Why should you read “Dune” by Frank Herbert? - Dan Kwartler

翻译人员: Chloe Ma 校对人员: Jiasi Hao

A mother and her son trek across an endless desert.

一位母亲和她的儿子 穿过了无尽的沙漠。

Wearing special skin-tight suits to dissipate heat and recycle moisture,

他们穿着用来驱除热气、 保持湿度的特质紧身衣。

the travelers aren’t worried about dying of thirst.

这两位旅行者并不担心 缺水死亡，

Their fears are much greater.

他们的恐惧比那大得多。

The pair try to walk without rhythm,

他们试图不规律地行走，

letting the vibrations of their footsteps blend into the shifting sands.

让他们脚印的痕迹融入流沙中。

But soon, the sound of the desert is drowned out by a louder hissing.

但很快，沙漠被一种 更大的嘶嘶声包围笼罩。

As a mound of sand races towards them,

当一座沙丘向他们奔来时，

the pair’s unnatural gait turns into a sprint.

他们不自然的步伐改为了短跑。

The two clamber into a nearby rock face,

他们爬上了岩石表面，

as a sandworm 400 meters long bursts from the desert floor.

与此同时，一个 400 米长的爆破 从沙漠地表拔地而起。

这就是《沙丘》的世界。

This is the world of "Dune."

Written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965,

由弗兰克 · 赫伯特（Frank Herbert） 创作并发表于 1965 年，

"Dune" takes place in a far-flung future,

《沙丘》的时间背景 是遥远的未来，

where humanity rules the stars in a giant feudal empire.

人类通过一个巨大的 封建帝国管理各个行星。

This medieval motif goes beyond just the government.

这中世纪的理念 不仅体现在政府系统中。

Unlike most interstellar sci-fi,

和大部分的星际科幻小说不同，

Herbert's humans conquered the stars without any computers.

赫伯特的人类征服宇宙时， 没有使用任何电脑。

Following an ancient war with robots,

在一次与机器人的古老战争后，

humanity has forbidden the construction of any machine

不论在那种机器制作中， 任何的“仿人类意识”设计

“in the likeness of a human mind.”

都被人类禁止了。

But rather than stifling their expansion,

但相比于抑制他们的发展，

this edict forced humans to evolve in startling ways—

这条法令强迫人们 用非常震惊的方式去进化——

becoming biological computers, psychic witches, and prescient space pilots.

成为生物意义上的电脑， 心理上的女巫，以及有先见之明的宇航员。

这些超能力组织的成员

Members of these super-powered factions

are regularly employed by various noble houses,

常常会被不同的贵族所聘。

all competing for power and new planets to add to their kingdoms.

这些贵族为了扩张自己的王国， 互相竞争权力并夺取新的星球。

但是几乎所有的超人类技能 都依赖于同一种资源：

But almost all these superhuman skills rely on the same precious resource:

the spice.

香料。

This mystical crop also known as “melange” is essential for all space travel,

这种神秘的作物也被称为“美兰极”， 是所有宇宙旅行的必需，

making it the cornerstone of the galactic economy.

是星际经济的基石。

And it only grows on the desert planet Arrakis,

它只生长于阿拉吉斯星球上，

a dangerous and inhospitable world whose native inhabitants

一个危险且难以居住的世界，

have long rebelled against the empire.

土著民长期暴乱。

Arrakis, also called Dune, is the setting for Herbert’s novel,

阿拉吉斯，也被称作“沙丘” 是赫伯特小说的背景地点，

which follows Paul of the noble House Atreides.

贵族亚崔迪家族 保罗的迁徙地。

The book begins with Paul’s family being assigned control of Dune

这本书的开头为保罗一家 被下令管理沙丘，

as part of an elaborate plot by their sworn enemies:

作为他们死敌的 奴隶虐待狂贵族——哈肯尼家族

the sadistic slave drivers of House Harkonnen.

缜密阴谋的一部分。

The conflict between these houses upends the delicate political balance on Arrakis.

