This is a simple‑built arched rain shelter combining kitchen and dining area. After all, it must allow cooking over open fire even on rainy days in the tropical climate, though the weather has been pleasant these past few days.
这是一个厨房兼餐厅的简易搭建拱形防雨棚,毕竟要保证热带气候的雨天也能生火做食物,不过近几天天气都不错.
Sister Yattina seemed very interested in taking in more protein. She flipped the grilled fish over the fire while fanning the aroma rising from the grill, checking which one suited her taste. Chunhui, sitting off to one side, only had salt and pepper at hand and could not offer richer flavours.
雅缇娜妹妹似乎对补充蛋白质很感兴趣,一边翻转着火上的烤鱼,一边用手扇一扇烤出来的香味,看看哪个比较适合自己口味.而坐在一边的春晖,限于手上只有盐和胡椒面,也没法提供更丰富的风味儿.
Yet Sister Yattina did not mind. She picked her portion and began eating right away. Chunhui did not take it to heart that the two girls did not wait for him. They were far younger than he was, and he looked after them as if tending to children. Only in his memories, Yattina was his partner.
但是雅缇娜妹妹并不在乎,选好自己的就拿过来开吃.春晖也不在意这两个女孩不等自己,因为她们都比自己小太多,而自己就像照看孩子一样地照看她们.只是在记忆中记得雅缇娜是自己的伴侣.
Memories, in truth, felt much like dreams. He wondered whether the blurred recollections stemmed from too many time‑jump missions he had undertaken alongside her. He knew she was his partner, yet he could no longer recall why she was so much younger nor how their relationship had begun.
说是记忆,其实那就好像梦一样,也不知道是不是自己跟随她执行了太多的时间跳跃任务而造成的记忆模糊.反正就是记得她是自己的伴侣,但是忘了为什么她比自己小很多,以及自己和她是怎么开始的.
"This one is done too," Chunhui said as he handed the grilled fish to Yattina.
"这个也烤好了," 说着春晖把烤鱼递给雅缇娜,
Shizuka said nothing and took it. She glanced at her younger sister, who ate while watching every move of her and Chunhui with a bright smile. No one could tell what was going through her little mind.
静香没说话,接了过来,瞟了一眼妹妹,她正一边吃一边笑眯眯地盯着自己和春晖的一举一动,不知道她的小脑袋里又在想什么.
It was a fine season for a vacation here. The sea lay calm, the sea breeze gentle. Soft surf rolled nearer and nearer. Rosy glow where sea met sky dyed the white sandy beach and everything upon it.
这是个适合在此度假的时节,海面平静,海风温婉,轻柔的浪花声由远及近,随着海天一色的红霞印染了白沙滩和沙滩上的一切.
As night deepened, fire from the barbecue blazed brighter. Chunhui turned the fish over the fire, keeping an eye on their doneness. He moved the nearly‑done ones aside and flipped the under‑cooked ones so they would roast evenly on both sides. He kept serving the two young girls and had not gotten around to eating himself, yet he bore no resentment; they were just like children.
随着夜色加深,烧烤的炉火渐显明亮.春晖翻转着火上的烤鱼,照顾着它们的烧烤火候,快好了的就往一边挪挪,没好的就翻转着让它两面均匀地烤熟.就这么一直在供给这两个小姑娘,自己还没来得及吃,春晖并没有什么怨言,她们就像孩子一样.
Sister Yattina chatted with her as they ate. Chunhui could not understand their language. It did not matter that he could not follow the little girls' private whispers. Sometimes Sister Yattina would glance toward him with a giggle, probably talking about him, and he would smile back in acknowledgement.
雅缇娜妹妹和她边吃边聊,春晖并不懂她们的语言,反正小女孩的悄悄话,自己听不懂也无所谓,只是雅缇娜妹妹有时候会嬉笑着朝自己这边看一眼,可能是在谈论自己,他就对她笑一笑致意.
"Aren't you going to give him back to Papia?" Sister Yattina asked softly, looking her sister in the eye with a mischievous air, then stole a glance at Chunhui after speaking.
"你不打算把他还给帕皮亚了吗?" 雅缇娜妹妹看着姐姐的眼睛轻声问,有点诡秘地样子,说完还偷偷瞟了一眼春晖,
"I have tried. He cannot go back. All his crew members are gone. He refuses to return alone."
