Michael is a reserved individual, so during his tenure as the High Marshal of Sanctuary, he refrained from implementing targeted, heavy-handed measures against vested interests. However, this does not imply a lack of leadership ability within disciplinary forces, nor does it diminish the intuition and sensitivity honed over many years. His thoughtful nature and compassion for young lives are precisely the qualities Lübeck believes should define the leader of the Natural Resources Expedition.
米迦勒是一个性格内敛的人,所以在之前他担任庇护之地最高治安官的时候并没有对利益集团实施有针对性的铁腕手段,但这并不意味着他缺乏纪律部队领导的能力和多年来铸就的直觉与敏感.而他的细腻性格和对年轻生命的体恤,正是吕贝克认为自然资源探险队领队所应该具备的特质.
This visit saw him recall Michael to the government service department once more. As an old friend and comrade-in-arms, his journey home today was filled with joy. The twin suns of the dual-star system—one pale yellow, the other a faded crimson—cast their light upon the earth from different angles. Through the interplay of ground vegetation and architecture, they wove the land into a tapestry of squares.
这次拜访他又把米迦勒召回了政府服务部门,他也是自己的老朋友,老战友,所以今天他的归程也满载着欣喜.双星系统的夕阳,一颗淡黄,一颗残红,从不同的角度把阳光洒向大地,在地面植被和建筑的梳理中,把大地当作了方格子织锦.
The journey home today was long. Watching the two suns sink one after the other into the horizon, observing the clouds at the edge of the sky shift from orange to purple, only made Lübeck long to return home all the more. His heart yearned for the warm glow of the happy little cottage.
今天回程的路途遥远,这一路上望着两颗太阳依次隐没于天际,看着天边的云霞橙紫交替,更让吕贝克归心似箭,心心念念着那个幸福的小屋里的温暖灯光.
Under a sky strewn with stars, Lü Beck returned to his home. The dim yellow light streaming from the window illuminated the courtyard. Imagining his family inside, he gently opened the door and stepped inside.
身披漫天星辰回到家门前,窗子透出昏黄的灯光照亮院落,吕贝克脑海中想象着家人的情景,轻轻地开门进入.
"You're back just in time. Take a breather and have dinner," Ruth said as she carried food into the dining room, passing right in front of Emma, who was already seated at the table coaxing her son to eat some solid food.
"回来的正好,歇口气吃晚饭吧,"露丝一边说着,一边往餐厅端着食物,从自己面前走过,艾玛已经坐在餐桌前哄着儿子吃点固体食物,
With everyone he cared about safe and sound, Lübeck's longing heart finally settled. He slipped off his coat, holding it in one hand, and stepped forward to kiss Emma's cheek first. She playfully turned her head and pouted before hurrying off to feed the baby.
自己心心念念的人都如常,吕贝克那颗归巢的心也终于落地,他一边脱大衣拎在手里,一边上前先亲了艾玛的脸蛋儿,她调皮地扭头努了一下嘴,就忙着喂孩子了.
Ruth had just set down the food and turned back toward the kitchen when Lübeck stepped forward, blocking her path. He wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed her lips.
那边露丝正好放下食物,折返回来再往厨房走,吕贝克迎上去挡住她的去路,单手搂着她的腰亲吻了她的嘴唇.
Ruth thought it was just an ordinary kiss. After kissing him passionately, she tried to pull away to return to the kitchen and serve the food. But Lübeck held her tightly around the waist, refusing to let go, kissing her lips relentlessly. Ruth could only wonder inwardly what had gotten into him today, then passively continued to enjoy her man's affection.
露丝以为那只是日常的一吻,当她投入地亲吻之后想要继续回厨房端菜的时候,却被吕贝克紧紧搂着她的腰不放松,亲吻着她的嘴唇不停歇.露丝只好内心疑惑着他今天是怎么了,然后被动地继续享受着自己男人对她亲昵.
When Lübeck let go of Ruth and let her slip away with a smile, Emma retorted with a pout,
"Oh, does that include last night too?"
当吕贝克放开露丝从自己身边一笑溜走,那边艾玛悻悻地给了一句,
"哦,这是昨晚的也算上了吗."
Lübeck knew Emma was teasing him again about this morning's incident. He wasn't angry, but he couldn't figure out where her little mood swings were coming from today.
吕贝克知道这是艾玛又在拿早上的事情嘲弄自己了,他也不生气,只是不明白她今天的小脾气是从哪里来的.
Dinner was about to be served, and he didn't want to spoil the mood by bringing up such matters. So he grinned, went into the room to fetch Ada, sat her on his lap, and squeezed himself in beside Emma.
