“Just because you’ve failed the sonic rainboom a hundred thousand times in practice doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it in front of an entire stadium full of impatient, super-critical, sports-fan ponies.”
"仅仅因为你在实践中失败了10万次音爆，并不意味着你不能在整个体育场的一群不耐烦的、超级挑剔的、体育迷小马面前做到这一点。"
It could be said that I have, on occasion, picked fights with opponents far outside my proverbial weight class. Hydras, Gorgon, Deus, Enclave troopers, dragons, mysterious incomprehensible technomonsters... More or less, I’ve survived with help, luck, wits, luck, unpredictability, luck, and more luck. So pulling my gun on the biggest damn Steel Ranger I’d ever seen while outnumbered three to one and with three of my friends bound and wearing explosive collars wouldn’t actually have been all that unusual for me.
可以说，我有时会和远离我的众所周知的体重级别的对手打架。海德拉斯，蛇发女怪，上帝，飞地士兵，龙，神秘的难以理解的技术人员......或多或少，我靠着帮助，运气，智慧，运气，不可预测性，运气，和更多的运气活了下来。所以对着我见过的最大的该死的钢铁骑兵拔枪，我的人数是他们的三倍，我的三个朋友被绑着，戴着爆炸项圈，这对我来说并不是什么不寻常的事情。
Which, if anything, meant that it was even less likely to be a good idea! And, for once, it wasn’t my plan at the moment. “What the hell is going on here?” I asked as I pointed my horn at Lacunae. The purple alicorn caught my eye.
如果说有什么区别的话，那就是这个想法更不可能是个好主意！这一次，这不是我当时的计划。"这到底是怎么回事?"我一边用角指着空隙一边问道。紫色的果实吸引了我的眼球。
“Step aside. You cannot honestly think to challenge us,” the huge stallion said with a dismissive wave of his hoof. He wasn’t the one I was really paying attention to at that moment, though.
"靠边站。你不能老老实实地想要挑战我们,"这匹巨大的种马不屑地挥了挥蹄子说。不过，他并不是那个我当时真正关注的人。
“We freed Turnip and helped him recover his armor from a locker in the office,” Lacunae said, her telepathy sending her words only to me. “Unfortunately, when we left, we encountered the large one and his subordinates. They were less understanding of my appearance than the first pair we encountered. Scotch Tape was terrified of him and his demand for her PipBuck. We were outnumbered, and, after so many teleports, I could not get away with the others. I would not abandon them, so I surrendered myself rather than fight. The Goddess is quite put out with my weakness.”
"我们救出了特尼普，帮助他从办公室的一个储物柜里拿回了他的盔甲,"拉库尼说，她的心灵感应只把她的话传给了我。"不幸的是，当我们离开的时候，我们遇到了那个大个子和他的部下。比起我们遇到的第一对，他们更不了解我的长相。苏格兰胶带公司很怕他，也很怕他要她的皮布克。我们寡不敌众，经过这么多次传送，我无法和其他人一起逃脱。我不会抛弃他们，所以我宁愿投降也不愿战斗。女神对我的软弱非常恼火。"
“That cunt!” I hissed, making the Rangers look at each other. I probably looked like an idiot, a crazy mare, or both, but there was nothing new about that. “I didn’t know the Rangers used slaves! Can’t the alicorn just teleport out of the chains and collar, though?”
"那个婊子!"我发出嘶嘶的声音，让流浪者们互相看着对方。我可能看起来像一个白痴，一个疯狂的母马，或两者兼而有之，但没有什么新的。"我不知道游骑兵队用的是奴隶！不过，那个独角兽难道不能瞬移出铁链和项圈吗?"
“The collars are for our protection. Not that it is any of your concern,” the huge stallion said as one of the others trotted up beside him. He was saying something about me being the one to drop a building on the Flash Fillies. “When we have done our duty and recovered the young lady’s PipBuck, I will personally escort her to any location she desires!” He looked at P-21. “This one, however, will be submitted to justice by our elder for attempting to place explosives upon my person! And, of course, the alicorn will be treated as is appropriate for a captured enemy.”
"项圈是用来保护我们的。这不关你的事,"这匹大种马说着，其他的一匹小跑过来站在他旁边。他说我是那个把建筑物扔到闪电小雌马身上的人。"当我们完成任务，找到这位年轻女士的PipBuck后，我会亲自护送她去她想去的任何地方!"他看了看P-21。"然而，这个人将被我们的长辈送上法庭，因为他企图在我身上放置炸药！当然，对于被俘虏的敌人，也会按照适当的方式对待阿里克松。"
“P-21 has examined my collar. It has some sort of proximity sensor and will detonate itself and the other collars if I move too far away.” I frowned, wondering if she could maybe... “And unfortunately, no, I cannot teleport us away and leave the bombs and bonds behind.” She couldn’t? Why-- but then the super hive mind intellect began to tell me exactly why! Oh, Goddesses, didn’t she realize that I wasn't a smart pony? I lasted five seconds before my eye began to glaze… which would be bad, since I had six Steel Rangers looking at me. Fortunately, Lacunae apparently finally realized how far over my head it was and stopped. Was it just me, or was she looking a bit smug? Damned big-horned alicorns...
"P-21检查了我的项圈。它有某种接近传感器，如果我走得太远，它会自己和其他项圈都会爆炸。"我皱起眉头，想知道她是否可以......"不幸的是，不行，我不能把我们传送走，把炸弹和债券留下。"她不能吗？为什么----但是这时超级蜂群思维智力开始告诉我确切的原因！哦，女神们，难道她没有意识到我不是一匹聪明的小马吗？我坚持了五秒钟，然后我的眼睛开始变得呆滞......这可不妙，因为有六个钢铁骑兵在看着我。幸运的是，拉库尼显然终于意识到这件事超出了我的能力范围，于是停了下来。是我的错觉，还是她看起来有点自鸣得意？该死的长角的橡子..。
A little pink pony in my mind caught sight of the blue stallion’s lips moving as he looked right at me. Geee! I loved smart ponies! “P-21 can disarm it; he is sure,” Lacunae said. “But he needs a distraction.” There was a pause, then, “He swears, he will not mess up like at Fallen Arch."
我脑海中浮现出一匹粉红色的小马，它看着我的时候，看到了那匹蓝色种马的嘴唇在动。哎呀！我喜欢漂亮的小马！"P-21可以解除它的武装;他很确定,"拉库纳说。"但他需要有人分散他的注意力。"停顿了一下，然后,"他发誓，他不会像在堕落拱门那样搞砸的。"
I tried to calculate my odds of providing enough distraction for P-21 to get the collars off my friends before somepony pushed a button. Okay. On the other hoof, I couldn’t see a detonator anywhere; that meant that it was probably built into the armor. No obvious pony to blast, which meant that the only way out was to get the collar off. So… distraction it would have to be. Well, there was only one thing to do: something stupid. In a snap, I had my shotgun out above me and cocked an explosive round with as much drama as I could muster. “Well, then, I’m afraid that you and I have got ourselves a problem. I want you to let my friends go this instant!”
我试着计算我的胜算，在有人按下按钮之前，为P-21提供足够的分散注意力的机会，以便把我朋友的项圈弄下来。好吧。另一只蹄子上，我看不到任何地方有雷管;这意味着它很可能是嵌在盔甲里的。没有明显的小马要爆炸，这意味着唯一的出路是取下项圈。所以...分散注意力是必须的。那么，只有一件事可以做:做一些愚蠢的事情。一瞬间，我把我的猎枪举过头顶，用尽可能多的戏剧性手法打响了一发子弹。""那么，恐怕我们之间有麻烦了。我要你马上放了我的朋友!"
We were located at the crossroads of two major streets, with the firehouse occupying one corner. The rain had finally let up, and there was cover in the form of several rusted-out wagons. Blasted stores and two- and three-story buildings formed the bulk of the ruins around us. Fittingly, there was a faded billboard that proclaimed: ‘Better wiped than striped! Join the Steel Rangers today!’
我们位于两条主要街道的十字路口，消防站占据了一个角落。雨终于停了，几辆锈迹斑斑的马车挡住了雨水。被毁坏的商店和两三层的建筑构成了我们周围废墟的大部分。恰如其分的是，有一个褪色的广告牌上写着:"擦干净总比条纹好!"！今天就加入钢铁骑兵吧
“Do not interfere with our sacred duty, young mare. We are the Steel Rangers, proud inheritors of a noble and distinguished duty to safeguard Equestria and to reclaim and protect the artifacts of our glorious past!” He rose on his hind legs; I readied myself to jump aside from a super heavy pneumatic stomp, but gaped as he thrust one hoof dramatically into the sky and flexed the other leg. “We are the last protectors of the Equestrian Wasteland, serving to put down monsters, fiends, and villains of all kinds, and we will not stop until we have fulfilled Applejack’s wishes for a safe and prosperous future!”
"不要干涉我们神圣的职责，年轻的母马。我们是钢铁游骑兵，我们骄傲地继承着保卫Equestria、收回和保护我们辉煌历史文物的崇高而卓越的责任!"它用后腿站起来，我准备跳到一旁，不再用气动的超重跺脚，但当它戏剧性地将一只蹄子插入天空，弯曲另一只腿时，我目瞪口呆。"我们是马术荒原最后的保护者，服务于消灭各种怪物，恶魔和恶棍，我们不会停止，直到我们实现苹果白兰地的愿望，一个安全和繁荣的未来!"
Was he actually… posing?
他真的在摆姿势吗？
My gun barrel dipped a little along with my jaw. I pointed at their captives. “Right. Well… um… those are my friends you have there, mister.” I tried to refocus myself. “So you best hand them over.”
我的枪管随着我的下巴向下倾斜了一点。我指着他们的俘虏。"对。嗯......嗯......那些是我的朋友，先生。"我试着重新集中注意力。"所以你最好把它们交出来。"
He curled both his legs in front of me and, sweet Celestia, I swore I saw the metal bulging! “I am Paladin Sugar Apple Bombs Stronghoof, Champion of the Steel Rangers and heir to the Stronghoof legacy!” He dropped his hooves to the ground with an impact that cracked the stones around him before turning to look at Lacunae. “This monstrosity is an alicorn, one of an unholy army that has forever waged terrible warfare against my order all across Equestria! The filly possesses a functioning PipBuck, an example of one of the finest pieces of Equestrian technology ever created! And this stallion is guilty of attempted assault and interfering in our most sacred duty!” He snorted, and two jets of steam actually blasted from nostrils built into his metal helmet. “We are sworn to take them back to our order.”
他把双腿蜷缩在我面前，亲爱的塞莱斯蒂亚，我发誓我看到了金属膨胀！"我是圣骑士糖苹果炸弹Stronghoof，钢铁流浪者的冠军和继承人Stronghoof的遗产!"他的蹄子掉在地上，撞得四周的石头都裂开了，然后才转过头去看拉库纳。"这个怪物是一个独角兽，一支邪恶的军队，在整个Equestria对我的命令发动了可怕的战争！这匹小母马拥有一个正常运转的PipBuck，它是有史以来最好的马术技术之一的一个例子！这匹种马企图攻击我们，干涉我们最神圣的职责，这是有罪的!"他哼了一声，两股蒸汽实际上从他的金属头盔的鼻孔喷出来。"我们发誓要将他们带回我们的秩序。"
That helped me refocus myself. “Well, I’m the Security Mare, and nopony is taking my friends anywhere like that. So, like I said, I’m afraid we have a problem. And if I have to take you all on, so be it. You’ll be the first to go.”
这帮助我重新集中注意力。"嗯，我是保安母马，没有小马会像那样带着我的朋友去任何地方。所以，就像我说的，恐怕我们有麻烦了。如果我不得不把你们一网打尽，那就这样吧。你会是第一个被淘汰的。"
Three more Rangers, bristling with guns, galloped onto the scene. “Of course, in
又有三个骑兵拿着枪，飞奔到现场。"当然，在
the spirit of love and tolerance, I am willing to negotiate,” I added quickly. Then I blinked at the sight of a familiar gun. The armor might all look the same, but I never forgot a gun. “Radishes?”
本着爱与宽容的精神，我愿意协商,"我很快补充道。然后我一看到熟悉的枪就眨了眨眼。盔甲可能看起来都一样，但是我从来没有忘记过枪。"萝卜?"
“Please, Paladin Bo…” Radishes began, and the huge stallion looked over with a bizarre, dangerous gleam of his glowing eyes. “I mean, Paladin Stronghoof. This is the mare who helped free Turnip from the Flashers.”
"求你了，帕拉丁·博......"萝卜开始说道，这匹巨大的种马用他发光的眼睛发出一种奇异而危险的光芒四处张望。"我的意思是，圣骑士Stronghoof。就是这匹母马把萝卜从闪电侠手里救了出来。"
The stallion with a missile launcher and gatling gun combo coughed. “Yeah. I would have been a complete goner if she hadn’t helped.”
带着导弹发射器和加特林机枪的种马咳嗽了一声。"是的。如果不是她帮忙，我早就完蛋了。"
“And she’s been trying to stop the fighting in the Hoof,” added Fruit Salad. “Her friend’s not a real alicorn. At least, not like the other ones.” Okay, so not all Rangers were jerks. I still was not happy with them.
"她一直在试图阻止霍夫的战斗,"水果沙拉补充说。"她的朋友不是真正的牧羊人。至少，不像其他的那些。"好吧，不是所有的游骑兵都是混蛋。我还是对他们不满意。
“As you said, which is why I was willing to spare that magnificent and terrible creature from a summary execution. But I cannot disobey my oaths to our sacred order!” he proclaimed, rearing once again and making all of us step back a little. “Oh, such a horrible conflict of two heroic characters!” he proclaimed as he pressed his hoof to his brow.
""正如你所说的，这就是为什么我愿意让那个伟大而可怕的生物免于即决处决的原因。但我不能违背我对我们神圣秩序的誓言!"他宣称，再次站起来，让我们所有人后退一步。"哦，两个英雄人物的冲突真是可怕!"他一边说，一边用蹄子顶着额头。
O…kay. I looked at Fruit Salad, trying to convey with a look that she’d been right: this pony was definitely not playing with a full deck! “Right… okay then…” how to deal with the crazy huge pony in charge? I needed all eyes on me. I look a deep breath and looked at Glory, but she simply gaped back at me in stunned bafflement. Clearly, this was too much crazy for her to deal with.
O..凯。我看着水果沙拉，试图用一种表达她是对的的眼神:这匹小马肯定不是在玩一副完整的牌！"好吧......好吧......"怎么对付负责的那个疯狂的大马？我需要所有的眼睛都盯着我。我深深地吸了一口气，看着晨辉，但她只是呆呆地回望着我，目瞪口呆，不知所措。显然，这对她来说太疯狂了。
There was only one thing to do. I took a deep breath and rose on my rear legs. My braces wobbled a little, but I pointed my left leg right at him and grinned as wide as I could. “Paladin Sugar Apple Bombs Stronghoof, Champion of the Steel Rangers and heir to the Stronghoof legacy! I, Blackjack, Security Mare of Stable 99, descendant of the legendary Card Trick herself, challenge you to one on one combat for the safe release of my friends Lacunae, Scotch Tape, and P-21!”
只有一件事可以做。我深吸了一口气，用后腿站了起来。我的牙套有点晃动，但我把左腿对着他咧开嘴笑了。圣骑士糖苹果炸弹Stronghoof，钢铁流浪者的冠军和继承人Stronghoof的遗产！我，Blackjack，安全母马的稳定99，后裔的传奇纸牌戏法自己，挑战你一对一的战斗为安全释放我的朋友Lacunae，透明胶带，和P-21
I easily imagined nine jaws dropping at once. I could see at least four…
我很容易想象出九个下巴一下子掉下来的情景。我至少能看到四个..。
He looked down… way way down… at me. For a moment, I had a horrible image of those massive piston hooves dropping and turning me into a round black-and-red-maned pancake. And then, faster than I could believe possible, he
他低头看着我。有那么一会儿，我脑海中浮现出一幅可怕的画面:那些巨大的活塞蹄子掉下来，把我变成了一个黑红相间的圆煎饼。然后，以我难以置信的速度，他
moved. But rather than smearing me into pony jelly, he swept me up in a massive hug, his speaker booming, “Oh what nobility! What courage! What heroism! Fighting a battle of impossible odds against a vastly superior foe for the safety and wellbeing of her comrades!” Holding me easily in one foreleg he thrust his hoof towards the sky. “This is the embodiment of all things the Rangers should strive for!” He tossed me above the ground, catching me once more in his hooves and shaking me like a doll. “I shall not decline your glorious sacrifice! Truly, this shall be a duel for the ages!”
移动。但是他并没有把我涂成果冻，而是大大地拥抱了我一下，他的演讲者轰隆隆地说:"哦，多么高尚啊！多么勇敢！多么英雄主义啊！为了战友们的安全和健康，与一个强大的敌人进行一场不可能胜利的战斗!"他用一只前腿轻松地抓住我，把他的蹄子朝向天空。"这是游骑兵们应该为之奋斗的一切事物的化身!"他把我扔到地上，用他的蹄子抓住我，把我像个洋娃娃一样摇晃。"我不会拒绝你光荣的牺牲！真的，这将是一场世世代代的决斗!"
My head reeled simply from the volume of his speaker. I was just about to tell him that I had reconsidered and would quite happily accompany him to speak with his superior when he set me down again. “Prepare yourself, Blackjack! We engage in glorious combat! Hoof to hoof! Armor to steel! None of the noise and vulgarity of firearms for warriors like us; we shall engage in a battle of gentleponies!”
我听了他讲话的音量，头晕目眩。我正要告诉他，我已经重新考虑过了，他再次把我放下来的时候，我很乐意陪他去和他的上司谈谈。"准备好，黑杰克！我们在进行光荣的战斗！马蹄到马蹄！全副武装！不要为我们这样的勇士发出噪音和粗俗的枪声，我们要打一场绅士之战!"
Wait? No guns? When had I agreed to no guns?! That wasn’t in the challenge! He was trotting away from the others, so I really had no idea how to bring it up. I looked at Glory, who hissed at me, “Blackjack?! What do you think you are doing? He’s huge and in power armor! How are you supposed to fight that?”
等等？没有枪？我什么时候同意不带枪了?！这不在挑战中！他小跑着离开了其他人，所以我真的不知道该怎么提起这件事。我看着晨辉，她对我发出嘘声,"黑杰克?！你以为你在干什么？他身材魁梧，穿着强力盔甲！你要怎么对抗这种情况呢?"
“Working on that part…” I muttered. “Why isn’t he freaking out about my PipBuck?” I asked as I glanced at her.
"正在做那部分......"我喃喃自语道。"他为什么不为我的PipBuck抓狂呢?"我瞥了她一眼，问道。
“I don’t think they realize it is a PipBuck,” she said softly. I had to admit she had a point. It was sleek and black and might have been a part of the combat armor; it barely looked anything like a normal big, gray, bulky PipBuck like Scotch Tape’s. Small favors, I supposed. I just had to be sure to not use it where they could see it.
"我想他们没有意识到这是一个PipBuck,"她轻声说。我不得不承认她说得有道理。它光滑而黑色，可能是战斗装甲的一部分;它看起来几乎不像普通的又大又笨重的像透明胶带一样的PipBuck。我想这是小小的帮助。我只是要确保不在他们能看到的地方使用它。
“Give me a Buck,” I said, not wanting to take my eye off her. She balked, and I quickly added, “My legs are jelly and I need all the muscle I can get, and I’m dead sooner or later anyway. Give me a Buck.”
"给我一块钱,"我说，不想把视线从她身上移开。她犹豫了一下，我很快补充道:"我的腿软得要命，我需要尽可能多的肌肉，反正我迟早会死的。"。给我一块钱。"
“I remember a time when I knew chems were bad for you. Worst doctor ever.” She sighed and fished out a tablet. As I chewed, she reached out and hugged me. “Try for later rather than sooner…” she murmured in my ear. “I’ve got many other surprises I want to show you.”
"我记得有一次我知道化妆品对你不好。史上最糟糕的医生。"她叹了口气，掏出一片药。当我咀嚼的时候，她伸出手拥抱了我。"试着晚一点，而不是早一点......"她在我耳边喃喃地说。"我还有很多惊喜要给你们看。"
Okay. I could live for that. “Chat with the other Rangers as much as you can.
好吧。我可以为此而活。"尽可能多地与其他游骑兵队员聊天。
Keep their eyes off P-21.” So long as my friends could get to safety... that was all that really mattered. As I walked towards the huge, gold-decorated Ranger, I caught P-21’s eye, then smiled and gave the tiniest nod. He could do this. Whatever had happened in Fallen Arch, I knew he wouldn’t let me down again. He paused and gave a tiny nod back, then turned towards his tail.
别让他们看到P-21。"只要我的朋友们能够得到安全......这才是最重要的。当我走向巨大的，金色装饰的游骑兵，我吸引了P-21的眼睛，然后微笑，并给予最微弱的点头。他能做到这一点。无论在堕落拱门发生了什么，我知道他不会再让我失望了。他停顿了一下，微微点了点头，然后转向尾巴。
Now all I had to do was put on a good show till they were free.
现在我要做的就是好好表演一番，直到他们自由了。
The Buck helped steady my legs as I trotted before him. I made a show of tightening my braces, and he gave a snort. “You’re crippled, I see. Well, that makes this duel somewhat problematic. I suppose that you may be permitted to use a firearm.” He sounded so disappointed.
当我在他面前小跑时，雄鹿帮助我稳定了双腿。我装模作样地勒紧了牙套，他哼了一声。""你是残废的，我明白了。这就使得这场决斗有点问题了。我想你可以允许使用武器。"他听起来很失望。
“Oh, no, I don’t need guns to beat you!” I retorted, then blinked. Wait, I didn’t? Wait… I didn’t! I drew my sword and swung it like a baton before me. “Is this acceptable?” I asked with a grin, praying it was because I really didn’t have a backup plan. I looked along the razor edge. It was certainly sharp. Damned sharp. Sharp enough to cut through power armor, though?
"哦，不，我不需要枪来打败你!"我反驳道，然后眨了眨眼睛。等等，我没有吗？等等...我没有！我拔出剑，像挥舞指挥棒一样挥舞着。"这可以接受吗?"我笑着问，祈祷那是因为我真的没有后备计划。我沿着剃刀的边缘看了看。它当然是锋利的。该死的锋利。锋利到可以穿透电力装甲吗？
He nodded once. “We fight till one of us is beaten and surrenders. I’ll not rob the Wasteland of so valiant and noble a spirit intentionally!” He reared up and flexed as he thrust his hoof towards the heavens. “We fight for honor and civility itself! Let nothing dare interrupt our most glorious of battles! Pony against pony! Hoof against blade! Steel against steel!” And then he boomed, in an echoing voice likely heard for a mile, “Begin!”
他点了点头。"我们战斗，直到我们中的一个被打败并投降。我不会故意抢夺这片荒原上一个如此英勇高贵的精灵!"他站起身来，弯曲着蹄子，把蹄子向天空推去。"我们为荣誉和文明而战！不要让任何人胆敢打断我们最光荣的战斗！小马对小马！蹄子对着刀刃！钢铁对抗钢铁!"然后他发出隆隆的响声，好像是一英里以外都能听到的回音,"开始!"
His hooves dropped in a monumental crash, pistons slamming downward with a powerful hiss of steam and a detonation that shook the ground beneath my already unsteady limbs, making me stagger. The stomp was merely a prelude to a massive leap far too elegant and graceful for so colossal a pony! I raced forward and swung the silvery saber, the razor sharp edge pinging against his helmet as he passed overhead. The impact of his landing knocked me from my feet and I rolled twice across the broken asphalt of the road before I scrambled to my feet. He turned, and I saw a definite cut in his armor along his neck.
他的蹄子发出巨大的撞击声，活塞发出巨大的嘶嘶声，爆炸声震动了我已经不稳定的四肢下面的土地，让我踉跄。跺脚只不过是一个大跳跃的前奏，对于这么庞大的小马来说，跳跃太优雅了！我冲向前去，挥舞着那把银色的马刀，当他从头顶经过时，锋利的刀刃摩擦着他的头盔。他落地时的冲击力把我从脚上打了下来，我在破碎的柏油路上翻滚了两次，然后爬起来。他转过身来，我看见他脖子上的盔甲上有一道明显的伤口。
If I could mark him, then I could beat him.
如果我能记住他，我就能打败他。
If I could beat him, then I could kill him.
如果我能打败他，我就能杀了他。
Wait… what? “Sorry about the nick,” I said as I rose.
等等...什么？"对于这个缺口，我很抱歉,"我站起身来说。
“I wear it with pride and gratitude! The Stronghoof family armor welcomes a mark from an honorable and valiant mare!” And then I was fighting for my life as he lunged in with lightning fast stomps, kicks, and thrusts of those piston hooves. It was all I could do, clattering back step after step and trying to deflect those powerful kicks with the blade and finally just trying to stay out of the way. We might have been fighting till one of us was beaten, but one kick of those hooves and I’d be more than beaten, I’d be scrambled!
"我带着骄傲和感激的心情穿着它！斯特朗霍夫家族盔甲欢迎来自一匹光荣勇敢的母马的标记!"然后我为我的生命而战，他以闪电般的速度跺脚，踢腿，猛推活塞蹄。这是我唯一能做的，一步接一步地后退，试图用刀片偏转那些强有力的踢，最后只是试图离开的方式。我们可能一直在战斗，直到我们中的一个被打败，但是那些蹄子一踢，我将不仅仅是被打败，我将被搅乱！
There was no way I’d stand a chance like this! I had to attack! He reared up, and instead of dodging back, I moved inside his hoof. I didn’t see very many gaps in his armor, but from my own barding I knew the joints were my best bet. I slashed the glowing sword at the pit of his foreleg and body. But Paladin Stronghoof reacted faster than I anticipated; clearly, he wasn’t completely without thought for his defense! The Steel Ranger closed the gap, and my blade struck off gilt steel leg plates.
我不可能有这样的机会！我必须进攻！它直立起来，我没有躲开，而是钻进了它的蹄子里。我没有看到他的盔甲上有多少缝隙，但从我自己的条件来看，我知道关节是我最好的选择。我在他的前腿和身体的凹处砍了那把发光的剑。但圣骑士斯特朗霍夫的反应比我预期的要快;很明显，他并不是完全没有考虑到他的防守！钢骑兵关闭的差距，和我的刀片击落镀金钢腿板。
“Well struck, but you will have to fight better than that, I assure you!” he said as the massive stallion’s body slammed me clear off my hooves. My braces clattered and I rolled again, swinging the blade towards his helmet. If I could take out whatever he used to see... but he ducked his head and the blade sparked off the armored ridge along his spine.
"打得好，不过我向你保证，你得打得更好才行!"他说当巨大的种马的身体，把我的蹄子撞断的时候。我的牙套叮当作响，我又翻了个身，把刀片摇向他的头盔。如果我能把他以前看到的东西都拿出来......但是他低下了头，刀锋沿着他的脊椎从装甲山脊上擦出了火花。
I was cutting through his armor, but I was also getting battered to pieces. We danced around in a circle with me giving ground. One of his kicks flipped me right over one of the wagon hulks and into a mud puddle. I levitated a glob of muck and splashed it right across his glowing blue eye panes. In the moment he balked, I slashed at his legs and was rewarded with a hiss of air as one of the pneumatic lines broke. With luck, that would slow him down!
我正在切断他的盔甲，但我也被击成碎片。我们围成一圈跳舞，我让步了。他的一只脚把我踢翻在马车的一个车身上，掉进了泥坑里。我把一团污泥悬浮起来，正好溅到他闪闪发光的蓝眼睛上。就在他犹豫不决的时候，我猛砍了他的腿，当一条气动线路断裂时，我得到了一阵空气的嘶嘶声作为回报。如果幸运的话，那会拖慢他的速度！
But my advantage lasted only as long as it took for him to toss his head; the goop refused to stick to him! “That’s… that’s cheating!” I shouted as I backed away. He did seem to be moving slower.
但是我的优势只持续到他摇头的时候，那黏糊糊的东西不会粘住他！"那是...那是作弊!"我边往后退边喊道。他看起来确实行动缓慢。
“You’ve fought well and valiantly. I commend you and ask with my deepest respects that you yield.”
"你打得很好，很英勇。我对你表示称赞，并请你向我致以最深的敬意。"
“Not happening! Not when my friends’ lives are on the line!” I said as I gasped for breath. “You must be getting tired in all that metal.” I wanted to kick somepony when I heard one of the Rangers snicker.
"不可能！尤其是在我的朋友命悬一线的时候!"我喘着气说。"你穿那么多金属衣服一定累坏了。"当我听到一个游骑兵的窃笑时，我真想踢一匹小马。
“A little longer. P-21 is almost done with our bonds,” Lacunae said; hopefully, nopony would ask why the giant alicorn was lying down.
"再等一会儿。P-21基本上搞定了我们的债券,"拉库纳说，希望没有小马会问为什么巨大的阿里克松倒在地上。
I forced myself to grin as I kept moving back. “Either way, I’ve got the range and you don’t. Eventually, I’ll cut something important. Better watch out. I’ve nicked stallions before.”
