Chapter 23: The Salt-Stained Shore （盐渍的海岸）

　　The sea was a vast, breathing entity that both terrified and fascinated Leon. The ship, a sturdy coastal trader named The Mermaid's Kiss, creaked and groaned as it rode the swells. The air was thick with the smell of salt, tar, and fish. For the first two days, Leon was wretchedly seasick, clinging to the railing as his stomach heaved with the rhythm of the waves. The sailors, a rough but good-natured lot, chuckled at his misery but also offered him sips of ginger tea and hardtack to settle his stomach.

　　大海是一个广阔、呼吸着的实体，既让里昂恐惧，又让他着迷。这艘名为“美人鱼之吻”的坚固沿海商船，在浪涛中起伏，发出吱嘎作响的声音。空气中弥漫着咸味、焦油和鱼腥味。头两天，里昂晕船晕得厉害，紧紧抓住栏杆，胃随着海浪的节奏翻腾。水手们是一群粗犷但心地善良的人，他们对他痛苦的样子发出善意的笑声，但也给他喝姜茶和硬饼干来安抚他的胃。

　　As his sea legs slowly developed, he began to appreciate the raw beauty of the ocean. Sunsets painted the sky in fiery hues, reflected in the endless, shifting water. Pods of dolphins sometimes raced alongside the ship, leaping from the waves with joyful grace. At night, the stars were impossibly bright, undimmed by any land-based haze. It was a world of elemental power, a stark contrast to the claustrophobic forests and mountains he had traversed.

　　随着他逐渐适应了船上的颠簸，他开始欣赏海洋原始的美。日落将天空染成火红的色彩，倒映在无边无际、变幻莫测的海面上。有时海豚群会与船赛跑，以欢快的姿态跃出波浪。夜晚，星星异常明亮，不受任何陆地雾霭的影响。这是一个充满自然力量的世界，与他穿越过的幽闭森林和山脉形成鲜明对比。

　　The captain of The Mermaid's Kiss, a grizzled old salt named Bron, took a casual interest in his unusual passenger. Over a shared meal of salted cod and ship's biscuit, he questioned Leon about his journey.

　　"So, the elves, eh?" Bron mused, scratching his beard. "Pointy-eared folk keep to themselves, mostly. Not many humans can say they've seen the inside of one of their tree-towns. You're a lucky lad, in a strange way."

　　“美人鱼之吻”号的船长，一个名叫布朗的头发花白的老水手，对他这位不寻常的乘客产生了随意的兴趣。在分享咸鳕鱼和船用饼干的餐食时，他询问了里昂的旅程。

　　“这么说，是精灵们，嗯？”布朗若有所思地挠着胡子。“尖耳朵的家伙们大多自顾自的。没几个人类能说自己见过他们的树城里面。你小子挺走运的，虽然方式有点怪。”

　　Leon nodded, picking at his food. "They were... kind. In their own way."

　　"Aye, well, don't go spreading that about," Bron chuckled. "Most folks in Stormwind still remember the orcs and the undead. Old hatreds run deep. Best to keep your adventure to yourself, lad, or you'll be marked as an oddity."

　　里昂点点头，拨弄着食物。“他们……很善良。以他们自己的方式。”

　　“是啊，嗯，别到处宣扬这个，”布朗笑道。“暴风城的大多数人还记得兽人和亡灵。旧恨难消啊。小子，你最好把你的冒险经历藏在心里，不然你会被当成怪人的。”

　　The advice echoed Captain Valen's warning. Leon felt a pang of loneliness. His most defining experience was something he would have to hide, a secret story tucked away like the smooth antler in his pocket.

　　这个建议与瓦伦上尉的警告如出一辙。里昂感到一阵孤独。他最重要的经历却是他必须隐藏的东西，就像一个秘密故事，如同他口袋里光滑的鹿角一样被藏起来。

　　After a week at sea, a smudge appeared on the southern horizon. "Theramore," Bron announced, pointing. "Jaina Proudmoore's city. A bastion of reason in a mad world, or so they say."

