《龙之纪元起源》部分Codex翻译之四（文化与历史篇）

Codex Entry 96: On the lost immortality of the elves

To the ancient elves who existed during the time of Arlathan, uthenera was an act of reverence. Elves did not age. They were not immortal, but they did not suffer from deterioration of mind or body. They suffered only from a deterioration of the spirit.

It did not happen often, but the oldest of the elves were said to reach a point where they became weary of life. Memories became too much to bear, and rather than fade into complacency, they voluntarily stood aside to let newer generations guide their people.

Uthenera means "the long sleep," in which the elder would retire to a chamber that was one part bed and one part tomb. To great ceremony from all the extended family, the elder would succumb to a slumber from which they would not wake for centuries, and often never. In time, the body would deteriorate and the elder would die in truth. All the while, family would continue to visit the chamber to pay respect to one who made such a great sacrifice.

With the arrival of humans and the quickening of elven blood that ensued, the practice of uthenera began to fade. When Arlathan fell, it ceased forever.

--From What Has Passed, by Hassandriel, Lord of Halamshiral, 2:7 Glory

第九十六卷：精灵们逝去的不朽

存在于Arlathan时代的远古精灵们，uthenera是一种受人尊敬的举动。那时的精灵们并不会衰老。尽管他们并不是真正不朽之人，但他们的躯体和心智都不会衰老与凋零。唯一能购凋零的，只有他们的灵魂。

虽然这并不是经常发生的事情，但据传说一些上了年纪的精灵会对自己的生命感到越来越厌倦。他们那逐渐增多的回忆渐渐地无法令他们承受和摆脱，于是他们便选择了急流勇退，取而代之的让年轻的一代来领导指引他们的人民。

精灵语的Uthenra本意是“长眠”。精灵老者们会来到一个既是床又是坟墓的房间里。在由他们的家族举行完仪式后，这些老者们会进入长达数个世纪之久的长眠，有些时候则长达永远。这时候随着时间的推移，他们的身体便会渐渐腐坏，于是这些精灵老者才会达成真正意义上地死亡。而在这期间，他家族成员们还可以继续前往这些房间来看望他，以表达他们对这些付出了自我牺牲的长者们的崇敬。

而伴随人类的到来，精灵们的鲜血与死亡再不是那么漫长而困难的事，终于地让uthenera的仪式渐渐地被遗忘在了暗淡之中。最终，当Arlathan陷落的时候，它便永远地失传了。

---来自“逝去的时光”，作者Halamshiral的领主Hassandriel，2：7荣耀纪元。

Codex Entry 97: An explanation of elven tattoo art

For Dalish PCs
When the children of our people came of age, they earn the privilege of wearing the vallaslin, the blood writing. It sets us apart from the shemlen, and from the elves who have thrown their lot in with them. It reminds us that we will never again surrender our traditions and beliefs.

The ritual deserves great reverence. The one who is to gain the vallaslin must prepare by meditating on the gods and the ways of our people, and by purifying the body and the skin. When the time comes, the keeper of the clan applies the blood writing. This is done in complete silence. Cries of pain are signs of weakness. If one cannot tolerate the pain of the blood writing, they are not ready to undertake the responsibilities of an adult. The keeper may stop the ritual if they decide that the one gaining the vallaslin is not ready. There is no shame in this, for all children are different, and our ancestors once took centuries to come of age.
--As told by Gisharel, keeper of the Ralaferin clan of the Dalish elves.

For non-Dalish PCs

After my encounter with the Dalish elves on the road to Nevarra, I studied every book on the elves I could find. I sought out legends and myths and history and tried to make sense of it all. But there is only so much one can learn from books. I knew that in order to truly understand the Dalish, I would have to seek them out--a dreadful idea, in hindsight. In my defense, I was young--and also inebriated when the idea popped into my head. Unfortunately, even after I had regained some measure of sobriety, the idea still held appeal. It proved remarkably resistant to my attempts to ignore it.

