The Hawker 731's twin Garrett TFE-731 engines thundered, powering the plane skyward with gut-wrenching force. Outside the window, Le Bourget Airfield1 dropped away with startling speed.
I'm fleeing the country, Sophie thought, her body forced back into the leather seat. Until thismoment, she had believed her game of cat and mouse with Fache would be somehow justifiable2 tothe Ministry3 of Defense4. I was attempting to protect an innocent man. I was trying to fulfill5 mygrandfather's dying wishes. That window of opportunity, Sophie knew, had just closed. She wasleaving the country, without documentation, accompanying a wanted man, and transporting abound6 hostage. If a "line of reason" had ever existed, she had just crossed it. At almost the speed ofsound.
Sophie was seated with Langdon and Teabing near the front of the cabin—the Fan Jet ExecutiveElite Design, according to the gold medallion on the door. Their plush swivel chairs were bolted totracks on the floor and could be repositioned and locked around a rectangular hardwood table. Amini-boardroom. The dignified7 surroundings, however, did little to camouflage8 the less thandignified state of affairs in the rear of the plane where, in a separate seating area near the rest room,Teabing's manservant Rémy sat with the pistol in hand, begrudgingly9 carrying out Teabing's ordersto stand guard over the bloody10 monk11 who lay trussed at his feet like a piece of luggage.
"Before we turn our attention to the keystone," Teabing said, "I was wondering if you would permitme a few words." He sounded apprehensive12, like a father about to give the birds-and-the-beeslecture to his children. "My friends, I realize I am but a guest on this journey, and I am honored assuch. And yet, as someone who has spent his life in search of the Grail, I feel it is my duty to warnyou that you are about to step onto a path from which there is no return, regardless of the dangersinvolved." He turned to Sophie. "Miss Neveu, your grandfather gave you this cryptex in hopes youwould keep the secret of the Holy Grail alive.""Yes.""Understandably, you feel obliged to follow the trail wherever it leads."Sophie nodded, although she felt a second motivation still burning within her. The truth about myfamily. Despite Langdon's assurances that the keystone had nothing to do with her past, Sophie stillsensed something deeply personal entwined within this mystery, as if this cryptex, forged by hergrandfather's own hands, were trying to speak to her and offer some kind of resolution to theemptiness that had haunted her all these years.
"Your grandfather and three others died tonight," Teabing continued, "and they did so to keep thiskeystone away from the Church. Opus Dei came within inches tonight of possessing it. Youunderstand, I hope, that this puts you in a position of exceptional responsibility. You have beenhanded a torch. A two-thousand-year-old flame that cannot be allowed to go out. This torch cannotfall into the wrong hands." He paused, glancing at the rosewood box. "I realize you have beengiven no choice in this matter, Miss Neveu, but considering what is at stake here, you must eitherfully embrace this responsibility... or you must pass that responsibility to someone else.""My grandfather gave the cryptex to me. I'm sure he thought I could handle the responsibility."Teabing looked encouraged but unconvinced. "Good. A strong will is necessary. And yet, I amcurious if you understand that successfully unlocking the keystone will bring with it a far greatertrial.""How so?""My dear, imagine that you are suddenly holding a map that reveals the location of the Holy Grail.
In that moment, you will be in possession of a truth capable of altering history forever. You will bethe keeper of a truth that man has sought for centuries. You will be faced with the responsibility ofrevealing that truth to the world. The individual who does so will be revered13 by many and despisedby many. The question is whether you will have the necessary strength to carry out that task."Sophie paused. "I'm not sure that is my decision to make."Teabing's eyebrows14 arched. "No? If not the possessor of the keystone, then who?""The brotherhood15 who has successfully protected the secret for so long.""The Priory?" Teabing looked skeptical16. "But how? The brotherhood was shattered tonight.
Decapitated, as you so aptly put it. Whether they were infiltrated17 by some kind of eavesdropping18 orby a spy within their ranks, we will never know, but the fact remains19 that someone got to them anduncovered the identities of their four top members. I would not trust anyone who stepped forwardfrom the brotherhood at this point.""So what do you suggest?" Langdon asked.
