褪色古堡的崩塌 The Fall of the Faded Castle

褪色古堡的崩塌·卷一 The Fall of the Faded Castle (I)

不知由何人所创作的诗歌，行文间透着诡异而不祥的气息。

A poem penned by an author unknown. The writing style seems to give off a strange and ominous aura.

在梦中，我曾见过一艘黑色的航船，

Once, in a dream, I saw a black ship.

穿行在深邃的午夜与阴郁的海雾中。

It sailed through dark night and bleak fog.

那船的船身早已腐朽，桅杆看起来也断成了数截，

The hull was rotten, the mast shattered,

然而，却像是有意要对人类的理性加以嘲弄一般，

Yet in some perverse jest at human rationality,

所有这些断裂的部分都以一种怪异而扭曲的形式，

Each broken piece had been placed in some twisted way,

被包裹船身的层层叠叠的藻类与生物质连接起来，

Entwined together by the algae and seaweed that enveloped the vessel,

在月光下拖曳出森然可怖的倒影，

Forming a dreadful dark shadow that shambled through the moonlight,

让人不由坠入无法摆脱的恐惧中。

That none could glimpse and not panic.

好像只要你稍微移开视线，

Shift your gaze just a little, and in an instant,

下一秒它便会出现在眼前。

It shall appear again before you.

甲板上矗立着一个高大而瘦长的身影，

A tall and slim figure standing upon the deck,

浑身裹着黑色的罩袍，面容模糊不清。

Wrapped in dark robes, its face barely seen.

唯有那双眼睛，唯有那双冷酷的眼睛，

Only its eyes, those two cold eyes,

只是一撇，便仿佛蚀刻进了你的灵魂。

Which can pierce your soul with a glance.

那究竟是来自深海的怪胎，

Was that a monster that arose from the depths of the seas?

还是某个古老世界的主人，

A lord returned from some ancient world?

又或许，那便是噩梦本身。

Or perhaps the nightmare itself?

褪色古堡的崩塌·卷二 The Fall of the Faded Castle (II)

不知由何人所创作的诗歌，行文间透着诡异而不祥的气息。

A poem penned by an author unknown. The writing style seems to give off a strange and ominous aura.

在世上最纯净的湖水旁，

By the banks of the world's purest lake,

曾有座金碧辉煌的城堡。

There once stood a glistening castle.

金箔与宝石装饰着城堡的外壁，

Gold leaf and gems decorated its walls,

在午后阳光的照射下光彩夺目。

And it shone blinding in the post-noon sun.

城楼上飘扬着漂亮的彩旗，

Pretty banners and flags flew from the roof,

壮丽宏伟的塔楼高耸入云。

While majestic towers soared alongside.

远道而来的宾客透过彩色玻璃装饰的窗户，

Guests from afar peered through colorful windows,

每走过一处都能看到全然不同的新奇景象。

And marveled at the wonders every step revealed.

最为引人注目的则是遍布各处的雕塑摆设，

Yet none was more marvelous than the many statues,

虽然造型怪诞诡奇，看起来却是栩栩如生。

Odd in form but as real as life.

城堡中央的大厅，是一座金光闪耀的舞台，

In the center of the hall sat a golden stage,

乐师日夜不停地为这城堡的主人演奏歌唱。

Where musicians played day and night for the castle's master.

当优美的乐声响起，金色的蜂群也会萦绕在舞台周围，

As the music sounded, listeners flocked like swarming bees,

伴随着和谐的乐律翩翩起舞，仿佛世界也都为之倾倒。

To dance in time with the beat that seemed to captivate the entire world.

城堡中似乎有着取之不尽的珍馐美酒，以供人们狂欢享受，

The wine flowed never-ending to sate the thirst for revelry.

不论来自何方，出身如何，宾客们尽可随心所欲寻欢作乐。

All could partake, no matter their class or their homeland,

然而所有这一切都难以安慰主人心中的恐悚，

But none of this could ease the master's fears,

也无法给他惶惶不安的灵魂带来片刻的安宁。

Or bring his troubled soul a moment of peace.

每到午夜，当塔楼上的大钟发出低沉的声响，

And each time the tower's clock struck its deep midnight chime,

他总会陷入无法遏制的焦躁与不安，

He would be possessed by an uncontrollable panic,

那难以言喻的恐惧与抑郁笼罩着他。

Trapped by his fears and his gloom.

裹着黑袍的鬼影将要讨回他的欠债，

The dark-robed figure would surely collect on debts owed,

到时候，眼前的一切都要化为齑粉，

And all before his eyes would be turned into dust,

连同这主人与所有宾客的灵魂一起，

The souls of his guests, and his own, included,

作为献给那黑暗中古老世界的供物。

As tribute to that dark, ancient world.

褪色古堡的崩塌·卷三 The Fall of the Faded Castle (III)

不知由何人所创作的诗歌，行文间透着诡异而不祥的气息。

A poem penned by an author unknown. The writing style seems to give off a strange and ominous aura.

最初只是微风吹拂下的帷幔留在墙壁上的倒影，

At first, all was still, apart from the curtains in the breeze,

以及不知是从何处传来的动物啃磨的细碎声响。

And the faint sounds of animals chewing, echoing through the walls from some unknown place.

接着则是空荡房间中一阵阵沙哑而诡异的笑声，

Then, an odd rasping laugh erupted from an empty room,

是在黑夜中不断蔓延的莫可名状的恐惧与梦魇。

A nameless horror spreading in the dark.

终于，伴着骇人的雷霆与风暴，

Then, with terrible thunder and storm,

一层闪着淡淡红色光芒的薄雾，

A glowing red fog-cloud,

像是裹尸布般笼罩了整个城堡。

Embraced the castle just like a shroud.

城堡中央的舞台上，一个高大而瘦长的黑影投下，

On the castle's great central stage, a tall thin figure did appear,

那裹着黑袍的魔灵终于找上了门来。

A dark spirit in black robes, arriving at last.

刚刚还在寻欢作乐的人们，

The guests, a moment ago enjoying their revels,

很快一个接着一个地倒下，

Fell to the floor one by one,

甚至来不及发出一声哀鸣。

Bereft of time even to scream.

主人战栗地呆坐在宝座上，

The master sat shivering and still on his throne,

他的灵魂也已被黑暗夺去。

His soul also snatched by the dark.

随着砖石与瓦砾落下的轰鸣，

Amid the roar of brick and tile hitting the ground,

城堡褪去了往昔的光彩，

The castle's glory faded into the past,

被泛着微光的水所吞没。

Swallowed by glimmering waves.

原本被塔楼所遮蔽的血月重现于天际，

The blood moon the towers once blocked reappeared in the sky,

得以将最为不祥的红色光辉遍撒大地。

Its baleful glow sweeping the land.

如今在世上最纯净的湖水中，

And today, by the banks of the world's purest lake,

倒映着衰颓破碎的褪色城堡。

The water reflects the long-fallen, faded castle.

昔日金色的殿堂与欢宴的华章，

The joy and brilliance that once lit its halls,

仿佛本就是悠久的幻梦与传说。

Consigned to legends and dreams.

遗迹散发着令人窒息的衰朽，以及难以驱散的阴郁。

The ruins lie suffocated in the gloom.

透过破碎阴森的窗户，许多雕像般的怪物穿行而过，

Through shattered windows, statues appear as like to monsters,

伴随着不和谐的旋律，不断地下沉，直到坠入深海。

Who with the discordant tune that played sank with the castle into the sea.

而在那里，除了黑暗、死亡与哀歌之外，别无他物。

There is nothing there now, bar darkness, death, and loss.