。让那孩子自己来告诉你吧。”
Carmen nudged Eleazar closer to me and then nodded at Renesmee. “Show him, mi querida.”
卡门把以利亚撒向我这轻推了一把然后向蕾妮斯梅点了下头。“展现给他看，我亲爱的小姐。”
“Without a doubt,” Carmen said simply.
“毫无疑问，”卡门简单地回答。
Eleazar’s face was rigid with distress. “Carmen!”
以利亚撒的脸因震惊而僵硬起来。“卡门！”
Renesmee grinned, clearly delighted with Carmen’s acceptance, and touched Eleazar lightly on the forehead.
蕾妮斯梅咧开嘴笑，明显是因为卡门接受了她而感到非常欢喜，然后把手轻轻放在以利亚撒的额头上。
Renesmee frowned impatiently. “Watch, please,” she commanded Eleazar. She stretched her hand out to him and then left a few inches between her fingers and his face, waiting.
蕾妮斯梅有点不高兴地皱了皱眉头。“看一下吧。”她向以利亚撒请求道，把手伸向他，然后停在离他的脸几英寸的地方等待他的准许。
“She’s just trying to show you her side of the story,” Carmen told him in a soothing voice.
“她只是想要向你展现她的故事。”卡门平静地告诉他。
He shuddered when it began but held still this time, his eyes closed in concentration.
开始的时候他还是有些吓得发抖，但这次却没有动，只是专心地闭着眼睛。
Eleazar eyed her suspiciously and then glanced at Carmen for help. She nodded encouragingly. Eleazar took a deep breath and then leaned closer until his forehead touched her hand again.
以利亚撒怀疑地看着她，转过目光向卡门求助。卡门鼓励地点了点头。以利亚撒这才深吸了一口气重新靠近，直到他的额头到达蕾妮斯梅的手指。
Renesmee smiled at him. He hesitated, then smiled a slightly unwilling smile in response.
蕾妮斯梅对他绽开微笑，他犹豫了一下，最后还是回应了一个不怎么情愿的微笑。
“Eleazar?” Tanya asked.
“以利亚撒？”坦尼娅问道。
“Ahh,” he sighed when his eyes reopened a few minutes later. “I see.”
“啊，”几分钟后他睁开眼睛，松了口气。“我看到了。”
“It’s all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She’s half-human. Come. See for yourself.”
“是真的，坦尼娅。这不是禁忌的孩子，她是半人类。过来，自己看吧。”
In silence, Tanya took her turn standing warily before me, and then Kate, both showing shock as that first image hit them with Renesmee’s touch. But then, just like Carmen and Eleazar, they seemed completely won over as soon as it was done.
一切都沉默地进行着，轮到坦尼娅谨慎地站在我跟前，然后是凯特，两个人都被蕾妮斯梅的首次呈现吓了一跳。不过，就像卡门和以利亚撒一样，结束后她们都被完全地说服了。
I was not surprised at her quick understanding. After all, what could possibly be a threat to a family as strong as mine? Only the Volturi.
对她这么快地反应我并不怎么惊讶。毕竟，能够对我们这样的大家庭构成威胁的，也只有沃尔图里了。
“But there is the grave danger you warned us of,” Tanya said. “Not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?”
“你不是警告我们说有严峻的危险吗，”坦尼娅说。“如果这危险不是直接来自这个孩子，那就肯定是来自于沃尔图里了。他们怎么发现她的？什么时候会到这？”
Kate hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits. “Irina did this? To you? To Carlisle? Irina?”
凯特不禁发出嘘声，眼睛眯成一条缝，“是伊琳娜做的？对你们？对卡莱尔？伊琳娜？”
“When Bella saw Irina that day in the mountains,” Edward explained, “she had Renesmee with her.”
“就是贝拉在山上看到伊琳娜的那天，”爱德华解释道，“那时她正和蕾妮斯梅一起。”
“Alice saw her go to them,” Edward said. I wondered if the others noticed the way he winced just slightly when he spoke Alice’s name.
“爱丽丝看到她去找他们了。”爱德华说。我觉得没有人注意到他在提爱丽丝名字时稍许的畏缩。
“How could she do this thing?” Eleazar asked of no one.
“她怎么能这样？”以利亚撒对着空气问道。
I shot a glance at Edward’s smooth face, wondering if it could really be so easy. His golden eyes were clear, unshadowed. There was no deception in this, then.
我瞥了一眼爱德华温和的面庞，不敢相信这一切如此容易。爱德华清澈的，没有一丝阴影的金色眼睛回答了我，这里没有一丝欺骗。
“Thank you for listening,” he said quietly.
