Chapter 31 In a deep well of darkness a crippled robot sat. It had been silent in its metallic darkness for some time. It was cold and damp, but being a robot it was supposed not to be able to notice these things. With an enormous effort of will, however, it did manage to notice them. Its brain had been harnessed to the central intelligence core of the Krikkit War Computer. It wasn’t enjoying the experience, and neither was the central intelligence core of the Krikkit War Computer. The Krikkit robots which had salvaged this pathetic metal creature from the swamps of Squornshellous Zeta had recognized almost immediately its gigantic intelligence, and the use which this could be to them. They hadn’t reckoned with the attendant personality disorders, which the coldness, the darkness, the dampness, the crampedness and the loneliness were doing nothing to decrease. It was not happy with its task. Apart from anything else, the mere coordination of an entire planet’s military strategy was taking up only a tiny part of its formidable mind, and the rest of it had become extremely bored. Having solved all the major mathematical, physical, chemical, biological, sociological, philosophical, etymological, meteorological and psychological problems of the Universe except his own, three times over, he was severely stuck for something to do, and had taken up composing short dolorous ditties of no tone, or indeed tune. The latest one was a lullaby. Marvin droned: Now the world has gone to bed, Darkness won’t engulf my head, I can see by infra-red, How I hate the night. He paused to gather the artistic and emotional strength to tackle the next verse. Now I lay me down to sleep, Try to count electric sheep, Sweet dream wishes you can keep, How I hate the night. 31 一间幽深黑暗的通风井里，坐着一个跛足的机器人。它已在这机械般的寂静中坐了好些时日。这儿寒冷、潮湿，作为一个机器人。它本不该注意到这些。然而，经过坚韧不拔的努力，它竟然注意到了。 它的脑袋上插了一些东西，连结着版求战区电脑的中央处理器。它很不喜欢这样，版求战区电脑的中央处理器也不喜欢。 这可怜的金属人，是在斯科谢勒斯Ζ星上被版求机器人当废品拾回来的。拾回来以后，版求机器人发现它有极高的智能，于是决定加以利用。 可惜，它们没有考虑到它的人格缺陷。即使处在这种寒冷、幽暗、狭窄、孤独的境况下，它的性格也一点儿没变。 它一点也不喜欢这份工作。 对于它来说，协调运行整个星球的军事战略也太简单了，只需要动一点点脑子。而剩下的部分却无聊得要命。它已经演算过了全宇宙各种各样的问题，数学的、物理的、化学的、生物的、社会学的、哲学的、词汇学、气象学、心理学——除了他自己的问题——已经算了三遍。最后他实在无事可做，只好开始创作歌曲。它作的歌谣篇幅短小，情调哀伤，没有旋律起伏——甚至没有调子。最新的一首是支摇篮曲。 马文木然地念道： 此刻万物已入眠， 黑暗不入我的眼， 红外线我能看见， 我讨厌夜晚。 他停了停，像是要酝酿一下感情和艺术想象力。终于,又念出了第二节： 此刻我也躺上床， 努力数着电绵羊， 不必祝我睡得香， 我讨厌晚上。
