本文节选自钛帝国9版规则书，由于该小说没有标题，故用故事的背景暂且代之 。该译文作为练习仅为个人与交流使用，不用作商业用途。 

她的指挥官迈着大步走进了静谧议堂，夏司'伊尔·塞西·乌梅就陪在他的身旁。可敬的欧'夏珊有四名荣誉护卫，曾在数十个战场上浴血奋战过的乌梅是其中任职最久的一位。饶是如此，此时的她也在和压倒性的敬畏感竭力相抗。她的指挥官能够受邀觐见至高以太就已经是与有荣焉了。而他的保镖也能厕身其间，这让她几乎无法自已。

Shas'el Sa'cea Umeh flanked her Commander as he strode into the Chamber of Serene Audience. She was one of four honour guards assigned to venerable O'Shasan, and was the longest serving of them all, blooded on dozens of battlefields. Still, even she struggled with feelings of overwhelming awe in this moment. For her Commander to be invited into the presence of the Ethereal Supreme conferred honour enough. To lead his bodyguard in that moment was almost more than she could take in.

以钛家门主星的标准而言，他们进入的那座穹顶并不特别巨大，也不是非常宏伟。这座穹顶由不透明的水晶构成，其最高点位于乌梅头顶上方六百英尺之处。（其大小）可以勉强让一个猎核在它的橘玫色的石质地板上列队。从位于穹顶两侧中部的螺旋气流中有水流涌落，它们汩汩地没入了一条深邃的石质水渠之中，那条水渠从穹顶地板的中间切划而过，就此将其一分为二。盛在精雕细琢的瓷碗中的荧荧之火正沿着水渠的两端翩翩起舞。只见四个低矮的台座依着水渠的边缘排成了一列，火氏、水氏、气氏和土氏各居其一，它们每一个都标有各自的氏族徽记。当欧'夏珊站到火氏的台座上时，他满怀敬意的向位于其对面的土氏和气氏台座点了点头。于是那一小群科学家和外交官也纷纷还之以礼。

The dome they entered was not especially large orgrandiose by the standards of T'au Prime. Formed from opaque crystal, it reached its apex barely a hundred feet above EI'Umeh's head. A Hunter Cadre might have drawn up their ranks upon the roseblush stone of its floor, but just barely. Water fell through spiralling air currents from halfway up either side of the dome, chuckling into a deepstone channel that cut across the middle of the dome's floor and divided it in two. Small flames danced along the channel's edges, held in beautifully carved ceramic bowls. Four low daises lined one edge of the channel,one for each of the Fire Caste, Water Caste, Air Caste and Earth Caste, designated by the respective caste's symbol. As O'Shasan took up his position upon the Fire Caste dais, he nodded respectfully to his counterparts occupying the Earth and Water daises. From amidst their own small gatherings of scientists and diplomats, they returned the gesture.

在水渠的另一边立着一柱高起的台座，在它后面摆放的是这间厅室中仅有的宏伟之物。它是一尊雕像，高的足以在众人面前赫然耸现。它刻画的是伟大以太铵'威，他伸出的双臂仿佛就像是在表示欢迎，又像是在献上祝福，他的面庞斜斜地朝向群星。尽管它非常壮观，但位于前面那个台座上的存在依然令这尊雕像黯然失色，他的两侧随侍着面容严肃的荣誉卫士。

On the other side of the channel rose a higher dais,behind which stood the room's only concession to grandeur. It was a statue, tall enough to loom overall there assembled. It depicted the great Ethereal Aun'Wei, his arms outstretched as though in welcome or benediction, his face tilted towards the stars. For all its magnificence, the statue could not eclipse the being who occupied the dais before it, flanked by his own stern-faced honour guards.

我就在铵'瓦的面前。为让它变得真切一些，她在心中翻来覆去地叨念着这个念头。我，伊尔'乌梅，就在至高以太的面前。

l am in the presence of Aun'Va. She had to repeat the thought to herself in an attempt to make it real. I, El'Umeh, am in the presence of the Ethereal Supreme.

