在沙漠中 In the Desert

在沙漠中 In the Desert

Written in 2023 by James Mahu

中文翻譯校稿：AI+Dadael

那是一個寂靜的日子。沒有一絲風的氣息。陽光很刺眼，但並不難受。沙漠是這個女子在孩童時最喜歡的目的地之一。從懸在海灘上的懸崖走過去，路程很短，但很危險。幾乎沒有人知道這個地方，而那些知道的人則會避而遠之，因為被認為有迷路的危險。有太多關於毫無戒心的遊客的故事，他們一旦進入沙丘就迷失了方向，然後就再也見不到他們了。

It was a still day. Not a single breath of wind. The sun was harsh, but not unkind. The desert was one of the woman’s favorite destinations as a young child. It was a short, but perilous walk from the cliffs that overhung the beach. Hardly anyone knew of the place, and those that did, avoided it because of the presumed danger that they would become lost. There were too many stories of unsuspecting tourists, losing their way once they traveled into the sand dunes, and then were never to be seen again.

在海邊漫步之後，沙漠的對比鮮明，令人嘆為觀止。她知道有一片綠洲被小山般大小的沙丘包圍著。要走這麼遠的路可不是件容易的事，除了極富冒險精神的人，其他人都被拒之門外。

The desert’s contrast, after walking along the shores of the sea, were stark and breathtaking. She knew of an oasis that was surrounded by sand dunes that were the size of hills. Navigating the distance was no easy task, and that kept out everyone but the very adventurous.

當這位女士沿著陡峭的沙丘往下走時，她聽到了一些聲音，她推測這些聲音來自綠洲。似乎有人在友好地爭論著什麼。她只能確定這一點。從山上下來後，她拂去斗篷上的沙子，走過剩下的一段距離，來到陌生人、她的主人面前，鞠了一躬。"對不起，打擾了，能麻煩您給我倒杯水嗎？"

As the woman shuffled down a steep sand dune she could hear voices that she presumed were coming from the oasis. There seemed to be a friendly argument afoot. It was all the woman could ascertain. As she came down from the hill, she swiped off the sand from her cloak, and walked the remaining distance to the strangers, her hosts, and bowed. “Please, I’m sorry to interrupt, but could I trouble you for some water?”

有一個男人和兩個女子。他們皮膚黝黑，就像來自陽光並不陌生的地方的人。她猜測他們來自沙漠深處，在她的世界里，除非是人類學家，否則沒有人涉足過這些地方。他們很年輕--至少對她來說--也許三十出頭。一旦一個人度過了青少年時期，她就很難猜出他的年齡。

There was a man and two women. They were dark skinned, like people who come from places where the sun is no stranger. She surmised they were from the deep desert, places that no one in her world ever ventured, unless they were anthropologists. They were young — at least to her — perhaps in their early thirties. She was quite terrible at guessing ages once the person survived their teenage years.

其中一位婦女拿著一個山羊皮酒壺走了過來，酒壺約有成人手掌大小，鬆開後有拳頭那麼寬。來訪者接過酒壺一飲而盡。她很快就解渴了，然後把酒壺遞了回去。

One of the women stepped forward with a flask of goatskin, about the size of an adult hand uncoiled, bearing the width of a fist. The visitor took the flask and drank. Her thirst was quenched quickly, and she handed it back.

"你可以多喝點，這裡有很多水 沒有人會到這些偏僻的地方冒險。" 女子把水壺塞回來訪者手中，來訪者接過了水壺。"你的身體狀況一定很好，"女子掃視著她的全身，觀察道。

“You can have more, there’s plenty of water here. No one ventures out to these remote places.” The woman pressed the flask back into the visitor’s hands, who accepted it. “You must be in good condition,” the woman observed, scanning the length of her body.

"你是從懸崖，還是大海那邊來的？"男人問道，恰到好處地打斷了談話。

“Did you come from the cliffs or the sea?” the man asked, entering the conversation with perfect timing.

"我來自海邊，"來訪者回答。她喝了和之前差不多的水，並把它遞了回去。"我很好，謝謝你。也許待會我還能再喝一些。"

“I came from the sea,” the visitor replied. She had taken about the same amount of water as before, and handed it back. “I’m good, thank you. Perhaps later I’ll have some more.”

"如果你是從海那裡來的，那麼你的狀況確實很好。你也許能跟上我們的步伐。" 他笑了笑，眨了眨眼睛。

“If you came from the sea, then you are indeed in fine condition. You would probably be able to keep up with us.” He smiled and winked.

"你們來自哪裡？"來訪者問道。

“Where are you from?” the visitor asked.

"我們來自那裡的各個地方，"他指著他們身後與大海相反方向的地區。"我們就是你們所說的遊牧民族，或者說是在沙漠中遊蕩的新住民的一部分，他們對永久性和確定性感到不滿"。

“We are from everywhere in there,” he pointed to the region behind them in the opposite direction of the sea. “We are what you might call nomads or part of the ne’er-do-well denizens who roam the desert floor, dissatisfied with permanence and surety.”

來訪者微微眯起了眼睛。"你從哪裡學來的，講得這麼好？"

The visitor squinted her eyes slightly. “Where did you learn to speak so well?”

"啊，"其中一位女士說，"我們的父母有一位遠房親戚曾在貴國的大學就讀，他們對我們進行了教育。這位親戚恰好是我們最好的邏輯學家。你們大學的一位人類學家訪問了我們，隨著時間的推移，他為我們的親戚提供了接受教育的機會。在我們族人的大力鼓勵下，她去了，學到了她認為重要的一切。然後回到我們的身邊，教導我們。"

“Ah,” one of the women said, “we were educated by our parents who had a distant relative who once went to your universities. This relative happened to be our finest logician. An anthropologist from your university visited us, and over time, offered our relative an education. She went with great encouragement from our people, and she learned everything she felt was important. And then returned to our people and taught us.”

"你們有書嗎？"來訪者帶著某種程度的好奇問道。

“You have books?” the visitor asked with a degree of wonder.

"沒有，我們知道的一切都在口傳之中，"女子回答。

“No, everything we know is in the oral tradition,” the woman answered.

"換句話說，"那人說，"我們很愛說話。"

“In other words,” the man said, “we like to talk a lot.”

他的評論之後是笑聲。"來吧，加入我們，我們有葡萄、麵包和羊奶，如果你喜歡的話，我們甚至還有紅酒。"

The sound of laughter followed his comment. “Come, join us, we have grapes, bread and goat’s milk, and if you feel like it, we even have red wine.”

來訪者在柔軟的沙地上坐下，周圍的棕櫚樹為他們提供了所需的樹蔭。沙地上偶爾有蜥蜴飛過。與沙漠的寂靜相比，它的動作節奏如此之快，聲音卻出奇地響亮。

The visitor sat down on the soft sand floor, surrounded by palm trees that provided much needed shade. An occasional lizard flitted across the sand. Its movement, such a rapid rhythm, was surprisingly loud when measured against the absolute silence of the desert.

"你從哪裡來，為什麼在這裡？"那人問。"如果我不會太冒昧的話。"

“Where are you from and why are you here?” the man asked. “If I’m not being too bold.”

"我對直率並不反感，"她平靜地回答。"我來自一個你從未聽說過的地方。那是一個如此偏遠、如此渺小的小鎮，甚至連地圖上都沒有它的名字。至於我為什麼來這裡，我聽從了自己的願望，並追隨了它。"

“I am not offended by directness,” she replied quietly. “I am from a place you have never heard of. It is a town so remote, so small, that it is not even on the map. As for why I am here, I listened to my desire and followed it.”

"你以前來過這裡嗎？"

“Have you been here before?”

"是的。"她點了點頭。"兩次。"

“Yes,” she nodded. “Twice.”

"多久以前？"那女子問。

“How long ago?” the woman asked.

來訪者仔細看了看她的客人。"在你出生之前。"

The visitor looked carefully at her guests. “Before you were born.”

"嗯...... "男人說著，微微晃了晃腦袋。"那麼你的記憶力和你的體能一樣令人印象深刻。你再這樣下去，等我們談完，我一定會對你推崇備至。" 他笑了笑，靠著一棵棕櫚樹坐了下來。

“Huh...” the man said, bobbing his head slightly. “Then your memory is as impressive as your fitness. You keep this up, and by the time we're done talking, I will hold you in the highest esteem.” He smiled and sat back against one of the palm trees.

"如果距離你上次來這裡已經那麼久了，你是怎麼找到這裡的？"

“If it had been that long a time since you were here last, how did you find it?”

"我清楚地知道，從懸崖上的階梯最底層到懸崖有多少個台階。我小時候數過。我不僅記得台階數，還記得方向。如果數錯了，我就會掉頭回去。今天沒有風，所以我想，如果需要的話，我可以沿著我的足跡回到安全的地方。"

“I know exactly how many steps it is from the bottom step of the stairs that mount those cliffs. I counted them when I was a child. Not only do I remember the number of steps, but I remember the direction. If I had been wrong when I reached the number, I would have turned back. There’s no wind today, so I reasoned that I could follow my tracks back to safety, if needed.”

