《普羅米修斯》

宋云峰

2012年上映的《普羅米修斯》（Prometheus）是美國系列科幻恐怖片《異形》（Alien）的前傳，由里德利·斯科特（Ridley Scott）導演、喬恩·斯派茨（Jon Spaihts）和戴蒙·林德洛夫（Damon Lindelof）編劇。與以前幾部《異形》強調恐怖因素而非科幻邏輯不同，這一部《普羅米修斯》的科幻因素是主線，也探討了更多其他的哲學問題，如：誰創造了人類？人是從哪里來的？要到哪里去？生命的目的和本質是什么？人與機器人的關系是什么？《普羅米修斯》的核心議題是人類的好奇心和科學探索最終可能會毀滅自己（The search for our beginning could lead to our end. 或者說：They went looking for our beginning. What they found could be our end.）。《普羅米修斯》上映之后獲得較大成功，全球票房超過四億美元，并獲得奧斯卡最佳特效獎。

一、故事情節

“普羅米修斯號”是以希臘神話中的巨人普羅米修斯（Titan Prometheus）命名的一艘太空飛船，由韋蘭公司（Weyland Corporation）建造，該公司的口號是“建造更好的世界”（Building Better Worlds）。因為一對科學家伊麗莎白·肖（Elizabeth Shaw）和查利·霍洛韋（Charlie Holloway）在蘇格蘭發現了外星球上可能存在的包含地球人類起源線索的星際圖系，年事已高的韋蘭公司總裁彼得·韋蘭（Peter Weyland）雇用了一隊科學家乘該公司建造的“普羅米修斯號”飛往外太空去探索人類起源的奧秘，并由這兩位科學家率領。

In the year 2093， after discovering evidence of yet another ancient star map in a cave on the Isle of Skye in Scotland， a team of scientific explorers， led by archeologists Elizabeth Shaw （Noomi Rapace飾） and Charlie Holloway （Logan Marshall-Green飾）， secure funding from the aging CEO of the Weyland Corporation， Peter Weyland （Guy Pearce飾）， and journey on the spaceship Prometheus to the distant moon of LV-223 located 34.6 light-years from Earth， hoping to find the answers to humanitys origins. What they find convinces them that they have found the answers to human life， but what they learn also could lead to its extinction.

在飛往目的地的途中，屏幕上播放著彼得·韋蘭預先錄制的視頻，講述此次太空探索的意義以及人類與機器人之間的區別。機器人雖然能做許多人類不能做的事情，但卻沒有靈魂，不具備人類復雜的情感，沒有生老病死。希臘神話傳說中的巨人普羅米修斯為使人類能抗衡諸神而盜取天火給人類，使他們能夠進化和發展，卻因此被趕出奧林匹斯山，每日遭到老鷹的啄食。韋蘭認為，“普羅米修斯號”的使命就是探索人類起源的秘密，尤其是尋求長生不老的藥方，相當于普羅米修斯盜取天火給人類，使人類取得和神平起平坐的資格（即掌握創造并延續生命的秘密）。

“Hello， friends. My name is Peter Weyland. I am your employer. I am recording this 22 June 2091—and if you are watching it， you have reached your destination， and I am long dead. May I rest in peace. There is a man sitting with you today—his name is David—he is the closest thing to a son I will ever have. Unfortunately he is not human. He will never grow old and he will never die—and yet he is unable to appreciate these remarkable gifts（天賦，才能）， for that would require the one thing that David will never have： a soul. I have spent my entire lifetime contemplating the questions ‘Where do we come from—what is our purpose—what happens when we die？And I have finally found two people who have convinced me theyre on the verge of answering them： Doctors Holloway and Shaw—if you would please stand. As far as youre concerned， theyre both in charge（掌管，領導）. The Titan Prometheus wanted to give mankind equal footing（平等地位）with the gods—for that he was cast from Olympus. Well， my friends， the time has finally come for his return.”

在飛船以光速接近目的地星球的過程中，為保存體力，科考隊所有成員都處于休眠狀態，只有機器人戴維駕駛飛船并監控整個行程的活動。在到達目的地星球LV-223軌道時，戴維喚醒了科考隊成員，并由彼得事先錄好的視頻告知此次太空旅行的使命：找到被稱為“工程師”的遠古外星人，據信這些遠古工程師是人類的創造者。

The ships crew travel in hibernation stasis（冬眠靜止狀態）at light speed while the android（人形機器人）David （Michael Fassbender飾） stays awake at the pilot control to monitor their entire voyage. In 2093， the ship arrives in the orbit around LV-223. After being awakened from hibernation， the crew are informed of their mission to find the ancient aliens， called“Engineers” who may be the creators of the human race.

