雷穆利亚衰亡史 The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria

雷穆利亚衰亡史·卷一 The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria (I)

据说是在枫丹建城初年，由著名学者普特尼所撰写的关于古代雷穆利亚文明的历史巨著。

It is said that the great scholar Pulteney wrote this epic historical work concerning the ancient Remurian civilization in the early years of the founding of Fontaine.

大海孕育了一切，也吞没万物。

The ocean gave birth to all, yet also devoured everything.

传说在最初的世代，初民们的道德足以自持，无需仰赖律法与威权的统治。天城的使者行走在大地之上。经由他们的指引，人们在自太古以来便一直延续的安宁中平静地度日，安享繁荣与丰饶。

Legend has it that in the first era, the earliest peoples were self-supporting in their virtue, needing no laws or authorities. The envoys of the heavenly city walked the earth, and with their guidance, the people enjoyed enduring peace, prosperity, and abundance from the ancient days.

天启的统治不知延续了多少个世代，直到人们厌倦了难以捉摸的永恒。后代之人不再虔信神谕，反而希冀神明并未许诺之事，试图挣脱命运的枷锁。于是高天为之震怒，祂命大海掀起巨浪，将定居者的城邦碾碎。随后大雨连降百日，潮水吞没了一切罪恶与妄想，初民的时代就此终结。

This Heaven-blessed reign lasted countless generations until people grew tired of their inscrutable eternity. Their offspring ceased to listen to the oracles. Instead, they desired things never promised to them by the divine, trying to break free from their fate. Enraged by their behavior, Heaven sent gigantic waves to smash the settlers' cities. A hundred days of rain came afterward, and the roaring tides drowned all sin and arrogation, and thus were the early peoples brought to an end.

待到潮水退去，大地再次显露之时，高海之上已不再有任何城市与文明。余生或新生的人们栖息于山林与河畔之间，重归蒙昧和野蛮。如同地上与水下的一切生灵般，这时的人类任由自然法则的鞭笞与驱使，在无始无终的时间中浑噩度日。

When the tide receded and the earth was revealed again, no cities nor civilizations now stood above the high waters. Survivors and the newborn alike lived amidst the forests and rivers, shorn of all knowledge and wisdom. Human lives were no different from those of wild animals on the earth or in the sea, driven on by the laws of nature — muddling through time with neither beginning nor end.

此后又不知过了多久，在遥远的南方，居尔的王座兴起又倾覆，东方的贵种们也一度抵达高海的边域，而我们的先民却依旧沉沦在无知与迷信当中。

Untold years passed. The throne of Gurabad was established and overturned in the far south, and the noble kindred of the east once reached the rim of the high waters — all while our ancestors remained bound by ignorance and superstition.

直到伟大的雷穆斯王乘着金色的法图纳号降临在梅洛皮斯，才再一次将文明与秩序带到枫丹的土地之上。他教给人们耕作的技艺，使土地得以出产，以巨石筑起神庙与城市，使人民得以栖居。而最为重要的，他教授给人们音乐与艺术，使人类得以与其它的生灵区隔开来，从而自视为万物的主人。

Civilization and order were finally restored to the land named Fontaine the day the great king Remus descended upon Meropis in his golden Fortuna. He taught people how to farm and raise crops in the land, and built temples and cities with giant rocks to house the people. Most importantly, it was he who spread the beauty of music and art, which differentiated humans from other living things, causing them to see themselves as masters of all things.

后来，雷穆斯王与他不朽的舰队征服了高海上的全部岛屿，就连海渊之下的巨龙也向他臣服。自初民的时代终结以来，从未有这样美好的日子，永恒的繁荣似乎即将达成。

With his immortal fleet, Remus conquered all the islands on the high waters. Even the great dragon beneath the abyssal depths submitted to his power. Those were the best days since the end of earliest peoples, and eternal prosperity seemed so near at hand.

正当神王与他的子民们沉湎于无虑的美梦之中，畅享着永恒进步的未来之时，神王的先知们却做出了不谐的预言，「最兴盛的帝国也会迎来最彻底的毁灭，这便是法图纳。」

The God King and his people indulged in the sweet dreams of carefree lives and fantasies of never-ending progress. However, the seers prophesied discord: "The greatest empire will face the most utter destruction, and this is Fortuna."

于是神王从七天的轮转与海陆的流风当中领悟了原初的规划，据此谱写出谐荣的乐章。他相信，只要地上的城邦能与这至善的乐章协同共奏，就能逃脱命运的审判，直达至福的永恒乐土。

Thus did the God King derive the primordial plan from the seven-day rotation and the flowing winds of sea and land, and composed a harmonious symphony of prosperity. He believed that so long as all the cities echoed with this greatest of songs, they would escape the judgment of fate and at last reach the land of eternal bliss.

然而古代的作家们都说，盛衰更替，无物恒常。

But thusly do the ancient writers concur — "Oceans will rise, empires will fall, and the only constant is change."

雷穆利亚衰亡史·卷二 The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria (II)

据说是在枫丹建城初年，由著名学者普特尼所撰写的关于古代雷穆利亚文明的历史巨著。

It is said that the great scholar Pulteney wrote this epic historical work concerning the ancient Remurian civilization in the early years of the founding of Fontaine.

