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So when Vashti found her cabin invaded by a rosy finger of light, she was annoyed, and tried to adjust the blind.
這樣，當瓦西蒂發覺她的房艙被指頭大的一片玫瑰色亮光侵入的時候，她便感到煩惱了，想要調節一下擋板。
But the blind flew up altogether, and she saw through the skylight small pink clouds, swaying against a background of blue,
但這塊擋板整個飛上去了，于是她從天窗看到朵朵粉紅色的彩云浮動在碧空的背景上，
and as the sun crept higher, its radiance entered direct, brimming down the wall, like a golden sea.
隨著太陽逐漸爬高，它的燦爛光輝直接射了進來，照得滿墻像一片金黃色的海洋。
It rose and fell with the air-ship's motion, just as waves rise and fall, but it advanced steadily, as a tide advances.
它隨著飛艇的顛簸起伏著，就像波濤洶涌起伏一樣，但它始終如一向前射來，就像一股潮水向前涌著那樣。
Unless she was careful, it would strike her face.
要不是她細心的話，這光會射在她臉上。
A spasm of horror shook her and she rang for the attendant.
一陣恐怖使她周身發顫，于是她打鈴叫服務員，
The attendant too was horrified, but she could do nothing; it was not her place to mend the blind.
那個服務員也嚇慌了，不過她卻無能為力，修理擋板不是她的職務。
She could only suggest that the lady should change her cabin, which she accordingly prepared to do.
她只能建議這位夫人換一換房艙，她也準備這樣做。
People were almost exactly alike all over the world, but the attendant of the air-ship, perhaps owing to her exceptional duties, had grown a little out of the common.
全世界的人幾乎完全一模一樣，可是飛艇上的這個服務員，說不定由于她的職務的緣故，變得與眾略有不同。
She had often to address passengers with direct speech, and this had given her a certain roughness and originality of manner.
她必須常常用直接的語言向旅客們講話，這就使得她帶著一種相當粗魯和獨特的儀態。
When Vashti served away from the sunbeams with a cry, she behaved barbarically – she put out her hand to steady her.
當瓦西蒂叫喊著繞開太陽光線的時候，那服務員表現得有點野蠻——她竟伸出手來要使她鎮定下來。
"How dare you!" exclaimed the passenger. "You forget yourself!"
“你怎么敢！”這位旅客驚叫說，“你忘記你自已是什么人了！”
The woman was confused, and apologized for not having let her fall.
這個女人有點惶亂，她帶著歉意解釋說，她是想不要讓她摔倒。
People never touched one another.
人們從來是彼此不相挨碰一下的。
The custom had become obsolete, owing to the Machine.
這個習俗由來已久，是由大機器而來的。
"Where are we now?" asked Vashti haughtily.
“現在我們在哪哩？”瓦西蒂帶著高傲的神情問。
"We are over Asia," said the attendant, anxious to be polite.
“我們在亞洲上空。”那個服務員說，迫切想表現出彬彬有禮的樣子。
"Asia?" "You must excuse my common way of speaking.
“亞洲嗎？”“您一定要原諒我說話通俗的方式，
I have got into the habit of calling places over which I pass by their unmechanical names."
我已經養成了這個習慣，用非大機器規定的名字稱呼我經過的那些地方。”
"Oh, I remember Asia. The Mongols came from it."
“哦，我記得亞洲的。蒙古人是從這兒起源的。”
"Beneath us, in the open air, stood a city that was once called Simla."
“在我們下面那露天地里，立著一座城，曾經一度叫做西姆拉。”
"Have you ever heard of the Mongols and of the Brisbane school?" "No."
“難道你從來沒有聽說過蒙古人和布里斯貝恩城嗎？”“沒有聽說過。”
"Brisbane also stood in the open air." "Those mountains to the right – let me show you them." She pushed back a metal blind.
“布里斯貝恩城也立在露天地里。”“右邊的那些大山——讓我來指點給您看看它們，”她把一塊擋板向后一推。
The main chain of the Himalayas was revealed.
“喜馬拉雅山的主脈現了出來。
"They were once called the Roof of the World, those mountains."
“它們一度叫做世界的屋脊，就是那些大山。”
"You must remember that, before the dawn of civilization, they seemed to be an impenetrable wall that touched the stars.
“您一定要記住這一點，在文明的黎明以前，它們似乎是一道穿不過的墻，可以觸到星星，
It was supposed that no one but the gods could exist above their summits. How we have advanced, thanks to the Machine!"
過去認為除了神仙以外，沒有人能夠生存在它們那些絕頂上。我們已經如何進步啊，感謝大機器！”
"How we have advanced, thanks to the Machine!" said Vashti.
“我們已經如何進步啊，感謝大機器！”瓦西蒂說。
"How we have advanced, thanks to the Machine!" echoed the passenger who had dropped his Book the night before, and who was standing in the passage.
“我們已經如何進步啊，感謝大機器！”前夜掉了他的大書的那個旅客應聲說，他正站在走道上。
"And that white stuff in the cracks? – what is it?"
“還有那些裂縫里的白東西呢？——那是什么？”
"I have forgotten its name."
“我忘記它的名字了。”
"Cover the window, please. These mountains give me no ideas."
“請你把窗子遮起來吧。這些大山沒有給我什么思想意念。”
