【不知名的人形種族】

【不知名的人形種族的實(shí)力】

? ? ? ?The rasping sounds that issued from the creature's wide, lipless mouth seemed to Taggart ludicrously in contrast with the powerful thoughts that came to him through the Zarrian disc on his brow. Yet he did not smile, for he knew that this dwarfish being was the ambassador of a race whose mighty underground city on Titan, Saturn's greatest moon, was but the remote outpost of an empire that threaded its tendrils through many constellations.

? ? ? ?塔格特覺得，這只動(dòng)物寬闊的嘴唇發(fā)出的刺耳的聲音，與他額頭上的扎里亞圓盤發(fā)出的強(qiáng)烈想法形成鮮明對(duì)比，顯得滑稽可笑。然而，他沒有笑，因?yàn)樗肋@個(gè)侏儒是一個(gè)種族的大使，這個(gè)種族在土星最偉大的衛(wèi)星泰坦上的強(qiáng)大地下城市只是一個(gè)帝國(guó)的偏遠(yuǎn)前哨，帝國(guó)的卷須穿過許多星座。

（不知名的人形種族統(tǒng)治了許多個(gè)行星系，不知名的人形種族在太陽系的土衛(wèi)建立了前哨站。）

【不知名的人形種族的生理特征】

? ? ? ?A yellow, spiky-headed creature about three feet tall now stepped quickly forward and said, My race makes a simple and harmless request. We ask only the mineral rights to certain radioactive substances in the crust of the planet in question. Our mining operations would take place only in remote areas and would not disturb the world's present occupants. . . .

? ? ? ?一個(gè)大約三英尺高的黃色、長(zhǎng)著尖刺的生物現(xiàn)在快步上前說：“我的種族提出了一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單而無害的請(qǐng)求?！?。我們只要求有關(guān)星球地殼中某些放射性物質(zhì)的礦產(chǎn)權(quán)。我們的采礦作業(yè)將只在偏遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)進(jìn)行，不會(huì)干擾世界上目前的居民。

【不知名的人形種族提出的關(guān)于地球的要求】

? ? ? ?A yellow, spiky-headed creature about three feet tall now stepped quickly forward and said, My race makes a simple and harmless request. We ask only the mineral rights to certain radioactive substances in the crust of the planet in question. Our mining operations would take place only in remote areas and would not disturb the world's present occupants. . . .

? ? ? ?一個(gè)大約三英尺高的黃色、長(zhǎng)著尖刺的生物現(xiàn)在快步上前說：“我的種族提出了一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單而無害的請(qǐng)求?！?。我們只要求有關(guān)星球地殼中某些放射性物質(zhì)的礦產(chǎn)權(quán)。我們的采礦作業(yè)將只在偏遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)進(jìn)行，不會(huì)干擾世界上目前的居民。

【Galactic對(duì)不知名的人形種族的關(guān)于地球的要求的回復(fù)】

? ? ? ?NO, said the Galactic. THE NATIVE RACE HAS THE RIGHT TO ALL RESOURCES ON ITS OWN WORLD. I KNOW THAT YOUR RACE HAS ALREADY CARRIED ON EXTENSIVE MINING IN REMOTE LOCATIONS ON THAT GLOBE. HEREAFTER YOU MUST DESIST.

? ? ? ?不，Galactic說。土著民族有權(quán)擁有自己世界上的所有資源。我知道你的種族已經(jīng)在地球上的偏遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)進(jìn)行了大規(guī)模的采礦。此后你必須停止。

【米戈】

【米戈的實(shí)力】

1.? ? ?Taggart felt his tension subside somewhat as he listened. Things seemed more hopeful than he had dared to anticipate. He wondered briefly what sort of monstrous demand had been advanced by the lobster-fungoid creatures. Of all the races represented, they were the most alien of all, and perhaps the most powerful. Their link with the solar system was tenuous -- Taggart knew that they had established outposts on the dark, distant world men called Pluto and, like the spiky-headed Titanians, had undertaken secret mining operations in remote areas on the earth -- but their area of influence was far-reaching indeed, extending tenuously across countless light-millennia of space, embracing thousands of galaxies and perhaps even certain distant quasars. No race in the galaxy to which Earth belonged knew the origins of these creatures -- not even the mighty Zarr, who had conquered every world of the hundred billion suns comprising the galaxy which the astronomers of Taggart's world called the Andromeda Nebula. . . .

? ? ? ?塔格特聽著，覺得自己的緊張情緒有所緩和。事情似乎比他想象的更有希望。他簡(jiǎn)短地想知道，龍蝦類真菌生物提出了什么樣的巨大需求。在所代表的所有種族中，他們是最異類的，也許也是最強(qiáng)大的。他們與太陽系的聯(lián)系是脆弱的——塔加特知道他們?cè)诤诎?、遙遠(yuǎn)的世界上建立了前哨站，稱為冥王星，并且像尖尖的泰坦人一樣，在地球上的偏遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)進(jìn)行了秘密采礦作業(yè)——但他們的影響范圍確實(shí)是深遠(yuǎn)的，在無數(shù)光年的太空中微弱地延伸，包括數(shù)千個(gè)星系，甚至可能是某些遙遠(yuǎn)的類星體。在地球所屬的銀河系中，沒有一個(gè)種族知道這些生物的起源，甚至連強(qiáng)大的Zarr都不知道，他征服了銀河系中1000億個(gè)太陽的每一個(gè)世界，塔加特世界的天文學(xué)家稱之為仙女座星云。

（米戈可能是與Galactic談判的幾個(gè)種族當(dāng)中最強(qiáng)大的一個(gè)種族，米戈在我們的宇宙中的影響極其深遠(yuǎn)，在我們的宇宙中，米戈可能已經(jīng)占領(lǐng)了數(shù)千個(gè)星系，甚至可能占領(lǐng)了某些遙遠(yuǎn)的類星體。米戈在太陽系的冥王星建立了前哨站。）

2.? ? ?"Listen carefully, FitzRoy," said Pitts. "All your power is gone now, and when the Yuggoth-spawn are done with you there will be only your brain left, sealed alive in a metal canister. They have millions of such brains in their libraries on Yuggoth, just as we used to have books on earth; that is how they accumulate and store the knowledge of all the countless worlds they rule. They will carry your living mind out to Yuggoth, on the rim of the solar system, and put you on a shelf in their archives where you will sit and think and dream for a thousand years. Yes, a thousand years庸or the human brain can live a long, long time when it is not confined in an aging body. Do you want this to happen, FitzRoy?"

? ? ? ?“仔細(xì)聽著，菲茨羅伊，”皮茨說?！澳悻F(xiàn)在所有的力量都消失了，當(dāng) Yuggoth-spawn 消滅你時(shí)，只剩下你的大腦，活密封在一個(gè)金屬罐里。他們?cè)?Yuggoth 的圖書館里有數(shù)百萬這樣的大腦，就像我們過去一樣在地球上有書；這就是他們積累和儲(chǔ)存他們統(tǒng)治的所有無數(shù)世界的知識(shí)的方式。他們會(huì)把你活生生的思想帶到太陽系邊緣的 Yuggoth，然后把你放在他們檔案館的架子上你會(huì)坐下來思考和夢(mèng)想一千年。是的，一千年或人類的大腦可以活很長(zhǎng)很長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間，而不是局限在衰老的身體里。你想要這發(fā)生嗎，菲茨羅伊？”

【米戈的科技】

1.? ? ?Then he noticed groups of the Yuggoth-spawn emerging from the mangled steel gate, dragging the stiff bodies of men behind them. There were no signs of injury on any of the bodies. The lobster-like creatures were stacking them in low piles like cord-wood -- one pile of uniformed guards, another of white-smocked technicians, a third of black-coveralled Nazirites.

? ? ? ?"What are they doing?" said Taggart.

? ? ? ?"Collecting specimens. Those men aren't dead -- just paralyzed. Their brains will be sealed alive in canisters and sent to the archives on Yuggoth."

