《普罗米修斯》

宋云峰

2012年上映的《普罗米修斯》（Prometheus）是美国系列科幻恐怖片《异形》（Alien）的前传，由里德利·斯科特（Ridley Scott）导演、乔恩·斯派茨（Jon Spaihts）和戴蒙·林德洛夫（Damon Lindelof）编剧。与以前几部《异形》强调恐怖因素而非科幻逻辑不同，这一部《普罗米修斯》的科幻因素是主线，也探讨了更多其他的哲学问题，如：谁创造了人类？人是从哪里来的？要到哪里去？生命的目的和本质是什么？人与机器人的关系是什么？《普罗米修斯》的核心议题是人类的好奇心和科学探索最终可能会毁灭自己（The search for our beginning could lead to our end. 或者说：They went looking for our beginning. What they found could be our end.）。《普罗米修斯》上映之后获得较大成功，全球票房超过四亿美元，并获得奥斯卡最佳特效奖。

一、故事情节

“普罗米修斯号”是以希腊神话中的巨人普罗米修斯（Titan Prometheus）命名的一艘太空飞船，由韦兰公司（Weyland Corporation）建造，该公司的口号是“建造更好的世界”（Building Better Worlds）。因为一对科学家伊丽莎白·肖（Elizabeth Shaw）和查利·霍洛韦（Charlie Holloway）在苏格兰发现了外星球上可能存在的包含地球人类起源线索的星际图系，年事已高的韦兰公司总裁彼得·韦兰（Peter Weyland）雇用了一队科学家乘该公司建造的“普罗米修斯号”飞往外太空去探索人类起源的奥秘，并由这两位科学家率领。

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饰） and Charlie Holloway （Logan Marshall-Green饰）， secure funding from the aging CEO of the Weyland Corporation， Peter Weyland （Guy Pearce饰）， 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.

在飞往目的地的途中，屏幕上播放着彼得·韦兰预先录制的视频，讲述此次太空探索的意义以及人类与机器人之间的区别。机器人虽然能做许多人类不能做的事情，但却没有灵魂，不具备人类复杂的情感，没有生老病死。希腊神话传说中的巨人普罗米修斯为使人类能抗衡诸神而盗取天火给人类，使他们能够进化和发展，却因此被赶出奥林匹斯山，每日遭到老鹰的啄食。韦兰认为，“普罗米修斯号”的使命就是探索人类起源的秘密，尤其是寻求长生不老的药方，相当于普罗米修斯盗取天火给人类，使人类取得和神平起平坐的资格（即掌握创造并延续生命的秘密）。

“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（天赋，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，领导）. 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.”

在飞船以光速接近目的地星球的过程中，为保存体力，科考队所有成员都处于休眠状态，只有机器人戴维驾驶飞船并监控整个行程的活动。在到达目的地星球LV-223轨道时，戴维唤醒了科考队成员，并由彼得事先录好的视频告知此次太空旅行的使命：找到被称为“工程师”的远古外星人，据信这些远古工程师是人类的创造者。

The ships crew travel in hibernation stasis（冬眠静止状态）at light speed while the android（人形机器人）David （Michael Fassbender饰） 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.

普罗米修斯号穿过该行星的大气层，并在一个巨大的类似金字塔的外星人建筑附近着陆。科考队在肖和霍洛韦的率领下进入外星人建筑，而领队维克斯（Vickers，后来被披露是韦兰的女儿）和船长雅内克（Janek）则留在飞船上监控他们的进展，告诉他们如果发现外星人应避免直接接触并立即返回飞船。

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饰） 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，科学家们发现了一个密室，里面有数以百计的人造圆柱形物体、一个巨型外星人被砍下来的头颅及其尸身——他们认为这个外星人就是“工程师”中的一员。后来他们又发现了其他一些尸体，并推测他们早已灭绝。科学家们还观看了“工程师”们在灭绝之前留下的紧急影像。戴维将其中一个圆柱形物体偷偷带进了飞船，而余下的圆柱形物体则开始释放一种黑色毒液。突起的风暴迫使科考队仓促返回飞船，但有两位队员因迷路不幸被留在了外星人建筑物里。肖则坚持将那个“工程师”头颅带入飞船进行分析研究。

Inside the pyramid， they discover a pocket of breathable air. In a dank（潮湿的）chamber that David unlocks， they find hundreds of cylinder-like（圆柱形的）artifacts， a monolithic（庞大而坚固的）statue of a humanoid（长得像人类的）head， and the decapitated（被斩首的）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（全息图像的）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饰） and Fifield（Sean Harris饰） stranded（搁浅）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.

