美丽新世界Brave New World 第1章(3)

 　　"Essentially," the D.H.C. concluded, "bokanovskification consists of a series of arrests of development.

　　“从根本上讲，”主任下结论道，“‘波坎诺夫斯基化程序’包含了一系列对发展的抑制
　　We check the normal growth and, paradoxically enough, the egg responds by budding."
　　——我们制止卵子正常发育生长。而出人意外的是，卵子的反应却是：萌蘖。”
　　Responds by budding. The pencils were busy.
　　卵子的反应是萌蘖，铅笔忙碌着。
　　He pointed 1. On a very slowly moving band a rack-full of test-tubes was entering a large metal box, another, rack-full was emerging.
　　他指点着。一条非常缓慢地移动着的传送带上有满满一架试管正在进入一个巨大的金属柜，另一架试管也在逐渐露出，
　　Machinery 2 faintly purred. It took eight minutes for the tubes to go through, he told them. Eight minutes of hard X-rays being about as much as an egg can stand.
　　机器发出轻微的嗡嗡声。他告诉他们：一架试管通过金属柜需要八分钟。八分钟的X光强力照射大体是一个卵子所能经受的照射量。
　　A few died; of the rest, the least susceptible 3 divided into two; most put out four buds; some eight;
　　有些卵子死去了，有些最不敏感的卵子一分为二；而大部分卵子则萌蘖出四个胚芽；有的则萌蘖出八个。
　　all were returned to the incubators, where the buds began to develop; then, after two days, were suddenly chilled, chilled and checked.
　　它们又全部被送回孵化器，胚芽在其中继续发育。两天后又给予突然的冰冻。冰冻，抑制。
　　Two, four, eight, the buds in their turn budded; and having budded were dosed almost to death with alcohol;
　　两个分为四个，再分为八个。胚芽反而分蘖了；分蘖之后又用酒精使之几乎死亡；
　　consequently burgeoned 4 again and having budded–bud out of bud out of bud–were thereafter–further arrest being generally fatal–left to develop in peace.
　　随之而来的是再分蘖，又再分蘖——胚芽再长胚芽，新胚芽又发展出新胚芽——然后便任其自由生长，此时如再抑制，一般是会造成死亡的。
　　By which time the original egg was in a fair way to becoming anything from eight to ninety-six embryos– a prodigious 5 improvement, you will agree, on nature.
　　这时原始卵可能已经分裂为八至九十六个胚胎——你们会承认这对大自然是了不起的进步。
　　Identical twins–but not in piddling twos and threes as in the old viviparous days, when an egg would sometimes accidentally divide; actually by dozens, by scores at a time.
　　恒等多生，不是母体分裂时代那种可怜巴巴的双生或三生；那时卵子分裂是偶然的——现在实际上一个卵子一次能够生长为四五十个，或八九十个人。
　　"Scores," the Director repeated and flung out his arms, as though he were distributing largesse 6. "Scores."
　　“八九十个人呀。”主任双手一挥，重复了一句，仿佛在抛撒赏金似的。
　　But one of the students was fool enough to ask where the advantage lay.
　　可是有个学生却傻呵呵地问起那能有什么好处来。
　　"My good boy!" The Director wheeled sharply round on him.
　　“我的好孩子！”主任猛然转身对着他：
　　"Can't you see? Can't you see?" He raised a hand; his expression was solemn.
　　“这你还看不出来？你连这也看不出来？”他庄严地举起一只手，
　　"Bokanovsky's Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!"
　　“波坎诺夫斯基程序是稳定社会的一种重要手段！”
　　Major instruments of social stability.
　　稳定社会的一种重要手段。
　　Standard men and women; in uniform batches 7. The whole of a small factory staffed with the products of a single bokanovskified egg.
　　批量生产的标准化男性和女性。一个小工厂的人员全部由一个经过波坎诺夫斯基程序处理的卵子产生。
　　"Ninety-six identical twins working ninety-six identical machines!" The voice was almost tremulous with enthusiasm.
　　“九十六个多生子女操作九十六部完全相同的机器！”那声音由于激动几乎在颤抖。
　　"You really know where you are. For the first time in history." He quoted the planetary motto.
　　“你们现在才真正明白了自己的地位，有史以来的第一次。”他引用了全球的格言：
　　"Community, Identity, Stability." Grand words. "If we could bokanovskify indefinitely the whole problem would be solved."
　　“社会，本分，稳定。”这是了不起的话。“如果我们能够无穷无尽地波坎诺夫斯基化，一切问题都可以迎刃而解。”
　　Solved by standard Gammas, unvarying Deltas 8, uniform Epsilons. Millions of identical twins.
　　由同一标准的伽马们，一模一样的德尔塔们，一成不变的爱扑塞隆们解决了，由数以百万计的恒等多生子解决了。
　　The principle of mass production at last applied 9 to biology.
　　大规模生产的原则终于在生物学里使用了。
　　"But, alas," the Director shook his head, "we can't bokanovskify indefinitely."
　　“但遗憾的是，”主任摇摇头，“我们不能够无限制地波坎诺夫斯基化。”
　　Ninety-six seemed to be the limit; seventy-two a good average.
　　九十六个似乎已经达到了极限，七十二个已是很不错的中数。
　　From the same ovary and with gametes of the same male to manufacture as many batches of identical twins as possible–that was the best (sadly a second best) that they could do.
　　要用同一个男性的精子从同一个卵子生产出尽可能多批量的恒等多生子，这已是最佳成绩（遗憾的是，只能够算是次佳成绩）
　　And even that was difficult.
　　而且就连这也很困难。