評論
打印
II THE MENDING APPARATUS
二、修理機
By a vestibule, by a lift, by a tubular railway, by a platform, by a sliding door –
依靠通道，依靠升降機，依靠筒式的鐵道，依靠站臺，依靠滑門——
by reversing all the steps of her departure did Vashti arrive at her son"s room,
依靠與她動身時相反的一切步驟，瓦西蒂確實是來到了她的兒子的房間，
which exactly resembled her own. She might well declare that the visit was superfluous.
依靠與她動身時相反的一切步驟，瓦西蒂確實是來到了她的兒子的房間，
The buttons, the knobs, the reading-desk with the Book, the temperature,
那些電鈕，那些旋紐，那張放著大書的書桌，室溫，
the atmosphere, the illumination – all were exactly the same.
空氣，照明——一切都是絲毫不差。
And if Kuno himself, flesh of her flesh, stood close beside her at last, what profit was there in that?
要不是基諾本人，她自己的血肉，終于站在她的身邊，到那里去又有什么好處呢？
She was too well-bred to shake him by the hand.
她所受的教養太好了，以致不能同他握握手。
Averting her eyes, she spoke as follows: "Here I am.
她把兩眼一轉，就這樣說道：“我來到這里啦。
I have had the most terrible journey and greatly retarded the development of my soul.
我的這次放行簡直糟透了，大大使我的心靈發展受到了阻礙。
It is not worth it, Kuno, it is not worth it. My time is too precious.
這次旅行是不值得的，基諾，太不值了。我的時間很寶貴。
The sunlight almost touched me, and I have met with the rudest people.
太陽光險些兒碰著我，我又碰上一些最粗俗的人。
I can only stop a few minutes. Say what you want to say, and then I must return."
我只能在這兒停留幾分鐘。說說你要說的話吧，然后我就得回去了?！?/p>
"I have been threatened with Homelessness," said Kuno.
“我已經受到了無家可歸的威脅?！被Z說。
She looked at him now.
這時她注視著他。
"I have been threatened with Homelessness, and I could not tell you such a thing through the Machine."
“我已經受到了無家可歸的威脅，可是我不能通過大機器告訴您這樣一件事?！?/p>
Homelessness means death. The victim is exposed to the air, which kills him.
無家可歸是意味著死。受害者要暴露在空氣里，這就會使他喪命。
"I have been outside since I spoke to you last. The tremendous thing has happened, and they have discovered me."
“自從上次我同您說話以來，我曾去過外邊。重大的事已經發生，而且他們發現了我。”
"But why shouldn"t you go outside?" she exclaimed, "It is perfectly legal,
“不過為什么你不該到外邊去呢？”她驚訝地說，“觀光地球的表面是完全合法的，
perfectly mechanical, to visit the surface of the earth. I have lately been to a lecture on the sea;
完全合乎大機器的規定的。我最近還聽過一次講海的演說哩，
there is no objection to that; one simply summons a respirator and gets an Egression-permit.
人們對這并沒有反對意見呀。一個人只不過要個呼吸保護器，再取得一個外出許可證就行了。
It is not the kind of thing that spiritually minded people do,
這種事不是在精神方面有頭腦的人干的，
and I begged you not to do it, but there is no legal objection to it."
我曾要你不要這樣做。不過在法律上對這倒不反對。”
"I did not get an Egression-permit."
“我沒有拿到外出許可證?！?/p>
"Then how did you get out?"
“那么你怎么出去的呢？”
"I found out a way of my own."
“我找到了我自己的一條路?！?/p>
The phrase conveyed no meaning to her, and he had to repeat it.
這句話沒傳達給她什么意義，他不得不置復了一遍。
"A way of your own?" she whispered. "But that would be wrong."
“你自己的一條路。”她低聲說，“可這就錯了。”
"Why?"
“為什么？”
The question shocked her beyond measure.
這句問話把她嚇得不得了。
"You are beginning to worship the Machine," he said coldly.
“您在開始崇拜大機器了，”他冷冷地說。
"You think it irreligious of me to have found out a way of my own.
“您認為我找到我自己的一條路就是反對宗教。
It was just what the Committee thought, when they threatened me with Homelessness."
這正是委員會在用無家可歸來威脅我的時候，他們所存的想法。”
At this she grew angry. "I worship nothing!" she cried.
聽到這番話，她生起氣來：“我什么都不崇拜！”她高聲叫起來，
"I am most advanced. I don"t think you irreligious, for there is no such thing as religion left.
“我是最進步不過的。我不認為你是反對宗教的，因為現在已經沒有像宗教這樣的東西保留著。
All the fear and the superstition that existed once have been destroyed by the Machine.
過去一度存在過的一切恐怖和迷信都已經被大機器銷毀了。
I only meant that to find out a way of your own was—Besides, there is no new way out."
我的意思只是說，找到你自己的一條路是——再說，并沒有什么新路通到外邊啊?！?/p>
"So it is always supposed."
“人們一向是這樣認為的?！?/p>
"Except through the vomitories, for which one must have an Egression-permit,
“除非是通過那些出口，而要通過那些出口，一個人就必須有外出好可證，
it is impossible to get out. The Book says so."
不然，是不可能走出去的，大書上這樣說。”