"Robert, you know as well as I do that the Priory has not protected the truth all these years to haveit gather dust until eternity20. They have been waiting for the right moment in history to share theirsecret. A time when the world is ready to handle the truth.""And you believe that moment has arrived?" Langdon asked.
"Absolutely. It could not be more obvious. All the historical signs are in place, and if the Priory didnot intend to make their secret known very soon, why has the Church now attacked?"Sophie argued, "The monk has not yet told us his purpose.""The monk's purpose is the Church's purpose," Teabing replied, "to destroy the documents thatreveal the great deception21. The Church came closer tonight than they have ever come, and thePriory has put its trust in you, Miss Neveu. The task of saving the Holy Grail clearly includescarrying out the Priory's final wishes of sharing the truth with the world."Langdon intervened. "Leigh, asking Sophie to make that decision is quite a load to drop onsomeone who only an hour ago learned the Sangreal documents exist."Teabing sighed. "I apologize if I am pressing, Miss Neveu. Clearly I have always believed thesedocuments should be made public, but in the end the decision belongs to you. I simply feel it isimportant that you begin to think about what happens should we succeed in opening the keystone.""Gentlemen," Sophie said, her voice firm. "To quote your words, 'You do not find the Grail, theGrail finds you.' I am going to trust that the Grail has found me for a reason, and when the timecomes, I will know what to do."Both of them looked startled.
"So then," she said, motioning to the rosewood box. "Let's move on."
"猎鹰者"731 的"加勒特"TFE 一731 双引擎轰鸣起来，产生一股强大的动力，推动着飞机向空中飞去。从飞机的窗口看去，布尔歇机场飞速地向后退去。
我要逃离这个国家，索菲心想，一种强大的外力迫使她将身子紧靠在皮椅上。直到此时，她才明白她一直在跟法希玩猫捉老鼠的游戏，不论怎样，对国防部来说都是情有可原的。索菲深知，机会的的窗口已经向她关上了。我只是想救一个无辜的人，我只是在努力完成我祖父的宿愿罢了。她要离开这个国家，没有携带任何文献，陪着一个被警察追踪的人，并且还要带上一名被绑的人质。如果真有什么"理智之线"的话，那她刚才就已经跨过了，而且几乎是以声音的速度跨过的。
索菲、兰登，还有提彬坐在靠近机舱前头的位置，根据门边的金色奖章的提示，该飞机机舱采用了螺旋桨飞机精英设计的样式。他们所坐的高级旋转椅，被人用插销固定在机舱地面的轨道上，能够重新调换位置，并被锁在一张矩形的硬木桌子上，俨然是一个小型的会议室。然而舱内高雅的布局却丝毫掩藏不了机舱后面远算不上体面的情形--在机舱的尾部，靠近卫生间的一个被隔离的就座区，提彬的仆人雷米握着手枪，很不情愿地执行着主人分派给他的任务。他站在那位全身是血、被人像行李那样捆起来的修道士跟前，监视着他。
"我们在将注意力集中到拱心石上之前，不知能否让我说上几句。"提彬开了腔，听得出他很忧虑，仿佛是一位父亲，正打算给孩子传授性方面的知识。"朋友们，我发现在这旅途上我只是一位客人，而我为此也深感荣幸。不过，作为一个毕生都在寻找圣杯的人，我觉得有责任提醒你们。不管前方有多大的艰难险阻，你们即将踏上永无回头之路的征程。"他向索菲转过身。"奈芙小姐，你祖父把这密码盒给了你，就是希望你在有生之年，会严守圣杯的秘密。"
"你说得对。"
"所以，如果你觉得有必要沿着这条既定方向的道路走下去，我们也是可以理解的。"
索菲点了点头，尽管她觉得还有另一个动机在驱使着她，那就是查明她家族的真相。
虽然兰登已经很明确地告诉了她，拱心石与她的过去毫无关系，但她依旧觉得有一些很隐秘的东西跟这个秘密纠缠在一起，仿佛这只由他祖父一手制造的密码盒，试图告诉她什么，并为这些年来一直困扰着她的种种疑问，提供某些解决的途径。
