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All things are one, the boy thought.
万物皆为一物，男孩想。
And then, as if the desert wanted to demonstrate that the alchemist was right, two horsemen appeared from behind the travelers.
沙漠好像有意要证明炼金术士的话，此刻，两名骑兵出现在他们身后。
"You can't go any farther," one of them said. "You're in the area where the tribes are at war."
“你们不能再往前走了。”其中一人说道，“你们进入了交战区域。”
"I'm not going very far," the alchemist answered, looking straight into the eyes of the horsemen.
“我走不远。”炼金术士回答，同时用深邃的目光盯着士兵的眼睛。
They were silent for a moment, and then agreed that the boy and the alchemist could move along.
他们一动不动地待了一会儿，然后便同意他们俩继续往前走。
The boy watched the exchange with fascination.
男孩被眼前看到的一切震住了。
"You dominated those horsemen with the way you looked at them," he said.
“您用目光制服了他们！”他说。
"Your eyes show the strength of your soul," answered the alchemist.
“眼睛能够显示心灵的力量，”炼金术士回答。
That's true, the boy thought.
的确是这样，男孩想。
He had noticed that, in the midst of the multitude of armed men back at the encampment, there had been one who stared fixedly at the two.
他已经觉察到，营地里那群士兵当中的一个正紧盯着他们俩。
He had been so far away that his face wasn't even visible.
由于距离太远，根本无法看清他的脸。
But the boy was certain that he had been looking at them.
但男孩确信，那人的确在盯着他们。
Finally, when they had crossed the mountain range that extended along the entire horizon,
当他们开始翻越原本盘亘在地平线上的山脉时，
the alchemist said that they were only two days from the Pyramids.
炼金术士对男孩说，还有两天就可以到达金字塔了。
"If we're going to go our separate ways soon," the boy said, "then teach me about alchemy."
“既然我们很快就要分手了，请您教给我炼金术吧。”男孩说。
"You already know about alchemy. It is about penetrating to the Soul of the World, and discovering the treasure that has been reserved for you."
“你已经会了。那就是深入世界之魂，去发现它为我们保留的财宝。”
"No, that's not what I mean. I'm talking about transforming lead into gold."
“这不是我想学的。我指的是点铁成金之术。”
The alchemist fell as silent as the desert, and answered the boy only after they had stopped to eat.
炼金术士和沙漠一起沉默着，直到他们停下来准备吃饭时，他才回答男孩。
"Everything in the universe evolved," he said. "And, for wise men, gold is the metal that evolved the furthest.
“整个宇宙都在不停发展。”他说，“对智者而言，金子是发展最完善的金属。
Don't ask me why; I don't know why. I just know that the Tradition is always right."
不要问为什么，因为我也不知道。我只知道传统总是正确的。”
"Men have never understood the words of the wise. So gold, instead of being seen as a symbol of evolution, became the basis for conflict."
“由于人们没有很好地理解智者的话，结果金子不仅没有被视作发展的象征，反而成了战争的根源。”
