美麗新世界 Brave New World 第2章(5)

(A small boy asleep on his right side, the right armstuck out, the right hand hanging limp over theedge of the bed.

(他身邊一個(gè)打盹的小孩伸出了右臂，右手在床邊無力地垂下了。

Through a round grating in the side of a box a voicespeaks softly.

有聲音從一個(gè)匣子上的圓格柵里輕輕發(fā)出。”

"The Nile is the longest river in Africa and the secondin length of all the rivers of the globe.

“尼羅河是非洲最長的河，是地球上第二條最長的河。

Although falling short of the length of the Mississippi-Missouri, the Nile is at the head of allrivers as regards the length of its basin, which extends through 35 degrees of latitude …"

雖然長度不如密西西比一密蘇里河，它的流域長度卻居世界首位，流經(jīng)的緯度達(dá)三十五度之多……”

At breakfast the next morning, "Tommy," some one says, "do you know which is the longestriver in Africa?"

第二天早餐時(shí)，“湯姆，”有人說，‘你知道非洲最長的河是什么河嗎?”

A shaking of the head. "But don't you remember something that begins: The Nile is the …"

對(duì)方搖了搖頭。“可是你記得從‘尼羅河是……’開頭的那句話嗎?”

"The - Nile - is - the - longest - river - in - Africa - and - the - second - in - length -of - all - the- rivers - of - the - globe …"

“尼羅河是非洲最長的河，是地球上第二條最長的河……”

The words come rushing out. "Although -falling - short - of …" "Well now, which is the longestriver in Africa?"

話句沖口而出。“雖然長度不如……，“那么現(xiàn)在回答我，非洲最長的河是什么河?”

The eyes are blank. "I don't know."

目光呆鈍，“我不知道。”

"But the Nile, Tommy."

“可是尼羅河，湯米。”

"The - Nile - is - the - longest - river - in - Africa - and - second …"

“尼羅河是非洲最長的河，是地球上第一，二條……”

"Then which river is the longest, Tommy?"

“那么，哪一條河是最長的呢，湯米?”

Tommy burst into tears. "I don't know," he howls.)

湯米急得流眼淚了。“我不知道。”他哭了出來。

That howl, the Director made it plain, discouraged the earliest invesfigators. The experimentswere abandoned.

主任指明，是他那哭喊使最早的調(diào)查人員泄了氣，放棄了實(shí)驗(yàn)的。

No further attempt was made to teach children the length of the Nile in their sleep.

以后便再也沒有做過利用睡眠時(shí)間對(duì)兒童進(jìn)行尼羅河長度的教育了。

Quite rightly. You can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about.

這樣做很對(duì)。不明白科學(xué)的意義是掌握不了科學(xué)的。

"Whereas, if they'd only started on moral education," said the Director, leading the way towardsthe door.

“可是，如果他們進(jìn)行了道德教育，那就不同了，”主任說著領(lǐng)著路向門口走去。

The students followed him, desperately scribbling as they walked and all the way up in the lift.

學(xué)生們一邊往電梯走一邊拼命地寫著：

"Moral education, which ought never, in any circumstances, to be rational."

“在任何情況下道德教育都是不能夠訴諸理智的。”

"Silence, silence," whispered a loud speaker as they stepped out at the fourteenth floor, and"Silence, silence," the trumpet mouths indefatigably repeated at intervals down everycorridor.

“肅靜，肅靜，”他們踏出十四層樓的電梯時(shí)，一個(gè)擴(kuò)音器低聲說著，“肅靜，肅靜。”他們每走下一道長廊，都聽見喇叭口不疲倦地發(fā)出這樣的聲音。

The students and even the Director himself rose automatically to the tips of their toes.

學(xué)生們，甚至主任，都不自覺地踏起了腳尖。

They were Alphas, of course, but even Alphas have been well conditioned.

他們當(dāng)然都是阿爾法，但就是阿爾法也都是受到充分的條件設(shè)置的。

"Silence, silence." All the air of the fourteenth floor was sibilant with the categoricalimperative.

“肅靜，肅靜”，這斷然的命令讓十四樓的空氣里充滿了肅、肅、肅的嘶沙音。

Fifty yards of tiptoeing brought them to a door which the Director cautiously opened.

他們賠著腳走了五十碼，來到一道門前，主任小心翼翼地開了門。

They stepped over the threshold into the twilight of a shuttered dormitory.

他們跨過門檻，進(jìn)入了一片昏暗，那是個(gè)宿舍，百葉窗全關(guān)閉了。

Eighty cots stood in a row against the wall.

靠墻擺了一排小床，一共八十張。

There was a sound of light regular breathing and a continuous murmur, as of very faintvoices remotely whispering.

一片輕柔的有規(guī)則的呼吸聲和連續(xù)不斷的喃喃聲傳來，仿佛是遼遠(yuǎn)處微弱的細(xì)語。

A nurse rose as they entered and came to attention before the Director.

他們一進(jìn)屋，一個(gè)護(hù)土就站了起來，來到主任面前立正。

"What's the lesson this afternoon?" he asked.

“今天下午上什么課?”他問。

"We had Elementary Sex for the first forty minutes," she answered. "

“開頭的四十分鐘上《性學(xué)發(fā)凡》”她回答，

But now it's switched over to Elementary Class Consciousness."

“現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)轉(zhuǎn)入《階級(jí)意識(shí)發(fā)凡》。”

The Director walked slowly down the long line of cots.

主任沿著那一長排小床慢慢走去。

Rosy and relaxed with sleep, eighty little boys and girls lay seftly hreathing.

八十個(gè)男女兒童舒坦地躺著，輕柔地呼吸著，面孔紅紅的，平靜安詳。

There was a whisper under every pillow.

每個(gè)枕頭下都有輕柔的聲音傳來。

The D.H.C. halted and, bending over one of the little beds, listened attentively.

主任停了腳步，在一張小床前彎下身子仔細(xì)傾聽。

"Elementary Class Consciousness, did you say? Let's have it repeated a little louder by thetrumpet."

你說的是《階級(jí)意識(shí)發(fā)凡》嗎?我們把聲音放大點(diǎn)試試看。”

At the end of the room a loud speaker projected from the wall. The Director walked up to itand pressed a switch.

“屋子盡頭有一個(gè)擴(kuò)音器伸出在墻上。主任走到它面前摁了摁按鈕。