牛津書蟲系列 星際動物園 9 An animal is destroyed

9 An animal is destroyed

9 一只動物被殺害了

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”——星際理事會所在的行星。我不打算回我父母那兒。我要直接去見上層人物。

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，飛船朝一個高樓林立的行星降落。很多高樓聳入云端。我以前從來沒到過新地球。我只是個小行星上來的小姑娘，在這兒我覺得很卑微。

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。沒有人停下說句話。他們太忙碌了。誰會停下來跟我這樣的小姑娘說話呢?

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.'

而且每個人都穿著非常昂貴、時髦的衣服!我穿著那件繡著我名字“蜂鳥”的舊衣服讓人覺得傻乎乎的。我對機器人說：“給我做一套特別點兒的衣服。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.

不一會兒，我就拿到了新衣服。看上去不是太好。是灰色的，就象個舊袋子。

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!

可當我一穿上，它馬上就有了神采。它在我身上移動著，滿是變幻的色彩。往鏡子里看，我簡直無法相信。我看上去神氣極了!

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

當我走出飛船時，我已經(jīng)誰都不怕了。

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.

開始，我以為星際理事會的大樓是那些高入云端的。其實不是。我走到了地下的一間辦公室才和一個警察說上話。他不相信我說的星際動物園的事，直到機器人告訴他那全是真的。機器人不會撒謊。

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

那個警察審視了我好久。最后他叫來一位星際理事會的官員。

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.

他和那個警察把我?guī)想娞?，往下走了很多層。然后他們把我領到一個房間，開始問我問題。他們想看看機器動物，可我沒答應。我說只有星際理事會才能見機器動物。

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.

過了三個小時，他們還在盤問我，我的眼睛都快睜不開了。我累極了。我的衣服已褪色，只剩下灰色。我不再覺得神氣。我覺得象個小孩子。

But I didn't show them the robot animal.

但我沒有給他們看機器動物。

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.'

那個官員說道：“我不相信你。銀河系現(xiàn)在沒有動物。也許從來就沒有過動物。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，你為什么問我那么多問題?”我說。

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

“因為你的機器人說的和你一樣。因為你的飛船里有個發(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.

那個官員突然站起來，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，來到一個星狀的房間。我覺得有些害怕，因為我知道這是星際理事會開會的星際室。

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.

理事會的男成員和女成員們進來圍著星際會議桌坐下。那個官員跟他們講了我的事，我的機器人又重復了一遍。

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

每個人都看著我，等著我給他們看機器動物。

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

星際理事會主席說話了：“動物在哪兒?”

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

“它不是動物，”我說，“它是個機器動物。不過它跟真動物一模一樣。”

'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。我們想看看。”主席說。

'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。我環(huán)視了一下所有的理事。跟這些重要人物說話我有些膽怯，可我不得不告訴他們有危險。“牛子看見動物時，他發(fā)瘋了。我一開始也瘋了。”

'We heard your story.'

“我們已經(jīng)聽了你說的事。”

'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.'

“請聽我說。”我說，“這是只機器動物。請記住它不是真動物。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。把動物拿出來。”

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

我叫機器人打開肚子，它照辦了。那只小機器動物一下跳到星際會議桌上。

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!它張開嘴，發(fā)出一聲這種動物特有的叫聲。它長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張開了。

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.

突然閃過一陣亮光。這只小動物爆炸了。它死了。什么也沒留下，只剩下星際會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.

那個星際理事會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。他們的臉上充滿憎恨。他們的眼睛和牛子發(fā)瘋時一摸一樣。也許沒有牛子那樣糟，因為動物只出現(xiàn)了一兩秒鐘，而且我已經(jīng)告訴他們它只是個機器動物。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.

情況越來越糟。他們開始摔椅子。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?

計劃失敗了。星際理事會發(fā)瘋了。我非常害怕。我都做了些什么呀?