? ? ? ?More and more of the creatures were emerging from the huge, pyramidal building, each pair of them carrying a human burden to add to the piles. They seemed like great stalky crayfish carrying prey to their nests. Some of them gripped slender, silvery, pistol-like objects in their delicately-jointed claws.

? ? ? ?然后他注意到成群結(jié)隊(duì)的猶格人后裔從破損的鋼門中出現(xiàn)，拖著他們身后僵硬的人類尸體。任何尸體都沒有受傷的跡象。那些長(zhǎng)得像龍蝦的生物像木頭一樣把它們堆成低矮的一堆——一堆穿制服的警衛(wèi)，另一堆穿著白色工作服的技術(shù)人員，三分之一是穿著黑色工作服的納粹分子。

? ? ? ?“他們?cè)谧鍪裁?？?塔格特說。

? ? ? ?“收集標(biāo)本。那些人并沒有死——只是癱瘓了。他們的大腦將被活活密封在罐子里，然后送到 Yuggoth 的檔案館。”

? ? ? ?越來越多的生物從這座巨大的金字塔形建筑中出現(xiàn)，每一對(duì)都背負(fù)著人類的負(fù)擔(dān)來增加堆積。它們看起來像巨大的帶柄小龍蝦，帶著獵物回到它們的巢穴。他們中的一些人用關(guān)節(jié)精致的爪子抓住了細(xì)長(zhǎng)的、銀色的、手槍狀的物體。

2.? ? ?Even as Pitts spoke a group of the Yuggoth-spawn emerged from the wide portal. They were pushing a nebulous sphere of transparent blue in front of them, and in the center of this sphere there hung, stiff and awkwardly posed, the body of a man. The creatures rolled the whole thing before them like a huge ball six feet in diameter.

? ? ? ?"They got him without the gas," said Pitts.

? ? ? ?Taggart started forward anxiously. "He's not dead -- ?"

? ? ? ?"No -- just paralyzed. The needle-ray got him. His force-screen couldn't block out radiant energy, just kinetic."

? ? ? ?就在 Pitts 說話的時(shí)候，一群 Yuggoth-spawn 從寬闊的門戶中出現(xiàn)了。他們推著一個(gè)模糊的透明藍(lán)色球體在他們面前，而在這個(gè)球體的中心，懸著一具僵硬而笨拙的男子尸體。這些生物把整個(gè)東西滾到他們面前，就像一個(gè)直徑六英尺的大球。

? ? ? ?“他們?cè)跊]有加油的情況下得到了他，”皮茨說。

? ? ? ?塔格特焦急地向前走去。“他沒死——？”

? ? ? ?“不——只是癱瘓了。針狀射線擊中了他。他的力屏無法阻擋輻射能，只能阻擋動(dòng)能?！?/p>

（由1、2可知，米戈有一種細(xì)長(zhǎng)的、銀色的、手槍狀的武器，這種武器能夠發(fā)射麻痹射線。）

3.? ? ?In its center, on a metal platform, rested a machine of curious intricacy whose main part consisted of a mirror-bright sphere about two feet in diameter inset with several glassy lenses and a short, antenna-like projection. Attached to this sphere was a small solar battery, and a complex, clicking device that seemed to be reeling in a fine filament of wire. The other end of the gleaming filament was coming from a second intricate machine, to which a squat cylinder of bright metal was attached.

在它的中心，在一個(gè)金屬平臺(tái)上，放著一臺(tái)奇怪而復(fù)雜的機(jī)器，它的主要部分包括一個(gè)鏡面般明亮的球體，直徑約兩英尺，鑲嵌著幾個(gè)玻璃透鏡和一個(gè)短的天線狀突起。附在這個(gè)球體上的是一個(gè)小型太陽能電池，以及一個(gè)復(fù)雜的、發(fā)出咔嗒聲的裝置，它似乎卷繞著一根細(xì)細(xì)的金屬絲。閃閃發(fā)光的燈絲的另一端來自第二臺(tái)復(fù)雜的機(jī)器，上面連接著一個(gè)由亮金屬制成的矮圓筒。

4."I mean that I have taken away your humanity, and that I have made you immortal. There is no longer a single cell of your biological self left alive—but that does not matter, for your thoughts and perceptions live on and they will not pass the way of mortal flesh."

“我的意思是我奪走了你的人性，我讓你永生。你的生物自我不再有一個(gè)細(xì)胞存活——但這沒關(guān)系，因?yàn)槟愕乃枷牒透兄獣?huì)繼續(xù)存在，它們不會(huì)走凡人肉體之路?！?/p>

（由3、4可知，米戈擁有能將生物體的意識(shí)或靈魂（在洛夫克拉夫特的作品的設(shè)定中，靈魂是存在的。）轉(zhuǎn)移到機(jī)器內(nèi)的技術(shù)，雖然米戈早就擁有這種機(jī)械飛升的技術(shù)，但他們似乎并沒有將自己轉(zhuǎn)化為像Galactic那樣的強(qiáng)大的機(jī)械種族。）

【米戈的生理特征】

? ? ? ?Taggart now regarded the fourth pair of creatures, wondering what demand or proposition they were about to make. Except for their nearly human size and their ciliated, spindle-shaped heads, they reminded him somewhat of reddish lobsters in configuration. They did not speak in any way that Taggart's thought-receptor could interpret, but their eyeless heads changed color in strange patterns, varying from bright orange to dull red. . . .

? ? ? ?塔加特現(xiàn)在看到了第四對(duì)生物，想知道它們會(huì)提出什么要求或主張。除了它們接近人類的體型和有纖毛的紡錘形頭部外，它們讓他想起了形態(tài)上的紅色龍蝦。他們并沒有用塔格特的思想感受器所能解釋的任何方式說話，但他們的無眼頭部以奇怪的圖案改變了顏色，從明亮的橙色到暗紅色。

【Galactic對(duì)米戈的關(guān)于地球的要求的回復(fù)】

? ? ? ?NO, said the Galactic presently. YOUR REQUEST IS THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GRANT OF ALL.

? ? ? ?“不，”Galactic馬上說道。你的請(qǐng)求是最不可能答應(yīng)的。

（這里作者省略了米戈提出的關(guān)于地球的要求，因?yàn)榈沧x過《暗夜呢喃》的人都能猜到米戈的要求是什么——估計(jì)是想要抓走一些人類，然后將他們的大腦裝進(jìn)罐子里，從而研究人類這個(gè)種族。）

【米戈在本文中的行為】

1.? ? ?There was a metallic clash -- a shrill grating of rending steel -- and then the door crashed inward and hung crazily, shattered and half molten, on its hinges. Smoke billowed into the room.

? ? ? ?A man stood framed in the smoldering doorway, indistinct in the smoke and the dim blue aura that surrounded him. Behind him towered alien shapes that glared into the room with luminous eyes.

? ? ? ?FitzRoy snatched an automatic pistol from his black uniform. Twice it thundered deafeningly in that narrow room -- but the dark figures in the doorway did not waver. The man in the doorway deliberately raised his arm. . . .

? ? ? ?A blinding beam of blue-white light knifed the chamber -- a brief blast of heat and thunder filled the room. Then Judy heard FitzRoy shrieking, saw him writhing on the concrete floor clutching at the charred stump of his right arm. . . .

? ? ? ?"He's harmless," said the man in the doorway to someone behind him. "Take him if you want him."

? ? ? ?Judy froze in fear as two human-sized, lobster-like creatures with eyeless, spindle-shaped heads scuttled into the room. They fastened onto the shrieking FitzRoy with long, insectile appendages and began to drag his struggling, mutilated form across the floor. The man's charred arm-stump left a wide crimson streak as the unhuman things dragged him across the concrete and through the door into the corridor; Judy heard his screams fade away into the distance. . . .

