Edward started backing up immediately, pulling my arm and Emmett’s. We hurried backward, keeping our eyes on the advancing threat. Jacob retreated slowest, the fur on his shoulders standing straight up as he bared his fangs at Aro. Renesmee grabbed the end of his tail as we retreated; she held it like a leash, forcing him to stay with us. We reached our family at the same time that the dark cloaks surrounded Aro again.
爱德华立刻拉着我和埃美特的胳膊飞快的向后撤。我们一边注视着正在来临的威胁，一边匆忙地后退。雅各布退得最慢，他向阿罗龇出尖牙，肩膀上的毛发直立着。蕾妮斯梅一边后退一边紧紧地抓住他的尾巴尖，像拉着一根绳子一样强迫雅各布与我们保持同步。我们终于退回到家人这边，与此同时，阿罗身边也围满了穿深色斗篷的士兵。
Now there were only fifty yards between them and us — a distance any of us could leap in just a fraction of a second.
现在双方之间仅存50码之距——短到我们当中任何一个都能在瞬间跳过。
Aro did not rejoin his anxious guard waiting on the north side of the clearing; instead, he waved them forward.
阿罗没有退回到他那些正在空地北边焦灼等待的士兵队伍里，而是招手让他们前进过来。
“How can you abide this infamy? Why do we stand here impotently in the face of such an outrageous crime, covered by such a ridiculous deception?” He held his arms rigidly at his sides, his hands curled into claws. I wondered why he did not just touch Aro to share his opinion. Were we seeing a division in their ranks already? Could we be that lucky?
“你怎么能忍受这种恶行呢？面对这样一桩令人忍无可忍的罪行，甚至还掩盖在如此可笑的诡辩之下，我们为什么无动于衷呢？”卡尤斯的双臂僵直的垂在两侧，手像爪子一样不自然的弯曲着。我疑虑的是他为什么不干脆触碰一下阿罗的手，以便直接分享阿罗的想法。难道我们所见的正是他们阵线内部的瓦解吗？我们当真如此幸运？
Caius began arguing with Aro at once.
卡尤斯与阿罗立即开始争论起来。
I glanced at the angry mob, too, and saw immediately that the description no longer applied. The frenzy for action had turned to confusion. Whispered conversations seethed through the crowd as they tried to make sense of what had happened.
我也注视着那群躁动的乌合之众，发现这形容似乎已经不再适用了，他们之前那种跃跃欲试的急躁变成了困惑，为了弄清究竟发生了什么事，人群中翻涌着低声的交谈。
“Because it’s all true,” Aro told him calmly. “Every word of it. See how many witnesses stand ready to give evidence that they have seen this miraculous child grow and mature in just the short time they’ve known her. That they have felt the warmth of the blood that pulses in her veins.” Aro’s gesture swept from Amun on one side across to Siobhan on the other.
“因为那全都是事实，”阿罗平静的告诉他，“每一个字都是真的，看看多少目击者都准备好要证实在他们认识这孩子后的短时间内，她不可思议的成长与成熟，他们感受过她血管内温热血液的跳动。”阿罗用手指点着，从阿蒙这边一直扫到另一侧的西博汉。
Caius reacted oddly to Aro’s soothing words, starting ever so slightly at the mention of witnesses. The anger drained from his features, replaced by a cold calculation. He glanced at the Volturi witnesses with an expression that looked vaguely… nervous.
从阿罗非常轻柔的提起“目击者”开始，卡尤斯对他平静的话语做出了奇怪的反应。阿罗的手势使他的愤怒荡然无存，代之以一种冷酷的思索。他凝视着沃尔图里这边的目击者，表情中有一丝若有若无的……紧张。
Caius was frowning, deep in thought. His speculative expression stoked the flames of my smoldering anger at the same time that it worried me. What if the guard acted again on some invisible signal, as they had in their march? Anxiously, I inspected my shield; it felt just as impenetrable as before. I flexed it now into a low, wide dome that arced over our company.
卡尤斯在皱额沉思。他那揣测的神情煽动了我内心郁积的怒火，同时也让我担忧起来：要是沃尔图里士兵门像行军时那样毫无征兆的就行动起来怎么办？我焦虑的检查了一下我的保护盾，感觉它仍像之前一样牢不可催。现在我把它收紧成为一个低而宽阔的弧形，包围着我们。
Fascinated, I tugged in more threads of the fabric, pulling it around each glimmering shape that was a friend or ally. The shield clung to them willingly, moving as they moved.
奇迹般的，我用力拉扯着更多来自盾甲的千丝万缕，是他们全部紧紧包围着我们自己人模糊的身形。保护盾顺从的紧贴着大家，跟随每个人移动。
Only a second had passed; Caius was still deliberating.
这些仅用了一秒钟。卡尤斯仍在深思熟虑。
I could feel the sharp plumes of light where my family and friends stood — each one an individual flavor that I thought I would be able to recognize with practice. I already knew Edward’s — his was the very brightest of them all. The extra empty space around the shining spots bothered me; there was no physical barrier to the shield, and if any of the talented Volturi got under it, it would protect no one but me. I felt my forehead crease as I pulled the elastic armor very carefully closer. Carlisle was the farthest forward; I sucked the shield back inch by inch, trying to wrap it as exactly to his body as I could.
我能感觉到亲朋好友们所站之处发出一缕缕耀眼的光芒——如果加以练习的话，我应该可以辨认出他们各自不同的特点，我已经了解了爱德华那最为明亮的光芒。那些笼罩着他们的光斑周围的空间难住了我，在这些地方，保护盾内并没有任何实体，如果沃尔图里家族某些狠角色转进了这些空子，进入我的保护盾内，那其他人就全遭殃了。我认真的将这弹性盾甲拉近，感觉额头都皱了起来。卡莱尔是最远的一个，我一寸一寸的小心收紧保护盾，尽量使它按卡莱尔的身形包裹着他。
My shield seemed to want to cooperate. It hugged his shape; when Carlisle shifted to the side to stand nearer to Tanya, the elastic stretched with him, drawn to his spark.
我的保护盾看上去很合作的样子，紧抱着他。当卡莱尔站到离坦尼娅更近的地方时，它也一同伸展着，并包住他的光芒收紧。
“Will you defend that alliance, too, Aro?” Caius demanded. “The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation — no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle.”
“你也要为对面的联盟辩护吗，阿罗？”卡尤斯询问道，“月光之子（The Children of the Moon，指狼人）历来就是我们的仇敌，我们已经在欧亚把他们几乎赶尽杀绝，然而卡莱尔居然鼓励与这群穷凶极恶的畜生建立亲近的关系——毫无疑问，他是想推翻我们，以便更好的保护他那畸形的生活方式。”
“The werewolves,” he murmured at last.
“狼人，”他终于嘟囔出一句话。
With sudden panic, I realized that most of the werewolves were unprotected. I was about to reach out to them when I realize that, strangely, I could still feel their sparks. Curious, I drew the shield tighter in, until Amun and Kebi — the farthest edge of our group — were outside with the wolves. Once they were on the other side, their lights vanished. They no longer existed to that new sense. But the wolves were still bright flames — or rather, half of them were. Hmm… I edged outward again, and as soon as Sam was under cover, all the wolves were brilliant sparks again.
我突然惊恐的发现大部分狼人都不在我的保护之下。我正要把他们也拉入盾甲，突然惊奇的发现自己仍能感受到他们的光芒。我好奇的再次把保护盾收紧，直到队伍最远边界处的阿蒙和凯比也和狼人一起处于保护盾之外，他们的光芒一离开盾甲就消失了，不再有那种新奇的光圈。但狼人们仍闪烁着明亮的光焰——至少半数如此，嗯……我又把保护盾向外扩张开，山姆一进入覆盖区，所有的狼人就又一次笼罩在灿烂的光芒中。
“Ah, brother…” Aro answered Caius’s statement with a pained look.
“唉，兄弟……”阿罗痛苦的回应卡尤斯的论述。
Their minds must have been more interconnected than I’d imagined. If the Alpha was inside my shield, the rest of their minds were every bit as protected as his.
他们的心灵感应一定比我想象的还要紧密，一旦阿尔法（狼群首领的代称）在我的盾甲之下，那么其他狼人也都全部如他一样处在保护之中。
Edward cleared his throat loudly and Caius glared at him. Aro placed one thin, delicate hand over his own face as if he was embarrassed for the other ancient.