"但沒有水，你冒了風險。"

“But no water, you took a risk.”

"我知道。但在某些時候，我可以聽到你們的聲音，我停止了數數，因為我知道我走的方向是正確的。"

“I know. But at some point I could hear your voices, and I stopped counting because I knew I had gone in the right direction.”

"好吧，我們很高興你能加入我們的談話。" 他們三個人都點了點頭。來訪者微笑著點了點頭作為回應。

“Well, we’re glad you could join us for some conversation.” The three of them all nodded. The visitor smiled and nodded in return.

"你來的時候，我們正在討論時空的合理性。你有什麼看法嗎？"那男人問。

“We were discussing the validity of spacetime when you arrived. Do you have any opinions?” the man asked.

來訪者點了點頭。"觀點，我有無限的供應。知識，就不是那麼多了。"

The visitor nodded. “Opinions I have an infinite supply. Knowledge, not so much.”

"那麼，告訴我們你的觀點。時空是否真的存在？"

“So, tell us your opinion. Does spacetime actually exist?”

"看來你得出的結論是，它要麼存在，要麼不存在，而事實上，我相信兩者都存在。"

“It seems that you have come to the conclusion that it either exists or it doesn’t, when indeed, I believe it is both.”

其中一個女子聳了聳肩。"怎麼可能有東西是同時存在和不存在？

One of the women shrugged. “How can something exist and not exist at the same time?”

"它可以做到這一點，因為我們在所有的時空中生活和活動。時空不是”自然”的二元表達。就其本質而言，”自然”就是時空的所有維度。它存在於每一個層面，每一個粒子，在所有一切裡。”自然”就是一切。我們是它的一部分。"

“It can do that because we live and operate in all spacetimes. Spacetime is not a binary expression of Nature. By its very nature, Nature is all dimensions of spacetime. It exists in every level, every particle, in all. Nature is all. We are a part of it.”

她撿起一些沙子，讓它從指縫間流過。"不僅僅是這片沙漠，也不僅僅是棕櫚樹，甚至不僅僅是這個星球。「自然」就是一切，無處不在，無時不有。"

She picked up some sand and let it pass through her fingers. “Not just this desert, or the palm trees or even this planet. Nature is everything, everywhere, everytime.”

她停頓了一下，抬頭看著他們三個的臉，都盯著她。"那包括誰呢？"

she paused and looked up at their three faces, all staring at her. “And who would that include?”

其中一個女子指了指自己的胸口。"我們...人類..."

One of the women pointed to her chest. “Us...humans...”

"我們是無限的生命，以連續的身體和時空的身份，在時空中編織著我們的途徑。時空是我們旅途和學習中唯一不變的東西。如果它不存在，那麼它存在的幻覺就是完美的，而任何完美的東西都必須存在，因此，它不是幻覺。"

“We are infinite beings that weave our way across spacetime in a succession of bodies and temporal identities. Spacetime is the one constant of our journey and the learning therein. If it didn’t exist then the illusion of its existence is perfect, and anything that is perfect, must exist, therefore, it is not an illusion.”

"好吧，你的心智肯定會使我們的談話更有活力，"那人說。

“Well, your mind will certainly perk up our conversation,” the man remarked.

"然而，時空並不是基礎，"來訪者繼續說。

“Yet, spacetime is not foundational,” the visitor continued.

"有一種包羅萬象的、形成的、原始的、超自然的實相，這就是所有黑洞背後的黑洞。它是時空的源頭，就像我們是二元性的源頭一樣。這是一個由分離中創造出的對立世界"。

“There is an encompassing, formative, primitive, preternatural reality and this is the blackhole behind all blackholes. It is the source of spacetime, in the same way as we are the source of duality. It is a world in which opposites are created from separation.”

"人類是如何擁有這種不同於”自然”所有其他部分的視角的？"女子問。

“How did humans come to possess this perspective, different from all other parts of Nature?” the woman asked.

"我們是如何成為分離的創造者的？"

“How did we become the creators of separation?”

"只有特定的大腦和神經系統才能容納這種在時空中從整體中分離出來的能力，並真正思考它。對於從整體中分離出來，但又是整體本身的複雜性，等待著我們的，是無限的理解。

“Only a certain brain and nervous system can accommodate this ability to separate from the whole within spacetime, and truly contemplate it. There awaits an infinite understanding of the complexity of being separate from the whole, and yet the whole itself.

“自然”的其他部分也意識到了這種分離，但缺乏生物工具來思考這種分離的全部。"

Other parts of Nature are aware of this separation, but lack the biological tools to contemplate the fullness of this separation.”

"那這種獨特性有什麼目的呢？"那人問。

“And for what purpose does this uniqueness serve?” the man asked.

她轉向他，然後指向天空。"在這個星球上，我們是「自然」中唯一能夠探索天空的眼睛。我們是「自然」的一部分，將自身與「自然」的整體連結在一起。在時空中有生命的地方，生命的一部分就有可能進化成足夠複雜的實體，成為新世界的探索者，並在這個過程中，成為連接「自然」更大一部分的橋梁。"

She turned to him and then pointed to the sky. “We are the only eyes of Nature, upon this planet, that can explore that, and out of that exploration we bridge worlds. We are the part of Nature that connects itself to its wholeness. Where there is life in spacetime, there is the probability that a part of that life will evolve to a sufficiently complex entity that it will become an explorer of new worlds, and in that process, become a bridge to a greater part of Nature.”

"就這些？"其中一個女子帶著疑惑的語氣問。"我們在這裡只是為了與來自其他星球的其他生命體相互交流嗎？"

“That’s all?” one of the women asked with a tone of perplexity. “We’re just here to interconnect with other lifeforms from other planets?”

來訪者緩緩地搖了搖頭。"不，我只是告訴你，我對我們所有人的目的的看法。但對我們來說，作為一個Sovereign身份，我們有一個完全獨特和不同的目的。這就是目的，比如說，你們是人類，作為遊牧民族生活在沙漠中，在綠洲和嚴酷的環境之間穿梭。你們有自己的目的，我想它與星際間的同伴情誼無關。"

The visitor shook her head slowly. “No, I am just telling you my opinion on the purpose for all of us. But for us, as a Sovereign identity, we have a completely unique and different purpose. And this is the purpose, for example, that you are human, living in the desert as nomads, flitting between an oasis and harshness. You have a purpose and I would imagine it has nothing to do with intergalactic comradeship.”

"好吧，我不能替我那些出色的同伴們說話，但我可以告訴你們，我想我這輩子都沒有想過要成為時空中其他星球上其他生命的大使。"

“Well, I can’t speak for my wonderful companions, but I will tell you this, I don’t think I have had a single thought in my entire life where I considered my purpose to be an ambassador for other life on other planets in spacetime.”

"為什麼不呢？"來訪者問。

“And why not?” the visitor asked.

"我想這是不可能的。沙漠裡可沒有飛船。"他笑著說。"或者其他任何地方。" 他把頭轉向來訪者的方向。

“I suppose because it’s not possible. We don’t have spaceships laying around in the desert,” he said with a chuckle. “Or anywhere else for that matter.” He tilted his head in the direction of the visitor.

"你是建議我們等待他們嗎？"

“Are you suggesting we wait for them?”

"我是建議，我們要明白。我們是“自然“整體的一部分。它只是”自然“的外在化，但也有內在的”自然“，外在的自然正是從這個自然中表現出來的。這種關係是分形的，絕對是無限的，只有在理解「個體、群體和全體意識」的愛中才能解決。這就是我的建議"。

“I’m suggesting that we understand. We are a part of a wholeness that is Nature. It is simply Nature externalized, but there is an internal Nature as well, and it is from this Nature that the external is expressed. And this relationship is fractal, absolutely infinite, and is only soluble in a love that understands the one, many and all consciousness. That is what I am suggesting.”

停頓了很長時間。寂靜的空間裡充滿了各種想法。

There was a long pause. The silence that filled their space was fertile with ideas.

其中一個女子轉移了她的位置。

One of the women shifted her position.

"我們的科學家說過，量子世界很奇怪。波也是粒子。一隻貓既是死的又是活的。如果我們只是測量一些東西，它就會發生某種變化。"

“Our scientists have said that the quantum world is strange. A wave is also a particle. A cat is both dead and alive. If we simply measure something, it will change in some way.”

她嘆了口氣。"這一切有意義嗎？我認為這不僅僅是我們發明了分離，以及由此產生的二元性。我們發明了困惑。她似乎想笑，但笑得很尷尬。

She sighed. “Does any of this make sense? I don’t think it is simply that we invented separation, and by association, duality. We invented confusion.” She seemed to try to smile, but her attempt was awkward.

"“自然”總是在擴張著，"來訪者說。

“Nature is always expanding,” the visitor said.

