So Kruber’s a Grail Knight, is he now? Can’t say I’m surprised. Well, a little bit surprised, but you don’t last long in my trade if you go around raising eyebrows at the slightest thing. Don’t worry. Let Uncle Franz set you straight.
这么说，克鲁伯如今是圣杯骑士了？
没有，我哪会大吃一惊，小吃一惊确实有那么一点儿。毕竟我们这行，要是屁大点事儿都大惊小怪，那可干不了多久。别慌，听弗兰兹叔叔给你们说道说道。
Truth is, there’s a lot more trading of bloodlines back and forth across the border than you might think. Sure, those frog-courtin’ fancypants might hold pretty strange notions about warfare and religion, but when it comes down to it we’re all human. When your back’s against the wall, it’s a lot easier to go looking for help from your own kind – even if they do talk funny – than the likes of elves. No offence, Kerillian.
要知道，边境地区的混血情况比你们以为的还要普遍。
是，那帮爱讲排场，喜欢跟青蛙亲嘴儿的家伙，对于战争和宗教的想法的确古怪，说话的口音也搞笑，但说一千道一万，大伙儿总归都是人类。
真被逼得走投无路了，找同类帮忙总比去求尖耳朵强吧？无意冒犯啊，凯瑞莲。
Anyway, same’s true of what you might call ‘local trouble’. Plenty of our scoundrels slip through Axe Bite Pass and make a new life for ‘emselves in Bretonnia when the law comes a-knockin’. And there’s plenty come the other way, too. There was a village up by Eilhart where every other family had a Bretonnian name – better than average bone structure too, come to think of it – descendants of some outcast baron’s servants, or so I heard.
咳，扯远了。还有那种「在老家惹了事」的，也是一个道理。
咱们这边不少混账，一听见官差敲门，就溜过斧痕隘口，跑去巴托尼亚另起炉灶。反过来跑到这边的，也大有人在。
据说啊，艾尔哈特附近有个村子，村里差不多一半人都顶着巴托尼亚姓氏，是一群家仆们的后代，他们祖上服侍过某个被放逐的男爵。对了，我还听说，这些人长得都比一般人精致。
Not that our Kruber’s descended from peasantry, or even disgraced nobility. I’ve been asking around. I’ve got one or two mates across the border – never you mind who – and they reckon he’s the only living heir of one Foricarl de Mandelot.
我调查过了，咱们克鲁伯既不是村民的后代，也不是什么罪臣之后。边境那头我有些熟人，是谁你们就别管了。他们认为，克鲁伯是一个叫福里卡洛·德·曼德洛特的人仅存的血脉。
Big old hero in his day, was old Foricarl. Saved Parravon from a dragon in righteous style. There were tapestries, and everything. Something of a hit with the damsels, so I hear. When he rode to tourney, you could barely see his lance for the weight of the ribbons of favour. Problem was, some of Foricarl’s knightly brethren didn’t hold quite the same esteem. Jealousy, you know.
福里卡洛当年可是个响当当的大英雄。
要不是他挺身而出单杀了那条龙，整个帕拉翁怕是只剩残垣断壁了。他的事迹还被织成了价值连城的挂毯，一时风光无量。
据说姑娘们看他的眼神都拉丝了，骑枪上挂满了示爱的彩带，多亏他是骑着马去比武大赛，否则根本看不出那是杆骑枪。
问题是，有些骑士们可就没这么给他面子了。戏里怎么唱来着？「噢，当心啊大人，嫉妒是一个绿眼的妖魔。」②
Worst afflicted by the green-eyed daemon was the Duke of Parravon’s son, Willibald. He wasn’t exactly a coward… but who wants to cheer on a killer of beastmen when there’s a genuine dragon-slayer holding court in Parravon’s best tavern? There was even talk of the king insisting the duchy of Parravon pass not to Willibald, but to Foricarl. That king hated dragons something fierce, on account of having lost a daughter, an arm and a good mess of pride to one some years before.
被绿眼妖魔「附身」的，就是帕拉翁公爵的儿子维利巴尔德。
要说他是个胆小鬼，倒也不至于。
可是，当一个正牌屠龙英雄和野兽人屠夫③同时坐在帕拉翁最好的酒馆里，谁会撂下屠龙英雄去跟一个杀野兽人的干杯？
甚至有传言说，国王非要让福里卡洛继承帕拉翁公国，不给维利巴尔德。说是国王恨龙恨得要死，早些年，一条龙让他搭上了自己一条胳膊，还赔了一个女儿，外加好大一份脸面。
And then the old duke ups and dies in mysterious circumstances, and all evidence points to Foricarl, doesn’t it? Poor sod’s forced to flee the city or lose ‘is head. Willibald was found out in the end – that Fay Enchantress of theirs got herself involved. Turned ‘im into a frog. She likes doing that.