? ? ? ?發(fā)出金屬碰撞聲——鋼鐵撕裂的刺耳格柵聲——然后門向內(nèi)墜落，瘋狂地懸在鉸鏈上，破碎了，半溶化了。濃煙滾滾進(jìn)了房間。

? ? ? ?一個(gè)男人站在悶燒的門口，在濃煙和環(huán)繞他的暗藍(lán)色光環(huán)中模糊不清。在他身后聳立著外星人的身影，它們用發(fā)光的眼睛瞪著房間。

? ? ? ?菲茨羅伊從他的黑色制服里掏出一把自動(dòng)手槍。它在那間狹窄的房間里兩次發(fā)出震耳欲聾的雷鳴聲——但門口的黑影沒有動(dòng)搖。門口的男人故意抬起手臂。. . .

? ? ? ?一道耀眼的藍(lán)白色光束劃破了房間——一陣短暫的熱浪和雷聲充滿了整個(gè)房間。然后朱蒂聽到菲茨羅伊的尖叫聲，看到他在水泥地上扭來扭去，抓著燒焦的右臂殘端。. . .

? ? ? ?“他是無害的，”門口的男人對(duì)他身后的人說?！跋胍蛶纤！?/p>

? ? ? ?當(dāng)兩個(gè)長(zhǎng)著沒有眼睛、長(zhǎng)著紡錘形腦袋的人類大小、長(zhǎng)得像龍蝦的生物沖進(jìn)房間時(shí)，朱蒂嚇得呆住了。他們用長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的昆蟲附肢固定在尖叫的 FitzRoy 身上，并開始將他掙扎、殘缺不全的身體拖過地板。當(dāng)非人的東西拖著他穿過水泥地，穿過門進(jìn)入走廊時(shí)，那個(gè)人燒焦的手臂殘肢留下了一道寬闊的深紅色條紋；朱蒂聽到他的尖叫聲漸漸遠(yuǎn)去。. . .

2.? ? ?"Don't worry. The Yuggoth-spawn want everyone in this building alive -- it's evidently the nerve-center for a third of the world. Or was, rather. Come on -- we'll pump this place full of gas, then come back and pick up whoever's lying around. No sense in fighting fair and getting killed."

? ? ? ?“別擔(dān)心。Yuggoth-spawn 希望這座建筑里的每個(gè)人都活著——它顯然是世界三分之一的神經(jīng)中樞。或者更確切地說，來吧——我們會(huì)把這個(gè)地方充滿氣，然后回來把躺在附近的人撿起來。公平戰(zhàn)斗和被殺是沒有意義的?！?/p>

3.? ? ?Then he noticed groups of the Yuggoth-spawn emerging from the mangled steel gate, dragging the stiff bodies of men behind them. There were no signs of injury on any of the bodies. The lobster-like creatures were stacking them in low piles like cord-wood -- one pile of uniformed guards, another of white-smocked technicians, a third of black-coveralled Nazirites.

? ? ? ?然后他注意到成群結(jié)隊(duì)的猶格人后裔從破損的鋼門中出現(xiàn)，拖著他們身后僵硬的人類尸體。任何尸體都沒有受傷的跡象。那些長(zhǎng)得像龍蝦的生物像木頭一樣把它們堆成低矮的一堆——一堆穿制服的警衛(wèi)，另一堆穿著白色工作服的技術(shù)人員，三分之一是穿著黑色工作服的納粹分子。

（這些場(chǎng)面還挺喜感的。）

【人類】

【人類在宇宙中的地位】

? ? ? ?"The State!" Taggart tried to cover his fear with contempt, affecting a sneer. "I've seen races whose power would petrify your mind -- who could flick your State out of existence if they so chose, and at any moment. You -- me -- the human race -- what are we? Just a few insects crawling around on a ball of dirt! I tell you, there are powers outside that could char this entire planet to a black cinder -- powers that are just waiting for the word to destroy the entire human race --"

? ? ? ?“國(guó)家！” 塔格特試圖用輕蔑來掩飾他的恐懼，假裝冷笑?！拔乙娺^一些種族，他們的力量會(huì)讓你的思想石化——如果他們?cè)敢猓麄兛梢栽谌魏螘r(shí)候讓你的國(guó)家不復(fù)存在。你——我——人類——我們是什么？只是少數(shù)幾個(gè)昆蟲在一團(tuán)泥土上爬來爬去！我告訴你，外面有力量可以把整個(gè)星球燒成黑色的煤渣——這些力量正等著毀滅整個(gè)人類——”

? ? ? ?And everywhere there was power, unbelievable power, power beyond measure -- power that made the Earth seem a mere grain of microbe-inhabited dust, that revealed humanity as an ephemeral micro-phenomenon without true thought or will, that reduced the State to utter, absurd meaninglessness. . . .

? ? ? ?到處都有力量，令人難以置信的力量，無法衡量的力量——這種力量使地球看起來只是一粒微生物棲息的塵埃，它揭示了人類是一種沒有真正思想或意志的短暫微現(xiàn)象，它使國(guó)家淪為，荒謬的無意義。. . .

【人類的國(guó)家的局勢(shì)】

? ? ? ?"May I ask a question without getting stung?"

? ? ? ?"By all means," said FitzRoy. "I need to learn just how far your alienation -- or whatever it is -- extends. Ask whatever you like."

? ? ? ?"What is Pan-Occidentia? And with whom is it at war?"

? ? ? ?"Pan-Occidentia," replied FitzRoy like an adult humoring a child, "or more correctly the Pan-Occident Christian Empire, is the world's greatest political unit. It is benevolently directed by the Nationalist Evangelical Party and includes all the Western Hemisphere, Europe to the Urals, South Africa, Australia, and this island which used to be called England. We are at war with the Pan-Islamic Empire, called Pan-Islamica, which is under the oppressive control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, led by the Imam Abu Akbar. They rule the Middle East, the Balkans, northern and central Africa, the northwest quadrant of the Indian subcontinent, and Indonesia."

? ? ? ?"Are there no other countries?"

? ? ? ?"There is our ally, the Nichiren-Chan Empire of China. They rule over the whole of eastern Asia, including Siberia, Japan, Indochina, and the rest of India."

? ? ? ?"Is that all?"

? ? ? ?"A few island nations in the Pacific, not worthy of our attention -- yet. For now there are only three huge oligarchies ruling the entire world -- and in a few years, after we conquer Pan-Islamica, there will be only two. Then we will turn our attention to the Nichirens, and once they have been destroyed only Pan-Occidentia will remain, ruled by the Nationalist Evangelical Party, supreme and omnipotent."

? ? ? ?"How long has Pan-Occidentia existed?"

? ? ? ?"Almost ninety years, but our roots go back to shortly after the end of the nuclear war in the early seventies, when the Nationalist Evangelical Party was formed by Brother Falwehl. They took power in the old United States during the late seventies; by the late nineties they had extended their dominion over all the old Christian nations. The Pan-Occident Christian Empire was formally created in 2000. Our mission is now to evangelize the rest of the world, and we are close to achieving part of our goal; Pan-Islamica is ready to fall any day now."

? ? ? ?"Then why do they continue their missile attacks?"

? ? ? ?"The last desperate act of a dying man often is defiance, but that doesn't matter. They are still using out-dated SCRAMs -- 'Self-navigating Continental RAnge Missiles' -- whereas we have developed several new weapons that are faster, stealthier, more accurate, and have deadlier payloads. We launch dozens of them every day, targeting their major cities. It is only a matter of time before they surrender."

? ? ? ?"Why not simply negotiate with them, come to an understanding, make peace?"

? ? ? ?"How could we?" FitzRoy replied matter-of-factly, as if he were discussing a sporting event. "The rulers of Pan-Islamica divide the world into the 'Realm of Islam' and the 'realm of war'; they have declared there can be no peace until they have forced their apostasy onto the rest of the world. Besides, they are infidels, and it is the duty of the Righteous to crush the ungodly."

