經典科幻文學:《基本上無害 Mostly Harmless》 第20章2

‘You need more after-flourish,’ countered Ford.

“你需要多來點後續揮動。”

‘You need a bigger towel.’

“你需要弄條大點兒的毛巾。”

‘You need,’ said another voice, ‘a pikka bird.’

“你們需要，”另一個聲音說，“一直噼卡鳥。”

‘You what?’

“啥？”

The voice had come from behind them. They turned, and there, standing behind them in the early morning sun, was Old Thrashbarg.

那聲音來自他倆背後。阿瑟和福特轉過身，站在清晨陽光下的竟是老刷希巴。

‘To attract the attention of a Perfectly Normal Beast,’ he said, as he walked forward towards them, ‘you need a pikka bird. Like this.’

“要想吸引絕對正常獸的注意，”他一邊朝他們走過去一邊說，“你們需要一直噼卡鳥。就像這樣。”

From under the rough, cassocky robe-like thing he wore he drew a small pikka bird. It sat restlessly on Old Thrashbarg’s hand and peered intently at Bob knows what dArting around about three feet six inches in front of it.

他從自己法衣一樣的袍子底下掏出一隻噼卡鳥。小鳥在老刷希巴手上坐立不安，全心全意地瞅着自己跟前三尺六寸遠的地方，只有鮑伯知道那兒有什麼可看的。

Ford instantly went into the sort of alert crouch he liked to do when he wasn’t quite sure what was going on or what he ought to do about it. He waved his arms around very slowly in what he hoped was an ominous manner.

福特立即擺出他的警戒性潛伏姿態，那是他的一種標準姿勢，每次不大確定情況究竟如何或者自己該怎麼辦的時候福特都用它。他左右揮動胳膊，希望能給人家留下兇險邪惡的印象。

‘Who is this?’ he hissed.

“這是誰？”他嘶嘶地問。

‘It’s just Old Thrashbarg,’ said Arthur quietly. ‘And I wouldn’t bother with all the fancy movements. He’s just as experienced a bluffer as you are. You could end up dancing around each other all day.’

“不過是老刷希巴。”阿瑟平靜地回答，“還有，如果我是你就不搞那些花哨，他在虛張聲勢上差不多和你一樣有經驗。你們倆沒準能這麼繞上一整天圈子。”

‘The bird,’ hissed Ford again. ‘What’s the bird?’

“那隻鳥，”福特又嘶嘶叫起來，“那鳥是什麼東西？”