| And why they have to take place in the forest, and why it is in everybody’s best interest, the Forest Dwellers included, that they should? | “明白为什么战争要在森林里进行，为什么这是对每个人最好的——包括森林居民在内？” |
| Er… | “呃……” |
| In the long run. | “长远地看。” |
| Er, yes. | “呃，嗯。” |
| And the messenger did understand the Reason, and he returned to his people in the Forest. But as he approached them, as he walked through the Forest and amongst the trees, he found that all he could remember of the Reason was how terribly clear the argument had seemed. What it actually was he couldn’t remember at all. | 于是，使者把理由弄清楚了，启程返回森林。但当他回到那儿——当他走在森林中、走在树底下时，他发现，自己唯一记得的，就是那谈话过程是多么的清晰明了。具体内容他已经完全忘记了。 |
| And this, of course, was a great comfort when next the Tribesmen and the Princes came hacking and burning their way through the Forest, killing every Forest Dweller in their way. | 当然，这么一来，当部落人和王子们一路烧杀、踏进森林、砍死每一个遭遇的森林居民时，不知道理由倒也不错。 |
| Prak paused in his story and coughed pathetically. | 普啦刻停了下来，咳了好一会儿。 |
| I was the messenger, he said, after the battles precipitated by the appearance of your ship, which were particularly savage. Many of our people died. I thought I could bring the Reason back. I went and was told it by the leader of the Princes, but on the way back it slipped and melted away in my mind like snow in the sun. That was many years ago, and much has happened since then. | “我就是那个使者，”他说，“你们这艘飞船一出现，战争就爆发了。相当残酷。我这边死了很多人。我以为自己可以带回理由。我去找王子们的首领，他告诉我了。但回来的路上，它从我脑中溜走了，像阳光下的雪一样，化掉了。那已经是很久以前的事。在那之后，又发生了很多事。” |
| He looked up at Arthur and giggled again very gently. | 他看着阿瑟，温和地笑了笑。 |
| There is one other thing I can remember from the truth drug. Apart from the frogs, and that is God’s last message to his creation. Would you like to hear it? | “关于吃真话药以后所说的事，除了青蛙，我还记得一件。那是神给他的造物留下的最后讯息。你们想听吗？” |
| For a moment they didn’t know whether to take him seriously. | 众人迟疑许久，不知该不该当真。 |
| ‘Strue, he said. For real. I mean it. | “真的，”他说，“说实话。我是认真的。” |
| His chest heaved weakly and he struggled for breath. His head lolled slightly. | 他胸口微弱地起伏，困难地呼吸着。他的头无力地垂着。 |
| I wasn’t very impressed with it when I first knew what it was, he said, but now I think back to how impressed I was by the Prince’s Reason, and how soon afterwards I couldn’t recall it at all, I think it might be a lot more helpful. Would you like to know what it is? Would you? | “刚知道的时候，我不以为意。”他说，“但是，听了王子们的理由之后，我非常以为意，结果那么快就忘了。我想，这个也许比那还要重要吧。你们想听吗？想听吗？” |
| They nodded dumbly. | 众人无话可说地点点头。 |
| I bet you would. If you’re that interested I suggest you go and look for it. It is written in thirty-foot-high letters of fire on top of the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains in the land of Sevorbeupstry on the planet Preliumtarn, third out from the sun Zarss in Galactic Sector QQ7 Active J Gamma. It is guarded by the Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob. | “你们绝对想听。如果有兴趣，我建议你们去找它。它是用三十英尺高的火焰字，写在普列留塔恩星的瑟文毕奥普斯特里大陆上的昆塔勒斯·夸兹加山脉的顶峰，这颗星是银河系QQ7放射J伽玛军区的查斯恒星的第三颗行星。它被洛布的凡察谢尔陛将守卫着。” |
| There was a long silence following this announcement, which was finally broken by Arthur. | 一阵长久的沉默。最后由阿瑟开口，将它打破： |
| Sorry, it’s where? he said. | “抱歉，在哪？” |
And why they have to take place in the forest, and why it is in everybody’s best interest, the Forest Dwellers included, that they should?
