牛津書(shū)蟲(chóng)系列 星際動(dòng)物園 9 An animal is destroyed

9 An animal is destroyed

9 一只動(dòng)物被殺害了

Buff was asleep.I told the spaceship to take us to New Earth，the planet of the Star Council.I wasn't going back to my parents.I wanted to go to the top people.

牛子在沉睡。我吩咐飛船帶我們?nèi)?ldquo;新地球”——星際理事會(huì)所在的行星。我不打算回我父母那兒。我要直接去見(jiàn)上層人物。

A few minutes later the spaceship was falling towards a planet covered with tall buildings.Many of the buildings touched the clouds.I'd never been to New Earth before.I was just a young girl from a small planet and I felt very unimportant here.

幾分鐘后，飛船朝一個(gè)高樓林立的行星降落。很多高樓聳入云端。我以前從來(lái)沒(méi)到過(guò)新地球。我只是個(gè)小行星上來(lái)的小姑娘，在這兒我覺(jué)得很卑微。

We landed.I could see a lot of people walking quickly.They didn't stand and talk.They were too busy.Who was going to stop and talk to a young girl like me?

我們著陸了。我看到有很多人匆忙地走著。沒(méi)有人停下說(shuō)句話。他們太忙碌了。誰(shuí)會(huì)停下來(lái)跟我這樣的小姑娘說(shuō)話呢?

Everybody was wearing very expensive，fashionable clothes too!I felt stupid with just my old clothes with my name 'Hummingbird'on.I said to the robot，'Make a special dress for me.I want to look more important.'

而且每個(gè)人都穿著非常昂貴、時(shí)髦的衣服!我穿著那件繡著我名字“蜂鳥(niǎo)”的舊衣服讓人覺(jué)得傻乎乎的。我對(duì)機(jī)器人說(shuō)：“給我做一套特別點(diǎn)兒的衣服。我想使自己看上去神氣些。”

A minute later I had the dress.It didn't look very good.It was grey and just like an old bag.

不一會(huì)兒，我就拿到了新衣服。看上去不是太好。是灰色的，就象個(gè)舊袋子。

I put on the dress and it suddenly came to life. It moved over me， full of changing colours .When I looked in a mirror， I couldn't believe it. I looked fantastic!

可當(dāng)我一穿上，它馬上就有了神采。它在我身上移動(dòng)著，滿是變幻的色彩。往鏡子里看，我簡(jiǎn)直無(wú)法相信。我看上去神氣極了!

When I got out of the spaceship， I wasn't afraid of anybody.

當(dāng)我走出飛船時(shí)，我已經(jīng)誰(shuí)都不怕了。

At first I thought the Star Council buildings were the high ones，up in the clouds.They weren't.I had to go below ground to an office where I spoke to a policeman.He didn't believe my story about the Star Zoo…until the robot told him it was all true.Robots can't lie.

開(kāi)始，我以為星際理事會(huì)的大樓是那些高入云端的。其實(shí)不是。我走到了地下的一間辦公室才和一個(gè)警察說(shuō)上話。他不相信我說(shuō)的星際動(dòng)物園的事，直到機(jī)器人告訴他那全是真的。機(jī)器人不會(huì)撒謊。

The policeman looked at me for a long time.In the end he called a Star Council official.

那個(gè)警察審視了我好久。最后他叫來(lái)一位星際理事會(huì)的官員。

He and the policeman took me to a lift and we went down many floors.Then they put me in a room and asked me questions.They wanted to see the robot animal but I said no.I said only the Star Council could see the robot animal.

他和那個(gè)警察把我?guī)想娞?，往下走了很多層。然后他們把我領(lǐng)到一個(gè)房間，開(kāi)始問(wèn)我問(wèn)題。他們想看看機(jī)器動(dòng)物，可我沒(méi)答應(yīng)。我說(shuō)只有星際理事會(huì)才能見(jiàn)機(jī)器動(dòng)物。

Three hours later they were still asking me questions and I couldn't keep my eyes open.I was so tired.My dress had lost its colours.It was just grey again.I didn't feel important. I felt like a child.

過(guò)了三個(gè)小時(shí)，他們還在盤(pán)問(wèn)我，我的眼睛都快睜不開(kāi)了。我累極了。我的衣服已褪色，只剩下灰色。我不再覺(jué)得神氣。我覺(jué)得象個(gè)小孩子。

But I didn't show them the robot animal.

但我沒(méi)有給他們看機(jī)器動(dòng)物。

The official said，' I don't believe you.There are no animals in the Galaxy now.Perhaps there never were any animals.They're only stories in the Book of Remembering.'

那個(gè)官員說(shuō)道：“我不相信你。銀河系現(xiàn)在沒(méi)有動(dòng)物。也許從來(lái)就沒(méi)有過(guò)動(dòng)物。它們只是《往事追憶》里的故事。”

'Well， why are you asking me so many questions?'I said.

“那么，你為什么問(wèn)我那么多問(wèn)題?”我說(shuō)。

'Because your robot tells the same story.Because you have a crazy man in you spaceship-he's in hospital now.'