"今天晚上，你祖父和另外三人都死了。"提彬继续说道："他们这样做就是不想让拱心石落入天主教会之手，天主事工会今晚也差点将拱心石弄到手。我希望你会明白，这样一来，你身上的责任可就大了。你现在手里拿着一把火炬，这把火炬燃烧了两千多年，我们是不能让它熄灭的。这把火炬也不能落入图谋不轨者的手中。"他稍停片刻，瞥了紫檀木盒子一眼。"奈芙小姐，依我看这件事情你是别无选择了。不过考虑到这里的形势还不太稳定，你要么把责任全部承担起来，要么把责任一概推给别人。""我祖父既然把这个密码盒给了我，我想他肯定认为，我能够承担起这个责任。"
提彬露出鼓励的神情，但还是有点不太相信。"很好，坚强的意志固然必不可少。不过，让我感兴趣的是，你是否知道，如果你要成功地开启拱心石，你将会面临更加艰巨的考验。""你说这话是什么意思？"
"亲爱的，试想你手中突然有一张地图标明了圣杯位置，此时此刻，你会了解到一个可以永远改写历史的真相。你将是人类苦苦追寻了数百年而未得的真相的主人，你将担负起向世人披露真相的责任。这样做的人，将会赢得许多人的尊敬，也会招致许多人的嫉恨。问题是，你有没有必要的勇气承担起这份责任。"索菲稍停了一下："我还是不敢肯定要不要做这样的决定。"
提彬皱起了眉："不敢肯定？如果连得到拱心石的人都办不到，那还有谁能够办得到？"
"那个成功地将秘密保守了这么久的组织就办得到。"
"你是说郇山隐修会吗？"提彬满腹狐疑："那怎么可能呢？这个组织今天晚上被打得七零八落，你要说它被粉碎了也未尝不可。他们是否被人监听，或者内部出现了间谍，我们无从知道。但事实摆在那里，有人混入他们中间，并揭穿了他们四位高级成员的身份。眼下这个时刻，我是不会相信从该组织出来的任何人的。""那你有什么建议没有？"兰登插嘴问。
"罗伯特，你我都知道，郇山隐修会这些年来都不想掩盖真相，让它永远消失在历史的尘埃之中。他们一直在等待合适的机会让别人分享他们的秘密，等待一个让全世界都准备直面那个历史真相的时机。""那你是不是相信这个时机已经来到了？"兰登问。
"绝对相信。没有比这更清楚不过的了。所有的历史迹象表明，现在也正是时候。要是郇山隐修会不想很快让世人知道他们的秘密，那为什么教会要发起攻击呢？"
索菲立即反驳："可是，修道士还没把他们的目的告诉给我们呢。"
"修道士的目的也就是天主教会的目的。"提彬回答说："他们就是要毁掉将会揭露大骗局的那些文件。教会今晚动手要比他们还早，奈芙小姐，要知道郇山隐修会可是信得过你。很清楚，挽救圣杯命运的使命也包括要促成郇山隐修会想把真相与世人分享的最终愿望。"兰登插嘴说道："雷，你让索菲做出那样的决定，这对一小时之前才知道有《圣杯文献》这回事的人来说，真的很难啊。"
提彬叹了口气："奈芙小姐，如果我是在逼迫你，我真的很抱歉。很显然，我一直相信这些文件应该予以公开，但最终得由你自己决定。我只是觉得这很重要--万一我们成功开启了拱心石，你就得开始考虑接下来会发生什么了。""先生们。"索菲用坚定的语气说道："照你们的话说，就是："你不去找圣杯，圣杯自然会去找你。"我相信圣杯已经因为某种理由而找上我的门来了，等时机一来，我知道怎样去应付。"提彬与兰登都吓了一跳。
她走到紫檀木盒子跟前，说："所以，我们还是继续赶路吧。"
收听单词发音 |
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airfield
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justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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fulfill
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| vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意 | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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camouflage
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begrudgingly
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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monk
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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revered
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| v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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skeptical
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| adj.怀疑的，多疑的 | |
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infiltrated
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| adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eavesdropping
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| n. 偷听 | |
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remains
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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