他用安详之至的目光注视着他们，在表现出谦卑的同时又露出了一种天生的卓越感。伊尔'乌梅努力地想要面对那目不转睛的凝视，但她无法坚持太久。相反地，她的目光游走到了那些位于穹顶边缘的暗龛翳台之上。当意识到呆在那里的都是其他的以太时，她被吓了一跳，他们有十几个，也许更多。在正常的情况下，一个如此静谧的存在会让伊尔'乌梅为之神往。然而在这里，铵'瓦就像皎月之于疏远的群星一般让他们黯然失色。

He looked upon them with absolute serenity, managing somehow to appear both humble and effortlessly superior. El'Umeh strove to meet that unblinking gaze,but she could not do so for long. Instead, her eyes skipped away to the shadowed alcoves and balconies around the dome's edge. She started as she realised these were occupied by other Ethereals, a dozen or more. Under normal circumstances one such serene being would have captured all of El'Umeh's attention.Here, Aun'Va eclipsed them as a moon gliding before distant stars.

一阵轻柔的嗡鸣声让伊尔'乌梅回过了神来。与生俱来的的战斗本能将她的惊讶之心抛到了九霄云外，她开始小心翼翼地寻找声音的来源。那声音是从气氏的台座那里传来的。只见隐藏式的全息图像已经变得栩栩如生了，那些光束相互交汇融通，构筑出了一幅气氏代表的强光全息图。从对方的姿势来看，全神贯注的她似乎正稳稳地站在台座之上，那双修长的胳膊以相互交叉姿势恭恭敬敬地摆在身后。然而从那条飘逸的发髻可以看出，她实际上位于轨道上的一条柯'瓦恰殖民舰中，无重力环境会让她的骨骼更加自在。

A gentle hum intruded on EI'Umeh's awareness. Hard-wired combat instincts saw her set aside her wonderand search, discreetly, for the source of the sound. It came from the Air Caste dais. Concealed hololatheshad thrummed to life, their beams flickering through one another as they constructed a heavy-light hologramof the Air Caste representative. From her posture, she appeared to be stood firmly to attention upon her dais with her willowy arms folded respectfully behind her back. Only the lazy drift of her topknot betrayed that she was actually aboard an orbiting Kor'vattra colony ship, ingravity more comfortable to her bones.

只见铵'瓦模仿着他身后雕像的姿势，举起双手向客人们致意。

Aun'Va greeted his guests with raised hands, emulatingthe posture of the statue at his back.

“为了替钛'瓦劳心尽力，各位于今日前来我处。你们中的许多人都是远道而来。这一切都是值得的，欢迎大家。你们让我倍感荣光。”

'You come to me on this day in service to the T'au'va.Many of you have travelled far. All are worthy and all are welcome. You honour me.'

他的话语就像一股电流一般传遍了伊尔'乌梅的全身。就算是在最为狂野的梦境中，她也从未想象过整个钛帝国的至高以太会这样向自己说话。此时此刻，她仿佛觉得自己只要凭着铵'瓦的话语便可拿着一把脉冲步枪踏入群星，然后为他征服一切。（有这种感觉的）并非只有她一人；伊尔'乌梅感觉到了那股激情，它正在火土水气四氏的代表间传递着。钛星人站得更直了。只见他们的双眼闪闪发光。

His words ran through EI'Umeh like an electrical current.She had never in her wildest dreams imagined being addressed so by the Ethereal Supreme of the entire T'auEmpire! She felt in that moment as though she could step out into the stars with just a pulse rifle and Aun'Va's words,and she would conquer them all for him. Nor wasshe alone; El'Umeh felt the frisson that passed throughthe delegations of the Fire, Earth, Water and Air Castes.Tau stood straighter. Their eyes gleamed.

“作为你们氏族的代表，我召唤各位前来此处，因为我需要大家集思广益。” 铵'瓦接着说了下去，“全体委员大会会适时召开的，还请各位放心，诸位于今日回应我的召唤并不会对那些参加以太议会的氏族代表造成任何不敬。然而，在座的各位都是你们氏族中的著名英雄，你们曾经漫步于群星之间，并且亲眼目睹过那依旧在我们国境之外翻腾不已的黑暗。夏司'欧'夏珊；菲欧'欧'都'若斯；柯'欧'莱伊；钋'欧'穆'勒斯：你们每一位都是……经验丰富之辈。你们要么曾经遇到过自蒙特'耶'瓦出现以来就一直搅扰我方努力的奇怪异形，要么就曾经亲眼目睹过它在我们异形盟友中散播的疯狂影响。你们可以……让我发蒙启蔽。这很重要，因为此时此刻我们的帝国正处于命运的十字路口。感谢第四和第五次星穹扩张舰队付出的牺牲，如今我们知道对潜流模组的失败感到绝望是错误的。实际上，我们已经得知，这种装置可以让我们将钛'瓦之光传递到比以往任何时候都要广阔的地方中去。”