爱德华大声的清了清喉咙。卡尤斯怒视着他，阿罗用一只纤长的手捂住自己的脸，仿佛为卡尤斯的话羞愧不已。
“Caius, it’s the middle of the day,” Edward pointed out. He gestured to Jacob. “These are not Children of the Moon, clearly. They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world.”
“卡尤斯，现在是中午，”爱德华强调，他指着雅各布：“很明显，这才不是什么‘月光之子’，他们与你那远在世界另一边的敌人毫无瓜葛。”
Edward’s jaw clenched and unclenched, then he answered evenly, “They aren’t even werewolves. Aro can tell you all about it if you don’t believe me.”
爱德华咬了咬牙，然后平静的回答：“他们甚至不是狼人，如果你不相信我的话，阿罗可以为你解释一切。”
“You breed mutants here,” Caius spit back at him.
“你生了一个异形在这儿。”卡尤斯明显是恼羞成怒，反咬一口。（卡尤斯找死啊！！！！（╰_╯）#）
Not werewolves? I shot a mystified look at Jacob. He lifted his huge shoulders and let them drop — a shrug. He didn’t know what Edward was talking about, either.
不是狼人？我疑惑的看了雅各布一眼，他巨大的肩膀抬了抬又放下——一个耸肩，他也不明白爱德华的意思。
“Dear Caius, I would have warned you not to press this point if you had told me your thoughts,” Aro murmured. “Though the creatures think of themselves as werewolves, they are not. The more accurate name for them would be shape-shifters. The choice of a wolf form was purely chance. It could have been a bear or a hawk or a panther when the first change was made. These creatures truly have nothing to do with the Children of the Moon. They have merely inherited this skill from their fathers. It’s genetic — they do not continue their species by infecting others the way true werewolves do.”
“亲爱的卡尤斯，如果你早告诉我你的想法，我就会警告你避免进入这种窘迫的僵局。”阿罗嘟囔着，“尽管这些家伙以为自己是狼人，但实际上他们并不是。更准确的说，他们应该叫‘变形人’（shape—shifter），选择变成狼形纯粹是个偶然。第一次变形可以成为熊，鹰或者豹，这群家伙确实与月光之子无关，他们纯粹从父辈那里继承了这种本领，这是遗传的——与真正的狼人通过咬人感染来持续物种的方式是不同的。”
“They know our secret,” he said flatly.
“但他们知道我们的秘密了。”他直截了当的说。
I thought I understood the instruction behind Aro’s careful wording. False charges weren’t helping convince the watching witnesses on either side; Aro was cautioning Caius to move on to the next strategy. I wondered if the reason behind the apparent strain between the two ancients — Caius’s unwillingness to share his thoughts with a touch — was that Caius didn’t care about the show as much as Aro did. If the coming slaughter was so much more essential to Caius than an untarnished reputation.
我想我明白阿罗谨慎的措辞背后隐藏的指示，虚假的指控对拉拢和说服双方正在持观望态度的目击者没有帮助。阿罗正在告诫卡尤斯进入下一计划，我怀疑这两个长老间之所以有着如此显而易见的分歧——卡尤斯不愿意触碰阿罗分享自己的想法——是因为卡尤斯不像阿罗那样在意面子上那些冠冕堂皇的假象，前提是对卡尤斯来说，即将来临的杀戮远比保持一个好名声更重要。
Edward looked about to answer this accusation, but Aro spoke faster. “They are creatures of our supernatural world, brother. Perhaps even more dependent upon secrecy than we are; they can hardly expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere.”
爱德华似乎对这个指责早有准备，但阿罗抢着接过了话头：“他们是我们超自然世界里的一部分，兄弟，也许比我们还需要保守秘密，他们几乎不可能曝光我们。谨慎点，卡尤斯，似是而非的断言对我们没好处。”
Caius took a deep breath and nodded. They exchanged a long, significant glance.
卡尤斯深吸了一口气，点点头，他们交换了一个意味深长的眼神。
Caius glared at Aro with irritation and something more — an accusation of betrayal, maybe.
卡尤斯恼怒的瞪着阿罗，表情看上去更像带着一种——对背叛的指责。
“I want to talk to the informant,” Caius announced abruptly, and turned his glare on Irina.
“我要跟报信那人谈谈。”卡尤斯突然宣布。他转而瞪着伊琳娜。
Tanya and Kate leaned forward anxiously.
坦尼娅和凯特紧张的向前倾过去。
Caius snapped his fingers.
卡尤斯打了个响指。
Hesitantly, she moved from the fringes of the Volturi formation to stand in front of Caius again.
她犹豫不决地从沃尔图里部队边缘走回卡尤斯面前。
“So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations,” Caius began.
“所以看起来你的指控相当错误了。”卡尤斯发话了。
“Dear Caius, could you expect her to have guessed in an instant something so strange and impossible?” Aro asked. “Any of us would have made the same assumption.”
“亲爱的卡尤斯，她当时只匆匆看了一眼，而且这事儿这么古怪离奇，你如何能指望她猜对些什么呢？”阿罗问，“我们中的任何人都会像她这样胡思乱想的。”
“We all know you made a mistake,” he said brusquely. “I meant to speak of your motivations.”
“我们都知道你犯了个大错，”卡尤斯粗暴的说，“我想谈谈你的动机。”
Irina waited nervously for him to continue, and then repeated, “My motivations?”
伊琳娜紧张的等待他说下去，重复道：“我的动机？”
“I’m sorry,” Irina whispered. “I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea…” She gestured helplessly in our direction.
“对不起，”伊琳娜呢喃着，“我应该先弄清楚看到了什么，但我当时没想到……”她无助地向我们这边比划了一下。
Irina wasn’t paying attention to Caius and Aro’s conversation; her face was twisted in agony, her eyes locked on her sisters, lined up to die. It was clear on her face that she knew now her accusation had been totally false.
伊琳娜并没在注意阿罗与卡尤斯的谈话。她的脸痛苦的扭曲着，眼睛牢牢盯着正在对面排队等死的姐妹们。从表情上很明显可以看出她对自己的指控后悔万分。
“Irina,” Caius barked, unhappy to have to address her. She looked up, startled and instantly afraid.
“伊琳娜！”卡尤斯咆哮着，很不高兴自己得主动喊她。她惊恐万分的抬头看着他。
Caius flicked his fingers at Aro to silence him.
卡尤斯朝阿罗摆摆手指，让他别插嘴。
Caius waited again and then prompted, “If you’d like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters — and the Cullens for supporting their actions — now would be the time.” He smiled a tiny cruel smile, waiting for Irina to give him his next excuse.
卡尤斯又顿了一下，然后循循善诱：“如果你想对变形人的所作所为做一个正式的申诉——还有关于卡伦家的人包庇他们的恶行——，现在就是一个好机会。”他略带残酷的微笑着，等待伊琳娜继续给他提供指责我们的借口。
“The shape-shifters,” Aro corrected quietly.
“这群变形人。”阿罗温和地更正。
She turned her miserable eyes to Carlisle’s face. “I was,” she admitted.
她用可怜巴巴的眼神看着卡莱尔的脸。“是的，我不喜欢。”她承认。
Irina’s shoulders stiffened. “That’s how I saw it.”
伊琳娜绷紧了肩膀：“那就是我的想法。”
“So the Cullens sided with the shape-shifters against our own kind — against the friend of a friend, even,” Caius summarized.
“所以卡伦家的人同变形人一起与我们自己人作对——甚至与朋友的朋友作对。”卡尤斯总结道。
I heard Edward make a disgusted sound under his breath. Caius was ticking down his list, looking for an accusation that would stick.
我听见爱德华压着嗓子发出一声干呕。卡尤斯正在自己的小名单上核对，试图寻找一个站得住脚的指控。
Maybe Caius didn’t understand real families — relationships based on love rather than just the love of power. Maybe he overestimated the potency of vengeance.
也许卡尤斯根本不了解真正的家庭——是一种建立在相爱而非功利之上的关系，抑或他高估了复仇心的威力。
“Because the werewolves killed my friend,” she whispered. “And the Cullens wouldn’t stand aside to let me avenge him.”
“因为这群狼人杀了我的朋友，”她轻声说，“卡伦家的人却不准我为他报仇。”
Irina flinched at the word spy.
听到“侦查”这个词，伊琳娜畏缩了一下。
“Yes, for coming to spy on them in the first place.”
“是的，你之前来此侦查卡伦他们家的动机。”
“Because…?” Caius prompted.
“因为……？”卡尤斯怂恿她继续。
“You were unhappy with the Cullens, were you not?”