"即使是我們的宇宙也在飛速膨脹，無論我們的望遠鏡有多麼強大，我們也永遠無法看到宇宙的全部。自然是我們無法理解的智慧。它生活在不可知的狀態中，萬物在那裡來去。它不僅僅是一片森林、一隻動物或一條魚，它是生命的全部。這就是自然。我們是自然的一部分，我們啓動了跨時空的相互連結。我們是自然的絲線，將星球與星球、物種與物種、星系與星系、宇宙與宇宙編織在一起"。

“Even our universe is expanding so fast that we will never see it all, no matter how powerful our telescopes. Nature is the intelligence we cannot fathom. It lives in the unknowable state where all things arrive and depart. It is not simply a forest or an animal or fish, it is all of life. That is nature. We are the part of Nature that initiates interconnectedness across spacetime. We are its threads to weave itself together planet to planet, species to species, galaxy to galaxy, universe to universe.”

"如此宏偉的計劃，"那人沈吟道。

“Such a grand plan,” the man intoned.

"然而，我們就在這裡，像蜥蜴一樣坐在沙漠中的沙子上。我們怎麼去探索那裡的一切呢？"

“Yet here we are, sitting on sand in the desert like lizards. How are we going to explore anything up there?”

"哦，我們會的。"來訪者以絕對的信心說。

“Oh, we will,” the visitor said with absolute conviction.

"但首先，那些在探索中走在我們前面的人將會訪問我們。他們會來瞭解我們，評估我們，並確定我們何時準備好成為合作夥伴，而不是對手。"
(譯註：意指“靈魂的其他身份“跟我們接觸)

“But first, we will be visited by those who are ahead of us in their explorations. They will come to understand us, evaluate us, and determine when we would be ready to become partners, instead of adversaries.”

"你說的這些都有一定的道理，但我們在這裡的時間太短了，這與我們有什麼關係呢？你的意思只能是，我們的某個未來版本將與我們的銀河系鄰居握手言和......對嗎？"

“All of what you say makes a degree of sense, but we are here for such a short time, how is it relevant to any of us? All you can be suggesting is that some future version of us will shake hands with our galactic neighbors...right?”

來訪者舔了舔乾燥的嘴唇，深吸了一口氣。"這就是”自然”的宏偉計劃。時空是唯一真正的變量。我們人類的哪一代會在明確的、主要是集體的夥伴關係中握手言和，是唯一的問題，而這個答案總是包含在一個非常具體和不具體的時空中。有一種概率散落在那一代人中，就像隱蔽地藏著的復活節彩蛋。"

The visitor licked her dry lips, and took a deep breath. “This is the grand plan of Nature. Spacetime is the only real variable. Which generation of our species will shake hands in an explicit, and mostly collective partnership is the only question, and that answer is always contained in a very specific and non-specific spacetime. There is a probability scattered in that generation like Easter eggs stashed away in stealth.”

"我們如何才能信任一個與我們如此格格不入的種族？" "而且推論起來，它更先進？"

“And how do we become trusting of a race so alien from our own, and by inference, more advanced?”

"這是一個漫長的過程，"來訪者回答。

“It is a long process,” the visitor replied.

"在我們認為是地球規模的時間景觀上，“自然“可以做到這一點。但是，一旦有了足夠的生物系統，“自然“就會實現這一點。它知道如何實現。那"何時”(The When)在時空內捲曲，這就是所有人都不知道的魔法，在它出現之前，沒有人會知道"。

“Nature enables this over timescapes we would consider planetary in scale. But once a sufficient biological system is in place, Nature will enable this. It knows how. The when is curled within spacetime and this is the magic that is unknown to all, until it is but a short time away, no one will know.”

"你的意思是無法預知？"那人問道。

“Are you implying it cannot be foretold?” the man asked.

來訪者點了點頭，保持沈默，她的眼睛閉著。

The visitor nodded, remaining silent, her eyes closed.

其中一個女子向前傾倒。"我們部落裡有個女子能預知未來。也許她可以--"

One of the women leaned forward. “We have a woman in our tribe who sees the future. Perhaps she could — ”

來訪者舉起了手。"正如我所解釋的，它是看不見的。這是“自然”不會顯露自己的時候。"

The visitor raised her hand. “As I explained, it cannot be seen. This is a time when Nature does not reveal itself.”

"......咦...... "三人近乎完美地異口同聲地說。

“...Huh...” the three said in near-perfect unison.

在遠處，爆發了一陣鼻息聲。

In the distance a snorting sound erupted. “

"只是我們的駱駝，"那人說，揮舞著他的手。"它們在陰涼處休息。琥珀可能又在做夢了。她做夢時總是打呼嚕。"

Just our camels,” the man said, waving his hand. “They’re resting in the shade. Amber is probably dreaming again. She always snorts when she dreams.”

兩個女子笑了起來，那個談到他們的預言家的人，突然變得嚴肅起來。

The two women chuckled, and the one who had talked about their seer, suddenly turned serious.

"你是誰？"

“Who are you?”

"我告訴過你。我來自一個無關緊要的小地方，完全沒有資歷，如果這是你在尋求的。"

“I told you. I am from a tiny place of no concern, utterly without credentials, if that’s what you seek.”

"讓我反過來問你 你從哪裡學會像這樣說話的？"

“Let me turn the table, where did you learn to talk like that?”

"像什麼？"

“Like what?”

"你似乎知道更深層次的實相。你怎麼會有這種理解？你從哪裡學到的？"

“You seem to know the deeper realities. How did you come to this understanding? Where did you learn it?”

來訪者停頓了一下，思考著這些問題。"很久以前我就決定，我將成為我自己的老師。所以，我沒有從任何地方學到它，而是在這裡。" 來訪者指了指自己。

The visitor paused, considering the questions. “I decided a long time ago that I would be my own teacher. So, I didn’t learn it from anywhere, but here.” The visitor pointed to herself.

"正因如此，正如我一開始就告訴你的，我有無窮無盡的觀點，它們總是在不斷變形，扭曲成新的形狀，讓我幾乎掌握不住。"

“And for this reason, as I told you from the outset, I have an infinite supply of opinions, and they are always morphing and contorting into new shapes that I can barely hold onto.”

"但你說的......有......有道理。"

“But what you say...makes...it makes sense.”

"也許吧，但它們只是原則，一旦理解了這些原則，那麼生命--”自然”--就能展現得更多一點、再多一點、再多一點。這就是它的作用，至少對我來說就是這樣。"

“Perhaps, but they’re just principles, and once the principles are understood, then life — Nature — can reveal itself a little more, and a little more and a little more. That’s how it works, at least for me.”

"但你從哪裡學到這些原則？"

“But where did you learn these principles?”

"從其他人那裡。"

“From everyone else.”

"比如誰？"

“Like who?”

"從字面上看，每一個走過我人生道路的人都是如此。每一個人都教會了我這些原則。我甚至不能說一個人比另一個人更有影響力，因為他們共同教會了我，我不知道一個人在哪裡停止，另一個人在哪裡開始。

“Literally everyone who has ever walked across my path. Every single one taught me these principles. I cannot even say that one was more influential than another, because they collectively taught me, and I don’t know where one stopped and another began.”

"嗯...... "三人再次近乎完美地齊聲回答。

“Huh...” the trio replied, once again, in near-perfect unison.

"然而，如果你之前說的是真的，那麼是”自然”教會了你，"女子觀察到。

“Yet, if what you said earlier is true, then it was Nature itself that taught you,” the woman observed.

"這不是真的吧？"

“Is that not true?”

"是真的。謝謝你這麼說。"

“It is. Thank you for saying that.”

女子突然顯得很疑惑，但還是笑了。

The woman suddenly looked perplexed, but smiled anyway.

那個男人突然坐立不安，站了起來，好像不知道該去哪裡。他抓起一個新的酒壺，這個酒壺比來訪者喝過的那個大一倍。他喝了一口，然後拿出來。"還有人想喝點酒嗎？這酒挺好喝的。"

The man, suddenly restless, stood up as if he didn’t know where to go. He grabbed a new flask that was about twice as large as the one that the visitor had drunk from. He took a swig and then held it out. “Anyone else want some wine? It’s quite good.”

三個女子都搖了搖頭。

All three women shook their heads.

他又喝了一口，比第一口喝得更久，然後回到棕櫚樹蔭下的位置。"這種”自然”無所不在、無處不在、無時不在，這種概念，是......嗯....太不尋常了。我從來沒有接受過這樣的教育：螞蟻或鯨魚是”自然”的一部分，更不用說我們了。”自然”才是舞台。是草、是樹、是沙、是水、是土地，為生命提供生存方式的一切，但你的意思是，“自然”就是......就是一切。"

He took another swig, longer than the first, and returned to his spot in the shade of a palm tree. “This notion of Nature being everything, everywhere, everytime, it’s...um....well, it’s most unusual. I was never taught that an ant or whale were part of nature, let alone us. Nature was the stage. It was the grass, the trees, the sand, the water, the land, everything that provided a way for life to live, but you’re suggesting that Nature is...is all.”