? ? ? ?“我可以問一個(gè)問題而不被蜇嗎？”

? ? ? ?“無論如何，”菲茨羅伊說?！拔倚枰私饽愕氖柽h(yuǎn)——或者不管它是什么——延伸到什么程度。你想問什么就問什么?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“什么是泛西方？它與誰交戰(zhàn)？”

? ? ? ?“泛西帝國(guó)，”菲茨羅伊回答，就像一個(gè)大人在哄孩子，“或者更準(zhǔn)確地說是泛西基督教帝國(guó)，是世界上最大的政治單位。它由民族主義福音派仁慈地領(lǐng)導(dǎo)，包括整個(gè)西半球、歐洲烏拉爾、南非、澳大利亞和這個(gè)曾經(jīng)被稱為英格蘭的島嶼伊瑪目阿布阿克巴爾。他們統(tǒng)治著中東、巴爾干半島、非洲北部和中部、印度次大陸的西北象限和印度尼西亞?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“沒有其他國(guó)家嗎？”

? ? ? ?“我們的盟友是中國(guó)的日蓮帝國(guó)。他們統(tǒng)治著整個(gè)東亞，包括西伯利亞、日本、印度支那和印度其他地區(qū)。”

? ? ? ?“這就是全部？”

? ? ? ?“太平洋上的幾個(gè)島國(guó)，還不值得我們關(guān)注——目前只有三個(gè)巨大的寡頭統(tǒng)治著整個(gè)世界——幾年后，在我們征服泛伊斯蘭之后，將只有兩個(gè). 然后我們將把注意力轉(zhuǎn)向日蓮，一旦他們被摧毀，就只剩下泛西方，由民族主義福音黨統(tǒng)治，至高無上，無所不能?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“泛西方存在多久了？”

? ? ? ?“將近九十年，但我們的根源可以追溯到七十年代初期核戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)結(jié)束后不久，當(dāng)時(shí)民族主義福音派黨由 Falwehl 弟兄成立。他們?cè)谄呤甏笃谠谂f美國(guó)掌權(quán)；到九十年代后期，他們已經(jīng)把自己的統(tǒng)治范圍擴(kuò)大到所有的舊基督教國(guó)家。泛西基督教帝國(guó)于2000年正式成立。我們現(xiàn)在的使命是向世界其他地區(qū)傳福音，我們接近實(shí)現(xiàn)我們的部分目標(biāo)；泛-Islamica 現(xiàn)在隨時(shí)準(zhǔn)備垮臺(tái)?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“那他們?yōu)槭裁催€要繼續(xù)導(dǎo)彈襲擊？”

? ? ? ?“一個(gè)垂死的人最后的絕望行為往往是反抗，但這并不重要。他們?nèi)栽谑褂眠^時(shí)的 SCRAM——‘自主導(dǎo)航大陸射程導(dǎo)彈’——而我們已經(jīng)開發(fā)出幾種速度更快的新武器，更隱蔽，更準(zhǔn)確，并且具有更致命的有效載荷。我們每天發(fā)射數(shù)十個(gè)，目標(biāo)是他們的主要城市。他們投降只是時(shí)間問題。”

? ? ? ?“為什么不簡(jiǎn)單地與他們談判，達(dá)成諒解，實(shí)現(xiàn)和平呢？”

? ? ? ?“我們?cè)趺纯赡?？?菲茨羅伊就事論事地回答，就好像他在討論一項(xiàng)體育賽事一樣?！胺阂了固m的統(tǒng)治者將世界劃分為‘伊斯蘭王國(guó)’和‘戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)王國(guó)’；他們宣稱，除非他們將叛教強(qiáng)加于世界其他地區(qū)，否則就沒有和平。此外，他們是異教徒，正義者的職責(zé)是粉碎不敬虔的人?！?/p>

【人類的折磨機(jī)器】

1.The white-coated man bent over Taggart and placed little white disks with wires attached to them on his temples, the base of his throat, and his wrists. He also attached something cold and metallic to the back of his neck, then turned away and walked out of the room.

穿白大衣的人彎下腰，在塔格特的太陽穴、喉嚨根部和手腕上放上連著電線的白色小圓盤。他又在脖子后面系了一個(gè)冰冷的金屬一樣的東西，然后轉(zhuǎn)身走出了房間。

2.FitzRoy's expression hardened slightly. He reached out and twisted a small dial on a nearby electrical machine. Taggart felt a tingling sensation at the base of his skull; then violent pain shot through his entire body. It was as though someone were holding lighted matches to all his nerve endings. He gasped and clenched his teeth reflexively, fighting to hold back the scream that wanted to burst forth. Then FitzRoy turned back the dial and the pain subsided abruptly. Taggart would never have believed that such pain was possible had he not just experienced it. He suspected FitzRoy was using electroshock on him, but it did not feel like it, and his body had not reacted like it. Though he had tensed, there was not the spasmodic contraction that accompanied electrical shock, nor any burning sensation where the electrode was attached to his skin.

菲茨羅伊的表情微微凝重。他伸出手，轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)附近一臺(tái)電機(jī)上的小表盤。塔格特感到頭骨底部一陣刺痛。然后劇烈的疼痛傳遍了他的全身。就好像有人用點(diǎn)燃的火柴點(diǎn)燃了他所有的神經(jīng)末梢。他倒抽一口涼氣，反射性地咬緊牙關(guān)，強(qiáng)忍著想要爆發(fā)的慘叫。然后 FitzRoy 轉(zhuǎn)回表盤，疼痛突然消退。如果塔格特不是親身經(jīng)歷過，他永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)相信會(huì)發(fā)生這樣的痛苦。他懷疑菲茨羅伊對(duì)他用的是電擊，但感覺不像，他的身體也沒有這樣的反應(yīng)。盡管他很緊張，但并沒有電擊帶來的痙攣性收縮，也沒有電極貼在皮膚上的燒灼感。

3.? ? ?"Above all, you must not lie," FitzRoy continued. "I can always tell when you are lying -- and you have had a small sample of what can happen should you displease me. I can stimulate the pain center of your brain. It is safer than using electroshock, and causes no short-term physical damage. Because of that, I may apply Pain as often and as long as I wish to. You would do well to keep that in mind."

? ? ? ?“最重要的是，你不能撒謊，”菲茨羅伊繼續(xù)說道?！拔铱偰苤滥闶裁磿r(shí)候在撒謊——你已經(jīng)掌握了一小部分如果你讓我不高興會(huì)發(fā)生什么。我可以刺激你大腦的疼痛中樞。這比使用電擊更安全，而且不會(huì)造成短期傷害物理傷害。正因?yàn)槿绱?，我可以盡可能頻繁地施加痛苦，只要我愿意。你最好記住這一點(diǎn)。”

【人類的結(jié)局】

? ? ? ?Taggart sighed and sat down on a fallen telephone pole. His leg was throbbing painfully. "What about the rest of the world?" he asked.

? ? ? ?"Finished!" Pitts grinned tightly and rubbed his thin fingers together. "For the last few hours tornadoes have been raging over the entire surface of the planet. Every city is like this. Civilization has been destroyed."

A sudden chill swept through Taggart's entire body. When it had passed, he cried out:

? ? ? ?"But that's impossible! You couldn't have killed everyone -- you didn't. There must be a city left somewhere --"

? ? ? ?"Not a chance."

? ? ? ?"Was London destroyed?"

? ? ? ?"Yes," said Pitts. "That was one of the first cities we hit."

? ? ? ?"What about Paris?"

? ? ? ?"Churned to rubble -- like this place."

? ? ? ?"Chicago? New York?"

? ? ? ?"They're gone, too."

? ? ? ?"Washington D.C.?"

? ? ? ?"Gone."

? ? ? ?"San Francisco? Los Angeles? Phoenix?"

? ? ? ?"Gone -- all gone. On all the earth I doubt there's a city left with a population over ten thousand. And this is only the beginning. We'll destroy the survivors, too. And then --"

? ? ? ?"Yes -- what then?" cried Taggart, trying to rise. "What will we do then, you crazy fool? What will we do -- just you and me and maybe a half-dozen other favored, pet specimens of the Zarr? Yes, you've finally achieved what you always dreamed of -- the destruction of the human race -- but what do we have to live for now -- ?"

