沙丘長尾蜥
Dune Thresher
As
I was preparing to set pen to paper to begin recording my thoughts
at the beginning of my epic undertaking to gather the world's
knowledge together in one tome, the hand of providence tapped me on
the shoulder. The news that a rogue burrower had killed a citizen
just outside the city gave me the wonderful opportunity to see
firsthand one of the more disturbing creatures we share this world
with – the savage dune thresher.
正當我準備下筆開始我的史詩般的事業，以便記錄下我的思想並將這世界的知識集中到一卷厚書當中的時候，上帝之手拍了一下我的肩膀。在城外有個挖洞的怪物殺了一個市民的消息給了我一個非常好的機會去親臨這種令人不安的生物---殘暴的沙丘長尾蜥。
Long ago driven away from settled locales to the deep desert wastes
of the Borderlands, the dune thresher is rarely seen by city
dwellers. Every so often, however, whether due to injury or old age,
one of these unholy beasts ventures to the edge of civilization to
feast on the frail human animal. When this happens, a professional
like Franklin Burroughs, the famed guide and hunter, is called in to
put an end to the threat.
很久以前從定居地被趕到偏遠的邊疆荒漠的沙漠廢墟中的沙丘長尾蜥很少會被城市居民看到。然而，幾乎每隔一段時間，不知是受傷或是年老，這些邪惡的野獸會冒險來到文明的邊緣將人類作為自己的美餐。這時，一個叫做富蘭克林‧巴勒斯(Franklin
Burroughs)的著名專家、獵人，被請來結束這個威脅。
Fortunately, Burroughs and I, both being men of travel and
adventure, have naturally crossed paths before (frequent readers of
my works will no doubt remember this grizzled, rough-hewn boulder of
a man from my classic, Xiansai Chronicles). Thus, I contacted him so
that I was able to take part in his quest to rid us of the burrowing
nightmare. He acted reluctant at first, but I could tell he was
happy to have me along.
很幸運的是，巴勒斯(Burroughs)剛好與我一同旅行冒險，我們很自然地穿過前面的小路。（我作品的老讀者毫無疑問會記得我經典的
Xiansai
編年史中這個頑石般的人）於是，我和他溝通了一番，以便我可以參與到他的計劃讓我們能擺脫夢魘的洞穴。起先開始他表現地很不願意，但是我跟他說我很高興讓我和他一起。
I met up with him at dusk upon the sandy rocks that ringed the
Tardein wastes. As I approached, Burroughs was kneeling on the black
rocks, inspecting something. I looked at the indistinguishable
matter he'd been staring so intently at, but I could not identify
it. He held up his hand, motioning for me to step lightly. When I
asked him what the problem was, he pointed to the focus of his
attention and asked if I wanted to end up like that poor fool. I
laughed, thinking he was playing one of his jokes on me yet again.
Everyone knew that the dune threshers attacked from under the sand,
and that we were safe upon the rocks!
黃昏時，我在泰定(Tardein)廢墟沙礫飛舞的岩石上碰到了他。當我靠近的時候，巴勒斯(Burroughs)正跪在黑色岩石上不知觀察什麼。我看到他一直想要盯住的難以看清的東西，但是我沒辦法分辨出那是什麼。他舉起了手，向我打著手勢，示意我不要發出聲音。當我問他發生了什麼事的時候，他指向了他注意力的焦點，問我是不是想像那個傻瓜一樣找死。我笑了，心想他又跟我開玩笑了。人人都知道沙丘長尾蜥是從沙裡出來攻擊的，而待在岩石上面是再安全不過了。
"Tell that to him," he said.
「去跟他說。」他說。
I looked again, and what I saw turned my stomach. The rocks betrayed
the desperation with which the victim had clung to them. Left upon
their bloodstained surfaces were strips of skin that had been torn
from his hands and fingers.
我又再看了一下，結果差點吐出來。這岩石讓我看到那些曾經緊抱著它的受害者的絕望。那些岩石表面的血跡全是從他的手和手指上撕下來的條狀皮膚。
"They'll jump right up onto these rocks and drag you down. An
experienced hunter could survive an attack, but someone like you
will be lunch if you keep stomping around here, making all that
noise." He chuckled to himself as he made his way up to his heavily
loaded wagon.
「他們會直接跳到這些岩石上然後把你拖下來。一個有經驗的獵人會去避免這種攻擊，但是一個像你這樣在這裡大步徘徊發出這麼大聲響的人一定會成為他們的午餐。」他輕笑了一聲，朝他的滿載貨物的小貨車走去。
I quickly (and quietly) moved back from the edge of the rocks. And
then I heard the screeching. Burroughs had retrieved a large object,
a cage of some kind, covered with a black tarp. This cage was the
source of the hellish emanations. Thick ropes hung down from
somewhere deep beneath its dark shroud. "That's not far enough," he
said. As if to prove his point, he shook the cage he was holding.
Ever viler screams shot forth, cutting through my head like cold,
sharp blades. But they were nothing to the sound I heard next – the
deathly churning of sand that heralded the arrival of the thresher.
我迅速地（同時安靜地）回到了岩石的邊緣。然後，我聽到尖叫聲。巴勒斯(Burroughs)找來一個蓋著黑色布罩的籠子。這個籠子是地獄般放射物的源頭。深色的罩子下面掛著一些粗繩子。「不遠了，」他說。似乎是為了要自己的觀點一樣，他搖了搖他拿著的籠子。那聲音像尖嘯、冰冷、鋒利的刀片一樣穿過我的腦袋。但是在那聲音之後又陷入一片死寂---那致命的沙子翻騰預示著沙丘長尾蜥的到來。
"Their sound riles a thresher up something fierce. Better get them
into the sand before we have company up here." With that, he tore
the cover off the cage. The shock of seeing what was contained
within overwhelmed me immediately. Everything seemed to wash
together in a kind of bland, sickening grayness, and my knees
buckled.
「它們的聲音會激怒那些長尾蜥。我們最好在會合之前把他們放到沙裡。」正說著，他扯開了蓋在籠子上面的東西。裡面所見的東西令我瞠目結舌。看過去一切好像都混合在一種乏味和噁心的黑暗之中，我為之拜倒。
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abd al-Hazir is a renowned gentleman, historian, and scholar. He has
recently taken up the unprecedented task of investigating,
researching, and compiling information about the unique locales and
denizens of our world.
作者簡介
阿卜杜勒‧阿哈茲(Abd al-Hazir)是一個著名的紳士、歷史學家和學者。他對我們世界所有相關的獨特語言環境和居民們採取了前所未有的調查、研究和編制工作。
