乌云笼罩鸟人国。雨滴落叶面，叶子摇晃的样子好像一只小小的蛙刚刚经过。
Above Birdsland were clouds. Raindrops fell on leaves. Leaves tilted as if a tiny frog just passed by.

桌上，鲜花插在花瓶中。一位鸟人听见花瓣落到桌面的噗噗声。
On the table, flowers were in the vase. A Birdie heard the soft sound of petals dropping on the table top.

鸟人国的气候是偏冷而温和的。雨悄悄地来临，汇聚于鸟人国唯一的河流，流向鸟人的圣湖。圣湖在山谷之间，像一个陨石坑。湖中有一些小岛，岛上有零星几棵桃树，树上在好的季节会开一些粉紫色的花。
The Birdian weather is cool and temperate. Rain arrives silently then gathers in the country’s only river, flowing into the Sacred Lake . The lake sits among valleys as if it were a meteor crater. A few isles float in the lake, on which several peach trees grow. If in a good season, flowers in pink and purple shades would bloom on the trees.

没有人知道圣湖是如何形成的。过去的某天，鸟人发现圣湖有神奇的磁场。经过数代人的尝试，鸟人科学家和工程师在湖边的树林中搭建了能稳定产能的发电站，帮助鸟人国摆脱了能源困境。
The origin of the lake remains a mystery. One day in the past, the Birdies discovered an unusual magnet field surrounding the lake. Through the efforts of generations of Birdian scientists and engineers, they managed to build a power station in the lakeside woods. This achievement saved Birdsland from the energy crisis.

在这之前，鸟人国依赖燃烧木材生产能量。由于森林资源有限，同时需要避免被外界发现，那时的鸟人们不敢大量伐木，并且必须不断植树造林，才能满足自身的能源需求。他们不得不非常节约，鸟人的饮食也以冷餐为主。如今鸟人国的夜晚不缺灯火，热餐不限于节庆，鸟人们还记得过去的窘困吗？出于对自己的提醒，鸟人们把为他们提供生活基础的那潭水称为圣湖。
Before this age, the country relied on the energy generated from wood burning. As the Birdies didn’t have vast forests but needed to remain undiscovered from the rest of the world, they had to lead a low-key life and make the most out of their resources. They avoided deforestation and continuously planted new trees to compensate for their consumption. They saved as much as they could and had cold meals. Today lights sparkle wherever they are needed in the night sky of Birdsland and hot meals are served not only for festivals. Do Birdies still remember the difficult days? Perhaps as a reminder to themselves, the Birdies revere the lake that provides them with their living foundation and call it as the Sacred Lake.

圣湖赐予的能量远大于鸟人国的需求。鸟人们利用富余的能量给房屋供暖，搭建温室，种植观赏性植物。他们开茶会，办文艺活动，建印刷工厂，组织远游。凭借周游鸟人带回的知识，鸟人们学着进入现代。
The energy that the Sacred Lake provides surpasses Birdsland’s energy demand. With the extra energy, the Birdies heated their homes, built greenhouses and grew decorative plants. They hosted tea parties and cultural events, established publishing houses and went on journeys. They learnt to embrace the modern age by applying the knowledge they gained from the journeys.

不过鸟人没有大量储能的方法，以及鸟人国位置太偏远，很难给外界供能。一些外国人想如果他们找到储能的方法，为鸟人国创收，他们就能获得在鸟人国长期生活的许可。
However, the Birdies do not have a way to store a large amount of the energy produced and Birdsland is too remote to supply the energy to other countries. Some foreigners think if they could find an effective energy storage scheme and bring benefits to Birdsland, they would gain a long-term residence permit to live in the country.

可是鸟人们并不确定能量变现会是一件好事。他们想如果人们发现他们可以如同开发一块油田那样开发圣湖，湖就会成为争夺的目标。而鸟人国没有庞大的军队和强大的武器来保卫自己，能源和利益到那时都会被其他人垄断，鸟人们会失去家园，变成真正的流浪者。他们会再也没有能力维持如今的生活。
While the Birdies are not always sure if it would be a good thing to monetise the energy. The Birdies believe if people discovered that they could develop an energy field around the Sacred Lake like how they develop an oil field elsewhere, the lake would become a resource that people would fight to own. As Birdsland does not have vast armies and powerful weapons to defend itself, energy and profit would then be monopolised by others and the Birdies would lose their homeland and become stateless travellers. They woundn’t be able to sustain their current lifestyle.

也许鸟人的存在一直是侥幸。他们没有在野蛮的时代被外界发现，没有被当作藏于山野，逃避劳作和赋税的刁民。他们在文明时代被了解，成为被外界承认的国家，拥有独立和自主的权力。他们发现的能源足够多并且拿不走。他们在旅途中看见冲突与暴力，而他们的生活在和平中。
They might have been exceptionally fortunate in their existence. They weren’t discovered by the rest of the world during a savage era when they would be seen as brutal strangers who hid in the mountains to avoid labour and taxes. They were known in a civilised age and recognised as an independent country with the autonomy to govern themselves. Their energy supply exceeds their demand and their resources remain secure from external appropriation. While Birdies encountering conflicts and violence during their journeys, life in Birdsland is peaceful.