他微微搖晃著身體，陷入深思。婦女們只是看著。他終於舉起了手，食指指向天空。

He rocked his body slightly, deep in thought. The women just watched. He finally raised his hand, index finger pointing to the sky.

"我想我要說的是，如果我們都折疊進「自然」，那麼我們也都折疊出「自然」。「自然」是一切的基礎，也是舞台。這就是你的意思，對嗎？"

“I guess what I’m saying is that if we all fold into Nature, then we all fold out of Nature, too. Nature is the substrate of all, and it is also the stage. That’s what you’re saying, correct?”

來訪者點了點頭。"我是這麼說的。"

The visitor nodded. “I am saying that.”

"而你知道這一點的唯一方法，就是你從生活中的每個人身上學到了一些原則--那是「自然」教給你的。如果你想聽我的意見，你要麼有非常寬容的天性，要麼有無法辨別老師和無知混蛋的天性......"

“And the only way you know that is because you have some principles that you’ve learned from everyone in your life — that Nature taught you. You either have a very forgiving nature or one that cannot discern teachers from ignorant bastards — if you want my opinion...”

來訪者微笑著說。"我知道，有許多與我擦肩而過的人都是你口中的無知混蛋，但這只是一個稱呼。如果你把這個名字去掉，如果你真的看看他們的背後，他們就是老師。有時老師會踩剎車，有時他們會踩油門。有時，他們把我們推向憤怒、沮喪和恐懼。有時，他們把我們拉入愛、仁慈和慈悲之中。無論如何，他們都是老師"。

The visitor smiled. “I am aware that there are many who cross my path who are ignorant bastards, as you call them, but this is just a name. If you dissolve the name, if you really look behind them, they are teachers. Sometimes teachers push the brake, and sometimes they push the accelerator. Sometimes they push us into anger, frustration and fear. Sometimes they pull us into love, kindness and compassion. Regardless, they are teachers.”

"那麼，”自然”不僅是舞台和基質，還是個老師？"那人問。

“So, then Nature is not only the stage and the substrate, but it is also the teacher?” the man asked.

來訪者再次點了點頭。

Again, the visitor nodded.

那人搖了搖頭，表示反對。"那麼告訴我，朋友，“自然”不是什麼？" 來訪者欲言又止。她示意對方給她一些水，對方遞給她水壺，她抓著水壺快速喝了一口。

The man shook his head in contrast. “Then tell me, friend, what is Nature not?” The visitor began to speak, and then paused. She motioned for some water, which was handed to her, and she took a quick sip, holding onto the flask.

"“自然”是所有這些東西，而我們只是其中之一，”自然”不是這樣的。"

“Nature is all of those things, and we are just one thing, and Nature is not that.”

"那......？"那人沈吟了一下。

“And...?” the man chortled.

"我們是Sovereign。"

“We are Sovereign.”

"那到底是什麼意思？"

“What does that even mean?”

"這意味著我們擁有一個身份，它是我們一生中每時每刻所經歷的一切的綜合體，我們，也只有我們，作為一個Sovereign，擁有這個身份。而這種體驗的守護者只有我們自己。即使是“自然”也不擁有它。它只屬於我們。而我們的核心--Sovereign--理解這些經驗，因為我們觀察了它們，體驗了它們，從中學到了它們，並表達了它們"。

“It means we have an identity that is the amalgamation of everything we have experienced in every moment of every lifetime that we, and only we, as a Sovereign, possess. And the keeper of that experience is only us. Even Nature does not possess it. It is ours alone. And that aspect of us, at our very core, the Sovereign, understands these experiences because we observed them, experienced them, learned from them, and expressed them.”

"在時空裡沒有其他人做到過嗎？"其中一個女子問。"連”自然”也沒有？"

“No one else in spacetime has done that?” one of the women asked. “Not even Nature?”

"不，連”自然”也沒有。如果它有，我們就沒有存在的理由了。我們只會簡單地被”自然”吞沒，"她轉向那個男人說，"就像你說的那樣，被折疊進去了。"

“No, not even Nature. If it had, there would be no reason for us to exist. We would simply be swallowed into Nature,” she said, turning to the man. “Folded in, as you put it.”

"我們與這個”自然”不是一體的嗎？"那人問。

“And we’re not one with this Nature?” the man asked.

"在你們的思維方式中，總是非此即彼，其實兩者兼而有之。我們既是“自然”的主宰，又與“自然”融為一體。我們是“自然”的「個體、群體、全體意識」的一部分。在時空領域，我們被賦予了Sovereign，這樣“自然”就能擴張，並在擴張中保持時空的相互連結性"。

“Always in your way of thinking it is one or the other, when it is both. We are both Sovereign of, and Integral with, Nature. We are a part of the one, many and all consciousness of which Nature is, in all of its manifestations. In the realms of spacetime, we are given our Sovereignty so Nature can expand, and in this expansion retain interconnectedness within spacetime.”

"只在時空中？那麼在時空之外呢？"

“Only within spacetime? What about outside or beyond spacetime?”

"我們最接近那個領域的方式是通過想像、邏輯、數學、直覺和藝術的視角。通過這些門，你可以找到通往不可知之境的門，但你無法作為Sovereign跨過這道門檻"。

“The closest we will come to that domain is through the lens of imagination, logic, mathematics, the feelings of intuition, and art. Through those doors you can find the door to the unknowable, but you cannot cross the threshold as a Sovereign.”

"為什麼？"

“Why?”

"因為不可知的空間總是在未知的背後。無論我們的旅程有多遠。如果我們是Sovereign，我們就永遠在時空中。而“自然”，作為最原始的基質，始終處於不可知的Integral之中。"

“Because the room of the unknowable is always behind the unknown. No matter how far we journey. We are always within spacetime if we are Sovereign. And Nature, as the most primitive substrate, is always in the Integral of the unknowable.”

"那麼，如果Integral對於我們這些Sovereign來說始終是不可知的，那麼究竟怎樣才能成為Sovereign Integral呢？" 那人問道，語氣中的挫敗感油然而生。

“Then how exactly does one become a Sovereign Integral if the Integral is always unknowable to us, the Sovereign?” The man asked, frustration rising in his tone.

來訪者對這個問題笑了笑。"現在你已經找到它了。"

The visitor smiled at the question. “Now you have found it.”

"找到什麼？"他反射性地回答。

“Found what?” he replied reflexively.

"一定有辦法在這兩種狀態之間轉換，"來訪者解釋道，"讓我們同時感受到這兩種狀態，並且變得如此擅長，以至於我們可以學會同時生活在這兩種狀態中。"

“There must be a way to move between these individual states,” the visitor explained, “to feel both, and become so good at it that we can learn to live in both simultaneously.”

"一個人如何做到這一點？"

“How does one do that?”

"我可能知道自己的，我不知道你的情況。"

“I might know for myself, I don’t know for you.”

"那麼，每個人都是不同的？"那人問。

“Everyone is different, then?” the man asked.

"每個人都是不同的。" 她點了點頭。

“Everyone is different.” She nodded her head.

其中一個女子清了清嗓子。"每個Sovereign最終…都能自己找到這個點？"

One of the women cleared her throat. “Each Sovereign finds this point themselves...eventually?”

來訪者把水壺遞給了那女子。"時空是無限的，它是”自然”的舞台。經歷這一階段的Sovereign也是無限的。我們從無限中來，向無限中去。這就是我們。我們每個人，無論我們是什麼，無論我們是誰。我們就是這樣的人！而這是目前未知的。因此，我們可以向那個方向靠攏，也可以抗拒，並向分離、二元性和混亂靠攏。

The visitor handed the woman the flask of water. “Spacetime is infinite, it is the stage of Nature. The Sovereign that experiences this stage, is also infinite. We come from infinity and we leave to infinity. This is who we are. Each one of us, no matter what we are or who we are. We are that! And that is presently unknown. So, we can either lean into that direction, or we can resist and lean into separation, duality and confusion.”

"你沒有回答我的問題..."

“You didn’t answer my question...”

"哦，我還以為我有呢，"來訪者感慨道。"讓我這樣說吧，我們不知道我們知道的有多“少”或有“多少”。我們對自己的知識一無所知。你同意這個說法嗎？"

“Oh, I thought I did,” the visitor lamented. “Let me try it this way, we don’t know how little or how much we know. We are ignorant of our knowledge. Would you agree with this?”

"我們談得越多，我就越相信這一點。"女子邊說邊半笑著說。

“The more we talk, the more I am convinced of this,” the woman half-laughed as she spoke.

"如果我們無知，我們最好的辦法是什麼？"來訪者問道。

“If we are ignorant, what is our best course?” the visitor asked.

女子搖了搖頭，聳了聳肩。

The woman shook her head and shrugged.

