Origins

He is the son of Mikhail, born into the ruling family of North Ixia. Abrams named his parentage the moment he opened his mouth, and later called him “Dauphin”; Mirage addressed him as the Dauphin too, and he answered without fuss that he is royalty; Mo & Krill mocked him as “the crown prince of North Ixia,” and he denied it on the spot: that is not his title, and it really is nowhere near. When they insisted it was “close enough,” he would not give an inch.

“You're Mikhail's son, right?”

“你是米哈伊尔的儿子，对吧？”

“It's really not.”

“真的不是”

Just what power his father wields is something Americans never tire of asking. When Graves asked whether his dad was a warlord, he said kind of, yeah, then explained with some impatience: in Ixia there are those who wield the power of a governor and a general at once, and English has no word for it. When Viscous asked, he offered a single sentence: his family’s in politics.

“It's a cultural thing. You don't have a word in English for someone who wields the power of a governor and a general the way we do in Ixia.”

“这是一种文化差异。英语里没有一个词可以像我们在伊克西亚那样，形容拥有总督和将军般权力的人”

“My family's in politics.”

“我的家人参与政治”

He is an only child, with no brother to share the weight on his shoulders. Nor is he human. Venator told him he doesn’t care about the circumstances of his birth, even if he looks like a monster; he shot back: men like you call people like me demons. Teamed with Abrams, he said he was grateful not to be paired up with a human: they’re not bad, but they’re not us either.

“I'm an only child.”

“我是独生子”

His family gave him more than a name. The sigil of his family will protect him, he says, and he still has fond memories of his father teaching him this art himself; another skill is a lesson that was drilled into him from the age of five.

“The sigil of my family will protect me.”

“我的家族徽记会保护我”

“This was drilled into me since I was five.”

“我从5岁起就被灌输这个技艺了”

The blade was entrusted to him by his father. He says he will honor that trust: the family heirloom isn’t a decorative piece, and he uses it all the time. Yet Yamato asked him only whether he had ever had to kill a man, and when he answered honestly that he hadn’t, she pronounced the sword useless. Shiv pressed him the same way, asking whether he had ever stabbed a man because he wanted to end his life; he answered with a single “No.” Only when asked whether he was sure he wanted to start did he say: we’ll find out, won’t we.

“My father entrusted me with this blade, and I will honor him.”

“父亲把这把剑交给了我，我会不负他的期望。”TL

He did not come to New York of his own will. He is here, he says, because his father asked him to be; his father thought it was safer for him. He calls New York “not Ixia, but tolerable,” and says it will never be his home. Political assassination has affected his life directly: when he spoke with Vindicta about her war on the Friends of Humanity, that was the one thing he was willing to lay bare.

“I'm here because my father asked me to be, not because I want to. But only a fool doesn't make the most out of every opportunity.”

“我来这里是因为我父亲让我来，而不是因为我想来。但只有傻瓜才会错失每一个机会”

“I'm not. But as someone who's life has been affected by political assassination I have… complicated feelings.”

“我不是。但作为一个曾受政治暗杀影响的人，我……心情很复杂”

Old Friends and Foes

Abrams: Countryman and Rival

Abrams knows who he is, but is having none of his act. If they were in Ixia, Apollo said, Abrams wouldn’t dare talk to him like that; Abrams answered only: yeah, but we’re not. Later, when Abrams knocked him down, the words he left him with were: Dauphin or not, don’t come at my people.

“If we were in Ixia you wouldn't dare talk to me like that.”

“如果我们在伊克斯亚，你不敢那样跟我说话”

“I don't care if you're Dauphin, Apollo. Come at my people, and I beat you down.”

“我不管你是不是王太子，阿波罗。胆敢攻击我的人民，我就把你打得落花流水”

Apollo, though, truly regards him as a fellow countryman. Abrams forgot where he came from, he says; and in the moment he had Abrams at his sword’s mercy, what he demanded was: why aren’t you standing with me, Brother?

“He forgot where he came from.”

“他忘记了自己从哪里来”

Infernus: The Countryman Who Doesn’t Care

Infernus is Ixian too, yet has no time for him at all. When he brought up his formal title, Infernus said he didn’t know who the hell he was; when he said, but you’re Ixian, Infernus answered: I’m a New Yorker, baby. When he demanded to know whether Infernus had forgotten where he came from, Infernus said he knows where he’s from, and that’s why he doesn’t give a shit.

“I'm a New Yorker, baby.”

“我是个地道的纽约客”

Infernus later said of him that he made being Ixian his whole personality. Yet when they fight side by side, Apollo still says it is an honor to fight alongside his brother.

“That guy made being Ixian his whole personality.”

“那家伙把伊克斯亚人的身份当成了他全部的个性”

Grey Talon: The Man He Would Lend His Sword

What befell Grey Talon offends his sense of justice. What happened to Grey Talon’s grandchildren, he said, is unforgivable; Grey Talon answered only that he doesn’t need words, he needs Apollo’s sword; and Apollo promised: and you shall have it. Later, when the two met as enemies, he still said: you’re a good man, Grey Talon, I’m sorry.

