Covered with thick black scales, its eyes glowed with hate ,…

它全身佈滿著厚厚的黑鱗，而它的眼睛中充滿了仇恨......

… and from its terrible jaws flowed evil-smelling slime.

......且從它可怕的下巴流出惡臭的黏液。

Some tried to fight the dragon …

有人試圖去屠龍...

… priests and magicians called down curses to no avail.

......但祭司和魔法師召喚的詛咒對龍卻一點用也沒有。

Warriors, armed with the best weapons, attacked, only to be incinerated.

而擁有最好武器的戰士發起攻擊，結果被焚燒殆盡。

The dragon’s claws, jaws, and fire were so effective, …

那龍的爪子，下巴和火都如此有效，...

… its scaly armor so hard, as to make it invincible.

......它的鱗甲如此堅硬，使它所向無敵。

The dragon demanded from humankind a tribute: …

龍向人類要求供品：......

… ten thousand men and women, randomly chosen, …

......要隨機選擇一萬個男人和女人......

… to be delivered every evening to the foot of the mountain to be eaten.

......並在每天傍晚送到山腳讓它吃。

The king and the kingdom, their weapons useless, …

在國王和整個王國認知到，他們的武器毫無用處的情況下，...

… had no choice but to pay the grisly tribute, ….

......也別無選擇，只能付出駭人的供品，......。

… to suffer the misery, to feed the insatiable hunger.

...忍受苦難，去養活龍那永無滿足的飢餓。

And humans, ever adaptable, came to accept the dragon-tyrant as a fact of life; …

然而人類適應能力極強， 逐漸接受了龍暴君作為生命中一部分的事實; ...

… knowing, even embracing, that everyone’s final moments would be in its maw.

...不僅是知道，甚至去擁抱： 每個人最後都將被其吞入肚內的命運。

How could the world be otherwise?

要不然世界還能怎麼樣呢？

The kingdom began to teach its children that the dragon had its place …

這個王國開始教導它的孩子，龍有屬於它的位置......

… in the natural order and, the very meaning of being human to end up …

......它在自然的地位， 以及做為人類最終會被它......

… in the dragon’s stomach, their shorter lives motivating them to lead good lives.

......吞入肚中的意義， 人們短暫的生命激勵著他們過上更美好的生活。

And the dragon was helping the kingdom by keeping the population …

龍正在幫助這個王國保持人口成長率......

… from growing too fast.

......不會上升地太快。

Learning this, attacks on the dragon ceased.

學習這一點，人們對於龍的攻擊就停止了。

But the kingdom still grew, slowly, and with it so did the dragon, …

但是這個王國依然慢慢成長起來，龍也是這樣，...

… becoming as big as the mountain on which it lived, its appetite increasing.

...它變得和它住的山一樣大，食慾大幅增加。

The logistics of collecting and transporting so many every day…

而每天要收集和運輸這麼多人......

… to the mountain came to occupy the king’s mind more than the deaths and the dragon itself.

......到了山上的這件事， 比起死亡和龍本身更能佔據國王的心思。

The king had to hire registrars to keep track of who would be sent.

國王必須聘請註冊服務機構，來追蹤誰將被送去犧牲。

There were people-collectors dispatched to fetch the designated victims.

有專門的人類收集員，被派遣去接送指定的受害者。

There were clerks who administered the pensions to be paid to decimated families.

有些職員管理養老金，用以支付因此破碎的家庭。

And there were comforters who would travel with the doomed …

還有安撫者會與那些人們相伴...

… on their way to the dragon, trying to ease the anguish.

......在被送往龍的不歸之旅上，試圖緩解他們的痛苦。

And there were dragonologists who studied how these logistic processes could be made more efficient.

還有一些龍學家，研究如何使這些運送過程更有效率。

Steam engines were invented and a railway constructed leading to the dragon’s abode.

為此，人們發明了蒸汽機， 並建造了通往龍的居所的鐵路。

Trains arrived at the mountain terminal crammed with people and return empty.

火車滿載著人群到達了的山區終點站，然後空著回來。

Some dragonologists also studied the dragon’s behavior and collected samples …

一些龍學家也研究龍的行為和收集樣本...

… its shed scales, the slime, the excrement speckled with fragments of human bone.

......它的鱗片，粘液，帶有人骨碎片的糞便。

The more the beast was understood, the more its invincibility confirmed.

當野獸被理解得越多，它的不可戰勝性就越證實。

But. . . humanity is a curious species.

但......人類是一種好奇的物種。

Every once in a while, someone gets a good idea.

每隔一段時間，就有人會想到一個好主意。

Others copy the idea, adding to it their own improvements.