愿伟大与光荣归于雷穆利亚，以及它不朽的统治者，广天之下诸臣民的王，普世的调律师雷穆斯。如今，就连最为见多识广的博学家也无法想象永恒之城曾经的壮丽与光辉。

Greatness and glory unto Remuria, and its immortal ruler, Remus, king of all under heaven and universal Harmost. Today, the glamor and luxury of the bygone Eternal City is beyond the imagination of even the most knowledgeable scholars.

当航船沿着御道穿越擎海之柱，驶入御船法图纳号停泊的巨港，首先映入眼帘的便是一座参天的高塔。雷穆利亚的高塔并非为了聆听高天的谕示而建，而是为了给高海上诸岛之间往来的航船提供指引。据说，高塔建立在现实与梦境的交汇之处。即便水手们因海妖的诱惑而陷入沉眠之中，也能循着钟声穿破迷雾，找到通往雷穆利亚的航线。

As you sailed past the Ocean Pillars along the royal fairway to the giant port playing host to Fortuna the imperial ship, you would have first seen a lofty tower. The tower of Remuria was not built to receive heavenly oracles, but to guide ships traveling between islands in the high waters. It is said that the tower stood at the border of reality and dreams. Even if sailors were to be lured into slumber by sirens, they could follow the sound of the bell to break through the mist and find their way to Remuria.

沿着御道继续前行便是马其莫斯，这里是雷穆利亚英勇的战士们生活的城区。宏大的神庙与竞技场皆以巨石雕砌而成，用来纪念城市的荣光与胜利。高耸而坚固的巨墙上装饰着琉璃与黄金，青铜与大理石的雕像摆的到处都是，黄金、香料与各地的特产在市场里堆积如山。

Continuing along the royal fairway leading to Machimos, where the brave Remurian warriors lived. The grand temples and arenas were built with giant carved rocks to commemorate the city's glory and victory. The solid and towering walls are decorated with glaze and gold, bronze and marble statues arrayed the land, and gold, spices and specialties from the world over piled up in the markets.

穿过马其莫斯便来到了雷穆利亚的中心城区卡皮托利姆。卡皮托利姆香气四溢，到处是悦耳的歌声。这里是艺术家们的乐园，只有最卓越的智者和乐师才被允许生活在这里，但即便在这些人当中也只有极少数能够获得为神王服务的机会。这里的剧场与宫殿以最为和谐的形式建构而成，梁柱与穹顶上有着最华丽而复杂的雕刻，而在所有这些建筑中心的则是山岳一般高大的铜柱构筑起的金色皇宫，伟大的雷穆斯王便安坐在宫殿的中央，聆听着从帝国的各个角落传来的每一段乐章，每一个音符。倘若帝国的某处发出不谐的声音，神王便会立刻拨动琴弦予以校正，以使整个帝国构成的乐章得臻完美。

Traveling through Machimos, you would arrive at Capitolium, the center of Remuria, overflowing with delightful aromas and beautiful melodies. It was a paradise for artists, where only the most outstanding intellectuals and musicians were allowed. Even among them, however, only a small fraction enjoyed the privilege of serving the God King. Here, all the theaters and palaces were established in shapes most harmonious, their beams and domes adorned with the most sumptuous and intricate carvings, and centered on a golden palace of towering copper pillars. The King, resting peacefully at the heart of the palace, listened closely to every melody and every note coming from every corner of the empire. Upon hearing any discord, the God King would correct it immediately with a pluck of his strings, bringing perfection to the symphony of his empire.

为了使高海之上的众民不至偏离普世的乐章，破坏谐荣的共奏，雷穆斯王从人类中擢升了四位大能之人。他将自己的力量与威权分与他们，命他们成为自己的共治者，诸城邦的调律师，以消除所有不谐的声音。

To keep all the people upon the high water from destroying the symphony of universal harmony, King Remus promoted four humans of great capability to high post. He shared his power and authority with them, making them his partners in governance, the Harmosts for all cities, to eliminate all discordant sounds.

为了使谐荣的旋律能够响彻四海，雷穆斯王又建起绵延的御道，将音符转化为御道上流淌的一道道波纹，从卡皮托利姆传递到高海之上的每一个角落。

To spread the harmonious symphony throughout the world, he built far-reaching fairways, which conveyed the melodies as never-ending ripples from Capitolium to every corner that sat above the high waters.

然而，既定的命运是连诸神都不能改变的，试图逃脱命运的审判已是重罪。而在神王犯下的诸多罪孽当中，最为首要的则是试图使人类僭取只应属于神明的权柄。人类因力量与威权而堕落，继而带来暴行与叛乱。

Yet fate's decree was not for even such as gods to defy, and to even attempt to escape destined judgment was a mortal sin. Amongst the God King's sins, the most terrible was the attempt to pass power that should have been reserved for the godly domain to humans. Thus, this power and status led to corruption and decadence, leading to violence and revolts.

