In J.R.R.'s world, Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar
作家托尔金笔下的世界，甘道夫是维拉派来
to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron.
引导中土世界的人们和黑暗魔君索伦抗争的五个男巫之一。
Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth, but his spirit was immortal,
甘道夫的肉体是会殒灭的，会受到中土世界自然规律的控制，但他的灵魂不灭，
as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and resurrected as Gandalf the White.
他以灰袍甘道夫的身份死去，然后以白袍甘道夫的身份复活。
According to the Wachowski's script, an awakened human only has to link up and hack the neon binary code of the Matrix
在沃卓斯基的剧本里，一个被唤醒的人只需要接入并且盗取黑客帝国的二进制码，
to learn how to fly a helicopter in a matter of seconds.
就可以在几秒钟内，学会怎样开直升飞机。
Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones, you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades.
若你是救世主，或救世主之一，你甚至不用什么直升飞机，你需要的只是一副酷酷的墨镜。
Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads. iPads are rudimentary.
柴郡猫可以把自己的头抛着杂耍。iPads只是最最基础的。
No Quidditch match ends until the Golden Snitch is caught.
魁地奇球赛不会结束，除非有人抓到了金色飞贼。
And the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is most certainly 42.
关于生命、宇宙和一切终极问题的答案，绝对是42。
Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently within a spectrum of physical and societal rules.
就像现实生活一样，虚幻世界的运行，也有一整套固定的自然规律和社会法则。
That's what makes these intricate worlds believable, comprehensible, and worth exploring.
这就是为什么这些错综复杂的虚幻世界是可信的、可理解的和值得探索的。
In real life, the Law of Gravity holds seven book sets of 'Harry Potter' to millions of bookshelves around the world.
现实世界中，万有引力定律把全套7册哈利波特牢牢固定在世上无数书架上。
We know this to be true, but we also know that ever since J.K. typed the words wizard, wand, and 'Wingardium Leviosa,'
我们对此毫不怀疑，而我们同时也相信，当J.K.罗琳写下“男巫”、“魔杖”和“Wingardium Leviosa”时，
that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends.
万有引力定律，在架上的小说内容中，凭空消失了。
Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds.
科幻和奇幻小说作者字面上而言就是世界的创造者。
They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes,
他们创造规则、地图、宗族、语言、文化、宇宙，
alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds sprout story, after story, after story.
数个宇宙中交替着多重宇宙，从这些世界中，一个个故事接踵而生。
When it's done well, readers can understand fictional worlds and their rules
倘若妙笔生花，读者能理解虚构世界还有其中的法则，
just as well as the characters that live in them do
像书中人物角色一样，
and sometimes, just as well or even better than the reader understands the world outside of the book. But how?
有时候，与书本外的现实世界相比，读者反而更能理解书中的世界。不过这是如何办到的呢？
How can human-made squiggles on a page reflect lights into our eyes that send signals to our brains
怎样才能让文字引人入胜，并把讯息传到读者脑海里，
that we logically and emotionally decode as complex narratives that move us to fight, cry, sing, and think,
让我们以感情和逻辑解读成复杂的故事驱使我们奋斗、哭泣、歌唱，并且去思考，
that are strong enough not only to hold up a world that is completely invented by the author,
这些文字不仅仅强有力地支撑起作者一手创造的世界，
but also to change the reader's perspective on the real world that resumes only when the final squiggle is reached?
并且在阅读时改变读者对现实世界的看法，直到读完最后一页的文字？

I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question,
我不知道有没有人会知道这个问题的答案，
yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday in our minds, on computers,
但每天都有人创造出虚构的奇妙世界，在我们脑海中，或打进计算机里
even on napkins at the restaurant down the street.
甚至是写在街上那家饭馆的餐巾上。
The truth is your imagination and a willingness to, figuratively,
事实上，只要你有想象力并且愿意以不一样的视角看待周遭的世界，
live in your own world are all you need to get started writing a novel.
一部小说的素材就已足够了。
I didn't dream up Hogwarts or the Star Wars' Cantina, but I have written some science thrillers for kids and young adults.
我没能构想出霍格沃茨或是星际大战的Cantina，但我为儿童和年轻人写过一些科幻惊险小说。
Here are some questions and methods I've used to help build the worlds in which those books take place.
接着要与各位分享的方法和问题，就是我用来创造书中描绘的世界。
I start with a basic place and time.
我从最基本的时间和地点开始。
Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world,
无论是奇幻世界还是未来的现实世界，
it's important to know where you are and whether you're working in the past, present, or future.
场景是非常重要的一点，你要清楚你的故事是发生在过去、现在还是未来。
I like to create a timeline showing how the world came to be.
我喜欢画一条时间轴来纪录这个世界形成的过程。
What past events have shaped the way it is now?
哪些历史事件使这世界变成如今的样貌？
Then I brainstorm answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here?
然后我会脑力激荡出各种问题的答案，来勾勒虚构世界的细节。这里存在什么规则？
This covers everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who break them.
这可以从万有引力的存在或不存在，到社会规范，不遵守规范的人又会受到什么惩罚。
What kind of government does this world have? Who has power, and who doesn't?
这里有怎样的政府？是谁掌权，而谁不掌权？
What do people believe in here? And what does this society value most?
这里的人信仰什么？这个社会最推崇的是什么？
Then it's time to think about day-to-day life.
接着可以开始构思日常生活了。
What's the weather like in this world? Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school?
这个世界的天气如何？居民都住在什么地方，去哪工作，到哪上学？
What do they eat and how do they play? How do they treat their young and their old?
吃些什么，玩些什么？他们待年轻人态度如何，待老人如何？
What relationships do they have with the animals and plants of the world?
他们和这世界的动植物是什么关系？
And what do those animals and plants look like? What kind of technology exists?
动植物长什么样子？存在着什么样的科技？
Transportation? Communication? Access to information? There's so much to think about!
交通如何？彼此如何沟通？有什么渠道可以获得信息？太多问题可以想了！
So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions,
只要花点时间在这些事情上，找出这些问题的解答，
and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world.
你就已经着手创造属于自己的世界了。
Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will, set your characters free in it and see what happens.
一旦你对这个世界够熟悉，而你也希望读者和你了解它的程度一样多，就把人物放进这个世界，看看会发生什么。
And ask yourself, 'How does this world you created shape the individuals who live in it?
别忘了问自己：“你创造的这个世界会如何影响生活中的角色？
And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?'
可能会产生哪种冲突？”
Answer those questions, and you have your story. Good luck, future world-builder!
回答完这些问题，你就有属于自己的故事了。未来的世界建筑师，祝好运！