“晚上從斯托克波吉飛回去,洗一個熱水澡,來一次真空振動按摩……哎,”她深深地吸了一口氣,搖了搖頭,又睜開了眼睛,用鼻子嗅了一兩下,用手指捏了鼻涕,揩在自己短衫衣襟上。
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said in response to Lenina's involuntary grimace of disgust.
“啊,對不起。”她看見列寧娜下意識的厭惡表情,說,
"I oughtn't to have done that. I'm sorry. But whatare you to do when there aren't anyhandkerchiefs?
“對不起,我不該這么做,可要是你,沒有手絹你又能怎么辦?
I remember how it used to upset me, all that dirt, and nothing being aseptic.
我記得當(dāng)初那些骯臟多叫我生氣,所有的東西都沒有防腐。
I had an awful cut on my head when they first brought me here.
他們最初帶我來時我頭上有一個可怕的傷口。
You can't imagine what they used to put on it.
你就想象不出他們拿什么東西涂在傷口上。
Filth, just filth. 'Civilization is Sterilization,' I used to say t them.
污穢,只有污穢。‘文明就是消毒,’我老對他們說,
And 'Streptocock-Gee to Banbury-T, to see a fine bathroom and W.C.' as though they werechildren.
甚至對他們說順口溜,‘鏈球菌馬兒右轉(zhuǎn)彎,轉(zhuǎn)到斑波里T字邊,T字邊去把什么干?看看漂亮的洗手間。’好像他們?nèi)切┩尥蕖?/p>
But of course they didn't understand. How should they?
但是他們當(dāng)然不會懂。他們怎么會懂呢?
And in the end I suppose I got used to it.
看來我最后也就習(xí)慣了。
And anyhow, how can you keep things clean when there isn't hot water laid on?
何況沒有安熱水管,怎么干凈得了?
And look at these clothes. This beastly wool isn't like acetate.
你看這些衣服。這種丑八怪毛呢老穿不破,不像人造絲。
It lasts and lasts. And you're supposed to mend it if it gets torn.
而且按要求破了你還得補(bǔ)。
But I'm a Beta; I worked in the Fertilizing Room; nobody ever taught me to do anything likethat.
可我是個比塔,是在授精室工作的,誰也沒有教過我干這種活兒,那不是我分內(nèi)的事。
It wasn't my business. Besides, it never used to be right to mend clothes.
何況那時候修補(bǔ)是一種錯誤。
Throw them away when they've got holes in them and buy new.
有了窟窿就扔掉,買新的。
'The more stiches, the less riches.' Isn't that right? Mending's anti-social.
‘越縫越窮’,這話難道不對嗎?修補(bǔ)是反社會的行為。
But it's all different here.
可在這兒就不同了。
It's like living with lunatics. Everything they do is mad."
簡直像是跟瘋子生活在一起。他們干的每一件事都是發(fā)瘋。”
She looked round; saw John and Bernard had left them and were walking up and down in thedust and garbage outside the house;
她四面一望,見約翰和伯納已經(jīng)離開了她,在屋子外面的灰沙和垃圾中走來走去,
but, none the less confidentially lowering her voice, and leaning, while Lenina stiffened andshrank,
卻仍然放低了嗓門,機(jī)密地貓著腰靠了過來,列寧娜僵硬了身子退開了。
so close that the blown reek of embryo-poison stirred the hair on her cheek.
老太婆那毒害胚胎的臭味吹動了列寧娜面頰上的汗毛。
"For instance," she hoarsely whispered, "take the way they have one another here.
“比如,”她低聲沙啞地說,“就拿他們這兒男女相處的方式來說吧。
Mad, I tell you, absolutely mad.
那是發(fā)瘋,絕對的發(fā)瘋。
Everybody belongs to every one else–don't they? don't they?" she insisted, tugging at Lenina'ssleeve.
人人屬于彼此——他們會這樣嗎?會嗎?”她揪著列寧娜的袖子追問。
Lenina nodded her averted head, let out the breath she had been holding and managed to drawanother one, relatively untainted.
列寧娜把頭扭到一邊,點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭,出了一口氣(她剛才屏住了呼吸),設(shè)法吸了一口比較不太受污染的空氣。
"Well, here," the other went on, "nobody's supposed to belong to more than one person.
“哼,人在這兒是不會屬于一個以上的人的。