Tales of the Lotus Empire
来源：http://mmh7.ubi.com/en/blog/post/view/tales-of-the-lotus-empire，以下由HeavenK翻译。
Hello, my dear Shadow Councilors.
你们好，我敬爱的影子议员们。
The time has come for me to tell you some information about Shalassa’s children, the serpentine Nagas. This is a topic that was suggested by you, my friends -- however keep in mind the Lotus Empire is, as far as I can tell, not involved in nor interested by Ivan’s struggle.
是时候让我给你们讲讲关于莎拉萨的子嗣，那些蛇形的娜迦们的故事了。这一话题是你们所选择的，但是请记住，我的朋友们，据我所知，莲花帝国与伊凡的奋斗并无任何关系也没什么兴趣。
The Nagas are a mysterious people, even for the likes of me. Fortunately, one Faceless has lived among them for centuries. At one time, he called himself Mukao, and what I know of the Nagas, I know from him.
娜迦们是神秘的种族，即使对于吾之一族来说也是如此。幸运的是，有一个无面者曾和他们一起生活数百年。他曾经自称为武颜（暗指：无颜，即无面者），我所知关于娜迦的一切，都是从他那里来的。
追求完美 - The Quest for Perfection
To understand the history of the Lotus Empire, you have to understand how their society works. The Naga nation is based on a master-apprentice relationship. All Nagas swear allegiance and promise obedience to their chosen master. Duty and loyalty are expected. The basic goal of a Naga is to achieve self-perfection; they hope to live lives of purity and simplicity, believing that those who do so are reborn as the spirits of the ocean who aid Shalassa in her works. Death is not to be feared, then, but to be accepted without worry; the hope is that the Naga has raised itself to a level of spiritual perfection such that it will be welcomed by Shalassa.
要理解莲花帝国的历史，就必须先理解其社会是怎样运行的。娜迦国度建立在导师——学徒关系之上。所有的娜迦都允诺对自己的导师忠诚并服从。职责和忠心是必备美德。娜迦们的基本人生目标就是自我完善，他们希望能过上简单纯洁的生活，并相信如此做便能够转世到灵界之海，前往莎拉萨身边服侍牠。死亡并不恐惧，相反，应该毫无忧虑地接受。娜迦们希望能够将自己的精神层面提升至尽善尽美，这一便能被莎拉萨所接受。
Perfection is pursued through rigorous physical training and weapons practice, prayer and meditation, and by withstanding great rigours and hardship. The body and mind are soft tissue to be hardened in the crucible of exercise and prayer. When a Naga feels that he has surpassed his master, he must defeat him in a formal duel. If successful, he becomes a master himself, or seeks further training from a superior master. These duels are not necessarily fought with weapons. They could be contests of poetry, ritual meditation, or even cooking.
达到完美的过程少不了严格的武术修炼、祈祷和冥想。软弱的身体和精神必须通过修炼与祈祷的煎熬才能得到强化。当一个娜迦认为自己已经超越自己的导师时，他必须在一场正式的决斗中获得胜利。如果成功，他就可以成为一个导师，或是去寻找更加优秀的导师进行训练。这种决斗不一定是武术决斗，也可以是诗歌、闭关，甚至是厨艺。
永恒女皇 - The Eternal Empress
The highest master in Naga society is the Eternal Empress, who is considered as the living incarnation of Shalassa. Some historians have suggested the Eternal Empress is merely a persona adopted by a succession of rulers – men and women alike – as they must shed their old identity and become the embodiment of perfection once they ascend to the highest position of the Naga society. Of course, that theory has never been proven, and no Naga would ever confirm it. As far as we know, the Eternal Empress truly is an immortal.
娜迦社会的最高导师是永恒女皇，她被认为是莎拉萨的化身。有些历史学家认为永恒女皇实际上是一个不断继承的统治者称号，那些相似的男人和女人，他们一旦继承这娜迦社会的最高之位，就必须放弃自身旧日的身份并成为完美的化身。自然，这一理论没人能够证实，也没有哪个娜迦会承认这一点。因此，就我们所知，永恒女皇本人确实是不朽的。
The Eternal Empress is both the military and spiritual head of Naga society. She has led the Nagas since times older than History, and she has never ever been defeated in a duel. The Naga culture being what it is, however, that has never prevented ambitious Naga lords to try.