“谢谢你们的聆听。”他平静的说。
“No,” Tanya whispered. “Someone else…”
“不，”坦尼娅低声说。“应该是其他人…”
“Imagine if you had seen Renesmee only from a distance. If you had not waited for our explanation.”
“想象一下，如果是你从远处看到蕾妮斯梅，如果你没有等我们解释。”
Tanya’s eyes tightened. “No matter what she thought… You are our family.”
坦尼娅的眼睛也紧眯了起来。“不管她是怎么想的…你们是我们的家人啊。”
Both Tanya’s and Eleazar’s heads cocked to one side. Kate’s brow furrowed.
听到这个，坦尼娅和以利亚撒的头都偏到一边，凯特的额头都皱了起来。
“So long?” Eleazar asked.
“这么短？”以利亚撒问道。
“They are all coming. That must take some preparation.”
“他们全员都出动了。这肯定需要时间做些准备。”
“Impossible,” Eleazar said blankly.
“不可能。”以利亚撒呆滞地说道。
Shock glazed over all their eyes.
所有人的眼中都流露出震惊。
“Not just the guard,” Edward said, his jaw straining tight. “Aro, Caius, Marcus. Even the wives.”
“不只是警卫，”爱德华说，下巴绷紧。“阿罗，卡尤斯，马库斯，甚至他们的妻子。”
Eleazar gasped. “The entire guard?”
以利亚撒不可思议地喘了口气。“所有的警卫？”
“There’s nothing we can do about Irina’s choice now. It’s too late. Alice gave us a month.”
“我们现在对伊琳娜的决定已经无能为力了，太迟了。爱丽丝只给了我们一个月。”
“It doesn’t make sense from that angle. Alice said there was more to this than just punishment for what they think we’ve done. She thought you could help us.”
“从那个角度来说确实没有意义。但爱丽丝说过他们此行的目的不只是为了惩罚我们的所为，在这点上她觉得你会对我们有所帮助。”
“I would have said the same two days ago,” Edward said.
“如果是两天前，我也会这样说。”爱德华回答。
Eleazar scowled, and when he spoke it was nearly a growl. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would they put themselves and the wives in danger?”
以利亚撒皱眉，几乎是咆哮着说。“但这根本没有意义。他们怎么可能会让自己和妻子都暴露在危险之中…”
“More than punishment? But what else is there?” Eleazar started pacing, stalking toward the door and back again as if he were alone here, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the floor.
“不只是惩罚？那还为了什么？”以利亚撒开始踱步，在大门和现在站的地方不停地大步走来走去，眉毛紧皱地盯着地板。
Tanya nodded slowly. “Do you think her past will matter to them so much?”
坦尼娅缓缓地点头。“你觉得蕾妮斯梅的故事真的能让他们那么在意？”
“Where are the others, Edward? Carlisle and Alice and the rest?” Tanya asked.
“其他人在哪，爱德华？卡莱尔和爱丽丝他们呢？”坦尼娅问道。
“We’re just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain…” He touched Renesmee’s cheek; she grabbed his hand and held it pressed against her skin. “It’s difficult to doubt our story when you see it for yourself.”
“我们只是在寻找见证人。只要我们能让他们的行动稍微停顿一下就可以了。只要他们肯听我们解释…”他轻抚蕾妮斯梅的脸颊，她捉住他的手让它停留在自己脸上。“就像你们一样，沃尔图里他们应该也很难对我们的故事产生怀疑。”
Edward’s hesitation was almost unnoticeable. He answered only part of her question. “Looking for friends who might help us.”
爱德华几乎不被察觉地犹豫了一下。他只回答了她部分的问题。“他们去寻找那些可能会帮助我们的朋友们了。”
Edward shook his head quickly. “We’re not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that.”
爱德华马上摇头。“我们不会让你们卷入战斗和我们一起送死的，坦尼娅。你知道卡莱尔绝不会允许。”
Tanya leaned toward him, holding her hands out in front of her. “Edward, no matter how many friends you gather, we can’t help you win. We can only die with you. You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we’ve failed you in the past — for her sake that time as well.”
坦尼娅转向他，抬起手说道。“爱德华，不管你聚集了多少朋友，我们都不可能帮你赢的。我们只会和你一起送死，你必须知道。当然，也许我们四个是死得应该，毕竟现在伊琳娜做出这样的事，也因为以前一些让你对我们感到失望的事——同样也是她的缘故。”
“Then what, Edward?”
“那要怎样，爱德华？”
“Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed.”