“你不喜欢卡伦一家人，是吗？”
This was a signal. The response was so fast that we all stared in stunned disbelief while it happened. Before there was time to react, it was over.
这是卡尤斯的一个指示，那回应如此之快，以致于我们都只能不敢相信、瞠目结舌的看着它发生，还没来得及做出任何反应，一切就都结束了。
Irina’s jaw jerked up, her shoulders squared.
伊琳娜连忙挺直肩膀，猛地抬起下巴。
“No, I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens. You came here today to destroy an immortal child. No immortal child exists. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. But the Cullens are innocent, and you have no reason to still be here. I’m so sorry,” she said to us, and then she turned her face toward the Volturi witnesses. “There was no crime. There’s no valid reason for you to continue here.”
“不，我对狼人和卡伦一家没有什么可申诉的。你们今天来这儿是为了摧毁一个非人类的孩子，事实证明，根本不存在什么非人孩子。这是我的错，我负全责，但卡伦一家是无辜的，你们没理由再赖在这儿了。我很抱歉。”她对我们说，然后把脸转向沃尔图里的目击证人们：“这儿没有任何罪行，你们也没有什么正当的理由再待在这里了。”
Three of the Volturi soldiers leaped forward, and Irina was completely obscured by their gray cloaks. In the same instant, a horrible metallic screeching ripped through the clearing. Caius slithered into the center of the gray melee, and the shocking squealing sound exploded into a startling upward shower of sparks and tongues of flame. The soldiers leaped back from the sudden inferno, immediately retaking their places in the guard’s perfectly straight line.
三个沃尔图里士兵迅速跳上前去，伊琳娜便混淆于他们灰色的斗篷之中。同时，一声尖锐刺耳的叫声撕破了空地的上空。卡尤斯滑进那片灰色的混战中心，继而那凄惨而令人毛骨悚然的长声尖叫突然爆发，惊人地化作漫天散落的火星和熊熊燃噬的火舌。那三个士兵立刻从这突如其来的恐怖景象之中回归到队列原来的位置，仍旧完美的排成笔直的一列。
Caius raised his hand as she spoke, and in it was a strange metal object, carved and ornate.
她一边说，卡尤斯一边抬起了手。他手里有一个奇怪的金属物件——装饰华丽，精心雕琢。
Caius stood alone beside the blazing remains of Irina, the metal object in his hand still throwing a thick jet of flame into the pyre.
卡尤斯独自站在伊琳娜正在燃烧的残尸旁，手里的金属物件仍在向她葬身的火堆中喷射着一股浓密的火焰。
His eyes flashed to our front line, touching swiftly on Tanya’s and Kate’s frozen forms.
他的目光闪向我们前排，迅速的落在坦尼娅和凯特僵直的身体上。
With a small clicking sound, the fire shooting from Caius’s hand disappeared. A gasp rippled through the mass of witnesses behind the Volturi.
随着咔哒一声轻响，卡尤斯手中发射出的烈火戛然而止。沃尔图里家族后面那群乱哄哄的目击者之中起伏着一阵阵急促艰难的喘息。
We were too aghast to make any noise at all. It was one thing to know that death was coming with fierce, unstoppable speed; it was another thing to watch it happen.
我们惊恐万分以至于鸦雀无声，知道死亡会以锐不可当的疾速来临是一回事，而真正见识到它的发生却又是另一回事。
Caius smiled coldly. “Now she has taken full responsibility for her actions.”
卡尤斯冷酷的微笑着：“现在她已经为自己的行为负全责了。”
In that second I understood that Caius had never underestimated the ties of a true family.
这时我明白了，卡尤斯从来就没有低估过真正的家人之间的紧密联系。
This was the ploy. He had not wanted Irina’s complaint; he had wanted her defiance. His excuse to destroy her, to ignite the violence that filled the air like a thick, combustible mist. He had thrown a match.
这是一个花招，他根本没想要伊琳娜申诉，只是想要她的反抗，以便找到一个干掉她的借口，并向这种一触即发的烧灼的浓雾中扔了一根火柴，引燃了那弥漫在空气中的暴力与血腥。
The strained peace of this summit already teetered more precariously than an elephant on a tightrope. Once the fight began, there would be no way to stop it. It would only escalate until one side was entirely extinct. Our side. Caius knew this.
这种压抑的平静比钢丝上的大象更摇摇欲坠，一旦战争爆发，就不可阻止，甚至要持续扩大到某一方全军覆没。（全军覆没的）会是我们，卡尤斯知道。
“Stop them!” Edward cried out, jumping to grab Tanya’s arm as she lurched forward toward the smiling Caius with a maddened cry of pure rage. She couldn’t shake Edward off before Carlisle had his arms locked around her waist.
“阻止她们！”爱德华大喊，一边跳过去抓住坦尼娅的胳膊——她正带着一种歇斯底里的盛怒哭嚎着发疯一般扑向正在微笑的卡尤斯。她挣脱不开爱德华，直到卡莱尔也紧紧用双臂锁住她的手腕。
So did Edward.
爱德华也知道。
“It’s too late to help her,” he reasoned urgently as she struggled. “Don’t give him what he wants!”
“太晚了，”他对正在挣扎的坦尼娅急促的解释着，“别冲上去中了卡尤斯的诡计！”
Garrett flung himself at her, knocking her to the ground again. He bound his arms around hers, locking his hands around his own wrists. I saw his body spasm as she shocked him. His eyes rolled back in his head, but his hold did not break.
加勒特也扑向她，又一次把她摁倒在地，将两人的胳膊牢牢绞在一起，并用双手锁紧自己的手腕。我看见他的身体由于凯特的拼命挣扎而颤抖着，瞳孔几乎缩回了脑仁儿里，但是仍没有松开凯特。
Kate was harder to contain. Shrieking wordlessly like Tanya, she broke into the first stride of the attack that would end with everyone’s death. Rosalie was closest to her, but before Rose could clinch her in a headlock, Kate shocked her so violently that Rose crumpled to the ground. Emmett caught Kate’s arm and threw her down, then staggered back, his knees giving out. Kate rolled to her feet, and it looked like no one could stop her.
凯特更是难以控制自己，她像坦尼娅一样失去理智般的尖叫着，持续这种盲目的攻击会把我们都送上死路。罗莎莉离她最近，但罗莎还没来得及夹头抱紧她，她就粗暴的挣脱开了，罗莎跌倒在地。埃美特冲上去抓住凯特的胳膊把她撂倒，然后跌跌撞撞地向回拖她，但是他膝盖一软，凯特又连滚带爬的挣扎着站起来，看上去好像谁也阻止不了她。
Kate’s eyes went blank and her screams turned to moans. Tanya stopped struggling.
凯特的眼神开始变得空洞，尖叫也变成了呜咽，坦尼娅也停止挣扎。
“Zafrina,” Edward shouted.
“查弗丽娜！”爱德华喊道。
“Listen to me, Tanya, Kate,” Carlisle said in a low but intense whisper. “Vengeance doesn’t help her now. Irina wouldn’t want you to waste your lives this way. Think about what you’re doing. If you attack them, we all die.”
“听我说，坦尼娅，凯特，”卡莱尔低沉而紧张的说，“复仇现在救不了她了，伊琳娜不想让你们这样送死，想想你们在干嘛——如果你们攻击了他们，我们所有人都死定了。”
“Give me my sight back,” Tanya hissed.
“快把视力还给我！”坦尼娅嘶嘶的说。（查弗丽娜有能让人暂时失明的能力，刚才爱德华喊她就是为了让她行动，使坦尼娅和凯特平静下来）
And then Garrett was in command of himself again, holding Kate to the snow.
现在加勒特把凯特摁倒在雪地上，他又能掌控自己的行动了。
Desperately, but with all the delicacy I could manage, I pulled my shield even tighter against the sparks of my friends, peeling it back carefully from Kate while trying to keep it around Garrett, making it a thin skin between them.
绝望之下，我只能尽全力精益求精，把我的保护盾环绕着每个人的星火收的更紧，一边谨慎的从凯特身上剥离，一边尝试着包裹好加勒特，使他们之间隔离着一层薄薄的膜（以防凯特误伤加勒特）。
Tanya’s shoulders hunched with grief, and she leaned into Carlisle for support. Kate was finally still. Carlisle and Garrett continued to console the sisters with words too urgent to sound like comfort.