普羅米修斯號穿過該行星的大氣層，并在一個巨大的類似金字塔的外星人建筑附近著陸。科考隊在肖和霍洛韋的率領下進入外星人建筑，而領隊維克斯（Vickers，后來被披露是韋蘭的女兒）和船長雅內克（Janek）則留在飛船上監控他們的進展，告訴他們如果發現外星人應避免直接接觸并立即返回飛船。

The Prometheus enters the atmosphere of the planet and lands near an alien structure （resembling a large temple-like pyramid） and a team including Shaw， Holloway， and David explores it， while mission director Meredith Vickers （Charlize Theron飾） and Captain Janek （Idris Elba飾） remain aboard the ship and monitor their progress. Vickers orders them to avoid any direct contact and to return if the aliens are found.

在巨大的外星人建筑里，科學家們發現了一個密室，里面有數以百計的人造圓柱形物體、一個巨型外星人被砍下來的頭顱及其尸身——他們認為這個外星人就是“工程師”中的一員。后來他們又發現了其他一些尸體，并推測他們早已滅絕。科學家們還觀看了“工程師”們在滅絕之前留下的緊急影像。戴維將其中一個圓柱形物體偷偷帶進了飛船，而余下的圓柱形物體則開始釋放一種黑色毒液。突起的風暴迫使科考隊倉促返回飛船，但有兩位隊員因迷路不幸被留在了外星人建筑物里。肖則堅持將那個“工程師”頭顱帶入飛船進行分析研究。

Inside the pyramid， they discover a pocket of breathable air. In a dank（潮濕的）chamber that David unlocks， they find hundreds of cylinder-like（圓柱形的）artifacts， a monolithic（龐大而堅固的）statue of a humanoid（長得像人類的）head， and the decapitated（被斬首的）corpse of a giant alien， thought to be one of the Engineers. Other bodies are later found in the structure， and the species is presumed to be extinct. They view archive footage of holographic（全息圖像的）Engineers running down the corridors reacting to a longago emergency. David secretly returns a cylinder to the ship， while the remaining cylinders in the chamber begin leaking a dark fluid， activated（激活）by the change in temperature or atmosphere when the chamber was opened. A rapidly approaching storm forces the crew to return to Prometheus， leaving crew members Milburn （Rafe Spall飾） and Fifield（Sean Harris飾） stranded（擱淺）in the pyramid structure after becoming lost trying to find the way out. Shaw insists they take the Engineers head back to the ship with them and they barely make it back alive.

回到飛船的科學家們立即對帶回的頭顱進行化驗分析，發現其DNA與人類的相同。戴維對圓柱形物體進行研究，發現其中含有某種黑色的毒液。科學家們隨后探討了生命的意義，戴維質疑為何人類將他創造出來，肖則因不育而質疑她自身生存的意義。戴維故意將有毒液體滴入霍洛韋的飲料中致使他感染病毒。隨后，為慶祝科考發現，肖與霍洛韋發生了關系。

In the ship， Shaw and medic（醫生）Ford （Kate Dickie飾） analyze the Engineers head， removing a heavy helmet with Davids help. They discover that its DNA is identical to that of the human race. Using an electrified needle， they bring the head temporarily back to life. However， exposure to the breathable atmosphere， causes the severed（斬首的）Engineers head to decompose（分解，腐爛）rapidly and it disintegrates（分解）. Later， David investigates the cylinder and discovers several ampoules（小瓶）containing a viscous（黏稠的）black fluid. The crew of Prometheus discuss the meaning of life， the android David questions why he was created by man and Shaw questions her own existence as she is infertile（不孕的）and unable to create life. David intentionally infects（使感染）Holloway with the substance he found within the ampoule， hiding it in a drop of liquid on his finger and briefly dipping it into a glass of champagne Holloway drinks to celebrate their discovery. Later， Shaw and the infected Holloway have sex. Holloway later looks in a mirror and sees his eyes are changing； they are rheumy（紅腫流淚的）and he sees a small， silver worm-like organism emerge from one of his corneas（角膜）.

在外星人建筑內，滯留的兩名科學家看到一種蛇形怪物從圓柱形物體泄露的黑液中顯形，它們以其不可思議的能力將二人殘忍地殺死。

Back inside the structure， Fifield and Milburn see a strange， snake-like creature emerge from a pool of the black fluid that has leaked from the cylinders. When Milburn tries to examine the creature， it quickly grabs his hand and wraps itself around his arm， breaking it in a matter of seconds. When Fifield tries to cut it off， a corrosive（腐蝕性的）fluid （yellow acidic blood） from one of the creatures melts Fifields helmet， exposing him to the dark liquid leaking from the cylinders. The creature then works its way into his suit and forces itself down his throat.