I gave in after months of that nagging thought at the back of my head and set out to learn about the Dalish first-hand. I tramped through the forests bordering Orlais for weeks before I finally found--or was found by--a Dalish hunter. I stumbled into one of his traps and suddenly was hanging from a tree with a rope about my ankles.

So there I was, defenseless, upside down with my robe over my head, my underclothes on display. Descriptions of my predicament might elicit laughter these days, but trust me when I say it was a situation I would not wish on anyone. Thankfully, my ridiculous appearance may have caused my captor to stay his hand--what threat is a silly human with his pants showing?

And so he sat, made a small fire, and began to skin the deer he had caught. I soon mustered the courage to speak. I tried to assure him that I was not there to harm him--but he laughed at this and replied that if I were there to harm him, I had failed terribly. Eventually we got to talking, and when I say talking, I mean that I asked him questions, and occasionally he would deign to answer.

He told me that while some Dalish actively seek out human travelers to rob or frighten, most of his people would rather be left alone. He seemed to believe that punishing the humans for past actions only led to more violence. I asked him about the intricate tattoos on his face; he told me they were called vallaslin--"blood writing." His were symbols of Andruil the Huntress, one of the most highly revered elven goddesses. He said the Dalish mark themselves to stand out from humans and from those of their kin who have chosen to live under human rule. He said the vallaslin remind his people that they must never again surrender their beliefs.

When he finished skinning the deer, he cut me down. By the time I had righted myself and conquered the dizziness of all the blood rushing out of my head, he was gone.

I do not recommend that my readers seek out the Dalish for themselves. I was very lucky to have met the man that I did, and to have walked away from our meeting unscathed. Perhaps the Maker watches over those who seek knowledge with an open heart; I certainly would like to think so.

--From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of A Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi

第九十七卷：精灵刺青艺术的一种解释

Dalish精灵的记载：

当我们的孩子们成长到一定年龄后，他们就赢得了佩戴vallaslin----血痕的权利。这将我们同麻瓜们，以及那些和麻瓜一起生活的精灵们区分开来。它提醒着我们将永远不再放弃我们的传统和信仰。

这个仪式需要对其无比的尊敬。接受vallaslin的人必须做好一系列的准备，他们必须在冥想中思考众神以及我们的生活方式，继而需净化自己的身体和皮肤方可。当时间到来时，部落的长老将亲自为你授予血痕。在仪式过程中不可以发出声一点声音。如果因为痛苦而叫喊则会被视为是懦弱的表现。如果一个人不能够忍受血痕所带来的痛苦的话，那么他将被视为还没有准备好接受作为一个成人的责任与义务。长老们如果认为一个人还没有做好准备接受vallaslin则可以停止仪式。这并不可耻，因为所有的孩子都是不同的，而我们的祖先曾经花费了数个世纪才会成年。

-----由Dalish精灵的Ralaferin部落长老Gisharel所讲述

非Dalish精灵的记载：

在我去往Nevarra的途中碰到了Dalish精灵后，我学习了我所能找到的所有关于精灵的书籍。我在传说和神话以及历史中寻找能说明它的记载。但是人不能从书本上学得一切。我知道如果想真正的了解Dalish精灵，我必须去寻找他们---事后想想，这真是一个危险的主意。我想辩护两句的是，那时候我还年轻---而且总是被突然浮现在脑中的想法所打动。不幸的是，即使是在我重新恢复了理智的时候，这个念头仍然挥之不去。尽管我尽力尝试，但是始终无法忘却它。

过了几个月，我再也无法容忍这个想法在我的脑后盘旋了，于是我终于出发去寻找Dalish精灵以便能够第一手地学习他们。我在Orlais边境的森林中徘徊了数周之久，直到最终我终于找到了一名Dalish猎人----或者被他找到了我。我一头栽进了他的陷阱中而后，被一根拴住我脚踝的绳子倒挂在了一棵大树的半空中