这些贵族之间的矛盾 打破了阿拉吉斯脆弱的政治平衡。

Soon, Paul is catapulted into the middle of a planetary revolution,

很快，保罗突然被迫参与到了 一场星际革命之中，

他必须要证明 他的领导能力——

where he must prove himself capable of leading— and surviving—

on this hostile desert world.

并且在这充满敌意的沙漠中 生存下来。

But Arrakis is not simply an endless sea of sand.

但是阿拉吉斯 不仅仅是一片无尽的沙海。

Herbert was an avid environmentalist,

赫伯特是一位狂热的环境学家，

who spent over five years creating Dune’s complex ecosystem.

他用了 5 年多的时间 创造了沙丘复杂的生态系统。

The planet is checkered with climate belts and wind tunnels

这个星球有复杂的气候带和风洞，

that have shaped its rocky topography.

这塑造了它蜿蜒的地势。

Different temperate zones produce varying desert flora.

不同的温度区 导致了不同的沙漠植物群。

And almost every element of Dune’s ecosystem works together

几乎每一片沙丘的 生态元素都互相作用

to produce the planet’s essential export.

生产星球中最重要的出口。

Herbert’s world building also includes a rich web of philosophy and religion.

赫伯特的世界也包括了 丰富的哲学和宗教网。

Paul’s mother Jessica, is a member of the Bene Gesserit,

保罗的母亲，杰西卡 是本尼 · 吉斯姐妹会的成员，

一个古老的 香料辅助心理学组织。

an ancient cult of spice-assisted psychics.

Sometimes called “witches” for their mysterious powers,

有时候因为她们的神秘力量 而被称作“女巫”，

the Bene Gesserit have operated as a shadow government for millennia

本尼 · 吉斯姐妹会 作为影子政府运作了千年

in an effort to guide society towards enlightenment.

致力于带领社会走向教化。

同样古老的还有门塔特——

Similarly ancient are the Mentats—

human computers capable of processing incredible amounts of data.

能够处理惊人数量数据 的人类电脑。

While the Mentats are bastions of logic and reason,

门塔特作为 逻辑与理性的城堡，

their results are not mere calculations,

他们的输出结果不仅是计算，

而是一串不断变化的可能性。

but rather, streams of constantly shifting possibilities.

但是，沙丘中最中心的群体 还是弗瑞曼人。

However, no group is more central to "Dune" than the Fremen.

Natives of Arrakis, they are the keepers of the planet’s many secrets.

阿拉吉斯的土著人， 他们是这个星球秘密的守护者。

Paul’s journey takes him deep into the Fremen’s exclusive brotherhood,

保罗的旅程让他潜入 费瑞曼人的特有兄弟会，

where he must prove himself trustworthy

在那，他必须通过 一系列的致命挑战

in a series of increasingly deadly challenges.

来证明他的可信度。

每一部分都有 很丰富的历史蕴含在文中，

All these factions have deep histories that pervade the text,

and Herbert also incorporates that sense of scale into the book’s structure.

赫伯特也包括了 本书结构的规模感。

Each chapter begins with a quote from a future history book,

每一章都以未来历史书中的 一句名言开始，

recalling elements of the events that are about to unfold.

回忆那些即将被展开叙述的 事件中的元素。

The book also contains in-universe appendices

这本书也包括了宇宙中的附录

that further explore the Empire’s history;

来进一步解释帝国的历史。

alongside a glossary of words like “Gom jabbar” and “Shai-Hulud."

也包括词汇表，囊括像是“戈姆贾巴尔” 和“西胡鲁德”的词汇。

Dune’s epic story continues to unfold over a six-book saga that spans millennia.

《沙丘》的史诗性故事通过 长达 10 年时间跨度的 6 本书继续展开。

But every story of Arrakis’ future begins here:

但是每一个阿拉吉斯家族的 未来都由此开始：

as Paul pursues a path that is dangerous, demanding,

保罗继续在一条 危险苛刻的道路上不断被追赶，

and always on the verge of being consumed by the oncoming storm.

并且总是在处于即将到来的 风暴的吞噬边缘。