經典科幻文學:《基本上無害 Mostly Harmless》 第15章1

The first month, getting to know each other, was a little difficult. The second month, trying to come to terms with what they’d got to know about each other in the first month, was much easier.

第一個月，相互瞭解階段，進行得不大順利。第二個月，試着接受他們在第一個月所瞭解的情況，這就容易多了。

The third month, when the box arrived, was very tricky indeed.

第三個月，盒子送過來的時候，事情實在有些棘手。

At the beginning, it was a problem even trying to explain what a month was. This had been a pleasantly simple matter for Arthur, here on Lamuella. The days were just a little over twenty-five hours long, which basically meant an extra hour in bed every single day and, of course, having regularly to reset his watch, which Arthur rather enjoyed doing.

首先，解釋“月”這個概念就遇上了麻煩。在住慣了拉姆拉的阿瑟眼裏，這個問題簡單得可愛。每一天大約是二十五個鐘頭多一點，基本上這就意味着他可以每天都在牀上多懶一個小時，當然還要定期調他的手錶，不過阿瑟還挺愛幹這個的。

He also felt at home with the number of suns and moons which Lamuella had one of each as opposed to some of the planets he’d fetched up on from time to time which had had ridiculous numbers of them.

在拉姆拉，太陽和月亮的數量也讓他覺得親切——每樣一個——跟他過去停留過的某些星球完全不同，有的地方太陽月亮簡直多得可笑。

The planet orbited its single sun every three hundred days, which was a good number because it meant the year didn’t drag by. The moon orbited Lamuella just over nine times a year, which meant that a month was a little over thirty days, which was absolutely perfect because it gave you a little more time to get things done in. It was not merely reassuringly like Earth, it was actually rather an improvement.

拉姆拉每三百天繞自己唯一的太陽轉一圈，這是個好數字，因爲它意味着一年的時間不會拖拖拉拉地老過不完。月亮繞拉姆拉公轉的次數大約是每年九圈，這意味着一個月有三十天多一點，簡直完美極了，因爲這麼一來你就可以多點時間幹你想幹的事兒。它不僅跟地球很像，讓阿瑟覺得安心，事實上它簡直是地球的改進版。

Random, on the other hand, thought she was trapped in a recurring nightmare. She would have crying fits and think the moon was out to get her. Every night it was there, and then, when it went, the sun came out and followed her. Over and over again.

但蘭登卻覺得自己陷入了一個不斷重複的惡夢。她說哭就哭，以爲月亮要來抓她了。那東西每晚都在，然後，等它走了，太陽又出來跟着她。一次又一次，永遠沒有止境。

Trillian had warned Arthur that Random might have some difficulty in adjusting to a more regular lifestyle than she had been used to up till now, but Arthur hadn’t been ready for actual howling at the moon.

崔莉恩警告過阿瑟，直到目前爲止蘭登的生活都不大有規律，要適應這兒的日子可能會有些困難，但阿瑟沒料到她竟然至於對着月亮嚎叫。

He hadn’t been ready for any of this of course.

當然，其實這一切的一切都不在他的意料之內。

His daughter?

他女兒？