'Oh yes.'the doctor began to write something on a piece of paper.'Put this on night and morning,and the pain will go in a day or two.But I'm afraid the skin there will stay red for a year or two.They're nasty chemicals,Mr Duncan,you know.'
“噢,可以。”醫生開始在一張紙上寫著什么。“早晚上藥,疼痛一兩天就會消失。但是那塊皮膚上的紅腫恐怕要持續一兩年。它們是討厭的化學制品,這你是知道的,鄧肯先生。”
'Yes,I know.'John smiled at him.'But don't worry,Doctor,we're very careful with them in the factory.No one can go near them without special safe clothing.You can come and see if you like.'
“是的,我知道。”約翰對他笑笑。“別擔心,醫生,我們在工廠里會非常小心地處理它們。不穿特別安全服,任何人也不能靠近它們。如果你愿意,可以來看看。”
'I'm very pleased to hear it,'said the doctor.He gave the piece of paper to John.
醫生說:“你這么說我非常高興。”他把紙遞給約翰。
'Thank you,'said John.He went towards the door.
“謝謝,”約翰說道。他向門口走去。
'Mr Duncan?'
“鄧肯先生?”
'Yes?'John looked back,surprised.
“啊?”約翰吃驚地回頭望去。
'Where do these waste products go,when the factory has finished with them?Into the river?'
“工廠用完這些廢料,往哪里傾倒?是往河里倒嗎?”
'Well,yes,of course,'said John.'But it's all right,you know,'he added quickly.'It's very carefully checked,all the time.It's a big river,and we only produce a few hundred litres of the waste products a day.And we're only two kilo-metres from the sea,after all.'
“那當然,”約翰說。“但沒關系,你知道,”他很快接著說,“廢料隨時都經過認真檢驗。河大得很,而我們每天只生產出幾百公升廢料。再說,我們畢竟離大海只有兩公里。”
'Good,'said the doctor.'I wouldn't want anyone to drink those waste products,that's all.'
“這就好,我只不過不想讓任何人喝帶有廢料的水,”醫生說。
'They won't,doctor,'said John.'All the drinking water comes out of the river five kilometres upstream,you know that.Who's going to drink salt water from the river mouth,for heaven's sake?Chemists from London have checked it,too,you know,and our company lawyers know all about it.So it's not dangerous and we're not doing anything wrong.Don't worry about it.'
“他們不會的,醫生,”約翰說,“所有飲用水來自5公里以外的上游,這你是知道的。天啊,誰又會去喝河口處的咸水?倫敦的化學家們也檢測過水質,你知道,我們公司的律師知道這一切。所以這并不危險,我們也沒做什么錯事,你不用為此擔心。”