我强迫自己咧着嘴笑，继续往回走。"不管怎样，我有这个能力，而你没有。最后，我会删掉一些重要的内容。最好小心点。我以前偷过种马。"
“A cunning fighter takes stock of their enemies’ vulnerabilities! I commend you for the attempt!” he said as he stepped back and rammed his forehooves into the ground. I moved to attack, but then suddenly the ground was lifting underneath me. The paladin heaved the slab of roadbed I was standing on up with all his strength. “However, with sufficiently applied leverage, your advantage becomes a disadvantage!” he cried out as I fell on my side and he kept pushing the slab of roadbed over. I barely got my hooves raised in time as it slammed down atop me.
"一个狡猾的战士会估量敌人的弱点！我赞扬你的尝试!"他一边说，一边后退，前蹄撞向地面。我开始进攻，但突然地面在我脚下升起。圣骑士举起了我用尽全身力气站起来的路基的石板。"然而，在充分利用杠杆的情况下，你的优势变成了劣势!"当我侧着身子摔倒时，他大叫起来，不停地推着路基的厚板。我几乎没有及时抬起我的蹄子，因为它摔倒在我身上。
I barely had time to drink a healing potion before two hooves slammed through the slab, pulverizing it atop me and hauling me up through the rubble! “Don’t feel bad! This is a part of the legendary Stronghoof combat technique, passed down for generations!” he said as he lifted me high in his hooves. Somehow, I doubted he planned to hug me again.
我几乎没来得及喝下一瓶治疗药水，就被两只蹄子劈开了，压在我身上，拖着我穿过瓦砾！"别难过！这是具有传奇色彩的战斗技巧的一部分，代代相传!"他一边说，一边用蹄子把我高高举起。不知怎的，我怀疑他是否还打算再拥抱我一次。
Okay! Enough of this! I hit S.A.T.S. and targeted every magic bullet I could squeeze out of my horn at his helmet. Four flashes arced into his armored face. The magical energy tore into it, shattering the steel and visor. He dropped me as he staggered back, and I landed hard on the crumbled roadbed. The hilt of my sword peeked through the ruble and I pulled it free as I turned to my opponent.
好吧！够了！我击中了S.A.T.S.，瞄准了他头盔上我能从喇叭里挤出来的每一颗魔术子弹。四道闪光弧线射进他那披着盔甲的脸上。魔法的能量撕裂了它，粉碎了钢铁和遮阳板。他摇摇晃晃地回来的时候把我摔了下来，我重重地摔在了那条破烂的路基上。我的剑柄从卢布缝里探出头来，转向我的对手，把它拔了出来。
Wha…
什么..。
Paladin Sugar Apple Bombs Stronghoof looked down at me, such a paragon of muscular beauty that I swore there were sparkles dancing about him. Baby blue eyes twinkled merrily as they regarded the dirty bug that was myself. The white coat I could see was utterly smooth. A thick blond mustache sat elegantly above his lip, and a tiny golden lock of mane curled off his brow. Radishes had said that he’d cut off his horn, but she’d been mistaken. For the first time ever, I’d met a unicorn with a horn more compact than my own.
圣骑士糖苹果炸弹Stronghoof看着我，这样一个肌肉美丽的完美典范，我发誓有闪光跳舞的他。当他们注视着那只脏兮兮的虫子，那双淡蓝色的眼睛愉快地闪烁着。我能看见的那件白色上衣完全光滑。浓密的金色小胡子优雅地长在嘴唇上方，一缕金色的鬃毛从额头上卷曲下来。萝卜曾经说过他要砍掉他的角，但是她弄错了。有史以来第一次，我遇到了一只角比我自己的更小巧的独角兽。
He regarded me soberly. “I see I owe you an apology. It was unfair of me to think less of you for your infirmity.” He rose, and with a crackle and metallic
他冷静地看着我。"我知道我欠你一个道歉。我不该因为你的弱点而看轻你。"他站了起来，发出噼啪的金属声
popping he shed his armor, revealing more of his impressive musculature. Truly, I had no idea if his armor was powered by magic at all, or if it was all just him! He stepped free, rising up and flexing his legs, making his abdomen pulse with every potent twitch of his body. “But now you directly face the physique that has been passed down the Stronghoof line for generations!”
他脱掉盔甲，露出更多令人印象深刻的肌肉组织。说真的，我根本不知道他的盔甲是不是由魔法驱动的，还是只有他一个人！他自由地迈着步子，站起身来，弯曲着双腿，身体的每一次剧烈抽搐都让他的腹部充满了活力。"但现在你直接面对的是代代相传的Stronghoof血统的体格!"
I glanced over at the others as he flexed his many massive muscles; it was astonishing how even suits of power armor could look stunned in a moment like this. P-21 had a nosebleed. “Oh my…” murmured Lacunae in my head. I managed to make eye contact with P-21, and he immediately wiped his nose and got back to work. Good thing, too; I’d hate to have to shoot him to get him back on track! I did that too much with Rampage already… “Um…” I sat down, blinking in shock. “You can put your armor back on. Really…”
当他伸展着他那硕大的肌肉时，我瞥了一眼其他人;令人惊讶的是，在这样一个时刻，即使是一套强力盔甲看起来也是如此的呆若木鸡。P-21有鼻出血。"哦，我的......"在我的脑海里喃喃地说着。我设法与P-21进行了眼神交流，他马上擦了擦鼻子，回去工作了。这也是件好事，我可不想为了让他回到正轨而杀了他！"嗯......"我坐下来，震惊地眨着眼睛。"你可以重新穿上你的盔甲。真的......"
Instead, he planted his forehooves, twisted around, and blasted me with an applebuck right to the face. I barely raised my limbs in time to absorb some of the blow, but his kick sent me rolling across the torn up ground. My head kept spinning for a few seconds, my vision filled with flexing images of a sparkling, beautiful stallion beefcake before I shook it off.
相反，他用前蹄猛踩，扭转身体，朝我脸上猛击一只苹果鹿。我几乎没有及时抬起我的四肢来吸收一些打击，但他的一脚让我在撕裂的地面上滚动。我的头脑不停地转了几秒钟，我的视线里充满了闪闪发光的、美丽的猛男的形象，然后我把它甩掉了。
“You should never underestimate your opponent, Security! Others have done that when facing you, and you’ve defeated them all!” he said as he approached and then once more slammed his hooves into the ground, sending a ripple through the pavement that blasted me into the air. Was he using some kind of freaky magic, or was he really just that strong?
"你永远不应该低估你的对手，安全！别人在面对你的时候也是这样做的，你把他们都打败了!"他边走边说，然后又一次用蹄子猛踩地面，在人行道上掀起一道涟漪，把我炸到了空中。他是不是用了什么变态的魔法，或者他真的有那么强壮？
I landed in a heap and hauled myself to my hooves. Then he was once more upon me, and almost all thought of defense was gone as he systematically pounded me again and again and again. It was all I could do to keep myself out of his hooves. I finally pulled together enough focus to bring my sword to bear and got myself a little room to work with. Yet no matter how I swung, I couldn’t catch him.
我一头栽在地上，挣扎着站起来。然后他又一次扑向我，几乎所有的防御思想都消失了，他有条不紊地一次又一次地猛击我。我所能做的就是不让自己进入他的圈子。我终于集中了足够的注意力，拿出了我的宝剑，给自己争取到了一点工作的空间。然而，不管我怎么荡，我都赶不上他。
“Damn it! I have to win! They’re my friends!” I shouted as he deftly avoided a horizontal slice. How did a stallion that big and beautiful move that fast?
"该死！我一定要赢！他们是我的朋友!"我喊道，他巧妙地避开了一个水平切面。一匹那么大又漂亮的种马是怎么跑得那么快的？
“Your devotion is commendable, but it is no greater than my devotion to my oath and order!” he replied as he twisted under a slash, sweeping his hind legs under
"你的奉献是值得赞扬的，但是这并不比我对我的誓言和命令的奉献更大!"他一边回答，一边在一道斜杠下扭动身体，把后腿往下拖
my own and knocking me over as he deftly regained his feet. “Yield, I beg you.”
当他灵巧地站起来的时候，把我撞倒了。"我请求你，让步吧。"
“Never!” I shouted as I brought the blade down in a savage killing blow! He rose once more on his hind legs, his massive, majestic hooves slammed together on the silvery blade, stopping it cold as he stood before me.
"决不!"我一边喊着，一边用刀片猛烈地砍下来！他又用后腿站了起来，他那巨大而庄严的蹄子猛地撞在银色的刀刃上，站在我面前时，刀刃冻得停了下来。
“There is no shame in defeat, Blackjack,” he said as those bright blue eyes gazed down at me. I gasped as he tossed my sword aside, exhaustion finally having scattered my focus. He dropped to his hooves and turned, presenting his side. It was a clear shot in a futile struggle…
"失败没什么可羞耻的，黑杰克,"他说，那双明亮的蓝眼睛低头看着我。他把我的剑扔到一边，我倒抽了一口气，筋疲力尽最终分散了我的注意力。他俯下身子，转过身来，侧着身子。这是徒劳挣扎中的一枪。
But I was just that stubborn! I twisted and pulled back both my rear legs and slammed my hindhooves directly at his side with all my force. He’d be able to block or deflect or simply take it, I was sure. Then he’d punt me clear over the horizon, but I’d be damned if I’d give up before then. But my hooves connected solidly against his left side just below the ribcage.
但我就是那么固执！我用尽全身的力气，扭动并收回我的两条后腿，把我的后蹄直接撞在他的身边。我敢肯定，他能够挡住或转移方向，或者干脆就把它拿下来。然后他会把我踢出地平线，但是如果我在那之前就放弃的话，我就完了。但是我的蹄子紧紧地贴着他的左边，就在胸腔下面。
Instantly, he rolled over, wailing. “Oh no! You’ve struck my spleenic ganglion nerve cluster, a Stronghoof vulnerability that’s been passed down for generations! Oh the agony! The injury! Oh, I must yield!” He lifted his legs to protect the spot I’d thumped. Glory was mouthing the words “spleenic ganglion…” and looking confused. “Release this noble fighter’s friends.”
他立刻翻了个身，嚎啕大哭起来。"哦，不！你已经击中了我脾脏性神经节神经丛，一个强烈的脆弱，已经传递了几代！哦，痛苦！受伤了！哦，我必须投降!"他抬起腿来保护我重击的地方。晨辉在吟唱着"脾脏神经节......"，看起来很困惑。"放了这位高贵的战士的朋友。"
Buh? All eyes turned to P-21 holding Lacunae’s bomb collar in his hooves as unlocked chains dangled around the three; his own collar was nowhere to be seen. He looked down at the explosive in his hooves, then back up at the Rangers. He spat the bobby pin back into his brushy tail. “Oh… this is awkward…” I’ll say. I kind of expected… not to win.
嗯？所有人的目光都转向了P-21，他的蹄子上戴着拉库奈的炸弹项圈，没有上锁的锁链在他们三人周围晃来晃去;他自己的项圈也不见了。他低头看着自己蹄子上的炸药，然后又回到了流浪者队。他把发夹往毛茸茸的尾巴里吐了一口。"哦...这太尴尬了..."我会说。我还以为...不会赢呢。
Then the street exploded. Thank Celestia the street exploded! This was just the right time for an explosion! The blast tossed me aside, but Paladin Stronghoof calmly looked in the direction of the smoking crater and beyond where two dozen ponies dressed all in spiked, red-painted metal armor were charging. Several unicorns were flinging explosive parcels, and many of the earth ponies had flamers already spurting burning sheets apparently at random.
然后街道爆炸了。谢谢塞莱斯蒂亚街道爆炸了！这正是发生爆炸的好时机！爆炸把我推到一边，但圣骑士Stronghoof镇静地看着冒烟的火山口的方向，以及火山口外24匹小马正在冲锋。这些小马都穿着带刺的红色金属盔甲。几只独角兽正在扔炸药包，许多土地上的小马已经有了火焰喷出燃烧的床单明显随意。
“To arms, Rangers! Our enemies have found us!” Stronghoof declared as he ran to his shed armor. Magically, it reassembled itself around his massive frame, and even his helmet repaired itself around his head. The red ponies were herding some familiar frothing psychopaths ahead of them. There had to be closer to
"战士们，游骑兵们！我们的敌人找到我们了!"斯特朗霍夫声称，他跑向他的盔甲棚。神奇的是，它自己重新组装在他巨大的身体周围，甚至他的头盔自己修复了他的头部。红色的小马正在前面赶着一些熟悉的发泡的精神病患者。必须有更接近
thirty! Maybe more.
三十！也许更多。
Any ponies that would use sick raiders as living weapons weren’t my allies.
任何一匹小马都不是我的盟友，它们会把生病的突袭机当成活生生的武器。
“Let my friends help you!” I shouted, my magic seizing a tossed explosive and throwing it back at the gangers.
"让我的朋友帮助你!"我喊道，我的魔法抓住一个抛掷的炸药，把它扔回分身。
“You’ve demonstrated your honor,” he replied firmly. “But my order’s code refuses accepting the aid of outsiders!”
"你已经证明了你的尊严,"他坚定地回答。"但是我的命令拒绝接受外界的援助!"
“We may as well accept their help, Paladin. They’re free anyway,” Turnip said as he trotted up to us. “Besides, there’s no question who’s a bigger threat to our technology.”
"我们不妨接受他们的帮助，Paladin。反正他们是自由的,"特尼普边说边向我们小跑过来。"此外，谁对我们的技术构成更大的威胁是毫无疑问的。"
“It seems we have no choice,” he said as he curled a hoof, pistons hissing ominously. “So be it! But even with your assistance, I fear that the Burner Boys will not be easily dissuaded. Here they come!” he announced as the racing burners closed in and things started getting toasty. I staggered out of the path of a gout of flame that washed over where we’d stood. The burning fluid made every bit of exposed skin prickle even as it missed me. The ganger moved closer, twisting to immolate me as he laughed in glee. Until the sword cut through the fuel hoses to his flamer and draped him in a crimson sheet of fire. Then, suddenly, he was gone as the paladin gave the thrashing fireball a kick into another stallion.
"看来我们别无选择,"他边说边卷起一只蹄子，发出不祥的嘶嘶声。"那就这样吧！但是即使有你的帮助，我担心燃烧者男孩将不会轻易被劝阻。他们来了!"他在赛车手进场时宣布，气氛开始变得热烈起来。我摇摇晃晃地走出了我们曾经站过的那条被火焰冲刷过的小路。燃烧的液体使每一点暴露的皮肤刺痛，即使它错过了我。经理走近了一些，扭动着身子，高兴地笑着，要把我献祭了。直到这把剑穿过燃油软管到达他的火焰筒，将他覆盖在一片深红色的火焰中。然后，突然，他消失了，圣骑士给了鞭打火球一脚踢向另一匹种马。
Okay, I felt my stomach clench as two flaming ponies thrashed wildly, taking way too long to die. I really did not like fire. That was an ugly way to go; give me a bullet any day.
好吧，当两匹燃烧的小马猛烈地扑打在一起时，我感到我的肚子紧紧地攥着，死得太慢了。我真的不喜欢火。那是一种丑陋的死法;随时给我一颗子弹。
The explosives they threw were on a delay, and I saw P-21 leap upon one and deftly pull a wire out of the thing. He stuffed one of the bomb collars with the explosive, and then another... and another. One of those bombs was impressive enough, but I wondered what twenty of them would do... I recalled what he’d done back in Flank. I knew a bomb like that would certainly convince me to back off!
他们投掷的炸药延迟爆炸，我看到P-21飞身扑向一架飞机，灵巧地从中拉出一根电线。他在一个炸弹项圈里塞满了炸药，然后又塞了一个......然后又塞了一个。其中一枚炸弹令人印象深刻，但我想知道其中二十枚会做什么......我回忆起他在弗兰克所做的事情。我知道那样的炸弹一定会说服我放弃！
“Lacunae, get Glory on that roof. P-21, keep doing what you’re doing. Scotch, stay back. Rampage--” Crap.
"拉库尼，把晨辉弄到屋顶上去。P-21继续干你们的活。苏格兰威士忌，退后。横冲直撞——"废话。
One of the Burners was charging me as Lacunae teleported Glory onto the roof
当空隙把晨辉传送到屋顶时，其中一个燃烧者正在向我收费
of the firehouse behind us. From the elevated position, she could send a stream of crimson beams to wash back and forth over the advancing Burners. The Steel Rangers had established a firing line, and gatling guns, grenade machine guns, and the thumping Brown Betty were starting to take their toll. The burners were taking cover and throwing smoke bombs.
我们身后的消防站。从高处，她可以发出一束深红色的光束，来回地冲刷着前进中的燃烧器。钢铁游骑兵已经建立了一条射击线，格林机枪、榴弹机关枪和轰鸣的布朗贝蒂开始造成伤亡。燃烧者躲起来，投掷烟雾弹。
Frenzied raiders slammed into us with axes, clubs of rebar and concrete, and even a sword made out of a wagon’s rear bumper. The earth pony wielding the sword seemed particularly focused on me, the mass and power of his swings slamming into my own upraised blade. I saw an opening as clear as day, though, and my sword turned faster than I’d ever wielded it before. The tip slipped through his spiked armor to his throat, and I felt a supreme sense of satisfaction as I sliced his artery. His blood sprayed over me as he tried a few more feeble swings with the massive sword. As his weapon drooped, I cleanly sliced his head free of his shoulders. Like cutting butter.
疯狂的袭击者用斧头、钢筋和混凝土制成的棍棒，甚至还有一把用马车后保险杠制成的剑猛击我们。挥舞着宝剑的土地上的小马似乎特别注视着我，他的秋千的重量和力量撞击着我举起的剑刃。然而，我看到了一个清晰如白昼的开口，我的剑转得比以前任何时候都快。针尖从他刺穿的盔甲中滑落到他的喉咙处，当我切断他的动脉时，我感到一种无比的满足。当他试图用那把巨大的剑再挥几下时，他的血溅了我一身。当他的武器下垂时，我干净利落地把他的头从肩膀上割了下来。就像切黄油。
Then I realized that I was bleeding too. I’d been so caught up in the fighting that I’d missed it entirely. My opening hadn’t been as sure as I’d thought, and he’d cut a jagged tear just above my cutie mark! Another of Keeper’s healing potions stopped the bleeding; if I lived through this, I’d have to send him a thank you note and ask where he got fresh healing potions.
然后我意识到我也在流血。我一直沉浸在战斗之中，以至于完全错过了它。我的开场白并不像我想象的那么肯定，他在我可爱的脸上划出了一道锯齿状的泪痕！另一个守护者的治疗药水止住了出血;如果我经历了这一切，我将不得不送给他一个感谢信，并问他从哪里得到新的治疗药水。
Suddenly, I heard the clatter of hooves, and on my E.F.S. a red bar appeared. I balked as I pointed my shotgun into the pall of smoke rolling up the street. It made my eye water, and the reek and rasp of whatever chemicals were in it set me coughing. Suddenly, I spotted a stallion racing right at me. He was wearing a gas mask adorned with four dash inhalers screwed in place. The pupils were nearly nonexistent in his infected yellow eyes as he raced right towards me.
突然，我听到了马蹄的咔嗒声，我的e.f.s上出现了一个红色的横杆。我把我的猎枪指向街上滚滚浓烟的笼罩，犹豫了一下。它使我的眼睛流泪，它里面的化学物质的臭气和刺耳的声音使我咳嗽。突然，我发现一匹种马正向我奔来。他戴着一个装饰着四个吸入器的防毒面具。当他冲向我的时候，他那双受感染的黄眼睛里几乎没有瞳孔。
Oh, and his barding was made of explosives…
还有他的军服是用炸药做的。
I slipped into S.A.T.S. and had just enough time for one explosive shell to his head. It pulped his noggin, and a moment later the stallion exploded. There was no blood or bone; he simply vaporized in a cloud of steel and a sheet of flame where he’d fallen. I was thrown clear off my hooves, rolling across the cracked asphalt. I looked up in time to see another one charge the paladin, but with his astonishing grace and power, he grabbed the head of the suicidal pony and spun, throwing him back towards his comrades.
我溜进了s.a.t.s，刚好有足够的时间让一枚炸弹击中他的头部。它把他的脑袋撞得砰砰响，过了一会儿，那匹种马爆炸了。没有血迹和骨头;他只是在倒下的地方，在一团钢铁和一片火焰中蒸发。我的蹄子被甩得一干二净，滚过破裂的沥青路面。我抬起头，正好看到另一个骑士冲向我，但是他以他惊人的优雅和力量，抓住了那匹想自杀的小马的头，转过身来，把它扔回到他的同伴身边。
One Ranger wasn’t quick enough, though; the explosion crumpled his armor like a tin can. I couldn’t tell who it was, as their entire front was blown away, launching a smoldering rear half into the street behind us. The heavy, cloying smoke clung low to the ground and filled the street rather than rising up. Every now and then, a fiery red plume sprayed out at us and sent me scrambling backwards.
一个游骑兵不够快，但是，爆炸弄皱了他的盔甲像一个锡罐。我不知道是谁，因为他们的整个前部都被风吹走了，一个正在冒烟的后半部落到了我们身后的街道上。浓重的令人倒胃口的烟雾贴着地面，弥漫在街道上，而不是升起来。时不时地，一股火红的羽毛向我们喷射出来，把我吓得往后退。
“Too bad you don’t have a gun, Paladin!” I shouted, firing blindly at a red bar in front of me.
"可惜你没有枪，圣骑士!"我大声喊道，盲目地向我面前的一个红色酒吧开枪。
“A Stronghoof is never disarmed!” he decreed as he stepped up to a wagon. “Observe the Stronghoof technique that’s been passed down for generations! First step!” And once more he stomped with an incredible explosion that rippled and cracked the asphalt, and knocked the entire rusty wagon into the air. “Second step!” He turned around, and a blast from his pneumatic rams and his potent rear legs sent the entire wreck flying down in the direction of the Burner Boys.
"一个废物永远不会被解除武装!"他一边走上马车一边宣布。"看看这些代代相传的高超技巧吧！第一步!"他又一次跺着脚，发出一声令人难以置信的爆炸声，震得沥青路面泛起涟漪，裂开了裂缝，把整辆生锈的马车都撞翻在地。"第二步!"他转过身来，气动撞锤和强有力的后腿发出一声爆炸，整个残骸朝着燃烧男孩的方向飞了下去。
I just stared at the fuzzy image of a raider getting smashed by the bouncing debris. “You threw that fight!” I shouted at him.
我只是盯着那个突袭机被弹跳的碎片砸碎的模糊影像。"你输了那场比赛!"我对他大喊大叫。
He snorted, blasting two jets of steam again. “You dare question my honor? The spleenic ganglion is a well-established pressure point weakness exploitable by the very few knowledgeable of the Stronghoof lineage. Clearly, you knew of that weakness and thus won our duel fairly, winning the freedom of your friends! How else could you have possibly defeated me and thus allowed me to overlook my oath requiring your friends to be taken to my elder?”
他哼了一声，又喷出两股蒸汽。""你竟敢质疑我的名誉？脾性神经节是一个完全建立的压力点弱点利用极少数知识的宇宙之魂血统。显然，你知道这个弱点，因此公平地赢得了我们的决斗，赢得了你朋友的自由！你怎么可能打败我，让我无视我要求把你的朋友带到我的长辈那里去的誓言呢?"
I blinked, then smiled. “Thanks, Paladin Stronghoof.” He gave another blasting snort, and I swore that the glowing eye panel winked at me! Then I frowned. “But did you have to hit me with a road?”
我眨了眨眼，然后笑了。"谢谢你，圣骑士Stronghoof。"他又喷了一声鼻息，我发誓那发光的眼板对我眨了眨眼睛！然后我皱起了眉头。"但是你非得用马路撞我吗?"
In a faintly embarrassed tone, he muttered, “Well, I thought you could take it.”
他略带尴尬地喃喃道:"好吧，我以为你能接受。"
We’d fallen back to the crossroads, where the collision of three rusty wagons offered some cover. The Burner Boys seemed to be falling back, which was good; I really hated that smoke. My eye was watering terribly, and I kept coughing and hacking. There weren’t any more bomb-barding raiders rushing us yet. Were they really pulling back? Please tell me that they were pulling back. All my E.F.S. confirmed was that there were still a lot of red bars out there. And
我们退回到十字路口，那里有三辆锈迹斑斑的马车相撞，给我们提供了一些掩护。燃烧者男孩似乎在后退，这是好事;我真的很讨厌那股烟。我的眼睛一直在流泪，不停地咳嗽。现在还没有更多的防空炸弹袭击者冲过来。他们真的撤退了吗？请告诉我他们正在撤退。我所有的e.f.s.都证实了外面还有很多红色条纹。还有
over there… wait? I looked off to the side as a little pink pony in my head wearing a green camouflage helmet pointed out a whole lot more red over there.
在那边...等等？我向旁边望去，一匹粉红色的小马在我的头上，戴着一顶绿色的迷彩头盔，指着那边更红的地方。
“Get down!” I shouted as crimson beams flashed into us from the left side, and even the massive stallion had to duck for cover from the glaring energy barrage. Apparently, my destruction of the Flashers hadn’t been complete. I couldn’t count numbers of red bars through the smoke, but at least two dozen Flash Fillies filled the side street with flickers of incinerating death. My hide burned as an enemy gatling beam gun splashed over my side. We were caught in a crossfire!
"趴下!"我大声喊道，同时我们的左边闪过深红色的光束，甚至那匹巨大的种马也不得不躲避闪耀的能量弹幕。显然，我对闪电侠的破坏还没有完全结束。透过烟雾，我数不清有多少条红色的栅栏，但至少有24只闪电小雌马在街边闪烁着死亡的火花。我的皮肤燃烧起来，敌人的加特林机关枪在我身边溅起水花。我们遇到了交火！
“P-21, we need that bomb!” I yelled as Glory, Turnip, and Fruit Salad turned their fire down the side street at the advancing mares. He’d finished with one collar and was now working on a second one. If Lacunae could drop the combined charge he was making into the middle of their lines, they might scatter and run. I knew I would!
"P-21，我们需要炸弹!"我喊着"晨辉，萝卜，水果沙拉"，把他们的火从小街上扑向前进的母马。他已经完成了一个项圈，现在正在做第二个。如果拉库尼能够放弃他正在向他们防线中间发动的联合进攻，他们可能会四散逃跑。我就知道我会！
The smoke and reek was making everything one big confusing glare, so I barely had time to notice the flying grenade before it smacked me right in the forehead. I took two steps from the sudden stab of pain, then one second to lift it up… then it went off in my face!
烟雾和恶臭使一切都变成了一个巨大的令人困惑的眩光，所以我几乎没有时间去注意飞行的手榴弹，直到它击中我的前额。我从突如其来的疼痛中走了两步，然后一秒钟把它抬起来......然后它在我的脸上消失了！
The blue band flashed once, and an electric tingle ran from my horn to my hooves. And nothing else happened. I blinked and let out a relieved laugh... and then I noticed that Glory was the only pony still firing! I looked over at Fruit Salad, but the mare was just standing there. “What’s wrong?” I yelled as I fired wildly in the direction of the red bars on my E.F.S.
蓝色的光带闪过一次，一阵电流刺痛从我的喇叭传到我的蹄子。然后什么也没发生。我眨了眨眼睛，放出一声轻松的笑声......然后我注意到晨辉是唯一一匹还在开火的小马！我看了看水果沙拉，但母马只是站在那里。"怎么了?"我朝着我的e.f.s上的红色栏杆的方向疯狂地开枪，大叫起来。
“Spell matrix crash!” she yelled from the confines of her helmet. “I can’t restart the system! The ejection system isn’t working either!” On the other side of me, Turnip was also frozen, muttering expletives over and over again. More discharged grenades rolled around at their feet; the one that hit me hadn’t been alone.
"拼写矩阵崩溃!"她戴着头盔大声喊道。"我无法重新启动系统！弹射系统也不工作了!"在我的另一边，萝卜也冻僵了，一遍又一遍地咒骂着。更多的手榴弹在他们脚下滚来滚去，打中我的不是唯一一个。
Oh shit. “What can I do?” I yelled, popping out the shotgun’s ammo drum and loading slugs; those explosive rounds were cooking the barrel like crazy. It was smoking! It was almost brand new, and one drum of explosive rounds had already made it look like it might not last much longer.
哦，该死。"我能做什么?"我大叫着，打开猎枪的弹药桶，装上子弹;那些爆炸性的子弹正在疯狂地烧毁枪管。它在冒烟！它几乎是全新的，一鼓的爆炸性发射已经使它看起来可能不会持续很长时间。
“I need a PipBuck spell matrix to restart it!” she replied.
"我需要一个PipBuck拼写矩阵来重新启动它!"她回答道。
Well… I was busy. But I wasn’t the only PipBuck here! “Scotch! Scotch Tape! I need you!” I screamed out, but with all the gunshots and explosions, I knew she couldn’t hear me. Lacunae, however, appeared beside me in a purple flash. She had the minigun from the dead Ranger’s armor floating above her as her shield appeared around her and the helpless Ranger.