就要吃饭了,他也不想扫兴谈论这些事,就笑嘻嘻地去房间里抱来艾达,坐在自己的腿上,凑合着挤在了艾玛的身边.
Ruth sat alone across the dining table, looking a bit lonely, so she pulled Clara to sit beside her.
"We've got shepherd's purse omelette today," she said, settling into her seat and starting to serve everyone.
露丝一个人坐在餐桌对面显得有些孤单,她就拉上了克拉拉在自己身边,
"今天有荠菜煎蛋饼,"说着,露丝落座就给大家开始分发,
First to Emma, who's taking care of the kids, then to little Ada, then to Clara, then to myself, and finally to Lübeck.
首先给带娃的艾玛,然后给最小的艾达,然后克拉拉,然后再是自己,最后给吕贝克,
Lübeck sat across from her, watching her every move, sensing something was off. What was it? Oh—it was the order. The order had been reversed. Normally, as the head of the household, he was the one respected, always, even at the dinner table. But at tonight's dinner, Ruth had clearly reversed the established order. Lübeck didn't know why she did it, but he didn't question or inquire. In that patriarchal era, he didn't dwell on such matters at home. Both Ruth and Emma were women he loved, humble and compliant, so he treated them simply as beloved partners.
吕贝克坐在她对面,看着她的一个个动作,觉得有些不对劲,怎么不对劲呢?哦,是秩序,秩序颠倒了.平时都是自己作为一家之主,是被尊重的,任何时候,包括餐桌上.而今天的晚餐,显然露丝把原有的顺序规则颠倒了,吕贝克不知道她为什么这样做,但是也没有质问或者询问.在那个强调父权的时代,他在家里并不是很在意这一点,露丝和艾玛都是他所爱的人,而且谦卑顺从,所以他只是对她们以爱人相待.
Pondering, Lübeck noticed everyone was watching him, waiting for the meal to begin. He casually remarked,
"Thanks for your hard work, Ruth. Let's all dig in," then proceeded to pick up his knife and fork first.
寻思着,留意到大家都在看着他等待开始进餐,吕贝克便随意地说了一句,
"谢谢露丝的劳动,大家开始吃晚饭吧,"说完就率先动起刀叉.
Lübeck was not a believer. Though raised in a Protestant family, his life experiences had shaped his own understanding of the world. Ruth, however, was different. She was a devout believer who had always lived by the principle of following Lübeck's lead.
吕贝克不是信徒,虽然来自于新教的家庭,但是曾经的人生经历让他对这个世界有着自己的理解.而露丝不一样,她是虔诚的信徒,一直以来实践着以吕贝克马首是瞻的生活信条.
Erich, you are the head of this household. Everyone here depends on you to support the family's livelihood. You must maintain your authority within this home and uphold its order. Otherwise, things will fall into disarray over time.
"埃里希,你是一家之主,在座的所有人都依赖于你支撑这个家庭的生活,你应该保持你在这个家中的权威,保持这个家庭的秩序,不然时间久了会乱套的."
Lübeck looked slightly surprised, staring into Ruth's eyes for a moment as if he understood her meaning. Setting Ida down, he walked around the table and sat beside Clara, patting her head as he said,
吕贝克有点吃惊,看着露丝的眼睛片刻,似乎明白了她的意指.放下艾达,绕过桌子坐在了克拉拉身边,摸摸她的头说,
"Rest assured, since you've come to this home, you are my children. I won't send you away," he said, glancing at little Ida across the table. She was still young, listening with a mix of understanding and confusion, her eyes fixed intently on this side. Turning to Emma beside him, he saw she hadn't even acknowledged his glance, busily feeding the baby instead. Lübeck then continued to Clara,
"你放心,既然你们来到这个家你们就是我的孩子,我不会送你们离开的,"说着看了一眼桌子对面的小艾达,她还小,只是似懂非懂地听着,眼睛盯盯地看着这边,再看一边的艾玛,她根本没理会自己往这边看,只是自顾自地喂着孩子.吕贝克接着对克拉拉说,
Please don't stand outside the door listening to me talk anymore, okay? It's not polite.
"以后不要再站在门外听我说话了,好吗?这不礼貌."
"Hmm," Clara nodded once, saying no more, but her pitiable background always made Lübeck reluctant to discipline her more strictly. After speaking, Lübeck quickly patted her head to comfort her, then continued,
"If you or your sister ever have any trouble, just knock on my door. Remember? Don't hesitate or hold back, okay?"
"Okay," came the single word again, her eyes fixed on Lübeck.
Lübeck promptly patted her back to soothe her.
