經典科幻文學:《宇宙盡頭的餐館》第23章2

“But what’s he doing here?”
Ford peered through the top at the figure within.“Not a lot,” he said, and suddenly flashed one of those grins of his which always made people think he’d been overdoing things recently and should try to get some rest. He scampered over to another sarcophagus. A moment’s brisk towel work and he announced:
“This one’s a dead hairdresser. Hoopy!”
The next sarcophagus revealed itself to be the last resting place of an advertising account executive; the one after that contained a second-hand car salesman, third class.
An inspection hatch let into the floor suddenly caught Ford’s attention, and he squatted down to unfasten it, thrashing away at the clouds of freezing gas that threatened to envelope him.
A thought occurred to Arthur.
“If these are just coffins,” he said, “Why are they kept so cold?”
“Or, indeed, why are they kept anyway,” said Ford tugging the hatchway open. The gas poured down through it. “Why in fact is anyone going to all the trouble and expense of carting five thousand dead bodies through space?”
“Ten thousand,” said Arthur, pointing at the archway through which the next chamber was dimly visible.
Ford stuck his head down through the floor hatchway. He looked up again.
“Fifteen thousand,” he said, “there’s another lot down there.”
“Fifteen million,” said a voice.
“That’s a lot,” said Ford, “A lot a lot.”

“可他在這兒幹嗎？”
福特透過石棺的蓋子凝視着裏面那個人：“沒幹嗎。”他說，突然問露齒一笑；這種笑容總足會讓別人覺得他最近有些體力透支，應該好好休息一下：
他衝到另一具石棺前一陣毛巾擦拭過後，他宣佈：“這個人是個死掉的美髮師，喔！”
接下來的石棺，足一位廣告客戶經理最後的安身之處；再接下來則是一個一手車等推銷員，
伸入地面的一個檢查艙蓋引起了福特的興趣。他蹲下身來，想把它打開，同時還得驅散幾乎運漸快把他包裹起束的冰凍氣體，
阿瑟突然冒出一個念頭。
“如果這些只是棺材的話，”他說，“爲什麼要低溫保存，”
“不如說，爲什麼要保存這些棺材，”幅特說着，終於扳開艙蓋。氣體開始向洞口沉下去？“說真的，爲什麼會有人要花這麼大的精力和費用，在太空中運送五千具屍體呢？”
“一萬具，”阿瑟說，手指着拱道，通過那裏，可以模模糊糊地看到另一個房間。
福特把頭扎進地上的艙口，然後又擡了起來。
“一萬五千具！”他說，“下面還有很多。”
“一千五百萬具。”一個聲音道；
“那可真夠多的，”福特說，“真是夠多的。”