坦尼娅悲伤地弓起背，无助的靠进卡莱尔怀里。凯特也平静下来。卡莱尔和加勒特继续用过于急迫而不像安慰的话抚慰着她们。
And my attention returned to the weight of the stares that pressed down on our moment of chaos. From the corners of my eyes, I could see that Edward and everyone else besides Carlisle and Garrett were on their guard again as well.
我注意到那些来自注视的沉重，它们在刚才的一片混乱中压迫着我们。我用余光看到爱德华，甚至卡莱尔和加勒特也和大伙一样重新回到了负责守卫的位置。
“If I let you up, will you knock me down again, Katie?” he whispered.
“如果我让你起来，你还会把我撞倒吗，Katie？”他轻声问。
She snarled in response, still thrashing blindly.
她咆哮着回应，仍在盲目的张牙舞爪。
The heaviest glare came from Caius, staring with enraged disbelief at Kate and Garrett in the snow. Aro was watching the same two, incredulity the strongest emotion on his face. He knew what Kate could do. He had felt her potency through Edward’s memories.
来自卡尤斯的目光最为沉重，他对雪地里纠缠的凯特和加勒特怒目而视，带着一种难以置信的神情。阿罗也在以一种有史以来他个人最强烈的怀疑表情注视着他们，他知道凯特的本事，他从爱德华的记忆中了解了她的天赋。
Did he understand what was happening now — did he see that my shield had grown in strength and subtlety far beyond what Edward knew me to be capable of? Or did he think Garrett had learned his own form of immunity?
他明白现在都发生了些什么吗——他直到如今我的保护盾已经远比爱德华了解的它更强大、更精细了吗？抑或他认为加勒特学过一种独门的防御本领（对凯特）吗？
Behind them, forty-three witnesses watched with very different expressions than the ones they’d worn entering the clearing. Confusion had turned to suspicion. The lightning-fast destruction of Irina had shaken them all. What had been her crime?
在他们后面，43个目击证人带着与进入空地时截然不同的表情，困惑变成了疑虑。伊琳娜闪电一般的毁灭动摇了他们所有人，她何罪之有呢？
The Volturi guard no longer stood at disciplined attention — they were crouched forward, waiting to spring the counterstrike the moment we attacked.
沃尔图里不再纪律严明的专心站着了——他们向前俯下身，随时准备在我们进攻的时刻发起反击。
Without the immediate attack that Caius had counted on to distract from his rash act, the Volturi witnesses were left questioning exactly what was going on here. Aro glanced back swiftly while I watched, his face betraying him with one flash of vexation. His need for an audience had backfired badly.
要不是因为卡尤斯指望通过快点除掉伊琳娜的方式来转移大家对他鲁莽行事的注意力，沃尔图里的目击证人们就会一直对事情的究竟蒙在鼓里。我偶然看到阿罗的一瞥，他的表情暴露出一闪而过的恼火——他想要观众，但现在严重地事与愿违。
Caius straightened, and his expression hardened into unreadability. He stared forward, seeing nothing. His face reminded me, oddly, of a person who’d just learned he’d been demoted.
卡尤斯站直了身体，表情又变得冷酷无情，他眼神空洞地盯着前方，这表情是我莫名地觉得他像是刚刚得知自己被降了级。
Aro was obviously concerned with keeping his white hat, as the Romanians had put it. But I didn’t believe that the Volturi would leave us in peace just to save their reputation. After they finished with us, surely they would slaughter their witnesses for that purpose. I felt a strange, sudden pity for the mass of the strangers the Volturi had brought to watch us die. Demetri would hunt them until they were extinct, too.
阿罗很明显一心想保住罗马尼亚人给他戴上的清白的帽子。但我不相信沃尔图里家族会仅仅为了保护名声而放我们一命，杀了我们之后，他们当然会为了保持名誉而把那群目击证人灭口。我突然对那群被沃尔图里家族找来观看我们死刑的陌生人产生一种莫名的遗憾，德米特里也会把他们赶尽杀绝的。
I heard Stefan and Vladimir murmur to each other in quiet glee at Aro’s discomfort.
我听见斯特凡和弗拉迪米尔在小声交谈，对阿罗的不舒心暗中幸灾乐祸。
Aro touched Caius’s shoulder lightly. “Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child.” So that was to be their excuse. He went on. “Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand?”
阿罗轻轻拍了拍卡尤斯的肩膀：“伊琳娜已经为对这孩子做出的错误证词接受了惩罚。”这一定就是他们的借口了，他继续说：“也许我们该回到眼前的棘手问题上了？”
For Jacob and Renesmee, for Alice and Jasper, for Alistair, and for these strangers who had not known what today would cost them, Demetri had to die.
为了雅各布和蕾妮斯梅，为了爱丽丝和贾斯帕，为了阿利斯泰尔，也为了这些不知死活的陌生人，德米特里必须得死。
Aro drifted forward, Renata, Felix, and Demetri automatically moving with him.
Aco快步走向前，雷娜塔，费利克斯和德米特里自发地跟着他。
I was desperate to ask him what was going on, but Aro was close enough to hear even the quietest breath. I saw Carlisle glance anxiously at Edward’s face, and then his own face hardened.
我急切的想问问他到底发生了什么事，但阿罗离得太近了——足能听见我们最轻微的呼吸声。我看见卡莱尔紧张的瞟了一眼爱德华的脸，然后自己也变的表情僵硬起来。
“Just to be thorough,” he said, “I’d like to speak with a few of your witnesses. Procedure, you know.” He waved a hand dismissively.
“为了更详尽，”他说，“我想跟你们的几个证人谈谈，这是程序上的要求，你们了解的。”他轻蔑地摆摆手。
Two things happened at once. Caius’s eyes focused on Aro, and the tiny cruel smile came back. And Edward hissed, his hands balling up in fists so tight it looked like the bones in his knuckles would split through his diamond-hard skin.
这时同时发生了两件事：卡尤斯紧紧盯着阿罗，那若有若无的残忍微笑又浮现在脸上，爱德华发出了愤怒的嘶嘶声，他的双拳握得如此之紧，以至于手指关节里的骨头仿佛都要撑破他那钻石般坚硬的皮肤了。
While Caius had blundered through useless accusations and injudicious attempts to trigger the fight, Aro must have been coming up with a more effective strategy.
虽然卡尤斯已经愚蠢的犯了一个低级错误——企图通过莫须有的指控和不慎重的盲目尝试来点燃战争的导火索，但阿罗一定也想出了一个更为有效的策略。
Aro ghosted across the snow to the far western end of our line, stopping about ten yards from Amun and Kebi. The nearby wolves bristled angrily but held their positions.
阿罗像鬼魂一样飘过雪地，停在距我们战线最西边末尾的阿蒙和凯比十码远的地方。附近的狼人们愤怒的竖起鬃毛，但仍坚守着自己的位置。
“Ah, Amun, my southern neighbor!” Aro said warmly. “It has been so long since you’ve visited me.”
“啊！阿蒙，我来自南方的邻居！”阿罗热情洋溢的说，“你很久没来拜访我了。”
“Of course,” Amun said, his tone so emotionless that it was impossible to tell if there was any fear or sarcasm in his assent.
“当然。”阿蒙回答。他的语调如此冷漠，以至于难以区分出是否带有一些恐慌或讽刺的色彩。
Amun spoke with the same cold lack of emotion. “I’ve observed the child in question. It was evident almost immediately that she was not an immortal child –“
阿蒙仍旧不带感情的回答：“我仔细观察了这个备受争议的孩子。证据确凿，她明显不是一个非人类的孩子——”
“And what did you witness for him?”
“你为他证实些什么呢？”
“But the reason for your presence here is not as pleasant, unfortunately. Carlisle called on you to witness?”
“但不幸的是，你来此的理由却不这么令人愉快。卡莱尔让你来作证？”
Amun nodded, his face blank.
阿蒙表情空洞的点点头。
“So true,” Aro agreed. “But maybe you had another reason to stay away?”
“确实如此，”阿罗同意道。“但也许你有其他的原因没来见我？”
Amun was motionless with anxiety, Kebi a statue at his side. “Time means little; I never notice its passing,” Amun said through unmoving lips.
阿蒙紧张地一动不动，身旁的凯比也像雕塑一样：“时间对我来说没什么意义，我从不在意它的流逝。”阿蒙几乎不动嘴唇的回答。
“It can be terribly time-consuming to organize newcomers into a coven. I know that well! I’m grateful I have others to deal with the tedium. I’m glad your new additions have fit in so well. I would have loved to have been introduced. I’m sure you were meaning to come to see me soon.”