我当时很忙。但我不是这里唯一的PipBuck！"苏格兰威士忌！透明胶带！我需要你!"我尖叫起来，但是枪声和爆炸声让我知道她听不见我说话。然而，一道紫色的闪光出现在我的身边。当她的盾牌出现在她和无助的游骑兵周围时，她从死去的游骑兵的盔甲中拿出了一把迷你枪，漂浮在她的上方。
“Go. I will protect her as long as I’m able,” Lacunae said calmly in my mind. Then the minigun motor revved as it floated overhead, and the alicorn began to return fire with deadly and precise bursts. “The Goddess is quite keen to put this rabble in their place! After dealing with that… that mare… well…” Her eyes flashed and her voice boomed. “THE GODDESS FINDS THIS VERY THERAPEUTIC!”
"去吧。"只要我还能保护她，我就会一直保护她,"拉库娜平静地在我的脑海里说。接着，小型机枪的发动机在头顶上空飞过，发动机加速运转，阿里克松开始以致命而精确的连发射击还击。"女神非常希望把这群乌合之众放在他们的位置上！在对付了那个......那个......嗯......之后......"她的眼睛闪了一下，声音低沉了下来。"女神觉得这很有疗效!"
“Miffle…” whimpered Fruit Salad. Therapy, Hoofington style.
"Miffle..."呜咽着的水果沙拉。治疗，胡芬顿式的。
I loaded Scotch’s PipBuck tag and raced across the crossroads. There was P-21 strapping together a bomb that I hoped Lacunae would be able to drop on the Flashers, but where was Scotch?
我装上苏格兰威士忌的宾巴克牌子，跑过十字路口。有一个P-21捆扎在一起的炸弹，我希望Lacunae能够投掷在闪光者，但苏格兰威士忌在哪里？
Hiding in a wagon. The filly was curled up in a ball, shaking. I reached down and held her close. I couldn’t ask her to do this. I should ask P-21 to take her out of here. Take her someplace safe. Someplace better. The rusted wagon jerked as a grenade detonated outside, and she gasped, hugging her hooves over her head.
藏在马车里。小母马蜷成一团，不停地抖动。我弯下腰，紧紧地抱住她。我不能让她这么做。我应该让P-21把她带走。带她去安全的地方。更好的地方。一颗手榴弹在外面爆炸，锈迹斑斑的马车猛地拉了一下，她倒抽了一口冷气，把蹄子贴在头上。
“You can’t protect her, Blackjack,” the Dealer said as he trotted up next to me.
"你保护不了她，黑杰克,"庄家边说边小跑到我旁边。
“I have to…” I whispered.
"我必须......"我低声说。
“You can’t. Even if you protect her today and tomorrow, someday you’ll be gone. You can’t spare her the horror,” he insisted softly.
"你不能。即使你今天和明天保护她，总有一天你会离开。你不能不让她感到恐惧,"他轻声地坚持道。
“Why not? Is that too damn much to ask? That she be safe and happy and... and not scared?” I shouted at him. I’d saved one. Just one. And I’d give anything I could to keep her intact. “What kind of sick world goes out of its way to hurt and scare a filly?” I demanded.
"为什么不呢？这要求太过分了吗？她是安全的，快乐的，不害怕的?"我对他大喊大叫。我救了一个。只有一个。我愿意付出一切让她保持完整。"什么样的变态世界会故意去伤害和恐吓小母马?"我问道。
He just shook his head slowly. “It’s called growing up, Blackjack. And you can’t keep her safe from that.” Maybe I couldn’t… but was it so wrong to try?
他只是慢慢地摇了摇头。"这叫成长，黑杰克。你无法保证她的安全。"也许我不能......但是尝试有错吗？
Yes, if it meant leaving Fruit Salad to die. Damn it.
是的，如果这意味着让水果沙拉等死的话。该死。
I clenched my eye shut as the wagon rocked again from a detonation outside. I looked down at her and sighed. “Scotch. I need your help.” She sniffed as she shook, looking up at me with wide, teary green eyes. “There’s a Ranger who needs your help. She needs something called a ‘spell matrix’ restarted. Can you do that?”
由于外面的爆炸，马车再次摇晃起来，我紧闭着眼睛。我低头看着她，叹了口气。"苏格兰威士忌。我需要你的帮助。"她颤抖着吸了一口气，眼睛睁得大大的，泪汪汪的，看着我。"有个游侠需要你的帮助。她需要一个叫做"拼写矩阵"的东西重新启动。你能做到吗?"
“Y…yes…” she stammered, then clenched her eyes shut. “But… but I can’t! I’m scared…”
"y.."是的..."她结结巴巴地说，然后紧闭双眼。"但是......但是我不能！我很害怕......"
“I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. If you stay close, I’ll try to keep you safe and sound. Okay?” I said as I poked my head out. A red beam flashed before my eye, and I watched the tip of my mane transform into ash. My lips twisted into a trembling grin. I was fairly sure that Scotch might be the sanest one of us all! “S-see? Nothing to be s-scared of!”
"我知道你很害怕。我也很害怕。如果你待在附近，我会尽量保证你的安全。好吗?"我一边说，一边探出头来。一束红光在我眼前闪过，我看着鬃毛的尖端变成了灰烬。我的嘴唇扭曲成一个颤抖的微笑。我相当肯定苏格兰威士忌可能是我们当中最理智的一种！"看到了吗？没什么好怕的!"
“I’m not scared of the fighting. I’m… I’m scared of the metal ponies!” she said as she shook her head hard. “But… but I don’t understand why I’m scared! I shouldn’t be scared! I like machines. We tried to hide from the Rangers after Lacunae saved that one stallion, but when he dug out his armor and put it on… I… I thought he was gonna gobble me up! It’s like I’m a stupid baby or something!” she said as she smacked her temples, shaking even harder.
"我不怕打架。我...我害怕那些金属小马!"她一边说，一边使劲摇头。"但是......但是我不明白我为什么害怕！我不应该害怕！我喜欢机器。我们试图躲避游骑兵，因为拉古纳救了那匹种马，但是当他挖出盔甲，穿上盔甲时......我.....。.我还以为他要把我吃掉呢！就好像我是个傻孩子一样!"她边说边拍打太阳穴，颤抖得更厉害。
“But you shouldn’t be afraid…” I muttered. Had the memory spell failed? Was it temporary? Or was there some instinctive part of her mind that remembered? Damn it… I knew it had been too easy…
"但是你不应该害怕......"我喃喃自语。记忆咒失效了吗？这是暂时的吗？还是她脑子里有什么本能的部分记得？该死...我就知道这太容易了..。
“I know. It’s just… It’s just stupid. I’m stupid,” she sniffed as she covered her face. “You should have left me in 99. Then I’d be with Momma.”
"我知道。只是...只是太蠢了。我真蠢,"她一边用鼻子嗅着一边捂着脸。"你应该在99年离开我。那样我就能和妈妈在一起了。"
I held her firmly. “You are not stupid. Look at me. I’m stupid,” I said, thumping my chest for emphasis. “I get hit by boats. You’re at least smart enough to avoid that.” Despite everything, she made a noise, half sob and half laugh, and I held her close. “I know you’re scared. Being scared is perfectly normal right now, Scotch Tape. But there’re two Rangers who need your help.” She curled up even more. “If you can’t go… tell me how to reset their spell matrix thingies.”
我紧紧地抱着她。"你不笨。看着我。我真蠢,"我说，捶着胸以示强调。"我被船撞了。你至少聪明到可以避免这种情况。"尽管发生了这一切，她还是发出了噪音，半哭半笑，我紧紧地抱着她。"我知道你很害怕。现在害怕是很正常的，透明胶带。但是有两个游骑兵需要你的帮助。"她更加蜷缩起来。"如果你不能去......告诉我怎么重置他们的法术矩阵。"
For several seconds, she didn’t answer, but then pulled out a strange golden wand thing the size of a pencil and studded with little gems. There was a tiny inscription: ‘Property of Rivets, give it the fuck back when you’re done’. She murmured softly, “Hold this, link up to the armor, and access System Tools,
有几秒钟，她没有回答，但随后拿出一根奇怪的金色魔杖，有铅笔那么大，上面镶满了小宝石。上面有一个小小的铭文:铆钉的属性，完事后还给我。她轻轻地喃喃自语道:"拿着这个，连接到装甲，接近系统工具,
System Interface: Master Spell Matrix, Spell Matrix Programs, Spell Matrix Restore, and if that doesn’t work, Full Matrix Reboot.” She wiped her tears. “I’m sorry, Blackjack.”
系统界面:主拼写矩阵，拼写矩阵程序，拼写矩阵恢复，如果不行，完全矩阵重启。"她擦干眼泪。"对不起，黑杰克。"
“Hey, don’t be,” I murmured as I stroked her mane. “You gave me what I needed. Stay safe, okay?”
"嘿，别这样,"我一边抚摸着她的鬃毛一边低声说。"你给了我所需要的。注意安全，好吗?"
I ran back to where Lacunae was almost single-hornedly fending off the entire Filly front. She’d not only levitated her own gun, but Turnip as well, her magic manually manipulating the weapons strapped to his armor while also firing deadly volleys of glowing arrows. “DROP A BOXCAR ON US, WILL YOU?
我跑回拉库娜几乎是孤身一人挡住整个小母马前线的地方。她不仅漂浮了自己的枪，还漂浮了Turnip，她的魔法手动操纵绑在他盔甲上的武器，同时发射致命的射箭。"向我们扔一辆货车，好吗?"？
TRAP US IN A MEMORY ORB? TOSS A BALEFIRE EGG IN OUR FACE?” she roared with the voice of hundreds.
把我们困在一个记忆球里？往我们脸上扔一个巴利火鸡蛋?"她用数百人的声音咆哮着。
“Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!” screamed Turnip as I rushed to Fruit Salad and began to try to use the ‘System Tools’ to restart his armor. I really hoped Paladin Sugar Apple Bombs Stronghoof didn’t see... pretty much anything going on over here right now. I didn’t want to know what his oath and honor might force him to do.
"放我下来！放我下来！放我下来!"萝卜尖叫着，我冲向水果沙拉，开始试着用"系统工具"重新启动他的盔甲。我真的希望圣骑士糖苹果炸弹Stronghoof没有看到...几乎任何事情发生在这里现在。我不想知道他的誓言和荣誉会迫使他做什么。
Lacunae’s eyes flared as she glared at the screaming Ranger. “SILENCE, FOAL! BE HONORED THAT THE GODDESS ALLOWS YOU TO FIGHT ON OUR BEHALF IN THIS FASHION! AND CEASE YOUR WHIMPERING LEST THE GODDESS THROW YOU AT THEM!” Turnip wisely silenced as Lacunae focused down the street. “WHY DO THEY KEEP COMING?! WHY DO THEY FIGHT A GODDESS SO?! WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR MADNESS! THEY SHOULD FLEE SO WE DO NOT SMITE THEM!”
拉库尼的眼睛闪闪发光，她怒视着那个尖叫的游侠。"安静，小马驹！女神允许你们以这种方式代表我们战斗，这是我们的荣幸！停止你的呜咽，以免女神把你扔向他们!"当Lacunae聚焦在街道上时，Turnip明智地沉默了。"他们为什么一直来?！他们为什么要这样打女神?！我们不理解他们的疯狂！他们应该逃跑，这样我们才不会打死他们!"
“It’s not madness, Goddess. It’s hate,” I shouted as my PipBuck told me all the systems were active and aborted the restart. “They hate so much that they’re willing to die if it means they can kill the ponies they loathe.” Right now, I wanted to shoot something myself as my ‘System Tools’ told me that the matrix was active. Was I doing something wrong?
"这不是疯狂，女神。我的PipBuck告诉我所有系统都处于激活状态，并中止了重启。"他们恨之入骨，如果这意味着他们可以杀死自己厌恶的小马，他们宁愿去死。"现在，我想自己拍一些东西，因为我的"系统工具"告诉我，矩阵是活跃的。我做错了什么吗？
“FOOLS!” she boomed. “FLEE BEFORE OUR MIGHT! RUN! FIGHT US NO LONGER!” Her glare shifted to one of shock as they still came on! “STOP MAKING US KILL YOU!”
"傻瓜!"她低声说道。"在我们的力量到来之前快逃吧！快跑！不要再打我们了!"她的目光变成了震惊，因为他们还在继续！"别逼我们杀了你!"
‘Error.’ ‘Error.’ ‘Error.’ I wanted to scream. Then something came flying out of the smoke and haze. It bounced twice, but it was much too small to be a grenade.
错误错误错误我想尖叫。然后有什么东西从烟雾中飞出来。它弹了两次，但是它太小了，不可能是手榴弹。
It was just a little hoop of metal.
它只是一个小小的金属圈。
A silvery ring with a spark battery wired in the middle.
一个中间接有火花电池的银色圆环。
“Goddess, get out of here!” I shouted up at her.
"女神，离开这里!"我冲着她大喊大叫。
But the Goddess clearly didn’t see or realize. All I knew was that that ring increased Enervation and that Enervation was bad for alicorns. Who’d thrown it? Had they known? Or was it just some desperate gambit? The battery flashed, and suddenly the ring began to glow a baleful green. I had a sensation like being caught in that cistern; the screaming was building up and growing and I felt it tearing at me.
但是女神显然没有看到或者意识到。我只知道那个戒指增加了衰弱程度，而衰弱程度对长角牛来说是不利的。谁扔的？他们知道吗？或者这只是一个孤注一掷的开局？电池闪了一下，突然，电铃开始发出恶意的绿光。我有一种被困在蓄水池里的感觉，尖叫声越来越大，我感到它在撕裂我。
The Goddess had a much worse reaction.
女神的反应要糟糕得多。
The shield distorted wildly and shredded apart; Lacunae struggled to keep herself and Turnip in the air. The alicorn screamed as white tatters and motes began to be drawn out of her eyes and mouth. The wisps were being pulled down through the ring, like the dancing firefly motes in the ruins deep beneath the earth. Now the Goddess was being reminded why her children stayed out of the Hoof. I left Fruit Salad as I felt my insides spasm terribly, aimed my shotgun down at the flickering spark battery, and fired; I got hit with a burst of radiation, but the green glow disappeared and the wisps stopped being pulled away. Still, it was too late for the alicorn. Lacunae collapsed beyond our cover next to the ring, and Turnip wailed as he smashed down on the wagon and thankfully bounced inside.
盾牌疯狂地扭曲变形，撕成碎片;裂口挣扎着让自己和芜菁留在空中。当白色的破布和尘埃开始从她的眼睛和嘴里抽出时，阿里克角尖叫起来。一缕缕的精灵从戒指间被拉下来，就像地下深处废墟中跳舞的萤火虫。现在，女神想起了为什么她的孩子们远离霍夫。我离开了水果沙拉，因为我感到我的内心剧烈痉挛，我的猎枪瞄准了闪烁的火花电池，然后开火了;我被一阵辐射击中，但绿色的光芒消失了，缕缕光芒也停止了被拉开。尽管如此，对阿里康来说还是太晚了。空隙在我们的掩体后面倒在了戒指旁边，萝卜嚎啕大哭着猛地摔倒在马车上，谢天谢地，他跳了进去。
And the Fillies were moving in for the kill.
小雌马们冲进来准备大开杀戒。
I clattered over the wagon as scarlet beams tore into my barding, making my eye tear as I fired wildly, not even bothering to aim but simply trying to pour on as much fire as I could. I bit down on Lacunae’s mane and started to pull, but as fast as my fire was, I just couldn’t suppress the advancing mares.
我在马车上哗啦啦地响着，鲜红的光束刺进了我的帐篷，我使劲地开枪，连瞄准的心思都没有，只是想尽量多开几枪。我咬下拉古纳的鬃毛，开始拉，但是尽管我的火焰很快，我还是无法压制那些前进的母马。
But Glory could. And on the fire station’s roof, she stood in full view to pour down a stream of red bursts that swept back and forth over the Fillies. They might have been able to ignore individual shotgun slugs, but not that stream of glowing death. The Fillies balked for a few critical seconds. I grabbed Lacunae’s mane and started to pull, firing at any red I could. But even with Glory’s suppressive fire, the Fillies were spreading out and moving closer. And damn it,
但是晨辉可以。在消防站的屋顶上，她站在众目睽睽之下，倾泻着一股红色的火焰，在小雌马身上来回奔腾。他们也许能够忽略个别的霰弹枪子弹，但不能忽略那一连串发光的死亡。小雌马在关键的几秒钟里踌躇不前。我抓住Lacunae的鬃毛，开始拉，向任何我可以的红色射击。但是即使有了晨辉的火力压制，小雌马还是向外展开，并且越走越近。该死的
why did alicorns have to be so damn big and heavy?
为什么海角要那么大那么重？
Two crimson bolts slammed into my chest, and my heart stopped as I fell back beside the fallen alicorn. I lost my focus, the riot gun clattering down beside me as three Fillies who’d been creeping along the sidewalk next to the blasted storefronts popped out. I saw one’s lips moving; I think that she was yelling something about Diamond. Maybe some word of revenge or something. It didn’t matter, though. I tried to fumble for a healing potion… for something! Glory was firing so long and fast I thought I saw smoke rise from her weapon. I wondered how much ammo she had left... couldn’t be much.
两道深红色的闪电击中了我的胸膛，我的心脏停止了跳动，退到了倒下的橡子旁边。我失去了注意力，防暴枪在我身边咔嗒咔嗒地响着，三个小姑娘沿着被炸毁的店面旁的人行道爬了出来。我看到一个人的嘴唇在动，我想她在为戴蒙德大喊大叫。也许是复仇之类的话。不过，这并不重要。我试图摸索一种治疗药剂...为某些东西！格洛里开火时间太长，速度太快，我仿佛看见烟从她的武器中升起。我想知道她还剩下多少弹药...应该不多了。
The three Fillies pointed their weapons at me: game over.
三匹小雌马用武器指着我:游戏结束。
Then they exploded, and my eye slowly followed the smoke stream up to Fruit Salad standing atop the wreck. Missile after missile streaked down the street, forcing the Fillies back into cover. A few moments later, Turnip pulled himself up as well and joined her in driving the Fillies back. “How…” I murmured weakly.
然后它们爆炸了，我的眼睛慢慢地顺着烟流上升到站在残骸上的水果沙拉。一枚又一枚导弹飞过街道，迫使小雌马回到掩体中。过了一会儿，特尼普也站了起来，和她一起开车送小姑娘们回去。"怎么......"我有气无力地低声说。
And then Scotch Tape was there, lifting a healing potion to my lips. She was shaking so badly that she nearly dropped it, and from the smell she was going to have to wash her utility barding. The purple fluid was a bit watery and not-too-pleasant-tasting, but it restored me enough to drag Lacunae the rest of the way around the cover of the wagon.
然后苏格兰胶带就出现了，把一种治疗药水带到了我的嘴唇上。她抖得那么厉害，差点把它掉在地上，从气味来看，她不得不把她的水电费帐单洗了。紫色的液体有点稀，味道也不是很好，但是它使我恢复了足够的能力，把拉古娜拖到马车的后面。
“How…” I coughed, aching as l looked at the young olive mare. “It kept telling me it wasn’t busted.”
"怎么......"我咳嗽着，看着那匹年轻的橄榄色母马，浑身酸痛。"它一直告诉我它没有坏。"
“Wrong matrix, Blackjack. I think that you were trying to reboot your own PipBuck,” she said with a nervous smile. She then frowned and lifted the key. “And you dropped this. Don’t you know how pissed Rivets will... would... be?”
"错误的矩阵，黑杰克。我想你是在试图重新启动你自己的PipBuck。"她紧张地笑着说。然后她皱起眉头，拿起钥匙。"你掉了这个。你难道不知道铆钉会...会...多生气吗?"
“Hey! I’m Security, okay? I handle shooting things and enforcing the rules. Maintenance actually has to do the stuff that matters,” I said with a nervous smile.
"嘿！我是保安，好吗？我负责射击和执行规则。事实上，维护人员必须做一些重要的事情,"我紧张地笑着说。
But I was done for the moment. Those two shots had nearly taken me out. Lacunae was still unconscious, and who knew when... or if... she’d recover? Glory had disappeared from the rooftop. Radishes and Stronghoof were withdrawing as well. Their armor was smoking, and Brown Betty had taken
但目前我已经做完了。那两枪差点把我打死。空隙处仍然处于昏迷状态，谁知道她什么时候......或者是否......能够恢复？晨辉已经从屋顶消失了。萝卜和斯特朗霍夫也退出了。她们的盔甲冒着烟，棕色的贝蒂已经拿走了
quite a beating. The Burner Boys pushed in from the south. The Fillies from the east. If the Rangers carried Lacunae and me, perhaps we could run for it.
打得不轻啊。燃烧者男孩从南方推进。来自东方的小雌马。如果游骑兵队带着我和拉库纳，也许我们可以跑过去。
Maybe. Right now, we could only get as far as the firehouse.
也许吧。现在，我们只能走到消防站。
“A pity; it seems that we won’t have an opportunity for a true rematch,” Paladin Stronghoof said as we fell back inside. Glory was in the corner, working furiously to convert her gem cartridges into drums for her gatling beam gun. She saw me, and I gave a wan smile and wave to put her at ease. She nodded. P-21 joined us, a particularly ominous-looking bomb sitting on his back. He’d turned the two collars and the explosives into one large formidable duct-taped wad of boom.
"很遗憾，看起来我们不会有一个真正的重赛的机会,"圣骑士斯特罗戈夫说，当我们退回内线。晨辉在角落里，拼命工作，把她的宝石墨盒转换成鼓为她的加特林机枪。她看见了我，我微微一笑，招了招手，让她放松下来。她点点头。P-21加入了我们，他的背上放着一枚看起来特别不祥的炸弹。他已经把两个项圈和炸药变成一个巨大的令人生畏的管状爆炸装置。
“Where are they all coming from?” I asked as I saw a wall of red advancing. I knew there were some big gangs in the Hoof, but this was ridiculous.
"他们都是从哪里来的?"我问道，因为我看到一堵红色的墙正在前进。我知道霍夫有一些大的帮派，但这是荒谬的。
The huge paladin answered us. “Big Daddy ‘liberated’ every slave west of the river, gave them a gun, and sent them to fight. The Highlanders are getting involved as well, and the Halfhearts are competing with the other gangs for the most Rangers killed. I understand that they’ve got fighters from as far south as Flank brought up here, and there’s talk of griffin mercenaries to the west. I suppose we should be grateful that those damned Zodiacs haven’t gotten involved,” Paladin Bombs said darkly as his armor repaired itself around him. Scotch had her eyes closed and seemed to be focusing on trying to help Lacunae by rubbing her shoulder and muttering that ‘it would be okay’. “It seems that our order has done little to earn the love and admiration of the rest of the city, and that most will quite welcome our destruction.”
巨大的圣骑士回答了我们。"大老爹'解放'了河西岸的每一个奴隶，给了他们一把枪，让他们去战斗。高地人也参与其中，哈夫哈特和其他帮派正在争夺最多被杀死的游骑兵。我知道他们有来自南方的战士，从弗兰克带到这里，据说西边有格里芬的雇佣兵。我想我们应该庆幸那些该死的黄道带居民没有参与进来,"圣骑士炸弹在他的盔甲在他周围自我修复时阴沉地说。苏格兰人闭上了眼睛，似乎全神贯注地摩擦着肩膀，嘟囔着"没事的"，试图帮助拉库娜。"看起来，我们的组织在赢得这座城市其他人的爱戴和钦佩方面收效甚微，而且大多数人都很欢迎我们的毁灭。"
“Oopsie,” I muttered as I rose to my hooves. Lacunae’s eye was open, and she looked at me with an expression of profound suffering. Having a Goddess stuffed inside you and then ripped out couldn’t be fun. “So… what’s the plan?”
"哎呀,"我一边站起来，一边喃喃自语。空隙的眼睛睁开了，她带着极度痛苦的表情看着我。把一个女神塞进你的身体然后再把她扯出来可不是什么好玩的事。"那么......计划是什么?"
“I will go forth and engage their forces on my own. While they are distracted with me, your friends will be able to escape. Use the bomb to cover your withdrawal when I fall,” he said matter-of-factly. “It has been an honor, Security. For the record, I feel you would have made an outstanding Steel Ranger.” The Fillies and Burners outside were grouping up for a big push.
"我要自己出去，与他们的军队交战。当他们被我分散注意力的时候，你的朋友们就可以逃走了。当我倒下的时候，用炸弹掩护你的撤退,"他实事求是地说。"这是我的荣幸，保安。我郑重声明，我觉得你会成为一名出色的钢管骑警。"外面的小雌马和燃烧者正在分组，准备大干一场。
“THAT WON’T BE NECESSARY!” a stallion’s voice boomed from outside, fit to make my teeth rattle. A half-dozen explosions tore into the gangers, making
"没这个必要!"一匹种马的声音从外面传来，让我牙齿直打颤。半打的爆炸声冲进了分身
them scatter for cover. A section of wall was blown in, showing us with rubble, and in walked a stallion who could have been Deus’s power-armored twin; he wore two massive artillery guns just as the former Reaper had. “Paladin Stronghoof, your reinforcements have arrived!” There had to be at least a dozen Rangers arriving from the north.
他们四散寻找掩护。一段墙被炸开了，我们看到的是一片瓦砾，走进来的是一匹种马，他可能是戴乌斯的力量装甲双胞胎兄弟;他和前死神一样戴着两把巨大的火炮。"圣骑士斯特朗霍夫，你的援军到了!"至少有十几名游骑兵从北方赶来。
“Star Paladin Steel Rain!” Paladin Stronghoof said as he rose to his feet. The star paladin’s armor was even more fancily decorated than his own, but with silver scrollwork. I wondered if this was a norm for Steel Rangers or just for their leaders. It seemed like a good way to know who to shoot, but then when he had guns like that, I supposed few ponies dared take a shot in the first place, or lived long enough to take a second.
"明星圣骑士钢铁雨!"圣骑士斯特罗戈夫站起来说。这位明星圣骑士的盔甲甚至比他自己的装饰还要花哨，但是有银色的卷轴。我想知道这是钢铁骑兵的标准还是他们的领导人的标准。这似乎是一个知道该向谁开枪的好方法，但是当他有那样的枪时，我猜想一开始很少有小马敢开枪，或者活得足够长来开第二枪。
“You have fought admirably, Paladin Stronghoof. You have my thanks for drawing our enemy together so that we may finally end this war once and for all!” He gestured to the door. “Take your soldiers and lead the counterattack. Leave not a single one of our enemies alive.”
"你的战斗令人钦佩，PaladinStronghoof。我要感谢你们把我们的敌人团结在一起，这样我们就可以一劳永逸地结束这场战争!"他指了指门。"带上你的士兵，率领反击。不要让我们的敌人活着。"
“Sir, the Oath dictates--” the white pony said before his superior interrupted him.
"先生，誓言是这样规定的——"白色小马在上司打断他之前说。
“That you execute the orders of your superiors quickly and without question. You have your orders, Paladin. Now return to the fight,” he finished in a tone that suggested very ugly consequences if Stronghoof argued.
"你必须毫无疑问地迅速执行上级的命令。你有你的命令，Paladin。现在回到战斗中来,"他最后的语气暗示，如果斯特罗戈夫争辩，后果将非常严重。
“Very well, Star Paladin,” Stronghoof said with a salute, but he was looking at me as he said it. Those glowing blue eye panels seemed to suggest caution to me. He and most of the other Rangers left, and my mane went right to high ‘oh this isn’t good’ status as I approached Steel Rain and the trio of Rangers he’d brought in with him. This was my chance.
"很好，星骑士,"斯特朗霍夫敬礼说，但他看着我，因为他说。这些发光的蓝色眼板似乎提醒我要小心。当我接近钢铁雨和他带来的流浪者三人组时，他和其他大多数流浪者队员都离开了，我的鬃毛直接升到了'哦，这可不妙'的高度。这是我的机会。
“Star Paladin Steel Rain. I’m Security. My friends and I came here to tell you that this war is completely unnecessary.” I looked behind me at Glory and then back at the massively armored Ranger. “My friends and I were passing by the Zenith Bridge. We used a bomb to distract you so that we could slip past. This war isn’t the Reapers’ fault.”
"圣骑士之星钢雨"。我是保安。我和我的朋友们来这里是想告诉你们，这场战争完全没有必要。"我回头看了看我身后的晨辉，然后又看了看那个全副武装的游骑兵。"我和朋友们路过ZenithBridge。我们用炸弹分散你的注意力好让我们溜过去。这场战争不是死神的错。"
There was no answer, at first, and then I became aware of a deep rhythmic noise inside the armor. I scowled up at him as it built and grew louder.
一开始没有回答，然后我开始意识到盔甲内部一种深沉的有节奏的噪音。随着声音越来越大，我皱起眉头看着他。
He was laughing.
他笑了。
“I should thank you, then!” he chortled with glee. “Do you have any idea how many years I’ve tried to provoke those idiots across the river to attack us? How many times the elder has refused to allow me to wipe out those vermin?”
"那么，我应该谢谢你!"他高兴得咯咯笑。"你知道多少年来我一直试图激怒河对岸的那些白痴攻击我们吗？有多少次长者拒绝让我消灭那些害虫?"
Uh oh. “You wanted this war? Your own soldiers are dying, and you’re happy about it?” I shouted at him as I stood, making damned sure I was between him and my friends.
