美麗新世界 Brave New World 第1章(3)

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"Essentially," the D.H.C. concluded, "bokanovskification consists of a series of arrests ofdevelopment.

“從根本上講，”主任下結論道，“‘波坎諾夫斯基化程序’包含了一系列對發(fā)展的抑制

We check the normal growth and, paradoxicallyenough, the egg responds by budding."

——我們制止卵子正常發(fā)育生長。而出人意外的是，卵子的反應卻是：萌蘗。”

Responds by budding. The pencils were busy.

卵子的反應是萌蘗，鉛筆忙碌著。

He pointed. On a very slowly moving band a rack-full of test-tubes was entering a large metalbox, another, rack-full was emerging.

他指點著。一條非常緩慢地移動著的傳送帶上有滿滿一架試管正在進入一個巨大的金屬柜，另一架試管也在逐漸露出，

Machinery faintly purred. It took eight minutes for the tubes to go through, he told them. Eightminutes of hard X-rays being about as much as an egg can stand.

機器發(fā)出輕微的嗡嗡聲。他告訴他們：一架試管通過金屬柜需要八分鐘。八分鐘的X光強力照射大體是一個卵子所能經受的照射量。

A few died; of the rest, the least susceptible divided into two; most put out four buds; someeight;

有些卵子死去了，有些最不敏感的卵子一分為二;而大部分卵子則萌蘗出四個胚芽;有的則萌蘗出八個。

all were returned to the incubators, where the buds began to develop; then, after two days,were suddenly chilled, chilled and checked.

它們又全部被送回孵化器，胚芽在其中繼續(xù)發(fā)育。兩天后又給予突然的冰凍。冰凍，抑制。

Two, four, eight, the buds in their turn budded; and having budded were dosed almost todeath with alcohol;

兩個分為四個，再分為八個。胚芽反而分蘗了;分蘗之后又用酒精使之幾乎死亡;

consequently burgeoned again and having budded–bud out of bud out of bud–werethereafter–further arrest being generally fatal–left to develop in peace.

隨之而來的是再分蘗，又再分蘗——胚芽再長胚芽，新胚芽又發(fā)展出新胚芽——然后便任其自由生長，此時如再抑制，一般是會造成死亡的。

By which time the original egg was in a fair way to becoming anything from eight to ninety-sixembryos– a prodigious improvement, you will agree, on nature.

這時原始卵可能已經分裂為八至九十六個胚胎——你們會承認這對大自然是了不起的進步。

Identical twins–but not in piddling twos and threes as in the old viviparous days, when an eggwould sometimes accidentally divide; actually by dozens, by scores at a time.

恒等多生，不是母體分裂時代那種可憐巴巴的雙生或三生;那時卵子分裂是偶然的——現在實際上一個卵子一次能夠生長為四五十個，或八九十個人。

"Scores," the Director repeated and flung out his arms, as though he were distributinglargesse. "Scores."

“八九十個人呀。”主任雙手一揮，重復了一句，仿佛在拋撒賞金似的。

But one of the students was fool enough to ask where the advantage lay.

可是有個學生卻傻呵呵地問起那能有什么好處來。

"My good boy!" The Director wheeled sharply round on him.

“我的好孩子!”主任猛然轉身對著他：

"Can't you see? Can't you see?" He raised a hand; his expression was solemn.

“這你還看不出來?你連這也看不出來?”他莊嚴地舉起一只手，

"Bokanovsky's Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!"

“波坎諾夫斯基程序是穩(wěn)定社會的一種重要手段!”

Major instruments of social stability.

穩(wěn)定社會的一種重要手段。

Standard men and women; in uniform batches. The whole of a small factory staffed with theproducts of a single bokanovskified egg.

批量生產的標準化男性和女性。一個小工廠的人員全部由一個經過波坎諾夫斯基程序處理的卵子產生。

"Ninety-six identical twins working ninety-six identical machines!" The voice was almosttremulous with enthusiasm.

“九十六個多生子女操作九十六部完全相同的機器!”那聲音由于激動幾乎在顫抖。

"You really know where you are. For the first time in history." He quoted the planetary motto.

“你們現在才真正明白了自己的地位，有史以來的第一次。”他引用了全球的格言：

"Community, Identity, Stability." Grand words. "If we could bokanovskify indefinitely the wholeproblem would be solved."

“社會，本分，穩(wěn)定。”這是了不起的話。“如果我們能夠無窮無盡地波坎諾夫斯基化，一切問題都可以迎刃而解。”

Solved by standard Gammas, unvarying Deltas, uniform Epsilons. Millions of identical twins.

由同一標準的伽馬們，一模一樣的德爾塔們，一成不變的愛撲塞隆們解決了，由數以百萬計的恒等多生子解決了。

The principle of mass production at last applied to biology.

大規(guī)模生產的原則終于在生物學里使用了。

"But, alas," the Director shook his head, "we can't bokanovskify indefinitely."

“但遺憾的是，”主任搖搖頭，“我們不能夠無限制地波坎諾夫斯基化。”

Ninety-six seemed to be the limit; seventy-two a good average.

九十六個似乎已經達到了極限，七十二個已是很不錯的中數。

From the same ovary and with gametes of the same male to manufacture as many batches ofidentical twins as possible–that was the best (sadly a second best) that they could do.

要用同一個男性的精子從同一個卵子生產出盡可能多批量的恒等多生子，這已是最佳成績(遺憾的是，只能夠算是次佳成績)

And even that was difficult.

而且就連這也很困難。