‘I have summoned you here as representatives of your castes, for I require your collective wisdom.' Aun'Va continued.'Rest assured the full council will meet in due time, and that in answering my summons today you do no dishonour to those caste representatives who attend the Ethereal Council. Yet each of you here is a renowned hero of your own caste, one who has walked the roads between the stars and seen first-hand the darkness that still churns beyond our borders. Shas'o'Shasan;Fio'o'Du'ros;Kor'o'Ley; Por'o'Mu'leth: you each possess...experience.You have encountered the strange aliens that have bedevilled our efforts since the Mont'yhe'va appeared,or else have seen with your own eyes the effects of the madness that it has spread amongst our alien allies.You can...enlighten me.This is vital, for in this hour our empire stands at a crossroads of destiny.Thanks to the heroic sacrifices of the Fourth and Fifth Sphere fleets, we know now that our despair at the failure of the Slipstream module was misplacead. we have learned that, in truth,this device grants us a greater reach than ever before to spread the light of the T'au'va.'

这话在伊尔'乌梅的脑海中引起了一丝如同叛逆一般的怀疑。有谣言说那里发生了灾难，还有一些第四次扩张舰队幸存者不愿提及的精神创伤。然而，在铵'瓦那平静的凝视下，这种愤世嫉俗的想法根本不值一哂。光是想起这些事情就让她感到羞愧难当。乌梅的不安并没有得到缓解，铵'瓦的下一句话让她感觉到对方仿佛已经察觉到了自已那转瞬即逝的不忠。

This caused a traitorous flicker of doubt in El'Umeh's mind. There had been rumours of disaster, and of some shared trauma about which the Fourth Sphere survivors would not speak. Yet under Aun'Va's serene stare, such thoughts seemed cynical and unworthy. She burned with shame even to have thought such things.Her discomfort was not helped when Aun'Va's next words made her feel as though he had sensed her instant of disloyalty.

“我们知道，越过我们疆域的边界，踏入更为广阔的银河之黯，这些事情是要历危涉险的。所有的尝试都值得一试。作为一个民族，如果我们回避危险和未知的话，也许时至今日，我们依然还被迫滞留在一颗孤零零的星球上。如果我们还存在的话……”

'we know that to reach beyond the confines of our realm,to step forth into the darkness of the wider galaxy, that these things are not without risk. No endeavour worth the trying ever was.As a people, had we shied away from the dangerous and the unknown then perhaps we would still languish upon but a single planet to this day. If we existed at all...'

这种对蒙'特'奥的暗示如果出自其他任何人，那都是一种严重违反社交礼仪的行为。而如果出自铵'瓦，那就是对踌躇和懦弱的严厉警告。伊尔乌梅发现决绝之火正在她体内熊熊燃烧。她不会让自己的先祖因这种失败而蒙羞辱耻。

From anyone else, such an allusion to the Mon't'au would have been a ghastly breach of social etiquette. From Aun'Va it was a stern admonition against hesitancy and cowardice. EI'Umeh found the fires of determination burning within her. She would not shame the memory of her forebears through such failings.

“我们都知道自己的职责，” 铵'瓦如此说道，只见他的目光缓缓地从众人身上扫过，“我们都知道自己的天命。即使是现在，我们帝国的无数勇敢公民们依然在群星间辛勤地劳作。为了将钛'瓦之光带给所有值得所拥的生灵，他们努力奋战着。这是他们所要承担的角色，这至关重要。然而，我们在今天（的所作所为）也同样重要。我的客人们，我们的身上可是肩负着选择的重担啊。”

'We all know our duty,' said Aun'Va, his gaze passing slowly across them.'We all know our destiny.Countless brave citizens of our empire toil out there amongst the stars even now.They fight and strive to bring the T'au'va to all who are worthy and deserving of its light. That is their part to play, and it is crucial. On this day, though,ours is every bit as vital. Upon us, my guests, lies the burden of choice.'

一闻此言，伊尔'乌梅的身子顿时绷得紧紧的。她感到历史性的时刻正在逼近，它重重地压在了她的身上，压在了所有正在屏息等待铵'瓦下一句话的人的身上。

EI'Umeh stiffened at this.She felt the sudden nearness of history, the weight of it bearing down upon her, and upon all those others who waited with bated breath for Aun'Va's next words.