啊哦。"你想要这场战争？你自己的士兵都快死了，你还高兴?"我站在那里对他大喊大叫，非常确定我是在他和我的朋友之间。
“Of course not,” he replied in that amused tone. “But I won’t deny that, when I heard about the fighting, it felt as though Hearth's Warming Day had come and I’d been a very good stallion. Finally, the Hoofington chapter has the opportunity to show the Wasteland just what the Rangers should be about.”
"当然没有,"他用那种逗乐的口气回答。"但是我不否认，当我听到战斗的消息时，感觉好像哈斯的暖日来临了，我是一匹非常好的种马。最后，胡芬顿分会有机会向荒原展示游骑兵应该是什么样子。"
I glanced in the direction that Paladin Stronghoof had gone before looking back at him. “Why do I have the feeling that you don’t think that it’s about protecting ponies?”
我回头看了看圣骑士斯特罗戈夫走过的方向。"为什么我觉得你不认为这是为了保护小马?"
“Paladin Stronghoof’s naïve and adolescent fantasies of honor and protection hardly interest me. He inspires fools to waste our technology for the shallow and worthless admiration of others. Really, what do I care if some useless primitives live or die?”
"圣骑士斯特朗霍夫的天真无邪和对荣誉和保护的青春幻想几乎没有吸引力。他鼓励傻瓜们浪费我们的技术来换取别人浅薄而毫无价值的赞美。说真的，一些无用的原始人的生死与我何干?"
P-21 slowly approached him. “You think that technology should be hoarded, then? Stronghoof told us that your elders believe that.”
P-21慢慢地向他走来。"那么，你认为科技应该被囤积起来吗？斯特朗霍夫告诉我们，你们的长辈相信这一点。"
There was a frustrated growl from the armor. “Yes. They do. They would have us hoard weapons and technology like dragons, clutching our findings with paranoid hooves while we cower in our bunkers and bases.” He turned to the side and gestured to the gun with a forehoof. “This is a one hundred and twenty millimeter anti-dragon cannon built to fire custom engineered concussion, armor penetration, and chemical rounds. It has one hundred and seventy two perfectly engineered parts all manufactured of high strength alloyed steel infused with a magical repair matrix to maintain perfect operation at all times. It has a precision range of over two miles at which shells will still impact with a force of five kilomacs.” He looked right at me. “Do you really think that a gun like this should be left in a weapons locker to collect dust?”
盔甲上传来一阵沮丧的咆哮声。"是的。确实如此。他们会让我们像龙一样囤积武器和技术，用偏执的蹄子紧紧抓住我们的发现，而我们蜷缩在自己的地堡和基地里。"他转向一边，用前蹄指了指枪。"这是一门120毫米的反龙加农炮，专门用来发射定制的震荡、装甲穿透和化学子弹。它有172个完美的工程部件，全部由高强度合金钢制造，并注入了神奇的修复矩阵，以保持完美的运作在任何时候。它的精确射程超过两英里，炮弹仍然会以五千米的威力撞击地面。"他直直地看着我。"你真的认为这样的枪应该放在武器柜里收集灰尘吗?"
Honestly, no, I didn’t. But I’d be damned if I’d admit it to this bastard.
老实说，不，我没有。但是如果我向这个混蛋承认的话，我就完蛋了。
“The elder believes that the Reapers started this war and so it must be fought,
"长者认为是死神发动了这场战争所以必须开战
and I will do everything I can to extend it as long and far as possible. We will destroy the Reapers, subjugate the Collegiate, drive off the Enclave, and conquer the Society!” he proclaimed grandly, standing and spreading his legs wide as if he wanted to give me a hug. “And you started it all! Thank you!”
我会尽我所能把它延长到尽可能长的距离。我们将摧毁收割者，征服大学生，驱逐飞地，征服社会!"他堂堂正正地宣布，站着张开双腿，好像要给我一个拥抱。"这一切都是你挑起来的！谢谢!"
“And now I’m going to stop it however I can!” I replied sharply. If Elder Crunchy Carrots really didn’t want this war fought, then perhaps she could end it?
"现在我要尽我所能阻止这一切!"我厉声回答。如果脆胡萝卜长老真的不想打这场战争，那么也许她可以结束它？
His happy tone cut off as he snorted and swept his hoof to the side. “This is the time of the Steel Rangers. Right now, to the west, our Manehattan chapters are reclaiming one of the largest and most advanced stables in all the Wasteland to be put to our use. Abroad, other operations are taking place to reassert the fundamental truth: technology is to be used. Hoarded, it is wasted. Used to protect worthless gutter trash, it is wasted. Only when it is employed to assert our power is its true purpose realized.”
他哼了一声，把蹄子挪到一边，高兴的声音消失了。"现在是钢铁骑兵的时代。现在，在西边，我们的Manehattan分会正在开垦整个荒地中最大和最先进的马厩之一供我们使用。在国外，其他行动正在进行，以重申一个基本真理:技术将被使用。囤积，就是浪费。用来保护毫无价值的地沟垃圾，这是浪费。只有当它被用来维护我们的权力时，它的真正目的才能实现。"
He looked at Lacunae. “I imagine Elder Cottage Cheese will be elated to learn that we captured one of these freaks; the acolytes have been quite eager to learn how they’re put together and how to take them apart.” He looked at the gray PipBuck on Scotch’s leg. “Oh… and we’ll be taking that as well.”
他望着空隙。"我想老农家奶酪听说我们抓到了这些怪物中的一个，一定会很高兴的。追随者们非常渴望了解它们是如何组合在一起的，以及如何将它们分开。"他看了看苏格兰人腿上的灰色小云雀。"哦......我们也会接受的。"
Right. “So I guess you won’t be honoring Stronghoof’s offer to let me go.” Figures.
对。"所以我想你们不会尊重Stronghoof让我走的提议。"数字。
“You have an admirable grasp of the obvious.”
"你对显而易见的事物有着令人钦佩的洞察力。"
And just like that, the admiration I’d built up for Paladin Stronghoof’s order vanished in a flash of acrid cordite smoke. “Well then, we’ll just be going. Glory, Scotch, help Lacunae back to her hooves.” The pair immediately moved to help, and the three Rangers with Steel Rain immediately pointed their many, many barrels at the five of us.
就这样，我对PaladinStronghoof秩序建立起来的钦佩在一阵刺鼻的烟雾中烟消云散。""那么，我们就走吧。晨辉啊，苏格兰人，帮助拉库娜恢复她的蹄子吧。"这两个人立即前去帮忙，三个骑兵和钢铁雨立刻用他们的许多许多桶对准了我们五个人。
“And I’ll just hold on to this really big bomb!” P-21 shouted as he nodded his head to the taped-together ball of explosives balanced on his back. “Should be enough to level this whole building,” he added as Steel Rain pointed his guns right the blue pony. My friend didn’t flinch in the slightest. A bomb without a detonator, and I really hoped this ass didn’t know that. The four Steel Rangers slowly started to back out the hole they’d blown in the wall.
"我会紧紧抓住这个真正的大炸弹!"P-21大声叫道，他对着背上绑在一起的爆炸物点了点头。"应该足够夷平整个建筑,"他补充说，钢铁雨指着他的枪正确的蓝色小马。我的朋友一点也没有退缩。一个没有引爆器的炸弹，我真希望这个混蛋不知道。四个钢铁骑兵慢慢地开始从他们在墙上炸出的洞里出来。
“I got the bomb. You handle the trigger,” I said as my horn lifted the… oofff… very heavy wad of explosives. In unison, we backed out of the firehouse into the chaos of the street battle as I kept it levitated right in the middle. He nodded, and I clapped mentally in glee. He should have been an actor or something. I could just see him in a Hearth's Warming Eve pageant; he’d make a wonderful secretary to my chancellor.
"我拿到了炸弹。你来扣动扳机,"我说，同时我的喇叭举起了......很重的一团炸药。我们异口同声地退出消防队，进入混乱的街头战场，我让它悬浮在中间。他点点头，我在心里高兴地拍了拍手。他应该是个演员什么的。我简直可以想象他出现在壁炉城温暖前夕的盛会上;他会成为我的财政大臣的一个出色的秘书。
With them backing out the rear and us backing out the front, there’d be a narrow window for us to make a break for it… not north. They’d be expecting that. West. We could…
他们从后面撤退，我们从前面撤退，我们只有一个狭窄的机会逃跑......而不是向北。他们早就料到了。西。我们可以..。
We were bucked.
我们大吃一惊。
In every direction was fighting in a horrible cloud of clinging smog. Rangers fought in groups of two or three back to back as they sprayed the surrounding cover. Crimson beams and sooty flames lit up the smog as they strafed wildly, and the five of us had to crawl just to avoid being shot by accident. It seemed like every bullet, gem cartridge, and flamer tank had been brought to this fight to be fired, spent, and emptied, and now we were caught in the middle of it. Lacunae still reeled; I doubted that the Goddess was going to give her the extra juice she needed to get us out of here. Damn, I wanted to gut whichever pony had figured out how to weaponize Enervation!
四面八方都笼罩着一片可怕的烟雾。护林员们两三个人一组背靠背地战斗，他们喷洒了周围的防护层。深红色的横梁和乌黑的火焰照亮了烟雾，他们疯狂地扫射，我们五个人不得不匍匐前进，只是为了避免意外中弹。似乎每一颗子弹，每一颗宝石弹壳，每一辆火焰坦克都被带到这场战斗中，准备发射，耗尽，耗尽，现在我们被夹在中间。我怀疑女神是否会给她足够的能量让我们离开这里。该死的，我真想把那些已经知道如何将能量维持武器化的小马肚子掏空！
The Steel Rangers were clearly having a better time of it than the gangers, though. They didn’t just have the edge on firepower; they also possessed a knowledge of how to fight well, with devotion, focus and discipline. As much as they might be bastards to outsiders, they were dedicated to their order and each other. The Fillies and Burners fought as a ferocious mob, but that mob was dwindling. And as soon as they withdrew, Steel Rain’s ponies would take us apart.
不过，钢铁骑兵队显然比分身队过得更好。他们不仅在火力上占有优势，他们还懂得如何以奉献精神、专注力和纪律出色地战斗。尽管他们对外人来说可能是私生子，但他们都忠于自己的秩序和彼此。小雌马和燃烧者像一群凶猛的暴徒一样打起来，但是暴徒的数量正在减少。他们一撤退，钢铁雨的小马就会把我们分开。
That was… provided Steel Rain himself didn’t take us out.
前提是钢铁雨没有亲自带我们出去。
We crawled west along the front of the fire station. The fighting seemed a little lighter in this direction, though there were so many red bars moving around that I couldn’t tell where the firing line was. I led the way with Scotch right behind me. Lacunae and Glory came after, with P-21 bringing up the rear. Then there was a ‘crump’ as a flaming bomb detonated to my left, the heat and glare making me turn my head away towards the north.
我们沿着消防站前面向西爬行。这个方向的战斗似乎轻了一些，尽管周围有很多红色的条纹，我不知道射击线在哪里。我带着苏格兰威士忌走在前面。空隙和晨辉紧随其后，P-21紧随其后。然后一个燃烧的炸弹在我的左边爆炸了，热气和强光让我把头转向北方。
To the sight of Steel Rain’s barrels as the smoke parted between us.
看到钢铁雨的桶，烟雾在我们之间分开。
I kicked back as hard as I could, smacking Scotch right in the face and knocking her into the hooves of Glory and Lacunae. I heard a familiar click as I crouched and jumped, a little blue pegasus shouting at me to go ‘Higher! Higher!’ I drew up my legs. Then there was another click, and for a moment I felt stuck in S.A.T.S. as the anti-dragon cannons fired. The shells missed, flying under me and past or over my friends to impact the ground and tear a twenty foot line across the crossroads. The shockwave flipped me end over end, and the entire world became oddly muffled as I crashed to the asphalt.
我用尽全力踢了她一脚，正好打在苏格兰人的脸上，把她撞到了晨辉和空白的蹄子上。我听到一声熟悉的咔嗒声，我蹲下来，跳了下去，一匹小小的蓝色飞马朝我大喊:再高一点！再高点我把腿收起来。然后又是一声咔嗒，有那么一会儿，我觉得自己被困在了S.A.T.S.，因为反龙加农炮开火了。炮弹打偏了，从我下面飞过去，或者从我的朋友上面飞过去，落在地面上，在十字路口撕开了一条二十英尺长的防线。冲击波把我翻了个底朝天，整个世界都变得莫名其妙地沉闷起来，因为我撞上了沥青路面。
Steel Rain ejected the two spent casings, and I saw them spinning away behind him trailing smoke as the autoloader slid two more shells home. I just lay there as little ponies tried desperately to get me to my hooves. Move! My body didn’t. Get up! My body couldn’t. Hurry! Everything felt like I weighed a thousand pounds. Two Rangers went straight at my friends on the far side of the torn up section of street; only Lacunae’s feeble shield protected them as they fired back.
钢铁雨弹出了两枚弹壳，我看到他们在他身后旋转，拖着烟雾，自动装弹机又弹回了两枚弹壳。我只是躺在那里，小马拼命地想把我赶到马蹄那里。快走！我的身体没有。起来！我的身体不能。快点！我感觉自己好像有一千磅重。两个突击队员径直向我的朋友们走去，他们站在被撕裂的街道的另一边，只有拉库尼的微弱盾牌保护着他们。
The star paladin leveled those guns right at me. I think he said something. Somepony was screaming words, but it all sounded like I was at the bottom of a bathtub. I tried to rise, but the brace on my forehoof was busted. The leg just bent instead of supporting me.
那个圣骑士把枪口对准了我。我想他说了些什么。有个小马在尖叫，但听起来好像我在浴缸底下。我试着站起来，但是我前蹄上的支架坏了。那条腿弯曲了，没有支撑住我。
Then a familiar pony crashed into the side of the massively armored Ranger. At first I believed she’d been thrown against him, but instead she wrapped her hooves against his armored frame as if giving him a hug. Slowly, it seemed, her legs straightened as she lifted his entire front up before her. The cannons fired high, the shockwave again bouncing me across the broken ground but the shells arcing away into the sky. Once again, my elastic bones saved me from some breaks, but I could barely do more than simply lie on my back in the rut his first two shells had blasted. I stared through the smoke feeling as if my entire body was being drawn away. I felt blood across my muzzle, wetness in my ears.
然后一匹熟悉的小马猛地撞上了大型护林员装甲车的侧面。起初我以为她是被甩到他身上的，但是她却用蹄子抵着他那盔甲般的身躯，好像在给他一个拥抱。慢慢地，她的双腿似乎伸直了，她把他的整个前面举了起来。大炮发射得很高，冲击波再次把我弹到破碎的地面上，但炮弹还是飞向了天空。再一次，我的弹性骨头使我免于一些骨折，但我只能简单地躺在车辙里，他的头两颗炮弹已经爆炸了。我透过烟雾凝视着，感觉自己的整个身体都被吸走了。我感到血从我的口鼻处流过，耳朵里湿漉漉的。
Then my face was filled with the image of grumpy, worried blue pony stallion. His lips were moving but only funny little honking sounds came out of his mouth. Everything was spinning away, and I fought to keep my focus on his face. It was weird to feel spinning as he held my head still in his hooves and pressed his lips towards mine.
然后我的脸上充满了脾气暴躁，忧虑的蓝色小马驹的形象。他的嘴唇在动，但只是从嘴里发出有趣的微弱的喇叭声。一切都在旋转，我努力把注意力集中在他的脸上。当他把我的头放在蹄子里，把嘴唇贴在我的嘴唇上时，我感到很奇怪地感觉到旋转。
Oh, yes. This would be a nice way to go… I puckered up for him…
哦，是的。这将是一个很好的方式去...我皱起了他..。
Then I felt the stem of the healing potion bulb on my lips and blinked. I rolled my eye down to look at the healing potion bottle in his mouth; the flat-eyed look he gave me seemed to say ‘Just drink it, you idiot.’ Good idea, P-21. I slugged down the potion and felt the pain in my ears subside. When I finished, I lay back in the middle of the battlefield.
然后我感觉到治疗药水的茎杆在我的嘴唇上闪烁。我低下眼睛看着他嘴里的治疗药水瓶，他那平淡的眼神似乎在说:"快喝吧，你这个白痴。"好主意P-21。我喝下了药水，感到耳朵里的疼痛消失了。当我完成时，我躺在战场中央。
Then my gaze connected with a trio of ponies charging a pair of Rangers. It wasn’t the number that drew my eye, but their weapons. How many mares around the Hoof fought with a massive hammer, a chain, and a fire axe? From the west came a charging, whooping, gleeful mob of ponies, many dressed in their genuine ponyhide armor. At their head, a massive black stallion bellowed orders to fan out and crush anypony that would oppose the Reapers. Right now I hoped he wasn’t including me. I couldn’t oppose gravity at this point!
然后我的目光与三匹小马交汇在一起，它们向一对游骑兵收费。吸引我眼球的不是数字，而是他们的武器。霍夫周围有多少母马用一把巨大的锤子、一条链子和一把消防斧子战斗？从西边来了一群兴高采烈的小马，它们中的许多都穿着真正的披甲。在他们的头上，一匹巨大的黑色种马咆哮着命令分散出去，碾碎任何反对收割者的小马。现在我希望他没有把我算进去。在这一点上，我不能反对地心引力！
“Is there a plan?” P-21 asked, flinching at a nearby explosion that pattered us with gravel.
"有计划吗?"P-21问道，在附近的爆炸声中退缩了，爆炸声将我们炸成碎石。
“Oh, we are so far from a plan...” I muttered as I looked around. Red bars in every direction. Reapers against Rangers against raiders against gangers. In the smoke I could only make out a few blue bars; the rest was a solid milling mass, like blood. “West...ish.” Fuck, was there any direction that was safe? “We’ve got to get clear of this.” I’d go north, but right now I really did not want to get within two miles of Steel Rain.
"哦，我们离计划太远了......"我低声说着，环顾四周。各个方向的红条。收割者对抗流浪者对抗入侵者对抗分身者。在烟雾中，我只能辨认出几条蓝色的条纹，其余的则是一团结实的血块。"西......方向。"操，有没有什么方向是安全的？"我们必须摆脱这种局面。"我想往北走，但是现在我真的不想走到钢铁雨附近两英里的地方。
P-21 rose and waved his hoof. From the wreck of a smashed skywagon Lacunae and Glory ran to the gouge where I’d made my temporary home. Lacunae looked like she was almost fully recovered... but my eye swept back and forth and the blue stallion’s eyes went wide. “Where’s Scotch Tape?” he asked as he looked back at the smashed wreckage.
P-21站起来，挥动他的蹄子。从一辆破损的空中旅行车的残骸上，《空隙与晨辉》跑到了我暂时居住的地方。她看起来几乎完全康复了......但我的眼睛前后扫视，那匹蓝色种马的眼睛睁得大大的。"透明胶带在哪儿?"他一边问，一边回头看着被砸碎的残骸。
Glory shook her head. “I don’t know where! We ran for cover and she was beside me and then she wasn’t…” There was a scream as a Steel Ranger charged us, his minigun chattering bullets off the rubble of our wound in the street. On the opposite side ran the unarmored ponies… Fillies, Burners, Reapers… did it matter anymore?
晨辉摇了摇头。"我不知道在哪儿！我们跑去找掩护，她就在我身边，然后她就不在了......"一个钢铁骑兵冲向我们时，我们听到了尖叫声，他的迷你枪在街上我们伤口的碎石上发出格格作响的子弹声。另一边是没有装甲的小马驹......小雌马、燃烧者、收割者......还有什么关系吗？
Lacunae’s magic arrows bit deep into the Steel Ranger’s armor, and P-21’s grenade blasted him off his hooves. Glory and I laid down a withering spray of
空隙的魔法箭深深地射进了钢铁骑兵的盔甲，P-21的手榴弹把他的蹄子炸飞了。晨辉和我放下一个枯萎的浪花
cover fire. Save them. Save them. The words seemed to thrum inside me and gave me the strength to rise to my hooves.
掩护火力。拯救他们。拯救他们。这些话语似乎在我的内心里响起，给了我站起来的力量。
Through the smoke and flame, I saw Radishes... or, rather, a Ranger with Brown Betty attached to their armor. I never forgot a gun. Her armor seemed to glow with the fires that burned brighter and brighter around her from the flamers. Then from the fires rose the dark form of Brutus, and the massive stallion brought his hooves down upon her burning armor heedless of the flame. Just like that, a Ranger who’d helped me… who had accepted me… was dead.
透过烟雾和火焰，我看到了萝卜...或者，更确切地说，一个穿着棕色贝蒂盔甲的游侠。我从未忘记带枪。她的盔甲似乎在火焰的照耀下发出越来越明亮的光芒。然后，黑色的布鲁图斯从火中升起，那匹巨大的种马不顾火焰，用蹄子踩在她燃烧的盔甲上。就这样，一个曾经帮助过我的，曾经接受过我的，突击队员死了。
On the opposite side, I saw Mallet’s power hammer swinging wildly at the two Rangers pouring on their minigun rounds. I’d been shot by a minigun before. I knew the sewing sensation that miniguns inflicted as the barrage of bullets liquefied flesh. I’d seen one mare torn to pieces by just such a weapon, but she’d vomited forth bullets as she magically regenerated afterwards.
在另一边，我看到马列特的力量锤疯狂地摆动着，向两名游骑兵倾泻着他们的迷你炮弹。我以前被小型枪击中过。我知道迷你步兵用液化的肉体弹幕造成的缝纫感觉。我见过一匹母马被这样的武器撕成碎片，但是之后她神奇地再生了，并且吐出了子弹。
Mallet had no such advantage. When the Rangers stopped firing, she was so much bloody goo. I sat down hard as I looked at the lump that had once been a pony. A pony I’d known. Not a friend. Not an enemy. But a pony killed senselessly. Pointlessly. What the hell was I doing here? Why were my friends stuck in the middle of this fight? “Damn it… Stop. Stop it!”
马莱特没有这样的优势。当游骑兵队停止射击时，她浑身是血。我重重地坐了下来，看着那个曾经是小马驹的肿块。一匹我认识的小马。不是朋友。不是敌人。但是一匹小马毫无意义地被杀死了。毫无意义地。我到底在这里干什么？为什么我的朋友们被困在这场争斗中？"该死...住手。住手!"
“We need to find Scotch, Blackjack,” P-21 said, but I didn’t really hear it.
"我们需要找到苏格兰威士忌，黑杰克,"P-21说，但我没有真正听到。
Everything had gotten lost. “Stop it!” I shouted as I tried to fight my way out of the hole on my broken braces. I could barely stand, let alone walk, but I had to end this. I had to end this right the fuck now. “Stop! Stop killing each other!” I screamed from the lip of the hole as I began firing, ignoring my friends around me. “Stop it! Stop it!” I didn’t know who I was attacking any more. With the smoke and the flame and beams I didn’t care. If it was red, I shot it. Shoot me, not each other. Shoot a pony who’s dead meat anyway! Just fucking stop! I was shooting and crying and screaming as I whirled from one to the next to the next. Bullets bit into my blasted barding; it wasn’t going to last much longer at this rate, not without some serious repair. That was okay, though. If ponies were shooting me, then they weren’t shooting each other.
所有的东西都丢失了。"住手!"我大声喊道，因为我的牙套坏了，我试图挣扎着从洞里爬出来。我几乎站不起来，更不用说走路了，但我必须结束这一切。我必须马上结束这一切。"住手！别再互相残杀了!"当我开始射击的时候，我从洞口尖叫起来，忽略了我周围的朋友们。"住手！住手!"我不知道我在攻击谁。有烟，有火焰，有光芒，我不在乎。如果是红色的，我就开枪。开枪打我，不要自相残杀。射杀一匹无论如何都要死的小马！他妈的给我住手！当我从一个地方转到另一个地方的时候，我一直在射击、哭泣和尖叫。子弹打进了我那该死的门闩，照这样下去，不经过大修，是撑不了多久的。不过没关系。如果是小马向我开枪，那它们就不是在自相残杀。
“Stop it! Stop it! Stop!” I screamed till my throat was raw, my legs were staggering and flopping around as they slipped out of my broken braces, and my barding was slick with blood. Most of it wasn’t mine, at least. I’d shoot till
"住手！住手！住手!"我尖叫着，直到喉咙发疼，我的双腿摇摇晃晃，挣脱了坏掉的牙套，我的铠甲上沾满了血。至少大部分不是我的。我会一直开枪直到
nopony else was shooting! I didn’t want to see another Radishes. I didn’t want another Mallet. I didn’t care if they were enemies! I was sick to death of ponies dying to stupidity.
没有其他人在开枪！我不想再看到另一个萝卜。我不想再要一根木槌了。我不在乎他们是不是敌人！我讨厌那些死于愚蠢的小马驹。
And then a stallion stood before me and filled my vision once again as my barrel pointed right at his face. His familiar, stern, blue face… and the gun clicked on an empty chamber. He didn’t flinch as he looked right along the barrel into my eye.
然后一匹种马站在我面前，当我的枪管正对着它的脸时，它再一次充满了我的视野。他那张熟悉的、严厉的、蓝色的脸......枪在一个空的枪膛上发出咔嗒声。当他顺着枪管直视我的眼睛时，他没有退缩。
I’d almost killed my best friend. His eyes, hard and angry and confident, mirrored my own. He knew that this was fucked up. Pointless. Worthless. But he wasn’t freaking out. He wasn’t screaming like a lunatic and blasting ponies in a fit of rage. He just looked right in my eye along the gun that had almost taken his head off.
我差点杀了我最好的朋友。他那双坚毅、愤怒、自信的眼睛反映了我自己的眼睛。他知道这是一团糟。毫无意义。毫无价值。但他并没有惊慌失措。他没有像一个疯子一样尖叫，也没有像一群愤怒的小马一样狂奔。他只是顺着那把几乎把他的头拧下来的枪直视着我的眼睛。
I’d nearly killed him. Nearly killed… Oh Goddesses, what was happening to me?
我差点杀了他。差点被杀死...哦，女神们，我到底怎么了？
“It’s just… so… stupid…” I sobbed as the spent shotgun clattered beside me. I swayed back and forth; I’d gotten shot by more than a few ponies in that little shooting spree. “I can’t make them stop,” I sobbed. Then he reached out to hold me steady as Glory’s beam gun blasted bursts at the fighters around us while Lacunae touched her horn to my wounds. Now that I was aware of it, I realized just how much I hurt. “Please… tell me how to make them stop killing each other…”
"这真是......太......愚蠢了......"我啜泣着，身边的散弹枪发出咔嗒咔嗒的响声。我前后左右摇摆着，在那次疯狂的枪击中，我被不止几匹小马射中了。"我没法让他们停下来,"我抽泣着说。然后他伸手扶住我，当晨辉的光束枪对着我们周围的战士猛烈射击时，拉古尼用她的号角碰了碰我的伤口。现在我意识到了这一点，我意识到我有多么痛苦。"请......告诉我如何让他们停止自相残杀......"
He held me without flinching or revulsion as I pressed my cheek to his neck and closed my eye. He smelled nice, too; even if he was a grouch. “You can’t stop them,” he said, sharing the horrible truth I knew all too well. “No matter how much you try and get them to stop fighting, you… you can’t make them stop.”
当我把脸颊贴在他的脖子上，闭上眼睛时，他毫不畏惧，毫不反感地抓住我。他身上的味道也很好闻，即使他是个爱发牢骚的人。"你阻止不了他们,"他说，分享着我非常清楚的可怕事实。"不管你怎么努力让他们停止争吵，你......你都不能让他们停下来。"
“I’m sorry…” I whispered in his ear. “I thought I was strong enough.” But now I knew better. Now I had a clue of just what war really was: a fight so massive and all-engulfing that nopony… not Security, not Marauders, not Ministry Mares, not even Princesses... could stop it. I’d faced monsters and threats I’d never imagined a month ago… but finally, I’d encountered a monster so vast that no amount of bullets would kill it. That monster was war, and I couldn’t slay it.
"对不起......"我在他耳边低声说。"我觉得自己足够坚强。"但现在我更清楚了。现在我知道战争到底是什么了:一场如此大规模的战斗，吞噬了那匹小马......不是安全部队，不是掠夺者，不是部里的母马，甚至是公主们......可以阻止它。一个月前，我面临着从未想象过的怪物和威胁......但最终，我遇到了一个巨大的怪物，无论多少子弹都杀不死它。那个怪物是战争，我无法战胜它。
Suddenly I had a great deal more sympathy for those mares so long ago… and remembered two Princesses meeting in a tent. ‘We invented it…’ And it had been
突然间，我对很久以前的那些母马有了更多的同情......我想起了两位公主在帐篷里相遇的情景。"我们发明了它......"
birthed here. Here in this horrible city.
在这里出生的。在这个可怕的城市里。
“It’s not that you’re not strong enough to stop it. The amazing thing is that you care enough to bother,” he said softly before he pulled away. “But we can’t stop this fight now. We need to find Scotch and get out of here. Can you find her PipBuck tag?” Because that was something I could do. Something that I could accomplish.
"这并不是说你不够强大，不能阻止它。令人惊讶的是，你足够关心麻烦,"他轻声说，然后抽身离开。"但我们现在不能停止这场斗争。我们得找到苏格兰威士忌然后离开这里。你能找到她的PipBuck标签吗?"因为那是我可以做的事。一些我能完成的事情。
I sniffed and nodded. “Yeah. If you have any duct tape left, can you tape up my braces? Damn things broke.” Damn things had busted from Steel Rain’s two near misses. I’d have been Blackjack foam if he’d actually hit me! I loaded the tag for Scotch’s PipBuck. Don’t think about what you almost did. Don’t stop. Just get Scotch Tape and get out of here.