　　在海上航行了一周后，南方的地平线上出现了一个模糊的轮廓。“塞拉摩，”布朗指着宣布。“吉安娜·普罗德摩尔的城市。据说是这个疯狂世界里的理性堡垒。”

　　As they drew closer, the city resolved itself from the haze. It was not the organic, tree-grown wonder of Astranaar, nor the rugged stone of Stormwind. Theramore was a city of clean, straight lines, built from pale stone and sturdy timber, rising from the marshes on a man-made island. Its towers were elegant, its walls strong. It looked like a place of order and learning, a stark contrast to the wild lands Leon had survived.

　　随着他们靠近，城市从雾霭中显现出来。它不像阿斯特兰纳那样有机、树木丛生的奇观，也不像暴风城那样由粗犷的石头建成。塞拉摩是一座线条干净、笔直的城市，由浅色石头和坚固木材建成，耸立在沼泽中的人造岛屿上。它的塔楼优雅，城墙坚固。它看起来像一个秩序井然、崇尚学识的地方，与里昂幸存下来的荒野之地形成鲜明对比。

　　The harbor was bustling with activity. Ships flying the colors of Theramore, Kul Tiras, and even the Horde—ominous red banners—were moored side by side, a testament to the city's precarious neutrality. The air hummed with the sounds of commerce and industry: the clang of hammers, the shouts of dockworkers, the cry of gulls.

　　港口一片繁忙景象。悬挂着塞拉摩、库尔提拉斯，甚至还有部落——不祥的红色旗帜——旗帜的船只并排停泊着，证明了这座城市岌岌可危的中立地位。空气中充满了商业和工业的声音：锤子的敲击声、码头工人的喊叫声、海鸥的鸣叫声。

　　Leon disembarked, clutching Captain Valen's letter. The solidity of the dock beneath his feet felt strange after days of rocking motion. He was immediately struck by the cleanliness of the city. There was no smell of decay or wilderness, only the sea air and the faint scent of ozone that hinted at the powerful magic practiced within its walls.

　　里昂下了船，紧握着瓦伦上尉的信。在几天的摇晃之后，脚下码头的坚实感让他感到陌生。他立刻被这座城市的整洁所震撼。这里没有腐朽或荒野的气味，只有海风和淡淡的臭氧味，暗示着城墙内施展的强大魔法。

　　He found the harbormaster's office and handed over the letter. The official, a stern-faced woman with a ledger, read it carefully. She looked up at Leon, her expression unreadable. "Leon Baros of Goldshire," she stated. "Captain Valen speaks highly of your... resilience. A ship leaves for Stormwind in three days' time. You will be given a berth. Until then, you are to report to the city barracks for lodging. Do not wander. Theramore may be a city of peace, but it is not without its dangers."

　　他找到了港务长办公室，递上了信。那位表情严肃、手拿账簿的官员仔细地读着信。她抬头看着里昂，表情难以捉摸。“闪金镇的里昂·巴洛斯，”她说道。“瓦伦上尉高度评价了你的……坚韧。三天后有一艘船开往暴风城。会给你安排一个铺位。在此期间，你去城里的兵营报到住宿。不要闲逛。塞拉摩可能是一座和平的城市，但并非没有危险。”

　　And so, Leon found himself in a small, clean room in the Theramore barracks, surrounded by the sounds of soldiers drilling and the distant murmur of the city. He was safe. He was fed. He was mere days from returning to the Eastern Kingdoms, from going home. But as he looked out the small window at the orderly streets and the calm sea beyond, he felt a profound sense of dislocation. He was between worlds, a boy who had seen too much to ever fully belong to the simple life of Goldshire again. The adventure was over, but the return felt like another kind of journey, one into a future that was uncertain and strangely empty without the sharp-eared girl by his side.

　　于是，里昂发现自己住在塞拉摩兵营的一个小而干净的房间里，周围是士兵操练的声音和远处城市的低语。他安全了。他有饭吃。再过几天，他就要返回东部王国，回家了。但当他从小窗户望出去，看着整齐的街道和远处平静的大海时，他感到一种强烈的错位感。他身处两个世界之间，一个见识了太多，再也无法完全归属于闪金镇简单生活的男孩。冒险结束了，但回归感觉像是另一种旅程，通往一个没有尖耳朵女孩在身边就变得不确定且异常空洞的未来。