经典科幻文学:《生命 宇宙及一切》尾章3
日期:2015-03-06 11:29

(单词翻译:单击)

Then, as their eyes became accustomed to the darkness, they spotted a dull red glow in a corner, and behind the glow a live shadow. They swung a torch round on to it.
Prak was lounging on a bench, smoking a listless cigarette.
Hi, he said, with a little half-wave. His voice echoed through the chamber. He was a little man with scraggy hair. He sat with his shoulders hunched forward and his head and knees kept jiggling. He took a drag of his cigarette.
They stared at him.
What’s going on? said Trillian.
Nothing, said the man and jiggled his shoulders.
Arthur shone his torch full on Prak’s face.
We thought, he said, that you were meant to be telling the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth.
Oh, that, said Prak. Yeah. I was. I finished. There’s not nearly as much of it as people imagine. Some of it’s pretty funny, though.
He suddenly exploded in about three seconds of manical laughter and stopped again. he sat there, jiggling his head and knees. He dragged on his cigarette with a strange half-smile.
Ford and Zaphod came forward out of the shadows.
Tell us about it, said Ford.
Oh, I can’t remember any of it now, said Prak. I thought of writing some of it down, but first I couldn’t find a pencil, and then I thought, why bother?
There was a long silence, during which they thought they could feel the Universe age a little. Prak stared into the torchlight.
None of it? said Arthur at last. You can remember none of it?
No. Except most of the good bits were about frogs, I remember that.Suddenly he was hooting with laughter again and stamping his feet on the ground.You would not believe some of the things about frogs, he gasped.
Come on let’s go and find ourselves a frog. Boy, will I ever see them in a new light! He leapt to his feet and did a tiny little dance. Then he stopped and took a long drag at his cigarette.
Let’s find a frog I can laugh at, he said simply. Anyway, who are you guys?
We came to find you, said Trillian, deliberately not keeping the disappointment out of her voice. My name is Trillian.
Prak jiggled his head.
随后,当他们的眼睛终于适应黑暗,才看见角落里有暗暗的一点红光。红光背后,有个人影。他们将火把举近了一点看。
普啦刻大大咧咧地坐在长椅上,抽着一支半燃半熄的烟。
“嗨。”他说着,懒懒地抬了下手。他的声音在大厅中回响。他是个小个子,头发稀疏。他驼着背坐在那儿,把脑袋和膝盖抖着玩。
众人盯着他。
“怎么了?”崔莉安问。
“没什么。”那人说着,抖了抖肩膀。
阿瑟把火把向前伸,照亮了普啦刻的脸。
“我们听说……”他说,“你在这儿讲真话。”
“噢,那个啊。”普啦刻说,“对啊,我是说过。已经说完了。大部分都是无法想象的东西。不过,有的也很好玩。”
他突然爆笑了大约三秒钟,像疯了似的,然后停了下来。他坐在那儿,抖着脑袋,抖着膝盖。他似笑非笑,又吸了一口烟。
福特和赞福德从暗处凑上前来。
“跟我们说说吧。”福特说。
“噢,我已经不记得了。”普啦刻说,“我想过用笔记下来,但是,首先,我没铅笔。其次我又想,何必呢?”
长久的沉默。他们几乎能感觉到宇宙变老了一点点。普啦刻凝视着火把的光辉。
“一点都不行?”阿瑟开口问道,“你一点都不记得了?”
“不记得。对了,有些关于青蛙的还不错。我记得那个。”突然,他又狂笑起来,在地上跺着脚,“你们绝对不会相信那些关于青蛙的事。”他笑得直喘气。
“走,咱们找青蛙去。伙计,我得用新的眼光去看它们喽!”他一跃而起,跳了几步舞,停下来,狠狠地吸了口烟。
“走找青蛙去,去笑它。”他说,“对了,你们是谁啊?”
“我们是来找你的。”崔莉安毫不掩饰她声音中的失望情绪,“我叫崔莉安。”
普啦刻抖着脑袋。

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