the eve of the war

No one would have believed,
沒有人會相信
in the last years of the nineteenth century,
在十九世紀末期
that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space.
永恆的太空明開始了對人類世界的觀察。
No one could have dreamed that we were being scrutinised as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.
未曾有人想過，我們竟然被其他文明用如顯微鏡研究水滴裡游動，繁殖的生物一般觀測著。
Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets.
甚至沒有多少人考慮過地外行星存在有生命的可能性。
And yet, across the gulf of space,
而於此同時，橫跨時空的隔閡
minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this earth with envious eyes,
智力水平遠遠高級於人類的生命開始向地球投出了眈眈凝視。
and slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against us...
從容不迫，勢在必行，他們制定了侵略我們的計劃。
At midnight, on the 12th of August,
八月十二日午夜
a huge mass of luminous green gas erupted from Mars and sped towards Earth.
大量發光的綠色氣體由火星噴發至地球。
Across two hundred million miles of void,
穿越了二億英里的真空
invisibly hurtling towards us, came the first of the missiles that were to bring so much calamity to Earth.
第一枚用來對地球實施災難性打擊的發射物無形中向我們飛馳而來。
As I watched, there was another jet of gas.
正當我觀望之時，又出現了另一道氣體軌跡。
It was another missile, starting on its way...
那是又一個發射物正在飛襲而來...
And thats how it was for the next ten nights.
接下來這就是後來的十個晚上所發生的事情。
A flare, spurting out from Mars.
一道閃耀的光從火星噴射而出。
Bright green, drawing a green mist behind it; a beautiful, but somehow disturbing sight.
它成亮綠色，後面拖著一團綠色的迷霧，那是美妙卻又令人不安的景象。
Ogilvy, the astronomer, assured me we were in no danger.
天文學家奧吉爾維，曾像我保證不會有任何危險發生。
He was convinced there could be no living thing on that remote, forbidding planet...
他堅信在那遙遠氣候極端的星球上沒有存在生命的可能...
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, he said
他說有火星來客的機率只有百萬分之一
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one...
有火星來客的機率只有百萬分之一
But still, they come!
但他們還是來了！
Then came the night the first missile approached Earth.
最終到了第一個發射物降臨地球的夜晚。
It was thought to be an ordinary falling star,
它本被以為是一顆普通的流星，
but the next day there was a huge crater in the middle of the Common,
但到了次日一個巨形坑洞卻出現在了公共用地
and Ogilvy came to examine what lay there.
奧吉爾維則前去調查此事。
A cylinder, thirty yards across, glowing hot, and with faint sounds of movement coming from within.
這是一個圓柱體，30碼寬，熾熱發光，內部發出了微弱的運動聲。
Suddenly the top began moving, rotating, unscrewing, and Ogilvy feared there was a man inside trying to escape.
突然頂端開始移動，旋轉並開啟，奧吉爾維害怕有人在裡面試圖逃離。
He rushed to the cylinder but the intense heat stopped him before he could burn himself on the metal...
他急忙沖向圓柱體，但灼熱的金屬所發出的高溫讓他停下了腳步. ..
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, he said
他說有火星來客的機率只有百萬分之一
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one...
有火星來客的機率只有百萬分之一
But still, they come!
但他們還是來了！
Yes, the chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, he said
是的，他說有火星來客的機率只有百萬分之一
The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one...
有火星來客的機率只有百萬分之一
But still, they come!
但他們還是來了！
It seems totally incredible to me now that everyone spent that evening as though it werejust like any other.
如今在我看來，那天晚上人們竟然還如往常一樣的過夜簡直是難以置信。
From the railway station came the sound of shunting trains, ringing and rumbling, softened almost into melody by the distance.
火車站傳來了轉軌，鳴笛和隆隆聲，柔和地幾乎變成了遠處搖蕩的旋律。
It all seemed so safe and tranquil...
一切都顯得那麼安全和寧靜…