麻烦 Trouble

要说马尔钦有什么擅长的事，那一定是如何低头退避。

If there was one thing Marcin knew how to do, it was to keep his head down.

在他面前，吵闹的人声混杂着大号酒杯碰撞和啤酒泼洒的声音。每隔一段时间，会有人叫喊着点酒，只要他们的钱币落在吧台上，盛满的酒杯就会滑到他们等候着的双手前方。他快速且安静的服务没有给他招来任何注意——因此，也没有惹上任何麻烦。

Before him, rowdy voices intermingled with the clatter of tankards and the sloshing of beer. Every once in a while, someone barked a drink order, and just as soon as their coin landed on the bar, a drink slid in front of their waiting hands. His quick and silent service kept him unnoticed—and as such, uninvolved in any trouble.

但麻烦总是有的。

And there was always trouble.

麻烦有许多种。一个好战的拳手，没架打就心痒痒。一阵蒙头藏面之人相互间的交谈，最后演变成一把插进喉咙里的匕首。或者，最令人始料未及的，一个小女孩，推开厚重的酒馆木门走进来。

It took on many forms. A belligerent brawler, itching for a fight. A transaction among cloaked figures that ended with a dagger through a throat. Or, perhaps most unexpectedly, a little girl, pushing through the heavy tavern door.

马尔钦看着这个小女孩哼唱着、蹦跳着，一路走到吧台前。木门在她身后重重关上，最后一缕冬日的凉气吹过房间，砰的巨大响声让几双没有注意到她的眼睛也看了过来，纷纷对她的出现露出疑惑。

Marcin watched the girl hum and skip her way toward the bar. Behind her, the door slammed shut, one last swirl of winter air blasting across the room, the loud bang grabbing the last few eyes that weren’t already following her, baffled by her presence.

那个小女孩爬上一把高脚凳，一双眼睛勉强高出吧台。马尔钦看到了她火红的头发，手里抓着一只破破烂烂的玩偶，后背背着一个破损的小包，身上的套裙斑驳褴褛，袖子短得很奇怪。

The girl clambered up a stool, barely peeking over the edge of the bar. Marcin took in the child’s bright red hair, the tattered toy clutched in her grip, the frayed satchel on her back, and the ragged, unseasonably short-sleeved, dress.

“喝点什么？”他问。

“What can I get for you?” he asked.

小女孩在凳子上站起来，噗地一声把玩具撂在吧台上，目光扫过架子上的一个个瓶子。马尔钦可以认得出这是个毛绒玩具熊，精心缝制，关怀备至。四肢缝合处经过多年的拉扯已经露出针脚。不知它在世的何时何处，一颗纽扣眼睛被弄丢了。

The girl stood on the stool and plopped her toy on the counter, peering at the many bottles on shelves. Marcin could see it was a stuffed bear, once well crafted, since well loved. The stitching at its limbs were visible after many years of stress. Somewhere in its life it had lost one of its button eyes.

“劳驾，能给我来杯奶吗？”

“Could I get a glass of milk, please?”

马尔钦提起一撇眉毛，但什么也没说。他走到吧台尽头去取装奶的瓷壶。

Marcin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He walked toward the far end of the bar to fetch the ceramic jug.

“大晚上的，自己一个人出来可不太好吧，嗯？”一个浑厚的声音传来。

“Awfully late for you to be out by yourself, ain’t it?” a deep voice rumbled.

马尔钦叹了口气。一个麻烦总是会招来更多麻烦。他从架子上拿下奶壶，回头望向吧台。一个身形巨大的人站在小女孩旁边，正在用他仅有的一只好眼睛向下瞄她。坐在他正前方的小女孩现在就像一座大山脚下的小石块。这个人简直就是一堆肌肉和伤疤的织物。腰上挂着绳套、锁链、和铁钩，背后斜挎一把大刀，这一切都在大声宣布他是一位赏金猎人。

Marcin sighed. Trouble always attracted more trouble. He pulled the jug down from the shelf and gazed back down the bar. A large man next to the girl had turned to peer down at her with his one good eye. Seated in front of him, the girl looked like a pebble at the foot of a mountain. He was a pile of muscles criss-crossed with scars. The loops of ropes, chains, and hooks at his belt, along with the massive blade slung across his back, loudly announced him as a bounty hunter.

小女孩抬头看他，笑容在她脸上一闪而过。“我不是自己一个人。提伯斯在陪我呢。对不对，提伯斯？”她举起玩具熊，喜笑颜开。

The girl looked up at him and flashed a smile. “I’m not alone. Tibbers is here with me. Aren’t you, Tibbers?” She held up the bear, beaming.

那个赏金猎人大笑起来。“你的爸爸妈妈一定都想你了。”

The bounty hunter laughed out loud. “Surely your parents must be missing you.”