“通过和加入我方的每一个世界每一个人民团结一致，我们的帝国变得愈发强大。然而，尽管我们英勇无畏众志成城，但我的人数和资源还是有限的。很快，我必须做出选择，这些资源究竟要用于何方，因为它们无法同时用到所有的前线上。我和至高议会必须做出决定——是要将我们帝国的影响力投送到奈姆'雅三角洲的另一边、并将位于彼端星蔓的一众星系尽数征服呢？还是利用我们的新发明再度横越鸠'拉所称的达摩克利斯湾，去收复我们失落的家门世界，并进一步深入银河的西畔？要知道，我的客人们，这可不是什么异想天开。菲欧'维·卡'布托和他的科学家们向我保证，他们对原型设计做出了改进，从而使得潜流模块在大规模使用时会变得比以往任何时候都要安全、都要稳定。有了这么一个装置，群星（间的距离）会变得比以往任何时候都要近，我们抵达那里（的路途）会更加畅通无阻。”

'With every world every people who join us in unity, our  empire becomes stronger.Still,while our courage and belief are boundless,our resources and our numbers remain finite.I must chose,soon,where to direct those resources,for they cannot fight on all fronts at once. I and the High Coucil must determine - do we throw the weight of our empire behind the Nem'yar Atoll and the conquest of all those star systems in the expanse beyond?Or do we exercise our new-found reach to once again push beyond what the Gue'la call the Damocles Gulf, to reclaim the septs that were lost and drive deeper than ever into western galactic reaches? Understand, my guests, this is not some mere dream. Fio'vre Ka'buto and his scientists assure me that the modifications they have made to their original designs render the Slipstream module safer and more stable than ever before when deployed en masse.With such a device at our disposal, the stars are closer than ever, and our duty to reach them clearer.'

伊尔'简直无法相信她听到的一切。

El'Umeh couldn't believe what she was hearing.

第六次星穹扩张，她如此想到，由于惊诧的缘故她感到有点头晕目眩。至高以太正在考虑进行第六次星穹扩张，而且关于它应该从哪里开始，他正在询问我指挥官的看法！

The Sixth Sphere Expansion, she thought, light-headed with amazement. The Ethereal Supreme is considering the commencement of the Sixth Sphere Expansion, and he is asking for my Commander's thoughts on where it should occur!

这种事情前所未闻。第五次星穹扩张依然在寂静之域的彼端打得如火如荼。欧'夏瑟拉亲自领军，那在神奇的虫洞彼端殖民了新的世界，建立了新的家门。尽管伊尔'乌梅并没有掌握所有的信息，但她对帝国在集结和出动那支舰队上花费了大量资源一事有着深刻的印象。一想到要在第五次星穹扩张依然还在进行的情况下集结第六次扩张部队……钛族宙域的广度和规模真的变得如此巨大了吗？

Such a thing was unheard of. The battles of the Fifth Sphere Expansion still raged beyond the Zone of Silence.O'Shaserra herself led the push to colonise new worlds and raise new septs beyond the fabled wormhole.El'Umeh was hardly in possession of all the data, yet she had the impression that the empire had expended vast resources already on gathering and launching that fleet.To think that it could muster a sixth expansion even while the fifth was still underway... had the scope and scale of Tau space truly grown so vast?

也许是蒙特'耶'瓦的缘故，她突然如此想到。也许以太们知道发生了什么，以及如何制止它。

Perhaps it is the Mont' yhe'va, she thought suddenly. Perhaps the Ethereals understand what has happened, and how to stop it.

除非……？

Unless...?

伊尔'乌梅恼怒地将突如其来的疑虑置之脑后。以太是智慧的象征，而铵'瓦是他们当中最为伟大的存在。他们知道的最清楚，而且他们无所畏惧。

Angry at herself, El'Umeh discarded her sudden doubts. The Ethereals were wisdom personified, and Aun'Va greatest of them all. They knew best and they feared nothing.

“我知道各位心有所虑，” 铵瓦如此说道，伊尔'乌梅立刻就把悬着的心放了下来，“我能理解它们，我会接受它们。来吧，我的宾客们——现在该你们发言了。将大家的报告提交上来吧。说出你们的意见。我们一起来慎重地商讨一番吧。让大家齐心并力，将我们的希望重铸如新。”

'l see your questions,' said Aun'Va, and at once EI'Umeh felt reassured. 'l understand and I welcome them. Come,my guests - now it is your time to speak. Deliver your reports. Offer your ideas.Together let us deliberate.Together, let us forge our hopes anew.'