“只是在于它能够说明的东西。蕾妮斯梅能够约束自己这一点能够很好地保证我们不被暴露，这绝对比那些未被驯服的孩子好得多的多。”
Tanya and Kate exchanged a quick glance.
坦尼娅和凯特飞快地交换了一下眼神。
“If Irina had not come so soon,” Edward mused, “we could have avoided all of this. Renesmee grows at an unprecedented rate. By the time the month is past, she’ll have gained another half year of development.”
“如果伊琳娜没有这么快来，”爱德华沉思道，“我们可能已经避免了现在的一切。蕾妮斯梅正以始料不及地速度成长着，她满月的时候就和其他半岁的孩子一样大了。”
“I’m not dangerous at all,” Renesmee interjected. I listened to her high, clear voice with new ears, imagining how she sounded to the others. “I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob.” She dropped Edward’s hand to reach back and pat Jacob’s arm.
“我一点都不危险，”蕾妮斯梅强调道。我用我的吸血鬼新耳朵听着她尖细清脆的嗓音，想象着这在别人耳朵里这是怎样一种美妙的旋律。“我从没有伤害过外公或苏或比利。我喜欢人类，也喜欢雅各布那样的狼人们。”她说着松开爱德华的手去抓住雅各布的胳膊。
“Well, that is something we can certainly witness,” Carmen said in a decided tone. “We’ll be able to promise that we’ve seen her mature ourselves. How could the Volturi ignore such evidence?”
“好吧，这是我们绝对能够证明的，”卡门用一种已经决定了的语气说道。“我们能保证已经亲眼看到了她的理智。沃尔图里怎么会忽视这样确切的证据呢？”
“Yes, we can witness for you,” Tanya said. “Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do.”
“是的，我们能为你们证明，”坦尼娅说。“我们理应会做这些。而且我们也会考虑再尽力多做些贡献。”
Eleazar mumbled, “How, indeed?” but he did not look up, and he continued pacing as if he were paying no attention at all.
以利亚撒喃喃自语道。“怎么会，真的吗？”但他并没有抬起目光，只是继续踱来踱去的，就好像是完全无意识的动作。
“If the Volturi won’t pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by,” Tanya insisted. “Of course, I should only speak for myself.”
“如果沃尔图里无视我们的见证，我们是不可能袖手旁观的，”坦尼娅坚持道。“当然，我只是说我自己。”
“Tanya,” Edward protested, hearing more in her thoughts than there was in her words, “we don’t expect you to fight with us.”
“坦尼娅，”爱德华抗议道，显然他在她脑中听到了比她的话更多的信息，“我们并不希望你们卷入战斗。”
Kate snorted. “Do you really doubt me so much, sister?”
凯特不高兴地哼了下鼻子。“你就这么怀疑我，妹妹？”
“I, too, will do what I can to protect the child,” Carmen agreed. Then, as if she couldn’t resist, she held her arms out toward Renesmee. “May I hold you, bebe linda?”
“我也算一个，做什么都行，只要能保护这个孩子，”卡门赞成道。然后好像情不自禁的，她向蕾妮斯梅伸出手，张开怀抱。“我能抱抱你吗，小宝贝？”
Tanya smiled widely at her. “It is a suicide mission, after all.”
坦尼娅对她露出个大大的笑容。“这可是自杀啊，毕竟。”
Kate flashed a grin back and then shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m in.”
凯特也露出牙齿灿烂地笑起来，满不在乎地耸了耸肩。“我也加入。”
It was like it had been with Charlie, and before that with all the Cullens. Renesmee was irresistible. What was it about her that drew everyone to her, that made them willing even to pledge their lives in her defense?
就像对查理一样，在查理之前还有卡伦一家，蕾妮斯梅好像有着极大地诱惑力，让每个人都无法抗拒，她这种能吸引身边每个人的魅力到底是什么，能够让大家不惜生命来保护她？
Renesmee reached eagerly toward Carmen, delighted with her new friend. Carmen hugged her close, murmuring to her in Spanish.
蕾妮斯梅迫不及待地扑向卡门，非常开心又多了个新朋友。卡门把她搂得紧紧的，用西班牙语和她美美地讲起悄悄话。
And then I remembered that Alice had left us, and my hope vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
但我又想起爱丽丝她还是离开了我们，希望就如同出现时一样迅速的幻灭了。
For a moment I thought that maybe what we were attempting might be possible. Maybe Renesmee could do the impossible and win over our enemies as she had our friends.
这一刻我突然觉得，我们的尝试可能真的会成功。也许蕾妮斯梅的魅力能让奇迹发生，甚至让敌人都变成我们的朋友。
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