小女孩的双手垂到两侧，眼神向下方躲闪。“不会的。”她答道。

The girl’s hands dropped to her side as her eyes drifted down and away. “I don’t think so,” she replied.

“噢，一定会的。而且我觉得，为了让你安全回家，他们一定愿意花一大笔钱。”马尔钦几乎都能听到赏金猎人脑海里哗啦啦的钱币落袋声，这个人已经开始盘算着护送她回家该要什么价了。

“Aw, but I do think so. Would pay a pretty penny to see you home safe, I imagine.” Marcin could practically hear the coins clinking in the bounty hunter’s mind, the man already tallying up the prize for her safe return.

“不可能的。他们都死了。”小女孩扑通一声坐回到高脚凳上，望着玩具熊仅剩的一只纽扣眼睛。

“They can’t. They’re dead.” The girl plopped back down on the stool, staring into the button eye of her bear.

赏金猎人又要开口说话，这时马尔钦把奶壶放到吧台上，故意敲出沉重的声音。

The bounty hunter started to speak again just as Marcin placed the mug down on the counter with a percussive thud.

“奶来了。”他说。

“Your milk,” he said.

小女孩对他露出开心的笑，打破了刚才的阴郁。

The girl turned and beamed at him, breaking from her sullen mood.

“谢谢你，先生！”

“Thank you, sir!”

她把小熊放在桌上，把手伸进背后的背包里。马尔钦耐心地等着，打算无论她往吧台上放多少硬币都默默收下，就当是打折了。

She set her bear on the table and reached back into her knapsack. Marcin waited, prepared to accept any coin she put down as payment enough.

他没想到落下来的是一大袋满满的钱。

He did not expect the massive purse that landed with a clatter.

几枚金币掉落到了柜台上，其中一枚正在向着边缘滚落。马尔钦下意识地伸出手，用一根手指压住了逃脱中的金币。他缓缓将金币从吧台上拾起，份量和质地都表明这是一枚货真价实的诺克萨斯铸币。

A few golden coins bounced onto the counter, one rolling toward the edge. Marcin stopped it on reflex, one finger pinning the escapee. Slowly, he lifted it from the bar, its heft and texture proclaiming it as authentic Noxian mint.

“掉了！”小女孩笑着说。

“Oopsie!” the little girl giggled.

马尔钦咽了一下口水，他突然口干舌燥。他伸出手，想要把金币和钱袋塞回到小女孩的背包里，别让其他人看到——

Marcin swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He reached over, hoping to shove the coin and the purse back into the girl’s satchel before anyone else noticed—

“这么大个小姑娘居然带着这么大个钱袋。”赏金猎人低沉的声音有点太响亮了。

“That’s a mighty big purse for a mighty small girl,” the bounty hunter growled, far too loudly.

“提伯斯找到的。”小女孩答道。

“Tibbers found it,” the girl replied.

赏金猎人嗤笑一声。“是么？”

The bounty hunter snorted. “Is that so?”

“在一个叔叔身上找到的，他在路上拦我来着。他是个大坏蛋。”小女孩喝了一口奶，又开始与她的玩具熊对视。

“It was on the man who stopped me in the road. He was a real meanie.” The girl took a sip of her milk, her attention back on her bear.

“那可太糟糕了……”赏金猎人坐在凳子上探过身子，一只手滑向钱袋。

“That’s too bad…” The bounty hunter leaned in closer on his stool, hand sliding towards the purse.

小女孩抬头看他，脸上跳过一抹顽皮的微笑。

The girl looked up at him, a playful smile dancing across her face.

“提伯斯把他吃了。”

“Tibbers ate him.”

有那么一刻，一切都静止了。然后赏金猎人的笑声贯穿整个屋子。

For a moment, everything stood still. Then the bounty hunter’s laugh cut across the room.

“他可真能吃啊，”他吼道。他猛然伸出一只硕大的手，抓住玩具熊的头，从小女孩手中抢了过来。“这个凶狠的大怪兽。”

“I’m sure he did,” he roared. He thrust a meaty hand forward, grasping the toy by the head and yanking it away from the girl. “This big ol’ scary monster.”

“放开提伯斯！”小女孩大喊着，伸出手去抢小熊。“他不喜欢被人用力扯。”那个赏金猎人只是笑得更大声。

“Let Tibbers go!” the girl cried out, reaching up for the bear. “He doesn’t like being pulled.” The bounty hunter just laughed harder.

马尔钦将手中的那枚金币装进兜里，躲开旁人的注意，向后退去。他希望自己能帮忙，但他活到今天可全靠及时抽身的本事。

Marcin pocketed the coin in his hand and turned away, walking unnoticed toward the back. He wished he could help, but he hadn’t survived this long by sticking around longer than he should.

她的声音让他冻僵在原地。

Her voice stopped him cold.

“我说。放。开。提伯斯。”

“I said. Let. Tibbers. Go.”

