外环星域 原力337
水晶0
共和国币0 注册时间2009-5-21
最后登录2017-4-15
在线时间327 小时
![邦联](static/image/common/cois.gif)
外环星域 原力337
水晶0
![邦联](static/image/common/cois.gif)
|
本帖最后由 心无所羁 于 2009-7-25 10:53 编辑
CHAPTER No. 8
第八章
The pilot looked over at Dooku. "Answer it," Dooku said, smoothly coming up behind him. "But don't identify yourself."
飞行员望着杜库。“回应它,”杜库慢慢地走到他身后,命令道,“但不要暴露身份。”
"We acknowledge your transmission," the pilot said. "What is your situation?"
“我们已收到你的求救信息,”飞行员问,“现在情况如何?”
In answer, sobs came over the air. "I... I didn't think anyone would hear me...."
回答夹杂着哭泣声传了过来,“我……我想没人能听见我说什么……”
The pilot looked up at Dooku again. "This sounds genuine."
飞行员再次抬头看杜库:“听起来是真的。”
Dooku nodded. It did sound genuine. But that didn't mean it was.
杜库点头,这听起来的确像是真的,却并不意味着一定是真实的。
The pilot's tone was gentler now. "Tell us what happened so we can help you."
飞行员的语气立刻柔和了许多:“告诉我们发生什么事了,我们好来帮你。”
The intake of breath was so shaky they heard it clearly. "We were attacked - a space pirate. Our ship was under heavy fire. The pilot is dead. My father.." A sob shuddered, and then they could almost hear the child's effort to control herself. "They were taking him away. But he fought back, and they killed him."
他们清晰地听到一声颤抖的呼吸声:“我们被一伙星际海盗袭击了。飞船着火了,火势很大。飞行员也死了。我爸爸……”又是一声啜泣,他们几乎可以感受到那个孩子正努力地控制着自己的情绪,“他们想带走他,爸爸奋力反抗,结果他们就杀了他。”
"Identify yourself, please," the pilot said.
“请告诉我们你是谁。”飞行员说。
"I am Joli Ti Eddawan, daughter of Senator Galim Eddawan of Tyan." The voice quavered. "The ship is failing. The warning system lights are all blinking. What should I do?"
“我叫Joli Ti Eddawan,是Tyan星球Galim Eddawan议员的女儿。”女声颤抖着,“飞船就要不行了,所有的警报灯都闪个不停,我该怎么办?”
"Who else is aboard?"
“还有谁在船上?”
"They are all dead." The voice was small.
“他们都死了。”女声突然变得软弱无力。
"That attack missed us by hours," Eero said. "Do you know the planet Tyan?" Dooku asked.
“袭击就发生在几小时前,”Eero说。“你知道Tyan星球吗?”杜库问他。
Eero nodded. "It's a Mid-Rim planet, I think. Part of the Vvan system. I don't know the Senators there."
Eero点点头:“我想,那是个地处中缘的星球,Vvan星系的一部分。不过我不认识那里的议员。”
"Can you check on the whereabouts of Senator Eddawan?" Dooku asked. "We need to stall," he told the pilot. "But the systems are failing - "
“能查一下Eddawan议员的下落吗?”杜库问,又对飞行员说,“我们需要拖延点时间。”
“可是那飞船快不行了——”
Dooku turned to Eero. "Now," he said, as Eero hesitated. "Go!"
杜库转向Eero,“马上,”Eero还在犹豫不决,杜库催促道,“快去!”
Eero hurried toward the onboard computer suite. He sat down and his fingers flew over the keys.
Eero急忙赶到飞船上的电脑设备室,坐下身,十指如飞地在键盘上输入数据。
"Hello?" the child's voice called. "I think maybe the oxygen is failing. It's in the red level. It's getting hard for me to breathe."
“有人吗?”孩子的声音又传来了,“氧气快要不够了,已经是红色水平了。我现在越来越难以呼吸了。”
"Master Dooku!" the pilot exclaimed. "What should I do?"
“杜库大师!”飞行员惊呼,“该怎么办?”
"The order is the same," Dooku said calmly. "Stall."
“命令不变,”杜库冷静地回答,“拖延时间。”
"But she's suffocating!"
“但她要窒息了!”
"Talk to her," Dooku said. "Tell her we are getting ready to save the ship."
“跟她说,”杜库说,“告诉她我们正在准备营救。”
"Joli, hang on. We are putting together a plan," the pilot said kindly. "Take very slow breaths. Lie down."