永恒女皇是娜迦社会的军事首领与精神首领。她率领娜迦的时间已经超越了历史，并且从来未经一场败仗。娜迦文化即是如此，但是这并不意味着从来没有野心勃勃的娜迦领主进行过尝试。
Many times during its history, the Lotus Empire has known terrible civil wars instigated by one of the Daimyos willing to overthrow the Empress and take her place. Because war among Nagas obeys many rules and victory cannot be less than perfect, Nagas never involve outsiders in their conflicts. They usually cut their political relationships with the other nations, and retreat to their dominions of the Jade Ocean until one of the contestants emerges victorious. Naga traders, explorers, and seekers of truth will still be met outside the borders of the Lotus Empire, but do not expect to make any deal involving the Naga nation as a whole.
莲花帝国在历史上曾经数次经历恐怖的内战，有野心的大名们试图推翻女皇之位。但是因为娜迦之战有着诸多规矩，并且其胜利必须尽善尽美，因此娜迦从不让外人介入其战争。它们会切断与外界的一切联系，并退回到翡翠洋的领域内，直到有一方获得胜利。娜迦商人，探险家与真实的追求者们仍然能够前往莲花帝国的边境与外人碰面，但是不要期望能够与莲花帝国本身达成任何交易。
秋风远征 - The Crusade of the Autumn Wind
Civil wars in the Lotus Empire are usually followed by a period of expansion and interactions with the rest of the world, as if to make up for the times of isolation. These periods are known as Diasporas, and are usually times of evolution, progress and change within Naga society. For instance, the great weaponsmith Hagane Goro studied the art of forging Starsilver among the Elves of Irollan during the first great Diaspora. But Diasporas are also times of conquest and military agressiveness. Several Naga kingdoms were founded, such as Shanriya in the glaciers of the Dragons’ Causeway, or Sayama in the Sahaar Desert. These smaller Naga kingdoms are supposed to be vassals of the Lotus Empire, but time and distance made them grow independent, eventually attracting the ire of their immortal ruler.
莲花帝国的内战后往往会出现一段扩张的时期，就好像是为了弥补那段孤立的时光一样，此时期内娜迦们会频繁地与外界进行交流。这一时期常常被称为大流散，并且伴随着娜迦社会的革新、进化与改变。例如，伟大的铁匠钢五郎就曾在第一次大流散中前往艾罗兰，从精灵那里学习铸造星银的方法。但是，大流散同时也是征服与军事扩张的时代。数个娜迦王国建立起来，包括位于巨龙长堤冰川的山瑞亚，与地处萨哈沙漠的砂山。这些小的娜迦王国起初属于莲花帝国的附庸，但是由于天高皇帝远，它们最终常常日渐独立，并由此引发其不朽主人的怒火。
Early in the seventh century, the Eternal Empress intended to reconquer Shanriya, who had become too free-spirited for her tastes. To support her war effort, she sent her best generals across Ashan to gather powerful relics. This was known as the Crusade of the Autumn Wind. One of the Empress’ most trusted advisors, Daimyo Oshiro, got his hands on a Tear of Asha whose power was of a magnitude never seen before. Rather than bringing it back to his mistress, Oshiro decided to harness its power for himself, turning his armies against the Eternal Empress. It is said Oshiro came as close as the gates of Nariya, the Nagas’ underwater capital city, but his rebellion was eventually crushed when the Empress herself came to the battlefield and demonstrated how powerful she truly was.
在七世纪早期，永恒女皇决定重新征服山瑞亚，因为那里在她看来过于自由奔放了。为了支持其战争，她派出了最得力的将军跨越亚山全境搜集强力的遗物。这一事件被称为秋风远征。女皇最信任的谋士之一，大名大城被派去寻找亚莎之泪，一件具有无与伦比威力的宝物。然而，大城并没将此物带回其女主人身边，相反，他决定将此力量据为己有，并率领军队反抗永恒女皇。据说大城当时已经快要打进娜迦们的水下都城那瑞亚城下，但是此时永恒女皇本人亲上战场施展其恐怖的威力一举击溃了叛乱。
被诅咒的大城 - Oshiro the Accursed
Oshiro managed to flee by making a deal with a kingmaker spirit, a Kirin. He offered his life to the sacred creature, asking it to get his people to safety in exchange. The Kirin accepted, touched by Oshiro’s noble and selfless sacrifice. Thanks to the Kirin’s powers, Oshiro’s people escaped the Empress’ wrath – although they were condemned to a miserable life where the Tear had been found, in the subterranean lakes and rivers hidden under the Vantyr mountains. But Oshiro had fooled the Kirin: instead of giving his life as promised, he used the magic of the Tear of Asha to shield himself from the creature, driving it to rage and madness. And thus Daimyo Oshiro became Oshiro the Accursed.
