Wearing special skin-tight suits to dissipate heat and recycle moisture, the travelers aren’t worried about dying of thirst.

這兩位旅人穿著特殊的緊身衣，可以散熱及回收濕氣，不用擔心渴死。

Their fears are much greater.

但他們所恐懼的比渴死更可怕得多。

The pair try to walk without rhythm, letting the vibrations of their footsteps blend into the shifting sands.

兩人試著用沒有節奏的方式行走，讓腳步的震動能夠融入流沙。

But soon, the sound of the desert is drowned out by a louder hissing.

然而沒多久，沙漠的聲音便被更大的嘶嘶聲給蓋過。

As a mound of sand races towards them, the pair’s unnatural gait turns into a sprint.

隨著沙塵鋪天蓋地而來，兩人本來很不自然的步伐轉變成了全力衝刺。

The two clamber into a nearby rock face, as a sandworm 400 meters long bursts from the desert floor.

兩人攀上了附近的岩石表面，同時，四百公尺長的沙蟲從沙漠地面衝了出來。

This is the world of "Dune."

這就是《沙丘》的世界。

Written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965, "Dune" takes place in a far-flung future, where humanity rules the stars in a giant feudal empire.

《沙丘》在 1965 年出版， 作者是法蘭克·赫伯特，故事發生在遙遠的未來，人類在巨大的封建帝國中統治眾星。

This medieval motif goes beyond just the government.

這種中世紀封建風格的主題不只用在對政府上的設定而已。

Unlike most interstellar sci-fi, Herbert's humans conquered the stars without any computers.

與大部分的星際科幻小說不同，赫伯特筆下的人類沒有利用任何電腦就征服了眾星。

Following an ancient war with robots, humanity has forbidden the construction of any machine "in the likeness of a human mind."

這是因為在遠古以前，人類和機器人的戰爭之後，人類就禁止建造任何「和人類大腦相似」的機器。

But rather than stifling their expansion, this edict forced humans to evolve in startling ways—becoming biological computers, psychic witches, and prescient space pilots.

然而這條命令並沒有抑阻人類的擴展，反而迫使人類用驚人的方式進化成了生物電腦、靈媒巫師以及有預知能力的太空飛行員。

Members of these super-powered factions are regularly employed by various noble houses, all competing for power and new planets to add to their kingdoms.

這些具有超能力的派閥成員們常會受僱於各個豪門，藉此互相爭奪權力，將更多新的星球納入他們的王國版圖。

But almost all these superhuman skills rely on the same precious resource: the spice.

然而，幾乎所有超能力都仰賴同一種珍貴的資源：香料。

This mystical crop also known as "melange" is essential for all space travel, making it the cornerstone of the galactic economy.

這種被叫做「美蘭極」的神秘作物是太空旅行不可或缺的資源，使它成為了銀河經濟的基石。

And it only grows on the desert planet Arrakis, a dangerous and inhospitable world whose native inhabitants have long rebelled against the empire.

這種香料只產於沙漠星球阿拉基斯，一個環境危險，且當地原住民長年來一直對抗帝國的不宜居地。

Arrakis, also called Dune, is the setting for Herbert’s novel, which follows Paul of the noble House Atreides.

阿拉基斯也叫做沙丘，就是赫伯特這部小說的背景，而故事的發展則圍繞著貴族亞崔迪家的保羅。

The book begins with Paul’s family being assigned control of Dune as part of an elaborate plot by their sworn enemies: the sadistic slave drivers of House Harkonnen.

這本書從沙丘的控制權被交付給保羅的家庭開始，而這其實是他們的死敵：奴役奴隸的哈肯納家族所設計的精密陰謀中的一部分。

The conflict between these houses upends the delicate political balance on Arrakis.

這些家庭之間的衝突破壞了阿拉基斯上那脆弱的政治平衡。

Soon, Paul is catapulted into the middle of a planetary revolution, where he must prove himself capable of leading and surviving on this hostile desert world.

保羅很快就陷入星球革命的浪潮當中，而他必須證明自己在這個不友善的沙漠星球上有能力領導眾人，並生存下去。

But Arrakis is not simply an endless sea of sand.

