經典科幻文學:《生命 宇宙及一切》第4章(2)

Yes. An alligator, I think, of some description.
Ah. And had anyone else noticed it?
Apparently not. And no one was able to get a very detailed description from him, so only the most perfunctory search was made.
And what happened to the man?
Well, I think someone offered to take him off and give him some lunch, but he explained that he’d already had a rather good one, so the matter was dropped and Warwickshire went on to win by three wickets.
So, not very like this current instance. For those of you who’ve just tuned in, you may be interested to know that, er… two men, two rather scruffily attired men, and indeed a sofa a Chesterfield I think?
Yes, a Chesterfield.
Have just materialized here in the middle of Lord’s Cricket Ground. But I don’t think they meant any harm, they’ve been very good-natured about it, and…
Sorry, can I interrupt you a moment Peter and say that the sofa has just vanished.
So it has. Well, that’s one mystery less. Still, it’s definitely one for the record books I think, pArticularly occurring at this dramatic moment in play, England now needing only twenty-four runs to win the series. The men are leaving the pitch in the company of a police officer, and I think everyone’s settling down now and play is about to resume.
Now, sir, said the policeman after they had made a passage through the curious crowd and laid Arthur’s peacefully inert body on a blanket, perhaps you’d care to tell me who you are, where you come from, and what that little scene was all about?
Ford looked at the ground for a moment as if steadying himself for something, then he straightened up and aimed a look at the policeman which hit him with the full force of every inch of the six hundred light-years’ distance between Earth and Ford’s home near Betelgeuse.
All right, said Ford, very quietly, I’ll tell you.
Yes, well, that won’t be necessary, said the policeman hurriedly, just don’t let whatever it was happen again. The policeman turned around and wandered off in search of anyone who wasn’t from Betelgeuse. Fortunately, the ground was full of them.
Arthur’s consciousness approached his body as from a great distance, and reluctantly. It had had some bad times in there. Slowly, nervously, it entered and settled down in to its accustomed position.
Arthur sat up.
Where am I? he said.
Lord’s Cricket Ground, said Ford.
Fine, said Arthur, and his consciousness stepped out again for a quick breather. His body flopped back on the grass.
Ten minutes later, hunched over a cup of tea in the refreshment tent, the colour started to come back to his haggard face.
How’re you feeling? said Ford.

“是的。一隻短吻鱷，我想。就他的描述來看。”
“啊。別人注意到了嗎？”
“顯然沒有。並且，也沒人能從他那得到更詳細的描述，所以只做了一點粗略的調查。”
“那他後來怎麼樣了呢？”
“嗯，我想，後來有人提出要帶走他，給他吃點午餐，但他解釋說他已經吃了很好的一頓午餐。所以事就這麼完了，然後沃裏克郡隊繼續比賽，最後以三跑的優勢取勝。”
“這麼說，跟這次的情況並不太相似。剛剛打開收音機的朋友，您也許會有興趣瞭解，嗯……有兩個人，兩個着裝相當不整齊的人，以及一張沙發——一張長靠背的沙發牀我想？”
“是的，一張長靠背的沙發牀。”
“……剛纔在羅德板球場的正中央憑空出現了。不過我想他們並無惡意，他們的態度很好，而且……”
“抱歉，我能打斷一下你嗎彼得，剛纔沙發消失了。”
“哦，的確。嗯，那就又少了一件神祕事物了。很明顯它依然會被記錄下來的，我想，尤其是當它發生在如此戲劇性的時刻，英格蘭只要再獲得二十四跑就可以贏得系列賽。那個人已經離開球道了，在警察的陪同下……我想大家都已經平靜下來，比賽就要重新開始了。”
“現在，先生，”在與好奇的羣衆簡短對話幾句、並將阿瑟無力的身軀放到毯子上之後，警察開口道：“您是否介意告訴我你們是誰，從哪裏來？這究竟是怎麼回事？”
福特久久地看着地面，彷彿要堅定一下什麼。然後他直起身子，面對這位警察。這位警察所在的地球，和他的老家參宿四之間，有六百光年之遙，其中的每一英寸都在打擊着福特的信心。
“那好吧，”福特輕輕地說，“我告訴你。”
“好的……嗯，也不是一定要，”警察忙說，“只是別讓這事再發生了。”警察轉身離開，去找那些不是來自參宿四的人了。幸運的是，這片土地上充滿了這樣的人。
阿瑟的意識從遠方漸漸回到他的身體。意識其實有點不情願，因爲它在那兒過得可不太好。慢慢地，略微有點緊張地，它進來了，回到它正常的位置上。
阿瑟坐起來了。
“我在哪兒？”他說。
“羅德板球場。”福特說。
“哦好。”阿瑟說。他的意識又隨着一口氣溜出去了。他的身體則咚地一聲倒在草地上。
十分鐘後，喝下一口護理帳篷裏的茶，血色漸漸重返阿瑟憔悴的臉上。
“感覺如何？”福特說。