"I told you this was only the beginning." Pitts's face was hard and grim. "The Zarr are learning the secrets of time as well as of space, and will soon be extending their conquests along that dimension, also. Yes, the human race has just about reached its end -- but there are still many thousands of years of human history to attend to!"

Taggart felt the chill return, stronger than before. "You can't be serious --"

? ? ? ?"But I am. The human race is gone, but it should never have been in the first place -- and, if it is ever in my power, I shall correct that situation, also."

? ? ? ?"But why? . . ."

? ? ? ?Taggart stopped even as the question formed in his mind. A hundred times he had asked Pitts why he hated the human race so fanatically. Now, as he glanced up at the looming, bomb-proof ziggurat of the Department of Persuasion, he felt that he could understand. Once again he read the words set deep in the concrete above the steel door:

? ? ? ?THOU SHALT FEAR GOD

? ? ? ?THOU SHALT HATE THY NEIGHBOR

? ? ? ?THOU SHALT OBEY OUR FATHER IN ALL THINGS

? ? ? ?"But why must they all die?" he asked. "Why not just the State? Why not just the tyrants, the despots, the bullies who are in power and use that power to inflict pain and slavery on others -- ?"

? ? ? ?"Because they are all the same," said Pitts. "No matter who is in power, it is always the same. Six thousand years of recorded history have proven that."

Taggart looked at the ground in silence. He could think of no answer. He was wounded and tired and he had not slept for days. Yet, he had to think. Pitts was partly right -- history was full of men who had used power to crush and debase others in every way imaginable, and their influence down the centuries had finally culminated in the Pan-Occidentia state. But had it really been as inevitable as Pitts claimed? And if the Zarr were actually to master time as well as space, why could not the history of the human race be changed to avoid this fate rather than wiped out utterly? . . .

His weariness suddenly increased tenfold as he realized the magnitude of the task he faced -- the greatest task, perhaps, that had ever confronted any human being. If the human race was to be saved now, he would have to do it.

? ? ? ?"Pitts," he said, "there is a better way."

Pitts shook his head. "It's no good -- I've thought of it, too. We can rearrange history all we want, but the outcome is inevitable."

? ? ? ?"I can't accept that. History isn't predetermined; it's course is contingent, determined by choices and events which have multiple outcomes. It's just a matter of going back and making choices or influencing events so that they produce the right outcomes."

? ? ? ?"How?" Pitts asked quietly. "There are nearly an infinite number of possible outcomes, most of which would produce the same results. How could you possibly find the vanishing few rare outcomes that would make even a tiny difference?"

? ? ? ?"There's got to be a way we can do it," Taggart replied stubbornly, "no matter how fantastically hopeless it is. This world cannot be inevitable."

? ? ? ?"You don't understand," Pitts replied with grim patience. "The Pan-Occidental Christian Empire isn't inevitable, but some despotic government is. This world could just as easily have been a neo-Nazi state, or a Bolshevik state, or even one patterned after Orwell's Oceania in 1984."

? ? ? ?"But if the outcomes are nearly infinite, then a just and free society must be possible."

? ? ? ?Again, Pitts shook his head. "You still don't understand. The laws of the universe would never permit it, as long as even the possibility of certain things remains inherent within those laws. As long as the universe is the way it is, despotism will be the rule, not the exception. Because of that no time stream leading to an 'enlightened' world would be viable; because of that we would need to destroy every time stream that leads to the human race, not just this one. Perhaps, ultimately, even the universe and the laws that govern it shall have to be destroyed!"

? ? ? ?"You must be insane to even talk of such possibilities -- unless you know far more of the Zarr and their potentialities than I can even suspect. What you're saying is that you'll slay God if you can! Don't you see, Pitts, that if you succeed in destroying human history, you will destroy yourself as well?"

? ? ? ?"What of that?" For an instant Taggart sensed behind Pitts' tense features a weariness even greater than his own. "If the laws of the universe cannot be changed, then better to have never lived in it. Better that there be no universe at all! Yes, you are right -- I have told you little about the Zarr, for they themselves are only the pawns of tremendously more powerful beings whose ultimate goals they can but dimly understand. As the Zarr grow in power, their masters give them more and more knowledge. Next it will be time-travel, so that they can better fight the Galactics, who have already been given this knowledge by their masters. Already I have learned things about the ultimate source of all power, and that it is possible to move closer and closer to that source. . . ."

? ? ? ?"So you would be God, then," said Taggart, "and re-establish this world with laws of your own, with every being living or dying by those laws! What will your world be like, Pitts? Do you really think you can make it fundamentally better than this one? Can you have pleasure without pain, joy without sorrow, good without evil? . . ."

? ? ? ?"If ever I am God," said Pitts, his eyes suddenly flaming with a mad light, "my first words shall be: Let there be Darkness!"

? ? ? ?塔格特嘆了口氣，坐在倒塌的電線桿上。他的腿在抽痛?！澳鞘澜缙渌胤侥兀俊?他問。

? ? ? ?“完成的！” 皮茨咧嘴一笑，細(xì)細(xì)的手指揉在一起?！白罱鼛讉€(gè)小時(shí)，龍卷風(fēng)席卷了整個(gè)星球表面，每座城市都是如此，文明已被毀滅?！?/p>

? ? ? ?一股突如其來的寒意席卷了塔格特的全身。當(dāng)它過去時(shí)，他喊道：

? ? ? ?“但那是不可能的！你不可能殺死所有人——你沒有。一定有一座城市留在某處——”

? ? ? ?“沒有機(jī)會(huì)?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“倫敦被摧毀了嗎？”

? ? ? ?“是的，”皮茨說?！澳鞘俏覀円u擊的第一批城市之一?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“巴黎呢？”

? ? ? ?“被攪成瓦礫——就像這個(gè)地方?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“芝加哥？紐約？”

? ? ? ?“他們也走了?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“華盛頓特區(qū)？”

? ? ? ?“走了?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“舊金山？洛杉磯？鳳凰城？”

? ? ? ?“沒了——全沒了。我懷疑整個(gè)地球上還有一座人口超過一萬的城市。而這只是開始。我們也會(huì)消滅幸存者。然后——”

? ? ? ?“是的——然后呢？” 塔格特叫道，想站起來?！澳俏覀?cè)撛趺崔k，你這個(gè)瘋子？我們?cè)撛趺崔k——就你和我，也許還有六個(gè)其他受寵的Zarr寵物標(biāo)本？是的，你終于實(shí)現(xiàn)了你一直夢(mèng)想的——人類的毀滅——但我們現(xiàn)在為了什么而活——？”

? ? ? ?“我告訴過你這只是開始。” 皮茨的臉色嚴(yán)峻而嚴(yán)峻?！癦arr 正在學(xué)習(xí)時(shí)間和空間的秘密，并且很快也會(huì)沿著那個(gè)維度擴(kuò)展他們的征服。是的，人類種族即將走到盡頭——但仍有數(shù)千年的歷史人類歷史值得關(guān)注！”

? ? ? ?塔格特感到寒意又回來了，比以前更強(qiáng)烈?！澳悴豢赡苁钦J(rèn)真的——”

? ? ? ?“但我是。人類已經(jīng)消失了，但它從一開始就不應(yīng)該出現(xiàn)——而且，如果它在我的權(quán)力范圍內(nèi)，我也會(huì)糾正這種情況。”

? ? ? ?“可是為什么？ ……”

? ? ? ?塔格特在腦海中形成這個(gè)問題時(shí)就停了下來。他曾一百次問過皮茨，為什么他如此狂熱地憎恨人類。現(xiàn)在，當(dāng)他抬頭瞥了一眼說服部隱約可見的防彈金字塔時(shí)，他覺得自己可以理解了。他又一次讀到了鋼門上方混凝土深處的文字：

? ? ? ?你要敬畏上帝

? ? ? ?你要恨你的鄰舍

? ? ? ?你要凡事順服我們的父

? ? ? ?“但為什么他們都得死？” 他問。“為什么不只是國(guó)家？為什么不只是那些掌權(quán)的暴君、暴君、惡霸，他們利用這種權(quán)力對(duì)他人造成痛苦和奴役——？”

? ? ? ?“因?yàn)樗鼈兌际且粯拥模逼ご恼f?！盁o論誰當(dāng)政，都是一樣的，六千年的歷史已經(jīng)證明了這一點(diǎn)。”

塔格特靜靜地看著地面。他想不出答案。他又傷又累，好幾天沒睡了。然而，他不得不思考。皮茨只說對(duì)了一部分——?dú)v史上到處都是用權(quán)力以各種可以想象的方式壓制和貶低他人的人，他們幾個(gè)世紀(jì)以來的影響最終在泛西方國(guó)家中達(dá)到頂峰。但它真的像皮茨聲稱的那樣不可避免嗎？如果Zarr真的掌握了時(shí)間和空間，為什么人類的歷史不能被改變以避免這種命運(yùn)而不是被徹底消滅呢？. . .