“因?yàn)槟愕臋C(jī)器人說(shuō)的和你一樣。因?yàn)槟愕娘w船里有個(gè)發(fā)瘋的人——他現(xiàn)在住院了。”

Suddenly the official got up and took me to the lift.We went down，down， down， very fast.

那個(gè)官員突然站起來(lái)，把我?guī)У诫娞堇铩Ｎ覀冿w快地往下走，往下走。

We came out into a room in the shape of a star. I felt frightened because I knew this was the Star Room where the Star Council met.

我們出了電梯，來(lái)到一個(gè)星狀的房間。我覺(jué)得有些害怕，因?yàn)槲抑肋@是星際理事會(huì)開(kāi)會(huì)的星際室。

The Council men and women came in and took their places at the Star Table. The official told them my story， which my robot repeated.

理事會(huì)的男成員和女成員們進(jìn)來(lái)圍著星際會(huì)議桌坐下。那個(gè)官員跟他們講了我的事，我的機(jī)器人又重復(fù)了一遍。

Everybody looked at me，waiting for me to show them the robot animal.

每個(gè)人都看著我，等著我給他們看機(jī)器動(dòng)物。

The President of the Star Council said，'Where is this animal?'

星際理事會(huì)主席說(shuō)話了：“動(dòng)物在哪兒?”

'It's not an animal，'I said.' It's a robot. But it looks just the same as a real animal.'

“它不是動(dòng)物，”我說(shuō)，“它是個(gè)機(jī)器動(dòng)物。不過(guò)它跟真動(dòng)物一模一樣。”

'Where is it?'

“它在哪兒?”

I touched the robot's stomach.'In there，'I answered.

我摸著機(jī)器人的肚子。“在這兒。”我回答。

'Bring it out.We want to see it，'the President said.

“拿出來(lái)。我們想看看。”主席說(shuō)。

'Yes， sir，'I said.I looked round at all the Councillors.I was afraid to speak to these important people but I had to tell them about the danger.'When Buff saw an animal，he went crazy. I went crazy at first，too.'

“是，先生。”我說(shuō)。我環(huán)視了一下所有的理事。跟這些重要人物說(shuō)話我有些膽怯，可我不得不告訴他們有危險(xiǎn)。“牛子看見(jiàn)動(dòng)物時(shí)，他發(fā)瘋了。我一開(kāi)始也瘋了。”

'We heard your story.'

“我們已經(jīng)聽(tīng)了你說(shuō)的事。”

'Please listen，'I said.'This is a robot.Please remember it's not a real animal.I don't want anybody here to go crazy.'

“請(qǐng)聽(tīng)我說(shuō)。”我說(shuō)，“這是只機(jī)器動(dòng)物。請(qǐng)記住它不是真動(dòng)物。我不希望這兒有人發(fā)瘋。”

'Don't try to frighten us，girl.Bring out the animal.'

“別想嚇唬我們啦，姑娘。把動(dòng)物拿出來(lái)。”

I told the robot to open its stomach，and it opened.The little robot animal jumped on to the Star Table.

我叫機(jī)器人打開(kāi)肚子，它照辦了。那只小機(jī)器動(dòng)物一下跳到星際會(huì)議桌上。

It looked so alive!It opened its mouth and made the special noise of that animal. It had small sharp white teeth.

它看上去活蹦亂跳!它張開(kāi)嘴，發(fā)出一聲這種動(dòng)物特有的叫聲。它長(zhǎng)著又小又尖的白牙齒。

The mouth of every Councillor fell open at the same moment.

每位理事的嘴都同時(shí)張開(kāi)了。

There was a sudden bright light.The little animal exploded.It was gone.There was nothing left except a little wet plastic on the Star Table and a smell of burning hair.

突然閃過(guò)一陣亮光。這只小動(dòng)物爆炸了。它死了。什么也沒(méi)留下，只剩下星際會(huì)議桌上一小塊濕漉漉的塑料和毛發(fā)燒焦了的味道。

The Star Council official had destroyed it with his laser gun.

那個(gè)星際理事會(huì)官員用激光槍把它摧毀了。

The Councillors were getting up and shouting.Their faces were full of hate.They had the same crazy eyes as Buff. Perhaps not as bad as Buff，because the animal had only been there for a second or two and I had told them it was a robot. But，like Buff， they wanted to kill and destroy.

理事們喊叫著站了起來(lái)。他們的臉上充滿憎恨。他們的眼睛和牛子發(fā)瘋時(shí)一摸一樣。也許沒(méi)有牛子那樣糟，因?yàn)閯?dòng)物只出現(xiàn)了一兩秒鐘，而且我已經(jīng)告訴他們它只是個(gè)機(jī)器動(dòng)物。然而，像牛子一樣，他們也想殺，想摧毀。

Things got worse and worse.They started breaking chairs.Some of them used broken chairs to hit people.They were going crazy，just like Buff.

情況越來(lái)越糟。他們開(kāi)始摔椅子。有的還用破椅子打人。他們像牛子一樣，發(fā)瘋了。

The plan had failed.The Star Council had gone crazy.I was very frightened.What had I done?

計(jì)劃失敗了。星際理事會(huì)發(fā)瘋了。我非常害怕。我都做了些什么呀?