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So when Vashti found her cabin invaded by a rosy finger of light, she was annoyed, and tried to adjust the blind.
这样，当瓦西蒂发觉她的房舱被指头大的一片玫瑰色亮光侵入的时候，她便感到烦恼了，想要调节一下挡板。
But the blind flew up altogether, and she saw through the skylight small pink clouds, swaying against a background of blue,
但这块挡板整个飞上去了，于是她从天窗看到朵朵粉红色的彩云浮动在碧空的背景上，
and as the sun crept higher, its radiance entered direct, brimming down the wall, like a golden sea.
随着太阳逐渐爬高，它的灿烂光辉直接射了进来，照得满墙像一片金黄色的海洋。
It rose and fell with the air-ship's motion, just as waves rise and fall, but it advanced steadily, as a tide advances.
它随着飞艇的颠簸起伏着，就像波涛汹涌起伏一样，但它始终如一向前射来，就像一股潮水向前涌着那样。
Unless she was careful, it would strike her face.
要不是她细心的话，这光会射在她脸上。
A spasm of horror shook her and she rang for the attendant.
一阵恐怖使她周身发颤，于是她打铃叫服务员，
The attendant too was horrified, but she could do nothing; it was not her place to mend the blind.
那个服务员也吓慌了，不过她却无能为力，修理挡板不是她的职务。
She could only suggest that the lady should change her cabin, which she accordingly prepared to do.
她只能建议这位夫人换一换房舱，她也准备这样做。
People were almost exactly alike all over the world, but the attendant of the air-ship, perhaps owing to her exceptional duties, had grown a little out of the common.
全世界的人几乎完全一模一样，可是飞艇上的这个服务员，说不定由于她的职务的缘故，变得与众略有不同。
She had often to address passengers with direct speech, and this had given her a certain roughness and originality of manner.
她必须常常用直接的语言向旅客们讲话，这就使得她带着一种相当粗鲁和独特的仪态。
When Vashti served away from the sunbeams with a cry, she behaved barbarically – she put out her hand to steady her.
当瓦西蒂叫喊着绕开太阳光线的时候，那服务员表现得有点野蛮——她竟伸出手来要使她镇定下来。
"How dare you!" exclaimed the passenger. "You forget yourself!"
“你怎么敢！”这位旅客惊叫说，“你忘记你自已是什么人了！”
The woman was confused, and apologized for not having let her fall.
这个女人有点惶乱，她带着歉意解释说，她是想不要让她摔倒。
People never touched one another.
人们从来是彼此不相挨碰一下的。
The custom had become obsolete, owing to the Machine.
这个习俗由来已久，是由大机器而来的。
"Where are we now?" asked Vashti haughtily.
“现在我们在哪哩？”瓦西蒂带着高傲的神情问。
"We are over Asia," said the attendant, anxious to be polite.
“我们在亚洲上空。”那个服务员说，迫切想表现出彬彬有礼的样子。
"Asia?" "You must excuse my common way of speaking.
“亚洲吗？”“您一定要原谅我说话通俗的方式，
I have got into the habit of calling places over which I pass by their unmechanical names."
我已经养成了这个习惯，用非大机器规定的名字称呼我经过的那些地方。”
"Oh, I remember Asia. The Mongols came from it."
“哦，我记得亚洲的。蒙古人是从这儿起源的。”
"Beneath us, in the open air, stood a city that was once called Simla."
“在我们下面那露天地里，立着一座城，曾经一度叫做西姆拉。”
"Have you ever heard of the Mongols and of the Brisbane school?" "No."
“难道你从来没有听说过蒙古人和布里斯贝恩城吗？”“没有听说过。”
"Brisbane also stood in the open air." "Those mountains to the right – let me show you them." She pushed back a metal blind.
“布里斯贝恩城也立在露天地里。”“右边的那些大山——让我来指点给您看看它们，”她把一块挡板向后一推。
The main chain of the Himalayas was revealed.
“喜马拉雅山的主脉现了出来。
"They were once called the Roof of the World, those mountains."
“它们一度叫做世界的屋脊，就是那些大山。”
"You must remember that, before the dawn of civilization, they seemed to be an impenetrable wall that touched the stars.
“您一定要记住这一点，在文明的黎明以前，它们似乎是一道穿不过的墙，可以触到星星，
It was supposed that no one but the gods could exist above their summits. How we have advanced, thanks to the Machine!"
过去认为除了神仙以外，没有人能够生存在它们那些绝顶上。我们已经如何进步啊，感谢大机器！”
"How we have advanced, thanks to the Machine!" said Vashti.
“我们已经如何进步啊，感谢大机器！”瓦西蒂说。
"How we have advanced, thanks to the Machine!" echoed the passenger who had dropped his Book the night before, and who was standing in the passage.
“我们已经如何进步啊，感谢大机器！”前夜掉了他的大书的那个旅客应声说，他正站在走道上。
"And that white stuff in the cracks? – what is it?"
“还有那些裂缝里的白东西呢？——那是什么？”
"I have forgotten its name."
“我忘记它的名字了。”
"Cover the window, please. These mountains give me no ideas."
“请你把窗子遮起来吧。这些大山没有给我什么思想意念。”
