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It was just an error, a stupid error, the kind anyone could make. Only now Earth is never going to have another visitor from space. Not ever.
The Watery Place
水 鄉(xiāng)
1 We're never going to have visitors from space. No extraterrestrials will ever land on Earth -- at least, any more.
我們不會再有太空游客前來了。外星人將不會登陸地球――至少是再也不會了。
2 I'm not just being a pessimist. As a matter of fact, extraterrestrials have landed. I know that. Space ships are crisscrossing space among a million worlds, probably, but they will never come here. I know that, too. All on account of a ridiculous error.
我這不是悲觀。事實上，外星人登陸過地球。這個我知道。在宇宙的千百萬顆星球當中穿梭往來的太空飛船可能有許多，可它們永遠不會再來我們這兒了。這我也知道。而這一切都是由于一個荒唐的錯誤導致的。
3 I'll explain.
且聽我解釋。
4 It was actually Bart Cameron's error and you'll have to understand about Bart Cameron. He's the sheriff at Twin Gulch, Idaho, and I'm his deputy. Bart Cameron is an impatient man and he gets most impatient when he has to work up his income tax. You see, besides being sheriff, he also owns and runs the general store, he's got some shares in a sheep ranch, he's got a kind of pension for being a disabled veteran (bad knee) and a few other things like that. Naturally, it makes his tax figures complicated.
這實際上是巴特·卡默倫的錯，所以你得對巴特·卡默倫這人有所了解。他是愛達荷州特溫加爾奇的治安官，我是他的副手。巴特·卡默倫是個脾氣暴躁的人，到了他不得不整理個人應繳多少所得稅時更是容易光火。你想，他除了當治安官，還經(jīng)營著一家雜貨鋪，并擁有一家牧羊場的股份，同時還享有殘疾退伍軍人（膝蓋受過傷）津貼，以及其他某些類似的津貼。這樣一來他的個人所得稅計算起來自然就變得復雜。
5 It wouldn't be so bad if he'd let a taxman work on the forms with him, but he insists on doing it himself and it makes him a bitter man. By April 14, he isn't approachable.
要是他讓稅務人員幫他填表就不至于那么糟糕，可他非得要自己填，于是填得他牢騷滿腹。每年到了4月14日，他就變得難以接近。
6 So it's too bad the flying saucer landed on April 14, 1956.
7 I saw it land. My chair was backed up against the wall in the sheriff's office, and I was looking at the stars through the windows and wondering if I ought to knock off and hit the sack or keep on listening to Cameron curse real steady as he went over his columns of figures for the hundred twenty-seventh time.
我是看著它降落的。當時我的椅子背靠著治安官辦公室的墻，我正望著窗外的星星，琢磨著是不是該下班去睡覺，還是繼續(xù)聽卡默倫罵個不停，他正在第127次核對他在稅單上填寫的一欄欄數(shù)字。
8 It looked like a shooting star at first, but then the track of light broadened into two things that looked like rocket exhausts and the thing came down without a sound.
一開始像是顆流星，可接著那軌跡越來越亮，變成兩個光點，就像是火箭噴出的氣流，那個東西一點沒出聲就著落了。
9 Two men got out.
兩個人走了出來。
10 I couldn't say anything or do anything. I couldn't choke or point; I couldn't even bug my eyes. I just sat there.
我沒法說話，也無法做事。喉部肌肉僵直，也沒法用手示意，甚至眼睛都沒法瞪大。我就那么呆坐著。
11 Cameron? He never looked up.
卡默倫？他壓根兒就沒抬起過頭。
12 There was a knock on the door. It opened and the two men from the flying saucer stepped in. I would have thought they were city fellows if I hadn't seen the flying saucer land. They wore gray suits, with white shirts and dark red-brown ties. They had on black shoes and black hats. They had dark complexions, black wavy hair and brown eyes. They had very serious looks on their faces and were about five foot ten apiece. They looked very much alike.
有敲門聲。門開了，飛碟上的那兩個人走了進來。要不是我看著飛碟降落，我還會以為他們就是鎮(zhèn)上的人。兩人身著灰套裝、白襯衣，戴著深紅棕色的領帶。他們穿著黑皮鞋，戴著黑帽子，膚色黑黑的，卷曲的頭發(fā)黑黑的，眼睛呈棕色。兩人神情嚴肅，身高都在5.10英尺左右，看上去非常相象。
13 God, I was scared.
天哪，我害怕極了。
14 But Cameron just looked up when the door opened and frowned. He said, "What can I do for you, folks?" and he tapped his hand on the forms so it was obvious he hadn't much time.