短短几个字里翻涌着强硬和狂怒，穿透了喧闹的人声。他的身体没有听从理智的判断，马尔钦停下脚步回头看去。小女孩正站在吧台上瞪着赏金猎人，双眼中燃着怒火。

The words rumbled with gravel and rage, cutting through the din. Against all his better judgement, Marcin paused and looked back. The girl stood on the bar, staring at the bounty hunter, fury smoldering in her eyes.

然后混乱爆发了。

Then chaos erupted.

一道强光和一阵热浪从女孩身上爆发出来。太迟了，马尔钦举起双臂痛苦地喊叫。他踉跄向后几步，撞到了身后的酒架。几个瓶子摔落在他身边，他俯身爬到吧台下面，咒骂自己犯傻迟疑。人的叫声和木头的碎裂声偶尔点缀火焰的咆哮。一个无法想象的嗓音回荡在空气中，撼动着他浑身的骨头。马尔钦向前爬，依然处于半盲状态，循着他希望是后厨门的方向。在他身旁，惨叫声越来越高——然后随着一下让人反胃的爆裂声，惨叫戛然而止。

A flare of light and a burst of heat erupted from the girl. Too late, Marcin threw his arms up, crying out in pain. He stumbled back, knocking into the shelves behind him. Several bottles crashed around him as he ducked beneath the bar, cursing his idiotic hesitation. The screams of men and the sound of breaking wood punctuated a growing roar of flame. A guttural, impossible sound reverberated through the air, rattling his bones. Marcin crawled, still half-blinded, toward where he hoped the doors to the kitchens were. Around him, the screams heightened—then stopped with a stomach-turning crack.

这是一天里的第二次，马尔钦又忘记了自己磨练出来的避祸技法，从吧台探出头向外看去。

For the second time that day, Marcin forgot all his honed skills of avoiding trouble and peered over the edge of the bar.

一个巨大的野兽笼罩在上方，在火光的映照下只能看清轮廓剪影。一缕缕粗壮的肌腱将它的四肢连在躯干上，就像缝线的针脚。马尔钦突然一惊，他意识到这头野兽本身正在燃烧，皮毛上饥饿的火舌并没有伤到它自己。它的爪子举在半空中，里面抓着赏金猎人的头，下面连着他无力下垂的身体，此刻的他就像是怪物大手里的残破玩偶。

A hulking beast loomed, silhouetted against the firelight. Thick strands of sinew bound its limbs to its torso like stitching. With a start, Marcin realized the beast itself burned, unharmed by the hungry tongues of flame that danced across its fur. In its claws it held aloft, by the head, the slumped, bloody form of the bounty hunter, a limp rag doll in the massive paws of the monster.

在怪物前方，小女孩站在那里，周围包着一圈火焰。

Before it, the little girl stood wreathed in fire.

“你说得对，提伯斯，”她说。“他也不喜欢被用力扯。”

“You’re right, Tibbers,” she said. “He didn’t like being pulled either.”

马尔钦恐惧地环顾房间。他的酒馆里到处都是翻倒的桌椅，全都在燃烧，冒着浓密的黑烟。一股鲜血和烤肉的味道钻进他的鼻子，马尔钦憋回了咳嗽声，胃里翻江倒海。

Marcin looked around the room in horror. Throughout his tavern, overturned chairs and tables ignited, raising a thick, black smoke. The smell of blood and burning flesh crawled inside his nose, and Marcin choked back a cough, his stomach turning.

那个怪兽转身看他。

The beast turned and looked at him.

马尔钦抽噎了一声。他注视着野兽双眼中发光的深渊，咽了下口水，接受了自己无疑的终结。

A whimper escaped Marcin’s lips. He gazed into the glowing abyss of the bear’s eyes, and swallowed in the certainty of his end.

一串珍珠般的笑声盖过了噼啪作响的火焰。

A peal of laughter rang out over the crackle of flames.

“不用担心，”小女孩从怪兽身边探出头说，“提伯斯喜欢你。”

“Don’t worry,” the little girl said, peering around the monstrosity. “Tibbers likes you.”

马尔钦一动不动地望过去，女孩蹦蹦跳跳地走出燃烧着的酒馆，那头怪兽笨重地跟在她身后。他怔怔地看它将整扇木门连同折页一起从门框上砸下。他大张着嘴不知所措，因为他看到小女孩最后又转过身，脸上又浮现出甜美的微笑。

Marcin watched, frozen, as the girl hopped, skipped, jumped her way through the burning tavern, the beast lumbering behind her. He stared as it smashed the heavy door off its hinges. He gaped as the little girl turned back one last time, a sweet smile back on her face.

“谢谢款待，先生。”

“Thanks for the milk, sir.”

然后，女孩走进了雪夜中，身后的酒馆坍塌崩倒。

And then, the girl walked out into the snowy night as the tavern collapsed behind her.