Er…
In the long run.
Er, yes.
And the messenger did understand the Reason, and he returned to his people in the Forest. But as he approached them, as he walked through the Forest and amongst the trees, he found that all he could remember of the Reason was how terribly clear the argument had seemed. What it actually was he couldn’t remember at all.
And this, of course, was a great comfort when next the Tribesmen and the Princes came hacking and burning their way through the Forest, killing every Forest Dweller in their way.
Prak paused in his story and coughed pathetically.
I was the messenger, he said, after the battles precipitated by the appearance of your ship, which were particularly savage. Many of our people died. I thought I could bring the Reason back. I went and was told it by the leader of the Princes, but on the way back it slipped and melted away in my mind like snow in the sun. That was many years ago, and much has happened since then.
He looked up at Arthur and giggled again very gently.
There is one other thing I can remember from the truth drug. Apart from the frogs, and that is God’s last message to his creation. Would you like to hear it?
For a moment they didn’t know whether to take him seriously.
‘Strue, he said. For real. I mean it.
His chest heaved weakly and he struggled for breath. His head lolled slightly.
I wasn’t very impressed with it when I first knew what it was, he said, but now I think back to how impressed I was by the Prince’s Reason, and how soon afterwards I couldn’t recall it at all, I think it might be a lot more helpful. Would you like to know what it is? Would you?
They nodded dumbly.
I bet you would. If you’re that interested I suggest you go and look for it. It is written in thirty-foot-high letters of fire on top of the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains in the land of Sevorbeupstry on the planet Preliumtarn, third out from the sun Zarss in Galactic Sector QQ7 Active J Gamma. It is guarded by the Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob.
There was a long silence following this announcement, which was finally broken by Arthur.
Sorry, it’s where? he said.
“明白为什么战争要在森林里进行，为什么这是对每个人最好的——包括森林居民在内？”
“呃……”
“长远地看。”
“呃，嗯。”
于是，使者把理由弄清楚了，启程返回森林。但当他回到那儿——当他走在森林中、走在树底下时，他发现，自己唯一记得的，就是那谈话过程是多么的清晰明了。具体内容他已经完全忘记了。
当然，这么一来，当部落人和王子们一路烧杀、踏进森林、砍死每一个遭遇的森林居民时，不知道理由倒也不错。
普啦刻停了下来，咳了好一会儿。
“我就是那个使者，”他说，“你们这艘飞船一出现，战争就爆发了。相当残酷。我这边死了很多人。我以为自己可以带回理由。我去找王子们的首领，他告诉我了。但回来的路上，它从我脑中溜走了，像阳光下的雪一样，化掉了。那已经是很久以前的事。在那之后，又发生了很多事。”
他看着阿瑟，温和地笑了笑。
“关于吃真话药以后所说的事，除了青蛙，我还记得一件。那是神给他的造物留下的最后讯息。你们想听吗？”
众人迟疑许久，不知该不该当真。
“真的，”他说，“说实话。我是认真的。”
他胸口微弱地起伏，困难地呼吸着。他的头无力地垂着。
“刚知道的时候，我不以为意。”他说，“但是，听了王子们的理由之后，我非常以为意，结果那么快就忘了。我想，这个也许比那还要重要吧。你们想听吗？想听吗？”
众人无话可说地点点头。
“你们绝对想听。如果有兴趣，我建议你们去找它。它是用三十英尺高的火焰字，写在普列留塔恩星的瑟文毕奥普斯特里大陆上的昆塔勒斯·夸兹加山脉的顶峰，这颗星是银河系QQ7放射J伽玛军区的查斯恒星的第三颗行星。它被洛布的凡察谢尔陛将守卫着。”
一阵长久的沉默。最后由阿瑟开口，将它打破：
“抱歉，在哪？”
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