这就是我当时那无助的局面，我的长袍子盖到了我的脸上，内衣全都露了出来。也许这个情况会在现在引起大笑，但相信我，我可不想这种处境发生在任何人身上。谢天谢地的是，我当时那荒诞的外表致使抓住我的人没有立刻动手解决我----一个把内裤露在了外面的人类能对他造成什么威胁呢？

于是他坐了下来，生起了一小团篝火，并开始为他猎来的鹿剥皮。我很快便鼓起勇气开口说话。我尝试向他保证我绝不是去那里伤害他的---但他却大笑着说，如果我是去那里伤害他的，那我失败的也太惨了。于是我们开始了聊天，而我所谓的聊天，就是由我一直问问题，而他只偶尔地回答我一两句。

他告诉我当有些Dalish精灵主动去寻找人类的旅行者并进行抢劫和恐吓的时候，他的人群却更喜欢独立起来。他貌似相信过去那些主动去惩罚人类的做法只会招致更多的暴力。当我问他脸上为什么有那错综复杂的刺青的时候；他告诉我他们管那叫vallaslin---“血痕”。他的血痕是Andruil狩猎女神的象征，一位精灵中最受尊敬的女神之一。他说Dalish精灵用刺青将他们自己同人类和那些生活在人类统治下的亲戚们分别开来。他说vallaslin提醒着他的人民他们将永不放弃自己的权益。

当他剥完了那只鹿后，他把我放了下来。当我刚从涌上脑袋的血造成的晕眩中恢复过来的时候，他已经消失不见了。

我不建议我的读者们自己出发去寻找Dalish精灵。我很幸运发现我的是那个人而不是别人，因此我才能毫发无损地离开。也许造物主守望着那些怀着一颗开放的心去寻求知识的人吧；我当然愿意这么想。

---源自“追寻知识：一位教会学者的旅行”，作者Genitivi修士

Codex Entry 100: An account of the nation of Antiva

In the rest of the civilized world, it is common belief that Antiva has no king. I assure you, gentle readers, that this is untrue. The line of kings in Antiva has remained unbroken for two and a half thousand years--it is simply that nobody pays any attention to them whatsoever.

The nation is ruled in truth by a collection of merchant princes. They are not princes in the literal sense, but heads of banks, trading companies, and vineyards. Their power is conferred strictly by wealth.

But Antiva is not primarily renowned for its peculiar form of government, nor for its admittedly unparalleled wines. Antiva is known for the House of Crows. Since Antivans are well-known for being good at everything but fighting, it is more than a little ironic that Antiva possesses the most deadly assassins in the world. Their fame is such that Antiva keeps no standing army: No king is willing to order his troops to assault her borders, and no general is mad enough to lead such an invasion. The attack would likely succeed, but its leaders would not see the day.

--From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi

第一百卷：Antiva国家的记载

在其他的文明世界中，通常认为Antiva没有国王。我向你保证，高尚的读者，这并不是真的。Antiva的国王血脉在两千五百年中从未断过---只是从来没有人注意过他们而已。

这个国家实际上是由一群商界王子们所统治。他们不是传统意义上的王子，然而是银行，贸易公司，以及葡萄园的主人。他们的权力完全按照财富的多少来划分。

但是Antiva并不是因其政府的形式而知名，也不是因为它最棒的葡萄酒。Antiva因乌鸦家族而知名。人们普遍传说Antiva的人们除了打斗以外什么都擅长，讽刺地是Antiva拥有着世界上最致命的刺客。他们的名声致使了Antiva并没有任何正规军队：因为没有国王愿意派部队去攻击Antiva的边境，并且也没有将军疯狂到愿意统领这样的进攻。虽然攻击行动很可能最终会成功，但它的领袖却肯定无法活着看到那天。

--源自“追寻知识：一名教会学者的旅行”，作者Genitivi修士。