美麗新世界 Brave New World 第1章(5)

Next to the Liners stood the Matriculators.

生產(chǎn)線工人旁邊是收納員。

The procession advanced; one by one the eggswere transferred from their test-tubes to the largercontainers;

流水線繼續(xù)前進;卵子一個個從試管轉入更大的容器;

deftly the peritoneal lining was slit, the moruladropped into place, the saline solution poured in …and already the bottle had passed, and it was theturn of the labellers.

腹膜內膜被巧妙地剖開，甚狀細胞準確落了進去，鹼鹽溶液注入……此時瓶子已經(jīng)離去。下面是標簽員的工作。

Heredity, date of fertilization, membership of Bokanovsky Group–details were transferred fromtest-tube to bottle.

遺傳狀況、授精日期、波坎諾夫斯基組別——全部細節(jié)都從試管轉到瓶子上。

No longer anonymous, but named, identified, the procession marched slowly on; on throughan opening in the wall, slowly on into the Social Predestination Room.

這回不再是沒有名字的了，署上了名，標明了身分。流水線緩緩前進，通過墻壁上一個人口進入了社會條件預定室。

"Eighty-eight cubic metres of card-index," said Mr. Foster with relish, as they entered.

“索引卡片總共有八十八立方米之多。”大家步入社會條件預定室時福斯特先生得意地說。

"Containing all the relevant information," added the Director.

“包括了全部的有關資料。”主任補充道。

"Brought up to date every morning."

“而且每天早上更新。”

"And co-ordinated every afternoon."

“每天下午調整。”

"On the basis of which they make their calculations."

“他們在資料的基礎上做出設計。”

"So many individuals, of such and such quality," said Mr. Foster.

“某種品質的個體是多少。”福斯特先生說。

"Distributed in such and such quantities."

“按這一種、那一種數(shù)量分配。”

"The optimum Decanting Rate at any given moment."

“在任何特定時到投入最佳的分量。”

"Unforeseen wastages promptly made good."

“有了意外的消耗立即會得到補充。”

"Promptly," repeated Mr. Foster. "If you knew the amount of overtime I had to put in after thelast Japanese earthquake!"

“立即補充，”福斯特先生重復道，‘稱要是知道上一次日本地震之后我加班加點所做的工作就好了!”

He laughed goodhumouredly and shook his head.

他搖著頭，溫文爾雅地笑了笑。

"The Predestinators send in their figures to the Fertilizers."

“命運預定員把他們設計的數(shù)字給胎孕員。”

"Who give them the embryos they ask for."

“胎孕員把需要的胚胎給他們。”

"And the bottles come in here to be predestined in detail."

“瓶子送到這兒來敲定命運設置的細節(jié)。”

"After which they are sent down to the Embryo Store."

“然后再送到胚胎庫房去。”

"Where we now proceed ourselves."

“我們現(xiàn)在就是到胚胎庫房去。”

And opening a door Mr. Foster led the way down a staircase into the basement.

福斯特先生開了一道門，領著大家走下臺階，進入了地下室。

The temperature was still tropical. They descended into a thickening twilight.

溫度仍熱得像赤道。他們進入的地方越來越暗。

Two doors and a passage with a double turn insured the cellar against any possibleinfiltration of the day.

那條通道經(jīng)過了兩道門，拐了兩個彎，用以確保目光不透進地窖。

"Embryos are like photograph film," said Mr. Foster waggishly, as he pushed open the seconddoor.

“胚胎很像攝影膠卷，”福斯特先生推開第二道門時開玩笑似地說，

"They can only stand red light."

“只能承受紅光。”

And in effect the sultry darkness into which the students now followed him was visible andcrimson, like the darkness of closed eyes on a summer's afternoon.

學生們跟他進去的地方又暗又熱，實際上可以看見的東西都呈紅色，像夏天午后閉上眼時眼里那種暗紅。

The bulging flanks of row on receding row and tier above tier of bottles glinted withinnumerable rubies,

通道兩側的大肚瓶一排接著一排，一層高于一層，閃著數(shù)不清的紅寶石般的光。

and among the rubies moved the dim red spectres of men and women with purple eyes and allthe symptoms of lupus. The hum and rattle of machinery faintly stirred the air.

紅寶石之間行走著幽靈樣的男男女女，形象模糊，眼睛通紅，帶著紅斑狼瘡的一切病征。機器的嗡嗡聲和咔噠聲微微地震動著空氣。

"Give them a few figures, Mr. Foster," said the Director, who was tired of talking.

“告訴他們幾個數(shù)字吧。”主任不想多說話。

Mr. Foster was only too happy to give them a few figures.

福斯特先生巴不得告訴他們一些數(shù)字。

Two hundred and twenty metres long, two hundred wide, ten high.

二百二十公尺長，二百公尺寬，十公尺高，

He pointed upwards. Like chickens drinking, the students lifted their eyes towards the distantceiling.

他指了指頭頂上。學生們抬起眼睛望望高處的天花板，一個個像喝著水的雞。

Three tiers of racks: ground floor level, first gallery, second gallery.

架子有三層：地面長廊，一階長廊，二階長廊。