清泉之心 Heart of Clear Springs

清泉之心·一 Heart of Clear Springs (I)

清泉镇猎人们口口相传的传说故事，讲述了泉水精灵与不知名少年的相遇。

A legendary tale passed down by Springvale hunters that portrays an encounter between an unknown young boy and a spring fairy.

如水的月光下，流泪的少年对清泉许下愿望。

Under the cascading moonlight, a tearful boy made his wish at the spring.

远来的精灵客居无心的泉水之中，静静地倾听着无声的心愿。

A fairy from afar, who had taken up residence in the unoccupied spring, listened in silence to his wordless wish.

泉水中的精灵并无悠远的记忆，也无深沉的梦想。她们来自水的精华，是无面目的天使之后裔。

Spring fairies know nothing of distant memories or deep dreams. They are born of water's essence, faceless descendants of the angels.

因而，当好奇的精灵从清泉中现身，从泪滴中听到少年的心声，便立刻对这更加年轻而脆弱的生命产生了兴趣。

Thus, when the curious fairy emerged from the water and heard the cry of that boy's heart, she became interested in this life, younger and more fragile than her own.

沉默的精灵伸出无形状的手指，轻触少年的额头与脸颊。同夜露一般冰凉，如失去的祝福一样柔软。

The silent fairy reached out her formless fingers, cold as the midnight dew and soft as fortune forgone, and gently caressed the boy's forehead and cheeks.

少年为陌生的感触惊醒，抬起头，正迎上精灵的目光。

Startled by this stranger's touch, the young boy lifted his head and met the fairy's gaze.

「你能替我实现愿望吗？」少年问道。

"Can you make my wish come true?" The boy asked.

泉水的精灵为唐突的发问惊讶不解，但她无法发声，只是轻轻点头。

The fairy of the spring was surprised and confused by this presumptuous question. But she could not speak, and so simply nodded her head.

少年心满意足地离去。

Satisfied, the boy left.

他未曾知道，泉水精灵是孤独的。她没有友伴与亲人，也失却了大部分智慧。

He did not know that the spring fairy was alone, without friends or family, and that she had lost a great deal of her wisdom.

只有在泉水源源不断从石缝涌出，汇入池塘时，望着被涟漪击碎的月亮，她才渐渐获得思索的能力，渐渐能够模仿破碎的话语。

Only when the spring water flowed from cracks in the stone into her pool, and when she gazed upon the fractured image of the moon in the rippling water, did she slowly regain the ability to think, and to mimic fragments of speech.

好奇的精灵张望着这个世界，带着纯净的爱与无知，带着幼稚的灵性。她为偷吃浆果的狐狸与松鼠而欣喜，也为遮蔽银河的乌云哀伤。

Like a curious child, the fairy observed the world around her in innocence, wonder, and love. She rejoiced with the fox and squirrel who stole berries, and grieved at the dark clouds that covered the horizon.

对于那夜的少年，一种复杂却不成熟的感情在她的心中涌流。

And for that young boy, a feeling complex yet immature welled forth from within her heart.

孤独的她既无力量也无智能，终究无法实现他的心愿。

All alone in this world, she had neither the power nor wisdom with which to grant his wish.

但她可以分担愿望，从他的烦恼中汲取生命，与他一同分享。

But she could share it, and she drew life from sharing his burdens.

清泉之心·二 Heart of Clear Springs (II)

清泉镇猎人们口口相传的传说故事，讲述了泉水精灵与少年的相识。

A legendary tale passed down by Springvale hunters that recounts the acquaintance of a spring fairy and a young boy.

望着涟漪中破碎的月光，少年向泉水倾诉真心。

As he gazed at the fractured image of the moon carried by the water's ripples, the boy poured his heart out to the spring.

从他的话语中，她得知了他的许多故事。

From within his words, she learned much of him.

而从她的沉默中，他为自己坚定了信心。

And from her silence, he strengthened his belief in himself.

泉水的精灵懵懂地明白，这世界上的美好不仅有月光与浆果，令人叹惋的黑暗也不仅有遮蔽夜空的层层乌云。

Dimly, the spring fairy understood that there was good in the world beyond moonlight and fruits, and more to darkness than mere clouds.