“把新手们组织起来可是相当耗时的活儿，这个我完全了解。我很高兴自己有其他的方法打发无聊，更乐于见到你的新伙伴们相处得如此融洽，我十分渴望能与他们认识一下，也相信你们一定很快会来主动拜访我的。”
Amun said nothing.
阿蒙没吱声。
“Yes.”
“是的。”
“Oh well, we’re all together now! Isn’t it lovely?”
“欧，好啦，我们现在达成一致啦！多么美好啊，不是吗？”
“Yes, that’s what I meant.”
“是的，我正是这个意思。”
“Perhaps we should define our terminology,” Aro interrupted, “now that there seem to be new classifications. By immortal child, you mean of course a human child who had been bitten and thus transformed into a vampire.”
“也许我们得咬文嚼字一下，”阿罗打断了他，“现在好像有新的分类方式了。对于‘非人类孩子’，你理所当然认为是那种被咬后变成吸血鬼的人类孩子。”
“What else did you observe about the child?”
“你对这孩子还观察到什么其他的了吗？”
“The same things that you surely saw in Edward’s mind. That the child is his biologically. That she grows. That she learns.”
“跟你从爱德华脑子里看到的那些差不多——她是他亲生的，她会成长，会学习。”
Amun’s brow furrowed. “That she grows… quickly.”
阿蒙皱了皱额头：“我发现她成长得……特别快。”
A hiss escaped my lips, and I was not alone. Half the vampires in our line echoed my protest. The sound was a low sizzle of fury hanging in the air. Across the meadow, a few of the Volturi witnesses made the same noise. Edward stepped back and wrapped a restraining hand around my wrist.
不止我一个人发出了嘶嘶的不满声——我们这边的一半人都同样愤慨。空气中弥漫着怒火中烧的低沉的滋滋声，甚至从湖边的草地上，也传来来自沃尔图里家族一少部分目击者的同样的声音。爱德华向回退了一步，约束性的用一只手扣住我的手腕。
“Yes, yes,” Aro said, a hint of impatience in his otherwise amiable tone. “But specifically in your few weeks here, what did you see?”
“行了，行了，”阿罗别样的亲切口吻里掺杂着一丝不耐烦，“但是仅就你来这儿的几周内，你发现了什么？”
Aro did not turn to the noise, but Amun glanced around uneasily.
阿罗没去管那些抱怨声，但阿蒙却心神不宁的东张西望。
Aro smiled. “And do you believe that she should be allowed to live?”
阿罗微笑着：“那你认为应该允许她活下来吗？”
Aro was gliding back along the length of our line to the east, his guards hovering tensely. He stopped when he was in front of Siobhan’s massive form.
阿罗又沿着我们的阵线窜回了最东边，他的护卫们紧随其后。他停在高大魁梧的西博汉面前。（对不起勇敢的西博汉我用这个词形容你……⊙﹏⊙b汗）
“Aro?” Amun called.
“阿罗？”阿蒙喊他。
“I gave my witness. I have no more business here. My mate and I would like to take our leave now.”
“我已经提供了证词，这儿似乎没我什么事了，我和我朋友现在想离开。”
Aro laughed lightly. “Just your opinion.”
阿罗轻轻笑了笑，“只是听听你的意见。”
Aro nodded, considering. After a moment, he turned away.
阿罗沉思着点点头。过了一会，他转过脸去。
Aro whirled back. “Yes, friend?”
阿罗转过头：“什么事，朋友？”
Aro smiled warmly. “Of course. I’m so glad we were able to chat for a bit. And I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
阿罗热情的微笑着：“当然可以，很高兴我们刚才小谈了一下，相信我们马上就会再次见面的。”
Amun’s lips were a tight line as he inclined his head once, acknowledging the barely concealed threat. He touched Kebi’s arm, and then the two of them ran quickly to the southern edge of the meadow and disappeared into the trees. I knew they wouldn’t stop running for a very long time.
阿蒙点了一下头，嘴唇紧紧抿成一条线，他明白这赤luoluo的威胁。他碰了一下凯比的手臂，然后两人便一起飞奔向草地南面的边缘，消失在树林中。我知道他们一定会跑上一阵儿才敢停下来。
“I did not come to make judgments,” he equivocated.
“我不是来此做判决的。”他推诿道。
Amun’s chin lifted. “I see no danger in the child. She learns even more swiftly than she grows.”
阿蒙抬起了下巴：“我没从这孩子身上看出来什么危险，她学的比长的快。”
“Hello, dear Siobhan. You are as lovely as ever.”
“你好，亲爱的西博汉，你还是那么美丽动人。”
Siobhan inclined her head, waiting.
西博汉点点头，等他继续。
“Can you think of none?” Aro asked soberly.
“你能认为完全没有威胁吗？”阿罗冷静的问。
“I would,” Siobhan said. “But I would perhaps add a little more. Renesmee understands the limitations. She’s no danger to humans — she blends in better than we do. She poses no threat of exposure.”
“是的，”西博汉说，“但我也许还得加几句——蕾妮斯梅懂规矩，她对人类毫无危险——甚至比我们做的还好，她从没表现出任何有威胁的迹象。”
“And you?” he asked. “Would you answer my questions the same way Amun has?”
“你呢？”他问，“你也要像阿蒙刚才那样回答我吗？”
Edward growled, a low ripping sound deep in his throat.
爱德华咆哮着，喉咙中发出一声低沉的嘶吼。
And Garrett freed Kate to take a step forward, ignoring Kate’s hand as she tried to caution him this time.
加勒特放开凯特让她向前走了一步，忽视了此时的凯特正提醒他注意的手势。
Renata reached out protectively toward her master.
雷娜塔冲出来护着她的主子。
Caius’s cloudy crimson eyes brightened.
卡尤斯阴郁的红眼睛顿时明亮起来。
Siobhan answered slowly, “I don’t think I follow you.”
西博汉慢慢的回答：“我好像没明白你的意思。”
Aro drifted lightly back, casually, but toward the rest of his guard. Renata, Felix, and Demetri were closer than his shadow.
阿罗轻盈的退回去，面对着剩下的士兵们。雷娜塔，费利克斯和德米特里如影随形的跟着他。
“There is no broken law,” Aro said in a placating voice, but every one of us could hear that a qualification was coming. I fought back the rage that tried to claw its way up my throat and snarl out my defiance. I hurled the fury into my shield, thickening it, making sure everyone was protected.
“没人违反法律，”阿罗用一种和解的语调宣布。但我们每个人都听得出他话里有话——即将提出一个限制条件。我尽力憋回喉咙里那团正在张牙舞爪想连同我的反抗一起嘶吼出来的怒火，我把这满腔的愤怒推入我的保护盾，使它更加厚实，确保每个人都在保护之中。
Aro paced thoughtfully, looking as if he floated rather than touched the ground with his feet. I noticed every pass took him closer to the protection of his guard.
阿罗深思熟虑的走动着，看上去更像是没有脚踏实地地在飘动，我注意到他在缓缓靠近自己的卫兵防卫圈。
“She is unique… utterly, impossibly unique. Such a waste it would be, to destroy something so lovely. Especially when we could learn so much…” He sighed, as if unwilling to go on. “But there is danger, danger that cannot simply be ignored.”
“她是独一无二的……彻底地，难以置信地独特，摧毁一个如此可爱的小东西是多么的浪费啊，尤其是我们还可以从中学到这么多东西……”他叹了口气，佯装不愿意继续说下去，“但是她对我们有危险，有着不可被轻易忽视的危险。”
“No broken law,” Aro repeated. “However, does it follow then that there is no danger? No.” He shook his head gently. “That is a separate issue.”
“法律没有被破坏，”阿罗重复道，“但是，这是否就可以推断出没有危险呢？不。”他绅士的摇摇头，“那就是另一回事了。”
“How ironic it is that as the humans advance, as their faith in science grows and controls their world, the more free we are from discovery. Yet, as we become ever more uninhibited by their disbelief in the supernatural, they become strong enough in their technologies that, if they wished, they could actually pose a threat to us, even destroy some of us.
“随着人类的进步，科学成为人类的信仰，掌控着他们的世界，我们却因此而越来越远离他们的发现，这是多么的令人啼笑皆非啊。但尽管我们由于他们对超自然世界的不相信而越发自由，他们仍有足够的能力依靠科技力量——当然如果他们想要的话——对我们造成相当严重的威胁，甚至摧毁我们一部分人。”
No one answered his assertion. It was dead silent as he continued in a monologue that sounded as if he spoke it for himself only.