可卡默倫只是在門開的那會兒略一抬頭，皺了皺眉頭。 “有什么事嗎，伙計？”他邊說邊用手拍著稅單，顯然正忙著呢。
15 One of the two stepped forward. He said, "We have had your people under observation a long time." He pronounced each word carefully and all by itself.
那兩人中的一個走上前說道：“我們對你們的人已經(jīng)觀察很久了?！彼f話時小心翼翼一字一頓的。
16 Cameron said, "My people? All I got's a wife. What's she been doing?"
卡默倫說：“我們的人？我只有老婆一個人。她干什么來著？”
17 The fellow in the suit said, "We have chosen this locality for our first contact because it is isolated and peaceful. We know that you are the leader here."
穿西裝的那人說：“我們選擇此地作為第一接觸點，因為這里偏僻安靜。我們知道您是這里的首領?！?/p>
18 "I'm the sheriff, if that's what you mean, so spit it out. What's your trouble?"
“我是治安官，這是你要說的吧，有什么話就直說, 你們遇到什么麻煩了？”
19 "We have been careful to adopt your mode of dress and even to assume your appearance. We have also learned your language."
“我們非常謹慎，沿用了你們的衣著模式，甚至采用了你們的外貌。我們還學習了你們的語言?！?/p>
20 You could see the light break in on Cameron. He said, "You guys foreigners?" Cameron didn't go much for foreigners, never having met many outside the army, but generally he tried to be fair.
你可以看到卡默倫臉上開始現(xiàn)出領悟的神情。他說：“你倆是外國人？”卡默倫不怎么喜歡外國人，退伍后就沒怎么見過外國人，不過總的來說他盡力做到為人公正。
21 The man from the saucer said, "Foreigners? Indeed we are. We come from the watery place your people call Venus."
飛碟來人說：“外國人？正是如此。我們來自你們稱之為金星的水鄉(xiāng)。”
22 Cameron never blinked an eye. He said, "All right. This is the U.S.A. We all got equal rights regardless of race, color, or nationality. I'm at your service. What can I do for you?"
卡默倫連眼也沒眨一下便說：“好吧。這里是美國。我們這兒不論種族、膚色、國籍，一律平等。我為你們效勞。你們有何貴干？”
23 "We would like to have you make immediate arrangements for the important men of your U.S.A., as you call it, to be brought here for discussions leading to your people joining our great organization."
“我們希望您馬上與貴國，即你們所說的美國的要人聯(lián)系，前來此地商討加入我們組織的事宜。”
24 Slowly, Cameron got red. "Our people join your organization. We're already part of the U.N. and God knows what else. And I suppose I'm to get the President here, eh? Right now? In Twin Gulch? Send a hurry-up message?" He looked at me, as though he wanted to see a smile on my face, but I couldn't as much as fall down if someone had pushed the chair out from under me.
卡默倫的臉色漸漸漲紅?！拔覀兗尤肽銈兊慕M織。我們已經(jīng)是聯(lián)合國的成員了，天知道還有別的什么。我想是讓我把總統(tǒng)找來，呃？就現(xiàn)在？前來特溫加爾奇？要我送去一封加快信？”他看了看我，似乎想在我臉上看到一絲笑意，可此刻若有人從我身后把椅子抽開，我也不會摔倒在地。
25 The saucer man said, "Speed is desirable."
飛碟來人說：“事不宜遲?！?/p>
26 "You want Congress, too? The Supreme Court?"
“你們想不想要國會也來？還有最高法院？”
27 "If they will help, sheriff."
“那也無妨，治安官。”
28 And Cameron really went to pieces. He banged his income tax form and yelled, "Well, you're not helping me, and I have no time for wise guys who come around, especially foreigners. If you don't get the hell out of here straight away, I'll lock you up for disturbing the peace and I'll never let you out."
這下卡默倫真的氣壞了。他把稅單向桌上重重地一摔，叫道：“好啊，你們跟我添亂，我可沒時間跟你們這些自作聰明的人糾纏，尤其是外國人。要是你們不馬上從這里滾出去，我就以擾亂治安罪把你們關起來，永遠不放你們出來?！?/p>
29 "You wish us to leave?" said the man from Venus.
“您是要我們離開？”金星人問。
30 "Right now! Get the hell out of here and back to wherever you're from and don't ever come back. I don't want to see you and no one else around here does."
“這就走！滾出去，滾回你們老家去，別再回來。我不想見到你們，這兒誰都不想見到你們?！?/p>
31 The two men looked at each other.
那兩人對望了一眼。
32 Then the one who had done all the talking said, "I can see in your mind that you really wish, with great intensity, to be left alone. It is not our way to force ourselves or our organization on people who do not wish us or it. We will respect your privacy and leave. We will not return. We will put a warning around your world and none will enter."
