经典科幻文学:《生命 宇宙及一切》第2章1

Chapter 2
This morning, two years later than that, was sweet and fragrant as he emerged from the cave he called home until he could think of a better name for it or find a better cave.
Though his throat was sore again from his early morning yell of horror, he was suddenly in a terrifically good mood. He wrapped his dilapidated dressing gown tightly around him and beamed at the bright morning.
The air was clear and scented, the breeze flitted lightly through the tall grass around his cave, the birds were chirruping at each other, the butterflies were flitting about prettily, and the whole of nature seemed to be conspiring to be as pleasant as it possibly could.
It wasn’t all the pastoral delights that were making Arthur feel so cheery, though. He had just had a wonderful idea about how to cope with the terrible lonely isolation, the nightmares, the failure of all his attempts at horticulture, and the sheer futurelessness and futility of his life here on prehistoric Earth, which was that he would go mad.
He beamed again and took a bite out of a rabbit leg left over from his supper. He chewed happily for a few moments and then decided formally to announce his decision.
He stood up straight and looked the world squarely in the fields and hills. To add weight to his words he stuck the rabbit bone in his hair. He spread his arms out wide.
I will go mad! he announced.
Good idea, said Ford Prefect, clambering down from the rock on which he had been sitting.
Arthur’s brain somersaulted. His jaw did press-ups.
I went mad for a while, said Ford, did me no end of good.
You see, said Ford, –…
Where have you been? interrupted Arthur, now that his head had finished working out.
Around, said Ford, around and about. He grinned in what he accurately judged to be an infuriating manner. I just took my mind off the hook for a bit. I reckoned that if the world wanted me badly enough it would call back. It did.
He took out of his now terribly battered and dilapidated satchel his Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic.
At least, he said, I think it did. This has been playing up a bit. He shook it. If it was a false alarm I shall go mad, he said, again.
Arthur shook his head and sat down. He looked up.

第二章
这个早晨——距上述事件已有两年——是一个清新甜美的早晨。阿瑟正从被他称为“家”的山洞里钻出来——当然，除非他想出了更好的名字，或者找到一个更好的山洞。
尽管他的喉咙因为之前惊恐的呼喊而隐隐作痛，他却突然觉得心情很好。他把那件破睡袍紧紧裹在身上，面对明媚的晨光微微一笑。
空气洁净而芬芳，和风轻拂过山洞周围茂盛的野草，小鸟叽叽喳喳地说话，蝴蝶翩翩起舞，大自然里的万事万物，不约而同地在这个时候显得无比美好。
阿瑟并不是因为这种田园牧歌式的美好才那么开心的。他的原因是，终于有了个好主意，能让自己对付这可怕的孤单、噩梦、对园艺的失败尝试、以及完全无望的未来和在这个史前地球上无聊的生活。这个主意就是：他要疯了。
他再次微微一笑，啃了一口晚饭吃剩下的兔腿。他愉快地嚼了一会，决定正式宣布一下自己的决定。
他直起身来，环顾这由原野和小山组成的世界。为了增强自己说话的分量，他把兔子骨头挂在胡子上。他极力张开双臂。
“我要疯了！”他宣布。
“好主意。”福特·长官一边说着，一边从他刚才坐的岩石上爬下来。
阿瑟一时反应不过来，下巴不知所措地张了张。
“我疯过一段时间，”福特说，“也没什么好处。
“明白吗……”福特说，“……”
“你去哪了？”阿瑟打断道，现在他的脑子终于反应过来了。
“周围。”福特说，“周围，到处。”他露出自己惯用的、常被认为很失礼的咧嘴一笑，“我只是自己放松了一下大脑而已。我想，如果这个世界真的很需要我的话，它会叫我回来的。它真的叫了。”
他从一个严重破损的书包里掏出那个亚以太自动感应器。
“至少，”他说，“我认为它叫了。这个已经有点儿反应了。”他摇了摇感应器，“如果是个假信号的话，我会疯的，”他说，“再次。”
阿瑟摇摇头，坐下。他抬起头。