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II THE MENDING APPARATUS
二、修理机
By a vestibule, by a lift, by a tubular railway, by a platform, by a sliding door –
依靠通道，依靠升降机，依靠筒式的铁道，依靠站台，依靠滑门——
by reversing all the steps of her departure did Vashti arrive at her son"s room,
依靠与她动身时相反的一切步骤，瓦西蒂确实是来到了她的儿子的房间，
which exactly resembled her own. She might well declare that the visit was superfluous.
依靠与她动身时相反的一切步骤，瓦西蒂确实是来到了她的儿子的房间，
The buttons, the knobs, the reading-desk with the Book, the temperature,
那些电钮，那些旋纽，那张放着大书的书桌，室温，
the atmosphere, the illumination – all were exactly the same.
空气，照明——一切都是丝毫不差。
And if Kuno himself, flesh of her flesh, stood close beside her at last, what profit was there in that?
要不是基诺本人，她自己的血肉，终于站在她的身边，到那里去又有什么好处呢？
She was too well-bred to shake him by the hand.
她所受的教养太好了，以致不能同他握握手。
Averting her eyes, she spoke as follows: "Here I am.
她把两眼一转，就这样说道：“我来到这里啦。
I have had the most terrible journey and greatly retarded the development of my soul.
我的这次放行简直糟透了，大大使我的心灵发展受到了阻碍。
It is not worth it, Kuno, it is not worth it. My time is too precious.
这次旅行是不值得的，基诺，太不值了。我的时间很宝贵。
The sunlight almost touched me, and I have met with the rudest people.
太阳光险些儿碰着我，我又碰上一些最粗俗的人。
I can only stop a few minutes. Say what you want to say, and then I must return."
我只能在这儿停留几分钟。说说你要说的话吧，然后我就得回去了。”
"I have been threatened with Homelessness," said Kuno.
“我已经受到了无家可归的威胁。”基诺说。
She looked at him now.
这时她注视着他。
"I have been threatened with Homelessness, and I could not tell you such a thing through the Machine."
“我已经受到了无家可归的威胁，可是我不能通过大机器告诉您这样一件事。”
Homelessness means death. The victim is exposed to the air, which kills him.
无家可归是意味着死。受害者要暴露在空气里，这就会使他丧命。
"I have been outside since I spoke to you last. The tremendous thing has happened, and they have discovered me."
“自从上次我同您说话以来，我曾去过外边。重大的事已经发生，而且他们发现了我。”
"But why shouldn"t you go outside?" she exclaimed, "It is perfectly legal,
“不过为什么你不该到外边去呢？”她惊讶地说，“观光地球的表面是完全合法的，
perfectly mechanical, to visit the surface of the earth. I have lately been to a lecture on the sea;
完全合乎大机器的规定的。我最近还听过一次讲海的演说哩，
there is no objection to that; one simply summons a respirator and gets an Egression-permit.
人们对这并没有反对意见呀。一个人只不过要个呼吸保护器，再取得一个外出许可证就行了。
It is not the kind of thing that spiritually minded people do,
这种事不是在精神方面有头脑的人干的，
and I begged you not to do it, but there is no legal objection to it."
我曾要你不要这样做。不过在法律上对这倒不反对。”
"I did not get an Egression-permit."
“我没有拿到外出许可证。”
"Then how did you get out?"
“那么你怎么出去的呢？”
"I found out a way of my own."
“我找到了我自己的一条路。”
The phrase conveyed no meaning to her, and he had to repeat it.
这句话没传达给她什么意义，他不得不置复了一遍。
"A way of your own?" she whispered. "But that would be wrong."
“你自己的一条路。”她低声说，“可这就错了。”
"Why?"
“为什么？”
The question shocked her beyond measure.
这句问话把她吓得不得了。
"You are beginning to worship the Machine," he said coldly.
“您在开始崇拜大机器了，”他冷冷地说。
"You think it irreligious of me to have found out a way of my own.
“您认为我找到我自己的一条路就是反对宗教。
It was just what the Committee thought, when they threatened me with Homelessness."
这正是委员会在用无家可归来威胁我的时候，他们所存的想法。”
At this she grew angry. "I worship nothing!" she cried.
听到这番话，她生起气来：“我什么都不崇拜！”她高声叫起来，
"I am most advanced. I don"t think you irreligious, for there is no such thing as religion left.
“我是最进步不过的。我不认为你是反对宗教的，因为现在已经没有像宗教这样的东西保留着。
All the fear and the superstition that existed once have been destroyed by the Machine.
过去一度存在过的一切恐怖和迷信都已经被大机器销毁了。
I only meant that to find out a way of your own was—Besides, there is no new way out."
我的意思只是说，找到你自己的一条路是——再说，并没有什么新路通到外边啊。”
"So it is always supposed."
“人们一向是这样认为的。”
"Except through the vomitories, for which one must have an Egression-permit,
“除非是通过那些出口，而要通过那些出口，一个人就必须有外出好可证，
it is impossible to get out. The Book says so."
不然，是不可能走出去的，大书上这样说。”