當(dāng)他意識(shí)到他所面臨的任務(wù)的艱巨性時(shí)，他的疲倦突然增加了十倍——這也許是任何人曾經(jīng)遇到過的最艱巨的任務(wù)。如果現(xiàn)在要拯救人類，他就必須這樣做。

? ? ? ?“皮茨，”他說，“有更好的辦法。”

皮茨搖搖頭。“這可不行——我也想過。我們可以隨心所欲地重新安排歷史，但結(jié)果是不可避免的?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“我不能接受這一點(diǎn)。歷史不是預(yù)先確定的；它的過程是偶然的，由具有多種結(jié)果的選擇和事件決定。這只是回過頭來做出選擇或影響事件以產(chǎn)生正確結(jié)果的問題。 “

? ? ? ?“如何？” 皮茨小聲問道?！皫缀跤袩o數(shù)種可能的結(jié)果，其中大部分會(huì)產(chǎn)生相同的結(jié)果。你怎么可能找到消失的少數(shù)罕見結(jié)果，即使是微小的差異？”

? ? ? ?“我們必須有辦法做到這一點(diǎn)，”塔格特固執(zhí)地回答，“不管它多么絕望。這個(gè)世界不可能是不可避免的?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“你不明白，”皮茨極其耐心地回答?！胺何鞣交浇痰蹏?guó)并非不可避免，但一些專制政府是。這個(gè)世界很可能是一個(gè)新納粹國(guó)家，或者一個(gè)布爾什維克國(guó)家，甚至是一個(gè)效仿奧威爾1984 年大洋洲的國(guó)家?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“但如果結(jié)果幾乎是無限的，那么公正和自由的社會(huì)一定是可能的?！?/p>

? ? ? ?皮茨再次搖頭?！澳氵€是不懂，宇宙法則永遠(yuǎn)不允許，只要某些事情的可能性還在法則之內(nèi)。只要宇宙是這個(gè)樣子，專制就是規(guī)則，不是例外。正因?yàn)槿绱耍瑳]有任何通往“開明”世界的時(shí)間流是可行的；因此，我們需要摧毀通往人類的每一條時(shí)間流，而不僅僅是這個(gè)。也許，最終，甚至宇宙和支配它的法則必須被摧毀！”

? ? ? ?“你一定是瘋了，甚至談?wù)撨@種可能性——除非你對(duì)Zarr和他們的潛力的了解比我想象的要多得多。你的意思是，如果可以的話，你會(huì)殺死上帝！難道你皮茨，你看，如果你成功地摧毀了人類歷史，你也會(huì)毀滅自己?jiǎn)?？?/p>

? ? ? ?“那是什么？” 有那么一瞬間，塔格特感覺到皮茨緊張的表情背后有一種比他自己還要疲憊的表情?！叭绻钪娴姆▌t無法改變，那還不如從未在其中生活過。最好根本就沒有宇宙！是的，你是對(duì)的——我沒有告訴你關(guān)于Zarr的事，因?yàn)樗鼈儽旧碇皇撬麄兪欠浅?qiáng)大的生物的棋子，他們的最終目標(biāo)他們只能模模糊糊地理解。隨著Zarr力量的增長(zhǎng)，他們的主人給他們?cè)絹碓蕉嗟闹R(shí)。接下來將是時(shí)間旅行，這樣他們就可以更好地與Galactic作戰(zhàn)，他們他們的主人已經(jīng)傳授了這方面的知識(shí)。我已經(jīng)了解了所有力量的最終來源，并且有可能越來越接近那個(gè)來源......”

? ? ? ?“那么，你就是上帝，”塔格特說，“用你自己的法則重建這個(gè)世界，每個(gè)生者或死者都遵守這些法則！你的世界會(huì)是什么樣子，皮茨？你真的認(rèn)為你能讓它從根本上比這個(gè)更好嗎？你能有快樂沒有痛苦，快樂沒有悲傷，善沒有惡?jiǎn)?？……?/p>

? ? ? ?“如果我是上帝，”皮茨說，他的眼睛突然燃燒著瘋狂的光芒，“我的第一句話就是： 讓黑暗來吧！”

（Zarrian的氣象武器只用了幾個(gè)小時(shí)就摧毀了人類文明，由上文可知，Zarrian為了防止地球的生態(tài)環(huán)境受到嚴(yán)重破壞，最大程度地保持地球的價(jià)值，所以才使用氣象武器來摧毀人類文明。之后Zarrian將會(huì)通過時(shí)間旅行，摧毀該時(shí)間線上的人類的起源，讓人類徹底從該時(shí)間線上消失，同時(shí)也會(huì)摧毀通向人類的每一條時(shí)間流。由于對(duì)時(shí)間線的干涉會(huì)產(chǎn)生無數(shù)種可能的結(jié)果，難以預(yù)測(cè)最終產(chǎn)生的那一個(gè)結(jié)果是什么，所以擁有時(shí)間旅行技術(shù)的Zarrian幾乎無法拯救人類這個(gè)墮落的種族，只能將其滅絕。）

【《Let There be Darkness》的節(jié)選】

1.? ? ?I SEE A PICTURE IN YOUR MIND, said the Galactic, BUT IT IS COLORED WITH STRONG AND ADVERSE EMOTIONS.

? ? ? ?Pitts's fists clenched at his sides and he trembled visibly, yet his voice was even and dispassionate as he continued, "The human race has several thousand years of recorded history. I sense you are not familiar with that history, but I will not attempt to detail it. I will say only that the last century has seen three global wars, each more widespread and destructive than the last. The most recent was fought with nuclear weapons and destroyed nearly a billion people -- over a fifth of the earth's population."

? ? ? ?Taggart started. He wondered how Pitts could present such precise data. For his own part, the post-atomic days had been a wild, chaotic struggle for survival -- until he had been miraculously rescued from that chaos by the Zarr. Had Pitts been instrumental in that rescue? Taggart more than suspected so. He had known Pitts before, during those far-off years when universities and other centers of learning had existed on earth. While Taggart had engaged himself in the study of the human mind in an effort to unravel the strange curse that seemed to forever bar mankind from any genuine happiness or fulfillment, Pitts's estrangement had taken the form of an intense study of geology, evolution, and especially astronomy -- subjects seemingly chosen for the purpose of keeping humanity at a comfortable distance. Finally there had come the time when Pitts had vanished into the vast, forested Canadian wilderness for a purpose never openly stated -- and, when after many years he and Taggart met once again, it had been under very strange conditions. . . .

? ? ? ?"The next war will probably ruin the planet," Pitts was saying. "Now, I propose this: since the human race is bound to annihilate itself sooner or later, let us wipe them out ourselves, now -- with weapons that will leave the planet itself unspoiled. Thus the world will be saved for more deserving races to utilize."

? ? ? ?YOUR ASSUMPTIONS STAND UNSUPPORTED, said the Galactic. THIS LAST WAR MAY BE THE TURNING POINT AT WHICH YOUR RACE WILL MATURE. I CANNOT CONDONE INTERFERENCE -- IF THE FATE OF YOUR RACE IS SELF-ANNIHILATION, THEN IT MUST COME NATURALLY, OF ITS OWN ACCORD.