我闻了闻，点了点头。"是的。如果你还有胶带的话，能帮我把牙套粘起来吗？该死的东西坏了。"钢铁雨的两颗子弹差点打中了那些该死的东西。如果他真的打我的话，我就成了黑杰克泡沫了！我给Scotch的PipBuck装上了标签。不要想你差点做了什么。不要停。拿上透明胶带然后离开这里。
Then I looked at the shotgun and hesitated. I’d almost blown my friend’s head off. Would I be safe with it? Would they be safe if I had it? As if reading my mind, he scooped up the weapon and pressed it to my chest. “Take it. Just stay with it, okay, Blackjack? If you lose yourself, we’re all lost.”
然后我看了看猎枪，犹豫了一下。我差点把我朋友的头轰掉。我带着它会安全吗？如果我有了它，他们会安全吗？他好像读懂了我的心思似的，把武器舀了起来，按在我的胸前。"拿去吧。坚持住，好吗，Blackjack？如果你迷失了自我，我们就都迷失了。"
“Right. Yeah. Good point,” I said as Lacunae finished her healing. The purple alicorn looked as if she’d been put through the wringer; apparently even alicorns had magical limits. The PipBuck tag was to the northeast, back at the fire station. A good place for cover. I looked at my duct taped limbs; this was rapidly approaching pathetic. “Let’s get her, quick.”
"对。是的。说得好,"我说道，这时空隙正在完成她的治疗。紫色的橡子看起来就像是被榨干了一样;显然，即使是橡子也有魔法的极限。皮普巴克牌在东北方向，在消防站后面。一个很好的藏身之处。我看着我被胶带绑住的四肢，这真是太可悲了。"让我们抓住她，快点。"
Together, we kept low as possible as I click-clacked my way back towards the building. The roof was on fire; there was something ironic about that, I thought. Get her, get out, don’t get dead, and get north to talk to Crunchy Carrots and stop this insanity. There. That was a plan I could do. I pulled my head together as we moved between puddles of burning chemicals. I wondered if there was some mysterious force resupplying the Burners with flamer fuel and the Fillies with gem cartridges and magical energy weapons? Arming… arming… arming… just waiting for a spark.
我们一起尽可能低调行事，同时我咔嗒咔嗒地朝大楼走去。屋顶着火了，我觉得有点讽刺。带上她，出去，别死了，去北方找脆胡萝卜谈谈，阻止这种疯狂的行为。好了。这是我可以做的计划。当我们在燃烧着的化学药品的水坑之间走动时，我把头靠在一起。我想知道是否有某种神秘的力量在为燃烧者提供火焰燃料，为小雌马提供宝石弹药和魔法能量武器？武装...武装...武装...只是等待一个火花。
Then a shape lunged out of the cloying, swirling smoke. It was all fangs, claws, and a great stabbing scorpion tail. I looked at the swooping manticore and felt something shrivel inside me. “You got to be kidding me…”
接着，一个形状从令人厌烦的翻滚的烟雾中冲了出来。只有尖牙利爪和一条巨大的蝎子尾巴。我看着俯冲下来的蝎尾狮，感觉到内心有什么东西在枯萎。"你在开玩笑吧......"
Glory knocked me on my side as the beast swooped low over us. The monsters were dropping out of the sky, ripping into gangers and Rangers alike. Any
当野兽俯冲过来的时候，晨辉把我推倒在地。怪物从天而降，撕扯着分身和游骑兵。任何
semblance of an organized fight was transformed into a chaotic melee. I loaded a drum of flechettes and, lying on my side, pumped four blasts into the monster’s flank. It roared, stabbing wildly with its tail as it brought its face around to bite. A fifth blast liquefied its features. I stared at its great gouged-out eye sockets as its mouth spread wide. A sixth blast tore down its throat and it finally, finally collapsed.
表面上有组织的打斗变成了混乱的混战。我装了一鼓弹药，侧躺着，向怪物的侧腹射了四发子弹。它咆哮着，用它的尾巴疯狂地刺着，转过身去咬。第五次爆炸液化了它的特征。我盯着它那被挖出来的大眼窝，看着它张大的嘴巴。第六次爆炸撕裂了它的喉咙，最后，它终于倒下了。
I swapped to slugs after that, forcing myself to my hooves. “You can move faster than any of us,” I told P-21. “Get in, get her out.”
在那之后，我换成了鼻涕虫，强迫自己用蹄子。"你可以比我们任何人走得都快,"我告诉P-21。"进去，把她弄出来。"
“Right. Then do you want me to set off the bomb?” he asked. I blinked in confusion. Maybe I had more brain damage than I thought. He waved his hoof at the building. “The bomb! The great big honking bomb we left in there!”
"对。那你要我引爆炸弹吗?"他问道。我困惑地眨了眨眼。也许我的脑损伤比我想象的要严重。他对着那座建筑物挥动着蹄子。"炸弹！我们留在那里的巨大喇叭炸弹!"
“Are you saying that that thing works?” I gaped back.
"你是说那东西有用吗?"我目瞪口呆地回答。
He rolled his eyes. “Do you really think I’d rig something like that and leave the detonator in their hooves?!” Right. Because he was a smart pony. He gestured to a detonator he had taped to his forehoof. “When you talked about me handling the trigger, I thought you knew!”
他翻了翻白眼。"你真的认为我会操纵这样的东西，然后把引爆器留在它们的蹄子里吗?"对。因为他是一匹聪明的小马。他指了指粘在前蹄上的雷管。"当你谈到我处理触发器时，我以为你知道!"
“Right. Of course I did. You get her and we get out of here.” Because this was just getting ridiculous. Who the heck was I supposed to shoot now? He nodded and disappeared into the smoke as Glory, Lacunae, and I moved back to back. She levitated a grenade machinegun. “Are you going to be all right?” I asked her
"对。当然了。你找到她，我们就离开这里。"因为这越来越荒谬了。现在我到底该拍谁？他点点头，消失在烟雾中，我背靠背地走着。她使手榴弹机枪悬浮起来。"你不会有事吧?"我问她
She smiled thinly, wanly. “It is hardly my weapon of choice, but I will make do. I’ve succeeded in giving all of Unity a splitting headache due to that infernal contraption. The Goddess decrees that, when all of the Wasteland has been converted to the alicorn race, the first megaspell we perform will be to push the entire city of Hoofington into the sea.”
她淡淡地、憔悴地笑了笑。"这不是我的首选武器，但我会凑合着用的。由于那个该死的装置，我成功地让整个Unity都头疼欲裂。女神下令，当所有的荒原已经转换为alicorn种族，我们表演的第一个巨型盾将把整个Hoofington推入大海。"
“Right. I might just join in on that one, if you don’t mind,” I said as I looked at Glory. “How do you like your new gun?” I asked as I swapped to Vigilance and the sword. I needed headshots, and the riot gun wasn’t exactly built for pinpoint accuracy.
"对。如果你不介意的话，我也想加入你的行列。"我看着晨辉说。"你觉得你的新枪怎么样?"我一边问，一边交换着警惕和那把剑。我需要拍摄头部照片，而且防暴枪并不是为了精确定位而制造的。
“It’s very… flashy. It’s also going through gem power drums like crazy!” Glory said as she looked around for incoming fire. “I’ll be fine!”
"它非常......华丽。它还疯狂地穿过宝石力量鼓!"晨辉边说边环顾四周，寻找着即将到来的炮火。"我会没事的!"
“Good,” and that was all I had time to say as the next wave of manticores struck. The leonine monsters dove towards our group, and I could barely duck aside on my tottery legs. As deadly as their fangs were, they seemed to want to grab a pony like a mouse, so I kept my eye open for their claws. In the calm of S.A.T.S., I used the accurate pistol to blow out their foreheads and turn them into tumbling missiles as they passed. Of course, as insane as fighting manticores was, we were still open targets for anypony else who wanted a piece of us.
"很好,"这就是我所有的时间来说，当下一个浪潮的manticores罢工。狮群般的怪兽向我们这群人俯冲过来，我几乎无法用我那蹒跚的双腿躲开。尽管它们的尖牙致命，但它们似乎想抓住一匹小马，就像抓老鼠一样，所以我一直留意着它们的爪子。在s.a.t.s的平静中，我用精准的手枪打爆了他们的额头，在他们经过时把他们变成翻滚的导弹。当然，就像战斗中的猛男一样疯狂，我们仍然是任何想要分一杯羹的小马的攻击目标。
Then a Steel Ranger darted out from a storefront and pointed her missile launcher at us. I brought out Taurus’s rifle, but, fast as it was, I didn’t think I’d get it up before she got a missile off. I opened my mouth to yell to take cover when a glittering, steel-armored pony dropped down upon the Ranger. She wrapped her hooves around in a hug that bent steel and crowed, “Pony in a can! Good thing I got a can opener!” She grabbed a familiar chainsaw knife in her mouth and bit on the grip. The blade whirred as she jammed it into the neck of the Ranger; the power armored pony struggled, but the Reaper just crushed down even more as the blade chewed up the side of her armor. Suddenly, red began to spurt out through the jagged tear in the metal as the pony within the metal shell screamed and then fell silent.
然后一个钢骑兵从店面冲了出来，把她的导弹发射器对准了我们。我拿出了金牛座的步枪，但是，尽管它很快，我不认为我能在她发射导弹之前把它举起来。当一匹闪闪发光的钢铁盔甲的小马突然倒在游骑兵身上时，我张开嘴喊着要找地方躲起来。她用一个弯曲钢铁的拥抱抱住自己的蹄子，欢呼道:"装在罐头里的小马！还好我有个开罐器!"她从嘴里抓起一把熟悉的电锯刀，咬住了刀柄。当她将剑插入游骑兵的脖子时，剑刃旋转起来;强大的装甲小马挣扎着，但是当剑刃撕裂她的护甲时，收割者只是更加猛烈地击倒了她。突然，小红马在金属壳里尖叫起来，然后沉默下来，从金属上锯齿状的裂缝中喷出血来。
Then Rampage tossed the Ranger aside. Her armor showed hundreds of dents from minigun rounds and her hoofclaws were blackened by fire. Blood smeared her helmet’s blade and the jagged spine along her armor. “Hey Blackjack.” She grinned widely as she trotted towards us. “This is wild, huh?” A manticore swept in and she leapt up to meet it, using her weight to flip it over in midair. The manticore crashed to earth before us as she finished the flip and rammed her armor’s foot long spines through its sternum. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such fun!”
然后狂暴把护林员扔到一边。她的盔甲上有数百个小型机枪子弹留下的凹痕，她的蹄爪也被火焰熏黑了。血液弄脏了她的头盔刀片和沿着她的装甲参差不齐的脊椎。"嘿，黑杰克。"她朝我们小跑过来时咧嘴大笑。"太疯狂了，是吧?"一只蝎尾狮冲了进来，她跳起来迎接它，用她的体重在半空中把它翻了过来。蝎尾狮在我们面前坠落，她完成了翻转，用盔甲上一英尺长的尖刺刺穿了它的胸骨。"我从来没有这么开心过!"
I just grinned like as idiot as I trotted towards her while she pulled herself off the carcass. “Rampage, I--”
当她从动物尸体上爬下来的时候，我像个白痴似的咧嘴笑着朝她跑过去。"狂暴，我——"
Then she was on top of me, smashing me down and pressing her hoofclaws to my throat. “Big Daddy told me to kill you on sight. So you have one chance to say something. Say it,” she said matter-of-factly.
然后她压在我身上，把我打倒在地，用蹄爪抵住我的喉咙。"老爹叫我见到你就杀了你。所以你只有一次说话的机会。说吧,"她实事求是地说。
“Get off her now,” Glory shouted as she brought the gatling beam gun to bear. “Or I will give you another childhood!”
"马上放开她,"晨辉一边拿着格林机枪一边喊道。"不然我就再给你一个童年!"
“Right. I’ll get to you in a second, turkey. This is between me and Blackjack.” She looked down at me. “Well?”
"对。我马上就来，火鸡。这是我和Blackjack之间的事。"她低头看着我。"怎么样?"
I closed my eye and said, “I’m sorry. You were right.” She didn’t tear out my throat, so I continued. “We should have helped Scotch through it. I shouldn’t have tried to shelter her.”
我闭上眼睛说:"对不起。你是对的。"她没有撕裂我的喉咙，所以我继续说。"我们应该帮助苏格兰人度过难关。我不应该试图庇护她。"
Rampage sighed softly as I looked up into her pink eyes. Then she thumped my head softly. “Technically, I’m only supposed to let you live if you agree to fight for us, but I’m really lousy at following orders like that.” She climbed off and helped haul me to my feet. “You look like shit, Blackjack.”
我抬头看着她那双粉红色的眼睛，狂暴轻轻地叹了口气。然后她轻轻地拍了拍我的头。"严格来说，只有你同意为我们而战，我才应该让你活下去，但我真的不擅长执行这样的命令。"她爬了起来，帮我站起来。"你看起来糟透了，黑杰克。"
“Appropriate. I feel like shit,” I replied as I stabilized my wobbling legs, looking around. “Where the hell did all these ponies come from?”
"适当的。我感觉糟透了,"我一边回答，一边稳住摇摇晃晃的双腿，环顾四周。"这些小马到底是从哪儿来的?"
“Are you serious?” she asked with a little smirk. “You don’t think that Big Daddy’s only big in with the Hoofington Gangs, do you? Soon as the fighting got serious, he called in favors across half of Equestria. More are coming west every day. This is the greatest stomp in the history of the Wasteland; the Rangers are finally getting everything they deserve. It’s wonderful.” Then she pointed at the dead manticore. “These are a bit much, though…”
"你是认真的吗?"她带着一丝傻笑问道。"你不会认为老爹只是胡芬顿黑帮里的大人物吧？战斗一激烈起来，他就向半个Equestria的人求助。每天都有更多的人来到西部。这是荒原历史上最伟大的踏步，游骑兵们终于得到了他们应得的一切。这太棒了。"然后她指着死去的蝎尾狮。"不过，这些有点过了......"
Gangs from all across Equestria. “It’s insane. Why? What the hell are they coming for?”
来自Equestria各地的犯罪团伙。"这太疯狂了。为什么？他们到底来干什么?"
“What? It’s not like we’re the only ones. A contingent of Steel Rangers arrived by boat this morning from Trottingham. There’s fighting in the south with the Pecos and Flank against zebras out in the badlands. Red Eye’s forces are picking fights with the Society ponies. I’m amazed the Enclave and the Collegiate haven’t started shooting. Hell, the only part of the Hoof that isn’t crazy is the northwest.”
"什么？又不是只有我们。一支钢铁突击队今天早上从Trottingham乘船抵达。在南方有战斗，在佩科斯河和弗兰克对斑马在不毛之地。红眼的部队正在挑起与协会小马的战斗。我很惊讶飞地和学院还没有开始拍摄。见鬼，霍夫唯一不疯狂的地方就是西北部。"
And that was because I gassed my stable, preventing the Overmare from leading a cannibalistic crusade across the Hoof. “It’s not a coincidence,” I muttered weakly as I looked around at the fire and smoke. “I get EC-1101 out of Stable 99, and suddenly everything explodes? It can’t be a coincidence.”
那是因为我用毒气毒死了我的马厩，阻止了Overmare在Hoof领导一个食人的十字军。"这不是巧合,"我一边看着周围的大火和烟雾，一边无力地喃喃自语。"我把EC-1101拿出Stable99，然后突然一切都爆炸了？这不可能是巧合。"
“Well, it’s not just here, either. Apparently the Rangers are stomping some stable outside Ponyville. There’s war in Fillydelphia. Red Eye has an army that’s moved in around Tenpony Tower. All of Equestria is going nuts! It’s amazing,”
"嗯，不仅仅是这里。显然游骑兵队在Ponyville外踩踏一些马厩。Fillydelphia发生了战争。红眼有一支军队正在转移到天波尼塔附近。整个Equestria都疯了！太神奇了。"
Rampage said with a grin, then looked to the side. “Hold on to that thought, Blackjack.” And she crouched and leapt on to the back of a manticore savaging three unarmored ponies.
狂暴笑着说，然后向一边看去。"坚持你的想法，黑杰克。"她蹲下来，跳上一头狮身蝎尾兽的背部，猛烈地攻击着三匹没有装甲的小马。
“At least we can trust the Enclave to stay out of it,” Glory said as she coughed. “There’s no way they’d stick their wings in this mess.” I gave her a skeptical look, and she said stubbornly, “Nopony up there would be dumb enough to mess around with things on the ground right now. Okay?” But she still looked worried. The Enclave might not do anything against the surface… but what about against its own?
"至少我们可以相信昂科雷不会卷入这件事,"晨辉一边咳嗽一边说。"他们不可能把翅膀插进这个烂摊子里。"我用怀疑的眼神看了她一眼，她固执地说:"那里的小马不会傻到现在还在地上乱搞东西。"。好吗?"但她看起来还是很担心。昂科雷可能不会对表面做任何事情...但是对它自己的表面做什么呢？
I looked towards the firehouse. This was taking too long. Had something happened to Scotch? Had they gotten caught? Killed? My mane crawled at the possibilities. Right between my shoulder blades… maybe I was paranoid, maybe I’d finally cracked, but I flopped over to the side. For a second I felt like a complete idiot…
我朝消防站望去。这花的时间太长了。苏格兰威士忌出什么事了吗？他们被抓住了吗？被杀了？我的鬃毛在各种可能性中爬行。就在我的肩胛骨之间......也许是我多疑了，也许是我终于崩溃了，但是我倒在了一边。有那么一瞬间我觉得自己完全是个白痴。
And then the monsterpony swooped by over me. The mare’s scorpion tail glanced off my barding as she flapped her bat wings wildly. Then she dug her claws into the asphalt as she slid to face me. “How’d you hear me coming?” she asked, her tail stabbing at the torn up street, her blue eyes glaring at me as she bared her fangs. “Oh well… at least we can finish this.”
然后那匹怪马从我身边飞扑而过。马尾蝎疯狂地拍打着它的蝙蝠翅膀，它的尾巴从我身上掠过。然后她把爪子伸进沥青路面，滑向我的面前。"你怎么知道我来了?"她问道，她的尾巴刺穿了破败的街道，她的蓝眼睛盯着我，露出了她的尖牙。"哦，好吧......至少我们可以完成这个。"
I hauled myself to my feet. “Yeah. Let’s end this, Jetstream,” I said as I looked at the tawny combination of pony and manticore, not taking my eye off her as four more manticores landed around us.
我站起身来。"是的。让我们结束这一切吧，Jetstream,"我一边说着，一边看着小马和蝎尾狮的黄褐色组合，眼睛没有离开她，还有四只蝎尾狮在我们周围降落。
Then she blinked her blue eyes in confusion. “Jetstream?” Suddenly she burst out laughing. “I’m not Jetstream.”
然后她困惑地眨了眨蓝眼睛。"Jetstream?"她突然大笑起来。"我不是Jetstream。"
I blinked. “Well… aren’t you?” Had Sanguine altered her memory? Had the fusion megaspell robbed her of her identity?
我眨了眨眼。"嗯......你不是吗?"桑吉娜改变了她的记忆吗？是不是融合的megaspell剥夺了她的身份？
She looked at me with a smirk. “What the hell are you talking about, Security? My name’s not Jetstream. You couldn’t pay me to be that stuck up. Before my change, my name was Brass.”
她傻笑着看着我。"你到底在说什么，保安？我的名字不是Jetstream。你不能付我钱让我这么自大。在我改名之前，我的名字叫布拉斯。"
“Brass?” That… that mare who’d fucked with Doof? I stared at her. “Then how’d you become…”
"黄铜?"那个...那个和杜夫上过床的母马？我盯着她。"那你是怎么变成......"
“This?” She gestured to herself with a clawed hoof. “Oh, I jumped on this the first chance I got. A leg up on the food chain, wings, and command over these dumb critters… what was there to not love? True, they stuck me in stasis when the file was locked down, but I got to admit, I like the Wasteland a whole lot more!”
"这个?"她用一只有爪子的蹄子示意自己。"哦，我一有机会就跳上去了。食物链上的一条腿，翅膀，控制这些愚蠢的生物...还有什么是不爱的呢？没错，当文件被锁定时，他们让我停滞不前，但我得承认，我更喜欢荒原!"
I looked at her and then pointed a hoof. “So… you were a soldier, volunteered to become this, and couldn’t be happier?”
我看着她，然后指了指一个蹄子。"那么......你是一名军人，自愿成为这个职位的，你高兴得不得了吗?"
“That’s right!” she said with a chuckle, snapping her tail.
"没错!"她咯咯地笑着说，甩着尾巴。
“No angsty back-story? No regrets? You’re perfectly happy being a monster?” I said as I smiled.
"没有生气的背景故事？没有遗憾？作为一个怪物，你非常高兴?"我笑着说。
She scowled at me, her claws scraping the broken up pavement. “Absolutely!” Then she growled as I burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” Glory and Lacunae looked at me in concern; understandable, given that I’d been running around screaming like a maniac just a few minutes ago.
她皱着眉头看着我，她的爪子划破了人行道。"当然!"然后她咆哮着，我突然大笑起来。"有什么好笑的?"晨辉和空隙关切地看着我;可以理解，因为几分钟前我还像个疯子一样到处乱叫。
I sat hard on my haunches and looked to the sky, extending my legs as if thanking the Goddesses themselves. “Finally! I finally have an enemy to fight that I don’t have to feel sorry for!” I said, tears running down my cheek as I loaded a magazine of hollowpoint rounds into Vigilance. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had to fight a monsterpony only to guilt and whine and angst about it afterwards? But you? You’re a complete monster, Brass!” I said as I slashed the sword in front of me. “Do you eat foals? Tell me you eat foals and rape helpless little ponies. That’ll be the icing on the cake!” I laughed in mad glee, doing a shuffling little dance with my taped up legs. “Woo woo! No regrets… no sir… no regrets… not for me… woo woo!” I sang as I danced around in a strutting trot.
我紧紧地坐在腰上，仰望天空，伸开双腿，仿佛在感谢女神们。"终于来了！我终于有了一个我不必为之感到遗憾的敌人，可以与之战斗!"我说，眼泪顺着我的脸颊流了下来，我把一个空尖弹匣装进了警戒系统。"你知道有多少次我不得不和一匹怪兽打架，结果却是事后的内疚、抱怨和焦虑吗？但是你呢？你是个彻头彻尾的怪物，布拉斯!"我一边说，一边在我面前砍剑。"你吃小马驹吗？告诉我你吃小马驹强奸无助的小马驹。那将是蛋糕上的糖衣!"我疯狂地高兴地笑了起来，用我绑起来的腿跳着拖曳式的舞蹈。"呜呜！没有遗憾......没有先生......没有遗憾......没有为我......呜呜!"我边唱边跳着快步舞。
She roared and charged, and then just as suddenly danced back on her claws as my sword sang in a slash before her. Back and forth the blade slashed, inches from her face as I charged at her. “No angst! No moral dilemmas! No wondering if I did something wrong! Hold still!” I shouted in glee as I raised Vigilance, slipped into S.A.T.S. and queued up four shots. It was a testament to her speed that she was able to raise her clawed hooves to shield her face as the bullets blasted great big bites out of her hide.
她咆哮着冲了过去，然后突然用她的爪子跳了回去，就像我的剑在她面前划了一刀一样。当我冲向她的时候，刀锋来回划动，离她的脸只有英寸。"不要焦虑！没有道德困境！不要怀疑我是不是做错了什么！别动!"我高兴地喊着，提高了警惕，溜进了S.A.T.S.，排队等了四枪。当子弹从她的皮肤上猛烈地射出来时，她能够抬起带爪的蹄子保护自己的脸，这证明了她的速度。
“You’re insane!” she shouted. “Fury, damn it! Kill her!”
"你疯了!"她喊道。"愤怒，该死的！杀了她!"
From my blind side a mare said in a bored tone, “You’re such an idiot, Brass.” And I turned to see… a mare on fire? No. It was an earth pony with a mane and coloration that resembled crackling flame. “And don’t use that stupid ‘code name’ on me. Honestly, what are you? A filly reading comics?”
在我的暗处，一匹母马无聊地说:"你真是个白痴，布拉斯。"然后我转身看到...一匹母马着火了？没有。那是一匹土地上的矮种马，鬃毛和颜色就像噼啪作响的火焰。"别在我身上用那个愚蠢的'代号'。说实话，你到底是什么？一只小母马在看漫画书?"
“Just shut up and kill her! Where the hell is Precious?” the manticore pony yelled as two of her beasts came to shield her from my gunfire.
"闭嘴，杀了她！普莱舍丝到底在哪里?"当她的两个野兽过来保护她免受我的枪击时，那匹manticore矮种马大叫起来。
“Who cares?” the orange and red mare drawled. “Get clear.” Now that’s never a good thing to hear.
"谁在乎呢?"橙色和红色的母马慢吞吞地走着。"让开。"这可不是什么好消息。
I brought the gun around and pointed it at her head. “Get back.” She didn’t. “Get the fuck back!” I did not like how casually she strolled towards me or how the tawny manticore monster was moving away.
我拿起枪指着她的头。"退后。"她没有。"给我滚回去!"我不喜欢她如此漫不经心地朝我走来，也不喜欢那黄褐色的蝎尾狮离开的样子。
“Yeah. Add a few more expletives. See if that works for ya,” she said as she started tossing bits of junk and garbage onto her back. “So. Sanguine wants it bad. In fact, he wants it so bad that he’s started cutting power to our stasis pods for more help. So you can come with us and give it up, or we take it.”
"是的。再加几句咒骂的话。看看这招对你管不管用,"她边说边开始往背上扔一些垃圾和垃圾。"所以。乐观主义非常想得到它。事实上，他是如此渴望它，以至于他开始切断我们休眠舱的电力以寻求更多的帮助。所以你可以跟我们一起放弃，或者我们接受。"
“Or you tell him no dice,” I replied as I backed away from this weird mare, trying to figure out her thing. What was she fused with? Given how the other was moving away, I gestured for Lacunae and Glory to move away too. Neither looked particularly happy about it, especially given that they each had a manticore snapping at them. Beam gun bursts and magic arrows kept the monsters back, though, as the mare kept on picking up pieces of junk.
"或者你告诉他没有骰子,"我回答说，我从这个奇怪的母马后退，试图弄清楚她的事情。她融入了什么？考虑到对方是如何离开的，我示意空隙和晨辉也离开。两个人看起来都不是特别高兴，尤其是考虑到他们每个人都有一只猛咬他们的蝎尾狮。虽然野马一直在捡垃圾，但是射出的枪和神奇的箭还是把怪物挡在了后面。
“Look. Deus wouldn’t have been after it if Sanguine hadn’t had his hooves in the fire. And Sanguine wouldn’t be after it if something didn’t have his hooves in the fire. So just give it up,” she said as she looked at me dully. “You know what? Fuck it.” The flame mare closed her eyes as she started to glow.
"你看。如果圣吉纳没有在火灾中失去蹄子的话，天王也不会去找它。如果不是有什么东西在火灾中失去了他的蹄子，赛古尼恩也不会去找它。所以还是算了吧,"她呆滞地看着我说。"你知道吗？去他妈的。"母红色火焰开始发光时闭上了眼睛。
And she exploded.
然后她就爆发了。
You know… I was rather sure that I had completely surpassed my quota of explosions for today, and it wasn’t even noon. The junk she’d tossed on herself became deadly shrapnel that whizzed past me as I slid across the ground to come to a halt against a dead Ranger. Then the pile of ashes glowed, and from them reformed the flame-colored mare. “Ow,” she muttered with a hiss of pain, looked at me, and started trotting towards me again with an annoyed look. “Wow…
你知道......我相当肯定今天的爆炸次数已经完全超过了我的限额，而且还不到中午。她扔在自己身上的垃圾变成了致命的弹片，当我滑过地面停在一个死去的游骑兵面前时，它呼啸着从我身边飞过。然后一堆灰发出光芒，从他们中间变成了火焰色的母马。"噢,"她带着痛苦的嘶嘶声咕哝着，看着我，又开始带着恼怒的表情朝我小跑过来。"哇.....。
most ponies don’t need to see this a second time,” she said as she started to glow once more.
大多数小马不需要再看第二遍,"她说着，又开始发光了。
Rampage darted in front of me as the mare flashed and exploded again, the flames washing over her armor and cooking her striped hide as she shielded me from the blast. “Toasty!” Rampage yelled, the blackened flesh already beginning to heal. “I got this one, Blackjack.”
狂暴的母马在我面前一闪一闪的再次爆炸，火焰冲刷着她的盔甲，煮熟了她的条纹皮，她保护我免受爆炸的冲击。"太好了!"狂暴喊道，已经变黑的肉体已经开始愈合了。"这个我来，黑杰克。"
“Rampage? Are you back with us?” I asked and saw her pink eyes hesitate.
"横冲直撞？你回来了吗?"我问她，看到她粉红色的眼睛犹豫不决。
“Is Scotch okay?” she asked, biting her lip.
