美丽新世界Brave New World 第6章(9)

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　　总监是个金头发白皮肤的阿尔法减。矮个儿、脸短而圆，像月亮、粉红色，肩膀宽阔，声音高亢而多共鸣，娴于表达睡眠教育的智慧。

　　He was a mine of irrelevant³ information and unasked-for good advice.

　　他是座装满了七零八碎的消息和不清自来的友谊忠告的矿山。

　　Once started, he went on and on–boomingly.

　　话匣子一打开就没完没了——共鸣腔嗡嗡地响。

　　"… five hundred and sixty thousand square kilometres, divided into four distinct Sub-Reservations, each surrounded by a high-tension wire fence."

　　“……五十六万平方公里明确划分为四个明确区别的保留区，每个区都由高压电网隔离。”

　　At this moment, and for no apparent reason, Bernard suddenly remembered that he had left the Eau de Cologne tap in his bathroom wide open and running.

　　这时伯纳却毫无理由地想起了他让浴室里的古龙香水龙头大开着，香水不断在流。

　　"… supplied with current from the Grand Canyon⁴ hydro-electric station."

　　“……高压电是由大峡谷水电站供应的。”

　　"Cost me a fortune by the time I get back."

　　“我回去时怕要花掉一笔财富呢。”

　　With his mind's eye, Bernard saw the needle on the scent⁵ meter creeping round and round, antlike, indefatigable⁶.

　　他心里的眼睛看见那香水指针一圈一圈不疲倦地走着，像蚂蚁一样。

　　"Quickly telephone to Helmholtz Watson."

　　“赶快给赫姆霍尔兹·华生打个电话。”

　　"… upwards⁷ of five thousand kilometres of fencing at sixty thousand volts⁸."

　　“……五千多公里的电网，电压六千伏特。”

　　"You don't say so," said Lenina politely, not knowing in the least what the Warden had said, but taking her cue from his dramatic pause.

　　“真的吗？”列宁娜礼貌地说。她并不真正明白总监说的是什么，只按照他那戏剧性的停顿做出的暗示表现反应。

　　When the Warden started booming, she had inconspicuously swallowed half a gramme of soma, with the result that she could now sit, serenely⁹ not listening, thinking of nothing at all, but with her large blue eyes fixed¹⁰ on the Warden's face in an expression of rapt attention.

　　她在那总监的大嗓门开始嗡嗡响时就已经悄悄吞服了半克唆麻，现在可以心平气和地坐着不听，只把她那蓝色的大眼睛好像很入神地盯住总监的脸。

　　"To touch the fence is instant death," pronounced the Warden solemnly.

　　“一接触到电网就意味着死亡，”总监庄严地宣布，

　　"There is no escape from a Savage¹¹ Reservation."

　　“要想从保留地逃出是绝对办不到的。”

　　The word "escape" was suggestive.

　　“逃”给了他暗示。

　　"Perhaps," said Bernard, half rising, "we ought to think of going."

　　“也许，”伯纳欠起身子，“我们应该考虑告辞了。”

　　The little black needle was scurrying¹², an insect, nibbling¹³ through time, eating into his money.

　　那小黑针在匆匆走着。那是一只虫子，啮食着时间，吞噬着他的钱。

　　"No escape," repeated the Warden, waving him back into his chair; and as the permit was not yet countersigned¹⁴ Bernard had no choice but to obey.

　　“逃是逃不掉的。”总监重复那话，挥手叫他们坐回椅子。伯纳只好服从，批准书毕竟还没有签字。

　　"Those who are born in the Reservation–and remember, my dear young lady," he added, leering obscenely at Lenina, and speaking in an improper¹⁵ whisper, "remember that, in the Reservation, children still are born,

　　“那些在保留地里出生的人，记住，亲爱的小姐，”他淫亵地望了列宁娜一眼，用一种不老实的低声说，“记住，在保留地，孩子还是生下来的。

　　yes, actually born, revolting as that may seem …" (He hoped that this reference to a shameful¹⁶ subject would make Lenina blush; but she only smiled with simulated intelligence and said, "You don't say so!"

　　是的，虽然叫人恶心，实际上还是生下来的……”（他希望提起这个话题会叫列宁娜脸红；但是她只装做聪明的样子微笑着说，“真的吗？”

　　Disappointed, the Warden began again. ) "Those, I repeat who are born in the Reservation are destined¹⁷ to die there."

　　总监失望了，又接了下去。）“在保留地出生的人都是注定要在保留地死去的。”

　　Destined to die … A decilitre of Eau de Cologne every minute. Six litres an hour.

　　注定要死……一分钟一公合古龙香水，一小时六公升。

　　"Perhaps," Bernard tried again, "we ought …"

　　“也许，”伯纳再做努力，“我们应该……”

　　Leaning forward, the Warden tapped the table with his forefinger¹⁸. "You ask me how many people live in the Reservation. And I reply"–triumphantly" I reply that we do not know. We can only guess."

　　总监躬起身来用食指敲着桌子，“你问我我的人在保留地是怎么生活的，我的回答是”——得意扬扬地，“不知道。我们只能猜测。”

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