經典科幻文學:《宇宙盡頭的餐館》第29章4
“Weird,” said Zaphod.
“But it’s in the middle of nowhere,” said Trillian, “we must have come to the wrong place. You can’t rule the Universe from a shack.”
They hurried through the pouring rain, and arrived, wet through, at the door. They knocked. They shivered.
The door opened.
“Hello?” said the man.
“Ah, excuse me,” said Zarniwoop, “I have reason to believe…”
“Do you rule the Universe?” said Zaphod.
The man smiled at him.
“I try not to,” he said, “Are you wet?”
Zaphod looked at him in astonishment.
“Wet?” he cried, “Doesn’t it look as if we’re wet?”
“That’s how it looks to me,” said the man, “but how you feel about it might be an altogether different matter. If you feel warmth makes you dry, you’d better come in.”
They went in.
They looked around the tiny shack, Zarniwoop with slight distaste, Trillian with interest, Zaphod with delight.
“Hey, er…” said Zaphod, “what’s your name?”
The man looked at them doubtfully.
“I don’t know. Why, do you think I should have one? It seems very odd to give a bundle of vague sensory perceptions a name.”
He invited Trillian to sit in the chair. He sat on the edge of the chair, Zarniwoop leaned stiffly against the table and Zaphod lay on the mattress.
“Wowee!” said Zaphod, “the seat of power!” He tickled the cat.
“Listen,” said Zarniwoop, “I must ask you some questions.”
“Alright,” said the man kindly, “you can sing to my cat if you like.”
“Would he like that?” asked Zaphod.
“You’d better ask him,” said the man.
“Does he talk?” said Zaphod.
“I have no memory of him talking,” said the man, “but I am very unreliable.”
Zarniwoop pulled some notes out of a pocket.
“Now,” he said, “you do rule the Universe, do you?”
“How can I tell?” said the man.
“太奇怪了。”贊幅德説。
“但這兒這麼荒涼，”崔莉恩説，“我們一定是來錯地方了，你不可能在這樣一問小屋子裏統治宇宙。”
他們快步穿過大雨，渾身濕透地來到小尾門前。他們一邊敲門，一邊顫抖着。
門開了。
“有什麼事嗎，”那個人説。
“噢，對不起，打擾了，”扎尼烏普説，“我有理由相信…·”
“是你在統治整個宇宙嗎’”贊幅德問。
那人衝他笑笑。
“我儘量不這麼饊，”他説，“你們淋濕了嗎？”
贊福德驚訝地看着他。
“淋濕？”他叫道，“難道你覺得我們還不夠濕嗎？”
“在我看來是這樣，”這人説，“不過你們的感覺可能完全是另一回事。如果你們認為温暖可以給你們烘乾衣服的話，那你們最好進來。”
於是，他們進了屋。
他們上下打量着這間小屋，扎尼烏普帶着些微厭惡，崔莉恩帶着好奇，贊犒德帶着欣喜。
“嘿，嗯……”贊福德説，”你叫什麼名字？”
這人懷疑地看着他們。
“我不知道你們I^為我應該有一個名字嗎t給一堆模糊的感觀知覺取一個名字，這種舉動似乎非常奇怪。”
他邀請崔莉恩坐在椅子上，他則坐在那把椅子的邊緣。扎尼鳥普佩硬地靠在桌邊，贊福德干脆躺在了牀墊上。
“哇！”贊福德説，“極力的宅座！”他逗着那隻貓。
“聽着，”扎尼烏普説，“我必須問你幾個問題。”
“好吧。”這人温和地説，“你可以對我的貓唱歌，如果你願意的話。”
“可它願意嗎？”贊福德問。
“你最好問問它。”這人説，
“它會講話嗎？”贊福德叉問
“我不記得它講過話，”這人説，“但我這個人非常靠不住，”
扎尼烏普從一個口袋裏掏出幾張便箋。
“好吧，”他説，“你統治着整個宇宙，是這樣嗎？”
“讓我怎麼説呢？”這人説。
