The assailant was brought in right after Luo Ji had finished eating. He had a handsome European face, but his most prominent feature was his slight smile, a smile that seemed so plastered on it never went away. He was not in cuffs, but when he entered, two people who looked like professional escorts sat down on chairs, and two others stood at the doorway. They were wearing badges that identified them as PDC officers.

羅輯剛吃完飯，兇手就被帶了進(jìn)來(lái)，他是一個(gè)年輕人，有著一副英俊的歐洲面孔，但最大的特征是他那淡淡的微笑，那笑容像是長(zhǎng)在他臉上似的，從不消退。他沒有戴手銬什么的，但一進(jìn)來(lái)就被兩個(gè)看上去很專業(yè)的押送者按著坐在椅子上，同時(shí)病房門口也站了兩個(gè)人，羅輯看到他們佩著的胸卡上有三個(gè)字母的部門簡(jiǎn)寫，但既不是FBI也不是CIA。

He tried to look as close to death’s door as possible, but the assailant saw through him. “Doctor, surely it’s not as serious as all that?” He smiled as he said this, a different smile appearing over his permanent one like an ephemeral oil slick floating on water. “I’m very sorry.”

羅輯盡可能做出一副奄奄一息的樣子，但兇手立刻揭穿了他：“博士，好像沒有這么嚴(yán)重吧?！眱词终f(shuō)這話的時(shí)候笑了笑，這是另一種笑，疊加在他那永遠(yuǎn)存在的微笑上，像浮在水上的油漬，轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝，“我很抱歉?！?/p>

“You’re sorry for trying to kill me?” Luo Ji raised his head off the pillow to look at his attacker.

“抱歉殺我？”羅輯從枕頭上轉(zhuǎn)頭看著兇手說(shuō)。

“Sorry I didn’t kill you, sir. I thought you wouldn’t be wearing a vest to a meeting like this. Never imagined you would be so scrupulous with protecting your life. Otherwise I’d have used armor-piercing bullets, or simply aimed for your head. Then I would have completed my mission, and you would be freed from yours, this unnatural mission no normal person can shoulder.”

“抱歉沒殺了您，本來(lái)我認(rèn)為在這樣的會(huì)議上您是不會(huì)穿防彈衣的，沒想到您是個(gè)為了保命不拘小節(jié)的人，否則，我就會(huì)用穿甲彈，或干脆朝您的頭部射擊，那樣的話，我完成了使命，您也從這個(gè)變態(tài)的、非正常人所能承擔(dān)的使命中解脫了?！?/p>

“I’m already free of it. I submitted my refusal to the secretary general, rejecting the Wallfacer position and all of its rights and responsibilities, and she agreed on behalf of the UN. Of course, you didn’t know this when you were trying to kill me. The ETO wasted an assassin.”

“我已經(jīng)解脫了，我向聯(lián)合國(guó)秘書長(zhǎng)拒絕了面壁者使命，放棄了所有的權(quán)力和責(zé)任，她也代表聯(lián)合國(guó)答應(yīng)了。當(dāng)然，這些你在殺我的時(shí)候一定還不知道，ETO白白浪費(fèi)了一個(gè)優(yōu)秀殺手?！?/p>

The smile on the assailant’s face grew brighter, like a monitor whose brightness had been turned up. “You’re a funny man.”

兇手臉上的微笑變得鮮明了，就像調(diào)高了一個(gè)顯示屏的亮度，“您真幽默?！?/p>

“What do you mean? I’m telling you the honest truth. If you don’t believe me—”

“什么意思？我說(shuō)的都是絕對(duì)真實(shí)的，不信……”

“I believe you, but you’re still a funny man,” the assailant said, the bright smile still on his face. It was a smile that Luo Ji noted in passing but that would soon be imprinted on his consciousness as if by liquid metal, marking him for life.

“我信，不過(guò)，您真的很幽默?！眱词终f(shuō)，仍保持著那鮮明的微笑，這微笑羅輯現(xiàn)在只是無(wú)意中淺淺地記下了，但很快它將像灼熱的鐵水一般在他的意識(shí)中烙下印記，讓他疼痛一生。

He shook his head and, with a sigh, lay back down on the bed. He did not speak.

羅輯搖搖頭，長(zhǎng)出一口氣仰面躺著，不再說(shuō)話

The assailant said, “Doctor, I don’t think we have much time. I presume you did not call me here purely to tell this infantile joke.”

兇手說(shuō)：“博士，我們的時(shí)間好像不多，我想您叫我來(lái)不僅僅是要開這種幼稚的玩笑吧?！?/p>

“I still don’t understand what you mean.”