没有人回应他的主张。在死一般的寂静中，阿罗继续着那仿佛自言自语的独角戏。
The only response was the tightening of already stretched nerves, and Maggie, at the fringes of our band of fighters, shaking her head with slow anger.
对此番话唯一的回应便是愈演愈烈的紧张气氛，站在我们这边最外围的麦琪愠怒的摇着头。
“This amazing child” — he lifted his hand palm down as if to rest it on Renesmee, though he was forty yards from her now, almost within the Volturi formation again — “if we could but know her potential — know with absolute certainty that she could always remain shrouded within the obscurity that protects us. But we know nothing of what she will become! Her own parents are plagued by fears of her future. We cannot know what she will grow to be.” He paused, looking first at our witnesses, and then, meaningfully, at his own. His voice gave a good imitation of sounding torn by his words.
“这个令人惊异的孩子”——他抬起手仿佛要拍蕾妮斯梅的肩膀，虽然他此时已站回沃尔图里家族的阵列里，离她足有40码——“我们充其量不过了解了她的潜力——并完全确定她能永远的保守我们生存的秘密，但是我们根本不知道她以后会变成什么样！她的父母正为她那不可预见的未来而饱受担忧和畏惧。我们不了解她会长成什么。”他停下来，先看了看我们这边的目击者们，又意味深长的看着他自己的证人们。他的声音天衣无缝的伪装出一种痛心疾首之情。
“For thousands and thousands of years, our secrecy has been more a matter of convenience, of ease, than of actual safety. This last raw, angry century has given birth to weapons of such power that they endanger even immortals. Now our status as mere myth in truth protects us from these weak creatures we hunt.
“几千年以来，我们不仅为了安全而保守秘密，更为了自由和舒适。在最近的这个混乱而狂暴的世纪里，人类发明了很多甚至能威胁到我们非人类的大规模杀伤性武器。现在我们的处境纯粹是像现实中的神话一样——保护自己，免遭那些脆弱的猎物们给予我们的伤害。
Still looking at his own witnesses, he spoke again. “Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is… a vulnerability.”
他盯着自己的目击者们，又开口道：“只有已知的才是安全的，只有已知的才是可以容忍的，而未知的事物总是存在着……一种难防的风险。”
“You’re reaching, Aro,” Carlisle said in a bleak voice.
“你说的有点过分了，阿罗”卡莱尔凄凉地说。
“Peace, friend.” Aro smiled, his face as kind, his voice as gentle, as ever. “Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side.”
“镇静，朋友。”阿罗以一贯温文尔雅的表情和声音微笑着：“我们都别急燥，先全面的观讨一下这个问题。”
“Nomad,” Aro said, nodding in permission.
“游牧者。”阿罗点头应允了。
“I stayed to witness something else. You.” He jabbed his finger toward the wary vampires. “Two of you I know — Makenna, Charles — and I can see that many of you others are also wanderers, roamers like myself. Answering to none. Think carefully on what I tell you now.
“我在此也见证到了一些其他的事，你们。”他指向那群谨慎的吸血鬼，“我认识的两个——麦肯纳，Charles，——还有看得出你们中很多人也都和我一样是流浪游牧的人，本不被任何因素羁绊，所以请对我接下来的话认真思考一下吧。”
“May I offer a side to be considered?” Garrett petitioned in a level tone, taking another step forward.
“我能提一个可供探讨的方面吗？”加勒特向前又迈进了一步，用低沉的声音请求。
Caius’s smile widened viciously.
卡尤斯的笑容更加邪恶了。
“I came here at Carlisle’s request, as the others, to witness,” he said. “That is certainly no longer necessary, with regard to the child. We all see what she is.
“我和其他人一样接受了卡莱尔的请求，来此作证。”他说，“对于这个孩子来说，没有什么作证的必要，我们都亲眼见到了她的情况。”
“These ancient ones did not come here for justice as they told you. We suspected as much, and now it has been proved. They came, misled, but with a valid excuse for their action. Witness now as they seek flimsy excuses to continue their true mission. Witness them struggle to find a justification for their true purpose — to destroy this family here.” He gestured toward Carlisle and Tanya.
“这些德高望重的贵族们并非如他们所说的那样是来此做评判的。我们怀疑了那么久，现在终于水落石出了。他们被伊琳娜误导来此，却为他们的行动准备了一个有理有据的借口。如各位所见，现在他们正为了完成自己真正的任务而继续寻找各种不可信的借口，绞尽脑汁的为实现真实目的而编造理由，所有的一切都是为了摧毁这个家庭。”他指着卡莱尔和坦尼娅。
Garrett’s chin lifted. His eyes focused on the huddled mass at the end of the meadow, and he spoke directly to the Volturi witnesses.
加勒特扬起下巴，他注视着草地尽头，直接面向那群正混乱挤成一团的沃尔图里目击证人们说道：
“The Volturi come to erase what they perceive as the competition. Perhaps, like me, you look at this clan’s golden eyes and marvel. They are difficult to understand, it’s true. But the ancient ones look and see something besides their strange choice. They see power.
“沃尔图里家族来此想除掉他们认定的对手们。看着卡伦这家人金色的眼睛，你们也许也和我一样感到惊讶，的确，他们难以理解。但这些德高望重的沃尔图里人却从卡伦家与众不同的选择（即选择吃素）背后看出了某样东西——他们看到了权力。”
“I have witnessed the bonds within this family — I say family and not coven. These strange golden-eyed ones deny their very natures. But in return have they found something worth even more, perhaps, than mere gratification of desire? I’ve made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding — that which makes them possible at all — is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice. There is no aggression here like we all saw in the large southern clans that grew and diminished so quickly in their wild feuds. There is no thought for domination. And Aro knows this better than I do.”
“我见识到了卡伦这家人的团结——我是说家人而非团体。这群与众不同的有着金黄色眼睛的人摒弃了他们真正的天性，但是反过来他们得到了更珍贵的回报，也许高于纯粹的对欲望的满足？这几天，我对他们进行了小小的研究，并发现这家人紧密团结的根本原因——也就是使他们可能做到任何事（如食素）的因素——是他们热爱和平并甘愿为之牺牲的特性。如各位所见，这儿没有存在于这个在野蛮的长期内部矛盾中起起伏伏的南方家族之中的那种攻击性，没有任何统治他人的企图，并且阿罗比我更了解这一点。”
I watched Aro’s face as Garrett’s words condemned him, waiting tensely for some response. But Aro’s face was only politely amused, as if waiting for a tantrum-throwing child to realize that no one was paying attention to his histrionics.
我一边听着加勒特的谴责，一边注视着阿罗的表情，紧张的等待着他的回应。但阿罗只带着一种饶有兴趣的礼貌，就像在等待一个乱发脾气的孩子自己意识到没人注意他那些表演。
“So now there are more questions, questions that you must answer. Who rules you, nomads? Do you answer to someone’s will besides your own? Are you free to choose your path, or will the Volturi decide how you will live?
“所以现在出现了更多的问题，你们必须要回答的问题：谁统治了你们，我自由的游牧者同胞们？除了自己的意愿之外，你们还得服从于谁的？你们是自由的选择着自己的道路，还是被沃尔图里家族主宰着生活方式？
“But some of us wondered” — his eyes flashed to Eleazar’s face — “if Carlisle having truth on his side would be enough to stop the so-called justice. Are the Volturi here to protect the safety of our secrecy, or to protect their own power? Did they come to destroy an illegal creation, or a way of life? Could they be satisfied when the danger turned out to be no more than a misunderstanding? Or would they push the issue without the excuse of justice?
“但是我们当中有人怀疑”——他的眼神闪向以利亚撒——“卡莱尔能否仅用事实就足以打住那些所谓的裁决。沃尔图里家族来此的目的到底是保护我们种族的秘密，还是维护他们自己的权利呢？他们是来摧毁一个非法的生命，还是来灭亡一种生活的方式呢？他们会满意这个危险仅仅变成一个误会吗？抑或他们会干脆抛掉评判的伪装，强加罪名呢？
“We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aro’s lying words — we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain — and we see it now in Caius’s eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters’ quest for domination.
“我们已经得知了全部问题的答案，从阿罗的谎言中听出来——我们中有一个人拥有确凿的分辨谎言的能力——从卡尤斯此时的热切狞笑中看出来。他们的卫兵只是一种没头脑的武器，只是他们主子用来获取统治权力的工具。
“Carlisle assured us all, when he told us what was coming, that he did not call us here to fight. These witnesses” — Garrett pointed to Siobhan and Liam — “agreed to give evidence, to slow the Volturi advance with their presence so that Carlisle would get the chance to present his case.