但阿拉基斯並不只是無盡的沙海而已。

Herbert was an avid environmentalist, who spent over five years creating Dune’s complex ecosystem.

赫伯特本人熱衷於環境保護議題，並花了超過五年的時間創造出《沙丘》的複雜生態系統。

The planet is checkered with climate belts and wind tunnels that have shaped its rocky topography.

這個星球有著多樣化的氣候帶和風洞，塑造出了它的多岩地形。

Different temperate zones produce varying desert flora, and almost every element of Dune’s ecosystem works together to produce the planet’s essential export.

不同溫度區域產出各種沙漠植物群，而《沙丘》生態系統中的幾乎每一個元素都結合在一起，產生出該星球的重要輸出。

Herbert’s world-building also includes a rich web of philosophy and religion.

赫伯特在建造這個世界時，也將豐富的哲學與宗教交織在其中。

Paul’s mother Jessica, is a member of the Bene Gesserit, an ancient cult of spice-assisted psychics.

保羅的母親潔西卡是比吉斯特姐妹會的成員，一個以香料為媒介的巫師所組成的古老神秘組織。

Sometimes called "witches" for their mysterious powers, the Bene Gesserit have operated as a shadow government for millennia in an effort to guide society towards enlightenment.

比吉斯特成員們因為身上的神秘力量而有時被稱為「女巫」，並在數百年來扮演著影子政府的角色，致力引導社會朝向啟蒙的目標前進。

Similarly ancient are the Mentats—human computers capable of processing incredible amounts of data.

門塔特也同樣歷史悠久——他們是能處理非常大量資料的人形電腦。

While the Mentats are bastions of logic and reason, their results are not mere calculations, but rather, streams of constantly shifting possibilities.

雖然門塔特堅守邏輯和推理，但他們推導出的結果並不只是冷冰冰的計算而已，而是源源不絕又不斷改變的可能性。

However, no group is more central to "Dune" than the Fremen.

然而在《沙丘》當中，最核心的團體非弗雷曼莫屬。

Natives of Arrakis, they are the keepers of the planet’s many secrets.

他們是阿拉基斯的原住民，守護著該星球的許多秘密。

Paul’s journey takes him deep into the Fremen’s exclusive brotherhood, where he must prove himself trustworthy in a series of increasingly deadly challenges.

保羅的歷險帶他深入排外的弗雷曼群體，並迫使他必須在一連串越來越致命的挑戰中，證明自己能被信任。

All these factions have deep histories that pervade the text, and Herbert also incorporates that sense of scale into the book’s structure.

文中各處都可以看見這些派閥的深厚歷史，而赫伯特也將這種規模感融入到了該書的結構當中。

Each chapter begins with a quote from a future history book, recalling elements of the events that are about to unfold.

每一章節的開頭都是來自一本未來史書的引述句，回顧即將發生的事件。

The book also contains in-universe appendices that further explore the Empire’s history; alongside a glossary of words like "Gom Jabbar" and "Shai-Hulud."

書中也附上了書中世界觀的附錄，進一步探究帝國的歷史；此外還有詞彙表，解釋了「戈姆刺」及「夏胡魯」等詞。

Dune’s epic story continues to unfold over a six-book saga that spans millennia.

《沙丘》的史詩級故事橫跨數百年，以六冊的篇幅呈現。

But every story of Arrakis’ future begins here: as Paul pursues a path that is dangerous, demanding, and always on the verge of being consumed by the oncoming storm.

然而，關於阿拉基斯未來的每一個故事都是從這裡開始的：保羅踏上了一段危險、苛刻的路途，且總是身處在就要被即將到來之暴風雨給吞噬的邊緣。

For all our science fiction fans out there, we think you will love Octavia Butler.

對於我們的科幻粉絲們，我們相信你們一定會喜歡奧克塔維婭·巴特勒。

And if you are inspired enough to put pen to paper, check out this video on building fictional worlds.

如果你甚至被激起了提筆寫作的興致，就看看這部影片來學習如何建構出虛構的世界吧。