“我還是不明白你的意思。”

“If that’s the case, then your intelligence does not qualify you to be a Wallfacer, Dr. Luo Ji. You’re not as logical as your name suggests. My life really has been wasted, it appears.” The assailant looked at the two people standing on alert behind him and said, “Gentlemen, I think we can leave.”

“要是這樣，對(duì)于一個(gè)面壁者而言，您的智力是不合格的，羅輯博士，您太不LOGIC了，看來(lái)我的生命真的是浪費(fèi)了。”兇手說(shuō)完抬頭看看站在他身后充滿戒備的兩個(gè)人，“先生們，我想我們可以走了?！?/p>

The two cast an inquiring glance at Luo Ji, who waved a hand at them, and then the assailant was led out.

那兩人用詢問的目光看著羅輯，羅輯沖他們擺擺手，兇手便被帶了出去。

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

assailant：

n.攻擊者;行兇者

adj.攻擊的

prominent： adj.重要的;著名的，杰出的;顯眼的，顯著的，突出的;凸現(xiàn)的

feature：

n.特色;特征;特點(diǎn);面容的一部分(如鼻、口、眼);(報(bào)章、電視等的)特寫

v.以…為特色;由…主演;以…為主要組成;起重要作用;占重要地位

slight：

adj.輕微的;略微的;細(xì)小的;纖細(xì)的;瘦小的;無(wú)須重視的;不足道的

n.侮慢;冷落;輕視

vt.侮慢;冷落;輕視

plaster：

n.灰泥;膏藥;熟石膏;創(chuàng)可貼;護(hù)創(chuàng)膠布

vt.抹灰;用灰泥抹(墻等);用…涂抹;把(頭發(fā))梳平;使頭發(fā)粘在(頭上);貼滿，遍貼（畫片或招貼畫）

cuff：

n.袖口;用掌輕拍[在文中相當(dāng)于 handcuffs 手銬]

vt.用手輕快地拍(某人)

permanent： adj.永久的;永恒的;長(zhǎng)久的

ephemeral：

adj.短暫的;瞬息的

n.生命短暫的事物;短生植物

slick：

adj.滑溜的;華而不實(shí)的;嫻熟的;油滑的;流暢的;虛有其表的;取巧的;花言巧語(yǔ)的;能說(shuō)會(huì)道的;靈巧的;滑

n.(海上)浮油，浮油膜;一小片濕而亮的地方

vt.使(頭發(fā))平整光溜

adv.潤(rùn)滑地(轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng));靈活地;熟練地;徑直地

vest：

n.(外面穿的)背心;(襯衣等里面貼身穿的)汗衫;坎肩

v.給予;授予某人某種權(quán)力;(指財(cái)產(chǎn)等)歸屬

scrupulous： adj.仔細(xì)的;細(xì)致的;一絲不茍的;審慎正直的;恪守道德規(guī)范的

armor：

n.裝甲；盔甲

v.為…裝甲

shoulder：

n.肩, 肩膀, 肩胛;（衣服的）肩部;肩肘（肉）;前腿連肩肉;肩狀物;山肩;路肩;瓶肩;肩關(guān)節(jié);上背部;擔(dān)當(dāng)能力;.路肩;（車行道兩側(cè)的）緊急停車道

v.承擔(dān), 擔(dān)負(fù);扛, 背;（用肩膀）推/擠/頂開;為…提供肩狀（突出）部

secretary： n.秘書;部長(zhǎng);大臣;助理

assassin： n.刺客;(為金錢或政治目的的)暗殺者，行刺者

monitor：

n.班長(zhǎng);監(jiān)視器;監(jiān)控器;顯示屏;(計(jì)算機(jī))顯示器;級(jí)長(zhǎng);班代表;監(jiān)督員，核查員;巨蜥

vt.監(jiān)視;檢查;跟蹤調(diào)查;監(jiān)聽(電話、外國(guó)無(wú)線電廣播等)

in passing： 順便;順帶

imprint：

vt.銘刻;壓印;印;產(chǎn)生重大影響;使銘記

n.印記;壓印;痕跡;持久影響;出版商名稱(通常印在第一頁(yè)的書名下面)

consciousness： n.清醒狀態(tài);知覺;覺察;感覺;意識(shí);觀念;看法

presume： v.假設(shè);假定;推定;設(shè)定;設(shè)想;妄行

infantile： adj.嬰幼兒特有的;孩子氣的;嬰兒的;幼兒的

on alert： 處于警戒狀態(tài);保持戒備

The assailant was brought in right after Luo Ji had finished eating.

He had a handsome European face, but his most prominent feature was his slight smile, a smile that seemed so plastered on it never went away.

He was not in cuffs, but when he entered, two people who looked like professional escorts sat down on chairs, and two others stood at the doorway.

They were wearing badges that identified them as PDC officers.

He tried to look as close to death's door as possible, but the assailant saw through him.