第二天早晨風暴過后，科考隊又回到外星人建筑里，發現了米爾本的尸體。戴維在一個房間里發現了一個處于休眠狀態的“工程師”以及顯示好幾個遙遠行星系統的全息星際圖，而其中一個行星就是地球。

The next morning after the storm subsides（平息，消退）， the Prometheus crew returns to the structure and finds Milburns corpse. David discovers a room containing a holographic star map highlighting several distant planetary systems. He watches as holograms of the Engineers activate a navigational system. One of the planets that eventually appears is Earth. Suddenly the system shuts down， leaving the hologram of Earth behind. David also finds a single Engineer in a nearby stasis pod（分離艙）and can hear its heart beating.

霍洛韋的感染迅速擴大，不得不被緊急送回飛船。但維克斯引用檢疫條例禁止他上船，并在其乞求下用火焰噴射器將身體變形嚴重的霍洛韋燒死。肖則心急如焚，精神崩潰。回到飛船后，在對肖進行身體檢查時，戴維發現患有不孕癥的肖竟然懷孕了。戴維試圖將肖制服，讓她進入休眠狀態，但肖逃脫了。她進入自動外科手術室，忍著劇痛，將不斷增長的怪物胎兒取出，將其關在手術室，自己則逃了出來。

Holloways infection rapidly ravages（損壞，毀壞）his body， and he is rushed back to the ship. As he visibly deteriorates， Vickers refuses to let him aboard， citing quarantine protocols（檢疫規定）. When he approaches Vickers， begging her to kill him， she burns him to death with a flamethrower（火焰噴射器）. Shaw is devastated（極度震驚的）. A medical scan reveals that Shaw， despite being sterile（不能生育的）， is pregnant. David subdues（制服，控制）her in order to return her to Earth in stasis. She escapes and uses an automated medical surgery pod in Vickers quarters to extract a horrific cephalopod-like（像章魚類的頭足動物的）creature from her abdomen（腹部）while she is still conscious.

就在此刻，彼得·韋蘭出現了。原來，他一直在飛船上，試圖借助創造人類的“工程師”們來延續他日益衰老的生命。根據科考隊的發現，船長雅內克得出結論：他們所著陸的月球曾被“工程師”們用作軍事基地，直到他們對制作出來的生物武器（即含有黑色液體的圓柱形物體）失去了控制。剩下的所有科考隊成員，包括尋求長生不老藥方的韋蘭，一起來到外星人建筑物，喚醒那個休眠狀態的“工程師”。這時他們才發現，這所外星人建筑是一艘巨型飛船，而這位“工程師”正是飛船的駕駛員。

Weyland is found to have been in stasis aboard the ship， and its revealed that Vickers is his daughter. Weyland explains to Shaw that he intends to ask the Engineers to help him avoid his impending（即將來臨的）death. Janek theorizes that the moon they are on was used by the Engineers as a military base until they lost control of their biological weapons， namely the cylinders and the black fluid they contain. The remaining crew return to the structure and awaken the Engineer， who is occupying what is discovered to be a space ship.

戴維用外星語問“工程師”為什么創造人類，并請求工程師延長其創造者韋蘭先生的壽命。工程師卻憤怒地扯下了戴維的腦袋，并將韋蘭殺死。他隨后啟動了飛船，肖趕緊逃命。盡管腦體分離，頭腦并未受損的戴維認為，工程師即將駕駛巨大飛船去地球釋放黑色毒液，毀滅地球上的一切生物。維克斯命令雅內克立即返航回地球，但肖說服他們首先要阻止工程師飛船的起飛。別無選擇的雅內克只好駕駛普羅米修斯號飛船撞毀了工程師飛船。僥幸從巨大撞擊中逃脫的肖回到救生艙取給養，卻發現自己生出的怪胎長成了一個巨大的章魚似的怪物。這時，逃過飛船撞擊的工程師也來到救生艙，卻被怪物無情地殺死了。

David speaks an alien language to the Engineer， asking him why they made mankind and asking him to extend the life of his own creator， Mr. Weyland. The Engineer responds by ripping（撕破，扯開）his head out and killing Weyland. Shaw escapes from the alien ship as it is activated by the Engineer. The still-active David suggests the Engineer is going to release the ampoules of black fluid on Earth， thus killing every living creature in the planet. Vickers orders Janek to return to Earth， but Shaw convinces him to stop the Engineers ship. Janek and his two surviving crewmen take off and crash the Prometheus into the Engineers ship. Shaw barely escapes being crushed herself. She goes to the escape pod to retrieve supplies and finds that her abortedbut-still-alive alien offspring has grown to gigantic size. The Engineer survives the crash， enters the escape pod and attacks Shaw， who releases the tentacled（長著觸角的）creature. It subdues the Engineer by thrusting an ovipositor（產卵器）down its throat.