少年向她讲述森林、城市与高墙，同她分享他的欢乐、哀伤与恐慌。

The boy spoke to her of forests and trees, cities and walls, and shared with her his joys, his sorrows and his fears.

而在倾听中，她为自己所新生的这个并不完美的世界日渐着迷。

As she listened to him, she became enamored of this imperfect world into which she had been born.

当少年为自己的无力烦恼时，泉水的精灵温柔而沉默地替他拭去泪水。从他的泪水中，她对清泉之外的世界又多了几分理解。

When the boy grew frustrated at his powerlessness, the spring fairy would gently and quietly wipe away his tears. From them, she grew to understood the world outside the spring a little more.

泪水汇入池水，精灵将之净化，转变成为少年带来好梦的醴泉。少年则忘记了清醒时的一切伤痛，在梦中的清泉与沉默的精灵相会。

Those tears flowed into the water, and the fairy purified them, turning them into a sweet nectar that brought him sweet dreams. The boy forgot the pain of his waking hours, and met the silent fairy by her spring in his sleep.

每当此时，月光溶融的池水中，安睡的精灵也展露笑颜。

Every time that happened, the fairy too would smile, asleep in the pool drenched in moonlight.

清露滋润着少年的美梦，少年的梦想也润湿了孤独的精灵。

The fresh dew nourished the boy's dreams, and the boy's dreams rejuvenated the lonely fairy's soul.

在梦中，泉水的精灵为少年讲述着遥远的水之国度，讲述着蓝宝石般的家乡，浅唱着流放者的乡愁，叹息着离乡与归宿。而少年则成了沉默的倾听者，为她的遭遇而流泪，为她的幸福而欣慰。

In those dreams, the spring fairy told the boy tales of the faraway realm of Hydro. She spoke of her sapphire-blue homeland, she sang of the homesickness of exile, and she sighed for separation and belonging. In these dreams, the boy became the one who silently listened, who wept for her troubles, and who rejoiced in her happiness.

就这样，泉水精灵在少年的记忆与梦境中获得了言谈的能力。

Over time, the spring fairy gained the power of speech from the boy's memories and dreams.

就这样，她与少年成为了无言不欢的朋友。

Over time, they became friends who shared all.

清泉之心·三 Heart of Clear Springs (III)

清泉镇猎人们口口相传的传说故事，讲述了泉水精灵与少年许下诺言的故事。

A legendary tale passed down by Springvale hunters that recounts a promise made between a spring fairy and a young boy.

当夜风停止吹拂，池中的月亮复归圆满，少年第一次听到了精灵的声音。

When the wind ceased to blow, the moon's fractured reflection in the pool was made whole, and the boy heard the fairy's voice for the first time.

精灵生来便是比人类更加纤细而敏感的生灵，少年不禁为她哀歌一般温柔的语言入迷。

Fairies are tender, sensitive beings beyond the ken of humans, and the boy was deeply taken by her gentle, elegiac voice.

但精灵毕竟生来便是比人类更加纤细而敏感的生灵，透过少年的眼眸，她望见了无法隐瞒的思慕，与即将脱口而出的诺言。

But fairies being tender and sensitive beyond human ken, through his eyes she saw his naked yearning, and the promise that was about to leave his lips.

突然间，精灵惊慌失措。

And suddenly, the fairy was afraid.

凡人的生命顽强却短暂，少年终将成长，终会老去。等到他褪去青涩与纯真，又将如何对待元素的纯净后裔？等到他年岁将衰，是否会自我责备，因一个幼稚的诺言而枉度一生？

Mortal lives are strong but fleeting, and the boy must grow, and grow old. Once youth and innocence had faded, how would he treat his elemental descendants? In the twilight of his life, would he blame himself for throwing his life away for a childish promise?

泉水的精灵纯净而善良，但她并不懂得人界之爱。她未曾见识过人的奇迹，而只将千百年的变迁视作等闲。也正因此，她格外恐惧离别。

The spring fairy was pure and kind, but she did not understand human love. She had never seen the miracle of humanity, and had merely sat idle through millennia of change. And so, she greatly feared parting.

