經典科幻文學:《生命 宇宙及一切》第2章2
I thought you must be dead… he said simply.
So did I for a while, said Ford, and then I decided I was a lemon for a couple of weeks. A kept myself amused all that time jumping in and out of a gin and tonic.
Arthur cleared his throat, and then did it again.
Where, he said, did you?…
Find a gin and tonic? said Ford brightly. I found a small lake that thought it was a gin and tonic, and jumped in and out of that. At least, I think it thought it was a gin and tonic.
I may, he added with a grin which would have sent sane men scampering into trees, have been imagining it.
He waited for a reaction from Arthur, but Arthur knew better than that.
Carry on, he said levelly.
The point is, you see, said Ford, that there is no point in driving yourself mad trying to stop yourself going mad. You might just as well give in and save your sanity for later.
And this is you sane again, is it? said Arthur. I ask merely for information.
I went to Africa, said Ford.
Yes?
Yes.
What was that like?
And this is your cave, is it? said Ford.
Er, yes, said Arthur. He felt very strange. After nearly four years of total isolation he was so pleased and relieved to see Ford that he could almost cry. Ford was, on the other hand, an almost immediately annoying person.
Very nice, said Ford, in reference to Arthur’s cave. You must hate it.
Arthur didn’t bother to reply.
Africa was very interesting, said Ford, I behaved very oddly there.
He gazed thoughtfully into the distance.
I took up being cruel to animals, he said airily. But only, he added, as a hobby.
Oh yes, said Arthur, warily.
Yes, Ford assured him. I won’t disturb you with the details because they would.
What?
“我以為你一定是死了……”他坦白地説道。
“是的，有一段時間。”福特説，“然後我決定當幾個星期的檸檬。跳進一杯杜松子酒加湯力水裏，再跳出來，這能讓我保持好心情。”
阿瑟清了清嗓子，接着又清了清嗓子。
“你，”他説，“在哪……？”
“找到一杯杜松子酒加湯力水？”福特愉快地説，“我找到了一個小湖，把它當成一杯杜松子酒加湯力水，然後跳進去，再跳出來。至少，我把它想成一杯杜松子酒加湯力水。”
“我可以，”他接着説，帶着一種能讓一個正常人去撞樹的燦爛笑容，“想象它就是。”
他等了一會阿瑟的反應，但阿瑟比他想象的更理解這一切。
“振作點。”他冷靜地回答。
“值得注意的是，你瞧，”福特説，“瘋狂地努力使自己不要瘋掉，這不值得。不如干脆就放棄，還能保持正常呢。”
“你這就叫又正常啦，是吧？”阿瑟説，“我只是諮詢一下罷了。”
“我去了非洲。”福特説，
“是嗎？”
“是的。”
“那兒怎麼樣？”
“這麼説，這是你的山洞，對吧？”福特説。
“呃，是的。”阿瑟説，他覺得怪怪的。經過了四年的絕對的獨處，他是如此高興、如此寬心能看到福特出現。都快哭出來了。另一方面，福特，卻是一個能讓人迅速感到惱火的人。
“很不錯，”福特説，就阿瑟的山洞發表評論，“你一定很討厭它。”
阿瑟懶得回答了。
“非洲很有趣，”福特説，“我在那兒搞過一些新玩法。”
他目視遠方，充滿沉思。
“我曾經樂於殘忍地對待動物，”他輕輕地説，“不過僅僅是，”他補充道，“一種愛好，”
“哦，是的。”阿瑟小心翼翼地説。
“是的。”福特肯定道，“我就不用那些細節來困擾你了，因為他們一定會的。”
“什麼？”
