經典科幻文學:《 基本上無害 Mostly Harmless》 第7章3

‘What do you think it was trying to say?’ asked Arthur in a small voice.

“你覺得它想跟我們說什麼？”阿瑟低聲問。

‘Ah, nothing much,’ said the man. ‘Just its way of trying to be friendly. This is just our way of being friendly back,’ he added, gripping the stick.

“啊，沒什麼。”胖子回答說，“那不過是它們表示友好的方式。”他抓緊了棍子，加上一句，“這也是我們友好回去的方式。”

‘When’s the next flight out?’ asked Arthur.

“下一班離開這兒的飛船什麼時候出發？”阿瑟問。

‘Thought you’d only just arrived,’ said the man.

“我還以爲你剛到。”那人說。

‘Yes,’ said Arthur. ‘It was only going to be a brief visit. I just wanted to see if this was the right place or not. Sorry.’

“沒錯。”阿瑟道，“不過我本來就沒準備久留，只是來看看這是不是我要找的那個星球。抱歉。”

‘You mean you’re on the wrong planet?’ said the man lugubriously. ‘Funny how many people say that. Specially the people who live here.’ He eyed the remains of the boghog with a deep, ancestral resentment.

“你是說你來錯了星球？”那人擺出副好不悲痛的模樣，“真有意思，好多人都這樣說，尤其是本地人。”他瞄眼澤豬的殘骸，眼神裏帶着深沉的，祖傳的仇恨。

‘Oh no,’ said Arthur, ‘it’s the right planet all right.’ He picked up the damp brochure lying on the bed and put it in his pocket. ‘It’s OK, thanks, I’ll take that,’ he said, taking his case from the man. He went to the door and looked out into the cold, wet night.

“哦不是。”阿瑟說，“地方是來對了沒錯。”他從牀上撿起潮溼的旅遊手冊放進口袋裏，“可以了，謝謝，我來吧。”他從那人手裏拿過自己的箱子，走到門邊望着又冷又溼的夜色。

‘Yes, it’s the right planet, all right,’ he said again. ‘Right planet, wrong universe.’

“對，就是這地方，沒錯。”他說，“正確的星球，錯誤的宇宙。”

A single bird wheeled in the sky above him as he set off back for the spaceport.

他往空港走去，一隻鳥在他頭頂的天空盤旋。