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The stranger continued to hold the sword at the boy's forehead.
但是，那神秘骑士仅仅用刀尖抵在他的额头上。
"Why did you read the flight of the birds?"
“你为什么解读鹰飞的寓意？”
"I read only what the birds wanted to tell me. They wanted to save the oasis. Tomorrow all of you will die, because there are more men at the oasis than you have."
“我只解读了鹰想告诉我的东西。它们想解救绿洲，你们将必死无疑。绿洲居民比你们的人多。”
The sword remained where it was.
弯刀仍旧抵在圣地亚哥的额头上。
"Who are you to change what Allah has willed?"
“你是什么人，竟想改变安拉的安排？”
"Allah created the armies, and he also created the hawks.
“安拉创造了军队，也创造了飞鸟。
Allah taught me the language of the birds. Everything has been written by the same hand," the boy said, remembering the camel driver's words.
安拉向我展示了飞鸟的语言。所有的这一切都由同一只手写就。”男孩说着，想起了赶驼人的话。
The stranger withdrew the sword from the boy's forehead, and the boy felt immensely relieved.
神秘骑士终于把弯刀收回去了。圣地亚哥觉得轻松了些。
But he still couldn't flee.
但是，他不能逃跑。
"Be careful with your prognostications," said the stranger.
“小心你的猜测。”神秘骑士说道，
"When something is written, there is no way to change it."
“命中注定的事情，是无法改变的。”
"All I saw was an army," said the boy. "I didn't see the outcome of the battle."
“我只看见一支军队，并没看到战斗的结果。”
The stranger seemed satisfied with the answer. But he kept the sword in his hand.
骑士似乎对这一回答感到满意，但他仍紧握弯刀。
"What is a stranger doing in a strange land?"
“你一个外国人在异国的土地上干什么？”
"I am following my personal legend. It's not something you would understand."
“追寻我的天命。这是你永远都弄不懂的事情。”
The stranger placed his sword in its scabbard, and the boy relaxed.
骑士将弯刀入鞘，肩头的猎鹰怪叫了一声。男孩放心了。
"I had to test your courage," the stranger said.
“我必须试一试你的勇气。”神秘骑士说道，
"Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World."
“对于寻求宇宙语言的人，勇气是最重要的素质。”
The boy was surprised.
男孩感到吃惊。
The stranger was speaking of things that very few people knew about.
这个人所说的事很少有人知道。
"You must not let up, even after having come so far," he continued.
“你必须永不松懈，哪怕已经走了很远的路。”骑士继续说，
"You must love the desert, but never trust it completely.
“你必须热爱沙漠，但是绝不要完全相信沙漠。
Because the desert tests all men: it challenges every step, and kills those who become distracted."
因为沙漠对所有人都是一个考验：考验你迈出的每一步，杀死心猿意马的人。”
What he said reminded the boy of the old king.
神秘骑士的话让男孩联想起撒冷王。
"If the warriors come here, and your head is still on your shoulders at sunset, come and find me," said the stranger.
“如果敌军到来，而日落之后你的脑袋仍留在脖子上，就来找我吧。”神秘骑士说。
The same hand that had brandished the sword now held a whip.
他先前攥着弯刀的那只手，此刻握着一条马鞭。
The horse reared again, raising a cloud of dust.
白马再次直起身子，扬起一片尘雾。
"Where do you live?" shouted the boy, as the horseman rode away.
“你住在哪儿？”男孩高声喊道。
The hand with the whip pointed to the south.
已打马远去的骑士扬起马鞭指了指南方。
The boy had met the alchemist.
男孩见到的，正是炼金术士。
