First, the context. This was a desert world. The dusty earth was packed hard and had neatly bruised every last bit of Arthur that hadn’t already been bruised by the festivities of the previous night. Some way ahead of them were great cliffs that looked like sandstone, eroded by the wind and what little rain presumably fell in those parts into wild and fantastic shapes, which matched the fantastic shapes of the giant cacti that sprouted here and there from the arid, orange landscape.

首先，大背景。这是个沙漠的世界，灰尘扑扑的地表被踩得特别结实，干净利索地解决了阿瑟身上任何一寸仍然完好的皮肤，也就是那些还没被昨晚的节目弄伤的部分。前方不远处有些很大的高岩，看起来像是砂岩，被风和想来总会下的那么一点点雨水侵蚀成旷野怪诞的形状，刚好同贫瘠的橙色地面上的那些巨型仙人掌相配——他们时不时冒出一棵来，形状也是同样的放荡不羁。

For a moment Arthur dared to hope they had unexpectedly arrived in Arizona or New Mexico or maybe South Dakota, but there was plenty of evidence that this was not the case.

有一瞬间，阿瑟竟然胆敢希望自己来到了亚利桑那，或者新墨西哥，又或者南达科他，但这显然只是他一厢情愿。

The Perfectly Normal Beasts, for a start, still thundering, still pounding. They swept up in their tens of thousands from the far horizon, disappeared completely for about half a mile, then swept off, thundering and pounding to the distant horizon opposite.

首先，绝对正常兽扔在轰隆隆砰砰砰。它们好几万头一起消失在远端的地平线，完全不见踪影，然后又轰隆隆砰砰砰地席卷过来，出现在对面的地平线上。

Then there were the spaceships parked in front of the Bar & Grill. Ah. The Domain of the King Bar & Grill. Bit of an anti-climax, thought Arthur to himself.

此外，还有停在快餐店门口的那些飞船。王的领地餐厅。阿瑟暗想，对于如此惊心动魄的开头来说，这个结局实在太平淡了。

In fact only one of the spaceships was parked in front of the Domain of the King Bar & Grill. The other three were in a parking lot by the side of the Bar and Grill. It was the one in front that caught the eye, though. Wonderful looking thing. Wild fins all over it, far, far too much chrome all over the fins and most of the actual bodywork painted in a shocking pink. It crouched there like an immense brooding insect and looked as if it was at any moment about to jump on something about a mile away. The Domain of the King Bar & Grill was slap bang in the middle of where the Perfectly Normal Beasts would be charging if they didn’t take a minor transdimensional diversion on the way. It stood on its own, undisturbed. An ordinary Bar & Grill. A truckstop diner. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Quiet. The Domain of the King.

事实上，王的领地餐厅跟前只有一艘飞船，其他三艘都待在餐厅旁边的停车场。不过吸引眼球的正是停在前边的那艘。那模样真是棒极了。全身都是疯狂的安定翼，安定翼上镀了太多太多的铬，机身则基本上搞成了一种骇人听闻的粉红色。它像只闷闷不乐的昆虫似的缩在地上，看起来仿佛随时准备扑向一英里外的什么东西。王的领地餐厅正好在绝对正常兽的冲刺路线上——假如中途它们没有稍稍转一个跨位面的弯。它独自屹立，没人打扰。一个普普通通的餐厅。一个路边的小馆子。在荒芜中给自己找了个地方，安安静静。王的领地。

‘Gonna buy that spaceship,’ said Ford quietly.

“我要买下那艘飞船。”福特平静的说。

‘Buy it?’ said Arthur. ‘That’s not like you. I thought you usually pinched them.’

“买？”阿瑟道，“这可不像你。我以为你一般都是用偷的。”