"苏格兰威士忌可以吗?"她咬着嘴唇问道。
“I… don’t know,” I admitted, looking towards the firehouse. What was taking them so long? I could see the tag and the blue bars.
"我.....。.不知道,"我承认，眼睛望着消防站。他们怎么这么久才来？我可以看到标签和蓝色的条纹。
“Let me know when you do,” she said as she turned towards the regenerated red and orange mare. “Okay, Sparky, let’s see it again!” And she charged the startled-looking mare, who glowed as Rampage bulldozed her off to the north. Then the mare exploded again, and I heard Rampage laugh in glee.
"到时候告诉我,"她转向再生的红橙色母马说。"好吧，斯巴基，让我们再看一遍!"她冲向那头看起来受了惊吓的母马，那母马怒火冲天地冲她冲向北方。然后母马又爆炸了，我听到狂暴的笑声在高兴。
“Okay. This is getting surreal,” I muttered, then grinned at the manticore pony as I struggled to my hooves, tottered, and fell flat on my face. Well, I wouldn’t let that stop me. “Oh Brass…” I sang as I lifted the glowing sword. I felt… drunk. Like I’d shot down a whole bottle of Wild Pegasus. My hide was numb and my mouth kept slipping on my words.
"好吧。这太超现实了,"我喃喃自语，然后对着那匹狮身蝎尾兽似的小马咧嘴笑了笑，我挣扎着用蹄子走路，踉踉跄跄，脸朝下摔倒在地。我不会让这个阻止我的。"噢，黄铜......"我一边唱一边举起那把发光的剑。我觉得...喝醉了。就像我打下了一整瓶野飞马。我的皮肤麻木了，我的嘴唇不停地滑动。
“Blackjack, shouldn’t we be getting the heck out of here?” Glory asked, her red beams peppering the annoyed-looking manticore; clearly, her gatling beam gun didn’t pack the shot per shot punch of her beam rifle. Still, she had a point. If I could only think. So many blasts and crashes and impacts left my brain feeling like it was so much mashed jelly.
"黑杰克，我们是不是该离开这鬼地方了?"晨辉问道，她的红色光束射向一只愤怒的狮蝎怪;很明显，她的加特林机枪并没有装满她的平衡步枪的每一次射击。尽管如此，她说的还是有道理的。只要我能思考。这么多的爆炸、撞击和冲击让我的大脑感觉像是被捣碎的果冻。
“Right! Right!” I said as I picked myself to my hooves. And the tag was moving again, towards us? Yes! Towards us. But the smoke and fire and monsters and brain damage were all adding up on me and I managed four steps before everything went sideways and I collapsed on my face again. I rolled onto my back, looking at the smoke pouring up into the sky, and I stretched my hoof towards it for a moment, as if I could just push the clouds away and see the blue beyond.
"对！没错!"我一边说，一边自己站起来。标签又向我们移动了？太好了！朝着我们。但是烟、火、怪物和脑损伤累积在我身上，我设法走了四步，然后一切都偏离了轨道，我又一次瘫倒在地。我翻了个身，看着烟雾直冲云霄，我把我的蹄子朝它伸了一会儿，好像我可以把云推开，看到远处的蓝色。
Sweet Celestia, I was messed up. How many times had I been blown up today?
亲爱的塞莱斯蒂亚，我搞砸了。我今天被炸飞了多少次？
A grenade drove off Glory’s manticore and announced that P-21 had arrived with Scotch in tow. He looked more frazzled than usual as Persuasion thumped and the precisely aimed grenades blew the monsters back. Scotch Tape looked sullen, though. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t let me bring her with us!”
一枚手榴弹击落了晨辉的蝎尾狮，并宣布P-21和苏格兰威士忌一起抵达。他看起来比平时更疲惫，因为他的说服力和准确的瞄准手榴弹击退了怪物。不过，透明胶带看上去很阴沉。"我真不敢相信你不让我带她一起去!"
“Not right now, Scotch,” he replied in the middle of loading another grenade.
"现在不行，苏格兰人,"他一边回答，一边往另一枚手榴弹里装弹。
“Stop talkin’ at me like you’re my mom. She saved me from those Ranger ponies!” she insisted as she pointed back at the fire station. Who saved who from what? Oooh... head hurt.
"别像对我妈妈那样对我说话。她把我从那些骑警的小马手里救了出来!"她一边坚持一边指着消防站。谁从什么手里救了谁？哦...头疼。
As they argued, Lacunae exhausted the ammunition in her purloined grenade machine gun and tossed the bulky weapon away. All she had was her magic, and not even that seemed inexhaustible. Then two Rangers slammed into the beasts she faced, distracting them. One had to be Paladin Stronghoof; I thought I saw him looking towards me as he smashed the beast like a stuffed animal. The other was Turnip, firing a missile at the manticore at almost point blank range. Rampage fought the exploding pony. Other Rangers shot at her. Fillies and Burners fired at them.
正如他们争论的那样，Lacunae用尽了她偷来的手榴弹机枪中的弹药，扔掉了笨重的武器。她所拥有的一切就是她的魔力，而且似乎也不是无穷无尽的。然后两个游骑兵猛击她面对的野兽，分散它们的注意力。其中一个肯定是PaladinStronghoof;我想我看到他看着我，像砸毛绒玩具一样砸那个野兽。另一个是萝卜，向蝎尾狮近距离发射了一枚导弹。狂暴与会爆炸的小马搏斗。其他游骑兵向她开枪。小母马和燃烧者向他们开火。
I could see the Dealer standing beside me, and part of me noticed that my crazy had gotten good enough to make it a bit harder to see him through the smoke. “Do you understand now, Blackjack? Do you understand what you’re trying to stop?”
我可以看到庄家就站在我旁边，我的一部分注意到我的疯狂已经变得足够好，让我更难透过烟雾看到他。"你现在明白了吗，黑杰克？你知道你想阻止什么吗?"
Lacunae took the opportunity to return to me, lowering her horn and applying a trickle of healing magic to my head. My PipBuck labeled it as ‘crippled’. That explained a lot. “Yeah. But I got to… got to… do… something to stop it…” All we needed now was the Enclave to sweep in, and I’d wave the white flag. It couldn’t get any worse than this…
空隙抓住机会回到我身边，放下她的号角，对我的头部施加一点治疗魔法。我的PipBuck给它贴上了瘸子的标签。这说明了很多问题。"是的。但是我必须......必须......做......一些事情来阻止这一切......"我们现在所需要的就是一个飞地来扫进来，我会挥动白旗。没有比这更糟糕的了..。
And then the roar sounded.
然后就听到了咆哮声。
It was close, deep, grinding, and loud enough that everypony around stopped fighting and looked about. Again it sounded, sending a shiver along my mane. “We need to go…” I said as I struggled to my hooves. That seemed to be a growing consensus as everypony started to back away from the burning fire station. For a few seconds, there were only the sounds of crackling flames and
声音很近，很深，很刺耳，很大声，周围的小马都停止了争斗，四下张望。它再次响起，沿着我的鬃毛发出一阵颤抖。"我们得走了......"我边说边用力蹬着蹄子。这似乎是一个日益增长的共识，因为每匹小马开始从燃烧的消防站后退。有那么几秒钟，只能听到噼啪作响的火焰声
the more distant fighters. Then a rumbling crash grew louder and louder as the roar became a growing scream from the northeast.
更远的战斗机。然后一声隆隆的撞击声越来越大，从东北方向传来的轰鸣声也越来越大。
The firehouse exploded. No, not from a bomb or the like. Instead, the flaming structure was pushed completely over as a massive monster of metal half crawled over and half burst through the structure. I’d seen a machine like this before, half rusted and buried in a hillside. This one wasn’t rusted; it was operational, mobile… and much bigger.
消防站爆炸了。不，不是炸弹之类的东西。取而代之的是，一个巨大的金属怪物一半爬过，一半冲破了整个结构，把燃烧的建筑物完全推倒。我以前见过这样的机器，一半生锈，埋在山坡上。这个没有生锈;它是可操作的，可移动的...而且更大。
Just what this fight needed… a tank.
正是这场战斗需要的...一辆坦克。
The huge vehicle was covered in black and white stripes and coated with flaming debris. Everypony with a gun pointed it at the steel beast and opened fire as they fled in any direction they could that was away. Its heavy armor plates were barely scratched by the heavy weapons of the Rangers. Steel Rain might have been able to do something, but he was nowhere to be seen. Smart pony.
这辆巨大的汽车覆盖着黑白相间的条纹，上面覆盖着燃烧着的碎片。每个小马都拿着枪指着这个钢铁怪兽，朝着他们逃跑的任何方向开火。它的重型装甲板几乎没有被游骑兵的重型武器刮伤。钢铁雨也许能做些什么，但是他却不见了踪影。聪明的小马。
Two huge barrels swept across the battlefield as the turret turned, shaking off heaps of rubble like a dog. Smaller gun barrels recessed at the corners tracked back and forth for a moment, and then belched out streams of gunfire that tore through everything equally, pony and power armor alike. The exploding pony was hit and exploded, but didn’t reform immediately. Dead? Waiting? Brass was hitting the clouds. I hoped she ate a lightning rod. Rampage blinked, was blasted off her hooves by a spray of high power machine gun blasts, and came to rest near me. “Oooo… That is one big can.”
炮塔转动时，两个巨大的炮筒扫过战场，像狗一样抖落成堆的碎石。角落里凹进去的较小的枪管前后移动了片刻，然后喷射出的枪流同样撕裂了所有的东西，无论是小马装甲还是动力装甲。爆炸的小马被击中并爆炸，但没有立即改变。死了？等待？布拉斯忙得团团转。我希望她吃了避雷针。狂暴眨着眼睛，被一阵高能机关枪的爆炸声炸飞了她的蹄子，然后停在我附近。"噢......那是一个大罐子。"
Those turrets now all pointed right at me, and the mechanical beast let out a long low rev of its engines. Its treads started to grind through the firehouse rubble as it moved towards us.
那些炮塔现在都指向我，这个机械怪兽发动机发出长长的低转速。当它向我们移动的时候，它的履带开始在消防站的瓦砾中磨擦。
Of course it was after me. Everything was after me! I was wondering where the zebra infantry was. Then I looked at P-21 staring with his jaw dropped, looked at his bare back, and glanced at the rubble. Well... it’d be a shame to waste it. I reached out with my magic, flicked up the guard, and pushed the red button.
当然是冲着我来的。所有的东西都在追我！我想知道斑马步兵在哪里。然后我看着P-21，他目瞪口呆，看着他光秃秃的背，瞥了一眼瓦砾。浪费了就太可惜了。我用我的魔法伸出手，打开了警卫，按下了红色按钮。
You know, this was turning into a regular thing with me today.
你知道吗，今天这已经成为我的常规活动了。
The bomb buried in the remains of the firehouse ripped up directly underneath the rear corner of the tank. Its left tread flew apart as the entire back end of the vehicle crumpled. For a moment, I was sure that there was going to be a
埋在消防站废墟中的炸弹直接在坦克的后角下面爆炸。它的左轮胎面在整个车辆后部挤压时脱落。有那么一瞬间，我确信
secondary explosion, but the tank just lay there like a busted toy. Bricks and dust and flaming bits cascaded down upon us as we huddled on the ground. I slowly rose to my hooves and took a few steps towards the war machine.
第二次爆炸，但坦克就像个坏掉的玩具一样躺在那。当我们蜷缩在地上时，砖块、灰尘和燃烧的碎片纷纷落在我们身上。我慢慢地站起来，向战争机器走了几步。
Then I looked back over my shoulder at my friends and grinned. “I win.”
然后我回头看了看我的朋友们，咧嘴笑了。"我赢了。"
Then the engine growled to life and a pink glow began to spread along the damaged vehicle, the metal bending back into shape, knitting together, and reappearing. The guns began to move in their sockets, and all together we rushed away to the west, disappearing into the smoke. A minute later, the tank’s engine let out a roar that echoed across the battlefield.
然后引擎开始运转，一道粉红色的光沿着损坏的车辆蔓延开来，金属弯曲成形，编织在一起，然后重新出现。枪开始在插座里移动，我们一起向西冲去，消失在烟雾中。一分钟后，坦克发动机发出一声轰鸣，在战场上回荡。
* * *
* * *
We didn’t stop running for almost ten minutes. We spotted one or two Reapers, but they were scattering too fast to give us any trouble. Finally, we tumbled into an intact basement bar and spread out. Everypony was covered in a mat of blood, soot, dust, and sweat. We reeked of smoke and flamer fuel. My brand new shotgun was in dire need of a new barrel, and Glory’s beam gun barely had enough charge to function as a flashlight.
我们连续跑了将近十分钟。我们发现了一两个收割者，但他们散开得太快，没有给我们带来任何麻烦。最后，我们跌进了一个完好无损的地下室酒吧，然后分头行动。每匹小马身上都沾满了血、煤烟、灰尘和汗水。我们身上散发着烟味和火焰燃料的臭味。我那崭新的猎枪急需一个新枪管，而晨辉的光束枪几乎没有足够的电量充当手电筒。
But me? I couldn’t be happier. We were alive. Nopony was missing body parts. Well, nopony except me, but, still, I hadn’t lost any more. And we were all together again!
但是我呢？我再高兴不过了。我们还活着。小马失去了身体的一部分。嗯，除了我没有其他人了，但是，我还是没有再失去任何东西。我们又在一起了！
Lacunae used her magic to recharge our remaining potions before we drank them. I was still far from top notch. Now that the shock had worn off, I was one throbbing nerve head to hoof. P-21 and I both took a Med-X. Scotch had gotten over her shock at the tank and was now telling Rampage about an odd filly she’d met in the firehouse who had saved her from Steel Rain’s Rangers. Glory tried to repair my braces with something more effective than duct tape; hard to know how she’d mange that.
在我们喝下剩下的魔药之前，拉库娜用她的魔法给它们充电。我离一流还差得远呢。现在电击已经过去了，我是一个悸动的神经头蹄。P-21和我都参加了Med-X。苏格兰人已经从坦克上的震惊中恢复过来，现在正在告诉狂暴，她在消防站遇到了一匹古怪的小母马，她从钢铁雨的游骑兵手中救了她。晨辉试图用比胶带更有效的东西来修复我的牙套;很难知道她是怎么处理的。
Me, I just smiled as I drank a room temperature Buckweiser and looked at my five friends.
我，我只是微笑着，喝了一杯室温的巴克威瑟酒，看着我的五个朋友。
“You look happy…” P-21 said as he sat opposite me. He’d taken one drink of the tepid beer and grimaced. Wuss. But that was why I loved him. He still looked mixed about Rampage rejoining us. Glory remained cool, now that things had calmed down. There was no doubt we needed her, but it’d take a while before
"你看起来很高兴......"P-21坐在我对面说。他喝了一口不温不火的啤酒，做了个鬼脸。胆小鬼。但这就是我爱他的原因。他看起来仍然对重新加入我们的狂暴感到迷茫。既然事情已经平静下来，晨辉依然很酷。毫无疑问，我们需要她，但这需要一段时间
Glory forgave her for leaving us back at the Collegiate.
晨辉原谅了她离开我们回到学院。
“I feel happy. I look like shit,” I replied as I looked at the dusty pool table. There were bones around it. Well, that was a downer. I wondered who’d been playing when the bombs fell. Who’d been winning. Had they been having fun getting one last game in as the air sirens wailed? There had once been pictures all over the walls, but most had fallen to the floor and were ruined by mud and moisture. From the few that remained, it looked as if this had been a hangout for the soldiers at the naval base. Most of them were smiling at the camera, or grinning like idiots, or raising bottles of beer in salute.
"我感到高兴。我看起来糟透了,"我看着满是灰尘的台球桌回答道。周围都是骨头。真是令人沮丧。我想知道炸弹落下的时候是谁在玩。谁赢了。当空中警报响起的时候，他们是否在享受最后一场比赛？墙上曾经挂满了画，但是大部分都掉在地上，被泥土和湿气弄脏了。从仅存的几个人来看，这里似乎是海军基地士兵们的常去之处。他们中的大多数人对着镜头微笑，或者像傻瓜一样咧嘴笑，或者举着几瓶啤酒敬礼。
I lifted my bottle to the pictures that remained. Having had a taste of war, though I admitted it had been a small taste, I knew they deserved all the respect I could muster.
我举起瓶子，看着剩下的图画。我尝过战争的滋味，尽管我承认这只是一个小尝试，但我知道他们应该得到我所能得到的一切尊重。
Especially when I knew one of these ponies.
特别是当我认识这些小马的时候。
Twist and a zebra sat at the bar in one grainy photograph, and I carefully levitated the frame off the wall. There was a news article taped inside the frame.
在一张模糊的照片中，特威斯特和一只斑马坐在酒吧里，我小心翼翼地将画框从墙上悬浮起来。在画框里贴着一篇新闻报道。
Barroom Brawl Becomes Battlefield.
酒吧斗殴成为战场。
By Ace Buckley.
作者:埃斯·巴克利。
Chaos reigned yesterday night in Progress at Billiard’s pool hall as a group of sailors from the Ironmare Naval Base encountered several soldiers from the Miramare Air Station. Sergeant Twist, formerly of the now infamous Macintosh’s Marauders, was sharing a drink with Shujaa, one of the elusive Proditor zebras still fighting on behalf of Equestria, when the sailors arrived and took umbrage with the presence of the red zebra. Sergeant Twist told the sailors what they could do with their anchors in a quote we cannot reprint, and the fight was on.
昨天晚上，在台球厅的进程中，一群来自铁马海军基地的水手遇到了来自米拉马雷空军基地的几名士兵，一片混乱。特威斯特中士以前是臭名昭著的麦金托什突击队的成员，当时他正在和舒亚喝酒，舒亚是行踪不定的普罗迪托斑马中的一只，仍在为Equestria而战。在一段我们不能重印的引语中，特威斯特中士告诉水手们他们可以用锚做些什么，战斗开始了。
When soldiers from the air station learned that the sergeant was in trouble, they immediately rushed to her assistance. All told, almost two hundred off duty soldiers rushed to the scene to assist their side. Though there were no casualties, Colonel Cupcake at Miramare said that there would be severe punishment incoming. Some observers, however, have expressed concerns that the former Marauder enjoys special privileges due to the attack on her last year. The question has also been raised of whether the sergeant’s open intimate relationship with Shujaa is a conflict of loyalties. Few zebras remain in the
当空军基地的士兵得知中士遇到了麻烦，他们立即赶来帮助她。总的来说，大约有200名下班的士兵冲到现场协助他们。虽然没有人员伤亡，但米拉马雷的卡帕特上校表示将会受到严厉的惩罚。然而，一些观察家表示担心，由于去年的袭击，这位前掠夺者享有特权。还有人提出这名警官与Shujaa公开的亲密关系是否属于忠诚冲突的问题。斑马的数量很少
Hoofington region, and most of those who do are inmates of the Yellow River internment camp.
Hoofington地区，其中大部分是黄河流域集中营的囚犯。
Billiards, owner of the establishment in question, has said that anypony wishing to fight on behalf of the Princess and Equestria was welcome, striped or not. He assures his clientele that his bar would be reopened in just a few weeks.
这家机构的老板比卡兹表示，欢迎任何希望代表公主和Equestria参加比赛的小马，不管它有没有条纹。他向顾客们保证，他的酒吧将在几周内重新开张。
I looked at the pair in the photograph, holding hooves and resting their heads against each other. It could have been Glory and me in that photograph. Looking at Twist, I glanced over. There were some differences… they had different grins. Different eyes. Then there were the stripes. And the zebra simply looked exotic with that ‘not-quite-a-pony’ look they had. I turned it over, and there was a little note: ‘Twist + Shujaa’ with a heart drawn around the words. Should I tell her about it? Would she freak out? I didn’t want to shoot her in the head again, especially not with Scotch Tape watching.
我看着照片中的两个人，他们举着蹄子，头靠在一起休息。那张照片里的人可能是晨辉和我。看着特威斯特，我扫了一眼。他们有一些不同......他们有不同的笑容。不同的眼睛。然后是条纹。斑马看起来很有异国情调，看起来不像是一匹小马驹。我把它翻过来，里面有一个小小的字条:"Twist+Shujaa"，上面的字旁边画着一颗心。我应该告诉她吗？她会崩溃吗？我不想再给她脑袋来一枪，尤其是在看苏格兰胶带的时候。
Not remembering sucks. Shit…
不记得真是糟透了。妈的..。
“Rampage…” I called out.
"横冲直撞......"我喊道。
She looked over from Scotch. Her armor had holes in it she hadn’t been able to patch yet. I could only imagine how she’d gotten another suit. Had she gone down into the tunnels for the armor we’d been forced to leave behind? Maybe she had a second suit left with Big Daddy.
她把目光从苏格兰威士忌酒上移开。她的盔甲上有洞，她还没能补上。我只能想象她是如何得到另一套西装的。她是不是为了我们被迫留下的装甲潜入地道？也许她还有第二套衣服留给老爹。
“Yeah? What’s up?” she asked as she trotted towards me.
"是吗？怎么了?"她一边向我小跑一边问道。
“I found a picture,” I said softly. “Back at the Museum a few days back, when we were fighting zebras… you said that your name was Shujaa.” I tapped the overturned picture. “I found… I think I found a picture of her.”
"我找到了一张照片,"我轻声说。"几天前在博物馆的时候，我们在和斑马搏斗......你说你的名字叫Shujaa。"我拍了拍翻过来的照片。"我找到了...我想我找到了一张她的照片。"
Rampage sat down hard. “You mean… one of the ponies… inside me?” I nodded slowly, and she clenched her eyes shut.
狂暴坐了下来。"你是说......我体内的......一匹小马?"我慢慢地点点头，她紧闭着眼睛。
P-21 slipped off of his seat and trotted to Scotch. “Let’s get you washed up. There’s got to be some clean water somewhere around here with all this rain.”
P-21从座位上滑下来，小跑着走向苏格兰威士忌。"我们去洗洗吧。这么多雨，这附近肯定有干净的水。"
“Hey, I want to stay with Rampage!” the filly protested as he shoved her towards the stairs.
"嘿，我要和狂暴呆在一起!"小母马抗议着，把她推向楼梯。
“She’s not going anywhere. Now move,” P-21 said firmly as he shoved her up the stairs.
"她哪儿也不去。"现在让开,"P-21一边坚定地说，一边把她推上楼梯。
Rampage took the picture and looked at the little note. Shaking wasn’t a good sign. She slowly turned the frame over, reached out with her hoof, and ran it over the glass, as if caressing Twist. “I… I don’t understand these feelings…” she said as she started to cry. She gave me a snotty sniff. “I feel… I feel all… all mixed up! This… this is me!” she said as she looked at me with wide eyes. “And… and I love her so much…” And then she pointed at Twist. “But this is also me! I know it… I… I see it. And… and I love her… I love her so much it hurts! And yet… I hate her too! I’m so angry at her!” And she dropped the picture and hugged herself. “But why? I don’t know these ponies!”
狂暴拍下了照片，看了看那张小纸条。颤抖不是一个好兆头。她慢慢地把画框翻过来，用蹄子伸出去，在玻璃上蹭了蹭，好像在抚摸着特威斯特。"我.....。.我不明白这些感觉......"她边哭边说。她轻轻地嗅了我一下。"我觉得......我觉得一切......一团糟！这...这就是我!"她睁大眼睛看着我说。"而且......而且我非常爱她......"然后她指着特威斯特。"但这也是我！我知道...我..。.我看到了。而且...而且我爱她...我爱她爱到心痛！可是...我也恨她！我太生她的气了!"然后她放下照片，拥抱了自己。""但是为什么呢？我不认识这些小马!"
“Two souls in one,” Lacunae said softly.
"两个灵魂合二为一,"拉库奈轻声说。
Rampage’s hooves dug into her sides. “I don’t understand… I… am I Twist? Am I Shujaa? Am I both?” She sniffed and shook her head. “I don’t understand at all. I feel… I want to rip open my chest. I want… I want to save her… but I don’t understand why. None of it makes any sense!” She stared at me with her wide, pleading eyes. “Who am I, Blackjack? What am I?”
狂暴的蹄子戳进了她的身体。"我不明白......我.....。.我是特维斯特吗？我是Shujaa吗？我两者都是吗?"她抽了抽鼻子，摇了摇头。"我一点也不明白。我感觉...我想撕开我的胸膛。我想...我想救她...但我不明白为什么。这一切都毫无意义!"她用恳求的大眼睛盯着我。"我是谁，黑杰克？我是什么?"
I knelt down and hugged her, hoping that she wasn’t going to crush me like a bug. “I don’t know, Rampage. Arloste? Twist? Shujaa?” I stared at her. “I wish I were a smarter pony. Then I could figure all this out.” I looked up at Lacunae, wondering just how many souls you could fit in one pony.
我跪下来拥抱她，希望她不会把我像虫子一样碾碎。"我不知道，狂暴。阿洛斯特？扭扭舞？Shujaa?"我盯着她。"我希望自己是一匹更聪明的小马。然后我就能把这一切都搞清楚了。"我抬头看着Lacunae，不知道一匹小马能装下多少灵魂。
My whole life, I’d always been Blackjack: maybe not the smartest pony in the stable, but still me. I had a mother who raised me better than other ponies I knew and I had never had to question who or what I was. The sight of the Reaper looking at that picture with such an expression of confusion and pain... Her jaw grit as she looked from pony to zebra and back again. Finally, she pushed the picture away as she sniffed. “If Big Daddy could see me now…”
在我的整个人生中，我一直都是黑杰克:也许不是马厩里最聪明的小马，但我还是我。我的母亲把我抚养得比我认识的其他小马驹都要好，我从来没有质疑过我是谁或者我是什么。看到收割者带着困惑和痛苦的表情看着那张照片......当她从一匹小马看到另一匹斑马再看回来的时候，下巴上的沙砾。最后，她一边闻一边把那张照片推开。"如果老爹现在能看到我......"
“How do you feel?” I asked, and she hiccupped and rubbed her nose.
"你感觉怎么样?"我问，她打了个嗝，揉了揉鼻子。
“I feel… Goddesses… I’d say messed up and crazy, but apparently that’s not how crazy works. I look at the pictures, and part of me says ‘that’s me’, and other parts say ‘no, it’s somepony else’ and they’re fighting with each other. And part of me loves what I see… a part of me hates what I see… and… it’s just wrong. I want to apologize to myself… and kill myself… and cut out my heart…
"我觉得...女神...我会说一团糟和疯狂，但显然这不是疯狂的工作方式。我看着那些照片，一部分的我说'那是我'，另一部分的我说'不，那是别的小马'，然后他们就开始打架了。一部分的我喜欢我所看到的，一部分的我讨厌我所看到的，这是不对的。我想向自己道歉...然后自杀...然后挖出我的心..。
and… ugh… just crazy!” She looked at Glory plaintively. “Are you sure that I’m not crazy? Positive? It would explain a lot, wouldn’t it?”
而且...呃...太疯狂了!"她悲伤地望着晨辉。"你确定我没疯吗？积极？这可以解释很多事情，不是吗?"
Glory sighed and gave a small, comforting smile. The gray pony just didn’t have it in her to hold a grudge. “No. If you weren’t aware of the conflicting impulses… maybe then it might be some sort of personality disorder... but since you are... Sorry.”
晨辉叹了口气，给了一个小小的安慰性的微笑。那匹灰色的小马就是没有心怀怨恨。"没有。如果你没有意识到这种冲突的冲动......也许这可能是某种人格障碍......但既然你是......对不起。"
“Eh…” She took a deep breath. “It’s how I normally feel. Little impulses and urges and conflicts inside me and all of them screaming for attention. Sometimes I feel like a schoolteacher or something and my head is a kindergarten.” She groaned. “Mint-als help me focus on what’s what… keep it all straight.”
"呃......"她深吸了一口气。"这是我通常的感觉。我内心的小冲动、冲动和冲突，它们都在呼唤我的注意力。有时候我觉得自己像个老师什么的，脑袋就像个幼儿园。"她呻吟着。"Mint-als帮助我专注于什么是什么......保持一切顺利。"
“Well… sorry I can’t help more,” I said with a sigh.
"嗯......对不起，我帮不上什么忙了,"我叹了口气说。
She just laughed weakly, shaking her head. “Blackjack… before I met you, I didn’t think that I could be helped at all. Nothing made sense. Now I know the name of at least one pony inside me. Maybe two. At least I’ve got some hope that I can figure it all out. There’s nothing worse than being a stranger in your own skin, feeling different parts of yourself battling it out.”
她只是虚弱地笑了笑，摇摇头。"黑杰克......在遇见你之前，我根本不认为我能得到任何帮助。没有什么是说得通的。现在我至少知道了我体内一匹小马的名字。也许两个。至少我还有点希望能把一切都搞清楚。没有什么比在自己的皮肤上当一个陌生人更糟糕的了，感觉到自己的不同部分在与之斗争。"
“Do you think you’re still a threat to Scotch?” I asked with a concerned frown.
"你觉得你对苏格兰威士忌还有威胁吗?"我皱着眉关切地问。
“I don’t know,” she said as her smile disappeared. She hung her head with a sigh. “Now that I know… I felt that urge. I won’t lie. Like a pressure inside me wanting to snuff her out before she could hurt more. But I didn’t let it lock me out this time.” She rubbed her head. “I think I’ll be fine. Just try not to leave her alone with me if you can help it. No reason to tempt fate, right?”