“当卡莱尔告诉我们即将发生的事情时，他向我们所有人保证他并非召集我们来此作战。这些目击证人”——加勒特指向西博汉和利亚姆——“同意作证，用她们的出席来缓和沃尔图里军队的进攻，以便卡莱尔能有机会陈述事实。”
Once more he looked to the Volturi witnesses, his eyes probing each face. The power of his words was evident in their expressions. “You might consider joining us. If you think the Volturi will let you live to tell this tale, you are mistaken. We may all be destroyed” — he shrugged — “but then again, maybe not. Perhaps we are on more equal footing than they know. Perhaps the Volturi have finally met their match. I promise you this, though — if we fall, so do you.”
他又一次面向沃尔图里的目击证人们，眼神探视着每张面孔。他们的表情证实了他话语的威力。“你们也许想加入我们。如果你们认为沃尔图里家族会让你们活着传述今天这件事，那就大错特错了。我们也许都会死——”他耸了耸肩——“但另一方面来讲，也许不会，也许我们比他们认为的更势均力敌，也许沃尔图里家族今天真的是棋逢对手。然而无论怎样，我向你们保证——一旦我们沦陷，你们也死定了。”
“I came to witness. I stay to fight. The Volturi care nothing for the death of the child. They seek the death of our free will.”
“我来此作证人，我留下来战斗。沃尔图里根本不关心这孩子的死活，他们追求的只是我们自由意志的死亡。”
He ended his heated speech by stepping back to Kate’s side and then sliding forward in a half-crouch, prepared for the onslaught.
他回到凯特的身边，结束了这番慷慨激昂的演说，然后身体马上倾向前半蹲着，准备迎接对面的进攻。
He turned, then, to face the ancients. “So come, I say! Let’s hear no more lying rationalizations. Be honest in your intents as we will be honest in ours. We will defend our freedom. You will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here.”
他转过身，面对着那群沃尔图里长老：“所以来吧。我说的！别再费心让我们听那些捏造的所谓合理观点了，像我们一样诚实地面对你们真实的目的吧。我们要捍卫自由，你们要不要攻击，现在就选择吧，好让那些目击证人们见证你们在此争论的真正话题。”
Aro smiled. “A very pretty speech, my revolutionary friend.”
阿罗微笑着：“非常精彩的演讲，我的革命党人朋友。”
Garrett remained poised for attack. “Revolutionary?” he growled. “Who am I revolting against, might I ask? Are you my king? Do you wish me to call you master, too, like your sycophantic guard?”
加勒特仍保持着防卫姿势，“革命党人？”他咆哮着，“我要向谁起义，能问问吗？你是我的国王吗？你也想要我像你那些谄媚的走狗一样叫你主子吗？”
Garrett glared back furiously.
加勒特对他怒目而视。
“Peace, Garrett,” Aro said tolerantly. “I meant only to refer to your time of birth. Still a patriot, I see.”
“镇静，加勒特，”阿罗宽宏大量地说，“我只是对你出生的时代而言的，我明白你仍是一个爱国者。”
The witnesses met his gaze with careful faces. One, a small black-haired woman, looked briefly at the dark blond male at her side.
目击者们谨慎的迎接他的目光，一个瘦小的黑发女人迅速的看了一眼身边那个深色皮肤的金发男人。
“Let us ask our witnesses,” Aro suggested. “Let us hear their thoughts before we make our decision. Tell us, friends” — and he turned his back casually on us, moving a few yards toward his mass of nervous observers hovering even closer now to the edge of the forest — “what do you think of all this? I can assure you the child is not what we feared. Do we take the risk and let the child live? Do we put our world in jeopardy to preserve their family intact? Or does earnest Garrett have the right of it? Will you join them in a fight against our sudden quest for dominion?”
“我们先来问问我们的目击证人们，”阿罗建议，“做决定之前，我们先来征集一下他们的想法。告诉我们，朋友们”——他漫不经心的背对着我们，向他那团已经更紧张地挤在森林边缘的目击者们走近了几码——“你们对这一切都怎么认为的？我承认这孩子不是我们惧怕的，但我们能冒险让她活下去吗？我们能为了保全他们一家人而陷我们的整个世界于危险之中吗？抑或慷慨激昂的加勒特有这个权利？你们要加入他们共同来反抗我们临时决定捍卫统治权的要求吗？”
“Do not fear us, friend Charles. No doubt the patriot truly believes what he says,” Aro chuckled lightly, and Charles’s eyes narrowed.
“别惧怕我们，亲爱的卡莱尔，毫无疑问这个爱国者对自己的话深信不疑。”阿罗轻轻笑了笑，Charles的眼睛眯了起来。
“Are those our only choices?” she asked suddenly, gaze flashing back to Aro. “Agree with you, or fight against you?”
“那就是我们全部的选项吗？”她唐突的问，眼神闪回阿罗身上，“支持你，或者对你宣战？”
“Of course not, most charming Makenna,” Aro said, appearing horrified that anyone could come to that conclusion. “You may go in peace, of course, as Amun did, even if you disagree with the council’s decision.”
“当然不是，我迷人的麦肯纳，”阿罗对有人得出这样的结论而做惊恐状。“你可以安然无恙的离开，当然，像阿蒙那样，尽管你不同意委员会的决定。”
Makenna looked at her mate’s face again, and he nodded minutely.
麦肯纳又看了一眼她的伙伴，他轻轻的点点头。
“We did not come here for a fight.” She paused, exhaled, then said, “We came here to witness. And our witness is that this condemned family is innocent. Everything that Garrett claimed is the truth.”
“我来这儿不是为了打斗的，”她顿了一下，轻吁一口气，继续说：“我们来此作证人，我们的目击证词就是：这个备受谴责的家庭是无辜的，加勒特宣布的一切都是事实。”
“Ah,” Aro said sadly. “I’m sorry you see us in that way. But such is the nature of our work.”
“啊，”阿罗悲伤的说，“很遗憾你对我们有那样的看法，但这是我们的天职。”
“It is not what I see, but what I feel,” Makenna’s maize-haired mate spoke in a high, nervous voice. He glanced at Garrett. “Garrett said they have ways of knowing lies. I, too, know when I am hearing the truth, and when I am not.” With frightened eyes he moved closer to his mate, waiting for Aro’s reaction.
“那不是我们的看法，只是我们的感觉。”麦肯纳粟米色头发的伙伴高亢而紧张地说。他瞥了一眼加勒特，“加勒特说他们有看透谎言的方式，我也一样有这种能力，知道自己所听的是真话还是假话。”他带着畏惧的眼神紧靠着他的伴侣，等待阿罗的回答。
I evaluated the thirty-seven vampires that stayed. A few of them appeared just too confused to make the decision. But the majority of them seemed only too aware of the direction this confrontation had taken. I guessed that they were giving up a head start in favor of knowing exactly who would be chasing after them.
我估摸着留下来的这37个吸血鬼，当中的一少部分看上去似乎是由于太困惑而不知何去何从，大部分人则只是由于太清楚这个冲突的倾向性了。我猜他们宁愿放弃抢先离开的机会而乐意知道下一个随他们而去的是谁。
She and Charles backed away slowly, not turning before they were lost from view in the trees. One other stranger began to retreat the same way, then three more darted after him.
她和Charles慢慢地后退，直到消失在树林中才敢转过身去，另一个陌生人也以同样的方式撤走了，还有三个人紧随其后。
“That is our witness,” Makenna said. “We’re leaving now.”
“这就是我们的证词，”麦肯纳说道，“我们现在要走了。”
“No, master,” they whispered in unison.
“不能，主人。”他们一起轻声回答。
I was sure Aro saw the same thing I did. He turned away, walking back to his guard with a measured pace. He stopped in front of them and addressed them in a clear voice.
我确定阿罗和我一样清楚这个情况，他转过脸，迈着有节奏的步伐走回他的军队，停在他们面前，用清亮的嗓音宣布。
“Is the protection of our world worth perhaps the loss of some of our number?”
“保卫我们的世界是否值得以我们某些人的生命作为代价呢？”
“Yes,” they breathed. “We are not afraid.”
“值得。”他们低声说，“我们无所畏惧。”
“We are outnumbered, dearest ones,” he said. “We can expect no outside help. Should we leave this question undecided to save ourselves?”
