經典科幻文學:《生命 宇宙及一切》第2章1

Chapter 2
This morning, two years later than that, was sweet and fragrant as he emerged from the cave he called home until he could think of a better name for it or find a better cave.
Though his throat was sore again from his early morning yell of horror, he was suddenly in a terrifically good mood. He wrapped his dilapidated dressing gown tightly around him and beamed at the bright morning.
The air was clear and scented, the breeze flitted lightly through the tall grass around his cave, the birds were chirruping at each other, the butterflies were flitting about prettily, and the whole of nature seemed to be conspiring to be as pleasant as it possibly could.
It wasn’t all the pastoral delights that were making Arthur feel so cheery, though. He had just had a wonderful idea about how to cope with the terrible lonely isolation, the nightmares, the failure of all his attempts at horticulture, and the sheer futurelessness and futility of his life here on prehistoric Earth, which was that he would go mad.
He beamed again and took a bite out of a rabbit leg left over from his supper. He chewed happily for a few moments and then decided formally to announce his decision.
He stood up straight and looked the world squarely in the fields and hills. To add weight to his words he stuck the rabbit bone in his hair. He spread his arms out wide.
I will go mad! he announced.
Good idea, said Ford Prefect, clambering down from the rock on which he had been sitting.
Arthur’s brain somersaulted. His jaw did press-ups.
I went mad for a while, said Ford, did me no end of good.
You see, said Ford, –…
Where have you been? interrupted Arthur, now that his head had finished working out.
Around, said Ford, around and about. He grinned in what he accurately judged to be an infuriating manner. I just took my mind off the hook for a bit. I reckoned that if the world wanted me badly enough it would call back. It did.
He took out of his now terribly battered and dilapidated satchel his Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic.
At least, he said, I think it did. This has been playing up a bit. He shook it. If it was a false alarm I shall go mad, he said, again.
Arthur shook his head and sat down. He looked up.

第二章
這個早晨——距上述事件已有兩年——是一個清新甜美的早晨。阿瑟正從被他稱爲“家”的山洞裏鑽出來——當然，除非他想出了更好的名字，或者找到一個更好的山洞。
儘管他的喉嚨因爲之前驚恐的呼喊而隱隱作痛，他卻突然覺得心情很好。他把那件破睡袍緊緊裹在身上，面對明媚的晨光微微一笑。
空氣潔淨而芬芳，和風輕拂過山洞周圍茂盛的野草，小鳥嘰嘰喳喳地說話，蝴蝶翩翩起舞，大自然裏的萬事萬物，不約而同地在這個時候顯得無比美好。
阿瑟並不是因爲這種田園牧歌式的美好才那麼開心的。他的原因是，終於有了個好主意，能讓自己對付這可怕的孤單、噩夢、對園藝的失敗嘗試、以及完全無望的未來和在這個史前地球上無聊的生活。這個主意就是：他要瘋了。
他再次微微一笑，啃了一口晚飯吃剩下的兔腿。他愉快地嚼了一會，決定正式宣佈一下自己的決定。
他直起身來，環顧這由原野和小山組成的世界。爲了增強自己說話的分量，他把兔子骨頭掛在鬍子上。他極力張開雙臂。
“我要瘋了！”他宣佈。
“好主意。”福特·長官一邊說着，一邊從他剛纔坐的岩石上爬下來。
阿瑟一時反應不過來，下巴不知所措地張了張。
“我瘋過一段時間，”福特說，“也沒什麼好處。
“明白嗎……”福特說，“……”
“你去哪了？”阿瑟打斷道，現在他的腦子終於反應過來了。
“周圍。”福特說，“周圍，到處。”他露出自己慣用的、常被認爲很失禮的咧嘴一笑，“我只是自己放鬆了一下大腦而已。我想，如果這個世界真的很需要我的話，它會叫我回來的。它真的叫了。”
他從一個嚴重破損的書包裏掏出那個亞以太自動感應器。
“至少，”他說，“我認爲它叫了。這個已經有點兒反應了。”他搖了搖感應器，“如果是個假信號的話，我會瘋的，”他說，“再次。”
阿瑟搖搖頭，坐下。他擡起頭。