日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第3章9

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第3章9  

The little old figure moved closer towards them. He peered through the dim light. He thrust out a bony finger at his great grandson.
“Ah
” he snapped. “Zaphod Beeblebrox. The last of our great line. Zaphod Beeblebrox the Nothingth.”
“The First.”
“The Nothingth
” spat the figure. Zaphod hated his voice. It always seemed to him to screech like fingernails across the blackboard of what he liked to think of as his soul.
He shifted awkwardly in his seat.
“Er
yeah
” he muttered
“Er
look
I’m really sorry about the flowers
I meant to send them along
but you know
the shop was fresh out of wreaths and…”
“You fet!” snapped Zaphod Beeblebrox the Fourth.
“Well…”
“Too busy. Never think of other people. The living are all the same.”
“Two minutes
Zaphod
” whispered Ford in an awed whisper.
Zaphod fidgeted nervously.
“Yeah
but I did mean to send them
” he said. “And I’ll write to my great grandmother as well
just as soon as we get out of this…”
“Your great grandmother
” mused the gaunt little figure to himself.
“Yeah
” said Zaphod
“Er
how is she? Tell you what
I’ll go and see her. But first we’ve just got to…”
“Your late great grandmother and I are very well
” rasped Zaphod Beeblebrox the Fourth.
“Ah. Oh.”