英文原版

“But what’s he doing here?”
Ford peered through the top at the figure within.“Not a lot,” he said, and suddenly flashed one of those grins of his which always made people think he’d been overdoing things recently and should try to get some rest. He scampered over to another sarcophagus. A moment’s brisk towel work and he announced:
“This one’s a dead hairdresser. Hoopy!”
The next sarcophagus revealed itself to be the last resting place of an advertising account executive; the one after that contained a second-hand car salesman, third class.
An inspection hatch let into the floor suddenly caught Ford’s attention, and he squatted down to unfasten it, thrashing away at the clouds of freezing gas that threatened to envelope him.
A thought occurred to Arthur.
“If these are just coffins,” he said, “Why are they kept so cold?”
“Or, indeed, why are they kept anyway,” said Ford tugging the hatchway open. The gas poured down through it. “Why in fact is anyone going to all the trouble and expense of carting five thousand dead bodies through space?”
“Ten thousand,” said Arthur, pointing at the archway through which the next chamber was dimly visible.
Ford stuck his head down through the floor hatchway. He looked up again.
“Fifteen thousand,” he said, “there’s another lot down there.”
“Fifteen million,” said a voice.
“That’s a lot,” said Ford, “A lot a lot.”
“可他在这儿干吗？”
福特透过石棺的盖子凝视着里面那个人：“没干吗。”他说，突然问露齿一笑；这种笑容总足会让别人觉得他最近有些体力透支，应该好好休息一下：
他冲到另一具石棺前一阵毛巾擦拭过后，他宣布：“这个人是个死掉的美发师，喔！”
接下来的石棺，足一位广告客户经理最后的安身之处；再接下来则是一个一手车等推销员，
伸入地面的一个检查舱盖引起了福特的兴趣。他蹲下身来，想把它打开，同时还得驱散几乎运渐快把他包裹起束的冰冻气体，
阿瑟突然冒出一个念头。
“如果这些只是棺材的话，”他说，“为什么要低温保存，”
“不如说，为什么要保存这些棺材，”幅特说着，终于扳开舱盖。气体开始向洞口沉下去？“说真的，为什么会有人要花这么大的精力和费用，在太空中运送五千具尸体呢？”
“一万具，”阿瑟说，手指着拱道，通过那里，可以模模糊糊地看到另一个房间。
福特把头扎进地上的舱口，然后又抬了起来。
“一万五千具！”他说，“下面还有很多。”
“一千五百万具。”一个声音道；
“那可真够多的，”福特说，“真是够多的。”

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