大城设法与选帝灵——麒麟达成了一个协议，他将奉献自己的生命，以此换取这一神圣生物将他的人民送往安全的地方。麒麟被大城的高风亮节与自我牺牲所感化，同意了这一要求。在麒麟的法力之下，大城的人民逃离了女皇之怒，不过他们只能躲在凡提山脉之下所隐藏着的一处地下湖泊里，并在那个最初发现亚莎之泪的地方过上一辈子的苦难生活。然而，大城本人却愚弄了麒麟，他并没有将自己的生命献出来，相反，他利用亚莎之泪的力量将麒麟困在外面，并最终导致其变得疯狂。就这样，大城大名获得了被诅咒的大城这一外号。
Tuidhana’s people, the Dark Elves, encountered Oshiro and his renegade Nagas in their quest for the very same Tear of Asha. Commander Yrris led the Elves to victory against Oshiro, even killing the enraged Kirin. The surviving Nagas were forced to recognize the Clanlords as their new masters. Their priestesses received Malassa’s gift, and in accepting the mark of Darkness they also rejected the ways of Shalassa in favour or her destructive aspect, the goddess of the dark depths, the Wrecker. These Naga priestesses became what their people call Medusae.
图德哈娜的子民，黑暗精灵们在寻找同一块亚莎之泪的过程中遭遇到了大城和他手下的娜迦叛军们。依瑞斯指挥着精灵击败了大城，并设法杀掉了愤怒的麒麟。残存下来的娜迦被迫将氏族首领当做自己的新主人。他们的祭司接受了马拉萨的馈赠，并因此背弃了莎拉萨之道以及其毁灭的化身，深海之女神毁舟者。这些娜迦女祭司被其人民称为美杜莎。
虽胜犹败 - Defeat in Victory
Oshiro’s rebellion had put an end to the Eternal Empress’ plans to bring Shanriya back into the fold, and the Ice Nagas had used the time to fortify themselves, even making strong alliances with the Free City of Stormcliff and the Dwarves of Ostgerd. After the losses suffered against Oshiro, any new attempt to wage war against Shanriya would be foolish.
大城的叛乱彻底终结了永恒女皇夺回山瑞亚的计划，冰雪娜迦们也趁此机会加强防御，甚至还同风暴崖的自由城邦和奥斯格德的矮人们组成了强力的同盟。在遭受了大城带来的损失之后，再试图挑起与山瑞亚的战争无疑是不智的。
In itself, this would not be so bad. But you have to remember the Nagas’ obsession with perfection. While she had technically been victorious against Oshiro, the Eternal Empress’ perfect rule was now stained, and her ability to lead was being questioned. In the following decades, the Lotus Empire slowly descended into disunion. More and more Daimyos were becoming insolent, even rebellious, and the Eternal Empress had to begin a great campaign to prove herself worthy of Shalassa’s favour. According to Mukao, this has proven her greatest challenge yet, one she hasn’t yet overcome.
单看战争本身的话，形势还没有那么遭。但是不要忘了，娜迦追求的是尽善尽美。尽管技术上来说永恒女皇击败了大城，但是其完美的统治本身出现了裂痕，其领导力受到了质疑。在接下来的数十年里，莲花帝国逐渐分裂，越来越多的大名开始各自为政，甚至公然叛乱，而永恒女皇本人不得不开始一项伟大的试炼以证明自己值得莎拉萨的厚爱。据武颜所讲，她必须完成一个自己未曾完成过的挑战。
So the Nagas of the Jade Ocean remain isolated for the moment, and the ones in Shanriya are not confident enough yet to meddle with the affairs of the Holy Empire. As for the Sayama Nagas, they are a small community whose main trade is water, not something that would be of great help to Ivan.
所以此刻，翡翠洋的娜迦们仍然处于与外界孤立的状态，而山瑞亚的娜迦们也没准备好插手神圣帝国的事物。剩下的砂山娜迦们，它们不过是靠交易水源为生的小部落而已，对伊凡而言起不了多大帮助。
And this why, my friends, the Nagas have played no part in the Ten Years War, and probably won’t have much impact on the life of land-dwellers before quite some time…
所以这就是为什么娜迦们并未在十年战争中有所作为的原因，我的朋友们，而且大概在很长的一段时间内，它们都不会对地上居民们的生活产生什么大的影响