“Joli,坚持住!我们正制定营救计划。”飞行员和蔼地说,“放缓呼吸,躺下身。”
They only heard rasping breathing. "All right," Joli said. "I'm so tired...."
他们只听到那边急促的呼吸声,“好的,”Joli回答道,“我感觉好累啊……”
"Oxygen deprivation," Qui-Gon murmured.
“脱氧症,”魁刚小声嘀咕着。
Dooku felt a spurt of annoyance. He didn't need Qui-Gon to give him a diagnosis. "Eero, do you have anything?" he called.
杜库感到一丝恼怒,他不需要魁刚给他一个诊断。“Eero,你找到了吗?”他喊道。
"Not yet! Hold on."
“还没有!再等等。”
"Stars and planets, Master Dooku, we have to do something!" the pilot cried. "That child could die while you wait for information!"
“天啊,杜库大师,我们不能袖手旁观了!”飞行员忍不住叫出声来,“就在你们等待确认信息时,那孩子就要死了!”
Qui-Gon looked pale. He bit his lip, as if to prevent himself from speaking. Dooku felt very calm.
魁刚脸色苍白。他紧咬着自己的嘴唇,好像要竭力阻止自己说话。而杜库却十分从容镇定。
"I've got it," Eero said. "Senator Galim Eddawan of Tyan. He does have a daughter named Joli. And he was scheduled to arrive at the port station Alpha Nonce yesterday. He never arrived."
“找到了,”Eero说,“Tyan星球的Galim议员,他的确有个叫Joli的女儿。原计划昨天他要到Alpha港口,但他没到。”
"Slowly approach the ship," Dooku told the pilot, who let out a held breath. "Keep your flank away from the center of the ship."
“慢慢靠近那艘船,”杜库命令飞行员,飞行员松了口气,“别让你的侧翼碰到那艘飞船中心。”
"It's just a small cruiser," the pilot said. "A ship like that might have some small arms, but nothing that can penetrate our shields."
“那只不过是一架小型巡洋舰,”飞行员说,“像那样的飞船也许会有一些小型武装。但没有什么东西可以穿透我们的护盾。”
"Do as I say," Dooku snapped.
“照我说的做,”杜库厉声说。
"Joli? We're coming to get you," the pilot told the child. Her voice was a mere whisper. "Good."
“Joli?我们来救你了,”飞行员告诉那个孩子。她的声音已经小得像耳语,“很好。”
"Master?" Qui-Gon's voice was low. "Do you think the distress call is authentic?"
“老师?”魁刚低声问,“难道您不认为这求救信号是真的吗?”
"I do not know, Padawan," Dooku said. "What do you think?"
“我不知道,我的徒弟,”杜库答道,“你怎么看?”
"I feel that child is in great danger," Qui-Gon said.
“我感觉那孩子处境十分危险,”魁刚说。
Dooku raised an eyebrow at him. "I did not ask you what you felt, but what you thought." The Jedi insistence on feelings was all well and good, but Dooku preferred analysis.
杜库扬起眉毛:“我没问你的感觉,我问的是你的想法。”绝地坚信直觉固然没错,但杜库更喜欢的是分析。
"I think we should proceed carefully. We cannot ignore a distress signal," Qui-Gon said.
“我认为,我们一定要小心行事。我们不能忽视任何一个遇难信号。”魁刚答道。
"Better." Dooku turned to the pilot. "Engage laser cannon tracking. Be prepared to fire."
“不错,”杜库对飞行员说,“启动激光炮追踪系统。随时准备开火。”
The pilot set the controls. The silver ship dipped closer gracefully, as if initiating the first movement of a dance. The other ship sat, eerily motionless.
飞行员设置好相关控制。银色的飞船优雅地下降靠近,就像是舞蹈开始时的第一个动作。另一只飞船静静地等候着,纹丝不动。
"Stay out of range of laser cannons," Dooku said. "But if we don't get closer, we can't send the shuttle to board," the pilot said.
“保持在激光炮射程外,”杜库说。“可如果我们不离得近点,就无法登上那架飞船。”飞行员说。
"Just do it." In another moment, Dooku would take the controls himself. He trusted the pilot's abilities more than his judgment, and he wanted to remain free to move in case the worst happened. In Dooku's experience, it often did.
“照我说的做。”要是再迟一刻,杜库很可能就自己掌握飞船的控制系统。但相比他的判断,他更相信飞行员的能力,而且他想让自己可以自由活动,以防最坏的情况发生。从杜库的经验看来,事情时常是那样发生的。
Suddenly, the dead ship roared to life. It veered to the right in a burst of speed. At the same time, panels slid back on the underside of the cockpit.