? ? ? ?"Even if we know their self-destruction is inevitable?" said Pitts.

? ? ? ?WE DO NOT KNOW THAT SUCH IS THE CASE. IF WE DID, WE COULD POSSIBLY GRANT YOUR REQUESTS.

? ? ? ?I submit that you have not studied the planet in question, said one of the Zarrians.

? ? ? ?TRUE. WE HAVE MILLIONS OF MORE IMPORTANT WORLDS TO OBSERVE WITHIN OUR GALAXY -- WORLDS WHOSE RACES HAVE REACHED A CERTAIN MATURITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND TECHNOLOGY THAT QUALIFY THEM TO RECEIVE OUR ATTENTION.

? ? ? ?Then I suggest you allow us to gather detailed data on this planet, said the Zarrian. We are willing to undertake the task ourselves. If we can prove that the native race will never reach maturity -- that it is inherently suicidal -- then perhaps you will not interfere in what we intend to undertake in any case.

? ? ? ?The Galactic stood silent, unperturbed. Presently it said, YOUR DATA MUST BE GATHERED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE PLANET'S INHABITANTS OR EVEN LET THEM KNOW OF YOUR EXISTENCE.

? ? ? ?"I'll gather the data," said Pitts. "I can pass unnoticed on the planet."

? ? ? ?YOUR EMOTIONS ARE BIASED, said the Galactic. YOUR RESEARCHES WOULD BE USELESS. MOREOVER, EVERY RACE REPRESENTED HERE HAS A STAKE IN THE ISSUE AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE IMPARTIAL.

? ? ? ?Taggart knew it was time for him to act. He clutched his briefcase nervously and stepped forward. "I'll do it," he said.

The Galactic's cold, burning eyes were on him now and he found it hard to face their emotionless, indifferent glow. The eyes of all the other beings were on him, too -- the huge black orbs of the brown tentacled spheroids, the dark almond slits of the yellow Titanians, the round expressionless eyes of the Zarrians and -- not least disturbing -- the glittering blue eyes of Pitts glaring distortedly through the thick lenses of his dark-rimmed spectacles. Even the fungoid-lobster creatures seemed to watch him in some visionless manner, the short cilia on their convoluted, spindle-shaped heads vibrating strangely.

? ? ? ?"I may be biased in my own way," Taggart continued uneasily. "I suppose every intelligent creature is biased somehow -- but I think I can separate fact from opinion reasonably well. I don't think humanity is inevitably doomed, as Pitts and these others claim. I'd like to undertake the proposed operation -- for my own interest primarily -- and if it seems to me that mankind is hopeless, I'll try not to suppress it or gloss it over in any way."

? ? ? ?YOU ARE A STUDENT OF THE MIND OF YOUR RACE, stated the Galactic.

? ? ? ?"Yes," said Taggart -- startled, as always, by the unnatural objectivity and percipience of these unhuman beings. "I was an experimental psychologist before the nuclear war. Perhaps that's one reason the Zarr chose me as one of their human representatives. I realize that most of the history of our race has been only a blind, senseless floundering in darkness, with cruelty the main diversion to our boredom -- yet, I feel that in our last century a light was dawning that would have set our race on the path of a rational and yet compassionate awareness. There were humans who were daring every path into the darkness of their own minds -- people like Jung, Horney, Perls, Fromm, Masolw, Wilson, Laing, Janov, Frankl, and a thousand more -- humans reaching out for a truth by which to live no matter how great the agony or how high the cost. And I think they were on the brink of a great discovery that would have transformed our race into a higher order of being -- but for the nuclear war which came to shatter their dreams. . . ."

? ? ? ?Taggart could not go on. His voice faltered, and he felt the unaccustomed sting of tears In his eyes. How many years had it been since he had allowed himself a single tear? . . .

? ? ? ?YOU HAVE STUDIED THE MENTALITY AND MOTIVATIONS OF YOUR RACE, said the Galactic, AND YOU ARE REASONABLY OBJECTIVE. THAT IS GOOD. YOURS IS THE ONLY MIND PRESENT THAT IS QUALIFIED TO CARRY OUT THE INVESTIGATION THAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED. ANY SUCH PROJECT MUST BE UNDER YOUR DIRECTION, WITH NO INTERFERENCE. IF THE ZARR AGREE, I DESIGNATE YOU TO GO TO THE PLANET IN QUESTION AND OBSERVE AND EVALUATE THE SITUATION THERE. WRITTEN RECORDS WILL NOT BE NECESSARY: WHEN YOU RETURN, I WILL DRAW SUCH INFORMATION AS I NEED FROM YOUR MIND, EVEN SUCH DETAILS AS YOU MAY FORGET. The Galactic then turned to the rest of the group and said, YOU HAVE HEARD MY JUDGEMENT; ACCEPT OR REJECT IT NOW, AND GO YOUR WAY.

? ? ? ?To Taggart's surprise one of the Zarrians announced, We accept the .judgement.

? ? ? ?And, even more surprising, he heard Pitts's human voice saying, "Fair enough!"

? ? ? ?Then, without another thought, the Galactic turned and strode away into the luminous vastness, receding gradually into the horizon-vast distances of the Hall of the Galaxy, till at last it was lost from sight in the titanic, golden-lit expanse.

? ? ? ?“我在你的腦海中看到了一張照片，”Galactic說，“但它充滿了強(qiáng)烈而負(fù)面的情緒。”。

? ? ? ?皮茨的拳頭緊握在他的兩側(cè)，他明顯地顫抖著，但他繼續(xù)說下去時(shí)，他的聲音是平和而冷靜的，“人類有幾千年的歷史記錄。我覺得你不熟悉這段歷史，但我不會(huì)試圖詳細(xì)描述它。我只想說，上個(gè)世紀(jì)發(fā)生了三次全球戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，每一次都比上一次更廣泛、更具破壞性。最近一次是用核武器進(jìn)行的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，摧毀了近10億人——超過地球人口的五分之一?！?/p>

? ? ? ?塔加特開始了。他想知道皮茨怎么能提供如此精確的數(shù)據(jù)。就他自己而言，原子彈后的日子是一場(chǎng)瘋狂的、混亂的生存斗爭(zhēng)——直到他奇跡般地被Zarr從混亂中解救出來。皮茨在這次救援中發(fā)揮了作用嗎？塔格特對(duì)此深信不疑。他以前認(rèn)識(shí)皮茨，那是在地球上大學(xué)和其他學(xué)術(shù)中心存在的遙遠(yuǎn)年代。雖然塔格特致力于對(duì)人類心靈的研究，試圖解開似乎永遠(yuǎn)阻礙人類獲得真正幸?；虺删偷钠婀衷{咒，但皮茨的疏遠(yuǎn)表現(xiàn)為對(duì)地質(zhì)學(xué)、進(jìn)化論，尤其是天文學(xué)的深入研究——這些學(xué)科似乎是為了讓人類保持舒適距離而選擇的。終于有一天，皮茨為了一個(gè)從未公開表示過的目的，消失在加拿大廣闊的森林荒野中。多年后，他和塔加特再次相遇，當(dāng)時(shí)的情況非常奇怪。

? ? ? ?“下一場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)可能會(huì)毀滅這個(gè)星球，”皮茨說?！艾F(xiàn)在，我提出這樣的建議：既然人類遲早會(huì)毀滅自己，那么讓我們自己消滅他們吧，現(xiàn)在就用能讓地球不受破壞的武器。這樣，世界將被拯救，讓更多值得利用的種族來利用?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“你的假設(shè)站不住腳，”Galactic說。這場(chǎng)最后的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)可能是你的種族走向成熟的轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。我不能容忍干涉——如果你們種族的命運(yùn)是自我毀滅，那么它必然會(huì)自然而然地到來。