一直作為發(fā)言人的那人于是說：“看得出您確實極其不愿受到打攪。我們從不愿將我們自己或我們組織的意見強加于無意接受者。我們尊重您的私人自由，馬上離開。我們將不再返回。我們會在你們地球周圍發(fā)布警告，不再會有人前來?！?/p>
33 Cameron said, "Mister, I'm tired of this garbage, so I'll count to three -- "
卡默倫說：“先生，夠了，別再胡說八道了，我要開始數(shù)3――”
34 They turned and left, and I just knew that everything they said was so. I was listening to them, you see, which Cameron wasn't, because he was busy thinking of his income tax, and it was as though I could hear their minds, know what I mean? I knew that there would be a kind of fence around earth, keeping others out.
那兩人轉身離去，我當然知道他們說的句句是實話。你知道，我一直在聽他們說，卡默倫可沒有，他一心只想著他的稅單，而且我似乎知道了他們腦子里在想什么，你明白我的意思嗎？我知道地球周圍會豎起一道屏障，使他人無法進入。
35 And when they left, I got my voice back -- too late. I screamed, "Cameron, for God's sake, they're from space. Why'd you send them away?"
他們走了之后，我才能又開口說話――已經(jīng)太遲了。我高聲叫起來：“天哪，卡默倫，他們是從太空來的。你為什么要趕他們走？”
36 "From space!" He stared at me.
“從太空來的！”他兩眼瞪著我。
37 I yelled, "Look!" I don't know how I did it, he being twenty-five pounds heavier than I, but I heaved him to the window by his shirt collar.
我大喝一聲：“你看！”我到現(xiàn)在都不明白是怎么一回事，他比我重了25英磅，可我竟然扯著他的衣領把他拽到了窗前。
38 He was too surprised to resist and when he recovered his wits enough to make like he was going to knock me down, he caught sight of what was going on outside the window and the breath went out of him.
他震驚之下都沒有反抗，等他回過神來想要把我擊倒時，正好看見窗外的情景，頓時氣都喘不出來了。
39 They were getting into the flying saucer, those two men, and the saucer sat there, large, round, shiny and kind of powerful, you know. Then it took off. It went up easy as a feather and a red-orange glow showed up on one side and got brighter as the ship got smaller till it was a shooting star again, slowly fading out.
他們正在進入飛碟，就是那兩人，飛碟就在那兒，知道嗎，大大的， 圓圓的，亮晶晶的，挺有氣勢的。接著飛碟起飛了。它輕輕巧巧地上升，像根羽毛似的，一側發(fā)出一道桔紅色的光芒，那光越來越強烈，飛碟變得越來越小，最后重新變成一顆流星漸漸消失。
40 And I said, "Sheriff, why'd you send them away? They had to see the President. Now they'll never come back."
我說：“治安官，你什么要趕他們走？他們要見總統(tǒng)。這下他們再也不會回來了?！?/p>
41 Cameron said, "I thought they were foreigners. They said they had to learn our language. And they talked funny."
卡默倫說：“我當他們是外國人。他們說的，要學我們的語言。而且他們說的話莫名其妙。”
42 "Oh, fine. Foreigners."
“哼，得了，還外國人呢。”
43 "They said they were foreigners and they looked Italian. I thought they were Italian."
“他們說自己是外國人，兩人看上去像是意大利人。我以為他們是意大利人?！?/p>
44 "How could they be Italian? They said they were from the planet Venus. I heard them. They said so."
“他們怎么會是意大利人呢？他們說他們是從金星來的。我聽見的。他們是這么說的?！?/p>
45 "The planet Venus." His eyes got real round.
“金星?！彼难劬Φ傻迷桨l(fā)圓了。
46 "They said it. They called it the watery place or something. You know Venus has a lot of water on it."
“他們是這么說的。他們把它叫做水鄉(xiāng)什么的。要知道，金星上多的是水?！?/p>
47 But you see, it was just an error, a stupid error, the kind anyone could make. Only now Earth is never going to have another Venusian visit us. That dope, Cameron, and his income tax!
所以你瞧，這僅僅是個錯誤，一個愚蠢的錯誤，那種人人都可能犯的錯誤。只是從今往后地球上再也不會有任何金星人來訪了?？瑐愡@個笨蛋，還有他那該死的稅單！
48 Because he whispered, "Venus! When they talked about the watery place, I thought they meant Venice!"
只聽他嘀咕道：“金星！他們說水鄉(xiāng)的時候，我還以為他們指的是威尼斯呢！”
