We were only defending ourselves against your attack on our ship.

我们只是在抵御你对本飞船的攻击。

Besides, how should we attack this unknown creature, how should we defend ourselves against it?

再说，怎样来攻击这个神秘东西呢，又怎样来防御这东西呢？

We’re often negative about the future to defend ourselves against recognition of how absurd much of our suffering will seem from the position of 300 years from now.

我们常常对未来持消极态度，以保护自己免受承认从 300 年后的位置来看我们的苦难有多么荒谬。