THE Park Lane Hospital for the Dying was a sixty-story tower of primrose tiles.
公園巷彌留醫院是一幢櫻草花色磚瓦修建的六十層樓大廈。
As the Savage stepped out of his taxicopter a convoy of gaily-coloured aerial hearses rose whirring from the roof and darted away across the Park,
野蠻人下了出租飛機,一列五彩繽紛的空中靈車正好從房頂簌簌飛起,掠過公園,
westwards, bound for the Slough Crematorium.
向西邊的羽蛻火葬場飛去。
At the lift gates the presiding porter gave him the information he required,
在電梯門口門衛組長把他需要的消息告訴了他。
and he dropped down to Ward 81 (a Galloping Senility ward, the porter explained) on the seventeenth floor.
他在十七層樓下了電梯,來到八十一號病房(組長解釋那是急性衰老病房)。
It was a large room bright with sunshine and yellow paint, and containing twenty beds, all occupied.
病房很大,因為陽光和黃色涂料顯得明亮。共有二十張床,每張床上都有病人。
Linda was dying in company—in company and with all the modern conveniences.
琳妲跟別的病人一起,快要死了——跟別的病人一起,享有一切現代化的設備。
The air was continuously alive with gay synthetic melodies.
空氣里永遠流蕩著合成音樂愉快的樂曲,
At the foot of every bed, confronting its moribund occupant, was a television box.
每一張床床尾都有一部電視機,正對著垂死的人,
Television was left on, a running tap, from morning till night.
從早到晚開著,像永不關閉的水龍頭。
Every quarter of an hour the prevailing perfume of the room was automatically changed.
病室里的主要香味一刻鐘自動改變一次。
"We try," explained the nurse, who had taken charge of the Savage at the door,
“我們設法,”從門口起就負責陪同野蠻人的護士解釋道,
we try to create a thoroughly pleasant atmosphere here–something between a first-class hotel and a feely-palace, if you take my meaning.
在這兒創造一種充分的愉快氣氛,介乎第一流賓館和感官片宮之間——如果你能明白我的意思的話。
"Where is she?" asked the Savage, ignoring these polite explanations.
“她在哪兒?”野蠻人不理會她這些禮貌的解釋,問道。
The nurse was offended. "You are in a hurry," she said.
護士覺得受了冒犯?!澳愕故呛苤蹦亍!彼f。
"Is there any hope?" he asked.
“有希望沒有?”他問。
"You mean, of her not dying?" (He nodded.) "No, of course there isn't.
“你是說不死的希望嗎?”(他點點頭)“當然不會有。
"When somebody's sent here, there's no..." Startled by the expression of distress on his pale face, she suddenly broke off.
“當然不會有。送到這兒來的都是沒有希望的……”她一見他蒼白的臉上那痛苦的表情便吃了一驚,住了嘴。
"Why, whatever is the matter?" she asked.
“怎么,有什么事大不了的?”她問。
She was not accustomed to this kind of thing in visitors.
對于客人的這種反應她很不習慣
(Not that there were many visitors anyhow: or any reason why there should be many visitors.) "You're not feeling ill, are you?"
(不過,不是因為這兒的客人不多,其實客人也不應該多。)“你該不是生病了吧?”
He shook his head.
他搖搖頭。