經典科幻文學:《生命 宇宙及一切》第32章2

At least, if it wasn’t real, it did support them, and as that is what sofas are supposed to do, this, by any test that mattered, was a real sofa.
The voice on the solar wind breathed to them again.
I hope you are comfortable, it said.
They nodded.
And I would like to congratulate you on the accuracy of your deductions.
Arthur quickly pointed out that he hadn’t deduced anything much himself, Trillian was the one. She had simply asked him along because he was interested in life, the Universe, and everything.
That is something in which I too am interested, breathed Hactar.
Well, said Arthur, we should have a chat about it sometime. Over a cup of tea.
There slowly materialized in front of them a small wooden table on which sat a silver teapot, a bone china milk jug, a bone china sugar bowl, and two bone china cups and saucers.
Arthur reached forward, but they were just a trick of the light. He leaned back on the sofa, which was an illusion his body was prepared to accept as comfortable.
Why, said Trillian, do you feel you have to destroy the Universe?
She found it a little difficult talking into nothingness, with nothing on which to focus. Hactar obviously noticed this. He chuckled a ghostly chuckle.
If it’s going to be that sort of session, he said, we may as well have the right sort of setting.

即使不是真的，至少，它也讓他們坐上了。沙發也就起這個作用，因此，説它是真的畢竟沒錯。
粒子風中，那聲音又飄來了。
“希望你們感覺舒適。”它説。
他們點點頭。
“同時，恭喜你們，你們的推論是準確的。”
阿瑟立即指出，自己什麼也沒推，是崔莉安推的。她把自己帶上，是因為自己對生命、宇宙及一切的問題很感興趣。
“那個問題，我也很感興趣。”黑克特輕聲道。
“好啊，”阿瑟説，“那咱們可以聊聊，喝點茶什麼的。”
面前，緩緩顯現出一張小木桌，桌上有一把銀茶壺，一隻骨瓷牛奶罐，一個骨瓷糖碗，兩套骨瓷杯子加碟子。
阿瑟伸手去拿，卻發現它們只是光線魔術。他躺回沙發，雖然只是幻影，卻也還算舒適。
“你為什麼，”崔莉安問，“想摧毀宇宙？”
她覺得對着空氣講話很難，因為不知道在跟誰講。黑克特顯然也注意到了，他發出鬼魅一般咯咯的笑聲。
“如果是像這樣的場景，”他説，“那我們也應該換個背景。”