"我试过了,他回不去了,他的船员都不在了,他不肯一个人回去."
"Then why didn't you rescue all of them?"
"那你为什么不把他们一起救了?"
"I cannot. I must not violate the Prime Directive."
"不可以啊,不能违反首要指令."
"Why did you save him then?" The younger sister asked, grinning triumphantly at her elder sister.
"那你为什么救他?" 妹妹问完得意地笑着看着姐姐,
"She belongs to Papia and falls outside the scope set by the Prime Directive."
"她是帕皮亚的人,不属于首要指令规定的范畴."
"Oh..." The younger sister drew out her tone, sounding somewhat unconvinced.
"哦..." 妹妹拉长了音调,似乎有点不认同的样子,
"Besides, I also..."
"再说我也..."
"You are short‑handed too, aren't you?" The younger sister cut her off, smiling proudly, pleased with her own cleverness.
"你也缺少人手是吗?" 妹妹打断了她的话,得意地笑着显得自己很机灵的样子,
"Yes, I am short‑handed. Why do you not just find me an assistant?"
"是啊,我也缺少人手,你怎么不直接给我找一个帮手?"
"Oh." The younger sister gaped in surprise.
"哦," 妹妹张着嘴瞪大眼睛吃惊的样子,
"How is this my fault? I only sent him over because he was willing to help Papia. Am I supposed to tie up some man and drag him here for you?"
"怎么还成了我的错?人家是愿意给帕皮亚帮忙我才把他介绍过去的,怎么我还给你绑一个男人来见你不成?"
"Hehe, no need for that," Shizuka turned her head aside in discouragement.
"呵呵,那倒不用了," 静香泄气地把头扭向了一边,
"So does this man meet your fancy?" The younger sister asked playfully again, drawing out the words "meet your fancy" on purpose.
"那到底这个男人合不合你的意啊?" 妹妹又笑嘻嘻地问,还故意把合不合几个字拉长了音调,
"Cut it out. He runs this camp competently. Every time you come, the food you eat is prepared by him."
"少来,他管理这个营地很称职,你每次来吃的不都是他准备的吗."
"Hmm‑hmm," the younger sister laughed.
"哼哼," 妹妹笑了,
"Every time I visit you introduce me to him. Are you still erasing his memories?"
"我每次来你都给他介绍我,你还在抹除他的记忆?"
"Occasionally. What else am I supposed to do?" Shizuka pouted, showing a rare spoiled manner as she spoke to her sister.
"偶尔,不然你让我怎么办啊," 静香撅着嘴,罕见地娇气的样子和妹妹说话.
The firelight flickered, illuminating the nearby space and the figures of the two sisters. They were nearly finished eating. Chunhui sat nearby, eating while observing their chat. Even though he could not comprehend their words, their lively expressions and youthful aura were a pleasure for him to behold.
炉火晃动着,照亮了咫尺的范围,也照亮了姐妹的身影,她们已经吃得差不多了.春晖就在一旁,边吃边看着她们闲聊,虽然他听不懂对方在说什么,但是她们活泼的神态,青春的气息,对于自己来说也是一种赏心悦目.
At that moment the younger sister stood up, as if talking to herself.
这时妹妹站起身,好像自言自语,
"It is getting late. I must leave." She then faced Chunhui.
"不早了,我要走了." 然后面向春晖,
"Thank you for the meal." Without waiting for Chunhui's reply to her farewell, she spun around to depart.
"谢谢款待," 说完也没等春晖回应她道别,就转过了身要走,
Chunhui blinked in surprise. The young girl spun back around nimbly.
春晖愣了一下,没想到这个小姑娘又麻利地转回身,
"Take good care of my sister."
"你好好照顾我姐姐,"
"Alright." Barely had Chunhui uttered the single word when she turned and vanished.
"好," 春晖一个字刚出口,她已经转身消失不见了.
Chunhui glanced toward Yattina, inwardly chuckling over how quirky her younger sister was.
春晖看了一眼雅缇娜,心中暗笑你这个妹妹真是古灵精怪.
"There, that is just how she is. Do not take it to heart."
"好了,她就是这样,你不用在意."
"I do not. I would never bear grudges against a child."
"没有,我怎么会和小孩子过不去."
With the mischievous little girl gone, Chunhui moved closer beside Yattina, offered her several pieces of grilled fish, and ate while studying her features.