而其他人複製了這個想法，並加上了自己的改進。

Over time, many wondrous tools and systems are developed.

隨著時間的推移，許多奇妙的工具和系統被研發出來。

Some of these tools make it easier to generate new ideas.

且其中一些工具，可以讓人們更容易地產生新的想法。

Thus, the great wheel of invention, …

因此，發明的巨輪...

… which in the older ages turned imperceptibly slow, …

...雖在早期運轉地十分緩慢......

… began to accelerate and humans did what would have seemed magic before, …

...但卻逐漸開始加速， 人類做出了在過去看起來像是魔法一般的事情，......

… communicating instantly across great distance, building machines that could fly,

......能夠遠距離及時通信，並製造可以飛行的機器，

… and many other astonishing things.

......和許多其他驚人的事情。

A few dragonologists argued it might be time argued for a new attack …

一些龍學家們認為， 應該是策畫另一波新攻擊的時候了......

… one had invented a material so sharp it could pierce a dragon’s scale.

......有個人發明了一種非常尖銳的材料， 它可以刺穿龍的鱗片。

It would not be easy but if a huge projectile could be made out of this material …

這不是一件容易的事情， 但如果可以用這種材料製造出巨大的導彈......

… and launched with sufficient force and sufficient precision it might penetrate the dragon’s armor.

......並以足夠的力量和足夠的精度發射， 它可能可以穿透龍的鱗片盔甲。

However, it would be difficult and expensive and time-consuming to do.

但是，這樣做會很困難，而且既費時又費錢。

The dragonologists explained their proposal to anyone who would listen.

龍學家們向任何願意傾聽的人解釋他們的建議。

But the people were skeptical; they had been taught the dragon-tyrant was invincible and the sacrifices it demanded a fact of life.

但人們持懷疑態度，他們被教導龍暴君是不可戰勝的， 它所要求的犧牲是一種生命的事實。

Yet when they learnt about the new material and the idea for a projectile, many became intrigued.

然而，當他們了解到有關導彈的新材料和想法時， 許多人都很感興趣。

When the king read about the plans, he decided to hold an open hearing …

當國王閱讀這些計劃時，他決定舉行公開聽證會......

… it took place on the last and darkest day of the year, in the largest hall of the royal castle.

......它舉辦在一年中最黑暗的最後一天， 在皇家城堡中最大的大廳裡。

People packed in to every last seat and crowded the aisles.

人們擠滿了每一個座位，還擠滿了走道。

The king's advisor spoke first: telling the people it was best they accept the inevitability of the dragon…

國王的顧問首先發言： 告訴人們他們最好接受龍的必然性......

… and the dragon-administration department provided many jobs …

龍管理部門提供了許多工作......

… that would be lost were the dragon slaughtered and, in any case, …

......屠殺龍後，這些工作都會消失而且無論如何......

… the kingdom's coffers were empty after building the new railway.

......在建造新鐵路後，王國的金庫已經空了。

Next the leading dragonologist explained how the proposed device would work, …

接下來，領先的龍學家解釋了該裝置如何運作，...

… how the requisite amount of new invented material could be manufactured.

......及如何製造所需數量的新發明材料。

Given the requested amount of funding, it may be possible to complete the work in fifteen to twenty years.

鑑於所要求的資金金額， 有可能在15至20年內完成這項工作。

With greater funding, maybe twelve. However, there could be no guarantee.

如果有了更多的資金，有可能在12年內完成。 但是，我們不能保證。

Last to speak was the king’s advisor for morality:

最後發言的是國王的道德顧問：

"Let us grant" he said "The project is technologically possible, though it hasn’t been proven to me. …

“讓我們假設，”他說，“這個計畫在技術上是可行的， 儘管它還沒有被我證實。”

… Presumably, you think you've got the right not to be chewed up.

...或許，你認為你有權不被龍吃了。

How willful, how presumptuous, how vain. The shortness of human life is a blessing.

這多麼恣意，多麼放肆，多麼虛榮。 人生的短暫是一件幸事。

Getting rid of the dragon, which might seem such a convenient thing to do, would undermine our dignity.

把龍除掉或許看起來對我們方便多了，但會損害我們的尊嚴。

This preoccupation with killing the dragon will deflect us from realizing more fully …

對殺死龍的這種專注會使我們無法更充分地實現...

… the aspirations to which our lives naturally point, from living well rather than merely staying alive.

......我們生命自然地指向的抱負，使生命的意義是活得有價值而不是苟延殘喘地活著。

The nature of the dragon is to eat, and our own nature, my friends, is nobly fulfilled only by getting eaten.

龍的天性是吃，而我們的天性， 朋友們，只有透過被龍吃才能高尚地實現。

The dragon is necessary. The dragon is good."

