經典科幻文學:《 基本上無害 Mostly Harmless》 第12章11

He was using the last of the year’s sAlted meat. It was a little past its best now, but still the rich savour of Perfectly Normal Beast meat was something unsurpassed in any of the Sandwich Maker’s previous experience. Next week it was anticipated that the Perfectly Normal Beasts would appear again for their regular migration, whereupon the whole village would once again be plunged into frenetic action: hunting the Beasts, killing perhaps six, maybe even seven dozen of the thousands that thundered past. Then the Beasts must be rapidly butchered and cleaned, with most of the meat salted to keep it through the winter months until the return migration in the spring, which would replenish their supplies.

他正用今年剩下的最後一點醃肉做三明治。現在已經稍微超過了它味道最鮮美的時段，但絕對正常獸那種豐厚的滋味還在，強過三明治大師以往嘗過的任何一種肉類。根據預測，下一週絕對正常獸就會開始他們慣常的遷徙，那時整個村子都將再次陷入狂熱：大家狩獵，在幾千頭隆隆而過的野獸中殺掉大約六打甚至七打。然後必須趕緊把它們切割，洗淨；絕大部分的肉都要醃製起來，好讓它們能堅持過整個冬天，直到春天絕對正常獸原路返回，補足村民們的儲備。

The very best of the meat would be roasted straight away for the feast that marked the Autumn Passage. The celebrations would last for three days of sheer exuberance, dancing and stories that Old Thrashbarg would tell of how the hunt had gone, stories that he would have been busy sitting making up in his hut while the rest of the village was out doing the actual hunting.

最好的肉會立刻燒烤，用於慶祝秋天逝去的盛宴。活動會持續三天，大家盡情吃喝跳舞，聽老刷希巴講這次打獵的故事。村子裏的其他人都會出去打獵，只有老刷希巴忙着坐在自己的茅屋裏動腦筋，打獵的故事就是這麼造出來的。

And then the very, very best of the meat would be saved from the feast and delivered cold to the Sandwich Maker. And the Sandwich Maker would exercise on it the skills that he had brought to them from the gods, and make the exquisite Sandwiches of the Third Season, of which the whole village would partake before beginning, the next day, to prepare themselves for the rigours of the coming winter.

最最好的肉會從宴會上留下來，涼了以後送到三明治大師家裏，三明治大師會施展他從天神那兒帶來的技藝，做出絕妙的第三季三明治。整個村子都會一起分享，然後，在第二天，準備好對抗即將到來的嚴冬。

Today he was just making ordinary sandwiches, if such delicacies, so lovingly crafted, could ever be called ordinary. Today his assistant was away so the Sandwich Maker was applying his own garnish, which he was happy to do. He was happy with just about everything in fact.

今天他做的只是普通的三明治——假如“普通”這個詞真能用在如此可愛的美食身上。今天他的助手不在，所以三明治大師自己來搞修飾，這活兒他乾得很高興。事實上，他好像對一切都高興得很。

He sliced, he sang. He flipped each slice of meat neatly on to a slice of bread, trimmed it and assembled all the trimmings into their jigsaw. A little salad, a little sauce, another slice of bread, another sandwich, another verse of Yellow Submarine.

他切，他唱。他把每一片醃肉靈巧地拋在麪包上，修飾整齊，再把切下來的碎屑填進空缺的部位。一點點沙拉，一點點醬料，再一片面包，有一個三明治，又是一首《黃色潛水艇》

‘Hello, Arthur.’

“哈嘍，阿瑟。”

The Sandwich Maker almost sliced his thumb off.

三明治大師差點沒把自己的拇指切下來。

The villagers had watched in consternation as the woman had marched boldly to the hut of the Sandwich Maker. The Sandwich Maker had been sent to them by Almighty Bob in a burning fiery chariot. This, at least, was what Thrashbarg said, and Thrashbarg was the authority on these things. So, at least, Thrashbarg claimed, and Thrashbarg was… and so on and so on. It was hardly worth arguing about.

那女人已經厚着臉皮大步走進了三明治大師的茅屋，村民們全都一臉愕然地望着她。三明治大師乘着熊熊烈火的戰車來到他們中間，是萬能的鮑伯賜給他們的禮物。至少老刷希巴是這麼說的，而老刷希巴可是這方面的權威。沒錯，至少刷希巴聲稱自己是這方面的權威，而刷希巴可是……諸如此類等等等等。這些個事真沒什麼爭頭。