絕望的肖認為自己擱淺在這個星球上，永遠回不了地球了。這時頭腦完整無損的戴維與她取得聯系并告訴她，這個行星上還有更多工程師們建造的飛船。肖找到了戴維的頭顱，靠兩人的合作找到了一艘飛船，啟動并駕駛它飛往工程師們的原始星球——“天堂”（Paradise），去探尋為什么工程師們創造了人類但后來卻又試圖毀滅人類。

Shaw believes shes stranded on the planet until David contacts her and tells her that there are more of the Engineers ships elsewhere on the planet. She recovers Davids remains（殘體）from the alien ship， and together they travel to and activate another Engineer ship. Shaw and the remains of android David then take off to travel to the Engineers homeworld， Paradise， in an attempt to understand why they created humanity and why they later attempted to destroy it.

二、精彩臺詞

The Ambition of Peter Weyland （Humans）

Peter Weyland： [from TED Talks viral video ] To those of you who know me： You will be aware by now that my ambition is unlimited. You know that I will settle for nothing short of greatness， or I will die trying. To those of you who do not yet know me： Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Peter Weyland， and if youll indulge（聽任，放縱）me， Id like to change the world.

The Difference between the Creator and the Created

Charlie Holloway： What we hoped to achieve was to meet our makers. To get answers. Why they even made us in the first place.

David： Why do you think your people made me？ Charlie Holloway： We made you because we could. David： Can you imagine how disappointing it would be for you to hear the same thing from your creator？

Charlie Holloway： I guess its good you cant be disappointed.

Human vs Robot

Interviewer： David， what makes you sad？

David： War， poverty， cruelty， unnecessary violence. I understand human emotions， although I do not feel them myself. This allows me to be more efficient and capable， and makes it easier for my human counterparts to interact with me.

The Nature of Humans （Curiosity， Unsatisfaction and Searching）

David： How far would you go to get what you came all this way for—your answers？ What would you be willing to do？

Charlie Holloway： Anything and everything.

Figure out the Star Map and Its Meaning

David： A superior species， no doubt. The hypersleep chambers will impress， I trust.

Elizabeth Shaw： So they were traveling somewhere？

David： Ive managed to work out the broad strips. Its fairly evident they were in the process of leaving， before things went to pot（毀滅，完蛋）.

Elizabeth Shaw： Leaving to go where？

David： Earth.

Elizabeth Shaw： Why？

David： Sometimes to create， one must first destroy.

Are Humans Supposed to Be Immortal （by Their Creators）？

Meredith Vickers： If youre really going down there， youre going to die.

Peter Weyland： Very negative way of looking at things. Exactly why you should have stayed at home.

Meredith Vickers： Did you really think I was gonna sit in a boardroom for years arguing over who was in charge while you go look for some miracle on some godforsaken（偏僻的，冷落的）rock in the middle of space？ A king has his reign（任期）， and then he dies. Its inevitable. That is natural order of things.

I Want to Know Why They Created Us then Wanted to Kill Us

Elizabeth Shaw： I dont want go to back to where we came from. I want to go where they came from. You think you can do that， David？

David： Yes， I believe I can. … May I ask what you hope to achieve by going there？

Elizabeth Shaw： They created us. Then they tried to kill us. They changed their minds. I deserve to know why.

David： The answer is irrelevant. It doesnt matter why they changed their minds.

Elizabeth Shaw： Yes—yes， it does.

David： I dont understand.

Elizabeth Shaw： Well… I guess thats because Im a human being， and youre a robot.

Last Lines—Still Searching

Elizabeth Shaw： Final report of the vessel（飛船）Prometheus. The ship and her entire crew are gone. If youre receiving this transmission， make no attempt to come to its point of origin. There is only death here now， and Im leaving it behind. It is New Years Day， the year of our Lord（指耶穌紀年，也就是公歷）， 2094. My name is Elisabeth Shaw， last survivor of the Prometheus. And I am still searching.