經典科幻文學:《宇宙盡頭的餐館》第8章3
“Bar-B-Q sauce,” said Roosta, “for when I get sick of wheatgerm.”
Zaphod sniffed it doubtfully.
Even more doubtfully, he sucked a corner. He spat it out again.
“Ugh,” he stated.
“Yes,” said Roosta, “when I’ve had to suck that end I usually need to suck the other end a bit too.”
“Why,” asked Zaphod suspiciously, “what’s in that?”
“Anti-depressants,” said Roosta.
“I’ve gone right off this towel, you know,” said Zaphod handing it back.
Roosta took it back from him, swung himself off the desk, walked round it, sat in the chair and put his feet up.
“Beeblebrox,” he said, sticking his hands behind his head, “have you any idea what’s going to happen to you on the Frogstar?”
“They’re going to feed me?” hazarded Zaphod hopefully.
“They’re going to feed you,” said Roosta, “into the Total Perspective Vortex!”
Zaphod had never heard of this. He believed that he had heard of all the fun things in the Galaxy, so he assumed that the Total Perspective Vortex was not fun. He asked what it was.
“Only,” said Roosta, “the most savage psychic torture a sentient being can undergo.”
Zaphod nodded a resigned nod. “So,” he said, “no food, huh?”
“Listen!” said Roosta urgently, “you can kill a man, destroy his body, break his spirit, but only the Total Perspective Vortex can annihilate a man’s soul! The treatment lasts seconds, but the effect lasts the rest of your life!”
“You ever had a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster?” asked Zaphod sharply.
“This is worse.”
“Phreeow!” admitted Zaphod, much impressed.
“燒烤調味汁，”羅斯塔説，“為麥芽吃膩了時準備的。”
贊福德將信將疑地使勁嗅了嗅，
更加將信將疑地，他舔了舔一個角，然後馬上吐了一口口水。
“呸！”
”是這樣的，”羅斯塔説，“每當我不得不舔那一頭時，我通常都會舔一舔另一頭。”
“為什麼”贊福德滿腹懷疑地問，“那一頭裏有什麼？”
“抗抑鬱劑。”羅斯塔説。
“這種毛巾，體知道，還是留着你自個兒用吧。”贊福德説着，把它遞了回去。
羅斯塔從他手裏拿回毛巾，跳下桌子，X繞着桌子走了幾步，最後在椅子上坐下來，把腿架在桌子上。
“畢博布魯克斯，”他説，兩隻手墊在腦後，“對你即將在蛙星上的遭遇，你有什麼概念嗎？”
“他們會給我吃的嗎？”贊福德充滿希望地大膽猜測道。
“他們會把你餵給，”羅斯塔説，“絕對透視旋渦！”
贊福德從來沒聽説過這玩意兒。他堅信自己聽説過銀河系內所有好玩的東西，所以他認定透視旋禍絕對不好玩。他問羅斯塔那是什麼。
“只不過是，”羅斯塔説，“一個有知覺的生物所能遭受到的最殘忍的精神酷刑。”
贊福德聽天由命地點了點頭：“就是説，”他説，“沒有東西吃，嗯？”
“聽着！”羅斯塔急迫地説，“你可以殺死一個人，摧毀他的肉體，擊潰他的精神，但只有絕對透視旋渦才能徹底消滅一個人的靈魂！這個過程只有幾秒鐘，但卻足以影響體餘下的全部生命！”
“你嘗過泛銀河系含漱爆破藥嗎？”贊福德尖刻地問。
“這個更可怕。”
“哇！”贊福德顯得很受震撼。
