How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner

凯特·梅思娜：如何创造虚拟世界

翻译人员: Yanjiao Chen 校对人员: Samson Zhong

作家托爾金(J.R.R. Tolkien)筆下的世界，

In J.R.R.'s world,

Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar

甘道夫是维拉(the Valar)派来

to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth

引导中土世界的人们

in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron.

和黑暗魔君索伦抗争的五个男巫之一。

Gandalf's body was mortal,

甘道夫的肉体是会殒灭的，

subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth,

会受到中土世界自然规律的控制，

but his spirit was immortal,

但他的灵魂不灭，

as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey

他以灰袍甘道夫的身份死去，

and resurrected as Gandalf the White.

然后以白袍甘道夫的身份复活。

According to the Wachowski's script,

在沃卓斯基(Wachowski)的剧本里，

an awakened human only has to link up

一个被唤醒的人只需要接入

and hack the neon binary code of the Matrix

并且盗取黑客帝国的二进制码，

to learn how to fly a helicopter in a matter of seconds.

就可以在几秒钟内，

学会怎样开直升飞机。

Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones,

若你是救世主(黑客任务)，

或救世主之一，

you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades.

你甚至不用什么直升飞机，

你需要的，只是一副酷酷的墨镜。

Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads.

柴郡猫(Cheshire cats)可以把自己的头抛着杂耍，

iPads are rudimentary.

iPads只是最最基础的。

No Quidditch match ends until the Golden Snitch is caught.

魁地奇(Quidditch)球赛不会结束，

除非有人抓到了金色飞贼。

And the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe,

关于生命、宇宙

and everything

和一切终极问题的答案，

绝对是42.

is most certainly 42.

(根據《银河系漫游指南》)

Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently

就像现实生活一样，

虚幻世界的运行，也有一整套固定的

within a spectrum of physical and societal rules.

自然规律和社会法则。

That's what makes these intricate worlds

这就是为什么这些错综复杂的虚幻世界

believable, comprehensible, and worth exploring.

是可信的，

可理解的

和值得探索的。

In real life, the Law of Gravity holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter"

现实世界中，万有引力定律

把全套7 册哈利波特牢牢固定在

to millions of bookshelves around the world.

世上无数书架上。

We know this to be true, but we also know

我们对此毫不怀疑，

而我们同时也相信，

that ever since J.K. typed the words

当J.K.罗琳写下

wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa,"

“男巫”

“魔杖”

和“Wingardium Leviosa”(悬浮咒)时,

that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist

万有引力定律，在

on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends.

架上的小说内容中，

凭空消失了。

Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds.

科幻和奇幻小说作者

字面上而言就是世界的创造者。

They make rules, maps, lineages,

他们创造规则，

地图，

宗族，

languages, cultures, universes,

语言，

文化，

宇宙，

alternate universes within universes,

数个宇宙中交替着多重宇宙，

and from those worlds sprout story, after story, after story.

从这些世界中，

一个个故事接踵而生。

When it's done well,

倘若妙笔生花，

readers can understand fictional worlds and their rules

读者便能

像书中人物角色一样

just as well as the characters that live in them do

理解虚构世界

还有其中的法则

and sometimes, just as well or even better

有时候，

与书本外的现实世界相比，

than the reader understands the world outside of the book.

读者反而更能理解

书中的世界。

But how?

不過這是如何辦到的呢？

How can human-made squiggles on a page

怎样才能让文字，

reflect lights into our eyes that send signals to our brains

引人入胜，

并把讯息传到读者脑海里，

that we logically and emotionally decode as complex narratives

让我们以感情和逻辑

解读成复杂的故事

that move us to fight,

驱使我们奋斗，

cry, sing, and think,

哭泣，

歌唱，

并且去思考

that are strong enough

这些文字不仅仅

not only to hold up a world

强有力地支撑起

that is completely invented by the author,

作者一手创造的世界，

but also to change the reader's perspective

并且在阅读时，

on the real world that resumes

改变读者

only when the final squiggle is reached?

对现实世界的看法。

I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question,

我不知道有没有人会知道

这个问题的答案，

yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday

可是，我们每天在大脑中

in our minds, on computers,

都不断地产生虚构的世界

也构筑虚在电脑，

even on napkins at the restaurant down the street.

甚至街角餐馆的纸巾上

The truth is your imagination and a willingness to, figuratively,

事实上，只要你有想象力

并且愿意以不一样的视角看待

live in your own world

周遭的世界

are all you need to get started writing a novel.

一部小说的素材就已足够了。

I didn't dream up Hogwarts or the Star Wars' Cantina,

我没能构想出霍格沃茨(Hogwards)

或是星際大戰的Cantina(星際酒館)，

but I have written some science thrillers for kids and young adults.

但我为儿童和年轻人

写过一些科幻惊险小说。

Here are some questions and methods I've used

接着要与各位分享的方法和问题

to help build the worlds in which those books take place.

就是我用来创造

书中描绘的世界

我从最基本的时间和地点开始。

I start with a basic place and time.

Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world,

无论是奇幻世界，

还是未来的现实世界，

it's important to know where you are and whether you're working in the past,

场景是非常重要的一点

你要清楚你的故事

present, or future.

是发生在过去、现在、

还是未来

I like to create a timeline

我习惯建立一个时间表，

showing how the world came to be.

来交代这个世界的演变；

What past events have shaped the way it is now?

历史事件是如何形塑现状的。

Then I brainstorm answers to questions

然后，以脑力激荡构想

that draw out the details of my fictional world.

笔下世界的各种细节,

What rules are in place here?

以及这世界运行的道理。

This covers everything from laws of gravity,

这可包罗万象了,

or not,

从有无重力的影响,

to the rules of society

到社会规范,

and the punishments for individuals who break them.

还有违法情事的惩治,

What kind of government does this world have?

政府组织的型态,

Who has power, and who doesn't?

谁掌控权力?

哪些人是没权力的？

What do people believe in here?

人们共享何种信念？

And what does this society value most?

社会最重视的价值观，

Then it's time to think about day-to-day life.

再来就是考虑日常生活

What's the weather like in this world?

天气怎样？

Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school?

居民的住所、

工作场所、

以及学校位置。

What do they eat

他们的饮食、

娱乐

and how do they play?

How do they treat their young and their old?

教养下一代，

还有扶养上一代的方式。

What relationships do they have with the animals and plants of the world?

虚构的世界里，

居民和动植物之间的关系，

And what do those animals and plants look like?

以及这些动植物的外观。

What kind of technology exists?

当地所拥有的科学技术，

Transportation?

交通运输，

Communication?

通讯联络，

Access to information?

和获取信息的方式。

There's so much to think about!

需要斟酌之处可不少！

So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions,

所以，花些时间好好考虑这些事情，

和这些问题的答案，

and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world.

那么你就已经具备充足的条件

去开创你自己的奇幻世界啦！

Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will,

一旦你了解自己笔下的世界，

如同你希望读者心有灵犀一样，

set your characters free in it and see what happens.

那么就让你的人物徜徉其中，

看看事情如何发展。

And ask yourself,

问问你自己

"How does this world you created shape the individuals who live in it?

你所创造的世界会怎样影响

身处其中的人？

And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?"

可能会产生什么矛盾？

Answer those questions, and you have your story.

回答了这些问题，

你就创作出了自己的故事。

Good luck, future world-builder!

祝你好运！未来的世界创造师！