紧接着，老公爵突然就死了，还死得不明不白。好巧不巧，证据全指向福里卡洛。可怜他只好逃出城，留下就得掉脑袋。
最后还是维利巴尔德露了馅，因为他们那位湖神仙女亲自出手了——把他变成了一只青蛙，她就好这一口。
…what do you mean, who’s the Fay Enchantress? I thought you’d travelled. I suppose you could say she’s the Lady of the Lake’s herald. Does all her dirty work. Bretonnians revere her, at least to her face. Don’t want to end up as frogs, I suppose…
……什么叫「湖神仙女是谁」？我还以为你们有点见识呢。依我看，她算是湖之女神在凡间的代理人，啧，说穿了就是个白手套，但巴托尼亚人可尊敬她了。
我猜至少当着她的面是这样，保不齐就是怕被变成青蛙呗。
Anyway… When the truth comes out, everyone’s looking for Foricarl, only he’s nowhere to be found. And now we know why, don’t we? Despairing of ever proving his innocence, he came tripping across the border and continued the monster slaying business as a hermit in the Ubersreik Hills… though I guess he must have come out of hiding occasionally, seeing as he’s got a descendent shacked up in the keep with the rest of us.
总之呢……真相大白之后，人们开始到处找福里卡洛，可到处都找不到他。
现在搞明白来龙去脉了吧？福里卡洛以为这辈子都洗不清冤屈了，就一溜烟越过边境，钻进厄贝斯雷克丘陵当起隐士，继续干他杀怪物的老本行……
当然，他应该还是偶尔会出来见见人，不然哪儿来的福里卡洛的后人跟我们窝在塔尔之角呢？
Time passes. Name dies out, and along comes our Markus.
光阴那个似箭啊，岁月那个如梭，英雄的姓氏啊，它被人遗忘。再后来，就轮到咱们的马库斯出场了。
‘Grail Knight’ ain’t just a rank. It’s a holy station, earned in battle with some ghastly monstrosity, or a whole mess of ‘em. Supposedly the Lady of the Lake – assuming she’s real, I ain’t exactly a believer – sends visions to worthy candidates, guiding them on a righteous path of carnage. If they survive, she lets ‘em sup from the grail and blesses them with holy strength.
「圣杯骑士」可不仅仅是个头衔，而是圣阶。
据说湖之女神会挑选够格的候选人，降下异象指引他们踏上正义的杀戮之道。
意思是你得去替她跟怪物玩儿命，可能还是一大群怪物，最后如果你是那个还能喘气儿的，她就会让你从圣杯里喝上一口，赐你一身神力，从此不再是凡人……就当有这么回事儿吧，反正我不是她的信徒。
That’s what happened to Kruber. He’s got the bloodline. He’s thrown down with plenty of ghastly monstrosities, sure as pumpkins is pumpkins. So more power to his elbow, says I. Especially if it gives us a bit more oomph when it comes to dealing with the Pactsworn. Like I said, when backs are against the wall, and all that.
这不就是克鲁伯嘛：能成为候选人的血统，他有；至于杀怪，还用我说？
我是巴不得他越来越强，尤其当我们要面对誓约者那帮老鼠和北佬的时候。我刚不是说了吗？走投无路啊！
So yeah, I reckon we keep an eye on Kruber and see what develops. That means no accusations of heresy and witchcraft, Victor. He’s still our Markus, even if he does keep attempting that dreadful accent. The Lady of the Lake might not be our goddess, but a goddess she remains… and she hates Chaos something rotten, so the stories go. We’d be mad to put her pretty nose out of joint, don’t you think?
所以呢，咱们留只眼睛看着克鲁伯就行。听到没？独眼龙④！
你给人扣异端的屎盆子那套不许使在他身上！他还是咱们的马库斯，哪怕他总想学巴托的口音。湖之女神咱们也许不信，可她终归是位女神……
而且，听说她恨混沌恨得牙痒痒。咱们要是惹恼了这位美人，那不是脑子有坑吗？
Then again, if she’s putting the ‘fluence on old Kruber, then I’ll be looking to the rest of you to make sure it doesn’t lead him into harm’s way. Risking your lives is my job, and I won’t have any sodden spirit muscling in on my territory, d’you hear?
但话又说回来了，要是她真对老克施什么迷魂法，你们几个可得替我看着点，别让克鲁伯跳到她挖的坑里去。
拿你们的命去冒险，那是老子的工作！那个喂人喝洗脚水的湖怪别想抢我的饭碗，听见没有？
Good. Glad we had this chat. Best you keep it from Kruber. No sense ‘im getting upset, is there?
好了，跟你们聊这么一通，舒坦多了。还有，最好别让克鲁伯知道这事儿，免得他心里不痛快，对吧？