在人类看来奇迹般的守候，于元素之精灵看来只是短暂的美好。

What humans see as the miracle of devotion, elemental fairies can only perceive as fleeting pleasure.

而所爱之人的衰老，即使精灵的力量也无法挽回。

And even the power of fairies cannot reverse the aging of a loved one.

纤细的泉水精灵不忍目睹那一日不可逆转地降临，于是用一吻制止了少年。

The tender fairy could not bear to see that unavoidable day come, and with a kiss she stopped the boy from uttering the words.

少年何其愚钝，竟将精灵冰凉的拒绝之吻误以为对诺言的认可。

But the boy, in his innocence, mistook her rejection as her approval of his promise.

在那一刻，精灵下定决心终会忍心离开少年。

From that moment, the fairy vowed that she would someday bear to leave him.

而少年则立下了永远陪伴在清泉旁边的誓言。

And the boy vowed that he would remain by her spring forever.

清泉之心·四 Heart of Clear Springs (IV)

清泉镇猎人们口口相传的传说故事，不再是少年的少年与不老的精灵终于面对苦涩的缺憾结局。

A legendary tale passed down by Springvale hunters that recounts a bitter ending finally faced by a boy who was no longer young and a spring fairy who had not grown old.

后来，再后来，少年渐渐成长，交了新的朋友，有了新的经历。

By and by, the young boy grew up, made new friends, and had new experiences.

泉水的精灵依旧如同年轻时那样，为他安静地唱着每一首温柔的哀歌。

And the spring fairy, as she had in his youth, sang him her quiet elegies each one.

直到那一天，她终于离去，不再望向少年的方向。

Till the day came at last, when she left, and gazed no more upon the boy.

泉水叮咚作响不再汇成语言，涟漪中破碎的月亮也不再在水面的脚印中复合。

Never again did words flow forth from the trickling sound of the spring. Never again would the fractured moon become whole.

泉水的精灵突然意识到，尽管找到了归宿，尽管经历了短暂的幸福，她仍然是孤独的。

The spring fairy suddenly realized that though she had found a place to belong, and though she had experienced fleeting happiness, she was still alone.

不再是少年的少年没能意识到精灵的逃避，却将孤独归咎于自己。

The boy, now no longer a boy, could not perceive her flight, and blamed himself for his own solitude.

「或许她只是一个幼稚的幻梦。」

"Perhaps she was merely a childish fantasy."

听着清泉潺潺，他有时会这样想。

He would think this to himself as he listened to the gurgling of the spring.

但那冰凉的一吻是真实的，就像曾戏弄她长发的夜风一般真实。

But that cool kiss was real, as was the wind that once played with her hair.

突然间，他意识到，即使与无数新朋友相交相别，经历过无数冒险与归乡，他仍然是孤独的。

Suddenly, he realized that though he had met and parted with countless new friends, and though he had adventured and returned more times than he could remember, he was still alone in the end.

于是，像多年前那样，少年的眼泪落入清净的池塘，打湿了破碎的月亮。

So, as they had done many years ago, the boy's tears fell into the pure pond, soaking into the fractured moon.

但这次，泉水精灵没有应约而来。

But this time, the spring fairy did not come as promised.

她固执地背过身去，宁愿自视为一个童年纯洁的梦，一个自遥远异乡流浪而来的暂居客，也不愿以近乎永恒的寿命辜负爱慕之人的约定。

Stubbornly she turned her back, willing to be the object of an innocent childhood dream, to be a fleeting guest wandering from a foreign land, but unwilling to allow her near-eternal life to break her lover's promise.

传说每当大雨降下，落入池塘的雨滴中间总会混杂着泉水精灵的泪滴。

Legend has it that whenever the rain pours down, the raindrops that fall into the pond mix with the tears of the spring fairy.

当少年终于老去，他依然对这样的无稽之谈深信不疑。

To his dying day, the boy believed wholeheartedly in this groundless superstition.

不幸的是，逃避真心的泉水精灵同样对这等事实无法质疑。

But sadly, the spring fairy who fled from her true feelings could never believe it herself.