"嗯,"克拉拉点了一下头,没说更多,但是她让人可怜的身世总是使得吕贝克不忍心对她更严格管教些什么.吕贝克说完又赶紧摸摸她的头安慰她,然后接着说,
"要是你和妹妹遇到什么问题,就来敲门找我,记住了吗?不要犹豫或者有什么顾虑,好吗?"
"好,"又只是一个字,然后眼睛望着吕贝克,
吕贝克赶紧又摸摸她的背安慰她.
Thus ended what seemed like a rather hectic dinner, yet Lübeck never quite grasped whether the uneasy atmosphere stemmed from the presence of these two children or would have arisen regardless.
就这样似乎有些忙碌的一顿晚饭吃完了,但是自始致终吕贝克都没弄明白这有些不对劲的气氛到底是因为多了这两个孩子引起的还是即便没有她们也会发生.
Everyone else was busy: Ruth was washing dishes with Clara, Ida was learning to make her bed in her room, Emma was nursing her son in her room. Only Lübeck stood alone in the middle of the living room, lost in thought. Ah, having so many women around was such a hassle.
别人都在忙,露丝带着克拉拉在洗碗,艾达在房间里自己学着铺睡觉的被子,艾玛在房间里给儿子喂奶,只剩吕贝克一个人站在起居室中间一个人思索,唉,女人多了真是麻烦.
Lübeck first went to watch Ida make the bed, chatting with her and teaching her how to do it, not wanting to leave her feeling neglected.
吕贝克先是去看着艾达铺被子,和她聊聊天,教教她怎么做,不想冷落了她自己.Then he went to the kitchen again, to comfort Clara, whom he had just lectured. While offering words of reassurance, he glanced at Ruth.
"Ruth, are you upset today?" Lübeck asked softly, peering over her shoulder toward Emma's room.
然后又去厨房,再去安慰一下自己刚刚说教过的克拉拉,一边言语安慰,还一边看着露丝,
"露丝,今天你不高兴了吗?"吕贝克一边轻声问,还一边越过她的肩头,看了一眼艾玛房间的方向,
"I didn't," Ruth replied,
but her tone was cold and her words short, hardly sounding like nothing had happened.
"我没有啊,"露丝回答,
但是她的语气生冷语速简短,不像是没有事情的样子,
"Is there some conflict between you and Emma?" Lübeck asked softly.
"是你和艾玛有什么矛盾了吗?"吕贝克轻声问,
"No," Ruth replied nonchalantly, but after a moment she revealed the truth.
"I felt she wasn't respectful enough to you when she spoke to you this morning."
"没有啊,"露丝虽然若无其事地回答,但是过了一会儿她还是道出了实情,
"我觉得今天早上她和你说话的时候不够尊重你,"
"Oh, oh, oh," after all that detour, Lübeck finally pieced together the cause and effect behind it all—a chain of events far more convoluted than the journey to visit Michael and back.
"哦哦哦,"绕了这么一大圈,吕贝克终于弄明白了前因后果的缘由,这因果路径简直比去拜访米迦勒再回来的路途都遥远.
Lübeck patted Clara's head to comfort her, then turned back to Ruth and whispered,
"If anything like this happens again, tell me. I'll talk to her."
吕贝克摸了摸克拉拉的头,安慰着她,然后再扭回头跟露丝轻声说,
"以后再有这种事情你和我说,我去说她,"
"Whoa, you're one to talk? You're the one spoiling her rotten!"
"嚯,你还能说她,惯着还来不及,"
Lübeck quickly wrapped his arm around Ruth and leaned in to kiss her cheek, adding,
"Don't I spoil you rotten?"
吕贝克赶紧搂着露丝的要凑过去亲了一下她的脸蛋补充说,
"难道我不惯着你吗?"
"Hmph," Ruth chuckled, turning her face away to dodge.
"哼,"露丝笑着一扭脸躲开了,
Lübeck decided he'd seen enough here. He ruffled Clara's hair again and trotted toward Emma's room. As he passed the living room, he glanced back and caught Ella staring blankly as he ran past. Ah well, Lübeck couldn't help but chuckle—being laughed at by a three-year-old.
吕贝克看这边差不多了,又摸摸克拉拉的头,小步跑向艾玛的房间,过起居室的时候一扭头正看见艾拉愣愣地看着自己跑过去.唉,吕贝克不由得笑了,被一个三岁小孩子看自己的笑话.
Upon entering Emma's room, the child had already been put to sleep. Emma sat by the bed, watching him come in with a cold stare. Lübeck offered no explanation, simply taking her hand and saying,
"Come with me. Let's go for a walk. I need to talk to you."