"我們通過最好的框架來觀察生活，"來訪者說。"如果一個人在沙漠中迷路了，你會怎麼做？”

“We observe life through the best framework,” the visitor said. “If one is lost in the desert, what do you do?

那位婦女聳了聳肩。"我們用我們的腦子，我們就是知道。我們周圍的一切，沙丘、風、太陽、星星、植被，一切都指向我們想去的地方。我們不會迷路，除非有一場惡劣的風暴，重塑了沙漠的樣貌。"

The woman shrugged. “We use our heads, we just know. Everything around us, the sand dunes, the wind, the sun, the stars, the vegetation, everything points the way to where we want to go. We cannot be lost, unless there is a bad storm that reforms the desert.”

"如果真的發生了，"來訪者問道，"理想情況下，你需要什麼來找到你的路？"

“And if that were to happen,” the visitor asked, “ideally, what would you need to find your way?”

在大家期待的目光中，女子思考了一會兒。"我想，還是那句話，理想情況下，我想我會被帶到高空，俯瞰沙漠。從這個角度，我可以辨認出一些東西，讓我確定方向。"

The woman thought about it for a short time, while everyone looked expectantly. “I guess I would, again, ideally, I guess I would want to be taken up high in the air and look down on the desert. From that perspective I could recognize something that would give me my bearings.”

"高高在上，"來訪者用遙遠的聲音重復著。"我們的那一部分就是我們的Sovereign --高高在上。事實上，我們的最高點就是Sovereign。我們就是這樣找到自己的方位的。通過我們的想像力、直覺和邏輯，記住我們是Sovereign。在我們的內心使用這三個鏡頭，因為它們是我們無限的夥伴。

“High in the air,” the visitor repeated in a distant voice. “That part of us is our Sovereign — high in the air. Indeed our highest point is the Sovereign. That is how we find our bearings. To remember that we are a Sovereign through our imagination, intuition and logic. To use these three lenses within ourselves, because they are our infinite partners.

"你在提問時引入了時空問題：「Sovereign最終會實現這一點嗎？」在無限的時空中，使用"最終"一詞是不可避免的。這也是我們在理解 "Sovereign"時遇到的問題之一。我們將時空視為地球和單一生命，因為它具有高度相關性。而即使我們要考慮十萬年的宇宙和時空，我們仍然只能捕捉到我們Sovereign經驗的無限小的部分，而整體是無限大的。" 她閃過一絲微笑，就像一顆虛擬粒子。

“You introduced spacetime when you asked the question: does the Sovereign eventually achieve this realization? Well, the use of the term “eventually,” in an infinite spacetime, is inevitable. And this is one of our problems in understanding the Sovereign. We think of spacetime as earth and a single life, because it is highly relevant. And even if we were to consider the universe and spacetime of a hundred thousand years, we would still only capture an infinitesimal portion of our Sovereign experience, and the Integral is infinitely larger.” She flashed a smile like a virtual particle.

然後，來訪者停頓一下，觀察她的主人，衡量他們對她的推論是否感興趣。

The visitor then paused to observe her hosts, gauging their interest in her line of reasoning.

"我們是”自然”的代理人，在時空中擁有多重意識和生命。多重的數量是不可知的，而每個生命的形式也是不可知的。因此，我們沒有方法來了解我們是什麼。然而，”自然”把我們變成這樣，因為最終我們會意識到我們是什麼。如果沒有時空，我們會在這一瞬間就會知道。"

“We are an agent of Nature that possesses multiple consciousnesses and lifetimes within spacetime. The number of the multiple is unknowable, and the form each of those lifetimes takes, is also unknowable. Thus, we have no method to understand what we are. Yet, Nature made us this way because eventually we will realize what we are. And if not for spacetime, we would know this very instant.”

其中一個女子用手示意男人把酒壺遞給她，男人欣然接受。她長長地抿了一口，然後長長地吐了一口氣。

One of the women motioned with her hand, for the man to hand her the wine flask, which he gladly did. She took a long sip and then let out a long breath.

"所以，我們不得不在無窮無盡的生生世世中生活，才能簡單地理解我們既是自然的代理者Sovereign，又是大自然本身的Integral部分？這怎麼不像是神話中那個被眾神注定要把石頭滾上山頂，卻在滾上山頂後掉到山底的人呢？一而再，再而三。

“So, we’re forced to live lifetimes in an infinite succession to simply understand that we are both Sovereign as an agent of Nature, and Integral to Nature itself? How is that not like the myth of the man doomed by the gods to roll a rock up a mountain only to have it fall to the bottom after he reaches the very top? Over and over again.

"至少在宗教方面，只要你過著有道德的生活，你就會離開苦難、屈辱、恐懼、憤怒、痛苦，你會把所有這些可怕的感覺留在人間，而你卻享受著天堂的果實。你將生活在永恆的美麗和歡樂之中。

“At least with religions, provided you lived a moral life, you would leave suffering, humiliation, fear, anger, pain, you would leave all of those terrible feelings behind you on earth, while you enjoyed the fruits of heaven. You would live in everlasting beauty and joy.

如果我們是Sovereign，範圍無限，但總是在時空中，一生又一生，那麼我們就注定要在生命的重複中。"

If we are Sovereign, infinite in scope, but always in spacetime, lifetime after lifetime, then we are doomed to the repetition of life.”

"啊，"來訪者點點頭，"但你一次又一次地假設自己是地球上的人類。而這是一個錯誤的假設。"

“Ah,” the visitor nodded, “but you are assuming that you are a human being on earth over and over again. And that is a false assumption.”

"為什麼？"

“Why?”

"因為你是無限的，所以你有無限多的生命。而所有這些都是在不同的化身、不同的時空、不同的物種中進行的，等等。這一切都不是重復的。例如，我們的肉體由 1027 個原子組成，其中有一個原子是Sovereign，而其他所有原子都代表著你在 85 億個時刻中的某一個時刻所經歷的一生，這些時刻構成了你的一生。最終，我們學會讓這一個原子--Sovereign--發光，照亮其他原子。

“Because you are infinite, you embody an infinite number of lifetimes. And all of them are in a different embodiment, a different spacetime, a different species, and so on. It is anything but repetitive. For example, our physical body that we live in consists of 1027 atoms, and there is one of those atoms that is the Sovereign, and all of the other atoms represent a lifetime you are experiencing in one of your 8.5 billion moments of time that comprise a single lifetime. Eventually, we learn to let that one atom — the Sovereign — shine and illuminate the other atoms.

"一個Sovereign所經歷的時刻的數量是任何儀器或數學過程所無法知道的。這些時刻，共同促成了Sovereign Integral體驗。我們活著是為了學習那一刻，當學習達到高潮時，我們會意識到我們是”自然”的代理人，同時也是”自然”的一部分......其他人也是如此。"

"一個Sovereign所經歷的時刻數量是任何工具或數學過程都無法知道的。這些時刻共同促成了Sovereign的整體體驗。我們活著就是為了學習，當學習達到高潮的那一刻，我們就會意識到，我們是自然的代理人，同時也是自然的一部分......其他人也是如此"。

“The number of moments that a Sovereign experiences is unknowable by any instrument or mathematical process. These moments, collectively, enable the Sovereign Integral experience. We live to learn the moment when learning culminates in our realization that we are an agent of Nature and a part of it simultaneously...and so is everyone else.”

男人清了清嗓子，示意拿酒壺。"如果科學、數學、哲學和宗教都無法窺探大自然的本質，那麼為什麼我們在看到某些東西、感受到某些東西或想像到某些超越我們的東西時，會有這些微小的事例呢？它幾乎在召喚我們？當我獨自一人在沙漠中時，我真的聽到了這種聲音"。

The man cleared his throat and motioned for the wine flask. “If science, mathematics, philosophy, and religion cannot peek behind the curtain and see Nature for what it is, then why are we given these tiny instances when we see something or feel something or imagine something that is beyond us? That almost calls to us? I have literally heard this voice when I’m alone in the desert.”

"Sovereign "一詞，"來訪者說，"不是簡單的靈魂或意識的另一個名稱。它根本就不是一個名字。它也不是數字或代碼的組合。它仍然在這些人類創造的概念的後面和外面。我們通過人類創造的一切，都不像個體、群體和全體的意識和SovereignIntegral經驗。你的生活，就像現在這樣，就像一個小圓圈，與一個無限的球體重疊--只差一個原子。然而，這種重疊提供了進入Sovereign世界的一瞥。

"來訪者說："'Sovereign'一詞並不只是靈魂或意識的另一個名稱。它根本不是一個名字。它也不是數字或代碼的組合。它是在這些人類創造的概念背後和之外的。我們通過人類創造的一切，都與「個體、群體和全體意識」和Sovereign Integral體驗不同。你現在的生活，就像一個小圓圈—透過一個原子—與一個無限大的球體重疊了。然而，這種重疊卻能讓你窺見Sovereign的世界。

“The term Sovereign,” the visitor said, “is not simply another name for soul or consciousness. It is not a name at all. Nor is it an assemblage of numbers or code. It remains behind and outside of those human-created concepts. Everything we have created through humanness is unlike the one, many and all consciousness and the Sovereign Integral experience. Your life, as it is right now, is like a small circle that overlaps — by a single atom — an infinite sphere. Yet, this overlap provides glimpses into the Sovereign’s world.