“What happened to your grandchildren is unforgiveable.”

“你的孙子遭遇的一切是不可饶恕的”

“You're a good man Grey Talon, I'm sorry.”

“灰爪，你是个好人，我很抱歉”

Graves and Dynamo: Faces From the Classroom

Graves is his lab partner. He notices everything, he said, and asked whether she had been sick; told that she had been skipping class, he promptly mocked her for being undisciplined. He calls her a decent lab partner; and she, too, admits she doesn’t hate him as much as she wishes she did.

“I notice everything. Were you sick?”

“我什么都注意到。你生病了吗？”

“I don't hate him as much as I wish I did.”

“我并不像我希望的那样讨厌他”

With Dynamo he lowered himself, for once: he had heard Dynamo was a good teacher, he said, and asked whether he had any advice. But told that a black hole would gather up their enemies, he found it not very sporting.

“I've heard you're a good teacher.”

“我听说你是个好老师”

Yamato and Shiv: The Ones Who See Through Him

Yamato told him first to prove he is worth her time, and he said that won’t be a problem. Shiv called him pretty boy and asked what his story was; he asked in return whether Shiv was trying to mock him or befriend him. Both saw the same thing: his sword has never truly tasted blood.

Paradox and Calico: Kept Far From His Father

Paradox wants to meet his father, and he told her there is no way in hell she will ever be within twenty miles of him; no, within fifty miles of where he sleeps. Calico wants to meet his father too, and he coolly reminded her: as a general rule, his father doesn’t break bread with assassins, and knowing her would be worth something only until someone hires her to kill him. Later, having beaten Calico, he barked: stay away from my family.

“There's no way in hell you'll ever be within 50 miles of where he sleeps.”

“你绝对不可能靠近他睡觉的地方50英里以内”

“Why would I put him at risk.”

“我何必让他冒险呢”

“Stay away from my family, Calico.”

“离我的家人远点，卡厉可”

Vindicta and Haze: Those Who See Him as Trouble

His verdict on Vindicta: her war on the Friends of Humanity is commendable, even if her tactics are less than honorable. As for Haze, she told him plainly not to expect special treatment, and that if he dies there is going to be an international incident.

“Your war on the Friends of Humanity is commendable, even if your tactics are less than honorable.”

“你对人类之友发动的战争值得称道，尽管你的战术算不上光明磊落”

Billy: At Odds, With a Measure of Respect

Billy admits the two of them don’t agree on much, yet still calls it bullshit that Ixia hasn’t been invited to the Olympics. In another exchange Apollo said that in Ixia leaders are expected to lead, not delegate; Billy answered: I can respect that.

“Hey Apollo. I know we don't agree on much, but I just wanted to say that it's bullshit that Ixia hasn’t been invited to the Olympics.”

“嘿，阿波罗。我知道我们很多意见都不一致，但我只想说，伊克斯亚没被邀请参加奥运会简直是胡扯”

“I can respect that.”

“这点我敬你。”TL

Anecdotes

The Olympics. He calls himself captain of the fencing team and swears he will represent Ixia in the Olympics; he also says, “I can’t be an Olympian if I’m dead.”

“Mark my words, I will represent Ixia in the Olympics, it's only a matter of time.”

“我敢肯定，我一定会代表伊克斯亚参加奥运会，这只是时间问题”

The Doorman. The Doorman says his family stands a cut above the rest in terms of decorum, though they were terrible tippers. Apollo asked him in turn how he manages to treat people with respect when they look at him with contempt, then asked whether the man was comparing himself to royalty. When the Doorman fell, Apollo said: a shame, I liked him.

“I'd like you to know, that while The Baroness has seen all manner of dignitaries and celebrities - your family stands a cut above the rest in terms of decorum.”

“我想让您知道,尽管巴隆妮斯接待过形形色色的达官显贵和社会名流，但您家族的礼仪举止依然是无出其右”

“A shame, I liked him.”

“真可惜，我挺喜欢他的”

The Jacket and Macbeth. When Holliday asked whether he knew how to use that sword, he answered lazily: I’m carrying it because I’m in Macbeth, what do you think? Rem asked how to get a jacket like his, and he first asked whether Rem had rich parents.

“I'm carrying it because I'm in Macbeth, what do you think.”

“我带着它是因为我在演《麦克白》，你觉得呢？”

Honor. He told Seven there is no honor in stabbing someone who can’t defend themselves; to Mo & Krill he said there is no honor in fighting dirty.

Rich and Poor. He mocked Silver for not being able to afford pants that aren’t destroyed; Ivy saved Spanish Harlem, and he said those people should have saved themselves. Ivy’s sister thinks Blackmore kids are stuck-up jerks; he asked whether her sister was poor.

“Then why can't you afford pants that aren't destroyed.”

“那你为什么买不起没破洞的裤子”

Diplomacy. He asked Mirage to give Ambassador Nashala his father’s regards. When Mina said that after the ritual she is going to be Viscount, he only wished her a long reign.

“Please give Nashala my father's regards.”

“请代我父亲向那沙拉问好”

Open Questions