THE Park Lane Hospital for the Dying was a sixty-story tower of primrose tiles.

公园巷弥留医院是一幢樱草花色砖瓦修建的六十层楼大厦。

As the Savage stepped out of his taxicopter a convoy of gaily-coloured aerial hearses rose whirring from the roof and darted away across the Park,

野蛮人下了出租飞机，一列五彩缤纷的空中灵车正好从房顶簌簌飞起，掠过公园，

westwards, bound for the Slough Crematorium.

向西边的羽蜕火葬场飞去。

At the lift gates the presiding porter gave him the information he required,

在电梯门口门卫组长把他需要的消息告诉了他。

and he dropped down to Ward 81 (a Galloping Senility ward, the porter explained) on the seventeenth floor.

他在十七层楼下了电梯，来到八十一号病房（组长解释那是急性衰老病房）。

It was a large room bright with sunshine and yellow paint, and containing twenty beds, all occupied.

病房很大，因为阳光和黄色涂料显得明亮。共有二十张床，每张床上都有病人。

Linda was dying in company—in company and with all the modern conveniences.

琳妲跟别的病人一起，快要死了——跟别的病人一起，享有一切现代化的设备。

The air was continuously alive with gay synthetic melodies.

空气里永远流荡着合成音乐愉快的乐曲，

At the foot of every bed, confronting its moribund occupant, was a television box.

每一张床床尾都有一部电视机，正对着垂死的人，

Television was left on, a running tap, from morning till night.

从早到晚开着，像永不关闭的水龙头。

Every quarter of an hour the prevailing perfume of the room was automatically changed.

病室里的主要香味一刻钟自动改变一次。

"We try," explained the nurse, who had taken charge of the Savage at the door,

“我们设法，”从门口起就负责陪同野蛮人的护士解释道，

we try to create a thoroughly pleasant atmosphere here–something between a first-class hotel and a feely-palace, if you take my meaning.

在这儿创造一种充分的愉快气氛，介乎第一流宾馆和感官片宫之间——如果你能明白我的意思的话。

"Where is she?" asked the Savage, ignoring these polite explanations.

“她在哪儿？”野蛮人不理会她这些礼貌的解释，问道。

The nurse was offended. "You are in a hurry," she said.

护士觉得受了冒犯。“你倒是很着急呢。”她说。

"Is there any hope?" he asked.

“有希望没有？”他问。

"You mean, of her not dying?" (He nodded.) "No, of course there isn't.

“你是说不死的希望吗？”（他点点头）“当然不会有。

"When somebody's sent here, there's no..." Startled by the expression of distress on his pale face, she suddenly broke off.

“当然不会有。送到这儿来的都是没有希望的……”她一见他苍白的脸上那痛苦的表情便吃了一惊，住了嘴。

"Why, whatever is the matter?" she asked.

“怎么，有什么事大不了的？”她问。

She was not accustomed to this kind of thing in visitors.

对于客人的这种反应她很不习惯

(Not that there were many visitors anyhow: or any reason why there should be many visitors.) "You're not feeling ill, are you?"

（不过，不是因为这儿的客人不多，其实客人也不应该多。）“你该不是生病了吧？”

He shook his head.

他摇摇头。