"我不知道,"她说，她的笑容消失了。她叹了口气，低下了头。"现在我知道了......我感觉到了那种冲动。我不会撒谎。就像我内心的一种压力，想在她受到更多伤害之前把她掐死。但这次我没有让它把我锁在门外。"她揉了揉头。"我想我会没事的。如果可以的话，尽量别让她单独和我在一起。没有理由去冒险，对吧?"
Right. Tempting fate would be the last thing I’d ever do. I asked the question I’d been dreading since seeing the Reapers fighting. “Do you think Big Daddy can cut this war off if we get Crunchy Carrots to agree?” More importantly, would he still want to?
对。冒险是我最不愿做的事情。我问了一个自从看到死神战斗后就一直害怕的问题。"你认为如果我们得到脆胡萝卜的同意，大老爹能停止这场战争吗?"更重要的是，他还会这么做吗？
She sighed. “Maybe. I think so. If we do it soon.”
她叹了口气。"也许吧。我想是的。如果我们尽快行动的话。"
“But why would he want to? I thought that Big Daddy liked a good stomp,” Glory said with a small frown.
""但是他为什么要这么做呢？我还以为大老爹喜欢跺脚呢。"晨辉皱着眉头说。
Rampage chuckled mirthlessly. “He does. But he’s smart enough to look past the
狂暴的人暗自发笑。"他知道。但是他足够聪明，可以忽略这个问题
stomp and figure out that, even if he crushes the Rangers, he’s not going to have much left afterwards. Big Daddy’s always been about encroachment. Squeeze the Rangers out block by block, month by month. He never wanted a war; he just fought because they shot first… well… somepony else shot first.”
然后想想，即使他击败了流浪者队，他也不会剩下什么了。大老爹总是喜欢侵犯别人。一个月一个月地把流浪者队挤出去。他从来不想打仗，他打仗只是因为他们先开枪......嗯......其他人先开枪。"
That gave me hope. “Okay. Well then, we’ll keep going to meet with Crunchy Carrots. You can say that you’re Big Daddy’s ambassador or something. It’ll sound better coming from a Reaper than Security anyway. We’ll explain how we started things, apologize, and hope she can rein in Steel Rain.”
这给了我希望。"好吧。好吧，那我们就继续吃脆胡萝卜吧。你可以说你是老爹的大使什么的。不管怎么说，死神说的比保安说的好听多了。我们会解释我们是怎么开始的，然后道歉，希望她能控制住钢铁雨。"
“It should. It takes a lot for Rangers to break ranks,” Rampage agreed.
"这是应该的。流浪者需要付出很大的努力才能突破等级,"狂暴同意。
“But you can bet Steel Rain won’t just let us meet with the elder,” Glory chipped in.
"但是你可以打赌钢铁雨不会让我们和长者见面,"晨辉插话说。
“Correct.” I sighed and looked at Rampage. “Do you know the naval base at all? You’ve been all over the Hoof.”
"正确。"我叹了口气，看着暴怒。"你知道那个海军基地吗？你一直在胡夫。"
She nodded and walked to the bar, digging around a bit before coming back with a piece of scrap paper and a pencil. She drew a rectangle and pointed a hoof at it. “This is the naval base itself. Mostly a bunch of reinforced warehouses. Whole place was lousy with radiation for years, but I guess enough of it washed out or wore off for the Rangers to move in. West of it are a whole bunch of docks. That area’s one massive rusty tangle. East of the main area, there’re these big factory buildings where they used to make ships and stuff.” She drew a scribbled mess on the left side of the rectangle and a smaller square to the right.
她点了点头，走到酒吧，在那里挖了一会，然后拿着一张废纸和一支铅笔回来了。她画了一个长方形，用蹄子指着它。"这里就是海军基地。主要是一堆加固的仓库。整个地方多年来都充斥着辐射，但我猜它们已经被冲走了，或者已经过去了，游骑兵才搬进来。西边是一大片码头。那片区域是一片锈迹斑斑的废墟。在主要区域的东部，有一些大型的工厂建筑，他们过去在那里制造船舶和材料。"她在长方形的左边潦草地画了一个乱七八糟的东西，在右边画了一个更小的正方形。
“South of it is Ironmare Town. Mostly ruins. There used to be squatters, but the Rangers stomped them years back. Still, that area is probably thick with Ranger patrols.” She drew a great big backwards capital F above the central rectangle. “This is the breakwater and pier. Not sure how much cover or stuff there is.” And then she drew a lozenge shape on the bottom of the lower arm of the F. “And this is the Celestia. The Steel Rangers have made it their fortress in Hoofington. It’s the big reason the Reapers haven’t tried a war before. Nopony knows if the big guns work. Nopony wants to find out what it’ll take, if they do work, to get Crunchy Carrot to use up any ammunition for them.”
"南边是铁马雷镇。大部分都是废墟。这里曾经有过擅自占用土地的人，但是几年前游骑兵队把他们踩扁了。尽管如此，那个地区可能还是挤满了巡逻队。"她在中央矩形上方画了一个大大的倒写字母f。"这是防波堤和码头。不知道有多少掩体或东西。"然后她在f的下臂底部画了一个菱形。"这就是天堂。"。钢铁游骑兵已经把它作为他们在Hoofington的堡垒。这就是为什么收割者之前没有尝试过战争。小马知道这些大炮是否奏效。Nopony想知道如果他们真的工作的话，需要做些什么来让CrunchyCarrot用尽他们所有的弹药。"
Finally, underneath the square, she drew a circle. “This used to be the headquarters for the base. Big old building; guess it used to be a bunch of offices. But…” She drew another circle, this one made of a dotted line, to the
最后，在正方形的下面，她画了一个圆。"这里曾经是基地的总部。很大的老建筑，我猜以前是一堆办公室。但是......"她又画了一个圆，这个圆是用虚线画的
right of the headquarters. “This is the Ironmare crater. The bomb missed the base outright, but you know what they say…”
总部右边。"这是铁海陨石坑。炸弹完全没有击中基地，但你知道他们怎么说......"
“The only time close matters is horseshoes, grenades, and balefire bombs…” I muttered.
"只有马蹄铁、手榴弹和火焰炸弹......"我喃喃自语。
“They really say that?” Glory asked with a confused frown.
"他们真的这么说?"晨辉困惑地皱着眉头问道。
“Spoken like a pony who’s never gotten a ringer,” Rampage chuckled.
"说起话来就像一匹从未得过铃声的小马,"狂暴轻声笑着说。
“Balefire bombs ring?”
"巴利火焰炸弹戒指?"
I waved my hoof. “Okay. So… if we can get through the headquarters building, then through the factory, we should be able to find somepony to set up a meeting. Maybe Stronghoof, if he survived.” And it’d be hard for me to think of anypony who could kill that stallion!
我挥动着我的蹄子。"好吧。所以......如果我们能通过总部大楼，然后通过工厂，我们应该能找到一些小马来安排会议。如果他能活下来，也许他已经死了。"我想不出有谁能杀死那匹种马！
“I smell a whole lot of ‘make it up as we go’ coming off this plan,” Glory said with a resigned sigh.
"我觉得这个计划中有很多'边走边补救'的成分,"晨辉无奈地叹了口气说。
“Of course. Wouldn’t be fun otherwise,” I said with a smile. I looked at Rampage, who was looking at the newspaper clipping. “You want me to hold on to that for you?”
"当然。否则就没意思了,"我笑着说。我看着朗格，他正在看剪报。"你要我帮你保管吗?"
She jumped, looked at me, and then nodded once. I carefully removed the picture from the frame and slipped it into my saddlebags. I’d keep it safe. It was one of the few things I could do for her.
她跳了起来，看着我，然后点了点头。我小心翼翼地把照片从相框里拿出来，塞进我的鞍囊里。我会好好保管的。这是我能为她做的少数几件事之一。
* * *
* * *
We all took a few minutes to rinse off the grime and grit from the battle. Already I was missing the last time I had wondrous hot water cascading over me with a mare scrubbing my flanks. An unoccupied bathtub would be wonderful, too. I had never appreciated how a hot shower was a hallmark of civilization. It seemed so simple, but right now I could go for a weeklong soak… which would give me a few more weeks to get stuff done before I died.
我们都花了几分钟来冲洗战斗留下的污垢和沙砾。我已经错过了最后一次奇妙的热水倾泻在我身上，一匹母马给我擦洗腹部。一个无人使用的浴缸也是很棒的。我从来没有意识到洗个热水澡是文明的标志。这看起来很简单，但是现在我可以去泡一个星期的澡...这会给我几个星期的时间在我死之前把事情做完。
Tick tock tick. As we set off, I imagined the taint battling with my cells, slowly advancing and encroaching on healthy tissue. Building up bases and fortifying tumors. Staging raids and assaults on my intact organs till it completely
滴答滴答。当我们出发的时候，我想象着这个污点正在和我的细胞搏斗，慢慢地侵蚀着健康的组织。建立基础，强化肿瘤。突袭袭击我完好的器官
controlled the territory of my body. I could swear I felt little explosions inside when I moved wrong. Twinges like gunfire. A general burning in my rear leg like flamers at work. And, every now and then, I imagined a bomb inside me going off that would make me pause and gasp.
控制了我的身体。我可以发誓，当我走错路的时候，我感觉到内心的小爆炸。刺痛就像枪声。一个普通的燃烧在我的后腿像火焰在工作。而且，时不时地，我会想象自己体内会有一颗炸弹爆炸，这会让我停下来喘口气。
“Well, you were all running one way, but I couldn’t run. I was so scared. And those mean Ranger ponies were laughing about how they should just cut off my PipBuck and figuring how to disarm his big old bomb. Then this purple and green filly walked in. And they seemed to think she was one of my friends or something and went to grab her. Well… she opened her mouth wide and SHE bit HIS leg off. And then the other one started to shoot her, but the bullets? They just bounced right off. And then she breathed fire at him! Green fire!” Scotch looked at us. “I’m not making this up!”
"好吧，你们都是单向跑的，但是我跑不动。我吓坏了。那些卑鄙的骑兵小马正在嘲笑他们怎么能切断我的皮伯克，怎么能拆除他的大炸弹。这时，这只紫绿相间的小母马走了进来。他们似乎认为她是我的一个朋友或什么的，去抓住她。嗯......她张大了嘴，把他的腿咬了下来。然后另一个人开始朝她开枪，但是子弹呢？他们就这么弹开了。然后她向他喷火！绿火!"苏格兰人看着我们。"这不是我编的!"
I smiled as I clattered along beside her. “I didn’t say you were, Scotch.”
我微笑着在她身边咯咯地走着。"我没说你是，苏格兰人。"
“You had the smile,” she said sullenly.
"你笑起来了,"她闷闷不乐地说。
“Smile?”
"微笑?"
“That ‘I don’t believe you but I won’t say so’ smile,” she said crossly, then looked at Rampage. “You believe me, don’t you?” There was more in her tone and expression than just that. She might as well have been asking ‘You’re not angry with me, are you?’ or ‘You’re not going to leave again, are you?’
"那是'我不相信你，但我不会这么说'的微笑,"她生气地说，然后看着狂暴。"你相信我，是吗?"她的语气和表情不仅仅是这样。她可能会问'你不是在生我的气吧或者'你不会再离开了，是吗
Rampage looked at her a long moment and then gave a crooked smile. “Sure kid. I knew Gorgon. Freakiest damn pony you ever saw,” and her smile slowly faded away. “And one of the nicest.” I recalled him turning my friends to stone but kept my silence.
狂暴看了她一会儿，然后给了她一个歪歪扭扭的微笑。"当然，孩子。我认识戈耳贡。这是你见过的最诡异的小马,"她的微笑慢慢地消失了。"而且是最好的一个。"我记得他把我的朋友变成了石头，但我保持沉默。
“Who hired him to up production at the mine?” I asked as I trotted along. We were making our way north, more or less trying to keep off the streets and always watching the skies. We may have killed off a bunch of Brass’s flock, but I didn’t think that we’d gotten all of them. “I mean, it seemed pretty sudden, from what I recall.”
"是谁雇他来提高煤矿的产量?"我边跑边问。我们一路向北，或多或少试图远离街道，时刻注视着天空。我们可能已经杀死了一群布拉斯的信徒，但是我没有想到我们已经抓住了他们所有人。"我的意思是，在我的记忆中，这似乎太突然了。"
“Dunno. Apparently, some buyer wanted every last gem they could claw out of the mine. Basically took it over. Funny, because normally those gems would get converted into flamer fuel or gem cartridges, but they were going somewhere else.” I frowned, my head throbbing.
"不知道。显然，一些买家想要他们能挖出的所有宝石。基本上接手了。有趣的是，通常这些宝石会被转换成火焰燃料或宝石弹药筒，但它们会被运往其他地方。"我皱了皱眉头，脑袋抽搐着。
“I know that look,” P-21 said as he limped up beside me. “What are you thinking, Blackjack?”
"我知道那种表情,"P-21一瘸一拐地走到我身边说。"你在想什么，黑杰克?"
“Just… ugh… everything is happening now. I get EC-1101 out of 99. Gorgon gets sent out to mine gems. Everypony starts killing everypony else. What triggered it? What’s behind it? Who wants the gems so much, and why?” I pointed in the general direction of the battle. “And that monsterpony said that somepony was really pushing Sanguine to get EC-1101. So why now?”
"只是......呃......现在一切都发生了。我得到了EC-1101的99。蛇发女怪被送去采宝石。每匹小马都开始杀害其他的小马。是什么触发了它？背后是什么？谁这么想要宝石，为什么呢?"我指出了战斗的大致方向。"那个怪物说有个小马真的在催桑吉拿EC-1101。那么为什么是现在呢?"
Rampage looked at me. “No offense, but why not? Things are finally organized enough for groups of ponies to tear each other apart.”
狂暴看着我。"无意冒犯，但为什么不呢？事情终于有条不紊，足以让一群群小马互相撕咬。"
“But that’s part of it too. The companions come out east and just happen to weed out all the dozens of little tribes so that they could get five competing organizations? And one of the companions goes up to the Enclave to get them involved too through the VC? I can’t believe it’s all coincidence. It’s like there’s something… something sweeping all this along. And not just in Hoofington. Why does the Stable Dweller shake everything up now? Why has Red Eye come to power in Fillydelphia now? Why is everything happening now?”
"但这也是其中的一部分。伙伴们从东部出来，碰巧淘汰了所有的小部落，这样他们就可以得到五个竞争组织？然后其中一个伙伴去昂科雷让他们也通过风险投资参与进来？真不敢相信这都是巧合。好像有什么东西...有什么东西一直在席卷这一切。不仅仅是在Hoofington。为什么马厩居民现在改变了一切？为什么红眼睛现在在Fillydelphia掌权？为什么一切都发生在现在?"
“Maybe it is all just one big coincidence?” Glory suggested. “I mean, it’s all circumstantial.”
"也许这一切只是一个大巧合?"晨辉建议。"我是说，这些都是间接证据。"
She was probably right… but I couldn’t help but feel the niggling sensation that all of this was connected. That things that happened two hundred years ago were happening now.
她可能是对的......但是我不禁感觉到一种微妙的感觉，所有这一切都是有联系的。两百年前发生的事情现在正在发生。
I looked back at Lacunae trailing behind us as Glory and P-21 began arguing over coincidence versus pattern. Well, that was fine; I’d raised the question, so now the smart ponies could argue over it. I dropped back and gave Lacunae a little nudge. “How are you feeling?”
当Glory和P-21开始就巧合还是模式展开争论时，我回头看了看身后的Lacunae。好吧，这很好;我提出了这个问题，所以现在聪明的小马可以争论它。我退后一步，用肘轻轻推了拉库奈一下。"你感觉怎么样?"
“The Goddess was hurt… very badly. I do not think Unity has ever been so threatened before.” She shivered. “She has cut me off as completely as she can. I have been forsaken. I can hear the others… but next time I am threatened, she will let me die. She will not endanger everything for just me.”
"女神受伤了......非常严重。我认为团结从未受到过如此严重的威胁。"她打了个哆嗦。"她已经尽可能地与我断绝关系了。我被遗弃了。我能听到其他人的声音......但是下次我受到威胁的时候，她会让我死。她不会为了我而危及一切。"
“I’m sorry,” I said with a sigh. “I guess… I guess you and the Goddess would have been better off if you’d never met me.”
"对不起,"我叹了口气说。"我想......我想，如果你从未遇见过我，你和女神会过得更好。"
“Why do you say that?” Lacunae asked with the ghost of a smile. “You are… in many ways… the most fascinating pony the Goddess has ever encountered. Tenacious. Foolish. Brave and cowardly. Painfully devoted to those in need. Had ponies like you lived two centuries ago, perhaps things might have been different. At the very least, you have inspired the Goddess to a radical plan.”
"你为什么这么说?"空隙带着幽灵般的微笑问道。"在很多方面，你都是女神遇到过的最迷人的小马。顽强。愚蠢。勇敢而懦弱。痛苦地致力于帮助那些需要帮助的人。如果像你这样的小马生活在两个世纪以前，也许情况会不同。至少，你激发了女神的灵感，让她做出了一个激进的计划。"
“Radical?”
"激进?"
“Yes. The Goddess knows a dire enemy is coming to us. We will… treat with her. Seek to use her rather than destroy her outright. Allow her to achieve mutual goals in the hopes that our great biological problem can be addressed.”
"是的。女神知道一个可怕的敌人正向我们走来。我们会...和她谈谈的。寻求利用她，而不是彻底毁灭她。允许她实现共同目标，希望我们巨大的生物学问题能够得到解决。"
“That sounds dangerous. What if she betrays you?”
"这听起来很危险。如果她背叛了你怎么办?"
“That’s a great concern. But as you have pointed out… two centuries of Wasteland has accomplished little.” Two centuries of Watcher and the Enclave hasn’t accomplished much either, I thought. “We do not know if this will work, but we are becoming increasingly aware that old methods are not succeeding. Things must change, one way or another.
"这是一个巨大的担忧。但是正如你所指出的......两个世纪的荒原并没有取得什么成就。"我想，两个世纪的观察者和昂科雷也没有取得什么成就。"我们不知道这是否会奏效，但我们越来越意识到，旧的方法并不奏效。事情必须改变，无论如何。
“Are you really cut off forever?” I asked in concern, worried about what it meant for her.
"你真的要永远与世隔绝吗?"我担心地问道，担心这对她意味着什么。
“So says the Goddess, but she’s said so before. Twilight is terribly curious about Hoofington, Enervation, and your own concerns.” Lacunae gave a mysterious little smile. “I have faith that she’ll one day return to me. I’ve lost Goddesses before…”
"女神是这么说的，但她以前也这么说过。《暮光之城》对胡芬顿、艾纳维斯和你自己的担忧感到非常好奇。"陷阱露出一丝神秘的微笑。"我相信有一天她会回到我身边。我以前也失去过女神......"
That was an odd thing to say, but when she mentioned that name, I gave a half smile, “Is she… is she really in there?”
这是一个奇怪的事情说，但当她提到这个名字，我半微笑,"她...她真的在那里吗?"
“It’s… complicated,” she said with another faint smile. “It’s like… music. The Goddess is the conductor, and we are her orchestra. She selects the music, but we must play the notes. Some of us play well, some softly, some with amazing skill. Twilight is one such musician, perhaps the best in the orchestra, but the Goddess still picks the music. And I think that she is glad to yield the decisions to the Goddess… the choices of her time as Ministry Mare were not easy on her. It was a time of much pain and regret.”
"这......很复杂,"她又淡淡地笑着说。"就像......音乐。女神是指挥，我们是她的乐队。她选择音乐，但我们必须演奏音符。我们中的一些人弹得很好，一些人弹得很温柔，一些人有着惊人的技巧。黄昏就是这样的一个音乐家，也许是管弦乐队中最好的，但是女神仍然选择音乐。而且我认为她很高兴把决定权交给女神......她作为母马部的时间选择对她来说并不容易。那是一个充满痛苦和悔恨的时代。"
“Funny how she wants to add us all to her band,” I muttered dryly.
"她想把我们都加入她的乐队，真有意思,"我干巴巴地喃喃自语。
“We once thought to make it optional, but the process was too slow and painful. The acolytes of Unity were too vulnerable to the predators of the Wasteland. And it seemed somewhat cruel to leave the poor and ignorant and fearful to die when they could be saved in Unity. Once they were part of us, they would know it was a better state.” She gave a tiny shrug. “It is a matter of perspective. For us, it would be monstrous not to offer Unity to all.”
"我们曾经认为这是可选择的，但这个过程过于缓慢和痛苦。团结的追随者太容易受到来自荒地的掠夺者的伤害。当穷人、无知者和害怕死亡的人可以在联合中得到拯救的时候，离开他们似乎有点残忍。一旦他们成为我们的一部分，他们就会知道这是一个更好的国家。"她轻轻地耸了耸肩。"这是一个观点问题。对我们来说，不向所有人提供团结是荒谬的。"
I didn’t think about it like that. “What was it like for you?”
我没有那样想过。"对你来说是什么感觉?"
She gave me a sad smile. “I don’t know. I didn’t go through Unity,” she replied, and I kicked myself. It was so hard to remember that she wasn’t actually a pony, that she was just a collection of thoughts and regrets. “I have memories, though. A cup of golden fluid… vats of rainbow lights… catwalks… why catwalks?” She sighed and shivered slightly. “Then falling into a great dark filled with whispers and motes of light.”
她给了我一个悲伤的微笑。"我不知道。我没有通过Unity考试,"她回答道，我自责不已。很难想起她实际上不是一匹小马，她只是一个思想和遗憾的集合。"不过，我有回忆。一杯金色的液体......大桶的彩虹灯......t型台......为什么是t型台?"她叹了口气，微微发抖。"然后掉进一个充满低语和微光的巨大黑暗中。"
“And then?”
"然后呢?"
“Learning to play. Some fight it. But I think, on some fundamental level, we all long for harmony.”
"学习演奏。有些人与之抗争。但我认为，从根本上讲，我们都渴望和谐。"
“Harmony, huh?” I looked in the direction of all the smoke. “Somehow, Hoofington doesn’t seem to know how to play along.”
"和谐，哈?"我朝烟雾弥漫的方向望去。"不知何故，胡芬顿似乎不知道如何合作。"
* * *
* * *
Two hours later, we’d left most of the industrial section of the city behind. Crumbling factories gave way to a narrow band of yellowed grass, dead trees, and smaller patches of tract homes. In the middle of this band were a parking lot, a foundation, and a sign proudly proclaiming ‘Horizon Laboratories’. Beneath that, ‘Proud Subsidiary of the Ministry of Arcane Science’. Everything else had been scraped away by a balefire bomb, given the crater beside the building. It’d probably been blown out into the bay.
两个小时后，我们离开了城市的大部分工业区。破败的工厂让位于一片狭窄的发黄的草地、枯死的树木和小片的房屋。乐队中间是一个停车场，一个基金会，还有一个自豪地宣布"地平线实验室"的标志。下面是"奥术科学部骄傲的附属机构"。鉴于建筑物旁边的火山口，其他所有东西都被一枚弹射炸弹炸掉了。它可能被吹到海湾里去了。
“Well. That’s disappointing,” Rampage muttered. She pointed at the junk scattered over the slab of blasted foundation. “Was this someplace important?”
"好吧。真令人失望,"狂暴喃喃自语。她指着散落在被毁坏的地基上的那些垃圾。"这是什么重要的地方吗?"
“It might have been a place with some answers,” I grumbled. Now it was no place.
"这可能是一个有一些答案的地方,"我嘟囔着。现在已经没有地方了。
“If you don’t mind, I think I should take the opportunity to replenish myself,” Lacunae said as she looked yearningly at the red radiation emanating from the bowl-shaped depression.
"如果你不介意的话，我想我应该抓住这个机会来补充一下自己,"拉库纳一边说，一边渴望地看着碗状抑郁症散发出的红色辐射。
“Have fun. Keep an eye open for Rangers… Reapers… manticores…” I sighed and hung my head. “You know what? Just keep an eye out for anything that isn’t us.” With a flutter of her wings, she trotted happily towards the wan glow of the crater.
"玩得开心。留意一下流浪者......收割者......人头......"我叹了口气，低下了头。"你知道吗？留意那些不属于我们的东西。"她挥动着翅膀，快乐地向火山口苍白的火光跑去。
I walked across the slab, finding the elevator shafts completely choked with rubble. There were a few smashed and rusted bits of office equipment; most of the concrete was burned to a crisp and still gave slow clicks on my radiation meter. We met back in the parking lot.
我走过石板，发现电梯井完全被碎石堵住了。办公室里有一些破烂生锈的设备，大部分的混凝土都被烧成了碎片，我的辐射测量仪仍然发出缓慢的滴答声。我们在停车场见面。
“So… nothing here, then?” Rampage asked as she drummed her hooves on the rusted hulks.
"那么，这里什么都没有了?"她用蹄子敲打着生锈的船体，狂暴地问道。
It looked exactly that way. A small parking lot for wagons… a big empty slab. Wait... Small. Big. Slowly, I turned around and faced away from the building. Nothing that way either. A few smashed homes. A gutted recharging station. A lot of ponies must have worked here, and to do that they must have had some way to get here. There.
看起来就是这样。一个用来停放马车的小停车场...一块巨大的空板。等等...很小。很大。慢慢地，我转过身，背对着大楼。也不是那样的。一些被摧毁的房屋。一个破损的充电站。一定有很多小马在这里工作，要做到这一点，它们一定有某种方式来到这里。好了。
A subway…
地铁..。
Slowly, I trotted towards it. The blue sign was pitted with rust and largely illegible, but my PipBuck navigation icon told me what it had said. ‘Horizon Station’.
慢慢地，我朝它跑去。蓝色的标志锈迹斑斑，难以辨认，但是我的PipBuck导航图标告诉了我它说了什么。地平线车站。
“Bingo,” I said with a little smile.
"答对了,"我微笑着说。
Scotch balked. “You… you want to go down there?” she said as she looked at the rusty doors that hung half open at the bottom of the stairs.
苏格兰人犹豫不决。"你...你想下去吗?"她看着楼梯底部半开的锈迹斑斑的门说。
“Just a little way,” I said as I looked at her. “You don’t have to go, if you don’t want to.” I glanced at Rampage, but she shook her head slowly. “P-21 can--”
"还差一点,"我看着她说。"如果你不想去，你可以不去。"我瞥了一眼暴怒，但她慢慢地摇了摇头。"P-21可以--"
“I’ll go with you. You might come across a lock or a terminal,” he countered flatly. Damn it.
"我和你一起去。你可能会遇到锁或终端,"他断然反驳道。该死。
“I’ll stay with her,” Glory volunteered, as if there was somepony else willing. “Who knows? It could be fun.”
"我会陪着她的,"晨辉主动说，好像还有其他人愿意一样。""谁知道呢？这会很有趣的。"
“Yippee,” Scotch muttered as she walked away from the subway stairs. “Babysat by the world’s most boring pony.”
"太好了,"苏格兰人一边走出地铁楼梯一边喃喃自语。"世界上最无聊的小马驹的保姆。"
“I’m not the world’s most boring pony! We can braid manes… swap stories… um… pillow...fight?…” She chewed on her hoof for a moment and looked at me. “I’m not really the most boring pony, am I?”
"我不是世界上最无聊的小马！我们可以编辫子...交换故事...呃...枕头大战？......"她咬了一会儿蹄子，看着我。"我不是最无聊的小马，对吧?"
I looked at her and thought that outright deception was called for. “Absolutely not.”
我看着她，认为这是彻头彻尾的欺骗。"绝对不行。"
That brightened her up. “Come on, Scotch. I’ll show you the principles of beam rifle technology!” she said as the two headed back towards the center of the parking lot.
这使她精神振奋。"来吧，苏格兰人。我将向你展示射击步枪技术的原理!"她说当他们回到停车场中心的时候。
“Someday you’re going to have to tell her what happened,” Rampage said from the doorway of the subway station.
"总有一天你得告诉她发生了什么,"拉皮特在地铁站门口说。
“She’s fine. She’s dealing with it,” P-21 muttered. “Last thing she needs to do is go remembering anything else.”
"她很好。她正在处理,"P-21嘀咕道。"她需要做的最后一件事就是记住其他任何东西。"
“But why is she remembering at all?” I asked as I looked in at two rusty escalators dropping into the earth. I took that for a good sign and slowly started down with Vigilance and sword out.
"但是她为什么还记得呢?"我看着两个生锈的自动扶梯掉进地里，问道。我认为这是一个好的迹象，慢慢地开始了警惕和剑出。
“Memory spells remove memory,” Rampage said from behind me in a slightly off voice. I glanced back. Her walk was less… stalking. More normal. Another pony inside her? “However, mental trauma is rarely so black and white as good memory, bad memory. Stripping away an unpleasant memory may prevent the mind from actively recalling the event, but it doesn’t necessarily remove the countless subconscious reactions to the trauma itself. If a pony falls into a river, the memory of the fall and nearly drowning can be extracted, but the anxiety around water and the phobia of drowning can remain. True memory therapy takes years of work to adjust those subconscious problems.” I looked past her at P-21, seeing his eyes wide in surprise. Rampage muttered softly, “What a dreadful station.”
