The truth of the matter was that all sorts of highly dodgy stuff went on behind the cheery, happy-go-lucky front that the Guide liked to put up – or used to like to put up before this new InfiniDim Enterprises bunch marched in and started to make the whole thing highly dodgy. There were all kinds of tax scams and rackets and graft and shady deals supporting the shining edifice, and down in the secure research and data-processing levels of the building was where it all went on.~

事情的真相是这样的：《指南》里其实一直藏满了各种各样骗人的玩意，只不过早先还有张看起来开开心心，逍遥自在的假面具，骗人的把戏通通躲在这张《指南》钟爱的面具背后——或者说它曾经钟爱的面具背后——直到无敌帅公司那伙人大摇大摆地走进来，把里子面子都改造得特骗人为止。闪闪发光的大厦全靠偷税漏税，商业欺诈，移花接木和暗箱操作撑着，而楼下负责搞安全研究与数据处理的几个楼层就是这一切发生的地方。

Every few years the Guide would set up its business, and indeed its building on a new world, and all would be sunshine and laughter for a while as the Guide would put down its roots in the local culture and economy, provide employment, a sense of glamour and adventure and, in the end, not quite as much actual revenue as the locals had expected.

每隔几年，《指南》都会把生意——其实还包括它的大楼——挪个地方，之后的一段时间里就到处阳光灿烂，歌舞升平；《指南》会扎根当地的经济，文化，提供就业机会，让当地人感到一种魅力十足的冒险激情，并且，到最后，发现自己口袋里的票子其实并没有像期待中那样的实质性增长。

When the Guide moved on, taking its building with it, it left a little like a thief in the night. Exactly like a thief in the night in fact. It usually left in the very early hours of the morning, and the following day there always turned out to be a very great deal of stuff missing. Whole cultures and economies would collapse in its wake, often within a week, leaving once thriving planets desolate and shell-shocked but still somehow feeling they had been part of some great adventure.

然后，《指南》会再次搬家，并把大楼一块儿带走。撤退的时候，它可能会有点像夜里的小毛贼——事实上应该说完全是夜里的小毛贼，基本上，它都是天不亮就出发，等天亮之后，当地人总会发现少了好多好多东西。整个整个的文明和经济都会跟着分崩瓦解，通常是在《指南》搬走后的一个星期以内。曾经繁荣富足的星球变得满目疮痍，一贫如洗，不过大家心里仍然会有种感觉，觉得自己好像参与了什么伟大的冒险之类。

The ‘operatives’ who shot puzzled glances at Ford as he marched on into the depths of the building’s most sensitive areas were reassured by the presence of Colin, who was flying along with him in a buzz of emotional fulfilment and easing his path for him at every stage.

对于大步走在最敏感地带的福特，“员工”们都报以疑惑的目光，不过，科林的存在又令他们放下心来。小机器人带着极端心满意足的情绪飞在福特身边，每一个阶段都为他保驾护航扫清道路。

Alarms were starting to go off in other parts of the building. Perhaps that meant that Vann Harl had already been discovered, which might be a problem. Ford had been hoping he would be able to slip the Ident-i-Eeze back into his pocket before he came round. Well, that was a problem for later, and he didn’t for the moment have the faintest idea how he was going to solve it. For the moment he wasn’t going to worry. Wherever he went with little Colin, he was surrounded by a cocoon of sweetness and light and, most importantly, willing and acquiescent elevators and positively obsequious doors.

警报开始在大楼的其他部分响起。或许有人已经发现了范.哈尔，真要这样就麻烦了。福特原本指望速战速决，趁他还晕着就能把“我-真是-我”塞回他口袋里。算了，现在没必要思前想后；对于待会儿该怎么收拾这烂摊子，福特眼下半点头绪也没有，所以他暂时还不准备开始伤脑筋。反正无论他和小科林走到哪儿，周围都是铺天盖地的一片甜蜜欢快，而且，最重要的是，还有乐意有顺从的电梯外加简直极尽阿谀的大门。

Ford even began to whistle, which was probably his mistake. Nobody likes a whistler, particularly not the divinity that shapes our ends.

福特开始吹口哨，这大概不是什么明智之举。没有喜欢吹口哨的家伙，尤其是那些把我们攥在手心里的神仙。

The next door wouldn’t open.

下一扇门不肯打开。

And that was a pity, because it was the very one that Ford had been making for. It stood there before him, grey and resolutely closed with a sign on it saying:

太可惜了，因为它正好就是福特的目标。它站在他面前，从头到脚的灰色，关得坚定不移，上头的牌子上写着：

NO ADMITTANCE.

严禁入内

NOT EVEN TO AUTHORISED PERSONNEL.

包括内部人员

YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME HERE.

你在浪费自己的时间

GO AWAY.

走开