龍是必要的。龍是好的。“

The great hall was silent.

大廳裡闃寂無聲。

Then a small child yelled out from the audience: "The dragon is bad!"

然後有一個小孩從觀眾中大喊：“龍是壞的！”

The child’s parents turned red and hushed, but the child said again:

孩子的父母臉脹紅了，趕緊要孩子安靜，但是孩子又說：

"The dragon is bad -- it kills people... it ate my Granny... I want my Granny back."

“龍是壞的 - 它會殺人......牠吃了我的奶奶...... 我想要我的奶奶回來。”

The hall was silent again -- then a woman stood: “The dragon killed my parents.”

大廳再次沉默 - 然後一個女人站了起來：“龍殺了我的父母。”

And man followed and stood: “The dragon killed my wife and my daughter.”

男人跟著站起來：“龍殺了我的妻子和我的女兒。”

More and more people stood -- the simple fact that the dragon killed everyone, the loss of it, the weight of it, crashing over the hall.

越來越多的人站了起來 - 一個簡單的事實，就是龍殺死了所有人。無數死亡的失落感如同重捶一般，摔進了大廳裡。

The way out from under remote, yet maybe possible.

結束這一切的計畫雖然幾近渺茫，但或許可行。

The king, looking at the first child to speak, announced: "Let us kill the dragon".

國王看著第一個說話的孩子宣布：“讓我們殺死龍吧。”

The next morning, a billion people woke to realize they or those they loved might be sent to the dragon before the projectile launched.

第二天早上，有十億人醒來發現他們或他們所愛的人 可能會在發射導彈之前被送到龍口中。

Whereas before, active support for the anti-dragon cause had been limited, …

而在這之前，對於反龍的積極支持是有限的，...

… it now became the number one priority and concern on everyone’s mind.

......而現在它成為每個人心頭上的首要任務和關注點。

Mass rallies raised money for the projectile project and urged the king to increase support, …

群眾集會為導彈計畫募集資金並敦促國王增加支持......

… which he did, passing extra appropriations bills and selling his summer castle, announcing:

......而國王也的確照做，通過額外的撥款法案 並出售他的夏季城堡，宣布：

"I believe that this kingdom should commit itself to achieving the goal, …

“我相信這個王國應該致力於實現這個目標......

… before the decade is out, of freeing the world from the ancient scourge of the dragon."

......在十年以內，我們將會把世界 從龍的千古災禍中解放出來。“

Thus started a great technological race against time.

由此開始了一場偉大的科技競賽，與時間賽跑。

To make the dragon-killing weapon required solutions to a thousand technical problems, …

為了製造這種殺龍武器，需解決上千個技術問題，...

… each of which required dozens of time-consuming steps and missteps.

...其中的每一個都需要許多費時的步驟和試誤。

Test-missiles were fired but fell dead to the ground or flew off in the wrong direction.

試射導彈成功發射但卻太快落到地面 或是朝錯誤的方向飛去。

Terrible accidents happened.

發生了許多可怕的事故。

But there was now a seriousness of purpose, and the work continued.

但由於現在有了一個重要目的，工作繼續進行。

But despite almost unlimited funding and round-the-clock work by technicians, the king’s deadline could not be met.

儘管幾乎無限的資金和技術人員的全天候工作， 還是無法在國王的最後期限內實現。

The task was hard.

任務很艱難。

The decade concluded and the dragon still lived — still ate.

十年過去了，龍仍然活著 - 仍然再吃人。

But the effort was getting closer.

但努力即將有成果。

A year later the first prototype missile successfully launched.

一年後，第一枚原型導彈成功發射。

The construction of the final projectile eventually set to complete and launch on New Year’s Eve, …

最終射彈的建造工作預定將在除夕完成並發射......

… twelve years after the project’s inauguration.

也就是計劃展開後十二年。

The last day of the year was cold and overcast, but still and clear — good launch conditions.

今年的最後一天很冷，烏雲密布， 但無風且無霧 - 發射條件良好。

As the sun set, technicians scuttled around making the final adjustments and checks.

隨著太陽下山，技術人員來回奔走做最後的調整和檢查。

The king and his advisors observed from a platform close to the launch pad.

國王和他的顧問從靠近發射台的平台觀察。

Further away, behind a fence, the public assembled to witness the great event.

在圍牆後面，公眾聚集在一起，目睹大事。

A large clock counted down: ten minutes to go -- the dark slumped profile of the dragon beyond, eating.

一個大鐘倒數計時著：還有十分鐘 - 遠處黑暗中那隻龍巨大的輪廓，仍然在吃人

From the crowd, someone jumped the fence and ran to the platform where the king sat.