? ? ? ?“即使我們知道他們的自我毀滅是不可避免的？”皮茨說。

? ? ? ?我們不知道情況是這樣的。如果我們做到了，我們可能會(huì)答應(yīng)你的請(qǐng)求。

? ? ? ?“我認(rèn)為你沒有研究過這個(gè)星球，”一位扎里亞人說。

? ? ? ?符合事實(shí)的在我們的銀河系中，我們有數(shù)百萬個(gè)更重要的世界需要觀察，這些世界的種族已經(jīng)達(dá)到了某種意識(shí)和技術(shù)的成熟程度，使他們有資格受到我們的關(guān)注。

? ? ? ?“那么我建議你允許我們收集關(guān)于這個(gè)星球的詳細(xì)數(shù)據(jù)，”扎里安說。我們?cè)敢庾约撼袚?dān)這項(xiàng)任務(wù)。如果我們能證明土著民族永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)成熟——它天生就是自殺性的——那么也許你在任何情況下都不會(huì)干涉我們打算做的事情。

? ? ? ?Galactic靜靜地站著，不受干擾。目前它說，你的數(shù)據(jù)必須以這樣一種方式收集，即你不會(huì)干擾行星的不穩(wěn)定性，甚至不會(huì)讓他們知道你的存在。

? ? ? ?“我會(huì)收集數(shù)據(jù)，”皮茨說?！拔铱梢栽谶@個(gè)星球上不被注意到?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“你的情緒是有偏見的，”Galactic說。你的研究將毫無用處。此外，這里代表的每一個(gè)種族都與這個(gè)問題有利害關(guān)系，因此不能不偏不倚。

? ? ? ?塔加特知道他該行動(dòng)了。他緊張地抓住公文包，走上前去?！拔視?huì)做的，”他說。

? ? ? ?Galactic冰冷、灼熱的目光現(xiàn)在盯著他，他發(fā)現(xiàn)很難面對(duì)他們毫無感情、冷漠的光芒。所有其他人的眼睛也都盯著他——棕色觸手球體的巨大黑色球體，黃色泰坦人的深杏仁狀狹縫，扎里亞人的圓溜溜的眼睛，還有——最令人不安的——皮茨那雙閃閃發(fā)光的藍(lán)眼睛，透過他黑邊眼鏡的厚鏡片扭曲地瞪著。即使是蕈狀的龍蝦生物也似乎以某種看不見的方式注視著他，它們卷曲的紡錘形頭部上的短纖毛奇怪地振動(dòng)著。

? ? ? ?“我可能有自己的偏見，”塔加特不安地繼續(xù)說道。“我想，每一個(gè)聰明的生物都有某種偏見——但我認(rèn)為我可以很好地將事實(shí)與觀點(diǎn)區(qū)分開來。我不認(rèn)為人類不可避免地會(huì)滅亡，正如皮茨和其他人所聲稱的那樣。我想采取擬議的行動(dòng)——主要是為了我自己的利益——如果我覺得人類是無望的，我會(huì)盡量不壓制它或以任何方式掩蓋它?！?/p>

? ? ? ?“你是你種族思想的學(xué)生，”Galactic說。

? ? ? ?“是的，”塔格特說——一如既往地，被這些非人的不自然的客觀性和洞察力所震驚?！霸诤藨?zhàn)爭(zhēng)之前，我是一名實(shí)驗(yàn)心理學(xué)家。也許這就是Zarr選擇我作為他們的人類代表之一的原因之一。我意識(shí)到，我們種族的大部分歷史都只是在黑暗中盲目、無意義地掙扎，殘酷是我們無聊的主要消遣。然而，我覺得，在我們的上個(gè)世紀(jì)，曙光初現(xiàn)，我們的種族將走上理性而富有同情心的意識(shí)。有人敢于走上每一條通向自己內(nèi)心黑暗的道路——比如榮格、霍尼、佩爾、弗洛姆、馬索爾、威爾遜、萊因、賈諾夫、弗蘭克爾，還有一千多人——無論痛苦有多大，代價(jià)有多高，人類都在尋求一種生存的真理。我認(rèn)為，如果不是核戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)粉碎了他們的夢(mèng)想，他們正處于一項(xiàng)偉大發(fā)現(xiàn)的邊緣，這項(xiàng)發(fā)現(xiàn)將把我們的種族轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)楦叩纳嬷刃颉?#34;

? ? ? ?塔加特說不下去了。他的聲音支支吾吾，他感到眼淚在眼睛里刺痛著他。他有多少年沒有允許自己流淚了。

? ? ? ?“你已經(jīng)研究了你種族的心理和動(dòng)機(jī)，”Galactic說，“你是合理的目標(biāo)?！?。這很好。你是在場(chǎng)的唯一有資格進(jìn)行所建議調(diào)查的人。任何此類項(xiàng)目都必須在您的指導(dǎo)下進(jìn)行，不受任何干擾。如果ZARR同意，我指定你前往該行星，觀察并評(píng)估那里的情況。不需要書面記錄：當(dāng)你回來時(shí)，我會(huì)從你的腦海中提取我需要的信息，甚至是你可能忘記的細(xì)節(jié)。Galactic然后轉(zhuǎn)向其他人說：“你聽到了我的判斷；現(xiàn)在就接受或拒絕它，走自己的路。

? ? ? ?令塔加特驚訝的是，一位扎里人宣布：我們接受判決。

? ? ? ?更令人驚訝的是，他聽到皮茨的人聲說：“夠公平了！”

? ? ? ?然后，Galactic不假思索地轉(zhuǎn)過身，大步走向明亮的浩瀚，逐漸退到Galactic大廳廣闊的地平線上，直到最后它消失在巨大的、金光閃閃的廣闊天地中。

2.? ? ?Strange visions coalescing into being in the black immensities of space . . . clouds of glowing stars pinwheeling against an infinitely vast sable backdrop . . . inhuman blue giants with high, domed heads striding powerfully down tremendous corridors of blue steel . . . and somewhere, far out beyond intergalactic spaces, an entire planet covered with black, living slime, endlessly circling a huge blue sun, sending imperious thought-commands of incredible power across the stupendous gulfs. . . .

? ? ? ?奇怪的景象在漆黑的浩瀚太空中匯聚成存在。. . 發(fā)光的星星云在無限廣闊的黑褐色背景下旋轉(zhuǎn)。. . 非人的藍(lán)色巨人長(zhǎng)著高高的圓頂腦袋，有力地大步走在巨大的藍(lán)鋼走廊上。. . 在遙遠(yuǎn)的星際空間之外的某個(gè)地方，整個(gè)星球上覆蓋著黑色的、有生命的粘液，無休止地圍繞著一個(gè)巨大的藍(lán)色太陽旋轉(zhuǎn)，向巨大的海灣發(fā)送具有不可思議力量的專橫思想命令。. . .

（這段致敬了《索拉里斯星》）

3.? ? ?Footsteps sounded in the passage. Taggart bent quickly, unclasped the force-belt that circled the dead girl's waist, slid it from under her, and buckled it on. Then he turned to face the sound -- and saw a group of strange beings approaching him. Some of them were dwarfish, spiky-headed Titanians, the rest lobster-like creatures with multi-hued, fungoid, spindle-shaped heads. All wore force-belts like his own and clutched a variety of strange weapons.

? ? ? ?腳步聲在通道中響起。塔格特迅速彎下腰，解開纏在死去女孩腰上的力帶，將它從她身下滑下，扣上。然后他轉(zhuǎn)身面對(duì)聲音——看到一群奇怪的生物正在接近他。其中一些是矮小的、尖頭的泰坦尼亞人，其余的像龍蝦一樣的生物有多種顏色、蘑菇狀、紡錘形的頭。所有人都像他自己一樣系著力帶，手里拿著各種奇怪的武器。

（這個(gè)場(chǎng)面多少有點(diǎn)生艸。）

【說明】

《Let There be Darkness》的作者為Richard L. Tierney和Kevin L. O'Brien。

原文網(wǎng)址

https://www.epberglund.com/RGttCM/nightscapes/NS16/ns16fic16a.htm