美丽新世界Brave New World 第2章(5)

 　　(A small boy asleep on his right side, the right arm stuck out, the right hand hanging limp over the edge of the bed.

　　（他身边一个打盹的小孩伸出了右臂，右手在床边无力地垂下了。
　　Through a round grating in the side of a box a voice speaks softly.
　　有声音从一个匣子上的圆格栅里轻轻发出。”
　　"The Nile is the longest river in Africa and the second in length of all the rivers of the globe.
　　“尼罗河是非洲最长的河，是地球上第二条最长的河。
　　Although falling short of the length of the Mississippi-Missouri, the Nile is at the head of all rivers as regards the length of its basin, which extends through 35 degrees of latitude 1 …"
　　虽然长度不如密西西比一密苏里河，它的流域长度却居世界首位，流经的纬度达三十五度之多……”
　　At breakfast the next morning, "Tommy," some one says, "do you know which is the longest river in Africa?"
　　第二天早餐时，“汤姆，”有人说，‘你知道非洲最长的河是什么河吗？”
　　A shaking of the head. "But don't you remember something that begins: The Nile is the …"
　　对方摇了摇头。“可是你记得从‘尼罗河是……’开头的那句话吗？”
　　"The - Nile - is - the - longest - river - in - Africa - and - the - second - in - length -of - all - the - rivers - of - the - globe …"
　　“尼罗河是非洲最长的河，是地球上第二条最长的河……”
　　The words come rushing out. "Although -falling - short - of …" "Well now, which is the longest river in Africa?"
　　话句冲口而出。“虽然长度不如……，“那么现在回答我，非洲最长的河是什么河？”
　　The eyes are blank. "I don't know."
　　目光呆钝，“我不知道。”
　　"But the Nile, Tommy."
　　“可是尼罗河，汤米。”
　　"The - Nile - is - the - longest - river - in - Africa - and - second …"
　　“尼罗河是非洲最长的河，是地球上第一，二条……”
　　"Then which river is the longest, Tommy?"
　　“那么，哪一条河是最长的呢，汤米？”
　　Tommy burst into tears. "I don't know," he howls.)
　　汤米急得流眼泪了。“我不知道。”他哭了出来。
　　That howl, the Director made it plain, discouraged the earliest invesfigators. The experiments were abandoned.
　　主任指明，是他那哭喊使最早的调查人员泄了气，放弃了实验的。
　　No further attempt was made to teach children the length of the Nile in their sleep.
　　以后便再也没有做过利用睡眠时间对儿童进行尼罗河长度的教育了。
　　Quite rightly. You can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about.
　　这样做很对。不明白科学的意义是掌握不了科学的。
　　"Whereas, if they'd only started on moral education," said the Director, leading the way towards the door.
　　“可是，如果他们进行了道德教育，那就不同了，”主任说着领着路向门口走去。
　　The students followed him, desperately 2 scribbling 3 as they walked and all the way up in the lift.
　　学生们一边往电梯走一边拼命地写着：
　　"Moral education, which ought never, in any circumstances, to be rational."
　　“在任何情况下道德教育都是不能够诉诸理智的。”
　　"Silence, silence," whispered a loud speaker as they stepped out at the fourteenth floor, and "Silence, silence," the trumpet 4 mouths indefatigably 5 repeated at intervals 6 down every corridor.
　　“肃静，肃静，”他们踏出十四层楼的电梯时，一个扩音器低声说着，“肃静，肃静。”他们每走下一道长廊，都听见喇叭口不疲倦地发出这样的声音。
　　The students and even the Director himself rose automatically to the tips of their toes.
　　学生们，甚至主任，都不自觉地踏起了脚尖。
　　They were Alphas, of course, but even Alphas have been well conditioned.
　　他们当然都是阿尔法，但就是阿尔法也都是受到充分的条件设置的。
　　"Silence, silence." All the air of the fourteenth floor was sibilant with the categorical imperative 7.
　　“肃静，肃静”，这断然的命令让十四楼的空气里充满了肃、肃、肃的嘶沙音。
　　Fifty yards of tiptoeing brought them to a door which the Director cautiously opened.
　　他们赔着脚走了五十码，来到一道门前，主任小心翼翼地开了门。
　　They stepped over the threshold into the twilight 8 of a shuttered dormitory.
　　他们跨过门槛，进入了一片昏暗，那是个宿舍，百叶窗全关闭了。
　　Eighty cots stood in a row against the wall.
　　靠墙摆了一排小床，一共八十张。
　　There was a sound of light regular breathing and a continuous murmur 9, as of very faint voices remotely whispering.
　　一片轻柔的有规则的呼吸声和连续不断的喃喃声传来，仿佛是辽远处微弱的细语。
　　A nurse rose as they entered and came to attention before the Director.
　　他们一进屋，一个护土就站了起来，来到主任面前立正。
　　"What's the lesson this afternoon?" he asked.
　　“今天下午上什么课？”他问。
　　"We had Elementary Sex for the first forty minutes," she answered. "
　　“开头的四十分钟上《性学发凡》”她回答，
　　But now it's switched over to Elementary Class Consciousness."
　　“现在已经转入《阶级意识发凡》。”
　　The Director walked slowly down the long line of cots.
　　主任沿着那一长排小床慢慢走去。
　　Rosy 10 and relaxed with sleep, eighty little boys and girls lay seftly hreathing.
　　八十个男女儿童舒坦地躺着，轻柔地呼吸着，面孔红红的，平静安详。
　　There was a whisper under every pillow.
　　每个枕头下都有轻柔的声音传来。
　　The D.H.C. halted and, bending over one of the little beds, listened attentively 11.
　　主任停了脚步，在一张小床前弯下身子仔细倾听。
　　"Elementary Class Consciousness, did you say? Let's have it repeated a little louder by the trumpet."
　　你说的是《阶级意识发凡》吗？我们把声音放大点试试看。”
　　At the end of the room a loud speaker projected from the wall. The Director walked up to it and pressed a switch.
　　“屋子尽头有一个扩音器伸出在墙上。主任走到它面前摁了摁按钮。