在人群中，有人跳過柵欄，跑到國王坐的平台。

He arrived, accompanied by security, in a frenzied state, his nose bleeding.

他在安全人員的制止下到達瘋狂的狀態， 他的鼻子流著血。

He shouted: "The last train! Stop the last train!"

他喊道：“最後一班火車！停止最後一班火車！”

The young man was a junior clerk in the ministry of transportation.

這位年輕人是交通部的初級職員。

He had discovered that his father was on the last train to the mountain.

他剛發現他的父親正在去往山上的最後一班火車上。

The king had ordered the trains to continue to the very end, …

國王已經命令列車繼續行駛直到最後，...

… fearing any disruption might cause the dragon to stir and the missile to miss.

......因為擔心任何擾動可能會驚動龍而導致導彈無法命中。

The young man begged the king to issue a recall-order for the last train, …

這位年輕人懇求國王發出最後一班火車的召回令，......

… due to arrive at the mountain terminal five minutes before time zero.

...而火車預計在零點前五分鐘到達山腳的終點站。

"I cannot do it," said the king, "I cannot take the risk it will alert the dragon“.

“我做不到，”國王說， “我不能冒險，這麼做可能會使龍驚覺我們的計畫。”

The clouds above their head let loose the rain.

他們上方的雲朵緩緩降下了雨水。

“I am so sorry” The king continued, “had we started but one day earlier your father would not have to die.”

“我很抱歉”國王繼續說， “如果我們提早一天開始，你父親就不用死。”

Looking at the crowd, thinking of all the losses that they and he, had endured.

看著人群，想著他們和他所遭受的所有損失、不幸。

“This project should have been started years earlier than we did.

“這個計畫早應在幾年前就該開始了。

So many need not have been killed by the dragon, had we but awoken from our acceptance of its horror sooner.”

要是我們能提早從我們對龍的恐怖行為的接受 中覺醒的話，有如此多的人不必被龍殺死。“

The young man's wailing ceased.

年輕人的哭聲停止了。

The king looked up at the countdown clock: five seconds remaining.

國王抬頭看倒數的時鐘，剩下五秒鐘。

Four.

四。

Three.

三。

Two.

二。

One.

一。

Zero.

零。

A ball of fire enveloped the launch pad and the missile shot out.

一個火球籠罩了發射台，導彈發射了。

The masses, the king, the low and the high, the young and the old…

群眾、國王，窮人和富人，年輕人和老年人......

... that white flame, shooting into the dark embodied the human spirit, its fear and its hope.

......那個射向黑暗的白色火焰展現了人類的精神， 恐懼和希望。

It struck the heart of evil.

它擊中了邪惡之心。

The silhouette on the horizon tumbled and fell.

地平線上的輪廓倒下了。

Thousands of voices of joy rose from the masses, joined seconds later by a deafening drawn-out thud from the collapsing monster.

來自倒下的怪物的震耳欲聾，且漫長的轟隆一響後幾秒鐘，成千上萬的歡樂聲從群眾中湧現出來。

After all this time, humanity was at last free from the dragon.

過了那麼久，人類終於從龍解脫出來了。

The joy cry resolved into a jubilating chant:

歡樂的哭聲結成了歡騰的詠唱：

"Long live the king! Long live us all!"

“國王萬歲！我們萬歲！”

The royal entourage, huddling in the downpour, accumulated around their monarch.

皇室隨從在傾盆大雨中蜷縮在他們的君主周圍。

So much had changed in the last hour.

在這過去一個小時裡發生了很多變化。

The right to an open future had been regained, a primordial fear abolished, and many long-held assumptions overturned.

獲得自由未來的權利已經恢復，一個原始的恐懼被終結， 許多長久的假設被推翻。

“What do we do now?" they asked.

“我們現在要做什麼？”他們問道。

"We have come a long way. . ." said the king, "yet now we are like children again.

“我們走了很長一段路......”國王說， “但現在我們又像孩子了。

The future lies open before us.

未來的道路敞開於我們之前。

We shall go and try to do better than we have done in the past, for we have time now…

我們會盡力做得比過去做得更好， 因為現在我們有時間......

… time to get things right, time to grow up, time to learn from our mistakes.

......有時間做好事情，有時間成長， 有時間從錯誤中學習。

Let all the bells in the kingdom ring until midnight, in remembrance of our dead.

讓這個王國的所有鐘聲響至午夜，來紀念我們的死者。

Then after, we will celebrate and begin the process of building a better world. . . for we have time now.

然後，我們將慶祝並開始建設一個更美好世界的過程........ 因為我們現在有時間了。

[Music and crackling sounds]

[音樂和材火聲]