来到艾玛的房间,孩子已经哄睡了,艾玛坐在床边,冷冷地看着他进来,吕贝克也不解释,拉起她的手说,
"跟我来,出去走走,有话和你说,"
Stepping out into the courtyard, Lübeck gazed up at the starry sky and took a deep breath of the cool night air.
出门到院子里,吕贝克仰望星空,深吸了一口暗夜里的清凉空气,
"Where are we going..."
Before Emma could finish, Lübeck pulled her close and shut the door to the wood shed. Deep blue night sky tinged with nebula-red hues streamed through the window, casting light on Emma's cheeks. Holding her against the window, Lübeck kissed her and asked,
"Is this where we pick up from this morning's kiss? "His hands caressed her waist and back as he continued,
"Were you angry with me this morning?"
"我们去哪..."
还没等艾玛说完,吕贝克一把把她拉紧了一边的柴房关上了门,深蓝夜色带着星云的红霞,透过窗子照在艾玛的脸颊,吕贝克搂着她靠在窗边,一边亲吻一边问,
"这是接着早上的吻,好吗?"亲吻间,双手抚摸着她的腰背,继续问,
"早上你是生我的气了吗?"
Emma didn't answer; she simply wrapped her arms around Lübeck's waist.
艾玛没有回答,只是把她的双手搂在了吕贝克的腰间,
"Did I do something wrong? Tell me, please." As he spoke, one arm wrapped around her back while the other lifted her skirt to caress her thigh.
"是我做错了什么,你告诉我好吗?"说着,一手搂着她的背一手撩起她的裙子抚摸她的大腿,
"Yeah, you didn't get what you wanted from her last night, so you remembered me this morning. I don't want her leftovers."
"嗯,昨晚儿你在她那没得到,今早你才想起我,我不想要她剩下的才给我,"
"Oh, tonight I'm here for you, okay?" Lü Beck whispered, tentatively touching Emma's tender, damp heart as he explained softly in her ear.
"All these years she's cared for me like a little brother. She's not trying to steal your man—don't be angry with her. I'm like her little brother, and you're my big darling. Let me cherish you. Don't block my path to you, okay?"
"哦,今晚我是为你而来的,好吗,"说着,吕贝克试着碰触艾玛温柔潮湿的心,一边试探,一边在她耳边轻声解释,
"她这么多年一直像照顾弟弟一样照顾我,她不是要抢你的男人,你别生她的气,我就像她的小弟弟,而你是我的大宝贝,让我宠爱你,别挡住我走进你的路,好不好,"
"Mm," Emma murmured, draping her arms around Lübeck's neck. She slowly closed her eyes, letting him lift her legs, press her body close, and explore the depths of her heart.
"嗯,"艾玛答应着,把双臂搭在了吕贝克的脖颈,慢慢地合上双眼,任他挽起自己的腿,靠紧自己的身体,探访自己的心田,
The dim night light filtered through the small window, outlining the contours of Emma's cheeks and her slightly parted lips as she breathed.
黯淡的夜色透过小窗,勾勒出艾玛的脸颊轮廓,还有她喘息而微张的双唇,
As her man's strong arms tightened around her time and again, embracing her waist, clasping her legs, pressing close to her body, each visit to the depths of her soul was fiery and fulfilling.
当她的男人那有力臂膀一次次收紧,搂紧她的腰,扣紧她的腿,紧靠她的身体,一次次火热而充实的心灵深处探访,
As Emma's body trembled, her hands slid limply from Lübeck's shoulders, instead reaching to clasp his waist tightly, drawing herself closer to his body.
随着艾玛身体的抖动,她的双手无力地从吕贝克的肩头滑落,转而试图搂紧他的腰背,拉近自己与他身体的距离,
Ah, ah, ah, Lübeck, give it to me. This intimate space freed her from all self-restraint. Each time Lübeck touched her soul with comfort, her magnetic voice responded in kind.
"啊,啊,啊,吕贝克,给我," 这个私密的空间,使得她在再也不需要对自己有任何拘束,每一次吕贝克触及心灵的抚慰,都伴随着她那磁性嗓音的回应,
Ah, ah, Lübeck, love me,
Lübeck, ah, mmm...
"啊,啊,吕贝克,爱我,"
"吕贝克,啊,嗯啊..."
As Lübeck pressed his final warmth into Emma's heart within their embrace, the shared heat seemed to melt away the day's earlier distance, uniting them as one.
当吕贝克在紧抱中把自己的最后一股暖流送入艾玛的心间,那联接彼此的温度似乎融化了一早的隔阂,让两人融为一体.