命运的狡计便是，它总是藉由反抗它的手来达成它的计划。当命定之日到来之时，伟大的不朽之城，雷穆利亚的衰亡已成定局。如今神王的乐声只限于卡皮托利姆一隅，威权的统治结束了。

Such is fate's cunning that it uses the very powers that rebel against it to its own ends. When the day of destiny arrived, Remuria, the grand immortal city, faced an inevitable end. Today, the God King's melody is played only in Capitolium, and his mighty reign has ended.

正如古代作家们所说的那样，盛衰更替，无物恒常。

Thusly do the ancient writers concur — "Oceans will rise, empires will fall, and the only constant is change."

雷穆利亚衰亡史·卷三 The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria (III)

据说是在枫丹建城初年，由著名学者普特尼所撰写的关于古代雷穆利亚文明的历史巨著。

It is said that the great scholar Pulteney wrote this epic historical work concerning the ancient Remurian civilization in the early years of the founding of Fontaine.

人们曾天真地相信，不朽的雷穆斯王与永恒之城的统治，将如同构筑起环形祭场的巨石一般，超越时间与命运的桎梏，延续千年又千年。

Humans, in their naivete, once believed that the reign of the King Remus and his Eternal City would surpass time and fate to last thousands of years, just like the giant rocks comprising the ringed ritual sites.

直到大地在一夕之间崩解碎裂，高耸的塔楼被连根掀起，连同宏大的柱厅一起为滔天的巨浪所吞没；直到御道崩塌、神庙倾颓，永恒之城及其住民，战士、智者与显贵们都和曾如烈日般耀眼的金宫一同坠入永无光明的渊底。

Until that day, when the earth collapsed all at once, the tall tower was uprooted, and drowned in the titanic waves alongside the great hall of pillars. Until that day, when the royal fairways and temples were reduced to ruins, and the city, along with its residents, warriors, intellectuals, nobles, and even the golden palace, as glamorous as the shining sun, fell into a chasm of eternal darkness.

于是人们才意识到他们眼中的永恒是何等愚狂的妄念。

That was the moment when the absurdity of their "eternity" finally dawned on them.

愿荣耀归于我们高贵的领航人，河流与大海的君主，诸水域的女王，愿她保护法律，统治长久。愿平安归于枫丹全域，以及广天之下的万民。当王城倾覆、威权陨落，高海之上的众民将要再次陷入野蛮与毁灭之中时，是我们高贵的女王弥合了诸族之间的纷争，围绕着奔涌的泉水，人们建立起新的城邦，开启了律法的统治，直至今日。

Glory to our Noble Navigator, the Ruler of Rivers and Seas, and the Queen of All Waters. May she defend the law, and may her reign be long. Peace be upon all the realms of Fontaine, and all the people under the heavens. When the royal city collapsed, the great power shattered, and the people above the high water were perched on the precipice of barbarism and annihilation, it was our noble Queen who settled the conflicts between the tribes. Around the flowing springs we established cities new, and started a world guided by laws that has endured to this day.

雷穆利亚的衰亡距今不过百年，但其历史却已笼罩在传说与迷信的海雾之中。这部分是由于为雷穆利亚带来绝灭之命运的末日浩劫是如此之无情与迅速，以至赖以传承知识的学者与古典，都随着永恒之城一起被大海所吞没。另一个重要的原因则是由于那些自称为雷穆利亚人后裔的神秘学者们的刻意歪曲。我所做的工作便是以历史之普遍理性，去芜取精，使这一辉煌的古代文明的真实面貌得以重现世间。

The tragedy of Remuria occurred merely a century ago, but its history has already become concealed in legends and superstitions. This does partly come down to the fatal catastrophe that destroyed it — so ruthless and swift was the disaster that all the researchers and literature capable of passing down said knowledge now sleep beneath the waters with the Eternal City. Another key reason is the purposeful distortions created by the mysterious researchers who claimed to be descendants of Remuria. My job is to extract and reproduce the true, essential shape of this magnificent ancient civilization with the universal rationality of history.

在如今的一些地方传说当中，甚至古代那些最伟大的学者们也被描述为摄取灵魂的巫师，他们将凡人的灵魂装入特制的魔像，以供他们随意驱使。诚然，雷穆利亚人的确曾制造出可怖的魔像，直到今天在乡野有时也能找到他们的残迹，但这只能归因于雷穆利亚晚期在德性上的败坏与堕落。雷穆利亚人放弃了原属于自己的高贵职责，沉湎于享乐与堕怠。他们纵容自己对他人施展暴行，于是暴行也反过来摧毁了他们。

In certain folklore that exists today, even the greatest of ancient scholars have been painted as soul-stealing magisters who entrapped mortal spirits within specially-made magical golems, binding them into service. To be sure, the Remurians did make such terrifying golems, which to this day may be found, ruined, out in the wild. But this may only be blamed upon the moral degeneration that came upon them in Remuria's latter days. Its people had forsaken their noble duties and embraced hedonism and debauchery, accepting the violence they inflicted on others — and thus were they also violently destroyed.

正如古代作家们曾说的那样，盛衰更替，无物恒常。

Just as the ancient writers concur — "Oceans will rise, empires will fall, and the only constant is change."