Random didn’t like being bossed around by a bird, but she followed it to the mouth of the cave anyway, still fingering the rock in her pocket.

兰登不喜欢让只鸟对自己指手画脚，可还是跟着它去了洞口，虽然一只手仍然摆弄着口袋里的石头。

‘Rain,’ said the bird. ‘You see? Just rain.’

“雨。”鸟说，“看见了？只是雨。”

‘I know what rain is.’

“我知道雨是什么。”

Sheets of the stuff were sweeping through the night, moonlight sifting through it.

那东西正一片片地扫过黑夜，还有月光从中间筛过。

‘So what is it?’

“那么它是什么？”

‘What do you mean, what is it? Look, who are you? What were you doing in that box? Why have I spent a night running through the forest fending off demented squirrels to find that all I’ve got at the end of it is a bird asking me what rain is. It’s just water falling through the bloody air, that’s what it is. Anything else you want to know or can we go home now?’

“你什么意思？它是什么？我说，你是谁？你在那个盒子里干嘛？为什么我在森林里跑了一夜对付疯疯癫癫的松鼠结果只是只问我雨是什么的鸟？雨不过是从该死的空气里掉下来的水它就是这个。你还有什么想知道？或者我们可以动身回家了？”

There was a long pause before the bird answered, ‘You want to go home?’

鸟沉默了很久才回答说：“你想回家？”

‘I haven’t got a home!’ Random almost shocked herself, she screamed the words so loudly.

“我没家！”兰登几乎把自己吓了一跳，她吼得真够大声的。

‘Look into the rain…’ said the bird Guide.

“往雨里看。”指南鸟说。

‘I’m looking into the rain! What else is there to look at?’

“我在往雨里看！除了那个还有什么可看的？”

What do you see?’

“你看见了什么？”

‘What do you mean, you stupid bird? I just see a load of rain. It’s just water, falling.’

“你什么意思，你这傻鸟？我就看见一堆一堆的雨。那就是水，天上掉下来的。”

‘What shapes do you see in the water?’

“你在水里看见了什么形状？”

‘Shapes? There aren’t any shapes. It’s just, just…

“形状？哪有什么形状？那不过是，不过是……”

‘Just a mish mash,’ said the bird Guide.

“不过是片大杂烩。”指南鸟说。