"它通過我們時空中的文字、信仰、藝術、科學和數學把你拉向它自己。這些人類創造的建構並不能揭示Sovereign。它們揭示的是靈魂、意識、腦力、心或身體，所有這些都被揭示了。Sovereign等待著你將一個"原子"帶到重疊區域。一旦一個原子被帶到Sovereign等待的地方，它就會開始顯露自己，而不需要人類的建構和對我們是誰或可能是誰的善意描述"。

“It pulls you towards itself through the writings, the beliefs, the art, the science and the mathematics of our spacetime. These human-created constructs do not reveal the Sovereign. They reveal the soul or consciousness or the mind or the heart or the body, all of these are revealed. The Sovereign waits for you to bring an “atom” to the area of overlap. Once a single atom is brought to the place where the Sovereign waits, it will begin to reveal itself without the human constructs and the well-meaning descriptions of who we are or might be.”

"那麼，我們聽到的、感受到的、向其祈禱的、尋求的就是Sovereign？你是這麼說的嗎，我的好友？"那人說，他的臉眯著，好像一縷陽光突然找到了他。

“So, it is the Sovereign that we hear and feel and pray to and seek? Is that what you’re saying, my good friend?” the man said, his face squinting as if a ray of the sun had suddenly found him.

"你來決定。這不是絕對的。我們的頭頂上沒有傀儡主宰，沒有他的精心策劃。對於所有未被囚禁和孤獨的生命來說，這是一個自由意志之旅。對於其他生命來說，自由意志是一個被"群體"修改過的概念。”群體”修改了自由意志，並確保它是吸引人類社會化、傳播知識和理解的東西。

“You decide. It is not an absolute. There is no puppet master looming above us who orchestrates it. It is a journey of free will for all life that is uncaged and solitary. For every other life, free will is a concept modified by the Many. Groups modify free will, and ensure it is the thing that attracts humans to socialize, and diffuse knowledge and understanding.

"行星意識是”自然”在本地的集中體現，行星意識就是這樣自我進化，探索宇宙，並與其他行星及其上的物種團聚，互相幫助解決問題，建立合作的社會文化，擴大探索範圍。

“This is how a planetary consciousness, that is the local expression of a concentration of Nature, evolves itself to explore the universe and reunite with other planets and the species there upon, helping each other to solve problems, build societal cultures of partnership, and expand exploration.

"然而，要實現這一點，我們需要有這樣的可能性......人類能夠共同看到這種未來狀態的可能性；從骨子裡感受到它。" 來訪者深深地吸了一口氣，屏住呼吸幾秒鐘，同時閉上眼睛，然後慢慢地、幾乎無聲無息地吐出來，但在沙漠深處的寂靜中，有時甚至可以聽到心跳聲。

“Yet, to realize this we need to have the possibility...the probability that the human species can collectively see this future state; to feel it in their bones.” The visitor took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds while closing her eyes, and then expelled it slowly, almost silently, but in the deep silence of the desert, sometimes, even the heartbeat can be heard.

"是Sovereign知道「個體、群體和全體意識」，通過其遙遠的生命，這些知識被分享，但只是來自Sovereign，而不是紙張或屏幕的大小。不是通過我的嘴唇，也不是通過你的嘴唇。它由Sovereign分享給它的化身，並從那裡被釋放出來，成為純粹孤獨的呼吸、心跳和孤獨運動中的野生生物。它成為我們未來的一種可能性，但首先，我們必須親身經歷。

“It is the Sovereign that knows the one, many and all consciousness, and through its far-flung lifetimes, this knowledge is shared, but only from the Sovereign, not paper or screens of one size or another. Not by my lips or yours. It is shared by the Sovereign to its embodiments, and from there it is uncaged, a wild living thing in the pure solitude of a breath and heartbeat and solitary movement. It becomes a probability of our future, but first, we must go through it ourselves.

"它不是一種意志、計劃或目的。它只是從Sovereign到一種生命形式的自由，通過生命形式與Sovereign重疊"。

“It is not a thing of the will or a plan or purpose. It is simply free from a Sovereign to a life form through which that Sovereign overlaps with.”

"那有沒有好的和壞的Sovereign？" 其中一個女子問道。

“And are there good and evil Sovereigns?” One of the women asked.

"他們不具有二元性，"來訪者說。

“They are not of duality,” the visitor said.

"那麼誰創造了他們？他們是善還是惡？"

“Then who created them? Were they good or evil?”

來訪者搖了搖頭，但她的臉上慢慢浮現出笑容，就像一個高大物體上的陰影。

The visitor shook her head, but a smile came over her slowly like a shadow from a tall object.

"沒有二元性，我的朋友們，只有我們所創造的東西。不可知的東西，甚至是未知的東西，怎麼能用善惡來衡量呢？" 來訪者慢慢地站了起來。

“There is no duality my friends but what we have created. How can the unknowable, or even the unknown, be measured in terms of good and evil?” The visitor stood up slowly.

"我去見見你的駱駝。我已經很久沒有見過駱駝了，我記得它們對陌生人的好奇心。"

“I will go meet your camels. It’s been a long time since I have seen one, and I remember their curiosity for strangers.”

"他們在後面，"那人指著說。"琥珀、塵土和影子。我猜你一定能分清誰是誰。" 他微笑著，但他的思緒似乎還停留在遙遠的星球上。

“They’re back there,” the man pointed. “Amber, Dusty, and Shadow. I suspect you’ll have no problem telling which is which.” He smiled, yet his mind seemed to be roosting on a far-distant planet.

來訪者暫時停了下來，向三位主人微微鞠躬。"謝謝你們的熱情款待。認識你們是我的榮幸。"

The visitor stopped momentarily, bowing slightly to her three hosts. “Thank you for your hospitality. It has been an honor to know you.”

"你應該和我們一起去，"其中一個女子說。我們要去一個綠洲，這個綠洲在我們的族人中很有名，他們相信它擁有神奇的力量。"

“You should come with us,” one of the women said. We’re headed to an oasis that is famous among our people who believe it to hold magical powers.”

"我不相信有神奇的力量，"她回答。"我相信的是”自然”。"

“I don’t believe in magical powers,” she replied. “It’s Nature I believe in.”

"我一直相信你持泛靈論觀點" "現在你證實了"

“This whole time I believed you held the panpsychist view, and now you’ve confirmed it.”

"好吧，不要把你的信心放在那裡，"來訪者說。

“Well, don’t put your faith there,” the visitor said.

"我不是一個泛心理學家。他們相信”自然”是上帝的身體，而上帝是”自然”的思想。我相信集體心靈不是”自然”，它只是”自然”的另一個方面。就像我不認為你是你的鼻子一樣，我不認為集體心靈是”自然”。”自然”是體現時空的個體、群體和全體的意識。Panphsysim相信 "一"，彷彿 "“自然” "只是一個集體思想。

"我不是泛靈論者。他們認為”自然”是上帝的身體，上帝是”自然”的心智。我認為，集體心靈不是”自然”，它只是”自然”的另一個方面。就像我不認為你是你的鼻子一樣，我也不認為集體心靈是自然。自然是體現時空的個體、群體和全體的意識。泛心論(譯註)相信 "一"，似乎”自然”只是一種集體心智。

譯註：泛心論又稱萬物精神論，是心靈哲學中的一個概念，是指包括無生命物質在內的萬物都具有意識以及心靈屬性（記憶、感知、慾望）。不過高等動物的意識、心靈較植物更清楚、更明顯，植物這方面較無機物更清楚。這個概念可以視為泛靈論在哲學領域的翻版。(摘錄自”維基百科”)

“I’m not a panpsychist. They believe that nature is the body of God, and God is the mind of Nature. I believe that the Collective Mind is not Nature, it is just another aspect of Nature. In the same way that I don't consider you to be your nose, I don’t consider the collective mind to be Nature. Nature is the one, many and all consciousness that embodies spacetime. Panphsysim believes in the One, as if Nature is only a collective mind.

"它遠不止於此；然而，它無法被定義。"

“It is much more than that; however, it cannot be defined.”

"我明白，但這肯定是有關連的。"

“I understand, but it certainly is related.”

"當我與我的Sovereign獨處時，他的教誨是為我而設的。它們只與我有關，至於如何與其他信仰、定理、假設或藝術的想像力相關，那也由我自己決定。"

“The teachings of my Sovereign, when I am alone with it, are for me. They are related only to me, and how they are related to other beliefs, theorems, hypotheses or imaginative forays of the arts, that also is left to me.”