回到飞船的科学家们立即对带回的头颅进行化验分析，发现其DNA与人类的相同。戴维对圆柱形物体进行研究，发现其中含有某种黑色的毒液。科学家们随后探讨了生命的意义，戴维质疑为何人类将他创造出来，肖则因不育而质疑她自身生存的意义。戴维故意将有毒液体滴入霍洛韦的饮料中致使他感染病毒。随后，为庆祝科考发现，肖与霍洛韦发生了关系。

In the ship， Shaw and medic（医生）Ford （Kate Dickie饰） 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（斩首的）Engineers head to decompose（分解，腐烂）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（紅肿流泪的）and he sees a small， silver worm-like organism emerge from one of his corneas（角膜）.

在外星人建筑内，滞留的两名科学家看到一种蛇形怪物从圆柱形物体泄露的黑液中显形，它们以其不可思议的能力将二人残忍地杀死。

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（腐蚀性的）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.

第二天早晨风暴过后，科考队又回到外星人建筑里，发现了米尔本的尸体。戴维在一个房间里发现了一个处于休眠状态的“工程师”以及显示好几个遥远行星系统的全息星际图，而其中一个行星就是地球。

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（分离舱）and can hear its heart beating.

霍洛韦的感染迅速扩大，不得不被紧急送回飞船。但维克斯引用检疫条例禁止他上船，并在其乞求下用火焰喷射器将身体变形严重的霍洛韦烧死。肖则心急如焚，精神崩溃。回到飞船后，在对肖进行身体检查时，戴维发现患有不孕症的肖竟然怀孕了。戴维试图将肖制服，让她进入休眠状态，但肖逃脱了。她进入自动外科手术室，忍着剧痛，将不断增长的怪物胎儿取出，将其关在手术室，自己则逃了出来。

Holloways infection rapidly ravages（损坏，毁坏）his body， and he is rushed back to the ship. As he visibly deteriorates， Vickers refuses to let him aboard， citing quarantine protocols（检疫规定）. When he approaches Vickers， begging her to kill him， she burns him to death with a flamethrower（火焰喷射器）. Shaw is devastated（极度震惊的）. 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（像章魚类的头足动物的）creature from her abdomen（腹部）while she is still conscious.

就在此刻，彼得·韦兰出现了。原来，他一直在飞船上，试图借助创造人类的“工程师”们来延续他日益衰老的生命。根据科考队的发现，船长雅内克得出结论：他们所着陆的月球曾被“工程师”们用作军事基地，直到他们对制作出来的生物武器（即含有黑色液体的圆柱形物体）失去了控制。剩下的所有科考队成员，包括寻求长生不老药方的韦兰，一起来到外星人建筑物，唤醒那个休眠状态的“工程师”。这时他们才发现，这所外星人建筑是一艘巨型飞船，而这位“工程师”正是飞船的驾驶员。

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（即将来临的）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.

戴维用外星语问“工程师”为什么创造人类，并请求工程师延长其创造者韦兰先生的寿命。工程师却愤怒地扯下了戴维的脑袋，并将韦兰杀死。他随后启动了飞船，肖赶紧逃命。尽管脑体分离，头脑并未受损的戴维认为，工程师即将驾驶巨大飞船去地球释放黑色毒液，毁灭地球上的一切生物。维克斯命令雅内克立即返航回地球，但肖说服他们首先要阻止工程师飞船的起飞。别无选择的雅内克只好驾驶普罗米修斯号飞船撞毁了工程师飞船。侥幸从巨大撞击中逃脱的肖回到救生舱取给养，却发现自己生出的怪胎长成了一个巨大的章鱼似的怪物。这时，逃过飞船撞击的工程师也来到救生舱，却被怪物无情地杀死了。

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，扯开）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（长着触角的）creature. It subdues the Engineer by thrusting an ovipositor（产卵器）down its throat.

绝望的肖认为自己搁浅在这个星球上，永远回不了地球了。这时头脑完整无损的戴维与她取得联系并告诉她，这个行星上还有更多工程师们建造的飞船。肖找到了戴维的头颅，靠两人的合作找到了一艘飞船，启动并驾驶它飞往工程师们的原始星球——“天堂”（Paradise），去探寻为什么工程师们创造了人类但后来却又试图毁灭人类。

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（残体）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、精彩臺词

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（听任，放纵）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（毁灭，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（指耶稣纪年，也就是公历）， 2094. My name is Elisabeth Shaw， last survivor of the Prometheus. And I am still searching.