日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第19章2

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第19章2  

3 Exports: None.
See imports.
4 Population: None.
It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds
simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However
not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore
there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds
so the average population of all the plas in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero
and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination.
5 Moary Units: None.
In fact there are three freely convertible currencies in the Galaxy
but none of them count. The Altairan Dollar has recently collapsed
the Flaninian Pobble Bead is only exchangeable for other Flaninian Pobble Beads
and the Triganic Pu has its own very special problems. Its exchange rate of eight Ningis to one Pu is simple enough
but since a Ningi is a triangular rubber coin six thousand eight hundred miles across each side
no one has ever collected enough to own one Pu. Ningis are not negotiable currency because the Galactibanks refuse to deal in fiddling small change. From this basic premise it is very simple to prove that the Galactibanks are also the product of a deranged imagination.
6 Art: None.
The function of art is to hold the mirror up to nature
and there simply isn’t a mirror big enough see point one.
7 Sex: None.
Well
in fact there is an awful lot of this
largely because of the total lack of money
trade
banks
art
or anything else that might keep all the non-existent people of the Universe occupied.
However
it is not worth embarking on a long discussion of it now because it really is terribly plicated. For further information see Guide Chapters seven
nine
ten
eleven
fourteen
sixteen
seventeen
nieen
enty-one to eighty-four inclusive
and in fact most of the rest of the Guide.