"记忆魔咒消除了记忆,"狂暴从我身后用略微不对劲的声音说。我回头看了一眼。她的步伐没有那么...跟踪。更正常。她肚子里还有一匹小马？"然而，精神创伤很少像好的记忆、坏的记忆那样黑白分明。剥离一段不愉快的记忆可能会阻止大脑主动回忆这件事，但是这并不一定会消除大脑对创伤本身的无数潜意识反应。如果一匹小马掉进河里，人们可以提取掉下来和差点淹死的记忆，但是对水的焦虑和对溺水的恐惧仍然存在。真正的记忆疗法需要多年的努力才能调整这些潜意识问题。"我越过她看着P-21，看到他惊讶地睁大了眼睛。狂暴低声说:"真是个可怕的地方。"
“Yeah. Somepony should call maintenance… Doctor…?” I guessed. The
"是的。有人应该打电话给维修......医生......?"我猜的。这个
emergency lighting still flickered and danced as we followed the escalator lower and lower into the earth.
当我们沿着电梯一点一点地下去时，紧急照明灯还在闪烁跳动。
“Octopus,” she replied with a crooked smile. Really? “Yes, really. I was quite grabby with my magic as a colt.” I didn’t hesitate as we continued down lower into the earth. “I quite like my name, actually. It’s one few ponies forget. After a while, all the hoof-this and wing-that blur together, don’t you think?” I saw the red marks on my E.F.S. below and lowered my voice.
"章鱼,"她回答时露出一个歪歪扭扭的微笑。真的吗？"是的，真的。我像小马一样贪婪地使用魔法。"当我们继续深入地下时，我没有犹豫。"实际上，我很喜欢我的名字。有几匹小马忘记了。过了一会儿，所有的蹄子——这个和翅膀——都模糊了，你不觉得吗?"我看到下面的e.f.s上的红色标记，就压低了声音。
“Right. And what do you do for a living, Doctor?” I asked, trying to divide my attention.
"对。你是做什么工作的，医生?"我问道，试图分散我的注意力。
“Senior psychiatrist at the Fluttershy Medical Center,” she said, and then frowned. “At least… I was. I think. Has something happened? I feel dreadfully out of sorts.”
"FluttershyMedicalCenter的高级精神病医生,"她说，然后皱起了眉头。"至少......我曾经是。我想。发生什么事了吗？我感到非常不舒服。"
Not crazy, but not entirely here and aware of what was going on. “Nothing major,” I said softly, wondering how a pony like this ended up in Rampage. “What was the last thing you recall clearly, Doctor?”
不是很疯狂，但不是完全在这里，也不知道发生了什么。"没什么大不了的,"我温柔地说，心里想着这样一匹小马怎么会横冲直撞。"医生，你记得的最后一件事是什么?"
She curled her lip as she stepped over several bodies, not seeming to recognize them completely. “I… believe I was attending a lecture on methods of psychological deconstruction and reconstruction in Manehattan. There was an accident… I think. A dreadful accident.” She suddenly looked around. “What’s going on? This… this has to be some sort of hallucination!”
她一边走过几具尸体，一边撇了撇嘴，似乎没有完全认出来。"我.....。.我在Manehattan参加一个关于心理解构和重建方法的讲座。我想是发生了意外。一场可怕的事故。"她突然环顾四周。"怎么回事？这...这一定是某种幻觉!"
“Please… Doctor. Focus. You said an accident… did it happen after Big Macintosh’s death?”
"求你了......医生。专注。你说是意外......是在大麦金托什死后发生的吗?"
She looked at me and her panic increased. “Why are you asking an old stallion about that horrible affair? This must be some sort of stress-induced break from reality.”
她看着我，她的恐慌加剧了。"你为什么要问一匹老马关于那件可怕的事情？这一定是某种由压力引起的脱离现实的行为。"
“How long ago was it, Doctor?”
"多久以前的事了，医生?"
“A year… I think…” she said in a trembling voice. She reached up and touched her forehead, her pupils shrinking. “Sweet Luna protect me… am… am I… is this real?”
"一年......我想......"她声音颤抖地说。她伸手摸了摸额头，瞳孔缩小了。"可爱的月神保佑我...是...是我..。.这是真的吗?"
“I…” I looked at P-21 helplessly. He just gave a tiny shrug. “Yes. I’m afraid
"我.....。。」我无助地看着P-21。他只是轻轻地耸了耸肩。"是的。我害怕
you’re not dreaming, Doctor. You’re… you’re inside a mare named Rampage.” I prayed she wasn’t going to freak out, but, though she seemed disturbed, she didn’t become violent. Instead, she reached up to her eyes and then blinked.
你不是在做梦，医生。你...你在一匹名叫狂暴的母马里面。"我祈祷她不要崩溃，但是，尽管她看起来很不安，她并没有变得暴力。相反，她抬起眼睛，然后眨了眨。
“Ah… no glasses… My word. Well, I suppose that, unless I’ve gone completely off my nut, I may as well accept what you say at face value,” she muttered as she looked at the decaying station. “Though it seems as if something has gone quite terribly wrong?” she asked with a worried smile.
"啊......不戴眼镜......我的天。"好吧，我想，除非我完全失去理智，否则我还不如从表面上接受你说的话,"她看着这个衰败的电台喃喃自语。"尽管看起来好像有什么地方出了大问题?"她带着担忧的微笑问道。
“It’s been two hundred years. And yes, something did go quite terribly wrong,” P-21 said quietly. “You’re a stallion, Doctor?”
"已经两百年了。是的，确实出了一些非常严重的问题,"P-21轻声说。"你是一匹种马，医生?"
“Well, I was,” she said. “And I was a unicorn. Really, how did this happen?”
"嗯，我是,"她说。"我是一只独角兽。说真的，这是怎么发生的?"
I sighed. “You tell us, Doctor?”
我叹了口气。"你告诉我们，医生?"
“As I said, I haven’t the foggiest idea. I was… asleep I think. It was dark, certainly. Unpleasant. Then I recall some folks discussing memory manipulation. I was quite keen to join the conversation... but unfortunately, I couldn’t quite wake up. Then it happened again just now, and suddenly I was… well… in this odd state. I didn’t feel myself at all…” she replied as he looked at her hoofclaws. “My… how positively horrid. The future isn’t at all what I’d anticipated.”
""正如我所说的，我一点也不知道。我想我...睡着了。当然，天很黑。令人不快。然后我想起一些人在讨论记忆操作。我很想加入这场谈话......但不幸的是，我无法完全清醒过来。然后刚才又发生了一次，突然间我......嗯......处于一种奇怪的状态。我一点也感觉不到自己......"他看着她的蹄爪，她回答道。"我的......多么可怕啊。未来和我预想的完全不一样。"
“Did anything unusual happen to you? Anything to do with the Office of Interministry Affairs or their secret projects?” I asked with a smile. “Anything you can tell us would help.”
"你有没有遇到什么不寻常的事？与部际事务办公室或他们的秘密项目有关吗?"我笑着问。"你能告诉我们的任何信息都会有帮助。"
“My dear, I was living a life of constant referrals and anticipating more time with my grandfoals once I retired. I was never a big supporter of the war or the ministries and certainly not involved with anything secret,” she said with a sad shake of her head. “I wonder… did my grandfoals… what became of them?” she asked with a look of terrible worry.
"亲爱的，我一直生活在不断被推荐的生活中，希望退休后能有更多的时间和我的孙女在一起。我从来不是战争或政府部门的大力支持者，当然也不参与任何秘密活动,"她悲伤地摇着头说。"我想知道......我的孙女们......他们后来怎么样了?"她带着极度担忧的神情问道。
“I’m sorry, Doctor. They probably died,” I said softly. “The war… there were bombs…” I stammered and dropped my gaze. “I’m sorry.”
"对不起，医生。他们可能已经死了,"我轻声说。"战争......那里有炸弹......"我结结巴巴地凝视着。"对不起。"
She put her hooves on my shoulders. “No, my dear. I’m sorry. I’m sorry we didn’t work things out. I always knew we were developing too fast. Changing too much. Too much pride and too much anger… but nopony was interested in the opinions of a stallion who fondly remembered steam trains.” She took a deep
她把蹄子搭在我的肩上。""不，亲爱的。对不起。很抱歉我们没能解决问题。我一直知道我们发展得太快了。改变太多。太多的骄傲和太多的愤怒......但是没有一匹小马对一匹钟爱蒸汽火车的种马的意见感兴趣。"她深吸了一口气
breath. “Now, if you’ll excuse me… I think there’s somepony who wants… something. I’d best go back to wherever I was.”
呼吸。"现在，如果你不介意的话......我想有一匹小马想要......一些东西。我最好还是回到原来的地方去。"
She blinked, and suddenly her eyes popped wide. “Tell me I didn’t kill her. Please tell me I didn’t kill her!”
她眨了眨眼睛，突然眼睛睁得大大的。"告诉我，我没有杀她。请告诉我，我没有杀她!"
“You didn’t,” I assured her. “Actually, we talked to somepony who was… Well… actually pretty nice, if a little confused.”
"你没有,"我向她保证。"事实上，我们采访了一个......嗯......事实上相当不错，只是有点困惑。"
We trotted down to the station; I was relieved to find it intact. However, there were some ghouls shuffling around aimlessly. I was glad that the doctor was gone; I’d hate to have to explain all this to him. It was surprising how casually we dispatched them when they charged us; after a battle like earlier, it seemed almost foolishly easy. The train tunnel ran north and south, right towards the fallen Horizon Labs.
我们小跑着来到车站，发现车站完好无损，我松了一口气。然而，有些食尸鬼漫无目的地拖着脚步走来走去。我很高兴医生已经走了，我不愿意向他解释这一切。令人惊讶的是，当他们向我们冲来的时候，我们如此随意地把他们打发走了;像之前那样经过一场战斗之后，这似乎显得简单得有些愚蠢。火车隧道向南北两边延伸，一直延伸到倒塌的地平线实验室。
“What are you hoping to find?” P-21 asked as he stuffed his saddlebags with some semi-decent salvage. There was always a need for more duct tape, Wonderglue, and scrap metal.
"你希望找到什么?"P-21一边问，一边往他的鞍囊里塞了一些半像样的废物。总是需要更多的管道胶带、Wonderglue和废金属。
“No idea. The professor said that this place was involved with the O.I.A.” I said as we stepped off the platform and walked along the tracks. I kept looking up, to the sides, and all around.
"不知道。教授说这个地方和o.i.a.有关。"当我们走下站台，沿着铁轨走的时候，我说。我不停地向上看，向两边看，向四周看。
“This is a bad idea,” P-21 muttered. “We don’t have any healing potions left…”
"这是个坏主意,"P-21嘟囔着。"我们已经没有任何治疗药剂了......"
“As I recall, you volunteered,” I said as I looked at him with a flat look and even smile. Then I spotted the door in the wall, a terminal mounted next to it. I rapped on the glass monitor. “And good thing, too.” He scowled sullenly at me before getting to work.
"我记得，你是自愿的,"我一边说，一边平淡地看着他，甚至还带着微笑。然后我发现了墙上的门，一个安装在它旁边的终端。我敲了敲玻璃监视器。"这也是件好事。"开始工作前，他阴沉着脸看着我。
“What was he like?” Rampage asked.
"他是个什么样的人?"狂暴问道。
“The doctor? Well… he was a grandfather. A professional. Cared for his grandkids. Didn’t mention a wife… seemed to think he was dreaming or something at first. And he was a psychiatrist of some sort,” I said with a smile and a shrug at her baffled look.
""医生？他是个爷爷。一个专业人士。照顾他的孙子孙女。没有提到妻子......一开始似乎觉得他是在做梦什么的。他是某种精神病医生,"我对她困惑的表情微笑着耸耸肩说。
We were silent for a few minutes as P-21 worked on the terminal, muttering under his breath. “Blackjack?” Rampage asked softly.
我们沉默了几分钟，P-21在终端机上工作，低声咕哝着。"黑杰克?"狂暴轻声问道。
“Hmmm?”
"嗯?"
“Do you think I’m real?”
"你认为我是真实的吗?"
I blinked in surprise. “Real? What are you talking about?”
我惊讶地眨了眨眼。"真的吗？你在说什么?"
“I mean…” she hugged herself. “What if… what if there is no Rampage? Or Arloste? Or me? Am I just… just a collection of ponies all blended together?”
"我的意思是......"她拥抱了自己。"如果......如果没有暴怒怎么办？还是阿洛斯特？还是我？我是不是......只是一群混在一起的小马?"
I bit my lip, not sure how to answer that. But P-21 snorted, “You’re real, alright.” He looked at the striped mare sharply. “I have no idea who that doctor was. Or Shujaa. Or Twist. Or anypony. I just know Rampage. That’s all I think of when I think of you. I don’t know if you’re crazy or possessed or what… but you annoy me, so you must be real.”
我咬了咬嘴唇，不知道该怎么回答。但是P-21哼了一声,"你是真的，好吧。"他锐利地看着那匹有斑纹的母马。"我不知道那个医生是谁。或者是Shujaa。或者扭曲。或者是anypony。我只知道狂暴。当我想到你的时候，这就是我全部的想法。我不知道你是疯了还是被附身了......但你让我很烦，所以你一定是真的。"
Rampage looked at him, her eyes growing wide. Just as she started to move to hug him, he pointed a hoof at her face. “Hug me and I’ll put enough C-4 in your bed to launch you to the moon.”
狂暴看着他，眼睛睁得大大的。就在她开始动起来要抱他的时候，他用蹄子指了指她的脸。"抱抱我，我会在你床上放足够的C-4把你送上月球。"
Rampage stopped mid-hug, giving me an awkward smile. P-21 looked at the terminal and hit a button. There was a beep and then an electrical click, and the door swung open. “Well, there’s probably something bad here,” he said as he looked at me.
狂暴在拥抱中停止了，给了我一个尴尬的微笑。P-21看着终端并按下按钮。接着是一声哔哔声，然后是一声电子滴答声，门打开了。"嗯，这里可能有什么不好的东西,"他看着我说。
“Why?”
"为什么?"
“The password is ‘Trottenheimer’.”
"密码是'Trottenheimer'。"
* * *
* * *
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from the basement of Horizon Laboratories. ‘Arcane Solutions to Magical Problems’ seemed to be their motto. The basement offices were neat and tidy, if slightly dusty. There were no bodies lying around, and while the walls were cracked, they were still mostly intact without too much rubble. A number of posters of Applejack and Twilight Sparkle could be found, along with pithy motivational posters.
我不确定我期望从地平线实验室的地下室得到什么。"魔法问题的神秘解决方案"似乎是他们的座右铭。地下室的办公室干净整洁，尽管有点灰尘。周围没有尸体，尽管墙壁破裂，但大部分仍然完好无损，没有太多碎石。我们可以找到一些Applejack和紫悦的海报，还有精炼的励志海报。
What there wasn’t a lot of was paper.
没有多少纸张。
“Something’s wrong here…” I muttered as I checked the twentieth desk. No
"这里有点不对劲......"我一边查看第二十张桌子，一边喃喃自语。没有
clipboards with financial reports. No papers. No office supplies. There was more stuff in the utility closet than in the whole of the office combined. Where were the coffee mugs and the bottlecaps? There were always bottlecaps.
带有财务报告的写字板。没有文件。没有办公用品。杂物间里的东西比整个办公室加起来还多。咖啡杯和瓶子在哪里？总是有瓶装水。
“This place has been cleaned,” P-21 said quietly. “And not recently, either.”
"这个地方已经清理过了,"P-21平静地说。"最近也没有。"
“No bullet holes…” I said. So this wasn’t a raid like at the museum...
"没有弹孔......"我说。所以这不是像在博物馆那样的突袭。
Then we found the doors and, pushed against them, a crate filled with strange yellow suits. Bright purple tape was stretched back and forth across the doors, and a sign reading ‘Biomagical Contamination Level 5. Quarantined by order of the M.A.S.’ had been hung in the center. I looked at it and nodded my head to the door. “What do you want to bet all the interesting things are through there?”
然后我们找到了门，推开门，一个箱子里装满了奇怪的黄色衣服。明亮的紫色胶带在门上来回拉伸，上面写着"生物医学污染等级5"。按照美国海军陆战队的命令被隔离的人被悬挂在中间。我看着它，对着门点了点头。"你想赌什么，所有有趣的东西都在那里?"
“Of course. Because I’m travelling with the only pony who wants to go into a place marked ‘Biomagical Contamination, Quarantined’,” P-21 muttered.
"当然。"因为我带着唯一一匹想去一个标有'生物医学污染，隔离'的地方的小马,"P-21咕哝着。
“Why are you bitching so much, P-21?” Rampage asked flatly as she cut through the strips. “You could have stayed outside… you know… with your daughter.”
"你为什么这么爱发牢骚，P-21?"她一边剪着布条，一边直截了当地问道。"你本可以待在外面......你知道......和你女儿一起。"
“Shut up,” he growled as he rubbed his leg. “I didn’t ask for this. Any of this.”
"闭嘴,"他一边揉着腿，一边咆哮道。"这不是我要求的。所有这些。"
“So what?” Rampage replied. “I didn’t ask to have a doctor, a zebra, and a foal killer inside me. Glory didn’t ask to lose a wing. Scotch didn’t ask to lose her mother. And Blackjack didn’t ask to die of cancer. But we’re sucking it up and dealing with it as best we can.”
"那又怎么样?"狂暴回答道。"我没有要求让一个医生，一只斑马和一只小马驹杀手在我体内。晨辉不要求失去一只翅膀。苏格兰人没有要求失去她的母亲。黑杰克也没有要求死于癌症。但我们正在忍气吞声，尽最大努力应对。"
“Rampage,” I said, trying to head this off.
"横冲直撞,"我说，试图阻止这一切。
“Yeah?” P-21 said, ignoring me and glaring at her. “Well, this is me dealing with it.”
"是吗?"P-21说，无视我，怒视着她。"好吧，这就是我的处理方式。"
“No. This is you running away from it. Because you’ve got family right here in front of you and you’re terrified of actually having a relationship,” Rampage said firmly.
"没有。这就是你在逃避它。因为你的家人就在你的面前，你害怕真正拥有一段感情。"。
“You know what?” He rose to his hooves. “I really don’t need to hear this from a mare who ran away and left us to go join her marauding friends. You deal with your shit your way. I’ll deal with my shit in my own way.” He started limping towards the exit.
"你知道吗?"他站起身来。"我真的不需要从一头母马那里听到这些，她跑掉了，丢下我们去和她的朋友们一起抢劫。你用你的方式处理你的事情。我会用我自己的方式处理我的事情。"他开始一瘸一拐地向出口走去。
“Wow,” I muttered.
"哇,"我喃喃自语。
“Urrrgh…” Rampage snorted and smashed a table hard, denting the metal with her hoof. “I really need to pick my timing better.”
"呃......"狂暴哼了一声，狠狠地砸碎了一张桌子，蹄子踩在金属上留下凹痕。"我真的需要更好地把握时机。"
“You think?” I arched my brow as I pushed through the door. Beyond… here was what I was used to. Walls blackened by fire. Partially melted glass airlock. No bones yet, but there were orange drums marked ‘Biomagical Waste’. I gave them a wide berth as my rad sensor began to tick. I fished around in my saddlebags for some Rad-X and even drank a little RadAway for good measure. Looking back at Rampage, I smiled a little.
"你觉得呢?"我拱起眉毛，推开门。除此之外...这是我习惯的。被火熏黑的墙壁。部分熔化的玻璃气闸。虽然还没有发现骨头，但是已经发现了标记着生物医学废物的橙色圆桶。当我的红外传感器开始工作时，我对它们敬而远之。我在我的鞍囊里摸索着一些Rad-X，甚至还喝了一点Rad-X。回顾狂暴，我微笑了一下。
The fire damage became more intense the deeper we went. These labs had held equipment and terminals. I didn’t see much in the way of cages. Then I found my first body… well… something like a body. It was a bright yellow suit with a strange bubble-like helmet. I’d seen it in the dream I’d had: an environmental protection suit. This one was empty, though, the faceplate shattered. I detached the recorder from its belt.
我们越深，火灾造成的损失就越严重。这些实验室有设备和终端。我没有看到很多笼子。然后我发现了我的第一具尸体...嗯...像是一具尸体。那是一套亮黄色的衣服，带着一个奇怪的气泡状头盔。我在梦里见过它:一件环保服。这一个是空的，但是，面板粉碎。我把录音机从皮带上取下来。
Unfortunately it’d been damaged… somehow. Beaten? Battered? Chewed on? It crackled as I tried to get it to play back.
不幸的是它被损坏了......不知怎么的。被打了？被打了？被咬了？当我试图让它回放时，它发出劈啪声。
“…kzzzzzt… responders cleared out all the aboveground personnel. Up to us to clean up the mess. Of all the fucking times for Twilight to go to a fucking party in Manehattan… dzzzzzttt… grade five contamination everywhere. No clue where the bodies went. Contacted the new O.I.A. director but he’s fucking worthless. Probably just tell me whatever they were working on was classified. Who knows what we have to deal with down here…”
"...kzzzzt...应急人员清除了所有地面人员。该由我们来收拾残局了。他妈的这么多次暮光之城去Manehattan参加派对...到处都是五级污染。不知道尸体去了哪里。联系了新的o.i.a.主管但他一无是处。也许只要告诉我他们在研究什么是机密就行了。谁知道我们在这里要面对什么......"
We moved to a second set of reinforced airlock doors; these had been twisted and bent away. “What do you think are the odds that this place is unhealthy for me?” I asked with a small smile.
我们移动到第二个加固的气闸门，这些门已经扭曲和弯曲了。"你觉得这个地方对我不健康的几率有多大?"我微笑着问道。
“You? With your luck?” Rampage answered with a soft snort.
""你呢？凭你的运气?"狂暴以轻轻的鼻息回应。
“Yeah,” I replied, looking ahead. Then I turned around abruptly. “Be right back.” Rampage sat down, watching me trot down the hall to wiggle into one of the suits. I couldn’t fit it on over my barding and sighed as I removed my armor and left it by the crate. When I finally got the suit sealed up, it filled with magically supplied air from a blue talisman on the leg. I trotted back and looked at the
"是的,"我回答，向前看。然后我突然转过身来。"马上回来。"狂暴坐了下来，看着我小跑着穿过大厅，钻进一套衣服里。我无法把它放在我的铁棍上，当我卸下盔甲，把它放在箱子旁边时，叹了口气。当我最终把这套衣服密封起来的时候，它奇迹般地充满了腿上一个蓝色护身符提供的空气。我小跑回去，看了看
smirking Rampage. “What? Some of us aren’t immortal.”
得意的狂暴。"什么？我们中的一些人并不是不朽的。"
She just smiled and shook her head.
她只是微笑着摇了摇头。
We went in deeper and found a staircase that took us down a level. “Kkkkzzzz… real mess here. I don’t get how these folks got their hooves on this stuff. All the materials here look legit. I’m not seeing anything contraband anywhere. First honest lab in Hoofington, I swear… Fzzzk…” I looked at the puddles of rainbow sludge and felt my pulse quicken. “…Celestia… what the hell happened here? There shouldn’t be this much… fuck…”
我们进入了更深的地方，发现了一个楼梯，它把我们带到了一个楼层。"这里真是一团糟。我不明白这些人是怎么把蹄子沾上这玩意儿的。这里所有的材料看起来都是合法的。我没看到任何违禁品。Hoofington第一个诚实的实验室，我发誓......Fzzzk..."我看着彩虹污泥的水坑，感觉自己的脉搏加快。塞莱斯蒂娅...这里到底发生了什么？不应该有这么多...操..."
I stepped around the glowing heaps and strange shimmery pools that I was completely certain wasn’t water. The metal walls seemed melted, but the distortion was all wrong. It was as if the metal had softened and deformed, but there wasn’t much in the way of soot. “Dzzzzt… No fucking bodies anywhere. About fifty researchers were supposed to be in here. What the fuck happened to them all… Buttercup? Pickets? Hey, where are you guys?”
我走过发光的堆和奇怪的闪闪发光的池塘，我完全确定那不是水。金属墙似乎融化了，但变形是完全错误的。这种金属似乎已经软化变形，但没有多少烟灰。"Dzzzzt...没有他妈的身体任何地方。大约五十名研究人员应该在这里。他们都他妈的怎么了...毛茛？纠察队？嘿，你们在哪儿?"
I reached a lab with a flickering terminal and slowly stepped past. The rest of the terminals were deformed and twisted almost beyond recognition; the screen of this one was warped too, but I could make out a few words: ‘Silver Bullet test in cryogenic lab’. “Cryogenics? Why would they need to freeze a fucking bullet?” the recorder said through the buzz. And why couldn’t they just call it a ‘freezing lab’ instead of making up a fancy word?
我来到一个实验室，那里有一个闪烁的终端机，我慢慢地走过去。其余的终端都变形了，扭曲得几乎认不出来;这个终端的屏幕也弯曲了，但我能辨认出几个字:低温实验室的银弹测试。"低温学？他们为什么要把子弹冷冻起来?"录音机通过嗡嗡声说。为什么他们不能直接称之为"冷冻实验室"而不是编造一个华丽的词汇呢？
That was when I noticed the sign above the door to the room; apparently it was the cryogenics lab. It didn’t look frozen. Actually, it looked as if the entire lab had been made of wax and then heated just enough to distort but not enough to melt completely. Everything around me seemed fused into one solid surface.
这时我注意到房间门上方的标志，显然是低温实验室。它看起来并没有冻结。实际上，整个实验室看起来就像是由蜡制成的，然后加热到只能变形，但不能完全融化。我周围的一切似乎融合成一个坚实的表面。
“That’s it… kzzzzkkk… I’m getting the fuck out of here… wait. Pickets? Is that… stop fucking around…”
"就是这样......kzzkkk......我他妈的要离开这里......等等。纠察队？那是不是......别再胡闹了......"
I turned slowly, and then I saw the pony standing in a suit. A suit just like mine… I approached, step by step, cautiously. My hooves found the floor sticky. “Uggh… what is this stuff?” Rampage asked as she looked at her hooves. “Blackjack. Let’s get out of here. This place is way too messed up for me.”
我慢慢地转过身，然后我看见那匹小马穿着西装站在那里。一套和我一模一样的衣服......我小心翼翼地一步一步地靠近。我的蹄子发现地板粘乎乎的。"呃......这是什么东西?"狂暴看着自己的蹄子问道。"黑杰克。我们走吧。这个地方对我来说太乱了。"
“Just a second.” The pony in the suit was leaned right up against the wall just inside the door. Slowly, I trotted closer and closer, leaving Rampage to scrape the goo from the floor off of her hooves.
"等一下。"那个穿西装的小马就靠在门里面的墙上。慢慢地，我跑得越来越近，离开了狂暴，留下她的蹄子从地板上擦掉粘粘的东西。
“Kkkkkkzzzzztt…” the speaker crackled and sputtered as I looked into the lab, my eye drawn into the middle by a familiar object.
"kkkkzzztt..."当我看着实验室的时候，演讲者噼里啪啦地说着，我的眼睛被一个熟悉的物体吸引到中间。
The entire room had been liquefied. In the center was a sort of pedestal. It rose like an organic growth in the center of the room, holding the only solid object in sight. A deformed metal arm dangled above it like a skeletal appendage.
整个房间都液化了。中间是一个类似底座的东西。它像一个有机的生长在房间的中心，举行了视线中唯一的固体物体。一只畸形的金属手臂在它上面晃来晃去，就像一个骨骼的附属物。
I’d seen the object before; I had one sitting in my saddlebag right now.
我以前见过这个东西，现在我的鞍囊里就有一个。
Lying on the pedestal was the split-open shell of a silver bullet. It’d been mostly hollow, a thick silver casing around a softly glowing white stone core. A faint rainbow residue coated the interior.
放在基座上的是一枚银弹裂开的外壳。它几乎是中空的，厚厚的银色外壳包裹着柔和发光的白色石芯。一道淡淡的彩虹残留物覆盖在车内。
Slowly, I backed away as the recorder crackled. “Pickets? Pickets?! Fuck! Pickets!”
录音机劈啪作响，我慢慢后退。"纠察队？警戒队?！操！警戒队!"
I turned to look at the pony; she wasn’t leaning against the wall. She was a part of the wall.
我转过头去看小马，她并没有靠在墙上。她是城墙的一部分。
And she was staring right at me.
她直直地盯着我。
She opened her mouth and began to scream.
她张开嘴尖叫起来。
And the rest of the lab joined her.
实验室其他人也加入了她的行列。
 
Footnote: Level Up.
脚注:水平上升。
 
Author's Notes:
作者笔记:
(All glory and praise to Kkat for creating FoE in the first place. Huge thanks to Hinds, Bronode, and Snipehamster for spending half a day polishing this to something readable. And thanks to everypony who leaves comments. Also, if you can spare a few bits, donations can be sent to David13ushey @ gmail. com through Paypal. Thank you.)
(所有的晨辉和赞美都归功于Kkat在第一时间创造了敌人。非常感谢海因兹、Bronode和Snipehamster花了半天时间将这本书润色成可读的内容。感谢每一位发表评论的小马。另外，如果你能腾出一些钱，你可以把捐款发送到David13ushey@gmail。通过Paypal。谢谢。)