突然间,那只飞船起死回生,呼啸着发动起来,飞速向右转去。同时,船体上的一块金属板滑向驾驶室下方。
"Turbolasers!" Dooku shouted. "Reverse engines!"
“涡轮激光!”杜库惊呼,“调转引擎!”
"Turbolasers?" the pilot asked, stunned. "That ship is too small to have that kind of firepower."
“涡轮激光?”飞行员震惊地问,“那艘飞船那么小,怎么会有那种火力?”
Dooku lunged forward and grabbed the controls. He reversed the engines himself. The ship shuddered and the engines screamed in protest as they struggled to reverse at high velocity. The ship responded, zooming back out of range.
杜库冲上前去,一把夺过飞船控制器,亲自调转引擎。飞船剧烈抖动,引擎尖叫着抵触着他们在高速状态下的急转。飞船最终做出反应,迅速向射程范围外退去。
"A lesson for you, Padawan," Dooku said as the pilot took the controls again and the first turbolaser fire erupted. "Never trust anything."
“一次教训,我的徒弟,”杜库边说,边把控制器交给飞行员,而第一发涡轮激光已经喷射出来,“不要相信任何东西。”
The ship shook from the percussive effect of the fire, but they were out of range. Senator Blix Annon rushed into the cockpit. "What's going on? "
飞船摇摆着躲过一连串炮火,逃到了射程范围外。Blix Annon议员冲进驾驶室:“出什么事了?”
"We came to the aid of a distress signal," Eero said, hanging onto the back of a chair while the craft dipped and surged in evasive action. "Apparently it was a ruse."
“我们遇到一个求教信号,并试图去救援”飞船正为躲避炮火猛地下降加速,Eero紧抓住椅子后背解释道,“很明显,是个谎言。”
"Apparently!" the plump Senator roared. "What are we doing answering distress calls? Who authorized this?"
“很明显!”肥胖的议员咆哮如雷,“你们回应求教信号干什么?谁允许你们这么做的?”
"I did," Dooku said. "You put the Jedi in charge when you asked for us to escort you, Senator."
“是我,”杜库答道,“您既然请求绝地护送你,也就是说你授权我们负责了,议员先生。”
The Senator disturbed his carefully arranged hair by raking his fingers through it angrily. "I did not authorize rescue missions!" The ship lurched, and he almost fell. He snapped at the pilot, "Stop this ridiculous maneuvering. Our particle shields will protect us."
议员愤怒不已,用手指挠着他的头发,弄乱了他精心梳理的发型:“我可没授权你们营救!”飞船又是一阵颠簸,议员几乎跌倒,他对飞行员厉声喊道:“停止你那可笑的操作!我们的粒子护盾会保护我们的。”
"We'll have to lower the particle shield in order to fire the laser cannons," Dooku said.
“我们得降低护盾保护程度,来发射激光炮。”杜库说。
"I'm aware of that," the Senator snapped, beginning to look nervous. "Eero?"
“我知道,”议员厉声厉色地说,开始露出紧张的神色,“Eero?”
"We also have an energy shield, to protect against turbolaser fire," Eero reassured him.
“我们还有能源护盾,足可以抵挡涡轮激光炮。”Eero安慰他。
"Of course," the Senator said. "I'm aware of that, too."
“当然了,”议员说,“我也知道那一点。”
"There is a difference between a particle shield and an energy field, which I'm sure you know," Dooku said as a blast shook the ship. "The energy shield will not protect against laser cannons. And we can't operate both shields simultaneously. That means that we'll have to alternate as we attack."
“粒子护盾和能源护盾是有区别的,我想您应该知道,”杜库说着,船身被炮火击中,猛烈晃动,“能源护盾不能抵挡激光炮,我们也不能同时开启两个护盾。这意味着我们反击时,必须做出抉择。”
"Stop telling me things I know and do them," the Senator ordered. It was obvious to Dooku that despite his words, Senator Annon had no idea how his defensive and offensive systems worked. There really was no reason why he should, except that he had most likely paid a fortune for them.
“别再跟我讲那些我早就知道的事了,快去行动!”议员发号施令了。杜库明显看出来,虽然议员口头上如此说,但他并不清楚自己的防卫和进攻系统是如何运作的。他除了为此花费了一大笔钱外,就对此一无所知了。
Laser cannons fired as the ship bore down on them. The pilot sent them into a steep dive, and the cannonfire missed them by meters.
那艘飞船发射着激光炮,渐渐逼近他们。飞行员驾驶着飞船猛地下沉,炮火紧擦船体飞过。
"They can outmaneuver us," the pilot said to Dooku. "Their ship is smaller and faster."
