經典科幻文學:《 再見 多謝你們的魚》第9章3
I was clearing my throat.
She was clearing her throat, confirmed a significant part of the audience in a low rumble.
Oh yes, said Arthur, all right. And you then split the proceeds… he paused again for a maths break, fifty-fifty with the alchemist. Make a lot of money!
He looked swayingly around at his audience, and could not help but be aware of an air of scepticism about their jumbled felt very affronted by this.
How else, he demanded, could I afford to have my face dropped?
Friendly arms began to help him en, he protested, as the cold February breeze brushed his face, looking lived-in is all the rage in California at the moment. You’ve got to look as if you’ve seen the Galaxy. Life, I mean. You’ve got to look as if you’ve seen life. That’s what I got. A face drop. Give me eight years, I said. I hope being thirty doesn’t come back into fashion or I’ve wasted a lot of money.
He lapsed into silence for a while as the friendly arms continued to help him along the lane to his house.
Got in yesterday, he mumbled. I’m very happy to be home. Or somewhere very like it…
Jet lag, muttered one of his friends. Long trip from California. Really mucks you up for a couple of days.
I don’t think he’s been there at all, muttered another. I wonder where he has been. And what’s happened to him.
After a little sleep Arthur got up and pottered round the house a bit. He felt woozy and a little low, still disoriented by the journey. He wondered how he was going to find Fenny.
He sat and looked at the fish bowl. He tapped it again, and despite being full of water and a small yellow Babel fish which was gulping its way around rather dejectedly, it still chimed its deep and resonant chime as clearly and mesmerically as before.
Someone is trying to thank me, he thought to himself. He wondered who, and for what.
“我在清嗓子。”
“她是在清嗓子，”一大部分聽衆低聲說着。
“哦，是的，”阿瑟說，“好吧。於是你就可以分成……”他再一次停頓以進行數學上的考慮，“跟煉金術士五五分成。賺他一大筆錢！”
他的目光在聽衆間遊移，不禁注意到了一股懷疑主義的氣場從他們迷惑的臉上升騰起來。他覺得這是被冒犯了。
“我怎麼會，”他問，“讓自己沒面子？”
友善的臂膀開始幫他回家。“聽着，”他抗議道，二月的料峭微風颳過他的臉，“看起來像沒見過世面的，是會讓此刻全加利福尼亞憤怒的。你必須看起來好像見識過了銀河系。生命，我其實是指。你必須看起來好像見識過了生命。而這就是我得到的。沒了面子。要我說，給我八年。我希望而立之年不會再次成爲時尚，要麼我就浪費了一大筆錢。”
他又歸於了沉寂，友善的臂膀繼續幫他走過通向家的小路。
“昨天到的，”他喃喃自語。“我真高興能回家。或者回到一個非常非常像家的地方……”
“時差鬧的，”他的一個朋友咕噥着。“從加州的漫長旅途。真的會把你搞亂幾天。”
“我根本不認爲他去了那兒，”另一個人嘟囔着。“我很疑惑他去了哪兒。他身上出了什麼事兒。”
小睡了一會兒之後阿瑟起牀，開始在房子裏閒逛。他覺得有些糊塗和虛弱，依然被旅途搞得暈頭轉向。他考慮着他該如何找到芬妮。
他坐下來看着魚缸。他再一次敲擊它，儘管魚缸裏裝滿了水和一條有些沮喪的巴別魚，它依然發出了深沉的共鳴聲，如同以前一樣清晰而讓人迷醉。
有人在試着感謝我，他思忖着。他想着那到底是誰，又是爲了什麼。
