給月球的訊息
When NASA was preparing for the Apollo Project, it took the astronauts to a Navajo reservation in Arizona for training. One day, a Navajo elder and his son came across the space crew, who were walking among the rocks.
The elder, who spoke only Navajo, asked a question. His son translated for the NASA people:
"What are these guys in the big suits doing?"
One of the astronauts said they were practicing for a trip to the moon. When his sonrelayed(中繼,轉發(fā)) this comment, the Navajo elder got all excited and asked if it would be possible to give the astronauts a message to deliver to the moon.
A NASA official said, "Why certainly!" and told an underling(下屬) to get a tape recorder. The Navajo elder's comments were brief. The NASA official asked the son if he would translate what his father had said. But he refused.
Finally, an official government translator was summoned. The translator relayed the message:
"Watch out for these fellows! They have come to steal your land."
在美國國家航天局準備阿波羅航天計劃時,他們讓宇航員們?nèi)喞D侵菁{瓦伙族保留區(qū)進行訓練。某天,一位納瓦伙族老人和他兒子遇見正在巖石間穿行的航空工作人員。
老人問了航天局人員一個問題,但他只會說納瓦伙族語,兒子幫他進行了翻譯:
“這些穿著厚重衣服的家伙在干嘛?”
一個宇航員說他們正為去月球進行訓練。當兒子傳達給老人后,老人非常興奮地問道能否請宇航員們?yōu)樗蛟虑騻鬟f一條訊息。
航天局官員回答:“當然可以啦!”并吩咐下屬拿來錄音機。老人的留言非常簡短,航天局官員問老人的兒子可否告訴他們老人說了什么,但他拒絕了。
最后,他們請來了一位政府翻譯員,他轉述道:
“小心這些家伙!他們來搶你們的領土了。”