評論
打印
"A New Theory of Biology" was the title of the paper which Mustapha Mond had just finished reading.
穆斯塔法努德剛看完一份文件，標題是《一條生物學的新理論》。
He sat for some time, meditatively frowning, then picked up his pen and wrote across the title-page:
他沉思地皺起眉頭坐了一會兒，然后提起筆在標題頁上寫道：
The author's mathematical treatment of the conception of purpose is novel and highly ingenious,
作者用數學方法處理目標的設想新奇而極富獨創性，
but heretical and, so far as the present social order is concerned, dangerous and potentially subversive. Not to be published.
但為不經之論，對當前社會秩序具潛在的顛覆作用，頗為危險，不予發表。
He underlined the words.
他在那幾個字下畫了根線。
The author will be kept under supervision. His transference to the Marine Biological Station of St. Helena may become necessary.
對該作者須加監視，必要時下放海軍至海倫那生物站工作。
A pity, he thought, as he signed his name. It was a masterly piece of work.
很可惜，他簽名時想道，是一篇杰作。
But once you began admitting explanations in terms of purpose—well, you didn't know what the result might be.
但一旦接受從目標出發所做的解釋——結果便很難預料。
It was the sort of idea that might easily decondition the more unsettled minds among the higher castes
這一類思想極容易破壞上層種姓中思想不堅定分子已設置的條件
make them lose their faith in happiness as the Sovereign Good and take to believing,
讓他們對體現最高的“善”的幸福失去信心，
instead, that the goal was somewhere beyond, somewhere outside the present human sphere, that the purpose of life was not the maintenance of well-being,
轉而相信幸福之外還有著存在于當前人類社會以外的目的，從而相信生活的目的不是維護福利，
but some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge.
而是深入意識及擴大知識。
Which was, the Controller reflected, quite possibly true. But not, in the present circumstance, admissible.
這話很可能不錯，總統想道，但在目前的環境里決不能容許。
He picked up his pen again, and under the words "Not to be published" drew a second line, thicker and blacker than the first;
他再次拿起筆，在“不予發表”下面畫上了第二道線，比頭一根還要粗黑。
then sighed, "What fun it would be," he thought, "if one didn't have to think about happiness!"
然后嘆了一口氣，“如果人不必考慮幸福的話，”他想，“哪會多么有趣！”
With closed eyes, his face shining with rapture, John was softly declaiming to vacancy,Oh! she doth teach the torches to burn bright.
約翰閉著眼睛，臉上煥發出歡樂的光彩，對著虛空柔情脈脈地朗誦道,啊，連火炬也要學習她明亮的燃燒，
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night, Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear ..."The golden T lay shining on Lenina's bosom.
她仿佛是在黑夜的面頰旁閃光熠耀，有如埃塞俄比亞人耳里豪華的耳墜，太豪華的美，不能用，在人間太寶貴……”金質的T字架在列寧娜的胸脯上閃光。
Sportively, the Arch-Community-Songster caught hold of it, sportively he puled, pulled.
社區首席歌唱家抓住它，好玩地換了幾下。
"I think," said Lenina suddenly, breaking a long silence, "I'd better take a couple of grammes of soma."
“我覺得，”列寧娜打破了長久的沉默說，“我最好吞兩克唆麻。”