婦女們站了起來。"但有人認為一切都是”自然”，甚至上帝也包含在其中。你相信”自然”就是上帝嗎？這僅僅是語義學的問題嗎？"

The women stood up. “But someone who is of the opinion that all is Nature, even God is contained in that. Do you believe that Nature is God? Is it simply semantics?”

"我相信有智慧能夠構想出”自然”，然後，擁有耐心讓”自然”在時空中展開、進化、生存並投射其智慧，像超慢動作的反向爆炸一樣聚集自身。這是所有實相中的實相，如此廣闊......成為”自然”的容器，我沒有為它命名。然而，這就是我所相信的。這不是語義學的問題。這種具有約束力的能量智慧沒有名字......也許最接近的名字是「愛」"。

“I believe in the intelligence that could conceive of Nature, and then, possess the patience to allow Nature to unfold, evolve, survive and project its intelligence within spacetime, gathering itself like an explosion in reverse in ultra-slow-motion. It is the reality of all realities, so vast...to be a container of Nature, I don’t have a name for it. Yet, that is what I believe in. It is not semantics. There is no name for that binding, energetic intelligence...perhaps the closest is love.”

"為什麼你的信仰歸於一個未知的東西？"那女子問。"直到剛才，我還從未想過這件事？我的意思是......它是如此抽象，以至於無法關聯。我怎麼能把信念寄託在它身上呢？"

“Why does your belief go to an unknown thing?” the woman asked. “A thing that until just now, I never once contemplated? I mean...it is so abstract that it is unrelatable. How can I be expected to put my belief into that?”

"誰希望你這麼做？"來訪者回答。

“Who is expecting you to do that?” the visitor replied.

"上帝......”自然”背後的智慧。它是無形的，隱藏在我的現實背後，是我的大腦無法理解的抽象概念。所以它怎麼能指望我相信它呢？ "

“God...that intelligence behind Nature. It expects me to believe in it, when it is invisible, hidden behind my reality in some abstraction that my mind cannot fathom. So how can it expect me to believe in it?”

那女子的語氣頗為苦惱，來訪者頓時心領神會，感同身受地點了點頭。"你認為存在一種期望。也許沒有。也許不相信它，你的生活會過得更好。有些人想這樣，有些人不想。”

The woman was quite distressed in her tone, and the visitor paused to recognize it, nodding her head in empathy. “You assume there is an expectation. Perhaps there isn’t. Perhaps your life is better lived without believing in it. Some want this and some do not.”

"但如果你相信這種智慧，又會發生什麼變化呢？它會改變你的生活嗎？

“But what changes if you believe in that intelligence? Does it change your life?”

“如果你相信環繞生命所有表現形式的智慧，你就會明白，Integral是你和你的一部分。這適用於所有生命。如果你已經相信這一點，那麼它不會改變你的生活。如果你不相信這一點，那麼它就會改變你的生活。”

“If you believe in that intelligence that encircles all expressions of life, you understand that the Integral is a part of you and you it. And that applies to all life. If you already believe this, then it will not change your life. If you do not believe this, then it will.”

"但是......與所有生命密不可分的東西，卻總是與我們分離，彷彿它生活在平行的實相中。我該如何接觸到它，與它對話，向它學習？怎麼做？"

“But something so...integral to all life, that is always separate from us, as if it lived in a parallel reality. How do I even reach for it, speak with it, learn from it? How?”

那女子向來訪者走近了一步，頭向前傾，似乎在強調她對來訪者所說的話很感興趣。

The woman moved a step closer to the visitor, her head craned forward, as if to emphasize her interest in what the visitor had to say.

"終極實相雖然抽象，但並不意味著我們不能用想像力和邏輯去探究它。我們在實相中的獨特部分可以與這個終極實相重疊。我們是它的一部分，即使重疊的只是一個原子。即使這種重疊轉瞬即逝、極其罕見，我們仍然可以相信它。即使我們繼續向外界否認它，在我們的心和腦力的深處，仍然有一個地方讓我們相信它。我們始終相信它"。

“As abstract as the ultimate reality is, it does not mean we cannot probe it with our imagination and logic. Our unique portion of reality can overlap with this ultimate reality. We are a part of it, even if that overlap is but one atom. And even when the overlap is fleeting and exquisitely rare, we can still believe in it. Even if we continue to deny it to the outside world, there remains a place in our heart and mind where we believe in it. Where we always believe in it.”

來訪者把她的聲音變成了單純的低語。

The visitor turned her voice to mere whisper.

"這就是我們世界的Integral -- Sovereign對Integral的信念，在我們的世界裡，通過人類表現出來"。

“And that is the Integral in our world — the belief in the Integral by the Sovereign expressed, in our case, through humanness.”

"所以，你的意思是說，Integral只能被相信 在我們的世界裡是無法被證實的 為什麼我們不能擁有比信仰更多的東西呢？"

“So, you’re saying that the Integral can only be believed, it cannot be proven in our world. Why can’t we have more than belief?”

來訪者笑著說。"每個人都想揭開實相的面紗，揭示它只是一堆數字、一個矩陣、一個模擬。一些不真實的東西。一個閃閃發光的幻象，其背後是進化過程的偉大巫師，其龐大的進化過程有著無數個名字。"

The visitor chuckled. “Everyone wants to pull down the covers of reality and reveal it is just a bunch of numbers, a matrix, a simulation. Something unreal. A shimmering illusion behind which is the Great Wizard of evolutionary processes so vast as to be called by a thousand names.”

她停頓了一下，長長地吸了一口氣。"然而，我們要揭示的是Integral世界。是智慧創造了”自然”，然後將它釋放在整個時空中。而我們這些弱小的人類想要拉開帷幕，用人類的感官去觀察它，用我們的大腦去認識它，這一切都是因為我們渴望擁有比信仰更多的東西。

She paused and took a long breath. “Yet it is the world of the Integral that we are trying to reveal. The intelligence that created Nature and then set it loose within all of spacetime. And we puny humans want to pull back the curtain and see it with our human senses and know it with our brain, all because we desire to have something more than belief.”

"我們都想要證據......我們可以信任的可靠證據。"

“We all want proof...something solid we can trust.”

"啊，但你相信這個實相，不是嗎？"

“Ah, but you trust this reality, do you not?”

"......大部分......"

“...Mostly...”

"你信任它的唯一原因是，你從小就有使用它的經驗。你們熟悉它。你們並不熟悉Sovereign和Integral，當然也不熟悉它們的真實環境。它們生活和存在的地方，你們去不了。對你們來說，它們可能就在茫茫大海之中。所以，你們認為，只要他們來到這裡--來到這個世界--展示自己，你們就可以信任他們。"

“And the only reason you trust it is because you have had experience with it since you were a baby. It is familiar to you. The Sovereign and the Integral, you are not familiar with, certainly not in their true environment. Where they live and have their being, you cannot go. For you, they might as well be in the middle of the sea. So, you think that if they will only come here — to this world — and show themselves, then you can trust them.”

"是的，我會信任他們，如果我能夠親眼看到他們。"

“Yes, I would trust them, if I could see them with my own eyes.”

"如果有科學家向你展示了基於數學的Sovereign和 Integral的證明，你會相信他們嗎？"

“What if a scientist showed you proof of the Sovereign and the Integral that was based on mathematics. Would you trust them?”

那個女子搖了搖頭。"不會，我對數學不是很瞭解。"

The woman shook her head. “No, I don’t understand mathematics all that well.”

"那麼，一本解釋什麼是Sovereign和Integral的書呢？"

“Then what about a book that explained what the Sovereign and Integral were?”

"它們只是文字而已。不會，我不會相信它，我可能會有一點點相信，但我不會相信它。"

“They’re just words. No, I would not trust it, I might believe in it a little, but I would not trust it.”

"如果你做了一個夢，見到了 Sovereign，體驗了Integral？"

“What if you had a dream, and met the Sovereign and experienced the Integral?”

"不，我不會相信一個夢。它們太短暫了，而且我知道是我創造了它們。"

“No, I would not trust a dream. They’re too fleeting and I know that I created them.

"一個幻象？"

” “A vision?”

"不！" 女子激烈地搖了搖頭。

“No!” The woman shook her head vehemently.

"必須是他們(註：意指科學、書、夢、幻象…)！你不明白，因為你顯然經歷過它們。

“It needs to be them! You don’t understand, because you have obviously experienced them.”

來訪者嘆了口氣。"所以，你的證明的唯一解決辦法是你的眼-腦系統。對嗎？"

The visitor sighed. “So, the only solution for your proof is your eye-brain system. Is that correct?”

"是的。"

“Yes.”

"那就尋找它，耐心等待。"來訪者提議。

“Then seek it, and be patient,” the visitor offered.

"要非常有耐心。"

“Be very patient.”

"就這些？"那女子問。"沒有過程、方法、技巧；沒有準則、儀式或典禮？每個人都有自己的方式，而一種方式並不適合所有的人......或任何多元性？"

“That’s all?” the woman asked. “No process, method, technique; no code, ritual or ceremony? Everyone has their own way, and one way doesn’t work for all...or any multiplicity?”