“他们在驾驶上更胜一筹,”飞行员对杜库说,“他们的飞船较小,更灵活。”
As if to punctuate his words, suddenly a blast hit the ship, nearly throwing them to the floor.
好像专门为了打断他的话,炮火突然正中船体,几乎把他们都震到地板上。
"What was that?" the Senator screamed.
“怎么了?”议员惊叫道。
"Direct hit," the pilot said tersely. "Another one like that and we could be in trouble."
“正中,”飞行员简要地答道,“再被击中一次,我们就麻烦了。”
"What are you talking about? We have a triple-armored hull! It can't be penetrated."
“你说什么呢?我们的船身是三层金属装甲的,怎么能被射穿?”
"Well, it has," the pilot said.
“呃,的确是,”飞行员说。
"This kind of firepower is usually reserved for capital ships," Dooku said. "The attacking craft must be custom-fitted with scaled-down versions. "
“这类火力通常装配在大型军舰上,”杜库说,“那艘飞船一定是装配了缩小比例的火力装置。”
Suddenly the pilot leaned over and began to frantically hit the controls. "The energy shield is malfunctioning!"
突然,飞行员身体前倾,疯狂地敲打着控制器:“能源护盾出故障了!”
Qui-Gon's eyes flickered at his Master. This would make the difference, they knew.
魁刚双眼闪烁有神,盯着他的老师。他们意识到,这将会是一个转折点。
"Then we'd better go on the offensive," Dooku said calmly.
“那么,我们还是继续进攻为好,”杜库冷静地说。
"Senator, I should escort you to the safe room," Eero repeated. "Now."
“议员先生,我必须护送你到安全室,”Eero重复道,“就是现在。”
The Senator looked pale. His hand fluttered and clutched at his chest. "I hardly think that's necessary - "
议员看起来面色苍白,他双手颤抖着抚摸着胸膛:“我认为没那个必要——”
A blast suddenly shook the bridge, sending them flying. Dooku held on to the console and managed to stay upright, but the Senator and Eero skidded across the floor. Qui-Gon fell but anchored himself by grabbing the base of the co-pilot's seat.
一发炮火击中了舰桥,几乎震飞了他们。杜库抓住控制台勉强站稳,可议员和Eero滑倒在地板上。魁刚也摔倒了,不过很快抓住飞行员座椅的底座稳住了身体。
Already the attacking ship was zooming to the left, ready to inflict another blow. It was nimble, darting closer and retreating, coming at them from all angles, making a tough target. The Senator's ship by contrast was now a lumbering beast. Dooku could see a plume of smoke coming from its underbelly. The intense heat was causing the armor to peel off the ship's surface in strips of gleaming metal.
那艘飞船又飞升到左侧,准备发动另一轮进攻。这艘飞船动作极其敏捷,灵活地进攻、后退,从各个角度发动袭击,你很难击中它。相比之下,议员的飞船现在倒成了一只笨拙的野兽,杜库甚至可以看到从它底部冒出的一团浓烟,强烈的热度已经造成船身的闪光的金属装甲剥离外表。
"We've lost one of our laser cannons," the co-pilot reported.
“我们失去了一门激光炮,”另一个飞行员报告道。
"You'd better get to that safe room, Senator," Dooku said as another blast shook the ship.
“您最好进到安全室,议员先生,”杜库说着又一发炮弹震动船体。
The Senator didn't argue this time. Eero and Senator Annon left, staggering as they moved.
议员这次没再争辩,Eero陪着议员一起颤颤巍巍地离开了。
"Have you noticed something unusual, Qui-Gon?" Dooku asked his apprentice.
“你注意到有什么异常了吗,魁刚?”杜库问他的徒弟。
Qui-Gon nodded. "The ship is firing whenever we drop the particle shield in order to fire our weapons. That would take incredible reflexes on the part of whoever has the controls. Even an onboard computer couldn't obtain that kind of speed and accuracy. I've never seen anything like it."
魁刚点头:“每次我们撤下粒子护盾开火时,那艘船都会趁机开火。无论是谁控制,这都需要难以置信的反应能力,就算是飞船上的计算机也达不到这样的速度和精确。我从来没见过这种情况。”
Dooku nodded. "Neither have I."
杜库也点点头,“我也没见过。”
"They've blasted the loading dock bay doors!" the pilot shouted. "They're going to get on board!"
“他们已经爆开停靠仓的甲板门了!”飞行员大声喊道,“他们就要登船了!” |
|