評論
打印
"Quite a magician, ain't you?" the reporter said, and taking off his hat, he swung it vigorously above the cube. The hat met nothing more resistant than air, and therewith the reporter became the first of a series of professional gentlemen who came to scoff and stayed towonder.
“好一個魔術師，不是嗎?“記者說。他脫下帽子，使勁地在立方體上方揮擺。除空氣外，帽子什么也沒有碰著。于是打這位記者始，隨之而來的一連串專業人士都是來時懷著訕笑的心情，但稍后便驚訝不已。
The news spread rapidly and the mayor was among the earliest of the dignitaries to arrive.He was followed by a committee of inquiry from the university, consisting of its president, the head of the physics department, the head of the chemistry department, an associate professor who was an expert metallurgist, the professor of astronomy, and their respective assistants bearing scientific instruments of all kinds.
新聞迅速傳開，市長成了最早到達的達官貴人，緊接著是一個來自大學的調查委員會，包括大學校長、物理系系主任、化學系系主任、一位身為冶金學專家的副教授、一位天文學教授以及他們各自的助手，隨身攜帶著各種各樣的科學儀器。
"Here, gentlemen," the mayor greeted them, "is an incredible situation. This block of metal arrived in the Thompsons' yard, no one knows precisely when nor from where. There it remains, suspended in mid-air. Where did it come from? Why doesn't it fall? Will there be more like it? When will it go?"
“先生們，”市長向他們招呼道:“這是一個令人難以置信的情況。這塊金屬落在湯普森的院子里，沒有人確切知道它什么時候以及從什么地方來的。它還在那兒，懸在半空中。它是從哪兒來的呢？為什么不往下掉呢？還會有更多的像它這樣的物體出現嗎？它什么時候會離開呢?”
"One question at a time, if you please, Mr.Mayor," the president of the university said. "Let us first have the facts so far known, and then proceed with an orderly inquiry. Mr.Thompson, would you mind telling us whatever you know about this cube?"
“市長先生，請一次問一個問題，”大學校長說道。“先讓我們了解一下已知的情況，然后再進行有序的調查。湯普森先生，請你跟我們講一講你所知道的有關這個立方體的一切情況好嗎?”
John Thomas's father obliged with a recital of the events of the morning, suppressing, however, the episode of hitting the cube with the spade. He did not want these people to know that he could lose his temper at an inanimate object.
約翰·托馬斯的父親復述了一遍早晨發生的事情，但他隱瞞了用鐵鍬猛擊那個立方體的一段情節。他不想讓這些人知道他竟會對一個沒有生命的物體發脾氣。