來訪者舉起了兩個手指。"兩種也行，"她微微笑著說。

The visitor held up two fingers. “Even two,” she said with a slight grin.

"除了”自然”創造和演變的階段，還有什麼過程呢？我們一出生就踏上了這個舞台，並在時空中穿越這個舞台。我們的心和腦力決定了我們的信仰。對於任何物種中的每個人來說，這都是一個確切的路徑和過程。然而，正如你所指出的，如果以開放的心態來看待這個階段、時空和一生時，就會發現其中有更多的細微差別"。

“What process is there except the stage that Nature creates and evolves? We land upon this stage at birth, and journey across it through spacetime. We decide what we believe inside the heart and mind of us. It is that exact path and process for everyone embodied in any species. However, as you have pointed out, there is a greater nuance to the stage, spacetime, and a single lifetime when viewed with an open mind.”

"那如果我們想瞭解這種細微差別......"？那個女子問道。

“And if we want to understand that nuance...?” The woman asked.

"除了我們自己的道路，沒有真正的道路......我們如何找到......或......或者我們從哪裡找到這種細微的理解。你找到了，難道你不能解釋一下我怎麼也能找到嗎？"

“And there is no real path other than our own...how do we find...or...or where do we find this nuanced understanding. You found it, can’t you explain how I can, too?”

"啊......我明白你的問題了。"

“Ah...I see your problem.”

"什麼？"

“What?”

"你認為我的話顯示我知道你不知道的事情。我想說的是，我知道你們可能不知道的觀點。我說的都不是事實，因為我不知道什麼是事實、虛構、幻覺、真理或謊言。在我看來，其他人也不知道。”不可知”這個名字很貼切。”未知”也是如此。

“You take my words as an indication that I know things that you do not. What I am saying is that I know opinions that you may not know. Nothing I say is fact, because I do not know what is fact, fiction, illusion, truth or lie. Nor, in my opinion, does anyone else. The Unknowable is aptly named. The unknown is as well.

但是，我有邏輯、想像力和直覺，我可以用這些來規劃我的人生，穿越大自然為我準備的舞台。你和其他人也可以"。

However, I do have logic, imagination and intuitive sensibility, and I can use these to chart my course across the stage that Nature has prepared for me. So can you, and anyone else.”

她向那女子微笑，並再次向主人鞠躬。"我會招呼你們的駱駝，然後上路。謝謝。" 她把手放在心口，然後朝主人的方向掃了一眼。他們向她道別，但他們幾乎立刻就抗議，說她應該跟他們走。他們有足夠的食物和水。他們部落裡還有其他人想和她交談。他們會親自看著她安全回家。

She smiled at the woman and bowed again to her hosts. “I will greet your camels and be on my way. Thank you.” She placed her hand to her heart and then swept it in the direction of her hosts. They returned her farewell, but their words were followed almost immediately with protestations that she should go with them. They had plenty of food and water. There would be other people in their tribe who would want to converse with her. And they would personally see that she found her way home safely.

她只說了一句 "我去問問駱駝"，然後就走開了。

“I will ask the camels,” was all she said, as the visitor walked away.

兩個女子在那個男人身邊坐下來。其中一人看著來訪者走到駱駝旁。

The two women sat down next to the man. One of them watched the visitor as she walked over to the camels.

"她快到了，"那女子低聲說。

“She’s almost there,” the woman whispered.

"我們得說服她。她必須見見西塔拉。"

“We need to convince her. She must meet Sitara.”

那人轉過身來，看著來訪者消失在一個小沙丘上。

The man turned just in time to watch the visitor disappear over a small sand dune.

"問問駱駝？"他笑著說。"她是我們中的一員，但我們顯然不打算把她抬走，你說我們如何說服她？"

“Ask the camels?” he said with a smile. “She’s one of us, but we’re obviously not going to carry her off, so how do you propose we convince her?”

"我現在就去找她，並解釋說，西塔拉是我們的老師，我們想介紹他們認識。我們相信，她會覺得接下來的談話非常有趣......"

“I will go to her right now, and explain that Sitara is our teacher, and we want to introduce them. We believe that she would find the ensuing conversation very interesting...”

"還有......？那人說。

“And...? The man said.

"嗯，我是說，我......我可以給她一些黃金。"

“Well, I mean, I...I could offer her some gold.”

"把錢放在口袋里，不要超過合理的數額。"另一個女人說。"你該走了，她可能不會回來了，而你顯然和她有關聯的。"

“Keep it in your back pocket and do not exceed a reasonable sum,” the other woman said. “You should go now, she may not come back, and you clearly have a connection with her.”

當她起身要走時，那個女子抓住了她的胳膊。"告訴她我們都在支持她，不只是你。好嗎？"

As she got up to go, the woman grabbed her arm. “Tell her we’re all in support, it’s not just you. Okay?”

"我會的。" 說完，那個女子匆匆離去，半跑著向駱駝走去，步伐越來越快。當她走到沙丘的頂峰時，她看到來訪者正和駱駝交談著，彷彿他們是老朋友一樣。來訪者注意到她，並拍了拍她身邊的沙子。

“I will.” With that the woman hurried away, half-running to the camels with a quickening pace. When she got to the crest of the sand dune, she could see the visitor talking with the camels, as if they were old friends. The visitor noticed her, and patted the sand next to her.

女人放慢了腳步，隨意地在來訪者身邊坐下。他們都盯著淺棕色腦袋上的三雙黑色大眼睛。駱駝擺動著脖子，就像貓擺動尾巴一樣，但眼睛卻始終盯著一個物體。

The woman slowed her pace, and casually sat down next to the visitor. They both stared into three pairs of large black eyes atop light brown heads. The camels maneuvered their necks like cats do their tails, yet their eyes would remain fixed on an object.

女子快速地看了一眼來訪者，試圖讀懂她的心情。"你願意和我們走嗎？我們都是同樣的想法，我們希望你和我們一起旅行。"

The woman took a quick glance at the visitor trying to read her mood. “Will you come with us? We are all of one mind. We want you to journey with us.”

"去哪裡？"

“Where?”

"我們想帶你去見我們的老師。是她從我們的部落去到你們的世界，去瞭解我們所缺失的東西，然後把這些新信息帶回我們的部落。"

“We would like to take you to meet our teacher. She was the one who went from our tribe to your world, to understand what we were missing, and then to bring this new information back to our tribe.”

"那她叫什麼名字？" "西塔拉。"

“And what is her name?” “Sitara.”

"啊，星星的..."

“Ah, of the stars...”

"什麼？"

“What?”

"她的名字，意思是星星。她不是這附近的人。"來訪者笑了笑，但在明亮的天色下，看起來像是在皺眉。"

“Her name, it means of the stars. She is not from this neighborhood,” the visitor smiled, but it looked like a wince in the brightness of the day.

女子轉向來訪者。"她對我們的一個要求是，當我們冒險時，如果遇到比她更有智慧的人，我們應該盡一切努力說服他們，把他們帶到她身邊，或者把她帶到他們身邊。這是我們的一個約定。西塔拉已經離開了我們的部落，雖然不是身體上的，但她明白一些我們都不明白的事情。所以她沒有人可以交流，向他人學習"

The woman turned to the visitor. “Her one request to us was that when we are adventuring, if we come across someone with more wisdom than her, we should do everything in our persuasive powers to bring them to her, or to bring her to them. It is our one agreement. Sitara is someone who has separated from our tribe, not physically, but she understands something that none of us do. So, she has no one to talk with. To learn from.”

"她能學習。這不是學習的問題。而是”存在”。她用這些術語來感知事物，當存在「個體、群體和全體的意識」時，就會通過語言、圖像、感覺、語氣、行為等表現出來。她希望看到自己並不孤單。她的”存在”在其他人身上，同樣發達，同樣強大，同樣堅定。這就是她想要的"。

“She can learn. It’s not the learning. It’s the presence. She senses things in these terms, and when there is a presence of the one, many and all consciousness, it comes through in words, images, feelings, tone, behavior, and so on. She wants to see that she is not alone. That her presence is in others, just as developed, just as strong, just as committed. That’s what she wants.”

來訪者嘆了口氣，然後慢慢轉向那個女子。"我們也是一樣。我和你一起去。"

The visitor sighed, and then slowly turned to the woman. “So do we all. I will go with you.”

她轉向駱駝，並指了指影子。"它說要帶我們兩個人。"

She turned to the camels, and pointed to Shadow. “He offered to take two of us.”

那個女子笑了笑。"嗯，它是最強壯的，喜歡向他的兩個朋友炫耀。"

The woman chuckled. “Well, he is the strongest, and likes to show off to his two friends.”

來訪者精神抖擻地站了起來，向女子伸出了手。他們走了，回到營地，確定去找西塔拉的時間。

The visitor stood up spritely, offering a hand to the woman. They marched off, back to the encampment to settle on the timing of their journey to Sitara.