“我们现在人数上处于劣势，亲爱的伙伴们，”他说，“我们不能指望任何外援，但我们应该为了保全自己而遗留下今天这个问题悬而未决吗？”
Tears welled in her eyes, but she nodded. “I love you,” she whispered.
尽管泪如泉涌，她还是点点头，“我爱你。”他轻轻说。
“Brothers,” Aro said somberly, “there is much to consider here.”
“兄弟们，”阿罗严肃的说，“还有很多事情需要考虑。”
Jacob whined uneasily.
雅各布不自在地哀鸣了一声。
I stretched up on my toes and whispered into his ear. “Wait until they’re totally distracted, then run with her. Get as far from this place as you possibly can. When you’ve gone as far as you can on foot, she has what you need to get you in the air.”
我踮起脚尖轻声对他耳语：“等到沃尔图里那些人完全分心时，带着蕾妮斯梅逃跑。尽你所能离得越远越好，当你觉得足够远可以开始走路时，她带有你们乘飞机需要的所有东西。”
As soon as Aro’s attention was engaged in the silent counsel, two more of their witnesses disappeared silently into the forest. I hoped, for their sakes, that they were fast.
就在阿罗全神贯注于他们内部的无声商议时，又有2个目击证人悄悄的消失在森林中。我替这两个人希望他们跑得足够快。
Aro smiled and turned to his black-clad companions.
阿罗微笑着转向他的黑衣伙伴们。
“Let us counsel,” Marcus repeated in an uninterested tone.
“让我们共同协商。”马库斯毫无兴致的重复了一遍。
Aro turned his back to us again, facing the other ancients. They joined hands to form a black-shrouded triangle.
阿罗又一次背对着我们，面向其他长老。他们手拉手组成了一个黑色的三角形阵列。
“I love you, too,” I said, and then I touched her locket. “More than my own life.” I kissed her forehead.
“我也爱你，”我回答，然后摸了摸她坠在项链上的金色小匣子（装有贝拉，爱德华&蕾妮斯梅一家的照片），“比爱惜自己的生命更爱你。”我亲吻着她的前额。
Edward was watching us now, his topaz eyes wide. Jacob stared at us from the corner of his big dark eye.
爱德华正注视着我俩，张大了那双黄玉色的眼睛，雅各布也用他那深色的巨大的双眸从眼角瞥向我们。
“Let us counsel,” Caius said eagerly.
“让我们共同协商。”卡尤斯急切的说。
This was it. Carefully, I loosened Renesmee’s arms from my neck. “You remember what I told you?”
现在就是个机会。我小心地解开蕾妮斯梅缠在我脖子上的双臂。“记得我跟你说过的话吗？”
“This is what you kept from me?” he whispered over her head.
“这就是你对我隐瞒的事情吗？”他透过蕾妮斯梅的头顶问我。
I nodded.
我点点头。
“Alice?”
“爱丽丝的主意？”
Jacob turned to me, his expressive eyes full of agony, the rumbling growl still grating through his chest.
雅各布转向我，他那意味深长的眼睛里充满了痛苦和挣扎，胸腔里仍摩擦出隆隆的咆哮。
His face twisted with understanding and pain. Had that been the expression on my face when I’d finally put together Alice’s clues?
他的表情交织着理解和痛苦，那就是我当初理清爱丽丝留下的线索时的表情吗？
“From Aro,” I breathed.
“对阿罗隐瞒。”我低声说。
Jacob was growling quietly, a low rasp that was as even and unbroken as a purr. His hackles were stiff and his teeth exposed.
雅各布悄声地叫着，那低沉的磋磨声平稳而整齐，他颈上的毛发竖起，牙齿也呲了出来。
Edward kissed Renesmee’s forehead and both her cheeks, then he lifted her to Jacob’s shoulder. She scrambled agilely onto his back, pulling herself into place with handfuls of his fur, and fit herself easily into the dip between his massive shoulder blades.
爱德华亲吻了蕾妮斯梅的前额和脸蛋，然后把她举上雅各布的肩膀，她敏捷地爬上他的后背，用手抓着他的毛发使自己到达合适的位置，并轻而易举地容身于他两块巨大的肩胛骨之间的凹陷处。
“You’re the only one we could ever trust her with,” I murmured to him. “If you didn’t love her so much, I could never bear this. I know you can protect her, Jacob.”
“你是我们唯一能托付她的人，”我喃喃的对他说，“要不是见你如此爱她，我决不能容忍把她交给你。我知道你能保护她，雅各布。”
Renesmee reached for Edward, and he took her in his arms. They hugged each other tightly.
蕾妮斯梅伸手去抓爱德华，他把她抱在怀里。他们紧紧地拥抱着对方。
Edward’s and Jacob’s faces were almost identical masks of horror, despite the fact that one of them was an animal.
爱德华和雅各布露出了一模一样的震惊表情，尽管事实上他们其中一个是只动物。
A tear the size of a baseball rolled into the russet fur beneath his eye.
一滴棒球那么大的泪珠滚入他眼睛下面棕黄色的毛发中。
“I know,” I whispered. “I love you, too, Jake. You’ll always be my best man.”
“我明白，”我耳语，“我也爱你，杰克，你永远是我最好的男人（my best man伴郎，但是我觉得译成“伴郎”有点怪…）。”
He whined again, and dipped his head to butt it against my shoulder.
他又一次哀嚎，低下头靠在我的肩膀上。
Edward leaned his head against the same shoulder where he’d placed Renesmee. “Goodbye, Jacob, my brother… my son.”
爱德华把头靠在刚才放置蕾妮斯梅的那侧肩膀上，“再见，雅各布，我的兄弟……我的女婿。”
“Is there no hope, then?” Carlisle whispered. There was no fear in his voice. Just determination and acceptance.
“那么，没有希望了是吗？”卡莱尔低声问。他的语气中毫无畏惧，只有果敢和淡定。
“There is absolutely hope,” I murmured back. It could be true, I told myself. “I only know my own fate.”
“绝对有希望，”我喃喃自语。这是真的，我告诉自己，“我只知道我的命运。”
Edward took my hand. He knew that he was included. When I said my fate, there was no question that I meant the two of us. We were just halves of the whole.
爱德华拉起我的手，他明白他也包括在内。当我提到我的命运时，毫无疑问我指的是我们二人。我们俩是合二为一的整体。
The others were not oblivious to the farewell scene. Their eyes were locked on the silent black triangle, but I could tell they were listening.
其他人没有对这告别的一幕视而不见，虽然他们的目光都聚焦在那沉默的黑三角上，但我确定他们都在听。
Suddenly, we were surrounded by murmured goodbyes and I love you’s.
一时间，我们周围环绕着轻声的告别和表白。
Esme’s breath was ragged behind me. She moved past us, touching our faces as she passed, to stand beside Carlisle and hold his hand.
从我身后传来埃斯梅参差不齐的呼吸，她路过我们身旁时，抚摸了我们的脸颊，然后站在卡莱尔身边拉起他的手。
Tia caressed Benjamin’s face. He smiled back cheerfully, catching her hand and holding it against his cheek.
蒂娅轻吻了本杰明的面颊，本杰明开心地回笑着，抓起她的手贴在自己的脸上。
“Now he tells me,” she muttered.
“现在他终于对我吐露真情了。”她喃喃自语。
Rosalie and Emmett kissed quickly but passionately.
罗莎莉和埃美特急速而狂热的亲吻着。
I didn’t see all the expressions of love and pain. I was distracted by a sudden fluttering pressure against the outside of my shield. I couldn’t tell where it came from, but it felt like it was directed at the edges of our group, Siobhan and Liam particularly. The pressure did no damage, and then it was gone.
我没有注意到全部关于爱意和痛苦的表达，一阵突如其来压迫着我保护盾外围的抖动分散了我的注意。尽管难以分辨来自何方，但感觉是冲着我们队伍边缘来的，尤其是冲着西博汉和利亚姆。这股压力并没造成伤害，继而就离开了。
“Get ready,” I whispered to the others. “It’s starting.”
“准备好吧，”我轻声对大家说，“战斗即将开始了。”
“If we live through this,” Garrett whispered to Kate, “I’ll follow you anywhere, woman.”
“如果我们能熬过这一关，”加勒特对凯特耳语，“我会随你去天涯海角，女士。”
There was no change in the silent, still forms of the counseling ancients. But perhaps there was some signal I’d missed.
那群正在商议的长老们仍保持着沉默静止的阵列，没有任何变化，但也许是我错过了某些暗号。
0 条评论