没有了那个有些调皮的小女孩,春晖又往雅缇娜身边靠了靠,给她推荐了几条烤好的鱼,然后自己也一边吃一边端详她.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"你为什么这样看我?"
"Oh, I am merely curious. You and your younger sister look very different."
"哦,我只是好奇,你和你的妹妹相貌差异很大."
"We are half‑sisters, same father different mothers."
"我们是同父异母的姐妹."
"Oh, I see." Chunhui nodded, yet to himself he understood that the two sisters clearly carried traits from many diverse human ethnic groups.
"哦,是这样." 春晖虽然嘴里答应着,虽然嘴里没说,但是心里明白,她们姐妹身上显然包含了太多不同人种的因素.
Recalling the younger sister's looks and behaviour, Chunhui compared them with Yattina's face and bearing right before him.
回想着刚才她妹妹的相貌举止,春晖又对比着眼前雅缇娜的容颜和气质.
"Why are you still watching me like this?"
"你怎么还是这样看我?"
"I have not seen you for a full day. May I not miss you?"
"我已经一天没见到你了,我想你不行吗?"
"Are you truly missing me?" Yattina turned her head, locking eyes with him. Fire lit one side of her face and made her eyes sparkle.
"真的是想我吗?" 雅缇娜扭回头,盯着自己的眼睛,火光照亮了她一侧的脸颊,也点燃了她眼中的闪亮.
"I am sorry, I... I am just not certain." Chunhui looked away, stared at the fire, and ate his food in silence, deliberately evading Yattina's gaze.
"抱歉,我,... 我只是不太确定." 春晖转回头,独自盯着炉火,沉默地吃自己的食物,他主动避开了雅缇娜的视线.
Once the words left her mouth, Shizuka realised she had been rather hard on him. In a sense he too was a victim. To spare him the guilt of losing his crew, Shizuka had overwritten his former memories. The new memories were sourced from records aboard her ship of Chunhui's past life with Papia, yet she dared not make those memories too vivid, for she herself was not Papia.
话一出口静香也觉得自己有些苛责他了,某种程度上来讲,他也是个受害者,为了让他不活在痛失船员的愧疚里,静香覆盖了他之前的记忆,而来源是自己飞船中记录的春晖与帕皮亚之前一起生活的记忆,但是又不能让他记得太清楚,因为自己并不是帕皮亚.
Shizuka tugged his arm and gazed at him, saying nothing.
静香拉了拉他的胳膊,望着他,但是什么也没有说.
Seeing that the person before him truly cared for him, a smile slowly returned to Chunhui's rigid features.
看见自己眼前的人真的在乎自己,春晖那凝滞的脸上又渐渐露出了笑容,
"Eat. I am fine." He reached out and patted Yattina's shoulder.
"吃吧,我没事," 说着摸了摸雅缇娜的肩头.
A thin crescent moon rose beyond the bay. Slender and narrow, it cast enough light over the white beach by the sea. Chunhui cleared away the leftover food and returned to Yattina's side.
海滩外弯月初升,月牙狭长纤细,但是足以照亮海边的白沙滩.春晖收拾了剩余食物,回到雅缇娜身边,
"Shall we go for a walk?"
"我们去散步吧,"
"Alright."
"好,"
"Take off your shoes. Let the sand massage the soles of your feet."
"把鞋脱掉,让沙滩给你的脚底做个按摩吗?"
"Mmm, that sounds nice."
"嗯,好啊,"
Shizuka bent down to remove her own shoes, but Chunhui guided her to sit down, dropped to one knee before her, and slipped off each shoe, setting them beside the fire.
静香弯腰刚想自己脱鞋,没想到春晖扶着她到一边坐下,单膝跪在她面前,帮她把鞋子一只只脱了下来放在一边炉火旁.
Bare feet touched the sand. The sensation against the soles was indeed unique. Without shoes, less surface area of her feet touched the ground. As Shizuka stepped forward, her feet sank into sand and her body swayed slightly. Chunhui drew near, put his arm around her waist, and walked onward with her.
赤脚踩在沙滩上,脚底与细沙的接触确实触感独特,但是少了鞋子,双脚与地面的接触面积变小了,静香一步步踩下去,脚底陷进沙里,身体有些摇晃.这时春晖靠了过来,搂着她的腰一起走了下去.